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Pfizer COVID-19 Vaccine Ships Out To All 50 States; UCLA To Receive Some Of California's First Vaccine Shipments; Combating Vaccine Misinformation As First Shipments Go Out; Millions Of Americans Face Homelessness If Eviction Ban Expires; America Facing A Worsening Food Crisis As Stimulus Talks Stall; COVID Vaccination Distribution. Aired 4-5p ET

Aired December 13, 2020 - 16:00   ET

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

[16:00:00]

ALEXANDER MARQUARDT, CNN HOST: Grim reality of record hospitalizations and thousands of Americans dying every single day.

This afternoon CDC director Robert Redfield accepted the recommendation of an advisory board, meaning that vaccines can now be administered here in the U.S. This comes just hours after the first shipments of Pfizer's vaccine left Michigan, a sign of what could be the beginning of the end of the pandemic.

More than 184,000 vials are expected to arrive in all 50 states by tomorrow. The plan, according to one U.S. officials, to vaccinate 100 million Americans by March. That will take an incredible feat. The distribution of this vaccine is presenting one of the most complex and complicated logistical challenges in U.S. history.

All of this as the U.S. closes in on another sobering milestone. Nearly 300,000 dead and counting. We've had 30,000 deaths in just the first two weeks of this month. And the number of new cases and hospitalizations continues to soar at the same time.

Let's go straight to CNN's Dianne Gallagher who is at the FedEx shipping facility in Grand Rapids.

Dianne, FedEx is handling transportation for the western part of the country when it comes to the coronavirus vaccine. What do we expect to see in the coming hours?

DIANNE GALLAGHER, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Yes. So at this point FedEx took off from this airport here in Grand Rapids, Michigan, where about 45 minutes away from where the vaccine was manufactured near Kalamazoo, Michigan. They landed in Memphis, which is where their headquarters are, and at this time they are divvying up all of those vaccines, and they're putting them in trucks, putting them on planes, and shipping them out to different cities, to hospitals all across the western part of the United States.

UPS is doing the same thing at their headquarters there in Louisville, Kentucky, for the eastern part of the United States. Now there are about 184,000 vials of this Pfizer vaccine that were sent out today. There's about five doses in each vial there. So we're talking about a lot of doses but we've spoken so much about this chain of cold custody. So there's a lot that goes into this. You mentioned those complex logistics.

They have Bluetooth technology that's not just monitoring the location and making sure that they're getting to the spot they need to go as speedy as they possibly can, but also the temperature, making sure that it doesn't get too warm. They've got to stay in these super cold conditions, those vaccines. Negative 100 degrees Fahrenheit. That's done with dry ice that both UPS and FedEx say they have plenty of experience working with.

It can be dangerous and complicated but, you know, we have talked so much about the logistics here. And that deserves a lot of attention. But this is also emotional for so many people. The scientists, the people who were driving the trucks, the pilots, the people who work at the airports and just people who are watching at home. One couple showed up here in Grand Rapids to say that they just could not miss this moment. They wanted a glimpse of that plane taking off.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

VICKY ROYS, JENISON, MICHIGAN RESIDENT: This is like so exciting. This is history right here. The first vaccines are going out. I'm like crying here. This is like man on the moon time.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes.

ROYS: This is like where were you when?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes.

GALLAGHER: And you were here. You came to see.

ROYS: I was here. My dad is in a nursing home and I can't visit him. And when this is all -- we're all vaccinated, I can visit him again and spend time with him.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

GALLAGHER: And of course, Alex, so many other people right now across the world are in that same boat, unable to see their loved ones. We know, of course, those first people who are going to be getting these vaccines, those hospitals, those health care workers and those assisted living facilities.

MARQUARDT: This glimmer of light at the end of the tunnel, an emotional moment for so many.

Dianne Gallagher, thank you so much.

Now from that site where Dianne is, in Grand Rapids, vaccine shipments are going to be traveling a few thousand miles west to get to California. And when they do, many of those doses are going to go to UCLA's Medical Center, and that's where Paul Vercammen joins us now.

Paul, first off, California just reported some new staggering numbers. What are you learning?

PAUL VERCAMMEN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, they're absolutely horrifying, Alex. So let's get right to them. More than 30,000 new cases. 122 new deaths. We also have a 10.4 percent positivity rate and we have almost 3,000 Californians in intensive care units, including 101 people in the ICU here at UCLA.

So Dr. Cherry, who runs the show here at UCLA, says they expect to get the vaccines within a day or two, and shots to go into his workers' arms starting on Wednesday. 11,000 workers. But one person who will not get the vaccine is Dr. Cherry himself. He is part of the AstraZeneca trial and got his second shot just the other day. He wants to get out in front on this issue.

[16:05:02]

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DR. ROBERT CHERRY, CHIEF MEDICAL AND QUALITY OFFICER, UCLA HEALTH: I thought it was really important for me to really contribute to the effort in a different way. And I was happy to have actually been eligible for the trial. I did receive two doses of some injection. Now I don't know if I'm in the placebo group or the actual vaccine group. But I think it's really important that if individuals like myself can actually participate in a clinical trial like this, hopefully it will make people less hesitant about taking a vaccine for themselves as well.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

VERCAMMEN: And what Dr. Cherry was talking about, he called it an appalling history of racism in health care when it comes to research. He really wants the black and Latino communities to understand, there is no harm in getting the vaccine, and in order to beat back the virus, they need to get vaccinated and that will help achieve health equity.

Back to you now, Alex.

MARQUARDT: All right. Paul Vercammen in Los Angeles with those terrifying new numbers out of California. Thanks very much.

Let's talk now with Jessica Malaty Rivera, she is infectious disease epidemiologist and science lead for the COVID Tracking Project.

Jessica, thank you so much for joining us. I do want to start on what Paul was just talking about there. This issue of communication. We have seen all sorts of misguiding vaccine, misinformation, disinformation that has been out there well before COVID-19 even entered the ether.

How can we make sure that the right message, the science behind these vaccines is getting to the people who need to hear it most?

JESSICA MALATY RIVERA, INFECTIOUS DISEASE EPIDEMIOLOGIST: Yes. That's such an important point. I mean, vaccine hesitancy and vaccine misinformation dates back to when the smallpox vaccine was derived and people believed they would actually turn into cows because of how the vaccine was derived. So it's been a persistent problem in public health in the United States. And as large and as unprecedented as the vaccine rollout is going to be so is the vaccine communication plan.

We have so much misinformation to debunk. There's been a lot of missteps in how it's been presented from the naming of Operation Warp Speed to even just confusing information about what an MRNA vaccine is, how it's derived, and what it does to our bodies when it's administered. So we have a lot of work over the next year to restore trust to make sure that we're talking from a national and local level and to make sure that all communities, particularly communities of color, are trusting the science and trusting the communication about the science.

MARQUARDT: Who isle we there? Who has to lead this?

RIVERA: Yes. It's a great question. I think it comes from everybody from the federal government, those in positions of leadership need to be communicating correctly about this. Anybody who is in science and people who are trained in science communication. I for one spend a lot of time doing a lot of myth-busting and debunking misinformation as well as trying to increase science literacy and data comprehension. So it's kind of a collective effort from the scientific community and from the federal government.

MARQUARDT: Do you think that that is the biggest hurdle in terms of people getting the vaccine?

RIVERA: You know, I've read estimates of needing to vaccinate upwards of 200 plus million people in the United States. That's 70 percent to 80 percent of the population in order to achieve anything close to herd immunity. So that is a lot of people, a lot of logistics. And in order to do that, it's going to require a lot of trust being built. So if we have people who are not willing to get the vaccine, and I've read statistics as high as 50 percent of people being hesitant or uninterested in the vaccine, that's going to prolong this process of getting to a place of normalcy.

MARQUARDT: What other obstacles, hurdles are you seeing down the road in terms of getting these hundreds of millions of doses to people? And let's remind our viewers that at least for this first vaccine that has been authorized, it takes two doses.

RIVERA: Yes. That's right. It's a lot of logistics. You're going to have to have people coming in twice so we're talking about, say, 200 million. That's 400 million doses, separated between 21 to 28 days. That's a lot of appointments to track, it's a lot of logistics to manage. We're also dealing with the shipments and the timing of shipments, and ensuring that there aren't delays as well as proper storage.

We know the temperature storage for these vaccines is pretty costly and we have identified the locations that can do that. But it's going to require a lot of things kind of falling in place. And I think we should be prepared for some hiccups because logistics sometimes have hiccups.

MARQUARDT: I think there's a lot of excitements, a lot of optimism understandably, that we see the vaccine going out the door literally today. But when will it actually have an impact, do you think?

RIVERA: Yes. I mean, I'll be honest, when I saw that footage today of the trucks leaving the department, the facilities, I choked up. It was so moving. We've been waiting for this for so long.

But I also -- I'm trying to calibrate my expectations and people around me to know that it's going to be quite a while for us to be fully vaccinated as a country. We need to keep in mind that we have priority groups, health care providers, long-term health care facility workers and staff, as well as people who are high risk and over 65.

[16:10:01]

Those all needs to kind of happen before healthy adults. And so I personally am not expecting to get vaccinated before late summer or early fall.

MARQUARDT: Wow. That is -- yes, that is quite far into 2021.

RIVERA: Yes.

MARQUARDT: And this of course as 30,000 Americans have died already just this month and health care experts are warning that things are going to get worse in the coming weeks.

Jessica Malaty Rivera, thanks so much for your time.

RIVERA: Thanks for having me.

MARQUARDT: Now still ahead, the vaccines are approved and they are on their way to hospitals but there is some discrepancy over how many people could get vaccinated. Dr. Sanjay Gupta explains coming up.

Plus, millions could be homeless by the new year as the CDC ban on evictions is set to expire in weeks.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JOHN AYERS, FACING EVICTION: I need help because I'm about to be homeless.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

MARQUARDT: Where is the stimulus deal from Congress?

And a rare rebuke. An editorial board apologizes for endorsing a Republican candidate after he signed onto a lawsuit that challenged the election. We'll be talking about that coming up.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[16:15:16] MARQUARDT: As many as 40 million Americans are facing the very real possibility of being homeless just weeks from now. Eviction notices will go out in January if the CDC's ban on evictions expires on December 31st. The moratorium was put in place in September to protect Americans who are on the brink of financial ruin in the middle of this pandemic. And there is no help in sight as negotiations over relief continue to stall in Congress.

CNN's Rosa Flores talked to one Florida man who fears about what lies ahead.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ROSA FLORES, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Since his wife died in 2012, John Ayers counts his blessings, like Bella and Bear.

AYERS: He's just such a goofball.

FLORES: And his job as an insurance agent.

(On camera): You were earning good money.

AYERS: I was making a salary.

FLORES (voice-over): Enough to pay $2,000 rent on a house in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Hey, good morning, Mr. John. I'm here for you.

FLORES: And because of his severe arthritis and diabetes --

AYERS: Let me catch my breath for a second.

FLORES: An Uber driver known as Fast Ice to get around. But a few months after the pandemic broke, John lost his job, exhausted his savings on rent, medicines and utilities, and was slapped with an eviction notice.

AYERS: I need help. This is the first time I've said it. I need help because I'm about to be homeless.

FLORES: Like millions of Americans, John could be homeless on New Year's Day when the CDC's order halting evictions expires.

AYERS: And right now I can't.

FLORES: While he can't afford his medications, he's not worried about himself.

AYERS: It's the thought of being out there with a dog because I'm not putting my dog down.

JUDGE ROBERT LEE, BROWARD COUNTY COURT: This is a residential eviction for non-payment of rent.

FLORES: County Judge Robert Lee says evictions in Broward County could triple in the first three months of 2021 from 5,000 to 15,000. And in the case of some landlords --

LEE: They are almost in the same desperate position as the tenant is.

FLORES: To meet skyrocketing demand, the court has moved judges who try crimes, medical and insurance claims to evictions.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I'm with Coast to Coast Legal Aid.

FLORES: Pro bono attorneys are going where the need is great, food lines, to help tenants fight to stay in their homes.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: So you're looking for a shelter?

FLORES: But the call volume at this homeless shelter in Miami-Dade County increased from 800 calls a month on average to 1200 last month. And the homeless population is already growing.

RON BOOK, CHAIRMAN, MIAMI-DADE HOMELESS TRUST: The fear of that turning into thousands upon thousands drives me completely crazy. I cannot almost have the conversation without breaking down over what it means.

FLORES: As for John, he's looking for a job.

AYERS: I'm going to upload my resume to these places.

FLORES: And counting a new blessing. Fast Ice now drives him free of charge.

AYERS: You're a good man, my brother.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You are a good man.

FLORES: A man desperate for a miracle.

Rosa Flores, CNN, Ft. Lauderdale, Florida.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

MARQUARDT: A devastating story. Our thanks to Rosa Flores.

Now along with trying to keep a roof over their heads, millions of Americans are struggling to keep food on their tables as well. With coronavirus crippling people's ability to earn a living, food banks around the country are seeing a spike in demand. And in California with 30,000 coronavirus cases for a third consecutive day, the state is facing crises on multiple fronts.

So let's speak with Va Lecia Adams Kellum, she is the president and CEO of St. Joseph's Center in Los Angeles, an organization on the frontlines helping people facing eviction and food insecurity.

Thank you so much for joining us today to discuss this critical, critical topic. I want to start by asking, when you spoke to CNN earlier this year over the summer, you said that the situation there was dire. How does it compare now? VA LECIA ADAMS KELLUM, PRESIDENT AND CEO, ST. JOSEPH'S CENTER: Well,

thank you so much, Alex, for having me. It is increasingly more severe. Families are absolutely facing eviction like the person in your previous segment, they're desperate. Families are beginning to turn to their vehicles for shelter. And I'm mortified when I see and connect with individuals and families that are coming to St. Joseph's Center, desperate for help.

[16:20:03]

MARQUARDT: These numbers that we're seeing out of California, just staggering, 30,000 cases in one day, we've just learned. What do you think is the most crucial need for people there, besides the vaccine which will hopefully come soon?

ADAMS KELLUM: Well, as you know, there was a housing, homeless and food crisis under way before the pandemic hit. And those folks who are struggling were the ones that were struggling before, and they're the hardest hit. So shelter is critically important. We are using motels, we're using RVs that were generously donated by the governor of California, and we're doing everything we can to make sure that children have the food that they need.

One in eight Californians are suffering from food insecurity. And, you know, all of us are just so worried about the kids. They're not in school. And one in five children in California go to bed hungry. So we need to support our families and individuals who are struggling every day to get enough food to stay alive and to survive.

MARQUARDT: One of the bright spots this weekend has been the vaccine going out and across the country, UCLA in Los Angeles, of course, is reportedly supposed to start giving the vaccine this week. And of course, one of the things that doctors are concerned about is getting to communities that might be more fearful, skeptical of getting vaccines. Are you seeing that? Are you concerned about that?

ADAMS KELLUM: Well, certainly. Historically we've seen that African- Americans have been, you know, challenged and targeted in a number of experiments. Tuskegee is just an example. So there's a valid reason for concern and fear and worry that maybe this won't be a safe vaccine, but I will say that I'm trusting of our government here in California, the federal level. I believe that it will be and is a safe vaccine. I plan to take it myself.

And St. Joseph's Center will do whatever it takes to make the vaccine available to the most vulnerable individuals and families that we've been serving for over 40 years.

MARQUARDT: We don't have much time left. But I would like to ask you what your message to Congress would be right now.

ADAMS KELLUM: Well, we need a rent relief bill. We need them to pass rent relief and they need to work together across the aisle to do whatever it takes to pass a relief bill that will put food back on the tables of needy families and individuals. We're so grateful to our friends, Jimmy Kimmel and Andrew Whitworth of

the Rams and how they're stepping up to make the holiday bright, but come January 1st, families and individuals will face potential moratorium cliff and we need families to get the support they need. We need landlords to get the support they need to make it.

MARQUARDT: Va Lecia Adams Kellum, the president of St. Joseph's Center, thank you so much for joining us and for everything you do.

ADAMS KELLUM: Thanks so much, Alex.

MARQUARDT: We do continue to follow breaking news. The coronavirus vaccine has gotten the green light from the CDC director, Robert Redfield, which is the final stage in a long approval process. So what does it all mean? What's next? Dr. Sanjay Gupta puts it in perspective. That's coming up.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[16:28:03]

MARQUARDT: We're back now with our breaking news. CDC director Robert Redfield has given the OK for Pfizer's coronavirus vaccine. He approved a CDC advisory board's recommendation meaning that the vaccine can now be administered throughout the United States.

Now this comes as the first shipments of the vaccines are now being delivered in all 50 states. A monumental, truly, first step in defeating this pandemic.

I spoke with CNN chief medical correspondent Dr. Sanjay Gupta earlier about this breakthrough.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

DR. SANJAY GUPTA, CNN CHIEF MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT: This is the sort of final checkoff, Alex. You had the FDA obviously issue their Emergency Use Authorization on Friday. That was after an advisory committee suggested they do so. And sort of the same thing happened now with the CDC. So, the FDA authorizes this vaccine formally, the CDC now recommends it formally, and they put it into this report that is essentially sort of the gold standard infectious disease report that goes to people all over the country.

And it's a lot -- it reaffirms a lot of the same things that, Alex, people have been hearing for some time that, in fact, after they review the data from these trials, the CDC, they find that in fact it is a 95 percent, this particular vaccine, 95 percent effective in terms of preventing COVID-19. But they also talk about more specific things like adverse events, for example. They found that any kind of adverse reactions tended to be mild or moderate, and typically occurred in people between the ages of 18 and 55, interestingly. Right, Alex?

People older than 55 actually less likely to have these sorts of side effects and the side effects typically lasted on average about a day. They found no significant safety concerns based on your age, your race or any pre-existing conditions. The likelihood of side effects was the same across those particular groups.

So it's more information, an important box to be checked, but as you well know, seeing reporters all over the country, I mean, the train is literally already moving in terms of getting the vaccine distributed so everything still looks very much on schedule.

[16:30:08]

I think the way to think about this is, you know, typically, you know, you think about medicines or vaccines, whatever, and having a big stock supply. And then, it's, basically, distributed as people -- as there is demand.

Here, because we're in the middle of a pandemic and we're in this emergency use situation, you're going to have vaccine going out pretty quickly after it's manufactured. So, for example, Pfizer-BioNTech. There's about 6 1/2 million doses here in this country. What we're hearing is 500,000 will go into a stockpile. The other 6 million will, essentially, be split in half, meaning two doses. So, half the doses will go out now, about 3 million doses. Half will be kept in freezers.

And the company will continue to manufacture these vaccines, 4 to 5 million doses per week. You do all the math and you also think about the fact that Moderna, as you know, Alex, may come online even at this same time next week. You start to get to the number of around 40 million doses possibly available by end of the year.

Now, there's caveats. The manufacturing has to go well. Moderna has to come online. It's all looking very favorable. So, if you put it together, 40 million doses possibly by the end of the year, that would mean roughly 20 million people. Again, you know, just because two doses per person, you should have vaccines available for 20 million people by the end of the year.

You start to look forward, you may see, you know, that continued manufacturing, maybe even increase in the amount that they're producing every week. And possibly other vaccine makers. Johnson & Johnson and AstraZeneca are in phase three trials. They may be in this position at the end of January.

So, a lot of numbers, as you say, Alex. But that's how you start in -- to get into the hundreds of millions of doses that will be necessary, you know, to be able volunteer vaccinate, you know, 60 percent to 70 percent of the people in this country.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

MARQUARDT: Thanks to Dr. Sanjay Gupta.

Next, an explosive apology from a newspaper. Why "The Orlando Sentinel" now regrets endorsing a Republican candidate. That's coming up.

[16:32:06] (COMMERCIAL BREAK)

MARQUARDT: This just in to CNN. We're learning that former Democratic presidential candidate, Pete Buttigieg, the former mayor of South Bend, Indiana, is emerging as a leading contender to be Joe Biden's Transportation secretary.

Sources are telling CNN that the former mayor is at the top of a list that includes several possible candidates. If he is picked, Buttigieg would be the first LGBTQ candidate nominated to Biden's cabinet. And, if he's confirmed, the first LGBTQ cabinet secretary to be approved by the Senate.

CNN is also learning that President-elect Joe Biden will be delivering remarks on the Electoral College tomorrow night after the Electoral College affirms his 2020 election win. It comes after the nation's courts have all but rejected President Trump's attempts, ongoing attempts, to overturn the election.

This weekend, the Georgia Supreme Court rejected Trump's last-minute request to toss that state's election results. And Friday the U.S. Supreme Court, the highest court in the land, also rejected an attempt by the Texas attorney general to do the same in four battleground states.

Despite dozens of legal setbacks and absolutely no evidence of widespread voter fraud, the president is vowing to fight on.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: You know, it's not over. We keep going and we're going to continue to go forward. We have numerous local cases where, you know, in some of the states, they got rigged and robbed from us.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

MARQUARDT: CNN's Boris Sanchez is at the White House. Boris, tomorrow the Electoral College is going to be formally -- will formally elect Joe Biden as president. Even now, President Trump not seeming to understand or accept that this is all over.

BORIS SANCHEZ, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Yes, that's right, Alex. The President, there, clearly marinating in the delusion this is not over. He continues to contend that there is some path for him to be inaugurated on January 20th, even though his own legal experts have privately said that that is, clearly, not likely go to happen.

It's important to point out here, the president's legal team has utterly failed to provide any evidence of widespread election fraud. And, further, a slew of judges have tossed out these cases repeatedly. And these judges, they span the gamut from local court to the Supreme Court, appointed by Democrats and Republicans.

Some of them appointed by the president himself summarily rejecting the claims made by the president's legal team. Not as he said this morning on Fox News on technicalities, but on standing and even on the merits, the evidence presented in these cases.

The president, though, when asked about his legal team's failings, said that he believes they've actually proven that there is election fraud. Listen to this quote. He said, "We have proven it but no judge has courage, including the Supreme Court. I'm disappointed in them." Alex, the president clearly disappointed in anyone that's not willing to go along with his fantasy that the 2020 election was rigged.

MARQUARDT: And many of the people who are going along with his fantasy, some of them swarmed into D.C. this weekend and we saw violent protests. And that is, certainly, a reflection of the president refusing to concede this race. Boris Sanchez at the White House, thank you very much.

Now, a Florida newspaper is apologizing for endorsing a Republican candidate who is part of that Texas lawsuit that aimed at overturning the election. "The Orlando Sentinel" has retracted its endorsement of Congressman Michael Waltz.

He was more than one of 100 Congressional Republicans who signed up to support that lawsuit. The paper's apology, which was stunning, was in an editorial that said, in part, quote, "We had no idea, had no way of knowing at the time, that Waltz was not committed to democracy. Our bad.

For more on this, let's bring in CNN's Oliver Darcy, Senior Media Reporter.

[16:40:00]

MARQUARDT: Oliver, how unprecedented is this endorsement retraction and what has Congressman Waltz's reaction been?

OLIVER DARCY, CNN MEDIA REPORTER: Yes. You know, Alex, I have never seen anything quite like this. You read a portion of it, of the editorial, on air a few moments ago. This was a blistering editorial from "The Orlando Sentinel," apologizing to its readers saying, we're sorry.

We had no idea that this Congressman, this GOP Congressman, was not committed to democracy. It's something I've never seen before. And it's stirred a lot of -- you know, it's created a lot of dialogue around this issue of these Republican Congressmen who have supported the president, backed the president who is trying to overturn the election.

Now, the Congressman is responding. I'll read his response, actually, for you right now. It says, in part, I signed onto the amicus brief supporting the Texas attorney general on the Supreme Court. It raised substantive Article I, III and 14th Amendment constitutional issues to how -- unelected -- to -- regarding how unelected officials, judges overrule legislatures in election law. And it goes on to attack the media. The media canceling citizens who disagree with them is the real danger here.

We should point out, of course, that this isn't some leftist editorial board or, you know, socialist editorial board that in -- that endorsed him. And, in fact, they endorsed him. They show that they are willing to work with Republicans. They want to hear them out. They are open to those sort of ideas. And that's, actually, what they said in the -- in the initial editorial they liked about this Congressman. That he would work across the aisle but that they were mistaken, ultimately.

MARQUARDT: And so many of these Republican Congressmen, these scores of them, knew that this would be a dead-end case in the Supreme Court and that they signed on anyway.

Oliver Darcy in New York. Thanks very much.

DARCY: Thank you.

MARQUARDT: Now, still ahead, we all need a good laugh during these difficult times. And, last night, "Saturday Night Live," once again, delivered parodies of Dr. Anthony Fauci, Dr. Deborah Birx and our own Wolf Blitzer. That's coming up.

[16:42:07]

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

MARQUARDT: Lisa Ling is back with an all-new "THIS IS LIFE." Tonight, Lisa meets people in the club no one wants to be a part of, as she puts it. Families and victims -- families of victims, rather, and survivors who are joining forces to fight gun violence and support each other. Here's a preview.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

LISA LING, CNN HOST, "THIS IS LIFE" (voice-over): Compounding the family's grief, Terrell's case remains unsolved and the injustice of his death still haunts Pam.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The police spent probably the first week --

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Yes.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: -- investigating Terrell's background to see what type of kid he was. Was he gang-related? And they finally came back and said, well, you know, --

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We can't find anything.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: -- we can't find anything.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: They should have been pulling film and finding out who shot Terrell, but they took a week to find out his character. So, the perception of when a black man is shot is always gang related. My son wasn't in a gang. He wasn't selling drugs. He was in college. He was very active. And then, the next thing you know, he's dead.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

MARQUARDT: And Lisa Ling joins me now. Lisa, we've had conversations, so many conversations about mass shootings, about gun violence. It is hard to know where to begin these conversations. Maybe you could start by telling us, in this case, about the people who you met, the members of this club that, as you put it, no one wants to join.

LING: Well, look, the reality is that gun violence has just become so pervasive in this country, whether it is in inner cities or by way of mass shootings. And the numbers of survivors and family members of gun violence is growing as well. And, over the years, many of these survivors and family members have started to find each other and reach out to each other and offer support.

We profiled -- in addition to the couple you just saw the clip of, we also profiled a couple who lost their daughter in the Aurora, Colorado mass shooting in 2012. And they quit their jobs. They sold their house. And they travel to the locations of mass shootings to offer support to the people who have gone through them.

And when you -- when you think about the kind of support that we need, obviously the trauma involved. But whenever there's a mass shooting, as we all know, there is a contingent of people who accuse -- these people who are going through such, such tragedy and trauma of being crisis actors, the whole gun debate starts to rage again and there are a whole slew of issues that arise when gun violence happens.

MARQUARDT: That support that you mention, how critical is it for these survivors to have one -- have one another to lean on, to get through these periods of their lives that really are unthinkable?

LING: Well, I think support for any kind of trauma is important. It's imperative that you are able to find those people who have had similar kinds of challenges in their own lives. In Chicago, there are so many people who've come together, who not only provide support for one another who've encountered loss, but in so many cases, as you just heard in the clip, so many of these killings go unsolved.

[16:50:02]

LING: And so, they come together to even help to seek justice for people who have lost members to gun violence. And, as we all know from this summer, they are busier than ever.

MARQUARDT: To go through one of these experiences once is too many. But you met a young man who lived through both the Las Vegas sniper shooting and the Borderline Bar shooting in Thousand Oaks, California. What did he tell you?

LING: This young man is remarkable. I will never forget him. I met him when he was 23 years old. And after he lived through Las Vegas, he was shaken. He was just -- he was shaken. He was so traumatized, really went to that dark place.

And not long after the Thousand Oaks shooting -- it happened in his hometown. And somehow after that, given the fact that he knew personally so many of the people who were killed in that shooting, he sort of shifted and he started to reach out to other victims and survivors and has provided that support. And there is a moment in the show -- I attended an event with him. And I became incredibly emotional. It was the anniversary of the Thousand Oaks shooting. And at a certain time, this 23-year-old young man put his arm around me to comfort me. And that is just the kind of young man he is. But it made me upset that someone so young has found it his duty to be able to -- or to support people who have gone through these kinds of tragedies.

MARQUARDT: Lisa Ling, such an important subject. Thank you so much for shining a light.

LING: Thank you.

MARQUARDT: Now, be sure to tune in to an all-new episode of "This is Life" with Lisa Ling airs tonight at 10:00 p.m. Eastern, only on CNN.

Now, for many, this time of year is about giving back. But the 14th annual "CNN HEROES ALL-STAR TRIBUTE" salutes the people who put people first throughout this turbulent year. Take a look.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It's been a year of challenges and change but it's also been a year of hope.

UNIDENTIFIED SINGERS: We can do anything

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: This year's CNN Heroes is a celebration of everyday people doing extraordinary acts during two of the biggest stories of 2020. Join Anderson Cooper, Kelly Ripa and celebrity guests.

KELLY RIPA, CNN CONTRIBUTOR: Tonight is about hope. It's about decency. It's about compassion.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: In a salute to the people who keep our spirits lifted.

UNIDENTIFIED SINGER: Show the world the impossible is possible.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We need to see the world differently.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Anyone can have impact no matter their age.

UNIDENTIFIED SINGER: We can do anything.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Plus, the viewer's choice for this year's most inspiring moment and a special musical performance by Tony, Grammy and Emmy winner Cynthia Erivo. "CNN HEROES, AN ALL-STAR TRIBUTE", tonight at 8:00 p.m. on CNN.

MARQUARDT: And, again, the star-studded show airs tonight at 8:00 p.m. Eastern time only on CNN. We'll be right back.

[16:53:10]

(COMMERCIAL BREAK) MARQUARDT: There was quite a security scare at McCarron International Airport in Las Vegas yesterday. Take a look at this video. Police say that this man hopped on -- hopped over a fence and ended up on the wing of a plane that was heading to Portland. Alaska Airlines says that Flight 1367 was getting ready to take off when the pilot noticed the man running toward the plane. The suspect was then taken into custody and the plane returned to the gate for a full inspection.

Now, on a much lighter note, in times as serious as these, it's especially important that we find time to laugh. "Saturday Night Live" was back at it with a new CNN parody last night, that included our dear colleague, Wolf Blitzer. They also got Dr. Anthony Fauci as well. Have a listen.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes, we're doing this vaccine World War II style. We made England go in first. See what's what. And then, we swoop in at the end and steal the spotlight. Tom Hanks will make 10 movies about it. And when it's all over, you can kiss any nurse you want.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: That sounds good to me. Now, who will get the first vaccine here in the United States?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Well, here's how we're going to do it. First, health care workers. Your McSteamies, McDreamies, what have you.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: And next, we have anybody named Mildred, Forest (ph), Blanche, Mabel or Walter.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We're talking about super seniors. Anyone who pays for Red Lobster with a Diner's Club card.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: And then, after the elderly, we'll move on to prisoners, then teachers, then sick people, then everyone else.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Right, right. And that will be July 20, badda, badda, badda.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: That's quite a while to wait. What do you make of the overall federal vaccine plan?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You know, I try not to comment. But this president has done about as good of a job with this rollout as I did with throwing out that first pitch at that Nationals game.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes, I believe we have a clip.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Oh, we don't have to show it. It's fine. No.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Now, what exactly what happened there?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I don't want to talk about it.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It's OK, little guy.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

[17:00:00]

MARQUARDT: All right. That will do it for me. Thanks so much for joining me today. I'm Alex Marquardt. CNN NEWSROOM continues right now with Ana Cabrera. Take care.