germany this week to meet with leaders there. this comes among increased drills near the ukrainian border and the kremlin is denying a report that they're emptying their embassy in the ukrainian capitol. >> also this morning, former president trump could be gearing up for 2024. we have new details about how his political operation is already organizing and how some former administration officials hope to stop him. also this morning, an urgent call for a delay in the rollout of 5g cell technology. airlines warning of possible devastating impact. lawmakers have serious safety concerns as well. what, if anything, will be done ahead of tomorrow's planned launch? lots of news that we are covering this morning. >> we are beginning with the growing global tensions over russia's increased military action near and around ukraine. our reporters are covering all the angles. let's begin with cnn's senior international correspondent, matthew chance, in ukraine's capital kiev. secretary of state blinken is traveling there tomorrow and the statement he release is not mincing words. he's talking about the west's readiness to impose massive consequences on russia if it increases military intervention in ukraine. this is a serious moment. >> reporter: it is, of course. and this visit by the secretary of state to kiev, the ukrainian capital, comes as we're all in limbo not knowing what the russian next steps are going to be. remember last week there was a week-long negotiations in various cities around europe, trying to address that russian concern, and that russian demand that nato should not be expanded any further, and more than that, that ukraine should never, ever be allowed to join the military alliance. that was a nonstarter for u.s. officials and nato as well, by the way. now we're left in a situation where the ball is in the court of the kremlin, will the russian president decide what steps he's going to take next, is he going to press the button symbolically on some kind of military invasion. certainly, there are more maneuvers, more drills, a continuing buildup, tens of thousands of russian troops just across the border. but ukrainian officials that i've spoken to are saying, look, they see this visit by secretary of state blinken and the bipartisan congressional delegation that was here just yesterday as a sign of continuing u.s. support for their position, as they continue to live under this looming russian threat. secretary of state blinken already promised, of course, crushing sanctions on russia if it steps over that border once again, and attempts or carries out an invasion against ukraine. there's also talk from congressional leaders, senators that were here, about providing even more sanctions, imposing even more sanctions, and providing for weaponry ahead of the invasion so that ukraine and its military can defend itself better from any possible russian military threat, jim. >> and, matthew, the question is, is russia at this point building itself up to be sanctions-proof, after all of these years of just amassing money to sort of isolate itself from what it knows would come from an intervention? fred, let me turn to you now, cnn international correspondent, and this morning, having talks on russia's military activity near ukraine, even suggesting that there could be consequences for the nord stream pipeline. what is the latest? >> reporter: you're absolutely right, bianna. that was one of the main points the german foreign minister made, came out in a surprisingly strong way, especially as far as the nord stream pipeline is concerned. it's an extremely important gas project between germany and russia and one of the things that she flat-out said in the press conference, of course, if russia makes any further military moves, there will be consequences for the pipeline. the main thing they says germany will defend, the european values, even if it means massive economic consequences for germany. you can really see how germany is aligning itself with the united states, especially that tandem of the german foreign minister and secretary of state blinken as well. as far as lap rov, there has been threatening language. he says they expect answers from the united states very soon as far as security demands are concerned, and on the ground i have new developments as well. the russians are saying they're conducting sniper drills in their southern military district and the russians also say they have now started moving troops into belarus, the russians saying they're going to conduct large-scale military exercises at the beginning of february. and of course one of the things that all of us know is that the southern border of belarus is the northern border of ukraine, so really the ukrainians feeling more and more encircled from the russian forces being moved close to the border of ukraine. >> cnn white house reporter natasha bertrand with us. we reported early on that bill burns went to moscow and met by videoconference with putin to try to figure out what his intentions were. now he's gone to meet with the ukrainian president, zelensky. do we know what his message was? >> reporter: cia director bill burns has been a very key intermediary throughout this crisis between the u.s., the russians and the ukrainians. you recall that bill burns was an ambassador to russia. he is a highly skilled veteran diplomat, so he's been at the center of trying to de-escalate tensions in the region. when he went to ukraine last week and met with president zelensky, he was trying to share intelligence that the u.s. had collected about the risks that are posed to ukraine at the moment. zelensky, of course, sharing intel with him and his counterparts there in ukraine as well, and this kind of culminated at the end of the week of the u.s. releasing intelligence that it says pointed to russian provocations in ukraine's east by russian actors there, who may be trying to stage some kind of false flag operation to justify an invasion. so it is very significant that bill burns has been doing this kind of shuttle diplomacy between the u.s., ukraine and russia, because he is someone who is seen by all sides as very respected, has the president's ear, is someone who can, if anyone can, can share this intelligence and try to de-escalate tensions and at least prepare ukraine for the potential risks that the u.s. sees are being posed by russia right now. because if you'll recall, the u.s. began sharing very detailed intelligence with ukraine very early on in this conflict, kind of trying to prepare them for a potential invasion. >> bianna, early on, they didn't have, the ukrainians, the same urgency that it appeared the u.s. had. now they all seem to be very much on the same page. >> and the timing is really important of these high-level u.s. officials flying to ukraine because it had been questioned as to mr. president zelensky was sidelined. now the attention turns to ukraine itself and meeting directly with the president. cnn congressional correspondent lauren fox on capitol hill, officials say they expect strong recommendations to congress now after a bipartisan group of senators met with the president. what more do we know? >> reporter: well, it was a significant show of force. this bipartisan group of seven lawmakers went to ukraine to meet directly with president zelensky, and i was just talking with one of those members, kevin cramer, a republican from north dakota, who told me the message they received was they did need more military support from the u.s., but this was an opportunity to show the fact that despite the fact the republicans and democrats have had differences over timing of sanctions on the nord stream pipeline, that there is a united front when it comes to defending ukraine against russia and that the u.s. is expected and ready to take significant steps, if necessary, if russia invades ukraine's borders. now, this moment is really important for lawmakers as well, because it shows not just ukraine that the u.s. stands behind them, but it also reminds russia that republicans and democrats took the time, despite the fact this they have a busy senate schedule expected in the upcoming days, to go directly to ukraine and meet with the president there. >> the question is, will that be enough? jim, president zelensky had called for a three-way meeting between president biden, president putin and himself. and that fell on deaf ears. the question is, will this meeting that we're seeing today, and that took place with the senators, will it make any difference? >> there's a perception of division at home here in the u.s., so to have the two parties there together with the same message about u.s. support for ukraine, potentially significant. >> matthew chance, fred pleitgen and lauren fox, powerhouse team, thank you so much. still to come, despite positive signs across the country that the omicron surge is diminishing, hospitals remain overwhelmed. in oklahoma city, doctors say they are at a breaking point with no end in sight. >> plus, new cnn reporting on former president trump's plans for 2022, and crucially 2024. and former trump administration officials' efforts to strategize against him. it's remarkable. that's ahead. within hours, a giant asteroid, you heard this right, will pass by earth, coming as close as any asteroid will get in two centuries. the path, and just how close, coming up. plaque psoriasis, the burning, itching. the pain. emerge tremfyant®. with tremfya®, adults with moderate to severe plaque psoasis... ...can uncover clearer skin and improve symptoms at 16 wes. serious allergic reactions may occur. tremfya may increase your risk of infections and lower your abili to fight them. tell your doctor if you have an infection or symptoms or if you had a vaccine or plan to. emerge tremfyant® with tremfya®... ask you doctor about tremfya® today. ♪3, 4♪ ♪ ♪hey♪ ♪ ♪are you ready for me♪ ♪are you ready♪ ♪are you ready♪ (computer keys clicking) (mouse clicks) - shriners hospitals for children is awesome! my favorite people in shriners are the doctors and the nurses because they help people through life. wow, i was a really cute kid! 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[♪] if you have diabetes, it's important to have confidence in the nutritional drink you choose. try boost glucose control®. it's clinically shown to help manage blood sugar levels and contains high quality protein to help manage hunger and support muscle health. try boost® today. in five, have now been infected with covid-19, this according to new data this morning from johns hopkins university. >> incredible statistic there. the latest surge from omicron cases is putting a huge strain on u.s. health care systems. take, for example, oklahoma city, where leaders from four major hospitals tell cnn they are at a breaking point, with no icu beds available due to the surge. let's go to cnn's senior medical correspondent, elizabeth cone, for more on this. how are hospitals in oklahoma city and across the country holding up weeks into the latest surge? >> you know what, many hospitals are struggling. we saw it in the northeast and we're going to see it as omicron spreads across the country. and it's not just omicron, when you look at places like oklahoma, there are many other factors at play. let's start with that letter. it's an open letter, this is very unusual, i don't know that i've ever seen this, an open letter from the heads of four large hospital systems in oklahoma, as they put it, to their fellow oklahomans saying soon you or a loved one may need us for life-saving care, a stroke, or trauma from a car accident and we may not be able to help. we need your help, get vaccinated, socially distance, wear a mask, stay home if you're sick. in oklahoma city, there are over 100 people waiting for hospital beds. there are no hospital beds to be had. there are no icu beds to be had. let's take a look at what omicron is doing in oklahoma, as well as in other rural states. in new york, the numbers are going down. in oklahoma, they're going up 56%, when you look at january 10th compared to january 16th. north dakota up 68%, idaho up 46%. that's one part of the storm. another part of the storm, vaccination rates in many rural areas are relatively low. so when people get omicron, they are more prone to getting very sick and needing to go to the hospital. if you look at the vaccination rate nationally, 63% of the american public is vaccinated, but in oklahoma that number is only 54%. in north dakota it's 53%. in idaho it's 47%. then you couple that with yet another strike, and that is that rural hospitals have been closing down in record numbers. for example, the hospitals in oklahoma, they wrote in their letter, they have 300 fewer beds than they did this time last year. so as rural hospitals have closed over the years, way before the pandemic, that's fewer doctors and nurses, fewer hospital beds to handle these patients. >> just another reminder of the incredible burden this has been on the health care system, doctors and nurses throughout this ordeal. especially the last few weeks. elizabeth cohen, thank you so much. well, british prime minister boris johnson is now saying that he didn't know the parties at downing street were in violation of covid restrictions. take a listen. >> categorically, i'll tell you nobody told me and nobody said that this was something that was against the rules, it was a breach of the covid rules, or we were doing something that wasn't a work event, because, frankly, i don't think -- i can't imagine why on earth it would have gone ahead or why it would have been allowed to go ahead. >> nobody told him, he says. the denial comes after his former top aide said that the prime minister knew, in fact, that the parties violated lockdown rules. in a blog post, dominic cummings writes the events of 20 may alone, never mind the string of other events, mean the prime minister lied to parliament about parties, not only me but other eyewitnesses who discussed this at the time swear under oath this is what happened. remarkable, from inside his own party. we have more on this. this has been percolating for some time there. what are the politics? is johnson genuinely in trouble? >> he's in lots and lots of trouble. not just with voters, but with his own party. let's go to that party that you just played, that sound bite of the prime minister denying that he knew it was a party. calling it a work event. that may 20th event, there was an email sent out to 100 people inviting them, telling them to bring their own booze, exclamation point. it begs the question, how believable is the prime minister if he's denying a byob event with 100 attendees is a party. this isn't the only event we're talking about. there is a pattern of behavior that is emerging, allegations of parties stretching from the first lockdown into spring of last year. bottom line, there is now an image of this government, of this administration, as being one that was partying it up while a pandemic was in place. of breaking rules were police were enforcing those very rules on citizens in this country. that's why opposition leaders are calling for his resignation. take a listen. >> the british prime minister was breaking his own rules and he's been called out, and then he's lied to parliament. and in the british system, if you lie to parliament as a minister, including as a prime minister, you have to resign. >> now, there's an investigation ongoing into all of these allegations of multiple parties, i am talking bring your own beer parties, garden parties, christmas parties, all of these now being investigated. we expect that in the coming days, but i think the reputational damage is done here. this prime minister is being seen as the party boy of brittain. >> johnson attempts to put it off on others and says nobody told me. he's the prime minister but no one told him this was not doable. thank you very much. coming up next this hour, former president trump's plans for the midterms and beyond are solidifying with republican lawmakers and donors backing him, despite his role in the january 6th insurrection. we're going to have a live report next. and we are moments away from the opening bell on wall street. stock futures are tumbling after the markets were closed for the mlk holiday. the focus this week, corporate earnings, and how well big companies are weathering inflation and the omicron variant. volatile trading has sent the nasdaq nearly 5% lower than last year. dow futures down about 1% and s&p futures about 2% lower. sales are down from last quarter, but we're hoping things will pick up by q3. yeah...uhhh... doug? 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>> well, jim and bianna, alarm bells have got to be ringing inside the white house over energy prices. we actually saw gas prices start to tick lower at the end of last year, but that proved to be very short-lived. the national average at $3.31 a gallon. that's up about a penny from a week ago and more than a dollar from a year ago, and pump prices are likely to go higher in the coming weeks because gas follows the lead of oil. u.s. oil topped $85 a barrel this morning for the first time since late october. goldman sachs is calling for brent crude, the world benchmark to hit $100 a barrel by september and then $105 next year. that's going to drive gas prices even higher. prices are already in the danger zone for president biden and the white house knows it. let me read to you what a white house official told me on this topic. they said, quote, tools continue to remain on the table for us to address prices. this is something the administration is continuing to watch and monitor very closely. but presidents have limited power to lower gas prices, and while biden does have some options, they all have real drawbacks. let me run you through a few of them. he could release more barrels from the strategic reserve. that's what he did in late november, and prices did drop ahead of the announcement and then crashed afterwards because of omicron. but presidents can't go back and release barrels every month or two. there's a finite number of barrels. and the fact that we're talking about gas prices just two months later shows the limitations of that tool. biden could take a more extreme step, he could ban oil ex sports, but experts are saying to me that that could backfire because oil is a globally traded commodity, and gas prices are actually set by world prices. so if you limit u.s. supply, that would drive prices at the pump higher. jim and bianna, presidents don't have magic wasn't to lower gas prices. if they did, they would use them. >> yeah, and it's one of the reasons why the administration had been trying to pressure opec to increase production as well over the past few months. they did do that, but clearly not to the level where consumers are starting to feel the relief they much need. matt egan, as always, thank you. well, the upcoming midterm elections are not far away, and could have major implications for the future of the gop. how the ripple effects could lift former president trump back to a run in 2024, perhaps to the white house. that's coming up. if you wake up thinking about the market and want to make the right moves fast... get decision tech from fidelity. 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>> reporter: absolutely, jim, there's been a lot that's been done behind the scenes in trump's orbit to get his operation into place where he cannot only have a significant influence in 2022, but also use it as a launch pad for 2024. they've implemented different organizational changes, such as the vetting that he does when he's deciding how to endorse and who to endorse in primary contests. he's now looking at polling regularly, being briefed on field research before meeting with candidates who are seeking his endorsement. so he is taking an active role in determining where he wants to put his weight in the 2020 midterm elections. whether this will help him in 2024, if he does decide to run, and that is not a decision he's made at this point, but one that he's strongly considering running in 2024, i'm told, how 2022 goes for him is going to be the ultimate factor. does he pull off this role as king-maker, does he choose candidates at the state, local and national level who are able to get into office and then pursue his agenda and help him as allies in a 2024 presidential bid, or does his focus when he goes to campaign in places like skb georgia and new hampshire end up backfiring and hurt republican chances of gaining power on capitol hill. >> cnn's jake tapper, reporting that three dozen former trump administration officials, people who served the former president in senior positions, are together concerned about his impact, his potential run, and they're strategizing now against him, both in 2022 and 2024. how so? >> reporter: well, there was a meeting that took place last monday between a number of former trump administration officials, names like alyssa farrah, the former white house communications director, ranging up to former high-level cabinet officials and even former white house chief of staff john kelly. they gathered for a brief meeting to talk about how they can undermine the influence that trump has gained over the last year since leaving office. it doesn't seem, based on our reporting, that there was a clear outcome or clear guidance that they've narrowed in on in terms of deciding how to move forward and how to subvert his influence in the republican party, but it is something that they're going to continue to discuss over the course of future meetings. this is a group of administration officials who have already spoken out publicly in some cases, but also some who haven't, who have been more critical behind the scenes and are now planning to come out and question whether trump is truly a threat to democracy, and if so, how can they subvert his influence over the gop. >> it's remarkable. is there any precedent for folks who served a u.s. president at such a senior level making that argument, saying that he's a threat and doing their best to stand in the way? gabby orr, thank you so much. >> thank you. well, today the senate will take the first steps towards a floor vote on the democrats voting rights legislation. the effort is almost certain to fail because democrats simply don't have the votes. that will trigger another fruitless vote to change the filibuster in order to pass the legislation, which democrat senators manchin and sinema remain opposed to doing. faith leaders just released a letter to express their shock, writing we want to make it clear that your uncompromising stance has prevented needed action from the senate on a host of issues, roadblocked the voice of america's majority and has now been used to block needed voting rights bills and our very democracy is at risk. joining me is reginald t. jackson who leads ame churches in georgia. our letter is extremely powerful and i thought to myself, however, when i read it last night, why i choose to write this, given what you heard from senator sinema, taking to the senate floor last week, just moments before the president was to go and meet with the senators to try to persuade them on this, where she said she would not be in favor of doing away with the filibuster. what makes you think this letter will convince her otherwise? >> well, i think at least an effort had to be made and i think senator sinema has a responsibility to explain to the nation why she is opposed to opening and moving the filibuster so we can vote on this important legislation, and i remind you, she approved and supported a carveout to increase the national debt limit. if they can do that, why can't she do it for voting rights? i believe the greatest right we have in this democracy is voting. >> you also said that you believe that these votes should go through, that they should take place, even though they are destined to failed, just basically going through the motions here. why do you think it's important for the nation to see that happen? >> well, one, the voters in arizona, the state she was elected from, need to see and hear their senator and her position as it relates to voting rights. there is a consequence for everything we do, either good or bad. and i believe if she does not vote to support voting rights, i believe she's going to put herself in a very difficult position in arizona. the same goes for every one of these senators. i remind you in 2006 under a republican president, the senate voted 98-0 to support voting rights. 16 of those senators are still in the united states senate. so you mean to tell me we can't get one republican out of 50 to support voting rights, when in 2006 there was not one republican which opposed it? >> so what do you make of her argument, warning that this could set a precedent, right, that if in fact the republicans take over the majority, they could do the same, and they could strike down abortion rights and other legislation that liberals and democrats hold so dear. clearly that's not a compelling argument in your view, but why not? >> well, the first thing is, let's understand, this is a fight. voting rights is a fight. republicans, when they show up, they show up with an axe, democrats show up with a butter knife. let's look at senator sinema's argument. first of all, there has been so much evidence given by republicans that they have no second thought. i remind you, barack obama had a year remaining in his term as president, they would not give merrick garland a single hearing. a few years later, donald trump has only a few months left in his presidency, three months, i believe, and yet they rushed through amy coney barrett. so that by itself ought to say to senator sinema that the republicans do not play with the same values and principles. this republican party is not the one of 2006. in fact, this is a cult. >> bishop, prior to this letter that you wrote, you wrote an op-ed in "the new york times" addressing this very issue as well, and while you commended president biden's heart and where he stood on this issue, you all but suggested that he at this point is a weak president, and that americans would only respect a powerful president to move forward. why do you think this president is in a weakened position right now and what can he do to change that in the months before the midterms? >> well, the perception is that he is weak and that perception exists, first of all, because there's been no consequence for opposing him. and the democrats' fight right now is not with republicans, it's among themselves. so the democrats need to make sure that they have their own house in order. and i remember linden johnson in 1960, when they were trying to get the civil rights bill passed, linden johnson twisted arms, in fact broke arms if he had to, in order to get the civil rights bill passed. joe biden needs to likewise be a strong president. we've now gone through passing an infrastructure bill. the senators are going to want projects in their states. my position, i believe, and i think the position of the president ought to be, if you cannot support voting rights, the most important right we have in this country, how can this administration support what it is you're trying to do for your state, which at this point is less important? >> bishop reginald jackson, thank you. we appreciate you coming on. a stark warning there, jim. not to republicans, right? but to democrats. >> no question, saying that republicans come with an axe to these voting rights fights, democrats come with a butter knife, says the bishop. coming up, a stark warning from the fbi to faith-based communities following the standoff at a texas synagogue. why they believe there may be more violence to come. looking to get back in your type 2 diabetes zone? once-weekly ozempic® can help. ♪ oh, oh, oh, ozempic®! ♪ ♪ oh, oh, oh ♪ ozempic® is proven to lower a1c. most people who took ozempic® reached an a1c under 7 and maintained it. and you may lose weight. adults lost on average up to 12 pounds. in adults also with known heart disease, ozempic® lowers the risk of major cardiovascular events such as heart attack, stroke, or death. ozempic® helped me get back in my type 2 diabetes zone. ozempic® isn't for people with type 1 diabetes. don't share needles or pens, or reuse needles. don't take ozempic® if you or your family ever had medullary thyroid cancer, or have multiple endocrine neoplasia syndrome type 2, or if allergic to it. stop ozempic® 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 ozempic® with a sulfonylurea or insulin may increase low blood sugar risk. side effects like nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea may lead to dehydration, which may worsen kidney problems. looking to get back in your type 2 diabetes zone? ask your health care provider today about once-weekly ozempic®. ♪ oh, oh, oh, ozempic®! ♪ you may pay as little as $25 for a 3-month prescription. i am here because they revolutionized immunotherapy. i am here because they saw how cancer adapts to different oxygen levels and starved it. i am here because they switched off egfr gene mutation and stopped the growth of tumor cells. there's a place that's making one advanced cancer discovery after another for 75 years. i am here... i am here.... because of dana-farber. what we do here changes lives everywhere. i am here. it■s hard eating healthy. unless you happen to be a dog. this morning federal officials are warning faith-based communities they will likely remain target of violence. >> the warning comes on the heels of the hostage situation at a synagogue in texas. homeland security and the fbi are now urging state and local leaders to re-evaluate security measures at houses of worship and large gatherings. cnn crime and justice correspondent shimon prokupecz joins me now. shimon, what exactly are we hearing in these warnings? >> reporter: the thing that most concerns law enforcement is copycat attacks. anytime something like this happens, the fear is always it's going to inspire others to act. we're in a heightened state of alert because of the domestic terrorism concerns across this country, but they're also warning based on where this person came from, where the hostage-taker came from, he came from a foreign country, that there is still this foreign threat that people need to be aware of. and in this letter they've sent to law enforcement and also warnings to the faith-based communities, they say that -- law enforcement says foreign actors have promoted narratives online intending to sow discord in u.s. and foreign terrorist groups continue to encourage followers to conduct attacks and use social media to incite violence. and that is the concern. a lot of what law enforcement is seeing on social media certainly concerns, so they're just reminding the faith-based community to stem up security. you know, we heard from the hostages yesterday talk about these courses that they took to learn how to protect themselves and run and defend themselves, and they are reminding them to also continue those courses. they want everybody to be on alert. this is not tied to any specific threat. they want people to be vigilant and continue to be safe. >> the copycat phenomenon is a real one. shimon prokupecz, thanks so much. coming up next, an asteroid hurtling close to earth within hours. how close and how close is too close? 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>> not at all. this is an asteroid we should not be too worried about, but it technically is labeled as potentially hazardous by nasa because of two reasons, because of its size and its orbit. it's about four times the size of the empire state building, twice as tall as the tallest building in the woorld. if you look at its orr bit, it will get within about 1.2 million miles of earth. while that sounds like a crazy distance far, far away, in the grand scheme of things in terms of the size and scope of the entire universe, a million miles is actually a little too close for comfort. but the real reason astronomers aren't too worried about this is this is an asteroid they have been tracking for decades. it was first discovered, they've been observing it for about 47 years. this is not going to sneak up on us. those are the types of asteroids that concern nasa and it happened just two years ago. a very large asteroid got within 44,000 miles of earth that's nothing. and they only found out about it less than 24 hours before due to a quirk in the earth's rotation. it made it appear as though this asteroid was approaching much slower than it was. so that really rattled nasa and the astronomy community, and so that's part of the reason we now have the first planetary defense mission ever under way right now, the dark mission. it's going to crash a spacecraft into an asteroid in just a few months. >> fingers crossed we don't have another quirk, right, in the earth's orbit in the next coming hours. thank you so much. very good tuesday morning to all of you. i'm jim sciutto. >> i'm bianna golodryga. we begin with this hour with ongoing voting rights fight. senate will open debate on two key pieces of voting rights legislation this afternoon. as democrats push ahead with efforts that are likely dead on