an estimated 100,000 russian troops have taken up positions around nearly half of ukraine, and the u.s. and its nato allies fear another invasion is likely, although moscow continues to deny it. now the british foreign office claims to have information the kremlin may be plotting to install a pro-russian leader in ukraine. now, a source tells cnn that u.s. intelligence also has the same information. the uk even names a number of prominent ukrainian politicians, allegedly in contact with russian intelligence. they include a former prime minister, two former deputy prime ministers, and a former senior national security official. moscow angrily dismissed the plot allegation as a so-called provocation. now, the revelation that the alleged plot illelicited this response from the u.s. national security council. quote, this dkind of plotting i deeply concerning. the ukrainian people have the sovereign right to determine their own future, and we stand with our democratically elected partners in ukraine. now, for more on u.s. reaction, here's cnn's arlette saenz at the white house. >> reporter: president biden convened a meeting of his national security team at camp david on saturday to discuss russia's recent aggressive actions towards ukraine. joining him in person for this meeting were his national security adviser, jake sullivan, along with his counselor, steve racheti and other members joined virtually. the white house released a statement, a readout of this meeting, saying that the president was briefed on russia's recent military actions, regarding ukraine, and also on those diplomatic efforts to try to de-escalate the situation. additionally, the president discussed the deterrence measures that the u.s. and allies are taking, regarding this situation, including the recent security assistance that's been delivered from ukraine. importantly, at the end of that readout, the white house also said that president biden again affirmed that should russia further invade ukraine, the united states will impose swift and severe consequences on russia with our allies and partners. right now, the white house is really right to pursue this diplomatic path, to try to de-escalate these tensions. encourage russia to de-escalate the situation. but also, they are making these contingency plans of what the u.s. would do, how allies would respond if russia follows through with that invasion. that includes the potential of severe economic sanctions, as well as the pentagon drafting options for what type of military presence the u.s. may be able to provide to eastern european nato allies. but right now, the white house is really laser focused on that diplomatic effort. we expect that secretary of state antony blinken will be speaking in the coming week with his counterpart, the russian foreign minister, sergey lavrov, and the white house has not taken the option of a meeting between president biden and president putin off the table. but right now, a senior state department additional says that they are pursuing that diplomatic path, but adds if the russians move into ukraine further, then diplomacy is over. arlette saenz, cnn, the white house. >> we want to go straight to cnn's chief international correspondent, clarissa ward, she is in kiev at this hour. good to see you clarissa, and have you weigh in on all of this. first to that uk statement. what purpose did it serve for the uk. especially because the united states did back up what they were saying? >> reporter: they did back up what they were saying. and actually, earlier this week when the u.s. treasury department sanctioned several individuals here in ukraine who they said were working at the behest of russian security services to ukrainian political system, there is overlap. one of those individuals on those u.s. treasury sanctions is also mentioned in this kentucky foreign office statement. there isn't a lot of informing, though, paula, in the statement, that would give us a better sense of whether this is new intelligence, whether this is old intelligence. and also, what this would actually look like. because russia may well be planning to try to install a pro-kremlin government here, but it's much easier said than done. i will add that we reached out to the individual who the foreign office names as the potential candidate, yevgeny moriav. he did respond to us. he said, i am ukrainian. the russian federation has a well-known candidate and i have been sanctioned by the russians and my father's assets seized. so there is nothing to comment on. i should also add that the four other individuals that the foreign office mentions are actually living in russia at the moment. they are former ukrainian politicians, closely associated with the government of viktor yanukovych, who was, of course, the kremlin-backed leader of this country for many years. so there's no real subterfuge going on here, in terms of the role of these individuals. the question becomes, what were they doing in this specific moment, and that we don't actually know. but i should also add, paula, that it would not be surprising in any way, shape, or form for russia to trying to install puppets, people close in allegiance, pawns. we saw this do in crimea back in 2014. but again, the question becomes how do they go about installing loyal leadership? and that really remains an open question. >> reporter: and again, peculiar the way the statement was put out and certainly times of timing. sergey lavrov and antony blinken had just met. they believe that a compromise in some way, shape, or form might be possible. i'm wondering from you, having covered so much in the region and now on the ground in ukrainian, are ukrainians hopeful that there might be some kind of compromise here? >> reporter: i don't think there's a huge amount of optimism on the ground that a compromise will be found. at the same time, the foreign ministry did say that they were pleased that diplomacy has not reached a dead end yet, that the talks do continue. as long as the talks continue, there is at least the hope that the threat of military aggression is swomewhat abated r somewhat mitigated. then again, another ukrainian official, paula, did say to cnn that this could well be a stalling tactic or a delay tactic. and that president vladimir putin is using this time as the diplomatic process grinds on to precipitate and finish preparations for some kind of a militaryukrainians have a sligh different perspective on all of this. they don't see the threat of russia as something new or something that's really. m been more of a concern in the last three months. they have been at war for eight years now. so the threat of russia has always loomed large here. and i think they view this as being a larger existential question, rather than a kind of flashpoint moment of tensions. we heard from one official who said they would like to see more aggressive and robust response from the u.s. that they would like to see russian sanctioned even before an invasion might happen. that they would like to see more in terms of military support coming in. they talked about patriot missiles, specifically. that's not likely to happen, although, of course, the u.s. has been supplying -- and the uk, i should add, something like javelins, anti-tank armo armor-piercing weaponry, things of that sort. >> and that is significant, given the pressure that the ukrainian government has been putting on the united states and other allies to help them, especially given that military and financial support. before i let you go, we have one source saying to cnn that, in fact, uk's defense minister will be headed, possibly to moscow, which is significant. in terms of what a compromise might look like there, i mean, some people were saying, look, never waste a grood crisis, right? that perhaps some breakthrough between nato allies and russia might be possible at this turn. are you hear anything about that? >> i think you cannot discount the fact that it was significant. that friday's talks, which many feared would end in sort of a stalemate or a dead end, both sides coming out saying, there's nothing left to talk about, there is no room for compromise here, instead resulted in what antony blinken himself, the secretary of state called a clearer path ahead. that does not mean that a solution is within grasp or within sight. i would say, far from it. it is still hard to conceive of how some kind of compromise or understanding can be made without one side or the other being forced to climb down on very -- in the case of russia, maximalist demands, that it has made loudly, publicly, and repeatedly. and in the case of the u.s., demands that it's called non-starters. so difficult to see how this situation could resolve itself, but significant that the diplomatic process lives on to see another day. >> and i will note, clarissa, that you and i rr talkare talkit this, it certainly takes a lot of attention away from the human rights situation, something you have covered extensively in russia. alexei navalny remains in prison, well over year, and again, we are talking about this. quite a distraction. clarissa ward for us in kiev, appreciate it. the tensions between russia and ukraine could have a much wider impact that could stretch far beyond its own borders. later this hour, we'll have a guest on to discuss the far-reaching economic toll, toll it could take on your life from a potential escalation in the conflict. but first, protests against vaccine moandates are planned i washington just as the city implements new rules about approving that you've been vaccinated. but are officials prepared for the pushback? plus, some european nations are easing covid-19 rules, but that's not enough for those who are protesting restrictions. the latest in a live report, after the break. well, would you look at that? jerry, you gotta see this. seen it. trust me, after 15 walks... gets a little old. i really should be retired by now. wish i'd invested when i had the chance... to the moon! ugh. unbelievable. pain hits fast. so get relief fast. only tylenol rapid release gels have laser drilled holes. they release medicine fast for fast pain relief. and now get relief without a pill with tylenol dissolve packs. relief without the water. you are looking there at live pictures of the capitol building in washington, d.c. now. in the coming hours, thousands of anti-vaccine activists are expected to gather for a defeat the mandates rally. and officials fear extremist groups will be there. cnn's suzanne malveaux explains why authorities are so concerned. >> reporter: there's a great deal of anticipation and concern over the potential for violence this weekend, as all eyes turn to sunday, the fight over vaccine mandates, which will play out here in washington, d.c. the national park service says various groups opposing vaccine mandates, vaccines, and masks could draw up to 20,000 people at and around a n event being called, defeat the mandates. so the fbi, the department of homeland security, metropolitan u.s. and park police and others are helping local businesses prepare for the crowds and possibly confront protesters who may refuse to wear masks indoors or provide vaccination cards or comply with d.c. rules. the protests coincide with new proof of vaccine requirements for restaurants, bars, gyms, and other private businesses in d.c. the u.s. capitol police in montgomery county, maryland's police department are staffing up to arrest those who are noncompliant, or who harass employees and have already held a conference call with these business leaders to prepare. now, the u.s. capitol police chief says, "i am confident in our preparation for this weekend." law enforcement officials are also concerned that the protests could attract violent extremist groups. friday, close to 30 men who appeared to be tied to patriot front, an american nationalist white supremacist group showed up outside the national archives and were surrounded by d.c. police to ensure that there were no confrontations. the organizers of sunday's protests called "defeat the mandates" say that they have hired increased private security to work with government law enforcement officials and they also put out a statement saying here, we do not welcome extremist groups on any side that condone racism or bring violence of any kind to the thousands of americans that will be marching peacefully. suzanne malveaux, cnn, wash washington. meantime, covid cases in some parts of the u.s. seem to be leveling off. hospitalizations in the northeast are down by about 11% after reaching a peak a week ago. now, the midwest, meantime, is also seeing a slight drop, about 6% there. the governor of illinois said the state was seeing a decline in covid hospitalizations, as well as icu and ventilator usage. but in west virginia, hospitalizations are on the rise. on friday, the state's governor appealed to resident to get vaccinations and boosters. and the situation in north carolina is especially dire. the omicron variant is ending record numbers of people to hospitals. on friday, the state requested federal support for beleaguered hospital systems in the charlotte region. professor john swartzberg is a clinical professor emeritus and infectious disease specialist at uk berkeley school of public health and he joins me now. good to have you onboard, especially with your expertise. the data here in the united states regarding cases, and really even hospitalizations show clearly that omicron is likely peaking. now, the caveat here is that despite what you see on screen right now, there are major variations across the country. why is that? >> well, we've seen that throughout the pandemic. omicron doesn't uniformly attack every part of the country at the same time. so we see it flare in one place and then calm in another. that's what we saw with omicron when it came to the united states just less than two months ago. first, the east coast, new york, boston, down to d.c. and that whole area. it hit the west coast 10, 14 days, a little bit later. and so we've seen now the west coast getting hit, but now the west coast has peaked and it looks like at least here in the barrier and much of california are now starting a downslope. and about a week ago, we saw the same thing happening on the east coast with boston, new york, and d.c. now clearly on a downslope. on the other hand, we're seeing cases still rising in other parts of the united states. and we're going to see it spotty like this for another two to three weeks, i think. >> i think the disappointment there is that when people heard that it would, you know, go up very quickly and dramatically, that coming down, it would be kind of as dramatic. do you see that happening? >> well, it's going to come down, i hope, dramatically on the east coast, northeast, down to d.c. and then the west coast. we'll also see it come down dramatically in the south and the midwest, but later. so it's going to be, in terms of looking at the numbers, the numbers aren't going to look dramatic for the whole united states. but depending upon where you are in the united states, it may look like there's a very significant drop. in other parts, it's going to look like there's not much change at all. or in some cases, cases still going up. >> yeah, which unfortunately will continue to strain hospitals in some regions. you know, i want to ask you, given the durability of both vaccines and now a whole heck of a lot of natural immunity, right? some countries and jurisdictions are moving to try to manage covid. and that would mean keeping much of society open this time. do you think it's the right time for this? >> well, it's certainly not the right time in the united states. in other countries that have a higher vaccination rate in the united states, where their numbers are coming down. for example, the united kingdom. it might be the beginning of the time to talk about loosening up things. but right now, other parts of western europe, we're seeing, for example, in france, we're seeing cases rising. so it's not the time to talk about it. you know, it's interesting in watching this entire pandemic that there's a pattern to it now. that is, we get a surge and things get better and we loosen up too soon. and so we wind up at a different plateau, a higher plateau than when we started, a new surge comes on top of that. and then the same thing happens over and over again. it's like taking three steps up and two back. and we keep being behind on this pandemic. so my hope is that not just here in the u.s., but in europe and in the rest of the world, that as things start to get better with omicron, which they will, that we don't just say we're back to normal and loosen up so much that we're just going to drive the cases back up again. even in south africa, we saw this dramatic drop. and now, it's really about 25% higher in terms of the number of cases per day than it was when they were at their nater before omicron. so don't make that mistake. >> understood. so continue to be vigilant. speaking of that, so many of us are still looking over our shoulders, right, waiting more that next variant, but should we be? the vaccines seem pretty effective. there are more in development. therapeutics will be more widespread in the weeks and months to come. is it time to stop worrying about that, necessarily? >> well, we have to hit that sweet spot. we can't just be in a constant state of worry. that's no way to live, and it just is ruining our lives. on the other hand, we have to remain incredibly vigilant. i'm -- you know, no one can predict the future, but i'm pretty confident that we'll see more variants come. there are just too many people around the world, including in the united states that are not vaccinated. and not-vaccinated people are high susceptible to producing an enormous amount of virus. and when you produce an enormous amount of virus, you produce variants. so it's -- we have to get the world vaccinated. so if we go into a lull after omicron, the biggest thing we need to do is to put on a tremendous push to get as many people on this planet vaccinated as possible, as fast as possible. >> the good news there is, fortunately, vaccine production will be ramping up in the months to come. and that's possible if we can get through that vaccine distribution issue and the hesitancy, of course. professor john schwartzberg, thanks so much. appreciate it. >> you're welcome. now to china. and it recorded some 56 new covid cases on saturday. 19 were locally transmitted and 37 came from overseas. now, this comes less than two weeks before the start of those all-important winter olympic games. thousands of protesters, meantime, marched in paris on saturday to voice their anger at the vaccine pass now required by law. anyone over 16 must show proof of vaccination in order to access most public venues. and across the channel over in london, some national health service staffers demonstrated against a vaccine mandate. they must be vaccinated by april 1st and submit proof to remain employed. i'm joined now by journalist al goodman. he is live for us in madrid. and good to see you, al, to go through all of this. you are in spain right now. of course, it is a high vaccination rate, but infections are still stubbornly high there. how is europe interpreting all of this new data with omicron and, obviously, the conflict between those on the streets, protesting the mandates, but those who really want high vaccination rates in order to protect most of the population? >> reporter: hi, paula. well, spain, as you just mentioned, has one of the highest vaccination rates in europe. 90 90% of the people 12 and older have been fully vaccinated. 50% of the children 5 to 11 have already gotten their first dose in a program that just gap if december. that's given a sense of protection to this country. i'm in the center of madrid. as you can see, people are out for a lovely sunday afternoon. and in this context, the spanish prime minister has joined a conversation happening in some political capitals, where he has said that it's time to begin to think about moving off the pandemic mentality, that governments would apply emergency measures against the coronavirus, to considering it an endemic, sympaomething that' going to be around like the flu. he said this is not going to happen immediately. the president of portugal has also talked about this, where there's also a very high vaccination rate, but the prime minister says that clearly, with the balance between health measures and the economy and jobs, these are things that need to be considered and it's not just happening in europe, but also in other parts of the world. w.h.o officials are saying, not so fast. it's too quick, because not enough parts of the world have high vaccination rates. africa, right near here, has low rates, and it needs to go much more slowly. paula? >> yeah. a lot to consider there, especially given that in some pockets, there is still that hesitancy, as we were just speaking with our other guest. al goodman for us in madrid, appreciate it. now, a new wave of omicron in new zealand has forced the prime minister to cancel her wedding. ja cinda ardern had been plannig to marry her longtime partner, tv personality, clark gifford, sometime soon. they have one child together and it's not clear that their actual wedding date was. as ardern says, such is life. >> my wedding will not be going ahead, but i just joined many other new zealanders who have had an experience like that as a result of the pandemic. and to anyone who is caught up in that scenario, i'm so sorry. but you are -- we are all so resilient. and i know we understand that we're doing this for one another. >> now, as for the pandemic, the p.m. says new zealand health officials have reported nine new omicron cases in a single family household. the country is now on red light. it is its highest response setting. energy markets feel the pressure from the russian military buildup near ukraine and u.s. consumers could see a big price difference at the pump if any conflict breaks out. that story, ahead. a british foreign office says it has information indicating an alleged plot by the kremlin to install a pro-russian leader in ukraine. a source tells cnn that u.s. intelligence has the same information. the foreign office goes on to name a number of former ukrainian officials allegedly in contact with russian intelligence. the kremlin angriyily dismissed the allegation as misinformation and a provocation. but there's no sign that some 100,000 russian forces are backing away from that ukrainian border in what the west fears is, in fact, a prelude to another invasion. now, if conflict breaks out, energy consumers right around the world, including right here in the united states, will take a big hit. the reason, oil prices, you see them there, have already reacted, shooting up to near seven-year highs in recent days. and experts say, they could, in fact, top $100 a barrel, especially if possible u.s. sanctions hurt russia's oil industry. now, the result would be higher fuel prices in the u.s., just as the nation, you already know it, is struggling to name record inflation. on top of that, experts say russia could weaponize its natural gas exports to europe to cause shortages. the head of the international energy agency says that moscow is already holding back a lot of its reserves. >> russia has more than -- at least $100 million cubic meters of spare capacity, which means, which means easily, that they can increase their exports to europe by 30%, which would immediately help the process to go down. and give support economic growth in europe, especially vulnerable segments of population, they would be in a better station. but russia is not doing this. it's a choice. it is true that they are -- they are fulfilling their obligations. but if you want to be considered as a reliable partner, a reliable supplier, in days like this, like the other pipeline exporters, like norway, a azerbaijan, you can increase your gas exports or provide more gas, which they are not doing. >> for more on this, we are joined by the director of energy climate and resources at eurasia group and he's coming to us from london. i so appreciate you weighing in on this topic. you know, we just heard what the implications were in europe. i think it's tough sometimes for people here in the united states or at any gas pump, really, to understand what the clash with russia could mean to them. so if we deal with oil first, what is the potential of this flashpoint bringing oil prices up to $1 hu00 a barrel and possy beyond? >> thanks. so the problem is that russia is one of the world's biggest oil producers and the markets price in a risk premium, so a few political tensions affect what producers tend to drive prices up. and we've seen plenty of that recently, kazakhstan and now russia and oil markets are reacting by pushing prices. and that is a threat of u.s. sanctions that may impact russia [ inaudible ]. >> you know, you also point out that sanctioning russian oil companies and exports would be tricky. how so? >> yes, it might be tricky, because several u.s. companies incl including, they own assets. so certainly the u.s. government sanctions any oil exports out of russia, and that may be complicated for americans, as well. most sell outside the u.s. they might not use u.s. dollars. so there are some ways to do this. >> now, there are already significant geopolitical risks in the energy markets, right? that's already priced in. and one of the reasons why we saw that spike in oil prices. potentially, could yet another supply shock to energy markets, due to prices. and i'm talking as well, not just about what you might pay at the pump, but the fact that we might even get to some short-term shortages here. >> yes. i mean, the main problem is actually the natural gas industry, because the biggest importer of natural gas is the european union. and gas prices already rose to record highs this winter. and if there was a disruption of those natural gas supplies, in ukraine, that gas is exported to europe. that could cause shortages and blackouts or disruptions in the middle of winter. we've actually seen this pbefor in 2008 and '09, prices went through the roof and it would cause real economic damage to europe. and if that happens to europe, they will have a lot of natural gas from around the world. and prices up in the rest of the world, as well. so not just europe. >> and i will point out that sanctioning russia for any of this will also prove difficult in any measure. thank you so much for weighing in on that. appreciate it. still ahead on "cnn newsroom," boris johnson is fighting for his political life ahead of a report of the so-called partygate scandal. nada? >> we wait to hear the findings of an internal investigation into more than a dozen parties and social gatherings that took place across downing street and other government departments during a time when the country was under strict covid-19 restrictions. olay body wash hydrates to improve skin 3x better, from dry and dull to firm and radiant. with olay body, i feel fearless in my skin. 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(vo) ask your doctor if it's right for you. learn how we could help you save on imbruvica. and there you have it. woah. wireless on the most reliable network nationwide. wow. big deal. we get unlimited for just 30 bucks. sweet, but mine has 5g included. relax people. my wireless is crushing it. that's because you all have xfinity mobile with your internet. it's wireless so good, it keeps one-upping itself. take the savings challenge at xfinitymobile.com/mysavings or visit an xfinity store to learn how our switch squad makes it easy to switch and save hundreds. british prime minister boris johnson is fighting for his political life as downing street awaits an official report on the so-called partygate scandal. now, mr. johnson has faced growing calls to resign amid allegations his staff held a seeries of parties during stric covid lockdowns. the government is expected to release the findings of an internal investigation into those claims some time in the coming week. meantime, johnson is also fending off accusations by some members of his party that downing street tried to intimidate them into staying silent amid the scandal. for more now, we're joined by cnn's nadia bashir. and as if thing wasn't ugly enough, with that latest allegation, it's getting even uglier. and yet, many have said it before, boris johnson is your quintessential political survivor. what can we expect this week, now that this report is likely to come out? >> reporter: paula, it's certainly set to be a decisive week for the prime minister, particularly with all eyes on whether or not the conservative mps will turn against him and hut his role as the leader and prime minister in jeopardy. we are, of course, waiting to hear the findings from that internal investigation into more than a dozen parties and social gatherings, which took place in downing street and around other government departments during a time where the country was either under lockdown or facing strict social restrictions as a result of covid measures. now, the civil servants have been put in charge of leading this investigation, they'll be looking at these gatherings, which took place, what were with gatherings and who attended? of course, many will remember the photo of boris johnson sitting in the gardens of downing street, taking part of a drinks gathering. he said he was told it was a work meeting. that has been difficult for many to believe. this, of course, comes after a string of other social gatherings and parties came to light. while many people would have been adhering to those restrictions, many separated from their loved ones during that lockdown. the real, all eyes will be on boris johnson this coming week, whether he can emerge from this investigation unscathed. paula. >> it was truly heartbreaking, nadia, to hear those stories of poem not being able to see loved ones as they were alone in hospitals and in some cases died alone as these parties were simultaneously going on at 10 downing street. at issue has been whether or not the prime minister has told the truth about all of this. he needs to depend on those conservative mps in order to continue in his job. is there any sense which way they're leaning? >> over the last few weeks, we've seen outrage among the conservative mps. some now expressing no confidence in the prime minister. there is, of course, a mechanism for pulling the prime minister out of his position. that depends on a significant portion of those conservative mps voting in a no-confidence vote. but at this stage, we have heard outrage from those lawmakers. we've seen one leave the conservative party and move to the opposition labor party. senior conservative mps, david davis calling on the prime minister openly to step down. now allegations of intimidation. some lawmakers coming forward, saying that they were intimidated, told the back the prime minister,er else face funding shortfalls for their constituencies. so there is an investigation going on, looking into that. the prime minister says at this stage, there isn't evidence of this intimidation that has been described. but if there is, there will be a full investigation and they will take that seriously. but we heard from the deputy prime minister, dominic raab, just this morning. he said, let's focus more on the big succession of the prime minister. namely, the vaccine campaign. but it will be very difficult for many to focus on the success of the vaccination campaign if the prime minister is found to have been in breach of those covid regulations. >> yeah, damage control, definitely difficult at this point, even when it comes from a prominent member of cabinet. nada, appreciate the update on the story. now, something positive is happening in one of new mexico city's toughest neighborhoods. it now has its own football league. as cnn's matt rivers tells us, it hasn't solved all the problems, but it has become a joyful oasis from local violence. >> reporter: home to mexico city's most vibrant markets. within its winding pathways, you can buy just about anything. [ speaking foreign language ] >> reporter: salvador antonio gomez ebert is a native, and when it comes to the struggles of his home, he doesn't mince words. [ speaking foreign language ] >> reporter: thit's one of the most if not the most dangerous neighborhood in mexico city, home to its most notorious cartel. assaults, murders, normal parts of everyday life, carried out, authorities say, mainly by young people from the area. [ speaking foreign language ] >> reporter: so where to find a bright spot amidst the bad? >> reporter: bebe thinks it's this soccer field, smack dab in the middle of the neighborhood. going back decades, people came to the dirt field to come play the beautiful game, but amid struggles with crime, it was all but abandoned until recently. in 2018, bebe thought it was time to bring the field back to li life. so he decided to start a league, with just a few teams at first, and as word spread, he controlled entry, basically saying, look, no drugs, no violence, no turf wars. if you want to play here, it's soccer only. and one night, just before christmas, that's what we saw. the league has exploded into more than two dozen teams playing on a brand-new field, bringing lots of fans to watch throughout the season. it's also an escape, really, from what happens outside the gate. just hours before these games were played, several people were shot and killed, just blocks from the field, according to police. [ speaking foreign language ] >> that night before christmas, several champions were crowned in several different divisions. people were happy, joyous. bebe hopes this positivity radiates outward into the surrounding community. he's not sure that soccer alone can make that happen, but it's something. and with the lights out on this season, he can't wait for the next one to start. matt rivers, cnn, in tepito, mexico city. still ahead here on "cnn newsroom," winter weather, yeah, uh-uh, those warnings are in place for millions of americans in the southern united states. the latest forecast after the break. ♪ ♪hey♪ ♪ ♪are you ready for me♪ ♪are you ready♪ ♪are you ready♪ mass general brigham. when you need some of the brightest minds in medicine, this is the only healthcare system in the country with five nationally ranked hospitals, including two world-renowned academic medical centers, in boston, where biotech innovates daily and our doctors teach at harvard medical school, and where the physicians doing the world-changing research are the ones providing care. there's only one mass general brigham. for back pain, i've always been a take two and call in the morning guy. but my new doctor recommended salonpas. without another pill upsetting my stomach, i get powerful, effective and safe relief. salonpas. it's good medicine. well, would you look at that? 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>> virginia beach? we use the words "rare" on a require occasion and that would be one of them. i think it's fitting. we had snowflakes, i believe, all the way down to myrtle beach as well and charleston. this is just incredible stuff. and it's newsworthy, right? and i'm going to show you some images coming out of the wilmington area that was hit hard by ice and sleet. but in the meantime, behind that arctic air mass, we're left with extremely cold temperatures. a hard freeze warning in effect for the central florida peninsula. my grandparents actually used to own orange and citrus farms within this area, so they would always be concerned when temperatures dropped below freezing. i would imagine it's more of the same right now. now, the hard freezing warning extends to the gulf coast states. all the way down to the gulf coast in new orleans, for instance. they had a hard freeze warning. this is the freezing rain totals that just cripple d portions of north carolina. we're talking half an inch of ice accumulating on power lines, on tree limbs, and within the sc landscape, within this area, some of the national weather service tweeting photos. they said they could physically hear, as the wind blew, it cracked some of the -- they could hear the cracking from the ice breaking on the limbs and within the power lines, as well. what a scene. temperatures still below freezing here, so that means the ice still remains on the ground, black ice a concern. we want to see the temperatures. the mercury and the thermometer drive above 32 degrees. and it looks like it will, by this afternoon. that's good news. and we'll stay above freezing overnight tonight. we have a weak clipper system moving throughout chicago. you'll wake up to a couple inches of snowfall in the windy city. winter weather advisories across abortions of the great lakes. cold front moves east. starts to kick in the lake-effect snow machine and you can see snowfall totals across that area. but, wow, temperatures are frigid over the eastern half of the country, paula, to say the least. >> in some parts of florida, too. i had no idea about your pedigree with the citrus farmers. i know it's hard work -- >> we know our oranges. >> now we do. derek, thanks for that. appreciate. now, new satellite images are showing the sheer force of a recent volcano eruption and tsunami in tonga. you really have to take a look these pictures before and after. they show lush, green lands becoming unfortunately a sea of gray. now, the eruption sent volcanic ash raining down, literally, raining down on the island nation and massive tsunami waves that plowed into the coastline. on saturday, finally, japan also became the latest nation to send aid to tonga. a military plane delivered much-needed water and other supplies. now, an unusual message from pennsylvania authorities who say all monkeys are accounted for after a traffic accident friday. now, a semi truck carrying about a hundred monkeys crashed and scattered crates, containing live animals right across the road. now, police initially said a small number of the monkeys fled the scene, but didn't say how many. there were, thankfully, no reports of any injuries. and as i said, they are all accounted for. now, when a dog slipped out of her collar and got stuck on some dangerous terrain in england, rescuers came up with -- we'll call it ingenious, okay, and a delicious solution. they tied sausages to drones in order to lure the little pup named milly to a safer area where they could scoop her up. initially, rescuers tried to reach the canine out of the mud flaps by foot and by kayak, but when that didn't work, the sausages, those sausages did the trick in the end. such a cute little doggy. i am paula newton. cnn "new day" is next for our viewers in the united states and canada. "living golf" is up next, though, for our international viewers. stay with cnn. 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. your new day, i'm boris sanchez. >> good morning, boris, i'm christi paul. we have some new details for you in the shooting that left a new york police officer dead and another critically injured. what we're learning about that officer and what investigators know now about the gun that was used in the shooting. plus, senator kyrsten sinema facing blow back for her stance on the filibuster from democrats in her own state. the actions they're taking against her and what her potential primary challenger is now saying. opening statements begin tomorrow in the federal civil rights trial of three former minneapolis officers in th