♪ hello and welcome. i'm paula newton live from cnn's world headquarters in atlanta. ahead this hour, nothing short of a public health failure. the u.s. may soon run out of hospital beds as coronavirus cases set new records. and health care workers say they are now pushed way beyond their limits. also -- >> it's going to be a very hard thing to concede. >> donald trump takes questions from reporters for the first time in three weeks. we'll take a look at the baseless claims he makes. and europe scrambles to try and control the pandemic, hoping to avoid stringent lockdowns

during christmas. ♪ >> so thursday's thanksgiving celebrations in the united states were perhaps the most difficult many americans have experienced in their lifetimes. the families of well over a quarter million people in the united states who have died of covid-19 had to mark the holiday of course without their loved ones. more than 90,000 americans could not be with their families because they were fighting for their lives in hospital. that's the highest numbers since the pandemic began, and the 17th straight day of record hospitalizations. and the countless medical staff who care for them also had to sacrifice being at home. current trends point to even more suffering as the nation and the world look ahead to a much

different christmas and hanukkah season. u.s. president-elect joe biden and his wife spent part of the day making those holiday video calls with frontline medical and emergency workers. on thursday, they posted this message to let americans know they are not struggling alone. >> i know this isn't the way many of us hoped we'd spend our holiday. we know that a small act of staying home is a gift to our fellow americans. yes, it's a personal sacrifice that each of our families can make and should make to save somebody else's life. >> the bidens were among the american families who chose to stay home this holiday weekend. we get more from mj lee in delaware. >> reporter: this thanksgiving was a challenging one for so many american families across the country who couldn't travel, who couldn't get together with their relatives and family members and do sort of their

usual traditions that they would typically be doing. and the same was the case for the president-elect and his family. joe biden has said that in past years, his family has traveled out of state so that they can have a big extended family gathering around this holiday, but instead, this week they opted to stay back behind here in delaware and only get together with a couple of members of their family. and we heard biden talk earlier this week in this national address that he understands the sacrifices that a lot of people are making across the country, and he also wrote an op-ed for cnn.com just a little part of which i want to read. he wrote like millions of americans, we are temporarily letting go of the traditions we can't do safely. it is not a small sacrifice. these moments with our loved ones, time that's lost can't be returned, yet we know it's the price of protecting each other and one we don't pay alone. isolated in our own dining rooms and kitchens, scattered from

coast-to-coast, we are healing together. we've heard a pretty empathetic message coming from the president-elect saying that he really understands the experience of looking around the dinner table and seeing that there is an empty chair. obviously a reference to how so many families across america have lost loved ones because of this pandemic. and then just a very urgent message from the president-elect as well, urging everybody to please act responsibly around the holiday season, because he knows that we can get back to normal soon, particularly with vaccine distribution potentially being around the corner. so this has been a pretty consistent message that we have heard from joe biden over the last couple of months. mj lee, cnn, rehoboth beach, delaware. president trump meantime observed a thanksgiving tradition by calling u.s. troops deployed overseas. but in a news conference with reporters, he remained

preoccupied with a fictional view that he won the u.s. election, and can't yet accept, will not accept the will of leaving for a second term. cnn's kaitlan collins explains. >> reporter: the president has not taken a question in over three weeks, since the day of the election. and he broke that streak on thanksgiving, finally taking questions from reporters after he held a call with members of the military. and as he spoke to us, he repeated hi accusations of widespread fraud in the election, something his attorneys have been saying without evidence for weeks now. and the president really hammered it home, repeating it, talking about the secretaries of state in georgia, criticizing those officials there, and in other states. and also saying that if the electoral college certifies joe biden's win in a matter of weeks as they are scheduled to do, he says that would be making a mistake. he also criticized that biden is moving ahead with transition to the presidency by picking people who are going to be in his cabinet, and he wouldn't say

whether or not he is going to attend biden's inauguration, as is the precedent for past presidents in january. he talked about whether or not he would concede once his win is certified. he would not say, that despite being asked multiple times, would he conceive once the win has been certified. the president would not say yes, he would. >> it's going to be a very hard thing to concede, because we know there was massive fraud. so as to whether or not i can get this apparatus moving this quickly, because time isn't on our side. everything else is on our side. facts are on our side. this was a massive fraud. this should never take place in this country. we're like a third world country. >> one thing he did say is he would leave the white house. he said "of course i would." of course, should january come and push come to shove, there have been these theories about whether or not he'd actually leave the white house. one thing he did say, he is leaving the house on saturday to campaign in georgia ahead of that runoff that is going to determine which party controls the senate.

and it's just really notable. i can't stress enough. the president has had such a quiet period in his presidency where he has not taken questions. and of course now after three weeks, he broke that streak, and we'll see if that continues with these baseless allegations about fraud. kaitlan collins, anyone, the kaitlan collins, cnn, the white house. >> with us now is julie norman. she lectures on politics at university college, london. good to see you, especially trying to distill what the president said a few hours ago. there is not one shred of truth in what the president said, and that's not because his opponents, the democrats are saying that. it's because republicans are saying it as well. what's at issue here? and perhaps more important is the vast majority of those who voted for donald trump believe him. how dangerous is that? >> well, paula, i think that is the issue right now. and it was really encapsulated in what we heard yesterday from the president. so far his refusal to concede has had two elements really, a

procedural in terms of actually trying to overturn election results through recounts or through lawsuits, and the more political, which is just continuing to state that there was widespread voter fraud, and really keep sending that message to his supporters and to his base. i think it's clear now that the procedural route has pretty much failed. all the lawsuits not gone forward. there hasn't been any indication anything would or would have changed. but the political has still maintained a lot of momentum. we know that the majority of trump supporters still very much do believe that there was voter fraud, and many believe that president trump is in fact the president-elect. so that more political side is something that is working well for trump. it's helping to cast doubt on a legitimacy of the biden transition and administration and also giving trump further momentum going forward for his political trajectory. >> even though it's not fact, there is no question he has cede

seeded that doubt. he is coming to this state where i am to back the two republican candidates in the all important senate runoff here. it will really decide the future of the senate for the next couple of years. but he's also calling the secretary of state there, a republican i might add, an enemy of the state. and he says he claims to say i don't know who this guy is. but let's look at what he tweeted just two years ago. he basically tweeted he would make a fantastic secretary of state for georgia, and in fact that he would make a good accompaniment to the republican governor there, brian kemp. but at this point in time, what has happened here in georgia is that you have that same secretary of state in georgia writing an editorial two days ago just saying look, donald trump threw me under the bus. he claims that the georgia elections -- remember, this is a republican secretary of state, saying that the republican election here was wildly

successful and smooth. in terms of what is going on here, the fact that he is actually taking on his own party, but more than that, questioning the legitimacy of the republicans that were elected around the country to what end? what do you think is his method there? >> well, paula, i think we've seen in the past with trump that he won't hesitate to go after even members of his own party if he perceives that there is a gap in loyalty there. and i think that's what we're seeing in terms of that personal attack. but you're right in that the larger issue is casting doubt on legitimacy of the election process in the state of georgia moving forward to this very crucial raufn that's important for both parties. some republicans, even some of trump's aides have indicated there might be some backfire to this messaging if voters, especially those who would be -- those to vote for republican candidates are left to worry

about legitimacy of the georgia voting process. so i think there is kind of a ambulance there that even the president might be toeing the line a little bit. but for trump right now, a lot of this is just the sense of delaying legitimacy of the election and really just trying to build up support, build up momentum. and it is seeming to work. he is still getting a lot of buy-in to this message. and that's something that both republicans and democrats are going to have to grapple with. >> yeah, that's such a god point. this will affect both parties in the next weeks and months to go. julie norman from university college london, appreciate it. >> thank you, paula. now there is much more ahead here on cnn, including a look at unprecedented levels of covid hospital dagss in the united states. we'll discuss that. plus, despite restrictions, germany is still struggling to turn the tide on the coronavirus. the latest from europe, coming up.

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record for the 17th consecutive day. and it's a sobering data point. an all-time high number of hospitalized covid patients vividly illustrating the massive extent of the surge. now that number as of thursday was well over 90,000 people and counting at this very hour. that is according to the covid tracking project. now hospitals warn they're running out of beds as cases surge to unprecedented levels. an up infectcious disease and global health expert at the university of oxford joins us now from oxford, england. before we move on to what this virus is doing right now in both north america and europe, i do want to deal with that sliver of hope that we have about the vaccine. unfortunately, there has been a lot of confusion around the dosing and data related to oxford university and astrazeneca's vaccine. is there reason to be concerned here? it was announced also in the

last few hours that astrazeneca will be doing a full third phase trial on the vaccine as well. >> yeah, it's been a confusing week, with regard to that news. and that's some of the perils of scientific communication by press release. a lot of questions have come out over the past few days about some aspects of the way the trial was conducted. the best results we saw was in the small subgroup which received a small lower dose which started by accident and they kind of baked into it the trial that was a relatively small group. it didn't have a lot of elderly patients. so a lot of these questions are really making us wonder about those top line headlines that we saw. the good news is that i'm hearing some reports that they do plan to publish the full results in the atlantic medical journal perhaps as early as this weekend. so we can really get a greater look at the data, have a greater understanding of things. i think it's a good measure to do another phase 3 trial using this newer lower dogs regimen that appeared to have a larger

effect. it does mean that it will take longer, but it will give us real confidence that is a result we can believe in. >> when you make that point, confidence, do you worry that it will dent people's confidence in order to actually take the vaccine? >> well, we are going to have to overcome i think suspicion and fear and lack of trust in a lot of communities in helping to persuade people to take the vaccine. that's why the rigor and transparency with all of the trials in the process is so important. so yes, these questions are coming out. they're coming out because we have a good trial infrastructure in place. we know that none of these vaccines are going to pass through and get approval without independent regulators really scrutinizing these things, and making those decisions based on the science and not the politics. so yes, we can continue to expect to see some road bumps along the way. but i would say those are signs that the system is working, and hopefully increase our confidence. >> all right. we'll have to leave it there.

dr. peter drobak of the university of oxford, i want to thank you for taking us through that step by step. i think it cleared up a lot of issues. >> thank you. europe's most populous country struggling to turn back the tied of coronavirus. germany has topped one million cases of covid-19. it also reported its largest single death toll ever on thursday. meantime, a new report from a u.n. agency says the pandemic has set back the cause of gender equality by years. it says women are disproportionately bearing the brunt of extra work at home. okay. there is a glimmer of hope here in france. the health ministry says a national target of just 5,000 new cases per day could now be reached by mid-december. the nation reported nor than 16,000 new cases on wednesday. with us now is melissa bell. she is life in paris and salma abdelaziz is in london. salma, we will start with you.

it will now be avoiding the worst of the lockdown. given everything the uk has gone through, is this really to spare the economy, or does it follow the science? >> well, paula, it sort of depends on what scientists you ask. if you ask the medical community, scientific advisers, the british medical association said it is full of risks and threatens to reverse the gains of the month-lock lockdown. here is the government's argument. it's about behavior psychology. there is this idea that the government needs public trust and confidence to get through the next months. so they need to find compromises, to find rules that people can and will follow rather than rules that are too strict and broken. the prime minister's biggest challenge comes from his own party. conservative mps are already rebelling against this three-tier strategy. it's extremely confrontational. others failing to see a cost

benefit analysis. they're supposed to be in parliament next week. the prime minister is going have to explain, it science? is it economy? what is the reasoning behind this for him to go forward, paula. >> i want to point out the citizens of the uk are kind of stuck in the middle here, wondering who to believe and what is right. melissa bell to you in paris. a bit on the of a similar situation. the news has been good in france, and they want to try and spare the country so they can get together on christmas. do they seem on track at this point to get that done? >> we heard from the french prime minister yesterday, paula. and he said that france was on track. this partial lockdown we've been in since october 30th, has proved remarkably effective when you consider that we should be on track, according to authorities, to reach that no more than 5,000 new cases a day target in order for this partial lockdown to be lifted on december 15th. i mean, the amount of distance traveled just over the course of last month. emmanuel macron announced this

second partial lockdown, we were looking at daily prize of more than 30,000, 40,000, in some cases 50,000. that's how effective the partial lockdown has been. of course, it is about managing expectations, making sure that people can get together as well as possible around the christmas period, but avoiding as emmanuel macron said on wednesday when he announced the plans for the next few weeks, a third wave. the mistakes of the first wave which were the end of the lockdown came quickly, with too much freedom given to people was that the second wave hit europe and countries like france in particular harder and faster than even the first wave had. that by the 15th of death, the partial lockdown will be lifted so restrictions on people's movements will be lifted. but there will be restrictions. ski resorts will be closed over the christmas holiday in order to avoid too much mixing around ski slopes, but also, a, a whole bunch of businesses, those that

will not be opening this saturday, clothes shops, hairdresser, restaurants, bar, all of those bars will remain closed until january. that comes at a huge economic cost. >> yeah, absolutely. and that's been the problem to try to find the balance in all of these european countries as to what to close and what to open. melissa bell in paris, thank you so much. and salma abdelaziz in london for us. thank you so much to both of you. it is a fact that donald trump lost the election to joe biden, but the president appears stuck in a fictional universe, where apparently facts don't matter. we'll have more on his latest truth-bending claims just ahead after a break. today's ways of working may work differently tomorrow.

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and welcome back to our viewers in the united states and all around the world. i'm paula newton, and you are watching "cnn newsroom." we told you earlier about donald trump's impromptu news conference at the white house. he made outlandish claims about election fraud already rejected by multiple courts around the country because they were not supported by any evidence. his answers to reporters' questions were so far removed from reality, we thought it would be important for you to hear more. >> mr. president, do you have any plans for your last thanksgiving at the white house? >> we dent know what is last. if you look at what's going on, you have to really take a lock at what's going on. those numbers are incorrect numbers. a lot of numbers that have already been reported that's

incorrect. you're going to see things happening over the next week or two that are going to be shocking to people. if you look at the numbers in michigan, if you look at the numbers in pennsylvania, if you look at fraudulent voting and fraudulent votes, so i can't say what's first around what's last in terms is this the last one or is this the first one of a second term. we'll see what happens. nobody wants to see the kind of fraud that this election has really come to represent. we are looking at things that are so bad in georgia, they don't want to show us signatures. the reason they don't want to show us signatures is very simple. because we will find thousands and thousands -- it's a very close race. it's hair-thin. but we'll find thousands and thousands of discrepancies, fraud. why they aren't wanting to show those signatures is amazing. they're doing recounts. and even in the recount, they found thousands of votes that were off. but now we want to look at the signatures, and you will find tens of thousands of false

ballots, forged ballots. you'll see it all over. you're going see a lot of it. and you go to pennsylvania. you saw the meeting we had yesterday with pennsylvania. you saw people come up. they went to vote and they said no, you can't vote. somebody already sent in a ballot. and a woman -- but this is happening tens of thousands of times. i think it was 600 and some odd thousand, 687,000 fraudulent votes cast in pennsylvania. and i will tell you if you look at the state house now, the republican state house, they're starting to see what's going on there. but they've really known it for a long time. but then you go michigan, and you look at what happened in wayne county and detroit. i went through a list. i went almost every county. and you see it. by 78%, 72%, 68%, going through the list. and then you get to wayne. and something happened. tremendous numbers. you saw the canvassers.

they refused to sign their document, because they said we can't sign a fraudulent document. horrible things went on. that's in wayne county, detroit. you look at the votes that were just tabulated and left today. look at all the counties. i won almost all of them, except detroit was so egregious, it was phony. look at what's going on in wisconsin. wisconsin they're finding tremendous discrepancy. you just take a look at that. tremendous discrepancy, and elsewhere. so we're going to see what happens. but you can't have somebody assume office, and already they want to get rid of america first. they want to get rid of america first. they don't want america first. you know why? because china doesn't want it. china expressed their wish. please get rid of america first, and the biden administration said oh, that's okay. we'll get rid of america first. no, we don't want to get rid of america first. we want to put america first. and other countries should put themselves first that. and i tell them that all the time.

but we don't want to get rid of it. so i don't know what is going to happen. i know one thing. joe biden did not get 80 million votes. and i got 74 million, but there were many ballots thrown away. so i got much more than that. but i got 74 million. 74 million is 11 million more than i got last time. it's millions more than ronald reagan got when he won 49 states, i guess. he won 49 states, yes. and it's millions more, millions more than hillary clinton got. joe biden did not get. and by the way, joe biden did not beat barack obama with the black vote. didn't beat him. but they have him as beating him. and if you look at the numbers, the numbers are false. the numbers are corrupt. it was a rigged election, 100%. and people know it. that's why you have people marching all over the united states right now. they know it was a rigged

election. and look at what's happening in georgia. a lot of things are being found in georgia. and they are absolutely against showing -- i mean, it's a sad thing. they don't want to show signatures. it can be solved if you show signatures. but you're going to find out the people that signed aren't the people that are supposed to be signing. you're going to find that the people that signed those envelopes, they didn't do the ballots, envelopes. and then somebody said maybe the envelopes were thrown out. there's tremendous fraud here. wait, just one second. if you look at 10:00 in the evening, you saw what happened. then you had these massive dumps. nobody has ever seen anything like it. >> not true, wrong. he is being deceitful. and he has a mission. he is basically countering what even republicans have said in their states, saying that this election was incredibly smooth, especially that it took place during a pandemic. once again, the president, what he said about election fraud or

the fact that he believes he was cheated out of the presidency is categorically not true. joe biden won the election. he will be the next president of the united states. he will be inaugurated on january 20th, 2021. now canada's four eastern provinces work together on ways to fight off the pandemic. just ahead, why the successful atlantic bubble, as its known, is under a bit of stress. you can really save.

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ocean spray works with nature every day to keep you healthy so canada as well has been battling a disturbing increase in coronavirus cases, but one area of the country has handled the pandemic quite well. it is the eastern provinces, and they've formed the atlantic bubble. but it now too is under stress. take a listen. >> reporter: for six months, canada's atlantic bubble has been a sanctuary.

nearly 2.5 million people living mostly covid-free. >> i can have more than that too. >> reporter: just listen to erica baker, a child psychologist and mother of three getting her kids ready to go to school. >> right now things have been very normal for them. it's been wonderful. >> reporter: normal, wonderful evening. the bubble has made it possible. >> bye, guys. >> reporter: at its outer edge, the atlantic bubble is just a six-hour drive from boston, but a world away from the current covid reality. it includes four province, new brunswick, nova scotia, prince edward island and newfoundland and labrador. going anywhere in canada you have to quarantine for 14 day, mask mandates, distancing, and aggressive contact tracing have kept cases near zero or close to it for months. >> we've had exceptional leadership. they have provided us with the

right information so far, and i don't think there is any reason to not trust that they're going to do the right things moving forward as well. >> reporter: that leadership is about to be tested as cases rise into the dozens. even here they're acting fast. >> yes, because you look elsewhere, a small number of cases left unchecked explodes into a very large number of cases. your health care system starts to get overwhelmed. you have lots of unavoidable, severe illness and death. and we see that in other places. and we're doing everything we can to avoid that. >> reporter: dr. robert strang is nova scotia's chief medical officer and so-called caretaker of the bubble. he is putting in place more restrictions to indoor dining and shopping, and now quarantine-free travel to other provinces inside the bubble will have to end for a while. ♪ for this retired senior, amateur musician, and one of the vulnerable, the bubble hasn't burst. it's just adapting to what he calls the tsunami of cases all around. . >> i actually feel that the

atlantic bubble has been moderately successful at postponing the inevitable. >> reporter: health experts say that has saved lives. there is another side, though, to the success of the atlantic bubble, especially because of the quarantine. some argue the sacrifice has been too great. the hit to the economy too severe. we caught up with jennifer hutton at montreal's airport going back into the bubble, staring down her 11th quarantine. as an i.t. specialist, she has to travel for work and is thankful for the bubble, but -- >> it affected my well-being, my sleeping, my marriage because when you're isolating over and over again, and you can't go out into public, in your own home, like you feel trapped. and being trapped is not a nice feeling. >> reporter: for now, though, those in the bubble are acting fast to adapt to more restrictions, hoping it will strengthen people's resolve to fight on, even when cases rise. >> i think that people are just

like let's get this done, let's get this over. let's have, you know, thanksgiving, christmas, and let's solve this problem and have a safe space in our little bubble. >> reporter: that little bubble, no matter how vulnerable now has given families like the bakers a shot at normal life and peace of mind. even during the worst waves of this pandemic. >> you know, and that point is key here. this is an incredibly difficult second wave, and worse in canada than the first. and they're in that atlantic bubble there is that tranquility to know that kids go to school and the economy is lumbering along. the issue here is to keep those cases low. and what they have learned and even the rest of canada hasn't been able to put into action is to be aggressive about that testing, that isolation, that contact tracing. and even though some headlines say that the bubble has burst, in fact it has not. in fact, people there will still be able to stay within their

bubble and live a somewhat normal life. i want to thank you, though, for watching "cnn newsroom." i'm paula newton. world sport is next for our international viewers. for everyone else, the newsroom continues right here on cnn. that's after a quick break. 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. 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. a livcustomizeper iquickbooks for me. call today or go online to understandhf.com 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.

coronavirus infects are spiking now in california. america's most populous state counted more than 14,600 new cases on thursday alone. and it's putting intense pressure on hospitals which very soon may run out of hospital beds. cnn's stephanie elam has more. >> reporter: los angeles county health officials are very much concerned about a sharp increase in the number of hospitalizations related to the coronavirus. in fact, the officials are saying that if this trajectory continues as is, there could be a shortage of regular as well as icu beds in the next two to four

weeks. county health officials also pointing out nearly 60% of those currently infected with the coronavirus are showing mild symptoms. that is concerning because those people could spread it on to people who could become much more sick from the virus and could potentially lose their lives is the fear there. what we also know is we're seeing this statewide as well as california has posted record numbers of new daily cases a couple of times in the last week or so. they're also saying that hospitalizations are above 7,000 right now. actually rising 6% from the previous day. the other concern here is the number of icu beds that are available. now they're currently less than 2,000 that are available, according to the state. however, california governor gavin newsom did come out and say that the potential for a surge plan is already in place, where they could bring on 2,000 more icu beds, and they could bring on 11 more facilities to help in that fact. but it's really concerning.

as you see, icu admissions in the state are up nearly 60% over the last two weeks. and when you take into account how quickly the peet raitt rate has rins. flight for the seven-day positivity rate, it stands at 6.5%. stephanie elam, cnn, los angeles. now it's not just california. all across the united states, hospitals are being flooded with new covid patients. some icu nurses are reviving the how it started versus how it's going people. they're posting before and after photos from their shifts, or how they looked precovid, and now to show how hard these nurses are working. i want to say still working. cnn talked a short time ago to the nurse who posted this one, the one you see there. she said she only wanted to be identified by her first name, buzz but says she is feeling overwhelmed. >> i can't believe that so much is being asked of health care workers with so little resources. we're being asked to take care

of this massive increase in patients where as resources haven't really increased. and we are not some super human invincible force, you know. we can only do so much. i think at this point we've gone numb. we've been through a couple of surges here in my hometown, and we are fully expecting the next few weeksing to brutal. and at this point, honestly, we just want to get it over with. we know it's going to be awful. we know that people are going to die. and there is nothing else we can do at this point, other than get through it. >> now one place people often turn for simple comfort through this coronavirus and even before then was of course your local restaurant. it's a place of nourishment. but it's also people there are there for the company and the community. now restaurants right across the country and around the world are under pressure like never before. in los angeles, indoor dining has been banned again with establishments scrambling to survive only on takeout and

delivery. in nashville, bars and restaurants can open with major restrictions. they're only allowed about 50% capacity and are subject to a curfew. the patchwork of restrictions such as these is having a huge impa impact. it's estimated 11 million jobs could be lost and 500,000 independent republicans might close. joining me now is co-founder of the independent restaurant coalition, amanda cohen. amanda, good to see you. and thank you so much for giving us some insight into what it's like to be you right now and so many different restaurants, owners, and employees all over the united states. here in the united states, what has it been like trying to come through this second wave? because we saw so much resilience and determination after the first wave. it's my impression that it's much tough their time. >> it's so much tougher. i think it's pretty much disheartening for everybody. and we feel like we're on a roller coaster that we just can't get off of.

we don't know there is more federal aide coming down the pipeline, and we're increasingly getting more restrictions on how we can do business. it's really good, but hard to handle as a business owner. we just don't know when it's going to end. it's almost impossible right now to keep holding on. i walk home every night and restaurants are just empty. there is nobody in the dining rooms. and it's too cold for customers to sit outside, and it's just bleak out there. >> yeah, unfortunately bleak probably sums it up right now. and i want to get the impression of what this means in communities like yours, replicated again all over the country. what it means in so many communities to have these restaurants as focal points for neighborhoods, and obviously employment for people who really need it. >> right. so i used to have 35 employees. i have six. i hopefully won't have to lay off any more. you know, we're seeing jobs disappear. jobs that aren't going to come

back. and we're watching the hearts of neighborhoods disappear. you know, the kitchen is the heart of a home. then restaurants are the heart of a city. and we're watching them just disappear. and i don't know when they're going to come back. it's going the take an incredibly long time. and so the mood is sort of overwhelmingly depressed. >> yeah. and not helped obviously by the fact that i guess you guys feel there was no rescue package coming from the restaurant. what's on the table now? and do you have any optimism that congress will be able to get it together and pass something? >> holding on to my last little bit of optimism. we do have the restaurant act. it has been passed in the house. we're waiting for it to get passed in the senate. it has huge bipartisan support. 49 senators have supported it, which is amazing. we just need to get it over the finish line. and really it's a revitalization fund for the industry. it will allow us to survive

through this pandemic, and then we can be there on the other end. so that when the country reopens, we're there, and the jobs are there. and we can be there for the customers and for tourists. but we need that money to be able to keep our doors open. >> what's your fear if it doesn't pass? >> we're just going to see hundreds of thousands restaurants closing. it will -- i mean, none of us have any money left in the bank. when the first -- when we first got shut down we all had some savings and were able to keep our restaurants saving. now in the second wave, my bank account is depleted. i can't put more money into the restaurant. i have no more left. i will be in the same situation of every other restauranter in this country whichsy will have to shut my business, which will mean millions and millions of jobs lost. >> yawn, as well al as the picts you point to, we also see every

day the long lines for food, whether in cars or on foot. what kind of synergy do you think can happen to people running small restaurants, large restaurant, and people really being food insecure? >> i think there is so much that can be done. at the beginning of this pandemic, and it continued for many months and still continues on, you know, restaurants became sort of the feeders of all the communities. tons of restaurants, you know, were making meals for people who didn't have them. and that was a lifeline for not just restaurant workers, but for people who lived in the community. so there is so much that can be done. but we also can't do it on our own. we also need federal aid to do that. >> yeah. and the issue is the willing there and the innovation. you want to feed people. it is very clear this is going to go on for many months to. could. amanda, we wish you the best of

luck and we'll continue to follow what does get done in congress. >> thank you. now the coronavirus changed how americans celebrated thanksgiving this year, but it couldn't run interference on one holiday tradition, of course, watching football with fewer fans and more masks. the houston texans defeated the detroit lions, 41-25. and the washington football team beat those dallas cowboys 41-16. but the virus did run interference with the nfl's "prime time" matchup between the ravens and the steelers. the league had the postpone that game to sunday after multiple people within the ravens organization tested positive for the virus. now the legendary soccer great diego maradona has been married in the grave of his parents at a simtary outside of buenos aires. all players paid him tribute by donning his number 10 jersey in their match against the croatian

club. napoli won 2-1. officials say maradona died of heart failure. journalist diego laje is in buenos aires. >> his body rests forever in the cemetery next to both his parents. these gets mark the passage of a man from life to legend. that place saw a hearse that saw him lying some 35 miles away to this place, where fans and normal people, just people who love him showed how much they respect and honor his legacy, as he crossed the city. also, before that, many of his

fans tried to break in, push their way into the presidential palace, and that created some scuffles with police that were minor, but of course that was a warning sign that lying and honor had to be interrupted, and he had to be buried, as per his family and -- his family's decision. right now in this place, it's expected to be a place of pilgrimage for many fans. therefore, there are crowd control measures and police is in full riot gear, expecting maybe the arrival of many more fans wishing to pay respect. for cnn, dig gae ghostdiego laj >> i want to thank everyone for joining us. i'll be right back with more news after a quick break.

as americans pause for thanksgiving, the coronavirus rages on. more than 90,000 people are now hospitalized. that's a record, despite the staggering spike in virus numbers and deaths, president donald trump continues to focus on himself. and the election results. we'll look at his falsehood laced news conference in a moment. live from cnn world headquarters in atlanta, welcome to our viewers here in the united states and all around the world. i'm paula newton, and this is "cnn newsroom."