and fighting to keep covid out of the upcoming olympic games. take a nice deep breath, because it is the weekend. saturday, january 22nd. and we're always so grateful for you. >> and great to be with you, christi. this morning, new york is mourning the loss of one of its finest. one officer was killed, a second in critical condition, after a shooting last night. >> yeah. authorities say rookie officer jason rivera died last night while responding to a domestic violence call. the officer is the latest to be shot in the line of duty. officials say three others have been shot just this month. yesterday while speaking to the council of mayors, president biden addressed it. >> we shouldn't be cutting funding for police departments. i propose increasing funding. look, you know, we ask cops to do everything including to be psychologists and social workers. guess what, they need psychologists and social workers. >> let's go to cnn's polo sandoval. he's been following this story for us, polo, help us understand what happened during the shooting. it started out for a call for a domestic dispute, right? >> as we try to make sense of this, boris, it's important to remember that the police commissioner here said this is beyond comprehension, the loss they're experience right now, and also the sad reminders of these domestic calls. jason riviera was among three officers responding to a mother's call. she was having a dispute with her son. he and other officer walked in the narrow hallway. where the door swung ohm and mashawn mcneill opened fire with the weapon that was used here, guys, it's certainly disturbing here. when you see the level of fire power that the officers were up against. many have said they really stood no chance defending themselves to his high-capacity magazine that held according to investigators up to 40 rounds, he was killed when the shots rang out. and it was a third officer in the living room with mom who opened fire, wounded mcneil, when you hear from mayor eric adams, there's certainly a high level of frustration, not just on the state, but on the federal government to step up and insist on getting more guns off the streets of new york. >> we need washington to join us and act now, to stop the flow of guns in new york city. and cities like new york. we're all witnesses. we have witnessed these murders. and we have witnessed the failure on a federal level to stop the flow of guns to the city. >> now, as for mcneil, the suspect in this case remains in the hospital as well, boris and christi. when we look at his rap sheet, he's described as a career criminal here. he was arrested here in new york city for narcotics in 2003 and 2004, outside arrests, outside of new york city, including unlawful possession of a weapon and assault a police officer. that's where adams is going to renew the pressure to act on this vow to improve the city especially after the rash of shootings. boris and christi. >> an uphill battle, no question. our hearts go out to those officers and their families. thank you so much. there are new signs this morning that the surge of the omicron variant may be starting to ease. the average u.s. daily cases is now trending down compared to last week. meantime, hospitalizations in the northeast and midwest are on decline. >> that's the good news. there are a lot of states across the country still isn't crisis right now. in north carolina, hospital officials say the omicron variant, quote, is sending a record number of people to hospitals. and in west virginia, while covid hospitalizations are near an all-time high, governor jim justice is stressing the need for people to get their booster shots. >> what in the world are we waiting on? i mean, how can it be logical that you made the decision to be vaccinated. and now, now, absolutely, you're just waiting. you're making a real mistake. a real mistake. >> cnn's donnie romero has more on why getting your booster shot is so important. >> reporter: a trio of cdc studies underscore how urgent the booster to fight off the omicron variant. the booster was 95% effective in preventing hospitalizations over a period of december and january. compared to 57% with only two shots six months after their second vaccination. the new data raised the question whether people with two vaccine doses should still be considered fully vaccinated. but cdc director dr. rochelle walensky stopped short of endorsing such a change. >> and what we're really looking to do, tip the language to make sure everybody is up to date with their covid vaccines as they should be, based on when they got their last vaccine. importantly, right now, we're pivoting our language, we really want to make sure people are up to date. >> reporter: meanwhile, those fighting covid on the front lines are being stretched to the limits. six metro hospitals are saying they're seeing mostly unvaccinated patients fill up to capacity. >> we're running at about 110% capacity right now. we've had to divert ambulances over the last several weeks because of the huge number of patients coming in. that has a big impact on the rest of the city. it's wall to wall. we have no capacity left at the hospital. >> reporter: the message from health care experts to get vaccinated and boosted also comes with a renewed push to limit the spread of the virus. and to alleviate long lines at testing sites across the country, you can now order free at-home coronavirus tests from the federal government, online or by using a new hotline. >> people need a test immediately. we continuously encourage them to utilize one of the testing options out there in addition to the website. 20,000 community-based testing sites nationwide. federal surge sites, dozens of which have opened online. >> reporter: nadia romero, cnn, atlanta. and the rapid spread of the omicron variant of covid-19 have left parents with their young children feeling really uncertain. parents are losing their temperaturers, their sleep, and jobs, because of job care issues. now under new guidelines in minnesota specifically children in child centers no longer need to quarantine if they've been exposed to covid-19. chris stanford is with us now, vice president of government and community relations at new horizons academy. thank you for being with us. we appreciate it. how comfortable are the parents and how comfortable are you with the new guidance from minnesota? >> el w child care was in crisis before the pandemic. and the pandemic over the last year has just revealed how reliept our society is on child care, not only parents and their young children but the employers and the rest of us. and we've really seen a crack in the system with the stress we're under. part of that, obviously, is figuring out how to operate and how to keep your children safe during this pandemic. and minnesota recently changed its child care licensing regulations to say that quarantines for young children who are still too young to be vaccinated, we're talking birth to 5, are now under the purview of each provider to decide on what to do. we are still being asked to follow cdc and state health guidance. but it is no longer a requirement, tied to our child care licenses. so, it's a move that the state has done to try to give families and providers more flexibility. and to make, you know, their own individual risk benefit calculations. but it is very difficult. and we have parents and providers on both ends of the spectrum who this new flexibility makes very nervous. and some for whom, it's the best news they've gotten in two years. >> yeah, you can see it's two-pronged, depending on who's receiving the information. help us understand the anxiety of parents of this age group, infant to 5 years has right now? >> the anxiety is stupendous. it's different for every family. based on the family situation. of course there's a constant nagging environment of keeping your children safe and healthy. and that is the core of what we do in child care is to keep children safe and healthy. so this is unbelievable important to parents and child care providers. that's only the problem now, two years into the pandemic, parents and our children, we put them in an impossible situation in our country. children are too young to be vaccinated. they're subject to quarantine after quarantine, exposure after exposure, and employers are losing patience with parents. we've pulled a lot of support from parents. the expanded child tax care credit that recently expired at the end of december. so they're nervous and anxious about the health their children and families but they're incredible a nervous about their financial stability, and their ability to provide a home, and food and all of the necessities for their children. and parents are just between the a rock and a hard place right now with those two things. >> well, we know there were some provisions in the build back better bill which, of course, has stalled. if you could stand at a podium, or even sit down at a table, say, and get the attention of lawmakers in congress, what would you say to them? what do you think they really need to know? >> they really need to know that we are the only developed economy in the world that doesn't take collective responsibility for the care and education of young children. we all take responsibility through taxes, and collective commitments to -- >> oh, i'm so sorry. claire, i think we lost claire, claire sanford with minnesota child care association in the government there. claire, thank you for detailing what you could for us, before the gremlins in the systems, in the technical systems, came out. but we appreciate your input. so, senator mitch mcconnell's comments about black voters sparked outrage this week. hear how he tried to clarify the remarks. that's next. plus, a new year, a new approach for president biden. coming up, how he's planning to switch up his strategy. will it work? a candid conversation, still ahead. excuses happen. what? it's too windy. but with a huge selection of wellness support products for nutrition, sleep, immune systems and energy, cvs can help them happen a little less. get your personal points 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! 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 24th! on fanduel sportsbook, new customers can bet 30-to-1 odds on any team in the playoffs. so you can make every catch feel like the catch of a lifetime. bet 30-to-1 odds on any team to win their playoff game. bet $5 to win $150. only on fanduel, america's number one sportsbook. 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. ♪ ♪ limu emu ♪ and doug. we gotta tell people that liberty mutual customizes car insurance so you only pay for what you need, and we gotta do it fast. [limu emu squawks] woo! thirty-four miles per hour! new personal record, limu! [limu emu squawks] he'll be back. only pay for what you need. ♪ liberty, liberty, liberty, liberty. ♪ king c. gillette is a complete lineup of tools and facial hair care products. this is the style master. designed to style your stubble in one stroke, a pivoting metal head that defines every edge, and three comb lengths for added versatility. one tool that helps you choose, change, and master your style. king c. gillette senate minority leader mitch mcconnell is defending his record on civil rights. he's claiming to have forgotten a word when talking about black voters. here's what he said earlier this week, just for perspective here. >> what's your message for voters of color who are concerned without the john l. lewis voting rights act they're not able to vote? >> well, the concern is this place, if you look at the statistics, african american voters are voting in just as high percentage as americans. >> mcconnell said he senate vert t inadvertently left out the word other. and cnn national politics reporter eva mcend is live from washington, d.c. good morning, eva, how is mitch mcconnell responding to all of this. >> good morning, boris and christi, listen, he takes this criticism very seriously when responding to questions from reporters in kentucky this week. you can tell it struck a nerve, this suggestion that he holds some sort of racial bias but, listen, he hit a sore spot, he tapped into a vulnerability in this country, that he suggested that black americans are not part of the story there. there say rawness there. that is why we have seen this backlash. take a listen what he had to say more in defense of himself. >> i want to take an opportunity here to address the outrageous mischaracterization of my history and record on voting rights and race relations as a result of inadvertently leaving out the word "almost" in my comments the other day. >> so he again misspoke there, and walked back to the mics at the end of the news conference, he meant to say "all americans." but this is not the first time that leader mcconnell has received backlash. when he opines on issues of race and racial inequality in america, this is the response that he often meets. when i asked him about reparations about slavery in 2018, he invoked former president barack obama. people were outraged with that. they had a contentious relationship. and saying, essentially president obama was, but he did not say that. and when i asked him about the filibuster, he said the filibuster has no racial history, none at all. that prompted a spokesperson from his office to again clean that up again. he was saying, he was talking about the origins of the filibuster. but i think this episode reveals that someone like mcconnell who typically chooses his words very carefully, he's going to have to take a special attention, when he does so in the future. because there is a lot of anger there, i think. and that was on full display this week. >> a lot of cleanup, especially as his party, at least through states, has tried to pass legislation that could suppress voters and prevent voters from color specifically from getting to the ballot box. eva mckend, thank you so much. >> so, after a challenging first year in office, president biden says he's going to do things a little differently. in slumping poll numbers, the president told reporters he's going to spend more time speaking to people outside of the white house this year. two cnn political commentators join us this morning to discuss the new approach and what it could mean for the midterm elections, maria cardona with us and alice stewart. maria, first to you, the president says he's going to be deeply involved in the mitt terms that comes as that the political operation at the white house is up prepared and unresponsive heading into campaign season. have you gotten that sense? what do you think needs to change? >> well, i think what the president should be doing is exactly what he said and he signaled he was going to do. which is not just a shift in messaging, boris, but a shift in strategy. and he should be going out and talking directly to the american people, getting out of the white house, talking to them about his successes in the first year. look, has it been challenging? absolutely. this president inherited a historic bucket of problems in this country. but what he was able to accomplish is 6.4 million jobs were created in his first year. a record for any president. he got 400 million shots in arms. he passed the american rescue plan which put money in the pockets of american families, american workers, and businesses who needed it the most, when he got zero republican support for it. and yet, they are out in their districts taking credit for it. you have for the first time in decades american wages are going up for workers. historic numbers of new small businesses are popping up. so, there are great things to talk about. historic infrastructure, bipartisan infrastructure bill, that passed that is going to start pumping money into local economies this year. and so there are great things to talk about. are there challenges? of course. he's got to talk about that, too. he's got to feel people's pain. he is starting to talk about those things, the inflation, the incredible variant of omicron which is still -- we're still feeling the onslaught of that. sadly, republicans have refused to help him deal with any of these problems, and instead, they're just focused on tanking his agenda, taking away the rights of americans to vote. and putting people -- trying to put people in office, running people in these midterm elections up and down the ballot that, frankly, boris, elected would do nothing short but destroy our democracy. those are what democrats have to make there. >> heavy claims there from maria, alice. i do want to point to something she alluded to. president biden quoted chris anunu on sunday. biden is arguing that republicans are simply obstructing him like they did barack obama. so, aside from criticisms of the current white house, as mitch mcconnell says we're going to run against the party in power, what do republicans have to sell to voters? >> they can -- they can sell that they are going to stand up to the widespread policies that the biden administration is trying to do. look, you mentioned one person that's not running for reelection. they have almost 25 democrats who say they're not running for re-election this time, because they don't like the direction their party is going. look, i think it's important. this president is out of touch with americans, so it is important to go out and press the flesh. but if i can correct a few of the comments that my friend maria made. she touched on job creation. look, that pales in comparison to what we're seeing with long term inflation, not transitory. long-term. the vaccines, the president has acknowledged he's way behind the eight-ball on testing american people. right now, the check's in the mail, with regard to that. looking at foreign policy, we're now in a very crisis situation with regard to russia coming on the heels of china and afghanistan. that's not good. and clearly what we're seeing now is that president biden thinks as though his mandate was about unifying the country and putting him into covid. because that's what he campaigned on. that's what he went into office on and that's what people voted for. bringing the country together and putting it into covid. unfortunately, he's being cow cowed by the republican party. that's not what he was put into office for. and the fact that they are continuing to focus on large spending packages and voting rights reform. that's why we're seeing voting numbers in the low 40s. job approval numbers, lows in many years for a president specifically with regard to how he's handling covid and how he's handling the economy. and those numbers are not only going to affect him in 2024, that's going to be a huge anchor for any democrat running for election in the midterm election. >> maria -- >> i still really didn't hear from my amiga alice, what is it that republicans are for? what kind of solutions are they going to put forth to deal with the massive problems that the american people are dealing with? frankly, all we've seen, republicans anti-science, anti-vax, and anti-mask mandate. and, frankly, that is not something that is helping to crush this virus which would hopefully be something that politics is taken out of because this is something that has been killing americans, republicans, democrats and independents. and sadly, again, only thing we're seeing from republicans and it comes from mitch mcconnell's mouth, they're going to do absolutely nothing. they're going to be obstructionists, they're going to try to tank president biden's agenda. economists have said if they're able to pass build back better or pieces of the build back better plan, that would relieve inflationary pressures on americans. let's see if republicans can step up. >> first up, the last thing we need in inflationary time is more spending. we don't need build back better or pieces of it. to answer your question what republicans are for, i encourage you to look at what happened in virginia a few months ago, glenn youngkin winning on key issues that americans care about, economy, public safety, jobs and education. and it's not about donald trump. it's not about the last election. it is about these issues that are kirtchen table issues for te american people. that's textbook playbook for any candidate running in 2020. and rational republicans in washington, they're focused on jobs and economy and what they can do to get the economy back on track and get inflation under control. those are the issues they're going to be focusing on as they campaign from now until november. >> and it will be quite a campaign. ladies, always love having you on. i ask just one question of each you and you both just go. that's great. >> maria cardona and alice stewart, thank you. >> i think they got it down. russia and ukraine, they're going to keep talking can diplomacy prevent military conflict? we'll talk about that. stay close. medicine. new from vicks. >> 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. ♪ feel stuck with credit card debt? move to sofi and feel what it's like to get your money right. ♪ move your high-interest debt to a sofi personal loan. you could save with low rates and no fees. earn $10 just for viewing your rate and get your money right. ♪ my asthma felt anything but normal. ♪ ♪ it was time for a nunormal with nucala. nucala reduces asthma attacks it's a once-monthly add-on treatment for severe eosinophilic asthma. not for sudden breathing problems. allergic reactions can occur. get help right away for swelling of face, mouth, tongue, or trouble breathing. infections that can cause shingles have occured. don't stop steroids unless told by your doctor. tell your doctor if you have a parasitic infection. may cause headache, injection site reactions, back pain, and fatigue. ask your asthma specialist about a nunormal with nucala. psoriasis really messes with you. try. hope. fail. no one should suffer like that. i started cosentyx®. five years clear. real people with psoriasis look and feel better with cosentyx. don't use if you're allergic to cosentyx. before starting get checked for tuberculosis. an increased risk of infection, some serious and a lowered ability to fight them may occur. tell your doctor about an infection or symptoms or if you had a vaccine or plan to. tell your doctor if your crohn's disease symptoms develop or worsen. serious allergic reaction may occur. best move i've ever made. ask your dermatologist about cosentyx®. ♪ i see trees of green ♪ ♪ red roses too ♪ ♪ i see them bloom for me and you ♪ (music) ♪ so i think to myself ♪ ♪ oh what a wonderful world ♪ 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. ♪ the biden administration is trying to chart a new course on immigration, especially along the southern border. now, the president has made progress, but to some, it is thought enough. and road blocks remain. >> cnn's priscilla alvarez has more. >> reporter: the white house is again considering a proposal that would include vaccinating migrants crossing into the united states and then later released into the country as they await their court hearings. it was a plan that was the source of tension among white house officials last year, including top white house officials ron klain and susan rice, who ultimately shut down the proposal because they saw encouraging migrants to come to the u.s./mexico border whereas others said it would address public health concerns. and then a white house spokesperson telling me, quote, a decision on vaccinations for migrants has not been made at this time just as a decision hasn't been made right now. but it's telling of what the concern with influence on policymaking. with officials internallies asome sought more progressive objectives and other officials leaned on deterring migrants to the u.s. has typically done. and it's also divided the biden administration with democratic lawmakers and immigrant advocates who are asking the administration to do more on the border. now, it's important to note the administration has made inroads on a variety of issues including halting the border wall and it's often placed on border as a barometer for success for administrations. and on that front, a senior administration official tells me they're prepared to do more this year and chart a new path on the border, including leaning on new technologies, to process migrants, entertaining ing rece models and any conditions on the western hemisphere. all of these new challenges for the white house that says they are committed to seeing it through. >> priscilla alvarez for us there. thank you, priscilla. virginia's new governor has rescinded mask mandates for schools, but some school districts are keeping it in place, facing possible repercussions. we'll tell you how parents are reacting, after a quick break. with non-small cell lung cancer that has spread, tests positive for pd-l1, and does not have an abnormal egfr or alk gene. together, opdivo plus yervoy helps your immune system launch a response that fights cancer in two different ways. opdivo plus yervoy equals a chance for more time together. more family time. more time to remember. opdivo and yervoy can cause your immune system to harm healthy parts of your body during and after treatment. these problems can be severe and lead to death. see your doctor right away if you have a cough; chest pain; shortness of breath; irregular heartbeat; diarrhea; constipation; severe stomach pain, nausea or vomiting; dizziness; fainting; eye problems; extreme tiredness; changes in appetite, thirst or urine; rash; itching; confusion; memory problems; muscle pain or weakness; joint pain; flushing; or fever. these are not all the possible side effects. problems can occur together and more often when opdivo is used with yervoy. tell your doctor about all medical conditions including immune or nervous system problems, if you've had or plan to have an organ or stem cell transplant, or received chest radiation. here's to a chance to live longer. ask your doctor about the combination of two immunotherapies, opdivo plus yervoy. thank you to all those in our clinical trials. 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. this is a gamechanger, who dares to be fearless even when her bladder leaks. our softest, smoothest fabric keeping her comfortable, protected, and undeniably sleek. depend. the only thing stronger than us, is you. it's my 5:52 woke-up-like-this migraine medicine. it's ubrelvy. for anytime, anywhere migraine strikes. without worrying if it's too late or where i am. one dose can quickly stop my migraine in its tracks within 2 hours. unlike older medicines, ubrelvy is a pill that directly blocks cgrp protein, believed to be a cause of migraine. do not take with strong cyp3a4 inhibitors. most common side effects were nausea and tiredness. ask about ubrelvy and learn how abbvie can help you save. some of my best memories growing up were cooking with mom. so when she moved in with us, a new kitchen became part of our financial plan. ♪ ♪ find a northwestern mutual advisor at nm.com find your rhythm. your happy place. find your breaking point. then break it. every emergen-c gives you a potent blend of nutrients so you can emerge your best with emergen-c. on his first day in office, virginia's new governor glenn youngkin rescinded the commonwealth's k through 12 mask mandate. and you can imagine there are some schools that have not welcomed this decision. >> yeah, cnn's gary tuchman has more. >> reporter: ten minutes away from the virginia state capitol building where new governor glenn youngkin was inaugurated is richmond's west elementary school where the executive order he issued is getting panned. >> we will be maintaining our mask mandate. >> reporter: jason cammeris is the superintendent of the school. here in richmond and other schools across the state there's concern without mask mandates the spike in covid cases will only get worse. hanna mason is the mother of a second great daughter at west hills school. she said despite the governor's stance, the governor's order that takes place next week is disappointing. >> i feel really disappointed? >> reporter: why? >> because i'm scared. i'm scared for my kids. i'm scared for her glclassmates. yeah. i feel like this is what other protection do we have. >> reporter: deion mccormick is the mother of a fourth grader. your school district says we're not listening to the governor. >> right. >> reporter: we want the school kids to wear their masks, how do you feel about that? >> i feel like they're protecting us, i love it. >> reporter: and a school that has a mask mandate, we wanted to ask the governor about that, our request to speak with him was declined, however, his spokesperson did send us a statement saying the governor is allowing virginians to opt-out of the mask mandates so parents can choose what's best for their children. over the weekend, the governor did say that school districts need to listen to parents. >> because we will use every resource within the governor's authority to explore what we can and will do, in order to make sure that parents' rights are protected. >> reporter: and he does indeed get some support from parents at the richmond school. >> it still should be a choice. >> reporter: you agree with the governor. >> yes. >> reporter: robin snead is the grandmother of a second grader. >> i know what it feels like to have a mask on and it's hard for me to breathe, i can only imagine how they feel, the children. >> reporter: but at this school, the majority of parents we talked to feel differently. the governor says that should be up to the parents, shouldn't be up to the schools. your reaction? >> i don't if i agree with that. >> reporter: it's not clear what governor young kin will do or can or will do. to obey the executive order, either way, this district shows no signs of backing down. are you concerned your school district could be punished by the governor for not listening to what he's saying? >> i think we'll have to take it day by day. and of course, if there are any repercussions, we will do our very best to defend ourselves and continue forward with what we believe is right. >> reporter: this parent agrees with that plan of action. >> because, i think -- i care about everyone. and we're responsible for everyone. >> we're responsible for each other. >> exactly, babe. >> reporter: gary tuchman, cnn, richmond, virginia. >> gary, thank you so much. just ahead, we're going to introduce you to the skating champion who is hoping to bring home gold for team usa in the winter olympics. we'll be right back. get decision tech from fidelity. [ cellphone vibrates ] you'll get proactive alerts for market events before they happen... and insights on every buy and sell decision. with zero-commission online u.s. stock and etf trades. for smarter trading decisions, get decision tech from fidelity. 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. you may be excited for this, two weeks, less than two weeks actually some the winter olympics start. there is an increase in recent covid-19 cases in beijing, that's why some drastic changes as they're trying to prevent the spread. >> cnn's david culver has that story. >> reporter: traveling into beijing may prove to be a tougherer race than olympic competition. these games taking place in a capital city that increasingly feels like a fortress. china determined to keep any new cases of covid-19, starting at the airport. this is the terminal that's going to be used by athlete, olympic personnel and media arriving into beijing. it's got a wall up that keeps the general population away from everyone who is part of the olympic arrivals. those coming in are required to download this official app to monitor their health. inputting their information starting 14 days before arriving in beijing. while health surveillance and strict contact tracing is part of life for everyone living in china, it's making visitors uneasy. cyber security researchers warn the app has serious flaws, potentially compromising possible health data. china dismisses concerns, but team usa and athletes from other countries are being advised to bring disposable burner phones, instead of their personal ones. athletes will be taken into what organizers call the closed loop system. not one giant bubble, as much as multiple bubbles connect by dedicated shovels. and in the city, several venues plus the olympic village only for participants. the dedicated transport buses will be bringing the athletes, the personnel, the media through these gates. but for those of us who are residents outside, well, this is as close as we can get. then there are mountain venues on the outskirts of beijing connected by high-speed train and highways, all of them newly built for the winter games, so as to maintain the separation, even the railcars are divided. and the closed-loop buses, kept in specially marked lanes. it's so strict that officials have told residents if they see one of the vehicles part of the olympic convoy get in a crash to stay away. they've actually got a specialized unit of medics to respond to those incidents. all to keep the virus from potentially spreading. it also helps keep visiting journalists from leaving the capital city to other regions like tibet to explore controversial topics. it allows china to showcase its superiority in maintaining the virus especially in countries like u.s. but the will may also be a tale of two cities. one curated for olympic prearrivals and group of spectators and another that is the real beijing. though some local beijing residents are now in a bubble of their own, communities locked down after recent cases surfaced in the city outside the olympic boundaries. a mounting challenge for a country that's trying to keep covid out and yet still stage a global sporting spectacle to wow the world. david culver, cnn, beijing. >> thanks, david. we should note later this morning, we're going to have an important conversation about the beijing games. stay tuned for that. a lot of folks are watching this today, the digital round of the nfl playoffs, the tigtans kickig off. a can't think of a scarier thing for bengals and players than derick henry squashing their super bowl dreams. for the championship, cincinnati and tennessee will kick it all off and it features the return of the king, the number one seed in the afc, titans getting their running back back, derick henry, 6'3", 240 pounds of pure power. reigning offensive player of the year after a foot injury that they shot was season ending. he's fresh and pray for cincinnati defenders. please. aaron rodgers, three-time mvp, he's front-runner yet again this season. he's 0-3 against the 49ers in the playoffs including in the 2020 afc championship game. but that came was in cali. this time, it's in green bay. niners are going to to fly cross-country to the frozen tundra where the game time temperatures expected to be in the teens. feels like temp, below zero. huge advantage for the packers especially considering their quarterback, the niners, jimmy garoppolo never started in an nfl game colder than 40. aaron rodgers is 6-3 in the playoffs when it's below freezing. finally, 25-year-old mariah bell is set to become the oldest individual female figure skater to compete in the olympics for team usa in nearly 100 years. mariah sat down with us as she sets out to prove yet again that age is just a number. ♪ >> 25 years old. in skating terms, it's old. there aren't many women who are 25 competing -- actually, there are, but the majority are 18 and younger. probably, i think it's kind of the stigma in skating. i thought that a lot of things that you can only do to a certain age, or it's time to move or whatever. if you're dedicated to something and you have a dream, there's no time limit, there's no expiration date on that. if you want to put in the work, it doesn't matter, you can could it. >> what kept you fighting? >> the idea of being on the olympic team even to have a shot at it. but truly, i just love skating. it's absolutely a part of me. i feel lucky that i get to travel the world, doing something i love. doing it at 25, even ancient age of 25, it's really exciting. >> what are your expectations for beijing? >> you know, the women's field is really strong. but if we skate the best we can, truly, anything can happen. so, you know, we have three russian ladies that will be there that will be really, really good but, you know, it's the olympic games, that's what you want. but anything can happen and i know for sure we're going to go and do the absolute best we can. >> mariah's story is a microcosm of what so many of us love about the olympics, right, boris, christi? chasing a dream of yours, against the odds. you never give up. i'll be there covering the games, it's my favorite event because of humility and spirit of athletes just like mariah bell. >> look forward to that coverage. it hurts to hear that 25 is ancient at anything. coy wire, thank you so much, coy. we're going to hand it off to michael smerconish right now. we'll be back an hour from now. >> yeah, we hope you make good memories today. by the way, you can catch the new series "reframed marilyn monroe." tomorrow. here's a preview. >> the owner of the condo didn't want ella. it was mostly a whites-only club but when they had black performers they had to be beautiful. with the talent if she wasn't hot and svelte. >> marilyn read about this in the paper, he called the manager and said hi, this is marilyn monroe, and if you rebook ella fitzgerald, i'll come every night to hear her sing, both shows. >> this was the beginning of the civil rights movement where the ku klux klan was out. what was marilyn going to get out of that, being that visible a friend with ella fitzgerald? nothing. nothing. advocating for someone like ella fitzgerald which she did not have to. and when it was unpopular. this speaks to her principles. >> watch cnn's original series "reframed marilyn monroe" tomorrow at 8:00 p.m. we'll be right back. [limu emu squawks] woo! thirty-four miles per hour! new personal record, limu! [limu emu squawks] he'll be back. only pay for what you need. ♪ liberty, liberty, liberty, liberty. ♪ i may be close to retirement, but i'm as busy as ever. careful now. nice! you got it. and thanks to voya, i'm confident about my future. oh dad, the twins are now... ...vegan. i know, i got 'em some of those plant burgers. - nice! - yeah. voya provides guidance for the right investments and helps me be prepared for unexpected events. they make me feel like i've got it all under control. [crowd] yeah! because i do. ok, that was awesome. voya. be confident to and through retirement. why do people who live with generalized myasthenia gravis want a new treatment option? because we want to be able to get up and get ready for work. because the animals need to be cared for, and we like taking care of them. because we want to go out to dinner with our friends. because, in family photos, we want to be able to smile. a new fda-approved treatment for adults with generalized myasthenia gravis could help them do more of the daily activities they care about. to learn more, go to now4gmg.com and talk to your neurologist. 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. ♪ ♪ ♪ "how bizarre" by omc ♪ no annual fee on any discover card. ♪ ♪ welcome to silversneakers. are you ready to get moving? (throws punch) our new virtual classes were designed for you and millions of seniors like you. you can now choose from thousands of live virtual classes every week. get moving wherever you have an internet connection. and when you're ready, enjoy access to thousands of locations nationwide. with silversneakers, you're free to move. enroll today at no additional cost by visiting getsilversneakers dot com. inner voice (kombucha brewer): i'm dramatically holding this bottle, so the light hits it just right, and people think... wow... ...he knows what he's doing... ...when i'm actually pretty lost with my payroll taxes. intuit quickbooks helps you manage your payroll taxes. cheers. 100% accurate payroll tax calculations guaranteed. meat loaf sang that two out of three ain't bad. what about one out of four? i'm michael smerconish in philadelphia. i guess it was supposed to be a rudimentary experiment in consult dural awareness and the result quickly went viral because there was no ordinary group of respondents. no, they were students at one of the most prestigious business schools in america,