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Several Nations Consider Reimposing Coronavirus-related Restrictions; U.S. Supreme Court Kicks Off New Season; Nobel Prize History. Aired 4-4:10a ET

Aired October 06, 2020 - 04:00   ET

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


CARL AZUZ, CNN 10 ANCHOR: Thank you for taking 10 for CNN 10. I`m Carl Azuz from our remote studio outside the CNN Center. In fact, the reason why

we`re here is the subject of today`s first report. The threat of coronavirus continues to lurk around the world. On Monday, the World Health

Organization said the disease might have infected 10 percent of the global population.

It`s a controversial statement. It would mean that 770 million people on the planet had contracted the disease. Researchers at Johns Hopkins

University have tallied 35 million infections worldwide. But the United Nations says that`s probably an enormous undercount and one ongoing

challenge to diagnosing virus is that an estimated 40 percent of people who catch it have no symptoms.

So many may never know if they`ve had it or get tested for it. COVID-19 is not spread evenly around the world. We`ve reported on how there were fewer

cases and deaths on the continent of Africa that researchers had expected. And while some countries, like New Zealand are lifting restrictions after

saying coronavirus is under control.

Others are shutting down businesses and locking down things again because case numbers are going in the wrong direction. France reported almost

17,000 positive test on Saturday. That was a new one-day record there and officials were considering putting Paris on lockdown. Germany and Italy

recently recorded their biggest one-day spike in positive tests since April and the United Kingdom and Poland are also seeing their numbers increase.

It`s creating major challenges for world leaders. They`re trying to find ways to keep people from spreading COVID-19 while also allowing them to

have some sense of normalcy. Lockdowns can also be damaging to local and national economies. In the United States, U.S. President Donald Trump left

the hospital yesterday.

He returned to the White House after being treated for coronavirus at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center. On the other side of the

country, California has seen the highest number of coronavirus cases. More than 834,000 have been recorded there but New York has had the most deaths

blamed on the disease and certain parts of New York City are facing lockdowns once again.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: After months of steps forward in this city`s battle against the pandemic, a sign on Sunday that there could be a very big step

back. The mayor proposing nine zip codes in Brooklyn and Queens return to the kinds of lockdowns that we saw back in April. Schools closed. Non-

essential businesses closed. The idea is to try to combat a rising infection rate in those neighborhoods.

Seven consecutive days of a 3 percent infection rate or higher now and in 11 other zip codes, new lockdowns involving public gathering places like

gyms, pools and the closing down of indoor dining which -- which was recently reopened here. The mayor said there`s been a lot to celebrate in

New York for the past few months but Sunday was not one of those days.

MAYOR BILL DE BLASIO (D), NEW YORK CITY: So today unfortunately is not a day for celebration. Today is a more difficult day and I`m going to be

giving an update that gives me no joy at all. In fact, it pains me to be putting forward this approach that we`ll need. But in some parts of our

city, in Brooklyn and Queens, we`re having an extraordinary problems. Something we haven`t seen since the spring.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: All these proposals have to go through the governor`s office and CNN reached out to the governor and we haven`t heard back yet

exactly what he plants to do with the mayor`s proposals. But we did hear that he pointed to previous statements where he said, if a city can`t

control it`s outbreak the state will step in.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

AZUZ: Yesterday was the first Monday in October. You`re like, thanks Carl. Well that`s significant because it`s when the U.S. Supreme Court officially

begins a new session. And the fact that it has a vacancy following the death of Associate Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg doesn`t stop the court from

hearing arguments or making decisions. One case on the docket this session concerns the Affordable Care Act, also known as Obamacare.

A major health reform law passed in 2010. Another case involves laws against discrimination and the issue of religious freedom. Also, if a legal

dispute comes up related to the U.S. presidential election on November 3rd, the court could be called on to resolve that too like it did in the

election of the year 2000.

There is a complication for the court at the moment. It currently has eight justices until the vacancy is filled. That means that rulings that end in a

tie are possible if four justices decide a case one way and four decide the other. If that happens, whatever decision was made by a lower court before

the case was appealed to the Supreme Court would stand. So when will the vacancy be filled?

That is the question. Judge Amy Coney Barrett is President Trump`s nominee to fill the seat and her confirmation hearings are scheduled to begin next

week. Those though too have been complicated. Several Senators have caught coronavirus and may have to attend the hearings virtually.

Democrats in the chamber want the hearings to be postponed. The Republicans who lead the Senate are hoping to move quickly and hold a vote on Judge

Barrett`s confirmation by the end of the month. But if she`s confirmed then, it doesn`t necessarily mean she`d be the tie breaking vote on any

split decision.

In order for a justice to rule on a Supreme Court case, he or she has to be confirmed and sitting on the bench when the case itself arrives. So if the

court takes up a challenge before the new justice is seated, it will be up to the other eight justices to decide it.

10 Second Trivia. Who was a recipient of the first Nobel Peace Prize? Henry Dunant, Theodore Roosevelt, Clara Barton, or Woodrow Wilson. One of the two

people who received the 1901 prize was Henry Dunant and this year`s winners are announced this week.

Nobel prizes are named for a Swedish engineer who invented dynamite and in 1895 he created the awards for those who served humanity. A well-known

award is for peace but there are also Nobel prizes for economics, physics, literature, chemistry and medicine. Hundreds of awards have been given over

the last century.

They`re handed out on December 10th on the anniversary of Alfred Nobel`s death, thought the winners are announced before then. There could be as

many as three winners per category and some people have won more than one Nobel prize.

Marie Curie, for instance, the first woman to win took home awards for chemistry and physics. The International Committee of the Red Cross won the

Nobel Peace Prize three times in 1917, 1944 and 1963 and it`s not just a medal that these people or organizations win. A diploma and a cash prize

are included. The payment being worth more than $1 million today.

Nothing unusual about this scene except that I`ve got my co-anchor with me. But what if instead of my friend, Henry here, the dog I had were yellow,

completely hairless and completely robotic. Then there might be some questions. And that`s what`s happening wherever Boston Dynamics robot dog

is being sighted. Jeanne Moos takes a walk.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JEANNE MOOS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Oh my (inaudible). It was a robodog video.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Hello, friend.

MOOS: Had the internet both barking and wagging its tail.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I thought he was a little bit creepy but I was excited to see it because I`ve never seen a robot in my life.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Oh, my god, I love you.

MOOS: Instead of a leash, it was handled by a guy with a controller.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: He says that it was for a job. So we told him he had a pretty good job, I guess.

MOOS: Walking Spot, the Boston Dynamics robodog that`s been spotted lately.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: For your own safety and for those around you. Please stand at least one meter apart.

MOOS: Telling people in a Singapore park to maintain social distance. The founder of Boston Dynamics told CNBC.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We have about 120 out in the world.

MOOS: Steven Colbert noticed Spot.

STEVEN COLBERT: People would be a lot more receptive if the dog was cuter, cuddlier and less dystopian.

MOOS: Steven`s dog?

COLBERT: There`s the Bennie Bot. There it is.

MOOS: Boston Dynamics is making Spot cuddlier by showing robodogs dancing, working together, working out together. The Massachusetts State Police Bomb

Squad tested Spot. SpaceX has one cited amid clouds of liquid nitrogen. Will Spot become the future "rover" on Mars?

After years of being taunted with a hockey stick, Kit (ph) demonstrate the ability to recover and even being yanked. By the equivalent of his tale,

Spot still persevered. Intended mostly for industrial use, Spot now sells for $74,500. The company warns Spot is not certified safe for in home use

or intended for use near children. You can expect to be "hounded".

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Dude. Spot. You are amazing.

MOOS: By more Spot sightings . See Spot trot.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I love you so much.

MOOS: Jeanne Moos, CNN, New York.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

AZUZ: Technology buffs "lap" that stuff up. But it`s hardly a lap dog. Oh sure it might fake lap, take a lap, "robay" like a "Laprodore" but it`s a

"rover" man. Not a "doverman". And while it`s a "new foundland" of technology. True dog lovers won`t "setter" for what`s

"pomeranunacceptable". Woo.

I`m Carl Azuz. Yesterday we made a stop in Abu Dhabi. Today we`re headed to Stockholm. The capital of Sweden where the International English School is

watching. Thank you for your comment at YouTube.com/cnn.

END