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Vaccine Demand Grows in U.S.; Dentist Tries Using Fake Arm to get Vaccine; Jussie Smollett Trial Analysis; Lions Dedicate win to Victims; Top Stories from Around the World; Biden and Putin Prepare for Consequential Call. Aired 6:30-7a ET

Aired December 06, 2021 - 06:30   ET

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

[06:30:00]

JOHN BERMAN, CNN ANCHOR: Now.

Good news that more people are getting vaccinated, Elizabeth.

ELIZABETH COHEN, CNN SENIOR MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT: It is good news. It's unfortunate that it took the fear of a mutant, or a mutation, to make them do it, or at least that's what it seems like. But it's always good to have shots in arms. So, John, let's take a look at these numbers.

If we look at the week ending November 21st, so before -- just before Thanksgiving, about 527,000 Americans per day were getting their first Covid-19 shot. Now if you look more recently at the week ending December 5th, it was nearly 619,000 people in the United States were getting first shots. That's a big jump in just a few weeks. The obvious difference would seem to be the fear of omicron, which emerged during those two time periods.

Now let's take a look overall in the United States. About 75 percent of eligible people in the U.S., that's everyone ages five and up, has gotten at least one shot of a Covid-19 vaccine.

Good number but needs to get better.

John.

BERMAN: Right, it is. It's an outstanding achievement. However, it does mean tens of millions of people are still walking around completely unvaccinated.

There's some new data out this morning, which I thought was pretty interesting, and it's about the Johnson & Johnson vaccine and its efficacy as a booster to some of the mRNA vaccines.

What's going on here?

COHEN: Right. So, we know that when you get a booster, you don't have to get the same one that you got originally. If you got Moderna for your first two shots, you could get Pfizer as a booster or Johnson & Johnson. So, Johnson & Johnson did a study -- so this is done by them, so keep this in mind -- where they looked at folks who had Pfizer for their initial vaccines and then they gave some of them a Johnson & Johnson booster and some of them a Pfizer booster. Small study, just about 65 people.

And what they found, they say, that people with Johnson & Johnson did better, that they -- their antibodies lasted longer after the booster than after the Pfizer booster. And also they said it helped some other memory cells, some memory cells, rather, some immune memory cells.

Now, again, small study done by Johnson & Johnson. Are these differences, do they really mean anything? Are they significant? Who knows? This has not been published in a medical journal or reviewed by anyone. But certainly something to look out for.

But in the meantime, people should not get fussy about what booster they get. Get what booster you can get. Boosters help. And it really -- it doesn't seem to matter in any big, significant way at this point what booster you get.

BERMAN: Get boosted.

Elizabeth Cohen, thank you very much.

COHEN: All right.

BRIANNA KEILAR, CNN ANCHOR: Some vaccine skeptics are going to extremes to get a vaccine certificate without actually getting the shot. A man in northern Italy just tried to use a fake silicone arm and the nurse nearly fell for it.

Barbie Nadeau in Rome with the latest on this.

You know, I almost want to laugh and just be incredulous with this, but this is terrible.

BARBIE NADEAU, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes, it is terrible. And, you know, this comes as today, December 6th, the new restrictions are in place across the country. You have to be vaccinated or have recovered from Covid in order to go to a restaurant or to go to a theater. It's no longer enough just to have a negative Covid test.

So, this man, who was actually a dentist, 50-year-old, tried to, you know, work the system. And this nurse, we spoke to the nurse, and she at first was a little bit embarrassed. She thought that maybe he had an artificial limb and that she asked for the wrong arm. And then she realized that this was a scam. And this was a dentist. He had already been suspended from the local order of dentists and doctors because he was a no vax and he had refused to get a vaccine. But this is just outrageous.

And he hasn't been charged with anything criminally yet, but he will be investigating -- he's been reported to the local authorities, who are taking this very serious.

Brianna.

KEILAR: So she just felt the arm and realized it was wrong, is that right, Barbie?

NADEAU: Well, she said it was a different color to his skin. She was -- she was concerned. She felt it because he had just lifted a little bit of his sleeve to get the vaccine. And she -- she really was flabbergasted, you know. But she said at first she thought maybe it was an artificial limb and that, you know, she should have been going for the other arm.

And then he admitted that he -- this is what he was trying to do and kind of, you know, said to her, well, just let me go, let me pass, you know, and she absolutely no. She was very upset, though, because she takes this very seriously. This country was the first epicenter outside of China.

KEILAR: Yes.

NADEAU: You know, a lot of people gave a lot, especially in the medical community, in this country.

Brianna.

KEILAR: Yes, the stories out of Italy at the height of the pandemic were just horrific.

Barbie, thank you so much for that report.

BERMAN: I suppose the good news is that the arm does have some immunity now, right? The fake arm has 80 percent efficacy against Covid. This is ridiculous. I mean this is just --

KEILAR: I don't think he got the shot.

BERMAN: Oh.

KEILAR: So even this fake arm doesn't have that. But, yes, no one's -- how did he think he was going to get away with that, Berman?

[06:35:02]

BERMAN: It's outrageous. It just -- it's outrageous. It's outrageous what people will do not to stay healthy.

KEILAR: Yes, it's a sign of probably worse things is the truth.

So amid a recent string of high-profile defendants taking the stand in their own defense, will "Empire" actor Jussie Smollett do the same?

BERMAN: Plus, new CNN reporting on how Russia is building up troops along the border with Ukraine. This as President Biden gets ready to directly warn Vladimir Putin.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BERMAN: Today as actor Jussie Smollett's trial resumes, the big question is, will he take the stand? It comes after testimony from two brothers who told jurors that the "Empire" actor plotted a fake racist and homophobic attack on himself and then paid the brothers to carry it out.

[06:40:00]

Joining me now is former New York prosecutor and civil rights attorney Charles F. Coleman Jr.

So, Charles, they have a decision to make, do you put Jussie Smollett on the stand after a lot of physical evidence, after a lot of testimony that appears very damning against him.

CHARLES F. COLEMAN, JR., FORMER NY PROSECUTOR AND TRIAL ATTORNEY: Absolutely. Normally the answer to this question is going to be an unequivocal no. As a former prosecutor, I can tell you, I was super excited any time that a defendant wanted to take the stand. And why is that? Because you're having a layperson step into an arena that's not theirs and be cross-examined by a prosecutor who's trained to pick apart every aspect of your story. And, normally, that's always going to work out better for the person who's asking the questions rather than the one who's answering them.

In this case, however, it's the rare exception that I do think his defense team has to be thinking very seriously about putting him on the stand. There has been a lot of damaging evidence that has come out, both physical and testimonial. You just mentioned the two brothers and the physical evidence that they put in front of the jury. And so the last-ditch effort that this defense team has is going to be able to put him on the stand and hope that he can give a different version of the narrative that has been offered to them from the prosecution.

Now, let's not forget, Smollett is an actor. And that's a very important point here, because, at the end of the day, sometimes trials are not always about the x's and o's. Sometimes they are about the drama, the political theater of what it is to be in a courtroom and get that feeling. If he can get on the stand and tell a compelling narrative, then it's possible he may be able to get one of the jurors to make this about credibility more than it is about the physical evidence. But the key is, he's going to have to survive a cross- examination.

BERMAN: Right. I mean, for him, the issue might be that things are going so badly, what else does he have to lose? He might as well try.

COLEMAN: Absolutely.

BERMAN: Something -- you know, I was actually struck by this. There haven't been like conclusive studies on this. But the Cornell Law Review said it's about 50/50 that people, defendants, end up testifying. You know, it's not as unheard of as you think, but it's a risk.

COLEMAN: It's a risk and it's usually against the advice of counsel. I'd be curious to see --

BERMAN: Yes? COLEMAN: Yes, oh, absolutely. I'd be curious to see how many of those defendants who took the stand were advised by their attorneys not to do so.

Now, ultimately, it's the client's choice. And so an attorney can't say, I'm not going to put you on the stand unless they know that they're going to purger themselves. In the event that that's the case, you can't put your client on the stand.

But, normally, you're going to advise your client, hey, listen, this is an arena that you may not be prepared for and you're walking into a prosecutor who's ready to eat you alive.

BERMAN: We'll know -- we'll know the answer to it very soon.

Charles Coleman, always a pleasure to see you.

COLEMAN: Thanks, John.

BERMAN: Happy holidays.

COLEMAN: You too.

BERMAN: So, a chilling scene at the Lincoln Memorial as white nationalists march with shields for what they're calling a mission to reclaim America.

KEILAR: And she is the former NSA leaker who spent time behind bars for revealing classified secrets. In her very first interview since her freedom, she explains why she did it.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[06:47:12]

KEILAR: The Lions capped an emotional week in Detroit with a dramatic come from behind win dedicated to the victims of the Oxford High School shooting.

Andy Scholes has this morning's "Bleacher Report."

And, look, And, this is a really special one as we see here, this power of purpose playing out.

ANDY SCHOLES, CNN SPORTS CORRESPONDENT: Yes. Yes, it certainly was a special win yesterday, Brianna. And it took nearly a full calendar year for the Lions to finally get a win, 364 days since the team had last notched a "w." And they got this one with heavy hearts. Before the game safety Jalen Elliott honoring Oxford High School football player Tate Myre by wearing his number 42 jersey when he arrived at the stadium. Myre was a high school football star for Oxford, lost his life trying to stop the gunman.

And the Lions' players also honoring the victims with decals on their helmets. And they were down by four to the Vikings with less than two minutes

to play and no time outs. But quarterback Jared Goff led the Lions down the field. And then on the game's final play, hit Amon-Ra St. Brown in then endzone for a game-winning touchdown. After throwing that game winner, Goff immediately running over to celebrate with head coach Dan Campbell. And Campbell telling reporters that the win was dedicate to the four students who lost their lives and seven others injured in the shooting.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DAN CAMPBELL, DETROIT LIONS HEAD COACH: This game ball goes to the whole Oxford community, all those who were affected.

JARED GOFF, DETROIT LIONS QUARTERBACK: I hope they were all watching today and were able to enjoy the win and we could take their minds off of it for -- for whatever it may be, three hours. I think any time that we can do that, it's a lot bigger than our sport, it's a lot bigger than us. And I thought today was one of those special circumstances that we were able to rise to the occasion and make something special happen.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SCHOLES: Yes, and Michigan Coach Jim Harbaugh also dedicating his team's win Saturday in the Big Ten title game to Tate Myre. Tate's family, guys, was at that game. And what was really special was, Michigan scored 42 points in that win in the Big Ten title game. And that, of course, again, that was Tate's number.

KEILAR: Unbelievable. Unbelievable, Berman.

BERMAN: Look, you know, it was really sweet. I mean the Lions, I think everyone was ready, Andy, to be all laughy, the Lions win for the first time in 364 days. And then they made it really meaningful. They made it really meaningful. So, good for them.

SCHOLES: Yes.

KEILAR: Yes. Look, a whole community looking for a little bit of hope. And I think that a football game like that gives them a little bit at such an important time.

Andy, thank you so much for that "Bleacher Report."

SCHOLES: You got it.

KEILAR: President Biden about to hold a critical call with Vladimir Putin amid warnings of a military buildup along the border with Ukraine. We're going to talk about Biden's options.

BERMAN: And stunning images at the moment a volcano erupted in Indonesia as a desperate search for survivors goes on. Dozens, it appears, killed at this point. We have the very latest.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK) [06:54:13]

KEILAR: Protests turning violent in Brussels, Belgium. Police fired tear gas, they used water cannons to disperse the crowds as they pelted officers with rocks. They were chanting "freedom." They're angry about government-imposed Covid restrictions that require vaccine passports to enter restaurants and bars.

And here are some of the other stories that are making headlines around the world.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

FREDERIK PLEITGEN, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: I'm Fred Pleitgen in Berlin.

Russia continues to amass forces near the border with Ukraine, both U.S. and Ukrainian sources tell CNN. All this comes as President Joe Biden is set to talk to Russian President Vladimir Putin on Tuesday and Biden says he wants to make clear to Putin that any invasion of Ukraine would be costly for Russia. The Russians, meanwhile, say they want guarantees that Ukraine will not become a NATO member state.

[06:55:02]

NICK PATON WALSH, CNN INTERNATIONAL SECURITY EDITOR: I'm Nick Paton Walsh in London.

And Afghanistan is facing an acute winter of hunger ahead of it. The United Nations warning that nearly 23 million people will face food insecurity at one of the worst levels in the months ahead. This is down to an awful drought, poor harvest. Some of the international aid that the country is so reliant on, drying up. Now the Taliban are in control, and sanctions too against the Taliban as well causing cash in the country to dry up. Plus, also, years of mismanagement.

But this means now, in the months ahead, there are hundreds of thousands of Afghan children who could face imperiling -- life imperiling circumstances because of a lack of food.

WILL RIPLEY, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: I'm Will Ripley in Hong Kong.

Scenes of utter devastation in Indonesia's East Java (ph) province and the situation remains highly dangerous right now. A deadly volcanic eruption on Saturday has left at least 15 people dead, 1,700 or more displaced. The sudden eruption destroyed hundreds of homes, damaged schools, left entire villages covered in ash. More than two dozen people are still missing, some believed to have been swept away by scathing hot rivers of mud, known as pyroclastic flow.

PAULA HANCOCKS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: I'm Paula Hancocks in Sydney.

Aung San Suu Kyi, the deposed leader of Myanmar, has been sentenced to four years of prison on charges of incitement and breaking Covid-19 rules. In all, there are almost a dozen charges against her, which carry a combined maximum sentence of more than 100 years. The 76-year- old was arrested back on February 1st when the military junta took control of the country. She denies the charges. Her supporters say they are politically motivated. Amnesty International says they are an unbridled destruction of freedoms.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BERMAN: Our thanks to all of our reporters.

Now, as Frederik Pleitgen reported at the beginning there, this Biden- Putin phone call will come as new U.S. intelligence estimates shows that Russia could amass as many as 175,000 troops along its border with Ukraine and could begin a military offensive within a matter of months. That's what's being planned here.

Joining me now, CNN's senior global affairs analyst, Bianna Golodryga.

Bianna, 175,000 troops on the border with a plan. What's Putin doing?

BIANNA GOLODRYGA, CNN SENIOR GLOBAL AFFAIRS ANALYST: Well, listen, we've been here before and we know that Putin views Ukraine as sort of the crowning achievement during his reign. He thinks that Ukraine is a standalone sovereign country, is something that NATO and the west have been pursuing and that they have historical ties with Russia, and that is where Ukraine belongs.

Obviously, anybody who thinks that Putin is bluffing here should think twice because we've seen him in the past, not only with Crimea in 2014, but obviously with Georgia in 2008.

I will say, the only somewhat hopeful news with this intel sharing from the United States with its NATO allies is it does seem to have brought more NATO allies, those that have been a bit more skeptical, like Germany and France, on board here with just how serious Putin may be.

BERMAN: They think it's serious.

GOLODRYGA: Yes.

BERMAN: They're going to take it seriously.

GOLODRYGA: They're going to take it seriously.

BERMAN: The question is, what are they going to do? President Biden, last week, says he would make it very, very tough for Putin to invade Ukraine. How?

GOLODRYGA: Yes, actions speak louder than words. And we saw a similar troop amassment earlier in the spring. That, ultimately, led up to that Geneva summit between the two leaders. Many inside Russia in particular suggesting that this virtual meeting tomorrow may not be the last, that Putin wants a face-to-face meeting sometime in early January.

But there are few options on the table for what could possibly deter Putin this time. Perhaps it is circumventing Nord Stream 2, right? You have a new chancellor coming into Germany that is not quite as committed to Nord Stream as Angela Merkel was. That would be a huge blow to Putin. Possibly cutting Russia off from the international banking system, ala Iran. That's another option. But other than that and more sanctions, there doesn't seem to be more on the table.

BERMAN: You spoke to the Ukrainian ambassador. And that was interesting.

GOLODRYGA: Yes. Well, she said, first and foremost, this is a sovereign countries. We did not start wars. We don't want wars. But, obviously, we are prepared to defend ourselves.

And kudos to Ukraine. Their military really has beefed up over the last few years since that 2014 invasion. Obviously, not to the like of Russia's troops. But Russia would be in for a longer, bloodier war here.

But she also said something that stood out to me. And she said, listen, I'm happy, we're all happy for this conversation between the two leaders. One thing that we are not going to accept is any decisions on Ukraine's behalf are made without Ukraine at the table. That may be wishful thinking.

BERMAN: Yes, Ukraine's not really at the table when Biden speaks to Putin.

GOLODRYGA: Right.

BERMAN: And one of the things the U.S. has said, has asked, is Ukraine not to be provocative here, which feels a little bit like victim shaming.

GOLODRYGA: Well, and just remember, two weeks ago President Zelensky made that pretty audacious claim that Ukraine -- that Russia was backing an internal coup that was supposed to have taken place last week. Now, that didn't happen.

I do think it would be wise for President Biden to pick up the phone and speak with Zelensky prior to his meeting with President Putin, but -- but, yes, this is all up to Vladimir Putin and what he ultimately decides to do.

[07:00:00]

And for the most part he's a rational player. But on this issue, analysts say, that he is determined