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Mayor Francis Suarez (R) Of Miami, FL Is Interviewed About Governor Ron DeSantis' Decision To Lift Statewide Restrictions On Restaurants And Bars; Pelosi And Mnuchin To Meet For Stimulus Talks This Weekend; CNN On The Ground With Portland Protesters; Dr. Pritesh Gandhi Discusses Fauci Saying Politics Won't Interfere In Vaccine Approval, Schools Reopening, Children's Safety; Helsinki Airport Tests Sniffer Dogs To Detect COVID-19. Aired 1-2p ET

Aired September 26, 2020 - 13:00   ET

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

[12:59:55]

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It's hard outside to wear it because it's -- it gets a little hot, but thank goodness we have a nice weather today. So, hopefully, it won't be too bad.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ANDY SCHOLES, CNN SPORTS CORRESPONDENT: Now, all the teams in the SEC are kicking off play today. And all of them will be having fans at their stadium. We'll show you a map of all the games taking place today.

Over at college -- in College Station, Texas A&M, also going to be having around 25,000 fans for their game. All the stadiums are going to be at a reduced capacity. And if you're coming to this game here today, Fredricka, you have to wear a mask to get in. You also have to go on your smartphone and fill out a COVID questionnaire, saying you're not sick, what's your current temperature. And then, you have to show them a green check like this in order to get into the stadium.

FREDRICKA WHITFIELD, CNN HOST: Yes, all makes sense, but sad and excited, people feeling a whole mix of things. All right, Andy Scholes, thank you so much.

All right, hello again, everyone. Thank you so much for joining me. I'm Fredricka Whitfield.

All right, we're just a few hours away now from learning, who President Trump has decided to nominate to the U.S. Supreme Court. Sources tell CNN, he intends to choose Amy Coney Barrett to fill the vacancy left by the late Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg.

Just moments ago, CNN cameras captured Barrett and her family leaving their South Bend, Indiana home. She did not answer questions that were being shouted to her about the possible nomination.

With just 38 days until voters head to the polls, the president claims, a new justice should be seated before the election to help decide any potential disputes over the final vote. Well, today's nomination comes as the president continues to baselessly cast doubt and uncertainty about the legitimacy of the upcoming election, and whether or not he'll actually accept the results.

And at a rally last night in Virginia, he repeated his claims that the only way he will lose is if the vote is rigged. President Trump will hold another campaign rally moments after announcing his Supreme Court justice nominee.

All of this coming as the U.S. just surpassed two grim milestones in the pandemic. The number of coronavirus cases now exceeds 7 million, and the death toll is over 200,000. And now, health experts are warning of a major surge in cases in the next few months.

Let's begin at the White House with Sarah Westwood. Sarah, the president is once again selling doubt about the election.

SARAH WESTWOOD, CNN WHITE HOUSE REPORTER: And that's right, Fred. The president, being even more aggressive over the past few days and into last night in his efforts to undermine his supporter's confidence in the election results. Unless they reflect a win for him, in which case, he says, those would be valid.

And all of this is coming after a week, and when she was facing fallout from his refusal to commit to a peaceful transfer of power should he lose on election day, he was doubling down on that even as he was encountering some unease from even among his allies on Capitol Hill with that direction with his rhetoric about the election.

Now, last night at his rally in Newport News, Virginia, the president said, he would be open to a friendly transfer of power but only if he felt that he wasn't cheated out of his victory. Take a listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: That's the only way we're going to lose, is if there's a mischief. Mischief. And it will have to be on a big scale. So, be careful. And we do want a very friendly transition. But we don't want to be cheated and be stupid.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WESTWOOD: And we heard the president peddling some conspiracy theories about mail-in voting and voter fraud, and some very misleading information about that. Again, we just need to stress, there is no evidence that widespread fraud is a risk in this election and affecting the outcome.

The president has really been touting this announcement from the Justice Department this week that they are looking into the circumstances surrounding nine improperly discarded ballots in Pennsylvania. Some of those were filled out for Trump, but the Justice Department's announcement of that investigation raised some eyebrows because they were violating ballot secrecy principles. Also, because they were going into so much detail about an active investigation. But after the fallout from all of this, the White House attempted something of a cleanup here by saying the president would accept the results of a fair and free election. But, of course, the president sort of reserving the right here to determine what he considers to be free and fair in this election. Fred.

WHITFIELD: All right. Sarah Westwood at the White House.

All right, just 38 days until the election and President Trump wants to confirm his new Supreme Court nominee within that time frame. And we're learning that person will be Amy Coney Barrett, a federal appellate judge, and Notre Dame law professor.

Again, images here of Barrett and her family leaving their house in Indiana, just moments ago. She declined to answer reporter's questions on whether she was headed to Washington to accept the president's nomination.

All right, let me bring in now, CNN Supreme Court Reporter, Ariane de Vogue.

Ariane, how might a Barrett confirmation impact the Supreme Court in future rulings?

[13:05:00]

ARIANE DE VOGUE, CNN SUPREME COURT REPORTER: Right, Fredricka, you know, people are still coming by here today to pay their respects, leave flowers for Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg. But President Trump and his top aides are gearing up to name her replacement tonight.

Keep in mind, they vetted a lot of different candidates for this position. But only one got a meeting with President Trump, and that's Amy Coney Barrett, she's 48 years old. That's young. That would make her the youngest person on the bench. She'd be the fifth woman to serve on the Supreme Court. And, of course, it's a lifetime position.

Like I said, she served on the Seventh Circuit Court of Appeals. She's a former clerk to Justice Antonin Scalia. Of course, President Trump has said he wanted his justices to be in that mold, and you see strains of his jurisprudence in some of her opinions. And she's a dream candidate for the religious right.

They appreciate some of the things that she wrote about faith before she took the bench. They like a couple of abortion votes that she cast while she's on the court. And Conservatives also like opinions on immigration and the Second Amendment.

Keep in mind, Fredricka, the justices often say that when you change one member of the Supreme Court, the entire court changes. And we are really going to see that in the coming years as President Trump moves to really solidify the Conservative majority up here.

WHITFIELD: So, Democrats, you know, may not have the power to stop this confirmation, but they do say that they're going to be pushing for this nominee if it is indeed, you know, Barrett to recuse herself from any potential legal challenges if for some reason this election finds its way to the Supreme Court.

But you explained the last hour, it's not really up to the Democrats, is it?

DE VOGUE: No, the way the rules work at the Supreme Court is that a justice would handle his or her own matter. And it would be a justice's call whether or not to recuse and that's because there's only nine members. So, it's very important for all members to weigh in and they always want to, of course, avoid a 4-4 split.

But we're looking at a huge fight that is coming up here. We know that already plans are in place for what's called the meet and greet. She will meet various members of the Senate. Not sure how that will work with COVID.

She's also -- she hasn't already -- her people are working on a big thick questionnaire that would be sent up to the Senate, it would describe what she's written, some of her opinions and her history.

But keep in mind, this term starts October 5th. And the goal of President Trump is to have her on the bench for the start of that term.

WHITFIELD: All right, Ariane de Vogue. Thank you so much at the U.S. Supreme Court.

So, as a President Trump continues to undermine confidence in the election, state officials now across the country are working overtime to ensure the voting process runs smoothly. And one of those officials, California secretary of state Alex Padilla, joining us right now.

Good to see you, Mr. Secretary.

ALEX PADILLA, SECRETARY OF STATE OF CALIFORNIA: Good to see you, Fredricka.

WHITFIELD: So, first of all, as one of the people charged with, you know, ensuring the voting process runs smoothly, what can you say or do really to assure voters that they have the power even if the president repeatedly attacks the system?

PADILLA: Right. Voters should trust their state and local elections officials who work hard every year to make sure that our elections are accessible to all eligible voters, and of course, are secure.

And in 2020, working hard to keep them safe for voters and election workers alike during the COVID-19 pandemic. So, you know, the attacks on vote by mail in our elections writ large are unfortunate, makes our job harder. But voters can and should trust in the process.

WHITFIELD: This is a unique election for a host of reasons. But particularly, for your state, this is the first one in which all registered voters in that state will receive an absentee ballot, right? They don't have to apply for it, it's just going to come in the mail. And you're encouraging residents to vote by mail. But they still have the option, do they not, if they wanted to go in person?

PADILLA: Exactly. Vote by mail has been growing in popularity for the last 20 years. More than 70 percent of the ballots cast in our March primary were vote by mail ballots. But that was before the COVID-19 outbreak.

And so, in the interest of keeping everybody as safe as possible, we decided to send every active registered voter a vote by mail ballot in advance of the November election. And we are working with counties to ensure there's as many safe and person opportunities to vote for voters who need it.

So, multiple options to cast your ballot and protect your health. And that's what our democracy deserves, that's the voters deserve during this COVID-19 pandemic.

[13:10:05]

WHITFIELD: So, what should people expect in California if they were to opt for the in-person voting?

PADILLA: So, again, in California, every active registered voter should expect their ballot in the mail in early October.

(CROSSTALK)

WHITFIELD: Right. Oh, no, but I mean, if --

(CROSSTALK)

PADILLA: (INAUDIBLE) no later.

WHITFIELD: Right. But I mean, if they were to choose to go to a polling station, what can they expect there -- their experience to be?

PADILLA: Right. So, for the in-person voters, kind of like going to the grocery store, it's not the same anymore. Bring your masks, and look for the signage, expect physical distancing, plenty of sanitizer on hands. Poll workers, outfitted with PPE, everything that we need to do to let you exercise your right to vote while protecting your health and that of your loved ones.

WHITFIELD: What the message that you send to Californians who might be a little confused about, you know, what they can trust as it pertains to mailing in their ballot or going in person, that they'll be counted?

PADILLA: Look, we think the mail-in ballot is absolutely safe and secure. Probably, your first choice for voting this November. But in California, you have multiple options. Our biggest recommendation is make a plan decide how you're going to vote whether it's by mail or in-person, and do it early if you can. When you get that mail-in ballot, you know, don't wait until the last minute to send it back, even though you can. And if you decide to vote in person, go the first day that in-person voting locations are open. Let's try to keep those lines short and crowd sizes small on Election Day.

WHITMER: OK. Alex Padilla, thank you so much. Good luck.

PADILLA: Thank you. Stay safe.

WHITMER: Secretary of state -- all right, absolutely, you too.

And don't forget, you can find out everything you need to know about this year's election at cnn.com/election. There are lots of different rules and deadlines in place varied across the board, depending on your state. And so, that's where you need to go to find out more about where you live.

All right, Florida's governor reopening bars and restaurants as the number of coronavirus cases and deaths continue to rise in that state. The mayor of Miami, joining me to respond. Next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[13:16:17]

WHITFIELD: Florida, reporting today. The state's coronavirus death toll has now topped 14,000 with a total case count nearing 700,000. This, as Governor Ron DeSantis, lift statewide restrictions on bars and restaurants. Saying, the industry can't afford to wait any longer.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

GOV. RON DESANTIS (R-FL): You have some people, say, well, you can never do, you know, full -- what you want to do until there's a vaccine. Well, we don't know, hopefully.

But now people are saying, hey, even if there's a vaccine, it's still going to take another year before you can operate appropriately. And you know, I don't think that's viable, I don't think that, that is acceptable.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WHITFIELD: All right, joining me now to discuss is Miami's Republican mayor, Francis Suarez. Mayor Suarez, good to see you.

MAYOR FRANCIS SUAREZ (R), MIAMI, FLORIDA: Good to see you, Fredricka.

WHITFIELD: So, how does this sit with you? Are you comfortable with the governor's decision to lift statewide restrictions on restaurants and bars?

SUAREZ: You know, prior to that decision, the governor had basically allowed the city of Miami to sort of go at its own pace. And we've seen other clashes across the country between other governors and mayors.

And frankly, you know, it was something that I actually praised him for, for giving us the ability to do that. It is a concern because we have been doing things very methodically, we had implemented a mask in public rule. It was working. We got -- our caseload down from 3,500 to about 350. Now, it's up slightly over 500 because we've opened up a couple of aspects of our economy.

But we're doing it very slowly, very methodically. We started with increasing the curfew by an hour, we lay -- we waited a couple of weeks to see -- to let that settle. We also -- or dining, and let that settle for a couple of weeks.

So, we were gradually opening that, and we also -- you know, again, the mask in public rule is something that we were heavily enforcing, and that was I believe a big reason why the numbers were going down so dramatically.

WHITFIELD: Yes, that was a big deal, your mask mandate. But now, you will not be able to find people for not wearing a mask. Well, how big of an impact now do you think that's going to make?

SUAREZ: I think it's going to have a huge impact. I mean, you know, I just don't know how many people are actually going to do it now. And so, I think, but we had from, you know, sort of anecdotally, 80 to 90 percent of the people were wearing masks, and we were seeing a tremendous delta.

And I expressed this to the governor. I spoke to him about it, you know, he asked me, well, how long do you think, you know, the masks will have to be in place? And I said, look, you know we're going into flu season now. Flu season last year cost 60,000 deaths. Obviously, we're over 200,000 in the nation on coronavirus does.

So, you know, this is a very dangerous time. And in my conversations also with the coronavirus task force, they were cautioning us to go slow. And, you know, open things up, but do it methodically, take your time, you know, measure it before you take the next step.

So, this is definitely an acceleration. That's a lot faster than what we -- than what we had planned.

WHITFIELD: Do you feel like the governor has now handicapped you in your leadership role to promote public safety?

SUAREZ: Well, without a doubt, he's -- he is taken some of these decisions out of our ability to regulate them. I mean, going and opening bars and opening -- and not allowing us to find people or businesses that have -- that are breaking the rules. That to me is a significant handicap.

You know, and listen, you know -- you know, he has a perspective, you know, and we'll see in the next couple of weeks whether he's right about his perspective. But if it -- if he's wrong about his perspective, you know, I mean, I think it's going to be very, very, very difficult for him, and it's going to be in a very difficult time because it's in the middle of flu season.

WHITFIELD: Miami is a Super Bowl city. I've covered, you know, a couple there. And now, the next Super Bowl will be in Tampa Bay, but it's scheduled, you know, for February 7th.

[13:20:05]

WHITFIELD: The governor, says he expects the state to host a full Super Bowl. What do you think when you hear this?

SUAREZ: We have -- we -- you know, we're one of the first cities that actually allowed some fans in a stadium. We only allowed 13,000 at Hard Rock Stadium, and that's because the dolphins spent millions and millions of dollars to create basically a contactless experience. And we did it, you know, very conservatively.

You know, we've had that in place, you know, for a couple of months. I don't know what was going to happen by January or February. I don't know that you can make that statement today safely. But, you know, that's -- it's his call and it's going to be a concern.

WHITFIELD: Let's talk about the pandemic how people across the country are hurting in so many different ways. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin, planning to meet this weekend in a last-ditch effort to reach a deal on a coronavirus relief bill.

So, how important is it, you know, for lawmakers to get something done for people in your city, Miami?

SUAREZ: It's incredibly important. We went from a $20 million surplus pre-COVID to a $25 million deficit in the budget year that ends at the end of this month. This upcoming year, we have a $33 million deficit. And if we're not able to get relief, and not able to use that for some of our, you know, for our revenue shortfalls, we may have to lay off police officers and firefighters.

Those people who have been on the front line, defending our residents, protecting our residents, testing our residents, and caring for our residents. And that's something that is unacceptable.

And I'm hopeful that not only do they pass a relief package, but that they do it by ensuring that all the cities -- not just cities with a population of over half a million. All the cities. As we get a CDBG allocation, which is direct allocation from the federal government that all cities get relief. We all need it.

WHITFIELD: You know, as the governor, you know, encourages a reopening, if you will, you know, in your state. The City of Miami Parks are also set to reopen on Monday. What kind of steps are being taken to help people?

SUAREZ: We're obviously going to be urging them to wear masks regardless of whether or not we can find them. We're obviously going to recommend that they socially distant -- distance themselves. We have to determine whether or not the order of impacts, child playgrounds, which was something that we had closed up until this moment. So, that's something that we have to look at. Obviously, it's a -- it's a huge concern.

And you know what, with schools about to open for in-person learning in mid-October, that's also enormous concern because in Miami Dade County, one of the largest school systems in the country, we have 400,000 children and teachers that are going to be integrated back into the economy. So, that, that has the potential to potentially be a super spreading event as well.

WHITFIELD: Yes, lots to consider, a lots to do. Mayor Francis Suarez, thank you so much. Be well.

SUAREZ: Thank you, Fredricka. Likewise.

WHITFIELD: Straight ahead, dueling protest in Portland Oregon. The far-right and left at odds over the death of George Floyd. CNN reports from inside the protest. A unique view, next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[13:27:34]

WHITFIELD: Right now, in Portland, Oregon, police are preparing for a weekend of dueling protests. Members of the far-left group, Antifa, and the far-right group, the Proud Boys, are among those with scheduled events downtown.

The city has seen nearly non-stop protests since the police killing of George Floyd in May. CNN's Elle Reeve is in Portland, speaking with people who continue to show up night after night.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Do not enter this area.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: When they start moving, you start moving as well because they're going to get you.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We have a problem in our police department that is systemic.

ELLE REEVE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: This is one week in Portland, Oregon, where anti-police protests have been going on for more than 100 days, and tensions between protesters and police have only escalated.

As we got there, a member of the right-wing group Patriot Prayer, named Aaron J. Danielson was killed by an anti-fascist protester.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Jay loved his country.

REEVE: Everyone we spoke to, said they feared violence would escalate.

SISU, ANTIFASCIST PROTEST MEDIC: The reason that we're out here is because petitions don't work. Voting for the lesser of two evils just leaves us worse off every time.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We've come out, we fight. LEO, POLICE VIOLENCE PROTESTER: We're not doing this because we hate America. We all have one goal in mind and that is ending police brutality.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Black lives matter!

LEO: People are dying and if water bottles being thrown at the police stops that. I'll do it every day.

REEVE: How long have you been coming to the protest?

CHRIS WISE, ANTIFASCIST PROTEST MEDIC: The whole time. Since May 29th for me. Our role is basically frontline medic support. No matter where it comes from, it could be tripping in the street, it could be getting pushed into a building, it could be gunshots. We cover it all.

I've had to de-escalate about three outside agitators who have come in with guns. They were always far and few in between, it was like some guy who was like, Antifa is terrorists. We're like not terrorists, man. It's just a protest.

REEVE: Do a lot of people have weapons?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We don't have weapons.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We don't have weapons.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The most weaponized we get is like shields.

REEVE: What do you say to the people who are like, well, I like the peaceful protests. But when they burn stuff or break windows, that's different from BLM.

[13:30:06]

LEO: I say property doesn't bleed but I do. If ending systematic oppression means a store gets burnt or looted and nobody's hurt, how is that any worse than living in a situation where I have to fear for my life every day?

(CHANTING)

UNIDENTIFIED PROTESTER: We are on top of the doughnut shop, which is ironically located across from the Portland Police Union.

(SIRENS)

UNIDENTIFIED PROTESTER: Often, the protests will continue for a couple of hours and then, all of a sudden --

(SHOUTING)

UNIDENTIFIED PROTESTER: -- there will be a huge rush of riot cops.

(SHOUTING)

REEVE: Back in May, when the protests started, did you have a gas mask or anything?

UNIDENTIFIED PROTESTER: No, of course I didn't have a gas mask. I had a face mask for COVID but none of us had gas masks.

I think we've raised about $30,000 this week to buy bulletproof vests because it turns out we might need them. And that's really terrifying.

CHRIS WISE, ANTIFASCIST PROTEST MEDIC: So I've got a body cam to record things that need evidence in court. I currently have a head injury. Like, I'm still recovering from a TBI. It was back when we were still under federal occupation.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: That was July?

WISE: Yes. They shot me directly in the head with a tear gas canister and I got post-concussion syndrome 22 hours later, so.

REEVE: I've kind of notice in a few protests, there's a moment of party feeling in front of the police.

But then there's a moment where it gets quiet and it's like there's a tension. It seems to almost be inviting the confrontation, like the protest can't end without that clash.

SISU, ANTIFASCIST PROTEST MEDIC: Yes. A big part of what's happening here is that it has to be uncomfortable.

SCOTTY HARRINGTON, ANTIFASCIST PROTEST MEDIC: Three came out of the park, the MRAPs were there. Started to announce it was an unpermitted march. People were not happy so people started marching.

Someone threw some incendiary devices and then all hell broke loose. And there was tear gas flying in, fireworks. It was really rough. And they're making a push.

(SHOUTING)

REEVE: How do you see it ending?

SISU: I'm not sure. We haven't seen much of any change. The people out here are active and maybe they didn't start that and that carries on for the rest of your life.

(CHEERING)

REEVE (voice-over): President Trump has warned Antifa will ruin the suburbs.

DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: : Does anyone want to have someone from Antifa as a resident of your suburb? I don't think so.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: (EXPLETIVE DELETED) Antifa. We don't want your (EXPLETIVE DELETED) kind in Salem, Oregon.

(SHOUTING) REEVE: Both sides say they act only in self-defense. But in person, things get out of hand quickly.

(SHOUTING)

UNIDENTIFIED PATRIOT PRAYER MEMBER: As far as Patriot Prayer, we do not condone violence. That's not what we're about. I can't speak for some of these other guys. But in the end, we love our country and support our president.

(SHOUTING)

(CHEERING)

REEVE (on camera): Do you think this is a weird civil war?

UNIDENTIFIED PATRIOT PRAYER MEMBER: I don't see it as that yet. But eventually it could lead to that. The whole BLM, Antifa movement has just gotten more and more and more violent as time progresses.

UNIDENTIFIED LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICER: Enough! Enough!

UNIDENTIFIED PATRIOT PRAYER MEMBER: It's literally across the nation. And we're tired of it.

It's time for us, as patriotic citizens, to take back our cities. And if that means by violent means, we'll have to do it.

Elle Reeve, CNN, Portland.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

[13:34:17]

WHITFIELD: Next, a COVID vaccine could be ready by the end of the year. But will it protect all people, including children? We'll discuss, next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WHITFIELD: Dr. Anthony Fauci is working to reassure Americans saying that it's unlikely that political interference will play a role in the approval process of a coronavirus vaccine.

The nation's leading infectious disease specialist saying the vaccine will face multiple checkpoints and then go through an independent review before it's approved.

Joining me now to discuss is Dr. Pritesh Gandhi, a primary care physician, internist and pediatrician.

Dr. Gandhi, good to see you.

DR. PRITESH GANDHI, PRIMARY CARE PHYSICIAN, INTERNIST & PEDIATRICIAN: Thank you.

WHITFIELD: So should Americans feel encouraged by Fauci's latest words?

GANDHI: Absolutely. There are at least 35 vaccines that are undergoing human trials right now and many more in the pipeline. I think there's every reason to be optimistic.

We're sort of under an historic push to get a vaccine out that's safe and effective. And there's reason to be optimistic. We can get this done at the end of this year and get Americans vaccinated at the beginning of next year.

WHITFIELD: Yes. At the same time, Dr. Fauci did say, yes, possibly November there could be a vaccine. But he said mid to late 2021 when more people would be able to get vaccinated.

How hopeful are you about that kind of timeline?

GANDHI: Right. So there's a big difference between getting a vaccine out and then actually having broad distribution across the nation.

You know, these vaccines that are being tested right now are being tested in adults. There's a long process to the point where children have a safe, effective vaccine. Got to do the adults, got to do teenagers, go to do young kids.

[13:40:09]

And so it will be many, many months before we can get a vaccine out for children. And the reason is that kids tend not to have the kind of adverse side effects from COVID or the mortality or morbidity from COVID.

You can understand why the focus right now is on adults.

WHITFIELD: Is it many, many months before, you know, clinical trials involving kids and teens or, you know, would it have to come a significant amount of time after the adult populous were using a vaccine?

GANDHI: Yes. I mean, so I think there's a clear debate right now on whether we should be at least thinking about putting children in some of these trials early.

But I think the reality is that we ought to try to be safe and prudent here. We know that this virus doesn't have the kind of mortality, morbidity risk in children.

We know the risk is significantly higher in adults. We know where the spread happens. And that's where the focus ought to be.

If we can get this virus out and distributed for adulting starting this year and beginning of next year, you can imagine that children will be a part of this process, hopefully, by the -- I mean, hopefully, by Q2 or Q3 of next year.

WHITFIELD: All right. Several school districts across the nation will begin reopening in-person learning in the coming weeks. I spoke with the mayor of Miami, who reminds us, come October, there

will be kids in-person learning.

With that, based on the data that you've seen from schools that have already opened, should people feel comfortable with their kids being in school, en masse?

GANDHI: This is a really tough decision, right? I've got three young kids, 18 months, 5 years and 7 years of age. And I was the first person to be concerned, are schools ready to reopen.

What I would say, a lot of it depends on what's happening locally.

Here in Austin, we have percent positive rate of less than 5 percent. The largest school district here, the AISD, has taken a very prudent, slow-paced approach, which is, you know, coming under fire from some parents.

But I think they are doing it in a way that will keep students safe. And I think we'll have to see what happens.

Last week, in AISD, there were cases. This was before the district is going to do broad reopening starting the week after next. And so we just have to keep an eye on it.

I think we've got to balance the fact that children need to be in schools with keeping certain parts of our economy shut down, like bars.

This is the kind of exchange that we need to make. Are we willing to send kids to school and keep our bars closed? That's the trade-off many are willing to make.

WHITFIELD: On the college level, you have Texas A&M University among the several SEC football schools kicking off the season today. People will be in some stadiums.

How comfortable are you about that?

GANDHI: Much less comfortable with that, right? I think that we've got to figure out what we value, right?

I believe that we ought to be able to send students to college campuses safely. I think we ought to be able to do that for children and schools.

I'm not sure that we need to fill a stadium at even 25 percent. I just don't understand the risk/benefit ratio there. To me, it doesn't make sense.

I think the safest thing to do is to allow students to get back to normal, on college campuses.

I'm concerned about -- I mean, I think this idea that students are going to go to a football game and not party beforehand and not want to cheer with each other, I find that hard to believe. WHITFIELD: Got you.

Dr. Pritesh Gandhi, thank you so much. Appreciate it. Be well.

GANDHI: Thank you. Happy to be here.

WHITFIELD: Next, dogs that can sniff out COVID-19. The new study that's teaching man's best friend a new trick.

But first, a go inside the incredible story of the boy from Troy- turned civil rights icon. Here's a preview of the CNN film, "JOHN LEWIS: GOOD TROUBLE."

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

REP. ALEXANDRIA OCASIO-CORTEZ (D-NY): If John Lewis wasn't doing what he did, I would not be here today.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Congressman Lewis gave us the blueprint. It is to organize. It is to mobilize. And it is to legislate.

REP. ILHAN OMAR (D-MN): This was a country that had a hard time loving people like John Lewis.

SEN. CORY BOOKER (D-NY): John Lewis beat back numerous attempts over his career. People trying to alter voting rights.

JOHN LEWIS, FORMER CONGRESSMAN: No one can win the war independently.

RONALD REAGAN, FORMER PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: And I want to mention representative John Lewis.

LEWIS: We came here to do our jobs. We came here to work.

We must say, wake up, America. Wake up.

HILLARY CLINTON, (D), FORMER SECRETARY OF STATE & FORMER PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: His voice and his example are needed now as much as they have ever been.

[13:45:02]

(SINGING)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: He's probably the most courageous person I ever met. I don't think I could have taken what he took.

LEWIS: We only pass this way once. You have to give it all you have.

ANNOUNCER: "JOHN LEWIS: GOOD TROUBLE," tomorrow at 9:00 Eastern.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

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[13:50:01] WHITFIELD: As countries around the world continue to try to return to normal amidst the coronavirus pandemic, a study in Finland is hoping it can teach dogs some new tricks to detect the virus.

The pilot project taking place at Helsinki Airport is training dogs to sniff out COVID-19. And if successful, it could make a difference how coronavirus is found and how soon travelers can get on their way.

Here's CNN's Anna Stewart.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ANNA STEWART, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Waiting at an airport in Finland, Marlo, Kasi (ph), Nina and E.T., K-9 detectives on the trail of an unwanted import.

The dogs are part of a pilot project announced by Helsinki's main international airport on Tuesday. They are being trained to detect positive cases of COVID-19.

A local official sees how it works. Volunteer travelers swipe their skin, drop the sample into a cup and it's given to a dog to sniff. Within a minute, a result.

If this test is positive, the participant is asked to take a swab test to see whether the dog is right.

(on camera): So far, in this trial, what is the accuracy of the dogs?

ANNA HIELM-BJORKMAN, UNIVERSITY OF HELSINKI: Well, so far, we've only done three days and so far we only have two positive ones. At this stage, we can't do any end statistics yet.

STEWART (voice-over): Dogs are already used to sniff out explosives, food. Whether they can detect COVID-19 is still in question.

Researchers say they still don't fully understand the science behind a dog's nose.

BJORKMAN: We still have no idea what this is that it detects. And I think it will take us years and years to know that, because there's actually no machinery on earth that has the same sort of sensitivity as a dog has.

STEWART (on camera): What makes a good sniffer dog? Is it a certain type of breed? Is it how they're brought up?

BJORKMAN: A good sniffer dog is one that loves treats. So usually your dog is as good as the treat it.

STEWART (voice-over): The trial is expected to run through the end of the year. If successful, there are hopes this fast and non-invasive screening can be rolled out across Finland and around the world.

TIMO ARONKYTO, VANTAA DEPUTY MAYOR: It's possible that these dogs roam around passengers in a similar way as custom dogs do. STEWART: But there's caution from others.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: If I need a medical diagnosis I would go to the appropriate doctor and proper testing to get the results.

STEWART: If the trial is a success, sniffer dogs could be a useful tool to detect COVID-19. And that's not to be sniffed at.

Anna Stewart, CNN, London.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

WHITFIELD: All right. Coming up, President Trump once again baselessly casting doubt on the election.

And in just hours, he'll announce his pick to replace Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg on the Supreme Court. Live team coverage next.

But first, Calvin Osborne has played black soldiers in Civil War re- enactments but he knew very little about his own father's military service. What he discovered changed everything for him. Take a look.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

CALVIN OSBORNE, CIVIL WAR REENACTOR: First, I'll show you my rifle. For about 27 years, I've been involved in a group called Company B of the Massachusetts 54th Civil War Re-enactment.

To actually go through what steps they went through in the 19th century, it absolutely allows you to understand history a little bit better.

We want to make sure that Americans are well aware of black men making these same types of contribution in every American conflict. And they should be remembered.

I do know my father was involved in World War II. My father, Jack Osborne Sr, was a cook in the Navy. That's all I know about his military service. We never talked very much about it.

So I would like to know where his ship went, if that ship was involved in real battles. That would mean that he and his crew mates made a difference in World War II.

NICKA SEWELL-SMITH, GENEALOGIST, ANCESTRY: Hi, Calvin, we have some amazing documents for you to look at. This is the ship that your dad was part of.

They participated in invasions in Saipan, Laos, the Philippines and Okinawa. The ship received four battle stars for meritorious participation in battle.

OSBORNE: It just did something to me just to see the actual ship that I now know my father served on, fighting for freedom.

SEWELL-SMITH: This is a muster roll. Unfortunately, at this time, you were dealing with segregation, right, and that "N" is actually for negro.

OSBORNE: Oh, I see.

SEWELL-SMITH: Black sailors, they were relegated to specific positions, in some ways servitude, where they were cooking and cleaning for other people. Things that didn't offer a lot of promise for them.

OSBORNE: It's just weird that someone could take such a risk fighting for freedom for people who lived in Europe and didn't get the respect that he deserved when he came home.

[13:54:58]

SEWELL-SMITH: When you see a sailor now, you can really thank your dad and thank the others who paved the way for them to not be relegated into second- class citizenship within our own U.S. military.

OSBORNE: I'm really at a loss for words. My father never talked about any of this to me. It really makes me feel more whole. Thank you all for it.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)