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CDC Tells Health Officials To Prepare For Vaccine Before Election; Biden Heads To Meet Blake Family In Wisconsin; William Barr; Trump Appears To Urge Voting Twice To Test The System. Aired 5:30-6a ET
Aired September 03, 2020 - 05:30 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
[05:30:00]
CHRISTINE ROMANS, CNN ANCHOR: It is 29 minutes past the hour this Thursday morning.
And this morning, the push for a coronavirus vaccine and the presidential election are on a collision course.
The CDC confirms it has told public health officials across the country to prepare to distribute a potential vaccine as soon as late October, just in time for the election. Now, that doesn't necessarily mean a vaccine will be available by then. In fact, the director of the NIH says that is unlikely and points out pandemic planning has long involved getting the distribution network ready, but this administration has a track record that raises red flags.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DR. ASHISH JHA, DIRECTOR, HARVARD GLOBAL HEALTH INSTITUTE: The notion of preparation isn't a problem, that timeline is really aggressive. It's hard to imagine we're going to have the data necessary.
But unfortunately, when you then tie it in with the words of the FDA commissioner who has said that he may ignore the advice of his own advisory committee and issue and EUA -- an Emergency Use Authorization -- even without phase three trials being done, it does, I think, worry a lot of us that there is a rush here.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
LAURA JARRETT, CNN ANCHOR: Meantime, another thousand Americans died of coronavirus yesterday. The U.S. struggling to bring this death rate down. The worrying trend here is the rate of new cases had been falling but that curve has been distinctly flat for a week now and outbreaks in the Midwest are a big part of the reason.
The Minnesota Department of Health announcing the first-known death stemming from the Sturgis Motorcycle Rally in early August.
Iowa still seeing dangerous spikes as well with the number of people being hospitalized nearing levels last seen in the spring. ROMANS: All right. With that in mind, Iowa State has now reversed course. It will no longer allow 25,000 fans at the college football home opener.
The National Farmers Union says meat processing workers in Iowa are still at an elevated risk of exposure, which could threaten the meat supply if things worsen.
But the governor of Iowa is still refusing to mandate masks, something her critics call her "COVID Kim."
And, Iowa Sen. Joni Ernst was forced to backtrack after peddling a false conspiracy theory this week. She said she was skeptical of the official coronavirus death toll. She suggested -- a sitting U.S. senator suggested medical professionals had been fraudulently inflating the numbers to make more money.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SEN. JONI ERNST (R-IA): I can't actually look at that information, but I have heard it from health care providers that they do get reimbursed higher amounts if it's a COVID-related illness or death.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
JARRETT: She said she's heard it but there's no evidence for that claim.
Meanwhile, across the U.S., schools are still facing clusters.
More than 1,000 students were diagnosed at the University of South Carolina. Dr. Anthony Fauci warning those students they need to stay at school and absolutely not go back home.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DR. ANTHONY FAUCI, DIRECTOR, NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF ALLERGY AND INFECTIOUS DISEASES, NATIONAL INSTITUTES OF HEALTH: It's the worst thing you could do. Keep them at the university in a place that is sequestered enough from the other students, but don't have them go home because they could be spreading it in their home state.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ROMANS: Fauci also pleading with Americans to continue mitigation efforts ahead of Labor Day weekend. The U.S. saw big spikes after the holiday outings on Memorial Day and the Fourth of July.
If you won't listen to doctors, how about listen to The Rock. Dwayne Johnson says he, his wife, and his daughters are now on the mend after a bout with the virus.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DWAYNE JOHNSON, ACTOR: This has been one of the most challenging and difficult things we have ever had to endure as a family and for me personally, too, as well. And then -- and I've gone through some doozies in the past. I've gotten knocked about got my ass kicked a little bit in the past.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ROMANS: And finally, L.A. County health officials allowing K-12 schools to resume limited on-campus teaching. This is for students who most need in-person learning, like English as a second language or specialized in-school services.
JARRETT: Well, despite concerns about coronavirus spreading over the holiday weekend, the nation's biggest movie theater chain is taking big steps towards reopening.
CNN has reporters across the country.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
CHLOE MELAS, CNN ENTERTAINMENT REPORTER: I'm Chloe Melas in New York.
AMC has announced plans to open 140 more of their movie theaters across the country by this weekend. This means 70 percent of their theaters that were closed due to the coronavirus pandemic will be up and running.
Now, this could bode well for Christopher Nolan's new movie, "Tenet," which opens in select theaters across the United States this week.
AMC says that they will require all moviegoers and staff to wear masks and that their theaters will only operate at 30 percent capacity.
EVAN MCMORRIS-SANTORO, CNN CORRESPONDENT: I'm Evan McMorris-Santoro.
The University of Miami in Ohio hasn't reopened campus to on-campus housing yet, but the school is already dealing with a swiftly-growing coronavirus outbreak.
According to the university's coronavirus dashboard, 249 cases of the virus were reported among students just this week. That's an increase of 100 percent from the previous week. The rise in cases is coming from students living off-campus, according to school officials.
[05:35:04]
The campus is set to reopen for on-campus housing in just two weeks.
ROSA FLORES, CNN CORRESPONDENT: I'm Rosa Flores in Miami.
CNN has learned that preliminary information indicates that the cyberattacks on Miami-Dade County Public Schools are foreign and domestic. This is according to the district's police chief who said that on Wednesday, the district's virtual network was attacked at least 13 times by what they call is a distributed denial of service attack, which floods the network and doesn't allow anyone in.
The chief also says that student and employee information was not compromised, that the FBI and Secret Service have been called, and that Comcast issued a statement saying it is cooperating with law enforcement.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
ROMANS: All right, thanks to our colleagues for those reports.
Fewer people traveling means a smaller travel industry with fewer jobs.
United Airlines will furlough 16,000 frontline employees when payroll restrictions tied to the CARES Act expire October first. United had warned of 36,000 furloughs back in July.
United chair -- United's chairman tells CNN's Matt Egan the airline industry could shrink by half to survive.
Amtrak plans to furlough or lay off nearly 2,100 employees. A spokesperson says significant cuts were needed because of the slow recovery of ridership and revenue.
And with car sales down because millions of people are working from home and not commuting, Ford is also making cuts. The automaker will cut 1,400 salaried jobs and offer early retirement. Employees who take the offer by October 23rd would be leaving Ford by the end of the year, Laura.
JARRETT: Moving overseas now, European health officials say coronavirus cases in the E.U. are almost back to March levels. Several big countries, like Germany, France, and Italy, have reported spikes. These new cases are largely among young people, although officials say the spikes are not due to school reopenings.
Hospitalizations are also growing again, signaling spikes in cases among the elderly.
Despite all of that, the 77th edition of the Venice Film Festival is underway, one of the first major cultural events to take place in Europe since the pandemic.
ROMANS: When it comes to election security, Attorney General Bill Barr sees a bigger threat than Russia.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
WOLF BLITZER, CNN ANCHOR, THE SITUATION ROOM WITH WOLF BLITZER: The Intelligence Community says Russia, China, and Iran are seeking to interfere in the U.S. presidential election for various reasons. But mostly, they want to sow dissent in our country, exacerbate racial tensions, et cetera -- like that.
Of those three countries that the Intelligence Community has pointed to -- Russia, China, and Iran -- which is the most assertive -- the most aggressive in this area?
WILLIAM BARR, U.S. ATTORNEY GENERAL: I believe it's China. BLITZER: Which one?
BARR: China.
BLITZER: China more than Russia, right now?
BARR: Yes.
BLITZER: Why do you say that?
BARR: Because I've seen the intelligence. That's what I've concluded.
BLITZER: What are they trying to do?
BARR: Well, I'm not going to discuss that.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ROMANS: So, he may have seen the intel but most people have not.
ABC News reports the Department of Homeland Security withheld an intelligence bulletin in July warning of a Russian plot to spread misinformation about Joe Biden's mental health.
Acting Homeland Security Sec. Chad Wolf claims his department was working to revise that report. However, this is not the first time intel critical of Russia has been marginalized by this administration.
JARRETT: Joe Biden's message of healing gets put to the test today. The former vice president visits Kenosha, the Wisconsin city where police shot 29-year-old Jacob Blake in the back seven times setting off a wave of protests over racial injustice.
Biden and his wife, Jill, will hold a community meeting and sit down with Blake's father, as well as other family members, just two days after President Trump visited Kenosha over the objections of local leaders.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JOE BIDEN (D), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: I believe the vast majority of the community at writ large, as well as law enforcement, want to straighten things out -- not inflame things. But this president keeps throwing gasoline on the fire every place he goes.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ROMANS: In that exclusive interview with CNN, Attorney General Bill Barr defended the actions of police, insisting the shooting of black Americans is not racially motivated.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BARR: I don't think there are two justice systems. Let's -- you know, I think the narrative that there's a -- that the police are on some epidemic of shooting unarmed black men is simply a false narrative, and also the narrative that that's based on race.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ROMANS: Barr also claimed Jacob Blake was committing a felony when he was shot. There's no evidence released and no charges filed, and Blake's attorney denies it.
JARRETT: President Trump is so worried about mail-in voting fraud in November, he appears to be encouraging to commit election fraud by voting twice. The president says the best way to double-check a mail- in ballot was counted is to head to the polls anyway.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: And they're going to have to go and check their vote by going to the poll and voting that way because if it -- if it tabulates then they won't be able to do that. So, let them send it in and let them go vote. And if their system is as good as they say it is, then obviously, they won't be able to vote.
[05:40:00]
The absentees are fine. We have to work to get them. You know, it means something and you send them in. But you go to vote, and if they haven't counted it you can vote.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
JARRETT: In some states you can vote absentee and then go to the polls, but the absentee ballot gets nullified. So if you take the president's advice you might be breaking the law. Voting twice is a felony in some states, including North Carolina, which he was talking about.
And, of course, remember, there's no proof that mail-in voting leads to widespread fraud.
Forty-four states, including North Carolina, are expecting a major surge in mail-in voting because of the pandemic. Trump's suggestion is already getting some strong pushback from election officials in North Carolina and elsewhere.
ROMANS: All right.
This morning, another example of the president using his power to punish perceived political rivals and anyone who doesn't like him at the expense of taxpaying Americans. He's threatening to cut federal funding to major U.S. cities run by Democrats. A White House memo targets New York City, Portland, Oregon, Seattle, and Washington, D.C.
The president has zeroed in on Portland, but here's the thing. In reality, all the protests and the images that you see are confined to a few small pockets. Despite what Mr. Trump says, the city has not burned to the ground. Minneapolis and Kenosha, Wisconsin are not facing funding cuts. Both have seen unrest this summer but are located in competitive battleground states that the president needs to win in November.
Any move to slash funding would almost certainly result in legal fights. Federal courts have already ruled against the president on similar challenges.
JARRETT: Well, moderators for this fall's presidential debates have been revealed.
Fox anchor Chris Wallace will moderate the first Trump-Biden matchup on September 29th. He will be followed by CSPAN's Steve Scully and Kristen Welker of NBC News.
Biden's campaign says he looks forward to participating in the debates. Trump's team -- well, let's just say less than thrilled, claiming Biden will, quote, "actually have a teammate on stage" without naming any names.
Of course, the moderators are decided by a nonpartisan commission. "USA Today's" Washington bureau chief, Susan Page, will moderate the vice presidential debate.
ROMANS: All right.
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi throwing a salon under the bus after a hair appointment that violated coronavirus regulations. Fox reported it obtained security footage showing the speaker in a San Francisco salon without wearing a mask.
Her office says she relied on the word of someone at the salon about what was allowed. But now, Pelosi is throwing the blame elsewhere.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
REP. NANCY PELOSI (D-CA): I take responsibility for trusting the word of the neighborhood salon that I've been to over the years many times. And that when they said we're able to accommodate people, one person at a time, and that we can set up that time, I trusted that.
As it turns out, it was a set-up. So I take responsibility for falling for a set-up.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ROMANS: A set-up.
The salon owner says the set-up allegation is false.
New San Francisco regulations say hair salons can operate outdoors.
The House Speaker has spent months criticizing President Trump for setting a bad example during the pandemic.
We'll be right back. (COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[05:47:14]
JARRETT: A San Francisco area police officer has been charged with voluntary manslaughter in the fatal shooting of a black man inside a Walmart. Disturbing bodycam footage captured San Leandro officer Jason Fletcher's shooting of 33-year-old Steven Taylor.
Officers responding to a report of a man holding a baseball bat and a possible robbery ordered Taylor to drop the bat. When he didn't, Fletcher fired his Taser. Taylor stumbled forward and Fletcher fired, killing Taylor. The total time of all of this is under 40 seconds.
Prosecutors say the video and witness statements show Taylor clearly posed no imminent threat.
The San Leandro department and police union did not immediately respond to CNN's request for comment.
ROMANS: Hundreds of thousands of people still without power and running water one week after Hurricane Laura tore through Louisiana. More than half of the 15 deaths in the state were caused by the improper use of portable generators. Laura destroyed parts of Louisiana's power grid.
CNN affiliate KPLC's tower toppled over and crashed into the studio. Crews have now lifted a major portion of the tower exposing a gaping hole in the roof and extensive damage inside.
JARRETT: Well, Hall of Fame pitcher Tom Seaver has died of complications from dementia and coronavirus.
Seaver, known as "Tom Terrific," won 311 games and was a 12-time all- star during his storied 20-year career. He played 12 seasons with the New York Mets and was a member of the 1969 Miracle Mets that won the World Series.
Tom Seaver was 75.
ROMANS: A lone sailor has been rescued by Japan's Coast Guard after a cargo ship with 43 people and almost 6,000 cows on board went missing in the Pacific Ocean during a typhoon. The ship sent a distress signal early Wednesday from an area being battered by a storm equal to a category four hurricane.
The Coast Guard says the rescued sailor was found after more than half a day in the water but miraculously, he is in good condition.
JARRETT: All those cows.
Well, the holiday weekend will bring extreme heat to the west coast, not an ideal development for fighting historic wildfires. Let's get the latest from meteorologist Pedram Javaheri.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE) PEDRAM JAVAHERI, AMS METEOROLOGIST: Good morning, guys.
Incredible heat lined up here across the western U.S. We're talking about mid-July-like heat as a massive area of high pressure builds. Records -- how about upwards of 300 record temperatures possible through this Labor Day weekend.
And you kind of look at areas across the western U.S. -- where 50 million Americans are underneath excessive heat warnings, advisories, and watches as well -- and broaden out the scope.
Look at Palm Springs, look at Las Vegas. If this was in July, I would tell you this is an incredible heatwave. But, of course, it's in September and temps should be in the 90s in Las Vegas this time of year. But still, forecasting about 112 degrees.
How about Los Angeles? Get into downtown, dangerous temperatures as well for this holiday weekend. Temps potentially into the triple digits, which run about 20 degrees above seasonal averages.
[05:50:07]
And the U.S. perspective looks as such here with the eastern U.S. an area of concern. A level three, which is on a scale of one to five -- a three -- an enhanced risk across Washington and Baltimore generally for straight-line winds and some large hail, but can't rule out a few isolated tornadoes as well -- guys
(END VIDEOTAPE)
JARRETT: Pedram, thank you for that.
Illusionist David Blaine just floated across the Arizona desert by holding on to 50 helium balloons. He began his ascent yesterday morning. It took about an hour from liftoff to landing. The event was live-streamed on YouTube.
Blaine's goal was to reach an altitude of about 18,000 feet. Well, he wound up floating to almost 25,000 feet or about 4.7 miles before skydiving and then parachuting back to the ground.
ROMANS: All right.
Remember the ice bucket challenge? It turns out some of the money that was raised helped fund a new drug that slows the symptoms of ALS.
A study published in "The New England Journal of Medicine" shows the drug helped slow down the paralyzing disease in more than 130 patients. Some still died and then had their symptoms reversed or stopped. But with no good treatment for Lou Gehrig's disease, the drug is considered a breakthrough in the ALS community.
JARRETT: Well, he was laid off due to the pandemic, but Brian Schwartz has still managed to pay it forward. Since the end of June, he's been mowing lawns for seniors and veterans in his New Jersey community free of charge. He set up a Web site and a Facebook page for his free service called
"I want to mow your lawn." And, Schwartz tells CNN business is booming. He now offers service in four New Jersey counties there. And so, Christine, you can get him.
Attention, Walmart shoppers. The big-box retailer is installing 100 lactation pods in stores across the country. The pods are private, free-standing spaces that give mothers a clean space to breastfeed or pump.
The partnership with Mamava was the idea of a Walmart employee who thought it would benefit female associates and customers with newborns.
I'm glad to be away from those feeding challenges.
ROMANS: Yes, exactly.
All right, let's get a check on CNN Business this morning.
Taking a look at markets around the world, Asia closing mixed. Europe opening higher here. And on Wall Street, a little bit of a pullback in futures this morning but barely so. Look, more power in the summer stock rally is what we've been seeing.
The Dow closed up 454 points, topping 29,000 for the first time since February. Record highs for the S&P 500 and the Nasdaq.
Looking good all around for stock investors. But the stock market is not the economy. Economists predict another one million Americans filed for first-time unemployment benefits last week. We'll know for sure in about 2 1/2 hours.
Job cuts, this week alone, at United Airlines, Ford, and Amtrak.
Millions of students are heading back to school online but laptops are hard to find. School districts across the country are placing big orders for devices. At the same time, many universities and companies are relying on remote learning and working.
The demand has strained supply chains. Several companies say they're working to meet the demand but it will take time to get crucial laptop components.
The situation has highlighted deep disparities in access to technology at home.
All right, who says you can't have cake for breakfast? Reese's is launching a new peanut butter and chocolate snack cake in December. Research cited by Reese's says 83 percent of adults admit they have indulged in dessert before noon in the past month.
Last month, Kraft added the word breakfast to its mac and cheese boxes, hoping to take away some of the shame associated with parents serving their kids non-breakfast foods in the morning.
So, which one do you want for breakfast -- a snake cake or mac and cheese, Laura?
JARRETT: Well, first of all, shame? In my household, it is totally acceptable to have breakfast -- pasta for breakfast any time. That is -- that is not a problem.
I would absolutely choose that mac and cheese. The snack cake, I'm going to pass on.
ROMANS: My favorite breakfast is, like, cold lasagna. That has always been my favorite kind of --
JARRETT: Well, that's what happens when you wake up at 3:00 in the morning. That's what you want. True, right?
ROMANS: It's true, it's true. Like, load up all the calories before 10:00 a.m.
All right, everybody, thanks so much for joining us this Thursday morning. I'm Christine Romans.
JARRETT: I'm Laura Jarrett. "NEW DAY" is next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[05:59:07]
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: States in America's middle, like Iowa where masks are not mandated, are seeing massive spikes in positivity rates.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Do you think the numbers are being inflated?
ERNST: That I'm not sure. I want somebody to really go back and do a good fact-check on this.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It's an offensive attack on some of the best Iowans out there on the frontlines.
BARR: I don't think there are two justice systems. I think the narrative that police are on some epidemic of shooting unarmed black men is simply a false narrative.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Well, the facts are there are, in fact, two justice systems. Sir, this is a Justice Department, not the department of denial.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANNOUNCER: This is NEW DAY with Alisyn Camerota and John Berman.
ALISYN CAMEROTA, CNN ANCHOR: We want to welcome our viewers in the United States and all around the world. This is NEW DAY. It is Thursday, September third, 6:00 here in New York.
And we begin this morning the same way we began yesterday morning and so many other mornings, by telling you that more than 1,000 Americans died from coronavirus in just the past 24 hours.
There's confusion this morning over a potential vaccine and concern.
