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Two Dead, One Injured in Overnight Shooting in Kenosha; Hurricane Laura Rapidly Intensifies, Forecast to Become Category 4; Trump Uses Power of Government in Re-Election Push. Aired 10-10:30a ET

Aired August 26, 2020 - 10:00   ET

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

JIM SCIUTTO, CNN NEWSROOM: Shooting of Jacob Blake.

[10:00:01]

First, here is the moment -- the video of the moment the shots rang out. There are a lot of remaining questions here. Who fired these shots? The reports of vigilantes on the streets, we're going to go over more of what we know.

First, have a look at this video.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Clear the area. (INAUDIBLE) shooters are on the (INAUDIBLE). Clear the area now.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SCIUTTO: Okay. This video taken from a distance. You can hear, of course, the police attempting to break up the crowd there. You'll, of course, hear the gun shots there. It sounds like a war zone. It's a developing story. Details are still coming in.

But listen to this. The New York Times is reporting there were confrontations between protesters and police, but a group of armed civilians, the sheriff has told, the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, that vigilantes had been patrolling the streets before the shootings, armed vigilantes.

It's now been three straight nights of protests after a black man was shot in the back by police in front of his three young children. We're going to go live to Wisconsin in a moment to tell you what we know. There are still a lot of remaining questions.

But there's another breaking story we're following this morning. That is Hurricane Laura, as it rapidly intensifies, as it barrels toward the Gulf Coast. It is now a Category 3 hurricane. More than a 1.5 million people are under mandatory evacuation borders.

The trouble is it's strengthening. It's now forecast to strengthen to a very dangerous Category 4 storm later today before making landfall some time tonight. Another breaking story we're following. Just an unprecedented night at the Republican National Convention, where the campaign, the Trump administration blatantly broke federal ethics laws that forbid federal employees from taking part for campaign events, harnessing the government, in effect, for campaign events.

Tonight, we're going to see the vice president, Vice President Pence, accept his party's nomination. More on what he's expected to say just minutes from now.

Let's begin though with our lead story today, the shootings in Kenosha, Wisconsin. Sara Sidner is there.

Sara, again, as we've been reminding and cautioning viewers, there are lots of questions about what exactly transpired last night. You spoke to a witness. You have seen the videos that are out there. What do we know so far?

SARA SIDNER, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Look, the witness is saying there was a man who was armed. There were actually several people who were armed standing around this business, trying to stop people from going near the business, protecting, as they said, the business. And at some point, shots rang out.

And we now have seen some social media video that we are trying to clear so that we can show it to our viewers of a man with a long gun strapped across his chest running down the street or walking down the street and being chased by people who are yelling he's shooting, he shot someone.

The man trips, falls on his own, people still try to come and apprehend him and get him. He then fires again at point-blank range at two more people. One person is obviously hit because they fall to the ground. They crumple to the ground. Another person recoils.

And then the man continues to walk down the street. He is a white man with a huge gun strapped across his chest with his hands up, as you see police vehicles, not one, not two, but three vehicles who are coming towards him. He has his hands up with his gun. People are yelling he shot someone, he shot someone, and police pass him by.

There are a lot of questions here as to why he wasn't apprehended at that time, but there is a man hunt, as we understand it. The sheriff telling The Milwaukee Journal that there were militias in the area that had come into town and that there were vigilantes in the area.

Now, he has not linked any militia to this particular man who had that long gun. But there are a lot of questions of what happened here. Why in the case of Jacob Blake, where he is not visibly wearing any sort of weapon, why he was shot seven times in the back, as he was trying to get into his vehicle after a tussle with police? And why this man who had clearly and was caught on camera shot someone and people yelling and has a gun strapped across his chest, why he was not apprehended?

We do though know that there is a manhunt under way at this hour for the person responsible for shooting and killing two people and injuring a third. Jim?

SCIUTTO: Sara, so many questions there. Thanks for staying on top of that and we'll bring you all the details as Sara gets them on the ground and we do.

In just a few moments, as well, I'm going to speak to the attorney for Jacob Blake's family.

To another developing story, Texas and Louisiana officials, they are bracing now for Hurricane Laura. It is now a major Category 3 storm.

[10:05:01]

It could become a Category 4 by the time it makes landfall late tonight or early tomorrow morning, a lot of warm water there that strengthens these storms. 700 workers from the Red Cross are on standby now with relief supplies.

We have team coverage tracking the system. First, let's go to CNN Meteorologist Chad Myers. Here is at the Weather Center. So, Chad, it's over the 90-degree water right now as we speak that strengthens these storms. Describe what kind of force this is going to hit the coast with later today.

CHAD MYERS, CNN METEOROLGOIST: Well, I have some numbers that are going to scare you if you live anywhere near Lake Charles in the 120- mile-per-hour range. But the force, at least the initial force is going to be a water force. This is going to be a surge very similar to what we saw in Katrina. This is gathering water under it. It's making a bubble of water. It's going to push that water onshore. And then you need to be out of the way.

Run from the water and hide from the wind. That's what we try to tell people when we're trying to get too many people away from a coastline, but you need to run from this water for sure, 130 miles per hour, later tonight, gathering strength and moving on up to the north. There will be wind, there will be rain and there will be surge.

The surge is likely the worst part for many people east of the storm. And then along and in the cone itself or in the eye, that's where the wind will be the worst damage, putting down power lines and trees for days, for weeks. You need to get ready for this.

Look at this. 127 miles per hour, wind gusts expected in Lake Charles. We have a reporter out there, Derek Van Dam, 95 in Beaumont. And that eventually moves to the north and it slows down some, but you are still almost hurricane force all the way up to Shreveport.

So, trees coming down, power lines coming down, widespread power outages here. And we know how long it took to get the power up in Isaias up there in the northeast. It's going to be just that long.

But the surge that's going to be coming into these bayou areas, 15 feet, plus waves out there, there are waves in the gulf right now at 35 feet. So that's where the buoys are. 35 feet up and down right now what we have is all of this water gets all the way. That's I-10. So, this water is going to surge all of the way up to I-10, Jim.

SCIUTTO: Yes. I always remind people when you say 15 feet of storm surge, that's like this way, vertical, that flood at homes. It's dangerous. Listen to the warnings. Thanks so much, Chad.

CNN Meteorologist Derek Van Dam, he is in Beaumont, Texas, as we said, going to get nearly 100 miles-an-hour winds. Are folks listening to those warnings there? I mean, this looks like a surge storm. Those are exactly the conditions we saw with Katrina.

DEREK VAN DAM, CNN METEOROLOGIST: Yes. They're listening, Jim, because they recognize that it's not the same storm as it was when they went to bed last night. It is a completely different monster.

Here in Jefferson County in Beaumont, Texas, there are mandatory evacuations. This city is on edge because the people here, the residents remember Hurricane Harvey, they Remember Rita, they remember Ike, they know the devastating and the flooding that it can bring to this location.

But the preparation for major Hurricane Laura is completely different because it's set against the backdrop of a worldwide pandemic.

Just listen to his individual explaining his preparations in advance of this hurricane with COVID-19.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

RUDY LASSIANIT, RESIDENT OF BEAUMONT, TEXAS: Trying to be safe and be prepared for the storm and do the necessary things that need to be done.

I'm trying to stay covered up. You know, I have medicine if I need some, whatever of that nature, and I'd just for everybody to be safe out there. Stay to yourselves, social distance and all of that so you won't catch the COVID-19.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

VAN DAM: Can you imagine how difficult of a decision this is for individuals even though there are mandatory evacuations here? Families are questioning whether or not they should evacuate or shelter in place because of the ongoing pandemic. Do they want to put themselves in the potential danger of large gatherings?

But we did hear from the governor of Texas, Greg Abbot, yesterday. He said that even though there is a hurricane approaching the Southeast Coast of Texas, COVID-19 has not fled the state. In fact, we know that there is a hot spot here in Texas.

However, the good news is that some of the lowest hospitalization rates since June, under 5,000 hospitalizations at the moment since June, so that's the first time we've had that in over two-and-a-half months. So, promising news in terms of that. But the concerns here, storm surge, localized flash flooding and winds of over 100 miles per hour. Jim? SCIUTTO: Yes, all in the midst of a pandemic. Derek Van Dam, thanks very much. You and your team, please be safe there as you watch this come ashore.

More news we're following this morning, it's a major shift from the CDC. New guidelines say you do not need to get tested even if you've been exposed to the coronavirus.

[10:10:00]

That's a big change.

CNN's Elizabeth Cohen joins me now with more. Elizabeth, speaking to Dr. Carlos del Rio in the last hour, he said he has a concern that this change is to reduce the number of tests. Tell us what you know. Is there science to back up these new guidelines?

ELIZABETH COHEN, CNN SENIOR MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT: I think many people share Dr. del Rio's concern because there isn't any science to vet the CDC points to. You go to their website, they don't say, we made this change because of X, Y, Z. So, it's mystifying why they made this change because, and this is the important part, up to 50 percent of coronavirus infections are from people who are asymptomatic. Why wouldn't you want to test those people.

Both for their health and for the health of others, for public health, you want to know if those people have COVID or not so you can know if they need to quarantine.

So let's take a look at the change that actually happened. Here is what the CDC used to say before they made the change. They said testing is recommended for all close contacts of persons with COVID-19 infection. In other words, if you were within six feet of someone with COVID for 15 minutes or more, you should be tested.

Now, they're saying, if you have been in close contact with someone with COVID-19 but do not have symptoms, you do not necessarily need a test unless you are a vulnerable individual, meaning that you are older or you have health conditions or your healthcare provider or state or local public health officials recommend you take one.

Again, mystifying why they made this change. We want to be testing people. We want to know if those people are positive. And if so, do they need to stay at home. Jim?

SCIUTTO: Elizabeth, we are hearing about a sharp rise in coronavirus cases among children. This, of course, a great concern to parents. What do we know and how are the children responding to these infections?

COHEN: So, Jim, let's take a look at some new numbers that have come out from the American Academy of Pediatrics and the Children's Hospital Association.

So they looked back to April. And when they looked at 100,000 children, they received 13 cases of COVID among those 100,000 children. But when you fast forward to August, when you look at 100,000 children, you see 583 cases. So that is obviously a huge difference.

Now, you asked how these children are doing. Overall children, of course, we know, do better with COVID-19 than older people do. Butt still, some children do get very sick, some children do die. This is not a harmless infection. Jim?

SCIUTTO: Elizabeth, thanks so much. We know you'll stay on top of it.

While, helping college students avoid the coronavirus might be more difficult than any class, some schools might be doing better than others. Is there a secret as to why?

Plus, Vice President Pence takes center stage tonight to not only defend President Trump, but his team says to take on Joe Biden. What's in store during night three at the Republican National Convention?

And --

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JACOB BLAKE SR., JACOB BLAKE'S FATHER: They shot my son seven times, seven times like he didn't matter. But my son matters.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SCIUTTO: That was the father of the man shot by police in Kenosha, Wisconsin, Jacob Blake, you see him there with his children. We're going to speak to the family's lawyer. What is their message as violence in that city turns deadly overnight?

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[10:15:00]

SCIUTTO: As the Republican National Convention enters day three, the vice president is getting ready to accept the nomination for a second term. Campaign official tells CNN that tonight, expect for Mike Pence to go on the attack against Joe Biden. That's a traditional role of vice presidents.

CNN's Jeff Zeleny joins me now.

Jeff, what else are we looking for tonight? Do we expect more sort of use of the trappings of the office in these campaign events?

JEFF ZELENY, CNN SENIOR WASHINGTON CORRESPONDENT: Well, Jim, this will be Vice President Mike Pence making his formal acceptance speech as he accepts the nomination for a second term with President Trump. And that is no small thing. It certainly were quiet, any whispers about is he going to stay around, is he going to be on this ticket going forward, and he absolutely is.

But I am told when he comes here to Fort McHenry, a national shrine and historic monument in Baltimore, that he is going to address this national moment. I am told that he is going to address the racial unrest in America and he is going to specifically mention Wisconsin. In fact, he was in Wisconsin last week. He will be traveling to Wisconsin again later this weekend for a speech that was pre-planned. Some told that will be part of his remarks.

But he also is going to talk about the national anthem and this is significant. We are standing right here at Fort McHenry. This is where, back in 1814, Francis Scott Key was inspired to write The Star- Spangled Banner. So I am told that the vice president is going to use that historical narrative to talk about the importance of the national anthem.

And, of course, he has spoken out against standing during the national anthem -- against kneeling during the national anthem, excuse me. And he walked out in 2017 of an NFL game when players were not standing, as he says in respect. So he will certainly be threading a fine line here as this important moment in the country is unfolding.

But I am told he is going to spend the most of his time talking about the Democratic ticket. In the words of one adviser he is going to, quote, keep defining the Democratic ticket as out of touch and dangerous for America, so going specifically after Joe Biden and Kamala Harris.

And all of this is coming as we're seeing a new video in this morning around the White House. They are putting up a perimeter fence.

[10:20:01]

Of course, that is where President Trump will be speaking tomorrow evening. But for today, at least, Vice President Mike Pence tonight will be speaking here in this historic setting certainly during a moment of unrest in America. Jim?

SCIUTTO: Jeff Zeleny, thanks very much.

Well, you may remember when the president first discussed staging convention events at the White House, even some Republicans expressed opposition. The number two Republican in the Senate, John Thune of South Dakota, raised serious concerns about whether federal employees should refrain from participating in partisan political activity. Why? Thune cited the Hatch Act. It's a law which prohibits federal employees from politicking with exceptions only for the president and vice president.

There are also norms and traditions that separate government duties from political campaigning. This week, you may have noticed that those objections seemed to have disappeared. In fact, the president use the power of the office in several unprecedented ways in just a single day of the convention.

He issued a pardon. He staged a naturalization ceremony and this, the secretary of state took the convention stage, and the first lady used the rose garden to deliver a campaign speech in support of her husband. And tomorrow, the president will accept that nomination from the White House. Joining me now to discuss this and more is former Ohio Republican Governor John Kasich. He spoke at last week's Democratic National Convention after endorsing Joe Biden. Good to have you on, Governor.

And we've spoken about this. It is true that presidents have used the trappings of office to an extent before, Air Force One, for instance. But when you look at the scope of things here, particularly the secretary of state making a campaign speech, are you concerned about that? And where are the Republican objections we heard a couple of weeks ago?

JOHN KASICH, CNN SENIOR COMMENTATOR: I don't think, Jim, this is going to change any votes or get -- people are so dug in and those people who are undecided and looking back and forth. But the Pompeo thing bothers me because it's been since World War II when a secretary of state did not engage in politics. And I can remember as a congressman trying to get certain officials to do events for me. And they -- I think the treasury secretary, maybe even the secretary of state, and they would take a pass and say, look, this is just not what we do. So it's just another norm being broken.

But I do have to say, I was on CNN Sunday night bringing out the power of incumbency is a powerful tool. And as you mentioned at the top, every president has used Air Force One as a campaign prop, but this is kind of out of control. And -- but that's for the legal beagles to decide what's appropriate or what's not, but there's no surprise that a lot of these traditions have been broken with this president.

SCIUTTO: Tell us about the America the administration that the speakers, including the first lady laid out last night. For instance, she talked about a country of diversity, as something her husband supports. Of course, we've seen moves that countered that, from the Muslim ban to the immigration policy. She talked about the importance of truth. We know the president's, well, often uncomfortable relationship with the truth.

Well, who is this message for and do you think it strikes home?

KASICH: Well, yes, good point.

Well, I think day one was a total appeal to the base. And yesterday was an appeal to the base combined with an effort to appeal to those weak Republicans who possibly would vote for Joe Biden, and that's what they were trying to do. The question is are people going to go, oh, yes, I guess what we saw the president do over the last three and a half years doesn't count. I was particularly struck.

I thought that the first lady did a very, very good job. But when she talked about immigration, I was, like, what? I mean, the president is reducing legal immigration, legal immigration according to some reports by as much as 50 percent.

So, you know, what they're trying to present now or what has happened are sort of like two different things. It's like talking about the pandemic. The president said it was a hoax. Now, they say that, well, we were always really on top of it. There is no surprise here. But I think it's back and forth. The appeal to the base, which is, I think, Pence will do tonight, as opposed to this issue of diversity.

SCIUTTO: Okay.

Let's talk about the violence we're now seeing in Kenosha, another black man shot by police, protests and sometimes violent protests. And, of course, it's not the first time we've seen this. The president doubling down on a law and order message in response to that. What do you think Democrats are obligated to do in the midst of this?

KASICH: Well, I've said a number of times now and I will say it again. I think it is absolutely imperative for Joe Biden, who I have no doubt he feels this in his heart. Protests are something we need. It's the street organizers that rises and brings change from the bottom up. Martin Luther King, John Lewis, who we just celebrated his life and honored his death.

[10:25:03]

So when we look at these issues, violence has no place. Martin Luther King took the beatings, the gassings, the jailings and said, we will not respond with violence. And I believe it is absolutely essential for the Democrats to say, while we support protesters, this violence is abhorrent and actually sets back the ability to get change.

Now, we don't know the full story in Wisconsin. These news that's coming out about perhaps a vigilante. And what we know is there are people who show up at these protests who are there designed to disrupt and give everybody a bad name. But they have to be called out, Jim.

Joe Biden needs to be very, very strong on the fact that while protests are okay, they're a positive thing, they're America, this violence needs to be deeply condemned and deeply condemned now, sooner rather than later, in my opinion. This is a terrible thing that's happening in our country and there's no excuse and no reason for anybody to look the other way when it comes to these violent acts.

And I just hold up somebody like Martin Luther King who said, if you return violence for violence, you lose, and I agree with him.

SCIUTTO: Yes. And he took grief from some leaders at the time when he took that stand.

Governor Kasich, it's always good to have you on. Let's keep up the conversation.

KASICH: Jim, thank you. You're the best. Thank you.

SCIUTTO: Special coverage of the 2020 Republican National Convention continues tonight starting at 7:00 Eastern Time live on CNN.

So many questions, as we mentioned, surrounding the police shooting of Jacob Blake, still few answers, so few answers from police as to why. Just ahead, I'm going to speak to an attorney representing Blake's family about his condition but also lack of information from police about this. That's coming right up.

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[10:30:00]

END