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Carnival Cruise Ship Returns to Miami with New COVID Cases; Omicron Fuels COVID Spike as Americans Gather for the Holidays; DA Asks Court to Reconsider Truck Driver's 110-Year Sentence; Biden Presidency at a Crossroads Headed into Second Year; Top 10 Climate Stories of 2021; 6-Year-Old Shatters Expectations Growing Food. Aired 8-9p ET

Aired December 26, 2021 - 20:00   ET

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

[20:00:56]

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

DR. ASHISH JHA, DEAN, BROWN UNIVERSITY SCHOOL OF PUBLIC HEALTH: The infections are spreading quickly, they're rising very, very rapidly.

AMARA WALKER, CNN HOST (voice-over): The Omicron variant fueling a new surge in coronavirus cases.

DR. ANTHONY FAUCI, WHITE HOUSE CHIEF MEDICAL ADVISER: We're particularly worried about those who are in that unvaccinated class, those are the most vulnerable ones.

WALKER: And a Carnival cruise ship returns to Miami packed with passengers and new cases of the coronavirus.

KAMALA HARRIS, VICE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: There is a lot about this moment that is frustrating, but we have the power today to have an impact on tomorrow.

WALKER: Remembering Archbishop Desmond Tutu.

BISHOP DESMOND TUTU, ANGLICAN CHURCH: We either are going to survive together or going to be end together.

WALKER: Looking back at the Nobel Prize winning life of a towering figure in the fight for human rights.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

WALKER: Hi, everyone, I'm Amara Walker. Pamela Brown has the evening off. You are live in the CNN NEWSROOM.

Millions of people around the world right now spending this Christmas weekend gathered with their friends and family but the coronavirus is taking no time off this holiday season. As new infections race toward record highs across the United States. New cases have already surpassed the summer surge fueled by the Delta variant and hospitalizations are beginning to creep up, as well. The highly transmissible Omicron variant spreading in the midst of the

holiday season and vaccinated or not AAA estimates that more than 109 million people will travel between Christmas and January 2nd. That's a lot of people. All of that increased movement sparking a lot of concerns as we see long lines at testing sites across the nation. One bright spot Dr. Anthony Fauci says, testing will get better in January.

Now COVID concerns have forced officials to cancel two college football bowl games, the Military Bowl and the inaugural Fenway Bowl will not be played. Despite these setbacks, some leading health, public health officials are optimistic about the new year.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JHA: Yes, I think it is definitely the year we get this under control. And let me explain why. I mean, you know, this holiday season no one thinks that this is the holiday season we were hoping for contrast it to last year. It's so much better. Well, next holiday season, I doubt COVID will be completely gone. Actually, it won't be gone. It will be endemic, it will be around but it'll be much, much better than this year because while the virus continues to change, so do we.

(END OF VIDEO CLIP)

WALKER: Well, COVID also means not so smooth sailing for cruise lines right now. One example a Carnival cruise ship docking in Miami today after an eight-day voyage during which a number of people on board tested positive for COVID.

CNN's Alison Kosik joining me now with more. Alison, do we have a sense of how hard the industry is being affected right now?

ALISON KOSIK, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, one thing is for sure, Amara, COVID is again disrupting the cruise line industry. You look at just what happened this past week, at least four ships were turned away from ports of call and passengers were prohibited from disembarking off of those ships because of COVID cases on board. It was just over the summer that the U.S. cruise industry came back into service.

Now with vaccine requirements and measures in place to minimize outbreaks, and cases did still continue to happen. Case in point in August, 27 people tested positive on a Carnival cruise. Those passengers were isolated. Other passengers were tested and with proof of a negative test were allowed to disembark. Different story now with the Omicron variant. It's more transmissible and a Carnival spokesperson telling CNN that the spread of the variant may shape how some destination authorities view even a small number of cases.

Now you mentioned the Carnival cruise ship Freedom at the top and that cruise ship as you said docked as planned in Miami this morning.

[20:05:04]

It did have a small number, according to Carnival, of COVID-19 cases on board and some passengers talking after they got off that ship talked about very different experiences on that boat. Listen to this.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JIM STORUPSKI, CARNIVAL FREEDOM PASSENGER: We've heard varying stories, we've heard five, we've heard 12, we've heard 25.

CONNIE STORUPSKI, CARNIVAL FREEDOM PASSENGER: They quarantined them. I mean, it was safe. We had a good time. We would do it again.

KIMBERLY KELLY, CARNIVAL FREEDOM PASSENGER: I couldn't even go in the pool the whole time. We didn't touch one pool on that ship because everybody is in there, all over each other, nobody is wearing masks. It was disgusting. Nobody cared.

(END OF VIDEO CLIP)

KOSIK: Now the disruptions were seeing in the cruise industry very different from what we saw on March 2020 during the height of the pandemic when the industry itself had to shut down and there were weeks where passengers and crew had to find the right port just to get off the ship because of those COVID outbreaks on board -- Amara.

WALKER: Goodness. All right, Alison Kosik, appreciate your reporting from New York. Thank you so much.

So, as the Omicron variant sweeps the country, of course, one of the critical questions to ask is can this nation's health care system weather yet another crisis of increased cases and hospitalizations?

Dr. Esther Choo joining me now. She's a professor of emergency medicine in Oregon's Health and Science University.

Good to see you again, Dr. Choo. You know, the last time I spoke with you it was right before Christmas and you were saying, you know, look, you're going to test people at the door and that actually inspired us to do the same thing before our small gathering. How did your Christmas turn out I was curious to ask?

DR. ESTHER CHOO, PROFESSOR OF EMERGENCY MEDICINE, OREGON HEALTH AND SCIENCE UNIVERSITY: Yes, I did the same thing that we discussed, Amara. We had guests, a small number of guests at my house. We had people show up in masks. We tested them as they walked in the door. We actually detected one COVID case and it was so heartbreaking but we had to turn away a family member. They couldn't come in and spend Christmas with their family.

I also had two very good friends from college who did the same thing as they were about to head out to see their family members who they haven't seen for many months. They tested positive there in New York and Washington D.C. and -- where cases are really surging and unsurprisingly, were positive and they stayed home. So both disappointing and heartbreaking but certainly saved friends and family members from being additional COVID positive cases.

WALKER: Yes. It is heartbreaking. I mean, it's awful to have to turn away a family member, right? But also the flip side is it is relieving because you're able to have a safe gathering.

You know, we're talking about the health care system able to, you know, sustain this surge. I mean, what are you seeing where you are?

CHOO: Well, this is just one of the most stressful and discouraging times for us in the hospital because we never really recovered from the previous surge. There is so much health care that we're providing from people who delayed their care during previous surges because of COVID. There are so many delayed surgeries, delayed treatments, and so -- and on top of that, we've had so many of our health care workers quit during the past two years.

You know, we lost about 20 percent of our health care work force and that hemorrhage out of this work force continues and so we're short staffed and that means we have beds but they're not staffed beds. We just simply cannot accommodate much more. So, you know, patients that would be in the hospital are staying in the ER. Patients that we should be seeing in the ER are being seen out in triage or our waiting room.

And so no matter what the surge brings even if it's much milder and it doesn't create as many cases, whatever cases it causes is causing us to be more crowded and we are less able to give good care. And on top of that, Omicron is spreading so rapidly, health care workers are still getting sick and so our work force is contracting before our very eyes as we need more of it so just a really difficult time in hospitals and this is why we ask people, you know, you may feel like it's so hard, again, to be careful with your behaviors but every single little bit that people do that keeps them away from the health care system helps us simply get through and give care to people who have any kind of emergencies, whether it's COVID or something else.

WALKER: Right. Doctors are humans, too. Right? You all have families. You want to go home at the end of the day and not have to work, you know, a 20-hour shift. And listen, I've talked to physicians and colleagues, you know, because my husband is also in the health care industry and they've told me off the record that this time around, they're angry. You know, last year they weren't so much because there were no vaccinations, they didn't know what they're dealing with.

And now they're seeing people who are unvaccinated, you know, flooding hospitals. I mean, is that what you're hearing and what kind of burnout rate are you seeing amongst fellow doctors and nurses and other health care staff?

CHOO: It's really unprecedented. I mean, remember, we went into the pandemic with high rates of burnout and now it's -- and you know, it's evolved so beyond anything that we recognized.

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We used to call it burnout. I'm hearing moral injury. I'm hearing just kind of exhaustion beyond what people can capture. Because it's one thing to push through a month of two with extra shifts and long hours and high volumes and what often feels like not our best care or sometimes not even safe care but to do that day in and out and then see people come in who are like it wasn't important enough for me to get vaccinated or suggest that, you know, we're pushing something on them for ulterior motives. And we're just trying to keep safe.

It's so frustrating. And nurses I think in particular, you know, the suicide rate of female nurses is more than twice that of the general population of women. They're right at the bedside with patients. They've seen so much. You know, they've all lost colleagues to suicides in this time. It's just beyond.

And I know it's so hard for people to envision what's happening inside the hospital if they're not inside it but all I can say is that it's been stretched so far beyond its limits that it's hard to imagine having to deal with another surge.

WALKER: That's awful. I'm so sorry that you had to deal with suicide during this pandemic. My heart goes out to you and those families.

Thank you so much for all the advice you've been giving us, Dr. Esther Choo. Thank you so much and Happy New Year to you.

CHOO: Thank you, Amara. I appreciate you.

WALKER: A truck driver faces 110 years in prison for killing four people in an accident where he says his brakes failed. Now, a Colorado district attorney wants a judge to shorten that sentence. CNN legal analyst Joey Jackson will break it all down for us next.

Plus, time is running out on Democrats if they want to pass meaningful legislation on things like voting rights right before the midterm elections. So how do they get over these roadblocks? Our panel will weigh in.

A 6-year-old farmer, it's not child's play. She is certified and shattering expectations one crop at a time.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WALKER: Nearly five million people have now signed a petition imploring a judge to grant clemency for a Colorado truck driver sentenced to 110 years in prison for a deadly crash.

[20:15:09]

Roger Aguilera-Mederos was driving 85 miles per hour in a tractor trailer when his brakes failed. It led to a fiery 28-car pileup outside Denver that killed four people. He was convicted of two dozen charges in the wreck but now the same D.A. who brought those charges is asking the court to reconsider the sentence.

CNN's Lucy Kafanov has more.

LUCY KAFANOV, CNN CORRESPONDENT: That's right, Amara. The district attorney is now asking the court to reconsider that lengthy 110-year prison sentence for Rogel Aguilera-Mederos potentially reducing it to 20 or 30 years. Now just to remind our viewers the driver was 23 years old at the time of the incident. He was driving at 85 miles an hour. His brakes failed, he was convicted of vehicular homicide, amongst other charges.

The D.A. is not looking to overturn this conviction. In fact Alexis King, the D.A., said in a statement that Mederos made multiple active choices that resulted in the death of four people and serious injury to others, adding that the shorter sentence, quote, "reflects an appropriate outcome for that conduct."

Now, at issue are Colorado mandatory minimum sentencing laws that require sentences to be served consecutively rather than concurrently, which is how Mederos ended up being sentenced to more than a century behind bars. Even the judge who sentenced him said, quote, "If I had the discretion, it would not be my sentence." Some Colorado lawmakers now calling for legal reforms. Take a listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

STATE REP. ALEX VALDEZ (D-CO): Our system here at this building has created a situation where a judge at their own discretion who doesn't want to issue a sentence has had to issue that sentence. What we hope to achieve is reforms. That's really what this is all about. We have to reform a system that is creating a situation where we are creating more victims of our justice system. We have to do that now.

(END OF VIDEO CLIP)

KAFANOV: Mederos was emotional during the sentencing saying he did not intend to hurt anyone. This case sparked outrage both in the U.S. and abroad. Nearly five million people signing a petition urging the Colorado governor to either reduce or overturn the sentence, even Kim Kardashian got involved tweeting about the need to overhaul these laws. The governor's office, the Colorado governor's office meanwhile telling CNN that they are reviewing the clemency request -- Amara.

WALKER: All right, Lucy Kafanov, thank you.

CNN legal analyst Joey Jackson joining me now to discuss this. I mean, Joey, in this Colorado truck driver case as you heard, the judge's hands were tied by mandatory minimums of sentencing. You heard him say that. What does this say about the justice system?

JOEY JACKSON, CNN LEGAL ANALYST: Yes, Amara, good to be with you. So what happens is the laws need to reflect the values of the community and when they offend those notions of values in justice, people get upset, concerned and they do something about it. That's why we have this petition.

Now make no mistake about it, every jurisdiction, every state is entitled to create their own laws. You have a governor. You have a legislature that does that. But, you know, the laws can't really be so overblown that people say what are you doing here? Let's just talk for one minute about what I mean.

You know, there are types sometimes people get killed and as a result of that, it's because of somebody did it intentionally. They did it because they premeditated it. They did it based on deliberation. That's punished up most harsh and then you get to other conduct, Amara, like what? Like recklessness. You weave in and out of traffic.

Not suggesting that happened here, just making an example, you know consciously that something could occur and you do it anyway. That's recklessness. That's punished less. And then you have this carelessness, you're texting, you're looking down, you're not paying attention, someone dies, and that's punished the least of all.

But at the end of the day when you have a situation like this where people lost their lives, yes, they did, but there are other issues at stake, this wasn't done intentionally. There are indications that the brakes were faulty. There are indications that the brakes were faulty. There are indications that there was just a loss of control, yes, he could have done something about it. There was a safe harbor.

He could have gotten off the exist before it was designed specifically for that. There was a trial, the jury concluded he was guilty, but is this worth 110 years? And should we very briefly have these mandatory minimums? What does that mean? It means that the judge has zero discretion. It means based upon the law, you're convicted, you're doing the sentence. But it gets worse than that, Amara, because then it says not only are we going to have these mandatory minimums but we're going to not allow for concurrent time.

That means if you have like here 24 counts, we're going to sentence you for four years on one. We're going to tack on another four and another four and another four, et cetera, and until it becomes 110 years. And so people are saying this is outrageous. We want to do something about it. They filed for clemency with the governor, the district attorney is involved, and that's what the sentencing hearing is about tomorrow. It's about the interest of justice.

[20:20:01]

It's about the extenuating and unusual circumstances here that they want a reduction in this sentence and at the end of the day, if it doesn't make sense as this one doesn't, a reduction should be granted.

WALKER: Yes, but it doesn't make sense, the judge seems to agree and the prosecutor seems to agrees, then, you know, let's see what happens and perhaps there will be some changes.

All right. So let's talk about some other high-profile cases that we're following. Jurors, you know, have the weekend off obviously for the Christmas holiday but deliberations resuming tomorrow in the trials of both Ghislaine Maxwell and Elizabeth Holmes. Let's start with Ghislaine Maxwell. If we have time we'll get to Elizabeth Holmes. She's facing multiple charges related to sex trafficking young girls for Jeffrey Epstein. She's pleaded not guilty. So do you think the jury is going to buy the defense claim that she is being tried for his crimes?

JACKSON: You know, they may. And here's what I say that. What happens is, is I think it's an uphill battle and I think you see as we have there the six counts and the jury could really, you know, render a number of conclusions. Say you're guilty on one, not guilty of others, et cetera. Or takes as on, and that's it. But what happens here is that the narratives are really as you mentioned that why are really accusing her for the sins of someone else? Why was it that she was indicted a year after he hung himself in jail and there was no one, right, but her to look to, to try to get a sense of justice?

But at the end of the day, it's not about that. It's about the facts and it's about four then girls, now women, who say that you know what, he violated me and you helped him. You enabled him. You set aside the conditions to facilitate this abuse and various jurisdictions in Florida, Santa Fe, in New York, and you should be held accountable. Now what the juries are hung up on, Amara, is they're hung up on whether or not -- because remember, the defense attack the memories of these particular victims and they attack the motivations of these victims and the jury is hung up on whether they should grant credibility to these victims, and we've seen that through the notes that they've have been, you know, coming out with in terms of, can we have the transcripts, can we reread the testimony, can we see it then match it against the FBI interviews, et cetera. So we'll see what they do. If they credit it, she's guilty. If they don't credit it, it's another story.

WALKER: Fascinating stuff. You know, there have been so many high- profile cases that we've been following this year and I've learned a lot about our criminal justice system with your help, as well, Joey Jackson. Appreciate it. Thank you so much.

JACKSON: Always. Thanks, Amara.

WALKER: So President Biden facing headwinds in both his agenda and COVID response, and looming over what he does next. Next year's critical midterm elections. Alice Stewart and former U.S. senator Barbara Boxer are here to help us read the tea leaves for the new year. Next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[20:26:05]

WALKER: President Biden went into this Christmas holiday weekend focused on the single issue that has so far defined his presidency. The still raging coronavirus pandemic.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JOE BIDEN, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: We should all be concerned about Omicron but not panicked. If you're fully vaccinated and especially if you got your booster shot, you are highly protected. And if you're unvaccinated, you're at a higher risk of getting severely ill from COVID-19, getting hospitalized and even dying.

(END OF VIDEO CLIP)

WALKER: Well, the president did notch some big accomplishments in 2021. A bipartisan infrastructure bill, a largely successful vaccine rollout and six million new jobs but there is also an economic bill on the verge of collapse. Thousands dying of COVID every week and of course the stubbornly high inflation that we're currently dealing with. He's is heading into a midterm year with the lowest approval ratings of his presidency.

Joining me now to discuss, former Democratic Senator Barbara Boxer and Republican political strategist Alice Stewart.

Welcome both, ladies. Thank you so much for joining me.

So, Senator Boxer, let's start with you. The president has this very narrow window, only 10 months, you know, to get his agenda through before the midterm elections. He still has a Build Back Better bill, voting rights, immigration reform, gun safety, a whole host of other issues. What do you think he needs to be focusing on right now?

BARBARA BOXER (D), FORMER CALIFORNIA SENATOR: I think he knows exactly what he has to focus on. Voting rights and Build Back Better, some version of it. But you know, it's not just what he's going to do. We're forgetting that the two huge bills that passed, one in a bipartisan fashion infrastructure and the other one, the COVID Relief Act, more than a trillion each, they're going to be rolled out so it's not like everything is just stopped. People are going to see these accomplishments day after day while he works on getting even more done.

WALKER: And Alice, I mean, to you because, you know, Democrats are obviously still fuming at Senator Joe Manchin after he effectively halted to say the least the Build Back Better bill. What is the way forward in your opinion?

ALICE STEWART, REPUBLIC STRATEGIST: Well, the best way moving forward is what we're hearing from some Democrats now is take Build Back Better and break it up into little pieces and move forward. And I think getting away from these transformational packages and transformational spending is the way to go.

Look, I've taught about what Senator Boxer was so famous for when she served, you've got to know when to hold them and know when to fold them, and sometimes you have to put aside your ideological purity to get things done. And that's exactly what should happen now is both sides, Republicans and Democrats, put aside your differences in terms of ideological thinking and find what you agree on. Get that passed and if there are certain aspects of Build Back Better that Democrats think is so wonderful and needs to be passed, then take that to the voters in the midterm elections, run on those issues and if that's what the people want, that's what is going to happen and you'll get it done next year.

WALKER: Do you agree with that, that strategy, Senator Boxer, that this bill needs to be broken up into smaller pieces to get perhaps Joe Manchin and maybe some Republicans on board?

BOXER: It sounds really great. Our problem is if we can't package this in a way that it can pass with 51 votes, we may not get it done. Now, I do agree we should always reach out, always reach out to the other side and there are so many wonderful things in Build Back Better such as making sure that our kids have universal preschool. I mean, that's just one example. That our seniors can get help with hearing aids, things like that. So yes, I think one potential is to bring those things separately but

I just always know because I'm a pragmatist who tries to get things done, sometimes you have to package it in a way that it can get through on 51 votes. But I just love the idea of being able to get bipartisan support.

[20:30:14]

WALKER: Yes, speaking of you being a pragmatist, Senator Boxer, the president also said this week, quote, "The only thing standing between getting voting rights legislation passed and not getting passed is the filibuster. He said I support making an exception on voting rights of the filibuster. Majority leader Chuck Schumer said the Senate would consider changes to any rules, which prevent us from debating and reaching final conclusion on important legislation.

I'm assuming you agree with that strategy but, you know, Manchin and Sinema have consistently said that they would vote no to changing the filibuster rules.

BOXER: I think they're open to changing some of the rules that deal with the talking filibuster, and that would be very helpful. In other words, if someone just doesn't want to have a vote on voting rights, let them stand there. Let them look right in the camera and say why. So I think they're open to that. But you know if you look at Mitch McConnell's actions, he did away with the filibuster for Supreme Court justices.

I was in the Senate when we preserved it for that. So he has really led the way on that and they ought to just do away with it for things like voting rights because let me tell you this, if we don't have the right to vote and it isn't fair and just, we lose what we have here, which is the greatest democracy in the world and I do not want to see that happen for my kids, my grandkids and everybody else's.

WALKER: Yes. A lot of people saying this is a pivotal moment when it comes to voting rights and protecting them.

Alice, your thoughts on changing the filibuster rules and, you know, perhaps setting a precedent?

STEWART: Yes. With the greatest respect to the senator, I think it's important that we reiterate to the American people that we are a great democracy because we have free and fair elections and our election system is one of integrity and we do have one person, one vote and our election system does not need to be federalized. We don't need to nationalize our elections. They are run state by state and they need to be mandated and legislated on that fashion.

And I think Democrats, because they're in power, are making a huge mistake if they decide to pick and choose where they want to change the filibuster because when they're no longer the party in power, they're going to regret having done so.

WALKER: So this week President Biden, he gave -- yes, go ahead, Senator Boxer. BOXER: Because if you know nothing about history, that sounds great

but if you know even just a little bit, you know that we needed the Voting Rights Act and you know that Republicans and Democrats voted for it over and over and over. Because it isn't as simple as that. Some of the states we may remember in history discriminated against certain groups, so yes, I think it's essential that we go back to the Voting Rights Act, something that I was proud to vote for.

Every Republican I knew voted for it, too. So let's get back to those days where we can go together and protect the right to vote for everybody. It's common sense.

WALKER: So President Biden also had some interesting comments when he was asked if he planned to run for reelection. Let's listen to what he had to say.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DAVID MUIR, ABC NEWS REPORTER: Do you plan to run for reelection?

BIDEN: Yes. If I'm in the health I'm in now, if I'm in good health, then in fact, I would run again.

MUIR: And if that means a rematch against Donald Trump?

BIDEN: You're trying to temp me now.

(LAUGHTER)

BIDEN: Sure. Why would I not run against Donald Trump for the nominee? That would increase the prospect of running.

(END OF VIDEO CLIP)

WALKER: Quick answers here. So, Senator Boxer, what do you think? Will President Biden run again? And what about Donald Trump?

BOXER: I believe 100 percent in what he said. And if things are looking good and he's feeling good, he's going to go. Donald Trump I think I have to say I have no clue. I personally hope not for the good of the country.

WALKER: Alice? Donald Trump?

STEWART: Well, first off, I think Joe Biden, of course he's going to say he's running again. The moment he says he's not he's a lame duck president and really won't be able to get anything done. But as for Donald Trump, no one knows until we see him come down the escalator again and I tend to agree with the senator that it might not be best for Republicans if he were to run because we need someone that will grow on the base that he has and bring in the voters that we lost in the last election.

WALKER: All right. Last question to each of you that I definitely want to get in. What do you think was the biggest political story in your opinion of 2021 and what do you think will be the biggest political story of 2022? Senator Boxer, let's start with you.

BOXER: OK. To me it's an easy call. The January 6th insurrection. It's the first time in our history that an American president defended the perpetrators of an attack on our Capitol and, you know, the last time it happened like that was during the war of 1812. So I went back. James Madison was president. This is what he said.

[20:35:02]

This attack was barbaric, uncivilized. He called for unity. He asked everyone to come together and defend the country. What did Donald Trump say? He loved the rioters even though there were a thousand assaults on police officers. He said the rioters are innocent and the attack was a, quote, "protest." So this is shocking in and of itself and I think not only will it be the biggest issue of this year but maybe one of the biggest issues of all times.

WALKER: And 2022 you're predicting the possible comeback of Joe Biden?

BOXER: I do. I do. And you know something Joe said, I wrote it down here. Nothing has been good enough he said. I said Joe, I'm sorry. The president said nothing has been good enough. And I would say rhetorically, when is the last time you ever heard a president say that? He's refreshing. He's real person. He's compassionate. He's not slick. And he will speak from the heart and I think of course, COVID is an issue.

We can't control that but I hope if that goes well, and we see all these jobs, more jobs created in the first year of any presidency created in Joe Biden's first year and these bills that I talked about, so yes, I think we'll see.

WALKER: Gotcha. Thank you so much, Senator. And to you, Alice, your picks for 2021 and 2022?

STEWART: In terms of politics in this year has to be without a doubt the Virginia gubernatorial race for Republicans and Democrats. Republican Glenn Youngkin focused on policies that the people are concerned with, did not get tied up with the personalities that many people tried to tie him with Donald Trump. He focused on policies and he won whereas the Democrats focused on -- made it all about Donald Trump who was not even on the ballot and they lost.

So I think that was a learning lesson and a case study for the next election, and moving into 2022 I see the biggest story next year will be pretty certain a Republican takeover certainly of the House and potentially of the Senate, and with the change of balance of power in Washington, I think the possibility of getting things done will be even greater.

WALKER: Thank you both, Alice Stewart, and former Senator Boxer, for a great conversation. Thank you for that and we will be right back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[20:40:28] (BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

PRES. CYRIL RAMAPHOSA, SOUTH AFRICA: Archbishop Desmond Tutu was one of our nation's finest patriots. He was a man of unwavering courage, of principle conviction, and whose life was spent in the service of others. He in many ways embodied the essence of our humanity.

(END OF VIDEO CLIP)

WALKER: Tonight we join the world in remembering the life and lasting impact of Archbishop Desmond Tutu. His death confirmed today in Cape Town, South Africa. Tutu was 90 years old. He rose to prominence during the fight to end apartheid in South Africa. When Nelson Mandela was in prison and other civil rights leaders were exiled he led marches and used his strong moral compass to push for racial equality. His strides for human and civil rights earned him international acknowledgments, among them the Nobel Peace Prize and the U.S. Presidential Medal of Freedom.

From floods to fires, record cold to record heat, we saw it all in 2021 except a way to stop it. CNN's chief climate correspondent Bill Weir looks back at the top 10 climate stories of the year.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

BILL WEIR, CNN CHIEF CLIMATE CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): The signs were everywhere in 2021, 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 sheets so vital to a planet imbalance 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 wind chills 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. In China, commuters clung to the ceiling of a subway as a 1000-year flood hit Henan Province. And back in the US, 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 UN'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 a point of no return.

BIDEN: We meet with the eyes of history upon us.

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

(On-camera): Of the four main themes laid out by COP26 host Boris Johnson, coal, cars, cash and trees it probably is going to be cash that provides the biggest challenge.

(Voice-over): 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 anytime 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.

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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. And all told, the single storm cost over $60 billion.

BORIS SANCHEZ, CNN ANCHOR: 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.

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 Litton 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. Your 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: At least three people have been taken to the hospital after a 20-car pileup in northwestern Nevada. Photos of the scene showing in Washoe Valley showing near whiteout conditions and very treacherous roads. Authorities say the conditions there are, quote, "extreme" and the National Weather Service is urging people to stay off the roads and stay home for their own safety. More is expected to fall in the area.

Up next with great power comes great responsibility and a record pandemic box office haul for "Spiderman." Plus, how a 6-year-old farmer is making history and a difference.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

KENDALL RAE JOHNSON, GEORGIA'S YOUNGEST CERTIFIED FARMER: I'm the youngest certified farmer in the state of Georgia. Welcome to my farm.

(END OF VIDEO CLIP)

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WALKER: She's just 6 years old and already Kendall Rae Johnson of Atlanta is making history. Not only is she Georgia's youngest certified farmer but Kendall is also the state's youngest black farmer. A distinction of its own. And with help from her parents they have cultivated Kendall's passion for gardening into a small family business. They call it aGROWKulture.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

K. JOHNSON: Yes. Look, it's so big.

My favorite vegetable that I grow is carrots. There is a fun fact about carrots. If you eat a carrot, you're actually eating the roots of the carrot. They are delicious.

My name is Kendall Rae Johnson. I'm the youngest certified farmer in the state of Georgia. Welcome to my farm.

The story starts from my great Grandma Kaye. She taught me a lot about gardening. You grow the strawberry plant with sunlight, water, with the worms and the fresh soil.

URSULA JOHNSON, KENDALL'S MOTHER: We've had the Girl Scouts to come. Some of them have seen fruit and vegetables but really don't know where it comes from. K. JOHNSON: So I just showed them.

U. JOHNSON: They got a chance to really dig for sweet potatoes.

K. JOHNSON: Dig, dig. These are tricky.

U. JOHNSON: And that was the most exciting thing that a kid could show you.

K. JOHNSON: A potato.

U. JOHNSON: The excitement of them actually finding something that they truly eat already, you know, in the garden. You learn so much more about what is in your backyard that you probably have never known if you had not played in the dirt.

K. JOHNSON: Welcome to the world, Shelly.

U. JOHNSON: Historically, you think of Farmer John. You know, the overalls with the white T-shirt, a straw hat, you know, and let's be honest, you know, a Caucasian man.

(LAUGHTER)

K. JOHNSON: Time for my super strength.

U. JOHNSON: I'm Ursula Johnson and I'm Kendall's mom. We don't really see too many black farmers.

K. JOHNSON: You put this in the compost over there. It makes good dirt. Good dirt means new plants.

U. JOHNSON: Kendall leads us and wherever she wants to go, we're there to back her up.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: And thus hereby proclaim Tuesday, September 28th, 2021 as Kendall Rae Johnson Appreciate Day in Fulton County, Georgia.

U. JOHNSON: Someone text me and said, hey, Senator Warnock just mentioned Kendall and said Google her.

SEN. RAPHAEL WARNOCK (D-GA): Kendall Rae Johnson.

K. JOHNSON: It feels great that they know me now and that they know my garden. Sometimes you just need to share your fruits and vegetables with the whole community.

(END OF VIDEO CLIP)

WALKER: I can't help but keep smiling. Kendall, you are amazing. Can you please come over and teach my kids how to eat vegetables? What an inspiration and a beautiful profile on Kendall Rae Johnson.

[20:55:04]

All right, to other news, and he fights crime, he shoots webs and now he's breaking box office records.

"Spiderman: No Way Home" has now raked in a stunning $1 billion at the global box office in just 12 days. It is the only pandemic-era film to hit the mark and easily the highest grossing movie of 2021. Domestically just here in the U.S., "Spiderman" is expected to earn more than $81 million in this its second weekend.

And next weekend on CNN, friends, collaborators, legends, Carol King and James Taylor and an unforgettable concert film.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ANNOUNCER: Friends, collaborators, legends. Their music shaped a generation, they came together for the tour of a lifetime. James Taylor.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: His songs were amazing. His voice was amazing and his demeanor.

ANNOUNCER: And Carol King.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Carol King, one of the greatest songwriters of all time.

JAMES TAYLOR, MUSICIAN: I asked her to be part of my band.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Forty years have passed since the first time we played.

CAROL KING, MUSICIAN: I loved every experience we have had together.

ANNOUNCER: "JUST CALL OUT MY NAME" next Sunday at 9:00 on CNN.

(END OF VIDEO CLIP)

WALKER: And that does it for me. Thank you so much for joining me this evening. I'm Amara Walker. "THE NINETIES" is up next.

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