emotional testimony. >> announcer: live from cnn center, this is "cnn newsroom" with kim brunhuber. the omicron variant of the coronavirus is turning into the grinch that ruined christmas for thousands of travelers around the globe. according to the tracking site flightaware, united airlines has now canceled more than 160 christmas eve flights. a company memo obtained by cnn says the surge in cases has had a direct impact. the airline says it's working hard to get passengers to their destinations, and alaska airlines called off 17 flights thursday, warning more cancellations are possible today. the tsa expects the number of air travelers over the next ten days to rival pre-pandemic figures from 2019. cnn aviation correspondent pete muntean has details from washington, d.c. >> reporter: things are getting busier by the moment at reagan national airport and at airports across the country. the tsa says it screened more people on wednesday than we saw back in 2019, before the pandemic. 2.08 million people this past wednesday compared to 1.84 million people back then. a little bit of context, though. that same wednesday back in 2019, that actually fell on christmas day when passenger loads are lower. but even still, we have seen numbers about 2 million lower or higher, give or take, each day for about a week. the tsa says thursday will turn out to be one of the busiest days of the holiday travel season. january 3rd busy as well when everybody begins to come home all at once. the tsa says a total of 20 million people will fly over that ten-day stretch. we have seen lots and lots of people get tested for coronavirus at airports. this long line at thurgood marshal airport, folks tell us they were getting tested because of international travel requirements or before holiday gatherings. airlines continue to insist that flying is safe, so safe that they're asking the cdc to shorten the isolation period for somebody who gets coronavirus who is fully vaccinated. right now it's ten days. airlines want that to go down to five days. they say it will allow them to keep more workers on the job and avoid operational issues at airlines like we saw this fall. pete muntean, cnn, reagan national airport. thousands of travelers in australia are looking at a blue christmas as their flights are being canceled. at least 80 domestic flights in and out of sydney have been called off today. jetstar blamed a shortage of frontline staff who have come in contact with someone infected with covid. cnn's selina wang is following developments live this hour in to tokyo. we just heard about the wrench that covid has thrown into so many holiday travel plans here in the u.s., now australia as well. >> reporter: yeah, kim, exactly. this is turning out to be a very stressful holiday season for travelers around the world, including in australia. we've learned that at least 80 flights, 40 inbound and 40 outbound, have been canceled from sydney on friday. a jetstar spokesperson told us these last-minute cancellations were happening because many of their frontline team members have been in close contact with people who have tested positive for covid-19. so they are having to test and isolate. the airline has apologized and said that the majority of passengers have been rescheduled onto later flights. the other airlines that also fly from sydney domestically in australia include qantas, virgin, and rex. both qantas and rex have told us their flights have not been canceled. but we're seeing many travelers complaining on social media that after going through all the hoops to make sure they could travel during this pandemic period, including standing in chaotic and long lines at testing clinics, their christmas plans are now being ruined. kim, this comes as covid-19 cases are surging across australia. queensland reporting the highest daily case count since the pandemic started, reporting nearly 600 cases. health authorities there saying they expect the numbers to increase significantly in the coming weeks and that it could put strain on the hospital system. meanwhile, new south wales, for several consecutive days, they've been reporting record-high daily covid-19 cases. but despite the surge, prime minister scott morrison has said the country is not going back to lockdowns, not going back to what he calls, quote, shutting down people's lives. he said in a recent press conference, australians have worked very hard to have this christmas together, and we want to protect that. but, kim, it is proving very difficult to do just that. >> absolutely. selina wang in tokyo, thanks so much. health care workers in the u.s. say the best present they could get this holiday is for people to get vaccinated against covid-19. doctors and nurses on the front line will be spending a second christmas treating patients. according to the health and human services department, more than -- data from johns hopkins university shows an average of more than 1,500 people are dying from covid each day. the cdc has updated its guidance for infected health care workers. they can now return to work in seven days rather than ten if they don't have symptoms and they test negative. virtually all health experts agree on the effectiveness of vaccines and boosters, but the top infectious disease expert in the u.s., dr. anthony fauci, says it's premature to be talking about a fourth dose. here he is. >> the protection is much more durable than the two-dose non-boosted group, then we may go a significant period of time without requiring a fourth dose. so i do think it's premature, at least on the part of the united states, to be talking about a fourth dose. >> u.s. regulators have authorized a second antiviral pill to treat mild to moderate covid-19. the drug made by merck is intended for people to take at home before they get sick enough to be hospitalized. the food and drug administration authorized pfizer's antiviral pill on wednesday. the omicron variant sweeping across europe is breaking more records, and experts warn things will only get worse. a record 1.4 million people in the uk are estimated to have contracted covid in the past week. in england alone, that means about 1 in every 45 people. france is reporting an all-time high of 88,000 new infections, and the health minister says positive cases are doubling every two days. other countries across the continent are imposing new restrictions to try to stop omicron's spread. italy is just the latest to bring back outdoor mask mandates. and new data from the uk shows people infected with omicron are about 40% less likely to be admitted to hospital than those with delta. but researchers warn omicron is more transmissible, meaning more people get infected and more could end up in hospital. for more on this, let's bring in cnn's scott mclean, who is joining us live from london. the nhs is warning folks to keep holiday plans small. otherwise, their health system could become overwhelmed. what's the latest? >> reporter: think about this for a second. if you know 45 people in the uk, chances are one of them got covid in just the past week. we're talking about 1.4 million people. thursday was a record high for new case counts across the uk. almost 120,000. the number of omicron cases obviously continues to surge, but so does the booster shot program in this country. 55% of the eligible population has gotten their shot already. they're giving them out at a rate of almost a million per day, and the clinics will stay open through christmas as well. the nhs, the national health service, in this country is really trying to do this herculean task of getting shots in arms at a really remarkable rate we have not seen to this point yet. christmas in england is not canceled this year. british prime minister boris johnson, though, really advised people to be cautious, especially around their elderly relatives. in fact, he appealed to people's christian values this christmas. do unto others as you would like to do unto yourself, or love thy neighbor as you'd love yourself. that translates roughly in public health speak to get your booster shot. listen. >> i hope i could be forgiven for taking pride in the immense spirit of neighborliness that the people of this country have shown. getting jabbed not just for themselves, for ourselves, but for friends and family and everyone we meet. and that, after all, is the teaching of jesus christ, whose birth is at the heart of this enormous festival, that we should love our neighbors as we love ourselves. >> reporter: so the prime minister also got an early christmas present this year from science, with one study this week suggesting that the omicron variant makes you 40% less likely to be hospitalized, and then another real-world analysis from the uk health security agency found that number could be up to two-thirds less likely to be hospitalized with omicron compared to the delta variant. that has undoubtedly helped to reaffirm the prime minister's decision not to press ahead with further restrictions ahead of christmas. remember, christmas last year was effectively canceled because of the restrictions in place. now, wales, scotland, they have gone ahead with tighter measures, not nearly what we saw last year, but tighter measures than england. but the prime minister says, look, england doesn't have to follow suit by any stretch. obviously the concern, as you mentioned, though, kim, is the sheer volume of cases could still put a lot of pressure on the health care system. >> yeah, that's right. scott mclean, thanks so much. joining me now from oxford, england, is dr. peter droe back. he's an infectious disease expert at the university of oxford. doctor, thanks so much for being here with us. first off, take us through what's happening there in the uk and whether you think we here are in the early days of seeing the same situation here in the u.s., you know, here in georgia, for instance, we're seeing exponential growth in cases. are we seeing basically what's happening to you, we're maybe two weeks back? >> yeah, thanks for having me, kim. i think that's about right. we've got some good news and bad news over the last couple of days as you've just summarized really nicely. tremendous spread of this new variant with such a high burden of cases here in the uk. and also rising in the u.s. as you say, probably about a couple of weeks behind. you know, the good news is that these early data do suggest that an individual is less likely to develop severe disease requiring hospitalization, but of course, you know, we're seeing here numbers that are twice as high as what we've seen in previous peaks roughly. so even if you're about half as likely to end up at hospital, at a population level, we're already seeing pressure put on the nhs with about 1,000 hospitalizations yesterday. so it's a very difficult period. what i worry about in the u.s. is that the levels of vaccination there are much lower and particularly only about 20% of eligible americans at my last count had gotten their booster. and you need the booster to have protection against omicron. so it could be that as this new surge takes hold in the u.s., they're in a much more difficult place, particularly with the risk to the unvaccinated. >> yeah. so, you know, vaccination not something that the administration has been really focusing on, maybe not so much on testing. i mean just anecdotally, i was waiting in line for a covid test yesterday for over two hours, and i was probably one of the lucky ones here. we had early thursday white house press secretary jen psaki told reporters that, you know, while there were efforts to increase production of tests months ago, sort of, you know, amidst the rise of the delta variant, the administration, they said, had taken steps as a federal government to build up the market because the market wasn't there. so my question is, you know, why are we depending on the market to get some action on testing? shouldn't we be more proactive and assume that we'd be in this position? why are we always caught unawares every time there's a new wave? >> yeah, it's a great question. you think we would have learned our lessons by now. we have to remember actually, you know, one of the real risks with omicron now in this very rapid rise is putting a strain on every part of our response. even here in the uk where we've done a nice job of making free rapid tests available to everyone, there have been shortages and stock-outs pretty widely. and we're starting to see as a risk that around the world, the supply chain is not keeping up. so we are starting to see shortages. i think that will only get worse in the weeks and months to come. president biden has talked about the possibility of invoking the defense production act to effectively force the production of more tests, and i think more efforts like that are needed. but, you know, i wonder how many times we have to go through this before, you know, we all learn that we need to be more proactive in planning for what seem like these inevitable waves. >> israel is being proactive. they're recommending a fourth shot for the elderly and for health care workers. we heard just moments ago, dr. fauci saying he's not convinced we'll need one. are you? >> we don't know yet. one other bit of news that we got yesterday out of the uk was some slightly concerning data suggesting that the booster dose in the face of omicron, the effectiveness might begin to wane as early as 10 to 12 weeks after that booster dose. now, that's a very early study with a small amount of data. so i wouldn't put too much stock into that. i think we all hope that that booster dose would really provide more durable immunity as dr. fauci has said. and we just don't know that that's the case. now, that waning of effectiveness that i mentioned is in preventing infection. we anticipate that it's going to prevent severe disease and hospitalization more effectively, and i think part of what's shifting now is that we need to think about the role of vaccines not necessarily as preventing infection but that their true sort of power and the goal of them is to keep people out of hospital. >> well said. we'll have to leave it there. dr. peter drobac, as always, thanks so much. >> thank you, kim. cheers erupted outside a minnesota courthouse after a former police officer was found guilty of manslaughter in the shooting death of daunte wright. we'll look at how long kim potter could spend behind bars next. stay with us. ...demands a lotion this pure. new gold bond pure moisture lotion. 24-hour hydration. no parabens, dyes, or fragrances. gold bond. champion your skin. with mucinex all-in-one you've got powerful relief from your worst cold and flu symptoms. so when you need to show your cold who's boss, grab mucinex all-in-one... and get back to your rhythm. ♪ the relief you need. the cash you want. -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) ♪ former minnesota police officer kim potter is now behind bars and facing up to 15 years in prison after a jury found her guilty of all charges in the shooting death of 20-year-old daunte wright. cnn's adrienne broaddus has the story and the reaction from the community. >> we, the jury, on the charge of manslaughter in the first degree, find the defendant guilty. >> reporter: former brookline center police officer kimberly potter guilty on both counts of manslaughter tonight in minnesota. daunte wright's parents relieved by the verdict. >> love you, kim. >> love you. >> reporter: while potter's husband could be heard yelling, i love you, kim, after her bail was revoked as she was escorted from the court in handcuffs. potter said she intended to deploy her taser during a traffic stop in april but fired her gun instead, killing 20-year-old daunte wright almost instantly. >> i shot him! oh, my god! >> reporter: shortly after the verdict, crowds outside the courthouse chanted wright's name while the state pushed to reassure potter's police family. >> when a member of your profession is held accountable, it does not diminish you. in fact, it shows -- it shows the whole world that those of you who enforce the law are also willing to live by it. >> reporter: the jury took nearly 27 hours to deliberate whether potter's actions were criminal. >> i grabbed the wrong [ bleep ] gun. >> reporter: over eight days in minneapolis, jurors heard from 33 witnesses, including tearful testimony from potter herself. >> i didn't want to hurt anybody. >> reporter: the defense aimed to prove the 26-year police veteran was protecting her fellow officers during a risky traffic stop. >> she didn't cause this, and she had a right to use deadly force. >> reporter: in closing arguments, they faulted wright for not cooperating with law enforcement. >> she says taser, taser, taser, and he should have, okay, stop, i give up. no, no. daunte wright caused his own death unfortunately. >> reporter: the state pushed back. >> carrying a badge and a gun is not a license to kill. >> reporter: the state asked jurors not to focus on potter's intention but on the consequences of her actions. >> this was a colossal screw-up, a blunder of epic proportions. it was irreversible, and it was fatal. >> reporter: wright's family reacting to the news outside court. >> we only got one thing to say. are you ready? we love you, daunte! >> reporter: adrienne broaddus, cnn, minneapolis. >> joining me now from los angeles is cnn legal analyst areva martin, the author of "make it rain." are you surprised that a mostly white jury found a white female police officer guilty for this crime? >> well, i think if you look at historically how juries have treated cases like this where you have a white police officer on trial for the murder of an african american victim, yes, you'd have to say this is unusual. but if you look at the case that was put on by the prosecution, the strength of that case, it's not surprising to me, kim. i think the prosecution did an outstanding job, and kim potter taking the witness stand, i think, was probably the linchpin in the prosecution's case. the cross-examination of her by the prosecutors was grueling. she made several key admissions that were very helpful to the prosecution's case. so, you know, the historical context that this doesn't happen very often, but when you look at this case in a specific way and you look at the weight of the evidence, it's not surprising to me. >> you talk about her testifying. why do you think the jury weren't swayed by, you know, the obvious remorse she showed in that very emotional testimony? >> yeah, that remorse, lots of people have opined about whether those were authentic tears, authentic, you know, emotion. i will give her the benefit of the doubt that anyone that kills someone, unless they're just a ruthless person, would have to feel some kind of sadness or remorse about that. but we also saw very emotional testimony from daunte wright's mother, and we know why daunte wright's mother was crying. what we know about kim potter is right after she shot and killed daunte, she didn't say, let me get him help. oh, my god, you know, can i save his life? he said, i messed up, expletive. i'm going to jail. and i think jurors listening to her on that videotape making that statement, that self-serving statement about her own situation, not providing aid to daunte wright, and then watching that emotional testimony on the stand, i think jurors weren't convinced that that emotion was about killing daunte as opposed to about her being afraid of going to jail. >> now, you've said this verdict is a game-changer in terms of police accountability. why is that? >> well, historically we have not seen jurors being willing to convict police officers in cases like this. they've given police officers the benefit of the doubt. police officers have not historically been held accountable in cases like this. and to see nine white jurors in particular in the jurisdiction that this case happened in, in minnesota, hold kim potter accountable is significant, and i think marks perhaps a new day in the way that police accountability will take place in this country. and i think signals that police reform is something that citizens, everyday people, really want to see happen in this country. >> interesting if true. so more broadly, then, with this verdict and the ones in the ahmaud arbery and the derek chauvin killings, that's three guilty verdicts for defendants charged with killing unarmed african american men. so do you feel that we may have crossed a racial rube coicon he ? >> good question, kim. i'm an optimist, and i'm a hopeful person, and i'd like to think we are embarking on a new day in this country, a day where police are held accountable, where the notion that, you know, given the power that they have, they understand with that great power comes great responsibility. but i don't think we should read too much into these cases because there are lots of other examples where police officers aren't even charged by prosecutors for conduct that, you know, appears to be clearly criminal. i think we now have at least a roadmap. at least we know there is a pathway for holding police officers accountable in these cases, and maybe it's a wake-up call to any police officer out there that may be thinking, like 10 years ago or 15 years ago, that if they are charged, that juries are going to not find them guilty and not hold them accountable. so i hope it changes the conversation, the narrative that's taking place in police departments around this country. i hope other prosecutors throughout the country are emboldened and see you can bring cases that can be successful in these cases. so i do hope it sparks the kind of change in the police reform that we've been clamoring for for so long in this done. >> bay area the next step in that change is not killing unarmed black men in the first place. areva martin, thank you so much for joining us. really appreciate it. >> thanks, kim. the world according to vladimir putin laid out in a four-hour news conference. why he says nato is to plblame r the ukraine crisis. stay with us. mom, hurry! our show's gonna start soon! i promised i wouldn't miss the show and mommy always keeps her promises. oh, no! seriously? hmm! it's not the same if she's not here. oh. -what the. oh my goodness! i don't suppose you can sing, can you? ♪ the snow's comin' down ♪ -mommy? ♪ i'm watching it fall ♪ watch the full story at www.xfinity.com/sing2 new satellite images released on thursday appear to show russian forces gathering strength all along ukraine's eastern border. the photos show additional russian tanks, armored vehicles, artillery, and long-range rockets are now within striking distance of ukraine. a senior u.s. official says the u.s. and its nato allies are ready to act if russia invades. the official also warned that an incursion would result in nato beefing up its presence in eastern europe. the comments came just hours after the russian leader held his annual news conference, again deflecting any blame for the escalating tensions. we get the latest from cnn's melissa bell in hosko. . >> reporter: it was a marathon press conference. nearly four hours of it, that did provide more insight into what vladimir putin is thinking when it comes to ukraine and how he sees the tensions there but didn't provide any sense that an agreement might be found between moscow, the united states, and nato when they get together in january for the expected talks over ukraine. vladimir putin clearly laying the blame for recent tensions at the feet of nato and reiterating his demand that for those negotiations to work, for any progress to be made, nato would have to announce, would have to decide that it was not seeking any further eastward expansion, something, of course, that nato has ruled out and the white house press secretary reacting to vladimir putin after the press conference said was clearly a non-starter. vladimir putin explained that the fears were what was happening in ukraine, his fears, his impression that a war was being planned and that those sanctions that are being threatened might be also part of that preparation for ukrainian war against those russian-speaking populations in the east of the country. this gives an idea of the tone that he struck this thursday. >> translator: well, what's not clear here, are we deploying missiles near the u.s. borders? no, we're not. it was the usa who came with missiles to our house. they're already at the doorstep of our house. is this a redundant requirement not to instill any more missile systems near our home? >> reporter: vladimir putin expressing his clear distrust of nato and his fears of what an eastward expansion might mean for russia and for weaponry that might find itself on its borders. now, we also heard as i mentioned from the white house press secretary in the wake of that press conference, jen psaki clearly pushing back on the ideas that the tensions around ukraine are the fault of either nato or the united states, laying the blame clearly at the feet of vladimir putin, also pointing out that nato is a defensive organization rather than an offensive one and explaining that while it was welcome news that nato, the united states and russia should have agreed on the principle of talks, there were clearly russian demands that were unacceptable either to nato or to the united states. melissa bell, cnn, moscow. >> stephen erlanger is a correspondent for "the new york times" and joins us from brussels. thanks so much for being here with us. the u.s. again warning it's ready to act in the event of an invasion. but what would that action consist of, do you think? >> well, i'm not sure everyone knows. that's the point. and have we all decided with our allies exactly what action we'll take given putin's various options? the u.s. will not act militarily. it's made it very, very clear it's not going to go to war for ukraine. ukraine's not a member of nato. but it does promise, along with its european allies, punishing economic sanctions that are unprecedented, that would go, it says, to the heart of mr. putin's personal wealth and his government and will cause him enormous pain. that's what they're promising. they also say they might, if there's a big invasion, provide some defensive weapons, more defensive weapons to ukraine and nato, if ukraine falls completely under russian control, which i doubt, nato will probably move more troops to its member states that border russia. so that's the quiet decisions, but we don't know exactly what they are, of course. >> yeah. you mentioned equipment that the u.s. might provide. what about intelligence? are they sort of preparing to provide any of that, and would that not be seen as provocative by moscow? >> they are providing intelligence. i mean the big question for america is what do you provide ukraine that helps deter putin, and what do you provide that might provoke putin? and that's a very delicate dance. i think that the view is -- my understanding of the u.s. and nato intelligence -- is that if russia goes in in a big way, the ukrainian army cannot resist. it can't win, but at the same time, throwing stuff at them now won't change that. what will change it perhaps is deterring putin from doing it in the first place. so in a sense, there's this dual track strategy, which is to offer him diplomatic talks about his complaints and his insecurities, a kind of diplomatic off-ramp for de-escalation on the one hand while at the same time saying to him publicly and especially privately, if you do this, you will suffer. you will not like the consequences. so this is all about trying to deter because once he gets going, if he does get going, it's going to be very hard for him to walk it back. >> but then on those talks, putin says he wants them. but some of the diplomatic ultimatums seem to signal that russia isn't seriously considering negotiations. what can we read from all of that? >> well, there are two views. one view is he's just trying to drag it out until you get a good freeze so that heavy equipment can travel into ukraine without getting stuck in the mud because it will have frozen. that means january. but on the other hand, part of putin's big desire has always been to be taken seriously, to be treated again as a superpower, to have a strong relationship with the president of the united states himself. he succeeded in doing that. he's created tension that means that a biden administration which has been talking china, china, china, china, now has to pay attention to vladimir putin and vladimir putin's anxieties. it's also true, i have to say, you know, putin's 69. so even he must see that he's in the last chapter of his control, of his reign. and the biggest stain on his legacy is the loss of ukraine. so i think he sees this as a moment with covid, with economic difficulties, with the american obsession with china, to try to take advantage and at least alter the understanding of post-soviet security in europe and get more protection, as he sees it, against russia's being encircled, as he sees it, by nato. >> well, listen, it's a story we're following anxiously but with interest. really appreciate your analysis on this. steven erlanger in brussels, thank you so much. >> thank you. weary hospital staff are dealing with a deluge of covid patients for the second straight christmas. we'll hear from health care workers in the u.s. who say they're burning out. stay with us. -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) ♪ ♪ i see trees of green ♪ ♪ red roses too ♪ ♪ i see them bloom for me and you ♪ (music) ♪ so i think to myself ♪ ♪ oh what a wonderful world ♪ officials say tens of thousands of americans are hospitalized with covid-19 as the easily spread omicron variant drives up case counts and for the second holiday season in a row, health care workers are being pushed to the breaking point. cnn's sara sidner spoke with staff in new mexico who are suffering from burnout. >> reporter:? santa fe, new mexico, the annual holiday light display dazzles the eye and lifts the spirit. but these are the lights grabbing all the attention just down the road. this is a covid icu, suddenly as busy as it ever was. >> it is clinically, psychologically impossible to keep doing this day in and day out, especially for the past year or two. even the strongest respiratory therapists that i have, have broken down at times. >> reporter: the staff is resilient but despondent some days and plain old exhausted host. suffering and death greet them every day. >> they come to me and say, i do need a break. help me. >> reporter: when you talk about things like pulling them out and people breaking down, it sounds like a war zone. that's the same language that soldiers sometimes use. >> yes. >> reporter: is that what it feels like? >> yes. to the point of it being almost unbearable. to see that. these are very good people, good respiratory therapists, good clinicians, who want to do the best possible job, and they just can't. they can't do it. >> reporter: there was a moment of light and hope. >> we thought the cases were going down. >> reporter: clinical nurse manager dominick armijo was filled with hope when the vaccines were approved. he was one of the first in new mexico to get the shot. >> it was just that light at the end of the tunnel, and then all of a sudden, it was like wham, bam, here we are again. >> reporter: he couldn't have possibly accounted for the number of people who would refuse the vaccine. >> i, in the beginning, was an anti-vaxxer only because of my immune system. but not anymore. >> reporter: what was it that sort of kept you from going to get vaccinated? >> i did not have a very good immune system. >> reporter: a lot of times the doctors will tell you if your immune system is compromised, go get vaccinated. what were your concerns? >> my heart issues. i know there was a lot of clotting in the first few, and i did have an example of not a good reaction to a friend who did get vaccinated. >> reporter: she never got the vaccine. instead, she got a bad case of covid and was unable to breathe. do you regret it now? >> do i regret it? yes and no. i wish i had gotten vaccinated sooner. i wouldn't be here. that's the regret. >> reporter: i've talked to a lot of doctors and nurses and i've heard a lot of people say, i don't want to retire. i don't want to leave. but i don't know if i can do it. where are you on that? >> i'm probably at the end of that spectrum as well. it's trying, but this is my family, and this is my community. we're the city of holy faith. it's just been a lot. >> reporter: the untending pandemic surges have taken a toll. >> we have lost 110 nurses this year. >> reporter: that's 25% of the hospital's nurses. >> it's across the board. i mean most definitely nursing, respiratory, but it's also food and nutrition and custodial support and techs and medical office assistants and registration. it is across the board. >> reporter: the remaining staff are fighting back death alongside their patients. there is no respite, not even for christmas. the unfortunate thing that everyone is realizing, including of course this exhausted staff inside these hospitals, is that covid is here to stay. sara sidner, santa fe, new mexico. a group of inspiring women are making a fresh start in a new country. after the break, we'll hear about their harrowing escape from afghanistan and their dreams for the future. stay with us. how long does credit repair take? i don't know, like 10 years. what? are you insane? what's a good credit score? go. 600. maybe if you're trying to pay thousands extra in interest rates. cut the confusion, get started with a free credit evaluation at creditrepair.com. so what you're looking at is now an empty spot in hong kong following the removal of another monument commemorating the victims of tiananmen square massacre. the goddess of democracy statue used to stand there at the chinese university of hong kong but was taken down friday morning along with a separate memorial. this comes a day after workers dismantled the famous pillars of shame sculpture at hong kong university. the monuments were among the last remaining tiananmen square memorials left in the city. japan won't be sending government officials to the beijing winter olympics. the country's chief cabinet secretary made the announcement friday but stopped short of calling it a boycott. he says japan believes that respect for human rights is important. well, they were once a symbol of progress and a reason for hope in afghanistan. but after the taliban rose to power earlier this year, members of the afghan girls robotics team were forced to flee their homes. several have found a safe haven in mexico, and they spoke with cnn's matt rivers about everything they left behind and what they hope the future holds. >> reporter: just four years ago, the half dozen girls from afghanistan strode confidently into competition, waving their country's flag. the global robotics competition held in the u.s. was a chance to show what so many in their country doubted, that girls can accomplish anything. [ applause ] and accomplish they did, winning an award for, quote, courageous achievement, given to teens who persevere through trying circumstances. so much has changed since then. in a matter of months this year, the taliban swept back across afghanistan, toppling city after city. a mortal threat to girls like those on the robotics team, educated, progressive, the exact opposite of how the taliban believed women should be. and so five of the original team made the decision to flee in a harrowing journey. they went from herat, afghanistan, to kabul. there they managed to get on one of the last commercial flights before the taliban took the city. from there, pakistan was next, followed by doha, qatar, then frankfurt, germany. then to mexico city. landing in the mexican capital where the government here has allowed them to stay while they figure out what's next. it's here in the city that we got a chance to meet in person. safe in mexico, their first thoughts are, of course, about home and the cruelty of the taliban regime. >> the rule of their government is just mockery and insult to islam while islam is the religion of kindness. we kindly request not only the united states but the entire international community to eradicate the taliban generation from afghanistan. >> reporter: they know that the u.s. has limited options in that regard after its withdrawal, a terrible situation for those opposed to the taliban. they also know how lucky they were to get out. >> it was really hard to, you know, leave our beloved ones in afghanistan, but we are happy that today we are safe not only because of ourselves but here we can be the voice of thousands of girls who want to be safe in afghanistan and who want to continue their education and make their dreams become true. >> reporter: a dwindling reality for girls in that country. in the weeks and months after the taliban took over, their subsequent actions have reaffirmed a return to a society where women are treated as wholly unequal to men. still, the team has a message for those left behind. >> so my message and my message to my generation is that to please don't lose your hope, your spirit wherever in afghanistan you are. i know it's difficult because i'm an afghan girl too, and i fully understand you. but please don't lose your spirit. there's always light in the height of darkness, and just make your dream and follow your dream and believe that one day your dream will come true because i experienced that. >> reporter: we asked all of the girls what do you want to do next, both in the near future and in the long-term future. all four girls we spoke to tell us they do plan on going to college somewhere hopefully in the united states. they say as for the long-term future, they all have hopes to return to afghanistan someday. matt rivers, cnn, mexico city. queen elizabeth won't be sending christmas as her sandringham estate but will be spending it at windsor castle where the queen is staying for the holiday. meanwhile, prince harry and meghan are sharing the first photo of their 6-month-old daughter little lily beth diana. i'm kim brunhuber. i'll have details on the hundreds of flights canceled because of the omicron variant. that's coming up when "cnn newsroom" continues. please do stay with us. with mucinex all-in-one you've got powerful relief from your worst cold and flu symptoms. so when you need to show your cold who's boss, grab mucinex all-in-one... and get back to your rhythm. ♪ the relief you need. the cash you want. i'm jonathan lawson here to tell you about life insurance through the colonial penn program. if you're age 50 to 85, and looking to buy life insurance on a fixed budget, remember the three ps. what are the three ps? the three ps of life insurance on a fixed budget are price, price, and price. a price you can afford, a price that can't increase, and a price that fits your budget. i'm 54, what's my price? you can get coverage for $9.95 a month. i'm 65 and take medications. what's my price? also $9.95 a month. i just turned 80, what's my price? $9.95 a month for you too. if you're age 50 to 85, call now about the #1 most popular whole life insurance plan available through the colonial penn program. it has an affordable rate starting at $9.95 a month. no medical exam, no health questions. your acceptance is guaranteed. and this plan has a guaranteed lifetime rate lock so your rate can never go up for any reason. so call now for free information and you'll also get this free beneficiary planner. and it's yours free just for calling. so call now for free information. it's another day. and anything could happen. it could be the day you welcome 1,200 guests and all their devices. or it could be the day there's a cyberthreat. only comcast business' secure network solutions give you the power of sd-wan and advanced security integrated on our activecore platform so you can control your network from anywhere, anytime. it's network management redefined. every day in business is a big day. we'll keep you ready for what's next. comcast business powering possibilities. hello and welcome to all of you watching us here in the united states, canada and all around the world. i'm kim brunhuber live at the cnn center in atlanta. just ahead here on "cnn newsroom." >> we the jury on the charge of manslaughter in the second degree, culpable negligence on or about april 11, 2021, in hannah pin county, state of minnesota, find the defendant guilty. >> every single emotion you can imagine just running through your body at that moment, i kind of let out a yelp because it was still up in anticipation of what was to come while we were waiting the last few days. now we've been able to process it. >> former minnesota police officer kim potter i

Related Keywords

Wall , Travelers , Kim Brunhuber , Omicron Variant , Holiday , United States , Flight Cancellations , Anything , Around The World , Skand , Headache , Tool , Police Officer , Weren T , Verdict , Pill , Taser , Traffic Stop , Covid , Fight , Drew A Gun , Giving The Go Ahead , Fda , 20 , Testimony , Cnn Newsroom , Announcer , Cnn Center , Coronavirus , Thousands , Tracking Site Flightaware , Globe , Grinch , United Airlines , Cases , Is Cnn , Airline , Passengers , Surge , Company Memo , Impact , 160 , Number , Cancellations , Tsa , Destinations , Alaska Airlines , 17 , Reporter , Things , Pete Muntean , Air Travelers , Details , Figures , Reagan National Airport , Washington D C , Ten , 2019 , People , Country , Pandemic , Context , Airports , Bit , 1 84 Million , 2 08 Million , Numbers , Passenger , 2 Million , Everybody , Home , Holiday Travel Season , 20 Million , 3 , January 3rd , One , Folks , Lots , Line , Holiday Gatherings , Thurgood Marshal Airport , International Travel Requirements , Airlines , Cdc , Safe , Somebody , Flying , Job , Workers , Issues , Five , Flights , Someone , Contact , Australia , Frontline Staff , Shortage , Sydney , Jetstar , 80 , Holiday Travel Plans , Developments , Wrench , Now Australia , Selina Wang , Tokyo , World , Holiday Season , Outbound , 40 , Many , Frontline Team Members , Majority , Jetstar Spokesperson , 19 , Qantas , Rex Have , Virgin , Plans , Lines , Standing , Social Media , Hoops , Testing Clinics , Health , Case Count , Authorities , Strain , Hospital System , Daily , Queensland , 600 , Scott Morrison , New South Wales , Press Conference , Quote , Lockdowns , Lives , Thanks , Nurses , Health Care Workers , Doctors , Front Line , Best , Selina Wang In Tokyo , Data , Patients , Department , Average , Johns Hopkins University , Health And Human Services , 1500 , Effectiveness , Symptoms , Health Experts , Guidance , Seven , Dr , Anthony Fauci , Protection , Infectious Disease Expert , Vaccines , Boosters , Dose , Part , Group , Regulators , Two , Merck , Drug , Pfizer , Uk , Record , Experts , Records , Eastern Europe , England , 1 4 Million , 45 , 1 , Restrictions , Spread , Countries , High , Continent , Health Minister , Infections , France , 88000 , Hospital , Latest , Transmissible , Researchers , Mask Mandates , Delta , Italy , Nhs , More , Health System , Scott Mclean , Warning , London , Case Counts , Chances , Second , Rate , Shot , Booster Shot Program , Population , A Million , 55 , 120000 , Shots , Task , Clinics , Arms , National Health Service , Point , Boris Johnson , Fact , Relatives , Others , Booster Shot , Neighbor , Pride , Family , Everyone , Spirit , Neighborliness , Friends , Heart , Jesus Christ , Neighbors , Teaching , Birth , Festival , Study , Analysis , Health Security Agency , Science , Decision , Delta Variant , Christmas , Place , Doesn T , Measures , Stretch , Suit , Scotland , Lot , Pressure , Peter Droe , Health Care System , Volume , Concern , Oxford , Situation , Doctor , University Of Oxford , First Off , Georgia , News , Bad News , Instance , Growth , Variant , Burden , Course , Hospitalization , Disease , Individual , Couple , Half , Population Level , Peaks , 1000 , Levels , Vaccination , Booster , Hospitalizations , Count , Something , Risk , Hold , Unvaccinated , Administration , Testing , Ones , Covid Test , White House Press Secretary , Reporters , Efforts , Production , Rise , Steps , Jen Psaki , Government , Action , Question , Wasn T , Market , Shouldn T , Wave , Position , Lessons , Tests , Shortages , Response , Risks , Stock Outs , Biden , Possibility , Supply Chain , Times , Defense Production Act , Before , Planning , Waves , Elderly , Proactive , Israel , Booster Dose , Stock , Face , Amount , 10 , 12 , Case , Hope , Infection , Immunity , Power , Sort , Role , Courthouse , Minnesota , Goal , Cheers , Peter Drobac , Stay , Hold Kim Potter , Daunte Wright , Manslaughter , Death , Bars , Bond , Pure , Lotion , Hydration , Moisture , Parabens , Dyes , Fragrances , 24 , Skin , Flu , Boss , Rhythm , Relief , All In One , Grab Mucinex , Cold , Cash , Son , Mom , Care , Funeral , Collection , Mama , Casserole , Granny , Uncle Joe S Funeral , Ooh , Aunt Adele , 9000 , 000 , Life Insurance , It , Plan , Colonial Penn , Bill , 995 , Thing , Business , Funeral Expenses , Tv , Ma , 9 95 , 95 , Money , Excuse , 85 , 50 , Lifetime Rate Lock , Insurance , Health Questions , Acceptance , Health Reason , Premiums , Lifetime Coverage , Information , Life , Same , Rest , Soft Music , Jury , Story , Reaction , Charges , Prison , Adrienne Broaddus , 15 , Defendant , Kimberly Potter , Community , Charge , Counts , Degree , Former Brookline Center , Court , Handcuffs , Parents , Yelling , Bail , Husband , I Love You , Gun , God , State , Member , Police Family , Chanted Wright , Name , Crowds , Profession , Actions , Law , Wrong , Bleep , 27 , Jurors , Police , Potter , Defense , Witnesses , Minneapolis , Anybody , Eight , 33 , 26 , Officers , Right , Force , Veteran , Law Enforcement , Closing Arguments , Stop , Badge , Consequences , Intention , License , On Potter , Blunder , Epic Proportions , Areva Martin , Killed Daunte , We Love You , Los Angeles , Juries , Crime , Make It Rain , Prosecution , Strength , Yes , Trial , Murder , African American Victim , Prosecutors , Admissions , Cross Examination , Linchpin , Witness Stand , Way , Evidence , Weight , Emotion , Remorse , Tears , Authentic , Kind , Benefit , Mother , Doubt , Person , Anyone , Sadness , She Didn T Say , Expletive , Statement , Self Serving Statement , Stand , Videotape , Aid , Killing Daunte , Police Accountability , Game Changer , Terms , Jurors Weren T , Jail , Police Officers , Accountable , Marks , Jurisdiction , Nine , True , Police Reform , Citizens , Men , Verdicts , Defendants , Killings , He , African American , Derek Chauvin , Ahmaud Arbery , Three , Optimist , Hopeful Person , Responsibility , Examples , Notion , Pathway , Wake Up Call , Roadmap , Conduct , Least , Narrative , Thinking , Conversation , Change , Police Departments , Reform , Clamoring , Done , Vladimir Putin , Step , Bay Area , Nato , Ukraine , News Conference , Crisis , Four , Show , Gonna , Promises , Mommy , Snow , Oh My Goodness , Www Xfinity Com Sing2 New Satellite Images , Russian , Artillery , Vehicles , Rockets , Tanks , Photos , Eastern Border , Forces , Official , Allies , Presence , Comments , Distance , Senior , Incursion , Russia Invades , Blame , Tensions , Leader , Marathon Press Conference , Melissa Bell , Hosko , Sense , Insight , Agreement , Didn T , Moscow , Talks , Progress , Negotiations , Feet , Demand , Expansion , Non Starter , Sanctions , Fears , War , Preparation , Impression , Missiles , Populations , East , Translator , Tone , Idea , Borders , House , Missile Systems , Requirement , Distrust , Doorstep , Weaponry , Wake , Organization , Ideas , Fault , Principle , Demands , Correspondent , Event , Brussels , The New York Times , Stephen Erlanger , Options , Invasion , Putin , Promise , War For Ukraine , Mr , Spain , Wealth , Weapons , Control , Decisions , Troops , Equipment , Big Question , Intelligence , View , Understanding , Dance , Win , Stuff , Ukrainian Army Cannot , Complaints , Strategy , Track , Insecurities , Off Ramp , Hand , De Escalation , Some , Isn T , Ultimatums , Freeze , Views , Mud , Desire , Tension , President , Relationship , Superpower , China , Attention , Anxieties , Chapter , 69 , Stain , Loss , Legacy , Reign , Difficulties , Security , Advantage , Obsession , Interest , Staff , Covid Patients For The Second Straight Christmas , Weary Hospital , Deluge , Steven Erlanger , Me And You , Trees , Green Red , What A Wonderful World , Tens Of Thousands Americans , Officials , Suffering , New Mexico , Sara Sidner , Season , Row , Burnout , Breaking Point , Covid Icu , Road , Santa Fe , Lights , Eye , Holiday Light Display , Therapists , Break , Host , War Zone , Language , Soldiers , Respiratory Therapists , Dominick Armijo , Clinicians , First , The End Of Tunnel , Wham , Bam , Immune System , Vaccine , In The Beginning , Anti Vaxxer , Concerns , Few , Clotting , Friend , Example , Regret , City , Spectrum , Faith , Nursing , Board , Surges , Toll , Untending , 25 , 110 , Office , Respiratory , Fighting Back Death , Support , Registration , Food , Techs , Assistants , Nutrition , Hospitals , Respite , Afghanistan , Women , Escape , Dreams , Credit Repair , Credit Score , Go 600 , Confusion , Interest Rates , Credit Evaluation , Creditrepair Com , Removal , Spot , Hong Kong , Statue , Memorial , Monument , Victims , Chinese University Of Hong Kong , Tiananmen Square Massacre , Goddess Of Democracy , In The City , Government Officials , Last , Won T , Pillars , Shame Sculpture , Hong Kong University , Tiananmen Square , Japan , Winter Olympics , Beijing , Monuments , Reason , Chief Cabinet Secretary , Respect , Human Rights , Announcement , Boycott , Symbol , Several , Members , Everything , Homes , Rivers , Taliban , Safe Haven In Mexico , Afghan Girls Robotics Team , Girls , Competition , Chance , Flag , Award , Applause , Courageous Achievement , Teens , Matter , Circumstances , Mortal Threat , Toppling City , Team , Robotics Team , Opposite , Progressive , Journey , Herat , Mexico City , Frankfurt , Pakistan , To Kabul , Germany , Qatar , Doha , Landing , Thoughts , Mexican Capital , Insult , Religion , Kindness , Rule , Cruelty , Islam , Taliban Regime , Generation , Withdrawal , Voice , Education , Reality , Message , Society , Return , Left Behind , Afghan Girl Too , Dream , Height , Darkness , Hopes , Somewhere , College , Queen Elizabeth , Matt Rivers , Sandringham Estate , Harry , Photo , Queen , Meanwhile , Windsor Castle , Meghan , 6 , Lily Beth Diana , Hundreds , Program , Price , Budget , Ps , Coverage , Medications , Increase , 65 , 54 , Exam , Beneficiary Planner , Calling , Guests , Devices , Cyberthreat , 1200 , Network Solutions , Big Day , Network , Network Management , Anywhere , Activecore Platform , Comcast Business , Sd Wan , Business Powering Possibilities , Hello , All Around The World , Canada , Negligence , Atlanta , County , Body , Hannah Pin , 11 , 2021 , April 11 2021 , Kim Potter I , Anticipation , Yelp ,