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Early Start with John Berman and Zoraida Sambolin
Woman Arrested for Refusing to Mask-Up in a Texas Bank; Biden and Kamala Harris Hitting the Road to Promote Coronavirus Relief Bill; Top New York Democrats Urge Governor Cuomo to Resign. Aired 5-5:30a ET
Aired March 15, 2021 - 05:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
[05:00:00]
CHRISTINE ROMANS, CO-ANCHOR, EARLY START: Packed bars and beaches and a pandemic far from over. Spring breakers flocking to a COVID hot spot despite warnings from experts.
LAURA JARRETT, CO-ANCHOR, EARLY START: And the number of migrant children crossing the border keeps growing. Why the agency that usually responds to floods and other major disasters is on the way to help.
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ROMANS: A historic night at the Grammys. All the major Grammy awards went to female artists, you probably were sleeping. We're going to give you the highlights. You know what you're talking about this morning, welcome to our viewers in the United States and all around the world, this is EARLY START, I'm Christine Romans.
JARRETT: And I'm Laura Jarrett, it's Monday, March 15th, it's 5:00 a.m. here in New York. We are so close we can taste freedom and yet so far. One in five Americans have now received at least one dose of a COVID vaccine. Since Friday, the U.S. has seen three of the four largest single day jumps in vaccinations. But scenes like this are exactly what could set us back. This is Miami Beach, lots of people out there, but very few masks. Spring break could trigger a surge in cases, St. Patrick's Day also a worry.
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MAYOR DAN GELBER, MIAMI BEACH, FLORIDA: We've got too many people coming. We've got too many people coming who are just acting out and we have COVID at the same time. So it's almost a triple threat.
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ROMANS: And people are flying again. Air travel hit a new pandemic era record. New TSA figures show more than 1.3 million people were screened Friday, that's the highest number in a year. Duke University undergrads are under a stay in place order all week. More than 180 students are in isolation after testing positive. At the same time, there are some good news, Dr. Fauci says less social distance may be enough to open schools -- to help schools open back up.
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ANTHONY FAUCI, DIRECTOR, NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF ALLERGY & INFECTIOUS DISEASES: The CDC is very well aware that data are accumulating, making it look more like 3 feet are OK under certain circumstances. They're analyzing that, and I can assure you within a reasonable period of time, quite reasonable, they will be giving guidelines according to the data that they have.
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JARRETT: The repeal of that statewide mask mandate in Texas already causing problems. Just a day after the governor rolled back restrictions, a woman was arrested for refusing to wear a mask in a private bank, which is of course allowed to enforce its own rules.
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UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Well, you need to go and get a mask and then take your money out, you're not allowed to do --
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Me too, I've been waiting here for about 10 minutes --
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Ma'am, listen, we're going to do this the easy way or the hard way.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: What are you going to do? Arrest me?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes, for intruding on premises.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: That's hilarious. Maybe you've got some issues.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I've got issues?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: That you're taking away --
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: OK --
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: People's human rights.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: OK, let's go outside.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Now, you're going to shoot me --
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: No --
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: People -- you're going to shoot me for trying not to breathe.
UNIDENTIFIFED MALE: Cool -- UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Come on, dude.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Don't -- oh, don't do that, oh, no.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Don't touch me. Who do you think you are?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: That's right, put your hands behind your back.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: My hand is behind my back, sir.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: This one, turn over on your stomach. Put your hand behind your back. Relax.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I am trying to relax, you're the one --
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: No, you are not relaxed. Not relaxed at all --
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Police brutality right here, people.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: No, clearly not.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It's not.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: No, what a bunch of sheep.
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ROMANS: Oh, my. And a Texas restaurant owner who publicly voiced misgivings about lifting that mask mandate has been the target now of hate crimes. He says he needs his dining room open to stay in business, but also he has an immune condition that could kill him if he contracts coronavirus.
JARRETT: President Biden will speak at the White House later today about implementing his coronavirus relief package. Then he'll hit the road to answer American's questions about the plan. CNN's Jasmine Wright is live at the White House for us. Jasmine, good morning. What do we expect to see from the president this week?
JASMINE WRIGHT, CNN WHITE HOUSE REPORTER: Well, the president has a busy week. All, as you said, with a laser-focus on how to implement this massive COVID Relief Bill. We'll hear from him later on today at the White House. As the question remains who is he going to pick to oversee the implementation? Now, media is reporting that it will Gene Sperling; a former economic official under the Clinton and Obama administration. But we have to remember, Laura, that President Biden held this job basically in 2009 during that stimulus bill, so he knows exactly what he is looking for.
Now later this week, we will see the White House all in full force, really storming the country, crisscrossing it to push the message of this COVID Relief Bill and what it can do for Americans.
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White House official Karine Jean-Pierre really previewed for us that -- previewed that for us yesterday.
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KARINE JEAN-PIERRE, DEPUTY WHITE HOUSE PRESS SECRETARY: There's so many things in this bill that meets the moment that we are in, that he is going to hit the road as well with the vice president, the first lady and the second gentleman respectively. They're going to crisscross this country and talk about the plan. Talk about how we're going to implement this plan.
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WRIGHT: Now, we are going to see President Biden in Delaware County, Pennsylvania on Tuesday. But even before that, today, we are going to see Vice President Harris on her first real domestic trip in Las Vegas, really touting the bill. She'll visit multiple stops including a federal mass vaccination site, and she will be alongside her husband, Doug Emhoff. Tomorrow, she'll be in Denver, tomorrow, we'll see President Biden starting his trip and that will end up in -- both of them in Georgia on Friday.
JARRETT: All right, Jasmine, thank you so much.
ROMANS: All right, that new $1.9 trillion COVID relief package is just so big. So unprecedented. There are some concerns, it risks super-charging the economy so much, it sparks inflation. But Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen says that's not the most significant risk.
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JANET YELLEN, SECRETARY OF THE TREASURY: The most significant risk we face is a work force that's scarred by a long period of unemployment. People being out of work. Is there a risk of inflation? I think there's a small risk and I think it's manageable.
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ROMANS: Essentially, a hypothetical risk of inflation, a very real problem for working families. The newly minted law is a historic rescue of those families and low-income Americans. Yellen says it may raise prices, but that would be temporary as the economy recovers.
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YELLEN: A sustained high inflation like we had in the 1970s. I absolutely don't expect that.
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ROMANS: And Yellen added the Fed has the tools to address it. In fact, over the Fed, the Fed chief Jerome Powell has also dismissed those concerns over inflation and likely will again when the Central Bank meets this week. Powell has focused on jobs and with good reason. The U.S. economy is still down 9.5 million jobs since February, 2020, Laura. JARRETT: President Biden weighing in for the first time on the
growing list of harassment claims against New York Governor Andrew Cuomo.
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UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Do you think Governor Andrew Cuomo should resign?
JOE BIDEN, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: I think the investigation is underway and we should see what it brings us.
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JARRETT: Both New York senators and most of the state's house members called for Cuomo to step down on Friday in light of all the harassment allegations as well as his handling of nursing home deaths during this pandemic. Though, some New York State Democrats are split.
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UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We do not believe the governor should continue to serve in this current circumstance and all of the controversies that are surrounding him.
CRYSTAL PEOPLES-STOKES, MEMBER OF THE NEW YORK STATE ASSEMBLY: With all due respect to my colleague in the Senate, I'm not sure why these accusations are impeding her from doing my job or her job, but I can tell you that they are not impeding me from doing mine. There are tons of people in this country who have suffered from a decision by the public that they are guilty of something that they were not. And many people have suffered in our judicial system as a result of that. Now, in my estimation, this is not about Mr. Cuomo. This is about a fairness process.
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JARRETT: Meantime, the New York State Assembly has started an impeachment inquiry. A majority vote to impeach by the assembly would strip Cuomo of his duties, it would then require two-thirds of the Senate to convict and remove him.
ROMANS: All right, coronavirus cases are spiking in Europe, why the U.S. may be next.
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ROMANS: The United States is in a race to vaccinate enough Americans before variant strains of coronavirus begin spreading. That race is being lost in parts of Europe, and health experts are warning the U.S. could be next. Melissa Bell is live for us in Rome this morning. Melissa, Italy heading for yet another lockdown. Tell us what's happening.
MELISSA BELL, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: That's right Christine. It was just over a year ago that we came here to Rome to cover the first lockdown. No one had imagined that just over a year later and a 100,000 deaths after, we'd be back to cover it once again. Very similar lockdown to last time. It is half the country's regions. Just over half the country's regions. But crucially, the vast majority of its population that are now under that strict lockdown, basically you can only leave your house for essential needs and schools are closed in most parts of Italy as well. So, a massive step backwards.
And you're right. Essentially, what's been happening in Europe over the course of the pandemic has really been always a couple of two or three weeks ahead of what's been happening in the United States. Both in the U.S. and in Europe, what we saw in early January, falling numbers, restrictions appear to have worked. People hoped they'd be getting back to their previous lives. And of course, then it was the new variants. They represent now specifically the one that was first identified in the United Kingdom, the majority of cases being detected in countries like Italy, Germany and France, it is spreading fast and, of course, what we've learned these last couple of weeks is that it is possibly also more dangerous and more deadly.
So, what you're talking about, once again, ICUs being overburdened and countries having to lock down. Now, Italy's plan is that this should stay in place until April 6th. What Mario Draghi; the Prime Minister hopes is that by the second half of the Spring, the vaccination campaign will be up and running. Italians having pretty ambitious target of getting 500,000 people vaccinated every day, but for the time being, of course, that is not happening. It's been painfully slow with this extra set of problems that have come from the AstraZeneca vaccine here --
ROMANS: Sure --
BELL: In Europe.
ROMANS: All right, Melissa Bell for us in Rome, a year on, thank you so much for that, Melissa. Laura?
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JARRETT: All right. Martial law has been declared in parts of Myanmar's largest city after another deadly day of violence. Now, China is stepping up its involvement in response to the crisis. Paula Hancocks is live this morning in Seoul for us. Paula, what's the latest?
PAULA HANCOCKS, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, Laura, China is getting more involved, which is what many other countries wanted all along. But for the simple fact that some Chinese-funded factories have been targeted. Over the weekend, many were damaged and also burnt in some neighborhoods of Yangon. And those are the neighborhoods, some of them industrial areas where martial law has now been introduced. So, China effectively said to the military leadership in Myanmar, you need to protect our business interests. You need to protect our citizens.
Reports also of some Chinese citizens being injured. It's not clear at this point who was behind those attacks. So, that's really why we're seeing China getting more involved. And what we are seeing on the streets of many cities and towns across Myanmar is the level of force that is being used by security forces increasing. The fact that at least 38 people were killed on Sunday. The deadliest day that we have seen since that February 1st, coup, just shows the level of force that the police are willing to use against unarmed protesters is increasing as well. Now, we know at least 2,100, according to one NGO, people have been arrested, charged or sentenced. So clearly, the level of concern for those people, many of whom have had no contact with their families since they have been taken by police.
The concern for them is increasing. But still, despite knowing the risks of coming out onto the streets, we're still seeing thousands of people risking everything to come and protest for democracy. Laura?
JARRETT: All right, Paula, thank you so much. I appreciate it.
ROMANS: All right, 16 minutes past the hour. Who won the Grammys? Women.
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ROMANS: History-making wins and jaw-dropping performances. See who set records and took home the biggest awards.
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JARRETT: Welcome back. A historic night for women at the Grammys.
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UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The Grammy goes to Beyonce!
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JARRETT: Beyonce, Queen B becoming the most decorated singer of all time, male or female, with her 28th Grammy win.
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BEYONCE GISELLE KNOWLES-CARTER, AMERICAN SINGER & SONGWRITER: This is so overwhelming. I've been working my whole life, since 9 years old, and I can't believe this happened. It's such a magical night. Thank you so much.
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JARRETT: And Beyonce had more to celebrate. Her 9-year-old daughter Blue Ivy Carter took home her first Grammy, winning best music video for her song with her mom, "Brown Skin Girl". She is the second youngest performer to ever win the award.
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UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: And the Grammy goes to "Folklore", Taylor Swift!
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ROMANS: Also making history there, Taylor Swift winning the coveted album of the year. She's the first woman to win it three times. And Billie Eilish making history of her own, winning record of the year for the second time. Though, in accepting the award, you know, she said Megan Thee Stallion deserved it more.
JARRETT: But Megan had her time to shine, the rapper winning the award for best new artist and also making history with Beyonce. They won the best rap performance for Megan "Savage" remix becoming the first all female collaboration to win in that category. And for the first time ever, the nominees for the best rock performance Grammy were all women. The award went to Fiona Apple.
All right, the Biden administration hitting the road this week, promoting the American rescue plan in cities across the country.
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JARRETT: As more people are charged in the Capitol riot, new details paint an even more disturbing picture. The latest case, a Navy contractor who told many of his colleagues, among other things that, quote, "Hitler should have finished the job". CNN's Marshall Cohen reports now.
MARSHALL COHEN, CNN REPORTER: Laura and Christine, we are learning disturbing new details about one of the Capitol rioters. His name is Timothy Hale-Cusanelli. He's an army reservist with security clearance and he's worked as a contractor at a Navy base in New Jersey. Now, prosecutors are revealing that the Navy did its own internal investigation after this man was arrested in January and their findings were shocking. Thirty four of his coworkers at the Navy base said that he exhibited, quote, "extremist or radical views pertaining to the Jewish people, minorities and women".
His colleagues shared disturbing stories of his racist and bigoted conduct at the Navy base. They said he made near-daily comments against Jews and even came to the office sporting a distinctive Hitler mustache. Now, prosecutors said, also, that they searched his cell phones and found racist memes about African-Americans. One image contained the N-word, another compared black people to animals. Now, this whole saga raises some pretty serious questions about how someone like this could last so long at a Navy base. Top Pentagon officials have said that they're working hard to root out far-right extremism within their ranks, but obviously, that's easier said than done. And one last thing, guys, and I want to be crystal clear about this,
we reached out to Hale-Cusanelli's attorney, he declined to comment about these new allegations, but in previous court filings, he said Hale-Cusanelli is not part of any white supremacist organizations, and when he was interviewed by the FBI, he said he is not a neo-Nazi sympathizer. Christine and Laura?
JARRETT: Really disturbing case there. Marshall Cohen, thank you so much. EARLY START continues right now.
Good morning everyone, this is EARLY START, I'm Laura Jarrett.
ROMANS: Happy Monday morning! I'm Christine Romans, it is 29 minutes past the hour on this day, the Ides of March.
