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January 6 Committee Focuses on the Willard Hotel; Schumer to Propose Rules Change for Voting Rights Bill; Florida Governor Pushes Partisan Redistricting Map; Study: Health Pass Saved 6,000+ Lives in Europe; Japan to Impose Stricter Restriction as Cases Rise; Reported Explosion Kills 1, Injures 8 Others in New York; New Zealand Says Ongoing Risk of More Eruptions and Tsunamis. Aired 4:30-5a ET

Aired January 19, 2022 - 04:30   ET

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

[04:30:00]

ISA SOARES, CNN ANCHOR:

TOM FOREMAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Trump attorney Rudy Giuliani, newly subpoenaed by congressional investigators, advisor Steve Bannon, former New York City Police Commissioner Bernie Kerik, and Attorney John Eastman, who pushed the widely discredited theory that the vice president could simply reject the election results amid the unproven claims of fraud.

JOHN EASTMAN, ATTORNEY: All we are demanding of Vice President Pence is this afternoon at 1:00, he let the legislatures of the state look into this so we get to the bottom of it.

FOREMAN (voice-over): Witnesses have told various publications the Trump team at the hotel spent days reaching out to Republican majority state legislators, preparing them to cast aside the ballots of their citizens and award the election to Trump.

STEVE BANNON, FORMER WHITE HOUSE CHIEF STRATEGIST: It's not going to happen like you think it's going to happen.

FOREMAN (voice-over): But Vice President Pence did not bend. Biden's election was confirmed. Still, according to a source familiar with his testimony, former Police Commissioner Kerik told the House Select Committee last week that he continued working on the 6th at the Willard looking for evidence of widespread election fraud in hopes Biden's inauguration could be stopped.

REP. BENNIE THOMPSON (D-MS): Bernie Kerik is significant. He started cooperating with our committee.

FOREMAN (voice-over): And now, the committee investigating all of this is looking very hard at everything else that went on in the Willard.

THOMPSON: The hotel has been asked to provide information for us. So, we're in a process of doing our investigation.

FOREMAN: What could the hotel possibly tell the committee? Maybe nothing about what specifically went on in those war rooms, but maybe a lot about who paid the bills, and that could reveal an awful lot of folks who were involved in pushing these lies that led to an insurrection at the Willard.

Tom Foreman, CNN, Washington.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

SOARES: Now, U.S. Senate Democrats are pushing forward with voting rights legislation despite almost certain failure. Lawmakers are expected to vote later today, but it looks likely Republicans will remain united in blocking the legislation. Now, on Tuesday, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer laid out plans to try to steer around the GOP obstruction.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SEN. CHUCK SCHUMER (D-NY) U.S. SENATE MAJORITY LEADER: If the Senate cannot protect the right to vote, which is the cornerstone of our democracy, then the Senate rules must be reformed. Must be reformed. If the Republicans block cloture on the legislation before us, I will put forward a proposal to change the rules to allow for a talking filibuster on this legislation, as recommended by a number of our colleagues who have been working on this reform for a long time.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SOARES: Now, if passed, the rule change would allow Democrats to pass a bill with a simple majority instead of the usual 60 votes needed. But that effort also appears destined for failure. Democratic Senators Joe Manchin and Kyrsten Sinema said they will not support exempting the bill for normal Senate rules. With Manchin saying, he will never change his mind.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SEN. JOE MANCHIN (D-WV): It's never happened in the history of our country. You know basically, it has never been a simple majority vote to basically get off of a debate. I'll never change my mind on the filibuster.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SOARES: Well, as that debate plays out, Florida's Republican governor is looking to press his party's advantage in redrawing the state's congressional map. On Sunday Ron DeSantis proposed a new redistricting map that would heavily favor the Republican Party, giving them a leg up in at least 18 of Florida's 28 districts. It is an unusual step for the governor's office, and it is unclear if Republicans will line up behind this proposal. Now, if they do, some Democrats say they are prepared to take the fight all the way to court.

Now, the Texas Secretary of State's office says it has a limited number of voter registration applications because supply chain issues increased the cost of paper. Now, a spokesman says organizations and interest groups can get 1- to 2,000 forms at a time. Meantime, Texas election officials have rejected hundreds of mail-in ballot applications under a controversial Republican backed voting law. They said applications were invalidated because people failed to meet stricter identification requirements.

And we are learning new details about how a hostage taker spent his time in Texas before holding four people at gunpoint inside a synagogue. About ten days before the terrifying incident, Faisal Akron became hostile and was thrown out of a nearby mosque after workers told him spending the night there was against the rules. Now, that is according to an attorney representing the mosque. Akron then returned the next day, apologized for his previous behavior and prayed before leaving.

[04:35:00]

Coming up right here on the show, several countries in Europe are now seeing COVID cases surge. We'll have the latest in the live report from Paris.

Plus, Tonga is in urgent need of assistance after Saturday's powerful volcanic disruption and tsunami. And the danger is not over yet.

PEDRAM JAVAHERI, CNN METEOROLOGIST: And the Tonga eruption certainly may not be the last eruption we hear about across this particular region. We'll touch on that and also touch on a potential tropical system trying to develop across this region. Heavy rainfall possibly in store. More on that in a moment.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

SOARES: Now, the Omicron variant is fueling a record rise in COVID cases right across parts of Europe. Including in Germany where more than 100,000 daily cases have been recorded for the first time since the pandemic began.

Now, Germany isn't alone. Italy reported its highest record of daily COVID infections since the start of the pandemic in the past day. We're seeing a similar situation really in France, which reported a record daily high of more than 464,000 new COVID cases.

But even as cases climb, a new study published by the French Council of Economic Analysis shows the health pass used in Europe has saved lives. Now, since its adoption last year, it prevented nearly 4,000 deaths in France, and more than 1,000 in both Germany and Italy. That is according to that study.

Meantime, parts of Asia are tightening their COVID safety measures amid fears of new outbreaks and surging cases. Japan's Prime Minister will announce stricter restrictions in 13 regions after a record rise in infections there. Joining me now to discuss all these developments, of course, CNN's

Blake Essig joins us from Tokyo and our Jim Bittermann standing by in Paris. Jim, let me start with you. In the last, say, 40 minutes or so, we've seen the record rise, a worrying rise of COVID infections out of Germany where I believe vaccination progress has been somewhat slow.

[04:40:00]

JIM BITTERMANN, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: It's been a little bit lagging behind the other three countries that we're looking at, Germany, France and Italy. Nonetheless, the surges are across the board, all three of those countries. Even though, for instance, France, for example, is doing a much better job of vaccinations. Still, they had a record high number of cases as you mentioned, 460,000 cases in just 24 hours.

So, it's kind of in explicable, the relationship between the vaccinations and this surge that we're seeing. Especially since all three countries were basically saying they thought the situation was headed toward stabilization until yesterday. And today when those numbers, new numbers have come in. So, it's an interesting situation here. And we don't have a lot of explanation for why those cases are surging.

One of the things that is clear, though, from the economic council report you mentioned, and that is that vaccinations, the health pass does, in fact, encourage people to get vaccinations. And we've seen that both in Italy and in France where there's been a health pass in place for some time now. Basically, the vaccination rate is going up because of the health pass, and that's what that study showed. So, it's an interesting sort of thing to get the people encouraged through the idea that not mandating vaccination but saying rather if you want to do anything out in public, you've got to have vaccinations.

SOARES: Yes, I remember clearly how controversial that health pass was in France. Jim, hold on for just one second. I want to go to Blake. Blake, what can we expect to hear from the Prime Minister regarding the restrictions and potentially how they might be received?

BLAKE ESSIG, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, you know, Isa, it feels like deja vu. Tokyo and other parts of Japan spent a good chunk of 2021 under a full or quasi-state of emergency. The Japanese government has taken several steps to slow down the sixth wave of infection. So far, they have extended travel restrictions, essentially banning all non- residents until the end of February. They've suspended a program that would allow people who were fully vaccinated or have a negative test result to be exempt from COVID-19 restrictions. And today, just about 30 minutes ago, the government did declare a quasi-state of emergency order for 13 prefectures, including Tokyo, which expands the total to 16.

Here's a map of the affected areas. This authorization from the national government allows local governors to request that bars and restaurants limit their operating hours and can ask bars and restaurants to stop serving alcohol. Businesses could be fined for non-compliance. Now, for the first time ever, Japan's COVID case count topped 30,000

yesterday. That's an increase of more than 415 percent compared to the same day last week. The previous record, 25,000 cases recorded last August, just about two weeks after the Tokyo 2020 closing ceremony.

And speaking of Olympics, the Winter Games in Beijing do start in just about two weeks. Relatively speaking, the case count is extremely low compared to other countries. Only 87 new cases reported yesterday. But because of the country's zero COVID policy, if even one case is reported, it means mass testing and lockdowns. Currently more than 20 million people across the country are confined to their home. That includes several neighborhoods in Beijing.

As far as athletes coming to Beijing to compete in the Olympics are concerned, they are going to be extremely limited in what they're allowed to do. Olympic officials have put in place a closed-loop bubble starting today which limits athletes' movements and will offer organizers a level of control never seen before at any Olympic games -- Isa.

SOARES: Yes, Olympics, what about three weeks -- less than three weeks or so away. Blake Essig for us there in Tokyo, Jim Bittermann in Paris. Thank you, gents.

Now meantime, in Hong Kong thousands of people have signed a petition to stop the government ordered culling of small animals. Officials seized hamsters, rabbits, guinea pigs and more after a pet shop worker was infected with the Delta variant. Now officials fear the animals could spread the coronavirus. All hamsters imported since mid-December are scheduled to be euthanized as a precaution. While the transmission of the virus from animals to humans is possible, health experts say the risk is low. Signatures on the petition are still rising. We'll stay on top of that story for you.

Now, Tonga is under a state of emergency. We are finally hearing from its government after the massive volcanic eruption and tsunami. We have a live report from the region next.

Plus, the Bronx is reeling from yet another fatal fire. Details on what happened, plus dramatic video showing a police officer rescue a woman from the burning home.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

SOARES: Now, another fatal fire in New York has killed one person and injured eight others. The fire department believes an explosion destroyed three residential units in the Bronx. Dramatic video shows police rescuing a woman trapped in the debris.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Now back out, back out.

Back up.

Over here, over here. UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Oh, my god! Oh, my god!

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: 1, 2, 3, let's go! Get her over the couch.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SOARES: Fantastic work by those police officers. You can see on that body cam footage. An officer runs to the scene and helps colleagues to lift the woman to safety. Of course, this comings as the community still mourns after an apartment fire killed 17 people earlier this month.

[04:50:00]

Now, a second flight from New Zealand is headed to Tonga to survey the impact of Saturday's volcanic eruption and tsunami. Tonga government calls the unprecedented. It has now declared a state of emergency and the death toll there has risen to three.

Take a look at this video. Now, you can see there the tsunami waves tearing through the island as people try to escape the flood waters. The waves reached as high as 15 meters, almost 50 feet. Now, in some places, almost every home was destroyed. Recovery efforts are ongoing, but many people, of course, have lost absolutely everything.

CNN's Phil Black joins me now live from Melbourne. And Phil, I suspect as we look at these images now, the focus now is on getting aid to those in need. Do we know when aid is due to arrive?

PHIL BLACK, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, hopefully soon, Isa. It's taken days just to hear from people on the ground about what sort of help, what sort of need there is. But we can tell you the need is great. Their communication blackout came because of the eruption, the tsunami. It wiped out mobile phone communications and damaged the only under water cable connecting Tonga to the rest of the world. That's going to take weeks to fix.

But there is word getting out now, and the aid groups are saying what they're hearing most is that they need water. That's the priority. Particularly in the next few days, because water resources on the island have been contaminated both by dust and ash from the volcano eruption itself and also from sea water from the tsunami that have hit those islands.

We know that there are New Zealand navy vessels steaming for Tonga with water resources and desalination equipment. They are expected to get there Friday. The airport, Tonga's main airport, the runway there has now been cleared of ash and debris. So, hopefully aid flights can get in there sooner.

But all of this is going to have to be done in a very careful way. The reason for that is the pandemic. Tonga according to the World Health Organization has very strict COVID rules. Three weeks quarantine for anyone who arrives. Because of that COVID is Tonga free. And they're going to want to stay that way, particularly while they're dealing with this new crisis. SOARES: Yes, how to help them both with aid but also making sure

they're not passing on any new variants there. Phil Black for us in Melbourne. Thanks very much, Phil. Good to see you.

Now, New Zealand says there is still a risk of more eruptions and tsunamis for Tonga in the surrounding area. CNN meteorologist Pedram Javaheri has the latest on the conditions. Good morning, Pedram.

JAVAHERI: Yes, good morning, Isa. This is certainly a story worth following over the coming days and weeks. And you take a look at the satellite imagery, of course, the volcano is not the most impressive you could see from above. But once you get down to the surface and really beneath the surface, that is where all the story is told here. Now you see the successive eruptions that led to culvert collapsing on the 15th of January. And of course, the significant eruption this past Saturday.

And it's just beneath the surface where the volcano is more than a mile tall, and you a have volcano that is more than 12 miles wide. So, an impressive one anyway you look at it. And based on historical data, this particular volcano erupts to this magnitude once every thousand years. So, the event in itself, as impressive as it gets. And you look at deposits of previous explosive events across this particular region, and they often show small eruptions follow suit for a period of weeks, sometimes even a period of years.

So, this could continue for many weeks or longer period to come. But typically, eruptions of this magnitude also release major magma. And that reduces the overall tension, the overall stress for these large- scale eruptions for a while to come.

Now if you look at data, carbon dating going back to -- looking at pyroclastic data shows the most impressive eruption on particularly this volcano, dates back to 1040 A.D.

Now, in that particular eruption temperatures across the planet cooled on the order of 1 degree Celsius. Sulfur dioxide, well, that was also released in significant doses. With this particular volcano lesser amounts were released. And we don't expect significant planetary cooling to take place with this particular eruption.

But what we do expect here, of course, quite a bit of damage left in place, volcanic ash left in place. And the reason that's really important right now, there is a tropical disturbance trying to form not too far away from the archipelago. Low probability of formation in the immediate future, but the models have a decent handle on this, trying to organize over the coming days, potentially bringing rainfall across this region. And of course, volcanic ash, rainfall turns into cement-like sludge. Certainly, a destructive scenario if rain does come down across this region, and that's what we're following across the area the next few days -- Isa.

SOARES: Thank you very much, Pedram. Appreciate it.

Now, Tonga's Olympic flag bearer is helping raise money for those impacted by the devastating eruption as well as tsunami. The GoFundMe page has raised more than 300,000 U.S. dollars.

[04:55:00]

The campaign says the money will go toward those in need along with repairing schools, hospitals and rebuilding, as well as other infrastructure. Flag bearers -- if you remember -- Pita Taufatofua said on Wednesday his family on the main island and home is safe, but he's still waiting, of course, to hear from his father and other family in the low island. Communication of course has been severed.

Now, there is liftoff from the Kennedy Space Center in Florida.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: 3. 2. 1. 0. Ignition. And liftoff.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SOARES: That is the sound of SpaceX launching another 49 satellites into orbit. The rocket thundered to life late on Tuesday, despite a reported two-hour delay due to weather conditions. The mission's is part of an effort to build a network of internet satellites.

Now, a long-time former creative director for Vogue magazine has died. Andre Leon Talley was a fashion icon himself. As a black man he was a pioneer in a fashion industry really dominated by white men as well as women. In describing the challenges of promoting diversity in a fashion magazine, Talley said he worked behind the scenes in tones that he was persistent in the quiet way. Talley was 73.

And if you were hoping to watch the Grammys on TV this month, you might be a little disappointed. The awards was originally scheduled for January 31st in Los Angeles. But is now it will take place April 3, in face, in Las Vegas and postponement and the move are due of course to COVID concerns.

And that does here from all of us at CNN NEWSROOM. I'm Isa Soares in London. Our coverage of the Trump family legal saga, our top story on the network, continues on "EARLY START" with Christine Romans and Laura Jarrett. Do now stay in touch with me. I'll see you tomorrow. Bye-bye.

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