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Beirut Protesters Call For A "Revolution"; U.S. Tops Five Million COVID-19 Cases; Trump Signs Executive Orders Extending Coronavirus Economic Relief; Brazil Second Only To U.S. Coronavirus Infections And Deaths; Coronavirus Spreads In Texas Federal Prison; Doctor: Biker Rally A Potential Super Spreader Event; Main Opposition Candidate Hides On Eve Of Crucial Presidential Vote In Belarus; Climate Change And COVID-19 Compete As Global Crises. Aired 3-4a ET

Aired August 09, 2020 - 03:00   ET

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

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KIM BRUNHUBER, CNN HOST (voice-over): Simply fed up: protesters demanding change in Lebanon clash with security forces. Angry over corruption, a failing economy and a devastating explosion.

The U.S. nears 5 million coronavirus cases. Some blame the U.S. president for his mixed messages while he tries to take pandemic relief into his own hands.

2And as Brazil hits two coronavirus milestones, people are still packing the beaches.

Live from CNN World Headquarters in Atlanta, welcome to you, our viewers here in the United States and around the world. I'm Kim Brunhuber.

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BRUNHUBER: We begin in Lebanon, where the massive explosion that killed more than 150 people last week is sparking new protests. Thousands took to the streets on Saturday. Some clashed with security forces. Hundreds of people were injured in the fighting and one member of the security forces was killed.

The protesters say government negligence and corruption set the stage for the blast. Lebanon's prime minister is calling for early elections. But for many, that's just not enough.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE (through translator): We cannot bear it as a people anymore and now the prime minister is giving politicians a two-month deadline after all the time we have given them.

We cannot accept this. We are on the edge. We are completely burnt out. Our homes are destroyed. We have no jobs. And those who are still here want to leave. UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Because if they had a bit of dignity, a bit of

trust and honesty, Beirut wouldn't be destroyed right now. We're here to just show the international community what we're going through. We are facing the worst days of our lives with a government that doesn't give one -- they don't care about us.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BRUNHUBER: As you heard there, this frustration and anger about more than the explosion. The country has been dealing with crisis upon crisis. CNN's Ben Wedeman has reported extensively on Lebanon for us. And he was in the thick of Saturday's demonstrations.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

BEN WEDEMAN, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, more than anything, it's the big picture, the fact that, five days ago there was an explosion in Beirut that killed at least 150 people, wounded 5,000, made 300,000 homeless.

And really, it fundamentally, it's a total lack of confidence and trust in the government, in the fact that, in the five days since that explosion took place, no government, no official help has been given to the people, who were so badly affected by the explosion.

And people are calling for a revolution. They've come out with nooses. And today has been declared a day of judgment because they want the entire ruling oligarchy to step down from power.

And of course, these soldiers and members of the gendarmerie are the ones who actually have to defend the government. And even they aren't in a very enviable position because of the collapse of the economy and the local currency. They have seen their income basically reduced by 75 percent.

Let's go have a look. They're firing teargas here into the crowd. And there's a fire burning up the road as well.

Thousands, thousands of people have come to the center of Beirut for this protest, demanding justice, demanding a revolution, is what they have been calling for, calling for going back many months. But those demands have been intensified since the blast in Beirut on Tuesday evening.

These clashes between citizens and the security forces were predictable. In the first 24-48 hours after the blast, it was as if people were in a state of shock. But that state of shock has quickly boiled over into fury. And we may be seeing the beginning of a long period of these sorts of clashes, this sort of unrest.

Now you see the gendarmerie -- we're moving back because the protesters are pushing them back, throwing rocks and sticks at them.

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WEDEMAN: Really what we've seen for the last hour or so is that the security forces are on the defensive here, even though obviously they have plenty of teargas and rubber bullets and whatnot. It really isn't enough to just do more than keep the crowd a bit away.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BRUNHUBER: Powerful scenes there from Ben Wedeman. So for more on this let's turn to CNN senior international correspondent Arwa Damon, joining us live from Beirut.

So, Arwa, before I get to the protests and the anger that we were seeing there, I want to focus on the immediate, on the scene behind you there. You've been watching, as search teams have been scouring the area. Give us a sense of what's been happening there at the scene.

ARWA DAMON, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, at this stage -- and I have to say, even when you're standing down there, Kim, you really can't wrap your mind around the enormity of this blast.

They have a bunch of international teams that are down there, trying to carry out, you know, search and rescue, although they'll tell you that now it's a lot more of a recovery and cleanup operation.

There's dive teams in the water where the structure that once housed the ammonium nitrate once stood. You have dog teams that are going around as well as civil defense volunteers, Lebanese civil defense volunteers, that have been called into action.

There are still a few dozen people who are listed as missing, including firefighters among them. And all throughout the morning, since we've been here, since this blast happened, you have Lebanese coming over to take a look.

Earlier we saw a woman who walked by, paused for a little bit, wiped her tears and then walked on.

Spray-painted right next to me is the sentence that pretty much sums up every.

It says, "My government did this."

And that just shows you where people's mindset is right now and just how unforgiving they're going to be toward this country's political elite because this, this should not have happened, Kim.

BRUNHUBER: Well, that's exactly it. As you say, people are demanding wholesale change here. Lebanon's prime minister has called for new elections. But some there that I've spoken with said, well, that would just result in more of the same.

Can you explain why so many are demanding wholesale change of the whole sectarian political system?

DAMON: Yes and, I mean, that's going to be the big issue that Lebanon is going to be facing. Basically, yes, he has called for early parliamentary elections. But as we've seen in every single election that this country has had, it's effectively just a reshuffling of the same names and figures and political elite.

That's why a lot of people will also tell you that what this country actually needs is to revamp its entire electoral system because, since Lebanon gained independence decades ago, the entire system of governance is split along sectarian lines.

So you don't get these senior posts based on merit. You get it based on your sect. For example, the presidency goes to the Christians. The premiership goes to the Sunnis. Speaker of parliament goes to the Shia. And then to form a government, there's all sorts of in-trading of who's going to get what ministry.

So a lot of times the individuals who perhaps might be the best suited person for this job in Lebanon, they're not the ones who necessarily get the post.

Plus you have decades of ingrained corruption that has really brought this country to its knees. So changing all of that, given how institutionalized sectarianism has become, alongside corruption, that is going to potentially be a very painful and very difficult road ahead.

BRUNHUBER: As you lay it out there, Arwa, the enormity of the task at hand in terms of reconstruction and governance is so apparent. Thank you so much for that live report from Beirut. We appreciate it.

The U.S. is very close to hitting 5 million confirmed coronavirus cases. So far more than 162,000 people in the country have died.

According to Johns Hopkins University, the United States has the highest case count and death toll in the world by far. Medical experts and researchers say, if Americans don't wear masks or social distance, tens of thousands more people are going to die by the end of the year. It's a recommendation the Miami Beach mayor takes very seriously.

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MAYOR DAN GELBER (D), MIAMI BEACH, FL: My message is, the only way we're going to open up our economy is if you wear the mask and you exercise social distance. I mean, we are giving fines out.

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GELBER: We're giving free masks out. We're doing everything we can.

But at the end of the day people hear, you know, mixed messages. They see this bike rally and they hear the president -- you know, a lot of people still feel like it's just somebody else's problem. Of course, until it hits them or a loved one and then it's their problem.

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BRUNHUBER: U.S. president Trump signed four coronavirus relief executive actions Saturday after Congress couldn't work out a deal. But that doesn't mean American families or companies should expect immediate financial assistance. CNN's Kristen Holmes explains. (BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

KRISTEN HOLMES, CNN CORRESPONDENT: President Trump signing four executive actions today after those coronavirus stimulus talks stalled. I want to go through them because they're a bit complicated and there is a bit of nuance.

First, he talked about deferring student loan debt. That is a simple, straightforward memoranda (sic) that he signed today. The other ones a little more complicated.

One was a payroll tax holiday for people who made $100,000 or less.

Why was this complicated?

Well, one, companies are going to have to sign off on this. And there is no indication that they will or that they worked with these companies, the White House, to get this done.

But the other big problem here is that people eventually will have to pay that back. That means that people are facing an enormous amount of back taxes. President Trump said if he was elected he would dissolve these extra taxes.

But that would, again, mean that there is a potential for this huge amount of money to be hanging on Americans after November.

The third one I want to talk about was eviction. Now this was not a straight executive order on eviction moratorium, as we had believed it was going to be. Instead it's a little more nuanced.

President Trump in this order calls on agencies like the Health and Human Services Department to consider whether it was necessary to temporarily halt evictions. So clearly there's going to have to be some process there. And that means that that will lapse.

Last is the enhanced unemployment benefit. We've heard a lot about this and we have a graphic here to kind of break down exactly what President Trump is doing.

Americans who are unemployed were getting this extra $600 of federal assistance. That ended when those coronavirus stimulus talks stalled. Now President Trump is signing a memoranda (sic) for $400.

But it's not quite $400. If you look at this graphic, you can see here, the federal government is only offering to pay $300. President Trump is asking the states to pay the other 25 percent, which is, of course, $100.

Now as we know, a lot of these states are in a crippling financial situation after the pandemic. When asked about whether or not these governors would be able to pay this, here's what President Trump said.

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TRUMP: If they don't, they don't. That's going to be their problem. I don't think their people will be too happy. They have the money so I don't think their people will be too happy. But if they don't they don't but again, the states have the money. It's sitting there.

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K. HOLMES: Right. So unclear here whether or not it's actually going to be $400, meaning that it could have been cut in half from that $600 to now $300.

Now the Democrats have already put out a statement, Democratic leadership, Speaker Pelosi as well as Senate minority leader Chuck Schumer, slamming these executive actions, calling them "narrow and weak" and saying this, that "Today's meager announcements by the president show President Trump still does not comprehend the seriousness or the urgency of the health and economic crisis facing working families."

So clearly here, already slamming them.

But the big question is when are these actually going to take place?

As I said, some of these require extra legwork, talking to companies, figuring out the back taxes as well as considering whether or not eviction or temporary eviction is necessary. So it's unclear when these benefits will actually get into the hands of Americans who really need them during this pivotal point -- Kristen Holmes, CNN, Bridgewater, New Jersey.

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BRUNHUBER: Brazil's health ministry reports that more than 100,000 Brazilians have now died from coronavirus and over 3 million have been infected. It took the country less than five months to reach that mark.

As the #100,000Deaths was trending, Brazilians on Saturday took to the streets and social media in solidarity with the victims and their families and to criticize the government's failure to contain the pandemic. Matt Rivers has more on Brazil's double milestone.

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MATT RIVERS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: We know that the outbreak in Brazil is one of the worst in the world. And the data that we get just continues to back that up.

A horrible new milestone has been reached in Brazil, with the country's death toll now surpassing 100,000 for the first time. The overall number of cases in that country is also now topping 3 million for the first time.

This after some new information on Saturday from the country's health ministry recorded nearly 50,000 newly confirmed cases and just over 900 newly confirmed deaths.

[03:15:00] RIVERS: Meanwhile, we did hear from President Jair Bolsonaro, who, from the get-go, has basically been flippant about the fact that tens of thousands of Brazilians have lost their lives. It was reacting to the news of 100,000 deaths that the president said, "We are going to get on with life and look for a way to get away from this problem."

Now nearly 25 percent of all deaths recorded have come from the Brazilian state of Sao Paulo, which just, on Saturday, surpassed the 25,000-death threshold. But despite that, the state continues to advance its reopening plan.

Since Thursday, bars and restaurants in the capital of Sao Paulo state can be open during the night. But the governor there said he is not going to allow in-person schooling to resume because he said any slip- up during this reopening could be fatal -- Matt Rivers, CNN, Mexico City.

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BRUNHUBER: Now Brazil is one of only many countries struggling to get everyone maintain social distancing. The U.K. and France, not to mention the U.S., are also seeing large crowds at busy outdoor areas. Call it pandemic fatigue or just not caring. CNN's Michael Holmes reports.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

MICHAEL HOLMES, CNN ANCHOR (voice-over): Crowded streets, packed bars: it's the weekend in Rio de Janeiro and people are partying like there's no pandemic. There are few masks, no social distancing, even though the country's death toll from the coronavirus is around 100,000.

"I know that I'm not doing the best thing in being here," one student says, "but at least I'm using a face mask. Those people are drinking, having a good time. They don't know where their cup came from."

But Rio isn't the only place where people are out and about without taking proper precautions. Crowds packing the seaside resort of Blackpool in northwest England, filling the promenade and the beaches, with people trying to escape the summer heat even though cases are on the rise across the U.K.

Paris is taking measures to crack down on scenes like this. As of Monday, masks will be required by everyone over 11 years of age in busy outdoor areas. Reaction so far: mixed.

"I find it unnecessary when there aren't many people," one resident says. "But when there are more people, it is good that people wear masks."

Vietnam is testing and testing again to contain an outbreak that began in the city of Da Nang. Officials say thousands of people who recently returned from the resort town will get more accurate swab tests instead of the ones they initially took. They say large-scale testing and strict community guidelines helped keep infections low once before.

"We got through the last time," one person says. "As long as all of us comply with these policies, we will get through this together."

Following the rules, heeding the science, right now, they could be the best options to beat back the coronavirus.

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BRUNHUBER: Just ahead on CNN NEWSROOM, how COVID-19 has become a death sentence for many inmates in U.S. federal prisons, including one facility in Texas, where 75 percent of the prisoners have tested positive.

Plus, hundreds of thousands of people are descending on a small town in the central U.S. right now. Why these bikers say a pandemic won't stop their annual motorcycle rally -- coming up next.

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BRUNHUBER: As the total number of coronavirus cases in the U.S. nears 5 million, we're now learning just how quickly the virus is spreading inside the U.S. federal prison system. CNN's Drew Griffin has our report.

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DREW GRIFFIN, CNN SENIOR INVESTIGATIVE CORRESPONDENT: The Seagoville Federal Correctional Institution outside Dallas is a petri dish of coronavirus infection.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I lost my smell. I lived in the restroom for like 12 days.

GRIFFIN: In the 15-minute phone call allowed from the inside, inmate George Reagan explained how coronavirus swept through the facility in just a month.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Everybody has it now.

GRIFFIN: Seagoville has significantly more COVID-19 cases than any other federal prison in the U.S. More than 1,300 of the roughly 1,750 inmates there tested positive. That's 75 percent. George Reagan's wife, Tabitha, that says no visitors have been allowed at the prison for months, so she believes workers must have infected the inmates.

TABITHA WHEELER-REAGAN, PRISONER'S WIFE: This was 100 percent their fault. COVID was brought in by their people. The FCI Seagoville staff was not properly trained on how to handle this epidemic. GRIFFIN: Outbreaks like the one at Seagoville are happening across the country, more than 10,000 federal inmates infected or recovering, 110 are dead.

According to Dr. Homer Venters, a correctional health expert who investigates COVID response in prisons, inmates are confined in crowded conditions, subject to exposure by staff that he believes are untrained or simply careless.

And obviously, the prisoners, the inmates who cannot leave the facility are sitting ducks.

DR. HOMER VENTERS, FORMER CHIEF MEDICAL OFFICER, NYC CORRECTIONAL HEALTH SERVICES: That's absolutely right. and many of them are at high risk for serious illness or death if and when they contract COVID-19.

GRIFFIN: And when prisons like Seagoville become infection hot spots, the staff who leave prison every day can be carrying more infection back into the communities where they live. Venters says at the very least, the most high-risk inmates need to be protected.

VENTERS: Many lives could be saved and they still can be saved if we can find people who are high risk and get them out.

GRIFFIN: Federal prisoners can apply for early release and the Bureau of Prisons can also identify vulnerable inmates and release them under home confinement.

[03:25:00]

GRIFFIN (voice-over): It's happened to President Trump's former campaign manager Paul Manafort, Trump's former personal attorney Michael Cohen.

Even the Rapper Tekashi 6ix9ine was able to leave prison early during the pandemic. Critics say many, many more are being overlooked. George Reagan has a heart condition, according to his wife, who says he applied for compassionate release, was denied even though he's scheduled to get out of prison in four months.

WHEELER-REAGAN: I 100 percent don't think that the federal government cares at all. Now we have three deaths in one month.

GRIFFIN: One of those deaths, James Giannetta, who asked his brother, Russell, to help him. James Giannetta was 65, HIV positive, diabetic. They wrote the CDC, asked the prison, then the courts for compassionate release. It was just too late. James got infected, was hospitalized and was soon saying goodbye to his brother via FaceTime.

RUSSELL GIANNETTA, BROTHER DIED OF COVID-19: He got into this business of where to scatter his ashes and all that kind of stuff, to which I said I don't want to think about that. Let's think about surviving. Listen to the doctors.

GRIFFIN: He died July 16th. The Bureau of Prisons declined repeated requests for an interview. A spokesperson saying in a statement the agency has begun mass testing for COVID-19. Inmates are assessed for symptoms twice daily and cloth face coverings were issued to all staff and inmates.

The low security men's prison is now a cautionary tale for how quickly the coronavirus can ravage correctional facilities -- Drew Griffin, CNN, Atlanta.

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BRUNHUBER: Beirut, Lebanon's busy port, now in ruins. Just ahead, we'll take you to ground zero of Tuesday's horrifying explosion.

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BRUNHUBER: Welcome back to you our viewers in the United States and around the world. I'm Kim Brunhuber and you're watching CNN NEWSROOM.

More now on our top story. Lebanon's prime minister says he'll introduce a bill calling for early elections. It's in response to public anger over Tuesday's massive explosion in Beirut.

Demonstrators clashed with security forces on Saturday. More than 230 people were wounded. A member of the Lebanese security forces was killed.

Meanwhile, the search at the blast site is shifting from rescue to recovery; 158 people are confirmed dead with 6,000 injured and 21 unaccounted for.

The international community has pledged to help Lebanon with tens of millions of dollars along with emergency medical and food supplies. But the country was already in an economic meltdown and now there's a sense it has been pushed to the brink. CNN's Arwa Damon is in Beirut.

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DAMON: Even standing here, it's still to hard to wrap your mind around enormity, the size of this blast. You can see a ship over there, blown onto its side.

And this massive area right here, this is where the storage unit housing that ammonium nitrate once stood. They have dive teams in the water, trying to presumably salvage anything that they can that would potentially help in the investigation.

They're still looking for the bodies of those who are listed as missing although, at this stage, there is not that much hope that they would somehow be found alive. There was some hope that, underneath the silo in the operation room

there, because it is so far underground, that perhaps they would be able to miraculously find someone alive.

But this has largely shifted from being a search and rescue operation to one of recovery and cleanup at this stage.

DAMON (voice-over): There are still tens of people who are listed as missing and, among them, firefighters who had responded to the initial blaze. There are about a dozen international teams on the ground and the Lebanese civil defense called up its volunteers.

DAMON: He's briefing the search teams right now, telling them, first of all, to be very careful as they're walking through, eyes down all the time for their own safety but also because they need to be looking, combing through all of this, trying to find any sort of clues as to where there may be bodies or anything that looks familiar, anything that looks remotely familiar, of what used to actually be here.

Put your hand up in a fist and get another team member to come back you up.

Lebanon has just been through so much. The country is near bankruptcy. The COVID-19 crisis and now this, a complete and utter tragedy that defies logic, that did not need to happen.

When the explosion took place, there were people in this area. There were entire structures, buildings; there was a duty-free over there. All of it has been completely and utterly wiped out.

DAMON (voice-over): The force of the blast spat out the contents of storage containers and then largely buried them under the rubble. The twisted reflection of decades of government failure, corruption and negligence that ended up culminating in this -- Arwa Damon, CNN, Beirut.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BRUNHUBER: So many immediate problems.

But for more on the long-term challenges, Lina Khatib is the head of the Middle East and North Africa program at Chatham House. She joins us from Berlin.

Thank you so much for making the time to speak with us. Now our reporters on the scene have been cataloguing the myriad problems now facing Lebanon. You've said that Lebanon is in danger of becoming a failed state. We've heard many in Lebanon in the last few days suggest they're already living in one.

Why do you think it's so close to the brink?

LINA KHATIB, HEAD OF MIDDLE EAST AND NORTH AFRICA PROGRAM, CHATHAM HOUSE: Well, before the explosion, Lebanon was already suffering from one of the most severe economic crises in its modern history. The currency had lost 80 percent of its value in just a few months. GDP was over 170 percent -- sorry -- debt was 170 percent of GDP.

And the country was heading toward bankruptcy. Add to this an explosion that is so far estimated to have cost $15 billion that the Lebanese state does not have.

[03:35:00]

KHATIB: And a port that used to import, according to different estimates, between 60 percent and 80 percent of what Lebanon needs in a country that relies on imports for the vast majority of anything it needs, from medical supplies to food to energy. And you have a situation in which the country is simply not sustainable as things are going.

BRUNHUBER: I mean, when you say that, the challenges seem insurmountable.

Is there a way to prevent collapse?

KHATIB: Well, the reason why this collapse is happening is because of the political system in Lebanon, because it's a system that puts politicians in power according to their sectarian background rather than competence and allows them to act with impunity.

So there's been a lot of negligence on part of the government and corruption and even complicity in allowing things like the explosion that Beirut witnessed to happen. And therefore to really rescue Lebanon from the brink, it needs a change in this political system.

The problem has been, over the years, is that the international community continues to support Lebanon's leaders, disregarding their transgressions because probably they felt that these politicians would eventually keep Lebanon relatively stable after the civil war.

But now we can see, with public anger mounting in Lebanon, that this political class is the cause of problems and instability in the long run.

BRUNHUBER: But OK, so as you say there, I mean, there needs to be whole root and branch change, not just maybe elections and a new government, as the prime minister is proposing in terms of having new elections.

But can that happen?

Do you have any faith that there could be such big change in this country?

KHATIB: Change is not going to happen very quickly. These politicians are entrenched in their positions. They have authority and control over the levers of power and economy in the country.

But in a really tragic, ironic sense, the blast that happened at the port brings an opportunity because, for the first time, their own personal economic interests are at stake here because all of them actually also benefited from illicit transactions through the port as well as illicit transactions.

And therefore, it is in their interest to at least engage in some sort of reform. So the hope is that the international community can come to Lebanon's aid because it desperately needs to. It cannot afford to reconstruct falling the blast.

But for this to come with conditionality, to at least have some reform in Lebanon, to allow its civil society to breathe, to allow its activist space to act so that they can work on having this political change happen in the long run.

BRUNHUBER: But then you speak of the international community, you know, contributing here.

Is there a danger that the international involvement, having so many countries which might want a say in how that money is spent, how the country is run, will further weaken the government and civil society and push the country over the edge here?

KHATIB: Well, there's two things. One is the immediate needs, which is humanitarian, essential support that Lebanon needs right now after the blast. This should not be channeled through the Lebanese government. It should be sent directly by donors to the people who need it on the ground and working with non-governmental entities.

But in the median and longer term, because Lebanon is so much in debt, there has been already an offer of a loan from the International Monetary Fund, for example, that came with conditionality regarding structural reforms.

Now is the time to put pressure on the Lebanese government to accept these structural reforms. The thing is, the situation can't get worse than it is right now. The economy is on the brink of collapse. The physical infrastructure in the country has been devastated. And the political class is completely corrupt. So really these structural reforms are a necessity and would be (INAUDIBLE) forward.

BRUNHUBER: Well, as you say, I suppose, things can only get better. Thank you so much for your analysis and perspective there, Lina Khatib, the head of the Middle East and North Africa program at Chatham House, we appreciate it.

Thousands of people are descending on Sturgis, South Dakota, for its annual motorcycle rally. Only 7,000 people live in the small town but they're expecting around 250,000 visitors. And residents are worried some of those visitors will bring coronavirus with them. CNN's Ryan Young tells us what the bikers have to say about it.

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RYAN YOUNG, CNN CORRESPONDENT: When you get to Sturgis, South Dakota, one thing you'll notice, right off the bat, the traffic has slowed here. This is a town of 7,000 normally. But right now this city is full of people. Look all the way down the road here and I can tell you, this

multiplies itself mile by mile. It takes a half hour to go a mile here, as thousands have descended on the city for the rally they say they wanted to be a part of.

One of the things that stands out here is a lot of people are choosing not to wear masks. They believe that's their right. And you do see some people wearing masks but we understand those are decisions they have made before arriving here.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We are trying to kind of social distance. We haven't -- like when we went to the bar, just a drink here or there and then leave, if it's too crowded we really stepped out. So trying to still practice social distancing while enjoying the event.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: One thing I know is I know how the people act. Look at everybody out here. They're ready to ride. Everybody's cooped up from the coronavirus. Everybody's ready to have fun. And hell, so am I.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

YOUNG: And there is an economic piece to all this as well. When you have so many people flooding into a city, businesses are counting on this weekend to make it. It's been a tough few months with the coronavirus.

There are people who traveled thousands of miles to be here. They wanted to see if they can make their year in this one weekend. And that's why they say it was all worth the risk -- Ryan Young, CNN, South Dakota.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BRUNHUBER: Still to come, election day in Belarus. Voters are going to the polls in the middle of a pandemic with a lot of anger at their long-time leader. We'll find out if Alexander Lukashenko's rule is really at risk.

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BRUNHUBER: The polls have been open for a couple of hours now in Sunday's presidential election in Belarus. For years, the outcome of presidential races there was never in question. Strongman Alexander Lukashenko has ruled for nearly three decades. But this time's a little different.

[03:45:00]

BRUNHUBER: He's facing a tough challenge from a surprising rival, a young stay-at-home mother. But he's made it clear that he's not going to just loosen his grip on power. Salma Abdelaziz is following the election from London.

President Lukashenko, five terms in office, over a quarter of a century in power. This time an unusual opponent. Tell us about this new challenger.

SALMA ABDELAZIZ, CNN PRODUCER: This new challenge, we've just heard new information this hour that she's gone into hiding. Svetlana Tikhanovsky, just on the eve of the election, according to her campaign, several of the senior aides were arrested. They considered this intimidation.

She says, according to her campaign, that she is still in the city of Minsk but, for her safety, she did not want to be alone in her apartment.

Now analysts will tell you that the results of this election is a foregone conclusion. Alexander Lukashenko is set to get his sixth term in office. But as you've mentioned, there are cracks beginning to appear in the foundation of his rule. Take a listen to our report.

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ABDELAZIZ (voice-over): It's his biggest challenge yet. After 26 years in power, Alexander Lukashenko's iron grip on the people of Belarus appears to be waning.

After Lukashenko jailed or barred several of his main rivals from running, thousands of protesters poured onto the streets of at least 10 different cities. And one unexpected challenger is promising to meet their demand.

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SVETLANA TIKHANOVSKAYA, OPPOSITION CANDIDATE (through translator): People are tired. The people want change.

How long can you rule the people, against their will?

ABDELAZIZ (voice-over): Thirty-seven-year-old Svetlana Tikhanovskaya entered the race in place of her husband, Sergei Tikhanovskaya, after he was arrested in May. The former teacher admits she's no politician but her campaign has seen a surge in popularity.

TIKHANOVSKAYA (through translator): Now is the time when everyone must overcome their fear.

Do you think I'm not scared?

I'm scared, every day but I muster my courage, get over my fear, go to you and go for victory.

ABDELAZIZ (voice-over): Nicknamed Europe's last dictator, the incumbent has long drawn international criticism for using secret police to crush any dissent. Now he faces mounting pressure over the country's economic situation and his handling of the coronavirus pandemic.

His critics accuse him of recklessly denying the implications of the global health crisis to disastrous effects, making this one of the country's most unpredictable elections in a generation.

But with the country's history of what critics have deemed unfair elections and alleged vote rigging, it remains to be seen whether this year's vote can successfully bring about real change.

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ABDELAZIZ: Now polls have already opened. They opened at 8:00 am, rather, local time. They'll close at 8:00 pm local time. And there's already allegations of misconduct.

According to the electoral commission of Belarus, over 40 percent of votes were already cast in early voting before today. Now opponents of Lukashenko will tell you those numbers are simply not true, they're inflated and that the president is already trying to rig this election -- Kim.

BRUNHUBER: Not surprising, considering what you've laid out there. Thank you so much, CNN's Salma Abdelaziz in London.

With the coronavirus pandemic raging on, health experts are warning, how we respond to this crisis could indicate what's to come in the fight against global warming.

So what's the link between the pandemic and the climate crisis?

Well, we'll explain coming up next.

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BRUNHUBER: You're looking at some dramatic video from the southeastern region of South Korea. Fire officials say two rescue workers pulled a woman out of her car, which was seen floating down a flooded river. At least 21 people have died in 46 days of heavy rain. It's the country's longest monsoon in seven years. The rain caused landslides and evacuations and more rain is expected.

Billionaire Bill Gates warns the deadly coronavirus pandemic may be a sign of things to come. On Tuesday, Gates said, "If you want to understand the kind of damage that climate change will inflict, look at COVID-19 and spread the pain out over a much longer period of time."

CNN's Chief Climate Correspondent, Bill Weir takes a closer look at the two different crises endangering the world.

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BILL WEIR, CNN CHIEF CLIMATE CORRESPONDENT: We have two global emergencies caused by the tiniest of foes. One, a virus, unleashed from the wilderness and spread by people.

The other caused by tiny molecules of heat-trapping pollution, unleashed into the atmosphere by people.

So with both coronavirus and the climate crisis, the ultimate number of lives lost will depend on the wisdom of people, for better or worse.

TRUMP: I think we're doing very well.

MICHAEL MANN, PENN STATE EARTH SYSTEM SCIENCE CENTER: Take the hottest -- the worst heat wave that you've ever experienced, unbearable heat and humidity. We will call that summer.

WEIR (voice-over): For Penn State's Michael Mann, the first lesson is that science denial is deadly.

MANN: I think there's enough resilience in the system that we can withstand one term, one four-year term of Donald Trump. I'm not sure we can withstand two.

WEIR (voice-over): Every day, new data shows how the countries rallying around clear messages of sound science have much lower body counts and more resilient economies. The same rules apply when oceans rise, mountains burn and economies shift. Masks are teaching us that our personal choices can save or cost human lives.

But individual behavior is not the ultimate cure. Just like the way you parked your car during lockdown, you helped clear the air for a bit but did nothing for the centuries' worth of carbon dioxide already smothering the planet, which will only get worse until systems change.

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DR. RENEE SALAS, HARVARD T.H. CHAN SCHOOL OF PUBLIC HEALTH: I testify before you as a practicing emergency medicine doctor who is both on the front lines of the climate crisis and the COVID-19 pandemic.

WEIR (voice-over): Congress heard socially distant testimony this week from doctors, forced to battle COVID and heatstroke as climate becomes a threat multiplier.

SALAS: I often feel like I'm putting a Band-aid on a bullet wound as I may be able to improve their symptoms but then I send them back out my doors without having gone upstream to the root of the problem.

WEIR (voice-over): Worried about a hurricane, Miami was forced to tear down vital virus testing centers. And with wildfire season under way in the West, we have no idea how many firefighters are infected.

TRUMP: Respirators, ventilators, all of the equipment, try getting it yourselves. WEIR (voice-over): And when President Trump forced American governors

to bid against each other for basic supplies, we learned that the search for a vaccine or a climate treaty may be global. But until they manifest, your chances of survival are local. It's the wisdom of neighbors, mayors and main streets that will matter most. And maybe the hardest lesson is that new virus hotspots are caused by folks just itching to get back to the old normal. But virologists and climatologists agree, the old normal is exactly what got us here -- Bill Weir, CNN, New York.

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BRUNHUBER: Something to think about for sure.

Well, that wraps this hour of CNN NEWSROOM. I'm Kim Brunhuber. I'll be back in just a moment with more news. Stay with us.