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CNN 10
Experts Debate the Lasting Economic Effects of COVID-19; Scientists Make Certain Plants Glow in the Dark; We Make A Virtual Visit to a Model Train Paradise
Aired April 30, 2020 - 04:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
CARL AZUZ, CNN 10 ANCHOR: Picture a (inaudible) in terms of how corona virus is impacting America`s economy and that`s where we start today`s
edition of CNN 10. I`m Carl Azuz. Since the summer of 2009 when the Great Recession came to an end, the United States Gross Domestic Product had
grown in every quarter, every three month period of the financial calendar. It was America`s longest economic expansion in history but now according to
many economists, it`s over. The U.S. Commerce Department said Wednesday that Gross Domestic Product fell by 4.8 percent in the first quarter of
this year. That`s its worst drop since the country was in the midst of the Great Recession in 2008 and it`s because of all the closures, shutdowns and
especially the drop in consumer spending brought on by the corona virus.
Consumer spending is the biggest factor in America`s GDP. Recession is generally defined as when GDP shrinks for two quarters in a row and
economists increasingly believe that one started last month. There`s more data on the way. The U.S. government`s monthly jobs report is set to come
out tomorrow. It will give estimates on the number of jobs lost and the unemployment rate, the percentage of American workers who don`t have a job,
but this is a unique situation. It was brought on by sudden shocks of businesses closing and people staying home. So it`s hard to say how
quickly the economy will recover after corona virus fears have passed or what it will look like when it does.
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GOVERNOR ANDREW CUOMO: Big question for everyone is when do we reopen.
GOVERNOR GAVIN NEWSOM: We will lay out our California based thinking.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We`re in a - - in a good spot (inaudible)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: President Trump revealing the White House`s new guidelines for opening up America again.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The Federal guidelines call for states to meet specific gating metrics before considering lifting restrictions.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The future will depend on the choices we make. What we do in terms of testing, what we do in terms of monitoring.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: These getting criteria are intended to indicate that we`re on the downward trajectory. We`re on the other side of those - -
those curves that we`ve all become so familiar with.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Reopening isn`t a magic moment or a date or the moment you get tired of all of this. It`s the moment where you can control the
epidemic by means other than a shutdown.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The ability to do extensive testing as we`ve heard again and again remains a challenge in many places.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: When we reopen we can`t do it without - - with a zero level of risk. The question is how much risk can you tolerate.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The (inaudible) of putting the economy into an induced coma and waking it up is not quite right because the body deteriorates
during the coma. It`s a complicated dance because it`s not just production which is important. It`s also consumption. Right? And so we need
everything to start moving at the same time in order to have a reasonable economy.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: How do you get businesses back up and running? What`s the right solution? Trying to maintain social distancing within a
workplace having people wear masks within a workplace including as well regular testing.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: On the manufacturing side where you can have a certain amount of distancing at work and transport can pick up once again, not
crowded airplanes. Of course, we will eventually (inaudible) through the spectrum of industries and services that can be open with some distancing
to industries where you need much more close contact.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: This is going to be a very difficult labor market for a lot of people. When we are able to reopen more of the economy, many of
those people will be able to return to work but others not. So the legacy will be high unemployment for some time. It`s not going to be an immediate
bounce back.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Going out to restaurants, cafes, other social gathering locations I suspect what we`ll see is fewer tables. Tables at a greater
distance from one another. Just like what we`ve seen in grocery stores now where they`ve been asked to reduce the number of people in a grocery store
at any one time to some fraction of their total capacity.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You can`t really survive in the same space at one-third the customers. You know, beyond the two months or three months if we need
to think about how we - - we provide support going forward, it may make sense at that point to say well we either have to change. Provide delivery
services or to be viable with proper amounts of distancing or, you know, we close down now and open up maybe a year later when we have the vaccine and
they become viable once again.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
AZUZ: 10 Second Trivia. Bioluminescence, when living organisms produce light, is a form of what? Phosphorescence, chemiluminescence,
polarescenceeee or crystal luminescence. Bioluminescence is a form of chemiluminescence, a chemical reaction.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
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AZUZ: Next is a virtual field trip to a sort of virtual landscape, Northlandz with a "z" is in New Jersey. When it`s open it`s place where
you`ll find hundreds of tunnels through hundreds of mountains, where 100 plus trains pass through and it`s all under one roof.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Ralph Waldo Emerson once quoted that "Nothing great can ever be achieved without enthusiasm." I have a lot of enthusiasm. This is
Northlandz in Flemington, New Jersey. Northlandz is the world`s largest model railroad. Well I guess, you know, everybody has a passion for
something, my thing was trains. I had trains around the Christmas tree as a kid. Wherever I lived I`m planning track plans and then over 18 years I
added five basements onto the house. And from that I got fairly good at making mountains and bridges and design work and we decided to give it to
the world so we tore it all down, bought this land and built Northlandz.
Any given day we run between 85 and 90 trains. Some of the details in Northlandz inside, about 40,000 feet of track, about 4,000 buildings over
400 bridges. Many of the mountains in here are three and a half stories high. Most things in here are scratch built. Underneath the entire
superstructure there`s enough lumber to build about 42 large houses. It takes a few hours to go through for the average person to see everything.
We went millions into debt to build this place. Everybody thought we were nuts. The only one that believed in what I wanted to do was my wife and
she was totally with me on this big time. It`s an artistic endeavor. It`s a gift to the world of what I can do and it makes a lot of people happy.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
AZUZ: Santa Claus is coming to town. What? It`s April but never fear Santa`s here to spread some cheer. He says that`s what Santa does best
even during times like these and thanks to grants and donations, Santa Dave has delivered smartphones to senior citizens in a Chicago suburb to help
them communicate with their families. He`s also been online reading bedtime stories to local boys and girls, helping create some good memories
during difficult times.
You could look at it and say it`s a "mediablitzen" and baby there`s some jealousy from "Donder and Blitzen" but they`re stuck outside where they
have to rough it. They can`t Zoom or Skype all they can do is "hoof" it so it`s up to the big man and his big presents. You said presents? I said
presents, just seeing him is of the essence of holiday magic for senior, kids and teens. Delivering smiles despite COVID-19. All right. Franklin
Academy High School is in Malone, New York. You guys are "santastic". I`m Carl Azuz for CNN.
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