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January 6th Committee Will Announce Tomorrow About Whether To Press Criminal Charges Against Former President Donald Trump; Polar Plunge Expected To Hit From Montana All The Way To The Northeast; Bitterly Cold Temperature Highs Being At Or Below Freezing During The Holiday Travel.; Gas Prices Lower Over The Holidays Since September Of Last Year. Aired 11a-12p ET

Aired December 18, 2022 - 11:00   ET

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

[11:00:00]

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FREDRICKA WHITFIELD, CNN HOST: Hello everyone. Thank you so much for joining me this Sunday. I'm Fredricka Whitfield, and we begin this hour with the January 6th Committee on the eve of a potential, unprecedented commendation of a former U.S. president. Tomorrow the House Select Committee investigating the Capitol insurrection will use it's final public hearing to vote on criminal referrals to the Justice Department against Former President Donald J. Trump.

Over the last 17 months, the panel has interviewed hundreds of witnesses and held nearly a dozen hearings, investigating Trump's efforts to overturn the 2020 election and his role in inciting the Capitol riot. On Monday, they're expected to refer at least three criminal charges against Trump to the Justice Department. CNN's Zach Cohen joining us right now. Zach, good to see you. So the committee meets tomorrow. What should we expect?

ZACH COHEN, CNN NATIONAL SECURITY REPORTER: Yes, Fredricka, tomorrow's really a grand finale of sorts for the committee. I mean, as you said, they've been conducting this investigation for over 17 months and they've interviewed thousands of witnesses, compiled thousands of documents, but tomorrow is really the closing statement. Right? They're going to say what really all of this evidence amounts to in their view and it amounts to the fact that Donald Trump committed crimes and they want the Justice Department to prosecute him.

Now, we know that from sources that the committee is weighing, at least three potential crimes as far as criminal referrals for Former President Trump go. Those three crimes are insurrection, obstruction of an official proceeding and conspiracy to defraud the Federal government. Now the first two on that list in front of you are, you know, were pretty standard and what we really expected, but the third insurrection is really interesting because that's a statute that has not been used for really years and it would be unprecedented as you said earlier.

WHITFIELD: Congressman Adam Schiff offered his thoughts on these criminal referrals earlier today on State of the Union, and what did he say?

COHEN: Yes, simply put Fredricka, Adam Schiff thinks that Trump violated multiple laws and should be prosecuted like any normal American. Take a listen to what he told our Jake Tapper earlier today.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

REP. ADAM SCHIFF (D-CA): As a former prosecutor, I think there's sufficient evidence to -- to charge the president.

JAKE TAPPER, CNN HOST: To get a conviction though?

SCHIFF: Well I don't know what the Justice Department has, I do know what's in the public record. The evidence seems pretty plain to me. This is someone who, in multiple ways, tried to pressure state officials to find votes that didn't exist. This is someone who tried to interfere with the joint session, even inciting a mob to attack the Capitol. If that's not criminal than, than I don't know what is.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COHEN: And interestingly Schiff also pointed out that the insurrection statute applies to both people who incite violence against the Federal government and those who give aid and comfort to those who incite that type of violence. It would be interesting to see if that provides a window into what we're going to see tomorrow.

WHITFIELD: Right, and as the committee announces these criminal referrals presumably, what kind of impact are they expected to have over all?

COHEN: Yes, these referrals are effectively, you know, symbolic in nature. Right? These -- the committee does not have prosecutorial powers and they know that they're mission is really to devise legislative recommendations, but as time went on we've heard multiple members say this. As time went on, you know, the evidence that Trump and others around him committed crimes became so compelling that they had to say something for the historical record, at least. The committee wants to get their view documented for historical purposes, and they're view is that Trump and others committed crimes.

WHITFIELD: All right. Zach Cohen, thanks so much and of course we'll be watching live coverage tomorrow. Let's talk further about all this right now with Julian Zelizer, he is a CNN Political Analyst and a historian and professor at Princeton University. Good to see you. So, nearly two years after the Capitol riot, tomorrow, we will be hearing that last hearing following -- followed up rather, a few days later, with a final report from the January 6th Committee. So put into perspective for all of us the significance of this investigation and its finality.

JULIAN ZELIZER, CNN POLITICAL ANALYST: Well, it's a historic moment to have these charges made against a former president and a potential nominee for the campaign and election in 2024. And these are not minor charges, these are very serious charges and we haven't had this before with a former president. So it's one of those times we should sit, take a deep breath and absorb the weight of the moment.

[11:05:05]

WHITFIELD: Do you see that it will be impactful against Trump's reelection campaign?

ZELIZER: It could. I mean, obviously if the Department of Justice moves forward, there's the criminal element of this and the legal element, but politically Republicans, the costs keep getting higher for the party in terms of having him a nominee for the party leaders and for the voters. And so as they calculate who do we want as the nominee, this is certainly going to dissuade some Republicans from investing in Trump as opposed to Governor DeSantis for another candidate of that sort.

WHITFIELD: The committee is expected to make, you know, these three, at least as far as we understand from CNN's reporting, at least three criminal referrals for the former president, including for a charge of insurrection. And then, of course will be ultimately up to the Justice Department to make any decisions and see how influential it might be on its ongoing investigations, but you know, speak to the nature of what, kind of, impact this makes on the U.S. presidency? I mean, this is a former president now facing possible criminal charges for his actions, while in office and, of course, some of the actions even after office that are also under investigation.

ZELIZER: I -- I would say, in general, a -- a move toward accountability on something this significant, these kinds of accusations is extraordinarily important to strengthening the presidency. I mean, we need a system where if you have charges of this sort, and evidence that a president had been engaged in this kind of activity, not having accountability is the most dangerous thing we could do to the institution. So we are now trying to establish or reestablish guardrails through this Congressional process, so it's not good to have this as part of the presidency but it's good that Congress is moving forward and we'll see what DOJ on doing something about it.

WHITFIELD: All right. Let's shift gears to (inaudible) extension of another arm of leadership for this country, and this week former House Speaker John Boehner, he got rather emotional and he shed some tears while paying tribute to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi during the unveiling of her official portrait. Take a listen and watch.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JOHN BOEHNER, FORMER HOUSE SPEAKER: You know, the younger generation today has a saying, game recognizes game and the fact of the matter is no other speaker of the House in the modern area -- era, Republican or Democrat has wielded the gavel with such authority or with such consistent results. Let me just say you're one tough cookie.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WHITFIELD: And Julian, it's fully appreciated. He's a very emotional man and you wrote, you know, kind of springboard to what was on display and looking at historically the perspective and the power in Congress. And you wrote on CNN.com a few days ago, with the headline, John Boehner's tears don't make up for this, and in the article you say quote, "You know, Boehner can cry all he wants but those tears should really be about what he, himself helped do to Congress and until Republicans in power use the political capital necessary to reverse the direction that their party has taken, nothing will change."

So further explain what you mean, in terms of, how he helped open the door to a new type of GOP, perhaps his intentions were other than what the results have -- have been.

ZELIZER: Yes. I mean, he has spent a lot of time recently looking back and being very dismissive of Tea Party Republicans, calling Congress (inaudible) in the legislative terrorists and really trying to separate himself from that generation. This new generation of Republicans, but look in the 1980s and early '90s, once he enters Congress, he's part of a, kind of, renegade group with Newt Gingrich who's shaking up Capitol Hill and arguing that a more aggressive kind of partisanship is needed.

And then in 2010, he's very important to helping Tea Party Republicans gain office, to win office and even though he's often at odds with them while he's speaker. In general he supports their all, he lies with them and he helped open the doors to the generation of Republican legislators who's he's currently so critical of, and I think that's a very important part of his historical legacy.

WHITFIELD: And now, how do you see that laying the groundwork for where we are right now? I mean, Boehner's legacy, is it impacting Kevin McCarthy's hardball, you know, battle now to win enough votes to become House Speaker?

[11:10:06]

ZELIZER: Absolutely. The party has continued to shift very rightward. Now you have a -- a new generation, the Tea Party in some ways is the establishment. So now you have maybe, the Trumpian generation of Republicans and McCarthy's in the same position that Boehner was as leader. What do you do? Do you try to contain these elements or do you align with them and make them a faction? And I suspect McCarthy is going to try to win them over, but it will once again open the doors to an even greater radicalization of Republican politics that we've seen on Capitol Hill.

WHITFIELD: All right. Julian Zelizer, always a pleasure having you and Happy Hanukkah. Thank you for spending the first day of Hanukkah with us.

ZELIZER: Thanks so much. Bye. Bye.

WHITFIELD: All right. We're also learning that another Trump investigation is nearing a conclusion. Sources tell CNN the Special Grand Jury in Georgia investigating Trump and his allies efforts to overturn the 2020 election is winding down its work, and has begun writing its final report. That could be an indication the jury maybe close to making recommendations to the Fulton County District Attorney soon.

The grand jury has been looking at what Trump described as a perfect phone call with Georgia's secretary of state. When Trump asked him to quite, "find votes", the special grand jury cannot issue indictments but if recommendations are made, the DA could turn to a regular grand jury to ask for indictments.

And now to what is turning out to be dangerously cold weather, and it's about to sweep across the U.S., a polar plunge will send temperatures plummeting during the busy two-week holiday travel season, 260 million people, that's 80 percent of the population will see temperatures at or below freezing. Bitter cold is expected from Montana all the way to the east coast.

The Arctic blast coming on the heels of a nor'easter that has dropped more than two feet of snow on parts of the northeast this weekend alone, and more than 70,000 customers are still without power in Vermont, Maine and New Hampshire. CNN Meteorologist Allison Chinchar is here with more. So yesterday I decided to call it not just bitter, but this is mean. Mean temperatures that are now sweeping. I mean it's inescapable how cold it is going to be.

ALLISON CHINCHAR, CNN METEOROLOGIST: Yes, mean and even dangerous because when we talk about how low some of these wind chills are going to get this week, you are -- we're talking about where frostbite can set in in simply five minutes. Now that cold air is really starting to take shape today across the high plains, but it is expected to expand and intensify in the coming days.

Wind chill, yes, we've got wind chill advisories and wind chill watches for numerous states in the high plains. This is where wind chills are likely going to get down to -45 to even as low as -60. I want you to let that set in. That's why we talk about frostbite, happening so fast when you're outside in those areas of exposed skin.

Now even though it begins today, we really see the bottom drop out starting Tuesday. So Fargo, the morning feels like temperature will be -27, -29 in Bismarck and as cold as that is, it will get even colder in the coming days afterwards. Look at Fargo's high temperature on Wednesday, -13, again that's the high temperature, even Chicago's not much better with highs in the 20s' and 30s', but even then for Chicago that colder air is going to get even colder, as more of that air begins to push south and east.

So that by the time we get to Saturday, Chicago's high temperature is only eight degrees, even southern cities are going to see a cool down. Take a look at Atlanta going from 53 on Thursday, down to only 29 on Friday. Washington, D.C. is not much better and the other side of that too with a lot of these is we are also going to be adding in snow. This new system making its way into the central portion of the country by the time we get to Wednesday, Fred, means that all those areas since they're already cold, likely could get several more inches of snow.

WHITFIELD: Buckle up and cover up, and stay inside if you can.

CHINCHAR: Yes.

WHITFIELD: All right. Allison Chinchar, thanks so much.

CHINCHAR: Thanks.

WHITFIELD: All right. Temperatures are not the only thing plunging for the holidays. Gas prices actually are sinking to levels, not seen since September of last year. The national average now sits at $3.15 for a gallon of gas. That's down nearly 60 cents in the last month. Just in time to hit the roads, 19 states now have an average gas price of less than $3.00 a gallon. The price slide has been driven by a number of factors, including a boost in gas production and less than expected demand. All right, we are just minutes away now from knowing who is the World Cup Champion.

(CHEERING)

WHITFIELD: Ooo Wee, we're -- we're going to take you to the watch parties in France and Argentina with fans on the edge of their seats and jumping up and down. They're doing it all.

[11:15:08]

WHITFIELD: Plus a state of emergency, officially declared in El Paso, Texas as a surge of migrants crosses the southern border. We'll take you there, straight ahead.

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WHITFIELD: All right. Call it a clash of the titans. Today's World Cup Final is pitting the two highest paid stars in the sport, head to head, defending champions France with their star striker Kylian Mbappe, taking on Argentina and perennial phenom Lionel Messi and the world is watching and on the edge of it's seat. On their tippy toes, all of that, CNN has reporters with fans in Paris and Buenos Aires. Let's go to Melissa Bell en Paris first. Melissa, what is the mood there at this hour?

MELISSA BELL, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Not great Fredericka given the results so far as we enter this second half and France two nil down. The returning champions clearly, right now, everything pretty tense in Paris but not the mood people were hoping for.

[11:20:10]

BELL: For a start, this is not like in 2018, a place where people can go watch the matches. They could -- there are no fan zones. Many are having to watch on their phones or to pride outside bars to watch through windows, because Paris like other French cities, had made the decision to boycott this World Cup because of the treatment of migrant workers over in Qatar. And yet, of course, the fans are hoping here just off the Champs-Elysees that they're going to have something to celebrate, Lucas (ph) here is one of those who's like braving the elements. It's rainy. It's cold to go and watch. Tell us about the host tonight. UNKNOWN: So yes, we're all here on the Champs-Elysees. It's raining.

It's really cold. We're all here to support our national team and we hope we'll win, 2-0 for Argentina but I think we can still -- still make it up.

BELL: That's right. There's a lot of hope because also France is really, by coming through as far as it has, beaten what was a world cup curse. So European teams, for decades now, when they've been returning champions have really struggled to get even past the early stages of the World Cup. So it's a huge achievement, although if things go as they've started Fredericka, there's going to be an awful lot of disappointment here in the Champs-Elysees tonight.

WHITFIELD: Ah, OK. Well, you know, hang in there folks. He was really melancholy. Maybe because of the weather. Hopefully they'll have a reason to like celebrate soon. Stefano Pozzebon is in Buenos Aires. Stefano, so are people a little bit more energetic there?

STEFANO POZZEBON, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Oh Fredricka, how different it feels from Paris. This city is already filling the (inaudible), filling these amazing sports and trying, because of the result that we are watching very closely. We're now half in -- in the middle of the second half, but this city has been buzzing with passion for weeks, and you can see the sun is shining over Argentina. And frankly it's not just on Argentina because many foreigners are here around -- coming from around the world, here I'm speaking to one. What is your name and what brought you to Argentina?

UNKNOWN: Hi. My name's Jasper (ph). We are from the Netherlands. We are here for the last three and half weeks, so we also watched the match -- Netherlands and Argentina. It's the power of futbol all over the world.

(CROSSTALK)

UNKNOWN: Indeed, it's always a nice party.

POZZEBON: It's always a nice party says my new friend Jasper (ph) from the Netherlands, who happens to be (inaudible) in Buenos Aires. In this we can, where really hundreds of thousands of people are already taking onto the streets. You can tell the match is not even over and people are already celebrating here because it feels that it is coming and here they say it's coming home, Fredricka.

WHITFIELD: Oh, and-- and everybody is friendly as we see right there. I mean -- I mean the moods, they set-- set the stage and they tell the stories of right now. All right. Thank you so much Stefano Pozzebon and Melissa Bell. Melissa, you know, I hope you're fans can end up being like that too. We'll see. All right. Still ahead, a -- a deepening crisis at the southern border as a surge of migrants crosses into the U.S. How border cities are preparing next.

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[11:25:10]

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WHITFIELD: Hi, welcome back. Right now, a growing crisis is unfolding at the U.S.-Mexico border as cities there brace for more migrants amid an already overwhelming surge. The mayor of El Paso, Texas has declared a state of emergency to bolster resources for shelters and create safer conditions for migrants. Officials say more than 2,000 migrants are arriving in El Paso everyday, but those numbers could swell when the Trump era policy, Title 42 is lifted this week. Title 42 placed restrictions on asylum seekers amid the corona virus pandemic. Well now, the White House says it has a robust effort underway for managing the crisis. CNN's Ed Lavendera has more from El Paso.

(BEGIN VIDEO TAPE)

ED LAVENDERA, CNN SENIOR CORRESPONDENT: Once again, large groups of migrants who have arrived here in the U.S. are bracing for another frigid night on the streets of downtown El Paso. The people that you see around me, mostly have not been able to get into one of the shelters that have been so overwhelmed by this latest surge of migrants in this area.

This is all happening days ahead of the expected lifting of Title 42, that pandemic era, public health rule that allowed customs and border protection and -- and border officials to expel many migrants arriving at the U.S. southern border because of public health reasons. And many of these people really just trying to get through the night as they await being able to get on a bus or a flight to their final destinations elsewhere in the country.

What we're seeing played out is really people, kind of, desperate for whatever blankets and clothing, but everything to -- to get through these nights. We've seen the generosity of people who, like this woman here who arrived a short while ago, and is giving away blankets. Migrants who have lined up single file to be able to get their hands on a-- on a blanket or shoes, or sweaters, sweatshirts, anything that can help them through the night, and they're camped out around these bus stations because they are waiting to either board these buses. But many of these tickets are several days out, so they have to sit here and that is really the main concern that local officials here in El Paso have and what they have been working to try to prepare for and they realize that at this point, they just need to be able to manage the situation as best as possible.

And the thing that they want to do, the best is moving people out of here as quickly as possible because they know that behind them, there are thousands more migrants possibly coming in the days ahead.

[11:30:10]

LAVANDERA: So they say the biggest challenge they will have is to get these people to bigger transportation hubs like Phoenix, Denver, Dallas and Houston, so that they can then move on to their final destinations. And they hope that if they can move people out of El Paso quickly enough, that will alleviate the pressure and the burden on a lot of the -- the -- the shelters and the charities that are really helping these people get through these initial days here in the U.S.

But they are all bracing for large numbers of people, in the last week El Paso has seen about 2,000 to 2,500 people per day. Local officials are now estimating that once Title 42 is lifted, it could be anywhere from 4,000 to 5,000 people per day here just in the El Paso region alone. Ed Lavendera, CNN, El Paso, Texas.

(END VIDEO TAPE)

WHITFIELD: All right. Thank you so much Ed. All right. Coming up, hospitals nationwide are nearing capacity as three different viruses are spreading at an alarming rate. Up next, what you need to know about the rise in RSV, the flu and COVID this holiday season.

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WHITFIELD: All right. The holidays are here.

[11:35:10]

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WHITFIELD: And Federal health officials are warning about a triple threat this season, as influenza, RSV and COVID-19 cases are hitting families and hospitals pretty hard. Data from HHS shows hospital capacity is near record levels, nationwide with about 80 percent of beds in use. 15 million cases of the flu reported so far, as COVID trends are also starting to climb. For more insight now on how we can all have a healthy, safe holiday I'm joined by Dr. Jeremy Faust. He is an emergency physician at Brigham and Woman's Hospital which is part of Harvard's Medical School. So good to see you doctor. So your facility has nearly 800 hospital beds. Right? What is the capacity like there?

DR. JEREMY FAUST, ER DOCTOR AT BRIGHAM AND WOMEN'S HOSPITAL: Good to be back with you Fredericka. We are seeing a lot of demand in the emergency -- emergency departments all over the country, and it's really hard. We are ready for anything, including this and it's really bad. So we're asking people to -- to wear masks when they're a high risk situations, when they're in high exposures to people who are vulnerable. Of course getting updated on your vaccines, because the demand is still overwhelming and it's -- it's -- we're doing our best to provide frontline care.

WHITFIELD: Yes, and if it's bad now, you know, how does your hospital and others, kind of, brace for what could be next. Because inevitably people are going to gather and, you know, the chances of catching something have been elevated.

FAUST: That's right. This time of year, it's actually amazing if you look at the statistics that December, January, February. There's a predictable rise in mortality from all causes and it's probably driven by these respiratory viruses that -- that contribute to deaths from all kinds of other reasons.

WHITFIELD: So last month, you wrote a post in your Inside Medicine and it's -- it's a little funny the headline, but at the same time you're really serious how to not kill grandma or anyone including yourself this Thanksgiving. So now here we are at Hanukkah, Kwanza, Christmas. What are the biggest concerns right now as families get together this month for you and -- and what should people do?

FAUST: Little things make such a big difference. We don't have to go back to pretending it's 2020 and we have no vaccine. So I still do rapid tests when I'm going to visit somebody who I'm worried I -- I could spread it too. I still wear a mask if I haven't tested. Even just opening the window for 10 minutes has an air change that can really reduce the likelihood. So if you're going to gather, you can do a little -- a-- a bunch of things in moderation. So throw the masks on when you're in public transit or open the window for a little bit, do a test. Because these little actions, actually add up to a massive difference in whether we spread disease. So I actually think we've learned a lot and now's the time to apply that.

WHITFIELD: Right. And it's really about being considerate of others, you know, it isn't always just oh I've got to protect myself or I don't feel like I'm that -- that vulnerable but you might be a vessel to someone else's, you know, vulnerabilities. So the White House resumed it's free at home COVID test program this week as part of it's winter preparedness plan. Federal health officials are urging those who haven't received the latest vaccine, especially, you know, over the past six months to do so. So in your view, is that enough to curb, you know, what you have been seeing in the ER.

FAUST: It's -- it's good to have it back. We need layered approaches. If you're not boosted, you're at higher risk of a short-term infection. If you're not wearing a mask, you could spread it. If you take a negative test right before meeting somebody, it's really unlikely you're going to spread anything that you might have. So it's -- it's all these things work together. I think it's a great thing to have it back.

I'm glad to see it. It's -- rapid testing has to be done, what we call cadence testing. In other words, not one and done but make sure you do it a couple of times over a period of time. It really tells you about your contagiousness. So I think it's a really, really important thing. We had them during the omicron surge last winter, but not quite in time. So I'm glad that we're -- that we're now having the access a little earlier than we did in anticipation of what could come. We don't know if there -- there will be a big wave, but at least now people can get those tests.

WHITFIELD: Well good. All right. Every little bit counts. That's the message I'm getting from you. All right, Dr. Jeremy Faust, happy holidays. Thank you so much.

FAUST: All right. Thanks for having me.

WHITFIELD: All right. The first NFL Saturday this season did not disappoint. Officials at the Bills-Dolphins game even had to announce a new rule, a 15 yard penalty if fans continued throwing snowballs onto the field. Can't tell if they were happy or they were really upset, we'll bring you all the highlights straight ahead. (COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[11:40:10]

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WHITFIELD: As the World Cup comes to a close, the plight of migrant workers has cast a shadow over the entire tournament. Notably today's final match coincides with International Migrants Day. The tournament is now facing new scrutiny over migrant workers. Human Rights Watch has called it the most expensive and most deadly World Cup while Amnesty International has called on FIFA to do more. Some migrant workers who worked in Qatar have now arrived back home in Kenya. CNN's Larry Madowo has their stories. Larry.

LARRY MADOWO, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Fred, on this final day of the men's world cup, FIFA and Qatar are both feeling good. FIFA just declared that they will expect revenues about $7.5 billion and the FIFA (inaudible) declared this the best World Cup ever and Qatar has achieved a major publicity win, but Human Rights Watch is criticizing this as the most expensive sporting event ever and most deadly.

[11:45:07]

MADOWO: Part of that is because of the thousands of migrant workers who delivered this World Cup and some who say they worked in slavery like conditions, because of unpaid wages, long times working and often going months without pay. I spoke to some who returned back to Kenya. This is what they told me.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MADOWO: (Inaudible) Barasa (ph) is back in Kenya but says he's still suffering from trauma. After three years as a construction worker in Qatar, before the World Cup.

UNKNOWN: (UNTRANSLATED).

MADOWO: The 38-year-old is a life-long futbol fan but says he hasn't watched any matches, the pain is still too fresh.

UNKNOWN: Another one died, and that (inaudible) condition. Another one was beaten and (inaudible).

MADOWO: You saw somebody die in front of you.

UNKNOWN: Yes. Some have collapsed and died and I think that was the -- the harsh weather condition.

MADOWO: Because of the heat.

UNKNOWN: Because of the heat, very limited (inaudible).

MADOWO: Last month, the Qatar World Cup chief acknowledged that 400 to 500 migrant workers have died on projects connected to the tournament. As the World Cup got underway, some black migrant workers have taken on highly visible roles in a country where they were often invisible. Part of the workforce but not for society.

Kenyan traffic officer Dennis Kamal (ph) handing out red and yellow cards, and detains fans and have attracted global media attention. And 23 year old Kenyan (inaudible) has become a viral megastar as "Metro Guy", organizers even brought him out to address fans before the England-USA game. Advocates for migrant workers dismissed these as isolated cases and empty PR that hide a dark, explorative work environment.

MALCOM BIDALI, CO-FOUNDER OF MIGRANT DEFENDERS: As we speak, we still don't have people getting paid. People are still living in cramped conditions. We have to go still facing physical, verbal assault, discrimination, long working hours, working conditions, horrible working conditions.

MADOWO: Malcom Bidali was a security guard in Qatar but says he was detained for advocating for migrant workers rights.

BIDALI: I am very worried and scared and concerned when the World Cup ends, because like all the media, you know, spotlight and everything else will, you know, shift. And we will wait for the next big thing.

MADOWO: Qatar says that if this man told the previous restrictive migrant labor system, which has been criticized across the gulf for exploiting foreign workers from Africa and South Asia, and taking away their passports. But critics say the reality has not changed, Geoffrey Owino was a safety inspector at Lusail Stadium who believes he too was deported from Qatar for speaking up for migrant workers. The African migrant workers complain of exploitation, despite all these changes Qatar says it's put in place.

GEOFFREY OWINO, FORMER MIGRANT WORKER IN QATAR: On (inaudible) the lows are very good but the implementation and goodwill from the government of Qatar is the problem. That's why (inaudible) will continue complaining until the framework of a robust justice system is put in place. Where by the letters of these laws against migrant workers are punished.

MADOWO: Geoffrey says he receives complaints and distress calls from migrant work is all over the gulf, desperate to return home.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

MADOWO: Fred, the Qatar World Cup chief executive has been criticized for saying that is a natural part of life, after responding that way to the death of a migrant during the tournament. They're now two migrants that have died since the tournament began. That's another reason why some human rights (inaudible) are calling on FIFA to set up a migrant compensation fund to take full account of the injuries and deaths and unpaid wages that happened to deliver this World Cup and during the tournament. Whether or not that will happen is not something FIFA or Qatar is committing to at this time. Fred.

WHITFIELD: Larry Madowo, thank you so much for -- for bringing this to the world's attention. And as the World Cup winds down in Qatar, Russian attacks have not dulled Ukraine's passion for futbol. Kyiv has just hosted a youth soccer tournament and as CNN's Will Ripley reports, some of the players have their own World Cup ambitions.

(BEGIN VIDEO TAPE)

WILL RIPLEY, CNN CORRESPONDENT: In Ukraine, ferocious fighting, not just on the frontlines but the futbol field. This youth tournament in Kyiv has 30 teams from all over Ukraine, including areas battered by regular Russian attacks.

UNKNOWN TRANSLATED: They've been training this whole time says this dad from Bonito in eastern Ukraine. They go to the bomb shelter when there's an air raid siren but then they keep training.

RIPLEY: Tournament organizers say, the fact it's even happening this year is a victory.

UNKNOWN TRANSLATED: I was so worried about the tournament, he said. Today's the final. Our mission is to give these kids back their childhood.

[11:50:08]

RIPLEY: Getting those kids to Kyiv from some Ukraine's hardest hit areas, a huge logistical challenge. Not to mention keeping players and parents safe. Did you hear the explosion?

UNKNOWN: Yes, of course. We all wake up.

RIPLEY: Wednesday's Russian drone strike on Kyiv, scattered wreckage all over their futbol training center. When Ukrainian air defense shot the drones down.

UNKNOWN: Ukraine's it's about the brave of people.

RIPLEY: Bravery on and off the battlefield. Eleven year old Igor (ph) from Kyiv says his dream is to be on the national team and go to the World Cup. This may not be the World Cup, but for these families it's a fight for the future of Ukrainian futbol. A fight for the future of Ukraine.

UNKNOWN TRANSLATED: This is my motherland.

RIPLEY: Says 11 year old Pavlo (ph). He's from Bonito, this year's tournament champions. As for the war, every Ukrainian here agrees they're playing for the winning team. Will Ripley, CNN, Kyiv, Ukraine.

(END VIDEO TAPE)

WHITFIELD: And South Korean officials say the launch of two mid-range ballistic missiles by North Korea is a serious provocation. Military officials in Seoul say the missile flew around 310 miles before falling into the water between the Korean Peninsula and Japan.

It has been a record year of launches by Kim Jung-Un's reclusive regime, which has now carried out 35 missile tests this year. And this quick programming note, an all new, "This is Life with Lisa Ling" explores how the pandemic pushed casual drinking into the disease of addiction. "This is Life with Lisa Ling" tonight at 9pm right here on CNN. We'll be right back.

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[11:55:10]

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WHITFIELD: All right, the NFL had one of it's wildest days of football on Saturday. Did you see it? If not, here's CNN's Coy Wire.

COY WIRE, CNN SPORTS ANCHOR: Fred, the Vikings, they're playing at home, down 33 to zip at halftime, and you probably wouldn't blame the fans who decided to leave early. But they're probably having a big bowl of regrets for breakfast this morning, don't ever count out quarterback Kirk Cousins, the three time Pro Bowler leading the Vikings with four 2nd half touchdown passes, including this 64 yarder with just over two minutes to go. This one though, all Dalvin Cook, somehow, someway, tying the game at 36 forcing overtime after converting a two point conversion as well.

And in overtime, Greg Joseph would have a chance a kicking the game winning field goal, Minnesota down 33-0 to the Colts, pull off the biggest comeback in NFL history. Previous record was 32 points, Buffalo Bills with Frank Riech at quarterback beating the Oilers in '92. Reich was head coach of the Colts earlier this season but was fired. Vikings win 39-36, clinching their first NFC North title since 2017, and Cousins didn't even know they'd made history.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

KIRK COUSINS: We just pulled off the biggest comeback in NFL history, OK. I need a second Tom (ph). How did we do it? Team. You know, it was -- it was an ugly first half but found a way. There was belief. Patrick Peterson said, all we need is five touchdowns. I thought he was being sarcastic.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WIRE: The Miami Dolphins having to travel to Buffalo and baby it's cold outside. Fans making snow fans for their high power Bills and at one point officials had to stop the game to tell fans to stop throwing snowballs, saying there would be a 15 yard penalty on Buffalo for any players that were hit. The fans cooled down but Bills quarterback Josh Allen kept heating up. Down eight with nine minutes to go, he throws his fourth touchdown or the game hitting Dawson Knox-Allen who also led the team with 77 yards rushing, then goes Superman.

Over the top for the two point conversion, tying the game at 29, and the Bills get the ball back. The linemen clearing away the snow for kicker Tyler Bass, two seconds left and from 25 yards out, it's lights out Dolphins. The game winning field goal as time expires. It's sledding time, snow angels and everything. Bills win 32-29. Hey Jordon Poyer, how'd you like that snowball fight?

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JORDON POYER: I've never heard the announcer say please listen to Josh Allen, stop throwing snowballs on the field. I did get hit in the back with a snowball. There was-- it was all crazy but I mean, what are you going to do? They're out there having fun. We're trying to put on a show. It was electric, especially when the snow started coming down and then obviously T-Bass going in for the game winner. It was awesome.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WIRE: The Bills earn their fourth straight playoff berth, poised for a Super Bowl run and as a former Bills player, yes, Fred. I'm a little biased. They say that the games that they remember are played in December and that was a good one.

WHITFIELD: Oh, go Coy, go Bills forever. Right? But the fans were on fire and the snow not allowed. All right. Thank you so much. All right. Finally this hour, a not so merry holiday for one Arizona driver, during a busy morning rush hour last week, police spotted something curious in a car driving in the HOV lane. Turned out it was this guy, right there. The passenger was an inflatable Grinch.

[12:00:10]