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Early Start with John Berman and Zoraida Sambolin
U.S. Races to Vaccinate Faster Than Variants Can Spread; Biden Gears Up for Infrastructure Push This Week; Jordan Accuses Former Crown Prince of Destabilizing Country. Aired 5-5:30a ET
Aired April 05, 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]
LAURA JARRETT, ANCHOR, EARLY START: Welcome to our viewers in the United States and all around the world. This is EARLY START, I'm Laura Jarrett. Christine Romans is off this week, we hope you had a nice Easter and a happy end of Passover. It is Monday, April 5th, 5:00 a.m. here in New York. And this morning, look no further than Michigan for proof of why now is not the time to let your guard down. More than 8,400 coronavirus cases on Saturday, that's the highest total since December. And while access to the vaccine expands, some lingering hesitancy remains.
At Easter service at one predominantly black church in Detroit, the pastor there said he's wrapping a pro-vaccine message in the language of faith.
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KENNETH FLOWERS, REVEREND MINISTER, GREATER NEW MT. MORIAH MISSIONARY BAPTIST CHURCH: If God can use doctors for cardiology, if God can use doctors for oncology and cancer, surely God can use doctors for COVID- 19. It does not mean that you don't have faith --
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Right --
FLOWERS: You must have your faith, but you must also use the doctors. So get the vaccination.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
JARRETT: The challenge now, vaccinating Americans faster than the variants can spread. On the one hand, you have the U.S. just surpassing an average of 3 million shots per day. It's extraordinary and more vaccine appointments are opening across the country every day. On the other hand, hospitalizations, well, they've been stubbornly stuck at about 40,000 for more than three weeks now, largely driven by the spread of the variant first detected in the U.K.
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MICHAEL OSTERHOLM, EPIDEMIOLOGIST: I believe that in some ways we're almost in a new pandemic. The only good news about this is that the current vaccines are effective against this particular variant, B-117. But in a sense, this is a virus, it is now 50 percent to 100 percent more transmissible or infectious than the previous viruses. This is a virus that causes 50 percent to 60 percent more severe illnesses. And so, at one time, it wasn't as much of a problem, for example, in cases in young adults are now becoming very serious cases.
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JARRETT: Meantime, the Texas Rangers opened their season today allowing a 100 percent of fans in the stands. That's about 40,000 people. They are the only MLB team to allow more than 50 percent of capacity. Los Angeles County is allowing bars outside without food service to join reopening there after 25 percent capacity. And Cornell University now says it will require students to be vaccinated for the Fall semester.
President Biden will make a public push for his infrastructure plan this week. Some of his cabinet secretaries are already out there making the case, saying people want and need this package.
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JENNIFER GRANHOLM, SECRETARY OF ENERGY: If the vast majority of Americans, Democrats and Republicans across the country support spending on our country and not allowing us to lose the race globally, then he's going to do that.
PETE BUTTIGIEG, SECRETARY OF TRANSPORTATION: There's a lot more than roads and bridges that are part of infrastructure. You know, I heard the governor of South Dakota recently saying this is an infrastructure, it's got money for pipes. Well, we believe that pipes are infrastructure because you need water to live and too many families now live with the threat of lead poisoning.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
JARRETT: CNN's Jasmine Wright is live at the White House with more this morning. Jasmine, good morning to you. It seems like the president realizes time is of the essence here. He has a narrow window to get this down, and he's not going to wait for long, drawn-out talks in Washington.
JASMINE WRIGHT, CNN WHITE HOUSE REPORTER: Well, Laura, history is repeating itself and it didn't necessarily take a long time. Look back to the process that we saw during the president's COVID relief bill push. He proposes a grand plan, says that the country needs it. That Americans approve of it. Republicans asked why there's so much more in it than they think is necessary. They proposed a lower proposal that the White House says is insufficient and Democrats turn to going it alone. Now, Laura, we're not that far in the process yet, but we are starting to see some of those elements play out.
But the difference between this bill, the American Jobs Plan and the COVID Relief Bill is that these benefits and this infrastructure and jobs bill would be permanent, therefore, raising the stakes. Now, Biden surrogates were out on the Sunday shows as you saw earlier really defending that everything else that comes with this package that's outside of those roads and bridges and railroads. Take a listen.
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BRIAN DEESE, DIRECTOR, NATIONAL ECONOMIC COUNCIL: I think we need to update what we mean by infrastructure for the 21st century. We're talking about construction to build things like VA facilities, our schools and community colleges, putting people to work, construction work that really needs to be done to meet commitments that we have to our veterans and others.
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[05:05:00]
WRIGHT: So, Laura, we will see President Biden on this plan just with an eye to lawmakers in Congress, but really his focus is on building bipartisan support outside of Washington D.C., getting voters on board with what he's proposing, getting local leaders on both sides of the aisle on board with what he's proposing to bring that pressure, bring that notion of bipartisanship back to Washington D.C., justifying when he could move forward with or without Republicans on this bill. Laura?
JARRETT: All right, we will wait and see. Jasmine, thank you so much. I appreciate it. Well, the fragile calm at the U.S. Capitol shattered once again for the men and women who protect it every day. Blood- draping in flags lowered to half-staff at the Capitol police headquarters, this time in memory of officer Billy Evans killed in a car-ramming attack on Friday, less than two weeks after Capitol police removed that outer fencing put up around the Capitol after the riot on January 6th. Now, the retired general who led a six-week review of the security at the Capitol after the insurrection says it is time for Congress to implement his recommendations. CNN's Marshall Cohen has more on this.
MARSHALL COHEN, CNN REPORTER: Washington is still reeling three days after the car-ramming attack at the U.S. Capitol. One police officer William Evans died from his injuries, he was an 18-year veteran of the force and leaves behind two children. But there's a little bit of good news, the other officer who was injured in the attack was released from the hospital over the weekend. Meanwhile, security officials on Capitol Hill are grappling yet again with the question of how to keep the premises safe. The head of the Capitol Police Union said over the weekend that his officers, frankly, are struggling to keep up with the very heavy demands and that morale is plummeting.
He called on lawmakers to quickly approve funding so that they can hire addition -- hundreds of additional officers. We'll see if that actually does happen. But something has got to give here because it is only April and three U.S. Capitol police officers have lost their lives this year.
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UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Weight the balance, we're re-engineering where resources needed for the Capitol police. We're upgrading our cameras and censors and the barriers around the Capitol. That's going to come at a cost. We gave them the plan, we worked hard to give it to them. Now, they've got to work to make that plan come through, and that's called a supplemental because the police in the Capitol deserve this, our nation deserve it, and those families who have lost loved ones deserve it. And we need to up our game in support of the Capitol police.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COHEN: We are learning new details about the perpetrator Noah Green and his disturbed postings online. Now, he appears to have claimed that the FBI and the CIA were using mind control against him. He also claimed that people were poisoning his food and his drinks. He did say as well that he was a devoted follower of Louis Farrakhan, the nation of Islam leader who is well known for his bigotry, racism and hate speech. Marshall Cohen, CNN, New York.
JARRETT: Marshall, thank you for that report. A bold new claim from Jordan's government accusing the former Crown Prince and his associates of plotting to overthrow his half brother King Abdullah II. That's next.
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JARRETT: Signs of a thwarted coup in the Middle East. The government of Jordan accusing the kingdom's former Crown Prince of trying to destabilize its security. He's now in isolation, but not following orders to keep quiet. CNN's Jomana Karadsheh is following this story from Istanbul.
JOMANA KARADSHEH, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Laura, dramatic events unfolding in Jordan. Over the weekend, the government there accusing the former Crown Prince, the half brother of King Abdullah, Prince Hamzah bin Al-Hussein and his associates, people around him working with foreign entities, they say, in an attempt to destabilize the country to undermine its national security. They say that for a long time the country's security services, the Intelligence and the military had been monitoring communications with these foreign entities, and that they have to move in on Saturday.
They detained, they say, more than a dozen people. On Saturday we also heard from the former Crown Prince in a stunning video statement obtained by a number of media organizations in which he described the situation he is in right now. He said that the country's military chief had instructed him to stay at home. He says that he's isolated. His communications had been cut off. People around him detained. He's lost his security, he says, and what followed was truly unprecedented.
A member of the royal family lashing out at the country's leadership, at the ruling system, accusing them of corruption and mismanagement, blaming them for the state the country is in right now. He also addressed the accusations of links to any foreign entities, even before those accusations were made by the government. He says that he is not part of any foreign conspiracy or nefarious organization. He says that, that is an accusation the government levels at anyone who speaks out. Now, there are a lot more questions that remain unanswered. A lot of speculation about these foreign entities. We really don't know what has been going on in Jordan. This key U.S. ally country known for its stability in the turbulent region. Laura?
JARRETT: Jomana, thank you for that. Israel, no doubt, keeping a close eye on these developments in Jordan. The Defense Minister calling it an internal matter that says Israel should be ready to help a strategic ally. Also, today, quite the split screen for Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. CNN's Hadas Gold is live in Jerusalem. Hadas, nice to see you, what more are you learning?
[05:15:00]
HADAS GOLD, CNN EUROPEAN POLITICS, MEDIA & BUSINESS REPORTER: Laura, definitely a stunning split screen day here in Jerusalem for Prime Minister Netanyahu. Earlier this morning, he was in court listening to the state prosecutor lay out three different cases that prosecutors have against him, where they're alleging of bribery, fraud and breach of trust against him. And in fact, as we speak, the first witness has been on the stand all day in one of the most serious parts of these cases where prosecutors are alleging that Netanyahu advanced regulatory reforms for a wealthy businessman in exchange for favorable coverage in a news website that, that businessman owned.
And then less than two miles away, Netanyahu's Likud Party colleagues are trying to convince the Israeli president that Netanyahu should be the one to form a new government after the elections in the last two weeks did not give us a definitive result on who could form the next government. This is despite the fact that it is not clear that Netanyahu would have the numbers needed to get the 61-seat majority he needs in the Israeli Knesset. But these two events are intricately connected, Laura. Because the success at the Israeli president's residence could translate for Netanyahu into success in court because if Netanyahu stays in power, and if he gets the majority he needs in the parliament, he could advance some changes.
Make some appointments, perhaps, that could help his court case, perhaps even potentially make it go away. It's very important for him for his own personal future to stay in power. What's really interesting though about this case also is unless Netanyahu gets permission, Laura, he has to potentially be in the courtroom three days a week as this case continues, Laura.
JARRETT: That will be fascinating to see, and we know that you'll be following it all. Hadas, thank you, appreciate it. Still ahead, a school district in Tulsa, Oklahoma, looking forward to welcoming students back to classrooms at full capacity. We'll show you how they plan to use COVID relief money to do it.
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[05:20:00]
JARRETT: How do you get kids back to school safely? We've been asking this question for almost a year now. Well, $130 billion in relief funds, pretty good start. Schools across the country are weighing how to best use the federal windfall, including on problems that predate the pandemic. CNN's Evan McMorris-Santoro reports now from Tulsa, Oklahoma.
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EBONY JOHNSON, CHIEF LEARNING OFFICER, TULSA PUBLIC SCHOOLS: We've always wanted to make this happen. So, let's make it happen.
EVAN MCMORRIS-SANTORO, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): As another challenging school year is coming to an end, educators across the country like Tulsa public schools chief learning officer Ebony Johnson are dreaming about the future.
JOHNSON: We've been through so much as a country through the pandemic, and so, to be able to get these dollars, it's exciting because we get to dream. So, let's do.
MCMORRIS-SANTORO: Federal money is coming into districts within the next 60 days. Tulsa's superintendent Deborah Gist says it will help get schools back to where they were pre-pandemic and possibly make them better than they were.
(on camera): You have more tools available to you now than you have had maybe in a long time.
DEBORAH GIST, SUPERINTENDENT, TULSA PUBLIC SCHOOLS: Yes --
MCMORRIS-SANTORO: So, what does that mean?
GIST: So, for us, you know, in Oklahoma, we do not invest adequately in public education. So this investment will allow us to not only provide direct services to our children and families, but it's also going to help us to grow and expand.
MCMORRIS-SANTORO: The $1.9 trillion stimulus bill approved by Congress last month sets aside $129 billion for education. Those dollars flow from Washington across the country and end in states where they're dispersed to school districts like the one in Tulsa. District leaders divided between all their schools. So some of it will land here at Monroe Demonstration Academy middle school.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Being able to now be back in person with the social distancing, with masks, with desk shields, has been amazing to watch kids really just get back into the groove of things.
MCMORRIS-SANTORO: Tulsa leaders expect their school system to get around $128 million from the American Rescue Plan Act over the next three years. That money is earmarked to not only get classrooms open, but for Summer enrichment programs, after school child care, even a graduation boot camp free to all students.
JOHNSON: Graduation is priority. And you still need one or two credits left to graduate, and we need to help you get there.
MCMORRIS-SANTORO: Back at Monroe, interim principal Rob Kaiser is excited about what this new money can do.
ROBERT KAISER, INTERIM PRINCIPAL, MONROE DEMONSTRATION ACADEMY: So every student will be able to enroll in a Summer camp if they like.
MCMORRIS-SANTORO: Do you get the feeling that students are excited about going to school all Summer?
KAISER: I do. I do. And I think it's changing the narrative behind what school is. This is going to be a time where kids are going to come in, and we're going to get some academics done in the morning and then we're going to have some opportunities for kids to really explore their interests, be around their friends, to be kids.
MCMORRIS-SANTORO: Nicholas Lopez, an eighth grader is looking forward to graduation and starting high school. He says the newly funded programs at Monroe could have a big impact on students like him.
NICHOLAS LOPEZ, STUDENT: I hope it actually does go according to plan. I'd like it to happen like it's going to get us back to the way we were before the pandemic. I don't know if I'm saying that right.
MCMORRIS-SANTORO: School administrators are now poised to execute their plan.
GIST: It's our responsibility as educators at the school level to ensure that we are excellent stewards of these taxpayer dollars.
MCMORRIS-SANTORO: And to ensure this funding can make a lasting impact beyond the short term.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I'm a teacher, right, so I'm more on the front lines of this than understanding exactly how the budget is being lined out, and you know, knowing what dollars are going where. That stuff can't happen without the stimulus money. And we're really excited.
MCMORRIS-SANTORO: Evan McMorris-Santoro, CNN, Tulsa, Oklahoma.
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[05:25:00]
JARRETT: Evan, thank you for that. Business leaders around the country speaking out against laws making it harder to vote in Georgia. It's not the first state to face a corporate backlash. I'll speak to CNN's John Harwood on the lessons learned here next.
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JARRETT: Good morning everyone, this is EARLY START, I'm Laura Jarrett, almost 30 minutes past the hour here in New York. Well, those 4th of July barbecues that President Biden promised now seem so close, but yet still so far away. Saturday marks the first time the U.S. reported more than 4 million COVID vaccine doses given in a single day, pushing the average above 3 million people for the first time. But U.S. COVID cases.
