while 2021 was the year of the vaccine, while national immunization programs began in many countries, the death toll from covid, compared to the year before, without vaccines has almost doubled. according to data from johns hopkins university, as well as the w.h.o., 1.8 million people died from covid in 2020. this year, the virus has claimed about 3.5 million lives. the head of the organization says with the twin threat of the omicron and delta variants and without a collective global response, this pandemic is set to get worse. >> delta and omicron are twin threats that are driving up cases to record numbers. i'm highly concerned that omicron, being more transmisible, circulating at the same time as delta, is leading to a tsunami of cases. >> in the united states, the national guard is being deployed for more health care workers. now, with omicron in the mix, new forecasting from the centers of disease control updates 44,000 new covid deaths over the next month. tom foreman has our lead story this hour. >> reporter: schools in d.c. will require all students and staff to have negative covid tests to come back to class. new york city will require rigorous testing, too. all that as the white house says it plans to sign a contract for a 500 million at-home covid tests next week. as the center for disease control faces sharp questions for new guidelines for covid-weary americans. >> it really had a lot to do with what we thought people would be able to tolerate. >> reporter: the recommendation of five instead of ten isolation days for those testing positive but not showing no symptoms, then five days of masking, is aimed at keeping people working. but it's raising alarms, too. >> there's absolutely no data that i'm aware about, with the omicron variant, with people coming out of isolation five days after they were first diagnosed with the virus. >> reporter: nothing in the guidelines mandates testing for these people. and the administration has been harshly criticized for the current shortage of tests. so, the lack of testing and the new recommendations is also drawing fire, even as top health officials push back. >> we actually don't know how our rapid tests perform and how well they predict whether you're transmisible during the end of disease. >> reporter: add in new questions about the effectiveness of some at-home tests in detecting the omicron variant, and it is all becoming a muddle at a terrible time. >> we're right now seeing more cases per day than at any point in the pandemic. >> reporter: infections among children are rising rapidly in many places. >> reporter: we're seeing here in new jersey, a four-fold increase in pediatric hospitalizations. we're seeing our daily case rates skyrocket. >> reporter: in connecticut, the national guard has been called up to help with testing. in new york city, 17% of the police department's uniformed officers called in sick yesterday. in washington, the pentagon is tightening its covid safety protocols. all along the coast, authorities are now investigating at least 86 cruise ships for covid outbreaks. simply put, the pandemic is raging all around, causing confusion and concern everywhere. but the cdc wants you to be clear about this, especially if you have children heading back towards school. if they are 5 and older, they can and should get vaccinated and the fda is considering booster shots for 12-year-olds to 15-year-olds. stay tuned. tom foreman, cnn, washington. dr. jonathan reiner is a cnn medical analyst and a professor of medicine an surgery at george washington university. he joins us this hour from washington. thank you for being with us. >> thanks for having me, john. >> one of the biggest factors in prolonging this pandemic is global vaccine and equity. the head of the w.h.o. outlined some of the reasons why 90 countries have not reached a year-end goal of a 40% vaccination rate. here he is. >> this is due to a combination of limited supply, going to low-income countries for most of the year, and then subsequent vaccines arriving close to expiring and without key parts, like the syringe. >> last week, nigeria, which has seen a 500% increase of covid infections, destroyed a million doses of vaccine because they were about to expire. this pandemic has highlighted that the global health system is many ways. can it be fixed before the next pandemic is here? and is there a will out there to try to fix it? >> well, the problem is en enormous. warren buffett has said only when the tide goes out can you tell who is swimming naked. and when the tide went out, almost two years ago, when this pandemic -- when a call across the world, we realized that our global health care systems were just absolutely broken. and look no further than just the continent of africa. that continent of 1.2 billion people has barely vaccinated 10% of the population. i think less than that, with many countries barely at 1%. what we learned is not just wealthy countries making vaccine available to developing countries. it's about an entire infrastructure. >> in the united states, the bush and obama administrations were preparing for global pandemics. they dealt with swine flu and bird flu. the idea that the u.s. was under prepared because it never saw the coronavirus coming doesn't ring true. despite repeated warnings the u.s. was unprepared because of decisions made within the trump administration. it means we can be ready in some ways for the next pandemic. we know what to do. we know how to do it because we've done it before. we actually have to do it. >> right. not just invest in american infrastructure. and there's a tremendous amount to do in this country alone. but we have to understand, as has been said very often in the last month, it is that, we are not all safe. we are not safe in the united states, unless this entire world is safe. thinking we can vaccinate and protect ourselves and create this shell of protection was an illusion. we have to understand that the developing world will continue to harbor new variants and will be a source of just continuing pandemic, until they are adequately vaccinated. so, there is no us versus them. there's only us when we're thinking about these pathogens. >> some lessons yet to be learned. that's like ensuring supplies of rapid testing kits. i want you to hear the head of the cdc about the current shortage. >> we now have 20,000 sites where you can get a pcr on-site and more federal testing sites coming online in the current moment. the administration is doing a lot to make sure the rapid tests are affordable and accessible. >> they're just not available until next year. the pandemic has cost governments around the world $16 trillion. some of that could have been invested in testing kits. >> maybe the most shocking development of the last few days was how politicized testing has become. i was shocked to see the cdc today starting to cast a little doubt about the efficacy of these tests, trying to downgrade their importance in the face of lack of access to these tests, as if to say, well, you know, don't worry about the fact that you don't have these tests because maybe they're not as good as we thought they were. this has a terrible resonance of what we heard about masks, particularly when the surgeon general at the time scolded the country about buying masks. there's some mistakes that once you make them, it's very difficult to essentially get the genie back in the bottle. i'm concerned about what i'm hearing about testing in this country. somehow it's not important and we need to open the economy by getting people out of isolation and paying less attention to making sure they don't harbor the virus when they go back to their jobs and their families. >> there's always testing, tracing and the vaccinations, three-prong strategy. always has been and will be, as we move forward. dr. reiner, thank you so much. we appreciate your time. >> thanks for having me, john. from british socialite to sex trafficker, a dramatic fall from grace for ghislaine maxwell. she was found guilty for grooming and using girls for her pedophile jeffrey epstein. maxwell is facing a 60 year-long sentence. given her age, she could die in prison. >> reporter: it was a momentous day for survivors of abuse by jeffrey epstein and ghislaine maxwell, after she was found guilty of five of the six cases, including sex trafficking a minor. many of the survivors felt a devastating blow after epstein died by suicide in 2019, shortly after he was arrested on the federal sex trafficking charges. and this trial was a second chance for them to try to seek some sort of justice. one woman who testified at the trial against maxwell, said she was relieved and grateful to the jurors for finding her guilty of five of the counts. saying in a statement, quote, she has caused hurt to many more women than the few of us who had a chance to testify in the courtroom. i hope this verdict brings solace to all that need it and demonstrates no one is above the law. even those with power and privilege will be held accountable when they sexily abuse and exploit the young. maxwell's family released a statement of their own, saying they are already working on an appeal and believed she will ultimately be vindicated. maxwell's attorney folk to journalists outside the court after the verdict. >> we believe in ghislaine's innocence. obviously, we are disappointed with the verdict. we have already started working on the appeal and we are confident she will be v vindicated. >> reporter: she faces up to 65 years in prison for these counts. she faces two separate perjury charges in a separate case. riva martin joins me from los angeles. good to see you. the jury took five days before reaching a verdict. the common thinking that the longer they took, the more likely they were to account. guilty on five of six counts. is that a surprise to you? >> not really, john. we saw the same thing with the kim potter trial. they took four days and came back with guilty charges on what she was charged with. the conventional wisdom of how long juries are out is not holding true. juries are taking longer. seemingly, that time is being used to be methodical about the evidence that is presented in the trial process. >> there was a lot of evidence. they asked the judge a number of questions regarding the testimony. what was your take on the defense strategy, using the tactics to discredit the survivors who testified and attacking the credibility, portraying them as opportunists looking for a payday. >> it's old and tired and didn't work. we see it happen when you attack the victims. you suggest they are lying. you say they are motivated by money. you challenge the memories of events. and jurors are more sophisticated than that. we heard people tell us that victims don't have clear memories about the trauma they experienced. and women, we're in a different era. women are being believed. when they come forward and have the courage to step up like these women did, and to testify against their abusers to confront the abusers in court, we're seeing that the women are believed. this is very different than ten years ago, when women who testified about sexual abuse were often themselves maligned. i think the defense's strategy of attracting these women and suggesting that maxwell wasn't responsible, even though there was a trove of evidence against her, was clearly rejected by this jury. >> one down and a big one. what about the others. a lot of high-powered and famous men that spent a lot of time palling around with epstein and accused of sexually abusing young girls. how soon before they are on trial? >> i think they should be very concerned. i cannot imagine anything other than the prosecutors being emboldened. we know they have said that the investigation is ongoing. we know there were, as you said, men who were part of the sex ring who had sex apparently with these minor girls, you know, at various estated owned by epstein. prosecutors know who the men are. they would suspect they are putting together cases against some of them. we may see indictments and trials moving forward against some of the men. clearly, anyone involved in sexually abusing minors, you know, causing young girls to give them massages, to have oral sex, engaging in sexual acts we heard about in this trial, should be held accountable and should be brought to justice. >> this trial, the women that testify, all from very different backgrounds. very similar accounts as to how they were recruited, groomed by maxwell. that seemed crucial in this conviction on sex tracking charges. and that will be crucial moving forward in the other trials. >> i think so, john. it was remarkable, when you heard the women testify. they were from different backgrounds. their encounters happened in different location and times. but the stories, the narratives they told about the experiences with maxwell and epstein were very, very similar. i think that was persuasive to this jury to have four different women recount similar facts about being groomed, being en enticed, about maxwell to engage in the sexual conduct. and maxwell herself, in many instances, participating in the sexual acts, groping one of the women's breasts that came forward to testify. very, very graphic details about the sexual encounters of the very young girls. i couldn't help but imagine that the case would be persuasive and we would have the outcome that we saw today. >> we hear that the legal team defending maxwell plans to appeal. what could be the possible grounds for appeal here? >> we expect the legal team to say that. defense attorneys routinely, you know, look for errors, reversible errors. one area that i wouldn't be surprised that is the subject of appeal, is this issue about the photographs. you know, john, the judge allowed in the photographs of maxwell and epstein, some very intimate photographs. and the defense objected strenuously to the photographs coming into evidence. they said they were prejudicial and repetitive and cumulative. and the judge allowed many of the photographs in anyhow. i would expect that is one of the grounds we should see an appeal. i don't think an appeal of this case will be successful. appeals in criminal cases like this are rarely successful. but she is entitled to the best legal defense she can afford. she is a wealthy woman. i wouldn't expect anything less than her legal team to move forward with an appeal. i think today was a good day for victims. it was a good day for the four victims. it was a good day for the #metoo movement. this is the first case, a first case that involved a female defendant that has been charged and now convicted of sexual assault as it relates to women. >> good point. thank you so much. good to see you. >> thanks, john. coming up here on "cnn newsroom," another phone call over the crisis on ukraine's border. putin and biden set to talk in the coming hours. 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[upbeat acoustic music throughout] [upbeat acoustic music throughout] [microwave beeps] [ahh] ♪ ♪ ♪ i'm so defensive, i got bongos thumping in my chest ♪ ♪ and something tells me they don't beat for me ♪ ♪ i love romance, but i got eggshells around me ♪ ♪ don't step on 'em, don't step on 'em ♪ ♪ don't step on 'em, don't step on me ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ he'd better not take the ring from me ♪ for the second time this month, in a few hours, u.s. president biden and russian president putin, will speak by phone at the russian leader's request. relations between the two have reached a new low and are becoming worse. this call on thursday is expected to set the stage for next month's senior-level negotiations in geneva, aimed at diffusing the ukraine crisis. >> reporter: just weeks after joe biden and vladimir putin sat down for a video conference, the leaders will sit down on thursday afternoon here. the two leaders will get on the phone to talk in particular about the tense situation at the russian/ukrainian border. we're told that this call came at the russian president's request. and it comes less than two weeks before u.s. and russian officials are set to meet for security talks beginning january 10th. now, the question is, what can president biden accomplish with this? we're told that u.s. officials saw no reason to decline the invitation from the russian president, seeing no downside, particularly of what a senior administration official called a moment of crisis. the focus of the call is expected to be the tension at the russian/yukraine onborder. president biden will try to make clear to president putin that the u.s. is committed to meaningful diplomacy, to try to de-escalate tensions in that region. also to make clear what the cost for russia will be if the russian president decides to move forward with an invasion of ukraine. u.s. officials have made very clear that those costs will be severe financial and economic sanctions that will go much further than anything the u.s. did in 2014 after russia invaded and annexed criy imea from ukra. the phone conversation will be about trying to determine what can be accomplished during the security talks beginning the week of january 10th. the clear goal from u.s. perspective is to have russia draw down the forces on the ukrainian border. jeremy dimon, cnn, traveling with the president, in wilmington, delaware. european countries are seeing unprecedented numbers of covid infections as the omicron variant continues its spread across the continent. also ahead, naming and shaming and public humiliation in china, for those breaking pandemic rules. the latest live from beijing also in a moment. ♪ "how bizarre" by omc ♪ no annual fee on any discover card. ♪ ♪ (burke) this is why you want farmers claim forgiveness... 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at helpfosterchildren.com welcome back to our viewers here in the united states and all around the world. you're watching cnn newsroom. i'm john vause. returning to the stunning surge of covid-19 cases, as two global figures concerns us all. global cases, averaging 1 million a day for the first time since the pandemic began. that's according to data from johns hopkins university. 5,400,000 people have lost their lives to the coronavirus in the last 21 months. several nations across europe, recording record highs of covid-19 infections. >> reporter: the omicron variant continues to drive unprecedented infection rates across europe. the french health minister saying he got vertigo looking at the latest figures. every second, two people in france were testing positive. it comes after the country recorded on tuesday, more than 200,000 positive cases in the 24-hour period, the highest number seen in france since the start of the pandemic. similar scenes here in the u.k., skyrocketing infection rates. but across the globe, these infection rates are not turning into the rate of hospitalizations and death that we've seen during previous waves. that's why prime minister boris johnson said no tougher restrictions are needed for now. the prime minister was at a vaccination center, pushing the message to get boosted. >> the omicron variant continues to cause real problems. we're seeing cases rising in hospitals. but it is obviously milder than the delta variant. we're able to proceed in the way that we are. but that's one reason, one reason only, we're able to do that. that's been a huge proportion of the british public that have come forward to get vaccinated. particularly to get boosted. >> reporter: now, the u.k. has seen an increase of hospitalizations of about 25% in the last week, according to publicly available data. but omicron is also presenting another challenge. just keeping basic services running. tens of thousands of people of course testing positive every day means many, many sickouts. thousands of flights have been canceled in recent days as airlines struggle to stay staffed. some authorities, some governments are looking at reducing the isolation period. spain has made a move to do this and other governments, considering the reduction in isolation period, as well, just to keep basic services running. public shaming appears to have made a return in china for those that break protocols and guidelines. live in beijing, steven jenks standing by. this is one of the cases, are they being blamed for shamed for breaking covid rules? or blamed or shamed or breaking general rules for allowing people to cross into the country? what are the details? >> well, john, there's an incident, really, because of the social media videos we're seeing, we're learning about it. it happened on tuesday, with fourm suspects in full hazmat suits, with chains on their neck being marched through the town. and the alleged crime was allegedly helping others crossing the border from neighboring vietnam. that's considered a serious offense amid this country's border closures and tightened covid regulations. there were recent outbreaks, with illegal immigrants who entered china through land border crossings. officials are facing mounting pressure, from beijing, ahead of winter olympics. those disturbing images have caused a lot of public reactions online because they have reminded people of one of the most repressive periods in recent chinese history, namely the cultural revolution in the 1960s and 70s, in the mao era, when they were treating people in this humiliating manner. there were supportive voices saying this is needed to act as deterrent. but there's a growing number of voices of opposition, including from state media outlets, saying this is in serious violation of the spirit of the rule of law. it should never happen again. the police are standing behind the decision, saying this was meant to send a strong warning not to break covid laws or regulations. they seeing in inappropriate about this. the irony, that beijing leadership has been touting the effectiveness of its zero covid policy and how it shows they put people first. this is proof of the superiority of their political system. but incidents like this expose a dark side of the covid policy, showing how local officials have little regard for human rights or human dignity in the name of covid prevention. >> steven, thank you. for a second day, covid infections in india are up dramatically in the last 24 hours. a bigger surge is imminent because of the omicron variant. despite that, politicians hold huge legal rallies ahead of elections. thousands packed closely together, cheering and clapping. the ideal conditions for a superspreader event. here's ivan watson. >> reporter: india's prime minister on the campaign trail, addressing packed crowds in a key political battleground. with elections due to start here early next year, he has made seven trips to india's most p populous state in december alone. at the rallies, most including the nation's leader, are not wearing masks. and little mention for modi's ruling pjb of the covid-19 p pan pandemic. >> it seems unlikely they would like to take the risk to conduct the election in the aftermath of another wave. on the other hand, they are reckless enough to push for holding an election during the covid wave. >> reporter: there are fears of a repeat of recent tragic history. this was the scene in new delhi in the spring of 2021. crematoriums working overtime. death tolls from covid skyrocketing. hospital beds and oxygen in short supply. with the health care system overwhelmed, critics accused modi of putting politics before public health. after encouraging election rallies and large religious gatherings, which would later be declared superspreader events by some experts. fast-forward to today. >> omicron is a concern. don't panic. but be careful and stay alert. use masks as much as possible. >> reporter: some indian states have imposed measures to curb the spread of the new omicron variant. but despite urging caution, the national government has yet to announce any restrictions on large, public gatherings. as cases rise, only 41% of india's population is fully vaccinated against covid-19. as the nation's political parties come out to campaign, public health officials are sounding the alarm. >> translator: if india absorbs the same pattern and we compare the population of both countries, 50,000 daily cases in u.k., would mean 1.4 million daily covid cases in india. >> reporter: they worry the election cycle could fuel a new wave of infections. >> people might not get tested if the symptoms aren't visible. there's more chances of the election rallies becoming superspreader events. but there's no doubt that we should postpone the rallies for two months. prevention is the best cure for india. >> reporter: in the spring of 2021, india's health care system buckled under the pressure of its second coronavirus wave, which peaked at some 400,000 recorded daily cases. since then, the government has increased the number of icu beds and bolstered oxygen supplies. but it's still an open question, how hospitals will cope if there's a new wave of omicron infections. for now, prime minister modi's message is clear. when it comes to casting ballots, the show must go on. ivan watson, cnn, hong kong. still ahead on cnn, hope and despair, as we look back at the big international stories of 2021, from the promise and optimism of covid vaccines, to desperate refugees stuck on the e.u. border. n you hand me some potato skins. theyyyy're loooaded! turns out, michael buffer speaks like that all the time. and it turns out the general is a quality insurance company that's been saving people money for nearly 60 years. and in this corner, coconuuuut shriiiiiimp! for a great low rate, and nearly 60 years of quality coverage - make the right call - and go with the general. let's get rrready for 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cathedral for the next two days. the covid vaccine rollout, a presidential assassination, 2021 had a share of turmoil, letdowns. clarissa ward looks at some of the biggest stories in the last year. >> reporter: as 2021 comes to a close, so does another tumultuous year. at number ten, the bombshell interview that put the british royal family in an unwelcome spotlight. >> concerns and conversations about how dark his skin might be when he's born. >> what? >> reporter: prince harry and his wife, duchess of sussex, opened up to oprah in a two-hour tv special, speaking freely for the first time since walking away from a life as working royals. >> meghan, duchess of sussex, opening up to oprah winfrey about being singled out, she believes forced out of the royal family. >> reporter: a month after the explosive broadcast, queen elizabeth's husband, prince philip died at the age of 99. >> tonight, a shocked and saddened nation, remembers the legacy of or irreplaceable figure head. >> number nine. >> hours after haiti's president was assassinated, gunfire crackled through port-au-prince. >> reporter: the assassination took place against a background of extreme violence at the capital of port-au-prince. >> there are 17 people detained at this point. >> reporter: number eight, the conflict in the middle east came to a head this spring and turned into one of the worst rounds of violence between the two sides in years. the pattern shouldn't be familiar. but it already is. hamas and jihad with rockets streaking across the sky. >> air strikes and rocket barrages, artillery and mortar fire. hundreds of people are dead and 2,000 wounded. >> reporter: the conflict lasted 11 days before israel and the palestinian group hamas agreed to a cease-fire. israeli air strikes killed more than 250 palestinians, including dozens of children. palestinian militant fire from gaza killed 13 israelis, including children. number seven, myanmar's military seize d power in a coup. >> the first western tv journalists allowed in the country since the coup. >> after days of pushing, we are allowed to visit a public space, an open market, as word of our presence spreads, we hear an unmistakable sound. banging pots and pans has become the signature sound of resistance. since the february coup, the military has killed 1,400 people and arrested 10,000. number six, a powerful cnn investigation sheds light on a raging civil war. >> the european government has waged war against the ousted regional leaders for the last five months, with the help of the neighboring country. >> reporter: cnn was one of the only western media outlets to travel to the country. >> three bodies found by the river front. >> reporter: to investigate reports of mass killings. >> one by one, they enter the church. carrying in sacks all that's left of loved ones executed by ethiopian soldiers. this is fresh evidence of a january massacre. >> reporter: in late april, a cnn team witnessed soldiers, some disguising themselves in old military uniforms, cutting off aid routes to starving communities. cnn. cnn. journalists. the government has donayed any involvement in atrocities. ethiopia's government has pledged investigations into any wrongdoing. but the bloody conflict rages on, spilling into other parts of the country, raising fears of an all-out war. number five, turmoil at european borders. images of thousands of migrants stranded on the belarus/poland border in freezing conditions, desperate to make it into the european union. the situation at times, surging out of control. >> poland has sealed the border and has 15,000 troops here to make sure no one can pass. >> reporter: european leaders have accused belarus of manufacturing the crisis as retribution. the sanctions over human rights ab abuses, a claim belarus dendeni. the year ends with tensions between ukraine and russia at the highest in years. massive buildup of russian forces along the ukrainian border, fueling fears over moscow's intentions. number four, xi jingping's grip on power titans. >> how he has been able to cement his hold on power so long. >> it sets him up as the undisputed supreme ruler for years to come. >> reporter: and with this, an assertive china. 2021 saw sophisticated propaganda campaigns to reflect criticism over human rights abuses. the arrest of pro-democracy activists and former lawmakers in hong kong and aggressive military maneuvers aimed at taiwan. >> this island is potential flashpoint for what their president calls a fight between authoritarian china and democratic taiwan, allied with the united states. >> reporter: number three -- >> protest rallies across russia in support of detained kremlin opposition activist, alexei navalny. >> reporter: russia's best-known opposition politician, sent to a penal colony, when he dared to return home, five months after a nerve agent attack. >> shortly before his detention, in a in a nalley saying he is not scared. >> reporter: number two, great hopes to end the covid-19 pandemic, ushering in widespread vaccinations. but the virus continued to mutate, killing millions of people around the world. the uneven vaccine rollout hasn't kept up with the speed of the spreading virus. especially in poorer countries. >> in deli now, you're never far from heartbreak. almost everyone in this city has been visited by grief. >> reporter: despite high vaccination rates, europe can center of the pandemic once again this winter. a fourth wave of covid-19 is now sweeping across the continent. lockdowns reinstated in some countries. across europe, protests against mandates and protests have drawn tens of thousands of people. in november, researchers discovered the omicron variant that's spread around the globe. number one, the last u.s. military planes left afghanistan, marking the end of its longest war. >> they took the city of 6 million people in a matter of hours, barely firing a shot. this is a sight i thought i would never see. scores of taliban fighters. just behind us, a u.s. embassy compound. thousands scrambling to leave before the u.s. military exit. >> they all worked at american camps at translators for the americans. and they can't get into that airport. >> reporter: the terrorist attack at the kabul airport killed 13 u.s. service members and more than 170 afghans during the evacuation. and there's no question, everybody here is doing their best. but it's not clear if it's fast enough. the collapse of afghanistan's u.s.-backed government was, perhaps, the most damaging setback. it was a blow to u.s. credibility and democratic advances, especially on women's rights and media freedoms, which were stifled overnight. >> we'll take a short break. when we come back, a tesla with a dead battery and unhappy owner and a pile of dynamite. find out what happens next. oh yeah, we gotta take off. you downloaded the td ameritrade mobile app? yeah, actually i'm taking one last look at my dashboard before we board... and you have thinkorswim mobile- -so i can finish analyzing the risk on this position. you two are all set. choose the app that fits your investing style. ♪ a strong day for u.s. stocks wednesday when both the dow and s&p 500 gained some all-time highs. the first time the index has hit a new record since early november. elon musk take note here, there's much unhappiness with the price of a new battery being roughly the same cost of a new tesla car. one tesla owner in finland came up with an explosive solution. >> reporter: ever get so mad at repair bills that you wanted to blow up your car? me neither. but this finnish guy was beyond finished with his 2013 tesla model s when he says he got an estimate of over $22,000 to replace his battery. tomas was asked which would be better a working tesla or 66 pounds of dynamite exploding? tomas went to the bombs dudes in finish a youtube channel known for blowing things up. tomas didn't have to pay. the bomb dudes rigged the car with dynamite. he bought the 2013 tesla used about a year and a half ago. he even choppered in a dumby meant to resemble elon musk. to take that final ride, tomas got to push the button. the explosion at a former quarry was captured from every angle. the video exploded on the internet with one poster asking elon musk, could you get him a new one, please? cnn asked tesla for comment but got no response. this isn't the first tesla to be blasted. spacex launched a rocket which released a tesla roadster with star man at the when he will. they're still orbiting the sun. made on earth by humans, well, this tesla was exploded on earth by humans. jeanne moos, cnn, new york. >> a good time was had by all. "cnn newsroom" continues after a very short break with my colleague and friend paula newton. see you tomorrow. moving is a handful. no kidding! fortunately, xfinity makes moving easy. easy? -easy? switch your xfinity services to your new address online in about a minute. that was easy. i know, right? and even save with special offers just for movers. really? yep! so while you handle that, you can keep your internet and all those shows you love, and save money while you're at it with special offers just for movers at xfinity.com/moving. and a warm welcome to our viewers here in the united states and all around the world. i'm paula newton. ahead right here on "cnn newsroom," the cdc is now defending its decision to reduce isolation times amid record high case counts in the united states. elghalain maxwell is found guilty on six counts including sex trafficking a minor. and drastic measures in china to curb the spread of covid-19. why these rule breakers were paraded through the streets.