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New Day Saturday

Protests Erupts Following Acquittal of Kyle Rittenhouse; Anthony Huber's Girlfriend Calls The System a failure; U.S. Economic Roaring Back After Pandemic Slump; Gas Prices Reach Record Highs As Demand Outpaces Supply; TSA: Thanksgiving Air Travel Expected To Break Pandemic-Era Record; Ty Decided To Airlift Toys To U.S. Amid Supply Chain Crisis. Aired 7-8a ET

Aired November 20, 2021 - 07:00   ET

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

[07:00:00]

BORIS SANCHEZ, CNN ANCHOR: Buenos Dias. Good morning and welcome to your NEW DAY. I'm Boris Sanchez.

CHRISTI PAUL, CNN ANCHOR: Good morning, Boris. I'm Christie Paul. Listen, following his acquittal, we are now hearing from Kyle Rittenhouse, his attorneys, and the families of the people that he shot. The reaction from all sides and what could happen next?

SANCHEZ: Plus, more than 100 million adults now eligible for booster shots, what health experts say that means for the upcoming holidays, amid a rise in COVID hospitalizations?

PAUL: And the TSA is bracing for a pandemic record number of travelers this holiday season. And we're watching a winter storm that could make for pretty travel, pretty big mess for travel just this week alone.

SANCHEZ: And a worldwide supply chain crisis. Apparently, no match for Beanie Babies. We'll explain on NEW DAY.

Good morning and welcome to your NEW DAY, Saturday, November 20th. I have a lot of questions, Christie, about that Beanie Baby story. I'm excited to get there because --

PAUL: Yes, it's a good one because it will be surprising to learn how it affects people economically.

SANCHEZ: Yes, that's coming later this hour. But we start with the reaction after a jury in Kenosha, Wisconsin, found Kyle Rittenhouse not guilty in the shooting deaths of two people and the wounding of a third.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Whose street?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Our street.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Whose street?

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SANCHEZ: This is the scene outside the Barclays Center last night where hundreds of people gathered to protest the verdict, just one of several demonstrations across the country. The group marching from Brooklyn to Manhattan, even shutting down the Brooklyn Bridge before ultimately dispersing.

PAUL: And police declared a riot in Portland, Oregon after they say protesters began breaking windows and doors at city buildings. Now, according to police, protesters also threw objects at officers in the area. The demonstrations came hours after a jury acquitted Rittenhouse of all of the charges against him including homicide.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We, the jury, find the defendant Kyle H. Rittenhouse, not guilty.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

PAUL: During the trial, and you see him there, he took the stand in his own defense saying that he pulled the trigger in self-defense and this morning we're hearing from Rittenhouse himself.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

KYLE RITTENHOUSE, ACQUITTED IN KENOSHA SHOOTING: The jury reached the correct verdict. Self Defense is not illegal. And I believe they came to the correct verdict. And I'm glad that everything went well. It's been a rough journey, but we made it through.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SANCHEZ: Let's go to CNN's Natasha Chen, she's live for us in Kenosha this morning. Natasha, an emotional day there yesterday, how are things looking now?

NATASHA CHEN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes, Boris and Christi, it's been pretty quiet relatively compared to other parts of the country where you saw some protests there. You did just see that clip from Kyle Rittenhouse that was aired in a promotional trailer on Tucker Carlson's show last night but his attorney says that he actually left rather quickly, he will probably soon move away from the area and wants to get on with his life.

We asked what kind of reaction Rittenhouse had immediately after the verdict was read. His attorney said, he said thank you, but that it's taking some time to sink in for him and his family. It's also sinking in now for the families of the people that he killed that night. We're hearing from the girlfriend of Anthony Huber, and the fiancee of Joseph Rosenbaum. Here's what they said yesterday.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

HANNAH GITTINGS, ANTHONY HUBER'S GIRLFRIEND: I don't think that any of us who were directly involved in what happened last year on the 25th are really that surprised. We know that this system is a failure.

KANNAN SWART, JOSEPH ROSENBAUM'S FIANCEE: If one person's life or two person's lives don't matter, then none of our lives matter. And I feel like in this case, it feels like the victims' lives don't matter and I don't think that that's acceptable.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CHEN: Now, the jury deliberated for about 25, 26 hours, the defense attorney Mark Richards told us that is the longest he's had to wait for a verdict ever and that it's taught him patience. But of course, you know, the press also asked him, we asked him at a press conference about how Rittenhouse now views what happened. Was there any sort of regret? He was a bit vague about that in the afternoon, but then went on to Chris Cuomo on our air last night where he was pressed on this issue further.

[07:05:31]

MARK RICHARDS, DEFENSE ATTORNEY: He didn't want to kill anybody. And he was left with a terrible choice, and he exercised that choice, which was found to be lawful.

CHRIS CUOMO, CNN HOST: Does he think you did anything wrong?

RICHARDS: Legally, no.

CUOMO: Morally?

RICHARDS: He wishes, he didn't have to do it.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CHEN: I asked if he felt there was a pivotal moment that led to a successful outcome for them. Richard said that it was actually getting rid of the initial defense attorneys. He said those people were perhaps working for a cause. And he was very clear to his client, that if they wanted someone to go on a crusade for Rittenhouse, that he would not be that lawyer. He was really here to defend his client on the issue of self-defense, Boris and Christi.

SANCHEZ: Natasha Chen from Kenosha, Wisconsin. Thank you so much.

PAUL: Natasha. Thank you. Let's talk to Areva Martin, she's a Civil Rights Attorney and CNN Legal Analyst. It is so good to have you with us this morning here. In the last 24 hours, I have heard many legal analysts just skewer the prosecution and say that they were woefully unprepared. Do you believe that to be the case?

AREVA MARTIN, CNN LEGAL ANALYST: I think Christi there were some missteps made by the prosecution. But I think we can't lose sight of the fact that the standard of self-defense in the state of Wisconsin was really high burden for the prosecution to me. The prosecution had to prove beyond reasonable doubt that Kyle Rittenhouse wasn't acting in self-defense. And that's a really high bar. So, I think lawyers can debate whether

the prosecution did a good job or not, whether they should have put some witnesses on the stand whether they should have made a different opening statement. We can pick apart the performance of the prosecutors. But I think we have to also focus on some of the bigger issues in this case.

PAUL: Bigger issues, meaning some of the facts of the case, some of the evidence that the video was talked about a lot and that it was good for the defense. With that said, do you think had there been a different prosecution there would have been a different outcome? Or does it come down to what we saw in the courtroom in terms of evidence?

MARTIN: I think there are a couple of things. One, as I said, I think that the standard is so high for self-defense, and I'm not sure our current self-defense laws, you know, anticipate what we have now which of these open carry laws with someone like Kyle Rittenhouse can be allowed, can be legally allowed to be at a protest carrying an assault weapon and literally use that weapon against unarmed men. When you think about what this case is really about. Joseph Rosenbaum was armed with a plastic bag.

Anthony Huber was armed with a skateboard. The only person involved in the shootings of the three men who two were killed in one arm that had a weapon was Kyle Rittenhouse. But yet our self-defense laws allow him to point that gun in a menacing and intimidating way but yet then fall back on self-defense.

So, I think those are some of the larger issues we have to look at going forward. Do we want a society where someone like Kyle Rittenhouse can be at a protest again, a protest involving, you know posing police brutality as it related to Jacob Blake and be able to brandish that weapon, use it in a way that we saw him use it and get fall back on our legal system and be acquitted for the charges?

PAUL: We heard the judge say yesterday, I think it was the judgment or it might have been one of the attorneys saying that the, the jury was going to they were going to try to, they were going to try to protect the jury. They feel that there could be some danger based on the outcome of this just to make sure that they were OK. Do you think that we will hear from the jury to better understand that the process that they took to get to this point?

MARTIN: I sure hope so, Christi. I hope we have an opportunity to do that to hear from the jurors once they feel you know that it's safe. And let's be clear, we've heard the defense attorney talk about death threats. We've heard Kyle Rittenhouse talk about death threats, but there have been death threats made to Black Lives Matter protesters to Jacob Blake's family so those that are speaking out against the acquittal. So, there's a lot of hatred, unfortunately in this country, a lot of division, and it's been unsafe for a lot of people that have you know, found their voices picking up on this issue.

PAUL: We also heard Mark Richards, the Defense Attorney say, that he believes that Rittenhouse will move away from the area that it's too dangerous for him. Do you expect we're going to see the families here sue in the civil capacity?

[07:10:06]

MARTIN: Oh, absolutely, I think they're already lawsuits pending civil lawsuits. Christi pending against the Kenosha Police Department and others involved in this case. So, this case is far from over. The criminal matter may be over, but there will be civil cases that will continue for quite some time.

PAUL: Areva Martin, we appreciate your insight so much here, thank you.

MARTIN: Thanks, Christi.

PAUL: So, President Biden says he stands by the jury's decision in the Rittenhouse trial. In a statement released by the White House, he acknowledged the anger and concern some feel but said, "I ran on a promise to bring Americans together because I believe that what unites us is far greater than what divides us. I know that we're not going to heal our country's wounds overnight, but I remain steadfast in my commitment to do everything in my power to ensure that every American is treated equally with fairness and dignity under the law."

SANCHEZ: President Biden scoring a win yesterday as House Democrats approved his sweeping Build Back Better school social safety net I should say and climate bill.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

REP. NANCY PELOSI (D-CA): On this vote, the yays are 220, the nays are 213. The Build Back Better bill is passed.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SANCHEZ: Democrats celebrating briefly there on the House floor. The $1.9 trillion plan now heads to the Senate where it's certain to undergo some changes. As for what is currently in the bill that House Democrats passed, $570 billion for clean energy and combating climate change, 381 billion for childcare and preschool, 205 billion for paid family and sick leave, and 203 billion in childcare tax credits as well as billions for health care, housing and more. The President's Build Back Better plan does face an uphill battle when it comes to the Senate.

PAUL: Yes, one major challenge will be winning over moderate Democratic Senator Joe Manchin. But for now, the President, of course is celebrating this win. CNN White House Reporter Jasmine Wright with us from Wilmington, Delaware, where the President's spending the weekend. Jasmine, good to see you this morning. Talk to us about the latest from the President, as he discusses the road ahead for this key part of his agenda. How hopeful is he?

JASMINE WRIGHT, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Yes, that's right. Christi. Look, President Biden got an early birthday president -- present yesterday when the House passed his social safety net expansion package, the second part of his economic agenda and to celebrate that victory, which is a major step forward for him. He called House Speaker Pelosi after that vote that we just saw, he thanked her for finally getting this bill through both he and Pelosi had to kind of team up and push the Democratic Party from both sides really getting them to come together on a deal.

But as you said, this is not over. It faces a long trek in the Senate where it is likely to see significant changes. And it's going to be incumbent on the President to really use those decades of experience that he has in the Senate really tried to shepherd this bill along when I talked to White House officials, that's something that they say is really his asset. It's this Senate experience. So, the President yesterday, after his physical, he talked about with reporters, really that he -- he was asked whether or not paid leave something that Senator Joe Manchin is opposed to but it's right now is in the bill, whether he would sign the bill without paid leave, which is likely to be taken out, take a listen to his answer.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: The Build Back Better plan, now that it's passed the House, when do you expect it to land on your desk?

JOE BIDEN, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Well, I don't know. It's going to take a while to get through the Senate. I think we're probably after Thanksgiving.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Would you sign it if it doesn't contain paid family leave?

BIDEN: I will sign it, period.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WRIGHT: So, today's birthday celebration really comes with a clean bill of health after the President was deemed healthy and fit his first physical as president. Remember today, he turned 79. And he will be the oldest president to serve a first term. So, his longtime doctor wrote that Biden remains fit for duty and fully executes all of his responsibilities without any exemptions, or accommodations. So, lots of good news here for the President as he celebrates his birthday today and Wilmington, Christi, Boris.

PAUL: Jasmine Wright, good to see you this morning. Thank you, ma'am.

SANCHEZ: So, by now, you've almost certainly felt the impacts of inflation and the supply chain crisis, the impact they're having on your wallet. How long are these issues going to last?

Up next, we're taking a closer look at that and how the economy is actually bouncing back after taking a hit at the beginning of the pandemic.

[07:14:54]

Plus, the holiday travel season just days away. It's getting back to pre-pandemic levels, and the TSA is having to prepare for some pilgrimage.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

PAUL: So, just in time for the holiday season, the CDC has given the green light for COVID-19 booster shots for all adults here in the U.S. That's about 114 million Americans. Now, CDC Director Rochelle Walensky signed off on the recommendation for a third dose after the FDA authorized both the Moderna and Pfizer vaccine for everyone 18 and older. It's great news as US vaccinations are already on the rise with 59% of the country fully vaccinated now, there's been a 36 percent increase in shots administered just in the last week, and more than 33 million people have already received the boosters.

SANCHEZ: You've probably noticed it lately. Americans are paying more at the grocery store and at the gas pump. Supply simply is not keeping up with demand as consumers start to readjust the life after the pandemic.

PAUL: Now, in a lot of ways the economy's actually booming, though, CNN's Chief Business Correspondent Christine Romans welcome walks us through what's happening here.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

CHRISTINE ROMANS, CNN CHIEF BUSINESS CORRESPONDENT: Boris and Christi, an important gut check on the U.S. economy. America's factories are humming, consumers are shopping, and paychecks are fatter. Let me show you. First, manufacturing. U.S. industrial output is racing ahead at a nearly two-year high, back above pre pandemic levels. Auto manufacturing bouncing back last month factory output would have been even stronger if not for hiccups in the global supply chain.

Corporate profits enviable, big companies are navigating the supply chain woes passing on those higher costs to their customers, and even patting their profit margins along the way. The biggest publicly traded companies have fatter profit margins today than before the pandemic and your retirement account likely shows it. This year the Dow was up 17 percent, the S&P500 is up 25 percent, step back further since the market crashed in 2020, some averages have doubled.

And workers have the upper hand -- you've heard it called The Great Resignation. Americans quitting their jobs in record numbers, 4.4 million last month jumping ship. Economists say many are taking better jobs with higher pay and starting bonuses elsewhere. After decades of sluggish wage growth, paychecks are fatter, especially for low wage workers wage growth nearing five percent. And it shows that American savings, thanks to higher pay, COVID stimulus, and child tax credits, Americans have an excess $2.3 trillion in savings since the crisis began.

And JP Morgan says its median checking account balance is 50 percent higher this year than in 2019. And hiring is even stronger than we thought the government revising higher the number of jobs added this summer, 626,000 more jobs added from June to September than the government initially reported. Overall, 5.8 million jobs added this year call it the COVID economy contradiction inflation concerns hog all the headlines, but most other indicators are roaring ahead.

Frankly, consumer sentiment gauges don't reflect the strong economy. Two reasons Americans are exhausted by the pandemic and they are bombarded every day with higher prices at the grocery store and the gas station. Everybody drives and eats. Not everybody owns stocks. Christi, Boris.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SANCHEZ: Christine Romans, thank you so much for that. Let's bring in CNN Global Economic Analyst Rana Foroohar, she's with us to dig deeper on the state of the economy. She's a global business columnist and associate editor at the Financial Times. And that's where I want to start, Ron, you wrote in the Financial Times, that this period of inflation for the United States is especially challenging and approaching it the way that the United States has in the past might actually exacerbate the problem you wrote, quote, the inflation model of the last half century will not work. Help us understand why?

RANA FOROOHAR, CNN GLOBAL ECONOMIC ANALYST: You know, usually when you have periods of inflation, there's one thing going on, or two things going on, you know, you think back to the 70s, the gas crisis, this time around, we're coming out of a pandemic. And as Christine pointed out, there are a lot of things happening, some of them good, some of them bad, and it's all interconnected into the inflation picture.

So, when you think about how things are really booming, you know, people's paychecks are rising. There are more jobs being created. This is true, not just in the US, but elsewhere, that also plays into inflation, right? There's a supply and demand mismatch right now, in part, because the COVID economy has come roaring back so quickly, you know, we forget that, you know, less than two years ago, we just shut down -- a lot of people lost their jobs. And so, it takes time to get everything back rolling, to get supply chains going to find the workers that you need. And so that's part of this inflation pressed that we're feeling right now.

SANCHEZ: So, when it comes to straightening out that disparity between indicators that show the economy is actually doing well or on the way to doing very well, and that feeling that so many Americans get when they go to the gas pump, when they go to the grocery store. How do you see those two, finally, sort of sorting themselves out where consumers can feel the reality of those financial indicators?

FOROOHAR: Well, you know, I think technology is going to play a big role in helping with this, um, you know, I don't think that we're in for a decade of inflation, like some economists would say, you know, we may be in for a year of inflation that could affect the midterms, which is a political issue, but you look at what companies are doing. They're, they're putting all kinds of new automation in place.

You know, later this year, we're going to see the first automated shipping container containers be sent across the Atlantic. So, all this technology is actually going to be deflationary. It's going to help smooth out the supply chains, and I think I, in the next year or two, you're going to start to see a pullback from inflation I do not think that this is the new normal.

[07:25:06]

SANCHEZ: It is complicated though because with the advancements in technology comes disruption. And that means that some folks may lose their jobs. And so, I do want to pivot for a moment because millions of Americans are going to hit the road in the next few days. And there's no question that they're going to be paying more at the pump than they have, in a long time. What is going on with the price of oil? Is it attributable to Saudi Arabia and Russia simply not pumping out enough supply?

FOROOHAR: Well, there again, it's a complicated answer. Part of it is just increased demand, not just from the U.S., but from China, from Europe. So, there is simply more demand for energy than there have been. But there are also supply chain issues. You know, there's -- there have been some, some rush, there's been some rush in hoarding in Europe. You know, President Biden has actually asked whether there might be some market manipulation in the U.S.

The FCC Chairman, Lena Khan is looking into that whether there might be monopoly issues in in gas and oil in the US. And then finally, there's the transition that we're all trying to make to clean energy, which is a good thing longer term, and is lower prices, you know, years from now, but in the short term, it makes fossil fuels more expensive. And we feel that at the pump 20 percent of income goes to paying gas prices.

SANCHEZ: And there's no doubt as you eluded, if that crunch at the pump continues it'll have an impact in the midterm elections. Candidates are definitely going to make an issue out of that. We got to leave the conversation there. Rana Foroohar always appreciate having you on.

FOROOHAR: Thanks so much.

SANCHEZ: Of course.

PAUL: It's one of the largest police settlements in the nation's history, just how much the Aurora police department had to pay to the family of Elijah McLean.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[07:30:57]

PAUL: 30 minutes past the hour. Here is a look at some of the top stories for you this morning.

First of all, on Monday, closing arguments are set to begin for the trial of the three white men charged with chasing down and killing 25- year-old Ahmaud Arbery while he was jogging.

After 10 days of court proceedings and testimony from more than 20 witnesses and investigators, one defense attorney raised tension in the courtroom again by making a last-minute push for a mistrial, while reportedly trying to cut a deal behind the scenes. That plea deal request was ultimately denied.

SANCHEZ: In Colorado, the city of Aurora has agreed to pay $15 million to the family of Elijah McClain to settle a civil rights lawsuit filed for his violent arrest and unlawful death.

The 23-year-old died after police and medics stopped him as he walked home, and he was put into a now-banned chokehold back in 2019.

McClain's father, Lawayne Mosley issued a statement saying in part, "There is no amount of money in the world that will make up for losing my son. I hope Elijah's legacy is that police will think twice before killing another innocent person. So far, three officers and two paramedics have been charged in that case.

PAUL: So, if you're flying to visit friends and family this Thanksgiving, good luck. We want to give you a heads up here, as you're going to maneuver your way through very crowded airports and packed planes and frenzy baggage queues. There will be, what is expected, millions of fellow travelers with you.

SANCHEZ: And God forbid, you wind up in a situation where there are fists thrown while you're in the area, as we've seen all too often lately.

PAUL: Yes, do not -- Experts say that nearly twice as many people as last year are going to be flying over a 10 day holiday period. CNN's Pete Muntean has all the details.

PETE MUNTEAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: These numbers are going to be huge, Boris and Christi. And the TSA Administrator tells me exclusively that we will without a doubt set a pandemic-era air travel record.

MUNTEAN (voice-over): TSA Administrator David Pekoske tells me the record right now, about 2.2 million people screened at airports nationwide in one single day. And he says we will definitely exceed that.

The TSA plans to screen about 20 million people at airports across the country during the 10-day period around the Thanksgiving holiday. And the agency says it is ready for all of those people. The busiest day, the Sunday after Thanksgiving, when that crush of people begins to come home all at once.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DAVID PEKOSKE, ADMINISTRATOR, TRANSPORTATION SECURITY ADMINISTRATION: We plan for this for months in advance. We have a lot of data. We refer closely with the carriers in the airports. And so, we know what to anticipate and then we staff to the volumes we expect to see.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

MUNTEAN: The point is Thanksgiving travel will look nothing like it did back in 2020, but not quite what it was back in 2019 before the pandemic. MUNTEAN (voice-over): The TSA screened a record 2.9 million people at airports across the country on the Sunday after Thanksgiving back in 2019. It says we will just come shy of that.

United Airlines anticipate serving about 4.5 million people during the Thanksgiving travel period.

MUNTEAN: 450,000 on its airline alone, the Sunday after Thanksgiving. Boris, Christi.

PAUL: Pete Muntean, thank you so much.

So, listen, they are the cute collectibles that have so far managed to escape the effects of this shipping crisis this holiday season.

PAUL: The extreme lengths the company behind Beanie Babies went to get them to the U.S.

[07:34:31]

PAUL: We'll tell you what happened, talking to somebody from inside in a moment.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

PAUL: So, rest assured, those cute little stuffed animals known as Beanie Babies are not going to be stuck in China this holiday season. The company's owner was so determined that his product would be on shelves by Black Friday that he paid to charter planes from China filled with Beanie Babies, starting in October.

There have been 150 flights thus far. And Jose Verger, the vice president of field sales of Ty is with us now. Jose, so good to see you this morning. Thank you for being here as we talk basically about airlifting Beanie Babies to Chicago's O'Hare International Airport. I want to ask you about this.

As I understand it, you've got 150 flights already that have been taken that cost between $1.5 and $2 million per flight which would mean at the low end, $225 million that you've spent just to get the product here.

[07:40:07]

PAUL: What weighed on the minds of all of you, the executives and the people there at PTI that decided this was the way to go? That it was worth spending that money?

JOSE VERGER, VICE PRESIDENT OF FIELD SALES, TY: Well, Christi, as you've seen, there's been a huge bottleneck of containers in California. Our owners have seen that. We've been kind of struggling this whole year, trying to get our product on the shelves like everyone else has.

And he was just not going to let that happen for the holidays. He wanted to make sure that these -- this product is on underneath everyone's Christmas tree and holiday celebration, this holiday season coming up.

So, we all got together, he is a very unique and always goes against the grain always makes things happen. He felt that this was the right thing to do. And this was the right thing to do to support not only our sales force, but also to support the independent retailer, which is the retailer he has always supported. As you will not find our product in Walmarts, Targets, and even Amazons of the world.

PAUL: Yes, and let's talk about that a little bit further. Because when we talk about the economy, we're usually talking about the economy as the big picture as a whole for the country. But we are talking, in this case, about the economies of those mom-and-pop shops. I mean, they depend on you.

And I'm wondering how much, as you're talking about, that weighed that small business aspect of it, those mom and pop shops weighed on you to make sure that they had what they needed.

VERGER: Yes, exactly. As you've seen, a lot of these individuals are struggling. I mean, they are struggling to get people to work in their stores. They're struggling to get merchandise from all other vendors. So, we wanted to make sure that that didn't happen with us.

I mean, I've heard stories of lots of different types of stores that were on the verge of going out of business. And because we have started shipping, and we're trying to get them product as quickly as possible, they're able to hang on.

PAUL: So, I know that Ty created a workaround to this supply chain crisis, obviously. Again, to the tune of at minimum $225 million. But the supply chain crisis is affecting so many companies that just don't have the means to afford to do something like that.

Were there other ideas that you batted around? Do you have any advice that might help some of those other businesses try to figure out how to stock their shelves?

VERGER: Well, we really have a large logistics department in our -- in our company and they're really the ones that put together all of this. Obviously, we speak with Mr. Warner every single day. And together, we certainly come up with every possible way that we can get our product here.

We're not only going to get our product here via air freight, but we're also continuing to receive containers via shipping.

PAUL: OK, well, Jose Verger, we wish you great Thanksgiving and Merry Christmas, all that good stuff, and thank you for taking time talk to us.

VERGER: (INAUDIBLE) I want -- to say goodbye to you. This is Spirit.

PAUL: Spirit.

VERGER: This is our number one Beanie Boo right now. So, he wants to say hello to everyone. (CROSSTALK)

PAUL: People are --

VERGER: He wish everyone a happy holidays.

PAUL: That is very sweet of you. And people are crazy about their Beanie Babies. So, they are going to be very happy to know that you've gone to these lengths to make sure that they can do it, not just for the people who want to buy them but for the stores that want to stock them.

Thank you so much, Jose, good to meet you.

VERGER: Nice to meet you as well. Thank you.

PAUL: Sure.

SANCHEZ: I made all the madness in the world, good to know that the Beanie Babies are still, still doing well.

Still ahead, we are tracking a major holiday storm that could spell trouble for millions.

PAUL: Welcome to "CNN UNDERSCORED", it's your guide to the best in tech, help, travel, and a whole lot more. So, as the holiday is approaching, I know you're ticking it off on your calendar. You may already be looking for those big shopping days: Black Friday, Cyber Monday. Our team has you covered here.

Julian Kheel is a senior editor at "CNN UNDERSCORED". He is with us right now. Julian, so good to see you. Talk to us about the expectations for Black Friday this year.

JULIAN KHEEL, CNN UNDERSCORED SENIOR EDITOR: Yes, we think Black Friday is going be bigger than ever this year, obviously. A lot of pent-up demand. In fact, a lot of retailers have already been doing early Black Friday sales because they expect shipping delays due to the ongoing supply chain issues.

Retailers like Walmart, Best Buy, Target, have already been doing Black Friday sales for weeks. So, if you're looking to get in on Black Friday, and you're looking for those major deals, we want -- we suggest that you start looking at the beginning of the week that Black Friday ends. Meaning Monday, November 22. So that when you get to Black Friday, the day after Thanksgiving when the shopping season really starts, you'll already be ahead of the game.

PAUL: Yes, there is some people that still don't really want to go out and about especially not in crowds. So, let's talk about that very calm, quiet, Cyber Monday.

KHEEL: Yes.

PAUL: And home alone in our pyjamas.

[07:45:02]

KHEEL: Yes, Cyber Monday which is the Monday after the Thanksgiving holiday traditionally was when workers went back to the office and were in front of their computer and would shop.

Obviously, there is fewer workers in the office still because of the pandemic. But also because of the pandemic, more people are shopping online than ever. So, we think Cyber Monday will still see a lot of deals.

Your best bets for Cyber Monday, get on to the newsletter list of your favorite retailers now. That's where you're going to find advanced notice of those sales and special offers.

Also, make sure that you load up that retailer's web site and bookmark it. So, you can refresh it on a regular basis. And of course, make sure you're watching "CNN UNDERSCORED", we'll be covering all the Cyber Monday and Black Friday deals minute by minute and we'll tell you where to go to get the best deal.

PAUL: I love that you're doing other work to tell me how to spend my money. Just saying -- just saying.

KHEEL: That's why we're here.

PAUL: So, you did mention those gifts purchases that could kind of get lost in the, you know, ether or anywhere at this point, because they're not going to get on a boat. They're not going to get to port at some time. So, is there anything that you can tell us that we need to know that would help us secure those gifts?

KHEEL: Yes, shipping issues are going to be an issue this year. We think especially when it comes to electronics, baby products, and apparel. Especially, the PlayStation 5 and the iPhones, those are going to be very popular and sell out quickly.

One thing you can do is when you're shopping online, choose in-store pickup if you have the option, because that inventory in store is usually kept up to date. These retailers have supply chain solutions for those, and you can see in real time what's there.

That's a really good way to avoid shipping problems. And in a worst- case scenario, get your loved one a subscription gift this year, a beauty subscription like Birchbox, or perhaps, a meal kit program. That doesn't have to start arriving until after Christmas and you'll still have something for your loved one in the holidays.

PAUL: Great ideas. Julian Kheel, thank you so much.

KHEEL: Thank you, Christi.

PAUL: Absolutely. So, for more on the best gifts and how you can get your hands on them, visit cnn.com/underscored.

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[07:51:54]

SANCHEZ: The potential for plunging temperatures and a significant storm this week might complicate your holiday travel. Experts say the nicest travel day is actually today.

PAUL: Tomorrow is when a much different story will emerge. CNN's Allison Chinchar live for us from the weather center. So, what are we watching, Allison?

ALLISON CHINCHAR, CNN METEOROLOGIST: Yes, if you have some flexibility in your travel plans, and we realize that not everybody does. But if you do, today really is going to be probably the nicest day of the next five days.

The exception to that rule being areas of South Florida where you do have some showers and thunderstorms. We've got some snow showers across the intermountain west, and a fire risk across Southern California where we do have some red flag warnings including the city of Los Angeles.

But starting tomorrow, our first big system begins to make its way through the Midwest and into the Northeast. And it's going to bring rain, snow and some very windy conditions. So, cities like Cincinnati, Chicago, Minneapolis, the big northeast three, Boston, New York, D.C., even Philadelphia, likely looking at some delay starting tomorrow.

Now, once that system continues to make its way through by Sunday night, that's when you're really starting to see the big concerns for the Northeast, stretching all the way back towards Texas.

Now, by Monday morning. If you've got a flight going out of say New York, Philly, or Boston in the morning on Monday, you may incur some delays at that point as that main system moves through.

Very windy conditions behind it early Tuesday, but then the focus really becomes the next system starting to slide across the U.S. By Wednesday, we're starting to look at the Midwest to really be the problem spot, not just for rain and snow but also very gusty winds.

That system continues to make its way off to the east by Thanksgiving Day. Really causing problems, say, from Michigan all the way back to Texas.

We talked about the wind. Here is a look at tomorrow. You can see it ramp up across the central U.S. and into the Midwest by Monday. Eventually, the bigger cities along the east coast by Monday morning.

But then the second system comes in and this is the one that is really going to be a big concern for strong gusty winds. Look at some of these areas. Chicago, Minneapolis, stretching from St. Louis down to Dallas, you're talking 50 to 70 mile per hour winds potentially seeing some of those higher gusts and even by Wednesday, guys, still looking at a lot of big cities from Chicago all the way back towards Dallas.

SANCHEZ: And with potentially a record number of travelers expected to hit the skies on the road, what could go wrong? Allison Chinchar -- CHINCHAR: Pack the patience.

SANCHEZ: Thank you so much.

PAUL: Yes.

SANCHEZ: Good idea.

Still ahead on NEW DAY, Instagram is under fire.

PAUL: Next hour, we're joined by Connecticut's Attorney General on the investigation he and other state attorneys general have launched looking into the platform's harmful impact on kids.

SANCHEZ: But first, a chef in Phoenix, Arizona who cooked indigenous foods to heal herself after difficult pregnancies is now helping others in today's "THE HUMAN FACTOR"

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

MARIA PARRA CANO, CHEF, SANA SANA FOODS: I'm a classically trained cook. I learned very quickly that French cuisine is not my people's food. Creams and sugars and certain fats. That really affected my body in a negative way.

I became diabetic myself with my first pregnancy. I went back to my mother's traditional foods.

[07:55:02]

CANO: Indigenous foods from Central Mexico like corn, beans, squash chilies, cactus. Going completely plant based after the birth of my last daughter. I really wanted to help other people try to heal their bodies through food.

We started our food business in Sana Sana, in Spanish means to heal. Also, the Cihuapactli Collective, we are focusing on helping the community learn about different ancestral foods through cooking demos, classes.

It's really hard sometimes for people to have a well-balanced or healthy lifestyle when they don't have access to their traditional food or seeds to be able to grow it. We have tepary beans, grown here locally. (INAUDIBLE), not only it's high in fiber, but also helps level blood sugars, and reduce inflammation.

We have our indigenous food pantry. Since March of 2020. We've been able to provide support to 15,000 families. A group of us went down to Mexico City, they are met with elders, and then really given the cultural spiritual permission to say they keep doing the work.

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