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Eighty Million Under Winter Weather Alerts From Mississippi To Maine; FBI IDs Hostage Taker In Texas Standoff As 44-Year-Old British Citizen; White House Adviser Says Severe Consequences If Russia Behind Cyberattack. Aired 3-4p ET

Aired January 16, 2022 - 15:00   ET

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

[15:01:02]

JESSICA DEAN, CNN HOST: Hi, there. And thanks so much for joining me, I'm Jessica Dean, in for Fredricka Whitfield.

And we start this hour with that massive winter storm pummeling much of the Eastern United States right now. Eighty million people now under winter weather alerts from Mississippi all the way to Maine, a potentially dangerous mix of snow and freezing rain blanketing major roads, airlines, canceling more than 2,800 flights.

And as you can imagine the severe weather also causing some significant flight delays. Power now knocked out for more than 278,000 customers across Georgia, Alabama, Tennessee, Florida, and the Carolinas.

This storm is moving up the East Coast with some cities like Washington, D.C. expecting up to four inches of snow. And we have team coverage for you tracking all of the winter weather.

We go first to CNN's Dianne Gallagher who is in Charlotte, North Carolina.

Dianne, I know North Carolina seeing some ice. Walk us through what the situation is there right now.

DIANNE GALLAGHER, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes, and Jessica, in the mountain area, there is some snow. But for the most part here in North Carolina, it is a tale of freezing rain, sleet, and that ice on the ground, and that is what makes this so potentially dangerous for the people who live here, talking about the roads at this point.

We're seeing a few cars out right now. We want to show you some live footage of our drone that's out on the highways here on the outside of Charlotte, North Carolina in the uptown area and they've gone through -- they've plowed some of the streets. That's something that the Governor has warned is not -- is something that will happen quickly across the state saying that they are down manpower due to staffing issues, it may take longer for them to actually get to the roads to clear them.

And that is why they are asking people to basically stay off the roads until this system passes. (BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

GOV. ROY COOPER (D-NC): For today, the best way to avoid a car accident or getting stranded is to stay put. Fewer people on the road means fewer car crashes.

Plus, it allows highway crews and utility workers to get faster results.

If you must travel, reduce your speed, increase your following distance and be sure to clear all the snow and ice off your vehicle before traveling.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

GALLAGHER: So they are only looking at around 200 or a few more of those car crashes so far in the State of North Carolina due to that, but they are also concerned about what ice is going to mean for power outages. More than 90,000 reported across the state at this point, and the concern is that as we still have this precipitation coming through, there is more expected throughout the day. It is going to refreeze when the temperature drops at night and you're going to see some of those trees fall.

The other issue, Jessica, of course, is the flights. Charlotte International Airport, they are looking at more than 90 percent of their flights canceled today because of weather already.

DEAN: All right, quite the impact there. All right, thanks so much, Dianne.

Let's go now to CNN's Nadia Romero who is live in Buford, Georgia.

Nadia, what are you seeing there in Georgia?

NADIA ROMERO, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, Jessica, the snow was definitely coming down especially compared to earlier this morning where it was much more of that rain sleet mix that Dianne is seeing now in the Carolinas. We have transferred over to actual snow that's accumulating.

When people talk about snow in the Metro Atlanta area, they often talk about January 2014 that many people called Snowmageddon. We had almost 100 school buses in Fulton County that were stranded on highways and roads because of the conditions. Some 2,000 school kids had to spend the night at school and people were stuck wherever they were when that storm came through.

So the goal this time around in the years since has been to be better prepared. So the Governor here of Georgia declaring a State of Emergency for parts of Georgia. There is the Department of Transportation rolling out the brining starting that on Friday. Some 20,000 miles have been pretreated as of last night, and they tell us they have more than a million gallons of brine available and they also have about 100,000 tons of salt and gravel, and it's all about the road. [15:05:13]

ROMERO: So when you see this accumulation, that is what is on top right? It's the snow. But as we get into those evening hours, when the sun goes down, the temperatures drop, that turns to ice. And so it's already starting to happen in this patio area. On the ground here, this is snow that is now ice.

This is what you're going to have a hard time seeing tonight for all those drivers, people who are out as that ice is over, as we have black ice, especially over the bridges. That's where the concern is.

So the goal is to get people to stay inside of their homes, and we are enjoying a three-day weekend for many people. So hopefully that will keep them off of the roads because they don't have to go to work or school -- Jessica.

DEAN: Right and give this ice some time to melt and get out of there. All right, Nadia, thank you.

And CNN's meteorologist Tom Sater is also tracking this storm.

Tom, what are you seeing?

TOM SATER, CNN METEOROLOGIST: Well, you talked about over 200,000 without power, I would not be surprised that we could see two million or more, and this is the worst kind of loss of power. If it's due to ice, you could be without power for a week or more.

This storm came barreling out of Canada in the Dakotas, eight to 12 inches of snow. We've got 14 in Des Moines; snow in Memphis to Nashville, down to nine inches in Mississippi, a deep snowfall for the South. And now it is the ice event.

But the good news is, if you look at the major cities on the East Coast, winter warnings, Boston you're not in it, but you don't have to go far to the West. New York, too. Philly, yes.

Now, there will be big concerns with heavy snow to areas of Eastern Ohio, we'll get there -- up to say, Cleveland and Pittsburgh, Buffalo, but coastal erosion to the north.

Now severe weather, we will touch on in a minute, but it's been an icy mess just to the east of Nashville. It takes a while for those colder temperatures to drop to the surface. Change that rain to sleet mix and then change it over to snow, that's what happened in Atlanta.

In fact, they're getting more snow south of Atlanta, than we're going to see in some counties to the north.

This is a problem. Notice the rainfall. Don't be surprised you see snow in D.C., you know, Philadelphia, and New York, but it changes to rain quickly.

But where the rain is moving up -- and it is heavy -- that color of purple is not changing. That is significant icing, and you look at already some of the snow totals, these are going to go up. Several areas will have over a foot, but it is the ice, we could see a half inch to an inch accumulation that's going to down more than power lines and trees and really cause a problem.

So the heavy snow up the Appalachian chain, up into areas of those concern, those cities I told you about in Buffalo and Cleveland, but mainly rain.

Coastal flooding will be a big, big problem when we get into areas, the coast of New Jersey, all the way up in Connecticut and Rhode Island -- Jessica.

DEAN: And Tom, before we let you go, we've talked about the snow and ice but we also have some video out of Florida about a possible tornado tearing through Fort Myers. Look at that.

We're hearing at least 28 homes were destroyed, as many as 200 people have been displaced, four people injured, but thankfully not seriously. We're looking at this damage which seems extensive there.

Tom is the threat of more tornadoes over? Or can they expect more of that?

SATER: Yes, just about over if you look at the radar picture here, I mean, we did have a tornado watch. Now, that's been allowed to expire 3:00 PM Eastern Time. Now, it's really headed toward areas of the Bahamas here.

National Weather Service out of Tampa sending a crew already there. What amazing video out of there. A lot of people in Florida, "Hey, is it normal to have tornadoes in January?" Yes, we're in a La Nina year, and typically that can change the pattern and give us a few more, but massive amounts of debris and some of that video devastation near the Fort Myers area, in a mobile home area called Tropicana.

But at least, this is moving out. That's good news. All eyes really on the significant icing. Keep them in your thoughts and prayers in the Piedmont of the Carolinas and toward Virginia, it could be significant.

DEAN: No doubt about that. We're certainly thinking about them. Tom Sater, Nadia Romero, and Dianne Gallagher, our thanks to all three of you.

And we have some breaking news on the dramatic hostage rescue in Texas. The F.B.I. now identifying that suspect as 44-year-old, Malik Faisal Akram, a British citizen.

Akram was killed in a tense nearly 11-hour standoff at a synagogue in the town of Colleyville. Investigators say he entered the Congregation Beth Israel Synagogue during Saturday morning Sabbath services, and then took the Rabbi and three others hostage as those services were being livestreamed.

One hostage was released several hours into that standoff after hours of negotiations, an elite F.B.I. rescue team then breached the synagogue freeing the remaining hostages.

President Biden today calling the case an act of terror.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JOE BIDEN (D), PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: I spoke this morning with the Attorney General, and -- to get a rundown on -- he said there is overwhelming cooperation with the local authorities and the F.B.I. and they did one hell of a job.

This was an act of terror. This is an act of terror.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

[15:10:05]

DEAN: And Nick Paton Walsh is live in London for us. We'll get to you, Nick in just a second.

We're going to start first with the very latest with Ed Lavandera who is in Colleyville, Texas. Ed, what more do we know about the suspect and also his motive for taking these hostages?

ED LAVANDERA, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, right now, the law enforcement agents continue to work at the crime scene here at the synagogue, which we now have a much clearer vantage point of after this nearly 11-hour hostage situation that unfolded here yesterday afternoon.

The four hostages released physically unharmed. We understand that they're spending the day with their family. We heard from the Rabbi, Charlie Cytron-Walker, who said he has been through quite the ordeal. In a Facebook post, he offered his thanks and appreciation to all the prayers and vigils for him and the other hostages, also thanked directly the law enforcement agents and first responders who saved them.

And he ended his Facebook post by saying: "I am grateful that we made it out. I am grateful to be alive." So quite the ordeal, especially when you consider that the first hour or so of this hostage situation was livestreamed, so many of the members of this synagogue who weren't attending services in person because of the COVID pandemic were watching this unfold.

And this is a little sample of what they were hearing while they were watching from home.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MALIK FAISAL AKRAM, HOSTAGE TAKER: (Unintelligible). I've got these four guys with me, yes? So I don't want to hurt them. Okay, are you listening?

I don't want you to cry. Listen. I'm going to release these four guys (unintelligible), but then I'm going to go in the yard, yes? (Unintelligible) and they're going to take me, all right? I'm going to die at the end of this, all right? Are you listening?

(END VIDEO CLIP)

LAVANDERA: And you might have heard a reference there to his -- making reference to his sister that is not actually his biological sister, but a reference to Aafia Siddiqui who is a jihadist who is in prison here in the North Texas area and that is what that reference is to.

DEAN: It is really horrific to listen to. I can't imagine what those people were thinking as they were watching it being livestreamed. Ed, what can you tell us about the negotiations? This was some 11 hours, this standoff. What more can you tell us about the negotiations that went through that whole afternoon and evening?

LAVANDERA: Well, F.B.I. officials say, really a credit to the negotiators who were on the phone speaking with the suspect and prolonging and calming him down. Everything we heard is that there was a lot of vacillation in terms of the mood of this suspect inside of the synagogue and F.B.I. officials credit those F.B.I. negotiators for essentially helping save the lives of the four hostages.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MATTHEW DESARNO, SPECIAL AGENT IN CHARGE, DALLAS F.B.I.: Today's result, which was four safe hostages and the situation resolved was really a -- was really a result of a long day of hard work by nearly 200 law enforcement officers from across this region.

The F.B.I.'s Hostage Rescue Team, I consider one of the crown jewels of our organization. Their mission is to conduct deliberate hostage rescues when necessary. In this case, we had a necessity for that and they were successful, very proud of them.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

LAVANDERA: And Jessica, you know the bottom line is here, as law enforcement agents continue to finish up their work at the synagogue, all four hostages, we know the Rabbi at home this afternoon with his family spending the day -- Jessica.

DEAN: So glad that they can be home with their families and that they're okay. Let's go now to Nick Payton Walsh who is live in London.

Nick, the suspect was a British citizen. What else do we know?

NICK PATON WALSH, CNN INTERNATIONAL SECURITY EDITOR: Yes, he is known as Malik Faisal Akram, 44 years old from Blackburn in the North of England, and the Greater Manchester Police from that area confirm his residence in Blackburn, also the local Muslim community, they have, on their -- one of their Facebook pages posted a statement from his brother, which says they are absolutely devastated as a family. As a family, they do not condone any of his actions and would like to sincerely apologize wholeheartedly to all the victims involved in the unfortunate incident. They go on to say that Faisal, their brother had what they refer to as

mental health issues and say that they were in contact with the police during the incident.

But of course investigators here at the F.B.I. made early on part of their global investigation, the F.B.I. saying they're reaching out to their embassy attaches aid in Tel Aviv and London as well. There is clearly a strong London part of this investigation, too. They will be looking at his travel history, possibly communications trying to assess the motivation here.

[15:15:07]

PATON WALSH: President Joe Biden saying it is still too early for them to assess quite why this did happen. But the U.K. Foreign Secretary Liz Truss saying today that she condemned this act of terror and act of anti-Semitism, more details emerging here certainly.

But the family voicing something which I think many looking at his behavior, you heard the recording there, the lack of coherence, the fact that this plot was terrifying to those caught by it, did not appear to be particularly sophisticated, that may lean towards mental health issues.

But of course investigators were looking to see if he was acting alone or part of a broader plot here, but information now coming out from the U.K. where his family say they do not condone anything you did.

DEAN: All right. We will get more information as this goes.

All right, Ed Lavandera and Nick Paton Walsh, our thanks to both of you.

Still to come, Ukrainian government websites are targeted in a cyberattack and Ukraine now says preliminary information indicates hackers linked to Russian Secret Services could be involved.

Plus, the U.S. is taking additional steps to expand the manufacturing capacity for COVID-19 tests. We're going to explain that.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[15:20:18]

DEAN: Microsoft says it has found malware that could wipe data on multiple computer systems in Ukraine, including government agencies. That discovery follows a major cyberattack last week that targeted dozens of Ukrainian government websites.

Ukraine says preliminary information indicates groups linked to Russia may be responsible. The U.S. says it has not assigned to blame yet, but National Security Adviser, Jake Sullivan issued a warning to Russia today.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) JAKE SULLIVAN, U.S. NATIONAL SECURITY ADVISER: There will be severe

economic consequences and a price to pay. And yes, of course, if it turns out that Russia is pummeling Ukraine with cyberattacks, and if that continues over the period ahead, we will work with our allies on the appropriate response.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

DEAN: Let us bring in CNN cybersecurity reporter, Sean Lyngaas. Sean, great to have you. Walk us through how dangerous this malware is that Microsoft found and the significance of finding it?

SEAN LYNGAAS, CNN CYBERSECURITY REPORTER: Well, the malware is capable of destroying data on computers and sort of rendering them inoperable, and that's important because that can be very disruptive for organizations that are trying to stay online.

Obviously, during this tense time where Russian troops had amassed at the border, it is a headache for government agencies in Ukraine and IT firms that are dealing with this.

And the other thing that I would say is that, this has some similarities to past behavior. While we don't know who did this exactly, the use of destructive, malicious code has kind of been a hallmark of Russian operatives in Ukraine, and has happened several times in recent years.

So, the disruption is what matters here. It's the inconvenience, and then organizations in Ukraine and folks I talked to there are bracing for potential follow-on attacks.

DEAN: All right, so we'll have to wait and see what happens next. Sean Lyngaas, thanks so much for being with us. We appreciate it.

LYNGAAS: Thank you.

DEAN: And coming up, the U.S. Surgeon General warns the next few weeks will be tough, and that Americans should not expect the omicron wave of COVID-19 to peak in the coming days, that's ahead.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[15:26:55]

DEAN: The Biden administration says health insurers must now cover the cost of at-home COVID tests. That announcement comes at a time when the omicron variant is surging and tests can be hard to come by.

Here is CNN health reporter, Jacqueline Howard.

JACQUELINE HOWARD, CNN HEALTH REPORTER: This is happening right now. Most Americans with health insurance can now walk into a pharmacy store or go online and get at home COVID-19 tests for free through their insurance.

So here is how this works. Depending on your plan, you can get an over the counter at-home test at no cost upfront or you may get reimbursed for a test. So you may have to purchase the test, but submit your receipt to your insurer to get that reimbursement. So remember, save those receipts.

And another thing, some insurers may set up a preferred network of pharmacies, stores or online vendors where you can get your free test. If you purchase a test outside the network, insurers must reimburse up to $12.00 per test.

And for those who don't have health insurance, the Biden administration says it is launching a website on January 19th where any American can request a free at-home test.

The administration says that it is limiting orders to four rapid tests per household. And of course, with the ongoing spread of the omicron variant, increasing testing has been a major focus of the White House.

Back to you.

DEAN: All right, Jacqueline Howard, thanks for those details.

Earlier today, U.S. Surgeon General, Dr. Vivek Murthy warned the weeks ahead are going to be tough as the omicron variant continues to spread, posing a challenge for communities disproportionately impacted by the pandemic.

And joining me now is Dr. Gigi El-Bayoumi, and she is a Professor of Medicine at George Washington University and a liaison for the White House Medical Unit.

Doctor, great to have you. Thanks for making time for being here. My first question is what do you think the number one priority for the Biden White House should be when it comes to COVID?

DR. GIGI EL-BAYOUMI, PROFESSOR OF MEDICINE, GEORGE WASHINGTON UNIVERSITY: Wow, that's a loaded question, but I think the important one is to really make the messaging improve the messaging.

You know, I've said that -- and that's for the public, although it disproportionately impacts under resourced communities.

So this idea that people switch their minds a lot, that the government is giving mixed messages is not true. This is what I would tell the Biden administration in terms of messaging, it is like a tornado or a tsunami where we cannot predict its course. It changes its course, you know, its nature, virus's nature, and to stay tuned for updates. We will bring you updates on this rapidly developing story.

So I think it's about trust. It's about clarity and the information. I think sometimes there is an overthinking of how the messaging is going to be, just speak in plain English so that everybody can understand.

DEAN: And that it is a unified message and that people -- right -- get the same message over and over again.

[15:30:09] DEAN: All right, earlier this week, we also heard from both Vice

President Kamala Harris and Senator Bernie Sanders on N95 mask availability. These are the masks that all the experts are saying are really the best ones right now. Take a listen to what they had to say.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

KAMALA HARRIS (D), VICE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: In terms of the N95 masks, they are available. There is a stockpile of, I believe, over 700 million of those masks. So the supply is there, as necessary, and as needed.

SEN. BERNIE SANDERS (I-VT): If people for whatever reason, don't want to wear an N95 masks fine, then wear something else. But the simple fact is that a whole lot of people don't know that an N95 mask is far superior and more effective in protecting the individual and in spreading the virus than a common mask.

So we've got to get that word out, we have to educate.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

DEAN: And so Doctor, to you, first of all, do you think the price point and accessibility make upgrading to a better mask somewhat unrealistic for some families? Do you think that is a barrier?

And I also am curious, do you think that their tone is surprising at all, in the sense that, do you think we still have to be educating people? Or do you think people know, N95 is what you should be wearing?

EL-BAYOUMI: Oh, look, we still have to educate people. I'm the founding director of the Rodham Institute dedicated to health equity in D.C. We distributed 560,000 masks and hand sanitizers to the poor areas of D.C. and that was several months ago, almost a year ago now.

Education is the key to really defeating this virus, but availability or access versus availability are not necessarily the same thing.

Remember that people have competing priorities. If you do not make it easy for people to get these masks, it will be just one more thing on their to-do list.

If you've got multigenerational households where you have to take care of people, you've got to go to work, you've got to fill out insurance information, we have to make this available, but also to really engage those community based organizations that know the community best to have them be the ones to educate and reach out.

Let's not forget vaccines. You know, I've got 61 patients of mine in the last three weeks who came down with COVID. None of them got hospitalized, except one person who declined the vaccine.

So it's -- you know, we can walk and chew gum at the same time. It's this and that. Right? DEAN: Right. Right. And I know tomorrow, blackdoctors.org and your

Rodham Institute are hosting this State of Black Health Virtual Summit. What are your hopes for that event as it relates to the health of the black community and what challenges is the black community facing in particular in this pandemic?

We know that they are disproportionately -- that that community is disproportionately at risk for a worse outcome? Talk us through that.

EL-BAYOUMI: Sure. Well, of course, it is MLK's birthday, and if we remember what the Dr. Reverend Martin Luther King, Jr. said of all the forms of inequity, health inequity is really the worst. It's the cruelest, right?

So I actually pitched the idea to our partner BDO, which has 20 million domestic followers, 200 million international, and we're part of the Black Coalition against COVID. And I said, you know what, of course, COVID is disproportionately impacting not just the black community, but every other underserved -- historically underserved community.

But people, first of all, are sick of COVID, and as a general internist, I can tell you, breast cancer, colon cancer, other diseases are not going away. And actually, the mental health toll is really disproportionately impacting communities of color.

Did you know that among teens and youth, suicides have skyrocketed among black and brown kids? So we have to, of course, tackle COVID. That's the most immediate killer. However, we have to remind people about all those other illnesses that prior to COVID and sadly after COVID will still disproportionately impact communities of color, specifically the African-American community, but really, all communities that are under resourced.

DEAN: Right, about getting all those screenings done and making sure your mental health is strong.

Good luck tomorrow, Dr. Gigi El-Bayoumi. Thanks so much for being with us. We appreciate it.

EL-BAYOUMI: Thank you.

DEAN: We'll be right back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[15:39:16]

DEAN: As we mentioned at the top of the hour, today, the F.B.I. has identified the suspect who took four people hostage at a synagogue near Dallas as a 44-year-old British citizen.

That suspect was killed, the four hostages were rescued Saturday by an elite F.B.I. team. It all came after a tense 11-hour standoff at the Congregation Beth Israel Synagogue in Colleyville. Texas.

Today, President Biden calling the incident an act of terror.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BIDEN: I also told him that I wanted to make sure we got the word out to synagogues and places of worship that we're not going to tolerate this, that we have this capacity to deal with the assault on particularly the anti-Semitism that has grown up and so -- and I'll be talking with -- I put a call into the Rabbi, we missed one on the way up here and -- but they should rest assured that we are focused.

We are focused, the Attorney General is focused and making sure that we deal with these kinds of acts.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

[15:40:19]

DEAN: My next guest, Anna Salton Eisen is a founding member of that Colleyville Texas Synagogue. She's also the author of the book, "Pillar of Salt: A Daughter's Life in the Shadow of the Holocaust."

Anna, thank you so much for joining us, and before we even start, I just want to extend our condolences for what you and other members of your synagogue are experiencing right now. And we are so, so sorry, I'm so sorry, that you all are having to walk this path, and we appreciate you taking some time to talk with us in light of all of this.

I first just want to know if you've had a chance to speak with anyone involved in the incident or any of your fellow members of the congregation.

ANNA SALTON EISEN, FOUNDING MEMBER, COLLEYVILLE TEXAS SYNAGOGUE: Yes, thank you for having me. Yes, I've been in touch with fellow congregants on the phone, text, Facebook since it began yesterday and I got a text from someone saying our Rabbi is being held hostage at gunpoint.

And so I was on the live feed for several hours and when that was cut off, we just stayed in constant contact. Not that any of us really knew anything, we were waiting to find out and for everything to be peacefully resolved. But you know, we needed to support each other. It was a very difficult and frantic day for all of us.

DEAN: I'm sure it was and I'm sure you're still -- a lot of you in shock even now, one day later, and maybe for several days. You're also a licensed social worker and formerly practice as a therapist specializing in mental health and trauma, so you understand a lot of this so much.

Walk us through your thoughts on this trauma and what it may be like four the four people taken hostage and also from people like you, from people who had to watch this on the livestream?

EISEN: Yes, I mean, I think it affects all of us differently. Of course, the hostages are going to have and their families -- need the most care and time to recover, but we also have to keep in mind the members of the congregation, who now might feel more vulnerable, as well as the children who have to go back into their classrooms, and maybe deal with fears that they haven't experienced before.

So I think for all of us, the first thing is regaining some sense of safety, and I will say that people have asked me, you know, now that this has occurred, you know, do you feel safe in your town? And I will say surprisingly, I feel more safe than I ever expected.

The response from our neighbors, communities, from law enforcement, from churches, from mosques was so overwhelming and intense and immediate, but I really feel like if we have to face a crisis that people will have our back -- good people.

And that is really, you know, an important lesson. I think once we feel safe, then we have to go through the processing, which is not just talking about and sharing what happened, but how we felt, and then the third phase is just to go ahead and reengage in the world with this now being part of our history, and part of our identity.

But I think that we are a resilient congregation, and I think that especially that we had a miraculous and wonderful outcome, going forward is different than it might be if things had not ended so well.

DEAN: Right, and it really sounds like what you're saying is that this outpouring of support that this togetherness, really, you feel like is a guard against, you know, just feeling. So, you know, on a -- it's really going to be essentially a foundation for you is probably the word I'm looking for, as you begin to heal.

EISEN: I mean, I'll share that my mother, who is living with us, is going to be a hundred years old on Saturday, and she is a Holocaust survivor, and going in to tell her what was happening was very difficult for me.

And I saw her fear, flashes of memory, some tearfulness, and it was -- it was hard because, you know, one doesn't think that these things will happen in this day and age or in your town. But also we felt such tremendous support and reassured that law enforcement was there, communities were there, the churches were praying for us.

And then of course, you know, we were overjoyed that everybody was released and safe and all the way up from the Governor of Texas to the President that people cared.

And to hear the Chief of Police say that he is a close and personal friend of the Rabbi just really hit home that you know we are welcome and a part of this community.

[15:45:10]

EISEN: And even though anti-Semitism may be increasing and may be present, so is the remedy. So, is the unity and the strength and the resolve to overcome these issues in our country.

DEAN: Wow. Well, we are sending lots of love to you and good luck on this journey, and I'm glad you all have each other and feel that support. Anna Salton Eisen, thanks so much.

EISEN: Thank you.

DEAN: We'll be right back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[15:50:03]

DEAN: This information just in to CNN, the names of eight men allegedly connected to Jeffrey Epstein and his sex trafficking scandal could soon be made public. Ghislaine Maxwell who's been found guilty of helping Epstein traffic young girls settled a lawsuit filed by Virginia Giuffre who claims Epstein abused her when she was a minor.

The names of the other men involved with Epstein's operation were sealed as part of the lawsuit settlement. Giuffre is asking the court to unseal the documents, and in a court filing this week, Maxwell's lawyers dropped their objections to releasing the names. That means it's now up to the court to decide.

Movie star, blonde bombshell, cultural icon, now see Marilyn Monroe through a more modern feminist lens.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MARILYN MONROE, ACTRESS: I went to 20th Century Fox where Ben Lyon was head of casting. And he goes, "Who is this girl?"

BEN LYON, HEAD OF CASTING, 20th CENTURY FOX: In walked the most gorgeous young girl, 20 years old, and I said, "What's your ambition?" She said, "To be a film star."

MONROE: And then they made a technical test, which was unusual. I think they had high hopes for me.

CINDY DE LA HOZ-SIPALA, BIOGRAPHER: She was to come in, walk across the room, sit down and light a cigarette and smile. As soon as that camera started rolling, something magical happened.

CHRISTINA NEWLAND, AUTHOR AND FILM CRITIC: She has this kind of fresh faced beauty and this kind of luminous prettiness on the screen.

ELLEN BURSTYN, CO-PRESIDENT, ACTORS STUDIOS: She could manifest the kind that magic she came into the world with.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

DEAN: And joining us now is Alicia Malone. We just saw her in the clip there. She is also a host at "Turner Classic Movies" and of course, appears in this new series on Marilyn Monroe.

Alicia, great to see you. Thanks for making time.

You know, we hear the name Marilyn Monroe, and I think so many people instantly get this image of blonde bombshell sex object, you know, Happy Birthday, Mr. President. What are people missing about Marilyn when they look at her solely in that way?

ALICIA MALONE, HOST, "TURNER CLASSIC MOVIES": They're missing her drive and ambition as we just heard in that clip. She wanted to be a movie star, she set out to be one and it took many, many years for that to happen.

She had several different studio contracts. She had to convince the executives that she had what it took to be a star. But the creation of Marilyn Monroe itself was completely her own. So yes, she was this blonde bombshell, but it was a blonde bombshell of her own making, and it was highly successful.

DEAN: Right, and it sounds like what you're saying is she was much more in control of the whole thing than perhaps people were led to believe.

MALONE: Absolutely. Most hours at the time, we are given a persona and given a makeover such as Rita Hayworth who was Margarita Cansino and she was changed into this American icon.

For Marilyn, she came in ready. She knew exactly who she wanted to be. She modeled herself on Jean Harlow and other blond actresses from the 1930s that she loved, and it was really her own drive that made this whole thing happen.

DEAN: All right, Alicia Malone, thanks so much for your insight. We're looking forward to this new series. Thanks so much.

MALONE: Thank you.

DEAN: And you can be sure to tune in to the all-new CNN Original Series "Reframed: Marilyn Monroe." It premieres with back to back episodes tonight at 9:00 PM only on CNN.

And it's already been a wild wildcard weekend in the NFL with a controversial call leading to a victory decades in the making. CNN's Coy Wire has those details.

COY WIRE, CNN SPORTS ANCHOR AND CORRESPONDENT: Yes, just a painful loss for the Las Vegas Raiders, a surreal win for Cincinnati. The Bengals had the longest active drought between playoff wins, their last win was 1991. That's before we had text messaging.

Controversy just before halftime, Burroughs scrambling and he finds Tyler Boyd wide open because you'll see the Raiders stop, they say they heard the whistle. They're arguing the catch, well, the head of officiating says that the whistle came after the catch. Here it is. Listen for yourself.

[VIDEO CLIP PLAYS]

WIRE: Wow, the play is not reviewable, so touchdown stands and those seven points could have been the difference.

Fourth quarter final seconds, Raiders needing a touchdown instead of a field goal to tie it, but Derek Carr's pass intercepted by Germaine Pratt, Cincinnati holds on 26 to 19. Just listen to the love from the fans.

[VIDEO CLIP PLAYS]

WIRE: Now, while the Bengals celebrate an advance to the next round, there's also the agony in defeat for the Raiders. Their season is over after a controversial play call.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DEREK CARR, LAS VEGAS RAIDERS QUARTERBACK: Like everything is just frustrating right now. You know how to expect it to go this way. I didn't feel like it was going to go this way all during the game at any point, all the way up until the last, you know one -- a couple of seconds.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

[15:55:08]

WIRE: Now, Jessica, the Raiders' last playoff win was 2003 and after the Jon Gruden drama this season, they were the first team in 60 seasons to make it to the playoffs after a midseason coaching change. But now, they're going to be watching the playoffs from home, just like all of us -- Jessica.

DEAN: What a game. All right, Coy Wire, thanks so much. I'm Jessica Dean in today for Fredricka Whitfield, thanks so much for being with us.

CNN NEWSROOM continues now with Jim Acosta after the break.

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