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Florida Sets Record For Most Cases Reported In A Single Day; Biden Campaign Launches First Major Ad Buy; Rayshard Brooks Opens Up In Interview Months Before Killing. Aired 12:30-1p ET

Aired June 18, 2020 - 12:30   ET

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

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

JOHN KING, CNN HOST: Concerning new coronavirus numbers out of Florida today as some scientists worry that state could become the next large coronavirus epicenter. The risks though scientists say Florida emerging as an epicenter, quote, the worst that has ever been.

This now as the state sets another new record for single day cases, the latest numbers more than 3,000 new cases. Florida, you see the numbers there, consistently setting new daily records over the past week.

The mayor of St. Petersburg hoping to be among the leaders to mitigate some of the spread, the mayor now requiring all workers to come face to face with customers to wear masks.

Mayor Rick Kriseman joins us now. Mr. Mayor, let's -- I will get to the mask policy in a minute. I want to get the big picture in the state. When you see those numbers, day after day after day in recent days of a daily record, is that manageable just the inevitable, we're reopening, the cases are going to go up, some as people go back to work and get about their business, or is that an alarm to you that people are not being safe enough and this is happening too fast?

[12:35:15]

MAYOR RICK KRISEMAN (D), ST. PETERSBURG, FLORIDA: Yes. I mean, certainly, as we reopen, we did expect to see an increase, but not like this. And so, yes, there's all kinds of alarm bells that are going off for me.

I'm not comfortable what I see happening in my community. And that's really the reason that I took the actions I took. And really, I think you're going to see mayors across the state of Florida, that are going to take the actions and take actions in response to these numbers, because we're just not seeing it from our leadership in Tallahassee.

KING: I was just going to get to that point. One of the issues we have seen throughout this pandemic is a lot of the mayors in Florida have a difference of opinion, difference of tone from the governor of Florida. The governor of Florida, I want you to listen here. He says, yes, the case numbers are going up but it's OK. Listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

GOV. RON DESANTIS (R-FL): We do now have widespread testing of asymptomatic people, when people are going back to work, you have businesses saying, hey, go get tested. And it's not just the state sites. I mean, we really expanded the drive thru and the walk up sites, and now we have pop up sites and retail locations. And that's thousands and thousands and thousands of tests a day.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KING: He's essentially saying it's just because we're -- it's just because we're testing more, we got this, it's manageable, where OK. You disagree?

KRISEMAN: I totally disagree. You know, it's, yes, when you do more tests, there's a potential that you're going to see larger numbers. But it's really the percentage that's important. I mean, we've had days here in Pinellas County, where my city is located, where we've had fewer tests, but a larger percentage of those tests were positive.

So what we're paying attention to and what he should be paying attention to, isn't the number of tests, it's what percentage of those tests are positive, and if you're seeing that percentage go up, you got a problem and that's what we're seeing right now.

KING: Right. So one of the issues in any state but particularly Florida, a big diverse state, a lot of older residents, a lot of retirement community. So I want you to listen here to Dr. Jeanne Marrazzo. She's one of the infectious disease experts we talked to quite a bit. She says, if you -- every state should try to manage it to make sure this doesn't keep going up, but especially a place like Florida. Listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DR. JEANNE MARRAZZO, DIR., DIV OF INFECTIOUS DISEASES, UNIV. OF AL, BIRMINGHAM: Florida has always made the stuff of nightmares, I think for me and for many infectious disease people when it comes to COVID- 19. Ford also has a lot of nursing homes, a lot of geriatric care centers, a lot of retirement communities. So the potential for the virus to take off there is very, very nerve wracking and could have catastrophic consequences.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KING: Yes. There are those including a times your governor, including the times the President of the United States who say these public health experts are being too alarmist. Is that too alarmist or do you think that is smart advice?

KRISEMAN: I think it's very smart advice. And it's really quite frankly frightening that there doesn't seem to be empathy coming from the governor's mansion here right now.

You know, these are our most vulnerable. And we ought to be taking it real seriously because if you look at the statistics, and those that are being hospitalized the most and that are unfortunately dying from this, it is our older population.

Interestingly, in Pinellas County, our fastest growing positive test category is ages 25 to 34. But what I worry about is seeing that age explode like it is and having them go home to mom or dad or to grandma or grandpa and infecting them, and then watching them go into the hospital, and unfortunately, oftentimes passing away. We need to stop that now.

KING: Mr. Mayor, grateful for your time today, best of luck in the days ahead, Sir.

KRISEMAN: Thanks so much.

KING: Thank you, Sir. Appreciate it very much.

Germany now extending a key part of its pandemic response, the country maintains a ban on large gatherings, leaving that ban in place through the end of October.

Our international correspondents now with more of the big global developments.

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STEVEN JIANG, CNN BEIJING BUREAU SENIOR PRODUCER: Here in China, the government's chief epidemiologist has had a rather optimistic outlook for the outbreak in Beijing, saying it has been brought under control thanks to the early detection of cases and the quick and effective response by the local authorities.

He also said experts have found the clear transmission route in this outbreak. All of the 158 recent cases in the city have been traced back to that now closed, huge wholesale food market. That's why the authorities have tracked down some 350,000 people who had been there since May 30th. And all of them have now been tested for the virus.

But still local officials are taking no chances. They're continuing their soft lockdown over the entire city, testing more residents and also what tightening their travel restrictions in and out of the city. Hundreds of flights again being canceled on Thursday and more long distance bus services have been suspended and the whole city schools and entertainment venues remain closed.

Steven Jiang, CNN, Beijing.

[12:40:02]

NIC ROBERTSON, CNN INTERNATIONAL DIPLOMATIC EDITOR: Here in London, French President Emmanuel Macron is on his first overseas visits since the pandemic began. It is commemorating and historic World War II speech by French leader Charles de Gaulle. He called for a call to arms for the French Resistance 18th of June 1940.

Now while he's here, Emmanuel Macron meeting with Prince Charles and Camilla also meeting with Prime Minister Boris Johnson. They're expected to talk about Brexit many outstanding issues there, but also about COVID-19 comparing and contrasting the way the two countries are measuring up France a few weeks ahead in coping with the pandemic, but Prime Minister Boris Johnson under pressure to reduce social distancing here from two meters to one meter.

France has one meter social distancing, France's schools also getting back up and running, British schools not getting back up and running until September. The Prime Minister under pressure about that as well.

Nic Robertson, CNN, London.

MAX FOSTER, CNN CORRESPONDENT: I'm at the Gullfoss Waterfall in Iceland where tourists are expected to return after the country reopened its borders.

Through a sophisticated testing and tracking system, the government effectively eliminated the virus. And it wants to keep it that way. So travelers coming into the country will either have to be tested themselves or go into 14 days of quarantine.

It's all about allowing Icelanders to travel again, but also kick starting the economy, with tourists coming in and bringing their tourism dollars.

Max Foster, CNN.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

KING: Just quick programming note, you can join Anderson Cooper, Dr. Sanjay Gupta, new Coronavirus Town Hall, that's tonight 8:00 p.m. Eastern right here only on CNN.

Still ahead, we go live to Milwaukee. It is counting down the days to a Democratic Convention. It is still not certain that convention will happen.

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[12:46:37]

KING: The presumptive Democratic presidential nominee, Joe Biden, today launching his first major ad buy of the general election campaign, $15 million T.V., digital, radio, and print ads.

For now, the campaign targeting these six battleground states, Donald Trump won in 2016, Arizona, Florida, Michigan, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin, states likely to decide 2020 as well. Those ads will also show up on enabled -- national cable television channels and their target, quite clear.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JOE BIDEN, PRESUMPTIVE DEMOCRATIC PRESIDENTIAL NOMINEE: I won't traffic in fear and division. I won't fan the flames of hate. I'll seek to heal the racial wounds that have long plagued our country, not use them for political gain. I'll do my job and I will take responsibility. I won't blame others.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KING: CNN's Jeff Zeleny live for us in Milwaukee, where the Democrats will hold some sort of a convention quite just coming ahead this summer. Jeff, we're not quite sure how big, how many days, how it's going to go. Tell us what you know.

JEFF ZELENY, CNN SENIOR WASHINGTON CORRESPONDENT: Well, John, there's no question that two months from this week is the Democratic National Convention. And I am told by people who are close to the planning of this, that Joe Biden will indeed be here in Milwaukee, to accept the Democratic presidential nomination likely at the end of that week, August 20th or so. So it'll be two months from Saturday.

And he'll do so likely right behind me here in the Pfizer forum, that's where the Milwaukee Bucks play. That was going to be the site of the Democratic National Convention scheduled originally in July, then it was moved back to August, of course because of the pandemic.

But we are told that this is now going to be largely a digital convention with the potential of smaller events and gatherings in smaller cities across the country, other battleground cities as well. So this is something that we're hold that is going to be finalized in the next coming days or weeks as they -- as Democrats plan their convention, an entirely different setup than Republicans are doing in Jacksonville.

Of course, we know that President Trump has demanded a full arena. That is not the case here. Joe Biden, I'm told will be on hand here in this battleground of Wisconsin. But likely, a lot of delegates will not be. But John, we've been talking to so many Democrats here this week about just the difference that a scaled back convention will mean.

We talked to a state rep from up here in Milwaukee yesterday, David Bowen about what he thinks is scaled back convention will look like.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

STATE REP. DAVID BOWEN (D), MILWAUKEE: It won't be the same convention that was at the scale that it was hoped for being. You can get through to folks. But, you know, going back to the basics means going to those doorsteps. It means engaging them where they are. And we still have to do that in a safe way during a pandemic, which is tough.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ZELENY: So beyond the pomp and circumstance of this made for television convention that is the point there. Wisconsin, of course, was picked because it is a key battleground. So what is the organizing going to look like during this pandemic? Are democratic organizers going to be able to go door to door registering voters, other things?

So that is the worry on the minds of Democratic leaders here, not necessarily how big of the show that convention is. But John, it is important to point out that Joe Biden, we're told, will be here to accept that nomination in two months time.

KING: A little nugget of certainty in this time of many uncertainties. Jeff Zeleny on the ground for us in Milwaukee, appreciate your reporting very much.

This sad note today the last surviving sibling of President John F. Kennedy is now dead. Jean Kennedy Smith was 92 years old. Her daughter tells CNN, Kennedy Smith was most proud of the Ireland peace agreement she helped broker. She was U.S. ambassador to the country during the Bill Clinton administration. As the sister of the President, Senator Ted Kennedy and of course Attorney General Robert Kennedy, Kennedy Smith, the last of her generation and one of America's foremost political families.

[12:50:18]

Another 1.5 million Americans filing new unemployment claims last week, and of the past 13 weeks more than one in four Americans filed for jobless benefits that doesn't take into account the backlog of people who lost their jobs and haven't filed yet.

The Fed Chairman Jerome Powell admits many of these jobs never coming back. One of the two Atlanta police officers involved in the shooting death of Rayshard Brooks now out of jail on bond, Devin Brosnan turned himself in just a couple of hours ago today. He faces an aggravated assault charge. His lawyer says their charge will not be supported by a full investigation of what happened.

The officer who shot Brooks, Garrett Rolfe, is expected to turn himself in later today. He is facing much more serious charges, 11 charges including felony murder.

Coming up for us, Rayshard Brooks speaks in a haunting interview recorded just months before his death.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

RAYSHARD BROOKS: I just feel like some of the system could, you know, look at us as individuals. We do have lives, you know, where it's just a mistake we made, you know. And, you know, not just do us as if we are animals, you know, lock us away.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

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[12:56:03]

KING: Some important perspective here, it's also quite tragic to watch. Rayshard Brooks in his own words just months before being shot to death by Atlanta police officer, talking in the interview you'll hear here about working to overcome challenges he faced with the criminal justice system.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

BROOKS: Now, I'm 27 years of age, you know, a full-time carpenter.

RANDI KAYE, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice over): That was Rayshard Brooks in February this year, just months before he was shot and killed by an Atlanta police officer.

BROOKS: I've always been the type of person to, you know, if you do some things that's wrong, you pay your debts to society.

(voice-over): Brooks shared his story about navigating the Criminal Justice System with a group called Reconnect.

BROOKS: Well, I just feel like some of the system could, you know, look at us as individuals. We do have lives, you know, we're you -- just a mistake we made, you know. And, you know, not just do us as if we are animals. You know, lock us away.

When I did get arrested, you know, it was for a false imprisonment and financial credit card fraud. I got sentenced to do one year in prison.

(voice-over): When he got out, Brooks had no money, no car, and a mountain of debt.

BROOKS: For one individual to try to deal with all of these things at one point in time, it's just impossible. You have court cost, probation -- just a lot of -- you would have to have a lot of money. And I'm fresh out of jail.

(voice-over): Fresh out of jail and in need of a job.

BROOKS: You go to filling out your application and you get to this question, have you ever been convicted of a crime? Or have you ever been arrested? You know, you sit in there like, oh my god, you know, it just breaks your heart. It's hurting us. But it's hurting our families the most.

You know, so as we go through these trials and tribulations, we made mistakes. And it just causes our kids to be angry inside. You know, and that's a hard feeling to stomach.

(voice-over): All of this Brooks says impacted his mental health.

BROOKS: It hardened me at a point, you know, to like, hey, you know, I have to have my guard up because the world is cruel. You know, it took me through seeing different things and, you know, in the system, you know just makes you hardened to a point.

(voice-over): What Brooks needed most was help from the very system that locked him up.

BROOKS: Probation is not there with you every day, like a mentor or something. They're not taking you out to find a job. You have to do these things for your own, you know. And I feel like it should be a way for you to have some kind of person, like a mentor assigned to you to, you know, keep your track, keep you in the direction you need to be going. We can't get the time back, but we could make up for it. You know, so I'm trying. You know, I'm not the type of person to give up. You know, and I'm going to keep going until I make it to where I want to be.

(voice-over): Randi Kaye, CNN, West Palm Beach, Florida.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

KING: Haunting to listen to that, haunting to listen to that. Remember an important day also of the two officers charged in the death of Rayshard Brooks. One of them already processed in court, the other dude to turn himself in, we'll continue to track that story.

Thanks for joining us. Hope to see you back here this time tomorrow. Brianna Keilar picks up our coverage right now. Have a good day.

BRIANNA KEILAR, CNN HOST: I'm Brianna Keilar. I want to welcome viewers here in the U.S. and around the world.

[12:59:58]

The American presidency is crisis. In just two weeks, President Trump has suffered a series of losses and is struggling to handle two crises at once. He's inflamed racial tensions as --