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Early Start with John Berman and Zoraida Sambolin

Senate GOP Facing Tough Votes on Defense Spending & 2,000 Checks; Biden: Transition Team Encountering "Roadblocks" at Pentagon; U.S. Virus Hospitalizations Hit Record More Than 121K; Nashville Police Release Body Cam Footage From Christmas Day Bombing; Saudi Court Sends Top Women's Rights Activist to Prison; Bills Blow Out Patriots 38-9 to Complete Season Sweep. Aired 5-5:30a ET

Aired December 29, 2020 - 05:00   ET

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


[05:00:15]

CHRISTINE ROMANS, CNN ANCHOR: Welcome to our viewers in the United States and around the world, this is EARLY START. We have reports this morning from Capitol Hill, Tokyo, Wilmington, Istanbul, and Moscow. I'm Christine Romans.

RYAN NOBLES, CNN ANCHOR: Good morning. I'm Ryan Nobles, in today for Laura Jarrett. It is Tuesday, December 29th, 2020, and it's 5:00 a.m. in New York.

ROMANS: All right. We begin this morning with a nightmare after Christmas for Senate Republicans, staring down two votes that they would rather not take, with national security funding and $1,400 extra dollars for most American families on the line here. The House of Representatives voted to override President Trump's veto of that sweeping defense bill. Now, the GOP-led Senate may hand Mr. Trump the first veto override of his presidency, testing his grip on the party as his term expires.

Now, the House also passed a measure increasing stimulus checks for most Americans from $600 to $2,000.

NOBLES: President Trump stayed on the sidelines during stimulus talks. Now, he's championing bigger checks, even tweeting so just before 2:00 a.m. But Senate Republicans, all of a sudden, rediscovering fiscal conservatism have resisted this for months.

Keep in mind, American livelihoods are at stake, including restaurant owners in Kentucky, home of the home state of Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell. They are agonizing over the huge lost revenue on New Year's Eve because of pandemic restrictions.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MAX BLOOM, MANAGING PARTNER, GRAFT CULTURE CONCEPTS: The first shutting down was, you know, I think pretty emotionally taxing on not only small business owners or any business owners and employees, so we're just hunkering down and just hoping to get through it.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

NOBLES: Right now, it is unclear whether the bigger relief checks can pass the Republican controlled Senate, but a vote could further divide President Trump and the GOP ahead of those crucial Senate runoffs in Georgia next week.

ROMANS: And tying the two questions together, Senator Bernie Sanders is threatening to delay a Senate vote on the defense bill, unless McConnell allows a vote on the bigger stimulus checks. Sanders wants Republican senators, especially the two from Georgia, he wants them on the record on whether to send extra cash to struggling Americans.

CNN's Phil Mattingly has the state of play from Capitol Hill.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

PHIL MATTINGLY, CNN CONGRESSIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Christine and Ryan, you never want to read too much into a single vote of the United States House of Representatives, or maybe even two votes in the House of Representatives, at least in terms of what it means for the broader state of the Democratic Party, the Republican Party. But it was tough not to do just that with two votes that happened on Monday night. One vote, trying to the demand from President Trump, to increase direct payments from $600 to $2,000, in the coronavirus relief package.

The other, to sustain President Trump's veto of the National Defense Authorization Act, a defense policy bill that had been signed into law with wide bipartisan support for 59 consecutive years. How it broke down, well, it underscored the tight rope that Republicans are facing, 130 House Republicans voting against the Democratic measure to increase those stimulus payments from $600 to $2,000.

Now, it passed. It is now heading over to the Senate for the 130 noes, kind of underscores from an economic ideological perspective, the Republicans willing to split with the president on that issue. On the veto override of the National Defense Authorization Act, some Republicans changing their votes from a yes to a no, but the vast majority sticking with their original votes, which again, it passed with major bipartisan support.

The reason why -- well, take a listen to what the top Republican on the House Armed Services Committee said before the vote.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I would only ask that as members vote, they put the best interests of the country first. There is no other consideration that should matter.

MATTINGLY: And guys, this is this complicated dynamic or dance that Republicans are facing in the wake of November 3rd. How do you deal with somebody who's extremely popular with the base, who's also very clearly still the head of the party, but is also on his way out the door. He lost, but he doesn't seem willing to accept that loss, and demands loyalty from absolutely everyone.

It's an open question, one that I think we're going to see play out over the course of the next several days. See it play out in a runoff in Georgia on January 5th. Also see it play off in the United States Senate, which now has to consider its own override of the veto of the National Defense Authorization Act. Republicans expected the Georgia Democrats to do just that, but also, what Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell will do about those stimulus checks, about that $2,000.

Right now, he hasn't weighed in, he's supposed to on Tuesday -- guys.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

NOBLES: All right. Phil, thank you.

New this morning, sources tell CNN, a small number of Defense Department briefings are set to resume after President-elect Joe Biden went on offense about what he called obstruction from the political leadership at the Pentagon. Biden said the road blocks could undermine national security during the transition.

[05:05:07]

ROMANS: So far, Biden has taken a mostly hands-off approach saying repeatedly that things will work out, even as the current administration delayed recognizing the transition for weeks.

But now, the president-elect is warning that foreign adversaries could gain an advantage if his team is kept out of the loop.

CNN's MJ Lee is with the Biden team in Delaware.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

MJ LEE, CNN NATIONAL POLITICAL CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Christine and Ryan.

President-elect Joe Biden expressing real concern after meeting with members of his national security and foreign policy agency review teams, basically saying that they are not getting everything that they need in this transition process. This is a process that was already delayed with the GSA having been slow with the ascertainment process.

And now, Joe Biden is saying that in some parts of the Trump government, he is seeing obstruction. Here's what he said.

JOE BIDEN (D), PRESIDENT-ELECT: We have encountered road blocks from the political leadership at the Department of Defense, and the Office of Management and Budget. Right now, we just aren't getting all of the information we need from the outgoing administration, in key national security areas. It's nothing short, in my view, of irresponsibility.

LEE: Now, some of the transition concerns aside, this was also a revealing foreign policy speech from the president-elect. He talked about how some agencies have been hollowed out. International alliances have been weakened under president Trump, and he said that the go it alone approach from president Trump simply will not work to address some of these global challenges, including something like climate change. I also just want to note that the focus on Tuesday for the president- elect is going to be COVID-19. This as a lot of experts are concerned that we are going to see massive spikes in COVID-19 cases after the Christmas holidays.

Christine and Ryan, back to you.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

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

Today, the Vice President-elect Kamala Harris and future second gentleman Doug Emhoff are set to receive their coronavirus vaccines. They will take the vaccine on camera, part of the public effort to build confidence in the vaccine.

President-elect Biden has already taken it. President Trump still has not. The vaccine rollout still lagging behind projections. Eleven million have been distributed, 2 million have been administered. Official says that number trails by several days. But is still behind pace.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ASHISH JHA, DEAN, BROWN UNIVERSITY SCHOOL OF PUBLIC HEALTH: I think one part of the problem is that the federal government has thought their responsibility ends when the vaccine gets delivered to the states. There's a lot of work of getting the vaccine from the state into people's arms and we needed a clearer set of plans than we have had on that.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

NOBLES: Now, it's worth noting that one item not in the stimulus bill, state and local funding, which would go to things like vaccine distribution. A member of President-elect Biden's coronavirus advisory team tells CNBC that Biden plans to invoke the Defense Production Act to produce production of coronavirus vaccines.

Meantime, the U.S. hitting a record number of hospitalizations again, more than 121,000. The share of COVID patients in intensive care keeps climbing, up from 16 percent to 40 percent last week.

ROMANS: That graphic, just devastating. In Los Angeles, some patients at Martin Luther King Jr. Hospital are being put in the gift shop, a chapel or a conference room. Hospitals nationwide are forced now to consider the once unthinkable, rationing care.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DR. JONATHAN REINER, PROFESSOR OF MEDICINE, GEORGE WASHINGTON UNIVERSITY: When you run out of capacity, physicians and bioethicists will need to decide which patients are salvageable, potentially salvageable and which patients aren't. So, the final decision in many instances won't be up to the family. You don't have respirators, you don't have nurses to care for patients, you don't have ICU beds, we'll have to have these terrible discussions with families.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

NOBLES: That is chilling. The regional stay-at-home order for southern California and the San Joaquin Valley is likely to be extended today. ICU bed capacity for these regions has fallen to zero percent.

And, again, even though holiday surges have devastated the country all year, almost 1.3 million people traveled through the U.S. airports on Sunday. That's more than any other day during the pandemic, setting the stage for a wave of new infections.

ROMANS: All right. Nine minutes past the hour on this Tuesday morning, and stock index futures are pointing higher after a record day for investors in the House vote to increase stimulus payment, record highs for all three major averages.

On the first trading day after President Trump finally signed the second stimulus package. The Dow closed up 204 points, the S&P 500 and Nasdaq also finished higher, adding to what has already been a terrific year for investors.

But Wall Street is not Main Street. Let me repeat, Wall Street is not Main Street and the COVID rescue money is simply critical to containing the damage of the pandemic and preventing a double dip recession next year.

[05:10:04]

The $600 stimulus checks are expected to start going out this week, but a Trump administration official acknowledged that timing could slide. Remember, it took two weeks after the first relief bill in the spring to start sending checks out. And this relief is temporary. More will be needed to get to millions of Americans through this crisis.

Many economists have warned about a K-shaped recovery where the wealthiest Americans and investors win big, and low wage workers and minorities bear the brunt of the job and income loss. It's a real concern and real important for the incoming administration to address that right away next year, Ryan.

NOBLES: And President Trump spent a lot more time talking about the stock market than he did, kind of the impact --

ROMANS: The real economy, right?

Well, the moments after a bomber blew himself up on Christmas, caught on video, see how Nashville police responded, coming up next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

NOBLES: Today, some businesses and residents near the site of the bombing in Nashville will be allowed to inspect buildings for the first time since the Christmas Day blast. It could be several more days before anyone can enter buildings closer to the center of impact. A neighbor of the bomber tells CNN about an eerie conversation that he

had with Anthony Quinn Warner just days before Christmas.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Just out of small talk and he said, you know, thank you. Just out of small talk, I asked him, is Santa going to bring you anything good for Christmas, and he smiled, and he said, oh, yeah, I'm going to be famous. Nashville and the world will never forget me.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

NOBLES: And this morning, dramatic new images from the site of the explosion revealed a sheer horror faced by those who survived.

[05:15:03]

CNN's Shimon Prokupecz is on the ground in Nashville.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

SHIMON PROKUPECZ, CNN CRIME AND JUSTICE CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Christine and Ryan.

The police releasing body cam footage from the day of the explosion, and you can just hear the sheer force of the explosion.

(EXPLOSION)

POLICE OFFICER: Are you guys okay?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yeah.

POLICE OFFICER: Where's your car?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Okay, go to your car.

POLICE OFFICER: What's going on?

PROKUPECZ: We got a firsthand look at some of it on Monday, buildings collapsed, vehicles all damaged all along the street. We saw FBI agents and ATF agents sifting through debris, literally on their hands and knees, looking for evidence, going through the various items that were blown from buildings and a lot of the debris and the dirt that remains on the street, and what they're doing is they're looking for evidence of bomb-making materials and chemicals.

The other thing, of course, on everyone's mind is motive. The FBI saying it could take days, weeks, perhaps even months before they can even learn what the motive was for the man responsible for this bombing -- Christine, Ryan.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

ROMANS: Shimon, thank you so much for that. President-elect Joe Biden addressing that Christmas Day bombing in

Nashville. Biden says he's eternal grateful to the officers at the Metro Nashville Police Department for their quick action.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BIDEN: This bombing was a reminder of the destructive power that individual or a small group can muster and the need for continuing vigilance across the board. I want to thank the police department in Nashville, particularly those five police officers who worked so quickly to evacuate the area before the explosion occurred risking their own lives.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ROMANS: Four days now since the bombing, still not a word or even a tweet from President Trump.

NOBLES: An emergency COVID-19 vaccine rollout is underway in the original epicenter of the outbreak.

Wuhan, China, and now health officials in China say the number of infections in the city might have been ten times worse than first thought.

CNN's Selina Wang is live in Tokyo with more.

Selina, good morning.

SELINA WANG, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Ryan. That's right.

This study by China CDC shows that the outbreak at Ground Zero may be far worst than we thought. This study used an example of 34 people in China and found that COVID-19 antibodies were present in 4.4 percent of the population. That ratio would mean some 500,000 residents may have been infected with COVID-19 in Wuhan.

This is a city of 11 million. So, that ratio would mean that some 500,000 residents may have infected with COVID-19. That is nearly 10 times the official tally.

Now, we know that under reporting is a common problem for health authorities around the world, often due to lack of resources, lack of capacity. But in China, there is also this question of transparency, leaked documents from the Hubei CDC showed that officials were publicly reporting case counts, lower than what we were recording internally. But this study by China CDC also shows that in cities in Hubei, other than Wuhan, COVID-19 antibodies were only prevalent in 0.44 percent of the population.

So, Chinese state media has been touting that statistic as proof that China's strategy was effective. But it also means that China is vulnerable to resurgences. Wuhan is already rolling out its vaccine for key groups and officials in China have said they want to vaccinate 50 million people by that lunar New Year holiday in February. Now, even though China has largely brought this pandemic under

control, they are still dealing with sporadic outbreaks -- Ryan, Christine.

NOBLES: All right. Selina Wang, live for us in Tokyo this morning -- thank you, Selina.

ROMANS: All right. A Saudi court has sentenced a prominent women's rights activist to nearly six years in prison. That prison sentence is clearly a step backward for a kingdom that is trying to bring its conservative society into the modern world.

CNN's Arwa Damon reports from Istanbul.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ARWA DAMON, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Women's rights activist Loujain al-Hathloul was not tried in normal criminal court. She was tried in what's known as specialized criminal court in Saudi Arabia. This is a court that is normally reserved for terrorism and national security cases.

Loujain was being accused of speaking to go foreign embassies, other activists based over seas and a number of human rights organizations. She was jailed back in 2018, a few weeks before the Saudi government reversed its ban on female drivers.

[05:20:02]

And trying to get that reversed was actually at the forefront of Loujain women's rights campaign.

During her stay in prison, according to her family and her defense, she was tortured. She was sexually harassed and there are also reports that she was sexually abused. The Saudi government has denied all of those allegations.

But even behind bars, Loujain has remained a voice for Saudi women's rights activists, and now, she has finally received her sentence. She has been sentenced to just under six years in prison, but with time already served and with a suspension, a two-year and ten-month suspension, she could be freed as early as February.

Arwa Damon, CNN, Istanbul.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

NOBLES: All right.

All right. Thank you. New England's run of dominance is over, and as a Buffalo Bills fan, I could not be happier. Now, the undisputed powerhouse in the AFC East, the Buffalo Bills.

"The Bleacher Report" is next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK) NOBLES: The Buffalo Bills take two decades worth of frustration out on the New England Patriots.

Carolyn Manno has this morning's "Bleacher Report".

Carolyn, I had just graduated college the last time this happened. So, it's been a long time for us Bills fans.

CAROLYN MANNO, CNN SPORTS CORRESPONDENT: You want to -- you want to take this first highlight, Ryan, I'll let you have it. I mean, you guys deserve it.

NOBLES: No, you go for it. You're in charge.

MANNO: I think -- I think Bills fans are going to be the only ones who look back at 2020 and you know what, not too bad, not all bad.

[05:25:04]

They hadn't sacked the Patriots since 1999. Like you mentioned, long time ago. That was a year before Tom Brady was drafted. Cam Newton on Monday night fell woefully short of anything close to what Patriots fans have come to expect.

He wasn't the only problem, though. It was all around, tough night for New England. It's been that kind of season. New England had no answer for Josh Allen, the AFC East division champion Bills.

The MVP candidate threw for four touchdowns, three of them to Stefon Diggs, including that 500 yard strike -- the Bills, first team to sweep the Patriots in the regular season. Bill Belichick's first season with the team, as they end up on the wrong side of a 38-9 blowout. Not used to seeing that.

Patriot's finished their first losing record in 20 years. A week after being caught maskless at a private party, quarterback Dwayne Haskins is now a free agent. Washington football team cutting its 2019 draft pick after a tumultuous week in which Haskins last his role as one of the team captains and was find an undisclosed amount for violating team COVID-19 photo calls.

Before making his Twitter account private, he posted in part, I take full responsibility for not meeting the standards of an NFL quarterback and will become a better man and player because of this experience. In the meantime, the Panthers are cutting the number of fans in the stands for Sunday's final home game. The team will only allow 1,500 spectators into Bank of America stadium to watch their game against the Saints: those tickets reserved for families and friends of the two teams.

So, there are some private suites that are going to be open. The team says the decision was made after a conversation with local government and also public health officials while also reviewing the latest COVID-19 data. Tonight's scheduled game between Duke and Pitt is postponed after a positive COVID-19 test on the Panthers squad. It's duke's first ACC game to be impacted by the virus. Earlier this month, head coach Mike Krzyzewski cancelled the team's

last three nonconference games so players could go home for the holidays. So, now, it's going to be 2 1/2 weeks between games when Duke plays Florida State on Saturday.

And the anticipation is building for the college football playoff. Clemson and Ohio State are going to be in the Sugar Bowl on Friday for the right to play in the national championship. Tigers coach Dabo Swinney making waves by putting the Buckeyes, outside of his top 10 last week and he's certainly not backing down from that.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DABO SWINNEY, CLEMSON HEAD COACH: It's not that they're not good enough. I don't think it's right that three teams have to play 13 games to be the champion, and one team has to play eight. You know, so people have a problem with that, I don't really care. That's just -- it's my poll.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

MANNO: A little bit of controversy there, Christine. Of course, teams like Texas A&M, Florida, Oklahoma, playing more games but some bulletin board material for the opponent for sure heading into a big weekend.

ROMANS: I'd say. All right. Thank you so much for that, Carolyn Manno. Nice to see you this morning.

All right. Two votes, two Senate races, one very big problem for the Senate GOP.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)