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Early Start with John Berman and Zoraida Sambolin

House Set to Vote on $1.9 Trillion COVID Rescue Package; L.A. Teachers Strike Tentative Deal to Resume In-Person Learning; FBI Releases New Video. Aired 5-5:30a ET

Aired March 10, 2021 - 05:00   ET

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


[05:00:27]

LAURA JARRETT, CNN ANCHOR: President Biden will hit the road to sell his American Rescue Plan. The final approval expected in just a few hours for a bill that could transform America's economy.

CHRISTINE ROMANS, CNN ANCHOR: Different approaches to reopening. The nation's second biggest school district with a plan to reopen safely, but the second biggest state defies health experts reopening in full.

JARRETT: And the FBI releasing new video of the suspect wanted for placing pipe bombs outside of the RNC and DNC headquarters the night before the mob stormed the Capitol.

Welcome it our viewers in the United States and all around the world. This is EARLY START. I'm Laura Jarrett.

ROMANS: And I'm Christine Romans. It is Wednesday, March 10th, It is 5:00 a.m. in New York.

Good morning, everyone.

Nearly one year to the day since the pandemic hit, this could be one of the most consequential days of the American recovery. The president's $1.9 trillion rescue package nearing the finish line in Congress, and yet, one of the crowded states in the nation is putting recovery at risk by defying health experts and dropping public health measures.

JARRETT: As for the recovery package, it could deliver a generational transformation of the economy. Poll after poll shows broad public support, but the measure has no Republican backing in the House or the Senate. Daniella Diaz is live on Capitol Hill with the very latest.

Daniella, good morning. Huge day on Capitol Hill.

DANIELLA DIAZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Laura.

That's right, the House is going to vote on this massive stimulus package today marking the last step before it ends up on Biden's desk and he signs this legislation into law. This is a major achievement for the Biden administration. They wanted this legislation so that they could put cash directly into working class and four families who are devastated by this pandemic.

And he had to walk a tricky line to navigate relationships with moderate Democrats and progressive Democrats to be able to get both sides of this party to sign on to support this legislation as you noted because no Republicans supported this legislation when it went through the House the first time, and when it -- the Senate voted on this after the House.

And we're not expecting any Republicans to sign on to this legislation today during the final vote before it ends up on Biden's desk. This was a full-party line vote. And House Speaker Nancy Pelosi dismissed any notion that there will be any drama within Democrats when this goes through the House today for the last step. We are watching closely progressive Democrats who weren't happy that this $15 minimum wage increase was not included in this legislation, but we're expecting them to support this legislation and sign on anyway.

And Biden is planning on having a primetime address tomorrow night where he will mark the one year anniversary since the COVID-19 shutdown. He's also going to jump on Air Force One and travel across the country to meet with Americans directly to convince them despite the large price tag on the legislation, it will help Americans directly. And he's also expected to have a -- to address a joint Congress next month where he will lay out the next legislative priorities of his legislation where we're expecting infrastructure to come up. That's likely where Congress will work on that as a priority for the Biden administration.

JARRETT: All right. Daniella, starting us off this morning, thanks so much.

ROMANS: This relief bill is a historic effort to help millions, again, with no Republican support.

Congressman Tim Ryan wants to know why.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

REP. TIM RYAN (D-OH): Heaven forbid that we pass something that's going to help the damn workers of the United States of America. We talk about pensions, you complain. We talk about the minimum wage increase, you complain. We talk about giving them the right to organize, you complain.

But if we were passing a tax cut here you'd be all getting in line to vote yes for it. Now stop talking about Dr. Seuss and start working with us on behalf of the American workers.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ROMANS: Make no mistake: this legislation is transformative and temporary. And it is geared towards low-income Americans. The expanded tax cut credit, a critical effort to eradicate income equality and cut child poverty by some estimates in half. A single mother with one child could see $1,500 when you add the stimulus checks and the child tax credit. And that's not even counting a more generous earned income tax credit.

Put it all together, the Tax Policy Center says a low income household with children would see an average tax cut of nearly $7,700, raising their after tax income by more than 35 percent. A 35 percent raise for poor working families.

There's also money for housing aid. Incentives for paid sick leave. Increase in food stamps through September.

[05:05:02]

Money for vaccine programs, money for schools. There's an extra $300 a week in jobless benefits, that lasts through the fall. And the first $10,200 of that is tax free for eligible households.

Funding for agriculture, includes $5 billion for disadvantaged farmers, a quarter of whom are black, with expanded plans for health care under the Affordable Care Act. The bill makes insurance more affordable, fulfilling one of President Biden's key campaign promises.

JARRETT: Breaking overnight, public school teachers in Los Angeles striking a tentative deal with the Board of Education to resume in- person learning. Under the plan, teachers will be given the chance to get vaccinated before elementary schools reopening in mid-April.

High schools will be good to go by end of the April if the county's infection rate stays low. Los Angeles is home to the country's second largest public school district with more than 600,000 students.

ROMANS: But potentially deadly step backward in Texas today, a statewide mask mandate covering 29 million people ends, even though health experts warn this move is premature. Some Texas cities are keeping their mask rules in place, despite the lack of the statewide policy.

CNN has reporters covering the pandemic now coast to coast.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

DAN SIMON, CNN CORRESPONDENT: I'm Dan Simon in Houston where on Wednesday, the state will officially lift its mask mandate and allow businesses to open up at 100 percent capacity. Governor Greg Abbott made the decision. For now, though, the decision might be more symbolic as it appears most businesses will still require customers to wear masks. Critics call misguided in part because the state has one of the highest positivity rates in the nation at nearly 15 percent.

MARTIN SAVIDGE, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: I'm Martin Savidge in Atlanta.

The governor of Alabama said she's ordering up the national guard so that people in rural areas can begin receiving the coronavirus vaccine, saying we need to use every tool in our toolkit, so that we can get COVID-19 behind us.

Governor Kay Ivey says she has order the National Guard to set up vaccination sites in 24 count this starting on March 23rd. The Alabama guard says it has the capability of fielding two rotating vaccination sites, each with the ability to deliver about 1,000 doses a day.

ERICA HILL, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: I'm Erica Hill.

Vermont is expanding eligibility for the vaccine to household members who accompany black, indigenous and people of color to their vaccination appointments. It's all part of an effort to expand equity and access throughout the state. That new policy goes in effect next week.

KRISTEN HOLMES, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: I'm Kristen Holmes in Washington, D.C.

More states are expanding that vaccine eligibility as more doses are coming on the market. In Louisiana and Vermont, as soon as today, anyone over 16 with pre-existing condition will be eligible to receive a vaccine. For Vermont, this comes a week ahead of their scheduled timeline. In Minnesota, they've announced that two phases will be opening at once. This will allow anyone with pre-existing condition, as well as those meat plant processing workers to be eligible for the vaccine.

All of this coming on the heels of one of Florida's largest health systems opening up their vaccine eligibility as well. Now, we expect to see more and more of this as vaccine makers continue to promise a surge in doses by the end of the month.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

ROMANS: In Alaska, now the first state to eliminate all eligibility requirements for a vaccine, it will be made available to every resident 16 and older. Access to shot has been, you know, pretty uneven across the country. Some states still reserving them for older adults and other high-risk groups.

JARRETT: The FBI releasing new video of the person wanted for planting the pipe bombs at the RNC and DNC headquarters a night before the capitol insurrection some two months ago. Now, this is the clearest look yet at the suspect walking down sidewalks and alleys before planting the bombs. The FBI is offering $100,000 reward for information leading them to the suspect. The wanted poster includes these Nike shoes you can see.

The bombs were rigged with a one-hour timing device. It didn't go off. But that undercuts the theory that the bombs were meant to divert officials before the mob stormed the capitol.

ROMANS: All right. Unaccompanied migrant children detained at the U.S. border, record levels of children there as officials struggle to find them shelter.

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[05:13:45] JARRETT: Breaking overnight, the evacuations ordered on the Hawaiian island of Oahu after massive flooding wipes out homes and roadways. The governor declaring a state of emergency with a flash flood watch for the entire state until 6:00 a.m. local time. The mayor of Maui calling it the worst flooding in nearly 25 years. Steady downpours expected well into Friday.

ROMANS: Growing urgency and concern over the surge of migrants at the southern border. Officials scrambling to move them out of U.S. Customs and Border Protection custody. A CBP official says migrants are being moved from the Rio Grande Valley of South Texas to three other southeast border regions to help with processing. The numbers are big, while time, space and resources are not.

CNN's Ed Lavandera has more from Dallas.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ED LAVANDERA, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Christine and Laura, there is clear evidence this morning that the Biden administration is facing a growing emergency along the U.S. southern border. According to data reviewed by CNN, there are now about 3,400 unaccompanied minors in the custody of Customs and Border Protection. And according to that same data, it also shows that immigration officials have been countered or arrested about 100,000 people in the four weeks leading up to March 3rd, and that is the highest number in that same time period that we have seen in at least the last five years.

[05:15:07]

So there are significant changes going on that we're witnessing along the U.S. southern border. And that is putting the Biden administration under a great deal of scrutiny and intense fire, not only just from Republicans here in Texas but also some Democrats who say that this is actually starting to reach a crisis level. The Biden administration refuses to say that this is a crisis. They say they're trying to take a much more humanitarian approach to the immigration policies that were left in place during the last four years of the Trump administration.

But clearly, the numbers are starting to go up along the southern border, as more and more migrants are making their way to the United States -- Christine and Laura.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

JARRETT: Ed Lavandera, thank you so much for that report.

While Republicans try to limit voting access in nearly a dozen states, the de facto leader of the water, well, he shows once again how he won't hesitate to use the current rules to his advantage. According to election records, former President Trump requested a mail-in ballot ahead of a municipal election in Florida, that, of course, despite of his nonstop relentless attacks on voting by mail during the last election. He's also voted by mail in Florida before. He thinks Florida is different. Meantime, states like Iowa and Georgia are tightening limits on

absentee voting. Right now, there are more than 250 bills in over 40 states designed to make it harder to vote.

ROMANS: Yeah. Iowa tightening rules on in-person voting, too. Voting drop boxes could soon be banned in Florida even though very popular with voters. The Republican chairman of the election committee released a proposal that would completely ban drop boxes for ballots. He claims it's because of election security concerns.

Those concerns, of course, have been repeatedly debunked.

JARRETT: Still ahead, Buckingham Palace finally breaking its silence on Harry and Meghan's explosive interview. CNN is live at the Windsor Castle, next.

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[05:21:27]

ROMANS: The Queen breaking her silence after those explosive revelations in Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's interview with Oprah. The big question this morning, can the royal rift ever been repaired?

CNN's Anna Stewart live in Windsor with the latest.

So, now, we have heard not just from the palace, but from the Queen herself, Anna.

ANNA STEWART, CNN CORRESPONDENT: We have, it's been 40 hours since the interview broke off. Royal sources telling us the palace wanted to get it right and wanted to give the British public a chance to watch the interview and absorb it.

This is a very short statement, three very short paragraphs but my goodness, it's loaded with meaning, let me bring it to you now. It says the whole family is saddened to learn the full extent of how challenging the last few years have been for Harry and Meghan. And the issues raised particularly that of race are concerning, while some recollections may vary, they are taken very seriously and will be addressed by the family privately. Harry, Meghan and Archie will always be much loved.

We also learned from a royal source that it was suggested that Harry and Meghan would perhaps been better off raising these issues in a private conversation.

Now, there's a lot in that statement. The first bit is the fact that they have learned the full extent the challenges the couple faces and suggests they weren't fully aware. Also that line about how recollections may vary, a very diplomatic way of saying perhaps some the accounts of events and conversations from Harry and Meghan are certainly not as they saw them.

This will be dealt with privately. This is the last we will hear of this, as we are led to believe, and that is really an attempt to draw a line under this. And that final line, really, I think, hoping for reconciliation, saying they'll always love Harry and Meghan and Archie. That-l this be enough to stem the outrage around the world particularly around the royal family, particularly loaded against the royal family. I'm not sure.

If anyone expected an apology, they will be disappointed. This is far more an acknowledgement. Now, Prince Charles was seen out and about yesterday on an official visit. He went to a vaccination center in London. Inevitably, someone asked him his thoughts on the interview. He dodged.

That was hours before the statement came out. I think it's a very nuance statement. It says exactly what the royal family wants to say, and it's cleverly worded and no off-the-cuff remarks are really going to beat it. I think the questions will be asked of the royal family on their engagements and they will continue to dodge it.

It feels a little bit perhaps they've outworn the statement, and I think some people will draw parallels again with how princess Diana was treated by the royal family and how Harry and Meghan are being treated now.

ROMANS: Yeah, a short statement, Anna, full of meaning and subtext clearly.

All right. Anna Stewart for us at Windsor -- thank you.

Laura?

JARRETT: Well, the royal family isn't the only one dealing with the fallout from the interview in the U.K.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ALEX BERESFORD, TV PRESENTER: I understand that you don't like Meghan Markle. You've made it so clear a number of times on this program.

Has she said anything about you since she cut you off? I don't think she has, but yet, you continue to trash her.

PIERS MORGAN, TV PRESENTER: Okay, I'm done with this.

BERESFORD: No, no, no --

MORGAN: Sorry.

BERESFORD: Oh, do you know what, that's --

(CROSSTALK)

MORGAN: Not mine, see you later.

BERESFORD: I've been --

MORGAN: Sorry, can't do this.

BERESFORD: This is absolutely diabolical behavior.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

JARRETT: You heard anchor Piers Morgan say, see you later there, storming off the set. Well, he is leaving "Good Morning Britain" after getting called out by one of his own colleagues as you heard there.

Morgan has been critical of Meghan Markle for years. Overnight, he dug in.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MORGAN: If people want to believe Meghan Markle, that is entirely her right. I don't believe anything that's come out of her mouth. I think the damage she's done to the British monarchy and the Queen and to the silent Prince Philip lying in the hospital is enormous and frankly insensible.

[05:25:10]

So, and if I had to fall on my sword for expressing an honestly held opinion about Meghan Markle and that diatribe of bilge that she came out with in that interview, so be it.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

JARRETT: He also said that parting with ITV was amicable and he and management agreed to disagree.

ROMANS: All right. Two U.S. adversaries are forming new alliances in the space wars. China and Russia announcing plans to build a lunar space station together. The deal is signed to develop research and facilities on the moon's surface and to its orbit. They say it will be open to all countries who are interested.

Not clear what this means for Russia's partnership with the U.S. on the International Space Station which just marked 20 years of continuous human occupation.

JARRETT: This morning, the House is on track to approve nearly $2 trillion in aid for millions of struggling Americans.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

REP. NANCY PELOSI (D-CA), SPEAKER OF THE HOUSE: I'm so excited, I just can't hide it.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

JARRETT: Democrats eager to get the bill on the president's desk four days before unemployment benefits expire.

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