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Trump Tweets, Wheeler Hits Back; The COVID Toll: Mexico, Brazil And Columbia; U.S. Open's First COVID Slam; Portland Mayor Criticizes President Trump; Trump to Visit Kenosha Amid Protests; U.S. Coronavirus Cases Nearing Six Million Cases. Aired 2-3a ET

Aired August 31, 2020 - 02:00   ET

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

[02:00:00]

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

ROSEMARY CHURCH, CNN HOST: Hello and welcome to our viewers joining us here in the United States and all around the world. You are watching "CNN Newsroom" and I'm Rosemary Church. Just ahead -

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

TED WHEELER, MAYOR OF PORTLAND, OREGON: It's you who have created the hate and the division. What America needs is for you to be stopped.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CHURCH: The mayor of Portland, Oregon delivers a scathing response to the U.S. President following another weekend of violence in his city.

Plus, Joe Biden and Donald Trump duel over race and violence, offering different versions of the future for America.

And India reaches another coronavirus milestone. How the country is responding to a rapidly rising case total.

Good to have you with us. So let's start with two American cities that are seeing protests and division this summer. Crowds in Portland, Oregon are gathering for another night of protests against social injustice. This a day after a man was fatally shot as demonstrators faced off with Trump supporters.

In Kenosha, Wisconsin, officials are extending a curfew ahead of a visit by President Donald Trump. The governor wants Mr. Trump to cancel his trip. Portland's mayor had strong words for the president as well.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

WHEELER: For four years we've had to live with you and your racist attacks on black people. Do you seriously wonder, Mr. President, why this is the first time in decades that America has seen this level of violence? It's you who have created the hate and the division. It's you who have not found a way to say the names of black people

killed by police officers, even as people in law enforcement have. And it's you who claimed that white supremacists are good people. Your campaign of fear is as anti-Democratic as anything you've done to create hate and vitreal in our beautiful country.

You've tried to divide us more than any other figure in modern history. And now you want me to stop the violence that you helped create. What America needs is for you to be stopped.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CHURCH: Mr. Trump responded with tweets hammering on the issue of law and order and insulting the mayor and his election rival Joe Biden. On Sunday, Biden warned, "We must not become a country at war with ourselves." He went on to say, "The temperature in the country is higher, tensions run stronger, divisions run deeper and all of us are less safe because Donald Trump can't do the job of the American president."

That will be the theme of Biden's campaign speech in Pittsburgh on Monday. And CNN's security correspondent Josh Campbell joins us now live from Portland.

[02:05:02]

So, Josh, talk to us about what the scene is right now on the streets there this hour and what more you're learning about the shooting victim and the circumstances leading up to his death.

JOSH CAMPBELL, CNN SECURITY CORRESPONDENT (via telephone): Hi, Rosemary. Tonight is much different than what we saw last night. It is mostly peaceful out tonight. There was one incident just a short time ago where we were outside of a police precinct where a number of demonstrators had gathered outside this police station here just outside of downtown Portland.

And there were a few people in the crowd that were throwing some type of projectiles at the police. The police came on the loud speaker and declared the entire gathering an unlawful assembly, warning that they were about to disperse the crowd using tear gas and other crowd dispersements (ph).

That then led a lot of people to depart. So that is the only thing tonight, really that we have seen. And, again, that comes after a very violent start to the weekend on Saturday night where you had protesters that were out, as well as hundreds of pro Donald Trump supporters that came in by caravan.

That leading to a number of clashes between those Trump supporters and other protestors. Police telling us that they made several arrests. Now, there was also that one incident, as you mentioned, a gunshot victim, a person was shot.

"The New York Times" saying that that individual had a hat on that had an insignia of a far-right group. That then led police wondering whether they would see another influx tonight of far-right sympathizers coming in to seek retribution.

We haven't seen that yet, but that is something that police remain very on edge and looking for. As far as the investigation, police aren't releasing a lot of information. We do know that the U.S. FBI as well as the Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms Agency, they are now involved.

The federal government trying to investigate that shooting. Yet to be seen whether they hold anyone accountable. They have no suspects at this hour, but, again, just a very tense time now here in the city. Officials waiting to see whether there will be any type of retribution for that shooting, Rosemary.

CHURCH: And, Josh, you've talked there about it being much calmer this evening. Is there a sense that protest leaders have called for that? And do you know who is heading up the more violent parts of this protest or rioting?

CAMPBELL: Yes. So, you know, during the daytime, protests here for well over 90 days in the city of Portland have been relatively peaceful. This followed the shooting of a black male in Minneapolis, George Floyd, at the hands of police -- excuse me, not a shooting, but he was killed in this incident.

That sparking a lot of protests that were mostly peaceful. At night here in Portland, they did turn violent very frequently where you had protesters that were attacking a federal building, trying to set it on fire. This leading to this cycle of violence.

As far as the leadership of that violent faction, it's very diffused. There aren't any clear leaders. It's very much this organic effort that has sprung up with people from Portland and the outside area as well coming in to try to incite violence.

But we don't know as of this hour whether or not the protest are peaceful for a purposeful reason where their message have gone out. Perhaps with an indication that there might more violence that have led people to stay out of downtown.

But like so much that this city has seen, again, for well over 90 days, it only takes one inciting incident anywhere in the city that then leads to more violence. And its 11:00 p.m. local time here right now in Portland. Still a long night ahead.

And obviously police are out trying to patrol the neighborhood and ensure that they don't see the same type of violence that we've seen in the past. We are waiting to see, they are waiting to see whether or not we do see that type of violence.

CHURCH: Of course. And Josh Campbell, we will check back in with you next hour. Joining us there live from Portland. Many thanks.

Well, another U.S. city is also coping with unrest following the shooting of a black man by police. It's been a rough week for Kenosha, Wisconsin, following violent clashes and a deadly shooting during racial justice protests. President Trump is planning to visit there on Tuesday to meet with law

enforcement and see the damage for himself. But Wisconsin governor Tony Evers is pleading with the president to reconsider, saying in a letter, "I am concerned your presence will only hinder our healing. I'm concerned your presence will only delay our work to overcome division and move forward together."

Now, despite the governor's reservations, the White House says President Trump's visit is moving forward as planned.

[02:09:57]

And I want to talk now about some of these far-right groups with Randy Blazak, head of the Oregon Coalition Against Hate Crime. He joins us now via Skype. Thank you so much for being with us.

RANDY BLAZAK, CHAIRMAN, OREGON COALITION AGAINST HATE CRIME: Glad to be here.

CHURCH: Now, you are based in Portland where you have watched all of this play out, of course, the deadly violence on the weekend then the mayor accusing the U.S. president of fanning hate and violence. And the president striking back. What impact does all this having on the city and the way people feel about the future?

BLAZAK: Yes, I mean, it's quite strange to be in the center of this conversation, but in a way, it's a great opportunity for Portland to make its case. But the city of Portland has a long history of violence between racists and anti-racists, including a racist skinhead that was murdered by an anti-racist skinhead in 1993.

And so, these clashes are nothing new to the city. What is new is how this is playing out as part of this national dialogue we're having about race and policing. And the fact that the president has engaged in this debate in the city just kind of brings up the tension level that we're experiencing.

It always seems like it's about to sort of fade off and then something happens to reignite the protests and we're back at square one all over again.

CHURCH: Right. And how is political extremism and racism changing the tenor of protests in Portland and in Kenosha?

BLAZAK: Yes, the northwest has had a history all of its own of white supremacists sort of claiming the northwest as their homeland. In fact, there has been a movement to secede from the rest of the country (inaudible) a white homeland in America.

And some of these groups have been showing up at these protests, militia groups and Patriot Prayer and then Proud Boys. These white supremacists groups have often serve to agitate. Many of them want more chaos. They want things to sort of collapse so they can have their civil war, the boogaloo as they call it now.

So it's made things a lot more confusing. I think to the average person watching the chaos, it seems like a sort of protesters versus the police. But there is a whole bunch of actors involved in this including some of those who are coming from the right to attack the left because it adds to the chaos which helps feed their narrative.

And I think that's what the president is sort of feeding off of, of this chaos. He feels like the pro-Trump, anti-Black Lives folks are somehow going to bring the law and order back to the city, but in fact, it's just adding to the mayhem.

CHURCH: Right. And Randy, let's talk about what's behind the actions of Trump supporters like Kyle Rittenhouse who is charged with shooting and killing two protesters in Kenosha. And other pro-Trump demonstrators who are showing up in Portland to cause trouble. And what can you tell us about Patriot Prayer, the group the Portland shooting victim was said to have been a member of?

BLAZAK: Yes, this is a strange group that's been around for a while and in fact led by a bi-racial individual who would not seem to be a white supremacist, but they've attracted a lot of white supremacists mainly through their anti-immigrant rhetoric.

I mean, that is sort of the calling card of Patriot Prayer. They're very strongly anti-immigrant and anti-Muslim, which has served to bring in old-fashioned white supremacists to their cause. And so while on the forefront they seem to be a sort of First Amendment, free speech conservative movement, they've actually sort of created a cover for a lot of more traditional white supremacist movements to march through the streets of Portland.

And then the counter-protests have often been violent when they do march through the streets of Portland. So what we saw yesterday in the city was kind of, you know, the culmination of all that tension that's been building up in the city for years.

CHURCH: So, how worried or how worried should some protest leaders be that they're actually giving the president exactly what he wants as he tries to pivot away from COVID-19 and racism to the issue of law and order, with some voters so scared when they see cities ablaze and being looted, that this actually becomes their top issue? And they'll vote on law and order.

BLAZAK: Well, this was Richard Nixon's play in 1968, to be the law and order president who was going to clamp down on the urban jungle, as he called it, the riots of the 1960s. America has changed a lot since 1968. We have a lot of people who are of different backgrounds that the suburbs are no longer white-only and there is a lot of sympathy for the cause of Black Lives Matter's movements. And so I don't know if it will have the same traction that Nixon had

in 1968, but certainly something to rally the folks that see America changing too quickly and are afraid that, you know, their country is burning to the ground.

And in Portland it's pretty -- it's pretty -- I don't want to say comical, but it's a little strange because it's sort of a normal city. Just (inaudible) little pockets where things happen, but Portland is far from burning to the ground. I still think it's one of the most livable cities in the country.

[02:14:58]

But if you turn on the evening news, you get these very dire pictures of what's happening in Portland. You know, we're basically just going out for sushi wondering what everybody's screaming about.

CHURCH: Yeah, of course. Randy Blazak, thank you so much for joining us. We appreciate it.

BLAZAK: Sure thing.

CHURCH: And coming up here on "CNN Newsroom," the White House's chief coronavirus adviser says it's possible to beat the virus as long as people work together, but so far, that's been easier said than done. We'll take a look.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

CHURCH: Well, the U.S. is very close to reaching 6 million coronavirus cases. That's according to John Hopkins University. With more than 25 million infections around the world, that staggering figure in this country is nearly a quarter of all known cases.

Johns Hopkins also counts more than 183,000 deaths in the U.S. And the CDC says we could see that total rise to more than 200,000 by mid- September. Several prominent physicians and medical experts in the country are asking for an independent commission to review data from vaccine trials before one is allowed on the market.

[02:20:00]

Right now, the FDA regulates vaccines, but experts believe an independent body will restore public faith in the process. The White House coronavirus response coordinator says Americans shouldn't wait for a vaccine to stop community spread. Listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DEBORAH BIRX, WHITE HOUSE CORONAVIRUS RESPONSE COORDINATOR: Don't wait for the vaccine to do the right thing. Do the right thing today because if we do the right thing today, we go into the fall with much fewer cases. Right now we gain freedom through wearing our masks and socially distancing. With a vaccine, it's a very different potential interaction for all of us. And so, yes, I'm hopeful for a vaccine, but I'm also very convinced right now that we can stop community spread by wearing masks, socially distancing and avoiding crowds.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CHURCH: Well, over the weekend, coronavirus deniers in Berlin and London protested how their countries were handling the pandemic. Thousands crowded in the streets in both cities. Very few wearing masks or staying apart.

In London, the protesters called it a COVID hoax, saying that mandatory measures like lockdowns, mask-wearing and social distancing are a violation of their freedoms.

Dr. Keith Neal is professor emeritus of epidemiology of infectious diseases at the University of Nottingham and he joins me now from Derby in England. Thank you, sir, for talking with us.

KEITH NEAL, PROFESSOR EMERITUS, EPIDEMIOLOGY OF INFECTIOUS DISEASES, UNIVERSITY OF NOTTINGHAML: Good morning.

CHURCH: So, we're seeing this growing frustration with coronavirus measures like social distancing and the wearing of masking with more protests being held in Europe despite the scientific data showing both measures help bring down infection rates and all we have right now in the absence of a vaccine.

Why don't people understand that? Where is the disconnect? Some even suggesting it's a hoax when they have seen across Europe all of the deaths and all of the -- what has been brought, all the unhappiness and sadness, the lack of hope that a lot of people feel as a result of this. How can anyone declare this a hoax?

NEAL: I don't really understand it completely, but then I'm scientifically trained. I think social media and the fake messages, some of which are being probably put out maliciously are causing people to disbelieve things.

I think generally various main line media are being -- are not always trusted, nor are scientists, and particularly politicians. But quite clearly, why you would believe somebody you've never heard of on social media baffles me.

Interestingly, South Korea, one of the reasons it was felt to have been successful, particularly among younger people, was a very high level of scientific education. They've had in the last 20, 30 years. It was, in fact, the elderly people who were less compliant.

CHURCH: Interesting. And so, of course, with so many people apparently pinning their hopes on a vaccine, not those gathered at these protests, I might add, but the FDA in the U.S. is now considering fast tracking approval for a COVID-19 vaccine before phase three human trials are completed. What could be the potential impact of such a move do you think?

NEAL: It depends if the vaccine works because we've had this problem before. Because technically a phase three trial actually shows that the vaccine will prevent disease. And there are some very rare diseases such as meningitis where it's impossible to do a proper phase three trial because the disease is, fortunately, so rare.

We, therefore, need to exactly (ph) how very high-quality standard safety, and in fact, the meningitis vaccines have used previous technologies and built on them. The coronavirus vaccines are slightly different in that some are using new technologies.

But I think it's perfectly ethical if the disease gets seriously out of control to essentially ask for mass volunteers to be part of a phase three study and give them the vaccine if that's what they want, as long as they've been fully informed.

I think it's interesting that in England the -- Professor Gilbert who lead in the Oxford work, her own children who were in their 20s, did participate.

CHURCH: Would you still have to have the placebo group, though, as well so that you can maintain data on this?

NEAL: I think there's different ways of doing this. You could actually offer the vaccine to everybody and just see how many get disease or you could actually give, say, two-thirds or three-quarter or maybe 80 percent of the vaccine and have a very much smaller number of controls.

This ironically actually can make the study more powerful because you are protecting large numbers of people and you are -- the difficulty comes and the study's only as powerful as their smallest number of cases in either arm.

CHURCH: Very interesting. Dr. Keith Neal, thank you so much for joining us. We appreciate it.

NEAL: Thank you.

[02:25:00]

CHURCH: So, is Donald Trump fueling violent protests? The mayor of a flash point city says he is. Just ahead, we will hear how the president responded. We're back in just a moment.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

CHURCH: Protesters are now being ordered to leave a site in Portland, Oregon, where police have declared an unlawful assembly. They were seen taking some demonstrators into custody. And this comes a day after protesters faced off against Trump supporters. One person was fatally shot. The city's mayor says President Trump is inciting hatred.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

WHEELER: It's you who have created the hate and the division. You've tried to divide us more than any other figure in modern history. And now you want me to stop the violence that you helped create.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CHURCH: And President Trump is set to visit another flash point, Kenosha, Wisconsin, but the governor is asking him to stay home. The administration is sticking to its strategy to send the National Guard when needed.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MARK MEADOWS, WHITE HOUSE CHIEF OF STAFF: I can tell you that we are ready. In fact, the president is ready to make sure that we provide whatever law enforcement and support that we can.

And it's not this president who has said let's defund the police. What we always must do is make sure that the rule of law is there, not just because it's the rule of law, but because it creates a safer community, whether it's in Kenosha, Wisconsin or anywhere else.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CHURCH: So, the president is under fire over some of these protests, and the tone in the nation right now.

[02:29:59]

CNN's Jeremy Diamond tells us how he's fighting back.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JEREMY DIAMOND, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Well, amid this volatile situation in Portland Oregon President Trump is not trying to calm tensions in that city. Not trying to de-escalate the situation.

Instead we saw the president in early morning tweets on Sunday, nearly 90 tweets from the president, mostly focused on amplifying the divisions that we are seeing in that city.

Specifically, some of the clashes between the president's own supporters and the Black Lives Matter protesters in that city.

The president even retweeting a video in which you can see some Trump supporters on the flatbed of a truck firing pepper spray and paint balls at protesters, and also in fact hitting a journalist.

Now the president was also directly responding to the mayor of Portland, Oregon as he was delivering a news conference on Sunday. The mayor of Portland drawing a direct line between the president's divisive rhetoric and the violence that he has seen in that city.

The president responding in real time with this tweet where he calls the mayor of Portland, Ted Wheeler, a "radical left do nothing Democrat mayor."

And he also says this, which is very important.

He says: "He would like to blame me and the federal government for going in, but he hasn't seen anything yet. We have only been there with a small group to defend our U.S. courthouse because he couldn't do it."

This seems to raise the issue that the president has returned to time and again which is this notion of sending federal forces into these cities to quell some of the violence that has been happening there.

Of course, the president normally isn't allowed to do that without the consent of the mayor or the governor of where this is happening. And in this case the mayor of Portland has already rejected that suggestion. But nonetheless, the president has continued to raise the specter of doing something unilaterally.

But ultimately this is playing into a broader strategy. We have seen the president time and again focus on the protests and on some of the violence that we have seen in American cities, as he is trying to campaign on this message of law and order.

The irony, of course, being that all of this is happening on his watch as president, even as he tries to tie former Vice President Joe Biden to the violence in some of these cities.

Jeremy Diamond, CNN, the White House.

CHURCH: And I spoke earlier with Larry Sabato, director of the Center for Politics at the University of Virginia.

I asked him if protesters are playing into Mr. Trump's hands when they turn to violence and rioting.

LARRY SABATO, DIRECTOR, CENTER FOR POLITICS, UNIVERSITY OF VIRGINIA: You're seeing it on television. Where did the television cameras gravitate? To the most dramatic places where the looting is happening, where arson is taking place, where the shootings are happening.

And yes, you better believe it affects some of the suburbanites and rural voters.

What's interesting -- your point is well taken. If the demonstrators that become looters were using good sense for politics, they obviously would not be doing this. Because they are playing right into Trump's hands.

But I don't think too many of them are political analysts, Rosemary. That's my guess.

CHURCH: And you can hear more of my interview with Larry Sabato next hour. He will share his thoughts on Joe Biden's expected speech Monday, in Pennsylvania. And how powerful that message will be up against the one pushed by the president.

Well, just days after setting a global record for daily COVID infections, India sees another massive spike in new cases. And surpasses the death toll of one of the world's worst hit countries.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[02:35:00]

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

CHURCH: Thousands of protesters were back out in Belarus Sunday demanding president Alexander Lukashenko's resignation. They scuffled with police in protests that began, in part, over the

president's dismissal of the coronavirus.

Protesters also claimed that August 9th election was rigged.

A convoy of at least eight military tanks, moved through Minsk Sunday, amid those protests. In another sign of the president's unease, he was seen, again, on Sunday, holding a rifle.

He, and Russian president Vladimir Putin, are set to meet in Moscow in the coming weeks.

Well, India has now surpassed Mexico for the third highest coronavirus death toll in the world.

It's now reporting more than 64,000 deaths overall. But still trailing the U.S. and Brazil, by a wide margin.

India's infection total has risen past 3.6 million, with officials confirming 75,000 new cases for five consecutive days.

Let's turn now to CNN's Vedika Sud. She joins us live from New Delhi.

Good to see you, Vedika.

So how is India responding to becoming the third highest in terms of death toll across the world?

VEDIKA SUD, CNN REPORTER: Well, you just mentioned that for the last five days, we've can seen consecutive numbers of infections being at around 75,000 per day.

But as far as the government of India is concerned, they say the fatality rate remains below two percent.

And, of course, there are some measures in place but at the same time, what they're doing is that they're reopening the economy a little more.

What we're hearing now through the announcements made officially by the government of India, is that one of the big announcements from the 1st of September is going to be the re-operations of the metro rail services across India.

What we have to remember at this point in time is that it will be a graded renewal of that operation. But, as far as Delhi is concerned, India's national capital, we see about 1.5 million people using those services, Rosemary, on a daily basis.

Given that it's graded, yes, of course, those numbers will come down.

But the worry is that while the situation in India remains so grim, should India actually resume metro rail services, which essentially is the underground train services here in India.

Now, like I said, the Indian government has said that the fatality rate remains at below two percent.

One of the reasons, according to medical experts, for this is that India has a relatively younger population when compared to other countries.

Yes, now we are the third most affected country when it comes to the deaths across the world. And this number is unfortunately only going to increase.

When we talk about a peak, medical experts say different states, different cities, are going to peak at different times. Because, obviously, the infection seems to have hit some states a bit later than other states like Maharashtra and India's capital, New Delhi, Rosemary.

CHURCH: What's the situation with testing there in India?

SUD: Very aggressive testing. In the last three weeks, we've really seen the numbers go up. It stands at over 41 million, as I speak with you. And that's one main reasons why you're seeing the infection rates also increase and reach over 3.6 million.

So that's something that the prime minister had announced about a few weeks ago where he said that we are targeting about a million tests a day.

[02:40:00]

And as of now, as of the last few days, we've seen the testing stand at about 800,000, so just short of a million per day. And that is going to be the focus for India in the coming days.

Hence, you're going to get a lot of me talking to you about the rise in the number of infections, unfortunately, in the coming weeks because of the aggressive testing that is taking place. Rosemary.

CHURCH: I see. And a lot of those pictures we're seeing many people are wearing masks. Which is indeed a very good sign.

Vedika Sud joining us live from New Delhi. Many thanks.

SUD: Thanks, Rosemary.

CHURCH: Well, meanwhile, in Brazil, a case study inn how Latin American countries are struggling to get a handle on the pandemic.

The country is reporting 16,000 new cases, pushing its infection total to nearly four million with more than 120,000 deaths confirmed.

That is the worst outbreak in Latin America, and the second largest in the world. Only the U.S. has confirmed more cases.

Well, other Latin American countries, also reported high numbers of infections on Sunday.

In Columbia, more than 8,000 new cases and 300 deaths were recorded in the last 24 hours. The country, now has the third highest infection rate in Latin America surpassing Mexico.

Meanwhile, over 4,000 new cases were reported in Mexico bringing the country's total to nearly 600,000.

And Australia's worst hit state reported a record daily rise in COVID- 19 cases on Monday.

Health officials in Victoria say 41 additional people have died there.

The new deaths come as Victoria posted its lowest daily rise in new coronavirus cases since July 3rd. Only 73 new COVID-19 infections were reported in the past 24 hours.

And you are watching CNN NEWSROOM. For our international viewers, world sport with Patrick Snell is next.

For everyone else, more news is just ahead. Do stay here on CNN.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(CNN HEALTH & WELLNESS)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: If you're using hand sanitizer to help slow the spread of COVID-19, you'll want to check the label.

The FDA says it's seeing an increase in hand sanitizer products contaminated with potentially poisonous methanol which can be life- threatening if ingested and toxic if absorbed through the skin.

The agency says states have also reported cases of blindness, hospitalizations and deaths in adults and children after drinking hand sanitizer products tainted with methanol.

When using hand sanitizer, the FDA says to make sure the product contains ethanol which is safe for topical use, not methanol.

The FDA says young children who accordingly drink hand sanitizer and adults who ingest it as a substitute for alcohol are the most at risk of poisoning and should seek immediate medical attention.

[02:45:00]

PATRICK SNELL, CNN WORLD SPORT: Hi there. Welcome to CNN WORLD SPORT and thank you for joining us. I'm Patrick Snell in Atlanta.

We start with the countdown to day one later on this Monday at the U.S. Open in New York City. This, though, a tennis grand slam like no other.

It's the first of the ongoing global pandemic. No fans and, on the men's side of things, no superstars either like Roger Federer nor Rafael Nadal.

Many, many key issues to break down though. And setting the scene for us is Carolyn Manno.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

CAROLYN MANNO, CNN SPORTS CONTRIBUTOR: The U.S. Open is set to begin as scheduled on Monday. But, as you can see, things far from normal here and tennis is the last thing being discussed.

The coronavirus pandemic has caused drastic alterations to this event. The hundreds of thousands of spectators that normally pass through the gates behind me from around the world barred from entry over the next two weeks.

There is so much at stake for the USTA here. The revenue generated from this major quite literally supports the foundation of American tennis.

Players for the most part are adjusting to life inside the bubble.

Frequent testing, 45-minute bus rides to and from the hotel and bracelets and badges which track their every move.

Adding to that fragility, players striking across the country demanding actions on issues of social justice, 22-year old Naomi Osaka among them.

Her actions reverberating here in the tennis world and also across the sports world.

Sixteen year old, Coco Gauff, the latest to lend her voice.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

COCO GAUFF: We are on a global sport. And we can reach people across the world and I think it's important that people use their platform.

And my take on it is just to continue to use sport to build my voice and make it louder, so I can reach more people and create change.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

MANNO: Last on the list of items making headlines off the court. A call to action from a faction of players on the men's side, requesting more financial equity from the ATP.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

NOVAK DJOKOVIC: This is an important step for players and for the sport as well. Because I see that there is a kind of a narrative going around that this is only good for players. I disagree.

I think this is very good for sport. And this has proven to be a good step forward for other major sports, global sports, around the world as well that have similar associations in place.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

MANNO: The timing of this a little curious. Especially when tennis as a whole is calling for unity. The decision makers on the ATP tour asking for a little bit more time

in the middle of a global pandemic before ultimately reaching a decision.

And that is an action step that is supported by Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

SNELL: Thanks to Carolyn.

Now from the U.S. to Belgium where Formula One superstar, Lewis Hamilton, has paid his own really moving tribute to the iconic American actor Chadwick Boseman who on Friday lost a courageous four- year battle with colon cancer at the age of 42.

The defending world champion led for every single lap at (inaudible) to steal victory on Sunday. Hamilton is the sport's only black driver.

But it's what the Englishman did afterwards that's just so very, very powerful to witness as he dedicates his victory to Boseman. Who during a distinguished career starred in the Jackie Robinson bio- picture "42," and in 2018, the ground-breaking "Black Panther" movie.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

LEWIS HAMILTON: It feels great to really finish on a high this weekend. Particularly, as I said yesterday, with Chad dying. I really, really wanted to deliver because he made everyone feel like a super-hero.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SNELL: Want to get to Emotional scenes now in Orlando where the NBA playoffs resumed after historic scenes that saw athletes right across the U.S. sporting landscape joining growing solidarity. This would be Black Lives Matter movement.

On Sunday, players from the Clippers and the Mavericks, kneeling during the U.S. national anthem.

It follows the postponement of games last week when the Milwaukee Bucks becoming the first team opting not to play in response to the police shooting of Jacob Blake.

The Clippers winning through in the end.

Meantime, after dropping 50 points to force a game seven (ph) against the Utah Jazz, the Denver Nuggets guard, Jamal Murray, speaking very powerfully indeed afterwards about his shoes.

That featured pictures of George Floyd and Breonna Taylor whose deaths this year have sparked outrage across the U.S. and the world.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) JAMAL MURRAY: These shoes give me life. Even though these people are gone, they give me life, they give me -- they help me find strength.

To keep fighting in this world. That's what I'm going to keep doing.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SNELL: Very powerful indeed. Well, it has to be the most talked about question in football.

Where, if anywhere, will Barcelona superstar, Lionel Messi, end up next after the Argentine legend rocked the Catalan Giants last week by submitting a transfer request.

Club sources confirming to CNN the South American failed to show up for a coronavirus test at Barca's training center on Sunday.

Speculation linking him to perennial big spending Paris Saint-Germain, of course, and Manchester City.

[02:50:00]

Barcelona, though, are insisting he must see out his current contract unless the release clause is paid. The amount in question believed to be more than a staggering 800 million dollars.

Staying in Spain where there's a familiar name once again celebrating victory.

This is in the women's champion's league, Lyon -- and for a fifth straight season too. Can you believe it?

Already 1-0 up against the German side, Wolfsburg, in San Sebastian when the team's French team -- look at this.

The lead is doubled thanks to Japanese star, Saki Kumagai. A superb strike that, really fine hit. 3-1, in fact, the final score.

And this now also a seventh title overall. A fifth straight victory in this tournament seeing them equal the achievement of Real Madrid's men's team between 1956 and 1960. That's in the old European Cup.

Much more to come in the build up to the first tennis slam of the COVID-19 era, the U.S. Open.

We're going to being taking you right inside the player's bubble there during these unprecedented times.

What's it actually like to be right in the heart of it all and what's it like for family watching from afar?

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MISCHA ZVEREV: The main concern is like just stay healthy, like be safe. And just come back in one piece, and that's all we care about. That's all we really care about. (END VIDEO CLIP)

SNELL: We're back with more now in the build up to the first tennis grand slam of the COVID 19 era, the U.S. Open.

Now on Sunday we got news of a player testing positive for the coronavirus and that competitor has since been withdrawn from the event.

Now for the players inside the tournament bubble, these really are unprecedented times.

So what's it actually like right to be in the heart of it all?

I recently caught up with Germany's world number seven player, Alexander Zverev, who plays later on today. And his older sibling and fellow professional, Mischa, who'll be following his every move from across the pond in Europe.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ALEXANDER ZVEREV: The VIP suites are not being used this year because there's no obviously no spectators. So all of us players, all the seeded players, have a suite ourselves which we can use.

We have some nice couches, we have a great outside area where we can basically do whatever we want. And then we're obviously facing center court.

So basically, you come on site, you do all your things, you are in your own suite. You can see center court from here, you can see all the great players practicing on the sites where normally there's millions of people.

They built a mini golf course and they built some basketball hoops. And they built a lot of things just for us players which is a great experience for us.

But obviously we do miss the crowd, we do miss the people. Because the emotions that it gives us playing in front of 20,000 fans is something that we are not going to get this year.

But yes, it's still a once in a lifetime experience, this thing.

SNELL: Do you feel safe there?

ZVEREV: I feel safe. We're getting tested -- we've been getting tested every second day in the first few days and now every fourth day.

And I feel like they're doing a great job of testing everybody and trying to keep it as safe as possible, obviously. But all in all, we feel safe.

But we obviously want to give everybody a fair chance to play.

SNELL: Hearing all this, Mischa, I want to get sort of big brother's perspective, if you like.

What concerns do you have, if any, when you hear your brother talk about what's going on?

MISCHA ZVEREV: Well, I guess this year it's a bit different, because he went to the U.S. Open but I feel like my concern or the whole family's concern is not how far you make it in the U.S. Open, it's we want you to come back healthy.

And you want you to come back -- we want the whole team to come back healthy and as quickly (ph) as possible.

So it's a bit split, it's a bit weird. Because obviously, I want him to win, I want him to do well. But the main concern is just stay healthy. Be safe. And just come back in one piece.

And that's all we care about. That's all we really care about.

SNELL: How do you think we've all changed as people through this pandemic?

[02:55:00]

How have you changed?

MISCHA ZVEREV: I am definitely more careful. When I became a father, I started thinking about the future a lot more, about the consequences of every action that I take.

Honestly, it hit me -- when I was in Indian Wells, I think Stash (ph) and I were practicing together. And somebody came on court and said that they're canceling the tournament.

And that's when it hit me. I was like OK, this is getting serious and we need to do everything possible to stay safe and just be smart.

I even -- everybody says I'm crazy, I have those crazy idea. I'm OK. Let's take a plane and fly somewhere to Minnesota or Canada, just go somewhere where it's safe and where we can just be together and train. And stay away from those hot spots.

Personally, I start to appreciate what I have. And being a father, having a little son that runs around. And I just love every moment when I'm with him. And I can see them be happy and healthy.

SNELL: And Mischa, how proud are you of Alex? As the big brother, you see his successes, you see him develop?

MISCHA ZVEREV: Very proud. Since day one, I always knew he was going to be great.

And when I was a teenager I was playing ITF tournaments like French Open, Wimbledon. And some people were saying oh, you're good, you have a lot of talent, you can be a great player later on.

And I said no, no, don't worry about me. Watch my brother practice, he's over there. He was six, seven, eight, nine, ten years old --

ALEX ZVEREV: We actually get more competitive in other things that we do than the tennis court. Tennis court is more kind of -- we practice, we try to improve each other.

But it's the other stuff outside the tennis court, whether we're playing monopoly, whether we play basketball or something else. That's where it kind of gets uglier.

SNELL: So is it fair to say that, no matter what, you just both want to win?

ALEX ZVEREV: Pretty much. I'm probably more competitive than my brother in that regard as well.

MISCHA ZVEREV: Well, I don't care about winning. I just don't want to lose to him. That's the (inaudible).

SNELL: Thank you so much for joining us. Make sure you join Don Ridell, by the way, for later editions this Monday on World Sport. We'll see you again next time.

Bye for now.

(CNN SOUNDBITE)

DR. JEHAN EL-BAYOUMI, PROFESSOR OF MEDICINE, GEORGE WASHINGTON UNIVERSITY: Pre-COVID, one in five children were going to bed hungry.

And in Washington D.C., for example, there is such a gap between the wealthiest and the poorest. So this is not a new problem.

I think what this pandemic has done is just laid bare the incredible inequities, which of course have been exacerbated.

Food and nutrition impacts our immune system. Being able to sleep in a bed and not couch surf or be homeless impacts our new system. When you're fighting an infection, food is the foundation. From that, everything follows.

Food is a significant -- the most significant social determinant of mental health.

What's going to happen after this pandemic is over? What are the long term consequences?