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Olympics Hit by Rising COVID Cases; British P.M. Johnson Self- Isolates after Exposure to COVID as Regulations Lifted; 100,000 Protest Against Vaccine Push in France; E.R. Doctor: I Don't Blame Unvaccinated Patients, I Blame FOX; Rioter's Sentencing Today May Be a Benchmark for Others; Big Week for Biden's Budget Package and Infrastructure Deal. Aired 6-6:30a ET
Aired July 19, 2021 - 06:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
BRIANNA KEILAR, CNN ANCHOR: Hello, I'm Brianna Keilar alongside John Avlon on this NEW DAY.
[05:59:48]
JOHN AVLON, CNN SENIOR POLITICAL ANALYST/ANCHOR: Good morning. Happy Monday.
KEILAR: Happy Monday. Great to have you here. And it is four days to go, and the pandemic is already disrupting the Olympics. There are more positive tests overnight. Problems are mounting for athletes arriving in Tokyo.
Plus, as President Biden says Facebook is killing people with vaccine disinformation, an E.R. doctor says he blames FOX, not his unvaccinated patients.
AVLON: And a Capitol rioter learns his fate today. What could be a benchmark sentencing for insurrectionists.
And the mysterious health attacks targeting American diplomats seem to be getting worse where the so-called Havana Syndrome has struck again.
KEILAR: Good morning to viewers here in the United States and around the world. It is Monday, July 19.
Opening ceremonies for the Tokyo Olympics, they begin in four days, right upon us here. And the games are already taking a troubling turn. There are now 58 coronavirus cases linked to the event. Three athletes who are living in the Olympic Village just tested positive. Two from South Africa, one from the Czech Republic.
And as has American tennis star Coco Gauff. She is out of the Olympic games.
AVLON: New cases are also rising rapidly in Japan. On Sunday, Tokyo reported over 1,000 new cases for the fifth day in a row. Capital currently under a COVID state of emergency until August 22.
CNN's Selina Wang is live in Tokyo with the latest -- Selina. SELINA WANG, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, Olympic officials
are saying that, despite all of these concerns, they can't guarantee there won't be any positive COVID-19 cases but what's important is their response, which they're confident in.
But we're only seeing growing challenges for these athletes. We just confirmed a female gymnast on the Team USA just tested positive for COVID-19 at her pre-training camp in Chiba Prefecture, neighboring Tokyo.
In addition to that growing number of cases inside the Tokyo Olympic Village, a Czech beach volleyball player, several players on the South African soccer team. We've also just learned that 21 close contacts of the South Africa soccer team are now in isolation, as well.
And Coco Gauff just adding to the growing list of high-profile athletes who are pulling out or staying away from these Tokyo games because of testing positive for COVID-19 or citing concerns about COVID-19 restrictions or the lack of spectators and not being able to have their friends and family here to support them.
And it is critical that these COVID-19 cases do not spread in the Olympic Village, where thousands of Olympic participants are going to be living.
I just took a visit there several weeks ago, and it is far from the usual celebration and place where festivities that you would see during normal Olympics. It's very much this anti-social, sanitized bubble.
And for these athletes, it is not just the stress of training for these games. It's also the risk of losing the chance to compete, of having to isolate.
And for everybody involved, these games are incredibly complicated. Even though I've been living here in Japan, as credentialed media, I'm tested regularly. I have to fill out a daily health check in the app every day.
But the public here is just not convinced. I'm outside of the national stadium, and I've been talking to residents here. There's this mix of anxiety and some excitement to watch these on TV, although one woman told me she still hopes that these games are cancelled.
And I've even spoken to Olympic volunteers in recent days who say they are concerned about the directions that the Tokyo 2020 games are going towards.
AVLON: Selina, just want to ask you about that American gymnast. What does that information mean for the rest of the team?
WANG: We are just getting new details now, but we are learning there are also close contacts. This could mean that they have to be in isolation.
They are, however, in this pre-training camp that is not here in Tokyo. It's in Chiba prefecture, a neighboring area, so this could have ramifications for when they can start either training here in Tokyo. It depends when they can get cleared for this.
All of this has ramifications to potentially derail opportunities for competition to win these games.
AVLON: It sure does. It is a troubling trend, to say the least. Selina, thank you very much.
We've also got British Prime Minister Boris Johnson self-isolating this morning after being exposed to COVID, and massive protests in France over new COVID restrictions. CNN has the pandemic covered from around the world.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
NIC ROBERTSON, CNN INTERNATIONAL DIPLOMATIC EDITOR: I'm Nic Robertson in London where today the British government will lift the last of its remaining COVID regulations on social distancing, face masks. They will no longer be mandatory; they will be optional.
The British government facing a rising spike in infection rates close to the highs of earlier this year. The prime minister himself isolating, because he came in contact with his health secretary before the weekend, who has COVID-19.
The concerns in Britain at the moment: so many infections, so many businesses will be impacted, so many people would be forced to self- isolate at home.
[06:05:06]
JIM BITTERMANN, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: I'm Jim Bittermann in France, where anti-vaccination protesters were active this weekend, with nearly 100,000 taking to the streets nationwide.
The French Parliament is to begin discussions this week to provide the legal framework around President Emmanuel Macron's announcement that his countrymen will soon have to carry a health pass, testing to vaccinations against COVID or negative COVID tests.
Without it, the French will face increasing restrictions over the next two months, including being barred from public events, cafes, restaurants and eventually some jobs.
Despite the anti-vax outcry, opinion polling indicates that a large majority of the French support the government vaccination program, perhaps because the infections here are on the rise again.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
KEILAR: An emergency room physician says he blames FOX News and other right-wing media outlets for what he calls deceptive propaganda negatively some patients decisions about getting the COVID-19 vaccine.
In an op-ed, Dr. Rob Davidson, writes this: "I don't blame my patients for their refusal. I do blame FOX News and the other right-wing media outlets for poisoning the minds of millions of Americans. We must do what science and evidence tells us demonstrably work to defeat COVID- 19: wear a mask, get vaccinated and stop watching FOX News."
Dr. Rob Davidson is an E.R. doctor and the executive director of the Committee to Protect Healthcare. He's a patient advocacy -- it's a patient advocacy group made up of medical professionals nationwide.
It is great to see you again, Doctor. I don't call it FOX News, I call it FOX, because it isn't news, especially as we have seen here during the pandemic, some of this stuff, dangerous stuff that is coming out of there.
But explain to us why you said what you did. That you don't blame your patients, you blame FOX.
DR. ROB DAVIDSON, ER DOCTOR/EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, COMMITTEE TO PROTECT HEALTHCARE: Listen, I've seen several COVID patients now every shift for the past week, and every single one of them has been unvaccinated. When I see other patients, I offer them the vaccine.
I try to talk to them about the vaccine, and so many of them are just shutting down the conversation. I had one patient tell me they're afraid of the ingredients in the vaccine.
And I asked, well, which ingredients? And they said, Well, I don't really know what's in it?
And, you know, we're in a highly Republican area, about 40 percent vaccination rate. About 70 percent voted for the former president. And when you see what's being put out there on the airwaves, what FOX and other organizations, and then that is, you know, shared on Facebook and it just hits that echo chamber, it is undeniable that these messages are getting through to patients, and they're avoiding something that can prevent them from getting extremely sick or potentially dying.
KEILAR: Is there any specific misinformation that they're citing? Or is it sort of vague, as you just described, that you asked someone, you probed their concern, and it turns out they don't actually have a concrete concern?
DAVIDSON: It's extremely vague. It's just -- some people, it results in them getting very angry, and they just shut down the conversation. They don't want to talk about it.
And it's just inexplicable from a healthcare standpoint. I've been doing this for 20 years. When someone comes in with chest pain and I recommended an EKG and blood test and X-rays and sometimes admission to the hospital, I don't get this kind of resistance, because they're relying on my expertise, my training, my knowledge of the issues.
But unfortunately, with this one disease, we have a huge number of people getting their information in so many other places, including FOX and others, it's just going completely against what we, as healthcare professionals, are telling them to do. KEILAR: You write, "One predictor of vaccine refusal is FOX News
viewership." And you also note that they should listen to their family doctors for medical advice not Sean Hannity, whom researchers have connected to higher infection rates.
That is frustrating, that they're not listening to you when it comes to COVID. That is the advice I think of a lot of public health officials. They say listen to the doctors. But it sounds like that's going unheeded.
DAVIDSON: It is. And my wife is a family doctor. We talk about this nearly every day after her days in the office. She spends half of her day talking about vaccines, and some people get frustrated.
She said, Listen, just like I recommend mammograms and other screening tests, if I didn't talk to you about this, and then you catch it, and you get extremely sick or die, you know, I'm going to lose sleep over it. I'm going to feel bad about it and feel like I didn't do my duty.
So, you know, bless the primary-care doctors who are doing this everyday with most of their time with their patients, unfortunately.
KEILAR: What do you think needs to be done to combat this misinformation?
DAVIDSON: Well, you know, I've said it in the piece, and I believe it. If people would just turn off FOX, turn off other media channels, you know, turn off Facebook and just go talk to their doctors, that would get us there.
But short of that, it really is going to be those private personal conversations with people's family doctors -- (AUDIO GAP) -- take care of our health needs and their families. You know, it's not going to work in every case. But I think it's maybe going to work in some of the cases. But well, in some of the cases.
[06:10:00]
And slowly, I think we'll get to a point where we get enough people vaccinated where we can see our way out of this, I hope.
KEILAR: We certainly hope so. Dr. Davidson, we'll let you go. We know you have a shift to begin, so thank you so much for joining us from your car this morning.
DAVIDSON: Thanks, Brianna.
KEILAR: A Capitol rioter today learning how long he will spend behind bars in what could be a benchmark for other cases.
AVLON: Plus, two more Texas Democrats who left the state to protest a voting bill have tested positive for coronavirus.
And President Biden makes a make-or-break week for his economic agenda. We're now learning what concerns the Americans most.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[06:15:01]
KEILAR: A man from Florida who stormed the Capitol during the January 6th insurrection scheduled to be sentenced today. And this is a hearing that could set a benchmark for punishment in similar cases as Paul Hodgkins will be the first rioter sentenced for a felony.
CNN's Whitney Wild is joining us now. I know that you're watching this very closely for any indications of other cases.
WHITNEY WILD, CNN LAW ENFORCEMENT CORRESPONDENT: Absolutely. So this is sort of the beginning of the end, so to speak, because we're now getting into the phase where people are starting to plead guilty, starting to get their sentences.
Paul Allard Hodgkins, 38 years old of Florida, pleaded guilty to one felony count of obstructing an official proceeding. He admitted to taking selfies as we walked around the desks in the Senate chamber. He'd worn protective goggles and gloves.
Hodgkins originally faced five charges related to him entering the Capitol, and the Justice Department ended up dropping all of the charges except the most severe charge, the obstruction charge, carries a maximum of 20 years in prison.
He's most likely to serve a lot less than that, though. He's probably serving 15 to 21 months. That will be the likely sentence, although the judge, of course, has a lot of discretion here. He will likely, though, get some leniency, because he has accepted responsibility for his crime.
But this does mark the first felony sentencing, and this might serve as an indicator for how judges here in D.C. perceive the impact of these crimes, Brianna and John.
AVLON: I wonder, you know, we know the dodge has not been prosecuting sedition insurrection. The fact that these charges have been reduced, is that is a sign of coming attractions how many of the rioters are expected to be treated?
WILD: I think it could be. I mean, I think what prosecutors -- when you look at the volume of these cases are very likely to look at what is the most efficient charge that has the highest impact.
So I think they're trying to weigh those two things, because the reality is they don't want to clog the court system with 500 cases that are all going to go to trial.
That would extend these court cases for months, if not years. So I think what you'll very likely see is, in some cases, where people have really gotten the book thrown at them. They're looking for cooperation. Not actually the case in this case.
Paul Allard Hodgkins not cooperating. However, he has admitted to -- he admitted to some of the crimes. He's accepted responsibility for it. So in that case, prosecutors are recommending between 15 and 21 months.
Again, I think here they're balancing what is the impact of the crime versus what is the most efficient thing; what serves the greater good here in the court system here in D.C.
KEILAR: All right. Well, stay tuned for that sentencing today. Whitney, thank you so much.
Coming up, a critical week ahead for President Biden's agenda on the next two big-ticket items on his economic wish list.
AVLON: Plus, more on our breaking news. An American gymnast has tested positive for coronavirus just four days before the Olympics begin. So what does this mean for her and the rest of the team? Next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[06:21:55]
KEILAR: Later this morning, President Biden will make another public appeal for a bipartisan infrastructure plan, which faces its first votes this week. That is in addition to a $3.5 trillion budget resolution with many details there still to be worked out.
Joining us now are CNN White House correspondents John Harwood and Arlette Saenz on this. It's great to see you both this morning here in studio.
AVLON: Welcome.
JOHN HARWOOD, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Nice set.
KEILAR: Arlette, to you first. Where are we on these -- these agreements?
ARLETTE SAENZ, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Well, really, this could be a make-or-break moment for the Biden White House this week as so much of the president's domestic agenda hinges on these two infrastructure packages.
Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer has really set these deadlines for Wednesday. One to get Democrats all on board with that $3.5 trillion plan, but we have already heard from some Democrats who say they are just not there quite yet.
Democrats like Senator Joe Manchin. But the one that is probably going to be more -- a little bit more closely watched. It might be in a rockier status, is that bipartisan infrastructure proposal.
As of right now, they don't have those final details ironed out, especially when it comes to how to pay for that plan. That's like a really important component of this.
KEILAR: That is.
SAENZ: That Senator Rob Portman over the weekend already said that they have taken that one IRS, tougher IRS enforcement off the table relating to that plan.
So there's a lot that needs to get hammered out in these next two days. Portman, you know, saying and other Republican senators saying they don't feel they should have an arbitrary deadline.
But the White House has really been optimistic that they're going to be able to get something done. But that bipartisan proposal, that has been on rocky footing since the beginning. So there's quite a bit that needs to be ironed out.
AVLON: This is the testing time. This is the key element of Biden's effort to do infrastructure. And they're still whipping votes. I mean, Republicans -- the fact that Portman is backing off, saying enforcing existing tax -- tax rules will not be part of this bill, that seems stunning to me, that they're still counting votes at this late date.
HARWOOD: And what they're really trying to figure out is do the Republicans have the will to see this through, the people who negotiated that bipartisan deal.
There's going to be heat from the right and from right-wing media on whatever kind of compromise they make with Democrats. Are they willing to stand up to that heat?
The IRS enforcement, this tougher IRS enforcement, which was going to provide a very large chunk of revenue for this package. That was attacked from the right -- IRS goon squads or whatever -- and the Republicans backed off.
Is there another revenue source that they will be able to take the criticism more for? That's what we're going to find out. And huck Schumer, by setting this Wednesday deadline, is going to try to find out how serious, really, are they? If they're not, Democrats are going to move with that Democrats-only path.
AVLON: I mean, that is just stunning that the new standard is not just no new taxes but no enforcement of existing tax law. But they're still insisting it be paid for.
HARWOOD: Right.
AVLON: That's a Catch-22 any way you count.
KEILAR: And infrastructure, of course, is very popular, but there is this concern -- and it's very much shared on the left -- that you infuse the economy with trillions of dollars, and perhaps you're going to see inflation.
[06:25:06]
For instance, there's actually a Marist poll -- and you talk about this -- that shows -- a Marist poll for NPR and PBS "News Hour" that came out last month. And inflation is the No. 1 concern for Americans when it comes to how they are worried about the economy.
HARWOOD: One of the things that the Fed and the White House economists and outside economists say over and over is we've never before shut down an entire economy and then reopened it back up.
When that happens, it's going to be bumpy. There are going to be places that don't open up as fast and supply doesn't meet demand. And that's resulting in prospects, and we're seeing inflation like we haven't seen in some years, more than a decade.
We saw that in the month of June. And the question is, is this something that's going to last for a short period of time? Are we in for a long-term inflation cycle of the kind that many economists got used to and saw as a huge plague on the economy in, say, the 1970s and beginning part of the 1980s.
The White House doesn't think so. But, when you see gas going up, when you see housing going up, when you see costs of automobiles going up, that's something that people feel, and the Biden team is going to -- they're doing whatever they can to try to smooth out the bumps.
They had a meeting on Friday with representatives of the housing industry and labor unions to try to say, how can we ease bottleneck so you can build houses faster or cheaper. They're trying to move things in and out of ports more quickly.
So it's a challenge, and they're going to try to plow through it. We do have big growth, and unemployment is down, so most of the economic news is good.
AVLON: Warning signs on the horizon, for sure. I've got to ask you about Lindsey Graham, throwing out this threat, really, that he might flee Washington in order to deny Democrats a quorum on this 3.5 trillion reconciliation bill.
Is this just a troll reflecting on the Texas Democrats? Or is this something even remotely credible?
SAENZ: Yes. I mean, I think that this is Lindsey Graham, one man, saying that this is something that he could do. We have not heard that Republicans are planning to band together to try to leave and flee Washington the way that the Texas Democrats do.
But it's not surprising from Senator Lindsey Graham to throw something up like this that we're just not seeing any Republicans getting on board with that.
AVLON: In sort of a troll. We're going troll option on that.
KEILAR: Do you think -- do you think that this is actually going to happen, Arlette? What do you think?
SAENZ: Lindsey Graham might leave town, but we haven't heard that any other Senate Republicans.
KEILAR: There's no broad support for this. What do you think?
HARWOOD: Look, members of Senate like to leave town. They leave town as soon as possible.
KEILAR: They love it. It's their favorite thing.
HARWOOD: Are they going to try to unplug the Senate in that fashion? I don't think so.
KEILAR: Don't think so. All right. John Harwood, Arlette Saenz, thank you so much.
And still ahead --
AVLON: All right. So Texas Democrats trying to fight back against voting restrictions, now finding themselves battling COVID.
KEILAR: Quite a few of them.
And Louisiana is among the lowest vaccinated states in the country, so why is one Republican senator blaming Joe Biden for that?
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