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Connect the World
New COVID Variant Has Reached The United States; Andy Slavitt: We Need More Tools For COVID Variants; CNN Speaks To One Of United States House Members Who Wrote To Blinken Urging Adjustments In U.S./Saudi Relationship; United States Pauses Arms Sales To Saudi Arabia, UAE; Basketball Icon Magic Johnson Speaks To CNN; Training The Next Generation Of Journalists. Aired 11a-12p ET
Aired January 29, 2021 - 11:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
[11:00:00]
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
ANNOUNCER: Live, from CNN, Abu Dhabi. This is "Connect the World" with Becky Anderson.
BECKY ANDERSON, CNN ANCHOR: This hour, a single shot, but not a sure shot. We've got new vaccine information for you, folks, as much as we do to fight
it, the Coronavirus is changing, it's evolving, and looks to dance around the defenses that we are trying to throw up against it.
But we are putting together a fast-evolving response as a world. That's why tonight we are looking at the vaccines that are available, and indeed, the
variants. Right now, the White House getting that sense from its COVID team during a virtual briefing newly on their agenda, another vaccine, this time
from Johnson & Johnson it is good news. It is just a single shot.
And the company publishing data showing that it is 66 percent effective in preventing moderate to severe cases of the virus. Other vaccines, of
course, have much higher efficacy rates. But don't be put off. America's top infection shows disease expert Dr. Anthony Fauci wants you to know that
any vaccine will help alleviate the stress on the health care system.
Even as the virus changes right before our very eyes, scientists doing their level best to keep up case in point, the South African variant. It
has reached, just reached America. One key model forecasting that the variants along with others will take 85,000 additional lives by the start
of May that's a big number around 600,000 as many died in the U.S. Civil war but Pfizer and Moderna claiming that they may tweak their vaccines to
deal with the new variants. Let's hear from Dr. Fauci.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DR. ANTHONY FAUCI, DIRECTOR, NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF ALLERGY AND INFECTIOUS DISEASES: Even though this is something that is now really dominating the
South Africa scene, when you look at the vaccines that we have available now the neutralizing antibodies that they induce. So, we are talking about
things just in a test tube.
When you measure that against the South African isolate, it is diminished by multifold in its ability to cover it. It is still in the range of what
you would predict to be protective. But I take no great comfort in that.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: That's Dr. Anthony Fauci. David McKenzie, my colleague taking a firsthand look at the devastation that the virus itself has brought to
South Africa joining us from Johnson & Johnson vaccine trial site now Soweto in South Africa. I want to talk to you about this vaccine but do
just first describe what the situation is on the ground where you are?
DAVID MCKENZIE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well Becky, where we are here at this vaccine trial where they are still monitoring those volunteers, more than
200 just at this site alone that have been part of this critical vaccine trial for the Johnson & Johnson single shot vaccine.
Of course, it is not just critical for South Africa. These volunteers are providing a service for the entire globe. And as you said, there is
positive news out of the Johnson & Johnson early results though the South African variant does appear to be more robust in sneaking through any
vaccine protection.
It must be I spoke just a short time ago to one of the leaders of that vaccine trial here. She said that because it prevents death and very
effectively prevents severe infection, it is extremely good news in the context of South Africa and other developing countries. But timing and a
swift rollout of these vaccines is critical as these variants develop. Becky?
ANDERSON: And the question is, of course, you know, how do those vaccines respond to these new variants? But the greater risk of course is if
vaccines just aren't distributed quickly enough to countries like South Africa to try and put a lid on this thing, correct?
MCKENZIE: That's absolutely correct. Not just for here in South Africa. But it's a global problem. If you have developed countries Europe, the U.S.,
over the next few months into the summer into the Northern Hemisphere effectively vaccinating to herd immunity, you will still have the issue in
developing in middle income countries, Brazil, South Africa, the rest of the African Continent.
If you let the virus circulate then you could provide more chinks in the armor of these vaccines. Here's what a clinical nurse had to say to me
today in the vaccine trial just near where I am standing.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
REBECCA PHOFA, CLINICAL NURSE: In Africa they also deserve to have this vaccine, whether they have been involved in the production, whether they
are involved in the clinical trial or whatever. I think everybody in this world, if people want to have the vaccine, they should have - the vaccine
has to be available to them.
[11:05:00]
MCKENZIE (on camera): And if the vaccine doesn't come quickly, what's the impact?
PHOFA: Well, the impact is, we worry about the new variant.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
MCKENZIE: Now, the dramatic second wave, Becky that struck South Africa, driven by this new variant is slightly easing off. In fact, substantially
easing off over the last few days the worry is though if vaccines aren't distributing here or elsewhere that we will just have successive waves on
and on and on, and the ability again for these variants to develop. Becky.
ANDERSON: Yes, absolutely very good point. David, thank you for that. Well, as we mentioned earlier, let's get a look at the Johnson & Johnson, one
step closer to putting this vaccine on the battlefield against Coronavirus. Let's have a look at the macro then of what we are learning.
As this company gets set to distribute what are these all-important vaccines, let's just remind ourselves why this one is particular. It's a
single dose, unlike the current two-dose ones on the market at present and it is easier to store.
Elizabeth Cohen has gone over these new results from Johnson & Johnson and is here to describe what she's learned. What more do we know at this point
about this particular new vaccine?
ELIZABETH COHEN, CNN SENIOR MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT: So Becky, what we know, bottom line, is that this Johnson & Johnson vaccine is not - not as
effective as the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines that are in use in the U.S. and in other countries as well. There is a big but here. It is still quite
effective.
So if people are able to get this Johnson & Johnson vaccine, if it is authorized where you are live and you are able to get it and you can't get
Pfizer and Moderna, you should, for sure, get it. It will give you a good level of protection. It is just not as good as Pfizer or Moderna. You could
later then go get Pfizer and Moderna as well. There is no reason you couldn't get two different brands.
So, let's take a look at what Johnson & Johnson found when they did their trial. So, what they found is that when we were looking at preventing
moderate to severe case. Their vaccine was 66 percent effective whereas Moderna and Pfizer was 95 percent effective. That's a big difference.
When you are looking at severe cases, which are of course the most important thing, we don't want people in the hospital; we don't want them
on the ventilators. We don't want them to die. For severe cases Johnson & Johnson was 85 percent effective and Moderna and Pfizer were 100 percent or
nearly 100 percent effective.
Now you might wonder, what is the reason for the big differences? One of the big reasons for this difference according to an expert I have been
talking to is Johnson & Johnson is a single shot. So way easier, but it is still only one shot.
Some experts think if it were two shots, one shot and then another a few weeks later it could possibly be just like Moderna and Pfizer. The other
reason is that just sort of by chance Johnson & Johnson did a good chunk of its trial in South Africa. They did it at the time that this variant was
emerging that has been causing so much concern.
So that's also the thinking is that a chunk of their study subjects were in South Africa during a time when those folks might have had the variant and
this vaccine just does not work as well against the variant as it does against previous strains. Becky.
ANDERSON: And there has been a lot of concern, and rightly so, about whether or not these vaccines will work as well against the variant first
spotted in South Africa. Like Novavax for example this is a senior adviser at the White House on the COVID-19 response team. Have a listen.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ANDY SLAVITT, SENIOR ADVISER, WHITE HOUSE COVID-19 RESPONSE TEAM: These variants are from what we know about them more transmissible and maybe
slightly more lethal. Nothing about this news says we can't defeat this thing.
It just means we need more tools and we need to be more united in doing it. Science is going to need to create an adaptive approach, meaning we're
going to have to stay one step ahead of these mutations. We're going to need processes to keep developing tests, therapies and vaccines.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: Elizabeth, I have had a lot of people say look if these variants are emerging and it is not clear whether these current vaccines are as
effective, why wouldn't I just wait for vaccines that are well tested and clearly effective against these new strains that are being sequenced pretty
much sort of as we speak? To which you say what?
COHEN: To which I say it would be such a huge mistake to wait. If you can get any of these vaccines now, get them. They will likely not be quite as
effective against the variant that we've seen in South Africa as against the other variants circulating around the world. But it will still be
somewhat effective.
[11:10:00]
COHEN: You mentioned Novavax. Let's look at the Johnson & Johnson and the Novavax data that tell us something about the vaccine's effectiveness
against the variant first seen in South Africa. In Johnson & Johnson, the vaccine as you said Becky was 66 percent effective overall, but in South
Africa it was only 57 percent effective.
That they believe is because so many of these study participants, nearly all of them had the variant. Novavax, they found that their vaccine was 89
percent effective overall, but 60 percent effective in South Africa. So that's a really substantial difference, but still to get 60 percent
protection on something is still big.
We get flu shots that are often 60 percent effective. Why would you want zero, get it you will be somewhat protected against the South African
variant and totally variants. It is what we have right now. Hopefully something better will come down the road and you can get that then. There
is no reason you can't get more than one. Getting more than one is OK, Becky.
ANDERSON: Yes, as long as you can get access to it.
COHEN: Right.
ANDERSON: Of course, that really is one of the big issues that we are reporting on, not just in the states, not just in Europe, but around the
world and particularly in those countries that haven't got the money that other western countries might have to actually buy these vaccines. It is
important that we do not see these vaccines in equality. Thank you, Elizabeth.
Well, as vital as it is it can all seem a little academic this can't it at times tentative data points, multiples. It's important. I know it's dense.
So why do we do it? Why do we get you all this information because if we didn't, believe me, more people could and would die?
That's people. That is what this is all about. As a reminder to us all, I just want to bring you Poppy Harlow now speaking with four women in America
who lost their young husbands to this virus.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: He just always carried on this, like, light into a room.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Frankly, used to feel like a huge teddy bear.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: He was going to take me to a light house on our sixth anniversary. It was a total surprise and I didn't even find out about it
until he passed away.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: He just - he made me a better person.
POPPY HARLOW, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Whitney, Pamela, Kristina, and Diana have never met. But they have had to welcome each other to a club
none want to be a part of.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: He called me, and he was like, sobbing. I have never heard my husband cry and he just said he's so scared.
HARLOW (voice-over): Their husbands all young, only in their 30s or 40s, are all now dead.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I just remember going, I just got a call two days ago that he was doing better. Like, why did it all happen so fast?
HARLOW (voice-over): These are the women COVID has left behind, the widows left to pick up the pieces after the pandemic shattered their world. They
are also all mothers, strong for their children and kept strong by them.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: He just loved being a dad. That was the biggest jay of his life.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Row your boat gently down the stream.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I just wonder where you find that strength Pamela.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: So, because I know that Martin would want me to be happy and live my life I kind of think about that every day with the kids.
They are running in the huge yard that our house has, and that was what he envisioned when we bought this house.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: He was such an involved dad. He did everything from taker to the zoo to take her to the little gym. I never had to ask him to
help me with anything. If he thought the floors weren't clean, he would just sweep them.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: He sounds amazing.
HARLOW (voice-over): Diana's husband, Juan, was taken to the hospital in the middle of the night. He never came home. For their 5-year-old daughter,
Mia, it changed everything.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: She tells me, you know, I am afraid something is going to happen to you. I am afraid you are going to die. So, she - you know, she
just can't go to sleep.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I just remember calling her in the room. And, you know, I was crying. And she was just like, what's wrong? Is daddy OK? I was
just like, daddy, daddy passed away he's not going to come home. But she is so much like her dad, so logical.
Well, you know, daddy's not here, but I don't think he wants us to be sad all the time. And I'm like, yes, that's true. How are you teaching me about
grief?
HARLOW (voice-over): Kristina Scorpo's husband Frank dyed on Easter Sunday. Their baby boy was just six months old his older brother, Francesco, not
even 5. When Kristina read that Pamela Addison had lost her husband Martin to COVID she put pen to paper and wrote to a woman she never met about her
grief she knew all too well.
[11:15:00]
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: She knows exactly how I feel, and I know exactly how she felt.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I felt so alone after Martin die. So, I thought I was the only young widow. And you really weren't hearing stories about the
young people dying. When I opened up her card, I think one of the first things she said is like, you are not alone. At that moment the weight of
feeling alone was like lifted because now there was someone else who understood.
HARLOW (voice-over): Because of that letter, Pamela started the Facebook group, "Young Widows and Widowers of COVID-19".
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: She's my inspiration for why I decided to do it.
HARLOW (voice-over): It became a place for Diana and Whitney Parker to go after their husbands Juan and Leslie died quickly from COVID.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: You Diana called Juan the other half of my soul. How do you cope with that now?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: With making with me or with your little girl?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: You know, I try to remember - I can almost still hear what he would say to me in certain situations. There is this empty silence
where his words would once be. You know? I don't know if it is coping, but I just kind of - I let myself feel that.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I'm thankful that I have the boys. Yes. Because ultimately, I have a piece of heaven here with me - they are half of him.
So, I got lucky that they are here with me. And I'm forever grateful for that. It's part of my life, and he was the one that gave them to me.
HARLOW (voice-over): A shared grief, but without a shared embrace, able only to confident each other's with the cold hard screens of their
computers.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: He was only here for 31 years, but he really did so much in those years.
HARLOW (voice-over): As the months pass and the world keeps moving on, these four women are left with their acute pain, accentuated by their
isolation.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: For weeks after he passed, I would wake up suddenly in the middle of the night and I would reach for my phone thinking I missed
the call, missed a call from the hospital. And then you realize, no, you know, he already passed. You have to tell yourself the story again.
HARLOW (voice-over): But alongside their profound grief is their deep belief that each of their husband is looking down on them. What do you want
to say to them?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Everything I do every day is to honor him.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I am so glad to have spent the last 11 years of my life with him.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Every time I hear - say dada, it is like he is sitting on the couch with a cup of coffee.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Thank you for all seeing - there my sunshine.
HARLOW (voice-over): Their healing is only beginning but at least they now know they are not alone, separated by a pandemic but connected by their
collective grief, they persevere, Poppy Harlow, CNN, New York.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: We'll be right back.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[11:20:00]
ANDERSON: As we speak, Joe Biden and his newly minted administration not wasting a minute in shaping up how America interacts with the world? Pretty
much first up, right here in the Middle East this program broadcast from our Middle East Broadcasting Hub here.
In the UAE, Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi from Jordan tweeting about a call he had with U.S. Secretary of State Anthony Blinken calling it a discussion
about their two nations' enduring partnership.
President Biden is also temporarily freezing arms sales to Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates putting the brakes on the deal that was signed
during the last months of the previous administration.
Well, that freeze was announced after pressure from several House Democrats who wrote a letter to the U.S. Secretary of State urging the administration
to in their words adjust the U.S./Saudi relationship with a list of specific actions including this. We encourage the administration to take
quick corrective action to withdraw U.S. support for the Saudi-led war in Yemen and to intensify U.S. diplomacy in support of a political settlement.
Well, my next guest was one of the authors of that letter. Tom Malinowski joining me live from Washington, D.C. He has just been appointed Vice Chair
of the House Committee on Foreign Affairs. Sir, congratulations on that appointment it will be a very important one, one that will be closely
watched of course from this part of the world.
You clearly feel very strongly about freezing these arms sales to Saudi Arabia who you can explain to me why they shouldn't be a crucial U.S. ally
in a moment. Just explain why you feel so - that this is such an important issue?
TOM MALINOWSKI, VICE CHAIR, U.S. HOUSE COMMITTEE ON FOREIGN AFFAIRS: Thank you so much. The war in Yemen as I am your viewers are very much aware has
led to the worst humanitarian crisis in the world thousands of deaths, hundreds of thousands of civilians vulnerable to disease and starvation.
And Saudi Arabia has recklessly fueled this conflict, ignoring the concerns of the United States, the United States' congress, most of the Trump
Administration, I guess with the exception of the president and his family for the last - the last five or six years.
So, we feel and this isn't just Democrats in congress. Overwhelming majorities in congress for several years have felt that the United States
should not be facilitating the Saudi Arabia's offensive air strikes that have caused so much of this harm over the last few years and the Biden
Administration agrees and has taken this early action.
ANDERSON: Riyadh's position, of course, is and one assumes will be that Yemen and the Houthi insurgency there and the attacks from the Houthis on
their kingdom is an issue of national sovereignty and as a key U.S. ally in the region, they will rely on the U.S. for support. What is your message
then to the kingdom?
MALINOWSKI: My message, our message, is that Saudi Arabia is completely dependent on the United States for its defense. And yet has completely
ignored American concerns about the war in Yemen, about human rights, about mistreatment of American citizens.
You know, Saudi Arabia wants to talk about sovereignty. It needs to account for the fact that its government kidnapped an American resident off of U.S.
soil and dismembered him several years ago and only got away with it because of the close personal relationship between the Saudi Royal Family
and President Trump's family.
Well, that's - that's no longer there. It has to now take some responsibility for making this relationship better rather than relying on
Americans to always ignore Saudi misbehavior.
ANDERSON: In the letter that you co-wrote, you outline four actions that you wish to see the Biden Administration take. And I just want our viewers
to understand these. They were implemented immediate accountability measures for the Khashoggi assassination.
Two was freeze delivery of offensive weapons to Saudi Arabia. Three, reverse the FTO designation of the Houthis as a terror organization. And
four, demand release of American citizens arbitrarily detained by the Saudi government.
[11:25:00]
ANDERSON: Have you received a response to this letter?
MALINOWSKI: Well, I guess the first response was in the form of the decision that the Biden Administration just made to do one of the things
that a bipartisan majority of members of congress having asking for, to freeze these arms sales.
I would - we expect based on statements from the administration, that they will declassify information that the intelligence community has regarding
the ultimate responsibility for the murder of Jamal Khashoggi.
Secretary of State Blinken has also said that he is reviewing the terrorism designation against the Houthis because of the humanitarian impact on the
Yemeni civilian population. And I have no doubt that the Biden Administration, unlike the Trump Administration, is going to have a zero-
tolerance policy for mistreatment and an unlawful detention of American citizens.
I mean we have one American citizen of Saudi origin who is in person - this is a doctor from Boston, who is in prison in Saudi Arabia for the crime of
becoming an American citizen without the permission of the Saudi Royal Family. This is not a government that is acting like a U.S. ally. If it
wants to be treated like a U.S. ally, it needs to act like a U.S. ally.
ANDERSON: On one of the points that you were just discussing there, the reversal of the designation of the Houthis, with respect to Anthony Blinken
as you rightly point out has said that he will review that designation. He said review rather than reverse.
I wonder whether you believe that was sort of taking a sort of middle ground approach or how you would describe what you heard from Anthony
Blinken and if you could just explain to us just how easy it is to actually reverse that designation made by the Trump Administration in its dying
hours, as it were?
MALINOWSKI: So, he didn't say review rather that reverse. He would make no decision to review unless he was considering reversing it. That's the
point. Remember, President Biden has been in office for just a few days. There is a lot on his plate.
The responsible thing when you are dealing with a complicated problem like this is to begin with a review. Both Tony Blinken, the Secretary of State,
and Jake Sullivan, the new National Security Adviser, have said that they were very troubled by the decision to designate the Houthis not because the
Houthis are nice people.
They are equally responsible, I would say, as Saudi Arabia for the suffering of the Yemeni people and deserve to be held accountable. But the
practical difficulty here is that it just is not possible to provide the humanitarian assistance to the 80 percent of the Yemeni innocent civilian
population that is under Houthi control if the entire Houthi Movement and government is designated.
It just creates enormous practical difficulties for saving lives. So what I imagine they will do is look for a way to hold the Houthis accountable, as
they deserve to be, but without making it impossible for the U.N. and humanitarian agencies to provide life-saving help for completely innocent
people in that country.
ANDERSON: You make a very good point because just the reversing - reversing this designation doesn't necessarily mean that the war - the war is going
to - that the war will end any time soon, nor, indeed, would the freeze on arms sales, were that to become permanent. That is the issue, isn't it?
At this point, you know, this is a war that continues, correct? I mean, neither of these - neither of these moves are necessarily going to end this
war, this conflict in Yemen, which has been so destructive to so many.
MALINOWSKI: By themselves no. But do keep in mind as I said at the outset, Saudi Arabia is entirely dependent on the United States to maintain its
defenses and its military efforts. It is not just arms that the United States sells.
We sell the service of helping the maintain the Saudi Air Force in ways that, you know, if that were removed, it would be very, very difficult for
Saudi Arabia to sustain a massive campaign of air strikes over Yemen for a long period of time. Somebody's got to the service those American-provided
aircraft.
[11:30:00]
MALINOWSKI: And they can't do it without our help. So it does - it does give the Biden Administration a lot of leverage to--
ANDERSON: Right.
MALINOWSKI: --to go back to diplomacy and persuade the Saudis to be open to a political settlement this conflict.
ANDERSON: I would like to talk to you at length. This region is our region and I am fascinated to get your position on various different issues not
least the appointment of Rob Mally, of course, and the Biden position on Iran.
I can't do that now because I am going to have to take a break. We are a packed show this evening. But I would love to have you back, sir. So,
please, let's talk again this the weeks to come. And it will be fascinating to get your insight given your new position on that Foreign Affairs
Committee. Thank you.
MALINOWSKI: Thank you so much.
ANDERSON: Joe Biden tries to put his stamp on American politics Donald Trump continues to exert his influence. We ask has America really turned
over a new leaf. That's coming up after this.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
ANDERSON: Right now, the White House COVID response team giving a briefing on the status of the virus, and efforts to combat it in the states. I want
you to listen in as it does give us an update on our top story. So here is Dr. Anthony Fauci.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DR. FAUCI: This is a wakeup call to all of us that we will be dealing, as the virus uses its devices to evade, pressure, particularly immunological
pressure that we will continue to see the evolution of mutants. So that means that we, as a governments, the companies, all of us that are in this
together will have to be nimble to be able to just adjust readily to make versions of the vaccine that are specifically directed towards whatever
mutation is actually prevalent at any given time.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: Well, that's Dr. Anthony Fauci always worth hearing from, of course. The White House - he is part of this new team at the White House
with its COVID response. Biden's team blaming the old administration for a poor COVID response that has left America with the world's worst death toll
on earth but for Republicans in congress it seems the post-Trump era lasted about a week.
[11:35:00]
ANDERSON: The House Republican Leader Kevin McCarthy cozying up with Trump at his Palm Beach Resort just weeks after McCarthy and the rest of congress
pled from a Trump-incited mob. Former President now trying to take down the third Ranking House Republican Liz Cheney, she is one of just ten
Republicans who voted to impeach him earlier this month.
According to one source, Trump has repeatedly pushed Republican allies to remove her from her leadership position. Florida Congressman Matt Gates a
Trump acolyte staged an anti-Cheney rally in her home state of Wyoming urging the crowd to vote her out of office in next year's elections.
But for many in America, the new administration is bringing new hope. My next guest, Basketball Legend, Magic Johnson has long campaigned for the
candidates he believes in including Joe Biden. Shortly after the inauguration Johnson tweeted and I quote, President Biden's message of
unity and healing is just what we needed. There is a lot to repair and regain for our country.
But as he said, we are resilient and strong. Magic Johnson, one of the all- time pro basketball greats, one of my great heroes, joining me now from Los Angeles it's really good to have you, sir. The dust is settling in
Washington, a new team at the White House. How do you now feel about America and its future, sir?
EARVIN "MAGIC" JOHNSON, FORMER NBA PLAYER, LOS ANGELES LAKERS: First of all, Becky thanks for having me on. And I feel good about America right
now. I think we have on outstanding leader in President Joe Biden, and Vice President Harris. And I think that they will have a strategy to bring first
the country together and then a strategy how to defeat COVID-19 and the pandemic and get everybody vaccinated.
And then also get our country moving forward when we talk about economics because we have got to get people back to work. We have to make sure we can
move the country forward because right now we are struggling with high unemployment because of the pandemic.
And so we have got to get businesses going again, get people working again, and move the economy forward. And then the thing that I really love about
President Biden is he will bring the country together, our allies together. A lot of them left us were unhappy with President Trump but I think they
will be happy with President Biden and also work together with him to make the world better. And that's what it's all about.
We've been a leader for - for years, the United States, when it comes to bringing countries together, leaders together, and make the world better.
But the last four years, that didn't happen.
ANDERSON: Well, that is a really optimistic view, and there will be many people who support your view of the Biden/Harris Administration and hope
that the bones of these plans that we are seeing on COVID and the economy work and they have got a lot of work to do.
But the reality, let's be quite clear here, is that there are over 70 million Americans who didn't vote for Joe Biden. They voted for his
predecessor, Donald Trump, who is and has a polar opposite view of the world and the country.
Biden says the country needs unity, it needs to heal. How does he heal it, Magic? How does he mend those issues of racism and bigotry that exist in
the United States of America today?
JOHNSON: Well, first of all, he has to be a man of action and have a solid plan to do that, right? And first of all, dealing with the racism part of
it, I think Joe Biden has always had a great relationship with the black community.
And I think that he will be able to heal the black community with action, making sure that we have opportunities in America, making sure we can have
quality health care, job opportunities, contract within the federal government and also corporate America.
We are already seeing some of those changes happen even before President Biden became President in the black community. But what we really want is
to make sure when we walk outside our house, and if we get pulled over, we won't get murdered or shot.
And we are unarmed or our - we have to teach our boys right now to make sure that they put their hands out if they get stopped. We don't want to go
through all that. We want the same thing that everybody else gets in terms of being treated with equal rights. We want to stop racism and
discrimination against us.
[11:40:00]
JOHNSON: But we want to make sure we don't have to live in fear anymore as black people in America.
ANDERSON: The black community also disproportionately affected by the Coronavirus. You have talked about a number of issues that need attention.
Coronavirus and its impact on what are often called minority communities. But let's just talk specifically about the black community here really,
really destructive. How long does Biden have, to your mind, to really make some impact?
JOHNSON: Well, we want to see it happen soon. But this is the key for us. First of all, we lost 700,000 small black businesses. And that's over half
the businesses that we have in black America. Then, we - when you think about COVID-19 and the pandemic, we've lost so many black lives, more than
any other race of people.
So what I would like to see him do, first of all, is to make sure we get a plan on how to vaccinate the black community and educate them on what this
vaccine would do for them and put those centers in the black community? Don't have us drive outside our community to go get vaccinated. That's one
thing.
And then, the stimulus package that came out first, the PPP program, Paycheck Protection Program, the first one, with President Trump, did not
trickle down to small black business owners because we had to have a relationship with the banks or the credit unions and we - most of us didn't
have a relationship with them.
So we did not get those loans that we should have gotten in the first place. But now with Biden and the stimulus package that's coming out now,
he's already directed a lot of billions just too small black businesses. So now they can keep their doors open. They can keep their employees and now
we can thrive in the black community.
So he's already taking action on how to help the black community? And I like that. And we're also excited and so proud that Vice President Harris
is sitting there. Just think about - it is not just about every black girl. It's about all little girls can dream now that they can become the Vice
President or the President one day or just a little girl can grow up as a woman and have power, a position of power, in the United States. And that's
beautiful.
ANDERSON: No. And you make a very good point. On your previous point, about this additional $1.9 trillion stimulus package that Biden is looking for,
you pointed out a number of issues that you applaud in that.
He does, of course, need enormous support from congress in order to push through a stimulus package like that. And as we are already seeing, if we
had prayed for some sort of bipartisan moment in American politics, well, the evidence is such that we are not looking to see that any time soon.
But you know, one can only hope, of course, for the good of the country. I am not taking a position here. I am just saying for the good of the
country. So you are a former athlete and a legendary one at that, I might add.
Under Donald Trump's Presidency, he brought a divergent reality regarding sports in the states. He called on sports team owners to punish athletes
who followed Colin Kaepernick's lead to protest social injustice by kneeling of course during the national anthem.
Since then a lot of sports stars have taken a stand on - of issues and not just in the states but around the world. And I'm thinking of Lewis Hamilton
in F1, and even Marcus Rashford in the EPL the football player for Manchester United. Is this a good thing do you think, that athletes are
speaking out at this point?
JOHNSON: Becky, it's a great thing. They are using their platform when they see that something is wrong or somebody is murdered or somebody has
happened that's bad or - whether that's Americans or the world, or the black community, they are using their platform to say, it's wrong.
And it's really good because millions idolize these athletes. They have a big voice and a big following as well. So when they speak out, then people
listen and they will take action as well.
[11:45:00]
JOHNSON: So when LeBron James and a lot of different athletes here in America decided to speak out against President Trump or urge people to get
out and vote, listen, people were speaking out, and people ran to the polls.
And that's another reason why President Biden got elected, because all those athletes and all those celebrities came together to use their
platform and they got out and really went door to door, knocking on doors to make sure that they delivered the Biden and Harris message on how it was
going to change our country? That's why they won.
So I applaud all of these great athletes. And I am a big Lewis Hamilton fan, so I am glad that he spoke out, because he's a tremendous champion and
a tremendous person as well. And all of those soccer players, too there were a lot of athletes from different walks of life from all over the world
who stood up when George Floyd got murdered. They all stood up and said things have to change, and it was wrong that he got murdered.
ANDERSON: With that, we are going to leave it there because you know what? We are just about to go to the man that you supported to get elected, Joe
Biden, who has been speaking to the new Treasury Secretary, Janet Yellen. We need to get our viewers on to what was said.
It is an absolute pleasure having you on, circumstances I was going to ask you about the L.A. Lakers game against the Detroit Pistons but you are
probably glad I haven't got time to do that his former team taking a spanking last night.
All right, sir, thank you very much. Thanks for joining Magic Johnson. Magic Johnson in the house; let's listen in to the words of Janet Yellen.
JOE BIDEN, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: There is an overwhelming consensus among economists, left, right, and center, that this is a unique
moment in this crisis. And the cost of inaction is high. The cost of inaction is high and it is growing every day.
The crisis itself is accelerating. 900,000 more Americans filed for unemployment insurance this week alone. 30 million Americans don't have
enough food to eat this week. And interest rates are at historic lows. And the return on smart investments in the economy has never been higher. And
it's not just me saying this.
As I said it is a consensus among the vast majority of leading economists in the country as I said, left, right, and center, including advisers to
Former President Trump and George W. Bush. So I have been meeting all morning with other folks as well.
The notion here is that we have to act now. It's - there is no time for any delay. And so we can end up with 4 million fewer jobs this year, according
to Moody's, Wall Street firm. And it could take a year longer to return to full employment if we don't act and don't act now.
We could see an entire cohort of kids with a lower lifetime earnings because they are deprived of another semester of school. Millions of
parents and maybe some of you - millions of parents are - particularly moms, are forced to stay home, reducing the family wages.
If they are a single wage earner it is really difficult and future job prospects that they have no choice but the stay home and take care of their
children. Millions of people are out of work, unemployed. Future millions will be held back for no good reason other than our failure to act.
So the choice couldn't be clearer. We have learned from past crises, the risk is not doing too much. The risk is not doing enough. And this is a
time to act now. I have asked Secretary Yellen who has been leading this effort to come in. We are going to go into some detail among ourselves. But
I think she has a statement to make as well.
JANET YELLEN, U.S. TREASURY SECRETARY: Thank you very much, Mr. President. Well, there is a huge amount of pain in our economy right now. And it was
evident in the data released yesterday. Over a million people applied for unemployment insurance last week and that's far more than in the worst week
of the Great Recession.
And economists agree that if there is not more help, many more people will lose their small businesses, the roofs over their heads, and the ability to
feed their families. And we need to help those people before the virus is brought under control.
The President's American Rescue Plan will help millions of people make it to the other side this pandemic. And it will also make some smart
investments to get our economy back on track.
[11:50:00]
YELLEN: I want to emphasize, the president is absolutely right, the price of doing nothing is much higher than the price of doing something and doing
something big. We need to act now. And the benefits of acting now and acting big will far outweigh the costs in the long run.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: When do you get the Johnson & Johnson results?
BIDEN: I am waiting to hear from my team on the detail of it. I saw news reported this morning. I haven't had a chance to speak with Dr. Anthony
Fauci. One point I want to make that the Secretary made. Let's get this straight.
It's not only that people will be badly, badly hurt if we don't pass this package in terms of increased rate of death, in terms of poverty, whole
range of things. But we will also be hurt long term economically, economically.
We need to make this investment so the economy can grow the remainder this year and next year. Investments now will help the economy grow. It will
not, in fact, put a drag on the economy as spending this money; it will do the exact opposite. So thank you all very much.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Can you discuss GameStop?
ANDERSON: And the GameStop saga is making it all the way to the Oval Office there, somebody yelling whether he had a response to that? He clearly
didn't Joe Biden also talking now on the wider economic questions. All right, I think we are going to take a very short break back after this.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
ANDERSON: All right, before we go, I want to introduce to you the future, the future of journalism, and the future story tellers of our world. CNN
Academy Abu Dhabi, our brand-new initiative to help aspiring journalists learn to put facts first, just like we do here at CNN, and combine that
with compelling story telling.
The young people involved in our inaugural class of 2021 are just mind blowing, so intelligent and so passionate, I wanted to give you a sense of
their experience with the CNN Academy and what I got to enjoy along with them. Have a look at this.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: First week at CNN Academy was super jam packed with a lot live seminars case studies and courses.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We met a lot of amazing professionals.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: The coolest thing that I learned this week is just how much work goes into each story?
[11:55:00]
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: One of the most important lessons I learned during week one of CNN Academy how human based story telling is able to efficiently and
effectively contextualize complex issues.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We have to be well read and to make us better reports and story tellers.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: The thing that - the first week, collecting information is very important.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It has been a great first week. The art of storytelling takes a long time.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: This week, just speaking - about interviewing techniques.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It has been really interesting to hear from senior journalists like Roger, Clarke and Ram Gopal.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You want to hold powerful people to account. You want to give a voice to people who have no power. This is the job for you.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Key piece of information I learned today was from Becky Anderson and that is neutrality is not--
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: How it is important to be very present and very objective when reporting?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: There is just so much that comes together to bring together a piece of truth to the audience that will have an impact that
lasted with them for a lifetime.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Talked a lot about like mental health of journalists which I feel like isn't discussed a lot or often.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Can't wait to go out there and produce my final piece.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Incredible learning experience learning from journalists to producers across the globe who work for CNN.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: What you do have to be as a journalist now is multimedia.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: The lessons that they provided to me will stay with me for the rest of my life.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We got a chance to speak to David Culver - about all the struggles of reporting during a pandemic.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We are nosey. We want to know what's going on, right? That helps drive our push to figure out potential stories.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Heard some amazing stories and seen some extraordinary reports from some of the best correspondents out there.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Seeing is believing.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: --and I am super excited for what's to come in the next following weeks.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: Now, for those of you who are not youngsters out there, I am going to suggest that that was probably a rather Techno-video for you but
the effects there for all the right reasons. That's the modern way of doing things, I'm told. Now, listen, what a fantastic group of youngsters we have
got at CNN Academy Abu Dhabi. I wish them the absolute best. They are really fantastic.
Well, in just the last few minutes, the White House COVID Task Force just wrapping up. My colleagues stateside John King, Abby Phillip, Margaret
Talev and Elizabeth Cohen breaking all of that down for you after this short break from all of us here in the very techno-savvy Abu Dhabi. It's a
very good evening.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
END
