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Early Start with John Berman and Zoraida Sambolin

Somber White House Vigil Marks 500,000 Americans Dead of Coronavirus; SCOTUS Clears Way for NYC Prosecutors to Subpoena Trump's Taxes; UK Chief Medical Officer: COVID Risk Will Persist Next Few Winters; Mariners CEO Resigns After Disparaging Comments Surface. Aired 5-5:30a ET

Aired February 23, 2021 - 05:00   ET

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

[05:00:25]

CHRISTINE ROMANS, CNN ANCHOR: All right. Welcome to our viewers in the United States and all around the world. This is EARLY START.

Good morning. I'm Christine Romans.

LAURA JARRETT, CNN ANCHOR: And I'm Laura Jarrett. It's Tuesday, February 23rd. It's 5:00 a.m. here in New York.

And this morning, a painful reminder of everything Americans have lost and will still lose to coronavirus -- the nation pausing to honor the half million parents, siblings, cousins, friends, all the loved ones killed by this pandemic. Half a million, it's more than the number of American troops killed in World War I, World War II and Vietnam combined.

Bells toll at churches around the country including at National Cathedral in Washington.

ROMANS: That's the president and vice president with their spouses in somber remembrance last night mourning at a White House candlelight vigil. Each candle, unbelievable, representing 1,000 people. Exactly one year after former President Trump said coronavirus was under control. The nation reaches a milestone as tragic as it was avoidable. One hundred thousand Americans have died of COVID just since President Biden took office 35 days ago.

CNN's Jasmine Wright is live this morning at the White House.

Jasmine, the image of the candles on the White House, just haunting. And the 500,000 number on the right of your screen, a year ago I don't think any of us could have imagined this.

JASMINE WRIGHT, CNN WHITE HOUSE REPORTER: Yeah, and, look, President Biden sought to tap into that collective grief of Americans mourning those more than 500,000 that have died from coronavirus. President Biden also really acknowledged his own personal tragedies in a way to message to the American people that he understands what it is like to lose a loved one. Take a listen here.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JOSEPH R. BIDEN, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: For the loved ones left behind, I know all too well. I know what it's like to not be there when it happens. I know what it's like when you are there holding their hands, just look in their eye and they slip away. That black hole in your chest, you feel like you're being sucked into it. The survivor's remorse, the anger. The questions of faith in your soul.

For some of you, it's been a year, a month, a week, a day, even an hour. And I know that when you stare at that empty chair around the kitchen table, it brings it all back no matter how long ago it happened, as if it just happened that moment when you look at that empty chair.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WRIGHT: Now in those powerful remarks, President Biden called on Americans to remember not only those who have died but also that this pandemic is still ongoing, and Americans need to do things to stop the spread like handwashing and mask wearing and social distancing.

Now, Christine, we know that President Biden inherited this pandemic but his presidency will largely be defined on how his administration is able to respond to it. But we are starting to see some encouraging signs around the pandemic. Of course, you know, those hospital admissions have been cut in half. Cases have been falling and those front line workers and high risk adults are starting to really get those vaccinations -- Christine.

ROMANS: You know, Jasmine, today, President Biden has his first meeting of sorts with a leader. It's the usual protocol to say the least. What can you tell us?

WRIGHT: Look, everything is going to be different and that is because of COVID. First of all, it's going to be virtual. We're not going to see the hand shakes and the choreography that we know comes with the bilaterals. President Biden will be meeting with Canada's Prime Minister Justin Trudeau virtually.

Virtually, he'll be looking at a screen. This is different than the way Biden likes to do his policy. But, of course, Canada's borders are still close. And the White House is looking to model its own pandemic guidance.

[05:05:03]

Now, officials say that both Canada and America will look to create a baseline strategy, a way to work together on things like the economy and Canada. But also, it's interesting because President Biden is looking to strengthen his relationship with Canada, a relationship that his predecessor, former President Trump really shunned during his presidency.

ROMANS: All right. Jasmine Wright at the White House, thank you. So nice to see you today. Thanks, Jasmine. WRIGHT: All right.

JARRETT: All right. Two more of President Biden's cabinet nominees face potentially hearings in the U.S. Senate today. Interior Secretary nominee Deb Haaland and Health and Human Services nominee Xavier Becerra.

Merrick Garland, meanwhile, appears well on his way to confirmation as attorney general. Garland made a direct break from the Trump era on Monday, telling senators, quote, I am not the president's lawyer. I am the United States' lawyer.

He says, investigating the Capitol riot is his top priority. Judge Garland supervised the prosecution of the Oklahoma City bombing suspects. And he sees some chilling similarities.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MERRICK GARLAND, ATTORNEY GENERAL NOMINEE: There is a line from Oklahoma City, and there's another line from Oklahoma City, all the way back to the experiences that I mentioned in my opening, with respect to the battles of the original-Justice Department against the Ku Klux Klan. We must do everything, in the power of the Justice Department, to prevent this kind of interference with the policies of American-Democratic institutions.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ROMANS: Garland became emotional during his testimony, when he was asked why becoming attorney general is so important to him.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

GARLAND: I come from a family, where my grandparents fled anti- Semitism and persecution. The country took us in, and protected us. And I feel an obligation to the country to pay back, and this is the highest, best use of my own set of skills to pay back. And so, I want, very much, to be the kind of attorney -- attorney general that you're saying I could become. And I'll do my best to try and be that kind of attorney general.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ROMANS: Republican Senators Chuck Grassley and John Cornyn are already indicating support for Garland's nomination, so a bipartisan confirmation is highly likely.

Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer has also set up confirmation votes today for Linda Thomas Greenfield, as ambassador to the United Nations, and Iowa's Tom Vilsack for secretary of agriculture.

JARRETT: Well, it's not just average Texans facing steep energy prices from last week's blackout. The city of Denton, Texas, received a $207 million energy bill.

Now, that bill covers four days last week. For comparison, Denton spent about $64 million for all of fiscal 2020. Last week's bill was more than the city had on cash on hand.

ROMANS: Now, the city says it will pursue state and federal aid to help cover some of the huge cost. Worth noting, Texas has chosen to run its own, separate power grid to avoid federal regulation. And House and Senate members from Texas consistently vote against federal aid to other states, when they face disasters.

Meantime, water service, still, disrupted for more than 8.6 million Texas -- Texans, rather, barely, an improvement over yesterday.

JARRETT: Turns out, Ted Cruz wasn't the only top-Republican in Texas who left while his state was crippled by those historic, winter storms. Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, and his wife, a state senator, left Texas and traveled to Utah last week. Now, a spokesman wouldn't tell CNN when they departed or when they returned, only that they didn't leave until after power had returned to most of the state, including their own home.

ROMANS: All right. The IRS will give all those Texans affected by the storms an extra two months to file and pay their federal taxes. The IRS said, Monday, individuals and businesses based in Texas now have until June 15th to file. Residents in other states who live in a FEMA- declared disaster area will also have that same extension.

Meanwhile, the deep freeze could force one energy company out of business. Just Energy warned it could lose about $250 million from the storms. The Canadian-based provider accesses natural gas and electricity from wholesale markets. Those markets, of course, thrown out of whack during the storm. As cost soared, Just Energy wasn't able to recover its losses. Just Energy said it's delaying its fourth quarter results while it works to determine the financial impact of the storms, Laura.

JARRETT: Senator Joe Manchin tells CNN he will try to amend the COVID-relief package with a federal-minimum wage hike to $11 an hour.

[05:10:00]

Now, he is a key Democratic swing vote. Manchin says $11 would allow the party to compromise on one of the thorniest issues in this debate. The minimum-wage hike is a progressive priority, of course. But opposed by some in Congress, and especially, small business owners over fears it could kill jobs during a jobs crisis.

Important to note, here. The current proposal, also, calls for a hike to -- to $11, over two years. But then, more-gradual hikes, to $15, after that. $15 is what's on the table now. The minimum wage hasn't been raised since 2009. Adjusted for inflation, a working person hasn't had a pay raise since the 1960s. That's just amazing.

ROMANS: It really is. And I wonder what Manchin's gambit is here, Laura, because I mean, if you look at that chart, you can see, $11 in two years is what's in this proposal right now. Maybe, he is saying, look. Let's just tackle until 11. Maybe that's palatable for moderate Democrats and for Republicans to say $11 minimum wage. Maybe, that just sounds better. JARRETT: Seems like more optics than substance.

ROMANS: Yeah.

All right. Manhattan prosecutors are about to get their hands on the former president's taxes. What it means for him, and when the public could see what's inside.

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[05:15:16]

JARRETT: The work continues. That's the response from New York City prosecutors, after the Supreme Court cleared the way to subpoena eight years of Donald Trump's taxes. The former president has, of course, bragged about how much tax paperwork he files, even though leaked documents show he paid practically nothing, for years. Trump has fought, fiercely, to keep his records under wraps. Soon, we could find out why.

Here's Jessica Schneider.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JESSICA SCHNEIDER, CNN JUSTICE CORRESPONDENT: The president's team releasing a long and angry statement, saying the Supreme Court decision is just a continuation of the witch hunt, and then, accusing these prosecutors of being politically motivated, saying this, in part: The Supreme Court never should have let this fishing expedition happen, but they did. This is something which has never happened to a president before. It is all Democrat-inspired in a totally Democrat location.

But this is a major defeat for Donald Trump after fighting the release of his tax returns, for years. The Supreme Court, on Monday morning, cleared the way for New York City's top prosecutor to get the former president's tax returns dating back to 2011.

Now, this is all part of an investigation into those hush-money payments that Michael Cohen made to two women who alleged affairs with Donald Trump. And court filings have, also, suggested that the Manhattan da has broadened out this investigation, to include potential-bank and insurance fraud.

Now, Trump's accounting firm, Mazars, they say they will comply. They will hand over several years of tax returns but this doesn't mean the tax returns will become public. Those returns will go to the Manhattan D.A. They'll then be used in a grand-jury investigation. And all of those proceedings will be kept secret.

But the details could, eventually, be exposed, if there are charges, if there is a trial. Now, as for the timing of those tax returns, the D.A.'s office expects to get them in the next few days. That's according to sources. And they'll likely be in electronic form.

And crucially, here, prosecutors will, also, have access to work papers, communications related to those tax returns which could shed light on if there was any intent to commit any crimes -- Laura and Christine.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

ROMANS: All right, Jessica, thank you for that.

Health officials worldwide are seeing light at the end of the pandemic tunnel. But they warn, it is a very long tunnel.

CNN is covering the pandemic around the globe.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ISA SOARES, CNN CORRESPONDENT: I'm Isa Soares, in London.

England's chief medical officer is warning, coronavirus is likely to be a problem for the next few winters. Speaking, alongside Prime Minister Boris Johnson, Chris Whitty said that COVID-19 will, for the foreseeable future, be added to that list of things that those who are vulnerable, even despite vaccination, can be at risk of.

His message came on the same day that Prime Minister Boris Johnson announced a slow-but-cautious roadmap out of lockdown, with June 21st planned as the last day of full-lockdown restrictions.

MELISSA BELL, CNN CORRESPONDENT: I'm Melissa Bell in Paris.

The French Riviera is to go into a partial-local lockdown for the next two weekends. As authorities try and bring down local infection rates that are three times the national average.

So far, the French government has resisted the idea of a third- national lockdown, choosing, instead, the curfew system that's been in place, now, for several months. That has stabilized figures here, in France. But with daily increases that remain stubbornly high, at about 20,000 new cases, a day.

BLAKE ESSIG, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: I'm Blake Essig in Tokyo.

Japan's prime minister, recently, appointed its first minister of loneliness. The new minister, Tetsushi Sakamoto, will be tasked with addressing the issue of loneliness, isolation, and solving the nation's suicide problem, which for the first time in 11 years has increased as a result of the pandemic.

In his new role, Sakamoto says he hopes to promote activities that prevent loneliness, social isolation, and protect the ties of people.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

JARRETT: Thanks to all of our correspondents for those updates.

Still ahead for you, mocking foreign-born players and manipulating young prospects has caused one top baseball executive his job. That's next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[05:23:46]

ROMANS: All right. The CEO of the Seattle Mariners resigns after what he said about players behind closed doors comes to light.

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

Hey, Andy.

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

So former Mariners president and CEO Kevin Mather is apologizing after making some disparaging comments, earlier this month, that came to light just recently. According to the Seattle Times, this was the -- who was the first to report these details of Mather's comments. They made to a local Rotary Club.

Mather, reportedly, spoke about foreign-born players' ability to speak English and the tactics the team used to limit young prospects' service time, a move that allows the team to keep control over players for longer. Mather issued an apology, saying, in part, there is no excuse for my behavior, and I take full responsibility for my terrible lapse in judgment.

The team's statement announcing the resignation, Mariners chairman John Stanton wrote: His comments were inappropriate and do not represent our organization's feelings about our players, staff, and fans. There is no excuse for what was said, and I won't try to make one. I offer my sincere apology on behalf of the club and my partners to our players and fans. We must be and do better.

[05:25:01]

In the meantime, New Year Rangers star Artemi Panarin is taking a leave of absence from the team in the wake of, what he calls, a fabricated story against him by a Russian-media outlet. A former coach alleges that Panarin assaulted a woman at a Latvian bar in 2011. The Rangers say Panarin is a target for intimidation due to his political opinions, which have been critical of Russian President Vladimir Putin in the past. Panarin recently made a social media post in support of Putin opposition leader, Alexei Navalny.

All right. To the NBA, LeBron and the Lakers trying to end their two- game skid against the Wizards last night. Time winding down the fourth, LeBron, with the Lakers down two, the drive, plus the foul. LeBron, though, missed the free throw. So, we go to overtime.

And in the extra period, that's when Bradley Beal really took this game over. He would score six-straight points, at one point, for the Wizards. The Lakers were down three in the closing seconds. LeBron and Kyle Kuzma both missing chances to tie this game.

So the Wizards win, 127-124. Third loss in a row for the Lakers. And, Laura, you know, Wizards' fans were kind of thinking they were in

for another crummy season but they have now won five straight, their longest-winning streak, in three years. So, things kind of turning around for the team there in D.C.

JARRETT: Good for them.

All right. Appreciate it. Thanks, Andy.

SCHOLES: All right.

JARRETT: Well, a year of unimaginable loss, remembered across the country. A plea from the president, remembering half-a-million American lives lost to the pandemic.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BIDEN: We've been fighting this pandemic for so long, we have to resist becoming numb to the sorrow.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)