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Early Start with John Berman and Zoraida Sambolin
Thirty Three Million People in California Under New Lockdown Order; Source: AG Barr Considering Leaving Post Before Trump Exits Office; Mark Warner: Coronavirus Stimulus Package Could Be Unveiled Today. Aired 5-5:30a ET
Aired December 07, 2020 - 05:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
[05:00:00]
LAURA JARRETT, CO-ANCHOR, EARLY START: Welcome to our viewers in the United States and around the world. We have reports this morning from Los Angeles, Wilmington, Philadelphia, Atlanta, Tehran, London, Jerusalem and Berlin. Just about everywhere. This is EARLY START, I'm Laura Jarrett, and always great to have you, Boris Sanchez in D.C.
BORIS SANCHEZ, CO-ANCHOR, EARLY START: Thank you so much for having me, Laura, I'm Boris Sanchez in for Christine Romans. It's Monday, December 7th, 5:00 a.m. in New York, and we have a ton of news to get you this morning --
JARRETT: Yes, so we begin with breaking news overnight. We've learnt that some of the key players President Biden will lean on to address a worsening pandemic. One of them, a top California politician very familiar with the growing COVID crisis in his home state. The harsh reality there is where we begin this morning with 33 million people in southern California, the San Joaquin Valley and the San Francisco Bay area now under new stay-at-home orders as ICU capacity in hospitals there near the breaking point. Thirty three million people.
That's more people than live in New York and Pennsylvania combined. They face the closure of bars, hair salons, museums, movie theaters, playgrounds and more.
SANCHEZ: Yes, the number of Americans hospitalized remains above 100,000, and that's before the expected surge following Thanksgiving when millions of Americans were traveling and gathering with family members, and keep in mind, we'll likely see more of that same kind of surge come Hanukkah and Christmas. The White House vaccine chief on Sunday praised a plan by President-elect Biden to ask Americans to wear masks in his first hundred days in office. Saying that masks are key as the country awaits the vaccine. Dr. Moncef Slaoui; the head of Operation Warp Speed expecting emergency authorization for Pfizer's vaccine is imminent, and hopes that it will be available, perhaps, later this week.
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MONCEF SLAOUI, HEAD OF OPERATION WARP SPEED: The vaccine is safe. Its safety profile is comparable to that of many other vaccines that have been in use for years.
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JARRETT: Still, important questions are unanswered, like how long immunity lasts after vaccination, and can you still infect someone else even if you're protected? A Pew study finds 60 percent of Americans would take a vaccine if it were available today, but that's still short of the 70 percent to 75 percent that Dr. Anthony Fauci says is needed to get the country on the road to normalcy.
SANCHEZ: Yes, and relief remains some time off for most Americans including Californians. The state reported more than 30,000 new cases on Sunday alone. CNN's Paul Vercammen has more from Los Angeles.
PAUL VERCAMMEN, CNN REPORTER: Laura, Boris, you alluded to it, the number is just horrific and heartbreaking and record-shattering in California. All of these cases and hospitalizations, the new orders to go into effect. One of those orders shuts down outdoor dining at restaurants, but because of the patch work or crazy quilt of laws in California, restaurants like this one, the Pineapple Hill Saloon and Grill in Sherman Oaks already shut down.
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UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: They have not given us money, and they have shut us down. We cannot survive. My staff cannot survive. Look at this. Tell me that this is dangerous. But right next to me, as a slap in my face, that's safe. This is safe?
VERCAMMEN (voice-over): The owner here just devastated. She went viral with a rant about this, and among other things, she told me, it's just crushing to have to tell employees they have no work right before the holidays.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It's unbearable. I mean, you try to put on a good face, you try to say, don't worry, we're going to reopen. I'm going to make it happen. But to look at my staff, give them their last paycheck right before Christmas, and some of them are newer staff that have been shut down over and over and their unemployment is running out, and they have kids and children, it's the most excruciating feeling.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: There's no options. There's no options for our entire industry. And it's not because we're trying to stay on unemployment and just, you know, sit on that --
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Yours is almost out --
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Mine is almost out, and I have no idea -- I have no idea what I'm going to do.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
VERCAMMEN: And another employee here telling me Christmas is on its way, and she just doesn't know what to tell her 9-year-old son in terms of what sort of Christmas it's going to be. Reporting from Sherman Oaks, I'm Paul Vercammen, back to you now, Boris, Laura?
[05:05:00]
JARRETT: Paul, thank you so much for that. Well, President-elect Biden is rolling out the team charged with bringing the pandemic under control. The president-elect is expected to nominate Dr. Vivek Murthy as U.S. Surgeon General, Dr. Murthy served in the same role in the Obama administration. And "Politico" reports that Dr. Rochelle Rolinski; the chief of infectious diseases at Massachusetts General Hospital has been tapped the run the CDC. There's also a surprise pick when it comes to the president-elect's choice to lead Health and Human Services. Arlette Saenz has more from Wilmington, Delaware.
ARLETTE SAENZ, CNN POLITICAL REPORTER: Laura and Boris, President- elect Joe Biden is starting out the week, rolling out some key members of his health team and that includes his choice to lead the Department of Health and Human Services. Sources tell CNN that the president- elect is expected to nominate California Attorney General Xavier Becerra to lead HHS. At such a critical time as the president-elect is mapping out his plans to combat the coronavirus pandemic. Now, Becerra has served as the Attorney General of California where he has really led the legal efforts to try to protect the Affordable Care Act.
He is also Latino, and is the second Latino to be named to Biden's cabinet as the president-elect is trying to make good on his promise that his administration will look like America. The Biden transition has been facing some pressure in over the past week to appoint more diverse figures to that top ranks of the administration. So, this is one more step to try to make good on that promise. Now, Becerra will inherit, if he's nominated, Becerra will inherit a very important task as they are trying to map out the response to the coronavirus pandemic, including what vaccine distributions will look like in the coming months.
Now, Biden is expected to name other members of his health team as well this week. The president-elect making it very clear that tackling this pandemic is a top priority. Laura and Boris?
SANCHEZ: Well, thanks so much, Arlette. The president's personal attorney, Rudy Giuliani is in Georgetown University Hospital this morning battling coronavirus. The 76-year-old former mayor of New York says he is getting great care and feeling good. Giuliani has been criss-crossing the country to battleground states, leading the president's desperate and quixotic legal battle to contest the election. He's repeatedly disregarded public health guidelines, appearing without a mask in state capitals, hotel ball looms, at indoor news conferences in Georgia, Michigan and Arizona. The campaign says that Giuliani did not experience any symptoms until two days after his return.
JARRETT: Also new this morning, Attorney General Bill Barr is considering leaving his post before President Trump leaves office. Barr has been a staunch defender of this president, but a source now tells CNN, Barr is not happy with Trump, and is quote, "not someone who takes bullying and turns the other cheek". We're told the Attorney General has not made a final decision on leaving early. CNN reported last week that Barr and the president had a contentious meeting after the AG said that the Justice Department found no evidence of fraud that would change the election results.
SANCHEZ: A contentious showdown in Georgia. Candidates for Senate runoffs tangling over policy and the president. Details after a quick break.
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SANCHEZ: Welcome back. Georgia residents have until the end of the day to register to vote for next month's decisive Senate runoffs. President Trump setting the table for the next four weeks, with a rally in the state over the weekend, his baseless grievances about election fraud were the key backdrop for last night's debate between two of the Senate candidates that previewed out how the next month may play. CNN's Ryan Nobles has more.
RYAN NOBLES, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Boris and Laura, there was a lot of anticipation for this debate on Sunday night in part because it was the first time that Kelly Loeffler and Raphael Warnock appeared in a forum when it was just the two of them head-to-head as they emerged in this runoff election. And it played out much of the way we expected it to. Raphael Warnock attacking Loeffler for those convenient stock trades that she made shortly after becoming United States senator at the beginning of the coronavirus pandemic, and Loeffler hammering Warnock, calling him a radical liberal over and over again.
But perhaps, the most revealing thing from this debate on Sunday night was Kelly Loeffler's difficult position. That position is attempting to somewhat embrace President Trump's attempts to overturn the results of the election while at the same time not leaning completely into the situation. Take a look at how she handled this particular issue on Sunday.
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UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Senator, do you believe the election was rigged?
SEN. KELLY LOEFFLER (R-GA): Look, Greg, it's very clear that there were issues in this election. There are 250 investigations open, including an investigation into one of my opponent's organizations, you know, for voter fraud. And we have to make sure that Georgians trust this process because of what's at stake in this election. You know, the promise that Chuck Schumer made was to fundamentally change America, and I'm making sure that we don't go down the road of socialism.
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NOBLES: And Loeffler was asked multiple times whether or not she believes President Trump won or lost the election, and she flat-out just did not answer the question. Warnock had moments where he deflected questions as well. He would not say whether or not he supports adding more justices to the Supreme Court. Now, this was seen by wide audience, it was broadcast across the state of Georgia and across the country as it was on CNN because so much is at stake. The Republicans need to win at least one of these two runoffs in order to retain control of the Senate majority. Boris and Laura?
JARRETT: All right, Ryan, thank you for that. Democratic Senator Mark Warner of Virginia says a proposal for a new coronavirus stimulus package could come within hours. Warner is among a bipartisan group of senators working on a desperately needed compromise bill.
[05:15:00]
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SEN. MARK WARNER (D-VA): It's $908 billion that will give targeted relief for the unemployed, for people in food and security, rental assistance, small businesses that have run out of their PPP funds, we put additional funds, particularly to those minority businesses that have been extraordinarily hard hit.
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JARRETT: Sources close to the talk say two key issues remain unresolved right now. Republicans want to shield businesses from COVID-related lawsuits, and Democrats are demanding more funding from state and local governments. Now, a new stimulus plan is critical heading into Winter. The U.S. added half as many jobs as expected last month. Unemployment remains stubbornly high for low-wage workers, and small businesses are closing at a higher rate. Nearly three in ten small businesses in the United States have closed since January.
SANCHEZ: The pandemic putting America's top college basketball team on the bench. We'll explain in your "BLEACHER REPORT", next.
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[05:20:00]
JARRETT: The New York Jets remain winless after an epic collapse against the Raiders. Andy Scholes has more in this morning's "BLEACHER REPORT". Hey, Andy, where do you stand on this?
ANDY SCHOLES, CNN SPORTS REPORTER: Well, so, Laura, the Jets don't want to be the third team ever to go 0 and 16 on the season. But you know, the silver-lining for their fans is right now, they're still in line for that first overall pick with this clutch loss that they had yesterday. So, the Jets were up 4 with just 5 seconds left to go in this game. And for some reason, they set the blitz and play one-on-one with the receivers and Derek Carr gets it off, and as you can see, hits Henry Ruggs, just a perfectly placed TD fall.
The Jets lose in epic fashion, falling to 0-12 on the season, 31-28, the final there. Now, while the Jets continue to stumble, the Giants are surging, in Seattle yesterday, watch Seahawks receiver DK Metcalf's 6 foot 3, 230 pounds, he's just going to start throwing people out of his way. But that play, you know, it happened, but the Giants able to really keep Russell Wilson in check all day long. And your first place Giants able to win this one, 17-12, their fourth win in a row. And there was another tough day for Bears fans.
The Bears had the ball and chance to run out the clock, but Mitch Trubisky sacked and fumbled on his own 17-yard line, Adrian Peterson able to run in his second touchdown as the Lions shocked the Bears 34- 30. The Texans meanwhile on their 2-yard line with a minute and a half to go, a touchdown, an extra point would win the game, but Deshaun Watson just fumbles that ball, Colts jump on it. They shock the Texans, winning 26-20. Chiefs and Broncos, Sunday night football, Patrick Mahomes going to find Travis Kelce for the touchdown. Gives the Chiefs the lead for good. They squeak by the Broncos 22-16.
They clinch the playoff spot for the sixth consecutive season. And the Saints also punching their tickets in the playoffs for the fourth straight year after beating the Falcons, 21-16. Taysom Hill, two touchdowns, filling in for the injured Drew Brees. The Saints are now 8-0 playing without Brees the last two seasons. All right, men's hoops, top-ranked Gonzaga pausing all men's basketball activities for the next week due to COVID-19 protocols. The Zags cancelled their game against number two Baylor on Saturday after one player and a staff members tested positive for the virus. The decision wipes out the next four games on the Bulldogs schedule. Gonzaga's next game now against third-ranked Iowa on December 19th.
All right, the new NBA season tips off in just a couple of weeks. And while the players won't be in a bubble, they will have to follow a new set of rules. According to the new health and safety guidelines obtained by CNN, players and staff are banned from going to bars and clubs or attending large gatherings. During road trips, teams will only be permitted to leave hotels if they're going to be eating outdoors or in private rooms at restaurants. Potential punishments ranked from warnings to fines and suspensions. Pre-season game set to tip off at the end of the week. And you know, Boris, we all know the bubble was such a great success. It's going to be interesting to see how the NBA does when they're traveling from city to city, especially during the Winter.
SANCHEZ: Yes, Adam Silver and company definitely have their work cut out for them. Really quick, Andy, I want to go back to that Jets collapse. I love the fact that you called it a clutch loss, that says it all right there. Andy Scholes --
SCHOLES: Yes, four games left to go, they got the first pick right now. Trevor Lawrence.
SANCHEZ: There you go. There you go, Andy Scholes with this morning's "BLEACHER REPORT" --
SCHOLES: All right --
SANCHEZ: Thanks so much, Andy, great to see you.
SCHOLES: All right, good to see you.
SANCHEZ: The number 23 jersey still breaking records, but it doesn't belong to Michael Jordan or LeBron James. Barack Obama's high school basketball jersey shattering a record at auction, the 1978, 1979, number 23 jersey from the Punahou School in Honolulu selling for $192,000. That broke a record previously set by LeBron James whose St. Vincent, St. Mary's jersey from 2002 sold for $187,500 last year.
JARRETT: Well, still ahead for you, 10 percent of the U.S. population waking up under new stay-at-home orders. All of them in one state. We'll tell you who President-elect Biden is turning to, to lead the Department of Health through this pandemic.
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DEBORAH BIRX, CORONAVIRUS RESPONSE COORDINATOR, WHITE HOUSE CORONAVIRUS TASKFORCE: The vaccine is critical, but it's not going to save us from this current surge. Only we can save us from this current surge.
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SANCHEZ: Good morning, this is EARLY START, and we are covering the world the way only CNN can. We have reports this morning from L.A., New York, Wilmington, Philadelphia, Tehran, London, Jerusalem and Berlin. I'm Boris Sanchez in for Christine Romans.
JARRETT: Great to have you, Boris.
SANCHEZ: Thank you, Laura.
JARRETT: I'm Laura Jarrett, about 29 minutes past the hour here in New York, and we begin this half an hour with breaking news overnight. We have learned some of the key players President-elect Biden will lean on to address.
