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Mock Obituary Made a Change; All Eyes to Scotland; Japan's Economy Bleeding from a Pandemic; Unemployment Benefit Came Too Late; Joe Biden's Number One Supporter; Democrats Ringing Alarm Bells on USPS; DNC Kicks Off Monday; FDA Gives Go Signal to a Quicker Test; Countries Dealing with a Second Wave; Face-to-Face School Not Safe. Aired 3-4a ET

Aired August 17, 2020 - 03:00   ET

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

[03:00:00]

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

ROSEMARY CHURCH, CNN ANCHOR: Welcome back to our viewers in the United States and of course, all around the world. You are watching CNN Newsroom. And I'm Rosemary Church.

Just ahead, COVID-19 resurgence. Countries around the globe scramble to stop new spikes in cases. We will have a live report on that.

Back to school concerns as cases among children rise. Hear from teacher who wrote her own obituary.

Ang meet Jill Biden, the story of woman who could become the next first lady.

Good to have you with us.

We begin with two big U.S. political stories. The upcoming Democratic National Convention and the brewing fight over the U.S. Postal Service. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi announced Sunday she will recall representatives to Washington this week, and they will ramp up postal service investigations and consider legislation to reverse recent changes.

The USPS says it will delay removal of mailboxes and sorting machines, but hundreds may already be out of commission. The stakes are high since many Americans will vote by mail because of the pandemic.

Meanwhile, President Donald Trump doubled down on inaccurate claims about absentee ballots. His chief of staff held firm when pressed by CNN's Jake Tapper.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MARK MEADOWS, WHITE HOUSE CHIEF OF STAFF: By the way, --

(CROSSTALK)

JAKE TAPPER, CNN HOST: There is no evidence of widespread voter fraud though.

MEADOWS: That's not --

TAPPER: But there is no evidence of widespread voter fraud.

MEADOWS: There's no evidence that there is not, either. That's the definition of fraud, Jake.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CHURCH: Well, all this as Democrats head into a history making party convention, with a black woman on the ticket for the first time ever, and a virtual structure unlike anything seen before.

So, let's dig into these stories and for that we have Jessica Dean in Wilmington, Delaware, following the start of the Democratic National Convention. But let's start with John Harwood at the White House with more on the brewing fight over the postal service.

JOHN HARWOOD, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: The crisis over the U.S. Postal Service and the 2020 election is escalating. The House of Representatives have already planned to call in Donald Trump's postmaster general for questioning about reductions in service.

Now, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi is calling the chamber back into session probably next Saturday in order to consider legislation a halting those changes in service. The backdrop for these long-standing funding problems for the postal service that have caused deliveries to slow.

The administration is less than eager to restore services to the full level, both for physical reasons and also because Donald Trump has been raising doubts about the integrity of mail in balloting.

The coronavirus pandemic has led increasing numbers of Americans to want to vote by mail rather than go in person, so they can avoid getting sick. The question now is do Democrats have the leverage to force Republicans to go along with them either on halting the policy changes or infusing the $25 billion they say is necessary to shore up the postal service.

The advantage Democrats have is that way beyond the electoral considerations, every American uses the postal service and huge numbers of Americans rely on it for checks, for commerce, and for delivery of vital medications. That is the lever the Democrats hoped to force Republicans to the table. We will see what happens this week.

John Harwood, CNN, the White House.

JESSICA DEAN, CNN Washington CORRESPONDENT: The 2020 Democratic National Convention is set to kick off on Monday. This is going to be a convention unlike any convention we have ever seen as Democrats work around the pandemic and work to make sure everyone is socially distance and safe.

As they also tried to rev up the Democratic Party and build support around Joe Biden and Kamala Harris. And we're getting some details on logistically how this might work. We're told first that there are four different sets that they'll be using, Los Angeles, New York, Wilmington, Delaware, here in Wilmington, Delaware where we are told that Joe Biden and Kamala Harris will give their acceptance speeches, and then Milwaukee, which is where the full convention was originally slated to take place.

In addition to that, there will be speakers all across America from different historic sites that will be giving their speeches, which we're told will be much shorter than we're used to seeing at these conventions. These will be more like two to five minutes. We are used to seeing maybe 10 or 15 minutes from some of these speakers.

[03:05:00]

And then additionally to that, we're told broadcast kits have been sent out all across the country to delegates and different members of the party who will be able to set up those broadcast kits in their own living room. There will be a truck here in Wilmington, Delaware that we'll be able to see those feeds from all of these people across America and be able to punch up reaction shots.

They will also use that for the roll call. We are also told there will be an emcee and various emcees that will carry the programming, because again, remember, this is going to be like just a television broadcast. Typically, a convention is broadcasting to both the room and TV. In this case, they are simply broadcasting out TV -- out to TV and then also across all the various online platforms.

We're also told that there will be a host of speakers Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, starting with a real variety within the Democratic Party on Monday that includes Bernie Sanders, Michelle Obama, and a Republican -- former Republican Governor, John Kasich, who actually ran for the Republican nomination back in 2016, now speaking at the Democratic National Convention, so a lot to watch as we move into Monday.

Jessica Dean, CNN, Wilmington, Delaware.

CHURCH: And a new CNN poll shows Joe Biden's lead over Donald Trump has narrowed significantly since June. Overall, half of registered voters back the Biden/Harris ticket, while 46 percent say they support President Trump and Mike Pence. That's right at the poll's margin of error.

And with me now from Los Angeles is political analyst Michael Genovese. Good to have you with us, and a lot to cover of course. But let's start with that later CNN poll showing the Biden/Harris ticket, only 4 percentage points ahead of the Trump/Pence ticket going into the DNC.

Given the pandemic, high unemployment, the controversy surrounding the U.S. Postal Service, how surprised are you by how close this is right now?

MICHAEL GENOVESE, POLITICAL ANALYST: I think this looked like a close race from the very beginning. Now we are still a long way away, 11 weeks away. And we won't really have a clear picture until a few weeks after the two parties have their conventions.

But in all likelihood, this will be another squeaker as it was four years ago. And Donald Trump has two paths to victory. One is basically a replay of 2016 where he loses the popular vote, this time probably about five million or four million, but we'll see electoral college.

The other way is if the Republicans can be successful in voter suppression efforts, that they are trying and if the mail-in ballot chaos continues and they don't resolve that before the election.

CHURCH: And let's look at that. Because with President Trump objecting to mail-in voting and even stopping USPS funding, there is concern the elderly and vulnerable won't have an opportunity to vote in the middle of this pandemic. Should the rest of us consider voting in person to ensure our ballots get counted?

GENOVESE: Well, I think this is a universal problem. It's not just the elderly or the infirmed. Who wants to go to a high school gym in the middle of a pandemic with a bunch of other people? This requires us to have some, you know, openly clear thinking and take some risk in terms of trying new things.

We need to open up the process and make voting longer. There's a lot of things we could do to make voting easier. The problem is the president is going to try to narrow the range of the vote. Democrats want to expand it. And whoever wins that race, the race to open or close the amount of people voting, is going to win the presidency.

CHURCH: Of course, just in just a matter of hours, the Democratic National Convention kicks off four days of virtual events. Michelle and Barack Obama, Bernie Sanders, Governor Andrew Cuomo and others will speak. And this will be very different to anything we've ever seen before due to this pandemic. But what are you expecting to see and hear? And what are you watching for?

GENOVESE: Yes, it's not your father's convention. This is going to be a strange one. I've been to six party convention, Democrats and Republicans. They tend to be partly 12-ring circus and partly big tent revival meeting.

This is going to be much more tempered, much more moderate, and much more controlled. In the past, we didn't know the nominee until we got to the convention. But since the era of primaries starting in the 70s, we know ahead of time who the candidate was going to be. So, the drama is done. It's not -- it's going to be more coordination than a contest and big infomercial for both parties.

And so, what I am looking for is to see who can manage the process best who can get their key points across best.

CHURCH: Yes. It's going to be a very different arena, isn't it? And President Trump meantime intends to make a speech near Joe Biden's hometown on the same day the former vice president accepts the Democratic nomination. What's Trump's strategy and will it work do you think?

[03:10:02]

GENOVESE: Well, he likes to do counter programming. He likes to do counter punching. Donald Trump always has to be the center of attention. And the cameras are going to be on Biden and the Democrats for these next few days. He is going to try to wrestle them away.

It's something like Teddy Roosevelt's daughter said of her daughter. He said, poor dad asked to be the bride in every wedding, the person in every funeral, and the baby in every Christening.

That's Donald Trump. So, his counter program is going to be to try to shine spotlight on himself, tear down Biden of course. It's a norm that he is going to bust. Normally, the opposition party gives the other party few days to make their case and not interfere. But Donald Trump is a norm buster and he is going to try to reclaim center stage. He may very well be able to do it.

CHURCH: We shall watch and see. Michael Genovese joining us live from Los Angeles. Thank you so very much.

GENOVESE: Thank you, Rosemary.

CHURCH: And you can catch CNN's special coverage of the Democratic National Convention starting at 8 Eastern Time Monday night. For our international viewers, that's at 1 a.m. Tuesday in London, 8 a.m. in Hong Kong.

Well countries are racing to contain new outbreaks of the coronavirus. In South Korea, officials fear a resurgence after a massive gathering in a church. Details ahead.

Plus, thousands of teachers, students, and staff in the U.S. are now quarantined just as the school year gets underway in many states. A look at how some are protesting over fears for their health and safety.

Back in just a moment.

[03:15:00]

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

CHURCH: Well in just 18 days, coronavirus deaths in the U.S. have jumped from 150,000 to 170,000. That is according to Johns Hopkins University. On Sunday alone, 538 deaths and more than 40,000 new cases were reported in the country.

But despite the spike in COVID-19 deaths, this was the scene out an off-campus apartment complex at the University of North Georgia. A large outdoor party was held over the weekend. And as you can see, no one is social distancing and many are not wearing masks.

It is worth pointing out there are no mandates in the state of Georgia, but the university has released a statement criticizing students for not following COVID-19 precautions.

Well, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration has granted emergency use authorization to a new quick and inexpensive coronavirus test. This one is saliva-based and much less invasive of uncomfortable than that one you see swabbing the nose and throat.

And just a short time ago, I spoke with Dr. Saju Matthew about it.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

SAJU MATTHEW, CNN MEDICAL ANALYST: I'm excited about the potential, Rosemary. I'm always a bit hesitant about when you expedite a test how accurate will it be. The traditional test is still the nasopharyngeal swab and that looks it genetic material. These point-of-care tests, like the saliva test, look at the protein. It is quick, it is fast, it will answer some questions about the supply chain issues and also that uncomfortable swab.

The FDA is suggesting, Rosemary, that it is as accurate as the traditional PCR. So, I'm excited. Quick turnaround time, so that's what we need.

CHURCH: Yes, it absolutely is. And of course, we know at this point that for the first time since the beginning of the pandemic, the U.S. is seeing a downward trend in the number of COVID tests being done. Why is this happening at the same time as the Trump administration insists that enough tests are being done? Is there any correlation there?

MATTHEW: It's a bit confusing to know exactly what is happening. But you know, the virus is still there, Rosemary. We know that. The positivity rates and a lot of states are going up. Part of the reason why the number of cases or the hospitalizations might be going down is because of better care that we have now with Remdesivir and steroids.

But ultimately, testing is the way out of this pandemic and we need to have that consistent messaging that unless you test you don't really know who is infected.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

CHURCH: Dr. Matthew there talking to me a little earlier.

So, many countries around the world are doing everything they can to curb the spread of COVID-19. Some fear a second wave is imminent. The U.S. military is raising its health protection level in South Korea after the country warns of a possible massive recurrence of coronavirus.

New Zealand is delaying its elections by four weeks due to a growing outbreak of new cases there. The country has reported nine new locally transmitted cases in the last 24 hours.

Spain, France, Greece, and Germany are seeing worrying spikes in new cases in recent weeks. And the new infection clusters appear to be tied to young people. Well, CNN is following the story from Seoul, Sydney, and Paris. First,

let's go to CNN's Paula Hancocks. She joins us live from Seoul. Paula, what's behind what they are calling this massive recurrence of the coronavirus there in South Korea?

PAULA HANCOCKS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Rosemary, here in South Korea we are in a place where we really feel like we have been before. Again, it is a religious gathering that appears to have sparked one of the biggest outbreaks. There are a number of different clusters at the moment in cafes and restaurants as well, but there is one particular church here in Seoul, and more than 300 of the congregation have tested positive so far within that one church.

Now it's a church that had more than 4,000 visitors, according to health officials. And they say that more than 1,000 of them they are yet to get hold off. They say that some aren't answering their phone. More than 500 of them they don't have contact details for. And they are bringing the police in to try and track people down to make sure that they are tested they are quarantined and to make sure that they can do contact tracing.

[03:30:00]

Now this is something very similar to what we saw at the beginning of the outbreak here in South Korea in February and March with the Shincheonji religious group where there were many who were unable to be contacted and the police were brought in for that as well.

Now the church itself, in this case, is fighting back. They are saying that they are going to take the health minister to court, saying that they are defaming the church, suggesting that they are not cooperating. But health officials insist that they are not cooperating in the way that they need to.

And then the complication on top of this, Rosemary, is that last Saturday there was a rally, or protest, against the South Korean President Moon Jae-in. About 10,000 people were in downtown Seoul protest that officials and police had asked them not to go ahead because of the risks of infection. And the reverend from that particular church was at that protest as well, further complicating things.

It's a political situation at the same time as being a health situation. This particular church is very anti President Moon Jae-in. Rosemary?

CHURCH: All right. Many thanks to you, Paula.

CNN's Angus Watson joins us now live from Sydney, Australia. And Angus, New Zealand is delaying its election to give it time to get these new outbreaks under control. What's the latest on that move?

ANGUS WATSON, JOURNALIST: Well, Rosemary, you will remember it wasn't so long ago, just about a week ago, that New Zealand was celebrating over 100 days without a community transmission case of coronavirus in that country of five million. Now, we have had 58 cases of community transmission over the past

week, over 100,000 tests done to locate those 58 cases, and the government there just doesn't believe that it's safe enough, particularly in Auckland, the major city where that cluster is, to go ahead with the election.

That's not a decision that Jacinda Ardern would made -- would have made lightly. Her Labour Party is in the ascendancy there in New Zealand, overwhelmingly. People in New Zealand believe that she's done a good job. Apart from this new restriction that have gone into force in Auckland, New Zealand is living a relatively normal life in that country, having almost extinguished coronavirus been going, so close to it.

So, Jacinda Ardern was really looking forward to that election, you could imagine. Her Labour Party was buoyant. And this will come as a little bit of a blow, but we hope that that election can go ahead in October. Rosemary?

CHURCH: Yes, indeed. It was impressive. She went for elimination rather than just crashing the curve, didn't she? Thank you so much, Angus.

Next, we go to CNN's Melissa Bell. She joins us live from Paris. And Melissa, what's behind this spike in cases across France?

MELISSA BELL, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, cases across France and a worrying rise in other European countries, as you mentioned a moment ago, Rosemary, it is a combination of more testing of course, but of course, also people just going about their business more than they had been before.

If you look at Europe more widely, Spain really the hardest hit with the highest jump in a number of new cases, nearly 5,000 recorded over the course of the weekend. Just behind it, France, and beneath that, Germany and Italy also seeing small but steady rises, hence these new measures.

I think you only need to look at the measures that have been taken in countries like Spain and in Italy, things like closing down discotheques and in Italy forcing people to wear masks in outdoor spaces in the evening, to understand that it is the younger people that are being the hardest hit that are amongst those rise in new cases which is why, also you are not seeing the sort of consequent rises in deaths and in the number of people in ICUs that you might have expected.

The new rises are in cases. This is extremely worrying. It is because it is sitting younger people who of course have been going out more than they were that you're not seeing those disastrous consequences.

But clearly, for authorities here, pressure is on to bring in more changes that will try and prevent these new cases from rising. We've seen two days in a row here in France, more than 3,000 new cases being declared. That is a record since May when the coronavirus lockdown was gradually lifted. As a result, new measures here in Paris as well, the Champs-Elysees

from where I speak to you this morning, there will now be an obligation to wear masks even outside. And now discussion underway here in France about the possibility of masks being made obligatory, Rosemary, even inside office buildings.

CHURCH: It is the one weapon we have. Many thanks to Melissa Bell there. Angus Watson early, and of course we were talking to Paula Hancocks first off. But many thanks to all three of you. I appreciate it.

In Spain, hundreds of people have taken to the streets of Madrid to protest against the mandatory use of face masks. The country's health minister says masks must be worn in every public space.

Spain has seen a jump in cases. Almost 3,000 were recorded on Friday. The highest single day total since April.

[03:24:59]

And still to come on CNN Newsroom, Scotland opens its school doors. CNN takes a look at how students there are coping with a strange new reality. We are back with that in just a moment.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

CHURCH: Welcome back to our viewers here in the United States and all around the world. I'm Rosemary Church. And you are watching CNN Newsroom.

Well many school districts in the U.S. are reopening now or in the coming weeks with little preparation for the coronavirus pandemic. And that has parents, teachers, and some students worried about the risk of spreading the deadly virus, especially after a new report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

The CDC warns the virus is spreading among children at an increasing rate. The number and rate of infections has steadily gone up from March to July. And the evidence suggests that as many as 45 percent of cases in children may be asymptomatic.

One parent who is not worried about sending his kids back to school is the president's son-in-law and senior adviser, Jared Kushner.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JARED KUSHNER, SENIOR ADVISOR TO THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Children have a six times higher chance to die from the flu than from the coronavirus. So, based on the data I've seen, I don't believe that that's a risk. Again, this virus impacts different people in different ways. We know a lot more now than we did.

And assuming our schools aren't opening five days a week, I wish they were, but we absolutely will be sending our kids back to school and I have no fear in doing so.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CHURCH: Well, more than 2,000 students, teachers, and staff members across five states have been quarantined in recent weeks due to coronavirus outbreaks.

[03:29:59]

In Arizona, one school district had to cancel classes today after a high number of staff called out citing health and safety concerns.

In Florida, one teacher wrote her own obituary to protest schools reopening.

Educator Whitney Reddick writes, and I'm quoting here, "With profound sadness, I announce the passing of Whitney Leigh Reddick. A loving and devoted teacher, mother, daughter, wife, aunt, and friend to all whose lives she touched.

She returned to work, did her best to handle all the roles placed on her shoulders, educator, COVID security guard, human shield, firefighter, social worker, nurse, and caregiver. But the workload weakened her and the virus took hold."

And joining me now is the author of that mock obituary, Whitney Reddick. Thank you so much for talking with us.

WHITNEY REDDICK, SPEECH EDUCATION TEACHER: Thank you for having me.

CHURCH: Now you wrote that mock obituary to protest plans to reopen schools. Why did you decide that that was the best way to get your point across?

REDDICK: So, I was planning on reading it at a school board meeting on a Tuesday night, so one day I didn't know what I was going to speak, to say, what comment I was going to make. And I was reading the news, and I saw that some teachers in a state wrote obituaries to their governor. And at first, I said that's very morbid. And OK. I understand your point and I stand behind you. I just thought it was a little extreme.

And the more that it went on and I couldn't sleep, and I was folding laundry, I just, it really weighed heavy on my heart. And then I just got really sad and I wanted that to portray to our school board and our superintendent and our governor, whenever I read it at the meeting, unfortunately I didn't get a chance to read it. But the news station came out the next day, the local news, and then that's where it kind of took off.

CHURCH: You have also said that used to come to the ignorance of those in power. What did you mean by that?

REDDICK: I think that it is a very bad choice to send students and everyone who works at a school, or, you know, that from the time that a student gets on a bus until they go home, those staff you're putting them in grave danger. And to me, it's very ignorant to send people ill-prepared into a hazard. CHURCH: So why do you think they are doing it?

REDDICK: That's a great question. I'm going to assume money, because our governor in Florida said that if schools did not open five days a week with an in person learning option, that he would cut, he would take their funding.

CHURCH: So, since you wrote your mock obituary, your activism has resulted in some positive changes at your school and elsewhere. What -- what all got changed?

REDDICK: This past Thursday, teachers who applied to teach virtually are able to stay at home, where that was not an option, which kind of upsets me because I would have applied to be a virtual teacher. At the time when they put out applications, you still had to go into a school building, which we couldn't teach from the safety of home.

But I'm so happy that the teachers that are going to teach virtual are able to do it from the safety of their house. In Florida, we have a lawsuit against the state, the educator's union does, and the state attempted to dismiss it on Friday and the judge did not accept, if that's the correct verbiage, their motion for dismissal.

So that's another huge win because it does -- it does show the governor that he can't, you know, just make an order that you're going to -- executive order that you're going to take funding.

CHURCH: Right. And so now that we are seeing more schools closing in Georgia and elsewhere due to COVID-19 infections, no doubt you feel inclined to say I told you so. What do you want to see happen next with schools in your state and elsewhere as they tackle this decision about what to do when it comes to kids' education?

REDDICK: Yes. I can't imagine how being, that's not an easy thing to say. You know, that I think that a 100 percent virtual start is where we should be until it is safe, until our numbers have decreased to lower than 5 percent, until there is some kind of transparency between our health department and our school board, those decisions that are made, until there is transparency and much lower numbers, it is not safe to start in person.

[03:35:10]

CHURCH: All right, we will leave it there. Whitney Reddick, thank you so much for joining us. We do appreciate it.

REDDICK: No problem. Thank you.

CHURCH: Thank you.

And it's not just the United States that's seeing the school debate rage on. In Scotland, students and teachers have just now started heading back to the classroom.

And our Max Foster was there to see how it all worked, and he joins me now live from London. Good to see you, max. So how did it all go? What are people saying?

MAX FOSTER, CNN LONDON CORRESPONDENT: Well, all eyes really are on Scotland right now as one of the first areas of the U.K., and indeed, Europe to open up its schools. Also, an interesting example because while they had a low infection rate, or they've have had a low infection rate of the virus, they've had quite a high death rate.

So, it's interesting on two levels. We are looking to see what sort of methods they are using to reopen the schools, but also whether or not it leads to another spike.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

FOSTER: The first day of school is always emotional, but after months of lockdown, the reopening of St. Ninian's primary in Berwick, Scotland is a new experience for everyone.

LESLEY MCCABE, HEAD TEACHER, ST. NINIAN'S PRIMARY SCHOOL: This is the first time that we put boys and girls in the school for five months.

FOSTER: Inside, a lesson on how to navigate the school's one-way system, just one of the many COVID safety measures children and staff are now getting to grips with.

So, students arranging bubbles, pretty much confined to classrooms as well, at least compared to before, right? This is one of yours. The seats are all facing one direction. They have to stick to their own stationary packs. And they are eating in here as well at lunch?

MCCABE: Absolutely. Our priority is to keep the children safe. The teachers will be teaching at the front of the classroom. The children will not be collaborating in groups anymore. They will be working in peers with their shoulder partners.

FOSTER: I can't see anyone with masks. But what's the rule on that?

MCCABE: There is no need for anyone to be wearing mask, but should an adult be supporting a child with the learning or an individual if they are going to be working beyond 15 minutes, then they should be wearing a mask.

FOSTER: It's not clear what happens if a child or teacher tests positive for the virus. The school says it will take government advice on whether to send that person home, or the whole bubble, or indeed the whole school. Father of five, Raymond Carroll isn't concerned. He says his boys are desperate for some routine.

What were your kids get out of coming back to school?

RAYMOND CARROLL, FATHER AT ST. NINIAN'S PRIMARY SCHOOL: Structure. Structure. That's that. Everything they do is around a structure. And over the past few months it's been very difficult to maintain that structure.

FOSTER: Home schooling, how was that?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Not good.

FOSTER: No. So, you were quite keen to come back? It's not always children say they are desperate to go to school. Lots of people are now. Aren't they?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes, but before they didn't really like school.

FOSTER: Are you guys excited?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Yes.

FOSTER: Why?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Because we are going back to school.

FOSTER: So, you are looking forward to school. Did you ever think you'd say that?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: No, I never thought I would say that.

FOSTER: Teachers here say they are also excited about being back, and they feel safe. Though teaching unions say that isn't the case in all schools.

MCCABE: Teachers and staff may need to adapt to this new way of life, and they are ready for the challenges ahead. They're excited by them, but they will always be very cautious.

FOSTER: Each district, each country has its own system for reopening schools. All eyes on Scotland, though, as one of the first to be tested in this part of the world.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

FOSTER: Worth noting that schools can only really control what's happening on their own grounds as a contradiction here, because those bubbles that are being kept deliberately separate within school are mixing up on the school buses transporting these people into school. So that's one issue. And also, there is big row breaking out here about what happened last serving (Ph) schools.

Of course, exams couldn't take place in England, Wales, and Scotland and in many other parts of the world. And they've used an algorithm to try to assess people's results. And thus, many of the colleges are pretty unhappy with the results of that. So that's really blown up here in Scotland. They've already had to go with what teachers predicted in terms of results. And Deutsch algorithm is a huge issue. We are learning all of these things for the first time of course, Rosemary.

CHURCH: Yes, we are. And you know, it's interesting how quickly with just a mask. Now when I look at all the pictures and your story now, I find it quite jarring not seeing anyone wear a mask. But you know, everyone is trying it their own separate way, and we'll see what happens.

Max Foster, many thanks bringing us that report from London. I appreciate it.

Well, in Japan, coronavirus cases are climbing, and the economy is contracting. The Japanese GDP now in historically bad territory. We'll take a look at that.

[03:40:00]

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

CHURCH: There is dismal economic news coming out of Japan. The country's economy suffered its biggest contraction on record in the second quarter. GDP shrank by nearly 28 percent when annualized, slightly higher than what was expected. And this is Japan's third straight quarter of contraction.

For more on this, let's bring in Kaori Enjoji joining us from Tokyo. Good to see you, Kaori. So, like other countries of course, Japan is suffering in the midst of this pandemic. And now, these GDP numbers put it deeper into recession. How is the government responding to this?

KAORI ENJOJI, JOURNALIST: Rosemary, we should be used to this by now given the record lows in GDP that we've seen from countries like the U.S., U.K., many other countries across the world. But when you see it in black and white, you see how catastrophic the virus has been for a country like Japan.

A 7.8 percent contraction quarter on quarter has never been seen before since records started in 1980. And I think when I talk to economists, in particular, those who have been watching the Abenomics story, the economic stimulus that this prime minister has tried to embark on over the last eight years or so, they question how strong any kind of recovery is going to be.

One of course is something beyond his control, which is of course this pandemic and the new cases that have been hitting Japan since mid-July in particular are worrying. But on top of that, you have the global trade situation, which is slowly starting to come back. But people wonder whether that really can be continued to be the engine for growth for Japan as it has been in the past.

I mean, just to put things into perspective, the size of the economy here in Japan is now exactly where it was after the March 11th earthquake and nuclear disaster. So, in that sense, I think that puts it into perspective. But it basically wipes out all of the growth in the economy that we have seen since that period of time.

[03:45:02]

What's worrying going forward to me, Rosemary, is the fact that many of these stimulus measures that Prime Minister Abe and his government have adopted are going to expire at the end of September. These are mostly geared towards small and medium sized businesses which form the bulk of the Japanese economy.

So, most economists expect or hope to see some further action and stimulus from the prime minister, not to mention of course that there is a leadership issue as well. I mean, the prime minister went for a medical checkup today. And usually, that might not come across as anything new.

But the fact that it set off tongues and it raised the specter of possibility -- of a leadership change shows just how fragile his position is. So, I think that is -- that is one thing to focus on. And I think you also have to imagine that businesses are continuing to suffer because even though there is no more national emergency, people are afraid to go out.

There hasn't been as much PCR testing in Japan compared to neighbors like South Korea. That's making people nervous as well. So, I think, you know, these numbers are dismal. The rebound probably is going to happen this quarter, but probably not as robust as initially expected, Rosemary.

CHURCH: Yes. That's a lot of people on edge. Kaori Enjoji, many thanks. I appreciate it.

Well the governor of the U.S. State of South Dakota has turned down the U.S. president's executive offer to boost unemployment benefits. She says her state has already recovered 80 percent of its job losses.

President Trump announced last weekend that the federal government would provide the jobless with a $300 weekly payment. But states would be required to create a new payment system and not all Americans receiving unemployment benefits will qualify.

Four states, Arizona, Iowa, Louisiana, and New Mexico, have already been approved for the program.

Well months into the pandemic, some Americans are still waiting for unemployment checks.

CNN's Vanessa Yurkevich talks to one worker who finally got his, but it was too little too late.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DANIEL VOUGHT, WAITED FOUR MONTHS FOR UNEMPLOYMENT: I had negative $170 something in my bank account.

VANESSA YURKEVICH, CNN BUSINESS AND POLITICS CORRESPONDENT: For more than four months, Daniel Vought waited for unemployment after losing his bartending job in Washington, D.C. Last week, a debit card finally arrived, loaded with thousands of dollars in unemployment back pay.

When you look at that card, I mean, what do you think?

VOUGHT: I am just really apathetic about this country. I have seen and have a lot of opportunities to do the right thing and take the other option every time.

YURKEVICH: The damage is already done. He maxed out his credit card and says he got evicted by his roommates after he couldn't make rent. Now, he is living with his dad in the Bronx.

VOUGHT: If they had given me the money earlier, I wouldn't -- it wouldn't have been this big of a problem and the amount of money they gave me would have been fine. But now I have all these compounded problems.

YURKEVICH: The safety net failed Vought, and he is not alone. The pandemic has cost the U.S. nearly 13 million jobs, leaving Americans to face a system ill-equipped to handle the surge. The consequences are real. Without more government aid, up to 40 million Americans face eviction by the end of the year.

MICHELE EVERMORE, SENIOR POLICY ANALYST, NATIONAL EMPLOYMENT LAW PROJECT: Nobody pays attention to unemployment insurance when the unemployment rate is 3 or 4 percent. So, some states just sort of ignored their systems since the last recession to make it harder for people to get benefits.

YURKEVICH: Vanessa Yurkevich, CNN, New York.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CHURCH: Well some have called Joe Biden's wife Jill his greatest political asset. A closer look at their decades-long relationship as we move closer to the November election.

Back in just a moment.

[03:50:00]

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

CHURCH: Joe Biden's wife, Jill, will be supporting him at the Democratic National Convention this week. In fact, she has been by his side for decades, and many important roles as a wife, mother, campaigner, and protector.

Here is CNN's Kate Bennett.

KATE BENNETH, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Jill Biden has given speeches that the Democratic National Convention before, but this time, circumstances are different. And there is a lot more on the line.

When Jill Biden takes the stage Tuesday for her primetime Democratic convention speech, it will be the latest in a long line of remarks from a seasoned political spouse, school teacher and Ph.D. earner. Only this time for Biden the stakes are even higher.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JILL BIDEN, JOE BIDEN'S WIFE: I've never felt this kind of urgency before. People have been coming up to me for months and saying, Joe has got to win, Joe has got to win. I mean, people seem like they're just, they feel the division and the hatred and the bigotry that's in this country right now. And I think that people are exhausted by it.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BENNETH: After four decades of marriage, the Bidens present a united front.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JOE BIDEN (D), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: My name is Joe Biden. I'm Jill Biden's husband.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BENNETH: Jill Jacobs married then Senator Joe Biden in 1977. Five years after his first wife and baby daughter were tragically killed in a car accident. Jill quickly took on the additional role of mother to Biden's two young sons.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JILL BIDEN: We dated two years, actually, with Beau and Hunter. We went on dates together. We ate dinner together. We went on vacations together. And we actually all got married together and Beau and Hunt were on the altar.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BENNETH: The couple had a daughter together, Ashley, now 39. Biden credits Jill for giving him a new chance at family. Something Biden's late son Beau once said.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BEAU BIDEN, JOE BIDEN'S SON: It's not just my dad that rebuilt our family. It's my mother.

(APPLAUSE)

B. BIDEN: Because they together truly rebuilt our family.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BENNETH: But Jill Biden has a tough side as well. It was she who jumped up to protect her husband after two women tried to rush the stage at an event in March.

[03:55:00]

An advocate for education, women's health and military families, Biden worked closely with her friend and former First Lady Michelle Obama on those issues during the year she served as second lady, while also keeping her day job teaching.

And Biden recently announced she intends to keep that job if she becomes first lady, working at a community college near Washington, D.C., which would be another first of its own.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) JILL BIDEN: I guess I hope they'll see that I have a sense of independence from my husband but I do support him. And I'm out there working for that.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BENNETH: She is certainly is out there working for him as one of his most vocal supporters.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JILL BIDEN: This is how we've always done things. I've campaigned in every election. I take one, you know, I go one way, he goes the other way so we can cover more ground and talk to more people. And it's, you know, he's always supported my career.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BENNETH: Friends and colleagues say Jill Biden is supportive, loyal, and has a fun streak. And no doubt, she will continue to push to the finish line this November.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JILL BIDEN: I have always said that I thought Joe would be the best president and I've always supported him. And I know where his heart is, I know his values. And I think he's in such direct contrast to what we have now with President Trump.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BENNETH: Jill Biden will give that speech from a classroom at a high school in Delaware. Like most things with the convention this year, it's a little bit different than times past.

Back to you.

CHURCH: Thanks for that report. And thank you for watching us. I'm Rosemary Church. I'll be right back with another hour of news in just a moment. Do stay with us.

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END