across the united states, a cold, cold winter for democrats. joe biden's approval rating dips as capitol hill prepares for battle over build back better. and jury deliberations begin in the trial over daunt wright's death. the defensive's strategy for exonerating the former police officer, kim potter. >> good to have you with us. more fears of an omicron takeover are becoming a reality in the united states. on monday, the cdc announced the highly contagious variant now accounts for more than 73% of new cases. omicron has been detected in all but two u.s. states. and it is even more prevalent in parts of the southeast and northwest. the variant's rapid spread comes during the busy holiday season, straining the country's testing capacity. some states are now deploying the national guard to assist and military teams are being sent to support overwhelmed hospitals in hard hit areas. meanwhile, the u.s. president joe biden will deliver remarks on the omicron variant in the coming hours. the variant is also leading to a wave of new restrictions across europe. on monday, london became the latest city to cancel its new years eve celebrations. experts say vaccinations and boosters are the best way to stay protected. yet millions of americans are still refusing to get the shot. here's dr. fauci fauci's message for them. >> that might be fine for you because you have confidence that you're not going to get seriously ill. which quite frankly, hospitals are full of people who made that mistake and so are graveyards full of people that have made that mistake. >> cnn is covering the pandemic with correspondents and resources positioned around the globe. we have athena jones in new york, scott mclean and nada bashir in london and selina wang in tokyo. >> reporter: america bracing for a tough winter that's beginning to look a lot like last winter. >> this virus is extraordinary. it has a doubling time of two to three days. it will take over. >> we can it is very contagious. we saw what happened in south africa initially. then in europe. now in the u.s. it is doubling about every two to four days and we'll see that number of cases go up pretty steeply over the course of the next couple weeks. >> reporter: the u.s. now averaging about 1200 death as day. 130,000 new covid-19 cases a day. that figure up 10% from a week ago. hospitalizations nationwide up 35% over last month. and intensive care unit beds, nearly 80% fulfill cases rising much faster in parts of the southwest and the northeast. new york city, an early he said center of the pandemic, seeing a spike in cases officials say is being driven by omicron. >> we have to move faster. that's why we're focusing even more on vaccination. and we know that vaccination helps address omicron. >> reporter: still undecided on whether crowds will fill times square for new years eve. as new covid infections have upended the world of sports, entertainment sxed indication. forcing "saturday night live" to cancel its live audience. the nhl and nfl postponing games due to covid issues and schools like harvard university moving graduate and professional schools to online classes for the first three weeks of january. covid striking governor larry hogan and members of congress with elizabeth warren, new jersey senator corey booker, and colorado congressman jason crow, all testing positive for the virus. health workers and government officials increasingly focused on boosters. >> we see those a are vaccinated, who have received their booster, aren't coming in at the same rates. >> reporter: moderna showing that its half dose booster shot increased antibody levels against omicron, noticing a larger size dose helped even more. >> right now, you need that third dose. i wish we on stop calling it a booster. it's a three-dose vaccine. >> reporter: basic mitigation measures like mask kg help slow the spread, washington, d.c.' mayor is reinstating an indoor citywide mask order after lifting it only a few weeks ago. the district is seeing its highest daily count since it began. this new measure goes into effect tuesday and lasts until the end of january. cnn, new york. >> so let's bring in a cardiologist and professor of molecular meds at scripps research. he joins me now from la jolla, california. thank you for all you do and for talking with us. >> good to be with you again. >> thank you. the omicron is now the dominant variant making up 73% of all new cases. what does that tell but this variant? and what lies ahead considering less than 20% of americans have that third covid shot to protect them. >> that's right. so this shot up exceptionally quickly. just over 12% in a week. and that 73% is a couple days ago. so it is a very dominant strain. it will take over for delta very shortly. and the problem is that our vaccines don't work nearly as well for omicron as they did for delta. so without the booster, the effectiveness is down in the 30%. it shoots up to about 75% to protect against infection with the booster third shot. so that's why we need to get those percentages of third shots up as high as we can. >> and of course, we seem to, we know this is more contagious. we don't know for sure if this is more severe or less severe. how many do you worry that this omicron variant, along with delta, could overwhelm the health care system in this country in the next few weeks and months? >> right, well, it is already overwhelm in the u.s. in many places. that's just the delta side. as you say, we don't know the severity. overall the that can where it has hit, south africa, denmark, nor way, it's a more mild picture but the problem is we don't know how more mild or less severe it is. there have been deaths. deaths in all those countries including the u.s. now from omicron. and many hospitalizations. so it is really the unsettled question right now. we know why it would be less severe because we have this immune wall. the vaccinations and the boosters and the prior covid. and some intrinsic activity with this virus that would make it less severe but still an untold number of people who have been very severely ill. >> and doctor, why do you think it is that it is still a struggle to get tested in this country, particularly at a time when people plan to be with their family members, some of them valuable. admittedly that means more people getting tested. president obama has said that would be the case. they would meet the demand. >> it is inexcusable that we don't have rapid tests everywhere. we have that in colorado, one state, and a couple other places. but it should be every where throughout the united states and the testing other than the rammed testing is also woefully inquat quat. there is no reason this should continue two years into the pandemic. we've had advance warning, we have just not taken with it the heat and aggressiveness that we need to. >> the cdc has said unvaccinate people take a 20 times greater risk than those who received a booster shot and still around 30% of americans are we fusing to get even the tirs shot. perhaps an epiphany or there will always be about a third of the country. >> it is sad that we've gone a year and we still have actually, 39% of americans have not been fully vaccinated. and this is what is holding us back. this is why we've done so poorly and now we're not ready in any way to deal with omicron, going through right now a second surge with delta. so whether that will change, it seems remote. on the other hand, every day we go, where our number of people waning from their vaccination is exceeding the number of new people getting vaccination. we're actually losing ground from where we were. where we are. that's why we have to protect already the protected ones. because we haven't been able to make things happen in the people who largely have been unvaccinated. >> dr. eric tobin, thank you for talking with us. we appreciate it and appreciate you. >> thank you. happy holidays. >> same to you. thank you. with omicron cases spreading quickly in the united kingdom, british prime minister boris johnson is warning that further vaccinations may be necessary. good to see you. what sort of restrictions is the prime minister considering? just how bad are infections and hospitalizations? >> reporter: well, the alarm bells really are being rung. it seems to be spiraling out of control. 91,000 cases confirmed yesterday. those are new cases. the second highest daily total th the u.k. has recorded. among those, more than 8,000 were confirmed to be the omicron variant. so there are serious concerns over the rising number. cases being reported ahead of christmas. and calls for further restrictions brought in to stem the spread. we heard the prime minister offer a meeting with his cabinet ministers in downing street to assess the data. he has that they are hook at the figures, at the trends. the scientists are advising on the restrictions that need to be brought into forceful at this stage, no further restrictions on top of the plan b restrictions be bought in. we are lack at the masking, public transport. you have to have peru that you've had a vaccine or negative test to access places like theaters and cinemas and nightclubs and of course, encouraging people, all of us, really, to fwrork home unless absolutely nothing to go into your workplace. at this point the prime minister hasn't ruled out potential for stronger measures and another lockdown. take a listen. >> we agreed that we should keep the data from now on under skon review. unfortunately, we will have to reeverybody is not the possibility of taking further action to protect the public and protect public health. we won't hesitate to take that action. >> and it is the national health services. the key that we saw last area, come under immense pressure. now with the omicron spreading, there are serious concerns that the nhs could be under their own pressure, warning that england could be facing 3,000 daily cases. and we heard from the head. it is meant to pressure the government to take action. >> many thanks. for more on omicron and how the u.s. can respond, white house medical adviser dr. anthony fauci will join cnn's new day later today. that is 7:00 a.m. in new york. noon in london. the center piece of president biden is on life support. can democrats salvage build back better? some trump supporters were less than supported after he admitted he received a covid-19 booster shot. that exchange just ahead. and then later, magic is in the air as hbo max drops the official trailer for its harry potter reunion special. >> it feels like no time has passed. instantly clear everyday congestion with vicks sinex saline. for fast drug free relief vicks sinex. instantly clear everyday congestion. and try vicks sinex children's saline. safe and gentle relief for children's noses. did you know some deodorants may not last all day? secret works immediately! and is designed to last for up to 48 hours. with secret, keep it fresh. available in over 10 amazing scents and aluminum free. secret. and that's just basic wavy guy maintenance, right? next up, carvana. oh, boy. carvana just doesn't seem to understand how the test drive works. they give their customers seven days. and if they don't like it, they give 'em their money back. wait, they take the car back? that's crazy! what if it was driven by like a zookeeper? 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(vo) buy your car online. love it or return it. with carvana. u.s. democrats are facing a long, difficult winter and likely more infighting in the upcoming mid-term election year. that's as one new poll shows president joe biden's approval rating slipping to 41%. but cnn's poll of polls puts it at a relatively stable 45%. more than half of those surveyed say they do not approve of his job performance. the latest numbers come as democrats scramble to push through president's massive build back better plan despite senate democrat joe manchin thwarting their efforts. cnn's phil mattingly picks up the story. >> on this legislation -- >> the seven words that shook washington and put president biden's cornerstone domestic legislative effort on life support. senator joe manchin, the west virginia democrat and critical holdout on president biden's 1.75 trillion package making clear on monday, his stunning announcement is firm and deep rooted. >> you are approaching legislation as if you have 55 or 60 senators who are democrats and you can do whatever you want. >> in a war of words with president biden's team, after jen psaki released a scathing statement calling it a breach of his commitments to the president. manchin responding with this. >> they put things out that were inexcusable. they know what it is and that's it. >> the white house now attempting to take down the temperature. >> he interests senator manchin a long time friend and our focus is moving forward and getting this done. >> as democrats seek a path way to bring things on track. pleminging to vote on the bill in a letter to colleagues and keep voting on it until we get something done as the white house considers ways to pare back the proposal. >> he will work like hell to get it done. >> for biden's agenda, 24 hours with large scale repercussions. goldman sachs moving immediately, slashing the growth forecast for the u.s. economy in the wake of mavnchester yip's pronounc pronouncement. the expand child tax credit, now all at serious risk. >> our objective is moving forward. >> but sky high ambitions setting the stage for a crushing reality and significant blowback from progressives. >> i think what senator manchin did yesterday represents such an egregious breach of the trust of the president. >> and white house officials are already in the midst of phone calls. they are trying to figure out what the next steps are. how to maybe restructure the proposal to have a shot at 50 votes there are real questions about how willing senator manchin is to reengage in negotiations to some degree, not just a policy issue. it is a personal issue. that has been very clear over the course of the last 24 hours. and as one senate democrat told me, take a breath. phil mattingley, cnn, the white house. let's talk more about this with jessica levinson. a professor of law at loyola high school and the host of the podcast, passing judgment. good to have you here. >> good to be here. >> we have been assured that this presidential speech will not be about lockdowns but everyone is looking for answers on why this pandemic isn't over yet and why people are having to stand in long lines for covid tests in the lead up to the holidays. what does the president need to say compared to what he will likely say? >> he needs to say that he's to top of this. he needs to say that he knows what's happening. and frankly, what is happening behind the scenes here. we know that there are so many things that affect a president's approval ratings, and a president's political capital. and sometimes they are totally outside the president's control. think about the economy. think about a raging pandemic. so he certainly can't say, look, this isn't my fault. he has to say, i'm in control. i'm doing something. case numbers will be worse but i'm getting vaccines to you. you do your part and get those vaccines and get those boosters. and frankly, i think he does have some explaining to do for what is a real failure by the administration which is, we shouldn't be standing in lines for tests. we should have accessible, rammed home tests. we know that's something that is a public health imperative. i think we'll hear all that. he needs to talk to us and he knows that. he needs to say, i know it will get bad but i'm doing something. >> it is good that people are getting out there and getting tested. a lot of people are doing that to protect family members. this should have been foreseen. so president biden's approval ratings, they are at rock bottom. he just had his build back better plan effectively killed off by his buddy, senator joe manchin and now he's trying to end the pandemic with his new more contagious omicron variant, making his task even more difficult. how does he recover from all this? >> well, i mean, that's the huge question. so i think he needs to explain to people what we should already understand with respect to the pandemic. there is only. so in his control. he understands that politically, americans are not in the place where they would tolerate lockdowns. look what is happening in the netherlands. i don't think the american public would find that acceptable to basically, two years into this pandemic. when it comes to the build back better plan, he needs to try to salvage that. and joe manchin has the one person in the senate, the one senator who says i'm or the pea teed -- i'm torpedoing this. because we allowed to it happen where a senator who represents .5% of the population can do that. joe biden has to go back and get something done. this is part of his legacy. it is his top priority. and he got that infrastructure bill done. that's great for him. those jobs will go primarily to men and i think he'll have a problem with female voters if he doesn't do something to increase the safety net which we know disproportionately helps women who are poor and the working poor. and that is partly the build back better plan. >> and voters want to back a winner and right now president biden isn't looking like a winner. why is it all going south for him? his leadership style or bad timing with the pandemic, the economy, inflation, and can he say anything in the coming hours that might change the hearts and minds of americans? >> i don't know that he can say that much. i think he needs to do that much. that is typically the case for president biden. he's not an amazing oratore. what we need to see the is action. we need to see action when it comes to the pandemic. we need to know what we can do. let's remember that he is fighting in court to try and maintain two different times of federal mandates on vaccines. he may talk about that. two cases probably destined for the supreme court. and he needs to talk to people about why it is important to increase our safety net. he needs to talk to people with what we're going to do about climate change. and frankly, in moments, taking away as we get closer to the mid-terms. it is the senate. the pandemic. and there are some things in his control. he faced an uphill battle for a lot of these issues. >> yes. always glat to get your analysis. thank you. the former u.s. president donald trump received an unexpected reaction from some of his supporters during an event with former fox news host bill o'reilly. trump who rarory discusses his covid-19 vaccination status got booed after revealing he received a booster shot. >> both the president and i are vaxxed. did you get the booster? >> yes. >> i got it, too. >> oh, don't, don't, don't. a very tiny group. >> and when it comes to covid boosters, the partisan gap is wide, according to a recent kaiser foundation poll. just 36% of republicans say they would get the booster compared to 77% of democrats. and just ahead, australia passes a new covid milestone. while the prime minister says no to lockdowns. what we're learning about an emergency cabinet meeting. >> man: what's my safelite story? i spend a lot of time in my truck. it's my livelihood. ♪ rock music ♪ >> man: so i'm not taking any chances when something happens to it. so when my windshield cracked... my friend recommended safelite autoglass. they came right to me, with expert service where i needed it. ♪ rock music ♪ >> man: that's service i can trust... no matter what i'm hauling. right, girl? >> singers: ♪ safelite repair, safelite replace. ♪ ray loves vacations. but his diabetes never seemed to take one. everything felt like a 'no'. everything. but then ray went from no to know. with freestyle libre 2, now he knows his glucose levels when he needs to. and... when he wants to. so ray... can be ray. take the mystery out of your glucose levels, and lower your a1c. now you know. try it for free. visit freestylelibre.us hey, angie! you forgot your phone! hey lou! angie forget her phone again? yep. lou! mom said she could save up to $400 on her wireless bill by switching to xfinity internet and mobile. with nationwide 5g at no extra cost. and lou! on the most reliable network, lou! smart kid, bill. oh oh so true. and now, the moon christmas special. gotta go! take the savings challenge at xfinitymobile.com/mysavings or visit an xfinity store to learn how our switch squad makes switching fast and easy this holiday season. how not to be a hero: because that's the last thing they need you to be. you don't have to save the day. you just have to navigate the world so that a foster child isn't doing it solo. you just have to stand up for a kid who isn't fluent in bureaucracy, or maybe not in their own emotions. so show up, however you can, for the foster kids who need it most— at helpfosterchildren.com welcome back to cnn newsroom. live from cnn headquarters here in atlanta. i'm rosemary church. the coronavirus is forcing the national hockey league to put its season on pause until after christmas. the league had already postponed all four of wednesday's games as well as ten games on thursday. the season is set to resume next monday. meanwhile, british prime minister boris johnson says more restrictions may be needed to stop the fast spreading omicron variant. london is canceling its new years eve party in trafalgar square, the head of the world health organization says other events may need to be called off as well but that's better than risking people's lives. >> all of us want to spend time with friends and family. all of us want to get back to normal. the fastest way to do this is for all of us leaders and individuals to make the difficult decisions that must be made to protect ourselves and others. >> australia's most populous state is recording a new record. south wales has recorded 3,000 daily cases for the first time ever. they want to avoid travel restrictions ahead of christmas. meanwhile, new zealand is pushing back plans for a phased border reopening. it was set to ease restrictions next month but that is now on hold until at least the end of february. for the latest, live from tokyo, good to see you. what is the latest on covid-19 infections in both australia and new zealand? >> well, for two years, australia had avoided the worst of the pandemic through strict patrols. now they're dealing with a surge in covid-19 cases just when states were starting to reanthrax restrictions, the omicron variant is complicating those plans. so in new south wales, it is being driven by super spreading events like clubs and nightclubs including a taylor swift listening party held earlier this month. the omicron variant is worsening the spread. meanwhile authorities in queensland said they're seeing a doubling in cases every two days and a growing number of which are from the omicron variant. but the prime minister said they are not going back to lockdowns. they are going to have to find a way to go back to living their lives without, quote, shutting down people's lives. he said the country who is the find a way to live with the virus with common sense and responsibility. in new zealand, they are delaying their phased reopening plans after being shut for about two years. new zealand was in january set to finally start this phased reopening. that is now being delayed. take a listen to what the nation's covid-19 minister had to say. >> all evidence so far points to omicron being the most transmissible variant yet and public health advice suggests that every case coming in through our border and our isolation facilities will be the omicron variant. our immediate job right now must be to slow it down and to delay it from speaking with the new zealand community for as long as we possibly can. on the bright side, new zealand has become one most vaccinated countries in the world with about 90% of its adult population being vaccinated. >> elsewhere across asia, cases rising in china and south korea. what is the latest on that area? >> reporter: yeah, in china they reported 57 new locally transmid cases, mostly in the province in northwestern china. and. in region, authorities are trying to contain what is a growing cluster. authorities there have launched mass testing of nearly 13 million residents in the city. they have launched new travel restrictions as well. with the winter olympics now less than two months away, authorities are doubling down on their zero covid strategy. the lunar holiday is coming up. this is the most important holiday in china every year. and authorities are urging people from places with confirm cases not to travel. so this could mean yet another year families could be separated from each other instead of being able to travel and see each other. at the same time, in south korea they're dealing with a surge in cases. on sunday south korea reported a record number of patient who's are critically ill. more than 1,000 patients and health authorities have said the country's health system at risk of reaching its limit. so in the greater seoul area, they are only allowing four people in private gatherings. so we are seeing across the board, omicron is really complicating plans to finally get back to normal. >> it really is. bringing us the very latest from the vantage point. appreciate it. well, denmark was among the first european countries to impose a strict covid lockdown last year. it was also among the first to begin reopening last spring. a proactive approach and high vaccination rate may not be enough to stop omicron. cnn's scott mclean has more. >> reporter: the gates of the famous christmas festival are closed for the season. the rides are shut down and the staff have all gone home all thanks to a massive surge in covid infections that has already dwarfed the previous peak. new modeling this week shows if left uncheck, infections in denmark could be ten times that number followed by record high hospital admissions by christmas and well beyond in the new year. >> the epidemiologist in charge of managing the risk of new variants in denmark. the country blessed with more than three quarters of its population. but danes are quickly discovering that two shots are no match for the new more infectious variant. the booster shot program cannot keep up. denmark has among the highest rates of testing and sequencing in the world and has reams of data at its finger tips. while there are some early indications the omicron variant could be less severe than del a, they don't know how much less severe. >> it doesn't really matter if omicron is half as dangerous as delta or as dangerous as delta. if tens of thousands are testing positive the same day, then the strain on the hospital system would be high anyway. >> the danish lawmakers were not killing to wait and see. instead they put car because the on bars and restaurants, mandated masks indoors and covid passports on some. it is now the christmas present. but she's confident that has helped the worst-case scenario. >> it sounds like without the restrictions, it would be chaos. >> if we were doing nothing, that would be an extremely dill situation, yeah. >> you don't want tad what's necessary. >> while many european governments are facing protests, in deny march th. >> when we asked citizens whether they can cope with any more restrictions, only 10% says they cannot do it. so there is no real sign of fatigue yet. >> it sounds like danes are rule followers. >> to a large extent we are rule followers. but it is not blind obedience. it is because we feel that we are being explained why we need to do and it what we need to do. >> his research found americans followed covid rules to a lesser extent than danes. but omicron won't have it any less hard. >> many times across the world with omicron. the only thing we can hope for, that the severity of the disease will be mild enough that the health systems are not being everhelp with. still to come, jury deliberations have begun in ghislaine maxwell's trial. ququick, the quicker picker upp! bounty picks up messes quicker and is 2x more absorbent, so you can use less. bounty, the quicker picker upper. ho ho ho! not again. oh no. for the gifts you won't forget. the mercedes-benz winter event. get a credit toward your first month's payment on select models. thanks for coming. now when it comes to a financial plan this broker is your man. let's open your binders to page 188... uh carl, are there different planning options in here? 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(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, everyone. we are following three big trial in the u.s. this week. all of which are now in the jury's hands. there's the sex trafficking case against ghislaine maximumwell, the fraud case against elizabeth holm, a former health care technology executive, and the trial of kim potter, the former minnesota police officer charged with manslaughter in the april shooting. >> daunte wright's parents will have an empty seat at their table this holiday season because the defendant shot and killed him. >> daunte wright's parents were in the courtroom as closing arguments in the trial of kim potter began. she's claim she meant to grab her taser when she believes she needed to protect herself and her fellow officers during an april 2021 traffic stop. instead she grabbed her gun. >> i shot him! oh my god! >> this case is about the defendant's rash and reckless conduct. it's not about her being a nice person or a good person. carrying a badge and a gun is not a license to kill. >> the defense, however, claimed there were two absolute reasons potter is innocent despite firing her gun. >> she didn't cause this and she had the right to use deadly force, even though she didn't know she was using it. she had a right to. >> the defense attorney earl gray pushed even further saying daunte wright is to blame. >> she says taser, taser, taser. he should have, okay, stop! i give up. daunte wright caused his own death, unfortunately. >> a characterization prosecutors took issue with. >> i want to you consider if we accept that argument, that he caused his own death. we have to semiany time a person does not meticulously follow the commands of a police officer, they can be shot to death. >> monday's closing arguments came after eight days of testimony and over 30 witnesses, including kim potter. >> i remember yelling, taser, taser, taser. and nothing happened. and then he told me i shot him. i'm sorry it happen. >> prosecutors emphasize monday intend isn't what the jury will be deciding. >> an accidental killing is still a crime if the defendant's actions are reckless, or culpably negligent. this was a colossal screw up. a blunter of epic proportions. it was irreversible and it was fatal. >> now kim potter's future lies in the hands of her jurors who decide if she was right or wrong for having pulled the trigger. >> the jury has now broken after deliberating a little more than five hours over the course of monday. at one point during those deliberations, they had a question for the court. specifically around the timing of an interview kim potter did with a forensic psychologist. this was an interview that involved the use of her taser and her weapon and it was an interview she said she couldn't remember key portions of during this time. the judge told them, all the evidence is in. and it will be their collective memories that will drive them when this jury returns faye day to. as they get this trial ever closer to a verse. jurors in ghislaine maxwell's trial have begun wondering whether she was jeffrey epstein's accomplice or a scapegoat. the jury deliberated briefly before breaking for the day. cnn has the details. >> reporter: jury deliberations continue this morning in the sex trafficking trial of ghislaine maxwell of yesterday prosecutors described her as a dangerous person. someone who was crucial to jeffrey epstein's scheme. they say she targeted vulnerable girls. prosecutors recount in detail the testimony of the four accusers and they also asked the jury to use their common senses saying they should ask why two adults would spend their weekends with girls and they pointed to the little black book and pointed out that under a massage therapist, they often had the names of mom, dads, and parents listed there. something they said no professional masseuse would require. her attorney said she is innocent. that she is a scape goat. some of them had change their story over time. they questioned why they didn't call additional employee if they have such evidence that this was such a widespread scheme will michael is being charged here. maybe it was a biggest of her life but it was a crime. over the next dew days. if she's found and in the coming hours, a california jury is set to resume deliberations in the fraud trial of elizabeth holmes, the entrepreneur accused of lying to investors, doctors and patients about her blood-testing startup company, theranos. her trial lasted nearly four months with the jury hearing from a wide range of witnesses. winter storms are heading toward northwestern united states just in time for the christmas holiday. details of the forecast coming your way in just a moment. with christmas just a few days away, the focus is turning to weather for travelers and for people hoping for some snow during the holiday. cnn's tyler mauldin is at the weather center with the latest forecast. for those looking for a white christmas, where do they need to go? >> so, rosemary, when the treetops glisten with snow, it just makes it feel like christmas, right? >> yes, it does. >> unfortunately only about 30% of the country has snow on the ground right now. the vast majority of that, though, is out west across the sierra nevada and up towards the pacific northwest, the intermountain west, and the rockies. so here across the sierra nevada, we actually have winter storm alerts up right now all the way through sunday because an area of low pressure is going to come ashore. and what that's going to do is yet again give us an atmospheric river. the winds will come onshore, and it will grab a plume of moisture out over the pacific, bringing heavy rain, and, yes, snow to the sierra nevada. now, you can see how this evolves as we go through time. all the snowfall here across the sierra nevada, but not just here, it's all the way up to the pac northwest and going to the northern rockies. so we're going to add to the snowfall totals we've already seen here. some areas of the sierra nevada, rosemary, could see north of 36 inches of snow. >> wow. okay. well, that will make those people pretty happy. tyler mauldin, many thanks. well, magic is in the airs with we get our first look at the new harry potter reunion special. hbo max just dropped the official trailer for its upcoming special "return to hogwarts" celebrating 20 years since the first potter film was released. the trailer features an emotional reunion among some of the stars of the film. just take a listen. >> i wouldn't be the person i am without so many people here. >> i've watched you grow up and i've seen kind of every stage of your life. >> when things get really dark and times are really hard, there's something about harry potter that makes life richer. >> it's a strong bond we'll always have. we're family. we will always be part of each other's lives. >> wow, that is special, isn't it? and the special is set to premiere january 1st on hbo max. thank you so much for joining us. i'm rosemary church. i will be right back at the top of the hour with more news for you. don't go anywhere. next up, carvana. oh, boy. carvana just doesn't seem to understand how the test drive works. they give their custstoms seven days. and if thehey don't like , they give 'emm their money back. wait, they take the car back? that's crazy! what if f it was driven by like a zookeeper? or a mud wrestler? or a guy who's on the outs with the missus and he just needs a place to sleep for seven days? yeah. (vo) buy your car online. love it or return it. with carvana. clerk: hello, how can i? sore throat pain? ♪honey lemon♪ try vicks vapocool drops. in honey lemon chill. for fast-acting sore throat relief. wooo vaporize sore throat pain with vicks vapocool drops. ray loves vacations. but his diabetes never seemed to take one. everything felt like a 'no'. everything. but then ray went from no to know. with freestyle libre 2, now he knows his glucose levels when he needs to. and... when he wants to. so ray... can be ray. take the mystery out of your glucose levels, and lower your a1c. now you know. try it for free. visit freestylelibre.us hello and welcome to our viewers joining us here in the united states and all around the world. you are watching "cnn newsroom," and i'm rosemary church. just ahead, omicron surges prompt new restrictionin