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Protests Erupt Across China In Challenge To Xi's Zero-COVID Policy; Major Storms Bring Rain, Wind, Snow As Millions Head Home; Russian Mothers Launch Anti-War Petition On Russia's Mother's Day; Biden Heads Back To Washington With Full Agenda; Midwest Communities Devastated By Colorado River Crisis; Canada Eliminated After Lopsided Loss To Croatia. Aired 2-3p ET

Aired November 27, 2022 - 14:00   ET

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

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[14:00:31]

PAULA REID, CNN HOST: Hello, thanks for joining me. I'm Paula Reid in for Fredricka Whitfield.

Anger and frustration over strict COVID lockdowns boiling over in cities and university campuses across China. Rare acts of defiance as protesters demand changes to policies that have kept millions locked down for weeks and even months.

Protesters in Shanghai chanting, "step down", aimed at China's leaders, Xi Jinping and his ruling communist party.

And also this. Videos from Shanghai earlier today show protesters clashed with police before being dragged away. People in the crowd could be heard calling for their release.

CNN's Steven Jiang has more from Beijing.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

STEVEN JIANG, CNN BEIJING BUREAU CHIEF: It was just extraordinary to hear the protesters in Shanghai chant the slogans, directly targeting Chinese leader Xi Jinping and the ruling communist party because up to that point, even the most vehement opponents of the so-called zero COVID policy have been dancing around this issue when saying how the top leadership had its heart in the right place but instead blaming local enforcement pointing a finger at overzealous or incompetent local officials.

But those protesters in downtown Shanghai really directly challenging the legitimacy of the party and its strongman leader and saying the problem really lies with the system. That's obviously something not tolerated in this one-party dictatorship.

So there is growing worry and concern about the fate of some of the protesters who got taken away by police.

So on Sunday, there was another crowd gathering on the same spot in Shanghai, demanding those protesters are released. But now we understand there is a heavy police presence on location, with the authorities sealing off a larger area around this protester site. But also, clearing everyone from this location. So there's obviously a lot of fear on the part of the authorities that this kind of messaging could inspire others across the country.

But this latest wave of protests really triggered by a deadly apartment fire in Xinjiang and how the authorities there handle the aftermath.

Remember on one hand, officials there insisted that the COVID measures they put in place had nothing to do with the firefighters' delay in reaching the fire to put it out. But on the other hand, after insisting for weeks that lockdowns must be maintained because of the outbreak, they all of a sudden announced a phased reopening after the fire.

So all of that really serving as the latest and loudest of wake up calls a lot of people here in terms of how increasingly unscientific and ineffective, as well as potentially dangerous, this policy has become. Not to mention, all of the absurdities surrounding its enforcement.

That's why, across the country, we are seeing people trying to take matters into their own hands. Taking to the streets, demanding their freedoms, and also tearing down metal fences or barriers set up by local officials to seal them inside their residential compounds.

And also, of course, multiple vigils and protests spearheaded by university students on campuses across the nation. Because remember, for many of these young people, they have lived their entire college lives in the past three years under some forms of lockdown. Just imagine all of that pent-up anger and frustration.

Steven Jiang, CNN -- Beijing.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

REID: And just a short time ago, our Selina Wang was at one of these extraordinary protests in Beijing.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

SELINA WANG, CNN CORRESPONDENT: I'm in the center of a protest in Beijing right now. They are chanting that they don't want COVID tests, they want freedom. They have been chanting this for hours.

People have gathered here in the center of Beijing to protest the COVID measures. We are in Chaoyang (ph) District, this is the city center. This is also where the authorities have urged people to stay at home because the COVID outbreak is severe here.

Now, the area is also important because this is where the American embassy is over there. There are many foreign embassies over here. There is a heavy police presence. I'm surrounded by police. They are telling me to shift in a little bit and, if we just turn the camera around, you will see there is a row of police. There is mostly young people who have gathered here. And many people are also holding white papers in their hands, which is a sign of solidarity against censorship.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

[14:04:52]

REID: Selina Wang, thank you.

Now to the severe weather here in the U.S. that could impact travel plans for millions of people heading home from their Thanksgiving holiday. Rain and gusty winds from the Southeast to the Midwest and Northeast could create treacherous conditions on the roads and cause flight delays and cancellations.

A few western states are also facing winter weather advisories. There are already more than 2100 delayed flights and that number is only expected to rise. The rain, snow, and wind is coming on what the TSA and AAA expects will be the busiest travel day of the year. AAA says nearly 55 million people are traveling for the Thanksgiving holiday.

And we have a team of correspondents and meteorologists covering this for us today. Gloria Pazmino is at LaGuardia in New York, Nadia Romero is in Atlanta.

But let's begin with Tom Sater in the CNN Weather Center. All right, Tom, walk us through these weather trouble spots today.

TOM SATER, AMS METEOROLOGIST: Paula, in the last hour the delays are really starting to compile up now. We had the one hour delays at Newark for the winds, a widespread weather event for the East Coast. LaGuardia, 30 to 45 minutes for the winds. But now we can add Boston into this because of rainfall. They are 30 to 45-minute delays.

A ground stoppage at Reagan National in D.C. because of the low ceiling and we could put delays in Orlando but that's because of volume. So we've got a one-two punch here. Everyone trying to travel in the afternoon into the evening period and you throw the worst weather of the entire week into the situation of the largest cities.

Now, in green it's nice. Detroit, however get ready. You've got heavy rain moving into the area. Cold front is back to toward Pittsburgh. Thunderstorms are firing up there. They'll be moving in toward Pittsburgh. This is just a large shield of rain that will create these delays and will continue to have a domino effect into the evening.

If you notice the large (INAUDIBLE) shape here it trails all the way back in toward Florida, mainly its volume there. But behind the front we've got other problems. Even with the rain being a problem on the roads, if you're hitting the interstates and the highways, high winds are really going to create an issue here. and that's from all the way from Cincinnati, south of Nashville, warnings into the Blue Ridge Mountains for those that have to pass those areas. You've got snow up in the U.P. Of Michigan. And again, this is going to continue.

So the forecast carries it into New York this evening, leaving I would say mid evening. Maybe around 7:00 or 8:00 and then it continues to be a problem up into Boston for the entire evening.

Now, you get out to the Pacific Northwest, you've got other issues. That is the next storm system with coastal rainfall, a lot of snowfall. So regional flights will be impacted here. Not to mention those traveling by automobile, as well.

Do want to set the stage though, Tuesday this is a rare November severe weather event which could have tornadoes at a level three out of possible five. We could see a level four and with that heavy rain. So when you want to decide to (INAUDIBLE) to leave and wait a couple extra days or deal with this, it looks like, for the first part of the week into the Deep South.

REID: Yikes. Tom, thank you so much.

Now let's go to Gloria Pazmino at LaGuardia Airport in New York. Gloria, I know you've been talking to passengers there. What have they been telling you?

GLORIA PAZMINO, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well Paula, I would say it is a bit of a controlled travel chaos here, if you will. There has been a steady stream of travelers all day. I have been here since early morning and the majority of people I've spoken have told me that they came here prepared and expecting that there might be delays. Not only because there's bad weather on the horizon, but because it is the busiest travel day of the year.

So 54.6 million people expected to travel. That is the number that traveled at least 50 miles from their home and they are making their way back today. So many of these travelers expecting some of those delays, prepared for it, had a plan in place, knew that it was a possibility. They are taking it in stride.

They're looking forward to the fact that they are traveling again, because we are also seeing an increase from the last two years during the pandemic. More people are traveling. So many of them were taking it in stride and recognizing that it just comes with the territory when you choose to travel on the busiest day of the year.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JUSTIN SILLIMAN, TRAVELER: Of course, I would be worried about not getting to my place on time. I'm supposed to be at a meeting soon tonight, so if I don't get there I'm going to have to make a lot of calls and texts and it's going to be pretty annoying. So obviously I'm worried that, if there's a delay, I'm not going to make it on time.

CHRIS RODESCH, TRAVELER: If it gets a little bit delayed I think we will be fine because he has his car in D.C., so we have like this flexibility. So that should be fine.

SHARON ELLIOTT, TRAVELER: You just have to kind of maneuver and go with the flow.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

PAZMINO: Now, all the three major airports here in the area -- LaGuardia, JFK, and Newark asking passengers to come to the airport earlier than they would normally do so. And they're also recommending that people reserve a parking spot, if they need one, so that you can have a little bit more time. You can have less stress, you are not having to look for that parking spot as you are trying to make your way into the airport.

[14:09:52]

PAZMINO: And rain has just started to fall here in LaGuardia Airport. So we may see more and more delays as the day wears on now that the weather is starting to roll into the area here, Paula.

REID: Gloria, thanks so much.

All right, let's check in with Nadia Romero in Atlanta. The busiest airport in the world. How are they holding up down there right now?

NADIA ROMERO, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Yes Paula, the airport officials told us that they would be prepared for Thanksgiving holiday and it seems to be that way. Steady, busy and heavy sometimes here at Atlanta Hartsfield, Jackson.

Behind me is a line of travelers. You can see that this line will snake all the way around as people have to just be patient. Be patient. You know you are traveling on the busiest travel day of the year. So that saying that I absolutely hate, pack your patience, really comes in handy this time of year.

An unofficial way that I like to decide how busy it is when I get to the airport as a frequent traveler is over here by the clear enrolment line. So a lot of people will come in, they will see just how long the lines are and then they'll say to themselves I'm going to sign up for clear.

So when you see a big crowd, that is the way that I look at it and say, ok, people are signing up for clear last minute. That means that there may be a lot of people inline. Last year, last holiday season you had a trifecta of issues. You had bad weather, you had COVID-19 stick out for flight attendants and pilots. And you had airport staffing shortages all across the country.

This year though, things seem to be moving a lot easier. And I want you to hear from a couple of passengers who talk about what it has been like for them over the past couple of days traveling during the Thanksgiving holiday.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MADELINE NDIONE, TRAVELER: I think it is better and we hope not to have a lot of cancellations because we're heading home. And you and I make it because the kids are going back to school tomorrow. WILLIAM BENNETT, TRAVELER: There are a couple of delays, I think it

was mostly weather related, I'm not sure. But yes, there were a couple of delays. It wasn't going to get too bad, thank goodness, it has been pretty smooth so far.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ROMERO: All right. So Paula everywhere you go you're going to have a line. Whether this is aging assist line, whether it's sky priority, even if you have special status. I heard one person say I'm sky priority, I shouldn't have to wait in line.

Everybody is waiting in line today. We spoke with one woman who is a nurse and she says she's just happy to be back traveling since the pandemic. She says that the mood is just better everywhere she has went, Paula.

REID: Well, way to look on the upside. All right Nadia, Gloria and Tom, thank you so much for those reports.

And still ahead, new reporting from inside Russia. A group of mothers is demanding that Putin withdraw troops from Ukraine and bring their children home. Details, next.

But will he or won't he? President Biden responds to questions about his intention to run for reelection in 2024.

[14:12:40]

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

REID: Seven people have been killed and 19 others were injured in the last 24 hours following Russian attacks, according to senior Ukrainian officials. The attacks were spread across several regions in the country unlike (ph) the barrage of missiles we have seen in recent weeks, where Russia has targeted specific areas aimed at crippling the country's power infrastructure.

Ukrainian officials also saying today that the energy grid has been restored to about 80 percent of normal capacity after a series of Russian strikes knocked out power to millions last week.

A group of mothers of Russian soldiers are launching a petition, demanding the withdrawal of Russian troops from Ukraine. The launch coincides with the celebration of Mother's Day in Russia. The petitions say that war has brought, quote, "destruction, grief, blood and tears to Russia".

On Friday, President Vladimir Putin met with a different group of mothers of Russian fighters, but as Fred Pleitgen reports the group had no critical voices.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

FREDERIK PLEITGEN, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: The Russian president meeting those he knows are a backbone of the combat effort in Ukraine. Soldiers' mothers, many of whom have lost their sons.

NINA PSCHENICHKINA, MOTHER OF RUSSIAN SOLDIER (through translator): My heart bleeds and my soul freezes, dark memories cloud my mind. I cry and cry. But I hear my son saying that we will see each other one day.

PLEITGEN: Putin, eager to show empathy.

VLADIMIR PUTIN, RUSSIAN PRESIDENT (through translator): I want you to know that I personally, the entire leadership of the country, we share your pain. We understand the nothing can replace the loss of a son, a child, especially for a mother.

PLEITGEN: As the war in Ukraine, what Russia calls the special military operation, drags on and casualties mount, an increasing number of wives and mothers are calling on Russia's president to help their husbands and sons.

Valentina Melnikova heads the Russian Soldiers' Mothers Committee and says her group and many others were not invited to meet the president.

VALENTINA MELNIKOVA, RUSSIAN SOLDIERS' MOTHERS COMMITTEE (through translator): why didn't they tape this woman who reported the videos, how many of them are there. 50 people, well, bring them to Moscow, put them in the hall not to close to Putin.

No, they didn't want to. They wanted to handpick others.

PLEITGEN: The Russian military says it has mobilized more than 300,000 Russians from September to November.

But complaints have been mounting from old, rusty weapons to a lack of food and poor housing conditions as this video uploaded to social media purports to show.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: This is how we live, no command, no officers, nothing. Here you can see how guys settled, fix out the window, we have no supply or provisions, no food. They said, survive on your own. It is up to you.

MELNIKOVA: The logistics turned out to be completely unprepared for what has been happening for nine months. The frontline is long, there are a lot of units, there are a lot of people there. And the army should do this. They should feed, clothes, and provide medical care.

[14:19:59]

PLEITGEN: Russia doesn't regularly update its casualty figures, but it's clear many families are grieving. This ceremony for fallen soldiers in the Irkutsk region.

IGOR KOBZEV, IRKUTSK RUSSIA GOVERNOR (through translator): They are true heroes. They did it in the interest of our state and the interest of all of us, of our fatherland.

PLEITGEN: And the Russian president knows more mothers and wives will have to sacrifice, as there seems no end in sight to the war in Ukraine.

Fred Pleitgen, CNN -- Moscow.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

REID: President Biden returns to D.C. today with a full to-do list but plenty of roadblocks in his way. What he hopes to get done in the lame duck session of Congress, next.

[14:25:40]

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

REID: President Biden is just now arriving at the airport in Nantucket, set to head home to D.C. after spending the holiday weekend in Massachusetts.

And as the president and first lady went shopping on Saturday, he was asked about a potential run in 2024. Here is what he said.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Mr. President, how are your 2024 conversations going?

JOE BIDEN, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: We're not having any. We're celebrating.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

REID: There you go. The president faces significant challenges in the weeks ahead. Arriving back in Washington tonight with a full agenda and lame duck congress.

CNN's Arlette Saenz joins me now from Nantucket. All right. Arlette, what is in store for the president over the next few days.

ARLETTE SAENZ, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Well Paula, President Biden is about to return to Washington with a long to do list ahead. He is hoping to achieve a few agenda items before Republicans take control of the House, come January. Perhaps at the top of White House's list is trying to get that government funding across the finish line as funding is set to expire on the December 16th.

The White House has also said that they're going to try to push for things like a COVID-19 funding. Also disaster relief and additional aid to Ukraine.

The president is also hoping he'll be able to sign a bill protecting same-sex marriage into law once the Senate votes on it in the coming weeks.

There are other items, like raising the debt ceiling, the National Defense Authorization Act, as well, that the president has his eye on. And while here in Nantucket, he also talked about the possibility of looking at gun legislation in this lame duck Congress as well. Though he has acknowledged that he would have to count and assess whether the votes are actually there to get something passed.

Now heading into this week, the president has a few major items on his schedule. He'll be traveling to Bay City, Michigan on Tuesday for an event on the economy and he's also hosting French President Emmanuel Macron at the White House on Thursday, for a state visit which will include a state dinner.

REID: And today, White House officials responded to the uprisings in China over the country's COVID policy. What was the reaction?

SAENZ: Well today, two of the top health officials in the Biden administration seems to question these zero COVID lockdowns that China has been engaging in. Dr. Anthony Fauci calling them severe and draconian. And Dr. Ashish Jha, who leads the COVID-19 response from the White House, he said that these types of lockdowns are not realistic and that what China needs to do in order to contain the pandemic is not focused on lockdowns but ramp up their vaccination program and try to get as many people, including the elderly, vaccinated in the country.

Here at home in the U.S., the White House has been pushing and is engaged in a six-week push to try to boost and increase the amount of boosters that people are getting heading into this holiday season.

REID: All right, Arlette Saenz, thank you very much.

And this morning, House Intel Chairman Adam Schiff rebuffing a new "Washington Post" piece, telling CNN that he does not believe that the final January 6th committee report will focus solely on former President Trump.

He's saying that he would like the report, he says, to be as broad and inclusive as possible.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DANA BASH, CNN HOST: Let start with that "Post" report, which was a really remarkable report. Staffers were told the final January 6th report would likely almost entirely focused on Donald Trump, potentially leaving out a significant amount of your committee's report and investigation of other areas. That is what "The Post" said. Is that true?

REP. ADAM SCHIFF (D-CA): No, I certainly hope not. I would like to see our report be as broad and inclusive as possible. We are discussing, as a committee among the members what belongs in the body of the report, what belongs in the appendices of the report, what is beyond the scope of our investigation. And we'll reach those decisions, you know, in a collaborative manner.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

REID: Schiff also refusing to comment on allegations in the article from Congresswoman Liz Cheney's spokesperson, who accused staffers of trying to slip, quote, "liberal biases" into the report.

Later, Schiff actually defended her role as vice chairman.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BASH: There does seem to be tension surrounding the vice chair of the committee, Liz Cheney. One former staffer told the "Washington Post" that people working for the committee became, quote, "Discouraged," when they felt it had become, quote, "Cheney" 2024 campaign. Is that fair?

SCHIFF: I've never viewed it that way. And I think her role on the committee has been indispensable and I have tremendous respect for her and for Adam Kinzinger. They have shown a lot of courage and backbone, something in very short supply in the GOP these days.

So the committee would not have been the same without both of their participation and I have nothing about respect for both of them.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

[14:29:55]

REID: And slamming House Speaker elect Kevin McCarthy after he promised to strip Schiff of his committee positions.

[14:30:06]

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

REP. ADAM SCHIFF (D-CA): Kevin McCarthy has no ideology. He has no core set of beliefs.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

REID: The final January 6 committee report is set to be released by the end of this year.

And it's getting drier and drier in the American West. But not everyone is responding to the drought equally. We are in Arizona, where some farmers want their neighbors to wake up to the water crisis.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

REID: The mega drought plaguing the American West is the worst in 1,200 years. That's reality is not flowing equally to all Americans in the region.

CNN's Lucy Kafanov has more.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

LUCY KAFANOV, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): This picture perfect but parched corner of Arizona is the Rio Verde foothills, and an incorporated, expansive upscale homes and sprawling mansions about an arms drive from downtown Phoenix.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Here is 5,000-gallon water tank.

[14:35:01]

KAFANOV: Karen Navity (ph) loved her little slice of paradise until it begun to run dry.

What keeps you up? Night

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Water, water, water.

KAFANOV: Neighbors' wells have begun to dry up. Others harvesting rainwater as an extra buffer.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: This is the stockpile it is about to go into the house to be used to flush our toilets.

KAFANOV: Many homeowners rely on private water deliveries from a nearby Scottsdale, which no longer has enough to spare.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: So, come January 1st, we're done.

KAFANOV: Last November, Scottsdale informed water hauling companies that starting 2023 they could no longer buy Scottsdale water to deliver outside city limits, including the Rio Verde foothills.

The man delivering the water and, more recently, the bad news, is John Homewer.

JOHN HOMEWER, OWNER, RIO VERDE FOOTHILLS POTABLE WATER HAULING: The reality is, Rio Verde is the first domino to fall because of the drop that we're in.

KAFANOV: Are people taking it seriously enough?

HOMEWER: They are not. Water is more precious than you realize. Once you go to your faucet and turn it on and there is no water, then it's value becomes real.

KAFANOV: Across swaths of urban Arizona, signs of drought are not immediately obvious. As taps run dry, developers keep building.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: This is a symbol of the massive growth of Maricopa County.

KAFANOV: Maricopa County, which includes the Rio Verde foothills, is the fastest growing county in the nation, adding more residents last year than any other county. As cities boom, the drought pushes Arizona farmers to the brink.

Thanks to Colorado River, Pinal County is, or why, is one of the most productive count farming counties in the United States. The crops grown here are shipped all across the country. As the mega drought continues to worsen and water supplies like this dry up, farmers here fear that their fertile fields could become desert can.

WILL THELANDER, ARIZONA FARMER: Once we hit tier two shortage, we lost all of our water.

KAFANOV: For three generations, Will Thelander's family has till the soil in Pinal County, an hour's drive south of Phoenix.

THELANDER: We are looking at where I grew corn last year. But we didn't have enough water, so the field sits empty. Fifty percent of my farm is fallow now.

KAFANOV: That is a big economic hit?

THELANDER: Yeah.

KAFANOV: Neighboring farms have folded up, others have sold their land to solar companies and developers.

Do you feel that the future of farming in Arizona is under threat?

THELANDER: Yeah. No one can produce it like the Colorado River can, for food, so I'm really worried. Fifty years down the road, unless we come up with solutions, farming won't be here.

KAFANOV: To survive, Thelander is placing his hope on a new crop.

THELANDER: We're looking at a plant called guayule.

KAFANOV: A drought resistant desert shrub that produces natural rubber for tires, while using a fraction of the water. But he wants politicians to listen up.

THELANDER: People just keep saying, we'll pump some water. What happens in 50 years? What happened when people's kids and grandkids? And where does all the food come?

Just kicking the can down the road and hoping for the best is what everyone seems to be doing. I don't think it's a path for success.

KAFANOV: Back in the foothills, residents see their plight as warning to others.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: America, wake up. For the folks that are sitting there hand surrounded by water and have great wells and, in other states, that kind of thing. Don't think you are not going to be affected.

KAFANOV: Lucy Kafanov, CNN, Arizona.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

REID: A remarkable rescue at sea, a remarkable rescue at sea, caught on camera. Just over a week ago, a fishing vessel off of North Carolina's coast started sinking, prompting two mariners to abandon ship. Fortunately, Coast Guard members brought them safely to shore.

Now, earlier today, I spoke with Petty Officer Tyler Robinson about the rescue mission. Here is what he shared with us.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

PETTY OFFICER TYLER ROBINSON, U.S. COAST GUARD: I got on scene. Unfortunately, we couldn't keep up the water. The rate of flooding was just too high, so our dewatering wasn't able to keep up. And then our next mission was to get people off. Then, you can see in the video how the vessel capsized so quickly and how quick the situation can go south and put lives in jeopardy.

We train in all kinds of weather. Unfortunately, this night the weather wasn't ideal for the current situation. It definitely makes it a little bit more stressful.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

REID: Robinson said the two fishermen had just purchased the boats that day. They were very thankful for the Coast Guard's help.

And coming up, Canada says goodbye after Croatia wiped them out of the World Cup. The latest from Qatar, next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[14:43:56]

REID: Canada's hopes of winning in the World Cup ended today after the team collapsed to Croatia.

CNN's Patrick Snell joins us now.

All right. Patrick, what happened?

PATRICK SNELL, CNN SPORTS ANCHOR: Oh, Paula -- hi, Paula -- yeah, heartbreak for the Canadians. I do want to get off the very top there, a huge game in progress at this hour, the 2010 winners from Spain taking on the four-time world champ Germany. This is close for -- a must-win game for the German who can't be eliminated today, but are looking to make amends for that shock loss to Japan in their opener. And that one is currently nil-nil in that vital game, late in the first half.

But as I mentioned, heartbreak for the Canadians on this Sunday. They lost an hour early, if you remember, too. Belgium scored first against the 2018 finalists Croatian in their first men's 12 World Cup since 1986. And they can be really proud of this, Paula, a historic goal for the Canadians coming from the young Bayern Munich player Alphonso Davies. He scores after just one minute and 7 seconds of play.

[14:45:01]

That was also Canada's first ever goal in this competition, which they are playing in for just the second time in their history.

So, they get their early goal, but then they just get completely overwhelmed by Croatia, who are a top quality side. Let's be honest, they have stunning players throughout their squad and they've actually now lost just once in their last 18 games. And they would hit back in style with four goals of their own. Very, very emphatic indeed, 4-1 win in the end. Andre Kramerich getting two of them.

Canada do get to play again. They take on Morocco in their last group game. But they know they are now the second nation to be eliminated from this year's world cup after the host country, Qatar.

By the way, Paula, Morocco with a really big and historic win of their own on Sunday as they shocked Belgium, mighty Belgium, the second ranked men's team in the world by two goals to nil.

REID: And it's not just drama on the soccer field. Some drama on the sidelines, as well. For example, the U.S. Soccer Federation changed Iran's flag on its social media sites in a show of support for the women fighting for basic human rights there. And this, of course, comes days before the U.S. plays a must-win game against Iran.

So, what more can you tell us?

SNELL: Yeah. So, this is really, really difficult. We are tracking this one closely, indeed. As you say, Paula, there's so much riding on this really important fixture on Tuesday from a pure footballing perspective. USA have to win against Iran to avoid being eliminated from the tournament. While a draw would most likely see Iran advance to the last 16 at America's expense.

But the buildup to it all at increased scrutiny after U.S. soccer told us today it changed Iran's flag for 24-hour period. This was on its social media accounts, to, quote, show support for the women in Iran fighting for basic human rights, but did always plan to go back to the original flag. The emblem from Iran's flag is missing, was missing during that period, under U.S. Soccer's media, social media.

But the emblem remaining on its main website. What do Iran say in response? Well, Iranian state media reporting Sunday that the United States should be kicked out of the tournament and suspended for 10 days for what it called distorted image of the country's flag. It really is another big, big, talking point ahead of are already very highly significant, and at times over the years, volatile fixture, I will say.

Back to you, Paula.

REID: Patrick Snell, thank you so much.

And just this month, we crossed 8 billion humans on the planet. With that growth, there has really been some uneven distribution as some nations are watching their populations decline.

CNN's Paula Hancocks has this report from South Korea.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

PAULA HANCOCKS, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Lisa Yoon (ph) empties a box of toys into the living room floor for her boys. Hoping to catch a few moments for herself. She used to work in the brokerage firm before launching her own start-up. She has not worked in seven years until South Korean society no longer appreciates her.

We need to a new career, she says, the current social climate is that parenting is a beginning of a career break.

Lisa says her husband wants to help more, but the business culture here means the job does not end when the office closes. A patriarchal society that is slow to evolve, still largely sees the mother staying home to care for the children and the father going out to work, contributing to the lowest birth rate of any country in the world.

President Yun Suk Yeol visited a nursery recently, pledging new parental benefits and the creation of a new committee to come up with fresh ideas.

At a baby fair outside Seoul, we met expectant parents who were less than enthused. Kim Min-jeong is expecting her second child in November. She hasn't worked since her first child, and she says help with good child care is too expensive.

KIM MIN-JEONG, EXPECTANT MOTHER (through translator): There is no change in how much money we are getting. They've changed the names in large (ph) allowances, but for parents like us, there are no more benefits.

HANCOCKS: Having a baby is very much expected for married couples in South Korea. And single mothers are treated differently.

CHO HAE-KYUNG, PROFESSOR OF LAW, HONGIK UNIVERSITY: We still have a very kind of puritanical approach to single mothers. It's as if we have done something wrong by becoming pregnant out of wedlock.

HANCOCKS: Add to that, the astronomical cost of housing, here in Seoul, in particular, the cost of education and growing economic concerns among the youth and you have the perfect storm -- what it means for South Korea and its aging population is a looming shortage of workers to pay into the pension system.

There is also a growing number of women who have no interest in getting married or having babies, for personal or for societal reasons.

Lee Jin-song has written books about wanting to live alone.

[14:50:02]

LEE JIN-SONG, AUTHOR (through translator): In Korea, there is a joke like an urban legend, if you're not dating by the time you're 25, you'll turn into a crane. Meaning, if you're single, you become nonhuman.

Korean women have come to realize that marriage imposes too much work on them. Marriage, childbirth and care require too much sacrifice on women.

HANCOCKS: Lee says it's an issue the government does not understand, a problem that will not get better simply by throwing money at it. Paula Hancocks, CNN, Seoul.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(VIDEO CLIP PLAYS)

[14:55:25]

REID: The holiday season is here. And with it comes the treasured celebrations that make it so special, including all of those holiday films, including that one which is my clear favorite.

And this year, CNN bringing you a -- it's a unique look at all your favorites.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

SARA SIDNER, JOURNALIST, CNN: I watch it every year at least twice. It's the script of my life.

RAMI, ACTOR: It's hard to beat "Home Alone."

DAVID E. TALBRET, WRITER/DIRECTOR: Just the fun and high jinks. It is on the Mount Rushmore of holiday movies.

RON HOWARD, DIRECTOR: I lost myself in "Miracle on 34th Street."

ALONSO, FILM CRITIC: "National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation" was capturing how the holidays make us all insane.

BEN MANKIEWICZ, HOST, TURNER CLASSIC MOVIES: There is that consistent Christmas element in "Elf" of change, of realization.

TIM NAFTALI, CNN CONTRIBUTOR: Watch a good Christmas show and it doesn't matter when it was made. These ideas don't get old.

ANNOUNCER: Unwrap the stories behind everything we love to watch at Christmas. A two-hour special event, "Tis the Season: The Holidays on Screen."

(END VIDEOTAPE)

REID: Joining us now is Ben Mankiewicz. He's a the host of "Turner Classic Movies" and he appears in the CNN special.

All right, Ben. As you know, there are many different kinds of holiday movies. But what's the common element? What makes them all Christmas movies?

MANKIEWICZ: Well, I mean, I think the fact they're set over the holidays for many is really the uniting theme because the idea of what when -- we think of a Christmas, when many of us think of a Christmas movie, you know, we think about sort of, you know, love and forgiveness and redemption and family and maybe some fear. But not all these movies, and, in fact, some of the best ones don't.

So, you want to take a really narrow view of what a Christmas movie is. It eliminates an awful lot of movies. So -- but that said, you know, you had "Christmas Vacation" which is one of my favorites, too. We just had Chevy Chase on the TCM crews. It does have all of that. I mean, it's a comedy. And that one was very much driven by Christmas, but some of the best are sort of set around the time and a key plot point.

But basically, what ties them all together is what ties all great movies together, right? They make us feel something. And we all I think are a little more welcoming of being emotional around this time of year. So, I think that's why we respond so heavily to some of the best Christmas movies.

REID: That's a great point. Of course, people making Christmas movies since the earliest days of filmmaking. It's part of why we watch them over and over again, so that feeling that comes with tradition.

MANKIEWICK: Yeah. I mean, Christmas has this knack of showing up every year. So, you know, and look, here we are, like I've have been in the house -- basically we are all fine but my entire family has COVID. So, we've been in the house for eight or nine days all packed together. I mean, we want to watch movies.

I mean, it's just natural. Even if you're not stuck in the way we are, if you're just home, you just -- you want to get together. You sit on the couch. It's a way to bring generations together.

I badly want to interest my 9-year-old daughter and some of these wonderful movies and Christmas is a great opening opportunity. We watched, you know, a wonderful Thanksgiving movie which I adore. You know, Holly Hunter and Robert Downey Jr. in "Home for the Holidays", with Anne Bancroft and Charles Durning, a Jodie Foster film.

We just saw that a couple nights ago. You know, my daughter lit up. That encourages me that there's great movies that we can show her around this time of year.

REID: That's great. And, of course, holiday movies, they often reflect what's going on in a society, and culture at the time, be it "A Christmas Story", "Home alone", "Elf". What do Christmas movies tell us about ourselves that other movies really just can't?

MANKIEWICZ: Well, I'm actually -- I disagree with the premise of the question just a little bit. Because I think what Christmas movies -- they come at a time when we're more apt to be emotional, whether it's movie where they're exposed first time or when it's us sitting around with our families, right, which is an awfully moving experience for many of us, most of us. I get it, not everyone.

But -- so I think what Christmas movies do is make us feel and move us in a meaningful, emotional way. The Christmas movies come when there's a chance for us to see movies sometimes with people we don't sit down with other than our spouse, right, so, here we have a chance to watch with our children, sometimes our grown children. So for them, it's a chance to watch movies again with their parents. So, there's something about the time that really does matter that makes the way we receive these movies a little bit different than the rest of the year.

But the plan, the key to any movie, be it a Christmas movie or any other movie, is that it moves us in a meaningful way. And the movies you've mentioned they do, whether it's by making us laugh or making us cry or if they're particularly special movie like it's a wonderful life, by doing both.

REID: Ben Mankiewicz, thank you so much for joining us.

MANKIEWICZ: Sure.

REID: And be sure to tune in "'Tis the Season: The Holidays on Screen", premieres tonight at 8:00 p.m., only CNN.

I'm Paula Reid. "CNN NEWSROOM" continues with Jim Acosta right now.