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Markets Buckle under Pressure by Coronavirus; Lockdown in Italy; Global Coronavirus Crisis Escalates; Trump Administration Not Prepared to Handle Pandemic; Biden and Sanders Focus on Michigan; Martin Griffiths, U.N. Special Envoy for Yemen, on Ending the Conflict; Trump and Pence Meet with Insurance Companies; My Freedom Day. Aired 11a-12:00p ET
Aired March 10, 2020 - 11:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
[11:00:00]
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ALISON KOSIK, CNN BUSINESS CORRESPONDENT: A historic day on Wall Street. Measures were taken to halt trading for 15 minutes after the opening bell.
ALISYN CAMEROTA, CNN ANCHOR: But this morning U.S. stock futures are pointing to a big bounce. The markets are reacting to President Trump
floating the idea of a payroll tax cut.
MAX FOSTER, CNN LONDON CORRESPONDENT: COVID-19 has now spread to more than 100 countries and territories.
BEN WEDEMAN, CNN SR. INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: All of Italy, a country of 60 million people, is now effectively a red zone.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: China is making a major step forward. I know folks trying to cling to some optimism here and perhaps we are seeing it within
the source of all of this.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE (voice-over): Live from CNN Abu Dhabi, this is CONNECT THE WORLD with Becky Anderson.
BECKY ANDERSON, CNN HOST (voice-over): Well, hello. A very warm welcome from a lovely evening here at our plead broadcasting hub in Abu Dhabi. I'm
Becky Anderson.
This hour, airlines slashing flights; Italy locking down: our world turning to extreme measures to try and contain the coronavirus.
Right now, there seems to be a glimmer of hope for global financial markets at least, posting some relatively solid gains across Europe. This is the
story on Wall Street. These stocks had been significantly higher, still in positive territory but just less than 1 percent higher.
That is significantly lower than the open today, which was just a couple of hours ago after that history-making 2,000-point drop on Monday.
Now two reasons for these green arrows today. The U.S. president floating stimulus measures and oil prices rebounding after their biggest drop in
nearly three decades. More details on that in just a moment.
First up, though, these extreme restrictions, specifically in Italy. The whole country placed on lockdown. People in cities large and small lining
up to buy groceries. The epidemic there by far the worst in Europe. But every single country in the European Union is now reporting cases.
Meanwhile, some good news for those under China's lockdown. The government there saying the epidemic is basically contained, reporting only 19 new
cases Tuesday; 17 of those are from Wuhan.
Now the World Health Organization reporting 70 percent of those infected in China have recovered. Our David Culver is live from Shanghai for you this
hour. We have John Harwood at the White House as officials roll out new guidelines.
And starting with Delia Gallagher in Rome.
Delia, just how extraordinary is this lockdown?
And how is it affecting daily life at this point?
DELIA GALLAGHER, CNN VATICAN CORRESPONDENT: Well, I tell you, Becky, Italians call it surreal. They don't remember anything like this in their
lifetimes. We are in a neighborhood and to give you an idea of how Italians are living this lockdown, this is area normally buzzing with activity.
There's a school beside me. Of course that is closed.
But there are a handful of Italians on the streets. There's a restaurant, a coffee shop, a couple of people coming in. They are allowed to move around
their city but they're encouraged to stay inside. The government is saying, if you do need to go out, it should really only be for work reasons or for
medical reasons.
But, clearly, some people feel like it is a good reason, they need to come out and have a coffee or get a breath of fresh air. They're being
encouraged to stand apart from each other, of course.
Surprisingly, Becky, also some tourists walking around, even though most things, of course, just about everything is closed. We met up with a few of
them earlier in the day. We'll let you listen to what they had to say about this situation.
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UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We had a message today saying they might be sending us back home today but looking at Italy, still seems to be carrying on as
normal and everywhere is beautiful.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It is also coronavirus. You can get it there also. This was booked. Yes. There was no negative advice for traveling. So we did
come, yes. And now, in Rome, it's all -- Italy is all closed but yes.
[11:05:00]
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We don't know anything.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
GALLAGHER: Becky, everything including the Colosseum is closed. Vatican announced just today even St. Peter's Basilica is closed for tourists. So,
unfortunately, tourists are not going to find a lot here to do in Italy. And tourism, of course, 12 percent of Italy's GDP. So big economic concerns
about this impact.
ANDERSON: Delia Gallagher is in Rome.
John, CNN spoke with the U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary just a short while ago. Our colleague, John Berman, asked him about the number of
coronavirus testing kits that have been sent out in the States and how many people have been tested. I just want our viewers to have a listen to his
reply.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ALEX AZAR, U.S. HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES SECRETARY: We don't know exactly how many because hundreds of thousands of our tests have gone out to
private labs and hospitals that currently do not report in to CDC.
We are working with the CDC and those partners to get an I.T. reporting system up and running, hopefully this week, to get the data of how many we
are testing.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: John, it's not like the U.S. didn't get a heads-up on this from China, the Middle East and then through Europe.
Why is there still so much confusion?
JOHN HARWOOD, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Well, the administration is way behind the curve as that clip indicated. The president keeps claiming
that he bought time for the United States by his early decision to close down travel.
But it is clear that his desire to avoid expressing a sense of alarm and to indicate that he thought this virus was under control, seeped down
throughout the government and contributed to a lack of urgency about getting tests up and running.
And even yesterday when the president came out in the Briefing Room, he was talking mostly about the economic effects, try -- talking about a stimulus
package and the administration is talking about further today in hopes of stopping the slide in the markets.
He has gotten, as you noted at the top of the hour, positive news from the markets but we don't see from the administration the kind of urgency that's
being expressed by the president's own former Homeland Security adviser Tom Bossert, who wrote an op-ed in the "The Washington Post" last night, saying
this is a fire that threatens to burn out of control.
The president, who's running for re-election, who doesn't like to acknowledge bad things on his watch, is still not in a fully aggressive
mode in terms of dealing with the virus itself and that's reflected in that clip you just played.
ANDERSON: If one thing is clear, John, it is that social distancing as it's known is not the only way to stop the spread. We are deep into the
2020 campaign season. Rallies in the U.S. are going ahead, although as I understand it a lot of other events are now being canceled.
Correct?
HARWOOD: Absolutely. And you're seeing a lot of school systems, you're seeing a lot of pop culture events, the Coachella music festival delayed
until October. The South by Southwest, very popular arts and culture festival in Texas, is canceled.
And many colleges are -- Harvard today announced it didn't want students to come back from spring break but take the classes online for the rest of the
semester. But you have the president preparing his campaign to announce a rally today. Not clear how long that's going to be able to go on.
Certainly public health authorities are looking at all sorts of mass public events, whether it's sporting events like the National Basketball
Association or things like campaign rallies. For now, though, the Trump administration is indicating it's going ahead with the rallies.
ANDERSON: Want to get you over to China.
Thank you, John.
A different story it seems in China. President Xi Jinping is visiting Wuhan where the virus, of course, first identified very late last year. David
Culver is in Shanghai.
David, this is the first time Mr. Xi has been to Wuhan since the outbreak.
Is he trying to send the world a message at this point?
DAVID CULVER, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Certainly trying to send the world a message, certainly trying to send the rest of China a message, Becky,
trying to get things back on track.
And this is a significant move. A lot of folks have, of course, questioned the numbers and questioned whether -- how successful this really is going
forward.
But what you have to look at is the optics here are significant. They very likely would not have put President Xi in a position in a city that was not
under control. So they're seemingly very confident that Wuhan is getting under control.
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CULVER: That Hubei province as a whole, the epicenter of the outbreak, is starting to find some success here. It is interesting to see this play out
right now because folks have been looking at three key things to suggest that things are getting better, if you will.
Among them would be the visit by the president; a reduction in numbers, which we are seeing; and the resumption of school, because that really
brings society back to some sense of normality and looks like in the northwestern province here in China they're already started to send high
schoolers back and so that's a phased-in testing to see how that will go.
But you listen to what these other countries are going through right now, the U.S. included and they seem to be shocked to think that life can come
to a halt the way it has here. This is a country that's been dealing with this for seven weeks now and you are not talking about just a few million
people. You are talking about 780 million people at the peak who were under some sort of lockdown restriction.
Now some of them were more extreme. You were sealed into your homes and the ways with Wuhan and continues at this hour and others were just more
restrictive measures as to how to get around town, for example, here in Shanghai.
You look at how these other countries trying to grapple with this and you think that perhaps many of them have to apply what China has done, which is
extreme but seeming to be effective.
ANDERSON: From Shanghai, from Washington and from Rome, your correspondents with their updates, thank you.
More now on the cruise ship in northern California. A second wave of passengers set to disembark from the Grand Princess which is docked in
Oakland. That's any minute now; 21 people on board the ship tested positive for the coronavirus. And they will be taken to hospitals or different
military bases to be quarantined.
There are more than 700 confirmed cases in the U.S.; 26 people have died. We'll keep an eye on these images for you as passengers set to disembark
that cruise ship.
White House confirms President Trump doesn't need a coronavirus test even though he was in close contact with members of his political circle who are
now in self quarantine. Those lawmakers were in close proximity to someone found to have the virus. One rode with Mr. Trump in the limousine and Air
Force One on Monday.
All eyes have been on the financial markets today. It's been a real fear that the coronavirus global pandemic could lead to a worldwide recession.
The White House seemingly ready to step in with economic stimulus.
But will it work?
Well, here's a look at here all indices. They're posting gains, not going to say healthy gains but they are up; lower than they were at the opening
bell. Today's increases returning just a fraction of what was lost yesterday in the stark reality facing investors. Trillions of dollars in
assets have been lost since the start of the coronavirus outbreak.
The proposed U.S. stimulus plan is one part, one major part, has to be said, of today's rallies on the open. The other was a rebound in oil
prices, which had nosedived on Monday, at one point, a level not seen in three decades. And this was all in the wake of a price war between top
producer Saudi Arabia and Russia.
Well, Russia, today indicating that talks on OPEC's proposed production cuts do remain possible. My next guest said the U.S. stock market may drop
30 percent from last month's record highs before recovering. Mohammed El- Erian is author of "The Only Game in Town," joining me now from California.
You see the markets today. Is this what's called a dead cat bounce or is this sustainable at this point?
MOHAMED EL-ERIAN, CHIEF ECONOMIC ADVISER, ALLIANZ: I fear it's not sustainable and we are already losing steam. It's important to understand
that we are going to see massive volatility going forward for three reasons, Becky.
One, as you pointed out, policy hopes versus worsening fundamentals on the ground.
Two, is it Italy or is it China?
China tells you it can be contained. Italy tells you it's really hard to contain.
Which is it?
Finally, there's a massive technical battle going on between people who are still too exposed and people who are bottom fishing. Put all that together,
Becky, it is going to be a very volatile market for a while.
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ANDERSON: We got a U.K. budget Wednesday. An ECB meeting on Thursday. That may provide some clarity as to what Europeans may try and do in some sort
of concerted action to try and prop up these markets.
And then, of course, we heard late last night, this has provided a base to the markets, the U.S. president is prepared to provide some sort of
stimulus for this U.S. economy, although the details are pretty scarce at this point.
What do you want to hear from President Trump?
EL-ERIAN: So first I think it's important that policymakers are playing catch-up. There was a sense of complacency. Just look at the G20 meeting a
month ago, where this issue wasn't really discussed. We talk about contingency plans so it is very good to see this policy catch-up process.
In terms of what I would like to see, I'd like to see first and foremost using whatever ammunition we have, whatever resources we have at, A,
increasing the chance and the urgency of containment and immunity, so medical; two, protecting the most vulnerable segments of the population,
the uninsured, for example, who don't even get tested, which is a problem not just for them but also for society as a whole.
Second is put this in a whole of government approach that deals with economic growth. Don't waste your resources too early on policies that
won't hold.
Example: last week's interest rate cut. Wait for a better environment for these general policies.
And finally, coordinate better internationally.
ANDERSON: President Trump tweeting Monday that falling oil prices are good for the consumer. He has found his own silver lining in what is this very
vicious price war that we may see going forward.
Two questions. You know, it seems that he, even he doesn't expect his spin to work when he talks about falling gas prices.
So do you buy that sort of language?
And, two, what do you expect to see from the Saudis and from the Russians next at this point?
EL-ERIAN: So let me start with the second point. The playbook here is actually a familiar one. It was last used in -- at the end of 2014, which
basically says, you know what?
I, Saudi Arabia, as the swing producer, cannot play my role if other people don't cooperate. This is a collective responsibility for the producers and
I'm not going to carry the burden on my own because not only is it costly for me but ineffective.
What did Saudi Arabia do back in 2014?
Exactly the same thing. They said, no more stop swing producer. The result is oil prices came down very, very sharply. And that imposed discipline on
other producers and we got the OPEC Plus.
I expect a replay of this. And the fact that the Russians are already saying nice things is an indication that this is the strategy.
However, Becky, there's two issues. One is demand is slipping very quickly.
And two, Russia has to be -- to make public concessions. So it's going to take a little bit longer.
What does it mean for the global economy?
Yes, if you're a consumer of oil, this is great news to you.
But you know what?
It doesn't mean I'm going to get on a plane because energy's cheaper. So I'm not going to materialize the benefit immediately. But there's going to
be disruptions for certain oil companies, especially in the U.S., overextended from a financial point of view. And that's why people are
worried about the high yield market.
ANDERSON: Yes, no. You're making some good points. U.S. Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin downplaying comparisons between now and the 2008 financial
crash. I want our viewers to hear what he said.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
STEVEN MNUCHIN, U.S. TREASURY SECRETARY: This is not like the financial crisis, where we don't know the end in sight. This is about providing
proper tools and liquidity to get through the next few months.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: Which is fascinating because we have absolutely no idea where or when the end is nigh in all of this coming to coronavirus, at least.
Is it fair to say that these two, what is going on now and the massive financial crash in 2008, have nothing in common?
EL-ERIAN: Well, they do have something in common.
[11:20:00]
EL-ERIAN: They're both going to cause a global recession. But where they are different, and it's an important difference, one was a crisis of the
banking system and the payments and settlement system. That is a major heart attack for a modern market-based economy.
This one is an economic sudden stop. It is not a heart attack. It is like breaking a leg and an arm. It still hurts. You still impede yourself. What
we are -- haven't seen before, Becky, this is really important to understand, simultaneously, supply and demand destruction.
Normally you see that in fragile and failed states but not a modern economy. Look at what the airlines telling you. They're saying demand is
down, understandably. People are scared of flying so we are gong to cut supply and we are going to lay people off.
What happens when you lay people off?
You cut the income. And they demand less. So this simultaneous shock to demand and supply is new and it's one that makes this situation really
unsettling and also uncertain.
ANDERSON: Mohammed, your insight is invaluable. Thank you, sir.
As we speak, I take a look at the big board, which is just 0.5 percent higher as we speak. And this is midway through the morning session.
Yesterday's, of course, a complete bloodbath so any relief for these markets saw today was relief that I'm sure investors needed.
But unfortunately, this market significantly lower than it was at the open a couple of hours ago.
Still ahead, fighting misinformation with facts.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DR. MIKHAIL VARSHAVSKI, YOUTUBE VIDEO STAR: It's not just about washing your hands but also about washing your hands the right way.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: Dr. Mike is going to answer some of your questions on the coronavirus, sifting fact from fiction when we return.
And it's Super Tuesday all over again. Six U.S. states are holding presidential nominating contests. Why within of them could be absolutely
crucial for Bernie Sanders.
Plus --
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Life.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Bienestar (ph).
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Responsibility.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Happiness.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Respeto.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Emancipacion.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Decision
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Educacion.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: (INAUDIBLE).
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Independensa.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Homeostasis.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Derecho.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Expresion.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Amor.
ANDERSON: Voices from all over the world about what freedom means to them and to you, as part of this week's My Freedom Day celebrations. In the next
hour, we will visit rural Kenya, where one girl defines freedom as the right to an education. All that coming up after this.
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ANDERSON: Well, it is not just politics as usual. In a sign of the times, supporters turning out to candidate Joe Biden got more than campaign
buttons and bumper stickers; they got squirts of hand sanitizer.
Despite coronavirus concerns across America, it is another Super Tuesday. Democrats holding presidential contests in six states, including one of the
coronavirus hot spots, the state of Washington.
The most closely watched primary is in Michigan, which could be make or break for Bernie Sanders. Let's bring in senior writer analyst Harry Enten.
In the house, sir, good to have you. Bernie Sanders pulling a huge upset in Michigan in 2016; 2020, though, is looking very different.
Correct?
HARRY ENTEN, CNN POLITICAL ANALYST: Yes. I would say it is looking very different. I want to tell you why he pulled that upset in 2016. It had to
do with white working class voters, white voters without a college degree.
He won those voters overwhelmingly in Michigan in 2016, won them by 15 points, and that looked very similar to how he did in the rest of the
northern states outside of Vermont.
But flip forward to 2020, right?
What did we see last week in the northern states among white voters without a college degree?
Joe Biden won those voters and, particularly, he won white women without a college degree. So as we head into Michigan one of the reasons I don't
think the upset in the cards for Bernie Sanders is the fact is that group of white working class voters, simply put, isn't behind him as much as they
were, say, four years ago.
ANDERSON: What else should we pay attention to this mini Super Tuesday, as it's known?
ENTEN: Yes. You know, I think that the thing to pay attention to is the margins. Right?
Democrats use proportional primaries. So when you look across the primary map, you know, we are talking so much about Michigan but it's also so
important to keep in mind there's five other contests going on, particularly Mississippi. Right?
Only 36 delegates but here's the key thing. Because Democrats allot the delegates proportionately, look at what happened four years ago, when both
Michigan and Mississippi voting on the same night.
What did we see?
We saw that Clinton blew out the world in Mississippi, won that by 66 points. And she netted a net gain of 26 delegates. At the same time, Bernie
Sanders won in Michigan, this huge upset victory but only netted four delegates out of that.
Keep in mind that Bernie Sanders has basically stopped campaigning in Mississippi and he lost next door Alabama by 47 points last week. So
tonight I'm expecting that Joe Biden's going to basically blow it out in Mississippi and get a huge net delegate gain.
Even if he were to lose Michigan, which I don't think is going to happen, he'd get more net delegates out of Mississippi and at the end of the day
what we care about in Democratic primaries is delegates. And Joe Biden is in a strong position coming to that.
ANDERSON: Right.
Viewers, you know what to watch out for and can catch CNN's special live coverage.
Thank you, Harry.
Tune in starting 4:00 pm New York time, 8:00 pm London time. Midnight here in Abu Dhabi in the UAE.
I'm Becky Anderson. This is CONNECT THE WORLD.
Still ahead, Dr. Mike.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
VARSHAVSKI: Dr. Mike here, coming to you live from CNN with Becky Anderson. Very soon we'll be talking about what's fact, what's fiction
coming to COVID-19.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
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ANDERSON: Well, it was all going so well. Well, sort of. U.S. stocks started this trading session higher on Tuesday. But they are now back in
the red following an utterly disastrous Monday, panic over the coronavirus and a burgeoning oil price war between Saudi Arabia and Russia combining
to spook investors at the beginning of the week.
Well, that certainly made for some of the worst single days since the 2008 financial crash. And as we look to the U.S. market to take a lead, we are
now trading just about a third of 1 percent lower on the Dow Jones industrial average.
Well, despite efforts by social media companies to stop it, false information about coronavirus is spreading throughout the world; some
widespread claims being repeated online are harmless. Some such as home remedies of garlic to prevent infection. Others are harmful or downright
dangerous. My next guest is a doctor using social media to fight back against misinformation, he's a YouTube star with millions of subscribers to
his channel. Here is just a little sample.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) xxx DR. MIKHAIL VARSHAVSKI, YOUTUBE VIDEO STAR: There is so much misinformation going on with this novel coronavirus, it boggles my mind and
causing people to panic, make bad decisions. My patients are confused.
So I decided to make this video and take on misinformation. By watching some clips, reading some articles with you and really understanding where
the misinformation comes from.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: All right. Dr. Mikhail Varshavski, better known as Dr. Mike, joining us now live from New York.
What's the worst you have seen out there, Dr. Mike?
VARSHAVSKI: I think the worst is people taking advantage of patients who are truly concerned of this serious epidemic and even pandemic. I think
what I worry about most as a health care professional is a run on the hospitals.
We know why a run on the banks or markets is not good for our society. The same can happen in the hospitals and that's very easily sparked by panic.
So what I've done with the videos is really attack misinformation at the source to try to educate people with the best information and, most
importantly, to stay alert, not anxious in a troubling time.
ANDERSON: We have some questions from our viewers, who have been sending us those (INAUDIBLE). Before we get to those, you have been critical of how
the media is covering this. Now a CNBC editor has apologized for suggesting it would be better off for the economy if everyone got the coronavirus.
Have a listen.
[11:35:00]
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
RICK SANTELLI, CNBC EDITOR: Think about how the world would be if you tried to quarantine everybody because of the generic type flu. I'm not
saying this is the generic type flu but maybe we would be just better off if we gave it to everybody and then it would be over in a month.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: What's your response to that?
VARSHAVSKI: The problem with this is you have a non expert speaking about a very difficult subject. By comparing it and saying it's similar to the
flu, you are already providing a level of misinformation.
On top of that, the major difference is we don't have a treatment like we do for the flu and don't have a vaccine, which means that those who are
elderly, over the age of 60, those who have serious medical conditions are at risk.
And the way to prevent that risk or at least mitigate that risk to provide them a level of community protection, by self quarantining ourselves,
limiting how the virus spreads by washing our hands and being smart and staying home when we're sick. Just to say everyone should get this is an
irresponsible statement.
ANDERSON: Yes. Here's a question from a viewer. Umer wants to know, "Was this disease created by humans?"
VARSHAVSKI: This is something trending on social media and I believe it was started unfortunately in the halls of Congress here in the United
States. There is no proof of that to be the case.
The fact that we're just pushing conspiracy theories, saying that they could be, well, a lot of things could be. But unless we have scientific
proof for them, we shouldn't scare the public.
Fearmongering can do way more damage than good and it's our job to calm the public, give them proper instructions and not throw unsubstantiated
theories around that can truly do harm to our communities.
ANDERSON: Mavs is wondering, "I'm traveling overseas soon to the U.S. Since the air is recycled on a/please, should I wear a mask?"
VARSHAVSKI: On airplanes we have specific filters that kill the bacteria and viruses, not fully but to a great extent. The surgical masks you see
everyone on planes offer very little protection and put you a higher risk because you're constantly adjusting the mask and making more contact with
your face and possibly spreading the virus.
I urge the public to not buy the masks unnecessarily. The CDC issued a warning on this, saying this is not for public use. What we use the masks
for are in hospital settings. When a patient comes in with the coronavirus, with a flu, with a pneumonia, to limit them spreading the virus to us as
health care professionals.
We face a major shortage and by people buying them for personal use unnecessarily we put those like myself at risk.
ANDERSON: You have, as I understand it, a very handsome dog. We are seeing him here. Let's bring him up. Some of our viewers are wondering if their
pets can catch the virus.
Can they?
VARSHAVSKI: You know, this was a story that went viral because there was a dog quarantined in Asia because it tested positive, weakly positive for
this virus. However, we weren't sure and we're approaching this a lot of skepticism.
Did the dog lick its owner who tested positive for COVID-19 and was testing positive as a result of making contact with the owner as opposed to being
truly sick?
As of now the WHO and CDC said there's no evidence of this virus with our dogs.
ANDERSON: Dr. Mike, it is a pleasure having you on, sir. Good luck. Thank you.
VARSHAVSKI: Thank you so much, Becky.
ANDERSON: Coming up, Yemen's battlefield is turning bloody again and the U.N.'s special envoy is sounding the alarm warning against the rebirth of
Al Qaeda.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MARTIN GRIFFITHS, U.N. SPECIAL ENVOY FOR YEMEN: But if we allow Yemen to drift, whether in the south or the north, if we allow this war to continue
beyond where it is at the moment, we will see them flourish. And they will prosper and they will rise.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: My interview with Martin Griffiths is just ahead. Do stay with us.
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[11:40:00]
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GRIFFITHS: Yemen is in my view at a critical juncture. We will either silence the guns and resume the political process or we will slip back into
a large-scale conflict and suffering that you have already seen.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: Alarming words from the man in charge of ending the conflict in Yemen, one that doesn't seem to have a clear end in sight. The Iranian-
backed Houthi rebels took control of a city in northwestern Yemen last month, causing the Saudi-led coalition airstrikes to resume against towns
and villages.
Since then, the fighting has intensified, prompting the U.N. special envoy Martin Griffith to say enough is enough. I caught up with him in Jordan
last week, where he told me what he thinks will come next for the future of Yemen. Have a listen.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
GRIFFITHS: I think there are two things that need to happen, probably simultaneously. First of all, recovering that calm that we have talked
about in the war.
Secondly, perhaps even more urgently, is the beginning of preparations for a launch of the political process. And in that regard, we're waiting for
the creation by the government of Yemen under the Riyadh agreement.
As you know, one by the kingdom of Saudi Arabia, of a new negotiating team on the back of a new cabinet. We are very interested to see progress
towards that happen. And if that happens over the next month or two, we will be ready to call the parties to sit down together to talk and finally
to negotiate and finally to launch that political process.
I don't believe that political process should be very long. I don't believe it should be lengthy. But I think it needs to start in the near future.
ANDERSON: There will be people watching this interview, who say, what happened to Stockholm?
What happened to the Riyadh agreement?
You know, there have been many periods when we have said it feels like an opportunity here for a solution.
GRIFFITHS: In support of the Stockholm agreement, there was -- we managed to avoid what I am convinced would have been a major humanitarian
catastrophe and prevented and it still has been prevented; largely a cease- fire has held in that governorate since then.
So to that extent given that the Stockholm agreement was about humanitarian issues, to that extent, it's succeeded. But it's obviously failed to do
much of what it was also intending, which was to redeploy the forces to demilitarize the city and the ports.
ANDERSON: One thing that has happened is that the UAE has withdrawn its troops.
How's that impacted the conflict on the ground if at all?
GRIFFITHS: I think it was an extraordinary decision by the Emirates and I think it was very carefully thought through. They consulted me quite
frequently and also, of course, the coalition partners and the government of Yemen. And I think it's had a positive impact.
[11:45:00]
GRIFFITHS: It was also a statement which I think everybody shares now, which is that this war is militarily unwinnable. And largely with the
exception of some gains in the last few weeks, the lines of battle in Yemen have stayed more or less static for the last year or two.
ANDERSON: You came in as envoy in 2018.
What were your biggest concerns back then and have they changed?
GRIFFITHS: I wondered then if Yemen was a conflict slipping away from solutions, that, with regional interests, that with the polarized rhetoric,
that we would see another Syria.
And I discovered, quite soon, actually, in the -- during my time which started two years ago, that, in fact, Yemen could precisely do that if we
didn't urgently remind people of the alternative. It was a political solution. You don't stay where you are. You move backwards. You move into
war.
ANDERSON: You were adviser for three Syria envoys.
GRIFFITHS: Yes.
ANDERSON: You're telling me that it's easier than Syria?
GRIFFITHS: I think it is easier than Syria, thank goodness. Yemen has a recent history of being able to resolve differences. And I have found in
talking to Yemenis of all different stripes but particularly perhaps the political class, that there's an openness to compromise and concession
which is not so evident elsewhere.
ANDERSON: After a U.S. drone strike that killed the leader of Al Qaeda's Yemen branch --
(END VIDEOTAPE)
ANDERSON: That's the U.N. special envoy speaking for Yemen speaking to me earlier. I want to get you to vice president Mike Pence, who is with the
U.S. president. They are meeting with health insurance CEOs in the States. Let's -- what is being said.
MIKE PENCE, VICE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: -- the CDC's guidance for seniors with underlying health conditions, to give them specific
recommendations. And so, as you requested us, they have all agreed to work with us to communicate information directly to the American people.
Because as you said, Mr. President, while the risk to the average American contracting the coronavirus remains low, we want full partnership with the
industry and give the American people all the information they need to avoid contracting or spreading the coronavirus.
And particularly these companies are going to help us get information to seniors with underlying health conditions, who really represent the most
vulnerable population to serious outcomes.
And I know I speak on behalf of the president when I say how grateful we are for the collaborative spirit, the generosity and the partnership
represented by the great companies at this table.
DONALD TRUMP (R), PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: That's true. Very true. We are working very closely with the cruise line industry and very, very
closely. They're taking very strong steps in terms of people going on and going off. But they're spending a lot of money and working very hard and we
are going to be helping that industry.
Likewise, with the airline industry, taking very, very strong steps for people coming into our country, even getting off the planes. So we are
working very closely with them. We are helping them. They're two great industries and helping them through the patch. And so far, I think it's
been going very well.
We know about the big ship that came in yesterday. That's going along incredibly well, working with the state of California successfully. Very
successfully. Also with Canada. And with U.K. So U.K. is taking their people, the citizens, back.
Canada is -- about 600 people, they're coming back, met and brought to planes and being brought very, very -- in a very dignified fashion back
into Canada. So we appreciate all of the help we have had in that and working out very well.
With that, I might just ask a couple folks if you would like to make a statement on behalf of the industry.
Perhaps we'll -- would you like to make a statement on behalf of the statement?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Sure. One of the things I think is most important is from day one, as an industry and a company at Anthem, we have been very
focused on insuring access to care and that cost is not an issue for people to have the testing appropriately done.
So we're pleased that we are able to continue to expand this access. And as the president said I think it's really important for all of our customers,
our members and the American people to have this. So we're very supportive of the efforts underway.
TRUMP: Great job you're doing. Thank you very much.
Anybody else?
Would anybody else like to make a statement?
Even the ones who were here -- look at those cameras.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I'll say on behalf of the industry we represent the great companies around the table here but then those that operate at a
local level and that we all have the same commitment to making sure that cost is not a barrier to people getting tested and treated.
[11:50:00]
ANDERSON: Well, the president and the vice president to the United States have been meeting with insurance company chiefs. President Donald Trump
there. And we were listening to what was discussed, some of what was discussed at that meeting. Want to take a very short break. Back after
this.
(MUSIC PLAYING)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
(MUSIC PLAYING)
ANDERSON: My Freedom Day is March the 11th. It is a partnership between CNN and young people the world over to highlight the scourge that is
modern-day slavery.
And for one of those young people, freedom means breaking generations of sexism to show that women deserve the same opportunities as men. CNN's
Farai Sevenzo has one girl's story.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
FARAI SEVENZO, CNN CORRESPONDENT: This village is a place of great calm in southwest Kenya. The pace of life is a slow one. And gender divisions are
very clear. Boys herd cattle, hunt and learn to be men. Girls collect firewood and water, cook and clean and prepare for marriage.
For a long time, education was an automatic part for the boy child. For Faith Cherop Kipkemoi, who came from a family of 15 children, education was
too costly for her family. And they had another reason not to send girls the high school.
SEVENZO: If girls went to school and they finished and they were 13, what were they expected to do?
FAITH CHEROP KIPKEMOI, EDUCATION ACTIVIST: To be married.
SEVENZO: At 13?
KIPKEMOI: Yes. Most of them, 13, 14, 16. When I saw all my sisters got married it was like, it was shattered and I had to stood up by myself and
prove that also girls need to be educated. My parents didn't allow me to go to school. So they always tell me I have to do home chores.
Why you go to school?
School is only meant for boys.
By waking up early in the morning like 3:00 to 4:00, that will allow me to finish my chores so I can rush to school.
SEVENZO (voice-over): At first, Faith's father didn't agree.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: (Speaking foreign language).
SEVENZO (voice-over): Faith's father now has 20 granddaughters.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: (Speaking foreign language).
SEVENZO (voice-over): As girls like Faith pined for the freedom education offers, an opportunity arose. A Canadian charity called We created a
program in the area. We Charity is a global organization founded with the mission to end child labor.
Having graduated months ago from a We college in the field of tourism, Faith takes the time to return to her old school.
[11:55:00]
SEVENZO (voice-over): It provides everything from uniforms to books to teachers in a partnership deal with the community. The organization started
a secondary school where Faith was given a place, enabling her to continue to high school education.
In this rural population of over 6,000 people, more than 900 kids are now in schools built by We Charity. This despite the distances and other
obstacles. In unseasonal rains and flooding, this is their school run.
KIPKEMOI: Especially now during the rain season where the roads are flooded, I can see parents uplifting their children from the side to the
other side so they can cross the water and go to school. This really makes me happy because this is what I really wanted to see in my community.
SEVENZO (voice-over): Farai Sevenzo, CNN Freedom Project, Kenya.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
ANDERSON: And let me leave you tonight with what some of the students here in Abu Dhabi are saying about My Freedom Day. Very good evening from the
team.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JACK COOPER, AMERICAN COMMUNITY SCHOOL OF ABU DHABI: My name is Jack Cooper from American Community School of Abu Dhabi and I feel free when I
jump in the pool with my brothers.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
END
