Skip to main content

tv   CNN Newsroom  CNN  November 25, 2021 8:00am-9:00am PST

8:00 am
hi, everyone. i'm alex marquardt in today for k kate. a jury conviction ed on nearly
8:01 am
two dozens charges for killing arbery as he jogged through a south georgia neighborhood early last year. their claim of self-defense was rejected the men face the possibility of life in prison without parole, and this is not over. all three men are also facing federal charges for hate crime and kidnapping in connection with arbery's murder. ryan young is live in brunswick. what is next in this case? >> reporter: i think you mentioned it right there. these three men face the sentencing and also face the federal charges. we know moving forward they will face more legal battles the idea this man would be chased through a neighborhood and then shot.
8:02 am
>> imp listen to what she had to say. >> he's brought about the hate. >> he's implemented change already. >> reporter: one of the things where he know, we have trials like this. >> to see what happens this afternoon. and to be here yesterday and watch everyone sort of explode in jubilation after the verdicts were read, was quite something to see, especially the way everyone maven tain ed followin
8:03 am
this trial, thank you so much. joining us to discuss this further, our cnn analyst, areba martin and trent hopeland. thank you both for being with me this morning. >> good morning. >> prosecutors have indicated they're for all at least of these men of what are these next steps? what do you think will happen when the judge hands down these sentences? >> you know, it's really hard to tell, alex, specifically, but i give you my best guess, which means the judge will likely impose life without parole, given how heinous this crime was, given the outrage in the
8:04 am
community. long story short, this judge really has a -- life without parole, despite the fact in georgia, 30 years is the minimum they must serve. as a minimum 30 years to give out. he could also charge them life without the possibility of parole, by simply a stroke of the pen, saying this is is, you will not see the light of day. >> as we noted, this is not the under of the road, sentencing, no matter what happens, they're also facing these federal charges those charges would also result in life imprisonment. >> you're right, alex. they are not at the end of the road by any stretch of the imagination. i suspect that trial to move forward. so far it's been set for february of next year.
8:05 am
in that case we'll see a different presentation of the evident. though there is some overlap. we're going to see all of that evidence about racial animus, that the prosecutors strategically decided not to introduce into the trial. we know there's facebook posts and other social media posts involving racially charged statements. we know that apparently travis mcmichael used a racist slur as he stood over arbery's body on that day in february. that evidence will come into this trial. the federal government has a different objective than a state court did with respect to trying these three individuals. that is to establish that they were motivated by racial animus toward ahmaud arbery. that's what caused them to chase him down and ultimately killed him. i expect to see guilty verdicts in the same way we saw in the state case, and also for the feds to send a strong message
8:06 am
that he cannot use racial hate to extract violence against other citizens. >> the prosecution in fact criticize the for not making it more of a factor. there has been a lot of analysis, discussion about the makeup of the jury and its lack of representation. 11 users were white, one was black, but this is what the lead prosecutor had to say about this. take a listen. >> after we picked a jury, we realized that we had very, very smart, very intelligence, honest jurors who were going to do their jobs, which is to seek the truth. we felt that putting up our case, it doesn't matter whether they were black or white, that putting up our case, this jury would hear the truth, see the evidence, do the right thing and come back with the correct verdict. >> do you agree it doesn't matter whether the jurors were
8:07 am
black or white? >> i do. it's interesting, alex, what she is did? voir dire, the selection process, is she strategically and very calculatedly looked at those jurors and screened the jurors from the panel that she believed would not fairly hear. the defense lawyers, just indetriment natalie struck black jurors, raising the batsen trial, and frankly the judge agreed. he said under georgia law, there's nothing i can do about it, but i think she reiterated that she understood the jurors she strategically struck and by virtue kept jurors she believe -- i think she made the right call. it clearly turned out to be the right decision. >> we've got to leave it there. thank you both so much. happy thanksgiving.
8:08 am
developing this morning, more luxury retailers have been hit in a growing wave of smash-and-grab crime sprees. in southern california overnight, thieves struck another nordstrom, stealing expensive handbags, among other items. there was an apple store in the bay area, targeted in a brazen daylight robbery. camilla, what more can you tell us about these latest incidents? >> hey, alex, good morning. in this days here in santa rosa, we know at least four people came into the mall middle of the day and were able to get away with about $20,000 worth of apple product. the mall was full of customers, staff and still they were ability to get out into a car and escape. we're toweled all four men were
8:09 am
between the ages of 14 and 18. so it is concerning and scary for a lot of people who live here in the bay area. of course, this is something that's been happening in the bay area for some time now. this is just the latest of many of these incidents. we're seeing it around the country. we're seeing cases in los angeles and chicago, for example. in some of these cases, police departments don't see this as a priority. we also know there's a huge market for these stolen goods. those are just some of the reasons why this keeps on happening. here in the bay area in particular, it has been concerning, and they are trying to work on it, but it continue to say happen. >> it continue to say happen. the leadership talks about the trauma that their staff face as a result of this scary phenomenon. camilla bernal, thank you so much. president biden and his family are back at their traditional thanksgiving
8:10 am
location of nantucket. cnn's arlette saenz is with the first family in nantucket. what did the president say this morning? >> well, alex, we are just learning that president biden is on the move here in nantucket. he and his wife are heading to the united states coast guard station brandt point, where they will virtually meet with service members to offer well wishes and thanks on this holiday. earlier today the president released a message where he offered a note of gratitude for those service members, as well as expressing sympathy for those who have lost loved once and now confronting this thanksgiving without them at the table. the family has been coming here for more than 40 years. it's a tradition they skipped last year due to the pandemic, but this year the biden clan that is descended on this small island. last night we also got word about the president's clonescopy that he underwent last friday.
8:11 am
the white house figphysician released a letter says the 3-millimeter polyp was removed during a routine clonescopy. testing on that polyp revealed it was benign, but it was potentially precancerous, similar to one he had in 2008. that benign analysis is welcome news on this thanksgiving holiday. >> very good news that it's benign. happy thanksgiving to you, arlette and the whole cnn team. we hope you find turkey later. inflation is driving up the cost of your thanksgiving meal. the fed could now raise interest rates quite soon. the latest coming up next. so every touch will protect like the first. pampers [ coughing and sneezing ] cold season is back. bounce back fast
8:12 am
with alka seltzer plus. with 25% more concentrated power. alka-seltzer plus. ♪ oh, what a relief it is ♪ so fast! also try for cough, mucus & congestion. paul loves food. but his diabetes made food a mystery. everything felt like a "no". but then paul went from no to know. with freestyle libre 2, now he knows how food affects his glucose. and he knows when to make different choices. take the mystery out of your glucose levels, and lower your a1c. now you know. try it for free. visit freestylelibre.us it's walmart's black friday deals for days. score $69 air fryer and get other huge deals this friday instore. shop walmart's black friday deals for days. ♪ ♪
8:13 am
8:14 am
as someone who resembles someone else, i appreciate that liberty mutual knows everyone's unique. that's why they customize your car insurance, so you only pay for what you need. oh, yeah. that's the spot. only pay for what you need. ♪ liberty, liberty, liberty, liberty ♪ people, with quickbooks live someone else will do your books for you. they'll even pair you with an expert bookkeeper like me, who knows your business. knows... your... business! expert bookkeepers who understand your business. intuit quickbooks live bookkeeping.
8:15 am
(vo) for fourteen years, subaru and our retailers have been sharing the love with those who need it most. now subaru is the largest automotive donor to make-a-wish and meals on wheels. and the largest corporate donor to the aspca and national park foundation. get a new subaru during the share the love event and subaru will donate two hundred and fifty dollars to charity.
8:16 am
it's a big headline that clashes with your everyday reality, weekly jobless claims plunged to the lowest level in more than 50 years. president joe biden says it's more evidence of an economic boom, but at the same time inflation is driving up the costs every everything from food to gas. joining me is our global analyst. ronna, thank you for joining me today. >> thank you for having me. >> let's start with that specifically, those metrics, unemployment claims, jobs added, the trade deficit. things are going well by those
8:17 am
metrics, but at the same time prices of good goods, gas, food overall are going up. do you think things are going well? >> it's hard to argue we're in a strong recovery. that's actually part of the problem. it sounds ironic, but when things are going well, particularly coming out of the pandemic, you know, when a lot of stuff got disrupted, everything stopped, it takes a while to get things back up running. suddenly we have this pretty roaring economic recovery. when those two things collide, you start to get things like supply chain shortages, you start to get inflation, which is something we all are feeling is -- interestingly, consumers are still spending. they are 20% up on where they were this time last year, perhaps that's wanting to get back out in the shops, perhaps
8:18 am
they're feeling optimistic, but that too contributes to inflation. >> but at the same time we have this majority of americans who disapprove of the way that president biden is handling the economy. you can see the 61% disapprove in a recent cbs news poll. is there a disconnect between what he's managed to do and what he's managed to communicate to americans? >> that's where the rubber hits the road. it's really hard to argue that anything has been wrong policy-wise. we had a pandemic, the president put a lot of fiscal still his into the economy, which i think was needed. he passed an infrastructure bill, which was certainly needed. this is one of the problems for presidents. they can do a lot policywise, but at the end of the day it's kitchen table economics. do you feel like you have more money in your wallet? i happen to believe this period
8:19 am
of inflation will ease. i don't think we're headed back into the 1970s. the question is, does it get better before the midterm elections? i think that's a big political question. >> what about this notion that americans are spending money the wrong way, that they didn't go out and spend it in bars and restaurant where people would then be hired and get salaries that way, so they spent it online on consumers goods and stayed home. where do you fall on that heart? >> it's hard to argue that people aren't still swan concerned about covid. some of that stimulus was coming in the midst of the delta variant wave. you know, if i was an older person, i probably would be staying at home and buying online. that said, businesses have been incredibly creative. i look around my own neighborhood and see them adapt ing. there is going to be a challenge, because there's a lot
8:20 am
of technology replacing jobs right now. that's going to be an issue longer term, certainly for the country and for the president. >> i want to talk about gas prices specifically, which are obviously very high. president biden recently made the announcement he would be -- the u.s. would be releasing 50 million barrels of oil from the strategic petroleum reserves. when do you think american will actually feel that, and see the gas prices coming down? >> i think you're going to see that before the holidays. that's the point. a lot of americans have said, we don't want to travel this year. gas prices are just so high. you have to think about the fact that working people pay about 20%, in many cases, of their income in gas. it makes a difference. i think you'll see a small decrease in prices certainly before christmas. the question is, does it last? oil is a global market. opec controls oil. they have their own interests. they want to see prices as high as possible for as long as
8:21 am
possible. so, you know, it's going to be small, but i think it will be soon. >> hopefully. thank you. happy thanksgiving. >> happy thanksgiving. what a difference a year makes. the macy's parade is back with spectators. a live report is next. like everyone that worked from home. or welcomed a new family member. they were all out of dogs. our deals are for everyone! it's not complicated. at&t is giving new and existing customers our best deals on every iphone, including up to $1000 off the epic iphone 13 pro. ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ there are beautiful ideas that remain in the dark.
8:22 am
but with our new multi-cloud experience, you have the flexibility you need to unveil them to the world. ♪ to be a thriver with metastatic breast cancer means asking for what we want. and need. and we need more time. so, we want kisqali. women are living longer than ever before with kisqali when taken with an aromatase inhibitor or fulvestrant in postmenopausal women with hr+, her2- metastatic breast cancer. kisqali is a pill that's significantly more effective at delaying disease progression versus an aromatase inhibitor or fulvestrant alone. kisqali can cause lung problems, or an abnormal heartbeat, which can lead to death. it can cause serious skin reactions, liver problems, and low white blood cell counts that may result in severe infections. tell your doctor right away if you have new or worsening symptoms, including breathing problems, cough, chest pain, a change in your heartbeat, dizziness, yellowing of the skin or eyes, dark urine, tiredness, loss of appetite,
8:23 am
abdomen pain, bleeding, bruising, fever, chills or other symptoms of an infection, a severe or worsening rash, are or plan to become pregnant, or breastfeeding. avoid grapefruit during treatment. ask your doctor about living longer with kisqali. carl is saving big holiday shopping at amazon. so now, he's free to become... choirmaster carl. (dogs bark "yeah" by usher) (clapping) is now a good time for a flare-up? enough, crohn's! for adults with moderate to severe crohn's or ulcerative colitis, stelara® can provide relief, and is the first approved medication to reduce inflammation on and below the surface of the intestine in uc. you, getting on that flight? back off, uc! stelara® may increase your risk of infections, some serious, and cancer. before treatment, get tested for tb. tell your doctor if you have an infection, flu-like symptoms, sores, new skin growths, have had cancer, or if you need a vaccine.
8:24 am
pres, a rare, potentially fatal brain condition, may be possible. some serious allergic reactions and lung inflammation can occur. lasting remission can start with stelara®. janssen can help you explore cost support options. it's time for the ultimate sleep number event on the sleep number 360 smart bed. what if i sleep hot? or cold? no problem, the sleep number 360 smart bed is temperature balancing so you both sleep just right. and it senses your movements and automatically adjusts to keep you both effortlessly comfortable. so, you can really promise better sleep? yes! you'll know exactly how well you slept, night after night. we take care of the science. all you have to do is sleep. don't miss our black friday sale. save 50% on the new sleep number 360 limited edition smart bed. plus, 0% interest for 60 months. ends cyber monday
8:25 am
8:26 am
the macy 'parade is back. people were there to cheer on, as it was a some of the-only event last year. miguel marquez is out there live on the parade route. this must mean so much for everyone who came into town to see it. >> reporter: well, what we have all been through in the last few years, two years in new york, in the u.s. across the world, today felt a little like it was getting back to normal. >> the parade is completely done. can you see the sanitation
8:27 am
workers are starting to come through and clean up the entire mess. another thing about this. in a few hours, you wouldn't know that 2.5 million people had lined this route. there was a major parade coming down central park west this weekend. but, look, 15 floats, four of them brand new. the most excited one was the grogu, the aka baby yoda. just, you know, 2.5 million people lining this route, and tens of millions people watching around the world. with everything we have been through the last couple years, it just feels like we're getting back to normal. alex? >> i think it says so much that you get to cover this happy event after everything that you have had to personally cover the past few years, so many horribly
8:28 am
sad covid stories. >> a tough one. happy thanksgiving. >> happy thanksgiving. coronavirus cases as well as hospitalizations are on the rise. americans are hoping to have a more normal thanksgiving tonight. joining me now to talk about this is dr. carlos del rio, the associate dean of emery school of medicine. doctor, thank you for joining me. >> happy thanksgiving, alex. this year, it's extremely different from last year, when essentially no one was vaccinated. how are you celebrating personally. what are you telling your patients to do today? >> well, alex, we're celebrating by getting together with -- and we're doing it with everybody
8:29 am
who's vaccinated. we have a 1-year-old who is not vaccinated, but that's the only person. we have testing, we have vaccines, we have many ways to increase the risks. >> you just touched on it. obviously. so many families getting together, what about those young children who are too young to be vaccinated? of course, in many cases, those -- young children 5 to 11/have only had one shot. >> we know the best way to protect our children is by getting the adults around them vaccinated. if everyone else is vaccinated, the young kids will be protected. those kids under 1 have had so far also exposure. again, breakthrough cases are
8:30 am
occurring. we can increase those by giving boosters. so at the end of the day, that's a great christmas present for your family. >> best thing you could do for the children is get vaccinated yourself as an adult. new cases up 32%, hospitalizations up 12% cnn's john berming asked if he thought this was the start of a new wave. this is what he had to say. >> it is conceivable, john, that's going to be the case. we can do something about it. we can get those who have been vaccinating boosters, and we can be prudent and -- to make sure we follow the cdc recommendations of wearing a mask. if we do that, it's within our power to prevent a big surge. >> so, doctor, where do you see
8:31 am
us now? do you agree with dr. fauci? >> i 100% agree. it looks like we have a potential fifth wave. we can do many things to decrease the impact of that wave. i spot to colleagues in michigan and colorado. they are seeing an increase in hospitalization. michigan is straining their healthcare system. over 90% are still unvaccinated individuals. this is the time, please do it, because we have can really control what's happening. we can really prevent people from undering up in the hospital. it's a very different thing going to the hospital and dying as a consequence of delta. we can prevent it. >> such an important message.
8:32 am
dr. carlos del rio, thank you very much. >> happy thanksgiving, alex. coming up, how venezuela lured five men. that story is coming up next. we'll look at what you've saved, what you'll need, and build a straightforward plan to generate income, even when you're not working. a plan that gives you the chance to grow your savings and create cash flow that lasts. along the way, we'll give you ways to be tax efficient. and you can start, stop or adjust your plan at any time without the unnecessary fees. we'll help you go from saving... to living. ♪ play all day ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪day to night to morning,♪ ♪keep with me in the moment♪ ♪i'd let you had i known it, why don't you say so?♪ ♪didn't even notice, no punches left to roll with♪
8:33 am
♪you got to keep me focused, you want it, say so♪ ♪day to night to morning,♪ ♪keep with me in the moment♪ new cheetos boneless wings exclusively at applebee's for a limited time. >> man: what's my safelite story? my truck...is my livelihood. so when my windshield cracked... the experts at safelite autoglass came right to me... with service i could trust. right, girl? >> singers: ♪ safelite repair, safelite replace. ♪ i've spent centuries evolving with the world. that's the nature of being the economy. observing investors choose assets to balance risk and reward. with one element securing portfolios, time after time. gold. agile and liquid. a proven protector. an ever-evolving enabler of bold decisions. an asset more relevant than ever before. gold. your strategic advantage.
8:34 am
8:35 am
( ♪ ) what a pain in the... alice? if it's "let's wrap this up" season, it's walgreens season.
8:36 am
with voltaren arthritis pain gel. my husband's got his moves back. an alternative to pills, voltaren is a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory gel for powerful arthritis pain relief. voltaren, the joy of movement.
8:37 am
now to a cnn investigation on five americans and a u.s. resident who have been detained for four years in venezuela. the men were executives tess u.s. subsidiary of a venezuela state oil company. they were convicted of corruption in a closed-door trial, but cnn has learned that the men, who are known as. kriismt. t and were lured in. >> reporter: she clings to a picture. >> this is the last picture. >> reporter: the same as she hangs on to every word. this voidmail the very first time the world is hearing from him.
8:38 am
after four year, i think that, yes, that u.s. government has failed us. >> reporter: they left houston on november 19, 2017. called to a meeting by citgo's parent company. as they gather in a conference room, venezuela's feared military intelligence sweep in and arrest the five americans and a residence. until he turned on nicolas maduro and fled to the united states. he says the citgo six was set up. >> translator: it was a well prepared trap.
8:39 am
>> reporter: they were held originally, and now in the united states, he tells us he takes responsibility for his actions. >> translator: i feel responsible not just for them, but because i was part of the nefarious structure that is day destroying our country. >> reporter: their families tells us they're kept in overcrowded cells, no windows. they've had to buy everything from food to water, toothpaste, to even toilet paper. have a listen to what he asked for just a few weeks ago. early this year, the kriismt. tgo six were move to house arrest, only to be thrown back in prison in october hours after a maduro ally was extradited to the united states. throughout s. maduro has accused
8:40 am
them of -- >> a few days ago, as head of state, i requested an urgent investigation, given the serious claims i was made aware of. a blatant and massive robbery at citgo. >> they said tried to renegotiate the citgo debt without consulting. the military office behind their ar arrest. >> look closely. only one of the six was part of the -- the deal, by the way, never went ahead. the company that was mediating the refinancing move says no money was ever exchanged.
8:41 am
still, they were convicted. the arrests took place after protesters began pouring onto the streets in 2018. venezuela's once booming industry was on its knees. sanctioning imposed by president trump crippled the company. as the flow of cash dried up. the regime's blame and strategy connect in. >> reporter: he ran the system under -- once an ally, he became a threat to maduro's rise to power, and a potential challenger to the presidency. he feld into exile, maduro
8:42 am
wanted to arrest him on corruption charges, charges he denies. >> translator: the arrest order and the way they were detained is an instruction to spread terror, to generate fear. >> reporter: so they were set up? >> translator: yes, of course. this spread fear throughout the country, a feeling of fear and terror with regards to the security forces started to grow around the country. >> reporter: a fear that only increased with the purge of employees, 15 arrested since 2017, according to venezuelan ngo. >> it seems that they have been used as, you know, as bargaining chips. >> bill richardson is navy gaiting this minefield in an effort to win the freedom of the citgo six. >> they don't want any further sanctions. they want sanctions lifted, but you know, the relationship has
8:43 am
been so poor in the last four to eight years, it's the u.s. government doesn't talk to them. >> reporter: president biden has said little to venezuela. a very different approach to former president trump. for carlos and the other families of five, the fight for justice hack lonely with silence from the u.s. government. >> i always apologize to my dad for, you know, not having delivered, is how i feel. i feel like i haven't delivered until he's home. if he's not home, then i'm not applying the right kind of pressure or i'm not getting my mission accomplished. >> a battle that will continue as long as citgo six is seen as a bargaining chip. and in response to cnn, the
8:44 am
state department says that it continues to, quote, seek the unconditional release of the kriismt. tgo six and urging maduro to allow them to return to their families here in the united states. coming up, rising food prices are putting a strange on americans this thanksgiving. how food banks are dealing with that high demand. that's next. helps keep baby's skin drier and healthier. so every touch will protect like the first. pampers
8:45 am
as someone who resembles someone else, i appreciate that liberty mutual knows everyone's unique. that's why they customize your car insurance, so you only pay for what you need. [ ferry horn honks ] i mean just cause you look like someone else doesn't mean you eat off the floor, [ chuckles ] or yell at the vacuum, or need flea medication. oh, yeah. that's the spot. only pay for what you need. ♪ liberty, liberty, liberty, liberty ♪ (tiger) this is the dimension of imagination. ♪
8:46 am
ray loves vacations. but his diabetes never seemed to take one. everything felt like a 'no'. everything. but then ray went from no to know. with freestyle libre 2, now he knows his glucose levels when he needs to. and... when he wants to. so ray... can be ray. take the mystery out of your glucose levels, and lower your a1c. now you know. try it for free. visit freestylelibre.us
8:47 am
your eyes. beautiful on the outside, but if you have diabetes, there can be some not-so-pretty stuff going on inside. it's true, with diabetic retinopathy, excess sugar can damage blood vessels, causing vision loss or even blindness. so remember this: now is the time to get your eyes checked. eye care is important to your long-term diabetes management. see a path forward with actions and treatments that may help your eyes— and protect against vision loss. visit noweyesee.com and take control of your sight. ♪ i see trees of green ♪ ♪ red roses too ♪ ♪ i see them bloom for me and you ♪
8:48 am
(music) ♪ so i think to myself ♪ ♪ oh what a wonderful world ♪
8:49 am
today food banks around the country are opening doors to thousands of americans who need extra help getting dinner on the table today. communities in need have been hit hard by the pandemic, now food prices are on the rise. rosa flores is live in houston with the nation's largest thanksgiving day distributor has just started serving the public. what are you seeing there this morning, rosa? >> reporter: happy thanksgiving to you and to everybody. this event is expected to serve up to 30,000 people today. what you seed behind me is the area where all of this food is going to be served. according to the organizers. they have cooked about 3200 turkeys. here this 635,000 pounds of food. who the participants can do is walk, ghraib their food, grab
8:50 am
some water and pass through to the dining area. according to the organizers, putting this together takes thousands of volunteers. as well, this years they've had about 3500 volunteers. beyond the what's happening out there is that people are driving up and grabbing a free turkey and also a basket. the idea there is that alex, those individuals who can't come in and dine in, they can take the turkey, prepare it at home and share the meal with their families. alex. >> so important. especially this year. happy thanksgiving to you as well. president biden and vice president harris did their part to help those in need this week. the president, vp and their spouses helped pack thanksgiving meals at the food bank here in the nation's capitol on tuesday. joining me now is the ceo of
8:51 am
d.c. central kitchen, mike curtain jr. happy thanksgiving. >> thank you for having us. >> we've been talking about how things are getting more back to normal. of course, the pandemic is still raging, but with families gathering more this year than last year and that sense of normalcy somewhat returning, what are you seeing in terms of demand and of need now? >> well, i think one of the things that we really have to be careful about is and understand the damaging effects of this pandemic are going to last far past the time when we are unmasked. we have seen so many households fall into hunger or food insecurity. that swath of the population is growing. demand has grown and we have done more over the last 18, 20 months than we had the two years, two or three years prior to covid and we anticipate this
8:52 am
demand continuing to grow. >> but you also say that the pandemic has exposed what you called the hidden face of hunger. how so? >> sure. well, often, we focus on childho childhood hunger, but all hunger is bad. one of the areas we have to be really careful is seniors. that is sort of the hidden face of hunger. also, a single parent. most often a single mother. we have seen seniors whose budgets aren't going as far as they used to go. they can't get out to the stores at certain times. don't have access to food. so we've done almost 6 o o -- 3.5 million pounds of fresh fr fruits and vegetables in grocery bags. that's in addition to the 6 million meals we've delivered over the course of this pandemic. a good bit of those are going to seniors.
8:53 am
folks we weren't serving prior to covid. >> you're the ceo of d.c. central kitchen. but when you look at this nationally, where do you think the issue is most acute? what types of areas? >> well, i think hunger, hunger goes everywhere. certainly urban areas like the district of columbia where we are, but rural hunger is a huge issue as well. rural areas have less access to community kitchens. the system, the philanthropy system that is designed to help those who need a little extra help just doesn't extend often to those areas. so i really think we need to be careful, too, about looking at just one place and recognize this is a large, national issue. we have more than enough food. we are throwing out up to 40% of the food we produce in this country every day, ends up in the garbage. yet, we have people that are
8:54 am
hungry. one in six families don't know where their next meal is coming from. that's criminal. we have the resources. we just have to be smarter about how we deploy them. >> such a travesty that needs to be fixed. on top of providing meals and food, you have a job training program. you've trained over 2,000 people for jobs in hospitality. of course, the hospitality industry took a huge hit during the pandemic. all sorts of companies, bars, r restaurants are finding it hard to staff up. how has that impacted that part of your work? >> sure. we actually had to put our training program, which is the heart and soul of what we do. although people often equate us or associate us with food, we use food as a tool to strengthen minds, power bodies and strengthen communities. we do that primarily through our job training program with those who have faced incarceration, addiction, abuse, or other
8:55 am
traumas to get them jobs in the hospitality sector. as that sector does come back, we are working really hard with our graduates and restaurant and hospitality partners to get people back in the workforce. the training programs that we are able to run during the pandemic, we just graduated a class not too long ago. we are able to, we have been able to get them back in the workforce, which is very positive and we also hire a good number of graduates here into our social enterprise programs at d.c. central kitchen. >> thank you for everything you do. w wishing you and everyone you work with a very happy thanksgiving. >> thank you. we have much more ahead. we'll be right back after this quick break. wayfair's black friday sale is on now! score unbelievable savings with our biggest sale ever!
8:56 am
like ge appliances up to 40% off rugs up to 80% off and lighting up to 65% off. plus get bonus savings with a wayfair credit card and free shipping on thousands of products. don't miss our black friday happening now through november 27th. only at wayfair.com.
8:57 am
♪ thousands of women with metastatic breast cancer are living in the moment and taking ibrance. ibrance with an aromatase inhibitor is for postmenopausal women or for men with hr+, her2- metastatic breast cancer as the first hormonal based therapy. ibrance plus letrozole significantly delayed disease progression versus letrozole. ibrance may cause low white blood cell counts that may lead to serious infections. ibrance may cause severe inflammation of the lungs. both of these can lead to death. tell your doctor if you have new or worsening chest pain, cough, or trouble breathing. before taking ibrance, tell your doctor if you have fever, chills, or other signs of infection, liver or kidney problems, are or plan to become pregnant, or are breastfeeding. for more information about side effects
8:58 am
talk to your doctor. ♪ be in your moment. ask your doctor about ibrance. carl is saving big holiday shopping at amazon. so now, he's free to become... choirmaster carl. (dogs bark "yeah" by usher) (clapping)
8:59 am
with xfinity home, you can keep your home and everything in it more protected. i can wrangle all my deliveries. thanks, hoss! and i help walk the dog from wherever. *door unlocks* ♪ ♪ well, i can bust curfew-breakers in an instant. well, you all have xfinity home, with cameras to home security monitored by the pros. *laughs* learn more about home security or get our self-monitored solution starting at just $10 per month.
9:00 am
. hi, everyone. happy thanksgiving. we are beginning this hour with the convictions in the ahmaud arbery murder trial. travis and gregory mcmichael, father and son, as well as their neighbor, now face the possibility of life in prison as they await sentencing. there will also be another trial in february as they face federal hate crime charges. 12 jurors found that all three were guilty of the murder