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Dr. Fauci Calls Out WHO On 'Rare' Asymptomatic Spread Claims; Arizona Activates Emergency Plans As COVID Cases Rise Across 12 States; Puritan Medical Products Discarded Swabs Produced During Trump Visit; HBO Pulls "Gone With The Wind" Because Of Racial Depictions; What The Original Police Report On Floyd Death Said. Aired 1:30-2p ET
Aired June 10, 2020 - 13:30 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
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[13:33:30]
BRIANNA KEILAR, CNN HOST: The nation's top infection disease expert is calling out the group leading the worldwide response to coronavirus.
On Monday, the World Health Organization said the asymptomatic spread of coronavirus is rare. And they have since had to clarify remarks twice. A short time ago, the WHO director addressed these confusing comments saying, quote, "We're all learning all the time."
Dr. Anthony Fauci says there's no evidence to back up that WHO claim.
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DR. ANTHONY FAUCI, DIRECTOR, NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF ALLERGY & INFECTIOUS DISEASES: The evidence that we have, given the percentage of people, which is about 25, 45 percent of the totality of infected people, likely without symptoms. And we know from epidemiological studies that they can transmit to someone who is uninfected, even when they're without symptoMs.
So to make a statement to say that's a rare event was not correct.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BOLDUAN: And in the meantime, more than 12 states actually saw upticks in COVID-19 hospitalizations since Memorial Day.
Arizona is one of those states. And with the numbers of rising, the state has told hospitals to activate emergency plans. And 76 percent of intensive care beds there were occupied as of Monday, according to Arizona's director of health services.
Senior medical correspondent, Elizabeth Cohen, joins me now.
And that graph you saw there with cases rising, that's not what you want to see. Tell us about this and what this increase in hospitalizations, how it raises alarms.
[13:35:04] DR. ELIZABETH COHEN, CNN SENIOR MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT: Right, Brianna. That is not the direction we want that graph to go in. It is disturbing.
It is not surprising. You and I have been talking about this for weeks. It's very simple. The more you get people together, the more the virus has a chance to spread. We're going to be seeing those numbers come up.
It's especially notable we're seeing hospitalizations come up. Sometimes people talk about infections, cases, you say just testing more. They're actually in the hospital, this isn't just a matter of testing. This is very simple.
If we want to get rid of this virus we need to stay apart from each other as much as possible. Because of certain jobs and the way things are, some people have to get back to together.
Even then, there are social distancing and other mitigation measures that can take place. The Memorial Day celebrations we saw, graduation parties, those are very problematic.
BOLDUAN: And, Elizabeth, after the president toured the headquarters of Puritan Medical Products in Maine, the facility discarded the swabs that it actually produced during his visit. Tell us about this.
COHEN: Yes. It's very interesting. They're now saying that they discarded those swabs because of the number of individuals present. Because, obviously, with the president, there's a whole entourage of people that visit.
They said a limited run, only for 15 minutes. They shifted the manufacturing to sort of make up for the time they weren't manufacturing. And they planned this. This was not something they decided afterwards.
You know, in this time where we have such shortages of medical equipment -- obviously, better now than before -- still, one has to ask, why did they do this production if they were then going to throw them away. Couldn't they sort of demonstrate in other ways without actually wasting the actual product?
BOLDUAN: Yes. Or make, like, one swab. I don't know. Just seems -- just sort of --
COHEN: Right.
KEILAR: -- it doesn't make sense.
Elizabeth Cohen, thank you so much.
COHEN: Yes.
KEILAR: We appreciate it.
As more companies push to make change, other CEOs are not. How some are quitting or apologizing for comments about race.
Plus, HBO pulling "Gone with the Wind" for its racial depictions, sparking a debate about censorship and context. We'll discuss.
And, we went back and looked at the original police report describing George Floyd's death. You will want to hear it. You'll want to see what it says.
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[13:42:15]
BOLDUAN: Multiple companies and CEOs under fire for controversial racially insensitive comments they made about George Floyd and the Black Lives Matter protests that have been sweeping the nation.
In North Carolina, several professional and collegiate teams. including the Charlotte Hornets and Carolina Panthers, cut ties with a local security firm after the CEO criticized protesters and admonished people to focus on black on black crime. He has since apologized.
Now the CEO of fitness firm, CrossFit, has resigned after apologizing for a tweet some called racist and insensitive. There was a reason why they called it that. Greg Glassman tweeting the phrase, "Floyd-19," in response to a tweet from the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation saying racism is a public health issue.
Backlash. As You can imagine, it was swift. This cost him a corporate sponsorship with athletic maker, Reebok. Several gym franchise owners pulled their affiliation.
In Glassman's statement announcing his resignation of retirement he said, in part, "I created a rift in the CrossFit community and unintentionally hurt many of its members. Those who know me know that my soul issue is the chronic disease epidemic. I cannot let my behavior stand in the way of HQ's or affiliates' missions. They are too important to jeopardize."
The new streaming service HBO Max announced it's pulling "Gone with the Wind" from its platform over how it depicts race. The movie will not be gone forever. HBO Max says the film will return but it will have a discussion of its historical context.
A spokesman for HBO Max, which, like CNN, is owned by Warner Media, says, quote, "'Gone with the Wind' is a product of its time and depicts some of the ethnic and racial prejudices that have, unfortunately, been commonplace in American society. We felt to keep the title up without an explanation and announcement of those depictions would are irresponsible."
I want to discuss this with CNN contributor and "Entertainment Tonight" host, Nischelle Turner, and Segun Oduolowu, host of the national syndicated show "The List."
Nischelle first to you.
I mean, what do you make of this development?
NISCHELLE TURNER, CNN CONTRIBUTOR: You know, I think it's interesting. I wouldn't be in favor of just pulling the film, you know, all the way. But I do think that there's something to be said about maybe adding some context to it. Maybe an artist roundtable or discussion along with the film when it comes back.
I know personally everyone that, pretty much everybody that I know that's watched the film and myself, we have this -- this conversation along with the film, because we know that, yes, indeed it does glorify the south, and whitewash slavery.
The movie has its place in history but it definitely is a problematic movie in a lot of ways. I think having a conversation about that is appropriate.
[13:45:09]
And so I know there's been a lot of kind of outrage about this, this morning, but I definitely think that it does deserve to have some conversation with this movie, because in the time it was made, there was a lot of problems with films made about slavery and the south.
KEILAR: I would appreciate, I know, some sort of roundtable or discussions about it. So important to learn from that.
I wonder what you think about this development, Segun?
SEGUN ODUOLOWU, HOST, "THE LIST": For me, as a black person, I don't need the whitewashing of history to appease my blackness. Pulling the movie doesn't -- it kind of moves the goal posts and makes us lose focus on what we're actually asking for.
I do like that they want to have a discussion about it, but let's talk about the Hattie McDaniel and the fact she was the first African- American to win an Oscar because of this movie. It's a piece of art.
And, yes, to Nischelle's point, it does glorify the Antebellum South and is a product of its time. But it's not the same as the rebel flag or Confederate flag that still flies in southern states. It's not the same as statues of Confederate generals or schools named after Confederate general. Let's understand what it is.
And I love that HBO, which does amazing documentaries, is willing to put some talk around this movie. I would love to show the evolution of a Hattie McDaniel to Halle Berry and how roles for black women haven't necessarily moved since this movie.
Like, there's a lot of discussions that could be had. But I don't like the pulling of art just because it may offend people. You know when it was made. I think discussion needs to happen. And HBO can do a really good thing here.
BOLDUAN: Yes, what happens with some of the art that was made more recently, right, to your point. Good point. So much of it. Where is the conversation with that? I want to ask you both --
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KEILAR: Yes.
TURNER: Brianna -- sorry. I didn't mean to interrupt you.
That's a good question. A lot of the conversation we have today are movies that people think are problematic, made today, that depict white savior, whether "The Help," "Green Book," movies like "The Blind Side." A lot of people have issues with those movies as well. And they were made in modern days.
There's a place to have discussions around these movie and things like this for sure.
KEILAR: Yes. I know I appreciate --
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ODUOLOWU: You're right, Nischelle. "Driving Miss Daisy." There's too many movies, Right? Do we go back through each and every one? I don't think that's the answer.
But the conversation. Like, these movies don't exist in a vacuum. And the actors portrayed in them, I'm sure some of them would have a lot to say about what they feel about it. That's where real solutions can come about.
BOLDUAN: It would be fascinating to know what they think about it.
What do you think about something John Ridley, the Academy Award- winning screenwriter of "12 Year as Slave," said? He wrote an op-ed in the "Los Times" this week, quote, "It's a film glorifies the Antebellum South. It is a film that, when it's not ignoring the horrors of slavery, pauses only to perpetuate some of the most painful stereotypes of people of color."
What do you say and what's the precedent for other movies or books or music?
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ODUOLOWU: Nischelle, you go first.
TURNER: -- answer that and keep it short. He's right.
(LAUGHTER)
BOLDUAN: Segun?
ODUOLOWU: Yes. I mean, he's 100 percent correct.
Again, let's tell the truth. Like, don't glorify a past that is steeped in blood and pain and degradation. Like, if you want to tell the story, we're asking for equality. OK? Equality and fairness. Tell the whole truth. Show what the civil war truth. ""12 Years a Slave" gives you a real picture of what that life was like.
So show the truth. Don't show people saying, frankly, my dear, I don't give a damn. No, I do give a damn. At any point truth. Let's show it.
BOLDUAN: Thank you both so much for this conversation, Segun Oduolowu and --
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TURNER: Brianna, can we say before we go, Hattie McDaniel will always be intact. It's her birthday today. Happy birthday, Hattie McDaniel. And this feigned outrage I heard from conservative voices that HBO is erasing Hattie McDaniel, that will never happen. Her legacy is intact.
If you want to talk about her legacy, also talk about the fact she couldn't sit at the table with the cast that night in 1939 when she won the Oscar.
[13:50:05]
Let's also had the fact that a favor had to be called in that she could even attend the service at the Coconut Grove that night. Let's add those things to her legacy as well while you're feigning outrage about HBO Max taking this movie out for a minute.
KEILAR: Thank you so much.
ODUOLOWU: Absolutely. Tell the truth. Tell the truth.
BOLDUAN: Thank you so much for saying that, Nischelle.
Segun, thank you so much for your insights.
We appreciate both of you.
A day after George Floyd was laid to arrest, the chief police in Minneapolis announced new reforms for his department that include a warning system for officers with bad behavior.
Plus, police blame gangs and local groups for riot damages and it directly contradicts who President Trump says is responsible.
[11:55:19]
BOLDUAN: We have seen the video of George Floyd dying under the knee of a Minneapolis police officer. For weeks, we've watched protesters fill the streets calling for police reform. And now four officers are charged in Floyd's murder.
So the original police report and how officers' originally described how he died before the video surfaced might be unrecognizable.
This is it verbatim: On Monday, May 25th, at 8:02: p.m., Minneapolis police responded to a 911 call reporting a forgery in progress at 3759 Chicago Avenue, South. Officers arrived and located the suspect in a vehicle.
Officers reported that they ordered the suspect out of the vehicle and the suspect physically resisted officers. Officers handcuffed the suspect. The officers restrained the suspect on the ground and an ambulance was called. No weapons were used by anyone involved in this incident.
The subject, an adult male believed to be in his 40s, was transported to the Hennepin County Medical center where he was pronounced deceased.
You'll remember that Officer Chauvin kneeled on George Floyd's neck for nearly nine minutes, for several minutes until he was unresponsive.
It makes you wonder how many police reports like that one don't have a video to tell the real story.
Speaking of the Minneapolis Police Department, we'll have more on the breaking news from the police chief there, what he says about the rookie cop defense. And why he's cutting off negotiations with the local police union.
Plus, Ludacris will join me live on the protests across the nation and voting debacle in his home state of George.
And CNN finds new evidence that bucks the president's conspiracy of a national organized effort after the riots that happened across America.
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