who died of respiratory failure directly caused by the virus. people we spoke to at the crematoriums may have said their loved ones died of covid but their deaths and so many others won't be counted in the official tally. it is no surprise that state media is ignoring the scenes we've shown in the story. for much of the pandemic chinese state tv was showing america's overwhelmed hospitals and crematoriums repeatedly. the message was look at china's low death toll in comparison, proof that china's system is superior. even after reopening china still claiming the death toll is low, that less than ten people have died of covid this month in total. so amid skepticism over the number the government says it has changed the way it counts covid deaths. their method goes against the world health organization guidelines and will severely under estimate the true death toll. >> thank you very much. incredible images. the car lines with dead bodies.

wow. thanks so much to you for joining us. "ac 360" begins now. the forecast? wretched. the timing? even worse. once in a generation winter storm and this one they say is going to be very, very dangerous. i'm in for anderson, john berman here. already nearly half the country's population is shivering under wind chill alerts or has seen temperatures drop as much as 70 degrees overnight. this is sioux falls, south dakota. you know it's cold there when the falls at sioux falls stop falling. because they're frozen solid. you know how widespread the big chill could get when places as far south as tallahassee in florida are forecasting lows in the low 20s. if that weren't enough we're seeing countless blizzard warnings, flood watches, wind and ice advisories and of course thousands of flight cancellations. nearly 2400 already today.

more than 2,000 for tomorrow. all of this smack dab in the middle of the christmas travel rush. >> it's not just snow. it is wind and cold as part of the huge winter system descending on the u.s. days before christmas. over this week more than 80% of the country's population will see at or below freezing temperatures. some places way below, like denver, where the temperature dropped nearly 40 degrees in just an hour. hitting negative 15 by thursday morning. or wyoming where a state trooper took this video, zero visibility and temperatures 60 degrees below zero. elsewhere, parts of the midwest are doing what they can to keep up. one of the biggest concerns in a winter system like this are the roads. this dome is part whaf it takes

in a city of like show. you are looking at 50,000 tons of salt and size that crews come in and out of over the course of the day to try and help keep the roads somewhat manageable. the city has about 400,000 tons of salt and more than 300 vehicles in its arsenal to fight back on this second official day of winter. >> the goal is to keep up with it but we'll be fighting the wind. if you can have a conversation with the young drivers, the first time drivers, kids coming home from college to try and get home, just have that conversation with the young drivers because this is a different kind of event. >> reporter: cold temperatures and snow are nothing new to places like chicago, minneapolis, and buffalo. >> some meteorologists are calling this a once in a generation event. >> reporter: even atlanta is forecast to have wind chills in the negatives friday. >> communities across the state are about to see temperatures they haven't experienced in a

decade or more. >> reporter: the message is the same even for places used to dealing with bad winters. it is the combination of snow, wind gusts up to 50 miles per hour, and the demand to get home for christmas that could mean disaster especially on the roads where triple-a estimates the majority of those traveling this holiday week will be driving. >> it's not like a snow day when you are a kid. it is dangerous and threatening. this as very serious weather alert here. >> bad, bad timing and getting worse. omar jimenez is with us now. what is the concern the next few hours where you are? >> reporter: you can see the snow falling and you can see me. everything looks pretty good. maybe not me as much as the snow. i'll just say everything looks good for right now. the concern is as the temperature drops overnight and the winds begin to pick up all that pretty snow behind me is going to get ugly fast.

especially it is going to be significant when it comes to the road. you talk about all those factors coming together, one of the biggest in all of this is the demand to try and get home for christmas. the majority of those people are going to be trying to hit the roads and the fear is officials see people look at snow like this and be like oh, you've seen this before and maybe get a little too confident when they wake up and try to make some of those journeys. >> omar jimenez proving you can be cold and handsome at the same time. thanks so much. and if there were ever a time to check in with the weather center, this is it. there is so much people need to know right now. what can we expect overnight? >> a lot of places have started out as rain but with the arctic air that is going to settle in and the temperatures dropping, 40 degrees in six hours you'll have what is called a flash freeze. that means some of the unfrozen precipitation on the ground rapidly freezes and makes travel just nearly impossible.

that the concern here. major to extreme impacts anticipated across the great lakes especially down wind of lake michigan, lake erie, and lake ontario. those are some of the bulls eyes for the heaviest snowfall. so the cold front right about there. national weather service highlighting indiana and southern michigan for the next few hours for the potential for snow squalls that could reduce visibilities, under a quarter mile. as we zoom in you know the popular interstate 80, it is getting hammered by heavy snow. there is the location of the cold front. fort wayne. cincinnati you're next into my hometown of grand rapids, michigan getting clobbered by heavy snowfall as the storm system wraps up and continues to strengthen and draws in extreme arctic blast of air settling in behind it. it has the eyes set on the east coast as well. >> it is hitting such a wide area. some grizzled polar veterans in the northeast. but a lot of places that aren't used to this kind of cold.

how dangerous are these conditions? >> it doesn't take long to get frostbite. the national weather service highlighting 45 below is the exposed wind temperature on your skin and takes five minutes to get frostbite. we have realized these numbers and some for places like castor, wyoming a wind chill reading of negative 76 degrees this morning and the advisories stretch from the north all the way to the gulf of mexico. some places like jackson, mississippi will stay below freezing for the next three days. more of the same for birmingham as well as houston and dallas. not only do you want to protect your family and yourselves as you step outside but also your home. cover your pipes if you can tonight. in atlanta you have a huge temperature swing coming your way within the next six hours as our cold front settles in. nashville to atlanta, your temperatures will drop get this 30 degrees in the coming hours. >> some of the numbers just extraordinary. thank you very much. again, even those who are not

feeling this directly are experiencing the impact especially in the form of canceled flights and up ended travel plans. we have more from the front lines and some of the country's busiest airports. >> reporter: the biggest pre-christmas travel day is meeting a major snow storm threatening holiday travel plans nationwide. blizzard conditions are forecast here at chicago o'hare where the airport was expecting thursday to be the busiest. perry hunt rescheduled his christmas trip to california to leave early. >> we thought it would be best to escape and get out a little bit before to avoid the weather. >> reporter: a forecasted 2.9 million passengers flying through chicago are being met by 350 pieces of snow removal equipment and 400,000 gallons of de-icing fluid for taxiways and runways. here at united airlines' operation center in suburban

chicago they are meeting nearly every hour about the weather but they know delays and cancellations are inevitable. >> it seems like a lot of collaboration. >> reporter: the vp of operations joe hine says united is preparing for the most passengers it has seen since the start of the pandemic. customer solutions teams are now scrambling to save trips by rerouting passengers through other connecting airports >> i wouldn't use the term meltdown but it will be very, very challenging. we have the best team working on it. if customers are out there and see themselves delayed, know and understand we look at each and every customer. >> reporter: nationwide triple-a says one in three americans will travel this holiday. 102 million will be driving. on top of the 7 million who are flying. but the weather could throw it all off. >> i think there is going to be a pretty severe number of delays and reconciliations. >> reporter: last christmas rush, airlines canceled 5,000 flights amid a coronavirus surge and staffing shortages.

transportation secretary pete buttigieg has been coming down on airlines for the disruptions they can control but they cannot control the weather. >> we have major weather events hitting hubs that affect major airlines so, unfortunately, a lot of travelers are in for some disruption. >> next, new reporting on why the house january 6th committee is still not out with its full and final report and what is inside the latest teaser they released tonight. later on the southern border we'll introduce you to migrants some trying to enter the country lawfully with immigration law in flux in washington and temperatures dropping where they are.

nicorette knows quitting smoking is freaking hard. you get advice like... try hypnosis... or, quitold turkey. are you kidding me? instead, startmall with nicorette, which will lead to something big. you spend the holidays making everyone else smile, but what about your smile? it needs care too, and when it does, aspen dental is here for you. this season, and every season, we offer the custom dental treatments you need, all under one roof, right nearby. so, we can bring more life to your smile, and more smile to your life, affordably. new patients without insurance can get a free complete exam and x-rays,

and 20% off treatment plans. get refunds.com powered by innovation refunds can help your business get a payroll tax refund, even if you got ppp and it only takes eight minutes to qualify. i went on their website, uploaded everything, and i was blown away by what they could do. getrefunds.com has helped businesses get over a billion dollars and we can help your business too. qualify your business for a big refund in eight minutes. go to getrefunds.com to get started. powered by innovation refunds. listen, i'm done settling. because this is my secret. i put it on once, no more touch ups! secret had ph balancing minerals; and it helps eliminate odor, instead of just masking it. so pull it in close. secret works. ♪ what will you do? will you make something better? create something new?

our dell technologies advisors can provide you with the tools and expertise you need to bring out the innovator in you. ugh, this rental car is so boring to drive. let's be honest. the rent-a-car industry is the definition of boring. and the reason can be found in the name itself. rent - a - car? you don't want a friend. you want the friend. you don't want a job. you want the job. the is always over a. that's why we don't offer a car. we offer the car. ( ♪ ) sixt. rent the car.

so where is it? that is the question. we certainly know when and where this huge winter storm is hitting tonight. no such certainty though for when the house january 6th committee will release its final report. it was forecast to arrive yesterday. then today. now it's anyone's guess. that said, the select committee tonight did release another snippet of it. more testimony from cassidy hutchinson. there is plenty to talk about there. now the very latest on the missing report and the latest new pieces of it. what's going on with the release here? >> reporter: that's what everyone at least here in washington, john, wants to know. this report is now nearly two days delayed. we were expecting this around noon on wednesday.

here we are really just hours from friday. what we've heard so far in particular from committee member zoe lofgren who was on our air earlier tonight said the hold up appears to be quite simply typos. the committee staff has been painstakingly going through this report. we understand it hovers around 1,000 pages. between the fact that there are typos that needed to be fixed and they have to send this to the congressional printing office is the hold up. we keep expecting this report out at any minute but at this point it is anyone's guess to forecast here. >> if anyone understands typos it's me. so what more can you tell us about the cassidy hutchinson transcript? because it really does appear to be so much in there. >> this is the most lengthy and illuminating testimony we've seen so far, released from the committee. it details this intense pressure campaign from her trump world attorney to repeatedly say in her testimony with the committee

that she didn't recall certain events or conversations around january 6th. it also shows how in her perspective trump world kept dangling possible job opportunities in front of her every time she was about to testify to the committee perhaps to influence her. cassidy hutchinson in her testimony that was released, this was from a few months ago with the committee, she said stephen pasatino said this to her, i want to make this clear to you. stephen never told me a lie. he specifically told me i don't want you to perjure yourself but i don't recall is not perjury. they don't know what you can and can't recall. she said he summed it up by saying the less you remember the better. so that's what cassidy hutchinson says he told her but, you know, he told our team earlier this week he believes he was ethical when he represented hutchinson. of course she later got rid of him. he believes that her initial

rounds of testimony were truthful and cooperative. she did ditch him in favor of nonpartisan attorneys. her testimony just shows how much pressure she felt to not betray anyone from trump's orbit because initially they were paying for her legal representation. in addition to cassidy hutchinson's testimony we've seen several other transcripts released throughout the day into tonight including one from deputy press secretary sarah matthews who detailed how the former president trump tried to get then press secretary kaley mcenany to hold press conferences in the wake of the election about fake claims of fraud tied to dominion voting machines. of course she refused. those were fake claims of fraud. all of this, all of these transcripts we're now seeing and waiting for the report puncuates the months of public testimony and adds maybe drips of new evidence here john as the committee gets prepared to sunset its committee and the

justice department decides whether and who it might charge relating to january 6 including former president trump. all a waiting game here including for the final report and then ultimately what doj decides to do here. >> appreciate it. with us now chief political analyst gloria borger and former prosecutor elie honig. we are going to talk about the sw substance of what has come out so far but i want to talk about the timing of the release. this committee has been so adept at managing their message and the way it is seen by the public. this seems a little bit like a miss. this is going to come out on nearly christmas eve, people trying to get in the middle of where they are. >> blame it on the weather except it is not the weather. they have a problem with the printing office. they also have no staff. a lot of their staff has left, gone to other jobs.

gone home to see their families. and so this is a miss but when you talk to somebody on the committee as i did they'll say, look. our big show was monday. monday we criminally referred a former president of the united states. and they also say, look. we released a 150-page executive summary. that doesn't sound like a summary to me. it was pretty long. but they said that's the bulk of our work. and so, yes. they've missed these deadlines here but the country isn't really paying attention to that. it's paying attention to the weather and they believe their clear message got out on monday. >> so the substance of the transcripts that we have seen, cassidy hutchinson specifically. talk to us about the language that's been released. what exactly matters here? >> so there's a lot of gray area and a lot of what is happening is playing in that gray area. let me tell you one thing that jumped out to me.

that is over the lane. cassidy hutchinson testified she told her lawyer about the incident with donald trump and the secret service and the suv and her lawyer at that point said you can say, i don't recall. they don't know what you do and don't recall. you can say i don't recall. that is not okay. if it happened that way, if it demonstrably, provably happened that way that is sub orrining perjury. you cannot just say i don't recall if you do recall. and so taking cassidy hutchinson's testimony at her word, that is going to be a big problem. >> especially if she told him but i do recall. >> exactly. i don't recall is not just some magic words you can incite in order to get out of anything. you can't just say that if you do recall. >> no. >> you could say if you don't recall 100%, if that was the substance of what he said, that's different. >> yeah. lawyers say all the time, listen. don't testify to anything you're not sure of that you don't know for sure. if she said yes i doon you can't tell her to say i don't. >> these transcripts between cassidy hutchinson and sarah

matthews, what jumps out to you? >> well, the courage and personal agony of the two young women. just imagine this. they're young staffers. they are the folks who stand around on the wall of the oval office when there is a meeting or sit in the back of the room. when there is a cabinet meeting. early on in this i was told by a source on the committee, don't pay attention to the bright, shiny objects all the time because that's what i was asking. he said to me, pay attention to the people whose names you don't know. who were listening to conversations. who were in on conversations. and that's cassidy hutchinson and sarah matthews. i mean, cassidy hutchinson had to fire a lawyer and hire someone. she had no money. she was afraid of what trump world would do to her. sarah matthews quit on january 6th because she knew what was going on was wrong and she couldn't live with it. that is what really came out to

me in these transcripts, these two women. >> there was fear there. there still may be. one of the things we read in the cassidy hutchinson transcript also was conversations she testified to with kevin mccarthy that the former president, donald trump would acknowledge mccarthy said that he had lost at times but then waver on it. what is important here? >> this tees up such a crucial decision that the justice department now has to make which is how hard do they push to get testimony from kevin mccarthy? the january 6 committee subpoenaed mccarthy. he brushed them off and they did nothing. they referred him to the house ethics committee. who cares. nothing is going to happen there. doj has grand jury subpoenas. if kevin mccarthy was not representative, perhaps some day speaker mccarthy if he was just regular guy you would subpoena him in two second flat because we know he talked to donald trump as january 6, the attack was happening. now we have this testimony as well from cassidy hutchinson. he is a crucial witness.

we'll see how hard doj goes after his testimony that. >> would be a big step. gloria, trump world. how are they preparing for this release of the final report whenever it does come? >> they have a lot of fish to fry these days don't they? they are incredibly busy. they'll be dismissive as they were on monday as donald trump was of the criminal referrals. i don't think it is going to be any different when you get the final report. one thing that is interesting to me and elie knows more about this than i do when this report comes out and you have all these transcripts, the trump lawyers are going to be able to read them and they will know what was testified to before the committee. it gives them a hint as what the doj may be asking. there could be problems. what if the doj gets a different answer from someone than the committee got? you know, in a way, they think this could work to their advantage. >> a full employment act for lawyers reading these

transcripts. have a wonderful holiday. i hope you both get where you're going. still ahead thousands of migrants at the southern border tonight will face freezing temperatures. cnn's david culver spoke with some hoping to get into the united states. we have their story next. vo: palantir software. empowers scuderia ferrari to make criticalecisions a split second faster. palantir. data driven enterprise accelerator. (brent) people love subaru just because it stands for much more than just a car. (vo) through the share the love event,

subaru retailers have supported over seventeen hundred hometown charities. (phil) have i witnessed and seen the impact of what we do? you bet i have. (kathryn) we have worked with so many amazing causes and made a difference. (vo) by the end of this year, subaru and our retailers will have donated over two hundred and fifty million dollars to charity. (brent) it's about more than just selling cars. (phil) the subaru share the love event going on now. brayden has amazed me. he's so strong. you hear about cancer, but you don't ever think that it will be your child. it was your was your worst fear coming to life. the doctor tells us your son has a large tumor. and he said, well, that's not the only tumor. we thought my son had one tumor. he had hundreds. marlo thomas: you can join the battle to save lives by supporting st. jude children's research hospital. at st. jude, it went from so hard to we're going to take care of this.

what they have done for me, my son, my family, i have no words for it. marlo thomas: join st. jude with your debit or credit card for only $19, a month and we'll send you this st. jude t-shirt. the donors, they may not know it, but they helped heal my son.

potentially dangerous situation is unfolding right now in el paso and the big winter storm system playing a role. temperatures are dropping and there is an influx of migrants here without any papers which prevent them critically from getting inside some shelters. cnn's ed lavandera is on the ground alerting us to what is going on. tell us what you're seeing. >> reporter: john, a few hours ago we noticed the number of migrants on the streets of downtown el paso were much larger than we've seen in recent days. this is of course of great concern. temperatures expected to reach overnight to about 19 or 20 degrees. hail dangerous temperatures in a dangerous situation as the shelter capacity is simply overwhelmed. this is the door to the sacred heart church where they are

prioritizing women and children and families. there are many more that will not be able to get in. they are expanding tonight and the next four nights from 140 people to 200 and it is still not enough. this is what we'll see more of tonight in el paso. people lining up cannot get into shelter space. the other dynamic that has changed as we've talked to people through the afternoon, there are many more people here in el paso who have not been through the border patrol processing. they do not have the paperwork to get on some buses to get into some shelters or into the city of el paso confidential venter. a city official told us it is a matter of federal and state law and there is nothing they can do about it. you can see the scene as people are going to be preparing for an incredibly brutally cold night here in el paso. and the director of one shelter told us a little while ago right now his greatest fear is that one of these migrants might not

wake up tomorrow morning. >> look at that line and the temperatures dropping fast. is the city taking any other measures to help the people on the streets tonight? >> reporter: they have had as they've had for the last week, emergency management teams going around trying to convince people. they know where all the shelter space is available trying to get people with space open to get them in vans and get them to the locations but probably not enough to get the vast majority of the people off the streets tonight. it is really significant. for some reason and we don't know the answer tonight there seems to be far more people on the streets than in the last few days because customs and border protection had been reporting a reduction. last week about 2500 people a day being apprehended. the number dropped to about 1500. flights and buses are just back logged so it is very difficult for people to move on to other

locations if they have the paperwork. now we are discovering many of the people don't have it so it makes it even more difficult for them to travel elsewhere and into the u.s. that is the very intense situation unfolding tonight. >> ed lavandera, thank you so much for alerting us to the situation you're seeing. please keep us posted. similarly on the other side of the border officials are also warning migrants to stay in a shelter or stay home due to the extreme cold. but many are waiting hoping to eventually cross and request asylum. some have been waiting for weeks living on the streets or in large makeshift camps. that is because the supreme court is still considering the fate of the trump era immigration policy title 42. let's get more from cnn's david culver who spoke with two migrants stuck at the border after making a dangerous journey. this is his report. >> reporter: there are those who cross illegally, streams of

people every day. every hour. and then there are those who watch, wait, and face the unknown. here this is what the u.s. looks like for these two people. we are not criminals. we are good people they stress. the two met while serving in the venezuelan military and in october started their trek north fleeing political turmoil, hiking through jungles, rafting murky waters, riding a train from on top. so close to their final destination until policy and this halt their journey. before sunrise tuesday we watch as texas law enforcement mobilize, sealing off this popular access point to american soil. one of the state's efforts to stop the flow of migrants. it only reroutes them a short distance down river creating a new bottleneck for illegal crossings and a tense stand-off. the setting sun ushers in

freezing temperatures. by nightfall migrants settle in on the u.s. side of the river building camp fires to keep warm. hours later some rush another border entry point about a mile away. under title 42 they can still be immediately expelled on the grounds of covid prevention. these two are determined to enter legally. she want to do it the right way she tells me and knows exactly where she wants to go. far from their big apple dreams, unable to return home, stuck in international purgatory. i'm here with my partner, she says. discriminated against, they say, because they're migrants, they're women, and they're a couple. to be safe they avoid public displays of affection and travel in groups. another reason they want to get to the other side? when we're there we're going to help all of our family, she says. the very mention of family triggers emotions lucy has carried since leaving venezuela.

lucy missing her mom and siblings. ulexi her 10-year-old daughter. we hurry across traffic about a half mile from where we first met the couple and arrive at this local shelter. with nowhere else to go families line up hoping to escape the freezing cold. they are among the fortunate. this is home at least for now. we meet some of their new friends, fellow migrants from all backgrounds. how many people all together are usually in here at night? >> all together 135 has been our greatest number. we don't have the capacity for the demand. >> reporter: the church group that runs this shelter bolstered by locals donating time and food and much like border cities in the u.s., feeling the strain from this migration surge. the city has always been very generous to migrants but in this case with so many people it is

difficult. the city isn't prepared for this influx, he says. back in the shelter? ulexi struggles with having left her body behind, telling me i don't know when i can give her my love again because right now i am just trying to provide for her. lucy saying the hardest part in this moment right now is being so close and not being able to cross. but echoing from their phone a familiar song that chronicles a migrant's journey brings back smiles and hope. ♪ ♪ >> reporter: we're going to make it. we're going to make it, she says. >> cnn's david culver joins us from the u.s./mexico border. what a perspective you just gave us. is it clear why there are some people waiting to be processed even as others are clearly

getting in? >> reporter: you're right. they are getting in. thousands are getting in. in fact, really in two different parts. you have some sneaking in under the radar and then folks still crossing illegally like the ones behind me because they go over the rio grande and line up then to be processed going into the u.s. but that does not guarantee they can stay in the u.s. so that is the fear folks like ulexi and lucy have is that they will potentially get in, be processed, and then be deported. we are talking about being expelled to places much further than we are right over the border, places that would force them to relive what was a very long, treacherous journey. that is why they're hoping if title 42 comes down they'll have the chance to claim asylum the legal way. >> david culver at a very active border tonight. thank you. still ahead, there has been an outpouring of positive reaction today in both the u.s. and ukraine after ukrainian president zelenskyy's historic visit to washington last night

but his visit prompted a different response in russia. the latest on both, next. ♪ ♪ this... is a glimpse into the no-too-distant future of lincoln. ♪ ♪ it's what sancary could look like... feel like... sound like... even smell like. more on that soon. ♪ ♪ the best part? the prequel is pretty sweet too. ♪ ♪ pain hits fast. so get relief fast. only tylenol rapid release gels have laser drilled holes. they release medicine fast for fast pain relief. and now get relief without a pill with tylenol dissolve packs. relief without the water.

not flossing well? then add the whoa! of listerine to your routine. new science shows it gets in between teeth to destroy 5x more plaque above the gumline than floss. for a cleaner, healthier mouth. listerine. feel the whoa!

today house speaker nancy pelosi displayed the now framed ukrainian flag given to her by ukraine's president zelenskyy during his address to congress last night. the flag was signed by ukrainian troops on the front lines. president zelenskyy today thanked president biden for his assistance and leadership and said he is returning home with, quote, good results, results that will really help. a different tone in moscow. a kremlin spokesperson warned the united states supplying patriot missile systems to ukraine would prolong people's, quote, suffering which rings hollow considering the almost continuous russian missile strikes on civilians. joining us, former cia chief of russia operations steve hall. that response from russia, the varied response that you've heard from russia and the kremlin here, do you think this trip has changed russia's calculus here? >> i don't really think it has, john.

to the extent russia has a calculus we can figure out. it is of course all viewers should understand the obvious which is that it is absolutely ridiculous for russia to say hey we've invaded another country and now people need to take into consideration our concerns which is what they said. there is an interesting propaganda line the kremlin is starting to develop. if you read some of the stuff out of the kremlin they are saying things like the united states is waging an indirect war against russia down to the last ukrainian life. so that is clearly pointed at the ukrainian people who are suffering terribly this winter as a result of russian aggression. >> propaganda to affect in ukraine as opposed to the u.s. voting population. back to one of the words you brought up there, putin and others complaining ukraine and the u.s. aren't willing to listen to russia's concerns. what a word here. concerns russia has from the country that invaded ukraine, that bombs ukraine, that kills ukrainian civilians. >> yeah.

it really is on the surface exactly what you're describing, ridiculous. russia invades a country and then says we've got concerns that everybody needs to focus on. one thing zelenskyy did really well in that speech to congress, he said something i'd like to hear more from american politicians. when you ask the valid request how come billions of dollars are going to ukraine when my school system or bus system or infrastructure isn't getting paid for in the united states, the answer is because this is a fight for democracy. this is something that benefits the united states globally when democracies win over autocracies like russia. it is a valid question but zelenskyy addressed it directly saying we are not asking for donations but an investment in your own future. that is absolutely correct in my view. >> more words from vladimir putin today that bear looking at more closely. sooner or later any party to the conflict will sit down and negotiate and the sooner those opposing us realize it the

better. talk to us about the contours now of what talks could look like and whether they really are prok proximate in any way. >> it is fascinating to hear the kremlin specifically vladimir putin saying we really need to discuss diplomacy and discussing. at the beginning of the war it was we're going in to do a quick decapitation in kyiv and it is all going to be over. now the russians are seeing how much more difficult this is going to be so they're talking about negotiations. oftentimes wars do end in negotiations. it is quite clear the ukrainians are saying, yeah. those times have not arrived yet because there are still invaders on our territory. until our territory is secured and we have expelled them all of them only then can those talks begin. i think that puts the kremlin in a really difficult position. are they going to try to continue this very long, difficult war or go ahead and keep pushing for diplomacy? >> steve hall, thanks so much for being with us. safe troubles if you're on the move. >> thanks, john.

up next bill gates and his wish for 2023. he shares with anderson what his foundation is doing to save lives around the world. create something new? our dell technologies advisorsrs can prprovide you with the tools and expertise you need to bring out the innovator in you.

if you still have symptoms of moderate to severe rheumatoid arthritis or active psoriatic arthritis after a tnf blocker like humira or enbrel, rinvoq is different and may help. stand up to your symptoms with rinvoq. rinvoq is a once-daily pill that tackles pain, stiffness, swelling. for some, rinvoq significantly reduces ra and psa fatigue. it can stop further irreversible joint damage. and rinvoq can leave skin clear or almost clear in psa. that's rinvoq relief. rinvoq can lower your ability to fight infections, including tb. serious infections and blood clots, some fatal; cancers, including lymphoma and skin cancer; death, heart attack, stroke, and tears in the stomach or intestines occurred. people 50 and older with at least one heart disease risk factor have higher risks. don't take if allergic to rinvoq as serious reactions can occur. tell your doctor if you are or may become pregnant. ask your rheumatologist for rinvoq. rinvoq.

make it your mission. learn how abbvie could help you save. psoriatic arthritis, made my joints stiff, swollen, painful. emerge tremfyant®. tremfya® is approved to help reduce joint symptoms in adults with active psoriatic arthritis. some patients even felt less fatigued. serious allergic reactions may occur. tremfya® may increase your risk of infections and lower your ability to fight them. tell your doctor if you have an infection or symptoms or if you had a vaccine or plan to. emerge tremfyant® with tremfya®. ask you doctor about tremfya® today.

you want to see something cool? xfinity rewards is how we go beyond saying thanks. so we're going to spread the joy this holiday season, the xfinity way. take your trusty sidekick to see puss in boots: the last wish what's a puss in boots? he is me. with buy-1-get-1 movie tickets, on us. in theaters now. join for free on the xfinity app. xfinity rewards. our thanks. your rewards.

microsoft co-founder bill gates has a wish for 2023 and shares it in his annual year end letter, the future our grandchildren deserve. gates says he is excited to become a grandfather in the new year and writes, quote, when i think about the world my grandchild will be born into i am more inspired than ever to help everyone's children and grandchildren have a chance to survive and thrive. he is the co-founder of the bill and melinda gates foundation and the author of how to prevent the next pandemic and recently spoke to anderson about that and more. >> reporter: let me ask about the pandemic. what do you think worked well

and what didn't? i keep wondering about the whole closing of schools. given the ripple effects of it, on education levels, all sorts of things, was that the right thing to do? >> we'll probably be debating that for a long time. once we get the vaccine and we have a full understanding that those risks are mostly people over 60, at that point we probably should have opened the schools back up more than we did. the degree to which this was a disease of older people and you possibly could say, okay, the teachers who are older, they don't have to come in, but make that division, that really wasn't done. it was like, hey. if any teachers are at risk we should have the entire school shut down. and so it would have been a more

subtle approach to help the teachers all get vaccinated and then say that below a certain age they should come in and the teaching was not so risky as to give up the benefits of having the kids in school. >> do you wear a mask still? noufrjts, you know, i was actually in doha and basically no one was wearing a mask. i was asking about that. i have to admit when there are other people wearing masks -- if i knew i was anywhere near an older person who for some reason was particularly at risk i probably would by default wear a mask. if i'm going to be in groups i'm still testing every day but i

think that's in the minority on that. you know, if you're if ufully boosted the risks are not gigantic. people absolutely should stay completely boosted. >> in terms of developing vaccines that are more effective, is there -- clearly there is room for improvement. the vaccines i think people were surprised they weren't as effective as some believed they were or as we had been led to believe. obviously they are better than nothing. what is the road for better vaccines? >> the main surprise is twofold. one is that they wear off. the older you are the quicker they wear off. some people say if you're above 70 you should even get boosted every four months or so.

so duration we want to work on. the other thing is the vacs don't prevent you getting infected. they do for a bit reduce the chance of infection but then infection itself and because that requires antibodies up in your nose that is not where the vaccine succeeds. it is more protection of your body and lungs which is where severe disease and death come from. we're trying to modify. we may have one dose be an inhaled vaccine which causes the immune system to focus on protecting the upper respiratory tract. because we're not infection blocking the benefit to other people of your taking the vaccine is not as high as it would be if we were completely infection blocking. like a lot of vaccines are. and it'll be a few years though before we get that new feature. >> you put another $20 billion

into the gates foundation endowment this year. for those people who don't know as you say in your annual letter the foundation is designed to help people in poor countries stay alive, help them not die. because they shouldn't die and especially children. the childhood death rate has been cut in half since you started the foundation in 2000. how does that get cut even more? >> well, we are inventing new vaccines. we have a partnership with pfizer for two new vaccines. that will get out in the next three years. we do better malaria work. that went backward during the pandemic. it went back up from about 400,000, 500,000 deaths. we've got amazing tb drugs coming along. the goal is to cut it in half again. we were hoping to do that by

2030. but with all the setbacks it'll be more like 2035. >> you really think by 2035 you can help cut the childhood death rate? i think 4 million children die each year whose lives could be saved. >> that's right. the goal is to get that all the way down to 2 million. once you get there you are getting pretty close to the kid born in a rich country is only about twice as likely to survive as a kid born in a poor country. that's pretty good. when we got started it was eight times more likely to die. >> it's an incredible -- i don't think people appreciate or understand, it is an incredible accomplishment all the stuff the foundation has done. i want to run through a couple things because i was optimistic after reading your letter. obviously there are a lot of things not going great. you actually think there could be a cure for hiv/aids within

ten to 15 years. >> nthat's right. the gene therapy which today is only done for rare diseases and costs several million dollars, we have to change that so it costs more like a thousand to $2,000 one time. we have a collaboration of some amazing scientists that are trying a variety of approaches. we're making good progress. even though it'll be more than a decade's work both sickle cell and hiv we should be able to do one lifetime cure using that gene therapy. >> incredible. that is -- >> it will be. i always enjoy talking to you. thank you. >> some reason for hope right there.

xxxx

lily! welcome to our third bark-ery. oh, i can tell business is going through the “woof”. but seriously we need a reliable way to help keep everyone connected from wherever we go. well at at&t we'll help you find the right wireless plan for you. so, you can stay connected to all your drivers and stores on america's most reliable 5g network. that sounds just paw-fect. terrier-iffic i labra-dore you round of a-paws at&t 5g is fast, reliable and secure for your business. get refunds.com powered by innovation refunds can help your business get a payroll tax refund, even if you got ppp and it only takes eight minutes to qualify. i went on their website, uploaded everything, and i was blown away by what they could do. getrefunds.com has helped businesses get over a billion dollars and we can help your business too. qualify your business for a big refund in eight minutes.

go to getrefunds.com to get started. powered by innovation refunds. aubree: i'm aubree. i went to st. jude because i had a cancerous tumor. casey: these kids, they don't deserve to have to go through this. my beautiful little redheaded girl has cancer. you don't know what's going to happen. narrator: please call or go online and become a st. jude partner in hope for only $19 a month. christen: i think it's the most worthwhile place to put your money, when it comes to childhood cancer. at booking.com, finding perfect isn't rocket science. kitchen? sorted. hot tub, why not? and of course, puppy-friendly. we don't like to say perfect, but it's pretty perfect. booking.com, booking.yeah. listen, i'm done settling. because this is my secret. i put it on once, no more touch ups! secret had ph balancing minerals;

and it helps eliminate odor, instead of just masking it. so pull it in close. secret works. research shows people remember commercials with nostalgia. so to help you remember that liberty mutual customizes your home insurance, here's one that'll really take you back. wow! what'd you get, ryan? it's customized home insurance from liberty mutual!!! what does it do, bud? it customizes our home insurance so we only pay for what we need! and what did you get, mike? i got a bike. ♪ only pay for what you need. ♪ liberty. liberty. liberty. liberty. ♪ . the news continues. let's hand it over to laura coates and "cnn tonight." good evening everybody i'm lawyera coates and this is "cn