all of this happening this week as the marion county sheriff billy woods issued not only saying that his deputies didn't have to wear masks, but they can't wear masks, except for a few simple exceptions like being in court or being in a hospital or a school. his deputies and some 900 employees are barred from wearing masks. all of this is happening as the city of ocala, which is where the sheriff's office is located passed a mask ordinance on businesses here. they tried it once, and the mayor vetoed it, and then they overrode that veto by a 4-1 vote, putting in a very simple mask ordinance. a third time violation would only carry a $25 fine. we don't know exactly, other than what the sheriff has put in that memo to his employees, we don't know exactly his reasoning, he's declined nbc's request for an interview. however, kerry sanders did speak with the ocala mayor, to find out why he originally vetoed the mask ordinance here. >> i don't oppose wearing masks. but just the government mandating that you, you, you have to wear a mask, you can have a protest and be out there with no mask.

marion county sheriff billy woods is prohibiting his deputies from wearing masks at work and visitorso the sheriff's office, too. while there are exceptions, including jails, hospitals or dealing with suspected covid patients, the sheriff says the policy is to "ensure there is clear exhume case and for identification purposes." the move comes after the county's largest town, ocala, recently passed a mandate, but the mayor vetoed it. the cdc says face masks -- which stop droplets of saliva -- are a front line defense against the spread of covid-19. researchers from duke university used lasers to better visualize how well different masks stop those droplets. >> surgical mask, trial one. go. >> stay healthy, people. >> reporter: the more particles visible in the light, the less effective the mask. though they only ran the test once, their study found the fitted n-95 mask, the surgical mask and the poly-cotton mask did best. >> this one here is fleece. you see lots of little particles. >> reporter: researchers said the fleece gaiter they tested actually resulted in tinier particles being

billy wood's ban comes as the county hit a high in deaths.od says he is banning the masks in the interest of clear communication and so that visitors can be heard. he signs off as be safe. >> a kansas prison going into a lockdown. a rising positivity rate in chicago. we have all of the latest developments. >> reporter: i'm omar jimenez in chicago. there are concerns here in illinois among health officials over what has been a rise in the daily number of coronavirus cases that have been reported. this comes within the framework of what has been near record testing with overall deaths on the decline. the worry here is that cases could then lead to hospitalizations which could then lead to more deaths. here in chicago the positivity rate is right at about 5%. it's the number where officials feel broadly in control. however, that's a number that's seen steady increases as of late. if that number gets up to 8%, that's when officials say they have to start imposing more restrictions. >>> i'm stephanie ee lum in los angeles. california announcing mo

i know billy woods, he's a friend of mine. we're in a local leadership class together. he's a great heart and a really great sheriff. this situation in particular seems to tough to me. we're completely on opposite ends when it comes to masks. we had a city council meeting three weeks ago when we first introduced a city ordinance to require face coverings, a really gentle ordinance compared to other folks around us. you know, that meeting kind of got the rhetoric that there's zero evidence that masks work, the deaths are inflated, the numbers aren't right. if there's a public health issue, it's that misinformation going out to people. because people look up to our elected officials. you know, we talk about the president and the governor and those figures often. but really it's your local officials that you shop at the store with, that you see at the post office, that you look up to when it comes to these issues. i would love to see some better leadership when it comes to this in our area. >> so maybe i'm missing something then. you said that the misinformation is -- are

marion county sheriff billy woods writes in an email now i can already hear the whining and just so you know i did not make this decision easily. the fact is the amount of professionals that give the reason why we should i can find exact same amount of professionals that say why we shouldn't. that's simply not true, of course. it's worth noting that even the u.s. president who took months to finally mask up in public is providing 125 million masks to school districts nationwide. and the cdc director is promoting a very different message. he is asking americans to do four things to prevent, quote, the worst fall in public health history. >> for the country and the war that we're in against covid, i'm asking you to do four simple things. wear a mask, social distance, wash your hands and be smart about crowds. if you do those four things, it will bring this outbreak down, but if we don't do that, as i've said back last april, this could be the worst fall from a public health perspective we've ever had. >> and a spoke a little earlier with infectious disease and global health expert dr. pet

earlier this week, sheriff billy woods said none of his 900 employees is allowed to wear masks on duty school or hospital or nursing home. the sheriff was insistent that the deputies were not allowed to wear masks. we asked for an interview. he is not speaking. he said he would not interview with msnbc. he ghave insight with the email to employees saying for as many experts who say mask wearing should take place, he can find just as many experts who say that they shouldn't. health experts we talked to would debate that mask wearing is effective in stopping coronavirus. the sheriff was insistent that anytime his deputies are out on patrol, they are not to be wearing masks. if anybody tries to argue with deputies or berate them, they are to say they are not allowed to wear a mask by the sheriff and will not do so and instructed to walk away and let the sheriff deal with it. also, another controversial move originally. the sheriff said anybody who came into the sheriff's office to sit in the lobby and have business taken care of had to remove their masks once they entered the lobby. the l

now marion county sheriff billy woods sent a memo banning masks. there is even a sign on the front door of the sheriff's office telling people to take them off before entering the building. then the city council just voted to over rule the mayor after he voted their vote requiring mask. >> when you are giving instructions to someone, like -- show me your hands, put your hands over your head, they need to be understood. >> it is hard for me to feel like there is not some politics at play -- from the mayor when it comes to just embracing the simple fact that the virus is real. there is real ways for mitigate it. >> the mayor said the mask mandate will be discussed again next tuesday. >>> our time now 6:47. the nfl says the new season may start on time. so far they say less than 1% of nfl players have tested positive for the coronavirus and that percent age is lower when you include coaches and the team staff. they have given out nearly 110,000 tests. the nfl sent a letter to teams yesterday saying the testing will continue everyday. the initial agree

in florida, marion county sheriff billy woods has ordered his deputies not to wear masks on the job and barred visitors to the sheriff's department from wearing facial coverings. in an email to employees, sheriff woods falsely claims there's no consensus on whether masks stop the spread of coronavirus. meanwhile, a "new york times" analysis of federal data shows more than 200,000 more people have died than usual across the united states since march -- more than 60,000 higher than the official coronavirus death toll. on wednesday, president trump publicly introduced the new head of the white house coronavirus task force, radiologist with no expertise in infectious diseases. the doctor has promoted school reopening's previous the suggested cartel and public health measures to allow the u.s. reach coronavirus herd immunityty. he spent his time speaking thanking and congratulating president trump p and vice prpresident pence.e. in new zealand, prime minister jacinda ardern warned auckland may go back into a lengthy lockdown after 13 new community coronavirus cases were detected. new zealand

billy woods says he made the decision because of current racial tensions and distrust for police. in an email, he says it is for identification purposes. sheriff woods goes on to say that officers can wear masks if they are going to visit a hospital or they are dealing with a high risk american. people visiting the department will also not be allowed to wear a mask. >>> bears apparently love golf. you see this? three of them spotted socially distancing it looks like in truckee yesterday. just a few weeks ago a bear walked on to a different golf course during a pga event. this is their home. they don't know boundaries. >> that's how you do it, you just let them be. and you wait until they're done and then you go on with your life. >> oh, yeah. absolutely. >> we're learning. >> did you guys see over the weekend where someoned hit a golf ball into a gaggle of canadian geese and they were all like -- just kept on doing what they were doing. >> i missed that. >> not even phased. it was hilarious. like yeah, whatever. let's take a look at the weather. hi, everybody. san jose, 87. let's

billy wood, sheriff of marion county florida is going the opposite direction at least when it comes touty staff and visitors who show up in the lobbies of his offices or those who are in the midst of enforcement actions that require them to communicate directly with people, granting exceptions for deputies working at court houses, jails, public schools or hospitals. he is citing what he calls a split among professionals about the efficacy of masks. here in the u.s. the debate is raging over sending kids back to school, but overseas, especially among our major economic competitors, it seems they are very much on the same page when it comes to in person instruction. correspondent gillian turner has our report on that tonight. jillian. >> good evening, shannon, the trump administration going all in on skull, calls to reopen schools nationwide and reopen them quickly with an eye towards the future beyond 2020, president trump says it is now [indiscernible] students instead of its administrators. >> i think the money should follow the student. >> his case is straightforward. virtual learnin

marion county sheriff billy woods going against not only all public health expert recommendations buting against a mandate by the county seat, the city where the sheriff's office is located, a no -- and ordering no masks in a county and state. saying -- talking about having no masks at the time when the county and the state is seeing a record level of deaths from coronavirus. cnn's rosa flores is in florida with much more. she's joining me now. rosa, what is going on here? >> reporter: you know, kate, i just talked to the public information officer from marion county to get a few more details. he said that deputies learned about the no mask rule over email and this mandate while they're working. there are some exceptions to the rule. and this is when deputies are working at courthouses or jails or schools or hospitals and they're allowed to wear a mask. but the moment according to an email obtained by cnn, the moment there is some sort of law enforcement action which requires the law enforcement officer to give a command to an individual, then that's according to the email where the o

in florida's marion county, north central part of the state, sheriff billy woods banned his staff andny visitors to his department's offices from wearing masks at all. with few exceptions. in a staff email, the sheriff wrote there is no longer a debate nor is it up for discussion. when you are working on duties, working as my employee and representing my office, masks will not be worn. when asked about the ban by cbs news, his department did not want to comment. >> i just want everybody to take this virus very seriously and know that it's real. >> reporter: this is jacary byrd. he lost his 19-year-old brother jordan to the coronavirus. then his mother, 5546-year-olds jacqueline shaw-byrd had the virus, too. but she was recovering. but she ended up back in the icu. it turns out the day after the family buried jordan, jacary got a call from the hospital about his mom. >> and when i got there, maybe within an hour, she passed away while i was there. >> what do they think happened? >> they say respiratory issues. my mom and my brother were my best friends. losing both of them is very hurt

marion county sheriff billy woods not only prohibiting his deputies from wearing masks with some exceptionst wear one either. in an email obtained by abc news, the sheriff says it's to ensure there is clear communication and for identification purposes, adding, now i can already hear the whining and just so you know i did not make this decision easily and i have weighed it out for the past two weeks. the controversial move comes as the county's largest town is in a mask tug-of-war. ocala recently passed a mandate, the mayor vetoed it, then the city council hit back wednesday making masks mandatory effective immediately. >> it makes it really that much harder when elected officials like the sheriff or the mayor or others put in conspiracy theories into the middle of all of that. >> i just think we should leave it to the people and if they want to wear a mask, wear a mask. don't want to wear one, don't wear one. have respect for each other. >> reporter: the science is simple. top health experts agree masks are critical in mitigating the spread of the virus. florida's largest counties enforce

billy woods of marion county sent an email to his staff on tuesday ordering all employees and anyone a mask. it says if part quoting we can debate and argue all day of why and why not. the fact is the amount of professionals that give the reason why we should i can find the exact same amount of professionals that say why we should not. he ended the email with my orders will be followed or my actions will be swift. be safe. he says he is doing it to improve communication between officers and the public. the order goes against the cdc guidelines last month encouraging americans to wear masks. >> julie: chicago police are asking for help to identify suspects looting downtown earlier this week. watch the video. why the mayor says it was a planned attack that criminals organized. plus this. the push to reopen schools, secretary of education betsy devoes with a look at the latest safety plans. >> president trump: so when you have students sitting at home, playing with a computer it is not the same. it is one thing we've learned for sure. not the same, can never be the same as being in a cl

the cops knew billy earl was a tough guy from east texas, an area about 90 miles from carrollton, home to those piney woodsny of them petty criminals related to billy by blood or marriage. >> certainly a strange cast of characters, but they're east texas folks. some people might depict them as the heehaw gang. >> a gang getting by in a region struggling to make it. >> there's a lot of drugs, a lot of meth amphetamine out there. somebody has extra money, they hand it out to each other. >> at his meeting with investigators, billy earl was a man on a mission. he wanted to cut a deal and fast. >> i'm 49 years old. i don't get out until 15 years. i have grand kids and i want to spend the rest of my life with them. i want to be free and i want out this weekend. >> billy told the cops he knew things about the shooting that they did not, including the identity of the hit team. he played hardball even as he mixed his metaphors. >> i got the big ace in the hole and i got the ball in my court on this. if y'all want this attempted murder solve, y'all neat to work with me because i ain't [ bleep ] playing. i'll give it

>> mine is a constitutional decision. >> reporter: sheriff billy woods issued his no mask mandate this week, on the same day florida recorded a record 276 covid deaths the order announced hours after woods says he and other sheriffs had spoken by phone with president trump. city council member matthew re deaths, the orde wardel. >> family members and residents have died related to covid, and we're trying to stop that. >> reporter: the sheriff says there is no solid evidence thats masks protect against coronavirus, something health experts say is false >> we know that there are few thingsus that can help save lives at the top of that list right now are masks. >> kerry, can the county ultimately override that sheriff's anti-mask order if it wanted to? >> reporter: well, the sheriff is a constitutional officer, so if the county commission decides they want to challenge him, it'd ultimately go to court the council member raises what he believes is an inevitable scenario, where a deputy pulls somebody over, walks up to the window, the deputy is not wearing a mask, the person inside will not