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No Word on Stimulus Deal as Negotiators Met for 2 Hours; All The Promises Trump Has Made But Not Kept on Health Care; Positive Cases Spark MLB Schedule Changes, New Safety Concerns; MLB Season in Doubt Now; Ohio High School Athletes Must Be Tested Before Playing Sports; 100 Million+ At Risk as Isaias Moves Up East Coast. Aired 3:30-4p ET

Aired August 03, 2020 - 15:30   ET

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

[15:30:00]

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BROOKE BALDWIN, CNN HOST: With just a few days left until the Senate is set to go on the August recess, there are still no signs of a deal between Democrats and the White House on a second stimulus to help Americans who are struggling during this pandemic.

CNN's Phil Mattingly is on Capitol Hill. And Phil, we know the President's chief of staff Mark Meadows and Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin just wrapped up this meeting with Speaker Pelosi and Senator Schumer. What can you tell us just about the sticking points on both sides?

PHIL MATTINGLY, CNN CONGRESSIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Yes, they're still large, I would say that. But this at least according to Speaker Nancy Pelosi, after that meeting, it lasted more than two hours, the sixth meeting in seven days, they're clearly trying here, they just haven't been able to bridge the biggest gaps.

But the Speaker saying it was a productive meeting. They're continuing to go down the tracks but there are still pretty significant differences and those differences are large. It comes to funding for state and local governments, that's something Democrats want a trillion dollars for. Republicans say there is enough money from the first package left over to deal with.

It's also unemployment. Obviously, federal unemployment enhancement, $600 flat rate lapsed last week, this is one of the biggest issues that are outstanding right now. Republicans have said that they want to cut that down to as low as $200. Democrats have said they want to maintain that $600 rate. But listen to what Speaker Pelosi said about this issue earlier today.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

REP. NANCY PELOSI (D-CA), HOUSE SPEAKER: Well, I think that the number, the $600, is related more to the unemployment rate, if the unemployment goes down then that number can go down but it doesn't go down, you know, you're not saying to the American people we have more infections, we have more deaths, we have more unemployment, we have more hunger, and now we're going to cut your benefit. That's just not going to happen.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

MATTINGLY: Brooke, what I want to focus on as we all are kind of reading the tea leaves right now is that first part of what the Speaker said, and that was pegging the benefit to the unemployment rate. As the rate goes down, perhaps the benefit flat rate starts to go down too, that's not necessarily the end game solution here but that is movement from Democrats who've maintained they want to keep things at a $600 flat rate.

Those are the types you things you are going to need to see, and you're going to need to see a lot of over the course of the next couple days in order for a deal to come together. Again, keep in mind, they've already missed deadlines, missed deadlines on the federal unemployment enhancement, missed deadlines on the eviction moratorium, there needs to be action soon. The small business fund runs out August 8th.

Lawmakers grasp that there's urgency but these are real people with real problems facing significant issues right now if something doesn't get done. I think today was considered more and more positive meeting, whether that continues over the course of the next several days, that will determine whether a deal comes soon or at all -- Brooke.

BALDWIN: A positive meeting but still big differences. This is the metric at which we're judging all things there on Capitol Hill. Phil Mattingly, keep your ear to the ground for us. Thank you, friend.

And a new stimulus package isn't the only thing millions of Americans are waiting on. There is also this --

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: We're signing a health care plan within two weeks. A full and complete health care plan. That the Supreme Court decision on DACA gave me the right to do.

[15:35:00]

So, we're going to solve -- we're going to sign an immigration plan, a health care plan, and various other plans.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BALDWIN: So, for those of you who are keeping score at home, that two- week window was up as of yesterday. CNN's John Avlon takes a look back at the President's many promises on health care from the campaign trail to the White House.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JOHN AVLON, CNN SENIOR POLITICAL ANALYST: Remember this --

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Universal health care.

TRUMP: I am going to take care of everybody.

Far less expensive and far better.

We are going to be submitting in a couple of weeks a great health care plan.

AVLON: That was candidate and freshly minted President Trump vowing to repeal Obamacare and replace it with a miracle health care plan in his magical --

TRUMP: -- couple of weeks.

AVLON: Well, here we are more than three-years into the Trump presidency, six-month months into a pandemic and here's the plan.

TRUMP: (SAYS NOTHING).

AVLON: But in fairness to the President, he has managed to get something done. Dismantling key provisions of Obamacare in the courts, namely the individual mandate. And now he's marshalling his Justice Department to try to kill the whole thing. Just as America is suffering through a pandemic that's killed more than 150,000 of our fellow Americans and infected millions more.

Although the second quarter GDP number was the worst on record, nearly 33 percent in the red if it were extended to the whole year. So, no wonder, the President keeps promising that his mission to kill the Affordable Care Act won't actually remove one of the things that people really like about it.

TRUMP: Pre-existing conditions will be totally protected. Pre-existing conditions.

AVLON: OK, so that claim received the coveted Bottomless Pinocchio Award from the "Washington Post" because covering preexisting conditions is something only Obamacare does right now. A provision that polls really strong even among Republicans because it turns out that having a pre-existing health conditions occurs across partisan lines. Not to mention President Trump has no answer for the fact that since the Affordable Care Act was passed upwards of 20 million Americans who weren't insured before now are.

So, this is the old arsonist as a firefighter routine with possibly your life on the line. But wait. Now we're in an election year so you might have heard something like this.

KELLYANNE CONWAY, COUNSELOR TO PRESIDENT TRUMP: This health care President is the one that is governing. This health care President started out with transparency, that's what we're focused on, that the health care President continue to deliver for America.

AVLON: But remember that Kellyanne Conway is the person who famously said, you don't take an oath to tell the truth before you go on TV. But where is the plan that this alleged health care President told Chris Wallace would be released again within those magical --

TRUMP: -- two weeks. A full and complete health care plan.

AVLON: We've heard all of this before. And even if there were a plan, there is virtually no chance it would get put into place before election day.

Look, good people can disagree over the details of health care. It's complicated. Whether it is the ACA, the public option, Medicare For All or a more free market plan that has some evidence that it might low costs. But we can't ignore the fact that a decade after Obamacare's passage and endless demonization by the GOP, there still isn't a serious Republican plan for replacement. It's all repeal all the time. Even in a pandemic. No matter how many people might get hurt, all for short-term political gain, all bolstered by apparent figures.

TRUMP: Nobody knew that health care could be so complicated.

AVOLN: Yes, Mr. President, we pretty much all did. But at a time when so many people are suffering, it would be nice if you would remember the Hippocratic oath. First, do no harm and that's your reality check.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BALDWIN: John, thank you.

A Major League Baseball player initially feared missing eventually surfaces and then calls it quits on season citing concerns over, you guessed it, COVID. Just one of the many hiccups for the league as it attempts to restart.

We have those details ahead.

And the mayor of Charleston, South Carolina warning folks there to stay home as a powerful tropical storm bears down on the east coast.

[15:40:00]

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BALDWIN: Coronavirus is continuing to fundamentally change how sports across the world operate. And while some leagues including NBA and NHL, National Women's Soccer League, Major League Soccer, they're all competing in restricted sites or protective bubbles to limit the spread of COVID-19. The NHL is the rare early success story today reporting no cases during the first week of play.

Major League Baseball, though, not playing in a bubble and now its shortened season is in doubt. The New York Mets' outfielder Yoenis Cespedes has decided to sit out the rest of the 2020 season due to COVID related reasons. That's a quote from him.

In Ohio, meantime, an updated Department of Health order will require fall high school athletes to be tested for coronavirus in order just to play or scrimmage against opposing schools.

The decision to opt out, back to the Mr. Cespedes -- comes after multiple St. Louis Cardinals and Miami Marlins players tested positive. So far nearly 30 baseball players and staff have tested positive for the virus. 19 games have already been canceled during the first week of the season and it's not just baseball.

A group of PAC-12 football players have threatened to opt out of the season unless the conference addresses their coronavirus concerns. And high school sports are feeling it, too, as I mentioned a moment ago in Ohio, an updated Department of Health order will require that athletes there to be tested for COVID in order to play.

So here to discuss, sports journalist, Mike Wise, he's a host of the podcast the "Mike Wise Show." Mike, good to see you.

[15:45:00]

I want to start with MLB. Can baseball even continue this way without playing in a bubble?

MIKE WISE, SPORTS JOURNALIST: No, I don't think so, Brooke. I'd like to see the season happen and conclude. When 18 players and two coaches and a handful of the St. Louis Cardinals get sick and the Miami Marlins, and you have to postpone 17 games, if you're Rob Manfred, right now, you have to be looking not only very short sighted but also, you know, the notion of he keeps talking about I'm not a quitter, we're not worried about this. Well, at one what point are you putting your players at risk and worrying too much about the bottom line?

BALDWIN: What about college football? You know, I mentioned PAC-12 players want these COVID liability waivers to be prohibited, they want universal safety measures. They're also seeking medical insurance for, Mike, six years post eligibility. How realistic is this and do you even think all of the demands would keep the players safe?

WISE: Well, one, I think it's a huge crap shoot when you go into a season and you're getting all of these false positives. And the notion of how many times are you going to be tested?

Two, I'm all for college players unionizing. Nobody else wants that. But if there were ever a show of -- a sham of what college sports is and amateurism, not only are you using these players that you don't pay other than giving room and board to and education, you give them essentially a platform to play and become a professional, well not many of them do. But you're basically now putting their health at risk.

I'm all for that and I don't --

BALDWIN: Like it's not worth it, is that what you're saying? Just not worth it.

WISE: It's not worth it and I think more of the Power Five conferences and their players are going to get together and realize that the PAC- 12 is right. Why would we put ourselves out there on a field of play for, you know, a career in which we only have a finite number of earning years anyway. And we're going to hurt ourselves or get infected as college players and it's going to mess up our lungs. And what does that do to our career? I'm all for what the PAC-12 players are doing.

BALDWIN: What about even younger than college. You know, in Ohio, the Department of Health is ruling that every single high school athlete statewide must receive a COVID test before playing. I don't even know what the number would be in terms of athletes, but is that even feasible?

WISE: I think at no time in my life, anyway, have I seen people lose perspective over what sports is supposed to be and our purpose in life. I'm of the opinion that if you can't get our children into their home rooms, why are you worrying about getting them on the athlete field so badly. I don't understand it. I don't think it's realistic. And I certainly think that the Ohio education system should be worrying about how effective their Zoom courses are going to be before they worry about testing players.

And also, if you're someone outside of a sport, whether it be the NBA bubble whether it be people in Ohio, you've got to be thinking to yourself, why are these players being tested so much and I can't even get tested?

BALDWIN: I know a lot of people are thinking exactly that same thing. Mike Wise, thank you very much. For all of the opinions on all things sports in the era of COVID.

WISE: Thank you, Brooke.

BALDWIN: Tropical storm Isaias is on the move and gaining strength. This storm could make landfall as a hurricane tonight and the mayor of Charleston, South Carolina, wants everyone to stay home. We'll take you live there, next.

[15:50:00]

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BALDWIN: Right now, more than 100 million Americans are at risk from tropical storm Isaias. Watches and warnings are up from Florida to Maine. And Charleston, South Carolina, is about to get the brunt of it. Charleston's mayor is urging everyone there to stay home, get off the streets.

CNN meteorologist Derek Van Dam is live in the rain for us in Charleston. And Derek, we know the mayor has encouraged everyone to stay home. But have shelters opened yet?

DEREK VAN DAM, CNN METEOROLOGIST: Yes, better safe than sorry, right. I think, Brooke, he's just trying to avoid all unnecessary travel in and around the Charleston metro area. But even if those shelters were open, COVID-19 just complicates things. Doesn't it? Think about this. Charleston County, there's been an 80 percent reduction in available shelter space this hurricane season compared to last season. That's because they have to take into account social distancing when families arrive to these hurricane shelters.

Now, some of the worst that tropical storm Isaias has to offer for Charleston within the next few hours is coming ashore. In fact, 49- mile-per-hour sustained winds, or a gust was just measured at the Folly Beach which is about 15 minutes to my south and west.

That is tropical storm force winds. But it's not necessarily the strong winds that we're concerned with here in Charleston. It's the potential for flooding as well. Think about the combination of king tides. There is a full moon tonight. There is the storm surge with the oncoming presence of a tropical storm.

And then on top of that there's inland flooding. The water has nowhere to go across the city of Charleston. That's what makes this location so unique, so the flooding has nowhere to go but up. And it floods the streets very, very easily.

2 to 4 inches of rain here. We've got the worst yet to come. We have a narrow window over the next five hours for the storm to potentially intensify into hurricane strength -- Brooke.

[15:55:00]

BALDWIN: We will be checking in I'm sure over the course of the next hours as it starts really hitting Charleston. Derek for now, thank you so much. Try to stay dry. Appreciate you and the crew being out there.

A federal judge in mourning and pleading for change. Her emotional message two weeks after her son was murdered and husband wounded by a gunman who showed up at their home.

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PAMELA BROWN, CNN HOST: And welcome to THE LEAD. I'm Pamela Brown in today for Jake Tapper. And we begin with the health LEAD.

END