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Early Start with John Berman and Zoraida Sambolin
Georgia Audit Confirms Biden Beat Trump By 12,284 Votes; Trump Invites Michigan GOP Leaders To White House; When Can Americans Get A Coronavirus Vaccine Shot? Aired 5:30-6a ET
Aired November 20, 2020 - 05:30 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
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[05:30:45]
CHRISTINE ROMANS, CNN ANCHOR: Good morning, everyone, this is EARLY START. I'm Christine Romans.
LAURA JARRETT, CNN ANCHOR: Great to have you back, Christine.
ROMANS: Thank you.
JARRETT: I'm Laura Jarrett. It's 30 minutes past the hour here in New York.
And we begin this half-hour with breaking news overnight. The election audit in the state of Georgia confirming that Joe Biden, in fact, defeated President Trump. Biden won by over 12,000 votes. No findings of fraud or irregularities there.
Georgia's Secretary of State is required to certify the election results today. Republican Gov. Brian Kemp has until 5:00 p.m. eastern on Saturday to sign off, officially giving Georgia's 16 electors to Biden.
ROMANS: Now, Michigan has to certify its election results by Monday. But before that happens, President Trump will host Republican lawmakers from that state at the White House later today. The battleground state has become a prime target in Trump's longshot bid to overturn the results of the election he lost. Sources say the president has invited State Senate majority leader Mike Shirkey and House Speaker Lee Chatfield, and they have agreed to come.
After a string of failures in the courts, the president's team is now trying to block or delay the election certification process in states like Michigan. The hope is to pressure Republican lawmakers to ignore Biden's win and to put in their own electors who support Trump. One problem for Trump -- both Shirkey and Chatfield have both indicated they will not try to overturn Biden's legitimate win.
JARRETT: We're also hearing the strongest comments yet from President-elect Joe Biden.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) JOE BIDEN, PRESIDENT-ELECT: What the president is doing now is really -- it's going to be another incident where he will go down in history as being one of the most irresponsible presidents in American history. It's just out of the -- not even within the norm at all and there's questions whether it's even legal.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
JARRETT: Let's get more on all of this from CNN's Jessica Dean. She's live in Wilmington, Delaware covering the Biden transition.
Jessica, you can see in that clip he's almost searching for his words, so baffled about the situation the country finds itself in.
JESSICA DEAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: That is absolutely right, Laura. I was in the room yesterday when that question was asked and you could see almost his body language, too. Just everything shifted as he looked for words to really explain how frustrated and surprised he is that we have arrived at this moment where President Trump has still not only refused to concede but is now -- has his legal team still going forward with these baseless claims, these baseless lawsuits.
So we heard a little bit more about that yesterday. And, Biden said that in terms of getting this formal transition started all options remain on the table, including legal action, although he is incredibly hesitant to do that and really, he's talked about how he doesn't want to do that so much. He really believes he can bring Republicans to the table and really get this transition process started by bringing people together.
But he had a lot more to say about this transition process. Take a listen.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BIDEN: Let me choose my words here. I think they're witnessing incredible irresponsibility. An incredibly damaging message is being sent to the rest of the world about how democracy functions. And I think it is -- well, I don't know his motive but I just think it's totally irresponsible.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
DEAN: These comments came after he met with a bipartisan group of governors to talk about the coronavirus pandemic -- the response, getting the vaccine distributed -- all things he's doing while he doesn't have access, nor does his team, to the data, to the plans that Health and Human Services are doing, for example -- to the White House Coronavirus Task Force because this transition has not been formally started. So they're doing what they can and working with who they can right now.
To that end, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer are headed here to Wilmington later today to meet with the president-elect and the vice president-elect. That's going to be the first meeting for all of them since they won the election. [05:35:00]
And we also learned a little tidbit yesterday. Biden kind of just dropping this in the press conference that he's already selected a Treasury secretary nominee. So, guys, we're expecting to hear who that is sometime next week, as well as maybe a handful of other cabinet positions that might be announced.
All of this happening again, Laura, as the transition team and Biden try to put forward this message that they are putting together a government, they are moving forward, and they're going to be ready to lead when they assume office -- Laura.
JARRETT: Yes, interesting to see what some of those high-level appointments maybe for Treasury, for Secretary of State.
DEAN: Yes.
JARRETT: All the things we would normally be focused on during the transition but, of course, this lame duck is not a normal one.
Jessica, thanks for getting up with us this morning.
DEAN: Yes.
ROMANS: All right, more failed election lawsuits for Republicans and the Trump campaign.
The state judge in Pennsylvania rejecting an attempt to throw out more than 2,000 absentee ballots. The Trump campaign dropped a federal lawsuit in Michigan that alleged voting irregularities. In Arizona, a state judge tossed a suit seeking a wider audit of votes cast on Election Day. And in Georgia, a federal judge threw out a case that alleged constitutional violations and fraud.
JARRETT: All right, to coronavirus now.
California's governor is ordering a curfew for most of the state, trying to contain the spread of this raging virus.
CNN is covering the pandemic coast-to-coast.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
NICK WATT, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (on camera): I'm Nick Watt in Los Angeles, California where from 10:00 p.m. Saturday night there will be, essentially, a curfew in place 10:00 p.m. to 5:00 a.m. They're calling it a limited stay-at-home order. It applies to every California county that is in the so-called purple tier, and that means it covers 94 percent of the population of California.
Cases, they say, are rising like never before.
RYAN BROWNE, CNN PENTAGON REPORTER (on camera): A coronavirus outbreak aboard the USS Michael Murphy, a Navy destroyer, has spread to nearly a quarter of the ship's crew, according to U.S. Navy officials.
Now, the ship is in port and the spread of the virus will not have an operational impact. The spread of the virus there and on a U.S. Coast Guard ship is spreading renewed concern about the U.S. military's ability to combat the spread of the virus. And this comes just days after the military announced that it experienced its single biggest day increase in coronavirus cases among service personnel since the beginning of the pandemic.
OMAR JIMENEZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT (on camera): I'm Omar Jimenez in Odessa, Texas.
The Eli Lilly and Company antibody therapy arrived in Lubbock and it's meant to go to those who are in the early stages of COVID-19, but more significantly, those that can take the burden off of hospitals.
Now, a release from the governor's office -- Gov. Greg Abbott -- says this is similar to the therapy President Trump took during his coronavirus recovery. But to be clear, this is not a vaccine. U.S. health officials say any distribution for that is still months away.
And all of this comes on the heels of the state of Texas setting yet another record for daily coronavirus cases.
ADRIENNE BROADDUS, CNN CORRESPONDENT (on camera): I'm Adrienne Broaddus in Chicago.
And here in the Midwest, landmarks across the state of Minnesota turned purple on Thursday. It was part of a tribute to recognize people who lost their lives because of COVID-19 and it also honored frontline health care workers.
This comes as more than 3,000 Minnesotans lost their lives because of the virus. Minnesota is one of several Midwest states to roll out restrictions.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
ROMANS: All right, thanks to all of our reporters for those.
The Thanksgiving holiday, of course, is next week and millions of Americans are facing food insecurity because of the pandemic.
CNN's Vanessa Yurkevich has more from one New York City food bank.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
VANESSA YURKEVICH, CNN BUSINESS AND POLITICS CORRESPONDENT (on camera): Christine and Laura, we saw a steady stream of people coming out to get their Thanksgiving meals. At times, the line stretched across four city blocks. They had allotted here for about 1,000 families -- meals for 1,000 families -- and unfortunately at the end of the day, they had to turn people away.
We spoke to the founder of Campaign Against Hunger about the increased need that they have seen this season. MELONY SAMUELS, FOUNDER AND EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, THE CAMPAIGN AGAINST HUNGER: Seventy-five percent of those we are seeing are unemployed because of COVID-19. COVID-19 is why this line is in a state that it is now. We have never seen it like this before.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I just appreciate that -- you know, I'm happy that I'm able to come here today and get help and I'll be able to feed my kids every day when I come to the pantry.
YURKEVICH (on camera): It is hard for people to stand in line. It's physically and emotionally draining.
The extra $600 a month in unemployment benefits ended in July and Congress has had months to try to come up with a solution. Also, around Christmas and the end of the year, federal protections are ending against evictions and unemployment.
So if Americans like these in this line right here don't get some extra support soon it's going to be a very dark winter -- Christine and Laura.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
[05:40:06]
ROMANS: Vanessa, thank you for that. And you just replay that scene across the country.
Americans also face a benefits cliff. Important aid for Americans running out and there is no new stimulus in sight. President Trump sidestepped Congress, of course, remember, to extend some aid over the -- over the summer, but now even those programs have stopped or are ending.
Here's what that benefits cliff looks like.
The day after Christmas, 12 million workers risk losing their unemployment benefits. Two main programs under the CARES Act, pandemic unemployment assistance and pandemic emergency unemployment compensation, they end on December 26th.
On New Year's Eve, millions of student loan payments will be due if neither Trump or Congress acts to push the deadline back again. Millions are also facing eviction if an eviction moratorium isn't extended or rent relief isn't provided. And states face layoffs of teachers, firefighters, police officers, and other public workers without more aid to plug big holes in their budgets caused by the pandemic.
Cases are rising, millions of people are struggling, and there's little confidence a stimulus deal can be reached in the lame duck session, Laura.
JARRETT: I don't know how you look at a food line like Vanessa Yurkevich just showed and not say Congress has failed people here. ROMANS: It's just remarkable. We've been talking since May about another tranche of aid -- since May. One after another, these important programs have expired. When you look at the economic numbers you can see the recovery in jeopardy because Congress just sort of stopped building that bridge from the crisis to next year when we have a vaccine.
JARRETT: Yes.
All right. Well, a big step forward today for what could be the first coronavirus vaccine. More on when you might be able to actually get a shot in your arm. That's next.
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[05:46:05]
JARRETT: All right. Coronavirus deaths are rising sharply in Sweden. It's a country that never imposed a lockdown during the first wave of the pandemic, but doctors there say they are frustrated with the lack of enforcement of basic public health measures.
CNN's Phil Black has more now from Stockholm.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
PHIL BLACK, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): A gym in central Stockholm. Sweden's government says this is dangerous but it won't shut them down and those working hard at the socially-distanced class don't want to stop.
ASA LARSSON, INSTRUCTOR: A workout for me, it's all I've got right now. So I need to -- I need to do this as long as I can and for all the members as well. They are so happy that we're still doing it.
BLACK (voice-over): Perhaps they'd feel differently if they saw this.
At Uppsala Hospital, in the ICU, a ventilator patient is being prepped for a helicopter transfer to another facility with more free beds.
BLACK (on camera): Are you surprised that you're already having to double capacity?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: No, not surprised, no. That, we expected.
BLACK (voice-over): After a quiet summer, the coronavirus is again surging in Sweden.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: This isn't like the spring peak. It's nowhere near as intense yet but it feels to the staff here so familiar. They are tired and frustrated because there is a sense that this could have been avoided.
BLACK (voice-over): A powerful second wave hasn't changed the essence of Sweden's distinctive approach to slowing the spread. Still, no forced lockdown and few rules -- mostly just advice on social distancing with an emphasis on personal responsibility. On the front line, they say it's not enough.
RAFAEL KAWATI, HEAD OF INTENSIVE CARE, UPPSALA UNIVERSITY HOSPITAL: We need to put some consequences for not doing these things.
BLACK (on camera): Enforcement?
KAWATI: Yes, enforcement.
BLACK (voice-over): Sweden's official list of recommended behavior is tougher now. It reads more like a voluntary lockdown, discouraging all non-essential mixing.
ANDERS TEGNELL, SWEDISH STATE EPIDEMIOLOGIST: Can you hear me?
BLACK (voice-over): But, Anders Tegnell, the architect of Sweden's approach, admits too many aren't following his advice.
BLACK (on camera): So that's the key difference -- your recommendations aren't enforceable.
TEGNELL: So far -- I mean, during the spring, this worked really well. We managed to get people to stop meeting each other to a great extent. If we can get back to that level of follow-up on our advice I think we can handle the situation also during this fall.
BLACK (on camera): (INAUDIBLE) on flex?
TEGNELL: Yes (laughing).
BLACK (on camera): Make him look angry.
BLACK (voice-over): Tegnell is lionized here.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: He has been our, like, national hero in this crisis. He has put out guidelines that have kept our freedom.
BLACK (voice-over): There's broad support for the country's policies even though officials admit Sweden failed its elderly. Almost 90 percent of people who've died so far were over 70. And Sweden's total death toll is more than four times the combined figure of its Nordic neighbors, all of which embraced tougher measures.
BLACK (on camera): Hello.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Welcome.
BLACK (voice-over): But even among the sick, you meet advocates for prioritizing freedom.
Anders Eidsvik knows the suffering COVID-19 can cause.
ANDERS EIDSVIK, COVID-19 PATIENT: It shouldn't be too easy to close down the society, I believe.
BLACK (voice-over): Sweden is sticking with a model that relies on consent instead of legal force, but it's now asking people to voluntarily give up more than ever before and it's not yet clear they're willing to do it.
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BLACK (on camera): Laura, the Swedish model is often associated with the concept of herd immunity, allowing the virus to run through the community to eventually stop it. But officials here have said that was never the goal.
They did hope, however, that their more open approach would build some immunity in the population and that would help to some degree in slowing the spread, preventing further spikes. They now say there is no evidence that immunity in the population is slowing this virus at the moment, Laura.
[05:50:05]
JARRETT: All right, Phil Black. Thank you so much for bringing us that report. Really important there.
ROMANS: All right, it is Friday. Let's get a check on CNN Business this morning.
Taking a look at markets around the world mostly advances here to end the week. U.S. stock index futures at this moment are mixed -- barely mixed here.
Stocks closed up Thursday despite first-time jobless benefits. Claims for jobless benefits heading in the wrong direction. Another 742,000 Americans filed for unemployment benefits last week, the first increase in a month.
The Dow closed up 44 points. The S&P 500 and the Nasdaq also finished slightly higher here.
Mortgage rates, rock bottom right now. The average 30-year fixed-rate dropped to 2.72 percent. That's the lowest level in 50 years of Freddie Mac survey.
What's happening in the housing market right now nothing short of amazing. Those record-low rates are fueling buyers into the housing market at a time when more people want to work from home. They're leaving some big cities. They're changing states altogether. That has home sales rising again in October to their high -- at their highest pace in 14 years.
And record low inventory and a larger number of luxury homes sold have pushed the median home price to a record high of $313,000. That, though, makes some homes out of reach for many buyers.
JARRETT: All right.
Later today, Pfizer and its German partner BioNTech will be the first countries to seek emergency authorization from the FDA for a coronavirus vaccine. So everyone wants to know when can I get my shot?
CNN's Brian Todd has some answers. (BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
BRIAN TODD, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Dr. Anthony Fauci calls it the cavalry that's coming to help us get past the pandemic. Fauci and other experts are optimistic about the timeline for a wide rollout of a coronavirus vaccine.
DR. ANTHONY FAUCI, DIRECTOR, NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF ALLERGY AND INFECTIOUS DISEASES, NATIONAL INSTITUTES OF HEALTH: We likely will be able to start dispensing vaccines in December and then progressively, over the next few months.
TODD (voice-over): The process is moving rapidly of the two manufacturers on the fastest tracks to produce vaccines, Pfizer, BioNTech, and Moderna. Pfizer-BioNTech says it was planning to apply to the FDA for an emergency use authorization by Friday. Moderna is expected to do that in the coming weeks.
A CDC advisory committee meets this coming Monday to consider who will get the vaccine first. An FDA decision on emergency use authorizations should come in early December, then our first shot of relief.
ALEX AZAR, SECRETARY, DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES: By the end of December, we expect to have about 40 million doses of these two vaccines available for distribution, pending FDA authorization -- enough to vaccinate about 20 million of our most vulnerable Americans. And production, of course, would continue to ramp up after that.
TODD (voice-over): The CDC recommends that health care providers who are in harm's way of the virus should get the vaccines first, then people with underlying health conditions and other vulnerable segments of the population, like the elderly. Then, possibly, nursing home staffers.
But when can the rest of us who aren't in those categories get vaccinated?
DR. PETER HOTEZ, DEAN OF TROPICAL MEDICINE, BAYLOR COLLEGE OF MEDICINE: I'm hopeful by Q2 of 2021, so early spring. That would be our aspirational goal.
TODD (voice-over): And a key part of this to remember, experts say, is that with most of the vaccines rolling out, we'll each have to receive two doses of it.
HOTEZ: For at least the first three of the four vaccines they require two doses three to four weeks apart. And then it takes a week or so after that to develop a robust virus-neutralizing antibody immune response.
TODD (voice-over): Other key questions, how and where will the vaccines get distributed? One expert says the CDC will work with the states to get the vaccines to providers who can administer them.
DR. WALTER ORENSTEIN, ASSOCIATE DIRECTOR, EMORY VACCINE CENTER: States will be in charge of trying to determine the best way to get vaccines to the people who need them. This can include taking vaccines to special places, such as hospitals or what have you, for health care providers. It could include then vaccine distributed to doctors' offices.
TODD (on camera): One expert, Dr. Peter Hotez, says he's often asked which vaccine he would choose between the ones produced by Pfizer, Moderna, AstraZeneca, and Johnson & Johnson. His answer, don't overthink it. Don't wait for one particular vaccine. Get what's available first. They all work, he says, to keep you out of the ICU.
Brian Todd, CNN, Washington.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
ROMANS: Don't overthink it. That's really, really good advice. We will all wait for those vaccines.
JARRETT: Well, that's for sure. You know, the rollout of this is going to be really important --
ROMANS: Yes.
JARRETT: -- since you need those two doses -- what happens in that in-between time.
ROMANS: That's right.
JARRETT: You can't let your guard down.
ROMANS: You still have to wear a mask and social distance.
JARRETT: Right.
ROMANS: All right, thanks for joining us, everybody. I'm Christine Romans.
JARRETT: I'm Laura Jarrett. "NEW DAY" is next.
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[05:59:19]
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
KAITLAN COLLINS, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: President Trump's assault on the outcome of the election taking on a new intensity.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Inviting Michigan Republican state lawmakers to the White House, hoping he can twist their arms into overturning the election.
BIDEN: Incredibly damaging messages being sent to the rest of the world. He will go down in history as being one of the most irresponsible presidents.
WATT: Nearly 80,000 COVID patients nationwide. ERICA HILL, CNN ANCHOR AND NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: As testing lines grow ahead of Thanksgiving, this stark new advisory.
DR. HENRY WALKE, DIRECTOR, DIVISION OF PREPAREDNESS AND EMERGING INFECTIONS, CENTERS FOR DISEASE CONTROL AND PREVENTION: The CDC is recommending against travel during the Thanksgiving period.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It is much better to have a Zoom Thanksgiving than an ICU Christmas.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANNOUNCER: This is NEW DAY with Alisyn Camerota and John Berman.
JOHN BERMAN, CNN ANCHOR: So, welcome to our viewers in the United States and all around the world. This is NEW DAY. It's Friday, November 20th, 6:00.
