W
W SANSING
W SANSING SHORT THIS IS FLASH POINT WHERE POWER AND POLITICS COLLIDE, THE TOUGH QUESTIONS
GET ASKED AND ANSWERED.
>> HAPPY HOLIDAY FOLKS.
MERRY CHRISTMAS AS WELL.
THANKS FOR JOINING US HERE ON
FLASHPOINT.
I'M BEN THOMPSON.
THIS BY THE WAY, OUR LAST SHOW
OF 20/20.
GOOD RIDDANCE RIGHT.
TALK ABOUT THE YEAR NOT THE
SHOW.
THIS YEAR WAS BAD.
HOW BAD YOU ASK A GLOBAL
PANDEMIC.
UNLIKE WE'VE EVER SEEN A
RECKONING ON SOCIAL AND RACIAL
INJUSTICES HERE IN AMERICA.
THAT'S THOUSANDS OF PROTESTERS
OUT IN THE CITY STREETS HERE IN
CHARLOTTE AND ACROSS THE
COUNTRY.
AND OF COURSE THE MOST DIVISIVE
ELECTION WE HAVE EVER SEEN
THAT'S STILL BEING CONTESTED BY
SOME.
WE'LL WALK YOU THROUGH ALL OF
THOSE THINGS COMING UP IN THE
NEXT 30 MINUTES.
BUT LET'S BEGIN WITH THE CORONA
VIRUS.
THE FIRST CASE HERE IN NORTH
CAROLINA ACTUALLY REPORTED BACK
IN EARLY MARCH BY MARCH 22ND WE
SAW ABOUT 42 TWO NEW CASES THAT
DAY.
NOW WE'RE SEEING SIX TO EVEN
7000 CASES A DAY MARCH 3RD.
NORTH CAROLINA REPORTED ITS
VERY FIRST CORONA CASE A WEEK
LATER.
A STATE OF EMERGENCY AND THEN A
MARCH 14TH.
SCHOOLS CLOSED.
THIS IS THE DECISION THAT NO
ONE WANTED TO SEE HAPPEN.
BUT IT IS THE RIGHT DECISION AT
THE TIME.
>> SCHOOLS CLOSED IN MARCH.
GET THIS.
IT WAS ONLY SUPPOSED TO BE FOR
ABOUT TWO WEEKS.
THEN ON MARCH 17TH, GOVERNOR
COOPER SUSPENDED SIT DOWN
SERVICE FOR BARS AND
RESTAURANTS.
WE KNOW THAT THIS IS AN
UNPRECEDENTED AND ABRUPT HALT
OF DOING BUSINESS BY THE END OF
MARCH.
>> EVERYONE WAS TOLD TO STAY AT
HOME.
FOLKS STAYED LARGELY LOCKED
DOWN FOR MONTHS.
SOME STILL AT HOME.
AS YOU KNOW, IT'S CAUSED A HUGE
SPIKE IN UNEMPLOYMENT.
THEY'RE ALL HURTING.
>> WE'RE NOT DOING BUSINESS WE
WOULD LIKE TO BE DOING.
>> THEN ON MAY 8TH, NORTH
CAROLINA BEGAN TO REOPEN WITH A
STATE ENTERED PHASE ONE.
TWO WEEKS LATER PHASE TWO CAME
BACK THEN.
CASES WERE GROWING BY ABOUT 400
DAILY.
IT WASN'T TILL JUNE 26 THAT
NORTH KOREA'S MASSIVE MANDATE
WENT INTO EFFECT THROUGH THE
SUMMER WE AVERAGE AS MANY AS
2000 NEW CASES A DAY.
THEN ON AUGUST 17TH KIDS WENT
BACK TO SCHOOL SOME IN PERSON,
SOME VIRTUALLY AND MORE
BUSINESSES REOPENED AND WE
STILL SAW METRICS GO DOWN
DESPITE MORE THINGS OPENING UP.
WE WEREN'T SEEING A HUGE SPIKE
IN CASES BECAUSE OF THAT.
ON SEPTEMBER 4TH THE STATE
MOVED INTO PHASE 2.5.
AND EVER SINCE THEN WE'VE SEEN
OUR CASES CLIMB.
DAY AFTER DAY.
NOW WE'RE SEEING NEW RECORDS
EVERY SINGLE DAY.
THE NEW RECORD IS STAGGERING.
>> MORE RECORDS FALLING IN
NORTH CAROLINA TODAY THAN US
SHATTERING RECORDS.
>> EXPERTS NOW CONCERNED
HOSPITALS GETTING CLOSE TO
CAPACITY.
OUR HOSPITALS ARE FEELING THE
STRAIN AND THIS IS REALLY
WORRISOME.
>> WHILE WE ARE ABLE TO
CURRENTLY MANAGE OUR CAPACITY
AT THIS POINT AS WE'VE SEEN IN
OTHER STATES, THINGS CAN
ESCALATE QUICKLY.
>> EXPERTS SAY WE COULD REACH
CAPACITY IN THREE TO FIVE WEEKS
DEPENDING ON YOU KNOW, AGAIN AT
CURRENT TRENDS.
>> HOSPITALS ARE GONNA HAVE TO
START LOOKING AT WAYS TO EXPAND
IT.
I THINK THAT SHOULD BE A
SOBERING THOUGHT FOR ALL NORTH
CAROLINIANS.
>> OVER THE LAST NINE MONTHS,
HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS OF NORTH
CAROLINIANS HAVE CAUGHT THE
VIRUS.
AROUND 6000 PEOPLE HAVE DIED AS
THE HOLIDAYS ARE UPON US.
OFFICIALS ARE REMINDING YOU THE
THREE W'S THAT THEY'VE BEEN
HARPING ON FOR MONTHS WHERE
MASK WAIT SIX FEET AND WASH
YOUR HANDS.
THEY'RE ALSO ASKING YOU TO
AVOID GATHERING'S FOR THE
HOLIDAYS TO HELP KEEP HOSPITALS
FROM BECOMING OVERCROWDED AND
PROTECT THE STAFF THAT ARE
FIGHTING TO KEEP OUR LOVED ONES
ALIVE DAILY.
THE FRUSTRATION, THE EXHAUSTION
MENTALLY, PHYSICALLY IS ALL
STILL THERE AS WE'VE SEEN MORE
DEATHS THIS PAST HONESTLY THREE
WEEKS I'VE EVER SEEN IN MY
ENTIRE CAREER AS A NURSE THESE
PAST FIVE YEARS.
>> THE CORONAVIRUS SHOULD NEVER
HAVE BEEN POLITICAL BUT IT WAS
AND IT WAS FROM THE START HERE
IN NORTH CAROLINA WE SAW
GOVERNOR COOPER BATTLE OUT WITH
REPUBLICANS IN THE GENERAL
ASSEMBLY JUST ONE CASE
LAWMAKERS TRIED BARS AND GYMS
OPEN SOONER THAN THE GOVERNOR
WANTED.
>> NORTH LAWMAKERS IN THE
SENATE RAIBLE TO PASS BILLS TO
REOPEN PLACES.
BUT GOVERNOR COOPER VETOED THE
MEASURE SAYING THERE'D BE NO
MECHANISM FOR HIM TO RECLOSE
THOSE BUSINESSES IF THERE WAS
ANOTHER SPIKE IN COVID 19
CASES.
REPUBLICANS IN THE SENATE
ARGUED THE DECISION WAS NEVER
SOLELY FOR THE GOVERNOR BUT TO
MAKE AND THAT HE NEEDED
APPROVAL FROM THE COUNCIL OF
STATE SCHOOLS ALSO BEEN THE
SUBJECT OF DEBATE WHEN IT COMES
TO COVID 19.
SHOULD STUDENTS BE IN CLASS?
SHOULD THEY STAY AT HOME?
SHOULD PARENTS BE ABLE TO
CHOOSE WHICH ONE THEY WANT FOR
THEIR STUDENTS?
AT THE TIME SCHOOLS CLOSED BACK
IN MARCH IT WAS ONLY SUPPOSED
TO BE FOR TWO WEEKS.
BUT HERE WE ARE.
NINE MONTHS LATER CMF WENT BACK
TO CLASS ONLY TO ONCE AGAIN
RETURN TO REMOTE LEARNING IN
THE PAST FEW WEEKS.
AND AS WE KNOW REMOTE LEARNING
HAS IMPACTED A LOT OF STUDENTS,
SOME MORE THAN OTHERS.
QUALITIES THAT EXISTED BEFORE
MARCH OF TWENTY TWENTY HAVE
BEEN DRAMATICALLY EXACERBATED
DURING CODING STUDENTS WHO RELY
ON THINGS LIKE FOOD AND ADULT
SUPERVISION FALLING EITHER EVEN
FURTHER BEHIND THEIR OTHER
CLASSMATES, THEIR GROWN UP ARTS
ALSO CHANGING HOW THE
REPUBLICAN NATIONAL CONVENTION
LOOKS HERE IN CHARLOTTE
ORIGINALLY WAS GOING TO BE A
BIG DEAL GOING FOR THE FULL
WEEK BRINGING FIFTY THOUSAND
PEOPLE TWO HUNDRED MILLION
DOLLARS TO QUEEN CITY IN
AUGUST.
>> BUT BY THE TIME THE WEEK
ROLLS AROUND IT WAS A SMALL
WEEKEND EVENT WITH ONE SOMEWHAT
SURPRISE TRIP BY THE PRESIDENT
IN FRONT OF JUST ABOUT A GROUP
OF 400 DELEGATES AFTER THE
EVENT.
MECKLENBURG COUNTY OFFICIALS
SAY TWO ATTENDEES AND TWO OF
ITS SUPPORT PEOPLE TESTED
POSITIVE RICKOVER 19.
THOSE RESULTS COMING AFTER
SEVEN HUNDRED NINETY TWO TESTS
WERE CONDUCTED WHILE THE
LARGEST OUTBREAK HERE IN
MECKLENBURG COUNTY THIS YEAR
WAS CONNECTED TO A CHURCH.
ELEVEN PEOPLE DIED MORE THAN
200 PEOPLE WERE DIAGNOSED THE
CORONA VIRUS AFTER ATTENDING
CONVOCATION EVENTS AT THE
UNITED HOUSE OF PRAYER FOR ALL
PEOPLE.
IN A LETTER OBTAINED BY W CDC
CHARLOTTE WE LEARNED THE HEAD
BISHOP SEYOUM BAILEY ENCOURAGED
MEMBERS TO CONTINUE MASS
GATHERINGS DESPITE STATE AND
COUNTY RESTRICTIONS.
WE SPOKE TO A CHURCH MEMBER WHO
WANTED TO STAY ANONYMOUS BUT
SAID HE'S OUTRAGE AT HOW HIS
CHURCH HANDLED THIS PANDEMIC.
>> AND THERE BEING A LOT OF
JEFFS IN THE CHURCH JUST
STEPPING OVER YOUR POLICY JUST
LIKE YOU ARE SITTING.
>> ALL THOSE PEOPLE THAT WE
TRIED CONTACTING YOU NOT A
HOUSE PRAYER A NUMBER OF TIMES
OVER THE LAST FEW MONTHS SINCE
THE START OF THE OUTBREAK IN
OCTOBER.
THERE.
OCTOBER. THERE. WE NEVER HEARD BACK FROM THE
CHURCH LEADER.
THEN ON DECEMBER 14TH THE
COUNTRY AND THE CAROLINAS
FINALLY GOT SOME SORELY NEEDED
HOPE.
THE VACCINE NOW BEING GIVEN TO
AMERICANS HEALTH CARE WORKERS
GETTING THE FIRST DOSES.
YOU'RE LOOKING AT SOME VIDEO
AND PICTURES FROM ATRIUM
HEALTHIER CHARLOTTE.
A DOCTOR HERE WAS ACTUALLY THE
FIRST PERSON IN NORTH CAROLINA
TO GET THE VACCINE.
I FEEL PERFECTLY FINE.
>> HAVE HAD NO ISSUES WITH THE
VACCINE.
JUST A MOMENT OF HOPE, A MOMENT
OF LIKE POTENTIAL FOR CHANGE OF
THE COURSE THAT WE'RE ON WITH
THE PANDEMIC RIGHT NOW.
WE JUST ENCOURAGE EVERYONE TO
CONSIDER GETTING VACCINATED.
TALK TO YOUR DOCTOR, GET
EDUCATED.
>> BUT AS WE KNOW, THE VACCINE
BE ROLLED OUT IN PHASES AND THE
EVERYDAY AMERICAN WILL NOT GET
IT FOR WEEKS IF NOT MONTHS
BECAUSE OF THAT HEALTH EXPERTS
STILL URGING EVERYONE TO KEEP
WEARING MASKS AND STAY SOCIALLY
DISTANT.
COMING UP V ONE CAROLINA MAN
THAT SINGLE