boris johnson's brand has been badly damaged. and the reason why it has struck such a nerve here in particular is because, of course, people were canceling a lot of their own personal events, their own personal birthday parties. in fact, back in march of 2020, a 7-year-old girl wrote to boris johnson to explain her parents would likely have to cancel her birthday party. he wrote back and published his handwritten response on twitter and said he was sorry to hear about the birthday, but, of course, we all got to do our bit. so, most people in this country did their bit. question now is did the prime minister. brianna? >> we did just get word during your live shot, scott, that the prime minister says he's going to cooperate with that investigation. he doesn't have a choice, really, i would say. we're going to see how brits are affected by all of this. scott, thank you. "new day" continues right now. good morning to viewers here in the united states and around the world. it is tuesday, january 25th. and i'm brianna keilar with john berman. we do gbegin with the united states placing up to 8500 u.s. troops on heightened alert for possible deployment to eastern europe. the white house says a russian invasion of ukraine appears imminent. according to the pentagon, the u.s. troops will be ready for any contingencies. president biden held an 80-minute secure video call with european leaders. we are told that they discussed preparations to impose massive consequences and severe economic costs on russia if it invades ukraine. that's after the fact the president said there is total unanimity between the u.s. and its allies which there have been questions about in the concept of vladimir putin has been testing. the world seems to be testing president biden right now. breaking this morning, north korea test fired two cruise missiles, according to the south korean military. that is the fifth such action this year. north korea says it plans to bolster its defense against the u.s. and evaluate, quote, restarting all temporarily suspended activities. >> joining us now, white house deputy national security adviser john finer. john, thank you for being with us. clarissa ward has just finished an interview with the ukrainian foreign minister. and the minister seemed to express some concern about the discussions taking place in europe and between the united states and russia and told clarissa, quote, if anyone makes a concession on ukraine behind our back first, we will not accept that. so what assurances can you give ukrainian foreign minister? >> well, i can give you the same assurances that the president has given to president zelensky of ukraine and that he's also said publicly, which is that the united states and our european allies will do nothing about ukraine without ukraine. meaning there will be no concessions made, and no decisions made about ukraine's security that won't be done in full consultation and full participation of the government of ukraine. that's a commitment that the president has made and one that we will take extremely seriously going forward in all of our discussions. >> one of the things ukraine seems to want as it looks at the menu of sanction and actions promised by the u.s. and nato after, in the eventuality that russia invades ukraine, ukraine and others are saying why not impose some of those now? why not do this now to prevent russia from invading, because anything else, they say, gives russia the initiative. >> so i would say two things on this. first, the purpose of putting together these extensive severe sanctions, packages in consultation with our european allies is to make very clear to russia the costs of going forward. if you impose those costs in advance, they're already sort of taken in by russia and the deterrent effect of the sanctions is reduced because they already assumed the cost. second, i would say the united states is already imposed some sanctions on russia. just in recent days, in response to some of the destabilizing actions that russia has already taken inside ukraine. that will obviously be ratcheted up considerably with the significant financial sanctions that we have prepared and that we are ready to pull the trigger on the minute russia crosses the border if they choose to do that. >> the 8500 u.s. troops on standby, what is the trigger that would cause their deployment? >> so that's going to be a decision for the alliance to make. as you describe in your opening, those troops have been placed on high alert by the president. the alliance will make decisions about force posture adjustments, but they're ready to go at a moment's notice when the alliance decides, and the important thing to point out is this is not an aggressive step by nato. this is a defensive step that they would be taking. and a reassurance step in response to what russia has done, which is amassing now 100,000 troops on the ukraine border and starting to flow troops as well into belarus, which borders three nato countries. >> is it possible those troops would be deployed before a russian incursion? >> i don't think we're taking any options off the table with regard to that. they will not be deployed anywhere but on allied territory. the president has been clear about that and the alliance has been clear about that. but the timeline and the decision-making will be left up to the alliance and full consultation with all of our allies. >> why should americans care about what's happening in ukraine? >> because it goes to a very fundamental principle of all nations, which is that our borders should be in -- our sovereignty should be respected. if the international system is to mean anything, it means no country can change another country's borders or affect another country's government by force and russia by amassing all the troops on ukraine's border is calling into question those very basic principles. they're also, from the perspective of the united states and our allies unsettling our allies, ukraine is on the bord i er of several nato allies and our alliance commitments are sacred. the president made that clear. we're reassuring the allies, should russia choose to test that. >> we mentioned north korea fired new missiles overnight, obviously with vladimir putin is doing is provocative. why does it seem that these foreign leaders, in some cases rogue foreign leaders, are testing president biden? >> you know, john, i know there is a lot of temptation to connect the issues because these events are taking place mul simultaneously. north korea, going back years and actually decades, the united states has been clear it considers north korea's missile test to be provocative, we have taken action with regard to sanctions in recent days and weeks, we have taken actions at the security council, and we will continue to provide all manner of reassurance to our asian allies, in particular the south koreans and the japanese with regard to these tests. but i don't see these issues as connected in any way other than that they took place -- ti-- ta place around the same time. >> thank you for being with us. >> thank you for having me. and let's bring in cnn's clarissa ward now, she's live on the ground in kyiv. you've spoken with the foreign minister of ukraine as berman just mentioned. tell us what you learned here. >> reporter: so it was a really interesting conversation, brianna. i think there is no question that the foreign minister feels strongly that the u.s. and ukrainelockstep. we talked about the u.s.' decision to withdraw the families of embassy personnel here. he said he was annoyed by that decision. that he felt it was premature. at the same time, though, when i asked him if the u.s. is overstating the threat of military aggression from russia, he said, no, not at all. and he welcomed the decision to potentially deploy or put on heightened alert those 8500 u.s. troops that would go to eastern europe. he said that it is important when you're dealing with putin to project strength, because putin respects strength and if people feel in the world that they can get away with the kind of activity we have seen russia engaging in, his point was that it would encourage others to do the same. one area he was a little bit more sensitive about is when i pressed him on the diplomatic process. and what potential concessions the u.s. might be able to offer that would satisfy russia, but which might also ultimately have a big impact on ukraine. take a listen to what he said. >> if anyone makes a concession on ukraine, behind ukraine's back, first we will not accept that. we will -- we will not be in a position of the country that speaks out of form, hears the instruction of the big power, and follows it. no. we paid a lot, including 15,000 lives of our citizens, to secure the right to decide our own future, our own destiny. and we will not allow anyone to impose any concessions on us. >> so when last week you heard president biden in that now infamous press conference say that a minor incursion into ukraine might not bring about the kind of swift united severe response, what was the reaction of officials here, and did you ever receive an apology or a phone call from the white house or the state department to try to explain the comments? >> we heard what president biden said, the white house, and presumably president biden heard our response to that. and we turned that page over. we heard from both u.s. officials speaking openly to the media, but also speaking to me and to other ukrainian officials directly on the phone. the united states will remain absolutely committed to slashing russia if any type of incursion, invasion, interference, takes place. >> reporter: he went on to say as well that ukraine has already lived up to its end of the bargain in terms of making concessions that have been agreed with russia in previous diplomatic talks. and he said that if anyone comes to kyiv demanding further concessions, quote, he will personally arrange for a protocol guide to escort them to the airport. really, not mincing words there, brianna and john, making it very clear that ukraine is resolute in being part of these talks and not being a pawn in terms of determining what the future of this conflict will be. >> yeah, they may not want to be a proxy in some sort of proxy war, but, you know, when you listen to american officials including president biden, who you mentioned there in that interview, there seems to be this resignation that russia's going to do something, right? they're going to come into ukraine and it is just about keeping them at bay and not letting them get too far. is that same resignation present there with the foreign minister of ukraine? >> i think, brianna, that most ukrainian officials see this not as an isolated incident, that we have all been very focused on for the past few months, but in the context of eight years of war. eight years of interference, eight years of trying to destabilize ukraine's political system, its economy. they view this more as a marathon than a sprint. they do like to see a more robust and assertive response in terms of how u.s. and nato allies deal with russia's aggression, and that's why i think they have all been very pleased to see the white house really shifting its tone and taking a much more assertive tone, saying that these 8500 u.s. troops are on heightened alert, they are ready to be deployed to the eastern flank if that's necessary. that is music to the ears of many officials here in kyiv. >> all right, clarissa, thank you so much for sharing that important interview with us. we do appreciate it. breaking overnight, a 6-month-old baby was shot and killed by a stray bullet in atlanta. this is the latest in a string of senseless shootings of children across several major cities. we're going to speak to new york city's mayor about what he's doing to address it. plus, the legal development that just put trump's efforts to overturn georgia's election results in jeopardy of criminal charges. and how did sarah palin, proudly unvaccinated bypass the vaccine requirements at a new york city restaurant. the restaurant is now responding. ben isn't worried about retirement his personalized plan is backed by the team at fidelity. his ira is professionally managed, and he gets one-on-one coaching when he needs it. so ben is feeling pretty zen. that's the planning effect from fidelity ♪ got my hair ♪ ♪ got my head ♪ ♪ got my brains ♪ ♪ got my ears ♪ ♪ got my heart ♪ ♪ got my soul ♪ ♪ got my mouth ♪ ♪ i got life ♪ the new ww personal points program. changed my life. you look great. no two plans are the same. you can even eat this and these in the same. i mean not at the same time. don't pay until spring. join today at ww.com. offer ends january 30th. my plaque psoriasis... ...the itching... the burning. the stinging. my skin was no longer mine. my psoriatic arthritis, made my joints stiff, swollen... painful. emerge tremfyant®. with tremfya®, adults with moderate to severe plaque psoriasis... ...can uncover clearer skin and improve symptoms at 16 weeks. tremfya® is the only medication of its kind also approved for adults with active psoriatic arthritis. serious allergic reactions may occur. tremfya® may increase your risk of infections and lower your ability to fight them. tell your doctor if you have an infection or symptoms or if you had a vaccine or plan to. emerge tremfyant® with tremfya®... ask you doctor about tremfya® today. what happens when we welcome change? we can make emergency medicine possible at 40,000 feet. instead of burning our past for power, we can harness the energy of the tiny electron. we can create new ways to connect. rethinking how we communicate to be more inclusive than ever. with app, cloud and anywhere workspace solutions, vmware helps companies navigate change. faster. vmware. welcome change. breaking overnight, a 6-month-old killed in the cross fire of an atlanta shooting. this is the third time that an innocent child was shot in the city this year. and in chicago, an 8-year-old girl was killed after being hit by a stray bullet over the weekend. police say melissa ortega was walking with her guardian on saturday, when they heard gunshots and without warning she was struck in the head. melissa was a mexican immigrant who had just come to the u.s. six months ago. the family writing a statement to cnn affiliate wls, quote, melissa hoped for a better life here. at age 8, she was a girl full of hope and had her whole life ahead of her. she sought to achieve the american dream, but was instead given american violence. >> in new york city, police just released this surveillance video of a suspected gunman accused of shooting an 11-month-old girl in the bronx last week. new york city's mayor is unveiling a plan to fight the rise in crime and gun violence plaguing the city and joins me now. mayor eric adams, welcome, nice to see you this morning. >> thank you. thank you so much. i just believe what we just heard what happened in chicago and across our entire country, it is really the symbol of where we are as a country. our babies are in a dangerous environment. and lawmakers are not responding with the level of urgency that i believe we ought to do. this chronic disease of violence that is impacting our country. >> let's talk about some of the specifics about how you have proposed to do it. one of the things you're going to do is put these plain clothes response units back on the street. now, they will were removed a couple of years ago, they were controversial, frankly. so how are you going to bridge that divide and get them back out there to have them be useful? >> well, first, what i -- the message i'm sending to new yorkers in america, we're dealing with a sea of violence and there are many rivers that are feeding that sea. and one of them is using the proper police tactics to continue to build a dam on this part of the aspect of it. i know how unfair and abusive that unit was, because i testified in federal court, and the judge's ruling acknowledged my testimony, new york city versus floyd, to rule against the behaviors and prangctices o the police department. using that knowledge, we're going to use an anti-gun unit where police officers will have a modified version of police uniform apparel, they are going to be better trained. we're going to use technologies, with cameras, to video every interaction and i'm going to make sure the right officers are signed there, with precision policing, to go after those who are dangerous gangs and carrying guns in my city. >> law enforcement officials that i have spoken with say that the biggest problem, the biggest cause of the rise in crime is what they call police withdrawal. both a literal withdrawal of police leaving the force, but also withdrawal from the community. so how do you propose, first of all, do you see that as a problem, and second, how do you alter that, how do you give police the sense to get back in and face this? >> well, what you are just showing is how i keep laying out the various rivers of stopping the sea of violence. that's a river we must deal with. we must deal with a city, and cities where we're telling police officers that people can walk in stores, steal items off the shelves and no one is going to prosecute them. you can do evasion of a city and no one is going to prosecute. you can pour water over the head of a police officer and no one is going to do anything about that. we removed 6,000 jobs off the streets in the city of new york last year. and over 300 since i have taken office. we ask them to do their job, but let's look at the other aspects of public safety, mental health, prosecutors, lawyers. we must make sure we don't continue to put dangerous people back on the street, and continue the flow of guns in our cities. i'm going to get my cops to do their job. i need the rest of the country that are in positions of authority to do their job. >> the first things you just listed, were proposals from the manhattan district attorney, alvin bragg, who has proposed to stop prosecuting things like robbery from stores, if you steal a banana from the store, stopping fair jumping, proposed he would only prosecute gun crimes if the gun was used in a crime. so are you right here saying that all of that in your mind is wrong? >> no, here's what i'm saying. i'm saying the d.a. has his job to do. and he has a nonmandate authority, i don't have the authority to tell him how to do his job. what i will do is have conversations with him, like i've had, and we're going to partner together to deal with violence in our city. and my job is to do exactly what we're doing now, show the public and those who are part of this apparatus how do we dam all of those rivers that is feeding this sea of violence? >> you were a police officer, though. if you are hearing the message from someone like bragg, it happens around the country too, not just him, if you hear that message and also the message you're trying to send, how do you process what appears to be a difference? >> the new york city police department are made of professionals. we saw two professionals, officer willburn and rivera walk inside a room and were shot, targeted to be shot at. i know how well they do their job. and we're going to continue to do so. i tell my officers all the time, don't get caught up with social media, don't get caught up in the politics, stay focused on keeping new york city safe. and they're doing that. we're doing our job and we're going to continue to do their job and they're going to have a mayer that is going to give them the support, the resources and the equipment to keep new york city safe. >> i know you will be at the funeral for officer rivera, our thoughts are with the family and the city. mayor adams, thank you for being with us this morning. >> thank you very much. so could the votes of suburban mothers be up for grabs in the midterm? how the voting block that recently launched democrats to power have republicans chomping at the bit? and big news just in, the college board making some significant changes to standardized tests. how the s.a.t.s are going to look a whole lot different soon. ♪ smooth like butter, like a criminal undercover ♪ ♪ gon' pop like trouble ♪ ♪ breaking into your heart like that ♪ ♪ d do the boogie, like ♪ ♪ side step, right-left,, to my beat ♪ ♪ high like the moon, rock with me, baby ♪ ♪ know that i got that heat ♪ ♪ let me show you 'cause talk is cheap ♪ ♪ side step, right ♪ ♪ get it, let it roll ♪ ♪ calum scott's "you are the reason" ♪ celebrate every kiss... that led... ...to this one. get 20 to 40% off engagement, wedding and anniversary rings at kay. this is the new world of work. each day looks different than the last. but whatever work becomes, the servicenow platform will make it just, flow. whether it's finding new ways to help you serve your customers, orchestrating a safe return to the office... wait. an office? what's an office? ...or solving a workplace challenge that's yet to come. wherever the new world of work takes your business, the world works with servicenow. as a business owner, your bottom line is always top of mind. so start saving by switching to the mobile service designed for small business: comcast business mobile. flexible data plans mean you can get unlimited data or pay by the gig. all on the most reliable nationwide network. with no line activation fees or term contracts... saving you up to $500 a year. and it's only available to comcast business internet customers. so boost your bottom line by switching today. comcast business: powering possibilities. the pandemic made teaching and learning really hard. but instead of working to help students safely return to the classroom, the san francisco school board focused on renaming schools and playing politics. and they've even saddled our district with a $125 million deficit. our children can't wait for new leadership. here's our chance for a fresh start. on february 15th, please recall school board members collins, lópez and moliga before our kids fall even further behind. the battle over pandemic policy could be reshaping how some voters cast their ballots as covid, masking, remote learning and schools plays out. parents, specifically suburban women, who helped propel the democrats to power in 2020 could be breaking ranks ahead of this year's midterms. evan morris santoro joins us live with this. >> good morning. i went to ohio to find out just about this whole story we're talking about right now. moms on two sides of this idea of what democrats are facing in the midterms because of the pandemic in schools. >> yeah, good. >> nice job. >> what about this? look at my voting records. i'm a registered democrat. >> reporter: some people think this cleveland woman is brewing the strongest tea in american politics right now. >> if you would have told me like two years ago that i would be alienated from the democratic party, i wouldn't have believed it. i really, really hated trump. what was going on in the trump administration. i don't think people realize what a big deal closing school for a year was. >> reporter: some political strategists are starting to think it was a very big deal. to them, angie schmidt represented frustrated suburban moms whose vote is now up for grabs because, they say, democrats were too cautious about public schools and the pandemic. >> i have a friend i talk to this about a lot. all of a sudden we're at odds with the people we used to agree with. >> reporter: angie is a progressive, but these days she thinks democrats have put politics ahead of kids when it comes to pandemic schooling. her take on the science can sometimes be very different from the public health consensus. vaccine mandates, are you good with that in the school? >> i think they should mandate for the teachers and the staff, but not the students. >> reporter: and mask mandates, what about those? >> so, i think at minimum there should be like a timeline for when they get rid of them, right? why is my son, who already had -- double vaccinated, and already had corona, masking 40 hours a week, that's another thing, i think democrats have been too dogmatic about that. >> reporter: you're an involved mom in a swing state who was a democrat and now what are you? >> i -- probably i'm still a democrat, but i think i'm a lot closer to the independent category. where as before i would not have even considered voting for a republican, now i'm just looking for the magic words, who is the politician that is going to say school is important, we're keeping schools open. >> reporter: moms in the suburbs help get president biden elected. now some people in washington are wondering if they may help the republicans in the fall. >> could school reopenings or closures become a potent midterm issue for republicans to win back the suburbs? >> i think it could be. >> hi! >> hi, katie, how are you? >> this is marla. >> reporter: back in ohio, these moms are popping the cork on a plan for democrats to go back on offense. >> i've been hoping and wanting, you know, the white house to pay a lot of attention to those conversations that are happening in the bus stop. >> even more important than speaking to the surgeon general is a doctor. i want to talk to you as a parent. >> reporter: last week the biden administration hosted first ever white house covid-19 parent checkup. katie paris came up with the name. she runs red, wine and blue, a group that tries to get suburban moms to vote democratic. >> the white house reached out in the midst of all these legislative battles going on and said we want to prioritize. listening to parents. i watched so many moms suffer through that think the pandemic identified, we need help. >> all moms need help, regardless if you vote or don't, republican, democrat. we all have been in the trenches with this. >> reporter: you all are particularly plugged into this in a way that a lot of folks are not. should dems be worried? >> they should be worried if they duck. they should be out there, proudly, i want paid leave, i want universal child care. say it proudly, say it loudly. don't duck. and then if they don't do that, they should be scared. >> and say that we want to keep our schools open, we're going to make sure that parents and teachers have all the support they need to do that safely. and not avoid the conversation because it feels like a political land mine. >> reporter: this is the first ever of one of the white house calls today. right? >> yes. >> reporter: too late, or is there still time? >> i would hope this is just the beginning of these conversations. i don't think most parents are thinking about how many days or months are there until the next election? like, they just want to be heard. >> right. >> reporter: so, john, the pandemic policy is all behind us now. the question is what comes next this year, this election year. katie says what democrats need to do is not seek new ground on this and go on offense. you can see in the room there is frustration about some of the things democrats haven't done, paid family leave, child tax credit, things like that. you can see what a tough position democrats are in right now. and this messaging about the schooling is not helping them at the moment. john? >> that was a terrific discussion you had with them and important as well. thanks so much for doing that. >> thank you. let's continue that discussion now with new jersey governor phil murphy. governor, thank you so much for being with us this morning. and i'm sure that as you listen to some of those parents, some of those mothers in that piece, it echoes some of what you have heard from frustrated parents. what do you say to them, what are you hearing? >> absolutely it does. and i don't begrudge any of their frustrations for one second. listen, learning loss has been overwhelming. mental health impact has been overwhelming, with kids, with educators, with staff, with families. so we have done everything we can and we will continue to safely and responsibly always, but to keep schools open. number one. and that's our overwhelming objective. secondly, i think the comments about lack of progress in washington also bother folks. we're doing a lot of what the -- they have been trying to do in congress and new jersey. we know it works. we know expanding pre-k works. we know expanding child care access to community college, whatever it might be, we know those steps have huge positive impacts on lives and i can appreciate frustration with folks who say, you know what, why if we know something works are we not getting it done across the country. so i don't begrudge any of that frustration for one second. >> there is this, you know, emphasis on keeping schools open. you have it, we heard that from the biden administration, but the fact is so much time has passed since the pandemic began, and there have been, you know, just so many school closures for so long. in retrospect, did democrats make mistakes on their approach to schools and school closures? >> nobody is perfect. i can't speak for democrats as a general matter. in new jersey, when we closed them down in march of 2020, it was at the -- in the face of a pandemic about which we knew nothing, any of us. so you had no choice at that point. in this school year that we're in, we have, i think, at least in new jersey, we have succeeded overwhelmingly by safely and responsibly keeping schools open. and then also investing heavily in programs to address learning loss, mental health impacts from the pandemic, to try to make up for that lost time from the early days, where we had no choice but to close schools. >> prime minister of britain, boris johnson, i'm sure you're aware he's lifted some restrictions, including no longer requiring face masks in certain public spaces. he says covid needs to be treated more like the flu. do you agree with that and does the u.s. need to go that way? >> i'm not sure boris johnson's playbook is the one i'm going to be following at a general manner, but i think that's where it ultimately ends up. i don't think we're there yet, however. at least not in the u.s., certainly not in new jersey. it is clearly getting better. the past couple of weeks we have turned the corner without question. and i do believe based on conversations we have with the experts that this will convert into an endemic from a pandemic, something akin it a bad flu season. police, god, sooner than later, but we're not there yet. >> you're saying we're not there yet. do you think this -- can we see it from here? is this the beginning of the end of the pandemic? >> i base the prognostications on conversations that we have with medical and scientific experts. that body of folks feels like it is building toward that reality. and i hope sooner than later. again, we're a northern cold weather state. we get into better weather in a few months. we get the omicron surge behind us a little bit more. i think things are clearly looking up. please, god, that turns out to be the case. >> please, god, i will second that, governor. thank you so much for being with us this morning, governor phil murphy. >> good to be with you. thank you for having me. pfizer is beginning new trials for a vaccine to specifically target the omicron variant. so how quickly could this become available and will we ultimately need it? a significant twist in the investigation of the trump lawyer who drafted the infamous coup memo. what john eastman will now be forced to reveal. 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. it's our january sale on the sleep number 360 smart bed. it senses your movements and automatically adjusts to relieve pressure points. and it's temperature balancing so you both sleep just right. save $1,000 on the sleep number 360 special edition smart bed, queen now $1,999. plus, 0% interest for 24 months. ♪ 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? limu? limu? sorry, one sec. doug blows several different whistles. doug blows several different whistles. [a vulture squawks.] there he is. only pay for what you need. ♪liberty, liberty, liberty, liberty♪ i don't just play someone brainy on tv - i'm an actual neuroscientist. and i love the science behind neuriva plus. unlike ordinary memory supplements, neuriva plus fuels six key indicators of brain performance. more brain performance? yes, please! neuriva. think bigger. ...so at at&t everyone gets our best deals. aren't others doing that? others say that, but not everyone gets the best deal. like what if i give you a lollipop... then i give you our best lollipop. that's not fair. at at&t we think it's only fair that all customers get our best deals... ...and you get a choice of plans. she said everyone? it's not complicated. only at&t gives both new & existing customers our same best deals, like up to $800 off our most popular smartphones. >> woman: what's my safelite story? >> vo: my car is more than four wheels. it's my after-work decompression zone. so when my windshield broke... >> woman: what?! >> vo: ...i searched for someone who really knew my car. i found the experts at safelite autoglass. with their exclusive technology, they fixed my windshield... then recalibrated the camera attached to my glass so my safety systems still work. who knew that was a thing?! >> woman: safelite has service i can trust. >> singers: ♪ safelite repair, safelite replace. ♪ time now for five things to know for your "new day." up to 8500 u.s. troops placed on heightened alert by the biden administration for possible deployment to eastern europe. the white house believes a russian invasion of ukraine could be imminent. the pentagon says the troops will be prepared for any contingencies. pharmaceutical giant pfizer announcing the start of clinical trials for a new vaccine that is engineered to specifically target the omicron variant. the company has already started manufacturing doses and plans to have the new vaccine ready in march. police in london now investigating prime minister boris johnson's lockdown parties. this comes as we learn that he is under fire yet again over a party that celebrated his birthday in june of 2020. reports say up to 30 people attended, sang happy birthday and were served cake. the rules at the time banned most indoor gatherings larger than two people. and sarah palin's defamation trial against the new york times delayed after she tested positive for coronavirus. just days ago, palin, who is not vaccinated, somehow managed to dine indoors in a new york city restaurant where proof of vaccination is supposed to be required. the restaurant owner calls it an unfortunate oversight. so just announced, s.a.t.s will soon be taken online instead of on paper. it is still being scored out of 1600 and taken at a school or test center with a procter present, not at home. among the changes the test is two hours long instead of three. calculators will be allowed for all math sections, and scores will come back in days instead of weeks. those are 5 things to know for your "new day." more on these stories all day on cnn and cnn.com and don't forget to download the 5 things podcast every morning, go to cnn.com/5things. here's what else to watch today. a major step forward in a criminal investigation focusing on president trump's election interference. what a district attorney in georgia just said about potential charges. plus -- >> we now have the second longest streak in "jeopardy" history. >> how jeopardy phenom amy schneider becoming a game show legend. and...throug share the love event,subaru we are proud to have donated over two hundred and twenty five million dollars to charity. you can get a car from any company, but none will make a difference like subaru. (jeff) thank you. (bonnie) thank you. (robert) thank you. subaru. more than a car company. new developments in the legal trouble for former president trump. this time in the state of georgia. the fulton county d.a. fannie willis has just been given the green light to seat a special grand jury in her criminal investigation of trump's efforts to overturn the 2020 election results in that state. this will allow her to issue subpoenas and gather additional evidence. joining us now is cnn senior legal analyst, pri privara, author of the new book out today "justice is a guide for young truth seekers ." such an important subject, such a wonderful book. we'll talk about that in a second. i want your take about georgia right now, a special grand jury to investigate the president on possible criminal activity there. what specific legal jeopardy do you think he's in? >> he's in criminal legal jeopardy, i would say that we have been down this road before, where particular prosecutors or enforcement agencies open up investigations of people up to and including the president and we all follow it and we think it means sometimes more than it means. this is very significant, it is very focused, specific request has been made to investigate criminally the conduct of the president of the united states in connection with the election in georgia. but, we're not going to see anything immediately. this special grand jury, first of all, won't begin its work for some weeks, if not months. the especially grand jury itself under georgia law is not in the position to offer an indictment. can only write a report and make a recommendation for an indictment from a regular grand jury. so it will be a two-step process. it will probably take many months, so it will be a while before we see any fruits of their efforts. >> do you think he did anything specifically criminal and if so, what? >> i'm not going to substitute myself for the grand jury. there are a lot of witnesses to hear from, a lot of documents to look at, a lot of emails and communications to scrutinize. but certainly the threshold for investigation and serious investigation has been met. >> so, preet, i'm holding your book here, "justice is," it is beautiful. and the theme is beautiful. i happen to think that kids have a keen sense of justice, an understanding in some ways, a purer understanding of right and wrong than some adults do, but talk to me about what you're trying to address here. >> i think you're exactly right. you know, kids, especially those with siblings, understand issues of fairness, and unfairness, watch kids play a game and you'll see that the person who is cheating gets called out right away. and i think that we underestimate that capability in young people, and so together with the publisher, we talked about putting together -- i think the pictures there are beautiful illustrations by sue carnelison. i can't draw, luckily we found someone who can. the idea is to offer up to children at a fairly young age concepts of justice and fairness and even more importantly introduce them to figures from history, some very well known, some lesser known who are heroic and courageous and stood by their principles. i remember as a young kid my dad telling me stories about people who he admired. i'm an immigrant from india. he talked about gandhi and other people who led the movement for independence in the country of my birth. i remember being fascinated by that. if some people as children introduce some of the stories and some of the legendary figures, hopefully it will inspire them to learn more, to care more about their country, to care more about their world and make it a better place too. >> and also, what is so beautiful about your stories, i will say, is that i think kids looking at this book, they're going to see someone who looks like them, right. you have stories from all over, people from all over. i think that's so important, preet. >> yeah, so we didn't focus on america, we didn't focus on modern times. we have figures from the united states, from a couple hundred years ago, we have figures from south africa, and india and around the world. so, you know, not everyone is going to be interested in every figure or recognize every figure or look like every figure. but we figure that we have enough folks in there that someone can be inspired by one or more of them and want to learn more. >> preet bharara, congratulations on this book. thank you for being with us this morning. >> thank you. ukraine's foreign minister speaking to cnn exclusively, moments ago, as the united states puts troops on alert, with russia building up forces along the ukrainian border. the answer is -- the woman who just made "jeopardy" history and question, who is amy schneider? we'll have the good stuff next. ♪ ♪ ♪ "how bizarre" by omc ♪ no annual fee on any discover card. ♪ ♪ ben isn't worried about retirement his personalized plan is backed by the team at fidelity. his ira is professionally managed, and he gets one-on-one coaching when he needs it. so ben is feeling pretty zen. that's the planning effect from fidelity this is the new world of work. each day looks different than the last. but whatever work becomes, the servicenow platform will make it just, flow. whether it's finding new ways to help you serve your customers, orchestrating a safe return to the office... wait. an office? what's an office? ...or solving a workplace challenge that's yet to come. wherever the new world of work takes your business, the world works with servicenow. 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. what happens when we welcome change? we can transform our workforce overnight out of convenience, or necessity. we can explore uncharted waters, and not only make new discoveries, but get there faster, with better outcomes. with app, cloud and anywhere workspace solutions, vmware helps companies navigate change-- meeting them where they are, and getting them where they want to be. faster. vmware. welcome change. it was a tragedy. with knockoff batteries, little miss cupcake never stood a chance. until, energizer ultimate lithium. who wants a cupcake? the number one longest-lasting aa battery. yay! case closed. time now for "the good stuff ." there is a new champion sweeping "jeop "jeopardy" and her name is amy schneider. >> what is 1912? what is a magnetic resonance image? >> that's right. >> what is british thermal units? >> that's correct. >> what is celery salt in. >> good. >> what is charlie's angels? >> good. >> what is carried? >> yeah. you see what they did there. the 39-day total of $1.3 million, you have the longest streak in "jeopardy" history. >> winning 39 games in a row, second only to ken jennings. she's the first female contestant to surpass $1 million in winnings and the fourth player ever to do so. and it has been a joy to watch her win. what i like about her, there are different ways to sort of succeed in "jeopardy" we have seen. she's just smart. she just gets a lot of answers right and doesn't do as much of the gamesmanship that we have seen before. >> i know someone who was on "jeo "jeop "jeo "jeopardy ," can we put the picture up? you talk about the strategy here. what was your strategy? >> panic. the hardest part about "jeopardy" is the button you have to buzz in at the right -- i swear it is the button. if you buzz in too early, you get put at the end of the queue. it is an agility test more than anything. but i want to make one thing clear, which is that the questions she's answering are so much harder than the ones that we had to do. so we were playing like basically elementary school jeopardy, she's playing grown-up "jeopardy" and really just crushing it. >> if you're a "jeopardy" aficionado, like yourself, and her method is getting everything right, is that the more admirable way to win? >> i think best way to win is to win. whatever it takes. >> doesn't matter. >> i punched the guy next to me. no, mo rocca, who is a friend. no. cnn's coverage continues right now. good morning, everyone. i'm bianna golodryga. >> i'm jim sciutto. this morning, thousands of u.s. troops are on alert, prepared for possible deployment to eastern europe in a matter of days. this as u.s. and nato allies prepare as well for a potential russian invasion, further invasion, we should say, into ukraine. the defense department announced that most of those 8500 troops would bolster nato's quick response unit, which could be activated soon