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Early Start with John Berman and Zoraida Sambolin

French President Emmanuel Macron Tests Positive for COVID; FDA Panel Meets Today to Consider Moderna Vaccine; Huge Snowstorm Slams East Coast; Congressional Leaders Near Agreement on $900 Billion Relief Bill; Trump's Attempt to Overturn Election Results Isn't Over; NFL Plans to Invite Health Care Workers to Super Bowl. Aired 5-5:30a ET

Aired December 17, 2020 - 05:00   ET

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


[05:00:29]

ANNOUNCER: This is CNN breaking news.

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

CHRISTINE ROMANS, CNN ANCHOR: And I'm Christine Romans. It is Thursday, December 17th. It is 5:00 a.m. in New York.

JARRETT: And we begin with the big breaking news this morning.

French President Emmanuel Macron has tested positive for coronavirus after showing symptoms.

CNN's Melissa Bell is live in Paris.

Melissa, nice to see you this morning. What more can you tell us?

MELISSA BELL, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Laura, for the time being, all we know from the Elysee Palace is the French president started to show symptoms. He was tested as a result, and he has now tested positive for COVID-19. The way the French rules were he's now going to isolate for seven days. Of course, by looking backwards at his timetable, we have an idea of the number of people he has met, not only French politicians and parliamentary members on Tuesday, the Portuguese prime minister yesterday as well who will therefore be a contact case.

Also, he had a cabinet meeting yesterday which means that essentially the entire French cabinet, all of its minister will have been in a room with the French president. So, an isolation period of seven days after which he'll be able to resume his activities -- Laura.

JARRETT: All right. Melissa, thank you so much for jumping on that for us.

ROMANS: OK. The U.S. could have a second coronavirus vaccine authorized for emergency use in just a matter of hours. The FDA vaccine advisory panel meets today to discuss and perhaps recommend clearance for Moderna's COVID vaccine, which is similar to the Pfizer BioNTech vaccine being rolled out.

The need grows more desperate by the day. The numbers tell the story. Overnight, a record 3,656 people were reported dead of the virus in the U.S. hospitalizations and new cases soaring.

Chief medical correspondent Dr. Sanjay Gupta has the latest on that Moderna vaccine for us.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

DR. SANJAY GUPTA, CNN CHIEF MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, Christine and Laura. People are learning more about FDA advisory committee meetings than I think they thought they would. This is the second one in as many weeks. This time, looking at the Moderna vaccine. Last week was the Pfizer vaccine, which got a pretty quick authorization after that FDA advisory committee meeting, and you know, people are expecting the same here.

We've looked at the data, the day that data that was released from the FDA, a summary report. The committee is looking at the raw data. They get granular, looking at individual patient records and ultimately making a recommendation.

Let me tell you a couple of things about the Moderna vaccine. First of all, it's two doses, just like the Pfizer vaccine, separated by 28 days. So one week extra. Remember, the Pfizer vaccine is separated by three weeks, Moderna by four weeks, and then after an additional two weeks, that's when you're thought of the immunity when it comes to the Moderna vaccine.

So, again, one dose, four weeks later, another dose. Two weeks after that is when you have the immunity, so a total of six weeks, and really high efficacy, close to 95 percent to be used in people 18 and over. Remember, we can put up the screens with both Pfizer and Moderna. Pfizer was for people 16 and ld older, Moderna 18 and older. The big difference is the cold storage, how cold you have to store these vaccines.

Moderna doesn't have to be quite as cold, and can be accommodated in regular traditional freezers, which may make distribution easier, especially the places that don't have the infrastructure for that cold storage. The meeting today, you know, typically, it's all day long. The advisory committee looking at all things, looking at the data, trying to figure out who should be taking this vaccine, should it be authorized and for whom, and also to what extent are there groups of people who should not be taking the vaccine.

You remember last time there was a question about whether it should be 18-year-olds with the Pfizer vaccine. What about pregnant women? What about those with preexisting allergies. These are likely questions that are going to come up again.

So if you put it all together, it's possible, Christine and Laura, that we could have another authorized vaccine, even tomorrow after this advisory committee meeting. Could happen on Friday. 200 million doses of the Moderna vaccine have been purchased by the United States government in addition to the 100 million from Pfizer. So, that's 300 million doses total, enough for 150 million people.

One other thing, the CDC also going to be meeting, talking about who's in line, if you will, who, what and where these vaccines will go. We know health care workers, long-term care facility residents were first in line.

[05:05:05]

What about next?

Essential workers, what exactly does that mean? What about people over a certain age with preexisting conditions. When are they going to get the vaccine? We're going to start getting increasing clarity on the recommendations from the CDC on that.

All states are sort of making their own decisions, but these are going to be important recommendations to hear. Busy day lined up today as details come into us, we'll certainly bring them to you -- Christine and Laura.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

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

Health centers are warning that COVID-19 centers need to be on the lookout and be ready for possible allergic reactions after a health care worker in Alaska had to be treated after receiving the new Pfizer vaccine. Within minutes, the unidentified worker suffered shortness of breath, and elevated heart rate and a rash and was treated with epinephrine, antihistamines and steroids.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DR. RICHARD BESSER, FORMER CDC DIRECTOR: My take away is the system worked. When you get vaccinated you should be observed for 15 minutes in case there is a reaction. It also shows, Wolf, that even after the FDA approves vaccines for use, there's a lot we still don't know. We're going to have to continue to monitor people.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

JARRETT: There were two earlier reported cases of allergic reactions both in Britain. The CDC says anyone who has had a severe allergic response to injectable medicine should avoid the Pfizer vaccine for now.

ROMANS: So, some pharmacists are reporting they can squeeze six or seven doses out of the each vial of Pfizer COVID vaccine which is meant to hold five doses. The vaccine is shipped as a frozen solution which is diluted with saline before it's injected. The FDA is looking into the matter. But in the meantime, given the public health emergency, its advice is to go ahead as long as each one is a full dose. JARRETT: A White House official tells CNN President Trump won't be

getting a coronavirus vaccination until it's recommended by the White House medical team. The president is still benefitting from the antibody cocktail he was given during his own recovery from COVID-19 back in the fall.

But President-elect Biden is really to roll up his sleeves. He's expected to get vaccinated early week.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JOE BIDEN (D), PRESIDENT-ELECT: We're working ongoing that right now. I want to make sure we're demonstrating to the American people it's safe to take. I'll be -- they are working on that plan right now and when I do it, I'll do it publicly and -- so you all can actually witness my getting it done.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

JARRETT: Vice President Mike Pence and Second Lady Karen Pence are scheduled to get vaccinated on camera tomorrow.

ROMANS: All right. A major snowstorm slamming several Northeastern states right this moment. Parts of New York really bearing the brunt of this here. A 27-car pile up on a bridge in New York City overnight. Six people went to the hospital, but no major injuries.

Two people were killed when 30 to 60 cars collided. My goodness, on Interstate 80 in Clinton County, Pennsylvania.

Let's check on conditions in New York City right now. CNN's Brynn Gingras is there.

I mean, it looks beautiful, but it is really disruptive. We're still in the thick of it, Brynn.

BRYNN GINGRAS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yeah, that's right, Christine, even more so than the snow falling that is still happening right now is the wind. We're getting major wind gusts that come by and it's really biting, especially because some of it is mixed with some ice. So people really got to be careful as they head out. I saw a lot of cars heading to our live location spinning out and getting stuck in the snow that hasn't been plowed yet.

If you can see, we're right near Central Park, and if I put my foot in the snow, we probably got about six to eight inches so far. It's still snowing out. It's possible we could get up to the foot that was expected in this part of New York City. Obviously, there are snow totals across the Northeast that are much more than that.

If there's anything good, Christine, to come of this pandemic, even the slightest bit is the fact that there are a lot of people working from home who have that capability. Obviously, not everybody but that is allowing cars to stay off the roads for the most part, plows to get by, get these roads cleared, get these conditions better for just getting around, and also, of course, schools, New York City school district is remote learning. No snow day for them.

But I can tell you, this is the first snowfall in quite a while, Christine, in this area. So people who have been snow starved are pretty happy about it, Christine.

ROMANS: Yeah, I'll say but still, I mean, it looks so pretty standing there, but I know it's hitting you hard in the face. It's not really a nice soft snow. There's a little bit of ice in there.

Brynn, nice to see you. Thank you, stay warm.

GINGRAS: Yeah.

JARRETT: CNN meteorologist Chad Myers joins us live with the latest on the storm forecast.

Chad, what more should we expect for the rest of the day?

CHAD MYERS, AMS METEOROLOGIST: Well, certainly, if you're Philadelphia, D.C., you're not going to see much more at all. But if you're still upstate New York, into parts of New England, it's going to be snowing for a lot of the afternoon, probably until about 4:00 for Boston. Binghamton, the winner at 30 inches of snow,

[05:10:00]

And things are going to continue here across parts of Binghamton, maybe even across parts of New Hampshire for the next couple of hours.

Here's the latest snow graphic, the heaviest purple here up from about (INAUDIBLE), all the way up towards Schenectady, and Albany and all the way towards Saratoga Springs. That's where the heaviest snow is now and you can begin to see now, it's out of New York City.

The reason why New York City didn't really pile up like it was supposed to, it mixed with sleet, and sleet doesn't pile up like snow does. That's why our numbers across parts of the metro area of New York City are somewhere in the six to 10-inch range. But still, we were forecasting somewhere between eight and 16, eight and 14. Is didn't work out that way.

Farther north into New Rochelle, farther north up into West Chester and those areas, they are still seeing snow and the numbers are right where they are. We'll have the latest numbers at 7:00 when the National Weather Service updates the snow numbers. We'll have those then. We'll update you where the snow is still going in about 30 minutes.

JARRETT: All right, Chad. Thanks so much. Appreciate it.

ROMANS: OK. So a deal is near. Congressional leaders say an agreement on a desperately needed coronavirus rescue package could pass the House and Senate within days. To get to the finish line, both sides are going to have to give up something that they want.

CNN's Manu Raju has more from Capitol Hill. (BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

MANU RAJU, CNN SENIOR CONGRESSIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Leaders of the United States Congress are closing in on a major deal after months of partisan bickering. Now they're talking object a proposal, roughly around $900 billion, and that is about half of what Democrats wanted. In fact, Democrats wanted more than $2 trillion. It's a fraction of what they had been pushing for.

Republicans had been asking for about $500 billion, about twice than what the lot of Republicans are willing to spend. But this compromise forced both sides to put aside things they have been pushing hard for.

Democrats are not gong to get money for state and local governments. They've been pushing for that. Also, the Republicans are not going to get lawsuit protections for businesses and others that opened during the pandemic.

We're getting a general sense of what is in this proposal, expecting a one time payment, direct payment to individuals of about $600. We're expecting there, but they're under a certain income threshold. Also, we're expecting about $300 a week in jobless benefits. Now both of those are about half of what was approved in the previous rescue package that was enacted back in March, but it's something that both sides at least appear to be agreeing on at this moment.

We expect $330 billion for small business loans that have been hit hard during this crisis, in addition to none for vaccines, potentially also we're expecting the extension of the federal eviction moratorium, as well as deferring student loan payments as well.

So, all of these proposals are going to be wrapped in to this major package, jamming it through Congress, within days, potentially by the end of the week, into next week or over the weekend here. Both sides recognizing they have to act now, and at the moment, it appears that they will.

Manu Raju, CNN, Capitol Hill.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

JARRETT: Manu, thank you for that.

President Trump is spending his final weeks in the White House focused on payback. That's next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[05:17:13]

ROMANS: And welcome back.

President Trump using his waning days in office to focus on payback. He's telling aides he wants to see two counsels, one to investigate baseless voter fraud claims, the other for allegations surrounding Hunter Biden. Sources say the president has raised the idea in meetings with

advisers and even asked for names of potential appointees, though only an attorney general is supposed to name on.

The president remains angry about special counsel Robert Mueller's investigation into ties between his campaign and Russia. Republican Senator Lindsey Graham says he thinks the special counsel is a good idea.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SEN. LINDSEY GRAHAM (R-SC): If you believe a special counsel is needed to look at the Trump world regarding Russia, how can you say that there's no need for a special counsel regarding Hunter Biden?

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ROMANS: Meantime, the White House is searching for allies and new strategies to nullify the election results following the president's loss this week in the Electoral College.

CNN's Jim Acosta has more.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JIM ACOSTA, CNN CHIEF WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Christine and Laura, President Trump and his team are not giving up on their efforts to overturn the election results as they're tracking a number of senators they can potentially turn to in a last ditch effort to keep the president in power when the electoral college results are tallied in Congress.

As one White House adviser told me, quote, I think you would be surprised as the president's team continues to see a solid number of Republican senators willing to upend the election results. President Trump is not alone in pushing baseless claims of election fraud. Top Republican lawmakers, including the chairman of the Senate Homeland Security Committee, Ron Johnson, are still spreading disinformation about the 2020 election, too.

Here's a clash between Senator Ron Johnson and Senator Gary Peters, a Democrat from Michigan, at a hearing yesterday.

SEN. RON JOHNSON (R-WI): We're not going to be able to just move on without bringing up these irregularities, examining them, and providing an explanation, and see where there are problems so we can correct it moving forward.

Senator Paul?

SEN. GARY PETERS (D-MI): Mr. Chairman, I got to respond to that. I mean, you're saying I'm putting out disinformation --

JOHNSON: Try it.

PETERS: Well, one I had nothing to do with this report. JOHNSON: You lied repeatedly -- you lied repeatedly in the press,

that I was spreading Russian disinformation, and that was an outright lie and I told you to stop lying and you continued to do it.

PETERS: Mr. Chairman, this is not about airing your grievances, I don't know what rabbit hole you're running down.

(CROSSTALK)

JOHNSON: Senator Paul?

PETERS: This is simply not what we're dealing with.

Mr. Chairman, you can't make false allegations and drop it there. That is why this committee needs to return back to --

(CROSSTALK)

JOHNSON: Senator Paul --

PETERS: This is -- this is terrible what you're doing to this committee.

ACOSTA: Now, the president did hold a cabinet meeting here at the White House yesterday, but a number of cabinet members were missing, including the attorney general, William Barr, as well as the acting defense secretary and the secretary of state -- Christine and Laura.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

JARRETT: Jim Acosta at the White House -- thank you for that.

[05:20:00]

President Trump's Mar-a-Lago neighbors say they don't want him living next door when his term ends. The neighbors sent a letter to the town of Palm Beach and the Secret Service Tuesday, complaining that the president would be violating a 1993 legal agreement that says the private club cannot be used as a full-time residence.

Now, all signs are clear that the president plans to move down there after his time at the White House, but the neighbors say he should find a new place to live. In their letter, they write, quote, Palm Beach has many lovely estates for sale, and we're confident President Trump will find one which meets his needs.

ROMANS: All right.

All right. Twenty minutes past the hour.

Te NFL has some super plans for front line health care workers. The "Bleacher Report" is next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[05:25:09] ROMANS: NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell wants to honor frontline workers in the fight against the coronavirus.

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

Good morning, Andy.

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

So, Roger Goodell says he wants to have as many fans as they can safely have at the Super Bowl in Tampa in February. And on a conference call yesterday, Goodell said he plans on inviting vaccinated doctors and nurses to the big game as a thank you for risking their lives to save others.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ROGER GOODELL, NFL COMMISSIONER: We all know these front line workers are true American heroes and we owe them our on going gratitude. We know we need to rely on them for months to come to distribute vaccines and continue to treat all of those that are ill from COVID and other illnesses.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SCHOLES: Now, Goodell says he hopes the gesture will promote vaccinations. The idea is still pending the approval of health care authorities.

The global pandemic is delaying Tennessee's first grand slam tournament of 2021 by three weeks. The Australian Open was set to start third week of January. Organizers have pushed it back to February 8th. Players have to quarantine for 14 days on arrival in Australia.

All right. Just two months after winning the NBA title, LeBron James and Anthony Davis back on the court for the Lakers last night. Superstars making their preseason debut against the Suns. The dynamic duo only played the first half. They combined for 21 points in the 112-107 victory.

The new NBA season tips off on Tuesday. You can watch LeBron and the Lakers take on Clippers on TNT opening night.

Rockets star James Harden finally breaking his silence amid rumors he wants to be traded. Harden was asked why he wasn't in Houston for the starting of training camp but seen in viral videos partying in Las Vegas and Atlanta, and I want you to listen to this great exchange between ESPN's Tim McMahon and Harden.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

TIM MCMAHON, ESPN: James, what was the point that you were trying to get across when you went to Atlanta and Vegas when training camp started? JAMES HARDEN, HOUSTON ROCKETS GUARD: I was just training.

MCMAHON: What were you training for?

HARDEN: The start of the NBA season.

MCMAHON: How did going to Atlanta and Vegas help you there when the Rockets were starting training camp in Houston?

HARDEN: Just my personal trainers.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SCHOLES: Well, there you go, Laura. Even if your team is getting ready for a season together but your personal trainer is in Vegas, I guess, you know, you got to go to Vegas.

But Harden did not directly address his trade request during his availability yesterday, so we'll have to wait and see what happens to him and the Rockets.

JARRETT: Very interesting response there.

All right. Andy, thanks so much. Appreciate it.

Well, the FDA could give the green light to a second coronavirus vaccine as soon as today. We have the very latest for you, next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)