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Shooting at Indianapolis FedEx Facility; Brian Moynihan is Interviewed about the Economy; New Information on COVID-19 Vaccines. Aired 8:30-9a ET

Aired April 16, 2021 - 08:30   ET

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

[08:30:00]

SEN. MARK WARNER (D-VA) : Inviting in outside influence.

And I think one of the things that I'm not sure all the viewing audience realizes is, they may say, well, we kind of suspected that, we knew that. We had found that. We've not found this level of direct connection that the Biden administration and intel community has made.

But Konstantin Kilimnik did not disappear in 2016. Konstantin Kilimnik was using other Ukrainian-affiliated individuals who had ties as well to Kilimnik and Russian intelligence to manipulate people like Rudy Giuliani and, unfortunately, members of the United States Congress in the 2016 elections.

So these 2016 activities, this same cast of characters simply got fast forwarded into the 2020 election cycle. I think they were less destructive because, quite frankly, our intelligence community did a better job in 2020. But we ought to have, again, not only better intel, but we ought to pass a common sense piece of legislation I put forward that says if a foreign government, in a presidential campaign, offers you assistance or their agents offer you assistance, the appropriate response ought to be, not thank you, it ought to be, call the FBI.

JOHN BERMAN, CNN ANCHOR: I've got to let you go, Senator, but is this collusion when you have it from Trump campaign officials to Kilimnik to the Russians? Is that collusion?

WARNER: I would simply say this, we put out five volumes, much more comprehensive than the Mueller report. I would encourage any American who wants to get to the bottom of what happened in 2016 to read those bipartisan reports.

BERMAN: Senator Mark Warner, we appreciate your time.

WARNER: Thank you.

BERMAN: Breaking news this morning, eight people killed by a gunman at a FedEx warehouse in Minneapolis -- in Indianapolis. It just tells you the state of being right now in this country. At a FedEx warehouse in Indianapolis. Police believe the shooter then took his own life. We have new information, next. (COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[08:35:54]

BERMAN: All right, more now on the breaking news we've been following all morning. At least eight people are dead after a gunman opened fire at a FedEx facility in Indianapolis overnight.

Jason Carroll has been on the scene reporting all morning long.

Jason, what can you tell us?

JASON CARROLL, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, it's been a longer morning for the family -- family members of some of these FedEx employees. As you can imagine how difficult it's been for some of them. Some of them have been waiting hours to hear from some of their family members to make sure that they're OK. A lot of different moving parts with this investigation.

The FBI has joined the investigation, John, to lend their efforts. A source within the Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department described a horrific scene inside the facility behind me. This all happening at about 11:00 last night. That's when the initial calls came in that there was a shooter inside.

Apparently the shooter made his way into the parking lot, started shooting there. Got inside, but not too far inside, but still kept on shooting once he was inside. Apparently once police got here, and it wasn't too long after the initial calls came in that police arrived at the scene. They say shortly after the suspect took his own life.

Eight people dead. Five people injured. One critically injured. Those numbers are sure to change because some of the people who were injured actually took themselves to local hospitals. So local authorities trying to get a handle on the number of folks who were injured out here.

A family reunification site has been set up at a hotel located not far from where we are. Apparently a number of the employees are not allowed to have cell phones on the floor of the facility. So when they ran out, when that gunfire rang out, a lot of them didn't have their phones on them, so they weren't able to get in contact with their family members. Those employees are being held at a different FedEx facility. So we're told that they're going to be reunited within the next hour. So they're working on that.

So, at this point, investigators are working on a motive for why yet another mass shooting has happened, this time in Indianapolis.

Poppy.

POPPY HARLOW, CNN ANCHOR: OK, Jason, thank you very much.

Now to America's economic recovery and some really good signs this morning. Unemployment claims just reached the lowest level of the whole pandemic. Retail sales surged last month as people spent their stimulus checks.

I'm glad to bring in Brian Moynihan, the CEO of Bank of America.

And, Brian, it's nice to have you when there's good news and we're not on potentially the precipice of another depression, like last time I talked to you.

So I just wonder, because you took over Bank of America in the middle of the, you know, Great Recession. When is the last time you were this bullish on the U.S. economy?

BRIAN MOYNIHAN, CEO, BANK OF AMERICA: Well, first, Poppy, our thoughts and prayers are with the families of the Indianapolis shooting victims. And we have a team out there, too. So let's start with that before we get to the economy.

But on the economy, we -- you know, it is really -- the predictions for the 2021 growth by our great research team are 7 percent GDP growth in the United States for this year and 5 plus percent for next year, which is a much faster growth rate than, you know, we've seen in the last couple decades. And so that bodes well. The economy's going to cross over and be as big as it was before the pandemic, probably in the middle of this year, growing at a faster rate. Unemployment is coming down and we're just starting to, you know, open up the economies fully and people are -- can now spend the checks that they got by going out and eating and doing things that they'd like to do.

HARLOW: The president wants to raise corporate taxes, as you know, to 28 percent to pay for infrastructure. Is it your assessment that that -- if that were to become law that would -- that would -- would substantially hamper that growth?

MOYNIHAN: Right, I think it depends on what the shape of that law is and exactly how the taxes work. But I think the key thing is, we -- to keep America competitive, we need to keep investing in infrastructure, not only the physical infrastructure, but other types of infrastructure. We need to make the transition economy and I think a well-focused infrastructure plan would be a good thing. And I think -- but we have to be careful about how much spending we can do as a country to keep our debt ratings and our preeminence as the number one country in the world for people to invest in alive.

[08:40:00]

HARLOW: A well-structured infrastructure plan would be a good thing you say. Does that mean Bank of America supports a 28 percent corporate tax rate to pay for it?

MOYNIHAN: Well, we'll have to see what the tax law provides. We've paid higher taxes before and lower taxes before. We make lots of investments with (ph) tax advantages.

HARLOW: Well, that's what they want. What do you think about 28 percent?

MOYNIHAN: Yes, well, that's -- well, let's see what they come up with and we'll work it through. But I think the key is to focus the money on providing long-term growth for our country.

HARLOW: I do want to point out, there are good economic headlines, but you know, Brian, this recovery's not equal. I mean women, so many millions more women out of work now. And also the bottom -- Jerome Powell pointed out this week that the bottom 20 percent of income earners still have about a 20 percent unemployment rate.

I wonder what your biggest risk is -- like what your biggest worry is about the economy right now?

MOYNIHAN: The number one worry about the economy is to get the health care crisis behind us and get the vaccines fully distributed, get them in people's arms and get the case counts down and the hospitalizations eradicated. And that means you can fully reopen the economy.

Now, we have serious issues. There's a group of -- a big section of the economy is on the other side of the river. They've crossed the bridge. There are certain industries and the people who work in those industries who want to come to work. It's not that they're working from home. They can't work because their business aren't open and we've got to get those open. That was the purpose of the PPP program, which we did about a half million loans for. That was the purpose of the unemployment support.

But the good news is that number's gone from a peak of 15 down to six. And what you saw in yesterday's job number is that the flywheel, the American economy is turning and bringing those people back in. So we need to really focus on getting that last group of people through on the other side of the bridge and getting those industries open.

HARLOW: Yes.

I mean, so speaking about that, Bank of America, for example, just increased, it's now, I think, $1.25 billion in terms of money that you're putting towards real equity and racial equity over the next five years. I heard your peer, Jamie Dimon, who heads JP Morgan, say to my colleague, David Axelrod, this week, the American dream is fraying and income inequality is the fault line.

Do you believe too few Americans, Brian, right now, have access to the American dream?

MOYNIHAN: And -- well that's -- we, obviously, do because that's what we're trying to work on. Starting about four or five years ago, we started work on the question of opportunity and whether opportunity was available to all on an equal basis. So we were working on that and then last year the killing of George Floyd and the other awareness of racial and social justice issues, we announced a major program, housing, jobs, business entrepreneurships and health. And we've been deploying that billion dollars.

So what did we do? We invested in minority (INAUDIBLE) institutions. We've taken 5 percent of the equity, giving them common equity to grow. We've increased our allocation to community developed financial institutions from $1.5 billion to $1.7 billion being the largest. We invested in 61 private equity funds to give entrepreneurial wealth, you know, a possibility by creating more investment dollars in the local communities.

And then, on top of that, we worked on skills. Community colleges, grants to them to develop better skilled-based programs and the HBCUs to help with their -- 11 HBCUs to help with their college development and career to get more companies to work with them. And then last with Morehouse and Spelman and the Black Executive Alliance, we created an entrepreneurship center, a grant to help create an entrepreneurship center in Atlanta to create more entrepreneurship among black Americans. Recently we increased that to $1.25 billion and made it clear that it covers all ethnicities, including Asian-Americans.

HARLOW: So, Brian, I mean given your concern about inequity in this country, one of the reasons I really wanted to have you on is because you have not hesitated to speak out on social issues that concern you, speaking out against the North Carolina transgender bathroom law. You guys are headquartered there. Stopping funding manufacturers of military-style guns for civilian use after the Parkland shooting. Now you've signed this pledge with other businesses and business leaders fundamentally saying we need to protect voting rights in America.

Does that mean that Bank of America explicitly opposes the law on voting the passed in Georgia, what's about to pass in Arkansas and be signed into law there and in Texas?

MOYNIHAN: So, Poppy, we were clear a few weeks ago about where we stood about the right to vote and the right to vote ought to be distributed in its broadest sense. And anything that goes against that shouldn't -- shouldn't be tolerated.

Now, I think it's time to get to the bottom of this. And so, as I've been thinking about it, after the 2000 and 2004 elections and the controversy around them, you know, there was a commission of President Jimmy Carter and James Baker that came together in bipartisan proposed reforms. I think it's time for a group of people to have a bipartisan commission like we did in policing in 2015 in the Obama administration, like we did in that election, so somewhat decide, what is the right standards that we as an American society can agree to as votes.

HARLOW: Yes.

MOYNIHAN: It's states' rights. It's their decision.

[08:45:00]

But I think if we had a standard we could hold people to, it would be good.

HARLOW: Yes.

You know, I ask you this because the latest studies barometer (ph) show that the American people trust you guys more than Congress, than lawmakers to actually get things done, right, to actually help enact change outside of your core business. Jeffrey Sonnenfeld (ph) of Yale's piece in "The Wall Street Journal"

pointed out something so interesting. And he says that when civil rights legend Andrew Young needed help back in the '60s on voting rights, here is what he said to Sonnenfeld. He said, believe it or not, I have more faith in business than I have in church or politics or anything else I do. And the reason is there is more freedom and more courage in our free enterprise system.

So fast forward to today. What will you do about it? What will Bank of America do to put action behind these words saying we have to protect the right for everyone to vote equally in this country?

MOYNIHAN: Well, again, we've spoken out. I think we're clear with our team.

Our decision to do things and make decisions really comes from two things. One, how we run the company to produce both profits for our shareholders and deliver what society needs. And, secondly, it comes -- because our teammates and our families and everybody have concerns. And as a major employer with, you know, 200,000-plus employees around the world, you know, we -- we -- we have to work to make their lives better and be the best place to work. And, you know, those teammates, you know, want us to take a stand. And that's why we do it. So, you know, it's how we operate the company.

But, importantly, for things like diversity, inclusion and opportunity, you know, it's who we hire, how we hire, how we promote, how we provide opportunity in our company and then it's things I talked about before.

In terms of the voting, we've made it clear where we stand. And that's why I think we now have to move, as businesses do, to a pragmatic solution to figure out an answer as opposed to a constantly churning thing. And that's where I think someone needs to say, what is the standards which the American society ought to live under? And that's why you're trying to do it.

And that's what Andrew Young was talking about. And I didn't talk to him about it personally.

HARLOW: Right.

MOYNIHAN: But as businesses tend to try to execute and do things, that's what makes us different. And so -- and so we're trying to actually resolve things and get things done and that's what we try to do in every case.

HARLOW: Well, look, Brian, we're out of time this morning but let's sit down in a few months and have an in-depth conversation on this because there's a lot more to talk about. I appreciate your time this morning.

Brian, thank you.

We'll be -- we'll be --

MOYNIHAN: Yes. Thank you.

HARLOW: Thank you, Brian.

We'll be right back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[08:51:07]

BERMAN: The CEO of Pfizer now says people will probably need a coronavirus booster shot six to 12 months after their first round of vaccine doses.

Joining us now, Dr. Sanjay Gupta, CNN chief medical correspondent.

Sanjay, so what does this mean exactly and why is he saying this?

DR. SANJAY GUPTA, CNN CHIEF MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, I -- you know, I don't know that we know this yet. And it's not that Mr. Bourla isn't knowledgeable, obviously, about vaccines. But we just don't know how long the immunity lasts yet. It's not knowable yet. We'll determine that with the passage of time.

And, look, you know, pharma executives saying, hey, look, billions of people will need these shots every year possibly for the rest of their lives. Not surprising necessarily to hear that. But how long does the immunity really last is the question?

Let me just show you the types of boosters potentially that we're talking about here. Is it a shot that's the same existing shot, you're just basically increase the immunity? Is it something that's going to be specific to one of these variants that we've been talking about or perhaps a combined booster?

One piece of data we'll share with you. Back -- going back to SARS, 2003, people who became naturally infected with SARS, what they found was that antibody levels did go down over time, but their overall immunity due to t-cells lasting up until last year still, 17 years later. So we'll see how long the immunity actually lasts from these vaccines.

HARLOW: Sanjay, for anyone who was in line to get a J&J vaccine this morning, or maybe just recently got one, any updates? Anything new we need to know this morning?

GUPTA: I wish we did but the, you know, the committee had met and did not come away with some sort of specific recommendation. We know they're going to meet again next Friday. Two things they're trying to determine, are there more people out there who may have had this problem as was described. Is this a needle in a haystack or more tip of an iceberg?

This is going to be rare, I think, no matter what, but just how rare are we talking about? And also, is there anything that ties these people together that developed these blood clots in the brain. Something about their pre-existing history, a medication they may have been taking, birth control pills even. We don't know. That's what they're trying to figure out.

But they've got to move fast. I mean I know these are tough decisions and tough investigations, but, you know, obviously the vaccine rollout's so critically important. Confidence in the vaccine critically important. We know they're going to meet next Friday. Hopefully we'll hear more.

HARLOW: OK.

BERMAN: Sanjay -- Dr. Sanjay Gupta, thank you very much for being with us this morning.

GUPTA: You got it. Thank you.

HARLOW: So we want to end this show on something very personal and take this moment to remember a very special member of the CNN family, our colleague, our beloved colleague Rene Marsh's two-year-old son Blake passed away Wednesday after battling cancer. In a touching message to her son -- and we're going to read you the whole thing because we think it really matters. Rene writes this, to my dear, sweet Blake, aka Blakey, in your 25 months on earth, you taught me how much strength I had stored up in reserve that I did not know I had.

BERMAN: You taught me endurance. You taught me a depth of love I have never experienced. You inspired me to keep going when I wanted to give up. You helped me prioritize what is truly important in this life. I'm forever changed because of you, my son.

HARLOW: I feel blessed and honored to have been your mom. I wish we had more time together, but I'm grateful for the time we had. In just two years, you mastered the ability to bring laughter and happiness into whatever room you were in.

BERMAN: Your party tricks included telling me no, no matter what question I asked, hugging and kissing on demand and your dance moves were top notch. The good times we shared are forever in my heart.

HARLOW: You loved being outside. You loved cruising the neighborhood in your drop-top electric car with the music on as you tried so hard to snap your fingers.

[08:55:03]

You loved humming classical music. Your favorite was Mozart's Serenade Number 13.

I didn't just lose you, Blakey, I lost all the dreams and hopes that a mom has for a son. I lost my motherhood, and I am mourning it all and I'm dedicated to fighting pediatric cancer for the rest of my life.

BERMAN: I will do it not just to spare other parents from this unbearable pain, but I will do it to forever honor you, Blake. Your life was not in vain, my sweet angel. Mommy loves you, and I look forward to holding you when we meet again.

Our thoughts, our love, are with Rene and her family. Please hug your children tonight. Please help in the battle against pediatric cancer.

HARLOW: CNN's coverage continues, next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[09:00:00]