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tv   CNN Newsroom Live  CNN  May 2, 2020 1:00am-2:00am PDT

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new studies, one warning. 100,000 people in the u.s. could die by midsummer while another suggests covid-19 could be with us for two years. meantime the federal drug administration approving a drug to treat coronavirus as the cdc says the next few weeks are crucial. also, some humor. >> go to work and home school. go to there. stay here. go instead. >> a message from the weary parents in missouri trying to keep it all together while
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barely getting by. live from cnn world headquarters in atlanta, welcome to our viewers here in the united states and around the world. i'm natalie allen. and this is c"cnn newsroom"." and thank you for joining us. unless there is a vaccine or an effective twreereatment in the relatively near future, experts warn that the coronavirus pandemic is going to be with us for a long time. at least 18 months according to one new report. and it predicts 60% or more of the u.s. population will eventually become infected. right now it is a fraction of that. johns hopkins university has
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tracked 1.1 million cases among americans and more than 65,000 deaths now. mindful of what is at stake, the u.s. government has given rapid approval for the sickest patients to get the antiviral drug remdesivir which has shown some promise in clinical trials. yet even as new cases and deaths continue to climb nationwide, a huge portion of the country is relaxing stay-at-home restrictions and reopening some businesses. experts fear it is much too early. but u.s. president donald trump said he hopes that the u.s. can keep the number of deaths below 100,000. >> people were thinking in terms of 1.5 million lives lost to 2.2 million without the mitigation. and hopefully we're going to come in below that 100,000 lives lost, which is a horrible number
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nevertheless. >> we want to tell you more now about the drug remdesivir and how it will be used to treat the most severe cases of covid-19. for that, here is cnn's sara sidner. >> it was everybody that was potentially at risk. >> reporter: this infectious disease specialist is on the front lines. from the first confirmed covid-19 death in the u.s., they are now at the forefront of finding a treatment. they are taking part in a clinical trial of remdesivir. >> this is an intravenous medication, given for ten days. >> reporter: after it was administered to the sickest patients, it showed real promise. and that was just phase one of the trial. >> when you go into a second phase of the trial, what does that mean? >> so the second phase is going to use this as the backbone. so every patient will receive remdesivir. because the first trial, act
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one, showed benefit. shortened the course of illness and almost statistically significantly showed a decrease in mortality. >> reporter: in phase two, some patients will also get a companion drug that is used to treat rheumatoid arthritis. but every covid-19 patient will now be treated with remdesivir. >> why is that big deal? >> this is the first scientificalscientific proven beneficial drug. >> reporter: and trials of the drug are happening across 68 sites, more than 1,000 people have taken part. the result? patients recovered 31% more quickly with remdesivir, that translates to four fewer days of suffering in the hospital. >> although a 31% improvement doesn't seem like a knockout 100%, it is a very important proof of concept.
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because what it has proven is that drug can block this virus. >> reporter: remdesivir was originally created to treat ebola. and this drug opens the drug works this time around. but before the second trial was done, the president along side the ceo of gilead who makes the drug announced the fda's emergency use authorization for remdesivir. >> we'll be working with the government to determine how best to distribute that within the united states. >> reporter: the fda acting unusually quickly. for now the drug is being used only in hospitals on the sickest covid-19 patients. it is not a cure. some of the patients treated with the drug still died. but others felt better faster. >> so this could be one major tool in the fight against coronavirus? >> correct. >> wow. >> but it all has to be proven. we all have to do the careful science.
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>> reporter: and we should be clear that this is still only being given to the sickest of patients and it is intravenously. it is not available right now to the wireder public. but with all the trials and testing going on, there is a possibility that in the future they can figure out how to use this drug potentially for much milder cases of covid-19. sara sidner, cnn, seattle, washington. let's talk more about this with michael head, a senior research fellow in global health in england. good morning, michael. >> thank you for having me on the show. >> we appreciate it. how encouraging are these trials on remdesivir? hopefully speeding up recovery from covid. >> it is encouraging that we may have a drug that is at least partially helpful. as we heard, it is not a cure, it is not going to make the
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problems go away, but it might be very useful in addition to the standard packages of care like oxygen and being on a ventilator, adding in antiviral drugs can help to reduce the times people are in hospital. >> is it a possible link to a cure? >> i don't think that we can expect any of the existing antiviral drugs out there to be that magical cure. some might be thhelpful on different patients. i think the only cure we can expect is to have a vaccine in place. >> and what did you make of the fact that this was created to fight ebola and it didn't work there, but it may be working with covid? >> yeah, it does show that where we have drugs that have been developed for certain diseases, if they are not effective there, they may still be useful another time. so the trials that took place
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with ebola, that did give us useful information around safety and toxicity. so we can speed up the develop of the drug for koichd ocovid h. >> and the minnesota center for infectious disease research and policy says that covid-19 could last as long as two years and won't be controlled until with two-thirds of the world's population is immune. what does that say about the staying power of this mysterious virus? >> well, i think it shows that the virus probably will be here until we can get that vaccine in place. we need an effective vaccine that is distributed all around the world. so it is a huge effort. so the two year estimate sounds plausible to me. >> and now we have 30 plus states slowly reopening in the
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united states as we hear about the news that this pandemic might be here longer. and we also know that there is a very good chance as dr. fauci has stated that the fall and winter will see a second wave. for example, on one of the states opening right here in georgia, the day the governor lifted the stay-at-home order, the state announced 1,000 new cases in the past 24 hours. what do you make of the lack of federal coordinated response in the u.s. and how that may affect trying to slow the spread? >> i think the problem is that you have all the states with different rules and regulations which makes them a little bit like separate countries in a way. so it is difficult to have a countrywide level of intervention. people are moving across state boundaries, so it does make things tricky, indeed. but there needs to be great
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caution about loosening too soon because cases do go up. >> and it all comes back to testing. it is deemed so important. but the u.s. president plays it down. but if testing can't be ramped up, how does the united states get ahead of this? >> i think widespread testing is absolutely vital. one of the countries that has done quite well has been south korea and they have had a massive testing program across their country throughout this. they even had i think some elections a couple weeks back and they have been contact testing since then and there has been very few new cases. so that is an example of a country that has handled the outbreak quite well and it has been based on lots and lots of testing. >> the united states is at an interesting time right now with the states opening up before we are at that point. we appreciate your insights. michael, thanks so much for coming on. >> thank you.
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the u.s. centers for disease control and prevention has spent the past couple months trying to pin down exactly how the coronavirus got a foot hohold i the united states and now they now. here is erica hill. >> reporter: a medical conference, a large funeral, all events likely helped fuel the spread of coronavirus in the u.s. those new findings from the cdc confirm what many have suspected. researchers also single out the role of international travel and certain workplaces like meat packing plants, nursing homes and dense urban areas like new york city. a lack of testing also contributed. the news comes as 32 states move to reopen by the weekend, though none appear to have met white house guidelines for a 14 day decline in cases. >> the virus does not care that
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it is may 1 and you still have to take extreme precautions for your safety and the safety of those you love. >> reporter: diners in texas reclaiming a morning routine. >> i was ready, believe me. >> reporter: it is not just restaurants and retail coming back online today, beaches, malls, even movie theaters though at reduced capacity. >> we really had to think about it and decide are we ready, do we want to do this. >> reporter: ohio, louisiana and michigan among the states extending stay-at-home orders. at california's governor his state is now days not weeks away from being able to reopen some shops and restaurants with restrictions. >> i just want folks to know we're getting very close to making really meaningful augmentations to the stay-at-home order. >> reporter: and that announcement came as protestors gathered in huntington beach calling for an end to the governor's order closing beaches in orange county. in alabama, beachgoers were ready thursday night as
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restrictions were lifted there. shoppers in stores adapting. >> they don't have to come close to us. >> reporter: and concerns at meat processing plants. shoppers now limited to purchasing two maeeat items in visit in anticipation of possible shortages. a new report says the virus could be with us at least another 1 another 18 months. >> this is here to stay for a protracted period of time. >> reporter: and meantime work continues on a virus. >> to say i have a vaccine, throw it into people, what people don't appreciate because they are so-they can get it so quickly, but there could be a negative effect to the infection. >> reporter: and honoring those
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we lost. in connecticut, thousands of white flags, one for each person in the state who has died as a result of the virus. pastor collins says the memorial is a somber reminder that we're in this together. also here in new york state, governor cuomo announcing on friday that the state is partnering with the crisis text line to offer mental health support to front line line workd he instructed insurance providers to waive fees for mental health services for frontline workers. back to you. >> and dr. fau economy ci is to before a committee may 12. that is what an aide to the committee chairman is telling cnn. but earlier we learned the white house is blocking fauci from testifying next week before a committee in the democrat controlled house. u.s. lawmakers are gearing up for an oversight battle and fauci is a key figure.
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he is repeatedly distancing himself, he has done that, from how the trump administration has been framing the response to this pandemic. the u.s. is of course as you probably have heard will accusing china of letting this virus spread while china blames the u.s. of shifting blame. the war of words has gone up a notch and we'll fill you in coming up here. also north korea's kim jung-un has apparently resurfaced. you would think that it would put an end to the rumors about his health, but it has not. o be. it changes your perspective. it makes you a different person. see what listening to audible can do for you. they have businesses to grow customers to care for lives to get home to
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there has been speculation for weeks that north korean leader kim jung-un has been this grave danger or even dead. now state television there has broadcast video of him saying that he spoke friday at a ribbon cutting ceremony at a new fertilizer factory. it would be his first public appearance in weeks. state media says it happened on may day, also known as international workers day.
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cnn cannot independently confirm when or where this video was taken. paula hancocks is joining me live from seoul. and she's been covering kim jung-un for many years now. paula, hard to tell when it comes to north korea fact from fiction. so it is hard to tell if these photos are what they say they really are. >> natalie, without physically being there of course, you can't be 100 sur% sure. but we are seeing footage saying it was filmed on the first of may. and we are seeing banners and signage from the event which does reflect may 1 as well. so it would be is you are pricing if it was not what it seems.you are pricing if it was not what it seems. but we are seeing kim jung-un walking afternoon at the
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fertilizer plant, laughing and joking with officials up on stage as well with his sister k kim. and we are seeing kim jung-un and the elite vips around him not wearing masks at this point, but there will be many people pouring over these images. the first time that we have seen the footage of him in 21 days. of course it was back on april 15th when the alert was raised when he didn't turn up to pay his respects at his grandfather's birthday, the birth dated founder. so that is really where the speculation started. >> yeah, i sort of think what to glean from the images of him, any look or body images that stand out? >> certainly there will be many people more qualified than me look at these photos and these
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images and seeing if there is any indication as to whether there was ill health, any kind of medical procedure as some had reported. we're in the seeing a lynch as we das -- a limp as we saw in 2014 when he came out back after a surgery. we are not seeing anything that shows that he has been in ill health, but certainly intelligence agencies will be looking at all the footage as to whether or not there is any indication that he has been in ill health. >> all right. paula hancocks for us in seoul, a story we'll continue to follow. thanks so much. shared interests in north korea is just one example of how the u.s. and china need to work together, right now finger pointing over covid-19 is making that hard with u.s. president trump blaming china for the outbreak and threatening some form of punishment.
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david culver looks at how beijing is responding. he is in shanghai. >> reporter: china state run media now ramping up its propaganda against the united states, taking direct aim at secretary of state mike pompeo. this week a commentary attacks pompeo for attacking china over the covid-19. one saying he is turning himself to be the enemy of human kind by spreading a political virus. on thursday the people's daily ran an editorial saying pompeo's rhetoric makes the u.s. look like it is dealing with a colossal moral deficit. and they tweeted animation pore fridaying the mocki trying the mocking at hypocritical. and in the shadows of the outbreak, the war of words is
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increasing the rift between 9 u.s. and china.the shadows of t outbreak, the war of words is increasing the rift between 9 u.s. and china. >> they could have contained it. they were either unable to and they chose not to and the world has suffered greatly. >> reporter: it is a change from donald trump's more sympathetic tone expressed repeatedly over the past 2350u monguy months. >> i know xi loves his country and he is doing a good job with a very tough situation. >> reporter: and while still not directly criticizing xi jinping, he is increasingly criticizing china for the deadly spread. echoing pompeo's hard line stance. >> we know it started in wuhan. we don't yet know where. and despite our best efforts to get experts on the ground, they continue to hide. that is wrong. it poses a threat to the word. this is classic communist disinformation. >> reporter: and the white house
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now further pushing the theory that the virus started in a wuhan laboratory. last week cnn returned to wuhan and traveled to the lab in question. wuhan institute of virology. we captured a feewag images fro the gate. china dismisses accusations that it started here. and a statement from u.s. intelligence says that the coronavirus was not manmade or genetically modified but noted that it was still evaluating theories linking the outbreak to the lab. cnn's early reporting revealed china's covering up and silencing of whistleblowers, and reports also putting into question china's official number of cases which has been revised repeatedly and widely believed to be vastly underreported. however china believes that the u.s. and the trump administration in particular is trying to deflect for its lack of preparedness in battling this virus within the united states.
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and so you've got this heated rhetoric, this increased blame, and the world's two largest economies no longer looking at international collaboration but rather in the midst of this animosity filled faceoff. david culver, cnn, shanghai. the united kingdom says that it has met its testing goal and now it wants to layout a plan for reopening. when we return, we'll have a live report from london and we'll find out why the actual numbers might not be so cut and dry. also the u.s. navy now says it plans to run silent on just how many coronavirus are on bod its ships. we take you to the pentagon. nowadays you do more from home than ever before.
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welcome back to our viewers here in the you u.s. au.s. and . john hopkins now reports 1.1 million coronavirus cases in the u.s. and more than 65,000 deaths. a verecent study says even with proper mitigation such as social distancing and widespread testing, the u.s. can expect 100,000 to 200,000 deaths in the coming months. instead of millions. the u.s. has apbroofed tproved rec remdesivir. a study shows that it reduced the number of days in the hospital by one third. but doctors stress it is not a
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cure and not a vaccine. there has been spec laying for weeks about the health of kim jung-un. now state media has released theselaying for weeks about the health of kim jung-un. now state media has released these photos of him saying he spoke at a ceremony on may day. cnn cannot confirm that these are real or when they were taken. britain is shifting its focus to ramping up coronavirus testing as downing street promises to reveal a plan next week to ease lockdown measures. the government said it met its goal to test 100,000 people a day on friday, but it later clarified that more than 120,000 tests had been distributed, not that all the tests had necessarily been completed. let's turn now to cnn's hadas go gold. expanded testing has been promised for some time there. it looks like it is finally
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beginning. >> reporter: yeah, natalie, the beginning of april, the uk government laid out this really ambitious plan saying that they would have 100,000 tests a day by the end of the month. and honestly, just a few days ago, it didn't seem like the government would have reached that goal. but on friday, they said that they had. and so they said they had more than 122,000 tests. however, there is a big caveat because around 27,000 of those tests were home kits that were sent home. tests that have not been completed. the rate of completed tests is closer to around 80,000 tests. there are some people criticizing the government saying you haven't actually done what you said. but regardless, you do have to see just how much of the capability has been ramped up on testing here in the united kingdom. just a week ago, the uk was conducting just around 25,000 tests a day. so that is a huge jump to reach 80,000 tests. and also uk officials are hailing at-home testing kits saying that they will make a
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huge difference. but of course testing as we all know is only one element of trying to lift these lockdowns. the uk is also trying to hire 18,000 contact tracers, these are people who will be in touch with those who have tested positive and will try to figure out where they have been, who they have been in contact with to try to tell those people to test themselves or to isolate themselves. right now the uk only has a few hundred contact tracers and they are trying to hire 18,000 people by mid may, another big goal. and all of this together will be a huge part of trying to lift the lockdown. and we're expecting boris johnson, only recently released from the hospital, he says thursday he will start laying out his plan on how the uk will slowly come out of its lockdown. >> we'll wait and see what he has to say. we wish all the best on this
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uptick in testing. hadas gold in london. thanks. spain is allowing people to get outside after seven weeks of strict stay at home orders. it is one of the latest steps towards what the country calls a new normality. the easing of restrictions come as the rate of infections there has slowed down. al goodman is joining us from in grad madrid. it has to be a huge relief to get this break. >> hi natalie, this is a big deal. for most spanish adults, this is the first time in seven weeks that they have been able to leave the house for anything other than a short trip to the grocery store or pharmacy. now they are getting out, to be able to take a walk, to be able to take a run by themselves, to be able to ride a bike. and so we're just across the street from the parks that remain closed, but most of the
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adults are able do their workouts in the morning or evening. and it is about 10:30 here in the morning and in late morning, you can see that it is for the people who are older than 70 years old, they now have their own time and they will also be able to come back late in the afternoon. and then in the main part of the day from 12:00 to 7:00, it will be the kids who as we know got out last week for the first time after six weeks. so all of this is part of the transition, but the government is urging people to wear masks if you are closer to two meters which i am to some of these people and to keep your hygiene and they are trying to keep the groops groups apart so the most vulnerable are not mixing with the bulk of the adults. >>. >> and the runners look like they are spreading out. thank you, al. and the u.s. navy is battling coronavirus on at least two ships where the total number
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of cases is approaching 1200. the ships are the destroyer, the usa kidd a "uss kidd" and the "uss roosevelt." >> reporter: the number of coronavirus cases on two u.s. warships reached new highs on friday hitting about 1100 on the aircraft carrier "uss rooseve roosevelt." and the kidd oig rolled rolled port to be cleaned. and the roosevelt's crew is returning to duty. those who tested negative have been allowed to return to the ship in hopes that it can get back into operations and out of port this guam soon. the navy has stopped releasing official statistics about the number of coronavirus cases on those ships arguing that because
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the crew has been tested that the cases have plateaued. but we will be monitoring it closely and leaving any updates as they come. ryan browne at the pentagon. and some u.s. states are reopening. many as a matter of fact. but workers with kids at home have few options. a comedian and parent joins me to talk about what they are going through. >> sure, we can do it, we can home school. memory supplements neuriva has clinically proven ingredients that fuel 5 indicators of brain performance. memory, focus, accuracy, learning, and concentration. try neuriva for 30 days and see the difference. my schizophrenia for a while, and then my kids asked me why my body was rocking back and forth. my doctor said i have tardive dyskinesia, which may be related to
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important medications i take for my schizophrenia. i also felt my tongue darting and pushing against my cheeks. i was worried what others would think. td can affect different parts of the body, and it may also affect people who take medications for depression and bipolar disorder. i know i shouldn't change or stop my medication so i was relieved there are treatment options for td. - if this sounds like you or someone you know, visit talkabouttd.com to sign up to receive a personalized doctor discussion guide to help start a conversation with you doctor about td. you'll also be able to access videos and a free brochure that show the different movements of td. visit talkabouttd.com or call to learn more. - i was glad to learn there are treatments for td. learn more at talkabouttd.com.
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you got a job and you're in missouri, and again, owner calls you and says you need to come back to work and you come back to work. >> all right. you got to get back out there. that is the governor of missouri set to reopen his state moon, warning people who don't go back to work that they won't have
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protection. but schools are closed. a comedian and parent and host of the mystery hour, he has been doing the math and, well, he has some questions. >> so now to get this straight, i am to go to work, and home school. my boss expects me in the office. and my kids expect me to teach them. go to there, stay here. go and stay. school's closed. work opened. home school opened. it is important that we remaining six feet away from each other. and across town from ourselves. >> i love it. and your wife, i don't know how
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much home schooling she can do what with the wine drinking there, that is funny stuff. top of the morning to you. our thanks for being up early or staying up late to be with us. but really though, shouldn't you be resting up to be here and there come monday? >> yeah, i think you're right. it is a difficult task, i have to figure out -- i have a weekend to figure out how to do that. >> you make a good point. and it is indicative of how this is playing out all over the country. you know, there are proetds are michigan for the right to work. this california people are angry that they can't go to the beach. all the while cases are still rising in 18 states. you get a sense that there is not a coordinated big thoughtful plan here and families like your are kind of caught up in this mayhem. >> yeah, that is a mess in the big sense and in a small sense inside your house as you are trying to figure out what do and a literal mess often with little
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kids and of to go to work and be home at the same time. so it takes a lot of coordinating and a lot of fumbling. >> let's talk about the coordinating. i want to play another clip now for our viewers. this is you and your wife discussing your isolation calendar. let's watch as the two of you map out your week. here it is. >> i was thinking saturday what if the kids are play fighting that turns into real fighting because they have so much pent up energy. >> i think that i can do it in the morning if we get it over with because i think in the afternoon i'm planning on fretting. >> i think monday i'm going to need to stare out the window a lot. so i'll be fairly distant. you won't hear much, just like kind of sighs. like -- [ breathes out ] >> that is pretty good stuff. is it really kind of like that, jeff? >> yeah. i don't know if you can relate
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to this, but when you have kids and you are married, your life revolves around coordinating your calendar. so coordinating your breakdowns probably makes sense right now. >> i hope it is not too severe. okay. what kind of feedback are you getting from your show when you talk about the conundrum that so many families are dealing with right now and you are able to put a positive or funny spin on it? >> yeah, you know, i think comedy is often just saying the plain truth in a creative clever way. and so basically if you've been like oh, yes, that is me, that is totally me. and that is i think the mark of a successful video for us when people do that. and right now we're up for a wemmy award. and we're excited about that if anyone wants to help me out, i mean, i'm kind of struggling here in the house. >> well, comen grats la great o
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that. and right now we're looking at you giving a news conference about your situation and the only folks in that news conversation are your little kids i believe, and they had some questions for you. you can give us a sample of that? i think they just said how can we not be bored. >> yeah. a lot of that. a lot of being bored and mentioning how much they are bored. >> and how many kids do you have at home? >> we have two, a 7-year-old and 2-year-old. >> oh, wow. that is kind of a wide range there as far as figuring out how to do new math and how to learn to count. >> yeah, it really is. we're trying to teach one school things while the 2-year-old is just a monster. a cute monster, but -- >> that is why they make them cute at that age because they are monsters. so we'll still take care of them. we appreciate the laughs. we need a lot of that now.
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and we'll see you on your show that you do from your home now in springfield, missouri. the mystery hour. good luck on monday and beyond. >> thanks so much, natalie. >> all the best. coming up here, first responders are fighting the pandemic on the front lines despite the risk to their own health. we have a report on the struggles these heros face every day.
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less than two weeks after the worst mass murder in canada's history, justin trudeau is taking action. >> today we're closing the market for military grade assaults weapons in canada. we are banning 1500 models in variants of these firearms by way of regulations. these weapons were designed for one purpose and one purpose only. to kill the largest number of people in the shortest amount of time. there is no use and no place for such weapons in canada.
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>> the ban covers buying, selling, importing and transporting assaults-style weapo weapons. in late april, a gunman killed several. he had several appsemiannual ris and weapons. one was a military style assaults rifle. police officers, firefighters and other first responders are being hit especially hard by the coronavirus pandemic. many are being infected. but that often does not sideline them for long. cnn's brian todd profiles those who have contracted the disease beat it and are already back on the front lines. >> reporter: in 15 years what the fair fax county fire department in northern virginia, there wasn't a lot that captain
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wa warner hadn't seen. but when got the news that he was positive for coronavirus, it wasunnerving. >> the fact that you could spread to your co-workers and they could spread to their home, and you be the source, very uncomfortable. are the thousa >> reporter: thousands have gotten sick and xwaktsed throba and returned to the front lines. here more than be 7,000 have returned to the job after recovering. but first they have to deal with their own illness. go through isolation, battle their own fears as new york paramedic eileen reich did a few weeks ago. >> i had never been sicker in my whole entire life. i never feared dying as much as i have now. all right so >> reporter:? come back fighting recurrent costs, weight loss, energy depletion. warner used to be able to run an
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8 1/2 minute mile. now -- >> nowhere near being able to can the mile without being fatigued. >> reporter: many of them wonder if they really do have immunity, worry about infecting their relatives and colleagues. but still they bottle. the wo the work too important to them. and the chief recently watched two young firefighters go out on a covid call. >> to watch them go right back out and i know inside they had to be worried about it. it was emotional for me to watch them go out and do the work. i was proud of how they represented the department before. >> reporter: first responders tell us that they bring new skills after recovering. >> i was able to be more in touch with my patients because i knew exactly how they were feeling with a lot of it. >> reporter: and having gone through it, they are able to offer a reassurance to patients. but many first responders need
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their own reassurance. >> and dr. breen took her own life recently. and donnelly worries about the emotional well-being of his firefighters. >> you have to be a little invincible. when things go wrong, your mind says i'm having problems with this, those are chinks in the armor. >> reporter: donnelly and other first responders acknowledge there are professional stigmas associated with firefighters and others who need help for anxiety and depression, some are punished professionally if they seek that help. even before this pandemic, e.r. doctors were at higher risk for suicide and advocates say that on average before the pandemic, suicide killed more firefighters in the united states every year than actual fires. brian todd, cnn, washington. and augmented reality company is joining the fight
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against coronavirus. they have developed temperature sensing specs. they use an infrared camera to detect the exact body temperature of people up to 3 meters away. so now those responsible for spotting temperatures can remain hands off. >> we can keep a safe distance. >> and they are now developing an enhanced version that can take the temperature of multiple people at once for use in busy places like airports and shopping centers. to ease the strain on hospitals, tokyo's government has a unique alternative for housing coronavirus patients with some extra unique staff so to say. robots will help serve covid-19 patients with milder symptoms at some hotels in japan's capital. the robot hotels are part of an
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efrpt effort to free up hospital beds for more severe cases. the humanoid staff debuted friday and they appear to be a pretty friendly bunch. the robots greet quarantined guests with morale boosting messages, i believe structuring th instructing them to check their temperature regularly. and vacuuming robots will sanitize areas that might be risky for human staff to clean. officials say they hope to expand the robots to hotels and japan has secured more than 10,000 rooms to accommodate patients with lighter symptoms. that is our first hour of "cnn newsroom." i'll have our top stories right after this. thanks so much for watching.
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♪ the u.s. approves emergency use of an experimental drug which may help some coronavirus patients get better faster. this, as the debate over how and when to reopen the economy with protesters venting their frustrations across the united states on friday. and after much speculation about his health and whereabouts, kim jong-un appears to have resurfaced. live from cnn world headquarters in atlanta, welcome to our viewers here in the united states and around the world. i'm natalie allen, this is "cnn newsroom."

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