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Rep. Raul Ruiz (D-CA) is Interviewed about COVID Spikes; Jobless Claims Fall; Pandemic May Close Restaurant; Federal Judge Pushes for Law. Aired 8:30-9a ET

Aired December 03, 2020 - 08:30   ET

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

[08:30:00]

REP. RAUL RUIZ (D-CA): The biggest concerns I have is personnel fatigue. Doctors, nurses, respiratory techs, they are tired. They are stressed. They are pushed to the limit. And I'm very concerned that they won't be able to sustain the amount of energy throughout this winter season where we're entering, John, quite honestly, the last, most bloody battle of this war against the virus. And -- but we do have hope. We have hope because, one, there is -- there are better therapeutics that can help patients in the hospital get better and not have to go to the ICU, and we also have hope that around the corner there will be vaccines that will help our frontline workers, our seniors in long term residence home and then next year we're going to start to see people that are high risk of dying and high risk of getting infected because of their high risk essential jobs get vaccinated. So we're going to start to see improvements, but this is the last bloody battle before that happens.

JOHN BERMAN, CNN ANCHOR: Let me ask you a prickly question here, which is that there have been politicians, including California Governor Gavin Newsom, the mayor of San Francisco, who it turns out went and ate at the French Laundry (ph), which is a very posh restaurant, a nice restaurant I'm told, I've never been there. At the same time they're telling people to stay home. They're telling people not to gather in one place. You have the mayor of Austin, Texas, Steve Adler, who went on a trip to Mexico at the same time he's telling people not to travel.

How does that hurt or complicate the message to people when leaders are doing one thing and saying another?

RUIZ: It does complicate it, John, and I believe that the governor has recognized it and he apologized for it. But whether the governor does it or not, he doesn't change the science. The science is still there. And we need to use our -- our intellect and our belief in public health and science and know that if you're going to gather, especially indoors, without wearing a mask, you increase your risk of getting infected. He apologized. It was a wrong move on his part. And so now he's really rectifying it by getting the scientists out to make sure people are reminded of the science in this.

BERMAN: House and Senate Democratic leadership overnight came out in support of this bipartisan relief bill, $908 billion, which would provide extended unemployment benefits, it would provide aid to state and local governments. How will you vote on this measure? $908 billion, which is significantly less, I mean it's less than half of what Democrats were asking for a couple months ago, but how would you vote on this if it got to the House floor?

RUIZ: John, I think that what Pelosi and Schumer said is that this is a starting point for negotiation. It's not necessarily the bill that he will -- that they will bring up to the House floor to vote on, but it's the starting point of talking about which areas need more funding and how can we come to an agreement.

Now, this is what I will vote for, John, because this is necessary. One is, if we're going to do this, we've got to do it right. We need a stimulus -- another round of stimulus checks for American families. We need to extend the unemployment insurance for those who have lost their job. We have to help our small businesses retain their employees. We've got to help states and local municipalities pay firefighters, first responders, their teachers. And we also have to help beef up our school system with resources so that our kids can go back to school in a safe environment.

Now, if they have these in a -- in a substantial form, then we're -- I will vote for that. But you can't just have one and expect to get through this pandemic as quickly as possible. It's like selling you a car with only one wheel.

BERMAN: President-elect Joe Biden says it's a start. He's going to ask for more after January 20th.

On the subject of the president-elect, you're part of the Hispanic Congressional Caucus, who has written a letter to the transition basically asking, I think, for more Hispanic and Latino representation as part of the Biden cabinet and the Biden administration.

How satisfied are you as you sit here this morning?

RUIZ: Yes, he -- well, you know, it's, one, the -- President-elect Biden has -- has put forward a diverse team of trailblazers and -- that are very competent, but he needs to do more. He needs to do more for Latinos, Latinas. We see that we -- you know, the largest, for example, population of Hispanics in the U.S. are Mexican-Americans. We haven't had a cabinet member Mexican-American in a very long time in our -- in our country since the Obama administration, and especially in the big four.

[08:35:11]

There are competent folks that have been put forward to the administration like Xavier Becerra, Tom Perez, Michelle Lujan Grisham for Department of Justice and Health and Human Services. And our expectation is that his cabinet really reflects the diversity of America and we need more Hispanics in the top cabinet positions.

BERMAN: So you're saying he does need to do more in your eyes?

RUIZ: Yes, he does need to do more, especially with Hispanic cabinet individuals in the top positions.

BERMAN: Congressman Ruiz, we appreciate you joining us this morning. Again, we appreciate the work you do in the community to treat people right now dealing with coronavirus. We look forward to speaking to you again.

RUIZ: Thank you.

BERMAN: All right, we have breaking news on the economy. New jobless claims just released. What does this mean heading into the holidays? Next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[08:40:01]

ANNOUNCER: This is CNN breaking news.

ALISYN CAMEROTA, CNN ANCHOR: OK, we do have some breaking news.

Layoffs remain high as the pandemic rages across America.

CNN chief business correspondent Christine Romans joins us now with the new unemployment numbers.

What are they, Christine?

CHRISTINE ROMANS, CNN CHIEF BUSINESS CORRESPONDENT: And 712,000 people filed for the first time for unemployment benefits last week. That is a number that before this pandemic would have been a record. Instead we've had 37 weeks now of what would have been a record in normal times. That's down slightly. It actually looks like it might be the lowest number of the pandemic era. But keep that in perspective. That's 712,000 people who now are out of a job. Add into that another 288,000 who filed under the special pandemic gig worker program. So all together you've got about a million people who filed.

In all programs now, that's 20 million people getting some sort of jobless benefit. This should be a flashing red light for Congress. We are running up against the deadline for some of these programs. People are going to lose these benefits. It shows you a labor market that is very, very weak here and there are really worries about scars heading into next year if they don't get aid for some of these workers.

CAMEROTA: Absolutely.

OK, Christine, thank you very much for that breaking economic news.

John.

BERMAN: All right, the new jobless numbers obviously capture the impact the pandemic is having on so many people. Small businesses, a lot of them, on the brink of shutting their doors. Among them, a family-owned restaurant that has been a fixture in Colorado for decades.

CNN's Lucy Kafanov has that story.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

LUCY KAFANOV, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice over): It's a Chavez family holiday tradition. For nearly three decades the owners of the Sunset Inn in Pueblo, Colorado, have raised funds to buy gifts for homeless children.

GERDA CHAVEZ, OWNER, SUNSET INN: Most of these kids, and if I don't do Christmas for them, they're not going to have nothing.

KAFANOV: But now their Christmas plans are up in the air. Three generations work at the Sunset Inn.

CASSY GIBBONS, GERDA CHAVEZ' DAUGHTER: It's kind of like the pillar of our whole family.

KAFANOV: But this bar and grill is one of countless businesses now crippled by COVID-19. Skyrocketing cases forced Pueblo County to ban indoor dining last month. The restaurant, now empty, more than half their employees laid off, takeout orders barely making ends meet.

KAFANOV (on camera): What's your biggest fear when it comes to the Sunset Inn?

CHAVEZ: Losing what we built all these years. Having to fear somebody else has it after we walk away and us not being here anymore. That's -- sorry. That's my most fear.

KAFANOV (voice over): For over 15 years the Sunset Inn was a favorite pub in Pueblo, but then, in 1996, Chuck Chavez added Slofers (ph) to the menu. Their menu rising to national fame after being featured in an episode of The Travel Channel's food wars.

GIBBONS: The Sunset to me is my whole family, our whole life.

KAFANOV: Their troubles began when the pandemic hit in March and Colorado effectively went into lockdown.

GOV. JARED POLIS (D-CO): We are resorting to this measure, this extreme measure, at this time to make sure that people know that they need to stay in their homes.

KAFANOV: The Sunset stayed shut for three months. Then in October, disaster struck.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: An outbreak and possible community exposure to COVID-19 at the Sunset Inn.

KAFANOV: Eleven family members infected with COVID.

CHAVEZ: We wiped everything down. We did -- we complied with everything and we still ended up getting it.

KAFANOV: All recovered, but the business is still struggling. Before the pandemic, the family says the inn could pull $5,000 on a good day. Now they're lucky to make $400.

Emergency relief funding helped them stay afloat, but barely. And if things don't change, they say the inn may have to shut its doors in three months.

New COVID restrictions imposed last week on Colorado's hardest hit counties, including Pueblo, could make a return to normal a long way off.

KAFANOV: How has the hardship affected you?

CHAVEZ: Not sleeping at night. My hair is turning gray. Constantly worrying about if we can pay the bills.

KAFANOV: A fear echoed by the family and thousands of small business owners across the nation.

GIBBONS: My mom and dad are the hardest working people I know. And it's just emotional to know that we don't know what could happen, you know, if it was to continue like this.

KAFANOV: Lucy Kafanov, CNN, Denver, Colorado.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BERMAN: Our thanks to Lucy for that story.

Here's what else to watch today.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ON SCREEN TEXT: 2:00 p.m. ET, Johns Hopkins University COVID-19 update.

5:00 p.m. ET, Virtual national Christmas tree lighting.

9:00 p.m. ET, CNN special event, Biden-Harris interview.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

[08:45:10]

BERMAN: A federal judge whose family was attacked is now a woman on a mission. She wants to prevent it from happening to anyone else, and joins us next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

CAMEROTA: You will remember the devastating story of Judge Esther Salas and her family in July. You will remember that back then a man with a grudge against her came to her home, disguised as a delivery man, rang the doorbell and then shot and killed her 20-year-old son Daniel. Judge Salas' husband was also shot. He survived, but has undergone multiple surgeries. And now Judge Salas wants to protect other families.

Judge Esther Salas joins me now.

Judge, it's so good to see you. Everyone across the country was so horrified by what happened to your family in July. And so tell us how you're coping and how is your husband today?

JUDGE ESTHER SALAS, U.S. DISTRICT JUDGE, DISTRICT OF NEW JERSEY: Good morning, Ms. Camerota, and thank you for having me on this morning.

We got the best news yesterday. My husband had a CAT scan done and it turns out that the -- in the last week or so he just took a miraculous turn and he is not going to need the surgery that he would have had like right now.

[08:50:11]

So we are home and he is resting and we're just on cloud nine this morning with this great news.

CAMEROTA: I'm so happy to hear that, Judge, because I know he's had more than a dozen surgeries.

SALAS: Yes.

CAMEROTA: And I know you were just waiting on tender hooks to see if it was going to happen again today.

SALAS: Yes. No, he's had over ten surgical procedures. And, you know, he'll need another one, but it's down the line in a couple of months. So right now we just hope that this is -- this is a good -- this is a good omen and we are going to head towards healthier days for him. He's struggled a lot and so have we since July 19th.

CAMEROTA: Yes. Of course you have.

Do you -- were you able to figure out why you were targeted or how the killer found your home?

SALAS: I mean he clearly found my home using the personal -- it's personal, it's called PII, and it is information that's personal to me and it's personally identifiable information is the term that's used. He used that information. He used it to compile a dossier on me. He knew where I lived. He knew the church I attended. He knew my routes to work. And, quite frankly, he even stalked my block for a few days before he came to that doorbell on Sunday and rang it and changed my life forever. So --

CAMEROTA: And did you know that all of that personal information was out and publicly available?

SALAS: You know, in some ways you know some of it's available and, you know, you are always aware of information that's out there, but I don't think I understood the level of information and how someone can use it for nefarious purposes. And that's why we need to do something now to change that. We need to change the laws and we need to act today, Ms. Camerota, not tomorrow, not next year, today. Every day we waste is a day that something is going to happen to one of my brothers and sisters on the bench.

CAMEROTA: Yes.

SALAS: And I don't want anyone to feel what we're feeling right now. And, you know, it's the holidays and it will be the first holiday without my son and, you know, the pain, I can't even describe it, but it's the reason that I'm fighting so hard, because we need Congress and we need action and it's today, not tomorrow that we need it.

CAMEROTA: We understand. We feel your pain. We hear your pain in your voice that you are going on to live without your son, your only child. And, I mean, his name is Daniel and now you are helping to try to protect other families from what happened to you. And so tell us about the act in Daniel's name.

SALAS: Well, as you know, New Jersey passed Daniel's Law and I thank Governor Murphy and really all the men and women of the legislature who acted swiftly. And now, obviously, I'm looking for federal protection. All my brothers and sisters on the federal bench nationwide need to be protected and we need to protect them at this point. The numbers are astronomical. The threats continue. Even threats after Daniel's murder. I mean there was an inappropriate communication made to me just last week. There have been threats to other judges that I work with in the district of New Jersey. In California, a judge was attacked.

(INAUDIBLE).

CAMEROTA: We're obviously struggling with the judge's signal there.

We should -- sorry, Judge, we lost you there for a second, but I know that you were saying that there -- the threats continue. In fact, the threats have gone up exponentially against federal judges in just the past five years. Do you know why? Why do you think that's happening?

SALAS: You know, I think there's a myriad of reasons why it's happening, but I think, quite frankly, ours right now, our concern should be it's happening. So we need to do something to protect judges. We need to protect this personal information.

This is not about trying to restrict any type of, you know, free speech or anything like this. This is about us trying to just feel that information that is personal in nature and that, quite frankly, can be used for nefarious purposes to hunt us down.

[08:55:00]

And I know that sounds -- and that may sound dramatic, but I'm living proof. I had one child. One child. And he has been taken from me. My husband of 25 years was almost taken from me. I'm not exaggerating when I tell you that these -- these tragedies are going to happen again if we don't act and we don't act now. So I, you know, I can't stress it enough, Ms. Camerota. I'm on a mission. Yes, I'm on a mission. And my mission is from above. And it's my son who reminds me every day that we need to do something. We need to do something because the federal judiciary is under attack. CAMEROTA: Judge, we hear you and we are inspired by your strength and

inspired by your courage to want to protect other families. The act, again, is The Daniel Anderl Judicial Security and Privacy Act of 2020. We will watch what happens with it. Thank you very much for being here with your family's story and what you're doing now.

SALAS: Thank you, Ms. Camerota, for having me today. And I do want to, you know, wish everyone over there, Mr. Berman and you, happy holidays.

CAMEROTA: Thank you. And to you as well.

We'll be right back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[09:00:00]