Return to Transcripts main page

New Day Saturday

Forty Million At Risk Of Eviction Without A Stimulus Bill; Grocery Bills Ballooning As Pandemic Disrupts Food Supply Chain; Unemployment Rate Falls To 10.2 Percent; U.S. Intel Warns Of Threats From China, Russia, And Iran; Georgia Teachers Protest Plan To Return Students To In-Person Learning; UNICEF Coordinating With Partners To Help Front Line Workers. Aired 7-8 ET

Aired August 08, 2020 - 07:00   ET

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


[07:00:00]

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Where they have controlled the community spread.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: She actually have three jobs a mom, a classroom teacher, and an online teacher.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: For the most part, this virus is out of control.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: One place not planning to follow CDC guidelines, Sturgis, South Dakota, where a motorcycle rally expected to draw hundreds of thousands of people kicks off.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: They're not going to be able to handle any kind of social distancing.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I don't care if it's closed down, I'm going. They can all kiss my (BLEEP). I'm going.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ANNOUNCER: This is NEW DAY WEEKEND with Victor Blackwell and Christi Paul.

VICTOR BLACKWELL, CNN ANCHOR: I'm looking at the White House this morning. Top of the hour. The President actually is in New Jersey at Bedminster, but millions of Americans are looking to that building. A look at the capitol building, waiting for some help.

Negotiations over a new stimulus package ended in deadlock. Last night, Democrats and White House officials walked away without a deal. Now, President Trump is laying out his plan for executive orders if there's no breakthrough.

CHRISTI PAUL, CNN ANCHOR: And there's a new report, it says up to 40 million people could be facing eviction by the end of this year, and minorities make up the bulk of that. Dr. Anthony Fauci says, COVID-19 has been a double whammy against communities of color. BLACKWELL: So, the U.S. is getting close to 5-million confirmed

coronavirus cases. Tens of thousands of motorcycle riders and people who just want to hang out, they are there arriving in Sturgis, South -- South Dakota, I should say.

Social distancing and mask wearing are not required at the rally and celebration. Let's start at the White House, Sarah Westwood there live. Sarah, President Trump, as I said is in New Jersey. At his golf club, he promised to do a lot yesterday via executive order. The question is: can he do it?

SARAH WESTWOOD, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Yes, Victor and Christi, good morning. And that is the question because it's not clear that the President has the authority to do everything that he's promised to accomplish via executive order. And it's almost certain that Democrats are going to put up a challenge to those orders in court.

But as you mentioned, those talks collapsed after nearly two weeks of daily meetings when Republicans and Democrats couldn't even agree on the scope of the problem. They didn't even make any progress on the price tag of that deal, let alone the mechanics of something as complicated as a sweeping stimulus bill of this size that we're talking about.

Now, the administration's negotiators that was White House Chief of Staff Mark Meadows, and Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin, they told Senate GOP members of the biggest sticking point there was $1 trillion of proposed assistance to state and local governments.

That was one of their biggest sticking points in those talks with Democrats and the president accused Democrats of holding the stimulus hostage and said he would move forward with those executive actions speaking at his golf club in New Jersey last night.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: If Democrats continue to hold this critical relief hostage, I will act under my authority as president to get Americans the relief they need.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WESTWOOD: Now, among the actions the president pledged to implement yesterday included a payroll tax deferment, reviving that moratorium on evictions that was allowed to lapse just a couple of weeks ago, deferring student loan payments and forgiving the interest on them and also extending that enhanced unemployment benefit that was allowed to expire at the end of July.

Now, Democrats, they wanted to continue to offer that to Americans out of work at the level of $600 per week, but President Trump yesterday was asked directly about that would not commit to continuing assistance at that level. The Democrats, meanwhile, said yesterday, House Speaker Pelosi, that she did not want to miss this chance to help the American people. (BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

REP. NANCY PELOSI (D-CA), SPEAKER OF THE HOUSE: When you're having opportunity like this to do something for the American people, it's an opportunity. But we can't have it be a missed opportunity to do that by settling for something so low, so beneath the knee, meeting the needs of the American people.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WESTWOOD: Now, Democrats have said individual bills that address some of these problems are not enough. They said the executive actions are not going to be enough to cover the scope of the problem. Just to give you a sense of how far apart these two sides were at the end, Democrats wanted to pass something north of $2 trillion.

In fact, Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer said he did not think Democrats even had the votes to pass anything less than $2 trillion. Meanwhile, Republicans were divided on whether a stimulus was even needed in the first place. And Senate GOP thought that they could not pass anything through the upper chamber if it was close to $2 trillion. Victor and Christi.

PAUL: All right, so talk to us about the backdrop for the President's remarks that we saw last night. He's at his golf club, he's in front of his supporters, but the pandemic is something that he just doesn't seem to be able to really get behind in terms of the validity of what's happening in this country.

WESTWOOD: All right, Christi, the President yesterday at his golf resort saying that the virus disappearing. That is not the case. Thousands of Americans lost their lives to COVID-19 this week. And the President also claiming that his event there at the golf club was a peaceful protest. He was defending the observation that reporters were making that. Not everyone there was wearing a mask or social distancing.

[07:05:30]

And it really had the feel of almost a campaign event: The President attacking the press, even his supporters, they're booing the media that had gathered at his press resort and again just downplaying the virus and claiming victory over it. Even as his own public health experts are warning that the virus is more widespread than it was earlier this year in the spring, Victor in Christi.

PAUL: All right. Sarah Westwood, always good to have you. Thank you.

So, let's talk to Personal Finance Columnist for The Washington Post Michelle Singletary. Good morning, Michelle.

MICHELLE SINGLETARY, PERSONAL FINANCE COLUMNIST, THE WASHINGTON POST: Good morning.

PAUL: It is so good to see your smile, especially when we're talking about something that is really stressing people out right now. Let's talk about the stimulus. I understand they worked for 20 hours and went through 20 hours of meetings. There is no discussion planned for another couple of weeks. Give us the reality of what this means to the 40 million people who are facing evictions.

SINGLETARY: Well, you know, even if they get something passed, when are people going to get money? You know, we're coming up on yet another month of people having to pay their bills. They probably late from last month. So, this is a dire situation for a lot of people, and this rhetoric that we have, especially when it comes to unemployment that people want to just stay home and not work, it's just not true.

You know, I got a call from a doctor in Florida who tried to make the case that he wanted to hire -- we, we hired some folks that had been home because of the pandemic but didn't want to come because they were making more money. But when I pressed him, and see, that's the thing, we really need to make sure that we're not giving into these myths. Turns out that the people were staying home because they had kids, and they couldn't come back to work because their kids weren't going to school.

So, they weren't staying home because they weren't making more money. And in fact, if you're getting unemployment and you refuse to go back to work, you're not eligible for that unemployment. So, we've got to really face the truth of the situation so that we can help people.

It is still bad out there. People are not being able to pay their rent. They're having trouble paying for food because food prices have gone up. And in this, this, this aid is really needed for a lot of people.

BLACKWELL: Yes, and I think for people who are questioning if I was going to stay home to get the unemployment check, I mean, who's going to give up the security of a job especially now when they are so far and few between, and that takes us to the jobs report: 1.8 million jobs added last month.

But, I mean, you consider April, there are more than 20 million jobs lost in that month alone. So, good number here and the President's praising it but that's a long way to go.

SINGLETARY: It's a long way to go and you know, you want to be able to have hope and so the numbers do show some hope. But you know, I was thinking about this you know, when you get sick and say you have to take antibiotics, what does the doctor say when he writes the prescription or she? They say don't stop taking the medicine take all of it.

And that's the lesson that's what we have to tell Congress. And you know, those who are against more aid that they have -- they can't stop right now. People are still sick, they're still not working, they still can't pay their bills. We can't stop the aid right now, just like you shouldn't stop taking that medicine before the bottle is finished.

PAUL: So true. Talk to us about, you mentioned it briefly, but the grocery bills and people are at home going I don't know how I'm going to do this.

SINGLETARY: Yes, so you know, there's just my -- guys, don't make me cry. I'm so concerned by food insecurity. We already know them in many neighborhoods there was food insecurity already and now, this is just worse. So, for families until we get this aid, you just have to shop smarter. You know when I was growing up with my grandmother and there was five of us, she just made one pot meals. We had lots of beans and rice.

You know, you just try to make meal stretch. You know, stay away from prepackaged foods because they cost too much. So, you know, until there's more aid on the table and you hate to tell people who are in need, you know, do better. But the fact of the matter is you just have to shop better, utilize food banks, and if you have an abundance of food, give to food banks. I mean, this is the time where we really do have to be our brothers' keepers and help these food banks and then there's farmers.

There's a program where there's farmers to families where they, you know, take excess food and things like that and help families. So, you have to look for those type of programs in your neighborhood. You've got to not -- you can't sit at home and moan because you know, you got to be more proactive. I know it's tough. And if you know people who are just not able to do that, because they're just so stressed, then help them find the programs they need to keep food on their table.

[07:10:27]

BLACKWELL: You mentioned those one-pot-meals. We ate Great Northern beans every January after the money was gone after Christmas. So, that hit, hits home. Let me talk to you about your latest column. Because Michelle, I was invited to join a sou-sou this week.

SINGLETARY: You did not.

BLACKWELL: I was. Paid my $500. This is according to this this column there and you should go read it. I just tweeted it out. You pay $500. It is a collective savings group. You bring two people in behind you, and then a couple of months you get $4,000. And the money is just supposed to go into serve. I didn't join. But tell us about this, and there's, there's a problem joining it, and then there are legal problem if you actually get the payoff.

SINGLETARY: That's right. You know, I am a faithful member of my church. And so, in the last several months, I say several times a week, people were asking me and I'm glad that they are asking me, but I'm thinking come on now folks, are you insane? Listen, you can't -- this isn't legal. And if you participate and you recruit people, it's illegal, and they're also telling people that oh, it's not taxable because it's a gift, which is not true either.

Please, please stop doing this. These sou-sous or they're also (INAUDIBLE) or giving or gifting circles are illegal. If you participate, or you promote for it, it's illegal. And I talked to my pastor, you know, I love my pastor, First Baptist Church. And he said, he was (INAUDIBLE) of Proverbs about how greedy gain can bring trouble to your home. And so, even if you make this. I say you're at the beginning of this pyramid, and you actually make money because that's how they bring people in.

Oh, I made money but then eventually these pyramids collapse and it causes grief for people down the line. So, even if somehow you walk away with money, you are harming people and then you have brought your friends and family in there. There is no foolproof way to make that kind of money that is not illegal or very, very risky. So, someone comes to you about a sou-sou (ph) or blessing loom or gifting circle, needs to run and point them to the authorities.

BLACKWELL: I don't know if I'm going to report him. I mean, we've been friends for 20 years, but I did not join. I got the whole video presentation and everything.

PAUL: He -- I will say, he's going to send us this link is what he's going to do.

BLACKWLEL: Yes. All right. Michelle Singletary.

SINGLETARY: It's really important that you -- no, send it to me and I'll report him.

BLACKWELL: I'm not going to do that either. Michelle Singletary, thanks so much for your time this morning.

PAUL: Thank you.

SINGLETARY: You're welcome.

BLACKWELL: All right. So, there's this woman in Memphis, Tennessee, and she recently tested positive for coronavirus. And to make matters worse, she was just evicted from her home.

PAUL: And this is just one example of what millions of people could face in the days and the months that are coming. Here's CNN-affiliate WRAG with her story.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Leslie Nelson's entire life tossed on her front lawn.

MARISSA KIZER, COMMUNITY ACTIVIST: No warning, no, no concern with where she's going to go.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: And according to her friends, the men who evicted Nelson from her Jocelyn Street home today had no concern for her health. The 56-year-old says she has COVID-19.

KIZER: She's still feeling some of the fatigue and those effects.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: And told us she felt too sick to talk on camera after this process server and his men kicked her to the curb. Police officers standing watch to enforce the removal.

HUNTER DEMSTER, COMMUNITY ACTIVIST: Inappropriate. Immoral. Disgusting.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: And it compelled a host of community activists to take action. They came to help Nelson pack after seeing posts about the eviction on social media.

DEMSTER: A dozen people have showed up dedicating their, their time potentially putting themselves in harm's way of COVID to do the right thing.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: But things took a violent turn when the process server took an antique rifle out of Nelson's house and said he was taking it to his car.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Hey, officer! He's stealing. He's stealing!

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Nelson supporters stepped in.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Before Nelson herself tried to get it back. The heated situation finally de-escalated when the server said he'd returned the rifle before he left, claiming it was his right to temporarily hold on to it.

KIZER: Just absurd behavior.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Nelson says she was evicted over thousands of dollars in medical debt she never knew existed. She says, it belonged to her mother in law who still loans the property, but passed away years ago, leaving a number of things to be worked out in probate court.

[07:15:06]

DEMSTER: It's infuriating collecting debt from a deceased person is more important than putting an elderly woman recovering from COVID out on the streets. And that's what they're saying. That's what they did.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

PAUL: So, Russia and China are taking sides in the 2020 U.S. election. It seems according to the U.S. intel community's top election security official China prefers an outcome where President Trump does not win in November.

BLACKWELL: And Russia would rather that he did win, which is why they are working to denigrate former Vice President Joe Biden's White House bid. CNN Alex Marquardt has details for us.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ALEX MARQUARDT, CNN SENIOR NATIONAL SECURITY CORRESPONDENT: Well, this is a remarkable statement from the most senior election security official in the U.S. intelligence community, Bill Evanina, who represents 17 different intelligence organizations, saying in black and white who the biggest adversaries of the United States want to win and want to lose in the 2020 election, essentially saying that we are facing an election like we have never seen before in terms of the potential for foreign adversaries to meddle in the election in November.

So, let's go through the countries one by one that Bill Evanina laid out in this statement on Friday night, starting first with China, in which he said that China would prefer that President Trump, whom Beijing sees as unpredictable, does not win reelection.

China, he says, he does not want President Trump to win the election because he's unpredictable. They also know that the Chinese were not pleased with the Trump administration's response to COVID-19 as well as them shutting down the Chinese Consulate in Houston.

Then, of course, the big question of what Russia wants and just like in 2016, Russia is working against the democratic candidate and it was Hillary Clinton, now it is Joe Biden. Working against the Democrat in favor of President Trump. The I.C. Bill Evanina saying, that Russia is using a range of measures to primarily denigrate former Vice President Biden. He's also saying some criminal-linked actors are also seeking to boost President Trump's candidacy on social media and on Russian television. And then there's Iran.

Iran, according to Bill Evanina, will also look to undermine President Trump and sow division. And it is through disinformation campaigns from all of these countries, that they will sow chaos and division. The intelligence media also assesses that the risk that the elections face are hacking from these countries to the election systems.

But Bill Evanina knows that it would be very difficult, in fact, to change the vote count, to explicitly change the votes without being detected. And that is something that President Trump has threatened could happen with mail-in voting. Once again, President Trump at odds with his intelligence community. Alex Marquardt, CNN, Washington.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

PAUL: Alex, thank you. Coming up after being criticized for really bizarre photo of himself with a woman, Liberty University President and there's the photo there, and Chancellor Jerry Falwell Jr. is taking an indefinite leave of absence.

BLACKWELL: And how former Vice President Joe Biden's relationship with former President Barack Obama may guide his decision of selecting his running mate.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[07:22:33]

BLACKWELL: The head of Liberty University, Jerry Falwell, Jr. is taking an indefinite leave of absence from his role as President and Chancellor of the University.

PAUL: Yes, there was this bizarre vacation photo. It has a lot of people talking, a lot of people asking questions. Here's CNN's Tom Foreman.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE) JERRY FALWELL, JR., PRESIDENT, LIBERTY UNIVERSITY: She's pregnant, so

she couldn't get her, she couldn't get her pants up. I was like, trying to like -- I have a pair of jeans I haven't worn in a long time, so couldn't get mine zipped either. And so, I just put my belly, I just put my belly out like her.

TOM FOREMAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: The picture of Liberty University President, Jerry Falwell, Jr, with a woman he says is his wife's assistant caused instant outrage for some tied to the staunchly conservative school. And while he expressed regret for posting the image on Instagram, his explanation didn't help.

REP. MARK WALTER (R-NC): I just think that there is a code that leaders have to live by, especially when you are leading the largest Christian Evangelical university in the country.

FOREMAN: Earlier this year, Falwell posted an image of a person wearing blackface standing next to another wearing a Ku Klux Klan hood enrobe. He apologized then, too, but it triggered another outcry. Now, the school's board of trustees has asked him to take an indefinite leave of absence, and they say Falwell has agreed.

Falwell has been a chief cheerleader for President Donald Trump among white evangelicals, just as his father Jerry Falwell, Sr., was for Ronald Reagan decades ago when he founded the Moral Majority.

FALWELL: We must unite behind Donald Trump and Mike Pence.

FOREMAN: But in recent years, Falwell, Jr. has drawn sharp criticism over how deeply he has dabbled in politics.

FALWELL: My boys always have guns in their hands.

FOREMAN: Over his management of university business. Despite the critics Falwell has never backed down, especially over his support of Trump.

FALWELL: Were not electing a pastor in chief or electing a commander in chief.

FOREMAN: CNN reached out to Mr. Falwell to see if he had anything else to say about these latest actions, no reply yet. He has said numerous times he is not a minister like his father was, but he has now lost a very powerful pulpit. Tom Foreman, CNN, Bethesda, Maryland.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

PAUL: Tom, thank you. So, a school nurse has resigned over coronavirus fears. Her name is Amy Westmoreland, and she says that children are being discouraged to speak out. What does she mean by that? We're going to talk to her in a moment, ask her.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[07:29:20] PAUL: 29 minutes past the hour right now and classes are beginning

online next week for students in the biggest school district in Georgia. Now, officials in Gwinnett County do plan to bring students back to class by the end of the month.

BLACKWELL: Yes, and some teachers are not happy about that. CNN's Natasha Chen reports.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

NATASHA CHEN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Teachers are sounding the alarm over Georgia's largest school district's new plan to phase in face-to-face instruction later in August, after starting with all virtual classes next week.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It seems like standardized test scores matter a whole lot to this county, but COVID test scores don't seem to matter enough.

[07:29:59]

CHEN: Teachers honked from inside their cars in Gwinnett County outside of Atlanta this week, as a socially distant protest in contrast to the one organized by some parents two weeks ago in the same spot calling for face-to-face instruction.

A district spokesperson said their difficult decisions will not be popular with everyone but say they're committed to student health, safety, and education.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: But it seems that they keep making decisions -- milquetoast decisions that placate different parties without considering that we need consistency and we need bold leadership.

CHEN: Troy Powell teaches second-grade students who would be back in the classroom at the end of August, but no one has given her any detailed plans of what that looks like.

TROY POWELL, TEACHER AT GWINNETT COUNTY, GEORGIA: I'll be in the room teaching children on top of, also teaching online children, too. So, I actually have three jobs: a mom, a classroom teacher, and an online teacher.

CHEN: Her own children are allowed to go with her to work which alleviates child care concerns, but she says it's not ideal since they have asthma.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: This is not well-thought-out at all.

CHEN: The fears are real, with about 260 Gwinnett employees already testing positive or in quarantine before school has even started. In Cherokee County, at least 260 students and eight teachers are quarantined after several people tested positive during the first week of school.

In Effingham County, WTOC reports one person tested positive at an elementary school, resulting in an entire class being sent home. And in Paulding County, this image resulted in a suspension, then a reversal of that suspension for the student who posted it on social media.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: This is some good and necessary trouble. So, I don't regret posting this because it's -- it needed to be said.

CHEN: Waters, said she was concerned for everyone's safety. The Paulding County superintendent sent a letter to families, saying, crowding in between classes for five minutes may happen in a school with more than 2,000 students, and they're complying with state guidelines.

This kind of anxiety is what Gwinnett teachers say keeps them up at night, even though special ed teacher Nicole Conway loves her job and her students.

NICOLE CONWAY, SPECIAL EDUCATION TEACHER, GWINNETT COUNTY: If the students do come back into the building, it's really like a 90 percent chance right now that I'm probably going to end up resigning to make sure that my personal babies are safe.

CHEN: Natasha Chen, CNN, Suwanee, Georgia.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

PAUL: Now listen, our next guest is now a former school nurse in Paulding County. That's what that photo that Natasha mentioned in a report that packs school hallway that's what was taken. She says that she decided to resign before that picture came out, but it validated her decision.

We're talking about Amy Westmoreland. She told the CNN affiliate in Atlanta, in part, "I don't feel supported, I don't feel safe, and I feel as though I need to take a stand." She is with us now. Amy, thank you so much for being with us taking the time this morning.

First of all, help us understand, bring us into your decision-making process. What happened that made you say, I can't do this?

AMY WESTMORELAND, SCHOOL NURSE WHO RESIGNS OVER COVID-19 CONCERNS: Well, you know, it started at the beginning of -- I'm sorry, at the end of the last school year, you know, we were required to go back into the school building, and people weren't wearing any masks.

It was, of course, no, children were there, but administration was there, and nobody was wearing a mask. And then, when the board -- the school board came out with their provision for opening, they decided that, you know, masks were going to be a personal choice and that they were going to practice social distancing, but it may not be practical in some situations. And that solidified it for me in terms of the type of care that I give to my patients, to my students.

PAUL: And speaking of those students, I know you've said that the children are being discouraged to speak out. What have you seen? What do you mean by that? WESTMORELAND: You know, I have -- I've heard from former co-workers, you know, of course, on Twitter, I've had a student who have spoken to me anonymously. You know, right now, everything is shut down for them. You know, there is no communication whatsoever, and there is consequences if they do.

So, you know, it's not just the children, the teachers are -- the teachers are afraid to speak out and say anything.

PAUL: Speaking of that, let's pull that picture back up, if we could, please, of the hallway. This is in the county where you would be a nurse. And I know you made that decision prior to the picture being taken, but what was your reaction when you saw that? I mean, there is concern for children, obviously.

WESTMORELAND: Sure.

PAUL: For kid -- young kids and teens that we see there. And I'm sure that there's a part of you that thinks, they need me.

[07:34:52]

WESTMORELAND: There is. You know, I love these children. I love my job, and -- but I love them enough to take a stand, because I know -- I know, science, I know facts, and I know the type of danger that they're in.

And of course, seeing that photo just solidified for me, you know, that I was correct in -- and you know, the unfortunate -- you know, the unfortunate happenings of -- you know, these kids being together. Also, the bearing of opinions of families and in the area, the opinions of their local government, you know, politics playing a role in all of that as well.

PAUL: OK. So, you did say something that some people might think is been incendiary, some people might think it is dishonest, and it's candid. But you say, some of the drivers to get kids back into school and open them up are political and financial agendas.

So, are you saying that there are some in the -- in the school or in the district who are ignoring what's happening? What do you mean by, by that statement?

WESTMORELAND: Christi, I'll just tell you this. They -- I don't know if you have seen it, but there is a video from a board meeting, it's a public video that anybody can access, and the chair of the board, Jeff Fuller is saying that COVID is a hoax and that we need to get back to school. I believe that was back in May, maybe June.

So, you know, and this -- and this -- the systemic thing, you know, we have -- we have with the president of the United States who is saying that it's OK for our children to go back to school and we have our governor who is not mandating any masks and saying that it's OK to go back to school.

And then, we have local governments and school districts like Paulding County, who say we're going to -- we're going to go to school, we're not going to mandate mass, and we're not going to change this. And they say this in their Q&A that they put out for everybody to read that, you know, unless state or federal governments make a change, they're going to open. So, we need those leaders too in order for things to change.

PAUL: All right. Amy Westmoreland, I'm sorry we've run out of time. Thank you so much for sharing your experience with us in why you are so dedicated to your decision. And thank you for what you do for the kids. We appreciate you.

WESTMORELAND: I appreciate you, and thank you so much for your time today.

PAUL: Of course. Take care.

BLACKWELL: Up next, we want you to meet this bride and groom. They're going to tell you about the moment they thought that their first day of their new life together could potentially be their last.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ISRAA SEBLANI, BEIRUT BLAST SURVIVOR: Now, I'm losing my life. I'm losing my husband. I'm going to be buried under a building. Now, I'm going to die.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BLACKWELL: You probably seen this video, but you're going to hear more from the couple. The wedding shoot -- the wedding day photoshoot went viral after the explosion there in Beirut. More after the break.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[07:42:35]

BLACKWELL: This is a remarkable story from this couple in Lebanon. Just as that explosion happened at the port of Beirut that you saw, that those pictures of the video, they were in the middle of a wedding celebration, their photoshoot.

PAUL: Yes. CNN's Jomana Karadsheh spoke with the couple and the pictures are just -- they're hard to believe. Take a look at this.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JOMANA KARADSHEH, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: It was a picture- perfect wedding shoot. The glowing bride posing for photos. A short walk from the luxury wedding venue in downtown Beirut. As the smiling Dr Israa Seblani looks down at her bouquet, horror strikes. Her big day blown away in an instant. The couple and the video crew run for cover, destruction all around them.

SEBLANI: At that moment, one thing I thought about, now I'm losing my life. I'm losing my husband. I'm going to be buried under a building. Now I'm going to die. I'm wait -- I'm -- now, I'm waiting the moment how I'm going to die. Is it going to be fast? Am I going to feel it? Am I going to be near him?

KARADSHEH: Twenty-nine-year-old Seblani, a U.S. resident, came back to her native Lebanon to get married. The original plan was to have the wedding party in the United States. But husband, Ahmad Sbeih, says he's been waiting for his U.S. visa for three years. With immigration laws getting stricter by the day under the Trump administration, the couple says they didn't want to be a part any longer, and finally settled on celebrating their marriage in Beirut with friends and family in the city where their love first blossomed.

SEBLANI: At that moment, the beautiful place I was in and where the people were dining in the restaurant, shopping, walking, it turned out into a ghost town filled with dust, shattered glasses, people yelling, bleeding. That was a nightmare.

KARADSHEH: Seblani did a final run through the bridal suite where she and spare would spend the night after the party.

SEBLANI: Oh, very nice.

KARADSHEH: Oohing and eyeing over the flourishes.

When the couple returned, the red rose petals thrown off the bed were all that remained of the romance they envisioned.

[07:45:00]

AHMAD SBEIH, BEIRUT BLAST SURVIVOR: Because we are alive, we can continue. And don't be sad or anything. We will continue and we will pass it, and we will make it. Inshallah.

KARADSHEH: Inshallah. And, Israa, this is very emotional for you.

SEBLANI: I don't know what to tell you but trust me there is no word to describe really what I feel. No matter how I talk.

KARADSHEH: In a city where life was turned upside down in seconds, Israa and Ahmad are just grateful to be alive. Jomana Karadsheh, CNN, Istanbul.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

PAUL: What a story. Jomana, thank you.

You realize that there only 86 days until the election at this point? Former vice president and presumptive democratic nominee Joe Biden is getting ready to announce his running mate.

We'll going to talk about it in a moment. Stay close.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

PAUL: Been a lot of talk about this. Former Vice President Joe Biden, expected to announce his running mate, I mean, it could happen any day at this moment. BLACKWELL: Yes, and we've learned that Biden has met with Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer, making her a potentially one of the finalists. CNN's Jeff Zeleny has more.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

BARACK OBAMA, FORMER PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: The best vice president America has ever had, Mr. Joe Biden.

JEFF ZELENY, CNN SENIOR WASHINGTON CORRESPONDENT: It was a role, Joe Biden loved playing.

OBAMA: He is been unafraid to give it to me straight even if we disagree. In fact, especially, when we disagree.

[07:50:03]

ZELENY: As the former vice president, and there's the final stages of finding a running mate of his own, it's the relationship with Barack Obama that's enlightening and complicating his search.

When they left the White House, Obama and Biden were friends and trusted allies. But it didn't start out that way, it was a surprisingly easy bond even to them.

JOE BIDEN (D), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: In about six months in, the president looked to me and said, you know, Joe, you know what surprised me? How we've become such good friends. And I said, surprised you?

ZELENY: Friends of Biden tells CNN, his partnership with Obama offers one of the most instructed guides for how he's making his decision.

BIDEN: It's been very orderly. There's -- every one of the women I've -- we've interviewed is qualified, and I've narrowed it down. You'll find out shortly.

ZELENY: Five months ago, Biden set the parameters of the search during the final primary debate with Bernie Sanders.

BIDEN: I would pick a woman to be my vice president.

ZELENY: Since then, aides tell CNN, 11 women have undergone vetting of financial records, personal backgrounds, and medical histories. People close to the search believe California Senator Kamala Harris and former Obama National Security Adviser Susan Rice are among those he's most seriously considering.

With deep challenges from coronavirus to the economy awaiting the next president, friends of Biden tells CNN, he's intent on finding a governing partner.

BIDEN: Good afternoon. Thank you.

ZELENY: Not simply a campaign one. Yet, one moment from the campaign trail still reverberates loudly, when Harris questioned his Senate record and fight against federally mandated bussing to desegregate schools.

SEN. KAMALA HARRIS (D-CA): You know there was a little girl in California who was part of the second class to integrate her public schools. And she was bussed to school every day. And that little girl was me.

ZELENY: Privately, Biden's friends and family, including his wife, Jill, were furious. Publicly, Biden has brushed it aside, including in an interview released today.

BIDEN: I don't hold grudges. And I made it really clear that I don't hold grudges. I think it was a debate, it's as simple as that, and she's very much in contention.

ZELENY: And that's another lesson from his time with Obama, who in 2007, Biden once referred to as clean and articulate. He apologized and went on to serve alongside the nation's first black president.

As Biden searches for his own Biden, the dynamic is different. She will be a history-making choice. But above all, his friends say, he's looking for someone who can ultimately say this.

OBAMA: That's why my family is so proud to call ourselves honorary Bidens.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

ZELENY: Now, Biden is looking to replicate that rapport he had with Obama, a governing partner whose loyalty is unquestioned. But important to remember, 12 years ago this week, Obama sat down for this one-on-one interview with Biden. The two barely had any relationship at all, it's a partnership that grew over time. And we're expecting an answer from Biden early to mid-next week. Jeff Zeleny, CNN, Washington.

BLACKWELL: Thanks, Jeff.

Have you seen this? If you've not seen this, you have to watch this. We're going to bring it to you what these teenagers are listening to and reacting to, that made this video so popular.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[07:56:28]

PAUL: Well, you might have thought it was just a craving, but in this week's "FOOD AS FUEL" CNN's Jacqueline Howard explains the benefits of coffee.

JACQUELINE HOWARD, CNN HEALTH REPORTER: Coffee is a good source of antioxidants which can help prevent or delay certain cell damage in the body. A Harvard study says some of the compounds in coffee also may protect against inflammation. That can support your brain health.

By decreasing nerve cell damage caused by inflammation, the risk of developing neurodegenerative conditions like Alzheimer's disease or multiple sclerosis decreases as well.

Also by lowering inflammation, coffee is shown to decrease the effects of the skin condition rosacea. A study by Brown University found that the caffeine in coffees, not other foods, was associated with lessening the risk of the disorder later in life.

Another brewing benefit, coffee is shown to support heart health. Research suggests that drinking coffee in moderation is tied to a lower risk of developing cardiovascular disease. But if you dress up your coffee with a lot of cream and sugar, that can negate its health benefits.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

PAUL: All right. May I just say, I'm a fan and I'm wondered who's with me here? It is pair of twin brothers known as Twins the New Trend. OK, Victor, I saw you raise your hand, yes.

BLACKWELL: Yes.

PAUL: They've gone viral. They've recorded this moment that they listen to Phil Collins for the first time. And here they are listening to in the air tonight. Look at this.