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New Day

Rise in New Coronavirus Cases; Russia Sentences Paul Whelan; Stocks Plunge on Coronavirus Fears; Inside Seattle's Autonomous Zone; Summer Travel Restrictions. Aired 6:30-7a ET

Aired June 15, 2020 - 06:30   ET

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

[06:30:00]

WILLIAM HASELTINE, CHAIR AND PRESIDENT, ACCESS HEALTH INTERNATIONAL: Start the disease. Now, there's a good part of this story, and that is at least it doesn't seem to be causing more serious disease, but it does mean that it explains why this particular strain is spreading more rapidly and perhaps why the infection is taking off at such a great rate here in the United States.

ALISYN CAMEROTA, CNN ANCHOR: That is really interesting. Ten times more infectious than it previously was. And does that complicate finding a vaccine? Does that make finding a vaccine harder?

HASELTINE: You know, we don't know that yet. I doubt that it does. Maybe it makes it even a little bit easier because there are more targets on the virus than there were before. The virus is targeting those very structures that are intact in this -- in this -- this strain. So I don't think it's going to necessarily mean it's more difficult to find a vaccine.

CAMEROTA: You call this nature's terrorism, this phenomenon, as though the virus is sort of outsmarting us in order to attack us. Can you just explain that?

HASELTINE: Well, the way to think of viruses is that they throw up random mutations at a very high rate, trillions a day. Sort of like machine learning and artificial intelligence. And they're trying to find the best solution to allow them to proliferate. Those solutions, that is random changes, that allow them to spread in the population better take over, just like an artificial intelligence program figures out the solution to the problem that it's given. So nature is constantly doing that.

I've spent some time thinking about how to prepare against bioterrorism and develop drugs in ways to prevent and treat. We now have to think, and we -- actually a lot of us have been thinking that the actual terrorist that is far more dangerous are this great sea of viruses that are doing their best through random machine-like learning to grow in us. This one happens to be very successful. And it's cracking our code. It's cracking our biological code and it's cracking our sociopolitical code as well.

CAMEROTA: That's a really interesting way to look at it. Dr. Fauci this weekend gave an interview to "The Telegraph" in which

he said, quote, I would hope to get some degree of real normality within a year or so, but I don't think it's this winter or fall, we'll be seeing it for a bit more.

In other words, we're not going back to normal, according to his calendar, for a year. Is that how you see it?

HASELTINE: I see it like that, but I would add something else. I think that we can't stay locked up because our economies crash and that is really terrible for many people at all levels of society, especially those who have lower incomes. So we are going back to a time before I was born when we didn't have antibiotics and we were knowingly at risk. We built all our great cities. We built our railroads. We created our country. We fought World War II, all at a time when we were at risk from dying at any moment from a disease that we couldn't control.

Society functions but it functions differently. It functions with a sharp awareness that we live in a privileged moment that any time can end. And that's a fundamental change in the way people have to look at life. Life is no longer a picnic.

You know, we went through this for certain communities with HIV/AIDS. They thought life was free. It's like a big party. All of a sudden a new disease comes along, it's no longer a party. You've got to be careful. And most people were careful.

I urge everybody to think about the risks they're putting themselves, their family and everyone they love when they behave what I would call irresponsibly by not following the recommendations of wearing masks and social distancing. It's a new reality that we have to accommodate. We adapt, we survive, but we have to accommodate.

CAMEROTA: And it requires a new mind-set, and we appreciate you reminding us about that this morning.

Dr. William Haseltine, thank you very much.

HASELTINE: You're welcome.

CAMEROTA: Breaking news this morning, a former U.S. Marine facing 16 years in prison in Russia after being convicted by a Moscow court for spying. We have all of the details in a live report for you, next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[06:38:26]

JIM SCIUTTO, CNN ANCHOR: Breaking news this morning on CNN, an American in prison in Moscow, Paul Whelan, has just been sentenced to 16 years in prison. Whelan has been detained since 2018 on espionage charges. He maintains his innocent. The U.S. ambassador to Russia calls his trial a mockery of justice.

CNN's Matthew Chance joins us now. Matthew, tell us what's behind this, and has the president attempted

to intervene?

MATTHEW CHANCE, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, as far as we know, Jim, he hasn't. Certainly at the sentence hearing today, Paul Whelan stood there inside that glass, secure box that is such a feature of Russian courthouses and sort of made a protest before the sentence was handed down to him. He said it was a sham trial. It's something he said before. He appealed to the president of the United States to intervene to secure his release, along with the leaders of other countries, Britain, Canada, Ireland, he also has passports from those countries as well, to try and intervene, to try and get some, you know, some -- some justice or some hearing for him because this has been a controversial case from the outset. He was arrested in December 2018 in an upscale Moscow hotel. Details of it have always been very sketchy because it's a national security issue, the Russians say at stake here, they haven't even allowed us to hear any witness statements. No evidence has been presented.

But, you know, Paul Whelan, for his part, and his family, and U.S. officials, have said from the outset, this is absolutely fabricated. He has nothing to do with U.S. intelligence is what U.S. officials say, and he was merely set up potentially as a bargaining chip.

[06:40:07]

Now, the Russians, obviously, take a very different view. The prosecution asked for 18 years to be handed down to him for espionage. The Russian foreign minister in the past, Sergey Lavrov, has said that he was caught red-handed spying. And so, you know, we've had this standoff set up and so the big question next is -- is how long will Paul Whelan stay in Russian custody. He's been given this sentence of 16 years, but as I say, from the outset there's always been this speculation that he's some kind of bargaining chip or become a bargaining chip, perhaps for the Russians, to get the release of some Russian national. And there are several of them being held in U.S. prisons.

Jim.

CAMEROTA: Matthew, thank you very much for that report.

So, a setback for press freedom. Journalist Maria Ressa, known for her critical coverage of Philippines President Duterte, has been convicted in that country of cyber libel after years of government threats. Reza, who created the online news outlet Rappler, was charged, along with a former colleague, for an article the site published in 2012. They could face between six months and six years in prison for a case that has been widely condemned as politically motivated. Reza, who used to be a CNN bureau chief, spoke with CNN last night after posting bail.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MARIA RESSA, JOURNALIST: We swat it away and we keep our eye on the ball. I -- it makes me wonder and worry, what is the government afraid of? Why are they afraid of journalists? Why must they always make me feel their power? I think I'm a nice person. I ask very respectfully. Our reporters are very respectful. But they just don't like the questions.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CAMEROTA: Ressa is a former "Time" magazine "Person of the Year." She has posted bail eight times on a litany of charges that she calls an absurd effort to silence her.

SCIUTTO: Well, this morning, Dow futures plunging more than 500 points. This points to more losses at the start of the week as the market deals with renewed fears about the coronavirus, the broader effect on the world economy, the U.S. economy. This as Trade Adviser Peter Navarro says that President Trump is pushing now for a fourth round of stimulus to the tune of $2 trillion on top of the trillions already spent.

CNN's Christine Romans joins us now with more.

And, you know, Christine, you and I have talked about this repeatedly, the market has been in its own galaxy for the last several weeks, even as the U.S. economy has dropped, you know, at depression era levels.

CHRISTINE ROMANS, CNN CHIEF BUSINESS CORRESPONDENT: Yes.

SCIUTTO: Rising. Now it's falling. I mean the -- are -- is it -- are investors seeing the reality here --

ROMANS: Yes.

SCIUTTO: Or is -- or is this a short-term correction?

ROMANS: You know, Jim, you're so right, and good morning, it really is a reality check here. You've got U.S. futures and global markets falling again overnight on the fears of a surge in coronavirus cases. This comes as the U.S. records 115,000 deaths and the cases rise in 18 states.

You know, for weeks, Wall Street's big gains seemed completely disconnected from the struggling U.S. economy, disconnected from main street. But last week, a reality check. Stocks saw their worst drops since March amid warnings of a second wave of this virus. A new surge could be devastating for the economy and would likely require more economic stimulus to deal with it.

What would that look like? Well, the White House Trade Adviser Peter Navarro says the administration wants a $2 trillion package focused on buy American, hire American.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

PETER NAVARRO, WHITE HOUSE TRADE ADVISER: One of the key thrusts of any phase four in any economic plan going forward has to be manufacturing jobs.

The president is very interested in something on the order of at least $2 trillion.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ROMANS: So why the focus on manufacturing? Well, Navarro adds that those jobs pay good wages and they create more jobs in a community.

That $2 trillion price tag squarely between what congressional Democrats and Republicans are asking for. Democrats want an additional $3 trillion in aid. They want it passed soon. They want state and local government bailouts. Republican want to wait to pass more relief, spending no more than a trillion with a focus on liability protection, Jim, for businesses.

SCIUTTO: A trillion here, a trillion there. Pretty soon you're talking about real money, right?

ROMANS: It's real money. It's real money.

SCIUTTO: Christine Romans, always good to have you.

Well, President Trump has attacked protestors in Seattle, calling them domestic terrorists. So, CNN went inside the so-called autonomous zone to see what's really going on. Have a look at those pictures. It may surprise you.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[06:48:42]

CAMEROTA: President Trump continuing his attacks on Democrats over the situation in Seattle's so-called autonomous protest zone. Thousands of protestors have gathered in a six block area and taken over the local police precinct. But is it really anarchy as the president and conservative media claim?

Well, CNN's Dan Simon takes us inside.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

DAN SIMON, CNN CORRESPONDENT: So this is what it looks like when you enter CHAZ. You see some of this street graffiti behind me. There might be a security person here asking a few questions or just trying to make sure that you're not somebody who's going to stir up trouble.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We're just making sure that there's no violence or, you know, anything against people of color. That's why we're here.

SIMON: Then you walk 200 or 300 feet and then you're in the heart of the zone.

This is the main focal point of the occupation zone, the police precinct behind me. People have put up messages. They've made signs. And a lot of folks are just coming by and taking in the sight.

How would you describe CHAZ and the occupation? JAWAN CAMPBELL, SEATTLE RESIDENT: Oh, it's good. It's -- a lot of

people out here, unity, a little -- trying to get this equality thing going and it's very peaceful out here.

SIMON: One of the more remarkable things about the occupation is the infrastructure. They are incredibly well stocked for the long haul.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: See all those plastic bags with cards in it? Those are all individual donor cards. So like most of this stuff just comes one bag of groceries at a time from folks in the community who want to help take care of each other.

[06:50:04]

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes, we have like so much stuff we, like, can't get enough people to take it right now.

SIMON: A lot of people are on this field. They might be relaxing or having a picnic. You can see this meditation society behind me. It doesn't really look like the picture of anarchy.

What are your immediate impressions?

MEGAN JOHNSON, BROUGHT HER TWO SONS: It seems like it's a great way to demonstrate what's happening. And this is a very revolutionary time in our history and I think my kids need to see it. And it seems peaceful and under control.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It's a good vibe. It's a good vibe. I mean you've got a million people here that got different opinions. It's not a million, but everybody got a different opinion. So, yes, we're going to hear some screaming and yelling, but it's only their opinion.

SIMON: We've seen a lot of different groups hold various events here. This is a group of Native Americans behind me doing a drum ceremony.

Now, is everything Pollyannaish here? Obviously not. We have seen some tempers flare, especially when somebody tries to interrupt the speaker. And some folks are openly carrying weapons. Remember, Washington is an open carry state.

RAZ SIMONE, PROTESTOR: This is only a couple little -- little bullets in this guy right here. It's -- you know, what I mean, this is not for the police. I'm an American citizen and my war is not with the police, it's with the system and the accountability that -- the lack of accountability. But, no, this is just for protection.

SIMON: What do you think of CHAZ?

ADAM ONE, ARTIST: This is the most beautiful thing. It's so hopeful. I've been to a lot of festivals around the world and what I see is just something very similar, like love and giving in a self-organized policing and, yes, just a lot of good vibes, rainbows, you know, and it's really hopeful for me.

(END VIDEOTAPE) CAMEROTA: Our thanks to Dan Simon for that interesting look inside.

So as more people begin flying again, how are airlines gearing up for a summer travel season like none other? Well, that's next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[06:55:48]

CAMEROTA: Dr. Anthony Fauci throwing some cold water on the idea that air travel restrictions between the U.S. and Europe will be lifted in time for summer. The pandemic has crippled the airline industry.

CNN's Pete Muntean is live at Dulles with more.

So what do we think's going to happen this summer, Pete?

PETE MUNTEAN, CNN AVIATION CORRESPONDENT: Well, Alisyn, we know that airlines are trying to prove that flying is safe, even in spite of that warning. Airports still mostly empty right now during what will be a make it or break it summer travel season that would usually be kicking into high gear right now. Airlines are trying to show that flying is safe, they're trying to convince passengers to come back, even with thousands of jobs on the line.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: While on board, you are required to wear a mask.

MUNTEAN: United Airlines is disinfecting everything, from check-in to tray tables here at its Dulles hub, but it is behind the scenes where you can see how much business airlines are losing. We saw 26 jets in storage, only some of unit's fleet that has been parked by this pandemic since March.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: As the demand picks up, we have to be ready.

MUNTEAN: Brian Curr's maintenance crews are working on planes they only hope will fly again soon. The TSA says it is finally recorded days when more than half a million people passed through security, but that is only a fraction of last summer when more than 2.5 million Americans flew each day.

MUNTEAN (on camera): Would you go fly right now?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes, I would definitely fly right now.

MUNTEAN (voice over): Hub manager Omar Idorus (ph) is part of United's urgent push to get people flying again. Passengers must wear masks, board back to front, and are given wipes. Employees get checked for fevers when they start a shift. They will keep working through September thanks to strings attached to an industry bailout. But after that, airlines are already forecasting furloughs and layoffs. Flight attendants, like Susannah Carr, need the industry to recover.

SUSANNAH CARR, ASSOCIATION OF FLIGHT ATTENDANTS: This is a very frightening time when we hear about the footprint of an airline becoming smaller.

MUNTEAN: Airlines are keeping some seats empty for social distancing. Delta, for instance, is capping capacity at 60 percent. But airlines still need to sell available seats. United says this flight to Chicago was only 30 percent full.

MUNTEAN (on camera): This is the first time we're seeing this cleaning process for ourselves. It takes about ten minutes to completely spray down a 787 like this.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It's certainly a challenge, but it's one that we're all stepping up to.

MUNTEAN: There is a glimmer of hope. United says it will add flights in July and resume more than 140 routes. Delta is doing the same, along with American. But starved for revenue, airlines need a quicker climb to reach smooth air.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: There's a lot of anxiety with our customers. There's a lot of anxiety with our employees in terms of aviation in general, but we're confident that it will return.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

MUNTEAN: Airlines are rolling out new ways to prove that you can be healthy and fly. Delta is now going to test its employees for coronavirus and coronavirus antibodies. An announcement on that coming sometime this week. United is asking its passengers as they check in to answer health questions on their phone.

Alisyn.

CAMEROTA: Interesting to see how much has changed.

Pete Muntean, thank you very much.

MUNTEAN: Yes.

CAMEROTA: NEW DAY continues right now.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: No justice.

CROWD: No peace.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I've watched the interaction with Mr. Brooks and it broke my heart. This is not confrontational.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: He ran. He did have the Taser. But according to law, a Taser is not a lethal weapon. And then they shot him.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Life matters more than a Wendy's. So the buildings can burn. We don't want to harm members of the community.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We still train our police to use force, but we have to do a much better job.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: After 40 years of African-Americans being in leading positions in politics, there still appears to be a systemic problem around race in the Atlanta Police Department.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ANNOUNCER: This is NEW DAY with Alisyn Camerota and John Berman.

CAMEROTA: We want to welcome to our viewers in the United States and all around the world.

[07:00:01]

This is NEW DAY. John Berman is off. Jim Sciutto is joining me.

And protests continuing --

SCIUTTO: Good to be here.

CAMEROTA: Great to have you -- overnight.

END