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Parents Of Michigan School Shooting Suspect In Court Today; Oakland County Sheriff Michael Bouchard Discusses Oxford High School Shooting Case, Arrest Of Suspect's Parents; Biden To Speak With Putin As Tensions Grow Over Ukraine; CNN Fires Anchor Chris Cuomo; Sante Fe D.A.: No One Who Handled Gun On "Rust" Set Has Been Cleared; ATP Pressed to Suspend Tennis Tournament In China Over Chinese Tennis Star's Treatment; Omicron Variant May Include Genetic Code Linked To Common Cold. Aired 8-9p ET

Aired December 04, 2021 - 20:00   ET

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

[20:00:00]

PHIL MATTINGLY, CNN HOST: At least one person is dead and dozens are injured after a volcanic eruption in Indonesia.

People ran for their lives as Mt. Semeru fired a cloud of searing ash -- you see it right there -- into the sky. Thousands of people were forced to evacuate their homes. Rescuers have been working to reach several villages blocked by debris.

A short time ago, an earthquake hit another part of Indonesia. So far, there are no reports of major damage.

Your next hour of CNN NEWSROOM starts right now.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): The parents of Michigan school shooting suspect, Ethan Crumbley, in court, each charged with four counts of involuntary manslaughter.

UNIDENTIFIED JUDGE: How are you pleading to count one?

JENNIFER CRUMBLEY, CHARGED WITH INVOLUNTARY MANSLAUGHTER: Not guilty.

UNIDENTIFIED JUDGE: And how are you pleading to count four?

JAMES CRUMBLEY, CHARGED WITH INVOLUNTARY MANSLAUGHTER: Not guilty.

SHANNON SMITH, DEFENSE ATTORNEY FOR JENNIFER & JAMES CRUMBLEY: The facts that have been presented by Ms. McDonald and her office have been cherry-picked to further her narrative of making an example of Mr. and Mrs. Crumbley.

KAREN MCDONALD, OAKLAND COUNTY PROSECUTOR: To suggest that anyone is somehow using this incident to create press, there's a lot of attention here because four children were murdered.

JIM ACOSTA, CNN HOST (voice-over): We have breaking news to report to you right now about CNN anchor, Chris Cuomo.

Earlier this week, Cuomo was suspended from CNN after documents revealed he had been involved, more than previously known, in shaping his brother former Governor Cuomo's defense.

BRIAN STELTER, CNN CHIEF MEDIA CORRESPONDENT & CNN HOST, "RELIABLE SOURCES" (voice-over): What we do know is Cuomo was terminated earlier today.

UNIDENTIFIED CNN CORRESPONDENT: As the Omicron variant is detected in more U.S. states, travel rules take effect Monday.

UNIDENTIFIED PHYSICIAN: We really don't want to ban people from the country. We want to keep cases out. So buffing up testing and having testing done before travel, and then again after travel makes a lot of sense.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MATTINGLY: I'm Phil Mattingly in Washington. Pamela Brown has the night off. And you are in the CNN NEWSROOM.

We begin this hour with the first court appearance by the parents of the accused Michigan school shooter. James and Jennifer Crumbley were arraigned by video conference this morning.

Both entered not guilty pleas to the four charges of involuntary manslaughter filed against them. Jennifer Crumbley cried when acknowledging the charges.

This exclusive video shows the couple taken into custody early this morning after an hours-long search. It was a tip that led police to a Detroit warehouse after the Crumbleys failed to turn themselves in on Friday.

Their attorney says it was simply a misunderstanding.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SMITH: Last night, and throughout the day, we were in contact with our clients. They were scared. They were terrified. They were not at home. They were figuring out what to do, getting finances in order.

But our clients were absolutely going to turn themselves in. It was just a matter of logistics. And all the prosecution had to do was communicate with me about it.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

MATTINGLY: The couple's son, 15-year-old Ethan, was arrested Tuesday and faces multiple charges, including first-degree murder.

Four students were killed in the Oxford High School shooting, and seven were injured.

I want to talk more about this now with Oakland County Sheriff Michael Bouchard.

Sheriff, thank you so much for your time.

And you mentioned earlier, in your press conference, nobody is sleeping right now on your team. So we appreciate you giving us a few moments here.

I want to start with what we heard from the defense attorneys. You were engaged throughout yesterday and the evening, they say the couple wasn't fleeing, they were hiding out of fear for their safety.

Based on your experience, do you put any stock into that claim?

MICHAEL BOUCHARD, SHERIFF, OAKLAND COUNTY, MI, SHERIFF'S DEPARTMENT: I find it pretty difficult to believe. Fear for their safety from who?

I mean, obviously, if they were in communication with them and they knew they were at a secure location they could have divulged that, we would have sent deputies there. But instead we didn't get that.

And so, you know, in any serious case where there's felony charges that have been levied, we don't wait and tap on the front desk for them to come in the front door.

We begin a very active fugitive investigation and look and find them to take them into custody. And that's exactly what happened here.

And big kudos to our partners, Detroit police, they did an amazing job. And then everybody that was there, whether it was U.S. Marshal, or Border Patrol, state police, that joined our fugitive apprehension team there to get this done in a timely fashion.

MATTINGLY: Can I ask, in watching everything play out yesterday, I believe the prosecutor at one point said they'd been under surveillance, how is it possible for them to be able to disappear for several hours in the first place?

BOUCHARD: Yes, there was a bit of disconnect between some of the lead prosecutors and some of the lead investigators. They actually weren't under surveillance.

You know, we can't go into the full surveillance mode with some of the technology and tools we have without a warrant, Be it a search warrant, or be it an arrest warrant.

So we had begun to put together a packet to begin to look for them if the case came to that. We couldn't find them physically after the last time we had seen them, which was when we executed a search warrant on Tuesday.

So we began the process of looking for them without some of that augmented activity we can use once a warrant is obtained.

[20:05:06]

We actually were able to locate one of the other family vehicles at a hotel in Oakland County. But they were not around and the car was kind of a dead end.

So that's when the -- ultimately, the warrant was issued for their arrest and it allowed us to trigger a full-scale fugitive apprehension effort.

MATTINGLY: I want to talk -- there's a person of interest. You're talking -- you mentioned in the news conference earlier that appeared to have helped the parents in the Detroit warehouse.

CNN has got some reporting that it might be some surveillance footage.

What more can you tell us about that individual?

BOUCHARD: We believe that -- you know, obviously, from what we have obtained so far -- more to follow, we've got detectives it as we speak -- that there was help to get them to that location, to get them into that secure location. And it was after obviously a warrant had been issued.

So the totality of that, how it happened, how it played out, who assisted them, is being actively investigated. We'll give that to our prosecutor to make any potential charging decisions in the near future.

MATTINGLY: Now, Mr. Crumbley and both his parents are being housed in the same jail, but separately. All three are in isolation. Any concern that they may be a danger to themselves?

BOUCHARD: We always have a process when anyone's admitted to our jail. They see a counselor and a classification person that goes through that process.

And one of the things on the checklist is, are you feeling depressed or suicidal? All of them have said no.

But out of an abundance of caution, I have instructed our folks to treat them as if they're on suicide watch. And that's exactly what's happening. They're getting regular observational checks.

MATTINGLY: You said something in the press conference that struck me today. You know, there have been a lot of questions about the school's role in this.

There was a video out where a school official says there was nothing they should have done differently -- paraphrasing there.

But you made the point, if it was concerning enough for the parents to have been called, we would have liked to have been called in.

There's so many occasions like this where there are red flags that are missed in advance of one of these horrific events.

Is there culpability here? What's your read in terms of what transpired in the 24 hours leading up to the shooting and who kind of holds some responsibility right now? BOUCHARD: Well, you're exactly right. We have a process, if there's

behavior or threat when we're looped in, we have a very specific protocol.

We make a determination of what's going on, if the school is safe and clear at that moment, if the child is safe and clear at that moment.

If it rises to the level of serious concern, which I believe this would have, then there's a follow-on. We remove them or request the school to remove them until a formal and more complete investigation occurs.

And that typically includes us going to the home where the person lives, checking to see access to weapons, and sometimes for safekeeping purposes working with the parents to take those weapons into safekeeping until there's a determination that it's safe. That did not happen.

But it happens regularly. We do that, sadly, a lot.

And matter of fact, the day after the shooting, we did it in a different school system in a different neighborhood with a different child, also 15 years old, after getting threats.

Followed on with that protocol, and he has now, actually, been formally arrested, and will be charged. And there was a follow-on visit to the home. Thankfully, the parents have been super cooperative.

MATTINGLY: Always seems to be missed signs. Glad others are making those phone calls.

Sheriff Michael Bouchard, I appreciate you.

You mentioned that you and your team are dealing with their own mental concerns right now in the wake of those who worked the scene, the hours you guys have been working.

I appreciate your time and effort over the course of the last several days.

BOUCHARD: Thank you, sir.

MATTINGLY: All right.

Four young lives taken. The life of their accused killer now hangs in limbo. The attack has become, sadly, and so uniquely, American.

Now the family of 17-year-old Madison Baldwin was supposed to watch her graduate high school this coming spring. She'd already been accepted to multiple colleges. Some with full scholarships.

We're told she was an artist who loved to read, she loved to write. She leaves behind three younger siblings.

Tate Meyer was a star football player on the school's varsity football team. He helped his team make it to the playoffs this year.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

TATE MEYER, FOOTBALL PLAYER KILLED IN MICHIGAN SCHOOL SHOOTING: Man, it feels awesome. I mean, it feels great.

In the rain, this is where we live. Rain is just like Oxford football, tough, muddy. Everything about us is tough.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

MATTINGLY: Just a few days prior to the shooting, he tweeted a picture of himself on a recruiting visit to the University of Toledo for football.

[20:10:00]

Just last month, his family watched him play in what we now know was his final football game. Tate was just 16 years old.

Fellow student, Hannah Satriano (ph), was just 14 years old. She was on the school's women's basketball team. Her teammates described her as kind and silly.

Tuesday night, the day of the shooting, Hannah was set to play in her first Oxford High School game.

Justin Shilling was incredibly smart and hardworking. He was part of the school district's baccalaureate program and a letterman at the school.

Last night, a crowd gathered outside the hospital where he had been kept on life support since the shooting. They were there, as Justin's parents told him goodbye on his way to surgery.

His single life, now saving multiple others. Justin was 17.

Those names, their stories, they matter. A lot.

The White House confirms that President Biden will hold a video call with Russian President Vladimir Putin next week to discuss the military build-up along the Ukraine border.

The U.S. Army chief of staff says Russia has planted about 100,000 troops there and that number could balloon.

CNN's Matthew Chance reports from the Ukrainian capital.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

MATTHEW CHANCE, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Russia is planning an imminent invasion of Ukraine. Diplomacy is being urgently stepped up with the U.S. and Russian leaders agreeing to direct talks via the link.

The Kremlin says a virtual summit between President Biden and Vladimir Putin will take place on Tuesday evening, Moscow time.

Russia, which U.S. and Ukraine officials say has deployed tens of thousands of troops, is demanding new security guarantees from the U.S. to stop any further expansion of NATO to the east.

President Putin told incoming ambassadors to Russia he would press his U.S. counterpart for a written legally binding commitment.

Take a listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

VLADIMIR PUTIN, RUSSIAN PRESIDENT (through translation): We propose to start meaningful talks. I would underline that we need legal and political guarantees as our Western colleagues didn't fulfill their verbal promises they gave.

In particular, it is well-known that NATO promised on words not to expand to the east but did the opposite. Russia's legitimate worries were ignored and are still being ignored.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CHANCE: Amid further U.S. intelligence reports of more Russian military deployments near the Ukrainian border. One report estimates Russian troop levels could reach 175,000 before any military offensive. Moscow denies it's planning another invasion.

President Biden says the U.S. is putting together a, quote, "comprehensive and meaningful set of initiatives" to, in his words, "make it very, very difficult for Mr. Putin to go ahead and do what people are worried he's going to do."

U.S. officials have warned that more severe economic sanctions against Russia would be on the table if a Russian attack on Ukraine takes place.

Matthew Chance, CNN, Kiev.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

MATTINGLY: Thanks to Matthew Chance in Kiev.

New tonight, CNN has terminated Anchor Chris Cuomo. It stems from an investigation into his brother, former New York Governor Andrew Cuomo. What Chris Cuomo and the network are saying about the decision, coming up next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[20:17:30]

MATTINGLY: New tonight, suspended primetime anchor, Chris Cuomo, is no longer employed at CNN at all. That announcement coming a couple of hours ago directly from CNN's top management. It's fallout from an even deeper investigation we're learning right

now into how Chris Cuomo helped his brother, the former governor of New York, who was accused of sexual harassment.

Here's the official CNN statement:

"Chris Cuomo was suspended earlier this week, pending further evaluation of new information that came to light about his involvement with his brother's defense."

"We retained a respected law firm to conduct the review and have terminated him effective immediately. In the process of that review, additional information has come to light.

"Despite the termination, we will investigate as appropriate."

Chris Cuomo released a statement a short time ago.

It reads, "This is not how I wanted my time at CNN to end. I've already told you why and how I helped my brother."

"So let me now say, as disappointing as this is, I could not be more proud of the team at "Cuomo Prime Time" and the work we did on CNN's number-one show in the most competitive time slot."

"I owe them all and will miss that group of special people who did really important work."

Sources tell CNN it will be weeks before any decisions are made about whether to charge anyone over the deadly shooting on the set of the movie "Rust." It appears the investigation is still in the fact- finding stage.

The Santa Fe district attorney is indicating no one who handled the gun on set has been cleared, despite Alec Baldwin claiming in a recent interview he's been told it was unlikely he'll face charges.

Natasha Chen is following this from the live Los Angeles bureau.

Natahsa, what are we hearing here from the D.A.?

NATASHA CHEN, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Phil, after Baldwin spoke to ABC's George Stephanopoulos, the district attorney in Santa Fe told CNN that there's no timeline here but that charges are not imminent.

She also released a statement saying that everyone on that set had a duty to behave in a way that protected the safety of others, and that certain actions, or inactions, led to this outcome.

She sat down with ABC. Here's what she said on that issue.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MARY CARMACK-ALTWIES, SANTE FE DISTRICT ATTORNEY: This was clearly an accident, but perhaps a criminal accident. Just because something it's an accident doesn't mean a criminal act didn't occur. (END VIDEO CLIP)

CHEN: And this follows Baldwin saying in his interview that, in speaking to people, he feels are in the know, he does not feel it's likely that he will be criminally charged.

[20:20:02]

But he is named in a couple of civil lawsuits right now that have been filed by members of the crew of "Rust" -- Phil?

MATTINGLY: Natasha, you mentioned that interview. What's the reaction been to that very high-profile interview from Alec Baldwin?

CHEN: Some of the strong reaction, Phil, has actually been from the attorneys representing those who are filing those lawsuits, including Attorney Gloria Allred, who's representing the script supervisor, Mamie Mitchell, who was the one dialing 911 that day.

In response to Baldwin saying that, you know, someone is responsible for this, but it's not me, Allred said, you know, he needs to look in the mirror and see at least one of the people responsible here.

She feels that he should have taken more responsibility for what occurred, you know, in response to his statement that he never pulled the trigger.

And that he feels, as far as actors checking the guns, before a scene, that that's not the actor's required duty. That that is the duty of the armorer or the prop master.

So, you know, George Clooney had come out to say that he checks the guns if he's being handed one before they start practicing or filming.

And Baldwin just said in the interview that that's not something required of actors.

I think that, in particular, really -- it evoked quite a response from the people who are really seeking some kind of accountability here -- Phil?

MATTINGLY: Yes, no question about that.

Natasha Chen, for us in Los Angeles, thanks so much as always.

CHEN: Thanks.

MATTINGLY: The women's professional tennis tour has cancelled all its events in China because of how Chinese leaders are handling questions about a tennis star's safety.

Should other sports cancel their events in China as well? The Olympics are in two months. We'll ask a former tennis champion.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[20:26:23]

MATTINGLY: The Association of Tennis Professionals, the ball is in your court.

Pressure is building on the governing body of men's tennis after the Women's Tennis Association suspended tournaments in China over its treatment of Chinese star, Peng Shuai.

She's rarely been seen in recent weeks and Beijing has effectively silenced her for sexual allegations against a former top Communist Party official.

Our next guest is a Wimbledon and U.S. Open champion. Rennae Stubbs is a tennis analyst with ESPN.

Rennae, thanks so much for taking the time. This is a very important story.

We saw what the WTA did. Why is the ATP not following their lead and making a statement here?

RENNAE STUBBS, TENNIS CHAMPION & TENNIS ANALYST, ESPN: Well, I mean, I guess your question is as good as mine.

They've been put under a bit of pressure over the last couple of days, certainly from some well-known people in tennis in general, who have asked the question.

That was kind of a poor effort from them, the statement that they made. It was kind of a statement without making a statement.

So I think the MTP has a little bit of questions. We need answers from them about being a little bit stronger. They have a tremendous amount of tennis events in China.

The ball, as you said at the start, is really in their court to stand beside us in solidarity with the WTA, and with the Women's Tennis Association.

We'll see if they step up to the plate in the next couple of days.

MATTINGLY: So I have a pretty good idea of the answer to this question but you actually understand the dynamics because I've lived them and within them for your career.

What are the consequences of the ATP deciding to pull out of tournaments from China? What were the consequences the WTA taking their stand?

STUBBS: Well, I mean, money, let's face it. That's what it comes down to. Obviously, the WTA now has to find a tremendous amount of money in sponsors to be able to put on events at that time of the year.

Obviously, look, we hope that the Chinese government does what we have asked, which is to do an investigation into the allegations that she's made. Certainly, we want to hear from her and know she's safe, that she's

not -- this is not the stuff that we see from state media. We want to see her actually living free, and she's fine and safe.

And until then, the WTA have suspended all their tournaments in China.

So the ATP really should step up to the plate as well.

If that is the case, and we do pull out from China completely, then we need to find cities and sponsors that want to put on those events that we will be pulling out of in China. And we have up to 10 or 11 events in China.

The men have a tremendous amount of events in China as well. They're going to have to find cities and sponsors and places to put those events on the calendar.

MATTINGLY: You mentioned the money issue. Obviously, the logistical issues as well. Players are always concerned about that.

To broaden it out a little bit, there's also been a lot of pressure on the International Olympic Committee to say something to a certain degree.

STUBBS: Yes.

MATTINGLY: The Olympics are quite literally in the country in a couple months. Is money the exact reason they're not saying anything? It's probably the weakness of everyone when it comes to their statements and what their actions are saying?

STUBBS: I think the IOC has a lot of questions to answer, really, because I think they sort of became a bit of a propaganda when they put out that video of her.

It was like, OK, she's doing a video. But really what's -- is she under duress? Where is this video taken?

Absolutely, the IOC has big questions to answer as well.

But of course, it comes down to money. This is what it's about, really.

[20:29:54]

Beijing is only, what, a month away for the Winter Olympics. So they're definitely going to be asked this question had nausea for the next few weeks, and we definitely want to hear it. And they need to be more powerful unit 1,200 WTI. And I mean, I'm so proud of the WTI in so many ways, because they've really been the big -- the big girls in the room when it comes to this situation. So, yes, it comes --

MATTINGLY: Yes. There's no question about it. The WTA stand -- I think I was taken aback to some degree, just don't see stuff like that anymore. Can I ask you, from a player perspective, how difficult is it for a player to stand up and say something here? Obviously, the organization giving covers is a big deal. But for an individual player, this is also -- we've seen it in the NBA, we've seen kind of across all sports leagues how difficult it is for individual players to say something here and some have, many have.

STUBBS: Absolutely. I think a lot of the players that have stood up and, you know, tweeted things, along the lines of Serena Williams and Naomi Osaka and Novak Djokovic, you know, be -- the biggest stars in the game that really stood up for this and a hashtag of this (INAUDIBLE) were really concerned about there as well.

But, you know, when it comes to the players, I'm also very concerned for the Chinese players that are on too. I worry about where they are going to be put in the situation and how tough it's going to be for them to go back to China and be able then to be let out of the country to play in tournament. So, there's a lot of concern, not only for punctuate, obviously, but also the players that play for China as well, and how are they going to be treated going back there.

So, there's a lot of concern around, you know, players outside of the Chinese Association. They can play throughout the year. They have no problems playing further on. But there is concern, there's no doubt from my perspective for the players playing under the Chinese flag as well now and what they're going to have to face going forward.

MATTINGLY: Yes. There's so many different dynamics here. Rennae Stubbs, I appreciate your time. I appreciate you talking about the story that I think is very important.

STUBBS: Thank you. And I appreciate you guys keeping the light on this story because it's very important.

MATTINGLY: It's going to continue. Thank you very much.

All right. The Supreme Court is considering a major abortion case. And there's concern that Roe versus Wade could be overturned. We'll talk about that with a woman who operates clinics that provide abortions. Put up next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[20:35:50]

MATTINGLY: Conservatives on the Supreme Court are leaning towards limiting abortion rights after hearing oral arguments on a major case this week. And that case centers on Mississippi's ban on abortions after 15 weeks.

A big question. Is there enough support within the courts conservative majority to ban abortions nationwide or just uphold the Mississippi ban? Now, Rebecca Tong is co-Executive Director of the Trust Women Foundation. It operates clinics that provide abortions in Kansas and Oklahoma. Rebecca, thanks so much for taking the time.

Look, I think everyone was trying to divine what was happening in during the oral arguments. But what was your sense of things when you heard and when you read what happened to the Supreme Court? Do you believe Roe versus Wade is about to be overturned, it could be significantly modified? What's your sense?

REBECCA TONG, CO-EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, TRUST WOMEN FOUNDATION: We have been prepared for some time for Roe v Wade to be either overturned or certainly watered down. The state of abortion access in this part of the country has been bad for several years. And so we were not in the least bit surprised, you know, looking at the makeup of the court with the questions that they asked. And we're prepared for there to be continued uneven legality across the country.

MATTINGLY: So, you know, you mentioned on the state level, this has obviously been an issue that's been litigated for a large degree every year for the last several. What happens to a clinic like yours if the Supreme Court bans or significantly limits abortion? How do you help a woman who may consider other ways to terminate their pregnancy?

TONG: We are seeing people travel across state lines. So, our clinics will be -- will have two different experiences, depending on what happens to Roe. In Oklahoma, we have a trigger ban that will probably go into place. And it will become immediately illegal in Oklahoma.

In Kansas, right now, we do have a state constitutional protection, that that is up for a vote here in August of 2022. And so while we would be able to continue to provide services in Kansas, it would be for only a certain amount of time, and we would have to wait to see what would happen with that ballot measure in August.

For our patients, it is incredibly difficult, already, because of Texas' Senate Bill 8. We have changed our clinics to majority out-of- state patients. We are seeing hundreds of people from Texas struggling to access this care, struggling to access a constitutionally protected healthcare procedure. And there are many who are doing without and we are well aware of that.

MATTINGLY: Rebecca, you wrote an op-ed this summer, quote, "To treat choice as a flexible value rather than a foundation of individual and social freedom would be for us an abdication of the responsibility of care. We owe it to the communities we serve. They would open the door to even more kinds of restrictions. We've seen decimate the reproductive health care field over the past 50 years since Roe v. Wade. Our values are not situational."

[20:40:59]

I guess the question to then is, what do you say to those on the other side of this debate or even somebody like Justice Amy Coney Barrett, who during the oral arguments suggested burdens of parenting is exactly the reason or one of the reasons. It's not an issue anymore because babies can be put up for adoption. Adoption exists to some degree to fill that void. What's your response to that argument?

TONG: To take this decision away from the mother away from the parent, away from the person who would be in the physical harm when carrying this pregnancy is very, very dangerous. And it opens up the door for many, many human rights violations for pregnant people. The number one reason that people come to visit our clinics is because they want to be good parents. Abortion is a moral choice, and it is a parenting choice for the most part. People understand what is required to be a parent, the cost both emotionally, physically, and financially, and what they want for their -- them and their families. It's be able to provide a future that's worth living.

And so I would urge, you know, any legislator, any judge, anyone who has control over people's decision making in this way to really put at the center of that decision, the person who has to carry the pregnancy, the person who wants to care for a baby, and who wants to be a good mother. It's absolutely torture to force people to remain pregnant against their will. And that's precisely what these judges are thinking about.

MATTINGLY: It will be a lot to watch on this case in the months ahead. Rebecca Tong, thanks so much for your time.

TONG: Thank you.

A new video just in to CNN.

Shades of Charlottesville sort of create this group, marching across Washington -- the Washington Mall and passed the Lincoln Memorial just a short time ago. It's called The Patriot Front. They're wearing white mask, matching arm patches, and with some members carrying plastic shields.

Now, the group is widely considered white nationalists. One banner read, Reclaim America. The U.S. Park Police first told CNN the March was permitted. But a short time ago, he said this group did not have a permit. Unlike the violent Unite the Right protest in Charlottesville, Virginia, police say this gathering has been peaceful with no arrests reported so far.

Now, just days from now, the FDA could approve a pill to fight COVID, and that could reduce the chance of severe effects or death by 30 percent. I'll talk with the scientist who discovered it.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[20:45:17]

MATTINGLY: The latest COVID-19 variant Omicron is moving around the globe at now astonishing speed. It's a wave that is perhaps being fueled by the fact that Omicron has copied a piece of genetic code from another highly contagious coronavirus, the common cold.

Now, in South Africa where Omicron was first found, COVID cases have quadrupled since Tuesday, and it has now been detected in more than 40 countries. That includes obviously the U.S. where cases have been confirmed and now at least a dozen states.

But experts insist, at least for now, there's no reason to panic. No deaths have been reported from the strain and so far, most cases have been mild. Still, many countries are jumping to impose new rules travel restrictions.

As of Monday, people who want to enter the U.S. must test negative for COVID one day before departure. That includes all U.S. citizens, even those vaccinated. Now, a closer look now at the headaches this new variant is causing all over the world. Our CNN correspondents explain what's happening in Australia, Southern Africa, and parts of Europe.

(BEGIN VIDEO TAPE)

CYRIL VANIER, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: I'm Cyril Vanier venue in Paris, European countries are battling COVID on two fronts, the Delta and Omicron variants, trying to slow down the spread of Omicron, new cases are confirmed daily. The European CDC warning that it could account for more than half the infections in Europe within a few months.

And simultaneously, Europe is trying to contain the current surge of Delta-driven cases. Germany is taking aggressive new steps, banning the unvaccinated from all but essential businesses. And the vaccine mandate there could also be on the way for early next year.

France is betting on boosters, while Austria, Slovakia, and the Netherlands are still in partial lockdowns.

FRED PLEITGEN, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: I'm Fred Pleitgen in Berlin. As Germany continues to see extremely high daily new coronavirus infections, and also, ICUs are increasingly filling up.

Now, Germany's health minister, he came out on Friday and he says he believes that the peak of patients requiring treatment in ICUs won't be reached until Christmas time, which means Germany is in for a pretty tough December.

Now, all this comes as the government in Germany has decided a really tough essential lockdown for people who are not vaccinated banning them from entering any businesses except the most essential ones, like for instance, pharmacies, and supermarkets.

Germany is also saying it wants to accelerate its vaccination campaign and is even talking about making vaccinations mandatory.

LARRY MADOWO, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: I'm Larry Madowo in Johannesburg, South Africa, where COVID-19 cases have quadrupled just in the last four days. This is believed to be largely driven by the Omicron variant.

South Africa seeing a positivity rate of 24.3 percent, which is extraordinary. There is not enough data yet on hospitalizations because that is a lagging indicator. South Africa's National Institute of Communicable Diseases warns that severity of the disease develops over time. These are still the early days of the fourth wave of the disease here in South Africa.

[20:50:16]

So far, about three million people have caught the virus since the start of the pandemic and that's hovering around 90,000.

IVAN WATSON, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: I'm Ivan Watson in Hong Kong. Authorities in the Australian state of New South Wales have ordered an urgent investigation into a cluster of confirmed COVID-19 infections, centering on a school in the city of Sydney.

Thirteen infections there are confirmed, but what's got the authorities particularly concerned is that three of those cases are of the new Omicron variant. And the authorities say that they're nervous because that cluster is not tied to any international travel.

Most of the new cases of Omicron that are popping up in one country after another are linked to international travel, linked to travel from the African continent. That suggests that this new cluster in Australia is local transmission, so authorities there are taking it very seriously.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

MATTINGLY: Now, while the U.S. now deals with the Omicron, as well as the Delta variants, there is hope for a new treatment for coronavirus patients. The FDA is considering whether to allow use of a pill called Molnupiravir. It may reduce severe COVID effects or even death by 30 percent.

Now, the capsule would be the first oral antiviral treatment. FDA advisors voted by a slim majority this week to recommend emergency use authorization. Opponents want to know more about its potential side effects.

Now, an Emory University scientist, George Painter, discovered Molnupiravir. And he began studying its powers against other viruses before COVID-19. I spoke earlier with Dr. Mark Denison from Vanderbilt University. He's an infectious disease specialist who's collaborated with Painter for years, and he shared the inside story of this potential medical marvel.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

MARK DENISON, PEDIATRIC INFECTIOUS DISEASE SPECIALIST: Our goal in all of our testing was to find a drug that would work against every coronavirus. We tested it against the mouse virus, against SARS, against MERS, against bad viruses that our colleagues at the University of North Carolina.

And so we knew that it would work against any virus with significant confidence. And so when COVID came around, we just tested it and demonstrated that and we're able to show that very rapidly that we were.

MATTINGLY: Now, in terms of how it works, you've described this in the past as being like nails to a car tire to some degree. Can you explain that a little bit?

DENISON: Well, I like analogy. So it's -- you know, when we think of things for the spike, there are things that are -- I guess another analogy I might use is a car driving -- a truck driving up to a factory and going into try to remake that factory in the factory is the cell.

And the spike is the key to the door. And inside, the virus assembles a new assembly line. And this drug targets that assembly line. It basically introduces damage. It cuts like taking a hammer or something else and getting that assembly line all along the way so that it can no longer make new virus particles.

So, it's very distinct from monoclonal antibodies. It's very distinct from vaccines. And it just induces incredible damage in the virus. And so that the viruses that come out, not only are there fewer of them, but the ones that come out, are damaged and can't cause infection as well.

MATTINGLY: Now, you -- I'm sure saw or at least heard me spell out some of the pushback you heard from the FDA advisory -- advisors earlier this past week. But what would you say to your colleagues in the scientific community that have concerns about this section moving forward?

DENISON: I'd say we need to do a little better job of thinking about the science. So some of the things I heard, I felt like I didn't recognize the potential. For example, this drug does cause more mutations in the virus. And so some concerns were raised about whether that would cause a virus that was more dangerous.

But in fact, it causes so much damage to the virus and decreases. If it makes a tenfold increase in mutations, that makes a 10,000 fold decrease in how much viruses made. So the fact is that a person treated with this will have less mutations coming out than some -- than the person who doesn't get the drug. So, it -- so we need to really understand the science and be led by it and not by concerns that are sort of founded in sort of almost what I would call science fiction.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

MATTINGLY: His life was part of the inspiration for an acclaimed HBO series, great book too. How the last surviving member of the Band of Brothers is being remembered tonight.

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[20:55:27]

MATTINGLY: The last surviving officer of a legendary World War Two unit immortalized in the HBO series, Band of Brothers, has died. Army Colonel Edward Shames was a member of Easy Company, the 506 Parachute Infantry Regiment and part of the 101st Airborne Division.

Now, his unit was involved in some of the most important battles of the war. He jumped into Normandy on D-Day, and responded to the notorious concentration camp at Dachau, and even entered Hitler's Eagle's Nest after Germany's surrender. According to his obituary, Shames, quote, managed to acquire a few bottles of cognac labeled for the furors use only. He would later use them to toast his oldest son's Bar Mitzvah. There are no words to describe how much I love that anecdote. Army Colonel Edward James was 99 years old.

I'm Phil Mattingly. Pamela Brown is back tomorrow starting at 6:00 Eastern. Have a great night.