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Interview With Black Lives Matter Organizer & Cal State, L.A. Professor & Chair Of Pan-African Studies, Melina Abdullah; Update On Coronavirus Responses Around The World; GENYOUth CEO, Alexis Glick, Discusses How Markets Are Seeing Best Quarter In Decades As Workers, Businesses Suffer; CNN's Brooke Baldwin Donates Plasma To Coronavirus Patients. Aired 1:30-2p ET
Aired July 01, 2020 - 13:30 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
[13:30:00]
BROOKE BALDWIN, CNN HOST: It is only Wednesday. He is stoking the racial divide in this country. The election is still four months away.
If the president does this again, how should the country respond?
MELINA ABDULLAH, ORGANIZER AND ORIGINAL MEMBER, BLACK LIVES MATTER & PROFESSOR AND CHAIR, PAN-AFRICAN STUDIES, CALIFORNIA STATE UNIVERSITY, LOS ANGELES: I think we need to remember who he is, that Donald Trump is the embodiment of white supremacist terrorism.
When he is tweeting videos of people throwing up white power and really entangling himself within the white terrorist movement, right? He's done that not just only over the last week, but over the last four years. And you see that really manifest in terms of the surge in hate crimes, which are primarily meted out on black people and at the hands of white people.
So it's really important to understand what Donald Trump has done to this country, and where he's chose to align himself.
For him, again, to call anything hate is really the height of hypocrisy. And, you know, we need as a country, to be willing to point to him and say that he is actually the terrorist in chief.
BALDWIN: Wow. Those are strong, strong words. Obviously, the White House would dispute that, but you're allowed your freedom of opinion.
And the fact is that the president is highly critical of Black Lives Matter. You know, also critical of a notion tearing down our nation's monuments, Confederate monuments because, as he points out they a part of our nation's history.
But isn't the part of the reason Black Lives Matter was founded is because of our nation's history?
Can you, Melina, speak to that? Take us back to the beginning.
ABDULLAH: Absolutely. Black Lives Matter is working towards a world that no longer targets black people for demise. Right? We recognize that the foundation of this country is really one that
has been grounded in racism. It's based on the stolen land of indigenous people and the stolen labor of black people.
And if we're going to really kind of advance the cause of justice, we need to come to a place of reckoning where we recognize exactly what this country is based on and do all that we can to remedy those wrongs and move forward in a new way.
So Black Lives Matter was founded in order to affirm the value of black life and to protect black life.
And so for the president of this country to call that affirmation a symbol of hate, I think says much more about who he is than it does about who we are.
We're also in a moment in this country where I think the entire nation is beginning to shift and recognize that they, too, black or not black, need to affirm the value of black life. And that's what the painting of these words means.
And we're also saying that beyond saying Black Lives Matter, this country needs to also make black lives matter by shifting policy and practices in a way that is embracing and uplifting to black people, in particular, and by extension, all people.
BALDWIN: And much of that can be decided, if people, you know, exercise that First Amendment right and show up on November 3rd. That is up to Americans across the board.
Melina Abdullah, I appreciate you and I appreciate your voice. One of the original members of Black Lives Matter, this movement. Thank you very much.
ABDULLAH: Thank you, Brooke.
BALDWIN: The ban -- you got it.
The ban on American travelers to the European Union goes into effect today. Why authorities say doing otherwise would be a public health hazard.
[13:33:47]
And bars in Texas are suing the government over these new restrictions forcing them to shut down. We'll talk to one of those bar owners a little bit later.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[13:38:45]
BALDWIN: Just around the world here, Switzerland today in unveiling a mandatory mask policy for anyone riding on public transportation. Switzerland's new mark rules taking effect Monday. The country boosting its current rule, which only requires folks wear a mask during rush hour on public transportation.
This, plus a look at other headlines around the globe.
We begin with CNN's David Culver in China.
Hey, David.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
DAVID CULVER, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: I'm David Culver, in Beijing, where researchers are warning of a swine flu that can transmit from pigs to humans. Experts call it G-4. They say it's genetically descended from H1N1, which became a pandemic in 2009.
Chinese researchers made this discovery during a pig surveillance program. Scientists say, in two Chinese provinces, more than 10 percent of workers on pig farms tested positive for this virus. They add it can lead to severe infection and even death.
But experts caution that this new virus does not pose an immediate global health threat and does not appear to exhibit human-to-human transmission like COVID-19.
When asked about how China is handling the pathogen, the ministry spokesperson said China will take all necessary measures to prevent the spread and outbreak of any virus. But much of the concern is no doubt rooted in Chinese transparency, or lack thereof, following the novel coronavirus outbreak.
[13:40:10]
SHASTA DARLINGTON, CNN CORRESPONDENT: I'm Shasta Darlington, in Sao Paulo. Rio de Janeiro preparing to reopen bars, restaurants and gyms tomorrow and private schools next week, even though the number of new COVID-19 infections in the state has not slowed, and the rate of contagion has gone up since allowing shopping malls and offices to reopen earlier this month.
In fact, the Pan-American Health Organization warned countries like Brazil, Argentina and Peru aren't likely to peak until mid-August. The group of directors said the death toll in Latin America and the Caribbean could nearly quadruple to more than 438,000 by October.
MATT RIVERS, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Here in Mexico City, different parts of the economy are reopening all week long.
And today, we get one of our most visual representations of that. That will be at restaurants. They're allowed to reopen to diners with a 50 percent capacity. Hotels are also being allowed to reopen tomorrow. It's going to be markets here and, later in the week, it'll be places like hair salons.
This all comes as cases and deaths in Mexico continue to rise at an alarming rate, which makes public health experts worried this reopening is coming too soon. Meanwhile, news out of the president's office, President Andres Manuel
Lopez Obrador set to visit President Trump in Washington, D.C., for a bilateral meeting July 8th.
FRED PLEITGEN, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: I'm Fred Pleitgen, in Brussels, where the European Union's easing of traffic restrictions for foreign travels has now gone into effect. However, Americans continue to be banned from entering the European Union's territory.
Now, all of this is despite the fact that American travelers usually bring billions of dollars here to the continent. However, authorities here in the European Union believe letting Americans in would be a public health hazard because of the trajectory of the coronavirus crisis in the United States and surge in cases there.
The next time the E.U. will re-evaluate the position will be two weeks from now. Until then, Americans will be unable to travel to the European Union.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
BALDWIN: Thanks to all our correspondents around the world.
Back here at home, millions of workers and businesses are still suffocating under the weight of this pandemic. So how is it Wall Street just finished its best quarter in more than 20 years? What's behind the disconnect? Alexis Glick is next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[13:46:53]
BALDWIN: Kicking off the second half of 2020, stocks opened higher an Pfizer reported positive data in its coronavirus vaccine trial. And as the economy continues to suffer from the effects of this pandemic, Wall Street experienced a strong close to second-quarter gains.
But while Wall Street is rallying, Americans are hurting. So what's behind this massive disconnect?
Here to help us understand it, financial expert, Alexis Glick. She's a former Wall Street executive and is now the CEO of the nonprofit, Gen Youth.
Hello, my friend and thank you for coming on.
ALEXIS GLICK, CEO, GENYOUTH & FINANCIAL EXPERT: Thank you.
BALDWIN: Why the divide between Wall Street and the economy?
GLICK: Brooke, you and I talk all the time. I haven't seen anything like this in my career and I've covered or worked on Wall Street the last 20 years. The disconnect is the greatest disconnect I've ever seen. The market now is being buoyed by two things. The idea of the economy
reopening. And number two, fiscal and monetary stimulus, which the government has been pumping into the market.
But what we tend to do in the stock market is we buy on the rumor and sell on the news. We're buying on the rumor that the economy is going to come roaring back. But the reality is, with the escalation in COVID cases, we are far from roaring back.
And very briefly, I'll tell you, the S&P 500 represents 500 of the largest companies in the worlds. And 200 of those 500 companies are no longer giving quarterly guidance into what their numbers look like. If that doesn't scare you, I don't get it.
To me, right now, when those second-quarter results start coming out in the next couple of weeks, we're going to have a reality check in the stock market, and we're going to begin to see the economy reflected in the stock market.
BALDWIN: I want to ask you about jobs because I saw this number. The payroll company, ADP, reported U.S. companies added nearly 2.4 million jobs in June. But total unemployment is very much below pre-pandemic levels.
Alexis, what concerns you the most, particularly as it relates to jobs and we're seeing an uptick in COVID cases?
GLICK: The thing that keeps me up at night is the federal assistance we've been receiving in unemployment benefits. As we sit here today, almost 48 million people filed weekly claims. Over 30 million Americans are receiving employment benefits.
That $600 check given out in the March CARES Act, it actually expires on July 31. In some states, those checks stopped. The last check goes out on July 25th.
The Senate is going into recess on Friday through July 17th. That means that when they return back from recess, we have about 10 days to address this problem. It's a lifeline for tens of millions of Americans.
While I get there's a concern that that federal dollar on top of the states' dollars are basically -- people are making more money than they may make in a living wage in they do in their day-to-day job.
The reality is, if we lose federal assistance in an unemployment benefits and we don't do something, very quickly and urgently, when those members of Congress go back and see their constituents, when they start to see second-quarter earnings, as these COVID cases begin to escalate, if we don't act and extends employment benefits to 2021, we're going to see a major pullback in the economy.
[13:50:19]
And all these rose-colored glasses about the V-shaped recovery are going to dissipate before we know it. BALDWIN: We should talk again when Congress is back up against the
clock on all of this.
For now, I will say thank you, Alexis. Good to see you. Good to have you on.
GLICK: Great to see you.
BALDWIN: And coming up here, more of a personal piece. So many have watched and supported me when I was fighting coronavirus early back in April and my journey back to good health. So, now, I want to show you what I and so many other COVID survivors are doing next in the fight against the virus.
So stay tuned.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[13:55:36]
BALDWIN: Some of you may know but I was pretty sick in early April. And I, like so many of you, had coronavirus. In the sickest moments, I imagined the day I would feel better and be able to turn this experience into good.
And this week, I have done exactly that thanks to the Red Cross and my COVID antibodies. I donated my plasma, which will go to three people desperately in need.
I wanted to take a CNN camera with me, as it was my first time doing anything like this, and show you how easy it was and how you, too, can help.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
BALDWIN: Morning.
BALDWIN (voice-over): Three months since I tested positive for coronavirus, I finally get to do some good.
(on camera): Hi, I'm Brooke.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Hey, Brooke. I'm Rose (ph).
BALDWIN (voice-over): Here at an American Red Cross pop-up site in Newark, New Jersey, people, like me who have recovered from COVID-19, can donate their plasma.
(on camera): So, what does the plasma do for the COVID, the sick COVID folks.
ROBEAP SANTOS, TEAM SUPERVISOR, AMERICAN RED CROSS: The plasma has, other than nutrients, it has the antibodies in it, too. So --
BALDWIN: That's amazing. So, they get my antibodies to fight the virus. SANTOS: Hm-hmm.
BALDWIN: (voice-over) But before I show you how it's done and how you too can help, let me remind you how I got here.
ANNOUNCER: This is CNN breaking news.
JAKE TAPPER, CNN ANCHOR: Our friend and colleague, Brooke Baldwin, who normally anchors at this time, has, herself, been diagnosed with coronavirus.
BALDWIN: On April 3rd, I found out I was sick. Coronavirus took a full two-week beating on my body.
(on camera); I can feel I'm, like, fighting it all night and I had this golf-ball-sized gland yesterday.
(voice-over): But still, I was one of the lucky ones. Eventually, I got the all clear from my doctors and was able to get back on my feet.
(on camera): I feel so much better.
UNIDENTIFIED CORRESPONDENT: I love that you're healthy now and you want to help people who are still sick.
BALDWIN (on camera): I want to be able to donate my plasma.
(voice-over): Flash forward to today, I finally get to do exactly that.
SANTOS: You have very good platelets.
BALDWIN: This is Robeap Santos, a team supervisor with the American Red Cross. She lives in California but left her family behind for two weeks to help with the overwhelming case load in New York and New Jersey.
And now, as the curve flattens here, she's heading back to the west coast where coronavirus cases are once again on the rise.
SANTOS: I knew there was a decrease before we came out. And now it's an increase.
(CROSSTALK)
BALDWIN: Here's how this works.
(on camera): You got it?
(voice-over): With the needle in my arm, blood is drawn. This machine then separates my plasma, the yellow liquid, from my blood. And the blood gets pumped back into my body. But the best part, learning where the plasma will go.
(on camera): Let's assume I have antibodies and good stuff to give to somebody in need, who else would need my blood? Somebody else in the hospital who's really sick?
SANTOS: Yes. So it's somebody in the hospital who is really sick with COVID-19 who's having a hard time recovering. I actually look at is as this is actually saving the life of mothers who can go back to their kids.
BALDWIN: I'm going to cry.
(LAUGHTER)
BALDWIN: We're getting serious.
(LAUGHTER)
BALDWIN: You got a needle in your arm.
(LAUGHTER)
BALDWIN (voice-over): Even a after 17 years on the job, this is emotional for Robeap. She lost her sister, Doraban (ph), to leukemia four years ago. But thanks to donor blood, platelets and plasma, her sister was able to live long enough to meet Robeap's youngest baby boy.
SANTOS: Unfortunately, she passed 10 months after. So, blood donation is -- I'm more into it because of the mission itself.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
BALDWIN (voice-over): Thanks to Robeap and the Red Cross team, they made this process, a first for me, pretty painless.
And after about an hour, I was done. I'm a little woozy but so grateful to give.
(on camera): Whoa. So, this goes to three people?
SANTOS: It will get separated to these three bags.
BALDWIN: No way.
SANTOS: Yes.
BALDWIN: This
(CROSSTALK)
BALDWIN: This little guy --
SANTOS: That little guy.
BALDWIN: -- can save three people?
SANTOS: Yes.
BALDWIN: That's amazing. (END VIDEOTAPE)
BALDWIN: That is so amazing. And Nurse Robeap, for holding my hand, amazing. Red Cross, amazing.
[14:00:03]
If you have had coronavirus and would like to do what I just did, you can donate your plasma. Just go to RedCrossblood.org. And if you haven't had coronavirus but want to give a blood donation, you can totally do it. Go to their Web site as well.
