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Europe's Second Wave Breaks; Trump Back On The Campaign Trail; US: October Coronavirus Numbers Equal August's; Speaking With COVID Trial Volunteers; Famous New NYC Chef Feeds Indians From New York; Contentious Hearings to Begin Monday for Amy Coney Barrett; Optimism for New U.S. Stimulus Lifts Markets; Outbreak has Devastating Impact on Gen Z and Millennials; Nadal Overcomes Djokovic, Wins Record-Tying 20th Major. Aired 1-2a ET
Aired October 12, 2020 - 01:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
[01:00:00]
ROBYN CURNOW, CNN ANCHOR: Then coming up. Europe's second wave of coronavirus is in full force. And it's not even flu season yet.
And a showdown over the next supreme court nominee is set to get under way. What we already know about Amy Coney Barrett's opening statement.
Also, a landmark. Twentieth Grand Slam title for Rafa Nadal. Who's countin', right?
UNIDENTIFIED SPEAKER: Live from CNN Center, this is CNN NEWSROOM. With Robyn Curnow.
CURNOW: Great to have you along with me this hour. So global efforts to contain the coronavirus pandemic are falling far short.
Second waves and flare-ups are fueling new infections in many places with a case total now topping 37 million people worldwide.
So in the past week -- take a look at this map here. New cases rose in all of the countries you see here in dark orange and maroon.
That includes much of Europe which is experiencing an alarming resurgence. A similar situation in parts of the Middle East. And the U.S., of course, remains the world's biggest hot spot.
But that's not stopping Donald Trump's campaign machine. The U.S. president now says he's tested totally negative and even insists he's immune. Even though that has totally not been proven.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES (VOICE OVER): I have to tell you, I feel fantastically. I really feel good. And I even feel good by the fact that, you know, the word immunity means something.
Having really a protective glow means something. I think it's a very important to have that.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CURNOW: And with that unsubstantiated claim of immunity, President Trump is now gearing up for his next round of rallies which start today. Jeremy Diamond has the details. Jeremy.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
JEREMY DIAMOND, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: President Trump is heading back to the campaign trail hitting a trio of battleground states beginning today in Florida.
Tomorrow the president is going to go to the battleground state of Pennsylvania before heading to Iowa on Wednesday.
Now President Trump heading back onto the campaign trail after the president's physician says that he has recovered from the coronavirus. Also saying that the president is no longer infectious.
Now the president himself claimed that he had gotten a negative test for coronavirus but the president's physician, Dr. Sean Conley, didn't exactly say that.
Instead he said simply that the president's latest molecular test for coronavirus showed that he is no longer infectious, that he can't infect other people. But he did not say that the president had tested negative for the virus.
But nonetheless, the president and his campaign are seizing on that letter from Dr. Sean Conley to say that that second debate that had been canceled by the commission on presidential debates after President Trump withdrew from that second debate, the president's campaign are calling for that debate to be reinstated.
Saying that the president should be able to participate after he's been cleared by his doctor to resume public activity.
But another controversy is hitting the president and his team. On Sunday, Dr. Anthony Fauci putting out a statement to CNN after the Trump Campaign aired this misleading ad.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED SPEAKER: President Trump is recovering from the coronavirus and so is America. Together we rose to meet the challenge.
President Trump tackled the virus head on, as leaders should.
DR. ANTHONY FAUCI, DIRECTOR, NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF ALLERGY AND INFECTIOUS DISEASES: I can't imagine that anybody could be doing more.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
DIAMOND: Now Dr. Fauci saying in a statement to CNN.
"In my nearly five decades of public service, I have never publicly endorsed any political candidate. The comments attributed to be with my position in the GOP campaign ad were taken out of context from a broad statement I made months ago about the efforts of federal public health professionals."
Now it is clear from looking at that interview which was taped all the way back in March in the early months of this pandemic that Dr. Fauci was indeed referring to the members of the coronavirus task force and other public health officials.
But nonetheless, the president and his campaign standing by the ad, the president noting that these are Dr. Fanucci's own words.
Of course, what is notable here is that the president and his reelection campaign seem to realize that the president is getting bad marks on his handling of the coronavirus.
Nearly six in ten Americans have said in recent polls that they disapprove of the president's handling of the virus.
And what's also clear is that the campaign is using Dr. Fauci's image and his words here because Fauci is far more trusted by the public on this issue of coronavirus than the president is himself.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
CURNOW: Jeremy Diamond there. Thanks, Jeremy, for that update.
So as I was saying, European countries are struggling to respond to the surge in coronavirus infections there.
We know Italy just marked its highest increase of patients entering intensive care since the end of March. Back then the country was dealing with one of the world's biggest outbreaks. Thirty people were admitted on Sunday.
And for the fourth straight day, Portugal reported more than 1,000 cases.
[01:05:00]
And with more than 1,300 new cases, Russia just set a record for new coronavirus infections for the third day in a row. The country now has nearly 1.3 million cases overall.
And as coronavirus cases soar in Europe, protesters are frustrated with government efforts to stop the crisis.
They're marching in cities across the continent, fighting for their, quote, "freedom" as thousands die in hospital beds.
Isa Suarez has the report.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
ISA SUAREZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Frustrated protesters in London march against COVID-related restrictions.
In Glasgow, bar and restaurant workers dump ice on the street outside city chambers in protest.
Anti-mask protesters in Dublin say they're sick of being told what to do.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED SPEAKER: (Inaudible) I go to mass, then I go to a funeral, masks on everywhere we go.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED SPEAKER: This is justly unfair and it's a crime against humanity. And shame on the government of Ireland.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SUAREZ: And in Rome, citizens push back against government measures to curb the spread of the virus. Despite daily case numbers in Italy spiking this weekend to levels not seen since late March when the country was in lockdown.
Across Europe, many citizens are craving a complete return to normalcy even though the numbers paint an alarming picture.
"England is at a tipping point," says its deputy chief medical officer.
And on Monday, U.K. Prime Minister Boris Johnson is expected to announce further steps to control the spread of the virus.
Over the weekend, France hit a record with over 26,000 new cases in 24 hours on Saturday.
As cases are on the rise so is frustration as governments across the continent are responding.
Restrictions on night life in Berlin have left business owners agitated.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
UNIDENTIFIED SPEAKER (Through Translator): Because of this measure, the world is watching Berlin. I don't understand how the mayor can destroy the largest economic sector of his city. It's unbelievable.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SUAREZ: But the German leaders continue to stress the importance of those restrictions.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JENS SPAHN, FEDERAL MINISTER OF HEALTH, GERMANY (Through translator): I once again make an urgent appeal to the 20- through 40-year old community in big cities, to understand that this is not a time for partying, not a time for negligence.
But it is a time to protect others, especially the elderly, and prevent the number of infections from exploding.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SUAREZ: For people continue living within confines, desperate to go back to the life they once knew.
Isa Suarez, CNN.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
CURNOW: And here in the U.S., infection numbers have also been rising at an alarming rate. So over the past week 30 states recorded a spike in new cases while only two saw their transmission rates fall.
Nationwide health officials have confirmed more than 50,000 new cases for four consecutive days. It's the first time that's happened since early August.
Dr. Darragh O'Carroll is an emergency physician in Hawaii and he joins we now from Honolulu.
Doctor, good to see you.
We spoke about a little bit earlier on the show, what do you make of the U.S. president's claim of immunity?
DR. DARRAGH O'CARROLL, EMERGENCY PHYSICIAN, HAWAII: That's a very difficult one for most physicians to swallow. It's not in context of anything we've dealt with before.
The medication that I think he's using, Regeneron, that he hangs most of his statement on hasn't been used in very many people, less than 200.
And what his physician's statement said -- it didn't say that he tested negative, just that he wasn't transmissible.
But when you put it in the context of all of the data that we do know, if somebody has mild illness, the CDC guidelines are to say hey, you're not no longer symptom -- transmissible, as long as you spend 10 days from the start of symptoms, your symptoms are improving and you're not taking fever-reducing medicines and you're not having fever for the last 24 hours.
Now if somebody has a moderate illness -- and I would absolutely argue that our president had moderate illness -- he required hospitalization, he required oxygen, he required dexamethasone which we only give to people who do require oxygen -- that number bumps from 10 days to 20 days.
And so they're flat out going against most of the recommendations if not all of the recommendations that physicians across the country are using.
So for me, i don't think that statement holds weight. And I think he's putting all those he comes into contact with at risk.
CURNOW: Yes. The three rallies coming up in the coming days. I want to just talk also about the cases that we're seeing rising in the U.S., in Europe, in the U.K.
Is this the second wave and how concerned are you about all of these soaring new infection rates?
O'CARROLL: Well, it's tough to say is it the second wave, it definitely could be the start. If we had a magic ball, we could take a look. It absolutely could be the start of a second wave.
And this is what happens with an upper respiratory illness that is similar to flu in how it's transmitted. However, this is much more transmissible and also much more deadly. And we know those things.
So flu does increase in the fall and winter months. And the reason why that happens is that it gets colder out, people are inside more, people are spending more time closer together.
[01:10:00]
And the more that we are doing that, the less that we're wearing masks, the more that we're gathering the more opportunity -- which is one of the main variables that this virus uses -- is the more the opportunity we have the more we're going to transfer to others.
So this absolutely could be the start of a secondary wave.
And we're seeing that in the United States here. It's getting a bit colder out because our weather is changing and cases are increasing.
CURNOW: I don't know if you heard. Just before we came to you, we played a few clips, sound clips, from folks in the U.K. and London who are marching. And they're frustrated about all the lockdowns, it's been particularly tough in the U.K. Areas like Liverpool are about to also face more tough restrictions. Pubs and life have changed.
Do you, as a doctor, understand that people are rejecting a lot of these harsh crackdowns and feeling extremely frustrated about having these limits on their lives. And what do you say to them when they express that?
O'CARROLL: Sure, I absolutely do understand. Because on one hand we are seeing the consequences of prolonged lockdowns and our economic health is now tied to our public health.
These people are not able to have the proper gainful employment that they used to have, that is harmful in itself. We do understand that.
But the more that we are gathering, the more that our cases are going to increase, the more restrictions are going to be imposed. And that's just -- you need to think long term rather than short term.
And Hawaii is going through the same thing here. In that our state has been closed for the last six months or more because of our mandatory 14-day quarantine.
So how do we institute the necessary protective measures to keep our residents safe yet also continue to make gainful employment for them as well?
So I understand, but we need to think long term and we need to think ahead rather than just the next week.
And if we do protest and we do go against the public health guidelines, so that's really what needs to guide us. And I'm really happy to hear the United Kingdom government has had now -- a little bit of change and they're having three different regions.
CURNOW: Right.
O'CARROLL: Follow those and make sure that you listen to science. Because we do know when you don't, you transfer it to other people.
CURNOW: OK. Thanks so much. Live from Hawaii. Really appreciate you sharing all your expertise. Dr. Darragh O'Connell [sic]. Thank you.
O'CARROLL: Thank you, Robyn.
CURNOW: So the race to develop an effective vaccine is picking up. Forty-two vaccine candidates are in human trials around the world.
That includes 122 in China, seven in the U.S., four in Germany and three in the U.K.
But health officials are already warning a vaccine will not mean an immediate return to normal life.
And then there's the issue of trust. As the former head of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control & Prevention said at a CNN coronavirus town hall. Take a listen.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DR. THOMAS FRIEDEN, FMR. DIRECTOR, U.S. CENTERS FOR DISEASE CONTROL & PREVENTION: For a vaccine to actually work, it's got to not only be safe and effective but also be accessible and trusted.
And that's why it's so important that it not get politicized, that it not be seen as from any political party or political figure.
Vaccines are already an area where there's a lot of suspicion, a lot of rumor. And so we need to be completely transparent about the information, we need to see vaccines go through the standard procedures.
They can go through them very quickly but they need to go through all of the standard procedures. No cutting corners on safety.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CURNOW: Now one of those procedures is, of course, human trials. And thankfully, there are volunteers willing to deliberately expose themselves to COVID so see just how effective these vaccine candidates are.
Well, Phil Black caught up with some of those volunteers. Here's Phil's piece.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
PHIL BLACK, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Like so many, Estefania Hidalgo has quietly endured the challenge, the inconvenience, of living through a pandemic. But she wanted to do more.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ESTEFANIA HIDALGO, ONE DAY SOONER VOLUNTEER: This was a way for me to take control of the situation, to feel like I was in a more -- or in a less hopeless place, in a less hopeless world.
And be like OK, I can do this, to make it better. I chose not to be in fear.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BLACK: So she volunteered to be deliberately infected with the coronavirus.
HIDALGO: I was shaking but then I just, without knowing, I just typed my name in and was like let's go for it. I want to be a part of it --
BLACK: Shaking?
HIDALGO: Yes. Because it can be scary, right? You're going to be potentially exposed to the virus.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ALISTAIR FRASER-URQUHART, VOLUNTEER And ORGANIZER "1 DAY SOONER:" Yes.
BLACK: Alexander Fraser Urquhart is also very keen to be infected.
ALISTAIR FRASER-URQUHART: I've just got the email.
BLACK: He helps with running the recruitment campaign Estefania has signed up to. "1 Day Sooner" finds volunteers -- so far tens of thousands around the world -- and has been lobbying the U.K. government to make use of them through potentially risky research.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ALISTAIR FRASER-URQUHART: I wake up thinking about science trials, I go back to bed thinking about science trials.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
[01:15:00]
BLACK: Challenge trails involve giving young, healthy people a potential vaccine. Like this one developed by London's Imperial College.
Then later, testing them by deliberately dozing them with the virus. Proponents say it's faster than waiting for test subjects to be exposed to a specific virus in the real world.
With numerous COVID-19 vaccines being developed, some scientists think challenge trials could help identify the best of them sooner.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
FRASER URQUHART: By taking that small risk on myself, I can potentially protect thousands of other peoples from having to be infected without consenting to it.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BLACK: Critics say challenge trials have limited use because the young healthy people who take part don't represent the broader population.
They have been used against other viruses.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED SPEAKER: Hi, Tom (ph).
UNIDENTIFIED SPEAKER: Hi.
UNIDENTIFIED SPEAKER: Welcome to Flu Camp.
UNIDENTIFIED SPEAKER: Thank you.
UNIDENTIFIED SPEAKER: Through to quarantine then?
UNIDENTIFIED SPEAKER: Yes, yes, yes.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BLACK: This is corporate video from a London facility that recruits, exposes and strictly quarantines people to test influenza vaccines.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED SPEAKER: We've got a wonderful safety record that we're all proud of.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BLACK: But there are always risks. Especially with a new virus that's already killed more than a million people.
And epidemiologists say it's likely some volunteers would be needed for a control group, to make sure the virus does -- can cause disease. It means they'd be exposed to the virus without receiving a vaccine.
The real potential for doing harm to volunteers would be closely scrutinized by regulators.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
PROFESSOR SIR TERENCE STEPHENSON, CHAIR OF ENGLAND'S HEALTH RESEARCH AUTHORITY: A challenge trial would have to make the cogent argument that the benefits to society greatly outweighed the risk.
And that that evidence of those data could not be achieved in a simpler or safer way.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BLACK: Test subjects in challenge trials are compensated financially but Alistair's father knows that's not motivating his son.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ANDREW FRASER-URQUHART QC, VOLUNTEER'S FATHER: It's at the forefront of science and technology. It's something to benefit others. It's something rather brave, it's something slightly different. And that's him in a nutshell.
ALEXANDER FRASER-URQUHART: To be totally honest, I really don't care what he says. I do what I like.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BLACK: A crucial ingredient for any COVID-19 challenge trial will be the determined idealism of its young volunteers.
Phil Black. CNN, London.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
CURNOW: Thanks, Phil for that piece.
So you're watching CNN. Still ahead, India reports more than seven million coronavirus cases, the second highest total in the world. We'll go live to Delhi with that.
Plus the Republican push to confirm President Trump's supreme court nominee. Both sides are gearing up for hearings now just hours away.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK) [01:20:00]
CURNOW: Iran has now confirmed more than half a million cases of COVID becoming the thirteenth country to reach that number.
Health officials there have also recorded more than 250 new deaths setting new daily record for the country.
The government is now mandating masks in the nation's capital and warns that violators could face a fine.
Elsewhere in the Middle East, Jordan has imposed its first two-day lockdown in more than three months. Over the weekend streets were closed off, stores shut down to prevent further spread.
And India topped seven million cases on Sunday. That's according to the health ministry and it's fast approaching the level where we're seeing here in the U.S., the highest number in the world.
Vedika Sud joins me now from New Delhi with more on all of that.
Hi, not a great number to hit. Hi, Vedika.
VEDIKA SUD, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Absolutely. It's a 7.1 million caseload for India at this point in time.
And given the population and the fact that there are Hindu festivals coming up in the near future, this is a concern that worries the Indian government.
We've had the health minister reach out and ask people not really to venture out to celebrate because there are Hindu festivals, like I mentioned, coming up. But that's where it stands as of now.
You know, Robyn, at times like this -- these have been challenging times for people across the world, it's also important to talk about inspiring stories. I had one of them today.
There's a man who's sitting 7,000 kilometers away from India, he's as celebrity chef, an Indian celerity chef called Vikas Khanna, he lives in New York.
And this man from his apartment and his terrace has actually nearly completed sending out 50 million food kits across India while sitting in New York.
And this is the inspiration story of the man who's actually reached out to people in the most remote areas who don't have food to eat after the lockdown was first announced in India in March.
Here's the story of the man on a mission.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
Hope rekindled for millions of India's underprivileged who have been struggling to survive the COVID-19 pandemic. This massive food drive is the brainchild of Indian chef, Vikas
Khanna.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED SPEAKER (Captioned): Thank you, Vikas Khanna.
UNIDENTIFIED SPEAKER (Captioned): Keep helping people like us.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SUD: For the last six months, Khanna has been planning every step of the project from his home in New York City.
After India implemented its first lockdown in March, Khanna donated to a charity.
But images of Indians in need stayed with the chef who decided to take direct action.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
VIKAS KHANNA, INDIAN CHEF: We started short listing different cities. So on my room, I had this wall where I put the name of the city and I start putting the name of the places where we need food.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SUD: Khanna soon realized managing logistics from over 7,000 miles away wasn't easy.
So he collaborated with India's national disaster response force to deliver food and amenities to remote areas of the country. He says they have distributed food to sex workers, seniors, HIV Aids patients, flood victims and migrant workers.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
S.N. PRADHAN, DIRECTOR GENERAL, NATIONAL DISASTER RESPONSE FORCE: So even if it was a man show out there from there, I said OK, we can be your hands and ears and legs.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SUD: Khanna, who cooked for President Obama in the White House, is one of the first Indians have been awarded a Michelin star. He has written 35 books including what's been called the world's most expensive cookbook, "Utsav."
He's also a filmmaker but his mission to feed millions of his fellow Indians remains closest to his heart.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
KHANNA: It didn't start here, it started here.
[01:25:00]
This was stopping the project. The brain was saying that you have too many pending projects.
SUD: There are days when Khanna feels overwhelmed by the magnitude of the project. His mother back home in India doesn't let him give up.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BINDU KHANNA, MOTHER TO VIKAS KHANNA: I convinced him by saying that you have gone out of India, you should do something for your country. Why not? When everybody's suffering.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SUD: The 48-year-old Indian says he is born with clubbed feet. For 11 years, he walked with the support of braces and then wooden shoes.
For Khanna, supporting millions of fellow Indians will always be a bigger moment than the day he first ran.
And he's known as the godfather by many, a lot of people say he's a godfather to millions of people back home here in India who have been fed solely because of this initiative by Chef Khanna.
Well, this initiative is called "Feed India," and it's reached out to, like I said, almost 50 million people.
And when you ask the chef when is he going to stop this initiative, all he does is smile. Because he really wants to carry on with this.
Robyn, this man has fed presidents in America, he's known because of the movies he's producing, he's written 35 books. One of his books is one of the more expensive books in the world as far as cookbook books go.
But for the chef, this initiative is closest to his heart. Robyn.
CURNOW: Thanks so much. And thanks for sharing a positive story, appreciate it. We all need it, don't we?
SUD: Absolutely.
CURNOW: Vedika Sud there, in New Delhi.
So Nigeria has disbanded a controversial police unit following nationwide protests.
The special anti-robbery squad known as SARS has been accused of torture methods including hanging, mock execution and sexual assault. This according to Amnesty International.
The group says it's documented 82 cases of police brutality in Nigeria over the past three years. The protests were a culmination of weeks of anger and outcry online by the country's youth. And then coming up on CNN. Coronavirus is certainly adding new
uncertainty to Amy Coney Barrett's supreme court nomination, just hours before these hearings are set to begin.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[01:30:45]
ROBYN CURNOW, CNN ANCHOR: Welcome back to all of our viewers all around the world.
I'm Robyn Curnow. You're watching CNN. Thanks for joining me.
So confirmation hearings begin less than eight hours from now for President Trump's Supreme Court nominee Amy Coney Barrett. Amy Coney Barrett -- that is how you say it. If confirmed Barrett would strengthen the conservative majority on the bench. Opponents say key laws on gay rights, abortion rights and the Affordable Care Act which provides health care to millions of Americans would be at risk.
The Senate's top Democrat says she would sit out certain votes.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SENATOR CHUCK SCHUMER (D-NY), SENATE MINORITY LEADER: Given Judge Barrett's conflicts of interest, she should recuse herself from any decision involving the Affordable Care Act and its protections, and any decision related to the election that we will have on November 3rd.
The process is already illegitimate, dangerous and unpopular -- all the more reason she should be recused. She is being rushed through to decide decisions that she's already seems to have made up her mind on.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CURNOW: The hearings come in the midst of the coronavirus pandemic. Of course, that's adding to the turmoil as Lauren Fox now explains.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
LAUREN FOX, CNN POLITICS CONGRESSIONAL REPORTER: Those critical hearings, beginning on Capitol Hill on Monday. And the first day of hearings is going to be lawmakers getting to make their opening statements, as well as Amy Coney Barrett, the nominee, making her opening statement which CNN has obtained.
We expect that she'll say, quote, "There is a tendency in our profession to treat the practice of law as all-consuming while losing sight of everything else. But that makes for a shallow and unfulfilling life.
I worked hard as a lawyer and as a professor. I owe that to my clients, my students, and myself. But I never let the law define my identity or crowd out the rest of my life." Now, also looming over this hearing is going to be the fact that coronavirus is still very much a factor in these proceedings. Remember, two lawmakers, both Republicans on the Judiciary Committee, tested positive for coronavirus just more than a week ago.
Those individuals, Thom Tillis of North Carolina, as well as Senator Mike Lee of Utah, both tested positive. And while we know that Tillis is expected to attend the hearings in person later this week, we still do not know whether or not Senator Mike Lee will attend the hearings in person.
It is critical, whether or not they show up. That is because the top Democrat in the Senate, Chuck Schumer, told reporters on Sunday that if those two members, and it has to be both of them being absent, are not there on Thursday, the day of a critical vote in the Judiciary Committee, he will not provide the critical number of Democrats necessary to get a quorum. That essentially could slow down this entire nomination process.
So, while the first order of business is going to be what lawmakers say in their opening statements tomorrow, what Amy Coney Barrett says in her opening statement on Monday, it is also important to remember, that the health of the individual members on this committee is going to be closely watched over the upcoming days.
For CNN in Washington -- I'm Lauren Fox.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
CURNOW: Joan Biskupic is a CNN Supreme Court analyst and joins me now from Washington. Good to see you.
So what do you expect on Monday, in particular?
JOAN BISKUPIC, CNN SUPREME COURT ANALYST: Thanks Robyn. Good to be with you.
Monday is the day for all sides to lay down markers. The senators will give opening statements. We've got some 22 senators who will introduce their lines of inquiry, just in terms of pure (ph) statement. And then the nominee, Judge Amy Coney Barrett, will give her statement too.
There won't be any questioning or answers on Monday. That will start on Tuesday. But everyone will sort of lay down, plant a flag, so to speak, to alert people to where they are going to come from.
[01:34:47]
BISKUPIC: And the nominee herself, Judge Barrett will try to introduce herself in a warm way, talk about her family, talk about her idea of the court and judging. Just to sort of preliminarily introduce herself to America.
Meanwhile, the Republican senators, who want this to be a swift easy hearing, will try to portray her, and themselves, in the most positive light.
And then Democrats, who have the hardest chore here, they know that Senate Republicans have the votes to confirm this woman, they will want to put an emphasis on Donald Trump. What Donald Trump has done in the Supreme Court. What he will continue to do to the Supreme Court. And in particular, the risk to what's known as the Affordable Care Act. And that's the 2010 health insurance overhaul that has brought medical coverage to more than 20 million Americans.
CURNOW: So is that the main issue that's going to be at stake here? I mean let's bear in mind, that Democrats say, this shouldn't even be happening a few weeks before the election. The Republicans say, you know, we can do this. This is, you know, this is within the timeframe of the presidency, and President Trump can do it.
Besides the Affordable Care Act, what are the other main issues that are going to be honed in on?
BISKUPIC: That's an excellent question because the Affordable Care Act is going to be argued before the Supreme Court right away on November 10th. So that's why it is completely in focus here. Also because it means so much to Americans.
But right before that, on November 3rd, we have a presidential election. And President Trump has, in fact, said that he thinks that ballot controversies could easily get to the U.S. Supreme Court, and the election could be decided there. And je has said, out loud he wants his appointee there to decide any kind of case. He wants nine justices there.
So that is in the very immediate world, Robyn, but then going forward after that, you know, abortion rights are at stake, LGBTQ, worker rights are at stake, all sorts of issues will be coming down the road. But most immediately in focus will be the election, and then the Affordable Care Act.
CURNOW: How much of a tight rope will Democrats walk here? Particularly I suppose when it comes to the issues around religion?
BISKUPIC: Amy Coney Barrett is a devout Catholic. She has devoted some of her academic scholarship to writing about faith and the law. But the last time that Democrats tried to bring up religion in 2017 when she was up for a U.S. Appeals Court seat, they kind of bungled it. They suggested, by some questions, that maybe they thought that it was a bad thing that she was so religious.
Senator Feinstein, the senior Democrat on the committee, famously said, I think the dogma lives loudly within you. And she received a lot of criticism for perhaps being anti Catholic. But yet, it is -- so Democrats are going to steer away from it. But we have an unusual nominee here. She has actually written a lot about faith and the law. But I think they're going to avoid it this time, or if they do touch it, they will walk very, very gingerly around it.
CURNOW: Yes. Either way, this is going to be politicized and may or may not influence voters' choices. Joan, thanks so much. Really appreciate you joining us.
BISKUPIC: Thank you, Robyn.
CURNOW: And of course, stay with CNN for coverage of this confirmation hearing. It gets underway at 9:00 a.m. Eastern time. That's 2:00 p.m. in London.
So ahead on CNN, the financial struggle many people are facing during the pandemic is clear at local food banks. But a key White House adviser believes more help could be coming soon.
Plus, the pandemic's severe impact on young people in the U.S. How millennials and members of Generation Z are struggling to get by.
[01:38:50]
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CURNOW: So as the pandemic drags on, more and more people are facing financial troubles. Many of those hoping to feed their families are relying on food banks here in the U.S. And those agencies are struggling to keep up with enormous demand.
For many Americans, another stimulus package is long, long overdue. But the White House economic adviser is offering some hope saying negotiations will continue this week. And he says the Treasury Secretary may offer a package that is closer to what the Dems want.
But for more on all of this, let's go to John Defterios. John is in Abu Dhabi. As you're watching all of this, because the impact could be global. And there's certainly a lot of drama, and a lot of uncertainty, about what exactly the president wants out of the stimulus package.
He's in and out -- all over the place. Are we close to a deal here?
JOHN DEFTERIOS, CNN EMERGING MARKETS EDITOR: Well, the gap is closing, Robyn, as you are suggesting there in your lead-in and it is taking a long time to get there, a month and a half of negotiations. And as you suggest, the added drama from President Trump which left global markets on edge, so we're starting to see an improvement on that front but is not done yet. Let's put it that way.
The U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi had put up a package of $2.2 trillion and passed it in the House and held steadfast on that target. It is our understanding now from our team and CNN in Washington, that Speaker Mnuchin has now -- or the Secretary of Treasury has put up $1.8 trillion.
And there is even this discussion of even going a little bit higher, Robyn. It's almost like an art auction when somebody wants to bid. They're suggesting now, we can move higher, we can move higher. But then we get counter signals, about doing something that is not wide- reaching.
Here's Kudlow on CNN, Sunday.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
LARRY KUDLOW, WHITE HOUSE ECONOMIC ADVISER: Secretary Mnuchin is up to $1.8 trillion. So the bid in the offer is narrowing somewhat between the two sides. President Trump actually, has always said, I mean I've heard him say it in the Oval, as far as the key elements are concerned, the checks, the unemployment assistance, the small business assistance, we've got to help airlines out he would go further. He has always said that.
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DEFTERIOS: So we know the key priorities that we have here Robyn. But the challenge is in the U.S. Senate. The majority leader, Mitch McConnell, of course is the one that's trying to round them all up. They have been resistant about this package, over $1.6 trillion. You can see, getting closer and closer to $2 trillion.
And like Jerome Powell, the U.S. Federal Reserve board chairman, one of the regional presidents, Neel Kashkari from Minneapolis, who's suggesting, let's not be shy. Be aggressive with the stimulus right now and carry people over until the vaccines get in probably in the second or third quarter of 2021. As you can see Robyn, there is progress on the way.
CURNOW: Yes. Hold thumbs (ph), but those talks still have had really hovered over markets in terms of a dark cloud. I mean what is the reaction in the stock market, particularly it's the start of another trading week?
[01:44:52]
DEFTERIOS: Yes. And that sentiment is changing at the start of the trading week, Robyn. Let's put it that way. Because of the language we heard over the weekend.
Let's take a look at U.S. futures. I wouldn't say they're blockbuster gains because the bill is not passed yet, right. They don't have a consensus. But we are looking at a quarter to about a half a percent across the board for U.S. markets which finished strongly on Friday on this conversation about the stimulus which advanced on the weekend shows on television in the United States.
The Asian markets, we have two that are standouts, and this is playing out because of the stimulus, and that is Hong Kong and Shanghai. Seoul is trading in the tight range but we have Tokyo lower. That is because of a specific reason they've had wholesale (ph) inflation go down and their concerns reemerging in Japan about deflationary pressures. That has kept a lid on that market as of late.
But I would say, in general right now, the drama we saw a week ago that we talked about with President Trump, he's attacked (ph) to get a job done with the package. And I would think by the end of the week we may have something complete.
CURNOW: Yes. There are just so many people struggling here. We just hope that something does happen on a positive note.
John Defterios, always good to see you. Thanks very much for that.
DEFTERIOS: Thanks.
CURNOW: So for millions of young people in the U.S., the pandemic has affected so much more than their financial stability, it's also had a devastating impact on their health, families and futures.
Kyung Lah now reports.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
KYUNG LAH, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hannah and Joseph Kim knew growing up would be tough, but the siblings never imagined it would be like this.
HANNAH KIM, PARENTS DIED OF COVID-19: Towards the end of April they consecutively went to the hospital. It was my grandmother first and then my dad the next day and then the next day was my mom.
COVID-19 took them one by one over just a few months. Leaving the 22- year-old and 17-year-old Joseph alone.
KIM: My parents are gone and for the last three months we didn't even have capacity to think about our futures. You know, we're just scrambling to save our parents.
LAH: She has no time to grieve, no time to show her loss. Hannah is in college now, Joseph in the high school. With no extended family nearby or a clear path for how to make a living.
KIM: This is a memorial that we made of our parents so we can just remember them and, you know, look in every day.
LAH: They're part of the hardest hit age group in the COVID economy -- young people. Generation Z and millennials have America's highest rates of unemployment, about half say they or someone in their household have either lost a job or had a pay cut since the pandemic began.
JOSUE MARTINEZ, COVID-19 SURVIVOR: You don't have a choice. I work, I get sick, or I end up on the streets.
LAH: 29 year old Josue is the sole breadwinner in his household, paying the rent for this small converted garage he shares with his mother and girlfriend. He kept working at his job at CBS during the worst of the virus in California. Martina says employees were notified that a COVID positive patient had visited the store in March.
MARTINEZ: That's when I started getting all the symptoms as I say -- getting the fever, the cough and at the end I was like -- I couldn't breathe at all.
LAH: This is what happened to Martinez. For 45 days he was in a medically induced coma nearly losing his life in intensive care. Weeks later, he survived. But he is dependent on a walker before the age of 30.
Do you think that this will impact your ability to make money? Or to work in the future?
MARTINEZ: Yes. I do. For any activity -- any activity I would have been eligible normally, like now I'm like they made it like I can't do.
LAH: Young Americans with no choice but to deal with the hands they've been dealt.
KIM: I'm still alive and my brother's still alive and we are healthy. And so, yes. I think that is just pockets of joy is what I'm looking for and it's what keeps me going.
LAH: Kyung Lah, CNN -- Los Angeles.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CURNOW: What a powerful story. Thanks to Kyung for that.
You're watching CNN. We will be right back.
[01:49:05]
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CURNOW: The Los Angeles Lakers have won the 2020 NBA championship. They defeated the Miami Heat in game 6 on Sunday in Orlando, Florida. It's the Lakers' 17th title all-time tying them with the Boston Celtics for the most in league history. Lebron James was named the finals MVP and this is now James' fourth championship title.
And the team also got a shoutout from the former president, Barack Obama. He congratulated the Lakers and the Seattle Storm who won the WNBA title saying he was proud of how the league's teams and players used their voices for racial justice.
And Spanish sensation Rafael Nadal made tennis history on Sunday, seizing his 20th Grand Slam title. He overcame rival Novak Djokovic in the French Open final. And Christina Macfarlane shows us now how the (INAUDIBLE) landmark moments.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
CHRISTINA MACFARLANE, CNN WORLD SPORT: It's a rivalry that has spanned 14 years and 56 games. But with history on the line today Rafa Nadal slammed the door shut on Novak Djokovic to take his 13th French Open title and record-equaling 20th Grand Slam. Something (ph) perhaps his best ever performance at Roland Garros, Nadal was relentless from the start. Looking for hand winners (ph) running down every point, the race to a 6-large opening sets before closing out in straight sets as he has done on four previous occasions.
It means the Spaniard has now scored a century of wins in Paris, having only lost twice on the red clay before once to Novak Djokovic. The Serb had not lost a match all year but this was a surprisingly lopsided result as Nadal scored 31 winners and just 14 unforced errors to seal the match.
[01:54:53]
MACFARLANE: But now the gap between the big three has widened. Djokovic moves to 3 behind Nadal and Federer at the top of the all- time standing. Federer hasn't played since February when he had knee surgery and tweeted his congratulations to Rafa after the game saying "As my greatest rival for many years, I believe we pushed each other to become better players. Well done, Rafa. You deserve it."
Federer at the age of 38 and coming off the surgery, there is now a chance for Nadal to end his career on top, especially if he is able to add more titles in Paris. In a tennis season that has looked and felt like no (INAUDIBLE) for the coronavirus pandemic, it at least ends with a familiar sight. Rafa Nadal holding the French open trophy once again.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
CURNOW: So coronavirus isn't stopping BTS, one of K-Pop's most popular bands from putting on arena shows. The group held a virtual concert on Saturday, and look at this, even though fans weren't in the stadium, it didn't look or sound very different from a packed audience.
Thousands of fans cheered, waved light sticks and sang along from home. The band's management company hasn't released how many people watched the show but it gathered some 140 million cheer clicks, a sign of approval that fans can press multiple times. The band also had a smaller, socially distant audience in the BTS themed cafe in Seoul.
I'm Robyn Curnow. Thanks so much for watching.
The news continues after a short break. I will be back with that. Stay with CNN.
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