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Trump Holds Multiple Calls with Pennsylvania House Speaker Over Election; 90-Year-Old U.K Woman First to Get COVID Vaccine; Los Angeles County School District Suspends All In-Person Tutoring, Childcare, Other Services. Aired 11:30-12p ET

Aired December 08, 2020 - 11:30   ET

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

[11:30:01]

LT. GOV. JOHN FETTERMAN (D-PA): And, folks, you need to understand that it is necessary in some cases like this, the pander to the lunatic fringe snake-handling wing of this party, because they are vocal and they are active.

KATE BOLDUAN, CNN ANCHOR: But is it necessary though? Because at the same time, those same people you're talking about, along with a bunch of other Republican lawmakers in the state wrote a letter to members of Congress telling them to obstruct or to object to the commonwealth's electoral slate. It's -- are they trying to have it both ways? Is that okay?

FETTERMAN: Well, I mean, there are certainly going to be elements of professional wrestling involved in order to -- again, like I said, to nullify the lunatic fringe of the party. I mean, make no mistake, they're talking like they have had -- armed protesters show up at people's homes. You have the Arizona Republican Party calling for martyrs on Twitter. So this is very real.

And we have to acknowledge how much courage it takes for a Republican in this environment to simply acknowledge the reality, the electoral reality that Joe Biden is the president-elect, and in Pennsylvania, won by over 80,000 votes.

BOLDUAN: I want to play for you what Congressman Jim Clyburn, the Democratic congressman from South Carolina, what he said about these phone calls coming from the president. Let me play this.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

REP. JAMES CLYBURN (D-SC): This is an attempt to overthrow our government. You may not call it a coup, but this is an attempted coup. Now, so many people said, you're trying to steal the election. He's not trying to steal the election. That is some kind of unknown activity when you steal it. No, that is not what he's doing. He is in your face trying to overthrow the will of the people.

(END VIDEO CLIP) BOLDUAN: Look, what Clyburn is saying is that this is more than pandering to some folks in your party. This is straight up dangerous. Do you agree with him?

FETTERMAN: Well, again, coming from the president, the president very much would like to overthrow the result. But the people on the ground -- like I said, look at what they've actually done, the steps that they've taken, and I don't believe any Republican of any significant stature in the commonwealth of Pennsylvania has or will make an attempt to overturn these election results. But also when you have the world's biggest microphone raining scorn and calling you out the way he has in Georgia, that's a political reality too.

So, as I mentioned before, it's a fine line walking between pandering to the snake-handling wing of that party but also acknowledging the electoral truth in Pennsylvania. And I believe that's what these folks are trying to do because the threat is real and the anger and absurdity continues to swirl and the president, certainly, is not going to do anything other than to foment and accelerate that.

BOLDUAN: But, Lieutenant Governor, I hear you on a political reality of what this fine line that they think that they must walk, but do they need to walk it? Why does it take courage to state reality? At some point, there has to be a break. I mean, you've got Republicans in your state and Republicans nationally who are standing by silently letting this go on or some of them egging the president on in his attempts. What is your message? Because I don't know if there is this fine line that they need to walk.

FETTERMAN: Well, the truth is they're getting death threats. My friend, Al Schmidt, Commissioner Schmidt, a Republican in Philadelphia, still gets death threats even a month after the election for standing up and telling the truth as a Republican. It's very real. And you have, again, unprecedented scorn raining down on you.

And we have to acknowledge in this country right now it is an act of courage to choose death threats and threats of your political future or worse, in the opposition of getting 170,000 new Twitter followers and being held up as the national Republican hero of the week. And so members of the legislature have done just that. They have chosen to be and to pander the element.

BOLDUAN: Just real quickly, is anything with regard to the results of the election out of Pennsylvania going to change?

FETTERMAN: No. I mean, everyone knows how this movie is going to end, the president more so than anybody. And that's why he's reverting to these outlandish tactics. And that's why he's trying to turn this into a political revenge fest because people are standing up and saying, yes, it's not the truth and I'm going to stand on the side of the truth.

BOLDUAN: Lieutenant Governor thanks so much. I'd like to be a fly on the wall if that's possible if the president ever gave you that phone call. Thank you very much. I appreciate your time.

Coming up, the U.K. is now the first country in the western hemisphere to begin vaccinating its citizens against coronavirus.

[11:35:00]

We're going to go there to see how the rollout is going.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BOLDUAN: A historic moment today. The very first COVID-19 vaccine in the western hemisphere was given this morning in the U.K.

[11:40:00]

Margaret Keenan, 90 years old, the first person in the U.K. to receive the Pfizer shot.

CNN's Max Foster has more on this. He joins us now from Wales. Max, Margaret Keenan saying and how is this vaccine rollout going?

MAX FOSTER, CNN ANCHOR AND CORRESPONDENT: Well, a star was born. And it's been an incredible day, really, and starting at that moment where we saw those first pictures of Maggie Keenan receiving the first of 40 million vaccines that have actually been ordered, just the Pfizer vaccine for this country. Let's hear what she had to say when she was told she was going to have this starring role.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MARGARET KEENAN, FIRST PERSON TO RECEIVE COVID-19 VACCINE OUTSIDE OF TRIALS: I thought it was a joke to tell you the truth, to start with. I couldn't believe it, you know,but I'm happy it's happened. And now I've done it.

It's the best thing that's ever happened at the moment. So, do please, go for it. That's all I say. If I can do it, so can you.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

FOSTER: A great way to celebrate her birthday, Kate, 91 next week, would you believe? But in high spirits and really encouraging people to go out and get vaccinated if they get offered the vaccine.

BOLDUAN: Absolutely. And, Max, Shakespeare could not have scripted this one better. The second person in the U.K. to get the vaccine is really named William Shakespeare?

FOSTER: Of course. He was an inpatient at a hospital in Coventry, which is 20 miles from Shakespeare's birthplace as well. So, William Shakespeare, a big name today, the one that everyone is remembering. I can't tell you how many people come up to me here in Cardiff saying, is it really true that William Shakespeare was vaccinated? I said, yes, absolutely true.

But it's been a huge logistical exercise but those two names really rising to the top of today's excitement.

BOLDUAN: Absolutely. And so the rollout begins. Thank you so much, Max. I really appreciate it. Thank you.

And back here in the United States, we have yet another example of why this vaccine rollout cannot come soon enough for the elderly. In Washington State, seven residents of three different long-term care facilities died from coronavirus after health officials say that staff members attended a large wedding and then tested positive. Another tragic reminder of how long-term care facilities have been the hardest hit and the most vulnerable throughout the pandemic.

And there's also a new report out by the American Health Care Association showing a new wave of cases and death is hitting these facilities right now. They warn a one-month delay in distributing vaccine to nursing home results could result in more than 10,000 preventable deaths.

Joining me now is Mark Parkinson, once again. He's the President and CEO of the AHCA, which represents over 14,000 long-term care facilities across the country. Mark, thank you for coming back in.

The situation with nursing homes, I have to say, has gotten quite a bit worse since we last spoke, just a few weeks ago. What is happening?

MARK PARKINSON, PRESIDENT AND CEO, AMERICAN HEALTH CARE ASSOCIATION: Well, unfortunately, as community spread has really ravaged the entire country, the virus has found its way back into nursing homes and assisted living facilities. And, in fact, there are now more cases in the buildings than there were in the spring.

We thought the spring was the all-time worst that it could get. We now have about double the number of cases and, unfortunately, we're coming close to double the number of deaths, all of which underscores the incredible importance of getting the vaccine out as quickly as possible.

BOLDUAN: Absolutely. That's so tragic to hear that it's even worse than -- I mean, I couldn't imagine than actually being worse than some of our conversations in the spring and the stories coming out.

So, Mark, what do you think when you see these vaccines rolling out in the U.K.? I was just talking to Max Foster, the first shot going to a 90-year-old woman.

PARKINSON: Yes. I mean, it's just so great to have a good story. Margaret Keenan and William Shakespeare, sort of two classic English names, it puts a nice twist on the whole thing. But it's incredibly encouraging. It's going to gives us about a week or two glimpse at the impact on the long-term care facilities that get the vaccine.

The U.K. has made the right decision and they're targeting those facilities first. We're going to learn a lot over the next week or two as they distribute the vaccine and then, hopefully, it starts getting distributed in the United States in these facilities just in the next week or two.

BOLDUAN: And then let me ask you, just to put a fine point on it, the chief scientist for Operation Warp Speed told CNN that the vaccine rollout here in the U.S. will significantly reduce elderly deaths, he says, by the end of January. How big of an impact do you think it will have in a month?

PARKINSON: If the public health officials make the right decisions, if the governors make the right decisions, we can the death rate by 40 percent. But that is only if long-term care residents and the staff in those facilities are all vaccinated with the second dose by March 1. That's the challenge that we're making. Let's get everybody vaccinated with the second dose by March 1. If we can do that, the death rate will be cut 40 percent, because 40 percent of the deaths are occurring in those facilities.

[11:45:00]

It will be hard to do it. Distribution is difficult, the logistics are difficult. But if we, as a country, pull together, we can get this done.

BOLDUAN: Look, and for folks at home, you know this on multiple levels. You are also a former governor. I mean, when you were governor, you had to take on this massive operation of distributing a vaccine in this way. But what are you hearing from state governors about how they plan to get these vaccines to long-term care facilities? Are you confident? Are you feeling good about what you've heard so far?

PARKINSON: The CDC decision last week to elevate long-term care residents to the top tier has made an enormous difference. And we believe that, virtually, every governor has made the decision to prioritize the long-term care settings. It looks like they're making the right decisions.

Unfortunately, it will be hard to execute the decisions because it's really tough to get this vaccine out into buildings, particularly remote parts of their states. We're encouraging every governor to really just focus on this in a very specific way. And if they do it, they can get this done. If they don't do it, if they just kind of let this happen naturally, the vaccination in these facilities will be delayed and more people will die.

BOLDUAN: Yes, it is real. That is not hyperbole. And from our conversations, we know this too well.

Do you have a sense, Mark, of if residents of the long-term care facilities are -- how accepting, how open they are to getting the vaccine, are you hearing any resistance?

PARKINSON: We aren't. There's polling that shows in the general public about 40 percent or so of the public is concerned and may not get the vaccine immediately. But in our discussions with our residents, we don't think there's going to be that kind of hesitancy.

Unfortunately, these residents have seen the tragedy that occurs when older people get the virus. Many of them are terrified and nervous of getting the virus. So we think there's going to be wide acceptance of the vaccine once we can get it into the buildings.

BOLDUAN: Yes, it's entirely a reality that they are dealing with on a daily basis. It's not something theoretical at all or stories or news reports. They know it too well.

Mark, thank you for coming in.

PARKINSON: Thank you.

BOLDUAN: Coming up for us, an entire year of lost learning. A new report finding that remote learning is leaving kids behind, just what we know everyone feared, and it's particularly troubling what it means for students of color, that's next.

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[11:50:00]

BOLDUAN: The second largest school district in the country is pausing all in-person instruction and childcare for the remainder of the fall semester. Los Angeles Unified Schools had been offering in-person tutoring for students who needed extra help but the district superintendent says the surge in cases in the city means it is no longer safe to have any students on any campuses.

And just out this morning, a new report is confirming, really, what so many people feared, that children in remote classes are falling behind. The report by the global consulting giant, McKinsey, finding cumulative learning lost by the end of this school year could put students on average five to nine months behind. The impact on students of color could be even greater, up to 12 months of lost learning.

With me now is one of the authors of the report, Emma Dorn. She is a Global Education Practice Manager McKinsey. Thank you so much for coming in.

Can you just talk about your findings? How much was lost in the spring and what it is going to look like going forward?

EMMA DORN, GLOBAL EDUCATION PRACTICE MANAGER, MCKINSEY AND COMPANY: Absolutely. So, what we found is that tangible learning loss has already occurred in the spring. So we looked at the fall assessment data from curriculum associates i-Read platform. And what we found is that, on average, students have learned 87 percent of the reading that they normally would have learned by the fall, but only 67 percent of the math content.

And when we translate that into how many months of learning were lost, that's about three months of learning in mathematics and about a month-and-a-half in reading that students are behind. And that's just from the spring.

BOLDUAN: And then talk to me about what then, if it all stays status quo, what then -- how you get to these troubling predictions of what it could be like by the end of the school year? DORN: Yes. And so one of the things that's most troubling to me, actually, is the inequity in some of those numbers. So, if you look at the three months of learning in mathematics, for example, if you look at white students, they're behind about one to three months, but black students have actually lost three to five months of learning. And the reason that is is because of underlying opportunity gaps. And those were closed in the fall, there were still notable gaps. And I can give you a couple of examples, and that's really translating into ongoing learning.

So, for example, students of color still are much more likely to be learning remotely. About 70 percent of black and Hispanic students are still remote versus about 50 percent of white students. And as you just said, a lot of districts are having to roll back their plans due to rising cases.

The other thing that's really worrying --

BOLDUAN: Go ahead, I'm sorry.

DORN: Go ahead. No, the other thing that's really worrying is that black and Hispanic students weren't getting access to live instruction. So, black and Hispanic students are twice as likely to have no eye contact with the teacher in the last week. That's 15 to 16 percent of those students. And that's a real problem for learning loss.

BOLDUAN: Yes. I mean, and the way you put it, the best case scenario is that students who are half a grade level behind come June. It's a great analysis, a necessary analysis to prove what we all feared which is some more has to be done to help kids catch up if it's possible, especially students of color.

[11:55:03]

They are falling behind. And we have to make sure they are caught and caught back up.

Thank you so much. And I really appreciate your work.

Coming up --

DORN: Thank you.

BOLDUAN: Of course. Coming up, new data on a new COVID vaccine, what AstraZeneca's trials are showing and what it could mean for getting more vaccines to more people in the United States, just ahead of the FDA meeting this week on Pfizer's vaccine.

I am Kate Bolduan. We'll be back.

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