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Over 2,000 Students and Teachers Quarantined Amid Outbreaks; Biden and Harris Make First Appearance As Running Mates; Kansas Prison Goes Into Lockdown Amid Coronavirus Outbreak. Aired 7:30-8a ET

Aired August 13, 2020 - 07:30   ET

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

[07:30:00]

JOHN BERMAN, CNN ANCHOR: Bianna Golodryga joins us now with an update on how schools are handling this. And again, this is so confusing because you look to your left, you look to your right, and some schools doing it differently on their own.

BIANNA GOLODRYGA, CNN SENIOR GLOBAL AFFAIRS ANALYST: And we've never done this before, John, right? So schools are learning as they go. And President Trump tried to address some of the concerns from parents and teachers yesterday by announcing that they will be deploying 125 million reusable masks to schools across the country, as well as CDC teams, to help as well with the reopening. But it may be a case of too little, too late for so many of these schools that have already started to reopen, only to have to close days later.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

GOLODRYGA (voice-over): Students at North Paulding High School will be finishing this week fully online. The Georgia school made famous after this photo went viral has announced plans for a hybrid model of instruction beginning next week.

At least, 35 confirmed cases of COVID-19 have been reported at the school since it reopened last week. With classes set to begin imminently in districts across the country, school board meetings have become increasingly contentious, like outside of this one in the Phoenix suburb of Queen Creek.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Only when it's safe. You don't get paid at all!

GOLODRYGA: It ended in a 4-1 decision to fully resume in-person instruction, August 17th. This despite cases soaring above 135,000 total for both surrounding counties of Maricopa and Pinole. The state's overall positivity rate while trending down is still above 12 percent.

Even in New Jersey, where the positivity rate is below 1.5 percent, the decision to open schools to in-person learning is far from unanimous. After 402 teachers notified the district of Elizabeth that they could not return to school due to health-related risks, the superintendent issued a statement saying there would be insufficient staff to safely open.

Ultimately, Governor Phil Murphy signed an executive order Wednesday, that while green-lighting the resumption of all in-person instruction also allows for districts that cannot meet health and safety guidelines to proceed with all virtual learning.

GOV. PHIL MURPHY (D-NJ): We recognize that for some districts, there are legitimate and documentable reasons why some of these core health and safety standards cannot be met on day one.

GOLODRYGA: It comes on the same day that President Trump reiterated his push for reopening schools, continuing to downplay the risks COVID-19 poses to children.

DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Children often have only mild symptoms and medical complications are incredibly rare.

GOLODRYGA: To reinforce his views, the president brought in a new health policy adviser, Scott Atlas; a critic of school shutdowns, Atlas has already found himself at odds with public health experts including Dr. Fauci. Trump along with Vice President Pence and Education Secretary Betsy DeVos led an education event in Washington focused on reopening schools. DeVos has faced criticism over a lack of a national plan for schools.

BETSY DEVOS, SECRETARY OF EDUCATION: We have got to ensure that families and parents have options that are going to work for their child and for their children's education.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

GOLODRYGA: And Erica, just yesterday, another school board, this time in Seattle, voted to start school online. And New York City, the only major school district that's currently planning to open some form of in-person education got some pushback yesterday from the superintendent and the teachers unions, who are pushing for a delay to the start of the school year, because there are still concerns that they say have not been addressed, such as ventilation and nurses.

Though, the mayor says that they are working on that, and as far as he's concerned, they are ready to reopen. But again, it goes back to where is that national plan and what are you doing to address a lot of these concerns and why haven't we heard from them months ago?

ERICA HILL, CNN ANCHOR: Sadly, the short answer is, there is no national plan as we know. Bianna, appreciate it, great reporting as always. Joining me now, Hillary Porterfield, her daughter's high school in Cherokee County, Georgia, is closing at the end of the month after an outbreak. We actually just lost our connection with Hillary, but we're hoping to get her back because she can talk to us about what happened at her school when she was warned that her daughter may have been exposed to someone who was infected.

It took days for her to get that notice. She said she thought the -- they were following, CDC guidelines, now she's not so sure, and she's concerned about what the future holds for her daughter, she's decided to keep her home for virtual learning. Again, we'll try to reestablish that connection. John?

BERMAN: In the meantime, we want to remember some of the more than 166,000 Americans lost to coronavirus. Two were well-known father and son physicians in Miami, 89-year-old Jorge Viejo(ph) and his 57-year- old son, Carlos, died five weeks apart. According to Carlos' son, Jorge moved from -- moved his family from Cuba to Florida in 1965. A retired ob-gyn, he had treated celebrities like Celia Cruz.

[07:35:00]

Carlos who was on the front lines of the pandemic, treating dozens of patients at a time. He's among the 900 U.S. health workers who have died from the virus. Sam Scolaro was one of the founding doctors of Brandon Florida Regional Hospital. He was a physician for more than 48 years, and his daughter told CNN affiliate "WFTS" that her 75-year-old father promised God he would never retire, just serving until his patients -- just served his patients until the day he died. She says that is a promise that he kept.

Singer, retired and actor Trini Lopez died Tuesday of coronavirus in Palm Springs. He was best known for the 1960s hit "If I Had a Hammer" and "Lemon Tree" and for acting in the classic 1967 war film, "The Dirty Dozen", I remember him in that. Lopez also had been a popular Vegas headliner, he was 83 years old. We'll be right back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[07:40:00]

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

KAMALA HARRIS, PRESUMPTIVE VICE PRESIDENTIAL NOMINEE: Joe, I'm so proud to stand with you. And I do so mindful of all the heroic and ambitious women before me, whose sacrifice, determination and resilience makes my presence here today even possible.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BERMAN: Senator Kamala Harris honoring the women who came before her as she makes history as the first black woman, the first Asian American to join a major party's presidential ticket. Joining me now is former Massachusetts Governor Deval Patrick, he's currently the co- chair of the Democratic Super PAC American Bridge. Governor, always a pleasure to speak with you. I want to focus mostly --

DEVAL PATRICK, FORMER MASSACHUSETTS GOVERNOR: Good to be with you, John --

BERMAN: I want us focus mostly on mail-in balloting. But before we get to that, I do want to ask you about the new Democratic ticket, the presence of Kamala Harris on that ticket, and just ask where do you think that will help the most?

PATRICK: Well, look, I think it brings tremendous additional energy to the -- to the campaign. Senator Harris is a terrific pick. She's a fearless advocate and a tireless and tough campaigner. I'm excited. I think Democrats are excited. America is excited. We are an important step closer to the chance to vote out the Trump administration and to build back better.

BERMAN: All right, governor, you just wrote an op-ed on mail-in voting, and I think this is one of the most important topics out there, not to mention how we will vote and when we will vote in the upcoming election. What is it that you want Americans to know about mail-in voting?

PATRICK: First of all, I want Americans to appreciate that though I am supporting the Biden-Harris ticket, and I'm urging others to do, come out and vote for somebody. In a democracy, we get the government we deserve. And if we want better government, we have to engage. Now, this year in particular, because of the concerns around the virus, people are being super cautious.

And in fact, there may be poll workers who don't show up and haven't in the course of the primary season because they, too, are concerned. One of the ways that people can manage that is through mail-in balloting, which is available to some 75 percent of Americans today in various names. Sometimes it's called absentee balloting, sometimes it's a mail-in ballot.

And the reason I'm drawing attention to this is because the president has gone out of his way to discredit the integrity of mail-in balloting, although it is, what he, his family and his cabinet regularly use to cast their own votes.

BERMAN: You've talked about the president disparaging it. We have some sound from him just yesterday, when he is suggesting that he wants people in North Carolina to do it, but not in some other states. Listen to this.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

TRUMP: In North Carolina, you can request absentee ballots right now. Absentee ballots are great because you have to go and request them. They want to flood the markets with ballots, and that's a disgrace. But absentee ballots are great.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BERMAN: You know, he's making this distinction there, and it's just -- it's misleading. There are five --

PATRICK: That's right --

BERMAN: And could be seven states in the country that actually mail live ballots to people. The rest of the states, you've got to request an absentee ballot. It's part of the system. And he's trying to create this distinction --

PATRICK: And has been for a long time.

BERMAN: Right -- PATRICK: That's right, you're exactly right. I mean, you took the

words out of my mouth. He's making a distinction as if there is a difference, there isn't. There is a -- we are very accustomed in America, all across America, with the use of absentee or mail-in ballots sometimes. You have to request them in a few places. They will send -- they will be sent to you directly. People should engage right now, because the deadlines are coming.

The -- you want to make sure you have your ballot in time and you get it back well in advance, given the other efforts by the administration to slow down Postal Service.

BERMAN: OK, and I want to get to that point. Here's the issue, right? There's very little fraud in voting, period. There is slightly --

PATRICK: Right --

BERMAN: More fraud in mail-in voting and absentee voting, but it's still very small. So it's like --

PATRICK: OK --

BERMAN: Infinitesimal, plus one or two, but the fact is there's a little bit more. That's a completely different issue than taxing the Postal Service in this election, where there may be unprecedented levels of mail-in voting. And there might be unprecedented levels. But that doesn't mean fraud. That just means the system will be taxed. So how do you help that system?

PATRICK: Well, for one thing, you support the Postal Service to be able to handle what we expect to be and what we are encouraging a surge, an overwhelming participation in this election. And for many people, that will require doing so at a distance. But listen, the bigger picture is, and the larger point is that it is more and more clear that this disparaging of mail-in balloting by the president is part of a Republican strategy that's not new, it's gone back some while to engineer outcomes, right?

[07:45:00]

The gerrymandering, the conjuring of registrations, the voter ID laws and exact match and some of these efforts put in place in many places where there are Republican majorities in the legislature to make it harder to register and keep your registration.

The amount of money, so much of it dark in our election system. More and more, it's apparent that Republicans don't believe they could win a fair fight. And what Joe Biden and Kamala Harris and I think all patriotic Americans want is a fair fight. Let's have a contest of ideas. And I think if we do, Democrats win up and down the ballot.

BERMAN: What do voters need to be prepared for? Democratic and Republican voters, when it comes to mail-in voting and what should they do? Because I've talked to election lawyers on both sides, and one of the things they say is, regardless of how great you think the system is, voters, if they want their votes to count, need to do it early and need to do it carefully. Because the fact is and again --

PATRICK: That is right --

BERMAN: This isn't fraud, it's just fact that mail-in votes get rejected at a higher rate.

PATRICK: That's exactly right. So I think, as I said earlier, it's important for people to check now when the ballots in their state will be available, to fill them out as soon as they can. In many places, there are drop-off boxes, where you can be sure that the ballot has arrived. If you can afford it, I would say, mail it back in a way that gives you a tracking number so that you can be sure that there's a way to trace that ballot.

For other people, you know, showing up and voting live at the polling place is their only choice. And I would say, for them, prepare as well. Because polling places have been closed. I think they went from 145 to 8 in Milwaukee before the Wisconsin primary.

Mostly, by the way, in places where black and brown people vote. So understanding where the polling place is, understanding that your registration is up to date because there have been efforts to remove registered voters from the rolls. This process called Purging.

BERMAN: Let me just ask that --

PATRICK: And then you know, bring a chair --

BERMAN: Yes --

PATRICK: And a bottle of water and something you like to listen to --

BERMAN: And a mask --

PATRICK: On your iPad, right, and mask.

BERMAN: Just very quickly, I do think it's important, too, what is the media role in preparing for election night? I think everyone, and I'm trying to do this and other public officials need to, also. You need to prepare Americans for the possibility that we may not know right away who won a given race. And that's OK. There's nothing that says you've got to count this instantly.

PATRICK: You know, John, I think you've made a very important point, that because we are using in many cases more mail-in or absentee ballots than we have before, it will take officials time to count. And we want the count to be completed. We want every vote counted. So I do think it's incumbent on the media, first of all, to remind folks that this isn't a new thing.

This is a -- this is an avenue that's been available to voters for a long time. And that using it is wise and safe and has integrity, and it may take a little longer to get the result. I'd add just one other point. I know we're short of time. And that is that if folks are able to go and volunteer and be trained to be poll workers so that there are plenty of people at the polls on election day to help make those lines go a little --

BERMAN: Yes --

PATRICK: Faster, I think that's a great thing. And something that not a lot of people have mentioned.

BERMAN: It's a great point because usually they happen to be older Americans, and maybe they are not the ones that should be there now. And young people got to step up and do what they can. Governor Deval Patrick, thanks so much for being with us.

PATRICK: Thank you, John, you be well.

BERMAN: Among the first of the Biden-Harris ticket, the potential first-ever second gentlemen, we'll tell you about the husband of Kamala Harris, next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[07:50:00]

HILL: The United States marking the deadliest day this Summer in the coronavirus pandemic. CNN has reporters coast-to-coast with the latest developments.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

OMAR JIMENEZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT: I'm Omar Jimenez in Chicago. There are concerns here in Illinois among state health officials over what has been a rise in the daily number of coronavirus cases reported. Especially when it comes to the statewide positivity rate. Now, this comes within the framework of what has been near record-testing and with overall deaths on the decline.

But the worry here is that cases could then lead to hospitalizations which can then lead to more deaths. Here in Chicago for example, the positivity rate is right at about 5 percent. It's a number where officials feel broadly in control, however, that's a number that's also seen steady increases as of late.

And if that number gets up to 8 percent, that's when officials say they're going to have to start imposing more restrictions.

STEPHANIE ELAM, CNN CORRESPONDENT: I'm Stephanie Elam in Los Angeles. California announcing more than 11,600 cases in a day, however, more than half of those announced are from the backlog issue that the state has been working through. So the positive news out of this is that the number of new cases dropping here, we're seeing that number at 5,400, just above that here.

The governor pointing out that this is what he calls quote, "an indication we are turning a corner on this pandemic." Keep in mind that hospitalizations are also down 19 percent over the last 14 days.

LUCY KAFANOV, CNN CORRESPONDENT: I'm Lucy Kafanov. In Kansas, the Hutchinson correctional facility went into lockdown Wednesday after dozens tested positive for coronavirus. According to a Kansas Department of Correction statement 84 inmates and 10 staff members tested positive for COVID-19 this week.

[07:55:00]

A total of 99 inmates and 17 staff members tested positive since the pandemic began. All cases were asymptomatic.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BERMAN: Our thanks to our reporters across the country. So, as voters take a look at presumptive Democratic vice presidential nominee Kamala Harris, they will surely notice the man at her side from bodyguard to cheerleader, Douglas Emhoff is redefining the norms of political husband. CNN's Kyung Lah live in Los Angeles with the latest on this. Kyung?

KYUNG LAH, CNN SENIOR NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Right, good morning, John. We've been talking so much about how Kamala Harris is that rarity because of her gender, her race, her life experience, well, so too now is her husband who is trying to make history in his supportive role.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

LAH (voice-over): Vice presidential candidate Kamala Harris officially takes her historic step forward on the presidential ticket. But it's a man who posed with her at the end, paving his unique path beside her. Husband Doug Emhoff tweeting this with Dr. Jill Biden, "ready to go".

DOUG EMHOFF, HUSBAND OF KAMALA HARRIS: Let me introduce the woman I love --

LAH: He was an ever present plus one on the campaign trail as his wife ran for president. The quiet guide, cheerleader when needed. Active on social media as Mr. Kamala Harris, and sometimes the unscripted husband. In a security scare last year at a campaign event, a protester got this close to Harris, the female moderator got in between, then one of the three men to charge and drag him away was Emhoff, the look on his face unfiltered, unmistakable. And when her presidential hopes ended, he was her source of comfort.

EMHOFF: We were a good couple going in, then I think we came out of it like, you know --

(LAUGHTER)

LAH: A modern husband now waiting through barely charted territory.

KELLY DITTMAR, ASSOCIATE PROFESSOR OF POLITICAL SCIENCE, RUTGERS UNIVERSITY-CAMDEN: This is only the third woman, vice presidential nominee, and so he will be navigating terrain that we haven't really seen in any recent history.

JIMMY KIMMEL, COMEDIAN & TELEVISION HOST: I don't know if we're ready for a first lady named Doug. I don't know.

(LAUGHTER)

Doug?

HARRIS: Oh, he is the most fully actualized person you ever met.

LAH: The couple met later in life, set up on a blind date by friends. Emhoff; an entertainment lawyer and millionaire elevated her public servant salary into the 1 percent, and he brings two grown children both in their 20s to their blended marriage.

HARRIS: I've had a lot of titles over in my career, and certainly vice president will be great. But momala will always be the one that means the most.

DITTMAR: They are reflective of America. Their story is common to a lot of Americans, and I think that is something they can draw upon on the campaign trail to say, look, we're real humans just like you and voters tend to like that.

LAH: What's notable to gender politics watchers is how Emhoff is changing the norms for American men.

DITTMAR: Appealing to other voters and particularly other men that need to sometimes step back and lift up women's voices in this process. And that sort of symbolic nod that Doug Emhoff seems to be giving is going to be important to perhaps influence future generations of men.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

LAH: Dittmar adds that women candidates have historically not focused on their male spouses or brought them on the trail because of concern that the male achievements might overshadow the female candidate. That is something we should instantly point out, but men traditionally don't have to worry about. But that doesn't seem to be holding back Harris and Emhoff, at least, not yet, John, perhaps that's progress.

BERMAN: Look, it's 2020. We've got to -- we've got to be there at this point. All right, Kyung Lah, terrific report, thanks so much. I learned a lot there. I didn't know half of that stuff. Appreciate it. NEW DAY continues right now.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: With classes set to begin eminently in districts across the country, school board meetings have become increasingly contentious.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The road to reopening sports, schools and the economy lies in dramatically reducing rates of the infection in the community.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The war we're in against COVID, wear a mask, social distance, wash your hands and be smart about crowds. UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Joe Biden and Kamala Harris making their debut

as the Democratic ticket.

JOE BIDEN, FORMER VICE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: I have no doubt that I picked the right person to join me as the next vice president of the United States of America.

HARRIS: It's all on the line. America is crying out for leadership.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BERMAN: Good morning everyone, welcome to our viewers in the United States and all around the world, this is NEW DAY, Alisyn is off, Erica Hill with me for a third straight hour this morning. Great to have you here.

HILL: I'm the lucky one here, John Berman.

BERMAN: All right, the United States just suffered through the deadliest day of the Summer. More new reported deaths from coronavirus in a single day than we've seen since May, and the president has spent the morning thanking himself. Thanking himself so much he might go blind. Nearly 1,500 deaths yesterday, double the death rate from early June, 56,000 new cases.