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Early Start with John Berman and Zoraida Sambolin
U.S. At Pandemic Flashpoint: Race Between Cases And Vaccinations; NYT: Florida GOP Rep. Matt Gaetz Facing Sex Trafficking Probe By Department Of Justice; The Lost Students Of The Pandemic. Aired 5:30-6a ET
Aired March 31, 2021 - 05:30 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
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LAURA JARRETT, CNN ANCHOR: Good morning, everyone, this is EARLY START. I'm Laura Jarrett.
CHRISTINE ROMANS, CNN ANCHOR: And I'm Christine Romans. Good morning. Thirty -- almost 31 minutes past the hour this Wednesday morning.
A light at the end of the tunnel and pleas from health experts to hold on a while longer, folks, are not enough to slow reopenings. Whether this is another pandemic surge or just a blip depends on the collective actions of 340 million Americans.
Right now, the signs are concerning. The number of people hospitalized fell by half in February but now it's been flat for about three weeks. And as states big and small expand reopenings, health experts see a problem repeating itself.
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DR. MEGAN RANNEY, EMERGENCY PHYSICIAN, BROWN UNIVERSITY: We have been through this movie before and it boggles my mind that governors across the country are unwilling to hold on just a little bit longer in order to protect people.
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JARRETT: Case in point, Arkansas. More people there now eligible for vaccines but the state is also dropping its mask mandate, setting up a race against time to vaccinate people.
CNN has reporters covering the pandemic coast-to-coast.
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KRISTEN HOLMES, CNN CORRESPONDENT (on camera): I'm Kristen Holmes in Washington, D.C.
All 50 states now have a plan to open up their vaccine eligibility to all adults if they haven't already done so, with Arkansas being the latest state to open up its eligibility to anyone over 16 as early as Tuesday.
Now this, of course, comes after President Biden said that he directed all states and territories to open up eligibility to all adults by May first. Because of this, we are expecting a number of states to start opening up in the coming weeks throughout the next month.
MARTIN SAVIDGE, CNN CORRESPONDENT (on camera): I'm Martin Savidge in Atlanta.
Arkansas is among the latest states to lift its mask mandate. Gov. Asa Hutchinson says the state will no longer require residents to wear a covering over their nose and mouth at all indoor areas. That mandate was first issued last July. The governor says his decision is based on the state's lower coronavirus positivity rate.
He is asking people to continue to respect the possibility that businesses, schools, and restaurants may still ask for masks. And the governor says a mask will continue to be a part of his daily wardrobe.
NICK WATT, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (on camera): I'm Nick Watt in Los Angeles.
Universal Studios Hollywood has announced it will reopen again in just a little more than two weeks. Not all the rides will be open. They've got to comply with government regulations. And the park will be open only to California residents.
Disneyland announced they're going to do something similar at the end of April. Six Flags Magic Mountain is going to do something similar and open, mostly, this coming Friday.
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ROMANS: All right.
This morning, Republican Congressman Matt Gaetz of Florida denying any wrongdoing after "The New York Times" first reported he's under investigation by the Justice Department for possible sex trafficking of a 17-year-old girl.
It's not clear how Mr. Gaetz met the girl. These encounters were about two years ago, according to the "Times."
CNN's Ryan Nobles has more.
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RYAN NOBLES, CNN CONGRESSIONAL CORRESPONDENT (on camera): Laura and Christine, the Florida congressman, this morning, is very much denying those allegations against him and saying that he's even the victim of an extortion attempt.
This is a report from "The New York Times" that says that the Department of Justice is looking into a possible relationship that the congressman had with an underage girl and that he could be subject to charges of sexual trafficking because he traveled with this young woman across state lines and paid for things like hotels, plane tickets, and meals while, at the same time, being in a sexual relationship with her.
Now, the congressman said very forcefully that he's never been in a sexual relationship with someone under the age of 18. And then he went on to say that a former Department of Justice prosecutor actually attempted to extort him and his father over these allegations.
REP. MATT GAETZ (R-FL): On March 16th, my father got a text message demanding a meeting wherein a person demanded $25 million in exchange for making horrible sex trafficking allegations against me go away.
[05:35:00]
Our family was so troubled by that we went to the local FBI. And the FBI and the Department of Justice were so concerned about this attempted extortion of a member of Congress that they asked my dad to wear a wire, which he did with the former Department of Justice official.
Tonight I am demanding that the Department of Justice and the FBI release the audio recordings that were made under their supervision and at their direction, which will prove my innocence.
NOBLES (on camera): It's not exactly clear how far this investigation has gone and whether or not charges are even imminent. The Department of Justice declined to comment to CNN on the substance of these allegations. And Gaetz said that he has not been contacted directly by the FBI and that he first learned of this investigation by reading it in "The New York Times."
Now, what is interesting about all of this is that this, of course -- Congressman Gaetz is one of, if not, President Trump -- the former president's biggest supporters in the House of Representatives. And this investigation, according to "The New York Times," started while the former president was still in office.
And we will reiterate one more time that Congressman Gaetz strongly denies that he did anything wrong -- Laura and Christine.
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ROMANS: All right, Ryan. Thank you for that.
Now, the former DOJ prosecutor who Gaetz claims tried to extort him, David McGee. He tells "The Washington Post" that accusation is, quote, "completely false." McGee calls it "a blatant attempt to distract from the fact that he's under investigation for sex trafficking of minors. I have no connection with that case at all, other than one of a thousand people who have heard the rumors."
We should note in 2017, Mr. Gaetz was the only member of Congress to vote against giving the federal government more power and money to fight human trafficking.
JARRETT: A lot more to come in that case is my guess. Republicans in key electoral states now pushing ahead with new bills to restrict voter access. Arizona, Texas, Michigan, and Florida are among the states now doing this -- many of them using former President Trump's bogus election fraud claims as reason to tighten their voting rules and ultimately suppress Democratic votes.
The efforts come on the heels of Georgia rushing through a sweeping law which requires voter identification for absentee ballots, limits the use of ballot drop boxes, and makes it a crime to give voters waiting in line food and water.
ROMANS: All right.
JPMorgan Chase CEO Jamie Dimon defending the right to vote as several states consider voter suppression laws and other CEOs notably stay quiet on the subject.
Dimon spoke exclusively with CNN, telling my colleague Matt Egan voting must be accessible and equitable. Quote, "Voting is fundamental to the health and future of our democracy. We are a stronger country when every citizen has a voice and a vote."
Social justice has been a balancing act for so many companies. Now, many made statements in support of the Black Lives Matter movement last year, but CEOs have been relatively silent after Georgia passed restrictive voting laws last week. Atlanta-based Coca-Cola and Delta both facing criticism they didn't do enough to oppose the legislation.
Dimon's statement did not specifically call out Georgia's voter suppression law. It's not the first time, though, that Dimon has spoken out on voting. He urged Americans to respect the democratic process during the 2020 election.
JARRETT: For the very first time, we're getting an inside look at one of the places holding hundreds of migrant children. A Customs and Border Protection facility in Donna, Texas housing 4,100 migrants with a capacity of just 250 people.
The growing number of arrivals is overwhelming the Biden administration's resources and resulting in children staying at these facilities far longer than the 72-hour legal limit. On average, these migrant children are spending 103 -- 133 hours there, I should say.
ROMANS: All right.
Two U.S. Capitol police officers who say they were injured during the January sixth insurrection are suing former President Trump for inciting the riot. The officers are the first members of law enforcement to sue in court. They say they suffered physical and emotional damage because then-President Trump allegedly inflamed, encouraged, incited, and directed the mob.
Officers James Blassingame and Sidney Hemby have been with the force for a combined 28 years.
JARRETT: The Swiss ambassador to the United States assaulted by an intruder in his Washington, D.C. residence. The suspect has been identified as 30-year-old Christian David Mandeville of Oregon. The Secret Service has not provided a possible motive or connection to the Swiss embassy here.
According to the responding officer, though, Ambassador Jacques Pitteloud attempted to block the intruder and was knocked backward. He was not seriously injured.
We'll be right back.
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JARRETT: All right, 43 minutes past the hour here.
Facing one of the worst COVID outbreaks in the world, the president of Brazil is now trying to consolidate power. The commander's three military branches are being replaced, the defense minister was fired, and six other government ministers got the boot on Monday in a shake- up to secure greater loyalty to Jair Bolsonaro.
Brazil reported another record COVID death toll yesterday.
ROMANS: All right, where did COVID come from? Almost a year later, still questions.
The head of the World Health Organization confirms his investigators had difficulty accessing raw data from China as they tried to discover the origins of the coronavirus. An inconclusive WHO report determined animal-to-human transmission was the most likely cause of the pandemic.
President Biden believes the American people deserve better information. The U.S. and 13 other nations are calling for an independent, transparent evaluation with access to all relevant data.
JARRETT: More than a year into the pandemic, schools still facing a crisis. Hundreds, if not thousands of students still haven't joined their virtual classes this school year. Many are from low-income families and this learning loss will make it harder than ever on kids who, in many cases, need the most help.
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CNN's Ryan Young has more now.
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KATHLEEN RICHARDSON, SITE COORDINATOR, STOCKBRIDGE HIGH SCHOOL, STOCKBRIDGE, GEORGIA: I just wanted to give you a call and touch base --
RYAN YOUNG, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Hundreds of calls like this one are being made each day -- calls that could help change a kid's life. RICHARDSON: He's only missed one single day since the beginning of the semester.
YOUNG (voice-over): Kathleen Richardson works for a non-profit helping find students who aren't participating in class or logging into online classes at all, something school districts around the country are struggling with.
ERIC WATSON, PRINCIPAL, STOCKBRIDGE HIGH SCHOOL, STOCKBRIDGE, GEORGIA: There is concern, it's disheartening.
YOUNG (voice-over): Eric Watson is the principal here at Stockbridge High School outside Atlanta. He, along with other schools in his district, has created local care teams to make sure students who are learning virtually are engaging the same way they would be in a classroom.
YOUNG (on camera): What's your concern when you see a kid that's not logging on?
WATSON: I mean, you just don't know what's going on in the home because we normally spend more time with the students than their parents do.
YOUNG (voice-over): Henry County Public Schools has nearly 43,000 students from pre-K through 12th grade. Out of the 1,400 students that would normally be roaming the halls of this high school, Watson says only 200 per day attend classes in person.
While the school is still majority virtual, their cares team is making phone calls, doing home visits, and checking students' social media.
CHON HESTER, HENRY COUNTY FAMILY AND STUDENT SUPPORT SERVICES: Sometimes we go on their Facebook. Sometimes with go on their Instagram.
YOUNG (voice-over): School officials are especially concerned about the learning loss made worse by the pandemic.
YOUNG (on camera): We know kids are losing out on this precious amount of time for education that might change their lives.
HESTER: Yes.
YOUNG (on camera): And you're an educator, so how does that hit you when you realize that this is really going on?
HESTER: That's the one that pulls on all of our hearts as educators because what do we do -- we educate. We love on our children and we like them to be in front of us. But we do everything that we can to wrap our arms around those babies from a distance.
YOUNG (voice-over): A survey by the EdWeek Research Center showed that student absences nationally have doubled during the pandemic. Daily absentee rates among high schoolers were the highest at 13 percent, with middle school absentee rates at 11 percent, and elementary school rates at the lowest of nine percent.
And it's not necessarily long-term absences that are most worrying, according to the Georgia Department of Education. Missing more than five days of school each year begins to impact student academic performance.
And these school districts are deploying more resources to make sure their students have what they need to log on for class.
JESSICA STORMER, HENRY COUNTY FAMILY AND STUDENT SUPPORT SERVICES: And we've had partnerships to provide hotspots to students, but then also providing them with that real live support on -- walking them through how do you log on.
JEFFREY MOSLEY, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF ACADEMIC PROGRAMS, MARIETTA CITY SCHOOLS: I need you. I need you. I need a hotspot and a phone book.
YOUNG (voice-over): At Marietta City Schools, the COVID-19 pandemic accelerated the rollout of a program to get Google Chromebooks to all 8,900 students.
MOSLEY: Whether it's making sure that we're out there providing the necessities for these families, we've been able to change the narrative of what school looks like and what we do.
YOUNG (voice-over): But even with the resources to log on, Mosley's team is still actively tracking students, working with police in extreme cases. Keeping kids in schools is a part of the job but these missing children are something that's personal to these educators.
MOSLEY: But when you can't find a kid it's almost like you lost one of your own. And so, you don't give up. You never stop.
YOUNG (voice-over): Ryan Young, CNN, Atlanta, Georgia.
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JARRETT: Ryan, thank you for that report.
OK, another biting incident involving President Biden's dog, Major. Two people with knowledge of the incident tell CNN a National Park Service employee was bitten on Monday on the south lawn of the White House. We're told the employee was working at the time and needed treatment.
First lady Jill Biden's press secretary confirms that Major nipped somebody and says the dog is still adjusting to his new surroundings.
ROMANS: A Philadelphia man shot to death while working on a video about the city's gun violence problem. Fifty-five-year-old Anthony Merriett was doing interviews when police say he went to get equipment from his van and was shot. It is the 119th homicide in Philadelphia this year, a 28 percent jump from 2020.
JARRETT: A renewed push to change the law in Minnesota after a felony rape conviction was thrown out because the victim was voluntarily intoxicated when the assault took place. Now, this ruling by the Minnesota Supreme Court says the attacker could not be guilty of the rape charge because the woman did not fit the state's legal definition of being mentally incapacitated.
ROMANS: All right.
Overnight, police in New York City making an arrest in a vicious attack against an Asian woman in broad daylight. The victim was punched, pushed to the ground, kicked repeatedly, and told you don't belong here.
It's troubling to even watch that surveillance tape. It also shows witnesses doing nothing.
Police have charged the suspect with felony assault as a hate crime.
Yesterday, President Biden announced new efforts to address the nation's rise in anti-Asian violence, including Justice Department outreach to community groups and improved data collection by the FBI.
[05:50:03]
JARRETT: A plane carrying the NBA's Utah Jazz forced to make an emergency landing after a bird strike. It happened just after take-off from Salt Lake City causing the plane to lose one of its engines. It was able to return safely to the airport, though players and staff say they were shaken but unharmed.
ROMANS: New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo says he plans to sign a bill to legalize recreational marijuana. Cuomo says current laws disproportionately target communities of color with harsh prison sentences. Developments of a cannabis industry in New York has the potential to create 30,000 to 60,000 jobs and bring in $350 million a year in tax revenue.
JARRETT: Convicted Watergate mastermind G. Gordon Liddy has died.
Liddy was a former FBI agent and a radio show host who organized the Watergate break-in during the Nixon administration. He was convicted on charges of burglary and conspiracy and served 4 1/2 years in prison. President Carter later commuted his 20-year sentence.
Liddy was 90 years old.
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UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Three, two, one, lift-off.
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ROMANS: Yet another experimental SpaceX rocket exploding at the end of a high-altitude test. All three of SpaceX's previous launches of this prototype have crash-landed or exploded shortly after landing. The prototype is an early iteration of Starship, which is intended to take people to Mars one day. JARRETT: The nation's top airlines making a commitment to net-zero
carbon emissions by 2050. Airlines for America is a trade group representing major U.S. airlines, including American, Delta, JetBlue, Southwest, and United.
The group says it intends to work towards a rapid expansion of production and development of sustainable aviation fuel. The plan is to make two billion gallons by 2030.
ROMANS: Let's get a check on CNN Business this Wednesday morning.
Looking at markets around the world, Asian shares have closed lower for the day. Europe has opened lower here. And Wall Street futures at this hour are mixed here.
Stocks finished lower Tuesday as bond yields rose. The Dow fell 104, pulling back from record highs. The S&P and the Nasdaq also down. Bond yields have been rising as investors worry about inflation as the economy recovers.
Today, investors will be watching the president' rollout of his big infrastructure plan. Folks, the White House is framing this as the kind of public investment we haven't seen in America and the economy since the space race. Public domestic investment as a share of the economy has fallen more than 40 percent since the 1960s.
The red hot housing market means some prices are rising -- home prices are rising at the fastest pace in 15 years. Mortgage rates still super low. Millions of families are looking for more space and new homes from the work-from-home era. Home prices rose 11.2 percent in the year ended January.
Now, the challenge for buyers is finding a house to buy. Record low inventories driving competition and home prices ever higher across the country.
The long road to gender pay equality. The World Economic Forum says it will take 136 years to close the gap. That's longer than the previous estimate of almost a century.
In the U.S., it will take women at least 60 years to reach pay equity. The group says women have made progress in the workforce but income disparities and low representation in managerial positions still a problem.
Women make up a disproportionate share of sectors devastated by this pandemic. Women are also dropping out of the labor force because of health, childcare, and education challenges at home. The percentage of women in the workforce in the U.S. has dropped to a 33-year low.
JARRETT: Well, from one gap to another.
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MICHAEL STRAHAN, FORMER NFL STAR: View the moment 50 years in the making. Here we go. (END VIDEO CLIP)
JARRETT: Michael Strahan, the former NFL star and "GOOD MORNING AMERICA" host, closing that signature gap in his front teeth. Strahan knew he would get some backlash for this, even listing all the people he expected would disapprove, including his family, friends, and followers. But ultimately, Strahan said I gotta do what I want to do for myself. And after one look, he said I love it.
I think he looks great. He looked great before, but good for him.
ROMANS: I know. He is a handsome man. But I feel like that gap was, like, really part of his brand, right? I mean, the Michael Strahan gap -- all right.
JARRETT: You know what? He wanted to make a change of 2021. You can't hate on that.
ROMANS: You can't hate on it. It looks good. It looks really good.
All right, thanks. Everyone floss -- everyone just floss. That's all I've got to say.
Thanks for joining us. I'm Christine Romans.
JARRETT: Christine, for your PSA this morning.
I'm Laura Jarrett. "NEW DAY" is next.
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OMAR JIMENEZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT: The story of what happened in Minneapolis told through the lens of eyewitnesses.
DONALD WILLIAMS, EYEWITNESS TO GEORGE FLOYD DEATH: I did call the police -- the police because I believe I witnessed a murder.
GENEVIEVE HANSEN, EYEWITNESS TO GEORGE FLOYD DEATH: I would have been able to provide medical attention to the best of my abilities, and this human was denied that.
DR. ROCHELLE WALENSKY, DIRECTOR, CENTERS FOR DISEASE CONTROL AND PREVENTION: I just can't face another surge when there's so much optimism right at our fingertips.
WATT: This past week, average new case counts are up 23 percent.
DR. GARY ROTH, CHIEF MEDICAL OFFICER, MICHIGAN HEALTH AND HOSPITAL ASSOCIATION: The younger group tends to believe that they are not at risk. They are putting themselves much more so in harm's way.
(END VIDEO CLIP) ANNOUNCER: This is NEW DAY with Alisyn Camerota and John Berman.
ALISYN CAMEROTA, CNN ANCHOR: We want to welcome our viewers in the United States and all around the world. This is NEW DAY. It is Wednesday, March 31st, 6:00 here in New York.
John Berman is off. John Avlon is taking his last sip of coffee that he will need this morning before being here with me. Great to have you.
JOHN AVLON, CNN ANCHOR: Buckle up.
CAMEROTA: OK.
So this morning, prosecutors continue.
