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EARLY START

99 Unaccounted for, 1 Dead After Florida Building Crumbles; Biden Announces Bipartisan Agreement on Infrastructure; Biden, Afghan Leaders to Meet at White House Today; Israel Reinstates Indoor Mask Mandate. Aired 5-5:30a ET

Aired June 25, 2021 - 05:00   ET

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


[05:00:24]

CHRISTINE ROMANS, CNN ANCHOR: Welcome to our viewers in the United States and around the world. This is EARLY START. I'm Christine Romans. Laura has the morning off. It is Friday, June 25th.

It is 5:00 a.m. in Surfside, Florida and that is where crews are racing against time to save nearly 100 people still unaccounted for after that catastrophic condo building collapse.

Overnight, President Biden declared a federal emergency giving FEMA and the Department of Homeland Security power to coordinate relief efforts. People who survived and those looking for loved ones still in shock.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BARRY COHEN, RESIDENT OF PARTIALLY COLLAPSED BUILDING: I was in a deep sleep and I heard an incredible bang. And we opened up the door from our apartment and there was a huge pile of rubble, and dust, and just havoc.

AARON MILES, WITNESS: We grabbed the children and we started running out the door and everybody was screaming and panicking.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Everybody was here but the wife and three children, 2, 6 and 9.

REPORTER: Were they here visiting?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Yes, vacation. They had an apartment there. I'm just asking God because they are in the affected area.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ROMAN: Now, there remain many questions about the collapse. Chief among them, what could have caused such catastrophic failure? One expert's opinion, corrosion of steel pillars by salt water.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

KIT MIYAMOTO, STRUCTURAL ENGINEER: This collapse is a real classic failure of a column failure, which means that the building was supported by the series of pillars. So if the pillars fails, everything fails. So that is exactly what it looked like. And I seen the failures like that across many countries, hundreds of them like that.

As you notice, this is right next to the ocean and also that area collapses also a sign (ph). So corrosion of the reinforcement will compromise the capacity of the column. If the column fails, everything fails essentially.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ROMANS: And, of course, the investigation into the cause is something that comes later because right now, it is still a frantic search for survivors.

CNN's Rosa Flores on the ground live for us in Surfside -- Rosa.

ROSA FLORES, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Christine, officials right now are asking for prayers. Just think about it, this collapse happened more than 24 hours ago, and the last person that was pulled out of the rubble that was rescued was yesterday morning. You can see behind me, this is a very active scene. According to officials, 35 people were pulled there the building, two individuals were pulled from the rubble. At last check at Jackson Memorial Hospital, two individuals were being treated.

Now, what's going on behind me is just painstaking work that is dangerous and that these firefighters take very seriously. Officials explained to me this way, some of these firefighters are working in 15 minute shifts because of how dangerous the work that they are doing is. Now, some of the -- in some of the locations, defending on the elements, they're working less than 15 minute shifts.

Here's how they explain it to me. These firefighters are shoring up the building wherever they can working with structural engineers to make it safe for them to crawl into these crevices, these voids that they believe are in between the rubble to try to find life, to listen to life. At some points, officials explain they cease all operations just so they can listen, just so they can hear for signs of life.

But there are a lot of hazards that they are dealing with. Remember, this is a residential building, so the pipes broke, there is a lot of water, there is fuel, there's propane, there are vehicles that were in parking garage. They're dealing with all of these around the clock just to make sure that they can do everything they can to save people's lives.

And when I say that they are listening for signs of life, according to officials, they haven't heard voices but they have heard bangs. Now, that, of course, is hope for the families. Those families of 99 unaccounted for individuals.

Pablo Rodriguez spoke to CNN. He is one of those individuals hoping to learn more about his mother and his grandmother. He said that he spoke to his mother a day before the collapse and his other told him that day before, she was woken up by creaking noises. Take a listen.

[05:05:02]

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

PABLO RODRIGUEZ, HIS MOTHER AND GRANDMOTHER ARE MISSING AFTER SURFSIDE BUILDING COLLAPSE: She just told me that she had woken up around 3:00, 4:00 in the morning and had heard like some creaking noises, some -- you know, just like sort of creaking noises. They were loud enough to wake her up but that was it.

And I just thought that it was, you know, nothing. She just didn't sleep well and that was it. So she didn't really pay any attention to it either. It was just a comment that she made off hand, that that is why she woke up and she wasn't able to go back to sleep afterwards. But now in hindsight, you always wonder.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

FLORES: Now, here is the latest from officials. One individual is dead, 102 people have been accounted for, and Christine, the race against the clock what firefighters are doing behind me is trying to find 99 others -- Christine.

ROMANS: Such dangerous work looking for those voids. And the mayor of that town, Surfside, said that these floors pancaked on top of each other, what used to be 10 feet of space is now 10 inches of space in some cases.

Thank you so much, Rosa. Keep reporting for us and bring us more details if you get them.

All right. Finally in D.C., some bipartisanship.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JOSEPH R. BIDEN, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: To answer your direct question, we have a deal.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ROMANS: President Biden announcing a bipartisan deal on infrastructure. He is making a big bet that Washington still works. The payoff comes if the bill can get through a polarized Congress, of course.

Daniella Diaz is live on Capitol Hill -- Daniella.

DANIELLA DIAZ, CNN CONGRESSIONAL REPORTER: Christine, President Joe Biden is really trusting Republicans that on their word that they will support that bipartisan framework on infrastructure. You know, he is really betting that this will show the country that there can still be consensus and unity in Washington, that that is still possible, you know? But there are still a couple things that Democrats are dealing with on this, for example, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said that she -- the House will not take up bipartisan infrastructure bill until the Senate passes a larger more sweeping infrastructure package through budget reconciliation, and Biden seemed open to that yesterday after she announced that that is what the House will do.

Take a listen to what he had to say.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BIDEN: I expect that in the coming months this summer before the fiscal year is over that we will have voted on this bill, the infrastructure bill, as well as voted on the budget resolution. And that's when -- but if only one comes to me, I'm not signing it. It's in tandem.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

DIAZ: You know, the question now is can Democrats pull off this bipartisan bill and budget resolution through the Senate. The thing is, Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez says that assurances made on passing a reconciliation bill goes a long way and said that this is likely going to help progressives get behind this package. But there's still lot of obstacles ahead.

You know, Republican Senator Lindsey graham said that he will not vote for this bipartisan framework if Democrats hold the vote to try to pass a budget reconciliation. So -- and he is not going to be the only Republican who believes this and will hold his vote on this issue.

But, you know, I would be remiss if I don't mention that there is a lot of bipartisanship happening this week on Capitol Hill. Lawmakers that were negotiating police reform, this week, they actually reached a deal on framework to overhaul the police system in the United States and even though they said that they are planning to continue these discussions on police reform, that seemed to be another sign of bipartisanship on Capitol Hill -- Christine.

ROMANS: All right. Daniella, thank you so much.

You know, Wall Street cheered after President Biden's announcement, the Dow closed up 322 points, S&P 500 and Nasdaq record highs for both. Stocks were already higher before Biden's comments even after weekly jobless claims showed another 411,000 people filed for first time jobless benefits, down a little bit from the previous week's unexpected surge. "Help wanted" signs are popping up across the country as employers struggle to find workers.

President Biden offered businesses a solution.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BIDEN: Pay them more. This is an employee's bargaining chip now. What is happening? They're going to have to compete and start paying hardworking people a decent wage.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ROMANS: Yeah, workers do have the leverage now. More people are quitting than at anytime in the past 20 years. Workers appear confident that they can find new higher paying jobs.

We'll have more or search and rescue efforts in Florida all morning. And also in Afghanistan disintegrating fast as American troops fall out. What to expect when leaders from Afghanistan visit the White House today.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[05:14:08]

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BIDEN: We've already begun the process. Those who helped us are not going to be left behind.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ROMANS: That's President Biden pledging to help thousands Afghan nationals who helped the U.S. during the war and are reportedly being hunted by the Taliban. Senior administration officials say a plan to relocate the Afghans to a third country are still being finalized, and the evacuation process is not imminent. That's raising concern for Afghans' safety as U.S. troops withdraw from the country.

That issue will be top of mind when leaders from Afghanistan meet with President Biden at the White House today.

CNN's Nic Robertson joins us live.

You know, Nic, you report that Afghanistan is disintegrating and fast. What do Afghan leaders want from the Biden administration today?

NIC ROBERTSON, CNN INTERNATIONAL DIPLOMATIC EDITOR: Yeah, I think they're going to want to see those guarantees met that President Biden is talking about of all Afghans that have helped U.S. forces and that could be 70,000 to 80,000 people if you include their families get this promise that they will be relocated, that there is a third country for them to go to.

[05:15:08]

There is less than 80 days now for this whole huge number of visas to be processed. And I think that the other thing that they will be looking to President Biden for is an ongoing commitment, financial commitment to the country. What he's going to look to them as Ashraf Ghani and Dr. Abdullah Abdullah, the sort of the other big leaders in the country, the former chief executive, whom we often think about NATO and U.S. forces as being the glue, the military glue that's held Afghanistan together, and it is.

But there's been a political that's been glue holding the disparate political elements together in the country and the president -- and the Afghan president and former chief executive officer of the country kind of exemplified that, they have been at loggerheads politically, and it took the United States to get them to agree to share power. So I think we're going to hear Biden talk to them about unity and, of course, this is what the Taliban is trying to undermine as it tries to take different areas in the country where it is succeeding in some places, that undermines confidence in the central government, weaken the resolve to be unified.

And with the United States and others not being that diplomatic political glue, that's going to be hard. But I think the president will say is I'm not changing the drawdown date. That's set. It's happening. You need to negotiate with the Taliban.

He's going to hear back from them, the Taliban are not doing it in good faith. I don't think that it is a win/win situation for any of these leaders in the White House today.

ROMANS: And in the meantime, we've heard from so many American veterans who are terrified about their former colleagues, what's going to happen to them and their families, this third country possibility.

Why not just approve visas for these people to come to the United States?

ROBINSON: You know, obviously, there is real issues in the embassy in Kabul at the moment. There is a big COVID outbreak in the country, and it is difficult to process that many people. They live in scattered area across that travel is not easy, the logistics are just there in place.

But it's a very valid question. If you're going to get them out, get them out thousand now be noose draws in around them. A former CNN, a former personnel, Afghan who worked for CNN was in touch with me just yesterday, he wants to get out of the country as well.

You know, there are a lot of people and they really, really genuinely fear the Taliban because of their association with either U.S. government or Western organizations.

ROMANS: All right. Thanks so much for that, Nic Robertson. Nice to see you this morning.

All right. Even after a successful vaccination campaign, masks are making an unwelcome return in Israel, thanks to the Delta COVID variant.

And the latest from Florida where families are waiting for word about their loved ones, 99 people still missing after that condo collapse.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[05:22:12]

ROMANS: Welcome back.

From free Panera bagels to Chipotle burritos, the White House rolling out new incentives for young people to vaccinate. Teens and twenty- somethings have especially low COVID vaccination rates, so the administration is targeting them as the top priority demographic. The White House has acknowledged that the U.S. will fall short of President Biden's goal to give 70 percent of Americans at least one dose by the Fourth of July.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BIDEN: It is more easily transmittable, this delta variant, potentially deadlier and especially dangerous for young people, for young people. He says the greatest threat to our fight to beat COVID- 19.

But the good news is that we have a solution. Science is clear. The best way to protect yourself against the virus and its variants is to be actually vaccinated. It works.

It's free. It's safe. It's easy. It is convenient.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ROMANS: Four hundred thirty-seven COVID cases in Los Angeles since December. Health officials say more than 99.5 of those people were unvaccinated. Folks from here on out virtually every COVID death can be considered preventable because these vaccines work.

A CDC advisory panel wants more research on whether COVID and flu vaccines can be administered together especially to adolescents. This year's flu season maybe the first time children have a chance to receive COVID vaccine while adolescents and adults may also need a COVID booster shot.

An ominous development in Israel with that Delta variant. Even though vaccines are working, cases are growing again and moments ago, the indoor mask mandate returned.

Elliott Gotkine is live for us this morning in Tel Aviv.

And, you know, Israel was sort of a model early on a success story for vaccination. What is happening here?

ELLIOTT GOTKINE, JOURNALIST: Christine, I think that it is still a model in terms of its vaccination campaign. What's happened is that there have been a number of outbreaks of the delta variant in cities such as Binyamina in the north, in the Modiin in the center of Israel, east of Tel Aviv.

And what they're doing now, they have seen over the last four days, there have been more than 100 cases each day, there were 227 cases on Thursday.

Now, in context of the figures you were giving in the parts of the United States, these are obviously still very small, but what the government wants to do in the words of Naftali Bennett is throw a bucket of water over these fires to put them out before they turn into something much bigger.

So as you say, as of 20 minutes ago, Israelis who had been allowed to stop wearing masks at indoor venues and on public transportation are now back to having to wear masks at indoor venues and on public transportation as well and at the Ben-Gurion International Airport. They are expanding testing capacity at the airport.

Everyone entering the country is going to have to have a PCR test and they are delaying the opening to tourists from July 1st, vaccinated tourists I should say, from July 1st to August, at the earliest.

[05:25:04]

And at the same time, what they are trying to do is to encourage young people, children from age 12 and up to get vaccinated because they effectively are the weakest link in a country where most adults have already been vaccinated and also because the vaccines Israel has are due to expire next month -- Christine.

ROMANS: All right. Elliott, thank you so much for that.

Twenty-five minutes past the hour.

That community in Surfside is trying to remain hopeful as this painstaking search continues for 99 people missing in that building collapse. CNN live at the scene, next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

ROMANS: Good Friday morning. This is EARLY START. I'm Christine Romans. It's just about 30 minutes past the hour.

And the sun is rising now on a dark day in south Florida.