jim sciutto with the breaking news as you see it there on the bottom of your screen. der kim jong-un in grave danger after surgery. jim is on top of this. we will get back to him as warranted throughout the evening here on cnn. so make sure you stay tuned. >>> other breaking news that we're following tonight, the president claiming that he is temporarily suspending immigration into the country. cnn has reached out to the white house for more information and we'll bring it to you next. (soft music) - [female vo] restaurants are our family. the cornerstone of our communities. and our family needs help. right now they're facing a crisis. and they're counting on your takeout and delivery orders to help them through. because if we don't treat restaurants like family today.. they might not be around to treat us like family tomorrow. grubhub. together, we can help save the restaurants we love. i worried someone might see my bladder leak underwear. so i was constantly double-checking. know what i mean? so, i switched. to always discreet boutique. its shape-hugging elastic thre

jim sciutto broke this story last night. he joins us now with the details. jim, share your reporting with us. >> so i'm told that the u.s. is monitoring intelligence that kim's health is in danger, following a surgery, this comes from a u.s. official with direct knowledge of the intelligence. also part of this picture is that kim six days ago missed a major event in north korea, that is an event commemorating his grandfather, kim il-sung, the founding leader of north korea. following his absence from that ceremony, questions were raised why, why did he miss this? and it is more recently that the u.s. received intelligence that he had a surgery, that the aftermath of that surgery may have caused problems. now, we always have to mention when you're talking about north korea and intelligence, it is the blackest of black boxes, it is difficult to penetrate for u.s. and foreign intelligence services. so hard answers in this country are always a question mark. that said, the is us taking this information seriously enough that they have reached out to north korean

i'm jim sciutto. >> i'm poppy harlow. i wish we could bring you better news. we have learned that 6.6 million americans filed for unemployment benefits last week. that is twice the number from just a week before. and it shatters all records. no doubt these are all people that we know that touch our lives in one way or another. >> and many of you watching, i'm sure, 10 million people, americans with families in just two weeks with us now, christine romans, cnn chief business correspondent, and austin goulsby, christine, first to you, put this in historical context here, this country did not see this in the depths of the 2008 financial crisis, and not even weeks like this during the depression. >> there is no historical precedent for it. it hasn't happened. we pushed the pause button on the american economy and all of these people are rushing to get unemployment benefits, 10 million people in just a couple of weeks. you can't even really put it on a chart because it is completely distorted these numbers. people are rushing to file for unemployment benefits becau

jim sciutto, thank you very much. okay. i wanted to bring you that. let's take a break., we'll start talking about what matters in flattening the curve. testing is not just talk. let's bring in a governor to get context, next. because being healthy... is what's most important to all of us. at bayer, this is why we science. ♪[ siren ] & doug give me your hand! i can save you... lots of money with liberty mutual! we customize your car insurance so you only pay for what you need! only pay for what you need. ♪ liberty. liberty. liberty. liberty. ♪ it only takes a second for an everyday item to become dangerous. tide pods child-guard pack helps keep your laundry pacs in a safe place and your child safer. align, press and unzip. tide pods. keep them up. keep them closed. keep them safe. it's more than just fast. it keeps all your devices running smoothly. with built-in security that protects your kids... ...no matter what they're up to. it protects your info... ...and gives you 24/7 peace of mind... ...that if it's connected, it's protected. even that that pet-camera thingy. [

jim sciutto, thank you very much. okay. i wanted to bring you that. let's take a break.hen we come back, we'll start talking about what matters in flattening the curve. testing is not just talk. let's bring in a governor to get context, next. at t-mobile, we know that connection is more important than ever. we've increased network capacity, given more access to unlimited data. and provided free data for schools and students. visit t-mobile.com to learn more. you can also manage your account, make payments, and find t-mobile stores that are open near you. we've been asking, are you with us? but we want you to know, we're with you. i have moderate to severe pnow, there's skyrizi. ♪ things are getting clearer, yeah i feel free ♪ ♪ to bare my skin ♪ yeah that's all me. ♪ nothing and me go hand in hand ♪ ♪ nothing on my skin ♪ that's my new plan. ♪ nothing is everything. keep your skin clearer with skyrizi. 3 out of 4 people achieved 90% clearer skin at 4 months. of those, nearly 9 out of 10 sustained it through 1 year. and skyrizi is 4 doses a year, after 2 starter doses. ♪

i'm jim sciutto. >> and i'm poppy harlow. this morning states across the country moving ahead, allowing some businesses to reopen today as other states set to announce their plans in just a few days. reopening in georgia today, businesses like hair salons, barber shops, bowling alleys despite warnings from medical experts and even from the president. >> there is a more urgent concern. deliberate misinformation coming from the white house. the president made dangerous suggestions for treatments that are causing genuine alarm. >> supposing we hit the body with a tremendous -- whether it's ultraviolet or just very powerful light, and i think you said that you're going to test it. then i said suppose you brought the light inside the body, and then i see the disinfectant. inject it for one minute, and is there a way we can do something like that, by injection inside or almost a cleaning? >> dr. birx said not as a treatment there, and here are the facts. injecting disinfectant in your body could kill you. the maker of ly sorks yrks

i'm jim sciutto. >> and i'm poppy harlow. we're glad you're with us today. on the same day when coronavirus has killed more than 2100 people in the u.s., the president releases a road map for reopening the economy, suggesting under new guidelines some states could reopen even today. >> we have very different states. if you look at montana, wyoming, north dakota, that's a lot different than new york, it's a lot different than new jersey. they will be able to go literally tomorrow. >> but coronavirus response coordinator dr. deborah birx says these guidelines will not be easy to meet. listen to her. >> the criteria that you can see the gates that the federal government has recommended are fairly strict, and that's to give states, really, the time to set up exactly how they're going to contact trace with the cdc as background supporting. with those two pieces together, we really need to move forward in the next few weeks as the states move through and really decrease the number of cases. >> let's talk details here. phase 1, schools that are currently closed sta

i'm poppy harlow. >> and i'm jim sciutto.ng continues right now. >>> this is cnn's continuing coverage of the coronavirus pandemic. i'm john king in washington. we also welcome our international viewers watching around the world. this hour we expect to hear from president trump. he is in the oval office, in the cabinet room, we're told, as he welcomes patients who have recovered from the coronavirus. we're also waiting to hear from the former president barack

cnn's jim sciutto joins me now. jim, how did this all go down, was this a willing resignation?porter: no, this was a resignation under pressure. i'm told just in the last few moments that the secretary of defense, esper, has accepted modly's resignation. a replacement has been named, mcpherson. the comments of modly disparaging the outgoing commander of the "uss theodore roosevelt" as naive or stupid, after initially standing by those comments, modly released an apology saying he does not believe crozier is naive or stupid. jake, i don't need to tell you when you have a secretary of the navy, acting secretary of the navy calling a senior commander or a recently former one naive or stupid and then having to deny that, that's not a good look for the navy as a whole. this is an episode that nobody is happy with, going back to crozier's comments. i spoke to many folks about his position and many were not happy with the public nature of those comments, those comments going out in public, although they respected him as a commander. but when it went even further, to have the secretary

i'm jim sciutto. >> i'm poppy harlow. this morning, we're learning coronavirus killed americans weeks before initially thought. autopsies now show that two people infected with covid-19 died in california in early february. that is three weeks earlier than the first reported coronavirus deaths out of washington state. what does it mean for how this virus spread? and now, the head of the cdc is also warning that we are in for a second potentially even more devastating wave of this in the winter. barbara redfield saying we're not just going to be battling coronavirus then but also the flu as well, jim. >> all of this news, several states as still moving forward on planning to loosen restrictions despite a lack of tests or a clear proven treatment. one of the treatments touted by the president and by friendly media including fox news, the antimalarial drug hydrochloroquine, now a new study by the v.a. shows it has no benefit and is in fact linked to higher death rates. joining us now, cnn senior medical correspondent elizabe

. >> and i'm jim sciutto. it's fairly simple when you speak to the experts. if you want to control this virus, the country needs to have tests for this virus broadly available. as the death toll tops 40,000 people now here in the u.s., the governors of those states say we don't have the resources to get to full testing capacity. mind you, that's republican and democratic governors. that contradicts what the president is saying. >> many of those governors standing firm on those restrictions to keep the virus from spreading, and for all those who are protesting the restrictions, dr. anthony fauci, he has a message for you. >> unless we get the virus under control, the real recovery economically is not going to happen. so what you do if you jump the gun and go into a situation where you have a big spike, you're going to set yourself back. >> let's begin this hour with brynn gingras. she joins us with more in new york, the nation's epicenter. a really clear warning there from dr. fauci. we have a long way to go and that's what officials in new york are saying as

i'm jim sciutto. >> and i'm poppy harlow. we're glad you're with us today. on the same day when coronavirus

. >> i'm jim sciutto. on the rise again. here is the sobering number this morning, an estimated 74,000 deaths from the coronavirus in the u.s. by august. leading coronavirus model has predict -- raised the predicted death toll, signs that people are going out in public again. more and more governors moving forward with their plans to reopen state economies and relax restrictions. >> but health experts made it clear there needs to be nationwide widespread testing. the president released his administration's testing plan last night. also making it clear that the onus for that is on the states and the federal government should act as the, quote, supplier of last resort. we're covering every angle this morning. let's begin this hour with our martin savidge who joins us again from atlanta. good morning, martin. that being a city and a state that is open. >> reporter: that's right. and they continue to every day open up a little bit more. good morning, poppy. good morning, jim. there are a dozen states that have either started to

official speaking to cnn's jim sciutto described his condition as grave after recent surgery. no sign of the korean dictator. as jim sciutto reports, that very obvious absence could have been the first public indication that something was up. >> five days ago, kim was notably absent from a ceremony marking, honoring, his grandfather kim il sung. this is the kind of public ceremony, like the one you're seeing here on the screen kim jong un traditionally takes part in. he was absent from that ceremony five days ago. it was four days before when he was last seen in public at a meeting. so during those days, there were questions. why is he absent? and it's more recently that the u.s. has been monitoring intelligence that he had a surgery. that the aftermath of that surgery, there were complications. and liz health his health is no danger. >> cnn's paula hancocks live in seoul, south korea. also, will ripley standing by in tokyo. will has reported from north korea 19 times. so, will, we'll start with you. there are unconfirmed reports which, on one extreme, say kim could be brain d

i'm jim sciutto. >> i'm poppy harlow. a very tough two weeks ahead, the president finally leveling with the american people and warning that we could see up to 240,000 deaths in the united states from coronavirus. and that is even if all of these safety guidelines are followed to a t. >> we know these numbers are staggering. yesterday 830 deaths, that's the most recorded in one 24-hour period so far in the u.s. total deaths in this country now approaching 4,000. as more and more patients fight for their lives, states are fighting for supplies, the president says nearly 10,000 are being held back because another surge is coming. >> this morning, companies enlisted by the government to produce critical equipment say they're not really getting guidance on where to send those supplies. can you imagine that? and the reality for 80% of americans, we are staying at home, the question many are asking, though, is how long and will the shutdown go national? let's begin again in new york this morning? our national correspondent bryn

i'm jim sciutto. >> i'm poppy harlow. as the united states closes in on 1 million cases of coronavirus, more states are closer to reopening. governors outlining phased approaches to green light their economies. at the same time the white house task force coordinator dr. deborah birx says some form of social distancing will continue through the summer and also said the country desperately needs a diagnosis technology breakthrough" in terms of widespread testing. >>> georgia with the most aggressive plan to reopen could be the nation's first major test as more people get antsy, impatient with the social distancing rules. today restaurants and movie theaters there are allowed to open for business, despite some warnings from top experts, other states experimenting with opening as well. we are covering all the angle this is morning. let's begin with martin savage in georgia. the last few days as the rules are relaxed, are more businesses now taking advantage of these rules to open up? >> reporter: this is phase two obviously a

. >> and i'm jim sciutto. we wish you and your families the best through this as the country battle s a pandemic tha has killed 11,000 people. we're concerned that understates the number. governor cuomo says the curve could be flattening in the hardest hit area of new york city. he said hospitalizations and icu admissions, or new ones, are down on a daily basis. of course, the total is still growing but on a daily basis the rate of growth slowing. dr. anthony fauci, he is keeping optimism in check, warning that the u.s. may never get back to the way things were before this outbreak, especially without a vaccine. >> also this morning a major question. what did they know and when did they know it? this is about reports from a top white house adviser memo right there, written in january, warning the administration about a pandemic and the potential for millions of deaths. again, this was written to the president and his team in january. it directly contradicts what the president was saying then and has been sayin

i'm jim sciutto. >> i'm poppy harlow. more states move to ease up on their lockdowns, more than half of the country, look at that, will be partially reopened by friday. federal guidelines on social distancing also just hours away from expiring. but is this just all way too soon. >> it is moving pretty quickly here. pressure is building, nationally to get life back to normal or as normal as possible. this despite more than 60,000 deaths here in the u.s., and rising. but for those who become infected, this could help. this morning, dr. anthony fauci said he expects the fda to authorize emergency use of the antiviral drug known as remdesivir. the drug showing some promise it can help patients recover faster. he also says the goal is to have a potential vaccine ready by january next year, part of what the administration is calling operation warped speed. we are covering this from every angle as we do every day. first, let's get to cnn's ed lav lavandera about more states opening by the end of the week. it is led by democrats

. >> and i'm jim sciutto. cnn is learning this hour that the white house is weighing new recommendations on how and when some types of businesses can reopen. the administration expected to issue those guidelines on opening places where many worry the virus is still spreading such as restaurants, child care centers, public transportation and places of worship. >> at the same time the government is moving forward with their own plans to open up their own economies, but white house expert deborah birx says there will need to be some sort of social distancing through the summer. martin savage joins us again in georgia. today you have a second round of openings, restaurants, movie theaters, despite warnings from experts, despite new cases going up. are people going, though, and are these businesses actually opening? >> reporter: well, right now we can only judge based upon this one waffle house, which as you know the breakfast chain in the south is pretty popular. the indication here is they've had maybe a dozen cu

. >> and i'm jim sciutto. we as a country are now closing in on the worst days of this pandemic, and with the peak still days away, the total numbers keep rising. yesterday it was a new record. nearly 2,000 people died in the united states, and as we see some positive signs in new york, the coronavirus task force is now warning about troubling signs in other cities. cases now spiking in washington, baltimore and philadelphia. in areas with fewer infections, governors credit strict stay-at-home orders. some of those in fear that going back to normal too soon would then drive those numbers back up. >> that's right. still, cnn has learned that the president's aides, some of them are in talks about potentially reopening the economy more broadly as soon as may. those discussions happening as we see more news of a crushing week for the american economy. 646 million americans filing jobless claims last month alone. if you add up the last few weeks, it's 7 million people filing unemployment claims. let's turn to athen

cnn's jim sciutto who broke the story internationally joins me. ea not an easy task. what are your sources saying? >> reporter: it's the blackest of black boxes. nonetheless, the u.s. is monitoring intelligence that kim's health may be in grave danger following surgery coupled with other indicators. as you mentioned, jake, him missing that very public high profile ceremony of his grandfather. another official told cnn kim is, quote, definitely unwell but still believed to be involved in day to day decisions. the national security adviser robert o'brien acknowledged in public this morning that the white house is following these reports on kim's health very closely. >> we're watching reports closely. we'll have to see. as everyone here knows, the north koreans are parsimony i couldn't say parsimonious about a lot of things. >> reporter: u.s. intelligence are taking it seriously enough that they have reached out to north korea experts to discuss questions such as the possibility of succession, who would succeed kim if he were not able to maintain lead

i'm jim sciutto. >> and i'm poppy harlow. as most of the country continues to stay home and tries to imagine a return to normal, california's governor is now talking about and showing us what normal could look like. things like routine temperature checks, when restaurants reopen, they could have fewer tables, servers wearing masks, handing out disposable menus. classes could have staggered start times with reimagined pe classes, all of this at least, jim, until there is a vaccine. >> yeah, and uncertain timeline for that. as for concerts, sporting events, still not being considered for now without a crucial vaccine. here is the governor. >> this is an imperfect science. there is no, you know, no playbook that someone else has put together. no light switch here. i would argue it is more like a dimmer. and the dimmer is -- about what i was talking about, this toggling back and forth between more restrictive and less restrictive measures. >> that's what the experts are saying. newsom echoing the warnings of the cdc director, we

>>> very good thursday morning to you i'm jim sciutto. >> i'm poppy harlow. the country is now barreling toward what is believed to be the peak of this pandemic. and hitting sadly another day of record deaths. nearly 2,000 people died yesterday in the united states alone from coronavirus. and as we see some, some signs of life heght here in new york, coronavirus task force is worried about what they see in other cities, spikes in washington, d.c. and philadelphia. with areas with fewer infection, governors credit strict stay at home orders, some extending the orders out of fear that going back to normal will drive the numbers right back up. jim? >> yeah, and that's what's working, the social distancing is working, saving lives. cnn is learning the president's aides are in talks about plans already to reopen the economy as soon as may and the federal government is now adding to the list of responsibilities for states saying that it will end federal funding for the test sites that are so sorely needed to get a handle on the real scope of this pandemic. many cas

i'm jim sciutto. >> i'm poppy harlow. a hidden explosion, a stunning new york times report just out shows that a time when the united states thought the coronavirus was really just occurring in chin a, at that point, thousands of inferkss were spreading silently undetected in major u.s. cities in early february. according to researchers at northeastern university, there could have been 28,000 infections in new york city, boston, san francisco, chicago, and seattle by march 1st. >> and changes the timeline, the scope, just a stunning new details about the first known death in the u.s., linked to the virus. here is the headline. she was healthy, 57-year-old woman had no underlying conditions, and died suddenly way back on february 6th. this new information prompting more states to begin retracing their own timelines. at the same time, more states also moving towards the opposite direction, reopening, but is it with or without the president's support? last night the president said that the georgia governor's plan to open up

i'm poppy harlow. >> and i'm jim sciutto.>>> welcome to our viewers in the united states and around thurld. i'm john king in washington. this is cnn's continuing coverage of the coronavirus pandemic. the global case count now topping 2 million. there's also global outrage over president trump's decision to withhold any u.s. funding for the world health organization. in japan, new projections that hundreds of thousands may die. this as workers in the country's -- in the country with the world's oldest population are still going to the office. in singapore, deaths up sharply again. masks are now mandatory in public. in africa, coronavirus precaution is disrupting the food supply. now putting millions at possible risk of starvation. here in the united states, another sobering record. 2400 people died here in the united states on tuesday. that is a single day high for coronavirus deaths. the upticks snaps a streak. the death number had beencoming down. still, the belief is the un

i'm jim sciutto. >> i'm poppy harlow. protesters prepare for more rallies across the country over state restrictions. the nation's top infectious disease expert warns this morning reopening now will not get the results. >> unless we get the virus under control, the real recovery economically is not going to happen. so what you do, if you jump the gun and go into a situation where you have a big spike, you're going to set yourself back. >> there's really not a debate on this among health experts and the key to getting the virus under control, another subject of agreement that is testing. many governors, republican and democrats say they are running far from full capacity, disputing the president's claims the states not only of their responsibility but the resources to do so. the clash between federal and state governments in full view as cases in the u.s. closer to 100,000. and deaths passed 40,000. >> possibly more relief for small businesses struggling through the crisis. the president says an aid package could be announ

i'm jim sciutto. >> i'm poppy harlow. this morning, some positive signs in some places. this as the nation battles a pandemic that resulted in nearly 11,000 deaths across the united states. from the epicenter, new york governor andrew cuomo says the curve could be flattening. but dr. anthony fauci keeping optimism in check this morning, and giving a stunning warning that the u.s. may never really get back to the way things were before this outbreak, especially with without a vaccine. >> also this morning, did the white house know reports that a top white house adviser warned the administration about a pandemic and the potential deaths of perhaps millions of americans, that, of course, directly contradicts what the president has been saying for weeks that no one could have predicted this. wee are on top of all of the headlines here and around the world, live in london with the uk prime minister remains in intensive care. but, first, athena jones is in new york city, with the latest. tell us the numbers there, because folks hear some positive signs, at least a slowing of t

. >> and i'm jim sciutto. america bracing a pivotal what could be a devastating week ahead in the fight against the coronavirus as the death toll grows. the surgeon general not holding back. >> this is going to be the hardest and the saddest week of most americans' lives, quite frankly. this is going to be our pearl harbor moment, our 9/11 moment, only it's not going to be localized. it's going to be happening all over the country, and i want america to understand that. >> it's pretty stunning statement by the surgeon general, and this morning, a stunning report to match it from a top government watchdog. here is the headline "the nation's hospitals are facing severe and widespread shortages of desperately needed medical supplies." those shortages making it harder for hospitals to test and protect their own staff. of course those on the front lines, here in new york, the mayor says the city is hours away from possibly running out of those critical supplies and the nation's top infectious disease expert says th

i'm jim sciutto. >> i'm poppy harlow. americans weeks before initially thought. autopsies now show that two people infected with covid-19 died in california in early february. that is three weeks earlier than the first reported coronavirus deaths out of washington state. what does it mean for how this virus spread? and now, the head of the cdc is also warning that we are in for a second potentially even more devastating wave of this in the winter. barbara redfield saying we're not just going to be battling coronavirus then but also the flu as well, jim. >> all

i'm poppy harlow. >> and i'm jim sciutto. governors dig in on restrictions, others are already easing up. it is a high stakes decision that could mean the difference fdifference, for some residents, between life and death. some states moving to open businesses this week despite warnings and despite the death toll nearly doubling in just the last week. >> georgia, tennessee, texas, vermont all releasing plans to at least partially open up for business starting this week. at the same time the president out of the blue

. >> i'm jim sciutto. some relief, little bit of good news this morning, there has been a shift in a key model's predictions for the death toll from the coronavirus pandemic. now projected u.s. deaths expected to hit 60,000 by august. that is down from the models earlier prediction rafrning 8 ranging 80,000 to 100,000. the numbers change every day, but it is, poppy, a positive shift. >> it is. it is. no one should let their guard down. this comes as the united states and new york city have their deadliest days so far in this crisis, 806 deaths reported in new york alone on tuesday. but the state's governor says there are signs that social distancing is working. the cdc is urging americans to keep it up or risk losing any progress that we are making right now. also today, another report of an early warning within the trump administration, another one, and this one coming long before this crisis even hit the united states. this one from u.s. intelligence, jim, back in november. >> yeah, it is remarkable. how

i'm jim sciutto. >> and i'm poppy harlow. this morning another really horrible number. 30,990 americans have now died from the coronavirus, just about half of them right here in new york. that is out of more than 600,000 confirmed cases in the u.s. so far. but without widespread testing, that's just a fraction, really, of the actual number. >> that is a sad fact of this. we don't know how many. today the president is planning to release his new guidelines giving the go-ahead for states to start reopening as soon as the next two weeks. but the fact is many state and city leaders, they're joining business leaders in saying it's just too early without widespread testing or a vaccine not possible or safe, they said. >> it's difficult to imagine us getting together in the thousands any time soon, so i think we should be prepared for that this year. >> when is this over? i say, personal opinion, it's over when we have a vaccine. when do we have a vaccine? 12 to 18 months. >> let's not make the mistake of pulling the plug too early,

. >> i'm jim sciutto. this morning, a push to reopen, states across the country, some tentative, some more aggressive, giving the green light to some businesses while others are set to announce their strategies in the days ahead. today in georgia, governor kemp forging ahead with his plan to let hair salons, barbershops and bowling alleys open. this despite warnings from medical experts and the president. but it is not just red states making these plans. blue states set to ease restrictions. this even as the death toll nationally climbs. states are loosening up guidelines. isn't all medical experts are worried about this morning. >> that's right. the president making dangerous suggestions for treatment forcing the maker of lysol to warn people do not inject our product. >> supposing we hit the body with a tremendous -- whether it is ultraviolet or very powerful light and i think you said that hasn't been checked, but you're going to test it. and then i said suppose you brought the light inside the body. an

i'm jim sciutto. >> and i'm poppy harlow. this is going to be a very difficult week one day after the surgeon general warns americans to brace for a pearl harbor type moment, a stunning report this morning from a government watchdog. our hospitals aren't even equipped to fight this virus the way they should be. >> this coming from the hhs inspector general. hospitals are dealing with severe and widespread shortage of medical supplies. these are the facts. this is hampering their ability to test people, and crucially, to keep staff safe from infection. city mayor bill de blasio saying the city is just days away from running out of key supplies. >> we're following all the breaking news this morning. let's begin with athena jones. she is outside the javits center in new york city. athena, just to give people the magnitude, this takes up city blocks. that's how huge it is. but it's now this makeshift hospital. >> reporter: good morning, poppy. that's exactly right. this is a huge convention center, hundreds of thousands of square

i'm jim sciutto. >> and i'm poppy harlow.her really horrible number. 30,990 americans have now died from the coronavirus, just about half of them right here in new york. that is out of more than 600,000 confirmed cases in the u.s. so far. but without widespread testing, that's just a fraction, really, of the actual number. >> that is a sad fact of this. we don't know how many. today the president is planning to release his new guidelines giving the go-ahead for states to start reopening as soon as the next two weeks. but the fact is many state and city leaders, they're joining business leaders in saying it's just too early without widespread testing or a

i'm jim sciutto. >> and i'm poppy harlow. the state of new york now leading the world in the worst way. the number of coronavirus cases here more than any other country outside of the united states. >> and now with the u.s. just days away from the projected peak of this pandemic, the white house is now pushing to reopen the u.s. economy as soon as may 1st. on cnn this morning, dr. anthony fauci said very clearly now is not the time. >> the virus kind of decides whether or not it's going to be appropriate to open or not. now is no time to back off. as they say so often, now is the time to actually put your foot on the accelerator, because we're going in the right direction. let's keep in that direction. >> yes, let's do that and let's begin this hour in new york where hospitalizations are going down. but the number of deaths is going up. our national correspondent athena jones is with us. good morning again to you, athena. what are the stats and just the state of affairs in new york, specifically new york city, this morning? >

i'm jim sciutto. >> i'm poppy harlow. experts say it is the real key to getting life back to normal. a vaccine. now, pharmaceutical giant pfizer says it will begin testing a new experimental vaccine as early as next week, adding it could be ready for emergency use if it proves efficacious in fall and be widely provided by the end of the year. >> you have to watch the studies, another sign perhaps of things getting closer to normal. sports going to games, but top infectious disease doctor anthony fauci said sports may have to skip unless there's a plan to keep fans and players safe. as we hit the 1 million mark of cases in the u.s., confirmed cases, starts are starting to move to reopen. we'll hear more details on those plans, how they vary state to state. first, let's get to cnn senior medical correspondent elizabeth cohen on this experimental vaccine by pfizer. elizabeth, emphasis on experimental. what do we know now and how long will it take to know for sure if this is effective? >> right, so what we know right now, jim

it's a story that cnn's jim sciutto broke late last night. he will join us in a moment with details. but we begin with the coronavirus and the plan for some states to reopen. martin savidge is live near for us with the latest. what's the plan, martin? >> reporter: we're outside of strip mall where there are a number of businesses that would be affected by the loosening of the order. there's hair salons, nail salons. it wasn't that long ago they were being blasted for the delay on a stay in place order, now he's being blasted again for easing that order as many people see politically and medically risky. georgia's governor brian kemp announcing he'll begin easing social distancing orders in his state this week. >> when we have more people moving around, we're probably going to see our cases continue to go up. but we're a lot better prepared for that now than we were over a month ago. >> on friday, place likes barber shops, hair salons, bowling allies and gyms are all allowed to reopen. and monday, restaurants and movie theaters. >> they're not

i'm jim sciutto. >> i'm poppy harlow. the real key to getting life back to normal. a vaccine. now, pharmaceutical giant pfizer says it will begin testing a new experimental vaccine as early as next week, adding it could be ready for emergency use if it proves efficacious in fall and be widely provided by the end of the year. >> you have to watch the studies, another

. >> and i'm jim sciutto. "newsroom" with john king starts right now. >>> hello to our viewers in the united states and around the world. i'm john king in washington. this is cnn's continuing coverage of the coronavirus pandemic. europe still very much in the grip of this pandemic, that from the world health organization. it cautions against relaxing restrictions too soon. there's more ugly economic data out today around the world showing the depth of the coronavirus downturn. contractions in europe and france, showing connectivity down around the world. 30 million americans filed for unemployment. the president on his twitter feed saying his focus not on lost jobs, but instead of polls, james comey and michael flynn. the social distancing guidelines expire today, meaning around the world social distancing becomes an experiment. take a look at state-by-state basis results.according to john hopkins data, russia trending down soon. california closing all beaches to keep the trend moving in the right direction. m

. >> i'm jim sciutto. the country is now days away from the projected peak of this pandemic, where deaths will surge to their highest daily number. the white house pushing to reopen the u.s. as soon as may 1st. dr. anthony fauci on cnn this morning urging caution. >> the virus kind of decides whether or not it is go to be appropriate to open or not. now is no time to back off. as i say so often, now is the time to actually put your foot on the accelerator because we're going in the right direction. let's keep in that direction. >> and here is where we are on that direction this morning. here in new york, hospitalizations are going down, the number of deaths is going up. as the governor signs an order to bring more funeral directors into the state to help. the one thing public health experts warn is vital for getting america back to normal. widely available testing. the president says america's ramping up testing, tests for everyone is, quote, not going to happen. let's begin here in new york with our natio

. >> i'm jim sciutto. this morning, as global coronavirus cases approach 2 million, more than 23,000 people have died here in the u.s. nearly half of them in new york alone. a federal face-off is now under way over what comes next. two groups of states now deciding they will go their own way together, representing millions of americans and at least ten east and west coast states, banning together now to study how and when to properly reopen. >> though not all states are taking that approach, it is a stark contrast to what the president said at the latest coronavirus task force briefing, where he said governors would get in line behind whatever he says. >> when somebody is the president of the united states, the authority is total. and that's the way it's got to be. >> your authority is total? >> total. it is total. the governors know that. >> cue the tenth amendment, which that frankly ignores, the amendment about powers reserved for states. it means outside of the national parks and other federal properti

jim sciutto reports out front. >> reporter: tonight the u.s. that north korean dictator kim jong-un is in grave danger after undergoing a surgery according to u.s. officials. the secretive north korean leader recently missed the national celebration of his grandfather's birthday on april 19th which raised questions about his well-being. a paper that reported kim was overweight underwent a cardiovascular procedure on april 12. they say kim is definitely unwell, but he is still likely involved in day to day decisions despite his deteriorating condition. the white house national security advisor confirmed the u.s. is keeping a close watch on kim's health. >> we're watching reports closely. we'll have to see, as everyone here knows, the north koreans are parsimonious with things they put out about their leadrs. >> reporter: these images show when kim was last seen in public on april 11. according to state media, he chaired a pilot meeting four days before missing his grandfather's birthday celebration. while his absence is notable, north korea is d

jim sciutto, tell our viewers what you're learning about this resignation. >> reporter: wolf, this has been a quick chain of events that really no one involved is proud of here. acting secretary of the navy submitting his resignation this morning, that being accepted by defense secretary mark esper. it's safe to say that it was clear to modly that he was losing support to keep his position. as you mentioned, this followed him taking an 8,000-mile trip all the way to guam to address the crew of the "uss theodore roosevelt" after their captain had been removed and using language that no one in the pentagon was happy with in disparaging the outgoing commander that have ship. have a listen to those comments. >> if he didn't think that information was going to get out into the public, in this information age that we live in, then he was, a, too naive or too stupid to be the commanding officer of a ship like this. >> reporter: of course modly not aware that his own comments would get public too. initially he said he stood by every word. then under pressure he reversed himself and released a

. >> and i'm jim sciutto. "cnn newsroom" with john king continues right now. >>> hello, everybody, i'm john king and this is cnn's continuing coverage of the coronavirus pandemic. we begin this hour with the cruel coronavirus reality right here in the united states. nearly 10,000 have now died and officials say the hardest and the saddest week is just now beginning. roughly 2500 people perished this weekend. the trajectory from fewer than 100 deaths when the president put his death numbers to the deaths now. a new watchdog report out today shows significant stress on u.s. hospitals heading into a week the surgeon general predicts will be a pearl harbor moment for this country. our inspector general today backing up the message from governors across the country that hospitals are falling short of critical supplies. the white house says the mitigation is working, but another peak in a few weeks may overwhelm the health care system if americans ignore those social distancing guidelines. that underlying uncertaint

official tells our own jim sciutto is that tom modly has submitted his resignation as acting secretary of defense. this is one day after the very disturbing audio emerged of modly speaking to the crew of the carrier theodore roosevelt in guam where it is in port because it has been hit with coronavirus and he had to relieve the captain of duty last week. when that captain, brett crozier, had publicly in modly's view talked about the problems aboard the ship. of course it was widely distributed an email message saying he was very concerned that ill soldiers were not being taken off the ship fast enough. he wanted more action. modly proceeded to relieve him of duty saying that he had violated trust and confidence and that he had gone around the chain of command that he must have known these complaints, these concerns, if you will, would become public. modly said the captain was either naive or stupid and that pretty much sealed his fate. he to apologize last night. but he still made clear that he thought the captain of the carrier had done all of this deliberately. so his resignation has

cnn's jim sciutto broke the story that the u.s.monitoring intelligence that north korean leader kim jong un's health may be in grave danger after a surgical procedure. state media inside north korea has been radio silent business as usual they have not confirmed they have not denied haven't said anything. so we have to look at clues, including these new satellite images released by us think tank 38 north they show what appears to be kim jong un's train at his compound in the north korean coastal city of one side is a beachfront luxurious compound where kim jong-un spent his summers as a child it's a place he loves to be. he's also conducting a number of missile tests from that location. but the significance of that rain being there now is that it lends credibility to reports that kim jong-un is their reports in south korea and other places but the presence of that rain either proves or disproves kim jong un's health condition, what i do know from my trips to one side is that usually when kim jong un goes there, he prefers to fly he

i'm jim sciutto. >> and i'm poppy harlow.s most of the country continues to stay home and tries to imagine a return to normal, california's governor is now talking about and showing us what normal could look like. things like routine temperature checks, when restaurants reopen, they could have fewer tables, servers wearing masks, handing out disposable menus. classes could have staggered start times with reimagined pe classes, all of this at least, jim, until there is a vacc

. >> reporter: they have been radio silent ever since jim sciutto first reported last week that kim jonglth, the u.s. intelligence community believes, could be in danger. there's been no confirmation of that, and a lot of conflicting reports that i would say are largely based on second hand information. i know my well-kickconnected sos don't have information. there is a small amount of people around kim jong un and they would guard his health in a top secret. i emphasize things may be happening from wonsan in north korea. you can see kim jong un's train where it usually is by his luxury beach compound, a place he loves to go, where he has launched missiles from. there's speculation he might be there, maybe he's recovering there. normally, he likes to fly lihis plane when he goes there. however, if he just had surgery, maybe he's not able to try. trains are also used for very serious processions. for example when kim jong un went to china to meet with xi jinping or to haknnoi to meet wh president trump. also, his father was taken back to the capital in the train. >>> one of america's most

and yet we are also hearing jim sciutto one u.s. official say that they are monitoring reports that he could be in bad health. so, of course it is very difficult to know exactly what is happening. we will know for sure when north korea announces something. but i did speak a little earlier today, he knows north korea better than any of us. he's the former ic from the british embassy. he defected. he has been elected as a south korean lawmaker as well. he cautioned against all these rumors and reports saying if it was actually the case that he was in bad health, the people that knew about that would be very small and just restricted to the wife, the sister, those vips who are with him all the time and know his movements. he said most of the officials within north korea wouldn't even know where kim jong-un is from one day to the next. there was a report from 38 north saying that his personal trainers believe to be in one side as well, not sure what that tells us whether or not he is there as well. but again, that could well be a decoy.