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Dangerous Cold Grips U.S. As Catastrophic Storm Persists; Migrants Can't Get Into Shelters Without Proper Documents; Biden Administration Offers To Release Tamiflu From Strategic National Stockpile; Taliban Leaders Ban Women From Attending Universities. Aired 2-3p ET

Aired December 25, 2022 - 14:00   ET

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

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[13:59:48]

PAULA REID, CNN HOST: Merry Christmas. You're live in the CNN NEWSROOM. I'm Paula Reid in Washington.

We begin this hour with that dangerous, extreme winter storm causing chaos on this Christmas day. Right now, freeze warnings remain in effect in several states. Blizzard conditions are pummeling states across the Great Lakes. The arctic blast now being blamed for at least 26 deaths since it began last week.

Conditions still poor in parts of upstate New York. Roads impassable in Erie County after days of snowfall. Governor Kathy Hochul detailing the urgent situation unfolding this morning on CNN.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

GOV. KATHY HOCHUL (D-NY): We have people that have not had power since Friday and we deployed recently 5,000 -- we have 7,000 utility crews ready to restore the power. But it has been impossible to get to many of the substations. But even when we get to the substations to be able to turn on the power, we find that there is now been structural damage and it is frozen. So those are the biggest challenges.

What is happening on still treacherous roads, trying to clear them, get to people in vehicles that are stranded, we've recovered many of them.

But also what is happening inside the homes, we have vulnerable senior citizens we're trying desperately to get to warmer places.

We restored power to 300,000 people. So I do want to point to those successes. However, there are still about 23,000 people in Buffalo. We've been literally just trying to plow the way to the stations, help them manage the restoration of power.

So we don't have an estimate. We did have power back on in a large part of the city. And then it went out again because the infrastructure was not able to withstand the storms around it. So that has been the challenge. So I am hoping in the next day but we can make no guarantees because

just when you think the day is getting brighter, Mother Nature comes back and wallops us once again.

We have enough people. We have enough trucks. We have enough SUVs and Humvees and snowmobiles. It's just they cannot move on our streets when they're clogged up with first of all abandoned vehicles blocking the roads. They all have to be individually towed and put somewhere else. Then the plows have to get through. Plows have gotten stuck. And then there's visibility issues.

So the federal government has offered all the assistance we need and we'll certainly be asking for them for help. But they can't change the weather on the ground right now and that's the most important thing we need right now. We need this to stop.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

REID: Meanwhile, the bitter cold icing over the Christmas celebrations in the Midwest, East Coast, and southeast this morning. Parts of the south seeing their coldest Christmas in decades.

And the cold conditions creating a nightmare scenario for travelers. More than 1,700 flights canceled again today following days of disruptions.

So let's begin in Buffalo, New York. CNN's Polo Sandoval is there, live. All right. Polo, how are rescue operations at this hour?

POLO SANDOVAL, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hard to believe they are still ongoing at this hour as well as the cleanup efforts as well to get any of that snow off the streets and highways. This is a look at the situation in downtown Buffalo.

You can see basically the fact that the temperature went up a little bit finally, the fact that the winds are at least measured, that means these trucks are able to get out finally and begin to clear the roads.

And it's not just what we're seeing here in downtown Buffalo, but the communities around it, too, Paula. You see this is a picture that is repeating itself in and around these communities where people have been stranded for days now.

And the problem is that many people are stuck inside without power. As we heard from New York Governor Kathy Hochul say in the last hour, there are still tens of thousands of people that are without power. They are stuck in their homes and in some cases the temperature in their home about 32 degrees if not colder.

So those are the folks that have really had it tough right now, not to mention the individuals that are stranded in the vehicles.

So those rescue operations are still ongoing right now. This morning we heard from one of the executives here in Erie County say that there are folks that have been stuck since Friday in vehicles and parking lots on the side of the road. The hope is that today they will probably get to as many as they can.

And then also sadly an update from officials now with the total number of storm-related deaths increasing by four -- a total of seven now. Some of those individuals were perhaps the most vulnerable, homeless individuals while others were found inside of some of those stranded cars. So it just gives you a sense of how deadly this weather was.

But there is some hope. The sun broke through the clouds today. Yes, we still get a snow band or two pass through the area. But at least it's clear.

And as you just saw yourself, along with the rest of our viewers, at least plow trucks are out trying to make the situation better to get into and also eventually out of some of these communities whenever that travel ban is lifted which is still in place.

REID: Good to see those trucks finally on the move.

Polo Sandoval, thank you.

[14:04:52]

REID: The situation still so urgent. Emergency services struggling to rescue those stuck in the cold in Erie County, New York. I spoke with the Erie County executive about that in just the last hour. Here's what he had to say.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MARK POLONCARZ, ERIE COUNTY, NEW YORK EXECUTIVE: For nearly 12 hours it was almost impossible to go anywhere in a vast majority of the community. This is an area that has approximately half a million residents between the city of Buffalo and some of our suburbs.

It was such that we had to pull emergency rescue vehicles off the roads. We had to send search and rescue teams, those that are trained for these very bad winter conditions to actually go and rescue first responders who went out to try to respond to emergency calls.

And so now we're getting to a point where we're trying to open up additional roads so that we can get to those individuals who may have had an emergency call that we haven't been able to get to.

And we're also working with national grid and New York State Electric and Gas to restore power to areas that have not had power for two days.

There are homes right now that we know are below 30 degrees because we're getting reports of pipes bursting from individuals who are in homes that unfortunately the temperature has gone below 32.

So what we're telling everybody is if you are in a home that doesn't have heat and it's been like that, make sure you have your water running. It doesn't have to be a strong amount of water, but you should have your water running so there is water going through the system and your pipes don't burst. And then we also -- we're trying to get the power back as quickly as possible. The biggest problem that national grid is dealing with is a number of their major substations that support the city of Buffalo not only were snowed in but were frozen, completely frozen, suffered serious damage of equipment. And it's still going to probably be 36 to 48 hours before they can get to a point where they're going to be able to restore power for those areas.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

REID: El Paso, Texas has also seen brutal temperatures below freezing. And that is impacting hundreds of migrants at the border. Without proper documentation, they can't make use of government run shelters and have been forced to sleep out in the cold.

CNN's Camila Bernal is following the story for us in El Paso.

All right, Camila. How are they doing after spending Christmas eve -- that evening was, of course, below freezing in temperature. What are you seeing there?

CAMILA BERNAL, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: I'm seeing positivity. I can tell you there are a lot of happy children despite very difficult circumstances. The locals have come throughout the morning to bring a lot of these children gifts.

There is even a Santa Claus that stopped by earlier this morning. So I certainly want to show you how difficult it is, but also what you're seeing in terms of the children. They have toys lined up. They have new things that they're playing with this morning.

And that's a little bit helpful when it comes to the mothers and the father who have told me, look, we would have never been able to afford these toys in Venezuela. You know, they're not expensive toys. But they're piling it up next to all of their blankets that they use overnight when it is (INAUDIBLE) -- was 20 degrees in the morning. That's what a lot of the migrants had to sleep out here in the streets.

And today they're just sort of hanging out in groups trying to celebrate as best as possible. I did talk to some locals also who brought burritos and told me we woke up early to make them because we felt so touched by all of this that we wanted to be here.

Now the federal government has given the city of El Paso about $10 million so far to help with all of these efforts. The problem is that a lot of these migrants cannot use the city shelters. And that is because if they don't have the proper documentation, they're not allowed to go into the convention shelters which, for example has space for about 1,000 people.

Only about 300 people are sleeping at the convention center every night. Instead, because these migrants they don't have the proper documentation, they're sleeping out here in the street.

And you're seeing a lot of them telling me that they're afraid. That they don't necessarily want to be here. They want to go where they have families and friends or a job opportunity. But, of course, they're waiting because a lot of them need money to get a bus fare they need to get to some of those area where they may receive some help or where they have a family or a friend.

A lot of them have gone through a lot. They say they left Venezuela, for example. One man telling me he left three months ago. And is here for his (INAUDIBLE).

When you talk to these migrants, they'll tell you that they're doing it for their children. That it is especially hard during Christmas as they go through all of these hardships, Paula.

REID: Camila Bernal, thank you.

And sadly, there are still so many in need across the U.S. as temperatures plummet. In Chicago, wind chills dipped down into the negative teens overnight, still dangerously cold there at this hour. And that's putting something of the city's most vulnerable at risk.

Joining us now is Erin Ryan. She's the interim director, president and CEO of The Night Ministry, a Chicago non-profit providing social services to the city's unhoused.

[14:09:51]

REID: Erin, thank you so much for joining us on this Christmas. This is, of course, incredibly cold weather. It's hung around your city for so many days now. How has that impacted your organization's ability to help people?

ERIN RYAN, PRESIDENT AND CEO OF THE NIGHT MINISTRY: Thank you. It's dangerous to be homeless any time of the year. Organizations like The Night Ministry work extra hard in extreme weather, heat and cold, to make sure people have what they need to survive.

In the days ahead of this Particular storm, our outreach teams worked to prepare folks who are unhoused by helping people access shelters. We gave out lots of warm winter gear, and make sure people knew their options and what to be prepared for in terms of wind, ice and snow.

People who are unhoused are often the first responders for each other. So it's important that we know what to look for in terms of the signs of frostbite and hypothermia.

REID: And what are the main dangers facing people when the weather drops like this? You just mentioned hypothermia. But what other kind of risks do they face?

RYAN: Yes. The Night Ministry operates street medicine programs and shelters for people living in Chicago who are unhoused. And during extreme cold like this, we're concerned about frostbite, dehydration, accidents, and hypothermia.

People who are unhoused are already at risk for more chronic health conditions as well such as asthma so the cold weather can exacerbate these illnesses.

Hypothermia can set in at temperatures as high as 50 degrees. And so prolonged exposure to this extreme cold and cold temperatures after your belongings get wet or your clothing get wet is even more dangerous.

The combination of the precipitation, the extreme cold, the ice, and the wind makes this situation even more potentially deadly.

And then I also want to mention that we're also very concerned about the epidemic of loneliness this time of year which makes human connections with others who care even more important.

So that's why it's important that our teams go out and connect with people before, during, and after the storm and let people know that we're here for them and we care about their well-being.

REID: Your organization also offers a youth housing program. How has that been impacted by this extreme cold?

RYAN: Yes. In our shelters, we provide transitional shelter and emergency overnight shelter for young people ages 14 through 24. We have expanded our hours and in some cases our capacity to serve a few more people.

City shelters are expanding capacity as they are able although we're still concerned about COVID and other communicable diseases as well as understaffing that many industries are facing.

But in our shelters, we're doing our best to make sure that we have celebrations planned, gifts for our residents and special meals oftentimes delivered or prepared by our volunteer community which is wonderful to see that support from the community and from local congregations to come out and help make this day special for the young people.

REID: And to that point, if viewers are watching and they want to help, how can they donate? What sort of supplies or other items are most in need for you at this moment?

RYAN: Yes. We keep an updated wish list on our Web site which is www.thenightministry.org. We also -- you can connect with us or any local organization in your town to see what is most in need. It does fluctuate as the seasons go by.

And I do want to say as well that if there is someone in your community that you're concerned about, their well-being, most cities have a non-emergency 311 line and you should always call and ask for a well-being check on those folks if you see someone outside at risk.

But yes, any support is necessary -- is welcome and we'll be put to good use during this time of year.

REID: Erin Ryan, thank you.

RYAN: You're welcome. Thank you. REID: President Joe Biden is spending Christmas day at the White

House. And CNN's Jeremy Diamond is live right there.

Jeremy, what is on President Biden's Christmas day agenda?

JEREMY DIAMOND, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Well, Paula, it's a pretty quiet Christmas Day here for the President and the first lady. They are celebrating here together with their family. We know that yesterday, they spent some of the day decorating their Christmas tree. And then they had a Christmas eve mass followed by a traditional Biden family Christmas eve family dinner together. All of that here at the White House.

Today we were expecting the president and the first lady to call service members to thank them and their families for their service and sacrifice on this Christmas day. We haven't yet received a picture of that phone call yet. But we do expect that to happen some time today.

The president then tomorrow heads to the U.S. Virgin Islands for the rest of the year for a little family vacation. But while he is there, we're expecting President Biden to have some of those deliberations with his family over whether or not he will seek re-election in 2024.

[14:14:57]

DIAMOND: The President, of course, has said it is his intention to run for re-election. But he does need to have that final conversation with his family to make sure all systems are go.

REID: Let's turn to the migrant crisis. Last might more buses filled with migrants who crossed the U.S. at the southern border arrived outside of Vice President Kamala Harris' house here in D.C. So what do we know about where they went after this and also remind us who sent them.

DIAMOND: Yes. And it was cold here last night, Paula in Washington, D.C. 18 degrees when these migrants arrived by the bus loads right in front of the Naval Observatory, the residence of the vice president of the United States.

And we're told that this was one of those bus loads that has been arriving every single week from Texas sent by Texas Governor Greg Abbott, essentially migrants who arrive in Texas after crossing the U.S.-Mexico border then bussed up here to Washington, D.C. and to other cities as well.

Now some of these migrants in the cold arriving with nothing but t- shirts on their backs. Thankfully there were some migrant aid groups who were ready and there to receive these migrants who arrived according to one of the volunteers from everywhere from Ecuador, Cuba Nicaragua, Venezuela and several other countries.

They were then bussed to local shelters. But of course this has been an ongoing sparring in the political wars over border security and this migration situation at the southern border. But important to remember as we look at these images, these are human -- and human faces who are dealing with this situation.

The Biden administration of course, still dealing with increased numbers of migrants crossing the U.S. southern border and potentially more expected as that Title 42 pandemic era authority is set to expire pending a ruling right now occurring ongoing legal challenge at the Supreme Court, Paula.

REID: Jeremy Diamond, thank you.

Coming up, after nearly two years of investigations and shocking witness testimony, the January 6 committee has made their case that former president Donald Trump is to blame for the insurrection. We'll break down their findings next.

Plus, multiple viruses are surging across the country. There's an alarming shortage medication at pharmacies. How you can stay healthy, straight ahead.

[14:17:13]

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REID: As the nation digs through a more than 800 final page report from the House Select Committee, the full fallout still remains unclear. In its report, the committee blames former president Donald J. Trump for the violence and recommends barring him from holding office again.

The committee has also referred Trump to the Justice Department on four criminal charges.

CNN's legal analyst Norm Eisen joins me now. All right, Norm. Thank you for being with us.

You wrote earlier this week in the "New York times" that by focusing on Trump and a few in his inner circle, the committee avoids diluting the effect of these referrals and emphasizes the case that prosecutors can actually bring.

I want to challenge you on that a little bit. What do you think of the argument that by making these referrals, when we know there is already an investigation, I mean how has the committee politicized an investigation that the attorney general has tried so hard to convince people is apolitical?

NORM EISEN, CNN LEGAL ANALYST: Paula, thanks for having me. Of course, the committee report does add a light additional political touch. But, Paula, it comes on top of what was already going to inevitably be a heavily politicized matter.

And the price is well worth paying because the committee has provided DOJ with a mountain of evidence of wrongdoing by the former president as he called the mob to Washington, incited the mob, launched them at the Capitol and then failed to take action. And affirmatively sicced (ph) them on his former vice president. So I think it's more than worth it. And remember, this is a bipartisan

committee. So the political impact not that great. The substantive impact, the evidence is huge.

REID: We know from our reporting that Jack Smith is getting most of the evidence gathered in this investigation. But I also want to get your thoughts on what Congresswoman Zoe Lofgren told our Brianna Keilar this week. Let's take a listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BRIANNA KEILAR, CNN HOST: The effect of sending this referral to the ethics committee is for it to die in that committee. Why do that?

REP. ZOE LOFGREN (D-CA): Well, we'll see. I mean, the ethics committee is evenly divided, five Democrats, five Republicans. And they are supposed to act without regard to party. And when I chaired the committee, that's what we did.

And I would like to believe that that pattern which is in the House rules will be followed. If it isn't, shame on them.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

REID: So what do you make of the committee's decision to refer these Republicans who defied subpoenas to the Ethics Committee rather than for criminal prosecution?

EISEN: Well, I'm not sure the committee had many better options, Paula. You know, of the other subpoena defiers, two of them were prosecuted. That's Steve Bannon and Peter Navarro. But former chief of staff Mark Meadows and former White House official Dan Scavino were referred to DOJ, no prosecution.

Now it's wrong of Kevin McCarthy and the others to defy lawful subpoenas from the House. We'll see if the committee takes action. They probably won't. There is one other wild card here which is we know that one of these members who was referred, Scott perry, had his phone seized by DOJ. They need to have probable cause of wrongdoing in order to do that.

So we may not have heard the last word yet and perhaps the committee will act as more evidence comes out. It was the best of the bad options available to the January 6 committee to send this to the ethics spot.

REID: And I spoke with one of former president Trump's old lawyers yesterday, Timothy Palatore (ph). He told me that the criminal referral is pretty much worthless. But he too, like the special counsel, he is really interested in the underlying documentation.

What do you make of that assessment? What do you think someone like him would be looking for?

EISEN: Well, I don't think it's worthless because whenever prosecutors can get as they have here a detailed legal analysis backed by a mountain of evidence, that's valuable. Like independent opinion that they can look at to check their own judgement.

But I think what they're looking for and what the committee is focused on is the direct involvement of President Trump in the phony elector's scheme that they document so much with fake electoral slates going to Congress.

[14:24:55]

EISEN: Paula, you're not allowed to send a fake electoral slate to Congress any more than I could spend counterfeit money in the House cafeteria. So the report details there and elsewhere Donald Trump's direct personal involvement including in the violence on January 6 by failing to act, by acting, by inciting, by giving aid and comfort. That's what prosecutors will be looking for.

REID: They have a high bar. It will be fascinating to see if they bring charges and if they do, whether they can prove them.

Norm Eisen, thank you so much.

EISEN: Thanks, Paula.

REID: And in the wake of the January 6 insurrection, Congress voted to reform the 1887 Electoral Count Act. It was part of the massive $1.7 trillion government funding bill that the Senate passed Thursday and the House passed on Friday.

The measure clarifies that the vice president's role overseeing the certification of the election is strictly ceremonial. It also makes it more difficult to overturn a state's certified results and includes provisions to stop the potential fake electors. President Biden still needs to sign that legislation.

Now a triple threat of viruses threatening the country this winter -- flu, RSV and COVID cases are on the rise. What you need to know during this busy holiday season. Straight ahead.

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REID: This just in, two people have been found dead at a place of worship for Jehovah's Witnesses. A suspicious device was also found at the scene.

Michael Abeyta from CNN's affiliate KCNC has the latest from Colorado.

MICHAEL ABEYTA, KCNC REPORTER: I'm Michael Abeyta here in Thornton at the Kingdom Hall of Jehovah's Witnesses where Thornton police are investigating a homicide.

[14:30:04]

They say two people are dead. We don't have any much more information than that. What can tell you, but we can see, there is say deceased individual in the parking lot. And then not too far from that, there is a broken window on the building. Now we have seen the bomb squad, it's the Adam County bomb squad, show

up and they have their bomb robot out, checking out the scene. Right now, we don't have much more information than that. Again, Thornton police say that they are investigating a homicide. They told us two people are dead. This initially came out as an active shooter. But they say the shooter is no longer a threat.

REID: Michael Abeyta from CNN affiliate KCNC, thank you.

This year's flu season hit hard and early, straining resources across the country. So the Biden administration is stepping in to help states struggling to keep up with the surge.

CNN's senior medical correspondent Elizabeth Cohen reports it will likely offer up a key anti-viral drug from the strategic national stockpile to any state that needs it.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ELIZABETH COHEN, CNN SENIOR MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT: In light of this year's intense flu season, the Biden administration is offering up access to the strategic national stockpile. They're calling states and saying if you don't have enough in your own stockpiles, you can have access to the national stockpile.

Now, it's not known, it's not been said that there's any kind of big national shortage of Tamiflu, which is an antiviral use to treat flu, but some pharmacists have said that they've had trouble getting access to the generic version.

So let's take a look at what flu is looking like in the United States. All of the states in red and orange and purple, that means flu is at very high or high levels. There are only five states where flu is not at a very high or a high level. So far this season, there have been at least 150,000 hospitalizations with the flu, and at least 9,300 deaths. Not only has the flu season been severe, but it's been very early.

The numbers were very, very high in November and continue to be high in December. And there may be some places, hospitals or pharmacy that's weren't quite ready to be seeing this kind of demand on medications this early in the season.

Back to you.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

REID: Elizabeth Cohen, thanks.

Let's bring in Dr. Jonathan Reiner. He's a CNN medical analyst and a professor of medicine and surgery at George Washington University.

Hi, Doctor.

Was the U.S. adequately prepared for this flu season? JONATHAN REINER, CNN MEDICAL ANALYST: Probably not. We've seen more

flu this year than in almost a decade. If you look at the second week in December, for instance, that week saw six times more hospitalizations than a comparable week over the last decade. So we have not really been ready for this kind of severe onslaught of not just influenza but obviously, also, we're still deep inside this on going COVID pandemic and also RSV, and particularly for little kids. So we've not been fully prepared for this.

REID: Well, overall, flu cases have eased across much of the country in the past week. Now is that just because we're in between holidays? I mean, do you expect to see another surge once this holiday week is over?

REINER: Well, you know, today is a joyous day. So, let's have a little bit of optimism. Over the last couple weeks, it does look like both COVID cases are starting to flatten out and for the last two weeks in a row, influenza cases have actually dropped.

Now with so many people traveling across the United States visiting family and traveling through airports and train terminals, I expect that a consequence of that close contact with all of this intense viral illness is we'll see sort of another bump in cases for the first part of January. But, hopefully, when that starts to ease, perhaps we'll start to see overall the decline in what people have called this triple-demic. I certainly hope so.

Our hospitals impacted, particularly children's hospitals. When you walk through an ER, it's -- ERs around the country are filled with people suffering from respiratory illness. So, we need the break and I'm cautiously optimistic.

REID: Well, as you noted, even as the flu cases ease off, the overall hospitalizations are still critical level now. Family and friends are gathering today. We're just days away from New Year's Eve parties.

What are some of the things that people can do to be safer but still feel like it's a, quote-unquote, normal holiday?

REINER: Well, when you're traveling and you go through one of those densely packed airports in this country, wear a good mask, you know, take it off when you get in the car to go, you know, to grandma's. But wear a mass when you're around a ton of people.

[14:30:00]

If you're traveling to family, particularly if you're going to visit with folks that might be older or might be recovering from cancer or have serious chronic illness, test yourself for COVID before you go.

And if you're sick, stay home. You're not bringing them a present if what you give them is influenza or COVID. So if you feeling under the weather, wait a couple of days until you feel better or just do it via Zoom this year.

REID: So, what are you most concerned about right now with the surge in viral cases in many parts of the country? What -- what are you focused on right now?

REINER: Well, first of all, we've done a horrible job in vaccinating this country for both COVID and influenza. To date, only about 45 percent of adults have been vaccinated for the flu, just a little bit more in terms of kids. Even pregnant women, only about 45 percent of pregnant women who can get really sick from flu have been vaccinated.

And this year's flu vaccine is really a good match. Now for the strains of influenza A and influenza B that are circulating in the United States. So, the vaccine will go a long way to prevent you, first of all, from developing symptomatic illness and more importantly from being sick enough to being hospitalized or even dying from influenza.

So, I'd like to see more people vaccinated and until and unless we increase vaccination for both flu and COVID, we'll continue to see people die from these viral illnesses, both of which are basically vaccine preventable deaths.

REID: All right. Dr. Jonathan Reiner, thank you.

REINER: Thank you, Paula.

REID: In Afghanistan, the Taliban is banning all women students from attending university and telling charities to order female employees to stay home.

Up next, inside the struggle for basic rights for women and girls in Afghanistan.

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[14:40:13]

REID: Some women in Afghanistan are pushing back after the Taliban's new move to block their education. New video shows the Taliban is using water cannons to break up a group of women protesting against an order banning them from attending university.

Students can be heard chanting "coward" at the Taliban officials as they run away from the water cannon.

The Taliban issued the order a few days ago, sparking outreach and protests. After seizing power last year, the Taliban promised to honor women's rights. Instead, they have done the opposite, steadily stripping them away.

The Taliban is now warning U.S. officials not to interfere in Afghanistan's internal issues after the group ordered all local and international charities to ban female employees from coming to work. If groups don't comply, they risk losing their license.

Now, four international aid organizations have now suspended work in Afghanistan following the ban. Before the fall of Afghanistan to the Taliban, many women and girls dreamt of becoming doctors, teachers, and engineers. But now they face the nightmare of being banned from attending universities.

CNN's Christiane Amanpour has the latest from Afghanistan.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

CHRISTIANE AMANPOUR, CNN CHIEF INTERNATIONAL ANCHOR (voice-over): Another week, another dramatic reversal of women's rights in Afghanistan. The Taliban's new edict suspending university education for females is a major setback for millions of women there, and the ministry of education says the rule will take immediate effect.

KAYANAT HASTI, AFGHAN STUDENT BARRED FROM ATTNEDING UNIVERSITY (through translator): There is no life for women in Afghanistan anymore, since they have closed all the routes of success for women. When the door is closed and universities are closed for the women who are half of the society, it means the process of human evolution and development is paralyzed.

AMANPOUR: Young women showing up to class and universities across the country are now being told to go back home. Even worse, fears the ban could expand to elementary schools, the principals of three Kabul girls schools tell CNN the Taliban have written to them telling them to shut down.

Students quickly showed their opposition to the new law -- both men and women, including at Nangarhar University in the city of Jalalabad.

According to Reuters, male medical students there even walked out of their final exams to support their female classmates.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: They can't go to school. Why? They cannot work. Why? Could somebody please tell me why?

AMANPOUR: This new policy is the latest announcement on what many are calling the systematic expulsion of Afghan women from all aspects of public life.

And when I traveled to Kabul this spring, I confronted a Taliban official the very day they demanded that all women in work, even on television, had to be masked.

Afghan women are afraid that this is the beginning of your efforts to erase them from the workspace.

Back then, the most senior Taliban government official, Sirajuddin Haqqani, told me that he would safeguard the rights of Afghan women, including the right to an education.

SIRAJUDDIN HAQQANI, INTERIOR MINISTER OF AFGHANISTAN (through translator): There is no one who opposes education for women and already, girls are allowed to go to school up to grade six. What I am saying to you is that very soon you will hear very good news about this issue, God willing.

AMANPOUR: But that promise never materialized and this week, women's and girls' rights have taken a major step backwards. In fact, officials who pledged they would be different than Taliban 1.0 are now accelerating their march back to that same harsh version.

This is my interview with a Taliban official back in 1996.

A lot of people want to know what you're going to do about the women issues. What about women's education, girl's education? Women working -- widows who have no other way to support themselves?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I know that, especially in Western news media, it's the propaganda that we are against women's education, which is not right. It's not correct.

AMANPOUR: But the girls can't go to school. We've been to schools here that are all closed.

Since the Taliban came back to power last year, women have been banned from most workplaces, from politics, and from entering public parks and public bars. They even now require a male guardian for long- distance travel.

More pragmatic Taliban sources tell CNN these bans come straight from the Taliban's so-called Supreme Leader Ameer Akhundzada and his kitchen cabinet based in Kandahar. They form the core of the hard line religious leadership.

The United Nations says it's outraged and is calling on the Taliban to reverse the decision.

[14:45:03]

The United States said that it would further alienate the Taliban from the international community and deny them the legitimacy and recognition they crave.

In the last two decades since the Taliban was first driven out of Afghanistan, many urban women were excelling in school and in the workforce, contributing to the country's economy, society, and culture.

Now that half the population is being erased from public view and public works, this country is falling ever faster, ever deeper into extreme poverty and hunger as another bleak winter takes hold.

Christiane Amanpour, CNN, London.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

REID: While the Christmas season traditionally brings everyone together, there are many military families who can't spend the holidays under one roof. CNN sat down with some of those children.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED BOY: I love him and stay strong.

BRIANNA KEILAR, CNN HOST: What do you say to him?

UNIDENTIFIED BOY: I love him.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: You love him.

UNIDENTIFIED BOY: He is the best dad I've ever had in the world. And I love him.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

REID: More of their messages to their parents overseas, next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

REID: Christmas celebrations are under way around the world. In Upstate New York, the massive winter storm didn't stop St. Phillip the Apostle Roman Catholic Church from celebrating mass this morning. Folks were allowed to attend virtually via a live stream.

And Ukrainians are moving ahead with Christmas celebrations despite Russia's brutal war. Crowds of cheering, greeted lights in the city's capital in Kyiv.

[14:50:04]

The tree was lit using a generator due to power outages caused by Russian attacks.

And light amid the darkness as people sing Christmas carols underground in Kyiv. Ukraine has been devastated by Putin's war since Russia invaded in February.

And as families across the country celebrate together this weekend, there are many military families who will be separated over the holidays.

CNN's Brianna Keilar spoke with a group of military children about their sacrifice spending the holiday without a parent.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

KEILAR: I sat down with seven children from three families who represent various branches of the military to talk about how they're making sense of being separated from a parent this holiday season and what they're missing while they're away.

I got you.

Okay. Stay there, bud. Let him hold the pillow.

Leo, can I ask you, who's this?

Pillow.

UNIDENTIFIED BOY: I know where my dad is, Japan, Navy.

KEILAR: Navy. Proud Navy?

Proud navy.

What does that mean to have you daddy in the coast guard?

OLLIE, FATHER STATIONED IN CALIFORNIA: Like he flies a lot of cool stuff, and a helicopter. He saves people from the ocean.

KEILAR: What do you miss about daddy when he's gone?

UNIDENTIFIED BOY: He doesn't get to tickle us. And we also do Legos with him.

UNIDENTIFIED BOY: Football with him.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I do miss like having my dad's perspective on certain things and giving him hugs.

NORA, FATHER DEPLOYED IN QATAR: My dad has been deployed five times. And for Leo, this is his first time having his dad deployed. It's the place where it's really cold. Canada.

SI AS, FATHER DEPLOYED IN JAPAN: It's a place where it's really cold.

UNIDENTIFIED BOY: Canada.

KEILAR: Is it Canada? Are we sure it's Canada? We're going to fact- check that just to be sure.

SI AS: Germany.

KEILAR: Okay. It does get very cold in Germany.

So you have two little brothers. They are full of energy.

NORA: Yeah.

KEILAR: And you are kind of in charge of helping your mom.

NORA: Yes.

KEILAR: While your dad is gone.

NORA: Yes.

KEILAR: That seems like a big responsibility.

NORA: They like to jump on me.

KEILAR: You're like a human jungle gym, right?

KAILEY: I am usually the one driving to practice to pick up groceries.

KEILAR: Do you mind doing it?

KAILEY: There are times when I have to wake up and take him to cool and I'm like I wish I could sleep in an extra 30 minutes. But I do like having added responsibility because I know I'm helping in a way that my parents definitely appreciate.

KEILAR: How do you feel when he comes back?

SI AS: Emotional.

KEILAR: Do you ever cry?

SI AS: Happy tears.

CADEN, FATHER DEPLOYED IN JAPAN: I would probably feel upset because he left. I would probably be crying a lot of tears. And I would miss him and I would give him a huge hug. And I would say, thank you for coming back.

OLLIE: And, like, give him big hugs.

KEILAR: What do you want him to know since he's going to be away from you?

CADEN: I want him to know that I'm going to always be with him, that's how it must be, and that I love him.

NORA: I love him and he loves me. And also my dad is not going to be here for Christmas and he's not going to be here for my birthday and he's not going to be here for Leo's birthday and his birthday.

KEILAR: That's a lot to miss, right?

NORA: Yeah.

KEILAR: Do you ever get used to him missing that?

NORA: Not really.

KAILEY: So, when I was younger, I didn't really understand what was happening. It just hurt because I didn't understand the aspect of why he was gone. But now it's more of, like, okay, I get it. Like, he has to go rescue people. This is part of what he wants to do. And I can't hold him back or be upset about it.

OLLIE: We love him and stay strong.

KEILAR: And what do you say to him?

UNIDENTIFIED BOY: I love him.

CADEN: He is the best dad I've ever had in the world. And I love him.

KEILAR: I think they're speaking for military kids out there because keep in mind, close to 200,000 service members are deployed overseas right now. Almost half of them in Europe, a recent uptick to Russia's invasion in Ukraine.

Back to you.

(END VIDEOTAPE) (COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[14:57:57]

REID: Mothers are often credited with giving the gift of life by giving birth. But this time, it was a daughter who returned that gift in a way her mother never could have imagined.

CNN's Adrienne Broaddus spoke to the mother whose life was saved and her superhero daughter.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

MARZENA STASIELUK, RECEIVED 2 ORGANS FROM DAUGHTER: Look at that.

ADRIENNE BROADDUS, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Looking back --

M. STASIELUK: Look at Jeff.

BROADDUS: -- reminds Marzena Stasieluk of her seven-year battle.

M. STASIELUK: My kids and my grandkids are the whole world. And that's why I was fighting for so long.

BROADDUS: Marzena was diagnosed with kidney failure. She said she needed a new kidney and a liver.

Her daughter Jennifer say she spent nearly two years working 12-hour overnight shifts at a hospital near Chicago.

JENNIFER STASIELUK, DAUGHTER: Working as a nurse, especially on the COVID unit and the other unit we work on is oncology. So, that's cancer patients.

BROADDUS: Jennifer has told families --

J. STASIELUK: There's nothing more we can do.

BROADDUS: This time, the roles reversed.

J. STASIELUK: So, they kind of like threw their hands up and we're just kind of like, sorry.

We didn't know if we would have my mom around for Christmas.

BROADDUS: But a call from the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota, changed their lives.

J. STASIELUK: I said, mom, I'm a match. Take your back. Surgery is in six weeks.

I gave my mom half of my liver first and then one of my kidneys a year later.

BROADDUS: Dr. Timucin Taner performed the living liver transplant surgery. He says the liver regrows in about four weeks. DR. TIMUCIN TANER, DIVISION CHAIR/MAYO CLINIC ROCHESTER TRANSPLANT

SURGERY: This is the first case we have shown this in humans that the same donor through the liver's amazing capacity to change the immune response allowed for a kidney transplant to happen as well. So, she saved her mom's life twice.

M. STASIELUK: I don't think I'll ever be able to say enough, like thank you. How do you say what to a person that donated two organs? Not just one. You know? The same person. I know she is my daughter but I'll be forever grateful.

BROADDUS: Grateful for more time and her daughter's double sacrifice.