thankfully, the song that they're playing right now -- these are protestors against president trump -- thankfully, the song they're playing right now is -- is -- is g rated. >> they did it just for us. jake, thank you. congratulations. i'll see you soon. you can't ever accept when they steal and rig and rob. >> complete and utter denial. almost a month on, and donald trump still believes he won the election. millions of americans will face tough, new restrictions, as the coronavirus death toll continues to surge. what doctors are seeing on the front lines. plus, a site many premiere-league stadiums haven't seen in months. football fans. we'll have the latest from london. hello, and welcome to our viewers here, in the united states, and all around the world. appreciate your company. i'm michael holmes. a you're watching cnn "newsroom."

well, it took only the u.s. the first five days of december to log more than a million new coronavirus cases. a million, in five days. the nation has, now, reported more than 14.5 million, total, cases. and the growth rate, it just keeps on climbing. we saw more than 200,000 new cases, for the fourth day, in a row. hospitals, just about at full capacity. more than 100,000 patients with covid-19 are in hospitals, for the past four days. medical workers, across the country, sick, tired, burning out. the cdc, tweeting out, in all caps, just wear a mask. it's the same message, but with

new desperation, perhaps. as many americans continue to refuse to do that. here's a prime example. a trump rally, in georgia, on saturday night. there is no social distancing, very few masks. president trump was in the state to campaign for two republican senators, ahead of a special, runoff election. he didn't spend much time addressing the medical crisis sweeping the country. of course, he rarely does. instead, he spread some old lies and contradictions. >> i have to say, if i lost, i'd be a very gracious loser. if i lost, i would say i lost, and i'd go to florida and i'd take it easy. and i'd go around, and i'd say i did a good job. but, you can't ever accept when they steal and rig and rob. [ cheers and applause ] >> if you don't get out and vote, they are going to win.

now, you know, a lot of people, friends of mine, say let's not vote. we're not going to vote because we're angry about the presidential -- and they're friends of mine. they're real friends and more than just two. there are numerous people and it's almost like a protest. but if you do that, the radical left wins. okay? it was sort of an instinct of mind, you know, you're angry because so many votes were stolen. it was taken away. and you say we're not going to do it. we can't do that. we have to do actually just the opposite. we can't do that. we can't do that. we have to do just the opposite. well, georgia is just about a month away from a special, runoff election. the outcome of that is going to determine which party controls the u.s. senate. it is a big deal. republican incumbents, kelly loeffler and david perdue, fighting to keep their seats. and president trump, ostensibly, fighting for them. but his methods may hurt, more than help. cnn's ryan nobles explains why.

>> reporter: president donald trump came here to georgia, with the goal of helping the two candidates running in the runoff election here, to the united states senate. but he spent far more of his time here in georgia, talking about the election that he has just lost, than he did supporting those two candidates in their upcoming fight. president trump went through a laundry list of perceived grievances that he had about the electoral process. specifically, the electoral process here, in georgia. while, at the same time, trying to convince his supporters that they need to come out and vote in january. take a listen to this one excerpt of the president's speech, where he talked about how he feels this election was stolen from him. >> they cheated and they rigged our presidential election. but we will still win it. we will still win it. [ cheers and applause ] we'll still win it. and they're going to try and rig this election, too.

>> president trump spoke for more than 90 minutes in valdosta, georgia, which is right along the florida border. and it was just a speech filled with lies. he talked about evidence of fraud and malfeasance in elections, not just here in georgia but, in wisconsin and in arizona. much of these claims have been debunked. he even played clips from the conservative-news networks, news max and oan, that claim to show evidence of voter fraud. those examples have, also, been debunked. and they did it to the glee of this crowd that said repeatedly throughout his speech that they wanted the two republican candidates to stop the steal, and also asked them to fight for trump. not necessarily the message republicans were looking for tonight. they wanted him to focus on kelly loeffler and david perdue. but this speech was all about him, and his hope in trying to

overturn an election. a hope that is really not based in any kind of reality. ryan nobles, cnn, valdosta, georgia. now, millions of californians will fall under the state's new, stay -at-home orde this weekend. officials say if they don't take drastic measures, hospitals could buckle under stress of this pandemic. >> reporter: the number of new cases in california, just alarming. shocking, really. let's go right to a graphic and show you. 25,000 new cases, in california. more than 10,000 hospitalizations. more than 200 deaths. and all of this, helping contribute to these new, stricter, stay-at-home orders, which means people cannot go to wineries, nail salons, hair salons, playgrounds, and the rest. and they must wear a mask. let's look where this is being impacted. in southern california and san joaquin valley, 27 million

people, one minute before midnight, sunday, the order goes into effect. well, it's not being embraced, throughout california. in fact, let's hear from the sheriff of riverside county, who calls these strict regulations ridiculous. >> while the governor's office and the state has threatened action against violators, the riverside county sheriff's department will not be blackmailed, bullied, or used as muscle against riverside county residents in the enforcement of the governor's orders. >> reporter: these stricter rules, also, affect other parts of california. some bay-area counties, also, joining in on the new regulations. and the orders, being applauded here by top brass at ucla medical center. they say they need something to help bend this curve, somehow, some way, with all these doctors and nurses facing a tsunami of new patients. also, ucla playing another, huge role in the fight against the pandemic. it can store 1 million vaccines,

in seven freezers, and expects to be able to put shots in people's arms in about two weeks. reporting from los angeles, i'm paul vercammen, now, back to you. >> paul, thank you. with another coronavirus surge in the u.s., hospitals are worried they will run out of their most important resource. that is, of course, healthcare workers. in places where case numbers are hitting record levels, there are not enough doctors and nurses to keep up. there is simply too many patients, and too many people losing their lives. dr. shirley zee in minneapolis explains the situation where she works. >> i think that, sometimes, when you hear statistics like that, you become numb to what those numbers mean. but -- but, for us, you know, the people that are taking care of these patients, every single number is somebody that we have to look at and say i'm sorry, there's nothing more i can do for you.

and it's just another family we have to call to tell them that their loved ones are going to die. let's speak, now, with someone who is living this every day. dr. eric is an emergency-medicine physician at mount sinai queens hospital. he joins me, now, from new york. and -- and, doctor, i'm delighted you could. we do like to check in on how you and others like you are doing. so, first off, give us a sense what does a day in the life of your er look like right now? how are you all coping? >> thanks for having me, michael. we're -- we're getting through it. it's certainly much better now, than it was back in march and april, here in new york city. thankfully, we have some light at the end of the tunnel when it comes to the vaccines. and i am really excited, seeing all of the data that's coming out in press reports across the vaccine makers on the effectiveness of these vaccines, themselves. we are still seeing, though, a large number of covid-19 cases.

patients coming in, as young as in their teens, even less than 10 years old, to being over 70, 80, 90 years old. so, covid is still permeating the minds and hearts of many healthcare workers across the country. and i am hoping that in several months time, we'll be having a very different kind of conversation. >> yeah, i hope so, too. i mean, the numbers are just, you know, staggering. when you're over -- i think we had a million cases in the first four and a bit days of this month. there -- there are so many reports now with issues of things like depression, stress, po post-traumatic stress disorder, even. i think it's important to know. what are you hearing from colleagues among healthcare professionals? >> it's a great question. and this year, as we can all imagine, it's been brutal. it's been brutal whether you are a small-shop owner, or a

healthcare worker on the front lines, like myself. we have seen peaks, troughs, of covid-19 and every month is different than the one before it. i can tell you, health care workers, especially on the front lines, are extremely high risk for taking care of people with covid-19. i mean, unlike other disasters, those events happened and they went. covid-19 has lasted, it's lingered. and we are caught thinking about it all the time, whether we are at work or whether we're at home. which has, pretty much, evaporated our otherwise-normal coping mechanisms. normally, i could come home from a shaift, forget about my work, destress, and recharge. but now, there is really no time for it so it's really important that we address mental health. >> absolutely. it's vital. and as you say, the -- the thing is the inses cessant nature of .

and i guess, with those enormous case tallies, with every new case tally, every day, i guess you know some of those people who tested positive that day are going to be in your hospital or in a hospital in the weeks ahead. so many people, by and large, are unaware of that. what would you want people to know about what is happening in hospitals? the stuff people don't see? >> i just want everyone to remember that we have to trust science. science is what's pushed us through, and has gotten us through a lot of death and despair, for centuries. and now, as we're talking about things like vaccines -- and i understand that there can be a little bit of anxiety because this is a vaccine that has been developed in warp speed. but remember, we have used vaccines for hundreds of years to get through illnesses like mumps, measles, and rubella. so, while we're discussing social distancing, mask wearing, not being home with friends and family for the holidays. we really need to trust our public-health experts, and we

need to buckle down. we are so close to the finish line, if we're smart about it. >> yeah. yeah. but i mean, the next few months could be torturous. i guess, when it comes to those increasing cases and hospitalizations and deaths, a lot of doctors have been, you know, pointing out what -- what should be obvious, is that you can add some beds, here and there. you can't manufacture icu nurses or doctors or -- or respiratory therapists and so on. how worried are you about, not so much beds but, staff to attend to patients? there's a limit and what happens when that limit is reached? >> there is a limit, and you raise a great point, michael, that we do have to keep a keen eye on how are we going to staff hospitals? where are we going to put patients when we run out of space? but, that's where i think healthcare innovation and collaboration is so important. i mean, look. through covid-19, we have become increasingly more expertise of developing telehealth and virtual means of communication. we have enlisted collaboration and cooperation from different specialties.

i have colleagues who have come from other departments, besides emergency medicine, to help us in the emergency room. it's that kind of collaboration, which is so critical. >> yeah. yeah. and -- and real quick, before we wrap up. there -- there -- there's also talk of, you know, doctors and nurses and others, perhaps leaving the profession, or not entering, in the first place, because of what they're going through right now. are people expecting too much? that these, you know, doctors, nurses, therapists, will always be there to save them. it could end up being a staff crunch, going forward. >> it can be a staff crunch but, anecdotally, and from what i've read across the literature, there is still enormous compassion. and healthcare workers. we went into this profession because we want to fight and protect and save as many lives as possible. and now, as -- as unbearable and as charged as things may be, we are so grateful to be able to be able to take care of you. and we hope that, to all of those listening at home, that

you allow us to take care of you. and that you'll continue to adhere to the public-health guidance that's being provided to you from across the globe because it is so crucial, now, more than ever. >> great, great advice. and fabulous to get your perspective. so important. thank you so much. >> thanks for having me. >> important words. we're going to take a quick break here on the program. when we come back, vaccine efforts all over the world are gaining momentum. we'll take a look at where things stand, from europe to china. plus, iran grapples with some ugly, coronavirus numbers. and blames the u.s. stay with us. we'll be right back. this holiday season choose the longest lasting aa battery... (music) energizer ultimate lithium backed by science. matched by no one. we look for control where we can find it. with flexpath from capella university, move at your own pace. you can even finish the bachelor's degree you started

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the world health organization is warning that the coronavirus pandemic is far from over. of course, even with the vaccine rollout gaining momentum, around the world. let's give you the global picture, now. there are more than 66 million cases, around the world. and more than one and a half million people have died. the united states, of course, has been hardest hit by the pandemic. more than 14 million cases, followed by india, brazil,

russia, and france. iran is, also, seeing more cases and more deaths. it has tightened coronavirus restrictions in several provinces, across the country. but, some, nonessential businesses are beginning to open up, despite the spike in fatalities. cnn's nick paton-walsh is in tehran. >> the second, chilling toll passed in just 48 hours, 50,000 people reported dead, as of today. with 321 taking them over that troubling toll of people tested positive for coronavirus. just in the last 48 hours, too, they passed the million-case mark of million people since the outbreak began who have tested positive as well. these numbers, sadly, part of the picture. not its entirety because of iran's troubles with testing. they, themselves, say the 50-60,000 mark they are able to

do every day. and clearly, from the highest level, blame sanctions, sanctions imposed by president donald trump of the united states, by his pressure campaign that iran says limit their ability to get hold of the medicines and equipment they need to tackle the coronavirus. and it is clear to see in parts of iran as we saw ourselves, quite how that is gripping some of the hospitals, which appear to be dealing with a pretty constant flow of patients and troubling on the outskirts of tehran, as well. one graveyard visited which seems to have a constant flow of people being interned there. this country, probably one of the hardest hit in the middle east. and that challenge of the virus, in itself, exacerbated by the long-term impacts of sanctions. the united states saying it provides exemptions for medical assistance here. but clearly, in the minds of iranian officials, not near

enough. nick paton-walsh, cnn, tehran. >> nations around the world, meanwhile, preparing for the approval and rollout of several vaccines that have proven effective in trials. britain. set to become the first country to roll out the one from pfizer. >> it's the shot in the arm the uk is waiting for. hospital workers preparing for the rollout of its first, emergency-use vaccine for the coronavirus. after 800,000 doses, expected to be available, before 100,000 patients, this week. >> nervous. excited. there's something out there that can protect us as well as our patients. >> but, while the west looks to companies like pfizer, moderna, and astrazeneca, for upcoming, emergency-use vaccines, inoculations in other parts of the world are already underway. russia started a mass-vaccination campaign on saturday with its sputnik 5 vaccine. the vaccine, approved for use,

even though it's still in the midst of phase-three human trials, raising serious, safety concerns, which the head of the moscow clinic dismissed. >> translator: we don't have any problems with the vaccine. we have it and it's being delivered regularly, just like any other vaccine. >> the ceo of the direct investment fund says more than 50 countries have already requested more than 1.2 billion doses of the vaccine. he says a freeze-dried version is in the works so it's easier to distribute in developing countries in africa and asia. the pfizer/biontech vaccine, it's been vaccinating frontline workers using china's vaccine since november. in addition, thousands of people in ten countries have gotten the shot by taking part in its ongoing, clinical trials. >> translator: we would like to offer anything we can to humanity. this is a simple thing. we hope this pandemic ends, and we can return to our normal

lives. china has five vaccine candidates in the final phase of clinical trials. and it says, in the coming months, it will ship hundreds of millions of doses to countries around the world. other options, also, on the horizon. chile began phase-three trials of the oxford vaccine. a pandemic that has, so far, killed more than one and a half million people, worldwide. >> well, some people who get the coronavirus end up with long-term symptoms, and experts say that could become a long-term public health issue, in itself. i spoke to a doctor who's become an expert in long-haul covid because he's living through it. >> well, the biggest thing that i noticed as i went through it was the fear. the fear of not knowing what the next hour, what's the next minute, would be. and that happened to me for

eight days, in a row, especially at night. so, when i treat patients, when i see them, i can totally relate to what they're going through because this is a very unpredictable disease. and we're seeing that, not only during the acute infection, with a lot of the patients who are suffering with what's called this long-haul syndrome, where the symptoms last for months. >> i was, also, reading an interview that you did. and i was actually -- i got to admit, i was pretty shocked to hear that you got what could be, i think accurately described, as hate mail. e-mails, phone calls, from random people and so on. you know, you've also spoken about the politicization of the virus. how truth became a casualty. how -- how did that play into, not just what you went through but, play into the situation the u.s. now finds itself in? >> well, it -- it's a big problem that we are viai're hav it's not just about me, personally. but the united states is pretty torn apart, right now. our fabric is just going into different directions. and i liken this a lot to if we

were fighting, for example, in world war ii. we wouldn't be doing so well. >> we're going to have the full interview with dr. michael sag next hour. you will want to stay with us for that. we're going to take a quick break. when we come back on cnn "newsroom," the u.s. focused on georgia this weekend. there is going to be a massively consequential runoff vote next month. and president trump speaking up about it. also. do you think it's possible that america elected joe biden to be the next president? i know you don't want that to have happened. >> possible, not probable. >> president trump, clearly, lost the u.s. election. but these georgia republicans don't think so. will that keep them from voting in january's runoffs? we'll hear what they say. the new ergo smart base from tempur-pedic responds to snoring- automatically. so no hiding under your pillow.

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and welcome back to our viewers here, in the united states, and all around the world. i'm michael holmes. you're watching cnn "newsroom." appreciate your company. well, here, in the u.s., all eyes on the state of georgia. it is about a month away, now, from a runoff election that will decide whether republicans keep control of the u.s. senate, or hand it over to democrats. republicans, kelly loeffler and david perdue, fighting to keep their seats against democratic challengers, raphael warnock and jon ossoff. on sunday, warnock and loeffler will debate each other. the u.s. president spent saturday, or part of it, in georgia, stumping for the

republicans. and that effort entailed a long speech, full of conspiracy theories and attacks on republican-state leaders. >> there's never been a time like this, where you have two, at one time. at least, you have two beauties. and you know what? you also have two beauties running against them, but beauty in a different way. they're two beauties. but there's never been a case where a state has had this prominence on senate races because they're never together. and this is something that's very important, and you have to get out and you have to vote. you have to make sure you have every vote counted. every vote has to count. you got to make sure they don't throw away any ballots. you got to make sure that, when they collect the ballots and they start bragging about how many ballots they already have, you got to make sure your secretary of state knows what the hell he's doing. and you got to make sure your

governor gets a lot tougher than he's been. he's got to get a lot tougher because, at stake in this election, is control of the u.s. senate, and that really means control of this country. the voters of georgia will determine which party runs every committee, writes every piece of legislation, controls every single taxpayer dollar. very simply, you will decide whether your children will grow up in a socialist country, or whether they will grow up in a free country. >> alice stewart is a cnn political commentator. she is also former communications director of the ted cruz campaign. she joins me now from alexandria, in virginia. good to see you, alice. you were born and raised here in atlanta. worked as a journalist in savannah, georgia, for many years. you have a good understanding of the politics in this state. what is unique about georgia as an electorate? >> one thing that's important to keep in mind is that georgia is

ruby red and it is the heart of the bible belt. and people in the state of georgia appreciate liberty. they appreciate the freedom of religion. they appreciate pro-life. they appreciate going to church, their second-amendment rights. and those values and those priorities are still pretty solid in the state of georgia. and, look, it has been red for many years. it has turned slightly blue, over the last few years, given the work of stacey abrams and black lives matter. and there's been a change of demographic in the state with a lot of african-americans and hispanics moving into the state of georgia. but overall, while it is joe biden won this past election, it is still ruby red. and i think it's -- we're still several years away from it going completely blue. it is slightly purple but we're still far from it turning into the hands of democrats. >> speak -- speak to donald trump's involvement in this

race. and you know, he was speaking earlier on saturday. but -- but -- but in particular, his casting of doubt on the election process. i mean, it does have some gop georgians considering not voting. i mean, do -- do you think he's helping or hurting? do you think the republican senators, the party in georgia, would have preferred the president just hadn't come? >> there -- there's a little division within the party. i know, when i speak with a lot of them, that the republican party in georgia, fully onboard. fully, behind the president. we have republicans that are in state office, whether it is the governor and the secretary of state, who has committed to ensuring the integrity of the election. they are caught between a rock and a hard place because they have worked really hard to instill the integrity of this election. and they have counted those votes, three times. three times. and they still have the same numbers they had on election night. and they are confident with the numbers. but the secretary of state and the governor.

while they are republicans, they, like me, voted for this president and wanted him to win. they see the numbers, like i do, that are not in favor for this president. and he needs to simply accept the fact. so, we're seeing republicans in leadership who are embracing the outcome of this election. and those that really, truly support president and really want these republican candidates to win this all-important two senate seats are more in the trump camp. but the reality is those that were at the rally to watch president trump. they are going to go out and do as he said, and vote in january and vote for the two senate candidates, so they can maintain control in the senate. >> it was interesting. the -- "the washington post" surveyed all 249, i think it is, republicans in the house and senate. 27, only 27, would acknowledge joe biden as president-elect. i mean, i know you're a republican who's watched the last four years, with some concern about how donald trump

has impacted the party. it is, in the eyes of many, the trump party, now. where even, you know, denying reali reality is a sign of loyalty. what does it mean for the future of the republican party going forward in a post-trump world? >> because the republicans picked up seats in the house of representatives, and the message that sends is that people across this country, republicans, want to see conservative-republican values represented in washington, d.c. and that sends a really strong message. while they might not, particularly, have liked president trump's tone and his tactics. they do appreciate the policies of the republican party, and i do expect us to continue to pick up republican seats in the house. i do expect us to hold onto the two seats in georgia and maintain control in the senate. and having that divided government in washington is really critical to making sure that -- that joe biden, and what i see as far-left policies,

taking over the country right now. but the republican party is in good shape. and we're seeing that with a lot of the returns that we saw in -- in november. >> all right. alice stewart, going to leave it there. thanks so much. appreciate it. >> thank you. have a great day. now, as we were discussing there, control of the u.s. senate, at stake in those two georgia, senate runoff elections, one of which is between democrat raphael warnock and republican kelly loeffler. you can see them debate, this sunday night, in the u.s. monday morning, if you're in hong kong. so, how will georgia's republican voters interpret president trump's, let's call them, mixed messages? some of his supporters hang on to hope the presidential election will be overturned. and they're still, in a sense, campaigning for their candidate to win an election, he already, clearly, lost. cnn's gary tuchman with more from georgia.

>> reporter: in many american neighborhoods, the beginning of december still looks like the beginning of november. trump campaign signs, flags, banners, on houses, on barns, on fences, on trees. all, left up by trump voters who, in many cases, believe giving up on their signs means giving up on their president. julie lives just north of atlanta. >> you still have a lot of signs for donald trump and mike pence. the election was november 3rd. how come the signs are still up? >> and they're going to stay up till the end, till the very end. i think he's going to come through. >> what's going to come through? >> i think he's going to turn it around. i think we got cheated out of the election and i -- i'm sticking with him. >> reporter: donald trump has a lot of loyal supporters here. he received 69% of this county's vote, so you will find a lot of signs here that are still up. jd ortega says during the campaign, some of his trump signs were stolen.

so, he put other signs, high in trees, and that's where they will remain now. >> they're still up because i'm hopeful. i'm hoping that something's going to come out of these investigations. i'm hoping that something will turn the tide and i'm just -- i'm a big supporter. >> that donald trump can still be president? >> i'm hoping that he can still be president, yeah, i absolutely am. >> reporter: but then, there's reality. the formal certification of results in battleground states. the trump attorney failures in courtrooms throughout the country to prove what the president claims was a fraudulent, rigged election. >> does it concern you, though, that the president and others say there is evidence but it's not being presented in the courtroom? >> that does concern me. >> why do you think that is? >> i don't know. i don't know all the ins and outs of what he's got going on so it does concern me it hasn't come to light, yet. >> the lack of evidence is not comforting to many still flying the trump flag, including roger, who didn't want his face shown. but did want to tell us he,

nevertheless, feels donald trump could win the election. >> why? other than him saying it? >> just anecdotally. like i said, it's -- it's -- it's hard to say. we have so many -- >> is it maybe -- is it maybe wishful thinking, on your part, as opposed to -- >> sure. sure. absolutely. >> america voted joe biden in. then, joe biden should be in. but i think it all should be fair. i think it all should be fair. >> does it bother you that you haven't seen any evidence of it? that it hasn't been presented and that, maybe, you're being tricked. maybe, this man wants to stay in office so badly, he's going to keep saying it but not show any evidence proving it. >> bother me? i don't know why he would want the office, the way they've done him. >> reporter: many people still sporting the signs look at postelection trump as a political martyr. >> each person we talk to here recognizes that, for every day that goes by, things get more complicated for mr. trump. but these are true believers, who refuse to stop believing.

do you think, though, it's possible that america elected joe biden to be the next president? i mean, i know you don't want that to have happened. >> possible. possible, not probable. possible. >> reporter: gary tuchman, cnn, cherokee county, georgia. powerful bond cyclone is hitting the northeast in the united states with some heavy rain and snow. millions under winter-storm alerts. thousands, already, without power. we'll have more on that, next. also, three monoliths and a multitude of questions. who put them there? and why? we'll take a closer look. your mission: stand up to moderate to severe rheumatoid arthritis. and take. it. on... ...with rinvoq. rinvoq a once-daily pill...

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more than 2 million people along the new england coast under winter storm alerts. a powerful nor-easter has now turned into a bomb cyclone. wow. nearly 200,000 people without

power in maine. conditions expected to improve, later this weekend. hope so. let's get the latest from cnn's derek van dam. yeah. i've heard of these bomb cyclones. fill us in on what's been happening. it doesn't sound good. >> 'tis the season. no. it's an ominous name, isn't it, michael? i'll explain the definition, in just one second. but, i have been explaining to my family and friends that live along the east coast that, if temperatures were just a couple degrees cooler, we would be talking about an absolutely crippling snow storm. as it turned out, temperatures were just a bit too warm for this to be an all-snow event. there's been snow, significant snow, but not debilitating snow. we'll get to the totals, in just one second. but look at the system sitting just off the coast of maine. it is moving to the nova scotia, new brunswick region. right along the coast. of course, you move inland, higher elevation. it turns to snow. for this to be classified as a

bomb cyclone, we have to see a pressure drop. that's how we measure low-pressure systems and it has to drop 24 millibars in less than 24 hours and it's done more than that. so, there's a lot of wind, a lot of energy associated with this system. some of the wind gusts, here, have exceeded 50 to 60 miles per hour. you talk about the heavy, wet snowflakes that have fallen from the storm. there's still some residual, fall leaves on the trees. so, we've had power outages, over 200,000 now, last count, in maine. and, of course, massachusetts, connecticut, and rhode island, also, impacted by power outages. and along the east coast of canada, as well. so, the winter storm warning still in effect for maine, into new hampshire. as well as the coastal regions of massachusetts. but, we're starting to see those slowly expire from the west to the east because this storm is going to pull out, quickly. it will move away from the region, within the next 12 to 24 hours. but, of course, the damage has already been done. here's a local radar, across the area, lighting up like a

christmas tree. very appropriate for this time of year. i mentioned that a lot of this precipitation has fallen as rain. we've seen 6 to 10 inches of rain across massachusetts. specifically, across the central parts of that state. but, of course, once that cold air ushered in behind the system, turn that precipitation from the liquid variety into the frozen variety. and we saw our winter wonderland take shape and some locations in massachusetts and rhode island have seen 10 inches or more. even, some local reports of a foot. so, how much snow is left? well, we've got northern new england into portions of eastern canada could see another 6 to 10 inches of snowfall before the system exits, later this afternoon and evening, of course, being sunday, local time, here across the eastern seaboard. michael. >> good to see you, my friend. we'll check in with you next hour as well. derek van dam. >> it is a global mystery that would make stanley cubrik proud.

are they art? are they a prank? or maybe space odyssey is starting to happen a little late, in 2020. cnn's kim brunhuber takes a closer look. the story started out like the beginning of a sci-fi movie. in mid-november, the state of utah wildlife agency conducted what was supposed to be a routine helicopter survey of sheep. only to discover a three and a half meter tall monolith at the base of a canyon. the state's bureau of land management opened an investigation, and tweeted that such installations are illegal, quote, no matter what planet you are from. just days later, the structure disappeared. an unknown party, caught on video, removing it. then, a utah tour guide posted this video on social media claiming he and his friends were the ones to remove the monolith to protect the area from tourists. another explorer witnessed this

group removing the structure. >> right after it had fallen over and made a loud thud, one of them said this is why you don't leave trash in the desert. and as they were loading it up and walking away, they just said leave no trace and left. >> reporter: but, that wasn't the end. the mystery only grew, when a second monolith appeared atop a hill in northern romania. this one, too, disappeared just days later. again, no explanation from local authorities. and finally, a third monolith, suddenly, appearing in california, this week, on a hiking trail in the u.s. state. and overnight, destroyed by vandals. all three monoliths shared an identical, three-sided, metallic structure, as well as the same, unknown origins, placed without permission from local officials. the who done it has blown up on social media. puzzling people around the world with theories ranging from an artistic installment or a prank by teenagers, to the idea that

extra testrrestrials may have planted the statues. still, no explanation for these elusive monuments has been agreed upon. but, if there's one thing that's certain, it's that 2020 and all its surprises isn't over, yet. kim brunhuber, cnn. coming up on the program, something the english premier league hasn't seen for nearly a year. how some lucky fans got into the matches. we'll be right back. my husband and i have never eaten healthier. shingles doesn't care. i logged 10,000 steps today. shingles doesn't care. i get as much fresh air as possible. good for you, but shingles doesn't care. because 1 in 3 people will get shingles, you need protection.

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now across the pond from where we are, it is just beginning to feel a little bit more like normal in the english premier league. well, sort of. half of the 20 teams have been allowed to let in up to 2,000 fans. teams in areas where the virus is more prevalent will have to keep the doors locked a little longer. "world sport" contributor darren lewis was at the game between west ham and manchester united to describe the scene. >> a game-changing weekend in the premier league with fans back in the stadiums across the country for the first time in nine months. clubs in the premier league and the championship have been breathing a sigh of relief as the game takes its first steps

towards normality after the coronavirus outbreak. football without fans just isn't football. it's soulless, it's joyless, as the everton manager carlo ancelotti said midweek, a very, very different experience. at west ham they did their best to ensure the experience was as safe as possible for the fans coming back for the first time since february. health declaration forms, temperature checks, hand sanitizer, masks, social distancing. after a thrilling game against manchester united, you'd think it was all worth it. but the fans we spoke to, they had mixed feelings about the experience. >> it was fantastic to be back. i nearly lost my voice. it was fantastic to be back. >> it was just a little bit eerie, really, a little bit dodgy. you got the sense it was very empty. the fact that i had to sit four seats away from my son, still a little bit strange. no, it was nice. nice to get back. >> felt very, very good to be

back. didn't get the result tonight. good to be back. >> yeah, it was okay. a bit strange. gary had to sit behind me in the row behind me. yeah, and it's very empty. yeah, it was good. >> as for the game itself, west ham look set to extend their three-match winning streak. they went ahead through thomas susic in the first half but blew opportunities to put themselves out of sight. you didn't do that against manchester united. a goal in the second half from paul pog ba, a goes finish from mason greenwood, a cheeky chip from marcus rashford, saw the points go up for manchester, a big result from the is on ole gunn gunner solsskaer. thank you for watching "cnn newsro newsroom."

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if you're living with hiv . . . . . . keep loving who you are. and ask your doctor if biktarvy is right for you. back on the trail. donald trump speaks at a rally in georgia for the senate runoff election. but he spent little time actually talking about the candidates. the united states has more than 1 million new coronavirus cases for the month of december, and we aren't even a week in. as if the virus isn't enough, new england facing a bomb cyclone at the moment, leaving hundreds of thousands without power welcome, everyone. i'm michael holmes and this is "cnn newsroom."