Here in the United States and around the world. Im wolf blitzer in the situation room. Tonight president elect biden is promising americans he will tell the truth about the coronavirus crisis, warning the darkest days of the pandemic are still ahead. The incoming president of the United States offering a sober look tonight at the challenges for his administration as covid19 is taking a more devastating toll than ever with deaths, cases, and hospitalizations hitting new highs. A new variant of the virus adding a new dose of uncertainty. The cdc says it hasnt been identified in the u. S. But it could be here undetected. All this as the outgoing president is holed up in the white house right now, alarming his own allies as he entertains radical ideas to try to undo the will of the American People in the election. Tonight, a senior republican close to the president is telling cnn, and im quoting now, were watching a petulant child not getting his way throw a tantrum, end quote. Lets get some more from our senior washington correspondent jeff zeleny right now, hes covering the biden transition. Jeff, president elect biden covered a wide range of topics in his speech and News Conference a little while ago. Reporter wolf, a remarkably dramatic stark leadership difference between what weve seen from President Trump and president elect joe biden, particularly on coronavirus, with mr. Biden warning the darkest days of the winter are yet to come. He called on americans to be patient and persistent as they work through this problem. But wolf, we also heard mr. Biden do something he has not yet done. He directly called out President Trump for downplaying and ignoring the Cyber Threats facing the u. S. , likely from russia. All of this came as he thanked congress for doing their part on the covid relief bill. But he says theyre just getting started. After a year of pain and loss, its time to unite, to heal, to rebuild. Reporter president elect joe biden delivering a holiday message tonight and stealing americans for a punishing winter season of the pandemic. One thing i promise you about my leadership during this crisis. Im going to tell it to you straight. Im going to tell you the truth. And heres the simple truth. Our darkest days in the battle against covid are ahead of us, not behind us. So we need to prepare ourselves, to steel our spines. As frustrating as it is to hear. Reporter biden thanking congress, democrats and republicans alike, for passing a 900 billion covid relief package. But he said its a down payment for the countrys biggest need. The congress did its job this week. I can and i must ask them to do it again next year. Reporter given the narrow majorities in the house and senate, do you think youll have a honeymoon to get things accomplished . Its not a honeymoon at all, its nightmare. Its not a honeymoon. Reporter biden also saying the burden is on trump to publicly call out russia for its suspected hand in the hack. This has all happened on Donald Trumps watch, when he wasnt watching. He still has responsibility as president to defend american interests for the next four weeks. Rest assured, even if he does not take it seriously, i will. Reporter biden said trump has abdicated his responsibility to keep america safe. It is a grave risk and it continues. I see no evidence that its under control. Ive seen none, heard of none. The Defense Department wont even brief us, on many things. So i know of nothing that suggests its under control. Reporter tonight biden also shedding a glimpse of new light on the surge for an attorney general in the posttrump era. Were looking for a team who will instill the greatest confidence in the professionals at doj to know once again that there is no politics. Its not by design. Theres not an obvious choice in my mind. Reporter as he rounds out his cabinet, cnn has learned biden intends to nominate Miguel Cardona as education secretary, a former elementary schoolteacher and principal. Cardona is connecticuts top educational official who shares bidens goal of reopening most schools to inperson learning within 100 days of taking office. Now, that announcement is expected to be here tomorrow. The education secretary. With five key spots remaining, none is more important or high profile than attorney general. The president elect was asked today if he is considering hunter biden, of course his son, federal investigation into business dealings, if hes talking to prospective attorney general candidates about that, he says hes not. He pushed back on any suggestion that Hunter Bidens case is slowing down his pick for attorney general, wolf. Jeff, i want you to stand by, but i want to go to the white house right now where even some trump allies are getting fed up with his election denials. Our White House Correspondent Jeremy Diamond joins us. Reporter wolf, the president s allies and advisers are continuing to sound the alarm over what they see as the president s increasingly unhinged and delusional efforts to overturn the results of the election. A senior republican close to the president telling me this evening, quote, were watching a petulant child not getting his way throw a tantrum. There is also concern, wolf, about the people the president is hearing from as he continues to conduct these efforts. A former adviser to the president also telling me that what were watching right now is the president stress testing democracy. Tonight, President Trump burrowing deeper into denial. Holed up at the white house, trump is surrounding himself with sycophants selling false hope about overturning the election and lashing out at those who dare to acknowledge reality. Massive influence. Reporter the conspiracy theorist attorney sydney powell is shuttling in and out of the white house, and trump is huddling with advisers trying to overturn the electoral results on january 6. With the Democratic House and Republican Senate opposed, that effort is dead on arrival. As our election contest continu continues, ill make you a promise. Were going to keep fighting until every legal vote is count counted. Were going to keep fighting until every illegal vote is thrown out. Reporter meanwhile, trump lashing out at Senate Majority leader Mitch Mcconnell who last week acknowledged joe bidens election as president. Trump sending this slide to republican senators, falsely claiming credit for mcconnells easy reelection and accusing him of disloyalty, writing, sadly, mitch forgot. He was the first one off the ship. But mcconnell isnt alone. After dozens of failed court cases in the Electoral College vote, even the tell he vevangelt robertson is telling trump to move on. I think its over, the Electoral College has spoken. With all his talent and the ability to raise money and grow large crowds, the president still lives in an alternate reality, he really does. People say he lies about this, that, and the other. But hes not lying, to him its the truth. Reporter trumps delusional efforts to stay in power are alarming senior military officials. Nearly a dozen military officers tell cnn there is growing anxiety in the ranks about what trump might do in his last 29 days in office. Topping the list of concerns, Trumps Oval Office discussions about martial law and the prospect of unexpected military action abroad. And wolf, after the house and the Senate Passed that massive 900 billion Coronavirus Relief bill, its now expected to arrive here at the white house soon for the president s signature. The white house had indicated that the president would be signing that legislation but now a wrench is being thrown by one of the president s top advisers, dan scavino, who took to facebook today on his public verified Facebook Page saying, the covid relief bill is a total disgrace, insult, and embarrassment, raising serious questions, wolf, whether the president still intends to sign this legislation providing relief to millions of americans. Well see if he does. Jeremy, thank you very much. Lets bring back our senior washington correspondent jeff zeleny along with cnn senior political analyst david gergen and former assistant secretary of homeland security, elizabeth newman. Thanks to all of you for joining us. Elizabeth, as someone who served in the trump administration, what do you make of the president s absence in responding to these crises . Were learning hes huddling with fringe advisers as he remains out of sight. You know, this looks like the adults have left roomma and he allowed to just carry out his instinctual behavior because certainly there were times, two years ago, there were more adults in the room, trying to keep him on task, trying to keep him focused on things he needed to do. It seems like everybody has just given up at this point, with the exception that you have a ha handful who it seems like theyre concerned. I would suggest they should have been concerned over the last four years, and that the time for them to alert the American Public that hes a petulant child was during the campaign so that the American Public had the full picture when they went to the voting booths and cast their ballot. But at least now theyre realizing that this man cannot be controlled. He does have he is not healthy. He tends to focus on what is best for him, not what is best for the country. But he always had those tendencies. He didnt like the job of being president. He liked the pomp and circumstance of it but he did not actually enjoy going to make the tough decisions about how to handle crises, and were living with the consequences that have now. Its very interesting, david, in contrast to the outgoing president , the incoming president addressed these crises facing the country today, made it clear he doesnt expect to have a honeymoon when he takes office. He again pledged to be honest with the American People about the tough times ahead. I wonder what you make of that contrast. Well, it is dramatic, wolf, and it goes across the board. Most importantly, biden understand that the American People, like people in other countries, welcome candor, and they will trust their leaders if their leaders are open and transparent and not lie to them all the time. I recall a month after Winston Churchill became Prime Minister of britain in june of 1940. The nazis were rampaging through france. The first sentence out of churchills mouth was, the news from france is very bad. And people welcomed that because they knew the leader was telling the truth. The truth is so, so important. Jeff, you attended the president elects address today, the News Conference that followed, you actually pressed him for more specifics about what actions he plans to take when it comes to Coronavirus Relief. What did you learn . We learned that, you know, the president elect is saying that this is just a down payment, this 900 billion plan, which we have watched in painstaking detail as both democrats in the house and republicans in the senate, and their respective leadership, could not come to an agreement. Finally they did. So i asked him what is next, and what gives you any, you know, optimism or hope that we could actually get something accomplished. And i asked him if hes going to have a honeymoon. Most new president s have a honeymoon. He said, look, its not about a honeymoon, its about the challenges are bearing down on republicans and democrats alike, that, you know, they are going to have an impetus to try and accomplish something. So of course he didnt put a price tag on what the next ask of the stimulus is going to be, hes a smarter negotiator than that, after all the years in the senate. But he did spell out what his parameters were. And much of it is already in this bill, but its just much more of it. Wolf, theres one difference, at the end of his remarks he said hes going to wrap it in with an infrastructure deal. He wants to create new jobs, get the economy going again through some kind of infrastructure bill. Thats something many republicans can agree with. The challenge here for president elect biden, and he knows it well, is his own party in some respects. The house is only going to have a very narrow majority of three seats at the beginning of this congress. Well see what happens with those georgia runoffs. But he believes just the sheer interest of the country, really sending a split, divided government to washington, that there is an impetus to get things done. So you can expect there are going to be lawmakers at the white house having discussions. Its not going to be a president who is missing in action as weve seen over the last month here or so. Its an entirely different situation. Is everything going to be easy . Of course its not. But he did lay out those stark terms about what he hopes the new congress will do. I know hes planning on heading out tomorrow to maralago in palm beach for christmas, well see how long he stays out there. Just how closely, elizabeth, do you think President Trump is watching president elect bidens moves right now . Thats a good question. He seems to be more concerned about what his advisers are doing, what Vice President pence is doing, than he is on biden, which is rather fascinating to me. One would think if he had aspirations of a political future, he might be studying the competition a little closer. I think he is focused on himself. He is clearly kind of unnerved about what happens on the other side of inauguration day. It sounds like he has a lot of financial challenges, legal challenges ahead. And it sounds like hes doing what he can to wreak havoc on the system. What really concerns me are some of the psysycophantic staff he placed at the pentagon. The concerns being raised, it makes me uneasy, because they can do some damage and make things very difficult for the incoming administration. Nothing thats irreversible in most cases, but it still could cause some challenges. And those are important agencies, they keep us safe and they need to be able to run effectively on day one. These could be a very long 29 days before january 20. Guys, thank you very, very much. Ahead, new information on the covid19 variant thats raising concerns around the world and the potential threat right here in the United States. Well be right back. I give to shriners hospitals for children because i want to be a part of something amazing. I know my gift to shriners hospitals for children makes a difference in the lives of children. Our support gives kids a bright future. I give because when i see a child smile, i smile. When you support shriners hospitals for children, youre joining thousands of other caring people like you who have helped kids like me and over 1. 4 million other kids do Amazing Things. Will you call the number on your screen right now and give 19 a month, just 63 cents a day . Youll be making a lifechanging difference for a kid just like me. Your support helps us do Amazing Things we never thought would be possible, and this is how we say thank you. [child] thank you water splashing thank you trombone honking thank you buzzer buzzing thank you [child] because of your support, we can say thank you by having the life we wouldnt have had without shriners hospitals for children. My donation to shriners hospitals for children give kids a brighter future. I donate money to shriners hospitals for children so children can heal and go home. Yay, shriners yay, shriners with your monthly gift, well send you this adorable love to the rescue blanket as another way to say thank you. Plus, its a reminder of all the children who now have hope because of your support. Will today be the day you send your love to the rescue . Go online right now to loveshriners. Org to give your monthly support so more kids like me get the care we need to be kids. Thank you. Thank you for giving. Thank you for giving. [child] please call right now to give. If operators are busy with other caring donors, please hold patiently, or go to loveshriners. Org [child] your gift, no matter how small, shows you care. Fixodent ultra dual power please hold patiently, or go to loveshriners. Org provides you with an unbeatable hold and strong seal against food infiltrations. Fixodent. And forget it. Breaking news, the u. S. Coronavirus death toll passed 322,000 today, and hospitalizations remain right now at an alltime high. Cnns sara murray is keeping track of all the late breaking developments. I want to encourage everyone who has the opportunity to get vaccinated. Reporter the nations top Infectious Disease doctor rolling up his sleeve for a dose of the Moderna Vaccine today alongside other prominent members of the trump administration. Are you done yet . We just got lucky. That was no problem, people. Reporter while officials are buoyed by the vaccines i have complete confidence in the safety and efficacy of these vaccines. Reporter there are still concerns about a strain of the coronavirus that may be more transmissible. The cdc says it hasnt yet been identified in the u. S. But it could already be in the United States without having been detected. We take these things very seriously, wolf, and well be studying it very carefully to see if we can find out any other connections between the mutation and the function of the virus. Reporter even though, Administration Officials tell cnn the white house is considering requiring travelers from the uk to show proof of a negative covid test before arriving in the u. S. This as pfizer, moderna, and biontech are testing their vaccines against the new train. And biontechs chief executive says its possible to modify their vaccine. We can adjust the vaccine exactly to this new virus variant if this is needed. Reporter vaccines are already rolling out across the u. S. With more than 4. 6 million doses shipped and more than 600,000 shots in arms, according to the cdc. While those numbers could be lagging by days, its clear it will take beyond december to hit the administrations target of getting the first doses to 20 million americans. Meantime, coronavirus cases in the u. S. Continue to climb, now surpassing 18 million. Our hospitals are under tremendous strain. Reporter the u. S. Reported a new number of hospitalizations over the weekend. Air travel is picking up, with more than 4 Million People flying in the past four days. If youre going to jump in a big metal tube, an airplane, with lots of people, so a Million People everyday flying right now, youll be sharing a lot of air. People are still getting this wrong, even now. Its the air we share. Reporter now, wolf, we are also learning today that theres a familiar face in this Coronavirus Response that were not expecting to see in the Biden Administration and that is dr. Deborah birx. Shes told other news outlets she wants the transition to be successful, shes happy to help the biden transition, and then she plans to retire. Back to you. Sara, thanks very much, sara murray reporting for us. Joining us, dr. Ashish jha, dean of the Brown University school of public health. Thank you very much for joining us. Dr. Fauci emphasized its not unusual to see a virus mutate. It does not appear this mutation has made the virus more deadly or dangerous. What challenges does this new strain present . Thanks for having me on, wolf. Hes absolutely right, of course, we do see variations, weve seen them throughout the pandemic. This one does look a little bit different, it looks like it has some functional differences and it looks like its a bit more contagious. How much more contagious, were not sure, but obviously that is of concern. I think the solution for that is all the stuff weve been doing. If we continue to try to prevent transmission of this virus, continue to focus on getting vaccines out, that will continue to help us out along the way. I dont think this is anything that should alter what we do in any meaningful way. Dr. Fauci also told me we will know relatively soon whether the vaccines that haven about developed, the two already in use here in the United States, will work against this new strain. Do you expect they will . I do expect they will. Were starting to see some data that some of the monoclonal antibodies we have continue to work against this new strain. So i do expect that the vaccines will continue to be effective. And if on the outside chance that it isnt, then as we heard earlier, we can make changes to the vaccine. But i dont think thats going to be necessary. Certainly not in the short to medium run. What do you make, dr. Jha, of the rollout of the new coronavirus vaccines in the u. S. . Are you satisfied with the speed at which Front Line Health Care workers, for example, are getting access to these shots . You know, its obviously a Monumental Task that we have. I think operation warp speed had set up some very, very ambitious goals. I was hoping we might be able to meet them. Were seeing a little slip in that timeline. But i see this right now as more bumps on the road than roadblocks per se. Obviously if things get much slower, then were going to get concerned. But right now i feel like were still largely on track with a few road bumps that are not surprising. A new study, dr. Jha, finds that masks alone are not enough to protect against this virus. What do you want people to take away from especially as we head into the holiday season, christmas and new years, what do you hope people will take away . Because there are masks and there are masks and some masks are really good, others not so much. This is actually an area of some frustration for i think many of us in public health. Weve known for many months there are large variations in the quality of masks. Asking every american to figure this out for himself or herself is really ridiculous and unfair and we should have had much more involvement from our government leaders on helping people identify high equal masks. High quality masks are a huge part of control this virus, not unto itself only, meaning you still have to do social distancing and avoid large, packed crowds. But a good quality mask can make a big difference. Its been hard for people to sort this out by themselves. And they have to keep it on and keep it on tight. As we head into this christmas weekend and the new years not far behind, what advice, dr. Jha, do you have for americans who are celebrating these holidays . What do they need to be most concerned about . Because this pandemic is still raging on. It is raging. We have more virus in the community right now than weve probably had at any point during this entire pandemic. There are more people infected than any point. So what im saying to folks is, i get it, holiday season, a time we get together as families, this is really important to right now be safe. Avoid travel if you can. If you must travel, if you must gather, keep it very small. Wear masks, avoid indoor gatherings. We have to keep people safe until the vaccine becomes widely available. Were grateful you to, dr. Jha, for joining us and giving us your wisdom which is so important. We hope you have a lovely holiday. Thanks very much for joining us. Ahead, president elect biden calls the Coronavirus Relief package just a down payment. Up next ill ask democratic senator Amy Klobuchar what she wants to see in another relief package next year. Shes standing by live. So thats what we give you. Introducing Career Services for life. Learn more at phoenix. Edu [yawn] you. Look. Stunning. Want the truth to why i wake up feeling. [growls softly]. So darn awesome . [makes playful sound] i take care of my skin. Not this skin. That skin. And when youve got incontinence, you sure need to. Tena intimates pads lock liquid in, and are now 100 breathable to care for your intimate skin. Are you still here . Kind to skin. Protects like tena. People are saving hundreds in a land not so far away, on the most Reliable Network with xfinity mobile. They can choose from the latest phones or bring their own. And because they get nationwide 5g at no extra cost, they live happily ever after. Again again your wireless. Your rules. Your way to stay closer together this holiday season. Switch and save up to 400 a year on your wireless bill. And get 150 off when you buy a samsung a series phone. Learn more at xfinitymobile. Com. Were following multiple breaking stories here in the situation room including president elect joe biden this afternoon praising congress for pacing a 900 billion coronavirus Economic Relief package. But he says much more is needed. This bill is just the first step, a down payment in addressing the crisis, the crises, more than one, that were in. There is a lot more work to do. Congress did its job this week. And i can and i must ask them to do it again next year. Joining us now, democratic senator Amy Klobuchar of minnesota, a member of the judiciary committee. Senator, thank you so much for joining us. You just heard the president elect describe this bill as a down payment. Senate majority leader Chuck Schumer says this is a survival bill. What else needs to be done . First thing i thought to myself was, its nice to have a president elect, a president tobe, who actually praises bipartisan work. I think thats really important because i think you know so much needs to be done. This is the beginning. As we get through the winter, its really important to support our Small Businesses, to make sure we had the money, so key, wolf, to distribute the vaccine. Its not going to parachute in the middle of rural towns. We have 30 billion approximately in there as well as another 29 billion for testing. But after this, of course, state and local governments. This is going to help them out, the Vaccine Distribution. But they clearly and im talking about small town mayors who have called me. They need help to be able to make it through to what i call the day after tomorrow, when were through this. Then im sure well continue to need help with unemployment, housing. This has been a huge jolt. Weve never seen anything like this since the great depression. And its jerome powell, President Trumps appointee, head of the federal reserve, who said it would be tragic if we didnt pass this package this year. But clearly we need to do more. It was clearly critical, there are so many millions and medicals of america mil millions of americans right now who are suffering big time. Senate democratic candidate jon ossoff says he would have voted for the bill if he were in the senate, the 600 stimulus payments are a joke. What do you say to that . Again, a lot of frustration that it wasnt more. In the end, this was a compromise. I want people to know that it was 600 a person for people making 75,000 but for a family of four that would be 2,400. And again, this is what its like right now, when we have a senate thats run by Mitch Mcconnell. Its one of the reasons we want to win those Georgia Senate races. But i do want to respect the fact that in the end, a bunch of senators came together and were able to get this bill done. And thats the important thing right now for the American People, because as joe biden so rightfully described it, its a down payment. That 600, even if its 2,400 for a family of four, thats a onetime payment. The 300 would be weekly, a little addition to the unemployment that a lot of folks unfortunately are getting. Could i just say, the unemployment piece of this to me is the most important. Its the supplement, 300 a week, u. S. Poias you point out. Otherwise, the day after christmas people would have stopped getting this funding. Secondly, its got 30 billion for housing and rental help and about that same amount when it comes to helping people with food and food emergencies. There are a number of provisions in here. Helping schools, community hospitals. I just think of all the moms that are teaching their first graders how to use the mute button, and moms and dads with their toddlers on their knees, trying to do their jobs at the same time. It has been a really, really hard time for people. And thats why it was important we get this done. And very quickly, senator, when can americans expect to finally start getting the cash, getting that relief that they so desperately need . Well, the president has to sign this into law. I believe he will. And then according to treasury secretary mnuchin, the checks will go out shortly. He says, you know, in a week or so, just based on my experience, i always tell my constituents a few weeks. And i think thats going to help people. And the Small Business aid, weve been through this once before. This has over 300 billion for Small Businesses. And i think that is a really important piece of this as well, including the work that senator cornyn and i led when it comes to our stages, music venues, theyre on their last legs. If we want to make sure the music doesnt die and our small theaters keep going, thats an important piece of this bill as well. I think the president will sign it. But even if he doesnt sign it, you guys have plenty of votes to override a president ial veto and again that money to desperately needed people right now. Senator klobuchar, have a Merry Christmas and happy new year, thank you so much for joining us. Happy new year, wolf. Thank you. Just ahead, the president elect calls the cyberattack against the u. S. Government a grave risk to u. S. Security. Did russia do it . And if so, how should we respond . Well be right back. Alright, everyone, we made it. My job is to help new homeowners who have turned into their parents. Im having a big lunch and then just a snack for dinner. So were using a speakerphone in the store. Is that a good idea . One of the ways i do that is to get them out of the home. Youre looking for a grout brush, this is garth, did he ask for your help . No, no. No. We all see it. We all see it. He has blue hair. Okay. Blue. Progressive cant protect you from becoming your parents, but we can protect your home and auto when you bundle with us. Keep it coming. You dont know him. Theres nothing like a crisp refreshing sam adams boston lager. A perfect balance of malt hops. Sorry. I was gonna buy that sixpack. Ah, ten bucks. That includes mine. Yep, ok. Sources tell cnn theres rising anxiety inside the pentagon tonight. Among other things, u. S. Military officials fear President Trump may try to drag them into his efforts to undermine the election. Were joined now by matthew masterson, former Senior Adviser to the cybersecurity and Infrastructure Agency in the federal government. Matthew, thank you for joining us. When you worked in the department of homeland security, were you hearing similar worries from your colleagues about this president . Yeah, i appreciate the question, certainly we were aware of the conversation and tracking disinformation out there around this election, working with state and locals to respond to claims of rigged voting systems and other conspiracy theories. Thats really why we created a rumor control site to push factual information. In my time at cisa, the leadership, we never backed down from the mission we had to support state and local officials and to ensure the legitimacy of the election. When it comes to the widespread hack of government agencies, matthew, your former boss chris krebs told cnn that he agrees russia was responsible for the hacks. Do you agree with that and do you understand why the president of the United States says it might be china . I dont. Ive seen the comments also by the attorney general supporting at least the initial analysis from the folks working this incident, that it is likely russia and likely the russian intelligence arm. I have no information or reason to doubt those assessments. But the response is ongoing. I know how hard my former colleagues, both at cisa as well as in the intelligence community, are working to understand the scope and scale of this event. Its a major event. In terms of, you know, the effort to secure the election, you told npr that the 2020 election was, in your words, as smooth a president ial election as ive ever seen. What do you say to the president and his very small clique of insiders there over at the white house with whom hes talk about th this . What do you say to the president . Really, my message is, to the American People, those who continue to have questions about the elections, thats to go get the facts. If you look at the process thats in place, the resilience measures that Election Officials have, we have paper ballots in all of these states. And the Election Officials have worked hard to go back, canvass the results, in many cases recount the results, audit the results, and look at those paper records, free of any system, to ensure the accuracy of the vote and to ensure that every vote was counted as cast. When you look at a state like georgia, they literally hand counted every ballot that was cast to ensure the accuracy the vote. Antrim county, michigan hand counted every ballot to ensure the accuracy of the vote. The important thing is to continue to push facts out about the process, the systems, and the security of the election so that folks can understand how rigorously Election Officials work to ensure that everyone can vote and that every vote will be counted as cast. So weve got to keep pushing facts out there. Thanks for your government service, matthew, thanks so much for joining us, i hope you have a Merry Christmas and a happy new year. Yeah, Merry Christmas, wolf, thank you. Ahead, should the u. S. Do more to prevent the covid19 variant from taking hold in this country . Ill ask Connecticut Governor ned lamont about his concerns and how Vaccine Distribution is going on in his state. Hes standing by live. You can get the perfect gift up until the last minute. Lets end the year nailing it. To listen, is to hear more than whats being said. And offer the answers that make someone feel truly heard. I understand, lets get started call a Dell Technologies advisor today. But with walmarts low prices, you still know how to do it up. And keep costs down. Lets end the year enjoying more. You are all i need baby baby to get by dozens of countries around the world have halted travel in and out of the United Kingdom over deep concerns about a variant of the coronavirus that might be even more contagious. Governor andrew cuomo is soundsing the alarm about Incoming International flights into new york. Were joined by the governor of the neighboring state, Connecticut Governor ned lamont is joining us. Thanks for joining us. I spoke with dr. Anthony fauci in the last hour and he told me bang travel from the uk would be a bit of an overreach. I spoke with new york Governor Cuomo last night here in the situation room about his concerns that travelers may actually bring the new strain to your region. I know youve worked closely with Governor Cuomo. Do you share his concerns . I share Andrew Cuomos concern. I think hes absolutely right. Look, this holiday season, stay home. That goes for britain, that goes for the United States as well. Why take the risk of a lot of people coming over with potentially a new strain of this virus . Its just not worth the risk. How is the Vaccine Distribution process going so far in your state of connecticut . Have you been have you successfully been able to start getting, for example, your health care workers, those who are most vulnerable vaccinated against this deadly virus . Yeah, wolf. So far so good. I can tell you as badly as the federal government mishandled ppe back in the spring and everybody is scouring the globe and it was surge pricing and you saw a number of states that were ripped off trying to secure masks and gowns, this is the opposite. The federal government has stepped in. They did the bulk purchase. Theyre getting it delivered to us on a timely basis. I think the cdc has set pretty good priorities in terms of the populations that should get it first. So far so good. Are you receiving, governor, as many doses of the two vaccines as you expected to receive . Not quite. No, you heard about the bureaucratic snafu between warp speed and pfizer. But look, were 98 of the way there. Were going to have all of our first line responders double vaccinated by the end of january. Thats our goal and were going to achieve it. At some point youll actually get the vaccine, right . At what point does your turn come . Yeah, thats the question. I mean you want to lead by example. You dont want people saying how come the governor is not willing to get the vaccine, do it publicly, make the statement just like president elect biden did. And others are saying, hey, look, lets make sure the nurses get it first, theyre on the front lines, so ill wait a little bit longer, i think. Its interesting that the president elect, hes named, hes nominating your state education commissioner, Miguel Cardona, to serve as the new u. S. Education secretary. I wonder what your reaction to this news that came out today . My reaction is its a loss for connecticut but a great win for teachers and students around the country. Miguel has just been fabulous. Hes a teachers teacher. A champion for the teachers. Thats in part why we were able to keep our schools open while a lot of our neighbors were closing them down, because the teachers had confidence in him and the kids had the opportunity to go to school. He really wants the kids to be in school to bring them back to school. I assume hell have that position as the education secretary as soon as hes confirmed by the senate, right . I think thats right, wolf. And by the way, president elect biden has said i want all the kids back in school in that first 100 days. Theres nothing like having a kid in a classroom. We can get there, especially with the vaccinations ramping up. I think youre right. Governor ned la montamont, merr christmas, happy new year. Thanks for everything youre doing. Back at you, wolf. Thanks, everybody. Be safe. You too. Well have more news right after this. Or psoriatic arthritis, Little Things can become your big moment. Thats why theres otezla. Otezla is not an injection or a cream. Its a pill that treats differently. For psoriasis, 75 clearer skin is achievable, with reduced redness, thickness, and scaliness of plaques. For psoriatic arthritis, otezla is proven to reduce joint swelling, tenderness, and pain. And the otezla prescribing information has no requirement for routine lab monitoring. Dont use if youre allergic to otezla. It may cause severe diarrhea, nausea, or vomiting. Otezla is associated with an increased risk of depression. Tell your doctor if you have a history of depression or suicidal thoughts or if these feelings develop. Some people taking otezla reported weight loss. Your doctor should monitor your weight and may stop treatment. Upper respiratory tract infection and headache may occur. Tell your doctor about your medicines and if youre pregnant or planning to be. Otezla. Show more of you. Finally tonight we share more stories of people that died from the coronavirus. Paul foley jr. Of illinois was 77 years old. He was a u. S. Army veteran, an elections judge, who went skydiving just weeks before he got ill. His daughter, jill, says he was loving and loyal to his wife of 50 years, his four children and nine grandchildren. Susie culvio of texas was 86. She worked for the u. S. Civil service for 45 years helping her husband support their two children. Her son, gene, says she made so many sacrifices for her family to give them the best life possible. May they rest in peace and may their memories be a blessing. Thanks very much for watching. Im wolf blitzer in the swi situation room. You can always follow me on twitter and instagra instagram wolfblitzer. Erin Burnett Outfront starts right now. Outfront next, the president spiraling downward tonight, still fixated on the election which he lost, and theres new concern at this hour about damage he could do in his final days. Has donald trump let the conspiracy theorists take charge . Plus a new and potentially more contagious strain of coronavirus is likely already in the u. S. According to dr. Anthony fauci, as he warns about Holiday Travel dangers. How worried should we all be . And joe biden slamming the president for his response to the massive cyberattack on the government. The president elect warning its not under control. Lets go outfront
comparemela.com © 2020. All Rights Reserved.