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New Day Saturday

NYPD Officer Killed, 1 Seriously Injured During Domestic Call; COVID Hospitalizations Up 15 Percent in Western States, 6 Percent in the South; First U.S. Shipment of Military Assistance Arrives in Ukraine; Trump Faces Flurry of New Legal Rebukes, Criminal Probes and Requests for his Family to Cooperate Against Him; Biden Signals New Strategies for Second Year in Office; Cyberattack Shuts New Mexico's Largest School District; NFL Ends Daily Testing of Unvaccinated Players. Aired 6-7a ET

Aired January 22, 2022 - 06:00   ET

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


[06:00:22]

CHRISTI PAUL, CNN ANCHOR: Well, good morning to you, and welcome to your "NEW DAY." I'm Christi Paul.

BORIS SANCHEZ, CNN ANCHOR: Good morning, Christi. I'm Boris Sanchez.

New York City is waking up to outrage and sorrow after two police officers are ambushed during a call.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

COMMISSIONER KEECHANT SEWELL, NEW YORK POLICE: In a moment, a young, 22-year-old life was ended, and another forever altered. Our department is hurting.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SANCHEZ: What we are learning about the attack and how the NYPD is responding.

PAUL: And new details for you on just how important these booster shots are in the fight against the coronavirus. Hospitals are warning they are overwhelmed with patients. And that's forcing them to send people somewhere else.

SANCHEZ: Plus, the legal troubles mounting for former President Donald Trump. We have new developments to tell you about in several investigations, looking into the election, the insurrection and his family's businesses.

PAUL: And a crippling impact. A ransomware attack out on New Mexico's largest city.

(MUSIC PLAYING)

Welcome to Saturday, January 22nd. Take a nice deep breath and you've made it to the weekend.

Boris, sometimes we just need a nice deep breath.

SANCHEZ: A deep breath. A deep breath to start a day.

Good morning, Christi. Always great to be with you. We are grateful that you are joining us this morning.

And we begin with some tragic news to share out of New York. One police officer is dead. Another in critical condition after a shooting in Harlem.

PAUL: This is a shooting that happened after a woman called 911 last night reporting she was having a dispute with one of her sons. And this was inside her apartment. So, the officers are the latest to be shot in the line of duty. And officials say, three others have been shot this month.

Still in his first month in office, Mayor Eric Adams, a former police captain himself described the shootings as an attack against the children and families of the city.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MAYOR ERIC ADAMS (D-NY), NEW YORK CITY: This is our city that gets the killers. It is our city against the killers. This is not just an attack on three brave officers. This was an attack on the city of New York.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SANCHEZ: Let's get to CNN's Polo Sandoval. He's been following this story for us.

And Polo, as Christi said a moment ago, this call came in as a domestic dispute. So, then what happened when police showed up?

POLO SANDOVAL, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, you know, Boris and Christi, actually listened to an NYPD detective during last night's press. He went minute by minute breaking down what happened during this awful situation here.

And it is clear that things took a horrifying and tragic turn really from one second to another. You see Officer Jason Rivera, now identified as a 22-year-old officer that was among three NYPD officers that responded, that entered that Harlem apartment, answering a call from a mother that was having a dispute with her 47-year-old son.

Rivera, this young man here, and another officer walked down a narrow hallway when a door swung open. And that's when police say Lashawn McNeil opened fire with a Glock pistol.

Take a look at the weapon that was used lasted night. That's a high- capacity magazine that was attached according to investigators. This is a photo that was released by the NYPD. And you see that magazine there. So, it is clear here that these officers, clearly ambushed here.

Rivera killed. His fellow officer critically injured. And the third officer is the one who opened fire wounding McNeil.

This morning, anger and frustration, it is clear in the voice of Mayor Eric Adams and Police Commissioner Keechant Sewell who has responded already to separate police officer shootings, all of them life- threatening until last night.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SEWELL: Our department is hurting. Our city is hurting. It is beyond comprehension. I am not sure what words, if any, will carry the weight of this moment and what we are feeling. We have four times this month rushed to the scene of NYPD officers shot by violent criminals in possession of deadly, illegal guns.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SANDOVAL: So, to clarify, all those earlier shootings non-life- threatening up until last night. So, it's unfortunate taking the life of that 22-year-old officer. And clearly, this is going to put additional pressure on Eric Adams to act on his promise to try to restore some peace in some parts of the city, that have seen a recent rash of shootings. Guys?

[06:05:05]

PAUL: Polo Sandoval, hate waking up to this kind of news. Thank you so much. We appreciate you.

SANCHEZ: Thanks, Polo.

We do have some good news to bring you this morning in the fight against COVID-19. Some states are starting to see infection numbers and hospitalizations drop. But of course, that is not the case everywhere.

PAUL: Take a look at what's happening out west. COVID hospitalizations up 15 percent just this past week. And it increased about 6 percent in the south. A lot of hospitals are stretched so thin right now from the surge and patients and ongoing staffing shortages as well.

CNN's Nadia Romero has the latest on this. And why your COVID-19 booster shot, they have decided it's so important now.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

NADIA ROMERO, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): A trio of CDC studies released Friday underscored just how urgently the booster shot is needed to fight off the Omicron variant. According to the CDC, the booster was 90 percent effective at preventing hospitalizations over a period of December and January compared to 57 percent for those with only two shots six months after their second vaccination.

The new data raised the question of whether people with just two vaccine doses should still be considered fully vaccinated. The CDC Director Dr. Rochelle Walensky stopped short Friday of endorsing such a change. DR. ROCHELLE WALENSKY, DIRECTOR OF THE CENTERS FOR DISEASE CONTROL AND PREVENTION: And what we really are working to do is pivot the language to make sure that everybody is as up to date with their COVID-19 vaccines as they personally could be, should be based on when they got their last vaccine. So, importantly, right now, we're pivoting our language. We really want to make sure people are up to date.

ROMERO: Meanwhile, those fighting COVID out on the frontlines are being stretched beyond their limits.

Six Metro Atlanta hospitals say their seeing mostly unvaccinated patients fill up their hospitals beyond capacity.

DR. ROBERT JANSEN, CHIEF MEDICAL OFFICER AND CHIEF OF STAFF, GRADY HEALTH SYSTEM: We are running about 110 percent capacity right. We had to divert ambulances over the last several weeks because the huge number of patients coming in. That has a good impact on the rest of the city. It's wall-to-wall stretchers. We have no capacity left at the hospital.

ROMERO: The message from healthcare experts to get vaccinated and boosted also comes with a new push to limit the spread of the virus and to alleviate long lines at testing sites across the country. You can now order free at home coronavirus tests from the federal government online or by using a new hotline.

JEFFREY ZIENTS, WHITE HOUSE CORONAVIRUS RESPONSE COORDINATOR: People need to test immediately. We continue to encourage them to utilize one of the many testing options that are out there in addition to the website. 20,000 community-based testing sites nationwide. Federal surge sites, dozens of which have opened in the last few weeks are online.

ROMERO: Nadia Romero, CNN, Atlanta.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

SANCHEZ: Nadia, thank you for that report.

Here with us to discuss all things COVID is emergency medicine physician, Dr. Anand Swaminathan.

Dr. Swaminathan, we always appreciate you getting up bright and early for us. Thanks for sharing your expertise.

Let's take a look at the numbers from the CDC on booster shots. This is what Nadia Romero was highlighting in that piece. This is for folks that have taken the boosters. They're 90 percent effective at preventing hospitalizations from the Omicron variant. Only two shots, 57 percent effective. That is a marked difference. Further at preventing ER and urgent care visits, the boosters were 82 percent effective compared to 38 percent effective for only two shots.

Clearly, this is compelling evidence for getting your booster. But still, only 40 percent of eligible Americans have gotten one. Why do you think that is? DR. ANAND SWAMINATHAN, EMERGENCY MEDICINE PHYSICIAN, ST. JOSEPH'S REGIONAL MEDICAL CENTER: I think the messaging here has been a little bit confusing. I think we are starting to clarify that a little bit more as this data comes out.

I don't think we really knew the extent of the benefit that these boosters really give across the board. And now we are giving more information, which means that as that science changes as we learn more, we go back to the American public and say, this is the best way to protect yourself.

It's not just about symptomatic COVID. It's not just about getting COVID, which the boosters do reduce. But it's about that end point hospitalization which is so important especially now as cases are surging, and hospitals are markedly overwhelmed.

So, I think we really have to be getting out and doing that messaging, hoping people to understand that a lot of vaccines take three doses, four doses, some of them maybe take five doses to be fully effective, to fully protect the individual.

And I think what we are learning more is that with this particular vaccine, it might be a three-dose regimen to get to that higher level. We still don't know durability of those numbers, but this is giving us more information to push towards that.

SANCHEZ: And do you get the sense that we might wind up with a fourth dose of a COVID vaccine? Have you seen evidence to support that, given the durability question?

SWAMINATHAN: I don't think we actually have that evidence yet. The best evidence we have out of Israel says that the fourth dose does increase antibody levels, but it doesn't increase protection against the Omicron variant.

[06:10:00]

So, I don't think we have enough information to say this is going to be a fourth dose kind of vaccine. That we need that fourth dose. We're going to have to see how this pans out over the next year or so.

Is this going to be a yearly booster like the flu shot? Is it going to be specific to the type of variant that's circulating? We just don't know quite yet.

SANCHEZ: And Doctor, I want to ask you about definitions. Because President Biden was asked this week about whether the CDC should change the definition of fully vaccinated to only include people who have received the booster shot. The CDC has been reluctant to change that definition. And I am wondering why? How does keeping the current definition benefit the administration?

SWAMINATHAN: I think part of the reason is because that data just came out really in the last 48 hours telling us how effective and how useful these boosters are. We want to see more of that data to really understand how the booster is helping and whether this is actually a three-dose regimen.

I think that's a big part of the push. I think also we have to make sure that we aren't taking focus off of getting people their primary vaccine series because of how much protection that offers as well. I think we can lose sight of that a little bit with the third dose.

So, we need to - yes, focus on getting people their third doses to protect them better. But we also have to make sure that we are focused on getting people their primary vaccine series.

SANCHEZ: And, Doctor, quickly, FDA approval for kids younger than five to get the vaccine, according to Dr. Fauci may come within the next month. Would you have any hesitation about recommending the vaccine to parents of young kids?

SWAMINATHAN: If it is approved, I would have no hesitation at this point. We have got really ample evidence that the safety for these vaccines in kids five to 11 is extremely high, for older kids is extremely high. I expect nothing less from the younger group getting approved. And it's going to give us a marked level of protection, not just for those children, but for their teachers, for their parents, for all the people they're in touch with. This is going to be a really critical move to help to protect young kids and really help those families that have those young kids, feel a little bit safer.

SANCHEZ: Yeah. And no question, it will probably help with the childcare situation and getting parents potentially back into the work force as well.

Dr. Anand Swaminathan, as always, thanks for sharing your expertise with us.

PAUL: So last night, take a look at this, that shipment there of nearly 200,000 pounds of lethal aid from the U.S. made it to Ukraine. What will it take to find a diplomatic end to this crisis? We are live from Moscow in a moment.

SANCHEZ: Plus, the January 6th Committee asking Ivanka Trump, a former senior White House adviser to volunteer to speak with them. Is there any chance she'd take them up on that offer? What is in it for her or her husband, Jared Kushner?

We are back with a conversation on it. Stay with us.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[06:16:51]

SANCHEZ: The U.S. is stepping up military aid to Ukraine in response to growing concerns of a Russian invasion of that country. The U.S. says the first shipment includes close to 200,000 pounds of lethal aid, including ammunition for the frontline defenders of Ukraine.

The Pentagon is working on a series of military options that President Biden could take to beef up U.S. presence in Eastern Europe if Russia does launch an invasion. Sources tell CNN, the U.S. embassy in Kyiv has asked the States Department to authorize the departure of all nonessential staff and their families as well.

PAUL: CNN's Nic Robertson is with us live from Moscow.

Nic, it's so good to see you this morning.

Here's the thing when you tick this down. Russia has more than 100,000 troops on the border of Ukraine. It's doing military drills in neighboring Belarus. The U.S. is sending more weapons to Ukraine. We just showed them pictures of that. 200,000 pounds of lethal aid as the U.S embassy there noted. And this is all on top of Britain's antitank missiles which arrived earlier this week. So, when we talk about a de- escalation, Nic, this doesn't sound like one.

NIC ROBERTSON, CNN INTERNATIONAL DIPLOMATIC EDITOR: Yeah. The de- escalation is what the United States has been asking the Russian military to do to show that they are actually engaged in good faith in diplomacy. That the diplomacy track isn't just a cover for gathering what is -- Russia calls military exercises. But in fact, is potentially gathering an invasion force on the border of Ukraine. Sergey Lavrov, the Russian foreign prime minister, yesterday denied that.

But I think one sort of significant detail or important read of that conversation between Secretary of State Blinken yesterday and Russia's Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov in Geneva was you know from a senior State Department official who said there was a key moment in that meeting where Blinken said to Lavrov, look, what has happened since 2014 when Russia invaded Ukraine, an annexed Crimea. What has happened since then?

You've seen NATO do a troop buildup in response to what you have done. You are getting the exact opposite reaction of what you are trying to achieve. Russia wants NATO to go back and their actions are actually making NATO come forward.

So, when we talk about a de-escalation - a de-escalation is desired for Russia to pull back. The reaction and response, which is to supply of equipment. We know that Lithuania are going to send in surface-to- air missiles, counter aircraft missiles, the state missile. And Estonia are going to send in more javelin armor piercing ammunition as well to frontline forces in Ukraine.

So - and I think one important line to draw here and make it clear as well. What is being sent to Ukraine can in no way be considered sufficient in any way to actually stop a potential Russian invasion, maybe slow it, slightly.

SANCHEZ: Nic Robertson, thank you so much for that report.

PAUL: It's been a - been of a rough week for Donald Trump. There have been many major steps forward in investigations involving the former president now.

[06:20:02]

SANCHEZ: Yeah, Trump and his family members are under heightened scrutiny, both for the former president's role in trying to overturn the 2020 election and incited an insurrection as well as alleged fraudulent business dealings.

CNN's Jessica Schneider takes a closer look.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JESSICA SCHNEIDER, CNN JUSTICE CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Tonight, the January 6th Committee is finally getting access to all 700-plus documents from the Trump White House. The handover includes call logs, visitor logs, handwritten memos from Chief of Staff Mark Meadows and draft speeches.

It is the latest development in what has been a disastrous week for Donald Trump. Not only did the Supreme Court rule against his efforts to keep his White House records secret but New York's attorney general ramped up her probe of Trump's tax and financial filings. And a district attorney in Fulton County, Georgia, requested a special grand jury for a criminal investigation.

DONALD TRUMP, FORMER PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: I just want to find 11,780 votes, which is one more than we have.

SCHNEIDER: That phone call from Trump to Georgia's Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger in early January 2021 is just part of the evidence DA Fani Willis is sifting through to determine if there was criminal interference in Georgia's 2020 election process.

Willis is seeking to issue subpoenas and compel the production of documents because she says many witnesses have so far refused to cooperate.

Meanwhile, New York Attorney General Letitia James, for the first time, outlining specific accusations against the Trump Organization in a court filing, saying the company repeatedly misstated the value of its property and assets, engaging in fraudulent or misleading practices.

Now the attorney general wants to compel the testimony of Trump and of his two children, Donald Trump, Jr. and Ivanka Trump. Trump has denied wrongdoing and a spokesperson for the Trump Organization says the allegations are baseless.

This as Ivanka Trump has become the first family member of the January 6th Select Committee is asking to talk to.

They sent an eight-page letter detailing why they want Ivanka to meet with the committee voluntarily, saying she is one of the few who can reflect on Trump's state of mind and explain why it took Trump so long to release a video message instructing rioters to leave the Capitol.

They also want Ivanka to divulge what she heard when Trump talked to VP Mike Pence by phone the morning of January 6th and they want to her fill in details about how Fox hosts and other officials were urging Trump to stop the stolen election talk after January 6th.

REP. JAMIE RASKIN (D-MD): Ivanka Trump is a critical figure because she was there in the morning. We believe she was there when Trump was still trying to twist Mike Pence's arm.

SCHNEIDER (on camera): The committee chair, Bennie Thompson, also telling CNN, the panel is looking into Trump's possible involvement in the creation or submission of fake electors.

Our team reported that Trump campaign officials, led by Rudy Giuliani, oversaw efforts in December 2020 to put illegitimate slates of electors together, from seven states that Trump lost, to try to overturn the real election results.

Jessica Schneider, CNN, Washington.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

SANCHEZ: Jessica, thank you.

Let's dive deeper into the January 6th Committee's work with defense attorney and former federal prosecutor Shan Wu.

Shan, always great to see you. Appreciate you being with us this morning.

Let's start with the Supreme Court's decision earlier this week allowing the committee access to hundreds of documents that the former president tried to block. He tried to use executive privilege to block them. The court did allow for other possible uses of that defense even while striking Trump down. What ultimately does this decision mean for other witnesses that are trying to claim executive privilege?

SHAN WU, FORMER FEDERAL PROSECUTOR: I think ultimately, it's a green light for the committee. They've indicated now relying heavily on that court of appeals opinion, which was very well done. Relying on that opinion in the sense that that opinion said even if Trump had been or now was the incumbent, they still didn't think there could be a valid assertion of executive privilege under these circumstances.

So, with that, I don't think other witnesses are going to have much leg to stand on in light of that. The court didn't completely foreclose the possibility. But for now, I think that's a green light.

SANCHEZ: And how about Ivanka Trump? The committee asked her to voluntarily cooperate in the investigation. It's obviously not clear whether she intends to do so. You've argued that she might have a better case for executive privilege than someone like Steve Bannon. Why?

WU: Oh, that's because she was actually working on the payroll at that time for the government serving as an advisor to the president. So at least she fits that category. Unlike Bannon which is like you know completely out in left field. There are again given that most recent rebuke by the Supreme Court, the rejection of Trump's arguments, I ultimately don't think that would prevail. I think there is an outside chance, going out on a limb here that she might choose to actually accept that invitation.

[06:25:02]

She might have enough confidence in herself as a communicator that she thinks maybe she can do her dad in her clause some good. That would be a mistake in my opinion as a defense attorney. That's kind of hubris that often gets witnesses into trouble.

SANCHEZ: We'll talk a potential bet on whether Ivanka cooperates or not off camera.

Shan, let's talk Rudy Giuliani because CNN reported this week that the former mayor of New York led a group of Trump campaign officials in efforts to put forward fake electors in seven states that Trump lost. We know the committee is obviously very interested in the plot to overturn the 2020 election. They've subpoenaed Giuliani. He is obviously resisting cooperation. What does that new detail about the fake electors mean for the investigation more broadly?

WU: I think that is an extremely significant detail. It's really outrageous they were engaged in that. I think from a criminal exposure standpoint, I think Giuliani's really got a lot to be worried about at this point. Apparently, some of the states they had some sort of caveat language in there that these fake documents were only to be used in case there was an actual overturning of the states, results and others there was.

In any state where there was not some kind of caveat that way, that's a real problem. I mean, that's going to run afoul of state's walls in terms of election interference, forging documents as well as federal laws. And really the Justice Department needs to move on. That that's really a blatant type of attempted fraud.

SANCHEZ: Shan, lastly, the committee is still pouring through the 700- plus pages of documents. It contains things like handwritten memos by the chief of staff, call logs, visitor records, even pages from the press secretary's briefing book.

Help us understand the significance of obtaining these documents and whether they could be a turning point in this probe?

WU: Oh, yes, that's a treasure trove of documents. It's giving insight for the committee into the real time thoughts of people, they memorialized, issues, they're scheduling notes. It really gives all of the evidence about what people were thinking at the time.

And that thinking is what is so important. Because that's what determines intent. As to whether they are simply reacting to an emergency or whether it was a part of a planned crisis. If the inner circle wanted to have this disruption, then they're all being drawn into that web of the seditious conspiracy.

SANCHEZ: It is a lot to walk through. And we appreciate you doing it with us this morning. Shan Wu, thanks so much.

WU: Good to see you.

SANCHEZ: Of course.

PAUL: Thank you, Shan.

Well, a new year and a apparently a new approach.

Coming up, how President Biden is planning to shift his strategy heading into the midterms.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[06:30:00]

PAUL: Well, at the end of his second year in office, President Biden is laying out his vision for the next chapter of his presidency. While he faces crises both at home and abroad, he's signaling he is ready to shift his approach as several of his key agenda items are still stalled and the Mid-term elections are months away.

SANCHEZ: Let's get straight to the White House, and CNN's Jasmine Wright. Jasmine, what is this new strategy that the president and his team have outlined in White House memos?

JASMINE WRIGHT, CNN WHITE HOUSE REPORTER: Well, a big part of this plan is to get the president out of D.C., Boris and Christi, is to get him traveling the country, bringing his message directly to America to tout the achievements that his administration has made. And that is even if that means less time as president-senator, a term that he used at his Wednesday press conference.

And White House officials say that, that means that he will be leaning more on his legislative team to kind of get those deals through Congress as he takes his message across the country. Now, White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki, she laid out more of these details on Friday. Take a listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JEN PSAKI, WHITE HOUSE PRESS SECRETARY: He's going to spend more of his time engaging with, talking with the American people and talking about how far we've come and where we need to go from here. As you look at the time he's going to spend over the next couple of months, it's not going to be hours and hours behind closed doors in the Oval Office.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WRIGHT: So, we heard from Psaki right there, she also said that we can expect him to be inviting more law makers on board Air Force One, really using the power of the presidency. But I think Christi and Boris, this really reflects the state of Biden's presidency right now as he faces multiple head winds from record-high inflation to the ongoing pandemic to the ongoing crisis in Ukraine to of course, those low poll numbers and stalled agenda.

Now, while this plan, this new shift in strategy, it may let more voters know about exactly what this White House is doing, something that officials have told me and my colleagues is, kind of one of the White House's weaknesses, what is not clear is whether or not this new shift in strategy is going to have the effect of pulling in those hold-out Democratic Senators like Joe Manchin and like Senator Sinema that have really blocked the president's agenda going forward in Congress. Boris, Christi.

PAUL: Jasmine Wright, we appreciate it very much. Thank you, ma'am. Here to discuss, congressional correspondent for "The New York Times" Luke Broadwater, Luke, good to have you with us. Let's talk about this --

LUKE BROADWATER, CONGRESSIONAL CORRESPONDENT, "THE NEW YORK TIMES": Hi, good morning --

PAUL: Good morning to you as well. So, President Biden says he's shifting some things differently in the next year, and let's just tick down a couple of them. First of all, he's talking to the public more, he's seeking advice from outside experts, and he's helping fundraise and campaign for Democrats in mid-term elections. Do you think this strategy that they've crafted is enough at this point to turn things around?

[06:35:00]

BROADWATER: Well, that remains to be seen. But it's very clear that Democrats are in a big hole right now. I mean, they're on track to lose probably 30 seats in the house or so based on what polls are showing right now, and what projections are showing right now. And so that would mean obviously the house is going to go into Republican hands, and that would basically put the end to any legislative priorities that the president has going forward.

So, they're very cognizant of that, they're trying to turn things around. What Joe Biden has realized is that the more he goes to Capitol Hill, the worse he looks. Every time he comes down to the Hill, he has the rug pulled out from under him like Lucy and the football. So, you know, he came down recently about voting rights and before he even arrived, Senator Kyrsten Sinema makes a speech, telling him that there's no deal on that.

He's come down before on different bills, had long meetings with house Democrats, only to have progressives emerge from the meetings, saying there'll be no deal. So, despite his more-than-30-years in the Senate, and he does love the Senate, he's realized he needs to have a different approach and a different strategy.

PAUL: So, let's talk about the approval rating. Because if he's talking about going out and speaking to the people, you wonder if that will -- if that will help him, if he is there in states as opposed to on the hill as you just mentioned. Legacy and the polls show his approval at just 41 percent, his disapproval at 54 percent. Listen, Michael Smerconish who you'll see here on this very episode on this very day on CNN, it's just a couple of hours, he had something to say about the diminishing approval numbers now, particularly compared to the 2020 election. Look at this.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MICHAEL SMERCONISH, CNN ANCHOR: Is the lack of a split screen because when he was elected, come on, it was a referendum on Donald Trump, and that's why I think primarily, he was elected. That side-by side comparison is now missing. So, you know, when a pollster calls and asks you, what do you make of the job that the president is doing? You're no longer putting him in comparison to Trump.

Instead, you're evaluating Joe Biden on the merits. And I think that's a worst position for him to be in. What I'm really saying is, his numbers will probably rise when there is a split-screen comparison if we ever get to that point.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

PAUL: Look, some of the issues for the president are in his control. Some are out, such as COVID. But I'm just wondering if you agree with that analysis first of all, and what does President Biden have to do really at the end of the day to solidly build some confidence prior to 2020, -- in 2024, I should say.

BROADWATER: Yes, I mean, I completely agree that when there's a side- by-side comparison with former President Trump, President Biden looks a lot better. You know, he didn't amass a crowd to storm the Capitol to overturn the results of an election. So, if you put him against Trump, Joe Biden will look a lot better. I do think his administration started to lose support around the time of the Afghanistan pull-out and how poorly that went.

I think there is images of people hanging on the side of planes and falling to their deaths, and the country being overrun so quickly cause a lot of Americans to view the administration as not being well run. That said, what Democrats are trying to do right now is change the narrative. So, in the past week, the White House has emphasized to congressional Democrats that they need to start changing how they talk about what the administration is doing, they need to so-called gloat and promote, they need to talk about all the millions of jobs that have been added.

How the unemployment rate's gone down, how two major bills have passed, including the infrastructure bill, and start promoting those infrastructure projects in their communities. And they need to stop emphasizing so much the dysfunction that's happened on Capitol Hill. You know, there's an old quote from the humorous -- it was in the 1930s that he doesn't want to be a part of any organized party, that's why he's the -- that's why he's a Democrat.

And that's still kind of the case today. There are so -- there's a big ten party, there's lots of people fighting all the time. And they want lesser talk about what they didn't get done and more talk about what they have gotten done. PAUL: Luke Broadwater, great information. I didn't even get to the

January 6th stuff that I wanted to ask you about. He's got a great article, though, on "The New York Times'" website about that. Luke, thank you so much, appreciate it.

BROADWATER: Thank you.

SANCHEZ: So, New Mexico's largest school district was forced to shut down recently, not because of COVID or bad weather, but a cyberattack. An eye-opening story after a quick break. Stay with CNN.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[06:40:00]

SANCHEZ: The FBI is now looking into a pair of cyberattacks that sent New Mexico's most populous county into chaos this week.

PAUL: In a suspected ransomware attacks, disrupted public services and forced more than 70,000 students to miss school in Albuquerque. Here's CNN's Lucy Kafanov.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

LUCY KAFANOV, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Students in New Mexico's largest school district are finally heading back to class, after Albuquerque's public schools were forced to abruptly shut down last Thursday through the Martin Luther King Jr. holiday, not because of COVID or crippling weather, instead, it was a cyberattack.

[06:45:00]

SCOTT ELDER, SUPERINTENDENT, ALBUQUERQUE PUBLIC SCHOOLS: The APS has suffered a serious incident that forced us for the first time ever to cancel school for two days for what experts referred to as cyber security snow days. It's disruptive and honestly it makes me angry, because these kids deserve better.

KAFANOV: Nearly one in five New Mexico school children were impacted by the closures after staff discovered they were locked out of a system that tracks attendance, records and emergency contacts.

ELDER: It's just been a traumatic experience.

KAFANOV: Superintendent Scott Elders says it was a ransomware attack used for extortion. He worries about the toll on students and staff.

ELDER: Gosh, can't we catch a break? I mean, it's just been such a long two years with the pandemic. And then they have this on top of it. We've had a lot of other things, I mean, just the nature of school, but this was really a punch in the gut.

KAFANOV: Days earlier, a ransomware attack brought services in Bernalillo County, home to Albuquerque to a halt.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It is criminal investigation. A crime did occur. We had cyber criminals basically break into the county's computer system, and it impacted the juvenile and adult detention centers. We had people coming in and looking for a marriage license. We had to refer them to another county. We had vendors hoping they would still get paid.

KAFANOV: Those trying to buy or sell homes were hit especially hard, filing mortgages or recording deeds suddenly impossible.

BRIDGET GILBERT, GREATER ALBUQUERQUE ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS: I have been in real estate for 25 years. And it's never happened. We've been hacked. It's -- you know -- it's -- I don't know, it's kind of violating.

KAFANOV: Services are slowly coming back online. But Albuquerque residents are still in shock.

GILBERT: I think that we're all familiar with ransomware, but we're not familiar with how close to home it could hit.

KAFANOV: The FBI tells CNN it does not appear the Albuquerque public school system and Bernalillo County cyber incidents are related. But the threat is nationwide.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I mean, year-on-year 2021 was by far the worst we've ever seen. It's not going away any time soon, it's actually probably going to get worse first.

KAFANOV: Cyber security experts say the attack surged during the pandemic as more people started working remotely. Life may be slowly returning back to normal here in Albuquerque, but the cyber security threat remains.

GILBERT: Do I have confidence that it won't happen again? I wish I did, but I don't.

KAFANOV (on camera): Now, it's not clear who might be behind the separate incidents, but the threat isn't over. Both county and school officials tell CNN, they are still fielding attacks, the FBI is assisting with both investigations. Lucy Kafanov, CNN, Albuquerque.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

PAUL: Lucy, thank you so much. Listen, you know her name or her face, Hollywood icon Marilyn Monroe was so much more. Learn all about her life and career in the new CNN original series "REFRAMED MARILYN MONROE", it airs tomorrow at 9:00 right here on CNN, we'll be right back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[06:50:00]

PAUL: We're heading towards the 7 O'clock hour with you here. And unvaccinated NFL players won't have to get tested daily for the rest of the season. SANCHEZ: Yes, let's bring in CNN's Coy Wire. Coy, only eight teams

playing right now, by the end of the weekend, only four. Do we know how many players this is going to ultimately impact?

COY WIRE, CNN SPORTS CORRESPONDENT: Yes, Boris, and good morning to you and Christi, a league's spokesperson tells us about a dozen players that are still in the playoffs, this will affect them. The biggest name, Packer's star quarterback Aaron Rodgers, no more daily testing for unvaccinated players and staff according to that memo sent out by the league yesterday, just weekly like those who are vaccinated.

The league says it conforms to current public health recommendations and best practices employed in healthcare, and that's why they're doing this. Anyone who does show symptoms, though, they're going to be tested immediately, and if positive, they have to isolate for at least five days before getting cleared by a doctor to potentially rejoin their team. Mentioned eight teams vying for those four spots in the Conference Championships, Boris, and it's going to be old Cincinnati and Tennessee teams kicking things off, featuring the return of the king.

The Titans getting back their titan of a back. Derrick Henry, 6'3, 245, reigning offensive player of the year, officially activated yesterday for the number seed in the AFC, the Titans -- this is less than three months after a foot injury that many thought were a season injury. Well, incredibly, Titans ran the ball more percentagewise without him. And now he is fresh, and if he's running that ball-to- ball, go ahead and pray for some Bengals defenders, would you?

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DERRICK HENRY, RUNNING BACK, TENNESSEE TITANS: You deeply appreciate this game a lot more when you're away from it and away from your teammates, just having that camaraderie and you know, going to work every day and going out to play on Sunday, on each and every week, definitely miss that and you know, just happy to be back, I want to appreciate everybody that helped me get to be able to come back and contribute during the Playoffs.

And I'm just happy to be back playing football.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WIRE: Beast. And tonight, Green Bay's Aaron Rodgers gets another chance to rewrite history. The three-time MVP front-run and yet again, the season is 0-3 against the 49ers in the Playoffs, including in the 2020 NFC Championship game. But that game was played in California, this time, it's in Green Bay. The '9ers are the ones that are going to have to travel across country to the Frozen Tundra, which is going to live up to its name game time.

Temperatures expected to be in the teens. But it's going to be fields- like temps below zero. Advantage Packers, big time, especially considering '9ers quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo who has never started in an NFL game when it's been colder, then 40 degrees.

[06:55:00]

Aaron Rodgers is 6-3 in the Playoffs, when it's below freezing, he said earlier this year, the colder, the better. San Fran -- they do have a super-secret, cute weapon though! 49ers Frenchies, people. It's only in rookie, the only official emotional support animals in the NFL, it's always been with the '9ers for more than four years now, rookie is the newbie, it definitely has some good mojo going -- I'm more of a cat guy, but maybe, I can get behind this.

(CROSSTALK)

PAUL: You're a cat guy!?

WIRE: Yes, oh, yes, absolutely, through and through. But hey, I'll take the Frenchies, I guess.

SANCHEZ: We've got to petition for some support animals around here, maybe you can have a cat on your lap as you're doing sports, Coy, that would be great --

WIRE: Oh, I definitely will like Mr. Evil with this bald head, oh, my goodness.

(LAUGHTER)

SANCHEZ: Coy Wire --

PAUL: That means I can have a dog next to me.

(LAUGHTER)

SANCHEZ: I'll take a Golden Retriever, too.

PAUL: Yes --

WIRE: All right --

SANCHEZ: Stay with CNN, we'll be right back. Thanks, Coy.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)