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New Day Sunday

House Democrats Plan To Introduce Impeachment Resolution Monday; Vice President Pence Not Ruling Out 25th Amendment Option; Pence To Attend Biden's Inauguration; Trump Considering Giuliani And Dershowitz For Impeachment Defense; FDNY Shares Info With FBI On Allegations Members Were Present At Capitol Riot; Investigators Locate Crash Site, Black Boxes In Deadly Indonesia Plane Crash; Vaccine Roll Out Slowed By Hesitant Health Care Workers; Israel Enters New Lockdown As COVID-19 Cases Surge. Aired 6-7p ET

Aired January 10, 2021 - 06:00   ET

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


[06:00:00]

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: More fallout when it comes to trying to change the election results in Georgia.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The president also called the secretary of state's top investigator who was investigating allegations of voter fraud in that state, he told him that he would be a national hero if, indeed, he did so.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Weekly tallies of COVID-19 have never been higher. Already more than 2 million new COVID cases have been confirmed this month.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: What I am concerned about is that there's still a population of folks that are super anxious about this vaccine and most likely that's the population that needs it the most.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

ANNOUNCER: This is NEW DAY WEEKEND with Victor Blackwell and Christi Paul.

VICTOR BLACKWELL, CNN ANCHOR: Lady Liberty there. Good morning to you. Brand new hour now.

And the Trump White House -- listen, this is not the first time there has been a period of chaos, but with 10 days left now, it's hard to pick out a time that's been as tumultuous. And now we've got news of growing friction between the president and the vice president.

CHRISTI PAUL, CNN ANCHOR: Wondering if that is maybe leading into a shift we might be seeing here because now a source close to Vice President Mike Pence tells CNN invoking the 25th Amendment to remove the president from office is still on the table. Another source says the two haven't even spoken since the attack.

Now there is also the push for impeachment remember. A House Democrat leading that effort says the article against Trump for incitement of insurrection has 180 Democratic co-sponsors and there are talks with Republicans to sign on. The plan is to introduce that resolution tomorrow.

BLACKWELL: So let's talk about the timeline. Republican Senator Pat Toomey says the president, he believes, committed impeachable offenses, but he doesn't think that it's possible or practical to force him out now. There is a lot going on. We are we are going to get to all of our reporters across Washington starting at the White House. Sarah Westwood is there.

The president and vice president, they are not speaking to one another. The 25th Amendment is still out there according to a source. The vice president still has it in his pocket. What should we expect over the next 10 days from these two?

SARAH WESTWOOD, CNN WHITE HOUSE REPORTER: Well, Victor, we can expect to see more of these tensions that are now spilling into public view between President Trump and Vice President Pence. Like you mentioned, he is not taking the option of the 25th Amendment off the table. That's to prevent further erratic behavior from President Trump. The fear is that taking that off the table, ruling that out from Pence would allow the president more freedom to do what he wants, perhaps in a bad way, over the next 10 days of his presidency.

The two have not spoken since the insurrection at the Capitol on Wednesday where rioters were storming the Capitol shouting Pence's name, frightening Pence's family who was with him. The president has yet checked up on him. Something that has really upset the people around Vice President Pence.

Trump is said to be angry at his vice president for performing his constitutional duty to certify the election results when he was presiding over that joint session of Congress, and Pence is said to be feeling disappointed in the treatment that he has received from Trump so far. In fact, in the words of one source, Pence is experiencing the vindictiveness that's really up to this point been reserved for other aides, for other cabinet members, but never for Pence who has been one of the most loyal aides to the president since the beginning of Trump's presidency.

Now, further deepening this rift between the two men is Pence's announcement that he will be attending the inauguration on January 20th. President Trump in one of his final tweets before his Twitter account was taken away announced that he would skipping that, becoming the first president since 1869 to do so.

So clearly a rift between the two men. Aides say that Pence is focused now on ensuring a smooth transition and ensuring that the president- elect has everything he needs to fight the coronavirus when he takes office in a little more than a week, Victor and Christi.

PAUL: Well, and it seems the president may be focusing on a potential legal team. Give us an idea of the glimpses that we are getting into this team that he may try to assemble if he's facing another impeachment trial. WESTWOOD: Christi, sources say that President Trump is considering Rudy Giuliani and Alan Dershowitz to join his legal defense team for this potential second impeachment. It's notable because Giuliani has played a leading role in promoting the conspiracy theories that are at the heart of why the president is being impeached in the first place.

Also notable that lawyers who joined the president for his first impeachment who defended them on the House floor then, such as Pat Cipollone and Jay Sekulow, they are not expected to play a role in this impeachment. In fact, White House counsel Pat Cipollone has considered resigning over the past few days in response to the president's incitement of violence.

[06:05:05]

So this legal defense team going to look different than the last one. Also a lot less time for the president to put it together, Victor and Christi, as this is expected to start moving as soon as tomorrow.

PAUL: Because there is a limited time period here. Sarah Westwood, always appreciate seeing you. Thank you.

And listen, new this morning is House Speaker Nancy Pelosi telling lawmakers to prepare to return to Washington next week. This obviously another sign that House Democrats could move to impeach the president.

BLACKWELL: CNN national correspondent Suzanne Malveaux is on Capitol Hill. Suzanne, that letter going out saying it's time to come back or be ready, clear sign that this is moving forward?

SUZANNE MALVEAUX, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Victor, you are absolutely right. She wants people to be on stand-by ready to travel to Washington at a moment's notice so that they can go ahead and go forward with this vote. Now the House speaker, Nancy Pelosi, she has made it clear to her Democratic caucus that her first preference would be that the president resigns. They know that's not happening.

Her second choice, the option would be the vice president, the majority of the cabinet to invoke the 25th Amendment and remove him. It is becoming more and more clear that that is not going to happen and she really feels very strongly about the constitutional duty exclusively to the House, to the ability to impeach the president. They've used it before and they are not hesitant about using it again.

This in her letter to her colleagues saying, "It is absolutely essential that those who perpetrated the assault on our democracy be held accountable. There must be a recognition that this desecration was instigated by the President." There is a very strong feeling and it is growing specifically among the Democratic caucus in the House, now more than 190 who have co-sponsored this single article of impeachment to hold the president to account.

We are also seeing unlike the impeachment back in 2019 of the president, the first go round, some Republicans who are speaking out in some form or fashion who say, yes, that the president must go before January 20th. Take a listen to Senator Pat Toomey. (BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SEN. PAT TOOMEY (R-PA): I have to say I do think the president's behavior this week does disqualify him from serving. But we've got 10 days left, 11 days left. He is not going to be serving after that time.

One of the things that I'm concerned about, frankly, is whether the House would completely politicize something. I do think the president committed impeachable offenses, but I don't know what is going to land on the Senate floor, if anything.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

MALVEAUX: Some of those concerns are echoed as well by Democrats. You had the chair of the Intelligence Committee, Adam Schiff. He was the one who prosecuted the last impeachment case against the president, and he says that the messaging and even potentially the look of it could look political here because there is so little time in which the president would actually serve.

That is something that we're also hearing from some Republicans, a small group of Republicans led by Republican Ken Buck of Colorado, sent a letter to President-elect Joe Biden. And this is a group that said, yes, that the Congress should certify Joe Biden's -- the election and certify him as the president. They went against the GOP in objecting to that and they are now reaching out to him saying, look, please hold back, stand by, and tell Speaker Pelosi not to move forward with impeachment, that this is unnecessary and inflammatory.

BLACKWELL: All right. Suzanne Malveaux for us there on Capitol Hill, thank you so much.

PAUL: Let's bring in CNN contributor Garrett Graff. He's also the author of "The Only Plane in the Sky: An Oral History of 9/11." Garrett, good to have you with us. Thank you so much.

Let me ask you a question about impeachment efforts. There are questions about whether it will continue into the next administration. What is the constitutionality of that? Do we know?

GARRETT GRAFF, CNN CONTRIBUTOR: So there's actually -- both constitutional and there is precedent. We have seen this actually happen before, you know, not with presidential impeachments, but impeachments of other federal officials. It has continued after they have resigned from office, and that's partly because there are repercussions of an impeachment conviction beyond just removing from office.

It could, for instance, strip the president of his pension and travel benefits from the federal government as well as prevent him from running for federal office again in the future. And that, in many ways, is one of the things that Democrats see as most valuable in this, is that it would, a conviction by the Senate even after Donald Trump leaves office would mean that he was ineligible to run in 2024. PAUL: Well, in addition to that, I want to listen to Representative James Clyburn here because he believes the impeachment should be broadened to include what happened, you know, the allegations of obstructed -- obstruction in the runoff in Georgia.

[06:10:09]

Listen to what he said.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

REP. JIM CLYBURN (D-SC), HOUSE MAJORITY WHIP: I'm getting a little sick and tired of us allowing things like that, just let it go. We should not let that go. That is very fundamental. And so if you're going to have articles of impeachment, I think it's got to cover that action as well.

This is not just about Trump. This is about this democracy that we all hold dear. And we ought not ignore what he attempted to do with that vote down in Georgia.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

PAUL: What is the thinking that this potential impeachment should be expanded to include that?

GRAFF: I think that Representative Clyburn is exactly right. The challenge in some ways of not prosecuting through impeachment, the pattern of activity and the pattern of crimes that we have seen the president commit is, as Senator Toomey was saying earlier in the broadcast sort of simply throw up our hands, well, there is not that much time left, and the idea that the U.S. government, the president of the United States could get away with an unsuccessful attempt to influence the outcome of the election simply because it didn't work, that it came with a relatively short time span left in office seems like it's setting a bad precedent.

You know, there's a -- there's a strong argument here that Congress needs to draw a strong line in the sand and say that these actions were wrong, particularly in this department of making Republicans commit publicly to saying that this was either wrong or right, that Democrats see value in forcing Republican senators to either repudiate the president's actions or accept them, and having that vote to acquit the president to be something that they could be held politically accountable for down the road.

PAUL: OK. I want to read some new reporting in "Politico" that says this. "Other Democrats have raised concerns that impeaching Trump just before he leaves office could make him a martyr to his supporters and empower him further. And others still are wary of gathering at the Capitol for a highly charged impeachment process that could present another security risk days after this week's riot." How valid is that scenario?

GRAFF: I mean -- like it's valid and not valid. Obviously, security of the Capitol today is vastly different than it was at Wednesday at 1:00 p.m. We have already seen the Capitol with the high fencing that it didn't have before. At the same time there's -- I don't think there's any sense that not punishing the president would de-escalate the situation.

You know, you're already seeing social media calls for more attacks or protests at the Capitol. That was one of the reasons that Twitter actually moved on Friday to permanently suspend the president from Twitter was their sense that there was already ongoing incitement for further violence.

PAUL: That's a good point. And I want to point out something about the New York City Fire Department because they are saying they are cooperating with the FBI after the agency asked for information about some of their retired and active members that there are allegations that they were at the riot.

We're also learning "The Washington Post" reporting police officers and at least one police chief from departments across the United States are facing terminations, suspension or other discipline for their proximity to or involvement in -- alleged involvement in that attack on Wednesday. So what do you make of the fact that among these insurrectionists there may actually be, may be people who are essentially public servants?

GRAFF: Yes, and this is something that we, in addition to the allegations that you mentioned, we have seen reports out of Seattle that potentially Seattle police officers were also involved. This is an ongoing challenge for law enforcement that actually these white nationalists and far-right movements, the so-called militia movements, often actually have law enforcement or military ties.

This is an ongoing threat. It's one that the FBI and other domestic security agencies have been well aware of and warning about. And last Wednesday's insurrection at the Capitol was just the latest example that that is a real and valid fear.

PAUL: Garrett Graff, thank you sharing your perspective and your knowledge with us this morning.

[06:15:01]

GRAFF: Always a pleasure.

PAUL: Thank you. And be sure to watch "STATE OF THE UNION" today. Among the lawmakers Jake Tapper will be joined by Representative James Clyburn and Senator Pat Toomey. That starts today at 9:00 a.m.

BLACKWELL: Let's push forward on the breaking news out of Indonesia. Search teams say they have found wreckage of Saturday's fatal plane crash and human remains. We will get you more from Indonesia.

PAUL: And health care workers may be contributing to the slow rollout of the new coronavirus vaccine. Coming up, the reason many are passing on the offer to get vaccinated.

BLACKWELL: And pro-Trump lawyer Lin Wood, he's been removed from a social media platform, popular among conservatives after this post about Vice President Pence. We will tell you about that. More coming up.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BLACKWELL: To Indonesia now on the breaking news where search teams are looking for that missing plane that disappeared from radar Saturday.

[06:20:03]

It was just four minutes after takeoff. Well, they say they have found the crash site.

PAUL: Yes. Military officials also say they have found the plane's black boxes. And human remains and other debris are starting to surface. CNN's Kristie Lu Stout has more on the search.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

KRISTIE LU STOUT, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): The anguish is too much for some. This man showing a photo of his daughter on his cellphone. He says he was there to pick her up and fears he may never see her again. Officials say they lost contact with the Boeing 737-500 shortly after takeoff. It was last reported at an altitude of 11,000 feet. It was attempting to climb to 13,000 feet. The global flight- tracking service Flightradar24 says the plane dropped 10,000 feet in less than a minute before disappearing from radar.

Wreckage, clothing, and human remains have been pulled from the crash site in an area known as the Thousand Islands, an area 20 miles northwest of Jakarta. The Indonesian Navy found the wreckage after locating a signal from the fuselage. The Indonesian president urged people to pray for the victims.

JOKO WIDODO, INDONESIAN PRESIDENT (through translator): We will do our best to find and save the victims, and together let's pray that they can be found.

LU STOUT: Sixty-two people were onboard. Twelve crew members and 50 passengers, including seven children. A family of five, including a 7- month-old baby boy are missing and feared dead. Another family of five filmed this farewell video at the airport before boarding the doomed flight. And this preflight selfie, a mother four months pregnant sitting with her daughter and nephew. This married couple is also missing and feared dead. After giving his DNA sample to help with identification, her brother spoke to CNN.

YUDIANSYAH YUNUS, BROTHER OF MISSING PASSENGER (through translator): There were only three of us. Our father has passed away. Our mother has passed away. Now their children are orphans whom I have to take care of.

LU STOUT: The airline's CEO says the 26-year-old plane was in good condition but the flight was delayed for 30 minutes because of heavy rain. A factor along with many others Indonesian authorities will have to investigate. Kristie Lu Stout, CNN.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

PAUL: Now, Boeing initially said that it was working to get more information. Later did issue a statement saying this, "Our thoughts are with the crew, passengers, and their families. We are in contact with our airline customers and stand ready to support them during this difficult time."

BLACKWELL: Now, when considering the vaccination rollout in the U.S., this is an amazing statement from Israel's prime minister. Every citizen over 16 will be vaccinated against the coronavirus by March. That's what we're hearing. Coming up, we speak with the country's health minister about what the world can learn about its rollout.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[06:27:09]

PAUL: Twenty-six minutes past the hour. Health officials across the U.S. are starting to vaccinate more health care, more, I should say, than health care workers and nursing home residents. This is to speed up vaccination distribution.

BLACKWELL: At least 22 million vaccine doses have been distributed across the country so far, but only 6.5 million have been administered. So now some states are prioritizing seniors outside of nursing homes and workers in some high-risk jobs.

Meanwhile, Pfizer says it's ready to release millions of doses each day. That's in response to a proposal from the incoming Biden administration to release the government's entire stockpile of vaccine at once.

PAUL: And what might sound curious is that there is hesitance among some health care workers and that has played a role in the slow vaccine distribution. Here is CNN's Elizabeth Cohen.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ELIZABETH COHEN, CNN SENIOR MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Some health care workers first on the list to get COVID-19 vaccines are saying no thank you, or at least not right now.

(on camera): When you look at who is hesitant to get this vaccine, is it doctors, is it nurses, is it technicians? What types of employees?

DR. BUDDY CREECH, INFECTIOUS DISEASE SPECIALIST, VANDERBILT UNIVERSITY: When we've seen hesitancy we haven't seen it among our front line workers who have seen firsthand the effects of COVID. We are typically seeing it in younger individuals, particularly nurses or those young women who are thinking about becoming pregnant or are currently pregnant.

COHEN (voice-over): Kentucky's health commissioner says sometimes more than 30 percent of people eligible are declining the vaccine. That figure around 60 percent among staff at nursing homes in Ohio according to Governor Mike DeWine.

GOV. MIKE DEWINE (R-OH): We are not going to make them but we just, you know, wish that they had a higher compliance.

COHEN: CVS Health which is administering vaccines at nursing homes in 49 states telling CNN, "We're seeing more vaccine hesitancy among staff when compared with residents."

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Do you know if it prevents illness with the other four human coronavirus --

COHEN: At Vanderbilt University Medical Center they are holding town halls like this one to answer workers' questions and combat misinformation about the vaccine.

CREECH: There are so many things that are circulating that simply aren't true.

COHEN: On Tuesday, the surgeon general told states that if demand among health care workers was low to move on to other priority groups.

DR. JEROME ADAMS, U.S. SURGEON GENERAL: If health care workers don't want to get these vaccines in some places and you saw in Ohio that 60 percent of nursing home staff said they didn't want it, then we need to move on to the older than 75 group.

COHEN: And Ohio's governor is pleading for those nursing home workers to change their minds.

DEWINE: I urge them and I will make this plea right now to anybody who works in a nursing home, you know, you are there working very hard. You have a risk, but also the people in that nursing home have a risk. And this shot does work and it is, in fact, very, very safe.

COHEN: Elizabeth Cohen, CNN reporting.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BLACKWELL: Israel is being praised as a model for rapid vaccine distribution.

[06:30:02]

Yesterday, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu received his second dose of the coronavirus vaccine. Now, he's also promised every Israeli citizen over 16 will be vaccinated by the end of March. But now the country is experiencing a third surge in new infections and has just implemented new lockdown restrictions.

Joining me now is Israel's Health Minister Yuli Edelstein. Minister Edelstein, thank you so much for being with me. First here, the Prime Minister says just 12 more weeks to vaccinate the entire country with this new spike and the lockdowns, is that still a reality?

YULI EDELSTEIN, ISRAEL HEALTH MINISTER: Unfortunately, we, as you just mentioned, are driving two parallel cars. One is the car of the vaccine that is really speeding, we already have 72% of our over 60 population vaccinated. We have the majority of our health works vaccinated. Having said all that, in parallel, we see a surge in numbers of both newly infected and those hospitalized.

And I do understand that it's a very difficult race. We are trying to speed up the vaccination. Having said that, the government decided upon our recommendation as Health Ministry to start a new lockdown, I hope it will help us to bring the numbers down a bit.

BLACKWELL: And do you expect that you will not be able to keep that promise of vaccinating everyone over 16 by the end of March?

EDELSTEIN: No, I don't see any reason why not. I know it sounds like imaginary numbers, but taking into consideration the fact that in just three weeks, we vaccinated 1.8 million people. Let's remind you that our country is 9 million people all at all, over a quarter of the population are under 16. So it sounds pretty realistic.

We, right now, running meetings in the Health Ministry in order to make sure that the start of the second dose, as we speak, we're starting giving out second dose to medical teams and those over 60 goes smoothly. And we'll, in addition, be able to start vaccinating new groups of population at this stage, for example, teachers and others,

BLACKWELL: Several cases of the variant, the South African variant of the coronavirus have been discovered in Israel, what do you know about those carriers? Were they -- had they recently traveled or these traveled, these been transmitted via community spread?

EDELSTEIN: We now know four cases, all of them can be traced to South Africa, indeed. But unfortunately, we all understand that if we have four cases, there's a very high probability that we have additional cases here in Israel. At this stage, we're very happy to hear Pfizer announcing that there is no reason to believe that the vaccination doesn't work against this new variant, new mutation. We are closely following what is happening with it.

BLACKWELL: The World Health Organization says that it made an informal request to the Israeli government to provide 10,000 doses to Gaza and the West Bank to healthcare workers there. The response the World Health Organization says received from Israel to that request was, "we can't supply them at the moment." Why can't Israel supply those?

EDELSTEIN: Well, I do have to say, I happened to be the health minister in this country. I didn't get any formal requests from WHO. We are closely cooperating with this organization. I don't know anything about this request.

And to be quite frank with you, we are not waiting for requests. We are cooperating with the Palestinians in order to make sure that they give proper treatments to coronavirus patients. At this stage, we are not supplying vaccines but we do understand that it's, in Israel's interest, to make sure that we don't get the dissociation where we are vaccinated and out of the struggle. And on the Palestinian side, there's another surge in numbers. So we'll find a way to cooperate on that in the future.

BLACKWELL: So you say it's in Israel's interest, do you not believe it's Israel's obligation?

EDELSTEIN: Absolutely. I think that it's our interest. That doesn't mean in any way that it's our obligation or responsibility. The Palestinians are running Palestinian authority. And, By the way, I do have to say to compliment them on the fact that I understand that they reach their own agreements on supply of vaccines.

[06:35:00]

But as it has been happening in the last several months, we were always ready to help with equipment with good advice, with protocols, with some medicine. And this kind of cooperation, it will continue because as I've said, we're intertwined. And it's in our interest to make sure that there is no surge in numbers there.

BLACKWELL: The Amnesty International put out a statement saying it's the obligation under the 50, Article 56 of the Fourth Geneva Convention. But final thing on this, will there be a public released plan on the numbers of doses that will be going to Gaza and the West Bank, instead of just support and coordination? Will there be a public plan that's released?

EDELSTEIN: At this stage, we are vaccinating Israeli citizens. It's quite obvious that Israel as any other country in the world is, first and foremost, obliged to its own citizens. But as I've said, we are in touch. Unfortunately, the Palestinians prefer not to turn to us directly and not to come with the public requests.

But having said all of that, we understand, once again, that whenever we can help, we should help and that's exactly what we are doing. We put politics aside at this stage. We're all fighting the same coronavirus and this is how Israel behaves at this stage.

BLACKWELL: Israeli Health Minister Yuli Edelstein, thank you so much for your time this morning.

EDELSTEIN: Thank you for having me, Victor.

BLACKWELL: Christi?

PAUL: Well, could Twitter's decision to permanently ban President Trump galvanized the President's base against big tech? Brian Stelter is with us next to talk about that.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[06:41:06]

BLACKWELL: Well, he has only 10 days left in office, but President Trump apparently is not done fighting big tech.

PAUL: Yes. An adviser to the President tell CNN, President Trump is preparing to lean into his fight with Twitter and other social media platforms this week using his permanent suspension from Twitter as an opportunity to shift attention away from Wednesday's attempted coup of the Capitol Building.

CNN's Chief Media Correspondent Brian Stelter here with us now. That would be from his playbook, wouldn't it? I mean, playing to his base and kind of moving the needle to focus on something else.

BRIAN STELTER, CHIEF MEDIA CORRESPONDENT: Right, it would. But it doesn't get much more shameful than this. White House aides talking about a narrative shift Trump adviser saying they want people to talk about big technology and not the riot.

You know what, I have had enough of this talk that they can try to change the narrative, that they can try to divert attention, how about focusing on the funerals? How about focusing on the fact that this President hasn't even had the flags in Washington lowered to half- staff in respect for the Capitol Police officer who was killed, who was attacked? How about that? How about some focus on that?

You know, I think what's clear, Victor and Christi, in last couple days, we've seen more and more videos of the riot from different angles, visuals that we didn't see live on Wednesday. It's become more and more clear, this attack was even more violent than we saw live on TV. This was even more treacherous. Trump's behavior was even more disturbing than we knew in real time.

We were minutes away from a possible massacre of lawmakers in our country, in our seat of government. And, you know, I actually think as the days go on, and people process this trauma, and we see more and more of these videos. The story becomes bigger and it becomes worse.

So good luck, Mr. President, talk about big technology. I'm sure that his super fans, the most loyal of his fans, will go along with that petty attempted diversion. But I think the vast majority of Americans will see through it.

BLACKWELL: Yes. There's, reportedly, is going to be some trip to the border wall in the last few days. This is --

STELTER: Yes, that too. Right, right.

BLACKWELL: I mean, we are focusing on the attempted coup. And when you see that 92nd video, the one that stands with me, is the officer who was slammed in the door screaming for help with blood coming out of his mouth. So much for the talk of back in the blue.

Listen, Parler, this social media platform that conservatives were rushing to, now is having troubles of its own.

STELTER: This is really important. Parler was promoted as being Twitter without the rules. It was seen as a new place for conservatives to go because they felt Twitter was censoring them even though censorship is the wrong word, because it's not a first amendment issue. Twitter is a private platform.

So, Parler was gaining some support. It was number one in the Apple App Store yesterday. But now, Google has banned Parler. Apple is taking action against Parler and Amazon is taking action against Parler. So, we are seeing these (inaudible) companies not just step in to remove Trump because they're afraid Trump will incite violence. They're also concerned about these far right platforms.

Notably, this attorney Lin Wood, who is a celebrity attorney on the right because he would file lawsuits against conservatives perceived enemies. He posted on Parler the other day calling for the execution of Mike Pence saying, the exact words, "Get the firing squads ready, Pence goes first."

Now, Lin Wood's messages on Parler have been taken down. The Secret Service says, it is aware of that threat. Wood, for his part, says he made no threat. He tells CNN's Evan Perez, I do not believe in violence. I was making a rhetorical hyperbole. But he still believes he says that the vice president committed treason. And this is the problem that we have in this country in the days and weeks and months to come.

That's so much bigger than the outgoing president. It's that millions of minds have been poisoned. And these platforms have encouraged the poison to be spread. And now a lot of these platforms have regrets. And that's why Google and Apple and Amazon are all taking action against Parler this weekend.

[06:45:08]

PAUL: Hmm, it is extraordinary. Brian Stelter, thank you, sir, so much.

STELTER: Thanks. And, listen, be sure to watch "RELIABLE SOURCES" more with Brian this morning at 11:00 am right here on CNN.

BLACKWELL: So let's talk sports. Wild turn, the NFL Playoffs. Tom Brady looking for his seventh Super Bowl. He had his hands full against the guy who wasn't even on the team last month.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

PAUL: Thirty-nine minutes past the hour and restrictions due to the pandemic have really taken such a grim toll on businesses across the nation. You've got the reduced capacity and the social distancing rules, and that's made it really tough for some to stay on business.

[06:50:00]

BLACKWELL: And some black businesses have been especially hard hit. CNN's Adrienne Broaddus has more on how they're trying to survive.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ADRIENNE BROADDUS, CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): This roller skating rink in Chicago is a gym.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: This Rink has been open to community for 45 years. DARIUS SANDERS, NATIONAL FIGURE ROLLERSKATER: It's like a second family because everybody knows each other and they're very close.

BROADDUS (voice-over): Featured in the Showtime series "The Shine" and the HBO documentary "United States."

RAMONA POUNCY, OWNER, THE RINK: People come in here all the time and they say to us, you don't know how skating has saved my life.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It definitely saved my life because I was doing a lot of things back in my time.

BROADDUS (voice-over): Ramona Pouncy and her husband owned The Rink where she learned to skate. Pouncy says The Rink also gives kids a safe haven.

POUNCY: Adrienne, we had, on a Friday night, pre-COVID, 400 kids and teenagers in this building.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: See that old car there? 1974.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It was an old electrical company, and they turned into a skating rink.

BROADDUS (voice-over): Four decades, The Rink on the city south side remained open every day until last April.

POUNCY: When COVID first hit, everything shut down.

BROADDUS (voice-over): The Rink remained closed three months.

POUNCY: You go from 400 people in a building to nothing, and we still have a 35,000 square feet facility that we have to keep up.

BROADDUS (voice-over): COVID restrictions mean the space can only hold 25% of the 800 person capacity. When The Rink closed, the bills didn't stop.

POUNCY: Oh gosh, thousands and thousands.

BROADDUS (voice-over): Pouncy is determined to keep the doors open, opening a skate shop, selling everything you need for skates from wheels to bearings. Pouncy secured a small business alone but said they were only eligible for a certain amount.

Black-owned businesses are shutting down twice as fast compared to whites. According to a report released by the Federal Reserve, an estimated 41% of black-owned businesses across the country shut down between February and April

STEVE FULTON, SHOESHINNER: Already hard for us to establish a business.

BROADDUS (voice-over): For the first time, Steve Fulton found himself in line at a food bank.

FULTON: My business has went down from 100% almost down to like 10% or non-existent.

BROADDUS (voice-over): For 15 years, he's made old shoes look new.

FULTON: I'm on the verge of being evicted from my home.

BROADDUS (voice-over): Soon. Stevie says his car will provide more than a ride.

FULTON: I'll be living in my vehicle or one of these shelters for me.

POUNCY: We struggle, so we do the best we can with what we have.

BROADDUS (voice-over): Determined to get back up and keep standing. Adrienne Broaddus, CNN, Chicago.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I see you.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

PAUL: And a reminder for you here, on January 20th we hope that you can be with us, CNN, for all day live coverage of "The Inauguration of President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris." It's a history making event in unprecedented times.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[06:57:20]

PAUL: Well, Tom Brady took the first step toward another Super Bowl but he had to work for it

BLACKWELL: Coy Wire is here. Coy, apparently big difference between these quarterbacks.

COY WIRE, SPORTS CORRESPONDENT: Yes, good morning to you. This would have made for an incredible underdog story, Washington, just the fifth NFL team to ever make the playoffs with a losing record. But a lot of fairy tales have been crushed by the GOAT, Tampa rolling with Tom Brady. The sixth time Super Bowl champion, playing in his 42nd postseason game.

On the other sideline, Taylor Heinicke making just a second career start. He wasn't even on an NFL roster at the start of December. And Brady, at 43 years young throwing the ball as good as he ever had, pinpoint pass here to Chris Godwin. Brady throws at 381 yards and two touchdowns. Heinicke, though, check out the boxy ph. The scramble in the 30 goes full on Superman stretching out like a pair of spanx (ph) on a sperm whale for this score, Bringing Washington within two.

And then, throwing the rock to the strike to see the stem from the fourth, toe tapping in the end zone bringing Washington within a score again. Incredible efforts for Heinicke all night but not enough. Tampa wins 31-23

All right. A hold your breath moment in the Rams Seahawks game. Rams playing with backup quarterback John Wolford, with Jared Goff just 12 days out of thumb surgery. And Wolford takes a hit to the head area, who would be taken to the hospital but would be OK, was actually back in the locker room after the game. The Rams' defense would have to step up. And they stepped in front of Russell Wilson's pass here, Darious Williams with of the beautiful picks six (ph). They stepped all over Wilson too, sacking in five times. The Rams upset the Seahawks in Seattle 30 to 20.

Let's go to Buffalo. Fans in the stands for the first time this season, 6,700 there to witness the Bills' first playoff in 25 years. Josh Allen wasn't even born yet. Now, he's leading the franchise with incredible throws like this. Stefan James for the score, and celebration afterwards as a whole vibe, three touchdowns for Allen.

But NB (ph) did have a chance in the final seconds, Philip Rivers, even a Hail Mary, but Micah Hyde steps in and knocks it down. Bills went 27-24 in the stands, on the streets, around Buffalo emotions are real. This is a moment they're not going to soon forget.

More playoff action today, the Browns playing in Pittsburgh. Christi, your Browns, they're playing the first playoff game in 18 years and they're going to be without their coach of the year candidate Kevin Stefanski and four players all due to COVID.

PAUL: I know. You know that we'll be watching that. But I find it interesting y'all give me grief about my love for Ohio. We took a lot of time on the Bills there. Why do you think we did that?

WIRE: I wanted to lead with it. I want to do all segment breakout even in the top of the A. But, you know, we settle for what we can get.

PAUL: Coy used to play for the Bills --

BLACKWELL: Yes.

PAUL: -- just for any of you who may not know, and it was well- deserved his time there. And we're grateful to have you here, Coy.

WIRE: Thank you both.

BLACKWELL: Spanx (ph) on a sperm whale, OK. That will be coming back at some point. Coy Wire, thanks so much.

PAUL: All right. The next hour of NEW DAY starts right now.