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Salon Owner's Shop Destroyed by Tornado: "It's All Gone"; CDC: One in 100 Seniors in U.S. Died of COVID; Some States Return to Vax Mandates, Proof of Vaccine Status as COVID Cases Rise; British P.M.: "Tidal Wave" of Omicron Cases Coming; Oxford Study: Pfizer & AstraZeneca Vaccines Have Decreased Effectiveness Against Omicron Variant; CA Gov. Calls for Gun Control Based on TX Abortion Law. Aired 1:30-2p ET
Aired December 13, 2021 - 13:30 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
[13:30:00]
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
KOREY TOON, BEAUTIFY SALON DESTROYED BY TORNADO: This is the beauty shop. My husband built it for me about a year and a half ago, so.
JOHN BERMAN, CNN HOST: It's been open for one year?
TOON: Yes, it was a year in June, so a little over a year.
BERMAN: And you said your husband built it for you. It was something you always wanted to do?
TOON: Oh, yes. It was my dream.
We bought a piece of land and then we found out that I was pregnant so we started to build. Yes, he always knew I wanted it so he built it completely by himself.
BERMAN: So this was you come here every day?
TOON: Yes, I mean, this is my second home. We're here, me and six other girls are here all the time.
BERMAN: And what happened here?
TOON: Well, the tornado just -- I mean, it's gone. I -- we were all working that day. I was supposed to work late, but I ended up cancelling my client, my later ones because I figured it would get pretty bad.
And the next thing you know, I get a call at like 11:00 at night and they say that it has been hit and that there was one wall standing, so.
BERMAN: When you drove back here and got a first look?
TOON: Oh, I just bawled my eyes out. My parents was already here and my husband was here. I was at home with the kids. So when we all got up, I came here and just broke down.
BERMAN: I'm so sorry.
TOON: Thank you.
BERMAN: Can you show me a little bit around?
TOON: Yes. If you can tell where -- So, right here would have been where three of our girls were.
BERMAN: OK.
TOON: Back here we have the shampoo bowls. Surprisingly, they are still there. Our bathroom is back there. Our color room, our break room.
This is where I worked right over there. And our waiting area was up there.
BERMAN: And then you drive by and then this is what struck us here.
Watch your step.
When we first drove by everything is gone except for this.
TOON: Yes, it's still there. I have no idea how. I know.
BERMAN: This is the station chair.
TOON: Yes. I mean, it was probably about right here. But, yes.
This would probably be actually my chair then if it just scooted over. I don't know -- there's a few chairs, but, yes, this one -- I don't know where the other chairs were.
BERMAN: The walls here. There's a lot of destruction here.
TOON: Oh, yes.
BERMAN: But have you no walls, no nothing.
TOON: No. Nothing. It's all gone.
BERMAN: What are you going to do now?
TOON: I honestly have no idea.
Luckily, we had insurance. But since it was only, you know, a year old, it obviously wasn't paid for, so we had insurance to cover that. But I don't have enough money to rebuild. So we're kind of just stuck in the air with what to do.
So the girls and I will have to -- the girls don't have anywhere to work. We don't have any equipment that we can even go somewhere else and work because all that is expensive.
So, I don't know. We'll just have to see what to do. We're just kind of playing it by ear right now.
BERMAN: How are you doing?
TOON: I'm a little stressed and devastated. But it could have been so much worse. I'm just -- I praise god it was not my House and none of the girls were here and my family is OK.
Because I know hundreds of other people are in far worse condition. So I'm devastated but I'm thankful at the same time.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
BERMAN: Devastated, but thankful at the same time.
Korey's husband is fine. Her two children are fine. And all the people who work at the salon are fine, too.
I have to tell you, you drive by there on the street, and it's an eerie amazing site. There's a big concrete slab and no walls standing and just that one salon chair sitting there for the world to see.
Korey has a GoFundMe page right now. We'll put it up on the screen so people can see it. Obviously, everyone eager to help as many people as they can in this community. There's so much need here.
For more information about how you can help tornado victims across the board go to CNN.com/impact.
Ana, back to you.
I just want to tell you one other thing. Besides the salon chair as you're walking around there, you see the small bottles of nail polish on the ground there just scattered across the salon. There's so much love that went into that.
[13:35:09]
ANA CABRERA, CNN HOST: Yes, yes. Korey's story there, the salon, and Daniel's story, his restaurant gone that you've been bringing us. Hard to wrap your head around.
But my heart goes out to all those people in that community, especially those who have lost loved ones.
Thank you, John.
Our other top story, COVID cases on the rise again. And it means the return of vax mandates and proof of vaccine status in some states.
Plus, Omicron, that variant is becoming dominant in other countries. Could the U.S. be next?
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[13:40:32] CABRERA: Here's the sobering statistic. New data from the CDC shows one in 100 seniors, people 65-plus, here in the U.S., have died of COVID.
Let's bring in Dr. Jorge Rodriguez, a board-certified internal medicine specialist and viral researcher.
Doctor, it's a stunning number. What is your reaction to this news? One in 100 seniors in the U.S. dead from COVID.
DR. JORGE RODRIGUEZ, INTERNAL MEDICINE SPECIALIST & VIRAL RESEARCHER: Well, when I first heard it, I was startled. Seriously, that's an incredible number.
And I hope that people don't think, oh, well, it's somebody older. Everybody lived their lives. And 65 and older. I mean, 65 is not what used to be 65.
And right now, we need to protect these very vital people in our -- in our society.
And I want anybody that's younger than that to realize that everything they have, everything that they have accomplished has been on the shoulders of somebody who was older than them and has created that for them.
And in most societies, the older people are the most revered because of what he have contributed, you know, and where we are because of them.
So we really need to sort of protect our seniors and -- I mean, it's just incredible when I heard that statistic.
CABRERA: It's not just the elderly. I'm thinking about my own parents who are in that category.
And right now, here in the U.S., we're going in the wrong direction. Coronavirus cases in the U.S. are up 45 percent from last month.
We are seeing some jurisdictions take action. Philly now saying you will soon have to have proof of vaccination for all indoor dining.
Here in New York where I am, if you have an indoor public space that does not have a vaccine requirement, then everyone has to wear a mask inside.
Former FDA commissioner, Scott Gottlieb, says we should expect to see more of this. Listen.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DR. SCOTT GOTTLIEB, FORMER FDA COMMISSIONER: Most of those cases right now are being driven by very dense epidemics in the Great Lakes region and New England. In those parts of the country, it is prudent to try to take steps to control the spread. There are certain states, like New Hampshire and Massachusetts, where
the health care systems are beginning to get pressed. And mask mandates are the easiest thing we can do to sort of collective action that puts some downward pressure on spread.
It would be a temporary measure just to try to preserve the health care systems at this point.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CABRERA: Doctor, do you agree with Dr. Gottlieb? And if so, what should be the criteria for putting the mask mandates in place?
RODRIGUEZ: I agree 110 percent with Dr. Gottlieb. Now is the time, maybe two weeks ago was maybe the time to start taking these requirements seriously.
I hate using the word mandate. That's such a trigger for so many people. The time to do preventive measures is before the epidemic gets worse. And we are now seeing an upward swing in many states. And in some, it may be too late.
As he said, dense populations like New York or even family situations and theaters and things like that, that's when we have to protect ourselves because that's when it spreads.
So when we become cautious, is when we have had the worst outbreaks in this country. Once it goes ballistic, it's a little too late.
And there's no doubt about it, it is coming. It's already here and it's going to expand.
CABRERA: So let me pick up on that, it is coming. Moments ago, the British health secretary announced that officials expect Omicron to become the dominant variant in London in the next 48 hours.
That, as the prime minister said the U.K. is facing a tidal wave of Omicron cases.
Right now, we know Omicron has been identified in at least 29 states. Do you expect it to overtake Delta as the dominant strain here?
RODRIGUEZ: Absolutely. In the U.K. information, U.K. data, Omicron has been doubling every two to three days. That's astounding.
Remember when COVID first started, the cases doubled every two to three weeks. This is doubling at a rate that's 10 times greater.
And don't be fooled, don't be complacent because, right now, the word of mouth is sort of the Omicron is not as severe. There's no such thing as a benign, lesser-than COVID infection. There are deaths that have been recorded.
And every time someone get infected, they will create new variants. And the next one may be the big daddy, you know, of all variants. CABRERA: I want to ask you about a study from researchers at Oxford
University, which found that there's a substantial decrease in effectiveness of the Pfizer and the AstraZeneca coronavirus vaccines against the Omicron variants.
[13:45:08]
I wonder, will this news make people more or less likely to get vaccinated?
RODRIGUEZ: I think your guess is as good as mine. I think the people that are vigilant, that are aware, and that are going -- that have already gotten vaccinated will get boosters. And I urge them to get them as soon as possible.
Where I think the issue lies is that the people that haven't been vaccinated really need to be made aware that this virus will eventually seek out and land on the people that are most susceptible.
And those are the ones that have not been vaccinated, A, and also the ones who have not been boosted.
It's not a matter of if. It's a matter of when.
CABRERA: Dr. Jorge Rodriguez, I always appreciate you and your expertise. Thank you for sharing your time and your expertise with us.
RODRIGUEZ: Thank you, Ana.
CABRERA: California is going after the gun industry by mimicking the Texas abortion law. The governor's plan and how it might work, next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[13:51:01]
CABRERA: Welcome back. California Governor Gavin Newsom says, if it works for banning abortions, why not use it for gun control. Newsom citing the new Texas abortion law that the Supreme Court has allowed to remain in effect.
Said, quote, "If that is the precedent, then we'll let Californians sue those who put those ghost guns and assault weapons on our streets. If Texas could ban abortion and endanger lives, California can ban deadly weapons of war and save lives."
Under the legislation Newsom is proposing, people could sue anyone who manufactures, distributes or sells an assault weapon or ghost gun kit or parts in California.
And they could be fined at least $10,000 for violations, plus attorney fees.
Let's bring in CNN senior legal analyst, Elie Honig.
Elie, could this actually happen? Could this be a viable legal option for gun control or is this just a political stunt?
ELIE HONIG, CNN SENIOR LEGAL ANALYST: Well, it could be both, Ana. The question is, will it actually happen? That will be a question of political will for Governor Newsom and the Democratic-controlled legislature in California.
If they want to pass a state law, they'll have the political power to do so.
But the bigger point here, there's a stunned element to this. The point that Gavin Newsom is trying to make is, if Texas could do this, then why can't we?
Because what Texas did was they passed a state law that directly undercuts established federal precedent, Roe v. Wade, in the area of abortion.
Gavin Newsom is saying, well, we'll do the same thing on guns. And who knows where this could lead down the line.
So ultimately, this case would be challenged in court, this type of legislation would be challenged in court, and we would have to see how it comes out.
CABRERA: And yet, he's going this route because the Supreme Court has let that Texas law stand at this point.
It hasn't ruled on the constitutionality of the Texas abortion law. But by allowing it to stand, as challenges against it proceed, it has sort of allowed this strategy to simmer.
So if more legislation like Governor Newsom is proposing moves forward, what do you think the Supreme Court will do?
HONIG: Well, this is a Pandora's Box that has now been opened, Ana. Texas opened it. The Supreme Court has thus far allowed it to stay open.
I do think we're going to see other states weighing in.
And there's a concern, that no matter which side of the aisle or ideology one is on, there's a concern this will open the doors for states at will to undermine the Supreme Court.
Whether it is on abortion on one side, or whether it's on gun rights on the other side, whether it's on religious freedom, whether it's on the rights of gays to get married.
So the concern here is we're going to see each state saying, I don't really care what the Supreme Court has said, we're going to use this strange procedural mechanism that Texas invented to pass whatever laws we want.
And Justice Sotomayor, in her dissent last week, said -- she said, this is what the Civil War was fought over, who controls, the federal government here or state governments? CABRERA: Do you see the Supreme Court then revisiting this Texas
abortion law so they could finally weigh in on its constitutionality and close this Pandora's Box?
HONIG: I think they ought to. I don't they that Pandora's Box serves anyone's interest.
It's also important to note, if the Supreme Court allows this approach to stand, they're removing their own power. They're taking away their own power to interpret the law for the entire country.
And they're basically saying states, you can all do what you please. And that would go a long way towards changing the role of the Supreme Court in our country.
CABRERA: What needs to happen then for them to do that? What is the process?
HONIG: The Supreme Court first has to decide to review the actual merits of the Texas case. They're not there yet.
When they ruled last week they sent it back to the district court, sort of limiting the way the lawsuit could be challenged.
But ultimately, they need to take one of these cases, whether it's out of Texas or maybe out of California someday, and say that's not OK. States, you cannot pass laws that undermine fundamental constitutional rights that we, the Supreme Court, have set for the entire nation.
CABRERA: Elie Honig, thank you so much. It is interesting to watch where this new California --
Thanks, Ana.
CABRERA: -- proposal goes.
[13:55:01]
Before we go, it is the best kind of news to end on. And I want to welcome a new addition to our CNN family. My producer, Lany (ph), just gave birth to this beautiful little boy, Simon John Ethanicanal (ph).
And Lany (ph) said he came in three weeks early. He is mighty, weighing in at under seven pounds and 19 3/4 inches long. He has a head of curly dark hair under that little hat.
Just a precious, precious picture. A lot of smiles.
Lany (ph), we love you. We're so happy for you and Tom and the rest of your family. Huge congratulations.
And thank you all for joining us today. We're back tomorrow at 1:00 p.m. Eastern. Reminder, you could follow me on Twitter, @AnaCabrera.
The news continues next with Alisyn and Victor.
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