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First Move with Julia Chatterley
The U.S., Asia and Europe All Set Grim New Coronavirus Milestones; President Trump Admits he is Heading for the Exit, but Still Refuses to Formally Concede; Black Friday Without the Crowds, Retailers Urge Shoppers to Stay at Home. Aired 9-10a ET
Aired November 27, 2020 - 09:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
[09:00:29]
ZAIN ASHER, CNN INTERNATIONAL ANCHOR: Coming to you live from New York, I'm Zain Asher in for Julia Chatterley. This is FIRST MOVE and here is your
need to know.
Global surge. The U.S., Asia and Europe all set grim new coronavirus milestones.
And not conceding. President Trump admits he is heading for the exit, but still refuses to formally concede.
And Black Friday without the crowds. Retailers urge shoppers to stay at home.
It is Friday. Let's make a move.
Hello. Good to have you with us on this Black Friday. U.S. investors are taking a break from their festivities, the leftover turkey and their
shopping as markets reopen after Thanksgiving Holiday for half a day. They close at 1:00 p.m. local time here.
Volume is not expected to be high, but futures are actually pointing to a positive open which would take the NASDAQ to another record high in Europe
and Asia. It is mostly green arrows across the board as well. The London FTSE is lagging the wider market again, same on Thursday.
Shares of house builders and banks are the worst performers amidst doubts over the recovery in the U.K.
Right now, let's get to the drivers. More than 90,000 Americans are in hospital with coronavirus. The U.S. is averaging now 165,000 new cases
every single day and that is a record high.
Rosa Flores has more.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
ROSA FLORES, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): As many Americans celebrated Thanksgiving, the coronavirus pandemic is reaching record levels of cases
and hospitalizations across the United States. The danger of spreading the disease causing some to downsize their celebrations or even spend the day
alone this year. But millions of others chose to ignore warnings from health experts not to travel.
With the T.S.A. reporting more than 6.8 million people have flown through U.S. airports in the week before Thanksgiving. This Black Friday, retailers
are encouraging shoppers to go online.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: This year is a lot less people.
FLORES (voice-over): But some customers are still going inside stores even waiting outside in lines for big ticket items. One health expert saying the
Holiday season could fuel the surge.
DR. LARRY BRILLIANT, CNN MEDICAL ANALYST: It's not just post-Thanksgiving, it's Black Friday and then the run-up to Christmas and then New Year's.
This is our Holiday season, and every day from now on can add to the toll.
Our hospitals are almost full to capacity. In some communities, they are full to capacity. There's no more rooms in the ICU.
FLORES (voice-over): One thousand two hundred and thirty-two people in the U.S. were reported dead Thursday from the coronavirus. More than 90,000
people are hospitalized with the disease, a record, with many hospitals already running low on beds and resources, one doctor says she is fearful
of what's to come.
DR. MEGAN RANNEY, CNN MEDICAL ANALYST: Our hospitals are already at the breaking point. Many of us are already talking about opening field
hospitals next week. Many of us have colleagues who are out sick.
FLORES (voice-over): A virus outbreak among the Baltimore Ravens forcing the NFL to postpone their Thanksgiving match-up against the Pittsburgh
Steelers.
ESPN and the NFL network citing league sources, reporting the team's quarterback Lamar Jackson and three other players have tested positive and
the PAC-12 cancelling a game between University of Southern California and University of Colorado Boulder due to coronavirus, making it the 11th
college football game cancelled or postponed this week.
Coronavirus-related deaths are on the rise in at least 27 states this morning, and one health expert reminds Americans that it's crucial to keep
following safety guidelines even during the Holidays.
DR. ERIK BLUTINGER, EMERGENCY MEDICINE, ICAHN SCHOOL OF MEDICINE AT MOUNT SINAI: It is a real test of maturity and also of safety to see whether or
not we are able to keep our distance, continue to wear masks, because we are so close, given the vaccine candidates and where things are headed.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
ASHER: Rosa Flores reporting there. Now, for the first time, President Trump has said, he will -- he will leave office if the Electoral Colleges
votes are for Joe Biden. Let's bring in Kristen Holmes. She is joining us live now from Washington. So, he is going to leave office, but still no
sign, Kristen that he is actually going to concede.
KRISTEN HOLMES, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: That's right, Zain. I mean, he was very clear that he is not going to concede. He repeated the same
baseless claims, that he had won the election and that there was widespread fraud, all of which there is no evidence of.
And we should note, this is the first time that he has taken a single question since Election Day. He did so yesterday after he did a call with
the troops, something that is a presidential tradition, but again, as you said, he said if the Electoral College certified the election for Joe
Biden, which they are expected to do, he would in no uncertain terms, leave the White House. Take a listen.
[09:05:26]
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
QUESTION: If the Electoral College does elect President-elect Joe Biden, are you not going to leave this building?
DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Just so you -- certainly, I will. Certainly, I will and you know that. But I think that there will be a
lot of things happening between now and the 20th of January. A lot of things.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HOLMES: Obviously, the 20th of January being Inauguration Day. When he said a lot of things happening before inauguration day, he is likely talking
about those baseless claims of fraud and we have to note here, lawyers have tried to prove this in court and have provided no evidence in any way that
there was widespread fraud in this election.
ASHER: So as Trump continues to repeat these baseless allegations about fraud and as he continues to cast doubt over election integrity, what are
the consequences of that especially for the runoff Senate races in Georgia?
HOLMES: Well, he was actually asked about that last night. The more that he questions the election, particularly in Georgia, how is this going to
affect those senators and he said that he had been telling Senator Perdue, who he is very close to, over and over again that there were problems in
that state.
But, Zain, I've got to tell you, we are at a point here in the U.S. where coronavirus cases are spiking, and President Trump said yesterday that he
was actually going to go down to Georgia to campaign for those two senators in that runoff election, which is January 5th.
And not only was he going to go down there and campaign, he indicated that he was going to hold a big rally. As we know, several of the events he has
held here at the White House and across the country have turned into super spreader events and this is a point in time in which again, these cases are
ravaging this country.
ASHER: Kristen Holmes live for us, thank you.
In Asia, there are worrying new surges of COVID-19 in places that seem to have actually done well at curbing the pandemic not long ago. Hong Kong
reported its highest tally of new infections in more than three months with 92 confirmed cases on Friday.
And in South Korea, new cases jumped to more than 500 new cases on each of the past two days. The Health Ministry says it is discussing ways to
toughen social distancing.
And a hugely worrying time in Japan as well after the second highest daily increase in infections since the pandemic began. Here is our Selina Wang
with more.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
SELINA WANG, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Japan reports second highest increase in new COVID cases since the pandemic began while Tokyo reports a record
increase.
Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga is encouraging people to take further precautions and to avoid crowded places. The government has warned about
possible state of emergency in coming weeks if COVID cases continue to rise.
He is also asking restaurants and bars in the hardest hit cities to shorten their business hours, but the government has no legal means to enforce
these restrictions, but Tokyo, for instance, is saying that if business owners comply with the request to shorten their hours, they will get about
$3,800.00.
Japan, like all countries around the world is trying to balance reviving the economy with suppressing COVID-19 infections. The government has been
trying to boost domestic consumption, help the hard hit tourism industry with this domestic travel campaign, offering steep discounts to encourage
people to go out and eat and travel.
But not surprisingly, this campaign has been controversial. The head of the Japan Medical Association says this travel campaign added as a catalyst for
this recent spike in cases. So the government has been scaling back this domestic travel campaign.
Now, compared to other countries in East Asia, Japan has taken a relatively relaxed approach to COVID-19. Despite that, Japan has managed to avoid
cases from skyrocketing. Experts credit that to this culture of mask wearing and generally adhering to government guidelines.
So far, Japan has reported more than 140,000 COVID-19 infections and just over 2,000 deaths.
Selina Wang, CNN, Tokyo.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
ASHER: Europe's most populous country is struggling to turn back the tide of coronavirus. Germany has now topped one million confirmed cases, but
there is a glimmer of hope in France.
The Health Minister says a national target of just 5,000 new cases per day could actually be reached by mid-December. Melissa Bell joins us live now
from Paris.
And Melissa, I do want to start with Germany marking this grim milestone of topping one million confirmed cases. Just walk us through some of the new
restrictions that Germany has announced in terms of tightening restrictions and will they have the necessary impact of curbing the spread?
MELISSA BELL, CNN PARIS CORRESPONDENT: That's right. I think Germany is an interesting example, Zain, just because it had so largely been spared the
very worse of the first wave. This time around, things are worse for Germany and even for some its neighbors.
It's been under partial lockdown for as long as France and Belgium has been for instance practically in terms of a couple of days difference, but so
far, although the infection rates have slowed, authorities are worried that the hospitalizations, the people in ICU, the strain on the hospital system
simply hasn't been brought back to acceptable levels.
[09:10:27]
BELL: So we saw Angela Merkel try and fail last week to get the majority to tighten those restrictions. This week, as she spoke to the German
Parliament, she made sure that she had managed to slightly tighten the restrictions.
So there will be a slight tightening on things like the wearing of masks, for instance but mostly, it's about the extension of this partial lockdown,
Zain.
Essentially what Angela Merkel is saying is that these restrictions are here to stay for a while in order for us to be able to get these figures
back under control. So for instance, although there will be a slight loosening of the rules around Christmas time for a few days into the New
Year, they will likely then come back well into January 2021.
And on that loosening, that will allow people to gather together in their homes, about 10 at a time, but Berlin, for instance, has announced that its
figures are so bad that it will be keeping the restriction to five people per household, even during the Christmas period.
So some particular hot spots of even more concern than the country as a whole -- Zain.
ASHER: And Europe-wide, we are seeing what you're talking about in terms of easing the restrictions, we are seeing in Germany, we are certainly seeing
it in the U.K., easing restrictions around Christmas time to allow people to celebrate with their family members.
Is there a fear that because of that, perhaps, the virus might indeed come surging back after Christmas and then we'll see even more restrictions come
January?
BELL: I think that's exactly what authorities want to avoid. And I think what's remarkable about the steps that we've heard outlined over the last
24 hours from a variety of different countries how the next few weeks are going to go is that they all seem determined to make the next third wave
less of an inevitability than it would seem.
So, for instance, yes, France will lift restrictions in time -- or at least the partial lockdown -- that is those restrictions on people's movement in
time for the Christmas Holiday, but only if, Zain, by December 15th, they reach that target of no more than 5,000 new cases a month.
Now, to give you an idea of how difficult that's going to be, we are now over 10,000 cases a day, roughly on most days and when this was introduced,
we were at over 30,000 or 40,000 new cases a day.
So these partial lockdowns have been effective, but very much, and it's the case in England as well, where there's going to be a reassessment mid-
December about what this change into sort of different tiers across England is whether that's worked, whether the figures have come under control or
not and it is those reassessments around the middle of December that will determine whether or not people can see a lightening of the restrictions
that will allow them to meet.
And really, this is about the lessons learned by authorities after the first wave. What they did was they saw restrictions lifted too far, freedom
retrieved too quickly. The second wave hit even harder and faster than the first had done and they are determined that this time, they are going to
take a much more staggered and measured response and in terms of the figures and their progress, only then allow a temporary lifting of the
measures that will be back, let's be clear, well into January 2021.
ASHER: All right, Melissa Bell, live for us there, thank you so much.
These are the stories making headlines around the world. Ethiopia's Prime Minister says the military is beginning the final phase of an offensive
against rebels in the Tigray region after a 72-hour deadline to surrender expired. The U.N. is urging soldiers to protect civilian lives as they try
to recapture the regional capital of Mekelle.
French President Emmanuel Macron says he is shocked by security camera footage showing police officers in Paris beating a black man. The officers
involved have been suspended while an investigation is under way. The man says that he was assaulted after ducking into a building to avoid getting a
fine for not wearing a facemask.
And the body of Diego Maradona is now buried. The legendary Argentine football player was laid to rest on the outskirts of Buenos Aires in a
private ceremony on Thursday. It follows scenes of mass adorations. The man was loved.
Fans formed lines out on the streets to pay their final tribute to Maradona.
Journalist, Diego Laje is in Buenos Aires for us. So, Diego, obviously, crowds yesterday were certainly disappointed. A lot of people not being
able to say goodbye to Maradona in the way that they hoped.
A legend has been laid to rest. This man was a national hero, a national icon. Just set the scene for us in Buenos Aires today.
DIEGO LAJE, JOURNALIST: Zain, what I can tell you is that where I'm standing right now, there's a gate between me, the gate to the cemetery,
the last gate Diego Maradona crossed into eternity, into becoming a legend.
Right now, Argentina is in its third day of official mourning, but that's just official. Real mourning may take days, weeks, and maybe years. This
place is expected to become one of the places of pilgrimage for these hardcore -- really fans that really, really appreciate, love, respect and
have enormous gratitude for the joys he gave to millions upon millions of Argentines in the playing field.
[09:15:21]
LAJE: That is why -- that is what explains how many people went first to Plaza De Mayo just opposite the Presidential Palace where he was laid in
honor and that's what explains why so many people converged along the route he took. He started actually some 35 kilometers away from here in downtown
Buenos Aires, and just cheered, sang, and remembered him.
And that is how Argentina feels now. Deep sorrow and at the same time, deep gratitude for one of Argentina's greatest sons and of course, a hero
starting today, now, a legend -- Zain.
ASHER: And people on the other side of the world, I mean, it's not just in Argentina, people on the other side of the world in Italy are also paying
tribute. Obviously, he meant so much to Naples, to the Napoli Soccer Club.
Just walk us through that because there are now conversations about renaming the city's stadium in his honor as well. What did he mean for
Napoli football fans?
LAJE: For Napoli, it's probably the best thing that could happen, because remember, Diego Maradona is loved and idolized in two special --especially
in two parts of the world. One in Argentina, of course, that's obvious. He played here for so many years, but also in Napoli.
Diego Maradona was the star that helped Napoli reach international championships that took them and led them into a stage that made a huge
difference in that city.
This is why he has so many fans there that like fans here, share this love and gratitude for all the joys and happiness that he gave to them, because
it is hard sometimes to convey how soccer, how football, how football fans feel about the game.
It is something so deep. It is something so meaningful in their lives and just imagine, the man who makes your club, who leads your club into like an
international title, into an international championship is the man who is responsible and who you will feel gratitude for, for all of those enormous
joys and honors that, of course, as a fan of a club, you also share in when your club does very well.
And probably, that is what Maradona is in Napoli and of course, what Maradona is across the vast territory of Argentina given that he was -- the
national jersey that he wore every time he played was the Argentine jersey -- Zain.
ASHER: And Maradona, of course, you know, we've talked about this on air a lot, but he leaves behind this wonderful but yet extremely complicated
legacy.
I mean, obviously, he struggled with health issues, there were addiction issues as well, but the fans loved him regardless. It almost didn't matter
to them. Just walk us through this tension between Maradona on the pitch and Maradona off the pitch.
LAJE: Such a different man. On the pitch, he was perfect. Absolutely perfect. You see him play and some fans refer to him as a poet with the
football.
Now, his personal life was different, but what people really appreciate here in Argentina, especially, is that he was who he was. He was authentic.
He was spontaneous. He said what he thought. And he thought -- he didn't think very much what he said but he really felt what he said.
This is probably the most important thing for everybody here. He was authentic. He was the real deal. He was not a fake that was, for example,
saying one thing one day and then changing his mind or thinking some other way.
Of course, he had a very difficult fight against two addictions. One, cocaine. His fight against cocaine, he spoke openly about it. He sought
redemption through family life, through love and he asked for the pardon, especially of his loved ones for all the complications cocaine brought to
his life.
And then after that, he continued a fight against alcohol that many believe he didn't quite win, and this is what makes him so human. On the one hand,
he is god. He scored hands down the best goal in soccer World Cup history and the same man appears on TV and publicly asks his daughters and wife for
forgiveness.
"Please forgive me. I am a flawed man," he has said publicly on local TV addressing his family and that is what makes him this real person that
everybody, everybody has an opinion about. Maybe good, maybe bad, but everybody has an opinion about -- Zain.
[09:20:52]
ASHER: You know what, it made him so relatable. He was a man of the people and never forgot where he came from.
Diego Laje in Buenos Aires, live for us there, thank you so much.
All right, still to come here on FIRST MOVE, serious concerns that Africa will lag behind the rest of the world in terms of getting access to COVID
vaccine.
And on Black Friday in 2020, a shopping dilemma. Venture out or stay at home? We've got both sides of the coin for you, that's next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
ASHER: Welcome back to FIRST MOVE. The U.S. markets open in just a few minutes, but because it is post-Thanksgiving, it's a short day of trading.
That's being reflected in the futures, which are pointing toward a modestly higher open.
We don't expect much volatility as investors will probably look for shopping rather than stock bargains. Some concern could be around emerging
markets and this just in for you, India entered its first recession in nearly a quarter of a century. GDP fell 7.5 percent in the second quarter
after contraction of nearly 24 percent in the first quarter.
The country recorded the second highest number of coronavirus cases in the world according. That's according to Johns Hopkins University.
This is a business show, but not all costs can be put into numbers. For example, the impact this pandemic is having on mental health, for example,
especially for families who are desperate for Washington to reach a breakthrough on its stimulus deal.
A reminder: there are 50 million Americans who at some point this year did not have enough food to eat. Let that sink in. That's according to the
largest hunger relief group in the United States.
So where are we in terms of stimulus measures?
[09:25:27]
ASHER: Greg Valliere is Chief U.S. Policy Strategist at AGF Investments. Greg, I hope you had a good Thanksgiving. Thank you so much for being with
us. So, obviously, the key priority now, especially over the next couple of weeks, is going to be a stimulus deal. If there isn't one, what hangs in
the balance in terms of the U.S. economy come January? Come February?
GREG VALLIERE, CHIEF U.S. POLICY STRATEGIST, AGF INVESTMENTS: I think, Zain, good morning, I think that we could be looking at a very soft economy
in January and February. A lot of key benefits expire on December 31st.
As you know, unemployment claims have been rising and I do think the economy could get real soft during the winter before we get vaccines.
ASHER: And in terms of a stimulus deal, I mean, there are so many key areas to think about, but in terms of a stimulus deal, you think about the
overall number in terms of the employment benefit and insurance aspect of it. What do you think in terms of any stimulus deal? You think about the
overall number in terms of the aid package. There is the amount the state and local funding, there is the unemployment benefit, unemployment
insurance aspect of it.
What do you think, in terms of any stimulus deal that is passed, what is the most important element or elements, I should say, plural, in order to
keep the economy afloat?
VALLIERE: Two points, Zain. First of all, I think the key variable here is the relationship between Mitch McConnell and Joe Biden. They've known each
other for decades. They have respect for each other.
They're not best friends, but will we see them meet? McConnell typically has been very enigmatic and close-mouthed about what he wants to do. He
still hasn't acknowledged that Biden won. So that's a key factor.
The other key factor is the dollar amount, obviously. I don't think Biden could get much more than $1 trillion. Nancy Pelosi wanted over $2 trillion,
that's never going to happen.
So I think they are going to have to come to some sort of agreement on dollars amounts just to get us through the winter. $700 billion to $800
billion would seem to be a minimum.
ASHER: So when you think about the landscape right now, Greg, you know, we are in a situation with rising COVID cases, more restrictions, businesses
closing, you also have got more people filing for unemployment as well.
I mean, in that kind of scenario, if there is a stimulus package, if there is a stimulus deal that's passed, when Biden takes over come January 20th,
what could he do, at least through executive action temporarily -- temporarily to help boost the economy?
VALLIERE: He can extend benefits for people who have been evicted, people who face foreclosure, things like that. There are some things he can do
with executive authority, but he does need a bill at some point and I do worry that the Georgia runoffs control everything.
If in the Georgia runoffs, the Republicans win just one of the two seats, Mitch McConnell will be in control and I don't think he wants to do a lot.
If, on the other hand, the Democrats win both seats on January 5th, that means they have a decent chance of getting a much more substantive stimulus
package.
ASHER: Yes, it's hard to know, you know, what sort of levers Joe Biden can pull here without knowing what the results are going to be for Georgia's
runoff senate races.
But in the meantime, we have got Janet Yellen as Treasury Secretary. How do you think the Yellen pick will help the recovery here?
VALLIERE: A tremendous pick. I think she'll win confirmation, but there's a dispute now, as you know, between Treasury Mnuchin and the Fed over whether
the Fed has to give back money that's not been spent. If they do, and it looks like they will have to give back the money and end some programs, it
will be harder to get them jump started early on after the January 20th inauguration.
So I do worry. Bottom line, I really worry about the economy in January, February, and March. I'm really bullish about the spring and summer with
the vaccine, but we've got a long difficult winter ahead.
ASHER: Yes, it's certainly going to be a cold winter in more ways than one. Greg Valliere live for us there, thank you so much.
VALLIERE: Yes.
ASHER: All right, we'll have the opening bell after this quick break. You're watching FIRST MOVE. I'm Zain Asher. See you in a couple of minutes.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[09:31:44]
ASHER: All right, welcome back to FIRST MOVE, I'm Zain Asher.
The U.S. markets open once again after being closed yesterday because of the Thanksgiving Holiday. It's going to be a short trading day. The market
is only going to be open until 1:00, but as you can see, it is a modest but positive open already. All three indices are pointing to a higher open. The
NASDAQ is actually already hitting a record high, continuing the incredible rally that it has had so far this year.
Today, is of course, Black Friday and one of the biggest shopping traditions of the year is looking a lot different in 2020. In the U.S.,
many big stores that normally open at midnight did not do so, although some will hold events today against the advice of health experts.
Alison Kosik is at a mall in New York. So, Alison, of course, we knew that shopping was going to be a little bit lighter today, we are in a pandemic
after all, but the question is, how much fewer traffic are we seeing across more than America compared to this time last year?
ALISON KOSIK, CNN BUSINESS CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Zain. So, this is the second biggest mall in the New York City metro area, and it does not
feel like Black Friday. It is pretty empty.
I mean, there is more foot traffic than there was a few hours ago, but it certainly is not like the crush of crowds that we're used to seeing on
Black Friday.
But retailers are ready in case the crowds arrive. They have got those safety protocols in place. Just in case there is a line outside, there are
stickers where customers should stand six feet apart.
Once inside, they have to wear a mask and if they don't have this one at this particular store, at Abercrombie and Fitch, they'll provide you a mask
and they are limiting the number of customers who can come in. The limit is 65 people.
So customers are getting acclimated to this new way of shopping on a Black Friday, shopping during a pandemic, and retailers are trying to get used to
it as well. They've got this delicate balancing act. They are trying to keep their employees, their workers and customers safe while still trying
to bring in revenue.
And with that in mind, they were looking to Black Friday as not just one day but they've extended Black Friday, many retailers to months. So we've
seen Black Friday discounts begin in October, throughout November and they are expected to continue through December as well. Not just to bring in
revenue, but to try to avoid getting those crowds on a day like today during a pandemic.
And it's the crowd's avoidance of them that brought shoppers who did show up here at the mall, brought those shoppers in early, once again, to avoid
the crowds. Listen to what they had to say.
[09:35:14]
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
LUIS SANTAMARIA, BLACK FRIDAY SHOPPER: I'm not really in a risk category. Usually, like older people, but I would say, it's not really worth it for
some people, but for us, it doesn't really make a difference.
FRED KNOX, BLACK FRIDAY SHOPPER: I feel good. I feel safe. I feel comfortable. I like it. There's nobody out here. It's perfect. Perfect for
a shopper like me.
DAMIAN GNECCO, BLACK FRIDAY SHOPPER: I figured, the earlier you go, the less crowds you're going to have to face and I don't know about you, but I
think I'm right in terms of the crowds here, there's very few crowds here.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
KOSIK: And despite the struggle that many Americans are going through financially, the National Retail Federation expected to be a strong holiday
shopping season with the expectation that we'll see anywhere from three percent to five percent more spending this year than last year -- Zain.
ASHER: That's an interesting fact there. Alison Kosik live for us there. Thank you so much.
And for those who don't venture out, online shopping is a growing viable alternative. Commerce hub offers digital solutions for retailers in
marketplaces.
Home Depot, Macy's, Best Buy and Dick's Sporting Goods used its platform to generate demand, fulfill orders and help deliver products. It actually just
completed a shopping survey around Black Friday.
Frank Poore is CommerceHub's CEO and joins us live now. So, Frank, thank you so much for being with us. We are going to get to the survey in just a
moment, but I'm not sure if you heard our reporter, Alison Kosik who was at a mall in West Nyack New York just talking about how empty some of the
stores there were.
You know, for the retail sector, first, you had Amazon, you know, over the last few years, sort of ripping through their revenue. Then, of course, you
have a pandemic in COVID. Will Black Friday, at least in-person shopping on Black Friday, will it ever be the same again?
FRANK POORE, CEO, COMMERCEHUB: Well, it may be the same again, but I don't think it will be the same again anytime soon. This year is certainly going
to be e-commerce. All commerce is becoming e-commerce.
Even if you're ordering something likely from a store, you know, the stores are probably going to benefit greatly from curbside pick-up. You know, that
rush for the big screen TV, kind of discount at midnight is probably over for a while, for sure.
ASHER: Just in terms of a shift, you know, even if there is a shift to digital and more accelerated shift to digital, just in terms of the
economic landscape we're looking at. Obviously, we're waiting for a stimulus package, a lot of Americans are awaiting a stimulus package, and a
lot of people are dependent on that extra $1,200.00 in terms of a check, unemployment insurance.
Obviously, there are people in dire straits who have lost their jobs. Is that at least going to affect, even in the digital sector, in terms of
online shopping, how much will that affect how much people spend this year?
POORE: You know, we'll have to wait and see how the overall aggregate totals come in, but I can tell you, that will have an effect and there's
also, you know, the market is up obviously, and so that creates wealth if people are able to cash and spend.
So there will be spending this holiday season. It's just shifting to online. You know, folks are going online, the gifts may become more
practical than previous years. But people still are in a gift-giving spirit. We're seeing the numbers come in.
Yesterday was very, very significant for us. And so we think that it's going to continue and it's going to continue online.
ASHER: And just in terms of the survey that CommerceHub actually ran, so we'll wait to see what the numbers are in terms of how much people spend.
But has the pandemic actually affected -- you mentioned practical gifts, but how much of the pandemic actually affected the types of gifts, the
types of things that people are going to be splurging on this year?
POORE: I mean, certainly, it's affecting electronics and home and comfort types of items. The kinds of things, outdoor gear, you know, there's all
kinds of things.
People are going to be wanting toys. Those are the types of things we're going to see. You know, a lot of folks have outfitted much of their home
offices. We have gotten used to doing these kind of things. I think there will still be more going on with perhaps kids back home from schools and
those sorts of things.
So I think we're going to continue to see the same kinds of things we did before.
ASHER: And one thing I found interesting about the survey that CommerceHub carried out was just the fact that political affiliation is now affecting
the way people shop. You've got Democrats more likely to avoid in-person shopping, more likely to perhaps purchase their Black Friday goods online,
Republicans more likely to actually go out and shop in person.
Is that a trend you expect to continue well into next year at least until there's a vaccine?
POORE: You know, I'd love for everyone to come together on this thing and solve it as a national problem or a global problem, but there's different
people with different views and, you know, they tend to be expressed in political ways. So I do think that that will continue until much of the
population is immune, so that's why it is going to take some time.
[09:40:10]
ASHER: All right. Frank Poore, CEO of CommerceHub live for us. Thank you so much.
POORE: Thanks for having me.
ASHER: Of course. Up next, as AstraZeneca's vaccine is submitted for regulatory approval, the African C.D.C. says it fears not getting early
enough access to a shot. The latest on the race to get the world vaccinated. That's next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
ASHER: One step closer to a vaccine. AstraZeneca's candidate has been referred to Britain's medicines regulator for approval. Over the past
couple of days, scientists though have raised concerns about the clarity and the transparency of some of the trial data released by the company.
Elizabeth Cohen joins us live now. So, Elizabeth, what are experts saying that AstraZeneca should have essentially done differently in terms of the
way that they released their data to the public?
ELIZABETH COHEN, CNN SENIOR MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT: Right, so AstraZeneca released this data last week and when they did, they talked about a subset,
slightly more than 2,500 study subjects who got a different dosage, a different dosage schedule than everybody else.
What they didn't say was that that was a mistake and that's important to know, because vaccine trials, they are supposed to be meticulous and the
experts that I've spoken to have said, wait a second, if they made a mistake with something as big as the dosage of the vaccine, what other
mistakes might have happened? So that's one question that I'm sure regulators will be looking into.
Another question is, as you mentioned, transparency. When their press release was issued, they said on average, their vaccine was 70 percent
effective, but they didn't show the math that got them to 70 percent. They just said 70 percent and Pfizer showed their math, Moderna showed their
math, that's two other vaccine makers. A lot of questions as to why AstraZeneca is not showing their math.
The third thing that regulators will want to know is that not one, but two people in the trial who received the vaccine developed neurological
problems and there's lots of questions, did those problems exist before they got the vaccine? They only showed up after the vaccine was given? What
exactly happened there? Those details have certainly not been given publicly.
We know that some data has been shared with regulators because they allowed them to continue their clinical trials, but I'm sure that regulators will
have more questions about the nature of these illnesses and if anyone else became ill -- Zain.
[09:45:37]
ASHER: And Elizabeth, President Trump is saying that coronavirus vaccine deliveries will begin as early as next week. What more can you tell us
about that?
COHEN: Well, what I can tell you is that this really does not seem to be correct, and I will get into why it's not correct in a second. Let's first
listen to what the President had to say.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DONALD TRUMP (R), PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: We are rounding the curve. The vaccines are being delivered literally, it will start next week
and the week after, and it will hit the front line workers and seniors and doctors, nurses, a lot of people.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COHEN: So you can't deliver a vaccine until the F.D.A. has given it authorization, right? That just makes sense. The F.D.A. is not scheduled to
have a meeting with this all important advisory committee until December 10th, so let's take a look at a calendar.
That advisory committee isn't meeting until December 10th and the head of the F.D.A.'s vaccine branch says it will likely take weeks to make a
decision or certainly days. So even if it just takes days, that's not next week, that's not the week after. It's the week after that at the very
earliest. So already that's beyond President Trump's timeline.
I think the bottom line here as we sort of go back and forth about what Trump is saying and is it correct is to listen to Dr. Anthony Fauci. Dr.
Fauci told CNN, look, we are thinking that shots will go into arms in the latter half of December. So far, everything looks like that's on track --
Zain.
ASHER: So on the one hand, you've got sort of problems with President Trump's timeline of vaccine deliveries. On the other hand, you've got this
AstraZeneca vaccine that, you know, they weren't completely forthcoming with some of the information in terms of data about their clinical trial
results.
So you and I have talked about this. There are a lot of people who don't necessarily fully trust -- especially in this country -- fully trust
getting a vaccine. How much damage does this do?
COHEN: You know, I think it does a lot of damage and I think it's really unfortunate that this all came out this way. There is already so much
mistrust that when questions start to arise, it just makes people say, are they telling me the truth?
I think, Zain, what people are scared about is not so much that it won't work, but what about the side effects? If I take the shot, is going to hurt
me? That's what they are worried about and seeing that two participants did get the vaccine and there were reports that they developed neurological
problems, I think the people will want to see much more detail about those.
Now, when we asked AstraZeneca for details, they say, oh, we can't because of patient privacy. And when we say, well, we're not asking you to name
those two people, we are not asking you to give their addresses or their ages or anything about them, but even then they say, sorry, we can't talk
about this. I think that's not going to go down well with the public.
ASHER: I couldn't agree more. Elizabeth Cohen live for us there. Thank you so much.
As AstraZeneca works to get its shot approved, Africa's C.D.C. warns that it could be the middle of 2021 before vaccinations on the continent are
broadly available. The agency's top officer says that he is concerned Africa will be left behind in the global vaccination drive.
David McKenzie joins us live from Johannesburg. How does a continent large as Africa with over a billion people prepare for such a mass vaccination
schedule?
DAVID MCKENZIE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, more than 50 countries, of course there are going to be will be individual nations who make individual
choices. You're right there, Zain.
But the African C.D.C. has been pretty good so far about trying to have a collective bargaining on the continent and a shared strategy for
therapeutics, for testing and now, of course, for the potential vaccine that will roll out.
One of the big issues at play here is cost. The W.H.O. says it could cost more than $5 billion to get that vaccine to those who need it across the
continent. That's money that isn't there right now, but initially, they are working with the World Bank to try to secure more than $2 billion and there
is a sense that everyone is in it together.
The key here will be to work with vaccine companies as they roll out because, of course, from a public health standpoint, though many countries
in Africa haven't been as hard hit by this virus as places in Europe and North America, of course, you cannot get rid of a pandemic unless there's a
broad vaccination or immunity across the globe -- Zain.
[09:50:10]
ASHER: And how hard will delivery and transportation be, do you think, especially to the more rural parts of various countries?
MCKENZIE: Well, over the years, I've covered many vaccine drives across the continent and really, they have these logistics in place. The cold chain,
which is a key mechanism of getting a vaccine out, you know, the Moderna and the Pfizer vaccine have to be at very cold temperatures, there is a
system in place already.
Maybe not at the scale that we will see with the COVID-19 vaccine, but even down to the kind of village level in parts of the Congo and Nigeria where
CNN has covered these kind of vaccine drives. You literally have a fridge or at least a cold chain going on the back of a motorbike at the last
stage.
The key, say virus experts, is not necessarily the vaccine at the beginning point, but it's the last mile they talk about to continue the cold chain,
and that is something they will think very carefully about on the scale that we are talking about here -- Zain.
ASHER: All right, David McKenzie live for us there. Thank you so much.
Coming up, a widening political rift between China and Australia as they inch closer to all-out trade war. What the latest move could mean for
Australia's wine makers, that's next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
ASHER: Australia is responding defiantly to a move by china that's sure to increase tensions even more between the two countries. Starting Saturday,
Beijing is imposing temporary tariffs of up to 200 percent on Australian wine imports.
China is accusing Australia of unfairly lowering the cost of it its wine to gain market share, a process known as dumping. Australia says the tariffs
imposed by its largest trading partner are unjustifiable and seriously concerning. Angus Watson reports.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
ANGUS WATSON, JOURNALIST: The Chinese Commerce Ministry's decision to drastically increase import duties on Australian wine into the country
could be potentially devastating for one of Australia's largest agricultural export commodities.
As of Saturday, Chinese importers will be forced to pay between 107.1 percent and 212.1 percent in tariffs for Australian product into the
country, and it's not the first time that Chinese authorities have had Australian wine in their sights this year.
In August, China launched inquiry into alleged Australian dumping of wine on to their market and alleged unfair subsidies that Australian authorities
were giving their wine makers.
The Australian government however believes that this new move to increase import duties on Australian wine is politically motivated.
SIMON BIRMINGHAM, AUSTRALIAN TRADE MINISTER: This is a devastating blow to those businesses who trade with China in the wine industry. It will render
unviable for many businesses their wine trade with China and clearly, we think it is unjustified and without evidence to back it up.
[09:55:13]
WATSON: Whichever way that you choose to look at it, the normally robust trade relationship between Australia and China has soured dramatically this
year. China has already slapped patent tariffs on Australian beef and Australian barley and all the while, Australian authorities say that their
Chinese counterparts won't even pick up the phone to talk to them.
Chinese authorities say that Australia stepped out of line when it called for an independent inquiry into the origins of COVID-19 and went as far as
to last week, furnished an Australian journalist with a list of grievances that the Chinese government has with Australia.
On the list is also the striking of Huawei from Australia's 5G network and Australia's complaints over rights abuses in Xinjiang and Hong Kong.
Prime Minister Scott Morrison of Australia says that he wants this matter resolved diplomatically. At the moment, it only seems to be getting worse.
Angus Watson, Sydney, Australia.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
ASHER: All right, that's it for this show. I'm Zain Asher. You, of course, have been watching FIRST MOVE.
Have a safe and lovely weekend.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
END
