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Early Start with John Berman and Zoraida Sambolin

CDC Panel Meets Today to Decide Who Gets Vaccine First; Officials Warn Pandemic Will Worsen Before Vaccine is Ready; Trump's Controversial COVID Adviser Dr. Scott Atlas Resigns; Biden Focused on Building Diverse Cabinet and Staff; 50 Million Americans Could Face Food Insecurity by Year's End. Aired 5-5:30a ET

Aired December 01, 2020 - 05:00   ET

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

[05:00:18]

CHRISTINE ROMANS, CNN ANCHOR: All right. Welcome to our viewers in the United States and all around the world. This is EARLY START. I'm Christine Romans.

LAURA JARRETT, CNN ANCHOR: And I'm Laura Jarrett. It's Tuesday, December 1st. Yes, you made it through December, 52 days until Joe Biden's inauguration as the 46th president of the United States.

Well, today, we will be a step closer to answering a critical question that's been on everyone's mind for months, when can people finally start getting vaccinated for coronavirus. A CDC advisory panel will meet later today to decide who will receive the vaccine first, with health care workers and the most vulnerable Americans at the top of the list.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DR. MONCEF SLAOUI, CHIEF SCIENTIFIC ADVISER, OPERATION WARP SPEED: What's important to note is the number of those is the amount of vaccine that we have is still limited in comparison to the needs. There is about 120 million at risk in the U.S. we will have by the end of the month of December about 40 million doses of vaccine. So, it's going take a while for all Americans who need it on a priority level to get it. But, you know, over probably two or two and a half months, they will all get it.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

JARRETT: Now, remember here, each person needs two doses of the vaccine, so 40 million doses, only fully vaccinated 20 million people. Meantime, the official leading the vaccine distribution right now, he expressed confidence that even though who are not at the top of the list could get it by June.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

LT. GEN. PAUL OSTROWSKI, DIRECTOR OF SUPPLY, PRODUCTION AND DISTRIBUTION, OPERATION WARP SPEED: A hundred percent of Americans that want the vaccine will have the vaccine by that point in time. (END VIDEO CLIP)

JARRETT: So, even with that light at the end of the tunnel, it could still be a long, painful winter. Right now, a record 96,000 Americans with coronavirus have been admitted to the hospital.

CNN's Erica Hill has more.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ERICA HILL, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): New freezers at hospitals, planes at the ready. Pharmacies gearing up as the coronavirus vaccine gets closer.

ADM. BRETT GIROIR, MD, ASSISTANT SECRETARY FOR HEALTH, HHS: We should have enough vaccine by the end of the year, to immunize 20 million Americans.

HILL: Moderna now says its vaccine is 100 percent effective at preventing severe cases of the virus. Health care workers will likely be the first to receive an approved vaccine, and then once it's widely available.

DR. LEANA WEN, EMERGENCY PHYSICIAN, FORMER BALTIMORE HEALTH COMMISSIONER: We can get back to normal. Kids can be back in school. We can be working and very importantly, we can see our loved ones again.

HILL: To do that, we need less of this.

DR. JONATHA REINER, PROFESSOR OF MEDICINE, GEORGE WASHINGTON UNIVERSITY: If you've traveled on Thanksgiving, on Thanksgiving holiday, you should assume you've been infected or exposed to the virus.

HILL: And more of this.

GOV. JIM JUSTICE (R), WEST VIRGINIA: The only thing we can possibly have to be able to slow this thing down right now is that mask.

HILL: New cases added in November, more than 4.25 million. Now account for 30 percent of all confirmed cases since the pandemic began.

ADM. JEROME ADAMS, U.S. SURGEON GENERAL: It's going to get worse over the next several weeks.

HILL: Dr. Joseph Varon has been on the job in Houston for the last 256 days straight.

DR. JOSEPH VARON, CHIEF OF STAFF, UNITED MEMORIAL MEDICAL CENTER: Day in and day out. And people are out there doing the wrong thing. People are out there in bars, restaurants, malls, I mean, it is crazy, work, work, work, and people don't listen, and they end up in my ICU.

HILL: Hospitals in Rhode Island just hit capacity on the first day of the state's two week pause. Hospitalizations in California have now topped the state's high set back in July. Strict new three-week restrictions now in place for Los Angeles and Santa Clara Counties, including a ban on contact sports including no practice for the 49ers.

JAMES WILLIAMS, COUNTY COUNCIL, SANTA CLARA COUNTY: The 49ers are the most nationally obvious example, but there is no family in our community that is untouched by this pandemic.

HILL: As hospitals and officials brace for a post-Thanksgiving surge, the message is clear, now is not the time to let down your guard.

DR. DEBORAH BIRX, COORDINATOR, WHITE HOUSE CORONAVIRUS TASK FORCE: Your governor or your mayor isn't doing the policies that we know are critical, masks, physical distancing, avoiding bars, avoiding crowded indoor areas. If those restrictions don't exist in your state, you need to take it upon yourself to be restrictive.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

HILL (on camera): California Governor Gavin Newsom said he may need to take drastic measures, including a return to a stay-at-home order, in the face of projections for his state that show they could run out of ICU beds by Christmas Eve.

Meantime in Florida, Governor Ron DeSantis was asked on monday about a state mask mandate. His response, I'm opposed to mandates, period. He said he doesn't believe they work. Scientists tell us masks do help prevent the spread.

In New York, I'm Erica Hill, CNN.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

[05:05:01]

ROMANS: All right. CNN has learned White House Chief of Staff Mark Meadows has summoned the head of the FDA at the West Wing for a meeting today, an in-person meeting.

Sources say President Trump has been questioning why the FDA has not moved faster to approve Pfizer's coronavirus vaccine. Amid concerns that the meeting could become tense, FDA commissioner Stephen Hahn issued this statement to "Axios", quote: Let me be clear, our career scientists have to make the decision, and they will take the time that's needed to make the right call on this important decision.

While sources tell CNN the president has been frustrated over how long the process is taking, he has publicly admitted to pushing the FDA to move faster.

JARRETT: While the president's controversial coronavirus adviser Dr. Scott Atlas resigned from his White House post on Monday. A source close to the White House COVID task force tells CNN Atlas's departure comes as welcome news since his discredited theories will no longer have a seat at the table. His departure wasn't entirely unexpected though, since as a special government employee, Atlas could only serve on the task force for a limited term. The former radiologist was at odds with government scientists. He called resistance to opening schools, quote, hysteria, and urged Michigan residents to, quote, rise up against new restrictions put in place there last month.

ROMANS: All right. Later today, President-elect Joe Biden officially introduces the team he wants to put in charge of restoring the pandemic battered economy and putting millions of Americans back to work. The group headlined by Janet Yellen, the former Federal Reserve chair Biden wants as his treasury secretary.

CNN's MJ Lee has more.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

MJ LEE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Christine and Laura.

President-elect Joe Biden will kick off his day today with another presidential daily briefing and then here in Wilmington, Delaware, he is going to be attending an event alongside vice president-elect, Senator Kamala Harris, introducing new members of their economic team. Of course, we learned yesterday that some of those folks include Janet Yellen who is being nominated to be Biden's treasury secretary, some of the other names include Neera Tanden, and Cecilia Rouse who are both going to be serving in key roles if they are confirmed by Congress.

We are also still waiting on certain national security appointments that have not been announced yet, including who Biden will choose as his CIA director and who he will nominate to be defense secretary. Some of those names and leading contenders for that role include Michelle Flournoy and Jeh Johnson and Lloyd Austin.

We know as Biden is thinking through future appointments that diversity is a big issue for him. He has talked a lot about pointing women to some of the senior roles and bringing in people of racial and ideological backgrounds, from different backgrounds, and people who are diverse, so we will see if those appointments get named either later this week or in the coming weeks.

I will also mention, too, you'll recall that Biden had a little bit of an incident over the thanksgiving weekend playing with his dog Major. He slipped and hurt his ankle. A recent ct scan showed that he actually has some hairline fractures in his right foot and the doctor's latest diagnosis was that he probably needed to wear a walking boot for several weeks. When we see him later today at this economic event, that is probably going to be the first time we see him sporting this walking boot.

Christine and Laura, back to you.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

JARRETT: MJ, thank you so much for that.

So, most Senate Republicans still refuse to acknowledge that Biden won the election but some don't have trouble voicing fierce opposition to the president's pick to lead the Office of Management and Budget. A member of Biden's transition team tells CNN they are well aware of the challenges facing Neera Tanden's confirmation, she's currently the CEO and president of the progressive organization, the Center for American Progress.

Republicans are blasting what they call her combative and insulting comments about GOP lawmakers. Her confirmation will depend on what happens in January. Right now, Republicans have a two-seat majority in the Senate ahead of those two crucial runoffs in Georgia next month.

ROMANS: All right. Millions of people out of work may not be getting the full jobless benefit they are owed. The Government Accountability Office found the temporary pandemic unemployment assistance program short changed out of work Americans. The GAO said the majority of states have been paying people the minimum benefit, not the amount they are eligible based on their earnings before the pandemic.

Now, states should make up this difference. The Department of Labor told the GAO it didn't know how many states have started doing so. The GAO also found the weekly jobless claims report that we bring every Thursday morning doesn't give an accurate estimate of how many Americans are claiming benefits. Backlogs in processing this historic number of claims have completely overwhelmed many states. They simply can't keep up. There are so many people laid off every single week.

[05:10:01]

And Americans face the benefits cliff and no new stimulus in sight. The day after Christmas, 12 million of these workers risk losing their unemployment benefits. Both the Pandemic Unemployment Assistance Program and Pandemic Emergency Unemployment Compensation expire at the end of the year.

Meanwhile, all three major stock averages posted double digit gains in November, best month for the Dow since 1987. It is the story, Laura, of two Americans right now. Wall Street soaring on science and election certainty, looking into next year, Main Street still struggling with it right now.

JARRETT: It's amazing that we're just now finding out about how badly the government messed this up for so many people. I mean, it's December, and obviously the pandemic has been going on for months without people getting the help they were actually entitled to.

ROMANS: These state programs and these government federal programs that came in the CARES Act, they were never really designed to handle this many people thrown out of a job. It's historic.

JARRETT: Well, with no sign of stimulus in sight, millions of Americans are struggling to put food on the table. We have a closer look on that next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[05:15:27] ROMANS: Some 50 million Americans could face the prospect of not having enough to eat by the end of the month, due in part to the coronavirus pandemic. And right now, Congress remained stalled in passing a new relief package for those many people in need.

CNN's Brian Todd with more on what's on the line.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

BRIAN TODD, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): A staggering image of American's struggle to put food on the table at a food bank near Dallas recently, the lines of cars stretched as far as eye could see.

Recipients talked about how tough this year has been, with the coronavirus pandemic bringing layoffs, evictions and food insecurity.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I haven't been working since December.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: March.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Can't find a job. They cut off my unemployment. It's a big deal. It's a real big deal.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: This is a big blessing for us to be able to get this.

TODD: More than 50 million Americans may not have enough to eat by the end of this year, according to Feeding America, the largest hunger relief group in the U.S., in part because of the pandemic, and nearly 800,000 Americans in recently days filed first time jobless claims, so the problem is likely to get worse.

CLAIRE BABINEAUX-FONTENOT, CEO, FEEDING AMERICA: America is right in the middle of a food crisis, absolutely, no question. And what I want your audience to keep in mind is for every one of those cars, there are tens of millions of people who don't make it to that line.

TODD: While this is happening, Democrats and Republicans in Congress are proving incapable of negotiating another coronavirus related stimulus bill. Talks are stalled with little optimism anything will be passed with just a few days left in the legislative session.

JOSEPH LLOBRERA, CENTER OF BUDGET AND POLICY PRIORITIES: We are stunned, infuriated that Congress hasn't acted to renew relief.

TODD: Democratic House Speaker Nancy Pelosi in an interview with Wolf Blitzer three weeks before the election was on the defensive about why she rejected that $1.8 trillion stimulus package offered by the White House, holding out for $2.2 trillion.

WOLF BLITZER, CNN HOST: There are millions of Americans who have lost their jobs, they can't pay the rent, their kids need food.

REP. NANCY PELOSI (D-CA), SPEAKER OF THE HOUSE: That's right, and that's what we're trying to get done.

BLITZER: $1.8 trillion, and the president just tweeted, stimulus go big or go home. He wants more right now.

PELOSI: That's right, that's right.

BLITZER: So, why not -- why not work on a deal with him, and don't let the perfect, as they say here in Washington, be the enemy of the good?

PELOSI: Well, I will not let the wrong be the enemy of the right.

BLITZER: What's wrong with $1.8 trillion?

PELOSI: You know what, do you have any idea what the difference is between the spending that they have in their bill and that we have in our bill?

TODD: Pelosi and the Democrats accused Republicans of not including help with food distribution in their bill. While Congress is deadlocked, one policy group estimates that between 7 million and 11 million children in America are in households where they don't have enough to eat.

LLOBRERA: That's going to have a long-term impact in terms of their ability to perform well in school, do well, and you know, get jobs and be productive.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

TODD (on camera): And the projections keep getting more dire, that hunger relief group Feeding America estimates that about 8 billion meals will be needed over the next year to feed Americans who are suffering from food insecurity.

Brian Todd, CNN, Washington.

JARRETT: Brian, thank you so much for that report.

As so many Americans are struggling to pay for food right now, there's also the issue of protecting those who helped get the food into stores. The families of three Tyson Foods workers claim that senior managers at a pork processing plant in Iowa lied about the extent of COVID -- the extent that COVID-19 posed at the facility where employees died. That new allegation is part of an amended wrongful death lawsuit. The plant employs a significant number of immigrant workers.

Now, the amended suit claims that managers told interpreters for those immigrant workers that they had no confirmed cases of coronavirus and that the plant was cleared for operation when in fact employees had tested positive for the virus, and health officials were pushing to close the plant.

ROMANS: All right. Coronavirus continues to cause major disruptions to the NFL season. The "Bleacher Report", next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[05:24:01]

ROMANS: All right. A COVID-19 outbreak with the Baltimore Ravens has led to their game with the Steelers being postponed for the third time.

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

Hey, Andy.

ANDY SCHOLES, CNN SPORTS CORRESPONDENT: Yeah, good morning, Christine.

The Ravens and Steelers are now scheduled to play tomorrow afternoon at 3:40 Eastern, and this is the first NFL season this season that's had to be postponed three times due to COVID.

So the Ravens had another player test positive yesterday. They have now had 22 players test positive or get identified as a high risk close contact over the past nine days. It's one of the worst outbreaks we have seen in pro sports.

Here's a look at the updated NFL schedule. Ravens and Steelers play tomorrow afternoon. The Steelers game with Washington has now been pushed to Monday at 5:00 Eastern, and the Ravens-Cowboys game that had already been moved to Monday has now been moved to Tuesday night.

All right, the 49ers meanwhile are going to play their next two home games in Arizona. The team was forced to find an alternative site after Santa Clara County banned all contact sports for three weeks and required individuals to quarantine for 14 days of traveling into the region from 150 miles away.

So, the Niners are going to play there. They already have a game scheduled at that stadium against the Cardinals for the day after Christmas.

All right. Broncos coach Vic Fangio meanwhile says he's considering punishments for his quarterbacks after all four of them were ruled ineligible for Sunday's game because of COVID-19 close contacts. Quarterback Jeff Driskel tested positive for the virus and starter Drew Lock and the other back ups were deemed high risk because they all watched film together in a room without masks on.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

VIC FANGIO, DENVER BRONCOS HEAD COACH: It's just like, you know, with my kids. My kids have done things that have disappointed me, and during their upbringings, but I still love them, and I still love Drew and all the quarterbacks. They made a mistake that we're ready to move past.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SCHOLES: All right. Fangio says he hopes to have Lock and two back ups back to practice today. All right. The Eagles hosting the Seahawks on Monday night football.

Seattle receiver DK Metcalf has dominated in this one. He has ten catches for a career high 177 yards.

But oh, man was (INAUDIBLE) at the end of this game. Seahawks were up, were 6-1/2 point favorites, they were 23-9 with 20 seconds left. The Eagles completed a Hail Mary for a touchdown, then for some reason, they decided to go for two. And they converted.

Philly covers the spread but lose 23-17, and you know, Laura, that was not a very close game at the end by NFL standards but there certainly were lots of emotions I imagine around the country because of that point spread.

JARRETT: Sometimes you got to just go for it.

All right. Thanks, Andy. Appreciate it.

All right. President-elect Biden introduces Janet Yellen officially as his pick for treasury secretary today. More on what that nomination could mean for workers and the economy, next.

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