>> Announcer: LIVE THERE DOWNTOWN DETROIT, HOME OF
WDIV AND CLICK ON DETROIT,
LOCAL 4 NEWS AT NEWS STARTS
NOW.
NOW. >>> A HUMAN COST.
>> President Trump: WE HAVE
TO GET OUR COUNTRY OPEN.
WE HAVE TO GET IT OPEN SOON.
>> THE PRESIDENT SAYING MORE
CORONAVIRUS DEATHS ARE
COMING.
COMING. BUT THAT AMERICA NEEDS TO
THE GET BACK TO BUSINESS.
EVEN AS EXPERTS ARE
PREDICTING A STARTLING NEW
RISE IN CASES.
>> HOW MANY DEATHS, AND HOW
MUCH SUFFERING ARE YOU
WILLING TO ACCEPT TO GET
BACK TO WHAT YOU WANT TO BE
SOME FORM OF NORMALITY
SOONERER RATHER THAN LATER?
>> JUST AHEAD WHERE WE STAND
HERE AT HOME AS WELL AS A
CLOSER LOOK AT WHITE HOUSE
INTENTIONS TO PHASE OUT THE
CORONAVIRUS TASK FORCE.
THANK YOU FOR JOINING US FOR
LOCAL 4 NEWS AT NOON, I’M
EVROD CASSIMY.
EVROD CASSIMY. WE HAVE A LOT TO TALK ABOUT
THIS AFTERNOON AS THE
CORONAVIRUS PANDEMIC LEADS
OUR COVERAGE THIS AFTERNOON.
THE TOP REPUBLICANS IN THE
MICHIGAN LEGISLATURE JUST
UNVEILED A LAWSUIT
CHALLENGING GOVERNOR
CHALLENGING GOVERNOR WHITMER’S EMERGENCY POWERS
TO COMBAT COVID-19.
WE’LL HAVE A LIVE REPORT
FROM THE STATE CAPITOL IN
JUST A MOMENT.
BUT FIRST, LET’S GIVE YOU A
BREAKDOWN OF OUR CASE COUNT
HERE IN THE STATE OF
MICHIGAN.
MICHIGAN. AS OF OUR LAST UPDATE ON
TUESDAY AFTERNOON, THERE
WERE 44 CONFIRMED DEATHS
FROM COVID-19.
FROM COVID-19. THAT’S JUST WITHIN A 24-HOUR
PERIOD.
PERIOD. IN TOTAL, WE HAVE LOST MORE
THAN 4100 PEOPLE TO THE
VIRUS.
VIRUS. MICHIGAN NOW HAS MORE THAN
44,000 CONFIRMED CASES.
THIS IS UP MORE THAN 400
CASES FROM MONDAY.
AND NOW OUR DAILY NUMBERS DO
COME WITH A FEW CAVEATS.
THERE ARE VARIABLES THAT CAN
UNCONSIDERABLE NATURALLY
UNCONSIDERABLE NATURALLY CAUSE PEAKS IN DATA.
STATE OFFICIALS HAVE
RECOMMENDED LOOKING AT
WEEKLY AVERAGES TO BETTER
UNDERSTAND THE TRENDS.
WEEKLY AVERAGES SHOWING
OVERALL DOWNWARD TREND.
NEW UPDATES HAVE BEEN COMING
MID-AFTERNOON SO WE’LL HAVE
THAT FOR YOU ON
CLICKONDETROIT.COM AND HERE
ON LOCAL 4 ON OUR MOBILE
APP.
APP. >>> FORD MOTOR COMPANY IS
BEGINNING TO DELIVER POWERED
AIR PURIFYING RESPIRATORS TO
FRONT LINE HEALTHCARE
WORKERS THAT ARE BATTLING
THE CORONAVIRUS PANDEMIC.
SINCE LATE MARCH FORD HAS
BEEN WORKING WITH 3M TO
CREATE THE PERSONAL
PROTECTION EQUIPMENT.
PROTECTION EQUIPMENT. APPROXIMATELY 90 PAID
VOLUNTEERS HAVE ASSEMBLED
MORE THAN 10,000 RESPIRATORS
NEAR FLAT ROCK.
IN THE MEANTIME, BOTH FIAT
CHRYSLER AND GENERAL MOTORS
REPORTEDLY EXPECT TO BEGIN
RESTARTING MOST PLANTS IN
NORTH AMERICA THE WEEK OF
MAY 18th AFTER COMING TO AN
AGREEMENT WITH THE U.A.W.
>>> NOW ABOUT THAT LAWSUIT
FIRST THING THIS MORNING THE
REPUBLICAN LEGISLATIVE
REPUBLICAN LEGISLATIVE LEADERSHIP FILED A LAWSUIT
AGAINST THE GOVERNOR AND IT
CLAIMS SHE IS OVERSTEPPED
HER AUTHORITY IN DECLARING A
STATE OF EMERGENCY WITHOUT
LEGISLATIVE BACKING.
LEGISLATIVE BACKING. THE LEADERSHIP TODAY HELD A
PRESS CONFERENCE TO EXPLAIN
THAT MOVE.
THAT MOVE. OUR ROD MELONI WAS THERE.
HE JOINS US NOW LIVE IN
LANSING WITH MORE ON WHAT WE
KNOW.
KNOW. ROD?
ROD? >> Reporter: GOOD AFTERNOON,
EVROD.
EVROD. THIS IS A SITUATION WHERE
THE LEADERSHIP BELIEVES THAT
THE GOVERNOR HAS OVERREACHED
IN HER AUTHORITY.
THEY THINK SHE DID AN
UNCONSTITUTIONAL POWER GRAB
AND UNILATERALLY EXTENDING
HER STATE OF EMERGENCY.
SO WHAT THEY’RE SAYING IS
LOOK WE NEED A JUDGE TO
DECIDE THIS.
DECIDE THIS. THERE ARE THREE BRANCHES OF
GOVERNMENT LET’S HEAR FROM
THE JUDGE.
THE JUDGE. HOUSE SPEAKER LEE CHATFIELD
AND SENATE MAJORITY LEADER
CLAIM THEY TRIED TO WORK
WITH THE GOVERNOR.
>> THE LEGISLATURE OFFERED
THAT PARTNERSHIP TO THE
GOVERNOR LAST WEEK BUT SHE
REFUSED IT.
REFUSED IT. THE LEGISLATURE OFFERED
COOPERATION BUT INSTEAD SHE
CHOSE THE COURTS.
>> IT IS OUR FIRM BELIEVE
THAT LAW DOES NOT GIVE THE
POWER TO THE GOVERNOR TO
RULE THE ENTIRE STATE ON
THEIR OWN FOR AS LONG AS
THEY LIKE.
THEY LIKE. TODAY WE ARE ASKING THE
COURTS TO AFFIRM OUR
OPINION.
OPINION. >> Reporter: AMONG THEIR
FRUSTRATIONS IS THE
GOVERNOR’S UNWILLINGNESS TO
SHARE ANY DATA WITH ANYONE
ABOUT HER DECISION MAKING.
>> I HAVE NOT YET SEEN ANY
CRACK IN THE SECRET CURTAIN.
>> Reporter: OR EXPLAIN HOW
SHE MOVED FROM A FLATTEN THE
CURVE NOTION TO JUST SAVING
LIVES.
LIVES. AND WHY SHE FEELS IT
NECESSARY TO KEEP MOST OF
THE ENTIRE STATE AT HOME IN
A ONE SIZE FITS ALL
APPROACH.
APPROACH. >> THERE’S PEOPLE ACROSS OUR
STATE RIGHT NOW WHO ARE
TRULY HURTING.
TRULY HURTING. THEY’VE HAD THEIR ENTIRE
LIVELIHOODS TAKEN AWAY AND
THERE’S FAMILIES THAT DON’T
HAVE MONEY TO PUT FOOD ON
THE TABLE.
THE TABLE. TALK OF A PLAN DOESN’T
RESTORE THAT LIVELIHOOD.
TALK OF A PLAN, DOES NOT
ENSURE THAT THEY CAN GO WORK
WHEN IT CAN BE DONE SAFELY.
>> Reporter: SENATE
DEMOCRATS PUT OUT A
STATEMENT THIS MORNING IN
RESPONSE "LET US BE
ABUNDANTLY CLEAR, THIS
LAWSUIT IS DRIVEN SOLELY BY
LEGISLATIVE REPUBLICANS AND
HAS NO SUPPORT FROM THE
SENATE DEMOCRATIC CAUCUS.
WE’RE APPALLED THAT THOSE
ACROSS THE AISLE ARE
CHOOSING A GLOBAL PANDEMIC
AS THE TIME TO PICK
POLITICAL FIGHTS WITH THE
GOVERNOR INSTEAD OF FOCUSING
ON WHAT WE CAN DO TO HELP
THE PEOPLE OF OUR STATE."
NOW THE LEGISLATIVE
LEADERSHIP HAS ASKED FOR AN
EXPEDITED HEARING
EXPEDITED HEARING ESSENTIALLY ON AN EMERGENCY
BASIS TO GET A DECISION
HERE.
HERE. BUT THEY ALSO KNOW IT’S
HIGHLY UNLIKELY THAT THEY’RE
GOING TO PREVAIL AT LEAST
INITIALLY.
INITIALLY. THEY KNOW IT’S GOING TO BE
AWHILE.
AWHILE. IT’S LIKELY TO WIND UP
BEFORE THE SUPREME COURT.
IN THE MEANTIME, WE
COMMITTEE REACH OUT TO THE
GOVERNOR’S OFFICE AND SHE IS
SAYING THAT THIS IS NOT THE
TIME TO BE PLAYING POLITICAL
GAMES.
GAMES. REPORTING LIVE FROM LANSING,
ROD MELONI, LOCAL 4.
>> ROD, THANK YOU FOR THE
UPDATE.
UPDATE. >>> IN OTHER NEWS THIS
AFTERNOON, THE MAN ACCUSED
OF WIPING HIS NOSE ON A
STORE WORKER IN HOLLY HAS
BEEN FORMALLY CHARGED.
PROSECUTORS SAY 68-YEAR-OLD
REX GOAL WIPED HIS NOSE ON
THE WORKER AFTER SHE TOLD
HIM A MASK WAS REQUIRED IN
THE STORE.
THE STORE. THERE’S A SURVEILLANCE VIDEO
AND NOW WE’VE LEARNED THAT
GOAL HAS BEEN CHARGED WITH
MISDEMEANOR ASSAULT AND
BATTERY.
BATTERY. HE’S BEEN PLACED ON HOME
CONFINEMENT WITH ONLY COURT,
GROCERY OR MEDICAL TRIPS
ALLOWED.
ALLOWED. IF CONVICTED HE FACES 93
DAYS IN JAIL.
>>> THERE’S NOW A $5,000
REWARD BEING OFFERED FOR
HELP CATCHING THIS FATHER
AND SON DUO.
THE U.S. MARSHALS SAY THAT
BISHOP AND LARRY TEAGUE ARE
SUSPECTS IN THE MURDER OF A
SECURITY GUARD AT A FLINT
FAMILY DOLLAR STORE.
THE MARSHAL SAYS BISHOP AND
TEAGUE SHOT THE GUARD IN THE
HEAD AFTER HE TOLD A
CUSTOMER SHE HAD TO WEAR A
MASK.
MASK. TEAGUE’S WIFE HAS BEEN
ARRESTED IN THE MURDER.
>>> ON THE NATIONAL FRONT
NOW, TOP DOCTORS ARE WARNING
THAT THERE WILL BE MORE
CORONAVIRUS DEATHS AS
POLITICIANS PUSH TO GET
PEOPLE BACK TO WORK.
HERE A LOOK AT THE NUMBERS.
THERE ARE MORE THAN
1,200,000 CASES.
1,200,000 CASES. MORE THAN 71,000 AMERICANS
HAVE DIED.
HAVE DIED. THIS IS ACCORDING TO A JOHNS
HOPKINS UNIVERSITY DATABASE.
AS PETER ALEXANDER REPORTS.
>> Reporter: PRESIDENT TRUMP
CONCEDING A STATE START
REOPENING FOR BUSINESS MORE
AMERICANS MAY LOSE THEIR
LIVES.
LIVES. TELLING ABC NEWS --
>> President Trump: IT’S
POSSIBLE THERE WILL BE SOME
BECAUSE YOU WON’T BE LOCKED
INTO AN APARTMENT OR A
HOUSE.
HOUSE. >> Reporter: THE PRESIDENT
ON HIS FIRST TRIP ON BOARD
AIR FORCE ONE IN MORE THAN
FIVE WEEKS SAYING HE’S
WINDING DOWN THE WHITE HOUSE
CORONAVIRUS TASK FORCE.
EVEN AS THE DEATH TOLL IN
THE U.S. CLIMBS PAST 70,000.
SOME DEMOCRATS ALREADY
CRITICIZING THE MOVE.
FORMER PRESIDENTIAL
FORMER PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE BERNIE SANDERS
CALLING IT AN AMERICAN
TRAGEDY.
TRAGEDY. PRESIDENT TRUMP IN ARIZONA
TOURING A FACTORY NOW
PRODUCING N95 MASKS WHILE
NOT WEARING ONE HIMSELF.
PLANT OFFICIALS TOLD THEM
THAT THE PRESIDENT AND HIS
TEAM DID NOT NEED TO.
THE PRESIDENT ACKNOWLEDGING
THE DEATH TOLL WILL EXCEED
HIS EXPECTATIONS.
HIS EXPECTATIONS. >> President Trump: I ALWAYS
FELT 60, 65, 70 AS HORRIBLE
AS THAT IS, I MEAN YOU’RE
TALKING ABOUT FILLING UP
YANKEE STADIUM WITH DEATH.
SO I THOUGHT IT WAS
HORRIBLE.
HORRIBLE. BUT IT’S PROBABLY GOING TO
BE SOMEWHAT HIGHER THAN
THAT.
THAT. >> Reporter: IT COMES AS
DR. RICK BRIGHT, WHO WAS
RECENTLY FORCED OUT AS HEAD
OF THE AGENCY INVOLVED IN
DEVELOPING A VACCINE FOR THE
VIRUS IS BREAKING HIS
SILENCE.
SILENCE. IN THIS NEW WHISTLE-BLOWER
COMPLAINT OBTAINED BY NBC
NEWS, BRIGHT SAYS HE WAS
RETALIATED AGAINST FOR
RESISTING EFFORTS TO FUND
POTENTIALLY DANGEROUS DRUGS
PROMOTED BY THOSE WITH
POLITICAL CONNECTIONS.
POLITICAL CONNECTIONS. A REFERENCE TO
HYDROXYCHLOROQUINE AN
HYDROXYCHLOROQUINE AN ANTI-MALARIA DRUG THAT THE
PRESIDENT REPEATEDLY
PRESIDENT REPEATEDLY PROMOTED.
PROMOTED. >> I’M AFTER TIME I WAS
PRESSURED TO IGNORE OR
DISMISS EXPERT AND
SCIENTIFIC RECOMMENDATIONS.
SCIENTIFIC RECOMMENDATIONS. AND INSTEAD, TO AVOID LUCK A
-- AWARD LUCRATIVE CONTRACTS
BASED ON POLITICAL
CONNECTIONS.
CONNECTIONS. IN OTHER WORDS I WAS
PRESSURED TO LET POLITICS
AND CRONYISM DRIVE THIS.
>> THANK YOU, PETER.
>>> AS WE REPORTED ON
TUESDAY, PROJECTIONS SUGGEST
3,000 PEOPLE WILL DIE EVERY
DAY OF CORONAVIRUS IN THE
U.S. AT THE BEGINNING OF
JUNE.
JUNE. THE STARTLING FIGURES COME
AS STATES BEGIN TO REOPEN
THEIR ECONOMIES.
THEIR ECONOMIES. AND AS THE DEBATE CONTINUES
OVER REOPENING AMERICA’S TOP
DOCTORS ARE WARNING THAT
THERE WILL BE MORE CASES AND
MORE DEATHS.
MORE DEATHS. >> IN THE LONG RUN WE WILL
UNABLE TO REPLACE SOME JOBS
WE’RE NOT GOING TO BE ABLE
TO REPLACE THE LIVES THAT
ARE LOST.
ARE LOST. YOU CAN’T HAVE A STRONG
ECONOMY WHEN PEOPLE ARE
DYING OR ARE DEAD.
HOW WILL YOU REOPEN OFFICES
AND FACTORIES AND SCHOOLS IF
PEOPLE HAVE DIED?
>> EXPERTS CONTEND THAT
AMERICANS NEED TO KNOW THE
UNVARNISHED TRUTH THAT
REOPENING WHENEVER IT
HAPPENS WILL COME WITH A
HUMAN COST.
HUMAN COST. >> THE FACT THAT YOU’RE NOW
ADMITTING THAT THERE ARE
GOING TO BE INCREASED DEATHS
I THINK IS A STEP TO
ACTUALLY BEING HONEST WITH
THE AMERICAN PUBLIC THAT
THAT’S WHAT THE STAKES ARE
HERE.
HERE. THAT’S WHAT THE TRADE-OFF IS
GOING TO BE.
THE COSTS OF HAVING AN
ECONOMY FUNCTIONING ARE
GOING TO BE INCREASED CASES
AND INCREASED DEATHS.
>> DESPITE THE THE
PROJECTION FOR AN INCREASE
IN DEATHS, ADMINISTRATION
OFFICIALS SAY THAT THOSE
NUMBERS ARE NOT EXPECTED TO
AFFECT THE WHITE HOUSE’S
PLANS FOR REOPENING THE
COUNTRY.
COUNTRY. BUT THERE IS SOME
ENCOURAGING NEWS ABOUT
REOPENING THE ECONOMY THAT
HAS COMBINED WITH THE NEW
NEGATIVE ECONOMIC REPORTS TO
LEAD TO A DAY OF MIXED
RESULTS ON WALL STREET.
RIGHT NOW WE’RE FOLLOWING
THE DOW JONES INDUSTRIAL
AVERAGE AND HERE’S A LIVE
LOOK FOR YOU WHERE TRADING
IS NOW.
IS NOW. THE DOW STARTED UP AT THE
OPEN BUT THEN DIPPED INTO
NEGATIVE TERRITORY.
NEGATIVE TERRITORY. AND HAS REALLY BEEN UP AND
DOWN SINCE THEN.
STRONG NEGATIVE NEWS CAME IN
A REPORT SHOWING PRIVATE
EMPLOYERS CUT MORE THAN 20
MILLION JOBS LAST MONTH.
BUT ANALYSTS SAY THAT THAT
COULD BE THE WORST OF IT
WITH BETTER REPORTS AHEAD.
TYSON FOODS SAYS IT WILL
REOPEN ITS LARGEST PORK
PROCESSING PLANT THIS WEEK.
THAT SHOULD HELP EASE
CONCERN ABOUT MEAT
SHORTAGES.
SHORTAGES. AND EVEN THOUGH GENERAL
MOTORS REPORTED A DRAMATIC
DROP IN EARNINGS ITS STOCK
PRICE HAS RISEN.
UP ABOUT 7% SO FAR.
>>> AS ALWAYS
CLICKONDETROIT.COM IS PACKED
WITH USEFUL INFORMATION FOR
YOU TO HELP YOU NAVIGATE
YOUR WAY THROUGH THIS
CRISIS.
CRISIS. JUST GO TO
CLICKONDETROIT.COM/CORONAVIRUS.
CLICKONDETROIT.COM/CORONAVIRUS. >>> IN OTHER NEWS THIS
AFTERNOON SUPREME COURT
JUSTICE RUTH BADER GINSBURG
IS IN THE HOSPITAL WITH AN
INFECTION.
INFECTION. BUT STILL PARTICIPATED IN A
SUPREME COURT TELECONFERENCE
THIS MORNING.
THIS MORNING. THE 87-YEAR-OLD DEVELOPED AN
INFECTION CAUSED BY A
GALLSTONE AND RECEIVED A
NONSURGICAL TREATMENT
NONSURGICAL TREATMENT YESTERDAY.
YESTERDAY. FROM THE HOSPITAL, GINSBURG
CALLED IN TO HEAR A CASE
INVOLVING EMPLOYERS AND
BIRTH CONTROL.
BIRTH CONTROL. GINSBURG HAS HAD SEVERAL
HEALTH ISSUES OVER THE PAST
FEW YEARS, INCLUDING
MULTIPLE BOUTS WITH CANCER.
THANKFULLY SHE IS EXPECTED
TO BE IN THE HOSPITAL FOR A
DAY OR TWO.
WE DO WISH HER WELL THERE.
>>> TAKE A LOOK AT OUR
FORECAST AS WE GIVE YOU A
LIVE LOOK AT OUR DOWNTOWN
DETROIT SKYLINE.
DETROIT SKYLINE. BRANDON ROUX IS STANDING BY.
IT’S A BIT CHILLIER THIS
MORNING, BRANDON?
MORNING, BRANDON? >> IT WAS.
OCCASIONALLY YOU GET A STIFF
BREEZE OUT HERE THAT MAKES
IT FEEL A LITTLE COOLER.
BUT NUMBERS OUT HERE RIGHT
NOW WARMER THAN ANYTHING WE
SAW ALL DAY YESTERDAY.
SO WE’RE LOOKING GOOD SKIES
HAVE IMPROVED FROM MORNING
CLOUDS NOTHING BUT BLUE
ABOVE ME HERE IN GROSSE
POINTE WOODS.
POINTE WOODS. HERE’S A LIVE LOOK IN ANN
ARBOR.
ARBOR. DOUBLE NICKELS 55 IN METRO
WITH A NORTH WIBD WIND AT
13.
13. IT’S 54 IN ARBOR AND 52 IN
PONTIAC.
PONTIAC. THAT NORTH WIND AGAIN DOES
KEEP IT FEELING JUST A
LITTLE BIT COOLER.
SO MIDDLE 50s NOW ON OUR WAY
TO ABOUT 60 DEGREES FOR YOUR
AFTERNOON HIGH.
AFTERNOON HIGH. AND AGAIN, OCCASIONALLY WE
GET A 15, 20 MILES PER HOUR
WIND GUST AND IT JUST HAS A
SLIGHTLY COOLER FEEL.
BUT NO WET WEATHER TODAY,
EVROD.
EVROD. WE DO HAVE GROWING CONCERNS
PUN INTENDED FOR COLD AIR
AND WHAT FOLKS ARE GROWING
OUT THERE FOR THE WEEKEND
ESPECIALLY.
ESPECIALLY. WE’LL TAKE A CLOSER LOOK
COMING UP.
COMING UP. >> I SEE WHAT YOU DID THERE
BRANDON.
BRANDON. WE’LL SEE YOU IN JUST A
LITTLE BIT.
LITTLE BIT. >>> STILL TO COME, FAST
TRACK GET A LOOK INSIDE THE
LAB WHERE RESEARCHERS ARE
WORKING ON A VACCINE THAT
THEY HOPE COULD BE READY FOR
THE FALL.
THE FALL. IS THIS THE BREAKTHROUGH