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Blinken and Lavrov Meet over Russia-Ukraine Crisis; Dr. Anthony Fauci Clarifies Comments on Vaccinating Young Children; Omicron Cases Dip but Wave Far from Over in the U.S.; Lifesaving Water Being Delivered across Tonga's Main Island; Trump's Bad Week; Ireland Lifts Majority of COVID-19 Restrictions; "A Christmas Story" to Have a Sequel; Virginia and the Carolinas under States of Emergency from Winter Weather. Aired 4-5a ET

Aired January 22, 2022 - 04:00   ET

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

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LYNDA KINKADE, CNN ANCHOR AND CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Hello and welcome to our viewers in the United States and around the world. I'm Lynda Kinkade.

Ahead on CNN NEWSROOM, the U.S. delivers a blunt warning to Russia.

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ANTONY BLINKEN, U.S. SECRETARY OF STATE: If any Russian military forces move across Ukraine's border, it will be met with swift, severe and a united response.

KINKADE (voice-over): Tensions between Ukraine and Russia are at the highest in years.

But did that meeting between Washington and Moscow's top diplomats do anything to defuse fears of an invasion?

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KINKADE (voice-over): And slowly coming back. Much-needed aid trickling into Tonga a week after that volcanic eruption and tsunami. But big challenges lie ahead for the Pacific island nation.

And dangerous conditions: a plane skids off a runway as an arctic blast brings snow and ice to tends of millions of Americans. What's next as the huge storm moves up the eastern seaboard.

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UNIDENTIFIED MALE (voice-over): Live from CNN Center, this is CNN NEWSROOM with Lynda Kinkade.

KINKADE: The U.S. and Russia, agreeing to keep talking for now. Amid growing fears, Moscow may be preparing to invade Ukraine. U.S. secretary of state, Antony Blinken and Russian foreign minister, Sergey Lavrov met for 90 minutes in Geneva on Friday, to discuss the crisis. They left open the possibility of Putin and President Biden speaking again about the situation but nothing definitive.

Meanwhile, the U.S. embassy in Kiev, says, 100 tons of, quote, "lethal aid" has arrived in the country, including ammunition for Ukraine's frontline defenders. CNN's Fred Pleitgen has more now on Friday's high stakes meeting in Geneva.

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FREDERIK PLEITGEN, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: With Russian forces continuing their build up near Ukraine's border and the U.S. warning that Moscow could quickly send significantly more forces to the area, there was a sense of urgency to the meeting between U.S. secretary of state Antony Blinken and Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov.

The secretary of state saying the U.S. made clear a further invasion of Ukraine would have severe consequences.

ANTONY BLINKEN, U.S. SECRETARY OF STATE: This was not negotiation but a candid exchange of concerns and ideas. I made clear to Minister Lavrov that there are certain issues and fundamental principles that the United States and our partners and allies are committed to defend.

That includes those that would impede the sovereign right of the Ukrainian people to write their own future. There is no trade space there. None.

PLEITGEN: The meeting came just after new satellite images seemed to show the Russian troop build-up progressing, with forces now stationed less than 10 miles from the Ukrainian border well within striking distance.

Both Russia and the U.S. say Washington will provide written answers to Moscow next week, replying to Moscow's security demands including that Ukraine never become a member of NATO. Blinken has recently called that demand a, quote, "absolute non-starter." While Russia claims it has never threatened Ukraine, the U.S. and its allies say the danger of an escalation is real. Russia's foreign minister with an angry response when I asked him.

(on camera): How big do you think right now the threat of war is in Europe through some sort of miscalculation with obviously such a large force gathering around Ukraine?

SERGEY LAVROV, RUSSIAN FOREIGN MINISTER (through translator): I think that the State Department also needs to analyze how fair CNN is in presenting its information and the accuracy of the facts that are represented. Antony Blinken repeated his position on the right to choose alliances.

I asked how America is going to fulfill its obligation, which was approved at the highest level in the framework of the OSCE.

Along with the right to choose alliances, the obligation does not strengthen anyone's security at the expense of infringing on the security of others. He promised to explain how the United States treats the fulfillment of this obligation. As I told you, this is not the end of our dialogue.

PLEITGEN (voice-over): While both the U.S. and Russia say there will be further talks, Russia's military build-up goes on. Moscow saying it has now forward deployed sophisticated S-400 anti-aircraft missiles to Belarus, Moscow says for upcoming military drills.

Both sides also raise the prospect of a possible top-level meeting between President Biden and Russian president Vladimir Putin in the near future, the U.S. saying such a meeting could happen --

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PLEITGEN: -- if it were both necessary and productive -- Fred Pleitgen, CNN, Geneva, Switzerland.

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KINKADE: CNN's Nic Robertson is standing by in Moscow.

Good to have you with us. After a 90-minute meeting, no major development, no end to this standoff. But the U.S. and Russia agreeing to continue dialogue and diplomacy.

NIC ROBERTSON, CNN INTERNATIONAL DIPLOMATIC EDITOR: Yes, and that was the aim of Secretary Blinken, when he went into the meeting. He said he wanted to figure out if Russia was still committed to the diplomatic track.

And Russia pushed and got what it wanted, which was their written response. It's been -- to its demands, that security proposal as it calls it that it placed with the United States back in the middle of December.

So it's been pushing for this written response. So this is an engagement in diplomacy, although the secretary of state's characterizing this not as negotiations but a conversation. But the diplomatic track is open.

Now State Department officials say that will be delivered to Russia this coming week. And then the next move is to get Russia's read on what it sees although it's been -- the United States has been so clear up to now, that the demands Russia has made, it's not going to acquiesce on it, as we heard in Fred's reporting there.

So it's not clear what the next step of diplomacy and negotiations is going to be but what's clear, in the meantime, the military build-up continues.

KINKADE: Yes. Speaking of that military build-up, there are some 100,000 troops, Russian troops on the border of Ukraine. Russian troops also doing military drills in neighboring Belarus. The U.S. sending weapons to Ukraine, 200,000 pounds of lethal aid.

That's on top of Britain's anti-tank missiles, which arrived earlier in the week.

This is all far from a deescalation, right?

ROBERTSON: And the United States has supplied Javelin missiles to the Ukrainian defense force as well. And experts say these missile systems, the Javelin, are effective against T-92 tanks.

The level of weapons that the United States, the U.K. and others are providing are not huge. And they are repeatedly described as defensive systems.

And just a couple of days ago as well, the United States gave authorization for U.S.-made weapons systems to be legally transferred from third countries, from Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, the Baltic states, who received them in the past from the United States, for those countries to transfer them to Ukraine.

And Estonia is also providing Javelin missile systems. And Latvia and Lithuania are going to provide Stinger missiles, a shoulder-launched surface-to-air missile system, capable of taking down aircraft helicopters, perhaps even low-flying jet planes potentially.

So Ukraine is beginning to get what it's been calling for, which is military support that would help it defend itself, if Russia was to attack.

But I think the bigger concern here is that continued build-up of Ukraine -- of Russian military hardware close to Ukraine. And Sergey Lavrov, in the meeting yesterday, when he came out, he characterized Secretary Blinken's comments, saying that Secretary Blinken kept pushing about deescalation, trying to make that the main thing.

He said it was almost a mantra. And the U.S. position is that, if Russia has got its talks that it wants now, it doesn't need to have these big military forces on the border, creating a threat, creating tensions, that it should deescalate.

But it's very clear that concerns in Western capitals -- and these are very real concerns now; we heard it from President Biden just a couple of days ago -- that there's a very, very real concern that Russia actually will use this increasing presence of military training exercises close to Ukraine in Belarus and in Russia as a potential jumping off platform for an invasion.

And so the allies of Ukraine are now supplying weapons. So, in this context, yes, you have a build-up of weapons. But the reality is there is a very real expectation of an invasion. And the weapons systems that are being supplied, I don't think anyone estimates that they can stop an invasion, perhaps slow it, to let diplomacy kick in again.

KINKADE: Yes, Russia wants a written response to its demands; that is expected to come on Monday. We will chat again soon, no doubt. Nic Robertson for us in Moscow, thanks so much.

[04:10:00] KINKADE: The U.S. top disease doctor, Dr. Anthony Fauci, is clarifying recent remarks about when vaccines would be available to children under the age of 5. He said earlier that he hoped it would be within the next month or so. He modified those comments somewhat with CNN's Wolf Blitzer Friday.

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DR. ANTHONY FAUCI, WHITE HOUSE CHIEF COVID-19 MEDICAL ADVISER: The data are being collected by the companies who will submit it to the FDA and the FDA will make a judgment based on the safety and the efficacy.

When I said it could be within a month or two or three, we really don't know. I mean, -- and I think when people push you, give you an estimate of what you think, I hope it's in the next few months. But I don't know for sure, Wolf, because it isn't something that I have privy to the information that will be submitted to the FDA.

And they're going to do the typical good job that they do. They'll evaluate it with great scrutiny for safety and for whether or not it's effective. And if those two criteria are met, then it is going to be approved by an emergency use authorization.

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KINKADE: Well, a study published in "American Journal of Epidemiology" found no connection between COVID vaccination and the chance of conceiving a baby. What it did reveal, though, is that couples in the study had a slightly lower chance of conception if the male partner had been infected with the coronavirus within 60 days.

The National Institutes of Health say more research is needed to determine what might be driving these findings.

The message for Americans from the CDC is very clear: get your COVID booster shot. Several recent studies from the agency showed boosters are highly effective at preventing you from ending up in hospital. CNN's Omar Jimenez has more.

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JEFF ZIENTS, WHITE HOUSE CORONAVIRUS RESPONSE COORDINATOR: The reason this January is so dramatically different from last January is because we have the tools, we need to protect people.

OMAR JIMENEZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Being boosted has never been more important.

DR. ROCHELLE WALENSKY, CDC DIRECTOR: Protection against infection and hospitalization with the Omicron variant is highest for those who are up to date with their vaccination, meaning those who are boosted when they are eligible.

JIMENEZ: One CDC study published Friday looked at 88,000 hospitalizations across 10 states in December and January when Omicron has been dominant, finding being boosted was 90 percent effective at preventing hospitalization during Omicron, only slightly down from the 94 percent when Delta was a dominant variant.

So boosting remains the highest protection possible.

But for those with just two doses, after six months, the vaccines were 76 percent effective against urgent care and emergency department visits. Primarily during the Delta surge. During Omicron, that fell to 38 percent.

And for the unvaccinated, new CDC data shows those 65 and older were nearly 50 times more likely to be hospitalized last month than those who were boosted.

DR. LEANA WEN, CNN MEDICAL ANALYST: These new studies should erase any doubt about the importance of boosters at this point in the pandemic. I think there's been unfortunately so much muddled messaging that made it sound like boosters are a nice to have rather than something that's really essential.

JIMENEZ: So far, less than half of those eligible to get boosters have gotten them. Meanwhile, Omicron's rapid spread is still straining hospitals which are at a record high and some essential services. Entertainment also taking hits, like curtains closing for Adele's residency in Las Vegas.

ADELE, GRAMMY-WINNING SINGER: We've been absolutely destroyed by delivery delays and COVID.

JIMENEZ: But with vaccinations on the rise and cases beginning to decline in some places, experts hope the country is finally turning a country. Former CDC director Tom Frieden believes Omicron is not to be underestimated but if you're vaccinated and boosted, it's comparable in severity to the flu.

DR. TOM FRIEDEN, FORMER CDC DIRECTOR: What we're seeing is that the country is essentially building a stronger and stronger wall of immunity. And that wall comes from mostly vaccination but also prior infection. But the stunning thing about Omicron is how remarkably infectious it is.

JIMENEZ: And on that infectiousness, data from Johns Hopkins shows that more than a quarter of all COVID-19 cases reported since the pandemic began were reported in the last month.

Separately, Dr. Rochelle Walensky says those eligible to be boosted, but haven't been, are not considered up to date on their vaccinations and that the CDC is looking to pivot language around what it means to be fully vaccinated -- Omar Jimenez, CNN, Chicago.

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KINKADE: Some countries are already seeing their Omicron wave start to subside. Earlier, I spoke with Dr. Robert Wachter, the chair of the Department of Medicine at the University of California/San Francisco. I asked him if there was any hope that we could see the same in the U.S. anytime soon.

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DR. ROBERT WACHTER, CHAIR, DEPARTMENT OF MEDICINE, UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA/SAN FRANCISCO: A tremendous amount of hope. I think when we saw the South Africa curve go up like a rocket and then come down equally quickly, the hope was that that would be the pattern that we would see elsewhere.

Then we saw it in London and in the whole U.K. and now we're seeing it in -- first in the Northeast, where the virus hit first in the United States. But now we're even seeing it where I live, in San Francisco.

So it seems clear that this is what it does. It comes through a population like a hurricane and goes up. It takes about a month and comes down and takes about a month, too. And the problems I think, as it starts to come down, people may let their guard down. But the risk is still very high until it reaches the bottom of the mountain. So after the peak, you still have about a month of fairly high risk until you get to a low-risk situation.

KINKADE: What could a post-Omicron world look like?

WACHTER: I think it's going to look pretty good. I will probably still wear a mask in very crowded places. And I think, like in Japan and some of the Asian countries, there's a tradition of some mask wearing in public transit.

But I think it will not dominate our lives the way COVID has for the past two years. I don't think it's page one of the newspaper or your lead story every day. There still will be COVID around; there still is some risk.

But if you are fully vaccinated, by which I mean now boosted, the risk that you will get very sick and die is next to zero. And I think that can allow people to begin going about life, as if not quite 2019 but almost 2019. All of us, of course, keeping our hopes up that there will not be a new variant that screws this up again.

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KINKADE: Join me next hour for my full conversation with Dr. Wachter.

Still to come, drinking water could become easier to come by in the aftermath of that massive volcanic eruption in Tonga. Next, why this equipment could help ease the water shortage.

Plus, it's been a pretty bad week for Donald Trump, as the January 6 committee gains access to all the records the former president tried to block. We'll have the latest from Washington coming up.

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KINKADE: Welcome back.

More lifesaving water is now making its way to residents on Tonga's main island, after a New Zealand navy ship delivered water desalination equipment on Friday. Drinking water has been scarce since a massive volcano eruption and tsunami ravaged the nation a week ago, polluting many water sources.

Relief for one family, meanwhile. Tonga's best known Olympiad, Pita Taufatofua, says that his dad finally made his way back home on Friday. He was nowhere to be found since right after the eruption. The Olympian now saying his father spent several days volunteering with first responders on a Tongan navy boat.

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KINKADE: For more on the situation in Tonga, we're joined by Dr. Frances Vulivuli, Pacific health and nutrition specialist for UNICEF and joins us live from Fiji.

Good to have you with us, Doctor.

DR. FRANCES VULIVULI, HEALTH AND NUTRITION SPECIALIST, UNICEF: You're welcome. Nice to be with you as well.

KINKADE: There is a multinational effort underway right now; there's aid coming from New Zealand, Australia, other countries set to send more aid in the coming days.

What's most critically needed right now?

VULIVULI: From what we have gathered, the assessment data that we received, the main concerns that remains is access to safe and clean drinking water. It's also food security and the effects of the ash coverage from the volcanic eruption, protecting the children in communities, that they live in from the ash, from inhaling the ash, and the risks to any of these respiratory issues that may come about with them.

KINKADE: Talk to us about some of the injuries that could come from an eruption like this and the tsunami that followed.

What are you expecting to find with teams on the ground, from people that have survived this?

VULIVULI: So far, from what we've gathered, it's not as bad as we feared. We've had some minor casualties. There have been three confirmed deaths there. But what we've seen is just some cuts here and there.

There's assessments that's ongoing and, as we receive more information, we'll be able to assess what's the needs on the ground. But health teams have been deployed to the outer islands that have been affected. And they've already conducted outreach and carrying out health services.

KINKADE: And Tonga is, of course, practically COVID free. Anyone bringing aid is attempting to do it with contactless delivery.

How is that working out right now?

VULIVULI: Yes. So Tonga continues to have strict water (INAUDIBLE) --

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KINKADE: Are you still with us, Doctor?

VULIVULI: Tonga continues to have strict water closures. We continue to provide technical support remotely. We've -- UNICEF has shipped some supplies, wash kits and water purification tablets, healthy nutrition supplies immediately.

And while we continue to provide technical assistance remotely until they're able to open their borders. During the COVID pandemic, we had strengthened that platform of working remotely and provided remote support.

And during this response phase, we are just building on that platform that we have developed and strengthened with the ministry of health and the government of Tonga in providing remote assistance.

KINKADE: And it's pretty remarkable to think that this was the strongest volcano the world has seen in some three decades, according to experts --

[04:25:00]

KINKADE: -- that there aren't more casualties given what we're hearing, that there's still three fatality and several minor injuries. But I understand there has been a lot of devastation to agriculture and crops.

Talk to us about the livelihoods, how people are going to be affected going forward, what's going to be needed in the months ahead.

VULIVULI: In the months ahead, we can still see that, you know, it remains to be safe and clean drinking water that's needed in almost the whole of Tonga. Most of the island has been affected.

Also masks; we have also been packing up supplies and masks to ensure that they're protected from the -- inhaling the ash that's around. That's a risk that we see. Food security's a concern and we've also packed up healthy nutrition supplies to be able to support the children and the families in Tonga.

KINKADE: Do you know how many people are on the ground right now --

(CROSSTALK) VULIVULI: We've also gathered from our partners on the ground that a few health facilities have been severely damaged. And we've also supported with tents for temporary shift clinics and basic health kits for temporary clinics to be able to ensure there's continuity of essential health services to the people of Tonga.

KINKADE: Excellent. Some great work on the ground. Dr. Frances Vulivuli with UNICEF, good to have you with us. Thank you so much for your time.

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KINKADE: Weapons shipments, a military build-up, now a pledge to keep talking about Ukraine.

But can diplomacy prevent a conflict?

We'll look at what kind of security guarantees have been demanded.

Plus, we'll tell you why some cities in Brazil will be cutting loose on their best samba (ph) moves this year.

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KINKADE: Welcome back.

The U.S. and Russia have agreed to keep discussing the crisis in Ukraine. But there's no sign the military buildup will ease any time soon. The U.S. just sent 200,000 pounds, that's 100 tons, of lethal aid to Ukraine for its, quote, "frontline defenders." And Russia has already massed some 100,000 troops near the country's shared border.

The hope is that Friday's discussions between the U.S. secretary of state and Russian foreign minister could lead to a diplomatic offramp. The U.S. will provide a written response next week to Russia's security concerns. But a Ukrainian official warns Moscow may use the promise of diplomacy to buy time. CNN's Clarissa Ward explains.

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CLARISSA WARD, CNN CHIEF INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: One Ukrainian official has told CNN that it is entirely possible that these diplomatic efforts are really just a delaying tactic to allow President Vladimir Putin prepare this military invasion, give him a little bit more time, although it's difficult to say.

We are hearing a different reaction from the Ukrainian foreign minister, who said this was actually positive, that the talks are continuing, that as long as these talks and diplomacy does have a chance that potentially that threat of invasion is somewhat mitigated. (END VIDEO CLIP)

KINKADE: Alexander Baunov is a senior fellow at the Carnegie Moscow Center and the editor-in-chief of carnegie.ru. He joins us now from the Russian capital.

Good to have you with us.

ALEXANDER BAUNOV, SENIOR FELLOW, CARNEGIE MOSCOW CENTER: Hi.

KINKADE: So Russia says and continues to say it has no plans to invade Ukraine. Yet it has enough troops on Ukraine's border to launch an offensive.

Is there an appetite in Russia for a war with Ukraine?

BAUNOV: Look, there is a difference in agendas of Russia and of the West right now. As for now, in the West, people mostly think that Ukraine is the main and the only goal of Putin's escalation.

As for now, for Putin himself, it seems more that Ukraine is an instrument to achieve other goals. But if these goals are not achieved, Ukraine may be a victim.

KINKADE: So we have seen weeks of diplomatic talks and simultaneously a revving up of military action. On top of the 100,000 Russian troops on the Ukrainian border, Russia's also holding exercises in neighboring Belarus. The U.S. and U.K. are sending in weapons to Ukraine.

What is it going to take, what needs to happen for a deescalation?

BAUNOV: Well, the Russian diplomacy is clear, also a bit confusing; clear because they offered two documents, two drafts, with the promises the West have to give to Moscow in order Moscow feel secure.

The promises are very difficult to fulfill, that's clear. They are non-starting points, as the American officials stressed several times.

In the opposite case, in the case of a setback of this diplomatic offensive, it's a big question what Russia can -- what Russia can do. And Ukraine is one option.

But what can be done in Ukraine?

Would it be a full-scale invasion?

Would it be sort of minor provocations?

Would it be a new topic introduced by the State Duma, the Russian parliament yesterday, diplomatic recognition of the (INAUDIBLE) so- called people's republic in the east of Ukraine by Moscow.

KINKADE: What is your perspective on Putin's mindset, given the illegal annexation of Crimea almost seven years ago?

Does he believe that he can get away with taking more territory again?

Is he banking on a lack of meaningful action from the West?

BAUNOV: Look, the base of Putin's strategy is that Russia is gone and Russians -- not just the authorities -- but the nation is going -- is ready to pay more for its goals in Ukraine than the West. And the goals are from minimum to having neutral friendly and something tied with Russia.

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BAUNOV: Ukraine, to the full merger, swallowing of Ukraine by Russia, it's of course very difficult and less probable. That's the base of the strategy. We are going and we can play more because we need this piece of the planet, this piece of the world, more than you.

KINKADE: So are there any adequate deterrents?

There obviously has been a lot of talk of sanctions, especially threats of economic sanctions, including removing Russia from the global banking transaction network known as SWIFT.

What sort of moves or sanctions would most likely deter Putin?

What would have the greatest impact?

BAUNOV: Well, because we never experienced such sanctions before, like cutting out Russia from the banking transactions, it's difficult to predict what effect it would have on society.

Russia's very digitalized; I mean, people almost stopped using currency. It sounds strange because, in many respects, Russia is technologically behind the West but, in this particular respect in the sections, online sections and online payments, Russia is among the world leaders.

So being cut from this system may be very sensitive not only for the companies but for the ordinary citizens. Besides, of course, the fact we have the young people that are used to this mode of online technologies and the gadgets.

But from the other side, remember the '90s and beginning of 2000, where no SWIFT existed in Russia and everything was in cash and everything was in black market and people were queueing for things.

So at that time, in '90s, Russia was not the enemy but seemed to be a friend of the West. So for those Russians who remember the '90s and the end of the Soviet era, the late '80s, it may be not the most difficult things there lived through.

Again, this is the base of Putin's strategy. Russians, even part, in case they are cut off of SWIFT, remember the worst times.

KINKADE: All right. Fascinating to get your perspective. Alexander Baunov, in Moscow, thank you so much for your time.

BAUNOV: Thank you for your attention.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

KINKADE: The U.S. is calling for a deescalation between Saudi Arabia and Iranian-backed Houthi rebels in Yemen, following airstrikes that killed scores of people. More than 100 others were wounded when a strike targeted a detention center on Friday. Dozens of migrants are said to be among the victims.

The Saudis say allegations that they targeted the detention camp are, quote, "baseless and unfounded." Another reported Saudi-led airstrike took place in the port city of Hodeida on the same day. Aid groups say three children were killed in that attack.

The U.S.-backed Kurdish Syrian Democratic Forces have reportedly thwarted an ISIS attack on a Syrian prison. The head of the SDF says ISIS tried to organize a jail break in the northeast city of Hasakah on Thursday. A car bomb exploded outside the prison followed by the terror group attacking the building from the outside.

At the same time, dozens of militants staged a riot inside the prison to create a scene of chaos. The SDF says at least 28 ISIS fighters were killed during the clashes.

Now to Washington, where the investigation into the insurrection on Capitol Hill is heating up. The January 6 committee now has access to all the White House records that Donald Trump tried to block the panel from receiving.

That's not the only development that has made it a truly disappointing week for the former president. CNN's Jessica Schneider reports.

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JESSICA SCHNEIDER, CNN JUSTICE CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Tonight, the January 6 committee is finally getting access to all 700-plus documents from the Trump White House. The handover includes call logs, visitor logs, handwritten memos from chief of staff Mark Meadows and draft speeches.

It is the latest development in what has been a disastrous week for Donald Trump. Not only did the Supreme Court rule against his efforts to keep his White House records secret but New York's attorney general ramped up her probe of Trump's tax and financial filings.

And a district attorney in Fulton County, Georgia, requested a special grand jury for a criminal investigation.

(BEGIN AUDIO CLIP)

DONALD TRUMP, FORMER U.S. PRESIDENT: I just want to find 11,780 votes, which is one more than we have.

(END AUDIO CLIP)

SCHNEIDER: That phone call from Trump to Georgia's secretary of state Brad Raffensperger in early January 2021 is just part of the evidence. D.A. Fani Willis is sifting through to determine if there was criminal interference in Georgia's 2020 election process.

[04:40:00]

SCHNEIDER (voice-over): Willis is seeking to issue subpoenas and compel the production of documents because she says many witnesses have so far refused to cooperate.

Meanwhile, New York attorney general Letitia James, for the first time, outlining specific accusations against the Trump Organization in a court filing, saying the company repeatedly misstated the value of its property and assets, engaging in fraudulent or misleading practices.

Now the attorney general wants to compel the testimony of Trump and of his two children, Donald Trump Jr. and Ivanka Trump. Trump has denied wrongdoing and a spokesperson for the Trump Organization says the allegations are baseless.

This as Ivanka Trump is first family member of the January 6 select committee is asking to talk to.

They sent an eight-page letter detailing why they want Ivanka to meet with the committee voluntarily, saying she is one of the few who can reflect on Trump's state of mind and explain why it took Trump so long to release a video message instructing rioters to leave the Capitol.

They also want Ivanka to divulge what she heard when Trump talked to V.P. Mike Pence by phone the morning of January 6 and they want to her fill in details about how FOX hosts and other officials were urging Trump to stop the stolen election talk after January 6th.

REP. JAMIE RASKIN (D-MD): Ivanka Trump is a critical figure because she was there in the morning. We believe she was there when Trump was still trying to twist Mike Pence's arm.

SCHNEIDER: The committee chair, Bennie Thompson, also telling CNN, the panel is looking into Trump's possible involvement in the creation or submission of fake electors.

Our team reported that Trump campaign officials, led by Rudy Giuliani, oversaw efforts in December 2020 to put illegitimate slates of electors together, from seven states that Trump lost, to try to overturn the real election results -- Jessica Schneider, CNN, Washington.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

KINKADE: Well, just ahead on CNN NEWSROOM, in the coming days, the French will need to prove that they're fully vaccinated before they can eat at their favorite restaurant. The latest coming up.

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KINKADE: Hong Kong officials are reporting more than 100 new preliminary positive cases of COVID. Most of these cases were detected in a housing estate which is under lockdown. On Friday, Hong Kong locked down the housing block for five days after 20 COVID cases were reported there.

Brazil's two largest cities are postponing their colorful Carnival parades until the end of April. Officials in Rio de Janeiro and Sao Paulo say it's due to an increase in Omicron driven COVID cases across the country.

Ireland, meanwhile, is lifting the majority of its COVID restrictions. Bars, night clubs and restaurants are now able to operate during normal trading hours without the need for social distancing or COVID passes.

And finally, the Constitutional Council of France has approved a vaccine pass law (sic), passed by the French general assembly last week. Anyone over the age of 16 will need proof of full vaccination to visit restaurants and bars, as well as to take long distance public transport between regions.

I'm joined by Nada Bashir in London.

Firstly, a big move in France. This health pass is coming into effect. But also that they're planning to ease some restrictions next month.

NADA BASHIR, CNN PRODUCER: That's right. There's a two-part approach from the French government, lifting up that gradual easing of restrictions from the beginning of February, alongside tightening vaccine regulations.

So what we can expect to see from the beginning of February in France is relaxation of measures on social venues. You will be allowed now to enter those key, everyday activities, from cultural and sporting venues, without showing a COVID pass, though they are still asking people to wear masks indoors.

But there won't be that strict limitation on the number of people allowed to enter. And they are scrapping outdoor mask mandate. And from the middle of February, we can expect to see further restrictions eased in venues, including night clubs, restaurants and bars.

But as you mentioned, the key here is that France is changing its COVID pass. It will now show that you have proof of vaccination. That's what will be required for from citizens in order to access many public venues. It won't be enough now to show that you have proof of a negative COVID test, as was previously the case.

This has sparked a series of protests and widespread outcry. Many now really concerned that they won't be able to access these everyday venues, like you mentioned, just going out for dinner at your favorite restaurant, without having proof that you have been vaccinated.

We've seen other countries go a step further. In Austria, they are mandating everyone over the age of 18 to get vaccinated and provide proof of the vaccination. While Germany hasn't gone so far as to do that yet, the chancellor has hailed the decision and says that he would like to see something similar brought into force in Germany. Lynda.

KINKADE: And briefly, the U.K. set to ease some restrictions on Thursday.

BASHIR: Yes, coming next Thursday, the U.K. is scrapping its planned measures that have been in force for a number of weeks.

That means you won't have to work from home anymore and the mask mandate in indoor venues is also being scrapped, although the government is saying that organizations have the choice to require the COVID pass to show whether or not you've been vaccinated or have a negative test.

It's up to those individual businesses and organizations whether or not they want to keep that in place. We've heard from the health secretary, saying that this is a marathon, not a sprint; that Britain is entering its next chapter in the fight against COVID-19.

And while there are some positive signs in the trends that we're seeing, we do still have to be wary. More than 95,000 new cases reported on Friday. More than 17,000 patients currently in hospital.

So there is a ways to go before the country can fully ease those restrictions. The health secretary seems confident that vaccines are the way to go, that this is the push forward out of the pandemic. And they can expect to see those restrictions perhaps eased in the coming weeks if these trends continue.

Of course, Omicron proving to be far milder than previous variants we've seen. Lynda.

KINKADE: All right. We will speak to you again soon. Nada Bashir, thank you so much.

We're going to take a quick break. We'll be right back.

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KINKADE: Welcome back.

Movie fans will soon get the long-awaited return of leg lamps and Red Ryder BB guns.

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KINKADE: Yes, Ralphie is back. The holiday classic, "A Christmas Story," will soon be getting a sequel. It will star a member of the original cast, Peter Billingsley, who played the iconic 9 year-old Ralphie back in 1983.

The sequel will take place in the 1970s as an adult Ralphie returns to his house on Cleveland Street to deliver his kids a magical Christmas like the one he had growing up. The movie will be going straight to HBO Max, the streaming service, owned by WarnerMedia, CNN's parent company.

Several East Coast U.S. states are under states of emergency this weekend, as a mix of freezing rain and snow hits parts of Virginia and the Carolinas. Officials say the greatest icing threat will be along the Carolina coasts, including Myrtle Beach and Wilmington. The ice could have a significant impact on travel and bring down trees and power lines.

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KINKADE: I will be back in a moment with much more news on CNN NEWSROOM.