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Lawmakers Working on Electoral Count Act; Meat Loaf Dies at the Age of 74; Minnesota AG Sues over Covid Testing; American Flight mask Dispute; Mortgage Rates Rise. Aired 9:30-10a ET

Aired January 21, 2022 - 09:30   ET

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

[09:30:00]

MICHAEL WARREN, CNN REPORTER: And McCarthy, if that happens, McCarthy's really well positioned to be the next speaker. He's really far and away the leading candidate for that.

But, McCarthy has to balance the desires of this far right, much more vocal pro-Trump wing of the party that wants to do things like investigate the 2020

election, wants to start impeachment against Joe Biden, wants to remove members of the conference that are anti-Trump, like Liz Cheney and Adam Kinzinger. Balancing that desires with the needs of the party to win a majority coalition, that means winning in districts that say Joe Biden won in 2020. That's a place where that sort of agenda, the far right agenda, is not going to be appealing. That's the task ahead of McCarthy, trying to lay down the law here. We're going to have to see if he can uphold that promise and that threat.

Bianna. Jim.

BIANNA GOLODRYGA, CNN ANCHOR: And, of course, the big elephant in the room, Jim, is former President Trump and whether he supports McCarthy for speaker as well.

JIM SCIUTTO, CNN ANCHOR: Yes, exactly.

GOLODRYGA: Still haven't heard that answer yet.

SCIUTTO: Not -- not 100 percent clear. Exactly.

GOLODRYGA: Yes.

Michael Warren, thank you. Great reporting.

Well, right now, a bipartisan group of senators is looking to change the Electoral Count Act. Republican Senator Susan Collins and Mitt Romney confirming that a group of lawmakers will meet this week to discuss changes to the 19th century law that came under scrutiny after the January 6th attack.

SCIUTTO: CNN congressional correspondent Lauren Fox is on Capitol Hill.

Lauren, this is interesting because a few months ago this was a sort of outlier idea, but now it seems to be gaining support, serious discussion among Republicans and Democrats, which, as you know, is a rarity on Capitol Hill.

How likely? How soon?

LAUREN FOX, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, it sounds like it's the same group of bipartisan senators that worked very closely together to pass that bipartisan infrastructure bill. So they know each other well. They have strong relationships.

And Senator Susan Collins told me yesterday, she expects them to meet via Webex (ph), remember, they're on recess, as soon as today and potentially multiple times over the next several days to try to see whether or not they can come up with some kind of compromise legislation that would make it harder to challenge the Electoral College results in Congress when they certify the election.

Remember, that was really what happened on January 6th. You had a lot of questions about what the vice president's role was going to be. And there is an effort right now -- and this is really the goal of Democrats -- to make it much harder to challenge the Electoral College results. Right now it just takes one House member and one senator. And that was really a cause for concern on January 6th.

There's also questions about whether or not you could pass some kind of law to make it a crime to threaten poll workers. Now, Republicans warn that that might be a little harder to enshrine in legislation, but that is the effort of this bipartisan group. When I asked Susan Collins whether or not she thought that they could come to some kind of compromise in the next several days, even when they got back from recess and get ready to vote on something like this, she said, look, it's just too soon. We're going to have these conversations. We're going to see how far we can get.

But one interesting note. I also asked Minority Leader Mitch McConnell whether or not he had any red lines, and he was really encouraging leans (ph) to negotiation, saying, he is going to take a serious look at whatever this bipartisan group comes up with.

So, you have leadership supporting this effort. You have a bipartisan group of lawmaker who trust one another. We'll see whether they can come up with some kind of solution here.

SCIUTTO: Listen, the more we learn about the explicit efforts to reject electors from states that Trump lost, reform like this might be significant.

Lauren Fox, on The Hill, thanks so much.

Well, overnight, rock superstar Meat Loaf passed away. An album of his, one of the top selling of all time. If you're too young to know, you've got to call up some of these tracks.

GOLODRYGA: Yes.

SCIUTTO: We're going to have his music, his films, his legacy, coming up.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[09:38:35]

SCIUTTO: Breaking overnight, Grammy Award winning singer Meat Loaf has died at the age of 74. His 1977 record "Bat Out of Hell" still one of the best-selling albums of all time. And, Bianna, sadly I remember that album. My older sisters had it and I remember I was -- I was actually scared by the artwork on the cover, but learned to love his music.

GOLODRYGA: Oh, he was quite a performer and entertainer.

SCIUTTO: Yes.

GOLODRYGA: Over 65 million copies of that album were sold, if you can believe that. No cause of death was announced as of yet. But according to a post on his Facebook page, he passed away with his wife, Deborah, his two daughters and some close friends at his side.

CNN's Chloe Melas looks back on his life.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

MEAT LOAF, MUSICIAN (singing): Oh, I would do anything for love, but I don't do that.

CHLOE MELAS, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice over): Meat Loaf performed sweet, suburban melodies with dramatic flair, unleashing the lyrics of composer Jim Steinman.

MEAT LOAF: And I go out on a stage as if it's the last thing I'll ever do. I will -- and that's what I've always said, if I'm going to -- if I'm going out, I'm going out on the stage.

MELAS: Meat Loaf. Where did that name come from?

MEAT LOAF: The real story is, there is no story. The real story is that kids -- I was about eight years old. I've been called Meat Loaf since I was about eight.

MELAS: Meat Loaf, or Meat for short, was born Marvin Lee Aday in Dallas, Texas. But even Texas wasn't big enough to choral his talents. Meat Loaf would go on to sell more than 80 million records word wide.

[09:40:02]

One of the top selling musicians ever. His three "Bat Out of Hell" albums became staples in college dorm rooms. The first one selling 43 million copies.

MEAT LOAF: "Bat Out of Hell" one I was not ready for. I had a nervous breakdown. I went to a psychologist and psychiatrist for two years. And I went with them to deal with the word "star." MELAS: Meat got a hold of his demons. He starred on stage and screen,

known for "The Rocky Horror Picture Show," and Bob Paulsen in "Fight Club."

MEAT LOAF: The first rule is, I'm not supposed to talk about it. And the second rule is, I'm not supposed to talk about it. And the third rule is --

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Bob, Bob, I'm a member.

MELAS: Off screen he married twice, became a father to two daughters. And Meat Loaf entered reality TV. Donald Trump's "Celebrity Apprentice." In an infamous episode, he blistered Gary Busey (ph).

MEAT LOAF: You look in my eyes. I am the last person in the (EXPLETIVE DELETED) world you ever (EXPLETIVE DELETED) want to (EXPLETIVE DELETED) with!

MELAS: Such harsh yelling. A stark contrast to what launched Meat Loaf to international adoration, that operatic voice.

MEAT LOAF (singing): Oh, I would do anything for love, but I won't do that. No. No, I won't do that.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

SCIUTTO: You know, we never learned, Bianna, what it was that he wouldn't do. But I just think folks again like who don't know him or his work through time, so many great songs and so many great, not just cameos, but he acted. He was a real actor in a lot of great movies.

GOLODRYGA: Oh, yes.

SCIUTTO: Yes.

GOLODRYGA: He gave 150 percent. He actually said in an interview that he approached songs as if they were a play. And you see that in music videos and stage performances.

SCIUTTO: Yes.

GOLODRYGA: He said he gives it his all. So I would hope that many people now who haven't heard his music will turn to it and download some of it. It was great.

SCIUTTO: Some good stuff.

GOLODRYGA: And our thoughts are with his family, obviously, his wife and his two daughters.

SCIUTTO: No question.

GOLODRYGA: Well, still to come, former employees of a Covid testing company say there were trash bags filled with samples that were never tested, strewn all over the office. And now one state is suing. Details on that coming up next. (COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[09:47:01]

GOLODRYGA: Minnesota's attorney general is suing a Covid-19 testing company and its lab -- partner lab, after accusing the company of providing Covid testing but failing to deliver the results in a timely manner, even if they delivered them at all.

SCIUTTO: Yes, in some cases people reported receiving falsified results in the end.

CNN's senior medical correspondent Elizabeth Cohen has been following.

Elizabeth, this company was not just operating in Minnesota. So I'm curious, is there any evidence this might have been a broader problem?

ELIZABETH COHEN, CNN SENIOR MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT: You know, we'll have to see as the lawsuit goes on and we'll also have to see, will other attorneys general decide to join in on this Minnesota lawsuit.

So let's take a look at this Minnesota lawsuit.

So the Minnesota attorney general is suing this testing chain called the Center for Covid Control and Doctors Clinical Laboratory. As you've mentioned, Jim, they have more than 300 locations in the U.S. The lawsuit mentions that their positivity rate, in other words the percent of tests that turned out positive, was ten times higher than the state average from December 7th of last year to January 10th of this year, and that certainly raised some questions. The lawsuit also says that patients reported receiving results that were, quote, riddled with false and inaccurate information, for example, the wrong test or the wrong test date.

Now, CNN reached out to this Covid testing center and did not immediately hear back, but they did put a statement on their website. So let's take a look at that.

So, the Center for Covid Control says that they are -- paused their operations and they are extending that pause. They say that they won't resume sample collection until staffing resources permit them to operate at full capacity.

They also said that the Center for Covid Control is using this operational paus to train additional staff on sample collection and handling, customer service and communications, best practices, as well as compliance with regulatory guidelines.

Now, sometimes when we hear about stories like this, you know, you wonder, how can I make sure that I'm getting a test as a reputable place where I'm going to get a real result. If you go on you state department of health website, there's an excellent chance that you'll see a list of places. So that's one place to start.

Jim. Bianna.

SCIUTTO: It's a good idea, and use those resources.

Elizabeth Cohen, thanks so much.

Well, an American Airlines flight headed from Miami to London had to turn around midflight on Wednesday. Why? Because a passenger refused to wear a mask.

And, Bianna, I've been on flights where this has happened. It is no fun.

GOLODRYGA: Yes, it's not hard, folks, keep your mask on.

CNN's aviation correspondent Pete Muntean joins us.

So, Pete, the fight returned to Miami airport not even two hours after it took off. What happened with this passenger?

PETE MUNTEAN, CNN AVIATION CORRESPONDENT: That's right, Bianna. You know, these issues with unruly passengers were such a problem in 2021 and it has gotten dragged into 2022. American Airlines Flight 38 took off from Miami on Wednesday night. Only about 45 minutes in did it turn back.

Look at the image here from Flight Aware. You can see the blue line, which is the flight plan, eight hours and 45 minutes, Miami to London. Just imagine the frustration of these passengers that they had to go back after only an hour into the flight.

[09:50:10]

One hundred and twenty-nine people on board. All over a woman on board who caused a disturbance, American Airlines says, over a mask.

Now, Miami-Dade Police met the plane at the gate when it arrived back in Miami. They escorted that woman off. And they say that the airline is dealing with this.

A few different options here. The airline could ban this passenger. The FAA could intercede and impose civil fines, but it cannot bring criminal charges. It's not allowed to do that. The FAA can't do that. The Department of Justice can. But we know typically it just takes some time to investigate these incidents. So, no real movement on that just yet, although we do know that the Department of Justice does make this a pretty high priority.

Just look at the numbers so far this year, 151 cases of unruly passengers reported by flight crews to the FAA, 92 of them over masks, so about 60 percent. Last year, in 2021, 5,981 unruly passenger incidents, 4,290 mask related, 70 percent over masks.

Now, the rate of these incidents has gone down a little bit according to the FAA, which is good news. We know this really started to tick up right after the January 6th attack. We will see if this starts to taper off, if people are getting the message now that people are getting charged and punished. So many fines assessed in these cases. $20,000, $30,000 even in some cases. We've seen as high almost as $50,000 depending on the incident.

So, we'll see what happens with this one.

Jim and Bianna.

SCIUTTO: Yes, enormous cost to the airlines, too, to turn around a flight like that and to the other passengers involved.

GOLODRYGA: Right.

SCIUTTO: Pete Muntean, thanks so much.

MUNTEAN: Anytime.

SCIUTTO: Coming up, mortgage rates are on the rise. It's causing real concern among home buyers. We're going to have a live report next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[09:56:28]

GOLODRYGA: Well, Peloton stock is spinning, a little play on words there, bouncing back this morning after a CNBC report revealed that the company temporarily halted production of its bikes and treadmills due to waning demand.

SCIUTTO: I guess they're turning the resistance up, if we could say.

GOLODRYGA: Good one, Jim.

SCIUTTO: I mean, listen, they did have a big boom during the pandemic, but the report claims production of higher-end -- of a higher-end bike was paused in December, will not resume until June. The company's CEO acknowledged they are considering all options, including layoffs and production curbs, but called the leaked information incomplete and out of context.

GOLODRYGA: Well, turning to the housing market now. Mortgage rates rising for a third straight week at an average of 3.56 percent. Those 30-year fixed rates are at a high not seen since the start of the pandemic.

SCIUTTO: This, of course, after many years of very low mortgage rates.

CNN's Vanessa Yurkevich spoke with prospective home buyers feeling some pressure now to pay more in an already competitive market.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Stu.

STU KOZLOWSKI, LOS ANGELES HOMEBUYER: (INAUDIBLE).

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Hey, man, welcome.

VANESSA YURKEVICH, CNN BUSINESS AND POLITICS CORRESPONDENT (voice over): Stu Kozlowski is on the hunt again.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Here we have two bedroom, two and a half baths.

YURKEVICH: He's looking for a home in Los Angeles for himself and his eight-year-old daughter after he fell out of escrow on another property last month.

KOZLOWSKI: How many square feet is it?

YURKEVICH: Besides worrying about square footage, there's low inventory, sky-high prices and bidding wars, and now rising mortgage rates.

KOZLOWSKI: They're almost a point higher than they were when I made that offer and got under escrow. So, that's a significant jump.

YURKEVICH: This week, a 30-year fixed rate loan is 3.56 percent, back up to pre-pandemic levels. On the median home price of $350,000, Americans can expect to spend $120 more on average, excluding taxes and insurance, than they did a year ago.

KOZLOWSKI: I think that affects the kind of homes I look at. That affects the neighborhoods I look at. That affects the kind of things I'm willing to go and have conviction about that maybe I didn't a month ago or a week ago.

YURKEVICH: Mortgage rates are going up in anticipation of higher interest rates, which the Federal Reserve said would happen this year. In just the last month, a 30-year mortgage rose by a half a point.

JOE REICHLING, REALTOR, BRYANT\REICHLING TEAM, COMPASS: Every half point that mortgage rates rise, I think that definitely has an impact on what buyers are willing to do, how far they're willing to stretch on home purchase.

YURKEVICH: Rising rates will affect home buyers in pricier coastal cities where they're more often right on the cusp of qualifying for a home mortgage. In Chicago, where realtors say there's more inventory, it means locking in a good mortgage rate now.

MARY KATE OU, CHICAGO HOMEBUYER: You don't want to pay more money if you don't have to. So, that's kind of why we did decide to go through the preapproval process earlier, so that that way if we did find something, we could jump on it.

YURKEVICH: Mary Kate Ou and her husband on first-time home buyers, working against two timelines, their lease is up in six months and rising mortgage rates.

OU: We've definitely been kind of accelerating that timeline a little bit more recently.

And what's the price on this one?

TONY MATTAR, REALTOR, HOMECO CHICAGO, COMPASS: This one's 950.

YURKEVICH: Her realtor, Tony Mattar, says rising rates are bringing up FOMO among many of his first-time buyers. That's fear of missing out.

MATTAR: There might be some folks out there who were considering buying a home six months or nine months ago and didn't that might be kicking themselves.

YURKEVICH: Pushing buyers to move quickly before mortgage rates and home prices get any higher.

[10:00:00]

OU: Maybe that's where some of the nerves and the excitement all come together.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

YURKEVICH: Now, home prices up 17 percent last year.