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No Response from Palace to Bombshell Interview; Palace Faces Crisis Over Racism Allegations; CDC Guidance Offer New Freedom to Vaccinated People; Document Show Record Numbers of Kids in Border Patrol Custody; Report: China Bears Responsibility for Uyghur Genocide; Military Troops Occupying Hospitals and Universities in Myanmar; Jury Selection Begins Today in the Trial for the Death of George Floyd. Aired 4-4:30a ET

Aired March 09, 2021 - 04:00   ET

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

[04:00:00]

ROSEMARY CHURCH, CNN ANCHOR: Hello and welcome to our viewers joining us here in the United States and all around the world. You are watching CNN NEWSROOM and I'm Rosemary Church.

Just ahead, Meghan and Harry's bombshell interview has now aired in the U.K. reaction is pouring in except in one place where mum's the word, for now at least.

The CDC finally answers the question, if grandma got her vaccine, can I give her a hug.

Plus, it was the knee on the neck that sparked outrage around the world. In just hours this case goes to trial.

Good to have you with us. Well as the shock waves from Meghan and Harry's interview with Orpah Winfrey continue to reverberate around the world, all eyes are now firmly fixed on the royal family which has yet to issue any sort of response. The British public got its first view of the Harry and Meghan tell all and its stunning claims on Monday night. Among the allegations, accusations of racism and neglect so severe that it led Meghan to contemplate suicide.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MEGHAN MARKLE, DUCHESS OF SUSSEX: I just didn't want to be alive anymore. And that was a very clear and real and frightening constant thought.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CHURCH: The couple also made clear that they believed the British tabloids fueled racist coverage of them in turn creating a dangerous situation for their family. All of this, of course, has sent the U.K. papers into a frenzy. It's now being labeled by some the worst royal crisis in 85 years.

And our Anna Stewart and Salma Abdelaziz join me now from Windsor. Good to see you both. Anna starting with you. Still no response from the palace to these serious allegations of neglect and racism. When might that response come? And what are the tabloids saying now?

ANNA STEWART, CNN REPORTER: No response yet. And pressure I think is mounting here. Most of the front pages of the newspapers go into how this is such a crisis, what is the palace going to do. You want to see the tabloid reaction is a little more flavorful I'd say. The "Daily Express" says "so sad it's come with this." The "Daily Mail" is running with, "What Have They Done?" The "Daily Mirror," the "Worst World Crisis in 85 Years."

And I think from there you can see that there are perhaps more different opinions here on that interview here in the U.K. than in the U.S. And this was highlighted less sensationally from the tabloids in a poll. A U.K. poll done over the last couple of days which asked audiences whether or not they felt this interview was inappropriate.

Now in the U.S. only 20 percent of those polled said it was inappropriate. In the U.K., Rosemary, it was 47 percent so nearly half. Now that isn't to say that people don't empathize particularly with Meghan and some of the issues, she raised around mental health and racism, but it's certainly a feeling perhaps this is damaging to the royal family, to the queen in particular. And some people are really being quite vocal about it such as Piers Morgan who is the host of one of the most popular morning shows here in the U.K. Here's what he said.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

PIERS MORGAN, "GOOD MORING BRITAIN" CO-ANCHOR: This is a two hour trash-a-thon of our royal family of the monarchy, of everything the queen has worked so hard for.

[04:05:00]

And it's all being done as Prince Philip lies in hospital. They trash everybody. They basically make out the entire royal family a bunch of white supremacists.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

STEWART (on camera): Now I can tell you that some of his comments have caused quite a ruckus here in the U.K. But there is certainly a point in there that is shared by many and that is a feeling of protection when it comes to the royal family and the crown.

I think it's important to note that here the royal family aren't just celebrities. Yes, people want to read about them in the tabloids. They want to know what goes on in their private lives but they're also fiercely protective of something that has of course, been part of our lives for as long as -- well for all of our forever. But also the queen and herself has been queen since 1952. So there is this protected element.

And when it comes to some of the things that Prince Harry said laying claims against members of the royal family, he also said he knows that his royal family are trapped, and they can't say what they want. So he's laying claims really against people that potentially can't defend themselves. So we may get a statement from the palace, but the individuals concerned probably won't be able to come out and tell their side of the story. So that is one opinion we're getting here in the U.K. a very different reaction here to over there in the United States.

CHURCH: Yes, it will be interesting to see how far reaching that response is when and if it comes out. Thanks for that, Anna. And Salma, to you now. I want to look at the racism allegations directed at the royal family. Everyone trying to figure out of course which royal would have asked about the color of baby Archie's skin. What has been the reaction to all of this across Britain?

SALMA ABDELAZIZ, CNN REPORTER: Well, Rosemary, we simply don't know which member of the royal family, who said that comment, or who said that statement. But that's kind of not the point. Take a listen to what Orpah said when she was asked about who was behind this.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: When you say you were surprised about the skin tone conversation, were you surprised that that would be true inside the palace or were you surprised they were telling you about it?

OPRAH WINFREY, AMERICAN TALK SHOW HOST, PRODUCER: I was surprised that they were telling me about it.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ABDELAZIZ (on camera): And that's really the point here, Rosemary. There are plenty of people in this country, people of color, black Britain's who might not be surprised at all that the color of Archie's skin was a matter of conversation. The part that people will be surprised about is that this is being discussed publicly and openly.

British society considers talking about race and racism to be culturally taboo. It is not a comfortable topic. It is not a comfortable conversation and here it is playing out in front of the world. And this is not about a specific allegation of racism. Yes, there are of course specific allegations of racism, but Meghan Markle and Prince Harry do not name any specific individuals.

They talk about systems, institutions, firms. They are tying their lot, their struggle, to that of the global antiracism movement. They are saying that the institutions in Britain, such as the press and the monarchy have entrenched systems of racism. And of course Meghan Markle being the first royal of color to enter the royal family to bring that diversity, there was an expectation that that diversity must come with change. But the queen, the monarchy, the royal family are known, they are centered on being unchanged, on sticking to traditions that they back centuries, potentially to the British empire.

And this isn't just about what happens here in Britain, it's also about the commonwealth. 54 nations the monarchy relies heavily on the public support there, many of those countries are in Africa, in the Caribbean. The question is how will they react to this? How will they see the moment play out? So any statement from the palace has to address all of these issues. It has to be able to say, is the monarchy going to remain unchanged at time of great change, or will it be able to adapt? And most importantly will people listen to first royal of color's statements and experience, lived experience inside the royal family -- Rosemary.

CHURCH: Yes, good point. Anna Stewart and Salma Abdelaziz, many thanks to both of you.

And if you would like to get news about the British royal family, we have a new service for you. Go to CNN.com/royalnews for a chance to sign up for our new weekly newsletter.

Well millions of American families and businesses trying to get through the pandemic are a big step closer to getting a desperately needed financial boost. The House is expected to vote on the final version of President Joe Biden's $1.9 trillion relief bill. If the House passes -- which is expected -- the president will sign it before benefits from the December stimulus expires.

Now the relief bill includes $1,400 per person to Americans who qualify and billions of dollars for states, cities, schools, small businesses and vaccine distribution. And we're also following another major sign of progress in the fight against COVID-19. The CDC has just issued new guidelines for people who are fully vaccinated in the U.S. CNN's Nick Watt has the details.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

[04:10:00]

DR. ROCHELLE WALENSKY, CDC DIRECTOR: You can visit your grandparents if you have been vaccinated and they have been too.

NICK WATT, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Finally, guidance for the fully vaccinated, how the government would like you to behave.

WALENSKY: Fully vaccinated people can visit with other fully vaccinated people indoors without wearing a mask or physical distancing. Visit with unvaccinated people from a single household who are at low risk of severe COVID-19 disease indoors without wearing masks or physical distancing.

WATT (voice-over): But even fully vaccinated still, avoid travel, and out and about, still wear a mask.

WALENSKY: There is still a small risk that vaccinated people could become infected with milder or asymptomatic disease and potentially even transmit the virus to others who are not vaccinated.

WATT (voice-over): They will update as the science evolves. But, for now, definitely don't do this, a mask burning protest in Boise, Idaho, over the weekend. GOV. BRAD LITTLE (R-ID): Yes, it's not helpful for people to be burning mass. We want people to choose to make the right decision to wear a mask.

WATT (voice-over): Masks, of course, no longer required in the likes of Mississippi.

GOV. TATE REEVES (R-MS): The fact is, we have seen significantly reduced levels. And, oh, by the way, unlike President Biden, who wants to insult Americans and insult Mississippians, I actually trust Mississippians to make good decisions.

WATT (voice-over): But will they? Meantime, nearly 2.2 million vaccine doses now going into arms on the average day.

ANDY SLAVITT, WHITE HOUSE COVID-19 RESPONSE TEAM: I know the pace is challenging. This is a war. We can't let up.

WATT (voice-over): New cases now averaging just over 60,000 a day, lowest number in about five months. But about 20 percent of those cases could be the more contagious variant first identified in the U.K., according to one testing company.

DR. MICHAEL OSTERHOLM, DIRECTOR, UNIVERSITY OF MINNESOTA CENTER FOR INFECTIOUS DISEASE RESEARCH: That today is wrecking havoc in parts of Europe. We are in the eye of the hurricane right now.

WATT (voice-over): Still, there is a creeping normalcy, this past weekend, air travel biggest numbers since the holidays. Spring break is here.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Miami is the place to be.

WATT (voice-over): Also, there's this, just announced.

BILL DE BLASIO (D), MAYOR OF NEW YORK CITY: High schools will reopen on Monday, March 22, in New York City.

WATT (voice-over): The final group back inside buildings in this, the biggest school district in the country.

WATT: So it's been three months now since the first vaccine dose here in the U.S. Apparently, it took so long to bring out this guidance for vaccinated people not because the guidance itself is complicated, but the White House learned from the mixed messaging on masks last year and wanted to get the communication right.

Nick Watt, CNN, Los Angeles.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

CHURCH: The Biden administration is now grappling with a surge of migrants at the U.S. border with Mexico. And documents reviewed by CNN, show there are a record number of unaccompanied migrant children in the custody of U.S. border patrol. Many of them are at facilities which are akin to jail cells and intended for adults and there's a drastic shortage of beds. There are several hundred more children in custody now than at the peak of the border crisis in 2019.

Well the documents reveal the bottleneck in the system with more children coming into custody than the U.S. is prepared to care for. The Department of Homeland Security calls the situation overwhelming. The DHS secretary is asking employees to volunteer to help support the surge at the border. A source says senior officials from the Biden administration travelled to the border over the weekend, in a fact- finding trip. We are told they talked connect directly with migrants about the conditions and their reasons for crossing the border.

Well the Biden administration, meanwhile, is granting humanitarian protection for Venezuelans in the U.S. Officials say this allows an estimated 300,000 people to apply for temporary protected status and remain lawfully in the country for 18 months. This marks a shift from the Trump administration which had criticized the TPS program and moved to terminate those protections. Word of Biden's action left many Venezuelans here in the U.S. feeling relieved and excited.

Well still to come, George Floyd's family is hoping he will get justice as a long-awaited trial is expected to begin and their attorney says he's finally hoping for accountability.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BENJAMIN CRUMP, ATTORNEY FOR THE FAMILY OF GEORGE FLOYD: If the jury does not look at that video and hold these officers accountable, then god help us because where can a black person get justice in America?

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CHURCH: And claims of Uyghur genocide like they're never been laid out before. A blistering new assessment blames Beijing.

[04:15:00]

Our exclusive report is just ahead.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

CHURCH: Well, now to a damning new report that finds China bears responsibility for the alleged genocide of Uyghur Muslims. An ethnic minority in China's western Xinjiang province. Dozens of experts came to this conclusion after examining evidence from Chinese state media, leaked state communications, satellite images and witness testimony. An independent report accuses China of violating the U.N.'s genocide convention and committing systematic atrocities.

Ivan Watson joins us now live from Hong Kong with exclusive details on all of this. Good to see you, Ivan. So what all does this report reveal? What's the extent of the evidence? And what's China saying about it?

IVAN WATSON, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well this was published by the Newlines Institute for Strategy and Policy out of the U.S. state of Virginia. And it is the first time really that a non- governmental organization has conducted an independent legal analysis of the allegations that the Chinese government is committing genocide in the Xinjian region.

[04:20:00]

And it draws from an awful lot of statements that have been made by Chinese government officials, and reports that have come out of the region, Chinese government reports, as well as media reports by organizations like CNN and testimony of residents and victims of the policies that are in place there. And it's come to the conclusion that the Chinese government has been committing, has been meeting the definitions of genocide with its policies in the region.

Policies that Beijing uses to defend itself that it argues are aimed at stamping out violent extremism and terrorism and also eradicating poverty. But here's for example a list of what the report says are some of the state policies that meet the definitions according to the U.N. of genocide.

The government mandated home stays. That's something that's public knowledge that the Chinese government sent more than one million communist party members to live in the homes of Uyghur and other ethnic minorities. They don't get a choice in the matter in the Xinjian region. Massive internment, the State Department claiming that up to two million members of the ethnic minorities have been rounded up and detained in internment camps.

Then the mass birth prevention policy. The forcible transfer of Uyghur children to state run facilities. Eradication of Uyghur identity. Selective targeting of intellectuals and community leaders.

The definition according to the United Nations Genocide Convention of genocide, is not Nazi gas chambers or mass murder with machetes in Rwanda. It is eliminating elements of a targeted group's culture, for example, or its leaders or limiting its birth right. Now the Chinese government vehemently denies these types of allegations and this is what the foreign minister had to say a couple of days ago.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

WANG YI, CHINESE FOREIGN MINISTER (through translator): The claim that there is genocide in Xinjian could not be more preposterous. It is just a rumor fabricated with ulterior motives and a through lie. Over the past four decades and more, the Uyghur population in Xinjian has more than doubled from 5.5 million to over 12 million.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WATSON (on camera): And he's right. That population grew over more than 40 years. But look at it over a three year period according to Chinese government statistics. The birth rate suddenly plunged by almost half from 2017 to 2019. The Xinjian regional government told CNN that its family planning policies alone in 2017 contributed to 80,000 fewer births and we've gotten testimonies from women saying they were forced to undergo sterilization measures and forced to be implanted with contraceptive IUD devices -- Rosemary.

CHURCH: Unbelievable. Ivan Watson joining us live from Hong Kong. Many thanks for that.

Well the crackdown in Myanmar now extends to five independent media companies which had been reporting on the coup protests. According to state-run TV, the companies are now stripped of their publication licenses. Meanwhile, military troops are occupying hospitals and can be seen here storming a university campus in Mandalay.

Our Paula Hancocks is monitoring all of this from her vantage point in Seoul. She joins us now live. Good to see you, Paula. So what is the latest on the situation in Myanmar and the crackdown on both protestors and independent reporting?

PAULA HANCOCKS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Rosemary, we have been seeing from the military leadership almost from the beginning straight after the February 1st coup that they were trying to control the narrative. They've amended certain laws and rules to prevent any criticism effectively of the military themselves.

Now they've gone one further than that now. They have, as you say, stripped five independent news groups of their licenses. We've spoken to two of them and they have said that they will continue to operate. They will continue to show exactly what is happening on the ground. But certainly there are concerns for those journalist's safety.

We know journalists have been targeted as well over recent weeks. A number of them have been arrested alongside the protesters and the activists that have been on the street.

Now also you did mention that storming of the Mandalay technological university. This is something we've been seeing since last weekend. The fact that the military appears to be occupying hospitals and universities. The U.N. also saying that they had reports of a least five hospitals being occupied, although they didn't specify by the military themselves.

But they did point out that the locations like hospitals are under international humanitarian law. It's against international law to be occupying them so they're calling for them to be freer.

[04:25:00]

But from the military's point of view they're saying they are, quote, maintaining these locations. Saying the doctors and nurses are going out onto the street and they need to be there to continue the operations. So certainly that is a worrying trend at this point.

And one more thing that we have noticed overnight. The police in one neighborhood of Yangon actually cornered hundreds of protesters. They went effectively door to door saying they were going to find anyone who wasn't from that neighborhood and arrest them. This is according to local media and Reuters. There have been reports of dozens of arrests and as far as we know from activists on the ground, in the early hours they were eventually able to leave that neighborhood. But a worrying new development and a new tactic used by the police there

CHURCH: Paula Hancocks monitoring the situation in Myanmar. Many thanks.

Well now to another story we are following very closely. The jury selection is expected to begin today in the trial of the former officer charged in the death of George Floyd. Derek Chauvin is charged with second degree unintentional murder and second degree manslaughter. He has pleaded not guilty.

The youngest sister of George Floyd said the family is very glad the trial is starting, and they are praying for justice. CNN's Randi Kaye takes a look at how Floyd's death last year ignited a movement. And I must warn you some of the images you are about to see are graphic.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

GEORGE FLOYD, DIED IN THE HANDS OF POLICE: Please. Please. I really can't breathe. Please, man. Please.

RANDI KAYE, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): You're watching the last few minutes of George Floyd's life, May 25th, 2020, in Minneapolis. A police officer's knee on his neck. Listen as Floyd struggles to breathe.

FLOYD: I can't breathe. Please, your knee on my neck, I can't breathe.

KAYE (voice-over): Police officers had responded to a call about someone passing a fake $20 Bill and found 46-year-old George Floyd sitting in his car. Police would later say he physically resisted arrest though surveillance video from a nearby restaurants appears to contradict police claims. Prosecutors say Floyd told police he was claustrophobic as they tried to put him in the police car. Soon Floyd is on the ground, handcuffed, with an officer's knee forcing him into the pavement.

FLOYD: I'm about to die.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Relax.

FLOYD: I can't breathe, my face.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Just get up.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: What do you want?

FLOYD: I can't breathe. Please, your knee on my neck. I can't breathe, sir.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Well get up and get in the car, man.

FLOYD: I will.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Get up and get in the car.

FLOYD: I can't move.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Otherwise to whole -- if you don't get in the car.

FLOYD: Mama. Mama.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Get up and get the car right.

KAYE (voice-over): Officer Derek Chauvin does not remove his knee from Floyd's neck. Soon George Floyd is motionless on the ground. His eyes closed. He's pronounced dead at the hospital.

JACOB FREY, MINNEAPOLIS MAYOR: When you hear someone calling for help, you are supposed to help.

KAYE (voice-over): An independent autopsy ordered by the family's attorney concluded Floyd died of asphyxiation from sustained pressure when his and back were compressed during the arrest. The autopsy noted the pressure cut off blood flow to his brain. But the county medical examiner concluded Floyd's heart failed making no mention of asphyxiation. The county also noted heart disease and the use of drugs fentanyl and methamphetamines as significant factors. Both autopsies ruled Floyd's death a homicide. After Floyd's killing the Minneapolis police chief fired Chauvin and the other officers involved.

MEDARIA ARRADONDO, MINNEAPOLIS POLICE CHIEF: In my mind, this was a violation of humanity.

KAYE (voice-over): Floyd's death ignited a movement. Protesters took to the streets in Minneapolis and around the country. Most were peaceful but there was also looting and clashes with police. Protestors echoed Floyd's last words.

CROWD CHANTS: I can't breathe. I can't breathe.

KAYE (voice-over): Now his family is hoping justice will be served, not only for George Floyd but for the young daughter he left behind.

ROXIE WASHINGTON MOTHER OF FLOYD'S DAUGHTER: I want justice for him because he was good. No matter what anybody think, he was good, and this is the proof. He was a good man.

KAYE (voice-over): Randi Kaye, CNN, West Palm Beach, Florida.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

CHURCH: And still to come here on CNN, U.S. health officials finally answer a big question, families have been asking. If grandma got vaccinated, can we give her a hug.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)