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GOP Governor Defends Decision to Cut Pandemic Jobless Aid; A Brewery Says Free Beer Leading to Rise in Vaccinations; Andrew Brown's Family to See Bodycam Video of His Death Today. Aired 7:30-8a ET

Aired May 11, 2021 - 07:30   ET

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

[07:30:00]

GOV. ASA HUTCHINSON (R-AR): Consumer cost, but we want to make sure -- and they have raised their pay. Employers all across our state in the country have consistently being more competitive in their salaries, they've raised it, but still they're competing with free money. They're competing with benefits that they can't provide nor should they have to be able to provide.

JOHN BERMAN, CO-ANCHOR, NEW DAY: This -- the -- as you say, the free money, what you say, it's not like this is happening in a vacuum, though. This is still happening during a pandemic. So, what do you say to those who may have other reasons than just the amount of pay for not going back to work, as you said, child care is absolutely an issue for people. You know that. In fact, Arkansas, you know, is in the lower end of the percentage of total population vaccinated. So what about people who were concerned for their safety about going back? There might be people hurt by losing this added benefit. Do you acknowledge that?

HUTCHINSON: Well, you get a vaccine. We encourage and doing everything we can for --

BERMAN: What about vaccinated people --

HUTCHINSON: Workers --

BERMAN: What about vaccinated people worried, though, about going back to a workplace full of unvaccinated people?

HUTCHINSON: Well, I don't worry about it. I go back to work every day. And there's not any requirement for people around me to be vaccinated. If you're vaccinated, you have to act like you're vaccinated and you're protected. So, get a vaccination, go back to work, it's not that complicated. If you use the reason of child care, we have child care assistance. And let me emphasize how much money we have in child care assistance. We haven't spent the money we got in December and we got a new round of $170 million. That is terrific. But we have that assistance money that's available. And so, I can't think of any other reason not to go back to work if you're able bodied, you've got, you know, opportunity to be vaccinated, protect yourself. Let's go to work. BERMAN: So, governor, you were on with my colleague Erin Burnett, I

think it was Friday or Thursday, talking about the future of the Republican Party, and you get asked about this. And I know it's something you would rather not be asked about, but you are willing to talk about it. One of the things you said to her is we've got to get back to talking about ideas and how to unify ourselves. I pointed out in our last segment, it's the former President Donald Trump, who is obsessing about the last election. It's the former president more than anybody else who can't let go of the past and not look toward the future. So, what would your message be to him who is -- who is, you know, the vast majority of his messages from Mar-a-Lago have all been, you know, election lies?

HUTCHINSON: Well, more importantly, the message should be to the Republican Party and our leadership, whenever we do not have the president in power from our party, you have divided leadership. You have many different voices. And former President Trump is dividing our party. And so it's important that we not unite with somebody who is dividing our party. Let's talk about those ideas. Let's talk about the future. Let's talk about the differences with the Biden administration.

And that's what builds our party, that's what brings people together, and that has to be our focus. And so you know, I don't believe Liz Cheney should be ousted for a vote of conscience. I believe that we need to concentrate on more things that bring us together than to separate us and going down and seeing former President Trump to me causes more division than anything else.

BERMAN: Governor Asa Hutchinson, you know what? It was great having you on, talking mostly policy, harkens back to past days. We do appreciate your time this morning, best of luck going forward.

HUTCHINSON: Thanks so much, great to be with you.

BERMAN: Brianna?

BRIANNA KEILAR, CO-ANCHOR, NEW DAY: Great interview, Berman. Joining us now to talk a little bit about it is David Chalian, CNN political director and the host of "THE CNN POLITICAL BRIEFING PODCAST" which is an excellent podcast I will say --

DAVID CHALIAN, CNN POLITICAL DIRECTOR: Thank you --

KEILAR: If you have not caught it. OK, so, that was very interesting to listen to Governor Hutchinson talking to John Berman there. And I wonder as these states, a few of them where Republican governors are pulling the supplemental federal assistance. You know, in the case of Arkansas from June to September, you're talking about $3,000 that people won't be getting. What is that going to do to Americans who need that?

CHALIAN: Yes, it reminds me a little bit of the debate, remember when Obamacare was put into place, and there were a lot of Republican governors that were refusing the extra Medicaid money, right? This is a philosophical divide between the parties. The Biden administration does not think they've seen enough data to suggest that it is absolutely true that these enhanced federal unemployment benefits are causing people to not seek work and stay at home.

Republicans are -- have made the case for basically since the jobs report came out last week that this is the problem, that having this sort of negative incentive, if you will, to not rejoin the workforce.

[07:35:00]

And the Biden administration says, no, that people still need at the end stages of this pandemic and with all the economic harm that was done as John and the governor were talking about child care issues and the other priorities that people need in place in order to get back to the workplace, that it's not just the aid of the enhanced federal benefit for unemployment.

KEILAR: Could we talk about this Kevin McCarthy quote? And I know you know what -- the one that I'm talking about. He puts out a notification to Republicans saying there's going to be this vote on ousting Liz Cheney. And he describes the party as a, quote, "big tent" and he also says, quote, "all members who are elected to represent their constituents as they see fit, but our leadership team cannot afford to be distracted from the important work we were elected to do and the shared goals we hope to achieve. The stakes are too high to come up short." A big tent.

CHALIAN: I'm going to have one more line that he wrote there, Brianna. And unlike the left, we embrace free thought and debate. That's what Kevin McCarthy wrote.

KEILAR: Say what?

CHALIAN: I mean, you don't embrace free thought if one of those thoughts is that Joe Biden legitimately won the election, and that Donald Trump is perpetrating a big lie on America. So, this in itself is not a truthful statement, and that Kevin McCarthy is writing to his members because if they truly embraced free thought and debate, Liz Cheney would have still a seat at the leadership table, the seat she's losing tomorrow in that vote.

KEILAR: Yes, it's the exact opposite of what he's describing, OK. Biden administration, big push on infrastructure this week. What are we going to know by the end of the week on this?

CHALIAN: It's such a good question. We're seeing this big bipartisan push, right? President Biden for the first time since he's been president is going to meet with Republican and Democratic leaders of the house and the Senate so that bipartisan, bicameral leadership meeting we haven't seen that yet, and he's going to meet with a slew of six Republican senators to continue and try and talk through their counter proposal to his infrastructure plan. We heard Mitch McConnell suggest he's willing to maybe go up to a price tag of $800 billion on traditional infrastructure. All the pieces are there for Biden to make that bipartisan outreach.

Here is that reality, I think Brianna by the end of this week we'll know if there is a real path forward for this infrastructure package in a bipartisan way. But why Joe Biden is doing this, yes, he would love Republicans to come on board. But that's not the only reason he's doing this. If Republicans don't come on board, Democrats have to do it alone with every single Democrat in the Senate. Joe Manchin, a Democrat from West Virginia, has made clear he's not going to get on board with a Democrat-only approach until a bipartisanship effort has been made. So yes, Joe Biden is doing the outreach this week, but I think it's also to show Democrats like Joe Manchin he's willing to do that in case he needs to go Democrat only.

KEILAR: So that he has some cover, Manchin --

CHALIAN: Yes --

KEILAR: For instance, does. OK, let's talk about Ron DeSantis, the governor of Florida. This is some big money that he is pulling in here. Nearly $14 million last month alone from his -- from his PAC.

CHALIAN: I mean, Ron DeSantis is this rising star inside the Republican Party, Florida Republicans point to as an example of how to handle the pandemic. They thought that he was smart in reopening sooner than others and he was able to manage the case levels there obviously with a very senior-heavy population in Florida as well. He's sort of a darling of the conservative movement right now and whether or not he can sort of step into the shoes of Donald Trump without all the baggage of Donald Trump remains an open question.

But Democrats see his re-election next year in 2022, that campaign, as a real opportunity to potentially stop a threat of a presidential candidate in 2024.

KEILAR: All right. We will be watching. David, it's great to have you here on set --

CHALIAN: It's so great to be in person with you, Brianna --

KEILAR: I know, it's wonderful. Haven't been sitting within proximity to you in so long. The U.S. is moving fast with vaccinations. So what will it take to convince more Americans to get theirs? We're going to talk to one local business owner who is offering a shot with a chaser of sorts.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[07:40:00]

BERMAN: Young adults have been among the most reluctant to get vaccinated against COVID-19. Now health officials in Buffalo have come up with a special incentive to fix that. Free beer which fixes everything. Joining us live from the taproom at the Resurgence Brewing Company in Buffalo, the taproom director Ben Kestner. Ben, I've had both my coronavirus shots, will you now send me two beers?

BEN KESTNER, DIRECTOR OF TAPROOM OPERATIONS, RESURGENCE BREWING COMPANY: Absolutely.

BERMAN: Talk to me about how you came up with this idea.

KESTNER: So, we were found on the principle of a safe community gathering space where we take care of people. So when you think about it as it relates to a vaccine clinic, it's not so much different. So we partnered with Erie County Department of Health and we set up a clinic here in our neighborhood, and last Saturday from 11:00 to 6:00 p.m., we were able to vaccinate about 150 people.

BERMAN: And that's a lot, right? That's actually more than are being seen at some of the vaccination centers around you, correct?

KESTNER: Yes, we're very proud that in our one day vaccine clinic, we were able to vaccinate more people than came to all the other pop-up clinics in Erie County that whole week. So truly great stuff.

BERMAN: That's a big deal. I mean, honestly, whatever it takes. What evidence have you seen that a beer and sometimes that's what it takes, a beer, has convinced maybe people who were hesitant or couldn't be bothered or just weren't about to get the vaccine.

KESTNER: I think that has a lot to do with this, especially the demographic age group of, you know, the 21-year-old to the 39-year- olds. A lot of those people think, hey, you know, it might not be something I necessarily need to do, but those are people that we see here in the taproom every single weekend. So, to take advantage of them being here already and then to have them speak with the Erie County Department of Health and our health commissioner and convince them to get a shot was great. And I think that free beer really did the trick.

[07:45:00]

BERMAN: And how much longer are you going to keep this going on?

KESTNER: So, we have another clinic going here just about a little over three weeks where they've come back and get their second shot. And then I know Erie County was very pleased with the turnout, so they're looking to do this with other breweries as well. So, I would see this --

BERMAN: Right --

KESTNER: Happen at least into the near future.

BERMAN: Ben Kestner, thank you for the work that you've done. I can't wait to get a beer at your place. Thanks so much for being with us this morning.

KESTNER: All right, we'll see you soon, cheers.

BERMAN: All right, coronavirus illustrating a tale of two worlds, wealthy nations well-stocked with vaccines are celebrating getting control of the virus while it continues to run rampant elsewhere. CNN has reporters covering the pandemic all around the world.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE) SCOTT MCLEAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: I'm Scott McLean in London. For the

first time since July, England has recorded zero daily COVID-19 deaths. There were also none reported in Scotland or Northern Ireland and just four in Wales. The promising figures came just as British Prime Minister Boris Johnson announced that COVID restrictions on things like indoor gatherings and indoor dining would be lifted next week, with the country also on track to lift almost all restrictions next month. Johnson says life in the U.K. will no longer be dictated by government edicts but by personal responsibility and common sense. Which means for some people, the elbow bump is out and hugs are back in.

AL GOODMAN, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: I'm Al Goodman in Madrid. Spain's 11:00 p.m. curfew to fight the spread of COVID-19 has finally been lifted prompting street parties in Madrid and Barcelona over the weekend. But healthcare workers say it's too early to declare victory over the pandemic in one of the hardest-hit countries in Europe. Court battles loom as some regional governments, like for the Island of Ibiza want to keep the curfew in place. The Spanish government and the opposition are blaming each other, but the pace of vaccinations is picking up, 29 percent of Spaniards are partially vaccinated and 13 percent fully vaccinated.

MATT RIVERS, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: I'm Matt Rivers in Mexico City. Further south in Brazil, the good news is that the 7-day moving averages of both newly confirmed cases and deaths are trending in the right direction, they're at some of the lowest levels that we've seen in the past couple of months. The bad news is that those daily numbers are still quite high. We're seeing roughly 60,000 new cases registered each day along with right around 2,000 deaths registered each day. Meanwhile, in the last week, the Pan-American Health Organization said that from December of last year to March of this year, the mortality rate of those aged 39 or younger doubled.

SAM KILEY, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: I'm Sam Kiley in New Delhi where government figures over the weekend showed a slight reduction in the numbers of people infected, a slight increase in the numbers of people dying, but there's no real sign that this COVID pandemic that's in its second wave is coming to an end, indeed in rural areas and in the south of India, they're starting to see an increase in infections and in deaths.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BERMAN: Today, Andrew Brown Jr.'s family will view the video of his fatal encounter with law enforcement, but they will only be shown a fraction of the recorded footage. A live report next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[07:50:00]

BERMAN: This afternoon, the family of Andrew Brown Jr. will get a chance to view more body camera footage of the deadly shooting involving deputies in North Carolina. But they're only allowed to see about 20 minutes of the nearly two hours of video that was recorded. CNN's Joe Johns live in Elizabeth City, North Carolina with the latest on this. Joe.

JOE JOHNS, CNN SENIOR WASHINGTON CORRESPONDENT: Well, there's about two hours of video, John, and when family members of Andrew Brown, along with one lawyer, who's licensed in North Carolina show up here at the Pasquotank Public Safety Building to view this video, they'll only be able to see about 20 minutes of it. The last time they were promised to see video, they saw about 20 seconds. But now, there is a court order which allows them to see more. It's still limited. It also requires that the pictures of faces of sheriffs involved in the shooting be blurred so that they can't tell who is who.

Now what the family wants to see most is what happened leading up to this shooting that occurred on April 21st. They say it was an execution. The district attorney here who talked in court just a couple of weeks ago says it wasn't an execution. In fact, that Andrew Brown was shot after he struck two sheriff's deputies with his car, apparently trying to flee. Now, the question, of course, is when any more of this video will be released publicly. What is clear is that the judge in this case has said none of that will be released publicly, at least until after the state bureau of investigation completes a probe. Back to you.

BERMAN: All right, Joe Johns, watching this very closely. Thank you very much. Up next, rocket fire in Israel as the deadly violence escalates. CNN is there live.

KEILAR: And three leopards escape from a zoo in one of China's biggest cities. One is still on the lam. Why the zoo decided to keep it quiet. We'll have that next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[07:55:00]

KEILAR: There is a leopard on the loose in one of China's biggest cities. It is actually the last of three leopards that escaped from a Safari Park more than two weeks ago. But park officials somehow decided it was best not to inform the public. CNN's Will Ripley is live in Hong Kong with the latest. This is a crazy story, Will. Tell us what happened.

WILL RIPLEY, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes, and for people who live here, the Hangzhou Safari Park, pretty terrifying to think about the fact that three leopards kept in a dangerous predator zones escaped, but the zoo decided not to tell anybody about it because it was a busy holiday weekend and they didn't want to scare people away or they say, they didn't think there was a risk from leopards on the loose.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

RIPLEY (voice-over): They hunt in the dark, run faster than any human, prey on animals and sometimes people. So why did a popular Chinese zoo keep the escape of three leopards a secret for seven days in one of China's biggest cities? The vice mayor of Hangzhou says police have captured two of the big cats, the third still on the run. The government released video showing a young leopard waking up from a tranquilizer, safely back in its cage at Hangzhou Safari Park. Zoo handlers are accused of leaving a gate open, allowing the rare Chinese leopards to escape.

The zoo waited a full week to notify the public as thousands packed the park over the busy May day holiday. The public first learned of the prowling predators on social media. Chinese state media says the zoo initially denied they escaped, even as pictures of the carnivorous cats went viral. In a statement Saturday, the Safari Park said it was sincerely sorry for failing to warn the public. We were worried the announcement of the incident would cause panic, the zoo said, adding they felt there was little risk because all three leopards are young. They now say we sincerely accept the criticism.

With two big cats now in custody, a massive hunt is under way for the third. Search teams using high-tech drones, night vision gear and good old-fashioned police dogs trying to track one of the world's most elusive wild cats. Hangzhou's vice director of Public Security says more than 4,000 people are involved in the search. For now, they hope the promise of a free meal could lure the last leopard back to its cage.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

RIPLEY: Police have now detained the park's top management team. They are being questioned. They could face charges, accused of putting the public at risk. And this is just the latest in a long-running issue. Concerns about safety at Chinese zoos, Brianna, there was actually a zoo worker in Shanghai mauled to death by a bear in front of people who were visiting the zoo. So, this is the latest incident, but still that leopard on the loose this morning.

KEILAR: All right, Will, we know that you'll be keeping an eye on that. Will Ripley in Hong Kong.