left open, and what happens in cases like that, it allows the smoke to spread in a rapid fashion. it appears as though many who were injured in this case was due to smoke inhalation. i spoke to a young man who was an uber driver. his loved ones were in the building, and he's seeking information, so i can only imagine the uncertainty that is really engulfing those who have families that are connected. but this tragedy's impact -- layers apart from each other. and we're going to try to get as much information as possible to all those who are seeking it. >> i want to get right to cnn's polo sandoval live at the scene. polo, just an awful situation. is there any word yet on what started this fire, how it spread so quickly through that large building? >> reporter: yeah, and not at this point, too, jim. that's going to obviously be part of the investigation. that's really going to be a big focus here. but just to get a sense of what happened here, that fire starting at one of those apartments in the building that you see behind me, about 19 floors. now, the fire itself mainly contained to that duplex apartment. but the smoke, as you just heard from the mayor, that was the biggest threat here. that's what led to so much devastation and so many injuries here. and now that we know those 19 fatalities. and this community in the bronx, jim, is preparing for news that that number is likely going to get even higher, especially when you hear, for example, from the firer commissioner who says that this will likely be one of the worst fires that personnel has responded to in over 30 years. >> units arrived here this morning within three minutes of the call for a fire that was in a duplex apartment. the apartment spanned floors two and three. they were met in the hallway with this fire. very heavy smoke, very heavy fire. units pushed in. this smoke extended the entire height of the building, completely unusual. members found victims on every floor in stairwells and were taking them out in cardiac and respiratory arrest. >> reporter: yeah, of those 32 that were seriously injured, we now know 19 dead, nine of them children. and the fire commissioner telling me that he fears once everything is said and done and they continue to tally up these numbers that many of them will be children that have been affected by this. and just to give you a sense of it i spoke to somebody who lived up on the 13th floor who said this morning at about 11:00 they were going to start enjoying their coffee when they looked out their door and saw thick smoke multiple stories up. the smoke, it was everywhere in this building as the fire commissioner said, the amount of smoke that the residents in this building had to deal with was unprecedented. >> yeah, it must be so frightening for the people there. and, polo, when was the last time new york city saw a fire of this magnitude? i mean, they don't have fires like this very often. >> reporter: they certainly don't. and the fire commissioner told me that this was the last time that they saw something that would potentially compare to this is about 32 years ago a fire here in the bronx. so it certainly gives you kind of a sense of when the last time was that they had to respond with these numbers. there were 200 personnel that were out here trying to rescue pe people. you can see those firefighters on those ladder trucks rescuing many people, some of them obviously through windows. you see so many windows that were shattered. one of the neighbors told me that those were people shattering windows just to get some fresh air. as we continue to hear from first responders, smoke inhalation, that was the biggest threat today, not the fire itself. >> yeah, absolutely. polo sandoval, we'll get back to you as this story develops. polo sandoval on the scene for us, thanks very much. now to the coronavirus pandemic and the nation's healthcare system being pushed to a new limit as omicron cases just explode, nearly a quarter of hospitals in the united states today reporting a critical staffing shortage. that's the worst it's been since the start of the pandemic. people who need medical care for reasons other than covid may now have a big problem. some of states including new york have stopped all nonurgent surgeries at certain facilities, and a labor and delivery unit was shut down indefinitely at a florida hospital. and the wave has not yet reached its peak in many parts of the country. dr. anthony fauci warns the u.s. could soon hit 1 million cases every day, a mind-boggling surge just as kids are heading back to the classroom. chicago students are caught in a tug of war between schools who want them in the classroom and teachers who want remote learning. in california new data illustrates just how much is at stake when deciding how to safely get kids back to school. children's hospital los angeles reports that roughly one-quarter of children hospitalized with covid are admitted to the pediatric icu, some requiring intubation. let's go to cnn's natasha chen in los angeles county. natasha, scary situation all over. i know the los angeles unified school district is a big school district, second largest in the country. how are they handling things right now? >> reporter: jim, it is smoother sailing with this district. i'm actually at one of their middle schools where this is a testing site, one of many that have been opened for the past week, especially this weekend. testing even 2,500 people a day just right here, the line really has not let up since we've been here this morning. and that's because a base-line test is required from students and employees in order to show up in person on tuesday. you have to show a negative test. they did this back in august. they also have been implementing required weekly tests for students and employees. and that's been really key in catching those positive cases and keeping those people home. in addition, they have 100% vaccinated employees. those students 12 and up will have to be fully vaxxed by august, and about 90% of them right now are. masks are required indoors and outdoors during school. so a combination of those things, plus what this spokesperson describes to me as ghostbusters-level sanitation have allowed them to keep all, 1,000 plus schools, open for in-person learning this entire school year. no one has had to go virtual here. and in talking about the children's hospital statistics that you mentioned, dr. susan wu from children's hospital l.a. told me right now that the concern is children under 5. >> we've had several little waves come through, and this definitely has been the fastest. and what's different is we're seeing a lot of babies, a lot of younger kids, and that's been something that we've had to learn from and adjust to if someone tests positive in your household, you isolate for the recommended period of time to prevent transmission. but we're seeing a lot of young kids who, you know, it's just not possible to do that. and we're seeing a lot of families where everybody in the family has tested positive. >> reporter: i think we all know a family somewhere where there is a person who's perhaps positive and needs to be shut up in their room for multiple days. can't really do that with a baby. so, that is a real challenge. she says that's a major reason everyone else in the household should be vaccinated if you've got a younger person to protect. right now the positivity rate at that hospital, children's hospital l.a. went from 17.5% among the children being brought in, in december compared to right now to date in january, 45%. so that's more than double, quite a spike right now. jim? >> absolutely. all right, natasha chen, thank you very much for that. i'm joined now by cnn medical analyst and professor of medicine in surgery at george washington university, dr. jonathan reiner. you know, it's hard to get your head around some of these numbers, dr. reiner. 1 million cases a day, a real possibility now according to dr. fauci. is there anything left the biden administration can do to get us out of this hole? or are we just going to have to ride this thing out? >> um, well, first of all, i think a million cases a day is going to be probably a big underestimate. remember, a lot of people are testing at home now, and very few of those tests are being reported. so, i expect that many more than a million people a day will end up contracting this virus. look, i think the biden administration has focused most of their energy over the last year in trying to vaccinate as many americans as possible. and they vaccinated about 210 million people, which is a great achievement, except about a third of the country remains unvaccinated. but they spend less attention on testing, and we're starting to see how we're being hurt by that. so, going back to, you know, to how you opened this piece, if you want to get kids and teachers back in schools, the way to do that is a multipronged approach, including flooding our schools with testing. testing kids every week, testing teachers every week, requiring teachers to be vaccinated, and they are in most parts of this country. requiring students to be vaccinated. only 25% of kids between 5 and 11 are vaccinated. only 63% of children between 12 and 17 are vaccinated. so, there's a lot we can do. and i think in communities with a lot of viral spread right now with really high cases of -- levels of the virus that we need to start thinking about some smart community containment before you close the school. so, if we're struggling to keep schools open, it's amazing to me that the bars are still open. >> right. it's true, yeah. where are our priorities? >> we need to be able to do some difficult things, maybe close down some things in the community and prioritize keeping schools open, prioritize keeping our hospitals functioning. >> yeah. well, and that brings me to this tweet that resonated with a lot of folks in capturing some of the frustration of the moment. stay indoors, but also return in person. wear a mask but not that one. the expensive one, the one you can't find. take rapid tests which you also can't find. but if you find them, don't buy them. they don't work, you need pcr, there are zero appointments in your area. and on and on on, i suppose you could say with that tweet. what do you think? we still don't really have our stuff together, if i can avoid using salty language on a sunday, when it comes to being prepared for any of this. >> right. and what's so frustrating is that we know what works. so, first of all, masks work to lower community spread. but we still don't have sort of a ubiquitous supply of n95 masks in the community. this should've been a priority over the last year to build these community supplies. they should be, you know, really available at a nominal cost or basically free to everyone. the notion that people still walking around with bandannas or single-ply masks is just hard to understand. we should have, again, ready supplies of rapid tests. you should be able to pick them up basically at the corner store for nothing. we should have prioritized boosting this country. we've only boosted a third of the people who have been vaccinated in this country. and less of the total population. so we've had the tools to contain even this very aggressive variant. we've just not put all the pieces together. >> but, you know, there's another piece of this, and that leads me to this next question. unfortunately, dr. reiner, it's become a tradition for you to come on here and clear up tucker carlson's covid nonsense. here's his latest involving viagra, if you can believe this. >> amazingly there appear to be growing connections between viagra and treatment of the coronavirus. one healthcare company is providing coronavirus tests along with their e.d. medication. who thought viagra would save us from the pandemic? well, as you said, if you're taking a massive quote of vague ar -- viagra, i think it's pretty obvious. >> i suppose some people will justify those prescriptions with just about anything. but, you know, his show really should come with a surgeon general's warning for disinformation. i mean, that's the problem here. >> well, here's the thing. that show has propagated myth and foulcy and the phrase that you sometimes use on this show which starts with bull repeatedly. what they have not done is told their audience what we know works to prevent mortality in this country, which is simply to vaccinate people. they promoted ivermectin and hydroxychloroquine. now they're promoting viagra. it's the king of anecdotes, not the king of data. and i challenge mr. carlson, why don't you have a legitimate expert on your show to discuss some of these fringe whack-job opinions that you seem to spout nightly. and he does it in a very, very sort of cynical way. he doesn't say necessarily that vaccines are bad, he says what do we know about the safety of vaccines. or he won't necessarily promote viagra, but he says there's a report in london that viagra might work. but magically there's no one ever available to basically vet these comments. it's become basically the repository of nonsense. >> yeah, and there are plenty of experts available. and he always puts it in the form of a question, which is, you know, we're just raising questions over here on this program, and i guess the big question to him is why are you killing your own viewers? because that's what he's doing on almost a nightly basis with this craziness. >> right. and he is never level with his viewership about whether he's been vaccinated. my sense is that he's almost certainly been vaccinated, and i would be shocked if he wasn't boosted. but yet he hosts this continuing parade of clowns that propagate this nonsense that, you know, that somehow vaccines are harmful or that this is somehow a liberal plot to somehow subjugate the masses. and what he doesn't tell his viewers is that virtually everyone dying in the united states right now of covid-19 is unvaccinated. >> and let's just say right now a challenge to tucker carlson as we're talking about this from yours truly and from dr. reiner, tucker carlson, tell the american people if you have been double vaccinated and boosted. we know the truth, we know you have been, but just tell us. tell everybody the truth. that's all we ask. all right, dr. reiner, great to see you, as always. >> my pleasure, jim. coming up, tennis star novak djokovic faces a high-stakes hearing amid a vaccine standoff with australia. will he get to compete in one of the biggest tournaments of the year, or will he be deported? that's next. your dishes. solve 3 problems at once with finish jetdry 3in1. ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ get your personalpoints plan! i'm james corden and i'm here to tell people that ww is getting even more personal. keep on shopping. ignore us. i've lost, like, 28 pounds. you look great! wow. i love that my clothes fit better. but i just love ice cream a little bit more than that. the new ww personalpoints program is particular to you. so what kind of foods do you like? avocado. ice cream. sandwiches. no food is off limits. when can i start? join today for 50% off at ww.com. hurry, offer ends january 10th. you're a one-man stitchwork master. but your staffing plan needs to go up a size. you need to hire. i need indeed. indeed you do. indeed instant match instantly delivers quality candidates matching your job description. visit indeed.com/hire thanks for coming. now when it comes to a financial plan this broker is your man. let's open your binders to page 188... uh carl, are there different planning options in here? options? plans we can build on our own, or with help from a financial consultant? like schwab does. uhhh... could we adjust our plan... ...yeah, like if we buy a new house? mmmm... and our son just started working. oh! do you offer a complimentary retirement plan for him? as in free? just like schwab. schwab! look forward to planning with schwab. among my patients, i often see them have teeth sensitivity as well as gum issues. does it worry me? absolutely. sensodyne sensitivity & gum gives us the dual action effect that really takes care of both our teeth sensitivity as well as our gum issues. there's no question it's something that i would recommend. two loads of snot covered laundry. only one will be sanitized. wait, what? adding lysol laundry sanitizer kills 99.9% of bacteria detergent alone, can't. up at 2:00am again? tonight, try pure zzzs all night. unlike other sleep aids, our extended release melatonin helps you sleep longer. and longer. zzzquil pure zzzs all night. fall asleep. stay asleep. when you really need to sleep you reach for the really good stuff. new zzzquil ultra helps you sleep better and longer when you need it most. it's non habit forming and powered by the makers of nyquil. new zzzquil ultra. when you really really need to sleep. in less than two hours, the number one tennis player in the world, novak djokovic, will make an appeal to an australian court not to deport him because he's unvaccinated. djokovic wants to compete in the australia open and he flew to the country because he received a medical exemption. but since his arrival he's been confined to a hotel that houses refugees and asylum-seekers. cnn's paula hancocks is in melbourne to follow this story. it doesn't sound too bad for djokovic, but how's he doing in the court of public opinion right now? >> reporter: well, that's an interesting question, jim, because when it comes to many australians, they've had strict covid and border controls the entire time. i know people who have suffered because of that, everybody does. one friend was unable to leave the country to attend his own mother's funeral. so there is many stories of heartbreak when it comes to the restrictions going in and out of australia during covid. so, sympathy, i should say, is fairly thin on the ground. but there are others who do believe that novak djokovic should not be in this detention facility behind me. there have certainly been supporters outside this facility protesting every single day. and the question is where did the miscommunication come? whose fault was it? and there have been plenty of fingers of blame pointed. they believed he had a valid medical exemption and that the government had given very contradicting and confusing advice. whereas the government says back in november they had pointed out to the tournament organizers that a previous covid-19 infection, which lawyers claim djokovic had, was simply not enough to gain access to the country if he were unvaccinated. in just under two hours we will start that hearing, we will find out a little more as to exactly what happened. jim? >> and i guess the australians were upset that djokovic appeared maskless at events right around the time he said he tested positive for covid in december, or at least that's something that they're focused on. and for our viewers here in the united states, paula, people need to understand, australia has been very tough on covid, but it has had some results in that country. they've been able to keep the number of deaths down substantially compared to the rest of the world. >> well, certainly at the beginning they did, and they did have about two years of very strict controls. here in melbourne, for example, they had well over 250 days in lockdown. it was one of the most locked down cities on earth. so their sympathy is fairly thin for novak djokovic. but recently we are starting to see record highs of omicron cases here and the hospital is starting to overflow once again. so certainly the situation is deteriorating here. >> all right, paula, thank you very much for that report. we appreciate it. and coming up, the length some republicans are going to, to capitalize on trump's big lie, including firing at fake dominion voting machines. >> i'm ron hanks and i approve this message. ♪ w york from puerto rico when he was 17. with ancestry, being able to put the pieces of the puzzle together... ...it's amazing. it's honestly amazing. (music) ♪ i think to myself ♪ ♪ what a wonderful world ♪ i always dreamed of having kids of my own. ♪ ♪ now i'm ready for someone to call me mom. at northwestern mutual, our version of financial planning helps you live your dreams today. at intra-cellular therapies, we're inspired by our circle. a circle that includes our researchers, driven by our award-winning science, who uncover new medicines to treat mental illness. it includes the compassionate healthcare professionals, the dedicated social workers, and the supportive peer counselors we work with to help improve - and even change - people's lives. moving from mental illness to mental wellness starts in our circle. this is intra-cellular therapies. we're getting destroyed out there. we need a plan! i have a plan... right now at t-mobile customers on magenta max can get the new iphone 13 and t-mobile will pay for it! upgrade to the iphone 13 on us. announcer: tired of pain radiating down your leg and lower back? get relief finally, with magnilife® leg and back pain relief. and get living. available at your local retailer. back to our breaking news. 19 people dead including nine children after a massive fire at a high-rise building in new york. fire officials describing the scene in the bronx as unprecedented with victims in cardiac and respiratory arrest in the stairwells of every floor of the building that is 19 stories high. let's go back to cnn's polo sandoval who's still on the scene for us. polo, what more can you tell us? >> reporter: the big question here is what caused that fire, jim. it originally started in one of those duplex apartments, it's about 19 floors. there are about 120 units roughly in this building according to somebody who actually lives here. and it was about 11:00 this morning when fire broke out in that apartment, and that's initially what caused the situation that we've seen now. now in terms of the damage, we understand the fire itself was actually contained mostly to that apartment. but the smoke led to the majority of the injuries. over 60 people who are hurt today, about half of them were transported in a critical state to hospitals. and we now know 19 people confirmed dead, nine of them children. and that is adding just another layer of heartbreak here. and the fire commissioner telling me that that is particularly hard for so many of these first responders to deal with right now, of course, not to mention the families that are in the middle of it right now, many of whom don't know where they will be sleeping to night. there are multiple resources that are being offered to them. in fact, there's a school right next to this high-rise serving as a warming shelter right now, the red cross is making sure those families have everything they need. but the big question is what caused that fire. and when you see some of these fires of the scene and what it looked like hours ago when the fire initially broke out, you get a sense of just how many people were on the scene here. but really that's the very latest here. and it is so far based on what we're hearing from not just the fire commissioner but also from new york city mayor eric adams that this is likely going to be one of the worst fires that their first responders have responded to, at least in recent time. >> all right, polo, we know that the mayor of new york eric adams is going to give an update on this fire in the next hour. we'll be standing by for that as well. polo sandoval, thanks very much. this week in atlanta, president biden will deliver a speech on the importance of voting rights, but across the country, supporters of the former president who pushed the big lie are still pressuring local election officials to revisit the past and re-count the 2020 both. with me now is a professor of history at new york university and author of the book "strong men." she also has a newsletter on threats to democracy. and with us also is director for the center of politics at the university of virginia. really great to have you both on. really appreciate it. larry, just how widespread nationally do you think this platform of running on the big lie really is? you see this anecdotal evidence here and there of various candidates. but it seems as though they're in just about every section of the country ain a lot of battleground states that might be critical in the upcoming elections. >> they're in battleground states, and there are dozens and dozens of them running for key offices like state secretary of state and also for congress in districts where the republican nomination is tantamount to election. that's where it's really dangerous. and, look, this is serious business. trump really thought he was going to win in 2020. that's why i think this planning for a coup failed, in part, because they only had a few weeks to really consider it. well, now, he's got years, and his gang around him has years. what are they doing? they are preparing to, at least in races that are close, to ignore the popular vote. they really want to turn the electoral college into a division of trump university. that's what everyone needs to fight. and you have to start now with the midterm elections of 2022. you don't start fighting this after the election's over in 2024. >> right. the time is now, no question about it. and, ruth, this is something that is very striking. former president jimmy carter whom, as we know, monitors elections around the world or has done that for years around the world, this week released an op-ed in the "new york times." he writes in the "new york times," our great nation now teeters on the brink of a widening abyss without immediate action we are at genuine risk of civil conflict and losing our precious democracy. americans must set aside differences and work together before it is too late. do you share that view, ruth? what do you make of those comments, and what are your thoughts? >> it's very important and significant that former president carter's speaking out right now in such strong terms. also retired generals did "the washington post" op-ed, warning of an insurrection. and all of these people know what happens when the democratic order breaks down. they also know that once you lose freedom, it can take years to get it back. and what we're seeing now is the kind of more momentum after january 6th and the radicalization of the gop, and the type of people who are coming forth and populating the system are extremists who have shown that they are willing to commit violence, some of them were in january 6th that they will propagate the big lie that, they'll turn a blind eye to corruption, whether that means fixing elections or trump's own corruptions. so, we're in this mode of acceleration of extremism and populating the system, and it's very dangerous. >> and, larry, let's paint a picture of what happens if the trump republican party, what we described yesterday as the trump-owned party, wins control of the house in the november midterms. over in the senate ted cruz, who's had a rough week, has already said that there's a chance that biden could be impeached. they're talking about impeachment if they get control of the congress. i guess he may have to ask tucker carlson for his permission first before moving on that sort of thing. but what do you see happening? >> well, the republicans are currently favored to take over the house of representatives. i don't think anybody really disagrees with that. though, it's ten months to the election, strange things can happen. the senate is closer, and the races are always more idiosyncratic. there's maybe a small edge to the republicans, but that can be reversed depending on what happens in the next ten months. but, again, jim, this is serious business. people need to focus on this because the people who control are the party that controls the house and the senate. and the party that controls the state legislatures in the swing states, and there are a handful of swing states that will determine the election in 2024, just like they determined it in 2020, and those secretary of state positions that often run the elections and can determine whether these votes should be discounted and whether these votes should be counted. when you put all of this together, it just reminds me of another dictator, ruth has focused on mussolini and others. i like joseph stalin, well, i don't like him, but i like this. he said those who cast the votes count for nothing. he said those who count the votes decide everything. we need to remember that before it's too late. there are plenty of elective dictators throughout the world. look at hungary. >> that's exactly right. that is how strong power is. you know that all too well. there has been some reporting in the last week or so that people who were in the same room as trump last january 6th describe as what you might describe as a classic strongman moment, the former president kicking back, loving the chaos that he created. this is how stephanie grisham, the former white house press secretary, described it. >> all i know about that day was he was in the dining room gleefully watching on his tv, as he often did, look at all of the people fighting for me, hitting rewind, watching it again. that's what i know. >> and we should point out, that description matches what we've heard in our reporting from other former officials, people who were around trump at that time. how does that fit the profile of an autocrat, of a dictator-wannabe? >> men like trump who has an autocratic personality, they don't leave office quietly. it's like kind of a death for them. they need the adulation, they need the immunity from prosecution. so they do desperate things. and, as we know, trump tried everything. he tried to get the military to play his coup game, tried to fix elections. nothing worked so he got a kind of, you know, custom army of thugs to assault the capitol. and then, of course, he was behind the insurrection, in my view, and it makes perfect sense, and he was not saying anything to call them off because he was waiting to see if he could claim his prize. all of this is very consistent with the autocratic mentality and the idea that trump tells a very good story. he's a wonderful storyteller and prop gandist that this compelling idea that he's been robbed of something that's rightfully his. so he's the big victim, all strongmen are victims. and as you see, people are willing to go and assault the capitol on his behalf. that's the ideal situation for the strongmen. others put themselves at risk, and you stay in your nice white house and you watch everything on television. >> right. and when he was asked just the other day by one of his propaganda outlets, you know, for his reflections on january 6th, he was talking about his crowd size, which is just -- i can't think of anything that could be more repugnant than that. professor and larry, both excellent experts on this topic. thank you so much for being with us. we appreciate. >> thanks, jim. and a programming note. join fareed zakaria for a brand-new special "the fight to save american democracy" airs tonight at 9:00 eastern. really important viewing for everybody out there. coming up, he had to hide from the mob on january 6th, and now a house committee is considering asking mike pence to testify. will the former vice president come and voluntarily? our cross-exam segment with elie honig is next. it's not your average chocolate bar. it's kinder bueno! smooth milk chocolate, crispy wafer, creamy hazelnut filling. it's kinder bueno. ♪ ♪ 80% get genetically meaningful health info from their 23andme dna reports. ♪ ♪ 80%. that's 8 out of 10 people who could get something enlightening. something empowering. something that could change everything. info that could give you greater control of your own health. and it's right there, in your dna. ♪ ♪ it's the most meaningful way to start the new year. and right now, our health and ancestry kit is just $129. ♪do you know what the future holds?♪ ♪ three times the electorlytes and half the sugar. ♪ pedialyte powder packs. feel better fast. have you checked singlecare? i think you can get a cheaper price on this. cheaper meds with singlecare. stop! i should spread the word. but how? i wanna be remembered for the savings, with singlecare. you walk into the pharmacy, with great insurance. but then, (screams) singlecare beats the price of your copay. singlecare the musical. are people ready? (sings dramatically) oh, i need to get to work. telling people to check the singlecare price. i brought in ensure max protein, with thirty grams of protein. those who tried me felt more energy in just two weeks! (sighs wearily) here i'll take that! (excited yell) woo-hoo! ensure max protein. with thirty grams of protein, one gram of sugar, and nutrients to support immune health. up at 2:00am again? tonight, try pure zzzs all night. unlike other sleep aids, our extended release melatonin helps you sleep longer. and longer. zzzquil pure zzzs all night. fall asleep. stay asleep. when you really need to sleep you reach for the really good stuff. new zzzquil ultra helps you sleep better and longer when you need it most. it's non habit forming and powered by the makers of nyquil. new zzzquil ultra. when you really really need to sleep. january 6th committee expects to ask former vice president mike pence to appear voluntarily this month. the chairman of the committee congressman bennie thompson tells npr pence's appearance is critical because of the pressure the former vice president faced from trump on january 6th last year to reject the election results. and the fact that he ultimately decided not to bow to trump's pressure. thompson says the committee will meet next week to firm up plans to ask pence to appear voluntarily. cnn senior legal analyst elie honig joins us now. this is a tantalizing story and aspect to all this, whether pence would testify. it looks like they're going to forego a formal subpoena for the former vice president. one viewer wants to know what are the legal options for the january 6th committee if it invites a witness to testify, like mike pence, but that witness refuses? i suppose a subpoena could happen, but subpoena a former vice president, that would be something else. >> that is the question. we've been seeing a lot of these informal invitations to testify lately. but the question is what does the committee do when these people politely decline those informal invitations? the committee's recourse is to issue a subpoena. that is a formal command to testify, and then if people still don't testify, the committee has the option to vote to hold these folks in contempt of congress, send it over to doj for potential prosecution. of course, that's exactly what happened with steve bannon who is now being prosecuted by the justice department. and potentially with mark meadows. doj is now looking at whether to charge him for coming up in a month. and we have conflicts looming not just with the vice president but with perry and jordan. so the question is will the committee just sort of say, okay, hey, we tried, thanks for thinking about it, or will they go to court and fight to get that testimony? >> right. and another viewer wants to know, could the department of justice prosecute trump or others close to him for crimes relating to january 6th? how likely is that to happen? i mean, that is the big gazillion-dollar question in all of this. >> it sure is, and it was very much on people's minds this week. i absolutely see potential crimes here, election interference, obstruction of congress with the more clear-cut ones, arguably incitement and sedition. these are ground-level people. now, this week merrick garland made a speech on the eve of the anniversary, and he assured us we are looking to prosecute people, quote, at any level. good rhetoric, but i don't see the actions there thus far in terms of what's publicly available to back that up. we've not seen any subpoenas, any search warrants, certainly no charges that seem aimed at anyone above the ground level, anybody at a real power source. it's possible merrick garland is doing this in super secret with no subpoenas and no grand jury and no charges. but i think so far of what we've seen it's very unlikely. >> and trump has asked the supreme court to block the release of hundreds of documents to the committee. another viewer wants to know do you think the supreme court will take the case. all signs point to yes at this point, right? it would be such an important case for them to take on. >> i'm not so sure. it wouldn't surprise me if the supreme court declines to take this. i do think, either way, trump is going to lose and the committee is going to win here. now, that's what happened in the lower courts. district court and court of appeals ruled against donald trump in favor of the committee. why would the committee take the case? this is a unique constitutional question, why might the supreme court not take the case? well, there's no disagreement in the lower courts. and if you look at those rulings below, they're really pretty clear-cut. the law is fairly straightforward here, even though it's a novel question, it's not a particularly close question legally. i think it's in play that this week the supreme court says no thanks, and if so, then that's that. >> and then the records have to be turned over. >> yes, absolutely. and if they do take the case, the supreme court, then it will take several months while the case gets argued in the supreme court. but ultimately, i think, that's inevitably where they end up anyway. records do have to go over. >> all right, elie honig, we'll be watching. thanks so much. appreciate it. >> thanks, jim. and we'll be right back. to run a growing business, is to be on a journey. and along the ride, you'll have many questions. challenges. and a few surprises. ♪ but wherever you are on your journey. your dell technologies advisor is here for you - with the right tech solutions. so you can stop at nothing for your customers. at fidelity, your dedicated advisor will work with you on a comprehensive wealth plan across your full financial picture. a plan with tax-smart investing strategies designed to help you keep more of what you earn. this is the planning effect. we're a different kind of dentistry. one who believes in doing anything it takes to make dentistry work for your life. so we offer a complete exam and x-rays free to new patients without insurance - everyday. plus, patients get 20% off their treatment plan. we're on your corner and in your corner every step of the way. because your anything is our everything. aspen dental. anything to make you smile. book today at aspendental.com, walk in, or call 1-800-aspendental. this is your home. this is your family room slash gym. the guest bedroom slash music studio. the daybed slash dog bed. the living room slash yoga shanti slash regional office slash classroom. and this is the basement slash panic room. maybe what your family needs is a vacation home slash vacation home. find yours on the vrbo app. ♪ the duchess of cambridge is marking a milestone birthday today with some stunning new portraits. kensington palace has released three new photographs of kate middleton, one in color, two in black and white for her 40th birthday. they will be shown in different locations before being put in a permanent spot at britain's national portrait gallery in london. she is celebrating her birthday privately with family. a u.s. figure skater is going for gold. timothy letic is supposed to become the first openly nonbinary athlete. it's not the first time in the history books he was the first openly gay athlete to win gold in a u.s. paris event, that was in 2019. next month there will be a trip to china for the first winter olympic appearance. an uber driver is being praised for going above and beyond during a stressful situation. he was one of the many drivers stuck for hours on interstate 95 in virginia after a severe winter storm, except he had a teenager in the backseat of the car. williams had picked up the teen in washington, d.c. after her train was canceled and was taking her home to virginia. after hours stuck in this traffic, williams asked the teen's parents for permission to take her back to d.c. and book her at a hotel with his own money. the teen made it home safely the next day. williams was reimbursed, and uber is calling him a hero. and now to a sad update on the search for a missing skier. rescuers say they have recovered the body of the 43-year-old near a california ski resort. this person had been missing since christmas day when he told friends he was going skiing. he never showed for dinner. rescuers believe he got lost in the extreme snow and cold. coming up, six former biden advisers deliver a stinging critique, urging an entirely new coronavirus strategy. i'll talk to one of those advisers about the new normal we now face. now i'm running for me. i've always dreamed of seeing the world. but i'm not chasing my dream anymore. i made a financial plan to live it every day. ♪ at northwestern mutual, our version of financial planning helps you live your dreams today. find a northwestern mutual advisor at nm.com andrea: you see things as a parent-- what your expectations are for your kid growing up, the milestones going to school, graduating and getting married, having kids. and cancer was never one of those milestones in my head. st. jude has given us hope, love, a home away from home. and it feels like home. you're more than just a patient or just another family here at st. jude. ♪ ♪ do your eyes bother you? because after all these emails, my eyes feel like a combo of stressed, dry and sandpaper. strypaper? why do we all put up with this? when there's biotrue hydration boost eye drops. biotrue uses naturally inspired ingredients like an electrolyte, antioxidant, even your tears' own moisturizer. and no preservatives. these ingredients are true to your eyes' biology. see? bio.true. (music) ♪ i think to myself ♪ ♪ what a wonderful world ♪ new year, new start. and now comcast business is making it easy to get going with the ready. set. save. sale. get started with fast and reliable internet and voice for $64.99 a month with a 2-year price guarantee. it's easy... with flexible installation and backing from an expert team, 24/7. and for even more value, ask how to get up to a $500 prepaid card. get a great deal for your business with the ready. set. save. sale today. comcast business. powering possibilities. -- captions by vitac -- www.vitac.com this is cnn breaking news. >> you are live in the "cnn newsroom." i'm jim acosta in washington. we want to update you on our breaking news. 19 people are dead including nine children after a horrific fire in the bronx, the deadliest in the city in over 30 years. this is video from the scene as firefighters were trying to rescue people from the 19-story building. fire officials revealing that they found victims in the stairwell on each floor in either cardiac or respiratory arrest. we do not know at this hour how the fire started, but a door that was open allowed the smoke and fire to spread with tragic consequences. let's go to polo sandoval on the scene. we're expecting an update from the mayor in just a few moments. what do we know

Related Keywords

Saw A Fire , People , Building , Scene , Children , Fire , Jim Acosta , Officials , Bronx , Cnn Newsroom , New York City , Washington , Nine , 19 , Mayor , Respiratory Arrest , Stories , Victims , Hurt , Dozens , Stairwells , Floor , History Books , Others , Fires , History , One , Door , U S , Condition , 63 , Smoke , Cases , Oman , Case , Smoke Inhalation , Many , Fashion , Families , Uncertainty , Information , Loved Ones , Driver , Tragedy , Impact , Let S Go To Cnn , Each Other , Reporter , Situation , Polo Sandoval , Word , Point , Sense , Floors , Part , Apartments , Investigation , Focus , Community , Apartment , Threat , Injuries , News , Led , Devastation , Fatalities , Firer , Example , Number , 30 , Units , Call , Hallway , Three , Two , Height , Members , Commissioner , Everything , 32 , It , Numbers , Somebody , 13th Floor , 00 , 13 , 11 , Saw , Amount , Residents , Coffee , Magnitude , Something , They Certainly Don T , Some , Firefighters , Pe , Ladder Trucks , Personnel , 200 , Windows , Responders , Air , Neighbors , Story , Pandemic , Coronavirus , Nation , Healthcare System , Limit , Problem , Hospitals , Care , Staffing Shortage , Worst , Start , Reasons , Parts , Wave , Unit , Surgeries , Facilities , Florida Hospital , Delivery , Labor , Peak , Country , Students , Kids , Dr , Classroom , Surge , Anthony Fauci , Chicago , 1 Million , Schools , Teachers , Data , Learning , Children S Hospital Los Angeles , Stake , Back To School , California , Tug Of War , Natasha Chen , Los Angeles County , Scary Situation All Over , Pediatric Icu , Intubation , Things , District , Sailing , Testing Site , Largest , Big School District , Los Angeles Unified School District , Base Line Test , Line , 2500 , Person , Tests , Employees , Order , Back , Test , Addition , Vaxxed , 90 , 100 , 12 , School , Masks , Level , Spokesperson , Combination , 1000 , No One , Waves , Concern , 5 , Lot , Someone , Household , Positive , Babies , Family , Everybody , Young Kids Who , Prevent Transmission , Everyone , Room , Challenge , Somewhere , Reason , Baby , Hospital , In , Positivity Rate , 17 5 , Professor , Surgery , Medicine , Analyst , Spike , Double , George Washington University , 45 , Anything , Biden , Jonathan Reiner , Administration , Head , Possibility , Hole , Wall , Thing , Home , Few , Underestimate , Um , A Million , Energy , Virus , Testing , Unvaccinated , Achievement , Third , Attention , 210 Million , Way , Piece , Multipronged Approach , Testing Kids , 25 , Communities , 17 , Thinking , Levels , Bars , Keeping Schools , Priorities , Folks , Tweet , Mask , The One , Frustration , Hospitals Functioning , They Don T Work , Area , Appointments , Don T Buy Them , Pcr , Zero , Stuff , Any , Language , Sunday , Supply , Community Spread , N95 , Priority , Community Supplies , Single , Notion , Cost , Bandannas , Nothing , Supplies , Corner , Population , Tools , Variant , The Big Question , Tucker Carlson , Pieces , Tradition , Covid Nonsense , Viagra , Treatment , Latest , Connections , Quote , Healthcare Company , Medication , E D , Vague Ar , Show , Warning , Prescriptions , Surgeon General , Disinformation , Foulcy , Myth , Phrase , Works , Mortality , Bull , Audience , King , Hydroxychloroquine , Ivermectin , Anecdotes , Mr , Opinions , Expert , Spout Nightly , Vaccines , Safety , Comments , Report , Nonsense , Repository , Plenty , In London , Questions , Viewers , Experts , Question , Program , Form , Basis , Viewership , Craziness , Parade , Plot , Wasn T , Clowns , Is Unvaccinated , Masses , Truth , Tennis Star Novak Djokovic , Australia , Hearing , Coming Up , Vaccine Standoff , Pleasure , Problems , Tournaments , Dishes , Finish Jetdry 3in1 , 3 , Ww , Personalpoints Plan , Ice Cream , Shopping , Clothes , James Corden , 28 , Kind , Sandwiches , Limits , Food , Foods , Ww Personalpoints Program , Avocado , Ww Com , Hurry , 50 , January 10th , 10 , Plan , Candidates , Indeed Instant Match , Size , Staffing , Job Description , Master , Visit Indeed Com Hire , Thanks , Plans , Options , Planning Options , Binders , Broker , Consultant , Help , Page , Schwab , Uh Carl , 188 , Patients , Planning , House , Retirement Plan , Son , Uhhh , Teeth Sensitivity , Gum , Sensitivity , Gum Issues , Action Effect , Sensodyne , Lysol , Laundry , Bacteria Detergent , Loads , Snot , Can T , Wait , 99 9 , Melatonin , Release , Sleep Aids , Zzzquil Pure Zzzs , Try Pure Zzzs , 2 , Zzzquil Ultra , Habit , Makers , Nyquil , World , Court , Tennis Player , Appeal , Hotel , Exemption , Arrival , Court Of Public Opinion , Paula Hancocks , Asylum Seekers , Refugees , Melbourne , It Doesn T Sound Too Bad For Djokovic , Border , Heartbreak , Friend , Funeral , Restrictions , Mother , Supporters , Sympathy , Ground , Facility , Detention , Government , Miscommunication , Blame , Fingers , Fault , Advice , Access , Lawyers , Infection , Organizers , More , Events , Upset , Maskless , Results , Least , Controls , Deaths , Rest , Most , Record Highs , Cities , Lockdown , Earth , 250 , Republicans , Length , Donald Trump , Ron Hanks , Big Lie , Message , York , Firing , Dominion Voting Machines , Puerto Rico , Music , Ancestry , Puzzle , What A Wonderful World , Version , Circle , Therapies , Northwestern Mutual , Mom , Researchers , Peer Counselors , Healthcare , Social Workers , Professionals , Medicines , Mental Illness , Science , Lives , Customers , Magenta , Iphone 13 , Mental Illness To Wellness , T Mobile , Leg , Living , Pain Radiating , Relief , Back Pain Relief , Announcer , Retailer , Magnilife , Let S Go , 120 , Terms , Damage , Estate , Smoke Led , Majority , Half , 60 , Course , Player , Middle , Don T Know , Fact , Resources , Warming Shelter , Red Cross , Update , Right , Eric Adams , Speech , Voting Rights , Importance , Atlanta , Election , Men , Newsletter , Book , Both , Author , New York University , 2020 , Democracy , Threats , Director , Politics , Center , Running , Platform , University Of Virginia , Larry , Battleground States , Evidence , Section , Ain , Elections , Districts , Congress , Offices , State Secretary Of , Nomination , Republican , Serious Business , Coup , Races , Popular Vote , Gang , Division , Trump University , Electoral College , Over , 2024 Right The , 2022 , 2024 , Ruth , Jimmy Carter , New York Times , Whom , Op Ed , Risk , Action , Conflict , Abyss , Brink , Differences , View , President , Thoughts , Insurrection , Generals , Freedom , The Washington Post , Democratic , The System , Extremists , Momentum , Radicalization , Type , January 6th , 6 , Fixing Elections , Eye , Corruptions , Corruption , Violence , Mode , Party , Picture , Control , Extremism , Acceleration , Chance , Midterms , Senate , Impeachment , Ted Cruz , Permission , Anybody , Sort , House Of Representatives , Closer , Edge , Idiosyncratic , Ten , Swing States , State Legislatures , Handful , Votes , Secretary Of State , Joseph Stalin , Dictator , Together , Mussolini , Count , Dictators , Cast , Who , Reporting , Power , Hungary , President Kicking Back , Classic Strongman , Last , Chaos , Stephanie Grisham , Dining Room , Hitting Rewind , Tv , White House Press Secretary , Profile , Description Matches , Office , Personality , Death , Autocrat , Adulation , Capitol , Fix Elections , Military , Prosecution , Army , Thugs , Immunity , Coup Game , Mentality , Prize , Idea , Strongmen , Storyteller , Victim , Prop , Gandist , Ideal Situation , Behalf , Television , White House , Crowd Size , Reflections , Propaganda Outlets , Topic , Programming Note , Special , The Fight To Save American Democracy , Fareed Zakaria , 9 , Vice President , Elie Honig , Viewing , Mike Pence , House Committee , Segment , Mob , Creamy Hazelnut Filling , Chocolate Bar , Crispy Wafer , Kinder Bueno , 23andme , Health Info , Info , Dna , 8 , 80 , 23 , Health , Kit , 29 , 129 , Singlecare , Sugar , Times , Electorlytes , Feel , Pedialyte , Powder Packs , Price , Insurance , Copay , Meds , Savings , Pharmacy , Singlecare The Musical , Protein , Nutrients , Sighs Wearily , Excited Yell , Thirty , Bennie Thompson , Chairman , January 6th Committee , Pressure , Winter Olympic , Election Results , Trump On January 6th , Npr Pence , Committee , Pence , Subpoena , Viewer , Witness , Aspect , This , Invitations , Something Else , Command , Recourse , Option , Contempt Of Congress , Steve Bannon , Potential Prosecution , Justice Department , Mark Meadows , Conflicts , Say , Jordan , Crimes , Testimony , Trump , Big Gazillion , Election Interference , Minds , Ones , Obstruction , Incitement , Actions , Merrick Garland , Sedition , Eve , Anniversary , Rhetoric , Subpoenas , Ground Level , Search Warrants , Power Source , Anyone , Grand Jury , Supreme Court , Charges , Hundreds , Documents , Think , Signs , Me If The Supreme Court , It Wouldn T , Courts , , Court Of Appeals , District Court , Favor , Law , Novel Question , Play , Disagreement , Rulings , Records , Yes , Journey , Challenges , Growing Business , Surprises , Ride , Advisor , Tech Solutions , Dell , Planning Effect , Investing Strategies , Wealth , Dentistry , Exam , Dentistry Work , Life , Treatment Plan , At Aspendental Com , Step , Book Today , Aspen Dental , 20 , Walk In , 1 , 800 , Daybed , Family Room Slash Gym , Yoga Shanti Slash , Bedroom Slash Music Studio , The Living Room , Vacation , Panic Room , Basement Slash , Family Needs , Slash Classroom , App , Vrbo , Birthday , Duchess Of Cambridge , Portraits , Photographs , Color , Kensington Palace , Spot , Locations , National Portrait Gallery , Britain , Black And White , 40 , Timothy Letic , Gold , Athlete , Figure Skater , Time , Books , Event , Trip , China , Paris , 2019 , Uber Driver , Interstate 95 In Virginia , Winter Storm , Drivers , Above And Beyond , 95 , Teen , Williams , Backseat , Teenager , Parents , Car , Train , Traffic , Virginia , Rescuers , Search , Uber , Money , Hero , Skier , Body , 43 , Skiing , Dinner , Friends , California Ski Resort , Advisers , Cold , Snow , Critique , Coronavirus Strategy , Six , Dream , Nm Com Andrea , Parent , Milestones , Love , Expectations , Away From Home , Cancer , Kid , Jude , Patient , Feels Like Home , Eyes , Ingredients , Sandpaper , Combo , Emails , Eye Drops , Strypaper , Biotrue Hydration Boost , Electrolyte , Preservatives , Antioxidant , Tears , Moisturizer , Biology , Bio True , Business , Ready , Set , Save , Sale , Backing , Internet , Installation , Voice , Price Guarantee , Expert Team , 24 7 , 4 99 , 64 99 , Deal , Possibilities , Value , Prepaid Card , Comcast Business , 500 , Captions , Www Vitac Com , Vitac , Deadliest , City , Breaking News , Cardiac , Stairwell , Video , Consequences , Let S Go To Polo Sandoval ,