Transcripts For CNNW New Day With Alisyn Camerota And John Berman 20201218

Story. Reporter the pandemic ravaging the nation. Thursday, the United States reported more than 233,000 new infections and over 3,200 deaths. More than 114,000 americans are currently hospitalized with coronavirus. The 12th straight day of record hospitalizations. We have another couple of dark months ahead of us if we dont do something at this point to try to stop this dreadful upward curve of hospitalizations and cases and deaths. This is not the moment to be throwing down your guard and gathering for the holidays, like nothing was happening. We have a lot of trouble here in front of us. Reporter 48 states have Positivity Rates above 5 over the past week, including pennsylvania, which recorded more than 10,000 new cases on thursday, and a test Positivity Rate of nearly 39 . In neighboring ohio, more than 11,000 cases reported. Theres nothing to be happy about, as we look at these numbers. Reporter california, a major hot spot for this wave of the pandemic. In just the last two days, the state has reported more than 109,000 new cases. I would estimate at this point probably 1 in 50 people in l. A. County may be infected. And thats going to include people you know and you care about and who are in your family. Anybody can become infected. And anybody may be infected. And youve got to keep your distance, wear your mask. Reporter in southern california, icu beds are at 0 capacity. Something Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti had warned would happen by christmas eve. Los angeles is looking at ways to up capacity, such as converting regular hospital beds for icu units. And setting up triage tents in parking lots of hospitals. One Hospital Administrator conveyed to me in a zoom call that if we see a similar spike after christmas, and these were his words, we will go under. Reporter but as hospitals across the country face the brunt of the surge, the food and drug administrations Vaccine Advisory Committee recommending modernas Coronavirus Vaccine be granted emergency use authorization. The data that was presented to us was very strong. The efficacy was consistent across all the age groups. They included people with chronic conditions. Reporter and as for the moderna vaccine, it needs the final greenlight from the fda and the cdc. That is likely to happen this weekend with hopefully the vaccine being administered next week. And were also learning that vss and walgreens will begin administering the vaccines in longterm facilities beginning today. Dan simon for us in san francisco. Dan, thank you so much. We have something very special right now. Joining us, cnn chief medical correspondent, dr. Sanjay gupta. He is live at Grady Memorial Hospital in atlanta and sanjay, along with dr. Valerie montgomery, about to receive the Coronavirus Vaccine. And we will see sanjay get it live. Sanjay, before that happens, we want to talk for a few minutes about where we are as a country. And this is so important, because as positive as the news is with people starting to get the vaccine, that you will get in just seconds, we are seeing more death now than we have ever seen. We are seeing more hospitalizations than we have ever seen. In the imhe model, the one the government relies on and we all watch so closely came out with a revision overnight, which has raised the level of projected death to 560,000 by april 1st. It had been as low as 502,000 a few days ago. Theyre now saying 561,000 dead by april 1st. Its staggering, why . Yeah, john, look, i mean, as important as this vaccine is, the basic Public Health measures that were supposed to go into effect and make such a big difference, many of those things still havent happened in many places. If you look around the country, what you find is that once we hit certain benchmarks in this country, roughly, for example, eight deaths per Million People, and that was 2,400 deaths, you are smoeupposed to see these mitigation efforts start to happen around the country. The country supposed to compensate like the body compensates when its in trouble, when a disease has spread. Thats not happening. It was expected to happen, and as a result, the numbers continue to go up. Its a concern. Theres no question. Who knows where these models go. Were starting to look from moderate Case Scenarios to worstCase Scenarios, as a result of that. And its not surprising to the people who are making these models that the numbers continue to go up. Well see, john, if states start to respond or not, but thats the big concern. Again, the vaccine is wonderful, but the vaccine is a really big tool that takes a while to work. And thats a message that you you know, we need to convey to people over and over again. The masks are here to stay, along with all of those other measures, as we know. I think that california really that really made me sit up this morning when we saw some of the most recent numbers, specifically out of l. A. County. Two deaths being reported per hour. Were talking about icus that are basically full. The Ripple Effect of that, sanjay, cant be underscored enough. No, i mean, youre running into a situation where you just dont have beds. At the beginning of this, when youre looking at the northeast, if you had a situation where there werent enough beds, you can at least adapt to regional structure, to move patients to different parts of the region or even different parts of the country. Thats difficult when every place that you might send patients is also struggling with resources, beds, manpower, whatever it might be. So, you know, you have to sort of think about this idea that, what are the escape hatches here. They talk about the fact that they dont have any icu beds in some of these communities, what does that mean, exactly . If someone needs icu care, theyre going to have to triage and make some tough decisions. Theyve been anticipating this and have been doing a great job trying to find the Square Footage and take care of these patients, but its a real challenge and a situation we did not have to be in right now. All right, sanjay. You are at Grady Memorial Hospital in atlanta, along with dr. Valerie montgomery rice. You are both receiving the vaccine now. Ill let you take it away and walk us through this process. Yep, i am here with my old friend, dr. Valerie montgomery rice, the president and dean of the moorhouse school of medicine. Ive got to say, i want to Say Something before we start, because, you know, im sort of in an interesting position, right . I work here as a health care worker, therefore im getting the vaccine. Health care workers are more at risk. Ive also been covering the story so intensely for a year. Ive talked to the people who make these vaccines, ive talked to the fda commissioner, ive talked to the data scientists. A i am comfortable getting this vaccine. And yet there are still so many people who are still not comfortable. And i was surprised, dr. Rice, even here at grady, about a third of people, Health Care Workers, say they would get it, a third say they need more information, and a third say they would not get it. That kind of surprised me. So a couple of questions. First of all, youre totally comfortable getting this vaccine . Totally comfortable, totally comfortable. How have you approached this decision for yourself . For me, personally, as a clinician scientist, i have followed all the data. I listened in at the aicp, im on one of the, nih panels, so have had the opportunity to look at the phase 0, phase 1, phase 2. But like you, i have gotten a lot of calls from people. So over the last couple of weeks, three of my mentes called me who were on the front line, i dont know if im going to take this vaccine. I said, really . Were scientists, so lets go through the data. Went through the data with them, and then even just yesterday, one of my staff people came in to me, we were in the office, and she says, dr. Rice, my husband is on the front line and he works in one of the technical areas, but hes on the front line, in a hospital, and hes concerned about taking it. I went through the data with her and said, you know, this is probably one of the most important steps that we can make to mitigate the virus and do the Health Prevention measures that weve been doing. Was there something about the data that stuck out to you specifically for black americans . When i looked at the pfizer data, about 3,900 blacks, right, who were fwin there. When you looked at the ones who got the vaccine, about 1,900 or so, very effective. Even more so effective than the other demographics. And the early data that i looked at from moderna yesterday, the blacks who were in the vaccine treatment arm, 100 effective. And so, it does show that it is not were not seeing a distinction that is negative based on race or ethnicity, age, or even obesity. So thats very positive to me. Do you think this issue of Vaccine Hesitancy, especially among black americans is addressable . Or is this going to change, do you think . I think it is addressable. Were already seeing it. Back in august, when we first started the black coalition against covid19, the black the four black historical medical schools, weve been doing these town halls. In fact, we did one last night. About 30,000 to 40,000 people on there. And we are starting to see a difference in the number of people saying that they would continue to think about it, but now moving on from Vaccine Hesitancy to vaccine acceptance. And then the Kaiser Family foundation, initially in august, 60 of people said they wouldnt. It was down to 42 or 45 . So were making some progress. But its about communication, communication, communication, and demonstrating and modeling. So thats what were kind of here for today, right . Absolutely. And again, ill say it. Ive been following this for a year, from the beginnings of this vaccine. I am totally comfortable taking it. I feel its important to say. You are comfortable taking it. There is a reason why people are i dont want to minimize peoples hesitations, especially when it comes to black americans. The history of medical science and medical experimentation, i think is a word i can use, has really fostered some of this, right . Yes. If we went back and people can name the mississippi appendectomy studies, people can name tuskegee, people can name even some of the modern day things where were hearing that women in georgia, who are being having hysterectomies unnecessarily. But what we know thats different now, is that there are black scientists in the room where decisions being made. There are black scientists who are in the development of the vaccine. There are black scientists who are on the fda advisory panel. There are black scientists on the acip. There are black scientists on the cdc advisory boards. And there are people like me who are looking at the data, helping to interpret it, working with the national academy, giving our recommendations of the allocations. So were in the rooms where its happening. So we clearly are not going to go against ourselves, right . Because we understand how critical this is for black america and Latinx America who has been additidisproportionate affected by the virus. I would not recommend anything if i did not believe it was safe. All right. Your voice is so important. You ready to do this . Were ready. All right. Mary katherine will come in here and do the jabs. Mary katherine, thank you, i think, in advance. While were getting ready, i should tell you as well, dr. Rice is one of only three black mother daughters, harvard medical school, and your daughter just graduated, her Vascular Surgery resident. She is a Vascular Surgery resident giving her a shoutout. Weve probably embarrassed her now, so she wont forgive me for that. But yeah, so im going to sit down. We are both going to get this shot in our left arm, because we are righthanded, so they do the nondominant arms. My friends know im afraid of needles. Is that right . I dont like needles. I dont like needles. Youre a doctor. I am a doctor. Im a surgeon, too. You prescribe a lot of needles and scalpels. Its different when youre driving the needle. Its a lot different when youre driving the needle. Just relax and breathe. Big moment. Yeah, yeah. You ready . Mmhmm. All done . Thats it . Oh, piece of cake. All done. Seriously. Youre afraid of needles, that wasnt so bad. No, no, shes good. Thank you. Anytime. She has a new job. All right. This it. You know, it really does strike me that its such an amazing scientific feat, and yet its such a mundane act. Yeah, that was a piece of cake. You ready . I am ready, Mary Katherine. Thank you. I really feel good about today. I have to tell you. I feel good. Were making progress, to be able to do this at grady, as we call it, the grady. Having trained here. It has been one of the highlights of my career to be able to come back here and be a part of this continuing advancement at grady so im really excited to do this. I, by the way, as a surgeon am also a little bit afraid of needles. Yeah, thats scary. You know. Youre not wincing at all. Is it in . Its done. Its done you are really good. Oh, yeah, thats good. Thank you very much. Anytime. Do you get thanked a lot for jabbing i do, actually. Especially in the last couple of days. Seriously. Thank you very much, Mary Katherine. Youre very welcome. You got any words . You know what, i was as i think about this, i think about how honored aam, and i think about the people who several years ago, because you and i know this technology has been worked on for a while. This mission, they didnt just do it an warp speed. There have been people who have been working on this for years. And the fact that we see all of this coming together, you think about all the people who did the Animal Care Facility who worked on taking care of the animals when they were doing the preclinical studies. You think about the people who had the idea that you could actually take a genetic code and put it inside of a lipid particle, mix it with some salt and create a vaccine. You think about those people and the people who are doing the supply chain. Think about the people in kalamazoo and the big deal this is for them. I think about the u. P. S. Drivers. I think about the people who are flying the planes from who are carrying the vaccine. Its a big deal. And so im just honored. And i say thank you to all of those people. Thank you. And its important that they be protected, as well. Because theyre often most at risk. John, erica, i mean, it was a mundane sort of thing to get a shot. People have seen this so many times, but ive got to tell you, i didnt know exactly what to expect. They felt very significant. Very significant. It felt like history. It felt like history to me, sanjay. Yeah. And it felt like a moment of scientific achievement, a microcosm of the remarkable year that weve just gone through. People need to know, sanjay, first of all, that you operate on patients every week. Youre in the o. R. Every week. Youre getting you just received the shot today because you need it, based on what you do in your day job when youre not talking to us on cnn. Were so happy that you did it not just for your career, but also for the example that it sets. And now just tell us how you feel, what youre experiencing right now, and what the steps are over the next several minutes . Yeah, you know, i just have to say that, again, it is a really it feels like a very profound moment. This is sort of my day job here, Health Care Workers are more at risk. Thats why theyre at the front of the line with regard to these vaccines, but the reality is, you know, i think about my parents living down in florida. Theyre in their late 70s. I want them to be able to do what i just did. Ive been thinking about them a lot. Shooi im sure a lot of people who are watching are thinking about the people that they love. And the fact that this could help them from getting sick, 90 to 95 efficacy, its a pretty remarkable thing. What happens now, i think, were going to sit here for a little bit, i think 15 minutes or so. Theres iyou know, theres been these very few cases of allergic reactions, so in a situation like this, they monitor you for 15 minutes to see if you develop any kind of allergic reaction. Epinephrine, benadryl, things like that. Obviously, were in a hospital. You know, i should point out, its rare. It makes news, because were in the middle of all of this. Were all learning about this together. Even with other vaccines, about 1 in a Million People do have some sort of earlyic reaction. If you think about 300 Million People, weve seen hundreds of these around the country, during this rollout. So thats basically it. I think after 15 minutes or so, we are free to go, feeling like we have at least gotten the first half of our vaccination. Sanjay, you talk about what a profound moment it was for you. I have to admit, and i felt this way watching some of the vaccinations earlier this week. Perhaps its because youre a friend, perhaps its because i know you, but also listening to what dr. Montgomery rice had to say before her vaccination, as well, it is a profound, and i think, emotional moment for people in many ways, as they watch this, because the last year really has been so difficult. And im just user curious, you know, as you continue in this day job, do you think knowing that you have this first dose will impact you on a daily basis . Will it change anything in your daily life or when youre there for surgery . You know, thats a really good question, erica. I think theres a physical component to this, theres a psychological component to this. You know. Ill preface by saying this. Ive talked to so many people this year who have been, you know, who had covid of people who have lost somebody with covid. And a lot of times, it wasnt that they didnt believe that this existed, they believed it. They just didnt believe that it would happen to them. That is what it really was. And all of a sudden, they got a few symptoms one day, and then those symptoms got worse. And then they needed to be hospitalized. And then they were in the middle of the worst days of their life. Thats what happens so many times. And so you you keep this in the back of your mind. And i guess, did i really worry that i was going to get sick . You know, i was confident that i was doing things to keep myself safe. But you always worry, i guess, a little bit. And now that you think, after i get my next shot, ill be 90 plus protected from getting the symptoms of covid19, thats a pretty remarkable thing. So physically, im very confident in the vaccine. But theres a psychological sort of peace, i think, that comes with this, as well. Just to be clear. You definitely, definitely feel a little relief, right . A little relief, like youve done something. And what i hope, sanjay, that this is showing those Health Care Workers, those persons who are on the front line that we care about you. And the fact that were here getting this live is to give them confidence that this is safe. We believe its safe. And that they must do this to protect themselves. And they deserve it. Because they have been there on the front line, taking care of everybody. And now here is something to take care of themselves. Thats a good way of putting it. I hope the 30 who are sort of in doubt, we hope that you will use this as an opportunity to think about, okay, you should be sitting in this chair. And i hope they do. I hope everyone gets to sit in these chairs where we are. Sanjay, youve done half the job now, because you both need to get the second shot, and because its the pfizer vaccine, youll be getting the second shot three weeks from now. The process is halfway through for you. But is it, what, december 18th today, sanjay. And im just struck by the fact that it was january where we started learning about this virus. We didnt even know what it was. This wasnt even 12 months ago. And weve gone from that moment, that moment of mystery to this just remarkable moment of achievement. And i just wonder if you can reflect back on your personal journey through this . You know, i did not think this was going to happen, to be perfectly honest. That we could create a vaccine that we, meaning the scientists and everyone whos been working on this so quickly. You know, having said that, and really celebrating the scientific achievement, i think i really have been struck by the fact that as good as science is, science cannot necessarily rescue us from ourselves. There was so many different ways this could have gone. If you were to ask in january, even knowing what we knew out of wuhan at that point, in terms of what this virus was, how it was behaving, what the mortality rate was. I still didnt think that we would suffer as much as we did here in the United States. I didnt think that the best that we could do was be the worst in the world. I just didnt think that. I mean, were one of the wealthiest countries, we have all of these resources, we have a Public Health system, all of that. So i did not think that ultimately, we would get to the end of the year and may have a vaccine or be so dependent on the vaccine. That was something that really has sort of struck me, i think, over the last couple of months. Like, we we would not lean into the basic Public Health practices, because we were just weight for the touchdown pass, the knockout punch, the home run. Thats what we wait for. And maybe thats theist characteristic of a country that has so many resources like we do in the United States, that you cant be bothered by doing the simple things. We are tracking right now in this country what happened 102 years ago during the 1918 flu pandemic. Obviously, the population is different. Its three times greater now. But if you look at it, we track the same. Back then, they didnt have icus, they didnt have some of the therapeutics, they didnt have the resource. And even back then, basic Public Health behavior sometimes were not abided by. If we dont lean into those basic Public Health behaviors, science cant rescue us. This vaccine is so critically important, its going to take a while for it to take effect. But between now and april, the numbers you just shared, which are awful, it could save a lot of lives by just doing what were doing preventative measures. We call it the three ws, wash your hands, wear your mask, watch your distance. We cannot stop doing that. And people ask me all the time, so now that youre going to take this vaccine, are you going to stop doing any of those . No, im going to even be more diligent. Because i want to model the behavior that we know makes a difference and we will probably even when we get to 70 of people doing this, well, im a germaphobe, so im always going to be washing my hands, right . But doing those other things. I would like to take off this mask, but its just not possible right now. So weve got to keep doing what we know works and were going to keep doing that probably for the rest of the 2021. Im so struck by the fact that we talk about an mrna vaccine wrapped in these lipid particles, really created at this warp speed. Its so important. And yet the masks that we are wearing, are equal liply import. Its true. And all the other measures. I think the other thing is that, you know, we are going to continue to need to see people being tested. And quarantined and isolated. And then being able to mitigate what happens when somebody really does get infected. So we can control these hospitalization rates. And you said something the other day that was really important, that the impact of the vaccine, were going to see first, sort of an opposite expectation, right . Were going to see a decrease in the deaths. Then a decrease in hospitalizations, then a decrease in cases. And weve got to continue to say that to people, because people think because were only seeing a increase in cases, that the vaccine may not be working. But that may be because were testing more and make the tests more available. But we want to see that decrease in hospitalizations and deaths for sure. And i think thats when were going to know the vaccine is having its impact. Can we have a data get our second shots together as well . I think were going to get this little card, so we can make it a date. Not the kind of dates that i lunch would be better, but. One day, we might be able to have a date without the mask on. Well bring our spouses so theres no right. Just to be clear. For anybody whos watching. Hey, look, i dont know what that felt like for you guys watching, but it really felt momentous for us to have these vaccines. Its just hard to get a sense of this, but thflt good today. And it was less painful than the flu vaccine, for sure. I think Mary Katherine has very good skills. Okay, all right. Thank you. It felt like history. It felt like we were watching history. It felt we were watching a triumph of science. And you being willing to share this moment with all of us. To be an example for all americans in this moment, so we can all be in it together. So thank you, sanjay. Thank you, dr. Montgomery rice, for being willing to do this for us. Thanks, guys. So, so important. And in just moments, just a few minutes from now, Vice President mike pence, his wife, the second lady, and the Surgeon General will also receive the Coronavirus Vaccine live. You see pictures here as theyre preparing for that moment. Stay with us. Well be right back. 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So, try pepto® diarrhea, and remember to have it on hand every time you travel. Also try pepto®bismol liquicaps for onthego relief. To all the businesses make it through 2020. Thank you for going the extra mile. And for the extra pump of caramel. Thank you for the good food. And the good karma. Thank you for all the deliveries. Especially this one. Youve reminded us that no matter what, we can always find a way to bounce forward. So thank you, to our customers and to businesses everywhere, from all of us at comcast business. In just a matter of minutes, Vice President mike pence, his wife, and the Surgeon General will receive their Coronavirus Vaccine. Its going to happen live on tv. You can see the Surgeon General there on your screen. The man with his back to you, dr. Anthony fauci and marc short there, i believe, as well. Everybody preparing for this moment. Joining us now, cnn political analyst, maggie haberman, White House Correspondent for the new york times. Maggie, good morning. Great to see you, as always. As we look at this moment thats about to happen, its so important that were seeing the Vice President and the second lady get their vaccinations. Its so important that were seeing jerome adams get his, as well. Especially if we look back at this Kaiser Family foundation survey that came out a couple of days ago that found those most hesitant to get a vaccine include black americans, People Living in rural areas, and republicans. And republicans said because the major reason was the risks of covid19 are being exaggerated. So this is why its really important that the white house is modeling the need to get this vaccination. We have not seen the president make a move toward getting it. We have not even see the president talk about it, other than his push before the election to make sure it was done in time for his reelection effort. It is important that mike pence is showing people, as a Top Republican in the party, that this is something that he considers safe, something that he considers important. Same with jerome adams. It is important for him, because so many black americans have expressed concern about this virus. And it is going to take a while to change public sentiment, but these kind of gestures from the federal government are really important towards sending a message about the safety and efficacy of this. And the efficacy in terms of the fact that the disease, is, in fact real. Vaccines dont cesave loui vaccinations do. You have to get the shot in order for it to make a difference. Ive been waiting for this moment. What we just saw with sanjay and what were about to see with mike pence, because its going to make a lot of sense. But i was also waiting for a political moment. Tucker carlson went on tv and he questioned the validity of the vaccine. He questioned whether it was necessary. He threw shade on vaccinations. Im not going to play it again, because i dont think its helpful to americans. But you can see right there what it says on the screen, bad vaccines. And he also said, it all seems a bit much. It feels false because it is. Its too slick. Now, the reason that im highlighting this is because President Trump has the opportunity to make a huge difference. He has the opportunity to save a lot of lives. There are people who listen to him. There are people who watch what he does and what he says. If 50 of americans are hesitant to get the vaccine, he can make a difference there. But clearly part of his base, Tucker Carlson, is willing to throw shade on it. So why doesnt Tucker Carlson do this . Whats the thinking behind this . I think you laid it very well. The president for whatever reason over 40 years, he boroughs back into his base of supporters at almost every opportunity when he has the chance to rye to lead them in a different direction. He could have done wit masks at various points over this year and his followers for the most part would have listened, despite concerns about freedom and so forth. He could have made a difference there. He certainly can make a difference on the vaccine. It is notable that some of his allies are trying to throw shade on this, given the fact that there was so much protestation from the white house about democrats raising concerns about the science over the course of the year. There seems to have been some flip now. You now have the medical community making clear that they consider this vaccine safe. The president has a real role to play here. The first lady has a real role to play here. Neither of them is playing that role. The first lady did do some stuff around masks, but basically, there has been a total absence at the top, which is why mike pence doing this is so notable. In a normal world, you would not have this much attention toward the act of a Vice President getting a vaccine that his own government had worked on, trying to push out for much of this year. It is a big deal, because the president isnt doing so. And to your point again, john, he does have an obligation, its just not one hes meeting. What i dont get, maggie, he wants to take credit for operation warp speed. He wants to take credit for the development of it. But the development doesnt matter if people dont get the vaccine. I dont get the logical disconnect between. He hasnt done a thing to get people to take it. I have a theory, its a theory, but i dont think that he wants to be jabbed with a needle on live television. I just dont. I think that he considers that to be some kind of an act of weakness. And again, this is one of those moments where none of us particularly dont want to roll up our arms and have our arms jabbed on television, necessarily. But it is important. And he is choosing not to do something that could help save lives. Which also goes back to, as much as the president wants to say measuriamerica first, it n donald trump first. And this is another example. He doesnt want us to see his arm. He doesnt want us to see him get stuck with a needle. Thats about him. It is not about the country. It is not about the job that he holds. Right. I think that he has constantly acted as if he is both bystanders of his own skmirn administration and the leader who should deserve credit. And this is another example of that. I think it is going to make the job of the incoming president harder to try to convince people that this vaccine is safe and a that they should be taking it. But again, thats another thing i dont think is of particular concern to a president who has spent most of the last six weeks insisting the election was stolen from him. Again, mike pence, Surgeon General jerome adams, the second lady, they will receive the vaccine. We will bring that to you live. It will be a very important moment. Its terrific the Vice President is willing to do that live on television for america to see. You mention what had the president has been doing the last six weeks, which is questioning the validity of the election that he lost. Former National Security adviser Michael Flynn, who the president pardoned, went on tv last night and fomented this notion that the president should declare martial law. Listen to this. He could order, within the swing states, if he wanted to, he could take military capabilities and he could place them in those states, and basically rerun an election in each of those states. Its not unprecedented. I mean, these people out there talking about martial law, like its something that weve never done. Weve done martial law has been instituted 64 64 times. Weve had martial law rerun elections . I want people to fully appreciate the madness, the sheer madness of what Michael Flynn just said. And hes out there in his mind speaking on behalf of the president. Right. Or speaking to the president , right . And trying to appeal to him on what he thinks he should do. But it is to your point, it is a breathtaking statement to declare that actually the president should just go send in the military in key states where he didnt win and redo the elections there. Its breathtaking. This is a person who is the National Security adviser under President Trump. He also worked for the Obama White House, although the Obama White House fired after a couple of years in his role and tried to warn the current president about him. This is something that has become a selffueling circular ecosystem with the president and some of his allies on television where they are putting these ideas out there that are dangerous and that are not grounded in the history that hes claiming. And that, again, do not make it easier as we march towards inauguration day. Maggie haberman, thank you so much for being with us this morning, as always. Have a terrific weekend. Thanks, you too. So congress has a job to do, and theyre just not doing it. And if they dont act, thousands of americans could be evicted in the new year. Well bring you the stories of some single mothers who are desperate for help, next. Experience the power of sanctuary at the lincoln wish list sales event. Sign and drive off in a new lincoln with zero down, zero due at signing, and a complimentary first months payment. Honey honey . New nyquil severe honey is maximum strength cold and flu medicine with soothing honeylicious taste. Nyquil honey. The nighttime, sniffling, sneezing, coughing, aching, stuffy head, fever best sleep with a cold medicine. She said it was like someone else was controlling her mouth. Her doctor said she has tardive dyskinesia, which may be related to important medication she takes for her depression. Td can affect different parts of the body. [narrator] in todays trying times, were here to help you manage td. Visit talkabouttd. Com for a doctor discussion guide to prep for your next appointment in person, over the phone, or online. We were so relieved to learn there are treatments for td. Since really the beginning of the pandemic, fear of eviction has been a widespread problem across the country. But it is about to get worse. Come january, payments will be due for thousands of renters and for many people who are still out of work, the hold on evictions was their only saving grace. Minorities, communities of color tend to be hit the hardest in this moment. Cnns nick valencia is now with us live in atlanta with more. And nick, these are stories these stories are symbolic of people that i think many of us know in our own communities and this is the reality and the countdown theyre facing. I think weve all heard the stories and seen the numbers. And just like with covid19, erica, its people of color who are disproportionately at risk of being evicted during this pandemic. You mentioned that federal moratorium thats expected to end on december 31st. We wanted to see the real stories here on the ground, so we spent the day yesterday with single mothers who are expecting to be out on the streets if that moratorium isnt extended. Reporter like so many others behind on their rent, jasmine cruz says shes living on borrowed time. A federal halt on evictions is set to expire december 31st. Cruz, a single mother, who owes her landlord two months of rent, was recently issued a warrant to pay it. Every day, she wakes up expecting to be evicted. Im 25 years old, im a single mother, and i try on my own, off of like one income, its not easy. Ive been struggling. Reporter now with a 2monthold son, no job, and unable to pay for child care during the pandemic, she looks after her son fulltime. With nowhere else to go and no one to count on, cruz came here to the thrive resource center. Operated out of a makeshift office in an apartment complex, Monica Delancy helps those in atlanta who are at risk of being evicted. All are either black or latino and delancy knows their story well. They put me out last year, year to the date, with a christmas tree, on a cold day like this, with the christmas tree. If you have to move, we want you to move with dignity. We want you to move and pack your things up and well find you a place, but we dont want to be forced out, because kids do not know how to get over that. Adults can, kids dont know how to. Reporter kids like 9yearold fantasia, who lives with her grandmother, garnell hodge. Hodge lost her job in the Service Industry because of covid. Last week, hodge says fantasia started to realize how bad things were when the family got an eviction notice. I dont have anywhere to go, because prices are so high, and i dont have much income. Reporter black and latino families consistently report low confidence in the ability to pay rent during the pandemic, according to the national lowincome housing coalition, communities of color are the hardest hit by the eveviction c and represent 80 of people facing eviction. In atlanta, united way says 95 of the families they help facing eviction are black. Like i said, 2,500 applications in process. And there are thousands more. And youre getting to the point where you cant accept, you cant help everybody that needs help. We cannot help. The funding expires end of december. That is the biggest plea we have. Theres some way we can extend it, so that we can keep helping families. Reporter the sad reality is not everyone is going to get help. Here outside of the united way, theyre only able to help people who live within the city limits. Thousands have been turned away during this pandemic. Thats thousands who are either unaware or unable to find resources. And erica, ive got to tell you, our crew really got some perspective here on just who is the hardest hit by this pandemic. Great reporting, nick. Its so important, and what really stuck with me is what Monica Delancy said, its about being able to move with dignity. Dignity matters. And so many people in this country who are facing these issues, they deserve to have their dignity in tact. Nick, thank you. Reporter thats right. Well, with that, we know theres still no stimulus deal. Congress not getting it done. And now the threat of a Government Shutdown tonight if congress cant come to an agreement. Well speak with a top democratic congressman, next. Lets get checked for a full range of conditions. Lets get fast, accurate results. Introducing letsgetchecked Health Testing you do at home. Know your health. Know yourself. Order now at letsgetchecked dot com try optum perks. Its a new way to save up to 80 . And everyone can do it. 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Some people taking otezla reported weight loss. Your doctor should monitor your weight and may stop treatment. Upper respiratory tract infection and headache may occur. Tell your doctor about your medicines and if youre pregnant or planning to be. Otezla. Show more of you. But you can work out anything wowith comcast business. W. Get fast, reliable, and secure internet on the nations largest gig speed network. Flexible tools like wifi you control. Voice solutions that connect you from anywhere. And expert advice here, here, or even here. Be fast. Be flexible. Bounce forward with comcast business. Get started with a powerful internet and voice solution for just 64. 90 a month. Plus, for a limited time, ask how to get a 500 prepaid card when you upgrade. Switch today. Leaders scrambling to finalize a 900 billion Coronavirus Relief bill, but its growing increasingly likely that Congress Wont be able to get the long awaited plan through both chambers ahead of a Government Shutdown. Joining me now is congressman Hakeem Jeffries he is the chair of the House Democratic caucus. Thanks so much for being with us. Good morning. Whats going on . How close are you to a deal . I think were extremely close and we hope to be able to get this done if not today at some point tomorrow or over the weekend. We will remain in washington for as long as it takes to provide the American People with the relief that they need. This is a once in a century pandemic, it requires a once in a century congressional response that is meaningful, comprehensive and continuing. Whats the hold up . Well, its a 900 billion deal and so we want to make sure we dot every i, cross every t to address the pain, suffering and death that the American People are experiencing from our perspective, we want to make sure that we obviously extend out Unemployment Insurance benefits, that we have direct payment checks to the American People, that we provide assistance for child care needs, for housing needs, extend out the foreclosure and Eviction Moratorium and also make sure that were dealing with the Food Insecurity issues that so Many Americans across the country are confronting at this moment. We expect that an agreement will be reached, we have heard that from Speaker Pelosi and mitch mcconnell. We expect that this will be a down payment on what needs to happen moving forward under a biden administration. What are the hold ups we understand from reports is that there now seems to be an effort among some republicans to limit the ability of the fed to put more money into the system to help people, a decision that could have an impact into the beginning of the biden administration. Is this something that concerns you . What impact would that have . It definitely concerns me. We should not put the Incoming Administration into a straitjacket, particularly when the response of the Current Administration has been an unmitigated disaster and the president has been missing in action for weeks now as the American People suffer. So why in the world would we limit the ability of the next president of the United States and his administration to crush the virus, to provide direct assistance and relief to the American People and to revive our economy . Its irresponsible and i dont expect that we will allow it to happen. Possible the government shuts down . Theres no circumstance where the government will shut down. If there is a need to pass a shortterm 24hour or so continuing resolution in order to allow the negotiations to come to a close, that will happen, but as i mentioned, john, we are here under we get this done for the people. You are chair of the House Democratic caucus. Your caucus will be have a much narrower majority than ever before. Now that deb haaland if she is confirmed to be the secretary of the interior you will have a majority of just three votes. How will that complicate your life . Well, were going to remain unified. First of all, i think its important to acknowledge the historic significance and importance of this nomination of deb haaland, shes been an extraordinary member of congress, she will be an extraordinary secretary for Indian Country and for all of america. Were going to operate in a unified fashion, were going to proceed with precision on behalf of the American People and we will have a president who we can work with to build back better for the people. Precision a euphemism for no margin of error. I can see the smile on your face as you were saying that. Listen, congressman, i want to ask you about the vaccine. Were waiting for Vice President mike pence to get the vaccine, he will seen it in just minutes along with the Surgeon General jerome adams. The attending physician of the capitol made clear that all house members are eligible to receive the vaccine. Its about continuity of leadership. Its something that can be an example to the American People. When do you anticipate that you will get the vaccine . Well, im not sure. I am waiting for guidance from the Public Health officials. We want to make sure that the First Responders have gotten vaccinated in my Home Community throughout the city and beyond the country. It is my understanding that there is some sort of National Security directive that the congressional physician has made reference to in terms of continuity of government. Its also important for us to set an example, particularly in the Africanamerican Community where there is a great deal of skepticism about being vaccinated, that the vaccine is safe, effective and necessary in order to help us crush this virus and move beyond the pandemic, but i do want to be respectful of the First Responders here in d. C. , in my Home Communities and throughout the country. Yeah, i get that, and i think everyone is sensitive to that. Dr. Sanjay gupta who just received the vaccine a few minutes ago on our air, he wanted to make clear to the people that he is not skipping the line. No one is talking about skipping the line. Sanjay got it because he is in the operating room every week. In theory you would get the vaccine because you are a member of congress and a leader in the Africanamerican Community and can set an example. When you talk to the members of your caucus is this something that you will encourage them all to do . Well, you know, its not an issue that has really come up yet because i think we are all focused on trying to arrive at this agreement to be able to provide the relief to the American People that they so desperately need. You know, we acted in the house on may 15th with a 3. 4 trillion package, the heroes act, then we acted again on october 1st. Now we are here on the eve of christmas almost still waiting for our republican colleagues in the senate and the president to get their act together. Hopefully we can get this done this weekend and then we can proceed to addressing these issues connected to the vaccination. Look, i know the American People, people who are unemployed, people in need right now are looking at capitol hill saying there is no reason needed to take this long, so, please, on behalf of them, get it done as quickly as you can. Thats the plan. Congressman jeffreys, we appreciate your time this morning. Thanks so much for being with us. Thank you, john. Moments from now you are looking at live pictures, we will watch the Vice President , the Surgeon General receive the Coronavirus Vaccine live. New day continues right now. Announcer this is new day with Alisyn Camerota and john berman. All right. Welcome to our viewers in the United States and all around the world, this is new day. Erica hill in for alisyn today. What a morning. What a morning is right. It has been remarkable to see. It has felt historic, you probably watched it live moments ago, cnns dr. Sanjay gupta getting the Coronavirus Vaccine live on tv. That was the moment it happened. He didnt wince at all. Ive got to say that was just such an amazing moment. And just moments from now were going to see the Vice President of the United States, mike pence, his wife karen pence and the Surgeon General jerome adams, they will be vaccinated live on tv. This is something people need to see. This is something thats good for all of us to see. Obviously Scientists Say that the vast majority of americans need to get vaccinated in order to crush the virus. And we need to crush that virus because this important moment comes as the u. S. Just suffered its third deadliest day of the pandemic. Hospitalizations hitting yet another record high and just looking at california, that state struggling with a crippling surge. The mayor of los angeles worrying about a systemwide crisis as icu capacity in the county falls to 0 . Joining us now cnn chief medical correspondent dr. Sanjay gupta and cnn White House Correspondent kaitlan collins. We are about two minutes away from Vice President pence getting the vaccine. Sanjay, very quickly, what will he go through that you just went through . Its going to feel i think pretty mundane for him. I have to tell you, ive gotten a lot of shots, we probably all have throughout our lives, there wa