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Early Start with John Berman and Zoraida Sambolin

GOP & Dems Optimistic They Can Make Deal on COVID Relief; More Vaccinations Today for Frontline Health Care Workers; Winter Storm Warnings Issued for Philly, NYC & Boston; Stanford Coach Tara VanDerveer Makes History. Aired 5-5:30a ET

Aired December 16, 2020 - 05:00   ET

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

[05:00:25]

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

LAURA JARRETT, CNN ANCHOR: And I'm Laura Jarrett. It's Wednesday, December 16th. It's 5:00 a.m. here in New York.

And with very little time left before a government shutdown on Friday, lawmakers on Capitol Hill are signaling they're close to a deal on a huge COVID-19 relief package for businesses and workers. After months of partisan finger-pointing, talks ended last night with both sides saying they are hopeful they could reach an agreement.

CNN's Manu Raju has the latest from Washington.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

MANU RAJU, CNN SENIOR CONGRESSIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Laura and Christine.

Perhaps a stimulus deal is finally in reach, providing relief to so many Americans who are hurting right now from the coronavirus pandemic after a marathon series meeting yesterday that extended late into the night, Republican leaders and Democratic leaders emerged talking very optimistically about getting a deal. Kevin McCarthy said they were very close. Mitch McConnell said I'm optimistic. Chuck Schumer said we are getting closer and exchanging papers and proposals that get to a final agreement.

Now, we don't have all the details yet because they didn't want to share the details as they were getting to the final stages of the negotiation. But this appears to be along the lines of what we've been hearing about for some time -- money for small businesses, perhaps up to $300 billion that had been one idea on the table, extension of jobless benefits, including $300 a week in jobless benefits that have been seriously considered. Money for vaccine distribution also, money for schools, education providers and helping with expiring business tax provisions also could be on the table.

Again, we will see the details. We do not have those yet. But when the leadership gets the deal, assuming they can, they'll have to unveil what they have, they have to get buy in of the respective caucuses in the House and the Senate, and they'll have to attach it to a must-pass spending bill that needs to keep the government open past this Friday.

So, they get this out immediately, get it to both chambers and hope that nobody slows down the process where any senator can certainly do that. And so, there probably will be some opposition because a lot of members have been pushing a number of ideas that are almost certainly not going to get into this proposal.

One idea that probably that's not getting here, state and federal aid was a sticking point, likely to have been abandoned in some way to get a deal here. Republicans also have been pushing for lawsuit protections, but that was almost certainly off the table as well.

So, we'll get a sense whether or not this is going to have enough legs to get through Congress, whether or not the president himself will get behind it. But at the moment, very optimistic signs, positive signs coming from Capitol Hill after months and months of bickering -- guys.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

ROMANS: All right. Manu, thanks for that.

You know, the stakes couldn't be higher. Millions of Americans need help and they needed it for months.

Families face hunger as they choose between paying bills and putting food on the table and I want you to look at these pictures. This is Texas. This is San Antonio. The San Antonio food bank, held a food drive Tuesday, to feed 11,000 families for the holidays.

This was the largest food bank drive the San Antonio food bank has ever hosted.

And we have seen images like this repeated across the country, time is literally running out to keep millions from falling off of a benefits cliff.

Here is what runs out between Christmas and New Year's -- expanded unemployment assistance, an eviction moratorium, extra paid family leave and a pause in student loan payments. Now, all of this coming to an end as job growth has slowed. First time unemployment claims are rising, as the pandemic devastates the labor market anew.

With New York City banning indoor dining again, many restaurants worry they will not survive, affecting many minority and low income workers. The stakes are very, very high here, as they argue in Washington, Laura.

JARRETT: And even as Pfizer's vaccine rolls out across the country, the signs of many more months of pain and heartache are all around us. More Americans are hospitalized with COVID-19 this morning, than ever before, nearly 113,000 people. That also inevitably means thousands more deaths, as we near Christmas and New Year's. Bells tolling at the National Cathedral there in Washington, for the

more than 300,000 who had already died from coronavirus. But Tuesday brought hopeful news as well.

The FDA gave emergency authorization for the first COVID-19 test that can be fully taken at home.

[05:05:02]

The over-the-counter antigen test is expected to cost just $30, and by the end of the week, the FDA could also give the green light to another vaccine, this one made by Moderna.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DR. MONCEF SLAOUI, CHIEF ADVISER, OPERATION WARP SPEED: Seeing very effective vaccine, again, 94.5 percent efficacy against disease, 100 percent efficacy against severe disease, which is really exciting.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

JARRETT: CNN's Omar Jimenez has more from Chicago on the vaccination already under way.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

OMAR JIMENEZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Christine and Laura, the vaccine distribution is only set to ramp up from here. Chicago specifically is already set to receive more than 23,000 doses in their initial allotment, and they like many other cities are looking ahead to the FDA Moderna emergency use authorization meeting, to see if that will then add into the vaccine that is already in distribution at this point.

Tuesday, we saw the first immunizations here in the city of Chicago, five front line health workers got that vaccine, again, they are in that 1-A designated group, the people who are at highest risk dealing with COVID-19. And we spoke to one of them, an emergency physician, who is now the first person in Chicago to receive the vaccine for COVID-19.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It's the light at the end of the tunnel. It's knowing that there's an end to this, that as we get more people immunized, maybe there's some semblance of us returning to normalcy, having our families, and big get-togethers.

JIMENEZ: And Chicago's commissioner of the city department of public health added this is the beginning of the end of their fight against COVID-19 and they still have a long way to go.

From here, she mentioned the doctor, who is the commissioner, mentioned by the second or third week of vaccinations, they expect this to expand to life care centers, not just for residents but staff as well, and they begin again, this long journey to returning to some semblance of normal, a fight that we are seeing play out in cities all across the country. A fight though now that seems to have momentum in the positive

direction -- Christine, Laura.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

ROMANS: OK. Omar, thank you so much for that.

Pete Buttigieg is President-elect Biden's pick for transportation secretary. The former mayor of South Bend, Indiana, will be introduced at an event in Delaware.

Mr. Biden is also expected to nominate former Michigan Governor Jennifer Granholm to lead the Department of Energy, and former EPA chief Gina McCarthy is his pick for White House climate czar.

The president-elect campaigning in Georgia yesterday ahead of those crucial runoffs next month, he called out the state's two Republican senators for supporting President Trump's bid to overturn the fair election.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JOE BIDEN (D), PRESIDENT-ELECT: Two Republican senators, fully embrace what Texans are telling the Supreme Court, they fully embrace nullifying nearly five million Georgia votes. You might want to remember that come January 5th. And I'll try to be generous here, in the spirit of the season. Maybe your senators were just confused. Maybe they think they represent Texas.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ROMANS: President-elect Biden's inauguration committee says his swearing in ceremony on January 20th will be scaled down and will include vigorous health and safety protocols.

JARRETT: Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell finally facing facts and acknowledging Joe Biden as president-elect 38 days after his victory.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SEN. MITCH MCCONNELL (R-KY), SENATE MAJORITY LEADER: The Electoral College has spoken. So, today, I want to congratulate President-elect Joe Biden, the president-elect is no stranger to the Senate, he's devoted himself to public service for many years.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

JARRETT: Biden also says that he personally heard from the majority leader.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BIDEN: I had a good conversation with Mitch McConnell today. We talked -- I called him to thank him for the congratulations. Told him although we disagree on a lot of things, let's see if we can work together on, we have always been respectful of one another and we agreed to get together sooner than later.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

JARRETT: Vice President-elect Kamala Harris however noted how long overdue the acknowledgment was.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SEN. KAMALA HARRIS (D-CA), VICE PRESIDENT-ELECT: I applaud Mitch McConnell for talking to Joe Biden today. You know, it would have been better if it were earlier, but it happened. And that's what's most important.

And so, let's move forward. Let's move forward. And where we can find common purpose and common ground, let's do that, let that be our priority.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

JARRETT: At the same time, the president is still egging on his supporters with denialism, saying in a tweet, quote, Mitch, 75 million votes, a record for a sitting president, by a lot, too soon to give up.

[05:10:01]

Republican Party must finally learn to fight. People are angry.

CNN reports that McConnell also asked his Senate colleagues not to stage any stunts when Congress meets on January 6th to ratify the election.

ROMANS: All right. Winter storm warnings now in effect across the Northeast, from Philadelphia to Boston, as major metro areas prepare for up to a foot of snow, with much heavier amounts possible further inland.

Meteorologist Pedram Javaheri has the latest forecast.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

PEDRAM JAVAHERI, AMS METEOROLOGIST: Christine and Laura, good morning, guys. Lots to get to today and really starts on an interesting note around the Northeast, because partly cloudy to mostly clear skies at sunrise around areas of New York City but, of course, changes dramatically into the afternoon and evening hours and you will notice upwards of 65 million of you underneath these winter weather alerts and stretches all the way down into the Appalachians.

We could see very strong winds with this also into the afternoon hours, at times up to 60-plus miles an hour for those gusts. And, of course, the snow is going to be of the heavy wet variety. So a lot of this plays a significant role in disruptions on the roadways, especially into the afternoon hours, where we think the snow really begins to intensify, and really after say 4:00, 5:00 p.m., as when we see the snow pick up in intensity. But notice, power outages could also be extensive because of this wet

snow type and of course, travel disruptions as well. But it moves out of here quickly, intensity peaks at around 7:00 p.m., through around 7:00 a.m., with the heaviest snow coming down into the overnight hours, and total accumulations for a lot of you, upwards of about a foot with Washington, possibly on the warmer end, getting less than that -- guys.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

JARRETT: All right. Pedram, thank you so much for that.

Still ahead for you, police near Houston say a failed scheme to try to prove voter fraud turned violent. We have that story for you, next.

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[05:15:52]

ROMANS: All right. Fifteen minutes past the hour.

A former Houston police captain was charged Tuesday, after running a man off the road, and holding him at gunpoint over false voter fraud claims. Police say Mark Anthony Aguirre (ph) told them he was paid by a private group called Liberty Center for God and Country. He told them he followed an unidentified man for four days believing the man was the mastermind of a giant voter fraud scheme with 750,000 fraudulent ballots in his truck.

The man was actually an air conditioning repairman whose truck was found full of only parts and tools. An officer who was nearby captured the incident on his own body camera. Houston police say an investigation found no evidence of voter fraud.

JARRETT: Really disturbing case there.

Well, the Trump Organization has been ordered to turn over documents related to a controversial property under investigation by the New York attorney general's office. The same court ruling comes as A.G.'s office investigates claims that the president and his associates inflated assets to obtain millions of dollars of tax benefits.

Now, the judge says the company can't rely on attorney client privilege to shield those documents from the state attorney general's office. The documents must be handed over by December 18th.

The Supreme Court siding with religious groups in Colorado and New Jersey that argued COVID restrictions on worship services violate religious liberties. It's the latest in a string of rulings against pandemic guidelines in recent weeks, and the cases highlight the impact of the court's newest member, Justice Amy Coney Barrett. Before her arrival, Chief Justice John Roberts ruled against houses of worship in similar disputes.

JARRETT: COVID-19 proved to be no match for one Minnesota woman who recently recovered from the virus at 107 years old. Tillie Dybing didn't just beat coronavirus. Tillie was almost five years old when the 1918 family flu pandemic hit the family farm in North Dakota. Both her parents got sick, but they survived. Tillie is also a cancer survivor. Just amazing what the human spirit can survive.

ROMANS: Good for her.

JARRETT: And on Saturday, join Anderson Cooper to learn how the U.S. defeated the 1918 pandemic. The new CNN special report, "Pandemic: How A Virus Changed the World in 1918" begins at 9:00 p.m.

ROMANS: All right. A trailblazer in college sports stands alone on top this morning. The "Bleacher Report" next.

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[05:22:42]

ROMANS: An historic moment for a women's college hoops coaching legend last night.

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

Hi, Andy.

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

So, Stanford head coach Tara VanDerveer passing the legendary Pat Summit as the winningest head coach in women's college basketball history. Coach VanDerveer getting her 1,099th career victory last night against Pacific. Her players rallying around and surprising her with a custom comfit with T-Dawg on the back. This is Coach VanDerveer's 35th year at Stanford. She's won two national titles, an Olympic gold medal. Now, she's the winningest coach in women's college basketball.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

TARA VANDERVEER, STANFORD COACH: You never go into coaching and I never thought I'm going to try to win a thousand games or anything like that. But, you know, this is special. I mean having, you know, currently the number one team, you know, being undefeated, playing in a pandemic, I will never forget this for sure.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SCHOLES: The Florida men's basketball team receiving good news about star Keyontae Johnson. The 21-year-old junior collapsed during the game on Saturday, he has been upgraded to stable condition at a Gainsville hospital according to his parents. Johnson breathing on his own now, even FaceTimed with his teammates yesterday.

All of this dreaming of the chance to sign Bucks star Giannis Antetokounmpo as a free agent, now, they're going to have to make other plans. The reigning back-to-back MVP signing the supermax extension, five-year $228 million to stay in Milwaukee. It's the largest deal in NBA history.

Giannis later tweeting, this is my home, this is my city. I'm blessed to be able to be a part of the Milwaukee Bucks for the next five years. Let's make these years count.

All right, finally in Toronto Raptors announcing they will be hosting fans this season in Tampa. That's the team's home for at least the first half of year, due to travel restrictions in Canada. The Raptors say they're allowed to have 3,000 to 4,000 fans at the games.

And, you know, Laura, it's certainly been quite the sports year for the city of Tampa. The Lightning won the Stanley Cup. The Rays went to the World Series. The Bucs have Tom Brady.

[05:25:00]

And now they have NBA basketball in the city for at least a few months.

JARRETT: That Giannis news is just incredible. Were you surprised by that? Did you think he was going to stay?

SCHOLES: You know, I like many people thought he was kind of, you know, 50/50, and I was surprised to see him do it yesterday. But good for him trying to stay in a city and you don't see NBA players hunker down and try to stay in a city and win a championship these days anymore. Good to see it.

JARRETT: Yeah.

All right. Good to see you, Andy. Thanks so much.

SCHOLES: All right.

JARRETT: Well, the bosses of some of America's biggest companies are giving President-elect Biden some business advice. What they're saying, next.

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