npr arabia rasco and cnn's jeremy diamond and marianna sotomayor. the president is mott going to change his schedule. don't panic. let's learn about this as we go forward, but the president had relatively modest travel restrictions and says let's learn more. he was pretty adamant. we're not going back to lockdowns or the early covid restrictions. >> yeah. i think that at this point he's also just bowing to the reality of where the country is. like, yes, he can use his bully pulpit to try to get states to say maybe you can do more mask mandates but people in this country are very tired in the second pandemic year and people will not go along with all of this and what we've seen with the coronavirus is you can tell people what you want them to do, but can you not make people get vaccinated. you can try but you can't make them wear masks and when people push back there are health implications for everyone. >> to that point, i want to show our viewers on the screen. this is the vaccination map of the united states. 55 million americans over the age of 1

jeremy, what are you hearing from there today about all of it? because so much is still unknown. >> reporter: listen, coronavirus is right back at the center of activity here at the west wing of the white house. we know officials are working to put together the finishing touches on that strategy that we're expected to hear president biden outline on thursday for how the united states is going to fight the coronavirus this winter. listen to the president talking about that yesterday. >> thursday i'll be putting forward a detailed strategy outlining how we're going to fight covid this winter, not with shutdowns or lockdowns, but with more widespread vaccinations, boosters, testing, and more. >> reporter: you hear the president there emphasizing the fact that he is not looking to do additional shutdowns or lockdowns. instead, it will be doubling down on what we've seen from this administration so far. vaccinations, boosters, testing. we heard the president talk about that yesterday. even as the united states waits for the next week or two to learn m

>> jeremy diamond and athena jones, thank you for your reporting. joining me to discuss admiral brett giroir, he led the federal government's covid-19 testing response under the trump administration. good to have you with us this morning. as we look at where we're at, the message from president biden yesterday, be concerned, but it is not a moment to panic. do you agree with that tone and that message? >> i do agree with that tone and that message. we should be concerned because the number of mutations on omicron, but we should not panic. our testing still works perfectly. it is very likely that our vaccines will provide some immune protection. and i agree it is very important to top off your tank, top off your immune tank by getting that booster, independent of omicron, it is very important to get it just for delta. third, we have new oral medications that are up to the fda today that will be completely effective against omicron as they are against the others. so we have a lot more to learn. we should be concerned, but we should not be panicked. >>

jeremy, what are we expecting to hear from the president this hour? >> reporter: right now, president biden is in the oval office with his coronavirus advisory team. they are briefing him on this omicron variant, briefing that the president has been receiving daily. when he comes out later this hour to speak, he'll talk about what we do know and don't know about the variant and he'll be urging the public against panicking here. we do expect the president to instead urge americans that now is the time, if you haven't yet, to get vaccinated and get your booster shot if you are fully vaccinated and eligible for that third shot. so that is the message we'll hear from the president. he's going to try and show that he is on top of this situation while at the same time urging americans not to panic. we do know that it is very clear that it will take a week to two weeks before we know exactly the impact of this variant, and that's something that the president is going to outline today. >> we'll take the president live when he comes to cameras to speak. >>> in

let's begin at the white house, jeremy diamond on the north lawn. president biden expected to speak in a few hours. do we know what his message will be? >> reporter: we expect president biden to address the american people after receiving his latest briefing on this omicron variant. president biden is expected to urge americans not to mpanic an he will make clear we'll learn more in the coming weeks. in the meantime what you will hear from president biden is making his latest plea for americans who are not yet vaccinated to get vaccinated, and for those who have gotten vaccinated and are eligible for a booster, meaning all americans six months after pfizer, moderna or two months after the johnson & johnson to get that booster. that is the best protection the president and his medical advisers say can be used now. president biden received a briefing yesterday as well on the variant, this is a statement that the white house released following that meeting. dr. fauci informed the president while it will take approximately two more weeks to have more de

>> good to see you, jeremy. thank you so much. joining me for more on this is gordon chang, columnist for "the daily beast." it's great to see you, gordon. a healthy debate and no major breakthroughs, though. what do you see as, you know, what this meeting really was in the end? >> well, this meeting was to establish the guardrails as they said, but we have tried this approach. we've had intensive diplomacy with china for three decades and their behavior has only gotten worse. we need to go beyond guardrails and put costs on behavior that is unacceptable and in some cases malicious. there needs to be a rethinking of the assumptions that have driven u.s./china relations. >> this warning about taiwan. i wanted to know what you think xi is actually warning because, you know, should that and will this don't play with fire or you'll get burned, should that change anything about u.s. policy on taiwan right now? >> well, u.s. policy on taiwan has worked. it's one of strategic ambiguity, but it worked in a benign period. now we are not in

jeremy, what is the word from the white house about this meeting? >> reporter: olymlisten, a seni administration official describing this as a healthy debate between the leaders and an opportunity to talk about the areas of agreement, areas of disagreement, most importantly, and also for president biden, as you just heard there, to make very clear how he sees the u.s.-china relationship. one of competition but not one that will devolve into outright conflict. that was a key part here. president biden talking about the need to establish guardrails in the u.s.-china relationship. although, this meeting didn't produce those guardrails or any breakthroughs, nor, frankly, were any expected based on how senior officials were describing the plans for this meeting ahead of time. but a range of issues, as you see there on the screen, being discussed. everything from the tensions over taiwan to human rights issues that president biden made clear he was going to raise with president xi, as well as also potential areas of cooperation on climate change, for exam

jeremy diamond joins us from the white house. this was bipartisan in the senate and the house. will we see a bipartisan signing at the showing? >> we will. that is a rarity. senate republicans who helped pass this legislation are expected to attend, including lisa murkowski, susan collins and rob portman. you will not see every one of the 32 republican lawmakers in the senate and house who passed the legislation attending. mitch mcconnell is not expected to attend and bipartisan showing at the state and local level as well with governors and mayors of major american cities expected to attend to show just how popular this piece of legislation is, and indeed, that is the aim of the signing ceremony that you're going to be seeing today on the south lawn of the white house. president biden at a moment where he has faced sagging poll numbers, economic concerns in particular over inflation and rising gas prices, he is looking for a win, a political boost here, and that is exactly what the white house is aiming to do with this, as they look to highlight what is undoubtedly the central

white house correspondent jeremy diamond has more. >> reporter: today vice president harris wrapping a five-day effort to revise the french/american relationship. >> it signals the enduring, the long-standing, and future alliance and commitment between the people of the united states and france and our governments. >> reporter: the trip, much of it spent alongside french president emmanuel macron was the latest measure to mend ties after the latest submarine plan with australia. the sub snub may have propelled harris to french capitol, but the vice president insisting the breach of trust was not on the agenda. >> i will tell you that was not the purpose of this trip and we didn't discuss it. what we did discuss is the issues that are challenging us and the issues that are the basis for this relationship and the strength and assurance of this relationship. >> reporter: there were two tangible agreements, expanded u.s. space cooperation and a u.s. decision to sign on to a french initiative setting rules of the road in cyber space. after a first foreign trip overshadowed by harris's han

. >> reporter: jeremy denton didn't vote for biden or slotkin but supports the action on infrastructure. >> the cost of doing business. you have to reinvest if you're going to build these things. if you have a bridge that needs to be repaired, repair the bridge. >> reporter: slotkin, a former cia officer elected to congress in 2018, believes the deep divisions among democrats have raised legitimate questions about the party's ability to govern and to connect with all americans. >> yeah, i think there's disconnect. i mean, i think that the average person is not looking for radical idealogy on any side of the spectrum. they are looking for their government to function and to deliver for people. >> reporter: she has real questions about part two of biden's economic agenda. both its scope and timing given rising concerns about inflation, gas prices, and more. like other moderate democrats, she's waiting to see the cost of the bill before committing her vote. is the white house addressing the needs of everyday americans? >> i think certainly they are trying, but we could be doing more. we've

. >> reporter: jeremy denton didn't vote for biden or slotkin but he supports the action on infrastructure. >> it's cost of doing business. you have to reinvest if you are going to build these things u. if you have a bridge that needs to be repaired, repair the bridge. >> reporter: slotkin, a former cia officer elected to congress in 2018 believes the deep divisions among democrats have raised legitimate questions about the party's ability to govern and to connect with all americans. >> yeah. i think there is a disconnect. i mean, i think that the average person is not looking for radical ideology on any side of the spectrum. they are looking for their government to function, and to deliver for people. >> reporter: she has real questions about part two of biden's economic agenda. both, its scope and timing. given rising concerns about inflation, gas prices, and more. like other moderate democrats, she's waiting to see the cost of the bill before committing her vote. is the white house addressing the needs of everyday americans? >> i -- i think, certainly, um, they are trying but we could b

so, thank you so much, jeremy butler, for all that you do for the veterans community. thanks. e. >> thank you, brianna. >>> new overnight, texas governor greg abbott took a legal blow. >>> the third day in the trial of the men who killed ahmaud arbery. >>> and the soccer player, why it might remind you of tonya harding and nancy kerrigan. with a full exam and x-rays, with no obligation. if you don't have insurance, it's free. plus everyone saves 20% on their treatment plan with flexible payment solutions for every budget. we're here making smiles shine bright so you can start the new year feelin' alright. call 1-800-aspendental or book today at aspendental.com to run a growing business, is to be on a journey. and along the ride, you'll have many questions. challenges. and a few surprises. ♪ but wherever you are on your journey. your dell technologies advisor is here for you - with the right tech solutions. so you can stop at nothing for your customers. it's the early black friday sale. ♪ ♪ this is how we shine... at zales. the diamond store. >>> this morning new witnesse

she is there with a big band-aid, jeremy. >> reporter: yeah no doubt about it. look, president biden did the first step here in meeting with president emmanuel macron on the sidelines of the g20 in rome a couple of weeks ago. now step two is also crucial. that's where vice president harris comes in. she's going to be spending five days here in paris, including a bilateral meeting with the french president, participating in a forum that is a priority for the french president as well, delivering remarks, participating in armistice day events, all of this intended to highlight the long and deep bonds between the united states and france, and to make clear to the french government that the u.s./french relationship is indeed a priority to the administration, following that submarine dustup a couple of months ago. there is no question the french president is looking to squeeze every ounce of juice out of that dustup as he possibly can, and french officials have told me that they are looking for concrete actions to improve the u.s./french relationship beyond just the r

joining me, washington correspondent for the "new york times" maggie haberman and former prosecutor jeremy toobin. maggie, subpoenas tos out to si people, many whom were at the willard hotel, this historic hotel near the white house, where there was a lot of discussion about how to overturn the election. >> of the six subpoenas, i don't think the willard meeting ties to it. it is one or two other people, but mostly, these were people in varying stages of being around trump starting after november 3rd. his former campaign manager is one. john eastman we talked about a lot. mike flynn was in this meeting on december 18th at the white house, accompanied by sydney powell, who was working in some capacity president trump campaign as a lawyer at that point, of the apparatuses seizing the voting machines and rerunning the election. you're deal winning a broad group of people. it's not tied to one event. there were many different prongs. this wasn't just a meeting the night before january 6th. they'd hit a benchmark, and a deadline would pass. they'd move to another thing. trump had various irons

jeremy diamond is traveling with the vice president and joins us live from paris. good morning. this is to nurse the french/american relationship back to health especially after the sub deal with australia. >> reporter: no doubt about it. listen, president biden already met with president macron on the side lines of the g20 just a couple weeks ago. step one of rebuilding and revitalizing that relationship has certainly already been accomplished. but now vice president harris is looking to take that a step further. that is why she arrived this morning here in paris for a five-day trip, which is pretty long when you consider the length of these kinds of diplomatic missions typically. a clear gesture to the french president emanuel macron as well as the french people that the united states cares deeply about the relationship with france and they do want to nurse it back to full health. but french officials have made very clear while they are moving on from that submarine deal that saw a french contract with australia sunk, essentially, that while they are moving on from that, they

and as cnn's jeremy diamond reports, it sets the stage for the midterms. >> reporter: well, there is certainly some soul searching even hand wringing at the white house on wednesday in the wake of democrats' big loss in the state of virginia. the democratic gubernatorial candidate terry mcauliffe losing to republican glenn youngkin, and some here at the white house and in democratic circles seeing warning signs for the midterms, which are just a year away. we did not see, though, that kind of soul searching from president biden on wednesday. he did not take responsibility for mcauliffe's loss in the state of virginia, although he did acknowledge that maybe, just maybe passing his agenda in congress before election day could have perhaps helped mcauliffe get over the top. again, this is a state that president biden won by ten points during the 2020 elections. but what the president did focus on is what democrats can do between now and the midterm elections, and that's getting things done. >> i do know that people want us to get things done. they want us to get things done. and that's

jeremy diamond is outfront live outside the white house and, jeremy, how concerned is the president and the white house about what happened last night? i mean, this was a big blow. >> yeah, no doubt about it. listen, erin, here at the white house and democratic circles, there is been a lot of soul searching today among those democrats and including some white house advisers who see warning signs here for the midterms. but we didn't necessarily hear any of that soul searching from the president, himself. instead, what we heard from the president. he did not take responsibility for mcauliffe's loss in virginia and -- but what he did say was that maybe -- just maybe -- passing his agenda before that election could have made a difference. but he did not sound sure about it. what he did sound sure about is what needs to be done, going forward. between now and the midterms next year. the president talking about the need for action. the need for results. making clear that passing his agenda is important and ultimately saying that he believes that changing things like the economy, like covid, a

jeremy diamond is with us in the white house. jeremy? >> there is a lot of soul searching after the vote last night. the president returning in the wee hours of the morning, but the mood aboard air force one last night was grim as they tu returned to the news that glenn youngkin won in virginia that president biden had won by ten points. the biden administration is trying to move forward, others pointing to economic woes and a pandemic that has gone on longer than expected. one thing is clear, the president was not expecting this. >> i think we're going to win in virginia. i don't believe, and i've not seen any evidence whether or not i am doing well or poorly, whether or not i've got my agenda passed or not is going to have any real impact on winning or losing. >> reporter: and whether or not the president wanted to make a connection between his agenda and that race yesterday, democrats this morning certainly making a connection between now and the midterms next year. certainly this is going to light a fire under people at the white hou

with me to share their reporting and cnn is cnn's manu raju, jeremy diamond and coral davenport of the "new york times," the u.n. secretary-general saying we're taking our own graves. boris johnson, the prime minister opening the session by using a little hollywood. listen shepard welcome to glasgow and to scotland whose most globally famous fiction alison is almost certainly a man called james bond who generally comes to the climax of his highly lucrative film strapped to a doomsday device. this is not a movie, and the doomsday device is real. if we don't get serious about climate change today, it will be too late for our children to do so tomorrow. shepard the rhetoric constantly escalates, and you have doomsday rhetoric, dig our own graves, the president talking about thin frequention point. do the actions, are they willing to commit? are they ready to commit to actions that match the rhetoric? >> the short answer is no. right now all of the countries that signed on to the paris climate agreement, including the united states, of course, president biden re-entered the paris climate a