Return to Transcripts main page
CNN Newsroom
CNN Projects Joe Biden will Win Arizona; Crack Widens Between Trump & Top Republicans Over Transition; Transition Moving Ahead Despite Trump's Roadblocks; U.S. Surpasses Record COVID-19 Hospitalizations for Third Day; More European Countries Breaking Records Amid Second Wave; Hong Kong Pro-Democracy Lawmakers Resign from Legislature; Battle in Hong Kong Classrooms over Censorship; Book by Obama Details Relationship with Biden. Aired 12-1a ET
Aired November 13, 2020 - 00:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
JOHN VAUSE, CNN INTERNATIONAL ANCHOR: Hello. Welcome to our viewers joining us from around the world. I'm John Vause.
[00:00:58]
And coming up on CNN NEWSROOM, CNN projects Arizona goes blue. Another blow to Donald Trump's fantasy of overturning a landslide loss to Joe Biden.
In a yet-to-be-released memoir, Barack Obama calls out Republicans for enabling Trump and warns of the damage being inflicted on democracy.
And with the coronavirus now spiraling out of control, how many will die before that new vaccine is widely available, and even when it is, are expectations too high?
We begin with breaking news a week in the making. CNN is projecting Joe Biden has won the state of Arizona, extending his lead over President Trump in the Electoral College by 11 votes.
Just hours earlier, the Department of Homeland Security rebuked Trump's baseless claims of widespread voter fraud, declared the 2020 election the most secure in American history, adding there is simply no evidence that any voting system was compromised.
Yet, the president is refusing to accept reality and refusing to concede, even though a growing number of influential Republicans, including Trump's ally, Senator Lindsey Graham, are now breaking ties with the president and recognizing Joe Biden as president-elect, or, at the very least, suggesting he should have access to classified security briefings.
All of this in the backdrop of a worsening coronavirus crisis. In the 10 days since the presidential election, the coronavirus has infected more than 1 million Americans, nearly 150,000 new cases reported just on Thursday.
CNN's Jim Acosta has details now, reporting from the White House.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Thank you very much.
JIM ACOSTA, CNN CHIEF WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: In hiding for much of the week since he last addressed the public, President Trump is finding out a lame duck cannot be stubborn for very long, as some in the Republican Party are making way for Joe Biden.
A growing number of GOP senators are calling on the administration to begin providing intelligence briefings to Biden, a standard practice during a peaceful transfer of power.
SEN. JAMES LANKFORD (R-OK): There is no loss from him getting the briefings, to be able to do that. And if that's not occurring by Friday, I will step in, as well, to be able to push him to say, This needs to occur. So that, regardless of the outcome of the election, whichever way that it goes, people can be ready for the actual task.
ACOSTA: Another influential figure in the party, GOP strategist Karl Rove, is urging Mr. Trump to make a graceful exit, as soon as his longshot election challenges are finished, writing in "The Wall Street Journal," "Once his days in court are over, the president should do his part to unite the country by leading a peaceful transition and letting grievances go."
Ohio's Republican governor, Mike DeWine, is echoing that.
GOV. MIKE DEWINE (R-OH): I think that we need to consider the former vice president as the president-elect. Joe Biden is the president- elect.
ACOSTA: Other Trump allies aren't dealing with reality.
REP. KEVIN MCCARTHY (R-CA): He's not president right now. Don't know if he'll be president January 20, but whoever he will get the information.
ACOSTA: When White House press secretary Kayleigh McEnany was asked about Biden receiving intelligence briefings, she punted the question to -- get this -- the White House.
KAYLEIGH MCENANY, WHITE HOUSE PRESS SECRETARY: I haven't spoken to the president about that. That would be a question more for the White House. But I would say that all laws are being followed with regards to an expected transition, though we expect to continue on, on the Trump administration.
ACOSTA: Democrats say they've had enough.
SEN. CHUCK SCHUMER (D-NY): These Republicans are all auditioning for profiles in cowardice.
ACOSTA: Sources tell CNN the president is not expected to acknowledge the election results until he's exhausted his legal options later this month. Some of Mr. Trump's friends say that's the time to call it quits.
GERALDO RIVERA, FOX NEWS HOST: The time is coming soon to say goodbye with grace and dignity. You know, I know it's hard to hear, but that's the way I feel about this.
ACOSTA: The president and his advisers may then turn to crafting an announcement that Mr. Trump is eyeing the 2024 race, with one source close to the president telling CNN, "It's something he is reviewing."
[00:05:03]
Until then, sources say, the president still wants to settle scores and may fire more top officials in the coming days, including CIA Director Gina Haspel, cybersecurity official Chris Krebs, and FBI Director Christopher Wray. Other homeland security officials are already being forced out.
Mr. Trump is also lashing out at FOX News, tweeting, "Very sad to watch this happen, but they forgot what made them successful, what got them there. They forgot the golden goose."
The president doesn't appear to be spending much time dealing with the coronavirus, as more of his close associates are contracting COVID-19, including adviser Corey Lewandowski, one of several aides and allies to catch the virus since last week's election party.
So much for Mr. Trump's promise that media coverage of the virus would vanish.
TRUMP: On November 4, you won't be hearing as much about this. It's going to be -- Right now, it's COVID, COVID, COVID.
ACOSTA (on camera): As for the potential for the president to fire CIA director Gina Haspel, I'm told by a close adviser she's been on thin ice with Mr. Trump for months and could be in jeopardy as this lame dark period grinds on.
Jim Acosta, CNN, the White House.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
VAUSE: Well, despite Trump's recalcitrance and obstruction, President- elect Biden is moving ahead with the transition as best he can. But the delays caused by the election loser and his allies will not be without consequence.
CNN's Arlette Saenz has details.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
ARLETTE SAENZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT: President-elect Joe Biden is plowing ahead with his transition planning, completely unfazed by the actions, or lack of actions, from the Trump administration. Biden has continued to field congratulatory phone calls from world
leaders, including a phone call with Pope Francis, where the two talked about climate change and the need to help immigrants and refugees. Those issues are ones that Pope Francis has talked about often.
And this was not just an official call for Joe Biden, but also a personal one, as he would be only the second Catholic to become president when he makes it to the White House.
Now, Biden also spoke by phone with congressional leadership, with House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer. They talked about the coronavirus and also their desire for there to be a bipartisan COVID relief package during the lame duck session.
But one key conversation that Joe Biden still has yet to have is with Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell. The two men have had a very long working relationship together, including brokering many, many deals, but so far, that conversation has not taken place. And that is a relationship that could be critical to Biden if Senate Republicans are able to hold onto the majority come January.
Now, Biden is here in Rehoboth Beach, Delaware where he and his wife, Jill Biden, own a vacation home together, but he is continuing to meet with his transition advisers as they're plotting the next steps ahead.
Arlette Saenz, CNN, Rehoboth Beach, Delaware.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
VAUSE: And to Los Angeles. Jessica Levinson, professor of law at Loyola Law School. And it's good to see you, Jess.
JESSICA LEVINSON, PROFESSOR OF LAW, LOYOLA LAW SCHOOL: Good to be here.
VAUSE: OK. Well, a few Republicans, just a few, small number, are now telling Donald Trump, you know, embrace reality. But, you know, for the most part, the last days of the Trump presidency seem to be a reflection of his first and only term. This is a delusional president, little regard for tradition, norms, or the Constitution, being empowered by a Republican Party incapable of standing up to Donald Trump. So, in many ways, it's hardly a surprise.
LEVINSON: But other than that, I think things are going really well. Wouldn't you agree?
Yes, I mean, precisely, John. So this is a situation where, you know, so many people are really anxious about how do we go from today, November 12, to January 20, which is, I think, when a lot of people, not just Democrats, but also independents, and I think some Republicans, will say, OK, it's President Biden now. It's not "presumptive President-elect Biden." It's not "President-elect Biden." It's "President Biden." He's in office, and now he has a lot of work cut out for him. And I think that the answer is exactly what you talked about, that the
more that the GOP will abandon Trump and abandoned his plans to keep these legal fights going where, I think, at this time, he's zero in 12 in these legal suits, then the faster this will go. It's not going to be as smooth as what we're used to, but let's remember that, under the law, President Trump does not have to concede. He doesn't have to go to the inauguration. He doesn't have to acknowledge the results. He doesn't have to acknowledge reality. He just needs to leave.
VAUSE: In just over two hours on Thursday morning, Donald Trump rage- tweeted about the vote count in Arizona, about election observers in Pennsylvania and Michigan. He claimed he would win Georgia. He will not.
Best of all, though, he thanked the B-list celebrity Scott Baio for a photo of coffee mugs with individual letters, all arranged to read, "Trump is still your president."
Meantime, over in the real world, Joe Biden, he's out there announcing key appointments within the administration. He's talking to world leaders, and that's despite the State Department refusal to facilitate those calls. Biden has announced new policy measures.
[00:10:07]
You know, this is a stark contrast, at this point. But Biden doesn't really have any other option right now. He's the grown-up in the room that needs to sort of set the tone of the continuity of government.
LEVINSON: He has -- You're absolutely right. He has no other option in the room.
And it's funny. I thought I was going to have this kind of big release moment on Saturday, where I was going to see President-elect Biden, Vice President-elect Harris, and think, This is where our nation is going. We're going back to the status quo. And I was so, in fact, happy his kind of typical platitudes of what we're used to in the leader of the free world.
But for me, what really got me was it's so minor. But when President- elect Biden put out the list of people he wants on his coronavirus task force, and it was a list of scientists, and it was a list of scientists with amazing pedigrees. And for me, that was the real shift of we're not going from people who are denying science and denying fact. We're now going to a place where we're going to have the best and brightest minds in the room. For me, that was a moment when I really felt the shift.
VAUSE: Yes. What we have, in the meantime, is that Trump and his allies are arguing this election is not decided because of all these ongoing legal cases alleging voter fraud. As you mentioned, 12 and 0 right now.
Here's part of the court transcript from a case in Philadelphia where the Trump campaign is suing to prevent mail-in ballots from being counted. This centers on less than 600 ballots. The judge, very specifically here, asked the Trump team, are they alleging fraud.
He asks, "I am asking you a specific question, and I'm looking for a specific answer. Are you claiming that there is any fraud in connection with these 592 disputed ballots?"
Trump's lawyer replies, "To my knowledge at present, no."
The judge then asks, "Are you claiming that there is any undue or improper influence upon the elector with the respect to these 592 ballots?"
Again, Trump lawyer replies, "To my knowledge at present, no."
It's not a good sign when even your own campaign lawyer is saying there's no great, big conspiracy or fraud going on.
LEVINSON: Well, yes. And John, I'm really happy that you read that transcript. And I read it, as well. And I think one thing that's really important for people to focus on in this postelection litigation.
First, is that there's the typical type of litigation, or legal questions that we see. And that is asking for a recount in Wisconsin, asking for a recount in Georgia. That's our normal course. When it's close, as a candidate, you're entitled to say, It's within the margin. I want a recount.
But then, this zero to 12, these lawsuits that are being filed, that's separate and apart and distinct from what we typically see. And in part, that's -- what you read in that court case is showing us one thing that's really important to focus on, which is there's a difference between the rhetoric outside the courtroom and the rhetoric inside the courtroom.
And outside the courtroom, it's voter fraud. It's the integrity of the electoral process. It's corruption. It's stolen ballots. It's dead people voting. And inside the courtroom, when lawyers are under oath, and they're signing things under penalty of perjury, it's very different.
And of course, the punch line is that none of these suits affect enough ballots to swing enough states to change the outcome.
VAUSE: Very quickly, the concept of a caretaker government, which would simply ensure continuity of operation, that doesn't exist within the U.S. system. Has Donald Trump made the argument that this entire transition period needs to be overhauled? If nothing else, make it a lot shorter?
LEVINSON: Yes. With so many other things, as well, John. Right? I mean, so the Trump administration you and I have talked about ha really been a stress test on our Constitution. And there are a lot of places where it worked OK.
It worked OK to have lame duck sessions. But to have a lame duck session that's, I think, about 73 days now, where one of the big legal questions now is can the president of the United States pardon himself? I mean, that -- No, we don't want this long, protracted period.
And so there are a lot of places where we see we probably want to change executive authority when it comes to declaring national emergencies. I think we want to do something with respect to the independence in the Department of Justice.
And then, again, here we see maybe we want to shorten up that lame duck time period.
I do want to be careful about systemic changes that have worked for almost every other president. We still have to see if President Trump is an aberration or part of a pattern to come.
VAUSE: Yes. Actually, that's a good point to focus on. Jessica, we'll leave it there. Thank you very much. Jessica Levinson there in Los Angeles.
LEVINSON: Thank you.
VAUSE: Still to come here, there are more corona patients -- coronavirus patients in hospitals in the United States than ever before. And now, healthcare systems are being overwhelmed. We'll talk to a doctor on the front lines of this pandemic battle.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[00:17:02]
VAUSE: Well, almost 53 million people worldwide have now been infected with the coronavirus, according to Johns Hopkins University. Europe and South America are seeing a surge in their numbers, but no country is doing worse than the United States.
On Thursday, the U.S. broke its record for new daily cases yet again. Johns Hopkins records more than 10.5 million total infections in the U.S. More than 242,000 people have died.
A new CDC forecast predicts that number could rise to 282,000 by December 5, just a few weeks from now.
Hospitals are struggling. They are admitting more coronavirus patients than ever before.
Details from CNN's Erica Hill.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
ERICA HILL, CNN ANCHOR (voice-over): COVID patients in hospitals hitting another all-time high. New cases surging, nearly triple the daily rate we were seeing just a few weeks ago.
DR. PETER HOTEZ, DEAN, NATIONAL SCHOOL OF TROPICAL MEDICINE AT THE BAYLOR COLLEGE OF MEDICINE: This is a humanitarian tragedy. In my moments of despair, I say it's a slaughter. That's -- that's why I get so emotional talking about this, because these are lives that don't have to be lost.
HILL: Utah, which declared a state of emergency earlier this week, announcing a statewide positivity average above 23 percent today, ICU beds nearly maxed out.
In Iowa, frontline healthcare workers are exhausted and overwhelmed.
KATIE WENGERT, BROADLAWNS MEDICAL CENTER, IOWA: This pandemic has had staffing on high alert since, you know, March.
HILL: Even areas that seemed to have the virus under control bringing back restrictions. New York and Connecticut limiting private gatherings to just 10 people. New Jersey forcing bars and restaurants to close indoor dining earlier, starting today. And coordinating with New England to ban interstate youth sports through at least the end of the year.
GOV. PHIL MURPHY (D-NJ): Our numbers have gone up dramatically. Everything is going in the wrong direction.
HILL: A similar message in the Midwest.
GOV. J.B. PRITZKER (D-IL): If things don't take a turn in the coming days, we will quickly reach the point when some form of a mandatory stay-at-home order is all that will be left.
HILL: Ohio's governor stepping up mask enforcement.
DEWINE: My message to Ohioans is it's not so much what I order or with the health department orders. It's really what you do in your individual life. You can control this.
HILL: Those personal decisions increasingly important as Thanksgiving looms.
DR. JONATHAN REINER, CNN MEDICAL ANALYST: This Thanksgiving is going to suck a bit.
HILL: Yet, embracing a rough holiday this year may be the key to having one next year.
DR. RICHARD BESSER, FORMER ACTING DIRECTOR, U.S. CENTERS FOR DISEASE CONTROL AND PREVENTION: What we do right now across the nation, but we do in each state, will determine who lives and dies this winter.
HILL (on camera): Here in New York City, new concerns as the positivity rate hits 2.6 percent. Mayor Bill de Blasio on Thursday reiterating a 3 percent citywide positivity rate would mean a systemwide shut down for the city's schools. But he said there's still time to avert that, noting schools themselves have been extraordinarily safe.
In New York, I'm Erica Hill, CNN.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
[00:20:02]
VAUSE: Dr. Murtaza Akhter is an emergency room physician and assistant professor at the University of Arizona College of Medicine.
Doctor, thank you for being with us. And we should note you're with us from Pennsylvania, but on any given night, we would normally find you in Phoenix. So with that in mind, what have the last few weeks been like for you and your colleagues there in Arizona? What are you expecting now in the lead up to and then beyond the Thanksgiving day holidays?
DR. MURTAZA AKHTER, ASSISTANT PROFESSOR, UNIVERSITY OF ARIZONA COLLEGE OF MEDICINE: Well, thanks for having me, John.
You're right. I'm on the East Coast right now. I work here, as well. But my colleagues in Arizona and I have seen the same things in that state that I've been seeing here in Pennsylvania. Namely just from a couple weeks ago, there's been a dramatic rise, just anecdotally, from the amount of patients we're seeing coming in with COVID.
It looked like, you know, we were getting a lot better. We were on maybe the tail end is what we were hoping. But boy, it's not just the graphs that have spiked up, but even our experience in the E.R., is that all these patients are coming in with cough, shortness of breath, fever. And a lot of people don't even have the classic symptoms they are coming back positive for COVID. It's really been a dramatic change in just a couple of weeks.
VAUSE: Well, we're hearing these predictions of 287,000 people dead over the next couple of weeks. Dr. Chris Murray, who is an expert in this, he says that modeling of just how bad the outbreak could get actually could be conservative. Here's what he adds. Listen to this.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DR. CHRIS MURRAY, DIRECTOR, UNIVERSITY OF WASHINGTON'S INSTITUTE FOR HEALTH METRICS AND EVALUATION: The fall and winter, surge driven by people going indoors, having more indoor contact, and you know, it's what we've seen play out in Europe, and now we're catching up.
So we're seeing the huge exponential rise in cases. Deaths are starting to follow suit. We're already had over 1,000 deaths a day, quite a bit more than that. So our numbers that see us getting to, you know, 2,200 deaths a day in mid-January are perhaps conservative. And that does require 33 states to put in mandates. So absolutely, it can go much worse than that.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
VAUSE: Do you think he's right? And if so, are you and your colleagues in Arizona and, I guess, in Pennsylvania, as well, are you ready for that sort of strain on the healthcare systems?
AKHTER: Yes, I think that actually is quite optimistic. A couple months ago, I said that, you know, even 300,000 by the end of the year seemed optimistic, and I was hoping I'd be wrong, that we've turned the corner. And, quite frankly, at the rates we're going at right now I think staying below 300,000 for the end of the year is quite optimistic and definitely too optimistic for by inauguration day.
So the number of deaths has been dramatic. From the death toll of this pandemic, we were told, if we don't control it, it could be as bad as 200 or 300,000. Somehow, we're doing even worse than that.
And so, you know, our resources are going to be stretched again. A lot of states in the upper Midwest are stretched already. And we're having the same issues in other states, as well, that have already faced this. It's really unfortunate. I can't believe this is happening.
VAUSE: Yes. It does seem unbelievable in so many -- so many regards.
But you know, in Utah, which is just due to the north of Arizona, ICU beds are now pretty much at capacity in many hospitals. The governor has issued a statewide mask order as well as limiting any social gatherings to people in the same household, placing a hold on all school extracurricular activities.
The governor of Arizona, though, kind of made this appeal on Twitter to the good folk of his state. Listen to this.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
GOV. DOUG DUCEY (R-AZ): The news of a successful vaccine is really positive, but until that's available, we need to rededicate ourselves to our best behaviors. Wear a mask. Maintain physical distancing. Wash your hands. Stay home when you're sick. And remember, gatherings with family and friends from outside of your household are no safer than going to the grocery store.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
VAUSE: To be fair, it is all good advice, but are we beyond that point of appealing to the goodwill of our fellow Americans to do the right thing? Isn't it time for a mandatory mask mandate at the very least?
AKHTER: Listen, it was your network just announced a couple minutes ago that Joe Biden just took the state of Arizona. He's the second Democrat in 70 years to take Arizona. It's otherwise a very red state. You would think at some point the politicians would realize this isn't working. Appealing to people's goodwill doesn't work. There's a reason the state flipped. Right?
And I can't imagine it doesn't have something to do with COVID. When you have that many deaths in a state, when you have that many people getting sick, clearly, people are going to say, What's going on here?
We've been appealing to the goodwill of people for months and months and months, and as I said at the beginning of the pandemic, even kindergarteners would have gotten this better. But adults just refused to listen. And when people don't listen, there needs to be enforcement. It's as simple as that. It doesn't take a political theory Ph.D. to know that. Clearly, goodwill isn't working.
VAUSE: Very quickly and lastly, here's Dr. Anthony Fauci on what our short-term future is likely to be like. Here he is.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DR. ANTHONY FAUCI, DIRECTOR, NATIONAL INSTITUTE FOR ALLERGY AND INFECTIOUS DISEASES: I doubt we're going to eradicate this. I think we need to plan that this is something we may need to maintain control over chronically. Certainly, it's not going to be pandemic for a lot longer, because I believe the vaccines are going to turn that around.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
[00:25:10]
VAUSE: In other words, this is going to be with us for a long time, regardless of the vaccine. Are we putting too much hope in this vaccine to turn our lives around and go back to some kind of normality?
AKHTER: Well, if everybody forgets what a pandemic does. That will be -- that will be a really horrible thing to happen. So even if the vaccine is very effective, and I'm hoping it is. We want to be able to be able to congregate someday again.
Germs aren't going to magically go away. So people all of a sudden think, Hey, you know what? Coughing in other people's faces is fine now that we have a vaccine. That's totally the wrong message.
People have been getting sick since before COVID. They will continue to get sick after COVID. So that message, as you said earlier, of washing our hands, maintaining distancing, especially when you're sick, hand hygiene, these are all very important factors.
And even after the vaccine is out -- and we're hoping it's effective -- all these things will still be critical. The pandemic will still be here for a while. And even when it's over, we still need to remember, germs kill people. I can't believe I have to say that. Germs kill people. Please, guys, be careful.
VAUSE: Doctor, we're out of time, but thank you for being with us. And I wish you the very best luck for the coming weeks.
AKHTER: Appreciate it. Thank you, John. Stay safe.
VAUSE: Thank you.
We're seeing signs of the second coronavirus wave in some parts of Europe may soon reach its peak. Daily cases should start to go down at that point.
But in many areas, the wave of infections still feels like a tsunami. The U.K. reported more than 33,000 new cases in a single day, a new all-time record.
Portugal also reporting its biggest daily increase in cases. Thursday was the country's second deadliest day, the deadliest coming just a day earlier. And hospitals in France are flooded with COVID-19 patients. The French
prime minister says the virus is responsible for every one in four deaths right now.
In some European countries, the second coronavirus wave is looking deadlier than the first, but many don't want to hear about any more restrictions. They don't want to have their lockdowns ever again.
CNN's Melissa Bell reporting in from Paris.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
MELISSA BELL, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): The first COVID-19 wave in Europe was stopped like this. Cities like Paris locked down for weeks with millions of Europeans confined to their homes. And it worked. The first wave was under control by the summer.
But two weeks into the second national lockdown, cases and hospitalizations are still rising throughout France.
(on camera): Paris, under this second partial lockdown, feels very different. Take its most famous street, the Champs-Elycees. Anything that you might do for fun -- visit a clothes shop, go to a restaurant, go to a cafe -- well, you can't do. Everything's shut.
But this time around, kids are in school, and many more people are going out to work, an effort on the part of the government to try and keep an already battered economy as open as possible.
(voice-over): But will the partial lockdowns now in place in several European countries prove strict enough? From Belgium's beaches to the cafes of Italy to the streets of Paris, a fine line is being sought between too much and too little freedom on a continent that's been hit hard by the second wave.
This week, the United Kingdom had its highest single-day death toll. ICUs in several European countries are under strain. In Naples, some hospitals so overwhelmed that they've been giving oxygen to patients inside their cars while they wait for room to admit them.
And France this week transferred dozens of patients from cities where hospitals are full to other cities, and even to Germany.
CATHERINE HILL, EPIDEMIOLOGIST: I think we are heading rather fast toward a major medical catastrophe. We are -- the hospitals will not be able to cope with the patients. Whether they arrive because they have COVID-19 or whether they arrive because they have another emergency. And because this lockdown is rather mellow.
BELL: This week, Italy became the fourth European country to past the million case mark. A growing number of its regions are now in partial lockdown, although people have continued to meet in bars and cafes.
CRISTINA PANETTA, STUDENT: People today don't take this situation seriously. MAIA AMARA, STUDENT: If we will get another lockdown, OK. People will not die because coronavirus but will die because, like, they don't work and they don't have money.
BELL: Patience with restrictions has been wearing thin these last couple of weeks.
In Milan, protesters faced off with anti-riot police who fired tear gas. In Spain, there were protests against mask wearing. And in France, more resistance, with teachers going on strike over the difficulty of enforcing social distancing in classrooms.
Parisian restauranteurs, meanwhile, are doing what they can to try and weather the storm, with many doing takeaway for the first time, since this could be the shape of things until a vaccine is found.
Melissa Bell, CNN, Paris.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
[00:30:08]
VAUSE: Still to come, right now, at this point after a U.S. election, a president would normally be receiving intelligence briefings. But Joe Biden is not, and that decision was Donald Trump's. So is this denial putting the nation's security at risk? More on that in a moment.
Also, fighting intensifying in Ethiopia, leaving many civilians dead. Thousands fleeing the area amid fears a civil war may be next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
VAUSE: Welcome back, everybody. Thanks for staying with us. I'm John Vause. You're watching CNN NEWSROOM.
Almost a week -- almost a week after Joe Biden was declared president- elect, CNN is projecting he also wins Arizona, taking 11 more electoral votes.
And despite Biden extending his lead, there are still no signs of a peaceful transition of power. The State Department is preventing Biden from accessing messages from foreign leaders. And the White House will not allow him access to intelligence briefings, leaving the president- elect to take matters into his own hands.
Earlier, CNN spoke with a member of Biden's transition team on how they're preparing for inauguration day.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JEN PSAKI, SENIOR ADVISOR, PRESIDENT-ELECT BIDEN TRANSITION TEAM: We're just trying to get ready to govern. But I will say, we've all seen these tactics for weeks, if not months, from the Trump team, even before the election. And with every day, with every effort to delay this, it's delaying us getting access to the resources we need, getting people onto agency review teams, into agencies to talk about COVID and the recession and moving forward. And kind of that's how we see it.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
VAUSE: Bob Baer is a CNN intelligence and security analyst; also, a former CIA operative.
Bob, good to see you.
BOB BAER, CNN INTELLIGENCE AND SECURITY ANALYST: How are you doing?
VAUSE: There is an argument out there that, you know, just let all this play out. Trump's hurt. His ego is wounded. He is lashing out. He's like a child. Let him be and it will pass soon enough.
But if this is just a random act of anger, then why would he go after the Defense Department in such a significant way? Trump has enemies, both real and imagined, throughout the government, so who gains when he goes after these senior officials within the Pentagon?
BAER: Well, exactly, John. It's -- it's mysterious, frankly, at this point. You know, there's absolutely no point in removing these people unless it's a pure act of revenge, because they've resisted him in Afghanistan, in Iran, and on the Insurrection Act. They wouldn't put troops out. We hope -- you know, best case is it's an act of revenge.
But a lot of people are afraid that it's more than that. And I've got a call from people close to Lebanese Hezbollah. They are worried they're going to get attacked, that Trump has removed the civilian leadership so that he can sort of have a last-minute, you know, add to his legacy by starting a war -- maybe in Iraq, maybe in Iran, Lebanon. With Pompeo in Israel at this time, you really have to know what's going on.
But what worries me is the man is very depressed. He's making rash decisions. And right now, anything's possible. We just don't know.
VAUSE: The chairman of the joint chiefs, General Milley, notably talked about loyalty among the military on Thursday. He was at the opening of the U.S. Army Museum. Here's part of what he said.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
GEN. MARK MILLEY, CHAIRMAN OF THE JOINT CHIEFS: We are unique among militaries. We do not take an oath to a king or A queen, A tyrant or A dictator. We do not take an oath to an individual. No, we do not take an oath to a country, a tribe, or religion. We take an oath to the Constitution.
And every soldier that is represented in this museum, every sailor, airman, Marine, Coast Guardsman, each of us will protect and defend that document, regardless of personal price.
(END VIDEO CLIP) VAUSE: On the one hand, it was kind of reassuring to hear Milley talk about the military in those terms and where their loyalty should lie. On the other hand, it seemed really kind of a worry that he had to make those public remarks in the first place.
BAER: Absolutely. I mean, he didn't say anything about the commander in chief. We follow orders. He said, We protect the Constitution. So whatever you're planning to do with the military, whether it's to enforce the Insurrection Act or some adventure in the Middle East, you know, you're going to have to talk to the Congress. And we're going to obey lawful orders and not unlawful ones. That's the message I read from this.
VAUSE: So if you were assigned as an operative to D.C. and you were reporting back to wherever your intelligence headquarters were, given everything Trump has done in recent days and what you're seeing right now, what would your assessment be of what he's trying to do?
BAER: You know what I would be doing right now if I were a foreigner assigned to Washington D.C. I'd be watching when the tanks come out in the street. But I spent a lot of time in the Middle East and Asia and other places, and that's the way you look at the world.
But for -- for the president to decapitate the Pentagon at this point is a lame duck. It is worrisome.
VAUSE: And just to that point, "The New York Times" writes this: "Among the anti-democratic tactics Mr. Trump has adopted are some that were commonly employed by leaders like Robert Mugabe of Zimbabwe, Nicolas Maduro of Venezuela, Slobodan Milosevic of Serbia -- refusing to concede defeat and hurling unfounded accusations of electoral fraud. The tactics also include undermining confidence in democratic institutions and the courts, attacking the press and vilifying opponents."
You know, when you put it all together like that, it kind of says a lot.
BAER: It does. He's mimicking, you know, Egypt. He's mimicking Russia with Putin. El-Sisi. It's amazing. It's like we have descended into a third world, and people are making those calculations. And people in Washington are, as well, because they don't know what his next move is going to be. Because if he doesn't do something, in his calculations, there's not a bad chance that, once he's out of office, he's going to go to jail. So just how desperate is the man at this point? And --
VAUSE: So very quickly, so what would you be looking for if he is doing to head down that road? Something -- I don't know. Not -- whatever. Military coup, who knows? But what are you looking for next?
BAER: I would say, you know, a call to his base to be on the street. You know, this election was stolen. We have to -- and then it would give him an excuse to put troops in the street, National Guards or, you know, whatever at this point.
So far, he hasn't. Remember, this man has blustered for the last three and a half years against North Korea, against everywhere in the world. He hasn't done anything. And that's the best possible outcome, is he's just -- he's a desperate man just making a lot of noise.
VAUSE: Yes. Let's hope it's just lot of noise for the next, what, 68 days and then no more noise.
Bob, thank you. Good to see you.
BAER: Thank you.
VAUSE: Well, a developing story from Ethiopia's Tigray region. Amnesty International says a large number of civilians have been killed in fighting between local and federal governments. The Tigray region is in the northern-most part of Ethiopia. Many fear a civil war will break out as the fighting intensifies.
The U.N. says nearly 11,000 refugees have fled to Sudan. And they're preparing for as many -- as many as 100,000, about half of them children.
Ethiopian officials are trying to rally support for their troops. This was the scene in the capital city as many answered the call to help by donating blood.
An international peacekeeping force says seven of its own military members were killed in a helicopter crash in Egypt. This happened during a supply mission in the southern Sinai Peninsula. Five Americans are dead, along with one French and one Czech national. Another American survived the crash.
[00:40:05]
Officials say the incident appears to be an accident caused by taking off problems. The peacekeeping group, known as Multinational Force and Observers, oversees the peace agreement between Egypt and Israel.
Time for a break. When we come back here on CNN NEWSROOM, the entire pro-democracy wing of the Hong Kong legislature have resigned their positions. We'll find out what that means for the future of democratic reforms.
Also, teachers are also under new scrutiny with censorship in the classroom. We'll look at how the national security law is making schools the new battleground in Hong Kong.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
VAUSE: At least 26 people are dead, more than a dozen missing after Typhoon Vamco made landfall in the Philippines late Wednesday night. That's according to our affiliate, CNN Philippines.
More than 180,000 people have been evacuated as the typhoon battered the country.
It arrived on the northeast coast as the equivalent of Category 2 hurricane, causing flooding and 2 to 3 meters of storm surge. It later made a second landfall on the island of Luzon, where landslides and mud flows blocked roads.
This is the fifth storm to hit the Philippines in just over three weeks.
Hong Kong's pro-democracy lawmakers are sticking together after four of their fellow legislators were ousted, in essence, by Beijing. On Thursday, the remaining 15 members resigned from Hong Kong's governing body.
The act of solidarity comes after Beijing passed a resolution this week allowing authorities in Hong Kong to expel elected lawmakers without the need to go to court.
More details now from CNN's Ivan Watson, reporting in from Hong Kong.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
IVAN WATSON, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: All of Hong Kong's opposition elected lawmakers submitted their resignations on Thursday in a dramatic appearance that some observers argue could mean the death of organized political opposition in this former British colony.
The resignations came after Hong Kong's chief executive, who is handpicked by the Chinese central government, stripped four opposition lawmakers of their seats on Wednesday after they were deemed to be not loyal enough to Beijing.
It was a dramatic day where some of the opposition politicians hung up signs in the council chambers insulting Carrie Lam, that chief executive.
And one of the lawmakers who resigned spoke to journalists outside the council chambers.
CLAUDIA MO, RESIGNING PRO-DEMOCRACY LAWMAKER: Well, I feel sad, naturally, but also fairly relieved. Because this council is so full of fakeness, so full of false sincerity, fake sincerity. They just want to pass anything the authorities want to -- to be passed. And there's just no point. And you might ask, what's the point of taking part in any more Legislative Council elections, right?
We still have to fight hard. Let's see what happens next year, and we will have our number, our majority number, to seriously work for Hong Kong.
[00:45:10]
WATSON: The Chinese central government is furious at this mass resignation. A spokesperson for the Hong Kong and Macau affairs office of the state council called it a farce and said that this was an example of stubborn resistance challenging the authority of the central government.
But the decision, the resolution that was passed by Beijing authorizing the Hong Kong chief executive to strip lawmakers of their seats has been condemned by western governments, including Canada, Australia, the European Union, the U.S., and Britain, which summoned China's ambassador to London to formally lodge a protest and has accused China of being in breach of a treaty between Britain and China and how this former British colony is supposed to be governed.
NIGEL ADAMS, BRITISH MINISTER FOR ASIA: It is my unfortunate duty to report to this House our judgment that this decision breaches the legally-binding Sino-British Joint Declaration. It breaches both China's commitment that Hong Kong will enjoy a high degree of autonomy and the right to freedom of speech guaranteed under Paragraph 3 of the declaration.
China has yet again broken its promise to the people of Hong Kong. Its actions tarnish China's international reputation and undermine Hong Kong's long-term stability.
WATSON: Beijing bristles at any criticism of how it is ruling Hong Kong. It is accusing these western governments of foreign interference in China's internal affairs.
Ivan Watson, CNN, Hong Kong.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
VAUSE: This power grab by Beijing has resulted in restrictions on what can and cannot be taught in Hong Kong schools. And that's leading to a battle in many classrooms. CNN's Selina Wang has details.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
SELINA WANG, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Sara (ph) is ready to say goodbye to Hong Kong, her birthplace and home, all for her 8-year-old son.
SARA (PH), HONG KONG RESIDENT: I want him to grow up in an environment with enough freedom, and he can have a chance to do what he wants to do, not be restricted by some invisible red line.
WANG: She's a teacher in Hong Kong, planning to move to the U.K.
SARA (ph): We're open for different options. OK? Like, cashier at a supermarkets, or even being cleaners or doing dishes, OK? So anything is possible. I think we place more value on giving my son the option and the freedom.
WANG: In the summer, the Chinese government imposed a national security law that bans secession, subversion, terrorist activities, and collusion with foreign powers, given Beijing the power to quash opposition with fines and prison sentences.
Now, the battleground has moved from the streets to the classroom. Teachers are under scrutiny, and schools, publishers, and libraries are removing or altering materials that could violate the law.
Chief executive Carrie Lam said illegal ideas and pro-independence concepts cannot exist in schools. Beijing has blamed the city's schools for radicalizing young people. REGINA IP, CHAIRWOMAN, LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL EDUCATION PANEL: Shouting
profanities.
WANG: Virginia Ip is a pro-Beijing lawmaker. She says the changes will teach a more balanced history of China.
IP: I have received complaints about teachers using the classroom as a tool of their political beliefs, even stirring up hatred of the police or the Chinese government, of the people of China.
WANG: But those changes worry some parents of young children.
College teachers are feeling the pressure, too. Chinese University of Hong Kong professor Rowena He is known for her research on the 1989 Tiananmen Square massacre, a banned topic in China.
PROFESSOR ROWENA HE, CHINESE UNIVERSITY OF HONG KONG: We never know what the red line is. Right? That's the root of censorship and self- censorship.
WANG: This year, for the first time, the Tiananmen vigil was banned. Authorities blamed coronavirus restrictions, but many fear it is gone for good.
HE: Until the day that the governments stop imprisoning people for what they say, what they write, what they teach, what they believe in, people would have the same fear. But then I don't think that means that we should stop doing the right thing.
WANG: One of Rowena's students plans to become a teacher herself so she can keep the memory of 1989 alive.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We need someone to continue to teach the next generation and continue to tell them what is right and wrong, not just let them be brainwashed by the government.
SARA (ph): Three, two, one, go.
WANG: Sara's (ph) biggest fear for her son is what the city could become in the decades to come. By leaving Hong Kong now, she's hoping he won't have to leave his home again when he grows up.
Selina Wang, CNN, Hong Kong.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
VAUSE: Just ahead on CNN NEWSROOM, a sneak peek at the yet-to-be- released memoir by former U.S. President Barack Obama, and the story of a very different transition of power than the one playing out right now.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[00:51:50]
VAUSE: U.S. President Trump's refusal to concede the election to Joe Biden is being met with very little resistance from within his own Republican Party. And that's not sitting well with former President Barack Obama. He's calling out Republicans and has a warning about what he says President Trump's baseless fraud claims will mean to democracy.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BARACK OBAMA, FORMER PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: They appear to be motivated, in part, because the president doesn't like to lose and never admits loss.
I'm more troubled by the fact that other Republican officials, who clearly know better, are going along with this, are humoring him in this fashion. It is one more step in delegitimizing not just the incoming Biden administration but democracy generally. And that's a dangerous path.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
VAUSE: This comes as the former president's latest memoir is set to be released next Tuesday, spanning from the early days as a candidate through to his eight years in office.
CNN's Brian Todd obtained a copy of the book and did a little reading.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
BRIAN TODD, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): In the home stretch of Joe Biden's campaign, former President Barack Obama was front and center, energizing crowds and building support for his close friend.
OBAMA: And it felt like the old days. For eight years, he was the last one in the room whenever I faced a big decision.
TODD: The former president delves into his complete confidence in Joe Biden in his new memoir, "A Promised Land," obtained by CNN and says this about selecting Biden as his running mate in 2008. Quote, "My gut told me that Joe was decent, honest, and loyal. I believed that he cared about ordinary people, and that when things got tough, I could trust him. I wouldn't be disappointed."
TOLUSE OLORUNNIPA, CNN POLITICAL ANALYST: We never saw Joe Biden really going out and contradicting the president or undermining him or trying to attack him or even, you know, there being whispers in the media about, you know, disagreements between Joe Biden and Obama.
TODD: Some of the most powerful sections in Obama's 768-page book deal with the struggles over racial tension in America during his time in office.
Donald Trump's race baiting and his birther conspiracy theory, the false claim that Obama was not born in the U.S., were particularly frustrating. Obama's White House team initially saw birtherism as a joke, but Trump persisted.
Obama, against the advice of his aides, released his birth certificate in the White House briefing room, but then told young staffers, quote, "We're better than this. Remember that."
TRUMP: I have great respect.
TODD: Still, it seemed an unsettling tone had been set.
OLORUNNIPA: Especially in the second half of President Obama's time in office, he did spend a lot of time battling the very forces that brought Trump into power: the sentiment against him as the first black president, the angst within the country about the idea of changing demographics.
TODD: Obama writes that his predecessor, George W. Bush, could not have been more gracious during their transition. That Bush's daughters, Jenna and Barbara, gave Obama's daughters, Sasha and Malia, their own tour of the White House.
Quote, "President Bush would end up doing all he could to make the 11 weeks between my election and his departure go smoothly."
[00:55:09]
April Ryan, who covered that transition and others, laments what we're going through now, with Trump refusing to accept Biden's victory.
APRIL RYAN, CNN POLITICAL ANALYST: It is the ugliest that we've ever seen. And our Founding Fathers are probably turning over watching this, from wherever they are.
TODD: Obama also gets intensely personal, especially about the toll his presidency took on his wife, Michelle. Quote, "All her previous sources of frustration became more concentrated, more vivid, whether it was my round the clock absorption with work, or the way politics exposed our family to scrutiny and attacks."
RYAN: They put their lives on the line. They were vulnerable. They put their hearts on the line to be attacked, to be chastised, to be made fun of.
TODD (on camera): One of the White House reporters we interviewed, Toluse Olorunnipa, says he'll be interested to hear how former President Obama sees the upcoming Biden administration. Whether Obama will view that as a return to normal, or whether that's even possible. We may learn it in the next volume of Obama's memoir, which is coming later.
Brian Todd, CNN, Washington.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
VAUSE: Just when we need those closest to us, the cruel twist of the coronavirus pandemic means they often have to stay away. That happened to Kenneth and Betty Meredith, married 70 years. Kenneth had to move into a care home because of the virus.
But it wasn't long before Betty decided enough. They would not be apart after all of these years together. There they are. At the moment, the couple finally reunited, and that's
what love looks like.
One of the staff members heard Betty was moving back in with her husband, so she decorated the dining room and arranged for a romantic meal for the two of them.
I'm John Vause. I'll be back with more CNN NEWSROOM after a short break. Stay with us.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
VAUSE: Hello, everyone. I'm John Vause. You're watching CNN NEWSROOM, live from Studio 7, CNN's world headquarters in Atlanta.
Ahead this hour, CNN projects Biden to win another state, increasing his lead over President Trump, who continues to live in denial.
And denial runs strong in Trump. The loss -- the loser of the 2020 election also ignoring the coronavirus pandemic in the U.S. as hospital admissions for COVID-19 hit record highs.
