Skip to main content

tv   Anderson Cooper 360  CNN  April 7, 2020 5:00pm-6:00pm PDT

5:00 pm
existential questions brought on by quarantine. or better yet, change your species. this little video has been galloping around the globe, spawning imitators like this dad and his daughter. seems likely. that people will keep horsing around until it's time to dismount and get back to work. jeanne moos, cnn, new york. >> and anderson starts now. >> erin, thanks very much. good evening. new york state today saw its biggest jump in covid-related deaths. the virus is disproportionately killing black americans. the president expressed his concern today over that fact and we'll talk more about why this is happening to black americans. there was potentially some good news. the director of the cdc is saying because of ongoing social distancing efforts, we may see fewer fatalities than recent
5:01 pm
modelling projected. here's what he said. >> even those models that were done, they assume that only 50% of the american public would pay attention to the recommendations. in fact, it would seem a large majority of the american public are taking the social distancing recommendations to heart. i think that's a direct consequence why you're seeing the numbers are going to be much, much, much lower than would have been predicted by the models. >> the president continued to use what's supposed to be a factual briefing by the coronavirus task force to rewrite the history of his administration's response. today he focused on a new target, the world health organization. perhaps out of legitimate concerns or perhaps as a way to provide cover for his own actions. the president is now saying that the w.h.o. missed the pandemic. >> world health organization because they really are -- they called it wrong. they call it wrong. they missed the call.
5:02 pm
they could have called it months earlier. they would have known. and they should have known, and they probably did know, so we'll be looking into that very carefully. >> not surprisingly, that is the exact opposite of what the president tweeted back in late february when he told americans the coronavirus was under control. quoting from the president's tweet, the coronavirus is very much under control in the usa. we are in contact with everyone at all relevant countries. cdc and world health have been working hard and very smart. stock markets starting to look very good to me. the world health organization is certainly an easy target. they have repeatedly defended china's numbers and the regime's transparency despite obvious concerns we've been reporting on. the president, by focusing on the w.h.o. is following the lead of a number of other republican politicians and media outlets. >> the w.h.o. needs to stop covering for them. i think dr. tedros needs to step down. we need to take some action to address this issue. it's irresponsible.
5:03 pm
it's unconscionable what they've done here. >> not only do i not want to fund the w.h.o., let's get the information. i can't imagine it's going to get better than we already know. but why are we funding organizations that are lying to us? they just work for china, communist china. >> also today, the president suggested that he would withhold any american funding of the w.h.o. he then moments later claimed that he never said that. take a look. >> we're going to put a hold on money spent to the w.h.o. we're going to put a very powerful hold on it and we're going to see. it's a great thing if it works, but when they call every shot wrong, that's no good. i'm not saying i'm going to do it, but we're going to look at it. >> president also today continued to spread falsehood about voter fraud as a reason not to have wider vote by mail efforts in the general election. many wisconsin voters are having to stand in line to vote today because the two exceseparate co decisions by the state and u.s.
5:04 pm
supreme court prevented wisconsin from moving its election day also extending the deadline to receive mail-in ballots. never mind the hypocrisy pointing to the president he himself voted by mail-in ballot. this is what he said. >> you are highly critical of mail-in voting, mail-in ballots for voting -- >> i think mail-in voting is horrible. it's corrupt. i think that mail-in voting is a terrible thing. i think if you vote, you should go. even the concept of early voting is not the greatest because a lot of things happen. but it's okay. but you should go and you should vote. i think you should go and you should vote. you look at what they do where they grab thousands of mail-in ballots and they dump it. i'll tell you what. i don't have to tell you. you can look at the statistics. there's a lot of dishonesty going along with mail-in voting, mail-in ballots. >> he voted by mail in florida. this is not a new talking point for the president. he, of course, has repeatedly
5:05 pm
from the earliest days of his administration pushed false conspiracy theories about voter fraud. they're not backed up by any reputable data. >> they even want to try to rig the election at the polling booths. and believe me, there's a lot going on. people that have died ten years ago are still voting. illegal immigrants are voting. so many cities are corrupt and voter fraud is very, very common. >> all you have to do is go around, take a look what's happened over the years and you'll see. there are a lot of people, a lot of people, my opinion and based on proof, that try and get in illegally and actually vote illegally. >> i know maybe nobody cares that he continues to lie, but we're pointing it out. he's continuing to lie. this all comes on what may be the deadliest week in the pandemic so far. we hit the highest number of deaths in the u.s., 1,736. for more on the pandemic let's go to nick watt in los angeles. nick, let's talk about the
5:06 pm
latest from hot spots around the u.s. >> reporter: well, anderson, today we heard from the mayor of boston. they are suffering a spike right now. you know, fully one-third of their confirmed cases have come just within the past three days. there's now an overnight curfew in the city. down in new jersey, about a month ago they had 11 confirmed cases. tonight that is nearly 45,000. the governor thinks the people have been getting too close in the state parks, so he just closed them all. but the epicenter, anderson, is still neighboring new york. today in new york city, more than 800 deaths reported. that's triple yesterday's total. but here on the front line, the new case count in the state appears to be flattening. >> for the past couple of days, discharging more patients than we are admitting. this is actually the time when you should redouble our efforts. >> reporter: the battle is not over. the war goes on.
5:07 pm
the n.y.p.d. just announced a 13th member has now died from the virus. and more than 500 new york fire department personnel have it. >> emts and medics call. they're upset that they got sick because they're not out here. i don't know what to say. that's who is taking care of you. >> reporter: nationwide numbers still rising. >> a lot of the other parts of the country are not anywhere near flattening the curve. they're still rising exponentially. >> reporter: michigan one of few states keeping racial data. the black population there is around 14%. yet 40% of coronavirus deaths are in that black population. >> there is still a huge gap between races when it comes to health care. and this is magnifying it in. >> reporter: in chicago black people makeup 30% of the population, but 72% of covid
5:08 pm
deaths. louisiana similar numbers. >> they're dying more because their bodies, our bodies have borne the burden of chronic disinvestment, active neglect in our communities. all of those insults on our bodies have given us more of these so-called preexisting conditions. so once we're infected, we have more severe outcomes. >> reporter: the administration is now looking to a light at the end of this tunnel. >> normal is going to be a different normal whenever we do reopen. we know once we get a vaccine, we can get more back to the way we treat flu season. >> reporter: they're watching how other countries gradually reopen. just hours ago, severe lockdown restrictions were lifted in wuhan. people are now allowed to leave. and four months after the first case in that city, china now claiming a whole day without a single covid-19 death nationwide. our latest daily death toll monday, 1,332 americans reported
5:09 pm
dead. >> how about california, what's been going on? >> reporter: well, some encouraging signs out here, anderson. the governor says that the curve is bending, but stretching, so our peak is probably going to be in may sometime. here in l.a. county, they've designated this stay-at-home week. we're told not to even go to the grocery store if we can avoid it because we're a few weeks out from that peak. the hope is to keep that peak as low as possible. meantime, california is now shipping ventilators to other states. new york, nevada, maryland, d.c., places that need them now. but the governor is making it clear these ventilators, it's a loan. it's not a gift, it's a loan because at some point he says -- we hope not, did you california might need them back. anderson? >> nick watt, appreciate it. nick, thanks very much. stay safe. chief medical correspondent
5:10 pm
sanjay gupta joins us now. the number of hospitalizations has plateaued, though the city has just seen its largest one-day increase in deaths. i wonder what you make of those two developments. >> well, i think both those things could be happening simultaneously. it can make sense. obviously it's tragic that the deaths continue to go up. what you're looking for i think in that regard is the pace at which these numbers are increasing. and keep in mind that whatever we're seeing right now in some ways, as a doctor described to me today, a polaroid picture. at the time you take the picture, it takes awhile to develop it. we're seeing a lagged picture from two or three weeks behind. at first someone has a confirmed infection and a small percentage of those people will need to go to the hospital. and then a smaller percentage may end up succumbing to the illness. so if hospitalizations are going down now, that could suggest that we should see a decrease in deaths thankfully later on, within a couple weeks or so. >> we're going to get more into
5:11 pm
the models or projections of the virus in a few minutes. there does seem to be some indication at the head of the cdc the deaths could ultimately be lower than what the white house had said just recently of anywhere from 100,000 to 240,000. and we know, even when they said that they said the models, as more data comes in, are liable to change. >> you know, i heard dr. redfield's comments about this. there are lots of different models out there as you know, anderson. i wasn't sure which one he was referring to specifically because he said the models that he was looking at were predicated on 50% of the country sort of being at stay-at-home orders. if it's more than that the numbers should come down. all the models you and i have looked at have really been based on much more strict stay-at-home orders. in fact, the whole country, and that's how they got to this 100,000 number. so i'm not exactly sure which numbers he was referring to, but, you know, the models, anderson, really have been -- there's all sorts of different
5:12 pm
models. as they say, the saying goes, all models are wrong. but some are useful. and i think that's what we're sort of looking at here trying to draw the best information now out of these models. i think the models out of the university of washington -- we're going to talk to chris murray later on -- basically suggest you have to keep the stay-at-home orders until the end of may in order to be able to get to the -- to this number, which is still jarring. but close to 100,000 people dying versus a higher number than that. >> yeah, i mean all the models back up the scientific advice, which is staying at home is critically important. social distancing is critically important. we have to talk about the disproportionate impact this virus is having among black americans, people of color. obviously there are long-standing inequalities, the way the medical establishment, you know, what happens to a black american when they go into a hospital. they are treated differently statistically than others. we've seen this for a very long period of time. access to medical care, you
5:13 pm
know, preexisting conditions like diabetes, heart disease. there are a lot of inequalities in the system that an event like this bring to the fore. >> yeah, and i think taking it even a step earlier than that, the reason that blacks have so many more preexisting conditions is because of structural inequalities as well. you know, access to health care is one thing, but living in areas where there may be socioeconomic disadvantages, you live in food deserts, you can't get healthy foods, you know, basic things like that make it very challenging to not develop some of these preexisting conditions. and then, you know, in the midst of all this, there's been inadequate testing. the testing has been even more disproportionate when it comes to blacks. and i think that the -- you know, when you really look at the types of jobs, you know, blacks are much more likely to have these front-line sort of essential jobs. jobs, frankly, that are keeping the country running, you know,
5:14 pm
transportation, food, you know, delivery and logistics and all these types of things. but those are also jobs that are higher risk right now. so there's all these different factors that play into this. but i was -- despite that, knowing that, you and i have covered these types of stories, i was still stunned by the numbers. cities that have a african-american population of 30%, and yet 72% of the deaths from covid are among blacks. i mean, this is a really significant manifestation of these long-standing structural inequalities. something has to be done about it because, anderson, we may run into a situation -- hopefully not, but maybe we will -- where, you know, some of these precious resources may be rationed. and i hope these structural inequalities don't persist into that rationing as well, anderson. >> yeah, sung-jae, stanjay, sta. want to bring in jim accosta and gloria borger. the president is saying things
5:15 pm
that are untrue at the podium. he's focusing on the world health organization. he's taking the lead from media and other conservative folks and politicians. >> he is, and from republican politicians as you pointed out earlier. this is a president, as we all know by now, and we should be used to it, who likes to distract. and what he is doing now is trying to rewrite history as we are living it. and in finding a new enemy in the w.h.o., it's quite convenient for him. and let me point out the w.h.o. has not been perfect here, but he can say, aha, they are the tools of the chinese, which is, of course, another convenient and popular enemy, and they are in cahoots, as he put it, and, therefore, he was not getting great information. and that's a way of also saying, well, you know, while i was giving you bad information, it really -- it really wasn't my fault. i mean, today, anderson, he called himself a cheerleader, and he keeps saying that. and i couldn't help but think,
5:16 pm
you know, real leaders aren't cheer leaders. real leaders tell the country the truth. and that is not what the president was doing. and now he has a way to blame it on the world health organization. >> true leaders aren't calling plays, coaches do that. that's sort of what you want somebody doing. >> exactly. >> in a situation like that. there is a role for cheer leaders and it's great to have them in the game and making people feel good. but when you want to actually have stuff done, you need coaches and you need players. you need people fighting this which we have plenty of that. >> players. >> jim, the memos from peter navarro, one in january warning the white house about coronavirus could evolve into a, quote, full pandemic, i want to play what the president said when he was asked if he saw those memos. let's listen. >> i didn't see them, but i heard he wrote some memos talking about pandemic. i didn't see them, i didn't look for them, either, but that was about the same time as i felt that we should do it. that was about the same time that i closed it down.
5:17 pm
>> he keeps referring to closing down flights from, you know, from wuhan. this has been looked at. many thousands of people came in on flights allegedly after he shut everything down. >> right. well, the president was saying he didn't know about this peter navarro memo, but he was essentially following some of the advice, i guess baked into that memo, when he said he was shutting down these flights coming in from china. anderson, beyond that, there was another peter navarro memo that came february 23rd. it says there is an increasing probability of a full-blown covid-19 pandemic that could infect as many as 100 million americans with a loss of life, as many as 1.2 million souls. it was at that time, anderson, that the president was downplaying the potential for loss of life in this country, and we can play a montage of that right here. here's what he had to say.
5:18 pm
>> we have it very much under control in this country. very interestingly, we've had no deaths. we have a -- i mean, we've had a great practice. we had 12 at one point, and now they've gotten very much better. many of them are fully recovered. >> the coronavirus, which is very well under control in our country, we have very few people with it -- the people are getting better. they're all getting better. there is a good chance you're not going to die. >> of the 15 people, the original 15 as i call them, eight of them have returned to their homes to stay in their homes until fully recovered. >> it's going to disappear. >> i mean, those are all toward the end of february. scientists are already referring to february as the lost month for this administration when essentially, you know, he had this happy talk while the virus
5:19 pm
was already here. >> that's right, anderson. and we catalogued this for many weeks now as the president was making these kinds of comments, downplaying the pandemic, putting out these rosy scenarios it would be over by april. anderson, it is worth noting that as the president has been demonizing the world health organization, today the white house was relying on the world health organization from time to time, you know, saying that the world health organization was putting out reliable information. the president cited the world health organization in his address to the nation on march 11th. and so the president was asked about this during the briefing and he said as gloria was just saying a few moments ago when he was pressed on some of these comments that he's made, he said he just wanted to be a cheerleader for the country. the problem, anderson, is that cheer leaders sit on the side lines. he was not being a cheerleader throughout most of this. he was being a misleader. i think this navarro memo question has not been put to
5:20 pm
rest. the president said he didn't see the memos, he wasn't looking for the memos. we haven't gotten to the answer whether he was briefed on the memos. whether senior white house officials knew about the memos, people like mick mulvaney and so on. these memos raise lots of questions and the president didn't put them to rest. >> the w.h.o. has long-standing problems, huge bureaucracy, lot of reasons, they're out of china. they pretend taiwan doesn't exist and ignore taiwan's response to the coronavirus which seems to have been very effective. there are a lot of reasons to criticize them. it's interesting the president has really jumped on top of this. sanjay, stay with us. jim, gloria, thank you very much. still to come, more on the adjusted model that suggests fewer deaths than predicted just days ago. the director of an institute whose model was cited by the white house officials will join sanjay and me to discuss what this means for the weeks and months ahead. later, remembering the victims. i'll speak to the widow, the wife of a man who passed away after he struggled to get both testing and care for the disease.
5:21 pm
5:22 pm
at philadelphia, we know what makes the perfect schmear of cream cheese. you need only the freshest milk and cream. that one! and the world's best, and possibly only, schmelier. philadelphia. schmear perfection. and other money managers don't understand why. because our way works great for us! but not for your clients. that's why we're a fiduciary, obligated to put clients first. so, what do you provide? cookie cutter portfolios? nope. we tailor portfolios to our client's needs. but you do sell investments that earn you high commissions, right? we don't have those. so, what's in it for you? our fees are structured so we do better when you do better. at fisher investments we're clearly different. fechildren's claritin allergy relief. our fees are structured so we do better when you do better. and relief from symptoms caused by over two hundred outdoor and indoor allergens. because to a kid, a grassy hill is irresistabale.
5:23 pm
children's claritin. feel the clarity and live claritin clear. to support you during the current health situation... cvs pharmacy is now offering free one to two-day delivery of prescriptions and everyday essentials you need to stay well in the days ahead. visit cvs.com/delivery or call your local cvs pharmacy to learn more. so you can be prepared, stay on track with your medication, and stay well, with free prescription delivery from cvs.
5:24 pm
we've been talking about the deadly week ahead for the nation and how the administration and cdc believe fatalities are lower th than estimated. the white house lowered prediction for fatalities and number of hospital beds used. the institute for health metrics and evaluation university of
5:25 pm
washington now projects 81,766 people will be killed over the next four months and will die over the next four months. that's a drop of 12,000 in their prediction. it also expects 121,000 fewer hospital beds being used in that time. joining us now is the director of the institute, dr. chris murray. back with us is also dr. sanjay gupta. dr. murray, can you explain the new changes to your model? we had you on before. you pointed out as more information comes in, as more data comes in, the numbers will change. why the lowering now? >> so, two key things. we've been able to incorporate with all the influx of new data in the united states. first, we found out a lot more about hospital practice, and so what we're seeing is that hospitals, particularly new york but elsewhere in the country, are admitting fewer people compared to what the original data suggested. you know, compared to every death that we see. they are putting fewer people
5:26 pm
into the icu and there is lower ventilator requirement. that's brought down the sort of shortage estimates quite a bit because of that new data influx. and the other big news is that we're seeing peaks in the epidemic in other places other than china. in italy, in spain -- in fact, seven different regions have seen the epidemic peak and come down, and that really informs our models about the impact and the effectiveness of social distancing. >> dr. murray, two questions. do you know why the white house's numbers had been higher than yours when your model was saying 80,000 awhile ago, that's when they came out with the 100,000 to 240,000 figure? do you know why their numbers have been higher? and also, what are yours dependent on in terms of people abiding by stay-at-home orders and social distancing, how do you bake -- hoig in yow long in
5:27 pm
models is that expected to last for? >> in our models we're building in the assumption that social distancing is going to stay in place till we hit the sort of threshold when we think the first wave is essentially over. we use a number, which is .3 deaths per million people in the u.s. so basically 60 deaths in the united states in a day would be that threshold. and that should come first week of june, and so we're building in the assumption that social distancing is in place until then. we will start to release hopefully later this week or by the weekend what might happen if we take social distancing off before then. and we're pretty confident we'll just see a rebound of the epidemic if that's what was to happen. >> sanjay, do you have a question for dr. murray? >> yeah, i'm curious, you know. so you talk about these earlier peaks -- thank you, dr. murray, for all the work you're doing not this. but you see the earlier peaks, people have become accustomed to
5:28 pm
the term flattening of the curve. if you see the peak earlier, does that also suggest the curve wasn't flattened? because when it's flattened, it extends out a longer period of time, right? >> yeah, i don't like the expression flattening the curve. that expression comes from models that suggested you really couldn't stop a wave. it really was sort of a worst case scenario of trying to decrease the burden on the health services. but the ultimate burden would really be about the same. most people would get infected and there would be huge fatalities in the country. what we're actually seeing now in eight communities, we think it's also happened here in king county and snohomish county, two peaks. the expectation, what happened in wuhan, you can bring the epidemic down to a very low level, almost no transmission is possible and we're pretty sure that's what's going to happen as
5:29 pm
long as we do social distancing for the appropriate time. >> did murray, we heard from the head of the cdc and we played at the top of the program. he was saying the numbers are going to be lower than what the, you know, 200,000 figure that the white house talked about as being on the high end of possible. what might possibly happen. he seemed to indicate that that modelling or some modelling was based on only 50% of americans really taking part in social distancing. is that why the white house's numbers were 100,000 to 240,000 while yours were in the 80,000 range? >> you know, i don't know. we haven't seen their model. >> so they haven't shown you how they made their predictions? >> no, we haven't seen that at all. and, quite honestly, 50% social distancing, we don't think that that would lead to curtailing the epidemic. what really needs to be -- unless i don't understand that metric, but it really needs to be every state because it's
5:30 pm
going to be very easy once -- if some states have an epidemic that's still ongoing, other states have controlled it, to have reintroduction of the virus back into the states that have already gone through all the pain to get the epidemic under control. so it's not going to work for the nation if we do it in some places and not others. >> sanjay, do you know why the white house doesn't share their, like the data behind their modelling? >> no, i don't know. i mean, what we've heard them say is they're looking at lots of different models, which dr. murray's is one of them. but his is the one that they've cited obviously a few times. we don't know which models they're looking at. frankly, i also don't know -- all these models are built on assumptions, certain assumptions. even more than the model sometimes, i'm not sure which assumptions they're making to sort of feed the model as well. it's a big gray area when you look at these models in terms of the number of possible hospitalizations, the number of
5:31 pm
possible deaths. it's pretty wide ranging as a result. but again, i think it's dr. murray's model is the one that's been most cited by them. >> yeah. dr. murray, i echo sanjay, we really appreciate all your efforts and being with us tonight. thank you. >> thank you. >> thank you. >> sanjay, thanks as well. a day after president trump lashed out when asked about an inspector general's report about problems at u.s. hospitals dealing with the pandemic, he fired another inspector general. we'll detail that when we continue. the cornerstone of our communities. and our family needs help. right now they're facing a crisis. and they're counting on your takeout and delivery orders to help them through. because if we don't treat restaurants like family today.. they might not be around to treat us like family tomorrow. grubhub. together, we can help save the restaurants we love.
5:32 pm
and ask your doctor about biktarvy. biktarvy is a complete, one-pill, once-a-day treatment used for h-i-v in certain adults. it's not a cure, but with one small pill, biktarvy fights h-i-v to help you get to and stay undetectable. that's when the amount of virus is so low it cannot be measured by a lab test. research shows people who take h-i-v treatment every day and get to and stay undetectable can no longer transmit h-i-v through sex. serious side effects can occur, including kidney problems and kidney failure. rare, life-threatening side effects include a buildup of lactic acid and liver problems. do not take biktarvy if you take dofetilide or rifampin. tell your doctor about all the medicines and supplements you take, if you are pregnant or breastfeeding, or if you have kidney or liver problems, including hepatitis. if you have hepatitis b, do not stop taking biktarvy without talking to your doctor. common side effects were diarrhea, nausea, and headache. if you're living with hiv, keep loving who you are. and ask your doctor if biktarvy is right for you. if you're living with hiv, keep loving who you are. i am totally blind. and non-24 can make me show up too early... or too late.
5:33 pm
or make me feel like i'm not really "there." talk to your doctor, and call 844-234-2424. that liberty mutual customizes your insurance, i just love hitting the open road and telling people so you only pay for what you need! [squawks] only pay for what you need. ♪ liberty. liberty. liberty. liberty. ♪ aand we're here for you -ry day fespecially now,rs. doing everything possible to keep you connected. through the resilience of our network and people... we can keep learning, keep sharing, keep watching, and most of all, keep together. it's the job we've always done... it is the job we will always do.
5:34 pm
5:35 pm
[ "one morwoo!me" by[ laughing ] woo! play pop music! ♪ no way dude, play rock music! yeah! -woah! no matter what music you like, stream it now on pandora with xfinity. and don't forget to catch trolls world tour in theaters and at home on demand friday.rated pg. let's party people! ♪ one more time president trump today effectively removed the inspector general who was supposed to have been in charge of overseeing the trillions of
5:36 pm
taxpayer dollars earmarked for pandemic relief. glen fine had been the acting i.g. at the pentagon four years. before that was inspector general of the justice department 11 years. as for why the president moved him, the president failed to give a clear reason and says as he usually does, he has a right to do it. he certainly does. he announced the inspector general for the epa will now have the pentagon job in addition to being the inspector general of the epa and removed fine from the oversight position. it was a few days after he fired the intelligence community general michael atkinson who listened to the whistle-blower and forwarded if to congress. the president railed at a new report by the inspector general for the health and human services department that portrayed widespread problems in u.s. hospitals dealing with the pandemic. among the report's findings based on hundreds of interviews of doctors and administrators around the country, quote, hospitals reported they were unable to keep up with covid-19
5:37 pm
testing demands because they lacked complete kits and/or the individual components and supplies needed to complete tests. and then there was this from the report. hospitals reported that changing and sometimes inconsistent guidance from federal, state and local authorities posed challenges and confused hospitals and the public. i want to bring in now florida congresswoman donna shalala under president clinton. you ran hhs eight years. i wonder what you think about the president attack the inspector general report. he hadn't read it and didn't know anything about the official behind it, but it was based just on interviews with doctors and hospitals around the country. >> you know, he clearly didn't read it. i read the report. it's a very good report. it's consistent with what the media has been reporting around the country, about the lack of supplies for hospitals. and it has some very interesting parts of it, of how creative the hospitals have been around the
5:38 pm
country in trying to get supplies. he should have read it. it wasn't such a negative report as a guidance, it was a snapshot. they captured the information between march 23rd and 27th, if i remember correctly, and it's just a solid piece of work. it's only -- everybody should read it because it's a solid piece of work that tells us where we were at that point. some things have improved since then, but let me explain why he's railing against inspector generals. it is the one appointment he does not control. it's not that he can't nominate them or fire them, but they get to report to the congress directly. the i.g. legislation insists that the inspector generals are independent from the executive in the sense that they can report directly to the congress without going through their
5:39 pm
cabinet secretaries and without going through the president. so i'm not surprised that this president, who is a control freak, doesn't like i.g.s because of that legislation. they can go testify. they can report to committees. they can pick up the phone and call a member of congress. and they don't have to clear it through their cabinet officer or through the president. >> yeah, i mean the president was suggesting the report was politically motivated. there's no -- excuse me. there is no evidence to suggest that the report had anything to do with politics. back when the report starts, it says, this is a snapshot and it's really just kind of looking for ways to improve things in the future. it doesn't seem like it's an attack on this administration. >> no, in fact, it's written specifically not to be a critique, but rather to give guidance to the department of health and human services about where we were at that time and where we needed to go. so -- and the language is very
5:40 pm
specific about that. so, i'm very disappointed because it's a solid report, well written, well researched. and it's the kind of thing that you need periodically to tell you -- to give you some guidance on policy. >> when the president was asked about firing the acting inspector general for the pentag pentagon, again fine, put in charge of overseeing the funding, were you given a reason for the removal? >> no, and i don't think the oversight committees were giving a reason. but they will ask. the senate has to approve i.g.s. they're nominated by the president. but they were asked. and because of this independence of the i.g., this is a particularly grievous step by the president because they are the oversight in the departments. and it's extremely important that we protect their
5:41 pm
independence. i had a world-class i.g. who i worked very well with. some cabinet officers had more trouble with their i.g.s, but i enjoyed the working relationship. and they gave us very good guidance. hhs has a wonderful experience and a wonderful depth in professional -- in a professional office. i don't know the current i.g. she was very junior when i was secretary, but i'm sure she continues that tradition. and you could tell it from the report. there wasn't a political bone in anyone's body that worked on that report. >> congresswoman shalala, i appreciate your time. thanks very much. also in case you're wondering about -- i coughed. i have no symptoms. i have no reason to be concerned. i sometimes cough late at night with some asthma. also i coughed into my hand. i have purell right here, and i am cleaning my hand right now. i should have coughed into my sleeve. i apologize. secretary, thank you. congresswoman, thank you very
5:42 pm
much. coming up i'm going to talk to an intensive care nurse at one of new york city's hospitals who says going to work is like going to war. you know, new customers save over $1,000 on average when they bundle home and auto with progressive. wow, that's... and now the progressive commercial halftime show, featuring smash mouth. ♪ hey now, you're an all star ♪ get your game on, go play thank you! goodnight! [ cheers and applause ] now enjoy the second half of the commercial! even renters can bundle and save! where did that come from? the kitchen. it was halftime. where did that come from? (mom vo) we got a subaru to give him some ato reconnect and be together.
5:43 pm
and once we did that, we realized his greatest adventure is just beginning. (avo male) welcome to the most adventurous outback ever. the all-new 2020 subaru outback. go where love takes you. (avo female) get 0% apr financing for 63 months on the 2020 subaru outback and other select models. hey you, yeah you. ♪ i opened a sofi money account and it was the first time that i
5:44 pm
realized that i could be earning interest back on my money. this is amazing. i just discovered sofi, and i'm an investor with a diversified portfolio. who am i? they make you feel like it's an honor for them to help you out. thanks sofi for helping us get our money right. ♪
5:45 pm
as we reported at the top of the broadcast, new york city is reporting more than 800 new deaths, but statewide, the case count does appear to be flattening. at intensive care units across the city, nurses are on the front lines. one of them is simone hannah
5:46 pm
clark at mount sinai hospital. she wrote in a recent "the new york times" op-ed, going to work is like going to war. here's an excerpt. quote, my first task is to help with postmortem care on a patient we lost. we watched her slowly die the past few days. we did everything we could. just me and a nursing colleague in a room. it's a grim affair. we wrap the patient's body, stroking her brow and wishing her well on her next journey. simone joins us now. i was so stunned when i read that. i mean, it was just sort of so tender and intimate and i know there is so much of it going on that it must be hard at times to take moments like that. can you just talk a little bit about what you're seeing? >> yeah, hi, anderson. we're used to a certain level of chaos in the icu, high acuity in
5:47 pm
patients. but this is different. you know, more patients coming. they just keep coming. there's no family around. it's just us. we're the only people in the hospital, no family, people are dying alone. you know, we're dying and dying multiple times a day, without ppe. there is a high level of anxiety, there really is. -- >> it must be so scary not just for doctors and nurses, you know, x-ray technicians and all the people who work in the hospital, the people who clean the floors, but also for the patients themselves. as you say, to not have a family member or loved one by their bedside kind of talking to doctors, helping them through it, it's got to be -- it's just got to be so terrifying. >> yeah. i mean, look, i see the sickest
5:48 pm
of the sick in the icu. so a lot of times they are not even conscious, most of the time. but, you know, they can probably still hear us so i talk to my patients. we all do, to reassure them that, yeah, it must be terrifying. no one should die alone. we're with them. >> you talk to the patients in the icu even though they're unconscious? >> yes. we talk to them -- hearing is the last thing to go, so we treat them like they can hear us. i've had patients tell me who have woken up from drug-induced comas that they heard my voice. >> it's also a comfort for families to know that, to know that, you know, that you take the time to talk to them and speak to them. i'm sure that's comforting for a
5:49 pm
lot of families. >> i hope so, yeah. there is not a lot of comfort we can offer them right now. you know, we're being good about updating families every day because that's the only way we can communicate. we sometimes do facetime, but, you know, it's difficult without the ppe, converted rooms, pressure rooms are very loud. it's difficult to hear. we do our best. >> you describe it as a war zone. and one of the things that so many service members talk about is the disparity between those who serve in their families and the rest of society. there is also often a disconnect that people who don't have a loved one serving overseas or someone who is serving overseas, you know, regular life seems so incongruesome
5:50 pm
incongruous. it's different from what you're seeing on a shift. not that regular life is continuing for everybody else, but to walk down a street where the sun is shining today, and yet there's no indication of what's happening behind those hospital doors. >> yeah, yeah, it's surreal. the only way to describe it is surreal. we walk through those doors and we don't know what today will bring, you know what the day will bring, but, you know, every day it's more patients, it's more intense and we are just t doing what we have to do. >> well, thank you seems like a very small phrase, but i -- thank you. and thank you for not only you, but for the efforts of everybody you work with and i extend that to, you know, u.p.s. delivery people and the fedex people and, you know, folks working at amazon and everybody who is making -- who is in this fight
5:51 pm
and i really appreciate it, and stay strong. thank you. >> thank you. up next, one of those who tried for weeks to get tested, get help when he fell sick. we remember a loving husband and a father of five when we continue. (soft music)
5:52 pm
- [female vo] restaurants are facing a crisis. and they're counting on your takeout and delivery orders to make it through. grubhub. together we can help save the restaurants we love.
5:53 pm
5:54 pm
5:55 pm
each night, we take time to remember some of those who died during this pandemic. tonight, we want to remember ronaldo. he was a loving husband and attentive father of five children. he leaves behind his oldest child, who is 21, jaden, who is 17, ethan, age 12 and his twins, lola and amira. he died on the twins' 10th birthday. joining me now is his wife melody. one of her daughters and her mom are also fighting coronavirus. melody, thank you for being with
5:56 pm
us. you are with your children. i'm so sorry for your loss. tell me about your husband. how did you two meet? >> my husband loves to tell the story, he tells everyone that i stalked him. >> you stalked him? >> yes. i attended a wedding and he was there, actually, at that wedding and i saw him at that wedding, but we -- >> and what was it about him that made you want to follow up? i won't say stalk, but to follow up? >> he was a good guy and he was very attentive, he was very
5:57 pm
good-looking, very well-dressed. so, you know, so, when i saw him a year later -- >> and i understand he was doing some work at a hospital in new york city and that's when he started showing some symptoms? >> no, he started showing symptoms a week after. on march 19th, that seen when he started showing symptoms. >> that's when hesymptoms. was he able to get tested? was he admitted to the hospital then? >> no. we actually called the covid hotline and he was on hold for, like, five hours and i was on hold for four hours before we get through to anyone and th then -- >> and how is -- it is lola --
5:58 pm
amberly is by your side, is it lola in the back there with the mask on? >> yeah, that's lola. >> hey, lola. how is she feeling? >> she's actually feeling well -- >> she gave a thumb's up. what else do you want people to know about son sni? >> i want everyone to know that my husband was a selfless man and that -- that he loved everyone and he cared for everyone and he would give anything for his family and his kids. to strangers. he volunteered at the boys and girls club to mentor boys, he coached for the aau team. i want everybody to know he was
5:59 pm
a great cook. he was the cook in the house, he was amazing. and he was the best husband, my soul mate. and the best father. >> melody, i'm so sorry for your loss and i know it seems overwhelming now and you've got your beautiful kids with you and you are in our thoughts and our prayers and if there's anything we can do for you, please, please let us know. and i just -- i wish you the best and i hope lola, i'm glad she's feeling better, i hope that continues and i hope your mom gets better. and we'll keep in touch and i just -- i wish you continued strength and peace in the days ahead. >> thank you so much and thank you for sharing the story of my husband. >> yeah, i'm sad i didn't get to meet him, but i appreciate you
6:00 pm
taking the time to tell us about him. he sounds like he was an amazing guy and blessed to have you and your kids. it's quite a legacy. thank you so much. i want to go over to chris, who is standing by for "cuomo prime time." chris, it's -- it's a tough day. how are you doing? >> you know, we have to find a way to steel ourself for this new reality. the shadow only grows. i know today that we're being told that the spike in the death toll is potentially a sign that we're reaching an apex. is that true? should we really be investing in it that way? we're going to take a look at that. and we're also going to look at what we now know for sure, which is how this is impacting us around the country, and what that should be reflecting in your leadership. this wisconsin primary today, it's not a political story. i don't even understand it as a legal story, to b