omicron. friendly fire. former president trump booed by an audience full of his supporters. what he said to spark that reaction. plus, slow your roll out. airplanemakers raising a major red flag about how new high-speed cell phone technology could interfere with your next flight. and welcome to the lead. i'm jim sciutto in for jake tapper. breaking news in our health lead. president joe biden just moments ago rolled out a new battle plan against covid and a warning as omicron becomes the dominant variant in the u.s. >> if you're not fully vaccinated, you have good reason to be concerned. you are at a high risk of getting sick. and if you get sick, you're likely to spread it other tos, including friends and family. >> biden is making 500 million, half a billion, rapid tests free and available by request by you and me. he's deploying 1,000 more members of the military to help at overburdened hospitals. biden is also adding some 20,000 testing locations nationwide, as well as, this is important, 10,000 new vaccine pop-up clinics staffed with help to speed up appointments. all this to slow two concerning trends. first, the skyrocketing number of covid infections up 16% in one week and, second, severe cases in hospitals. often, most often among the unvaccinated. up 35% in the last month. cnn's jeff zeleny starts us off at the white house with the president's message to americans. >> let me give it to you straight again. omicron is serious, potentially deadly business for unvaccinated people. >> reporter: president biden issuing a stark new warning. four days before christmas. as the administration braces for a staggering surge in covid cases. >> let me say again and again and again, please get vaccinated. >> the president drawing a sharp line between the vaccinated and boosted and the unvaccinated. making yet another plea for americans to take seriously the omicron variant that suddenly a majority of new u.s. cases. >> i know you're tired. i really mean this. i know you're frustrated. we all want this to be over. but we're still in it. and this is a critical moment. >> reporter: the president's plan today calls for addressing a significant deficit in testing. with 500 million rapid covid tests to be sent to the homes of americans who request them. preparing 1,000 military service members to deploy to overburdened hospitals. new federal testing sites starting in new york city. on the testing front, it's an about-face for the white house. with press secretary jen psaki dismissive of sending tests to people's homes just two weeks ago. >> should we just send one to every american? >> maybe. >> then what happens if you -- if every american has one test? how much does that cost and what happens after that? >> today when we asked psaki about that moment, she said this. >> should i have included that additional context again in that answer? yes, going back, i wish i would have done that. >> the at-home testing initiative won't roll out until january, leaving the president to defend the timing today. >> the alarm bell went off. i don't think anybody anticipated this was going to be as rapidly spreading as it did. >> reporter: the white house also revealing a staffer who spent 30 minutes with the president on air force one tested positive for coronavirus. the president tested negative on monday and will test again on wednesday. >> i spent several hours with him this morning. and he is feeling great. >> reporter: the president also striking a defensive note on the gaps in testing. that's been one of the central challenges for this administration. certainly coming into sharp view now. jim, he also turned to an unlikely person to make the case for vaccinations and boosters. his predecessor, former president donald trump who acknowledged he received his booster. president biden said that's one of the few things that we agree on. >> acknowledged and then booed by some of his supporters. jeff zeleny, thank you. let's speak to professor william hazeltine. he thoaught at harvard medical school and is known for researching treatments of deadly viruses. good to have you on this morning. you heard the president's plan today. notably no shutdowns, saying kids should stay in schools but we're going to have at-home testing, more vaccination sites, as well as military help at overburdened hospitals. is that the right combination of help now to respond? >> certainly encouraging that there is taking this omicron seriously. but i have to say from the very beginning we've underestimated this virus and believe we're underestimating it again. one thing we do need is a lot of testing. i know from personal experience as many people who are listening do that the tests just aren't available now. back in september 2020, i wrote be editorials as well as my colleague about how important it was to have tests in everybody's hands. as frequently for everybody, perhaps two or three times a week. that's billions of tests. it sound like that could be too expensive, but you can make these tests, or the cost should be 50 cents, not $20. so that is the real cost and that's what we should be going for. but there's a lot of other things that we have to be careful of. and that is not underestimating this disease. >> i want to get to that but on the issue of testing, admiral brett giroir also said 500 million is not enough, but is the issue supply or might it be uptick because we have broad divisions in this country, sadly, the response often reflects the political divisions but you have parts of the country that won't get tested. the supply much better in places where people seem to have ignored covid or try to ignore it as opposed to here in d.c. or new york where people are getting tested. is uptick rather than supply the issue? >> i don't think that's the entire issue. i think people are much more willing to test than to do some other things like being vaccinated or to stay at home. i think one of the things we've seen in great britain, for example, is the government has, for many months now, made free tests available. and one of their responses is to ramp that up very significantly. but i want to get back to something else. the president said that if you are vaccinated, you are very likely to be safe. we don't know that yet. particularly, we don't know that for those who are vulnerable. people who are over a certain age, people who have immunosuppressed conditions. we don't know if the vaccines are going to protect them. we already know that this virus blows through in terms of infection most vaccines. whether it will blow through protection that is offered against serious disease and death is something we don't know yet, particularly for the vulnerable. >> we have heard, we've heard from officials at moderna, at pfizer, we've heard from early studies in a place like south africa, for instance, and we've heard from senior u.s. health officials, even dr. fauci that if you're boosted you have a lot of protection. are you saying that those pronouncements are wrong? >> i'm saying that they are premature. especially for people who are vulnerable. we really don't have those answers yet. and we need them. so my advice is in addition to -- think of a very basic thing. say you go visit your relatives. if everybody is vaccinated, one answer is yes. my answer, yes, if you're vaccinated and test negative within 24 hours of that visit. get tested, in addition to being vaccinated. that is belt and suspenders but it's a lot safer given the uncertainties that are facing us with this virus. >> okay, given those uncertainties then, do you believe the biden administration's responses and this plan as the president announced and outlined is insufficient, is not urgent enough? for instance, are you saying that folks need to be more willing, for instance, to lock down, whether it be restaurants or schools or certain kinds of travel, right? we have loads of folks about to travel home for the holidays. >> look, i remember when we were told that the vaccine would protect you against infection. and it did. for a while. then it didn't, both because it wanes in effectiveness against infection and because the strains change. we're now told it will protect you against disease. we don't really know that. so, therefore, i would say we have to be more careful than the public officials are letting us in on. i think it's time to make sure if you really want to be safe you get vaccinated and you get tested before you meet with other people. >> okay. and that's important advice to hear because loads of people are already jumping on planes, hopping in their cars -- >> that's true. >> -- for the holiday. omicron, it's already the dominant variant and already very quickly in this country. what should the biden administration do to get ready, and i hate to say, look that far ahead because we're still in it on this one, to the next one. are you saying there's steps you have to be making now to prepare for the inevitability of another strain? >> i think it's a virtual certainty there will be other strains. and i can tell you one thing that i worry about, when i look at this, this virus has behaved reasonably stable with respect to disease. it doesn't cause a lot more disease. it gets a lot more transmissible, but i remember that the sister of this virus kills 1 out of 10 people. that's sars. and mers, kills 1 out of 30 people. there's nothing that will prevent this from getting worse. conventional wisdom is it should be getting better but we dont know that and haven't seen that. so i think we need to ramp up our research very dramatically beyond vaccines, beyond monoclonal antibodies, the antiviral drugs. broad spectrum. we've done it for hiv. we need to do it now and do it fast. >> william hazeltine, thanks so much, as always. >> you're welcome. thank you. so, what does this omicron surge look like on the health front lines? we'll speak to one hospital's chief nurse about what she is seeing, next. plus, afghanistan on, quote, the precipice of manmade catastrophe with young children now dying of starvation. a look at what is being done and not being done. that's coming up. thing. (burke) you get a whole lot of something with farmers policy perks. [echoing] get a quote today. ♪ we are farmers. bum-pa-dum, bum-bum-bum-bum ♪ liz, you nerd, cough if you're in here! shh! i took mucinex dm for my phlegmy cough. what about rob's dry cough? works on that too, and lasts 12 hours. 12 hours?! who studies that long? mucinex dm relieves wet and dry coughs. we're carvana, the company who invented car vending machines and buying a car 100% online. now we've created a brand-new way for you to sell your car. whether it's a year old or a few years old. we wanna buy your car. so go to carvana and enter your license plate answer a few questions. and our techno wizardry calculates your car's value and gives you a real offer in seconds. when you're ready, we'll come to you, pay you on the spot and pick up your car, that's it. so ditch the old way of selling your car, and say hello to the new way at carvana. ♪ fresh flavors... classic dishes... ♪ and a new seat at the table. ♪ this is your home. this is your family room slash gym. the guest bedroom slash music studio. the daybed slash dog bed. the living room slash yoga shanti slash regional office slash classroom. and this is the basement slash panic room. maybe what your family needs is a vacation home slash vacation home. find yours on the vrbo app. ♪ every business is on a journey. and along the ride, you'll find many challenges. ♪ your dell technologies advisor can help you find the right tech solutions. so you can stop at nothing for your customers. in our health lead, the u.s. is now recorded the first death due to the omicron variant. the victim, a man from texas in his 50s, we should note, was unvaccinated, though also previously infected with covid. cnn's athena jones reports, the omicron variant now accounts for nearly three-quarters of all new u.s. infections. >> we've really not seen anything like this before it. >> reporter: omicron accounts for 73% of new covid-19 infections. a stunning leap in prevalence less than three weeks after it was first detected in the u.s. according to cdc estimates. >> for the next three to eight weeks, i think we are going to be in a very, very difficult place. >> hospitalizations are up 35% over a month ago. the u.s. now averages nearly 140,000 new covid cases a day and more than 1200 people are dying each day on average. and even as early indications suggest omicron may cause milder illness than the delta variant, the sheer number of covid cases could overwhelm already stretched hospitals. >> what really is challenging is on top of that, we can expect 10% to 30% of health care workers to get infected during that time. >> reporter: doctors stressiing people who have not been vaccinated are most at risk. for the vaccinated, getting boosted reduces our risk further. while just over 61% of the country is fully vaccinated, less than 20% has gotten a booster shot. even as a new england journal of inside study says people vaccinated more than six months ago were more than three times more likely to have a breakthrough case than those inoculated more recently. in new york, more than 70% are fully vaccinated, only about 40% of those eligible have received a booster. there is one potentially positive sign. >> we have, right now, about 460 patients in our hospitals. that's less than 10% of our overall capacity. >> reporter: while the empire state is setting new records for covid infections, it's not yet seeing a corresponding increase in hospitalizations. >> this time last year during the second wave, we had almost a thousand cases this time last year. and compared to where we were back in the first wave, we had 3,500 patients in our hospitals. >> reporter: and here in new york city, a big focus on boosters. mayor bill de blasio announcing a $100 innocentive for any city resident who gets a covid-19 booster at a city-run vaccination site. this booster bonus incentive program starts today and goes through the end of the month. jim? >> not a bad deal. 100 bucks for a booster. thanks so much, athena jones. let's look at how hospitals are handling this and what they are seeing there. we're joined by the executive vice president and chief nursing officer at holy name medical center in teaneck, new jersey. good to have you on. it's so important for folks to see and hear from people like you because there's a sort of out of sight, out of mind phenomenon with this. kind gf on with your normal life, but you're seeing it. you're seeing this every day. one of the hardest hit hospitals during the height of last year's covid. what is it like today? >> well, it's very different from it was a year ago when we had our second wave. we had between 70 and 90 patients after the holidays admitted to the hospital with several on ventilators. this year we're seeing a different trend. we're seeing a high community positivity rate, but we're not seeing as many inpatients. today, for example, we started with 31 patients. we're down to 29. one is on a ventilator. and so we're seeing a much different type of illness. we're seeing a less severity so that it's more in the community what we're seeing. >> that's interesting to hear. michael osterholm from the university of minnesota, he has raised an interesting danger going forward and that is that as many as 30% of health care workers could become infected themselves. i wonder, if -- because omicron as we know is more transmissible than previous strains of this, as it works its way through health care workers, does your hospital have a plan? >> yes, and this is similar. we were hit with employees who became sick with covid during the first and second wave so we're prepared for that. we do have a staffing crisis plan in place that we review periodically and we're ready for that. and it's important for employees to know if they're positive or not because it's more mild. we want them to have frequent testing so that we can put them out of work and keep everyone else here safe. but we are prepared for staff to get sick. >> and i do know it's early, by the way, and there's a lot more work that needs to be done to get a handle on the severity of the illness that this new strain causes. but you're saying where you are, what you are seeing, is evidence of milder disease. >> yes, that's correct. compared to a year ago, definitely milder, especially for those who are vaccinated. those who are boosted, even more mild and then, of course, we have the unvaccinated who are the patients that get admitted, they're sicker and that's the group that typically ends up in the icu if they're going to end up in the icu at all. >> that's something i heard consistently from states all across the country. so with that in mind, we had dr. anthony fauci on cnn this morning raising the possibility of reducing the ten-day quarantine, specifically for health care workers. if they are asymptomatic. perhaps down to five days. do you think a step like that would be smart and would help? >> i think it would help a great deal. you know, employees are asked to wear n95s and other protective equipment. so when somebody is asymptomatic and they've quarantined for five days and come back to work and follow those guidelines strictly, i think it is encouraging to know that they can come back and help with the work that needs to be done here. we still have a covid unit. we have monoclonal infusions and we have a test strategy. so you're dealing with potentially sick or already sick patients and if these employees can help in those areas, then that decreases or mitigates the risk to the un -- to the people who don't have covid working with these patients. >> so you have a testing center. often times that's where folks get tested. the president announced a plan today to offer half a billion tests to people, anybody you, me, others, people watching can order these tests at home. do you think that helps for people to have the opportunity to test themselves at home? >> yes, i think that the president's idea to have more testing available is wonderful, and we appreciate it because with a milder disease, people don't always know that they're sick. they may have been exposed. they may think it's a runny nose. they may just be going to an event where there's other people and having that reassurance with a negative test or if it's positive, knowing that you need to cancel your plans and stay home is very important and should help us once again bring the curve down. >> michelle, i'm a new yorker, i recognize that new jersey accent. thanks for joining us this afternoon. >> thank you. have a great day. a violent remark by a fox news host about how to ambush dr. anthony fauci. now fauci is responding. ♪ superpowers from a spider bite? i could use some help showing the world how liberty mutual customizes their car insurance so they only pay for what they need. (gasps) ♪ did it work? only pay for what you need ♪ liberty. liberty. liberty. liberty. ♪ spider-man no way home in theaters december 17th topping our politics lead, dr. anthony fauci is calling on fox news to fire one of its hosts, jesse waters, after waters used violent rhetoric at a conservative conference to encourage people to ambush fauci in public and record it for conservative media to play on air. here is what waters said. >> got to ambush a guy like fauci. get it on tape with your iphone or buddy's iphone. now you're going for the kill shot. the kill shot with an ambush, deadly. because he doesn't see it coming. this is when you say, dr. fauci, you funded risky research at a sloppy chinese lab. the same lab that sprung this pandemic on the world. you know why people don't trust you, don't you? boom! he is dead. he is dead. >> dr. fauci responded this morning on cnn. have a listen. >> the only thing that i have ever done throughout these two years is to encourage people to practice good public health practices. that's awful that he said that. and he's going to go very likely unaccountable. i mean, whatever network he's on is not going to do anything for him. that's crazy. the guy should be fired on the spot. >> a spokesperson for fox news has told cnn, quote, it's more than clear that jesse watters was using a metaphor for asking hard-hitting questions to dr. fauci, adding his words have been twisted completely out of context. let's discuss. former congresswoman mia love and former congressman joe kennedy. mia, if i could begin with you. that's fox's explanation there and you see the broader context. he was talking about people going up and trying to catch him on camera but using violent rhetoric, right? do you think that that's explainable, excusable? >> well, i think that words matter, and i think that we as adults, especially as a parent seeing how our children are treating each other in schools and the suicide rates in schools, i think we have to at least exercise a little bit more caution when we're speaking to people. there was no reason why we needed to use language like that. i mean, as adults, we have forgotten that we're all americans here and even though you disagree with somebody, it doesn't mean that you have to use language that i think is -- would instill anger in people. we can have a mutual respect with one another. we can talk about our differences. but i think that we as adults really need to be careful with the language that we use. you can make a point without being -- without being a jerk about it. >> joe kennedy, does this worry you? the issue, of course, is most people probably just look at that as a metaphor or a cruel joke, but you do have the potential that extremists listen and might act. >> he should be fired on the spot. no doubt about that. i don't care if they'll try to explain it as a joke or a metaphor or in the context of asking hard-hitting questions. jesse watters should know better than that. fox news should know better than that. we're at a time when anybody in the public sphere, unfortunately, is dealing with threats to their well-being and the well-being of their loved ones. or being an elected official. threats against members of congress have gone up over 100% this past year alone. we're coming up on the anniversary of the insurrection on the capitol where five police officers ended up losing their lives because of the actions that took place. there's no excuse for this. there should be accountability for it and the dehumanization that comes with it, the idea that somehow if somebody were to believe that mr. watters was in fact, telling the truth or intending what those words actually insinuated, that somehow he -- they would be glorified for it is disgusting. absolutely no place for it. >> we should note that dr. fauci has taken genuine threats before, which he has spoken about, both to himself, his wife and his daughters. another topic and congresswoman mia love, you might put this in the category of friendly fire here. former president trump was booed this weekend by a maga crowd after he revealed that he had taken the step that doctors recommend, particularly for a man of his age. he got his covid booster. maggie haberman asked him about it. got this handwritten note back. quote, must tell the truth and very proud to have produced the three vaccines so quickly. millions of lives saved. that's the contrast there. you might wonder why the president and his supporters have not been claiming credit, right, for helping accelerate the development of vaccines. and, therefore, encouraging people to get this rather than making this an issue of freedom. >> well, this is such a disconnect. this is a prime example of a disconnect. so this is a person, the former president, taking responsibility for the covid vaccination and when he mentions, by the way, well over 70, mentions that he took the vaccine -- took the vaccine, which he should, gets booed by his own crowd. i found that incredibly interesting. i think that there's a disconnect there. we have got to find a way to get people, everybody as comfortable as possible taking the vaccine. giving people information. but i found that really interesting that this is a man who was taking credit for the vaccine. tells people he's gotten credit and his own crowd boos him. >> congressman kennedy, another topic. president biden in speaking today about new measures to respond to the omicron variant was also asked, understandably, about the death for now of bbb, build back better, and asked specifically about senator joe manchin. did he go back on a commitment to you and biden answered interestingly. he said i think we can still get something done. do you believe him? >> i do. i do believe they can still get something done, and, listen, this is never over. there's always another round and big piecess legislation like ths will die a thousand deaths. i wish they were able to get this across the finish line. i wish it was bigger than the current context of what they were discussing. that being said, i think the fact that president biden and senator manchin have spoken directly to each other is an essential first step at resuscitating this effort. and, look, cutting to the chase, this is too important, not just for the democratic party but to our country, our planet, not to get done. and so hopefully they'll be able to pick back up the pieces. i expect that after a little bit of cooling off over the holidays that that's exactly what they'll do. >> there's a new parlor game in washington as to whether joe manchin might switch parties here. and by the way, mitch mcconnell, john cornyn, members of the republican senate leadership have said, boy, they would sure welcome him. we should note for context here, joe biden has voted with a whole host of the president's priorities, including dozens of judges over the course of the last several months. mia love, i just wonder, do you consider that a realistic possibility that joe manchin switches parties here? >> i don't know if he'll switch parties but i have to say that joe manchin is actually doing the president a favor. he is sitting there saying there are people that are in the middle that we're missing here and we have to make sure that we do a bill that all of us can get across the board. and i do agree with joe kennedy. these bills die a thousand deaths before they actually get passed. so i think joe manchin can say exactly where he is and i think that he's actually making a lot of people in his state very happy with him. >> well, to that point, joe kennedy, he's getting pushback from inside his state. a surprising constituency you might say. union representing coal miners. says they want him to reconsider his opposition to build back better. joe biden -- sorry, joe manchin marchs to his own tune. do you think that could make a difference? >> look, i think any constituency from within west virginia that is going to raise their voice about this is going to matter to senator manchin. it matters, congresswoman love and ii think would say the same thing. when your constituents are chiming in on an issue, it matters. it matters an awful lot more than intsome interest group acr the country that you don't represent and doesn't have any leverage over how you'll vote. your home state, your home community, your constituency is a very different thing. and a community like the coal miners in west virginia that have such a deep legacy in that state. and affiliation with senator manchin that he, i think, is quite proud of putting forward the fact that he'll always try to speak for the people of west virginia. when you hear it loud and clearly, constituencies like the coal miners saying, hey, if you'll do that, we want you to change your vote. >> mia? >> remember, this is virginia. remember what happened with youngkin and the fact he was able to win. and the way that he was able to do that was because he was listening to his constituents. he was listening and laser focused on what was going on in virginia. so i think this is a lesson that virginia is not happy with the bill as it is currently. so joe manchin is actually doing, i think, the president a favor and himself a favor by saying i'm not going to just go along to get along. >> we'll see if they can find some middle ground here. joe kennedy, mia love, thanks so much, and merry christmas to both of you. >> merry christmas. >> thanks so much. coming up, a new warning involving your cell phone and your next flight. it's the most joyous time of year. especially at t-mobile! let's go to dianne. i got the awesome new iphone 13 pro and airpods, and t-mobile is paying for them both! and this is for new and existing customers. upgrade to the iphone 13 pro and airpods both on us. only at t-mobile. there's so much new in the new chicken & bacon ranch, but the clock is ticking, so we gotta hurry! there's new rotisserie-style chicken, new peppercorn ranch, new hickory-smoked bacon, new- did you just spike the footlong? sorry, i didn't want the delay of game. save big. order through the app. -fixed. -that's my son. he always takes care of his mama. ooh, what's up with granny's casserole? (mom) it's for after your uncle joe's funeral. i hear there's a collection to help aunt adele. (mom) yeah. a funeral costs north of $9,000 these days. that's a hefty bill for family to pay if there's no life insurance check to help. wow. makes you think, doesn't it? (mom) which reminds me, i've been meaning to tell you, i got that 995 plan from colonial penn. -the life insurance on tv! -just $9.95 a month to help you pay my funeral expenses. what about your family, son? maybe i should get the 995 plan too. thing is, this has been a rough year for my business, ma. money's tight. still, for $9.95 a month... i don't have a good excuse, do i? i'm jonathan for colonial penn life insurance company. if you're age 50 to 85, just $9.95 a month buys whole life insurance with guaranteed acceptance. you cannot be turned down for any health reason. there are no health questions. guaranteed lifetime coverage. your insurance can never be cancelled. just pay your premiums. guaranteed lifetime rate lock. your rate can never increase. it's locked in as soon as you're covered and stays the same for the rest of your life. call now for free information. (soft music) ♪ to be a thriver with metastatic breast cancer means asking for what we want. and need. and we need more time. so, we want kisqali. women are living longer than ever before with kisqali when taken with an aromatase inhibitor or fulvestrant in postmenopausal women with hr+, her2- metastatic breast cancer. kisqali is a pill that's significantly more effective at delaying disease progression versus an aromatase inhibitor or fulvestrant alone. kisqali can cause lung problems, or an abnormal heartbeat, which can lead to death. it can cause serious skin reactions, liver problems, and low white blood cell counts that may result in severe infections. tell your doctor right away if you have new or worsening symptoms, including breathing problems, cough, chest pain, a change in your heartbeat, dizziness, yellowing of the skin or eyes, dark urine, tiredness, loss of appetite, abdomen pain, bleeding, bruising, fever, chills or other symptoms of an infection, a severe or worsening rash, are or plan to become pregnant, or breastfeeding. avoid grapefruit during treatment. ask your doctor about living longer with kisqali. at fidelity, your dedicated advisor will work with you on a comprehensive wealth plan across your full financial picture. a plan with tax-smart investing strategies designed to help you keep more of what you earn. this is the planning effect. in our tech lead, first coronavirus, then unruly passengers, now this? major airplane manufacturers are asking president biden to ground the rollout of 5g cell service, which is scheduled to launch next week, with much faster service. but ceos are warning that 5g's signals could interfere with vital safety systems. as cnn's aviation correspondent pete muntean reports, this could give airplane mode a whole new meaning. >> reporter: it is the newest issue that could impact your safety in the sky. airlines are warning that radio waves from soon to be turned on high-speed phone service could interfere with key instruments that pilots use to land. in this simulator of a regional airliner, i saw how automatic warnings could stop and flight displays give confusing mismatched readings. >> you would just go around and that would -- >> and figure it out. >> cause a big bottleneck. >> reporter: the ceos of boeing and airbus america are telling the biden administration that interference from 5g cell transmitters near airports could adversely affect the ability of aircraft to safely operate. on capitol hill last week, airline executives called it their number one issue. >> how concerned should passengers be? how scared should they be about this? >> well, the passengers will be safe, but it will be really damaging to customers. hundreds of thousands of customers a day impacted by this. >> reporter: providers such as at&t and verizon plan to turn on 5g in just weeks, on january 5th, with the promise of speeding up cell data in 46 markets. but major airlines say the signals could slow down hundreds of thousands of flights. a new analysis from industry group airlines for america says 345,000 flights could be delayed or diverted each year affecting 32 million passengers. 5g interference impacts radar altimeters, critical instruments that pilots use to tell their actual height above ground and make landings in low visibility. eduardo rojas leads the radio spectrum lab in florida. >> it's one of the most critical systems in the aircraft and helicopterns. especially because it helps to land. so it is a concern. it's a big concern. >> reporter: airline executives say it's now on the federal government to ban 5g transmitters from nearby airports or delay its rollout so your next flight isn't. >> this is not an issue created by airlines or airline customers, and it cannot be solved on the backs of airlines and airline customers. >> reporter: the faa is directing flight crews to report problems associated with 5g signals. jim, as a pilot, i can tell you this confusion in the cockpit comes during a critical time. airline executives point out that other countries have figured this out and now it's time for the u.s. to do the same. jim? >> pete muntean, thanks so much. next, an unprecedented level of hunger among vulnerable children. one doctor tells us the desperation is the worst he has ever seen in afghanistan. becau. (woman) wow, that's something. (burke) you get a whole lot of something with farmers policy perks. [echoing] get a quote today. ♪ we are farmers. bum-pa-dum, bum-bum-bum-bum ♪ ♪“i got you babe” by etta james♪ ♪ get groceries, gifts, & more fast and easy. so last minute guests are the only thing you'll be waiting on. ♪ joy. fully. ♪ this is your home. this is your family room slash gym. the guest bedroom slash music studio. the daybed slash dog bed. the living room slash yoga shanti slash regional office slash classroom. and this is the basement slash panic room. maybe what your family needs is a vacation home slash vacation home. find yours on the vrbo app. ♪ ("jingle bells") ♪ (doors knocking and bells ringing to the music) ♪ - [announcer] this holiday season, give the gift of grubhub. every business is on a journey. and along the ride, you'll find many challenges. ♪ your dell technologies advisor can help you find the right tech solutions. so you can stop at nothing for your customers. it's the season of smiling. and at aspen dental, we make it easy to gift yourself the smile you deserve. new patients, start today with a full exam and x-rays, with no obligation. if you don't have insurance, it's free. plus everyone saves 20% on their treatment plan with flexible payment solutions for every budget. we're here making smiles shine bright so you can start the new year feelin' alright. call 1-800-aspendental or book today at aspendental.com the united nations says afghanistan is now on the brink of, quote, a humanitarian catastrophe. and 1 million afghan children are at risk of dying from hunger. while the country grapples with the aftermath of the chaotic u.s. exit, an historic drought and economic collapse. as cnn's anna coren reports, afghanistan is also bracing for a brutal winter ahead. we want to warn viewers some of the images in this story may be difficult to watch. >> reporter: a little girl sobs, gently rubbing her ears. in a fable attempt to ease the pain tormenting her body. she doesn't have the energy to cry the way other sick children do. camilla is exhausted. as she lies in a hospital bed in kandahar, southern afghanistan, slowly starving to death. the 2 1/2-year-old weighs just over 5 kilograms, 11 pounds. about one-third of what a normal toddler her age should. her mother is sick and we are poor people explains her gr grandmother. she tried to breast feed but had no milk to give. camilla now one of at least a million afghan children under the age of 5 at risk of dying from starvation. for months the u.n. has been sounding the alarm, warning that afghanistan was on the brink of a humanitarian catastrophe. the taliban takeover on the 15th of august saw international funds immediately dry up. triggering an economic collapse in an already impoverished country where foreign aid represented 43% of the country's gdp and 75% of government spending, according to the world bank. but as the u.s. withholds billions of dollars in afghan reserves and sanctions are imposed on the taliban government, the west's attempts to force fundamental change within the group are hurting the afghan people. and with the country in the grips of winter facing one of the worst droughts in decades, the most vulnerable are paying the price. in this hospital in northwestern afghanistan, up to 100 mothers and children turn up each day with varying cases of malnutrition. this doctor has been working here for the past six years and has never seen this level of desperation. >> translator: almost 70% of the cases are severe and imagine how bad the districts are. if nobody pays attention, it's going to get much worse. we are in a disaster. >> reporter: one of his patients receiving treatment is razia. this is her third visit to hospital in eight months. her little frame, a clear sign this child is just a few months away from turning 3 is not getting better. >> translator: there is no work, no income, no food to bring her. sometimes we have nothing to eat. every time i see her, i get upset. >> reporter: the humanitarian community is collectively issuing an sos. unhcr says the country is witnessing truly unprecedented levels of hunger now inflicting more than half its population of 38 million people. international rescue committee describes a global system failure fueling the crisis. naming afghanistan the most at-risk country of a deteriorating humanitarian crisis in the year ahead. the international committee of the red cross says the country is on the precipice of manmade catastrophe. the world food program has been distributing aid around the country. and says the middle class teachers and civil servants are now joining the poor in the queues. >> please, please think of just the ordinary people of afghanistan. the children of afghanistan who are facing a winter of abject hunger and destitution through no fault of their own. through just a lottery of birth. >> reporter: dr. paul spiegel from johns hopkins university has just returned from afghanistan consulting for the world food program and is alarmed by what he saw. he says afghanistan's health system that once relied on 80% of its funding from international donors is now barely functioning. and blames the west's sanctions which are gravely impacting government-run hospitals imploring for the system to be changed. >> the western governments, u.s., uk, the eu have to make some decisions quickly or it's going to be too late and, therefore, there's going to be a tremendous amount of, i would say, unnecessary deaths. >> reporter: the little camilla, her trip to hospital has saved her life for now. after 15 days, she's being discharged with some medicine that may last a few weeks. she's not very well, but at least she's alive says her grandmother. it's better from the first day we brought her here. but having put on just a few hundred grams, her fate is as precarious as that of her country, edging closer to the abys abyss. anna coren, cnn. >> one trial after another for afghanistan. anna coren, thanks for the great reporting. i'm jim sciutto in for jake tapper. our coverage continues coming up next with wolf blitzer who is in "the situation room." do you remember who this is? where the more you discover... wow! ...the more you come together. i can see... the nose... this holiday, give the gift of family. give the gift of ancestry®. as a professional bull-rider i'm used to taking chances. but when it comes to my insurance i don't. i use liberty mutual, they customize your car insurance, so you only pay for what you need. wooo, yeaa, woooooo and, by switching you could even save 665 dollars. hey tex, can someone else get a turn? yeah, hang on, i'm about to break my own record. yeah. only pay for what you need. ♪ liberty, liberty, liberty, liberty. ♪ ♪ you've got to try a little kindness ♪ ♪ yes, show a little kindness ♪ ♪ just shine your light for everyone to see ♪ ♪ and if you try a little kindness ♪ breaking news. president biden just announced new steps to combat the surge in covid cases now dominated here in the united states by the omicron variant. he's warning unvaccinated americans they have good reason to be worried. also tonight, the president insists he and joe manchin can still get something done despite the saenator's rejection of the spending bill. they are about to hold a critical meeting tonight on how to move forward. and the january 6th select

Related Keywords

Joe Biden , Bidens , Birthday Gift , Brother , German Shepherd , Commander , Pure Bred , South Lawn Yesterday , Beloved German Shepherd Champ , Family , Staff , Number , Shepherd , Delaware , Incidents , Cat , White House , German , Four , 13 , Lead , Jim Sciutto , Jake Tapper , Two , Testing , Plan , Hospitals , Covid , Military , Supplies , Door , Omicron , President , Audience , Supporters , Plus , Friendly Fire , Roll , Reaction , Airplanemakers Raising A Major , Red Flag , Former , Flight , Health Lead , Breaking News , Cell Phone Technology , Warning , U S , Reason , Variant , Battle Plan Against Covid , Risk , Sick , Tos , Friends And Family , A Billion , 500 Million , Members , Testing Locations , Request , Anybody You , 1000 , 20000 , Help , Covid Infections , Skyrocketing Number , Second , Trends , Appointments , First , Vaccine Pop Up Clinics , One , 16 , 10000 , Cnn , Cases , Unvaccinated , Jeff Zeleny , Message , 35 , People , Reporter , Administration , Omicron Is Serious , Surge , Vaccinated , Line , Plea , Drawing , Majority , Homes , Military Service , Calls , Deficit , Tests , Jen Psaki , New York City , Sites , Testing Front , Cost , Test , Context , Answer , Back , Yes , Alarm Bell , Timing , At Home Testing Initiative Won T Roll Out , Staffer , Negative , Air Force One , 30 , Challenges , Note , Gaps , Things , Donald Trump , Booster , Vaccinations , Boosters , Case , View , Predecessor , William Hazeltine , Some , Harvard Medical School , He Thoaught , Schools , Viruses , Military Help , Treatments , Vaccination Sites , Plan Today , Kids , Shutdowns , Combination , Lot , Thing , Virus , Need , Experience , Aren T , Times , Everybody , Colleague , Hands , Editorials , Three , September 2020 , 2020 , Billions , It Sound , 20 , 0 , 50 , Issue , Disease , Supply , Brett Giroir , Country , Uptick , Response , Places , Parts , Divisions , D C , Home , Example , Government , Responses , Great Britain , Safe , Something Else , Infection , Vaccines , Age , Terms , Conditions , Something , Death , Place , Vulnerable , Protection , Officials , Studies , Moderna , South Africa , At Pfizer , Anthony Fauci , Instance , Dr , Health Officials , Senior , Pronouncements , Advice , Addition , Answers , Visit , Relatives , 24 , Belt , Uncertainties , Safer , Suspenders , Folks , To Lock Down , Enough , Restaurants , Vaccine , Holidays , Kinds , Travel , Strains , Both , Didn T , Effectiveness , On , Holiday , Planes , Loads , Cars , Strain , Inevitability , Certainty , Respect , It Doesn T , Transmissible , Sister , 1 , 10 , Nothing , Wisdom , Haven T , Sars , Mers , Research , Drugs , Monoclonal Antibodies , Hiv , Broad Spectrum , Hospital , Nurse , Health , Front Lines , Omicron Surge , Catastrophe , Quote , Children , Starvation , Precipice , Manmade , Afghanistan On , Look , Bum , Cough , Farmers , Bum Liz , Quote Today , Pa Dum , Farmers Policy Perks , Rob , Phlegmy Cough , Mucinex , Nerd , Car , Car Vending Machines , Works , Coughs , Company , Carvana , Mucinex Dm , 100 , 12 , Way , Questions , Techno Wizardry , License Plate , Offer , Value , The Way , Spot , Flavors , Dishes , Table , Seat , Family Room Slash Gym , Bedroom Slash Music Studio , Panic Room , Basement Slash , Daybed , Yoga Shanti Slash , The Living Room , Slash Classroom , App , Vacation , Family Needs , Vrbo , Business , Journey , Ride , Advisor , Customers , Tech Solutions , Technologies , Dell , Victim , Texas , Infections , Anything , Athena Jones Reports , Quarters , Leap , Estimates , Prevalence , Cdc , 73 , 19 , Eight , Hospitalizations , Indications , 140000 , 1200 , Health Care Workers , Illness , Delta Variant , Doctors , 61 , Breakthrough , Journal , Booster Shot , Inside Study , New England , 70 , Six , Sign , 460 , 40 , Wave , Records , Capacity , Increase , Empire State , A Thousand , Patients , Big Focus On Boosters , 3500 , Bill De Blasio , Booster Bonus Incentive Program , City Resident , Innocentive , City Run Vaccination Site , 00 , Thanks , Executive Vice President , Chief Nursing Officer , Holy Name Medical Center , Athena Jones , 100 Bucks , Mind , Life , Kind , New Jersey , Sort , Phenomenon , Out Of Sight , Teaneck , Hit Hospitals , Height , 90 , Community Positivity Rate , Ventilators , Trend , Inpatients , Community , Severity , Ventilator , Type , 31 , 29 , Danger , Michael Osterholm , University Of Minnesota , Employees , Staffing Crisis Plan , Hit , Work , Everyone , Handle , Causes , Evidence , Group , Course , Icu , Wall , Possibility , States , Quarantine , Ten , Step , Deal , Five , Somebody , Equipment , Guidelines , Test Strategy , Areas , Decreases , Infusions , Covid Unit , U N , Testing Center , Don T Have Covid , Idea , Opportunity , Others , Nose , Reassurance , Plans , Positive , Event , Fox News , Accent , Remark , Curve , New Yorker , Michelle , Liberty Mutual , Car Insurance , World , Spider Bite , Superpowers , Now Fauci , Pay , Gasps , Theaters , Spider Man , 17 , December 17th , Rhetoric , Politics Lead , Hosts , Waters , Conference , Jesse Waters , It , Iphone , Media , Air , Tape , Guy Like Fauci , Kill Shot , Kill , Buddy , Ambush , Lab , Pandemic , Don T You , People Don T Trust You , Chinese , Listen , Boom , Guy , Public Health Practices , Metaphor , Words , Jesse Watters , Spokesperson , Congressman Kennedy , Mia Love , Congresswoman , Fox , Explanation , Adults , Camera , Parent , Excusable , Explainable , Language , Other , Rates , Suicide , Another , Anger , Point , Being , Differences , Jerk , Care , Joke , Doubt , Potential , Extremists , Anybody , Public Sphere , Police Officers , Threats , Well Being , Anniversary , Insurrection , Official , Capitol , Congress , Loved Ones , Dehumanization , Lives , Excuse , Actions , Accountability , Mr , Fact , Truth , Trump , Crowd , Topic , Wife , Daughters , Category , Maga , Covid Booster , Maggie Haberman , Credit , Contrast , Helping , Millions , Development , Disconnect , Vaccination , Responsibility , Freedom , Mentions , There , Information , Understandably , Boos , Measures , Senator Manchin , Commitment , Bbb , Build , Legislation , Round , Ths , Big Piecess , Deaths , Senator , Finish Line , Planet , Effort , Chase , Democratic Party , Parties , Bit , Mitch Mcconnell , Pieces , Parlor Game , Washington , John Cornyn , Leadership , Host , Boy , Judges , Priorities , Dozens , Senate , Republican , Favor , Bill , Bills , Middle , Board , State , Constituency , Pushback , Union , Coal Miners , Opposition , Tune , Difference , West Virginia , Voice , Constituents , Think , Chiming , Love , Home Community , Home State , Leverage , Intsome Interest Group , Affiliation , Legacy , Constituencies , Youngkin , Mia , Vote , Lesson , Listening , President A Favor , Laser , Ground , Cell Phone , Merry Christmas , Coming Up , T Mobile , Airpods , Let S Go , Iphone 13 Pro , Dianne , Rotisserie , Son , Ticking , Clock , Bacon , Game , Delay , Footlong , Order , Save Big , Bacon Ranch , Peppercorn Ranch , Mom , Collection , Granny , Funeral , Mama , Casserole , Uncle Joe S Funeral , Ooh , Aunt Adele , 9000 , 000 , Life Insurance , Tv , Colonial Penn , 95 , 995 , 9 95 , Money , Funeral Expenses , Ma , Acceptance , 85 , Insurance , Same , Health Reason , Rate , Lifetime Rate Lock , Rest , Health Questions , Premiums , Lifetime Coverage , Soft Music , Fulvestrant , Women , Aromatase Inhibitor , Kisqali , Hr , Breast Cancer , Thriver , Heartbeat , Pill , Liver Problems , Lung Problems , Skin Reactions , Doctor , Symptoms , Breathing Problems , Chest Pain , Change , Skin , Appetite , Eyes , Urine , Yellowing , Dizziness , Tiredness , Loss , Blood Cell , Treatment , Spain , Chills , Breastfeeding , Fever , Rash , Bleeding , Grapefruit , Bruising , Investing Strategies , Planning Effect , Picture , Wealth , Passengers , Airplane Manufacturers , Tech Lead , Signals , 5g , Service , 5g Cell Service , Safety Systems , Ceos , Aviation Correspondent , Rollout , 5 , Airlines , Safety , Radio Waves , Pete Muntean Reports , Airplane Mode , Sky , Meaning , Pilots , Instruments , Airliner , Displays , Warnings , Phone Service , Simulator , The Ceos Of Boeing , 5g Cell Transmitters , Interference , Would , Big Bottleneck , Mismatched Readings , Airports , Aircraft , Airline Executives , Ability , On Capitol Hill , Thousands , Hundreds , Providers , Promise , At T , Verizon , January 5th , Flights , Airlines For America , Markets , Cell Data , Analysis , Industry Group , 46 , 345000 , Radar Altimeters , 5g Interference , Visibility , Landings , 32 Million , Systems , Helicopterns , Radio Spectrum Lab , Eduardo Rojas , Florida , Concern , 5g Transmitters , Isn T , Airline , Problems , 5g Signals , Dbacks , Pilot , Flight Crews , Faa , Level , Countries , Confusion , Pete Muntean , Cockpit , Airline Executives Point , Southern Afghanistan , Hunger , Desperation , Woman , Becau , Gifts , Guests , Waiting On , Groceries , I Got You Babe , Etta James , Joy , Music , Bells , Jingle Bells , Doors , Gift , Holiday Season , Announcer , Grubhub , Exam , Smiling , Smile , Season , Obligation , X Rays , Aspen Dental , Payment Solutions , Smiles , Budget , Book , 800 , Brink Of , 1 Million , Winter , Collapse , Reports , Aftermath , Drought , Viewers , Exit , Anna Coren , Story , Images , Ears , Little Girl Sobs , Fable Attempt , Little Camilla , Body , Energy , Hospital Bed , Kandahar , 11 , 2 1 , Mother , Gr Grandmother , Toddler , Breast Feed , Milk , Brink , Alarm , A Million , Taliban Takeover On The 15th Of August Saw International Funds , 15 , 15th Of August , Aid , Sanctions , Attempts , Reserves , Government Spending , Gdp , Withholds , Taliban Government , World Bank , 43 , 75 , Most , Droughts , Grips , Mothers , Price , Translator , Malnutrition , Districts , Attention , Disaster , Nobody , Razia , Child , Frame , 3 , Sos , Food , Income , Unhcr , System , Crisis , International Rescue Committee , Levels , Failure , Half , Population , 38 Million , International Committee Of The Red Cross , World Food Program , Servants , Class , Teachers , Queues , Poor , Paul Spiegel , Birth , Destitution , Fault , Lottery , Johns Hopkins University , West , Consulting , Health System , Funding , Donors , He Saw , 80 , Decisions , Eu , Governments , Medicine , Amount , Trip , Grandmother , Fate , Edging , Wolf Blitzer , Reporting , Coverage , Trial , Abys Abyss , More , Bull Rider , Ancestry , Situation Room , I Don T , Chances , Wooo , Woooooo , Yeaa , 665 Dollars , 665 , Someone , Turn , Liberty , Record , Hang On , Tex , Try A Little Kindness , Steps , Spending Bill , Rejection , Meeting , Saenator , January 6th , 6 ,