and good evening, i'm erin burnett. out front tonight, the breaking news. the january 6th select committee targeting one of trump's children along with five others in the former president's inner circle. it is the biggest day, yet, for the committee. we are learning that the committee has subpoenaed and obtained the phone records of eric trump and kimberly guilfoyle, who was engaged to trump's other son donald trump jr. also on the subpoena list, thee of trump's former attorneys -- rudy giuliani, jenna ellis, and sidney powell. ro rounding out the list today, trump's former campaign adviser, boris epshteyn. these individuals all fed the big lie for weeks leading up to the january 6th insurrection. >> we cannot allow these crooks -- because that's what they are -- to steal an election from the american people. they elected donald trump. they didn't elect joe biden. >> if the united states caves to corruption or this type of election integrity disaster, then no election will be secure from here on out. >> so, we have mathematical evidence in a number of states of massive quantities of trump votes being trashed. just simply, put in the trash like you would on your computer with any file. and uh, biden votes being injected. >> this campaign has been pointing out voter irregularities, voter fraud that's been perpetrated on the american people by the democrats. >> the democrats know that the only way that they can win this election is to cheat in pennsylvania. and we've seen it from day one. >> we will not allow the liberals and the democrats to steal our dream or steal our elections. >> and when it comes to january 6th, itself, the actual day of the insurrection, these individuals fueled the fire encouraging trump supporters to fight, to take back the country despite their candidate losing t the free and fair election. >> let's have trial by combat. >> you are the sole guardian to combat a corrupted election. >> we are not going to be intimidated. we are not going to back down. we are going to clean this mess up now. we are gonna reclaim the united states of america for the people who vote for freedom. >> i want from all the senators and all the congressmens, have some backbone, show some fight. learn from donald trump. >> do the right thing. fight. >> and the only person you didn't hear there, two days before the deadly insurrection tweeted georgia is all in. fight for donald trump. along with a video of a crowd chanting "fight for trump." so, i just went through the six individuals, and you saw their track record in the days and the weeks and the day of the insurrection. and when you hear and see that, it is clear that these six could provide a lot of information about january 6th. paula reid begins our coverage out front. so, paula, you know, six people. this is a very big day and the first of the president's family now involved. so what else do you know about the phone records that i understand they both subpoenaed and obtained involving eric trump and kimberly guilfoyle, soon-to-be the former president's daughter-in-law. >> that's right, erin, this appears to be-let first time they have subpoenaed records related to a member of the former president's family. now, here lawmakers have subpoenaed and they have obtained records of phone numbers related to eric trump and kimberly guilfoyle who as you just noted is engaged to eric's brother, donald trump jr. now, it's important to note that these records do not show the contents of conversations or the contents of calls. they show incoming and outgoing calls. they show the length of calls. and cnn has previously reported that the committee has subpoenaed similar records from over 100 different people. now, this is significant because both eric trump and kimberly guilfoyle, they had a significant role in pushing the big lie. they both spoke at the rally that preceded the attack at the capitol. and even fund raised off the big lie. so, the decision to subpoena these two -- this is notable. now, in terms of reaction from both of them, an attorney for guilfoyle says that she is not aware of any record of subpoena for her records. but says it quote of no consequence to her because she has absolutely nothing to hide or be concerned about. and a source familiar with eric trump's thinking says he is not losing any sleep over these subpoenas. >> all right. paula, please stay with me. i want to bring in to the conversation now, norm eisen, who was counsel to house democrats during trump's first impeachment trial and el think low anything, former assistant u.s. attorney for the southern district of new york. elie, you hear the reporting paula is laying out. phone records obtained. how big a move is this by the committee? >> well, erin, i was taught from my very early days a as a prosecutor, any conspiracy investigation, is you get those phone records because they provide you the connective tissue they show you exactly who was talking to who, and when. and as an investigator, you can look at those calls -- the thing about these calls and texts is there is always two parties two to these conversations. so you can look at these calls and see for example, okay, eric trump on january 5th at 3:23 p.m. had a 1 minute, 45 second conversation with this phone number. and if you can figure out who that other phone number is, even if eric trump's not talking, you can go talk to that person and figure out what was said. >> all right. so, norm, kimberly guilfoyle, we just -- i showed her briefly there. repeatedly pushed allegations of election fraud from just days after election day to hours before the deadly insurrection. she became a huge fundraiser for the stop the steal. here she is. >> this isn't something that's, you know, made up here. it's not fictitious. the bottom line is we will present compelling evidence that will be persuasive. >> look at all of us out here. god-loving, freedom-loving, liberty-loving patriots that will not let them steal this election. >> norm, how important is she? >> she's important, erin. what we've seen with the committee's investigation is that they are building a pyramid. at the top of that pyramid is the former-president donald trump. but with kimberly guilfoyle, who was a big part of start -- stop the steal, raised money, spoke at the insurrection tailgate on january 6th with eric trump, with the trump lawyers who were brought into it today. uh, all of the roads are pointing towards donald trump, himself. she was in that inner circle. she's very important. >> yeah, she certainly was. so, paula, let's talk about those lawyers. the other allies. the biggest day thus far that we know of in terms of names coming out. the lawyers, rudy giuliani, jenna ellis, sidney powell, the form former campaign leader. paula, what is behind strategy of so many names so close to trump coming out on one day like in? >> it makes a big splash, erin. coming out of the holiday weekend and making big news. a short time ago, i spoke with an attorney for rudy giuliani and he dismissed this as political theater. interestingly, erin, he said the committee did not come to his client to even seek his voluntary cooperation. but he also notes that his client potentially sidney powell and jenna ellis as well have not only attorney-client privilege claims they can make but also potentially executive privilege claims depend ongoing the materials and the situation. so, look, it's unlikely that they are going to get any information out of several of these witnesses. again, some people representing many witnesses have also complained that these letters go to the media before they go to the targeted witnesses but again this makes a big splash, lot of headline, it brings a lot of attention to the committee's important work. >> elie, you know, jenna ellis and sidney powell, obviously, put out a lot of complete falsehoods, right? i mean, you heard sidney powell saying votes were literally plucked. it just didn't occur, right? i it's false in every respect. but no one was a bigger supporter and known to more people of the big lie than rudy giuliani. right? so, he again and again would say trump won states he didn't win. he held that press conference at the four seasons landscaping right after the election. you think that he may be the one with the most to lose. why? and what might that mean given that we know he is not going to voluntarily cooperate here? >> right, erin, it's hard to think of people who have done more damage to this country over the last several years than rudy giuliani. he was one of the main people fanning the flames of the lie of election fraud. he abused his law license. and the accountability is starting to come for rudy giuliani in tangible ways. he has now had his law license suspended. he has been sued for big money by dominion and some of the other voting companies. and most worrisome, he is under criminal investigation by the u.s. department of justice, by the southern district of new york, the same office he used to work at decades later i worked at. this is one more thing for rudy giuliani that he is going to have to contend with. will he ultimately testify? i think it is highly, highly unlikely but the committee is absolutely right to put pressure on him because he was a central player behind this whole lie of election fraud. >> so, norm, when people hear this, they say okay, kimberly guilfoyle -- important and engaged to the former president's son. and the other son is also on this list. but when you see those names -- the first thing many of us noticed, norm, is that names are not ivanka trump, jared kushner, or donald trump jr. is it not going to be them? or is it not, yet, them? >> it's not yet them. erin, the -- the committee very adeptly is building the case. they talked about some of the public record evidence today in the letters to the lawyers. but they have piles of evidence -- approximately 400 interviews, thousands and thousands of documents -- and, um, we're not done with this. they are setting the stage, and it's legitimate for them to be advocating to the american people a terrible thing happened here. they are setting the stage for hearings and for reports. and so, we are in the final quarter now before those hearings start but we still have a ways to go. and i suspect we are gonna be seeing additional trump intimates, and then the ultimate question -- the ex-president himself. >> the ultimate question as you point out. thank you, all, very much. and next, we are following more breaking news. senate democrats just meeting, trying one more last time to salvage president biden's voting rights legislation. the vote is now coming any -- and, well, could be, you know, hours away here. we will see. were any minds changed? and a cnn exclusive tonight. sobering new details from ukraine about exactly what russia is building up along that border, including what could be evidence that putin is planning to take ukraine's capital and overthrow the government. and a last-minute move today by verizon and at&t just hours before 5g was gonna roll out, they are hitting pause but only pause because the airlines warn that it could literally put planes at risk. we have to be able to repair the enamel on a daily basis. with pronamel repair toothpaste, we can help actively repair enamel in its weakened state. it's innovative. my go to toothpaste is going to be pronamel repair. 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. ♪ ♪ i lost 26 pounds and i feel incredible. with the new personalpoints program, i answered questions about my goals and the foods i love. i like that the ww personalpoints plan is built just for me. join today for 50% off at ww.com hurry! offer ends january 24th! i've always been running. to meetings. errands. 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 (vo) this year, t-mobile for business is here to help you hit the ground running. when you switch to t-mobile and bring your own device, we'll pay off your phone up to $800. you can keep your phone. keep your number. and get your employees connected on the largest and fastest 5g network. plus, we give you $200 in facebook ads on us! so you can reach more customers, create more opportunities, and make this the best year for your business yet. visit your local t-mobile store today. ♪ limu emu and doug.♪ and it's easy to customize your insurance at libertymutual.com so you only pay for what you need. isn't that right limu? 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[a vulture squawks.] there he is. only pay for what you need. ♪liberty, liberty, liberty, liberty♪ >> vo: my car is my after-work decompression zone. ♪ music ♪ >> vo: so when my windshield broke... i found the experts at safelite autoglass. they have exclusive technology and service i can trust. >> singers: ♪ safelite repair, safelite replace. ♪ breaking news. senate democrats just wrapped up a caucus meeting in a habit-ditch effort to save president biden's voting right legislation. >> if the senate cannot protect the right to vote, which is the cornerstone of our democracy, then the senate rules must be reformed. must be reformed. if the republicans block the legislation before us, i will put forward a proposal to change the rules to allow for a talking filibuster on this legislation. >> that, though, isn't gonna work. schumer's plan would mean democrats could pass voting rights legislation with a simple majority. talking filibuster. but senator joe manchin who has long opposed any changes to the filibuster is not onboard with this new plan. >> that's never happened in the history of our country. basically, there's never been a simple-majority vote to -- to basically get off of the -- of the debate. i will never change my mind on the filibuster. >> i'm never changing my mind on the filibuster. he couldn't be more clear. out front tonight, democratic senator jeff merkley. and i appreciate your time, senator. so, you were with senator manchin today at the caucus meeting. senator sinema was on the phone joining that meeting. um, i understand that she didn't speak but senator manchin did and obviously we just heard him there afterwards. quote, i'm never going to change my mind on the filibuster. did you hear anything from him in that caucus meeting that indicates any kind of a path forward here? >> well, the key point he made and you just played it is he doesn't want the 60 votes to close debate to go to 50 votes, also vice president to close debate. but the talking filibuster doesn't do that. it leaves in place the 60-vote requirement. it has the same rules of debate that you have at any point. what the talking filibuster changes is it says, okay, we've come to the point we need to focus on the question of final passage of the bill. you still take 60 votes to close debate or unanimous consent motion or break in the debate. and it's that break in the debate that hasn't been enforced previously. but that's what forces those who want to keep debating to debate. if there is a break in debate, the question gets called. and so, what we're proposing is exactly in line with what joe manchin said -- keeping 60 votes if you vote on an issue of closing debate. same rules of debate apply to the question of final passage of the bill. so, given it's the same thing he's arguing for, i hope we can get him to join us. >> so plet me just try to understand. the bottom line is when it comes to passing the voting rights bill, how many voel votes are you going to need to do that with your change? you going to need 60? going to need majority? >> under current debate, you have four options. a vote to close debate with 60 votes, unanimous consent agreement, a break in the debate, or something that's never happened in the history of the senate, exhaustion of two speeches under rule 19. those same four rules apply when you are debating final passage of a bill. same rules, 60 sloets, are still in place as a vote to close debate. >> right. i understand. but the only way you are going to get this bill passed is if you can do it by a simple majority. so you are -- you are fundamentally changing something. you are not going to pass voting rights with any kind of bipartisan scenario here. >> no, that's right. but what joe raised in your quote was thinking that we are changing the rules of debate. we are not changing the rules of debate. it's the same rules that have been there throughout our history, and that apply every day on the floor of the senate. >> so i understand what you are saying and i think you understand sort of what -- what i am trying to say here, which is that it does come down to how the senate should function to pass legislation. whatever the rules may be, whatever the machinations may be, does it need to be bipartisan or not? and i know you recently said -- i quote you, senator ---er the senate is broken. so, for you, a way to solve that is to try to make some of these adjustments. senator sinema agrees with you on the senate being broken. but when it dmcomes to these adjustments, she comes to the exact opposite conclusion despite seeing a dire problem in the senate. here she is on the floor. >> while i continue to support these bills, i will not support separate actions that worsen the underlying disease of division infecting our country. the debate over the senate's 60-vote threshold shines a light on our broader challenges. there is no need for me to restate my longstanding support for the 60-vote threshold to pass legislation. >> so she gets to the bottom line here. >> except, she also is under the same confusion. we are not changing the 60-vote rule. it's the same set of four options that exist in general debate. focused on the question of final passage. now, see. here's why. in the past, you had people exhaust amendments and you had a social contract and the social contract said when we have done with the amendments, we debate final passage and those four mechanisms applied. but now, and i hate to get into this messiness -- now, there is always an amendment pending because the senate has changed how it's operated in the last 20 years. so you can never get to the question of debating final passage. all the talking filibuster says keep the same four rules but have a debate on final passage like the senate used to have. >> so let me ask you another question here because i have now discussed the two individuals, right, that have -- that have stood between you and this, right? but -- and they are the face of it. however, congressman james clyburn says they are not alone, they have just taken the heat and that there are others who agree with them who are happy to not be in the spotlight right now but that your problem is much bigger than two. here is mr. clyburn. >> he doesn't have a vote in the senate. and we have got two senates on the democratic side and i am not sure it's only two. there are two everybody's focusing on. but i have been talking to some senators, and i'm not too sure that we don't have some others who will hide behind these two. >> is he right? there are others hiding behind them who agree? >> assurances to congressman clooi b clyburn, that in fact the entire caucus has said yes we should have a period of debate dedicated to final passage with the same rules we currently use. that is a very minor change that allows us to get to where the senate used to get. and -- and by the way, it has these powerful advantages. the secret filibuster we have now. the secret/silent filibuster. there is no public debate. it's invisible. deals are being done in the back room. if you want back-room deals, keep the current version of the silent, secret filibuster. but if you want the public involved, let's return to enforcing the point that you sustain the 60 votes by keeping people talking on the floor. the second thing is it does it increases negotiation. currently, the minority in our tribal-partisan divisions says, hey, if we can keep 41 people from voting to close debate, we can, thus, prevent the majority from ever enacting their agenda and testing it out and that's great for us because then the voters will throw them out. that temptation is so powerful that it's destroying the senate. so, the -- the talking filibuster gives an incentive to the minority to negotiate as well as the majority. takes us. >> i think, to where my colleagues from west virginia and arizona really want to go. >> well, senator merkley, appreciate your time and thank you for making your case and laying it out. thank you, sir. >> you are welcome. and next, a cnn exclusive. more than 120,000 russian troops, including infantry units currently practicing urban warfare -- these are some of the details in a new intelligence assessment on putin's military buildup on the ukrainian border we obtained. plus, verizon and at&t pause -- pause, not a halt -- a pause of 5g rollout near airports because airlines say that service could lead to serious safety concerns. we are taurk talking about airplanes here. droplets... ...swipe on in seconds. better. faster. 100% whiter teeth. shop crestwhitesmile.com. the living room slash yoga shanti slash regional office slash... 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. amazing. jerry, you gotta to see this. seen it. trust me, after 15 walks... gets a little old. ugh are you taking a statin drug to reduce cholesterol? 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[ sneezing ] needs, plop plop fizz fizz. alka seltzer plus cold relief. dissolves quickly. instantly ready to start working. so you can bounce back fast with alka-seltzer plus. now available for fast sinus relief. growing up, bilal was obsessed, obsessed with superman! not because he could fly, but because superman stood up for people. maybe it's because of our family's own immigrant story, or he's just that nerdy. throughout his career in the obama administration and the private sector, bilal has never stopped helping others. we don't need a superhero to solve san francisco's biggest problems like crime and homelessness, just the innovation and courage to lead. join me. tonight, the white house issuing a stark warning about the threat from russia. as cnn learns the biden administration is discussing sending more weapons to ukraine. >> our view is this is an extremely dangerous situation. we are now at a stage where russia could, at any point, launch an attack in ukraine. >> this comes as cnn exclusively has obtained ukrainian military assessment showing a shark increase in troop levels in recent days, by the russians. matthew chance is out front with this exclusive report from kyiv. >> reporter: this is the actual video, complete with soundtrack, put out by the ukrainian military. being fired to the beat, javelin anti-tank missiles supplied by the u.s. as part of its growing military support. these kind of weapons ukraine hopes will help stop another russian invasion and it wants more. cue a flurry of diplomatic fist-bumps and grand promises of u.s. support. on wednesday, secretary of state blinken visits kyiv but earlier this week, a congressional delegation was here. >> i think vladimir putin has made the biggest mistake of his career. >> reporter: vowing more tough action in washington against russian aggression. >> we will impose crippling economic sanctions but more important, we will give the people of ukraine the arms -- lethal arms -- they need to defend their lives and livelihoods. >> reporter: it certainly doesn't look deterred. these are the latest images of russia's live-fire military exercises near its border. with the latest ukrainian defense intelligence assessment obtained exclusively by cnn says russia has almost completed its military buildup. the assessment says there are now more than 127,000 russian troops poised to invade, including russian infantry units seen here practicing urban warfare -- the kind that may play a major role if any potentially messy incursion into ukraine is ever ordered. sources tell cnn training has also been ramped up there. with a significant increase of rebel fighters and heavy weaponry on the frontlines. the new intelligence assessment says russia supports more than 35,000 republic rebels and has about 3,000 of his it is own military based in rebel territory. moscow denies having any forces there and continues to insist it has no plans, either, to invade. >> translator: we do not threaten anyone but we hear threats against us. i hope all this only reflects emotions within a camp of western countries. we will be guided by concrete steps and deeds. >> reporter: but those deeds and steps seem to point to escalation. these are new images showing troops from russia and its ally, belarus, preparing for joint exercises near ukraine's northern border. it may be just a distraction but as russia continues to mass forces, ukrainian intelligence says it now sees this region as a full-fledged russian theater of operation. in other words, another dangerous potential frontline. well, erin, that stark warning from ukrainian intelligence comes as secretary of state bli blinken prepares to visit kyiv tomorrow -- tomorrow morning. now, offering u.s. support of course, more of it to the ukrainian government. but for the ukrainian point of view, they want more than just words from the united states. they want weapons so that they can fight what they regard as an impending russian threat. >> all right. matthew, thank you very much. reporting live, again, from kyiv where he has continued to break so much of this story. i want to go to steve hall now, former cia chief of russia operations. so, steve, you hear matthew chance lay out his exclusive new reporting. obviously, this is from the ukrainian said, right? this is their assessment, it's what they want the world to see but they say more than 127,000 russian troops are poised to invade. they have a count of another 35,000 fighters training right now in eastern ukraine, itself, to support russia. what are these troop levels mean when you think about putin's intent? >> erin, there is only -- there is only two options here. one is is that the russians are preparing for an invasion. and by the way, it's not -- it's not really that secret. these are -- certainly, the ukrainians have been able to collect good intelligence on this but it's also observable through other means and the russians are making no real attempt to hide it. so yeah, option a is an invasion of ukraine or some sort of military incursion. and option b is there is a school of thought this is -- this is still a bluff. that the russians are saying all the hard things, and making hard points on the ground by moving troops around and snipers and so forth but really, what they are doing is they are trying to push the west which they have judged to be weak at this particular point. not perhaps weaker than they, but weaker than we've been recently thanks in large part to a lot of things russia's been doing to try to divide our societies but i i this they are asking themselves or putin is asking himself what better time? so it is unclear. i don't know anybody knows exactly whether or not the russians are actually going to take military action and invade ukraine or whether they are doing some very strong saber rattling. >> the intelligence cnn obtained as has evidence putin could be planning to take the ukrainian capital, kyiv, and overthrow the government. obviously, kyiv is not by the border. i mean, i know everyone talks about coming down from belarus but it's not you just go over the border and get the capital, right? you got to come way in. so that's not just is a simple, quick thing to do possibly and certainly not with a lot of u.s. military weapons involved. "the new york times," though, reports russia is evacuating its embassy in kyiv. pulling out dozens of family members of the russian diplomats there. again, it could still be saber rattling. um, and you know the ukrainians have a point they want to make. but when you connect the dots as a former-moscow bureau chief, what do you see there? >> well again, it's -- it's really, really hard and -- and you know the classic intelligence challenge is how do you get into putin's brain? because i can guarantee you, he is the only guy who knows. the people around him don't necessarily know. doing things like drawing down your embassy, which -- which we have in new york types report that says that's happened. the russians of course came back quickly and said no, our operations in our embassy are normal. they didn't say, though, it's possible operations are normal but withdrawn family members. it is one thing that i think though is absolutely sure is frankly the time for sanctions, the time for any of these other mechanisms that we have talked about literally for years to try to stop russian bad behavior, it hasn't done so. and so we need -- we, the west, we nato, we, the united states, need to ask ourselves the question are we prepared to go to war with russia at this point? on the european don't tent. >> i mean, it is a pretty incredible thing and as you point out, you never know what he intends to do but it is hard to think of any other military that would be willing to put 160,000 troops around a border just, you know, just for nothing. all right. thanks. thanks very much, steve, appreciate your time. and next, major wireless companies now delaying the rollout of 5g service near airports by again, i am emphasizing delaying, not stop. it is because airlines have said that, well, it could put planes at risk. and new studies tonight detailing the concerning effects that school closures are having on children. i lost 26 pounds and i feel incredible. with the new personalpoints program, i answer questions about my goals and the foods i love. i like that the ww personalpoints plan is built just for me. download the ww app today for a 14-day free trial. 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[limu emu squawks] woo! new personal record, limu! only pay for what you need. ♪ liberty, liberty, liberty, liberty. ♪ are you one of the millions of americans who experience occasional bloating, gas or abdominal discomfort? taking align can help. align contains a quality probiotic to naturally help soothe digestive upsets 24/7. try align, the pros in digestive health. and join the align healthy gut team up and learn what millions of align users already know. how great a healthy gut can feel. sign up at alignprobiotics.com also try align dualbiotics gummies to help support digestive health. tonight, new evidence showing just how important it is for children to be in school. medical journal publishing a review of dozens of worldwide studies with the conclusion that school closures led to increased symptoms of depression, anxiety, decreased physical activity. comes as more than 1,800 schools across the united states -- and i want to be clear, these are blue states and some red states too -- they are currently not offering in-person learning. this is according to the latest count from data company. out front now, she is a journalist and a mother of two, recently wrote an article headlined "how school closures made me question my progressive politics." rebecca, i have to say, you know, i read your article last week and so did everyone i know and -- and, you know, everyone's been talking about it as i'm sure you know. it -- it has been something that people have within been talking about around this country. so now you got this new research. it shows that school closures are having serious and troubling mental and physical impacts on children. this is something you knew very early on from the beginning. it's why you publicly advocated for schools to remain open. and you faced deeply personal attacks for this. for wanting your child in the classroom. some of those, from people that you considered friends. why do you think people attacked people like you who wanted kids in school? this became so personal and v vitriolic. >> yeah, thanks, erin, for having me on. um, you know, it is a little bit hard for me to answer the question of why. um, i -- i just know that, you know, i -- you know, it was quite a painful experience because there was, you know, a group of friends that, um, were the parents of some of my son's closest friends and they just stopped talking to me basically. um, you know, which -- which also has had the -- the effect of cutting off his access to some of his closest friends. so, um, you know, it -- it's been a pretty painful experience. personally, it's -- you know, although there is -- there's been a lot of vitriol online, it has had, you know, an -- an -- an effect in my life, as well. and i think that's partly why it felt so painful. >> well, you know, you write as a journalist -- you write very openly, um, about, you know, your politics and how you came into this and how you saw the world and how you felt about the world as someone who was deeply progressive. you know, when you look at in virginia, right, glenn youngkin and -- and his victory, which was, you know, in no small part, driven by how parents felt about schools. you talk about how you are now experiencing a political identity crisis as -- as a progressive democrat. due to your own party's response to school closures. um, you know, does this -- does this change how you see yourself? does this change how you possibly vote? >> um well, i -- i think i -- i'm not sure if i would say that it changes how i would vote, particularly, you know, in the national election. >> yeah. >> i still don't feel that i could, you know, ever support, you know, some of the enabling the -- that the republicans did with the last president and the whole host of other things that have taken place. more recently. um, but i think that -- i -- i think that the larger point is that a lot of democratic parents' trust have been eroded. um, and, you know, our -- our -- we felt that we were not able to rely on public schools anymore, which, you know, are very essential public good. and so, i -- i think one of the things that we would like is for democrats, you know, to acknowledge the harm that this has caused and not only to kids but to women and, you know, in the ways that gender equality has really been set back decades because of working moms having to stop working to help their kids with remote learning. um, so i think really, um, in order to, you know, get people like me really back onboard, you know, excited about supporting democrats. we want, you know, them to really commit to never doing this again where schools -- you know, schools need to be the last to close and the first to open. >> well, yeah, and it's -- it's really powerful. i hope that anyone who hasn't read your entire article does. you know, i found it really powerful and everyone i know did, as well. and people had different perspectives coming into it. so i really appreciate your time. thank you so much. >> thank you so much, erin. >> all right. and next, the before and after images as we are seeing new pictures of the aftermath of that deadly and massive volcanic eruption. with endless views of snow-covered peaks. (laughter) a stove that inspires magnificent hot cocoa. and a perfect ski-in ski-out. but the thing they'll remember forever? grandpa coming out of retirement to give a few ski lessons. the time to plan your get together is now. find it on vrbo. at carvana, we treat every customer like we would treat our own moms, with care and respect. to us, the little things are the big things. which is why we do everything in our power to make buying a car an unforgettable experience. happy birthday. thank you. we treat every customer like we would treat our own moms. because that's what they deserve. this... is the planning effect. this is how it feels to have a dedicated fidelity advisor looking at your full financial picture. this is what it's like to have a comprehensive wealth plan with tax-smart investing strategies designed to help you keep more of what you earn. and set aside more for things like healthcare, or whatever comes down the road. this is "the planning effect" from fidelity. with ww, i lost 30 lbs and i feel incredible! i love the new program because the app does all the work for you. it's never too late to start. join today for 50% off at ww.com hurry! offer ends january 24th! when you're born and raised in san francisco, you grow up wanting to make a difference. that's why, at recology, we're proud to be 100% employee owned with local workers as diverse as san francisco. we built the city's recycling system from the ground up, helping to make san francisco the greenest big city in america but we couldn't do it without you. thank you, san francisco. gracias, san francisco. -thank you. -[ speaks native language ] let's keep making a difference together. this is elodia. she's a recording artist. 1 of 10 million people that comcast has connected to affordable internet in the last 10 years. and this is emmanuel, a future recording artist, and one of the millions of students we're connecting throughout the next 10. through projectup, comcast is committing $1 billion so millions more students, past... and present, can continue to get the tools they need to build a future of unlimited possibilities. tonight, new images of the aftermath of the world's biggest volcanic eruption in more than 30 years. let me show you the pacific island nation of tonga. entire villages now blanketed in gray ash. three deaths are confirmed tonight. but right now, we really have no idea. phone lines are down, the internet is down. as ash in the sky, it's hard to see true extent of the damage and the human toll is unclear. paula hancocks is out front. >> reporter: before-and-after satellite images show the devastation in tonga. volcanic ash is covering entire communities, homes, trees, roads blanketed. neighborhoods, unrecognizable. the new zealand defense force sent a reconnaissance flight to assess the damage. the runway at the airport is partially covered, meaning humanitarian flights are currently impossible for a population of more than 100,000. saturday's eruption of an underwater volcano triggered a tsunami. the prime minister says waves of up to 15 meters hit parts of the tongan coastline. tsunami waves felt thousands of miles away in hawaii, peru, japan, and the west coast of the united states. >> whilst the damage is -- is horrifying, um, we were fearing much worse. it was so powerful that eruption. >> reporter: believed to be the most powerful volcanic eruption in more than 30 years, the true extent of the damage is not yet known. new zealand and australia have deployed ships laden with humanitarian goods to tonga which will take at least three days to get there. >> affected by the ash and by the tsunami waves so access to clean drinking water is number one. number two is anybody who is living in coastal areas, where houses have been damaged by the tsunami waves, will be in need of shelter. >> reporter: the need to restore communication. an underwater communications cable from tonga to fiji is damaged. officials say repairs may not be able to begin until the start of next among. tongans living overseas can only wait helplessly to hear from family. >> the worst fear is always that you are not going to see the people that you love again. um, yeah. that's the worst fear. >> reporter: the first victim named tuesday, british woman angela glover who moved to tonga to set up an animal welfare charity. her brother says she was swept away by the tsunami while trying to rescue her dogs. >> angela was the heart of our family. she was the emotional heart of our family and i -- you know, that heart is now -- is now gone. >> reporter: and complicating an already-desperate situation, the pandemic. a country which is largely protected itself from the worst of covid now has to balance the risk of infection coming in alongside much-needed humanitarian aid. erin? >> paula, thank you very much. and thanks so much to all of you for joining us around the world. "ac 360" starts now. good evening. we begin tonight with breaking news. two major developments from the house january 6th select committee. both suggesting it is now aiming higher and closer to the former president than ever before. first, subpoenas for three of the attorneys in its bid to overturn the election, rudy giuliani, jenna ellis, and sidney powell, as well as campaign adviser who was working giuliani at the willard command center. then, there is this and marks a serious escalation for the committee exclusive reporting on subpoena