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U.S. Sees Record Day Of New COVID-19 Cases; Florida Records 188 Deaths In A Single Day Setting New State Record; Trump Says He Will Wear Mask On Visit To Walter Reed Medical; Disney World Reopens; Back To School Plans In Flux As U.S. Sets Record For New Cases; Trump Commutes Roger Stone's Sentence; Brazil Surpasses 1.8 Million Cases, Tops 70,000 Deaths. Aired 11a-12p ET

Aired July 11, 2020 - 11:00   ET

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

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[10:59:50]

ALEX MARQUARDT, CNN ANCHOR: Good morning. I'm Alex Marquardt, in today for Fredricka Whitfield. Thanks so much for joining me.

We are beginning with the U.S. yet again setting a new single day record for coronavirus cases now, as many states are struggling to contain the spread of the virus. Johns Hopkins University reporting more than 66,000 new cases across the country. That's more than 3.1 million total infections, the highest of any country in the world. We're also seeing rises in the number of deaths and hospitalizations.

And now some breaking news. Florida has become the new epicenter of this disease. Moments ago reporting more than 10,000 cases registered yesterday and a new daily death toll record of 188.

Elsewhere in the country, a number of places are rolling back their plans to reopen. The city of Atlanta announcing that it will return to phase one which includes an order for residents to stay home except for essential trips. It also closes dine-in service for restaurants. Georgia's governor is re-activating a field hospital at a convention center in Atlanta.

And the debate over opening schools next month is still being fiercely debated. Several states including Florida saying schools will resume in the fall. But a new report says that one in four teachers faces higher risks of serious illness if they catch the coronavirus.

We have full team coverage in the hardest-hit areas all across the country this morning.

Let's start with CNN Polo Sandoval in New York. Polo, the U.S., as we said, setting yet another single day record for new cases, just over 66,000. How are some of the states that we're talking about rolling back their plans to reopen?

POLO SANDOVAL, CNN ANCHOR: Yes, Alex. With those record numbers come those reversals in those reopenings across the country. You mention one example happening in Atlanta, Georgia. The mayor there saying that she took that action after the state of Georgia decided to reopen in what she described as a reckless manner. The Republican governor of that state firing back saying that that action was not only nonbinding but also not enforceable, Alex.

But when you look elsewhere around the country, Georgia is certainly not alone in terms of seeing those significant numbers. You have California, Texas, and of course, Florida as well.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

DR. ANTHONY FAUCI, DIRECTOR, NATIONAL INSTITUTE FOR ALLERGY AND INFECTIOUS DISEASES: I would advise him --

SANDOVAL: The nation's top infectious disease expert Dr. Anthony Fauci telling that the world the U.S. is at a historic point in the COVID pandemic.

DR. FAUCI: As you can see from this slide here, my own country, United States as I'm sure we'll be able to discuss a little bit more, is in the middle right now, even as we speak, in a serious problem.

SANDOVAL: Fauci issued the blunt new warning during this year's International AIDS Conference that the coronavirus crisis rages on.

Amid ongoing reopenings, Florida continues to grapple with skyrocketing daily COVID numbers and hospitalizations. In hot zone Miami-Dade County, the test positivity rate surpassed 33 percent this week.

MAYOR DAN GELBER (D), MIAMI BEACH, FLORIDA: We have 1,800 people and COVID patients now. That's the highest by many multiples. We had -- almost 400 people in intensive care and we're about to hit an all-time high in ventilators.

SANDOVAL: Aggressive testing happening in parts of Texas. Some regions working with the military to keep up with demand. In another signs the pandemic is tightening its grip on the Lone Star State, some hospitals are turning to tents and other spaces to treat the overflow of COVID patients.

WESLEY ROBINSON, SOUTH TEXAS HEALTH: Conference rooms, cells (ph), bases and currently we have ICU patients that are on medical surgical floors that honestly really need closer monitoring, need equipment. But those are things that we just simply do not have at this time.

PABLO LOREDO, SOUTH TEXAS HEALTH: Everyone is exhausted and the patients here are very sick.

SANDOVAL: California also taking steps to relieve the pressure from record COVID numbers. The state's Department of Corrections plans to release at least 8,000 preselected prisoners from correctional facilities across the state, the movement to allow for more social distancing behind bars. As death tolls climb, a troubling new report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention about how COVID is disproportionately killing black and brown Americans. Fresh CDC data showing on average those minority groups are dying from the virus at a younger age when compared to white patients.

One likely factor, many of them filling essential and service jobs allow little room for social distancing or for staying home.

DR. UCHE BLACKSTOCK, CEO, ADVANCING HEALTH EQUITY: What we need now in the short term are an equitable allocation of resources to black and brown communities. So targeting testing, contact tracing, PPE, ensuring that the health care institutions in those communities are adequately resourced.

SANDOVAL: Staying fully stocked -- that's a big challenge for some hospitals across the country with the virus showing no signs of slowing down.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

[11:04:53]

SANDOVAL: Back here in the New York Tristate area, those numbers remain on a very good -- on a very good route here, not just hospitalizations, Alex, also rates of infection. Test positivity remains below 1 percent.

But even with that, Alex, a dire warning coming from the state's chief executive, Andrew Cuomo. He is concerned about potential uptick because of what you see in other states. Keep in mind, there are those travel advisories in place here, requiring people from 19 so-called hot spot states to have to quarantine. But even then Alex, the main question, how do you stop people from driving into the state and potentially spreading the virus?

MARQUARDT: All right. Polo Sandoval, thanks for that overview.

Now to Florida where they're reporting the most coronavirus deaths in a single day since the start of the pandemic, just shy of 200. And this is as the state today is reporting more than 10,000 new cases.

CNN's Randi Kaye has been on the story in Florida and joins me now from Riviera Beach.

Randi, we have just gotten these new figures. 10,000 cases in a single day. What more are you learning?

RANDI KAYE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes. These are really disheartening numbers, Alex because the last time we had a major amount of deaths in a single day, it was 120. And now we're getting word that it was 188 in a single day. So we're certainly moving in the wrong direction and another 10,000 cases.

We're also getting word that Miami-Dade County, the hardest hit county is also having more trouble. 44 county bus drivers have now tested positive for COVID-19. One of them has died. That one was on the job last -- in late June. It is unclear if that driver was symptomatic or what bus route that driver was taking. The others are quarantining at home and with pay, of course.

Meanwhile, the state has reopened and was opening much earlier than many of the other states. And since then, we have seen a 1,200 percent increase since early May. Those numbers certainly not what the governor was hoping for. May 4th we were looking at an average of about 680 cases, and now we're looking at 9,000 cases.

We're also getting new information on the number of hospitalizations for people with COVID-19 around the state. For weeks, reporters have been asking the governor and the state to release that information. They have not until late yesterday.

And now we're finding that there are 7,257 people at last check hospitalized with COVID-19 in the state, and 561 in orange county, where Disney World is opening today. That's where Orlando is.

The governor pushing back on reports that many hospitals, dozens of hospitals in fact, are -- no longer have any ICU beds available. He's saying we are not at surge capacity.

He is also pushing back on the fact that the state reopened possibly too early. He said in May and June we were seeing low positivity rates of about 5 percent. And now you know, we heard there was upwards of 33 percent positivity rate just in the last day or so. So certainly very concerning here in Florida, Alex.

MARQUARDT: Yes, a defiant governor Ron DeSantis down there in Florid. Randy Kaye in Riviera Beach, thanks very much.

Now, back here in Washington, President Trump is going to be visiting injured troops at the Walter Reed Medical Center today. He is expected to wear a mask in public for the first time. Of course, he has long resisted that. Despite the skyrocketing COVID case count, the President is claiming that the country has the outbreak under control. Listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Is the United States losing the war against COVID?

DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: No, we're winning the war. And we have areas that flamed up and they're going to be fine over a period of time. They flared up in areas where thy thought it ending and that would be Florida, Texas, a couple of other places, and they're going to have it under control very quickly.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

MARQUARDT: Record numbers. And he says that we're winning the war against the coronavirus.

CNN's Sarah Westwood is on the north lawn of the White House for us. Sarah, the President you heard there and over the past few days, continuing to downplay the coronavirus as he is preparing to go into this hospital, into Walter Reed to meet with injured soldiers and staff today, right?

SARAH WESTWOOD, CNN WHITE HOUSE REPORTER: That's right, Alex. And yes, you had President Trump yesterday in one of the nation's leading hot spots for COVID cases. He was in Florida. And he just barely mentioned the coronavirus pandemic while he was there.

He has another chance today to focus more fully on the virus when he heads to Walter Reed Military Medical Center to meet with those wounded service members.

And it could also be a turning point in the President's approach to masks. As you mentioned the President has been really resistant to be out in public with a face covering on.

But he told Telemundo in an interview yesterday that in a hospital setting, he acknowledged it is proper to wear masks and that he plans to do so today.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

TRUMP: No, it's not difficult at all. In fact, I'll be going to Walter Reed I believe tomorrow. And I think when you're in a hospital, you should definitely wear a mask. It wouldn't be difficult at all for me.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You've worn them and you'll start wearing them?

TRUMP: Yes.

(CROSSTALK)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Will we see you wearing it?

TRUMP: Thank you, guys. Yes, if you would like to.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes. Absolutely.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

[11:09:48]

WESTWOOD: Now, aides tell CNN that President Trump will allow himself to be photographed in the mask today. That's a really deliberate step for the President. And it comes after more than a week of pleading from aides and advisers who wanted the President to don a face covering in public in order to set sort of a symbolic leadership role, set an example that face coverings are important.

This comes as many major Republicans including Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell and Vice President Mike Pence have broken with Trump in fully endorsing mask wearing, Alex.

MARQUARDT: All right. Well, we should see that later today at Walter Reed.

Sarah Westwood at the White House, thanks very much.

Now, joining me to discuss all of this is primary care physician and CNN medical analyst Dr. Saju Mathew. Doctor, thank you so much for joining me.

We've told, as you heard -- just from Sarah Westwood that it did take repeated calls for the President to agree to wear a mask to the hospital today.

First off, this is a hospital. Shouldn't wearing a mask not be up for discussion? And how risky is it to be visiting a hospital right now for him?

DR. SAJU MATHEW, CNN MEDICAL ANALYST: Yes. Hi there, Alex.

You know, we were late in the game of wearing masks, period, in this country. And now more so than ever, Alex, we know how important it is to wear a mask. We know that it not only protects other people from the mask wearer, but it also protects you as well.

So there's no doubt in my mind that everybody should be wearing masks, especially where you cannot socially distance. Now, when you talk about hospitals, absolutely 100 percent, everybody should be wearing a mask even President Trump because that's the only way to really protect him and protect people around him as well.

MARQUARDT: And Doctor, we heard the President just say there that we are winning the war against the coronavirus. He's also falsely claimed that 99 percent of COVID-19 cases are what he called harmless.

And this of course, comes as there's new reporting revealing that coronavirus damages not just the lungs but the kidneys, the liver, the heart, and nervous system along with the skin and gastrointestinal tracts. There is also new reporting that there could be a wave of brain damage.

So even if we give the President the benefit of the doubt and assume that he is talking -- assume that he's saying that the majority of people who get infected survive, well, we're learning about the growing number of nonlethal complications. It's really the opposite of harmless, isn't it?

DR. MATHEW: There's nothing 99 percent harmless about this disease. Listen Alex, I wish I could say as a physician that this is a harmless disease.

Here are some of the statistics. The flu mortality rate is 0.1 percent. With COVID-19, as far as we know, it could even be higher, but it is between 3 percent to 5 percent. That's a huge difference.

And just as you mentioned, we're learning the virus really affects every organ in the body. It's not just a respiratory virus.

The other day I had a patient who died from a blood clot to the lungs and she could not even make it to the hospital. It's damaging the entire body. Autopsies are showing blood clots, not only in the small vessels but in large vessels as well.

And as you mentioned also, Alex, there are people in between that are supposedly recovering from COVID-19 but still have symptoms of shortness of breath, brain fog, tripping over objects and having stroke-like symptoms. Unfortunately, this is not a harmless disease.

MARQUARDT: And for weeks and months after they were diagnosed. Dr. Deborah Birx who, of course, is on the coronavirus task force, she says that the U.S. needs to reduce indoor interactions and activities.

And now New Jersey is saying that people gathering outside should also be required to wear a mask as well. And so I wanted to ask you how effective is that extra layer of protection, the mask, that we have just been talking about outdoors, given that the risk of transmission outside is far lower?

DR. MATHEW: Yes. Just as you mentioned, Alex, the risk is definitely far lower when you're outdoors for sure. The virus doesn't like plenty of air, heat, and people obviously that are six feet away.

The only problem really would be in a crowded beach, in a crowded area like in a park, where you're running or you're walking and you can't distance yourself six feet away, then for sure I would always have that mask on you. But overall, the risk is much lower outdoors than indoors.

MARQUARDT: Stay outside, folks, and wear a mask.

All right. Dr. Saju Mathew, thank you so much.

DR. MATHEW: Thank you, Alex.

MARQUARDT: All right. Well, a new report says that nearly one quarter of American teachers are at heightened risk for the coronavirus. So what's the plan to keep them safe as the country closes in on the start of the next school year?

I'll be speaking to the superintendent of one of the largest school districts in the country. That's coming up next.

Plus Disney World is back open. But as cases in Florida are surging, is now the right time? We'll be live coming up.

[11:14:40]

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

MARQUARDT: Disney World is now open in Florida as the state reports a record number of coronavirus deaths, and now as of today, more than 10,000 new cases. Disney fans are visiting the magic kingdom as the park opens to the public the first time in 116 days, despite the state continuing to hit those new highs.

CNN's Natasha Chen joins me now. Natasha, many people flocking there. It's been called the happiest place on earth, lots of people looking for a bit more happiness. What can those visitors to Disney World expect today?

NATASHA CHEN, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well Alex, it's going to be very different for them. and in fact, it's going to be a little bit difficult first to get into the parks compared to before. There is an advanced reservation required. And that's one way Disney is trying to keep the numbers low.

Now, more people are arriving today in the public reopening compared to the last two days of annual passholder previews. But from what passholders have told us, very few people there.

Here's what it looked like inside.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

CHEN: Disney theme parks may be an escape to a fictional bubble, but no amount of pixie dust can wipe away the realities of a pandemic.

[11:19:59]

ERICA M., WALT DISNEY WORLD ANNUAL PASSHOLDER: It does feel a bit surreal.

CHEN: It's a whole new world of temperature checks, parties separated on rides, touchless payments and entry and required face masks that must loop around human ears.

There are also far fewer people in the parks due to significantly reduced capacity and a required advanced reservation for people wanting to go in.

M: I do feel a bit nervous trying to do all of the things I love and enjoy doing again while also remembering to do them as safely as I possibly can.

Wearing an N95 mask to the parks, social distancing from other park goers, packing Clorox wipes, packing hand sanitizer, keeping my hands clean at all the different hand washing stations.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: They're cool. I slush my hands --

CHEN: For locals and theme park bloggers in Orange County, Florida where COVID cases are rising rapidly along with the rest of the state.

CRAIG WILLIAMS, PRODUCER, "THE DIS UNPLUGGED" PODCAST: We feel safer at theme parks than we do at any other normal store or restaurant. It feels safer at the theme parks because they're putting in that extra effort.

CHEN: He says the extra effort is more visible at Disney than he's seen at other theme parks that reopened in the past month. Rides frequently stop so employees could sanitize them. Plexiglas especially in tight queues, and something he doesn't always see outside Disney property.

WILLIAMS: It really blew me away that everyone was following all the rules. So I definitely didn't expect that.

CHEN: Orange County officials were asked Thursday if they had seen COVID cases stemming from the theme parks that are already open.

DR. RAUL PINO, ORANGE COUNTY HEALTH OFFICER: I would be lying to say we have not seen a case here and there that mention one of the parks. But we have not seen an outbreak in any of the parks that opened so far that we are aware of.

CHEN: Disney's chief medical officer said in a blog post this week, "We have reimagined the Disney experience so we can all enjoy the magic responsibly." And that includes many restaurants on Disney property, like Chef Art Smith's Homecoming which has a new patio and spaced out tables.

ART SMITH, RESTAURANT OWNER: Everyone wants to enjoy their time here but safely. And I think together we're doing that.

CHEN: He says people need a safe way to get a little comfort food and magic right now.

SMITH: How we are in good times is how we are in challenging times, ok?

(END VIDEOTAPE)

CHEN: And with fewer people in the parks, there are shorter wait times for all the rides right now. But during passholder previews, we did learn about one thing that people waited a long time for. There was a virtual cue of up to four hours for people that wanting to buy merchandise related to the ride Splash Mountain.

If you remember, Disney announced recently they're changing the theme of that ride which currently is related to a story with some racially insensitive origins. They're changing that to "A Princess and the Frog" ride. So there was a long wait for people trying to get the merchandise for that older theme, Alex.

MARQUARDT: All right. Very interesting reporting. Natasha Chen, thanks so much.

Now, coming up, do schools need to get creative with their reopening plans? I will be speaking with the superintendent of the Dallas Independent School District.

[11:23:12]

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

MARQUARDT: President Donald Trump is doubling down on his threat to pull federal funds from schools that don't fully reopen this fall. And he's doing it as educators all across the country are scrambling to try to find a way to bring more than 50 million students back into their classrooms safely. And they're getting very few clear answers about how to do that. Now, in just the past day, the head of the Atlanta Public Schools is recommending virtual learning, continuing virtual learning to start the year.

In West Virginia, the governor said that the state is now targeting September 8th for schools to fully reopen.

For more, we have Michael Hinojosa. He is the superintendent of the Dallas Independent School District. Mr. Hinojosa, thank you so much for joining me.

MICHAEL HINOJOSA, SUPERINTENDENT, DALLAS INDEPENDENT SCHOOL DISTRICT: Thank you, Alex. Thanks for having me. Good morning, everyone.

MARQUARDT: Good morning. You said -- you've said recently that the start date of August 17th for your school district is in jeopardy. We talk about going back to school in the fall, but this is really just a few weeks away, so decisions have to be made.

Do you anticipate having to push back that start date?

HINOJOSA: Well, I'm going to discuss that with my school board in the next two weeks because we have a backup plan. And the backup plan was to start later. And we're going to have to dust that off and present it to the board, and make sure that the board and the staff and the community are ready for it.

But we're having to pivot because the data keeps getting worse in Texas. And we need to make sure that we're honest with the community and our board about whether -- the ramifications that we go early as scheduled.

MARQUARDT: There are, of course, so many different factors that go into reopening a school, how it could be done. I'm not sure if you saw it. But "The New York Times" today published a wide ranging editorial talking about how schools need to get creative and find new ways to get kids back int the classroom.

And they're arguing in part that what is needed to reopen the classrooms is not just a lot more funding but also creating the spaces to do it, using gyms and cafeterias, for example, open air spaces.

But even with more money, which as you know probably better than anybody is hard to come by, how practical a solution is that those creative solutions if you will for most school districts?

HINOJOSA: They're not very practical, but we're getting very creative. We need to have -- we have Plexiglas where we separate the students. We're having masks. We're having face shields for our teachers, for our students. We're having to change directions of the hallways during passing periods. We're having to have multiple entry points so that we don't have students congregate.

[11:30:05]

HINOJOSA: And you know -- and so there are myriad of things that we have to plan for as to how we actually execute on keeping students safe and teachers safe and to have this kind of learning in bricks and mortar on our campuses. It is a challenge.

Of course, educators are very creative. And we'll find a way to get it done. But it is taxing all of our resources to make sure that we have everyone in a safe format.

MARQUARDT: Mr. Hinojosa, I think sometimes people forget that one of the things, one of the crucial things that schools also do is feed kids and many students rely on that.

And I want to get your reaction to the White House threatening to pull federal funding. We did crunch some of the numbers. Your school district gets more than $172 million in federal funding, a key percentage of that, most of it, goes to feed kids in school, $113 million to make sure that they have breakfast and lunch.

So if that federal funding is pulled from your school district, do you have a plan to provide those meals to students?

HINOJOSA: We're one of the fortunate districts that have a healthy reserve and we would have to go to that. But no, it is not practical. 92 percent of our students are economically disadvantaged. We don't apologize for our demography but they're -- they get two meals or sometimes three meals from our schools.

And this summer we fed millions and millions of meals all summer to make sure that our students have some kind of food to intake. So this would be a devastating impact on our community.

But luckily, and many districts are not like us, where they have a backup reserve to use that in the meantime. But I think, you know, we take those threats and move on and try to find solutions for our families.

MARQUARDT: Tomorrow right here on CNN we're going to have Education Secretary Betsy Devos on "STATE OF THE UNION". What do you need to hear from her? What do you need from her?

HINOJOSA: Well, I think that these kind of decisions need to be made at the local level. Education is a local responsibility but we need funding from all areas then I think that, you know, we know our communities best and we'll make sure that we have learning.

We're all concerned. We all want our students back for many reasons, for their mental health, for their academic learning. But we just need some flexibility on how we handle it at a local basis.

MARQUARDT: If you're not able to, you know, and you've experienced this already this year, the concept of virtual learning, kids having to do it at all home. Of course, not all families can afford to have their students learning at home, either because of childcare issues or they don't have computers or computer access, internet access issues. How do you overcome that disparity to make sure that he families and the students who need what -- who need to be able to learn virtually have what they need? HINOJOSA: This is a social justice issue. In fact, in Dallas, we

started Operation: Connectivity for the very reasons that you mentioned. Our goal is to get all of our families connected.

We have devices and infrastructure but we don't have connection inside the home. And if you don't have connection inside the home of the families, the students can't learn. Actually there's no opportunity for telehealth and there's no opportunity to apply for jobs in the family.

So this is a big initiative that we have in Dallas. And Texas has also joined this initiative and we're asking the feds for funding for this initiative so that we have 24/7 access at home. Because we know we're going to have some shutdowns at some point in the next academic year.

MARQUARDT: Superintendent Michael Hinojosa, you have a monumental task in front of you. Thank you so much for joining us today.

HINOJOSA: Thank you, Alex, very much. Thank you.

MARQUARDT: Take care. Be well.

Now, the uncertainty around on whether or not schools will reopen in just a few weeks' time is inducing anxiety among parents and teachers. How will they safely reopen? Is that even an option? Your top questions will be answered today at 2:30 p.m. Eastern time.

Still ahead, Senator Mitt Romney accuses President Trump of what he called unprecedented corruption after Trump commutes the sentence of his long time friend and adviser, Roger Stone.

[11:34:13]

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

MARQUARDT: President Trump is defending his decision to commute the prison sentence of his long time friend and political aide Roger Stone, tweeting today that Stone was targeted by what he called an illegal witch hunt.

Stone was scheduled to begin serving a more than three year sentence next week. He was convicted last year of lying to congress, witness tampering and other charges that related to the Russia investigation.

And the move to commute his sentence is now being blasted on both sides of the political aisle, Republicans and Democrats. You have Republican Senator Mitt Romney calling it unprecedented historic corruption. The Democrats also slamming the President' decision. Take a listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

REP. ADAM SCHIFF (D), CALIFORNIA: Well, if you lie for the President, if you cover up for the President, if you withhold incriminating evidence for the President, you get a pass from Donald Trump. That's the message that the President has always wanted to convey. (END VIDEO CLIP)

MARQUARDT: CNN's crime and justice producer David Shortell, joins us now. David, you were there on the ground, breaking the news of Roger Stone being taken into custody by the FBI. How did this commutation come about, how much of a surprise is it?

DAVID SHORTELL, CNN CRIME AND JUSTICE PRODUCER: Yes. Hey, good morning, Alex. Not much of a surprise, especially those here in Washington who have been following the words of President Donald Trump and what he has been saying about his friend Roger Stone closely the past few months.

President Trump making no secret of the fact that he thinks that Stone's prosecution and conviction by a jury here in Washington last year was unfair. He's called him a target of the Robert Mueller witch hunt.

[11:39:59]

SHORTELL: And in recent weeks, we have also seen the President latch on to this argument that Roger Stone has been making that at 67 years old, Roger Stone is especially vulnerable to the coronavirus given his age, and the fact it has been spreading behind bars of the federal prison system.

Now, getting to this extraordinary commutation was a week's long campaign that played out overtly and behind the scenes.

You had allies and friends of Roger Stone, including his own daughter, appearing on Fox News, on programs that we know the President watches regularly to urge the President to pardon her father.

You also -- you also had Roger Stone himself circulating a petition online, asking the President for clemency.

Now of course, it is the President's prerogative to make a decision like this. And on Friday evening, we did see President Trump calling his long time friend Roger Stone on the phone and delivering the news personally that he would be receiving this commutation.

Moments after that, Kayleigh McEnany, the White House press secretary out with a statement, making it official and explaining the White House's reasoning for this decision, Alex.

MARQUARDT: Yes, this happening yet again on a Friday night when the White House decides so often to dump if you will its more controversial decisions. David Shortell, thanks as always for your terrific reporting.

Now, still ahead, it was once a staple in Latino households, but now people are boycotting Goya Foods. The controversy and a new fight over free speech. That's coming up.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK) [11:41:24]

MARQUARDT: This morning there are growing calls for a boycott of the nation's largest Hispanic food company, Goya, after the CEO of the company said this during a rose garden event on Thursday.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ROBERT UNANUE, CEO, GOYA FOODS: We're all truly blessed at the same time to have a leader like President Trump who is a builder. And that's what my grandfather did. He came to this country to build, to grow, to prosper. And so we have an incredible builder. And we pray, we pray for our leadership, our president, and we pray for our country that we will continue to prosper and to grow.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

MARQUARDT: Now, the backlash was swift and fierce. That praise that you just heard for the President quickly spawning the #Goya Away. And that started trending on Twitter.

Now, with many Latino activists and celebrities, like the Hamilton creator Lin-Manuel Miranda also calling to dump the popular brand, and it's being -- it's a call that's being picked up by prominent members -- Latino members of Congress as well.

Others are saying that our cancel culture is just another attempt by Democrats to silence free speech.

So joining me now to break all this down is CNN political commentator and host of CNN's "SMERCONISH", Michael Smerconish. Michael -- thanks so much for joining me.

MICHAEL SMERCONISH, CNN ANCHOR: Thank you.

MARQUARDT: I wanted to dive right in. We have seen many examples of these kinds of cancel culture events playing out in the recent past. How do you see this latest example with Goya Foods? Is this the free market deciding which products to support or do you think it is another attempt to silence voices that people don't agree with?

SMERCONISH: Well, Alex, it is probably a little bit of both. There's nothing new about protest movements in the marketplace, but lately it seems that there's this attenuated, you know, heightened awareness, almost with people lying in waiting to go after speakers from whatever the opposite side of the aisle might be and try and put them out of the business.

In this instance, if the CEO had uttered a slur, I would understand it. But the CEO was praising of the President in similar fashion to things that he had said in the past when he had been invited by the Obamas to be in their company. So I frankly think it goes a bit too far.

If you like the beans, eat the beans. If you don't like the beans, then don't buy the beans. But I wouldn't go personally so far as to say oh, politically you've offered praise for one side or the other, then I can no longer buy your product.

MARQUARDT: There has been a bit of hesitation and push back from liberals. We saw this big letter, much talked about this week, in "Harper's Magazine". It was signed by more than 150 progressive writers, thinkers, artists and journalists. And that also, as you can expect especially on Twitter came under criticism by many.

And on your show earlier today, you spoke with one of the organizers, Thomas Chatterton Williams, what was his goal in getting this letter published and signed?

SMERCONISH: He said Alex, that there was not one particular incident that caused this to be initiated but there had been a series of incidents and a general climate that they thought they needed to respond to because of trends toward illiberalism.

Of course, it then within a couple of days drew a very heated reaction. Some of the members -- some of the signatories of his letter, they capitulated. And then another group of academics, about 150 strong, they came out and they voiced their disagreement.

So, you know, this was going back and forth. And then it was in that context that the Goya episode arises. And I do see them all as being interconnected.

MARQUARDT: All right. Well, switching gears quickly, you've been on talk radio now for three decades and tonight CNN is honoring you with a special presentation of your one-man show called "MICHAEL SMERCONISH: THINGS I WISH I KNEW BEFORE I STARTED TALKING". Here's a sneak peek.

[11:50:03]

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SMERCONISH: Limbaugh's impact on talk radio was transformative. News junkies had NBC, ABC, CBS, "the New York Times", "The Washington Post" which all leaned left. Limbaugh filled that void by establishing a clubhouse for conservatives. And soon every major market would have Limbaugh and a stable of his imitators. And when Fox News launched on television in 1996, it adopted the AM talk radio playbook.

Later MSNBC took note of that success, briefly gained viewers by giving Keith Olbermann a Downey-like platform for his diatribes against President George W. Bush. Anybody remember his claim that Bush was quote, "urinating" on the constitution?

And now the business model for much of the media was toned down as a version of that which Morton Downey had established. Entertainment masked as news, constant conflict, good guys versus bad guys and preordained outcomes just like what -- pro wrestling.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

MARQUARDT: Pro wrestling. Michael, answer that question for us. What are some of those things that you wish you knew before you started talking?

SMERCONISH: Well, primarily the destructive influence of a polarized media on civil discourse and the stranglehold that a polarized media could have on government officials be they in Washington or in state capitals.

I mean much of what people will see tonight is me reminiscing about the last three decades. But I offer a very serious message at the end and you've just played sort of the heart of it which is to say that when I got into the talk radio business 30 years ago it was all about making the telephones ring.

Ideology didn't matter as long as you were capable as an entertainer, as someone who could have and hold a provocative conversation. That was fine. It didn't matter if you were from the left or the right.

But that's all changed in the time that I've been involved in the business. I've had a front row seat and I think it's largely, Alex, been to the nation's detriment.

And so I actually encourage people in the midst of this this evening to make sure that they're drawing from a variety of news sources and to get out of their bubbles.

MARQUARDT: Yes. It's a fascinating and absolutely crucial discussion, especially right now.

Michael Smerconish, thanks so much.

SMERCONISH: Thank you.

MARQUARDT: And you can join Michael Smerconish for an entertaining and really a poignant look at his one of a kind career with "CNN PRESENTS: THINGS I WISH I KNEW BEFORE I STARTED TALKING" tonight at 10:00 p.m. Eastern time.

We'll be right back.

[11:52:47]

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

MARQUARDT: Brazil is surpassing yet another grim milestone and now has more than 1.8 million COVID-19 cases and 70,000 deaths. In just 24 hour alone, the country has recorded more than 45,000 new case and this comes as Brazil's president Jair Bolsonaro continues to push for the country's economy to reopen despite testing positive for the virus himself.

CNN's Bill Weir is in Brazil for us.

Bill, the president is now in semi-isolation and even there he still seems like he is not backing down in his highly controversial attitudes about the coronavirus.

BILL WEIR, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Not at all, Alex. He's doubling down, not backing down. Using sort of social media to continue his commercial for his prescription of treating COVID-19 with anti- malarial drugs and vitamins, hydroxychloroquine which has been proven in many trials around the world not to have any effect on this disease. But he's convinced it is the way to stay healthy and go back to work.

And -- but the results of that we're seeing in those numbers going completely in the wrong direction. They're fattening the curve here, not flattening it and his influence is extending from the capital which had -- in Brasilia which had really shut down and sealed itself off and went into quarantine relatively early. But then opened up bars and gyms and beauty salons and so now COVID-19 there is exploding like wildfire.

And then here I'm in the geographical center of Brazil, Mast Grasso, the state where a British explorer disappeared looking for the Lost City of Z, if you remember that book and movie.

What used to be jungle though now is mostly soybean farms and cattle ranches and it is a hub of traffic. so it was a soybean truck driver who first brought the infection to this region and now it is spreading through the indigenous and agricultural communities because in large part the president is putting so much pressure on the economy to reopen and to get things back to business as normal, much to the frustration of governors and mayors in these different states trying to contain the spread.

MARQUARDT: Fattening the curve, not flattening it -- very well said. Bill Weir, thanks very much.

Hi there. Thanks for joining me.

I am Alex Marquardt, in today for Fredricka Whitfield.

[11:59:52]

MARQUARDT: We are beginning this hour once again in the U.S. setting a new single day record for coronavirus cases as many states struggle to contain the spread of the virus, Johns Hopkins University reporting more than 66,000 new cases across the U.S.