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Early Start with John Berman and Zoraida Sambolin

New COVID Variant Causes Countries to Shut Down Travel with the U.K.; First Doses of Moderna Vaccine Expected Today in the U.S.; U.S. Congress Reaches Deal on Stimulus Including Checks and Jobless Benefits. Aired 5-5:30a ET

Aired December 21, 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]

BORIS SANCHEZ, CO-ANCHOR, EARLY START: Good morning, welcome to our viewers in the United States and all around the world. This is EARLY START, I'm Boris Sanchez in for Christine Romans.

LAURA JARRETT, CO-ANCHOR, EARLY START: Great to have you in the chair all week, Boris.

SANCHEZ: Thank you, Laura, good morning.

JARRETT: I'm Laura Jarrett, it's Monday, December 21st, it's 5:00 a.m. here in New York. And we begin this morning with a new variant of coronavirus, it's said to spread faster than previous versions causing concern around the world. The epicenter, the United Kingdom. Just days before Christmas, a rapid series of travel cutoffs, reminiscent of the early days of this pandemic. More than 20 countries as far east as Hong Kong and across the Atlantic, including Canada and Argentina all shutting down air travel from the U.K.

SANCHEZ: Notably not on the list, though, is the United States. President Trump largely avoiding the topic of coronavirus all together these days, except to argue that he deserves more credit for developing a vaccine. Within the next hour, in the United Kingdom, Prime Minister Boris Johnson set to chair an emergency meeting. CNN's Nic Robertson is live this morning at 10 Downing Street. And Nic, Boris Johnson had promised to ease restrictions around the Christmas holiday, now getting a rude about face with this new variant of COVID- 19.

NIC ROBERTSON, CNN INTERNATIONAL DIPLOMATIC EDITOR: Yes, 16.4 million people in the country, that's about a third of England now all under what's called a tier 4 lockdown, and that is because of this new variant that the government says could be more transmissible by up to 70 percent more. The scientists here don't believe that it is any more deadly, just that it can transmit faster and more readily. The concern of course is that over time, a shorter space of time, that could diminish capacity in hospitals and that would have a knock-on health effect.

But the immediate effect for the cabinet session Boris Johnson is having today, this emergency session with government experts is to look at the impact of the fact that more than 20 countries have now banned travel from the U.K., most significantly across the channel to France, 20 percent of goods coming in and out of the U.K. go across those port crossings, they are blocked today, 6,000 trucks stacked up on the roads.

Roads being closed by the police and the county, leading to those port crossings, so the government trying to get his hands on what food stuffs, fresh food products, frozen food products coming from Europe can be affected, and to try to get a reassuring message to the British people that this is under control. At the same time, we know that this new variant is being started by U.S. Army scientists to ensure that it doesn't have an impact on the vaccines that are being used to treat this pandemic. At the moment, British officials are saying they don't believe that the new variant is any stronger, is any more resistant against the vaccines than what there already is.

SANCHEZ: Yes, and Nic, this really started to snowball after Johnson had to reverse course on the Christmas protocols, again, it set off quite a chain reaction.

ROBERTSON: Huge. There was a rush to the train stations for people to get out of the city, to get home to family around the country for Christmas, a rush to the airports for people to try to beat the travel restrictions, the government advise here was if you are living in a tier 4, which is much of the southeast of the country, including London, do not leave. Do not leave your home, do not travel to see relatives across the country. In Scotland, they're closing the border to England. You can't fly to Ireland right now. Either there's a question being discussed whether or not British citizens will be even able to fly to northern Ireland, part of the United Kingdom.

All of this coming just less than a week after the Prime Minister saying that people in the United Kingdom could share up to three households in one house for Christmas, that he wouldn't be cancelling Christmas. A complete U-turn, so that's unnerved people. You have the rush for people to leave the city.

The concerns now about the possibility of potential food shortages and all of that at a time when the United Kingdom is still trying to negotiate that elusive post-Brexit trade deal with the European Union that burst through another deadline yesterday. The European parliament saying there's no longer time to ratify it even if a deal can be found. The problems here, as you say, snowballing for this government, an emergency cabinet session soon.

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SANCHEZ: Yes, and Nick, it's not just that the holiday itself might be dark because there's this scramble and people might be separated. But it's also what comes down the line, right, about a month from now, when we start seeing these cases come to fruition. Nic Robertson reporting from London, thanks so much.

JARRETT: Back here in the U.S., the first vaccines from Moderna are expected to be given this morning. The first wave of the vaccine shipped out yesterday after the CDC granted emergency use authorization, avoiding some of the transportation challenges this time around, hopefully, as Moderna's vaccine does not need to be stored at super cold temperatures like the Pfizer vaccine, which has already been given to more than 550,000 people in the U.S. Now, between the two companies, the CDC predicts there will be enough to vaccinate 20 million people this month, and 30 million next month.

SANCHEZ: President-elect Joe Biden and his wife Jill will get their shots today, part of a push to overcome vaccine hesitancy. But governors in at least 14 states say they are not getting as much vaccine as they were promised. This weekend, officials with Operation Warp Speed did something rare in government in this day and age. They took responsibility.

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MONCEF SLAOUI, CHIEF SCIENTIFIC ADVISER, OPERATION WARP SPEED: We all made the error or mistake of assuming that vaccine that's actually produced and being released is already available for shipment when in fact there's a two-day lag.

GUSTAVE PERNA, CHIEF OPERATING OFFICER, OPERATION WARP SPEED: There is no problem with the process. There is no problem with the Pfizer vaccine. There is no problem with the Moderna vaccine, right? It was a planning error and I am responsible.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SANCHEZ: The CDC is now refining its list of who gets the vaccine next, recommending adults over 75 and frontline essential workers. That includes first responders, educators, food and agriculture, manufacturing, corrections, postal service, public transit, and grocery store workers.

JARRETT: The list notably does not include some companies that lobbied for quick access, including Instacart, Uber, Lyft and DoorDash. Getting vaccinated early could increase the comfort level for those workers and their customers that those companies have also fought not to classify their workers as employees which would give them full health benefits.

But help is finally on the way for millions of Americans that are struggling right now. Lawmakers finally reached a deal Sunday night on a $900 billion stimulus package. The full text of it hasn't been released, but here's what we know so far. The deal includes $600 checks for people making under $100,000, out of work Americans would also receive 11 more weeks of enhanced unemployment benefits at $300 a week.

However, note here, the stimulus checks and the unemployment benefits only half of what they were back in the Spring. Now, the bill would also reopen the Paycheck Protection Program, so some small businesses can apply for a second loan. There's also money to purchase and distribute vaccines and extend eviction protections that are set to expire at the end of the year.

SANCHEZ: Democratic leaders are framing this as a starter package. They're hoping that the Biden administration will pass an even larger bill later on. The need for help is real. The U.S. poverty rate just made the biggest jump in a single year since tracking started some 60 years ago. The number of Americans that don't have enough to eat and the number of Americans having trouble paying bills also on the rise. As far as what's not included in the deal, funding for state and local governments, money that would go to keep teachers, firefighters, police officers and other state workers on the job.

The stimulus plan is expected to be tied to a $1.4 trillion spending bill, and once all the paperwork is done, the president is expected to sign off on all of it. So, while all of that is happening on Capitol Hill, President Trump and his shrinking group of allies are taking their attempt to overturn the election into even more dangerous territory. CNN has learned that the President's Attorney Rudy Giuliani called the Department of Homeland Security to see if it was possible for them to seize voting machines.

He was told DHS doesn't have that authority, and just last night, Attorney Sidney Powell was spotted back at the White House. According to "The New York Times", she was pitching an executive order on seizing voting machines. All this while, there was a meeting last week that is causing alarm even amongst some of Trump's most loyal allies about what he might do in the next 30 days. Jeremy Diamond reports more on this from the White House.

JEREMY DIAMOND, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Good morning Laura and Boris. Less than one month to go until inauguration day, and yet, President Trump is continuing to refuse to accept the results of the 2020 election. And privately, he is continuing to look for ways to try and overturn the results of a democratic election which of course he lost, and lost quite resoundingly. Of course, we're told that the president on late Friday night had a meeting in the Oval Office with Sidney Powell, that controversial attorney who has been pushing.

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He's completely crazed and debunked conspiracy theories about the 2020 election as well as his disgraced former National Security adviser Michael Flynn. We're told that the president was discussing the possibility of naming Powell who has suggested that the CIA and that the late Venezuelan leader Hugo Chavez were somehow involved in rigging the 2020 election. That the president was discussing the possibility of naming her to a government position as a special counsel to investigate voter fraud -- allegations of voter fraud in the 2020 election.

The president was also discussing we're told the possibility raised last week by Michael Flynn about imposing martial law in several key battle ground states. Now, to be clear, there's no indication that the president is seriously contemplating imposing martial law, but just the fact that this was brought up in a meeting in the Oval Office with the president of the United States is remarkable in and of itself.

And in fact, some of these more outlandish ideas we're told brought up significant push-back from the White House Chief of Staff Mark Meadows as well as the White House counsel Pat Cipollone, so much so that sources described this meeting to us as quote, "ugly", saying that it devolved at times into a shouting match with Powell accusing some of these White House advisors of not pushing strong enough to push the president's claims and attempts to overturn the results of the election. Laura, Boris?

SANCHEZ: Jeremy Diamond, thank you for that reporting. Top officials are warning of long-term consequences if Russia is not held accountable for a major hack that hit at the core of the U.S. government. The Kremlin finally responding overnight. CNN is live in Moscow after a quick break. Stay with us.

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JARRETT: President Trump's term in the White House is ending the way it began, downplaying Russia's suspected role in a major intrusion on the United States. The only difference this time is he is leaving, and he has nothing obvious to gain from the fight, especially after his Secretary of State said this.

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MIKE POMPEO, SECRETARY OF STATE: I think it's the case that now we can say pretty clearly that it was the Russians that engaged in this activity.

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JARRETT: CNN's Fred Pleitgen is live for us in Moscow this morning. Fred, the Kremlin has just responded. What are they saying?

FREDERIK PLEITGEN, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Yes, they certainly have, and of course, one of the things we have been talking is of course the Kremlin, Laura, is watching all of this very closely, and they've now responded for the first time. This is the spokesman for Vladimir Putin, Dmitry Pekov. We asked him on a conference call and he said the following, I'm quoting right now, "this discussion definitely has nothing to do with us because Russia has nothing to do with such attacks and this attack in particular. We say that officially and decisively. Any accusations against Russia in this regard are baseless and are probably the continuation of blind Russophobia, which is being engaged in relation to any incident."

So, the kind of denials that we've heard really from the Kremlin in such incidents in the past as well. One of the other things that we asked the Kremlin's spokesman as well, Laura, is whether or not they believe that the U.S. is going to retaliate to this and how. The Kremlin said they believe that the White House has become very unpredictable. So, they say they simply don't know. But it seems as though in the U.S., there's not many who believe that President Trump will respond in a strong way especially after he tried to cast doubt on whether or not the Russians were behind this attack, saying he believed that it could be China, and he's receiving a lot of heat for that from senators from both sides of the aisle, let's listen in.

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SEN. MARK WARNER (D-VA): This is as broad and as deep as anything we've ever seen. And the idea that, that should go unanswered would be very bad American policy, and frankly, simply invite Russians or others to continue these kinds of malicious activities.

SEN. MITT ROMNEY (R-UT): The president has a blind spot when it comes to Russia, and so you can expect that that's the response that he would have. But when it comes to matters of intrusion into our cyber space, I frankly look to the experts.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

PLEITGEN: So, you have Mitt Romney there saying that President Trump as he put it has a blind spot when it comes to Russia, even some of the president's staunchest allies, Laura, are criticizing the way that President Trump is handling this. Lindsey Graham for instance, he was saying that he believes that it's a mistake for President trump to say that China was behind this attack, and not the Russians. And of course, one of the things that we've seen this morning is that, with all those discussions going on in the U.S., the Kremlin certainly is watching all of that very closely, Laura.

JARRETT: Yes, you have to believe that too. The real question is what the incoming administration, the Biden administration is going to do about this, given how massive the scope apparently was. Fred, thanks so much, appreciate it.

SANCHEZ: How can you have one win and 13 losses and still feel like you're winning. Only a New York Jets fan. The Jets finally scoring a win, but could this single victory actually hurt them in the long run. Your "BLEACHER REPORT" is next.

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SANCHEZ: The Kansas City Chiefs getting a huge win in New Orleans in what could be a preview of the Super Bowl. Carolyn Manno has more in this morning's "BLEACHER REPORT". Good morning, Carolyn, the Chiefs looking unstoppable.

CAROLYN MANNO, CNN SPORTS REPORTER: Yes, absolutely, and this was one of their toughest tests in a regular season. Good morning to you, Boris. This did not disappoint as the marquee matchup on the NFL slate this weekend. Patrick Mahomes and Drew Brees meeting for the very first time. It was a really physical contest as well. Brees back in the lineup after 11 broken ribs kept him out of the last four games. He struggled, completing only 15 of 34 passes. Patrick Mahomes brought the magic that we have come to expect, three touchdown passes including an off-balance throw in the corner of the end zone to Mecole Hardman. Perfect throw and credit Hardman for getting both feet down. Chiefs win it 32-29, their ninth straight victory. Kansas City has the league's best record at 13-1. Just an incredible catch.

For the first time in 358 days, New York Jets are winners. Hey, how about that, they were 17-point underdogs, but raced out to a 23 lead in L.A. against the Rams, they held on to win by 3. Good news is they won't be the third team in history to go 0-16. The bad news, they fall behind the Jaguars in the race for the number one pick in the NFL draft and a chance to take the Clemson quarterback Trevor Lawrence. Meantime, Tom Brady knows how to execute a big come-back over the Falcons even as a Buccaneer Tampa rallying after being down 24-7 late in the third quarter in Atlanta.

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Antonio Brown getting his first touchdown as a Buccaneer as well. A 46-yarder that proved to be the game winner as Tampa improved to 9-5. They're a game behind New Orleans in the NFC. South, Brady's old team, the New England Patriots won't be in the playoffs for the first time since 2008. Man, do they miss this guy, Tom Brady. Unfortunately, things just haven't gone their way, and the Dolphins running wild on New England's defense over the weekend, 250 yards rushing for Miami in the 22-12 win.

The Pats 11-year playoff streak, the longest in NFL history coming to an end. New England also failing to finish above 500 for the first time since 2000. So the good old days between Tom Brady and Bill Belichick are in the rear view mirror for sure. And the college football playoff is set, top-ranked Alabama going to play Notre Dame in the Rose Bowl which was new to Arlington, Texas over the weekend. Clemson and Ohio state squaring off in the Sugar Bowl, that is a rematch of last year's epic semifinals.

So both games set for new year's day. And Laura, the state of California denied the Rose Bowl's request for fans to attend, and that's why it was moved to Texas. Now, you're going to have 16,000 fans attending in Texas, and 3,000 in New Orleans at the Sugar Bowl.

JARRETT: All right, Carolyn, thanks so much, appreciate it. Well, an emergency meeting is about 30 minutes away over a new variant of coronavirus wreaking havoc in the U.K. and beyond. What it all means for the fight against the virus just days before Christmas.

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