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Extreme Winter Weather; More Than 1,800 Flights Canceled So Far Today; Arctic Chill Creating Dangerous Conditions For Millions; Jan. 6 Committee Report: Trump Was "Central Cause" Of Riot; Migrants At Border Have Trouble Finding Shelter Amid Bitter Cold; CDC: Invasive Strep A Infections May Be On the Rise; Christmas Cheer: Santas To Represent Everyone. Aired 11a-12p ET

Aired December 24, 2022 - 11:00   ET

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

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[11:00:41]

SARA SIDNER, CNN ANCHOR: Top of a new hour for us. I'm Sara Sidner, in for Fredricka Whitfield. Thanks for joining us on this Christmas Eve.

A winter wallop leaving millions of Americans out in the cold this holiday weekend, some enduring their coldest Christmas in decades.

Right now more than 100 million people are under windchill alerts. The arctic blast is extending from Montana all the way down to Florida. Some areas in the Midwest are dipping into the negative 30s. Yes -- I said negative 30s.

New York state police are warning people to stay off the roads amid white out conditions. They say search and rescue is moving extremely slowly due to the blizzard. The bitter cold proving really dangerous. At least 15 people have lost their lives across the country so far.

In Ohio, icy roads are being blamed for a 50-car pileup. You are looking at it there -- devastating.

In North Carolina and Tennessee, places that aren't used to this kind of cold, power companies are running short, rolling blackouts to keep up with unusually high energy demand. More than 1.6 million customers are now without power nationwide due to this weather.

And the icy cold is adding to the frustrations for travelers, as you might imagine. This is a busy holiday weekend. More than 1,800 flights have already been canceled and that's just today alone. That's more -- that's on top of the more than 5,900 canceled just yesterday.

CNN's Polo Sandoval is out there again, struggling and suffering through this absolutely insanely cold weather in Buffalo, New York where things still look pretty darn bad, Polo.

POLO SANDOVAL, CNN CORRESPONDENT: It doesn't get any better, at least not right now, Sara. There is hope that there could be an improvement in the forecast come tomorrow. But for now, the key is for people to shelter in place. And we need to be clear with our viewers. That's exactly what we are

doing as a team. We are actually sheltering in our hotel. We'll pop out every hour to be able to show you the conditions that authorities are hoping people avoid.

And that's the only reason why I am able to stand on the street here in downtown Buffalo is because we have not seen much traffic on this particular street.

However, we heard from county officials earlier this morning clearly frustrated saying that it seems that people are still violating the driving and the travel ban that's in place here in the Buffalo area, throughout Erie County, basically prohibiting any kind of nonessential, non-emergency travel.

The reason being is that about two-thirds, as of last check, of emergency vehicles here in Erie County are still stuck. They're still stuck in the snow and because of that there are little to no emergency services in cities like Buffalo and surrounding townships as well because they cannot promise that if somebody suffers a medical condition in their home that they will be able to get to them.

And so what they are in the process of doing right now is taking advantage of the fact that a snow band seems to have shifted slightly north. So this is actually a slight improvement. They are able to clear out some of the streets and highways. But that one lane they want to dedicate that to emergency vehicles, not to people who want to make it out to their grandmother's house for Christmas, Sara.

SIDNER: It is really, really -- the cold looks awful out there. Please get inside. And again, thank you to the crew out there. Everybody stay safe.

We are telling everyone to stay out of the cold, and here Polo Sandoval is just working his butt off in the cold. We appreciate you, Polo.

SANDOVAL: Thank you, Sara. Appreciate it.

SIDNER: The freezing temperatures are only adding to what is traditionally one of the busiest travel times of the year.

CNN's Carlos Suarez is live at Hartsfield-Jackson Airport in Atlanta, the busiest airport on earth. Carlos, what's happening out there today?

CARLOS SUAREZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well Sara, there really isn't much of a line at security. There is not much of a line at the ticket counters. This is kind of how the airport is at this hour.

The one place that you are going to find a number of folks that have lined up, the rebooking counter. That's because as of this morning, 144 flights out of Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport have been canceled because of this cold weather.

[11:04:50] SUAREZ: Much of the cancellations are for flights that were heading toward Illinois, upstate New York as well as Texas and even out into the West Coast. There was one flight out to California that was also canceled.

The numbers across the country, they are not a whole lot better. We are nearing the 2,000 mark when it comes to the number of flights across the U.S. Canceled. Well over 2,000 flights have been delayed.

It does seem, however though, that after this morning's rush from folks that were trying to get out that at least here at the airport things are slowing down a bit.

We did catch up with a number of passengers who told us they understood what was happening. A lot of this is beyond the control of the airlines. They are just trying to make whatever plans they can in hopes of getting home for the holidays. Here's what a few folks told us.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

COLLIN HENSLEY, STRANDED TRAVELER: I hope so. Like I thought I was last night, but the weather had other plans. So I guess we'll find out today.

BROOKE JORGENSON, STRANDED TRAVELER: We have a bunch of stuff going on. Family and friends are waiting for us to be home. Yes.

We are going to have to stay here, yes. I don't think there is really any. All of the flights, too keep getting canceled. So it's just been our situation, four canceled flights later.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SUAREZ: Brooke there, the woman that you heard at the end there, she was enjoying a vacation on the Caribbean. She was making her way up to the northeast. Her flight has been canceled. She's probably going to end up staying at a Marriott here in Atlanta.

But all be told, everyone seems to be in pretty good spirits considering however as the day progresses and we start seeing more flights being canceled and delayed or it really does depend on where folks are flying, whether or not they're going to be able to get back home in time, Sara.

SIDNER: Carlos Suarez, it looks like people are listening to authorities. The line isn't that long there. And in Atlanta, the line is always long. There is always so many people. I appreciate you coming on.

Millions are experiencing bitter cold that they've rarely felt before, if ever, bringing with it extremely dangerous conditions. That can lead to frostbite, hypothermia, and even sadly, death. So it's very important to plan for this kind of cold.

CNN's chief medical correspondent Elizabeth Cohen gives you all the details you need to know.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ELIZABETH COHEN, CNN SENIOR MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT: As extreme cold grips much of the nation, here's what you need to know to keep you and your family safe and healthy.

First, know that infants and the elderly are most at risk in the cold weather. They just aren't able to maintain body temperatures the way other people can.

Also cold weather puts stress on the heart, so people with heart disease are also vulnerable right now.

Also cold weather aggravates asthma and other lung diseases. So even if you have asthma and you have it under control, remember the cold can make it worse. Make sure your medication is close at hand.

So here are a couple of tips on what you can do. First of all, dress infants warmly, dress them more warmly, for example, than you would dress yourself.

Check in on the elderly. If you know an elderly couple, check in on them. Make sure their heat is working. Make sure they are doing ok.

Also, I know this is disappointing, but avoid alcohol and caffeine. Alcohol and caffeine, those drinks might be nice and warm and toasty, but they can also inhibit your body's ability to deal with the cold.

Back to you.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

SIDNER: All good advice. Elizabeth Cohen, thank you.

Let's head over to meteorologist Allison Chinchar in the CNN Weather Center for a check on these extreme conditions that are happening across the nation. Although Allison, I noticed that California has gotten out of this. And I have to say I was just there two days ago. It was 70 degrees in Inglewood. What's the deal?

ALLISON CHINCHAR, CNN METEOROLOGIST: It's really -- I know. It's really truly one of the only warm spots on the map maybe outside of Hawaii.

But that will be changing. I promise. We are going to start to see temperatures begin to rebound. But yes, for today you have still got that frigid cold air and some lake-effect snow, especially right there across portions of the Northeast and the Midwest.

Winds still whipping 30 miles per hour sustained in Buffalo, gusting up to 46, even St. Louis sustained winds of 23 miles per hour.

Again, the problem is it's taking that snow that's coming down and blowing it across the roadways, reducing the visibility. Making travel even more treacherous than it already is with the cold temperatures. You've got the snow coming down right now across portions of Michigan,

areas of northeast Ohio, same thing for upstate New York.

This is a live look at Watertown, New York. You have got some cars coming out there. We have seen the snowplows from time to time trying to clear the roads but it's coming down to very heavy.

So again it's a lot of work for those snowplows to keep up with it and keep those roads as clear as possible.

Here is the thing. Most of these areas that are dealing with the lake- effect snow likely to pick up between two and six inches of additional snowfall. The exception to that will be areas right here along Lake Ontario and Lake Erie, where up to an additional 1 to 2 feet of snow is still possible on top of what they have already had.

[11:09:54]

CHINCHAR: Now, we talked about the good news. Let's focus on that. Temperatures will start to warm for cities like Denver, Dallas and New Orleans beginning today. Your temperatures will finally rebound back above the freezing mark.

Other cities, say like Atlanta, Cincinnati, New York, it's likely going to be next week before we see those temperatures get back above the freezing mark, but they will.

And in fact, as that cold air retreats, not only do temperatures warm- up, they actually get above average for so many people by the time we get to Wednesday, Thursday and Friday.

However, they are not there yet in some spots, which means any of the snow that fell is likely going to stick around for a white Christmas for many folks.

We also have a new system that will be bringing additional snowfall on Christmas day across areas of the Midwest. So Fargo looking at some snow showers with a high temperature of 3 degrees. Chicago mostly sunny starting to see some of those clouds filter in, in the back half of the day with a high temperature of 14.

But Atlanta, take a look at that, finally getting the temperature back above the freezing mark barely, but it's there starting tomorrow.

SIDNER: All right. Thank you so much, Allison Chinchar. Appreciate you.

Still ahead, after 18 months of investigation and stunning witness testimony, the January 6th committee released its final report and they make the damning case that the insurrection can be blamed really on just one person, former President Donald Trump. We'll break down their findings in an 845-page document next.

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SIDNER: The House January 6th Committee has now released its final report on the riot at the Capitol and places the blame for the insurrection squarely on one person, Donald Trump.

The panel's 800-plus page document comes after nearly 18 months of interviews and investigative work as the committee probed efforts by the former president to overturn the 2020 election.

CNN's Jessica Schneider has the details on this historic report.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

DONALD TRUMP, FORMER PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: And we fight. We fight like hell.

JESSICA SCHNEIDER, CNN JUSTICE CORRESPONDENT: The January 6th committee leaving no doubt that former president Donald Trump was the one singularly responsible for the attack on the Capitol.

[11:14:57[

SCHNEIDER: The 845-page report saying none of the events of January 6th would have happened without him, drawing a clear line between Trump's election denials and the violence that unfolded that day.

After sending four criminal referrals for Trump to the Justice Department, the committee is also recommending that he is barred from holding government office ever again, zeroing in on a section of the constitution that says any officeholder who engaged in an insurrection can be disqualified from serving again.

REP. LIZ CHENEY (R-WY): No man who would behave that way at that moment in time can ever serve in any position of authority in our nation again. He is unfit for any office.

SCHNEIDER: House investigators say Trump and his inner circle engaged in at least 200 attempts to pressure state officials to overturn the results, including this call with Georgia's secretary of state.

TRUMP: I just want to find 11,780 votes which is one more than we have, because we won the state.

SCHNEIDER: The report also highlighting other key players in the alleged conspiracy, identifying pro-Trump lawyer Kenneth Chesebro as the architect of the fake electors' plot and a 23-minute call between Trump and attorney John Eastman as the genesis of the pressure campaign against Vice President Mike Pence.

TRUMP: If Mike Pence does the right thing, we win the election.

SCHNEIDER: This leading the committee to recommend an overhaul of the 1887 Electoral Count Act that is close to becoming a reality as the House and Senate have each passed their own reform bills.

But back in 2020, Trump did not agree with every outlandish theories his team prevented.

SIDNEY POWELL, ATTORNEY FOR DONALD TRUMP: The massive influence of communist money through Venezuela, Cuba and likely China in the interference with our elections here in the United States.

SCHNEIDER: When Sidney Powell repeated these conspiracy theories in a phone call to Trump, White House aide Hope Hicks told the committee the president muted his speakerphone and laughed at Powell, telling the others in the room, "This does sound crazy, doesn't it?"

The committee also laying out Trump's failure to act for 187 minutes during the riot, writing, "President Trump did not contact a single top national security official during the day."

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Mr. President.

SCHNEIDER: Trump responding to the report, calling it a witch hunt. And today he is still falsely claiming he won the 2020 election.

The committee's work is facially wrapped up. But we will see more in the coming days. The committee plans to release additional transcripts from their 1,000-witness interviews before the end of the year.

But then we should really see things ramp up in terms of criminal investigations. The Fulton County Georgia D.A. is deep into her investigation of election interference. And special counsel, Jack Smith, of course, has issued a flurry of subpoenas in recent weeks.

Jessica Schneider, CNN -- Washington.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

SIDNER: Thank you to our Jessica Schneider there.

Let's bring in former federal prosecutor Michael Zeldin. This report is, for lack of a better word, thick. It is huge and we've seen a lot of it. But there are some new revelations.

I do want to first ask you about the most impactful revelation. And that is the decision that Donald Trump, they believe, should never be able to hold public office again.

But this is not a group of people who have enforcement powers. How would that even be enforced?

MICHAEL ZELDIN, FORMER FEDERAL PROSECUTOR: Well, it's not clear because it's never really been enforced since the Civil War when the confederate defectors engaged in insurrection were precluded from participating and then I think they were pardoned.

The question would be whether the House will or the Senate would allow them to sit if they were elected or whether or not they could be withheld from being on ballots by various states.

There's really no clear mechanisms there for allowing this to go forward and we'd have to see if they try to enforce it, how it would be enforced. We just don't know yet.

SIDNER: And yet, you know, felons are, when they come out of prison, often cannot vote in many states, that is changing a bit. Would it have to be something DOJ goes after Donald Trump for a felony and he is convicted of that? That would be sort of the only way that we know that would keep him from voting?

ZELDIN: Well, if --

SIDNER: Or running.

ZELDIN: -- he was convicted then -- if he was a convicted felon in certain states, he couldn't vote. But if he was a convicted felon, I think there is a possibility he can still run for office. I haven't seen prohibitions about running for office as a convicted felon, just you can't vote for yourself.

So all of this stuff about precluding him from running is a state by state issue. I don't know that there is a real federal enforcement mechanism in place. But we're a long way from that, in any event.

[11:19:54]

SIDNER: Can I ask you about what this means for the DOJ and its look into this -- this new special prosecutor. Does this help them quite a bit? I know they have been looking for these documents and these transcripts. Does this help them with their case?

ZELDIN: Well, there is a lot of information in the report and there is a lot of, which are allegations, essentially. And then the transcripts will be direct testimony by the witnesses who they interviewed. All of that stuff will be transported over to DOJ and the DOJ lawyers will start looking at it to see what gaps it fills in in respect to the information that they are gathering through their own grand jury.

And then combination of what they are gathering through their grand jury and what the committee gathered through its depositions will then form the basis for a decision whether or not there is an indictable case.

SIDNER: Let me ask you about some of the other people who recommendations were made against to basically stop another attack on the from have ever happening again or attack on our voting system. They lay some of the blame directly on the former president's feet. and I'm going to read what they say.

"The central cause of January 6th was one man, former president Donald Trump, who many others followed. None of the events on January 6th would have happened without him." That is what the committee found.

But there are other people, there are attorneys that were brought up in this, Rudy Giuliani, conservative attorney John Eastman and Kenneth Chesebro. They were recommended to be held accountable for this. What kind of discipline could they face? Or do you think they will face any discipline?

ZELDIN: Well, the committee has alleged essentially a conspiracy, a multipart conspiracy to obstruct the investigation and to defraud the United States and lie in perpetuation of that. And these lawyers are co-conspirators with Donald Trump according to the committee. So they could be criminally prosecuted for conspiring with Donald

Trump to do all of these things and then because they are lawyers they all would face disciplinary action potentially in their state bar, you know, in their state bars. So there could be loss of license and they could be prosecuted.

SIDNER: They could be disbarred is what you're saying. That's one of the things that could happen going forward, and also prosecuted?

ZELDIN: Exactly. We saw that with Giuliani. His license has been is suspended in New York. He is pending disbarment in D.C. and he is under criminal inquiry for conspiracy.

SIDNER: It's a pretty incredible fall from grace being that he was named America's mayor during the 2001 September 11th attacks.

Michael Zeldin, thank you so much for joining us and breaking it down for us.

New York Governor Kathy Hochul is giving an update now on the state's response to the frigid temperatures. We're going to go ahead and listen in to her conversation with people.

(LIVE EVENT)

GOVERNOR KATHY HOCHUL (D-NY): -- Want an update on my hometown. Last night I had to bring in the National Guard. The conditions, the blinding snow, the zero visibility, absolute whiteouts -- it may go down as one of the worst in history.

People are comparing this to the dreaded blizzard of '77 where Buffalo first got its reputation for having an unprecedented amount of snow. We broke that record again a month ago.

So it's very clear to me that the effects of climate change are wreaking havoc everywhere from the streets of Queens with the flooding all the way up to the city of Buffalo.

But it is life-threatening what is going on as we speak in Buffalo, getting calls through the night from frightened neighbors where the temperature has been off for many, many hours in the course of the day, day and a half. Erie County,

And we still have statewide about 73,000 homes without power. Concentrating about 33,000 of those in Erie County, about seven in (INAUDIBLE) County, about 5,000 in Genesee County. That seems to be the epicenter of this storm that just doesn't seem to be moving on. It is concentrated there.

And so the National Guard had to come in to help with medical emergencies, people who cannot get to the hospital if necessary, to help doctors and nurses get to their jobs in hospitals and health care facilities, as well as helping our seniors who are stranded.

So we have had people stranded on the highways. I understand that the New York state freeway, which remains closed in the western part of the region. We had over 20 people stranded in a very small stretch up until a short time ago, as well as several hundred who have been stranded on various roads throughout the region.

What happens in those circumstance, people literally trapped in their cars overnight. Fortunately, our state police were able to make contact with every single individual and we literally had snowplows going up to the vehicles and rescuing people, taking them out and getting them into warming centers because it is absolutely dangerous anyone to be out on the roads and that includes our emergency vehicles.

[11:24:48]

HOCHUL: So our National Guard, our first responders, our ambulances, our fire trucks are all getting stuck in the snow as well. In fact, almost every fire truck in the city of Buffalo is stranded. It is stuck in snow and we are just getting through releasing about 14 or so ambulances that were stuck as well.

So you can imagine what's going on here. People who need help are being trapped because they cannot get the emergency response because it's unsafe to be out there.

So we have search and rescue operations continuing throughout the region. And the basic message is, we are going to continue to keep warming centers open, encourage people to stay home. Roads are closed throughout western New York and will be probably through Christmas Day.

And it's really sad for all the individuals who have not been able to see family members. Airport delays and not able to be driving because of the driving bans. But it is more important that people stay safe. You will have your holiday with your loved ones over New Year's and into the next year. But this is a weekend where it is absolutely dangerous in some parts of our state, particularly the western part, to be out there. So we want to encourage people to stay where they are.

In addition to having a statewide emergency declaration, I'll be asking the federal government for a declaration of emergency that will allow us to seek reimbursements for the extraordinary expenses of all the overtime and the fact that we brought in mutual aid from other parts of the state.

We deployed individuals, whether it's the utility crews who have come but also making sure that we have all vehicles we need. But literally they cannot get through right now, no matter how many emergency vehicles we have. They just can't get through the conditions as we speak.

So that is what is happening in other parts of the state. At this point I'm asking Kathryn Garcia (ph), the head of statewide operations, who has been embedded with all of us at our command centers monitoring what's going on --

(END OF LIVE EVENT) SIDNER: All right. You were listening to the governor of New York there. She talks about 73,000 people are still without power. The hardest hit area is the Buffalo area, upstate New York. They are getting pounded.

We have been seeing Polo Sandoval out there. The conditions are truly dangerous. And so she was just mentioning again not to go out in it. People are stranded. Hundreds stranded still in their cars.

And she has called in the National Guard to try and help with this basically blinding gusts to try to get people, for example, try to get doctors and nurses to the hospitals. I mean, that's how bad it is. So be really, really careful out there.

Just a few minutes out there and it is literally has the ability so- called to freeze you. So be careful out there and really take heed. If you can stay indoors, do it.

Now, during this time with these terrible temperatures, thousands of migrants are gathering on the U.S./Mexico border. There is a crisis there and CNN is talking to one couple about their harrowing journey and why they are so determined to enter the U.S. legally. Their story is coming up next.

[11:27:40]

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

SIDNER: The bitter cold is descending all the way down to the southern border where thousands of migrants are outside in the frigid temperatures because they are having difficulty finding shelter there.

El Paso has opened government-run shelters at its convention center, at hotels and several of the unused school buildings there. But those shelters do not accept migrants who don't have documentation from Customs and Border Protection. That is the law.

CNN's Camila Bernal is in El Paso for us today.

Camila, can you tell us what's happening there at this hour? We see that there is a lot of people that have come out since last hour as the sun rises there.

CAMILA BERNAL, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Hey Sara, yes. So what happens is that a lot of the migrants are inside of the shelter during the night, but they are told to come outside during the day. So you're seeing the families, you're seeing the women, you're seeing the children -- they are just hanging out in groups trying to do anything they can to stay warm and really to stay positive because it is Christmas Eve so it's especially difficult for these families.

I talked to one man just a couple of minutes ago who told me you know, I'd rather not think about it because my loved ones are in Venezuela.

the one thing though that we are seeing is more and more locals coming out to bring food, to bring clothes. I want to show you some of what's going on here.

There's a family here from El Paso. They brought burritos and they brought hot chocolate. And I asked the lady, you know, why was she here. She told me, look, it's Christmas Eve and I just want to be here. I want to share the love because she told me I am blessed and I want to bless all of these migrants as well.

The bus is here. This is just stationed here. and a lot of people are able to come in, warm up, and then get out. So it's a little bit of a relief for a lot of the migrants that have been out here all day and all night because they could get warm for a little bit inside of there.

If you come follow me over here, of course, more of the migrants you see sort of the blankets and everything they have to spend the night and to try to keep warm.

But we are also seeing a lot of donations being dropped off. So all of this is donations that the locals bring. And so the migrants sort of look through the clothes, look to see what fits, and then they start using it.

But again you are seeing more and more locals coming. Here is another group who came to bring something warm and some bundle of pan dulce, bakery items. So again, just people thinking about the less needy during Christmas. People thinking about what it's going to be like to spend the night here.

There is Christmas mass tonight. Some of the migrants telling me, you know, if there is mass, I am going to go it because, of course, they have nothing else to do. But all of them telling me that it's been difficult, that they are praying and that they really see themselves staying here.

That's really their hope and their dream and that's what they are hoping will happen over the next couple of days. They're hoping to go find either family members or somewhere they can stay.

Their plan is not to stay here. They are hoping to find something more permanent. But as of now, it is very difficult for a lot of them, Sara.

SIDNER: It is really incredible to see the outpouring with all of the fighting that happens in the political realm over immigration, the local people there stepping up and trying to help out, noticing that it's humanity, it's human beings that are dealing with this crisis.

Thank you so much, Camila Bernal. And nothing says Christmas like pan dulce. I appreciate you.

BERNAL: Thank you.

SIDNER: For the migrants who are waiting in line, this is the final step in a very long, very dangerous ordeal.

CNN's David Culver spoke to some Venezuelan migrants who are stuck at the southern border.

[11:34:48]

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

DAVID CULVER, CNN CORRESPONDENT: There are those who cross illegally -- streams of people every day, every hour. And then there are those who watch, wait and face the unknown.

Here in Ciudad Juarez, this is what the U.S. looks like for Yulexi Fernandez (ph) and Lucy Bastilas (ph).

"We're not criminals. We're good people," they stress. The two met while serving in the Venezuelan military. In October they started their trek north, fleeing political turmoil, hiking through jungles, rafting murky waters, riding a train from on top.

So close to their final destination until policy and this halt their journey.

Before sunrise Tuesday, we watch as Texas law enforcement mobilize, sealing off this popular access point to American soil, one of the state's efforts to stop the flow of migrants. But it only reroutes them a short distance down river, creating a new bottleneck for illegal crossings and a tense standoff.

The setting sun ushers in freezing temperatures. By nightfall, migrants settle in on the U.S. side of the river, building campfires to keep warm. Hours later, some rush another border entry point about a mile away.

Under Title 42, they can still be immediately expelled on the grounds of COVID prevention. Lucy and Yulexi determined to enter legally.

She wants to do it the right way, she tells me, and knows exactly where she wants to go. Far from their Big Apple dreams, unable to return home, stuck in international purgatory.

"I am here with my partner," she says, discriminated against, they say, because they're migrants, they're women and they are a couple. To be safe, they avoid public displays of affection and travel in groups.

Another reason they want to get to the other side, when we're there, we're going to help all of our families, she says. The very mention of family triggers emotions Lucy has carried since leaving Venezuela. Lucy, missing her mom and siblings; Yulexi, her ten-year-old daughter.

We hurry across traffic about a half mile from where we first met the couple and arrived at this local shelter. With nowhere else to go, families line up, hoping to escape the freezing cold.

Lucy and Yulexi among the fortunate. This is home, at least for now. We meet some of their new friends, fellow migrants from all backgrounds.

And how many people altogether are usually in here at night? ELIAS RODRIGUEZ, DIRECTOR, HOPE CENTER SHELDTER: Altogether, 135 has

been our greatest number. . We don't have the capacity for the demand.

CULVER: The church group that runs this shelter bolstered by locals donating their time and food. And much like border cities in the U.S., Ciudad Juarez is feeling the strain from this migration surge.

"The city has always been very generous to migrants, but in this case, with so many people, it's difficult. The city is not prepared for this influx," he says.

Back in the shelter, Yulexi struggles with having left her daughter behind, telling me, "I don't know when I can give her my love again because right now, I'm just trying to provide for her."

Lucy saying the hardest part in this moment right now is being so close and not being able to cross. But echoing from their phone, a familiar song that chronicles a migrant's journey brings back smiles and hope.

"We're going to make it, we're going to make it," she says.

And it's precisely because of Title 42 that Yulexi and Lucy want to avoid doing what the migrants you see behind me are doing. Thousands of them, turning themselves in to U.S. Customs Border Patrol, so as to seek asylum, officially.

But the problem that they would face under Title 42 is that as soon as they enter, they risk being deported to places much farther, and much more dangerous.

David Culver, CNN -- Ciudad Juarez, Mexico.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

SIDNER: And now to the daughter of Brazilian footballer Pele. He is a legend as we all know. She shared a moving picture of her and her father in the hospital.

In the photo she is embracing Pele as he lies on a hospital bed in Sao Paulo. And she captioned it, "one more night together".

Doctors say the 82-year-old's cancer is progressing and he will now require greater care. His daughter says he will remain in the hospital over Christmas.

Pele is one of the greatest, if not the greatest soccer player ever. He led Brazil to three World Cup championships and scored more than 1,200 goals in his career.

[11:39:47]

SIDNER: Still to come, at the same time parents are dealing with a surge in pediatric RSV and flu and COVID cases, all at once a new advisory from the CDC warning of a rise of yet another infection. Details ahead. (COMMERCIAL BREAK)

SIDNER: This dangerously cold weather comes at a time parents are already facing growing health concerns for their children. The CDC says it is seeing what could be a surge in strep A infections, particularly among kids.

The concern being this could lead to more severe disease than your typical strep throat.

Let's bring in dr. Saju Mathew. He's a primary care physician and a public health specialist. He joins me now from Atlanta. Thank you so much for joining me at a time when I am sure it was a bit difficult to get to work because of the cold.

DR. SAJU MATHEW: It's cold here in Atlanta, 9 degrees, sara. I thought I was going to freeze in my car. So, I'm here.

SIDNER: It is not ok. But thank you for being here. Now, what can you tell us about what the CDC is saying right now?

DR. MATHEW: Yes, so, you know, the Group A strep infections that you mentioned right there in the open is not uncommon. The invasive Group A strep infections is also not uncommon. The problem is we are seeing a rise in these infections.

Now Group A strep is an infection that causes strep throat. I don't about you Sara, but I have had strep throat a couple of times. It's very painful. But the good news is you have antibiotics that can actually treat that infection.

However, if you get a respiratory infection like the flu or skin infection, the same bacteria can seep into your bloodstream. It can even cause a really bad infection called necrotizing fasciitis, which is a skin infection.

It is very rare though. I don't want to alarm parents but we are seeing a rise in these infections.

SIDNER: What does that do? Does it deaden the skin? What happens if you get that?

[11:44:52]

DR. MATHEW: Well, if you get necrotizing fasciitis, basically the supply - the blood supply to the skin is completely cut off and it can be fatal. I mean you could actually die from that. And if this infection seeps into the skin or the bloodstream, you can go into sepsis.

So both of these infections are fatal. But we think we are seeing a rise because we haven't really been exposed. A lot of us have been taking precautions for COVID in the last three months like wearing a mask, washing our hands frequently.

But now we have gone from COVID zero to COVID 100. People are out there living a pre-pandemic life and we are not really taking those same precautions of washing hands or getting vaccinated.

SIDNER: You know, we knew that we were going to have to live with this after probably the first year. We realized we would have to live with COVID being around similar to living with any other disease or the flu. But it has such a different effect on so many different people's bodies.

I do want to talk to you about something that you alluded to -- and that's a shortage of medications. There are common medications for children and adults that treat things like the flu and RSV. What is happening out there with the availability of the medicines that we all need regularly?

DR. MATHEW: Exactly. I think what happens is people panic. You know, we are seeing a rise in the flu cases and RSV four to six weeks earlier because of the reasons that I mentioned before. So what people are doing is they're stockpiling.

It's not necessarily that the manufactures aren't making enough. The problem is people are also hoarding these medicines. So I tell parents when I see kids, don't stockpile Tylenol and Motrin. Just make sure that you get enough for what you need.

And not every fever needs to be treated. Generally speaking, unless the fever is 102, you don't really have to treat a child every single time for a low-grade fever. And remember, fever is our natural body's response to fighting an infection.

SIDNER: Wow. What can you do? We're looking at empty shelves there that don't have things like Tylenol and other common medicines. What can you do if you can't get your hands on something like Tylenol? Is there anything else that you can use?

DR. MATHEW: Well, the problem is you know, even suppositories or the chewable forms, Sara, even those are becoming scarce. You know, you can't really get them on the shelves or order them online.

But this is what you can do. I mean there are so many other ways to control a fever. It's to make sure that the child is kept in a cooler space, maybe like an ice towel around the baby's body or throat. So there are other ways.

And again, like I said, if your child is active, feeding ok, you don't necessarily have to treat every infection. But if you have any questions, if you are worried about this infection, always make sure you seek care. Urgent cares are also open during the holiday weekend.

SIDNER: My best friend's grandmother for adults would always say just have a hot toddy, that will help cure your cold. It felt like it worked, I don't know.

DR. MATHEW: Absolutely. Yes. It works.

(CROSSTALK)

SIDNER: Can I ask you about what's happening -- can I ask you about what's happening with flu cases? We are seeing that the numbers are kind of easing across the United States in the past week.

Is there a reason for that? Or should we expect kind of a surge once everybody has gotten together for the holidays for Christmas, Hanukkah and the New Year?

DR. MATHEW: You know, I wouldn't pay too much attention to when cases plateau for the reasons that mentioned. Once a lot of people get together, it's usually the aftermath, that's when we actually see a surge in cases.

I mean where I live right here in Atlanta, flu cases are still going up in certain counties. I think ultimately, Sara, the bottom line is layering. I am not trying to convince everyone out there to get vaccinated, but remember we have layers this year that we didn't have last year. Vaccines, wearing a mask and I am also telling people traveling on planes, the most dangerous times is when you are boarding and right before you get off the aircraft. That's when the HEPA air filtration systems are not working as well.

But it's all about that layered approach and getting a COVID test before you meet the family to protect your grandmother, protect your grandfather.

SIDNER: Dr. Saju Mathew, I appreciate that. I am going to text my mom right now. She is headed here. I did not think about that, that before and after you get on and off the plane, that's the time because the filtration systems do work --

DR. MATHEW: That's right.

SIDNER: -- quite well on the planes. I appreciate you coming on and sharing all those details with us.

DR. MATHEW: They do.

SIDNER: Have a great Christmas.

DR. MATHEW: Feliz navidad.

SIDNER: Nothing says Christmas more than the magic of Santa. And up next we're going to introduce you to Jolly old Saint Nicks who are bringing diversity to this holiday season.

[11:49:44]

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SIDNER: Christmas is a time of joy and celebration. And now there's a big push to highlight the importance of diversity and inclusion during this festive holiday season.

CNN's Ryan Young has this lovely story.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

RYAN YOUNG, CNN CORRESPONDENT: What did you want Santa to bring you? UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I want Santa to bring me a monster truck.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Tell him just a couple of things.

YOUNG: Santa, one of the most joyful and instantly recognizable characters across the world. At malls across the country, some kids have noticed a different diverse set of Santas popping up.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Mommy, it's a black Santa.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Ho, ho, ho.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Children always ask me how can be a Santa of this color and a Santa of this color and then be a Santa of another color somewhere else.

And I always them Santa travels all over the world and so Santa relates to all communities and cultures.

YOUNG: This Santa looks different than a lot of Santas across the country --

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Yes. It is important for us to see ones that look like us. So that's why it was important for her to get those pictures.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We have diverse Santas and everything. We can get a Mexican Santa, Chinese, you know. When you can find a Santa you want, it makes you feel good about Christmas.

YOUNG: Does that matter do you think?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Sometimes for the kids, yes. Sometimes for the kids to see someone that looks like them that they are supposed to be getting presents from.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Merry Christmas.

YOUNG: One of the nation's largest Santa hiring service tells us the demand to hire diverse Santas is on the rise across the country.

MITCH ALLEN, OWNER AND HEAD ELF, HIRE SANTA: The demand for diversity through Santa Claus entertainer has really gone through the roof. We can't keep up.

We're able to let Santa look and sound like the children that he's speaking to.

[11:54:50]

YOUNG: Representation means so much to a lot of people.

Had you ever when you were a kid, met a Santa like yourself?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It wasn't a good experience for me. I have three sisters and one brother. All of them were (INAUDIBLE) -- you know, they were all very excited to see Santa. They're chatting. They're excited.

And you know, sometimes it's my turn and Santa just gives me this look. You know, it is flat, expressionless, he hands me a gift. And for me I felt deflated inside.

YOUNG: Santa Charles is one of the few Santas who is deaf and uses his tremendous personality to connect with kids who are too often left out.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You know, Santa is, you know, a magical experience for children. It's about bringing joy to their lives. It really means a lot to me.

YOUNG: These moments will last a lifetime for these families --

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Say cheese.

YOUNG: -- that will cherish these pictures which help enhance the magic of the season.

Do you sign merry Christmas.

Ryan Young, CNN -- Atlanta.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

SIDNER: I love that. Happy Christmas.

And we continue to watch cities across the country during this Christmas, unfortunately enduring the bitterest cold.

This is a live look at Chicago, the Windy City. Chicago is just 7 degrees at this hour. The wind chill, though, is making it feel like negative 15.

In neighboring Michigan the city of Constantin, it is 6 degrees but feels like negative 13. Look at that. That is beautiful but treacherous out there.

And if you thought the south was spared, you would be wrong. Hotlanta is freezing-lanta today where the snow team is working right now. It's just 14 degrees. The windchill is 2 below. That's not normal at all.

Just ahead, when we can expect a break -- some warmer temperatures.

We're back in a moment.

[11:57:00]

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