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Stimulus Payments Hitting Some Americans' Bank Accounts; CDC: U.S. Tops 101 Million COVID-19 Vaccine Doses Administered; Officials Warn Of Ongoing COVID Threat As Spring Break Kicks Off; Schumer And Gillibrand Join Majority Of New York Congressional Democrats In Calling For Cuomo To Resign, Cuomo Defiant; A Tale Of Two Brothers: A History of William & Harry's Relationship; Why George Floyd's Memorial Site Is Surrounded by Barricades. Aired 4-5p ET

Aired March 13, 2021 - 16:00   ET

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

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[16:00:56]

ANA CABRERA, CNN HOST: You're live in the CNN NEWSROOM. Thanks for staying with me. I'm Ana Cabrera in New York.

Small but measurable progress in the fight against the coronavirus pandemic this weekend that's giving Americans hope. Boy, do we need it? It's also showing the need for everyone to stay cautious.

First, here's the optimistic news. Round three of COVID-19 relief is rolling out to millions of Americans as we speak. For those qualified. It's $1,400 per person. Many of the cash payments are expected to hit bank accounts this weekend.

COVID vaccinations now at more than 101 million doses given to people in this country, according to the CDC, and about a third of those people are now fully vaccinated. Public health officials, though, are concerned when they see scenes like this. People packed closed together, almost nobody with a mask, like at this restaurant in Miami Beach.

It is spring break for people and many are traveling, despite advice against it. This is the packed beach. This is Miami Beach right now. Health officials insisting it is not the time to let down our guard.

They are begging people to keep wearing masks and keep following safety guidelines. We have a team of recorders spread out across the country.

CNN's Paul Vercammen is standing by for us out west in Los Angeles.

But let's begin with CNN's Natasha Chen. She is in Miami Beach, where people as we are showing you, are starting to flock for spring break, despite the warnings from health officials, and there has been an uptick in new COVID cases in Florida as well, Natasha.

So, are people there taking precautions?

NATASHA CHEN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Not really, Ana. When we were out at Miami Beach yesterday, not a lot of people wearing masks. You saw the restaurants pretty much packed. We are seeing the traffic behind us, the bridge is up so boats can pass through.

A lot of traffic is heading towards the beach right now. So a lot of interest in coming to a beach locations for vacation, for spring break. And as I spoke to Miami Beach Mayor Dan Gelber yesterday, he said it's really a struggle to keep people safe.

Now, there is a curfew in place from midnight to 6:00 a.m., and there is a mask mandate but there's no way under Florida law for him to actually fine anyone for not wearing a mask. Here's what he said.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MAYOR DAN GELBER (D), MIAMI BEACH: The governor made it difficult. We had a mask mandate, but we can't fine anybody and we've given out a thousand citations before the governor said he would allow it too.

The real thing we are missing the most is -- you know, people will follow a culture of health and compliance if they hear a unanimity of voices telling them to.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CHEN: And his struggle he says is that different leaders are giving people mix messages about the approach for COVID restrictions. All he can do at this point is have people give out face masks on the beach, to people, disposable ones, as well as these ones right here. Most people have been happily taking them. But he said some people react poorly to that, if he still gets emails from people upset about the mask mandate.

CABRERA: Natasha, it is such an easy way for us to do our part, using masks. Please stand by.

I want to bring in Paul Vercammen in Los Angeles.

We know there are 2 million doses administered in the state's hardest hit areas. What more can you tell us?

PAUL VERCAMMEN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, it's a more rosy picture here in California. How did we get here where we are closer to reopening movie theaters, museums, restaurants indoors, and an aggressive vaccination program.

Behind me, this is the University of Southern California parking garage. Inside, they are vaccinating people from one of these hard hit communities. They hope to vaccinate 1,000 people today. The goal is eventually 5,000.

People are walking up. They are riding in the bus. They are driving through and shots are going in arms.

Tremendous excitement here for people who are having a hard time finding a place to get that shot.

[16:05:05]

And we talked to one man. He's a waiter in a cafe. He was thrilled. It was a double dip today, he got a vaccine and tomorrow, because of the new rules, he's going to see more tips.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

WATER OROZCO, RESTAURANT SERVER WHO RECEIVED COVID-19 VACCINE: It was tough. It was tough. In the beginning, we didn't know. We were here and we want to be surviving all this time. There were moments we didn't have a lot of customers coming in, so you get frustrated.

But right now, it starts coming back, with the vaccine and reopening. It feels more secure now.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

VERCAMMEN: And those restaurants, of course, a big part of California's massive tourism economy. Also out there, stadiums will reopen, baseball stadiums, 14 million people attended baseball games in the last year there was a full season, and we can tell you that theme parks are going to reopen. All of this it's making for that which we can describe is a much rosier picture in California.

Now, back to you, Ana.

CABRERA: That sounds good.

Paul Vercammen and Natasha Chen, thank you both.

With us now, Dr. William Schaffner. He's a professor in the division of infectious diseases at Vanderbilt University Medical Center.

Doctor, President Biden said he is instructing states to allow all adults to be eligible to receive COVID-19 vaccines by May 1st and that he also has a goal of beginning to return to normalcy by July 4th.

Is the U.S. on track to meet those goals?

DR. WILLIAM SCHAFFNER, PROFESSOR, DIVISION OF INFECTIOUS DISEASES, VANDERBILT UNIVERSITY MEDICAL CENTER: Well, Ana, it's a very ambitious goal -- set of goals. I think we're on track, but everything has to go smoothly. We still have to have a lot of vaccine come in, and the vaccinators have to make sure that vaccine gets into arms.

And in the meantime, as you were saying in all those set up pieces, please keep wearing your mask. It's not -- we can't declare victory yet. Not yet.

CABRERA: What if you are outside, though, because we showed those images of people at the beach? It's hard to see how close people are together, given the science that we now know and those are less risky environments when you are outdoors because everything is it's super ventilated. Did you really need a mask when you're on the beach? SCHAFFNER: I think if you're separate from other people, you can do

without a mask on the beach. It depends on how crowded those beaches are, and then you go from the beach right into a restaurant, right, and that's where the transmission risk goes up.

CABRERA: That is such an important point. We know people are traveling, so they are mixing with people who haven't been around the TSA, screened more than 1.3 million people at airports on Friday, which is the highest number since March 15th of last year, when the CDC released the guidance on what vaccinated people can do. They didn't update their guidance on travel.

Now, the CDC director says she is concerned about the variance coming to travel quarters. So, that makes some sense. But was it a mistake for the CDC not to address this? Because now, it clearly looks like people are taking matters in their own hands?

SCHAFFNER: Well, people in states have been taking matters in their own hands since the beginning of this COVID pandemic hit us in the United States. But I think the CDC is coming to us with a whole series of recommendations that will show us how we can gradually opened up as vaccinate more and more people, and travel will be among them, I'm sure.

CABRERA: We'll be watching. New York announced this week, starting April 1st, out of state visitors will not have to automatically quarantine. Now, the New York City mayor called this reckless. What do you think?

SCHAFFNER: You know, it's just what you do. And people are being optimistic that this vaccination program will continue and more and more people will be vaccinated. So, as that happened, the risk will go down. It's not like flipping a slight switch. But there is no doubt if we continue to get vaccinated, the risk will diminish week by week.

CABRERA: How risky is it then to say you don't need to quarantine if you come from New York from out of state?

SCHAFFNER: I actually think the virus is everywhere. And quarantining people who come into New York, I never thought that was very effective, but that's just between you and me.

CABRERA: OK, and everybody else who just heard you say that. But that's actually nice to hear from a lot of people because that does give a sense of optimism, right?

There's some interesting new research, and we are always trying to follow the signs as we learn more and more about the virus. The New England Journal of Medicine said that people who were previously infected with COVID-19 and got just one shot of the vaccine have antibody levels at or above those who gotten both doses and never effected.

So, Doctor, is it an opportunity to rethink the double dosing strategy?

[16:10:06]

SCHAFFNER: It is, indeed. At least for people who had previously documented COVID infection. And the advisory committee on immunization practices is looking into that. The CDC's group that makes recommendations about how vaccines ought to be used, along those lines sometime in the future.

CABRERA: That hasn't changed yet, though. So, everybody should be getting two doses right now. Is that what you would recommend?

SCHAFFNER: Absolutely. At the moment, get your two doses. Can't hurt and likely will help.

CABRERA: 2020 was America's deadliest year since 1900. And, of course, is largely due to the coronavirus pandemic, and this is according to early data from the CDC. It shows 15 percent -- 15 percent spike in the U.S. death rate last year.

What does it mean for the nation's public health? What is this impact?

SCHAFFNER: Well, Ana, for those of us who are public health people, an impact like that showing an increase in the death rate is just absolutely extraordinary. I mean, to the folks who really think that COVID is just like the flu, that speaks against that. This is a huge influence on just the demographics of the United States, and we hope that the vaccination program will get us back to something more normal fairly quickly. Certainly by the end of the year, I hope.

CABRERA: Yeah, we all do. Thank you so much, Dr. William Schaffner. It's nice see you. Thank you for all you do.

SCHAFFNER: My pleasure, Ana.

CABRERA: So as the race to vaccinate Americans accelerates, President Biden is set to take his COVID relief bill that he just signed on the road this coming week.

CNN White House correspondent Arlette Saenz joins us.

Arlette, the administration is calling this the "help is here" tour. What can we expect?

ARLETTE SAENZ, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Well, Ana, President Biden is about to set in sales pitch mode. And White House officials have stressed they want to take the time to explain to the American people what exactly they will be getting from the bill.

So, over the course of the next week, you will see the president, the vice president and their spouses and other surrogates fan out across the country to make this sales pitch. The president will be traveling to Delaware county in Pennsylvania, while Vice President Harris will be over towards the west of the country, in Nevada and Colorado, before the two meet up later in the week down in Georgia.

Many of these states are also states that could be critical to Democrats heading into those 2022 midterm elections where many states have Senate races that will be in contention. So, the president wants to explain to the American people how exactly they will be benefitting from this massive $1.9 trillion COVID relief package.

Then there is implementation mode, and the president has stressed that there will need to be oversight on how this measure is actually carrying out. Take a listen to what he said yesterday in the Rose Garden when it comes to implementation.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JOSEPH R. BIDEN, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: It's one thing to pass the American Rescue Plan. It's another thing to implement it. It's going to require fastidious oversight to make sure there is no waste or fraud. And the law does what it's designed to do.

And I mean it. We have to get it right. Details matter.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SAENZ: Now, the White House says they will be appointing someone to oversee that implementation. That is similar to a role that Biden played when he was vice president when he oversaw the implementation of the Recovery Act.

There is going to be an event at the White House on Monday, where the president will speak more about implementation. So we will see if they designate a point person there. And one massive part of this bill is the $1,400 stimulus checks out to Americans and many of the checks have already been hitting Americans' bank accounts this weekend.

If you take a look on social media, people are posting about getting those checks into their accounts. One of those people is Jojo Royal (ph) from Florissant, Missouri. He is assistant general manager in a hotel. He had been out of work since May, and he says he plans to use the money to pay for some medical bills and also a family trip after his mother had passed away from lung cancer.

Those are the type of people that the administration is hoping can benefit from the stimulus check as the massive coronavirus relief package is going into effect.

CABRERA: Arlette Saenz in Wilmington, Delaware, where the president is spending his weekend. Thank you.

These words now from the New York governor: I have not had a sexual relationship that was inappropriate.

[16:15:06]

But calls for Governor Andrew Cuomo to resign are growing, and new allegations are surfacing. That's next.

You're live in the CNN NEWSROOM.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK) CABRERA: Pressure is growing on New York Governor Andrew Cuomo to resign as he faces new allegations of sexual misconduct. Democratic Senators Chuck Schumer and Kirsten Gillibrand are just the latest New York lawmakers to demand he'd step down.

CNN's Brynn Gingras has more on multiple scandals gripping the governor's mansion and how Governor Cuomo is responding to all those who want him to go.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

GOV. ANDREW CUOMO (D), NEW YORK: I did not do what has been alleged period. I have not had a sexual relationship that was inappropriate, period.

BRYNN GINGRAS, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): New York Governor Cuomo digging in his heels, reiterating he is innocent, amid mounting allegations an ongoing investigations into his alleged misconduct.

[16:20:09]

CUOMO: Look, it's very simple. I never harassed anyone. I never abused anyone. I never assaulted anyone. Now, and I never would. My statement could not be clearer.

GINGRAS: Even as a majority of the New York delegation are calling on Cuomo to resign.

Congressman Jerry Nadler saying in a statement, the repeated accusations against the governor and the manner in which he has responded to them have made it impossible for him to continue to govern at this point.

The governor making it clear in an afternoon press briefing he isn't going anywhere.

CUOMO: People know the difference between playing politics, bowing to cancel culture and the truth. Let the review proceed. I'm not going to resign.

Part of this is that I am not part of the political club. And you know what? I'm proud of it.

GINGRAS: Cuomo now facing three separate on going probes. The latest from state lawmakers who launched an impeachment investigation.

ZOHRAN MAMDANI (D), NEW YORK STATE ASSEMBLY: At a time when the state and New Yorkers need us the most, we are unable to focus on the issues at hand, because we have a governor who is lying to the public and a governor who's refusing to face up to what he's done.

GINGRAS: The judiciary committee's investigation is the first step towards possibly removing the governor from office. Lawmakers will be able to subpoena the documents, request records, and conduct interviews. The attorney for Charlotte Bennett, a former aide who accuses Cuomo of

sexual harassment, says Bennett would testify in those proceedings.

CHARLOTTE BENNETT, FORMER CUOMO AIDE: He said he was lonely.

GINGRAS: Bennett is one of several women who in the last month had publicly made allegations of inappropriate behavior or sexual harassment against Cuomo. The New York attorney generals office is leading that probe, and has set up a website calling for tips to help with its investigation. Cuomo maintains he didn't do anything wrong and apologized, saying he didn't know he was making anyone feel uncomfortable.

CUOMO: There are often many motivations for making an allegation. And that is why you need to know the facts, before you make a decision. There are now two reviews underway. No one wants them to happen more quickly, and more thoroughly than I do. Let them do it.

GINGRAS: And in a separate probe, CNN reports that federal prosecutors in Brooklyn and the FBI are scrutinizing the handling of data surrounding COVID-19 deaths in nursing homes. A senior adviser to Cuomo said in February, the administration has been cooperating with that inquiry which started last year.

CUOMO: We are talking about a public health emergency.

GINGRAS: Three investigations prove what a difference a year makes, when this time last year Cuomo's star was on the rise, as one of the nation's leading voices in the early days of the pandemic.

CUOMO: I have a job to do. I have been doing it 11 years. This is probably the most critical time in the state's history.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

GINGRAS (on camera): And a new accusation from a former Albany reporter who covered Cuomo back in 2014. She penned an article for the "New Yorker" and she said she never got the idea he wanted to sleep with her, but it wasn't about sex. It was about power.

Brynn Gingras, CNN, in Albany, New York.

CABRERA: Coming up, prince harries and Meghan Markle investing in new causes focused on very issues brought up in that explosive interview with Oprah Winfrey. Details just ahead, live in the CNN NEWSROOM.

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[16:28:12]

CABRERA: Just days after the bombshell interview, Prince Harry and Meghan Markle have announced that their foundation, Archewell, will support a string of new charities that focus on the very issues they addressed with Oprah, issues like hate speech and racism, as well as mental health and diversity in the media. You'll recall during the interview, Meghan revealed she had suffered

suicidal thoughts and that a senior royal had asked about her future son's skin color, and Harry revealed his relationship with his family, particularly with his brother William is strained.

Here is CNN's Max Foster.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

REPORTER: Sir, have you spoken to your brother since the interview?

PRINCE WILLIAM, DUKE OF CAMBRIDGE: I haven't spoken to him yet, but I will do.

REPORTER: Can you just let me know, is the royal family a racist family, sir?

PRINCE WILLIAM: No, we're very much not a racist family.

MAX FOSTER, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): A reporter, breaking protocol, with unsolicited questions, answered by a brother, still not ready to talk. The royal rift, never more apparent than just days after a scathing, no holds barred interviewed, in which Harry made allegations that will live with the British monarchy for years, if not decades.

Prince William, still the heir, Prince Harry, no longer his stand in, an ocean apart, for the distance between the two even greater.

PRINCE HARRY, DUKE OF SUSSEX: The relationship has space at the moment.

FOSTER: That space, confirmed, it seems, on Thursday by the future king of the United Kingdom. A far cry from this.

PRINCE HARRY: He's definitely got more brains than me, I think we've established a from school. But I am much better hands on.

FOSTER: With the gentle ribbing and teasing of two brothers, who had been through so much, showing just how inseparable their bond seem to be.

PRINCE WILLIAM, DUKE OF CAMBRIDGE: It's pretty rich, coming from a ginger.

[16:30:00]

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

MAX FOSTER, CNN ROYAL CORRESPONDENT: These two young men, who had grown up being watched by millions, living through the unimaginable tragedy of losing their mother as young boys. And emerging on the other side, together, side by side, candidly exposing their pain.

PRINCE WILLIAM, DUKE OF CAMBRIDGE: We have been brought closer because of the circumstances as well. That's the thing. KATHERINE, DUCHESS OF CAMBRIDGE: Yes.

PRINCE WILLIAM: You know, you are -- you know, uniquely bonded because of what we've been through.

FOSTER: Making mental health a joint centerpiece of their royal platform.

At the time, both men aware of the duty on William's shoulders as future king.

Their grandmother, the Queen, committed to a slimmed down future monarchy, only adding to the burden they were meant to share.

PRINCE HARRY, DUKE OF SUSSEX: There's a lot of times that both myself, and my brother, wish obviously that we were just, you know, completely normal.

But, we've been born into this position, and therefore we will do what we need to do.

FOSTER: But after a period of smooth sailing -- royal tours, engagements, weddings, and births -- rumors of turmoil within. Becoming reality as Harry and Meghan, took steps last year to stand back and ultimately, to stand apart.

Prince William, reportedly, saddened by the couple's decision. According to "The Sunday Times", saying to a friend, "I've put my arm around my brother all our lives. And I can't do that anymore. We are separate entities."

Harry solidifying that separation in a sit-down tell-all with his wife to Oprah Winfrey.

PRINCE HARRY: He's my brother. We've been through hell together. And we had a shared experience. But we -- you know, we were on different paths.

FOSTER: Max Foster, CNN, Hampshire, England.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

CABRERA: Ed Owens joins us now. He's a royal historian.

Ed, what is the reality of the relationship between Prince William and Prince Harry right now?

ED OWENS, ROYAL HISTORIAN: Good afternoon, Ana.

I think it is strained. I don't think they are on good sort of talking basis. It's not like they are ringing up to find out how one another is and how their respective wives are.

I think, since the break this time last year, since Megxit, there has been a difference have emerged between the brothers in terms of how they see their future lives. CABRERA: Why do you think that is though? Because we look at the

pictures. They only had each other after their mom died. They got closer, it would have seemed, at least from so far away here in the U.S.

(CROSSTALK)

CABRERA: And so, what was it about Megxit that created this rift between siblings?

OWENS: Yes. So after 1997, it did seem that the two brothers became, if you like, the closest of friends and confidants. They had gone through this extraordinary traumatic experience, and you know, I think they found solace together.

And they were already in this very unique position as young royal princes. And they've - they, therefore, weathered a lot of interesting events together.

They've got this extraordinary position. And the media was also very keen to present them as the best of friends.

If you like, Prince Charles was not very popular in the late 1990s. And in many ways, the monarchy's popularity, it's resurgence in popularity since the early 2000s has really been built on the shoulders of the two boys.

So they were presented as this ideal couple who got on very well.

But ever since, if you like, the women in their lives first emerged, there has been this separation, if you like.

They reached a fork in their roads when William first met Kate. And then, obviously, there was then when Harry met Meghan, he drifted further apart again.

I think the key here is that Harry and Meghan had a very different vision of a dual monarchy compared to William and Kate. That vision of monarchy, that model of monarchy ultimately didn't work. It didn't fit. And we ended up with Megxit.

And ever since then, we've had COVID, this pandemic, and it's meant the brothers have been on the opposite side of the Atlantic Ocean and, therefore, physically separated --

CABRERA: Yes.

OWENS: -- as well as, I think, emotionally. So I think it's been the most difficult of years.

CABRERA: As we heard in the piece from Max Foster, Prince William was asked this week by a reporter if the royal family is racism. And his response was simply the royals are very much not a racist family.

What did you make of how you handled the question? OWENS: It was very much in line with the earlier palace statement,

which was this is a private family matter, we are going to deal with it as a family.

William's statement, "We are very much not a racist family," was a direct rebuke of any insinuation or accusation from the Sussexes.

And I think the palace strategy at the moment is very much to try to put this story to bed as quickly as possible, to end the speculation, to take it out of the public sphere, and to deal with it behind closed doors so that they can try to move on.

[16:35:19]

CABRERA: But it's so, so out there now. So can this just be addressed privately?

OWENS: Well, at the moment, the news in the British -- in Britain is dominated by other stories. There's been a tragic murder this week of a young woman.

And at the moment, if you like, the big story was the Meghan and Harry interview. That has faded away somewhat. So the public discussion has also dispersed to some extent.

However, of course, there is at some point going to have to be some form of public response after it's been dealt with privately.

I think the publics on both sides of the Atlantic are going to want to know more. What is being done to ensure that, if there is racism within the royal family, that it is rooted out and that there will never be kind of racist comments that were -- that they suggested had been the case earlier in the week.

CABRERA: Ed Owens, it's always great to have your insights. Thank you for joining us.

OWENS: Thank you.

CABRERA: Coming up, it's the site where George Floyd took some of his last breaths. But his massive memorial is also the source of tension in Minneapolis. We will explain why, next.

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[16:40:40]

CABRERA: President Joe Biden has just issued a statement on the one- year anniversary of Breonna Taylor's death:

"Breonna Taylor's death was a tragedy, a blow to her family, her community and America. As we mourn and continue to mourn her, me must press ahead to pass meaningful police reform in Congress. I remain committed to signing a landmark reform bill into law."

Crowds are marching in downtown Louisville, Kentucky, right now in honor of Taylor.

Taylor was killed by Louisville Metro Police during a botched raid last year. Her mother has now asked President Biden to open up a federal investigation into her death.

Seven jurors have now been selected in the trial of a former Minneapolis police officer, Derek Chauvin, who put his knee of George Floyd's neck for nearly nine minutes before Floyd died last year.

On Friday, the Minneapolis city council unanimously approved a $27 million settlement with Floyd's estate, which had sued the city for fostering a culture of excessive force, among other things.

Meantime, the spot where Floyd died has served as a memorial and a place for prayer since last May. But now, it's surrounded by barricades and increasing violence.

CNN's Sara Sidner reporters.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

SARA SIDNER, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): The place where George Floyd took some of his last breaths is both sacred space and at times a battlefield.

JEANELLE AUSTIN, GEORGE FLOYD GLOBAL MEMORIAL: We are a grieving community.

(SIRENS)

SIDNER: On any given day, at any given hour, the situation changes here. When we arrived, caretakers were cleaning up. There was nothing but calm and black joy.

(MUSIC)

SIDNER: But this past Saturday, gunshots rang out. A man was killed steps away from where Floyd suffered. Business owners and some residents complain the sound of gunshots are not uncommon.

SAM WILLIS JR, OWNER, JUST TURKEY: They can have any time. Yesterday, like we had mentioned, it happened that -- it was 1:00 in the afternoon, over 20 shots fired.

SIDNER (on camera): In order to get into George Floyd Square, which is what they have dubbed the area where George Floyd took his last few breaths, you have to pass through barricades on every single side.

(voice-over): There are also resident-appointed guardians of the square, sometimes refusing entry. None of it sanctioned by the city.

AUSTIN: It's predominately white neighbors who -- they weren't -- they weren't allowing the police in because they were protecting the black community, because they saw what happened three weeks earlier.

SIDNER: Resident Jeanelle Austin has spent nearly a year collecting and preserving every single memento for a George Floyd Global Memorial art installation. She says no trust has been built between the community and police there.

While she and others like Billy Briggs are busy making a space for art, other citizens have taken up the role of policing and even medical services in the area.

BILLY BRIGGS, SOUTH MINNEAPOLIS RESIDENT: The square is open to anybody that wants to come. We don't dictate free will. But we are going to look out for the safety of our community members, of the visitors.

SIDNER (on camera): What do you say to people who say, look, this is the police's job, this is the EMS' job?

AUSTIN: We work with EMS. EMS, we work with.

SIDNER: And the police?

AUSTIN: The police, they need to work on themselves. There is a distrust. They have not corrected themselves. The way -- the police work for some people and not for others.

SIDNER (voice-over): The police chief, who last May prayed at the intersection while the city raged over Floyd's death, says it's time for the square to open up again.

MEDARIA ARRADONDO, CHIEF, MINNEAPOLIS POLICE DEPARTMENT: If there's anyone who can -- who's over in that space who's saying that that is truly about uplifting that intersection in his name, but yet the violence is continuing, the homicides are continuing, I would disagree vehemently with that position.

SIDNER: That will not happen easily. The community has given the city 24 written demands in exchange for opening up the square.

AUSTIN: If you lift those barriers without first providing restorative justice to the community, people are going to forget about the harm and the trauma caused to this community.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

CABRERA: Sara Sidner reporting.

Coming up, new details about just how far President Trump went to get election results in Georgia thrown out.

[16:44:51]

Plus, a CNN original series on how former President Lincoln used the power of his words to uplift a nation in sorrow. "LINCOLN, DIVIDED WE STAND," continues tomorrow night at 10:00 Eastern here on CNN.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

CABRERA: George Floyd's death, which sparked a worldwide movement, has taken center stage in Minneapolis. Seven jurors have now been selected in the murder trial of Derek Chauvin. And jury selection continues next week.

The former officer now faces an additional charge as well. A judge reinstating a count of third-degree murder.

That brings us to our weekly "CROSS EXAM" segment with CNN legal analyst and former federal and state prosecutor, Elie Honig, who is here to answer your questions.

Elie, one viewer wants to know: What is the difference between the various charges that Derek Chauvin is facing? And how important is the new charge that was reinstated?

[16:50:07]

ELIE HONIG, CNN LEGAL ANALYST: Ana, big developments this week in Minneapolis. So Derek Chauvin now faces three charges.

Let's break them down from most to least serious.

First, there's a second-degree murder charge that's punishable by a maximum sentence of 40 years in prison. Prosecutors will have to show that Chauvin intentionally assaulted George Floyd, causing his death.

And second, this is the charge the trial judge had initially thrown out. But this week, the court of appeals say you have to add it back in. That's a third-degree murder charge. That carries a 25-year max.

And here, even if the murder was not intentional, prosecutors just need to show it was done with depraved mind, meaning there was an excessive risk that Derek Chauvin took.

And third, there's a manslaughter charge. That carries a 10-year max. That requires prosecutors to show that Chauvin acted negligently.

Now that reinstated charge is so important because, in my experience as a prosecutor, if juries cannot agree, guilty, not guilty, top charge, bottom charge, they will look to compromise.

The prosecutors fought hard to get the case added back in and they won a significant victory this week.

CABRERA: That's obviously a case we'll be following very closely in the days and weeks ahead.

I want to turn to President Trump's legal woes. This week, the New York prosecutor, who is leading perhaps the most significant criminal probe against Trump and his business, announced he is not running for re-election.

One viewer asks: How does the fact that the Manhattan district attorney is not running for reelection impact the ongoing investigation of the Trump Organization?

HONIG: Well, I think what this does, Ana, is it provides political insulation for Cy Vance, the D.A., for whatever his charging decision is.

Now, no matter what he decides, indict or don't indict, it's going to be harder to accuse him of playing politics because he's not running for re-election.

The D.A. has also taken steps to make sure the investigation can carry on beyond Cy Vance. They have hired an outside forensic firm. They hired a former federal prosecutor from the SDNY to take charge of the case.

And there are other key indications the investigation is growing. Most importantly, they have interviewed Michael Cohen seven times.

I can tell you, as a former prosecutor, that's a lot. You don't sit with a witness seven times until you believe them, that they are backed up by other evidence, documents, the other witnesses, and you intend to use them in the case.

We will keep our eyes on this but it looks like it continues to gain steam.

CABRERA: You think it's going to last past Cy Vance's time in office?

HONIG: I think that Cy Vance is going to make the decision before he leaves so he can get that pollical insulation. But the case itself, if they choose to indict, will certainly carry pass his term, yes.

CABRERA: Got you.

This week, we learned that, in a phone call to the Georgia state's office in December, a different phone call that the one directly with the secretary of state, Trump urged a top investigator to find fraud in the 2020 election, telling her she would be praised for overturning the results.

A prosecutor in Georgia has already launched a criminal investigation. So another viewer asks: How strong does the case look to charge Donald Trump for election interference in Georgia.

HONIG: Yes, it gets stronger all the time, thanks to Trump's own words. And we already heard that call that Donald Trump made to the secretary of state, Brad Raffensperger.

And now a second call. This is to an investigator, not even to an elected official, saying, you will be praised if you get to the right result.

The Fulton County district attorney has formally impaneled a grand jury. That body will have the power to force people to testify and produce evidence. That's a very important development.

The question here is really whether Trump was just asking officials, hey, I want to make sure you count all the votes, wherever they may fall, or whether he was trying to get people to throw the votes and the election itself to him. If it's the latter, that violates the Georgia state law against

election interference. His own words are making it more and more making it look like it is the later.

But again, we'll keep an eye on that one as it develops.

CABRERA: Good stuff.

As always, Elie Honig, good to see you. One of these days --

HONIG: Thanks, Ana.

CABRERA: -- we will be back on set together.

(CROSSTALK)

HONIG: I look forward to that.

CABRERA: Me, too.

HONIG: Thanks.

CABRERA: Thanks, Elie.

From the art, to the food, to the culture, there's nowhere on earth quite like it. Stanley Tucci is exploring beautiful Tuscany, one of my favorite places, in a new episode of "SEARCHING FOR ITALY."

Here is a preview.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

(MUSIC)

STANLEY TUCCI, CNN HOST, "STANLEY TUCCI: SEARCHING FOR ITALY" (voice- over): And now the main event.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: (SPEAKING FOREIGN LANGUAGE)

(CROSSTALK)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: (SPEAKING FOREIGN LANGUAGE)

(LAUGHTER)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: (SPEAKING FOREIGN LANGUAGE)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: (SPEAKING FOREIGN LANGUAGE.) Fantastico.

TUCCI: What he is doing now, he says this is the secret.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The family secret.

TUCCI: Besides excessive amount of salt.

The little sort of wisps of olive branch, like this, in the fire. UNIDENTIFIED MALE: (SPEAKING FOREIGN LANGUAGE)

[16:55:08]

TUCCI: So you're getting the flavor of the olive branches. It gives it a distinctive taste.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: (SPEAKING FOREIGN LANGUAGE)

TUCCI: (SPEAKING FOREIGN LANGUAGE)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: (SPEAKING FOREIGN LANGUAGE)

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CABRERA: Join the feast. "STANLEY TUCCI: SEARCHING FOR ITALY," airs tomorrow night at 9:00 here on CNN.

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