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Early Start with John Berman and Zoraida Sambolin

Doctors Plead: Respect Virus Restrictions Over Holiday; Police Shoot and Kill Suspected Portland Gunman; Trump Rally in Pennsylvania: No Social Distancing, Very Few Masks; Poisoned Putin Critic Was Under Secret Russian Surveillance; Raptors Stun Celtics at the Buzzer. Aired 5-5:30a ET

Aired September 04, 2020 - 05:00   ET

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

[05:00:20]

LAURA JARRETT, CNN ANCHOR: A new model shows the number of Americans dying of coronavirus could more than double by January. Top doctors are pleading with Americans to be vigilant over Labor Day.

CHRISTINE ROMANS, CNN ANCHOR: And breaking overnight: the suspect accused of gunning down a right wing protester in Portland shot and killed by police. What he said in an interview just moments before.

Welcome to our viewers in the United States and around the world. This is EARLY START. I'm Christine Romans.

JARRETT: And I am Laura Jarrett. It is Friday, September 4th. Happy Friday.

It's 5:00 a.m. here in New York. Sixty days until the election.

This morning, a number once unthinkable and now unavoidable if something doesn't change and past. A model cited by the White House is now projecting an astronomical 410,000 Americans dead by January, that's more than double the current dead toll. That's one American dead, every 80 seconds of the rest of the year.

Three thousand of those deaths are projected in December, thanks to a lethal combination of colder weather, and less vigilance from the public. But a universal mandate according to this model would cut the number by 30 percent.

ROMANS: Another 1,000 died yesterday, a figure in this pandemic that's become a painful normal the U.S. seems all too unwilling to accept. This holiday weekend will be a pivotal test of whether Americans are prepared to eliminate this coronavirus. Big spikes in cases, followed big crowds gathering for the last major holidays, the Memorial Day and Fourth of July.

Now, remember, small outdoor events are generally okay. Big indoor events are a recipe for disaster.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) DR. ANTHONY FAUCI, DIRECTOR, NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF ALLERGY AND INFECTIOUS DISEASES: We don't want to see a repeat of the surges that we have seen following other holiday weekends, particularly as we go on the other side of labor day and enter into the fall, we want to go into that with a running start in the right direction. We don't want to go into that with another surge we have to turn around again.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

JARRETT: There are now 27,000 cases at colleges in 40 states the country. Thirty sorority and fraternity houses at Indiana University have been ordered to quarantine because of an alarming increase in cases. In New York, the state's university campus at Oneonta is ending all in-person classes for the semester after an outbreak of almost 400 cases there, all students at Gettysburg college in Pennsylvania are now required after an outbreak of more than 300 cases.

More than half of the quarantine and isolation beds are now occupied at Ohio State University where there have been more than 250 new cases in just 24 hours.

ROMANS: It's hard for students to learn remotely when they're constantly being targeted by hackers. The government has now traced days of cyber attacks in some Miami-Dade schools to Russia, Ukraine, China and Iraq, in addition to a local teen who was arrested.

(VIDEO CLIP PLAYS)

ROMANS: Meantime, production of "The Batman" starring Robert Pattinson has been halted after someone on the production staff tested positive. Reports say it is Pattinson himself. "The Batman" had resumed operations around London just days ago.

There is some positive news for Hollywood Covid-19. Hospitalizations in Los Angeles have fallen to their lowest levels since early April.

JARRETT: Well, CNN has learned that President Trump is ramping up pressure on the FDA for a coronavirus silver bullet before Election Day. That has a lot of medical experts concerned that your health is taking a backseat to the president's political fortunes. We have seen him doing this before, like the president ordering the emergency use of hydroxychloroquine which was later revoked, or accusing the FDA of delaying vaccine trials.

CNN has also learned behind closed doors the president pushed for more good news about the pandemic, insisting that even minor developments could turn into major announcements so he can claim credit.

ROMANS: There is concern even inside the White House that FDA chief Steven Hahn is so eager to please this president, he might cut corners to get a treatment or a vaccine approved before November. There is already an FDA meeting scheduled for October 22nd, for researchers to weigh the development, authorization and/or licensure of a coronavirus vaccine.

Still, the head of the government effort to find the vaccine is being cautious about the timeline.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DR. MONCEF SLAOUI, OPERATION WARP SPEED: Vaccines would not be introduced before the clinical trials are completed. The requirements are very high and there's no intent to file before demonstration of efficacy and safety in the phase three trials.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ROMANS: He and Dr. Fauci both say a vaccine by October is unlikely, but not impossible.

JARRETT: Breaking overnight, police have shot and killed a man wanted in the fatal shooting of a far-right pro-Trump supporter in Portland last weekend.

[05:05:06]

Michael Reinoehl was killed as officers tried to arrest him in Washington state last night. The U.S. Marshals in a statement say he was shot after pulling a gun and threatening the officers. Now, he was a vocal supporter of the Antifa movement, a loose collection of far- left activists who say they oppose fascism.

In an interview on "Vice News" tonight, that aired moments before his death went public, Reinoehl strongly implied he was the shooter. He said he believed he and a friend were in danger when 39-year-old Aaron Danielson was shot and killed in Portland. It happened as the caravan of Trump supporters rolled through the streets, firing paint balls at the crowd.

ROMANS: All right. President Trump strongly denying a report in "The Atlantic" that he disparaged U.S. service members killed in wars and chose to skip a ceremony honoring veterans. CNN has not confirmed the report.

It claims the president referred to 1,800 marines who lost their lives in France as losers and suckers. It says the president asked his staff not to include amputees in the military parade because he said spectators would be uncomfortable. And it claims the president cancelled a visit to the American cemetery in France in 2018 because he feared his hair would become disheveled in the rain.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: To think I would make statements negative to our military and fallen heroes when nobody has done what I've done with the budgets, with the military budgets, with getting pay raises for our military, it is a disgraceful situation by a magazine that's a terrible magazine. I don't read it.

And I would be willing to swear on anything that I never said that about our fallen heroes. There is nobody that respects them more. No animal, nobody, what animal would say such a thing?

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ROMANS: It is worth noting CNN reporters in France during the visit reported that local weather forecasts indicated there was heavy rain in the area of the cemetery and there was not time to organize French security to cover a long motorcade route.

JARRETT: Some starkly different tones as Joe Biden and President Trump hit the road to battleground states this week. Biden visiting Kenosha, Wisconsin, on Thursday, the site of Jacob Blake's shooting. He met with local politicians and law enforcement and religious and non-profit leaders there.

Biden also met privately in Milwaukee with Jacob Blake's family. He says they put him on the phone with Blake himself who is now out of intensive care.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JOE BIDEN (D), PRESIDENTIAL NOMINEE: He talked about how nothing was going to defeat him. How whether he walked again or not, he was not going to give up.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

JARRETT: Biden's trip to Wisconsin was his first as Democratic nominee. And to one of the critical swing states, Democratic Governor Tony Evers says he didn't want either Biden or the president to come. However, he praised Biden's visit, calling it night and day compared to President Trump's visit earlier this week.

ROMANS: President Trump meantime was holding a rally in Pennsylvania. Remember back in July when he tweeted that many people say it is patriotic to wear a mask during the pandemic? Well, fast forward to yesterday when he was once again mocking his 2020 opponent for wearing a mask.

CNN's Ryan Nobles was at the rally in Pennsylvania.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

RYAN NOBLES, CNN WASHINGTON CORRESPONDENT: Laura and Christine, it's pretty clear that President Trump is ready to get back on the campaign trail in a big way. This event he held in Latrobe, Pennsylvania, probably the biggest rally he's held since that rally in Tulsa at the end of June, it was a big crowd in this airplane hangar where we were, and there was an even bigger crowd that attempted to get in that was part of an overflow outside of the event. In fact, there were lines of cars backed up for miles trying to get into the event in Pennsylvania.

Of course, Pennsylvania, a very important battleground for the president's reelection hopes. But, of course, we have to keep reiterating the fact that these events do not in any way, shape or form comply with CDC guidelines. People were shoulder to shoulder. Very few, if any people were wearing masks. And when the topic of masks came up during the president's speech, he actually mocked Joe Biden for wearing a mask. Take a listen. TRUMP: But did you ever see a man that likes a mask as much as him? Then he makes his speech. He always it -- not only hanging down because, you know what? It gives him a feeling of security. If I were a psychiatrist -- right? I'd say, I'd say this guy's got some big issues.

NOBLES: And this is just the beginning of what we expect to be a very busy travel schedule for President Trump. In fact, he has trips planned as soon as next week as the campaign has now really begun in earnest -- Laura and Christine.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

JARRETT: All right. Ryan, thank you so much for that.

Well, a month after the explosion that rocked Lebanon's capital, possible signs of life beneath the rubble in Beirut.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[05:14:03]

ROMANS: A reality check on Wall Street. Look at that, the Dow fell 807 points on Thursday, falling back negative for the year. The S&P fell 3.5 percent. Nasdaq down nearly 5 percent. That was the Nasdaq's largest one-day decline from the record high in history. It was led by Apple's $180 billion loss in market cap. That is 8 percent of its market value.

All of this before the August jobs report in just a couple of hours. So, what happened here? A stampede out of those high flying tech stocks that have driven the summer rally, as U.S. and China relations sour.

Now, tech companies have been stars of the summer, defining the grim picture on Main Street, where millions are out of work, food pantries are stretch thin, schools are struggling to reopen, and critical stimulus has stopped flowing.

Overnight, Asian markets followed Wall Street as the tech selloff continue there. But you can see European shares bouncing a bit. We're watching U.S. stock index futures to see if they're able to stabilize this morning. Wall Street had been riding high in record stimulus and low interest rates.

[05:15:02]

But there have been signs there, Laura, that the rise maybe unsustainable given what's happening in the real economy.

JARRETT: Well, there are growing questions this morning surrounding the poisoning of the Vladimir Putin critic Alexei Navalny. CNN has learned Russian's leading opposition figure was under secret state surveillance for years.

Let's go to CNN's Frederik Pleitgen in Berlin where Navalny is being treated.

Fred, what more are you hearing about this?

FREDERIK PLEITGEN, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Hi, Laura. You're absolutely right.

For nearly for years, Alexei Navalny was under strong surveillance, also with efforts to try to discredit him as well. One of the interesting things the Russians admitted he was under constant surveillance on the trip when he was actually poisoned. However, one of the things that the Russians are saying is they still have no idea who may have poisoned him and still, of course, continue to say they didn't discover any sort of poison in his system as all.

The Germanys, for their part, continue to say that the opposite is true. That they actually discovered Novichok inside his system, which is, of course, a chemical agent that is usually used in warfare.

Meanwhile, Angela Merkel, the German chancellor, is actually becoming under increasing pressure over all of this as well. Germany has a big project, a gas project together with the Russians called Nord Stream 2.

Now, the U.S. has threatened sanctions against Germany over that project, and now, Angela Merkel is getting into a bit of trouble here domestically as well. There are people even from her own party who say, look, after what happened to Alexei Navalny, the Germans seriously need to think about putting that project on ice or maybe shelving it altogether.

So far, we are not seeing any moves from that from the German government just yet. Meanwhile, Alexei Navalny, of course, remains here in hospital, remains in very serious condition. The latest update we got is that the Germans are saying that his life is no longer in danger. However, they do say that's going to be a long, long process for him to come back, and they're not sure still whether or not he's going to be able to make a full recovery -- Laura.

JARRETT: All right. Fred, thank you so much.

ROMANS: All right. Live pictures we're showing you of these rescue operations in Beirut this morning. Just amazing after possible signs of life were detected in rubble from that huge explosion that happened a month ago. A team with a rescue dog detected movement Thursday.

Now, CNN heard instruments detected body heat and breathing. Rescuers, we're told, are just feet from that location now. Rescuers had paused the search when heavy machinery was needed to lift rubble safely and it couldn't be brought until morning.

JARRETT: That's just incredible, after a month to detect breathing.

Well, a CNN exclusive coming up this hour. An American writer lost his job because of coronavirus, then got roped into something else very different, a Russian plot to interfere in the election. We'll tell you how. (COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[05:22:10]

JARRETT: A stunning buzzer beater keeps the Raptors' hopes of an NBA title alive.

Andy Scholes has more in this morning's "Bleacher Report".

ANDY SCHOLES, CNN SPORTS CORRESPONDENT: Yes. Good morning, Laura.

So, no team in NBA history ever come back from the 0-3 deficit in a series. So, the Raptors really needed to win this one.

And things were not looking good in the closing seconds for them. They were down two, under a second to go. Boston brings in 7'5" Tacko Fall to guard the inbounds pass, but somehow gets over him, perfect pass to OG Anunoby who he would hit the three at the buzzer.

Incredible play. Anunoby barely getting it over Jaylen Brown. He gets mobbed by all his teammates. The Raptors rejoiced saving their season with the 104-103 win.

Jaylen Brown meanwhile was not very happy with that result.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JAYLEN BROWN, BOSTON CELTICS FORWARD: It was just a (EXPLETIVE DELETED) disgrace in the game. I was just terrible. You know, no way we should have lost that game.

You know, I take responsibility for that. Not just that play, but a lot of the plays before. It's the playoffs.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SCHOLES: The Nuggets less than 48 hours after their dramatic game seven win over the Jazz struggling in game one against the Clippers. Kawhi Leonard with 29 points in three quarters. The L.A. wins game one easily 120-97.

The playoffs continuing on our sister network, TNT, tonight. Giannis and the Bucks looking to avoid a 2-0 hole, and LeBron and Lakers are going to get their streak started with the Rockets. Action gets going at 6:30 Eastern.

All right. College football, Pac-12 will soon be able to provide athletes with daily COVID-19 with rapid results after making a deal with the diagnostic manufacturing firm. Commissioner Larry Scott calling this a game changer and it may allow the conference to resume sports perhaps before January.

The Pac-12 and Big-10 shut down fall sports previously saying they were aiming to start in the New Year, but that hasn't stopped players, parents, fans and even President Trump from trying to still get the two conferences to play football this fall. President Trump called Big-10 Commissioner Kevin Warren earlier this week to speak about bringing football back as soon as possible.

Now, Ravens coach John Harbaugh, whose brother Jim coaches at Michigan, thinks they should definitely be playing.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JOHN HARBAUGH, BALTIMORE RAVENS HEAD COACH: Free the Big-10, you know. Free the Big-10. Let's go. Let's go play some football. Let's get Michigan and Ohio State and all these great teams play some football.

Michigan had zero positive tests in August. They are doing a great job with their protocols, and those guys want to play. And for anybody that wants to opt out, they can.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SCHOLES: Yeah. And, Christine, you know, it seems like the winds are changing in terms of the Big-10 and Pac-12 playing football this fall.

[05:25:05]

You know, when they made the decision, it seemed it was final. They were never going to go back on it. Now, it seems like with all these new developments, those teams all might end up playing before January 1st.

ROMANS: It's about testing and tracing and isolating. You know, what's all we've known all along. So, we'll see if they can do it.

All right. Nice to see you. Thanks, Andy.

SCHOLES: All right.

ROMANS: Americans have a choice this holiday weekend. Respect the pandemic restrictions or more people die. Dire projections paint a bleak picture for the rest of the year.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)