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Pfizer Booster Reduces Infections; Biden Kicks off Summit for Democracy; Jobless Claims Hit New 52-Year Low; Meadows' Communications Reveal Trump's Actions During Siege; Aired 9:00-9:30a ET

Aired December 09, 2021 - 09:00   ET

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

[09:00:00]

JOHN BERMAN, CNN ANCHOR: That's one person telling another, I see you. You're important to me. You're important to the world. I love that.

BRIANNA KEILAR, CNN ANCHOR: And Ebony takes care of Suzanne in a way every day, right?

BERMAN: Yes, that's what I mean. It's just lovely.

KEILAR: CNN's coverage continues right now.

JIM SCIUTTO. A very good Thursday morning to you. I'm Jim Sciutto.

ERIC HILL: And I'm Erica Hill.

We are following a number of major stories happening this hour.

President Biden just kicked off a long-awaited virtual Summit for Democracy from the White House. He's addressing a group of countries focused on fighting corruption, defending against authoritarians and promoting human rights.

The president also addressing issues here in the United States, ahead of his call with the president of Ukraine later today. We'll have more on that in just a moment.

SCIUTTO: Another story we're following closely this morning, in the next hour, a bipartisan tribute ceremony on Capitol Hill honoring the late Senator Bob Dole. President Biden is expected to speak in honor of a man he called an American giant. We're going to bring you that memorial service live at the Capitol when it begins.

And later, the president will meet with his coronavirus response team to discuss the latest developments with the omicron variant. Promising developments. Two new studies out of Israel show that booster doses of Pfizer's vaccine reduce deaths by some 90 percent.

CNN's senior medical correspondent Elizabeth Cohen joins us now.

So, Elizabeth, promising in that the booster reduces the chances of severe cases of this and death. But also that folks who are fully vaccinated at this point also have a good amount of protection. ELIZABETH COHEN, CNN SENIOR MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT: That's right. I

think one thing we want to be super clear about is that every expert, including the -- some of the folks who publish this data have said to me, the first booster -- I mean, sorry, the first set of vaccinations, that first and second shot that you get a few weeks apart, those are the most important ones. Boosters, important. People should get them. But what's most important is to get those first vaccinations. That's what's more important.

So, this data -- the reason why we care about this data is that Israel started a really robust booster program back in August, way before a lot of other places did. And in addition, Israel has a centralized national health service and they're great at keeping data. So their data is quite meaningful.

So, let's take a look at one of their findings.

So they looked at more than 843,000 people, some of whom received a booster and some of whom didn't. And this part's really important, they were age 50 and older. Most of the booster data we've seen has been 60 and older or even 65 and older. So to have that younger age is really important.

So those who got two doses, so just the two doses, they had 2.98 deaths per 100,000 person days. And don't get too focused on person days. It's just a unit of measurement. So 2.8 deaths. Whereas those who got three doses had 0.16 deaths. So that's big difference. Both of them are very small numbers, but as you can see, that is a big difference.

Now, of course, we've been talking a lot about whether or not the vaccines are useful against this new variant. This study was not done with the new variant. It was done sort of during the time of delta. And I think the answer is that, as we discussed yesterday, is that Pfizer's study, in a study done in South Africa, indicate that the vaccine actually does work against this new variant, not as well as against previous forms of coronavirus, but it does have an impact.

Erica. Jim.

HILL: Elizabeth Cohen, appreciate it, as always. Thank you.

Also with us this morning, CNN medical analyst Dr. Leana Wen. She's an emergency physician, former health commissioner for the city of Baltimore.

Dr. Wen, always great to have you with us.

So, just picking up where Elizabeth left off there, on those two studies, one of the things that struck me, not only as just how remarkable that data is, right, and that we have that to really paint a picture for us, but as Elizabeth pointed out, what she is hearing so often is these first two shots are the most important.

DR. LEANA WEN, CNN MEDICAL ANALYST: That's correct and that everybody should get the first two shots. We know that the initial two shots, even though there is waning immunity to infection over time, they do continue to provide pretty good protection against severe disease. Severe enough to cause hospitalization or death.

Although now we have accumulating research that that immunity to severe illness also does wane over time as well. And so it's a call to action, certainly for people who are unvaccinated to get vaccinated. But, frankly, there are so many Americans who are still not boosted. And I think it's a lot easier to convince people who are vaccinated to get the booster than to convince the people who are unvaccinated to get their first two doses at this point.

And so, yes, we should do both. But I also think that from a public health perspective, there is so much room to go when it comes to giving immunity, also to -- or giving back the waning immunity to those who are not yet boosted.

SCIUTTO: Yes, I mean the data -- the thing is the data's so clear cut, right? It doesn't just show -- show a marginal benefit, it shows a dramatic benefit, and yet for many that doesn't get through.

[09:05:06]

OK, looking ahead a bit, because, of course, we do have a new variant now. And while we know that the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines do provide a fair amount of protection at this point, we did hear the Pfizer CEO say this morning that a fourth shot, a second booster you might call it, that may be necessary and not under the 12-month time frame they'd initially been thinking but perhaps earlier. Is that the direction we're headed? Even while the current booster provides protection against omicron, that we'll likely need a fourth shot to get maximum protection?

WEN: Yes, I think it's too soon to say that, Jim. And I really wish, actually, that the Pfizer CEO is not speculating something that we don't have science behind at this point, as far as I know.

What we do know now is that the third dose appears to provider very strong, additional antibody response, including against omicron. And we also know that Pfizer, Moderna, Johnson & Johnson are looking into a variant specific booster. I'm glad that they are developing this fourth booster, if you will, but I think it's far too soon for us to say whether it's something that's going to be needed.

HILL: We can talk about boosters all day. I know Jim and I have a lot of questions about them. But I know we have another -- a number of other topics we need to get to.

Really quickly, the chance that there could be Emergency Use Authorization for a booster for 16 and 17-year-olds coming, that that is, you know, perhaps in the cards, how important is that?

WEN: I think a lot of parents are asking about this because 16-year- olds in particular were eligible to get the initial two shots quite a bit ago. And some of them have already hit the six-month mark. And so parents are wondering, well, if 18-year-olds can get the booster, what about 16-year-olds and, especially, for example, 16-year-olds who -- or 17-year-olds who may have underlying medical conditions, like asthma or obesity who are at elevated risk. And so having that authorization will at least give people the choice. And as we're seeing with increasing data, especially around omicron, I think a lot of parents, a lot of adolescence will be eager to get that booster dose.

SCIUTTO: Dr. Leana Wen, thanks so much for helping clear things up. We appreciate it.

This morning, the White House still exploring different options for possible sanctions against Russia in the event that it invades Ukraine. Sources tell CNN that a last resort option is sanctions on the energy sector as officials fear the potential impact that could have on global oil prices and therefore gas and other prices here in the U.S.

HILL: Absolutely. And this afternoon, President Biden set to speak with Ukrainian President Zelensky to discuss Russia's military buildup.

First, though, as we mentioned at the top of the hour, the president is hosting this first ever Summit for Democracy, a virtual summit he is hosting from the White House.

CNN White House correspondent Arlette Saenz joining us with all the latest there.

So, what have we heard so far from the president this morning for this summit, which is, I would imagine in some ways also going to play into his strategy for the calls later today?

ARLETTE SAENZ, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Yes, Erica and Jim, President Biden is hosting this summit featuring about 110 countries as he looks to promote the defense of democracy against authoritarian regime and also call out abuses when it comes to human rights issues.

But as the president opened this summit, he also acknowledged the threat to democracy that has been posed here at home in the United States and acknowledged there's still more work to be done.

Take a listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JOE BIDEN, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: I wanted to host this summit because here is the -- here in the United States we know, as well as anyone, that renewing our democracy, and strengthening our democratic institution requires constant effort. American democracy is an ongoing struggle, to live up to our highest ideals and to heal our division.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SAENZ: Now, this summit that the president is hosting over the course of the next two days comes in the same week that the president is confronting China over human rights abuses, issuing that diplomatic boycott of the Beijing Olympics, and then also that phone call with Russian President Vladimir Putin to discuss the military buildup that they've seen along the border of Ukraine.

Now, this afternoon, the president is planning to speak with Ukrainians President Zelensky and also hold a separate call with the so-called Bucharest nine, this includes eastern European countries within the NATO alliance, including countries like Poland and Romania. The president's goal in these calls is to not only reiterate the United States' support for Ukraine's sovereignty and territorial integrity, but also to gain input from these allies as the U.S. is hoping to stave off any Russian invasion of Ukraine. Now, yes, two days ago, after president spoke -- the president spoke with Putin, he also spoke with European allies to update them on the contents of that phone call. But the president is right now hoping that the -- Russia may engage in a diplomatic effort as they are hoping that this will not turn in to a major crisis.

[09:10:07]

SCIUTTO: Arlette Saenz at the White House, thanks so much.

SAENZ: Thanks.

HILL: This just in to CNN, promising news on the economy, jobless claims in the U.S. just hit a new 52-year low.

SCIUTTO: Yes, the lowest since 1969. It's remarkable.

CNN business reporter Matt Egan joins us now.

Matt, you know, another example of the disconnect here between numbers that seem to show a strong economy, folks feel differently, but what do these jobless claims show?

MATT EGAN, CNN BUSINESS REPORTER: Well, Jim and Erica, you know, this is just more evidence of how strong the labor market is. Just 184,000 first time unemployment benefits in the latest week. That's not just the lowest of Covid, it is the lowest since November of -- I'm sorry, September of 1969, back when Richard Nixon was in the White House.

And what's important here is the latest week did not include a holiday. You know, two weeks ago we had a similar figure come out, but that was around Thanksgiving. So there was some -- some debate over whether or not that was really being driven by seasonal effects in holidays. You can't really blame a holiday in this instance.

You know, but it makes a lot of sense why we've seen jobless claims come steadily lower and lower. That's because businesses are desperate for workers right now. They can't afford to let go of the ones that they have. We've seen a near record 11 million job openings in the United States as of October. Manufacturers alone have a million job openings.

Also, companies have been forced to pay up to get more workers. There was a new report out from the conference board that projected that companies plan to raise wages by nearly 4 percent next year. That's the biggest jump that we've seen since 2008. Normally I think when you see numbers like this, you would expect to have consumer confidence be higher, you'd expect the president's poll numbers to be higher, and that hasn't happened and that's largely because of inflation. I think the question is whether or not falling energy prices and maybe some improvement on the supply chains, whether or not that allows inflation to cool off and some of these bright spots on the jobs market to shine through.

SCIUTTO: Yes, the forecasts are for lower gas prices but also crucially home heating prices due to a warmer winter.

Matt Egan, good to have you on. Thanks very much.

Still to come, CNN is learning more about the documents Mark Meadows has already shared with the committee investigating January 6th. What they reveal about his fight to appear before the panel and answer their questions.

HILL: Plus, some Democrats concerned about the push by progressives to strip Congresswoman Lauren Boebert's committee assignments, saying this could just play right into the Republicans' favor. We'll get a progressive congressman's take this hour.

And a little bit later this hour, the late Senator Bob Dole returning to Capitol Hill, where he will lie in state today and we're going to bring you that memorial live.

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[09:17:08]

HILL: Former White House Chief of Staff Mark Meadows should be prepared to face contempt of Congress charges regardless of the lawsuit he filed overnight, which is trying to block the enforcement of his subpoena, and one issued to Version for his phone records.

SCIUTTO: Congressman Bennie Thompson, who chairs the committee investigating January 6th, says they plan to make a criminal contempt referral next week because Meadows refused to show up for his scheduled deposition. When asked if he thought Meadows' lawsuit was a stall tactic, Thompson replied flatly, yes.

Amid all the back and forth over documents that the committee has questions about, CNN is learning more about what Meadows has already handed over.

CNN's Jamie Gangel has this reporting.

And, Jamie, you know, the details, the conversations -- the number of conversations on that day, January 6th, I mean this is a remarkable trove they already have. What do we know about it?

JAMIE GANGEL, CNN SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT: One hundred percent. And let's make clear that Mark Meadows has already handed over, voluntarily, with no claim of privilege at all, what a source has described as more than 6,000 pages of documents. And in those documents, we're told, are text messages, and emails from his personal cell phone, and personal email account. The source told me, quote, that Meadows was exchanging emails and texts with a wide range of individuals while the attack was underway.

Let's just make clear what we understand from the committee is that these exchanges include people saying, why doesn't President Trump make some kind of statement to stop the attack on the Capitol? So, the committee knows, in real time, from these exchanges, it seems, very specific information about who was talking to Mark Meadows, and what he was saying back to them.

HILL: And all of that --

SCIUTTO: That -- yes.

HILL: Go ahead, Jim.

SCIUTTO: No, it's remarkable. I'm sure, just as you go through that, I mean, because that, Erica, gets exactly to the key question is, what did Trump do and not do on that day.

GANGEL: Right. Correct. Correct.

HILL: And it really does. And in terms of who those conversations were with, and the number of people -- I mean this was his personal cell phone. These are personal records, right? Not a government-issued device?

GANGEL: Correct. So, that's important, because from the committee's perspective, and everything can be fought over in court, but if he's using a personal phone, a personal email, then the whole question of executive privilege comes -- is called into question.

But apart from that, let's just say this again, he voluntarily handed this over to the committee without any claim of privilege.

[09:20:02]

So to your question, who is he texting with, who is he emailing with, we don't know yet. The committee does know.

But what do we know? A lot of people had Mark Meadows' cell phone. So what -- who could be doing it? Members of Congress. White House officials. Rally organizers. Even some reporters. And my understanding is, eventually those communications will become public.

HILL: So much to learn.

GANGEL: Right.

HILL: And if we're just learning about these documents that they have, you know, wouldn't you love to know what else is now in their possession and how these dots are being connected.

GANGEL: Correct.

HILL: Jamie, great reporting as always. Thank you.

GANGEL: Thank you.

SCIUTTO: For more on this, joined now by former federal prosecutor Jennifer Rodgers.

Jennifer, first, on this executive privilege claim and where it stands, I mean, at this point, Meadows has written a book describing situations with the president, including his health. He's gone on Fox News. He's answered questions there, some, and he's handed over 6,000 pages of documents, including text messages and so on. Where does his executive privilege claim stand in light of all that?

JENNIFER RODGERS, FORMER FEDERAL PROSECUTOR: Well, the interesting thing, Jim, is that this will all factor in to the harm that the holder of the privilege, former President Trump, would suffer if this information gets out in the form of testimony or documents. But it's really not Meadows' privilege to wave, it's Trump's, if it exists at all. So the claim is still weak, but the fact that Meadows has actually disclosed information, partial information, doesn't necessarily answer the question.

SCIUTTO: OK. Now he's suing. Perhaps taking a page out of Trump's book on this, playbook on this. Does that lawsuit against the committee have any merit, legally?

RODGERS: So, I took a look at it and it's -- I don't think that it does on the merits. I think he's trying to do two things with it, avoid criminal contempt and delay, delay, delay. So, in those senses, I think it's a winner. But the substantive senses of, does he have a legal claim on stopping this subpoena to Verizon from disclosing the documents or stopping the subpoena because the committee wasn't properly formed or doesn't have the authority it claims to have, those things legally, I think, are not legitimate.

SCIUTTO: So, this is not a court case here, right, but the committee is building this like a court case to some degree. They're deposing witnesses. They're getting documents. Eventually you assume they make some sort of argument about wrongdoing on that day.

Based on what they have, the folks willing to speak to the committee, those who are not and who are trying to drag out the clock, but also documents like the ones we're learning and the extent of the documents like the ones we're learning that Meadows has already handed over, in your view, will they have enough to build a credible case?

RODGERS: Well, it's obviously hard to say. There's a lot of information that they're trying to get that they don't have yet. But just the fact of what's become public, the number of people that they're speaking to, the fact that from people like Meadows they did get at least partial information, and what all of that information as we know so far suggests, it seems to me they're going to be able to put together a pretty compelling case that folks in the White House were trying to overturn the election results, that they were instrumental in the rally on January 6th, that they didn't stop the violence, and that looks pretty bad for them. I think we will see a good amount of evidence pointing to that result.

SCIUTTO: To what end, though, I imagine is part of the question, right, because, invariably, Trump will claim it's fake, right? You know, even if you have -- even if you could read the documents at that point, and claim it's political, what is the ultimate outcome here? I mean it's a report, right? It would be a report alleging wrongdoing.

RODGERS: So the ultimate outcome is what the committee has to do in order to do what it's doing legitimately, which is a legislative purpose. So, what they will say is, look what happened here. Now we need to follow up with legislation to try to stop this sort of thing from happening again. Legislation around making court cases move faster, legislation around how the electors are certified and what interference can or can't happen with that. Those are the sorts of things that they're looking to do to try to stop another January 6th.

SCIUTTO: Yes. And we'll see. And the clock ticking on that considering midterm elections approaching.

Jennifer Rodgers, thanks very much.

RODGERS: Thanks.

HILL: Still ahead, Democrats on the fence about how to handle Congressman Lauren Boebert's hate speech. Several worry that moving to strip her of her committees could actually play right into her hands. We'll get the pulse from progressive Congressman Ro Khanna, next.

SCIUTTO: And the opening bell on Wall Street is just moments away. Futures slipping slightly after a powerful rally in U.S. stocks so far this week. The Dow has added more than 1,100 points in just three days. Stocks right back near their record highs. The S&P 500 up 25 percent just this year.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[09:29:35]

HILL: This morning, Democrats are privately grappling with a no win situation on how to handle Congresswoman Lauren Boebert. As progressives look to move forward with efforts to strip Boebert of her committee assignments, a number of House Democrats are deeply skeptical about taking action. One senior Democratic aide telling CNN, quote, there's strong sentiment that this just helps Boebert by enhancing her platform among the fringe lunatic Republican base.

[09:29:59]

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi has not said which way she is leaning but has said it's the GOP's responsibility to deal with their people.

Joining me now is California Democratic Congressman Ro Khanna.