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Shinzo Abe Stepping Down; President Trump's Second Term Vision; GOP Ignores Outrage from Protesters; Players Fed Up of Relentless Shootings; Pro Sports Team Boycott Games for Second Straight Night; Kenosha Shooting Suspect Set for Court Appearance; Impact of Racial Unrest and the 2020 Election; Woman Describes Coming to Aid of Shooting Victim; Hurricane Laura's Path of Destruction; COVID-19 Testing Controversy in the United States; North Dakota Claims Highest Per Capita Rate of New Cases. Aired 3-4a ET

Aired August 28, 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)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: This is CNN breaking news.

ROBYN CURNOW, CNN ANCHOR: Hi. Welcome to our viewers here in the United States and all around the world. I am Robyn Curnow.

And we begin with this breaking news. Just as Donald Trump makes his pitch for four more years as U.S. president, another world leader is leaving his post. Japanese public broadcaster NHK reports Prime Minister Shinzo Abe is preparing to resign citing health reasons.

The long serving leader is expected to hold a news conference in about an hour's time. He has fought colitis, which is an inflammatory bowel disease for many years now. Two recent hospital visits prompted speculation about his future.

Well, Mr. Abe's term was set to expire in September of next year.

Well, let's go straight to Tokyo. Jeffrey Kingston is the director of Asian studies at Temple University in Japan. And he joins us now. Hi, sir. What is your reaction to this news? Are you surprised?

JEFFREY KINGSTON, DIRECTOR OF ASIAN STUDIES, TEMPLE UNIVERSITY: Well, not that surprised. Actually, I was talking to a friend this morning, and I was predicting that he would probably resign. He's been looking pretty haggard over the last two months. And you know, his ratings have sunk, people don't really credit him with a successful pandemic response. There has been gathering political scandals.

So, yes, I think that you know, everything was sort of piling up on them. And you know, he's had a bad health in the past with three exams he's had since June fuel that speculation.

CURNOW: And give us a sense of his global legacy, I mean, he is Japan's longest serving prime minister. What are some of the benefits and the legacy that he has left behind or will leave behind if he resigns?

KINGSTON: Yes, I think he's probably going to be remembered as the longest serving prime minister. But, really, he promised a great deal and didn't deliver a lot. Abenomics basically has been fading, households aren't feeling the love. There have been an increase in equality and the job expansion has been mostly a non-regular employment.

On the diplomatic side, no headway on territorial disputes with Russia, South Korea, or China. On the plus side, he's been a strong advocate for free trade. He sealed a deal at the European Union and also can revive the TPP, that Trump pulled the plug on.

So, that says perhaps his greatest national contribution will be in supporting free trade. But domestically I think pretty much he has missed it. He promised structural reforms, never followed through. He promised to make women shine, and that just hasn't happened.

Really, his pandemic response has not been very effective, and people blame him for that. And they didn't really feel much empathy from him. And so, I think perhaps all that lead him to decide time to go. He'll hand it over to somebody else.

[03:04:58]

CURNOW: OK. Great to have your perspective. Thank you very much. Jeffrey Kingston there. We appreciate. Thank you for joining us.

So, journalist Kaori Enjoji joins us now, also from Tokyo with the latest. I know you have been following this, and the suggestion that he may resign. What can we expect in the next hour or so?

KAORI ENJOJI, JOURNALIST: Robyn, the prime minister, Shinzo Abe will address the nation in an hours' time. Just as Friday evening is closing here. And this was a widely expected address, but this is surprising in a sense that we are now expecting the prime minister to announce his resignation.

Speculation has been swirling about a possible resignation for the last week two weeks. Because during that time, the prime minister has visited the hospital twice. And it was a flashback to his first term as prime minister when he abruptly resigned, citing health reasons. He was very cryptic when he came out of that hospital visit. And said this as he was walking into his office. Take a listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SHINZO ABE, JAPANESE PRIME MINISTER (through translator): I underwent a medical examination to make sure my health was in good shape. And now I am ready to get back to work and do my best.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ENJOJI: So, base on those comments and comments from some of his allies within the Liberal Democratic Party, there was some relief that perhaps you would soldier on. But now the expectation is that he will leave office as the longest serving prime minister Japan has ever seen in consecutive terms 2,799 days.

But as Jeff Kingston and other political analysts have been saying, he leaves behind a very mixed legacy. Just from the beginning of this year, he has come under fire for his handling of the pandemic, a slow response and now we are in the midst of a second wave here in Japan. And of course, the postponement of the Olympics, Robyn.

CURNOW: And also, how are the markets reacting? Give us a sense of the numbers?

ENJOJI: Well, initially when this news broke the equity market tanked about 600 points but it has recovered somewhat since then. But it has fallen. We also saw weakening in the yen, which goes to show how abrupt or how unexpected this was for institutional investors.

But having said that, the market has already closed in terms of Tokyo trading today. I think everyone wants to know the reasons for his resignation and what kind of succession place he has. Because the LDP has a stronghold here, and what kind of succession is in place will really characterize whether or not the policies here can be -- can go forward at a time when there is an economic and health emergency. And whether we can see continuation and policy, or whether or not we can see more credible policies in dealing with this pandemic and this deep recession that Japan is mired in. Robyn?

CURNOW: And we will indeed keep on checking in with you there in Tokyo. Kaori Enjoji, thank you so much for talking to us.

So, I want to take you now to the Republican National Convention. Donald Trump is hoping to win over American voters with the vision of the country as he sees it. But that vision is not always in keeping with reality.

In accepting his party's nomination on Thursday night, the president pledged to cut taxes, create 10 million jobs in the next 10 months, and hire more police officers. Law and order was the central theme of his Republican convention speech as protests for social justice continue to grip the country.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA: When there is police misconduct, the justice system must hold wrongdoers fully and completely accountable, and it will. But when we can never have a situation where things are going on as they are today, we must never allow mob rule. We can never allow mob rule.

(APPLAUSE)

TRUMP: In the strongest possible terms, the Republican Party condemns the rioting, looting, arson, and violence we have seen in Democrat run cities like Kenosha, Minneapolis, Portland, Chicago, and New York.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CURNOW: Well critics call the White House setting a blatant use of presidential power for political purposes. Mr. Trump launched a blistering attack on his opponent as well saying no one would be safe in Joe Biden's America. And he falsely claimed Democrats would, quote, "demolished the suburbs and confiscate your guns." Take a listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

TRUMP: Biden's record is a shameful rollcall of the most catastrophic betrayals and blunders in our lifetime.

(APPLAUSE)

TRUMP: He has spent his entire career in the wrong side of history, Biden is a Trojan horse for socialism. If Joe Biden doesn't have the strength to stand up to wild eyed Marxists like Bernie Sanders and his fellow radicals, and there are many, there are many, many. We see them all the time, it's incredible actually. Then how is he ever going to stand up for you?

[03:09:58]

Joe Biden is weak. He takes his marching orders from liberal hypocrites who drive their cities into the ground while fleeing far from the scene of the wreckage.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CURNOW: Well, Mr. Trump delivered his speech to a crowd of about 1,500 tightly packed supporters, as you can see here, most of them were without masks. One senior official actually dismissed coronavirus concerns saying, quote, "everybody is going to catch this thing eventually."

Now despite 180,000 American deaths, the president claims success in fighting the pandemic.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

TRUMP: In recent months, our nation and the entire planet has been struck by a new and powerful invisible enemy. Like those brave Americans before us, we are meeting this challenge, we are delivering like saving therapies, and we'll produce a vaccine before the end of the year, or maybe even sooner.

(APPLAUSE)

TRUMP: We will defeat the virus and the pandemic and emerge stronger than ever before.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CURNOW: Scott Jennings is a CNN political commentator and former special assistant to George W. Bush, and he joins me now from Louisville, Kentucky. Also, Basil Smikle is a Democratic strategist and former executive director of the New York State Democratic Party and he joins me from New York.

Gentlemen, great to see you. Scott, to you first. What's your reaction to the speech, a very long speech, it must be said?

SCOTT JENNINGS, CNN POLITICAL COMMENTATOR: Yes, it was too long. I mean, the speech has some good lines, and some good riffs and themes. But a lot of the most powerful parts I thought were diluted by some of the more meandering parts that really should have been left on the cutting room floor.

CURNOW: That's interesting. Basil, what are your thoughts on that?

BASIL SMIKLE, DEMOCRATIC STRATEGIST: You know, I actually agree. I think that the speech was very long, and for the -- for having a convention when you've got a 1,000 people outside of the South Lawn of the White House, you would expect a little more energy, a little bit more (Inaudible)particularly right at the end. But you didn't get that.

I think he hit the marks he needed to get, dramatically, contextually. But I don't know if the speech was the sort of rousing speech that you would expect for convention speech of this nature.

CURNOW: Yes. I mean, Scott, from your point of view, what are the marks that he needed to hit? And is that very much in part, you know, of the narrative that we've seen over the past four days? I mean, it certainly seems to be this law an order narrative that thread through a lot of this. Was that the standout theme for you? Was there something else?

JENNINGS: No, I think that law an order theme is exactly where the Republicans are headed. That their argument will be that the Democrats simply are too weak to stand up to the anarchists who are burning American cities and I'll take care of it.

I also thought they set up some interesting contrast on other sort of domestic policy items, particularly on taxes and other economic matters. So, my anticipation for the fall campaign is that public safety and I'll get us back to the economy we had, they'll plunges further into economic chaos. That's going to be the Republican message, and that's what they set up with the convention.

CURNOW: But in many ways, and I mean, this is Mr. Biden, Joe Biden is coming out and saying as many ways a hypocritical argument. Because a lot of the -- you know, the protests and the riots we're seeing the unsafety that we're seeing being painted by the Trump administration on the streets is playing out in his administration. And you know, there is a disconnect between those words and what's actually happening in the streets during his presidency.

JENNINGS: Yes. Well the Trump administration would say these things are happening in states with Democratic mayors and Democratic governors. And the Trump administration has also sent in federal troops into certain areas to try to arrest people who were trying to burn down federal court houses and are attacking innocent bystanders.

So, I think the point that the Republicans are trying to make is where you have weak Democrats and local government, they are not handling the situation. CURNOW: Basil, on that point, is there a chance, is there a concern

by Democrats that these protests genuine as they are, are perhaps playing into Mr. Trump's narrative?

SMIKLE: I mean, it's a great question, and I would answer that just by saying that the country -- the country's view of the protesters and why they're protesting I think has shifted considerably certainly within the last two years.

You know, our national pastimes, whether it be baseball, or basketball, you know, you have athletes now canceling playoff games. Teams canceling playoff games, and working with both the players association and the league leaders to do this in solidarity over the issue of racial unrest and social justice.

[03:15:07]

So, we are long past the taking of the knee.

CURNOW: I just want to continue that conversation, because what we've also seen and it was fascinating to see just how many African-American men came out and told stories or gave testimonials in the past few days.

Even just the cutaway pictures in the White House today, try to reflect a multicultural diverse audience listening to President Trump.

I mean, Basil, from your point of view, there seems to be some sort of outreach or at least a veneer of multiculturalism and non-racialism. Who is the president targeting there? A small group of African- American voters perhaps in key states? Or those white voters who feel uncomfortable with the racist undertones of some of this administration.

SMIKLE: Well, you can paint me as a little bit cynical, because I think the majority of that outreach is meant. That some of it that's genuine in terms of winning some African-American support, but I think a lot of it goes toward assuaging concerns among white voters that he isn't doing enough to reach across racial and ethnic -- into racial and ethnic constituencies.

Because whether you're a Democrat or Republican, no matter who you are as a leader, you acknowledge there's some diversity and want at least your leader to make an effort to engage the diverse, you know, diverse constituencies.

CURNOW: So, just finally for both of you, you know, out of 10 perhaps, how would you rate the last few days?

SMIKLE: I'll let Scott go first.

JENNINGS: Well, I will say, I'll give you a broad answer. I think both parties given the circumstances, did a fine job putting on conventions under a really weird circumstance. So good job to both parties. This Republican convention exceeded all of my expectations. Most of the speakers -- with a few exceptions, I thought really did a nice job and belong and had compelling stories. So, I'm going to give it a 9 out of 10. And I'll take off one take for the president's too long speech tonight.

CURNOW: OK.

SMIKLE: You know, I'll actually agree with that too. I think for each of their constituencies, they hit really high marks. I was actually pleasantly surprised, I didn't think the Democrats were going to have the kind of convention they had, and you have a lot of Democrats saying we don't want to go back to the old convention. We kind of like this set up which was presently surprising.

So, I'll give them, you know, a 10 for that, and for the Republicans I think, I think Donald Trump and the Republicans did exactly what they needed to do for their own constituency. I'll take off more than a half point, I'll take off a full point for a fully long speech, a fully speech, way too long. Way too long. And on the South Lawn at that, like who does that? But he does that.

CURNOW: Yes. And again, the imagery also and other, you know, another indication --

(CROSSTALK)

SMIKLE: It's important.

CURNOW: -- of how this president has certainly bunked tradition. To you both, to Basil and to Scott, thank you for your expertise. Thanks very much, gentlemen.

JENNINGS: Thank you, Robyn.

SMIKLE: Thank you.

CURNOW: So still ahead, more news. A 17-year-old is facing multiple charges related to a fatal shooting after those protest in Wisconsin. What his social media footprint is revealing. That is next.

[03:20:00]

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

CURNOW: Welcome back. I'm Robyn Curnow live from the CNN center.

So, U.S. President Donald Trump did not talk about the police shooting of another black man, Jacob Blake in his speech to the Republican convention on Thursday night. He didn't mention Tuesday's fatal shooting of protesters at a demonstration in Wisconsin either. He just pounded his theme of law and order and pointed his finger at Democrats. Take a listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

TRUMP: There is violence and danger in the streets of many Democrat- run cities throughout America. This problem could easily be fixed if they wanted to. We must always have law and order. All federal crimes are being investigated, prosecuted, and punished to the fullest extent of the law.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CURNOW: But rival Joe Biden did talk about Jacob Blake shooting and the Kenosha protests later on -- earlier on CNN. And he had a point to make about President Trump as well.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JOE BIDEN (D), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: These guys are rooting for violence, that's what it's all about. To prove that you should be scared and Joe Biden to point out what's happening in Donald Trump's in America. You know I made it very clear in the beginning, that there is no place for violence, or looting or burning.

And when I spoke with Jacob Blake's mother, Julia, you played her on the air, she said, that's not who we are. That's not who are family is. That's not who Jacob is. Don't do it. And so, you know, he continues to root for violence.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CURNOW: Well, Jacob Blake, we know, remains in hospital. And even though he has partially paralyzed his family says, he has been kept handcuffed to his bed.

Here is Omar Jimenez about -- but there is a warning here, some of these images are disturbing. Omar?

OMAR JIMENEZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT: There are seven shots now heard throughout the world, as people from politicians, to athletes are fed up with what's now become an all too familiar story. The NBA is now set to resume play later this week after postponing their playoffs for days, in solidarity with Jacob Blake. The WNBA joining the NBA in postponing games that were set to be played tonight. And several NFL teams cancelling their practices today to show support.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

CHRIS WEBBER, FORMER NBA STAR: It felt helpless. It felt like they wanted to do something. It felt like they weren't a part of it. They are being protected from what everyone else in the world are seeing.

And so, I think, the fact that you had everyone on the campus, you know, it has to be the perfect storm as the pandemic, it's a bubble.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

JIMENEZ: But in Kenosha, a community has been dealing with pain and even violence on an almost nightly basis since Blake was shot. Wednesday, police arrested 17-year-ld Kyle Rittenhouse and charged him with first-degree intentional homicide. After a night where two were killed and a third was injured.

His social media portrays him as someone who loved guns, police, and the president. (BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: This president gets it done.

(APPLAUSE)

(END VIDEO CLIP)

[03:25:01]

JIMENEZ: Even posting a Tik Tok from one of President Trump's Iowa rallies in January. It's not clear if that or support for blue lives matter played into his alleged actions. A post to a SnapChat account believed to belong to Rittenhouse, appears to show him on Tuesday with a rifle near the scene of the protests.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Hey, do right here to stop those.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

JIMENEZ: While law enforcement hasn't confirmed the man seen here in this video is actually Rittenhouse. Within a minute of this man firing his weapon in Kenosha, he is seen walking towards police with his hands up as onlookers continue to yell --

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: That dude shot someone, that dude right here, right here.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

JIMENEZ: A law enforcement moves on. Thursday, nearly all of the local leadership held a press conference, but didn't add any major new details and shuffled out without taking a single question.

That shooting come three nights after Jacob Blake was shot seven times in the back by a Kenosha police officer, Rusten Sheskey, a seven-year veteran with the department.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JOSH KAUL, WISCONSIN ATTORNEY GENERAL: All involved police officers are fully cooperating with DCI during the investigation. And the involved officers have been placed on administrative leave. As I've said, this is an ongoing investigation.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

JIMENEZ: The Wisconsin Department of Justice releasing new details about the initial call for officers Sunday that a woman claimed her boyfriend was there when he wasn't supposed to be and wouldn't leave.

(BEGIN VOICE CLIP) UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Complainant says Jacob Blake isn't supposed to

be there and he took the complainant's keys and is refusing to give them back.

(END VOICE CLIP)

JIMENEZ: Not long after that is when officers arrived on the scene. Investigators say Jacob Blake admitted to having a knife in his possession but would not say when exactly he had it. A knife was recovered from the floorboard on the driver side of the vehicle, but it was unclear if officers were aware of it at the time.

Previously, attorneys for the Blake family said he had no weapon in the car and pose no threat. And Kyle Rittenhouse, a 17-year-old accused of shooting people in the streets of Kenosha is now facing five felony charges. Among them, one count of first-degree intentional homicide, and one count of first-degree reckless homicide.

Of course, tied to the two people that were killed Tuesday night. And according to the criminal complaint filed, he actually was on the phone and told someone on the phone that I just killed someone after allegedly shooting the first person. Rittenhouse is expected to be in court Friday morning.

Omar Jimenez, CNN, Kenosha, Wisconsin.

CURNOW: Thanks, Omar, for that. So as some athletes take a stand over the Jacob Blake shooting, President Trump and other White House officials are attacking the NBA for their decision to sit out several playoff games.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

TRUMP: They've become like a political organization. And that's not a good thing. I don't think that's a good thing for sports or for the country.

JARED KUSHNER, SENIOR ADVISOR TO THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: I think that the NBA players are very fortunate that they have the financial position where they are able to take a night off from work.

MARC SHORT, CHIEF OF STAFF TO VICE PRESIDENT MIKE PENCE: In my mind, it's absurd and silly.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CURNOW: Christine Brennan is a CNN sports analyst and USA Today sports columnist and joins me now from Washington. Christine, wonderful to see you. I do want to get your take on how powerful the messages that we are seeing right now.

CHRISTINE BRENNAN, CNN SPORTS ANALYST: This is historic, Robyn. I can safely say that we have never seen a day or two like this in the history of the United States sports where all the pro leagues basically have shut down in protest. Trying to give voice to the voiceless. Trying to help out their communities, obviously, it's the Blake shooting. This time another unarmed black man shot by the police.

George Floyd of course a few months ago, Breonna Taylor sadly, on and on the list goes. And these are being spoken up time and time again, but this is different. They shut down their sports. They boycotted, they went on strike, whatever word you want to use. And they did it in a unified fashion.

The NBA, the WNBA, and then coming along right after Women's Tennis, Major League Baseball, finally the National Hockey League. It is a remarkable day or two in U.S. sports history to have this kind of social protest, all coordinated, uniform across the board. I've never seen anything like it.

CURNOW: How much bigger does it get?

BRENNAN: That's a -- that's a great question. I think the athletes by going back to play, which they plan to over the next few days by starting up their games again, and of course, keep in mind, the NBA it was the playoffs. This is -- this is what you live for as an athlete, and they literally stopped.

The Milwaukee started this, 40 miles from Kenosha, Wisconsin. So, that made sense. The Milwaukee Bucks of the NBA would be the first team to do this and to lead the way. But now that they are actually going to go back and play, I think their platform actually will be stronger.

If they had shut down their leagues for the rest of the year which, you know, some people talked about it didn't seem feasible. I actually think they might -- their voice might have waned, Robyn, over the next week or two.

[03:30:00]

We always kind of just move on to the next thing.

And this way they are front and center, they have got their platform that huge platform, sports in America, professional sports, and they've got their voice, and they have everyone listening. And I think it is one of those most wonderful moments where sports take us to important national, or international conversation that we otherwise wouldn't be having. That is certainly the case.

ROBYN CURNOW, CNN ANCHOR: So, what you are saying is that what they've done is pretty much a strategic strike here. Why, in many ways has the NBA being ahead of the game, excused of sport spun, but why are their players in many ways felt more empowered than others in terms of leading the way? When it comes to social justice.

BRENNAN: Simply, they are a majority black lead. And I hate to make it that simple, but I think that is where it starts. These are men who come from these communities. They have lived this life. They have been stopped by the police. They, their brothers, or their cousins, or a friend, their colleagues, they know the stories of these men who have been, you know, obviously the victims of police brutality.

And same at the WNBA, again, majority black lead. I truly think that's it. I also think that the leadership of the NBA, Adam Silver, the commissioner, is by far the most progressive of any of the top American sports leagues. And so there is a friendly voice there, there is a smart voice, they are ahead of the game. The NBA gets it, they understand their role.

CURNOW: OK. Thank you so much for that. Christine Brennan, always good to speak to you and get your expertise. Thanks Christine, have a lovely day.

BRENNAN: Thank you, Robyn.

CURNOW: So, stay with us, more coverage of the crisis in America, urgent calls for racial justice after the latest police shooting of a black man. What will it mean for police reform? We will discuss that in just a moment. We are watching CNN, stay with us.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[03:35:00]

CURNOW: Welcome back to our viewers here in the U.S., and around the world, I am Robyn Curnow. You're watching CNN Newsroom, live, from the CNN Center here in Atlanta. It is 35 minutes past the hour.

So, in the U.S., the suspect in Tuesday's fatal shooting in Kenosha Wisconsin is set to appear in court on Friday morning to face extradition back to the city. 17 year old Kyle Rittenhouse, faces several charges, including first degree intentional homicide.

Now as activists are pushing for charges against the white police officer who shot a black man in the back, sparking the protests. Jacob Blake is hospitalized, with multiple injuries.

CNN contributor, Andrew Yang, a former Democratic presidential candidate, told CNN's Erin Burnett, who spoke with Blake's father.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ANDREW YANG, CNN POLITICAL COMMENTATOR: It was heartbreaking Erin, where Jacob Blake's father said that he was glad to see his son awake, but that his son's first question, or first words to him were, daddy, why did they shoot me so many times?

And he described that he remembered being shot five times, and he didn't remember the 6th and 7th, because he must have gone into shock, or lost consciousness. And he also described how his son is handcuffed to the bed, and was very angry at that. His father actually used the word chains, Erin. He said, why is my son chained up? And there's obviously no reasonable explanation for why someone who is paralyzed from the waist down would have handcuffs on.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CURNOW: Angela Rye is a CNN contributor and host of On One With Angela Rye podcast. She is also the former executive Director of the Congressional Black Caucus. And she joins me now from Los Angeles. Angela, hi. What impact could this shooting and these protests have on the election?

ANGELA RYE, CNN POLITICAL COMMENTATOR: Well, I think quite a bit. You know, the country has been reeling. The United States, really, the world, there had been protest all over the world since the killing of George Floyd. And what we are now seeing, with the aftermath of Jacob Blake, is the fact that it is not one and done. There have been so many murderous. And this one, in attempted murder, where this man, Jacob Blake has lived, to tell his story.

Today, when speaking with his father, the question he asked him is, daddy, why did they shoot me so many times? This man almost lost his life. Seven bullets later, all in front of his three children and now he is paralyzed from the waist down.

And I think what we have to understand is that the humanity of black people, in ways, unseen before, is being just broadcast before our eyes, now, thanks to social media and cameras on phones. And so the questions we really have to begin asking is, how many more, how much longer, and when will justice be served?

CURNOW: Jacob Blake's family say that he is handcuffed to his hospital bed, even though he was paralyzed. What is your reaction to that? What does that say to you?

RYE: I think that Jacob Blake, given the fact that he was shot before his three children, and we still don't know what the alleged crime was, has already paid his sentence. This is quite a sentence. I don't know what could have been the crime. Bu I know it certainly, it wasn't almost risking his life -- worth of him risking his life. And it certainly wasn't worth them paralyzing him from the waist down.

So, I think it is inhumane, it is cruel, and it demonstrates that this law enforcement agency and far too often, all over the country, not even train the same ways, not going through the same number of hours for training, it demonstrates that there has to be a new nationwide standard for policing and most importantly for protecting and serving all communities. Not just the ones that you are just subjectively afraid of.

CURNOW: The U.S. President has just made a speech and he talked about an unsafe America. He is running on a law and order message, saying that these protests, and I'm paraphrasing here, are a sign of violence, with extremism. How does the legitimate right to protest avoid becoming a pawn, or a device, used to justify the U.S. President's message? That Americans should be fearful?

RYE: Yes, and I think, you know, I'll be honest with you, I'm afraid. I've been afraid for four years while Donald Trump has been in the White House.

[03:40:03]

I was afraid before he was elected when he called Mexicans drug dealers and rapists. That was during his campaign. I was afraid, because I know he was stoking the worst fears of people among us who are afraid of losing power. They held on to power in treacherous and oppressive ways. And to even -- then the thought of even sharing power with people who look different than them, who live in different areas than them, who may think differently than them, scares them.

And I think those are the tactics that serve to divide the country and have not served as well at all for the last four years. We have to go in a different direction. Our very lives depend on it.

CURNOW: Angela Rye, always good to speak with you, Thanks so much for your perspective.

RYE: Thank you, it's a pleasure.

CURNOW: We are now going to hear from a woman who says she was at that Kenosha protest on Tuesday night when the shot rang out. And immediately went into action to help. Carol Badoni, a 20-year army veteran with first aid training. And she told CNN Erin Burnett that she performed CPR on one of the victims.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

CAROL BADONI, AIDED SHOOTING VICTIM: I had come down here because I wanted to see the peaceful protests. And, just in the matter of walking around, I ended up being and unsure then, when all of a sudden, I heard a hail of gunshots.

So, instead of running away from the gunshots, I decided to run towards the gunshots because I saw a person down, on the ground, to my left, one to my right. I wasn't trying to pick or choose, so I just ran to a particular person. He was faced down, there were so many people around him, screaming and hollering, I said, please, can you backup.

I turned him over so he was face up, and felt his pulse to see if I can feel a pulse. He had no pulse. So, I started doing CPR on him, hoping to get some sort of reaction or pulse, for him to breathe, he did not. His eyes were roll back into his head. It was the worst thing I think I've ever seen in my life.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CURNOW: The Wisconsin Attorney General says the community of Kenosha deserves a chance to heal, and is called for, quote, heavily armed vigilantes, arsonist and other opportunist who came to spark chaos to leave.

And Hurricane Laura has weakened and it is now a tropical depression, but that does not mean it is harmless. Far from it. We will show you some of the devastation. That is next.

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[03:45:00]

CURNOW: Laura has no weaken into a tropical depression after hitting Louisiana as a category four hurricane early on Thursday morning. Now the National Hurricane Center says the storm is moving through Arkansas on Friday, and could reach the Mid-Atlantic States on Saturday. Right now though, Louisiana and Texas are taking stock of the damage. Martin Savidge is on the ground and he shows us just how bad it is. Martin?

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

MARTIN SAVIDGE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Look, look, look. There's roof. The roof there. It's a full roof coming down. You can see it some on the ground there, just raining down here in Lake Charles.

Roaring a shore, a category four storm with sustained winds of 150 miles per hour, Hurricane Laura was the strongest storm to hit this portion of Louisiana and far eastern Texas in over a century.

Laura's powerful winds tearing across Lake Charles Louisiana, some 35 miles inland, causing widespread destruction, homes and buildings torn apart. Roofs, completely sheared off. Huge trees, snapped in half. And lamp posts and street signs, bent in half or completely torn from the ground.

This video, captured by one man who spoke to CNN after riding out Laura in his condo in Lake Charles.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I heard a big bang and that woke me up and I decided to go out and see what it is, and it was (inaudible). This is a lot worse than Rita.

SAVIDGE: Tonight, at least six storm related deaths had been reported, including a 14 year old girl. Louisiana Governor, John Bel Edwards, said at least four were due to trees falling on homes, a scary situation near Lake Charles, where a chemical fire at a plant sent huge plumes of smoke into the air, forcing officials to issue a shelter in place order to people living nearby. Meanwhile, rising waters continue to be a concern for many.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Water, still rising right now. But, at a very slow pace compared to Rita.

SAVIDGE: The storms knocked out power to hundreds of thousands of people in Louisiana and Texas. The Red Cross says more than 400 volunteers are now on the ground in both states. The National Guard is being deployed to help with cleanup in Lake Charles. In Texas, tornadoes are a major concern.

GOV. GREG ABBOTT (R-TX): There's powerful winds, knocking down very tall trees in Texas, as well as potential tornado activity. So, people in northeast Texas, still need to remain very vigilant right now.

SAVIDGE: One Texas meteorologist had a scary encounter with an electrical wire that was captured on video by CNN affiliate KSAT, in Orange, Texas.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Oh, that's not good.

SAVIDGE: Luckily, he wasn't hurt. But, the potential for dangerous, even deadly conditions is far from over. KEN GRAHAM, DIRECTOR, NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER: We aren't done yet.

So, anybody well inland, if you think this is just a coastal event that is not true. We are going to see even at 1:00 a.m. on Friday, so, tomorrow morning, still a tropical storm in Arkansas.

SAVIDGE: We were out in the storm all night long and it was brutal. You knew that there was a lot of damage being done, you just couldn't see it. But then, daylight proves it to be true. If you stayed and rode out this storm, you will never going to forget it. If you left, you are probably glad you did. Just know, the Lake Charles you come back to is not the same when you left and will likely be for quite some time.

Martin Savidge, CNN, Lake Charles, Louisiana.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

CURNOW: Thanks Martin for that. So, coming up, the U.S. had a massive COVID-19 testing problem since the beginning of the pandemic. And it still does as September approaches, see for yourself, next.

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[03:50:00]

CURNOW: A new CDC forecast is making a dire prediction for the U.S. it now says that the coronavirus death toll could exceed 200,000 people by September 19th. That is around three weeks' time.

So, Johns Hopkins University is reporting a little more over 180,000 deaths in the U.S. since the pandemic began. But all of this as the White House says the federal government will buy 150 million rapid COVID-19 tests by Abbot Laboratories.

Nick Watt explains why this could be a game changer and potentially save thousands of lives.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

NICK WATT, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: More than 180,000 lives now lost in America to this coronavirus, multiple times the estimated death toll of our last flu season. And the economic hurt? Another one million Americans filed for first time unemployment, last week.

Meanwhile, growing outrage after apparent White House pressure led to the CDC no longer saying asymptomatic people need a test after close contact with an infected person. The federal testing chief, denies there was pressure.

GOV. ANDREW CUOMO (D-NY): That is really bad advice. I believe it was political propaganda rather than public health advice.

MAYOR ERIC GARCETTI (D-LA): Often, it's those silent spreader that have done the most damage.

WATT: Today, this explanation from the White House. MARC SHORT, CNN POLITICAL COMMENTATOR: The guidance is so updated,

it's because there are continue to be backlogged to the system with the testing, particularly for people getting test or asymptomatic.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: What it speaks to is that something is not a secret to anyone, we don't really have enough testing at this point.

WATT: It is a secret President Trump continually tries to keep.

DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: We have the best testing in the world.

[03:55:04]

WATT: We might be about to actually get better testing. The FDA just granted emergency authorization for a 5-dollar 15 minute test. It could be used by tens of millions, say its makers. Nationally, we are doing better in this battle, major metrics moving in the right direction for now. But on the state level, right now record average new cases in Hawaii, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas and North Dakota which is leading the nation in new cases per capita, and pass 10,000 total.

GOV. DOUG BURGUM (R-ND): 56 percent of those have been asymptomatic, people who do not have symptoms can still be contagious in the sense that they can transmit this disease.

WATT: At least 21 new cases in North Dakota alone link to that defiantly un-distance stare just motorcycle rally in neighboring South Dakota.

Well if you (inaudible) some polling in 14 advance economy and they found that more than half of Americans think their government is doing a bad job handling this coronavirus pandemic. In Denmark, 95 percent of people think the government is doing a good job. The only people more disgruntled than Americans about how their leaders are approaching this are the British.

Nick Watt, CNN, Los Angeles.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

CURNOW: I'm Robyn Curnow, stay with us for more on our top story. Japanese Prime Minister, Shinzo Abe, says he is stepping down. And we expect to hear from him, in just a few moments. So, don't go away for that one.

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