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Trump Continues Baseless Attack On Mail-In Voting; Kushner Suggests USPS Feds Can't Handle Mail-In Voting; Dr. Donna Hallas & Dr. Saju Matthew Discuss School Nurses On The Frontline As Kids Return To Classroom; FDA Warns Consumers Of Possible Toxins In Hand Sanitizers; Two MLB Games Postponed After Reds Player Tests Positive; Beirut Rises From The Ashes Of Catastrophic Explosion. Aired 1-2p ET

Aired August 15, 2020 - 13:00   ET

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

[13:00:00]

W. KAMAU BELL, CNN HOST: I want to talk about it now. So, let's try to talk about it now.

BIANNA GOLODRYGA, CNN HOST: I agree with you. I think that, you know, this conversation is something that many people have been talking about. It's been percolating and who better than you then to bring it to us here at CNN? Kamau Bell, thank you so much. It's a pleasure to see you.

BELL: Thank you.

GOLODRYGA: And be sure to tune in and all new episode of "UNITED SHADES OF AMERICA." Airs tomorrow at 10:00 p.m. Eastern and Pacific only on CNN.

And hello, everyone. Thanks so much for joining me. I'm Bianna Golodryga in for Fredricka Whitfield. And we begin this hour with the debate over mail-in voting. And new baseless claims coming straight from the White House.

This morning protesters demonstrating in front of the home of Postmaster General Louis DeJoy. They say DeJoy has been systematically dismantling the U.S. Postal Service in an effort to sabotage it ahead of the presidential election.

Mail-in votes are expected to be a major factor as the coronavirus pandemic limits in person voting. President Trump has continuously railed against mail-in voting even though he and the First Lady both requested mail in ballots in their home State of Florida. And this morning, the President turning to Twitter once again claiming that the 2020 election will be a fraudulent mess, and that we may never know who won voting because of -- because of mail-in voting.

CNNs Kristen Holmes joins us now from Bridgewater, New Jersey close to where President Trump is spending his weekend. Kristen, another day, no surprise, another attack.

KRISTEN HOLMES, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, that's right, Bianna. And there are really two things going on here that both pertain to mail-in voting. First, you have President Trump, who is slamming the system, discrediting it and saying that it is fraudulent with no actual basis to that claim.

Now, on the other side, you have this very legitimate concern from Republicans and Democrats, lawmakers, state official postal workers, who are looking at the changes that are being made by the Postmaster General right now. And are worried that this is going to impact the election.

As you said, we are expecting a record number of people to mail and vote due to coronavirus. That is millions of ballots, and those are going to be processed by using the postal system. So, so much concern here that the Inspector General of the Postal Service is actually conducting a review of changes that DeJoy has made after senators wrote a letter that had about six points on it, five of which were all about those changes.

What exactly are they? Did they do any sort of study beforehand to see what the impact would be? Are there actually delays as we have heard from Postal Service workers? And of course, the big question that everyone's wondering, how is this going to impact the election?

So you have two different strands here. Now, Jared Kushner, very interestingly, did an interview on CNN, and he seemed to be more interested in the part about the post office than the fraud part that we've heard President Trump. Listen to what he said.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JARED KUSHNER, TRUMP CAMPAIGN ADVISER: This is an unprecedented attempt by people to use an unproven method that quite frankly, they don't have the time or the infrastructure to set up correctly. What you're basically saying is no, we're relying on the postal system and the Federal government to run an unprecedented mass operation in a very efficient way where there's, you know, a lot of examples of that's rife with abuse and fraud.

I think what you're seeing on both sides is a lot of posturing. You see that from what President Obama said, you're seeing it from what President Trump has said, but at the end of the day, what everyone wants is just a fair election where we know what the rules are.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HOLMES: And he's not wrong. People want a fair election. But I do want to know one thing that he said, which is this unproven system, that there haven't had enough time to set it up. Remember that back in May months ago, Democrats passed a stimulus bill that had billions of dollars for the postal service to help them prepare for the election. President Trump is the one who said that was a non-starter. He did not want to give funding to the postal service. Something to keep in mind here as we continue to monitor this unfolding situation.

GOLODRYGA: And when you hear Jared Kushner say that there's fraud, it's minimal, minimal at best, well below one percent. So there again, they are not accurate and they themselves have voted with mail-in ballots in the past as well. And as we mentioned, the President has just gotten his and the First Lady's as well. We will continue to follow this story. Kristen Holmes, thank you so much.

Well, as President Trump continues his repeated and downright false accusations against mail-in voting, we thought it would be a good idea to fact check those claims. CNNs Brianna Keilar breaks them all down.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

BRIANNA KEILAR, CNN SENIOR POLITICAL CORRESPONDENT: President Donald Trump has made many baseless and misleading claims casting doubt on mail and voting. Here's one.

DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: So, we have a new phenomena. It's called in it's called mail-in voting.

KEILAR: Not true.

DAVID BECKER, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, CENTER FOR ELECTION INNOVATION AND RESEARCH: Mail-in voting has been in the United States since the Civil War. We've been doing it for hundreds of years. There are many states that have actually had a majority of votes cast by mail for decades.

GOLODRYGA: Let's begin here. Five states conduct elections almost entirely by mail. By CNN's Count 37 states and the District of Columbia allow you to vote by mail without giving an excuse or using the pandemic as your reason. These remaining eight states like Texas and New York do not allow voters to use the pandemic as an excuse to vote by mail. How you get your ballot depends on where you live too.

In light of the pandemic, Vermont, California, the District of Columbia and New Jersey have joined the original five universal mail- in voting states sending ballots to every registered voter. Others send absentee ballot request forms to voters in the mail, but most Americans must request a ballot be sent to them.

D. TRUMP: What they're going to do is blanket the state. Anybody that ever walked frankly will get one.

GOLODRYGA: Nope. Registered voters. Just registered voters get ballots and non-citizens are not permitted to register to vote in Federal elections. Next

D. TRUMP: You look at some of the corruption having to do with universal mail-in voting. Absentee voting is okay. You have to apply, you have to go through a process, you have to go to a president.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You have to apply for mailing. It's the same thing.

MICHAEL KANG, PROFESSOR, NORTHWESTERN PRITZKER SCHOOL OF LAW: Absentee voting is done by mail. So, it's mail voting. Basically, you'd have similar procedural checks in both cases.

GOLODRYGA: Pause. And now let's rewind to President Trump's most dangerous claim about mail-in voting. D. TRUMP: You look at some of the corruption having to do with universal mail-in voting. There's no way you can go through a mail-in vote without massive cheating.

BOOKER: What election officials will tell you at both parties is that voter fraud is extremely rare. It might be counted in dozens or hundreds of cases out of 150 million ballots cast. It's extremely rare.

D. TRUMP: Mail in ballots, you're going to have foreign countries. You talk about foreign countries, they got to be printing their own ballots.

BOOKER: But if foreign government or anyone else tried to flood the system with fake mail ballots, it would be detected immediately. They would be segregated. They would not be counted. The ballots that go out differ by state. They all use special different paper, they use special different ink, they're usually coded on the outside of the envelope to be matched to a particular voter that they've been sent to.

These things would be detected almost instantaneously. It would be one of the clumsiest attempts to interfere with our election. We know the foreign governments are much more sophisticated than that.

GOLODRYGA: Once the ballot arrives it's filled out to the letter signed and sealed, it is usually mailed or hand delivered to local election officials. And while the process varies, a team verifies identification envelopes and secures the ballot until it's time to be counted. Generally, votes are counted by a voting machine. While some may be counted by hand.

KANG: You have people from different parties or you have at least two people doing the counting and kind of checking each other. So, it's hard to kind of run away and just commit voting fraud.

GOLODRYGA: And last but not least.

D. TRUMP: I also don't want to have to wait for three months and then find out that the ballots are all missing and the election doesn't mean anything. That's what's going to happen. See? That's common sense.

BOOKER: No, it's not going to take three months to count the ballots particularly in a presidential race. In fact, his term ends in January, which is less than three months after the election and by the constitution, a new president would have to take office on January 20th, unless President Trump is reelected.

GOLODRYGA: But President Trump is right about one thing, the volume of mail in ballots is going to be far higher than in any previous election in history.

BOOKER: Many states haven't seen more than five percent of their ballots cast by mail in past elections. Everything you hear on election night is unofficial. It is a partial count. It could take several days to count all of those ballots. That is normal. That means the process is working.

Briana Golodryga, CNN, Washington.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

GOLODRYGA: And those my friends are the facts. And now to the reason why so many Americans are worried about in person voting the pandemic which shows no sign of slowing down. The U.S. recording more than 64,000 new cases of COVID-19 on Friday, for the 19th consecutive day more than 1000 deaths. Across the country about half the U.S. states are holding steady when it comes to new cases, although many of those are at high levels of infection.

And nine states are reporting an increase of more than 10 percent in the past week, over the previous week. Despite the steady rise in cases and positive tests, the White House coronavirus testing czar says the administration has done everything it can do to increase testing capacity. For more on that let's bring in Brynn Gingras. And Brynn, the U.S. is still struggling with testing delays and supply chain shortages, so many months into this pandemic.

BRYNN GINGRAS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes, it's really startling beyond at this point, as you can imagine. Americans frustrated and there's really continued criticism that the administration needs to take the reins on this and have a uniform strategy across the country when it comes to testing. As you know states now do their own thing and it's sort of exacerbated issues particularly in hotspot areas.

[13:10:04]

GINGRAS: This as you just noted, the death toll continues to go up in this country.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

GINGRAS: The U.S. averaging more than 1,000 deaths a day, not for one week or two, but for almost three weeks. And now the CDC forecasting by September 5th the country may reach a death toll of nearly 189,000.

ADM. BRETT GIROIR, HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES ASSISTANT SECRETARY: If there is a good idea, I want to hear it.

GINGRAS: The administration's testing czar, Brett Giroir, appearing on CNN Friday after health experts challenged his earlier statements that the country is doing an appropriate amount of testing.

DR. ASHISH JHA, HARVARD GLOBAL HEALTH INSTITUTE: Right now, we're testing 700,000, 800,000 people, a fraction of the number we need.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Would you say enough has been done, enough has been done to make sure that everyone who needs a test gets a test in the country?

GIROIR: Everything that can possibly be done has been done. I've spent every day trying to increase testing. What I want people to understand, though, is that testing is not the panacea, it is not the answer.

GINGRAS: In Georgia where the state reached its highest death toll this week, the governor is praising his state's testing efforts, despite the Atlanta Journal Constitution reporting that recommendations from the White House Task Force urged the governor to boost mitigation measures since the state's infection rate is nearly double the national average.

REP. WILLIAM BODDIE (D-GA): You're going to tell me that the data that the governor is looking at and examining is the right data? Because if it is, we wouldn't be in the top five with other states that are twice, three times, or four times the size the state of Georgia.

GINGRAS: California now at a disheartening milestone after taking a one-two punch from the virus, the state recording more cases than any other state in the country, more than 600,000.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We're not out of the woods.

GINGRAS: For 53 straight days, Florida counting more than 4,000 new cases daily. There are growing concerns in Illinois which is reporting its highest number of cases since May.

One potentially promising note, hospitalizations across the country are declining.

DR. TOM INGLESBY, DIRECTOR, CENTER FOR HEALTH SECURITY OF THE JOHNS HOPKINS BLOOMBERG SCHOOL OF PUBLIC HEALTH: UNIDENTIFIED MALE: This virus hasn't changed. It's the same as it was before and it's doing very substantial damage to the country. I think we really have to be very focused on mask use, avoiding large gatherings, social distancing, hand hygiene. This plateau we're in now, it's fragile. It could go back in the other direction if people begin to relax.

GINGRAS: This week, the CDC's director told Americans to expect the worst fall we have ever had. It's why many parents and teachers are still grappling with tough decisions when it comes to schools.

MATT CHICCI, ARIZONA TEACHER: I have a member of my family that, you know, is at high risk. And so, if I'm put into a classroom of 30 more kids, it's a small room, there's one exit, there's - the ventilation isn't all that great for schools.

GINGRAS: In Georgia, one district saw 80 cases of COVID-19 just this week, resulting in the quarantine of more than 1,100 teachers and students, parents there calling on the governor to reevaluate the reopening of schools.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

GINGRAS: And the CDC recently sent guidance to pediatricians letting them know that the number of COVID-19 cases in children is steadily going up. We also have learned from the CDC director, that soon the administration is going to be sending guidance to school administrators, specifically about school staff and teachers, and giving them advice on how to keep them safe as more and more schools reopen. Bianna?

GOLODRYGA: Can also be sending them millions of masks as well. Many parents and administrators say hey, where were you a few months ago, though, right? Brynn Gingras, thank you so much. And still ahead, the Democratic ticket is set. Senator Kamala Harris speaking out about joining forces with Joe Biden. More on that and how President Trump is responding. Plus, school nurses are preparing for serious challenges as some students return to class during the coronavirus pandemic.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: The daunting task and the weight on the shoulders is -- it's extreme sometimes.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[13:18:09]

GOLODRYGA: For the first time in an interview, Senator Kamala Harris is speaking out on what it's like to be the first black woman on a major party's presidential ticket. Joining me now is CNN's Jessica Dean. and Jessica, Senator Harris is praising Biden for having the audacity to pick her. What else is she saying about this historic moment?

JESSICA DEAN, CNN WASHINGTON CORRESPONDENT: Well, Bianna, in that interview from yesterday, she talked a little bit about what it's been like. And all the time that she and her husband Doug had been spending with the Bidens. She also talked a little bit about how she doesn't think she's that unique, that there are a lot of hers out there. And a lot of Kamala Harris's that this is shining a light on women who can do these jobs and who can elevate to power and can be a vice presidential nominee.

But what was interesting is more than anything, if you watched that interview, she kept bringing it back to Joe Biden. She kept bringing it back to the Biden agenda. Take a listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SEN. KAMALA HARRIS (D-CA): Joe Biden had the audacity to choose a black woman to be his running mate. How incredible is that? And what a statement about Joe Biden, that he decided that he was going to do that thing that was about breaking one of the most substantial barriers that has existed in our country, and that he made that decision with whatever risks that brings. I think, as much as anything, it's a statement about the character of the man that we're going to elect as next president in the United States.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

DEAN: So Kamala Harris, certainly an historic pick, but she's also playing the more traditional role of the vice presidential nominee to elevate the top of the ticket. So, we did hear her over and over again, come back to Joe Biden and really put forth his build back better plan what he wants to do with the economy.

[13:20:00] DEAN: Again, those more traditional roles of what the vice presidential nominee will do for the pick, Bianna. We also saw a tweet from her this morning, saying thank you for all the good wishes and that she and her husband Doug are ready to move forward with -- to do this for Joe Biden together. So, we're going to hear that theme over and over. This is something the four of them are doing together.

GOLODRYGA: You know, what's been so fun and interesting to watch is how Dr. Joe Biden [inaudible] have been following all of this as well through their Twitter feeds and tweeting at each other and really becoming a unit here as the spouses of this ticket going forward. Jessica Dean, thank you so much.

And a reminder, watch CNN special live coverage of the 2020 Democratic National Convention for all of the biggest moments, the most important speeches and insight on what it all means for Joe Biden and the future of the Democratic Party. That's starting Monday night at 8:00 Eastern. And we will be right back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[13:25:20]

GOLODRYGA: States across the country are struggling with how to get more than 50 million kids back to school. Some have opted for virtual learning to start the year but others have sent students back into the classroom at full force. And that is putting thousands of school nurses on the frontlines in the battle to keep kids safe. It has caused pushback most recently in New York City from school administrators who worry about the lack of nurses.

And led to Mayor de Blasio promising last week to have a nurse at every New York City School when they open in just a few weeks' time.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

DENEEN DRY, SCHOOL NURSE: This will be and is uncharted waters, something that we've never had to face and the uncertainty is actually -- is frightening.

GOLODRYGA: Danny dry has been a nurse for nine years in Bucks County, Pennsylvania and splits her time between two middle schools. But she says it has taken a pandemic to finally give those in her profession the recognition they deserve.

DRY: The nurses was that forgotten entity in the school. And now we are the ones that when there's a sniffle, and there's a cough, we're going to be the ones that are going to be asked the questions and asked to step up and make everyone feel safe.

GOLODRYGA: Dry and thousands of school nurses like her across the country are the frontlines of defense against COVID-19.

DRY: It's a daunting task and the weight on the shoulders is as extreme sometimes. GOLODRYGA: Preparation and training involves following state and local guidelines, which for many districts includes temperature checks and quarantine rooms for students suspected to have contracted the coronavirus, but Dry acknowledges that we'll only get her so far.

DRY: I don't think I'm going to be prepared until it happens.

GOLODRYGA: The National Association of School Nurses warns that U.S. campuses are unprepared for COVID outbreaks due to a lack of funding and nurses.

EMILY OSTER, ECONOMIST AT BROWN UNIVERSITY: UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: So it isn't the case that every school has a full time nurse, you know, down the hallway who can deal with this.

GOLODRYGA: Nearly a quarter of U.S. K through 12 schools lack a licensed nurse while 35 percent employed part time nurses. Even more jarring according to the most recent figures, there is just one nurse for every 500 students.

Are nurses equipped overall for such an endeavor and are we relying too much on them to be?

OSTER: I haven't -- in the plans that I've seen this aspect of sort of school nurse aspect has not gotten a huge amount of attention beyond sort of some language around providing PPE to people.

GOLODRYGA: And at least one school nurse Amy Westmoreland of Georgia quit her job in a district that has declined to mandate masks.

AMY WESTMORELAND, SCHOOL NURSE: The board's decision to make mask a, you know, "Personal choice." And that social distancing wouldn't be practical was not only concerned for myself and my family, but I could not imagine giving care especially to my special needs. Community of students.

GOLODRYGA: The NASN has asked Congress for a minimum of$ 208 billion for school districts in order to prioritize the health and safety of students and staff, which would include hiring thousands of additional nurses. The average age of a school nurse in America was between 47 and 55 in 2015, which puts many at a higher health risk in regard to COVID-19. And Dry falls into this category.

DRY: I fight every day with whether or not I should come back to school or want to come back to school. The nurse part of me wants to be there, wants to be able to help. The mom and grandmother part of me wants to keep my family safe and not expose myself to the possibility of bringing at home.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

GOLODRYGA: And I want to talk more about what's happening in our schools. And I want to bring in our guest now, Donna Hallas, she is a director of the Pediatric Nurse Practitioner Program at NYU. And Dr. Saju Mathew is a public health specialist and a primary care physician. Welcome both of you. So, Donna, let me begin by asking you, you know, there are likely thousands of nurses in the same position that Deneen is in right now.

They love their job, but they also love their family and they want to stay healthy. What measures need to be put in place to address those concerns?

DONNA HALLAS, DIRECTOR OF THE PEDIATRIC NURSE PRACTITIONER PROGRAM, NYU: So, one of the big measures is testing in children in the families prior to coming to school. That's critical. We don't have data right now on the children who will be going to school and to make any types of decision testing is critical. Also, I heard her mentioning masks. Masks are the new norm. Children -- young children can wear masks over the age of two. The parents can, you know, be role models, the teachers, everybody.

[13:30:04]

HALLAS: That's critical. And for children, protecting their eyes as well, because children will tend to rub their eyes, especially children with any types of allergies, anything like that. So those things are critical.

And I'm really thrilled that Mayor De Blasio, for New York City, has said there will be a school nurse at every school. That's a critical role.

GOLODRYGA: It is a critical role, especially when you see in that piece that there's one nurse for every 500 students. So many schools only have part-time nurses.

Dr. Matthew, I want to ask you how you envision this working.

I mean, most kids go to school with runny noses and mild colds. In my kids' case, in most schools, if you don't have a fever, if you're not vomiting, you can come to school.

What happens when a kid starts to display some of these symptoms in the classroom?

DR. SAJU MATTHEW, PUBLIC HEALTH SPECIALIST & PRIMARY CARE PHYSICIAN: Bianna, I have the same question regarding what I'm going to do as a primary care physician as the flu season approaches.

Because Donna's task, as she mentioned, of trying to distinguish flu- like symptoms or a cold from COVID-19 is going to be really difficult.

And then let's talk about testing. I know we talk about it all the time. But if a kid falls sick, will they have these point-of-care testing so that you can make sure that that kid is negative and won't take the virus back home.

So I think this is going to be a daunting task. I think that the ratio of nurses to students, we need to look at that as well. And we need to make sure that our nurses are protected with the appropriate PPE, masks, and the kids as well.

GOLODRYGA: And let's add another layer of complexity, Doctor. We also know that children can be asymptomatic.

And while the administration may be pointing to data suggesting that those under 24 may be less impacted, many adults are at these schools and they're well over the age of 24.

What happens when one of them becomes sick? Can contact tracing be done effectively, especially if you don't have results for days on end?

MATTHEW: So, Bianna, you hit all the points right on the nail. I've talked about this so much.

Which is, number one, we should really even back up. If the community transmission is greater than 5 percent, and you have that much virus, if you will, in the air, we really shouldn't even be talking about schools opening.

I've always said it's easy to open a school. But can you keep that school open? It's just a matter of time when a teacher, a nurse or a student falls sick. And these are how clusters develop into surges.

So I want us to even back up one step and say, listen, what does your community look like. What is the transmission?

And, look, we have enough data to show that kids act just like adults as vectors and they take it around. Individuals kids do not live in a bubble.

GOLODRYGA: Donna, I spent quite a bit of time talking to Deanine (ph) for that piece. And one thing she told me, which didn't make the piece but that I thought was interesting, was the importance that parents play in bringing your kids to school and making sure it's a safe environment and that this goes as well as possible.

She talked about parents having to be honest and forthcoming about whether or not their children or somebody at home is not feeling well, to make sure their children are careful and to constantly wear their masks.

And I have to tell you, I always am nervous when I get a phone call from the school nurse. You never know what happened.

But I feel that relationship is ever so much more important now that we're dealing with a pandemic and sending our children to school.

Do you agree with that? How important is that direct relationship between the nurses, the administrators and parents?

HALLAS: Yes, you know, nurses are well respected, well trusted, and make great relationships with parents, with children, with the school personnel. And I totally agree. We have to have that relationship.

And there needs to be like an app on the phone before the kids could come to school in which they would be able -- the parents would be able to document their temperature, to document a list of symptoms. Do they have a cough? Do they have a runny nose? Do they have

diarrhea? All those types of symptoms that children may display. Because children do display symptoms a little differently than adults.

And if it's a no, no, no, then they can come to school. If it's yes, then there's a stop and they can't go that day.

So we have to trust the information the parents are putting in. And they're going to do it routinely. So that's another thing that's preparedness for going to school.

And I think this is a good time to also point out, because we're going, in September, October, and November begins flu season, various parts of the country begin at different times.

The flu vaccine should be mandated in my opinion for attendance to school.

(CROSSTALK)

HALLAS: We won't be able to tell the difference between flu and COVID symptoms. We need that assurance for the kids.

[13:35:07]

GOLODRYGA: And we've heard from the CDC director himself that this is a recipe for disaster when you've got the confluence of the flu season in the middle of a pandemic.

This is something that administrators and parents need to be taking seriously and addressing so we can send our kids to school, if at all possible.

You're right, getting as many nurses to school as possible as well and respecting them and making sure that everyone is taken care of.

Thank you so much. I really appreciate it. It was a great conversation.

One way to stop the spread of coronavirus is by using hand sanitizer. But not all of them, as we've come to find out, are created equal. Some of them could put your health at risk. We'll have more details on this coming up.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

GOLODRYGA: A new warning from health experts: Be wary of what hand sanitizer you use. The FDA is finding that some of the newcomers on the market could potentially do more harm than good. And some may even be deadly.

[13:40:05]

Here's CNN's Brian Todd with more.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE) BRIAN TODD, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): In your local grocery store or pharmacy, you might be seeing some unfamiliar brands of hand sanitizer.

High demand during the pandemic prompted the FDA to allow distilleries and other makers of alcohol products to jump into the market and start making sanitizer.

New warnings from experts: Check the label.

ALEXANDRA PHELAN, ASSISTANT PROFESSOR & GLOBAL HEALTH EXPERT, GEORGETOWN UNIVERSITY SCHOOL OF MEDICINE: Not every hand sanitizer is equal. In fact, a number of hand sanitizers the FDA has identified include things like methanol.

TODD: Methanol, a dangerous type of alcohol often used in products like antifreeze.

In recent days, the FDA has said it's seeing an increase in the number of sanitizer products contaminated with methanol. So the agency has released a new set of guidelines to help companies make the product safely and meet the demand.

Experts say methanol can even be lethal when ingested in high enough concentrations.

DR. MATTHEW HEINZ, HOSPITAL PHYSICIAN, TUCSON, ARIZONA: That can cause central nervous system effects. It can cause seizures.

TODD: Methanol shouldn't be in hand sanitizer, experts say, because even taken in through the skin, it's dangerous.

What should be in hand sanitizer? Ethel alcohol, according to doctors. And to be effective, each bottle of sanitizer should say it's got at least a 60 percent concentration of ethyl alcohol.

HEINZ: Anything below 60, you're going to reduce the ability of that hand sanitizer to actually, you know, do its job. And if -- you know, significantly below that, again, it's not much different than putting water on.

TODD: What's also not effective, experts say, is using only hand sanitizer dozens of times a day, which reduces its effectiveness.

HEINZ: Some will have aloe. Some will have all sorts of other fillers and things in and scents.

And so you -- you get a little residue as that alcohol kind of dries into your hand. You get that film. And then if you apply it again, you get that film again.

TODD: So it's important, experts say, to wash your hands with warm water and soap between uses of sanitizer.

Hand sanitizer, they say, is not a substitute for handwashing, which experts call the gold standard of hand hygiene during the pandemic. HEINZ: It stabilized oils and lifts dirt and all sorts of stuff off

the skin.

It's just warm soap and water, 20 seconds or more, is -- is very, very difficult for just about anything at all in terms of bacteria or viruses to survive.

TODD: But if you have to have to use hand sanitizer, experts say, use a generous amount. And don't just apply to your palms, as many people do.

PHELAN: And similar to the handwashing procedures, you want to sort of rub one palm on top of the other. Do the same on the other side. You want to make sure that you're covering down on your thumbs on both sides, under your fingers and sort of into your finger joints and then around the wrist.

TODD (on camera): Some experts have told us they have also heard of people trying to make their own hand sanitizer at home, especially during the early days of the pandemic.

They say that is exceedingly dangerous, especially trying to mix ethyl alcohol, which they say can cause contact burns and even start fires.

Brian Todd, CNN, Washington.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

GOLODRYGA: Our thanks to Brian for that important report.

Well, a Reds player tested positive for coronavirus.

Plus, find out why two Cleveland Indians were demoted.

You're live in the CNN NEWSROOM.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[13:47:50]

GOLODRYGA: A NASCAR driver is out of a major competition this weekend after testing positive for coronavirus.

Austin Dillon's team announced his positive diagnosis earlier today. He is now quarantining and will be replaced at the Daytona International Speedway race.

According to the statement, Dillon will be able to return to competition once he receives two negative COVID tests 24 hours apart.

Meanwhile, Major League Baseball has postponed tonight's and tomorrow's games between the Cincinnati Reds and Pittsburgh Pirates after a Reds player tested positive for COVID.

MLB says it now has to conduct contact tracing of players and staff at the last game to make sure others aren't -- there aren't any other positives.

The latest of what's been going on for several weeks of postponements for baseball as it appeared that the sport seemed to be turning a corner.

CNN's Coy Wire has more.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

COY WIRE, CNN SPORTS ANCHOR: Bianna, after dozens of games were postponed due to the COVID, it was starting to look as to perhaps a non-bubble setup could work in sports.

MLB released the latest test results yesterday and just two players and two staff members from a single club tested positive. That's a .03 percent positivity rate across the league.

There were supposed to be a full slate of games for the first time since opening weekend three weeks ago.

St. Louis Cardinals know all too well about having games postponed. But today, they're playing their first game since July 29.

Being extra cautious, Bianna, everyone drove to Chicago separately, 41 cars in all, for their double header against the White Sox. The Cards had games postponed 19 times due to 10 players and eight staff members testing positive.

For an example of players who were not cautious, yesterday, the Cleveland Indians demoted starting pitchers off the major league roster for breaking MLB's COVID protocols.

They went out with friends, broke curfew after the team game against the White Sox in Chicago last weekend.

One posted a video two days ago admitting that he broke the rules but defended his actions and blamed the media for doing, quote, "evil things to make things sound better," unquote.

The general manager said he was disappointed after watching the video. The decision to remove the pitchers from the roster came just after a team meeting.

[13:50:02]

And, Bianna, breaking news from the NHL. The Boston Bruins playing as we speak without their Stanley Cup-winning goalie, Tuukka Rask. He'll no longer be playing in the bubble setup.

Announcing just an hour and a half before game time that while he wants to be with his team, being with family is more important. He'll be with his wife and three daughters, Bianna, including a 3-month-old baby girl named Libia (ph).

(END VIDEOTAPE)

GOLODRYGA: You should see so much of the complexities here in these decisions for professional sports and athletes.

Coy Wire, thank you so much.

Well, much more ahead in the NEWSROOM.

But first, CNN is highlighting the hidden figures of World War II. Meet 99-year-old code-breaker, Judy Parsons.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JUDY PARSON, CODE BREAKER DURING WORLD WAR II: We were told we would be hung at the gallows. They really laid it on thick that we were not to talk. I never told my husband. I never told anybody.

My name is Judy Parsons and I was a World War II code breaker.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: With the start of the Second World War, the British were able to develop a machine called the Bamba.

PARSONS: We just called it the machine room.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: What it was able to do is process information encrypted in ENIGMA.

PARSONS: I went into the crib room because the cribs were the clues to decipher the code. But we had to get about a line of type to get something to put in the machine.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: On the machine, we basically checked each of the different variations. And it would spit out individual letters in the context of a message. It's like "Wheel of Fortune" at that point.

PARSONS: Then they would send these slips of paper back to us in the crib room.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You start to analyze the letter and construct the message and eventually you're able to sort of decipher what the message actually says.

PARSONS: If it worked, we broke the code for the day. If it didn't work, we would wait for the next one to come because the machines spat out a lot of these slips of papers.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Judy was one of the analysts who was correlating information.

And that information would be conveyed down to the Navy in downtown Washington, D.C. They would then plot the information in the submarine tracking room to locate and eventually target individual submarines.

So it was a bigger sort of machine that the U.S. Navy created and you were a part of that.

PARSONS: Looking back on it, I wonder how we all had the patience to do it. But it was an interesting time to be alive, I'll say that.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[13:57:31]

GOLODRYGA: It's too much to bear. An economic collapse, massive civil unrest, the coronavirus pandemic, and then an explosion that rocked the city of Beirut to its core.

People on the ground likened the blast to the bombing of Hiroshima, destroying homes, livelihoods and life itself.

Yet, Beirut's story is far from over.

CNN's Ben Wedeman takes a look at how the city and its residents will rise again.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

(SINGING)

BEN WEDEMAN, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Beirut, glory from the ashes of Beirut.

(SINGING)

WEDEMAN: Thus, goes the line from a Civil War-era song by a great Lebanese singer, a haunting song of loss and despair, but not defeat.

(SINGER)

WEDEMAN: The people of this city have seen the economy collapse, endured the coronavirus pandemic, unrest, and now this.

(SIREN)

WEDEMAN: Yet, now is not the time to compose Beirut's obituary.

In the neighborhood next to the port, Eddie Baracadi and his son repair a broken statue of the Madonna.

News of Beirut's demise has been greatly exaggerated.

EDDIE BARACADI, BEIRUT RESIDENT: She's always dying. People always think she's dying, but that is not true. She will always rise. She will always rise.

WEDEMAN: The blast badly damaged or destroyed thousands of homes and livelihoods, killed almost 200, and wounded over 6,000.

The scars from this disaster run deep.

Samah Al-KhatIb(ph) shows me her children's bedroom, minus the wall.

She refuses to surrender Lebanon to the political leaders who have driven it into the ground. "Why should our children have to immigrate," she asks. "Right now, I

can pack up and leave, but why? Should we leave this country to the crooks and thieves while they watch us without shedding a single tear? Not a single tear."

Sonia Awdeh (ph) and her family have lived in this house for 45 years. She refuses to leave and will somehow repair the damage.

[13:59:55]

"As broken as we are, we'll stand up again. This soil is not theirs," Sonia says, referring to the politicians. "These stones are not theirs. They are ours."

(SINGING)