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Macron Heads To Moscow On Monday To Push Diplomacy; Republican National Committee Says January 6 Event Was "Legitimate Political Discourse"; Xi Holds More Diplomatic Meetings With World Leaders; Legendary Indian Singer Lata Mangeshkar Dies At 92; Managing Long COVID; Eastern Ukraine City Defiant As Threat Looms; U.S.S. Harry S. Truman Running Drills In Adriatic; Queen Elizabeth Announces Charles' Wife Will Be Queen Camilla; Power Outages Linger In Wake Of Powerful Storm; France Investigating Major Spill Of Dead Fish. Aired 3-4a ET

Aired February 06, 2022 - 03:00   ET

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

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KIM BRUNHUBER, CNN ANCHOR AND CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Live from CNN World Headquarters in Atlanta, welcome to all of you watching us here in the United States, Canada and around the world. I'm Kim Brunhuber. This is CNN NEWSROOM.

Signs that Russia is building up its forces near Ukraine's border as one European leader prepares to push for a diplomatic solution. We're live in Kyiv with the latest.

Plus now, two years into the pandemic, one group is being overlooked when it comes to treatment. We'll look at efforts to battle long-haul COVID.

And the queen of England celebrates her Platinum Jubilee, 70 years on the throne, with a surprise announcement. We're live in London with a closer look.

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

BRUNHUBER: U.S. officials now believe Russia has assembled about 70 percent of the military force it needs to launch a full-scale invasion of Ukraine. The latest satellite images show Russian forces gathering strength in Belarus. Some are positioned less than 50 kilometers from Ukraine's northern border.

France's president heads to Moscow on Monday to pursue a diplomatic solution. Emmanuel Macron spoke Saturday with NATO's secretary-general and the British prime minister, who want the Kremlin to understand that NATO isn't divided about the Russian threat.

CNN's Melissa Bell is standing by live for us in Kyiv.

Melissa, heading into that meeting with Putin, the message from France, U.K. and NATO is unity, right?

MELISSA BELL, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Unity and strength and preparedness to react, should anything further happen, Kim. But there is this deep belief on the part of the French president that there is still room for diplomacy.

So Moscow and then Kyiv to meet with the leaders here in order to try and pursue those conversations and focus attentions back on those '94 Normandy format talks, the latest on the Minsk agreement, try and find a solution to the question of what's happening in Eastern Ukraine.

Those talks will continue this week. What Emmanuel Macron hopes is by focusing the minds of everyone back into this format, back onto the possibility of discussions, he can take some of that heat out of the debate and that buildup that's been going around across the border.

You're quite right, those intelligence assessments paint an alarming picture on the part of the United States, with officials really looking at a number of scenarios of how quickly Vladimir Putin, should he decide to invade, could do so, with the one idea being put forward that Kyiv could fall within 48 hours of an invasion.

Also the possibility that what he is looking at potentially, although the understanding both from Ukrainian assessment and American assessment, is that perhaps he hasn't quite made up his mind yet.

The idea is the buildup is such he could launch a multi-pronged attack, coming in partly also from this new front in Belarus. The latest pictures show, according to the independent satellite image provider, Maxar, that substantial buildup over the course of the last 24 hours, just 50 kilometers from the border, not just personnel but military equipment.

That just 50 kilometers even as Belarus and Russia prepare to launch on these joint military exercises. So a very alarming picture of what's happening at the borders of Ukraine, at its various borders with western Russia, Belarus and Crimea.

But again, the hope on the part of the French president making the trip himself, he's going to find some room for understanding and some possibility of defusing what's become a very tense situation, Kim.

BRUNHUBER: Yes, we'll be following that for sure. Melissa Bell in Kyiv, thank you so much.

Here in the U.S., the Justice Department has released new video from the January 6th attack on the Capitol. We want to warn you, some of this material is violent and disturbing to watch.

The first video shows an unidentified member of the mob yelling to the crowd, Watch this.

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BRUNHUBER (voice-over): Some 20 minutes after this video was recorded, officers were dragged into the crowd and beaten, according to a CNN review of the video.

In another clip we see rioters under a Trump 2020 flag, trying to enter the Capitol while fighting law enforcement officers. This video also shows several attacks or rioters used batons, a hockey stick, crutches and other devices, eventually dragging one officer to the ground.

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BRUNHUBER: You may remember the Republican National Committee on Friday described the events surrounding the January 6th attack as, quote, "legitimate political discourse."

The RNC also formally censured Republican lawmakers Liz Cheney and Adam Kinzinger for participating in the House committee investigation into the insurrection. Now we're seeing more pushback against the RNC from Republicans.

On Saturday, Alaska congressman Don Young tweeting, "I will reiterate what I said last year. I was appalled at the violence and destruction at the Capitol on January 6th. What transpired was criminal, un- American and cannot be considered legitimate protest."

Competition is in full swing at the Winter Olympics in Beijing. Day two kicking off with a historic gold medal win for New Zealand in women's snowboarding.

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BRUNHUBER: We want to pivot to Ivan.

Olympics organizers, of course, want to keep politics out of the games. But we did hear the IOC confirming again that they do plan on meeting with Chinese tennis star Peng Shuai.

What more do we know?

IVAN WATSON, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: IOC president Thomas Bach will be meeting with Peng Shuai but we may not anticipate hearing very much about this. Take a listen to the spokesperson for the IOC.

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MARK ADAMS, DIRECTOR OF COMMUNICATIONS, INTERNATIONAL OLYMPIC COMMITTEE: You'll appreciate that we're not going to release details through the media of that meeting but the meeting will take place. And I think as the president very eloquently said, we would talk with her and it would be up to her to decide what would and wouldn't be said.

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WATSON: To remind our viewers, Peng Shuai was a champion Chinese professional tennis player, who published this very emotional statement --

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WATSON: -- on her social media account on Weibo, accusing a former senior Chinese government official of sexually assaulting her and then she was largely censored from the Chinese internet after that and then re-emerged as there were calls from her former colleagues and competitors in women's professional tennis for more information about her.

And she kind of denied that she'd actually written this statement. And there have been encounters, meetings, between her and the IOC, where still images were released of that.

There have been a lot of questions about how free she is to really communicate with the outside world. And this meeting is anticipated, at some point, to try to get some kind of update on her status.

But then again, we're hearing from the IOC that what will be released will come down to what she asks to be released.

In another matter having to do with the Olympics, Kim, the number of confirmed COVID cases has dropped from, I think more than 40 on Friday, to Saturday just 10 new cases. That's a positive sign.

And the IOC is saying and top officials saying they anticipate those numbers to continue to go down and that they have not impeded in the games.

One example, however, is this U.S. champion bobsledder, who was supposed to carry the flag in the opening ceremony and she wasn't allowed to. This is Elana Meyers Taylor, because she tested positive, had to go into isolation. She said she's tested negative, she'll be released and she will, in fact, be able to compete.

BRUNHUBER: Also in Beijing, President Xi was taking more high-level meetings, a banquet as well. Take us through who he saw and what came out of it.

WATSON: Yes, this was in the Great Hall of the People in Beijing. The Chinese president and his wife greeting numerous heads of state, among them the Pakistani prime minister, the presidents of Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, Egypt, Tajikistan.

It was an elaborate setting, a really elaborate centerpiece table at the banquet. You had IOC president, Thomas Bach, and the U.N. secretary-general, Antonio Guterres, who had his own one-on-one meeting with the Chinese leader, thanking him for the hospitality, talking about cooperating on challenges like the COVID pandemic, like climate change, calling for more vaccines for the African continent and then raising the human rights issue, which has been at the heart of a diplomatic boycott, led by the U.S. and countries like Canada and Australia, the U.K.

The U.N. secretary-general putting out a statement that included this line, quote, "The secretary-general also expressed his expectation that the contacts between the office of the high commissioner for human rights and the Chinese authorities will allow for a credible visit of the high commissioner to China, including Xinjiang," which has been at the heart of the diplomatic dispute, with countries like the U.S. accusing China of effectively committing genocide in Xinjiang.

China vehemently denying it. And the presence of a Uyghur, ethnic Uyghur athlete, lighting the Olympic cauldron in the opening ceremony, perhaps a signal from China in response to all this criticism.

BRUNHUBER: Absolutely. Ivan Watson in Hong Kong, thanks so much.

Many people still suffer with COVID symptoms long after their infection ends. I'll speak with someone who's trying to help them get better.

Plus much more on the standoff with Moscow, as Russia's military edges closer to Ukraine's borders.

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BRUNHUBER: India is observing two days of national mourning following the death of one of its most beloved singers. Lata Mangeshkar was known as the Nightingale of India. She was a playback singer, providing music to be mimed by actors for numerous movies, such as "Life of Pi" and "Lion."

The singer died earlier after being diagnosed nearly a month ago with COVID-19. Her doctor said she suffered multiorgan failure. Prime minister Narendra Modi tweeted, "I am anguished beyond words. She leaves a void in our nation that cannot be filled." She was 92.

Here in the U.S., two COVID trends seem to be pointing in very different directions. Data from Johns Hopkins University says the U.S. has reported over 900,000 total COVID-19 deaths. The country has averaged over 2,000 deaths a day for the past two weeks.

Despite these relatively high numbers, experts are hopeful we have the tools to fight whatever comes next and that a semblance of normalcy isn't too far off.

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DR. THOMAS FRIEDEN, FORMER CDC DIRECTOR: I do worry that we've gotten hardened to these numbers that are almost unthinkable, 1,000, 2,000, 2,500 deaths a day. That is just stunning. I think sometimes these numbers do numb us to the impact.

But I am optimistic. We have better tools than ever before. We have better information than ever before, more vaccines, more tests, more masks, more information about ventilation, better genomic surveillance. We have a better chance of catching the next variant when it comes.

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BRUNHUBER: But in between those two trends, the skyrocketing toll and the hope that better is at hand, is a growing number of people often overlooked.

They're the ones who continue to suffer from COVID symptoms long after they recovered from the initial infection. And as the number of long COVID patients increases, health care providers are struggling to keep up.

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BRUNHUBER: In the U.S., there's at least one long COVID treatment clinic in almost every state, according to Survivor Corps, a long COVID patient survivor group. The true number is those suffering is unclear.

Researchers estimate it's between 10 percent and 30 percent of those who have been infected. "The New England Journal of Medicine" estimated at least 50 million people in the U.S. would have long COVID by the pandemic's end. But that was before Omicron got a worldwide foothold and produced record-breaking caseloads, some of which are likely to produce long COVID.

People with the condition are reporting 200 distinct symptoms which require treatments across multiple medical disciplines. These are just a handful of them. And all this is taking a toll on an already burdened health care system.

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BRUNHUBER: Diana Berrent is a COVID-19 long hauler and founder of Survivor Corps and she joins us now from Los Angeles.

Thanks for being here with us. First, let's talk about the need. I mean, I'm one of millions who have had COVID-19 and now hoping that I won't have any further symptoms. You've described long COVID as a ticking time bomb in your body, waiting to go off.

But there are so many barriers to getting diagnosed if doctors don't have the tests or expertise in a condition that didn't exist two years ago.

Are we getting any better at even diagnosing it?

Or do people still meet with skepticism from the medical establishment?

DIANA BERRENT, SURVIVOR CORPS: First of all, thank you so much for shining a light on this incredibly important issue. This is truly our shadow pandemic. And forasmuch as we're talking about waves and numbers going up and

down, the number of people who are suffering from long COVID, from the sequelae, from the long-term effects of even a milder asymptomatic COVID infection, remain constant.

And the number is enormous. If you think about the fact that we are at almost 1 million deaths, it's hard to even wrap your head around that number, think about how many people have been infected, how many children, how many adults.

And if you think about one-third of those suffering the long-term effects, you are looking at something that is going to be affecting us for generations. It is keeping people from going back to work. It is a tremendous, tremendous public health issue that is going to overwhelm our health system.

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BRUNHUBER: So the good news, if I can jump in, the good news on that front is that there are now centers that specialize in the treatment of long COVID. But the bad news is there just aren't enough of them. So talk to me about how bad the backlog is and what effect this is having on folks who are waiting for help.

BERRENT: Exactly. So look, it's great news and go to survivorcorps.com to find a list of all the post-COVID care centers in the United States. They're in 48 of 50 states. But it's not enough because most of them, you need to have a positive diagnosis to even be admitted.

Most people who were -- who had COVID in the beginning, in that first wave, never got positive diagnoses because the tests weren't available and they were often faulty. Right now with Omicron, with people doing home tests and no easy way to report your test, people are getting into the same situation, recreating the same problems and creating a group of people who will have a tremendous amount of difficulty getting care.

So instead of having post-COVID care centers that we try to get everyone through, because right now it's over a year waiting list even if you do have a diagnosis, we need to get -- we need to have centers of excellence, where we bring that knowledge to clinicians, to patients, to empower them because there needs to be equity thought of at every step of the way and make sure that we are including every single person left behind.

BRUNHUBER: Yes, and right now, much of the discussion in this country is sort of surrounding pivoting from making this -- dealing with COVID as a pandemic to dealing with it as something that's endemic, something more like the flu, let's say.

But if we dismantle all the protective resources, if we downgrade the disease, so to speak, are you afraid that many people, many more people, will end up with long COVID?

Because there won't be any restrictions; people will drop their guard; COVID will be sort of normalized with possible long-term consequences.

BERRENT: Absolutely, you hit the nail on the head. For all of the talk of Omicron becoming more mild, first of all, the hospitalizations show you that that's not actually true. Breakthrough cases are not actually breakthrough; they are not rare, they are post-vaccination infections.

And the vaccine is the most important thing you can do to protect yourself from getting long COVID.

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BERRENT: Yes, you might be healthy enough to not end up on a ventilator. But even a mild or asymptomatic case can end up in absolute physical devastation. We are talking about people in their 20s and 30s, who are college athletes and marathon runners, who are now on permanent feeding tubes and in wheelchairs. This is what long COVID means.

BRUNHUBER: Before we go, your organization, your Facebook page that you started initially, Survivors Corps, it's an amazing collection of resources to help those that are affected and connect them with resources, so on. On one hand, it's a great example of citizen science, people taking their own health in their own hands.

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BERRENT: Absolutely, in fact, I would say we have redefined what it means to be a citizen scientist and we have re-established it as citizen scientist collaboration. I started Survivor Corps with a mission of mobilizing an army of survivors, to donate to science, donate their bodies, their experience, their plasma, their blood, participate in every trial and study for which you qualify.

Because inside of you, there are answers to this novel virus that will bring relief to so many.

BRUNHUBER: Yes, I guess the flip side to that is, it's a shame that something like that should have to exist, that people should have to take it into their own hands. We really should be getting much more support from the government.

BERRENT: Absolutely.

BRUNHUBER: We'll have to leave it there. Diana Berrent, thank you for being with us.

BERRENT: Please visit www.survivorcorps.com, sign up with a newsletter to get the latest news.

BRUNHUBER: We're going to post it up here on our screen.

If you know someone who needs help with long COVID or is looking for more information, you can look there, survivorcorps.com/pccc.

(END VIDEOTAPE) BRUNHUBER: For the sixth day in a row, South Korea is reporting a daily record in new COVID cases. Officials reported nearly 39,000 new infections on Saturday. This comes after South Korea extended social distancing measures by two weeks on Friday.

And Turkey's president says he has tested positive for COVID. On Saturday President Erdogan tweeted he and his wife had contracted the Omicron variant and were experiencing mild symptoms. During an interview last year, he said he received his third vaccination in June.

Many Ukrainians living near the Russian border may speak Russian but, on Saturday, residents made clear where their loyalties lie. We'll have our report just ahead.

And CNN goes aboard for joint NATO drills next. Stay with us.

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BRUNHUBER: Welcome back to all of you watching here in the United States, Canada and around the world. I'm Kim Brunhuber. This is CNN NEWSROOM.

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BRUNHUBER (voice-over): Ukrainians marched through the city of Kharkiv on Saturday, determined to stand up to any Russian aggression. Ukraine's president warned it could be at risk if there's an invasion. Russia's overall troop buildup has grown to about 70 percent of what's needed for a full-scale invasion.

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BRUNHUBER: French President Emmanuel Macron will spearhead the latest diplomatic efforts when he travels to Moscow on Monday. CNN's Nic Robertson has more from Moscow. But first Sam Kiley in Eastern Ukraine.

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SAM KILEY, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, this is a city of 1.5 million people; at least three quarters of them are native Russian speakers. It is only around 30 miles from the Russian border.

Now the end of the last month, President Zelensky here said that he fears that Kharkiv could be high on the target list, when it came to a Russian invasion. Not only because is it a Russian speaking town but it is quite close to the front line, close to the border. It is the center of the industrial heartland really, of Ukraine. But these demonstrators behind me are dwindling now. But they came out

today, in a show of unity, with the slogans here being, "East and West," that is, East and West Ukraine, united. Of course, the east of the country or some of the east of the country was illegally captured by force, by the Russian-backed separatists.

And, indeed, Russian troops annexed Crimea, due south, effectively, of the capital city. So they are deeply concerned that they are trying to demonstrate to fellow Ukrainians, that Kharkiv is, in no way, going to be a rollover to any potential Russian invasion.

There have been people hear from the far-right and the gay community. Normally, people who are loggerheads in this town, openly, in this state of friction but, here, they are trying to say, they are all coming together, particularly, as Russian speakers, to reject what they say, are the Russian threats and aggression.

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BRUNHUBER: Thanks to Sam Kiley. Let's turn to Moscow, where the Kremlin is complaining that all the negative focus on Ukraine is spoiling the Beijing Olympics. For that, here's Nic Robertson.

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NIC ROBERTSON, CNN INTERNATIONAL DIPLOMATIC EDITOR: The foreign ministry spokeswoman has described it as a very unsightly picture. That is, she says, the West putting all attention and focus, on what is happening in Ukraine, putting pressure on Russia and all of that, she said, detracting while the Olympics are going on in Beijing.

So more criticism, coming from officials here in Russia and meanwhile President Macron's getting ready for his meeting on Monday with President Putin, where the pair of them will talk about ways to de- escalate and bring about a reduction in current tensions.

The French president, speaking on Saturday, with both Boris Johnson the British prime minister and the NATO secretary general Jens Stoltenberg. And interestingly both the leaders recommending and advising President Macron of France to maintain the unity of NATO, to maintain that strength of message when talking with President Putin, that NATO is all aligned.

That is very much the same message that Macron got in his phone call, a couple of days ago with President Biden and the day before that, with the prime minister of Canada, Justin Trudeau.

Why do they say this?

Partly because part of President Macron's agenda, not only to bring about some peace talks between the Ukrainian authorities and the pro- Russian separatists in the Eastern Ukraine and also to get President Putin to de-escalate tensions, reduce the presence of troops around the Ukraine but he also wants to carve out a stronger foreign policy and defense voice for the European Union within NATO. And, obviously, concerns among some that would break the picture of

unity of NATO that's being presented to President Putin. But President Macron's saying not expecting huge breakthroughs on Monday. But the Kremlin have described President Macron as a good interlocutor -- Nic Robertson, CNN, Moscow.

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BRUNHUBER: The latest calls for diplomacy haven't stopped Russia's military buildup. New images from Maxar and Russia's ministry of defense show troops and aircraft in Belarus.

U.S. officials say Russia has assembled 70 percent of the troops and weapons needed for a full-scale invasion of Ukraine. Meanwhile, as mentioned, the U.S. is sending more troops to Europe. A U.S. aircraft carrier is already in the region and its presence sends a clear message. CNN's Fred Pleitgen reports from aboard U.S.S. Harry S. Truman.

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FRED PLEITGEN, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): The U.S. and its allies in a united show of force facing aggression from Russia.

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PLEITGEN (voice-over): The U.S.S. Harry S. Truman is in Europe refining cooperation with NATO allies to make sure the alliance can operate more coherently, says naval flight officer Jeannette Lazzaro.

LT. CMDR. JEANNETTE LAZZARO, U.S. NAVY: So we just got there and agree to a different NATO partners. Anybody we are working with and we worked to kind of smooth the communication processes.

PLEITGEN (voice-over): As Russia continues to amass troops near the border with Ukraine, the U.S. says it will help further strengthen the NATO alliance. This is the first time since the cold war that a full carrier strike group has been placed under NATO command. With ships from various NATO countries flanking the Truman.

PLEITGEN (on camera): The U.S. kept the Harry S. Truman in depth longer than planned, as the standoff with Russia intensifies. To reassure America's allies, the U.S. is fully committed to collective defense.

PLEITGEN (voice-over): Russia has pulled together more than 100,000 troops near Ukraine, the U.S. believes. And Moscow could order an attack at any moment.

While President Biden has said he would not send U.S. forces to Ukraine, the Harry S. Truman can effectively fortify NATO's Eastern flank. Despite Russia's massive naval presence in the Black sea, the carriers F-18 jets can quickly reach the area close to Ukraine.

The Truman's commander says, years of integration with allies are now paying off.

REAR ADMIRAL CURT RENSHAW, U.S. NAVY, CARRIER STRIKE GROUP COMMANDER: We are committed to our alliances, our partnerships. We're able to operate plug and play anywhere in the world and from adversary point of view, we're agnostic. If we have the strong partnership, then that's stronger than any individual adversary could ever be.

PLEITGEN (voice-over): The U.S. says Russia would pay a high price for any further invasion of Ukraine. And the Pentagon has just announced it will deploy additional U.S. troops to Germany, Poland and to Romania.

JOHN KIRBY, PENTAGON SPOKESPERSON: The current situation demands that we reinforce the deterrent and defensive posture on NATO's Eastern flank. President Biden has been clear that the United States will respond to the growing threat to Europe's security and stability.

PLEITGEN (voice-over): But the U.S. and its allies say they hope diplomacy will prevail, as one of America's strongest deterrent forces remains on guard -- Fred Pleitgen, CNN, aboard the U.S.S. Harry S. Truman, on the Adriatic Sea.

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BRUNHUBER: Britain's Queen Elizabeth is celebrating her Platinum Jubilee. We'll take a look back at her historic 70 years on the throne after this break.

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BRUNHUBER: It's a historic weekend for Britain's Queen Elizabeth as she marks a major royal announcement, while celebrating her Platinum Jubilee. The 95-year-old monarch chose the landmark milestone to say it's her wish that the Duchess of Cornwall be known as Queen Camilla when Prince Charles becomes king.

When the couple married in 2005, they announced that she would become known as princess consort, despite having a right to the title of queen. That was due to the sensitivities surrounding the title, which was once destined for Charles' first wife, Diana. CNN royal correspondent Max Foster joins us from Buckingham Palace in London.

Take us through what's behind the announcement by the queen.

MAX FOSTER, CNN LONDON CORRESPONDENT: Well, Prince Charles never made a secret of the fact that he wanted Camilla to be queen when he becomes king. But as you say, very sensitive topic because Camilla is seen as a player in the breakdown of that marriage with Diana. And queen was a title that was destined for Diana. Charles could have waited until he becomes king to just make Camilla

queen. But it's interesting that they're doing it this way. This is really a sign that the queen is giving her blessing to that and her support, really, to that future monarchy.

This is all at a time where she's taking stock of her 70 years as monarch but still with no plans to retire.

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FOSTER (voice-over): During her reign, Queen Elizabeth has celebrated three landmark jubilees: Silver in 1977, Golden in 2002 and her Diamond Jubilee in 2012.

This year, having already surpassed the record-breaking reign of Queen Victoria, Elizabeth becomes the first British monarch to mark a Platinum Jubilee. That's an unprecedented seven decades of service. During her historic reign, she has appointed 14 prime ministers and met 12 U.S. presidents.

ELIZABETH II, QUEEN OF ENGLAND: I have been privileged to witness some of that history.

FOSTER (voice-over): She has been a beacon of continuity through an unprecedented period of change, not least the media revolution.

Her greatest achievement, perhaps, has been her ability to remain relevant and popular. Approaching her 96th birthday, for almost everyone living, she is the only British monarch they have ever known.

With no path to retire, a series of celebrations will take place throughout the year, culminating in a four-day public holiday weekend in June, when the public can join the jubilee-themed festivities.

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FOSTER (voice-over): Expect blockbuster pomp and pageantry, street parties and parades, a concert with some of the world's biggest stars slated to attend.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: There's going to be some surprises that leave really, the palace is aware that this as much as everybody as it has been a long time coming. No one has really been able to party for quite a long time. So hopefully there will be a big party. COVID-19 will be behind us and people can celebrate outdoors and indoors in the way they like.

FOSTER (voice-over): After one of the most tumultuous years in modern royal history, the queen will be hoping to put the focus back on the future of the monarchy. The family have been engulfed by a series of rifts and scandals. But the institution still appears to project strength through its unwavering and revered figurehead.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: The significant thing that we do have remember, that when she came to the throne in 1952, it was really not a very enlightened time in terms of working women. A lot of people thought that a woman was not up to the job, despite the fact that Queen Victoria and all the queens before her had been great queens on the throne.

She proved them all wrong and really has proved over and over again that a woman can do the job of a constitutional monarch just as well as, if not better, than a man.

FOSTER (voice-over): For the first time this year, Elizabeth will be without Prince Philip at a major royal celebration, the man who was by her side personally and professionally throughout her reign.

Prince Charles will step into play a major role as will Camilla, William and Kate. They are the future and will be front and center alongside the queen. Perhaps we will also be looking ahead to the next jubilee, when the queen surpasses France's Louis XIV to become the longest serving reigning monarch in world history.

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FOSTER: The queen is certainly seen as one of the Great British monarchs by historians and her great ability is to remain relevant, to continue steering through troubled waters. We've seen that this year.

I think this decision to announce Camilla as a future queen, a successor, in a way, to Elizabeth, is really about her primary job, the queen, which is to leave the throne in a stronger position in which she received it, to hand it over and to future-proof, really, the monarchy.

So the future of the monarchy is Charles and Camilla and that's what the queen is using her jubilee message to say today.

BRUNHUBER: A legacy to have to live up to. Max Foster, thanks so much.

We're following a powerful cyclone at this hour. So we'll head to the CNN Weather Center for the latest after the break.

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BRUNHUBER: We're following several storms causing havoc around the world. More than 150,000 customers in the eastern U.S. are still without power after a massive snowstorm earlier this week.

And a powerful cyclone has been battering Madagascar. Batsirai made landfall Saturday with winds the equivalent of a category 3 hurricane.

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BRUNHUBER: French authorities are investigating after a large school of dead fish was discovered floating in the Bay of Biscay. The non- profit conservation group Sea Shepherd first posted photographs of the spill. A Dutch owned trawler apparently responsible.

A fishing industry group says the incident was due to a rupture in the trawler's net but the head of Sea Shepherd France doubts it's an accident.

[03:55:00]

LAMYA ESSEMLALI, SEA SHEPHERD FRANCE: The regulation has been implemented so that we can reduce the nonselective fishing methods because it's very demanding and time consuming and costs money for fishing vessels to go back to port and unload the bycatch and then go back to sea.

So the temptation is big for these vessels at sea without any witness, any control to just throw overboard all the bycatch and stay in the area and keep on fishing.

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BRUNHUBER: The French sea minister called the fish kill shocking.

Podcast host Joe Rogan is apologizing for using a racial slur on his show. The artist India Arie posted a compilation video of Rogan using the N word more than 20 times. Rogan says the clips were compiled over 12 years but admits it's most regretful and shameful.

And this is yet another scandal for the podcast host. A number of artists have asked their music be removed from the streaming service Spotify where the Joe Rogan Experience is aired and they accuse the show of spreading COVID-19 misinformation.

National Football League commissioner Roger Goodell says the league will re-evaluate its diversity, equity and inclusion policies, calling the lack of Black head coaches unacceptable.

Goodell's promise comes after former Miami Dolphins head coach Brian Flores filed a racial discrimination lawsuit last week. Only one out of 28 head coaches employed by the NFL is Black.

In his memo, Goodell says the league would retain outside experts to help with its review and it would solicit input from current and former players and coaches.

I'm Kim Brunhuber. I'll be back in just a moment with more CNN NEWSROOM. Please do stay with us.