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Michael Schill, Chairman, PAC-12 CEO Group, Discusses Big-10, PAC-12 Postponing Fall College Football Seasons as Other Conferences Push to Play; Valerie Jarrett, Former Senior Adviser to President Obama, Discusses Kamala Harris Making History as Biden's V.P. Pick & Trump Attack on Harris, "Nasty to Kavanaugh; Mark Parkinson, American Health Care Association President & CEO, Discusses Infections in Nursing Homes, Long-Term Care Facilities Rising Again; Grocery Prices Down Slightly after Spikes Early in Pandemic as Gas Prices Go Up. Aired 11:30a-12p ET
Aired August 12, 2020 - 11:30 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
[11:30:00]
MICHAEL SCHILL, PRESIDENT, UNIVERSITY OF OREGON & CHAIRMAN: We have to understand, and so we include California, Utah, Oregon, Washington, Colorado, big variety of states.
We don't even have the permission of government authorities to play in some of those areas. And the spread in some of those areas is quite significant. So that was an additional reason why we decided not to go forward.
We thought it was just unfair to the students, unfair to the coaches and then the staff and our fans to keep putting -- going later, later, later and keeping their hopes up when it didn't look like this was going to resolve during the fall season.
KATE BOLDUAN, CNN ANCHOR: And that's -- I wonder with everything that you've seen and Analyzed, do you see a way for honestly any conference to be able to play safely this fall?
SCHILL: I don't want to judge the other conferences and make decisions and cast aspersions on their decisions. We all have to make decisions ourselves.
These are hard decisions. And actually all of the decisions that presidents are making right now are hard. This isn't -- this is a decision that -- some people say, oh, it's just football, oh, it's just volleyball or track.
These are students' lives, right? They dream about this. They practiced. These are communities which are losing great economic opportunities and commerce. This was not an easy decision.
But we ended up making -- and this is also a very costly decision for the universities not to have football and other sports. But at the end of the day, parents entrust in us the welfare of their
students and we are not going to play with that. We're going to take that obligation very, very seriously.
BOLDUAN: President Schill, very quick, before the Big-10 canceled the season the coach, very noteworthy, said they'll find a way to play regardless. Nebraska was like, we'll play no matter what.
Do you expect to see any of the PAC-12 teams breaking ranks and playing with another conference?
SCHILL: Absolutely not. We all went into the meeting yesterday and we were in one voice. It was amazing.
You put 12 presidents together and you normally get 12 different views. Every one of us said we're coming out of this unanimous. We all agree with this decision and our athletic directors agreed with this decision.
The values of the PAC 12 are very, very strong. Students first, and no matter what. And so I'm proud to be part of the PAC-12.
BOLDUAN: Well, thank you so much for coming on, President Schill. It is always great to have you on. I'm sorry with this type of news, but we'll see how things progress. Stand by to stand by --
SCHILL: I hope the next --
BOLDUAN: -- as we see what's next with this virus.
SCHILL: I hope the next time I'm on it's talking about something better.
BOLDUAN: It's all important. But hopefully, with good news would be nice when it comes to the coronavirus.
SCHILL: Good news is right.
BOLDUAN: Thank you so much.
SCHILL: Stay safe, Kate.
BOLDUAN: You, too. Thank you.
Kamala Harris makes history as the first black woman and Asian- American on a major party ticket in America. How will that history play out on the campaign trail?
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[11:37:54]
BOLDUAN: Just a short time ago -- going to show you some video -- you can see that SUV right there, that's Kamala Harris leaving her D.C. apartment, heading off to meet Joe Biden in Delaware. Harris, as one would expect, now under Secret Service protection. So her motorcade is on its way.
Their first appearance together as running mates coming in just a few hours. A first appearance and a historic first. Harris is now the first black woman, first Asian-American to appear on a major party ticket.
Joe Biden's former running mate, President Obama, put out a statement after the announcement saying Biden quote, unquote, "nailed this decision."
Obama also writing this: "I've known Senator Kamala Harris, and she's more than prepared for her job. She's spent her career defending our Constitution and fighting for folks who need a fair shake. This is a good day for our country."
No matter where you land on the political spectrum, today, Kamala Harris is making history.
Joining me right now is former senior adviser to President Obama, Valerie Jarrett, the author of "Finding My Voice: When the Perfect Plan Crumbles, The Adventure Begins."
I love that title.
VALERIE JARRETT, FORMER SENIOR ADVISER TO PRESIDENT BARACK OBAMA: Thank you.
BOLDUAN: I need to say that all of the time to myself.
Valerie --
(CROSSTALK)
JARRETT: -- situation, doesn't it?
(CROSSTALK)
BOLDUAN: So this is history. What does this history bring to this ticket right now?
JARRETT: Well, it brings a talented, smart, savvy public official who has devote her life to fighting for those who don't have a voice. I think she has integrity and character, wit and grace.
She will compliment Vice President Biden. He knows her well and has a proven track record both running for office at the local, state and federal level.
And the work she's done as a Senator on the Judiciary Committee, as well as the Intelligence Committee, gives her a command of both domestic and foreign policy that gives her the gravitas to own the world stage and be a terrific partner to him.
BOLDUAN: I was thinking about this moment in history and speaking with you and remembering that you come from a long line of remarkable and accomplished women. [11:40:03]
Have you talked with -- have you talked about this moment with your mom and what this moment means?
JARRETT: Yes. I spoke with my mother last night. And she says the same thing to me, actually, that Senator Harris' mother said to her, which is that when you're the first -- and let's face it, Senator Harris has broken a lot barriers -- when you are the first, make sure you're not the only.
I think that says a lot about her character as well, that she would like to leave the door open so others would follow.
I would also add, Kate, as you know, my grandson is both black and Indian, as well. His father is an immigrant. So in a sense, our stories weave together.
And I love the fact that he's going to grow up with this image of a powerful vice president if everything falls the way I hope it will.
And Vice President Biden just tweeted something that I think also speaks to this occasion, where he said, "Look, as the daughter of immigrants, she has always believed in the promise of America because she's lived it. And what she wants to do is ensure every American has that same opportunity that she does."
So I think it's a dream ticket. And I think -- I get goosebumps every time I think about the two of them together.
I look forward to seeing them actually physically together. The photo of them on the Zoom yesterday was just priceless. And so let's get going.
I will also say one more thing, Kate. We've already seen how she was treated even before the nominee with racist and sexist jokes.
And as you know, a group of women wrote a letter to the media last week in advance of her selection saying, you're on notice that we're going to call you out on that. And you're going to be hearing from us later today in a little bit more detail on that.
(CROSSTALK)
JARRETT: She won't ever speak back to that. She's not going to say anything. She shouldn't have to. But it's up to us to protect her.
BOLDUAN: I want to ask you about a shade of that. I want to get your take on President Trump's initial public reaction to the Harris announcement because it gets to this. Listen to this.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: She was my number-one pick. She did very, very poorly in the primaries, as you know. She was expected to do well, and she was -- she ended up right around 2 percent and spent a lot of money.
She was extraordinarily nasty to Kavanaugh, Judge Kavanaugh then, now Justice Kavanaugh. She was nasty to a level that was just a horrible thing the way she was, the way she treated now-Justice Kavanaugh. And I won't forget that soon.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BOLDUAN: What's your reaction when you saw that? More so, what does it tell you about the fight ahead?
JARRETT: Well, that it's going to be nasty.
But this is the point. When would he ever use the word "nasty" or "mean" when describing a man? This is exactly the point. We should be watching our language and not referring to women with the language that you wouldn't refer to with a man.
And trying to describe her in that way as well as his tweet about suburban housewives --
BOLDUAN: Yes.
JARRETT: -- these are all veiled, sexist and racist comments. And we'll call them out whether they come from him or anybody else.
BOLDUAN: That tweet about suburban housewives and how low-income housing would be invading their neighborhoods again. That's not just -- that's not sexism we're getting at. That is barely thinly veiled racism that that is getting at. It looks like you have Willy Horton ads coming at you all over again.
Valerie, thank you so much for coming on.
JARRETT: Yes, and we can't let that go. We can't let that go. So you'll be hearing a lot from us.
BOLDUAN: Absolutely.
Thank you for coming on. I appreciate it.
JARRETT: You're welcome. You're welcome, Kate.
BOLDUAN: Coming up, an alarming spike of COVID cases at nursing homes. Yes, again. What is behind the rise?
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[11:44:13]
BOLDUAN: Here's a major spike in coronavirus cases being seen right now amongst the most vulnerable in America. After steadily declining in the summer, infections in nursing homes and long-term care facilities are rising once again.
That's according to a new report from the American Health Care Association and the National Center for Assisted Living.
Take a look at this graph we'll show you on the screen. The numbers, you can see, the numbers of cases have surged to more than 8,000 by mid-July, adding over 3,000 new infections in just four weeks.
This comes -- why it's so troubling, this comes after a significant period of decline that was happening in June, cases dipping to around 5,400 then.
Joining me right now is Mark Parkinson, president and CEO of the American Health Care Association and one of the organizations behind this report.
Mark, thank you for being here.
What is driving this spike?
MARK PARKINSON, PRESIDENT AND CEO, AMERICAN HEALTH CARE ASSOCIATION: Well, Kate, it's incredibly frustrating because, as you know, we have made tremendous progress in reducing the number of cases in long-term care facilities from the highs of march and April. We cut the number of cases per week in half and we cut the death rate over 70 percent.
Unfortunately, when June started, and states started opening up, and the people were not socially distancing, particularly in the south, the number of cases in those communities increased and there was a corresponding increase in skilled nursing facilities.
When we've learned is we have got to keep the number of cases in the community low, in order to keep the number of cases in long-term care facilities low.
BOLDUAN: What I'm hearing is there's still a shortage of protective gear in these facilities. And I have to tell you, that was almost as discouraging and frustrating. When we first started talking in March, you told me that this was a big problem of the shortage of protective equipment for health care workers if these facilities.
[11:50:06]
How is this still a problem today? Is no one listening?
PARKINSON: Well, unfortunately, as the number of cases in the south has spiked upward, the demand in those states for PPE and for testing has increased among the general population.
And that's made it harder for the long-term care facilities to get the N-95 masks that they need. And it's made it really hard to get testing results.
In over 60 percent of facilities, you can test a resident or staff member but you don't get results back for three or four days. And in 25 percent of the cases, you don't get it back for over five days.
What we need to happen is we need the case rates in the states that had the spike to drop down so that we can get et testing and get the equipment we need in long-term care facilities.
BOLDUAN: I'm afraid to ask this, but without quick and significant action here, what is going to happen? Who needs to -- who needs to be held accountable, held to account? Who are you speaking to most about this?
PARKINSON: Two things need to happen right away. First is, as citizens, let's solve this. If everybody watching would wear a mask and encourage their friends and family to wear a mask and socially distance, we know we would dramatically reduce these rates.
When people are making the conscience decision not to wear a mask they are making a decision that is killing old people in nursing homes. We need to change responsibility and change that.
And secondly, we need our public officials to again refocus their efforts on longer-term care facilities. Every governor needs to make priority, particularly in these states with exploding numbers of cases to make sure that every long-term care facility has the N-95 mask and testing they need.
It's the only way we can bring these case counts down.
BOLDUAN: Have leaders, has the country, in your view, I don't know, turned a blind eye and a deaf ear to what is a five-alarm ravaging nursing homes and hitting our most vulnerable really since the beginning?
PARKINSON: Yes. It's a really sad commentary on our values. When you look back and see what happened in long-term-care facilities -- it's not just in the United States but across the globe - it's really been despicable.
Our values have not been to prioritize our elderly. In fact, if you look at most states, in most states prisoners were tested from the residents of long-term care facilities.
We just made major policy mistakes we need to make sure never happen again.
BOLDUAN: And they can't speak up for themselves often, which is the worst part about this. You do that, Mark.
Thanks for coming on again.
PARKINSON: You bet.
(CROSSTALK)
BOLDUAN: Of course. Absolutely. And we'll continue to draw attention to this until the very end. I promise that.
Coming up for us, rising gas prices, falling grocery prices, both signs of economic recovery? We'll look at the latest data. That's next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[11:57:57]
BOLDUAN: Americans have been paying more for groceries since the start of the coronavirus. In some cases, they're at levels not seen in decades. It's putting an extra strain on families already under stress. There may be some signs of relief.
For perspective here, CNN Business editor-at-large and host of "QUEST MEANS BUSINESS," Richard Quest, is here.
Richard, this new data that came out this morning on food prices, what do you see here?
RICHARD QUEST, CNN BUSINESS EDITOR-AT-LARGE & CNN HOST: Well, the first thing is inflation is always dodgy on a month-by-month basis.
But now we have two months showing that inflation is rising, both at the core level, stripping out food, and that the headline level is rising by 0.6 of 1 percent. That's month-by-month. It's an annual rate around about 1 percent upon 6 percent.
That is OK. It is lower than the Fed's target. But if you look underneath, you start to see what is actually happening.
Oil prices leading to higher gasoline prices because Americans are on the road. Americans are traveling. They're staying at home. They're driving instead of running. The summer driving season pushed gasoline up.
Food is off just a tad. Food at home fell by 1.1 percent. Significant, Kate, because it shows supply and demand are now becoming more even.
BOLDUAN: Let me ask you quickly because you're noting meat prices especially are something to look at. Why are they falling?
QUEST: Ah, because, again, the slaughterhouses, the processors, they're managing to get the supply chain back again after COVID, or they're restoring it, and that means the price of meat, fish and eggs is down. Dairy as well.
Interestingly, hot dogs, because of July the 4th, hot dogs were up. But remember, inflation numbers are dodgy.
BOLDUAN: Yes. Dodgy, as we say.
[11:59:58]
It's good to see you. Thank you, Richard.
For the latest stock market news, check out "MARKETS NOW," streaming at 12:45 p.m. Eastern only at CNN Business.
Thank you all for joining us today. I'm Kate Bolduan.
