and welcome to our viewers here, in the united states, and all around the world. i'm michael holmes. this is cnn "newsroom." now, on a day when more than 1,600 americans died because of coronavirus, president donald trump, both, touted and downplayed development of a vaccine. mr. trump, in a rose garden ceremony, unveiling an ambitious effort to have a coronavirus vaccine by the end of the year. and, even if that goal isn't met, he proclaimed, in his words, vaccine or no vaccine, we're back.

later, the head of the centers for disease control and prevention, saying that every model the cdc tracks, forecasts 100,000 deaths in the u.s. by the 1st of june. just over two weeks from now. now, that comes as 28 states have seen a downward trend on their rate of new cases. even though the country adds, roughly, 1,500 deaths a day. sometimes more. the current u.s. death toll, now approaching 88,000. meanwhile, the u.s. house passed a $3 trillion coronavirus aid package. mostly, along party lines. republicans, though, say the bill is dead on arrival in the republican-controlled senate. and word that retail sales dropped 16.4% in april. and the retail icon jc penney, filing for bankruptcy protection. now, the white house coronavirus

task force is adding five new members. interesting because they include agriculture and labor secretaries and they are clearly a clue that the group is going to be focusing on the economy going forward. but the most pressing issue and the biggest challenge to safely reopening businesses again is of course developing a vaccine. kaitlan collins reports. >> reporter: unveiling his vaccine effort in the rose garden today, president trump said the country would return to normal with, or without, one. >> i just want to make something clear. it's very important. vaccine or no vaccine, we're back. and we're starting the process. >> asked what he meant by that, the president offered this explanation. >> we think we're going to have a vaccine, in the pretty-near future and, if we do, we're going to really be a big step ahead. and, if we don't, we're going to be like so many other cases where you had a problem come in. it'll go away at some point. it'll go away.

>> operation warp speed. his administration's effort to develop and distribute a vaccine. >> it is going to be a herculean task. >> but, at one point, the president seemed to downplay how critical a vaccine would be. though, many health experts have viewed an effective vaccine as the only way life can truly return to normal. the president made clear he doesn't agree. >> you know, it's not solely vaccine based. other things have never had a vaccine and they go away. >> he also repeated his hope that a vaccine can be ready by the end of the year. some health experts have said that's unrealistic. and, yesterday, the administration's former vaccine chief, rick bright, who was pushed out of his job, said he is doubtful it could happen soon. >> i, still, think 12 to 18 months is an aggressive schedule, and i think it's going to take longer than that to do so. >> the president saying he's hopeful vaccine will be ready by the end of the year and available to the general public, not just emergency use. >> do you mean a fully-approved

vaccine for everyone? the full public? or a partially-approved vaccine with emergency use? >> no, we're looking for a full vaccine for everyone that wants to get it. not everybody's going to want to get it. but we're looking at a full vaccine. >> nearly all the guests in the rose garden today were wearing masks. but, on stage, some of the president's top officials were and some weren't, including the president. >> i told them. i gave them the option. they could wear it or not. so you can blame it on me. but i gave them the option. >> sources say trump and his aides have questioned whether the coronavirus death toll is being overcounted. today, the president said he assumes the numbers are correct. >> do you think that's accurate? or do you think it's higher than that? >> i don't -- or lower than that. i don't know. i don't know. those are the numbers being reported. i assume they're correct. >> now, you may have noticed the vice president was not out in the rose garden today with the president. that's because he's been keeping distance from trump this week after one of his top aides tested positive for coronavirus.

has been on white house grounds but instead of attending those meetings like he normally does, he has instead remained next door, which aides say is just out of abundance of caution. kaitlan collins. cnn, the white house. >> joining me now is dr. amy compton phillips, a cnn medical analyst and chief clinical officer of providence health system. great to have you on. we heard at the white house friday that early data suggests vaccine doses by the end of the year. you know, a lot of experts already casting doubt on that sort of timeline. expressing concerns that right precautions would be taken. what would you make of that sort of prediction of doses by the end of the year? >> i think it's very optimistic. and, you know, optimism's never a bad thing. but i think we need to plan for it taking a more rational, you know, from now, 12 to 16 months. so i would love to see it happen. i just think it is -- everything

has to be absolutely perfect to hit that timeline. >> as i understand it, your own team is working on vaccine trials. so you got a real insight into, you know, tell us how complex that process is. and -- and, you know, how your own team's work is progressing. >> it's very complex. you know, there's -- there's lots of steps to making a vaccine. first of all, there's several different types under -- under studies right now. there's over 100 vaccines being piloted. and i just know that the work we're doing, ourselves, how complicated it is. so you have to decide, are you going to go for the -- the inactivated virus? so a virus that's dead but could still provoke an immune response. are you going to try a live, attenuated virus? meaning, like a less virulent strain, a less powerful strain of the virus? or are you going to go for this new style that no approved vaccine yet but there is many pilots underway of an rna virus. and each of those has different

steps in testing, whether it's safe, whether it actually provokes an effective immune response. and then you have to actually make, you know, 7 billion doses to ensure that everybody on the planet gets it. so it's really complicated. >> yeah. yeah. it sort of makes you wonder about the end of the year being the timeline. on the issue of guidance, with all of this, you know, it's been interesting. the last few days, we've learned the cdc had detailed guide -- guidance. the white house, apparently, suppressing that detailed guidance on reopening. and, instead, they put out this simplistic, one-page document, which basically says things we all knew, anyway. and, you know, what -- what -- do you worry about scientific experts being muzzled, in a way, by politics in that sense? >> i really do worry about that, to be honest with you. you know, from the very beginning, the cdc had a pandemic playbook before this all started. and -- and, for some reason, politics, you know, complications in -- in the u.s.

political environment at the moment. it -- it never got followed. it never got used. and, even still, we're seeing these experts, these international experts, at the cdc, be muzzled and not be able to use their expertise to really guide the scientific basis for the recovery that we all want to see. so we would love to see the cdc unchained, and actually be allowed to lead in this area that they really should be. >> yeah. even the venerable publication saying the same thing, today, about the cdc. let them be. i wondered, you know, because this has sort of troubled me. do you worry about public complacency? i mean, you got a president saying we probably don't need a vaccine. testing is overrated. let's open back up. you got people crowding bars and restaurants, in some parts of the country. and, yet, you know, the last few days, around 1,700 people have died every day in the u.s. are people getting used to the numbers?

forgetting that 1,700 people are dying every day? >> i think a couple things. one, we've had very confusing messages coming out from the government. you look at the difference in new zealand, for example, where the leader is very clear, coherent, consistent. and, then, everybody is -- is -- has trust in the leadership. right? we have cocoffiny here, in the u.s., because the federal government's said it's the states. every state has their own rules. you know, the governor fights with the supreme court and then every public health department's different. and that erodes the trust of the public. and, because of that, we've got -- we've got all different types of voices, with many different opinions, forgetting the fact that -- that we're all in this together. and that, as a country, we're going to be stronger if we can actually all adhere with what we know works, and not believing

the dark corners of the internet that promote conspiracy theories that this came from elsewhere. and so i really think that it's a major issue to not have clarity, coherence, and trust. >> so well put. just very briefly, before we finish up, we are seeing doctors treating coronavirus patients with a range of odd and frightening syndromes. you know, you got these blood clots of all sizes going through the body. kidney issues. heart inflammation. immune complications. what -- what -- what are your concerns about that? and, also, ongoing, chronic issues for people who recover from the virus itself? >> yeah. my concern that this virus is only four months old and that it's -- or five months old, you know, depending on when you count it from. and that it's going to take a while. that most syndromes declare themselves, over time. and -- and we're going to have to learn what the long-term repercussions of this germ are. and what the less common ones are, like this incredibly frightening pediatric condition

that we're seeing now with being lethal. rarely, but unfortunately existing in children. so i think we're going to keep learning, over the next couple years, the significant damage that this can do. >> dr. amy compton phillips, always great to have you on. thank you so much. >> thank you. >> now, there is, of course, so much we do not know about this virus. even exactly where it came from. we'll go through what we do know and what we don't when we come back. is that net carbs or total?...

eh, not enough fiber... chocolate would be good... snacking should be sweet and simple. the delicious taste of glucerna gives you the sweetness you crave while helping you manage your blood sugar. with nutrients to help support immune health. tuna for jj. turkey for tj. turkey for jj. tuna for tj. this is why we named your brother derek. get a free footlong yup, free. when you buy one on the subway app.

order now. we were paying an arm and a leg for postage. i remember setting up shipstation. one or two clicks and everything was up and running. i was printing out labels and saving money. shipstation saves us so much time. it makes it really easy and seamless. pick an order, print everything you need, slap the label onto the box, and it's ready to go. our costs for shipping were cut in half. just like that. shipstation. the #1 choice of online sellers. go to shipstation.com/tv and get 2 months free.

welcome back. let's take a look, now, at the

current human toll of the coronavirus. according to johns hopkins university, there have been more than 4.5 million confirmed cases worldwide. and at least 307,000 deaths. almost a third of those deaths, in the united states. that coming as the u.s. president announces an ambitious effort to develop a vaccine by the end of this year. then, at the same time, saying, vaccine or not, in his words, we're back. indeed, almost every u.s. state is now open, to some extent. usually, against the advice of health experts. one research company taking a novel approach to finding a coronavirus therapy. they are trying to engineer a treatment for humans using cow plasma. cnn's elizabeth cohen explains. >> cows. they're just like us. really. these cows are just like us, in one important way. a way that could possibly save

lives during the pandemic. these cows have human chromosomes. you've given the cow a human immune system. >> well, we've certainly given the cow a part of a human immune system. >> and so this company, sab biotherapeutics in south dakota, is hoping their blood could help make a drug to help fight covid-19. here's how it works. using genetic engineering, scientists create a cow embryo that contains parts of human chromosomes. that embryo becomes a calf and, then, a cow. then, a noninfectious part of the novel coronavirus is injected into that cow. because of the genetic engineering, the cow produces human antibodies to the virus. those antibodies are collected from the cow. and, once purified, become a drug that might work to combat the coronavirus in humans. so these cows are plasma donors, just like humans who've recovered from coronavirus and donate blood. but the cows have a big

advantage and, that is, they're big and have a lot of blood to give. >> that's one of the reasons that we chose cattle because, obviously, they are a large animal. >> plus, they can donate plasma three times a month. humans can only donate once a month. another company, regeneron, is trying a similar. the science called the magic mice the extracting clone the best antibodies. >> we literally genetically humanized mice. we put in the genes for the human immune system into mice so that these mice have, pretty much, exactly a human immune system. >> both companies plan to start clinical trials. >> if all goes well, we expect that we will have the drug on the market by early next year. >> of course, there is no telling if this will work. but hopefully, these part-human animals will play a role in saving lives during the

pandemic. elizabeth cohen. cnn, reporting. >> well, what about the origin of this deadly virus? there's a whole lot we do not know. but there is one detail the u.s. president is not letting go of. >> this came from china. it should've been stopped in china, before it got out to the world. it should've been stopped right at the source, but it wasn't. >> while the first cases were reported in wuhan, china, critics say that donald trump is just trying to make everyone forget his own administration's handling of the pandemic. cnn's alex mark hart breaks down so far. >> the pandemic is universally accepted to have out of the chinese lab in wuhan. what is not agreed upon is the exact origin. now, less a scientific question than a political one. >> i think they made a horrible mistake and didn't want to admit it. >> the trump administration has

been stepping up the blame of the chinese regime, leaning hard on the theory that the virus known as sars covi 2 may not have come from a wuhan wet market, which china claims. but leaks, accidentally, from a government-affiliated lab. >> i have said before i have seen evidence that this likely came from the wuhan institute of virology. happy to see other evidence that disproves that. >> secretary of state mike pompeo points to the security risks at the wuhan lab. according to cables reported by "the washington post," the state department warned, in 2018, about safety and management issues. >> the body of evidence is circumstantial. u.s. intelligence agencies say there's no smoking gun. but what they do believe is that the the virus was not manmade, and was not released purposefully. >> the trump administration isn't ruling out that the virus came from else where. but it has been much more aggressive than other countries in pushing the lab theory, which foreign intelligence partners dispute. >> there's nothing that we have

that would indicate that was the likely source. now, you can't rule anything out in these environments. >> that lack of certainty has allowed the trump administration to use the lab theory to be more critical of the chinese government. >> it makes a more compelling case for chinese communist party malfeasance and coverups and, you know, foisting this on the glove, basically. >> without more evidence, the world health organization, which has been blasted by the trump administration, says the lab theory is speculative. >> the markets must have played a role somehow. either, as the source of the outbreak, or an setting. meaning a setting where the virus was introduced. >> the virus could have been carried to the market, or to the lab, which are eight miles apart. what is clear, health experts say, is that, at some point last year, the virus moved, in nature, from an animal, to humans. dr. anthony fauci told national geographic everything about the

stepwise evolution, over time, strongly indicates that this virus evolved in nature, and then jumped species. that doesn't discount the lab theory. the trump administration and republican allies in congress argue that the delay of china's warnings and its alleged stockpiling of protective equipment bolstered the possibility that the virus escaped the government lab. since they, likely, woof knould known sooner. still, if it leaked from the lab and the government knew, former cia china analyst says u.s. intelligence would likely have picked up on it. >> the administration is trying to make this case very hard. they would leak it if they had it and they don't. or it hasn't been leaked so they probably don't. >> one big thing that the trump administration can point to, when making the case that it's possible that the virus escaped the lab in wuhan, through workers, is that it has happened before. multiple times, in fact. not from wuhan, specifically. but, in 2004, two lab workers in beijing, so also in china, were

infected with sars. and the year before, in singapore, a student was, also, infected with sars through accidental contamination. but, for now, outside of the u.s., most everybody is saying that it is highly unlikely that this virus came from the lab in wuhan. china, for its part, has called the idea absurd and said that secretary of state mike pompeo is insane for pushing it. alex marquardt, cnn, washington. >> amid the pandemic, u.s. president still intent on settling political scores. mr. trump has now fired the state department inspector general steve linick. now, he did play a small role in the impeachment inquiry. the democratic chairman of the house foreign affairs committee denounced the firing and said lenox offers had opened investigation into the secretary of state mike pompeo. the senior state department official says pompeo recommend he be removed from the job but

doesn't know the reasons why. going to take a quick break. when we come back, dangerous times for restaurants. some won't ever open their doors again. we'll have a look at one chef who is fighting, not just for his business but, for his life. we'll be right back. as homes become schools. at&t has created a $10 million dollar fund to help educators and families keep school in session. because the key to keeping kids learning, is keeping kids connected.

restrictions in the asia-pacific region, countries are beginning to reopen. step by cautious step. it's offering a glimpse of what might become every day life. cnn's ivan watson, with more in hong kong. >> after a five-week closure, the bars in hong kong are back open. >> oh, that's good. this is my first beer in a bar in more than a month. and, you know, this city has done surprisingly well with the first wave of this deadly pandemic. and, now, after the partial

shutdown, hong kong is trying to open back up. >> in the asia-pacific region, south korea, japan, thailand, australia, and new zealand, have all had far lower numbers of confirmed infections and fatalities compared to countries in much of the rest of the world. in fact, these five countries, combined, suffered a fraction of the death toll seen in the u.s. state of new jersey since the pandemic began. >> and, now, these countries are starting to reopen. but the virus continues to present challenges. south korea never imposed a nation or even citywide lockdown, and only recorded 260 coronavirus deaths. but, now, it's frantically contact tracing and testing tens of thousands of people, after an outbreak in several nightclubs in the capital seoul. the south korean president, issuing a fresh warning to the people.

>> translator: it's not over until it's over. we must never lower our guard regarding epidemic prevention. >> in mainland china, the country where the coronavirus was first detected back in december, shanghai disney reopened this week. with visitors wearing masks and the park requiring new social-distancing measures for added safety. but, after discovering six new coronavirus cases in the original epicenter city of wuhan, authorities vowed to test all 11 million residents for the disease. >> it feels a little bit like two steps forward, one step back. the infection curve flattens. places start to reopen. and, then, unexpected clusters of coronavirus pop up again. >> while some asian countries are gradually reopening schools, shopping malls, and movie theaters, international travel is still largely paralyzed. but that could change.

australia and new zealand, two countries on the tazman sea, are discussing a possibility of a bilateral, coronavirus-free travel bubble. >> i would note such a discussion is only possible as a result of both sides to get the virus under control. >> in countries that, so far, escaped the worst of the pandemic, we may be getting a glimpse of what the new normal will look like in the age of coronavirus. ivan watson, cnn, hong kong. >> now, in the u.s., the badger state is open for business. on wednesday, the wisconsin supreme court ruled that the state's stay-at-home order was overreaching. and many of the bars and restaurants there, well, as you can see, they wasted no time in reopening. cnn's omar jimenez has more. >> what you are seeing right here is basically the new normal for the pandemic in this part of the country. people inside.

enjoying their drinks and food. almost like you would pre-pandemic. this is in wakashaw, wisconsin. and the reason this is allowed is because this particular county has no restrictions on businesses opening up, which means restaurants, bars, gyms, the responsibility on the health side is left in the hands of the businessowners and the customers that show up to these places. and we spoke to the owner of this particular bar, who says he didn't, necessarily, want to open up. but, given the opportunity, he felt like he had to. >> there's a lot of other businesses around that were opened up. and if this would have been -- if i would have been, say, the lone wolf in this, i wouldn't have done it. you know, but there's -- i think we're all trying to exercise as much caution and, you know, basically, keep our livelihood. >> and every place is operating a little differently. another restaurant we went to had masked waiters and wait tress waitresses waiting on people outside because they weren't comfortable to seat people inside. and remember this is all happening because the state

supreme court struck down the statewide stay-at-home order, leaving it to individual counties and jurisdictions to decide how they want to proceed. which creates a dynamic that is concerning, to some, because the rules a county over, for example, are different from the rules here. so, if someone feels their county's rules are too restrictive, they can just go a county over, and then they bring home, with them, the risk of exposure from that county. now, as for when we can see any form of statewide order, once zba again, that can only come from governor tony evers working with the republican legislature to put that in place. but given the relationship throughout this pandemic, a solution anytime soon may not be likely. omar jimenez, wisconsin. >> many restaurants are shutting their doors for good because of the financial hardship brought on by the outbreak. but the pandemic is forcing one texas restaurant to close, for different reasons. cnn's ed lavendera explains.

>> life is throwing a flurry of punches at mike wynn. last year, the 32-year-old opened his dream restaurant, noodle tree, in san antonio, texas, just after he was diagnosed with cancer. then, the coronavirus pandemic upended everything. two weeks ago, wynn told cnn's "out front" he couldn't take the health risk of opening his dining room to customers. >> at the end of the day, it was that the money was not worth losing lives over. losing the -- you know, the people that supported me, this restaurant, it wasn't worth putting their life in danger. >> so how are you feeling, mike? >> it depends on the day. >> this week, wynn learned his lymphoma diagnosis has taken a turn for the worse. >> you're fighting for your life. >> i -- it's -- it's progressively getting worse. my mind is telling me go, go, go, go. but my body is like, no. >> wynn has made the painful decision to shut the restaurant down. sunday will be the last day.

>> how are you, little lady? >> each takeout order he walks out is a chance to see loyal customers, one last time. >> all right. i'll see ya. >> when you walk out of here this weekend. >> till next time. >> you don't really know, for sure, if you're coming back. >> i don't. worst-case scenario, we don't ever open these doors up, i can say that, you know, i didn't fail because my food wasn't good. i didn't fail because our service wasn't good. i failed because of something out of my control. >> mike nguyen was diagnosed with cancer in 2013. instead of sitting back, he decided to open the restaurant. he wasn't going to let lymphoma take this dream away. noodle tree thrived. but, when the pandemic struck, he had to let go of his workers. >> this restaurant is very, you know, dear to my heart. i fought for it. and that's why, for me, it's -- it's -- it's more than just a restaurant. it's a symbol of just, like, fighting. you know, and that's why it's kind of heartbreaking that i have to close. because it kind of means that i

have to step away from the fight for now. >> with one assistant, mike nguyen is cooking what very well could be the last meals of his treasured restaurant. if he survives, the restaurant survives. >> i'm going to fight and fight and fight for this -- you know, for, not only my bout with cancer but also fight for this restaurant. i'll go down swinging if i have to. >> but, for now, the lights of noodle tree will be turned off. mike nguyen rye mains hopeful that one day, he will be able to reopen his restaurant. he says he's been battle tested in life and he is a big believer in adversity. and how you respond to adversity says a lot about who you are. and that's what he's counting on right now. ed lavandera, cnn, san antonio, texas. - my family and i did a fundraiser walk

in honor of my dad, who was alzheimer's. i decided to make shirts for the walk with custom ink, and they just came out perfect. - [announcer] check out our huge selection of custom apparel for every occasion. you'll even get free shipping. get started today at customink.com.

you know, i've never been to one of these things before. and when i think about how many people wanted this and how many people cried over it and stuff. i mean, i think everybody looks like royalty tonight. >> moments there from the movie "mean girls." you might remember, back in 2004. but, in this time of covid, many u.s. schools are, of course, closed for the rest of the school year. and that means graduating seniors are missing out on their prom. they're missing out on the big day of graduation. but some enterprising folks in baltimore got creative, and came up with a virtual solution. have a look at this.

>> i feel like the real prom. so it looks like we didn't miss it. >> yeah. my prom was supposed to be next saturday. >> lipstick. >> my name is nadia. i am a senior at eastern technical high school. >> she's so beautiful. look at my girl. she's so beautiful. >> i am attending the virtual prom by wide-angle youth media today. >> class of 2020, are you here? >> good evening. i'm jack young. mayor of baltimore. and it's my honor to welcome you all to the first virtual iconic prom 2020. >> i just put on -- from upstairs just to have some nice lighting. just to make it fun cause i'm a senior. this is going to be like my last prom. i just want to enjoy it as much as possible. >> i want to see it. >> prom is like a tradition.

have like one last big fun time before we go to college. it's a little sad. >> we have to find a way not just to survive but thrive in these changing times. >> oh. we're still here. still alive. life is still here. so as long as it's like this, i'm going to enjoy it, to the fullest. >> yes. >> good for them. and yeah, sad time for a lot of those kids. class of 2020 is redefining high school graduation. so join us on saturday night, eastern time, for two back-to-back, star-studded special events honoring graduates. should be fun. >> thanks for your company this hour. i'm michael holmes. don't go away, though. i'll be back with more cnn "newsroom" in just a moment.

i got this mountain bike for only $11. dealdash.com, the fair and honest bidding site. an ipad worth $505, was sold for less than $24; a playstation 4 for less than $16; and a schultz 4k television for less than $2. i won these bluetooth headphones for $20. i got these three suitcases for less than $40. and shipping is always free. go to dealdash.com right now and see how much you can save.

hello and welcome to our viewers joining us from all around the world. i'm michael holmes. coming up here on cnn "newsroom." operation warp speed. president trump says his team is on pace to deliver a vaccine in record time. but does this latest white house claim have credibility? >> shut the [ bleep ] up. >> viral video of police