tv Smerconish CNN July 4, 2020 6:00am-7:00am PDT
6:00 am
i want to wish you a happy fourth of july. we are so grateful for your company, as always, whether you're here in the u.s. or around the world, i'm christi paul. >> and i'm martin savidge. it is saturday, the fourth of july. this, of course, is "cnn newsroom." as this nation celebrates an independence day unlike any we have ever seen before, and that's of course due to the pandemic, health experts say don't let your guard down this holiday weekend. >> the concern is big gatherings, the barbecues, the beaches, to watch fireworks, that all could increase the infection rate even more. so states are adding to safety measures that they have already included. they're enforcing rules at beaches, from the west coast to the east. some places are closing them entirely, in fact, such as southern california of the and in new hampshire, the beach is open. i want to give you a live look at where crowds are already apparently starting to gather this morning. it looks like the weather might be a little dicey too, martin.
6:01 am
>> the u.s. is entering this holiday weekend after reporting more than 50,000 new cases. that is for a third straight day. 37 states are seeing an increasing trend of new cases. only one, vermont, is seeing a decline. and then late last night we learned that someone close to the president's family and his re-election campaign has now tested positive for covid-19. >> covering all the angles with reporters around the country right now, cnn's boris sanchez is standsing by in clearwater beach, florida, sarah westwood is at the white house. we want to start with polo sandoval at coney island. >> reporter: i can tell you people here at coney island are for the most part practicing that social distancing, whether they're picking out their spot on the beach or walking on the iconic boardwalk. the warning that we're here not just here in the tri-state area is some advice we heard back on memorial day. if you're going to celebrate this weekend, do so responsibly
6:02 am
a coronavirus perfect storm could be looming this independence day. several factors are at play, including more people traveling, states reopening, and for some, repeated disregard of masks and social distancing guidelines as people gather to celebrate this july 4th. >> avoiding places like pools, beaches, and even playgrounds, especially this weekend. it's going to be high density traffic outside, are very important measures that we can take. >> u.s. covid-related deaths exceeded 129,000 this week and the centers for disease control and prevention predicting that we could see another 20,000 people lose their lives to the virus by the end of the month. florida surpassed its previous record for new covid cases reported in one day. the pressure now on younger people to help lower infection rates in that state. you see the vast majority of
6:03 am
florida covid cases affecting those in their mid-30s. some florida beaches are open today, though that won't be the case in miami beach. the mayor there implementing a curfew and made masks mandatory. >> there's nothing more american than making a sacrifice by staying home to keep a family member safe, a neighbor safe or a stranger safe. >> reporter: texas continues buckling under the surge and saw its highest single day increase this week. hoping to reverse the trend, governor greg abbott is requiring face coverings in most texas counties, though many of abbott's fellow republican leaders have resisted similar mask mandates. the president among them. >> anyone who thinks covid-19 is not dangerous, the numbers are glaring warning signs that this is dangerous, but everybody has the capability of making sure they do not get covid-19. >> reporter: out west, arizona and california continue shattering their own records.
6:04 am
arizona state health data showing hospitals are showing an unprecedented spike in covid patient admissions and only 9% of icu beds were available by the end of this week. california reimplementing early restrictions to contain their outbreak. temporary closure signs are back up at beaches. singing and chanting at religious gatherings are temporarily banned. some cities are taking an aggressive approach and enforcing mask policies with a threat of hefty fines. as the nation celebrates together, health officials are hoping they'll do it from home. and it's already shaping up to be a not-so-normal fourth of july across the country, with parades cancelled, many fireworks displays as well. here in new york, particularly here on coney island, those famous transactioattractions al boardwalk will be closed. the super bowl of eating events, nathan's hot dog eating contest
6:05 am
is going to happen but it's going to be at a private location televised versus it taking place here at the famous restaurant here on the boardwalk. >> you can eat along from home. polo sandoval, thanks very much. good to see you. >> won't be eating that much hopefully, definitely. listen, i want to get back to what polo was talking about in florida because that state obviously urging those beachgoers to social distance. some beaches are reopening -- are staying open there in florida, but let's revisit that number for a second. there were nearly 9,500 new infections reported just yesterday in florida. cnn's boris sanchez is in clearwater, florida, right now. what are you seeing this morning, boris? and good morning. >> reporter: hey, good morning, christi. yeah, the crowds are starting to arrive ear in clearwater beach which is still open despite closures in different parts of the state for beaches this fourth of july weekend. i'll get into that in a moment.
6:06 am
first i want to set the scene for you here. you see a pretty decent group of people just playing volleyball a moment ago. we've seen families arriving here on the beach. they're getting ready for a long fourth of july on the water, on the sand. of course top of mind, coronavirus. there's a sign out there, i'm not sure how well you can see it. there's a beach umbrella that might be blocking it. there are beach rules for social distancing. they're asking folks who do not live together to stay at least six feet apart. they're asking that folks not congregate in groups and they're keeping folks from gathering in groups of ten or more from here on the beach. the question, of course, is enforcement. i've already seen groups of more than ten people gathering here. and of course the situation in the state of florida clearly almost out of control. as you noted, yesterday we saw some 9,500 cases here. the day before the state set a record with 10,100 plus cases.
6:07 am
the state of florida leading the nation now when it comes to the national daily average of new coronavirus cases. the governor, ron desantis, effectively leaving restrictions up to local officials and that's created some imbalances. while the beaches here in clearwater are open, in miami-dade county they're closed this weekend. as you heard from polo, there's a strict curfew, there is a widespread mask mandate in that county as well. i have friends in miami-dade county, many of them telling me they're going to drive up north to daytona, west to marco island and other places to enjoy the beach this weekend. so while some folks are staying home and heeding the warnings from officials, others are very eager to get out, to get to the beach and not follow these social distancing guidelines. christi, martin. >> boris sanchez, appreciate it so much, thank you. the president is preparing to celebrate independence day in washington today after rallying at mt. rushmore last night. thousands packed in to hear the president speak with very few people wearing face coverings. this after the governor of south
6:08 am
dakota made it pretty crystal clear that people would not be social distancing and masks would not be required. >> i want to go to cnn's sarah westwood who's at the white house right now. sarah, what are you learning about what happened last night and what the headlines are this morning from it? >> reporter: well, christi, one of the top headlines out of last night's event is something that actually took place before it even started, and that's the fact that kimberly guilfoyle, the girlfriend of the president's son testified positive at that south dakota event. anyone who's around the president is tested for coronavirus before they're allowed to come into contact with him. that's how kimberly guilfoyle learned that she was positive. she is asymptomatic and now self-isolating. donald trump jr. luckily tested negative. both of them cancelling their funding raising events that they have in the future. despite that and despite the fact as we just heard coronavirus cases are spiking across the country, its
6:09 am
president barely mentioned coronavirus. he was really focusing on a darker tone and appealed for the preservation of american history, american heritage and we warned against what he described as a merciless campaign to erase it. >> our nation is witnessing a merciless campaign to wipe out our history, defame our heroes, erase our values, and indoctrinate our children. our children are taught in school to hate their own country and to believe that the men and women who built it were not heroes but were villains. >> the president using the independence day event to wade into the culture wars there, even though it was an official white house event it had the look, the feel and even the tone of a campaign rally. but that was technically an official event. the president signed an executive order that established the national guard ens of
6:10 am
american heroes. an outdoor park that will have monuments of various figures from american history. so last night the president arguing for more statues, not less. >> sarah westwood at the white house in washington, thanks very much. we were just talking about how the coronavirus is surging in florida. the question is can the hospitals there cope with the spike that they have been seeing in cases? we're talking with a medical expert next about that. plus, what will it take to get kids back to school safely? we'll look at the concerns from both parents and teachers. and tonight don't miss cnn's "the fourth in america," an evening of fireworks and an all-star musical lineup beginning at 8:00 p.m. eastern right here on cnn. 300 miles an hour, thats where i feel normal. having an annuity tells me my retirement is protected.
6:11 am
protected lifetime income from an annuity can help your retirement plan ride out turbulent times. learn more at protectedincome.org. balanced nutrition for strength and energy. whoo-hoo! great tasting ensure with 9 grams of protein, 27 vitamins and minerals, and nutrients to support immune health. and nutrients to apps except work.rywhere... why is that? is it because people love filling out forms? maybe they like checking with their supervisor to see how much vacation time they have. or sending corporate their expense reports. i'll let you in on a little secret. they don't. by empowering employees to manage their own tasks,
6:12 am
paycom frees you to focus on the business of business. to learn more, visit paycom.com an herbal stress reliever ashwagandha, that helps you turn the stressed life... into your best life. stress less and live more. with stressballs. wayfair has way more ways to renovate your home, from inspiration to installation. like way more vanities perfect for you. nice. way more unique fixtures and tiles. pairing. ♪ nice. way more top brands in sinks and faucets. way more ways to rule your renovation. nice! on any budget, with free shipping. wayfair. way more than furniture. little things can become your big moment.
6:13 am
that's why there's otezla. otezla is not a cream. it's a pill that treats plaque psoriasis differently. with otezla, 75% clearer skin is achievable. don't use if you're allergic to otezla. it may cause severe diarrhea, nausea or vomiting. otezla is associated with an increased risk of depression. tell your doctor if you have a history of depression or suicidal thoughts or if these feelings develop. some people taking otezla reported weight loss. your doctor should monitor your weight and may stop treatment. upper respiratory tract infection and headache may occur. tell your doctor about your medicines, and if you're pregnant or planning to be. otezla. show more of you. the first and only full prescription strength non-steroidal anti-inflammatory gel available over-the-counter. new voltaren is powerful arthritis pain relief in a gel. voltaren. the joy of movement. ♪
6:14 am
♪ ♪ the open road is open again. and wherever you're headed, choice hotels is there. book direct at choicehotels.com. ♪ the sleep number 360 smart bed. prices of the season on at choicehotels.com. can it help keep me asleep? absolutely, it senses your movements and automatically adjusts to keep you both comfortable. it's our 4th of july special the queen sleep number 360 c4 smart bed is only $1,299 plus, free premium delivery when you add a base. ends monday. the u.s. enters a third
6:15 am
consecutive day of reporting more than 50,000 new cases of the covid-19. more than 52,000 were reported just yesterday. 37 states are seeing an increasing trend of new cases. vermont the only state seeing a decline. >> and hospitals across the country are preparing for another surge of patients this week. the director of the cdc said at least 12 states are seeing a rise in daily hospitalizations. >> let's bring in the chief medical officer of the bay care health system, dr. anad. thank you very much for joining us today. >> good morning, martin. i appreciate you having me on. >> so in florida, tampa bay hospitals apparently have less capacity to handle a continued surge in coronavirus cases than they did in april. you told the "tampa bay times," if we see more people getting infected, especially an older age demographic, we will see more hospitalizations and that has impacts for everyone in the community. how confident then are you that
6:16 am
your facility is prepared to handle a surge? >> it's a great question. we constantly are in preparation for this. each year we have hurricane season and so throughout the year we constantly prepare for contingency plans. we have surge plans that are all put into place. what's interesting, if we look at the month, the month of april, we actually saw a decrease in hospital admissions coming in. in the month of may we started to see patients coming in, but it was from one direction. it was predominantly the individuals who were living in nursing homes that ended up with covid as a condition. what we're seeing now though, unfortunately for the community, is we're seeing people are coming in from multiple directions. we have people coming in from nursing homes, we have individuals who live at home and are starting to come in. we see individuals who are in their 70s, but we're also seeing kids come in too. and so i'm comfortable at this time, we are concerned that the trend we're seeing is very concerning so we are putting our contingency plans into place,
6:17 am
working with our other health systems, the county, the state, to make sure we're prepared to handle the situation. >> when you talk about the different sectors of the population that you're seeing now, how that seems to have expanded, i want to show you some pictures that we have from last night of president trump's rally in south dakota. they weren't practicing social distancing or masks and they weren't mandated to do so. i mean they have the right to choose what they do. when we see pictures like this, does this make it harder to preach that masks are necessary to these other communities, and do you sense that there is a fatigue in people in hearing the same directives? >> sure, christi, great question. i think there's definitely a fatigue with covid in general. i think all of us, we wish that we had never heard of it or had to deal with it, especially during holidays like this. but i do think it's extremely important, despite how fatigued
6:18 am
we are, we're all in this together. as long as one person in our community is infected we are all at risk of becoming infected. masks work. the science and the evidence and the data behind it prove that it will help prevent the spread of infection. the analogy i always give is how many of us would feel comfortable being wheeled on a gurney into an operating room. imagine looking up at the surgeon and the nurses not wearing a mask. none of us would be comfortable with that. and so it behooves us to make sure we wear masks not just for others' protection but also our own protection and it will make a difference as we go forward. it's been shown in different study after study. >> with the supply situation, how are you doing there? and i'm talking about things like ventilators, things like ppe, things like the medications that have proven to be at least somewhat effective. are you well stocked or are there still shortages on those? >> yeah, martin, great question. between where we were in march compared to where we are now, my hat's off to our supply team chain. they have been able to procure
6:19 am
personal protective equipment so we are in much better shape. we never say that we are comfortable with what we are at but we at least have enough on the personal protective equipment which includes the masks and the gowns and the gloves. the ventilators we actually have a pretty good supply of ventilators. we've procured it throughout the years, especially being in florida, we have to have disaster ventilators. the treatment side is interesting, like you mentioned. i think that as a community, medical community, we've become much better and much more able to manage patients. and i think that's why people are actually recovering much more than they were before when this first started. and so we are watching, there's a medication that you all have heard of, the remdesivir. we heard recently that the supply is starting to get a little bit more limited, but health and human services were able to procure it and we're working with our state to be able to get that medication as well but so far it's better. go ahead. >> i think that there's some confusion among people based on some of the numbers that are
6:20 am
coming out. we just got these statistics that there are obviously many more cases, but the death rate has not gone up as well. can you help people understand why there would be that discrepancy and could it be in part because maybe emergency rooms and the health community has learned how to handle this virus better? >> christi, that's a great question. i think a couple things are into play right now. one is that the portion of the population that we're seeing that are infected right now are that 18 to 35 as a higher percentage. that population generally does well. i've got cases i can share of people still ending up in the icu but they generally do well. people who are 65 and older tend to have more complications, tend to end up in the hospital and tend to end up in the icu. i think we've gotten better. our treatments are better. one of the things we've learned, and this is extremely important from our perspective, is that
6:21 am
there was a rush to put people on ventilators previously, and now what we do is we actually just put them on high flow nasal oxygen. that actually events a lot of the complications and the death rate from increasing. now, one word of caution, it's still early to tell, so i think we have to watch the next two weeks. the death rate always lags behind the number of new cases. so i'm optimistic that our treatments are better but cautious that we're still early in this. >> doctor, we thank you for joining us today. we hope it's a really quiet day in your emergency room there in florida. >> thank you, sir. >> we hope so too. thank you. dozens of religious leaders are calling for the right remedy to heal america from what they call the three pandemics that are rocking this country, the coronavirus, racism and poverty. we're bringing you their message. they're with us, next. last night's sleep, interrupted by pain?
6:22 am
6:23 am
6:24 am
for not only smoother skin in one day, but younger-looking skin in just one week. and that's clinically proven. results that fast or your money back. unless you're attached to your wrinkles. one week is all it takes. neutrogena®. one week49i found you!es. good job. now i'm gonna stay here and you go hide. watch your favorites from anywhere
6:25 am
6:26 am
>> say his name. >> elijah mcclain! >> the colorado police precinct over last year's death of elijah mcclain, another unarmed black man. police in riot gear stood near the building as demonstrators chanted "why are you in riot gear?" >> three aurora police officers were fired over photos mocking mcclain's death, a fourth resigned earlier this week. here's omar jimenez. >> reporter: newly released pictures show multiple officers out of the aurora police department posing gleefully near the site where elijah mcclain was placed in a chokehold back in august of 2019. one of the photos shows an officer mimicking a literal chokehold. the police chief there, vanessa wilson, fired three of the officers. a fourth one involved resigned earlier this week on tuesday. the chief said she was alerted to the photos a little over a week ago but that they were
6:27 am
taken back in october of 2019. one of the officers that was fired was actually among the officers that responded to the initial interaction with elijah mcclain back in august of 2019. in the chief's words, they don't deserve to wear a badge anymore. now, in the wake of this, there are multiple simultaneous investigations going on even before these photographs were released. for starters, the fbi and department of justice say they have been looking into this case since 2019 with a review specifically focused on whether a federal civil rights investigation would be warranted. that's also a possibility that we've heard from the family attorney. they said they might be forced to file by the time this is said and done. on the local level, the city of aurora wanted to make clear that despite the firings of these officers, this is not where the city's response ends, pointing to an independent investigation coming from the city of aurora that is set to be under way. now, the family throughout all of this, it has been a tough
6:28 am
time as they have had to relive a lot of the trauma that they have been going through since this happened back in august of 2019. they released a statement friday night saying in part just when you think the aurora police cannot get any worse, they reach a new low. they went on to say in a more scathing part of the statement, apd's conduct is no different than that of white supremacists at the height of the jim crow south who snapped smiling pictures of themselves at the scenes of brutal, lethal lynchings of black men. the family lawyer said this was absolutely not acceptable. one of the main points she made is among a similar point we've heard from protesters across the country, that despite these officers being fired, one of her main concerns is where they could be hired next. omar jimenez, cnn. >> omar, thank you. the police officers union said the investigation into the photos was done in an unprecedented fashion. a statement from the aurora
6:29 am
police association criticized the police chief and said this investigation is a rush to judgment, unquote. the nfl's official uniform supplier pulls washington redskins merchandise from its website amid controversy over the team's name. this comes as the team issued a statement on friday saying that it has been having internal discussions about a possible name change. for years team owner daniel snyder has held firm he would never consider changing the redskins name, but after mounting financial pressure from brands like fedex, nike and pepsico, snyder says he will conduct a further review with input from sponsors, alumni and the team's local community. we'll hear more from former washington star wide receiver donté stallworth coming up in the next hour. the challenge to get children back to school safely. i know that is on so many people's minds right now. the coronavirus is surging around the country. school districts are trying to
6:30 am
6:34 am
a book that you're ready to share with the world? get published now, call for your free publisher kit today! you may have some celebrations planned for 244 years of independence but freedom doesn't stepped to everyone equally in this country and this year we have seen that reckoning across the country regarding racism, income equality, coronavirus pandemic that disproportionately affects minorities. now clergy from across the country are calling for policies aimed at healing the country. this weekend's effort being led by the poor people's campaign. there will be preachers, rabbis, imams invoking the 1852 speech
6:35 am
by frederick douglass titled "what to the slave is the fourth of july." reverend dr. william barber, co-chair of the poor peoples campaign as well as jonathan wilson hargrove. he's also the author of "revolution of values, reclaiming public faith for the common good." gentlemen, we're so grateful to have both of you here. thank you for being with us. >> thank you so much for having us. >> we know you have a lot on your plates this weekend, so it certainly matters. pastor wilson hargrove, i wanted to get to something that you told our producer. you said you're an evangelical christian, you grew up in a white right-wing evangelical household, but when you met bishop barber, you described it as he loved you into this new moral fusion movement. >> yes, indeed. >> what did that mean? and how can that be expanded
6:36 am
beyond you? >> well, it's always a joy to be with my brother, bishop barber, and deeply grateful for that friendship that began nearly 25 years ago here in north carolina. now, i have to say i was loved well by the people who raised me, but they had been deceived. they had been deceived by the religious right and by millions and millions of dollars that were invested in trying to persuade us that our values aligned with corporate values and the extremism of white supremacy. my brother bishop barber reached out and took me under his wing, taught me the long history of white and black folks working together for justice in this country. that's really what this poor peoples campaign is about. we are all across this country seeing black, brown, white, native and asian coming together to build the kind of coalition that says if we, the people, really means all the people then it will be a better country for everybody. >> let's get to some of those statistics that you're talking about regarding the inequalities. on covid-19 specifically right
6:37 am
now, counties with higher black populations account for more than half of all covid-19 cases and almost 60% of deaths. now, when we talk about poverty, this is just amazing. one in four babies is born below the poverty line, more than 70% of americans live paycheck to paycheck and the poverty rate for black americans is more than double that of whites. so, reverend barber, to you now. what role can faith leaders like yourself play in solving these issues, and maybe reaching people who need to better understand some of this? >> the number one scripture in the bible that describes sin is about idolry and the number two scripture in the bible that talk about sin talks about mistreatment of the poor, children and women. so, first of all, as frederick
6:38 am
douglass said 156 years ago the conscience of the nation must be riled and the propriety and hypocrisy must be exposed. when we have 140 million people living in poverty, 140 million people, 43% of this country, we cannot ignore that. and so we have to address these five interlocking injustices, systemic racism from voter suppression to police violence to mistreatment of our immigrant brothers and sisters and first nation indigenous people, systemic poverty as i said that literally you have 62 million people also working every day for less than a living wage. we have to address ecological devastation that creates 4 million families that get up every morning and can buy unleaded gas but can't by unleaded water. they have the highest level of death even before covid. then we have to address this military industrial complex where we spend 54 cents of every
6:39 am
discretionary dollar on military contracts and less than 16 cents on helping the education and infrastructure. our values are off. these things that continue, they represent what frederick douglass called crimes against god and man and must be changed. and so our policies, our policies, we must have a time not just of symbolism but of substantive policy that address each one of these issues. and that's what the poor peoples campaign as done. 2.7 million people joined us two weeks ago to say we can end voter suppression, we can have health care for all, we can deal with ecological devastation, we can cut our military industrial complex and put that money toward things that would change this society. the problems that we're having are choices. we can make sure that essential workers have the essential things, sick leave, unemployment, ppes. what we're doing is we're making
6:40 am
the wrong choices and trump and his allies have engaged in an unholy rebellion and revisionist history against god and injustice of fundamental rights. >> there are people that support president trump and will say that they are christians and they want equality as well. but i wanted to ask you, pastor wilson-hartgrove, some people also say morals can't be mandated. you can't policy your way out of a mindset that has been established for so long in some communities. how can you get to that mindset of people and help people understand what is happening to their fellow americans and how they can help and make them want to help? >> well, this is why we think it's so important to reach back to frederick douglass. you know, frederick douglass said between the christianity of the slave holder and the
6:41 am
christianity of christ he saw the widest possible difference. he was trying to teach all americans, black, white, any americans that the distortion of systemic racism has impacted all of us and it has diminished our humanity. i mean you look at that story y'all had on just before about those officers out in aurora. to immate thitate that sort of f people and laugh at it is a dehumanization that hurts the soul. this has hurt all of us. it's hurt us in terms of policy and hurt us in terms of our deepest soul in our humanity. what we are trying to do is lift up a vision that can restore the humanity, restore the soul of people in this country. >> reverend dr. william barber and pastor jonathan, i'm sorry, bishop barber, i'll let you have the last word here. >> well, one of the things we have to do is show people that this is hurting us all. you notice i said 140 million poor and low wealth people, not just black people, but poor people.
6:42 am
it's hurting us, whether it's in the mountains of appear latcha, the farmlands of kansas, or fast food workers in the carolinas. our movement is bringing all of those people together and saying we can have a different way and better way. some people can say they're christian, but christianity requires that you follow what christ says. and christ says how you treat the least of these, the poor, the hungry, the sick and those on the margin, that's what determines whether or not you are actually following christ or not. >> reverend dr. william barber, pastor jonathan wilson-hartgrove, so grateful to have your voices with us here today. thank you so much and best of luck to you. the cdc has guidelines about the opening of schools at various stages of those checkpoints. the basic fundamental goal would be as you possibly can to get
6:43 am
the children back to school. >> that is, of course, dr. anthony fauci there on the need to get kids back to school, not just for the sake of their education but also for the millions of parents that are trying to juggle work and child care. the big question now is how do you do that safely? >> as bianna golodryga reports, with some schools just a few weeks ago, think about that now, from reopening, there's still such a great deal of concern from parents and teachers about getting those kids back in class. >> reporter: in what could be described as a country's most ambitious mobilization effort in recent history, school districts across the country are issuing plans for how more than 50 million k through 12 students will be returning to school, some just weeks away. officials in marietta, georgia, and nashville, tennessee, have given families two options for when classes resume the first week of august, in person or distance learning. the denver public school district announced a return to
6:44 am
full in-person instruction august 17th. with health screenings provided for all students, teachers and staff prior to arrival. >> we'll continue to monitor. and so we'll be ready for either scenario, in person or staying in distance learning. >> reporter: california currently experiencing a spike in cases says its 10,000 schools will have a plan in place in time for late august and september reopenings. in the northeast, the governors of the states initially hit hardest by covid-19 but now seeing a decline in cases are hopeful that that trend will continue and classes can resume in the fall. >> we have every expectation that our kids will return to their schools come september. >> continued isolation poses very real risks to our kids' mental and physical health. >> reporter: even states experiencing the brunt of the virus now, like texas and florida, are still planning for an august return to the classroom. >> there's not going to be a
6:45 am
substitute for that in-person instruction. >> experts agree. >> we've seen massive public health consequences to these school closures in terms of virtual dropouts. we cannot afford as a country to keep our schools locked down for another year. >> reporter: joseph allen is the lead author of a new report on risk reduction strategies for reopening schools. among them, distance, hygiene, mask wearing and proper ventilation. >> we know these risk reduction strategies work, even with a full load of kids in the class. kids are at lower risk of getting this virus, lower risk of serious adverse consequences. early evidence looks like lower risk of transmitting to adults. >> reporter: that may not be enough to convince many parents and teachers that returning to the classroom will be safe. >> one jurisdiction gets under 5% and another jurisdiction gets about 80% or more of parents who say they intend to keep their children home. and so you can see how it's so difficult to do a statewide plan when even from community to community people have such
6:46 am
varying ideas about how they want school to look. >> i think we'll be in a hybrid situation where some children will be in school some of the time, all children will be learning virtually some of the time as well. >> reporter: with some states issuing guidelines for reopening while others only recommendations, much of the decision-making is left to local officials. >> i'm so glad i'm not in that seat right now. there's the pressure from the community and the staff or the plans to be released again but releasing plans at this point with so many unknowns is what makes it such a difficult process. >> reporter: bianna golodryga, cnn, new york. president trump working to fire up his base in this election year. his poll numbers, though, are falling. we have a closer look at the race for the white house, next. the first and only full prescription strength non-steroidal anti-inflammatory gel available over-the-counter. new voltaren is powerful arthritis pain relief in a gel. voltaren. the joy of movement.
6:47 am
6:48 am
and its mission is to make sleep...feel...cool. so, no more night sweats. no more nocturnal baking, or polar ice cap air-conditioner mode. because the tempur-pedic breeze° delivers superior cooling from cover to core. helping you sleep cool, all night long. during the tempur-pedic summer of sleep, save $500 on all tempur-breeze mattresses... and experience your coolest sleep this summer, on our best breeze savings of the year. and experience your coolest sleep this summer, special fortieth anniversary presentation of a capitoly fourthfourth!s for a with your hosts john stamos and vanessa williams and performances from coast to coast. featuring: patti labelle, john fogerty, the temptations, andy grammer yolanda adams, renée fleming, trace adkins
6:49 am
6:50 am
speaking to a crowd of supporters at the base of mount rushmore last night was the president. now, he didn't focus on the coronavirus pandemic. it's killed more than 129,000 americans to date. but he tailored his message to his base, warning that the country's history is under attack from what he calls far left fascism.
6:51 am
is that message resonating with the country at large is the question? and new poll from monmouth university has the president losing to joe biden by 12 points nationally. with nearly three quarters of voters saying the country is headed in the wrong direction. when it comes to handling the coronavirus, just 40% of americans say president trump is doing a good job. that number has been on a steady decline for the president since march. i spoke earlier with axios politics and white house editor margaret about it. >> what you're seeing in this poll and consistently in other polls is a real concern that the federal government has not handled this properly. and in this monmouth poll, you're seeing a couple other trends that track with this also the feeling, you know, that people are not taking the virus seriously enough. the virus -- the reopenings are happening too quickly and individual americans are not taking the individual steps they
6:52 am
need to do to protect their fellow citizens. and so, when you see the president messages mount rushmore in a crowd of thousands of people most of whom are not wearing masks, that does appeal to elements of his base, but the real question politically and there are major health questions as well, but the political question is, does this appeal anywhere outside of the president's base? the president is calculating what he must do is energize and turn out his base. but, nationally what you see in the polling trends is that a majority of the country is really, really concerned about the way the virus has been managed from the president's perspective. >> well, not only that, but an age group that really came out for him well in 2016, age 65 and up, now has former vice president biden at 59% with president trump at 38% new mexico compare that to just june, biden at 50% and president
6:53 am
trump had 46%, but then in 2016 it was clinton at 45% and trump with 52%. we're four months from an election, four months. how flexible are these numbers, do you think, margaret, depending on what happens over the next three or four months? >> yeah. the senior citizen's vote you mentioned is really striking and crucial for a couple reasons. but one is that former vice president biden has always been popular with seniors. if you look four years ago or five years ago when it was thought that he might be a candidate and then he didn't run in 2016, he led a hypothetical trump or hypothetical candidate trump back then with the senior vote. one is that biden has always been popular with this group, but two, the president's popularity has really declined. when you look at the monmouth numbers, 5 in 10 surveyed said their mind is made up they could not vote for president trump.
6:54 am
four in ten's mind is made up they could not vote for biden. the competition is in a pretty small sliver the middle. then it is about turnout. that's why you see president trump going back to the base again and again because it's really his only option. >> thank you so much to margaret talev there. 122 days until election day. we'll keep an eye on those numbers as it approaches. well, a lot of people are hoping for fun in the sun this weekend in a safe, socially distanced manner. but how many will have a chance for it really? your fourth of july forecast is just ahead.
6:58 am
6:59 am
allison, what can we expect today? >> good morning to both of you. yeah, we have a little bit of a mix. some areas will be incredibly hot but they'll have the sunshine. other areas maybe not as hot but they'll have stronger storms mixed in. let's take a look. the eastern half of the country, especially the southern cities, you are going to have some scattered showers thoorms. places like little rock, memphis, new orleans and atlanta looking at rain chances in the forecast. new york looks nice. farther out to the west the best chance for those strong to severe storms will be in the northern plains, places like rapid city and north, south dakota, montana all looking at the potential for some of those strong to severe thunderstorms. out to the west, seattle looks gorgeous. san francisco also very nice. however, down to the south las vegas, phoenix and tucson all going to be very hot. again, it is summer but keep in mind you have to stay hydrated today. if you have a chance to go out and see some firework displays tonight, some of the best cities look to be washington, d.c.,
7:00 am
chicago, new york and maybe even perhaps around dallas as well. so again, guys, the good news is here not everybody will be a washout, but we'll have a couple spots that may need to take an umbrella with them. >> appreciate it allison chinchar. thank you. the next hour of cnn "newsroom" starts right now. ♪ happy fourth of july. thank you for spending part of your saturday morning with us. we always appreciate you. i'm christi paul. >> i'm martin savidge in for victor blackwell. >> good to have you here. >> thanks. we're celebrating independence day in a way that is very different from anything we have seen before because we're doing so the middle of a pandemic. health experts say do not let your guard down this holiday weekend. >> yeah. the concern is the big gatherings, barbecues, beaches and of course to watch fireworks could increase the infection rate even
139 Views
IN COLLECTIONS
CNN (San Francisco)Uploaded by TV Archive on
![](http://athena.archive.org/0.gif?kind=track_js&track_js_case=control&cache_bust=510009457)