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White House Held Sitroom Meeting Thursday on Russia-Ukraine; Estimated 3,000 Unvaccinated New York City Workers Could Lose Jobs Today; Autopsy Shows Bob Saget Died from Blunt Head Trauma, Also Had COVID. Aired 10-10:30a ET

Aired February 11, 2022 - 10:00   ET

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

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[10:00:00]

JIM SCIUTTO, CNN NEWSROOM: A very good busy Friday morning. I'm Jim Sciutto.

BIANNA GOLODRYGA, CNN NEWSROOM: And I'm Bianna Golodryga.

We begin this hour with a developing situation in Ukraine. President Biden convened a meeting in the White House situation room last night to discuss the escalating situation there.

SCIUTTO: The president urging all Americans, and there are thousands of them, in Ukraine to leave now. This as Secretary of State Antony Blinken just this morning warned that Russia could invade at any moment. There have been talk, he might wait until after the Olympics. That guidance seems to be changing, at least in public warnings.

We begin with CNN's John Harwood at the White House. As President Biden expected to speak with European and NATO leaders about Ukraine today, John, do you sense of increased urgency in the White House this morning?

JOHN HARWOOD, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: No question about it. And the part of it is the approaching end of the Olympics because people have speculated that Putin might wait until after that, but there's no guarantee that he would wait.

And so you've got the call this morning between the president and NATO leaders trying to hold that united front together. This is an issue where, on both the amassing military resources or military preparations and the information operations that people across the political spectrum are giving the president credit for being alert and being forward-leaning on this.

And he reiterated that in his interview with Lester Holt that Vladimir Putin is going to pay a very high price he chooses to invade.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JOE BIDEN, U.S. PRESIDENT: I have spoken with Putin. I have spoken with every NATO leader. I brought them together like I think they've never been as coordinated in modern history with NATO leaders about what to do if Putin moves. The question, he has to know that if he does, the entire circumstance for Russia changes worldwide, changes overnight. The cost to Russia both in terms of reputational cost and economic cost would be profound.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HARWOOD: But, of course, Jim, as the White House acknowledges and other NATO leaders acknowledge, they simply don't know what Vladimir Putin has decided to do. He may not even have decided himself.

GOLODRYGA: And this as there have been no inroads on the diplomatic front as well. The Minsk talks ended yesterday with no real resolution there.

John, turning back home, CNN has learned President Biden could interview potential Supreme Court picks as soon as next week. He discussed that a bit with Lester last night as well. Where is he in this process?

HARWOOD: Look, Bianna, this is an issue that Joe Biden has lived in for decades, that is, judicial selections. He's very comfortable and at home with this process. It began long before Stephen Breyer announced that he was going to retire. There is a clear top tier, maybe three, maybe four potential justices, and Joe Biden signaled in that interview that he is moving quickly, said he's going to get a choice by the end of February but he's well into that process right now.

SCIUTTO: John Harwood, thanks very much.

Joining us now to discuss, Political Commentators for CNN Ashley Allison and David Swerdlick. Good to have you on.

David, oftentimes, it will be said that for presidencies, it's the crisis you don't expect, right, that can be defining here. This is a potential war in Europe and I wonder, do you see this administration as prepared for it?

DAVID SWERDLICK, CNN POLITICAL COMMENTATOR: Yes. Good morning, Jim. I think that the Biden administration and President Biden are doing the right things now. The question in my mind is, will these right things be enough? They've sent additional U.S. troops to neighboring NATO countries, like Poland, they've threatened sanctions. The German chancellor was here in a head-to-head meeting the other day.

[10:05:00]

They've put the idea of shutting down the Nord Stream 2 pipeline on the table, as well as sanctions. But will those things, even though they are the right things, be enough to deter President Putin considering that Putin has already amassed these tens of thousands of troops in various places along the Russia/Ukraine border and the Belarus/Ukraine border? Can Putin afford to stand down if he doesn't think that Biden will actually use U.S. military force as opposed to saying, giving Javelin missiles to the Ukrainians? And we just don't know quite yet.

GOLODRYGA: And he doesn't appear to be standing down at this point, as Russia conducts military exercises with Belarus. We're now into day two there.

Ashley, let's turn to the domestic challenges because there are many the president still faces, including COVID, and now not just from the Republicans, but also from Democrats, many Democratic-led states across the country lifting some of their mask restrictions. The CDC is not quite there and he's now having to navigate a delicate balance to maintain the CDC's relevance and saying that states not just Republican states but blue ones are looking to move on.

ASHLEY ALLISON, CNN POLITICAL COMMENTATOR: Yes. I definitely think that the White House is smart to follow the CDC guidance but they also need to take heed that a lot of Americans, whether they're vaccinated or unvaccinated at this point going into the third year of the pandemic have COVID fatigue, and the day-to-day questions you have to constantly ask yourself about masking and social distancing and traveling can cause some great anxiety, not to mention children who aren't vaccinated yet.

So, I think that they have to play a kind of on -- talk to the American people, the voters about sympathizing, empathizing with the day-to-day challenges of COVID but also not get ahead of the science, and one of the reasons that Americans selected Joe Biden as president is because he was committed to following the science.

SCIUTTO: David, Lester Holt asked President Biden about inflation, this, of course, following the reports showing yet another bad month, 7.5 percent. I want to play his answer and get your read on it. Have a listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

LESTER HOLT, NBC NEWS ANCHOR: Back in July, you said inflation was going to be temporary. I think a lot of Americans are wondering what your definition of temporary is.

BIDEN: Well, you're being a wise guy with me a little bit. I understand that's your job.

According to Nobel Laureates, 14 of them that contacted me, and a number of corporate leaders, it's ought to be able to start to taper off as we go through this year.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SCIUTTO: Wise guy. I mean, it's an obvious question. Inflation is up and people are watching this very closely. Do you see a president and a White House disconnected from what has become a number one issue for many Americans? By the way, that is understanding that there are other good economic indicators on the job market and economic growth, but this one stinks.

SWERDLICK: Yes, Jim, you just said it. There are other economic indicators and there are much better ways to answer that question. I'm not an economist, I don't have a crystal ball as far as when inflation will taper off, but I think it's fair to say that the better way for the president to answer that question is to say, yes, there's inflation, yes, we're working on it, yes, we know this is putting a strain on some sectors, like the price of gas or the price of food, but we also want to keep reminding people that unemployment is at 4 percent, that 70 percent of people are vaccinated, that the stock market is at 35,000 and has been in that range throughout Biden's first year, that wages are up slightly, and that we're trying to get out of this pandemic and that it's not all bad, but instead, the president goes for the wise guy line and I think that gets him into trouble.

GOLODRYGA: Ashley, what do you think and what are you hearing the administration may be doing in terms of shifting the narrative to focus on other positive headlines, like job creation and economic growth, while also acknowledging that inflation is a big problem and one that's largely out of their hands at this point now turning to the Fed?

ALLISON: Yes, I definitely think that, first, the administration should do a better job at touting the accomplishments they have gotten done. One of the things that Joe Biden has been known for is his ability to connect with the everyday American, middle class Americans, because of his own personal experience, and to say that I feel your pain, I feel your struggle, and I'm not leaving you behind. And so a little more of that, the compassion that we know is a part of who he is as a person and many of the people that work in his administration, leading with that message and saying that we're working on it, it's going to take some time but not leaving anyone behind and we're going to get through this together.

That is how he was successful to become president and has had a successful political career and I think they need lean into a little bit more of that and not necessarily be so on the offensive.

[10:10:00]

Because there is -- they have nine months until the midterms, and so this can turn around.

GOLODRYGA: Listen, it is an unprecedented and confusing time. You're seeing record-high inflation, at the same time that millions of Americans are voluntarily leaving their jobs for better ones. So, it is a unique situation that we find ourselves economically.

Ashley Allison, David Swerdlick, thank you.

SWERDLICK: Thank you.

GOLODRYGA: Well, in New York City this morning, about 3,000 employees are set to be fired because they refuse to get vaccinated. Termination notices take effect today. COVID vaccinations are required for all of the city's municipal workers after a mandate took effect back in November. And New York City Mayor Eric Adams says that it will be enforced. CNN's Athena Jones joins us now. Athena, the mayor is keeping true to his word. What more is he saying?

ATHENA JONES, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: He is. When Mayor de Blasio issued this last year, he said our public employees will lead us out of the COVID era. Mayor Adams is going to stick to that, he's going to enforce that. He says he wants these employees to remain employed with the city but they have to follow these requirements. As he put it, he said, we're firing them. People are quitting. If you're not following the rules, you are making that decision.

Now, it's important to note that the vast majority of the city's more than 370,000 municipal workers have gotten vaccinated, as required, but an estimated 3,000 could lose their job today if they can't prove they've been vaccinated. This is less than 1 percent of the city's workforce though. And these are people, according to a city official that my colleague, Mark Morales, spoke with, these are people who have not gotten a shot and have not been coming to work since the beginning of November. So, city services are not expected to be affected if these workers are indeed fired.

And city officials expect the final number could change. It could be lower than 3,000 because people could decide at the last minute to go and get vaccinated. What's so interesting here is this is coming at a time when restrictions and mandates related to COVID were being lifted in cities and states all around the country but there are folks who'd argue, having a vaccine mandates like this are helpful in bringing down those metrics or improving those COVID metrics.

So, this is something we're going to have to watch and see what the final number is, but I should not, this, of course, did not come as a surprise to these workers. When it was announced, there was even a brief $500 incentive the city offered --

GOLODRYGA: I remember that, yes.

JONES: -- if workers got a shot in a certain number of days at a city-run site. So, it's a big number, but it's actually a small percentage of the workforce.

GOLODRYGA: It's important to put into context. As you said, a vast number of city employees are vaccinated and the mayor making it clear it's their choice, they're not being fired.

JONES: Exactly.

GOLODRYGA: Athena, thank you.

SCIUTTO: Still to come this hour, Bob Saget's autopsy report reveals new details about what exactly caused his death as well as his health in general. We're going to have more on that, next.

GOLODRYGA: Plus, has the CIA really been collecting data on Americans and warrantless searches for years? That's what two senators are now alleging. We have the new reporting. And new legislation, gerrymandering and new redistricting maps, all efforts to curb voting rights in America. So, what's being done to counter it? We'll have a discussion, that's up ahead.

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GOLODRYGA: New questions this morning about Bob Saget's death after an autopsy revealed the actor and comedian died of blunt head trauma. The medical examiner says Saget likely fell when no one was looking and hit the back of his head, causing a brain bleed. The report also found the 65-year-old had fractures around his eye sockets and enlarged heart with 95 percent blockage on one side and two prescription medicines in his system, Klonopin, generally taken for seizures and anxiety, and the antidepressant Trazodone. He also had tested positive for COVID-19.

SCIUTTO: CNN's Chloe Melas joins us now. Chloe, I mean, a lot of this is personal information, including about what medications he was taking, but tell us how the family is reacting to this.

CHLOE MELAS, CNN ENTERTAINMENT REPORTER: Look, they've released a statement saying that they have closure now in a way and that they want us to remember Bob for his happiness and the laughter he brought into the world, but it does come as a shock this is a result of a head injury. Again, the medical examiner's office and the autopsy report, which I have seen, they believe that he fell backwards, hit his head, went to bed and thought nothing of it.

But there are some questions as to perhaps how this could have happened, when it could have happened. My own father, he actually had a subdural hematoma. Luckily, he survived it, it wasn't until months later after a fall that he ended up having to have emergency surgery. I mean, you look back at what happened with Liam Neeson's wife, Natasha Richardson, when she had a brain injury on a ski trip. Obviously, you have to take these things very seriously, and the unfortunate part is that we might not ever really know what happened because Bob was alone in that motel room in Orlando following a show.

Yes, many people are talking about the fact he tested positive for COVID-19, but his family has addressed that. He tested positive in December but he had recovered. They say that he was healthy. He had no symptoms. And as we know, you can test positive after getting over COVID for several weeks, sometimes months after. But, obviously, bringing some closure to fans but it's also really traumatic and sad detail to know that he went through this right at the end of his life, only 65 years old.

GOLODRYGA: So, sad and really senseless. I'm really happy to hear your father is okay but frightening he went through a similar experience as well. Chloe Melas, thank you.

MELAS: Thank you.

GOLODRYGA: Well, let's bring in Forensic Pathologist Dr. Cyril Wecht. Doctor, the autopsy showed that Saget had fractures around his eye sockets in addition to what he sustained at the back of the head.

[10:20:06]

What does this suggest about the level of trauma that he experienced?

DR. CYRIL WECHT, FORENSIC PATHOLOGIST: I believe that the autopsy report is correct, although I do believe there would have been more than one fall. The abrasion, contusion on the back of the skull and the anatomic distribution of the injuries overlying the brain indicate that this was primarily a contra-coup, which means the blow, the coup, was in the rear and the contra, the manifestations of it largely played out essentially toward the frontal part of the brain.

The subdural hematoma, as you have mentioned, is something that emerges slowly. In fact, it may not start until after a while or it may start and then clot over and then some movement of a spontaneous nature can lead to resulting recurrence of the bleed.

And I believe that more investigations should be done if they want to try to determine when this might have occurred. For example, when he checked in at the hotel, did the receptionist at the desk notice any abrasions, contusions, a partial bilateral black eye presentation that would have been visible if it was noted.

I am aware that the body was found in a normal supine position on the bed and no evidence of disarray, dishevelment. So, I'm wondering if the injury may have occurred before he got into the hotel, maybe something like the latch of his car door taking luggage out from the trunk, striking his head. I've had that happen to me or almost happen. So, those are the kinds of things that could be checked out.

I do agree that there is no evidence of foul play.

SCIUTTO: You bring up a good point, because you would show -- I've had a subdural hematoma. You could show other things, including impact on short-term memory, et cetera. I wonder, the other discovery here, right, is an enlarged heart and blockage, 95 percent of one side. Is that potentially related to this or is that just something you often see in men in their 60s or later?

WECHT: It's not related directly, but I was going to ask about the heart size. I hadn't been given that information, but the heart was enlarged and 95 percent blockage of one of the coronary arteries would have been a significant contributing factor, no question about it. And as the bleeding continued in the brain and the brain's control of the heart and lungs diminished, then the heart wasn't getting its supply of blood through the coronary arteries.

So, I think that I do not believe the COVID positivity played a role in this case at all. I think it would be important to know, was he taking a baby aspirin, which many people do. I understand there was a bad heart history in his family of two uncles dying at an early age and his father having heart disease. So, indeed, that played a role, but the cause of death would be the head injuries.

SCIUTTO: Yes. Dr. Cyril Wecht, thank so much for joining us this morning.

WECHT: Thank you.

SCIUTTO: Still ahead this hour, new warnings this morning about the economic damage that these truckers-inspired protests are having both on Canada and here in the U.S., how it could impact as well this weekend's Super Bowl, just ahead.

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SCIUTTO: New concerns this morning over information the government may have gathered about Americans. Two members of the Senate Intelligence Committee suggests the CIA inappropriately collected intelligence data in bulk without warrants.

GOLODRYGA: Yes, really disturbing report here. CNN Reporter Katie Bo Lillis joins us with more. So, Katie Bo, what can you tell us about what may have been collected?

KATIE BO LILLIS, CNN REPORTER: Yes. So, last night, two members of the Senate Intelligence Committee made a pretty dramatic allegation. They said that the Senate Intelligence Committee has a report that shows the CIA, for years, has been collecting information in bulk that includes some information that belongs to Americans and that it has been sifting through and analyzing that information in ways that raised concerns about privacy and civil liberties.

Now, the CIA says that both the report itself and the underlying processes that it examines, by which analysts sift through this database of information, have to remain classified in order to protect sources and methods. So, we don't exactly know what the data at issue here is.

But we do have some clues from Senators Heinrich and Wyden about what their concerns are. They have said that they're concerned about so- called backdoor searches Americans' data. So, what do I mean by that? The CIA is a foreign-facing intelligence organization, which means that they're essentially precluded from investigating Americans.

But Americans' data is sometimes incidentally collected as part of sort of a larger counterterrorism surveillance done by the United States.

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And once that information is in federal government databases.