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Early Start with John Berman and Zoraida Sambolin

GSA Chief Finally OKs Biden Transition Process; Trump Refuses to Concede Even as Transition Gets Underway; Vaccines Move Toward Approval As COVID Crisis Worsens; NFL Tightens Coronavirus Protocols to Control Spread. Aired 5-5:30a ET

Aired November 24, 2020 - 05:00   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

[05:00:24]

LAURA JARRETT, CNN ANCHOR: Welcome to our viewers until the United States and around the world. This is EARLY START. I'm Laura Jarrett.

BORIS SANCHEZ, CNN ANCHOR: And I'm Boris Sanchez, in for Christine Romans.

Good to see you as always, Laura.

JARRETT: Great to have you.

SANCHEZ: It's Tuesday, November 24th, 5:00 a.m. in New York. It's been 18 days, Laura, since Joe Biden was declared the winner of the 2020 election. It finally appears that President Trump through his implied actions is ready to move on.

JARRETT: That's right. It seems at long last, the Trump administration finally relenting and recognizing as Boris said what has been clear for weeks now, Joe Biden won the election.

The head of the General Services Administration late Monday finally gave the green light for a formal transition process to begin, after weeks of dragging out a process that has typically been done in a matter of hours. GSA head, Emily Murphy, said she came to her decision, quote, independently, while the president says he recommended the move.

The upshot of her decision here, the Biden team is allowed to work with current agency officials and tap into millions in government funding for the transition.

SANCHEZ: And it's a fitting end for a president who never promised a peaceful transfer of power. It comes as courtroom losses continue to pile up for President Trump. More Republicans starting to abandon him, and as Michigan certifies it election results, leaving Trump, no path to hold back the Biden transition.

For the latest on the Biden transition, let's bring in CNN's Arlette Saenz. She joins us live in Wilmington, Delaware.

And, Arlette, with the doors finally opening, what is the Biden team saying?

ARLETTE SAENZ, CNN POLITICAL REPORTER: Well, Boris, after 16 days after President-elect Joe Biden was declared the winner of the election, they finally get what they have been waiting for and that is for that transition process to formally begin, and they see this all as welcome news as they are trying to plan out what the early days of their administration will look like. And now, they will have access to key resources to help in that transition.

And last night, the executive director of Biden's transition, Yohannes Abraham, released a statement saying in the days ahead, transition officials will begin meeting with federal officials to discuss the pandemic response, have a full accounting of our national security interests and gain complete understanding of the Trump administration's efforts to hollow out our government agencies.

So there are a host of issues or options that are now available to Biden's team now that the formal transition process can actually begin. One of the first priorities for Biden's team is getting access to that data, regarding the coronavirus. They want to start working with the outgoing administration to learn what plans they have been crafting as this pandemic continues to grip the country. They also will now have access to key national security interests such as being able to do FBI background checks on their cabinet nominees.

At some point, Biden is expected to start getting those high level intelligence briefings that should be afforded to him as president- elect. And this also opens up a lot of money for the Biden team to tap into. Over $6 million of federally appropriated transition of funding that they can now use to power ahead with their transition. But Biden this whole time has been making clear that he is operating as president-elect, and now he has that formal sign off to access those transition resources.

SANCHEZ: Yeah, I look forward to ascertainment, the process of ascertainment not being a big deal or something frankly that I might even remember in four or more years. Arlette, the president-elect is formally set to announce some of his cabinet level picks today. We reported about Tony Blinken at the state department, Janet Yellen at treasury, also the first Latino to run Homeland Security and the first woman to lead the intelligence committee. He's making a clear statement with these picks.

SAENZ: Yeah, he certainly is. One, he is going with people who have a lot of experience in each of these sectors, none of these people who have been nominated are expected to be introduced today are typical politicians. They have been in either the State Department, diplomatic circles, at DHS, in all of these realms for many, many decades, and he is also making some historic picks.

As you mentioned, Alejandro Mayorkas would be the first Latino to serve in that position. Avril Haines would be the first to lead the intelligence committee. We have learned that Biden intends to nominate Janet Yellen, the formal Federal Reserve chairwoman.

[05:05:05] She would be the first woman to serve as treasury secretary.

So, Biden, throughout his campaign promised that his administration would look like America, and he is starting to make good on that promise with these diverse picks.

SANCHEZ: Yeah, a lot of experience on that list, too, especially with issues that President Trump ran against, and tried to dismantle.

Arlette Saenz reporting from Delaware -- thanks so much.

JARRETT: All right. So, how did we get to this point?

Well, the president had witnessed significant erosion and support over the past few days. Even staunch conservatives Rush Limbaugh saw the writing on the wall.

Now, the president to be clear is still refusing to officially concede, instead performing verbal gymnastics on Twitter, apparently to keep his die hard supporters energized, especially with two Senate runoffs six weeks away now.

In reality, even if there's no concession speech, what the country is witnessing right now is the recognition of defeat. One Trump adviser said quote, there you go, it's over. Another adviser called it a veiled attempt to justify continued fundraising.

And watch the fundraising piece of this. Since election night, the Trump campaign has blasted out more than 400 solicitations for money.

More now from Kaitlan Collins at the White House.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

KAITLAN COLLINS, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Yeah, Boris and Laura, it was something that typically would happen only days after the election was over, but now we have finally gotten the GSA to send this letter, notifying the Biden team that they are moving forward with this formal transition.

The question is how does the president view this, and does this mean that the president is ready to concede this race, which so far he's not only refused to do, he's insisted that he actually won the election. And he tweeted shortly after this letter came out saying that the recommended that Emily Murphy, the GSA administrator send this letter to the Biden team, move forward with these logistical next steps but if you read Emily Murphy's letter, in the text, she says she came to the decision independently, she was not pressured by anyone in the executive branch or at GSA.

So, the president saying he has a role in this, trying to shape it. In the tweet, the president does still say that he plans to move forward with litigation. This doesn't mean that's over. Even though we have seen over the last several days, the president has suffered a string of setbacks when it comes to his court cases and attempts to contest the outcome of the election. But this all comes as we have still not seen the president, and he has still not taken our questions since the day of the election.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

SANCHEZ: Kaitlan Collins, thank you for that.

Of course, the backdrop of this presidential transition is the coronavirus and the pandemic that's still raging.

Right now, the FDA is working overtime to make sure a COVID vaccine can be rolled out in record time. The agency is asking the vaccine advisory panel to meet twice in December. A second meeting being added presumably to discuss Moderna's vaccine.

They are already set to meet to consider Pfizer's application. Both vaccines showing promise in late stage trials, and really the need is becoming increasingly desperate.

The average number of new cases over the last week is now an astonishing, 172,000 a day. Remember all the chaos that we faced in spring? That's just that small bump that you see on the left of the screen.

JARRETT: Now, the rate of infection is starting to slow, albeit very slightly. A few more states in yellow and green there, you can see on your screen. But Thanksgiving travel and gatherings could reverse the trend and after cases finally peak, deaths will continue to rise for several weeks after. The death rate is increasing in at least 41 states. That's a staggering number of states.

There are currently more than 85,000 people hospitalized with COVID. The situation so serious, health officials in Pennsylvania, Minnesota, and other states warning they could start to run out of ICU beds soon.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DR. MATTHEW KLEE, MAPLE GROVE, MINNESOTA: It is getting worse daily. We are now in full hurricane COVID. And this is not the time to be out and about. Nobody thinks that they're the ones that are going to get COVID. All the people in my ICU, all the people who have died, they didn't think they were going to get COVID.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SANCHEZ: And there's another variable at play. College students across the country that are heading home for Thanksgiving. There's a patch work of rules. It means some are going to stay home, while others will travel back to school.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

CHRIS MARSICANO, FOUNDING DIRECTOR, COLLEGE CRISIS INITIATIVE: Most colleges are doing some sort of testing but the colleges that are doing the best kind, the highest quality, the tests that test every student at least once or twice a week is only about 7 percent of colleges and universities in the country. And when you look at Thanksgiving, pre-Thanksgiving exit testing, testing students whether they go, so they know whether or not they are infected before sitting across the Thanksgiving table with their grandparents, that's around 15 to 30 percent of institutions total.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

[05:l0:02]

JARRETT: This holiday season will be difficult for the millions of Americans who have lost jobs, lost homes, and lost basic security this year. To date, YMCA Meadowlands in New Jersey has hosted 42 food distributions, giving out 627,000 meals to almost 40,000 families. Just yesterday, distribution lines at St. Mary's Food Bank in Phoenix, look at that, Arizona, they were more than 2 miles long, Boris.

SANCHEZ: Yeah. So, does progress on a vaccine trump bad economic news? On Wall Street it does. On Main Street, not so much. How Janet Yellen's nomination to run the Treasury affects all of that.

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SANCHEZ: A dangerous coronavirus spike in part of New York City, leading to new restrictions ahead of Thanksgiving.

CNN is covering the pandemic from coast to coast.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ATHENA JONES, CNN CORRESPONDENT: I'm Athena Jones in New York where Governor Andrew Cuomo is issuing new restrictions in multiple parts of the state where COVID test positivity rates are spiking.

[05:15:02]

Staten Island, a borough of New York City, is seeing infection rates above 5 percent. Indoor dining, gyms, and salons will be closed in parts of the borough, and the state is reopening an emergency COVID patients facility after hospitals requested help. Hospitalizations in Staten Island had nearly tripled in the last three weeks.

POLO SANDOVAL, CNN CORRESPONDENT: I'm Polo Sandoval in New York, watching record breaking COVID-19 hospitalizations in Ohio that are putting a severe strain on health care facilities.

Governor Mike DeWine announced hospitals in the state are already reaching full capacity. Yesterday, the state's hospital association reported 4,300 patients. That's a nearly 60 percent increase over the last two weeks. The head of Ohio's mercy health care system said it's quickly getting to the point where COVID patients are going to start displacing the ones seeking non-COVID care. Governor Mike DeWine said what happens next is the precautions people take or ignore over the Thanksgiving holiday.

ADRIENNE BROADDUS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: I'm Adrienne Broaddus in Chicago.

Three million, that's the number of people who have passed their security checkpoints at airports across the country. Despite the warning from top doctors and the CDC, a lot of people are traveling and folks in the airline industry say this isn't even the worst. Airline industry experts are predicting increased travel after Thanksgiving on Saturday and Sunday.

DAN SIMON, CNN CORRESPONDENT: I'm Dan Simon.

First, it was indoor dining, now even outdoor dining has been halted in Los Angeles as cases continue to skyrocket in California. That new rule, it goes into effect on Wednesday. It will be take out or delivery only in L.A. County, something we have not seen since the month of May. The daily average of new cases in California has hit its highest point yet, more than 15,000 cases on Friday. The daily average of new cases has nearly tripled since the month of November.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

JARRETT: All right. Investors are looking ahead to life on the other side of the pandemic. Stocks rallied Monday after AstraZeneca reported its coronavirus vaccine is on average 70 percent effective. And a new survey shows U.S. business activity grew at the fastest pace in five years. It's being led by a jump in manufacturing.

But there's still a disconnect between Wall Street and Main Street. Yes, there's optimism over three vaccine candidates, but at the same time, cities and states are implementing new restrictions and the economy is an unemployment crisis, and there's still no sign of any stimulus from Washington right now, and that makes pick of Janet Yellen to lead the Treasury Department that much more important. She would be charged with closing the staggering wealth gap in this country.

And since the fed has already dropped interest rates as far as it can. The Treasury Department will have more influence in trying to help the economy recover.

And, Boris, it's interesting. She is the first female if confirmed to lead. It's amazing it's taken this long. She led the fed for some time. It's an interesting pick for Biden.

SANCHEZ: Yeah, it certainly signals the approach that he's going to have on the economy, and when you look at these picks, the fact that there is so much experience, that one of them are really controversial or like Rex Tillerson, for example, they come from fields that have really nothing to do with governing, it's sort of refreshing to be bored in a way, right, Laura?

JARRETT: It is. It's been a while.

SANCHEZ: To the NFL now, they're facing more new coronavirus cases, and the league is making a big change for players on the sideline.

Your "Bleacher Report" is next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[05:22:56]

JARRETT: All right. The NFL is tightening the COVID-19 protocols, trying to control the spread of the virus within its teams.

Andy Scholes has this morning's "Bleacher Report".

So, Andy, what's the plan here?

ANDY SCHOLES, CNN SPORTS CORRESPONDENT: Well, you know, the plan is to try to keep these outbreaks from continuing to happen, Laura, and the NFL hasn't had to do reshuffling of the schedule lately. They're certainly trying to keep it that way.

So, yesterday, they sent out a new memo to all 32 teams, beefing up their COVID protocols, and most notably, the new protocol you'll see when you're watching games is players are now required to wear masks on the sideline, unless they have their helmet on or preparing to enter the game. Also, coaches who call plays no longer going to have the option to wear only a face shield. Instead they must wear a face mask or double layered gator in addition to the face shield.

Players and staff will be allowed to interact briefly after games but then must promptly return to their locker room. The changes will take effect starting this week beginning with those three games we have on Thanksgiving.

Now, these new protocols come as multiple positive tests led Ravens to temporarily shut down their practice facility yesterday. Coach John Harbaugh says two of the players who tested include running backs Mark Ingram and J.K. Dobbins, huge blow for the ravens, as they take on the undefeated Pittsburgh Steelers on Thursday night.

Meanwhile, Monday night football, Tom Brady, the Bucks hosting the Rams last night. LAa. was up 7 in the 4th. Tom Brady here, throws a pass, catches it and throws it again to Mike Evans. Too bad that's illegal. That was impressive.

Now, Brady would beat the Bucks down the field. Chris Godwin, wide open. He blips in for the touchdown. It ties the game at 24. Brady has a chance to win the game, with two minutes to go. Picked off, Rams hold on to win, 27-24.

In the meantime, referee Jerome Boger and his six man crew made history during last night's game, it's the first time an all black officiating crew worked an NFL game. The members of the group has a combined 89 seasons of pro experience, and have worked six Super Bowl.

[05:25:06]

All right. Finally, college basketball tips off its season tomorrow, and it's already being hit hard by coronavirus concerns. Duke's opener against Gardner-Webb is one of 19 games that are either postponed or cancelled on opening day.

The UConn women, they're halting team activities for 14 days after a positive test within their program. That means four games will need to be pushed back. UConn says possible schedule adjustments may come at a later date.

But, you know, Boris, we have seen how much trouble college football has had trying to get through their season. You imagine it's going to be tougher for basketball considering the close contact that all of the players have. And you know, we haven't basketball league trying to navigate these coronavirus waters. Of course, the NBA went to a bubble.

SANCHEZ: Right.

SCHOLES: These college kids are living on campus.

SANCHEZ: Yeah, it would be impossible to do a bubble for NCAA basketball, and the schedule, too, makes it harder because games are so much more frequent. You don't have the time during the week to conduct testing and change the schedule, fits and starts ahead.

Andy Scholes with the "Bleacher Report", thanks so much.

President Trump waving the white flag. So, why is he still vowing to fight even with the transition to President-elect Biden now officially underway?

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