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Connect the World
Scorched Land Amounts To 10 Times The Size Of New York City; U.K. Health Secretary Concerned By Rise In Cases Among Young People; Biden & Trump Clash Over Trump's Alleged Military Comments; U.S. Experts: Flu Shots Are More Important Than Ever; Man Prevented From Livestreaming Final Days On Facebook; Colliding Crisis: COVID-19 And Climate. Aired 11a-12p ET
Aired September 07, 2020 - 11:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
[11:00:00]
BECKY ANDERSON, CNN INTERNATIONAL HOST: Listen to this harrowing account from one man trapped with his family at a popular camping site as the
flames moved in.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JEREMY REMINGTON, AIRLIFTED TO SAFETY ALONG WITH FAMILY: I just want to show you, if we make it out of this -- we are completely trapped. There's
fire on all sides all around us. All the roads are burnt everywhere. A bunch of us are stranded here, and supposedly there is - we have no cell
phone reception, and supposedly there is nobody coming. Anyway, I wanted to show you this and hope we get home safely.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: Well, Jeremy Remington and his family did make it out unharmed, rescued in what has become - fast become a herculean effort to move people
to safely and keep the fast-moving flames at bay. Kyung Lah has more.
KYUNG LAH, CNN SENIOR U.S. CORRESPONDENT: Rare and deadly heat at more than 120 degrees. Bone dry winds exacerbating flames, and almost 2.1 million
acres burned. California's wildfires this year have become the worst in state history, and it is only September. A rapidly spreading fire tore
through the sierra national forest, trapping hundreds of people at a recreation area.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
TYSON POSGUE, MADERA COUNTY SHERIFF: The situation only can be described as just hellish conditions out there for those poor people.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
LAH: At least 224 were rescued from the mammoth pool reservoir area after the creek fire blocked the only road out.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
COLONEL DAVID HALL, CALIFORNIA NATIONAL GUARD: Because of deterring weather conditions, they ended up using great and sound judgment by allowing as
many people as they could possibly fit in the helicopter on the second turn, and safely evacuated all those, and then wanted to make an attempt
for the third turn to get the remaining personnel out.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
LAH: About 20 evacuees had injuries from broken bones to burns two were carried out on stretchers. Hiking nearby Juliana Park said the fire moved
in so fast, a forest ranger instructed them to drive through it.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Just keep going.
JULIANA PARK, ESCAPED CAMP FIRE: It was actually per her instruction that we drove through that fire. She said it was the only way down, and it
hadn't yet crossed the road and that we just had to drive through it. I think if we had stayed just ten minutes more, we might not have been so
lucky.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
LAH: From Friday night until Sunday morning, the creek fire alone burned 45,000 acres. Even with hundreds of firefighters and air drops, the fire
remains at zero percent containment, out of control. California's Governor urged residents to conserve energy, to avoid severe power surges and
rolling blackouts.
Gavin Newsom's office tweeted steps asking Californians to conserve energy. And this is all happening amid a pandemic. The Calguard's 95th Civil
Support Team set up a mobile laboratory for COVID-19 tests, as rescuers try to work safely through the merciless challenges. California's rescuers
works remain positive and continue to push ahead.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SKY CORNELL, SPOKESMAN, LOS ANGELES COUNTY FIRE DEPARTMENT: Whenever you have conditions that are in the three digits and they're across so many
different areas within our jurisdiction, within L.A. County Fire, you know you're always going to be on edge a little bit. But this is something we
prepare for, this is something that we train for, this is something that we're ready for, and we'll handle that.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: Well, Kyung Lah joining me now from one of the areas hit by these fires, describe what you have been seeing, Kyung Lah?
LAH: Well, what you just saw there, Becky was a water drop from that helicopter. They stop and they pick up water and they try to hit some of
these hot spots. Part of that area, that hill, was catching on fire a little close to some of the houses, so the air support is brought in to try
to put down those flames.
They are really in structured protection at this point. This is a 7300-acre fire, and this is the El Dorado Fire. This is the less dangerous fire, but
you just heard what I said, it's a very large fire, very hot, very dangerous for the firefighters who are here on the ground, and they're
still trying to contain it.
It is only about 5 percent contained. And something else we want to point out about this particular fire is that we are learning from CAL FIRE that
it started by accident. It was a party, parents excited about their new baby.
They wanted to reveal the gender in a flashy way. They set off pyrotechnics and then the gender reveal went wrong and that's what started this fire so
given the dry conditions here Becky very, very dangerous conditions to do anything involving flames. Becky?
ANDERSON: Absolutely. Kyung Lah, thank you. Well, on the other side of the globe, another climate crisis playing out with an intense typhoon season.
[11:05:00]
ANDERSON: Right now Tropical Storm Haishen is weakening over the Korean Peninsula but not before it cut through these Southern portions of Japan as
a typhoon these storms has left tens of thousands of people in the region without power.
Now a search and rescue operation is underway in Japan after Haishen struck. At least 4 people are missing on the Japanese Island of Kyushu
after homes were washed into the river. Paula Hancocks is in Seoul.
PAULA HANCOCKS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: The CNN Weather Department says that usually there's one or two every season, so we really are having a very
active typhoon season, and of course it comes after an extremely bad monsoon season.
The rainfall has been extremely heavy in North and South Korea this summer. So certainly the Korean Peninsula does not need more rain, but that is
exactly what is happening with this typhoon at this point, skirting up the East Coast of the Korean Peninsula after it has battered Japan.
Now there has been the first loss of life confirmed in Japan, we know that four people are missing at this point as landslides pushed houses into a
river. There is also one missing on the East Coast of South Korea. Hundreds of thousands of people in both countries have lost power. Hundreds of
flights have been canceled.
But, of course, Japan and South Korea are countries that have a good infrastructure, that are able to cope with this kind of severe weather.
What is a concern now is that this storm will skirt the East Coast of North Korea, which obviously does not have the infrastructure in place.
Now, we did see the North Korean Leader, Kim Jong-un, touring one of the areas that had been damaged from the previous typhoon, which was just a
matter of days ago, and they certainly are concerned about what this typhoon will bring, especially when it comes to wind and rainfall.
One of the concerns is for the agriculture industry. We are close to harvesting the crops, and certainly in a country like North Korea which has
such significant food insecurity, any damage to crops will be of great concern.
And we have seen from state-run media in North Korea that is one the things that Kim Jong-un has asked his people to try and cope with. But unusually
what we saw as we did last week was North Korea state-run television also having live reports showing just how concerned they are about this recent
weather? Paula Hancocks, CNN, Seoul.
ANDERSON: Well, even as Coronavirus cases soar globally, the new numbers from India are quite simply staggering. India also registered a record
spike of over 90,000 new cases in a 24-hour period on Sunday, pushing it past Brazil to become the world's second worst hit country.
India now has 4.2 million plus confirmed cases, putting it behind only the United States. The only silver lining, deaths in India do remain relatively
low. Well despite the spike in cases, the India government has been relaxing restrictions to get the economy moving. CNN's Vedika Sud has the
latest from New Delhi for you.
VEDIKA SUD, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Congested streets, crowded markets India's exponential increase in COVID-19 numbers has done little to deter people
from venturing out.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DR. RAJIV PARAKH, CHAIRMAN, MEDANTA PERIPHERAL VASCULAR & ENDOVASCULAR SCIENCES: People thought that once the numbers started to go down, this was
it. They had won the war, and everybody was out and everybody was out there without wearing a mask, without any social distancing, without any
sanitizers basically just they abandoned.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SUD: While it took India five and a half months to surpass a million cases, it's taken the country just 50 days to add more than 3 million infections.
Medical experts say one of the reasons for the big surge is aggressive testing.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DR. HARSH VARDHAN, INDIAN HEALTH MINISTER: Now, twice, when we set our target to do 1 lakh tests a day and then later 1 million per day, we
achieved that target much before the targeted date.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SUD: A significant increase in caseload has been reported from rural areas where the public health care system remains extremely poor and lean.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DR. MANOJ KUMAR, DIRECTOR, CARDIOLOGY DEPARTMENT, MAX HOSPITAL: The pandemic is spreading in the rural areas, mainly infecting the seven
straits of this country which are responsible for 75 percent of the cases.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SUD: India's Health Ministry is often coated low fatality and high recovery rates to explain its numbers. The medical experts say this has made people
complacent.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DR. SHAHID JAMEEL, VIROLOGIST: I think it's because of the mixed messaging that we're putting out. We're not telling people exactly what is going on.
We are giving them half truths about recovery rates but not telling the exact gravity of the situation.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SUD: Forced repeated lockdowns and economic compassions have let the government to relax restrictions.
[11:10:00]
SUD: With malls, restaurants and temples already reopened subway trains will be back on track from Monday, another possible hazard in the times of
COVID. With the fastest growing case load in the world, India has now surpassed Brazil's numbers, second only to the U.S. in COVID-19 cases.
Vedika Sud, CNN, New Delhi.
ANDERSON: That's the story in India. In parts of Europe, Coronavirus cases spiking as residents try to return to some form of normalcy. The UK
reporting its highest daily numbers of infections since May after Spain and France did the same on Friday. Britain's Health Secretary says he is
particularly concerned the increasing cases among the more affluent, younger people in the country, CNN's Scott McLean joining us from London.
Two weeks ago, German Chancellor Angela Merkel and French President Emmanuel Macron met behind the walls of a medieval Island fortress in the
mid to discuss Europe's battle against the Coronavirus. Two weeks later and here we are. What is being done? Let's start in Europe before we come to
the UK - to try to prevent this latest wave getting worse, Scott?
SCOTT MCLEAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hey, Becky. So there are a series of restrictions in different countries that are going in. In France for
example, they have more than a quarter of their districts that are designated as so called red zones, which means the local authorities have
autonomy to make their own rules, to close down pubs and restaurants, even enforce masks in public, anywhere out on the street.
But across Europe, the reality is that this second wave of infection looks to be eclipsing the first one and while obviously higher levels of testing
this time around is obviously catching more cases, the British Health Secretary says that the trend is pretty concerning.
We have a graphic to show you that shows you a couple countries in Europe. You can see the Europe or the UK there just saw its highest single day case
count of the Coronavirus. It's starting to trend upwards. France on Friday saw its highest single day tally ever. Spain looks to eclipse half a
million cumulative cases likely today when the numbers come out.
Remember, Becky, these are all countries that had extremely strict, some of the strictest lockdowns in Europe. In Spain, for instance, I can tell you
from firsthand experience that you could barely walk outside in Madrid at the height of the pandemic without attracting some questions from police.
And yet somehow Sweden, a country which had no lockdown at all, somehow even after you adjust for population, still has the fewest number of daily
cases coming in. Luckily at this point, the deaths have not followed the spike in cases, but in Spain, at least, it seems like they're starting to.
They just saw almost 200 deaths recorded on Friday. That is the highest number that they have seen since May, Becky.
ANDERSON: Yes, these numbers are not good, are they? And the UK reporting its highest COVID-19 daily case number since May this, of course, as the
kids are going back to school. I know that you have been investigating exactly what is going on. Explain.
MCLEAN: Hey, Becky, yes. So the spike in cases comes at sort of the an awkward time, at a time when Britain has insisted that it's their
government's moral duty to reopen schools, which they have with obviously some restrictions but not the widespread or universal use of masks by any
stretch at a time when the government is urging businesses to send their employees back to the office.
At the time when we just found out today the government is looking at options to reduce the mandatory 14-day quarantine period that applies to
travelers coming into this country from most others. The Health Secretary as you mentioned said that this trend is concerning. He is blaming younger
people for it, particularly affluent younger people who maybe aren't following the rules, listen.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MATT HANCOCK, BRITISH HEALTH SECRETARY: It's predominantly amongst younger people, but of course younger people can pass on the disease on to their
grandparents, and we do not want to see that. We've seen rising cases in other countries around the world across Europe, often first among younger
people and then passing along to others. It's so important that everybody follows that social distancing.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
MCLEAN: So obviously you hear the Health Secretary there saying, look, don't go visit your grandparents, don't go and visit your parents, we don't
want the younger generation infecting the older generation.
So far, at this point, at least, Becky, if there's any good news to report here, it seems like they haven't. I'll give you a snapshot right now of the
British health care system. Right now there are about 69 people at last count on ventilators across Britain. At the height of the pandemic, there
were 40 times those numbers.
[11:15:00]
MCLEAN: So at least right now, the health care system is not at a point where they're seeing the massive surge in patients, and really overwhelming
number of patients they saw the first spike in this pandemic.
ANDERSON: Yes, when they were saying look after the NHS, of course. Scott, thank you. One of the most famous bridges in the world behind you there as
the world looks for a drawbridge between ourselves and the Coronavirus of course.
All right, new information about the health condition of the Russian Opposition Leader Alexei Navalny, he is now out of a medically induced coma
and is responding to speech. That's according to the Berlin hospital that's been treating him since last month. He fell severely ill during a Russian
domestic flight. German doctors say he was poisoned. The hospital says it is too early to determine the long-term effects.
You're watching "Connect the World." I'm Becky Anderson and it is quarter past 7:00 here at our Middle East Broadcasting Hub of Abu Dhabi. Up next a
report about possible comments made by the U.S. President has military families steaming. Would it hurt his re-election hopes? We will discuss
that.
And in an exclusive interview with the CNN Vice Presidential hopeful Kamala Harris talks masks, vaccines and trusting Donald Trump that, after this.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: It's a disgrace that somebody is allowed to write things like that. It could have been - a lot of times
the sources aren't sources that don't exist, and at sometimes the sources are people that are disgruntled, so-called former employees.
JOE BIDEN (D) PRESIDENTIAL NOMINEE: This affirms what most of us believe to be true, that Donald Trump is not fit to be the president, the Commander in
Chief.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: U.S. President Donald Trump and his rival in the 2020 election, Joe Biden, going head to head after a bombshell article by "The Atlantic"
magazine. The article alleges the president made derogatory comments about fallen American soldiers.
Now the president forcefully denying that reporting, but CNN has largely saying confirmed it has have Fox News, "The Associated Press", "The New
York Times" and "The Washington Post" in part.
Let's get more on the potential impact from our White House Correspondent John Harwood. John, many horrified by these comments, by the president
calling U.S. service member - or allegedly calling service members losers and suckers. The author of the bombshell Atlantic article, Jeffrey
Goldberg, says that's not all. Let's have a listen to that.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JEFFREY GOLDBERG, EDITOR-IN-CHIEF, THE ATLANTIC: There is a sense of horror about the way he acts and behaves and talks, so I would fully expect - let
me just say it this way. I would fully expect more reporting to come out about this and more confirmation and new pieces of information in the
coming days and weeks.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
[11:20:00]
ANDERSON: Right, it doesn't say from whom and from where? The White House scrambling to repair President Trump's image with the military, let's have
a listen.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ROBERT WILKIE, U.S. VETERANS AFFAIRS SECRETARY: It's politics. It's the heat of a campaign.
DANA BASH, CNN POLITICAL CORRESPONDENT: Do you wish he didn't say it?
WILKIE: I judge a man by his actions, and the actions have been beneficial for veterans all across this country in ways that we have not seen since
the end of World War II, and I would also say the same for the United States military. I've watched this president sign letters of condolences to
those who have fallen in Afghanistan and Iraq. I was on the front lines then. So I'm judging the president by what he's done as president.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: He doesn't actually know whether the president called fallen veterans losers or suckers. John, though, you could describe this president
as Teflon Trump nothing in the past has seemed to stick. Is this likely to be any different?
JOHN HARWOOD, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Well, I think this is likely to stick, and we've seen the White House concerned that it will stick from
the furious nature of the response with people like Veteran Secretary Wilkie coming back, people like Former Press Secretary Sarah Sanders.
But I would push back a little bit Becky on the idea that nothing has stuck to Trump. This is the president who is the only president in modern polling
history never to have reached 50 percent approval in his term. He has been unpopular throughout his term, his party was hammered in the 2018 midterm
elections and he's been trailing Joe Biden all year long.
Now stories like this, and there have been others. John Bolton's accountant, John Bolton, by the way the Former National Security Adviser,
has not affirmed this story. He said he did not hear those comments. However, John Bolton has also said that President Trump is not fit to hold
office by virtue of his behavior.
We've heard testimony from members of the president's family, including his sister, who, on a recording that was made talking to another family member
described him as a liar with no principles who is cruel.
So there is a lot of evidence here, and there is a significant deficit that the president is suffering in his race against Joe Biden that suggests that
stories like this, even if they don't shake the race further, make it harder for him to come back.
ANDERSON: Yes, and certainly they do seem to be concerned about the potential moving the dial in the wrong direction on this. You just name-
checked John Bolton, Trump's Former National Security Adviser, who wrote about the missing - sorry about missing the event at the Cemetery in France
in his book I just want our viewers to hear this quote.
John Bolton said, and I quote here, the ceiling was not too low for marines to fly in combat, but flying POTUS was obviously something very different
and that the long car journey instead of the flight could impose "Unacceptable risks that we could not get the president out of France
quickly enough".
That's what John Bolton wrote. Look, in the latest polls, because this is clearly what we have to work on at the moment are these polls. Biden at 52
percent, President Trump at 42 percent that's among likely voters nationally and he has a 50 percent edge over Trump to 44 percent in the key
battleground State of Wisconsin.
But we know, and let's just remind ourselves, one, these polls aren't necessarily what we should live and die by at this point. And this is not
the full story, is it?
HARWOOD: No, it's not. And as you suggested, that poll of Wisconsin, six- point edge for Joe Biden, that's less than that 10-point edge. The edge is smaller still in battleground states like North Carolina where Joe Biden
has got a lead of around two points, or Florida where he's got a lead of two or three points.
These are structurally close states that Joe Biden is going to have to get a sufficient number of them. He doesn't have to carry all of them, but he
has to get a sufficient number to reverse the deficit that Hillary Clinton had in the Electoral College four years ago.
We do know that because the voting preferences are not distributed evenly around the country, that closer states and number of battlegrounds are
what's going to decide it. And we're talking about Wisconsin, Pennsylvania, Michigan, Arizona, North Carolina and Florida.
Those are going to have narrower margins than nationally, and the good news for Joe Biden, though, is that his advantages there, though narrower, have
been stable and consistent. It's very hard to move opinion in this race. The two-party conventions didn't seem to move opinions significantly.
Joe Biden's lead resembles what it was going into those conventions, so the president has his work cut out for him over the last two months.
[11:25:00]
ANDERSON: John Harwood in Washington. Thank you, John. Well, the U.S. Democratic Vice Presidential Nominee Kamala Harris doesn't trust Donald
Trump's word on a Coronavirus vaccine. That is what she told CNN's Dana Bash when they sat down in an exclusive interview about criminal justice,
about Russian interference and about leadership during this pandemic.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BASH: What if a vaccine was really approved before the election? Would Kamala Harris trust Donald Trump's word that it's safe and effective?
SEN. KAMALA HARRIS (D-CA), VICE PRESIDENTIAL NOMINEE: I would not trust his word. I would trust the word of health experts and scientists, but not
Donald Trump.
BASH: But do trust that in the situation where we are in now that the public health experts and the scientists will get the last word on the
efficacy of a vaccine?
HARRIS: If past is prologue that they will not. They will be muzzled, they will be suppressed. They will be sidelined because he's looking at an
election coming up in less than 60 days and he's grasping to get whatever he can get to pretend he's been a leader on this issue when he has not.
BASH: Would a Biden/Harris administration support a federal mask mandate?
HARRIS: So it's about a national standard. Everyone should wear a mask. Here's the thing about this. None of us likes wearing a mask. Nobody likes
wearing a mask.
BASH: But there is a difference between a standard and a mandate. Would it be a federal mandate under the Biden/Harris administration?
HARRIS: It would be a standard. Listen, this is not about in terms of the priorities of Joe Biden and myself. This is not about punishment. It's not
about big brother.
BASH: How do you enforce a standard, especially, when, as you know, there are Governors who just don't agree with that and they're not mandating it
on the more local level? How do you enforce that?
HARRIS: But I think part of the issue here is that we have a President of the United States who made this a partisan issue and made it a political
issue.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BASH: As Former District Attorney of San Francisco and California Attorney General Harris has a long history on criminal justice issues. In a 2009
book she wrote if asked if more police should be on the streets, her hand would "Shoot up".
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BASH: Would your hand still shoot up if you somebody asked if you would want more police officers on the streets?
HARRIS: What I would say now is what I would say then which is I want to make sure that if a woman was raped or a child is molested or one human
being murders another human being that there would be a police officer that responds to that case and that there would be accountability and
consequence for the offended. Yes.
I think Donald Trump and Bill Barr are spending a full time in a different reality. The reality of America today is what we have seen over
generations, and frankly, since our inception, which is we do have two systems of justice in America.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BASH: Russian interference on behalf of Donald Trump is also a big concern for the Democratic Vice Presidential Candidate.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BASH: The Department of Homeland Security bulletin said that Russia is trying to amplify claims that mail-in voting will lead to widespread voting
fraud and undermine the public's trust in the upcoming election. Are you worried that Russian interference could cost you the election?
HARRIS: I am clear that Russia interfered in the election of the President of the United States in 2016. I serve on the Senate Intelligence Committee.
We have published detailed reports about exactly what we believe happened, and I do believe that there will be foreign interference in the 2020
election, and that Russia will be at the front of the line.
BASH: Could it cost you the White House?
HARRIS: Theoretically, of course. Yes.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BASH: Dana Bash, CNN, Washington.
ANDERSON: Ahead on this show, the southern hemisphere just saw its best flu season on record. But can the northern half of the world do the same? Why
experts say getting a flu shot is more important than ever during COVID-19.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[11:30:00]
ANDERSON: Labor Day celebrations in the U.S. are raising fears of a new spike in Coronavirus cases and deaths. Holiday weekend gatherings across
the country looked a lot different this year, but we are still seeing pictures like these from San Francisco.
A parking lot was closed after a thousand people partied there on Saturday night. More people in the U.S. flew than at any other time during the
pandemic so far. Friday, the authorities said nearly a million travelers were screened, about half the amount on the same day last year, but still a
record in this pandemic era.
As summer turns to fall in North America, there is something people are dreading even more than COVID-19. Experts call it a twindemic, a new surge
of COVID cases during a severe flu season. CNN's Senior Medical Correspondent, Elizabeth Cohen joins me now. Why is the change of seasons
so concerning, Elizabeth? Let's start there.
ELIZABETH COHEN, CNN SENIOR MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT: Because flu has a season, Becky. You don't have much flu in the summer, hardly any at all,
but as fall and winter start to gear up, you do get flu, and sometimes you get a lot of it.
Now, for COVID, there's no vaccine that we can get, but for flu there is a shot that you can and should get. Nobody likes getting a shot, but this
year it's more important than ever because this year, we're going to have not just flu but also COVID-19.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DR. ROBERT REDFIELD, DIRECTOR, U.S. CENTERS FOR DISEASE CONTROL AND PREVENTION: I am worried. I do think the fall and the winter of 2020 and
2021 are going to be probably one of the most difficult times that we've experienced in American public health.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COHEN: This year there is not one, not two, but three reasons to get yourself flu shot. Number one, it will decrease the chances that you'll get
the flu, or if you do get the flu, you'll get a milder case. Number two, you won't spread the flu to other people. Number three, you won't end up
taking up a hospital bed that someone else like a COVID patient would need. And if you get sick, getting the right diagnosis could be tough.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DR. MARIA VAN KERKHOVE, COVID-19 TECHNICAL LEAD, WORLD HEALTH ORGANIZATION: We won't be able to distinguish immediately between whether somebody has
flu or whether someone has COVID.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COHEN: Flu vaccine manufacturers have ramped up production, making tens of millions more doses than last season. And there are two new flu vaccines
designed to protect older people who are especially vulnerable to the virus.
And for children, the Trump Administration last month authorized pharmacists to administer the flu shot to children ages three and older.
Hopefully this upcoming flu season will end up being relatively tame. In the southern hemisphere where flu season is now ending, they have had a
pretty easy season.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DR. KERKHOVE: Many of the physical distancing and public health and social measures that have been put in place which keeps people apart may have
actually played a role in reducing circulation of influenza.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COHEN: Even if that happens in the northern hemisphere, though, it's still a good idea to get a flu shot to keep you and those around you as healthy
as possible. Now yet another thing that's complicating the situation is that in the United States, many people get their flu shots at work, but so
many people now are working from home, they're going to have to think of another plan. Becky?
ANDERSON: That's fascinating. The former FDA commissioner saying it is unlikely the U.S. will have a COVID-19 vaccine. This is, and you and I have
been discussing this, it seems, for weeks now despite the president's insistence that we will.
[11:35:00]
ANDERSON: Well, in a recent poll Americans were asked if a vaccine became available this year at no cost to you, would you get one, ASAP. Only 21
percent said yes. Most wanted to wait and see and you see the polling screens of U.S. Elizabeth, what do you make of these numbers?
COHEN: These numbers are actually quite similar to other polling numbers. I think there was an expectation at the beginning of this outbreak that
people would, you know, line up at 5:00 in the morning to get a COVID vaccine when it comes out.
What this is showing is, that's not true at all, that many in CNN polling is showing the same, that many people are saying, I don't want it or I want
to wait to get it, basically to see how other people do with it.
That is not a great way to get out of this pandemic. You want as many people getting the vaccine as possible so infectious disease experts and
government officials that I'm talking with are very worried about these numbers.
ANDERSON: Finally, and before I let you go, the front page of the "Evening Standard" which is London's leading newspaper, has the following. UK leads
race for New Year vaccine. The editor of this newspaper, George Osborne, was in David Cameron's government. Do you think that that headline is an
accurate description?
COHEN: You know, there's been so much talk about who is ahead, sort of as if this were a horse race and we could actually look and peek on the horses
and see who really is ahead. We have no reason to think that any particular company is farther ahead than another.
And we should keep in mind, let's be real here, let's be smart here, each company has a vested financial interest in saying they are first. That's so
important; I'm going to say it again.
Every company has a vested financial interest in saying that they are first. They make money when investors think they're going to be first. So I
take everything they say not with a grain of salt but a shaker or two of salt.
ANDERSON: Very good. You make a very good point. And we've watched the stock on some of these companies involved in some of these trials skyrocket
over the past couple of weeks. An extremely good point and well made. Thank you, as ever. President Donald Trump seeking re-election this November
insists a vaccine may be ready by October.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
TRUMP: We're main on track to deliver a vaccine before the end of the year and maybe even before November 1st. We think we could probably have it
sometime during the month of October.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: We spoke on Friday to the editor of one of the world's most prominent medical journals, "The Lancet". He said, the editor said there is
no way that that will happen by that date. Have a listen.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
RICHARD HORTON, EDITOR, THE LANCET: We can't cut corners. There will not be a vaccine available for public use by the end of October. President Trump
is simply wrong about that, and I have no understanding why he's saying it, because his advisers will surely be telling him that that's just
impossible.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: A Former Commissioner of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration also says the likelihood the U.S. will have a vaccine this year is
extremely low. That is why on this show we connect you to the facts and to the science around Coronavirus. We think it's important. We know it's
important.
Coming up on "Connect the World," Facebook has stopped a terminally ill French man from livestreaming his final days. He is calling for death to be
more democratic. That story from France is up next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[11:40:00]
ANDERSON: A Frenchman suffering from a chronic, painful, incurable disease is calling on the French government to make death more democratic after
unsuccessful lobbying President Emmanuel Macron for the right to active euthanasia, the man decided to broadcast his final days to draw attention
to French laws unassisted suicide.
Now Facebook has blocked his live stream, saying it wants to avoid promoting self-harm. Melissa Bell joins me now from Paris. This is a
remarkable story, Melissa. What else do we know at this point?
MELISSA BELL, CNN PARIS CORRESPONDENT: It is remarkable, Becky, not because this is the first time that someone in this kind of condition has tried to
draw attention to France's fairly strict laws on matters of euthanasia or assisted suicide. But because it is the first time that someone had hoped
to use the reach of Facebook to try and bring what those tight laws mean for people like him in the final few days of their life.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
For more than 30 years, Alain Cocq has lived with a rare and painful disease that causes his arteries to stick together. Now he wants to die. On
Friday night at his home in eastern France, he stopped all medication as well as food and drink, his plan to live stream his last few days on
Facebook.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ALAIN COCQ, TERMINALY ILL PATIENT: I have taken my decision and I'm at peace. I understand that this can surprise you, but since taking my
decision and the closer to September the 4th I get, the more I feel serenity.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
[11:45:00]
BELL: On Saturday, Facebook stopped the feed saying in a statement that the depiction of suicide attempts could be triggering and promote more self
harm. Euthanasia is legal in France, lesser person's death is imminent. Back in July, Alain Cocq wrote to Emmanuel Macron asking to be allowed to
die with dignity.
But the French President replied that even though he was moved by Cocq's plight, he could not intervene because he was not above the law. Jean-Luc
Romero who wants the law changed says, he is surprised that Facebook acted so swiftly in this case.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
JEAN-LUC ROMERO-MICHEL, PRESIDENT, ASSOCIATION FOR THE RIGHT TO DIE WITH DIGNITY: Here we have a man who is just going to let himself die with no
spectacular gesture and Facebook decides to suspend? But why are they so lax when it comes to acting against racism and homophobia and here so
violent with a man who just wants to show the situation in which the government has pushed him.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BELL: Facebook declined to comment on Jean-Luc Romero's allegation. On his Facebook page now deprived of a live feed, Cocq expressed his anger of not
being able to share with the world the pain of his last few days.
Why campaigners for a change in French law say Becky as the vast majority of the French population are in favor of such a change. And that it is time
that France catch up with some of its neighbor's places like Switzerland, Belgium, Luxemburg which do have very different laws in terms of Euthanasia
and assisted suicide.
ANDERSON: What do we know about his health tonight, Melissa?
BELL: Well, basically, Becky, we know that he stopped on Friday night before going to bed, one of his medications, any water, any food, and that,
he told a friend last night, has been the most difficult, not being able to drink as he faces this suffering.
He describes the suffering that his condition causes is really tremendous. He is, we understand, continuing to take some morphine to help see him
through the pain of the last few days, but he wasn't sure himself just how long it would take him to die, Becky.
ANDERSON: This story in Paris. Thank you. We'll take a very short break back after this.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
ANDERSON: We've been tracking a breaking story this hour. Russian positional leader Alexey Navalny is now out of a medically-induced coma.
Germany says Navalny was poisoned with the nerve agent Novichok and the government is mulling some pretty tough measures against Russia in
response.
One of the options apparently under consideration is pulling out of what is known as the Nord Stream 2, a new gas pipeline from Russia to Central
Europe that goes across the Baltic Sea. You can see the map here. My colleague John Defterios is with this.
And each day that goes by, Germany's position does seem to be hardening somewhat on this project. Isn't it nearly complete, which would mean a huge
reversal on the part of Chancellor Merkel should she decide to bid it, john?
JOHN DEFTERIOS, CNN EMERGING MARKETS EDITOR: Yes, indeed, Becky. The completion rate is often left out of the discussion or the narrative around
Nord Stream. There are reports that is 95 to 98 percent complete, and the only thing holding it back, ironically, the U.S. sanctions against the port
operator and also number of the European partners, including German partners.
The U.S. has the sanctions on because they want to kind of block Russia and get the LNG from the Gulf Coast of the United States into the European
Union, especially Germany, which is the largest economy.
[11:50:00]
DEFTERIOS: Chancellor Merkel is trying to keep the pressure on Vladimir Putin, but at the same time try to put the pipeline in a different
category. She said so, in fact, at her party summer congress just a couple of weeks ago. But it's the party that's putting pressure on her now.
And there is a long legacy here Becky, the Nord Stream project going back to 2005 and the previous chancellor, Gerhard Schroder who signed the
contract and get this now and has always since served as Chairman of the Shareholders Committee of Nord Stream.
So he has way very close, some say, and way too close ties with Russia. And the final point here, Germany needs the gas. After Fukushima they are
facing out of nuclear, that's almost done in what two years, and they're going to do the same with dirty burning coal by 2038. So they don't want to
stop this doubling down of gas. Perhaps they get other supplies coming in from southern Europe, but right now the partner is Russia.
ANDERSON: No, this is absolutely fascinating. Meantime, I just want to get a sense from you on the U.S. where there is still no real progress on
getting a wide-ranging stimulus package by, what is it, end of the month, September, the 30th. What's the prognosis and what are global CEOs starting
to say about the amount of debt being built up, not only in the U.S., of course, but it's happening all over the world, isn't it?
DEFTERIOS: Yes, a great way of phrasing it, because there's a short-term problem Becky, and a median-term problem. The short-term problem is the $1
trillion gap between the White House and the house republicans led by Nancy Pelosi.
Over the weekend, the U.S. Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin was suggesting to go with a probably a short-term solution to get something done before
the September 30th deadline.
But in the presidential election year, it's hard to get a complete package together. Median term, I chaired a panel over the weekend with four major
global CEOs, and Becky, they all said the same thing. Great those governments responded quickly to the challenge of COVID-19. Don't get
addicted to debt. Let's take a listen.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DARIUS ADAMCZYK, CEO, HONEYWELL: The bad news is that now we have an even bigger debt crisis, and frankly, that's been a problem before this crisis
even started. And now governments around the world are going to figure out a way how to pay for this.
And I think that's the part that a lot of countries, a lot of businesses that maybe not taken into the calculus. And I think that you're going to
have to do that through two ways. One is through revenue generation.
KHALDOON AL MUBARAK, GROUP CEO, MUBADALA INVESTMENT COMPANY: I think we have to take that into consideration as we talk about second wave and third
wave. You have to put into the context yes, it's going to happen. But also I think there's going to be progress and there has been big progress when
it comes to treatment and therapeutics.
And there is lot land of site when it comes to vaccines. And then I would put on top of that economies and governments have handled well so far to a
largest extent on the stimulus and the intervention side, but that has a cost, and the cost will catch up soon.
JEAN-PASCAL TRICOIRE, CEO, SCHNEIDER ELECTRIC: The governments have stepped up to the plague in terms of big crisis. My biggest concern today is for
the use because all the productive measures have been rightly so to protect, seeing the characteristics of the diseased elders in our
societies. But at the same time, people are getting punished on - don't manage to get a job potentially are the youngsters and they have the
future.
JOE KAESER, CEO, SIEMENS: It's crucially important, have heard on the billions and trillions of covenant money and stimulus, but also that this
money is going to be invested into the future and not into backward oriented industries. You don't take one to die anyway, and if you're not
mindful about the future today, we actually you know full faith much of the future, which we can design direct, truly important.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
DEFTERIOS: So we have the three major economies that have piled on the debt so far Japan at 21 percent of GDP in terms of stimulus, Canada 15 percent,
the United States at 13 percent. The U.S. now, Becky, is above 100 percent of GDP going into 2021 back to you.
ANDERSON: I can't believe that we are talking these sorts of numbers.
DEFTERIOS: Can you believe that?
ANDERSON: Who would have thought at the beginning of this year that this would be the story that we are covering unbelievable? Thank you, John. This
hour we've been connecting you mainly to two colliding and catastrophic crises that will define generations to come.
The Coronavirus pandemic and the climate crisis, the crises go hand in hand two defining issues of our time polarized by politics and two defining
issues that did not have to be this bad.
[11:55:00]
ANDERSON: What can feel like a year of utter devastation, I want to show you this stunning image by Australian artist Mick Ashley? Titled "The Road
Ahead" Ashley has drawn on the courage amid the calamity, declaring 2020 as the year of the frontline work and two tireless heroes passing forward the
batten of hope.
Remember folks, we shouldn't be relying on our frontline workers like this. We know the problems. We have the facts. We've been given the solutions. We
must act. We must push through the politics and listen to the science. Wear a mask. Protect your planet. Stay safe. Thanks for being with us as we have
connected your world. I'm Becky Anderson. Take care. Good night.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
END
