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Blinken Met With Russian Counterpart As Tensions Remain High; First United States Shipment Of New Military Aid Arrives In Ukraine; United States Weighs More Military Support For Ukraine To Resist Russia If It Invades; Sources: Giuliani Oversaw Plot To Seat Fake Electors; CDC Stops Short Of Changing "Fully Vaccinated" Definition; China Turns Beijing Into A Fortress Ahead Of Olympics; Adele Postpones Las Vegas Residency Due To COVID And "Delays". Aired 12-1p ET

Aired January 22, 2022 - 12:00   ET

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

[11:59:59]

EVA MCKEND, CNN NATIONAL POLITICS REPORTER: I know because when I asked him about the racial history of the filibuster and reparations in recent years, his answers have elicited similar outrage. Fred.

FREDRICKA WHITFIELD, CNN HOST (on camera): All right, Eva McKend, I have a feeling this one's not over. Not yet. Thank you so much.

All right, and this quick programming note, you know her face, but Hollywood icon Marilyn Monroe was so much more. Learn all about her life and career. The CNN Original Series "REFRAMED MARILYN MONROE", tomorrow at 9:00 p.m.

All right. Hello again, everyone. Thank you so much for joining me. I'm Fredricka Whitfield. All right, we begin in Ukraine where a shipment of new U.S. military aid has now arrived. The region is on edge as tens of thousands of Russian troops remain on the Ukraine border.

The U.S. Embassy says the shipment includes ammunition for the frontline defenders of Ukraine. The Pentagon is also working on new military options should Russia invade. And that could include a larger U.S. presence in Eastern Europe.

And sources are telling CNN, the U.S. Embassy in Ukraine has requested authorization from the U.S. State Department to evacuate all non- essential staff and their families.

We are covering the developments from all angles. A CNN's International diplomatic editor Nic Robertson in Moscow. White House reporter Natasha Bertrand in Washington. And Lieutenant General Mark Hertling is a CNN military analyst and a former commanding U.S. Army General for Europe and the Seventh Army. Good to see all of you.

All right, Nic, you first. There was no, you know, breakthrough in the talks Friday, but both sides say they will keep talking. But is time running out?

NIC ROBERTSON, CNN INTERNATIONAL DIPLOMATIC EDITOR: Well, it's very difficult to say. It really is in the minds in the hands of President Putin, because is he playing for time because his diplomatic track that Sergey Lavrov, his Russian foreign minister kind of opened up by saying that he will accept the United States to present a written response to what Russia has been demanding for some time, and answer to their questions.

That they already know the answer is no. That the NATO and the United States will allow Ukraine to become a member of NATO, if it should so desire in the future, and NATO will not roll back its troop deployments and presence to pre-1997 levels, which is what the -- which is what the Russians are asking for.

So, you know, is time running out? What is happening here? While the diplomatic track is going, the military buildup continues. Russia has those troops on the eastern border of Ukraine.

But at the same time, just to the north of Ukraine, close to the capital, they're going through military exercises with the -- with the Belarus military, massive build up there.

Sophisticated S-400 surface-to-air missile systems being brought in there. So, you know, I think it's a case of not so much the time is running out per se, but the diplomatic track, the longer that goes on, the more opportunity it gives Russia to be in a position to invade, should it so desire, that heightens concerns, heightened tensions.

It says it has no intention of invading, but the reality is, there is an ability for it, and increasing ability, should it so desire and change its mind.

WHITFIELD: And Natasha, what are the options the White House is considering -- are considering?

NATASHA BERTRAND, CNN WHITE HOUSE REPORTER (on camera): A number of very strong measures being considered if Russia does invade, and that is the key here.

None of these options are going to be implemented, including sanctions, including a reinforced presence in the Eastern Europe and the eastern flank of NATO, unless Russia actually crosses the border with its military.

That is something that the president and the White House has made very clear over the last several weeks. They are still trying to engage in this diplomacy with Russia.

And for that reason, they are not going to make any significant moves in terms of penalties until Russia actually makes that decision to invade Ukraine.

Now, in terms of the reception that these threats have gotten from, you know, the U.S. -- for United States allies and from Ukraine itself. It's kind of a mixed bag. Right now, the U.S. and -- has its allies kind of lined up behind it in terms of the penalties that it has threatened against Russia. Saying that, you know, the U.S. allies, including the U.K. have been sending increased weaponry over to Ukraine in the event that Russia does invade. And so, there's cohesion in that sense, as well as with the Baltics.

But of course, there was a dust up earlier this week with Ukraine, in which, the Ukrainian President Zelensky tweeted that there are no minor incursions into Ukraine. Of course, coming after that comment by President Biden in his press conference suggesting that a lesser incursion into Ukraine might lead to a lesser consequences by the United States and its allies.

So, that was quickly kind of cleaned up. The United States was very fast to come out and clarify. And say that any kind of rolling over of the border by Russian tanks would constitute an invasion, any land grab whether big or small would constitute an invasion, and would carry those consequences that the U.S. has threatened.

[12:05:09]

BERTRAND: But the whole world is kind of on edge at this moment and waiting to see what the U.S. and its allies are actually willing to do if and when Russia does choose to attack Ukraine.

WHITFIELD: And then, Lieutenant General, if the U.S. State Department does in fact, move out non-essential, you know, personnel and their family members, is this kind of Catch-22? Does it send a certain message to Russia that perhaps it does have the upper hand in this?

LT. GEN. MARK HERTLING (RET.), CNN MILITARY ANALYST: No, I don't think so, Fred. This is a normal situation. If any kind of tensions develop in any countries, and I've been involved in several of those in Europe, when I commanded there, the State Department moves out their non-essential.

It's just the family members, you know, the dependents and others who aren't contributing to the day to day operations in a crisis. That's not necessarily something that should be a trigger for Russia.

But, what I will tell you is that the military has also watching various triggers, in terms of what the Russians will do. Their capabilities, as Nic said earlier, their capabilities are pretty monumental right now in three sides of Ukraine. But we don't know the intentions.

And on the Ukrainian side, they have had a massive transformation of the Ukrainian army over the last six years. And in fact, I think they are very well prepared.

And you add the will of the people of Ukraine that has been compounded by continuous threats by Russia. They are ready to stand up for their nation.

And I would add to that, you also have to consider the alliances. And whereas, Ukraine is not part of the NATO alliance, there are several European partners and NATO members who are saying we will stand behind.

That's what gives me the most worry, in case Russia does something that is unfortunate, not only in Ukraine, but there are several NATO nations who are already prepared to face Russia. And it could cause some additional actions that could be troublesome and could contribute to a much greater war.

You know, Ukraine has already lost 14,000 Soldiers over the last seven years. Any kind of action by Russia going into Ukraine is certainly going to have both a military and a humanitarian crisis of extreme proportions.

WHITFIELD: So, then, and Nic, Nick, so if you've got the U.S. now threatening, you know, sanctions -- more sanctions against Russia, U.S. military munitions being sent in as support for Ukraine. What does de-escalation look like? If that's preparation, what is de- escalation?

ROBERTSON: Well, de-escalation is what Secretary Blinken was asking Foreign Minister Lavrov to do. In fact, Lavrov commented that, that -- Blinken was trying to make that the main thing of the meeting when they met in Geneva. Saying that Blinken was repeating it like a mantra.

You know, the U.S. position with NATO allies is quite simply this. Look, Russia had this military buildup, might got our attention, they want to talks, we're in those talks. So, why do you need the military buildup? Just de-escalate this tension of the military buildup?

And that's the concerning thing, that having got that attention, and continuing with that military buildup, signals, perhaps an alternate intent here. So, it's, perplexing everyone about how to tackle it, because as most people are rightly saying, really, it comes down to what President Putin chooses to do.

How much influence his Foreign Minister Lavrov has, who has the big influence over him? President Putin has staked a lot of interests, a lot of his own personal capital, if you like, saying that Ukraine is part of Russia. These are very, very high stakes right now

WHITFIELD: Yes. And so, Lieutenant General, particularly, for Putin, often it is about saving face. Right? So, I mean, what's the incentive for him to back down or retreat? It seems like a lot of this has to do with flexing his muscle on the world stage.

So, is there a feeling that an invasion is inevitable, because he wants to say face?

HERTLING: Most fascinating point that he is -- the Biden administration is giving him the potential to save face, and forcing him to understand that the repercussions of an attack would be devastating.

It would put Putin in a similar position as Hitler going into the Tsar land or Czechoslovakia during World War II. This would be a movement that would actually show Putin to be a world pariah. And it would have not just the nations of Europe against him. But as we saw yesterday, even Japan has stated they are -- they are standing up against Putin in this invasion of a sovereign country.

[12:10:05]

HERTLING: So, he has to weigh what are the gains, what are the short term gains, what are the long term gains? And how much will he suffer both economically, militarily, and diplomatically on the world stage, but also domestically. And that's why I think the Biden administration is trying to give him a way out, a safe -- a face saving method that he can back away from this.

WHITFIELD: All right. Thanks to all of you. Nic Robertson, Natasha Bertrand, Lieutenant General Mark Hertling, thank you so much. I know we'll be talking about this a lot more over the coming days. Thank you.

All right. Still to come, new information on how Trump campaign officials led by Rudy Giuliani oversaw a plan to put forward fake electors in states that Trump lost.

And later, a New York police officer killed and another seriously injured in a shooting while responding to a domestic incident.

Why city officials say this was an attack on the whole city?

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[12:15:07]

WHITFIELD: All right we have new CNN reporting on just how involved former President Trump's campaign was in working to overturn the results of the 2020 election.

WHITFIELD (voice-over): Multiple sources say campaign officials led by Trump's right hand man, Rudy Giuliani oversaw efforts to install bogus electors in seven battleground states.

I mean, listen to how one of those fake electors from Michigan described the campaign's involvement.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MESHAWN MADDOCK, CO-CHAIR, MICHIGAN REPUBLICAN PARTY: We fought for investigations into every part of the election we could. He fought for a team of people to come and testify in front of the committee. We fought to seat the electors. The Trump campaign asked us to do that, under a lot of scrutiny for that today.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WHITFIELD: All right, joining me now to discuss, CNN's, Marshall Cohen and Zachary Cohen. Good to see both of you, Marshall, you first. I mean, what's the latest on these fake electors? What exactly did the Trump campaign try to do? How did they recruit them even? MARSHALL COHEN, CNN REPORTER (on camera): So, Fredricka, we're talking about the Electoral College, right? It's a wonky process that's spelled out in the Constitution. But it's essential to how we transfer power from one president to the next in this country.

So, back in December 2020, the real electors across the country met and essentially designated Joe Biden as the president elect. But as you mentioned, in many of these states, seven key states, Trump supporters met and proclaimed that Trump was the real winner.

Of course, it was all based off of the big lie. But what we're now learning according to multiple sources with direct knowledge of the situation, was that this didn't just happen. It wasn't spontaneous. But Trump campaign officials led by Rudy Giuliani orchestrated this effort. They had conference calls where they planned this out, they recruited people to fill the electoral positions, they tried to secure meeting rooms for them in some of the state Houses, and they circulated fake certificates that the electors -- the fake electors could sign and send to the National Archives.

So, it was a very sophisticated operation. The Trump campaign was involved. And there are lots of important critical questions that are still need to be answered on this.

WHITFIELD: Oh, my gosh, so many. I mean, Zachary, so, is anyone looking into this as a criminal investigation?

ZACHARY COHEN, CNN NATIONAL SECURITY REPORTER: So, the Michigan Attorney General said last week that she has convinced the pro-Trump electors from her state who signed this big certificate committed a crime and she's referred that to the federal authorities and is asking them to investigate.

Now, it really remains to be seen if this results in any criminal charges, but we do have one Democrat from one of these key states, asking the feds to investigate, and to investigate criminal actions -- potential criminal actions by these pro-Trump electors.

WHITFIELD: OK. So, Marshall? Yes, we all have a whole lot of questions. But is there at least a response now coming from the Trump camp, in anyway?

M. COHEN: Yes. Well, look, the Trump campaign's position then, and now was that this was totally aboveboard. They said they were challenging the election in court and wanted to preserve the potential possibility, even if it was long shot, that if he did win in court, that they would have the electors ready to go.

Look, I don't know if that's going to really carry the day here. It's a very shoddy scheme. But listen to what one of these advisors, Boris Epshteyn, who was a Trump campaign official. Listen to him explaining his role in the plot.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BORIS EPSHTEYN, FORMER STRATEGIC ADVISER, TRUMP'S 2020 CAMPAIGN: I was quoted in The Washington Post the last 24 hours. Yes, I was part of the process to make sure there were alternate electors for when, as we hope the challenges to the seated electors would be heard and will be successful part of the Fifth Amendment the Constitution and the Electoral Count Act.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

M. COHEN: Right. So, you hear it right there. They say they were just preserving all their legal options. A lot of people say that's kind of just some euphemism for an attempted coup.

WHITFIELD: OK. So, Zachary. I mean, if the hits keep coming -- I mean, there's more. I mean, so now when we talk about this draft executive order, that meant the Trump White House was trying to use the US military, the Pentagon to seize voting equipment, what more is being learned of that, as a result of these documents being released?

Z. COHEN: So, POLITICO published a document yesterday that they say is one of the documents that this January 6th committee has obtained since the Supreme Court ruling last week.

Now this document purports to be a draft executive order, doing exactly what you just described, Fred. It's -- would authorize the defense department and the military to seize voting machines.

Now, the document itself was never signed by former President Donald Trump, and -- but we do know that this issue of seizing voting machines is one of the main areas of focus by the January 6th committee. And they've been asking questions about folks like Rudy Giuliani's role.

[12:19:56]

Z. COHEN: In efforts to do that, we know Giuliani asked former DHS official Ken Cuccinelli about their legal authority to seize voting machines. He was told in that moment that there was no authority to do so, but it appears that those around the former president we're still seeking a way to seize voting machines up through, you know, late December mid December 2020.

WHITFIELD: Yes, it's incredible. Just when we thought we had kind of heard it all there just seems to be more at every current corner intern. Thank you so much. Marshall Cohen, Zachary Cohen, appreciate you both.

All right. It is our city against the killer. Strong words from the mayor of New York City after an NYPD officer is shot and killed responding to a domestic incident. Details straight ahead.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[12:25:05]

WHITFIELD: All right, welcome back. Officials in New York are calling a shooting that left one New York City police officer killed and another seriously injured, a senseless in comprehensible act. The officers were shot while on a domestic dispute call. Officials have identified the deceased officer as 22-year-old Jason Rivera, as seen there on the left. They say he along with the injured officer there on the right are the fourth and fifth NYPD officers to be shot in the city this month.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ERIC ADAMS (D), MAYOR-ELECT OF NEW YORK CITY: It is our city against the killers. This was just not an attack on three brave officers. This was an attack on the city of New York.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WHITFIELD: CNN's Polo Sandoval is live for us from New York and joining us. So, Polo what more can you tell us about this incident?

POLO SANDOVAL, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (on camera): Fred, this is yet another horrible reminder of the dangers that come, four police officers who are responding to these kinds of disturbances, these domestic disturbances and that's exactly how this call started yesterday according to a timeline that was laid out by NYPD just last night.

Officer Jason Rivera, that 22-year-old rookie officer was among three officers that responded to a call from a mother who was apparently involved in some kind of argument with her 47-year-old son.

Rivera and a second officer, Wilbert Mora, then, according to detectives walk to the rear of the apartment, and that's when investigators say the door flung open, and inside was a man identified as Lashawn McNeil. That investigators say used this pistol that we want to show our viewers to open fire on these officers mortally -- fatally wounding Officer Rivera and critically wounding officer Mora.

You see that drum high capacity magazine that's attached to that Glock pistol. Investigator is still trying to find out whether or not the officers possibly knew that this individual was in possession of that firearm, and then obviously, where it came from, as he was basically on probation described as a career criminal.

Now, when it comes to that third officer that was in the living room, investigators saying that he opened fire, wounding McNeil, and he's currently hospitalized. What you're hearing, though from top city officials is obviously not only the heartbreak but the frustration that this high level of street violence that we've seen, not just throughout the country, but particularly here in New York City has claimed one of their own.

I want you to hear directly from Police Commissioner Keechant Sewell, as she says that the level of loss or at least the extent of the loss that they're feeling is beyond comprehension.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

KEECHANT SEWELL, COMMISSIONER, NEW YORK POLICE DEPARTMENT: I am struggling to find the words to express the tragedy we are enduring. We're mourning, and we're angry. The NYPD, New York City, all of us. As I stand here in Harlem Hospital tonight, a New York City police officer has lost his life, murder, and another one is fighting for his life to survive.

The pain their families are experiencing is not something anyone can put into words.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SANDOVAL: Now, about three weeks into his administration for Mayor Eric Adams, you can bet that this latest incident will certainly just increase pressure on him to make good on his promise to improve public safety in certain pockets of the city. Those parts that have seen an increase in street violence, mainly gun violence.

In fact, these images are coming from the mayor's office just a short while ago as he made his way to Harlem's 32nd precinct. He says he wants to show solidarity with those men and women in uniform who work at that -- at that precinct, showing solidarity and supporting those officers that are now grieving the loss of one of their officers and praying for a good outcome for a recovery for that second officer who's currently fighting for his life. Fred.

WHITFIELD: Yes, yes. All the prayers going his way.

All right, Polo Sandoval, thank you so much.

SANDOVAL: Thank you.

WHITFIELD: All right, turning now to South Carolina, where a grand jury has charged suspended attorney Alex Murdaugh with 23 more crimes in four new indictments.

Those indictments claimed he stole over $2.2 million meant for four clients. Murdaugh now faces a total of 71 charges stemming from the accusations that he defrauded victims of nearly $8-1/2 million in various schemes.

He also is facing fraud charges in a separate case that officials call a botched, fake, suicide attempt. CNN has reached out to Murdaugh's attorney for comment, but has not received a response.

All right, still ahead, while COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations are finally beginning to drop in some areas in the U.S., hospitals are still overwhelmed by the number of patients.

Why some medical professionals say they are still in a crisis?

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[12:30:00]

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WHITFIELD: All right, welcome back, some health experts are cautiously optimistic that we may have seen the worst of the Omicron surge, new cases and hospitalizations are finally beginning to drop in some areas of the U.S. but there are still some places facing what they call a crisis. Hospitals simply overwhelmed by the number of patients. CNN's Nadia Romero has more.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

NADIA ROMERO, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): A trio of CDC studies released Friday underscore just how urgently the booster shot is needed to fight off the Omicron variants. According to the CDC, the booster was 90 percent effective at preventing hospitalizations over a period of December and January compared to 57 percent for those with only two shots six months after their second vaccination.

The new data raise the question of whether people with just two vaccine doses should still be considered fully vaccinated. But CDC director, Dr. Rochelle Walensky stopped short Friday of endorsing such a change.

[12:35:21]

DR. ROCHELLE WALENSKY, CDC DIRECTOR: And what we really are working to do is pivot the language to make sure that everybody is as up to date with their COVID-19 vaccines, as they personally could be, should be based on when they got their last vaccine. So importantly, right now we're pivoting our language we really want to make sure people are up to date.

ROMERO (voice-over): Meanwhile, those fighting COVID out on the front lines are being stretched beyond their limits. Six Metro Atlanta hospitals say they're seeing mostly unvaccinated patients fill up their hospitals beyond capacity.

DR. ROBERT JANSEN, CHIEF MEDICAL OFFICER AND CHIEF OF STAFF, GRADY HEALTH SYSTEM: We are running about 110 percent capacity right now. We've had to divert ambulances over the last several weeks because the huge number of patients coming in that has a big impact on the rest of the city. It's wild, wild stretchers. We have no capacity left at the hospital.

ROMERO (voice-over): The message from healthcare experts to get vaccinated and boosted also comes with a renewed push to limit the spread of the virus. And to alleviate long lines at testing sites across the country. You can now order free at home coronavirus tests from the federal government online or by using a new hotline.

JEFFREY ZIENTS, WHITE HOUSE CORONAVIRUS RESPONSE COORDINATOR: People need a test immediately. We continue to encourage them to utilize one of the many testing options that are out there. In addition to the website, 20,000 community based testing sites nationwide, federal surge sites, dozens of which have opened in the last few weeks are online.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

ROMERO: And testing is such a big issue here in the city of Atlanta. And we saw those long lines, especially around the holidays here. And so for the Atlanta Public School District when they came back to in person learning teachers had to undo mandatory testing twice a week, but now they've added students who are doing extracurriculars, if you're in band or sport, you have to do testing as well if you want to participate, it's all an effort to keep kids back in the classroom.

And Fredricka, we talked about that trio of CDC studies released yesterday. Well one of them addressed one of the biggest myths we heard throughout this pandemic that getting the vaccine would limit your chance of having a baby. Well, the CDC study released yesterday shows there is no connection between being vaccinated and decreasing your chances of fertility. Fredricka?

WHITFIELD: All right, Nadia Romero, thank you so much for that.

All right, China says no foreign athletes have tested positive yet for COVID-19 and as a Friday, more than 2,000 participants had arrived in the country including officials and members of the International Olympic Committee. CNN's David Culver is in Beijing and looks at how the city has already become a fortress as it tries to keep COVID out.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

DAVID CULVER, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Traveling into Beijing may prove to be a tougher race than an Olympic competition. These winter games taking place in a capital city that increasingly feels like a fortress. China determined to keep out any new cases of COVID 19 starting at the airport.

(on camera): This is the terminal that's going to be used by athletes. Some of the Olympic personnel and media arriving into Beijing, they've got a wall up. That keeps the general population away from everyone who's part of the Olympic arrivals.

(voice-over): Those coming in required to download this official app to monitor their health inputting their information starting 14 days before arriving in Beijing. While health surveillance and strict contact tracing is part of life for everyone living in China, it's making visitors uneasy, cybersecurity researchers warn the app has serious encryption flaws, potentially compromising personal health data. China dismisses concerns but Team USA and athletes from other countries are being advised to bring disposable burner phones instead of their personal ones.

From the airport, athletes and personnel will be taken into what organizers call the closed loop system. Not one giant bubble so much as multiple bubbles connected by dedicated shuttles. Within the capital city, there are several hotels and venues plus the Olympic village that are only for credentialed participants.

(on camera): The dedicated transport buses will be bringing the athletes, the personnel, the media through these gates, but for those of us who are residents outside, this is as close as we can get.

(voice-over): Then there are the mountain venues on the outskirts of Beijing connected by a high-speed train and highways, all of them newly built for the Winter Games so as to maintain the separation. Even the rail cars are divided and the closed loop buses given specially marked lanes.

(on camera): It is so strict that officials have told residents if they see one of the vehicles that's part of the Olympic convoys get into a crash to stay away. They've actually got a specialized unit of medics to respond to those incidents it's all to keep the virus from potentially spreading.

[12:40:08]

(voice-over): It also helps keep visiting journalists from leaving the capital city to other regions like Xinjiang or Tibet to explore controversial topics. With the world's attention, the Olympics allows China to showcase its perceived superiority in containing the virus, especially compared with countries like the U.S.

But this will in many ways also be a tale of two cities, one curated for the Olympic arrivals and pre-selected groups of spectators, another that is the real Beijing, though some local Beijing residents are now in a bubble of their own communities, lockdown after recent cases surfaced in the city outside the Olympic boundaries, a mounting challenge for a country that's trying to keep COVID out, and yet still stage a global sporting spectacle to wow the world.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

CULVER: So all of this is a real challenge for Chinese officials to portray this as an open welcoming host city when you're surrounded by barriers, and we're seeing more and more broadcasters and personnel cancelling plans to come here, in part because the realization starting to hit, China's zero COVID restrictions are like nothing else in the world. And if you can track the virus or government health officials say you've been close to a confirmed case, there is no challenging them. They can and most likely will put you in isolation.

David Culver, CNN, Beijing.

WHITFIELD: All right, straight ahead, Adele, postponing her Las Vegas residency, the singer fought back tears in a social media post explaining that COVID made it impossible to move forward.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[12:46:06]

WHITFIELD: All right, go easy on Grammy Award winning singer, Adele. She was in tears as she told her fans she is postponing her Las Vegas residency because of COVID. The announcement came just hours before the first scheduled show. Adele said half of her team has COVID and it has been impossible to finish preparations for the show.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ADELE, GRAMMY AWARD-WINNING SINGER: I'm so sorry but my show aren't ready. We've tried absolutely everything that we can to put it together in time and for it to be good enough for you. But we've been absolutely destroyed by delivery delays and COVID. I can't give you, I have right now. And I got it. I got it.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WHITFIELD: Well, tickets for Adele's Vegas residency broke records when they were released in December. Jem Aswad joining me now, he's the senior music editor at Variety. All right, Jem, I mean, so those ticket holders, I mean, they felt like they were "Rolling in the Deep." I mean, they doled out a lot of bucks, you know, for this show. And they want to know why that announcement came so close to show time.

JEM ASWAD, SENIOR MUSIC EDITOR, VARIETY: As of now, there's no answer for that question. The only saving that's come out of her camp is the video which everyone saw and her following up a few hours later thanking her fans for being so understanding. Now the fans in Vegas, who spent heaven knows what to get there. You come away with nothing are probably not feel so sympathetic.

WHITFIELD: I know I'll end it with the song titles. But "Hello," I mean, they want to know especially if they're there in Vegas, they spent a whole lot of money to get there, from their plane tickets, to their hotels, and all that. So did they get anything immediately in exchange?

ASWAD: No.

WHITFIELD: Nothing?

ASWAD: No, it doesn't. It doesn't make any sense. There is presumably there will be some makeup that she will do. Although it's hard to imagine what that could be. Because it's you know, the tickets were extremely expensive, let alone traveling to Vegas during COVID. The whole thing is very odd.

WHITFIELD: Yes, what's odd to it about you, what portion of it is odd to you?

ASWAD: All of it, you know, the fact that they wouldn't have realized it wasn't going to be ready until what, 14 hours before show time or whatever it was.

WHITFIELD: Yes.

ASWAD: And there are reports coming out right now saying that it actually was not COVID. That was there was a dispute over the use of a big 60 piece choir for the sky call. So ditch the choir and keep playing. The thing, I didn't understand is why she couldn't have just come out with a piano player and did an acoustic set for the people who would pay to be there and say, sorry, it's not the show I was expecting but we're going to give you some songs anyway.

WHITFIELD: Yes, I know. There's so much of it that is curious. I don't want to doubt, you know, what happened? I mean, from what her message says but those first few words of her statement when she says we're not ready. It immediately made me think OK, does that mean, you know, it was the order of or the choreography of the lineup, of the music, but then, you know, but then when she said the pandemic and COVID, and it's like, OK, well, I guess we all understand. But there are contingency plans, right? When you put on a show like this, there are contingency plans, especially in the pandemic.

ASWAD: Ordinarily, and you would think that whatever stopped the show would have been noticed a few days earlier.

WHITFIELD: Yes, oh, boy. Hey, Celine Dion, you know, she postponed her residency last fall. And then just this week put off her remaining world tour. I mean what do we know about that? I mean her residency in Vegas first go round was gigantic. And then, you know, here, I guess this is a contingency plan and they put into place.

[12:50:17]

ASWAD: I assume so, you know, Celine said that it was it was her own health issues. And, you know, Adele is a lot younger than Celine. So, you know, I don't know about the veracity of that that was also, you know, that's also farther away. She didn't do that the day before it was supposed to start.

WHITFIELD: Yes, I'm feeling for everybody involved there. I mean, it's a big blow, bottom line. All right, Jem, how about this, I mean, we got to talk about this Super Bowl halftime lineup and the roll out, the trailer. I mean, there's a lot of buzz. It's very exciting. Here's the here's the trailer.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

(MUSIC)

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WHITFIELD: I mean, you could just kind of feel like the bounce in the low ride, you know what that music. I mean, last year, Super Bowl, OK, so it was the least watched. But this makes you, you know, pretty jazzed. Do you think this is what it's going to take? This is the boost to get it, to get the viewers excited?

ASWAD: Well, absolutely. A lineup like that, that is a lineup for the agents, you know. And the weekend was great last year, you know, I mean, that is a very difficult performance to pull off. And he did. And here you've got five of the legends of the last 2025 years in all of music, not just in hip hop. But I like the way that it nods to L.A. the Super Bowl's home city this year that it respects that legacy and that, you know, it's in line with the music that an awful lot of football fans and football players really like.

WHITFIELD: Yes, and seemingly it's going to appeal to a whole I mean, just a span of generations and I mean, what Super Bowl doesn't need that?

ASWAD: Absolutely and the thing is even a lot of the older fans will recognize the songs that they're going to be playing because it's Dr. Dre and Eminem and Mary J. Blige.

WHITFIELD: What's old is new again I like it.

ASWAD: Yes.

WHITFIELD: Or what seasoned, you know, I like to call anybody old, what seasoned is new again.

ASWAD: Yes. More experienced.

WHITFIELD: Pardon?

ASWAD: More experienced.

WHITFIELD: Yes, there you go. The vets are back. All right, Jem Aswad, good to see you. Thank you so much.

ASWAD: Thank you.

WHITFIELD: We're back in a moment.

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[12:57:22]

WHITFIELD: All right, a rare discovery deep in the ocean off the coast of Tahiti. Scientists have found acres of giant pristine coral blossoming from the sea floor in what's known as the oceans Twilight Zone. Here now is CNN's Rene Marsh.

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RENE MARSH, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Here off the coast of Tahiti, a stunning discovery resting up to 230 feet below the surface was this, a huge untouched rose shaped coral reef nearly two miles long, researchers on a United Nations led scientific mission discovered it diving near the depths of the ocean known as The Twilight Zone, 100 to more than 200 feet below the surface where there's just enough light to sustain life.

That's where they found one of the world's largest coral reefs appearing unaffected by climate change stunning since warming waters have wiped out nearly half of the Earth's known reefs. In over the next couple of decades, there will be a 90 percent decline according to the latest projections.

EVERT FLIER, NORWEGIAN MAPPING AUTHORITY: It shows us still how little we know about our own planet, and how important it is to gain more knowledge to better understand the processes of those oceans that will again influence life on our planet.

MARSH (voice-over): Norwegian oceanographer Evert Flier is helping to lead an international network of governments, ocean scientists, industry, and volunteers in a mission to map the world seabed by 2030.

FLIER: The shape of the seabed and how deep it is and the ocean currents, it all influences to a great extent, how climate will develop and how climate will change. And therefore, if we lack parts of the knowledge on what -- on which these climate models are based, our climate models are not as good as they could be.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It also depends where the currents are.

MARSH (voice-over): The topography of the ocean floor dictates how currents move warm and cold water throughout the planet and that impacts climate. Ocean seafloor mapping is critical for precisely predicting and preparing for the climate crisis, melting glaciers and storm surge.

JAMIE MCMICHAEL-PHILLIPS, PROJECT DIRECTOR, SEABED 2030: That will allow lots of clever people to use that information to conduct all sorts of science, all sorts of modeling.

MARSH (voice-over): This mission is underway in various parts of the world. But so far, just 20 percent of the world's ocean floor has been mapped. That's the equivalent of the continent of Asia and Africa. But what still needs to be mapped is almost double the landmass of all of the Earth's continent. It's estimated it will cost 3 to $5 billion to complete the mission.

The technology exists but the finance appetite to do it is not robust. Countries, militaries, and private entities like oil and gas companies map areas central to their work at sea but are not always willing to share the data. The leaders of the seabed 2030 mission are now calling on everyday citizens.

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MCMICHAEL-PHILLIPS: Whether you're a master of a bulk carrier, whether you're a yacht skipper, whether you're a ferry boat captain, then you're in a position to gather data to help us chart the seabed.

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