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Federal Agents Hit Portland Mayor With Tear Gas; Trump, Chicago Mayor Locked In Battle Over Federal Agents In City; Players Raise Fears Over NFL's COVID-19 Safety Protocols. Aired 12:30-1p ET
Aired July 23, 2020 - 12:30 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
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[12:32:35]
JOHN KING, CNN HOST: Some shocking images out of Portland, Oregon federal agents they're using tear gas to try to disperse protesters. Among them in the middle of that, Portland's Mayor, Ted Wheeler, the clashes in front of the federal courthouse between protesters and federal agents, sparking a debate over who's to blame for this violence.
CNN security correspondent, Josh Campbell, was right there.
JOSH CAMPBELL, CNN SECURITY CORRESPONDENT: Hi, John. Another night of protests here in the city of Portland, Oregon, something we've seen here for well over 50 days where protesters will come out mostly peaceful during the daytime, calling for racial justice, calling for an end to police brutality in their words, and calling for an end to this influx in federal troops that were sent in, these federal agents by the Trump administration.
I apologize for my voice in advance. We've been tear gassed overnight more times than I can count and that is because in this group of protesters, there were a group of rioters that then caused federal agents to come out. These rioters launching fireworks, launching projectiles at the building, even setting fires outside of a federal courthouse overnight, that causing federal agents to then launch tear gas into the crowd pushing all of us back away from that area.
In the crowd, in addition to protesters, in addition to journalists, was the Mayor of Portland. And I caught up with him overnight asked him whether or not his local administration, local police are to blame, are responsible for some of the destruction that we've seen here night after night. Take a listen to what he said and pointing to federal officials as having the responsibility.
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MAYOR TED WHEELER (D), PORTLAND, OREGON: This is clearly a waste of federal resources. And it's getting increasingly dangerous. We did not ask the feds to be here. We don't want them here. They're not helping the situation. They're not appropriately trained. And we're demanding that they leave.
And their presence here is creating more problems rather than less problems. The tactics they've been using are a pourraient.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CAMPBELL: Now of course, President Trump and his administration continued to blame Portland city officials saying that the only reason federal officials are here is because the Portland Police and city officials are not adequately protecting that building. That is this ongoing standoff that we've continued to see between federal officials, between local officials.
We talked to protesters overnight as well who said that as long as this influx of federal troops remains in their city, they're not leaving. We're going to continue to see more of these protests. John?
[12:35:01]
KING: Josh Campbell on the ground in Portland, Oregon, a similar fight brewing between the President and the mayor of Chicago. The President retweeting this morning a post calling Lori Lightfoot, the worst mayor in the United States. Overnight, the mayor had some tough words for the President. She says she will not tolerate what she calls quote, a bunch of secret federal agents patrolling her streets without coordination.
CNN's Ryan Young is on the ground for us there in Chicago. Ryan, we've seen what's played out in Portland. The question is, is that a preview coming attraction for Chicago?
RYAN YOUNG, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, I can tell you, a lot of people who live here in Chicago believe that will not work here in this city.
John, we've been talking about for years of how tough it is in the summertime to patrol the streets here in Chicago. Violence normally peaks but we've seen numbers that even this city is grappling with right now because they are surprised.
I want to show you something though, John, and you were just here a few months ago. That is the bridge right there that leads the Trump Tower. There was actually a homicide over here in the last few days. Police have just released some of this surveillance video, take a look at the video that we're showing you here. Police are looking for the men in this video, and they want to talk to the witness who are surrounding this area as this shooting happened.
This happened in the loop, it sort of highlights where this violence is spreading throughout the city. We'll also show you some video from a funeral scene where we know 14 people were shot. There's a lot of people asking for help when it comes to taking the crime and stamping it down here in Chicago.
But the mayor believes they are uniquely able to handle some of it, especially if they use existing federal resources and help push more federal resources or the ATF and DEA. But of course the President wants to get involved. But take a listen to the mayor and what she had to say.
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MAYOR LORI LIGHTFOOT (D), CHICAGO: I think I've been very clear with the President that there are certain things in lines that I will just not allow him to cross. I'm not going to have a bunch of secret federal agents patrolling our streets without any coordination or cooperation and taking people off the streets without any cause and violating their due process rights.
We stand ready to fight against that. Now, if he's going to bring resources in that are under the control and direction of the U.S. Attorney, that's another thing.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
YOUNG: Of course, John, people are concerned that you'll have these federal agents sort of roaming around picking people up and that could start a flashpoint between the community. But if you think about this backdrop, the fact that a murder happened down this bridge in the middle of downtown, it's different course with COVID-19. Not as many tourists as normal.
But if you think about this optics in terms of the city and trying to get rid of this violence after weekends of 60 and 70 and 60 shot, you can understand people want change.
KING: You do understand people want change. Ryan Young, appreciate that. The question is, does this help the problem or escalate the problem? We'll watch as it plays out appreciate the important live reporting. Ryan, thanks so much.
Up next, this should have been day one of the Summer Olympics in Japan. Instead Tokyo marketing in new coronavirus record today.
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[12:42:26]
KING: Japan hitting a new record in coronavirus cases today, the day that should have been spent opening the Tokyo Summer Olympics. CNN reporters bring us that story and other global developments from around the world.
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KAORI ENJOJI, CNN REPORTER: Here in Tokyo, one year to go until the Summer Olympics and the question everyone is asking is whether the games should and can go ahead.
Japan has fared much better than many other countries in containing the corona virus. But the number of new cases in the capital here in Tokyo hit a record high today. We're going into long holiday we can here. And the message from the governor is, please stay home. The Japanese government is still not opening sporting stadiums to full capacity. Now, that's a big obstacle if it wants to host one of the world's biggest sporting events.
Kaori Enjoji for CNN, Tokyo.
OREN LIEBERMANN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Here in Jerusalem, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is under increasing pressure as protests against Israel's longest serving leader have grown.
There has always been an anticorruption, anti-BB element to these we've seen that for months. What's new here is the other causes, the other sources of anger, demonstrations about economic frustration, we've seen social worker protests join in here, as well as restaurant owners. All of that is putting pressure directly on Netanyahu.
And that comes as coronavirus cases in the country continue their skyward trend. On Wednesday, Israel crack the 2,000 mark with 2,032 confirmed cases of coronavirus according to the Ministry of Health. That breaks the mark at which the Health Minister suggested Israel might have to return to a second locked down, just as worrying the number of serious cases has nearly quadrupled since the beginning of the month.
Netanyahu has finally appointed a coronavirus czar four to five months after the first case appeared in Israel. But even that was turned down by number of candidates who feared it was not a job with any responsibility, but would be given all the blame. That is a signal of the public frustration that keeps growing when it comes to Netanyahu's handling of the coronavirus crisis.
In Jerusalem, Oren Liebermann, CNN.
BEN WEDEMAN, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: In Egypt, doctors already have a hard enough time dealing with the coronavirus outbreak. But their job is being made all the more difficult by the country's pervasive security services, which have arrested at least seven medical personnel for speaking out about shortages of personal protective equipment and other shortcomings in the country's national health service.
They're accused of among other things, membership in a terrorist organization and spreading false news. Now, Egypt's Doctors Union has come to their defense, but because of the nature of the accusations, specifically membership in a terrorist organization, lawyers are not being given access to any of the evidence.
[12:45:16]
Egyptian officials have not responded to CNN requests for comment. Until now, Egypt has recorded nearly 90,000 cases of coronavirus including almost 4,500 deaths. Among them more than 120 doctors who've died from the virus.
Ben Wedeman, CNN, Beirut. (END VIDEOTAPE)
KING: Up next for us, baseball, America's game, makes its official return today. That is the debate forms in the NFL. Does the league really have a plan to keep its players safe?
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[12:50:33]
KING: It is opening day for Major League Baseball, 119 days late, the first game right here in D.C., the reigning champs at Washington Nationals hosting the Yankees at 7:00 p.m. Eastern at National Park.
Dr. Anthony Fauci will throw out the ceremonial first pitch. But things will be very different. No fans in the stands instead, cardboard cutouts. Players will be tested every other day. Temperature checks twice a day.
And CNN has learned just in the last hour players will be allowed to wear Black Lives Matter messages on their uniform or their cleats. Next week marks the start of football training camps. This morning, Tom Brady, he used to play for a team I like now he plays for another team, arriving at a COVID-19 testing facility in Tampa, Florida. That's just one part of the training camp protocols.
Players must have two negative tests taken 72 hours apart before being allowed to enter team facilities. Then they'll be tested daily, the first two weeks. But some players including the quarterbacks, Russell Wilson and Drew Brees have publicly questioned whether it's enough.
Let's bring in Dr. Myron Rolle. He's a neurosurgeon who also happens to be a former NFL player. Doctor, it's good to see you again. What is your take on this, your own medical expertise and from conversations with friends and colleagues still in the game, does the NFL have a good enough plan?
DR. MYRON ROLLE, NEUROSURGEON AND FORMER NFL PLAYER: Well, thanks for having me, Mr. King. I don't think they do. I think this is a rather ambitious to start this league this early in the setting of a pandemic that's seeing a rise in numbers of people, infections, hospitalizations, hospital beds being used, PPE resources being in high demand.
You know, when you have a league that's has players that have voiced their concerns about their own safety, their family's safety, the equipment managers, the staff, the other people who are in that lockbox facility of the NFL, I think the NFL should listen to take a step back, pause, and really delay the season or maybe even cancel it to make sure that we have this pandemic under good control before we start football again.
KING: You know what it's like to go to training camp. You know what it's like to play a full season. You know what it's like to be on the frontlines of the coronavirus battle as well which makes your perspective unique. Players must have to negative test, 72 hours apart before they can entertain facilities. That sounds like common sense. Players will be tested every day for two weeks. If results for all team members are at or below 5 percent, testing moves to every other day.
So that's a plan on paper. Then there's the reality of this virus and we have seen it in every workplace that has reopened including watching baseball, watching basketball and the like. What are your major concerns? And is there something unique about football that you just says, this isn't going to work, guys?
ROLLE: You know, the NFL is trying to be creative. They're trying to be innovative to get this game going. Again, we obviously love the sport. And as speaking from a former player'0s perspective, you know, a lot of these guys are their main breadwinners of their family. I mean, they've lived their whole life for this moment. You only have a transient window to pursue your athletic goals and your athletic dream before you leave the NFL.
But practically inherently in the game, you have to be close contact. You have to physical, be physical. You have to have these, you know, trench on battles. You have to tackle. You have to be in a huddle. You have to be in team meeting rooms and walkthroughs, wait rooms. It's difficult to have a team game when you're separate and apart, right? So that's an issue.
And what we've seen in medical facilities and our hospital, National Hospital is that, yes, people who have low functional reserve, people who are older, people who have premorbid and coexisting conditions, they get hit very hard by COVID-19. But we also know it doesn't discriminate. And so can hit someone who's an extraordinary athlete very fit like some of these players and compromising very quickly.
So I think there's more uncertainties around this. And until we have more certainties and more control of what's going on, I think we certainly shouldn't let.
KING: Dr. Rolle, appreciate your insights and expertise. We're going to examine or bring you back as we go through this. We'll watch baseball gets underway, the NBA next week, the NFL planning a training camp. This is a conversation we can all continue as we watch whether the safety protocols work. Appreciate your time today.
[12:54:31]
Up next for us, a bad day for several U.S. airlines, their staggering pandemic losses, next.
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KING: A punishing time for the airline industry. Here's Christine Romans.
CHRISTINE ROMANS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: The pandemic has brought global travel to a crawl. The second quarter is expected to be the worst ever for airlines, airlines losing millions of dollars a day. Now United hopes to slow its cash burn from 40 million a day in the second quarter to 25 million in the third. United expects flights this month to be a little less than half full. United and Southwest both say, air travel won't begin to recover until there is a vaccine.
The losses are staggering, United lost $1.6 billion in the quarter, Southwest, 915 million, and American more than 2 billion. Not exactly unexpected with the global economy shutdown but troubling, what looked like the beginnings of a travel recovery has now stalled. Airline executives have been blunt, the job cuts are coming once federal funding ends October 1st. John?
[13:00:05]
KING: Christine Romans, thank you for that. Hope to see you back here this time tomorrow. Busy News Day, Brianna Keilar picks up our coverage right now. Have a good day.
