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Biden: Violence is Happening in Trump's America; Kenosha Officials Urge President Trump Not to Visit; New Trump Adviser Pushes Controversial Strategy; Israel-UAE Relations. Aired 2-3a ET
Aired September 01, 2020 - 02:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
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DONALD TRUMP (R), PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Biden's strategy is to surrender to the left-wing mob.
ROBYN CURNOW, CNN ANCHOR (voice-over): The politics of protests. Joe Biden and Donald Trump each painting a very different picture of what life is like in America right now.
And he is the pandemic advisor with no epidemiological experience, reportedly peddling a strategy that could kill millions.
And flying the friendly skies, why the days of paying to change your travel plans may be coming to an end.
Hi, welcome to CNN NEWSROOM. I am Robyn Curnow.
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UNIDENTIFIED MALE (voice-over): Live from CNN Center, this is CNN NEWSROOM with Robyn Curnow.
CURNOW: In the coming day, the U.S. president Donald Trump will head to a city that is still reeling from another police shooting of a Black man and angry protests. It's been more than a week since an officer shot Jacob Blake in the back seven times in Wisconsin, leaving him paralyzed from the waist down. It's still not clear why he was shot. But Kenosha's mayor and Wisconsin's governor said the president's visit will only inflame tensions.
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MAYOR JOHN ANTARAMIAN (D-WI), KENOSHA: I'm disappointed that he is coming. Our community has gone through a great deal. There is no time right now for political politics to be played.
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CURNOW: The protests in Kenosha, along with rioting and looting, are the central focus of the U.S. presidential campaign. Democrat Joe Biden turned the tables on Mr. Trump's law and order message on Monday, pointing out that this violence is happening in Donald Trump's America.
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JOE BIDEN (D), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: Fires are burning and we have a president who fans the flames rather than fighting the flames. He may believe mouthing the words "law and order" makes him strong.
But his failure to call on his own supporters to stop acting as an armed militia in this country shows how weak he is. Donald Trump looks at this violence and he sees a political lifeline.
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CURNOW: The president blamed radical Democrats for not cracking down on protesters in Kenosha, Portland, Oregon, and Seattle, Washington, and other cities.
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TRUMP: The wave of violence and destruction than we have seen in recent weeks and months has occurred in cities exclusively controlled and dominated by the Biden, Joe Biden party. If you give the radical left power, what you are seeing in the Democrat cities will be brought to every city in this country.
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CURNOW: Biden fired back, condemning violence on all sides on Monday, challenging the president to do the same. Take a listen to this.
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BIDEN: Let me be clear about all of this. Rioting is not protesting. Looting is not protesting. Setting fires is not protesting. None of this is protesting. It is lawlessness, plain and simple. Those who do it should be prosecuted. Violence will not bring change. It will only bring destruction. It is wrong in every way.
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CURNOW: Meantime, Mr. Trump defended his supporters who fired paintball guns and pepper spray at protesters in Portland on Saturday. He says they were peaceful and acting in self-defense. He also came to the defense of Kyle Rittenhouse. He is the 17-year-old Trump supporter accused of fatally shooting two protesters in Kenosha.
The president says Rittenhouse was violently attacked and would probably have been killed by protesters angered over the police shooting of Jacob Blake.
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QUESTION: (INAUDIBLE) the actions of vigilantes like Kyle Rittenhouse?
TRUMP: We're looking at all of it. And that was an interesting situation. You saw the same tape as I saw. And he was trying to get away from them, I guess; it looks like. And he fell, and then they very violently attacked him.
And it was something that we're looking at right now and it's under investigation. But I guess he was in very big trouble. He would have been -- I -- he probably would have been killed.
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CURNOW: According to the criminal complaint, Rittenhouse was not on the ground when he first opened fire. Instead, he was clashing with police who had gathered near a car dealership.
Trump says he will not meet with the family of Jacob Blake when he visits Wisconsin in the coming hours. He says they want their attorney involved and he thinks that is inappropriate.
However, the president did claim he spoke with the Blake family pastor -- which is news to Jacob Blake's father.
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JACOB BLAKE SR., JACOB BLAKE'S FATHER: First of all, I'm not going to play politics. This is my son's life we are talking about. second of all, we don't have a family past. I don't know who he talked to.
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BLAKE: Furthermore, I don't care who he talked to.
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CURNOW: So when the president gets to Kenosha, he plans to tour some of the businesses damaged in the past week but at least one prominent civil rights activist is skeptical about Mr. Trump's motives.
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JESSE JACKSON, CIVIL RIGHTS ACTIVIST: The president's coming tomorrow, apparently, to do a commercial. Whites and blacks at each other's necks. He's coming tomorrow not to reconcile but to polarize, to scare white people into voting for him. To me, it's a sign they will not show up and be a part of his commercial.
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CURNOW: Joining me now is political commentator Mo' Kelly. He's the host of "The Mo' Kelly Show" in Los Angeles.
Thank you so much for joining us. Essentially what we are hearing now are accusations that President Trump is encouraging a breakdown in law and order while labeling himself the law and order president. MO' KELLY, TV SHOW HOST: We should take the president at his word. He
makes it clear that law and order is going to be the message. But it's not a consistent message of law and actual order.
We heard the clip regarding Kyle Rittenhouse, he was more harsh in his commentary regarding Colin Kaepernick than Kyle Rittenhouse, who did kill two people allegedly and is on trial or will be on trial facing first degree murder charges.
So it's not actually law and order, it is about sending a message that he is opposite the protesters. Historically, we would have a president who was going to offer a calming influence but this president is actively taking sides.
We've already heard the mayor of Kenosha and the governor and also the lieutenant governor of Wisconsin are not wanting the president to come to that area. So his going there can only be seen through the light of politics and getting a pictorial view of America, which is politically advantageous to him.
CURNOW: I want to talk about that in a moment but also there's been accusations that the president is foreshadowing or warning how his supporters will act, because Mr. Rittenhouse seems to be a Trump supporter, will act if he does not win the election.
What is the messaging behind these images?
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KELLY: He's definitely making it very clear to his supporters and the supporters of Rittenhouse, that that behavior is not out of bounds, that it's not out of turn. In actuality, he did everything except endorse Kyle Rittenhouse, which should be alarming to most people, because if you send the message that it's OK for citizens and citizenry to illegally armed themselves, Kyle Rittenhouse did not have the right to arm himself in an open carry situation in Wisconsin at the age of 17.
If he sends that message, which he has, then that is something that he approves of or it is something he endorses or understands or makes room for, then, yes, there will probably be other incidents like Kyle Rittenhouse, who was seen at a Trump rally.
This is not something I want to see happen. But you have to see the president and the bully pulpit is real. That is a real strength which the president has to use at his disposal. It should not be understated.
CURNOW: You mentioned this is about politicking. Joe Biden says the same thing.
How does a campaign that essentially says that America is on fire help the president right now?
KELLY: You can go back to 1968, where Richard Nixon, coming out of the RNC, he said, I am the law and order president, speaking to the fears of the nation because we were in racial unrest back then.
Let's not also forget that governor George Wallace was also in that election running on the American independent ticket and he did garner 46 electoral college votes running, basically, talking about the racial animus of that time.
So if you combine those 2 campaign messages, you have Donald Trump -- let's not forget, President Trump is speaking in a reminiscent way of the Republican Party of years past, with the law and order message, with the make America great again message.
So it rings familiar to many Republicans and if you are old enough to remember 1968, as many Trump supporters are, it seems familiar to you and is almost inviting to you.
CURNOW: How does the racial dimension play in it, particularly when you say there is (INAUDIBLE) here to certain sections of American society?
KELLY: Everyone has a TV. Everyone has a tablet, you could say. When President Trump goes to Wisconsin, there would be people tuning in, in North Carolina, Florida, Pennsylvania, Michigan and Wisconsin. Those are those battleground states where he wants to be able to provide the imagery to reinforce his image, not only that he stands opposite the protesters but that he is the law and order president.
And if there is a problem in America, he wants to make sure that it is seen as Democratic governors and Democratic mayors who are working against the president -- at least that is the picture he would like to present to all of America.
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CURNOW: How do people who want to legitimately protest, to make a statement about social justice?
How do they avoid becoming part of a presidential narrative, whether they like it or not?
Also, the concern of Joe Biden when he came out that this is about real protests being hijacked by the Left and the Right?
And that could as well play into political motives.
KELLY: Protesters have to be smarter. They have to understand that there are agitators. There are people who want to be there to incite and foment violence. It may mean that you have to stop protesting and not go protesting well into the night.
You may have to observe those curfews. You may have to do as much as you can to at least remove the appearance of somehow condoning or participating in anything which can be construed as lawlessness.
The protests and the message and also the success of it has to be bigger than just simply being seen on the news.
CURNOW: Mo' Kelly, I really appreciate you joining us. Live from Los Angeles, thank you so much.
KELLY: Thank you.
CURNOW: On Monday, the U.S. topped 6 million coronavirus cases. The virus has killed over 183,000 Americans as the country prepares for another big holiday weekend. Experts are pleading with the public to stick to safety guidelines. Now as Dianne Gallagher explains, there's certainly trouble brewing in the race for a vaccine -- Dianne.
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DIANNE GALLAGHER, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): There is growing concern political pressure could be rushing the COVID-19 vaccine process after FDA commissioner, Dr. Stephen Hahn, said the agency might consider emergency use authorization or approve even if a vaccine developer applies before phase three trials are complete.
DR. SEEMA YASMIN, FORMER CDC DISEASE DETECTIVE: The problem here is the credibility of the FDA is crumbling before our eyes.
GALLAGHER: Hahn dismissed concerns, telling "The Financial Times," quote: We have a convergence of the COVID-19 pandemic with the political season and we're just going to have to get through that and stick to our core principles.
Over the past two weeks, on average, daily new cases are down about 18 percent and new deaths per day by roughly 11 percent.
That's even as the United States did surpass 6 million confirmed coronavirus cases today.
White House task force member, Dr. Deborah Birx, is urging people to take precautions now, before there's a vaccine.
DR. DEBORAH BIRX, WHITE HOUSE CORONAVIRUS RESPONSE COORDINATOR: Do the right thing today, because if we do the right thing today, we go into the fall with much fewer cases.
GALLAGHER: And yet, "The Washington Post" reports sources say President Trump's new pandemic adviser, Dr. Scott Atlas, is pushing for the country to drop a herd immunity approach, similar to the strategy used in Sweden, which has one of the highest per capita infection and death rates in the world. Now some on the White House's own task force said this approach would likely cause a massive death toll.
DR. ANTHONY FAUCI, DIRECTOR, NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF ALLERGY AND INFECTIOUS DISEASES: If everyone got infected, the death toll would be enormous and totally unacceptable.
GALLAGHER: Today in Florida, Atlas denied those claims.
DR. SCOTT ATLAS, WHITE HOUSE CORONAVIRUS ADVISER: The president does not have a strategy like that. I've never advocated that strategy.
GALLAGHER: But President Trump did retweet a false tweet from a QAnon supporter that misrepresented CDC data to claim the death toll was 9,000 instead of the more than 180,000 people that have actually died. That's simply not what the data says at all, so Twitter took down the tweet.
QUESTION: Is he trying to downplay the death toll?
KAYLEIGH MCENANY, WHITE HOUSE PRESS SECRETARY: No. He was -- he was highlighting new CDC information that came out that was worth noting.
GALLAGHER: College campuses are becoming an example of just how quickly the virus can spread. Cases at colleges and universities have now been reported in at least 36 states.
At SUNY Oneonta, a lesson in exponential spread.
JIM MALATRAS, CHANCELLOR, STATE UNIVERSITY OF NEW YORK: We noticed that there was a large party early last week that resulted in several COVID cases. Twenty COVID cases became 105 cases. We stepped in immediately.
GALLAGHER: College campuses really are the source of so many of these asymptomatic outbreaks we are seeing in the United States right now. Temple university is going to temporarily back to online classes after it identified more than 100 cases at the University of Alabama. More than 1000 students have tested positive. Since school started back on August 19th and in part, that is why Coronavirus Task Force coordinator Dr. Deborah Birx, has said that students who plan to go home and visit should quarantine after -- at their school for 14 days before doing so. So they don't unknowingly bring COVID-19 to their family members or back to their home community -- Dianne Gallagher, CNN, Atlanta.
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CURNOW: Joining me now is CNN medical analyst Dr. Jonathan Reiner.
What you make of the fact that America should, according perhaps to some of these reports, attain herd immunity?
How concerned are you about the fact that this might be out there in terms of policy?
DR. JONATHAN REINER, CNN MEDICAL ANALYST: I'm very concerned.
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REINER: The way to obtain herd immunity in the same way is to develop a safe and effective vaccine and then vaccinate everyone in the country. That is how we want to get to herd immunity, by vaccinating just about everyone in the United States.
The notion from Dr. Atlas that perhaps we could allow the vast majority of the population to get infected is insanity.
So let's look at this. We think that, in order for a population with a virus to obtain natural herd immunity, over 70 percent of the population would need to be infected with the virus.
So in the United States, that would be about 220 million or so people would have to be infected with the virus. Now we don't know what the true mortality rate is for this virus, because we don't know how many people have actually been infected.
We only know how many people have tested positive. We think many more than that have been actually infected. So let's use the most optimistic estimate of mortality with the virus.
Let's assume -- and I think it is higher than this -- but let's assume for argument's sake that it is 0.5 percent -- only 0.5 percent, which would be five times higher than the seasonal flu.
If 220 million people are infected with this virus in an effort to get to herd immunity, about 1.2 people million people would die. It is a monumental toll. It is insanity. We cannot do that. We should not do that.
CURNOW: There is a suggestion that it's the Swedish model, that the Swedes have done something right, saved themselves and their economic prosperity by creating this herd immunity.
Is that a fallacy as well?
REINER: Yes. It has been a disaster in Sweden. It has been both an economic disaster and a medical disaster. If you look at the mortality in the world with this virus -- and we index it by population -- so look at the number of people killed by the virus per million population, the United States is among the worst in the world. The U.S. rate is about 566 deaths per million population.
Sweden is even worse. Sweden is 574. Look at other countries, such as Germany, 112 per million, or Canada, about 240 per million. So we don't want to emulate Sweden, because they have not done very well with this.
CURNOW: Let's talk about fast-tracking vaccines. Again, mixed messages on whether that should be done and how it would be done and why.
REINER: Yes, There is no mixed message amongst physicians and scientists in the United States as a group. The American medical establishment has been clear on this.
No vaccine should be released to the public before it is shown to be safe and effective. I think from the outset, the administration did a disservice to the vaccine movement as a whole and to this particular indication for a vaccine by emphasizing speed, calling it Warp Speed.
What we should have been doing is calling it Operation Safe Vaccine. There's a lot of vaccine mistrust in the United States. In the best year, we only vaccinated about 45 percent of Americans for influenza; maybe 50 to 60 percent, if we are really lucky.
So there is a lot of anti vaccine sentiment in the United States and rushing a vaccine before it is shown to be safe and effective is not the way to gain public trust.
So I would like to hear the FDA say unequivocally that no vaccine will be either approved or issued as an emergency use authorization before it is proven to an independent panel of experts' satisfaction that it is safe and effective.
CURNOW: Dr. Jonathan Reiner, thank you very much for joining me. Thank you very much.
REINER: My pleasure. Thanks for having me.
CURNOW: To India now. Despite having the third highest number of coronavirus infections in the world, the country is taking more steps to reopen. It is moving into a new phase that includes restarting subway service for the first time in months.
India's infection rate has skyrocketed in recent weeks and the country now has the fastest growing number of cases in the world. Its economy is also taking a hit with its worst second quarter decline in decades.
Still ahead here on NEWSROOM, the UAE and Israel work to build new ties after a symbolic flight ushers in a new era of relations.
Also, the French president is in Beirut, working to pull Lebanon out of its deepening crisis. A deep -- a live report from the region. That's next.
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CURNOW: Welcome back, I'm Robyn Curnow.
Israel and the United Arab Emirates are now discussing economic, scientific and cultural ties after a symbolic first flight from Tel Aviv to Abu Dhabi that marked the U.S. brokered normalization agreement.
Palestinians called the deal a betrayal that erodes support for statehood and Israeli withdrawal from occupied territory. Sam Kiley is in Abu Dhabi with the latest on all of this.
Sam, hi.
SAM KILEY, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Robyn, it's been a remarkable 24 hours in the history of both the youngest country of the United Arab Emirates and the only slightly older, in modern times, Middle Eastern country of Israel.
For 40 years of their existence, though, Emirates had been banned from doing business from with Israel. Now they are frantically working to do just that. The ban on business
was actually lifted just ahead of that historic moment when an El Al flight landed in Abu Dhabi, having to traverse Saudi Arabian airspace.
The Saudis have not normalized their relations, at least not formally with the Israelis and what the Emirates have done is go public with the under-the-table footsie that had been going on for some time with the two nations.
Of course as the Palestinians have said, they see this as a betrayal, because also throughout the last 40 years or so, the Emirati position has been united with other Arab states in the Palestinian cause was preeminent in terms of its foreign policy desires and that there would be no formal recognition of Israel, no mutual exchange of ambassadors, no diplomatic ties in a real sense unless and until a viable Palestinian state was established alongside Israel.
That has been set aside in the interest, Emirates say, of moving the whole debate forward. They are in agreement with Jared Kushner in saying that history should not cripple the present. Of course, for the Palestinians, the present is crippling them. They are losing land on an almost daily basis to the continuing settlement program of the Israelis and the plans to annex the West Bank have only been suspended as part of the Emirate deal.
The Emirates saying they have the ear of the Israelis, they will be able to affect greater change there.
But this is really about -- and we may see other Gulf countries do this, setting aside the Palestinian cause more in their own self interest particularly when it comes to Iran, where, of course, the Israelis and the Emirates are in lockstep with the United States administration at the moment, in believing that Iran is a very dangerous threat to the region, Robyn.
CURNOW: Let's talk more about that.
What does this open the way for, in terms of regional relationships?
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CURNOW: Law footsie or not.
KILEY: At the military level, I think there's every hint coming from the U.S. administration that the Emirates' plans or desires to buy the F-35 stealth fighter will progress. There is no formal announcement about that and it would give them a degree of technological parity with the Israelis, which is being less and less seen as a significant problem, because the united idea across the Arab Middle East in many of the Sunni countries, particularly in Israel, is that Iran poses potentially existential threats when it comes to Israelis and, to a large degree, to many of the Gulf states as well.
What is going to be interesting in the next few months and years will be that if the United Arab Emirates is joined by other Gulf nations, it will actually provide the Iranians with the opportunity to be perceived as the champions of the Palestinian core. They are already very influential with Hamas in Gaza.
It would be interesting to see if that influence is spread into the other Palestinian areas on the West Bank in an era in which Sunni Arab support maybe dwindling, frankly -- Rosemary.
CURNOW: It's Robyn. But either way, good to see you, Sam.
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KILEY: I beg your pardon, Robyn.
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CURNOW: We will check in with Sam in the next hour.
But coming up here on CNN, Hong Kong promises free coronavirus tests for millions but some see an ulterior motive behind the government's offer.
And good news for air travelers. Some top U.S. airlines are now changing their policy. That will help customers save money. We will have the details on that as well. Stay with me. I am Robyn Curnow.
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CURNOW: We know that Hong Kong has launched a free citywide coronavirus testing program to contain its latest outbreak. But pro democracy groups are leery of universal testing and calling for a boycott. That's because China helped to set up the program and is providing resources for it. Here's Will Ripley with all the details on that -- Will.
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WILL RIPLEY, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): The work never stops at this Hong Kong lab. COVID-19 tests are coming in around the clock. Do it yourself testing kits take just a few minutes. My team and I got results in 24 hours, all negative.
RIPLEY: How often do you get tested?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Twice a week.
RIPLEY: Twice a week?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes.
RIPLEY: You don't have to wear a mask.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I'm usually the safest person in the room.
Prenetics CEO, Danny Young (ph), has teams working 24/7. [02:30:00] UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We've actually had to hire over 200
people, just alone in the last four weeks to be able to meet this demand.
WILL RIPLEY, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Demand is so high the office is getting crowded.
Each of those clear plastic bags is somebody's COVID-19 test. They basically spit into a cup.
They are processing 15,000 of these every day just at this lab. They actually have a capacity for up to 20,000.
And there is the demand. Because people want to know if there are hidden cases out there in the community.
To find those hidden cases, Hong Kong wants to test the entire population, more than 7 million people.
The city set up more than 100 testing labs. Three thousand medical staff are prepared to handle half a million tests per day assisted by a team of experts from Mainland China.
Raising concern among some residents that the tests could be used to collect DNA.
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JOSHUA WONG, PRO-DEMOCRACY ACTIVIST: With our experience of that (inaudible) provide service in Xinjiang re-education camp and with the DNA collection for Uyghurs, et cetera, it's time to realize how Beijing and Hong Kong government pretend and also facilitate the inference in Hong Kong using the excuse of COVID-19.
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DR. KWOK KA-KI, PRO-DEMOCRACY LAWMAKER: A lot of people will ask the question whether this or important private information would be transmitted or be handed to other institutions, laboratories. Or even going back to any places or institutions in China.
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Hong Kong's leader, Carrie Lam, says the claims are purely political.
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CARRIE LAM, HONG KONG CHIEF EXECUTIVE (through translator): They just need that one thing to smear the central government and undermine the relationship between hong Kong and the Chinese government.
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RIPLEY: Hong Kong is one of the few places outside of mainland China to offer free testing for everyone. Unlike China, it's voluntary.
If privacy fears keep too many people away, those hidden cases may stay just that. Putting the city at risk for an even deadlier outbreak.
(Inaudible), this mask testing itself is putting the city at risk because, throughout the day in fact just moments ago, there was a queue of people standing maybe a foot or two from each other, certainly not the city's own social distancing guidelines that prompted them to postpone the general election by one year.
There was a protester out here earlier making the argument that if the city can find a way to safely try to test its entire population, why are they not willing to try to find a way to hold the election where pro-Beijing parties were expected to lose a number of seats.
And then, of course, those privacy concerns also at the top of many people's minds, along with the fact, Robyn, that some people simply don't not want to get a test for COVID-19.
Because if they don't have symptoms, the prospect of a mandatory government quarantine -- well, it's not the most appealing option. Even though public health and safety is the reason why they're encouraging people to come out here and to do with they say is their civic duty.
Only 600,000 people, by the way, have signed up, Robyn, for this entire thing. So far. They're claiming to test seven million -- 600,000 people have signed up so far.
CURNOW: OK. Thanks there, Will. Live there on the ground in Hong Kong. Thanks so much.
So Delta, American, United Airlines are hoping to tempt travelers back to flying by letting them change their flight plans without any fees.
The three biggest U.S. carriers have lost billions amid the coronavirus pandemic and are waiving change in an effort to attract more customers.
It's a big, big move for the industry. It made close to three million -- three billion dollars last year alone on those fees.
So John Defterios, hi. Good to see you.
I managed to croak that out but you might need to reiterate those numbers for me. This is a pretty big deal. That's really what we need to say here.
JOHN DEFTERIOS, CNN EMERGING MARKETS EDITOR: I think you are correct.
It's getting to the bottom line here, Robyn. And it's a sign of the time, that's for sure.
If employees are asked to be flexible and work from home and adjust their lives, companies need to do the same. And carriers are no exception.
So let's see what happens here. United Airlines was the first to move on this. On Sunday, making the announcement and quickly, the other two major carriers in the United States, Delta and American, followed suite.
Here's the CEO of United, Scott Kirby, suggesting on their website a message to the customers and employees why they decided to take the action.
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SCOTT KIRBY (VOICE OVER): Change is inevitable these days. But it's now we respond to change that matters most.
When we hear from customers about where we can improve, getting rid of this fee is often the top request.
And that's why we're taking this moment to become the first U.S. legacy airline to get rid of this fee forever.
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DEFTERIOS: That last line is important. Suggesting they're going to get rid of this fee forever.
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Southwestern Airlines, which is a low-cost carrier, has never charged the fee change but to have the major carriers do so is extraordinary.
As you were suggesting in the lead in there, it's about 2.8 billion dollars, one of the biggest earners for the airlines in 2019. That's going to get wiped away.
And why, is the question. Airlines have already shrunk down by 25 to 30 percent in terms of their staff right now. But the traffic is trailing it (ph), Robyn.
So they need to do everything to get people flying again, particularly the higher-paying business class customers who are basically working from the office.
And it's also worth noting, the U.S. is now catching on to the trend but the big Gulf carriers here in the Middle East have done so. And we see this taking place in Europe as well.
You've got to let people be flexible if the COVID-19 regulations are constantly changing. And that's what we see today.
CURNOW: Yes. John Defterios, thanks so much for explaining all of that. Thank you, John.
So French President Emmanuel Macron is in Beirut pressing for reforms to pull Lebanon out of its political and economic crises.
His visit comes just hours after Lebanese leaders named diplomatic Mustapha Adib as the next prime minister.
Under French pressure, it must be said, shortly after Beirut's deadly explosion on August 4th, Mr. Macron promised to help Lebanon.
Well, let's go to Jomana Karadsheh. She joins us now from Istanbul, Turkey.
But she also covered that blast quite extensively and has been keeping an eye on events in Beirut. What can you tell us?
JOMANA KARADSHEH, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, it seems, Robyn, that the Lebanese politicians on the surface, at least, did get their act together.
That deadline that was set by the French president telling them that they needed to move forward with this political process and political change, and that he was going to be back by September the 1st to make sure that they're moving ahead.
And just hours before his arrival, as you said, they named Mustapha Adib as the prime minister designate.
He's really not heard of, relatively not heard of before -- Lebanese, many Lebanese, hadn't heard of him. He was the former adviser to the prime minister there, Najid Neadzi (ph). He is also Lebanon's ambassador to Germany since 2013.
But what's very interesting, Robyn, not just the fact that the Lebanese political elite actually did this in quite a speedy process, which is very unusual for them, it's also the fact that they all agreed on this one candidate.
You had on the one hand, the Sunni bloc of former prime minister, Saad Hariri and then you had the Iranian-backed Hezbollah Shia bloc in parliament also agreeing on this candidate.
So perhaps, really, a good sign here. We'll have to wait and see.
There's a very tough road ahead for this prime minister designate. He still has to form a cabinet in the path. This is a process that could go on for months.
But this time, the politicians there, these political parties, the political establishment is under a great deal of pressure from the international community especially France.
There are no more blank checks, as we heard from the French president before. They have to deliver.
They have to have to move ahead with this new political pact, as the French president had described it with this political and economic reform.
Before they get any sort of aid that they desperately need right now, Robyn.
CURNOW: Thanks so much. Jomana Karadsheh there. Thanks for that update.
So still ahead. They truly believed Donald Trump is fighting a powerful network of pedophiles who worship Satan.
How QAnon is showing its global reach. We'll have a report coming up from Berlin that you do not want to miss.
You're watching CNN.
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[02:40:00]
CURNOW: Germany has been one of the world's leaders in dealing with the pandemic, but now faces a new challenge.
A viral conspiracy direct from the U.S. is taking root.
Here's Fred Pleitgen in Berlin.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
FREDERIK PLEITGEN, CNN SNR. INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: An attack on Germany's democracy. Protesters from a demo against the country's coronavirus restrictions try to storm the German parliament on Saturday.
Among them, people carrying flags of the German Reich. A symbol that is now associated with the Germany's far right, along with Russian flags and also U.S. flags.
We also found many supporters of the QAnon conspiracy theory.
This man waving a Reich's flag with the QAnon symbol and the likeness of President Trump.
PLEITGEN: Do you like Donald Trump?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes, I like.
PLEITGEN: Why?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The deep states have long time manipulate the people, the human. And that must end.
PLEITGEN: QAnon is a sprawling conspiracy theory that claims without evidence that a group of Satan worshipping members of the deep state are plotting to destroy President Trump and establish world domination.
They claim measures against the pandemic are part of that conspiracy. And at least according to some we spoke to, that President Trump is an angel.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: He's an angel.
PLEITGEN: Donald Trump?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes.
PLEITGEN: Why?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes. He has the connection. He has the connection.
PLEITGEN: To who?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: To (inaudible). Yes. No, you will see. Wait -- the 3rd November and then the 4th November, the pandemic is finished. Worldwide.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
PLEITGEN: President Trump has re-tweeted claims from accounts linked to QAnon hundreds of times, and has repeatedly refused to denounce the QAnon conspiracy.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
TRUMP: Well, I don't know much about the movement other than I understand they like me very much. Which I appreciate.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
PLEITGEN: But the president's words are undermining Germany's own response to the coronavirus pandemic.
Angela Merkel's government is generally viewed as being successful in combatting COVID-19. But at Saturday's demonstration, she and members of her government are pictured in what seemed to be concentration camp inmate suits calling for her to be locked up.
Another man in a Trump shirt and a MAGA hat saying this.
PLEITGEN: What do you think about Germany's chancellor Angela Merkel? Because internationally, she's been praised for the way she's dealt with the coronavirus crisis.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I think she is Hitler's daughter.
PLEITGEN: You think she's Hitler's daughter?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes. Yes, I think.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
PLEITGEN: German politicians have criticized the events that unfolded here this weekend. And the German government says while it respects the right to protest even in times of pandemic, that trying to storm the German Parliament and waving right wing flags in front of it are simply out of bounds.
Fred Pleitgen. CNN, Berlin. CURNOW: Thanks, Fred. And thanks for watching. I'm Robyn Curnow.
World sport is next.
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[02:45:00]
PATRICK SNELL, CNN WORLD SPORT: Hi there, welcome to CNN World Sport. Thanks for joining us today.
The latest on all things Lionel Messi just ahead.
But we start in New York City where Tuesday marks day two of the first tennis grand slam of the COVID-19 era.
Now in a few moments will take you right inside the U.S. Open bubble.
But I do want to get started with Monday night in the Big Apple. A night that would see Japanese superstar and 2018 champion Naomi Osaka once again front and center in a really powerful way indeed as well.
Osaka, who's been very vocal in the Black Lives Matter movement, using her platform to great effect.
Taking to the court at Arthur Ashe stadium wearing a face mask with the words Breonna Taylor on it. Taylor, a 26-year-old African- American who died during a police raid on her home in March of this year.
Well, Osaka last week initially at least also saying she wouldn't play in the semis of the Western and Southern Open as a response to the shooting of Jacob Blake in Wisconsin.
In front of no fans here, Osaka facing compatriot, Misaki Doi suffering a scare after dropping the second set. She got the job done though in the end. Winning the decider to advance to round two.
And afterwards, Osaka was asked how many masks she actually has.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
NAOMI OSAKA, 2018 U.S. OPEN CHAMPION: I have seven. And it's quite sad that seven masks isn't enough for the amount of names.
So hopefully, I'll get to the finals and you can see all of them.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SNELL: Another very powerful statement of intent there.
All right. Earlier this summer U.S. teen, Coco Gauff, very publicly urging people to speak out on the issue of racial injustice.
And vowing to continue to use her own platform as well to fight for change. Things not going her way though on court. Monday night, Gauff who's
16 years of age losing her first round encounter in three sets against Anastasija Sevastova of Latvia who received the semis at this event two years ago.
Coco in just her fourth ever major eliminated but said afterwards she still wants to maintain the focus using her voice to the most powerful and possible effective way.
All right. On the men's side of things, top-ranked Novak Djokovic seeking his fourth U.S. Open title and eighteenth grand slam crown overall to try and take him within two of Roger Federer's all-time record of 20 and within one of Spanish legend, Rafael Nadal.
Monday night, the Serbian who remains undefeated in 2020 swatting aside Damir Dzumhur of Bosnia Herzegovina in straight sets to advance to round two.
Djokovic, who over the weekend, announced he's looking to form a new breakaway players association, now 24 and 0 this year.
Well, there's no question this is a grand slam tennis event like no other as everyone connected to this year's U.S. Open tries to adapt to what is a new norm in the COVID-19 era.
Remember, top players like reigning men's champ, Rafael Nadal, and the women's world number one, Ashleigh Barty, opting to sit this one out.
Let's explore further, though. Taking you right inside of the heart of it all over there at Flushing Meadows.
Here's Carolyn Manno.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
CAROLYN MANNO, CNN SPORTS CONTRIBUTOR: Normally at this time of year, the grounds at the U.S. Open are buzzing with life. It's alive.
Hundreds of thousands of fans from across the world coming here to eat, drink and watch quality tennis. Couldn't be further from the truth this time around. It's very quiet here in Queens.
It sounds more like your average country club inside then it does the first major back since the coronavirus pandemic.
Inside, the players have a full run of the landscape. They're socially distancing.
The top 32 seeds on both the men's and women's sides have access to what is normally reserved for premier suite seating for fans that are here.
Instead, now those are being turned into makeshift locker rooms for social distancing purposes.
Players having an opportunity to peek over the sides of the railing as well and take a look at the competition that's happening on the court.
Aside from Arthur Ashe stadium, cabanas all over the grounds for players to enjoy themselves, try to stay busy. There's billiards, there's putt putt golf, a number of different things for these players.
But they do admit that it is a challenge here, mentally, to stay engaged particularly without the energy that this event is known for. But they know it is something that they have to do.
And the financial ramifications are certainly very high for the USTA. This revenue generated from the U.S. Open quite literally laying the foundation for American tennis.
It's sacrifices that everybody is making here, but the players certainly making the most of it inside of the bubble.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
[02:50:00]
SNELL: All right. Now to all things Lionel Messi. As speculation swells over his future at Spanish football giant Barcelona.
A club source telling us that the 33-year old did not attend preseason training on Monday.
It comes after news the Argentine failed to show up for a coronavirus test on Sunday. Now, under La Liga rules, without passing a test, he can't take part in pre-season training.
Messi reportedly he believes he has a clause in his contract which allows him to leave for free this summer. But Barcelona are insisting he see out his current deal unless a release clause, believed to be around $800 million, is paid.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE (through translator): I speak as a fan. I really want Messi to stay because of what he has given me as a person and as a footballer.
Messi lives in my heart, it's a pity that he leaves. I wanted him to leave through the front door of the club.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: After all that Barca has given to Messi throughout his career, who started here as a child. They helped him with growth problems he had, they paid him for all the medicines and all the things.
I think his way of acting is a bit wrong. But at the same time, all the fans would be delighted to see him continuing because he is our idol and our God of football.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SNELL: From 304th in the world to 24th. Why the truly inspirational German golfer Sophia Popov really is living proof that you should never give up on your dreams.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SOPHIA POPOV, 2020 WOMEN'S BRITISH OPEN WINNER: After I wake up in the morning, I grab it and I just hold on to it for dear life because I don't want to give it away.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
SNELL: CNN WORLD SPORT is back this Tuesday with the toughest test in cycling. The famed Tour de France that it was due to start in late June, but like most major sporting events was postponed due to the global pandemic.
No surprise then that this year's event is being held with strict health protocols in place.
Now on Monday, Australia's Caleb Ewan producing a dazzling performance to win stage three, timing his sprint finish to perfection.
Frenchman Julian Alaphilippe retaining the yellow jersey, the maillot jaune. Stage four later on this Tuesday.
Now sure to go down as a one of golf's ultimate Cinderella stories.
Germany's Sophia Popov now a major champion after her historic triumph at Royal Troon in Scotland recently to win the AIG Women's Open by two shots.
And one of the most remarkable things about her incredible rollercoaster of a win, she was actually ranked 304th in the world at the time.
I've been chatting with and unemotional Popov who's still coming to terms with all she's had to overcome along the way.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
POPOV: The whole time you're questioning is this even real right now? Are we sure we're playing the Open and not some other..?
Every time I talk with someone and they ask me about the last five or six years I just always tear up. Because it's such a struggle and I can't even put into words what it is.
It's changed my life in many ways but I honestly hope it hasn't changed me. Because that's the biggest goal.
SNELL: What words would you choose to describe this incredible Cinderella story?
POPOV: Unexpected. Probably, honestly. I think unexpected for everyone else and unexpected for me.
It gives me kind of the chills when I think about it. I'm happy about it, obviously.
SNELL: There were no fans out there on the course, given the times we're in. But you were able to share it with one other person, your caddie, your boyfriend.
How special was that?
POPOV: Obviously amazing. Being able to share the entire experience that week just made it that much more, I think, emotional on Sunday afternoon. Because he's been through everything with me.
He's seen it all. All the health struggles, everything.
[02:55:00]
There were weeks over the last few years where I honestly -- I couldn't get out of bed for days. It felt almost like having mono and having six different diseases at the same time. I didn't even know what was going on.
I had stomach issues. I lost kind of feel in my arms and my legs for parts. And just weird symptoms where I didn't know what to do with it, doctors didn't know what to do.
Fast forward three years. Finally, someone says have you ever looked into Lyme Disease? And I said no but I honestly don't know why not.
I put so much effort into research and just figuring out a way to get back to being healthy. And now here I am.
SNELL: You've overcome so much in your life, Sophia, there's no question about that. Losing your LTG (ph) card last year as well.
When you look back on it all now, how close potentially were you to quitting the sport?
POPOV: Realistically, I was very close. End of last year between August and December, I can think of four or five separate occasions where I talked to either my parents or my boyfriend.
And I was looking into doing my masters, I looked into about 10 to 15 programs last year. And the same I did, as far as jobs and applications. And now going into my LinkedIn account, I'm like well, I probably should've cleaned that up a little bit.
But I don't have to now anymore. So it's fine.
SNELL: How much is it your hope now you can inspire others?
POPOV: Yes, I definitely have the hope that I can inspire a lot of other girls and boys. You just never know when it's going to happen.
And for some people it happens earlier, for some people it happens later. You just can't -- no one's going to tell you ahead of time, there's no schedule for life.
All I can say is, you just never know.
SNELL: That's a remarkable story, isn't it? Major wins usually result in a five-year exemption though, on the LPGA Tour. But somewhat controversially, we won't be seeing Popov at the next women's major, the ANA Inspiration -- as of right now, at least.
That one starts on September 10th. She wasn't a full tour member when she triumphed at Troon.
We are just over two days away now from the PGA Tour season ender right here in Atlanta where looks like it could be one almighty battle between the world's top two ranked players after that thrilling finale we witnessed near Chicago over the weekend.
We're going to leave you now with our latest Rolex minute.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
(CNN HIGHLIGHT)
CHIEH HUANG, CO-FOUNDER & CEO, BOXED: A lot of folks have been saying unprecedented throughout history. And I don't know if they're 100 percent getting it right whenever they use that term.
But truly, what we've seen has been unprecedented. From the stocking up early on to the second kind of surge of demand now that we're seeing especially in non-food and cleaning products.
It has been a few wild, wild months for all of retail and especially for us here at Boxed.
Retail is already a very difficult business. With that said, though, the folks that can invest into e-commerce, that can invest into changing how the stores are used, I think those folks are going to come and emerge even stronger.
Automation like the stuff that you see behind me is only for us to be able to provide efficiency so that we can offer even lower prices.
[03:00:00]
