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Early Start with John Berman and Zoraida Sambolin

FDA To Move Quickly On Emergency Authorization Of Second Vaccine; Trump Disengaged As Pandemic Worsens And Vaccines Roll Out; Anti-Vaxxers Threaten Vaccine Rollout In Europe. Aired 5:30-6a ET

Aired December 18, 2020 - 05:30   ET

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


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[05:32:07]

CHRISTINE ROMANS, CNN ANCHOR: Good Friday morning, this is EARLY START. I'm Christine Romans.

LAURA JARRETT, CNN ANCHOR: And I'm Laura Jarrett, about 31 minutes past the hour here in New York.

And a second COVID vaccine is now perhaps days or hours away from clearance. FDA officials say they will move ahead quickly with emergency authorization for the new vaccine from Moderna after the agency's vaccine advisory panel recommended it unanimously.

Overnight, another crushing number of deaths reported here in the U.S. Nearly 3,300 more American families are now grieving.

CNN's Alexandra Field has the latest.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ALEXANDRA FIELD, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Moderna's vaccine could now be just days away from reaching Americans. An FDA advisory panel is recommending authorization of what would be the nation's second COVID vaccine.

The panel heard accounts from scientists, doctors, and people who survived COVID.

DR. DOUGLAS DIETERICH, PROFESSOR OF MEDICINE AND LIVER DISEASE, MOUNT SINAI HOSPITAL: There's a lot of long-term effects of COVID. After I was at home for a few months, I developed some severe atrial arrhythmias. When they subsided, I developed severe hypertension, which I'm still battling.

FIELD (voice-over): It comes just a day after one of the darkest in our history -- the pandemic at its all-time worst.

DANIEL TREVINO, SIBLINGS DIED FROM COVID-19: One minute they're OK -- you're talking to them -- you know, on Facetime. Then all of a sudden you have to Facetime them again and they talk to you, and they're hooked up to, like, six different machines with tubes going down their bodies. And then that's the last image you're going to have of your loved one.

DR. CARLOS DEL RIO, EXECUTIVE ASSOCIATE DEAN, EMORY UNIVERSITY SCHOOL OF MEDICINE: We're just now seeing people doing the implementation necessary to stem the tide of this virus right now.

FIELD (voice-over): A new CDC forecast adds tens of thousands more deaths to predictions for the next few weeks -- as many as 391,000 by January ninth.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: So these patients, when they are dying, they are alone.

FIELD (voice-over): Nevada and five other states hitting a record high for deaths reported in a single day.

The White House COVID task force says the fall surge is merging with the post-Thanksgiving surge to create a winter surge with the most rapid increase in cases yet.

Tennessee now among the states with the fastest spread of the virus.

GOV. BILL LEE (R), TENNESSEE: One thing that this vaccine will not solve, one thing that it will not cure is selfishness or indifference to what's happening to our neighbors around us.

FIELD (voice-over): The rollout of Pfizer's vaccine, the first to hit the market, continues across the country. A shipping error forced New Mexico to throw out 75 doses that shipped at the wrong temperature. But pharmacists also say they're finding some vials of the Pfizer vaccines have extra doses.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I'm getting ready for the vaccine.

FIELD (voice-over): A bit of a boost as certain states learn they're getting less for now than what they expected, Iowa says it's working with federal partners to figure out why they're receiving as much as 30 percent less than what they planned for.

FIELD (on camera): The states will be learning on a weekly basis about how large the next weeks' shipments will be, which means that they will have to plan and perhaps adjust their plans in some cases.

[05:35:04]

We're also now learning that if the Moderna vaccine gets its emergency use authorization, it could start sending out its shipments of the vaccine almost right away. That means the federal government would plan to send out about 7.9 million doses of vaccine next week -- 5.9 million from Moderna, and another two million from Pfizer.

In New York, Alexandra Field, CNN.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

JARRETT: Alexandra, thank you for that. So, the coronavirus vaccines are ready but there is still some skepticism in minority communities. What will it take to build trust in the science? Dr. Anthony Fauci and Surgeon General Jerome Adams join Don Lemon and Dr. Sanjay Gupta for a new town hall, "THE COLOR OF COVID: THE VACCINES," tonight at 10:00 p.m. eastern only on CNN.

ROMANS: All right. Later this morning, at 8:00 eastern, Vice President Mike Pence and his wife Karen will be vaccinated live on- camera. That will make the vice president the highest-ranking member of the government to be inoculated.

A White House official tells CNN President Trump will not be getting a coronavirus vaccination until it's recommended by the White House medical team.

CNN's Kaitlan Collins has more from the White House.

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KAITLAN COLLINS, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT (on camera): Good morning, Christine and Laura.

President Trump has been basically absent all week. This is part of this larger pattern that we've seen since he lost the election -- of course, back in November, six weeks ago -- where the president has instead of his usual demeanor has strayed from the public eye and refused to answer reporters' questions on a regular basis like he's spent the last four years doing.

And this comes, of course, as this vaccine rollout is happening -- something the president was tweeting about yesterday, saying that they are getting great reviews for the vaccine rollout. And as he normally does, he's viewing this through the lens of the coverage. How are other people seeing it is how the president is seeing it.

But what he's not doing is what some officials wish he would, which is partake more in this public education campaign of the vaccine to get people, including his own supporters, to take the vaccine.

And instead, we're seeing that role fall to the vice president, Mike Pence, of course, who is the head of the coronavirus task force. And he, in just a few hours, is going to actually get the vaccine on- camera alongside the first lady -- or excuse me, the second lady Karen Pence and the surgeon general, Jerome Adams, at the White House.

And so, you are seeing that message come from some people in the administration, but there are people who believe it should be the president leading this effort. But as one who has largely downplayed the pandemic all of these months and lately has not mentioned these skyrocketing hospitalization rates or death rates, it doesn't come as a surprise to some people that the president is not taking a larger role in this.

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JARRETT: Kaitlan Collins, thank you so much for that. This week alone, more than 15,000 Americans have died due to coronavirus and the week is not even over yet. It's hard to really get your head around the scale of these numbers and President-elect Biden spoke about the scale of the loss last night with Stephen Colbert.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JOE BIDEN, PRESIDENT-ELECT: Think of all the people this Christmas who are going to sit at a table with an empty chair across the table -- a son, a daughter, a mom, a dad -- somebody. And as you know -- and I'm not being solicitous -- you know that people want to know people who have been through it and can I make it? Can I make it? And what you and I talked about is that I think empathy is a critically important thing.

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JARRETT: Meanwhile, Biden continues to round out his cabinet. CNN's Jeff Zeleny has more now.

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JEFF ZELENY, CNN SENIOR WASHINGTON CORRESPONDENT (on camera): Christine and Laura, one week before Christmas and President-elect Biden is still trying to make good on that goal of filling all or most of his cabinet before the holidays. Now, he's getting closer but still has several key positions.

But on Saturday, here in Wilmington, he's going to roll out his climate team, including two members we learned about on Thursday. That is interior secretary nominee -- the New Mexico congresswoman, Deb Haaland. If confirmed by the Senate, she would be the first Native American to serve in a U.S. president's cabinet.

Also naming the EPA administration, Michael Regan. He is from North Carolina and heads the environmental agency there.

So with those two positions, as well as the energy secretary -- that, of course, is former Michigan governor, Jennifer Granholm -- and the White House climate coordinator, former EPA administrator Gina McCarthy, those are going to be announced here in Wilmington on Saturday.

But that still leaves, heading into next week, big questions about key spots like attorney general. We are told that Mr. Biden is still working through this. Two of the leading contenders, Judge Merrick Garland, of course, was President Obama's nominee to the Supreme Court who was blocked by the Senate, as well as outgoing Alabama senator, Doug Jones.

We are still expecting an announcement for attorney general next week as well, as possibly the CIA director and other nominees.

But clearly now, going into this weekend and into the holiday, still some work in filling that cabinet -- Laura and Christine.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

ROMANS: All right, Jeff. Thank you so much for that.

Thirty-three days until Joe Biden's inauguration. Time for three questions in three minutes. Let's bring in "Daily Beast" Washington bureau chief Jackie Kucinich, a CNN political analyst. Good Friday morning to you.

[05:40:08]

You know, we heard President-elect Biden last night talking to Stephen Colbert about the pandemic, about empathy, loss, grieving, and getting through dark times together. Listen to a bit of that.

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BIDEN: We're going to get through this. It's going to be hell. And by the way, we're going to lose a lot more people.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ROMANS: At the same time, we've heard next to nothing from President Trump as thousands of Americans die every day. You know, you have Joe Biden talking about empathy and Donald Trump tweeting about record highs in the stock market. For somebody who's fighting like hell to keep his job, is President Trump doing his job?

JACKIE KUCINICH, CNN POLITICAL ANALYST, WASHINGTON BUREAU CHIEF, THE DAILY BEAST: You know, not only is he tweeting about the stock market, they're having parties at the White House, parties at various government agencies where people are gathering in one place, which is exactly what you're not supposed to do.

But you're absolutely right, it is -- it is curious the president is fighting so hard. It's more about winning. It's more about not being the big L word -- the loser, or seemingly to this president -- than it is about actually leading this country. And at a time when people really need what Joe Biden is saying in terms of someone to be empathetic. At a time where so many people in this country are suffering.

JARRETT: Jackie, Biden has filled out most of his cabinet now. But the attorney general post -- something so important, obviously -- still up in the air. Sources are telling us that Judge Merrick Garland on the D.C. circuit is in contention but that, of course, comes with enormous -- an enormous risk --

KUCINICH: Yes.

JARRETT: -- if he was to give up that coveted spot and for whatever reason, the Democrats don't take back the Senate.

How is this all going to work? What are you hearing from sources?

KUCINICH: You know, you're absolutely right. If you remove Merrick Garland -- there's nothing Mitch McConnell likes to do more than fill judgeships, right, as we've seen over the -- over the past four years. It's basically his favorite thing.

So if you still have a Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, that's a huge risk when you have someone like Doug Jones who is closer to incoming President Biden than Merrick Garland, someone who has a civil rights background that a lot of Biden's black supporters have demanded -- the leaders in that community -- that is having that background.

They're really weighing on those two -- a lot of different options at this point. We'll have to see. It looks like it's coming soon but there is a deadline and that is mid-January.

ROMANS: Yes.

Speaking of deadlines, I mean, one of the searing images I think of 2020, Jackie, is going to be the modern-day food lines -- bread lines in America.

KUCINICH: Right.

ROMANS: This is San Antonio this week. We've seen this play out across the country. In my own town last week, I saw a line that must have been a half a mile long with people lined up to get a box of food and to go through a rack of secondhand coats.

This is the United States of America, the biggest economy --

KUCINICH: Right.

ROMANS: -- in the world and this pandemic has laid bare how thin this whole prosperity was for so many people.

Why can't they figure that out in Washington and get a stimulus deal, too? I know they've got these battle lines drawn. I know -- I always hear don't let the perfect be the enemy of the good. I mean, that is cold comfort for people in those food lines.

KUCINICH: You know, Christine, I heard you talking about this yesterday as well. It is preposterous. This is their job. They get to go home to homes. A lot of people won't have that luxury very soon now because of these safety nets running out.

And it really is -- it is -- it's a question I wish I had an answer to because it makes absolutely no sense. And the fact that they're doing this so close to deadlines, so close to when these programs are running out, it's unconscionable and they should do their jobs.

JARRETT: It always seems like they run up until the very last second and then finally --

KUCINICH: Yes.

JARRETT: -- reach a deal.

Query why this couldn't have been done weeks ago but we'll wait and see.

KUCINICH: Months ago.

JARRETT: Months ago.

KUCINICH: Right.

ROMANS: There was a -- there was a bill that passed the House all the way back in May -- in May. I mean --

KUCINICH: You're absolutely right.

ROMANS: -- they had plenty of time to figure this out. It's just -- it really is congressional malpractice. I mean, I just think there's no doubt about that.

KUCINICH: Yes.

ROMANS: Jackie Kucinich, CNN political analyst. Have a great weekend -- thank you.

JARRETT: Thanks, Jackie -- appreciate it.

KUCINICH: Thank you.

JARRETT: Still ahead for you, health officials in Europe aren't just fighting the virus, they're battling skepticism over the vaccine, too. We're live in Paris, next.

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[05:49:03]

JARRETT: A vaccine rollout begins in Europe in nine days and with infections rising and restrictions tightening across the continent, you would think Europeans would be more than ready to roll up their sleeves. Instead, leaders now face a new challenge convincing people to get the shots.

CNN's Melissa Bell has more.

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MELISSA BELL, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): With infection rates in France and other European countries out of control, hope is just around the corner with the E.U. to start its vaccination campaign on December 27th. But it may not be that easy.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Well, I think vaccination is a question of trust and this is why in Spain we are spending a lot of time and energy in building trust with the citizens.

BELL (voice-over): Hence this T.V. campaign to convince the reluctant, with polls showing only 41 percent of Spaniards currently intending to get the vaccine.

In Italy, the figure is just 52 percent. Authorities there going with a primrose-based commercial matched by primrose-shaped pavilions to attract people to where the vaccines will be dispensed.

[05:50:08]

BELL (on camera): Experts say that 70 percent of the population need either to have recovered from infection or to have been vaccinated for herd immunity to kick in. Now, as of early this month, only one in two people here in France said they were willing to get the vaccine, and that's something that's really repeated across the European Union. In fact, Europeans were amongst the most vaccine-skeptical on earth before the pandemic, and the pandemic doesn't appear to have changed that.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It has crystallized. It has made worse for the tensions between people. People are afraid. And when you're afraid, most of the time you get quite extremist.

BELL (voice-over): Across Europe, skepticism not only of vaccines but of governments, encouraged these last few months by populists and far- right parties. Also, by mistakes made by several governments early on in the pandemic.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: At the beginning of this year, all of us didn't know nothing about the virus. We, in that moment, didn't have any power, any know-how, any capability to fight with it. After some months, we are fully in power.

BELL (voice-over): But even though the vaccines that will soon be available in Europe have been tested, found to be effective, and found to be safe, skepticism goes deeper than you might think.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: That's something that we tend to forget is that doctors are actually not so different from the general public. A lot of them are hesitant.

BELL (voice-over): "It's Europe's moment," tweeted the president of the European Commission on Thursday to announce the start of the E.U.'s vaccination campaign. From December 27th, the first Europeans will be able to get vaccinated. The question is how many will choose to do so.

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BELL: It's a problem that really goes to the heart of the issues that the European Union had with approving these vaccines.

The European Medicines Agency, Laura, under pressure to bring forward its approval date for that Pfizer vaccine, but authorities knowing that they really have an uphill struggle when it comes to convincing people. Hence, the European Union's recommendations to its member states that they need to have big communication campaigns to try and convince those who are unconvinced for the time being to go ahead and get vaccinated these next few months, Laura.

JARRETT: Yes, it's an issue here in the U.S. as well. So important to confront that hesitancy.

All right, Melissa, thank you so much for that.

The king of Sweden condemning his country's handling of the coronavirus pandemic.

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KING CARL XIV, GUSTAF OF SWEDEN (through translator): Simply, I think that we have failed. Many people have died and that is horrible. That is something we can all sympathize with, that we haven't been able to help them. And it is very said -- terribly sad.

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JARRETT: Rare to hear the king speak out there.

Unlike many European countries, Sweden has avoided a full lockdown, instead relying on voluntary guidelines. The king's sharp criticism comes as nearly 8,000 people have died in Sweden, the highest in the Nordic region.

ROMANS: All right, let's get a check on CNN Business this Friday morning -- first, checking markets around the world. Europe has opened slightly higher. Asia closed down for the week.

On Wall Street, futures at this hour are also mixed here -- very narrowly mixed after stocks hit record highs Thursday. There was hope for federal funding overshadowing some grim employment numbers.

The Dow, S&P 500, and Nasdaq all closed at all-time highs, but those record highs highlight this historic disconnect between Wall Street and Main Street. Stocks hit fresh highs as 885,000 Americans filed for first-time unemployment benefits last week.

Look, U.S. hiring is slowing. Right now, more than 20.6 million people have applied for some form of unemployment. Fourteen million are receiving pandemic relief, which expires at the end of the year. This underscores the dire need for more stimulus.

There is one bright spot in the U.S. economy. It's the housing market -- real estate. One reason, record-low mortgage rates. The 30-year fixed-rate -- look at this number, 2.67 percent last week. This is an all-time low. People have refinanced like three and four times now.

Mortgage rates are tied to interest rates, which the Federal Reserve has kept near zero since March. Like most of the U.S. economy, the housing market stalled in March and April, but then pent-up demand meant big sales since then. And families are searching for more space as the pandemic drags on. Home prices at record highs in many parts of the country.

JARRETT: Finally this morning, go build a snowman. That's an official order from a West Virginia school superintendent this week ahead of the first snow day of the year.

Bondi Shay Gibson wrote in a letter a reminder of how fleeting a childhood can be. Quote, "For just a moment, we can all let go of all the worry of making up for the many things we missed by making sure this is one thing our kids won't lose this year." Gibson says, "So please enjoy a day of sledding, and hot chocolate, and cozy fires."

[05:55:02]

I think that snow day came in just the nick of time --

ROMANS: Yes.

JARRETT: -- for so many people just waiting for this year to be over.

ROMAN: I know. Let's all just enjoy the little -- the sweet little things of growing up, right?

Thanks for joining us, everybody. Have a great weekend. I'm Christine Romans.

JARRETT: I'm Laura Jarrett. "NEW DAY" is next.

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UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Health care workers overwhelmed by a record 114,000 patients now being treated in hospitals for COVID.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I think it can get a lot worse as you were saying. We're seeing an incredible surge and the hospitals are full.

FIELD: The rollout of Pfizer's vaccine continues across the country.

COLLINS: We're going to see the vice president get it alongside the second lady and alongside the surgeon general.