Transcripts For CNNW New Day With Alisyn Camerota And John Berman 20201225

This is a special edition of new day with Alisyn Camerota and john berman. And good morning everyone. Welcome to our viewers in the United States and all around the world. This is a special Holiday Edition of new day. Merry christmas, everyone. Merry christmas to you. And you as well. This is a pretty unusual christmas, we hope you are having a lovely morning at home alone with your insular family. This christmas is different, but when and how can you expect to get together and celebrate with family again . We will talk about that in a little bit. We will also celebrate some of the heroes of this pandemic who have done so much to help and inspire others. So all of that and more ahead, but first lets get a check of your headlines at the news desk. Good morning, lets start with some breaking news overnight. The cdc announcing it will require all passengers from the United Kingdom to prove theyve tested negative for coronavirus before they can fly to the United States. The order is a response to the new covid variant that appears to have originated in the uk. Lets go live to london and bring in cnns salma abdelaziz. Good morning, salma. Whats the reaction youre getting from the uk about this new requirement . Reporter lets just go through the details what have needs to happen first. So you have up to 72 hours in which you need to get that negative coronavirus test before you depart, its up to the airlinesers, they have the responsibility to check and make sure you have the negative coronavirus test. If you do not have a negative test you will be denied entry on to the plane. In a way the United States is sort of late to the party here. Theres offer 40 countries that have already put in restrictions, this new variant that Prime Minister Boris Johnson had announced was announced last weekend when everybody was traveling for christmas, so you can only imagine that there are thousands of people who had already traveled to the United States before christmas after this variant was announced. What is the variant . Well, according to the Prime Minister it is up to 70 more transmissible, it is not more dangerous, it is not more immune to the vaccine although there is some evidence that it might be more difficult to vaccinate against it, but this is terrible news for the uk and i will tell you why. Just yesterday a brexit deal was announced that means the uk is officially leaving the eu in one weeks time and it needs to have trade deals, it needs to have business with very important partners like the United States and, of course, Something Like this will make that very, very difficult. And getting a test here is not easy, this is another thing i want to tell you. Yes, mass testing is being rolled out across the country, but, for example, here in london if i wanted to get a coronavirus test through the National Health service, our Public Health service, i would have to have symptoms or pay 200 to get a private test, alisyn. Its certainly not a perfect situation. Salma abdelaziz, thanks very much. Also making news on this christmas morning, nasty weather. A storm on the east coast bringing heavy rain to the northeast. Lets get to meteorologist chad myers. Chad, not just bringing rain, but some heavy, heavy winds that woke me up at 1 00 in the morning. Heavy wind, heavy rain and then cold air behind it. Its 60 in new york city right now, its 19 in pittsburgh and that air is headed toward the east for sure. Heavy, heavy rainfall on top of places that already saw between 30 and 40 inches of snow. So guess what thats doing, thats melting the snow, thats creating flash flooding. Look at the windchill right now in chicago 3 below zero, indianapolis 5 below zero. So that cold air is coming in. If you are traveling in this area today, especially this morning, check some type of highway traffic app because a lot of roads are shut down this morning, each the flash flooding here, floods roads are covered in water, all the way from binghamton back down even to luzerne and for that matter down even into parts of virginia and west virginia. Now, the storm goes by, by 11 00 its completely out of here, but with the temperatures going down so quickly, we could see flash freezing on the roadways which a lot of ice after dark tonight across those roadways. Temperatures are mild across the south, i would like a warmer than 35 Christmas Day, but it did snow slightly, slightly in atlanta yesterday, so the kids were thrilled to look at it, allison. White christmas, chad myers, thanks very much. Stimulus checks for millions of American Workers still in limbo this morning. The relief bill that President Trump has so far refused to sign has been flown to trumps maralago golf club in florida where the president is spending the holiday. More than 12 million laid off americans could lose their jobless benefits as early as tomorrow. Joining us now is ron brownstein, he is a senior cnn senior political analyst and Senior Editor at the atlantic. Thanks for getting up early on this christmas morning. Happy holidays to you. Happy holidays. So lets walk through the impact of this. If this bill doesnt get signed by the president , what kind of impact will this have on americans, what will it have on the u. S. Economy . Well, look, as i understand it if he doesnt sign it by tomorrow at the least Unemployment Benefits will be disrupted, the extended Unemployment Benefits will be disrupted for next week. You have the operation of the government, you have the eviction moratorium, obviously you have the extended Unemployment Benefits, the new benefits for the renewed benefits for Small Business and the paycheck protection. So, i mean, theres just an Enormous Economic impact, an enormous impact on human need and just frankly, allison, an enormous level of chaos that the president is continuing to introduce in the system at a point when americans need some sense many as weve seen in the coverage, millions of people are literally at the end of their rope and need to know that there is a pathway forward and he is producing uncertainty instead of that pathway. Can you go through some of the motivations . What is motivating him to do this . Does he understand what hes doing or is he just kind of giving the big middle finger up not just to republicans but to the American Public as well . Well, look, i mean, i think by now its pretty clear what motivates the president on every front, which is what he perceives as his own political interest and, you know, no one knows for sure where this objection where these objections have come from, since he remained disengaged from a process that has been going on pretty much almost you know, for the last six months or so as republicans and democrats republicans have resisted the democratic effort to have a bigger, broader package. So hes had innumerable opportunities to weigh in and i think as a result the fact that hes doing this now is seen largely as a temper tantrum, a peek at the republicans that have had the temerity to finally acknowledge six, seven weeks after the fact that he lost the election. Is there anybody who is in his ear at this point who can try to talk some sense into him, or is everybody just gone at this point . Well, i think, you know, pretty much in the organized Republican Party wants to talk some sense into him, particularly because they realize how damaging this is in the two january special elections in georgia that will determine control of the senate, but whether he is listening to anyone, i mean, all the indications are that Mitch Mcconnell isnt even trying. You know, when you take this and you add it to what we have seen since the election, the sustained effort to undermine the outcome of the election, and then you throw in the pardons to cronies, just transparently corrupt pardoning of people who refused to cooperate in an investigation in which he was personally implicated, and then you add to it yet still his pressure on the Justice Department to appoint special prosecutors to target his political opponents, to target the incoming administration, i mean, you add all of that up and this is the kind of thing you see if a tin pot dictatorship in the final days of a strong man who is about to fall, whether it is noriega in panama, this is what happens when the walls close in, you get a angry, vengeful, erratic leader who is lashing out in all directions and really flaking a mockery of the rule of law and the american really the mainstream of the american political tradition. Ron, walk me through now who you think this relief bill is going to play out. Will the president veto it and give congress a chance to override it or will he sit on it, ultimately letting it die before the new congressional session is in play on january 3rd . Look, you know, i think anybody at this point who is going to wager on what the president is going to do, its very you know, its a very hard bet to place. In the end it still seems more likely than not that he signs it only because the alternatives are almost unimaginable. I mean, letting it completely lapse right before the Georgia Special election in particular would be an unbelievable act of kind of selfinhalation within the Republican Party and renegotiating a new deal between now and the end of this congress after it has taken so long to get to this point also seems very improbable. As i said, he had he has had opportunities all year to weigh in if he had genuinely had substantive concerns and, you know, hes complaining about spending that is literally replicated from his own budget. So you kind of back yourself into it, you say, well, i think most republicans still believe that in the end he will sign this bill because not doing so is so catastrophic, but the president doing things that are catastrophic, the president breaking windows, you know, he started that way, it would not be shocking if he goes out that way despite the enormous human need and really tragedy that it would trigger absolutely. Ron brownstein, thanks for coming on the show today on christmas. Merry christmas to you. Merry christmas. I think im up early enough that i still have a shot at seeing reindeer, so thanks. Got it. All right. A message of hope this Holiday Season from a rabbi and a pastor who spent the past year guiding their faithful through adversity. A dose of inspiration next. Some hot cocoa . . Mom, look are you okay . Head home this holiday with the one you love. Visit your local mercedesbenz dealer today for exceptional lease and financing offers at the mercedesbenz winter event. Responds to snoringautomatically. So no hiding under your pillow. Or opting for the couch. Your best sleep. All night. Every night. Experience the mattress ranked 1 in Customer Satisfaction by jd power two years in a row. 2020 has been a difficult year for so Many Americans, of course, with the coronavirus pandemic, a terrible Unemployment Crisis and so much uncertainty about what lies ahead. So how can people keep hope alive . Well, joining us are two people who know. They are two faith leaders with shared experiences of tragedy at their places of worship. We have pastor eric manning of the Mother Emanuel Church in charleston, south carolina, and Rabbi Jeffrey Myers of the tree of life synagogue in pittsburgh. Gentlemen, Merry Christmas. Its great to see both of you. Pleasure to be here. Merry christmas. Rabbi meyer, i just want to start with you because obviously we were together, i remember so well the tragedy, the mass shooting that happened there at the tree of life synagogue, and so you already were dealing the aftermath of tragedy and now this year, of course, with the pandemic and coronavirus. So how are you . How is the tree of life doing . Well, thank you for asking. Its a pleasure to be here today. For some its been very difficult, to be frank. They were retraumatized. Not only were we initially, shall we say, kicked out of our house of worship, but with the pandemic the closure of the synagogue thats been so kind to host us, so weve been displaced twice. So thats added strain to a lot of people, but its also caused people to think about what really matters and what are the really important things. And when you get down and dig deep, you recognize the things that matter most and that buildings are less important than people. And, pastor, actually, i want to follow up with you on that very subject because this has been such an unusual year, and im using that word euphemistically because its the holidays and i dont want to Say Something worse. Its been an unusual year. So, pastor, what have you learned about coming together as a community when you cant physically be together . Yeah, john, thats a great question. I think realistically what we have learned is, as rabbi was already said, that its not necessarily the building, i know we were always so used to coming together and sharing from a physical perspective, but now we have to learn how to do that albeit virtually. And it has been challenging, but at least we know that we will get through this together and that we will be able to share with one another again. Rabbi, when so many people are struggling all around the country because of unemployment, because of coronavirus, sickness, just everything. I mean, what do you say to people who, you know, their faith is really challenged right now . Wonderful question. I think that the first things for people to understand, they are not alone. They are not alone in their suffering, but theyre also not alone in that theyre going to be ignored, at least from my congregation, there is a community, there is a community of people who care, who telephone, who reach out in any way possible, no matter your skill sets to say, you are not alone, were struggling, lets struggle together. Lets figure out how can we make this work with the challenges and restrictions that we do have. And i think just to remind people of their humanity and their responsibilities as citizens to each other, i think, can be comforting to many. Pastor, ive been saying for some time that what weve seen with this vaccine or the vaccines, its a miracle. And to use that word in this season is doubly meaningful, i think, and it strikes me as an interesting question, which is, how do you talk about the combination of science and faith in this season . And, john, thats a great question. Actually, i dealt with this this past week from a sermon perspective. We consider it to be a miracle because we believe that god has given the scientists the knowledge and the wisdom, the fortitude, the resilience, the determination to be able to bring about this vaccine, and from a Historical Perspective very quickly. I know it seems as if as if it has been a while, and it has, but historically speaking the vaccine has come quickly. So we would attribute that, yes, to the almighty being in the midst of yet again bringing all of us through this pandemic together. Rabbi, do you have many people in your community who have gotten sick with coronavirus . And part of why i ask is because this in particular is such an isolating time and an isolating virus. You cant interact with other people. And so what have you done for the community in that case . Yes, i would see that our numbers are relatively comparable to the average around the country, although here in pittsburgh its a bit more isolated because its a large geographic area, but once you get outside of our grid or area its a lot more rural, so there is less Human Interaction and connection with the greater world in that regard. Insofar as people and challenges, i can say in our congregation we immediately identified those who were technologically challenged and made sure that regular phone calls were made to those people who could not, say, tune into a Virtual Service because they dont have the skill sets to be able to do that. Ive got congregants who have use their cell phones and call other congregants during friday Evening Worship and just keep the phone on and put it into the speakers of their computers so people can hear the service because they just dont understand or just cant figure out how to get it together, nor is it safe for us to just enter their homes and help get everything working right for them. So were just doing all that we can to regularly connect with people. I think thats our responsibility as a Faith Community to each other to find out what are peoples needs, how can we meet them. Quite frankly, thats a yearlong thing every year. That doesnt change because of covid. It should be the way that faith communities work with each other regularly and were trying to just extend those challenges into the Covid Community itself. Part of your job description, its just more complicated to do that job this year and its been amazing watching you all figure out how to do it. This is the season of hope, right, pastor . And one of the biggest hopes we have right now is for the vaccine which people have started receiving. We also know that one group where there is more vaccine hesitancy, where there is more distrust for obvious reasons over the decades is among the africanamerican community. So im wondering how you plan to address this over the coming months about how much of an obstacle you think this is. Well, again, john, its a great question and it is, of course, reality. It is a reality based on historical facts that has taken place. I think the thing that i have shared from the community here in charleston is i volunteer to be one of the first if they would have me to receive the vaccine. I believe by setting a precedent and by setting an example and showing an example that it would hopefully ease the reluctancy that several may have within our community and i think when we do that then that would hopefully, like i said, inspire others to receive this vaccine so that way we can get back to a degree of norm ansi. Rabbi, more than 300,000 americans have died in the past year because of covid, and so thats hard every day, but obviously its very hard around the holidays to have an empty seat, and what solace do you say to people who are grieving . Youre not alone. We are here for you. We understand. How can we help take away a little bit of the pain that you feel . The incredible thing about technology is the fact that we can gather in ways that we probably could not have during holidays. Its not likely that a vast family scattered around the country might be together prepandemic so this is an opportunity now for everyone to be together to help ease that loneliness just by seeing the faces of other loved ones in a way that we probably would not. And thats just one way that technology can be a blessing. You are not alone, and i think its such a wonderful message and i know both of you have helped deliver that message always through all the tragedies and especially this last year as well. Thanks so much for being with us, Merry Christmas, happy holidays to both of you. Merry christmas. And to you both as well. Thank you. Thank you. They always make us feel better. Okay. Its a Holiday Season truly unlike any other with Many Americans apart from their family and their friends, so we discuss safety and how you can stay safe during the holidays next. May your holidays glow bright and all your dreams take flight. 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With priceline, you can get up to 60 off amazing hotels. And when you get a big deal. You feel like a big deal. Priceline. Every trip is a big deal. Nicoreyou get advice like smoking is hard. Try hypnosis. Or. Quit cold turkey. Kidding me . instead, start small. With nicorette. Which can lead to something big. Start stopping with nicorette youre choosing to get connected to the most to xfinity mobile, Reliable Network nationwide, now with 5g included. Discover how to save up to 400 a year with shared data starting at 15 a month, or get the lowest price for one line of unlimited. Come into your local xfinity store to make the most of your mobile experience. You can shop the latest phones, bring your own device, or trade in for extra savings. Stop in or book an appointment to shop safely with peace of mind at your local xfinity store. Good morning, everyone. Welcome back to this special Holiday Edition of new day. Merry christmas, everyone. Its so great to be with all of you, its terrific to be here with you. You, too. We hope that you are as warm and cozy as we are by this wonderful toasty fire that we have. Were very cozy. Very cozy. Were very hot. Very hot, and its not just the fire. Look, this is a very different christmas this year, hopefully you have all paid attention to the scientists who said not to gather in large groups for this Holiday Season, but lets look into the future and this hour we will talk about how and when you will be able to get together with the family you are just being with virtually this morning. Also how front line heroes have risked their lives to help others and have inspired help all around the world, but first lets get a check of your headlines at the news desk. Good morning, everyone, im alison kosik. Breaking overnight, the cdc announcing all air travelers from the uk to the United States must present a negative covid19 test before they are allowed to board. The measure is set to take effect on monday. The negative test must be less than 72 hours old and documentation is required. Passengers will not be allowed on flights if they refuse a test or do not provide documentation. The order is in response to a new coronavirus variant that is said to have originated in the uk and is potentially more transmissible. Dr. Anthony fauci now estimates 70 to 85 of the u. S. Population needs to get vaccinated to achieve herd immunity. Herd immunity occurs when a large enough portion of the population becomes immune to a disease. Dr. Fauci previously estimated that 70 to 75 of the population would need to be vaccinated. He says he revised his estimate after considering that about a 90 vaccination rate is needed to control the spread of measles. The 900 billion stimulus package has been flown to florida where President Trump is staying at his maralago resort for christmas. Although its unclear whether its going to sign it. Meantime, as the fate of the relief bill hangs in limbo more than 12 million americans will lose their Unemployment Benefits after this weekend. Back rent will be due january 1st for millions of tenants and states could lose unspent funds from the 150 billion that congress provided earlier this year. Officials say a wildfire near a military base 50 miles north of san diego scorched more than 4,000 acres as the santa ana winds brought ainge rousely gusty and dry conditions to southern california. The creek fire broke out late Christmas Eve next to the Camp Pendleton marine corps base. It forced evacuations of 7,000 citizens which have been lifted. Democrats Rafael Warnock and jon ossoff have each raised 1 million in their attempt to win the seats in georgia. Ossoff raised 106. 3 million compared to 68 million by his opponent david perdue. And thats the latest from the news desk. Lets go back to john and alisyn. So the holidays are normally a time to gather together with family and friends to celebrate, but every single leading scientist has advised people from getting together in large groups for this Holiday Season indoors. So when can you expect to get together with the loved ones you are just seeing by zoom today . What will that feel like . What will it look like . Joining us now cnn contributor aaron brow mitch, he is a biology professor at umass dartmouth. Merry christmas, professor. So great to see you, thank you for everything youve done and all the help youve given us all year. As weve been saying all morning long hopefully everyone is paying attention to the scientists and spending these days with their insular family. Thats the safest way to do it. My question to you, when do you think we will be able to get together again with our loved ones given that people started receiving the vaccine . When can we look forward to seeing our loved ones inperson inside. Merry christmas to you, too, john. Well, as long as the rollout keeps going the way that it is, so we had the first arms were actually injected back around the 15th of december, over the next few weeks we should be making a really big dent in the most vulnerable population but also the Health Care Worker population and that should have a really big impact on the number of deaths that were seeing per day. So if that keeps going and we can just, you know, implement the mitigation steps a little better, just restrict some of the gatherings were having and sort of social functions, by march, by april, we really are looking much, much better, as long as this rollout keeps going the way that it is. At first i was really upset that we are not going to have, you know, a lot of extended family for christmas together and then i realized its just more lass anya for me more pie. I saw the Silver Lining in it basically and i hope that you are experiencing that, too, professor. Meanwhile, your explanation of your layered approach that you use has really kind of opened my eyes to how to stay healthiest and safe. So wearing a mask, good, but wearing a mask and being six feet apart from somebody, even better. Wearing a mask, being six feet apart and being outside. Even better. Take us through how we should look at it. Yeah, so one defense layer is usually not enough. I mean, in a car you have air bags and you have brakes so if one fails the other one works. Its the same type of thing that we use here with trying to protect ourself against infection. We dont just rely on one layer to keep us safe. So masks are good, but masks and distance are better, masks distance and ventilation are better again. If we can take it outdoors, even better. So what we try to do is layer as many defenses as we possibly can on top of each other so that we reduce the risk as much as we can. We all know when were eating one of those barriers goes and that barrier is masks. So what we have to make sure is during the eating times when we are talking and eating, we do have distance and good ventilation, which means we really need to be outdoors if were going to be doing this, you know, on Christmas Day and Going Forward into the new year. As we look forward to the new year i will say one of the things ive learned about myself over the last ten months is my capacity and willingness to drink alone. As we look another Silver Lining. Exactly. Glass half full, literally, often. Professor, as we look forward too new years and, again, i hope people are paying attention to the scientists, what i want from you is to explain to people why it is such a colossally, epically bad idea to go to a Big New Years Eve Party on new years eve. Well, were just seeing, you know, these amplification events and thats whats happened at the end of this year in the u. S. We had, you know, thanksgiving, we had labor day, we had halloween and each one of these events brought lots of people together and just gave the virus more fuel to move through the population. So every time we congregate in large groups it increases the probability that one infected person will come around people that are susceptible, give them a fresh set of lungs to infect and then it starts amplifying through the community. Because weve gone one gathering after the other for literally the last 8 to 12 weeks we are just seeing daily cases just amplify and amplify and amplify. So Christmas Today is going to do a similar thing if we havent sort of heeded the advice of keeping the gatherings small or keeping it into your nuclear family, and then when we get to new years eve were going to have the same problem as well. And amplify on top of that new years eve typically for adults usually involves a little bit of alcohol, just a little bit, which means that you drop your sort of social inhibitions and where you may have been amazing at keeping your distance away from people up until now you have a few drinks and you just forget the safety protocols, you get too close, you give somebody a hug and there we go, weve just moved it from one person to the next. Try that, john, just a little bit of alcohol. Hes saying bad choices. Yes. What hes thinking is people make bad choices on new years eve. About a week ago, professor, dr. Anthony fauci said that he thought that we would be Wearing Masks for the better part of 2021, even with the vaccinations because we dont know yet if you can still be a carrier once youre vaccinated. And, you know, there are some countries, im thinking of some Asian Countries in particular, where people wear masks, i mean, regularly, even before coronavirus existed. I dont know how im supposed to feel about that, that this might be into, you know, a vision of our future. Yeah, im so done with masks. Ive gone through 100 different brands and i really want to be done with them, but unfortunately the vaccine is not a light switch. Its not just going to go from no mask from masks to no masks in a short period of time. Its going to transition, its going to be dependent on the rollout of the vaccine, how many arms it gets in, the longer term efficacy and really the uptake of the community. I generally think that were still doing covidrelated protocols for safety, you know, into june and then im hoping after that period of time things start to slow down, not in regards to daily cases, i think they really will have slowed down, but i think when we start getting into those high transmission situations indoors in close spaces, poor ventilation, i think we will still find that masks are part of, you know, particularly office work, maybe retail spaces, those type of things if we dont get those under control. Professor, thank you so much. Have a wonderful holiday. So nice to see you and thanks for everything youve done with us all yearround. Thank you, john, thank you, alisyn, have a wonderful Christmas Day. You, too. 50 million americans dont have enough food to eat and food lines are getting longer across the country, so how are the food banks meeting this need . Thats next. Centrum minis may be small, but they pack a punch. 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Your doctor should monitor your weight and may stop treatment. Upper respiratory tract infection and headache may occur. Tell your doctor about your medicines and if youre pregnant or planning to be. Otezla. Show more of you. The holidays are a tough time for the millions of americans who are struggling to put food on the table. An estimated 50 million americans including 17 million children are food insecure. Heartbreaking numbers that are being, of course, compounded by the pandemic. So joining us now on how food banks are dealing with all of this as well as how you can help is trinity tran, the executive director and board member of urban partners los angeles. Trinity, thank you so much. Merry christmas. Thank you for being with us this morning, we really appreciate it. So just tell us how have you ramped up the need for this christmas . Well, we realized that the holidays this year will be paired down for many families from the Financial Hardship caused by the pandemic, but the holidays are also a special time for families and thats why were here to provide relief where we can and distribute as much food as we can to those in need, but whether its a holiday or another saturday, the conditions remain the same, that in the richest country in the world 50 million are living in emergency mode fighting daily for survival. We have seen a reduction in federally funded food programs, a program where the usda buys food from farmers and distributors, the supply chain has been disrupted by the pandemic so we have had to seek additional resources, farm food rescue programs that reallocate food to nonprofits and food banks like ours because beyond just redistributing food and providing supplemental food we really do make a concerted effort to source enough groceries so that a family of four can eat for an entire week. What have you seen in terms of need this Holiday Season, in terms of how many people, what types of people are coming to your food banks and how much they require . There is always an uptick around the Holiday Season, especially now with the economic strain, but were seeing historic numbers in our food bank lines and thats why were doing as much as we can to provide this relief. We have a toy donation where we handed out hundreds of stuffed animals and wrapped toys to families in line because for some children this may be the only toy they receive. It really comes down to the incredible work of donors and Community Members who came together to alleviate the burden of families living in poverty and its communities of color who are always the hardest hit, they account for the overwhelming majority in our lines because people of color are always disproportionately impacted by crises. Trinity, we have been so struck by seeing the miles and miles and miles of cars stretching through parking lots, down blocks, down highways of how many people are coming to your food bank and just around the country. I know you see it all the time, but for those of us who havent seen it for years, is this the worst youve ever seen . Absolutely. These are unprecedented numbers that were seeing in our line every saturday morning, its now a common sight to see lines forming with a long row of people wrapped multiple city blocks in korea town and los angeles. By the time i arrive at 6 00 a. M. The line is already snaking around the corners. We have families and seniors who are queueing in line some for over seven hours to receive boxes of groceries. And the majority of people in our line are actually not homeless, but low income people of color who they are fearful about being able to pay rent and the threat of eviction. Our food bank is in one of the five highest density districts in the United States, we are the longest walk up nondrive through food bank line in los angeles, our recipients arrive by foot, they arrive by public transit, we really do serve the most disadvantaged of populationes. Trinity, i know you are grateful for all the financial generosity that people give to the food bank throughout the year and Holiday Season and grateful for all the donations and food you get throughout the year and especially the Holiday Season. Always want more and people should be as generous as they possibly can be, but i know one of the Biggest Challenges this year hasnt been necessarily all with the money or the food donations, its been with the physical help, people coming to volunteer. Its hard to do things inperson. So what are you doing around the holidays to deal with that . Its left to volunteers now to feed millions across this country struggling with Food Insecurity, but true this pandemic what were really witnessing is the strength and resilience of the human spirit and thats seen in grassroots action in communities nationwide, volunteers who are day in and day out helping to directly address the needs of the underserved, especially when Government Programs with insufficient. These are committed volunteers in our neighborhoods, in our streets, who are out here doing everything they can to take care of the people and make sure no one is left behind. So its been an incredibly beautiful and touching. People are getting vaccinated right now, this pandemic will end, but i also think its important for you all to send a message that your services arent going to end. The need for food banks isnt going to end. You know, where do you think you will be a year from now . Well, its its difficult because food banks provide temporary relief to millions of people across this nation who need food. They are a Lifeline Service and with our food bank they are a Lifeline Service to thousands of seniors and families who are impacted as a result of the covid economic crisis and they join those who are already suffering with Food Insecurity prior to the pandemic. Food banks are a vital part of peoples lives, especially during these challenging times but at the end of the day food banks are a temporary fix and they should not be normalized. So we have to work at evolving our society into something that is more social conscious social and Economic System that eliminates the need for food banks because tackling Food Insecurity really requires us to problem solve for poverty to be able to protect vulnerable populations from being left behind because what were seeing is the current means of relief are not enough and we need longterm solutions. So thats something that i hope that advocates and across the nation will continue to work on are policy solutions, problem solving for poverty. Trinity tran, thank you for all you do. Thank you for helping get the word out about all of this. We really appreciate you. Merry christmas. Thank you, alisyn. Thank you, john. Merry christmas. For more information on how you can get or give help to those going hungry during the pandemic, please go to cnn. Com impact. You can make a difference. So things are so different this year, even for santa claus. Cnns Brynn Gingras explains. Look right here, guys. One, two, three. Reporter one thing about santa, he always keeps his promises. No matter how bad covid gets, santa is still going to be there. Okay . Reporter especially in a pandemic. At malls and Stores Across america, visits to santa do look a little different this year. Appointments for pictures instead of long lines, disinfecting elves between every customer and santa in some cases weekly covid tests and hes socially distant of course whether 6 feet apart by a stack of presents, virtual or behind plexiglas. How important was that for you to make it happen . Very important. It was a big part of our psyche really. We look forward to this as much as the children. Reporter the changes do take some getting used to, for santa, too. Highfive in the air. Give highfives in the air. Were used to go hugs, were used to the highfives, were used to come on over and lets get the shot together. At least were able to be here. Reporter even covid cant take away the joy of getting that perfect picture. We didnt want the tradition to just die down, so we were like lets keep it going, masks and all. I wanted to have that memory captured because i have every single year at christmastime and it meant that much. Reporter in queens, new york, there is a special kind of magic happening. Where are we . This is santas socially distant workshop snsh santa typically delivering donated toys to boys and girls in hospitals and orphanages, since thats not possible hey, ava. Merry christmas to you. Reporter hes allowing kids an up close and safe peek while he makes their toys. This is actually going to be for you. I miss the ability to see the look in their eyes and, believe me, that brightness, that joy is overwhelming, especially to me. In this particular case were trying to just keep hope alive. Its important that the kids know that christmas is not canceled. Reporter so this christmas whether you want a makeup set. A barbie dream house. Immunization or just for it to go away. Reporter santa promises nothing, not even coronavirus will keep him from bringing christmas to the believers. Brynn gingras, cnn, new york. Dr. Fauci made clear that santa has immunity, but santa is isnt that right enough to know he should get the vaccine, wear a mask and remain socially distant when possible as well. None of that is suppressing santas joy from what i can see from brynns pose there. If ever there was a year when america needed heroes 2020 was it. Anderson cooper looks back at some of the most dramatic emotional stories of this surreal year. Next. Its been a tough year. And now with q4 wrapping up, the north pole has to be feeling the heat. Its okay santa, lets workflow it. Workflow it. . With the now platform, we can catch problems before customers even know theyre problems. Wait. A hose . What kid wants a hose . fireman . Says hose it says horse not a hose cedric get over here now our people can collaborate across silos, from across the globe. So hows the new place . Its a 4 bed, 2. 5 bath igloo. Its great yeah, but you have to live in the south pole. Sir. Wait, are you sure . Yes, were that productive now. You hear that . the kids get twice the presents [ cheering ] about time 2020 gave us some good news. Whatever your business is facing. Lets workflow it. Servicenow. When i was a postal worker we had some tough times. We old timers will often tell how hard we had it. But we never had a year like this. Todays postal workers delivered for you, with millions of pieces of vital mail, medicine and packages. 65 million ballots, and now holiday gifts. All during a pandemic. Theyve made america proud, and deserve all of our support, this season, and all of the seasons to come. Light it up like dynamite this is ah light it up like dynamite so watch me light the fire and set the night alight alright shining through the city. Well, 2020 may go down in history as a year some people would like to forget. Some. Some. Earlier this month cnn heroes revealed the most inspiring moment our viewers chose this year. Protester Patrick Hutchinson carrying a white counterprotester to safety at a black lives matter protest in london. And meghan, duchess of sussex made a surprise appearance to honor every day heroes who stepped up to ensure the basic needs that communities were met during the coronavirus pandemic. They made sure that those around them did not have to suffer in isolation. They nourished their neighbors in more ways than one. And they showed us, all of us, that even in the darkest times when we come together we have the power to remind someone else that there is hope and that we will be okay. Shes the best. Shes the best. Happy christmas is what the brits say, but im going to say Merry Christmas to Meghan Markle because shes american. Merry christmas, meghan. Anderson cooper looks back at the front line heroes who have carried us these past long months. Before we never noticed a shift change, we didnt see the nurses, the doctors and hospital workers head home, we didnt notice the First Responders leaving their stations after a long day, but now we do. Its 7 00 p. M. In new york, at 8 00 in los angeles and france and italy and all around the world, the deafening applause and humble salutes, we stop to say thank you, from sidewalks, windows and balconies, masked and alone in homes, people joined together to give thanks to those incredible heroes who spent their days tending to the sick, helping families say goodbye and holding back their own pain to keep saving countless lives. Thats so nice. To everybody, thank you. You can watch this years cnn heroes an all star tribute on demand on cnn go and on hbo max. Okay. And speaking of heroes, we will hear from two in our next hour, Critical Care nurses from the front lines share their stories on this christmas when new day continues. Trelegy for copd. 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Ask your doctor about oncedaily trelegy. But we went to work. Building an experience that lets you shop over 17,000 cars from home. Creating a coast to Coast Network to deliver your car as soon as tomorrow. Recruiting an army of customer advocates to make your experience incredible. And putting you in control of the whole thing with powerful technology. Thats why weve become the nations Fastest Growing retailer. Because our customers love it. See for yourself, at carvana. Com. Announcer this is a special edition of new day with Alisyn Camerota and john berman. Good morning, everyone. Welcome to this special Holiday Edition of new day. Merry christmas, everyone, im john berman alongside Alisyn Camerota. Merry christmas. So were celebrating. Yes. A lot. Why not . Because its different, right, because we are in the middle of a Global Pandemic and dr. Sanjay gupta will join us to talk about what the pandemic has taught us about science, leadership and heroism in america. Speaking of heroes, two Critical Care nurses will join us in just a few minutes to share what theyre seeing on the front lines ofhi