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Update On Coronavirus Response Around The World; Cases Explode In Brazil As President Shrugs Off Virus As "Flu"; Many Summer Sleepaway Camps Being Canceled Amid Pandemic; CNN "Homefront": Remembering Veterans Who Died By Suicide. Aired 2:30-3p ET

Aired May 25, 2020 - 14:30   ET

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

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[14:34:09]

BRIANNA KEILAR, CNN HOST: Japan's prime minister is speaking out about his country's plans to host the Olympics, which have been pushed to next year because of the pandemic. Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said the development of a vaccine is, quote, "significant" to being able to hold the games in 2021 with all of the athletes and the spectators present.

And Japan is where we begin our look at the pandemic headlines around the world.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

KAORI ENJOJI, JOURNALIST: I'm Kaori Enjoji, in Tokyo. Relief here that, after seven weeks, Japan is no longer in a state of emergency. But Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's problems mount. His approval rating dropped to 29 percent according to a leading newspaper poll. Among the concerns, not enough testing for the virus and the response to the economic fallout.

Restaurants around here are likely to stay open longer for tomorrow, but many shopkeepers worry with social distancing in place whether that will be enough to keep them in business.

[14:35:07]

AL GOODMAN, JOURNALIST: I'm Al Goodman, in Madrid. Outdoor restaurants are open again in Barcelona, after 10 weeks of confinement due to coronavirus. People who don't live together can meet to have a meal or drink together.

Half of the country is on this so-called phase one of the reopening. The rest is on phase two, which allows even more activities including indoor service at the restaurants. Masks are still required in public unless you're far away from other people.

And the government plans to reopen for international tourism in July to try to restart that important part of the economy.

NIC ROBERTSON, CNN INTERNATIONAL DIPLOMATIC EDITOR: I'm Nic Robertson, in London, where Boris Johnson's chief adviser has just stood his ground, said he has no apology, no regrets, didn't consider resigning and stands by his position that his actions of traveling north in the country with his sick wife and young son to try to find somewhere to isolate, that he stands by that decision.

He says that the reason people are angry about it, in essence, is because it has been badly and inaccurately reported by the media.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

KEILAR: The Trump administration is clamping down on travel from Brazil, prohibiting any foreign nationals who have been in this country during the last two weeks from coming to the U.S.

Brazil is now second to the U.S. in the number of confirmed coronavirus cases, more than 360,000 Brazilians infected and more than 22,000 deaths there.

Despite this ghastly toll, Brazil's president continues to shrug off the pandemic as merely a little flu.

CNN's Nick Paton Walsh is in a Brazilian city that has been really hit hard by the virus.

Nick, tell us about this city and the mayor there who is furious at Brazil's president.

NICK PATON WALSH, CNN INTERNATIONAL SECURITY EDITOR: Yes, I mean, this is an extraordinary story of essentially the Brazilian president caught candidly in a cabinet video recording where he was talking to his inner circle.

And had always been somewhat playing down the coronavirus, a little bit. But during this meeting, he was recorded calling the mayor in one of these poor areas, in the middle of the Amazon, called Manaus, calling the mayor of Manaus, because he was forced to dig mass graves to deal with the sheer volume of deaths, a piece of expletive.

Now that caused a lot of consternation amongst those wondering why the president would criticize someone simply looking after his own people.

Here's what happened when I put that statement to the mayor of this town.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

PATON WALSH: The president called you a piece of (EXPLETIVE DELETED)?

ARTHUR VIRGILIO, MAYOR OF MANAUS, BRAZIL Yes.

PATON WALSH: Why did he do that?

VIRGILIO: His dream is to be dictatorship. But he's too stupid.

PATON WALSH: You blame his words for the outbreak here because people were too busy going about daily lives? VIRGILIO: He has complicity in the deaths in Manaus, Brazil. He's co-

responsible.

PATON WALSH: Seeing what's around here, the number of people sick in Manaus, if you had a message for President Bolsonaro, what would it be?

VIRGILIO: Mr. President Bolsonaro, please shut up and stay home. Resign. Resign. Resign.

PATON WALSH: Why?

VIRGILIO: Because he doesn't govern Brazil.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

PATON WALSH: Now, we were in an enormous graveyard, referred to earlier on, and it was startling to see the cases that are positive coronavirus tested, some graves, but it seemed about five times as many suspected coronavirus graves just across the road from it. Startling because it gives you an idea that the numbers we hear officially may not be the full picture -- Brianna?

KEILAR: You sent up a drone to take pictures of this. It's stunning, Nick. It completely puts this into perspective. These are just arresting pictures that you captured there.

And what I don't understand is there are images, of course, of the Brazilian president wearing a mask there but he's also still dismissing the virus. You've seen him out and about shaking hands as well with people as all of this has gone on.

PATON WALSH: Yes, pictures a graveyard in Sao Paulo that we took a few days ago.

But you're right, Jair Bolsonaro startlingly, even though his tone somewhat shifted to calling this virus a war, has most definitely continued to meet his supporters in public, not wearing a face mask, not all the time. It seems to have flown over the crowd in the government capital. He helicopter-landed in a mask and then took it off.

But right at the moment that this country is heading into its peak, possibly in Sao Paulo, the most number of cases, a week or two weeks away, mostly through a ravaged city like this. So it's different around the country. He is still giving that simple visual symbol to people that he's not wearing a mask.

[14:40:06]

I'm wearing one here because it is mandatory in Manaus and Rio de Janeiro, and Sao Paulo because local governors have tried to ignore local advice, which says hydroxychloroquine now essentially banned almost by the WHO because the dangerous effects it can have. They've made hydroxychloroquine available for use even mild or moderate cases of coronavirus. That partially led to the resignation of a health minister here. A

startling move by the federal government on the Brazilian level.

You heard the anger of local officials here. It's echoed amongst many people as well.

But the mayor said one of the reasons why people possibly suffered so much in this city because they were listening to Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro when he said it's not a big deal because he's the president and you would do that.

So they have to take extra efforts on a local level to get social isolation in place and get people wearing masks. When you have graves and burials -- there were five in the two hours we were at that graveyard today.

But startling that it's still happening at this scale and pace here. And startling, too, that the federal government is still putting out a message of, it isn't that big of a deal -- Brianna?

KEILAR: Those pictures were from Sao Paulo, which you showed us last week from a cemetery where they had a service about every 10 minutes, you said.

Nick, thank you for that report.

PATON WALSH: Thank you, Brianna.

KEILAR: Nick Paton Walsh, in Manaus, Brazil.

Many summer camp owners in the U.S. are being forced to make the tough decision to shut down this season. I'll speak to one couple who just made that call for their camp in Maine.

Plus, President Trump threatening to pull the Republican National Convention out of North Carolina unless the governor can guarantee him a certain demand that involves crowds.

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[14:46:16]

KEILAR: Parents could face a long summer indoors with their kids as sleepaway camps across the U.S. wait to see if they'll be allowed to open. One camp in Maine already had to make the hard decision to close for the year.

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GINGER CLARE, CO-DIRECTOR, CAMP KIPPEWA FOR GIRLS: Due to the current situation with coronavirus, we have made the difficult decision to postpone Kippewa to next summer.

We know the Kippewa bond is strong and it's real. And it's so much more than being in one place. So we'll continue to find ways for us to stay connected over the upcoming weeks and throughout the year. (END VIDEO CLIP)

KEILAR: I'm joined now by Ginger and Steve Clare, the directors of Camp Kippewa for Girls.

We've been talking to health experts. Some say, Ginger, away camps are a good option because of this containment but it's very difficult. Tell us the factors that went into your decision to close down.

GINGER CLARE: Yes, certainly. As I say in that video, this is one of the most difficult decisions we've ever had to make, and there's so many different factors that really played into it. It's hard to pinpoint any one specific thing.

I'll say that we, as you've done, we've consulted with experts and doctors. We've pored through the different guidelines that have been made available to us for opening camps safely this summer.

And, you know, we went through them and realize those protocols would really impact every aspect of camp for us, from dining hall to the bunk settings and our facility and how we run our activities.

So ultimately, personally, we just didn't feel that we could maintain the level of support and kind of the Kippewa magic that our kids really expect and deserve.

STEVE CLARE, CO-DIRECTOR, CAMP KIPPEWA FOR GIRLS: It's very specific to our program, I think. I think some other camps may find a way and even for us, able to modify some of the smaller programs. And we are still looking to run some programs this summer, Kippewa Academy and family camp.

KEILAR: Did you guys feel like the guidelines were enough? Did you feel like they answered the questions you had about how do we do this and that at camp?

STEVE CLARE: The CDC guidelines were called considerations for summer camp, not mandatory but quite late coming out. They came out last week. Before that, the American Camp Association did a fantastic job and produced an 80-page field guide for us. They partnered with a health professional company and came up with something that was very great for us to try and plan around.

And then ultimately, we were guided by the main CDC guidelines so that the main guidelines were mandatory and involved a checklist that we had to sign off on.

So really, we based our decision more around the main guidelines rather than the CDC guidelines but they were all helpful.

GINGER CLARE: I would also say, we feel fortunate that Maine has come out with these guidelines. There were a lot of camps and camp directors either having to make a decision without knowing what the state is going to allow or are still waiting to hear if and how states are going to allow camps to open this summer. KEILAR: Yes, it's going to be tough for so many of them. We know so

many families who you are used to seeing are going to be so disappointed.

But we wish you luck, Ginger and Steve Clare. Thank you for talking to us from Charlottesville, Virginia. We appreciate it.

STEVE CLARE: You're welcome. Thank you.

GINGER CLARE: Thank you so much.

KEILAR: Stunning videos of crowds completing ignoring the advice of medical experts over the holiday weekend.

[14:49:53]

Plus, the NBA is considering finishing out the rest of its season at Disneyworld. CNN getting reaction from a Hall of Famer just ahead.

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KEILAR: Today on "HOMEFRONT," the digital and television column where we bring you stories of military families and try to bridge the civilian/military divide, we remember servicemembers and veterans who died as a result of their service to our country. And this includes servicemembers and veterans who died from suicide linked to service in the military.

[14:55:03]

Often, on Memorial Day, they are excluded from formal remembrance and even from informal practices because of the stigma that surrounds their deaths. Today, we remember them for the lives that they lived.

And here with me now to do this, Kim Ruocco, the widow of Marine Corps Major John Ruocco. She's also the vice president of suicide prevention for TAPS, the Tragedy Assistant Program for Survivors, TAPS, as I mentioned. And Nicole Langhorst lost her younger sister, Army Staff Sergeant Michelle Langhorst, in 2015. Nicole also works with TAPS with sibling suicide survivors.

Thank you both for joining me on this very important day.

And, Kim, starting with you first, we've been talking throughout the week and you've said something that stuck with me. You said they did not die heroic deaths but they lived heroic lives. Why is it so important to honor them for that today?

KIM RUOCCO, LOST EX HUSBAND FROM SUICIDE: Well, gosh, whenever someone dies by suicide, we worry that how they died will define who they are and wipe out everything they've done in their lives.

And we know that servicemembers have lived heroic lives. They served and sacrificed and they fought and they have a lot of stressors and lives heroic lives. And I want that to be what was remembered, not how they died. KEILAR: And, Nicole, you point out that siblings are the forgotten

survivors. Michelle was your best friend. Life for you was life with Michelle.

NICOLE LANGHORST, LOST SISTER TO SUICIDE: Absolutely.

KEILAR: Your parents let you name her after a Beatle's song when you were three. She was in the military police force. She served in Afghanistan before being medically retired due to an injury from a training accident.

What do you want us to know about her and how you have dealt with that without letting her death define her?

LANGHORST: My sister's life was an inspiration for me. She signed on the dotted line and served her country fearlessly and with such bravery. And I want my life to be about service to others and instill that hope into other people that you could survive a suicide loss and make your life worth meaning. So that is the message I would like to tell everybody today on this Memorial Day.

KEILAR: And you've really taken that message and run with it, for sure, Nicole.

Kim, the V.A. has statistics that shows veterans die from suicide almost once an hour. You would like the military to take mental health and for servicemembers to take mental health as seriously as they take physical health. What needs to be done?

RUOCCO: Absolutely. We need to start talking about mental health as part of overall wellness in our troops. Starting the minute they come to recruiting office and in our military academies, teaching them to expect to have mental health challenges and what to do whenever you see them.

The same way that you have physical injuries and physical challenges, you're going to have mental health challenges, especially for what we're asking our troops to do.

So integrating that and making it available and making it not that you have to ask for help but it is there every day and you're expected to use it and train in your mental health.

KEILAR: Nicole, some of the family members that I spoke with for this story, they said they see service-connected suicide as an injury or illness related to military service. I thought that was something that really I think encapsulated how people could better just conceive of this notion on a day like today, on Memorial Day.

LANGHORST: Yes, that's right, Brianna. I think that today we should honor all of those that died, including those who died from suicide, which, in my opinion, has a lot to do with the horrors of wore -- of war that our service men and women have seen.

KEILAR: And I want to thank you both.

And, Kim, I want to give a final word to you. As you remember John, how do you remember his life?

RUOCCO: Well, it was a big; full life. He was larger than life. The life of the party. He cared about everyone and everyone was his friend, you know. Everyone was his friend. And people that I didn't never even met in his life would come up to me after he died and said he was my best friend. I heard that over and over again. So just a great guy.

KEILAR: Your loved ones were wonderful people and heroes.

Nicole and Kim, thank you for joining us. And thank you for helping us honor --

RUOCCO: Thank you.

KEILAR: -- John and Michelle and our fallen heroes this Memorial Day.

[14:59:57]

To our viewers, check out the column that we have up today at CNN.com/homefront. Send us story ideas and feedback at homefront@CNN.com.

Our special coverage continues now with Brooke Baldwin.