>> nursing home residents and then some combination of healthcare workers and those of high risk for a poor outcome. >> the centers for disease control is urging people to stay home but not many people heed pg those warnings. >> sandra: the u.s. now seeing 2 million new cases over just the last two weeks. new york city adding checkpoints at bridges to enforce quaur an teens. los angeles banning outdoor dining starting tonight where the mayor is calling on residents to cancel all non-essential travel. david lee miller is following this from new york city for us. david lee, the u.s. hitting more grim milestones. >> indeed. sobering statistic to start things off. the death rate continues to rise. it is now the highest it has been in the u.s. since may. on tuesday alone more than 2100 people lost their life to the virus. at least 10 states have now set a record number of deaths. here in new york city which was once the epicenter of the pandemic, officials are trying to control its spread. the day after thanksgiving restaurants and gyms will have to close by 10:00 p.m. covid cases in the new york city borrow have spiked more than 80%. people have to quarantine for three days and take another test. the new york sheriff's office in beefing up enforcement at bridges and tunnels leading into the city. violators face fines. the mayor warning those who don't play by the rules will be held accountable. >> we'll be constantly monitoring people if they're not in quarantine when they are supposed to be. we have to apply penalties. this is not a drill. >> in los angeles following lengthy debate by officials starting tonight restaurants can only offer take-out and delivery. tonight a overnight curfew will go into effect for this state and pennsylvania, massachusetts, maine all require quarantine for those who don't have proof of a negative test. alex azar says help is on the way in the form of a vaccine. he says up to a million doses of a vaccine could be shipped out just one day after the fda gives its approval. as you mentioned at the outset, that could happen as soon as mid-december. meanwhile the cdc says it is now considering shortening the amount of time of a quarantine from 14 days to 7 days. while nothing has been finalized, it is so more people will comply. >> jon: joe biden sat down for his first solo interview as president-elect last night. biden laid out his agenda for the first 100 days in office saying a comprehensive immigration bill will be sent to congress along with executive orders to roll back policies enacted by president trump. peter doocy is live in wilmington, delaware with more. so which policies does biden want to undo first, peter? >> it is those immigration policies. the president-elect wants to give peace of mind to millions of people in this country illegally. >> some of it is going to depend on the kind of cooperation i can or cannot get from the united states congress. but i am going to -- made a commitment in the first 100 days i will send an immigration bill to the united states senate with a pathway to citizenship for over 11 million undocumented people in america. >> when it comes to the environment, climate czar john kerry plans to try to unite the world in a fight against global warming. that will take time. biden plans to use some executive orders there, too. >> i will also be moving to do away with some of the i think very damaging executive orders that have significantly impacted on making the climate worse and making us less healthy from methane to a range of things the president has done as in my view has eviscerated the epa. >> on covid-19 relief biden is calling on congress to pass something before he is sworn in as he learns more about vaccines. >> now maybe the hope is we can actually begin to distribute it, this administration can begin to distribute it before we're sworn in and take office. so it's all in train right now. i'm feeling good, though, that we're now able to get all the hard data we need, which has been unavailable to us now. >> and the president-elect says his staff has spoken to dr. anthony fauci but he hasn't yet. jon. >> jon: peter doocy, thank you. >> sandra: for more on all this and those new coronavirus restrictions happening across the country james freeman, assistant editorial page editor at the "wall street journal" and fox news contributor. happy thanksgiving. i think at this point we're all embracing what will be quite a different thanksgiving this time around. this is interesting, a study by the national bureau of economic research. it goes through and points to all the negative coverage of covid-19 when there are good stories out there that should be highlighted. here it is. why is all covid-19 news bad news? 91% of stories by u.s. major media outlets are negative and 54% for non-u.s. sources. the negativity of the major media is notable even in areas with positive scientific developments including school reopenings and vaccine trials. we've talked about this. schools, the cdc, dr. redfield says the virus is not spreading when kids are in the classroom. teachers that get it are most likely getting it from outside the school in the communities. you rarely see that reported. >> you know, i think this is at a real cost that studies suggest u.s. major media outlets much more negative than scientific journals or foreign outlets. the schools issue is a great one. you would never know it from a lot of reporting we've seen over the last year and recently that children are at very little risk. most teachers are at very little risk. schools are not the super spreader hot spots that some have feared. there is really not a scientific case to keep schools closed when we look at all the harm that has come from closing them in terms of the lost education for students, the difficulty of distance learning. i mean, this is a bill that these kids will be paying for the rest of their lives. you see the same story. one of the reasons so many folks in the media were shocked that president trump's vaccine prediction that it arrive this year, they were so surprised is because they have been telling us all year this is largely impossible. so i think the negative media attention did have a cost in terms of limits on our life and really not realizing the scientific possibilities. >> sandra: that vaccine is really bringing hope, dr. redfield saying yesterday he believes that vaccine will be rolled out in the second week of december. wow, what a game changer that could be. that's why you are writing this in the "wall street journal." the u.s. media and covid. you ask why couldn't major outlets see the scientific possibilities? in it you say this. did the distaste for president trump amount to errors in the covid story? the potential drawback isn't restricted to the press corps and medical recording. another enemy is that the anticipated new management in washington has too detrimental view of mr. trump to acknowledge the worth of his achievements. explain. >> well, i think there is a danger here. i get it. there are a lot of people in the press and democratic party that don't like president trump but when you hear joe biden talk about how he wants to chart a completely different course on foreign policy, i think we should all hope he is very careful not to disrupt what is an amazing historic, remarkable set of events in the middle east that president trump has really engineered. bringing peace between israel and a bunch of arab states that had shunned it for decades. these are really, really important achievements. and we see this flowering of relations and commerce happening among people who used to consider themselves enemies. so i think the hope is that in the rush to suggest that everything has to be changed from the trump approach, let's hope that the biden administration realizes the amazing opportunity that mr. trump has given them in the middle east. >> sandra: james freeman from the "wall street journal." happy holiday to you. >> jon: now this fox news alert. president trump planning on pardoning his former national security advisor, michael flynn. what we're learning at this hour. plus president-elect biden announces his foreign policy team sparking some conservative criticism. we'll talk about it with karl rove coming up. >> they lived in a bit of a fantasy world and led from behind and appeased. i hope they will choose a different course. ht up here. it happens to all of us. we buy a new home, and we turn into our parents. what i do is help new homeowners overcome this. what is that, an adjustable spanner? 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>> good morning, that's right. specifically flynn's lead attorney sidney powell, her name sounds familiar as of her appearances in recent weeks with the post election legal battles. she said in open court in front of judge emmett sullivan a couple months ago she did not want president trump to pardon flynn but wanted him to get off on his own accord and she asked president trump not to offer a pardon for her client, lieutenant general michael flynn. now that president trump lost the election things may change. sources are telling fox news that president trump fully intends to pardon flynn before leaving office on january 20th just less than two months from now. he pleaded guilty twice to lying to the f.b.i. but withdrew his -- the justice department announced it wanted to drop the flynn case citing lack of evidence. a judge said no and flynn's attorneys appealed. the judge has yet to rule. it may not make a difference if flynn is pardoned. there has always been speculation he may also pardon roger stone. he commuted stone's sentence but his conviction is still on his record. we're not hearing any plans for the president to actually pardon stone which would wipe that conviction off his record. the same story for paul manafort who is on home confinement because of the pandemic. we aren't hearing if the president has any plans to pardon paul manafort. why i'm in gettysburg, pennsylvania, the reason is president trump is expected to join his personal attorney rudy giuliani this afternoon to meet with local lawmakers to discuss alleged election irregularities here in pennsylvania. >> keep us updated about that. >> they lived in a bit of a fantasy world and led from behind. they appeased. it is different than 2015. i hope they'll see the things that we have done and how this has delivered greater peace in the middle east. how it has reduced risk from north korea where we talk down what was a very tense situation when we came into office. whether it's the recognition of the chinese communist party as a true threat. >> sandra: secretary of state mike pompeo there reacting after president elect biden announced his picks for foreign policy and national security folks. staffed by many veterans of the obama white house. that's sparking criticism from republicans who point to that administration's handling of the benghazi attacks and dealings with iran and china. karl rove here to talk about that good morning to you. what do you think so far about what we're seeing as far as staffing by the president-elect? what his foreign policy will look like. >> we don't know exactly. we know he likes to be surrounded by people with whom he has had a long relationship. some good back decades. he likes being surrounded by people who he served with in the obama-biden administration. a lot of these people are -- virtually every one of them is a veteran of the obama-biden administration. we don't know exactly what his foreign policy will look like. we have not had a normal and ordinary campaign where this would have been discussed. major speeches would have been delivered, where there would have been controversy and interviews with probing questions by members of the media. last night he did give an interview. i thought it was very re veelg. he said something i think is very important. he said this is not a third obama term which says he recognizes there needs to be change. but what was interesting was what he described the change as. he said quote president trump has changed the landscape. it has become america first. it has been america alone. president trump has changed the landscape but events and foreign actors have also changed the landscape in places like as mike pompeo said the middle east and china and in climate, nuclear deal. all these things people have helped change, countries have helped change. time has brought about changes and it is not just that we get rid of president trump and we've removed the bad thing. there are lots of real controversies that face the incoming president and his succession to president trump will not resolve those things. >> sandra: michael goodwin offering a scathing review in his piece this morning. joe biden is reviving all his past failures and it won't stop. the next president turned 78 last friday and selections reveal he has a bad case of nostalgia. he is stuck in the past. is he assembling an administration and wax museum? it has nothing to do with climate change. the problem is not just that biden's selection show a fondness for old shoes it's the policies, stupid. members of congress weighing in as well. biden's cabinet picks went ivy league and strong resumes and polite and orderly seekers of america's decline. i have no interest in returning to the normal that left us dependent on china. are we seeing a return to that normal as rubio suggests? and to goodwin's point, is this showing that biden is stuck in the past, karl? >> well, so far those are all credible arguments. we really don't know because they've got to get in and begin executing policies. think about this. jake sullivan the new national security advisor was the guy who started the process that led to the iranian nuclear deal. john kerry presided over it. we didn't see recognition during any of the eight years the obama-biden administration of the aggressiveness of china with a few exceptions with regard to the south china sea. they let china go. they didn't recognize starting in 2012 with the rise of president xi that china became an aggressive rival to the united states. even the climate thing sort of boggles my mind. 76-year-old john kerry will be the special enjoy. maybe this was face saving. maybe get him the envoy and john kerry wants to be relevant and on stage he can travel the world encouraging country. even there will we go back to the paris climate accord which said india and china. the biggest emitters in the world get a past and the united states that has reduced its greenhouse gas emissions has to do far more than the biggest emitters in the world? this is a big test we'll see. we don't know how it will be resolved. we'll start to see in the early months of this administration is it nostalgia from leading from behind or a recognition that the world has changed and not just because of donald trump and his policies. it has changed because of changed circumstances. >> sandra: i have you all worked out and i have to leave you there. i'll let you relax. >> jon: states across the country are ramping up covid restrictions as cases soar. a new report says facebook is censoring more conservative pages. >> big tech is coalescing to all of this power and we have to remove their ability to shut a ban and censor and throttle and block. to support a strong immune system, your body needs routine. centrum helps your immune defenses every day, with vitamin c, d and zinc. season, after season. ace your immune support, with centrum. >> sandra: it is the bottom of the hour. time for top stories. americans urged to stay home for thanksgiving at covid-19 cases surge to record levels. los angeles mayor is asking people to cancel travel plans and new york city is enforcing quarantine restrictions. >> jon: two nypd officers were shot yesterday in queens. the suspect opened fire after returning to his house and saw the officers there. he was shot dead on the scene. both officers rushed to a nearby hospital for surgery. both are expected to fully recover. >> sandra: the weekly jobless claims out. more than 778,000 americans filed for unemployment last week. it comes as a number of additional benefits are set to expire by the end of the year. >> jon: a new report from "the new york times" suggests facebook recently changed its news feed algorithm to favor more liberal outlets aiming to reduce the spread of misinformation. the article reads quote it resulted in a spike in visibility for big mainstream publishers like cnn, "new york times" and npr while posts from highly engaged hyper partisan pages such as breitbart and occupy democrats became less visible. our panel joins us with thoughts about that. brad blakeman is former assistant to george w. bush and marjorie clifton is from clifton consulting and former consultant to the obama campaign. i suppose as a loyal democrat, marjorie, you wouldn't oppose facebook giving more visibility to more liberal outlets. but is it right? is it fair? >> well, what i actually support is creating a more unified public and so some of the things that facebook has been struggling with is this balance of free speech and then maintaining decorum, maintaining behavior that is appropriate to their users online. the thing that i see that is promising is that the criticism is coming from both sides of the aisle. we saw this during the policies over 6 billion of how many billions were spent in the past election cycle. during that time there was a moratorium on ads from both sides of the aisle. we see it continue into the georgia elections. what it is doing is cutting down on the partisanship and rhetoric and creating they hope a more dignified conversation, something hopefully that is based more on fact on both sides of the aisle. >> jon: a bit surprising to me "the new york times" was willing to put this story out there that more liberal outlets were getting more news coverage on the facebook news feeds. but the headline is interesting. facebook struggles to balance civility and growth, as if to suggest that anything that is not left leaning is maybe uncivil discourse. >> right. look, they've had every opportunity to change their ways and to change their business model. they've refused to do it. when they get caught they come to the senate and apologize and say they make mistakes. these are intentional acts. this amounts to censorship, manipulation, election interference, and forget 230 of the 1996 decency act. this is not the hammer that is needed to change their ways. we need the senate judiciary committee, the commerce committee to take a serious look at possible regulation or the worst thing that can happen is antitrust litigation to break them up. i don't think they want that but short of that is regulation. and i think it should be bipartisan. attacking conservatives may be the flavor of the month but soon they could turn on liberals as well. if they don't like their policies, they have a certain way of manipulating and interfering with policies that are made even by progressives or democrats. so i think this is a warning to both parties and it is a wake-up call action must be taken. >> jon: it raises the question why does facebook play a role in deciding who sees what in the first place? why not let the marketplace decide? >> well, that's actually the heart of what the debates have been about from an ads and content standpoint. i have heard social media companies battling over this idea we created a platform meant to be a place that people can post what they want and it can be open in place of free speech and consequences come with that. we watched social dill emma at our household. it is terrifying and you hear from people within the industry we created something we don't understand how to control. i think there is an acknowledgement that has taken on a life form that people don't really like or can see is potentially damaging to our electoral process, to a lot of things in terms of our social environment. so i think that's what people are trying to figure out how to solve. i do think regulation in some of these areas is helpful. and again i feel heartened by the fact that you are hearing people on both sides of the aisle, conservatives and democrats complaining because they feel like the blocking is hurting them. and i do think that the truth always lies in the middle. so there is something to look at. it is creating a new dynamic in the political system. there is a question of when this ad policy situation is going to end. right now it's carrying into the georgia election. and we're seeing twitter, jack dorsey and facebook and all these platforms having to face this question of what have they created and what are the consequences of it and how do we create again hopefully a civil discourse in the environment? >> i just watched social dilemma as well and found it deeply disturbing. there are many variables at play in every product decision we make. all aimed at creating the best possible experience for people. the assertions in this report are based on sources who have no product decision making authority and are advancing their own narrow impression of how our product -- process works. it is not exactly a denial when you read between the words there, brad. >> look, it is nonsense. they know exactly what they're doing. so far they've had no consequences for their actions. and if we learn anything out of this past election cycle it is a couple of things. one is we need uniform national voting standards. number two we need campaign finance reform and number three we need to reel in social media. >> jon: you might get agreement from the woman on the other side of your screen. happy thanksgiving to both of you. >> sandra: to you as well. new covid restrictions going into effect ahead of the thanksgiving holiday. one state is forcing all bars to close at 5:00 p.m. tonight. thanksgiving eve. plus millions of americans decided to fly this holiday week despite the cdc urging everyone to please stay home. >> i think it's a risk like everything else. going to the store, going to the doctor. as soon as something in your house leaves and come back there is a risk. when it comes to autism, finding the right words can be tough. finding understanding doesn't have to be. we can create a kinder, more inclusive world for the millions of people on the autism spectrum. go to autismspeaks.org. inflammation in your eye might be to blame.ck, looks like a great day for achy, burning eyes over-the-counter eye drops typically work by lubricating your eyes and may provide temporary relief. ha! these drops probably won't touch me. xiidra works differently, targeting inflammation that can cause dry eye disease. what is that? xiidra, noooo! it can provide lasting relief. xiidra is the only fda approved treatment specifically for the signs and symptoms of dry eye disease. one drop in each eye, twice a day. don't use if you're allergic to xiidra. common side effects include eye irritation, discomfort or blurred vision when applied to the eye, and unusual taste sensation. don't touch container tip to your eye or any surface. after using xiidra, wait 15 minutes before reinserting contacts. got any room in your eye? talk to an eye doctor about twice-daily xiidra. i prefer you didn't! xiidra. not today, dry eye. >> sandra: investigation revealing california may have paid nearly $1 billion in fraudulent unemployment benefits during the pandemic. cyber criminals and death row inmates. convicted murderer scott peterson. prosecutors are calling on governor gavin newsom to stop the payments. he responded saying earlier this year i launched a strike team to expedite unemployment payments and minimize abuse of the system. while we have made improvements, we need to do more. we'll have a live report on that coming up next hour. >> jon: if you've been listening to the politicians americans are being asked to stay home this thanksgiving. not stopping millions from traveling for the holiday week as coronavirus cases skyrocket across the country. the tsa projects more than 6 million people will take to the skies for the holiday. charles watson is live at hartsfield jackson international airport in atlanta. how is it looking there this morning, charles? >> good morning, jon. fairly active here at the airport. we've seen a steady stream of traffic, people headed in and out of the airport to catch flights. not the large crowds you would expect to see during normal times at the nation's busiest airport. with that being said these are not normal times and there is a lot of concern among public health officials about millions of americans who are traveling and who will gather during the holiday. since friday the tsa has screened about four million passengers with the busiest day yet to come. aaa estimates upwards of 50 million americans will travel this thanksgiving despite cdc warnings against it. >> we can't stop living. so i think it's really important everyone take precautions. >> as covid-19 cases continue to surge to record heights across the country state and local officials are pleading with people to help stop the spread. on wednesday los angeles mayor eric garcetti asked people to cancel non-essential travel or acknowledge a 14-day quarantine. public health experts say millions of people traveling now is a recipe for disaster. >> what we're doing now is going to be reflected two or three weeks from now. >> the crowds are expected to grow as industry experts expect sunday to be the busiest day of the thanksgiving holiday. >> jon: thanks, charles. >> sandra: with the coronavirus vaccine expected to roll out next month, some doctors are urging the cdc to warn people about the side effects of that vaccine so they don't fear a second shot. an update on the owl who stoed away on the rockefeller center christmas tree. where this little guy is now flying away to. jon, oh. ♪ need. ♪ liberty. liberty. liberty. liberty. ♪ it's fooand minitron'sat subway got some new news! contactless curbside pickup is here! just tap for tasty in the app. and pickup contactless. cause it's safety first. right, tiny car? you wearing your seatbelt little man? subway. eat fresh. ♪ i got it all from you ♪ i'm always pushing through ♪ i know we'll make it to the finish line ♪ ♪ i know you're waiting on the other side ♪ ♪ i'm like you on-demand glucose monitoring. because they're always on. another life-changing technology from abbott. so you don't wait for life. you live it. ♪ i'm as free as a bird now ♪ >> jon: we heard about it. that photo went viral. the owl found in the rockefeller center christmas tree is now free. the little gal named rockefeller released back into the wild late last night in a forest in upstate new york after receiving the all clear from workers at a wildlife center. the brown and white owl hitched a ride on the tree traveling 170 miles from upstate new york to manhattan before workers found it. how cute is that? >> sandra: we already had an idea that little rock feller rockefeller was tough to make it in the tree. >> jon: you know how they wrap up christmas trees tight. the same thing happens to the rockefeller center tree. >> sandra: that was the moment that rockefeller was set free off the woman's hand. landed on a tree and then took off again. >> jon: more good news ahead of the thanksgiving holiday. >> sandra: certainly. >> i do think we'll have 40 million doses of vaccine before the end of the first year -- of the year. that's enough to vaccinate 20 million people but it will continue through january and february and hopefully by march we'll start to see vaccine available for the general public. >> sandra: that was the cdc director robert redfield striking an optimistic tone on the covid vaccine by the end of the year as they undergo fda review. doctors ask the cdc to warn people about the symptoms of the vaccine. i want to point out it is not to discourage people from taking the vaccine but encourage them to go back for the second dose. if you get those side effects aches, headache, whatever it may be, it is actually a sign it is working, right? >> that's a very good way to put it, sandra. i think we have to look at it that way. what should we be more afraid of, the virus or the vaccine? especially in high-risk groups that we'll be targeting at the beginning. dr. redfield also said we'll start with nursing home residents. we already know that that's quite deadly covid-19 for nursing home residents and the vaccine will give you very transient symptoms. maybe a headache, maybe fever. maybe fatigue. maybe nothing at all. it only lasts about 24 hours and the reason is because the genetic material we're introducing with this vaccine, sandra, the body gets rid of it right away. first it signals the protein, make this protein, get the immune response and we get rid of the material and it doesn't impact us. it may make you uncomfortable for a day but keep you having way more uncomfortable symptoms of covid-19. >> sandra: a gallup poll. the dates of this poll was back october 19th to november 1 before the pfizer and moderna vaccine announcements happened but of those who said that they would get it if the fda approved it, it was 58%. those who would not 42%. i'll ask you if that number seems high or low on those who say that they would get it. it seems low to me because most people i know who are just -- they're over these shutdowns and over the hit to the economy and obviously the dramatic medical effects it's having on some. they will get it the second they can. >> i think that -- here is something to keep in mind, sandra. vaccine hesitancy is a big problem in this country. it's a culture. something we have to overcome. actually 58% is pretty high compared to the flu shot. so here is my message on that for our viewers. listen, you are not just protecting yourself. you are protecting the community. that's what we mean by herd immunity. if we get everybody across the country to get a covid-19 vaccine we'll stamp it out. that's how you have to look at it. you protect yourself but you are protecting those around you. what if you are in a house with somebody vulnerable, you get it, they can get it. you get vaccinated they probably can't get it. that's how we get everybody to comply. it has to be higher than 58%. >> sandra: no doubt these restrictions are tough and frustrating for a lot of business owners and in los angeles county they're not only shut for indoor dining but outdoor dining as well as of today, i believe. the los angeles department of public health was pushed on that and challenged on that for various reasons and admitted there is no science that links the outdoor dining to a spike in covid. so why would they impose such a restriction on these restaurants? >> well, i think they were trying to show that they were doing something to try to decrease the spread. it is even worse than what you just said, sandra. they identified 204 outbreaks in l.a. county. do you know how how many were in restaurants? 3%. in government buildings 7%. outdoor dining by the way, number of restaurants in l.a. said they were preparing turkeys. they were preparing cranberry sauce and drention and some people can't get their turkey anywhere else. it will backfire. >> sandra: i'm running out of time. 10 seconds left. what is your message as you've talked to people throughout this pandemic and you have had your messages throughout this pandemic? what do you say people heading into the holiday tomorrow and are over it and let their guard down. what is your message? >> don't do it. help us on the way. vaccine is on the way. more studies are showing masking and distancing and testing works. if you travel, get tested. stay far apart and wear a mask. please, we're waiting for the vaccine. help is on the way. >> sandra: thank you, happy thanksgiving. >> jon: joe biden announces his choices for top cabinet positions. why not all of them are being cheered by the left-most wing of his party. plus with covid-19 cases surging across the nation, what one governor is doing to try to stop the spread next. ♪ ♪ closing time. open all the doors and let you out into the world ♪ veteran mae of doing what's right, not what's easy. so when a hailstorm hit, usaa reached out before he could even inspect the damage. that's how you do it right. usaa insurance is made just the way martin's family needs it with hassle-free claims, he got paid before his neighbor even got started. because doing right by our members, that's what's right. usaa. what you're made of, we're made for. ♪ usaa meet omnipod - it delivers insulin through a tubeless pod. just one small pod replaces up to 14 injections! and today - you can get started with a free 30-day omnipod dash trial at omnipod.com. no more daily injections. it's game-changing! get started with a free 30-day omnipod dash trial today. go to omnipod.com for risk information, instructions for use and free trial terms and conditions. consult your healthcare provider before starting on omnipod. simplify diabetes. simplify life. omnipod. it's all about the bedroom. and with caspers black friday sale, you can save up to 30% and make yours a winter slumberland. the fluffiest down duvet you'll ever feel, soft and light percale sheets, a cool, supportive mattress and plush pillows, even our glow light for better sleep. so go ahead, give the gift of a better bedroom and shop the black friday sale with up to 30% off at casper.com >> jon: it will be last call this evening at 5:00 p.m. in pennsylvania. all bars are ordered to shut down until tomorrow to help stop the spread of covid-19 by keeping people from drinking together on what is one of the busiest drinking nights of the year. let's bring in chuck moran, the executive director of the tavern association. your group is pretty upset about this order from the governor. >> yes, first, jon, thank you for having us on the show. tonight at 5:00 in pennsylvania if you want to order a beer or mixed drink in a bar or licensed restaurant you are out of luck. they have to stop selling at 6:00 they have to take it away from you. they are allowed to stay open to serve food after that but no alcohol at that point in a pennsylvania bar, tavern or pub. >> jon: we're being told follow the science when it comes to covid restrictions. is there any scientific study you've been made aware of that says restaurants and bars are a big source of the spread of covid? >> if you look at the covid tracking numbers on the governor's website only 2% of people indicated they've been in a bar 14 days prior to on set of symptoms. that's a very low percentage. if the governor is trying to make a dent in this problem, that's -- closing down tonight is not going to make that big of a difference. >> jon: the day after thanksgiving is black friday. online shopping numbers are up but you can expect to see people flocking into the stores getting packed together to do some pre-christmas shopping on black friday. anybody talking about restricting that? >> no. in fact, that's one thing that really angers my members. when they go to a big box store and they see a parking lot that's totally full and they walk in and see long lines. people not six feet apart. that angers my businesses. i represent the small business taverns and licensed restaurants. we're talking about your mom and pop that's are struggling right now. unfortunately they just have not gotten any assistance. no financial assistance at all from our state and now on top of that tonight they are taking away five very important hours from their businesses. >> jon: i hope that people will follow the law and maybe they'll stay away tonight but maybe come back and visit your members over the weekend because obviously this will be a big hit for all of those restaurants and pubs and all of their employees. thanks very much. we appreciate you being here. >> thank you very much. >> sandra: and it is approaching the 10:00 a.m. hour on the east coast. this is a fox news alert. a vaccine on the horizon as the u.s. sees more than 2100 coronavirus-related deaths yesterday alone. marking the most deadly day in more than six months. hospitalizations also on the rise as americans face more restrictions heading into the thanksgiving holiday. and that is tomorrow. welcome to a brand-new hour of "america's newsroom," i'm sandra smith. >> jon: i'm jon scott. despite 12.6 million cases of covid-19 and more than 259,000 deaths in the u.s. since february, the cdc director robert redfield offering a glimmer of hope yesterday saying a vaccine will begin rolling out around mid-december. >> the vaccine is going to begin to be rolled out probably by the end of the second week of december. and initially in a way nursing home residents and then some combination of healthcare providers and individuals at high risk for a poor outcome. >> sandra: many states now going into a covid-19 crackdown and warning people not to let their guard down over thanksgiving. many state leaders using some version of the mantra we are all in this together to persuade the public to follow guidelines. at the same time several of them have been caught defying their own restrictions. lawrence jones is a fox news analyst and fox nation host. lawrence, good to see you this morning. happy thanksgiving to you. that has been tough for many americans who are abiding by these rules and regulations and are facing these restrictions. it might affect them, their family and business and see some politicians who are not. but your thoughts this morning as some of these officials are accused of hypocrisy as we try to do what is best. >> my friend, this is why i refuse to use that term on air. i know a lot of people in media had good intentions by going on air and saying that we're all in this together. but that's just simply not true. if you are rich, if you are well connected and if you were one of the rule makers you really didn't abide by the rules. and you saw that with not only these governors applying these rules and you see them trying to get their husbands going on boats or them going to dinner parties or them being caught without masks as well but you also saw people that were well connected and able to get their barbers and beauticians within their homes and they were able to take vacations. what about all the rich that were able to go and flee new york city and then bring covid all the way to florida or texas? so again, these rules rarely apply to the people that in power. i just think it is so unfair that during this time that congress hasn't been able to give a proper package to make sure people that are unemployed. when i walk to work i see businesses boarded up every single day there is another restaurant that just can't cut the mustard because they weren't given enough funds from the government. so again, my message has been be responsible, protect the vulnerable but allow people to go back to work. give them a fighting chance. >> sandra: yeah. dr. fauci issued a strong warning about if you are choosing to travel over thanksgiving here is his message. >> well, they should know they're putting themselves and their family members at risk because the critical issue. it is a difficult message to get across. so what we ask people to do is to at least stop for a moment and do what i call a risk/benefit assessment of what you want to do in the holiday. what you want to do for the seasons where you bring people in your home. >> sandra: it's a good think about who might be in your dining room if you will get on the airplane and go home. whether somebody with a pre-existing condition or an uncle who is of a certain age. we can all think about that and try to make the best decisions for our families. >> well sandra, i have so much respect for the doctor and i take his medical advice but again, when is enough enough? >> this is just not about the holiday. it's 2020 been an utter disaster and they need to see their family members to love on them to say we're in this together as family members. i understand you, i miss you, i love you. americans are struggling mentally right now. the suicide rate is skyrocketing. you have veterans experiencing -- the kids locked down that can't see their classmates. we cannot -- it is very clear that we are at a point where we have to live with this thing and make smart decisions. but the isolation is going to kill us. so again, protect the loved ones and vulnerable, protect the elderly but if governor cuomo can see his mother that's over 90 years old and high risk, why can't we, too? >> sandra: 89-year-old mother said he would spend the holiday with her and his daughters. changed his mind when he issued that statement the next day and said actually i'll work through the holiday. here is andrew cuomo in his own words. >> no more than 10 people in your household. this caution is not a political issue. donald trump's cdc, his cdc says only celebrate with people who are currently in your household. that is donald trump's administration. >> sandra: to politicians. we want lawrence to be safe and want people to enjoy. maybe at the end of all these messages whether politicians and scientists say reach out to a loved one. that feeling of isolation is felt by so many right now. >> sandra, i will say this. i would take the governor at his word as far as it not being political if the facts didn't show that he allowed protestors to protest without going after them. he allowed people to celebrate the joe biden victory in the middle of the street. you have senators doing it. they weren't socially distanced as well. so again, you are breaking down doors and the jewish neighborhood during their holidays because they have over 10 people in their household. again, i would take him at his word if the rules were equally applied to all people. that has not been the case. so what are we left to believe? >> sandra: if you can't travel to see a loved one don't underestimate a good zoom call. >> i'm over zoom, sandra. i want to hug my mama. >> sandra: lawrence, you are a good guy and say hello to her from us. >> thank you, my friend. >> jon: love on her. a california judge upheld a three-week ban on indoor and outdoor dining at restaurants in the nation's largest county going into effect tonight. an aggressive move to try to contain an ongoing surge in new covid-19 cases. jeff paul is live in santa monica, california. the reaction from restaurant owners there, jeff, i'm guessing is pretty negative. >> a lot of concern, a lot of frustration for restaurant owners not only over the survival of their own business but also of their employees. they feel like they have invested a lot in outdoor dining to make a little bit of money during this ongoing pandemic but now what little they have has been taken away. >> this restaurant has been in our family for 65 years. how does l.a. expect us to survive when they've taken away our ability to make money after we've invested so much money also playing the game how they want it played? they change the rules constantly. >> despite a last-minute effort to reverse the county health department's decision to shut down outdoor dining it will stand. the california restaurant association filed a lawsuit saying the county needed the provide scientific evidence supporting the ban. a judge denied that saying the group didn't have enough evidence to overturn the county's decision. but the door on reversing the decision remains cracked open and the judge says if he gets solid evidence he will approve it. one council member saying there is no wynn as they work to balance the public health. the support of the ban came down to people not wearing masks for long periods of time when they ate or drink and think how to not to overwhelm the local healthcare system as coronavirus cases surge in the area. two county commissioners are against the ban. one saying the decision is arbitrary. >> 50% of those testing positive got it while they were at large gatherings. and i just feel that this is punishing an industry that has bent over backwards to comply. >> restaurants throughout l.a. county are working today to squeeze out the last few dollars of outdoor dining. the ban goes into effect at 10:00 p.m. tonight. it will last until mid-december, three weeks. >> jon: not just l.a. there are restrictions taking effect in lots of other states as well, right? >> oregon is another one. governor kate brown issuing a two-week freeze on indoor and outdoor eating. there was a temporary restraining order filed by the oregon restaurant and lodging association but a judge denied that request. the judge says while he understands there is a heavy burden on restaurants and the people who work there, they have to outweigh the risks of keeping people safe and keeping people healthy during this ongoing and historic pandemic. >> jon: jeff paul reporting live. jeff, thank you. >> sandra: americans are flocking to testing sites ahead of the thanksgiving holiday. coronavirus testing sites are overwhelmed across the country. health experts are warning while testing is important, a negative result can lead to a false sense of security. casey stiegel is live in dallas at a site that has done twice as many tests this month as last month, casey. >> yeah, that's exactly right. they're up to some 800 plus a day and the people get in line well before it opens at 8:00 in the morning. in fact, people were already parked out here at 5:00 a.m. today, they tell us. they do both the rapid test where you just wait on site and you get your results within 15 minutes or they also do the more thorough test where the results take one to two days to get back. officials here say that almost half of the tests that come back positive, the people are shocked because they are pre-or asymptomatic. down in houston some folks waiting in line hours to be tested as well. the rush at testing sites not just in texas but around the country largely for those who want to be checked before the holiday. >> we've been going around town for a couple hours now trying to get a place to get tested. i think everybody is doing that. the lines are hours long. >> our whole family is getting tested before our grandma and grandpa come over for thanksgiving. it would be irresponsible to not get tested before i see my family. >> some u.s. airports offering tests for passengers right there on location. this one is at the ontario airport in southern california. the screenings are optional for passengers. this as the cdc and public health officials are urging the american public to forego their travel plans and stay at home for thanksgiving because of the surge of infections and hospitalizations and deaths around the country. sandra. >> sandra: casey stiegel on that for us. thank you. >> jon: well, is joe biden getting the kid glove treatment from the media? have you heard the tough questions he is receiving? brian kilmeade joins us next with his take. >> what does joe biden believe? what are his plans for our country? it's hard to comprehend this but the truth is we still don't know the answers to those most basic questions. it's moving day. and while her friends are doing the heavy lifting, jess is busy moving her xfinity internet and tv services. it only takes about a minute. wait, a minute? but what have you been doing for the last two hours? delegating? oh, good one. move your xfinity services without breaking a sweat. now that's simple, easy, awesome. xfinity makes moving easy. go online to transfer your services in about a minute. get started today. >> have you talked to dr. fauci? >> my staff has. >> jon: that's joe biden talking to reporters yesterday. media critics taking note of the fact that the president-elect has yet to be asked a single tough question by any journalist covering the transition. contrasting it with the way the press corps treats president trump. is there a double standard? brian kilmeade joins us live. what do you think, double standard? >> i don't know what you're talking about. i think they're even. oh, absolutely. he wasn't asked a tough question even about foreign policy when he was running. he didn't win the primaries. they panicked when bernie sanders was winning and james clyburn gave it to him. he would go up to a dozen cars and scream at them. no one would whisper and say senator biden, former vice president biden, you don't have to scream, you have the microphone. he goes out with a list, five questions on why is donald trump so stubborn and not giving in. yesterday he got questions but the old fashioned questions where you want to know the answers. what will you do the first 100 days? one thing he did say i was horrified. focus on immigration, try to undo everything going on at the border. the border traffic of illegal immigrants is down 80% including illegal drug and human trafficking. they are building a wall. he doesn't need to address that problem. if he wants to legalize guess what will happen? the rest of central and south america will start the caravans again and create another problem. i think tough questions haven't been asked. keep in mind he is not asking from anybody going to give him a tough questions. >> jon: i remember when ronald reagan worked with congress to end the immigration problem once and for all. we want to play for our viewers who didn't see the news conference some of the tough questions that were directed at the president-elect yesterday. >> i got one vanilla and one chocolate. >> they asked him about his socks yesterday. that was last month when he answered about his ice cream and ignored the question about hunter. the hunter biden story is moving. they have the thing called fax and emails and text messages. if joe biden is not doing what the squad want to do and what warren is hoping to happy, senator sanders. they the end to be very single minded. i sense that some of those hunter biden stories will come front and center including his interaction with the future secretary of state perhaps anthony blinken as he was trying to go back and forth with him. it will be very interesting what happens over the next few months. i don't know how long this can continue. one thing i respect joe biden did. he says i'm not interested in pursuing any investigation with the president. one line in a written statement that said the president hollowed out government. he hasn't been as critical as during the campaign. i think we could all use a little bit of ratcheting down. i think the president is not giving up. that's why he is probably going to pennsylvania today to oversee one of these contentious recount questions. >> jon: i misspoke. the tough ice cream question came in october. it was not yesterday. i apologize for that. want to direct your attention to this question. jason riley who appears on fox wrote an interesting piece in the "wall street journal" and direct our visitors to us. he writes the coronavirus protocol breaches we've witnessed this year could wind up being more consequential if they lead to less support for nanny state positive. conservatives are averse to busy body politicians making decisions for people were wary of lockdowns. what has changed since spring is growing skepticism of public healthed ikts among liberals. the lockdowns are the great equalizers in many ways except for the politicians. >> jason riley writes great things. what happened? when these lockdown happens they lock down restaurants. a lot of these people that work in restaurants are actors and entertainers, comedians and things like that. they want to hustle for a living. they're shutting it down indoor and outdoor. the percentage shows it doesn't spread through there. there is broadway. broadway is shut down until june. everyone from stage hands to actors and actresses realize their livelihood has been put on hold for 18 months. when you find out it is not necessary. instead of being innovative they collapse and hide. i'm not saying the danger is not there. they see a livelihood taken away in some states and the numbers are almost exactly the same. that's why a lot of people are saying wait a second. my life sucks. i have been living under these terrible positions. i can't even work out. no one asked me if i'm a republican or democrat. i know i've been stopped from making a living. i totally see what jason is talking about. >> jon: when you find out that lori light foot and nancy pelosi are getting their hair done at salons closed to other people, well, it rubs you a little raw. brian kilmeade, thank you. happy thanksgiving. >> back at you, say hello to sandra. >> sandra: happy thanksgiving. >> jon: catch brian on the radio on the brian kilmeade show from 9:00 to noon eastern time. >> sandra: members of the so-called squad making it clear who they don't want in a biden white house. a former biden staffer is in the talks. how the progressive pressure campaign could sway the president-elect next. plus bogus benefits paid out in california after cyber criminals use inmate information to file pandemic-related unemployment claims. how much investigators believe the state lost. >> it's not just about the money that's been stolen. it is about the fact that we need to turn off the spigot. everyone remembers the moment they heard... 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>> well, sandra, there is going to be open warfare, trench warfare between the progressives and the moderates within the party. and bruce reid is considered a key moderate, centrist because he was a member of something called the simpson commission with horror of horrors, wanted fiscal sustainability and recommended and actually pushed through cuts in social security and medicare back in 2010. so they are hot on his trail. they don't want him. they don't want rahm emanuel the former mayor of chicago, they don't want anyone who smacks of that big c, centrist. and that's what joe biden will be contending with when he takes office. >> sandra: and perhaps, david, they don't like what they've seen so far as cabinet picks. mostly seen as moderates. here is a chunk of the petition, putting someone who will put the deficit, a recipe for cutting earned benefits and turning the covid recession into a depression. rejecting reid will be a major test for the soul of the biden presidency. david, what if the squad doesn't get its way? >> for progressives it's kind of like getting your christmas gifts from under the tree and opening them up and realizing they don't work or they are the wrong size and they have a no return policy on them. progressives advantage is the slim majority in the u.s. house. until they're ready to play in the big leagues. until joe biden and nancy pelosi will say we're voting against every major initiative where you put a moderate cabinet we'll vote against the bills. until they're ready to do that this is all talk trying to raise money for the pac they form to try to get other progressives elected. >> sandra: a little more about bruce reed. bullets on the screen. chief of staff to vice president joe biden. he served former head of democratic leadership council. served on the commission on deficit reduction. judith, if they don't get their way with this, what's next? what's next for those progressives when they see biden's cabinet looking more and more moderate? >> it is very, very much, sandra, a question of whether or not they will be able to muster votes. i agree with david on this. i'm not sure they are going to. they are right now all talk and very little action. but you know, biden is used to fighting within his own party. he is basically a centrist. he has been pushed to the left by them but do they really, really want to be held responsible two years from now from a red resweep of states? i don't think so. right now they are threatening but at the moment the biden team looks very much like the old team. that is the obama team. and those people were not progressives. and that's what the progressive wing is up against. i don't think they are going to be able to swing the party to the left. >> sandra: reportedly they've taken issue with some of the names floated around or rumors about some of the names floated for jobs but happy with john kerry, janet yellen and some of the others we saw named this week. we'll see where it all goes. david, if you open up the gift under the tree and don't like it remember what you were taught as a kid. it's the thought that counts. >> will do. >> sandra: nice to see both of you. >> jon: president-elect joe biden filling out key positions in his cabinet with former obama officials as sandra was just telling you. some republicans are saying these nominations point to a redo of the obama presidency. is that accurate and fair? new reaction from former democratic national committee interim chair donna brazile. and some grandparents are proofing ain't no mountain high enough to keep them away from their grandchildren. how they're planning to be home for the holidays despite the pandemic. ♪ ain't no mountain high enough, ain't no valley low enough, ain't no river wide enough to keep me from seeing you ♪ i was afraid to show my skin. after i started cosentyx i wasn't covered anymore. four years clear. five years now. i just look and feel better. see me. real people with psoriasis look and feel better with cosentyx. don't use if you're allergic to cosentyx. before starting, get checked for tuberculosis. an increased risk of infections and lowered ability to fight them may occur. tell your doctor about an infection or symptoms, if your inflammatory bowel disease symptoms develop or worsen, or if you've had a vaccine, or plan to. serious allergic reactions may occur. five years is just crazy. see me. learn more at cosentyx.com. unstopables in-wash scent booster. downy unstopables. the annual enrollment period is here. the time to choose your coverage... begins october 15th and ends december 7th. so call unitedhealthcare... and take advantage of a wide choice of plans... including an aarp medicare advantage plan from unitedhealthcare. it can combine your hospital and doctor coverage... with part d prescription drug coverage, and more, all in one simple plan... for a low monthly premium or in some areas, no plan premium at all. take advantage of $0 copays on all primary care doctor visits, all virtual visits, and all lab tests. also get $0 copays for preventive dental care, $0 copays for routine hearing exams, and $0 copays for eye exams. plus, free designer frames and prescription lenses. now's the time to look at unitedhealthcare's variety of plans, and let us help find the one that works best for you. ask about ppo plans, too. they let you see any doctor who accepts medicare, without a referral. and pay in-network costs, at home or traveling, when you see doctors in the unitedhealthcare medicare national network. take advantage of $0 copay's on hundreds of prescription drugs - at the pharmacy or by mail. in fact, last year our medicare advantage plan members saved an average of over $7,200. and with renew active, enjoy a free gym membership - with access to an extensive nationwide network of fitness locations now including premium gyms. now more than ever, count on unitedhealthcare to help you get the care you need, when you need it. we can even help schedule appointments or find a specialist. enrollment ends december 7th. call unitedhealthcare or go online today. we make it easy to enroll, too. it's time to take advantage of all the benefits of... the only medicare advantage plans with the aarp name. [sfx: mnemonic] do you have a life insurance policy you no longer need? now you can sell your policy, even a term policy, for an immediate cash payment. we thought we had planned carefully for our retirement. but we quickly realized that we needed a way to supplement our income. if you have one hundred thousand dollars or more of life insurance you may qualify to sell your policy. don't cancel or let your policy lapse without finding out what it's worth. visit conventrydirect.com to find out if you policy qualifies. or call the number on your screen. coventry direct, redefining insurance. ♪ thanksgiving ♪ i got to give you thanks >> sandra: a whole lot different this year. holiday meal with a side of social distancing. a couple from texas sending their grandchildren two life-sized cardboard cut-outs of themselves to take the place at the thanksgiving dinner table. they say they came up with this idea. they wanted to be present at the family dinner and also remind everyone there are still things to laugh about. they say their cut-outs will celebrate christmas with the grandchildren as well. that's really life like. >> jon: i couldn't tell it was not the real grandparents. >> sandra: good stuff. >> jon: it saves on mashed potatoes. >> sandra: creative. cheers to them. >> jon: good for them. >> people like jake sullivan have said we should celebrate the rise of china. on the watch of so many of these nominees that china built islands out in the water in the south china sea and militarized them extending the reach of their missiles, aircraft and ships. sounds a lot like the return of the obama administration foreign pollz. it had disastrous consequences for our nation. >> jon: slamming president-elect biden's nominees on the foreign policy front. some biden picks held position in the obama administration which cotton said was responsible for a string of foreign policy failures. donna brazile is the former dnc interim chair and fox news contributor. she joins us now. does this arkansas senator have a point, donna? >> i don't think so. look, i recognize that senator cotton is a little bit confused. he is looking back at yesterday when joe biden is going to focus on the most important issues that we have that is confronting the country today. many of the individuals that he has put forward are battle tested, crisis tested, they have a unique experience and just go back to ronald reagan, of course, both bush 41 and 43, and including bill clinton. everyone likes to bring on board the people with the best skills and knowledge. ronald reagan depended on that when he put, you know, james baker in charge. george w. bush also had james baker. think back to all of the past administrations. you always look for people with the best skills and the best abilities to help lead our country forward. >> jon: sure. everybody in america wants to see the biden picks succeed. if they succeed america succeeds. remember what isis was doing at the end of the obama administration. they had announced their caliphate and were routinely beheading people. horrific stories on the front pages. senator cotton tweeted this. he says the liberal media is swoong over the a-team of hyper competent and kind obama-biden alums getting back together. they were swooning over the same people a decade ago while they presided over absolute chaos abroad. you don't remember the isis problem? >> i don't want to criticize previous administrations but there is no question that some of the members of the band will come back together but this is not the same band leader. joe biden is a different type of leader. he is a different type of public servant. before senator cotton get his talking points out there for 2024 maybe he needs to wait until the entire team is assembled and look at the challenges we're facing today. that's what we should focus on. i understand that the conservative media would like to pick apart everybody. i just listened to how progressives may be upset. 80 million of us are united that we'll have a president who will lower the volume and focus on the future and help get this country back on its feet. >> jon: let me ask you one other quick question about a different topic. the vermont governor announced that school kids are going to be asked whether they spent thanksgiving with lots of other people and if they acknowledge that they got together with too many people they will be sent home to school at home or take online classes. doesn't that seem a little big brotherish? >> i went online to take a look at that. i served on the d.c. coronavirus task force. this is a serious virus and killing people and so many people missing at the table tomorrow that shouldn't be missing because of the virus. we should all take prudent steps to insure the health and safety of our family as well as our friends and go on the vermont website i think we can spend thanksgiving with people we love in a healthy way and let's not endanger others including our children. >> jon: from what i understand the doctors say the transmission in children are not the vehicle that is causing the spread of the virus. we'll let people make their individual decisions and the people of vermont can listen to the governor's edict. >> stay healthy. >> jon: happy thanksgiving to you. >> sandra: and to you as well, donna. president trump signaling the start of the transition process as joe biden gets ready to assume the presidency. why some are just not ready yet for a peaceful transfer of power. we'll explain. surance so you only pay for what you need? really? i didn't-- aah! ok. i'm on vibrate. aaah! only pay for what you need. ♪ liberty. liberty. liberty. liberty. ♪ unlike ordinary memory want supplements-ter? neuriva has clinically proven ingredients that fuel 5 indicators of brain performance. memory, focus, accuracy, learning, and concentration. try our new gummies for 30 days and see the difference. >> sandra: president-elect joe biden's transition process has officially begun. it hasn't stopped some on the left from bashing the transfer of power entirely after the "boston globe" tweeted out this story. even a nation hooked on drama does not want to see a u.s. president dragged out the front door of the white house so we ask experts in the art of persuasion how they go about dislodging the reluctant. many people responded they would love to see the president removed from the white house. for more on that let's bring in joe concha. media and politics reporter for the hill. what are we supposed to make of that, joe? good morning. >> good morning, sandra. it seems that some democrats didn't want to just see donald trump defeated. they want to see him humiliated and see the next administration, to quote trump rallies, lock him up, right? and you do that by obviously having hearings and go through some sort of prosecution of the president and boy the media would love that. any trump trial so to speak would get 20 to 30 million viewers before you could blink. the reality show would continue. ultimately you keep donald trump on the radar, he is the ultimate motivator for democrats in this situation. look, i would think at some point when the president goes through the legal process and still going through it right now as far as challenging the votes, he would probably concede and then leave the office quietly. it seems to be more of a pipe dream you will have to physically remove him from office. he has an eye on 2024. believe me, when he does concede if that happens, the 2024 campaign will begin at that moment, sandra. >> sandra: response to the "boston globe" tweet as i mentioned in the face of calls for unity and tolerance from the democratic party here is joy reid responding. you all sure about that? keith oel berman. we all want to see him dragged out the front door of the white house. lots of questions over what the media coverage of a biden presidency looks like. here is tucker's monologue on biden and the press last night. listen. >> what does joe biden believe? what are his plans for our country? somehow joe biden made it through an entire presidential campaign, most of a year, without telling us. a partisan press corps let him get away with it. the single most dishonest thing that has ever happened in american politics. >> sandra: to be clear, joe, let's play sound of some of the questions that joe biden received yesterday and you'll see what tucker was talking about. listen. >> announce your defense secretary? >> you announced key members of your cabinet today. a very experienced group and a very diverse group. clearly you were trying to send a message. can you articulate what the message is? >> kam is back and we're at the head of the table once again. >> can you articulate what that message is? an open-ended question. this is an interviewer. those are the easiest to steal. lester holt also said this lineup that you've selected so far, a lot of familiar faces among them. what do you say to those who say you are trying to create a third obama term? again, this is not -- this is a 180 from what we saw as far as president trump going through his transition process and his first press conference. 13 times russia or russian president vladimir putin was broached in that new york press conference four years ago. it's a preview of what we'll see. you will hear a lot about joe biden's dogs living at the white house. many glowing profiles on jill biden, the kind that wasn't afforded to melania trump. this is a preview of things to come. a marshmallow media. >> sandra: getting to the heart of the story a bloomburg reporter jennifer epstein tweeting about joe biden's stops yesterday. bush was known for his socks. hw. maybe biden will be too. today he wore dark blue socks. there are more things to tweet about but we can have fun sometimes, too. >> sandra, i have a fear of feet. anything that involves feet i don't want to hear about, all right? particularly socks on a 77-year-old guy. sorry, not my cup of tea. if you could ask jon scott. i hear he flies planes from time to time. if he could get me to florida in the next month or two i'll do what it takes to protect him and me in the flight. >> sandra: he will hanging out in his socks sipping tea this holiday. >> jon: we'll have great food in first class on my little airplane, okay, joe? you're on. >> all right. as long as there is bourbon i'm there, thanks. >> sandra: all right. >> jon: now this fox news alert. boris epstein a member of the trump legal team now says he has tested positive for coronavirus. epstein tweeting i have tested positive for covid-19. i am experiencing mild symptoms and am following all appropriate protocols including quarantining and contact tracing. epstein was with the rest of the trump legal team at that extraordinary press conference last week standing just inches away from rudy giuliani who is set to meet with the president in pennsylvania today. we'll keep an eye on this story and tell you where it goes. is this a new buick? i secret santa-ed myself. i shouldn't have. but i have been very good this year. wow! wow! wow! this year, turn black friday into buick friday all month long. now during buick friday, pay no interest for 84 months on most 20-20 buick suv models. some things are good to know. like where to find the cheapest gas in town and which supermarket gives you the most bang for your buck. something else that's good to know. if you have medicare you may be able to get more benefits without paying more through a medicare advantage plan. call now to request this free guide. learn about plans that could give you more benefits from humana. a company with nearly 60 years of experience in the healthcare industry. humana offers a wide range of all in one medicare advantage plans that include medical and prescription drug coverage. plus valuable extras that may include the silver sneakers fitness program and mail order prescription coverage. with humana you'll have lots of doctors and specialist to choose from and peace of mind, knowing you're covered for doctor's visits and hospital stays. plus routine physicals and preventative care all for an affordable plan premium and in many areas no plan premium. you'll also get zero dollar co-pays on telehealth visits, unlimited inpatient hospital stays, plus an annual out of pocket limit for added peace of mind. humana even rewards you for making healthy choices like staying on top of preventative care. many plans also include, dental, vision and hearing coverage. and when it comes to prescriptions, in 2019 human's medicare advantage prescription drug plan members saved an estimated 7,800 dollars on average on their prescription costs. so if you want more from medicare, call now to learn about humana medicare options that are good for your health and your wallet. a licensed humana sales agent will walk you through your options, answer any questions you have and help you enroll over the phone. plans with a zero dollar monthly plan premium are available in many areas. call now and we'll also send this free guide. humana, a more human way to healthcare. >> jon: voters in georgia setting a new record in absentee ballot requests ahead of the january 5th runoff election for two senate seats. steve harrigan is live in atlanta. where do the two races stand at the moment, steve? >> a lot of excitement in georgia. ordinarily it's a challenge to get people out to vote during runoff elections. not the case this time around. the requests for mail-in ballots for the runoff races on january 5 already more than triple what they were in 2018. the spending, too, off the charts. more than 270 million spent on tv ads so far. that runoff will pit two senate races that could determine control of the senate. none of the four getting the 50% mark. there will be runoffs. we've seen a string of high-profile politicians from both parties coming through to campaign for each of the four. meantime the presidential ballot in georgia being recounted now. the third time that presidential ballot is being counted. machine count this time. the vote has already been certified for joe biden. a lead of 12,000 votes. so close they're counting it once again. election officials saying they don't expect any significant change from the third count. jon, back to you. >> jon: steve, thank you. >> sandra: it is getaway day despite cdc travel warnings with cases of covid-19 skyrocketing across the country. millions of americans hitting the roads, rails and taking to the skies for this thanksgiving holiday. welcome back to "america's newsroom." good morning, everyone. i'm sandra smith. >> jon: i'm jon scott. great working with you. aaa says 50 million people will be on the move this holiday as they refuse to follow the recommendations from the feds amid tough new travel restrictions in many states. after more than 2,000 people died yesterday in this country of covid, the highest daily death toll since the virus peaked this past spring. >> sandra: dan henninger, we'll talk to him in a moment. >> jon: team coverage of the great getaway. charles watson live in atlanta and jeff flock kicks things off from chicago. >> on the roads, jon and sandra. i don't wish you were here. look at what we're looking at as we're driving on this day before thanksgiving. about as gloomy a day before thanksgiving than i've ever seen. the roads are not as crowded as they are typically. this is 294. sandra knows it. we're headed south toward indiana from chicago. i think you can tell there is not as many people on the road as perhaps you might think. but there are still a lot of people out here, no question about it. every en though as we put the numbers up. 55 million last year. 48 million this year. still a lot of people out there. a lot of people think this is the safest way to go. if you get on a plane you have to be with a lot of people. here we're in our own cocoon. mike and i are together. you can control your environment. maybe a lot of people deciding to drive instead of fly. leave you with one final positive note. that is gas prices. demand still way down and so this year a lot cheaper than it was this time last year. i think i paid $1.88 in indiana this morning, which is about as low as it gets, i think. good news on that front if you are driving. don't drive in this, though, gosh, it's ugly out there. >> jon: it's coming our way. that's what we are expecting here on the east coast for thanksgiving. so i hope you have a nicer day tomorrow. jeff flock from chicago. thank you. all right, charles watson is joining us live from what was the busiest airport in the world last year. atlanta's international airport. >> not as busy this morning but a good flow of traffic. thousands of people this morning in and out of the terminal here at hartfield jackson international airport. what's clear is that people are determined to stick with their thanksgiving holiday plans. airports are seeing some of the largest crowds they've seen since the start of the pandemic with more than 4 million people screened since friday. overall airlines are expected to see a 50% less traffic this year compared to last year. less people but still alarming for public health officials who are pleading with americans to stay home as coronavirus infections continue to skyrocket out of control. but people here say they just want to live their lives. >> i think we can't stop living. so i think it's really important everyone take precautions. >> the message here from a lot of the folks we've spoken to is that they're following all the precautions, wear masks, keeping distance. they think this thanksgiving holiday will work out just fine, jon. >> jon: charles watson from atlanta's hartsfield jackson airport. >> sandra: defining the millions defying cdc rules is a mass form of civil disobedience like nothing the country has seen since the 1960s. dan henninger is a deputy editor from the "wall street journal." is that what's happening? >> something like that seems to be happening out there, sandra. we like to believe that we live in an orderly society. something we sometimes call the social contract but you know that depends on the rules being coherent and consistent. instead what we've had lately, often produced by the politicians, is something resembling a state of chaos. parents sometimes don't know whether their children are going to school from one day to the next. the rules on masks and social distancing are inconsistent. they keep changing. you know, eventually even the politicians break down like gavin newsom breaking his own rules to go out to a restaurant in california. nancy pelosi getting her hair done. and you would think the politicians would have a little more humility about the disorder that they've created but frankly you are seeing people out there saying time-out. i cannot live in a state of chaos like this. >> sandra: it's that hypocrisy could be causing covid fatigue. the political class's hypocrisy pre-dates covid-19. the centers for disease control and prevention strongly cautions against celebrating with people outside your household but they don't seem to care anymore. some of it is borne of covid fatigue. the endless parade of politicians flouting their own rules surely has also played a role. you can't ignore it, dan. >> no, you can't ignore it at all. and you know the politicians like andrew cuomo and bill deblasio keep trying to screw it down harder. threatening people with $1,000 or $2,000 fines. the inconsistens has been extraordinary and the break down of authority in our political leaders. you would think they would derive lessons from this. the fact that people simply are not obeying anymore. and i guess i would hope for a little more humility from our politicians. how is that for a thanksgiving wish? >> sandra: interesting to see how the politicians do respond. how law enforcement responds as we see these images coming in. you just saw jeff flock taking to the roads in chicago. you see the airports, scenes of lines, packed people in the airports, getting on these airplanes, traveling despite their local politicians saying don't travel unless it is essential. but what is the response that we ultimately see? do you see a crackdown on this on gatherings in particular? >> i don't think a crackdown is all together feasible or possible. certainly they can close restaurants doing more economic damage. and i think that has been a big part of the issue here. that people when they say we want to live our lives, they mean they want to be able to run businesses, produce incomes and look, we are into the 10th month of our experience with this crackdown and that means a lot of people -- not everyone, but a lot of people have gone without revenue or cash flow for this extraordinarily long period of time. i mean, even during world war ii in europe businesses remained open. but they have been closed here for a long time. people have been shut in and it is an unnatural way to live. the politicians, even the scientists have not really made a convincing or credible case. yes the coronavirus is deadly but we have found ways to treat it. we have therapy we've developed now. hospitals are better at keeping people alive. at some point you would think the authorities would try to strike a balance addressing the dangers and on the other hand allowing people to go about their lives. in the absence of doing that, human nature takes over and people go out there and simply decide they will make up their own minds about what the rules are. >> sandra: the vaccines is on the way, dr. redfield from the cdc saying second week of december we could see it rolled out with vaccines for millions in this country. we certainly hope. dan, thanks for being here this morning. happy holiday. >> same to you. >> jon: we've been telling you president trump is heading to pennsylvania to meet with state republicans about the results of the election there. just seconds ago comes word the president's plans might be changing. we're getting details on that together now. the latest for you coming up. plus some brand-new numbers on the economy. as coronavirus surges across the nation. how the pandemic is affecting your bottom line. economic advisor tyler goodspeed will join us live. a report card on virtual learning from one of the nation's biggest school districts showing some students are faring much worse than others and why. ♪ ♪ [ engines revving ] ♪ it's amazing to see them in the wild like th-- shhh. [ engine revs ] for those who were born to ride, there's progressive. >> jon: fox news alert. word coming in that president trump's trip to pennsylvania is off in a last-minute change of plans. as we've been reporting this morning the president was expected to join his attorney rudy giuliani in gettysburg for a meeting with state republican lawmakers about the results of the election there. david spunt is live in gettysburg with what is behind the rapidly changing schedule. >> good afternoon. interesting turn of events here. this wasn't officially on president trump's official white house schedule, there were allocations that he planned to come to this hotel in gettysburg, pennsylvania to meet with members of his legal team and also to meet with local representatives and senators from pennsylvania to talk about some of those legal challenges and election challenges. now we're told from an administration source it is canceled. the meeting will still go on. trump attorneys will be here probably in the next 15 or so minutes meeting with some of those local officials down from the state capitol in harrisburg. rudy giuliani, the personal attorney, will also be taking part in what's being called a hearing today on allegations of alleged voter irregularities. to be clear there is no judge and this hearing that's being used is taking place at this hotel, not at the state capitol in harrisburg. mr. giuliani continues to fight in this state despite the pennsylvania votes being certified in favor of president-elect joe biden. the pennsylvania governor made that announcement yesterday morning about the certification. today the president's daughter-in-law and campaign advisor lara trump has a different take. >> which is why we're saying we want every legal vote counted and continuing to push forward and make sure that happens. i know there are a lot of people that want to sweep this under the rug and say okay, we're done with this election. we're far from done with this election. >> and we also found out about an hour ago that boris epstein, someone that is part of president trump's legal team, he announced on twitter he tested positive for covid-19. not clear if that has anything to do with the president's change of plans today. however, rudy giuliani, there is talk he wants to argue a case in front of the third circuit court of appeals in pennsylvania. jon, the next stop after the third circuit court of appeals would be the supreme court in washington, d.c. at this point legal experts that follow the supreme court say there is no indication the court would want to get involved in something so politically charged. the electors have to meet to vote december 14th. the clock is ticking. >> jon: david spunt reporting live from gettysburg. thanks. former president obama criticizing some latino voters for supporting president trump during the election, listen. >> there are a lot of evangelical hispanics who, you know, the fact that trump says racist things about mexicans or puts detainees, undocumented workers in cages, they think that's less important than the fact that he supports their views on gay marriage or abortion. >> jon: according to exit polls president trump was able to chip away at president-elect joe biden's lead with latinos in some states. >> sandra: we're learning more about the toll that the pandemic has taken on the u.s. economy. labor department says 778,000 americans applied for first-time unemployment benefits last week causing the dow to slide after closing above the 30,000 mark for the first time yesterday. joining us now tyler goodspeed from the chairman of the council on economic advisors. a couple of things i want to dig into off the top. first to the jobless claims number. an important gauge of how we're coming out of this pandemic and what this recovery looks like. that was the second week in a row that the number has gone up. where do we stand in the recovery? >> well the initial and continuing unemployment insurance claims are numbers we watch very, very closely. last week the uptick in the initial claims was driven by what was going on in louisiana, it seems. so when we account for the louisiana factor last week looks like it was flat but this week there was an uptick in initial claims. the number we watch most closely is the continuing claims. people that have been approved for state unemployment insurance. the latest week available is 300,000. certainly these are numbers that we watch very closely and as we look to continue the record labor market recovery we've seen to date this is one reason why we're certainly very supportive of additional targeted relief to make sure we keep this recovery on pace. >> sandra: okay. so going back to the initial question, where are we in the recovery? you could make the case that gdp for example, even though it's the day before a holiday we're getting a lot of economic news this morning. this is the second read on the third quarter gdp. remember that big number 33.1% in the third quarter? it was unbelievable. they didn't revise it. it stayed the same. 33.1% is the number. that's strong economic growth and certainly a sign that we are able to come out of this. i wonder, tyler, as we start to see the biden administration form, if there will be any lessons learned or any acknowledgement of some of the steps that the trump administration took to get us out of this pandemic and pre-pandemic how they got the economy to where it was. >> these are very good questions. yes, we had a lot of data released today. durable goods, new and existing family home sales, personal income. second estimate for gdp. when we look at the data in totality we see the u.s. economy today is in a much better state than we expected to be and even some of the most optimistic. in the spring the oecd was projecting during the four quarters of 2020 the u.s. economy would decline. gdp would decline by 12.3%. and with the third quarter's big number we've mitigated that decline to 3.5% and given the projections and now casting for the fourth quarter we're on pace to further mitigate that loss to 2.6 or less. >> sandra: you are getting into the weeds for our viewers. give us the big picture. we want to get a sense of. the "wall street journal" headline this morning heading into black friday. the big shopping day after the thanksgiving holiday when everybody heads out after the turkey dinner and shops for christmas. ahead of black friday retailers race about covid-19 cases and sales are expected to rise. companies remain worried about restrictions for covid-19 infections. we hear from the retailers on what they expect the restrictions to have. >> their statement. people aren't spending money on sporting events and traveling. more disposable income available heading into the holidays research suggests people will be more likely to buy products across our brands. a good point, right? if people aren't traveling as much or not buying tickets to concerts or whatever it might be, they are sitting at home and shopping online. >> something we have seen in the data. folks are substituting between different types of consumption. they used to spend more on services now more on durable goods and other sorts of goods purchases online. but i think we will continue to see those sorts of adjustments by consumers as we continue to adapt to the unique circumstances that we find ourselves in. jumping back a step as i was saying i think the big story with the data today is the extent to which the u.s. recovery has outpaced projections and expectations and that's a testament as you suggested both to the strength of the pre-covid u.s. economy, but also to the unprecedented scale and speed of the response of the trump administration and the u.s. federal government to a uniquely unprecedented shock in 2020. >> sandra: to your point about getting additional stimulus out there. as we know there are millions. take the restaurant industry for example that are still out of work today. don't know what the future holds and very tough time. so we're thinking about all of them and we'll see what is next and what is in store for them. tyler goodspeed, great the talk with you this morning. thank you. >> jon: hope you're not hungry. effective today you can't eat in restaurants in l.a. indoors or outdoors. it's the latest strict new rule to try to prevent the spread of coronavirus. but when asked about the data supporting such a restriction, government officials made a major admission. we'll tell you what the science says next. a live bookkeeper is helping customize quickbooks for me. okay, you're all set up. thanks! that was my business gi, this one's casual. get set up right with a live bookkeeper with intuit quickbooks. lexus has been celebrating driveway moments. here's to one more, the lexus december to remember sales event. lease the 2021 rx 350 for $419 a month for 36 months and we'll make your first month's payment. experience amazing at your lexus dealer. comfort this holiday season so wrap up a cozy casper mattress and pillows, soft percale sheets, even glow, our magical light for better sleep. shop the black friday sale and save up to 30% today at casper.com >> jon: top stories making headlines at the bottom of the hour. the chinese president xi congratulating president-elect joe biden three weeks after the election. today mexico's president said it is still too early to offer congratulations. >> sandra: secret service prepares to pack up most of its presence at the manhattan skyscraper. security will be scaled back with the trump family planning to split their time between florida and new jersey. >> jon: sex offender jeffrey epstein's pal is woken up every 15 minutes in jail to make sure she hasn't killed herself. she is awaiting trial in new york on charges of recruiting underage victims for epstein. epstein committed suicide in jail last year. >> sandra: restaurants owners just lost their case in los angeles. we're live in santa monica. how are things there? >> it's a bittersweet day here throughout l.a. county as restaurants open their doors for what is going to be likely the last day of outdoor dining for at least three weeks. many of these restaurants have dumped a lot of money into outdoor setups and feel like all this investment is being taken away from them and also this ban is coming into effect the day before thanksgiving and servers say it really doesn't give them a lot to be thankful for considering they realize many of them might lose their jobs. >> this is going to affect me and my family for sure 100%. i'm basically the bread winner of my family working here. it will be a very big, drastic change. we're not employed anymore. >> there was a push to undo the ban. a lawsuit was filed by the california restaurant association claiming the burden was on the county to scientifically prove outdoor dining was making the pandemic worse. a judge ruled the restaurant group didn't have enough of their own evidence to overturn the ban but left the door open to review of solid evidence if they found it. now three of five l.a. county commissioners currently support the three-week ban on outdoor dining. they are concerned about overwhelming the local healthcare system as coronavirus cases surge in the area. the other two commissioners were fairly vocal about their disapproval of the ban. one of the county commissioners says she feels they are punishing an industry that has bent over backwards to comply with health protocols. >> to close them down based on really what you say show me the science, based on no science concerns me. i feel it is arbitrary and punitive. >> that ban goes into effect 10:00 p.m. tonight and runs through mid-december. the local sheriff's office in l.a. county say they'll work to educate people. not out here arresting folks. >> sandra: jeff paul in santa monica for us. thank you, jeff. >> jon: across the country governors are tightening restrictions for your holidays. officials getting heat for constantly changing the rules saying they are following advice from experts. our next guest is a conservative attorney who says the people are being ordered around by elitists who were never elected to lead. she warns of the constitutional threat of, quote, government by expert. gail trotter is the host of the gail trotter show and joins us now. welcome. >> great to be with you. >> jon: the headline of the piece you wrote in the hill is no thank you, dr. fauci. and you go on to write that expert rule is an y -- the same people making these laws on americans flaunt their own disregard for these restrictions, lockdowns for thee and not for me. we can go over some examples. there are many of them. >> sure, lockdowns have extreme consequences and we are seeing that there are these hypocritical bureaucrats and politicians setting up the rules that they barely pretend to abide by themselves and they forget we have a system of government that is electing representatives who are accountable to the people, our constitution begins we the people, not we the experts. and people are getting tired of blindly trusting the experts and the politicians are trying to get everyone to defer to the experts and not take responsibility. and yet they cannot abide by their own rules. they tell us things like do as you are told. but then they cannot follow their own rules. and they need to come up with rules that are sensible that we can follow that even the politicians who are flaunting the rules can follow. my piece goes into several examples of that that are making headlines around the country. >> jon: as you were speaking we had video of new york's governor andrew cuomo who won an emmy for his televised covid presentations, his briefings. he has told new yorkers not to have family over for thanksgiving but he got caught making plans to have his older -- elderly mother and two daughters over for thanksgiving. >> that's exactly right. and when you think about this, we as americans have seen unprecedented restrictions on our liberties as justice alito noted in a speech a couple weeks ago. we have a government of, by and for the people. not a government of, by and for the experts. and we need to adapt. we cannot just cower in our basements. we need to adapt so we continue our daily lives. i think politicians should base their decisions being informed on science and by some of the experts. i wear a mask. i'm not saying people should not wear a mask but ultimately the politicians are responsible and they should be held accountable for the rules that they are putting in place. we've seen this across the country. in kentucky the government allowed liquor stores to be opened but they wouldn't allow churches to celebrate easter and saying that even if they were doing it socially distanced with drive-in services a judge smacked it down. if beer is essential, easter is essential, too. justice alito said we cannot expect the courts to protect all our liberties. liberties lie in the hearts of american citizens and it is up to us. we have a government of people and not of experts. we need to continue to make the politicians aware that we are not going to blindly trust the experts. >> jon: i would point our viewers to a piece that's available on fox business.com. the l.a. health department, which has told all the restaurants in l.a. to close down today indoor and outdoor dining. it will be 66 degrees in l.a. today, by the way. the los angeles department of public health admits there is no scientific link between outdoor dining and the covid-19 spike. how does that make you feel? >> right. it is such a good point. i know people in l.a. you had the report about the poor restaurant workers who are really suffering from these kind of swings in decisions. parents who don't know if their kids will be in person from one day to the next. it is affecting americans across the country. we want americans to be safe but need to make sure the politicians are accountable and need to make sensible rules. this seems like in this case requiring the restaurant association to come up with proof seems like the burden should be on the politicians particularly the hypocritical ones who dine indoors with medical lobbyists. the burden is on them and not the hard working americans who understand we have a system of government that values and prides its individual liberty to protect all of us. >> jon: we should remember they are working for us, right? >> that's right. >> jon: good to talk to you. thank you. >> sandra: we're learning brand-new details about a security breach at the white house. how a man got through a gate despite tighter protocols. plus biden cabinet picks suggesting his administration will reverse president trump's maximum pressure campaign on iran and reenter the nuclear deal. what it could mean for our allies and troops stationed overseas. general jack keane here on that. >> administration had chosen to give them a lot of money. we've chosen to deny them. billions of dollars in wealth has been denied them because of the isolation we've created. when it comes to autism, finding the right words can be tough. finding understanding doesn't have to be. we can create a kinder, more inclusive world for the millions of people on the autism spectrum. go to autismspeaks.org. the annual enrollment period is here. the time to choose your coverage... begins october 15th and ends december 7th. so call unitedhealthcare... and take advantage of a wide choice of plans... including an aarp medicare advantage plan from unitedhealthcare. it can combine your hospital and doctor coverage... with part d prescription drug coverage, and more, all in one simple plan... for a low monthly premium or in some areas, no plan premium at all. take advantage of $0 copays on all primary care doctor visits, all virtual visits, and all lab tests. also get $0 copays for preventive 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[sfx: mnemonic] >> sandra: a texas man is facing federal charges accused of breaching the white house grounds sunday evening. the secret service says he drove through an exit gate on a moped carrying a knife and bag of marijuana in his pocket. he made his way on a road adjacent to the white house. officers surrounded him with guns drawn and took him into custody. >> what a took away from the gatherings while there is more work to do each has come to understand the work that we've done with the abraham accords, the work we've done to isolate the regime in the islamic republic of iran has been good for their people and the middle east. it has been for the security of people back here at home. >> jon: that's secretary of state mike pompeo touting the trump administration's iran policy as the incoming biden administration is signaling a dramatic shift in how u.s. relations with iran will take place. biden's nominee for secretary of state anthony blinken said in 2017 if there is a formal designation as a terrorist organization, i think there is going to be blowback and they have the ability if they want to use it to make trouble. the question is, can you use effectively existing sanctions which i believe we can without sticking it in their eye publicly? let's bring in retired four star general jack keane chairman of the institute for the study of war and fox news senior strategic analyst. you have seen peace breaking out in the middle east with israel signing peace deals with several of its arab neighbors. the implication is that iran is getting frozen out. is the biden administration going to turn things around in a very different direction? >> well, we really don't know. what has happened obviously is that president-elect biden has reached out to people he was associated with in the obama-biden administration going back 12 years ago and has pulled them into his administration. and we certainly don't know for a fact because we never had a debate on foreign policy, national security and tragically and somewhat sadly the media never asked any tough questions about it. we're a little in the dark. here is what we do know. there is an appetite, it seems, among the biden national security team to at least renegotiate the nuclear deal. but where they find iran today and where they were a number of years ago is very different. you put your finger right on it. the strategic contours taking place in the middle east with the arabs and israelis building together a political, military and economic coalition that is willing to confront iran as the major destabilizer in the region is a major geopolitical paradigm shift that the biden administration has got to embrace in my judgment. if they do not embrace it, and continue to keep the pressure on iran, then we're not going to get a renegotiated deal that makes sense. i believe this, jon. that if president-elect -- if we were facing president-elect trump, the second trump administration, the iranians would have come forward and renegotiated the nuclear deal because the sanctions are crippling them. they've got to get out from underneath the weight of them. that opportunity will be there for the biden team but they negotiated a horrible deal back in 2014 and 2015 that we've all come to see as being so fundamentally flawed. the iranians were tough negotiators. when we tried to tell them let's consider your behavior in the region as a condition, nope. not going to do that. we'll depart the negotiations. we told them we wanted any time anywhere inspections to make certain they're not cheating because they have cheated in the past. nope. they rejected that. the sunset clauses kicked in. 10 years of threshold wep yons capability and 15 years you can have a weapon. who would ever put that in a deal? but it's in there. yes, we want a new team but a new team that is influenced by the realities of what have taken place in the last 12, 8 and 4 years. >> jon: the iranians lost their general soleimani the top terrorist in the world in the drone strike. hard to envision the biden administration ordering that same kind of strike, am i right, general? >> well, they came out publicly in opposition to it after the fact. and president biden did and president biden was one of the only dissenters to attack osama bin laden's hide away in pakistan and the same thing for baghdadi. there is a pattern here of not willing to take risk to eliminate some of the world's horrific terrorists because the operation may indeed fail and then there is political liability associated with that failure. fortunately we have leaders who have stepped up and are willing to accept that risk and execute an operation that so much in the mind of security for the american people is what we're talking about here. >> jon: general jack keane. good to have you on, happy thanksgiving. >> happy thanksgiving to you and the fox family there. >> sandra: an update from one of the nation's largest school districts showing a dramatic spike in students with failing grades. what we're now learning is causing that. another report claims facebook changed its algorithms to favor liberal news outlets. could that ramp up even more under a biden presidency? ♪ irresistibly smooth chocolate. to put the world on pause. lindor. made to melt you. by the lindt master chocolatier. >> jon: a new report showing the impact of online learning a whole lot of fs. the "washington post" reports the survey focuses on one of the nation's largest school district. fairfax county in virginia. the number of middle school and high school students flunking at least two classes doubled from 6 to 11%. failing grades with students with disability increased 111. >> sandra: facebook is now facing new allegations of censorship as "the new york times" reports the social media giant tweaked its news feed to lead users to specific news outlets after election day. we're live with more on that. good morning, lauren. >> great to see you. the times is reporting that right after the election facebook changed and tweaked its algorithm to decrease inaccurate news and highlight authoritative news, but who determines that? facebook. here is senator marsha blackburn. >> the american people want that power themselves. they don't want big tech to filter what they will be able to see or hear or read. and then have big tech pressure on what they think and how they vote. >> big tech critic senator josh hawley tweeting facebook throttling conservative outlets to decrease their leadership. they will soon take over media if we don't stop them. facebook gave this statement. the assertions in this report are based on sources who have no product decision making authority and are advancing their own narrow impression of how our process works. "the new york times" says facebook came up with what they call a news ecosystem quality score to judge the quality of journalism and as such it demoted temporarily partisan pages like breitbart, for instance. and advanced pages like cnn. the problem was that tweak meant people spent less time on its site. less profits for facebook. and that reflects this ongoing and internal battle of what's idealistic in one sense and profitable and popular in another sense. >> sandra: why congress keeps looking for answers. >> jon: while millions of americans are told to stay home. people in the u.k. can celebrate christmas with friends and family. we're live in london and why they've had a change of heart across the pond. ♪ so happy christmas, we hope you have fun ♪ ♪ i felt awful because of my psoriasis. i was covered from head to toe with it. it really hurt. then i started cosentyx. okay, thanks... that was four years ago. how are you? see me. cosentyx works fast to give you clear skin that can last. real people with psoriasis look and feel better with cosentyx. don't use if you're allergic to cosentyx. before starting, get checked for tuberculosis. an increased risk of infections and lowered ability to fight them may occur. tell your doctor about an infection or symptoms, if your inflammatory bowel disease symptoms develop or worsen, or if you've had a vaccine or plan to. serious allergic reactions may occur. i look and feel better. ask your dermatologist if cosentyx could help you move past the pain of psoriasis. six >> sandra: , listen up jon i have some news about that little owl on the rockefeller street. back in home and little else towed away during its journey upstate new york earlier this month. photos of the tiny bird went viral on social media and now a heartwarming end to the story you see in the video there as rockefeller, her name although she likes to be called rocky, we are told back in her natural habitat. it took a couple of tries and she flew up from the caretaker's arm, landed on a tree branch, and off she went. i love that story. >> all right, well, it is beginning to look a lot more like christmas in the u.k. at least. british officials releasing restrictions of family and friends can get together to celebrate. benjamin hall's live in london. how is the prime minister justifying his decision? >> john, a lot of debate over this and boris johnson's advisor said this would be throwing fuel on the fire because of the pandemic but nevertheless boris johnson a head and said people deserve christmas. he will not keep families apart during the festive period. and so sanctions are back and attending social distancing. the lifting of the restrictions means three different households to come together for a five-day exclusive period period over christmas before restrictive snapback. >> we all want some kind of christmas. we need it and we certainly feel like we deserve it. but what we don't want is to throw caution to the winds and allow the virus to flare up again and fall back into a locked down in january. >> other countries are doing the same, people are free to travel mid-december and 9:00 p.m. curfew will be lifted christmas eve and new year's eve. boris johnson lifting restrictions here but nevertheless, still issuing warnings and they say 'tis the season to be jolly, john. >> benjamin hall from london. >> sandra: socially distant santos school, there you go. find a way to make this happen. john, i hope you and your family have a wonderful thanksgiving. >> thank you, we will and same to yours. >> sandra: it will be different this year. we have been through a lot and there's been a lot of sacrifice. we hope everybody can find a way to celebrate. >> we wish the same to you as well. >> thank you for joining us and we will see you next week. "outnumbered" starts right now. >> bye-bye. >> harris: this is a fox news alert, more covert restrictions coming into effect with thanksgiving holiday just several hours away if you can see 42 states in washington, d.c., now has some type of regulation firmly in place. new york city officials announcing travel enforcement lifted ahead of the holiday and the police are setting up checkpoints and also controlling airports and other transit hubs to warn travelers about new foreign time. take a listen. >> there will be vehicle checks at key bridges and crossing throughout new york city. we will constantly be monitoring monitoring people when not quarantined when suppo