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Early Start with John Berman and Zoraida Sambolin

Gottlieb: New COVID Strain Appears More Contagious, Not More Dangerous; Prosecutors Reach Deal With Gregory And Travis McMichael; Spotify Makes Policy Changes Amid Joe Rogan Controversy. Aired 5:30-6a ET

Aired January 31, 2022 - 05:30   ET

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

[05:30:00]

TOLUSE OLORUNNIPA, CNN POLITICAL ANALYST: He wanted his vice president to overturn the results of an election in which more than 150 million Americans voted and had their voices heard. He wanted one person -- his own vice president -- to turn over the election and essentially cast out those votes and say that I, as vice president, am going to determine who the next president is going to be.

It's essentially the president -- the former president saying that he wanted Mike Pence to have this huge power grab and that he was disappointed that his vice president didn't have the courage to do that. It's really an assault on democracy but it's his internal thinking sort of displayed for the world to see that he did -- he did want Mike Pence to overturn the election. That is a massive statement of the kind of power grab that he wanted to take place.

Mike Pence, who was obsequious to the president for four years, decided that was a little bit too far for him to go and he decided to confirm the results with the election. And now, Congress is trying to make sure that future vice presidents don't even think that they have the power to overturn the American -- the will of the American voters.

LAURA JARRETT, CNN ANCHOR: And you can be sure prosecutors are taking note of a statement like that as they are investigating him.

I also want to talk to you about what's going on with the Supreme Court pick. Republican Sen. Lindsey Graham went on CBS yesterday and he called Judge Michelle Childs, one of President Biden's potential nominees for the court, an awesome person. Well, another senator, Roger Wicker of Mississippi, says a Black woman nominated to the court would be a beneficiary of affirmative action.

What's the GOP's strategy when it comes to this pick? You would think after having just lost two Senate seats in Georgia the GOP might be a little bit careful when it comes to attacking the first Black woman nominated to the Supreme Court.

OLORUNNIPA: Yes. There is no strategy so far from the Republicans about how to combat -- or how to address this upcoming pick from President Biden. Essentially, you have some Republicans opening the door to supporting Biden's pick. There are others that are essentially saying because Biden said he was

going to pick a Black woman that this is affirmative action, offending millions of Americans who have been wanting for there to be a Black woman on the court for years -- for decades. We've had a long history in this country. We have never had a Black woman on the court.

And there have been other presidents that have said that they were going to put a woman on the court or they were going to have a specific demographic that they wanted to appoint to the court and to nominate, and Biden is doing the same thing.

So the fact that Republicans are sort of struggling to find a line and struggling to find a line of attack shows that this is going -- this is potentially a win for Biden in which he may be able to get this through without having the kind of pushback that other presidents have had about their nominees.

JARRETT: All right, Toluse. We'll see where this goes. Thank you -- appreciate it.

Up next, what you need to know about the new Omicron subvariant. And, Janet Jackson breaking her silence on the Justin Timberlake and Super Bowl performance seen around the world. What she's saying nearly 20 years later.

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[05:37:29]

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DR. SCOTT GOTTLIEB, FORMER FDA COMMISSIONER: If you had Omicron infection you should have protection against subsequent infection from this new variant. And that's why I don't think this is going to create a huge wave of infection. What's likely to happen is as we're coming down -- and we're coming down quite sharply in parts of the northeast -- Florida, the mid-Atlantic -- you might see -- as this new strain starts to pick up, you might see that we start to slow down in that decline. But the decline will happen nonetheless.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

JARRETT: That's former FDA commissioner Scott Gottlieb talking about the new Omicron subvariant BA.2. He says that while the Omicron variant appears to be more contagious, it doesn't change the decision space for policymakers and it doesn't appear to be more dangerous. That's a good thing.

Let's bring in Dr. Peter Chin-Hong, an infectious disease specialist at the University of California San Francisco. Doctor, so nice to have you on EARLY START this morning.

We know these variants are going to keep popping up, right, but you heard Dr. Gottlieb there. Given how many people in the U.S. got Omicron relative recently, probably over the holidays, what are the key questions you are going to ask yourself now anytime a new variant comes along?

DR. PETER CHIN-HONG, INFECTIOUS DISEASE SPECIALIST, UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA SAN FRANCISCO (via Skype): Well, Laura, I ask myself three questions.

The first, is it more transmissible? And it seems that in BA.2's case that it is about 1.5 times more transmissible.

Secondly, does it cause more serious disease? The answer is probably no.

We have some information from Denmark and now recently, on Friday, from the U.K. showing that it's not more dangerous. In Denmark, in particular, the number of ICU admissions -- even though the cases continue to plateau there and not come down -- is dropping, and the proportion of people with BA.2 and COVID in general in the hospitals in Denmark is lower.

And third, are vaccines still going to work? And I think there are enough similarities between Omicron and BA.2 where even if you had the vaccine you're definitely -- you're probably going to have protection. If you had Omicron you're probably not going to get reinfected.

So I think so far, so good. And I think it may -- in cases -- in states where cases are still going up, like Washington State and maybe Montana, it may reach a higher peak. And in cases where states are coming down in cases it may just lead to more prolonged descent. So, so far, so good.

JARRETT: So you talked about vaccine effectiveness here. I wonder, though, how are the companies who are making all these vaccines, which have been remarkably effective, supposed to respond? I know that they're working on different vaccines that can sort of respond to the Omicron variant, but how are they supposed to get ahead of the curve when we don't know the next one that's going to come?

[05:40:08]

CHIN-HONG: Exactly. Well, Laura, I think we have to think about what our goal post is. Is it going to be prevention of just an infection which may be mild or may feel like a flu --

JARRETT: Yes.

CHIN-HONG: -- or is it going to be prevention of people going into a hospital system and to preserve that resource? And arguably, I would say that with a booster it doesn't matter what variant you have. You're going to be prevented from going to the hospital. Because our inside immune system is adaptive, meaning that it adapts to the new enemy and at bay even though our antibodies -- which it's like getting the enemy in the front gate, but once it gets in the house you're going to kick that enemy out. And that's what our current vaccines already do.

JARRETT: So, Dr. Scott Gottlieb, who you heard there -- the former FDA commissioner -- he's also on the board of Pfizer, I should mention -- and he said that kids under five who aren't currently eligible for the vaccine could get it as soon as March, which would be terrific.

But help our audience understand why the wait here. We know that the trials have been ongoing and there were some disappointing results in terms of the actual effectiveness, but why not roll them out now and at least get that baseline level of immunity going because they're going to need a third shot anyway?

CHIN-HONG: Yes. I think they really want to be methodical in the approval of vaccines for under five just because the risk of making a misstep is so high in terms of hesitancy and people being confused. I think that might be it.

And you're right -- there was a delay because the lower dose in the under-fives didn't do quite as well with two shots and that's why they're trying three shots.

JARRETT: All right. Doctor, thank you so much for waking up for us bright and early there -- appreciate it.

CHIN-HONG: Thanks so much, Laura.

JARRETT: Up next for you, Joe Rogan and Spotify forced to respond to critics after several big names boycott the streaming platform. What they're saying and if it will move the needle of audiences.

And Janet Jackson opening up about her relationship with Justin Timberlake years after their Super Bowl performance. Where things stand now.

(COMMERCIAL)

[05:46:19]

JARRETT: In Georgia, federal prosecutors have reached a deal with two of the three white men convicted in the murder of 25-year-old jogger Ahmaud Arbery.

Gregory and Travis McMichael were due to stand trial next week in a federal civil hate crimes trial. The father and son were sentenced to life in prison without parole last month in their state case. Now, the specifics of their plea agreements in this federal case were not revealed in court filings on Sunday.

The plea deal is apparently not the result that Ahmaud Arbery's mother, Wanda Cooper Jones, wanted. Her attorney plans to oppose their agreement in court today. He says on Instagram this. Quote, "This backroom deal represents a betrayal to the Arbery family who is devastated."

New this morning, streaming giant Spotify in damage control mode, now adding content advisories for podcast episodes that discuss coronavirus. It's all in response to a number of artists publicly leaving the platform in protest of Spotify's most popular podcaster Joe Rogan who has been using his show to spread misinformation about COVID.

Rogan addressed the controversy last night.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JOE ROGAN, HOST, "THE JOE ROGAN EXPERIENCE": If there's anything that I've done that I could better is have more experts with differing opinions right after I have the controversial ones.

My pledge to you is that I will do my best to try to balance out these more controversial viewpoints with other people's perspectives so we can maybe find a better point of view. I don't want to just show the contrary opinion to what the narrative is. I want to show all kinds of opinions.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

JARRETT: CNN's Chloe Melas joins me live this morning. Chloe, good morning.

Spotify says it's going to add a content advisory ahead of the podcasts. It's revealing a little bit more about its process, sort of peeling back the onion on that. Do you think it's enough?

CHLOE MELAS, CNN ENTERTAINMENT REPORTER: Look, that's a hard question to answer, Laura. Good morning.

But it will say that Neil Young and Joni Mitchell are two of the major artists who decided that no more. I don't want my music to be on Spotify anymore because of people like Joe Rogan, especially, who we feel as though is spreading misinformation. There were some other celebrities who were vocal on social media over the weekend.

But let's point something out that I didn't exactly realize -- that Joe Rogan has 10 million, roughly listeners per episode. It's the number-one podcast on Spotify. So, definitely, Spotify doesn't want to just completely ax the show but they also have to do damage control, like you said.

So, when it comes to COVID and potential misinformation, they are going to put some sort of disclaimer. Will that be enough, you ask? We're just going to have to wait and see.

But it's interesting to hear Joe's perspective on what Joe Rogan said. He also said I never expected to have this many viewers. I never expected to have so many listeners and have this type of a responsibility in a platform, but he has it. So it will be interesting to see if he actually does follow through on his word and balance his content out.

JARRETT: So -- I mean, there's other popular people, like Brene Brown, who have decided to pause their work on Spotify. Prince Harry and Meghan Markle have joined a list of people pressuring Spotify over this, but they're actually hanging onto their podcast contract for now.

Do you think more people are going to follow suit and bail on them, or do you think most people are going to stick by them? MELAS: I think it's going to be split. I think that more people are going to stick by Spotify than leave because it's such a lucrative -- it's sad to say money talks -- opportunity for people.

Look at Prince Harry and Meghan. They have a multimillion-dollar deal with Spotify. I think they've only put out one episode of their Archewell Productions podcast that they had promised in more than a year.

[05:50:03]

But they said look, we're concerned about this misinformation. We have spoken to Spotify. We'll keep you posted. Then they came back and said we're looking forward to working through this together and to continuing our partnership.

But, I don't exactly know what kind of content they're creating.

JARRETT: Right.

MELAS: Maybe they're behind the scenes creating something pretty major.

But I do think that a lot of celebrities are upset by this. But again, Joe Rogan -- he has so many listeners.

JARRETT: Yes.

OK, let's talk about this Janet Jackson documentary -- my favorite story of the day. So many revelations coming out of this.

She has some interesting reflections on that unforgettable Super Bowl performance with Justin Timberlake back in 2004. Listen to a bit of what she has to say about this.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Did you hear from Justin?

JANET JACKSON, GRAMMY-WINNING ARTIST: Um-hum.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: What did he say?

JACKSON: We talked once and he said I -- you know, I don't know if I should come out and make a statement and this and that -- or say something -- have something to say. And I said listen, I don't want any drama for you. They're aiming all of this at me. So I said just -- I said if I were you I wouldn't say anything.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

JARRETT: So, Chloe, I think she's been pretty gracious about this whole situation. Her fans are still furious with Justin to this day but she seems --

MELAS: Yes. JARRETT: -- to have made peace with it.

MELAS: Look, Justin Timberlake was trending again for all the wrong reasons on Twitter --

JARRETT: All the wrong reasons.

MELAS: -- over the weekend. He's come out; he's apologized. You know, some people say that's not enough.

Janet says it's time to move on. We're friends now.

And she talked about all the backlash professionally that she experienced. She says that she was disinvited from the Grammys. She said that she lost out on major opportunities, professionally. Even Jermaine Dupri, who was her boyfriend at the time, said that he even resigned from the Grammys committee because of the mistreatment he felt at the time of Janet.

But what's interesting though is that Janet did give an interview to Oprah shortly after the Super Bowl incident and she said that she felt like Justin left her hanging a bit by being private. But then she says in the documentary this weekend that she told him to be quiet and that I will handle it. I don't want any negativity coming your way.

So it is interesting to hear more about what happened but it's also a little confusing.

JARRETT: Yes. I wish we had more than just two episodes of this thing. It's fascinating.

MELAS: I know.

JARRETT: Chloe, thank you so much -- appreciate it.

MELAS: Thanks, guys.

JARRETT: All right, now a pivot here.

Some sad news to report this morning. Former Miss USA and "EXTRA" correspondent Cheslie Kryst has died. The New York City Police Department said the 30-year-old died after jumping from a building in Manhattan on Sunday. The circumstances leading up to this tragic death are not yet clear. In an Instagram photo posted before her death she wrote, quote, "May this day bring you rest and peace."

If you or someone you know needs help call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-TALK.

In Brazil, landslides and flooding from heavy rains have claimed the lives of at least 18 people, including seven children, in Sao Paulo. Five people remain missing and about 500 are homeless this morning. The governor says firefighters, military police, and civilians are being deployed to help the victims.

Record snowfall and heavy winds are causing travel delays and power outages across the east coast as millions dig out from the bomb cyclone this weekend. And it's not over just yet because another storm could bring even more snow and ice.

Here is CNN meteorologist Pedram Javaheri.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

PEDRAM JAVAHERI, AMS METEOROLOGIST (on camera): Yes, good morning, Laura.

An incredible weekend storm here finally tapering off. And, of course, you look at the numbers -- the way things played out there -- incredible record values as well doubling the previous record in Atlanta City. Kennedy Airport picking up 10 inches above what the previous daily record was from 2014. And widespread coverage of this -- a lot of populated areas certainly seeing the impressive run of snow showers.

But when you're talking 30-plus inches you see why this was so disruptive. Boston coming in with almost two feet of snow, the single- biggest snow event they've seen going back to 2003.

So, again, the pattern there finally beginning to improve. What we're watching now, portions of the central United States as the next system begins to gradually shift on in towards that direction.

And from Tuesday night into Thursday night it gets pretty interesting across a widespread coverage of the U.S. -- about a 2,000-mile stretch of land where not only is snow showers potentially back in the forecast, but the bigger concern here is ice accumulations indicated there in the pink. In some of those areas, stretching from Texas into portions of the Midwest, you could see some significant ice accretions going in towards the heart of this week.

So we'll follow that as the story progresses and provide the latest. I'll send it back to you.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

JARRETT: Pedram, thank you.

Speaking of wild weather, it is so cold in Florida iguanas are falling from trees. I'm not joking. When temperatures dip below 45 degrees, the creatures can go into a cold stupor. It's called a cold-stunned state. Their eyes remain open but they have no motor skills, losing their grip on trees and falling out of the sky.

[05:55:00]

This morning, officials say dozens of falling iguanas have been reported in the Tampa Bay and Miami areas. I can empathize with that when it's cold.

I'm Laura Jarrett. "NEW DAY" is next.

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