Return to Transcripts main page
CNN Newsroom
George Floyd's Death Let Others Breathe for Justice; Defense Secretary Mark Esper Under President Trump's Skin; U.K. Pushes to Reopen Their Economy; Russia's Spokesman Defend Their COVID Stats; Dr. Anthony Fauci Gave a Stark Warning on Worse Days to Come; Change Is Gonna Come, Sung At George Floyd Funeral; America In Crisis; Young Americans Share What It's Like To Grow Up Black; Calls For Racial Justice As George Floyd Laid To Rest; Iowa City Saw Peaceful Protests After Floyd's Death; Interview With Mayor Quentin Hart (WATERLOO, IA) About The Police And The Residents Of The City Working Together; Waterloo Community Call For Change During Protests; United Nations Urges Billions In Aid As Virus Overwhelms Yemen; U.N. Short Of More Than $1 Billion In Aid To Yemen; President Of Tanzania, Country Is Free Of Covid-19; Coronavirus Highlights Unique Challenges In Africa; Airline Industry Facing Bumpy Rides; NASCAR Driver Unveils Black Lives Matter Car Design; NASCAR Executive Sidesteps Confederate Flag Question. Aired 3-4a ET
Aired June 10, 2020 - 03:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
[03:00:00]
JOHN VAUSE, CNN ANCHOR: Hello, and welcome to our viewers joining us from around the world. You're watching CNN Newsroom. I'm John Vause.
Just ahead.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
AL SHARPTON, PRESIDENT, NATIONAL ACTION NETWORK: God took the rejected stone and made him the cornerstone of a movement that's going to change the whole wide world.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
VAUSE: George Floyd remembered as a father, brother, a son, but most of all, as the man whose death sparked a worldwide reckoning over racism, one that lead protesters in the United Kingdom to do what years have not. We're live in London. Also, ahead.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SAM KILEY, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: No one knows the real scale of the pandemic in Yemen, but here in Aden, authorities are recording a death rate three times higher than normal.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
VAUSE: The only way to measure COVID-19's impact in Yemen? Count the death. A closer look at what could be the world's worst coronavirus outbreak.
Two weeks after George Floyd's death in police custody, two weeks filled with protests and chants of I can't breathe. Mr. Ford finally went home on Tuesday. Family, friends, and community leaders packed the Houston church to bid farewell to the man who his brother says is going to change the world.
His death after a white police officer knelt on his neck sparked protests around the world, statues of controversial figures being toppled, and lawmakers rethinking the rules of policing.
CNN's Omar Jimenez has the details now on George Floyd's homecoming.
OMAR JIMENEZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT: In the final moments before he died, George Floyd called out for his mother who passed away two years ago. Today, he was laid to rest next to her after an emotional funeral in Houston.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
PHILONISE FLOYD, GEORGE FLOYD'S BROTHER: All I think about is when he was yelling for mama, and I know where our mom is, she is right there, she got her hand wide open.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
JIMENEZ: The Fountain of Praise church was packed with hundreds of mourners, his family dressed in white, pause to support each other and pray before the ceremony began.
Floyd was remembered as a man of faith, a brother, an uncle, a father, a friend. While the ceremony celebrated his life, his death and the movement it sparked was invoked time and time again.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
REP. SHEILA JACKSON LEE (D-TX): The assignment of George Floyd and the purpose will mean there will be no more 8 minutes and 46 seconds of police brutality.
SHARPTON: Go on and get your rest now. Go on and see mama now. We are going to fight on. We are going to fight on. We are going to fight on.
MAYOR SYLVESTER TURNER (D), HOUSTON, TEXAS: We honor him today because when he took his last breath, the rest of us will now be able to breathe. So therefore I, Sylvester Turner, Mayor of Houston, proudly claim June 9th 2020 as George Perry day in the city of Houston. To God be the glory, for the good he has done.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
JIMENEZ: Former Vice President Joe Biden delivered this video message at going the call for change.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) JOE BIDEN (D), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: Now is a time for racial justice. That's the answer we must give to our children when they ask why? Because when there is justice for George Floyd, we will truly be on our way to racial justice in America.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
JIMENEZ: Today's funeral ended days of memorials and public viewings all over the country. But this isn't the end for Floyd's family who vow to keep fighting for justice.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I'm going to miss my brother, a whole lot. And --
(APPLAUSE)
FLOYD: I just want to say to him, I love you and, I thank God for giving me my own personal superman. God bless you.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I'll take with me the memories to be my sunshine after the rain. It's so hard to say goodbye to yesterday.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
JIMENEZ: And part of the energy we have seen here is not just about George Floyd's death, it's about the spark his death created and the push for long term change in American policing.
Omar Jimenez, CNN, Houston, Texas.
VAUSE: The U.S. defense secretary's reportedly on thin ice with President Trump, so thin he was merely fired. The Wall Street Journal cites a number of officials who say Trump was furious with Mark Esper last week for not supporting his demands to send active duty troops to end protest across the U.S.
[03:05:09]
Those officials say Esper was ready to quit, the president's allies and advisers talked him out of firing, the defense chief. And President Trump continued to lash out on Tuesday the same day as George Floyd's funeral.
We get details from CNN's Jim Acosta.
JIM ACOSTA, CNN CHIEF WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: With police brutality under the microscope on the same day relatives gathered in Texas for George Floyd's funeral, President Trump is lobbying grenades from his social media bunker.
The president is promoting a baseless conspiracy theory about 75-year- old Martin Gugino who is pushed to the ground by officers during a protest in Buffalo, tweeting Buffalo protesters shoved by police could be an antifa provocateur. I watched, he felt harder than he was pushed. Could be a set up? (BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: That protester pushed by Buffalo police was appearing to use common antifa tactics.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ACOSTA: The president cited this thinly source segment on the pro- Trump TV network OANN. New York Governor Andrew Cuomo called the antifa allegation fabricated.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
GOV. ANDREW CUOMO (D-NY): I mean, if there was ever a reprehensible dumb comment, and from the President of the United States, at this moment, of anguish, and anger, what does he do? Pours gasoline on the fire.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ACOSTA: Asked about the latest Trump outrage, a few Senate Republicans took issue with the tweet.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SEN. MITT ROMNEY (R-UT): I saw the tweet. It was a shocking thing to say, and I won't dignify with any further comment.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ACOSTA: While others were doing all they could to avoid our cameras.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MANU RAJU, CNN SENIOR CONGRESSIONAL CORRESPONDENT: -- this Buffalo protest --
(CROSSTALK)
SEN. PAT ROBERTS (R-KS): I haven't read the damn thing. I don't want to hear it.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ACOSTA: GOP Senator Marco Rubio told CNN, "I didn't see it. You're telling me about it. I don't read Twitter. I only write on it."
Texas Republican Senator John Cornyn said, "you know a lot of this stuff just goes over my
head." And South Dakota GOP Senator John Thune added, "most of us up here would rather not be political commentators on the president's tweets."
(END VIDEO CLIP)
DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA: Hopefully, George is looking down right now and saying this is a great thing that's happening for our country.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ACOSTA: The president has done little to ease tensions across the U.S., lying low behind his fortress like fencing. Ever since his administration brutalized protesters for a photo-op. Presumptive Democratic nominee Joe Biden appeared in a video at Floyd's funeral, calling for an end to police misconduct.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BIDEN: We cannot leave this moment thinking we can once again turn away from racism that stinks at our very soul.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ACOSTA: Even Mr. Trump's own advisers have questions actions. One surrogate telling CNN the president should avoid giving the address to the nation on the subject of race, saying, quote, "a speech lacking genuine compassion at any point would not help. He's just not genuinely compassionate."
The president has instead seized on the wishes of some protesters to defund the police. An effort aimed at diverting money away from law enforcement agencies. But Democrats working on police reform say that's not even in their bill.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
REP. KAREN BASS (D-CA): Well, I don't think that that's the appropriate thing to do. I think what the president is seizing on is the fact that he knows his poll numbers are dropping.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ACOSTA: The president is also been contradicted by Attorney General William Barr over why Mr. Trump ended up in the White House bunker during the demonstrations.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
WILLIAM BARR, UNITED STATES ATTORNEY GENERAL: Things were so bad that the Secret Service recommended the president go down to the bunker.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ACOSTA: That's not what the president told Fox.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
TRUMP: I was there for a tiny little short period of time, and it was much for an inspection. There was no problem during the day.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ACOSTA: Republican senators met behind closed doors to work on their own proposals for police perform, but those GOP senators led by Tim Scott of South Carolina came out of the meeting noting they haven't come up with anything concrete yet.
As for the president's tweet about Martin Gugino, White House chief of staff was asked about it, but he also declined to comment.
Jim Acosta, CNN, the White House.
VAUSE: A number of troops with the National Guard of Washington have tested positive for the coronavirus. A spokesperson is refusing to confirm how many. About 212 personnel were deployed in the capital joined by almost 4,000 National Guard from out of state. Those infected all at high risk are now under quarantine.
George Floyd's death has ignited a movement around the world. In Bristol, England, protesters were not waiting for official approval for statutes to be removed. On Sunday, a group tore down a monument of a notorious slave trader and philanthropist.
CNN's Nic Robertson takes a look at how Britain is now confronting its colonial past.
NIC ROBERTSON, CNN INTERNATIONAL DIPLOMATIC EDITOR: Britain lurched around a corner confronting the worst of its colonial, racist past Sunday as protesters at a black lives matter march in the port city of Bristol toppled a statue of 17th century slave trader, Edward Colston, then trundled it through the city's tarmac streets and tossed it into the sea. The same harbor where his slave ships once docked.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
[03:09:57]
MILES CHAMBERS, FIRST POET LAUREATE OF BRISTOL, ENGLAND: It could only have happened that way. It could only have been ripped down. What is that doing up there? It would be like you having somebody that abused your family all your life, you know who he is, and I get a statue and I put it in your front garden.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ROBERTSON: Colston and his employer, the Royal African Company dominated the Transatlantic slave trade. He helped ship an estimated 100,000 people from Africa to the U.S. in the Caribbean. One in five of them died along the way.
Colston, whose name adorns buildings, streets, even schools in the normally restful city was also a philanthropist. The controversy over his racist past has been brewing for years.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
CHAMBERS: We have politically tried to go around, we've gone to the banks and meetings, we had meetings with the council meetings with Colston hall, radio debates, TV debates, and people were, if I can say, pilfered around. (END VIDEO CLIP)
ROBERTSON: Condemnation with caveats came quickly.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BORIS JOHNSON, BRITISH PRIME MINISTER: I will not support or indulge those who break the law. If you want to change the urban landscape, you can stand for election or vote for someone who will.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ROBERTSON: Similar, long simmering frustrations over contentious confederate statues in America are coming to a head too.
So, is this the moment when the U.K., the United States, and others recognize the pain of the past, that black lives matter and re-imagine their countries on new values?
In the fabled University City of Oxford, that is the pressing question.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Now is the time to change and do things in a different way, we are rewriting history. And if you have to take a statue from there and put it in a museum, so be it.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ROBERTSON: The statue? Cecil Rhodes, a leading colonialist who build his fortune of black labor and be quid (Ph) scholarship here.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: In this country, there is such an ingrained sort of systemic racism that hasn't been questioned or looked at or dealt with for far too long.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ROBERTSON: No sign Oxford plans to grant the protesters their wish, and the conversation about that new future yet to happen too.
Nic Robertson, CNN, Oxford, England.
VAUSE: A large mural has been unveiled, paying tribute to George Floyd and Adama Traore, a black man who died in police custody in France in 2016.
French photographer J.R. and Belgium artist Zenith created the mural in the 10th district of Paris. The artists say it shows an eye on both men looking at the horizon, while the foreground, there are marks on the ground where Floyd died in Minneapolis.
Also, in Paris, demonstrators gathered for black lives mother solidarity protests on Tuesday. The deaths of both Traore and Floyd have sparked protests in the city over police brutality.
We will take a short break. When we come back, an exclusive interview with Putin's spokesperson defending the Russian government's response to the coronavirus.
[03:15:00]
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
VAUSE: The U.K. has the world's second highest death toll from the coronavirus. Ascending to more than 50,000 according to the country's statistics body. But the government is now turning attention to reopening for its retail outlets, saying nonessential goods should open their doors in about five days even though it's challenging sectors as early as July.
Here's the business secretary.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ALOK SHARMA, BRITISH BUSINESS SECRETARY: I know there's been a lot of speculation about when we might be able to reopen these parts of the economy. And I completely understand why we are also keen to get them back up and running and I absolutely share that enthusiasm.
But we continue to follow the road map which sets out our ambition to reopen these sectors from the fourth of July at the earliest. In the meantime, we will continue to protect livelihoods and support businesses so that they are ready to bounce back and play their part in the economic recovery.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
VAUSE: CNN's Scott McLean is in London. Now, Scott, we have to clarify these views. When we are talking about reopening, we're talking about England and we're talking about parts of Northern Ireland, but Scotland and Wales are pretty much doing their own thing, right?
SCOTT MCLEAN, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: That's right. They are on slightly different timetables. So, what's being announced now, John, is that nonessentials shops and stores in England and Wales are going to be reopen.
We're talking about electronic stores and clothing stores. Things like that. Provided that they follow sanitation and social distancing guidelines. Keep in mind, though, that the U.K. reported some or almost 1,400 new coronavirus cases and almost 300 new deaths in the last 24 hours, and yet they are announcing these reopening measures which would take effect on Monday.
They are also announcing that outdoor parks like zoos or drive in movie theaters, similar outdoor attraction, they will also be allowed to reopen provided the indoor parts actually stayed closed.
As you heard from the business secretary there, John, the goal here is to stop a second spike from potentially happening, but I have to say, the U.K. is on a much different track than many other countries were in Europe. Some of the hardest hist countries in Europe were when they took similar measures.
Spain, for instance, when it had a similar number of COVID-19 cases and deaths which was about a month ago, they were still on full lockdown mode. They were just in the early stages of starting to reopen in process in some remote parts of the country which had really only a handful of cases, and in some cases no deaths at all.
In Spain, you couldn't leave your house without a good chance of being stopped by police here, it's much different. You can walk through virtually any city park and see people flouting the rules on social distancing and on public gatherings. Enforcement here has been very, very lax, John.
VAUSE: Scott, thank you. Scott McLean there with the very latest on what's happening in England and Wales. Thanks.
Well, Russia has the third highest coronavirus case rate in the world, almost half a million. Only the United States and Brazil have more. Somehow, though, Russia's official death toll just over 6,000. And officials in Moscow are now declaring victory as the capital emerges from lockdown.
Here is CNN's Matthew Chance with an exclusive interview with the Kremlin spokesman, Dmitry Peskov.
MATTHEW CHANCE, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: It's accused of hiding the true extent of Russia's coronavirus pandemic, of abandoning exhausted doctors to its ravages using the lockdown to crack down on dissent. But the Kremlin's chief spokesman is now defending his country's coronavirus response.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
CHANCE: Back in March, President Putin said the situation in Russia was under control, in fact better than in other countries. but within a few weeks, it had suffered the second highest number of coronavirus infections in the world. What went wrong?
DMITRY PESKOV, KREMLIN PRESS SECRETARY: Well, actually, nothing went wrong except the coronavirus itself. Our country uses the maximum possible amount of test for coronavirus. And the more you test, the more you detect.
CHANCE: That is not just the number of viral factions. It's the fact that the mortality rate as well is remarkably low. And it sort of, added to this suspicion that Russia is somehow been manipulating the facts, manipulating the figures, perhaps in order to prevent the Kremlin from being criticized.
PESKOV: No, I don't agree with that assessment. Have you ever thought about the possibility of Russia's healthcare system being more effective?
CHANCE: Is that your explanation?
PESKOV: Given an opportunity for more people to stay alive.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
[03:20:02]
CHANCE: In fact, the strain on Russian healthcare has been one of the most alarming features of Russia's pandemic. Across the country, doctors complaining of poor conditions, lack of personal protection equipment, and unpaid wages.
There was even a spate of mysterious plunges of doctors out of high windows. Perhaps a sign of desperation with their plight. There have been protests too, rare in Russia, but still worrying for the Kremlin, as approval ratings for President Vladimir Putin sink to all-time lows.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
CHANCE: How concerned are you that this pandemic has dented the popularity of President Putin, perhaps irreparably?
PESKOV: President Putin has stated numerous times that he didn't care about his personal rating. That in politics, if you are a real statesman, you shouldn't think about your ratings. Because if you think only about your ratings, you won't be able to take responsible decisions.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
CHANCE: Decisions like when to ease restrictions. Despite a stubbornly high infection rate, Moscow is now lifting its unpopular lockdown ahead of a key public vote to extend Vladimir Putin's rule. Maybe the Kremlin does care about ratings after all.
Matthew Chance, CNN.
VAUSE: Well, for the very latest now on the coronavirus, Dr. Raj Kalsi is an emergency medicine physician. He is with us from Naperville in Illinois. Dr. Raj, it's good to see you.
(CROSSTALK)
RAJ KALSI, EMERGENCY MEDICINE PHYSICIAN: Good to see you. Thanks for having me on.
VAUSE: I want to start with -- I want to start with Dr. Anthony Fauci. He is a leading expert on infectious diseases. He has this very grim outlook for the pandemic. And a warning that we are a long way from the end of the outbreak. Here he is.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ANTHONY FAUCI, DIRECTOR, NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF ALLERGY AND INFECTIOUS DISEASES: Now we have something that indeed turned out to be my worst nightmare. Something that's highly transmittable within a period. If you just think about it, in a period of four months, it has devastated the world and it isn't over yet.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
VAUSE: You know, he went on and it was a fairly stark warning, and yet what we are seeing at in the United States right now just seems the vast majority of people are ignoring what he is saying.
KALSI: It's interesting I make the analog to doctors everywhere and Dr. Fauci. The responsibility and burden that we bear when we are making recommendations to a patient or to many patients in general, is that we have to always paint what could be the gravest picture. That is the burden we have. That is our responsibility.
I look at Dr. Fauci as kind of the general of all doctors right now, even though he is in infectious disease, this is the primary medical problem in the world. So, I look to him as kind of our general and he is doing what I would do.
He is painting the most grim picture and he is starkly warning people who are not subscribing to social distancing and protective masks and that sort of thing and letting them know, look, I am telling you, that this could be the worst-case scenario. Make your own decision with that understanding in mind.
And as long as I think that he knows that people have the most facts I think he feels like he is doing his job correctly.
VAUSE: Yes. Fauci was also optimistic though about a vaccine. He said billions of doses of a vaccine will be produced, enough for the whole world, he said, fairly soon too, not putting (Ph) time table.
You know, we've been in the grip of this pandemic for a few months now. This country can't produce enough toilet paper, you know. A vaccine is going to be a little bit more complicated than, you know, the stuff cushy four-ply bathroom tissue. So, you know, that's something which I find hard to believe at this point.
KALSI: You know, it's interesting. This whole thing with the vaccines and how American industry works, it just -- it just -- isn't it just lost on all of us? You know, you can -- you can produce 20,000 tests a day, or whatever the stat is, but we just cannot produce enough toilet paper or masks or N95 masks for people like myself and my colleagues, my nurses, docs, and healthcare workers.
I just don't know. We are too low on the totem pole to really know how those decisions get made in the conference rooms. So that being said, this whole thing with the vaccine, it's a bit strange on me too. And I'll tell you why. Because if this corona, this novel coronavirus that produces COVID-19 illness, if it's like the four milder coronas we've seen for years, it will fade out and it will come back in cycles. And a vaccine may be pertinent.
If it turns out to be something like SARS one or MERS, then a vaccine won't be important at all. And really, retrospectively, we'll be able to make that determination in 2021 when we look back and see if it ever reared its head again.
[03:24:59]
VAUSE: Because SARS was so aggressive that eventually it killed itself.
KALSI: Right.
VAUSE: It killed the host so quickly, it couldn't transmit. But looking at the latest research which is coming about, you know, how to know to lift a lockdown. And apparently, ripping the Band-Aid off, that approach runs a big risk of a surge in infection.
The latest research suggests the optimal strategy would be to release about half of the population two to four weeks after the end of infection peak, while keeping as much social distancing as possible. Then wait another three to four months to let a possible second peak pass before releasing the second group.
Researchers added the need for widespread testing to monitor infection rates. At the end of the day, though, here in the U.S., that horse has emboldened, right? That's all over and done with. This will be good though for the next lockdown?
KALSI: I mean, you are absolutely right. Look at the protests. The protests are a singular piece of evidence. And it just -- everything that flies in the face of bad strategy. America cannot be harnessed. It just cannot be harnessed. It cannot be tamed. And this untimely event for Mr. Floyd has really push the envelope for any kind of distancing.
And I think this is a merger. And it's a quarantine fatigue and people are just tired of breaking away from their normal day-to-day and what America stands for and how social we are. In addition to the outrage over these -- over these senseless deaths under the hands of authorities.
So, I think that this absolutely flies in the face of those recommendations. And then finally, if we did follow those recommendations, we'd be release first. And that would be a huge point of social contention.
VAUSE: Yes. It is a difficult question and one which this country hasn't dealt well with that all. But Dr. Raj Kalsi, thank you so much. Good to see you.
KALSI: Thank you. Thanks for having me back.
VAUSE: Pleasure. Now for the latest developments of the coronavirus pandemic in the U.S. and around the globe, Anderson Cooper and Dr. Sanjay Gupta will host a CNN global town hall, Coronavirus Facts and Fears, 8 p.m. Thursday in New York, 8 a.m. Friday in Hong Kong. You will see it only here on CNN.
Well, as calls for change and racial justice resounded on the U.S., young people are speaking out on what it's like to grow up black in America. We'll listen to some of their moving statements in a moment.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
(MUSIC PLAYING)
[03:30:00]
JOHN VAUSE, CNN ANCHOR: Yes, it will. But it will be change that's too late for George Floyd. The funeral (inaudible) change too late for Breonna Taylor. Change too late for Ahmaud Arbery, too late for countless others. The murder of George Floyd has put a spotlight on racial injustice in the United States. Now, many young Americans have been sharing their own experiences with racism. Here is how some describe what it feels like to grow up black in America.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Growing up black in America is painful and oppressive. Every, day I feel as though things are just not changing. I constantly see people who look like me being murdered solely for the fact that they have melanin in their skin. And that is crazy.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I wish my black life mattered. I am exhausted that I am constantly fighting to prove my worth.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I am scared, because not only do I have to worry about a global pandemic, now I have to worry about whether I'd be able to return home from a job. You know, at first, it was gangs, and that kind of died down. But now the biggest gang is the police.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Eric Garner, Ahmaud Arbery, and George Floyd, I have this constant fear that one day, my name will be added to that list.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Growing up black in America is to be exhausted, outraged, and constantly defending your identity and my purpose.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It means having to explain uncomfortable content and experiences of myself to white people in my predominantly white school.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: And I am grateful to live through this history, because I know that things can only go up from here.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: And I realize that my hair and my skin complexion make me who I am. It's what makes me beautiful. I refuse to let anybody define who I am. Being black in America means empowering yourself, regardless of how much is being thrown at you. You always have to be brave, because you have to know that you have the community staying behind you.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Growing up black in America is being aware that even in our times of bewilderment and adversity, that we dig deep down and find our strength and resiliency for those things are rooted in the pain, the cries, and the prayers of our ancestors. We are their wildest dreams. (END VIDEO CLIP)
VAUSE: Protests demanding social justice and police reform have been held from coast to coast in flyover country in the U.S. in places like Waterloo, Iowa. The state which claims to be the birthplace of sliced bread. Unlike the rest of the state, Waterloo is racially diverse, and two years ago a study by a (inaudible) group 24/7 Wall Street named Waterloo the worst city in the country for black Americans because of wide gaps in income, unemployment, and homeownership along racial divides.
And Waterloo has a history. After the assassination of Martin Luther King Jr., half the city burned to the ground. For the past week or so, there had been demonstrations, but no major clashes with police. They are more like community get together, a chance to talk, maybe to clear the air a little. The city now has its first black mayor, its first black police chief.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The Waterloo chief spoke at the crowd at Lincoln Park just hours on the job. Chief (Inaudible) Gerald listened unanswered concerns. Topics range from racial injustice, disproportionate sentencing, and more.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
VAUSE: And Quentin Hart is the mayor of Waterloo, Iowa and he joins me now. Mister Mayor, thank you for taking your time to talk to us.
MAYOR QUENTIN HART (WATERLOO, IA): Thank you for having me.
VAUSE: Explain how it is that Waterloo Iowa which just a few years ago was rated the worst place for black Americans to live, manage to be this island of peace and tranquility during the George Floyd protests which saw violence and anger in so many other cities?
HART: Well, you know, I wish I could say and take credit. You know, my heart goes out to George Floyd, the entire family, the entire country at this time, a time of reflection and a time for change. But, you know, we just decided as a community and through community leaders, through the way that our police department approach this that we are here to stand in solidarity with the marchers. The police chief took the tactic that we are not an occupying force. But we do not believe in the accident taking place in Minneapolis or anywhere else. And they wanted to stand in solidarity and walk along the protesters to demonstrate.
VAUSE: This bond or agreement, whatever you want to call it between police and the residents of the city, they work together?
[03:35:05]
HART: Yes, you know, I would say that the biggest room that we have is the room for improvement. We have had our share of challenges over the years. And we are still dealing with those challenges as well. But this is the time where we are hoping that we can come together and make the time systemic -- type of systemic change that needs to take place locally, and change that needs to take place throughout the entire United States.
VAUSE: Part of that change I believe is a new policy for the use of force by police. That came out on Tuesday, not far from the very top of that, there is a guiding principle for using force which reads, reverend and respect for the dignity of all persons and safety of all human life.
It lays out in very blunt terms that officers must intervene in the disproportionate use of force and acts of misconduct must be reported. How much influence did the death of George Floyd in the events in Minnesota have on the guidelines?
HART: You know, I want to be just completely honest. You know, prior to this entire interview process that we have gone with, that we had with our new police chief, we would have move forward in a number of these areas already. We were taking those steps, having those conversations, trying to be even more accountable to our community and our business dealings. So, we would have been doing this anyway.
You know, but what honor could we have into honoring the life and legacy of the Floyd family and quickly be able to put things in place to show that this won't be the same old community after. Because once the emotion is gone, our communities still has a lot of hurt. And they want to see change. They don't want to be talked to or pacified. But they want to see that there is actual change taking place in our local communities. And they want to see systemic change. And that is what our attempts are. That's what our goals are. And that's what we are going to continue to do within this community.
VAUSE: And next week comes the announcement about basically budgets and priorities for police and social services. And again, that looks to be like there are some big changes coming. They are not quite defunding the police, I guess, but certainly a lot more lives, more money to social programs perhaps.
HART: Well, we are definitely going to be reaching out to our local partners within the community. Right now, our police chief is probably been here about eight, nine days. He's first day even before he was sworn in. He was out within the streets talking to protesters. A lot of us came out and we stood out there, amongst shoulder to two to 3 o'clock in the morning.
Community leaders joined in. And as I said, there was not police to be an occupying force, but to be supportive and protective of those that wish to express themselves, because so many people are hurt, and that's the mentality. That is the approach that we are going to continue moving forward. So, next week, it will be just an announcement over from whence we come in this very short time. But where we are going to go together as a community with input and changes that we foresee needed to be made, you know, regardless of a tragedy or not.
VAUSE: Maybe that's an example for other cities to look to and learn from. Mayor Hart, thank you so much.
HART: All right. Thank you.
VAUSE: Donald Trump isn't exactly known for delivering an uplifting speech filled with soaring rhetoric and optimism. Even so, like many presidents before, he wants to address the nation on racial inequality. No surprise, the White House according to a source is bitterly divided over whether that is actually a good idea. But here's how it should be done. 57 years ago, President John F. Kennedy, speaking from the Oval Office about what would become the civil rights act of 1964.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JOHN F. KENNEDY, FORMER U.S. PRESIDENT OF UNITED STATES: We face therefore a moral crisis as a country and the people. It cannot be met by repressive police action. It cannot be left to increased demonstrations in the streets. It cannot be quieted by token moves, or talk. It's a time to act, and the Congress in your state and local legislative body, and above all, in all of our daily lives.
It's not enough to pin the blame on others and say this is a problem of one section of the country or another. Or deplore the fact that we face. A great change is at hand. And our task, our obligation, is to make that revolution, that change, peaceful and constructive for all.
[03:40:03]
Those who do nothing are inviting shame, as well as violence. Those who act boldly are recognizing right as well as reality.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
VAUSE: That is how it's done. Coming up, aid funding for Yemen hits its lowest point in five years. The U.N. calling it terrifying as Covid-19 ravages an already devastated country.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
VAUSE: Well, caught on financial aid from the United Nations to Yemen could end with one of the worst coronavirus outbreaks in the world. The U.N. asked for about 2.4 billion dollars in aid for Yemen, only raised about half of that now. Here is what that means. The U.N. Humanitarian operations in Yemen tell CNN that in about three weeks, general health services and half of the country's hospitals will close, water and sanitation for about 8.5 million people, including 3 million children, will be shut off in about eight to 10 weeks.
Nutrition support for 2.5 million malnourish children will start to close. Taken together could spell disaster for Yemen's coronavirus outbreak. But medical agencies believe the infections could already be widespread. CNN's Sam Kiley has been reporting extensively from inside Yemen and he joins us now live from Abu Dhabi. This is a miserable situation that is going to get a whole lot worse. And I guess at this point, is it too late to do anything? SAM KILEY, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: I don't think the
view of the U.N. and the humanitarian community more widely, John, is that it's too late, but it is extremely urgent already. The level of people dying, extra people dying, is the simple way to put it, in Aden, the capital of the government that is internationally recognized is now three times, 300 percent higher than it normally is. And it is that kind of statistic that is really worrying the U.N. This is the report from on the ground.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
KILEY: Delivery of the dead by pick-up truck. No mourners, just medics in hazmat suits. Another suspected coronavirus victim has a lonely burial. No one knows the real scale of the pandemic in Yemen. But here in Aden, authorities are recording a death rate three times higher than normal.
LISE GRANDE, U.N. HUMANITARIAN COORDINATOR, YEMEN: The U.N. has been warning for months now that the virus is likely to spread faster, more widely and with deadlier consequences in Yemen than in almost anywhere else. There's no question that there are hundreds, probably thousands, maybe even now 10s of thousands of people who have been impacted by covid.
KILEY: Cholera is endemic here. The U.N. feeds 12 million people, half the country. Five years of war has forced hundreds of thousands from their homes into camps, hotbeds for infection.
He said, cholera and the wars are one thing, and corona is something else. But with corona, no matter where you go, you find it.
[03:45:00]
Blasted by war, Yemen's health services were already near collapse when the virus struck. Dr. Sabel (ph) doctor told CNN, doctors are hiding from their places of work and staying at home in fear of the virus and the scarcity of occupational safety capabilities that has caused a huge crisis.
And his brother in law died of what is suspected to have been covid- 19. He says that the three hospitals turned them away.
Who should we complain to? We are tired of this life. We live to survive. Every morning we wake up to hear of 10 or 15 people who have died, he said.
And now, the U.N. is warning that its operations in Yemen are facing massive cuts after a one billion dollar shortfall in international donations.
GRANDE: You know, a week before the first covid case was confirmed in Yemen, we ran out of money and had to stop allowances for 10,000 frontline health workers all across the country, in the middle of covid. It's devastating.
KILEY: For a nation already on life support, covid-19 is a blow that could be fatal for a vast number of Yemenis.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
KILEY: John, the U.N. is saying that that shortfall is coming because the gulf nations, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, the United Arab Emirates in particular, have either cut in the form of -- the case of Saudi Arabia their donations to the U.N. to $300 million, down for more than double that, very much more than double that from the Saudis to nothing at the moment coming from the Emiratis and Kuwait.
And the Emiratis are saying that they do want to fund humanitarian operations in Yemen. But they are very uncomfortable with funding the areas under Houthi control through the United Nations because there has been and CNN has proven this too, grotesque levels of manipulation of the aid by the Houthi rebels. But the U.N. counters and said, if you don't do it through us, given that we are supporting more than half the population with aid, there is going to be a catastrophe in the time of the covid virus. John?
VAUSE: It is a horrendous situation. Thank you, Sam. Sam Kiley live for us there in Abu Dhabi. And for more of Sam's reporting on Yemen, the country devastated by war, please head over to CNN.com.
In Tanzania, the president has declared by the great of God, his country is coronavirus free. But the World Health Organization is little skeptical, and especially because of poor implementation of social distancing. Reliable information is scarce. No official data on the coronavirus cases.
It's been released since the end of April that is according to Africa, CBC. Plus, Johns Hopkins reported just over 500 cases, just over 20 deaths. CNN's David McKenzie live now from Johannesburg. So, either God did it or they are in a lot of trouble, which one is it?
DAVID MCKENZIE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: It is very hard to say. But one thing we can say John, is that it is highly, highly unlikely there are no covid-19 cases in Tanzania. They saw just based on incidental evidence, spike of cases in late April and May. The U.S. Embassy warned that there was very high likelihood of contracting covid-19 in Dar es Salaam, the commercial capital.
And you had, John Magufuli, the president, who initially seemed to be making aggressive actions against the disease, other African leaders really kind of pulling back saying people should pray, saying people shouldn't wear masks, really pushing the untested treatments. That's not entirely unusual around the world, as we know, John.
But what is unusual is this culture or feeling of fear amongst doctors and other medical professionals we have tried to talk to you about this over the last few weeks. There is really no clear indications what the levels are, but it is certainly not gone. And I spoke to the head of the African CDC who said any country that is not combatting this is a risk to other countries.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) JOHN NKENGASONG, DIRECTOR, AFRICA CDC: Covid will not be declared
over in Africa if we still lingering in any country because of the great and (inaudible) in which we are interconnected. So, for example, if we deal with covid in Kenya, Utopia, and neighboring countries, like Uganda and Tanzania still have this cases then, they said it becomes a threat to sub region and the entire continent. And possibly the entire world.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
MCKENZIE: So, Tanzania will be one to watch very closely in the coming weeks as they have seem to have just opened everything up. John?
VAUSE: Just across Africa though, we haven't really seen a particular spike in cases. So, is there an explanation why?
MCKENZIE: I spoke to a leading African model in just a few days ago, John, who made the prediction of a death rate or a death number in the continent that is much, much lower than those earlier predictions. Now, those model and some other scientist are saying what is more likely in the African context is a slow, smoldering pandemic in large parts of the continent due to things like weather, relative age, the type of underlying conditions.
[03:50:21]
People might have in those countries compared to countries like Italy or the U.S. But you might see spikes in individual places like South Africa. For example, we are seeing a surge in cases in the Western Cape Province. So, it's a massive continent that is very diverse, but overall, you have not seen the surge of cases that was predicted maybe two or three months ago. The head of the African CDC who was formerly with the Atlanta, CDC, used a baseball analogy. He said, you know, in the African context, we are only in the second innings at this point, John.
VAUSE: Wow. OK. David, thank you. David McKenzie with the very latest there on the situation in Tanzania. Thank you, David.
Well, the airlines struggling to survive during coronavirus pandemic, well, buckle up. Because the months ahead will be turbulence. The outlook for the global airline industry, when we come back.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
VAUSE: Welcome back everybody. Financially, 2020 is expected to be the worst year ever for the global airline industry. The International Air Transport Association says airlines will lose $84 billion this year, another $15 billion next year. Travel restrictions because of the pandemic, like a demand from travelers driving the industry losses.
Meantime, a very different scene on Wall Street, where the tech heavy NASDAQ topped 10,000 for the first time ever Tuesday. It failed to close above that level. Still, it finished at a new record high. Defying gravity. CNN's John Defterios is with us live from Abu Dhabi. So, OK, so, you know, explain this with the airlines. I mean, what will it all end up looking like? And how can they keep going at this point in time? Is it all just because of bailouts and government subsidies?
JOHN DEFTERIOS, CNN EMERGING MARKETS EDITOR: Well, they need the support, that's for sure, John. And some suggest, we won't get back to normal until 2023. And every time my optics comes out and gives us an update, the pool of red inks seems to expand. And it is getting very complicated because each government has their own policy when to open up.
You just heard from Tanzania, Africa, of course, the U.K. said it's a two-week lockdown for visitors when they come in for tourism purposes. And if you take a look at revenues, this kind of tells the entire story. It's not just losses, but the overall revenues as a result. In 2019, over $800 billion were going to just over $400 billion this year, and then the recovery is going to be just under $600 billion in 2021. So, you get the point, $100 billion of losses in two years.
We saw now the gulf carriers, for example, Emirates, the President Tim Clark was suggesting that the long haul carriers will take the broad of this, serving as a bridge between Europe and Asia. Now, they have 115 A-380s and they are laying off staff, cabin crew and the pilots for those huge jetliners that probably won't be needed in the past.
And then we saw overnight, that Air France is going to put $17 billion into play in the aerospace sector, some of that for Air France, a lot for Airbus, and then the suppliers. And I thought it was interesting, they single out and said during this pandemic, in the post covid crisis, we don't want the United States and China, which is rising in the aerospace sector, as you know, to dominate the airline industry and aerospace in the future, because it represents so many jobs.
[03:55:16]
VAUSE: There is also a problem too, not a problem but (inaudible) so, if the airline industry is certainly not flying and not making any money. What is the impact that has on the resorts, on the hotels, on the casinos, you know, all those tourist spots around the world, and their economies just depended on tourism?
DEFTERIOS: Yes. Let's look at the umbrella number. According to the industry, both for manufacturing in the airline sector and the knock on that you are talking about is 65 million jobs, right? Dubai's reputation was served as a financial hub, a trade hub, but very importantly, a tourism hub and one for business exhibition. That's why they are taking such a shock. Next to (inaudible) is the same, Qatar is the same.
And I think even if I just took a sliver of the middle East and north Africa, John, if you look at Egypt, Lebanon, all these economies in this region, Greece, Spain, Turkey, Italy, all extremely dependent on tourism, and a good benchmark is 10 to 15 percent of GDP, depending on the economy, and about the same in terms of employment. And this is why Iota is flying in the fact, this going to be a rough road ahead. But let's get a common policy on tourism and when to open up. So we can start to plan for the future, because right now it looks pretty dire all the way through 2021.
VAUSE: OK. John, thank you. John Defterios there. You know, the stock market is just beyond belief at the moment. We are going to ask him about that, but we are out of time. So, I appreciate you, John. Thank you.
DEFTERIOS: Good.
VAUSE: One last point here. NASCAR is ready to welcome back some racing fans. Next week will mark the first public race since early March. But this week we will see the debut of a new black lives matter car designed for African American driver Bubba Wallace. He revealed the design on Twitter, it features black and white hands plus together with the word, compassion, love and understanding beneath them. He hopes fans will educate themselves about the movement.
An immediate call on Tuesday, the NASCAR executive vice president was question on whether confederate flags would be banned as the races move forward. We will see what happens to that one. I am John Vause, in Atlanta. Another hour of CNN Newsroom, just ahead. Stay with us.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
END
