the digital age is waiting. . welcome to all of you watching us here in the united states, canada and all around the world.

i'm kind kim brunhuber. ahead -- >> we are not out of the woods yet. the threat to communities remains and waters will continue to rise even after these storms have passed. >> the already drenched state of california is bracing for even more storms. we'll have a report from the cnn weather center with a preview of this weekend's weather and new details in the case of the missing massachusetts mother, what she told police nine years ago about her husband. plus -- a huge explosion in the disputed ukrainian city of soledar as russia claims it has captured the city, this is amid new attacks in kyiv. we'll have a live report from ukraine. >> life from cnn center, this is "cnn newsroom" with kim brunhuber. >> and we begin with extreme weather across the united

states. in california, more than 25 million people are under flood watches this weekend, including the entire bay area, snrlcentra valley and central california coastline. more waves of storms fueled by a strong atmospheric river are expected this weekend and into early next week. they will bring new rounds of fl floods, smud slides and strong winds. the governor of california says he is waiting for a federal disaster declaration from president biden as his state prepares for the next round of storms. >> california is the size of 21 state populations combined. we're dealing with scale that we've never dealt with being the central valley again tomorrow, central coast yesterday, northern part of the state last few days. and that is why we have requested the major disaster declaration from the biden administration. >> across the southeast,

families are picking up after dozens of reported tornadoes swept through the region on thursday. at least seven people died in alabama. there was extensive damage also here in georgia, a 5-year-old boy was killed after a tree fell on a car he was in and falling debris also killed a state employee. cnn has reporters across the u.s. covering these weather developments. veronica miracle is in san fran, ryan young is in selma, alabama where families are surveying the damage from deadly tornadoes, but first to cnn's meteorologist jennifer gray at the cnn weather center for a preview of this weekend's storms. >> the west will continue the very rainy pattern over the next couple of days as we have a couple more of these atmospheric rivers that will pull on shore, the west coast from california impacting there as well as oregon, washington state as well.

we have seen impressive rainfall totals so far from december 26th through january 10th, we've received over half a year's worth of rain. some areas well above that. so san francisco airport, 11.59 inches. this is the wettest 16 day period ever. and we've seen staggering rainfall totals. this is january 8 through january 11, and you can see more than a foot of rain across ventura receiving a foot and a half. and then the snowfall totals are unbelievable. mammoth mountain has received 190 inches of snow just since christmas weekend. donner pass, 122 inches of snow. and we're looking at as of january 11th, sierra snow pack is at 226% of average statewide, southern sierra is at 269%. and what makes this so important is that the snow pack actually accounts for about 30% of california's fresh water supply

in an average year. so a good solid snow pack is what we need to see. also when you are talking about drought conditions, this is from december 27th, you can see a large area of california under exceptional drought and you fast forward a week and we see that that exceptional has dropped to zero. and you look at it after a third week and it looks like that we're seeing no exceptional drought and just a very, very small margin of extreme drought. so the drought conditions are definitely improving across california at least for the short term here, but -- and we'll see continued rain over the next couple of days. so the threat of rock slides, mudslides, landslides, will still be there. we have a lot of snow that we'll be forecasting for. so there is your forecast radar through sunday. this is through saturday. we could see an additional 2 to 4 inches of rain, we could see several inches of snowfall. we actually will be measuring it in feet most likely, 2 to 3 feet

of snow for the sierra, flood alerts with saturated ground, this will lead to flooding rivers and creeks. we're also going to have that ongoing river flooding that we've seen. and that has just been a continuation of what we've seen the last couple of weeks. so excessive rainfall outlook should be no surprise here. slight risk for saturday, marginal risk for sunday. we do have another push of rain most likely sunday evening into monday. and then things look to possibly dry out beyond that. so here is your forecast radar going into sunday, you can see rain pushing in, snow showers there as well. monday still raining. and then it looks to be a little bit drier in california for the beginning part of the week, the rain shifts more to the pacific northwest by the time we get into tuesday. but you can see all the way through much of next week california looks fairly dry. so we are still dealing with the rain throughout much of the weekend to the beginning part of next week. >> let's take a closer look at the u.s. southeast and the

aftermath of the devastating storms that swept through the area on thursday. georgia and alabama were hit hardest with at least nine deaths reported between the two states. tornadoes flattened buildings in some communities and it is expected it will take days to survey all the damage. ryan young reports from central alabama. >> it is just gone. trees look like tooth picks. a lot of work to be done here. >> reporter: alabama governor kay ivey visiting selma, vitting the catastrophic damage left behind by violent tornadoes that ripped through the state thursday afternoon. residents left without homes and businesses. >> a lot to take. i've been trying to salvage what i can all day. it is just hard. it's hard. >> oh, my god, yeah, this is the building beside us. >> reporter: at least nine deaths have been reported from the storms that spawned more

than 45 reported tornadoes across the southeast. seven of the deaths in one county. >> it was very intense storm. may have been on the ground more than 50 miles. >> reporter: residents describing the sound of the storm as something like no other. >> just out of nowhere i heard a sound i never heard before. sounded like a freight train come through here. and wind picked up so strong. i had to jump out and i ran out because everything was shaking like never before. >> it is a sad day for selma. we've got a lot of healing to do here. >> reporter: many roads are blocked with fallen trees and debris making it unsafe and difficult for some residents to get back to assess the damage. >> i've not been able to get back there to see what it looks like. the road that leads to my house is blocked and i couldn't even go around it otherwise. >> reporter: in georgia, a five-year-old boy was killed when a tree fell on the vehicle he was traveling in.

>> it has been a tragic night and morning in our state. >> reporter: customers in alabama and georgia are still without power and officials are warning residents that just because the storm has passed, the threat of damage from the storm has not. >> there is still some wind and a front moving through, so anything that is loose will still fall. >> reporter: these massive storms had an impact across alabama and georgia. you can see just how powerful the storm was. somebody who was inside this store said the roof was blown off, windows were blown out and they had to get down on the ground for cover. when you look to the side here, you can still see cars that are trapped under the roof that was peeled off this building. lungly no one in this area died. we do know at least seven people died nearby here, but right now people are wondering how long it will take to put all this back together. back to you. we're learning more about the private office where president biden's classified documents were found. cnn has obtained this floor plan

of the think tank biden used after leaving the white house in 2017. it shows his former office highlighted in blue there, and in yellow you see three closet, one of which is believed to be where the first documents were discovered. a source told cnn that the documents included u.s. intelligence memos and briefing materials on topics including ukraine, iran and the uk. there were also believing memos for calls with world leaders and a memo from biden to president obama. a special counsel has been appointed to review the handling of documents. jessica schneider reports. >> reporter: we're capping a week where yet another special counsel has been appointed by the attorney general, this time to investigate classified documents found at president biden's home and private office. our team has learned that the documents state from biden's time as vice president and specifically ten classified documents, they include u.s. intelligence memos and briefing materials that cover topics like ukraine, iran and the united

kingdom. this newest special counsel, robert hur, he is specifically tasked to look into the potential unauthorized removal or retention of those classified documents and potential criminal probe. but of course current doj guidance is that sitting president cannot be charged with a crime. so the attorney general explained the spkecial counsel appointment was warrant because of the extra circumstances because another special counsel is investigating president trump for possible obstruction of any attempts to return the large amount of classified materials found at his problems and of course also the doj is trying to distance itself from accusations of partisanship. but of course republicans and their new majority in the house have already pounced. in fact house judiciary chair jim jordan is already calling for an investigation of the justice department for its handling of this probe into

biden's classified documents. so certainly a lot to come in the weeks ahead. jessica schneider, cnn, washington. and we're getting reactions from both democrats and republicans on how the justice department is treating biden's case and as well as another probe involving former president trump. here is what politicians said last year about the trump case and what they are saying now about biden's scandal. >> this is so th has to rise to be a clerical issue beand i'd b very surprised if he has actual documents that rise to the level of an immediate national security threat. >> these accusations are outr outrageous, this is complete i mishnli mishandling. >> did he get the documents when he was vice president and then take them with him when he left? >> will you hold hearings?

>> it is possible. >> the fact that they were in unsecure place, that is guarded with nothing more than a padlock or whatever security they had at a hotel is deeply alarming. >> i think that they were somewhere where they shouldn't be. but we see see no deliberate intent of obstruction of justice as we see at mar-a-lago. >> in the next hour cnn will have more on this story in a live report from washington. explosions rattle kyiv has rush shal launches a new missile barrage. still ahead, we'll go live to the ukrainian capital for the latest. and a man assassinated and how the west is reactioning. and the mother who went missing ten days ago, a shocking allegation she made against her husband before they were engaged. we'll have the latest ahead. g ap makes trading easier. with its customizable options chain,

easy-to-use tools, and paper trading to help sharpen your skills,s, you can stay on top of the market from whererever you are. power e*trade's easy-to-use tools make complex trading less complicated. custom scans help you find new trading opportunities. while an earnings tool helps you plan your trades and stay on top of the market. when we started our business we were paying an arm and a leg for postage. i remember setting up shipstation. one or two clicks and everything was up and running. i was printing out labels ansaving money. shipstion saves us so much time. it makes it really easy and seamless. pick an order, print erything you need, slap the label onto the box, and it's ready to go. our costs for shipping were cut in half. just like that. shipstation. the #1 choice of online sellers. go to shipstation.com/tv and get 2 months free.

with gold bond... you can age on your own terms. new retinol overnight means the smoothing benefits of retinol are now for your whole body. plus, fast-working crepe corrector diminishes wrinkled skin in just two days. gold bond. champion your skin. there has been a series of new strikes on the ukrainian kapts.

the presidential i've office scs it hit kyiv and at least two other ukrainian cities. so far there are no reports of casualties. that is happening while fighting rages in the eastern town of soledar, this video shows a massive explosion that obliterated a building. russia now claims that it is in full control of the town, but the latest word from a local ukrainian military unit is that it is still holding on to at least some of the town's outskirts. scott mclane is joining us. explain to us what is the latest on the ground there. >> reporter: sure, kim, yeah, so for the first time in almost two weeks, kyiv was woken up to the sound of explosions. there were three very powerful explosions heard very clearly in the city center today and we're getting more details on what exactly was hit. officials say this was energy, critical infrastructure targeted. it is not clear whether some of

these strikes were shot down or whether some of them actually hit their targets. it is still unclear at this stage, there were also explosions reported in z zaporizhzhia and kharkiv as well, after what has been here in kyiv a very peaceful period the last two weeks. where i am right now is at a demonstration for the relatives of people who have been taken into captivity and you can see over here some of the signs, some of the pictures of some of the people who is have been taken captive during the fighting. many of the people, i should say most of the people here, were from mariupol, others taken cap it i have with what happened to snake island. so they are trying to draw attention on the fact that they are still held captive and they would like to see more prisoner exchanges. i spoke to this family here

about this young girl here, her father who has been in captivity now for more than three months. and i asked her mother what it was like for the girl to not have a father around. and she said that she is so young at this stage that frankly she has already gotten used to the fact that dad is not around, which is pretty heartbreaking to hear. so everyone here obviously some of them are able to have some level of contact with their loved ones who are in captivity, others know that they are in captivity but they have heard nothing at all. kim. >> yeah, just heart breaking as you say and for so many families, and then scott, so turning to one of the other big stories we're watching is the situation in soledar. so bring us up to speed on that. >> reporter: yeah, so both the russians and the wagner private military contractor that is

coming the bulk of the fighting there, they say that the town has been captured, but the ukrainians obviously pushing back saying that the fighting is still very much ongoing. in that video that you mentioned earlier, it is very much evidence that that is the case. this video shows soldiers walking under a bridge along a roadway and then they get to a building with very distinctive green roof that cnn has been able to go eo locate and that i when you see a massive explosion hit that house. ukrainians believe this was? kind of barracks or temporary residence for the soldiers and they have been monitoring the site for a better part of a day before they actually went ahead and struck it. we have also heard from the 46th brigade, this is the part of the ukrainian military that is doing much of the fighting there and they say that they are holding on, but there is heavy fighting in the town and that the russians are trying to surround it. there is also a soldier that

we've been in touch with the last few days who just two days ago told us that the window for him to get out of the city was closing fast. and as of yesterday, it appeared that that window had already been shut. and he says that it seems that his unit in particular has been left to surrender, he said they won't be able to hide for very long given the fighting that is happening in the streets. and he compared it to the situation in mariupol where the russians encircled the town, moved in and then eventually after a long siege took captive to any of the fighters who were left. and so his expectation is that eventually he would be captured, he could only hope like all of the people here that there will be at some point some kind of a prisoner exchange. >> all right, appreciate the reporting there on the ground, scott mclean in kyiv. iran has defied international pleas and carried out the execution of a british iranian citizen. state media is reporting that he

was hanged for a, quote, corruption on earth, term used to describe a broad range of offenses. he had been accused of spying for the uk and once served as iran's deputy defense minister and considered a pro reform figure. let's get more from nada bashir in london. what more can you tell us about this latest execution by iran? >> reporter: it had long been feared that this would be the fate despite the widespread international condemnation and outcries calling for his execution to be halted for his immediate release. today of course we have had that announcement from the iranian authorities that he was in fact hanged for those allegations that we've heard in the past from the iranian authorities of spying on behalf of the united kingdom. he was first reportedly detained back in 2019 on allegations of spying according to a news agency affiliated with iran's

judiciary. he was identified by iran ministry of intelligence as behalf of mi 6 and providing important information to the british authorities. and in today's nannouncement, i was said that he had taken part with british intelligence officials for large sums of money. of course these are claims that akbari and others have denied, saying is this a politically motivated act and widely condemned by the international community. we've had reaction this morning from the british prime minister, he condemned beiakbari's execut saying it was a cowardly act carried out by a barbaric regime. we have also heard from the british foreign secretary who confirmed the foreign office is

providing support to his family and did say that this would not go without a response from the united kingdom and according to the foreign office iran's representative to the united kingdom has now been simmonsed. of c summoned. and also treatment he faced during prison, similar to others, reports of torture and mistreatment. take a listen to what the spokesperson had to say just yesterday. >> we are greatly disturbed by the reports that he was drugged, tortured while in custody, interrogated for thousands of hours and forced to make false confessions. more broadly, iran's practices of arbitrary and unjust detentions and politically motivated executions are completely unacceptable and must end. >> reporter: amnesty international also condemned the

execution and reiterated those concerns expressed by the u.s. state department. they say they received reports that akbari was forcibly administered chemical substances and held in solitary conf confinement. and they call on the british government to fully investigate the mistreatment as well as allegations of torture of other detainees currently held in iran. >> all right, thanks so much nada bashir live in london. and later in the hour we'll have a look at how iran has cracked down on other citizens including don riddell's exclusive report on an imprisoned soccer player speaking out about his sentencing. here is a preview. >> in an exclusive voice message obtained by cnn, he can be heard appealing for help from within the prison walls.

[ speaking non-english ] california is in for another soaking as more storms get ready to dump heavy rain and snow on the golden state. we'll have details in a moment. plus -- i really can't -- i can't go down that road. not yet at least. >> the father of a young college student killed in idaho speaks with cnn, that story and much more straight ahead. i respect that. but that cough looks pretty bad. try this robitussin honey. the e real honey you love, plus the powerful cougugh relief you need. mind if i rootot through your trash? robitussin. the only brand with real honeyand elderbeberry.

you can't always avoid migraine triggers like your next period. qulipta® can help prevent migraines. you can't always prevent what's going on outside... ...that's why qulipta® helps what's going on inside. qulipta® gets right to work. in a 3-month study, qulipta® significantly reduced monthly migraine days... ...and the majority of people reduced them by 50 to 100%. qulipta® blocks cgrp--

a protein believed to be a cause of migraines. qulipta® is a preventive treatment for episodic migraine. most common side effects are nausea, constipation, and tiredness. learn how abbvie could help you save on qulipta®. for people who are a little intense about hydration. neutrogena® hydro boost lightweight. clinically proven. 48-hour hydration. for that healthy skin glow. neutrogena®. for people with skin. pst. girl. you can do better. at least with your big-name wireless carrier. with xfinity mobile you can get unlimited for $30 per month on the nation's most reliable 5g network. they can even save you hundreds a year on your wireless bill over t-mobile, at&t, and verizon. wow. i can do better! -yes you can! i can do better, too! see how easy it is to save hundreds a year on your wireless bill

over t-mobile, verizon, and at&t. talk to our switch squad at your local xfinity store today. welcome back to all of you watching us here in the united states, canada and around the world.

i'm kim brunhuber. this is "cnn newsroom." checking our top story, people in california are bracing for another round of storms. more than 25 million people are under flood watches in the state this weekend, including the entire bay area, central valley and central california coastline. a couple more waves of atmospheric river-fueled storms coming this weekend and into early next week. members of the county sheriff's office dive team and search and rescue continue their seernlg for kyle, the 5-year-old boy missing since monday when floodwaters pulled him from his mother's arms. the snow and flooding has reeked havoc and more trouble to come in the days ahead. veronica miracle is in san francisco. >> reporter: the first of three storms is already coming into the area, moving eastward into central california. the second storm saturday is expected to be even worse.

15 million people along the central california coastline are under flood advisories starting saturday through at least sunday. in monterey, an area that has already seen flooding, authorities there are very concerned that two major arteries into the area, highways 1 and 68, could get flooded, which could mean that people wouldn't be able to get in and out of the area through the weekend and emergency services would also not be able to access the peninsula. so authorities are keeping an eye 00 that and trying to make sure that people will stay safe. and then there will be a third storm that enters the region on sunday, which could bring more chances of flooding and rock slides as well as high winds and high surf advisories. this comes after weeks of the state being battered by storms just a deluge of rain with very little relief, it has caused an incredible amount of damage and destruction, 18 people already have died including a 5-year-old boy who was ripped from his mother's arms in floodwaters,

his body still has not been recovered. authorities very concerned that this weekend those three storms could bring even more damage here and destruction. veronica miracle, cnn, san francisco. >> again the number of people under flood watches across california is now up to 25 million and death toll stands at 19. stay with cnn, we'll have a live report from the cnn "weather center" in the coming hour. we're learning new details in the disappearance of missing massachusetts mother ana walshe as authorities yies continue to search. it has been revealed nearly a decade ago there is a police report against her husband. she was reported missing january 4. her husband brian was arrested for misleading investigators. jason carroll has more. >> reporter: another disturbing detail emerging from this case, this time coming from a police

report that was filed back in 2014 in washington, d.c., that is where ana was living at the time before she was married. apparently she told police that brian walshe made a statement over the telephone that he was going to kill her and her friend. making that type of threat is a felony, but brian walshe was not charged in this particular case, the reason for that is because again according to the incident report, the victim refused to cooperate in their prosecution. meanwhile there was a candlelight vigil held for ana walshe and her children, those who came out here say their top priority are in fact her children. >> i think we're all clinging to some little bit of hope, but as days go by, it is such a sad situation. we are still hoping for the best, but preparing for the worst. >> and we have a farmer's market every thursday in the summer. and i remember seeing him down

here with his children. and i feel -- i hope they are at peace. i hope they have someone helping they will through this. the children. the mother is gone, father is gone, so yeah, i'm concerned about them. >> reporter: they have three children, youngest just two, oldest is six. right now they are in the custody of the state and those whom we spoke to say what is their top priority is to make sure that the children stay together. jason carroll, cnn, company has set, massachusetts. "new york times" reports that it has obtained online posts from bryan kohberger the suspect in the deaths of four idaho college students, posts were made while he was a teenager. and one written in 2011 when kohberger was 16, he reportedly wrote, as i hug my family, i look into their faces, i see nothing, it is like i'm looking at a video game. kohberger is currently held without bond and facing four counts of first-degree murder.

he maintains his innocence. anderson cooper spoke with the father of madison mogen and asked if he was following this investigation. >> it is too painful for me to -- i mean, i get the major news items either from -- well, the police were calling me every day and telling me updates up until that day, and since then, it has been a prosecutor, someone from the prosecutor's office that stays in touch with me. but as far as reading or watching, i can't really do it. i get the main pieces of news i need to from other people, but especially the social media stuff, i just -- i really can't -- i can't go down that road, not yet at least. >> mogen also said the family is

getting love and support from the public calling it amazing and heartfelt hand hand has sho a really good side of the world. still ahead, behind bars after an alleged sham trial, we'll hear from a soccer player swept up in the crackdown on dissent in iran. and the restrictions aimed at stopping the spread of covid, china is again seeing a massive outbreak. more details next. neutrogena® hydro boost lightweight. clinicically proven. 48-hour hydration. for that healthy s skin glow. neutrogena®. for people with skskin. hi. i'm shannon storms bador. when we started selling my health products online our shipping process was painfully ow. then we found shipstation. now 're shipping out orders 5 times faster and thanks to shipstation's discounted rat

we're saving a ton. honestly, we couldn't do it without shipstation join over 100,000 online sellers who get ship done with shipstation go to shipstation.com /tv and get 2 months free. i have moderate to severe crohn's disease. now, there's skyrizi. ♪ things are looking up ♪ ♪ i've got symptom relief ♪ ♪ control of my crohn's means everything to me. ♪ ♪ ♪ control is everything to me. ♪ feel significant symptom relief with skyrizi, including less abdominal pain and fewer bowel movements at 4 weeks. skyrizi is the first and only il-23 inhibitor for crohn's that can deliver both clinical remission and endoscopic improvement. the majority of people on skyrizi achieved long lasting remission at 1 year. serious allergic reactions and an increased risk of infections or a lower ability to fight them may occur. tell your doctor if you have an infection or symptoms, had a vaccine or plan to. liver problems may occur in crohn's disease. ask your gastroenterologist how you can take control

of your crohn's with skyrizi. ♪ ♪ control is everything to me. ♪ learn how abbvie could help you save.

protestors have been filling the streets of iran demanding re reform. it has been one of the greatest threats of the authority of the

islamic republic since its inception and also fueling a crackdown not just on the streets but within the ruling elite with the clerical establishment promoting hardliners among their ranks and sidelining any government officials seen as reformists. iran has carried out a series of executions recently of protestors, but so far the soccer player has escaped the death penalty, but sentenced to 26 years in prison over the killing of three security officers. it happened in the wake of amaha am amini's death as they tried to round up protesters. as don riddell reports, supporters say that he was forced in to confession, put through a sham trial and tortured behind bars. >> reporter: he has been living the dream as a professional football player in iran. but within the last few weeks, his situation has turned into a nightmare. after protests swept through the country in september, iranian

state media accused him of being a member of an armed group that was charged in the killing of three security officers in november. the government says that he confessed to participating in the crimes and now faces 26 years in prison. he denies that he is guilty and his supporters claim that he made a forced confession and was tortured in jail. in an exclusive voice message obtained by cnn with the help of an activist group, he can be heard appealing for help from within the prison walls. he has been in jail since december where his family is worried for his safety as the government has already begun executing protesters. last saturday the islamic

republic executed two more young men including the karate champion bringing the total number of executed protestors to four according to the u.n. human rights office. he had taken up karate at the age of 11 and went on to win medals at iran national championships. but during anti-government protests, he was accused of killing a security officer and following a rushed trial supposedly based on a forced confession he was found guilty and executed just a month later. the human rights organization amnesty international say his trial was a sham. and another was jailed in participating in protests and executed in 2020. his defiance inspired other athletes to speak out as well, including a former karate champion who fled the country in 2008. >> i've got plenty of messages from young 17, 18-year-old kids that they see all this killing

and torturing on the streets and all that kind of stuff, they just telling me, okay, you know, because they know me because of my background, et cetera, and they just say, yeah, this life, it is done for me, like i'm going to kill myself. >> reporter: athletes in iran seem to be battling a new fight against what activists are calling an unjust judicial system and they are making a plea hoping the international community will pay attention. at this point the recording cuts out. but he says he will have much more to say when he gets out, but for now he needs others to be his voice, otherwise he could be silenced forever. don riddell, cnn. and we should note cnn reached out to iranian officials for comment but didn't receive a response.

some five weeks after china began easing its covid restrictions, a new report in state media estimates more than 900 million people across the country have likely been infected by covid-19. researchers say that nearly 80% of those infected reported feeling worse than having the flu, the data suggests 64% of people in china have been infected as of january 11th. in october a man made history in china when he hung two banners protesting ing zer covid policy, above a highway. what would have been a simple protest in many countries was nearly unprecedented act of defiance in the chinese capital and sparked a stunning wave of protests across the nation. selina wang has more. >> reporter: the spark that would ignite china, two banners suddenly appeared on a busy overpass in beijing. the words written on them, so brazenly defiant, they make the

average chinese person tremble, they called for an end to zero covid and even xi jinping's rule. a man disguised as a construction worker hung the banners days behind the com new nis party congress in october. smoke was set off to draw attention. the shocking message even broadcast over loud speaker. public displays of dissent toward the communist party and xi jinping are rare and dangerous in china. he was quickly taken away by authorities and hasn't been seen since. some in china are calling him a lone warrior and comparing him to the tank man, the unknown beijing resident who stood in front of a line tanks in 1989 during the government's brutal crackdown on peaceful pro democracy protestors in and around tiananmen square. activists wildly believe the banner man has a few social media accounts under the name. cnn has not independently

confirmed his identity. authorities scrubbed every trace of the images from chinese social media, but the words lived on and soon started to appear in of all places public bathrooms. because it is one of the only few places in tightly surveilled china without security cameras. this man graffitied the same slogans in a bad room in southwest china. i have to wear a mask, he said, and when i was writing, i was worried someone might catch me. it is so pathetic we've been suppressed like this. even just scribbling anti-government slogans in bathrooms is dangerous in china. but what followed shocked the world. less than two months later, the exact same slogans were chanted in unprecedented anti-zero covid protests that erupted in cities across china. we want freedom, not covid tests, they chanted. we want freedom, not lockdowns, we want dignity, not lies.

we want votes, not a ruler. in shanghai, some even shouted the most dangerous demand -- step down communist party. step down xi jinping. this man who graffitied in the bathroom ended up participating in his city's anti-covid protests. i had never imagined that in china we would see this, he said. i realize that many people are just like us, they are not satisfied with this political system or this society. when asked what he would say to the man who hung the banners if given the chance? he said everything he did was meaningful, and he has had a great impact on us young people, he's shown as human beings, we can protest again unfairness. police violently pushing and dragging some protestors, arresting many of the young

idealistic demonstrators. and weeks after the protests in early december, the chinese government suddenly abandoned zero covid. relief rippled through the country. but then seemingly overnight the government went from harsh lockdowns to suddenly allowing the virus to rip uncontrolled. hospitals are now overwhelmed and cellrematoriums packed. but many chinese people are just happy to have their lives back while the man who sparked the chants for freedom not lockdowns may never be seen again. we may never know exactly how much of an impact the protests had on the chinese government's decision to drop zero covid versus other factors like economic one, but considering the government's obsession with control for three years of the pandemic, this chaotic and sudden reopening, well, it has been shocking. the protestors we spoke to said they will never forget the legacy of the man who hung the

banners. they say he planted a seed in the country and made people realize that even if the outcome is not exactly what they hoped for, they can in fact still speak out against injustices and make their voices heard. saeleina wang, cnn, beijing. and we'll be right back. get ready to say those five little words. no, not “let me get the pancakes.” or “i'll have all the e bacon”" we're talking about.t... rooty tooty y fresh 'n fruity i'm m going to get the rooty tooty fresh 'n fruity the rooty tooty fresh 'n fruity i think i'm going to have the rooty tooty fresh 'n fruity yep, it's back. for a limited time. the six dollar rooty tooty fresh 'n fruity combo. 2 eggs, 2 bacon strips, and 2 fruit topped pancakes. only from ihop. download the app and earn free food with every order. why do dermatologists choose dove? the dove beauty bar, is gentle. it not only cleans it hydrates my skin. as a dermatolost, i want what's best for our skin. with 1/4 moisturizing cream,

dove is the #1 bar dermatologistsse at home. ubrelvy helps u fight migraine attacks. u rise to the challenge. u won't clock out. so u bring ubrelvy. it can quickly stop migraine in its tracks within 2 hours... ...without worrying if it's too late or where you are. unlike older medicines, ubrelvy is a pill that directly blocks a protein believed to be a cause of migraine. do not take with strong cyp3a4 inhibitors. most common side effects were nausea and tiredness. migraine pain relief starts with u. learn how abbvie could help you save. ask about ubrelvy, the anytime, anywhere migraine medicine. buried in receipts, invoices and other paperwork that's preventing you from doing what matters most? then get the all new epson rapidreceipt smart organizer to scan, digitize and organize your documents and receipts. receipts go in, and stress goes away. it's the only solution on the market specifically designed to extract and digitize key data trapped on receipts and invoices. and it integrates with financial software like quickbooks and turbotax. transform paper documents like contracts, tax

records, warranties, wills, even recipes into searchable pdfs. so the information is always right at your fingertips, safe and secure. you can even turn business cards into digital contacts, and it scans up to 100 pages at a time. even different sizes in one batch. with this exclusive tv offer, you'll get the epson rapidreceipt smart organizer and over $300 in added value! act now and save up to $100 for a limited time. this rapidreceipt has made a huge difference. it categorizes everything for me. it puts everything into the right files. i don't misplace a thing anymore. no more losing receipts means no more losing money. people everywhere love the epson rapidreceipt. organized at last and made so simple. you can use this for both business and household. that's the smartest move i ever made for my business. it even helps organize me for taxes and expenses. there's even a mobile rapidreceipt you can use when you're on the go! this has changed everything. as soon as i

get a receipt i just scan it, and store it away immediately right here into the laptop, no matter where i am. with this exclusive tv offer, you'll get a mobile or desktop epson rapidreceipt smart organizer, and over $300 in added value. act now and save up to $100 for a limited time. go online or call to get an epson rapidreceipt smart organizer delivered right to your door. i came, i scanned, i conquered. epson rapidreceipt - visit buyrapidreceipt.com or call. piece of cake baby! ♪ ♪ ♪ voltaren. the joy of movement. ♪

this is thurman thomas and today we're going to visit jay who was responsible for saving 24 people during the buffalo is storm. >> the bills surprised this hometown hero with two tickets to the super bowl. when a deadly blizzard slammed into the area on christmas eve, jay helped more than 20 people and two dogs find shelter in a closed school making sure everyone was ork. and police chief called his actions heroic adding that he saved lives that day. so to honor him, thurman thomas presented him with a trip to the big game. listen to this. >> two tickets to the super bowl. we love you, we know what you did on christmas eve, it was very heroic and you are our

hero. and the bills and i want to print you with these tickets to go watch the super bowl. >> thank you for all you did and we love you, buffalo loves you, buddy. >> thank you, man. thank you. thank you. >> god bless you. >> well deserved. the nfl playoffs are set to kickoff saturday afternoon and among the teams playing, the bills, they will be taking on the dolphins on sunday. it has only been about two weeks since the damar hamlin suffered a cardiac arrest as the world watched. he is now recovering at home. it is not clear when or if he will be back on the field. and san antonio spurs are stuck in 14th position in the nba west, but they did set a record on friday, a single game regular season attendance record. the spurs were hosting their

first game at the alamodome in 21 years and they had 68,323 fans rooting for them and that clobbered the old rorld by more than record by more than 6,000. but it couldn't save the spurs. the warriors overwhelmed them 144-113. and before we go, one lottery ticket sold in maine beat the astro knowlnomical odd won the mega millions. it was the second largest jackpot in mega millions history, and first time the winning tickets was sold in maine. ticket holder or holders can take the lump sum cash payout worth more than $720 million before taxes. others got lucky in friday's drawing, 14 tickets snagging prizes of $1 million each. thanks so much for watching. i'm kim brunhuber. you can follow me on twitter.

and for viewers in north america, cnn this morning is next. for the rest of the world, it is african voices changemakers. hi, susan. honey. yeah. i respect that. but that cough looks pretty bad. try this robitussin honey. ththe real honey you love, plus the powerful cocough relief you need. mind if i rootot through your trash? robitussin. the only brand with real honeyand eldererberry.

test hi. i'm wolfgang puck when i started my online store wolfgang puck home

i knew there would be a lot of orders to fill and i wanted them to ship out fast that's why i chose shipstation shipstation helps manage orders reduce shipping costs and print out shipping labels it's my secret ingredient shipstation the number 1 choice of online sellers and wolfgang puck go to shipstation.com/tv and get 2 months free

good morning, everyone, and welcome to c"cnn this morning." i'