jeff zeleny, cnn, the white house. >> as jeff zeleny mentioned, republicans haven't made it easy for the senate to vote on the relief bill. they forced clerks to read the entire document aloud. they say the bill is too big and to expensive to rush through. >> i feel bad for the clerks who have to read it, but it's just important. so often we rush these massive bills that are hundreds if not thousands of pages long. you don't have time. nobody has time to read them. so start considering something we haven't even read. at a minimum somebody ought to read it and this would give everybody time quite honestly, the clerks read it, our staffs will have time to consider what the provisions are, to start crafting memos. >> i think what senator johnson is doing, i should let him speak for himself, but what i see he's doing is making sure we communicate very clearly that the $1.9 trillion plan has good objectives but it's massively misdirected. a lot of the spending is not going where it's needed, that it's wasteful, that it's adding debt to our next generations and senator johnson wants to mak

jeff zeleny has more on that visit. >> president biden making a visit to the pfizer factory in portage, michigan, where the coronavirus vaccine is being produced. and clearly there have been issued with vaccination supply. so the president taking a firsthand look while he walked through the factory getting the pfizer acknowledgement to ramp up production. that is about two months ahead of schedule from the original plan. now, there is no question, winter weather in the united states has slowed the distribution of this vaccine considerably. the president said there could be other bumps in the road, as well. different variants of the strain, of course, are making this even more challenging. but he did say by the end of july, he does expect some 300 million americans should be receiving vaccines. but also making the case that vaccines are safe. there is a worry inside the administration that people who are eligible for the vaccine are afraid to get it because of the safety concerns. he made clear the vaccine is safe. also, he pushed republicans to support his $1.9 trillion covid relief sp

here's jeff zeleny with all of that. jeff. >> reporter: the justice department is looking into a new georgia law restricting voting rights, part of the still simmering backlash of his defeat of donald trump. >> they passed a law saying you can't provide water for people standing in line while they're waiting to vote. >> reporter: it's the latest real world fallout from the so-called big lie, the unsubstantiated claims about widespread voter fraud that the former president and many under him are still peddling. the order signed by governor brian kemp made a provision making it a crime to bring food or water to people standing in line to vote. it comes after biden and two senate democrats brought to victory which caused them their senate majority. >> you don't need anything else to know this is a punitive designed to keep people from voting. >> reporter: it must end, he added. we have a moral and constitutional obligation to act. the question is how and when. across the country republican lawmakers in 43 states are conside

jeff zeleny has the latest. >> thanks for coming in. >> reporter: president biden striking a compromise with moderate democrats to limit the americans eligible for a stimulus check in hopes to push the covid relief bill across the line. as the senate begins discussing it, the president will limit the spending. people earning more than $80,000 or household incomes over 160,000 would no longer get a $1400 check. >> these masks make a difference. >> reporter: in the oval office the president blasting officials in texas, mississippi and other states that are lifting all covid-19 restrictions. >> the last thing, the last thing we need is neanderthal thinking that everything is fine, take off your mask. forget it, it still matters. >> reporter: but the white house is focusing considerable attention on capitol hill trying to carefully thread a political needle of addressing the concerns of moderate democrats without alienating progressives. >> what he has been firm on is that the package needs to be large enough to meet the scope of the twin crises we're facing, covid and the economic downturn

. >>> first, here's jeff zeleny. jeff? >>> the article of impeachment now before the senate is an unjust and blatantly unconstitutional act of political vengeance. >> reporter: a verdict in the impeachment trial of former president trump donald trump is expected today. with his lawyers swiftly resting their case friday after arguing the deadly attack on the capitol was neither trump's fault nor responsibility. >> no thinking person could seriously believe that the president's january 6th speech on the ellipse was in any way an incitement to violence or insurrection. >> reporter: the senators quickly moved to the next phase of the trial. with republicans and democrats alike submitting written questions before rendering their judgment. the senate clerk read this query from republican senators mitt romney and susan collins -- >> when president trump sent the disparaging tweet at 2:24 p.m. regarding vice president pence, was he aware that vice president had been removed from the senate by the secret service for his safety? >>

cnn's jeff zeleny shows us what's weighing on their minds. >> i'm giving him a shot. >> reporter: caroline didn't vote for joe biden but she's pulling for his success. >> i think he's a very nice man. i think he's very good. one of the politicians i think can go across the aisle and that's something that's a big plus. >> when we first met her in the heat of the campaign last fall she was torn. >> i get it why people don't like trump but at the same time he has done a few things that i thought were important. >> reporter: but said she ultimately decided trump would do a better job fixing the economy. >> i voted for trump. >> reporter: in the end biden won wisconsin by less than a point and cedarburg by only 19 votes. most signs of the election are long gone, it's a new season and many voters hearsay a fresh start from the acrimony of the trump era. >> the tone down of the rhetoric, not having to be glued to the tv or media has been very refreshing. >> you're welcome, hon. >> reporter: natasha is a small business owner who supported biden but senses more calm. >> you can tell there's morriss

jeff zeleny, cnn, the white house. >>> and as jeff just mentioned, the impeachment trial of former president trump is set to get under way on tuesday. we don't know how long it may last. president biden says he think the trial needs to take place but in an interview he declined to say if he would vote to convict if he was still net u.s. senate. take a listen. >> let's turn to the impeachment trial. if you were still a senator, would you vote to convict him? >> look, i ran like hell to defeat him because i thought he was unfit to be president. i watched what everyone else watched. what happened when that crew invaded the united states congress. but i'm not in the senate now. i'll let the senate make that decision. >> trump has refused to testify at the trial in his own defense, but democrats who will prosecute the case believe there is plenty of evidence already of his alleged role in inciting a mob to attack the capitol on january 6. >>> head of the u.s. and americas program at chatham house in london, lizy, lovely to see you. so president biden is defending his stimulus plan. how much is ri

cnn's jeff zeleny has more. >> reporter: president biden and vice president harris came to atlanta on friday to listen to the voices of asian-american community leaders who were voicing their concern in the wake of shootings here earlier this week that killed eight people, including six women of asian descent. the meeting lasted more than an hour. after that president biden acknowledged the rise in violence toward asian-amerasian-american over the course of the last year over the pandemic. he had this message for americans. >> hate and violence is often hidden in plain sight. it's often been met with silence. that's been all throughout our history. that has to change because our silence is complicity. we cannot be complcomplicit. we have to speak out. we have to act. >> reporter: for about an hour the president and vb did meet with asian-american community leaders including stephanie cho who i caught up with after the meeting. she said president biden's name came up again and again for his contributions regarding the violence during the pandemic. >> i'd like to see it beyond this mome

our jeff zeleny explains. >> reporter: at the white house, president biden intensifying his efforts to push his signature covid relief bill through yet another hurdle in congress. after returning from a weekend at his home in delaware, the president meeting virtually with 9 democratic senators whose votes he needs, along with all sen senate democrats to pass the package. >> we've reserved time to make sure he can roll up his sleeves, be personally involved, having more zoom meetings, potentially having people here to the oval office to get this across the finish line. >> reporter: with some benefits to americans expiring on march 14th, the clock is ticking for biden to make good on his pledge. there is no room for error in the closely divided senate after the house narrowly passed the measure with no republican votes. progressives are seatething on e $15 being left out. they've been urged to override the decision. >> why not fight for this? why is the white house not more aggressive in challenging that and having the vice president overrule the vote? >> the decision for the vice presid

jeff zeleny, wilmington, delaware. >> jessica is one of the authors of a podcast. wonderful to have you on the show. what we're seeing on the tech giants across the board, it seems like, they've certainly come down hard on president trump, silencing him on social media. it's been a defiant, timed and very coordinated effort, hasn't it? >> it has. it does feel like there are a lot of people abandoning this sinking ship. and sometimes, when the first person starts, then other people or corporations will follow. so, i think that's what happened. it was a big deal for twitter to suspend the president's account just temporarily. and then when they decided, today, okay, this is enough. you are permanently banned, that essentially gives the other tech companies cover to say, okay, we are going to follow suit. these posts, they also violate our external policies. >> so, now it's not just president trump, it's not just his twitter feed, we have websites, hash tags, podcasts, message boards all linked to the president and supporters. they've also been shut down, again, acros

cnn's jeff zeleny has a look. >> reporter: president biden is set to unveil the next piece of his academic agenda during a speech next week to a joint session of congress. >> it has two parts. the american jobs plan and the american families plan. >> reporter: after outlining a sweeping infrastructure package in pittsburgh late last month, the white house is putting the final touches on a so-called human infrastructure plan. together, the proposals amount to nearly 4 trillion investment in reshaping the american economy. highlights of the new american family plan officials tell cnn reducing child care costs and increasing fade family leave and making community college tuition free. to pay for the plan the white house is considering doubling capital gains tax for those making 1 million or more and taxing those as ordinary income. also for households making more than 400,000 per year. >> what i can say it will only affect people making $1 million a year. >> reporter: as president hits the 100 day in office mark next week, the administration's proposals are stacking up and negotiations are se

jeff zeleny, cnn, the white house. >>> all right. let's talk more about that with cnn's john defterios. john, can we make any comparisons here with any other countries that have done something similar? >> yeah, it's a great point, kim, because if you look overseas and you can go into the european union you could take germany and france as examples of where the government plays the role of building out infrastructure here, particularly when it comes to rail, road, health care and then the state schooling system at the same time. you can transfer that to japan, another g7 economy, a smaller economy like singapore known because of its infrastructure, it's free trade, but having excellent schooling system at the same time. but joe biden here, i think, kim, at the same time is living up to an election campaign pledge, three bs, building back better. he thinks this is instrumental in terms of u.s. economy and i think it was interested that he targeted 13 million jobs but for the lower middle class and the poor. 75% of the jobs will go to t

jeff zeleny, cnn philadelphia. >>> for more on joe biden's economic agenda i'm joined by leslie, the head of the u.s. and the americas program at chatham house. nice to see you again. you've written that biden's plan will dramatically alter the economic and social landscape of the united states. if passed, and that's a big if, so which is going to be a harder sell, the jobs plan or the family plan? >> it's a really, it's a very big question, of course, both are seeking to be absolutely transformational. i think the question really on the broader question, is to what extent there will be debates in congress about different elements of those plans, because of course, one of the things that joe biden wants to do, in addition to harnessing this crisis, really transform america's political economy, is also to build bridges. and in order to build those bridges, you know, ideally, he would pass both of these bills through congress, with bipartisan support rather than using a budget reconciliation measure, but if he wants to do that, there's going to be a lot of bargaining and horse trading

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jeff zeleny, cnn, mclean, virginia. >>> well, professor thomas grift joins me now. professor, thank you very much for joining us. good morning to you. let's start with what you saw in virginia. a big win for republicans and big blow, i think it's fair to say, to democrats. what does this win, would you say, by youngkin tell you about the mood as well as the voter sentiment in the u.s. right now? >> well, it's great to be with you, is other. thanks so much for having me. i think what we saw in virginia was especially significant. there is a desire to tie the outcome to national politics. first and foremost, youngkin's win reflects a successful statewide campaign. in lots of ways this is a politician who was really able to flip the conventional wisdom that all republican candidates need to take a clear pro or anti-trump stand. he tried to paint him as trump in khakis. youngkin threaded the needle in an interesting way. he kept trump at sufficient arms length to appeal to the northern virginia voters, places like arlington and lehman besburg. he didn't alienate maga vo

jeff zeleny right near in geneva. we will be hearing a lot more from you also in the next couple of hours, really throughout the entire day as the summit unfolds. one of the key areas that many people will be looking at and certainly many -- or some families in the united states will be looking at is possible prisoner swaps between the u.s. and russia of course there have been a lot of names that have been put out there. trevor reed being one of them but also the former marine paul whelan, he was arrested in russia in 2018, convicted in 2020 on espionage charges which and and his family says are trumped up. the question is whether or not there is any headway that can be made there. over the past couple of days the russian foreign ministry said that they had been in talks with the u.s. about prisoner swaps but that paul whelan's case was excluded however the kremlin has said in the form of a spokesperson for vladimir putin that the two presidents would have to discuss that issue. they said that speculation about it wou

jeff zeleny, cnn, the white house. >>> washington and new york state surging cases is prompting them to ask the federal government to increase the defense production act to increase the supply of test kits. the state plans to distribute millions of masks for people to wear. the governor's office says nearly 24,000 cases were reported yesterday across the state. that is up more than 8900 a week ago. new york city mayor elect says more people need to get vaccinated to really help curb the spread. have a listen. >> many people are in lines. they have determined to just do testing over and over again instead of doing the right thing for fellow new yorkers, and that is to get vaccinated. we have over 2 million new yorkers who have yet to take the booster shot. and so the goal is to really be aggressive, make it accessible. the booster shots as well as the vaccinations so that we can get people protected in the right way. >> well, meanwhile, the pentagon says the u.s. military is now helping out with covid relief efforts. on monday the defense department announced military teams will be he

jeff zeleny, cnn, the white house. >>> all right. now more on north korea. the u.n. security council committee in charge of dealing with sanctions on that country will meet in a few hours. the u.s. requested the meeting after north korea conducted two separate missile tests in less than a week and the u.s. didn't view the first test as a real provocation but wednesday's firing of ballistic missiles ramped up the urgency for washington and its allies. here is what president biden said. >> u.n. resolution 1718 was violated by those particular missiles that were tested, number one. we're consulting with our allies and partners and there will be responses if they choose to escalate. we will respond accordingly. but i'm also prepared for some form of diplomacy, but it has to be conditioned upon the end result of denuclearization. >> cnn's paula hancocks is in seoul, south korea, for us. paula, as we heard there president biden saying north korea was the top foreign policy item so presumably for north korea's missile launch it was mission accomplished. >> reporter: that's

more, now, on the president's address from cnn's jeff zeleny. >> declaring that america is on the move, again. president biden delivered his first address to a joint session of congress, wednesday night. making the case that he says peril can be turned into possibility. setbacks can be turned into strength. clearly, trying to make the coronavirus pandemic a moment of opportunity to reshape the u.s. government. now, in a sweeping address that went more than an hour, in length, the president making an argument for reshaping the american economy. focusing, specifically, on the social-safety net. calling for a sweeping variety of programs, like free community college, expanding childcare, big-infrastructure plans. it went on and on to the tune of nearly $6 trillion. now, of course, the question here will be how to pay for all these proposals. that, of course, is raising taxes on the wealthy. the president made clear, slowing down his remarks, speaking clearly and directly, that those making under $400,000 would not see a tax increase. but those making more than that, certainly, would. now,

here's cnn's jeff zeleny. >> reporter: the american flag is proudly waiving at former president trump's mar-a-lago resort, but the shining sun belies the storm brewing inside the republican party. kevin mccarthy, the house gop leader made a pilgrimage to florida hoping to get back into the former president's good graces after angering trump. >> the president bears responsibility for wednesday's attack on congress by mob rioters. >> reporter: mccarthy has been backpedaling ever since making clear he still sees trump as the leader of the republican party, a view not shared by senate minority leader mitch mcconnell who hasn't spoken to trump in more than a month. the mar-a-lago meeting was focused on taking back the house in 2022 adding his endorsement means perhaps more than any endorsement at any time. with his looming impeachment trial, trump remains front and center in the republican party even as it faces an identity crisis. in a private call with house republicans this week mccarthy admonished his members to stop the in fighting cnn has learned bluntly saying to cut that crap out wit

cnn's jeff zeleny takes a look at where negotiations stand. >> reporter: president biden hitting the road today. on a ride for first lady jill biden's 70th birthday as bipartisan negotiations intensify on his infrastructure package. the president is signaling that he's open to making serious concessions to keep the talks alive, including rethinking his plan to pay for it through raising corporate taxes, which had been a nonstarter for republicans. >> there are a range of pass forward here and the president remains committed to his goal of signing a bill into law, historic investment, infrastructure, by the summer. >> reporter: whether it's a path forward or the end of the road to finding a deal remains an open question, but the president has cut his original proposal nearly in half and is set to speak again friday with shelly moore capito, the lead republican negotiator. in a wednesday meeting the president said he was open to imposing a minimum corporate tax of 15% taking aim at profitable u.s. companies that now short change the federal government. he also called for beefing up irs

jeff zeleny, cnn, detroit. >>> well, it turns out the stuff of science fiction isn't always fiction. coming up, the u.s. military acknowledges some ufo sightings are the real deal. >> my gosh. >> they're going against the wind. the wind is 120 miles from the west. >> look at that thing. >> it's rotating. wet dishes? residue? spots? it's not your dishwasher's fault. simply add finish jetdry 3in1 to rinse, dry and shine your dishes. solve 3 problems at once with finish jetdry 3in1. why do nearly one million businesses choose stamps.com to mail and ship? no more trips to the post office no more paying full price for postage and great rates from usps and ups mail letters ship packages anytime anywhere for less a lot less get our special tv offer a 4-week trial plus postage and a digital scale it's time for sleep number's memorial day sale on the new sleep number 360 smart bed. go to stamps.com/tv and never go to the post office again it's the most comfortable, a 4-week trial plus postage and a digital scale body-sensing, automatically-responding, energy-building, dually-adjustable, dad-p

jeff zeleny, cnn, the white house. >> thanks, jeff. well, president biden denies the shortage of covid-19 testing kits in the u.s. is a failure. he says no one anticipated the virus spreading as quickly as it has in the past few weeks. cleveland, ohio, had to shutdown after testing more than a thousand people in its first day. u.s. pharmacies the tests combine six at cvs and four at walgreens. dr. fauci says there is help. have a listen. >> we are putting up 20,000 testing sites with half a billion tests literally within the next few days. and then have a situation where you can get anywhere from 200 million to a half a billion tests per month. so we will be able to very soon have all the tests that people need because you are correct, it is an important part of the comprehensive program of staying safe. >> well, meantime, more states and cities across the united states are implementing new measures in an attempt really to curb the covid surge. california's governor has announced all health care workers in the state will be required to

more now from cnn's jeff zeleny >> reporter: with just a little over a week remaining before christmas, it looks like president biden's build back better agenda will make it through the senate. this was always the deadline, an artificial one, but certainly designed to be a motivating factor for democrats to pass this really center piece of the president's economic agenda, that sweeping set of programs covering social programs and the environment. well, senator joe manchin, democrat of west virginia, has simply raised objections to this that have not been worked out. he spoke several times with president biden throughout the course of the last week, trying to reach some type of a compromise. as this week draws to a close, the holidays are looming. it simply is not there. there is no agreement at hand. so now the question going into next year, will this program, will the biden agenda still have momentum to carry forward? that is certainly an open question next year an election year. difficult to pass anything of this magnitude. but certainly with the holidays upon the white house and upo

cnn's jeff zeleny has more. >> this isn't a game. >> reporter: pushing back tonight on critics blasting his new vaccine man dates as government overreach. to republicans threatening legal challenges biden responded sharply. >> have at it. >> reporter: in his most aggressive steps yet in the fight against covid the president is not only requiring all federal workers to be vaccinated but instructing the labor department to require private businesses with 100 or more flows vaccinate its workforce or submit to weekly covid tests. across the country tonight republican governors are fighting back. >> when you have a president like biden issuing unconstitutional edicts against the american people we have a responsibility to stand up for the constitution and to fight back and we are doing that in the state of florida. >> what the biden administration is doing is government overreach. >> reporter: in a visit to a school in washington the president promoted wearing masks and suggested his critics are unnecessarily politicizing the pandemic. >> to the republican governors have been so cavalier wit

more now from cnn's jeff zeleny. >> let me give it to you straight. omicron is serious, potentially deadly business for unvaccinated people. >> reporter: president biden issuing a stark new warning four days before christmas as the administration braces for a staggering surge in covid cases. >> let me say again and again and again and again, please get vaccinated. >> reporter: the president drawing a sharp line between the vaccinated and boosted and the unvaccinated, making yet another plea for americans to take seriously the omicron variant that's suddenly a majority of new u.s. cases. >> i know you're tired. i really mean this. and i know you're frustrated. we all want this to be over. but we're still in it, and this is a critical moment. >> reporter: the president's plan calls for addressing a significant deficit in testing with 500 million rapid covid tests to be sent to the homes of americans who request them. preparing 1,000 military service members to deploy to overburdened hospitals. new federal testing sites starting in new york city. on the

more from jeff zeleny at the white house. >> reporter: president biden will convene world leaders for the second day of a climate summit here at the white house on friday. continuing the discussions about how global leaders will confront the urgent crisis of climate change. now, we saw the first round of speeches on thursday here on earth day with president biden really drawing attention to a new commitment from the u.s. to assert itself back on to the world stage. of course, on the first da i that president biden took office he rejoined the paris climate accords. now, this of course is taking it one step further. he is calling for by the end of this decade to reduce emissions by half. now, that certainly is a very ambitious proposal that is short on specifics, but the president clearly making it clear that this is no longer the trump administration. the trump era is indeed over. but it was so interesting to see president biden talking with other world leaders. now, german chancellor angela merkel welcomed the u.s. back to the stage. british prime minister boris johnson also said what

here's cnn's jeff zeleny. >> reporter: joe biden acknowledging that his administration has struggled to keep up with the omicron variant of the covid-19 pandemic. clearly marking this surge in cases here in the u.s. he said simply nothing has been good enough. he was defensive in one hand on an abc news interview. but also tried to really explain why no one could have foreseen this rapid surge. >> no, i don't think it's a failure. i think you can argue that we should have known a year ago, six months ago, two months ago, a month ago. i ordered half a billion pills. 500 million pills -- excuse me, 500 million test kits tent to every home in america for anybody that wants them. but the yananswer is yeah, i wii had ordered half a billion pills two months ago. >> reporter: but many experts said you could see this coming. so there are questions why more tests were not ready. there are going to be about 500 million at-home tests mailed in the month of january. but the question is, will that be too late? he also seemed to struggle between the idea of pills and tests. so a bit of confusion t

s jeff zeleny, cnn, nantucket, massachusetts. >> nows that travel ban doesn't refer to united states residents. united, the only other major airline to operate from the region, the airport group says it has many unanswered questions about the new measures. and sweeping travel restrictions are going in effect in israel. an expert says that israel is now on the state of emergency as confirming its first omicron variant case. hamas gold reports. >> reporter: the government acting quickly. the person returned from malawi, the variant detected because earn person to tel aviv must get a pcr test before they can leave the airport. health officials say people with suspected cases are vaccinated and symptoms all mild. although a very small sample size. now, the israeli government is laying down sweeping new travel restrictions especially banning travel from some northern countries. israelis returning to israel, will be required to enter full quarantine regardless of their vacate vaccination status. anyone returning is to submit to testing. and they were saying in a press conference they are p

jeff zeleny, cnn, nantucket, massachusetts. >> thank you, jeff. >>> well, five u.s. lawmakers are in taiwan meeting with government officials despite warnings from beijing to call off their trip. it comes as beijing has been stepping up the pressure on the self-governing island to reunite with the mainland. cnn's will ripley joins me now from hong kong. will, will this visit, do you think, by u.s. lawmakers drive potentially an even bicker wedge between china and taiwan? the relationship hasn't been great so far. >> reporter: it certainly doesn't help, isa. in context, it's not like this doesn't -- you know, this is not that unusual. there was another visit, another delegation of u.s. lawmakers just a matter of weeks ago. so they've had two visits like this now in the past month. this visit by five u.s. lawmakers, including representative elissa slotkin, a michigan democrat, who said on twitter when news of the visit broke, she actually -- her office got a message from the chinese embassy telling them to cancel the trip. and they didn't call off the trip, and there c

jeff zeleny is already there talking to voters about the president's promises. >> what we heard from the election that, hey, we don't have time to play around, we've got to move and people want action. >> reporter: alisha reese is sizing up president biden's first six months in office. >> i'm not saying that the administration is perfect, we have other things to work on, certainly voting rights got to get done, criminal justice, forgive george floyd bill. >> reporter: here in cincinnati, early promises from the biden administration like economic relief from the pandemic have been delivered. and other pledges like improving infrastructure are teetering. >> if we keep the theme of delivering for the american people, i think that he will would be okay. but if we get back to the old days of washington bickering back and forth while the american people watch it and say hey, they are totally disconnected from us, then we'll be going backwards. >> reporter: vice president of the county afford of commissioners sums up the challenges facing biden. one face of the failing infrastructure has lo

cnn's jeff zeleny has the latest from the house. >> reporter: heading in to the weekend with the delta variant spreading more than ever before the white house is sunday the alarm about the your betweency of the covid-19 pandemic here in america. no question now. this is a tale of the unvaccinated living with the pandemic much more so than the vaccinated. but even there's a sense will there be new mask guidelines. more restricts. right now the white house say there will be no changes. we know from biden he's directed his government health officials to study this data coming in, if there's a need for more protection for the vaccinated. there's a sense from republican governors across the country like in alabama, for example, really throwing her hands up in the air and blaming this on the unvaccinated. the there's a hope here at the white house there's a sense of, if not, you know, willingness to get the vaccine because of the delta variant a bit of trepidation, people get cared into doing this. will any of this work? the white house has far short of mandating any type of vaccinations. th

jeff zeleny, cnn, the white house. >>> one more victim has been found in the rubble of the condo collapse in surfside, florida. now, that brings the confirmed-death toll to 79, with dozens of others, still, unaccounted for. cnn's randi kaye with the latest on the recovery effort and the investigation into what might have triggered this catastrophe. >> reporter: major progress in the recovery mission at the debris pile of champlain tower south. and it continues around the clock. >> the pile that, originally, was approximately four or five stories is, now, almost at ground level. >> reporter: at least 13 million pounds of concrete and debris, now, removed. and the mission remains the same. return loved ones to their families. >> here. >> meanwhile, a new effort is underway at the sister tower just a few blocks away. a detailed inspection of champlain tower north to make sure it won't suffer the same fate. >> reporter: cnn got a close-up look at the process, as inspection teams went underground. using x-rays and testing concrete for salt residue. >> we also did a scan of the thickness of the

jeff zeleny, cnn, rosemont, minnesota. >>> up next, a dire warning about the future of greenland's ice sheet. what a new report is saying about global warming in the arctic, and what it might mean for rising sea levels. one role of a lifetime...one sore throat. but she had enough. she took new mucinex instasoothe sore throat lozenges. show your sore throat who's boss. new mucinex instasoothe. works in seconds, lasts for hours. dog barks you're right bunker, the medicare enrollment deadline is almost here. if you're on medicare and you want to explore your options, the deadline to enroll is december 7th. so, you should act now. were do i find the right medicare plan? at healthmarkets, they search many of the nation's most recognized carriers so they can help you find the right plan, at the right price that's the right fit for you. how long does it take? just minutes. my current plan only covers 80% of my costs. healthmarkets may find plans with zero dollar copays, deductibles and monthly premiums. even plans with prescription drug coverage, vision, dental and hearing aids. how much does

jeff zeleny, cnn, the white house. >>> the u.s. defense department will require all military and civilian personnel to prove their vaccination status. those unwilling to do so will be required to wear a mask, social distance, submit to regular testing and obey all travel restrictions. the department is also considering adding the covid shot to a list of required vaccines for military workers. and that dangerous delta variant has led many big businesses to insist workers get the covid-19 vaccine or find another job. facebook, google and netflix are among the major companies requiring employees in their workplaces to have the shots. richard quest has the latest from new york. all rig >> reporter: it is the increase in covid cases from the delta variant that is causing the greatest alarm. so from silicon valley to hollywood, executives and hr departments are telling people get vaccinated or face the consequences. and those consequences could include strict testing, unpaid quarantines, even being fired, termination. some business leade

jeff zeleny, cnn, the white house. >> joining me from washington, d.c. is john herbst, he's the former ambassador to ukraine and the eurasia summit. thank you for joining us. you wrote on the line being drawn on the line with the thread to russia crossed it and there isn't sufficient u.s. response. you've written, if biden fails to act than his attempt to rebuild cyberdeterrence will be an order of magazine future more difficult and putin will be further emboldened. the question is how. what i'm asking what do you expect the administration to do and what would be the appropriate response? >> well, we don't know if the administration is going to act. i hope it is, but we don't know. the point is, at this stage, biden laid down a clear red line. putin crossed it, and biden has not responded. and the statements coming out of the white house, ever since the attack which is now a week old, have been rather weak. we don't know if putin will believe biden this time, since clearly he did not believe him last time. what should has been is there needs to be an ame

jeff zeleny, cnn, the white house. >>> and for those who do contract the virus, we're learning more about what is called long covid. a new cdc study found one-third of its participants experienced symptoms of long term covid. that means they reported at least one covid symptom two months after first testing positive for the virus. the study also found higher rates among women, african-americans, those over 40 and people with pre-existing conditions. common symptoms included fatigue, and loss of taste and smell. >>> meanwhile, a team of arkansas researchers have identified a possible cause of this long covid. they say an antibody that appears weeks after initial infection attacks and disrupts a key regulator of the immune system. dr. john arthur is the chief of the nephrology division at the school of medicine at the university of arkansas and joins me now from little rock. doctor, great to have you on the show. thanks for joining us. i'm fascinating to learn what you have potentially discovered here. >> yes, what we found is that there is an antibody against one of our own proteins in pat

cnn's jeff zeleny picks up the story. >> reporter: when president biden ock biden acknowledging in a nuint interview clearly marking the surge in cases here in the u.s. he was defensive on one hand in an abc news interview but also tried to really explain why no one could have foreseen this rapid surge. >> no, i don't think it's a failure. i think it's a -- you could argue that we should have known a year ago, six months ago, two months ago, a month ago. i ordered half a billion of the pills, 500 million pills -- excuse me 500 million test kits that are going to be able to set to any home in america if anybody wants them. but the answer is, yeah, i wish i had thought about ordering half a billion pills two months ago before covid hit here. >> but, in fact, many experts say you could see this coming, so there are questions of why more tests were not ready. now, there are going to be about a half a billion at-home tests mailed in the month of january, but the question is will that be too late. now the president also seemed to struggle between the idea of pills and tests, so a bit of co

jeff zeleny, cnn, the white house. >>> the top u.s. general is addressing reports that intelligence had warned of a rapid collapse in afghanistan. in a briefing wednesday, general mark milley said there was no indication that the afghan military and government would fall as quickly as it did. here he is. >> the intelligence clearly indicated multiple scenarios were possible. however, the time frame of a rapid collapse, that was widely estimated and ranged from weeks to months and even years following our departure. there was nothing that i or anyone else saw that indicated a collapse of this army and this government in 11 days. >> and cnn's sam kiley joins me from doha. so president biden very dismiss receive over criticism as how the pullout was handled. take us through the reaction to the latest developments. >> reporter: well, i think some of the most dramatic reaction came from the british parliament that were called yesterday for what was a very acrimonious debate, a lot of angry finger pointing specifically at the u.s. president

cnn's jeff zeleny reports. >>> at least every michigander wants money for infrastructure. his here we have it. >> reporter: congresswoman slot kin has something once celebrated by both parties. >> we should be happy whether it's biden signature or trump's signature. if trump's signature had been on that thing, i'd be just as happy to go and visit people and talk about what this bill would do. >> reporter: slotkin is a democrat and will be on hand when president biden signs the law on monday. but former president trump is also not far from her mind. considering he won her district. giving her a front row seat to the nation's deep political divide. >> i couldn't have won unless there were voters who voted for both donald trump and me. that's a pretty independently minded person. >> reporter: for the next year the road to winning control of congress runs right through places like michigan's eighth district. and whether democrats get credit or blamed for biden's agenda starting with infrastructure. >> being able to see it actually signed into law is a big deal. and again, we h

here is jeff zeleny with that. >> it is so darn important that everyone get vaccinated. >> president biden sounding the alarm even louder as the white house scrambles to contain a surge of covid cases from the delta variant, as contagious as the chicken pox. dr. rochelle walensky, head of the cdc telling cnn, i think people need to understand that we're not crying wolf here. this is serious. health officials now saying the delta variant can spread far wider than initially thought. with each infected person able to infect five to nine others. >> it spreads twice as easily from one person to another and it is spreading rapidly. it is really just across the country. and that is just the fact. >> while people who have gotten their covid shots are far less likely to become seriously ill or hospitalized, the cdc also now making clear the variant can be spread through those who have already been fully vaccinated. walensky calling the finding concerning. and a pivotal discovery leading to cdc's updated mask recommendation. >> it was clear that vaccinated people have the ability to transmit a

cnn's jeff zeleny explains. >> reporter: president biden making repeatedly clear the stakes are dramatically high. the u.s. could fall off a fiscal cliff in his determination. now, this, of course, is if the senate does not act to raise the nation's debt ceiling. that, of course, is the ability of the u.s. government to borrow money. it comes every year. it's always a partisan fight, but never like this. republicans are simply not agreeing to join democrats in voting to raise the debt ceiling. now, all of these bills, if you will, are from spending in the trump administration, from his tax cut program from other measures that republicans voted for, but now there is simply a partisan stalemate. senate minority leader mitch mcconnell said republicans simply will not join democrats in raising the debt ceiling. so, what does that mean? the next two weeks are critical. that is essentially when october 18th, mark it on the calendar, when the u.s. effectively runs out of its borrowing power. it hits its ceiling, if you will, so would not be able to pay many of its bills from social security checks

jeff zeleny, cnn, the white house. >>> and kristie lu stout is joining us. china is not too thrilled by this development. >> reporter: and chaina's ministry of foreign affairs have reacted angrily to this new pact with the ministry of foreign affairs issuing a statement condemning the pact saying that it, quote, seriously undermines regional peace and security. earlier we heard from a spokesperson from the chinese embassy calling on the three countries to sheikh off their cold war mentality. of course it was wednesday when these three nations announced the security pact for the endo pacific region with the aim of working together on cybersecurity issues, advanced technologies like ai, and to help australia gain access and acquire a nuclear powered submarine. the u.s. president biden has made a point that this is not a nuclear-armed submarine, it is a nuclear powered submarine, but it will have conventional weapons. he said the aim is to ensure peace and stability in the indo pacific region for some time to company, but china sees it as a very provocative mov

jeff zeleny, cnn, alexandria, virginia. >>> mccabe was fired in 2018 in the trump administration two days before he was set to retire. a settlement with the justice department will restore his benefits worth hundreds of thousands of dollars. he was one of the lead investigators in the russia investigation whether donald trump had obstructed justice. he now works for cnn as a legal analyst. >>> about 10,000 members of the united autoworkers union went on strike thursday against farm and construction equipment maker john deere. they halted production at 11 factories and three distribution centers in the u.s. 90% of the rank and file members voted to reject a contract approved by the union. john deere's business is booming with a net income of a whopping 84% for the year of 2019. >>> now, adele is singing new music. ♪ for world war two. and this is his signature which blew me away. being able to... make my grandfather real... not just a memory... is priceless. his legacy...lives on. - [narrator] as you get ready for what's next, custom gear from custom ink can help make the most of th

jeff zeleny has more for you. >> reporter: one final push for votes in virginia. >> do not sleep for 24 hours. let's bring this baby home! >> reporter: democrat terry mcauliffe is seeking a second act as virginia's governor. on election eve he's locked in a bitter duel with republican businessman glenn youngkin. >> the entire nation is watching that. all eyes are on virginia. >> reporter: he won the commonwealth by ten points. republicans are riding a wave of energy. they hope to spark a party resurgence. as democrats scram not to keep their party together and avoid an embarrassing defeat. >> there is not going to be a democrat anywhere in this nation who thinks his or her seat is safe. >> reporter: virginia elects governors the year after the presidential race. the party in the white house has won every time except once, in 2013 when mcauliffe narrowly carried the state after president obama's reelection. >> we can't get this done unless we keep this positive momentum going. >> reporter: this time the political head winds facing the democrats are strong. even with the parade of part

jeff zeleny reports. >> reporter: bernie sanders is back on the campaign trail, this time asking ohio voters to send his friend nina turner to washington. >> the next member of congress, nina turner! >> reporter: james clyburn spent the weekend here taking a different stance. saying president biden needs a loyal partner. >> he needs somebody there who will work with him. >> reporter: here in cleveland, a contentious congressional primary contest is reviving old divisions between the democratic establishment and the party's progressive win. turner and brown are vying to fill the seat of marcia fudge who stepped down to serve in biden's cabinet. sanders and alexandria ocasio-cortez are for turner and hillary clinton and leaders of the congressional black caucus backing brown. >> there is no contrast, it is all about shontel brown. >> reporter: it is a key test for the party's direction and the biden agenda with other groups flooding the airwaves spending millions. >> shontel brown out for herself. >> don't just attack joe biden and kamala harris, i'm sick of it. >> reporter: she is talk

jeff zeleny, cnn, the white house. >>> america's top disease expert dr. fauci is sounding optimistic now in the fight against covid-19. he told stephen colbert the virus won't be with us forever. >> can we be hopeful that this will come to an end soon? >> well, yes. not only hopeful, you can be absolutely certain that this is going to end and we will get back to normal. the question is when. >> u.s. coronavirus case numbers have been dropping and the country is making strides on vaccinations. about 20% of the population has had at least one vaccine dose and those shots are enabling people to visit loved ones they haven't seen in months. erica hill has more. >> reporter: the first hug in a year. >> it was blissful, it was wonderful, and it was something that i'm going to remember for the rest of my life. >> reporter: across the country, families reunited. offering hope for what lies ahead. to get there, the white house promising every adult will be eligible for a vaccine by may 1. with a new website and call center to find available doses by zip code, and

jeff zeleny has more for you. >> reporter: president biden traveling to illinois on thursday to make the case for vaccine mandates for corporations. visiting elk grove village, illinois, speaking with the chairman of united airlines, one of the private kpdscompanies hen the u.s. leading the way requiring its employees to be vaccinated. some 99% of all employees are vaccinated. the president urging other companies to follow this their lead. other airlines already have. other large companies as well. the president delivering an economic argument for why this is the way out of the pandemic. >> i'm calling on more employers to act. my message is require your employees to get vaccinated. the vaccinations are going to beat this pandemic finally. without them, we face endless months of chaos in our hospitals, damage to our economy, and anxiety in our schools. >> reporter: the president using that economic argument acknowledging it is tough medicine, in his words, for some employers and employees. but he said that is the only way to lead the united states out of this pandemic heading into th