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CNN Goes Inside a Hospital in India; DC Bans Dancing at Large Weddings; Bill and Melinda Gates to Divorce; Justice Thomas' Vocal in Court; Vaccines During Mariners Games. Aired 6:30-7a ET

Aired May 04, 2021 - 06:30   ET

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

[06:30:00]

CLARISSA WARD, CNN CHIEF INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice over): Doctors don't have it, so how can we?

We hear screams coming from the ICU. Rajbala (ph) has flat-lined again. Her son desperately pumps her chest. A doctor comes in. He takes her pulse. But it's too late. This time there is no point in trying to resuscitate her.

The agony of her sons is shared by so many in this country, failed by a healthcare system on the brink of collapse and a government accused of mismanaging this crisis.

Just a few hundred yards away, the same hospital complex, it's a very different picture. Orderly lines of people patiently wait to be vaccinated, following the prime minister's announcement that anyone over 18 can be inoculated.

A state lawmaker is among 600 people getting their vaccine. The hospital administrator and local journalists eagerly stand by to capture the moment.

WARD (on camera): We were just in the hospital over there.

DR. SOMENDRA TOMAR, UTTAR PRADESH LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY MEMBER: Yes.

WARD: It was shocking to see the --

TOMAR: What?

WARD: It was shocking.

TOMAR: Why? Why?

WARD: Because the conditions are so bad here. Why do you think India has been hit so badly? The hospital administrator interrupts and warns him that we have been asking too many questions. Sir, you don't need to coach him what to say. He's telling him what to say.

TOMAR: Well, we are trying.

WARD (voice over): The hospital administrator interrupts and warns him that we have been asking too many questions.

WARD (on camera): Sir, you don't need to coach him what to say.

He's telling him what to say.

TOMAR: Ma'am, we are -- we are trying to best and some problems are here. But -- but we are trying. Now condition is better.

WARD: Do you accept that the government has failed its people in the handling of this crisis?

TOMAR: No, no, no. No (INAUDIBLE). No, no. No, ma'am.

WARD: Because I've been talking to a lot of people, and I have to tell you, people are angry. People feel that this didn't need to be so ugly.

WARD (voice over): The situation is not only bad here, we're trying to find solutions, he says. We're increasing the number of beds and we're working tirelessly around the clock.

But back in the COVID ward, the impact of those efforts is not yet being felt. Rajbala's body is left for nearly an hour before it is finally moved.

India's leaders may promise that everything is being done to end this crisis, but for now, there is no light at the end of the tunnel.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BRIANNA KEILAR, CNN ANCHOR: I mean, Clarisse, it is -- that report is so important. You're taking us right inside. I mean, these are the scenes that have played out all over the world. And we haven't always been able to see them. But there they are. You can't ignore them. It is hard to not turn away. I'll be honest, it is heartbreaking.

WARD: Yes. I mean it's absolutely heartbreaking. And it's just everywhere you go, Brianna, everyone you talk to has somebody they know who has died, somebody they cared about who has died. No one in this country is immune to this collective grief.

And the problem is becoming more and more widespread and the government is announcing various efforts. You know, in our story, you notice most particularly the acute shortage of medical staff. Five doctors taking care of that entire ward of people. Now the Indian government is saying they're going to draft in medical students. Final year medical students will be brought in to try to help tackle this immense crisis.

But the reality is, a lot of people say it's too little too late. And now India is staring down the barrel at the peak of this second wave, not due to come yet for another ten days, and people are just horrified, honestly, to see how much more suffering they can even take.

JOHN BERMAN, CNN ANCHOR: Clarissa, you talked about how you'd been to a lot of war zones and not seen this much suffering. That hospital is a war zone. I mean, that hospital, honest to God, looked like a war zone there and a war going in the wrong direction.

In terms of what they can do going forward, I mean, how strictly are lockdowns being followed at this point?

WARD: Well, I mean, as you can see, there are lockdowns across the country, but this is what a lockdown looks like in Delhi. This is nowhere near as crowded as this street would normally be.

[06:35:03]

But it certainly doesn't look like anything resembling a strict lockdown. There are people all over the streets. There's cars. There's traffic. People are moving around. And the concern that the government has, and I think a lot of people can -- can sympathize or understand this, is that in a country like India, with 1.4 billion people nearly, an economic lockdown can have such extreme repercussions that they're almost as painful as this sort of second wave of the virus itself. And so you're constantly juggling these two opposing needs.

But I think most people here understand, frankly, that the situation is unsustainable as it stands. And while the government says it's getting out oxygen to the places that need to get it, we're hearing stories every day of people dying in hospitals because there simply isn't enough oxygen.

KEILAR: And we've been hearing stories from so many reporters, Clarissa, who have said the government is covering things up, they're not being honest. And you showed us that playing out in front of your cameras.

So, thank you so much for your very important report. We appreciate it.

BERMAN: So here at home, COVID cases are going down. And as life returns to normal, couples planning weddings in Washington, D.C., just got a bit blindsided. Up to 250 people can come to their reception, but nobody is allowed to dance.

KEILAR: No dancing.

Plus, Rudy Giuliani is ready for a fight, but does former President Trump have his back?

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[06:40:31]

KEILAR: Washington, D.C.'s recent COVID-19 restrictions have blindsided couples getting ready to finally tie the knot as the new social distancing rules ban standing and dancing at weddings. The sudden announcement was made just as wedding season kicks off and states around the country began to relax some coronavirus guidance.

Let's bring in Jillian Harig, who is getting married in D.C. in July, or at least that is the plan, and her wedding planner, Stephanie Sadowski, who is the owner of SRS Events.

All right, you guys, thank you so much for coming on to talk about this because this is on the minds of so many couples across the country as they're dealing with different restrictions. In D.C., let's just look at what we're talking about, venues at 25 percent capacity for up to 250 people. Venues with more than 250 people, guests remain seated, socially distanced. Venues must adhere to rules applied to restaurants if food is served. Standing and dancing not allowed for receptions here.

OK, Jillian, to you, I mean, tell us what you were expecting to have this summer, you know, the size of the wedding that you're having and how you think this may be impacting you.

JILLIAN HARIG, GETTING MARRIED IN WASHINGTON, D.C., IN JULY: Yes, for sure. Well, thank you again for having me this morning.

So, my husband and I got married in July of last year. So we had our ceremony, but now we were really hoping for July 10th of this year to actually have our reception. So, bringing everybody in, all of our loved ones from across the country and even a lot of our friends live outside of the United States as well. So we were hoping to bring everybody together and celebrate and just, you know, be able to celebrate our marriage. So it is really frustrating that this ban is in place at this time.

KEILAR: So when we're talking, Stephanie, about what is going to be affected here, you know, you think of -- and you tell me your impression of this, you have, of course, the reception. People tend to mingle. You have the dances, not just the, you know, the fun dancing but also those very important traditional dances, the father/daughter, the mother/son dances. Are -- so are all of these things not allowed under the ban?

STEPHANIE SADOWSKI, WEDDING PLANNER, SRS EVENTS: That is correct. Everything from standing and mingling at a cocktail hour before you head into the reception, to not being able to have a first dance. I mean, can you imagine? You're a lead -- D.C. is saying you may not even have a first dance with your new husband or wife. You can't have a father/daughter dance, mother/son dance. And certainly, you know, no dancing with all of your friends and family. Everyone has to remain seated the whole time, which is not what couples are wanting for their wedding day.

KEILAR: No, they're not.

OK, Jillian, let me just challenge you a little bit here. You know that weddings have been super spreader events. What were you planning to do for precautions?

HARIG: For sure. And really the safety of all of our guests should be the number one priority. So I really think at this point there's a reasonable solution for this. We were planning to all wear masks this entire time during the wedding. And, you know, if D.C. wants to meet halfway and allow standing, dancing, mingling, I mean we can even require a negative COVID-19 test or show a vaccination card. You know, I really think at this point in the pandemic we are able to

do these things to just really make sure that everyone is safe. So I really hope they can meet us in the middle here.

KEILAR: Stephanie, the kind of confusing thing here is that D.C. is right between Maryland and Virginia and they have different rules, right?

SADOWSKI: That is correct. It's -- they are completely different. A lot less restrictive. They are certainly not banning standing during a cocktail hour. They are not banning any sort of dancing. They have, you know, reduced capacities, which are still greater than what D.C. is allowing, but none of those further restrictions are in place. So couples are turning to Virginia and Maryland, even at the last minute.

I'm currently in the process of moving a wedding set for next week that was in Washington, D.C., and moving them to Virginia so they can celebrate.

KEILAR: Well, look, it is a balancing act between getting back to normal and doing these obviously important things in life and trying to manage public health as well, but you're right there in the middle of conversation.

[06:45:03]

Jillian, congratulations to you and James on your upcoming wedding. May it be as beautiful -- may the marriage be as beautiful as the wedding, I meant so say.

And, Stephanie, thanks so much for talking about really the broad impact here.

SADOWSKI: Thank you.

HARIG: Thank you.

KEILAR: Bill and Melinda Gates are not so lucky. They're not as lucky as Jillian and James. They are divorcing after 27 years of marriage. How will it impact their charitable foundation and their fortune?

BERMAN: That's some cold water you just threw on that wedding (INAUDIBLE) right there. That is rough. Tough turn.

KEILAR: Well, I was trying to make a turn and that's how I did it.

BERMAN: All right.

And at the end -- at the end of another Supreme Court term, its longtime, silent justice is suddenly speaking up.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BERMAN: One of the world's richest couples is divorcing. Bill and Melinda Gates announcing their split. So what does that mean for the couple's fortune? Chief business correspondent Christine Romans joins me now.

Obviously, you know, we saw the Bezos marriage break up.

[06:50:02]

A lot of money here. I mean it's almost incalculable how much money's involved here.

CHRISTINE ROMANS, CNN CHIEF BUSINESS CORRESPONDENT: There's a lot of money to split up here and a big charitable effort as well here from this couple. Look, they put out this statement yesterday, really got an awful lot of attention saying why they were breaking up this marriage after 27 years the two are splitting up. And let me read to you a little bit about what they had said there.

They said that they came to the point where they couldn't grow as a couple anymore. They vowed to keep working together, running the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. That's probably the most influential charity on the planet. They have spent $54 billion promoting global health and fighting poverty and in the U.S. bolstering education, especially early childhood education.

Bill Gates, of course, co-founded Microsoft. That makes him one of the richest people on earth. He's worth something like $137 billion.

And, John, he owns 100 million Microsoft shares. So every time the stock moves a dollar, he makes $100 million more.

That makes this divorce the biggest since Jeff Bezos and McKenzie Scott split a couple of years ago. Scott received a quarter of Bezos's Amazon shares. That made her the world's 18th richest person just like that.

So how will the Gates split affect their fortune? We know from the court filings that they have a plan here, a separation agreement with the court on how to dissolve the marriage and the finances. That's different from a prenup. We also know the couple has dedicated their lives to giving their money away. The couple, along with Warren Buffett, created that Giving Pledge, you remember, back in 2010. It encourages the world's richest people to give most of their wealth to charity.

BERMAN: You know, there was this collective gasp in the world yesterday. The call what the Gates Foundation philanthropy -- what they do, philanthropy. It's an understatement. I mean they're almost like a whole other governmental entity that takes care of the stuff in the world that no one else is dealing with.

The sticky problems, the problems that don't have easy outcomes, they spend billions trying to fix. Trying to program around the problems in the world and fix them. It's so successful that there are other very smart, successful rich people who have just said, you know what, we're going to give you our money, you know, like Warren Buffett, we're going to give you our money because your foundation does it so well. Another thing here, they've been giving money to fight against the

pandemic, one and three quarters billion dollars since -- over the last year or so, and that was focused on equity, getting vaccines and medical supplies in an equitable way around the world to people who needed it the most.

BERMAN: That work, we are told, will continue (INAUDIBLE).

ROMANS: They say the foundation will continue, the marriage will not.

BERMAN: Christine Romans, thank you very much.

Brianna.

KEILAR: That's the thing, John, things you learn about yourself, like I learned that I am personally invested in the Gates' marriage. I was very sad to find out they were breaking up. Twenty-seven years, you know, that's a long time.

BERMAN: It is a long time. And, you know, the foundation has to continue. It's just so important to so many people. Let's hope they can find a way to keep that going.

KEILAR: Yes, that's right.

All right, the Supreme Court justice known as the, quote, silent justice, has suddenly found his voice. As the Supreme Court wraps up this term, Clarence Thomas has gotten, well, chatty, shall we say.

CNN's Joan Biskupic is here to talk about this with me.

OK, look, you know, I guess work from home maybe has changed all kinds of people? Is that what's happening here? What is it?

JOAN BISKUPIC, CNN SUPREME COURT ANALYST: No, this is -- OK, but, first of all, this is the very last day of oral arguments for this session. So for our audience, they can tune in at 10:00 a.m. Eastern Time and hear Justice Thomas and all eight of his colleagues live in a way that they never were able to do before.

KEILAR: It's awesome.

BISKUPIC: Before the pandemic, all nine would be sitting there on their elevated mahogany bench, jumping in, interrupting each other, non-stop. Now it's almost like a committee hearing by phone because the chief goes down the row by seniority and calls on each justice. Well, this has given a great opportunity to Clarence Thomas. It's also given a great opportunity to the newest justice, Amy Coney Barrett. We get to hear from them in equal measure as their colleagues.

And Justice Thomas was actually talking more last year at this time over the teleconference hearings than he did in like the last decade, asking questions of each side, you know, showing his hand in ways that we hadn't seen before. Although, I have to say, Bri, he is one of our most predictable justices on the right wing. But he's got this deep, baritone voice that probably many in our audience have never heard and is very distinctive. So he's really enhanced the arguments, as has, you know, hearing from some of the others. But I have to say, as a journalist, it's not as much fun as, you know, them -- the free for all that we've become accustom to where they really probe the weaknesses in an argument in a way that they were able to do when they all just jumped in.

KEILAR: Yes. And, look, it's not the same as being there in person, I know for you, Joan --

BISKUPIC: Yes.

KEILAR: But maybe that is something we have to look forward to in the months ahead.

BISKUPIC: I am so looking forward it to.

KEILAR: This is great, though, just to hear their -- their thinking, all of the justices.

Joan, thank you so much for that.

BISKUPIC: Sure. Thank you.

[06:55:00]

BERMAN: They could televise it also. In fact, they should, right?

KEILAR: Right. That would be nice. They could. That's part of the debate.

BERMAN: They could just do that.

KEILAR: Let's get it done.

BERMAN: Yes.

All right, new signs that America's reopening is underway right now. We'll take you behind the numbers and what it means for your summer.

Plus, if Liz Cheney is going down, she's going down swinging. Why her party is attacking her for refusing to lie.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BERMAN: Peanuts, Cracker Jacks and a vaccine. Rhyme that. All available to baseball fans in Seattle starting tonight.

Andy Scholes has this morning's "Bleacher Report."

Hey, Andy.

ANDY SCHOLES, CNN SPORTS CORRESPONDENT: Yes, good morning, John.

So this is pretty cool. So before you get in line for a hot dog and a beer at the Mariner's game tonight, fans could also go get in line for a vaccine. [06:59:59]

Starting tonight, at T Mobile Park, Mariner's fans can get a vaccine at three locations before the first pitch. Fans are going to have the choice of either the first dose of the Moderna vaccine or the one- shot.