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New Day

A Relief Package Has Finally Been Approved, The First New Stimulus Bill In Months; Mike Pompeo Announcing That He Is Pretty Sure The Russians Were Behind The Massive Cyberattack; A Russian Agent Sent Details To Alexei Navalny On How Navalny Was Poisoned; First Doses Of Moderna's Vaccine Is Expected To Be Administered Today. Aired 7:30-8a ET

Aired December 21, 2020 - 07:30   ET

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

[07:30:00]

JOHN BERMAN, CNN HOST: Relief package, the first new stimulus bill in months. Joining us now Congresswoman Abigail Spanberger, Democratic member from Virginia who helped develop the current bipartisan package. Thanks so much for being with us Congresswoman.

Just so people know what we think is part of this deal this morning, direct payments of up to $600 per adult and child for millions of Americans, it boosts unemployment benefits by $300 a week. There's some small business aid, some vaccine distribution aid and aid to schools.

How close is this to what you were hoping for?

REP. ABIGAIL SPANBERGER (D), VA: So, I was hoping for and worked on an effort to get a relief package months ago. I think the important components of the package that you've already laid out, support to vaccine distribution to ensure that we can distribute the vaccine across the country, support to those who are facing unemployment through extended unemployment and additional federal dollars.

Support to those who are facing hunger through food assistance programs and in my district our local food banks are estimating about increases of 40 percent increases in people who are utilizing assistance from food banks and food pantries. And support to those renters and who are facing challenges paying their rent. Rental assistance dollars to ensure that we avoid large scale evictions in the New Year.

The extended unemployment is incredibly important, because at this point an estimated 12 million Americans are going to loose their unemployment benefits the day after Christmas if we don't take action today. And then, of course, support to small businesses as employers through the Paycheck Protection Program.

I would have loved to have seen a bill that is a bit more substantial, but at this point this is what through bipartisan, bicameral efforts we were able to negotiate. About a month and a half ago, or September, sometime before that we had a proposed framework that was larger than this, but at this point in time in the immediacy of this crisis, this bill will deliver relief to Americans who are in dyer, dyer circumstances, but this really just the beginning of what needs to be done.

BERMAN: I sense some frustration in your voice there. You point out you were working on this months ago, when you were working on it months ago the price tag -- not the price tag -- the amount that Americans would see would be much higher, it was $1.3 trillion, $1.8 trillion. So, how frustrating is it that what you agreed on is much less than that now?

SPANBERGER: So, at this point in time it's all about the programs. It's all about what we're delivering for the American people. At this point we've got direct relief checks, some are calling survival checks of $600 and the proposal that we put forth in September it was more than that, it was the original $1,200 that we had seen in an earlier -- the Cares Act that we actually passed in the spring.

You know, my frustration is the fact that American -- the American people have been suffering, we have been contending with this crisis and its impact; there are kids who haven't been to school in close to a year. There are school districts that are adjusting and trying to bring kids back to the -- to school.

In my district there's an issue with broadband connectivity, there's billions of dollars to support broadband connectivity in this bill, but -- but frankly my frustration is for the fact that as we have seen people walk away from the negotiating table, come back to the negotiating table over and over and over again, there are families across this country who have been sitting at the kitchen table not knowing how they're going to pay the bills and not knowing how they're going to survive.

BERMAN: Does Democratic leadership bear some of the responsibility for the delay?

SPANBERGER: Everybody -- I mean everybody bears responsibility at this point. Every single one of us, regardless of -- of how engaged in the process people are or not, we -- from -- from the rafters we should all have been focused on delivering relief throughout the entirety of the summer.

But, despite my frustration that it has taken us this long, I am pleased that we have arrived at this point in time. It has been a lot of hard work to get an negotiated deal, and negotiated deal meaning one that we know will be voted on in the House and the Senate, that will pass and that will get to the president's desk and -- and do the most important thing, which is deliver relief to the American people.

BERMAN: Yes, and they knew (ph).

SPANBERGER: So, while it's something we should have done months ago, at this point there -- there should be some -- some -- some beginning of -- of a brighter future that we're all seeing together in this.

BERMAN: Let me -- you've got a background in intelligence, it was your day job before you came to Congress.

SPANBERGER: Yes, that's right.

BERMAN: Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, over the weekend, acknowledged that this huge hack on all kinds of American systems and agencies was likely the Russians and the Russians are to blame. Listen to the Secretary of State.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

[07:35:00]

MIKE POMPEO, UNITED STATES 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.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BERMAN: So, Mike Pompeo says that, on conservative radio no less, and then minutes later President Trump comes up with a tweet that basically throws shade on that and says, well, it's all overblown. It could be the Chinese, it could be somebody else. What's going on there? What message does that send to the rest of the world and why do you think the president has these feelings?

SPANBERGER: So, let's be clear about what this is. This is a substantial hack, an aggressive action against United -- the United States, our agencies, private companies, the implications and the scope of which we do not yet fully know. This is an incredible act of aggression.

And the president's behavior is utterly consistent with what we have seen from him when it comes to his willingness and his desire to defend Russia and Vladimir Putin over our own national security.

We saw it when he stood on stage in Helsinki with Putin and said no despite what all of the U.S. Intelligence Services are saying. Russia said they didn't hack our elections, so they didn't. They didn't hack the DNC, so they didn't. He defended Vladimir Putin in the face of indisputable intelligence.

And then over the summer we saw allegations that the Russian government was paying bounties for the murder of U.S. service members in Afghanistan and we did not see any efforts to denounce, any efforts to get to the bottom of these aggressive actions. And any efforts to stand up for service members already in harms way.

So, what we're seeing from this president defending Russia, trying to avert blame, say it was potentially China as he did in a tweet, it was all an effort, it's all consistent with his behavior to defend Russia at the expense of our country's security.

And as for Secretary Pompeo, he has been complicit over the past four years in our president's -- well excuse me, for the entirety of the time that he was at CIA and now State Department with the president's efforts to avert the blame from Russia. So, the fact that in the waning days of the Trump Administration we

see the Secretary of State doing a little bit perhaps of reimagining of his image in how it is that he chooses to talk about the incredible threat that Russia poses to the United States, through its continued assaults on our nation is I think at this point worth noting.

Certainly the fact that he's now willing to admit it, but what we really need to see and recognize is that when the Biden Administration comes in they will have to contend with the reality that four years Russia has gone unchecked as they aggressed against our country, as our intelligence services reported it widely and -- and we saw at the highest levels an unwillingness to counter, deter or hold them accountable.

BERMAN: Congresswoman Abigail Spanberger, I hope you get a break for Christmas after all of this. Thanks so much for being with us. Have a happy holiday.

SPANBERGER: Thank you John. Thank you. Thank you.

BERMAN: A widow shares the heartbreaking message she received from her husband just before he died of coronavirus. She joins us next.

[07:38:30]

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[07:42:60]

ERICA HILL, CNN HOST: A widow is sharing the beautiful, heartbreaking love letter her husband e-mailed to her from his hospital bed just before loosing his battle with coronavirus.

In his last words to his wife Billy Loredo wrote, if I make it through this I promise to be a better man in God, life and as a husband. If I don't make it I want you know that I lived a happy, wonderful life with you and would never have traded it for all the riches in the world. I also want you to be happy and continue to live your life without me with no regrets. We had our time and it was wonderful.

Joining me now is Billy's widow, Sonya Kypuors who joins us now. Sonya, I'm so sorry for your loss and I know those words probably feel hollow, but they -- they do come, they are heartfelt. He -- what an amazing man Billy seems to have been. I mean, just so full of love and care and joy. And so thoughtful when it came to other people.

SONYA KYPUROS, HUSBAND DIED OF CORONAVIRUS: That is exactly -- that's exactly who Billy was, the way that you described him is -- is how not only I have described him many times, but how many people describe Billy.

HILL: You were together for 22 years. I know you say he was really active and -- and healthy, and was really focused on doing all the right things to stay healthy and to keep the people around him healthy. So, I imagine it came as a big surprise when he realized he was sick. KYPUROS: Yes, I mean during this whole pandemic we've did everything we thought we were supposed to do and he was worried, he was really anxious about getting sick, so he took all the necessary precautions to stay away from people and not go to restaurants, not invite people over to the house, not have any type of festivities or gatherings or anything like that.

So, when he got sick it was like, oh God, really. And then it just, you know, kind of went downhill, you know, a week later after that. After he -- us getting -- contracting the virus.

[07:45:00]

HILL: And you -- you both tested positive. I know you didn't have nearly as many symptoms, but as you say, it went downhill pretty quickly and it really started around Thanksgiving. Walk us through what happened once Billy realized that this was really getting bad and he needed to go to the hospital.

KYPUROS: So a week after we got diagnosed was when the symptoms really kind of occurred and -- and it was really just overnight. Wednesday we were watching a movie, then Thursday 2:00 o'clock in the morning he wakes up and he says, Sonya, I can't breath. And I called his brother, who is a surgeon, in the middle of the night and I said, Pete, you know, do we need to go to the hospital?

We were -- we had like an -- one of those oximeter meters, so we were constantly checking our oxygen levels. His oxygen level was, I think, like in the high 80s. So, we decided yes we need to the hospital. And so I immediately took him to McAllen Medical and that was the last time I saw Billy, walking in to that hospital.

HILL: And you couldn't go in because you were positive with coronavirus?

KYPUROS: I couldn't go in because I myself was positive and they put him in a COVID unit so I couldn't see him the entire time that he was still alive and in the hospital.

HILL: You -- you were able to communicate, he had his phone there with him, as I understand, we shared part of that e-mail. It wasn't just e-mails though that he sent you, you could also do, I mean, you were -- you were seeing each other on video. What was -- what was that like for you, I mean I'm sure in some ways it brought a comfort, but it must be so difficult too, to see your partner in life, right, watching him in those moments.

KYPUROS: You just feel so helpless, because my strong -- you know -- Billy is just such a strong individual, not only like -- just -- and just mentally he was just really strong and -- and to see, you know, this strong person just all of a sudden have some anxiety and worry and -- and sometimes he -- he just didn't have enough air to sometimes even breath or talk to me, so he would text me, because I think that that was just easier for him.

And -- and he would text me, you know, about -- about his care, you know, you can please talk to the nurses about this because I felt like sometimes maybe they weren't, you know, always listening because they were in other crisis'.

So, I was constantly calling and -- and checking in on him and talking to them and -- and just advocating as much as I could for him, because I wasn't physically there. And that in it's -- in and of itself is so frustrating because you're calling and sometimes you're not getting answered because they're dealing with other crisis'. And so, that was just difficult.

HILL: I know you were -- you were able to be there on the phone and the doctors were with him as he passed, an incredibly tough moment. Sonya, thank you for taking the time to not only share your experience, but to share some of your husband with all of us, because he seems like just a truly remarkable man and I hope that these memories will bring you some comfort in the time ahead.

KYPUROS: Thank you.

[07:48:50]

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[07:53:30]

BERMAN: All right, breaking news, listen to this. A Russian agent sent detail Opposition Leader Alexei Navalny, Russian Opposition Leader Alexei Navalny has accidently revealed how Navalny was poisoned in August.

The agent, a member of an exile elite toxins team in Russia's FSB Security Service said the legal nerve agent Novichok was planted in Navalny's underwear. Last week as CNN-Bellingcat investigation revealed that the unit trailed Navalny for more than three years.

Clarissa Ward who broke this story joins us now with the details. Clarissa I mangled that a little bit, I think this is a big deal. The big deal here is -- is that this Russian agent was tricked into revealing how the poisoned Navalny, right?

CLARISSA WARD, CNN CHIEF INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Yes, I mean every once in while you come across a story, John, that really leaves your jaw wide open, and this is one of them. Essentially what happened is that Alexei Navalny called this Russian FSB operative who was part of this elite toxins team that was trailing Navalny for years, they had expertise in chemical weapons.

He called him and he pretended that he was a member of the National Security Council carrying out an investigation into how the poisoning operation had gone down. And quite frankly shockingly the operative, who he spoke to, Konstantin Kudryavtsev who himself graduated from the University of Chemical -- Russian Academy of Chemical Defense, he actually spills the beans to Navalny. He falls for it and he gives some extraordinary details, John.

[07:55:05] He talks about how the Novichok was placed, where it was placed, apparently on the inside seams on the crotch area of Alexei Navalny's underwear. He also talks about his role in the whole operation, he was part of the, quote, clean-up team and he says that five days after Navalny was poisoned he traveled to the City of Omsk, you might remember Navalny's flight was diverted to the City of Omsk, that's where he landed and spent a couple of days in the hospital before he managed to go to Germany.

Well, this operative also went Omsk five days after the poisoning and spent days scrubbing the underwear and scrubbing the pants to make sure that there would be no traces of Novichock. And he also even offers some clues as to why it was that Navalny didn't die when it appears that that was the intention. Take a listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

KONSTANTIN KUDRYAVTSEV, RUSSIAN FSB OPERATIVE (through translator): If you'd had flown a little longer and perhaps would not have landed so quickly and all, perhaps it would have all gone differently, that is had it not it been for the prompt assistance of doctors or ambulances on the landing strip and so on.

ALEXEI NAVALNY, RUSSIAN OPPOSITION LEADER (through translator): The plane landed after 40 minutes. Basically this should have been taken into account while planning the operation. It wasn't that the plane landed instantly, they calculated the wrong dose, the probability, why?

KUDRYAVTSEV: Well, I can't say why. As I understand it we added a bit extra. So --

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WARD: I mean, just chilling words, John. We added a bit extra. Well despite that added dose Alexei Navalny is still alive and boy does this conversation punch a giant hole in the Kremlin's narrative, which has always been to say that, well, while the FSB might have been trailing Navalny that does not prove that they poisoned him.

Well, this certainly would appear to approve it and we have reached out to the Kremlin, we have reached out to Putin's spokesperson, we have reached out to Kudryavtseve, the operative on the phone during the conversation. None of them yet have gotten back to us with any reply.

Erica, John?

HILL: Yes, I guess I'm almost not surprised that they haven't gotten back. It is really -- I mean, Clarissa you're right, the whole time I'm listening my jaw is on the floor with this. It's amazing.

WARD: It is, it's absolutely extraordinary. It's hard to believe. You would think how on earth would Kudryavtseve have ever fall for this, how would he believe it? And I will say that at several times during the conversation he says things to the affect of, are you sure we should be talking about this on an open line. Another interesting detail is that Navalny was able to disguise his phone number to look like it was landline number from the FSB, from Russia Security Services.

But still, just a shocking conversation.

BERMAN: What's Alexei Navalny saying about this now, Clarissa?

WARD: Well, he said he was sort of going back and forth between being in absolute shock and also an absolute state of glee. Obviously he's delighted that he's finally getting the definitive proof that frankly we've never seen that the Russian Security Services were involved in this poisoning, but he also says, listen, don't hold your breath. He does not expect to see President Vladimir Putin open a criminal investigation into this issue.

BERMAN: Clarissa Ward, this is bonkers. Thank you for bringing this to us this morning. Let's find out much more about this. I have a feeling we're going to be hearing a lot more of this over the course of the day. Thanks so much.

New Day continues right now.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: This is New Day, with Alisyn Camerota and John Berman.

BERMAN: All right, welcome to our viewers in the United States and all around the world. This is New Day. Alisyn is off. Erica Hill with me this morning. A lot going on.

HILL: It is a busy Monday of a holiday week.

BERMAN: The breaking news, an emergency meeting called in the United Kingdom where a new variant of coronavirus is spreading beyond control. Health officials say it could be up to 70 percent more transmissible that the current strain.

The British Prime Minister Boris Johnson just imposed major new restrictions there. Overnight a growing number of countries, including Canada, India and just moments ago Russia banned travel from the United Kingdom. As of this morning United States not on this list. Why?

And this morning there are new efforts to determine whether the vaccines, the two we have right now work against this new variant.

More vaccine news this morning, the first doses of Moderna's vaccine expected to administered today. President-elect Joe Biden receives his first dose of vaccine in the next few hours.

HILL: President Trump, largely absent again when it comes to the virus. It said he's spending his final days in the White House scheming to steel the election he lost. Former Trump laywer Sidney Powell we've learned was at the White House again last night. The "New York Times" reporting is pushing the Trump Administration to seize and inspect. [08:00:00]