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Older Voters In Florida Gauge Trump's Chances At Reelection As Coronavirus Crisis Intensifies; Virus Cases Rise In 37 States As Americans Celebrate July 4th; Some Florida Beaches Remain Open Despite Spike In New Cases; Military Flyovers Of Major Cities Commemorate July 4th; Trump Stokes Culture Wars In Divisive Mount Rushmore Speech; 102- Year-Old Woman Survives 1918 Spanish Flu, Cancer, COVID-19. Aired 5-6p ET

Aired July 04, 2020 - 17:00   ET

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

[17:00:00]

JEFF ZELENY, CNN SENIOR WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: At the same margin, he carried the state. Since then, Democrats have seen a new surge in voter registration.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: There are more Democrats now than there used to be in years past.

ZELENY: Do you know any people who voted for Trump last time who are not going to this time?

DAVE CORDES, BIDEN SUPPORTER: Actually I know several, including my son and grandson.

ZELENY: The airwaves are already noisy, including this Trump ad questioning Biden's fitness for office.

JOYCE MONAHAN, BIDEN SUPPORTER: Trump is not that much younger. But in the case of Joe Biden, I think his inherit wisdom and his desire to surround himself with the best people. That's the wrong place to talk about age.

DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF UNITED STATES: It's the great state of Florida.

ZELENY: Sheila Griffin, Secretary of the County GOP, believes the President's record and resilience will lead to his reelection.

SHEILA GRIFFIN, SECRETARY, COUNTY GOP: If you're talking to the basis steaming is as strong as ever, and it has not been changed.

ZELENY: But as Biden supporters gear up for November, Trump is also a motivating force for them.

JIM DONELON, PRESIDENT, ST. PETERSBURG, DEMOCRATIC CLUB: Trump is our biggest ally, just an enormous amount of energy that I've seen that never seen before. ZELENY: Jeff Zeleny, CNN, St. Petersburg, Florida.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

ANA CABRERA, CNN HOST: Thanks so much for staying with me. You are live in the CNN NEWSROOM. I'm Ana Cabrera in New York.

Fourth of July weekend and across America right now, people are deciding how to celebrate America's independence, while at the same time a deadly pandemic is mounting a new surge across this country. There's just no historical precedent.

Thirty-seven states this weekend are reporting a rising number of new infections, especially Florida, which is seeing an especially steep spike in new cases. Florida health officials reporting more than 11,400 new cases just today, that is another record high number for single day cases in Florida.

Looking around the country right now, Washington, D.C., some people are out but crowds small so far, ahead of the July 4th celebration there. That will feature live music, and flyovers, and fireworks.

Also, right now this live view of Orange Beach, Alabama, gulf shore beaches are open, including on the Florida Panhandle. But many beaches in South Florida are closed, the entire weekend with dusk to dawn curfews in place in the Miami Area.

And we have you covered from coast to coast with reporters all across the country to bring you the latest this afternoon, Boris Sanchez in Clearwater Beach, Florida, Polo Sandoval in New York, Paul Vercammen in Huntington Beach, California.

Boris, let me start with you. Florida just posted a record, again, for single day cases that rivaled the worst numbers New York even saw in April. Has that deter people from going out and gathering where you are?

BORIS SANCHEZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT: It appears that to some degree it has. We've been speaking to locals since we first came to this beach yesterday. They're telling us that on 4th of July weekend, this beach is typically far more packed. And I'll show you that in a second. But I want to get back to the numbers that you mentioned, Ana.

More than 11,400 cases in the past 24 hours, that means that the first three days of July here in the Sunshine State have seen more than 30,000 new coronavirus cases. They had 100,000 for the entire month of June. So it is not a good start to the month of July.

I'll get out of the way here to sort of paint a picture of what we're seeing. Folks have been coming out since earlier in the day. They've been gathering to enjoy drinks on the water. They've been playing all sorts of sports. And even though their spirits are high, the majority of people that we've spoken to are concerned about coronavirus. They are taking precautions, things like hand sanitizer, some folks, a very small minority, wearing masks. That's a requirement if you're going to be in a public building here in Pinellas County. I do want to show you the part of the beach that is effectively empty. This is the area where people tell us that a lot of people congregate during the holiday weekend. And you won't be able to see it because we're sort of behind it, but there is a sign that outlines the social distancing guidelines. They're asking folks who do not live in the same household to stay at least six feet apart, or asking crowds to not congregate, and they are not allowing groups of more than 10 people on the beach.

Of course, those are the rules that are on the sign. What's actually happening here on the sand is a different story. As I'm sure you saw for yourself. There were groups of more than 10 people. The enforcement is an open question.

The other open question is what is going to happen to these coronavirus cases. The numbers, two weeks down the line. We saw a big surge after Memorial Day weekend. We will likely see another after this holiday weekend, Ana.

CABRERA: We'll check back. Thanks, Boris. Now to Polo Sandoval, he's at the iconic Coney Island Boardwalk. And, Polo, how does this July 4th differ from the usual festivities there?

POLO SANDOVAL, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, let's start with those famous boardwalk attractions, right, the roller coasters and so on. Those are still closed but the boardwalk itself the beach does remain open. I'll paint a picture for you right now.

As you take in these images and these pictures, keep in mind that you're still looking at a small percentage of what you usually would see on a summer weekend, especially on a 4th of July weekend.

[17:05:06]

But for the most part, Ana, a lot of people are adhering to the recommendations, not only what, you know, they're hearing from authorities but what they're reading to keep six feet apart. Of course, you're talking about various parties, different individual groups. Many are not only doing that, but they're also keeping those masks on. And those who do not have masks, there are New York City park employees who are essentially handed those out to make sure that they are protected.

But that being said, I can also tell you that there are some people who aren't necessarily adhering to that. My colleague and I took a walk a little while ago, down the pier that you see behind me. And way off in the distance, you see kind of what is actually sort of a pop up jam session there. There are people singing, there are people dancing, and that's where it's getting a little harder to maintain that distance.

Now that being said, also keep in mind that the numbers have greatly improved for New York State. We only saw about 700 confirmed COVID cases today. A positivity test rate of about 1.1%, which is certainly a significant improvement. So people can do that with a little bit more confidence. But it's certainly not what authorities are recommending.

If they are going to leave their homes, if they are going to celebrate the 4th of July out in public, they should still be keeping that distance. Because the concern is that as quickly as those numbers went down, they could potentially go up.

And that's why those travel restrictions are in place for New York, New Jersey, Connecticut, authorities in those three states of requiring anybody who's traveling into the region from certain states in the southeast, where our colleagues are, particularly out west as well, to quarantine for 14 days.

We heard from the one mayor in New Jersey tell us on a little while ago, even if they come back and they test negative, they still have to quarantine for two weeks, just to make sure. We've seen how bad it's gotten up here. They don't want to see that happen again.

CABRERA: Yes. We all hope people just play by the rules, follow their directions, and hopefully it'll keep all of us a little bit safer, to your point, Polo, about the percent positivity rate being important as you mentioned, around 1% here in New York.

Currently in places like Houston, they're at 25% people testing positive, so it really does vary depending on where you are. Thanks, Polo.

Paul Vercammen is in Southern California, which has also seen a big spike in cases. The beaches, therefore, are closed this weekend. What are you seeing, Paul?

PAUL VERCAMMEN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, look at this on all of this white sand in Huntington Beach. The people normally would be here towel to towel, anticipating the big firework show. Some of them would also take in the big Huntington Beach 4th of July parade, were about, oh, a half million people gather every year.

So this year, they said, well, we can't have our full-blown parade, so we'll just have a little car caravan or two that wove through the streets with 20 different cars, with dignitaries and a whole lot of VW vans because this is Surf City, USA and they're well-known for putting those surfboards on those vans.

And people gathered outside their homes and watch this parade go by. And for them, it was a different sort of parade in the COVID-19 era, but they were very, very happy to see something here in Huntington Beach.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes. You know, we've had different trials and tribulations this year, but we'll you go through them one at a time. I think we'll push through this also. So we're not afraid. We fear not. We trust God. We really appreciate our country, our city, and we're looking forward to get through this and a healthier new year.

VERCAMMEN: And now back here live, you can see as we said, the beach is empty. But we've seen some creativity here in California, and one thing that I caught was Manhattan Beach, there was a group of people, three of them, young people, they were told they couldn't be on the beach.

So they decided that they wanted to get their sunbathing in, and they put their towels down on a pedestrian walkway and they caught some rays. Yes, California, still sort of a center of innovation. Back to you now, Ana.

CABRERA: I think there was a little bit of social distancing happening in that sunbathing trifecta that was going on there, a little bit. They were trying. Thank you, Paul Vercammen, Boris Sanchez and Polo Sandoval, my thanks to all of you for your reporting.

I want to bring in Dr. Wayne Riley, President of the Downstate Medical Center in Brooklyn. Dr. Riley, good to have you with us on this holiday weekend, thank you. Do you expect to see a spike in coronavirus cases following this July 4th weekend?

DR. WAYNE RILEY, PRESIDENT, SUNY DOWNSTATE MEDICAL CENTER: Well, Ana, unfortunately, that may be what happens. Our hard earned sort of good work through the late winter and spring is now potentially an early summer disaster. Large gatherings are just not what we should be doing as Americans this weekend.

We really do need to heed the advice of the great public health authorities like Dr. Fauci and others who, you know, have been counseling all of us that the best way that we can suppress this virus is to avoid large gatherings, maintain social distancing and wear facemask.

[17:10:09]

CABRERA: So if people do decide to go out and have gatherings, what advice can you offer them?

RILEY: Well, the safest gathering is with your own family, in the confines of your backyard or your front porch. Not to mingle with others that you may not know. So if you're living with your family, your spouse, your partner, your extended relatives, that is the safest thing that you can do this weekend.

But once you start going into the broader population, and mingling with people you don't know that you have not been around, we know this virus is very crafty, and it will take advantage of that phenomenon. So no, the safest gathering we can have is in our backyards, our front porches, and the confines of our own homes this weekend.

CABRERA: To your point, bars are a popular place to be on a holiday weekend. But we did learn this week one bar, just one bar in, East Lansing, Michigan, has now been connected to at least 152 cases of coronavirus. Should bars be allowed to reopen right now in any us city?

RILEY: Absolutely not, these are super spreader events. And that bar situation that widely reported this week in Michigan, was a classic super spreader event where many asymptomatic people came together in the confines again of a bar. And it resulted in a number, dozens of people contracting, testing positive for the coronavirus. We've had similar outbreaks in California, Arizona, et cetera, where bars have been the magnet. But they've also been sort of the genesis of these outbreaks in particularly five states that are seeing astronomical numbers of increased cases over the last 10 days.

CABRERA: Some states have started to close bars again or delayed they're reopening. We're also seeing states like Florida and California closing beaches. Are these kinds of measures enough to stop the spike in cases we're seeing in nearly 40 states?

RILEY: Ana, it's necessary but not sufficient. We have to do more. And as painful as it may seem, we may have to revert back to some of the tougher measures as a country to suppress this virus.

As Dr. Fauci said earlier this week, this thing is out of control. And it's incumbent upon all Americans to heed the advice of the public health authorities. And the great voices like Dr. Fauci, the local public health officials, the governors who have been very aggressive and assertive, and muscular in handling this situation among many states of this country. Because in the end, that is the only way this will work for all Americans, is that we have to do our part, we have to suffer through the pain of missing out going to beaches, going to churches and synagogues, and mosques, going to baseball games and large gatherings, and definitely not bars and restaurants.

CABRERA: We have heard some of those officials like Dr. Fauci and others in the administration, talk about the inadequacy of the current testing and contact tracing systems that have been setup in parts of the country new today. We are learning that major labs are now experiencing a surge in demand for coronavirus testing.

Now delays for getting test results are expected. Doctor, if this holiday weekend does lead to more spikes, when will we notice? Well, we'll notice within 10 to 14 days, and that is the incubation period of the virus when an asymptomatic carrier spreads it to someone who is susceptible.

Again, this is, you know, I can't stress enough that we have to take this seriously. As a country, we particularly have to take it seriously in black and brown communities around the country that have been disproportionately impacted by this virus. Testing is nowhere near where it used to be on, even here on July 4th.

We've not heard a lot about testing in the last two weeks, but I can tell you here on the ground here in Brooklyn, we still don't have the high throughput testing equipment that I ordered back in the spring. And here it is July. I would love at our institution to do a thousand tests a day. We're limited to about 200 to 300 a day. And remember, the reason why we need to build up the testing capacity is for those states where we're seeing the great outbreaks, but we also have to be prepared for the fall.

CABRERA: Absolutely. In your antidote, that is really interesting. I have to ask you about the comments from Florida Governor Ron DeSantis this week saying this virus does not like sunshine, heat and humidity. I mean last I checked, it is hot and humid in Florida this time of year, and they are smashing records for new cases of this virus.

How do you square? What are you saying with the numbers?

[17:15:00]

RILEY: Well, I believe the governor is mistaken. Almost 12,000 cases yesterday, and hit a new record. Everybody knows that Florida, Texas, Louisiana, the southern states are hot and humid. We're seeing no dissipation in this virus. This virus does not pay attention to humidity or temperature.

So that is, again, one of the myths that's been perpetrated throughout this pandemic, is that once it got warmer and more humid, it would miraculously go away. Well, we now know objectively that was not correct.

CABRERA: We are so grateful for you bringing us the facts, and your experiences and expertise. Dr. Wayne Riley, happy Fourth of July, thank you for taking time to be with us.

RILEY: Happy to be with you.

CABRERA: Just moments ago, we saw a military flyover here in New York City where US Air Force Thunderbirds along with B-1, B-2, B-52 bombers as well as F-15, F-22 and Marine Corps F-35 fighter jets are flying in five different ways over New York City to commemorate its role in the birth of the United States. The planes are flying down the Hudson River, then passing just east of the Statue of Liberty. We'll bring you more of these flyover images as we continue right here in the "CNN Newsroom."

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[17:20:22]

CABRERA: This is just in to CNN. Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh has now denied an emergency petition from Illinois Republicans seeking to hold large rallies. The state's governor, JB Pritzker, has barred gatherings of more than 50 people due to the coronavirus pandemic, but Republican groups had argued that rule violated the constitution treating political rallies differently than church services or Black Lives Matter demonstrations. But again, they were denied.

Meanwhile, on the eve of our nation's birthday, President Trump delivered a divisive speech to a crowd of closely packed supporters at Mount Rushmore last night. No social distancing and few masks, stunningly, the President mentioned the coronavirus just once, even as the number of new use cases continues to rise at a record rate, little mention of voting months away from an election.

But there was a lot about history, about God, and our great country, much of it very ominous. CNN's Jeremy Diamond joins us from the White House with more now. Jeremy, some are calling his speech jaw dropping, a culture war bonfire, what did we hear?

JEREMY DIAMOND, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: It certainly was a culture war bonfire, Ana. And what you have to consider as you look at this speech is the lens through which it has to be viewed. And that is two things.

First of all, this speech came at an inflection point in the President's campaign. You know, the President has been hearing from a lot of advisors and campaign donors that he needs to change things up for this 2020 election or risk losing the election, meaning that he needs to broaden his appeal. And instead, what we saw from the President last night was his decision to triple down on the culture wars, tripled down on his appeal, his narrow appeal to his base.

And what we heard from the President last night was attempting to kind of divine up this boogeyman of the left, where there is a leftist cultural revolution, the President said, that is trying to essentially end America. And the President talked about this in terms that he often does in terms of history and heritage. Many people viewing those as racist dog-whistles as well.

Listen to some of what the President had to say last night, when he was talking about our heritage.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

TRUMP: Those who seek to erase our heritage want Americans to forget our pride and our great dignity, so that we can no longer understand ourselves or America's destiny. In toppling the heroes of 1776, they seek to dissolve the bonds of love and loyalty that we feel for our country and that we feel for each other. Their goal is not a better America. Their goal is to end America.

We will never let them rip America's heroes, from our monuments or from our hearts. By tearing down Washington and Jefferson, these radicals would tear down the very heritage for which men gave their lives to win the civil war.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CABRERA: You can hear there, it was certainly a dark and divisive speech from the president, particularly on the Fourth of July. An occasion that most presidents typically use to try and unify the country, that was certainly not the President's effort last night.

Another thing that we should note, Ana, is that, of course, there was almost no social distancing at that event last night. No, very few people wearing any masks. And frankly, Ana, what we're seeing at the White House today, on the south lawn of the White House, where we are right now, is a very similar scene.

We're seeing a lot of people, there are tables that are spaced out by really only a couple of feet. And because it is such a hot day, we've seen a lot of people gathering under the shade of some of these trees with almost no distance between each other.

And, Ana, I got to tell you, most of the people who I've seen here so far are not wearing masks. And that comes despite the fact that the Deputy White House Press Secretary Judd Deere, a couple of days ago, said that they would be enforcing social distancing at this event. That has really not been the case at all here today, and you have to wonder why.

You know, we are seeing record cases of coronavirus, and if anything the White House should be setting an example for the nation. And today at this event, Ana, they are doing anything but that.

CABRERA: I am amazed that you are not breaking a sweat, and I know how hard it is there in D.C. wearing your suit and your mask. Thank you. Give yourself a break, find some shade. Jeremy Diamond, thank you for your update, for your report.

I want to bring in CNN Medical Analyst Dr. Jonathan Reiner, former White House Medical Adviser and currently Professor of Medicine at George Washington University.

Dr. Reiner, you previously said President Trump is clearly flirting with disaster, by going to indoor venues when we spoke about his rally a couple of weeks ago.

[17:25:06]

Do you feel the same about outdoor July 4th events the President is participating in this holiday weekend?

DR. JONATHAN REINER, DIRECTOR OF CARDIAC CATHETERIZATION LABORATORY, GEORGE WASHINGTON UNIVERSITY HOSPITAL: Absolutely. It's probably a little bit safer to be at an event outside but not the way it was run last night in South Dakota, where you're -- where the attendees are shoulder to shoulder, no social distancing, there for quite a long period of time, and no one wearing masks.

But what's concerning, you know, for the president is that, we're starting to see a lot of people who are with him every day, now start to test positive. There are over 2,000 staffers and secret service agents who are now in quarantine after testing positive. And last night, Ms. Guilfoyle, who is a senior person in his campaign, and the significant other for the President's son, also tested positive.

But we've been talking about this before, the president acts like he's immune to getting the virus simply because he's tested a lot, and the people around him are tested a lot, but he's not. And, you know, bringing people together in these large venues will infect the community. And he also risks acquiring the virus as well, the more he gets out and does these large events.

I don't really think he has a sterile bubble, and he shouldn't really feel too comfortable doing this.

CABRERA: We are continuing to hear mixed messages from the White House and health officials that are part of this administration. Here is the US surgeon general when asked about participating in large gatherings this weekend, like the President's Fourth of July celebration.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) DR. JEROME ADAMS, US SURGEON GENERAL: It's not a yes or no, every single person has to make up their own mind. There are going to be people going to beaches, going to barbecues, going to different environments, and they have to look at their individual risks.

CDC says larger gatherings are a higher risk. You have to take that into account again with whether or not you're at risk, whether you live with someone who is vulnerable. And then you have to take measures to stay safe.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CABRERA: Doctor, you say the surgeon general whiffed on this answer, why?

REINER: Well, he's been wrong before. He was wrong about masks when he scolded the country for acquiring masks at the end of February. Look, this is a simple answer. And the question is, should Americans be going to mass gatherings? Simple answer, no, they should not.

The District of Columbia, as you just mentioned, will have fireworks against the mayor's wishes tonight. My family and I will not attend it. We typically do attend it. I think tonight, we'll maybe stay home and watch "Hamilton." That seems like a reasonable thing to do on the 4th.

The surgeon general should be telling the public not to attend large mass gatherings. This is how the virus is propagated, and by avoiding these mass gatherings, this is how you keep it from propagating. It's very simple.

I was sad and disappointed to hear that he could not answer that directly. As we see the number of cases and our curve just going straight up, what is the number one thing this administration could do to reverse the current trend?

REINER: Well, I think the number one thing would be to acknowledge that we have a problem, right? When you hear the President telling people, it's just going to go away, or as he tweeted this afternoon, that the only reason we have cases is that we're testing as if somehow testing is producing the virulence of this of this virus.

We need to acknowledge that we have a problem and then we have to be prepared to close down places where the virus is out of control. Places like Texas and Florida, and Arizona where we really don't have control now, where hospitals are nearing capacity or at capacity where the system is being incredibly stretched.

We have to have the political will to shutdown places. We have to test even more vigorously than we're testing now. And we need our leaders to say, look, if you go out and public, put a mask on, it's that simple. Those are the things that we need to do.

And if we do those, yes, we can get this under control. It's not that hard. CABRERA: OK. Well, and on that more positive note, thank you, Dr. Jonathan Reiner, for being with us. Happy Fourth of July and enjoy your family and staying indoors. You can tune in, because we'll have plenty of entertainment for you here on CNN tonight too, if you do want to see fireworks instead of going out.

And moments ago, we saw a military flyover, and this time over Philadelphia, where US Air Force Thunderbirds along with the B-1, B-2, the B-52 bombers, as well as the F-15, the F-22 and the Marine Corps F-35 fighter jets.

[17:30:00]

I don't want to miss anybody. They're all flying over the city to commemorate its role in the birth of the United States.

These planes are flying in five waves at about 1,000 feet above the ground. They will fly over Independence Hall and the Liberty Bell as they make their way to Washington, D.C.

You're watching CNN. We'll be right back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

CABRERA: Welcome back. As we try to give you a live look around the country on this Fourth of July, these are pictures from Baltimore, just a beautiful day, a hot day in that city.

[17:35:03]

And let's talk more about what we can expect a little bit later, because, while most of the country scales back their Fourth of July celebrations due to the pandemic, President Trump plans to go big. Today's "Salute to America" event includes fireworks, a military flyover, a speech from the president. It could draw a big crowd to the National Mall.

And CNN's Alex Marquardt is there.

Alex, the events are supposed to begin in, I think, the next hour or so, right? And it looks like there's nobody there.

ALEX MARQUARDT, CNN SENIOR NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Yes, Ana, it's really surprising. So the "Salute to America," as it's being called, is starting, as you say, in just over an hour's time, just down that way towards the White House.

And look at the scene here. This is the reflecting pool, of course, right at the footsteps of the Lincoln Memorial, and it is extremely empty.

I was just talking to the National Park Service. They confirmed that, in fact, it is a very thin crowd. There are five entrances to the National Mall. Not too many people coming in from those entrances.

What you're looking at now, of course, is the Lincoln Memorial. That is probably the largest cluster of people that we've seen so far. They're taking shelter in the shade because it is really hot out here.

These, of course, are not normal times, Ana. And far fewer people have been visiting the monuments over the course of the past few months. But you would expect them to show up on a day like today.

Now, there are not too many people out here wearing masks, as I would say the large majority are not wearing masks. But there's plenty of space, so people are keeping their distance from each other for the most part.

I've spoken to a number of people out here. Many have come in from neighboring Virginia. But I did speak to a family that came all the way from Florida and Georgia.

As you mentioned, there are places across the country that have canceled their fireworks. We were speaking to a couple from Chicago who flew in today just because of that, because Chicago had canceled their events so they wanted to see what was happening here.

But, Ana, it's important to remember the festivities that are going to happen today, that's because the White House has organized them.

The city of Washington, D.C., has canceled all of their Fourth of July events. And, in fact, the mayor of Washington, D.C., a Democrat, Muriel Bowser, has said she did not want these celebrations to happen.

Take a listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MURIEL BOWSER, (D), MAYOR OF DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA: We want to send a message to our residents to enjoy the Fourth of July, to celebrate according to our guidance, and to do it at home. So, our strong recommendation is that D.C. residents celebrate the Fourth of July at home or near their home in small gatherings.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

MARQUARDT: So, Mayor Bowser asking people to stay at home.

The National Park Service, which is organizing all of this, is stuck between a rock and a hard place, if you will. They're going forward and coordinating all the organization around this.

They will not be enforcing CDC guidelines but they will be trying to ask people to adhere to them. They have some 300,000 masks to hand out to people. They will, of course, hope that people keep their distance from each other as this celebration starts, Ana, in just over an hour's time -- Ana?

CABRERA: And again, people can stay home and not go out into the heat, 93 degrees, the high there in D.C. Plus, of course, with humidity, it might feel even hotter. But we have everybody covered as well.

Thank you, Alex Marquardt, for braving the heat for us and bringing us that live report. MARQUARDT: It is hot.

CABRERA: Please tune in to CNN tonight for an evening of fireworks. We also will have an all-star musical line-up for you. Don Lemon and Dana Bash will be your hosts for CNN's "FOURTH OF JULY IN AMERICA." It starts at 8:00 tonight, that's Eastern time.

Live pictures now from Orange Beach, Alabama. And people are gathering, and they are enjoying a nice day at the beach there. That, as officials are urging people to remain cautious and to keep their distance.

[17:39:00]

Stay with us. You're watching CNN. You're live in the NEWSROOM.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

CABRERA: Welcome back. These images just moments ago, another military flyover, this time over Baltimore. And let me remind you what you're seeing here. U.S. Air Force Thunderbirds, along with B-1, B-2, B-52 bombers as well as F-15, F-22, and Marine Corps. F-35 fighter jets, all flying in five different waves over this city to commemorate its role in the birth of the United States.

They've been making their way from Boston. That began around 4:00 this afternoon. The planes in this instance will fly over Fort McHenry before turning south out of the city toward D.C.

In an effort to prevent the spread of coronavirus amid an uptick in new cases, we are now seeing governors across the country bring in new restrictions. That has some business owners and other groups questioning the legally.

One example, Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh just denied an emergency petition from Illinois Republicans seeking to hold large rallies. That came after the state's governor, J.B. Pritzker, had barred gatherings of more than 50 people due to the coronavirus pandemic.

And that brings us to our weekly "CROSS EXAMINE" with CNN legal analyst, Elie Honig. He's is also a former U.S. attorney for the Southern District of New York. And he's here to answer all of your legal questions.

Elie, one viewer asks: Can private citizens sue to block governors' orders to shut down or limit certain businesses like bars and restaurants?

ELIE HONIG, CNN LEGAL ANALYST: So, Ana, people can sue. They are suing all around the country, but with really very little success. Justice Kavanaugh just gave us a perfect example of that, rejecting a challenge in Illinois.

All 50 states have laws empowering governors to issue emergency health orders. That includes orders to shut down or limit capacity at private businesses, bars, restaurants, gyms, et cetera.

So, courts recognize that governors have broad authority, not unlimited, but broad authority to issue these orders.

[17:45:02]

The main question courts are going to ask is, is there at least some reasonable health or safety purpose for these orders. Earlier in the show, we heard Dr. Riley talk about gatherings at bars as super spreader events.

So we will continue to see these lawsuits challenging closure orders. The only one that's really succeeded, thus far, in the higher levels of the state was in Wisconsin where that state Supreme Court struck down an order. We saw a new set of lawsuits out of Texas.

Expect to keep seeing more of these lawsuits but do not expect to see many of them succeed.

CABRERA: OK, so, another viewer wants to know: How much power do courts have over whether and how states use absentee ballots during the coronavirus crisis?

HONIG: So, the short answer is courts have a lot of power over ballots and voting, more than people may recognize. We saw a perfect example of that this week in Alabama where officials came out with expanded reasons allowing voters to use mail-in ballots given the coronavirus.

But they also put in certain restrictions. Voters have to submit a copy of a photo I.D. in order to get a mail-in ballot. And when you send in the ballot, you have to include an affidavit signed by witnesses.

So a group in Alabama challenged that. They said, it's too restrictive, too difficult, especially with the coronavirus. And a federal judge agreed. He struck down that restriction.

But then, the U.S. Supreme Court stepped in and they blocked that district judge. It was a 5-4 ruling. Chief Justice Roberts joined with the court's four traditional conservatives. And they said, no, Alabama can go ahead for now and require photo I.D. and affidavits while the case is pending on appeal.

So, vote by mail is going to be so crucial to 2020. And we need to really watch what the courts are doing as election day approaches.

CABRERA: Elie Honig, we are out of time today. Thank you, as always. Good to see you.

HONIG: Thank you, Ana.

CABRERA: And I love the festive Fourth of July attire you're sporting today. Very patriotic.

Don't forget, you can submit your own questions for Elie at CNN.com/opinion. Let me give you another live look outside. This is Seaside Heights,

New Jersey, and there are many people out. It's not packed, though. Health officials are urging people to remain cautious and to maintain their distance.

We'll bring you more next live in the CNN NEWSROOM. Don't go anywhere.

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[17:51:40]

CABRERA: A 102-year-old New Hampshire woman should serve as an inspiration to all of us, not just because of her age -- that alone is inspiring -- but because she survived, not one, but two pandemics, a couple of bouts of cancer, and managed to stay in good spirits along the way.

CNN's Gary Tuchman has her story.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

GARY TUCHMAN, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): We headed to New Hampshire to meet this remarkable woman who just recovered from the coronavirus.

(on-camera): Do you feel lucky today?

G. SCHAPPALS: I always feel lucky. I'm lucky. I never had a real problem with my life. Everything seemed to fall into like.

TUCHMAN: An incredible attitude considering all that has happened in the life of 102-year-old Gerry Schappals.

Julia Schappals is her daughter. When her mother was a baby a little over 101 years ago --

JULIA SCHAPPALS, DAUGHTER OF GERRY SCHAPPALS: She had the -- what we call the Spanish flu, which was a huge pandemic during the First World War.

TUCHMAN: That's right. Gerry Schappals' family says she survived the influenza pandemic in the early 20th century, and the coronavirus in the early 21st century.

Back in 1918, little Gerry and her mother were both seriously ill.

J. SCHAPPALS: And the doctor told her father, they're both going to die, prepare yourself. But that's my medical opinion.

TUCHMAN: But daughter and mother survived.

Gerry went to college, got a bachelor's and master's, became a teacher and got married right after World War II. Her husband died almost four decades ago. But they had two children, and there are now three grandchildren and six great grandchildren.

After Gerry retired, she had breast cancer and colon cancer, and she beat both.

(on-camera): Can I call you Gerry?

G. SCHAPPALS: Delighted.

TUCHMAN: It's delightful to meet you.

G. SCHAPPALS: Thank you.

TUCHMAN: How are you feeling?

G. SCHAPPALS: Wonderful.

TUCHMAN: You're an amazing woman.

G. SCHAPPALS: Why?

TUCHMAN: I'm going to tell you why. You're modest, but you had coronavirus, and 101 years ago, you had Spanish flu. And you survived it twice. You're an amazing woman.

G. SCHAPPALS: I am.

TUCHMAN (voice-over): Gerry is a resident of the senior living community in Nashville for several years now.

J. SCHAPPALS: Hey mom.

TUCHMAN: On this day, her daughter came to pay a visit. Social distancing and masks still required.

J. SCHAPPALS: So how are you doing?

G. SCHAPPALS: Do we have to keep the masks on?

J. SCHAPPALS: Yes, we have to keep the mask on. Yes.

Do you recognize the top? You should, I stole it from you. Don't think you're getting it back.

TUCHMAN: The employees of her senior community were upset and saddened when Gerry tested positive for the coronavirus. But when they told her the diagnosis --

LISA VALCOURT, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, HUNTINGTON AT NASHUA: She had an incredible attitude. And she, you know, took every day and said, I guess I'm sick. They're told me I'm sick, but I'm not sick.

TUCHMAN: But like the Spanish Flu and the two bouts of cancer, 102- year-old Gerry Schappals managed to fend off the coronavirus as well.

(on-camera): Thank you for letting us meet you. Thank you.

G. SCHAPPALS: My pleasure.

TUCHMAN (voice-over): Gary Tuchman, CNN, Nashua, New Hampshire. (END VIDEOTAPE)

CABRERA: What a woman.

Don't forget to tune in tonight on our special lineup this evening with fireworks as well as a big cast of musical acts. We have Don Lemon and Dana Bash hosting CNN's "FOURTH OF JULY IN AMERICA" tonight at 8:00 p.m. Eastern here on CNN.

[17:55:05]

New images from just moments ago from the National Mall. As you can see, it is still pretty empty about an hour and a half or even just a half an hour from some of the events that are supposed to begin in their "Salute to America" in D.C.

We'll be bringing you a live report from the nation's capital, next.

You're live in the CNN NEWSROOM.

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