descriptions and a grim warning, things will likely get worse as the omicron variant spreads across the united states. the nation broke records twice this week for the seven-day average of new daily covid-19 cases, which remained at an all-time high of 356,000 new daily infections on thursday. meanwhile, the faa says staffing shortages caused by covid-19 infections could lead to even more flight cancellations. more than 11,000 flights have been scrapped since christmas eve, including more than 1,000 today and tomorrow. but none of those are the result of faa issues. now with millions prepared to return to work and school, there are concerns the number of new infections will rise even further. cnn's polo sandoval reports. >> reporter: the u.s. is shattering records this week with an average of about 356,000 covid infections reported every day in the past week, according to johns hopkins university. as the world rang in the new year, the latest surge is sweeping across the u.s., pushing cases and hospitalizations to unprecedented levels. experts warning a turning point could be weeks away. >> given the size of our country and the diversity of vaccination versus not vaccination, that it likely will be more than a couple of weeks, probably by the end of january. >> reporter: roughly 62% of the country is fully vaccinated, according to the u.s. centers for disease control and prevention, only about 3% of fully vaccinated adults have gotten boosters, which experts say are critical in protecting against severe illness from the variant. the omicron variant, rapidly spreading across the world. in the u.s. they're seeing the highest case and hospitalization numbers ever. new york reported more than 76,000 cases on thursday, breaking the single-day record. hospitalizations hit about 8,000, an 8% spike from the day before. hospitalizations have risen almost 20% since monday. >> clearly new york and washington, d.c. are ahead of the curve, but not by much. so expect that in the next three to four weeks we're going to see everyone really hit with this. >> reporter: new jersey identified more than 28,000 new covid-19 cases via pcr testing, governor phil murphy said on thursday. the number of positive cases likely higher due to at-home testing, he added. some governors calling on the national guard. ohio governor mike dewine deploying 1,250 national guard troops on the day the state reported its highest hospitalization numbers. georgia deployed 200 troops in the same week that six major health systems saw 100% to 200% increase in hospitalizations, governor brian kemp said. and new york doubling its national guard deployment to 100 and preparing for 80 guardsmen to undergo emergency medical training next month. with more virus spreading in the country, more than 30 colleges and universities are changing the start of their spring semesters and more children are getting sick and hospitalized at any other point in the pandemic just as school will be navigating reopening after the holidays. >> quantitatively, you're having so many more people, including children, who are getting infected. and even though hospitalization among children is much, much lower on a percentage basis than hospitalizations for adults, particularly elderly individuals. however, when you have such a large volume of infections among children, even with a low level of rate of infection, you're going to still see a lot more children who get hospitalized. >> reporter: on a positive note, studies and reports on the omicron variant continue to suggest it may not be as lethal as delta, even as it spreads quickly. polo sandoval, cnn, new york. >> thank you. the surge of new covid-19 infections overshadow new year's celebrations across europe. we're joined now live from london. how are european countries responding to this new threat? >> reporter: ryan, we have seen unprecedented infection rates across the european region, omicron breaking its own records day after day, countries like the uk, france, portugal, greece, italy, all seeing the highest number of cases they have ever seen. but here is the good news. at least, so far, it doesn't appear that the hospitalizations and death rates that we're seeing as a result of this huge caseload is as high as it was during previous variants. as you heard in that piece there, there is a growing body of evidence that shows that omicron is milder. still, it presents a massive challenge. just think of these figures. the week before christmas here in london, 1 in 15 people tested positive for the virus. the french health minister said he got vertigo looking at the figures, because two people were testing positive in france every single second, ryan. and of course over new year's eve everyone was told be cautious about celebrations, many fireworks displays were canceled here in london. the fireworks display that generally happens didn't take place. paris, berlin, multiple other cities also canceling their plans, and health officials are putting plans in place for a potential surge of omicron patients. here in england the national health service says they are on a war. they've set up surge hubs across multiple hospitals, they have surge plus beds, thousands more beds, potentially, that could be made available if these numbers do indeed increase. but what other governments are also doing on the other side of the coin is they are trying to live with the virus, because these huge numbers mean that there is a workforce that's calling out sick, tens of thousands of people being forced into isolation every single day. to keep planes flying, trains running on time and to keep doctors and nurses and hospitals, a lot of governments are looking at shortening the isolation period across europe. we've seen greece and spain do that. the uk is considering the same. it's a very strange time heading into the new year, but that is the one positive sign, we are finding more and more ways to try to find that balance between living with the virus and keeping that surge down. >> hopefully this is the year that we figure that out. thank you so much for that report. and countries around the world are racing to cut off the spread of the omicron variant. cnn is covering the global response. >> in tel aviv, israel is rolling out a fourth shot of the covid vaccine wr people with suppressed immune systems. they've stopped short of approving it for over 60s and health workers for now. the prime minister said israel will lead the way in administering a fourth vaccine to the israeli people and the strategy for overcoming the variant is clear, the greater the wave, the greater protection we would need to overcome it. the wave is reaching greater heights. on thursday the country recorded almost 5,000 new cases. that's the most since september. just a couple of weeks ago israel was recording fewer than 1,000 cases per day. the number of people infected by each covid sufferer climbed to a level not seen since june. >> i'm david mckenzie in cape town. authorities say the country may have passed the wave of omicron-dominated infections. in fact, they are reducing the amount of restrictions in time for the new year, including ending a many months' long curfew. there's new research coming out from private hospitals showing that in the early stages of this wave, people were far less sicker, especially around the issues of acute respiratory illness. again, indicating at least anecdotally that omicron in this country has been less severe. >> i'm ivan watson in hong kong, where authorities had a grim warning to residents on new year's eve. they said for the first time in nearly three months there have been two cases of local transmission of covid. both of the omicron variant. and it's being blamed on an air crew member of the cathay pacific airline who they accuse of breaking at-home orders and going to dine in a restaurant where the cases appear to have spread. now, they're calling for more severe quarantine restrictions on air crew, so cathay pacific is suspending long-haul cargo flights, saying this is going to cause severe disruptions to the supply chain. meanwhile, the government is urging the population to get a third vaccine booster shot. and thanks to our cnn teams around the world. back here in the united states, colorado governor jared polis is calling it a new year's miracle that no deaths have been reported, after fast-moving wildfires engulfered parts of the state. winds up to 105 miles per hour fueled the fires that destroyed more than 500 homes and forced some 35,000 people to flee. the wildfire began thursday morning and spread rapidly across thousands of acres and the area is still too dangerous for residents to return. president biden is out with a new year's message for the american people. during a pre-recorded video on abc, the commander in chief and first lady struck an optimistic tone heading into 2022. >> no matter how tough the challenge, how high the obstacles, we always overcome. this virus has been tough. as we enter the new year i'm more optimistic about america's future than i've ever been. at our best we've taken every crisis we've faced and turned it into an opportunity to be a stronger and better nation. >> biden and the first lady also paid tribute to medical workers on the front lines of the covid fight. major new year's eve plans were scaled back around the world due to the spread of the omicron variant, but many say they still found ways to celebrate. that, of course, times square in new york city. only about 15,000 masked and fully vaccinated people gathered in person for the times square ball drop. over in london, big ben's clock chimed at the stroke of midnight, kicking off a spectacular new year's eve celebration in the uk. another major show of fireworks in dubai to bring in the new year. still ahead, now that 2022 is here, the midterms are just around the corner. next, why biden's struggle to push through his agenda could cause problems for democrats. okay everyone, our mission is to provide complete balanced nutrition for strength and energy. woo hoo! ensure, complete balanced nutrition with 27 vitamins and minerals. and ensure complete with 30 grams of protein. ♪ ♪ you don't get much time for yourself. so when you do, make it count with crest pro-health. it protects the 8 areas dentists check for a healthier mouth. the #1 toothpaste brand in america. crest. ♪ 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 ♪ so just months from now, voters across the united states are going to determine who will call the shots in washington for the next two years, emboldened by lagging pole numbers, republicans seem all but certain to pick up new seats and potentially take the house and senate. democrats may have to find new ways to show voters they will keep their promises after self-imposed deadlines to pass key portions of president biden's agenda came and went last year. with us this morning to discuss, democratic strategist maria cardona and gop strategist, alice stewart. thank you so much for joining us and sharing part of your new year's day with us. happy 2022. let's get right to it. 34 states are holding senate elections this year. here are ten states cnn is watching as the most likely to flip. four of them currently held by democrats, six by republicans. alice, to you first, which of these races are you focusing on as pick-up opportunities? what is it going to take to flip them? >> it's going to take really galvanizing the republican party together and really capitalizing on the division and the low morale in the democratic party, which is in full swing. i happen to look at georgia, my home state, because it was a pivotal race earlier in 2021, and i'm looking at georgia to see the raphael warnock race get flipped back to republican hands. i see georgia as a big pick-up opportunity, and certainly other states across the country can galvanize and focus on what we see as a low morale problem with the democrats, and also the low accomplishment in terms of the democratic policy agenda, accomplishments. and so those are key places and ways we can look at turning over the senate from democrat to republican. >> and maria, where on the map are you looking? >> first of all, boris, you started out this segment by talking about resolutions, and democrats are going to make it their new year's resolution to not lose any seats in the house and to increase our margins in the senate. and, look, there's no question that it's going to be a tough year because history dictates that. normally the president that is in power, his party or her party loses seats in the midterm elections. but, look, we are focused on talking about economic growth, we are focused on talking about all of the accomplishments that are under president biden and democrats' belts. you have 6 million jobs that were created, 200 million americans have been vaccinated. you had economic growth that was huge. labor participation is up. wages are up. people are worried, there's no question, about the omicron variant now, and president biden had a great speech last week where he laid out a big, bold plan to make sure that we are able to crush this virus. and so i think that there are a lot of opportunities for senate pick-ups, as well as not just keeping the house, but increasing the house. and i know a lot of people are going to roll their eyes at that. but, look, there are eight more months where democrats can make sure to talk about all of these great accomplishments, including the american relief plan, including the infrastructure bill, and while we did not build back better, at least in 2021, we are still focused on making it happen in 2022 because americans' economies are at stake. the child tax credit has to pass. we have to pass universal health care, universal kindergarten for all of our kids, elderly care. so we're hoping that joe manchin will come to the table, and maybe a senator as well. lisa murkowski, i'm looking at you. who understand that they have to govern and they have to meet the needs of the american people and they are in need right now and democrats are going to continue to fight for them. >> there is a perception problem, and i want to stay with you because a recent cnn poll found that three-quarters of americans are worried about the state of the economy. only three in ten voters said that president biden's policies have improved economic conditions in the country. the white house had been holding out for biden's social spending bill, you mentioned joe manchin effectively sinking it a few weeks ago. how do democrats turn that perception around? you mentioned a list of accomplishments from the white house. it doesn't seem like it's sinking in. >> you're right, we have to do a much better job of bragging. we have to make sure that americans understand what we have accomplished, what we have accomplished for them, and what we will continue to fight for. build back better is not dead. build back better is going to continue to be a focus of the democrats, of president biden, i hope joe manchin as well. and, look, maybe it's not going to look like what it looked like at the end of 2021, but there are definitely pieces in there that we can do together that will be important to make sure that the american people continue to look at their own economies and that they see opportunities not just to survive, but to succeed and to thrive. and there are so many proposals in there, boris. as you know, they're immensely popular with the american people. and so democrats do need to continue to talk about the accomplishments that i listed, the infrastructure bill is going to inject millions into the economy. the american relief plan that we passed earlier in 2021 that put shots in arms, that put money in the pockets of the american families that were desperate for help, that helped jobs -- not just jobs, but helped small businesses survive the pandemic, all in the face of a republican party who refused to join democrats to do anything to help the american people while they were happy once these laws were passed to join in ribbon-cutting ceremonies and taking credit for something that they absolutely did not do. so we will absolutely continue to brag about all of these accomplishments, that is something we need to do a much better job of. >> boris, if i may just -- clearly maria's new year's resolution is to look at politics in an optimistic lens. but to fact check the list of accomplishments, one of the cornerstones of joe biden's campaign was to unify the country. he's having trouble unifying his own party as the progressives are steamrolling through his own agenda. the build back better plan has failed. it's not moving forward. we have a terrible humanitarian crisis at the border. inflation is a big problem. it's not transitory, it's long term. he said he would get a handle on covid. covid is worse over the past year than when he took office, as well as the abysmal withdraw from afghanistan. we're seeing rising gas prices, rising price of food and the economy is in peril. those are the kind of issues that are concerning to the american people. boris, you mentioned that is a key focus for the american people. also, an important part of that recent cnn poll is when people look at joe biden's accomplishments or how he has handled the economy, 55% of american people disapprove of the way joe biden has handled the economy and that is a key issue for them. so that bodes not well for biden and the democrats moving forward. there's also a terrible morale problem within the democratic party. they are certainly concerned about their lack of accomplishments and the fear of losing, but also a key factor is they are concerned about how redistricting will impact their districts moving forward. so i think, as they say, democrats, you have a real problem in the midterm elections. >> unfortunately we have to leave the conversation there. i had so many more questions, but sometimes chatting with you, you both go back and forth. i love it. thank you so much for the time. happy 2022. look forward to seeing you both soon once all this omicron stuff is behind us. >> thank you. we've got a check of your top stories just ahead. plus, if one of your 2022 goals is to get your finances in order, yes, i've got my hand up, we've got a few tips to help. that's next. i've lost count of how many asthma attacks i've had. but my nunormal with nucala? fewer asthma attacks. nucala is a once-monthly add-on injection for severe eosinophilic asthma. not for sudden breathing problems. allergic reactions can occur. get help right away for swelling of face, mouth, tongue, or trouble breathing. infections that can cause shingles have occurred. don't stop steroids unless told by your doctor. tell your doctor if you have a 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[cheering] that was awesome. and, the hits won't quit, with peacock premium included at no additional cost. all that entertainment built in. xfinity. a way better way to watch. we're less than one week away from the one-year anniversary of the january 6th attack on the capitol, and while the insurrectionists failed in their attempt to stop the democratic process, there are concerns that next time could be different. >> a group of retired generals say they are concerned we could once again see political violence following the 2024 election, and the perpetrators could be members of america's military. cnn's pamela brown sat down with one of them. >> reporter: three retired military generals have authored an op-ed in the "washington post" saying they are growing more and more worried about the potential for political violence in the military. one part really stands out. quote, as we approach the first anniversary of the deadly insurrection at the u.s. capitol, we, all of us former senior military officials, are increasingly concerned about the aftermath of the 2024 presidential election, and the potential for lethal chaos inside our military, which would put all americans at severe risk. in short, we are chilled to our bones at the thought of a coup succeeding next time. i'm joined by brigadier general steven m. anderson. thank you for joining us tonight. this is a big step for you and two colleagues to speak out like this. what motivated you all to write this column now? >> well, thank you, pamela, for having us on. yes, it's very difficult for me to talk like this. i was raised in the army to be apolitical, not pick sides, and i've never been active politically. but the events of the last couple of years, particularly the 6th of january has changed my mind considerably. we can no longer afford to be apolitical. i was a conservative republican my entire political life, i voted as such but never was active until 2016 when things changed and trump got ahold of the republican party and now it has lost itself, its way, and it's overwhelmed with cowardice. but i took an oath to this country that i would support and defend the constitution of the united states against all enemies, foreign and domestic, and my coauthors and i and the organization we work with closely, we're tremendously concerned about the threat internally, the threat domestically, within the military in particular. and so we need to start taking actions now to prepare for the eventuality in 2024 that trump will try to do the same things he did in 2020, which he got incredibly close. we're just trying to write an article that highlights our view that democracy at risk, we love our country and we need to take actions now to mitigate that risk. >> why are you so concerned about what's going on within the military in particular? >> well, if you look at the extremism that has gone on within the military, you look at those that were active in the actual assault on the capitol, over 10% had a military background. we all saw the pictures of the guys with zip ties and helmets and marching in formations into that throng. there's a threat within. we've got people that haven't been educated, they haven't been found out, and they've grown in power through perhaps inaction on the parts of some of our key leaders, and we need to do what we can do now to identify those people, get them out of our ranks, and train the rest of the force on civics 101, about how our country is supposed to work, how elections work. stop listening to the pillow guy and start learning about our country and how it's actually supposed to run. >> really quickly, just walk us through your concern about this partisan divide and how it could impact the chain of command and why that is so concerning to you in terms of preventing another coup attempt potentially in 2024. >> well, the big problem here is allegiance to the constitution versus allegiance to a leader. in this case a cult-like figure like trump. there's a lot of people in uniform that are confused about that. they think the president is something like a king and it's not. you know, we swore an oath to the constitution. that's how our soldiers, sailers, airmen and marines need to act. we're concerned there's so much activity within the military that shows that people are ignorant of what our constitution is really all about and they have responded to people like trump. and when he tells them to jump, they're probably willing to do that. >> all right, that is just chilling, bone chilling, as you say in the op-ed. brigadier general steven anderson, thank you. >> thank you. >> stop listening to the pillow guy. always good advice. still ahead, the up and coming singer-songwriter using her voice to help those struggling with depression and anxiety. we'll hear from her next. people everywhere living with type 2 diabetes are waking up to what's possible... with rybelsus®. the majority of people taking rybelsus® lowered their blood sugar and reached an a1c of less than 7. rybelsus® isn't for people with type 1 diabetes. don't take rybelsus® if you or your family ever had medullary thyroid cancer or have multiple endocrine neoplasia syndrome type 2, or if allergic to it. stop rybelsus® and get medical help right away if you get a lump or swelling in your neck, severe stomach pain, or an allergic reaction. serious side effects may include pancreatitis. tell your provider about vision problems or changes. taking rybelsus® with a sulfonylurea or insulin increases low blood sugar risk. side effects like nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea may lead to dehydration, which may worsen kidney problems. wake up to the possibility of lower a1c with rybelsus®. you may pay as little as $10 for up to a 3-month prescription. ask your healthcare provider about rybelsus® today. 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(vo) ask your doctor if it's right for you. learn how we could help you save on imbruvica. welcome back, everyone, to this special edition of new day weekend. i'm amara walker. >> i'm boris sanchez. the new year usually comes with resolutions and for some that may mean getting a handle on your finances. we've got tips to help you get your financial house in order this year. >> and we will introduce you to the up and coming singer-songwriter using her voice and platform to help other young people dealing with adversity. first, let's get a check of your top story. >> i'm ryan nobles now in washington. president biden is expected to speak with ukrainian president zelensky tomorrow, just days after urging russian president putin to ease the ongoing military crisis at ukraine's border. during a call with putin on friday, biden said that he made clear that there will be, quote, a heavy price to pay if russia invades ukraine. let's go to cnn's rnick robertsn for more on this. >> we're beginning to hear president biden and european allies and partners have said there would be a heavy economic price to pay for russian continued tensions along the border with ukraine, that this will be economic. but i think the message that's coming across now and it's certainly one that is being heard at the kremlin is not only is it economic, there will be a military price to pay. i think some analysts had looked at the situation earlier in december and said neither united states, nor its nato partners, were willing to send troops into ukraine to support the ukrainians and that was something that president putin would see as a weakness. what we heard from president biden yesterday reaffirming clearly that if russia invades ukraine, then nato, including the united states, obviously, would increase their presence in europe, which is the complete opposite of what putin is trying to achieve. putin wants to see nato rejuice its presence on the eastern borders of europe, it wants commitments from nato that it won't allow ukraine to join and won't base troops and military equipment inside ukraine. i think the narrative is beginning to sharpen and focus. the question for president putin now, is if he continues on his track it's going to have a negative impact of drawing in more nato troops closer to his border and that's the thing he feels most sensitive about. where the negotiations go at the moment is wide open, ryan. >> nic robertson live in moscow. thank you for that report. back here at home 2022 is getting off to a chilly start. some states are getting hit hard with snow and freezing temperatures. let's get a check on the forecast with allison chinchar. good morning. >> good morning. we're talking about snow, ice and even the potential for tornadoes. let's focus on the winter side first. we have winter weather alerts that stretch from arizona up to maine, so this is a pretty wide-stretching storm. most of the snow is going to be focused across the eastern rockies in the first half of the day, spreading over into areas of the midwest once we get into the afternoon and evening hours for states like ohio and into michigan. overall as we transition into sunday, more of that colder air begins to surge into the northeast, which means the snow and ice will follow into that area as well. a pretty wide swath of about 4 to 6 inches, stretching from northern kansas all the way over toward the chicago suburbs, areas of southern michigan and portions of the northeast as well. also ice is going to be a big concern, especially on the roadways for portions of northern missouri, areas of kansas, as well as southern iowa. on the southern side of the storm, severe thunderstorms are the big concern. we have a couple of severe thunderstorm warnings across areas of southern kentucky. this red area is actually a tornado watch that's valid for about another hour or so, the yellow indicating a severe thunderstorm watch. more of those may be to come as we go through the day today, because this is the area for severe weather. it's a pretty large area at the ohio valley, mississippi river valley and even portions of the southeast. on nashville, memphis, even little rock potentially looking at tornadoes, damaging winds and even some hail. >> allison chinchar, thank you for that update. imagine starting the new year off with $483 million. i could go for that. that's how much is up for grabs in tonight's powerball drawing. one lucky winner walked away with nearly $700 million back in october. since then, there's been 37 drawings, but no one has brought a winning ticket. the college football championship is set. the number one alabama crimson tide will meet the number three georgia bulldogs after winning their semifinal bowl games yesterday. in the cotton bowl classic, quarterback bryce young threw for 181 yards and three touchdowns in a 27-6 win over the cincinnati bearcats. that game never really in doubt. in the orange bowl, georgia quarterback stetson bennett threw for 310 yards and three touchdowns in a 34-11 win over michigan's wolverines. the bulldogs will meet the crimson tide january 10th in indianapolis. the s.e.c. continues to dominate college football. betty white is being remembered today as a talented comedienne and entertainer, who, despite great success, remained humble. >> i've been lucky enough to do so much. if i start complaining about anything under the sun, throw me out of the business. >> white died yesterday, just a few weeks shy of her 100th birthday. tributes are pouring in from around the world, including this one from her former costar, ryan reynolds. the world looks different now. she managed to grow very well, and somehow not old enough. for decades, singer song writers carole king and james taylor have left a remarkable impact on the music industry. don't miss a cnn concert film. watch "call out my name" tomorrow night at 9:00 p.m. right here on cnn. and i'll see you back here at the top of the hour. for now, let's send it back to boris and amara. with the start of a new year brings new resolutions and a chance to refocus. for some f us that might mean paying closer attention to our finances, especially now as prices on nearly everything continue to go up. joining us is julian keel, a senior editor at cnn, a team that is always testing out the best products and services to help you save money. julian, happy new year. great to have you. there are plenty of simple things people can do to get their financial house in order, and a big one, of course, is paying down as much debt as you can, right? >> absolutely. most people hate talking about debt. it's one of the least favorite financial topics. but if you're looking to spend more money on the things you want or just want to get your finances more under control, paying down at least a portion of that debt in 2022 is vital, especially if it's credit card debt because the interest rates on those credit cards are so high, if you're only making the minimum payment each month you're paying most of it toward interest and not really paying down the debt itself. now, there's a solution to this that seems counterintuitive. believe it or not, one thing you can do is go out and get another credit card. no, not to go spend on a spending spree and buy more, but rather you're going to look for a credit card that has an introductory balance transfer offer. these are cards that come with the ability to transfer an existing balance from another credit card and get zero percent interest anywhere from 12 to 21 months from the date you first opened the account. once you've got your interest rates down to zero, when you're making that monthly payment all of it is going to your principal and none to your interest. if you want to pay down debt, we have a list of our favorite balance transfer credit cards at cnn and that's a great place to start. >> that is a great idea, transfer the balance to get your interest rate to zero. some of these interest rates are shockingly high. we'll move on. a lot of this has to do with budgeting. you've got to prioritize what to pay down first. >> yeah, if debt is everyone's least favorite topic, budgeting might be number two. if you are nervous about budgeting, one thing you can do is take a look at the popular apps that are available out there. we test these apps every year, consistently pocket guard is one of our favorite. it's cheap, easy to use, and there's a free version to get started. if you're still nervous about budgeting, another option is to create a spending plan. this is similar to a budget, except you're putting aside money for just the things you absolutely need that you have to pay for and then you can do whatever you want with the rest. for instance, when you get your monthly paycheck if you created three spending plan buckets, the first one would be to pay yourself back. you always want to pay yourself first. you're going to put the first bucket of money toward a retirement fund, a college fund, even a vacation fund. pay yourself first. then the second bucket is the essentials, the things that you must pay each month. rent, utilities, car payments. these are the things you can't do without. whatever is left for the third bucket, that's your fun money. that you can do whatever you want with. again, not totally different than a budget, but a lot of people find it easier to use a spending plan. that's one way you might get started in 2022 on the right foot. >> you have great advice. i wish i had known you many years ago. so doing all of these things could have an impact on your credit score, right? >> it could. and credit scores are something that scare a lot of people because they're complicated and people don't really understand how they work. but a great credit score or a good one can open the door to better car loans, better credit cards, even to buying a house with a morgtgage down the line. there's really only one way to improve your credit score permanently, and that's to pay your bills on time each month consistently. but if you're looking for a little bit of a jump-start, one product we like is called experian boost. this is created by experian, one of the three major credit reporting agencies in the u.s. and what it does is adds the on-time payments for items that wouldn't normally appear on your credit report to your credit score, such as utility payments, cell phone payments, even your netflix payments. by adding those on-time payments, it increases your credit score without you really having to do anything. now, not all lenders use experian boost, but it is a good way to get a jump-start. >> wow, that's very good advice. yeah, who would ever be delinquent on their netflix payments, right? you've got one more tip. specifically for homeowners. >> if you haven't refinanced in the last two years and you're feeling left out, believe it or not, it's not too late. interest rates are not at historical lows that they were in 2020, but they are still relatively low. if your mortgage is more than a few years old, there's a good chance you can find a lower interest rate through a refinance than you currently are paying on your mortgage. also, because home values have gone up to drastically in the last year, you may be able to take cash out of your home because the value is higher than it was. now, there's lots of ways to start a refinance. you can go directly to a lender, you can approach a broker. one way we like to do it at cnn underscored is with an online marketplace where you can get multiple offers at the same time. if you want to start on that process, and i recommend that you do if you haven't already, check us out at cnn.com underscored for a list of our favorite online lending marketplaces. >> what a pleasure to talk to you. happy new year. let's all start with a clean slate, if we can. thank you so much, julian. >> happy new year to you. >> happy new year 2022. make this the 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(burke) seventeen-car garage you got there? ♪we are farmers♪ ♪bum-pa-dum, bum-bum-bum-bum♪ 19-year-old rising singer-songwriter has thousands of followers on instagram and millions of music streams online. before the fame, grace struggled with depression and anxiety after being bullied by classmates in high school. >> for her debut album, she has released a short film recreating both the traumatic experiences of her past and the healing journey that got her through it all. listen. >> that 75th cafe, the place where every ounce of my dignity was stolen, the place where i learned to hate myself, the place where i learned to hate others. it's also the place where i learned that everyone, even the worst people, are human. i realized that only hurt people hurt people. these girls who i so desperately wanted to be were so broken, they just learned from a very young age how to create the illusion of perfection, even though they were the farthest thing from it. >> christi paul sat down with her to talk about the project. >> grace, it's so good to see you. congratulations on your debut album here, "black box". i know this is happening on world mental health day. what made you want to share your own experience with mental health? >> what made me want to share my own experience with mental health is really, you know, i think it's so hard to be a teenager in today's society, and i think that as much as i can do to help the next generation have an easier time than i did, you know, that's really what i want to use my voice and platform for. i knew that i didn't just want to put out an album, i wanted to put out a project that i feel could actually make a difference in the world. >> so it takes a lot of strength. i mean, it takes a lot of gumption to be as vulnerable as you're allowing yourself to be publicly. help us understand what you went through. >> i went through a lot of bullying in school about a lot of different things and i explore all of these topics in black box. i went through anxiety, depression, a learning disability, sort of coming to terms with my sexuality. a lot of things that i feel a lot of kids go through today. and, you know, bullying, unfortunately, is very prevalent in today's sort of school system and society and it can really affect, you know, people long-term. it certainly affected me. but i'm really grateful for the experiences i did have, because it allowed me to create a project like "black box" and sort of turn something that was rather painful into something beautiful. >> what have you heard from people about this? because i know that when somebody, particularly if you're younger, a teenager or early 20s, you see somebody going through something that you're going through now or that you have been through, it is so strengthening. you must be getting some sort of feedback from people. >> the feedback has probably been the most rewarding part of the entire project. i get countless messages on a d day-to-day basis of teens sharing their own coming-out story or people sharing how they were able to overcome their fear of therapy and it's amazing to see the music really doing something good. it's been an incredible way for me to connect with fans on a much deeper and more personal level. it's just amazing. i'm fascinated by human beings and our entire existence, so it's great to see the project have a positive impact. >> it's so nice to hear you talk about therapy, because it can have a negative connotation to it. i love therapy, personally. i've been there, i've done it. is that part of your hope, is to make sure that people figure out a way to get the help they need? oftentimes it has to come from somebody else and it's a professional. >> absolutely. i think therapy is a really important part of anybody's healing journey, but, you know, i totally understand that therapy is not always available to everyone, so part of my mission with the blackboxproject.org, i paired up with a professional therapist who walks through 12 of the topics discuss in black box, anxiety, depression, sexuality, et cetera. on the website she provides sort of free guidance for teens, adults, anyone who is really searching for it, and it's really easy to access and that's something that i wish i had when i was younger. so i wanted to make sure that was something i included in this project for anyone who may be struggling. >> i love how strong you are and how brave you are and how talented you are. thank you for everything you're doing. we wish you the very best. >> thank you so much. i'm happy to be here today. >> we are happy to have you. take good care of yourself. we're cheering you on. >> thank you. we've got a look at your top stories when we come back. plus, we're counting down the top ten political stories of 2021. my nunormal? 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