hello, and welcome to our viewers joining us here in the united states and all around the world. you are watching "cnn newsroom," and i'm rosemary church. just ahead, two leaders, two entirely different messages. u.s. president-elect joe biden calls for unity as donald trump keeps insisting the election was rigged. also this morning. we have to understand we're in a very dangerous place. people have to stop swapping air. it's just that simple. >> a new covid warning, the thanksgiving surge could lead to

an even deadlier christmas surge. the soccer world says good-bye to one of its greatest players ever, diego maradona. good to have you with us. it is of course thanksgiving day in the united states, and the messages from president-elect joe biden and president donald trump could not be more different. in a thanksgiving address on wednesday, biden said americans can still be thankful despite the sacrifices brought on by the pandemic. biden is staying home this holiday with his wife, daughter and son-in-law. by contrast, president trump's message encouraged americans to gather together as they normally would. a front line medical worker called that message an abject failure of leadership. wile the pandemic rages, mr. trump remains fixated on his

election loss to biden, again, falsely claiming he won by a lot, his words. he's using the final days of his presidency to absolve loyalists of wrong doing. on wednesday, he pardoned michael flynn, his former national security adviser who lied to the fbi about his contacts with russian officials. well, the president has been silent on the pandemic, even as american hospitals treat more covid patients than ever before. deaths have soared past 2,000 people for a second straight day. one medical expert warns that figure will likely double to 4,000 in the next ten days. we get more on the president-elect's message from cnn's mj lee. >> life is going to return to normal, i promise you. this will happen. this will not last forever. >> president-elect joe biden sharing a thanksgiving message

with the nation on wednesday. >> i know that this time of year can be especially difficult. believe me. i know. i remember that first thanksgiving, the empty chair, the silence. takes your breath away. it's really hard to care. it's hard to give thanks. it's hard to even think of looking forward. it's so hard to hope. i understand. >> speaking from wilmington, delaware, biden discussing the sacrifices americans are making as coronavirus cases surge across the country. >> we fought nearly a yearlong battle with a virus that has devastated this nation. it's brought us pain and loss and frustration. and has cost so many lives. we need to remember we're at war with the virus, not with one another. >> after weeks of delay, the biden transition team now

receiving access to classified information. >> we believe that we have been getting the information that our teams need. >> reporter: and announcing biden will receive his first presidential daily briefing since becoming president-elect on monday. the former vice president also preparing to announce some members of his economic team next week. biden expected to nominate former federal chairwoman janet yellen as his treasure secretary. entirely unique from those he faced as barack obama's vice president. >> this is not a third obama term because we face a totally different world than we faced in the obama/biden administration. this president trump has changed the landscape. >> reporter: biden also insisting that as he builds out his administration, a major focus will be bridging political divides across the country, and

adding republicans to his team. >> the purpose of our administration is to unite. we can't keep this political dialogue going. >> reporter: drawing a stark contrast to president trump. no single national issue more top of mind than the covid-19 crisis. the biden transition team receiving briefings on testing and ppe supply chains. dr. anthony fauci said he has been in touch with biden's top aides including his incoming chief of staff. >> i have been in contact with ron klain telling me that we're going to be talking about this very soon now that the transition is in process. >> reporter: as we head into an unusual and tough holiday season for so many americans, joe biden saying that his family is no exception. he said for many years his family has had the tradition of traveling out of state so they can have a big family gathering for thanksgiving, but not this year. he is staying put with his wife here in delaware, and they are

only going to be doing a very small family gathering. mj lee, cnn, delaware. we want to take a look at president trump's pardon of his one time national security adviser michael flynn, it's widely expected to be just the first of numerous pardons of trump loyalists in the waning days of his presidency. cnn's jessica schneider has our report. >> reporter: this presidential pardon for michael flynn abruptly ends what has been a three-year legal saga. until wednesday afternoon, a federal judge in washington was still deciding whether to drop the case as the doj had asked or to sentence flynn, and that's because back in the spring, the justice department suddenly changed course saying that they were dropping flynn's charges, even though he had twice admitted to lying. it was judge emmett sullivan to second guess whether doj could do that, since flynn had

previously pled guilty. the doj was not consulted about trump's plan for a pardon but they were given a heads up. saying it this way, they would have preferred the matter to settle in court. ultimately, they say, this outcome for michael flynn was an appropriate use of the president's pardon power. two hours before flynn was pardoned, he tweeted a reference to the bible passage jeremiah 1:19, they would flight against you. and a family statement thanking the president. michael flynn feeling completely vindicated now that he has been sheltered from a further legal fight or prison time from the president. there are questions whether michael flynn could face additional charges under the joe biden administration since we know that michael flynn also admitted to lying about his

lobbying work for turkey, but wasn't charged with the crime, related to what could be a violation of filing requirements as a foreign agent. jessica schneider, cnn, washington. president trump had planned to travel to pennsylvania on wednesday with his attorney rudy giuliani. the purpose was to meet with republican state lawmakers for a so-called hearing on the election. but the president cancelled his trip, and instead phoned into the event where he, again, falsely claimed he won the election. >> this was an election that we won easily. we won it by a lot. this election was rigged and we can't let that happen. we can't let it happen for our country, and this election has to be turned around because we won pennsylvania by a lot, we won all of these swing states by a lot. >> and it should be emphasized that pennsylvania has already

certified that joe biden won the election. thomas gift is the director of the center on u.s. politics at university college london. he joins me now from oxford, england, good to have you with us. >> good morning, happy thanksgiving. >> and to you as well. we'll get to the presidential pardon in just a moment. i want to start with the president-elect's compassionate thanksgiving address to the nation where joe biden called on americans to unite and recommit to fighting the pandemic saying we're at war with the virus, not with one another. it offered a stark contrast to what we have seen and heard from outgoing president trump. how significant was biden's speech at this critical moment in the united states history. >> well, it's such a stark contrast, rosemary, as you know. presidents have the bully pulpit. they persuade, communicate, and biden is calling for sacrifice

and a at the same time, it is worth noting the contrast where trump is calling for americans to gather. it doesn't get more conflicting than that. clearly it's a difficult time for many in the u.s. as we head into the holidays against the backdrop of the pandemic. critics will say it's hard to fathom how the white house could in good conscience explicitly endorse contravening public health impguidelines. it's an important harbinger of what we can expect going forward in his administration. >> in the meantime, president trump granted a full pardon to his first and former national security adviser michael flynn who pled guilty to lying to the fbi. what other pardons are likely, and do you expect trump to preemptively pardon himself. it is possible, and perhaps his

family. >> it is possible. at this point, it's really difficult to know what trump may do or may not do but with this president, certainly wouldn't rule anything out. this isn't the first time with micha michael flynn that we have seen the president pardon a long time associate or colleague. we saw that with michael stone, and i think you're absolutely right that this is probably just the start and by all accounts we should be bracing for more pardons between now and january, friends, allies, anyone kwhwho been implicated in wrong doing in order to protect the president. >> does this pardon indicate that president trump realizes the jig is up, and he's leaving office in january without him actually having to say it out loud, to concede? >> i think you're absolutely right, rosemary. it does give some indication that he's expecting to leave on january 20th, and as a result, he's basically taking this approach at the moment. i think it is entirely possible

that trump won't explicitly concede, he'll just continue to rail against irregularities, despite a lack of corroborating evidence with the gsa and the administration engaged in the transition process. the fact that trump hasn't acknowledged that he lost remains problematic. the fact that he's doing it implicitly through pardons and other things may be a hopeful sign that at least he recognizes that his administration is going to come to an end. the way he's doing it presents severe problems for the u.s. >> do you think democracy survived the stress test despite the baseless accusations assert the by the president. >> the democratic institutions have been tested, that they didn't break is a testament to the endurance of the u.s. political system. however, you think it's also true that much of what ails american politics right now and

contributes to low prestige of government isn't just trump. trump is both a cause as well as a symptom. some of these challenges run much deeper. deep cultural cleavages between red and blue america. biden is promising to heal the country. the divides are significant, and they don't go away simply because we have a new president entering office. it's an up hill battle for sure. >> thomas gift. thank you very much for your thal analysis. appreciate it. >> thank you, rosemary. we are getting a glimpse of how a strong conservative majority on the u.s. supreme court is likely to resolve on religious issues. the high court ruled 5-4 that new york's governor could not restrict the size of religious gatherings in his effort to curb the coronavirus. it was the first time that newly installed justice amy coney barrett had a decisive role. similar cases had been brought earlier this year in california

and nevada, but the court sided with the governors in those cases also by 5-4. this case centered on new york governor andrew cuomo's strict limits on attendance at religious services in communities where the risk of covid infection was high. just ahead here on cnn, the u.s. has set another record for covid-19 hospitalizations, and experts warn it could get even worse as we enter the holiday season. back in just a moment. want to brain better? unlike ordinary memory supplements- 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. 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. call coventry direct to learn more. we thought we had planned carefully for our retirement. but we quickly realized that we needed a way to

supplement our income. our friends sold their policy to help pay for their medical bills and that got me thinking. maybe selling our policy could help with our retirement. i'm skeptical, so i did some research and called coventry direct. they explained life insurance is a valuable asset that can be sold. we learned that we can sell all of our policy or keep part of it with no future payments, who knew? we sold our policy. now we can relax and enjoy our retirement as we had planned. 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. robinhood believes now is the time to do money.

without the commission fees. so, you can start investing today wherever you are - even hanging with your dog. so, what are you waiting for? download now and get your first stock on us. robinhood. here in the united states, a disturbing new projection about the coronavirus as we mark the thanksgiving holiday. a report from the u.s. centers for disease control and prevention suggest america's death toll from covid-19 could reach as many as 321,000 by december 19th. horrifying number. right now, johns hopkins university reports more than 262,000 coronavirus related deaths and almost 13 million confirmed cases since the pandemic began.

the u.s. is also setting a new record for covid related hospitalizations. almost 90,000 people are now being treated for the virus, that's almost 2,000 more than the day before. and with millions of americans traveling for the thanksgiving holiday, health experts say the surging number of covid cases is likely to continue for weeks to come. >> we have to understand we're in a very dangerous place. people have to stop swapping air. it's just that simple, and if we don't, we're going to see many many of our friends, colleagues, and loved ones ending up in a hospital, and unfortunately some of them not making it. >> cnn medical analyst, dr. john reiner joins me now. thank you, doctor, for being with us and for all that you do at these difficult times. >> thank you so much. >> u.s. covid cases are averaging 174,000 a day, amid record hospitalizations, 88,000

reported tuesday, and the daily death toll passed 2,000 for a second day. the numbers are horrifying, yet so many americans are ignoring cdc recommendations not to travel during this thanksgiving holiday. you called this potentially the mother of all super spreader events. what could this mean in terms of lost lives, and then of course there's christmas still to come. >> right. if we think we're in the third peak in the united states right now, so the first peak was end of april, beginning of may, second peak was during the summer, this is certainly now rising towards the third peak. we might start to drop soon. we would have started to drop soon if not for what is about to happen. if you think about the sturgis motor cycle event in south

dakota this summer, we think that that played a significant role in seeding parts of the midwest with the virus. now magnify that many times, also record numbers of airplanes in the air, certainly as many planes as we have seen flying in many months, people going from city to city, there's virus all over the united states, and we will see another peak as a result of this. so this is going to lengthen the pandemic in the united states. what needed to happen was essentially a shelter in place, and that sentiment really needed to come from the white house. instead, the cdc didn't recommend not traveling until just a few days before thanksgiving. that should have come a month before thanksgiving, before people made plans. but remember, that was during the presidential election. and there was a conflict of

interest that the cdc faced at that time. but after the election, the cdc finally recommended no travel on thanksgiving, but by then it was too late. >> it's a tragedy, really, and doctor, i have to say, i come from a nation where we respect and follow public health advice, knowing it's going to save lives. why do americans distrust health recommendations and what might that attitude mean when it comes to taking the covid vaccine once it's approved and available? >> well, i think the american public was really badly served by our leadership this year. elements of public health were politicized shamelessly politicized, something as simple as wearing a mask was politicized. you know, what this country needed was a consistent message for people on how to keep themselves safe. and americans by and large are

rule followers. there is a libertarian streak that runs through the united states, and there is sometimes a thin line that separates selfishness from libertarianism, but overall, i think americans would heed a consistent message, but day never got it. >> as we await approval for the pfizer vaccine and ultimately the moderna and astrazeneca options and others as they come up through the pipeline, what's a realistic time line for front line health workers getting vaccinated and the elderly, and ultimately the rest of the population. >> we will be vaccinating health care workers before christmas, and it's going to come, you know, not a second too soon because by then, our hospitals are going to be crushed with covid patients. today we had 90,000 americans in the hospital with covid, and that's going to continue to rise dramatically over the next few weeks. >> dr. jonathan reiner, we

appreciate you, and we wish you a very happy thanksgiving. do take care. >> same to you, rosemary. well, the number of new coronavirus cases in europe is dropping, but europe remains the largest global contributor to new covid-19 deaths and cases in the past week. that's according to the world health organization. in germany, chancellor angela merkel is extending a partial lock down until january 20th to curb the virus spread. that means restaurants and bars will stay closed. mask requirements will be broadened and the number of people allowed to get together will be limited. in england a month long partial lock down ends on december 2nd and will be replaced by three-tiered restrictions based on local infection rates, and in asia, japan's government might declare a state of emergency soon if the number of new coronavirus cases keeps going up.

health officials say the medical system in tokyo and other high inf infection areas is strained. to south korea, where health officials are reporting their highest number of new covid-19 cases in eight months. south korea had 583 new cases on wednesday. the last time it reported more than that was on march 1st. cnn's paula hancocks is in seoul, she joins us live with the latest. what's behind this increase in cases and how is the south korean government going to react and respond to this? >> obviously health officials are very concerned with this rise. they had predicted that we could get close to 600 cases a day by early december. clearly this has come a week earlier than that. officials have said we're in the third wave here in south korea. the majority of the new cases are within the capital seoul as well. and they are concerned that this particular wave could

potentially be worse than the first two waves, and the reason for that, they say, is because there are numerous smaller outbreaks across the capital this time around. in the first and second waves, you had just a few large epicenters, which were far easier to contain and do contact tracing. there was a lot of community transition at this point. now, officials have put extra restrictions in place. we've moved up to level 2 social distancing meaning that clubs and bars are closed, that you have to wear a mask indoors. if you don't, you will be fined around $90. things like restaurants only can do take out after 9:00 p.m. they're trying to restrict social distancing somewhat. but they do warn that numbers will continue to rise in the coming days. they're hoping by early next week we could be able to see the impact of the increased restrictions playing some part. but certainly there are a lot of concerns. we have heard from the south korean president, moon jae-in

who said the public cooperation is desperately needed to try and keep this under control this time around saying it's a precarious and worrying situation. rosemary? >> indeed it is. paula hancocks, joining us live from seoul, many thanks. and still to come, diego maradona's passing has shattered fans around the world. how fans are mourning the greatest soccer player of all time. that's negs. next. but now there's gillette skinguard. next. next.

we're helping change the future of heart failure. understanding how to talk to your doctor about treatment options is key. today, we are redefining how we do things. we find new ways of speaking, so you're never out of touch. it's seeing someone's face that comforts us, no matter where. when those around us know us, they can show us just how much they care. the first steps of checking in, the smallest moments can end up being everything.

there's resources that can inform us, and that spark can make a difference. when we use it to improve things, then that change can last within us. when we understand what's possible, we won't settle for less. the best thing we can be is striving to be at our best. managing heart failure starts now with understanding. call today or go online to understandhf.com for a free hf handbook. call today or go online to understandhf.com but you can work out anything wowith comcast business.w. get fast, reliable, and secure internet on the nation's largest gig speed network. flexible tools - like wi-fi you control. voice solutions that connect you from anywhere. and expert advice here, here, or even here. be fast. be flexible. bounce forward with comcast business. get started with a powerful internet and voice solution

for just $64.90 a month. plus, for a limited time, ask how to get a $500 prepaid card when you upgrade. switch today.

tributes and tears are flowing all across the world for soccer superstar diego parmarad. the legend died of heart failure wednesday a month after turning 60 years old. a genius on the soccer field,

mar don in naples italy he helped lead his club to two national titles. maradona also was well known for his wild behavior, substance abuse, and subsequent health problems. in the coming hours, throngs of fans are expected to bid him farewell as he lies in state at argentina's presidential palace lit up in the national colors at this hour with a black ribbon above the entrance. joining me now is john smith, who was diego maradona's agent from 1987 to 1990. he's also the coauthor of the book "the deal inside the world of a super agent," john smith, my deepest condole

♪ ♪ ocean spray works with nature every day to keep you healthy

cases going up, hospitalizations and deaths. just incredible.

john defterios, happy thanksgiving to you. enjoy and stay safe. >> take care. >> thank you. as pandemic worsens in the united states, it's compounding another crisis, food insecurity. millions of americans will go hungry this year, and the struggle is being felt now more than ever as families nationwide are getting ready to celebrate thanksgiving. cnn's vanessa reports. >> reporter: the journey to get food where the cold and covid-19 has been long and hard for regina. >> take one day at a time, and as long as you have for today, you safe for tomorrow, and when tomorrow get here, something is going to happen. >> reporter: and it did. just in time. >> thank you. >> no problem. >> reporter: days before thanksgiving, agatha house foundation, a local food pantry made a special thanksgiving delivery, filled with everything she needs for her and her two

teenage daughters. >> it's just a relief that i don't have to purchase all of that. >> reporter: over 50 million americans like regina won't have enough to eat in 2020, in part because of the pandemic. feeding america, the largest hunger relief group in the u.s. projects that 8 billion meals will be needed in the next year to feed food insecure americans. about 40% of the people who are turning to food banks around the wrn country are people who never before relied on the charitable food system. >> reporter: regina is out of a car. her car was unemployment. >> congressional district in the

bronx has the highest food insecurity rate in the country. >> we have to look and try to imagine ourselves in the position that we would want for ourselves, not just to give them a card board box but to make them feel loved, special. >> this small operation says it's seen a 100% increase in need. >> even with the little they get, hopefully they're building or one of their neighbors that they can invite for a plate of food. >> despite her struggles to put food on the table, regina is sharing what she has with her neighbor and remains grateful for this thanksgiving. >> even if we didn't get the agatha house or we was just having regular chicken every day, just to say that you was alive to eat it, that's a blessing in itself.

>> reporter: vanessa yurkevich, cnn, bronx, new york. and with so many people struggling to put food on the table, the price of groceries can add up quickly around the holidays. so it was the ultimate thanksgiving surprise when some entrepreneurs took over the registers at a grocery store here in georgia. for two hours they paid for every unsuspecting customer's purchase at the checkout. >> i'm still floating on cloud nine after seeing those faces and getting all those hugs. it was a good feeling. >> i'm sure it was and just look at that cash register tape. the final total, more than $40,000 in groceries. the group says they're happy to give back to the community. and another inspiring story because we can't get enough of them right now, would you drive more than a thousand miles for a total stranger?

and you would be driving in the snow as well. that is exactly what one canadian man did to help out a woman and they are kids who got stranded in british columbia. the family from georgia was trying to get to alaska to meet up with dad who's in the u.s. military but when the drive got treacherous in canada's wintry weather, the woman went online to ask for help and that's when gary saved the day, he drove the rest of the way to alaska with a trailer in tow, and that's not the only act of kindness here. cbs news reports bob got donations from the public for the flight back. that's how we want to finish this hour on this thanksgiving. i want to thank you for your company and wish you a very safe, safe thanksgiving. keep that mask on. "early start" is next. you're watching cnn. heart failure causes nearly two hospitalizations every minute. understanding how to talk to your doctor

about treatment options is key. today, we are redefining how we do things. we find new ways of speaking, so you're never out of touch. it's seeing someone's face that comforts us, no matter where. when those around us know us, they can show us just how much they care. the first steps of checking in, the smallest moments can end up being everything. there's resources that can inform us, and that spark can make a difference. when we use it to improve things, then that change can last within us. when we understand what's possible, we won't settle for less. the best thing we can be is striving to be at our best. managing heart failure starts now with understanding. call today or go online to understandheartfailure.com for a free heart failure handbook.

call today or go online to understandheartfailure.com it's moving day. and 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.

welcome to our viewers until the united states and around the world. this is a special thanksgiving edition of "early start." i'm laura jarrett. >> and i'm boris sanchez in for christine romans. it's thursday, november 26th, 5:00 a.m. in new york. happy thanksgiving, laura, i'm glad i get to spend part of it with you. >> thanks for being here. the pandemic does not take a holiday, and the supreme court may have laid the ground work to make it much worse. more than 2,000 lives lost in the u.s. for the second straight day. it's the first time that has happened since april, and the