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Massive Beirut Explosion Kills at Least 100, Hundreds Missing; Trump Claims Beirut Explosion Was an "Attack"; Biden Not Expected to Accept Democratic Nomination in Milwaukee; Georgia Teacher Resigns after Being Forced to Work at School While Students Go Virtual; "Mulan" Finally Heading to Disney Plus after Delays; CNN's "On the Trail" Streams Tomorrow on HBO Max. Aired 11:30a-12p ET

Aired August 05, 2020 - 11:30   ET

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

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[11:32:33]

KATE BOLDUAN, CNN ANCHOR: This morning, the death toll is rising after an enormous explosion devastated parts of Beirut, Lebanon.

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(EXPLOSION)

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BOLDUAN: Unbelievable, really. That explosion killed at least a hundred people. Hundreds are missing still. And thousands are injured.

Here's another perspective on it. New drone video into CNN this morning. It really gives you a sense of how powerful that blast was. It was felt more than a hundred miles away. Look at that building right there. It looks like every single window blown out, scattered below.

President Trump spoke out -- was asked about this blast. He said this was no accident. He calls it an attack. Listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: I've met with some of our great generals and they just seem to feel that it was -- this was not some kind of a manufacturing explosion type of event.

This was a -- seems to be, according to them, they would know better than I would, but they seem to think it was an attack. It was a bomb of some kind.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BOLDUAN: A bomb of some kind.

CNN's Ryan Browne is at the Pentagon joining me right now.

Ryan, what are you hearing from military officials about what the president said?

RYAN BROWNE, CNN PENTAGON REPORTER: Well, the Pentagon is remaining officially quiet about the president's comments, referring all questions to the White House.

But military sources are telling CNN, multiple sources, that the initial assessments, the current assessments about what took place was that it was, in fact, an accident. There's no evidence at this point in time of any kind of attack, any kind of bombing attack.

So there was some confusion about where President Trump's assessment is coming from. Of course, he cited unnamed military generals for that assessment.

But officials saying that initial assessments indicate that it was an accident and not an intentional attack.

And they point to the fact that there's been no adjustments to force protection and no movement of U.S. military troops in the region indicating that they don't see an attack and they don't have any intelligence suggesting an attack.

Without those changes, there just doesn't seem to be the response that you would typically see if an actual bombing attack of this magnitude had taken place.

Of course, they're continuing to assess this and they're continuing to look at it. Some of the chemicals that Lebanese officials have pointed to as causing this explosion are key components in many improvised explosives and bombs.

[11:35:11]

But at this point in time, the U.S. military sources telling CNN they have no evidence to point to an attack of any kind despite the president's comments.

BOLDUAN: And the Lebanese prime minister, he's speaking out, at least with an initial assessment of what they're thinking. What are you hearing about, I don't know, what they actually think caused this explosion?

BROWNE: Well, there seems to be pointing toward, again, these combustible chemicals, ammonium nitrate, over 2,000 tons of which were present at this location. Reports that it had been at that location, stored there for several years.

Now, Lebanese officials are saying they are considering putting the port authorities, those responsible for overseeing storage at this port facility, under house arrest pending this investigation.

Lebanon also putting the military in charge of some of the response of the domestic security operations given the destruction wrought by this explosion.

BOLDUAN: Ryan, thank you so much.

Coming up for us, we have news coming in about Joe Biden and his acceptance speech at the DNC, the Democratic convention. That after a quick break.

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[11:40:43]

BOLDUAN: This just into -- this just into CNN. Former Vice President Joe Biden, the presumptive Democratic nominee, is no longer going to be -- going to be expected to attend the Democrats' Milwaukee convention to accept the Democratic nomination. This, is according to Democratic Party officials.

Let me bring in right now CNN's Arlette Saenz and CNN's political director, David Chalian.

Arlette, this is a big announcement, but what do you hear is driving it?

ARLETTE SAENZ, CNN POLITICAL CORRESPONDENT: Kate, this is the latest change of the convention plans amid the coronavirus pandemic. And Democratic officials tell our colleague, Jeff Zeleny, that Joe Biden will not be traveling to Milwaukee. He will instead be delivering his acceptance speech in his home state of Delaware.

And Zeleny is also told that health officials in Wisconsin had warned about the potential risks with the coronavirus pandemic. One senior official telling Jeff that the fear of community spread in Milwaukee, with media, projection teams and party officials was just getting to be too much. We don't want to risk anyone's health for this.

So as of right now, Biden and his running mate will be delivering their speeches from other locations. The only speakers expected to be in Wisconsin will be Wisconsin officials and voters.

Joe Biden has long said that he was going to accept that nomination in Wisconsin, but that he was also going to listen to the health experts and doctors relating to this coronavirus situation in that state.

And so now we are learning that these plans for the convention have really been derailed once again due to the coronavirus pandemic.

BOLDUAN: I mean, David, these are unprecedented times, but this just doesn't happen.

DAVID CHALIAN, CNN POLITICAL DIRECTOR: Yes, I know. I think this is just another example. Coronavirus has impacted and up ended so much of the way in which we live our lives, and so, too, is it completely up ending our presidential campaigns.

This 2020 campaign will not look like anything else that Americans are used to seeing or have seen in previous presidential campaigns because of coronavirus.

And what you have here now, Kate -- I think if you just stepped back for a moment -- you know, the Republicans, after going to Charlotte first and then Jacksonville and needing to pull out of that, and we wait it see how they're sort of going to set up what they do for the week of -- the following week, the week of the 24th.

And now Democrats, who early on, scaled down, told delegates not to come. They were -- they made it clear that Biden and the V.P. nominee would be in Milwaukee, would go to Wisconsin, a key battleground state. And that's no longer the case.

Now, it's just basically another satellite location. It is to highlight Wisconsin in a way that Democratic convention programmers hope to highlight other officials and regular Americans in battleground states across the country. It is no longer really the site of Joe Biden's convention.

And so I just think what you have here is the undoing of a tradition because of this continued spread of the virus. And these things -- both the Republican and the Democratic sides, are going to be almost entirely virtual.

BOLDUAN: Yes. Honestly, take this as further evidence that things are not trending in the right direction when it comes to the coronavirus.

Both parties would love to have packed these convention centers and have everyone come together. Reporters want to be there as well to cover history.

And this is further evidence that things are not getting better nearly as fast as anybody would want, despite what maybe the president says. And this is just another example of it.

Great reporting from Jeff Zeleny.

Thanks, guys, for jumping on. I really appreciate it.

SAENZ: Thank you.

BOLDUAN: And see how things will change and they likely still will in the coming days.

Speaking of how things are changing and the unprecedented times we're facing, schools are starting to reopen. And some states are already starting to report problems.

The latest from Gwinnett County schools, the largest school district in Georgia, saying about 260 employees have either tested positive or been exposed to the coronavirus. Meaning that they won't be able to return to work, won't be able to return to school just yet.

[11:45:02]

And there's also this. Take a look at this picture from another school outside of Atlanta. Crowded hallways and students packed shoulder to shoulder, leaving families and teachers with more and more questions about how safe it is to head back to class.

One teacher in Gwinnett County, Georgia, saying that she's now left with no option, no decision other than having to resign because of all of this.

Joining me now is that teacher, Ashley Newman. She's a fifth-grade teacher with Gwinnett County Public Schools.

Ashley, thank you for coming in. I appreciate the time.

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BOLDUAN: Talk me through why you decided to resign from teaching?

ASHLEY NEWMAN, TEACHER WHO RESIGNED AFTER BEING FORCED TO WORK AT SCHOOL: It is a very intense time here in Gwinnett County at the moment. We are working hard to figure out why these decisions are being made at such a high level without any input from the community.

As a mom of a 4-year-old I'm in a position where I am protective of my daughter. I know that if I send her to school, her teachers will do everything they can. But I don't feel comfortable with that as a parent.

And the county originally offered options for work at home. And those were retracted without any explanation as to why.

We are asking right now for transparency and inclusion as community members in the decision-making process because there's no input from every side of the community and it's just being made by the higher-ups without any explanation and no data to support it.

Just yesterday, we found out that there are going to be a phase-in process to bring the students back into the classroom, all of them in the class by September. And the numbers are not showing that that's possible right now.

We just heard, two days ago, from a Harvard expert, who studied our specific county and our numbers, and said we are not in a situation to go back to school.

BOLDUAN: We are seeing -- we're seeing examples of kids testing positive as they head back to school.

How hard was -- how hard was this decision for you? Because Gwinnett has an interesting thing going on. With students starting virtually, teachers are going back into school. And the school system said, if you're a student - the student is 5 years old, you can bring them to do their virtual education with you to class.

Your daughter is 4.

NEWMAN: Right.

BOLDUAN: How hard this was decision for you?

NEWMAN: It was an impossible decision. I am hoping that they see our real stories and our families.

I have one of the many stories. I've been getting messages constantly of one mom who has a child in the NICU and the doctors have told her that if she ends up going into the school building, she is risking the lives of all of those NICU children.

I've also talked to people who have cancer, finishing up chemotherapy or starting chemotherapy. They have not been given the option to work from home.

And we're not getting any solid answers as to why. And we need this changed because it's only going get worse before it gets better.

BOLDUAN: Look, there are a lot of different views on going back to school, right? Or many different views. One is it's not safe. If it's not safe, you should not be putting your life, your children or the students in your class on the line because you can catch up on education.

But I also hear people say, look, teachers are essential workers. You must be back in school helping students just like doctors are back in the E.R. helping patients.

It's complicated. It is complex. And it's scary because there's so much uncertainty. What do you think about all of that -- this give and take?

NEWMAN: As a first-responder wife, I have an opinion on it as well, saying that I understand that we are trained for many different circumstances as educators. But we are not trained for health pandemics. That is not what I went to get my degree for.

And we need the support of the community to help with us this because the truth is that this is not a teacher-versus-parent argument. This is not at all. And that's how many news outlets have portrayed it.

The truth is that this is a community issue. And we need to find a way to be able to get through to the higher-ups and help them see that, if the teachers aren't safe, then the students aren't safe, and then the community is not safe.

BOLDUAN: There's no way out of this other than together, no matter what anyone thinks or wants to argue.

Ashley, thank you for coming in. I would really like to hear more of how things progress with Gwinnett County schools and how things are going for you. But thank you so much.

NEWMAN: Absolutely. Thank you.

[11:49:42]

Coming up, good news for movie fans. After multiple delays, "Mulan" is finally headed to Disney Plus, but it is going to cost you. And what it also means for Disney. That's just ahead.

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BOLDUAN: The Disney empire is shaking up its streaming approach after losing nearly $5 billion last quarter due to the pandemic.

A big announcement from the company, too. The long-awaited "Mulan" action remake is coming soon to homes and theaters where available.

CNN chief business correspondent, Christine Romans, has more on this move.

CHRISTINE ROMANS, CNN CHIEF BUSINESS CORRESPONDENT: Kate, after multiple delays, audiences will finally able to see Disney's "Mulan" at home. The live-action version of the 1998 animated classic will stream on Disney Plus September 4th for an additional $30.

Disney will release the film in theaters and markets where Disney Plus isn't available and also release it anywhere theaters are open.

It's a huge Hollywood experiment releasing a blockbuster for additional cost, something Disney's CEO called a one-off.

It highlights the importance of Disney Plus, a bright spot in an otherwise pandemic-ravaged picture for Disney. Disney lost $5 billion in the quarter. It's first loss since 2001. It's parks and resorts unit lost an astonishing $3.5 billion as revenue cratered 85 percent from last year amid the park closures.

Disney Plus says they have more than 60 million subscribers, which is something that took Netflix years to do -- Kate?

BOLDUAN: Thanks, Christine. Really appreciate it.

For the latest stock market news, check out "MARKETS NOW," streaming live at 12:45 p.m. Eastern only on CNN Business.

Let's turn back to politics now. Joe Biden is getting closer to picking his running mate. His wife saying that we'll know soon who she is going to be. Two women reportedly still at the top the list, former national security adviser under President Obama, Susan Rice, and Senator Kamala Harris.

[11:55:01]

As the campaign enters the final vetting stages on this, CNN was giving you an all-access pass to the early 2020 presidential races. The new CNN film, "ON THE TRAIL: INSIDE THE 2020 PRIMARIES," produced exclusively for HBO Max, taking you behind the scenes with some of CNN's amazing female correspondents, reporters and embeds as they cover the election.

Here's a sneak peek.

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WOLF BLITZER, CNN ANCHOR: We're awaiting results, the first results from the Iowa caucuses. UNIDENTIFIED MALE Check it.

KYUNG LAH, CNN SENIOR NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: About this time -- you know, we're starting to expect to hear candidates lay out how they get through the night.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Results.

JASMINE WRIGHT, CNN VIDEO PRODUCER: Kyung and I work very well together. I figure out the information we need to get and then get that information. We call it the next thing.

What do you have?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Nothing.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: They're keeping it close.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: They're not going to come out. Not coming. We won't know what's going on.

WRIGHT: At all?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: No.

WRIGHT: I've always been very good at talking to people and being able to extract information to get what I want.

LAH: (INAUDIBLE)

(CROSSTALK)

WRIGHT: And that is --

I view that as a positive in the most-humble way.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BOLDUAN: Joining me now, two of the dynamo team, CNN's senior national correspondent, Kyung Lah and CNN's -- look at this space -- Jasmine Wright.

I'm loving it. I feel like I'm --

(LAUGHTER)

Kyung, first on the news one of the candidates that you were covering, Kamala Harris. She's still a top the V.P. list. It's wait and see, of course. What are you hearing? And what do you think about the chatter around the V.P. candidates?

LAH: Now because of Joe Biden not traveling to Milwaukee in person, we're understanding all the challenges of the campaign is having, in addition to trying to select the right running mate. All of this is piling on to the campaign. We're now hearing that the vice presidential candidate, his selection,

will now be accepting this virtually once she is selected. There's a lot of layers here.

Kamala Harris certainly one of the key names we keep hearing about, Kate. A Senator from California. She has been a barrier breaker in almost every single elective position she'd had.

This would certainly be something that would be a step for her, that her campaign would certainly like, that she would like in her political career.

Something that, Kate, I think we've talked a lot about is ambition, and how much ambition somebody should have, and that has been something that is really quite gendered and something swirls around the selection of this V.P. pick -- Kate?

BOLDUAN: Absolutely. And that's something that we -- in the gender of politics something you see in the film.

Let's talk about this film. Being embed is a reporting experience like no other. I was trying to think of a word, and grueling seems to be a kind word for it. People are going to see that in this film.

What do you take away from experience?

WRIGHT: Yes. Absolutely it is absolutely grueling. Days are exhausting and long, sometimes 12, 15 hours.

But while in the process of those long days, it's also fun. It's exciting. You feel a general rush being in the moment and being a part of this really historic election, a time we really haven't seen before.

So it's grueling but it's exciting.

BOLDUAN: And, Kyung, when you look at the field, and kind of -- you were covering Kamala and Amy Klobuchar. The Democratic field had the largest group of women ever, mirroring the diversity that you can see now among the press corps who covered them.

Did you and Jasmine recognize that when in the midst of this?

LAH: Actually, there was a moment during Amy Klobuchar's campaign where, when Jasmine and I were both there, and I looked at the press riser, and every single photographer, every single embed, every single reporter, print and broadcast, was a woman.

And that's when it really hit me that tons of change. It's not the boys on the bus. It is a diverse field of reporters. And it is matching the women who are running for office, not just for president, but for congressional offices as well.

Kate, we've talked about 2018 being the year of the woman. And 2020 is exceeding that number. So it is something that is continuing as people fight to have a more diverse Congress representing them. BOLDUAN: It's an awesome look at some awesome people really at the

peak of their game. And I'm really excited to have you on and excited for everybody to see it.

Great to see you guys.

Thanks, Kyung.

Thanks, Jasmine.

[12:00:03]

Be sure to watch "ON THE TRAIL: INSIDE THE 2020 PRIMARIES" which begins streaming on HBO Max tomorrow.