Mem lee. You have been working on this story all afternoon. What can you tell us . Former president obama has been fairly conservative about whether and when he chooses to speak out publicly about issues that democrats especially have been concerned about in terms of as they follow the actions of the Trump Administration. But we got significantly greater insight into the president s thinking as he held a Conference Call on friday night with more than 3,000 alumni of his administration. During that call, he hit on a number of topics, including the coronavirus pandemic, calling the Trump Administrations response an absolute chaotic disaster. He also talked about the Justice Departments decision to instruct prosecutors to drop their prosecution of Michael Flynn. As an example of what the rule of law is in this country is at risk, he said this is how drok raess become ought tock raess. He took five questions from some of his a llumni. He also talked about disinformation in our political pr
Michael flynn. Thats the kind of stuff where you begin to get worried of our basic understanding of rule of law is at risk. A crime cannot be established here. Good to have you this saturday morning whether youre watching from the u. S. Or somewhere else around the world. Im victor blackwell. Im christi paul. Were always grateful to have you with us. In all of this mornings headlines the numbers are telling a story this morning. First of all, more than 77,000 people have died in this country from the coronavirus. And there are more than 1. 2 million cases this morning. Also more than 70 cases of children getting seriously sick from complications, possibly linked to coronavirus. Authors under investigation in new york. Health Officials Say there that the condition caused the death of a 5yearold and a 7yearold. Governor andrew cuomo says this could open up an entirely different chapter. Even if we learn more about this virus, four to seven states partially opened or will be by tomorrow.
Projected that americans would spend up to 25 billion on mothers day gifts and festivities including 5. 2 billion in jewelry, 4. 6 billion on restaurant meals and on special outings, and 2. 6 billion on flowers. But due to the covid19 outbreak, nearly every single one of these industries instead is facing unprecedented economic challenges and financial hardship. With many of them struggling just it keep their doors open and pay their employees. There are now more than 1. 3 million confirmed cases of coronavirus nationwide. And more than 79,000 confirmed deaths. And the staggering tragic death toll has gone hand and hand, what can only be described as a rolling economic collapse. More than 3. 2 million americans who lost their jobs, just in the last week, bringing the sevenweek unemployment total to more than 33 million. Great depression era numbers. Many Small Businesses have been forced to shut their doors, restaurants have turned to takeout and Delivery Service to tri and survive. An
Tomorrow afternoon including in washington, d. C. Where we have seen a protest like this outside the president s hotel. Tomorrow we expect to see a funeral procession of at least a couple hundred cars. Let to try to bring home to the administration the consequences of how terrible the response to the epidemic has been so far. We think there will be protests under this National Funeral day of mourning rubric all over the country tomorrow. But the one in cash washington were expecting to be a large funeral procession that is apparently going to proceed from the home of the the Washington Home of the leader of the senate, senator mitch mcconnell, to the white house. And clergy are expected to speak in memoriam for the dead. Relatives of those killed by the coronavirus are expected to lay out body bags outside the white house grounds tomorrow. We know of planned similar protests tomorrow, not just in washington. Also at the president s golf course in new jersey. Also at the Federal Buildin
Really quickly, willie, set up where we are right now. News overnight, that the president of the United States, the Trump Administration, actually, once again, stopped the center for Disease Control in trying to protect americans. We saw this happen earlier in the week, where the white house tossed out some predictions about how many deaths there might be using Trump Administration facts. Yesterday, the cdc set out guidelines, and they wanted the guidelines to go to schools, restaurants, churches, and other community establishments, to help them safely reopen their restaurants and their businesses, and to save lives. Well, trump killed it. You know, its just like the white house, willie, time and again forgetting donald tr i trump specifically, forgetting the guidelines he gave to the American People with the help of dr. Fauci and dr. Birx. They were guidelines that would help open businesses in a safe way. He keeps pushing and were going to be talking about this to reopen businesses i