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hello and welcome to viewers in the united states and arnl the world, i'm michael holmes. comeling up on "cnn newsroom," the georgia school where this viral photo was taken is closed to clean for coronavirus. in beirut, family search for a loved one following the deadly warehouse explosion. and as countries around the world struggle to keep the coronavirus numbers down, one nation stands out. we look at how new zealand managed to go 100 days without a single local infection of the virus. ♪ 5 million coronavirus cases

and counting, the u.s. crossing that milestone on sunday, a mere 17 days after hitting the 4 million mark, and more than doubling the number of cases since the beginning of the last month. these are just cases we know about of course. you can see how quickly the infections are spreading when compared to earlier in the pandemic. it took the u.s. 99 days to reach 1 million cases back in late april. latest total also means the united states is home to about a quarter of all covid-19 infections worldwide, and nearly a quarter of the fatalities. by far the most. now since july 21st, there have been only four days when the u.s. did not report more than 1,000 deaths. but none of that was enough to halt a huge biker event in south dakota. 80th annual sturgess rally goes

through the 16th, and fear it could turn into another super spreader event. very few masks in sight as you see. in french capital, better cover up. parisian authorities requiring all over 11 to wear a face mask. those caught bare-faced could be fined $160. in brazil the president once again blasting lockdowns and the media after his country surpassed 100,000 covid-19 deaths over the weekend. jair bolles narrow blasting the media. telling students to stay home.

high school reported nine cases of covid-19 among students and staff after a student tweeted that image showing her classmates in a crowded school hallway between classes, few wearing masks. sunday the superintendent told parents classes would be online for second week while cleaning takes place. >> reporter: the superintendent's letter announcing that students should stay home monday and tuesday come about a day after the principal told families six students and three staff members have tested positive for covid-19. district already planned three days in class, two days at home for first week. now extending virtual learning for monday and tuesday as the district disinfects the campus and consults with the local health department how to proceed

in coming days. superintendent told families they would receive notification by tuesday on what happens after that. here's hannah waters, student who got into some amount of trouble when she posted a photo of a crowded hallway last week, that circulated the internet, showing students close together, many not wearing masks. >> fact we already have nine cases just at end of that week is concerning. even then we don't know how many people those nine people came in contact with, how many are not taking tests yet and don't know and come back this week too. it's going to spread like wildfire in that cold. >> reporter: it's not only one in the metro atlanta area, cherokee county 260 students and staff are quarantined after some tested positive in first week of school. in gwinnett county, teachers doing prep work inside the

buildings, 260 in that district are quarantining or have tested positive for covid-19 as well. natasha chen, cnn, atlanta. britain's prime minister pushing to reopen schools by september, saying quote it's morally irresponsible to keep them closed. government pledging more than a billion dollars to help students catch up. but comes on the heels of recent study revealing that u.k. could see second coronavirus wave this winter if schools reopen without stricter testing system. in israel, students returned in may after two months. looked like right decision at the time but they've learned incredibly hard lessons that the world could listen to. ellio

elliott reports. >> reporter: from teacher's pet to near bottom of the class. israel now grappling with one of the world's worst covid outbreaks. this one are a big reason why. head of the jerusalem parent/teacher association. >> a kid is a super spreader, because of it we have 150 kids infected, 25 teachers. it's a huge school, 1,200 students with brothers and sisters all around jerusalem. we have 25 schools closed. >> reporter: soon after school reopened, had to close again. all students and staff went into quarantine but almost certainly too late. about half of all israeli coronavirus cases in june as the second wave began could be

traced to school outbreaks. >> i think israel got too optimistic when it saw the numbers declining. >> reporter: professor gabi is one of the leading experts. plans to reopen schools after summer is not good. >> new infections per day, it is impossible to open by 1st of september if it doesn't come down. >> reporter: government is having none of it. we are determined to start the school year in 25 days time. i want to make it clear though, not everything will be perfect. with corona, it is not possible to have full study program for everyone. plan is for children up to grade two to do as usual. capped 18 per room and grade

five, learning split between school and home, most of the teaching expected online. that assumes the plan goes ahead. israel's dilemma is shared by many others. reopen schools after summer and risk covid surge, or keep kids at home and risk harming their education and reeling economy, no easy solution. extended summer recess could be on the cards. joining me now, dr. jha, doctor of pediatrics at new york medical college. appreciate your time and expertise. a lot of parents -- we all agree kids should be in school, for some children it's where they get nutrition as well. given the spread of covid in the united states, what is the right time for school district to reopen the classroom? what is the point?

>> sure. i think we all agree that school is the ideal place to nurture children from educational, social and emotional standpoint, but we really have to understand while we're pursuing that goal, we really have to balance that with the risk of spreading covid-19. so when people say what is the right time to open schools, a common question all pediatricians are getting, there's no specific right time. i think what you can do is create i group of factors and take them into condition consideration in deciding. you need a low positivity rate. low levels of circulating disease in your community. you need widespread testing so you know the positivity rate is accurate. you also need a school environment conducive to public health measures that we know work like social distancing.

>> such common sense things but in many cases that's not happening. covid positive rate in georgia is around 11% and schools are reopening. infections are spreading. there was photograph of crowded hallways that made the news lately at a high school here in georgia, and school is now shut down for a couple of days because of the spread. cdc and w.h.o. are saying 5% positivity rate. other question i guess is how does a school, operation-wise, realistic put into play the sensible guidelines you outline? >> that's really going to be based on discussions with teachers, local public health officials and the parents themselves. here in new york we're using also that 5% benchmark, our current positivity rate is a little less than 1%, so the governor has given each school

district the green light to reopen if regionally the level remains low. how you specifically implement that is based on each individual district. every district has different number of students and different school where the ability to space students out varies. >> this past week donald trump said children are quote, basically immune, from coronavirus. while the w.h.o. warned that infected are starting to skew younger and numbers show more young people getting infected. academy of american pediatrics says cases rose 40% first half of july to second half in kids. what potential for spread is there in schools when kids are clearly getting infected? >> sure, a couple of things we do know about the virus in children as opposed to in adults. but we need to understand that

understanding local disease rates and local epidemiology is crucial. if you're in a place where disease rates are spiking or rising steadily, it really should give local administrative officials pause and cause real concern whether or not the school should reopen. >> i did want to ask you something else. reading up on your background, lot of your work, part of it, in immunization, when and if a vaccine comes along, how concerned are you that people won't take it? there is after all a sizeable antivaccine movement, particularly in the u.s. it's tough to get people to take their flu shot, let alone this. >> this is going to be a major concern. news reports that say half to two-thirds of people will accept coronavirus vaccination. which leaves a large portion of the population unimmunized.

that's not a very effective public health strategy for a vaccine expected to be at best 75% to 80% effective. that means we're not going to be able to relax public health protective measures even if there is widespread vaccination. also means there's going to need to be a widespread public health education campaign across the country so people really understand the importance of getting vaccinated. >> dr. shah, i really appreciate it. thank you so much. >> thank you. when we come back, hong kong, big arrest after the new security law. search for survivors in beirut, ongoing but hope fading. one family's story when we come back. i'm leah and that's me long before

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police in hong kong have arrested media mogul and democracy proponent jimmy lai along with six other people under the controversial new national security law.

police say lai is suspected of ko colluding with foreign forces. joining me live from hong kong, this is a high profile arrest, in media industry having chills right now. is it more message sent than supposed offense? >> reporter: there is one activist who said this is the beginning of hong kong media blackout. to see police in a newsroom of a news outlet that has been a critic of the beijing govern and mainland, to see police there, gathering evidence, including where stories are worked on at the moment that could be about the government and whatnot, very concerning. person who owns the whole operation is jimmy lai, billionaire, outspoken, unafraid, he has said to cause

trouble, speak his mind and support his publication, which even went so far -- the newspaper printed out posters to cut out and bring to the antigovernment, prodemocracy rallies last year. now he's targeted, one of at least seven people arrested under the law, huge concerns for what it means for freedom of the press in hong kong. >> how has life changed in hong kong kong for ordinary hong kongers? >> reporter: biggest change, no more protests, reason is pinned on the pandemic right now, groups of larger than two are banned right now. but chilling effect of national security law, penalties ranging from three years to life in prison for grave offenses. possibility of police entering your home without a search

warrant issued by judge or using past social media posts used against you if you're accused of a crime, it's a chilling effect on those coming out to demonstrate. long-term implications, news outlets foreign-based remain or leave like the "new york times," already moving staffers to seoul, that we have to watch and see. >> extraordinary times. will ripley in hong kong, appreciate it, thanks. most senior american official to visit taiwan has met with the president. the trump administration's quote strong support for taiwan, praising incredibly effective response to the coronavirus, and has been hugely successful. china claims the island as part

of its territory. protests across belarus, when big victory to alexander eushenkko. thousands unleashing fury in the capital of minsk and elsewhere. he's faced a wave of anger at handling of the coronavirus pandemic and the economy. but state-approved exit polls gave him overwhelming 80% of the vote. main opponent, former teacher, won nearly 7% in the state figures. one independent agency disputes that finding and they say she

won 80%. angry protesters on the streets of beirut a second day, clashing with police as they demand entire government stepped down. more than 300,000 people homeless after the massive explosion. number still missing and families desperate for answers. with more on that, must be be so difficult for those people. what did you find? >> reporter: michael, it's absolutely heartbreaking, especially because these families are trying to wrap their minds around the size of this explosion. and desperate for any sort of news for their loved one. of course the likelihood of that became more difficult as days went on. but we met one family just as they were trying to put together the clues and search for their missing loved one.

michelle hasn't slept in three days, neither has her sister-in-law with whom she shares the same name and love for joe, husband and brother. struggles to form words in arabic, never mind in english. joe is a technician at the port. this is the last video she got from him tuesday night. minutes later entire building he was filming would explode. jennifer, joe and michelle's oldest child was in beirut. >> she heard the explosion, start shouting, this is my dad's -- >> reporter: she knew that's where her dad worked?

the entire family was frantic. calling joe nonstop. >> at night, opened phone for 21 seconds, heard deep voices, that's what he said. and then nothing. >> reporter: another call also seemed to have gone through wednesday for 43 seconds but there was silence on the other end. he must be alive, they thought, they have to get to him. joe is strong, clever, would have figured out a way to save himself. combed through videos shot by others from other angles, looking for clues to give teams locations to search. you think that's joe in one of these people? >> of course. that we are sure. filming from here. >> building right in front of the grain silo, that's now buried.

they had hope, there's operations room underground, they heard bunkers. three bodies pulled out, not joe, maybe he's deeper in, somehow still alive. >> we have to keep searching. >> reporter: michelle was born in the u.s., children have american passports, joe was about to get his visa. now seems like a different reality. >> he loves life in every detail. he wanted to go to america because it's better for jennifer, for future but not for him. >> reporter: trying to shield children from their grief. jennifer doesn't know daddy is mission. joy is thankfully too young to fully understand. maybe they will never have to tell the girls their daddy is dead. that night the fourth after the

explosion, crews were searching around the clock. searching the area where the family believed joe would be found, clinging to hope he would still somehow be alive. at 4:00 a.m. they sent us a heartbroken message. joe's body had been found. and that pain that family is going through, and similar pain felt by so many across this city, that's not the sort of thing that anyone can be expected to just brush away and soldier on from. this population here, they need to know that their future is going to be better than their past. everyone we're talking to believes only way to accomplish that is to completely and entirely change those in power and the system of governance. >> the loss magnified by the fact, as you reported, this

should not have happened. arwa damon in beirut, great reporting, thank you. president donald trump going along and taking a victory lap over his virus relief plan. we'll discuss coming up. (neighbor) whatcha working on... (burke) oh, just puttering, tinkering... commemorating bizarre mishaps that farmers has seen and covered. had a little extra time on my hands lately. (neighbor) and that? (burke) oh, this? just an app i've been working on. it's called signal from farmers, and it could save you up to fifteen percent on your auto insurance. simply sign up, drive and save. but i'm sure whatever you've been working on is equally impressive. ♪ we are farmers. bum-pa-dum, bum-bum-bum-bum ♪ walk to end alzheimer's alzheis everywhere.tion all of us are raising funds for one goal: a world without alzheimer's and all other dementia. because this disease isn't waiting, neither are you. go to alz dot org slash walk.

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benefits, don't have eviction protections, either. >> the real collateral damage is the million of americans who have southeastern key benefits and elections expire at the end of july. we knew there were going to be problems from the get-go, within the republican party, itself, we saw points of contention. one of the big issues is the enhanced benefit program that's seen an extra $600 in the hands of unemployed americans. that's normal and above the state benefits we've seen coming to the fore. when talks actually fell apart on friday president trump intervened by issuing executive orders and saying he wants to scale back that enhanced benefit

to $400 a week. now we're talking about devil being in the detail, of course, who's going to be paying for this cash-strapped states are going to have to pay the 25% of that new enhanced benefit. that's going to be a really big problem. we already know there are going to be legal challenges here with regards to these executive orders. the realities are going to be about those eviction protections. again, loopholes in the language that doesn't actually create a blanket protection for vulnerable people. >> yeah, there's just so much. i mean, there was the promised payroll tax holiday, too, even most republicans aren't in favor of, "a," it doesn't help this situation, "b," payroll tax funds social security and medicare. >> exactly. look, this was on president trump's wish list initially then it was taken up. now he's found a way to get it back into question. when i look at the macro perspective, democrats talking about an over $3 trillion stimulus package, have republicans talking about $1

trillion. the points of diversions are enormous. to find consensus is going to really hard. it's about education, it's about the enhanced benefit as well. so getting to the table means both sides are going to have to find a way to look at the the unemployment figure in the united states is yes, getting better, but definitely not quick enough. we're still at higher point than in the global financial crisis, talking about covid-19 cases, in many cases derailing reopening or reversing the reopening the businesses. we're not out of the woods, yet, michael, stimulus is vital. >> hard to brag about job gains coming off such a low base. we'll talk again later. joining me now, ron

brownstein, cnn senior analyst. executive orders. is this a president who thinks he has vast new powers to use? speak to the legality of president making such decisions. >> this president says the constitution says i can do whatever i want. as is always the case, there is less than meets the eye in the executive orders. eviction protection is aspirational, and the payroll tax is fascinating. president can't unilaterally cut the payroll tax, he's deferring the collection of it. unless congress passes legislation down the road, all americans would be doing is delaying paying of it. for some might be a benefit but ultimately they have to pay it next year. real meaning of what's happening, republicans in congress who raised the roof and

said the constitution was being lit on fire when barack obama used executive orders, particularly in second term in providing legal status to young people brought here illegally by their parents, they are with a few noted exceptions not raising an eyebrow about this. as with the diversion of funds to build the border wall earlier, they're setting a precedent it's highly likely the next democratic president will be more than likely to exploit. >> and republicans won't have the gall to criticize given what's going on with this president. payroll tax funds social security and medicare. there's an election coming on, want to annoy older voters? there you go. >> the ultimate impact sun

unclear. may be just deferring but president says he wants to permanently forgive them. that provides democrats enormous opening to say with justification, if he gets his way, he's endangering the funding for social security and medicare. most important change in the electorate since 2018 has been movement away from the president among older voters, largely because of the coronavirus. in 2018, white color, college-aged voters, that problem is remaining, now there's additional problem with seniors not there in 2018. combined with the problems he's always had with younger voters and nonwhite voters, precocious position right now. >> moving from him, presumably moving to joe biden.

handicap the vp pick, best fit and how he's handled this. >> he's handled this process very poorly. gives democrats a lot of anxiety about some of his ability to navigate the very complex environment he will face if he wins in november. one thing that's striking about this process, you've had a lot of old white men in the democratic party criticizing young, nonwhite women as part of the process. chris dodd, former senator who biden inexplicably has put near center of the process and ed rendell, have been critical of kamala harris and other potential choices. i think the vice president has not shown the decisiveness he needs here. having said that, i would be surprised if he did not pick an african-american woman. i know there's interest in

gretch gretchen whitner and elizabeth warren but strong turnout is big for him. so many african-american women in consideration, if he passes over all of them would look conspicuous. in the end, you would say karen bass has shown herself -- congresswoman from california, not sufficiently vetted for national ticket. susan rice, good chemistry with, but expertise is foreign policy and this is not about foreign policy. i think he ends up where he started, logical pick is kamala harris, senator from california and former presidential candidate. >> indeed. you put it well, end of the day, politics in america, all white guys. well put, ron brownstein, thanks very much. >> thanks for having me, michael. last year white house aides

asked south dakota's governor about the process of adding the president to mt. rushmore according to the "new york times." when president trump visited south dakota for a fourth of july celebration, the governor reportedly gave him a small replica with his face added. mentioned having face added to the carving in rally in ohio. senior adviser told cnn that this is a serious time and someone may have gotten ahead of themselves talking about that. big business of marijuana doesn't stop because of a pandemic. how the pot industry is flourishing in the u.s., coming up after the break. to severe ps or psoriatic arthritis, little things can become your big moment. that's why there's otezla. otezla is not an injection or a cream. it's a pill that treats differently. for psoriasis, 75% clearer skin is achievable,

with reduced redness, thickness, and scaliness of plaques. for psoriatic arthritis, otezla is proven to reduce joint swelling, tenderness, and pain. and the otezla prescribing information has no requirement for routine lab monitoring. 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.

♪ ♪ ♪

for 37 years we have been fighting for survivors of child sex abuse. even in these uniquely challenging times we're still fighting with dedication and devotion. california law gives survivors a chance to take legal action, but only for a limited time. if you were sexually abused by a priest, scout leader, coach or teacher contact us confidentially today. it's time. even after the coronavirus pandemic sent the u.s. economy into a tailspin, demand for one product has not gone down,

skyrocketing marijuana sales in one state. >> reporter: in illinois, pot is paying off. eight months after the state legalized recreational marijuana, business is booming in part because of the global pandemic. welcome inside sunnyside. after the opening became the largest licensed dispensary. customers have been stopping by for help dealing with the stress and anxiety felt by many americans due to covid-19. >> kind of puts me into meditative state, actually. >> reporter: for joshua, the occasional joint helps ease concerns about the pandemic and the economic crisis hitting families like his. >> when the pandemic hit, everybody started losing their jobs. i was victim of that. i really think this has helped

deal with some of that emotional. >> economic issues due to covid and helped you at least take a moment -- >> and relax, know everything is going to be all right, we'll get through this. >> reporter: medical experts say smoking marijuana can increase the risk for covid complications but the demand is high. >> they're suffering. symptoms of anxiety and depression, having trouble sleeping. cannabis has been known to be alternative for that. >> reporter: trying to normalize pot products. working with constant stream of socially distant customers. >> looking to take the edge off, low dose gummy, two milligrams, good place to start. >> reporter: high is temporary but financial benefit for the state and city can be long

lasting. according to state statistics, legal cannabis sales have been steadily rising. $61 million worth of product while other retail sectors took a financial hit. >> those municipalities who said they want a cannabis retailer are thankful they did. generating tax revenue locally and for the state. >> reporter: revenue exceeded $52 million, 35% of that supposed to go back into local governments. >> municipalities across the state are seeing stores like this and realizing they made okay decision. tax benefit is ancillary, getting a tax benefit to help with the issues they're having. >> reporter: may be too soon to tell how much the pandemic is affecting marijuana sales in illinois, just became legal in january, but many are hoping that pot will be the life

preserver to keep local economies afloat in the covid-19 crisis. cnn, chicago. next on "cnn newsroom," a rare success story, what did new zealand do right? can the country keep it going? ♪ book two separate qualifying stays and earn a free night. the open road is open again. and wherever you're headed, choice hotels is there. book direct at choicehotels.com.

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now, thanks to strict lockdown measures and other preventative steps, new zealand has made it over 100 days without a single locally transmitted case of the coronavirus. now the country is one of the safest places in the world from the pandemic. photo op at a grocery store, chatting with shoppers, playing with baby. picture of success for prime minister jacinda adern. a rare accomplishment in a world struggling to contain infection

rates but one she won't take for granted. >> 100 days doesn't change anything for new zealand, doesn't make it less likely. we'll still having to manage the borders very carefully. >> something new zealand has done from the start. confirmed case february 28, moved quickly to stop the spread. >> we must go hard and early. do everything we can to protect the health of new zealanders. >> within weeks, closed its borders, imposed nationwide lockdown and began a rigorous system of testing and contact tracing. kept the death toll to 22. some say it was easier to contain here, since it's remote island nation with population of just 5 million. problem now for new zealand is prevent a flare-up, which countries like vietnam and australia are facing.

in victoria, the capital melbourne is on lockdown after second wave of the virus, 17 deaths reported sunday. some people not obeying the quarantine. >> rules are there for all of us. no victorian has the right to say i think i can do something no one else can. you've got to follow the rules. >> rules that have worked in new zealand, almost all restrictions have been lifted for coronavirus. thanks for watching "cnn newsroom," spending part of your day with me, don't go anywhere, i'll be back with another hour of news after the break. if you have moderate to severe psoriasis or psoriatic arthritis, little things can become your big moment. that's why there's otezla. otezla is not an injection or a cream.

it's a pill that treats differently. for psoriasis, 75% clearer skin is achievable, with reduced redness, thickness, and scaliness of plaques. for psoriatic arthritis, otezla is proven to reduce joint swelling, tenderness, and pain. and the otezla prescribing information has no requirement for routine lab monitoring. 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. (burke)eighbor). oh, just puttering, tinkering... commemorating bizarre mishaps that farmers has seen and covered. had a little extra time on my hands lately.

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i'm w. kamau bell, this episode of "united shades of america" about the gig economy was filmed in 2019, only intensified by covid-19. about a third of people working in gig economy were doing it as primary source of income, and most were people of color. due to covid-19, we've come to rely even more on gig workers to keep us going. we love to call them heroes but are we treating them like heroes? owners are getting richer every day, they're now eligible for