tv CNN Newsroom CNN September 25, 2020 12:00pm-1:00pm PDT
12:00 pm
>> announcer: this is cnn breaking news. >> hi there, i'm kate bolduan. thank you for joining us. wee start with breaking news. another sobering milestone for the country, the united states just passed a total of 7 million confirmed cases of the coronavirus. this, of course, is just days after we hit and passed 200,000 deaths in the country. nearly 1,000 americans were reported dead just yesterday from the virus.
12:01 pm
we cannot forget the scope and scale of this. despite this overwhelming scale of this virus and despite fears that a second wave is on the way, florida's republican governor just made a big announcement that he's lifting covid restrictions in a big way in his state. let's get straight to randi kaye in florida with all of the details. randi, what did the governor announce and why does he think it is safe now? >> reporter: he said that the threat has eased. he put it that simply. he thinks it is time to reopen. all of the businesses around the state, so he's lifting all restrictions on bars and restaurants and businesses statewide immediately. that means that restaurants are now in phase three, the state is in phase three so they could open to 100% capacity. this outside table is empty and people don't have to sit outside and right away they could sit inside up to 100% capacity. there might be a different
12:02 pm
approach here in south florida in doral and miami-dade and broward county, the three hardest hit, but he hasn't laid out what that is. and if a restaurant doesn't want to open to 100% capacity, they have to provide justification. so we'll see how that goes or what that means or will they in the end be forced to open to 100% capacity. and the other issue is the masks. the governor said around the state counties and local municipalities can no longer fine people for not wearing a mask in public. here in miami-dade there is a mask order in place and other counties in south florida. those fines are out of the window. the governor said that is not going to be allowed. if it does get bad he believes the state could handle it and believes there are enough hospital beds and thinks state is prepared. i want to point out the numbers while the governor is saying this. we see 700 throu,000 cases heree state of florida. 14,000 deaths in all. so the state is certainly not
12:03 pm
out of the woods. although new infections have been declined. but this is the governor's clois choice. he was said with the president last night in jacksonville and we know that the president is in favor of something like this and today the governor has come out and said the state of florida is open for business, kate. >> this is a dynamic change that is going to be taking place in florida. we can't understate that. randi, thank you for laying out the details. joining me now is the mayor of miami beach, dan gelbert, thank you for jumping on. what is your reaction to the executive order from the governor and what does it mean for miami beach? >> well, my county has had the second most number of covid infections in the country. so we're a hot spot. and the truth is, it is pretty obvious this is a political decision. it was clearly not intended to protect residents or our
12:04 pm
governor. i think our governor has tried to be as much like president trump as possible and i think he's trying to follow his game plan when it comes to the virus and which is to ignore mainstream science and doctors and go his own way. i think to the great detriment of our residents. >> the positivity rate is down from the high that we saw in the state. but it was very high back in july. we talked often about what was happening in your state. but you've been very even keeled with your messaging and trying to work with the state. i'm struck by how you're talking about this now. do you think the governor is putting people of florida in danger? >> listen, i have to tell you, we have 14,000 deaths in the state. and i tried very hard, you're correct, to work with everybody, because i think in a time of crisis the best thing is to work together but it is to the point of frustration. our contact tracing program is
12:05 pm
totally botched. and that is the governor's responsibility, not the local. it is a state agency. our reopening was totally botched and this entire time he keeps telling people that surely there is no need to wear a mask which is the one way you could open up the economy without affecting the economy. you don't need a capacity limit whether you're wearing a mask. it doesn't affect you. just wear it and i think what he's about it and not allow us to require people to wear masks where we've asked them to. my city has given out a thousand fines from people traveling and traveling to -- back to places they came from. so we're protecting more than just our own community, we're protecting other communities. it is going to make it very difficult and for the life of me, i don't know why he's politicized this but it is obvious to me that he has. >> look, mayor, i want to remind everybody, you were one of the first officials to act, one of the first cities to lockdown, and one of the first cities to put a mask mandate in place.
12:06 pm
these, now, we know from scientists, these are the basic ways and effective ways in terms of the masks i'm talking about, for protecting each other in the midst of a pandemic that is nowhere near over. for this executive order, the it looks right now, it looks like he's completely taking this out of your hands. he's not only not saying the state is not going to order you to do anything. he's saying the locals, you can't either. what are you going to do? >> listen, i have no idea. i mean, we've been trying to work with our hospitality industry. we love them and we've been -- and they've been terrific and we've been opening restaurants and trying to get them back on their feet but the thing that helped them was that we kept our positivity low because of the masks. by the way our positivity level is 4% or 5% and last time it was at 2%. so even though it is low, it is higher than it was. and after that reopening, when i think the governor really
12:07 pm
botched it up, we ended up having four or five times the number of deaths in the period after the reopening. so we know things can change dramatically and i think what the governor did is he assembled a group of cherry pick experts yesterday, i listened to the round table carefully. one of them said it is not as if a covid death is especially terrible. imagine that being said to the public. and where they argued against using masks and things like that. this is really just not the way to handle either health care or an economic crisis and i unfortunately, i don't think i can sort of be a good team member with everybody. i've got to just call it like it is, it is horrible and it is really going to kill peek. >> so what is your message to people coming to miami beach as it is back to normal, back to business, pre-covid, what is it. >> it is wear the damn mask,
12:08 pm
whether we fine you or urge you, we'll give you a free one. you have to go back to your community and there are people you may infect. do the right thing. we could open our economy up but we have to do it smartly and cautiously and the governor has just followed trump's lead which is to just say forget it, we're going to have rallies and tell everybody they could do whatever they want and that is kill -- we have 39 deaths today in dade county, in just my county. think about that. on any other day before this, that would have been a national story and today it is just another day. >> look, just for point of comparison, everybody, the state, florida is around 5% positivity, i think i have that right and the governor is saying you could open up. new york state is below and has been maintaining below 1% and the state has not yet opened up, like new york city they have not -- not doing fully open, 100% capacity in-person dining and not even going to that so
12:09 pm
point of comparison on where things are and how dramatic this announcement is coming from the florida governor. what would you say to the governor right now? >> i would say stop politicizing this. real people are dying. there is somebody's mother or daughter or spouse or best friend or co-worker, real people are dying every day. and we could open up our economy, tell people to wear the mask. don't worry what president trump is going to think. just tell them to do it. they could still go to a restaurant with a mask. they could still go shopping with a mask. make it mandatory. and people will be healthier. >> that is not the message we're hearing now for darn sure. mayor, thank you very much. wow. let me bring in dr. amy compton phillips from the providence health system. doctor, i would like to get your reaction as well. you heard the clear frustration that the mayor of miami beach is feeling. what do you think of this
12:10 pm
announcement from the governor in lifting these restrictions? >> well, i'm really disappointed that the governor is not looking to the science, is not looking at the data and what worked in other jurisdictions. we know that doing simple things that allow the economy to reopen, exactly as the mayor said, like wearing a mask, liken sure -- like ensuring we don't lose people and stop transmitk the virus that impacts people lives. so going against the science and opening everything up immediately with a still 5% positivity rate, there are going to be more deaths in florida than there need to be. i'm very disappointed. >> yeah. and the governor, just to add on to that, the governor announced he is expected to host a full super bowl. that is how he said it. that is in february. right now it is scheduled for february 7th. his reasoning, his argument was that he said that outside transmission is not a major
12:11 pm
factor. it is correct that being outside is much better than being inside. but hosting a full super bowl, if you will, what do you say to that? >> well, i know that outside is better than inside, being socially distant is better than being in large crowds, particularly where people let their inhibitions down because people are excited and yelling. so i think there is risk involved. what it feels like is it is a every person for themselves moment and every person has have figure out how to protect themselves because at moment the institutions aren't doing things to protect us. >> and dr. fauci just to remind everybody when he testified before congress said very clearly, we have to do this altogether. if there is a weak link in the clain, it impacts everyone and that includes states not following the guidelines and the science. i'm afraid that is exactly what
12:12 pm
we're looking at right now. doctor, thank you for coming on. >> thank you. coming next for us, we have more breaking news involving mail-in ballots. the united states postal service has reached a settlement in a major law enforcement and wh major lawsuit and what this means more ahead. not that mask. this mask. that's the visionworks difference. visionworks. see the difference. and at fidelity, you'll get planning and advice to help you prepare for the future, without sacrificing what's most important to you today. because with fidelity, you can feel confident that the only direction you're moving is forward. rakuten is free to sign up and it's in over 3,000 stores. i use it to buy makeup... travel... ...clothes, electronics to me, rakuten is a great way to get cash back on anything you buy. sign up today and get cash back with rakuten.
12:13 pm
you can't always stop rakfor a fingerstick.betesget cash back on anything you buy. with the freestyle libre 14 day system, a continuous glucose monitor, you don't have to. with a painless, one-second scan you can check your glucose with a smart phone or reader so you can stay in the moment. no matter where you are or what you're doing. ask your doctor for a prescription for the freestyle libre 14 day system. you can do it without fingersticks. learn more at freestylelibre.us. greetings mortal!p ] your journey requires liberty mutual. they customize your car insurance so you only pay for what you need. liberty power! wow. that will save me lots of money. ♪ you're insured! this game's boring. let's get tacos. only pay for what you need. ♪ liberty. liberty. liberty. liberty. ♪
12:15 pm
tonight, i'll be eating a veggie cheeseburger on ciabatta, no tomatoes.. [hard a] tonight... i'll be eating four cheese tortellini with extra tomatoes. [full emphasis on the soft a] so its come to this? [doorbell chimes] thank you. [doorbell chimes] bravo. careful, hamill. daddy's not here to save you. oh i am my daddy. wait, what? what are you talking about?
12:16 pm
with just 39 days until election day, the president is now not just teasing that he might not accept the results of the election, now it has moved even beyond that. the white house is now openly and publicly sowing doubt in the fbi in essentially saying that you can't trust the fbi when it comes to election security. here is the white house chief of staff this morning.
12:17 pm
>> with all due respect to director wray, he has a hard time finding emails in his own fbi let alone figuring out whether there is any kind of voter fraud. perhaps he needs to get involved on the ground and that he would change his testimony on capitol hill. >> just to be clear, this is what mark meadows is disputing. >> now, we have not seen historically any kind of coordinated national voter fraud effort in a major election, whether it is by mail or otherwise. >> that was the fbi director christopher wray under oath testifying before congress and the white house would like you to think he doesn't know what he's talking about. what is the impact of this? we're going to have to see. but breaking news moments ago as the president continued his attacks on mail-in voting. the u.s. postal service just reached a settlement in a lawsuit about election mail. terms of the settlement will
12:18 pm
require that the postal service offer priority election mail which means it would move through faster, come ago mid a massive surge of ballot requests across the country. we're seeing record interest is what we're finding. and a new cnn survey shows that voters have already requested more than 28 million ballots and another 43 million will be automatically mailed to voters. more than half a million ballots have already been cast in the dozen states that have reported numbers and data. let's get to kaitlan collins standing by. there is a ton to get to. i mean, sometimes after the president said something outrageous the white house will spend the following days cleaning it up. but what we heard from mark meadows today, that is not what is happening this time? >> reporter: and it is harder to clean something up when the president said it a second time as did he yesterday. when he was given another chance to say yes there could be a peaceful transfer of power and instead he stuck to his original
12:19 pm
position, not committing to guarantee there could be, one, something that we have not seen from any other u.s. president in modern history and now the chief of staff mark meadows go a step further in the interview this morning where he undermined the fbi director who has been tasked with following election fraud and said it is something that they take very seriously. and chris wray chose his words very carefully yesterday. in the clip, you could see he is reading from what appears to be prepared remarks as they have not seen any evidence of widespread voter fraud here in the u.s. and the chief of staff said he needs to go on ground in north carolina because they believe that would change his perspective and citing this case in pennsylvania that the department of justice now said they're investigating where they have these nine ballots that were discarded, seven of which were for trump and nine had to correct the statement on justice department website and that is out of the 6 million people we
12:20 pm
saw that voted in pennsylvania in 2016. and it is basically this culmination of the effort by the white house to sow doubt about what will happen in november when we know more people than ever are expected to vote by mail and that is something that is playing out in many different ways including with this lawsuit from the u.s. postal service that they just settled and now they're stitt wailing on formal approval from the judge. but if that does get approved it would require the usps to prioritize election mail, something that we know was a massive point of contention this year. just a few months ago really as people were talking about whether or not ballots would be safe in the mail and the president tried to cast doubt on that. there is one reason that the white house is worried is because they believe that democrats will outnumber republicans when it comes to voting by mail and one state of concern that they're looking at is north carolina. where over a million people have requested absentee ballots compared to the 90,000 that have done so at this point in 2016.
12:21 pm
and based on what our team has gathered from the data, kate, democrats are outnumbering republicans when it comes to that two to one. so it is a big concern for the white house that is going to affect the vote and of course that comes as the president himself is sowing doubt about whether he'll accept the results of that vote. >> it is dizzying the amount of things that are going on right now. people are voting as we speak. and we are now 39 days until election day. kaitlan, thank you. i appreciate it. let me get more perspective from dana bash. dana, if we have the chief of staff saying that the fbi director doesn't know what he's talking about when it comes to voter fraud or concerns over ballots and election fraud, do people need to start thinking of this quite differently, not if the election is going to be contested, but just when and how? >> absolutely. there is almost no question. frankly before this week, but it
12:22 pm
was cemented this week whereas kaitlan reminded us that the president said not once but twice in no uncertain terms that ballots could be from his perspective just discarded and he might not be okay with the peaceful transfer of power which is one of the fundamentals of any democracy, particularly the american democracy. and so what you heard from the chief of staff today was amplifying what the president said. the fact that he made it so personal and was so critical of the fbi director, who, as you mentioned the top, kate, was under oath and was testifying to congress, which was doing its over sight duty about the fbi's impression of whether or not there is fraud and the answer, as you heard, was there doesn't seem to be widespread fraud. and kate, what this is doing in
12:23 pm
practical terms, if you listen to what kaitlan just reported about north carolina for example, that early voting and requests for ballots are coming two to one democrats to republicans, it is not as if republicans in the trump campaign are not trying very hard to get people to vote early. they are. but it is not easy to do that when you have the candidate himself saying don't do it because it is riddled with fraud. >> that is exactly right. and laying out this argument that he's essentially the way the president is laying it out and has been for quite sometime is that he's the only one you could trust. that worked for him in 2016. are you seeing that it is working the same in 2020 when he is the president and he is the one that picked the fbi director? >> it certainly works with him with a certain segment of the population. >> right. >> and those who are the true believers, the fifth avenue
12:24 pm
crowd as we've kind of shorthanded this, meaning the people who he could still count on for support even if he went to fifth avenue and shot somebody. and if you kind of expand that to the echo chamber in conservative media, it is true that he still fancies himself as the disruptor of institutions, just despite the fact that he is president of the united states. and he is trying to -- there is no -- nothing opaque about it. it is not as if he's hiding what he's trying to do. he's doing it in broad daylight with the biggest, largest mega phone that he has because he is president of the united states saying don't trust the mail-in ballots and don't trust the mail or the elections and he's doing that in order to sow doubt so that when election day comes or maybe election month, depending on how long it takes, if he
12:25 pm
doesn't win, he can call it fraud, he can call it rigged, and he could cause serious disruption. even if there is no proof to what he is saying. he's laying the groundwork in front of our eyes. >> and you say it is so eloquently, dana. you don't even need to say it is thinly veiled. he's saying as he always has, that the quiet part out loud, very loud, very, very loud. it is great to see you. thank you. >> thanks, kate. so where the fight is going to be playing out if this is contested, it already is, not contested but where it is playing out is in the state. so let's go there. joining me now is virginia attorney general mark herring, thank you for coming on. i appreciate it. so everyone we have talked to about this in the past few days from members of congress to constitutional scholars, they say that if this scenario plays out where the president is not
12:26 pm
accepting defeat, it is going to play out in the states and end up in court and that brings this to you. have you considered the legal options that you have? >> well, first of all, our focus -- and what the president is saying is deeply disturbing. it is dangerous. and it is a threat to our very democracy. he thinks he is above the law and he is not. our primary focus is on making sure that we have a good, safe, secure election, making sure that people feel safe and comfortable and in voting, whether by mail or in person and that their vote is going to counts. but based on the president's words and his actions, we are starting to have conversations now about contingencies after the election and our primary focus is making sure that the election is good and the american people know that they could vote safely, securely,
12:27 pm
that their vote will count whether in person or by mail. but again, given what this president is saying, we are now starting to have some conversations about what are our options if the president does certain things after the election and we now have to start looking at those things. and i never would have thought in this country we would be having to have those conversations. b but, sadly, we are. >> i was going to say exactly that. i don't want people to miss the fact that this is -- we're living in unprecedented times but you, the attorney general of virginia, having to prepare for a legal fight over the president not accepting the outcome of the presidential election. it's remarkable to say. >> it is. but then again, there have been so many remarkable instances over the last three and a half years since this president has taken office. i never would have thought i would have gone into court
12:28 pm
having to get an injunction against the president's muslim ban and that is the first couple of weeks in office and it is gone on. we've had to litigate over the fair census and accurate census. what we thought the president would weaponize the postal service because he thinks americans voting by mail might hurt his re-election chances but these are things we've seen over and over again with this president and i've seen how when he said that he crossed constitutional boundaries or break well established democratic norms, well he usually does. and oftentimes when he's denies he's doing it, it turns out very often he is. so unfortunately these are things that we have to start to consider and as attorney general i want to make sure i'm prepared for whatever might come at us. but i also want to say clearly to all virginians and all
12:29 pm
americans, they could have assurance that their electoral system has integrity, that it is safe and it is secure and their vote will count whether cast in person or by mail. all americans need to know that they could have confidence in it, even if the president is trying to undermine people's confidence in it and sow seeds of doubt. we need to counter that with the truth, which is their votes will count and we could have confidence in our electoral system. >> and early voting started last week in virginia. and i want to ask you about something that happened this past weekend. you put out a warning, is how i get it, because of reports of potential voter intimidation at a polling site. you could talk to me about what happened in fairfax county this weekend and what does it mean for people that are going to be going to vote early in virginia today or tomorrow? >> well, we got reports that a group of trump supporters showed
12:30 pm
up at the polling site where people could vote in person, absentee, and there were reports that some voters felt threatened or felt intimidated. and so given that, i thought it was important to put a legal guidance out to let everyone know that there are laws, state and federal laws, that prohibit people from intimidating voters or threatening them and making sure that voters knew that there are laws to protect them. because voting is -- one of our most fundamental rights. it is a right and it is a civic duty. no one should feel threatened or intimidated when they vote. and i wanted to mike sure that the public knew that there are laws to protect them and i hope that type of conduct doesn't happen again but people need to know that depending on the circumstances it could be a crime and i hope that it doesn't come to that. i hope that people wouldn't engage in that kind of conduct.
12:31 pm
if it does, election officials have tools that they could use to make sure that people feel safe and comfortable and i wanted to make sure that virginians and americans know they could vote safely, securely, and without fear of intimidation and threats. >> mr. attorney general, thank you for coming on. i appreciate your time. >> thank you for having me. >> in four days, donald trump, joe biden will face off in the first presidential debate. our live coverage starts tuesday night at 7:00 eastern only on cnn. a moment of history today. the late justice ruth bader ginsburg achampion for equality becaming the first jewish american to lie in state capito for just a moment left and right, democrat and republican, the halls of government and the beauty of the opera that she loved so much. we'll show you some of it. may her memory be a blessing.
12:32 pm
12:33 pm
12:34 pm
but we removed the citrate buffers, there's less liquid, and a thinner needle... with less pain immediately following injection. ask your doctor about humira citrate-free. and you can use your co-pay card to pay as little as $5 a month. humira can lower your ability to fight infections. serious and sometimes fatal infections,... ...including tuberculosis, and cancers, including lymphoma, have happened,... ...as have blood, liver, and nervous system problems,... ...serious allergic reactions, and new or worsening heart failure. tell your doctor if you've been to areas where certain fungal infections are common... and if you've had tb, hepatitis b, are prone to infections,... or have flu-like symptoms or sores. don't start humira if you have an infection. ask your doctor about humira citrate-free. the same humira you trust with less pain immediately following injection. if you can't afford your medicine, abbvie may be able to help.
12:35 pm
12:37 pm
my plan expands affordable insurance options, reduces cost of prescription drugs, will end surprise medical billing, increases fairness through price transparency, streamlined bureaucracy, accelerated innovation, strongly protected medicare and always protects patients with pre-existing conditions. >> that was president trump last night announcing and signing an executive order he called his
12:38 pm
health care vision. the much promised yet never delivered health care plan that he's long said would replace obamacare. but here is how "the washington post" very accurately described the reality of it. after years of promising his own health care plan, trump settles for rebranding rather than repealing obamacare. so what is donald trump actually delivering here? yes, in the final sprint to an election, where health care is top of mind. joining me now is chris lu who served during the obama white house and now have the university of virginia miller center. thank you for being here. how would you describe what president trump announced yesterday? >> you know, after four years of promising a great health care plan, what donald trump signed yesterday functionally does nothing. it is very much like that big signing ceremony he did in august when he promised to provide economic relief and didn't do much of it at all.
12:39 pm
it is a photo on. it is a political gimmick to give the illusion of activity without doing anything. but most importantly it is a distraction and intended from the fact that his justice department is before the supreme court right now trying to repeal the affordable care act. and if that happens, 23 million people will lose health insurance, 130 million people with pre-existing conditions will lose that protection and nothing donald trump signed yesterday will restore the health care to the tens of millions of people or provide that protection. it is just a set of homework assignments that he gave to his cabinet to act on things. it is functionally nothing. >> it is hard to square and wrap our mind around it because he saider that in court, before the supreme court, it is going to be argued in november, at the same time last night he said that he's making it the law of the land through an executive order that people with pre-existing conditions are protected. it is already the law of the land. that is what is so mind-boggling
12:40 pm
about it. he also announced last night a $200 discount card for older americans to pay for prescription drugs through medicare, money that anyone who -- money to anyone right now is helpful. but six weeks before election day, what is this other than naked politics? >> well, it is naked politics. it is a political gymitimmick. from a program that hasn't been implemented and then essentially give rebate checks to seniors right before election day. look, this is no different than what he did earlier in the year when he insisted that stimulus checks have his signature on it. he wanted people to think that he's solving their health care problems. the truth of the matter is even if the money did exist, $200 doesn't cover the co-payments that most seniors are paying for drugs. health care experts would say this fundamentally doesn't change people's out of pocket
12:41 pm
cost or the problem of rising costs in health care. it is just another political gimmick. leaving aside the fact that he doesn't even have the authority to do this. the power of the purse sits squarely in congress's authority. >> there is the announcement and the signing ceremony and the reality in the details of digging in what it is. if the emperor is wearing any clothes or not whether it comes to this. thank you for coming on. still ahead, it looks like there will be college football after all. a major reversal from a major conference. an important message from medicare.
12:42 pm
fraudsters, they're out to get your medicare number so they can bill fake claims in your good name. don't give them that chance. just calling to confirm your medicare number. do you have your card available? for example, if the caller says they're from medicare, watch out. it's probably a scam. don't give out your card number. and always check your claims statements for errors. report fraudulent charges to 1-800-medicare. guard your card. learn more at medicare.gov/fraud.
12:43 pm
my wife and daughter had been killed in an automobile crash, and lying in the bed were my two little boys. i couldn't have imagined what it would've been like if i didn't have insurance to cover them immediately and fully. forty years later, one of those little boys, my son beau, was diagnosed with terminal cancer, given months to live. i can't fathom what would have happened if the insurance companies had the power to say, "the last few months, you're on your own." the fact of the matter is health care is personal to me. obamacare is personal to me. when i see the president of the united states try to eliminate this health care in the middle of a public health crisis, that's personal to me too. we've got to build on what we did because every american deserves affordable health care. i'm joe biden and i approve this message.
12:44 pm
we're all finding ways to keep moving. but how do we make sure the direction we're headed is forward? at fidelity, you'll get the planning and advice to prepare you for the future, without sacrificing the things that are important to you today. we'll help you plan for healthcare costs, taxes and any other uncertainties along the way. because with fidelity, you can feel confident that the only direction you're moving is forward. is now a good time enough, crohn's. because with fidelity, you can feel confident for adults with moderate to severe crohn's or ulcerative colitis, stelara® can provide relief, and is the only approved medication to reduce inflammation on and below the surface of the intestine in uc.
12:45 pm
you, getting on that flight? back off, uc. stelara® may increase your risk of infections, some serious, and cancer. before treatment, get tested for tb. tell your doctor if you have an infection, flu-like symptoms, sores, new skin growths, have had cancer, or if you need a vaccine. rpls, a rare, potentially fatal brain condition, may be possible. some serious allergic reactions and lung inflammation can occur. lasting remission can start with stelara®. if you've been financially impacted by covid-19, janssen may be able to help.
12:46 pm
a college football season that was a no-go a couple months ago is now back on in a big way. the pac-12 just announced thursday it will play a seven game season starting in november, reversing the decision to cancel the season or push off the season over concerns about playing through the pandemic. this decision now means all power, all of the power five conferences are taking the field. so what changed? joining me now is michael shell, the president of the university of oregon, the chair of the pac-12 ceo group. thank you for coming back on. what was -- what has changed from when we spoke six weeks ago and you were pushing off the season? >> right, so what we were doing was we were postponing the season until january. but what the reasons why we made that decision six weeks ago were two-fold. one, there were rules and regulations in many of the
12:47 pm
areas, in particular in california and oregon, that prohibits us from even having contact practice. those rules and regulations now no longer exist and so we're now able to move ahead with a football season. but that was just removing the barrier. the most important thing was that we were able to get daily covid-19 testing. and we didn't have that at that point. so we weren't able to sufficiently, at least we didn't feel we were able to sufficiently to protect the health and welfare of our students. and our medical advisory board with some of the best doctors in the country were advising us at that point that we shouldn't go forward and now they're advising us it is safe and responsible for us to be able to do that. >> so at least, let's take a look, at least 21 college football teams have had to con se
12:48 pm
-- had to cancel or postpone games. there is a chance that could happen to you. is it worth it? >> so, you know, that is a really great question. one is we're going to be watching, so by improving the season, that doesn't mean we're going to stop watching what is going on and caring about what is going on. if we see that this moves in a direction that is trouble some, that would be affecting health and safety, then we'll just close it down. but we think we could control what is happening. we think with daily testing we could protect our students and make the season go. now, is it worth it? so i think if you were with me this week, i met with two groups of student athletes. and i talked to them. and i think if you were sitting there with me, you would understand it is worth it. it's really worth it to them. it is -- this is what they've trained for. this is what they've dreamt of.
12:49 pm
and if we can do this safely, and we could protect them, then not doing this would be a horrible tragedy for them. and so i think in that sense it's worth it. but i also think, in many of our communities, football as well as basketball, provide a rallying place, a place for people to come together. and we're finding in our worlds right now things are pretty grim. >> but president -- >> this is an opportunity to rally around the school and the community. >> sorry for the overlap. i want to ask you really quick, because you know the question is raised, often, is this about money over anything else? >> okay, not at all. and i want to be extremely emphatic about that. in our discussions, not once, swear to god, not once has anyone mentioned money as the
12:50 pm
reason for making the move to come now, partly that the reason behind that is safety and welfare is the number one consideration. partly, the amount of money for six games is relatively small next to the really horrific losses that many of our athletic programs are taking right now. so it wouldn't be enough to move any dial even if we weren't committed to health and safety. but we are. >> president, i always appreciate you coming on and your candor. thank you very much. >> thank you. be safe. >> you as well. still ahead for us, strong words from the mother, emotional words from the mother of breonna taylor today saying that she now has no faith in the legal system anymore. managing your diabetes can be hard.
12:51 pm
the freestyle libre 14 day system... - a continuous glucose monitor - ...makes it easy. easy to check your glucose without fingersticks, and easy to share your data with your doctor. and for those who qualify, the freestyle libre 14 day system, is also covered by medicare. ask your doctor for a prescription. you can do it without fingersticks. learn more at freestylelibre.us
12:53 pm
wednesday not to charge anyone directly in her death. and in an emotional news conference, the family demanded the release of transcripts from the grand jury proceedings and condemned the kentucky attorney general for the decision to only charge one officer with wanton endangerment. that was for randomly shooting and risking lives of taylor's neighbors. the family saying the attorney general and the system failed breonna. her mother was tearful and unable to speak. so her sister read a message on her behalf. >> i was reassured wednesday of why i have no faith in the legal system, in the police, in the law, they are not made to protect us black and brown people. but when i speak on it, i'm considered an angry black woman. but know this, i am an angry black woman. cameron alone didn't fail her. but it ended with the lack of investigation. the officer who told a lie to obtain the search warrant failed her. the judge who signed the search warrant failed her.
12:54 pm
the terrorists who broke down her door failed her. the system as a whole has failed her. >> many more protests in support of breonna taylor and her family and demanding justice are planned. still ahead for us, the president is taking new steps to undermine confidence in the election, and even the fbi isn't safe. that's ahead. but first cnn heroes salutes new jersey native greg daly. he's had a newspaper route in his hometown for 25 years. and when the pandemic hit he realized how many of his sisters couldn't go shopping. so, he took it upon himself. >> i delivered to three adult communities. a lot of people in there who are compromised. so i put a note to all 800 of my customers. i'm happy to go shop for it and deliver it to your home for free. i've met just an unbelievable amount of beautiful, wonderful people. it's honestly amazing how grateful they are.
12:55 pm
my pleasure. if you need anything else moving forward, please give me a call. take care of yourself. good night. >> for more on greg's story, go to cnnheroes.com. cnn heroes, brought to you by subaru, love, it's what makes subaru, subaru. and by cisco. the bridge to possible. far. (young woman) don't worry about it, grandma! this'll be fun. (young woman) two chocolate milkshakes, please. (grandmother) make it three. (young woman) three? (grandmother) did you get his number? (young woman) no, grandma! grandma!! (grandmother) excuse me! (young woman vo) some relationships get better with time. that's why i got a crosstrek. (avo) ninety-seven percent of subaru vehicles sold in the last ten years are still on the road. (grandmother) i'm so glad you got a subaru. (young woman) i wonder who gave me the idea? (avo) love. it's what makes subaru, subaru. okay, give it a try. between wisdom and curiosity, there's a bridge.
12:56 pm
between ideas and inspiration, trauma and treatment. gained a couple of more pounds. that's good for the babies. between the moments that make us who we are, and keeping them safe, private and secure, there's webex. ♪ ♪ beautiful. you know when your dog is itching for an outing... or itching for some cuddle time. but you may not know when he's itching for help... licking for help... or rubbing for help. if your dog does these frequently. they may be signs of an allergic skin condition that needs treatment. don't wait. talk to your veterinarian and learn more at itchingforhelp.com. did you know that some aluminum- free deodorants only mask odor? secret aluminum free helps eliminate odor instead of just masking it.
12:57 pm
12:58 pm
12:59 pm
and he's selling out america to big corporations. i'm working to protect immigrants, women, communities of color, and lgbtq people. and i'm making corporations like pg&e and insurance companies play by our rules. we need experienced leadership to wipe away trump's stain on america for good. "the lead" with jake tapper
1:00 pm
up next on cnn. this is cnn breaking news. >> and welcome to "the lead." i'm jake tapper. we begin with some breaking news on the u.s. supreme court. president donald trump intends to choose amy coney barrett to be the new supreme court justice according to multiple senior republican sources with knowledge of the process. judge barrett is a federal judge and notre dame law professor with a conservative record. she's also a former law clerk to the late justice antonin scalia. pamela, what are you learning? >> reporter: jake, my colleague and i have learned that president trump intends to choose amy coney barrett to be the new supreme court justice. this is according to multiple senior republican sources with knowledge of the process. now, in conversations with some senior republican allies on the hill, the white house has indicated, suggested that barrett is the
383 Views
IN COLLECTIONS
CNN (San Francisco) Television Archive Television Archive News Search Service The Chin Grimes TV News ArchiveUploaded by TV Archive on