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Early Start with John Berman and Zoraida Sambolin
COVID Models Predict Skyrocketing Number Of Dead Americans; Trump Orders Bans On TikTok And WeChat If Not Sold; Concerns Of Second Coronavirus Wave As New Cases Mount In Europe. Aired 5:30-6a ET
Aired August 07, 2020 - 05:30 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
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[05:30:12]
CHRISTINE ROMANS, CNN ANCHOR: The number of dead Americans could double by December. The only way to prevent it, wear a mask.
BORIS SANCHEZ, CNN ANCHOR: And breaking overnight, the president following through with a ban on two Chinese apps. The consequences could go further than you think.
ROMANS: Good morning, this is EARLY START. I'm Christine Romans.
SANCHEZ: And I'm Boris Sanchez in for Laura Jarrett. We are just half past the hour.
And, Christine, it sounds like we're seeing some breaking news --
ROMANS: Yes.
SANCHEZ: -- not far from where you are right now.
ROMANS: That's right. We are following these widespread reports of power outages -- widespread power outages in New York City.
This is the view from our building, looking north to Harlem. This time of morning, Boris, that should be lit up with lights.
So we are following these reports of widespread power outages in New York City. We'll get that to you as soon as we have confirmation and more details.
But at 30 minutes past the hour, our top story this morning, 160,000 Americans now dead of coronavirus and the situation won't improve anytime soon. The CDC projects 181,000 Americans will die by August 29th. That's still 1,000 people a day until then. More than 1,200 people died yesterday of coronavirus.
Now, a separate influential model used by the White House projects the death rate gets even worse. Nearly 300,000 -- almost double the current toll -- could die by December first. But, this same model also shows if nearly everyone wore a mask -- 95 percent of the population -- 66,000 lives would be spared. Easy comparison here. Kentucky mandated masks last month -- deaths are down. Tennessee has no mask requirement -- deaths are up.
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GOV. ANDY BESHEAR (D), KENTUCKY: Wearing that facial covering, wearing that mask is truly helping Kentucky in so many different ways -- our people, our economy, our kids -- so let's keep it up.
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SANCHEZ: Overnight, a surprise from the FDA -- loosened mask guidelines making it easier for companies to obtain them. Why? The FDA says there is a shortage of personal protective equipment even though the White House has said for months that supplies are adequate.
Remember this exchange back in May?
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SOPHIA THOMAS, PRESIDENT, American ASSOCIATION OF NURSE PRACTITIONERS: I think it's sporadic. I've talked to my colleagues around the country and certainly, there are pockets of areas where PPE is not ideal. But this is an unprecedented time.
DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Sporadic for you, but not sporadic for a lot of other people --
THOMAS: Oh, no, I agree, Mr. President.
TRUMP: -- because I've heard the opposite.
THOMAS: Yes.
TRUMP: I've heard that they are loaded up with gowns now.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ROMANS: All right, another big surprise overnight in Ohio. Hours after announcing a positive test, Gov. Mike DeWine then said he tested negative for coronavirus last night.
Now, the first test before a planned meeting with the president was a rapid antigen test. Remember, eight states have now entered a pact to purchase antigen tests for faster results.
Testing actually declined in 29 states this week. The COVID Tracking Project says the drop in testing is now much more widespread, even in places that have large outbreaks and are opening schools.
SANCHEZ: Look, higher positivity is an especially big problem because the pandemic is skewing young. Young people who tend to be asymptomatic have been a leading cause of transmission. They spread the virus without realizing it.
In Georgia, one student was suspended after posting this photo of a very crowded hallway, as you can see, at her school. And on CNN, she paid homage to the late Congressman John Lewis, explaining why she posted it.
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HANNAH WATTERS, SUSPENDED AFTER TAKING PHOTO OF CROWDED SCHOOL HALLWAY: I was concerned for the safety of everyone in that building and everyone in the county. I like to say that this is some good and necessary trouble, so I don't regret this because it's -- it needed to be said.
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ROMANS: In that same spirit, dozens of Georgia teachers gathered outside of the Gwinnett County Schools building, honking horns and protesting against reopening in-person classes. Two hundred sixty- three Gwinnett school staff have either tested positive or are in quarantine.
Hillsborough County, in Florida -- the eighth-largest district in the country -- will start the year with remote learning. Nine of the 10 largest school systems will be starting all online. Only New York City's plans remain up in the air. At least 7.1 million students in the U.S. will start school fully-virtual.
SANCHEZ: All right, four states known to be adding cases. One is Hawaii, where crowded beaches have been an issue, like this one in Oahu. Now all beaches and parks in Oahu will be closed.
The positive coronavirus test rate in Texas jumping by nearly half in a week, as Michigan's governor orders masks for kids age two and up in childcare centers.
CNN has the pandemic covered from coast-to-coast. Take a look.
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ED LAVANDERA, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: I'm Ed Lavandera in Dallas.
Texas Gov. Greg Abbott says the state is nowhere close to being in a safe situation. This comes after the state of Texas reported more than 300 deaths on Thursday, and that the positive infection rate in new cases has now jumped to over 17 percent. That's a five percent jump, roughly, in just the last week.
There is some slivers of good news and that is that the number of new cases being reported has dropped -- the latest number just about 7,500 -- and that the number of people hospitalized because of coronavirus is also showing signs of dropping as well.
BRYNN GINGRAS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: I'm Brynn Gingras.
Because of COVID-19 outbreaks at childcare centers and camps in Michigan, the governor now requiring face coverings for children ages two and older, as well as staff. Children must also wear masks on the bus, and they're also mandated for kids older than four, indoors, according to this new executive order. For kids 12 and older, face coverings are required in classrooms and cabins.
In her announcement, Gov. Gretchen Whitmer also asked parents to be a role model for their kids and teach them the importance of masks in order to keep the virus at bay.
KYLIE ATWOOD, CNN NATIONAL SECURITY REPORTER: I'm Kylie Atwood at the State Department.
The global 'do not travel' advisory that the State Department put into place more than four months ago has now been lifted, and the State Department says that is because there are certain countries where the situation regarding the coronavirus pandemic is deteriorating; there are certain countries where it is improving. They want to provide country-by-country detailed and actionable advice and information to American travelers.
But, of course, there are still countries keeping out American visitors as a result of the growing number of cases in the United States.
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SANCHEZ: Breaking overnight, President Trump escalating his battle with Beijing, signing an executive order banning TikTok from operating in the U.S. within 45 days if it's not sold by its Chinese parent company. The president is citing national security concerns.
Critics of the popular app say it's possible user data could end up in the hands of the Chinese government. But, TikTok denies that and says it will pursue all remedies to ensure the company and users are treated fairly. Overnight, China reiterated its stance that national security is just an excuse to crush non-American businesses.
Microsoft has been in talks to purchase the app but the status of those talks is not clear this morning.
The president's executive order also accuses TikTok of spreading false claims about coronavirus, something Trump knows a lot about since he does it almost daily.
The ban also includes WeChat and its parent company, Tencent. And that could be very consequential because Tencent invests in a lot of U.S. tech companies, including Epic Games, the maker of Fortnite.
ROMANS: All right.
Lawmakers struggling to come together on a new critical stimulus package that includes the Paycheck Protection Program for small business. The deadline to apply for one of those loans is tomorrow and it's highly unlikely anything gets done before then.
For many small businesses, the money they received has already run out. The loan is only meant to cover about 2 1/2 months of payroll costs. That means if a business received a loan in April, the money would have run out by July.
Now, restrictions on spending also meant owners couldn't use funds on things to help adapt to operating during a pandemic.
Lawmakers are considering more flexible rules for these loans. A Republican proposal allows businesses to apply for a second loan and use that money for equipment needed to comply with federal health and safety guidelines.
Meantime, the coronavirus recession -- pain widespread here. Farm bankruptcies are up eight percent this year. Farmers already reeling from damaging trade wars and a slump in agriculture. Then, the coronavirus hit, adding extra strain to an already struggling sector.
SANCHEZ: The Trump administration is finding new ways to exert control over the U.S. Postal Service. Last week, Treasury Sec. Steve Mnuchin struck a deal to loan the Postal Service $10 billion. But the deal gives Mnuchin access to details of its 10-biggest service contracts, including, likely, Amazon.
Now, the move could give the administration new ammunition to push the Postal Service to agree to one of the president's pet projects, raising its shipping prices.
The president's words and actions raising fears that the post office is degrading service ahead of a surge of mail-in ballots in November. In heated talks this week with Trump's handpicked postmaster general, Democrats demanded the Postal Service reverse cutbacks that have already slowed the mail.
ROMANS: All right.
Former Vice President Joe Biden is calling President Trump shameful after this play to his base on Thursday's trip to Ohio.
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TRUMP: He's going to do things that nobody ever would ever think even possible because he's following the radical-left agenda. Take away your guns, destroy your Second Amendment. No religion, no anything, hurt the Bible, hurt God. He's against God, he's against guns.
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[05:40:10]
ROMANS: Now, Biden is a practicing Roman Catholic and has spoken publicly about the role his faith has played in his life, especially during moments of family tragedy.
The presumptive Democratic presidential nominee says, quote, "faith has been the bedrock foundation" of his life, and he calls Trump's attacks beneath the dignity of the office.
SANCHEZ: Biden, meantime, trying to limit the fallout from this comment he made during an online gathering of black and Hispanic journalists -- listen.
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JOE BIDEN (D), PRESUMPTIVE PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: Unlike the African-American community, with notable exceptions, the Latino community is an incredibly diverse community with incredibly different attitudes about different things.
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SANCHEZ: The Trump campaign pounced after that remark, trying to undercut the former vice president's support among black voters.
And, Biden, in trying to clean things up, tweeted this out. Quote, "In no way did I mean to suggest the African-American community is a monolith. I will never stop fighting for the African-American community and I will never stop fighting for a more equitable future."
ROMANS: Michelle Obama says she's doing just fine after sharing her experience with low-grade depression in a recent podcast. The former first lady says the pandemic, race relations, and the political strife in the country have been getting her down.
But after so many people reached out with their concerns, Mrs. Obama told her followers on Instagram she's thinking about doctors, nurses, and essential workers; teachers, students, and parents trying to figure out school; and people out there protesting and organizing for a little more justice in our country.
A recent Census Bureau survey found that one in three Americans are reporting symptoms of depression or anxiety.
We'll be right back.
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[05:46:28]
ROMANS: New Yorkers waking up this morning to what looks like widespread power outages in New York City. From our cameras, it looks like mainly the Upper West Side and Harlem. It could be hard working from home today, folks. We've got these power outages here.
You know, that big storm this week -- Con Ed was still working to restore power in parts of New York City. It was the third-largest power outage, because of that storm, in Con Ed's history.
And this morning, it looks as though there are more power outages -- mostly the Upper West Side and Harlem. We'll continue to report this out and bring you any breaking details, Boris.
SANCHEZ: All right, Christine.
This morning, there are concerns about a possible second wave of coronavirus infections in Europe. Nations that seemed to have it under control are seeing a resurgence, and you can see the curve going from flat to bending upward right there.
One of those countries is Germany, and we want to get to CNN's Fred Pleitgen, who is live in Berlin. Fred, Germany now announcing new measures to try to prevent a spread -- a resurgence in that country.
FREDERIK PLEITGEN, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Yes. Yes, you're absolutely right, Boris.
The Germans certainly say they want to act fast and they want to act decisively. They had about 1,000 new infections yesterday and today, they said about 1,100 new infections. So certainly, things going very much in the wrong direction.
Now, one of the measures that's going to be put in place tomorrow is that everybody who comes to Germany from a high-risk country, via an airport or a land port, is going to have to take a free coronavirus test. And so far, the Germans have done that on a voluntary basis and they say it's actually something that's paying off.
They said of the people that they've tested, so far, coming into the country -- with these free tests -- between two and three percent have actually tested positive for COVID-19. Obviously, the German authorities are saying that every person that they detect at the border is someone they can isolate and who can't infect other people as, of course, the numbers here are going up.
By the way, the numbers in other countries going up as well. You have France with very high numbers, Spain, and also The Netherlands and Belgium. All those countries now taking special measures to try and beat the pandemic back before it manages to get out of control, Boris.
SANCHEZ: All right, Fred Pleitgen reporting from Berlin. Thanks so much.
ROMANS: All right, it's 2020 -- so naturally, an already-active hurricane season is now projected to get worse. Government forecasters now say it will be a rare, extremely active season. With nine storms already on the books, predictions are now for a total of 19 to 25 named storms. About half of those will be hurricanes -- three to six of them could be major hurricanes with winds at 111 miles per hour or greater.
SANCHEZ: The attorney general of New York filing a lawsuit to dissolve the National Rifle Association. Letitia James alleges the NRA committed fraud by diverting $64 million in charitable donations to support lavish personal spending by its executives. James claiming the corruption was so broad all of the assets of the operation were looted or destroyed.
The NRA is countersuing, accusing the A.G. of a baseless, premeditated political attack.
ROMANS: A Good Samaritan has died trying to save three children drowning in California's Kings River. Twenty-nine-year-old Manjeet Singh was standing on the riverbank when he saw the kids struggling in the current. He jumped in to save them but was pulled underwater by the current.
Other bystanders were able to pull the children out. Two were unharmed. One of the girls, though, is in critical condition.
SANCHEZ: It took them 43 years, but the FBI finally got its man. The Bureau announcing the arrest of Luis Archuleta after he spent decades on the run. Archuleta was convicted of shooting a Denver police officer in 1973 and escaping prison the next year. The federal arrest warrant was issued back in 1977.
[05:50:08]
Officials say he had been living under an alias in New Mexico.
ROMANS: Daisy Coleman, whose allegation of sexual assault was chronicled in the Netflix documentary "AUDRIE & DAISY," has died by suicide. The 23-year-old's death comes eight years after she accused a high school classmate of sexual assault in Maryville, Missouri.
Coleman's death underscores how sexual assault is a trauma that can last a lifetime. According to one study, people who have experienced sexual assault are 10 times more likely to attempt suicide.
SANCHEZ: Former President George W. Bush is dipping his paintbrush into the political waters. He's releasing a book featuring portraits of immigrants -- 43 of them, to be exact. He was, after all, the 43rd president. In the introduction, Bush expresses hope that it helps present immigration as a unifying and uplifting issue.
Lego is looking to build a connection with students, many learning from home these days, by releasing a line of Braille bricks. The pieces are molded with studs that correspond to numbers and letters in the Braille alphabet.
The non-profit American Printing House, an advocacy group for the blind and visually impaired, says the Lego Foundation is sending the blocks free of charge to school districts across the United States.
ROMANS: All right, it is Friday; it is jobs days. Let's get a look at CNN Business this morning.
First, a look at global markets after President Trump issued an executive order that will ban TikTok and WeChat from operating in the U.S. in 45 days if they're not sold by their Chinese parent company. You can see markets around the world leaning lower here.
On Wall Street, ahead of the July jobs report, stocks also leaning down a little bit here.
In the middle of a pandemic, the president says he is putting tariffs back on Canadian aluminum. Canadian Prime Minister Justice Trudeau vowing to retaliate with dollar-for-dollar tariffs.
The Dow closed 185 points higher Thursday. The Nasdaq set a record high, closing above 11,000 for the first time in history. It's now up 23 percent for the year -- wow. Americans have less debt for the first time in six years. Data from the Federal Reserve of New York shows credit card balances fell by $76 billion between April and June. That's the steepest decline on record. Total household debt also fell, the first decline since the second quarter of 2014. People are spending less during the pandemic.
Now, while falling debt sounds like good news it's not quite that simple. The economy runs, of course, on consumer spending. If people keep their credit cards stored away for the rest of the year, the recovery could be slower.
Uber's delivery service is now bigger than the rides business. Uber Eats' revenue reached $1.2 billion in the second quarter -- double last year. Its rides business plunged 67 percent. Food delivery has become more important during the pandemic as millions of people stay home.
Last month, Uber announced a deal to buy Postmates for $2.6 billion. That deal expected to close next year.
General Motors unveiled its first fully-electric Cadillac SUV Thursday, going head-to-head with Tesla and other electric carmakers.
The Lyriq is part of a new lineup for electric cars, trucks, and SUVs for GM. In addition to being fully-electric, the Lyriq will be able to park itself or pull out of a parking space when no one is inside the car -- similar to a feature offered by Tesla.
No price announced. A spokesperson for GM says it will be competitive with similar luxury SUVs, including gas-powered SUVs. The Lyriq goes into production in late-2022.
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Clip from "DIRTY DANCING."
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SANCHEZ: If you're a "Dirty Dancing" fan, maybe you can have the time of your life once more. Lionsgate Studio says Jennifer Grey will be the executive producer and star of a new version of the hugely-popular 1987 movie. Grey set to play Baby, again. Of course, Patrick Swayze passed away from cancer back in 2009.
There's no word on the plot of the new film or who else might be appearing in it. But nobody is going to put Baby in a corner again.
ROMANS: Nobody puts Baby in a corner.
Let's take a look at this picture of Manhattan again. I just want to update you on this power outage. If you're working from home in the city that never sleeps, you're waking up to some power outages on the Upper West Side -- and it looks like Harlem, too. So we'll keep you posted on this.
It's been a tough week here. Isaias knocked out power in New York -- SANCHEZ: Yes.
ROMANS: -- and New Jersey. The utilities really struggling to get those back online here. So we don't know what caused this here but we're watching it for you this morning.
Thanks for joining us, everybody, this Friday morning. I'm Christine Romans.
SANCHEZ: And I'm Boris Sanchez. "NEW DAY" is next.
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[05:59:04]
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UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Research is projecting that the U.S. death toll could reach nearly 300,000 by December first.
DR. SANJAY GUPTA, CNN CHIEF MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT: Consistent mask- wearing, starting today, could save about 70,000 lives.
DR. ANTHONY FAUCI, DIRECTOR, NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF ALLERGY AND INFECTIOUS DISEASES, NATIONAL INSTITUTES OF HEALTH: If we pay attention to the fundamental tenets of infection control, we could be way down in November.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Lawmakers continue to spar over another stimulus package.
REP. NANCY PELOSI (D-CA): Nothing for housing in terms of rentals. A moratorium, that's nice, but it's not money for rent.
MARK MEADOWS, WHITE HOUSE CHIEF OF STAFF: Perhaps some of our Democrats are not serious about compromise and are not serious about trying to meet the needs of the American people.
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ANNOUNCER: This is NEW DAY with Alisyn Camerota and John Berman.
JOHN BERMAN, CNN ANCHOR: Welcome to our viewers in the United States and all around the world. This is NEW DAY. It's Friday, August seventh, 6:00 here in New York.
Alisyn is off. Erica Hill in on this Friday morning. Good morning to you.
ERICA HILL, CNN ANCHOR: Good morning.
BERMAN: So this morning, genuinely alarming new projections that predict just how devastating the coronavirus pandemic could become. An influential model from the University of Washington now predicts deaths could hit nearly 300,000 by December.
END
