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Epidemiologist: U.S. Likely To See Mid-March Surge Due To U.K. Variant; Lawmakers Debate Benefits, Consequences Of $15 Minimum Wage; Georgia Voting Bill Passes Out Of Key Committee. Aired 12:30-1p ET

Aired February 25, 2021 - 12:30   ET

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

[12:30:00]

JOHN KING, CNN HOST: This is fully vaccinated. 12 percent of Alaskans fully vaccinated, just shy of 10 percent in West Virginia, most states in the five and the six is 9 percent in South Dakota. So the rush to get people fully vaccinated continues.

But you see the numbers are still percentage wise pretty low across the country right now.

One of the issues was the bad weather in recent days. And last week, the administration was up to about 1.7, then it dropped down a little bit 1.5 million vaccines 1.4 million doses a day right now is the seven day average, most public health experts say, you need to get that up around 3 million doses a day to start having the desired effect out here.

In terms of the fully vaccinated again, 14 percent of Americans have received a first dose, only a little more than 6 percent are fully vaccinated. That's the challenge with the rollout as you race against the variants. And if you look at the variants, so far, we're just shy of 2,000 cases, by tomorrow we probably get there 19,132 cases of the reported COVID variants here in the United States, 97 percent of those are that U.K. variant identified early on.

But researchers say there aren't South African variants. There's a new variant now detected in New York make its way through the Northeast. Public health experts say, yes, there's been progress of late, but in the race against these variants, check back in two or three weeks.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MICHAEL OSTERHOLM, EPIDEMIOLOGIST: It often takes four, six, even eight weeks until virus is circulating before it really takes off, going from kind of the small little brush pile fire to a large forest fire. So, you know, for me and the CDC modeling actually supports this. I think and I've been saying all along where I really get concerned I think is in the second or third week of March.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KING: Let's discuss now with infectious disease epidemiologist and senior scholar at the Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security, Caitlin Rivers. Caitlin, grateful for your time today. When you hear Dr. Osterholm there and you recently coauthored a paper on these variants and what to do about them. When you hear Dr. Osterholm saying essentially check back early to the middle of March to see if we are winning or at least competing well in the race against the variants, walkthrough exactly what that means.

CAITLIN RIVERS, INFECTIOUS DISEASE EPIDEMIOLOGIST: Well, we know right now that case counts are falling. Those improving trends are starting to slow down. And so we need to push them down even further. But in a few weeks, we'll have a better sense of how those variants are becoming established in the United States.

I think Florida is the place to watch right now. They have a higher fraction of cases attributable to the variant first identified in the U.K. then the rest of the country. And so we may get a sense early from Florida how these variants will interact with our outbreak here in the U.S.

KING: That's a great point. We will keep an eye on Florida. And there's also this new variant in New York that's making its way through the Northeast. I want to read a little bit of our reporting on that. Two separate teams of researchers said this week, they have found a worrying new coronavirus variant in New York City and elsewhere in the Northeast that carries mutations that help it evade the body's natural immune system, immune response, excuse me, as well as effective monoclonal antibody treatments. Genomics researchers have named the variant B1.526. What is the significance either of this individual variant if that is the issue, or just the fact that there are more and more of them springing up that complicate the chase?

RIVERS: Those new reports about the so called New York variant or California variant are hot off the press. And I think the scientific jury hasn't even heard the case yet, so to speak, let alone issued a verdict. So we really need more evidence to dig into whether those variants have any changes that are meaningful to public health.

But I think regardless whether those variants are confirmed to be problematic or not, it remains true that this is an ongoing challenge that we will need to manage. But it doesn't need to be an emergency. I think we can put in place the scientific infrastructure to find and characterize those variants and adapt our public health response to match. It's what we do for flu, influenza. And that's what we can do here as well.

KING: And in the paper, you helped write about how to deal with this. I just want to go through some of the recommendations you talked about here in ways we deal with these variants. Number one, continued public health measures to slow transmission. Prioritize contact tracing and data collection. Develop genomic surveillance strategy. And coordination network for genomic surveillance and characterization.

It has been depressing to hear from the experts how far behind the United States is when it comes to genomic surveillance and the like of that. As you went through this paper, assessing the challenges for the weeks ahead, what jumps out? What is most important for anyone listening out there who hears about the variant, some people, for example, say, oh, why get a vaccine now, it might not be any good about these new variants? What should be -- how should the average American be processing this?

RIVERS: Well, it's really a scientific question right now of how we create the infrastructure to be able to find and track these variants. But as it relates to public health, all of the tools and measures that we have been taking all years still work. The variant that is most commonly circulating in the U.S., the most common variant of concern is still perfectly good against the vaccines that we have.

And even the other variants that were a little bit more worried about, they're circulating at such low levels that it doesn't need to be top of mind right now. If we continue to push down transmission with the masks and the social distancing and avoiding gatherings, I think we can get to a better place and we can aim for a more normal summer.

KING: Caitlin Rivers, grateful as always for your important work and your insights here. We'll continue the conversation as we deal with this challenge coming ahead. Thank you so much today.

RIVERS: Thank you.

[12:34:59]

KING: Coming up for us, a Washington talking point with real consequences, the potential costs and benefits of raising the minimum wage.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

KING: Washington often speaks a very different language than the rest of America. The minimum wage debate is a very much a here and now example of that. Here in D.C. the biggest immediate question is about rules and process. Will the Senate parliamentarian say yes or no to the Democrats plan to include a federal minimum wage hike in a big COVID relief package where you live, the conversation is likely more about policy meaning about jobs and about dignity. Many workers see an increase in the minimum wage as a path out of poverty. Many businesses though warn higher payroll costs will translate into fewer jobs.

[12:40:05]

CNN's Vanessa Yurkevich is here with more on how this debate plays out, is playing out where it matters most across America. Vanessa, let's start with those who would benefit from this, those who say, a $15 minimum wage or a higher minimum wage, puts food on the table and mainly maybe means more time with their family because they work one job instead of two or three.

VANESSA YURKEVICH, CNN BUSINESS AND POLITICS CORRESPONDENT: Absolutely. And many workers across the country are still making that federal minimum wage, which currently is that 725 an hour. But we spoke to one man here in Washington D.C., who said he was working two jobs from 8:00 a.m. in the morning till 8:00 p.m. at night, six days a week, in order to just scrape by. Now he is making over $15 an hour. And he says that it has changed his life. (BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

NISHAD SAYEM, EMPLOYEE, WELL-PAID MAIDS: I work only 35 to 40 hours a week. And I'm making more than two jobs that I wasn't making that much money. And now I can give some time to my family, my niece, nephew. I can cover my rent. I can little -- I can save a little money, that I cannot save it before when I was working two jobs.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

YURKEVICH: And it's important to note that folks who are making minimum wage are not just teenagers or people entering the workforce for the first time. It's women, it's essential workers, it's those being affected most by this pandemic right now. That's why they are pushing so much for a living wage in order to be support -- to support more than themselves. They have families to think about. And that is why it is so critical that many workers are really hoping for this $15 to get them to a place where they can do all of that, John.

KING: And let's take a look. This is from the Congressional Budget Office, the gentlemen, you just spoke to Mr. Sayem there falls on the bottom part of this chart, the minimum wage, the CBO says, it would raise income for 17 million workers if you raise it, lift 900,000 Americans out of poverty. That's the plus side. The CBO also does say though, it would reduce employment by 1.4 million workers and it would result in higher prices for goods and services.

Vanessa, in your reporting, when you talk to businesses, especially small businesses, who in this pandemic are having even a more horrific time than in normal circumstances, how do they strike the balance between sure I'd love to pay my workers more but?

YURKEVICH: Right, and for some small businesses who pay their workers a lower wage, because the workers rely on tips, this is going to be difficult for them, they're going to have to scale their workers up to that $15 an hour. But we spoke to one business right here in Washington D.C., who says that they were able to actually make the math work because they incorporated that $15 minimum wage in their business model.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

NICK WISEMAN, CO-FOUNDER, LITTLE SESAME: We knew that this $15 mark was coming. And we made sure that the model supported it. But that was an integral part of our business. It was, you know, it was the right thing to do. And it was a good thing for us as a business.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

YURKEVICH: And that is why President Biden is suggesting to scale up to this $15 minimum wage over the course of five years in order to give small businesses that opportunity to change their business model. Now we know Republicans are saying that's still too much. They're suggesting a $10 minimum wage scaled up over the next couple years. But for small businesses, there is no doubt that this $15 minimum wage is going to be a hurdle for some, John. KING: We'll know a lot more about where this is heading in the next 24 hours or so. The big House vote tomorrow, the Senate parliamentarian rule could come any minute. Vanessa Yurkevich, grateful for the reporting from the real America too, not just what they say in the halls of Congress, so those of us who speak Washington speak, appreciate it very much.

Coming up for us, the Manhattan district attorney now has a hold of the former president's tax returns and his tax records, millions of pages long. And as we go to break the Speaker Pelosi claims she doesn't know GOP senators first name.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

REP. NANCY PELOSI (D-CA): For the leader of the Senate to make light of this and his -- well, it's Don Johnson. What's his first name, John?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Ron.

PELOSI: What is it, Ron?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Ron.

[12:44:06]

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Miami Vice.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

KING: Topping our Political Radar today, just moments ago, Jennifer Granholm the former Michigan governor confirmed as the New Energy Secretary. She is now the 10th Biden Cabinet pick to win Senate confirmation. Living on the New York Governor, Andrew Cuomo, denying sexual harassment allegations from a former advisor. In an essay published on medium Lindsey Boylan, who once worked for the state's Economic Development Agency alleges the Governor kissed her on the lips following a one on one meeting in his New York City Office back in 2018.

Boylan and also says the Governor suggested they play strip poker that allegedly happening when they were in a flight together in 2017. And a statement from Cuomo's office, four staffers who were on that flight dispute Boylan story. And the Governor's press secretary says her claims of inappropriate behavior are quote quite simply false. Boylan is running for Manhattan Borough President. She first accused the governor of sexual harassment on Twitter back in December.

The Manhattan District Attorney's Office says it now has former President Trump's tax returns and related financial records. Prosecutors got those records on Monday just hours after the Supreme Court denied the former president's last ditch effort to keep those documents private. As new evidence comes to light, South Dakota's governor says the Attorney General Jason Ravnsborg should resign or be impeached.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

[12:50:04]

GOV. KRISTI NOEM (R-SD): I spent about 10 hours on Monday reviewing the entire case and the videos and what was included during the investigation before the charges were filed. And that's why on Tuesday, you saw me say that I believed the Attorney General should resign.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KING: Ravnsborg was involved in an accident hitting and killing a man in his car last September. Investigators now say the victim's glasses were found inside the car, the Attorney General's car. He told police he thought he had hit a deer but found the victim's body after returning to the scene of the collision the next morning.

Coming up for us, some state legislature is trying to make voting harder with new bills aimed at restricting early voting, absentee voting, and other restrictions.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[12:55:19]

KING: Your right to vote is under attack in state legislators across America. The proposals vary from state to state but most share two common threads. They are sponsored by Republicans and they perpetuate the Trump big lie that there was massive fraud in 2020. Iowa now offers a fresh example. The Iowa House last night giving final passage to a measure that among other things, scales back early voting and mandates that polls close an hour earlier on election day.

The state's Republican governor says she plans to sign that, her staff does anyway. A Georgia measure we talked about earlier in the week sailed through a key committee yesterday, that measure in Georgia limits how and who can vote by mail and it imposes new photo I.D. requirements.

Jessica Huseman is the editorial director for Votebeat U.S. and a CNN analyst. Jessica, it's great to see you. It is fascinating to me, sad to me, that after a pandemic election in which turnout went up instead of celebrating and trying to figure out great, how do we get more participation? We see I believe the current count is 29 states, Republicans saying let's curtail, restrict the right to vote.

JESSICA HUSEMAN, CNN ANALYST: Yes, it's really stunning. And I think that there are a lot of these bills that have absolutely no chance of passing. But they're -- the initial proposal of them is really what's troubling to me because, you know, most citizens aren't going to follow a piece of legislation from start to finish. They really only hear about it when it makes the news when it's first established.

And all of these news articles and all of this coverage is giving people the suspicion that perhaps they were right, right? If there are legislators are taking this drastic measures, then the election must have been flawed.

KING: Right. That's the sad part. It perpetuates the big lie. If you want to make tweaks and changes make your public case for them but you should make a facts not based on lie. Georgia is a great example. We talked about the bill there, making its way progress. We'll see what gets to the finish line in Georgia. That is one of the places where you're right. What's proposed at the beginning might not be what gets there at the end. But I'll call him a former President Trump's favorite Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger in Georgia, talking about the bills there.

He says, we are reviewing bills, once we see something that prioritizes the security and accessibility of elections, we'll throw in support. At the end of the day, many of these bills are reactionary to a three month disinformation campaign that could have been prevented. Let me translate that. The Georgia Secretary of State again saying President Trump, former President Trump and his supporters perpetuating this lie about massive fraud, we are still seeing the impact of that as some Republicans try to curtail the right to vote.

HUSEMAN: Absolutely. And, you know, I think that, that this really speaks to a split within the Republican Party. Certainly there are folks like Brad Raffensperger, who I've spent a lot of time with, who believe that these measures are overstated and have said so publicly. But then there is a wing of the Republican Party that is very dedicated to making sure that they satisfy Trump's most angry base. And so I think that Trump might have been thrown out of office in 2020. But his positions are certainly still in play.

KING: I understand that the challenge is 43 state legislators that have at least some new voting bills before them, some of them I'm sure good, but many of them, as we said, based on the lie. There's an interesting wrinkle we talked in Iowa and Georgia and other states, restricting mail-in voting, cutting back early voting hours in Iowa, for example, even cutting down the time of day you can vote on election day.

In Arizona, there's a proposal that does something else that we saw come up after the election. When then President Trump, now former President Trump was asking states to essentially reverse the will of the people and to overrule the election results and pick different electors and send them to Washington. The Arizona bill, it says this, Arizona lawmakers are debating a new set of voting bills, including one that would allow lawmakers to review election results, quote, if needed, and would grant the legislature the power to pick the state's presidential electors, as Republican lawmakers around the country work to change election laws in the wake of 2020. Again, what?

HUSEMAN: It's very shocking. I mean it's really is. I think that if you look at the scope of American history, by and large, with certainly exceptions, the electorate has expanded and the political authority has moved down to the voters rather than state legislatures or electors as was common in our early history. And so it's striking now, to see a bill in the year 2021 that would roll back so much progress over so many decades. It's striking. And I and I don't think that we can underestimate how severe this really is, because we're not talking about, you know, a shift in American democracy. We're talking about a radical transformation and how Americans see themselves and their own authority within our government. And I just think that it's really appalling. I hope that that bill in Arizona has no chance of passing but who knows?

[13:00:05]

KING: Who knows is right. We're grateful for your help as we trek through this. This is a giant challenge over the next several months and into next year, before 2022. We'll stay on top of it, I promise.

Thanks for your time today, folks, I'm grateful for it. See you back here this time tomorrow. Brianna Keilar starts right now.