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Early Start with John Berman and Zoraida Sambolin

Advisers Urge Trump To Shoot Video Promoting Vaccination; Kerry Denies Informing Iran About Israeli Operations In Syria; Private School In Miami Bars Vaccinated Teachers From Students. Aired 5:30-6a ET

Aired April 27, 2021 - 05:30   ET

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

[05:30:00]

CHRISTINE ROMANS, CNN ANCHOR: Taking this pro-vaccination message, but Trump chose to get his vaccine behind closed doors. And Trump's hardcore supporters have proven especially difficult to reach on this issue.

LAURA JARRETT, CNN ANCHOR: Take West Virginia. Gov. Jim Justice just announced a $100 savings bond for anyone between 16 and 35 who shows up for a vaccination -- essentially, paying people to avoid a deadly disease.

This push comes at a critical time now. More people getting their second shots than their first, suggesting we will soon hit a wall of people unwilling to roll up their sleeves.

Our senior medical correspondent Elizabeth Cohen has more on this.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ELIZABETH COHEN, CNN SENIOR MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT (on camera): Laura, Christine, CNN has learned that some close advisers to former President Donald Trump are urging him to make a PSA -- a public service announcement encouraging his followers to take a COVID-19 vaccine. The worry is that too many Republicans don't want to get the vaccine and that they'll listen to Donald Trump more than anyone else.

According to a recent survey by the Kaiser Family Foundation, 54 percent of Republicans were unenthusiastic about getting a COVID-19 vaccine. To break down that number, 29 percent said they definitely would not get it. Nineteen percent said they'd wait and see. Six percent said they only get it if they were required to, such as by their employer.

Two people who served as senior officials in the Trump administration note to CNN that it was in the Trump administration that these COVID- 19 vaccines were developed, and they say they don't want to see his followers help tarnish that legacy.

One of these officials telling CNN, "I see Operation Warp Speed tipping towards failure and it really concerns me. If we don't move half those people into the vaccinated column, we're most likely not going to reach community immunity. And if we don't reach it, then the president's vaccine legacy is dead."

Operation Warp Speed, of course, the effort in the Trump administration to develop and distribute COVID-19 vaccines.

Now, last week in an interview on Fox News, the former president said he would do a PSA but there was no firm commitment -- Laura, Christine.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

ROMANS: All right. Thank you so much for that, Elizabeth.

Pandemic priority, feeding children. The White House expanding a program to help get food to more than 30 million kids over the summer. It's about $375 per child, after the school year ends, for eligible families.

You know, we know it's harder for low-income to get nutrition assistance when they're not physically in school. The Department of Agriculture says summer meal programs typically reach fewer than 20 percent of families that are served during the school year.

At the same time, states and cities are racing to use billions of dollars in aid to fight the housing crisis, but looming deadlines could make that problem worse. The government has made a historic $70 billion investment across several COVID relief packages to help people stay in their homes or to find housing. But the federal pause on evictions -- that ends June 30th, and FEMA will stop subsidizing cities for moving homeless people into hotels in September.

There's still $5 billion in housing vouchers that haven't been released by HUD. The agency has about another month to start giving out those funds to local agencies, Laura.

JARRETT: Christine, it feels like we do these stopgap measures with things like the eviction notices, but they only go for a certain amount of time even though we know they're going to get extended. Why do that?

ROMANS: And we keep extending them. It's because we only passed a certain amount of money upfront, right, and then we go back and do another round of COVID relief. This time, I think we're looking at vaccinations and an economy that's going to start to recover later this fall and they're hoping, maybe, they can stretch that money until the economy starts to roar back.

JARRETT: All right. Now to the latest front in the war on voting, Florida. The State Senate approving new rules Monday on a near-party line vote.

Changes include this. Look at this. Limited hours for drop boxes. Limits on who can turn in a voter's ballot. New I.D. requirements for mail-in ballots. And you can't give out food or drinks within 150 feet of polling places.

A version of the bill with even tighter restrictions is still under consideration in Florida's lower chamber.

ROMANS: All right. Intrigue this morning between the U.S., Iran, and Israel. Top climate envoy John Kerry, who is also the former Secretary of State, is denying allegations that he informed Iran about Israeli operations in Syria when he served as top diplomat, even though there is leaked audio suggesting otherwise.

Fred Pleitgen has covered Iran extensively. He joins us from Moscow this morning. And Fred, a lot of intrigue here. The timing of all this, it's -- look, it's very sensitive.

FREDERIK PLEITGEN, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: It's extremely sensitive, Christine.

You have two things that are going on right now between the U.S. and Iran. On the one hand, of course, you have -- or in Iran -- you have the Vienna negotiations right now to salvage the nuclear agreement between the U.S. and Iran and other countries as well, where headway has been made. And then what you have coming up in June is presidential elections in Iran as well.

Now, of course, this leaked audio is apparently from Javad Zarif -- from the foreign minister. There were some who are thinking that he might want to run for president in that upcoming election. He, so far, has said that he has no desire to do so.

[05:35:08]

So right now in Iran, they're really trying to figure out where these leaks actually come from and which side could benefit from these leaks -- the hardliners or the more moderates -- as they go looking towards this election and, of course, as these negotiations continue on as well.

And then what was said there was really quite remarkable to have something like that come out in Iran. Apparently, Javad Zarif, the foreign minister, said that in his quest for foreign policy, in his diplomacy, his hands were often tied because obviously, the supreme leader has the last say on anything.

But also, he felt that he was often undermined by Qassem Soleimani, the head of the Revolutionary Guard Corps who, of course, was killed in a U.S. drone strike at the beginning of 2020. He said that, for instance, Qassem Soleimani used Iran's national airline to ferry weapons and personnel to Syria without telling Javad Zarif. He also claimed, apparently, that Soleimani and the Russians were trying to undermine the nuclear agreement which, of course, he had just brokered.

Now, the Iranian Foreign Ministry does not deny that the recordings are authentic. However, they do say that only parts of them were leaked and that does not tell the real story. And that, obviously, Javad Zarif is someone who is very loyal to Iran and wants Iran's best.

However, of course, one of the things that we know about Iran -- and we've been talking about it so often, Christine -- is that you do have the supreme leader who will have the final say on anything, whether it's diplomacy or whether it's Iran's military efforts as well. And so, both Soleimani and Javad Zarif -- they will have gone to the supreme leader at some point to conduct their policies if you will. And he does have the final say, Christine.

ROMANS: All right, Fred Pleitgen, teasing that all out for us. Thanks, Fred -- Laura.

JARRETT: All right.

Fighting extremism abroad, at home, and now within. The Department of Homeland Security is launching an internal investigation to address domestic violent extremism within its own ranks. It's not clear whether DHS officials have identified a specific internal threat, but the agency has called domestic extremism the most lethal threat to the U.S. today.

Still ahead, get vaccinated, lose your job. We'll tell you about the twisted logic coming from one private school in Miami.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[05:41:27]

JARRETT: Later today, the CDC is expected to offer new relaxed guidance on masking outdoors, but one state is expanding mask mandates to include its youngest residents.

EARLY START has the pandemic covered coast-to-coast.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

LUCY KAFANOV, CNN CORRESPONDENT (on camera): I'm Lucy Kafanov.

As Michigan grapples with a surge of COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations, state officials, on Monday, expanded the mask mandate to include children as young as two while in public spaces, including daycare and camps. The change comes as the state is in the midst of one of the nation's worst COVID-19 outbreaks, with Michigan hospitals now at critical capacity levels.

MARTIN SAVIDGE, CNN ANCHOR AND CORRESPONDENT (on camera): I'm Martin Savidge in Atlanta.

The Georgia Emergency Management and Homeland Security Agency -- or as we know it, GEMA -- says it is closing its remaining COVID-19 mass vaccination sites beginning next month. The eight locations will close May 21st, including the Metro Atlanta location at the Delta Flight Museum next to Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport. GEMA says the reason for the shutdown is because the sites continue to see less and less demand.

ALEXANDRA FIELD, CNN CORRESPONDENT (on camera): I'm Alexandra Field in New York City where for the first time, some people will be able to go to their primary care doctor's office to get the COVID vaccine. The vaccine is being rolled out at 40 different physicians' offices across the city. That number will climb to 100 by the end of the week.

It's part of a plan announced by Gov. Andrew Cuomo back in March to send about a million doses to physicians in order to try to target New Yorkers who have been harder to reach.

ED LAVANDERA, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (on camera): I'm Ed Lavandera in Dallas.

The Houston Methodist Hospital System is mandating that all of its 26,000 employees get vaccinated by June seventh or risk getting fired. There are exemptions for medical or religious reasons. But this is one of the first major hospital systems in the country to issue this mandate.

There are some employees who have pushed back, saying they don't feel comfortable. But by and large, it appears that most of the employees are doing so. The company reports that so far, 89 percent of its staff has already been vaccinated.

JACQUELINE HOWARD, CNN REPORTER (on camera): I'm Jacqueline Howard in Atlanta.

The CDC has updated guidance for summer camps this year and the guidance says people who can get vaccinated against COVID-19 should do so, but vaccines are not yet authorized for kids.

So even after camp counselors and employees are vaccinated, camps still need to follow prevention measures. Wear masks, physical distance, wash your hands. Staying outdoors is best, and it's recommended to increase ventilation indoors, keep facilities clean. And if someone gets sick, do contact tracing.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

ROMANS: All right.

A private grade school in Miami -- get this -- telling its teachers if they get the coronavirus vaccine those teachers have to stay away from the students. In a letter to staff, one of the school's co-founders, Leila Centner, lays out a series of false and, frankly, wildly unhinged claims about vaccinated people hurting those who aren't. Essentially, magical thinking.

Among the more baffling things she wrote, she says -- OK, get this. "Even among our own population, we have at least three women with menstrual cycles impacted after having spent time with a vaccinated person." So that's, of course, complete nonsense -- no basis in fact or science.

But she goes on with more claims directly contradicted by the FDA, the CDC, and virtually all medical experts and thinking people.

[05:45:05]

Centner has informed her teachers their continued employment, in effect, depends on avoiding the vaccine. I'm on the Web site of the Academy, by the way, and there's a lot of anti-vax stuff. It just makes you wonder. This could -- this is -- it's tough -- it's a tough time to be an anti-vaxxer in COVID, right, when you're trying to keep ahold of these baseless puddles of misinformation when your life depends on it.

JARRETT: Well, one of the scarier things that she says here is if you want to get the vaccine please wait until the school year ends, which essential means wait to do something that is going to keep you safe -- going to keep you out of the hospital, which is just completely confounding and against science. Again, this isn't a place that is teaching our children. It's just -- it's exhausting.

ROMANS: Yes.

JARRETT: All right. The COVID vaccine rollout in Latin America has been painfully slow and messy with several countries reaching out for help. You might be surprised about who's stepping in now.

Matt Rivers has more from Mexico City.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

MATT RIVERS, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (on camera): Christine and Laura, as we watch what's happening in the United States right now where it's beginning to look like the supply of different vaccines is outpacing the demand for those vaccines, it is the opposite that is happening right now in Latin America where there remain critical vaccine shortages in just about every country across this region.

Consider what's happening both in Mexico and Brazil, which are two countries that combined make up for well over half the population of Latin America and the Caribbean as a whole. In Mexico, less than 17 million doses in total have been administered so far. And in Brazil, less than five percent of the population there has been fully vaccinated, according to the Health Ministry.

We also heard from the Health Ministry on Monday where they said that due to a shortage of supply in the active ingredient used to make the coronavac vaccine, there could be delays in people receiving their second dose of the corona vac in that country.

That's why as we move forward we're going to see continued calls from different countries in this region for countries like the United States to share their supply of the vaccine. We have seen China and Russia try and step in, in this part of the world, giving out different contracts for their vaccines, but there remain delays in a lot of those contracts. And so, calls for the United States to share its vaccine supply only going to increase as we move forward -- Christine and Laura.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

ROMANS: All right, Matt. Thank you for that.

Japan is struggling to vaccinate ahead of the Olympics, but preparations are still moving forward in hopes of a smooth event this summer.

CNN's Blake Essig takes a trial run at the swimming event -- takes a look at a trial run at the swimming event to see what's ready and what's still in the works.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

BLAKE ESSIG, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (on camera): We're at the Tokyo Aquatic Center, one of the venues which will be used for the Olympic and Paralympic Games. With less than three months to go before the start of the Olympics, this is one of the first test events being held since the games were postponed more than a year ago.

ESSIG (voice-over): Test events like this serve as a dress rehearsal for Olympic organizers -- an opportunity to work out the kinks ahead of the games. In this case, only a limited number of Japanese athletes are participating.

ESSIG (on camera): Here in the mixed zone, only 12 journalists are allowed in at any time. As a result, because of COVID-19, this virtual setup is one option being considered to allow equal access to athletes.

When it comes to anti-virus measures it's clear Olympic organizers are still figuring things out. This is the media room inside the Aquatic Center where social distancing doesn't seem to be an option.

What hasn't been decided, this is what the Tokyo Olympic and Paralympic Games could look like -- empty arenas with no fans and athletes competing to the sound of music, which does help mask the silence.

Despite a fourth wave of infection growing and Tokyo being placed under its third state of emergency order, Olympic organizers and the Japanese government remain committed to holding the games as scheduled this summer.

Blake Essig, CNN, Tokyo.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

ROMANS: We'll be right back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[05:53:41]

JARRETT: For the first time in months, New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo held a press conference Monday where he took questions from reporters, and it was combative. The governor denied all allegations against him while being hammered with questions about whether there was any truth to a growing parade of sexual harassment accusations.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

GOV. ANDREW CUOMO (D), NEW YORK: To put it very simply, no, no. REPORTER: All the sexual harassment claims -- you're denying all of them?

CUOMO: That's right, yes. The report can't say anything different because I didn't do anything wrong.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

JARRETT: Cuomo is also facing scrutiny over deaths in local nursing homes and how they were reported, and his controversial book deal. He suggests the motive behind the many allegations against him could be jealousy.

ROMANS: All right.

The campaign to remove California Gov. Gavin Newsom now has enough signatures to force a recall vote. The effort has been fueled by anger over restrictions Newsom put in place to curb coronavirus, not to mention a fancy dinner with supporters that violated those same guidelines. The governor calls this a Republican power grab led by extreme Trump supporters.

A recent poll found only about 40 percent of voters support recalling Newsom.

JARRETT: The Justice Department now opening a broad civil rights investigation into the Louisville Police Department more than a year after officers shot and killed Breonna Taylor in her own home during a botched raid.

Attorney General Merrick Garland says he wants to assess whether Louisville police engaged in a pattern of using unreasonable force; unconstitutional stops, searches, and seizures; and unlawfully executed search warrants on private homes.

[05:55:07]

It's the second time in a week the DOJ has announced a civil rights investigation into a local police force.

ROMANS: The FAA says it's looking into the case of a state lawmaker from Alaska banned from Alaska Airlines for refusing to comply with their mask policy.

Republican State Sen. Lora Reinbold had to drive more than 14 hours and take a ferry to get to work Sunday. That's because Alaska Airlines operates the only regular flights between here home north of Anchorage and the state capital in Juneau. Reinbold referred to flight attendants as mask bullies.

JARRETT: No more book deals for Trump administration officials. That demand from hundreds of Simon & Schuster employees and thousands of outside supporters in a petition saying the Trump administration should not be treated as a normal chapter in American history.

It calls on the company not to publish former Vice President Mike Pence's upcoming memoir. You might recall the company canceled Republican Sen. Josh Hawley's book citing his role in inciting the Capitol insurrection.

ROMANS: All right, just about the top of the hour, so let's take a look at markets around the world starting with Asian shares. They closed slightly mixed. And Europe has opened slightly lower.

On Wall Street, stock index futures also very narrowly mixed here. Wall Street kicked off the week with record highs. The Dow closed 61 points lower, but both the S&P 500 and the Nasdaq hit records. That the first Nasdaq record since February.

Investors are optimistic about corporate earnings. Google owner Alphabet and Microsoft report their results after markets close today.

Tesla kicked off earnings season for big tech, posting record profit for the third quarter in a row. Adjusted earnings reached a billion for the first time. Its revenue was held back after it stopped building two of its most expensive models and dealt with that global chip shortage we've been telling you about.

CEO Elon Musk said deliveries of the Model S would pick up probably next month.

Hollywood's biggest night had its smallest audience ever. The 93rd Academy Awards drew 9.8 million viewers on Sunday. That's a 58 percent drop from last year's show. Just seven years ago, the Oscars nabbed more than 40 million viewers.

Ratings for awards shows have dropped across the board during the pandemic. The Oscars may have struggled because many of the movies nominated -- well, they weren't seen by the general audience. Many of Hollywood's biggest films have been held back until later this year and next year.

JARRETT: All right, Christine. They say diamonds are forever, but what about the most expensive sneakers in the world? A pair of Kanye West's Nike Air Yeezys just sold for a mindboggling $1.8 million in a private sale. Kanye premiered the Yeezy prototypes in 2008 at the Grammys, although the style never officially hit store shelves.

The buyer, an investing platform, said purchasing the shoes was like buying a piece of history.

ROMANS: I just don't understand. For the record, I don't understand.

JARRETT: All right, we'll get you Yeezys for Christmas -- fine.

ROMANS: Thank you.

Twin sisters in Kansas received a late Christmas gift from a stranger almost 650 miles away. Back in December, Leticia Flores-Gonzalez had her 4-year-old girls Luna and Gianella send their Christmas list to Santa by tying them to balloons. One of the balloons reached Alvin Bamburg. Alvin posted his discovery on Facebook, which was shared so much it eventually reached Leticia. (BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ALVIN BAMBURG, DELIVERED CHRISTMAS WITH 850 MILES AWAY: I just thought it was a balloon at first and I kept pulling on it. And then a letter came up attached to the balloon. It was folded and sealed with a single red star. And so when I opened it I was quite surprised.

LETICIA FLORES-GONZALEZ, LUNA AND GIANELLA'S MOTHER: The whole year had been very difficult for us and throughout the whole year I had been doing different activities with the girls. And I figured hey, well let's just do something different. Let's send a letter to Santa in a different way. I never really thought somebody would find one of the balloons or, especially, get out that far.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ROMANS: Wow. Alvin's family and his friends started sending both girls gifts and earlier this month Alvin drove six hours to give them one last present from Luna's list, a puppy. Oh my gosh. The only way that story could get any better -- the great story with the cute kids -- is the cute puppy. I love it.

JARRETT: It's so cute. I love it.

ROMANS: OK, we give you that for the day. Take that with you and smile.

Thanks for joining us. I'm Christine Romans.

JARRETT: I'm Laura Jarrett. "NEW DAY" starts right now.

BRIANNA KEILAR, CNN ANCHOR: I'm Brianna Keilar alongside John Berman on this new day.

Do Americans still need to wear their masks outside? The highly anticipated guidance is coming soon.

Plus, a city on edge. The family of a Black man killed by police say they were only allowed to see 20 seconds of the bodycam video and they're calling what they saw an execution.

JOHN BERMAN, CNN ANCHOR: News just in that President Biden will be making a major move on the minimum wage today.

And, Liz Cheney says Republicans like Ted Cruz and Josh Hawley can't run for president in 2024, as she considers a run of her own.