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CDC Predicts 44,000-Plus C0VID-19 Deaths Over Next Four Weeks; Child COVID Hospitalizations Soar To New Pandemic High; Colorado Fire Victims Begin New Year Assessing Damage To Homes; Maxwell's Attorney And Family Vow To Appeal Guilty Verdict But Face Obstacles; Maxwell Verdict Bodes Ill For Prince Andrew's Civil Case; Year In Review: Recapping The Royal Family's Tumultuous Year; Betty White, Beloved And Trailblazing Actress, Dies At 99. Aired 12-1p ET

Aired January 01, 2022 - 12:00   ET

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

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[12:00:40]

FREDRICKA WHITFIELD, CNN HOST (on camera): Hello, everyone, and Happy New Year. I'm Fredricka Whitfield.

Many travelers in the lurch this New Year's Day as the number of canceled flights grows amid skyrocketing cases of COVID. For the fourth time this week, the U.S. shattered records for its seven-day average of new infections, soaring to an average of more than 386,000 new cases a day.

In only one state, Maine, cases were down. Iowa is holding steady, but the vast majority of the country scene in dark red here is struggling with a surge of 50 percent or more in new infections.

Hospitalizations and deaths are lower than their 2021 peaks. But the avalanche of new cases has the CDC predicting that more than 44,000 people could die of COVID-19 in the next four weeks, and that underscores the anxiety of millions of parents who will send their children back to school as early as Monday.

Some school districts, in fact, facing a spike in child hospitalizations. And they've already announced at least a partial transition to online learning.

CNN's Nadia Romero is covering the pediatric surge. But first, let's get with Polo Sandoval on the airline cancelations. It is a real nightmare for a lot of travelers trying to return back from the holidays. Polo.

POLO SANDOVAL, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (on camera): Yes, it certainly is Fred because airlines continue in their efforts to try to mitigate the effects of not only severe weather but of course, Omicron. And the explosive transmission that we've seen across the country that is affected.

Airline workers, many of them having to call in sick and recover at home. And because of that, now airlines forced to cancel just 1000s of flights.

SANDOVAL (voice-over): Let's give viewers an idea of where we stand as of today. About 2,300, today alone, just over that amount, canceled throughout the country. That now bringing the total to just over 13,000 since Christmas alone.

So, you can imagine what the travel nightmare has been. I'll give you a couple of examples throughout the country. Chicago, Midway canceling over half of their flights. At O'Hare, almost 40 percent of their flights have been canceled.

And in Detroit, for example, authorities there saying one in their five flights have been canceled this far. At Delta Airlines, weighing in here saying that you know, -- warning travelers obviously that this is likely going to continue here for at least for some time here projecting that they could potentially cancel from 200 to 300 flights a day. That's out of their total 4,000 departures.

And we heard from the FAA recently, Fred, saying that it's likely only going to get worse with some of their own employees also calling in sick. Industry travel experts, though, they do have high hopes that once this Omicron surge begins to slow, begins to lower, then, that air -- the airlines have an opportunity to sort of hit the reset button and finally catch up.

WHITFIELD: Well, for now, a horrible situation. Polo, thank you so much.

Nadia, you're in Atlanta, where the children's health care system is simply overwhelmed. So, what our health officials saying today?

NADIA ROMERO, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (on camera): Well, Fredricka, we heard from six major health systems across Metro Atlanta that all released a joint statement.

I mean, this was a big moment because they said basically they're dealing with all the same thing. They're seeing adults and children coming into their hospital systems at an alarming rate. They're asking everyone to take the precautions that they've been telling us to take the vaccinations, the boosters, social distancing because they are overrun.

That's what's happening here in Metro Atlanta, but we're seeing it happen all across the nation, Fredricka, a 48 percent increase in pediatric hospitalizations in just the past week. That is concerning.

Listen to one doctor talk about a why he expects to see more pediatric hospitalizations in the coming days.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DR. PETER HOTEZ, CO-DIRECTOR, TEXAS CHILDREN'S HOSPITAL CENTER FOR VACCINE DEVELOPMENT: You're certainly going to see a lot of pediatric hospitalizations more than we've ever seen.

And here is going to be the other tough piece for the next few weeks keeping the schools open because of this high transmissibility, especially if you start seeing absences of school teachers, bus drivers, cafeteria staff, that's all going to feed into this.

So, I think, the bottom line is we have to explain to Americans that this is going to be a difficult time, be patient.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ROMERO: And if we dive deeper into the State of Georgia, the numbers are just surely alarming.

ROMERO (voice-over): Let's take a look at the cases first, the cases of how many kids are coming down with COVID-19.

[12:05:03]

ROMERO: We saw our lowest daily numbers back in November 28th. Now, on December 31st, it's yesterday. We're seeing that number reach almost the peak. When was the peak? Well, the peak was back in August, when kids were all coming back to school again.

We're also seeing a dramatic increase in hospitalizations for kids as well. We know that at least one school district, Fulton County School District, one of the larger ones in the State of Georgia.

ROMERO (on camera): It says that it will be back to remote learning starting on Monday. At least for the first week of January could be longer if they don't see those numbers going down.

So, Fred, this is exactly what people were hoping wouldn't happen. That we would be here again, talking about remote learning, talking about pulling kids out of the classroom.

WHITFIELD: Here we are back to a dicey start of the year. All right, Polo Sandoval, and Nadia Romero, thanks to both of you. Appreciate it.

All right. My next guest says the surge fueled by the Omicron variant is unlike anything the nation has seen during the pandemic. Dr. James Phillips is chief of disaster medicine at George Washington University Hospital in Washington, D.C.

Good to see you again, after quite a long time of not talking to you. I'm glad to be back -- glad you could be back with us. So, Doctor, you know, how is your emergency department and staff holding up in all this?

DR. JAMES PHILLIPS, CHIEF, DISASTER MEDICINE, GEORGE WASHINGTON UNIVERSITY HOSPITAL: Well, you know, emergency health care providers are resilient by their very nature, before they even choose a specialty that chooses them because of their resilience.

We're managing but we're getting sick. And it's a -- it's a staffing issue for our hospitals right now, particularly our emergency departments, where doctors, or physician residents, and especially our nurses are really being affected themselves by becoming infected and having to be out of the workforce. We're seeing a surge in patients, again, unprecedented in this pandemic, it's fortunate that the majority of them are not sick. Because if we had the transmissibility of Omicron and the deadliness of Delta, we would have already seen the absolute collapse of our healthcare system in the national capital region and some other parts of the Northeast.

So, I'm thankful for that. And I'm glad we're starting the New Year with at least that sort of news. But what's coming for the rest of the country could be very serious, and they need to be prepared.

WHITFIELD: How concerned are you that so many people who are testing positive are vaccinated, particularly ones of recent, and maybe among some of your colleagues that you speak of, how concerned are you about the rapidity of the breakthrough cases? Is something different about what we're seeing right now? And do you attribute that mostly to Omicron or something else?

PHILLIPS: Yes, absolutely. This is a completely different disease. There are two different pandemics happening right now. There is the Delta pandemic that is still happening and is the primary driver of hospitalizations and illness in probably half of the country. In places like Washington, D.C., we are all in agreement, that Omicron is clearly the driver of the increase in patients coming.

Because with Delta, you see pneumonia, you see this lower respiratory tract infection, it causes low oxygen levels, it brings you to the hospital because you're very sick. It gets you admitted if you're very sick and potentially die.

Omicron is an upper respiratory infection. And while that can lead to illness and death in some people with a lot of comorbidities or those who are just simply unlucky, for the vast majority of people, this seems to be equivalent to a very bad cold or a very mild flu.

Now, we have to hope that, that stays that way throughout the country. And I don't want to minimize it in any way shape or form by saying that people are -- people are going to die from this.

But it sure is -- it sure is good to see that it doesn't have the deadliness that Delta and the prior variants have had so far.

WHITFIELD: Meantime, let's talk about the pediatric hospitalizations that this nation is seeing. And right now, across the board, it's the highest this country has really seen during the pandemic.

Are you, your hospital, George washing University Hospitals seeing more children admitted or when you see children? I mean, what do you do? Are you passing them on to Children's Hospital? What's happening?

PHILLIPS: That's -- It's a great question. And it's important to note that not all hospitals treat and admit pediatric patients. And we are -- we are one of those hospitals that primarily focuses on adults.

Prior to coming on today, I reached out to my colleague Dr. Joelle Simpson, she is the chief of emergency medicine at Children's National Hospital here in Washington, D.C.

And while she says they're holding around, they are seeing both the typical surge of pediatric admissions that happens every winter due to circulating cold viruses and the flu.

They are definitely seeing an increase in patients coming in for testing and for mild symptoms, which can be attributed to Omicron. And compounding that is the loss of staff that's happening because those people are getting sick with Omicron despite being vaccinated and boosted.

And what's really critically important, if there's one important message I'd like to say today, is that if you only have mild symptoms or especially if you're only coming in to get tested, do not come to the emergency department if you can avoid it.

[12:10:10]

PHILLIPS: If you have any alternative means to get tested for mild symptoms or a person with low-risk factors, please do it outside of the emergency department, because it's overwhelming our system, and putting others at risk.

WHITFIELD: So, then, I wonder if you, you are in agreement then, with so many school districts who are delaying now in-person school, back to school after the holidays.

Many school districts were expecting to see kids back Monday, Tuesday, but then, now they're asking that many of them are doing, you know, at-home learning. Are you in agreement with that? Is that the best precaution to take at this juncture?

PHILLIPS: Yes, that's -- there's no right answer. And I'll preface this by saying that I have a 3-year-old and a 1-1/2-year-old both of whom go to school in daycare. And they're both going to be affected by this with delays.

What the -- we're damned if we do and we're damned if we don't. The economy is going to suffer and the workforce is going to suffer, or kids are going to get sick. There is absolutely no way to keep Omicron out of the schools. No way. It's more transmissible, it passes through and looks just like a cold.

And what we're going to be relying on is testing in addition to the standard practices of masking, social distancing, and hand hygiene. But the testing that we are using, these antigen tests at home simply are not sensitive enough to keep Omicron out of our schools.

Even if they're picking up 80 -- 85 percent of the cases. And that's with parents doing their absolute best to test correctly, read it correctly, or even have their willingness to do so.

Some cases of Omicron are still going to slip through. And even if it's not enough, students getting sick enough to cancel the classes. There are teachers, no matter how vaccinated there are, they're at risk of getting sick. And I think that's why schools are going to close in the places most affected by the virus.

WHITFIELD: My goodness. All right, Dr. James Phillips, good to see you again. Instead of Happy New Year, I have to say hopeful New Year. Let's hope we're only going up from here. Please.

PHILLIPS: Good to see you again, Fred.

WHITFIELD: Good to see you too.

All right, still ahead.

WHITFIELD (voice-over): Now, snowfall in Colorado after devastating fires in that state. For hundreds of families returning to their homes, all that's left? Ashes. We'll hear from one of those families next.

And later, a jury finds Ghislaine Maxwell guilty of sex trafficking young women for Jeffrey Epstein. What her conviction may mean for a civil case against Prince Andrew? Next.

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[12:15:24]

WHITFIELD (on camera): Welcome back, Colorado officials now say at least two people are missing after wildfires fueled by high winds whipped through the boulder area.

WHITFIELD: (voice-over): The fires leaving hundreds of residents to start the New Year without homes. At least 500 structures were destroyed. And as the flames moved in, shoppers in one store, you can see right there, running for their lives. Some residents say they had just minutes to escape before the fires rip through the neighborhoods.

And now a reprieve for residents and emergency workers as snow is falling in the area.

WHITFIELD (on camera): CNN's Natasha Chen, joining me now from Superior Colorado. And you spoke with a family who lost everything. And Natasha, what a contrast. I mean, I don't know if this snow is really a relief. It's just yet another you know blanket of a tough dose of reality.

NATASHA CHEN, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Fred, it definitely helped in terms of quenching these flames, but it is going to make cleanup a little more difficult here. And there's not much I can show you right now because everything is covered in snow. It is much-needed moisture that this area really did not see this fall.

Some residents here told me that it was so dry. It was like a tinderbox environment when this fire ripped through. And this family that we talked to, they had never seen anything like this. The flames that were coming so close to their home, and they had minutes to just get out of there taking nothing with them except their cell phones and chargers. This is the Delaware family and here is the girlfriend of one of their sons. She also grew up in Louisville. Here is how she described those moments.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I mean -- I --

TAYLER SUSTELLO, LOST HOME IN COLORADO WILDFIRES: I mean, I was getting pushed over to say though I had to turn around like I could not look in the distance and see what was going on at a certain point.

He was helping us walk to look at the smoke at open space if that says anything about the feeling of it. But as far as the looks, it was a red sky, orange quickly was turning into black smoke, things were moving so quickly. White suddenly started appearing. And just the sound of the wind, it just honestly sounded like a hurricane of smoke and fire.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CHEN: And she said she was getting pushed over. That's what I heard from other folks as well, unable to even open their car doors at a certain point because the winds were that strong. They were hurricane- force winds.

And when you talk to this family about what they've lost, I mean, I think you're seeing a video there that they took yesterday when they walked through the remains of their neighborhood, they have such an amazing spirit about this.

They said they are going to rebuild a home that their home was filled with love. They're going to build a new one and fill that with love too, Fred.

WHITFIELD: Wow, these are going to be some tough days ahead. All right, thank you so much for bringing their perspective to us. Natasha Chen in Colorado. Appreciate that.

So, the beginning of 2022 is looking a lot like 2021 for President Biden and a good bit of the country. Coronavirus cases are soaring. There are concerns over inflation and supply chain issues, and the president is still trying to get his massive domestic agenda passed. We'll talk about that. Next.

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[12:22:03]

WHITFIELD: All right, it may be a new year, but many of the challenges facing President Biden are all too familiar.

WHITFIELD (voice-over): He is trying to get his domestic priorities across the finish line, namely his signature Build Back Better spending plan after negotiations in 2021 were dashed. There is also the ongoing tensions with Russia over its troops on the Ukraine border. President Biden spoke with Russian President Vladimir Putin on Thursday and had this to say about their conversation.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JOE BIDEN, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: I made it clear to the President Putin that he makes any more moves and goes into Ukraine, we will have severe sanctions. We will increase our presence in Europe with our NATO allies, and it will be a heavy price to pay for it.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WHITFIELD: Biden is also entering 2022 with uncertainty in the economy and rising inflation. And don't forget, all of this is happening as coronavirus cases surged to all-time highs.

WHITFIELD (on camera): Here to talk about all of this now, managing editor for Axios and CNN political analyst Margaret Talev. And also, a senior staff editor for The New York Times Opinion and CNN political commentator David Swerdlick.

Good to see both of you, I'm going to say hopeful New Year, instead of happy.

All right, Margaret, that you to be -- let's begin with you. What has to be the president's priority right now as we get this year started?

MARGARET TALEV, CNN POLITICAL ANALYST (on camera): I mean, Fred, on a very basic level, I think Biden's biggest challenge and biggest priority is how to get accurate information to all Americans.

The economy, obviously, is the thing that most Americans are worried about combined with coronavirus, the two are inextricably intertwined at this moment.

But for the president, the truth is that the economy actually is growing and that there has been a pretty historic recovery so far, but it's bound up in these concerns about inflation and the supply chain.

And in really negative media coverage for those voters -- those American voters who primary get their news from conservative outlets or from alternative media, getting accurate information into Americans about the virus and the pandemic and how to protect themselves also it was a real challenge for the President in this bifurcated moment that we're in as a society.

And that means it's going to be hard for him to get credit for what he's doing well on the economy. And it may be hard for him to get the pandemic under control among those sectors who aren't listening to the same messaging that he's trying to deliver.

WHITFIELD: Wow. So, David, do you agree? I mean, messaging is big. I mean, once upon a time, people would rely on information coming from the White House to, you know, just set the record straight. But as Margaret just spelled out, there are lots of obstacles for this White House, and this all comes as the White House is expected to unveil details about the rollout of its 500 million free at-home tests that the president promised last week.

[12:25:11]

WHITFIELD: So, how far will that go to show the American people that his administration is trying to make a difference and set the record straight on what to believe?

DAVID SWERDLICK, CNN POLITICAL COMMENTATOR (on camera): Yes, Happy New Year, Fred. And Happy New Year, Margaret.

I agree with Margaret, that everything for this White House in 2022 has to do with looking down the road, seeing around the bend, having a plan for what they see, and then clearly executing on it in real-time.

What plagued the administration in 2021 was too often they were seen as being caught off guard by events. So, whether it's the Build Back Better bill trying to resuscitate that, or if it's dealing with COVID, they have to act more decisively, and they have to anticipate. They should have had these 500 million tests ready to go months ago.

And now they're going to get them, but it's going to come as we're already in the midst of this Omicron wave, and they need to address that, and then also address what they think might happen with COVID in the coming months as we head into spring.

Americans want children to stay in in-person school, they have these economic concerns that they have, and they have concerns about what's on the horizon with the midterm elections.

Just one more thing, I will say is like Margaret said, they have a good economic story to tell, Fred. Unemployment is below five percent or around five percent. They've had historically low requests for unemployment assistance. The stock market is doing fine, not rocketing, but it's plateaued and steady. But they can't get this message out because of the other things going on.

WHITFIELD: And then there is this persistent problem abroad, the tension between Russia and Ukraine. I mean, it's certainly getting the president's attention. Biden spoke with Putin again this week, Margaret. So, how much could that situation impact Biden's domestic priorities?

TALEV: I mean, they really are separate issues. But if Vladimir Putin were actually to decide to go forward and invade Ukraine, it would force Biden's hand and NATO's hand and all the Western allies hand to do what they've been threatening to do, which is really bring down the hammer on sanctions.

That would, on the one hand, be a distraction from Biden's domestic agenda. On the other hand, it could give the American president an opportunity to reassert leadership skills abroad, if he responds decisively coming out of Afghanistan.

Again, there was these expectations setting flub where Americans did not understand that this was going to be a very, very bumpy exit. Because the White House didn't prepare Americans messaging-wise.

I think in the coming days and weeks, we may see what messages the president is trying to tell both Americans and Russians and Europe about what to expect. But a lot of that depends on Vladimir Putin.

Again, it's not central to the U.S. challenges or to what voters care about heading into the midterms. This is not lining up to be a foreign policy midterm election. But what Putin does or doesn't do, is going to set off a chain of reactions, and it's going to put Biden in a real moment of a leadership test.

WHITFIELD: And then, David, back to the big domestic, you know, item for the president -- we're talking about his Build Back Better social spending program, and Senator Joe Manchin, you know, torpedoed the talks. But White House officials are hopeful that talks can be revived on a more limited bill, or perhaps even a set of bills. So what is most realistic?

SWERDLICK: Fred, if I could, I just wanted to say one thing about Russia, which was I agree with Margaret, but the White House should look at what the worst-case scenario is, and work backward from there beyond the page with their allies in Europe, Germany, France, U.K., and again, decide in advance what they're going to do. If they're going to renegotiate INF Treaty, if they're going to do sanctions. Whatever they're going to do, decide now, don't wait for the worst to happen.

In terms of renegotiating the Build Back Better bill, at this point heading into an election year, I think Democrats are going to have to move even further towards Senator Manchin, even though that disappoints really enrages progressives because, at this point, they've got to get a legislative win on the board, and then turn their attention back to COVID.

Even if they only get let's say $1 trillion on this, you add that to the $1 trillion for the hard infrastructure bill that already passed, $2 trillion, you're talking about real money. What they can't do is go into the midterms with this hanging over them as a law.

So, if in case, you know, I'm mincing up my sports metaphors here, but if you can't get a touchdown here, you have to get a field goal, you can't go into the locker room with a goose egg.

WHITFIELD: All right.

[12:30:00]

I think you summed it up well. David Tyrrell (ph), Margaret Talev, good to see you both. Thank you so much.

MARGARET TALEV, CNN POLITICAL ANALYST: Happy New Year.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Thanks.

WHITFIELD: All right, now that Ghislaine Maxwell is facing a potential life sentence in jail for sex trafficking, will she cooperate with prosecutors to implicate other high profile people involved in her crimes? We'll discuss that straight ahead.

But first, a quick programming note tomorrow on CNN, Carole King and James Taylor and an unforgettable concert film. Just Call Out My Name, tomorrow 9:00 p.m. on CNN. We'll be right back.

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WHITFIELD: All right, welcome back attorneys for Ghislaine Maxwell say they will appear -- appeal rather her conviction this week on five charges related to sex trafficking. A New York jury found her guilty of grooming underage girls for sexual abuse by her longtime associate Jeffrey Epstein.

The maximum sentence carries up to 65 years in prison. Vicky Ward is an executive producer and reporter on the Docu series Chasing Ghislaine And Deborah Tuerkheimer is a professor of law at Northwestern University and the author of "Credible: Why We Doubt Accusers and Protect Abusers." Good to see both of you ladies. Happy New Year.

Vicky, you first. You've investigated and written about Maxwell's life and the alleged crimes now convicted. What was your reaction to the verdict?

VICKY WARD, EXECUTIVE PRODUCER AND REPORTER, "CHASING GHISLAINE": So I wasn't surprised. I was in that courtroom every day of testimony. And at the end, despite the fact that Ghislaine Maxwell's very expensive, very good defense lawyers really, brutally cross-examined the accusers and they were a little bit helped in that endeavor by the fact that these women had been previously interviewed when the government was targeting Jeffrey Epstein.

[12:35:13]

They have been interviewed by the FBI and the government about Jeffrey Epstein. And according to those notes that are called three or twos, those women said things about Ghislaine Maxwell that were different when being interviewed about Jeffrey Epstein.

And what they said about Ghislaine Maxwell after Jeffrey Epstein had died, and obviously, they were all through civil lawyers suing the Epstein compensation victims fund and they got paid money. That was the defense's argument that this was all about money and manipulation.

The problem ultimately with that was that there was still this great question mark left, really about two main things. Why had Jeffrey Epstein or accounts in his name, why Ghislaine Maxwell a staggering $30 million in total, there abouts. And why had Ghislaine Maxwell stayed with a man who we heard through various testimony hadn't always treated her particularly well. And yet she stayed in some sort of capacity. It was never quite clear what over 10 years.

Prosecutors in the end told the jury to use their common sense. They said why would these four women have come up here face this brutal cross-examination told stories that were eerily similar? Just for the heck of it. Use your common sense. And I think that's what the jury did.

WHITFIELD: And Deborah, you know, you wrote in the New York Times this week that Maxwell's conviction represents a new front in the Me Too era holding enablers accountable as well as abusers themselves. Explain why in your view, her case, could prove particularly impactful.

DEBORAH TUERKHEIMER, PROFESSOR OF LAW, NORTHWESTERN UNIVERSITY: First, it's important to say that this is a long overdue measure of justice for Jeffrey Epstein's victims, for the women who testified in court, and for those who've described outside of court what they endured.

But the other significant aspect of this case is that it's the first time in the Me Too era that a high profile abuser who was enabled, who was assisted by someone else had that enabler that assister also be convicted, also be held to account.

If we think about the men in the Me Too era who have gone to trial, if we think about Bill Cosby, if we think about Harvey Weinstein, R. Kelly, even Larry Nasser, who pled guilty, we can see a web of enablers around these men. We can think about the relationships and the systems that help them to abuse so many victims over so many years.

And yet, until now, we've really not seen a criminal prosecution, a successful prosecution of one of these enablers. And it's not a surprise that it would be Ghislaine Maxwell, who would be that individual because she was so central to the abuse. She wasn't an onlooker. She wasn't passive. She didn't just look the other way. She was really at the heart of Jeffrey Epstein scheme.

And I think that's why this this case is the one that's getting us to talk about the criminal justice systems role in holding enablers to account.

WHITFIELD: Right, I mean, the message is loud and clear, a willful participant, not seemingly, but a willful participant. And then I wonder too, Deborah, you know, because lawyers now for the British Royal, Prince Andrew are trying to say to get a related civil case against him dismissed. How does Maxwell's conviction impact the outlook for that case?

TUERKHEIMER: Well, I think that case will go forward. Maxwell's convictions, you know, certainly doesn't stand as an obstacle. And if anything outside of the courtroom, right, there's been this validation of the women who have come forward, that may not directly impact the case, the civil case, but I do think it gives some momentum to this move to hold alleged abusers in this case to account.

WHITFIELD: And then Vicky, real quick, you mentioned those incongruent days. And we know that Ghislaine Maxwell is trying to appeal. Do you believe the inconsistencies in the testimonies or perhaps even the payments that you spoke of are going to be central to her attempt to appeal?

[12:40:04] WARD: You know, she has always maintained that she is innocent. That was, you know, people who said why didn't she tried to cooperate. She didn't cooperate because a cooperation would have meant that she was admitting some degree of guilt per story is she did nothing wrong. There's no halfway house, give or take here. And, you know, I don't know what their argument is going to be, but they're going to try and make it.

WHITFIELD: All right, Vicky Ward, Deborah Tuerkheimer, thanks so much, ladies. Appreciate you both.

WARD: Thank you.

TUERKHEIMER: Thank you.

WHITFIELD: All right. Well, although, Britain's Prince Andrew was not at the center of the Ghislaine Maxwell trial, he is facing a civil lawsuit from a woman who alleges that she was trafficked by Jeffrey Epstein and sexually abused by the prince. These allegations and other public challenges helped make for her rather complicated time for the royal family. Here now as CNN's is Max Foster with this year in review.

(BEGIN VIDEO TAPE)

MAX FOSTER, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): For the royal family, 2021 was punctuated by loss.

QUEEN ELIZABETH II: In the month since the death of my beloved Philip. I have drawn great comfort from the warmth and affection of the many tributes share his life and work.

FOSTER: Husband, father, grandfather and great grandfather, the man she described as her strength and stay no longer by her side, after 73 years of personal and professional partnership.

One image lingers from his funeral that spoke not just to her loss, but to that of so many others who were left on their own because of COVID. But it didn't slow her down. The Queen back at her desk while she was still officially in mourning, until doctors advised her to rest in October, following a hospital stay and preliminary investigations into an undisclosed condition, later compounded by a back spring.

KATE WILLIAMS, ROYAL EXPERT, AUTHOR: It's an extremely punishing schedule for someone who is 95. And I think no one would criticize her at all and everyone would support her in stepping back and doing a bit less.

FOSTER: She gave up international travel some years ago. So Prince Charles represented her in Barbados in November for a ceremony to replace her, as head of state by a locally appointed president. It marked the end of 396 years of British rule and the long-awaited reconciliation with the islands colonial past.

PRINCE CHARLES, THE PRINCE OF WALES: The appalling atrocity of slavery, which forever stains history. The people of this island, forge the path with extraordinary fortitude.

FOSTER: It wasn't the first time that race came up as an issue for the family in 2021.

MEGHAN MARKLE, DUCHESS OF SUSSEX: Concerns and conversations about how dark his skin might be when he's born.

FOSTER: Prince Harry and Meghan, the Duchess of Sussex went rogue, not just leaving their royal roles, but telling all to Oprah Winfrey on why they felt the need to get out.

EMILY NASH, ROYAL EDITOR, HELLO! MAGAZINE: It raised very serious allegations of racism, but also of rifts within the family difficulties between Prince Harry and his father. The differences between him and his brother, it was really was a very warts and all opening up of things that have traditionally been kept very private by the Royal Family.

FOSTER: The Queen issued a statement acknowledging the allegations and committing to address them. Whilst also pointedly noting that recollections may vary. The rest of the family characteristically kept calm and carried on until William was fired an unsolicited question.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: -- the racist family, sir?

PRINCE WILLIAM: No, we're very much not a racist family.

FOSTER: The Queen's youngest son, Prince Edward spoke to CNN but wouldn't be drawn on the Sussex saga.

PRINCE EDWARD, EARL OF WESSEX: Were given we've all been there before. We've all had excessive intrusion and attention in our lives. And we've all dealt with it in slightly different ways. And listen, we wish them the very best.

FOSTER: The palace has continued to distance itself from Prince Andrew publicly pursued by the FBI in recent years for sexual abuse allegations. Accuser, Virginia Roberts Gioffre filed a civil suit this year, claiming the royal assaulted her when she was 17.

Prince Andrew has repeatedly denied all wrongdoing. Regardless of how the impending trial unfolds, Royal commentators expect the institution to survive intact.

NASH: I think the royal brand has taken quite a battering in 2021. From all sides, you know, we've had the fallout from the Oprah interview. We've had Prince Andrew's ongoing legal issues. These are all things that, you know, really should have dented the monarchy, but I think that the key players have just quite simply kept calm and carried on and done some really good things.

[12:45:00]

FOSTER: In February 2022, The Queen will celebrate her Platinum Jubilee, the only British monarch to do so, having first ascended the throne 70 years ago, in 1952. The firm is keen to focus attention on that and the success of the Queen's entire reign rather than a tumultuous 12 months. Max Foster, CNN, London.

(END VIDEO TAPE)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WHITFIELD: All right. Welcome back. Betty White beloved actress and comedian passed away Friday, just days before her 100th birthday. With a Hollywood career that spanned over eight decades, she became one of the most enduring and iconic phases of television. CNN's Stephanie Elam looks back at her incredible and extraordinary career.

(BEGIN VIDEO TAPE)

STEPHANIE ELAM, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Betty White's cheerful Hollywood career began in her teens, and by her 20s, she was a fixture on television with her own daily talk show. Ahead of the times, White co-founded her own production company in 1952.

She worked on a variety of television and film projects over the years before turning a 1973 guest appearance on The Mary Tyler Moore Show into a permanent role. White was a scene stealer as the man hungry Sue Ann Nevins.

BETTY WHITE, AMERICAN ACTRESS: I think a man should be virile and macho and just reeking with masculinity.

ELAM: Her second signature role was on the beloved series The Golden Girls as the comical Rose Nylund

WHITE: And they attack chickens.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I don't care about chickens, Rose. She didn't call me chicken, she called me peacock.

WHITE: You look more like a chicken when you're angry, you're Next with --.

With The Golden Girls, I got to play with those silly ladies every week. So that and I loved Rose Nylund, she was positive and she was -- she wasn't the sharpest knife in the drawer. But she wasn't dumb. She was just terminally naive.

ELAM: Off Screen, White married three times. She called her third husband TV host Allen Ludden, the love of her life. They were together almost 20 years before Ludden died of stomach cancer in 1981.

LARRY KING, CNN HOST: And you'll never remarry?

WHITE: No. When you've had the best who needs the rest.

ELAM: A devoted pet lover, White was a longtime advocate for animal welfare. She called television her hobby and animals her work. Yet her hobby kept her busy. White's talents as an actress and comedian were in demand well into her senior years. Following a grassroots Facebook campaign in 2010, White became the oldest person ever to host Saturday Night Live at the age of 88. WHITE You know it's an accomplishment staying awake on the toilet.

ELAM: The show earned huge ratings and White her seventh Emmy Award. Later that year, White took on another role on TV Land's Hot in Cleveland.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I thought that you weren't coming?

WHITE: Well, I ran out of vodka. I thought I'd come over here and freshen up my drunk.

ELAM: In her 90s, White was as popular as ever with several ongoing film and television projects.

WHITE: How lucky can a 90-year-old broad B, I have no idea and I'm still working. That's the thing.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You loved working.

ELAM: Love for her warm smile, wit and off color humor. White didn't miss a beat when asked if there were any Hollywood projects she'd still like to do.

WHITE: I usually answer that question with Robert Redford. No, I think I've been lucky enough to do just about so much that I -- if I start complaining about anything under the sun, throw me out of the business.

(END VIDEO TAPE)

WHITFIELD: And are we also glad that she had that kind of longevity in the business what a life and a legacy. I want to bring in now Sam Rubin. He's an entertainment reporter for CNN affiliate KTLA and he joins me now live.

So good to see you, Sam. You are one of the lucky ones. You've actually interviewed a Betty White many times over the years. So what most resonates with you in terms of your memories of her?

SAM RUBIN, ENTERTAINMENT REPORTER, KTLA: Well, I tell you what, Fred, good morning to you this authenticity of Betty White. The fact of the matter is, you can't fool people for a long period of time. And this seven, eight-decade career, she was authentic. Betty White was really what you saw on camera was who she was off camera, and there was just this enormous affection.

This is such an extraordinary, heartfelt loss for people.

WHITFIELD: Yes.

RUBIN: Because we felt like we really knew her. And we did.

WHITFIELD: Yes.

RUBIN: This is exactly who she was. The nicest person you'd ever want to meet. And sometimes I think we tend to polish the halos of those who have passed. But in this case, Betty White, well deserved of every tribute and accolade. And there are so many.

WHITFIELD: Yes, she certainly seemed to really embody goodness on every level. So when you think back now, with all the interactions that you've had with her, are there any in particular that in a really a standout, one more treasured moment than the next?

RUBIN: Well, I remember on the set of Hot in Cleveland. And one thing that was so interesting commonality between Sue Ann Nevins, and the character she played in Hot in Cleveland. These were roles originally written as a one off. She was to appear once, but she was so popular with Mary Tyler Moore. And then again on Hot in Cleveland, that she became a permanent character fixture on the show.

And I remember, on the set of Hot in Cleveland, she was sort of looking around and it was like, I was only supposed to be here for a week. And look, it lasted many, many seasons. I think Betty White had this enormous gratitude. And I think people appreciated the fact, that she appreciated the fact that she'd been around for so long, so successful for so long. And so well thought out for so long.

WHITFIELD: Wow. She certainly seemed to have a way about kind of stealing, you know, the screen the scene and really becoming, you know, the focal point of everything. So now, just, you know, days from now would have been her 100th birthday. And they were big plans for big celebration for her and understand in some ways, there will still be that.

RUBIN: Indeed, Fred, those plans will continue. It's a theatrical event. You can buy a ticket to go to movie theaters around the country and sort of participate in a Betty White 100-year celebration. I think producers initially upon hearing about her death were couldn't quite decide whether to go forward.

But the fact is, people still want to celebrate the life good works, wonderful living of Betty White and so on January 17, her 100th birthday, this event will go forward. Of course she graces the cover of People magazine this week. It's all perfectly appropriate --

WHITFIELD: Yes.

RUBIN: -- for somebody who entertained so many of us for so long.

[12:55:06]

WHITFIELD: Well-deserved. We'll continue to celebrate the great Betty White. Sam Rubin, thanks so much. Appreciate you being with us.

RUBIN: You bet, Fred. Thanks.

WHITFIELD: All right, still ahead. Thousands of flights canceled amid COVID surges. And at one of the busiest travel times of the year what you need to know next. Plus, take a look at this. A tornado watch is now in effect for some of the same parts of southern Kentucky and western Tennessee that saw those devastating tornadoes just a few weeks ago. But the cities of Nashville and Bowling Green are included in this watch. The Storm Prediction Center says there will be likely intense thunderstorms with damaging winds and the possibility of a strong tornado.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WHITFIELD: All right, the NHL is putting on its Winter Classic tonight and it's certainly going to be rather wintry out there. They are expecting sub-zero temperatures in Minneapolis for the League's annual outdoor hockey game. It could get under 20 degrees below zero with wind chill. So cold that the stadium has to heat the ice to even play the game. So the Minnesota Wild and St. Louis Blues, they might want to layer up over those pads tonight.

All right, hello again, everyone and Happy New Year. Thank you so much for joining me on Fredricka Whitfield.

All right a new year, well, it's not bringing relief to the pandemic's relentless hold on the U.S. Today, airlines struggling with sick outs or canceling thousands of flights.