hello and a warm welcome to our viewers joining us in the united states and right around the world. i these nonprivileged text are further evidence of president trump's supreme dereliction of duty during those 187 minutes. >> if you're listening at home, history will record that in a critical moment in our democracy

most people were on the side of finding the truth. >> former trump chief of staff one step closer to facing criminal contempt charges as investigators reveal text message showing just how much the trump white house knew about the insurrection. communities rebuild after storms leave a trail of devastation. and boris johnson could face a rebellion from his own party as he tries to push through new covid measures in parliament. >> announcer: live from london, this is cnn "newsroom" with isa suarez. welcome, everyone it's tuesday december 14th, 2021. and we begin on capitol hill, where the house committee has voted to put charges on mark

meadows for husis failure to comply with the subpoena. >> if you're listening at home, mr. meadows, mr. bannon, mr. clark, i want you to know this. history will be written about these times, about the work this committee has undertaken. and history will not look upon any of you as martyrs. >> the resolution is expected to come to the house floor for a vote later today. that will determine whether to defer the charges to the justice department which ultimately decides to prosecute m mr. meadows. here's more. >> whatever legacy he thought he left in the house, this is his legacy now. his former colleagues singing him out for criminal prosecution because he wouldn't answer questions about what he knows about a brutal attack on our democracy. mr. meadows put himself in this

situation and he must now accept the consequences. so i will support the select committee's adoption of this report recommending the house site mark randall meadows for contempt of congress and refer him to the department of justice for prosecution. >> our constitution, the structure of our institutions and the rule of law, which are at the heart of what makes america great are at stake. we cannot be satisfied with incomplete answers or half truths and we cannot surrender to president trump's efforts to hide what happened. we will be persistent, professional, and nonpartisan. and we will get to the objective truth to ensure that january 6th never happens again. >> while the committee also revealed a series of explosive text messages on monday that meadows received as the riot

unfolded. paula reed is following all the developments for you. >> reporter: the house select committee has voted to select mark meadows for criminal comp tempt and they have laid out messages that meadow received on afte january 6th, among them messages he received from many fox news personnel, urging him to get the president to say or do something to put a stop to what was occurring at the capital. he also received a message from the president's son, donald trump jr. to get him to go out and do something. let's listen to the vice chairwoman, liz cheney lay out the message. >> according to the messages, many fox news representatives knew he had to do something to

get the president to stop it. mark, the president needs to tell people in the capitol to go home. this is hurting all of us. he is destroying his legacy laura ingram wrote. please get him on tv, destroying everything you have accomplished, brian kilmeade texted. quote, can he make a statement, asked people to leave the capitol sean hannity urged. as the violence continues one of the president's sons texted mr. meadows, quote, he's got to condemn this [bleep] asap, the capitol police tweet is not enough. >> liz cheney argued these text messages show the white house knew what was happening on january 6th. the committee referencing

another text message, quote, we are under siege. these are messages he turned over voluntarily, makes you wonder what he's withholding. he and his attorney are arguing he has some executive privilege as chief of staff. both of those issues have so far been dismissed by federal judges in if separate litigation by former president trump who's trying to block the committee from getting his records. former president trump has a right to appeal that decision to the supreme court, if he wins it could potentially help meadows. but until then it appears this case will be referred to the justice department. the justice department is prosecuting steve bannon currently for criminal contempt. but unlike bannon, meadows was a top white house official on january 6th, he could potentially have privilege

protections, depending on how the executive privilege litigation pans out and he has not completely stonewalled the committee. thinking about he would be potentially willing to do an interview, turning over thousands of pages of documents. it could be a difficult decision for the attorney general whether he wants to prosecute them, whether there's a sufficient case to argue that meadows is not cooperating at all or should be held in contempt. we'll have to wait and see what happens. mark meadows responded to the house select committee's vote during an appearance on fox move. he dismissed the move and claims the vote is another way to attack donald trump. have a listen. >> obviously it's disappointing but not surprising. and let's be clear about this, sean. this is not about me holding me in contempt. it's not even about making the capital safer. we see that by the selective leaks going on right now. this is about donald trump and

actually going after him once again, continuing to go after donald trump. >> and while mark meadows dismissed the house select committee's vote members of the committee said he has violated the law and they want to see him prosecuted. >> we will use the tools that we have, and i expect the justice department to move as swiftly in dealing with mr. meadows as it did with mr. bannon and prosecute him for violating the law and his duty as a citizen. >> mark meadows his committed a crime, in this case a premeditated one. he thought carefully about his actions and actively chose to stone wall, which you can clearly see in his back and forth with the select committee. first he produced over 9,000 pages of documents during his time in the white house, then after his former boss made it clear his displeasure he did a

180 and refused to answer a single question from his colleagues or show up at all. >> you can't retroactively claim privilege. it's some of these extraordinary pieces of evidence require additional explanation. he owes us an explanation and we need to get it in his unlawful refusal to answer the questions about the material that he has acknowledged is not subject to executive privilege. it's just simply unacceptable and illegal. >> and it doesn't end there. in the coming hours, lawmakers could get access to even more details, a key organizer of the january 6 rally set to testify before the committee investigating the attack. dustin stockton is expected to turn over documents that suggest members of congress and members of the white house were in on the plan. he told the rolling stone

publication, he's turning his evidence over or, quote, let the cards fall where they may. now it's been three days since a string of deadly tornados ripped across several u.s. states and the magnitude of the devastation still just coming into focus. many residents are starting to rebuild but hundreds have no home to return to. at least 88 people have been confirmed dead right across five states. kentucky was the hardest hit with at least 74 dead and more than 100 people still missing. there has been one sign of hope. signs now say they're confident no one is left in the rubble of the candle factory, they feared dozens may have died inside but we have learned that while eight were killed most escaped. president biden plans to visit the hardest hit areas on

wednesday and federal agencies are already on the ground helping with the most urgent needs. >> we are working very closely with state and local officials, emergency responders from across the state, across the country, to deliver on those needs. we're also providing food, clothing, blankets, remember as you well know, having been there in the wee hours that it's cold in december in western kentucky and that's something we're very mindful of. it's not just providing the medium and long term, but delivering for the people what t they need right now. >> we're also learning about just how record breaking this storm may have been. experts believe a single tornado may have touched down in four states lasting for more than 250 miles or 400 kilometers, which could make it the longest, continuous tornado in history. but for residents the reality of

this historic devastation is just starting to set in. a report now from mayfield, kentucky. >> reporter: it's taken three days for corilla smith to return to this home. the emotion of what happened on friday still too raw. this pile of rubble and debris is where a family with young children once lived. >> what did you see that minigh? >> it was so dark you couldn't see anything. >> reporter: she said after the storms she and her son raced towards the cries of the family trapped inside. >> that's when they brought the little 3-year-old out and we passed him along and then another lady and i were doing cpr on him, trying to save him. as a mom, to know that my son is safe and i couldn't help save the life of that baby, i just kept on trying to breathe life into him. >> reporter: the heartbreaking stories of loss and devastation are sadly plenty in the streets

of mayfield, kentucky, a landscape no longer recognizable to the people who live here. >> i feel glad to be alive. i hurt for this, but i hurt more for the others that are -- the houses around that are nothing. >> reporter: rescue and recovery efforts are underway across eight states and fema is helping open shelters providing food and water to those in need. more than 100 people are feared dead in kentucky alone. governor andy beshear struggling to keep his composure monday. >> just a few more facts about those we've lost. 18 are still unidentified. of the ones that we know, the age -- the age range is 5 months to 86 years. and six are younger than 18. >> reporter: so much loss, yet

there are heroing stories of survival. >> this building was gone and all this stuff was in the street. >> reporter: demonte williams was racing toward his aunt's house, it was crumbled on the ground, she was trapped inside. >> her chimney was on her? >> yes. and her couch was on top of her. started yelling her name, once i ran up on her steps, i could see her head poking out just a tiny bit and as soon as we looked at each other, she started crying. >> if you would like to help those impacted by the deadly storms, we have verified ways you can assist, visit cnn.com/impact for more information. our teams will update with the latest details as soon as they come available. some of those areas hit

hardest by the storms could be in round for wet weather this week. >> all eyes across portions of the central united states as a lot br a few scattered showers possible over the next 24 to 48 hours. by the end of the week it could be a wet set up across the region. some areas could see as much as 2 to 3 inches of rainfall. that's toward the latter portion of the week, potentially early next week as we transition out of a dry trend. right now an impressive run of warmth across the eastern united states beginning to develop, and we're talking about temperatures running 20 to as much as 40 degrees above average for this time of year. get this, upwards of 160 record highs and even record low warm temperatures that are in store over the next several days. this is as remarkable as it gets. you put this into the summer season, you're going to have a lot of fatalities associated with heat in place. of course during the cold season

it leads to mild temperatures. precisely what we have. in st. louis 63 degrees. memphis almost spring like in nature, 68. seattle temps should be 67 this time of year. around the western united states, storm system in place, potent energy pushing in. wind gusts, parts of oregon, washington state, montana, wyoming. we're talking category 1 equivalent hurricane 1 wind gusts across the region. incredible coverage of high wind alerts around the western united states where these winds could easily exceed tropical storm force, hurricane force. that kwluz portions of southern california. you bet areas of higher elevation, that's not an error there, 5 to 8 feet of snow possible. some of these areas will see blizzard-like conditions in place. a dangerous go for high elevation travel into the sierra. yes, even some beneficial rainfall into southern

california across this region the next several days. as far south as san diego could see some rainfall as well, so story worth following here with widespread coverage of wintry weather and wet weather around the western u.s. isa? >> thank you very much, pedram. you are watching "cnn newsroom." just ahead, the omicron variant is spreading quickly across the uk. more details on the prime minister's plan to fight the surge. >> we can see omicron spiking now in london and some other parts of the country. it's ubrelvy. for anytime, anywhere migraine strikes, without worrying if it's too late, or where i am. one dose can quickly stop my migraine in its tracks within two hours. unlike older medicines, ubrelvy is a pill that directly blocks cgrp protein, believed to be a cause of migraine. do not take with strong cyp3a4 inhibitors. most common side effects were nausea and tiredness. serena: ask about ubrelvy. the anytime, anywhere migraine medicine.

♪ wait, oh, yes

♪ wait a minute, mr. postman ♪ yeah, yeah, mr. postman - "dear michael, i appreciate your help, patience, and support through the reverse mortgage loan process. you are an asset to aag." this is from helen, a happy customer, who got a reverse mortgage loan from aag. you see, a lot of people aren't sure if a reverse mortgage is really right for them. so michael and all the experts at aag work hard to make sure you understand exactly what you're getting. they want to make sure you're happy. - [announcer] call aag today and find out how a reverse mortgage can help you eliminate monthly mortgage payments, pay for living expenses, and even high interest credit card bills. call now at the number shown on your screen. - a reverse mortgage with aag can be easier than you might think. or as ann says, "working with folks at aag

was like dealing with a friend who had our interests at heart". whether that's for paying off medical costs, or as dennis says, "finally getting that new truck i needed". reverse mortgage loans have helped over a million families get tax-free cash for a better retirement. - [announcer] if you're 62 and own your home, aag could help you get the right loan for extra retirement money. call today for your free no hassle reverse mortgage guide. call the number on your screen. - these letters show why aag has such a high customer satisfaction rating. "i feel so much better." "it's like a savior to me." so you wrote this. - yes. - thank you, edna. - [announcer] don't wait. see if a reverse mortgage is right for you. call now, the number is on your screen.

now, boris johnson could be facing the biggest revolt of his premiership today as british lawmakers consider new measures to fight covid-19. and it's the conservative party that's lining up against him. the new rules include a work from home order, tougher mask mandates and stricter rules to get a health pass. the prime minister also wants all eligible adults to get their vaccine boosters by the end of the month. we heard him say that yesterday. the uk confirmed the first patient with the death of the omicron variant, and the number of infections is doubling every two to three days. have a listen.

>> ovechkimicron represents 22 in europe, we've seen it become the dominant variant in the capital in the next 48 hours. let's get more on the story. joining me now in london is salma abdelaziz. we talk about the science and what they said yesterday. let's focus on the politics and what's happening today. this is really the prime minister's full test of his authority since all these crises that we've seen unfold. will he get the votes needed within his own party, first of all? >> that's the question, isa. you have dozens of conservative mps, dozens of back ventures who say they're going to vote against the prime minister, against their own party. that's because they are upset that some of these covid measures, particularly that health pass, the nhs passed, they feel that's cushing civil liberties, these mps. they say it's not something they

want to see in this country, it's unbritish. it doesn't mean boris johnson doesn't have a grip on his party as much as he would like particularly during a time he's fighting yet another variant of covid-19. this is expected to pass, but because of the labor party, because of the opposition party, not because of his own party. >> that's so ironic. >> absolutely ironic, and it begins to show you some cracks in the system because if omicron gets worse, remember, this is a variant that is more transmissible than other variants, there is high concern from health officials. they are trying to speed up these booster shots as fast as they can, but there is high concern we won't get everyone boosted in time. what i'm trying to make the point of here is that if prime minister boris johnson needs more restrictions, more measures, he might not be able to count on his own party for that. >> have we heard whether boris johnson, whether he thinks he will get the support needed in his own party? >> he doesn't want to get ahead of it. we've seen his own staff, his team on a lot of the networks,

the mps, back ventures making their opposition to these measures known. again, the prime minister does expect this to pass because of the labor party. he has not, however, ruled out any other restrictions in the future. there's still that concern that you have a prime minister right now with little political standing, who his ethical authority, his moral authority is being questioned, at the same time he needs to fight this variant. this is important. it puts pressure on the health system. >> i know you'll stay on top of it for us. salma, thank you very much indeed. now, still to come right here on the show, the house committee investigating january 6 capitol riot after mark meadows fails to appear for a deposition. >> january 6th was without precedent. there has been no stronger case in our nation's history for a congressional investigation into the actions of a former president.

do you struggle to fall asleep and stay asleep? qunol sleep formula combines 5 key nutrients that can help you fall asleep faster, stay asleep longer, and wake up refreshed. the brand i trust is qunol. ♪ ♪ ♪

aloha! isn't this a cozy little room? sorry your vacation request took so long to get approved, so you missed out on the suite special. but lucky for you, they had this. when employees are forced to wait for vacation request approvals,it can really cramp their style. i'm gonna leave you to it. um, just— with paycom, employees enter and manage their own hr data in a single, easy-to-use software. visit paycom.com and schedule a demo today.

where's mom? she said she would be home in time for the show. don't worry, sweetie. she promised she'd be here for it. ooh! nice shot! thanks! glad we have xfinity, with wifi speed faster than a gig! me too! woah, look! mom is on tv! she's amazing! (cheers) xfinity brought us together, after all! power your whole home this holiday with wifi speeds faster than a gig. click, call, or visit a store today. sing 2

welcome back to "cnn newsroom." i'm isa soares. if you're just joining us, let me bring you up to date with our top stories this hour. prime minister boris johnson is facing a revolt from lawmakers in parliament, a vote on expanded measures to fight the spread of coronavirus is later today. there could be a rebuke on johnson's decision how he's handled the pandemic. and the january 6 committee lawmakers on capitol hill will vote to recommend contempt charges for former chief of staff mark meadows. when the committee met for that vote, they unveiled startling text messages from the day of the capitol riot.

those messages show how lawmakers, fox news personalities and even the former president's own son tried to press mark meadows to get donald trump to stop the violence. the committee's vice chairwoman republican liz cheney read the texts out loud. have a listen. >> the white house knew exactly what was happening here at the capitol. members of congress, the press, and others wrote to mark meadows as the attack was underway. one text mr. meadows received said, quote, we are under siege here at the capitol. another, quote, they have breached the capitol. in a third, mark, protesters are literally storming the capitol, breaking windows on doors, rushing in. is trump going to say something? a fourth, there is an armed standoff at the house chamber

door. and another from someone inside the capitol, we are all helpless. >> well, cnn senior legal analyst laura coates weighed in on these latest revelations from january 6th. >> you have people who were in cahoots to try to conspire to overthrow and attack the capitol. the idea of knowingly doing so. and remember, we talked from day one, the idea of what you were seeing on january 6th was not the beginning of the story. it wasn't the end of the story. it was the middle. so what led up to it? it blows out of the water any assertion that somehow this is a partisan witch-hunt all intended to just, you know, drudge up information that's not even there. there is there-there and it comes from the mouths of members of congress and some of the most staunch advocates for donald trump in the media today. >> laura coates there.

cnn will have much more on the story ahead on "early start" in about 30 minutes' time. now, across the southern and central u.s., officials are starting to get a glimpse of the damage after a series of powerful tornadoes touched down over the weekend. at least 50 tornadoes were reported in eight states, but kentucky saw the most damage with entire neighborhoods flattened to the ground as you can see there. some people have nothing left, and really nowhere to go to. one woman tells cnn's ed lavandera she doesn't know how she survives. >> can you believe this? >> reporter: brianna glisten still hasn't figured out how she and her two children are alive. >> when i opened my eyes and looked around, i had no idea where i was. none. all i could do was stand up and scream for help and try to find someone to help me and my kids. >> reporter: she's piecing together the memories of the tornado striking her home in dawson springs, kentucky, the only place to hide was in a bed with her 4 and 2-year-old children clutched under her

arms. she says that saved her kids' lives. that's when the windows exploded and the roof collapsed on her, crushing her arms. >> and then after that, in a millisecond, we were no longer in the house. we were on the ground over there somewhere. >> reporter: like on the other side of those cars? >> like over this rubble on the ground in mud, with absolutely nothing near us. >> reporter: so you flew from this spot right here -- >> all the way -- >> reporter: -- to that rubble over there. so this is the area. >> yeah. >> reporter: you're probably close to 200 feet away. >> i think being on the mattress saved us, because for the most part of flying through the air, we weren't just flying through the air. we were on the bed. >> reporter: that's one of the most unbelievable things i've ever heard of anybody surviving. >> it's insane. i can't believe that me and my kids are okay. i can't believe that there's no broken bones on my children. >> reporter: they were ought cut

and bleeding, but she remembers neighbors helping her into a basement. >> thank you so much for helping us. thank you so much. >> i have a head injury. and my face. my arm is broken. >> i'm glad you're all right. >> thank you. thank you for helping us. >> that's what we do. >> reporter: with nowhere to live, brianna glisten and her family are in a motel room. glisten says her children have special needs that require her full-time attention, so she isn't working outside of the home. her mother lives with them, and her job pays the bills. >> we've been given clothes. we've been given blankets and food. but we have nowhere to go. >> reporter: they told us they

don't have home insurance, and the little savings they have is paying for a few nights in this motel. >> one minute i'm sitting here and i'm smiling, one minute i'm bawling my eyes out. we are extremely lucky to be alive because we were flown through the air, and our neighbors passed away right next to us. >> reporter: the glistens are one of the hundreds of families in dawson springs that will struggle to recover. the mayor here says about a third of the city's population of 2,500 lives below the poverty line. >> there's going to be a lot of people that don't have any insurance. they live from month to month on a social security check or whatever they can get. >> reporter: getting through this is going to be tough for them. >> very tough, very tough. >> reporter: you can see the bruises and scars from the storm all over brianna glisten, but the wounds to her life from this tornado cut much deeper. how are you emotionally?

>> i'm tore up. i've lost absolutely everything. >> reporter: brianna glisten's terrifying survival story is like a scene ripped from the wizard of oz. but the question facing her and hundreds of residents in dawson spring, what will the future look like? how will they be able to rebuild and is this small city going to be the same? ed lavandera, dawson springs, kentucky. >> powerful report from ed laven "door" a. in kentucky, 13 are still missing. one woman said she's haunted by what she saw after the tornado. she spoke to our nick valencia. >> reporter: why are you crying? >> these are tears of joy and tears of sorrow. i got out alive. i watched some people die that

didn't make it. and my question is why? i keep saying why? why? >> reporter: you're asking yourself why you made it? >> why, god, when i come out and the aftermath after the tornado was worse, it was so many people crying for help. and i could hear people praying. and i could hear people saying, lord, help us. and, um, and i come out without a scratch. i'm sorry. >> reporter: it's okay. take your time. you came back to your home here and immediately started to tear up. >> i tear up because i'm safe.

i walked away. i'm left to tell the story. before i lot connection, i was on the phone with my mother and i told my mother, i said, mom, i'm about to die. i'm about to die. and i didn't think i was going to make it. >> reporter: what was your mom telling you while she was on the phone with you? >> my mom, my mom was really calm, and i said, mom, i'm about to die. she said, if it's in the lord's will. and she was really calm. and i found out later that she remained calm because she wanted me to remain calm. she said if i was about to die, she wanted me to die in peace, and not in fear. so i couldn't figure out why my mom was calm.

she did not tell me that i wasn't going to die. she said if it's in the lord's will. but i could hear her praying. and up until the phone service went out -- >> reporter: you said you saw others that didn't make it. can you tell us what you saw? >> um, when i jumped out my back window, i came and i found a lady laying here. she was bleeding from her head. i took my shirt off and i wrapped her head. my neighbor over here run out and we took her into his garage and laid her there. we found her husband down the street. two little boys and their mother, they didn't make it.

i'm sorry. >> reporter: how do you -- i mean, you have those images, i'm sure, seared in your mind. >> i said, when i fall asleep, i see the images all over, all over. >> reporter: what's it like coming back to your home here now? >> when i see it, all i can say is, thank you, jesus. i'm so glad i walked away from here. >> just heartbreaking story. cnn's nick valencia speaking to a storm survivor in bowling green, kentucky. if you'd like to help those impacted by these deadly storms, cnn impact site has ways you can assist. go to cnn.com/impact for

information. our teams are on the ground updating the details as they become available. "cnn newsroom" will be back after a very short break.

with mucinex nightshift you've got powerful relief from your worst nighttime cold and flu symptoms. so grab nightshift to fight your symptoms, get your zzz's... and get back to your rhythm. ♪ the relief you need. the cash you want. lactaid is 100% real milk, just without the lactose. so you can enjoy it even if you're sensitive to dairy. so anyone who says lactaid isn't real milk is also saying mabel here isn't a real cow. and she really hates that.

mom, hurry! our show's gonna start soon! i promised i wouldn't miss the show and mommy always keeps her promises. oh, no! seriously? hmm! it's not the same if she's not here. oh. -what the. oh my goodness! i don't suppose you can sing, can you? ♪ the snow's comin' down ♪ -mommy? ♪ i'm watching it fall ♪ watch the full story at www.xfinity.com/sing2

welcome back, everyone. we are learning new details about the police shooting death of daunte wright. early this year if you remember, the investigator described the difference between a police service weapon and a taser, and that is central to the case. the former officer who killed wright said she meant to use the taser but instead mistakenly grabbed the gun and shot him. kim potter has pleaded not guilty to charges of first and second degree manslaughter for killing wright, a 20-year-old black man. the court saw a video showing the moments after the shooting. >> oh, my god. >> take this, i'll give you

mine, okay? that's not happening. >> prosecutors argue potter was negligent and acted recklessly during the incident. a investigator described the differences between the weapons on potter's utility belt. have a listen. >> the taser is yellow, the firearm is black. the taser has a stocky body to it compared to the glock hand gun. the grip of the taser is shorter and wider than the glock. >> while this taser 7 is yellow in color, the black is -- the top is black, is it not? >> yes, there is black on the top. >> and the handle itself has black, right? >> yes, sir. >> meanwhile, the medical examiner's office says wright's death was a homicide. former police officer derek chauvin is set to change his plea in a federal civil rights case in the death of george floyd. he deprived wright to be free of

unreasonable seizure. chauvin was already found guilty of murdering floyd in a state trial and sentenced to more than 22 years in prison. usa gymnastics and the u.s. olympic committee have reached a $380 million settlement with hundreds of victims of former team doctor larry nassar. their complaints were mishandled and the lead attorney is calling for further criminal prosecution. nassar is serving multiple years for sex abuse as well as child pornography . the boy scouts announced an dls 800 million settlement. it is part of a much bigger $2.7 billion trust. the boy scouts filed for bankruptcy last year in the wake of hundreds of sexual abuse lawsuits right across the country. now, south african scientists have released a new

study on the omicron variant. we'll tell you what it reveals next. we are live in johannesburg. 92% saw visibly firmer skin in just 4 weeks. neutrogena® for people with skin.

blendjet's holiday sale is on now for the #1 gift this holiday season, the blendjet 2 portable blender. it packs the power of a big blender on the go, and it crushes right through ice. just drop in your favorite ingredients, even frozen fruit, and make a smoothie any time, anywhere. blendjet cleans itself. just add a drop of soap, water, and blend. recharge quickly with any usb port. order now on blendjet.com and get our best deal ever! do you struggle to fall asleep and stay asleep? qunol sleep formula combines 5 key nutrients that can help you fall asleep faster, stay asleep longer, and wake up refreshed. the brand i trust is qunol. well, would ya look at that! it was an accident. i was— speaking of accidents, we accidentally left you off the insurance policy during enrollment, and you're not covered. not even a little bit? mm-mmm. no insurance. no.

when employees can't enter and manage their own benefits enrollment information, it can be a real pain. not even— nope! with paycom, employees enter and manage their own hr data in a single, easy-to-use software. visit paycom.com and schedule a demo today.

now, america's top diplomat kicked off a southeast asia tour with a trip as you can see to indonesia. it's anthony blinken's first trip to the region after becoming secretary of state. like most things involving china and asia, policy is very much on the agenda. have a listen. >> that is' why there is so much concern for northeast asia to southeast asia and the mikan river. china's actions, claiming open seas as their own, distorting markets through its state-run companies, denying exports, revoking deals because of policies it does not agree with. engaging in illegal and unreported fishing activities. countries across the region want this behavior to change. we do, too. that's why we're determined to ensure freedom of navigation in the south china sea. where beijing's aggressive actions there threaten the movement of more than $3 trillion worth of commerce every

year. >> blinken heads to malaysia later today and thailand later in the week. now, a new study came out in the last 45 minutes or so from south africa with good news and bad news about omicron variant. first let me tell you the good news. it shows people infected with the variant are less likely to end up in the hospital with the virus strain. the bad news, the study shows two doses of the pfizer biontech vaccine are only 33% effective against omicron. it comes from discovery health and researchers at the south african medical research council. for more let's go to larry who is live for us in johannesburg. larry, put some context on this for our viewers. what is this comparing it to? are we talking about the first strains of covid-19 here? >> reporter: so, isa, what we are comparing it to is the previous strains of the virus here in south africa. south africa is now the fourth

wave. this is largely driven by the omicron variant. the new study says 95% of new infections are of the omicron variant. but this is important because it is the first real world study of vaccine effectiveness and the outbreak of the omicron variant in south africa because we now have three weeks of data, and discovery health is an important source of this data because they are south africa's largest insurer. they represent 3.7 million customers. what they are working off of is about 211,000 positive coronavirus tests and they estimate that about 78,000 of those represented the omicron variant between december 15 -- between november 15 and the first week of december. so what they say is that according to this data, what they have crunched together, is this omicron variant is responsible for about 90% of new infections right now in south africa. that's huge, but there is more. the pfizer vaccine was only 33% effective, isa, in preventing

infection. however, it is still 70% effective in preventing severe complications, including hospitalization, which is what vaccines are supposed to do, to make sure you don't get seriously sick or you die. these are the important things we're finding from the study. it proves, for instance, that even though there is a huge rate of people getting infected, even people getting reinfected. there is a much flatter rate of hospitalization which would mean that it is a less severe version of the coronavirus and, therefore, straddle all the preliminary information we heard about this new variant being potentially more transmissible, but less severe. >> very briefly, larry, what about on children? >> reporter: so, they find there are a lot more children getting infected. most of these are incidental. 80% of children getting admitted in south africa for non-covid related symptoms are getting tested and being found to have covid-19. but then again, they are less severe. they don't need to stay in

hospital that long. in fact, their overall incubation period is three to four days. the recovery period is three to four days as well. even though children are getting infected, they're not getting seriously sick. >> thank you very much, important context from larry in johannesburg. thank you, larry the travel is about to pickup in the u.s. aaa estimates 3 million will travel between november and january 3rd. aaa predicts the vast majority of travelers, more than 100 million will drive to their destination. airlines are expected to fly almost 6 1/2 million passengers to their holiday destinations. that's triple the number of travelers compared to last year. now, american airline c.e.o. says a return of demand to air travel has been intense. he is expected to tell lawmakers at a hearing wednesday that his company is aggressively bringing

new hires. he wants to avoid repeat of thousands of flight cancellations that occurred this fall. covid-19 is also impacting sports. 37 national football league players tested positive for covid-19 on monday. the nfl previously said 94% of its players were vaccinated along with nearly 100% of other league personnel. certain eligible staff are required to get boosters by december 27. this mandate doesn't apply to players, but anyone who has direct contact with them like coaches as well as trainers. in the national hockey league, the cavalry flames have had to pause their season because of a covid-19 outbreak. at least three games are postponed after six players and one staffer entered the league's covid-19 protocol. the nhl expects additional positive cases in the coming days, and this is the third time this season a team had to reschedule games because of an outbreak. and the nba has postponed the chicago bulls' next two

games after ten players and several staff members entered the league's covid protocols. last week a source told cnn 97% of nba players were vaccinated. and the wizards are getting ready to cast a spell again. the trailer for fantastic beasts, the secrets of dumbible door is here. >> things are not quite what they appear. >> delicately. >> the movie follows a young professor dumbledor played by jude law. the secrets of dumbledor is set to hit theaters in april. and that does it for me on cnn. i'm isa soares. "early start" is next and

christine romans and laura jarrett will have more. i shall see you tomorrow. bye-bye. new gold bond pure moisture lotion. 24-hour hydration. no parabens, dyes, or fragrances. gold bond. champion your skskin.

xfinity rewards are our way of thanking you just for being with us. enjoy rewards like sing family fun nights! rent sing for $1, then belt out all your favorite tunes from the movie with sing karaoke. plus, see sing 2 in theaters with buy-one-get-one free fandango tickets. join over a million members by signing up for free on the xfinity app. our thanks. your rewards. thinkorswim® by td ameritrade is more than a trading platform. it's an entire trading experience. with innovation that lets you customize interfaces, charts and orders to your style of trading. personalized education to expand your perspective. and a dedicated trade desk of expert-level support. that will push you to be even better.

and just might change how you trade—forever. because once you experience thinkorswim® by td ameritrade ♪♪♪ there's no going back. good morning, everyone. it is tuesday, december 14th. it's 5:00 a.m. here in new york. thanks so much for getting an early start with us. i'm laura jarrett. >> and i'm christine romans. welcome to our viewers in the united states and around the world. this morning stunning revelations in the capitol riot investigation as the house select committee voted to hold trump chief of staff mark meadows in contempt of congress. the unanimous vote weeks in the making. the result of meadows openly defying the committee's subpoena. to drive home why the panel wants to talk to