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Biden Speaks To Troops Overseas On Christmas; Omicron Variant Fuels Rapid Surge In New Cases; New Jan. 6 Video Shows Violent Three- Hour Battle In Capitol Tunnel; Trump Asks Supreme Court To Block Release Of WH Documents As Jan. 6th Committee Asks SCOTUS To Expedite Case; Armed Intruder Arrested On Grounds Of Windsor Castle; Queen Elizabeth's Christmas Message Gets Personal; Top-10 Weather Events Of 2021. Aired 1-2p ET

Aired December 25, 2021 - 13:00   ET

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

[13:00:00]

BORIS SANCHEZ, CNN HOST: Their families have been able to make the most of it with a little help from premies of the Carolinas.

We're so grateful to have you with us this Christmas. Thank you so much for joining us.

CNN NEWSROOM continues with my friend, Amara Walker right now.

AMARA WALKER, CNN HOST: We are live in the CNN NEWSROOM. I'm Amara Walker in Atlanta and Merry Christmas to you.

Any minute now, President Biden will be speaking virtually, with service members around the world on this Christmas Day.

You can see the live pictures as I -- are getting that address ready. We will bring that to you, live as soon as it happens.

But we are going to begin with new COVID cases racing toward a record high here in the U.S. and the fast-spreading Omicron variant.

The U.S. is now averaging more than 182,000 new cases a day. That is a 48 percent jump from last week.

Also, COVID deaths are up more than 30 percent from a week ago, but they are still far from where they were at the peak of this pandemic.

We're going to head back to the White House and President Biden there with the First Lady, Jill Biden as they are getting ready to virtually meet with service members from around the world to give them a Christmas message. Let's listen in.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It is my distinct honor and privilege to introduce the President of the United States and the First Lady of the United States, Ma'am.

DR. JILL BIDEN, VICE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Hi, Merry Christmas. How are you?

JOE BIDEN, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Bahrain, Qatar, Romania everywhere but home.

JILL BIDEN: Yes.

JOE BIDEN: Sorry.

JILL BIDEN: We are sorry. You know, one of the things we know is because we are a military family, we know what it's like to have you, you know, our loved ones serving and being away during the holidays.

And so, I'm sorry, you have to be away. We know what it's like for your families to have that empty seat at the table like we had.

And my dad was a World War Two vet. He served in the -- he was in the Navy and he served in the South Pacific on a ship, he was a signalman, and our son Beau was in Iraq for a year so we certainly know us as a family, what it's what your families are feeling today.

And that's why we will continue -- Joe and I will continue forever and ever to support you in any way we can at but most of all, serve your families. Joe. Oh, here's the commander, this is --

JOE BIDEN: Mother's commander.

JILL BIDEN: You could probably -- there he is.

JOE BIDEN: He's 16 weeks old. Hello, everybody, and Merry Christmas.

And it's wonderful to see you all but I know as Jill said, you'd rather be home today and I don't blame you.

Jill and I know how hard it is for you, but quite frankly, it's hard if you're husbands wives, moms, dads, children, be a part are on duty during a season of togetherness. And we Biden's understand that. We still.

Everyone smile, look at that empty chair. And, you know, service to your country is whether you're in Iraq -- or you know, Beau spent a year in Iraq, in the Delaware Army National Guard.

Remember that when we -- it felt like, as I said, and all those birthdays and the other occasions, celebrations, we are not together.

So as your Commander in Chief, I wanted to take this opportunity to say thank you, thank you, thank you. It's a poor substitute for what they're missing but I understand.

I just want to know how much we care. We're grateful for your courage, your sacrifice. I don't mean your sacrifice but your family's sacrifice.

The Holidays really bring into sharp focus being apart is -- it's just part of the job, but it's the hard part of the job. And it's -- but it's who you guys are. You're solid -- you know, I get criticized for saying this occasionally but you're the solid steel spine of the nation.

You really are always vigilant, always ready when duty calls 365 days a year, and during the holiday season as we pray for peace and spread joy and glad guidance.

We also look for hope toward the possibility of a better year and to give thanks and to give thanks to everything -- for everything we've gotten, to you, to your service, your family, and to give you as much spaces you need.

[13:05:00]

JOE BIDEN: Now, we're going to send this guy over but you know we got to give you so much to make our freedom and prosperity possible.

You are, as I said, you're the best, your families serve right alongside you through every one of your missions, during deployments, and your hardship, we owe you, we all your families.

I've often said that as a nation, we have many obligations, we only have one truly sacred obligation, to properly prepare those and equip those who we send in harm's way and to care for you and your families while you're gone and when you return home.

It's because all of you are out there, doing what you're doing, the America's all -- Americans all across the nation are able to spend the day with their loved ones enjoying the blessings of security of our American democracy and we're so, so grateful.

Now we got Army, Navy, Marine Corps, Air Force, base, Force, Coast Guard, all on the line here, and I'm looking forward to hearing from all of you about the work you're doing for our country and what's on your mind.

And you can ask your Commander in Chief any questions you want to I'll try to answer them. So thank you.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Sir, Ma'am. Ladies, gentlemen, we'll take a brief pause here for a moment. Thank you.

JOE BIDEN: OK.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

WALKER: That was President Joe Biden and First Lady Jill Biden, you heard both of them. They're thanking service members from around the world, in Bahrain, Qatar, Romania, and Colorado on this Christmas Day for their service, their courage, and their sacrifice.

And you also saw President Biden leaning into his empathizer and chief role, apologizing to the families saying, look, I know what it's like to have that empty seat at the table during those family moments, these Holidays, and apologizing to those families for that empty seat but also emphasizing his gratitude for the service members and their sacrifice.

We're going to leave that there. We're going to turn now to COVID the pandemic and, the Omicron variant that is leading to cancellations when it comes to flights around the world.

And CNN's Nadia Romero and Alison Kosik, they're both keeping a close eye on all the COVID developments for us this Christmas weekend.

Nadia, we're going to begin with you. You are in Atlanta, one of the busiest airports in the world.

First off, tell us what travelers need to know as hundreds of flights have been canceled.

NADIA ROMERO, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Yes. Well, luckily for them, Amara, most of them have an e-mail or a text message coming to them so that they're able to figure out exactly what their flight will be for them if they have a cancellation or delay.

You can see behind me though, there are plenty of people here who are at the airport. It's starting to pick up now.

I mean, it was a bit of a ghost town early this morning with those early flight cancellations.

Some people found out about their cancellations as early as Wednesday when Delta canceled about children and 50 flights due to -- due to bad weather that they saw in the Midwest.

We're also learning from the TSA though that there are fewer people traveling getting screened through TSA pre-check on Christmas Eve than compare to those pre-pandemic levels in 2019, more than last year, right, but -- 2020 Christmas, but not as much as pre-pandemic.

And that bucks the trend, Thanksgiving travel, we broke so many pandemic records, fewer people are traveling this Christmas Eve likely Christmas day.

Some of that can be attributed to the Omicron variant that is spreading rapidly.

But also the cancellations, more than thousands flights being canceled this Christmas weekend.

But we did speak with some people who said that they were on their way to go see loved ones for the first time in a long time, but they're doing so as safely as possible.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JOY WOODWARD, HOLIDAY TRAVELER: My best friend is a flight attendant and so we kind of have the inside scoop. So she basically said it was a lot of longer international flights and we're just -- ours is like maybe an hour and a half flight or so.

We felt pretty good but yes, I asked her to check the flight this morning before we left. So we felt good. Yes, we're good.

ROMERO: Last year, you weren't able to do it.

WOODWARD: No, we were not able to do it. We wanted to make sure everyone was safe. And my mom is high-risk, so -- former lung cancer patient, so yes. So we just wanted to be safe.

But I mean, honestly, it's really nice just to stay home and be relaxed and all of that but you know, we're excited to see them too, obviously, so.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ROMERO: Yes. And a lot of people telling me how excited they are to travel for the first time.

We interviewed a woman who said this will be the first time that she will ever see her grandson in person because she was limited from traveling to go out to Baltimore from Atlanta to visit her grandson so she can't wait to wrap her arms around him.

Another man says he's going to Paris because last year during Christmas, the borders were closed and he hasn't seen his family since 2019.

So now he's making that long trek back to back Paris to be with his family again.

Just really important moments for families who had been pent up that demand to go out and see family, of course, though, they have the Omicron variants and those safety precautions to keep in mind as well, Amara.

[13:10:00]

WALKER: And there are ways to do things safely, especially if you are vaccinated and or boosted. Thanks so much, Nadia for that.

Let's turn it over to Alison, who is in New York, as we know that is an area where cases have been shattering records.

And it's really sad and hard to believe that, you know, this is where we are again, unfortunately on Christmas.

So, Alison, what are we learning now about the rise in outbreaks around the country?

ALISON KOSIK, CNN BUSINESS CORRESPONDENT: So, Amara, it is important to point out again what researchers and scientists have found out so far about the Omicron variant that it is more mild, but the concern still is that the possibility is there of overwhelming the hospitals.

At this point, more than 69,000 Americans were in the hospital with COVID-19 on Christmas Eve. That's according to data from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

It's an increase of around 2 percent from last week.

But the figure remains below peak hospitalizations that we saw during the Delta surge, and it's half of the record highs that we saw in January.

Now, the HHS data also show that 12 states have seen at least a 10 percent uptick in COVID-19 hospitalizations over the past week compared to the previous week.

That's happening against the backdrop of a 48 percent increase in COVID-19 cases from last week.

Now, watching these case numbers surpassing the summer surge, I know, yes, this is a stunning indication of just how rapidly Omicron is spreading and how quickly it's become the most prevalent variant in the U.S. this week.

And as COVID-19 testing shortages lead to long lines that we've seen across the country before Christmas, some pockets of the country are reporting surges.

COVID-19 cases in Los Angeles County have nearly tripled in the last week, hospitalizations, there'll have remained steady.

Here in New York State. They broke their own daily record of COVID-19 cases on Friday when it reported more than 44,000 new cases. That's a 14 percent jump from Thursday.

Hospitalizations in New York State are also rising but at a lower rate, people in New York hospitals though, because of COVID-19. They rose 4.6 percent from Thursday to Friday.

But just sort of put an end-note on this, Amara, of your point when you -- when you talk to me.

This year, I think Christmas is not like last year when everything was shut down.

Vaccines have a lot to do with the difference.

And although it's still not enough, 61 percent of Americans are fully vaccinated, almost 73 percent of Americans have received at least one vaccine dose and again, those hospitalization rates are lower than last Christmas.

So we do have a few things to be -- to be thankful for it today.

WALKER: Exactly. And we heard from President Biden encouraging Americans who are vaccinated, you don't have to cancel your Holiday plans. There are ways to gather safely.

Alison Kosik and Nadia Romero, appreciate both of your reporting. Thank you for that.

So let's talk more about this. Joining me now is Dr. Amesh Adalja. He is a Senior Scholar at Johns Hopkins University Center for Health Security.

Thank you for joining me on this Christmas Day, Dr. Adalja Merry Christmas.

I'm sure as you know, millions of families have begun gathering despite, you know, the surgeon COVID cases.

And again, you know, President Biden said, look, if you're vaccinated and boosted, you don't have to cancel your holiday plans.

What's your message to those families today who are together? How can we continue to be safe?

DR. AMESH ADALJA, SENIOR SCHOLAR, JOHNS HOPKINS UNIVERSITY CENTER FOR HEALTH SECURITY: I would tell those families that are together now to enjoy the day, especially if they're vaccinated because they're free from the threat that COVID-19 can cause severe disease, hospitalization, or death in any of them were the people they're gathering with.

We're on two different kinds of tracks here with the vaccinated and the high-risk unvaccinated.

And I think it's important for the vaccinated to be able to enjoy their life because this isn't something that's going to go away.

And I think that the way to make COVID-19 risk stratification and risk calculation easier is to be vaccinated.

And I think that's the message that we need.

It's not March 2020. We've got tests, we've got anti-virus, we've got monoclonal antibodies, we've got vaccines, so it's a very different place than just a year ago.

WALKER: Yes, a very different place than just a year ago. That is the optimistic part of this conversation, right?

You know, you saw our Nadia Romero there at the airport in Atlanta. There's been a lot of back and forth about traveling and whether or not it's safe.

I know that a lot of these new airplanes have these HEPA filtration systems that I think they filter out about 99.9 percent of particles.

What is your take on that getting on an airplane? How safe is it? Is there a safe way to do it and should little children who cannot be vaccinated get on these planes?

ADALJA: Planes tend to be relatively safe because of the fact that they've got the filtration that you just mentioned, and most people are going to be wearing masks on the plane except for a very small children.

So I think this is a manageable risk. We've not seen transmission on planes since these requirements have been put into place and this upgrade in filtration.

I think that it's more about what you do at the airport or what you do when you get to your destination, that's the risk of travel.

[13:15:00]

ADALJA: But again, for a fully vaccinated individual, I think it's something that's a very manageable risk.

And for low-risk children who are not vaccinated, so long as they don't have any medical problems, I think it's a safe thing.

And the fact is, everybody, wearing masks keeps those people that can't be vaccinated, like small children below the age of five, safe as well.

WALKER: Yes, one step that I take too is when I'm on an airplane I don't eat the snacks or drink when it's being served. I kind of wait until everyone's done and then I -- you know, will munch on whatever I have.

So, you know, the CDC director, Dr. Rochelle Walensky said this week that safety for Holiday gatherings has less to do with the journey there, I think you're mentioning this, but more to do with behaviors the week leading up, the week before.

Do people need to keep that in mind, you know, when they're heading home after the Holidays, given the surge?

ADALJA: You definitely have to think about, could I have been exposed to COVID-19? Do I need to get a test? Do I have any symptoms that could be consistent with COVID-19?

And hopefully, rapid tests will become more plentiful or easier to find in the days to come and they'll be able to test themselves if they -- if they just want that peace of mind.

But again, for the fully vaccinated, I think you've got to expect that you're going to get exposed to Omicron. This variant can infect. But the fact is, we have to focus much more on the severity of illness.

And in the vaccinated, it is something that is not very severe, more like the common cold.

I think that to track pandemics is how you kind of have to think about how safe your activities are or unsafe they are.

WALKER: Yes. And so on that note, I mean, it's important to point out that hospitalizations and deaths are not at the peak levels that we saw right at the peak of the pandemic.

And you're talking about these new early studies that suggest Omicron may be less likely to cause severe disease and hospitalization compared to the Delta variant.

So the fact that these hospitalizations are not, you know, where it was, you know, during the peak of the pandemic, does that tell us?

Is that evidence that yes, this variant is not as severe, does not cause as severe illness, or is it just too soon to tell when you look at the hospitalization rates?

ADALJA: It's too soon to tell. We know that the data coming out of South Africa, the data coming out of Scotland, places like that show that this tends to hospitalized less than Delta does.

But the fact is, this can still kill people. We know people have died in the United States from Omicron.

But the fact that hospitalizations are not maybe an indicator that a lot of these cases are mild, a lot of them might be occurring in fully vaccinated individuals, we'll have to wait and see.

But many hospitals already pushed to the brink with Delta patients. And now they're going to get even a little bit of Omicron could actually be something that puts them over the brink in certain regions of this country.

So I think we still have to be very touching go with the way hospital capacity looks at an -- in the regional level.

Systemically, yes, I think we're in a better place. But regions may be hit hard.

WALKER: Yes, and because of the concerns of overwhelming hospitals with Omicron. And of course, you know that also impacting hospital or healthcare worker shortages, the CDC released updated guidance for health care workers, right, who test positive for COVID saying that they can return to work after seven days as opposed to 10 if they are asymptomatic and test negative.

But it's not going to be available to the general public, these guidelines.

Do you think that they should be extended to the general public?

ADALJA: Definitely. We have data that shows that people don't really fit into that one size fits all 10-day isolation period.

And we have rapid tests. If you can find them, that can help us gauge when somebody becomes no longer contagious, and then we can kind of precision guide isolation periods.

And I think this is something that should apply not only to healthcare workers but to everybody because we have the data to do so because even if these breakthrough infections are mild, the fact that people have to isolate for 10 days, that's very disruptive to people's lives.

And if we're going to get to that post-pandemic world, I think we've got to use the science to precision guide isolation periods to minimize the disruptions that these mild cases are going to cause.

WALKER: Yes, fair enough, great point. Dr. Amesh Adalja, thank you so much for joining me this Christmas. Happy Holidays to you.

ADALJA: You too. Thank you.

WALKER: All right.

Up next, shocking new video of the January 6 riot showing a violent three-hour battle in the Capitol tunnel.

We're going to show you that very disturbing video next.

You're live in the CNN NEWSROOM.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[13:20:00]

WALKER: We have a graphic new video from the Justice Department showing the full extent of the brutal confrontation in the tunnel of the Capitol on January 6.

That battle has become one of the most enduring images of the Capitol attack.

Police crammed into the entrance of the Lower West Terrace, outnumbered and holding back rioters and vicious hand-to-hand combat for three long, painful, and frightening hours.

CNN's Marshall Cohen combed through all three hours of the footage is joining us now.

Marshall, I almost want to ask you what kind of emotions you felt as you watch this. But you know, let's focus on the key things you saw in this new video, Marshall.

MARSHALL COHEN, CNN REPORTER: Hi, Amara, and Happy Holidays to you and to our audience. It is painful to watch.

Our team here in DC went through all three hours. And it's a roller coaster. It's a battle of violence and desperation.

This first clip here is when it started. We are looking as you said on the western terrace of the Capitol.

Before these rioters even arrived at this tunnel, they had to either climb up the scaffolding for the inauguration stage or climb up staircases, blow past police barricades and fences.

So they're already pretty deep into the Capitol grounds. Once they got in there, they flooded the zone.

You can see here, dozens, probably hundreds of writers in this particular area.

You'll see in a second some men even were hanging from the top and kicking officers trying to kick them in the head.

The pro-Trump rioters there grabbed anything they could and some of them even allegedly brought weapons with them to the Capitol that day.

We're talking about things like metal poles and other flag poles.

Some of them holding the American flag, some of them holding the Blue Lives Matter flag used to attack police officers.

Other weapons like pepper spray and bear spray were in the mix as well.

This particular clip shows how some of the rioters had strobe lights that they were pointing at the officers to try to disorient and distract them to try to overrun that line.

But it didn't work, Amara. After that pronounced three-hour battle, police were able to repel this group of rioters. They never actually breached the building itself in this particular spot.

But it came at a pretty heavy cost. Several police officers were injured.

This is where Michael Fanone, the police officer was infamously dragged into the crowd, tased in the neck repeatedly, he suffered a heart attack. Others went to the hospital.

So it's a very disturbing situation that unfolded here.

And now, one year later, Amara, we're starting to see some justice.

A lot of the people on your screen were charged with federal crimes, many of them have already pleaded guilty. Two of them are sentenced to several years in prison because they had weapons because they were attacking police.

[13:25:00]

COHEN: So you know it's -- things are starting to come a little bit full circle but one year later, we are still, still learning some of the devastating details.

WALKER: We are learning it, we are seeing it, and this video once again underscores the courage and the sacrifice of the Capitol police officers. What heroes they are.

Let's stay with January 6, Marshall. Donald Trump's spokesman is the latest to see the House Select Committee investigating the insurrection. Can you tell us more about that?

COHEN: Yes. This broke overnight, a Christmas Eve filing in court. The bottom line on this is that this is for the very first time we're learning about a subpoena to a bank.

The Democrats and Republicans on the Committee have said all year that they want to follow the money.

They want to figure out who was funding these rallies and which precipitated the riots. And this court case, for the first time revealed that that's a pet -- that a subpoena has gone to a bank.

I think it's fair to say that there are probably others floating out there and we'll just have to see how it all develops, Amara.

WALKER: Yes. We are watching it closely with you as well. Marshall Cohen, thank you so much for your reporting.

Let's talk more about this with CNN Senior Legal Analyst and former federal prosecutor, Elie Honig.

Ellie, I'm sorry, I'm still reeling from that video.

But what we'll talk about is the legal stuff, you know, because this is the first confirmed subpoena issued by this January 6 Committee seeking information directly from a bank.

Why does the Committee want these financial documents? What's the significance?

ELIE HONIG, CNN SENIOR LEGAL ANALYST: Whatever, obviously, they're following the money as one should do in any complicated investigation involving funding. We know that there was funding behind this rally.

I do want to say I think this lawsuit seeking to block this subpoena by the spokesperson, Taylor Budowich, has no chance. It's dead on arrival.

He's trying to stop a bank from turning over really basic records to a Committee, any prosecutor, any investigator.

The first thing you do in any complex investigation, you get two things. You get the bank records and the phone records.

Banks respond to these subpoenas all day, every day by the hundreds, it is as routine as it gets.

Budowich really has nothing to support his lawsuit here other than just claiming well, the Committee is illegitimate.

I mean, that is not a meaningful legal argument. That's maybe a political argument at best.

So I think what we're seeing here really is sort of performative defiance of the subpoena by this person who's loyal to Donald Trump.

WALKER: Yes. So, you know, this is one of about what a dozen lawsuits against the Committee.

Mark Meadows also being, you know, one of those subjects who also sued the Committee and Nancy Pelosi, saying that the subpoena lacks a legitimate legislative purpose.

Of course, it does.

The whole point of it is to try to prevent, you know, a coordinated attack like this in the future.

But what are the -- what's the point of all these lawsuits challenging the subpoenas?

I mean, is it just a delay tactic because I feel like I keep hearing that, you know, these are all pointless, or they have no, you know, ground?

HONIG: I think it's a couple of things, Amara.

First of all, I think it is a delay tactic. I think it's a defiance tactic.

I think it's a way for people loyal to Donald Trump to say, look, we're just like you, you know, we're fighting fire with fire, the best defense is the best offense.

And you raise an important point here.

Courts have already recognized that Congress, the committee here has a legitimate legislative purpose.

First of all, the committee, Congress has told us, we're looking at things like the electoral count app, which Donald Trump and others tried to manipulate to throw the election.

And also, importantly, federal courts, including a Federal Court of Appeals in DC, has already ruled yes, the committee does have a legitimate legislative purpose.

So those arguments are just dead ends.

WALKER: So where do you think this is going to go because you have President Trump now, the former President, appealing to the Supreme Court this week to block the release of those documents that he is so you know, adamant about turning over?

You know, do you expect the Supreme Court to expedite things as a Select Committee is requesting, and, you know, where's this going?

HONIG: I do think the Supreme Court will act quickly here.

One thing that's been really encouraging to see in this dispute over the National Archives documents, the courts have moved for once really quickly.

It's taken about two months to get from the very first stage, the district court through the Court of Appeals, and now to the Supreme Court.

If the Supreme Court says no, we're not taking this case, that's it, the documents go over from the National Archives to the Committee.

These are going to be really crucial documents there from the inner circle of the White House. If the Supreme Court takes it, then I think they're going to come to the same ruling that's already been reached by the lower courts are going to say, of course, that committee gets these documents, they have a compelling legal need. And Donald Trump really has no privilege that he can exercise as a former President in this scenario.

I'm not sure whether the Supreme Court will even take it because I do think the ruling below is so clear.

[13:29:58]

It's so obviously correct, that there's really no need for the Supreme Court to step in and say, oh, you got it wrong.

So I think those documents are going over. And I think we'll see them go over fairly soon.

WALKER: And quickly, Elie, we're almost out of time.

But what can we potentially learn from these White House logs and notes from the then-Chief of Staff Mark Meadows? Again, Trump seems to be guarding these with his life, so to speak.

HONIG: Yes. There's 700-plus pages of internal logs, notes, memos. This shows you what key players were doing, saying and thinking at the key moments of January 6th.

WALKER: Elie Honig, great to have you on. Thank you so much. Appreciate it.

HONIG: Thanks, Amara. Merry Christmas to you and everyone else.

WALKER: Merry Christmas.

All right, up next, police arrest an armed intruder on the grounds of Windsor Castle where Britain's Queen Elizabeth is spending Christmas. We have a live report on that next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WALKER: Breaking news. Police arrested an armed intruder on the grounds of Windsor Castle where Queen Elizabeth II is spending Christmas.

I want to go straight to CNN's Nada Bashir.

Nada, what are you learning?

NADA BASHIR, CNN PRODUCER: That's right, Amara. A 19-year-old man has been arrested, found on the grounds of Windsor Castle where, as you mention, the queen is spending Christmas this year.

Police say in a statement he was armed with an offensive weapon and he was taken into custody.

They say the security processes were triggered almost immediately after the individual entered the grounds in the early hours of this morning around 8:30 a.m. local time Christmas Day.

And they do say now the royal family have been informed of that. Although that didn't stop Prince Charles and Camilla, Duchess of Cornwell, from staying with the queen this Christmas and from taking part in a Christmas service at St. George's Chapel.

[13:35:06]

Now we don't have further information at this stage on the suspect, police are looking into it.

This individual arrested and in custody. We don't know what the motive was. But police say he has been arrested, believed to be trespassing on the grounds of Windsor Castle where the queen is staying -- Amara?

WALKER: And the queen releasing her annual Christmas Day message, right, Nada? What did she say?

BASHIR: Absolutely. The queen always takes this as opportunity for reflection on the past year, to give thanks.

This year, she took a more personal approach, commemorating the life of her late husband, Prince Philip, who died in April this year. This is her first Christmas without Prince Philip.

Take a listen to what she said.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

QUEEN ELIZABETH II: Christmas can be hard for those who have lost loved ones. This year, especially, I understand why.

But for me, in the months since the death of my beloved Philip, I have drawn great comfort from the warmth and affection of the many tributes to his life and work, from around the country, the Commonwealth, and the world.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BASHIR: During that speech, the queen wore a brooch that she wore during her honeymoon with Prince Philip in 1947. You can see that on the desk, front and center, a photo of herself and the late prince taken in 2007 to mark their diamond wedding anniversary.

The queen obviously looks at the COVID impact that many families have had to deal with the past two years, particularly during a festive period.

But she also gave a message of hope for the year to come, particularly as she is set to mark her Platinum Jubilee -- Amara?

WALKER: Nada Bashir, thank you so much.

As we go to break, I want to show you the midnight mass from Bethlehem into Christmas Day.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

(SINGING)

(END VIDEO CLIP)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[13:40:10]

WALKER: It is a miracle. Former President Trump giving his strongest endorsement yet of the COVID-19 vaccines.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

CANDACE OWENS, TALK SHOW HOST, "CANDACE": A lot of people died under COVID this year under Joe Biden --

DONALD TRUMP, FORMER PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: That's right.

OWENS: -- than under you. More people took the vaccine this year. People are questioning how --

TRUMP: I know the vaccine worked. Some people aren't taking it.

The ones that get very sick and go to the hospital are the ones that don't take the vaccine. But it is still their choice.

And if you take the vaccine, you're protected. People aren't dying when they're taking the vaccine.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WALKER: With us is Republican strategist, Alice Stewart, and White House correspondent and Washington bureau chief for "The Grio," April Ryan.

Merry Christmas to you both. Thank you for joining me this special day.

Alice, to you first.

Why do you think this relatively strong vaccine endorsement is coming from Donald Trump now?

ALICE STEWART, CNN POLITICAL COMMENTATOR: Well, Merry Christmas to you as well, Amara.

I think, like you say, it is a Christmas miracle. I'm glad to hear him give full-throated endorsement for the vaccine. I was glad when he recently told a crowd of supporters he got the booster shot. And that's a good thing.

Look, we have to give former President Trump credit for the work he did do in Operation Warp Speed in getting the vaccines approved and out to arms as quickly as possible. I think that's a good thing.

It has been frustrating to see some conservative voices show any kind of skepticism about the vaccine or masks.

But the more we can do what the president has been doing, in putting more faith and confidence in the vaccine, sharing that message, the better.

I hope he continues to do so.

WALKER: In terms of impact, it might be too little too late to sway some vaccine skeptics.

To you, April.

Dr. Jerome Adams, the surgeon general under President Trump, he simplified it by saying, look, you know, Trump changed his tune because President Biden finally praised him when it comes to vaccines.

Do you think it really is that simple? He is quite transactional.

APRIL RYAN, CNN POLITICAL ANALYST: He is transactional, but this is about his ego.

You have to remember, so many people died.

Donald Trump needs someone to stroke his ego and praise him about the fact he oversaw the efficacy, the push for the vaccines.

But at the end of the day it is not about ego, it is about people's lives. This is a time when people are dying from a virus we do not understand.

We do not understand what's going to happen next. We do not understand how it changes shape and changes into something different that is even more contagious.

This is not a time we need to worry about ego. We need to worry about people getting tested, vaccinated, and boosters.

And we have to remember, Alice -- and happy, Merry Christmas, Alice.

We have to remember this president is a lot of the problem why people are believing conspiracy theories, and why people are not getting vaccinated, for the most part, because they believe his lie.

Now that he's not president, he realizes the nation is not standing for the lies he once told. That's why he is now telling the truth.

WALKER: Alice, do you want to respond to that, the fact that Trump may be part of the reason we have so many people that don't want a vaccine?

STEWART: Yes. Merry Christmas to you as well, April.

You have a point, to some degree, April. I wish when the president got his first vaccine, he would have done so publicly, for everyone to see and shown people it is quick and painless and extremely important. Unfortunately, he did not do that. What I will say is I'm glad he is on the right page now, whatever the

reason, whether it is his ego or people are praising him.

The important take away is the fact that he is supporting vaccines, encouraging people to get boosters, and even standing up to strong supporters and conservative voices when they're spreading misinformation.

So I'm going to look at this as net positive.

WALKER: Well, let's turn to -

(CROSSTALK)

RYAN: Let me just say something.

WALKER: Go ahead.

RYAN: Let me say this real quick. This Christmas Day, truth prevailed.

Two years later, I was in the White House when Donald Trump called it a Democratic hoax for months and months. Until he got it and wanted to be superman and put on a cape and say, I have beaten this.

We are two years-plus in, and he is finally telling the truth about it. The damage by Donald Trump has been done. Even though he oversaw the fact that the three vaccines -- (INAUDIBLE) -- the damage has been done.

(CROSSTALK)

WALKER: Yes. I mean, he didn't disclose -- he refused to disclose vaccination status as president --

RYAN: Right.

WALKER: -- when he had the bully pulpit.

[13:45:02]

Let's focus on the administration now. Look, I have to tell you ladies, I had a small Christmas gathering. To be transparent, we were all vaccinated or boosted.

My husband texted our friends, said, look, you all need to test negative before coming in.

So he went to go buy rapid tests. At the end of the day, we found them, everyone tested negative, thank goodness, and we were able to have a small dinner.

But tests are so difficult to find. All of our friends are driving around to CVS, Walgreen's and what have you. And you see these incredibly long lines, testing lines.

Look, it is heartening to see people are trying to do the right thing before a gathering or traveling. But people are waiting hours to get tested. I was at one of the sites just the other day reporting on that.

We're seeing higher daily case rates now than we were during the peak of the Delta variant as well.

So let's start with you, April.

I mean, how much blame does President Biden deserve for this?

RYAN: You know, to be honest, Amara, from the beginning, there's been a problem with testing. Remember when kids didn't have swabs they needed? This is kind of along the --- (INAUDIBLE). You would have thought this would have been fixed.

Now we have the variants. People are more susceptible. Government, private industry have to respond to demand.

We have to be clear that tests are not stopping COVID, but they'll give us a snapshot in that window of time, baseline being when you got it or don't have it.

I'm with you, Amara. I'm trying to buy kits and I'm going to test myself because I have been someone who tested positive for COVID. (INAUDIBLE).

(CROSSTALK)

WALKER: And they're not cheap, right? That's the other issue.

RYAN: They're not cheap.

WALKER: They're not easy to find and not cheap. So something needs to change.

RYAN: And $900 for one kit.

WALKER: Exactly.

(CROSSTALK)

WALKER: Ladies, we have to leave it here. I'm so sorry, we have to go.

Merry Christmas to you both.

RYAN: Thank you.

WALKER: I hope you're able to have gatherings as safely as possible.

Thank you so much, Alice Stewart and April Ryan. Appreciate your time.

We here, at CNN, will be right back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[13:51:00] (BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

BILL WEIR, CNN CHIEF CLIMATE CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): The signs were everywhere in '21, starting at the top of the world, where Greenland's highest peak was so freakishly warm that it rained for several hours.

(on camera): They believe that this is the birthplace of the iceberg that sank the Titanic.

But now scientists are really worried this place could help sink Miami and Boston and Bangkok and Shanghai. Because just this part of Greenland has enough ice that, if it all melts, will raise sea levels by two feet.

(voice-over): A new study predicts that the Arctic will see more rain than snow as soon as 2060. And in the meantime, the ice sheet, so vital to a planet in balance, is melting at a staggering rate.

At number nine, that icy surprise in Texas, which illustrated how the climate crisis can run hot and cold.

With windchills below zero on the Rio Grande, nearly 10 million lost power. The February blast became America's costliest winter storm event ever.

At number eight, flash floods on three continents. In Germany and Belgium, modern-day warning systems failed as a month of rain fell in one day.

(CROSSTALK)

WEIR: In China, commuters clung to the ceiling of a subway as a-1,000- year flood hit Henan Province.

And back in the U.S., the deadliest flood in Tennessee history came like a tidal wave.

At number seven, the U.S. rejoins the Paris Climate Accord hours after Joe Biden became president.

But pledging to slash planet-cooking pollution by half this decade is one thing. Convincing Congress to take bold action is another.

At number six, a code red for humanity, as scientists around the world issue their most-dire warning to date.

The U.N.'s Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change says it is unequivocal that human activity has cranked up the global thermostat by over two degrees Fahrenheit, and that we are careening dangerously close to point of no return.

JOE BIDEN, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: We meet with the eyes of history upon us.

WEIR: And those warnings made number five all the more urgent -- COP26 in Glasgow, Scotland.

UNIDENTIFIED REPORTER: Of the four main themes laid out by COP26 host Boris Johnson, coal, cars, cash, and trees, it's probably going to be cash that provides the biggest challenge.

WEIR: For the first time in 26 meetings, the world's delegates agreed that fossil fuels are driving the climate crisis, but not a single country committed to stopping oil or coal production any time soon.

PAMELA BROWN, CNN ANCHOR: A monster named Ida, the hurricane is intensifying quickly and drawing chilling comparisons to Katrina.

WEIR: Hurricane Ida comes in at number four. As 150-mile-per-hour winds screamed ashore in Louisiana in early September.

But that was just the beginning. Ida's aftermath dropped a rain bomb on New York sudden enough to drown families in their basement apartments. All told, the single storm cost over $60 billion.

SANCHEZ: We are following breaking news this morning. A dangerous and deadly night across the central United States. A powerful line of storms unleashing at least 24 tornadoes across five states.

WEIR: At number three, tornadoes in winter. December usually brings the fewest twisters of any month, but record warmth in the heartland spun up funnel clouds from Arkansas to Ohio. And weeks later, the damage is still being tallied.

[13:55:00]

At number two, the Pacific Northwest heat dome, which pushed the mercury in famously mild Portland well over 100 degrees for days, creating a mass casualty event of creatures great and small.

Over a billion shellfish baked to death on the shores of British Columbia. And the little town of Lytton broke the Canadian heat record three times in a week, before most of it burned to the ground.

And at number one, America's mega-drought. Here, water can come from rivers, reservoirs, or from wells, all of which have been impacted by a 20-year mega-drought fueled by the climate crisis.

With 90 percent of the west starving for rain, the feds declared the first-ever shortage of the Colorado River, which is a source of life for over 40 million Americans.

Meantime, smoke from western wildfires reached the east coast this year.

From one to 10, it is all connected. And without dramatic changes on a global scale, scientists warn us the worst is yet to come.

Bill Weir, CNN, New York.

(END VIDEOTAPE) WALKER: This New Year's Eve, join Anderson Cooper and Andy Cohen for "CNN NEW YEAR'S EVE LIVE." The party starts at 8:00 right here on CNN.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)