December 17, 2020

> HELLO, EVERYONE, AND WELCOME TO AMANPOUR AND COMPANY.

HERE'S WHAT'S COMING UP.

[ APPLAUSE ] VACCINES IN A RACE AGAINST TIME.

FRONT LINE WORKER AND CRITICAL CARE SPECIALIST CORNELIA GRIGGS TELLS ABOUT HER DAILY BATTLE TO SAVE LIVES.

THEN.

WE AGREED WE WILL NOT LEAVE TOWN UNTIL WE'VE MADE LAW.

A FINANCIAL LIFELINE FOR MILLIONS OF AMERICANS HANGS IN THE BALANCE.

I SPEAK TO REPUBLICAN SENATOR BILL CASSIDY ABOUT THE CRITICAL RELIEF BILL THAT'S YET TO PASS.

> PLUS.

PRO-DEMOCRACY ACTIVIST TED TELLS ME ABOUT HIS DARING ESCAPE FROM HONG KONG AS CHINA TARGETS DEMOCRACY THERE.

AND.

ONE IN SIX INDIVIDUALS IN THIS COUNTRY ARE LIKELY TO BE FOOD INSECURE.

50 MILLION AMERICANS ARE

Announcer: AMANPOUR AND COMPANY IS MADE POSSIBLE BY THE ANDERSON FAMILY FUND.

SUE AND EDGAR WACHENHEIM III.

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THE STRAUSS FOUNDATION.

BERNARD AND DENISE SCHWARTZ.

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ADDITIONAL SUPPORT PROVIDED BY THESE FUNDERS.

AND BY CONTRIBUTIONS TO YOUR PBS STATION FROM VIEWERS LIKE YOU.

THANK YOU.

WELCOME TO THE PROGRAM, EVERYONE.

I'M CHRISTIANE AMANPOUR IN LONDON.

MORE GRIM MILESTONES AS AMERICA SURPASSES 17 MILLION COVID CASES AND HERE IN THE U.K. FOR THE FIRST TIME IN HISTORY, THE U.N.

CHILDREN'S AGENCY, UNICEF PLANS TO FEED VULNERABLE FAMILIES ACROSS THIS COUNTRY.

IN FRANCE PRESIDENT EMANUEL MACRON IS THE LATEST WORLD LEADER TO CATCH COVID, WHICH IS FURTHER PROOF NO ONE IS BEYOND ITS REACH.

MEANWHILE MILLIONS OF PFIZER BioNTECH VACCINES ARE BEING ROLLED OUT TO FRONT LINE WORKERS.

NEXT UP COULD BE FDA EMERGENCY APPROVAL FOR THE MODERNA VACCINE.

A GLIMMER OF HOPE AS EXPERTS FEAR THIS HOLIDAY SEASON WILL CERTAINLY BRING A SPIKE IN INFECTIONS.

PEDIATRIC SURGEON AND CRITICAL CARE SPECIALIST CORNELIA GRIGGS HAS BEEN MANNING THE FRONT LINES AND WE SPOKE FIRST BACK IN MARCH WHEN SHE WAS SOUNDING THE ALARM OVER HOW UNPREPARED U.S.

HOSPITALS WERE FOR THE PANDEMIC.

TAKE A LISTEN TO HER WARNING THEN.

NO ONE IN MY LIFE HAS EVER CALLED ME AN ALARMIST BEFORE.

I AM TRAINED TO BE COOL IN AN EMERGENCY.

IN FACT, I THINK OF MYSELF AS SOMEONE WHO THRIVES IN A CRISIS.

BUT THIS IS DIFFERENT.

AND I THINK OFTEN A LOT OF DOCTORS ACROSS THE COUNTRY ARE SCARED TO GO TO WORK IN A WAY WE'VE NEVER BEEN SCARED BEFORE.

SO, NINE MONTHS LATER WHERE ARE WE?

AND DO HEALTH CARE WORKERS HAVE THE SUPPLIES AND THE SUPPORT THEY NEED NOW?

DR.áGRIGGS IS JOINING ME FROM BOSTON TO DISCUSS.

WELCOME BACK TO THE PROGRAM.

IT'S BEEN MANY MONTHS, REALLY, SINCE THE BEGINNING THAT WE SPOKE.

AND I WONDER WHETHER YOU'RE STILL SCARED AND WHETHER YOU HAVE NOW WHAT YOU NEED.

IT'S SO NICE TO SPEAK TO YOU AGAIN, CHRISTIANE.

WE'RE IN A DIFFERENT PLACE THAN WE WERE WHEN WE FIRST SPOKE, AND IT'S TERRIFYING IN DIFFERENT WAYS.

BUT I THINK WITH THE ARRIVAL OF THE VACCINE AND THE BEGINNING OF THE ROLLOUT OF BROAD-SCALE VACCINATION OF OUR HEALTH CARE WORK FORCE, PEOPLE IN THE HOSPITAL ARE BEGINNING TO FEEL A SMALL NUGGET OF HOPE AND POTENTIALLY EVEN SOME SOMBER OPTIMISM.

WELL, THAT'S GREAT TO HEAR REALLY, BECAUSE WE KNOW THAT HOSPITALS ARE AT CAPACITY ALL OVER THE COUNTRY RIGHT NOW.

AND WE SAW, YOU KNOW, IN SOME OF THOSE PICTURES, THE FIRST TO RECEIVE THE PFIZER BioNTECH VACCINE WAS A NURSE IN NEW YORK.

I WONDER, YOU SAID IT CAN BRING YOU SOME OPTIMISM EVEN NOW.

ARE YOU GOING TO GET IT?

WHAT IS THE SITUATION FOR PEOPLE IN YOUR HOSPITAL?

YEAH, MY HOSPITAL STARTED THE VACCINATION PROCESS YESTERDAY, AND I SHOULD NOTE TONIGHT WHEN I CAN MAKE MY APPOINTMENT TO GET VACCINATED.

BUT I EXPECT EVERYONE AT MY HOSPITAL WILL BE VACCINATED, EVERYBODY WHO WANTS TO BE VACCINATED WILL BE VACCINATED BY THE END OF JANUARY.

SO THAT TIME LINE DOES GIVE ME A BIT OF HOPE.

BUT AS YOU SAID, WE'RE SEEING OUR BEDS FILL UP AGAIN WITH COVID PATIENTS, AND WE'RE SEEING A SURGE RELATED TO THE THANKSGIVING HOLIDAY.

AND WITH MORE HOLIDAYS AROUND THE CORNER, I THINK A LOT OF HEALTH CARE WORKERS HERE IN BOSTON AND NEW YORK AND ACROSS A LOT OF HARD-HIT AREAS IN THE COUNTRY ARE BRACING FOR A REALLY BRUTAL WINTER EVEN WITH VACCINE.

SO LET ME ASK YOU, BECAUSE YOU BROUGHT UP THANKSGIVING AND YOU FAMOUSLY TWEETEDá-- I MEAN, YOU BEGGED PEOPLE BASICALLY TO CANCEL THEIR THANKSGIVING.

YOU SAID YOU'D EVEN GIVE THEM A MEDICAL NOTE SO THEY COULD BOW OUT OF THEIR THANKSGIVING.

YOU SAID IT'S DOABLE.

IT'S ONE YEAR, ONE COULD FORFEIT THIS YEAR.

YOU'RE SAYING YOU'RE SEEING THE SPIKE AFTER THAT NOW.

DO YOU THINK THE SAME SHOULD HAPPEN OVER CHRISTMAS?

ABSOLUTELY.

I THINK THAT THE RISK IS EVEN HIGHER NOW THAN IT WAS IN THE SPRING WHEN WE WERE ALL, YOU KNOW, BEING TOLD TO BUNKER IN OUR HOMES, AND A LOT OF PEOPLE ACCEPTED THAT THAT WAS WHAT WAS NECESSARY.

BUT NOW WE'VE LEARNED TO IGNORE SOME OF THESE APPALLING NUMBERS IN TERMS OF CASE COUNTS AND DEATHS.

BUT THE RATE OF COMMUNITY SPREAD ALL ACROSS THE COUNTRY IS REALLY TERRIBLY ALARMING.

AND THE WAY COVID SEEPS INTO YOUR FAMILY IS INSIDIOUS.

IT ARRIVES ON THE BREATH OF THE PEOPLE THAT YOU LOVE AND THEIR KISSES.

WOW, THAT IS A PRETTY VISUAL WAY OF PUTTING IT.

YOU KNOW, WE HEARD THAT THIS WEEK, IF I'M NOT MISTAKEN YESTERDAY, THE U.S. SURPASSED A RECORD DAILY DEATH TOLL NUMBER.

I MEAN, IT'S PRETTY, IT'S PRETTY HEARTBREAKING TO HEAR ACTUAL INDIVIDUALS TALK ABOUT WHO THEY'VE LOST.

AND AS YOU SAY, JUST LIKE THAT, YOU CAN CATCH IT FROM PEOPLE WHO YOU LOVE JUST BY THEM BREATHING ANYWHERE NEAR YOU.

I WANT TO ASK YOU THIS ABOUT WHAT PRESIDENT-ELECT BIDEN HAS SAID, THAT WHAT HE'LL DOá-- BECAUSE IT'S A LOT ABOUT BEHAVIOR AS WELL.

HE SAIDá-- ACTUALLY, LET'S PLAY HIS SOUND BITE BECAUSE HE SAYS IT A LOT BETTER THAN I CAN REPEAT IT.

ON THE FIRST DAY I'M INAUGURATED, I'M GOING TO ASK THE PUBLIC FOR 100 DAYS TO MASK.

JUST 100 DAYS TO MASK, NOT FOREVER, 100 DAYS.

AND I THINK WE'LL SEE A SIGNIFICANT REDUCTION IF THAT OCCURS WITH VACCINATIONS AND MASKING TO DRIVE DOWN THE NUMBERS CONSIDERABLY.

SO HOW DO YOU GRADE THAT?

A GOOD IDEA?

I THINK IT'S A GREAT IDEA.

I THINK WE NEED A UNIVERSAL MASKING MANDATE.

WE KNOW THAT MASKING WORKS.

WE KNOW IN THE HOSPITAL NOW THAT P.P.E. WORKS.

THERE HAVE BEEN HEALTH CARE WORKERS WORKING TIRELESSLY TAKING CARE OF COVID PATIENTS DAY IN, DAY OUT, WITH LITTLE MORE TO PROTECT THEM THAN THIN PAPER GOWN, A MASK, A FACE SHIELD, AND SOME GLOVES.

WE KNOW THAT SIMPLE MEASURES CAN WORK.

IT'S JUST EVERYONE IS SO EXHAUSTED, SO FATIGUED, SO BURNT OUT BY THE DESPAIR THIS VIRUS HAS WROUGHT ON OUR COUNTRY AND OTHERS.

IT'S HARD.

I DO, I THINK IT'S A GREAT IDEA.

JUST QUICKLY, AS YOU KNOW, THE U.S. IS EXPERIMENTING WITH QUICK TESTS, HOME TESTS SO THAT YOU CAN KNOW PRETTY QUICKLY AT HOME WHETHER YOU HAVE IT, WHETHER YOU DON'T.

I MEAN, THAT'S ALSOá-- I MEAN, PRESUMABLY A GOOD IDEA, RIGHT?

THAT COULD HELP AT LEAST.

OR HOW DO YOU ASSESS THAT?

WE NEED MUCH MORE BROADER SCALE AVAILABILITY OF TESTING OVERALL.

EVEN FOR SOMEONE LIKE ME, IT'S NOT ALWAYS STRAIGHTFORWARD TO GET ME OR MY CHILDREN OR MY LOVED ONES A SIMPLE STRAIGHTFORWARD TEST AND QUICK RESULTS, ESPECIALLY NOW THAT WE'RE SEEING SUCH HIGH RATES IN THE COMMUNITY.

THERE WAS ONE TESTING CENTER THAT I CALLED YESTERDAY FOR A PATIENT, AND THEY SAID, I'M SORRY, WE DON'T HAVE ANYTHING UNTIL 2021.

SO IT'S STILL NOT STRAIGHTFORWARD TO GET A TEST.

AND WE NEED TO RAMP UP OUR ABILITY TO TEST THE PUBLIC DRAMATICALLY THROUGH, YOU KNOW, THE STANDARD PCR TEST AND MAYBE EVEN INNOVATIVE TESTS AT HOME.

CAN I ASK YOU, IT'S A LITTLE BIT OF A POLITICAL QUESTION, BUT IT'S A LABOR QUESTION.

YOU KNOW, CALIFORNIA IS HAVING A TERRIBLE SURGE.

THEY'RE IN A VERY DRAMATIC LOCKDOWN RIGHT NOW.

AND YET THERE ARE A COUPLE OF NURSES UNIONS WHO ARE CALLING FOR A STRIKE OVER THE NEXT FEW DAYS, A TEN-DAY STRIKE ON MONDAY, CITING POOR WORKING CONDITIONS, AND BEING ILL PREPARED IN THAT AREA FOR THE PANDEMIC.

THIS IS WHAT THE STATEMENT SAYS.

WHILE THESE HCA FACILITIES ARE AMONG THE MOST PROFITABLE HOSPITALS IN THE REGION, THEY WERE ALSO AMONGST THE LEAST PREPARED FOR THE PANDEMIC.

THE HOSPITALS ALSO HAVE HIGH STAFF INFECTION RATES.

TWO STAFF MEMBERS AT RIVERSIDE COMMUNITY HOSPITAL HAVE ALREADY DIED AND SCORES THERE HAVE FALLEN ILL, SPREADING THE DISEASE TO COWORKERS.

> YOU KNOW, IS THERE A MORAL DIMENSION ALSO TO EVEN THINKING ABOUT STRIKING AT THIS TIME, DESPITE HOW TERRIBLE THEY SAY THEIR CONDITIONS ARE?

IT'S SUCH AN IMPOSSIBLE SITUATION TO BE IN FOR SO MANY OF THESE NURSES.

THEY HAVE NO CHOICE.

THEY NEED TO PUT FOOD ON THE TABLE.

THEY NEED THEIR JOBS.

THEY NEED TO SHOW UP TO WORK.

A LOT OF HEALTH CARE WORKERS FEEL THAT WAY.

BUT THERE'S BEEN A MASSIVE DISPARITY IN THE PREPAREDNESS AMONG DIFFERENT HOSPITALS, IN DIFFERENT REGIONS OF THE COUNTRY, IN THE AVAILABILITY OF P.P.E.. AND IT'S MASSIVELY UNFAIR TO THOSE NURSES AND HEALTH CARE WORKERS WHO ARE SHOWING UP, PUTTING THEIR LIVES ON THE LINE.

THEY DON'T HAVE THE POLITICAL SUPPORT.

THEY DON'T HAVE THE COMMUNITY SUPPORT OF PEOPLE TAKING SIMPLE MEASURES TO PROTECT THEMSELVES AND THEIR LOVED ONES.

AND THEY ARE RISKING THEIR LIVES EVERY DAY TO TAKE CARE OF PATIENTS.

SO IT IS THE OBLIGATION OF THESE HOSPITALS TO EQUIP THESE NURSES WITH THE P.P.E. AND THE SAFE EQUIPMENT THAT THEY NEED.

SO, LET ME ASK YOU, AND, YOU KNOW, I'M GOING TO BE SPEAKING STRAIGHT AFTER YOU, GOING TO CAPITOL HILL, TALK TO SENATOR CASSIDY AMIDST THIS RELIEF STIMULUS BILL THAT THEY STILL HAVEN'T BEEN ABLE TO PASS.

WHAT WOULD YOU ASK YOUR CONGRESSMAN OR ANYBODY FOR RIGHT NOW IN TERMS OF BEING A FRONT LINE HEALTH CARE WORKER?

THE STIMULUS BILL IS EXTREMELY IMPORTANT FOR A LOT OF AMERICANS.

PEOPLE ARE OUT THERE SUFFERING.

MY PATIENTS ARE OUT THERE STRUGGLING AND SUFFERING.

IT'S GOING TO BE A MISERABLE CHRISTMAS.

AND WE NEED TO GIVE PEOPLE REASON TO HAVE HOPE.

JUST A LITTLE NUGGET, A SHRED OF HOPE TO GET THEM THROUGH TO THE NEW YEAR WHEN WE HOPE A MASSIVE ROLLOUT OF VACCINES WILL BE ABLE TO HELP US GET A GRIP ON THE SURGE THAT'S HAPPENING RIGHT NOW.

DR.áCORNELIA GRIGGS, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR JOINING US FROM BOSTON.

THANK YOU.

SO, LET US ASK MY NEXT GUEST BECAUSE HE'S ALSO A TRAINED DOCTOR.

NOW, THOUGH, HE DOES SPEND HIS TIME IN CONGRESS AS A REPUBLICAN SENATOR FROM LOUISIANA.

HE IS SENATOR BILL CASSIDY, ONE OF THE LAWMAKERS WORKING AROUND THE CLOCK TO PUSH THROUGH A $900 BILLION COVID RELIEF BILL.

IT'S A CRITICAL FINANCIAL LIFELINE AS YOU JUST HEARD FOR MILLIONS OF AMERICANS.

THE PACKAGE IS EXPECTED TO PROVIDE MONEY FOR VACCINE DISTRIBUTION AND SCHOOLS AS WELL AS EXTENDING UNEMPLOYMENT BENEFITS AND GIVING LOANS TO SMALL BUSINESSES.

BUT IT'S A POSSIBILITY OF GOVERNMENT SHUTDOWN LOOCHLZ, LOOMS, TIME IS RUNNING OUT.

> THANK YOU FOR JOINING ME.

I ASSUME YOU HAVE A LOT OF WORK TO DO TO GET THAT STIMULUS BILL THROUGH.

I WANTED TO ASK YOU, SENATOR, AS A PROFESSIONAL DOCTOR AS WELL, YOU MUST FEEL THEIR PAIN AND THE PAIN OF MILLIONS OF AMERICANS WHO ARE HANGING ON YOUR EVERY, EVERY WORD RIGHT NOW.

ABSOLUTELY.

IF YOU WILL, THIS IS A KIND OF BIFURCATED ECONOMY RIGHT NOW F.

YOU'RE MAKING YOUR LIVING ON ZOOM, YOU MIGHT BE DOING PRETTY WELL.

IF YOU MAKE YOUR LIVING IN THE SERVICE INDUSTRY AS A SERVER OR CHEF, YOU'RE NOT DOING SO WELL.

THAT VULNERABILITY AMONG OUR FELLOW AMERICANS IS WHAT WE'RE TRYING TO ADDRESS WITH THIS COVID RELIEF PACKAGE.

SO, TELL ME ABOUT IT, THEN.

WE HEARD IT WAS GOING ALONG, NOW WE HEAR THAT IT'S STALLED.

THERE WAS A DEADLINE OF FRIDAY.

I THINK YOU ALL WERE MEANT TO BE SHUTTING DOWN FOR THE HOLIDAY PERIOD.

WHAT IS HAPPENING?

IS IT GOING TO PASS?

BECAUSE IT'S A CLIFF EDGE FOR A LOT OF PEOPLE AS YOU POINTED OUT.

MITCH McCONNELL SAID WE'RE NOT LEAVING TOWN WITHOUT A COVID RELIEF PACKAGE.

SO, NOW, WHEN WE LEAVE TOWN IS STILL UP IN THE AIR.

IT COULD BE FRIDAY NIGHT.

IT COULD BE SATURDAY MORNING.

IF THEY CAN'T IRON OUT THE DIFFERENCES, IT MIGHT RUN INTO SUNDAY.

I THINK BY THE END OF THE WEEKEND WE'LL HAVE SOMETHING DONE.

BUT THE THING I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT TO KNOW THAT ARE NOW APPARENTLY THE HANGUPS ARE NOT CRITICAL TO THE COVID RELIEF PACKAGE.

THE THINGS THAT OUR WORKING GROUP PUT TOGETHER TO HELP FOR THE SMALL BUSINESS, TO KEEP PEOPLE EMPLOYED, TO HELP FOR THE UNEMPLOYED, THE HELP FOR VACCINE DISTRIBUTION FOR TESTING, FOR SCHOOLS, ET CETERA, THAT I BELIEVE HAS BEEN AGREED UPON.

IT'S KIND OF PERIPHERAL ISSUES THAT ARE HOLDING IT UP.

ISSUE, AS YOU PUT IT?

YEAH, SO WHAT I'M TOLD IS THATá-- AND I DON'T HAVE THE KIND OF DETAILS OF THIS INFORMATION, BUT THAT FEMA HAS SPENT A LOT OF MONEY IN NEW YORK AND NEW JERSEY, AND THAT THERE'S STATE MATCH WHICH IS REQUIRED AND THE DELEGATION OF NEW JERSEY AND NEW YORK ARE TRYING TO GET THAT WAIVED.

NOW, THAT'S BILLIONS OF DOLLARS POTENTIALLY.

NOW, THAT'S A PERIPHERAL ISSUE, BUT OBVIOUSLY IMPORTANT TO CHUCK SCHUMER AND FOLKS LIKE THAT.

BUT I'M TOLD THAT'S ONE OF THE ISSUES HOLDING THINGS UP.

LOOK, I CAN OBVIOUSLY HEAR YOU SAYING THE DEMOCRATS WANT SOMETHING AND YOU GUYS WANT SOMETHING ELSE.

BUT SURELY THIS ISá-- IT HAS TO GET BEYOND POLITICS RIGHT NOW.

THERE ARE PEOPLE WHO ARE REALLY HURTING.

LET ME JUST READ A FEW STATISTICS.

AS I SAID, A FISCAL CLIFF ON DECEMBER 31st, CRITICAL GOVERNMENT SUPPORT FOR MILLIONS OF PEOPLE EXPIRES FOR THE UNEMPLOYED, FOR HOMEOWNERS, RENTERS, STUDENTS.

AS YOU SAID, SMALL BUSINESSES.

JUST WANT TO PLAY WHAT THE CHAIRMAN OF THE FEDERAL RESERVE HAS SAID ABOUT WHY YOU ALL NEED TO ACT AND NOW.

WE TALKED ABOUT THIS AS ALL OF THESE GOVERNMENT POLICIES TRYING TO WORK TOGETHER TO CREATE A BRIDGE ACROSS THIS CASM, ECONOMIC CASM CREATED BY THE PANDEMIC.

NOW THAT WE CAN SEE THE LIGHT AT THE END OF THE TUNNEL, IT WOULD BE BAD TO SEE PEOPLE LOSING THEIR BUSINESS, THEIR LIFE'S WORK IN MANY CASES OR GENERATIONS WORTH OF WORK BECAUSE THEY COULDN'T LAST ANOTHER FEW MONTHS.

SO, YOU KNOW, BAD BECAUSE THEY COULDN'T LAST A FEW MONTHS.

DO YOU AGREE WITH THE CHAIRMAN OF THE FED?

TOTALLY AGREE, WHICH IS WHY THE WORKING GROUP THAT REPUBLICANS AND DEMOCRATS, SENATORS AND REPRESENTATIVES SEPARATE FROM LEADERSHIP CAME TOGETHER TO TRY AND ADVANCE SOMETHING.

WE'RE THE ONES THAT CAME UP WITH THE PACKAGE OF $746 OR $748 BILLION.

I COMPARE LEADERSHIP TO FOLKS IN A BAD MARRIAGE WHO CAN'T COMMUNICATE, A WORKING GROUP, AS YOU WILL, IS THE COUNSELOR THAT BROUGHT THEM BACK TOGETHER.

NOW, OUR PRODUCT HAS BEEN GIVEN THE LEADERSHIP AND THAT'S WHERE WE'RE KIND OF STUCK ONCE MORE.

BUT ON THE OTHER HAND, TOTALLY AGREE WITH YOU, CHRISTIANE AND JEROME POWELL.

WE NEED TO GET THESE SMALL BUSINESSES, THESE FAMILIES THROUGH THE NEXT FOUR MONTHS WHILE THE VACCINE IS BEING ROLLED OUT.

IF WE CAN DO THAT, OUR ECONOMY WILL TAKE OFF ONCE MORE.

WE JUST HAVE TO GET THROUGH THE NEXT FEW MONTHS.

THAT'S WHAT OUR COVID RELIEF PACKAGE DOES AND DID.

DO YOU THINK ONE OF THE MARRIAGE COUNSELORS COULD BE THE POLITICAL REALITY IN GEORGIA?

WE UNDERSTAND THE SENATE MAJORITY LEADER, AS YOU MENTION MITCH McCONNELL, HAS BASICALLY SAID THE TWO REPUBLICANS ARE IN A RUNOFF IN JANUARY ARE, QUOTING GETTING HAMMERED BY THE FAILURE TO PASS THIS.

DO YOU THINK THAT IS GOING TO CONCENTRATE MINDS AND GET THIS OVER THE LINE?

I THINK, I THINK IT IS THE TOTALITY OF WHAT'S HAPPENING IN THE COUNTRY RIGHT NOW.

IT IS THE DOCTOR YOU HAD BEFOREHAND FROM BOSTON.

IT MAY BE WHAT'S HAPPENING IN GEORGIA.

IT'S WHAT'S HAPPENING IN LOUISIANA WHERE I HAVE FOLKS WHO ARE VERY MUCH CONNECTED TO THE FOOD BANK CALLING ME TO SAY THAT THEIR LINES ARE LONG.

IT'S THE SMALL BUSINESS OWNER WHO INVESTED EVERYTHING SHE HAD IN THE COFFEE SHOP AND NOW THE COFFEE SHOP MAY GO UNDER AND HER LIFE SAVINGS EXHAUSTED.

AND THE PEOPLE WHOM SHE EMPLOYS LAID OFF.

SO I THINK THE TOTALITY OF WHAT'S HAPPENING RIGHT NOW CALLS FORá-- AND I JUST WANT TO ECHO WHAT JEROME POWELL SAID.

WE ARE PUTTING VACCINE OUT NOW.

WE CAN SEE THE END OF THIS.

SO TO LOSE 25% OF OUR AMERICAN SMALL BUSINESSES AS THE NATIONAL FEDERATION OF INDEPENDENT BUSINESSES I'M TOLD ESTIMATES, TO LOSE THEM NOW WHEN WE'RE WITHINá-- WE CAN SEE THAT LIGHT WOULD BEá-- WOULD JUST BE A TRAGEDY.

YEAH, I CAN HEAR YOU, I CAN HEAR YOU LOUD AND CLEAR.

AND I WONDER WHETHER YOU THINK WHAT YOU'RE JUST SAYING AND WHAT JEROME POWELL DID SAY WILL CONVINCE MEMBERS OF CONGRESS.

WELL, YOU KNOW, MITCH McCONNELL SAID WE'RE NOT LEAVING UNTIL WE HAVE A COVID RELIEF PACKAGE.

AND SO I THINK HE'S CONVINCED, AND PELOSI IS NEGOTIATING I'M TOLD IN GOOD FAITH SO SHE'S CONVINCED AND THE WHITE HOUSE HAS BEEN THERE THE WHOLE TIME.

TO PRESIDENT TRUMP IS CONVINCED.

I DO THINK IT WILL COME TOGETHER.

NOT QUITE SURE WHAT DAY IT WILL.

ALL RIGHT.

I JUST WANT TO ASK YOU AGAIN ABOUT YOUR OWN PERSONAL FEELINGS, BECAUSE AS I SAID, YOU ARE A DOCTOR.

I BELIEVE YOUR WIFE ALSO IS A SURGEON, CURRENTLY WORKING SURGEON.

AND HOW DO YOUá-- I MEAN, YOU MUST HEAR FROM HER, CERTAINLY, A LOT OF STORIES ABOUT THE DESPERATE NEED INSIDE THE HOSPITALS AND THE INFECTION RATE.

I MEAN, IT'S REALLY GATHERING A PACE RIGHT NOW.

WHAT STORIES ARE YOU HEARING FROM YOUR WIFE INSIDE THE HOSPITAL?

WELL, MY WIFE IS ACTUALLY A RETIRED GENERAL SURGEON, BUT I DO HEAR FROM MY COLLEAGUES WHO ARE STILL PRACTICING.

I HEAR FROM MY WIFE ON SOMETHING ELSE.

FROM MY COLLEAGUES WHO ARE PRACTICING, INDEED.

THE BED OCCUPANCY RATE IS INCREASING.

THE I.C.U. RATE IS INCREASING.

THE GOOD NEWS IS THE THERAPEUTICS WE HAVE, THE ANTIBODIES, THE DRUGS, THE CHANGES IN HOW WE TREAT PEOPLE HAS LOWERED THE DEATH RATE AS A PERCENT OF THOSE PEOPLE GETTING INFECTED.

WE'VE LEARNED TO QUARANTINE, IF YOU WILL, TO CORDON OFF PEOPLE IN NURSING HOMES.

WE'VE LEARNED A LOT IN TEN MONTHS.

MY WIFE IS THE CHAIR OF A BOARD OF A CHARTER SCHOOL OF CHILDREN WITH DYSLEXIA.

WHAT I LEARNED FROM HER IS IF A CHILD IS DISTANT LEARNING AND THEY'RE LESS THAN TEN, THEY'RE PROBABLY NOT LEARNING AT ALL.

PARTICULARLY FOR THE DISADVANTAGED.

THE MOM HAS TO WORK.

THE DAD HAS TO WORK.

SO THE CHILD IS HOME ALONE.

EVEN IF YOU GIVE THEM A WI-FI, THEY'RE NOT USED TO USING COMPUTERS AT HOME.

MY WIFE SCHOOL TEACHERS DYSLEXICS.

WE ARE LEAVING CHILDREN BEHIND BY KEEPING THESE SCHOOLS CLOSED.

THAT'S THE OTHER TRAGEDY OF CORONAVIRUS.

CAN I ASK YOU ABOUT, YOU KNOW, QUITE A LOT OF TRAGEDIES.

ONE OF THE BIG TRAGEDIES WAS CLEARLY A PRESIDENT WHO WAS MIRED IN ALL SORTS OF CONSPIRACY THEORIES AND MISINFORMATION ABOUT HOW TO DEAL WITH THE DISEASE, AND ALSO CLEARLY ABOUT THE AFTERMATH OF THIS ELECTION.

SO, I WANT TO ASK YOU AS A REPUBLICAN SENATOR, PROMINENT SENATOR FROM LOUISIANA, AND YOU WERE RE-ELECTED IN NOVEMBER.

YOU WERE THE FIRST, I BELIEVE, IN LOUISIANA TO SAY, I VOTED FOR PRESIDENT TRUMP, BUT JOE BIDEN WON.

THE TRANSITION SHOULD BEGIN FOR THE SAKE OF THIS COUNTRY.

THAT WAS ON NOVEMBER 23rd.

WE ARE NEARLY A MONTH BEYOND THAT.

WE STILL DON'T SEE ANY SORT OF EMERGING FROM THAT TUNNEL OF DENIAL BY THE PRESIDENT.

SO, I'VE GOT A COUPLE THINGS I WANT TO DISPUTE WITH YOU.

OPERATION WARP SPEED HAS BEEN PRAISED AS THE MOST SIGNIFICANT MEDICAL ENDEAVOR IN OUR LIFETIMES.

THAT'S THEá-- YOU'RE ABSOLUTELY RIGHT.

THAT WAS THE TRUMP ADMINISTRATION.

ON THE ONE HAND, FOLKS ARE SAYING, WITHOUT MENTIONING HIS NAME, MAN, OPERATION WARP SPEED WAS REALLY GOOD.

ON THE OTHER HAND, BOY, HE REALLY MESSED IT UP.

SINCE OPERATION WARP SPEED BRINGING US THE VACCINE IN TEN MONTHS, LEARNING ABOUT THE VIRUS TO INJECTING IN THE ARM IS UNHEARD OF.

I THINK THE PRESIDENT DESERVES AN INCREDIBLE AMOUNT OF CREDIT.

SECONDLY, ON THE DAY I MADE MY TWEET WHICH WAS THE DAY OR DAY AFTER MICHIGAN CERTIFIED THEIR RESULTS AND GAVE BIDEN 270 ELECTORAL COLLEGE VOTES, PRESIDENT TRUMP TOLD THE GENERAL SERVICE ADMINISTRATION TO BEGIN THE TRANSITION.

HE ACKNOWLEDGED, IN EFFECT, HE ACKNOWLEDGED THE RESULTS.

HE UNDERSTOOD THAT FOR THE PANDEMIC AND FOR FOREIGN POLICY ISSUES, IT WAS IMPORTANT TO HAVE THE TRANSITION BEGIN SOONER, AND HE INITIATED IT.

AGAIN, I DON'T THINK THE PRESIDENT GETS THE CREDIT FOR THAT.

HE HAS THE RIGHT, AS HE HAS, TO GO THROUGH HIS COURT BATTLES.

WE'VE SEEN HOW THEY'VE TURNED OUT.

BUT IT'S IMPORTANT TO UNDERSTAND THAT HE ACKNOWLEDGED THIS POSSIBILITY AND THE TRANSITION BEGAN WHEN MICHIGAN CERTIFIED.

OKAY.

BUT HE'S STILL HOLDING OUT HOPE, AT LEAST IN PUBLIC, FOR A CONGRESSIONAL SORT OF PULLING A RABBIT OUT OF THE HAT FOR HIM IN JANUARY.

AND, YOU KNOW, HE'S STILL NOT CONCEDING OR WHATEVER HE'S PUBLICLY SAYING TO JOE BIDEN.

I JUST WONDER WHETHER YOUá-- WHY?

WHY DO YOU THINK THIS IS STILL HAPPENING, AND WHAT MIGHT IT MEAN FOR THE, YOU KNOW, FOR THE CREDIBILITY AND FAITH BY LOTS OF REPUBLICANS AROUND THE COUNTRY IN YOUR DEMOCRATIC SYSTEM?

SO, FIRST, I DON'T TRY AND CLIMB INTO ANYBODY'S HEAD.

I LEARNED LONG AGO, DON'T ASCRIBE MOTIVATIONS.

SO I WON'T TRY AND EXPLAIN ANYTHING BECAUSE IT'S NOT ME.

IT'S SOMEBODY ELSE.

THAT WOULD BE WHETHER HE OR WHETHER YOU OR SOMEONE ELSE.

LOTS OF YOUR COLLEAGUES IN CONGRESS, TOO, BY THE WAY.

I THINK YOU'RE STARTING TO HEAR MY COLLEAGUES IN CONGRESS SPEAK.

MITCH McCONNELL SPOKE FROM THE SENATE FLOOR.

PRESIDENT-ELECT BIDEN'S VICTORY.

YOU'VE HEARD OTHERS ACKNOWLEDGE THAT AS WELL.

OF COURSE, THERE ARE SOME WHO STILL HAVE NOT.

IT'S NOT A KIND OF EN MASSE TYPE OF MOVEMENT, BUT KEY LEADERS HAVE SO ACKNOWLEDGED.

FUNCTIONALLY, AGAIN, WE HAVE BEGUN TO DISCUSS ABOUT A TRANSITION.

THE SENATORS WHO ARE IN CHARGE OF THE PRESIDENTIAL SWEARING IN, THEY ARE MAKING PLANS ON THE ASSUMPTION THAT IT'S PRESIDENT BIDEN WHO WILL TAKE THE OATH.

SO I THINK FUNCTIONALLY YOU'RE SEEING THAT.

I THINK THE PRESS REALLY WANTS TO SEE, YOU KNOW, THIS KIND OFá-- I DON'T WANT TO PUT WORDS IN YOUR MOUTH, AS I SAID I DON'T LIKE TO, BUT IT'S ALMOST MEA COPA.

WE SHOULD HAVE CONFESSED SOONER.

I JUST DON'T THINK THAT'S GOING TO HAPPEN.

BUT YOU ARE SEEING FUNCTIONALLY PEOPLE ARE MOVING ON, ACKNOWLEDGING, JUST AS PRESIDENT TRUMP DID, THAT IT'S GOING TO BE A PRESIDENT BIDEN.

OKAY.

SENATOR BILL CASSIDY, THANK YOU VERY MUCH INDEED.

THANK YOU.

AND PURSUING THE THEME OF DEMOCRACY, WE TURN NOW TO ONE OF THE BIGGEST ISSUES OF THE YEAR, THE ASSAULT ON THOSE FREEDOMS AROUND THE WORLD, AND NOWHERE HAS THIS BEEN MORE CLEAR THAN IN HONG KONG.

CHINA CONTINUES TO CRACK DOWN ON PRO-DEMOCRACY OPPOSITION AFTER IMPOSING A DRACONIAN NATIONAL SECURITY LAW IN JUNE TO, QUOTE, RESTORE STABILITY.

THAT'S WHAT BEIJING SAID.

MY NEXT GUEST IS THE FORMER HONG KONG PRO-DEMOCRACY LAWMAKER TED.

HE MADE A DARING ESCAPE LAST MONTH AND HE'S NOW IN EXILE HERE IN THE U.K.

HE FACES A SERIES OF CRIMINAL CHARGES THAT, IF CONVICTED, COULD PUT HIM IN PRISON FOR LIFE.

HE'S JOINING ME NOW FROM LONDON.

TED, WELCOME TO THE PROGRAM.

HELLO.

HI.

DO YOU FEEL SAFE?

DO YOU FEEL, YOU KNOW, AT EASE TO SPEAK NOW THAT YOU'RE OUT OF HONG KONG?

YOU HAD A PRETTY DARING ESCAPE.

YES, FINALLY I CAN BREATHE IN FREE AIR AWAY FROM HONG KONG.

I FEEL MUCH SAFER HERE.

SO I FEEL RESPONSIBLE FOR SPEAKING FOR FREEDOM OF HONG KONG NOW HERE.

LET ME JUST GO BY QUICKLY BECAUSE I THINK PEOPLE WILL BE PRETTY INTERESTED TO HEAR HOW YOU GOT OUT.

YOU ESSENTIALLYá-- YOU DID, YOU KNOW, YOU JUMPED BAIL AND YOU LEFT.

BUT IT WAS QUITE A, AN INTERESTING PLAN AND PLOT THAT WAS CONJURED UP.

CAN YOU JUST WALK US THROUGH IT?

BECAUSE IT INVOLVED THE FORMER PRIME MINISTER OF DENMARK AND A WHOLE LOAD OF PEOPLE.

I'M GRATEFUL TO MY DANISH FRIENDS I MADE IN MARCH THIS YEAR.

SO, WE HAD CONTACT BEFOREHAND, AND SO THEY INVITED ME TOá-- ON MYOOFFICIAL MY OFFICIAL VISIT BASIS TO TALK ABOUT CLIMATE CHANGE.

SO THEY SENT THE PROGRAM TO ME, AND I SENT THE PROGRAM TO THE POLICE.

SO I DIDN'T KNOW BEFORE I LANDED IN DENMARK THAT THEY ACTUALLY CHANGED THE PROGRAM FOR ME TO TALK ABOUT HONG KONG HUMAN RIGHT SITUATIONS.

SO MY DANISH FRIENDS SMART ENOUGH NOT TELLING ME BEFOREHAND, BUT THEY ACTUALLYá-- IT'S LIKE SMUGGLING ME OUT OF HONG KONG.

SO I HAVE A CHANCE OF SPEAKING IN FREE AIR NOW BECAUSE OF THAT.

SO THAT IS REALLY INTERESTING.

YOU HAD A LOT OF INTERNATIONAL HELP THERE, A LOT OF FRIENDS.

OF COURSE, THE AUTHORITIES THERE HAVEá-- ARE PRETTY MAD AT YOU, AND YOU KIND OF HAVE AN OPTION, I GUESS YOU ACTIVISTS, THESE DAYS, GET OUT OR GO TO JAIL.

THAT SEEMS TO BE WHAT'S HAPPENING.

WE KNOW NATHAN LAW, A FELLOW ACTIVIST, A FRIEND OF YOURS, HAS ALSO COME OUT.

HE'S IN THE U.K.

WHAT DO YOU FEEL ABOUT, ABOUT BEING OUT OF THAT SITUATION WITH SO MANY OF YOUR ACTIVISTS STILL THERE?

AND WHAT WAS IT LIKE TO REUNITE WITH NATHAN?

THIS IS VERY HEAVY, A VERY HEAVY DECISION FOR ME TO LEAVE HONG KONG, PERHAPS PERMANENTLY.

OF COURSE, SEEING ALL MY FRIENDS AND FREEDOM FIGHTERS STILL IN HONG KONG, MANY IN JAILS AND MANY ABOUT TO GO TO JAIL.

AND IT MAKES ME FEEL REALLY RESPONSIBLE, LIKE BEARING HONG KONG ON MY SHOULDERS, THAT IT'S MY LIFELONG MISSION NOW.

I NEED TO TALK OUT AND SPEAK TO THE INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY HOW THEY CAN HELP BUILDING FREEDOM IN HONG KONG.

SO IT IS IMPORTANT FOR THE WORKá-- FOR THE WORLD TO KNOW ABOUT THE REAL SITUATION IN HONG KONG.

LIKE NOW IN HONG KONG, IF YOU EVEN CHANTING A SLOGAN ITSELF, IT CAN LEAD YOU TO LIFE IMPRISONMENT WITH DRACONIAN NATIONAL SECURITY LAW.

SO I'M LOBBYING INTERNATIONAL AND WORLD LEADERS REGARDING STRONGER SANCTIONS AND STRONGER STANCE AND ATTITUDES TOWARDS BEIJING, CHINA, AND PERHAPS TAKE AN ISOLATING APPROACH SO THAT BEIJING BE AFFECTED ECONOMICALLY, AND ALSO POLITICALLY, AND SO FEEL, MAXIMIZE THE PRESSURE IT FACES.

I THINK THAT WOULD BE IMPORTANT FOR HONG KONG'S FREEDOM MOVEMENT IN THE NEAR FUTURE.

SO, BEFORE WE GO INTO SOME OF THOSE DETAILS, I JUST WANT TO PLAY SOME PRETTY DRAMATIC IMAGES, WHICH IS WHEN YOU WERE CONFRONTED BY POLICE IN THE STREETS IN HONG KONG.

THERE WAS A PROTEST.

AND YOU WERE THERE.

AND, YOU KNOW, THEY WERE WAVING AROUND THE PEPPER SPRAY, AND WE'RE SEEING IT RIGHT NOW.

BASICALLY, THEY'RE ASKING YOU TO LEAVE AND YOU WON'T LEAVE.

AND HE TAKES OFF YOUR GOGGLES AND PUTS THE PEPPER SPRAY PRACTICALLY RIGHT IN YOUR FACE AND HE DOES IT AGAIN WHILE YOU ARE TURNING AWAY FROM HIM.

AGAIN AND AGAIN THIS HAPPENS.

TELL ME ABOUT THAT.

DID YOU SUFFER ANY INJURIES?

AND WAS THAT A MOMENT WHEN YOU FELT, YOU KNOW, THE NET WAS CLOSING IN ON YOU?

UM, THAT'S VERY TYPICAL OF THE HONG KONG MOVEMENT, AND TYPICAL OF POLICY YOU FACE IN HONG KONG.

IMAGINE AT THAT TIME I WAS STILL A LEGISLATOR.

AND WHAT I WAS TRYING TO DO WAS BE IN THE PROTEST SCENE AND BE THE PEACE MAKER, ASKING PEOPLE TO CALM DOWN, AND POINTING OUT THE ACTIONS BY THE POLICE OF BASIC HUMAN RIGHTS.

AND JUST LIKE THAT, POLICE WOULD SPRAY ME AND TEAR GAS.

AND SOá-- BUT AT THAT TIME WE WERE STILL ALLOWED TO PROTEST IN THE STREETS.

AT LEAST I WAS ALLOWED TO BE TALKING AND MEDIATING BETWEEN POLICE AND THE PROTESTERS.

BUT NOW WITH THE NEW NATIONAL SECURITY LAW, IT'S TOTALLY BANNED.

IN 2020, NO LEGAL ASSEMBLY IS EVER ALLOWED IN HONG KONG.

HONG KONG FREEDOMS TOTALLY COLLAPSED.

AND THAT'S THE CHANGE THAT WE ARE GOING THROUGH.

WELL, I'M GOING TO JUST PUT SOME MORE VIDEO UP BECAUSE IT'S THE SO-CALLED LOYALTY PLEDGE THAT LEGISLATURES ESSENTIALLY HAD TO TAKE THIS WEEK BECAUSE OF, AS YOU SAY, THIS NEWá-- THIS NEW EDICT FROM BEIJING.

THE FIRST GROUP OF HIGH-RANKING PUBLIC OFFICIALS IN HONG KONG THERE ARE TAKING AN OATH TO UPHOLD THE CONSTITUTION.

THAT'S A REQUIREMENT IN THE NEW NATIONAL SECURITY LAW.

AND THOSE WHO DON'T COULD BE FORCED OUT.

WHAT DO YOU THINK WHEN YOU, WHEN YOU SEE THESE PICTURES, WHEN YOU KNOW WHAT'S HAPPENING BACK IN THE LEGISLATURE OF WHICH YOU USED TO BE PART?

UM, AH, I DON'T KNOW HOW TO SAY IT, BUT I THINK FOR THE REGIME TO USE THESE OATH-TAKING MEASURES ON ALL CIVIL SERVANTS AND ANYONE IN HONG KONG HOLDING A PUBLIC OFFICE, AND THE ULTIMATE AIM IS THAT THEY ARE HOLDING YOU AS HOSTAGES.

SO IF YOU PLEDGE ALLEGIANCE NOW TO THE BASIC LAW OF HONG KONG, THAT'S OUR CONSTITUTION, AND IN THE FUTURE IF YOU ARE DEPARTING FROM IT, IF YOU ARE EXPRESSING ANY DISSENT AND THEY CAN ALWAYS MAKE THAT AS A TOOL TO DISQUALIFY YOU, TO GET YOUá-- TOTALLY KICK YOU OUT, JUST LIKE HOW THEY SUPPORTED OUR COLLEAGUE, OTHER LEGISLATORS IN OUR LEGISLATURES.

NOW THE REGIME IS EXPANDING THIS TOOL, POLITICAL TOOL THAT THEY CAN USE TO EXPEL ANYONE, ANY CIVIL SERVANT, ANYONE HOLDING PUBLIC OFFICE.

SO BASICALLY IT'S SILENCING ALL DEFENSE, AND TO TAKE COMPLETE CONTROL OF HONG KONG'S ESTABLISHMENTS.

YOU KNOW, TED, WE REMEMBER BACK IN 1997 AND ALL THE TRANSITION YEARS THAT FOLLOWED, IT WAS MEANT TO BE ONE COUNTRY, TWO SYSTEMS.

IT WAS MEANT TO BE THAT DEMOCRATIC FREE PART OF CHINA, WHICH WAS CALLED HONG KONG.

AND IT SEEMS VERY, VERY CLOSE TO BEING WIPED OUT.

THEY ARE TARGETING, AS YOU SAID, NOT JUST THE LEGISLATURE, BUT THE PRESS, THE JUDICIARY AND ALL OF THAT.

THIS IS WHAT PRESIDENT-ELECT BIDEN, NOMINEE FOR NATIONAL SECURITY ADVISER JAKE SULLIVAN, TWEETED.

HE HAS SAID, WE STAND UNITED WITH OUR ALLIES AND PARTNERS AGAINST CHINA'S ASSAULT ON HONG KONG'S FREEDOM.

AND TO HELP THOSE PERSECUTED FIND SAFE HAVEN.

> OKAY, ALL RIGHT, FINE.

FIND SAFE HAVEN.

WHAT DO YOU THINK?

DO YOU THINK THAT THAT MEANS THAT THEY'RE JUST GOING TO HELP ALL OF YOU WHO ARE FORCED OUT?

OR DO YOU HAVE FAITH THAT A NEW ADMINISTRATION WILL DO WHAT YOU WANT TO SEE, AND THAT IS PUNISHING HONG KONG OR CHINA, RATHER, BEIJING, EVEN FURTHER FOR THIS CRACKDOWN ON DEMOCRACY?

BECAUSE SO FAR SANCTIONS DON'T SEEM TO HAVE WORKED.

THEY ALREADY SANCTIONED CARRIE LAM, THE CHIEF EXECUTIVE IN HONG KONG.

WELL, OF COURSE, I'M GRATEFUL FOR THE NEW ADMINISTRATION AND ALL AMERICANS SPEAKING FOR THE FREEDOM OF HONG KONG.

AND I'LL SAY THAT EVEN WE DON'T SEE THE FACT, IT IS VERY MUCH A FACT IN HONG KONG WITH THE SANCTIONS.

BUT STILL, IT'S SOMETHING BECAUSE IT'S THE RIGHT CONDITIONS OF THE CAUSE OF THE MOVEMENT IN HONG KONG.

AND WHAT I WOULD LIKE TO SEE MORE BY THE NEW ADMINISTRATION IS BY WIDENING THE SCOPE OF THE SANCTIONS, LIKE IN MY CASE, AFTER MYá-- JUST ONE DAY AFTER MY HSBC ACCOUNT HAS BEEN FROZEN WITHOUT REASONS, AND THAT'S TOTALLY ILLEGAL.

AND EVEN MY FAMILY MEMBERS' ACCOUNTS ARE FROZEN.

SO, CAN SANCTIONS BE ON THOSE HSBC MANAGEMENT PEOPLE AND ALSO THE REGULATORS, FINANCIAL REGULATORS IN HONG KONG.

SO TO WIDEN THESE SANCTIONS WOULD BE A STEP FORWARD FOR THE ADMINISTRATION TO TAKE.

AND, OF COURSE, WITH THE SAFE HAVENS, PERHAPS A VISA OR A PATHWAY TO PERMANENT RESIDENCY WOULD BE HELPFUL FOR THE REALLY YOUNG PROTESTERS TOWARD THEIR EARLY 20s, UM-HMM.

HSBC TOLD US THERE IS, QUOTE, A LOT OF MISREPORTING ABOUT THIS, BUT ADDED IT, THE BANK, MUST ABIDE BY THE LAWES OF THE JURISDICTION IN WHICH WE OPERATE.

I.E., I GUESS WHAT IS HAPPENING ON THE GROUND THERE RIGHT NOW.

I WANT TO ASK YOU A FINAL QUESTION, BECAUSE THERE ARE SOME ACTIVISTS, QUITE A FEW, IN FACT, IN HONG KONG AND EVEN IN CHINA WHO BELIEVE THAT PRESIDENT TRUMP AND HIS UNORTHODOX, YOU KNOW, WILLINGNESS TO AT LEAST VERBALLY GO AFTER CHINA, GO AFTER, YOU KNOW, THE TRADE AND ALL THE REST OF IT, WAS A CHAMPION FOR PEOPLE LIKE YOURSELF, WAS A CHAMPION AND SPOKE MUCH LOUDER FOR PEOPLE LIKE YOURSELF, AND ARE WORRIED THAT A BIDEN ADMINISTRATION MIGHT NOT BE AS STRONG AGAINST CHINA AND BEIJING.

WHAT IS YOUR VIEW ON THAT?

UM, I THINK THAT'S THE IMPRESSION OF HONG KONGERS, THAT DONALD TRUMP IS MOREá-- TAKEN MORE ASSERTIVE APPROACH AND STRONGER APPROACH TOWARDS CHINA.

BUT MY PERSONAL VIEW IS THAT WE DON'T ONLY LOOK ON SURFACE.

IT'S REALLY WHAT NEW MEASURES, IN TERMS OF SANCTIONS, IN TERMS OF STATEMENTS AND VISAá-- SAFE HAVEN VISAS, THAT'S REALLY HELPING HONG KONG.

AND ALSO IT'S THE WORK OF UNITING OUR FRIENDS, OUR LIBERAL FRIENDS IN THE WEST, IN EUROPE, IN THE FIVE I'S, THAT REALLY MATTERS AND TOGETHER WITH OTHER NATIONS AND THAT'S MORE INFLUENTIAL.

RIGHT.

SO IT'S HARD TO SAY, BUT I HOPE THAT WITH THE NEW ADMINISTRATION, THESE THINGS CAN BE DONE FOR HONG KONG'S FREEDOM.

WELL, IT IS CERTAINLY GOING TO BE IN THE PUBLIC EYE, HONG KONG, AS THE OUTPOST AND BASTIAN OF FREEDOM TO BE PROTECTED.

TED HUI, THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR JOINING US.

> AND FREEDOM TO SPEAK THE TRUTH AND TRUTH TO POWER MUST BE AT THE HEART OF ANY DEMOCRACY, OF COURSE.

TODAY MARKS TEN YEARS SINCE THOSE FREEDOMS WERE PUT UNDER A MICROSCOPE IN THE MIDDLE EAST WHEN THE TUNISIAN STREET VENDOR SET HIMSELF ON FIRE, SPARKING THE BEGINNING OF THE ARAB SPRING THAT WOULD GO ON TO TOPPLE MANY OPPRESSIVE REGIMES, BUT ALSO SADLY SPUR OTHERS TO CRACKDOWN WITH EVER MORE FORCE.

AND TODAY WE REMEMBER ALL OF THOSE WHO TOOK TO THE STREETS ACROSS THE ARAB WORLD AND DEMANDED JUSTICE, FREEDOM, AND DIGNITY.

> NOW, EARLIER WE WERE DISCUSSING THE RACE IN CONGRESS TO FINALIZE THAT COVID RELIEF BILL.

UNEMPLOYMENT HAS SURGED AND EXPERTS SAY HUNGER RATES ARE HIGHER THAN THEY'VE EVER BEEN IN MORE THAN 20 YEARS.

CLAIRE BABINO FANTINO IS THE C.E.O. OF FEEDING AMERICA, WHICH IS THE COUNTRY'S LARGEST NETWORK OF FOOD BANKS AND DAVE CREPCO RUNS THE SECOND HARVEST, A FOOD BANK IN ORLANDO, FLORIDA.

HERE HE IS TALKING TO HARRY SRINIVAS IN TALKING ABOUT THE DESPERATE NEED.

CHRISTIANE, THANKS.

THANK YOU FOR JOINING US.

WHEN WE SEE SOME OF THESE NUMBERS, THEY'RE STARTLING, BUT THEY'RE HARD TO GRASP.

TELL US HOW MANY PEOPLE ARE FOODS INSECURE RIGHT NOW IN AMERICA.

YES.

I AGREE THAT THEY'RE HARD TO GRASP, AND ONE OF MY CONCERNS IS THAT PEOPLE, HUMAN BEINGS WILL GET LOST IN THOSE BIG OLD NUMBERS.

OUR ESTIMATES ARE AS A RESULT OF THE PANDEMIC THAT THE RATE OF FOOD INSECURITY IN THIS COUNTRY WILL GO UP TO 50 MILLION PEOPLE.

SO MAYBE IT'S EASIER FOR YOUR AUDIENCE TO GRASP, BUT THAT WOULD MEAN THAT IF YOU'RE IN THE COMPANY OF MORE THAN SIX PEOPLE, ABOUT ONE IN SIX INDIVIDUALS IN THIS COUNTRY ARE LIKELY TO BE FOOD INSECURE.

ABOUT ONE IN FOUR KIDS.

AND WHAT'S REALLY CHALLENGING FOR ME, ALL OF THAT IS CHALLENGING.

BUT WHEN YOU CONTEMPLATE THAT THAT'S AN AVERAGE, THAT THERE ARE ACTUALLY COMMUNITIES IN THIS COUNTRY WHERE RIGHT NOW ONE OUT OF EVERY TWO KIDS IS FOOD INSECURE.

SO REALLY BIG NUMBERS.

A LOT OF PAIN.

WE'RE RIGHT SMACK-DAB IN THE MIDDLE OF A FOOD CRISIS, ARI.

DAVE, YOU'VE BEEN DOING THIS FOR DECADES NOW.

WHAT HAS IT BEEN LIKE TO BE ON THE FRONT LINES IN ORLANDO THROUGH THIS PANDEMIC AND WATCHING PEOPLE COME IN TO NEED HELP?

IT'S BEEN SURREAL.

I THINK THAT'S THE BEST WORD.

YOU KNOW, WHEN PEOPLE HEAR OF ORLANDO, THEY THINK OF DISNEY AND ALL THE THEME PARKS.

HOW COULD YOU POSSIBLY HAVE ISSUES THERE?

YOU KNOW, BUT IN THE SHADOW OF CINDERELLA'S CASTLE, WE HAVE INCREDIBLE NEED.

YOU KNOW, IN ALL MY YEARS, I'VE BEEN THROUGH FIRES, FLOODS, TORNADOES, 9/11 IMPACT, THE RECESSION.

COVID TOPS THEM ALL BY FAR.

IT'S NOT EVEN CLOSE.

SO IT IS SURREAL, JUST TO SEE THE NUMBERS OF PEOPLE THAT ARE REACHING OUT.

I MEAN, ON AN AVERAGE DAYá-- WELL, SINCE MID-MARCH, WE HAVE BEEN DISTRIBUTING ENOUGH FOOD FOR 300,000 MEALS EACH DAY, AND IT'S NOT ENOUGH.

CLAIRE, ONE IN SIX AMERICANS, AT THIS POINT, YOU'RE NOT TALKING ABOUT WHO WE WOULD CONSIDER IN SOME STEREOTYPES POOR, PEOPLE WHO ARE ON THEIR LAST DOLLAR, PEOPLE WHO ARE HOMELESS.

WE'RE TALKING ABOUT A MUCH BIGGER SLICE OF AMERICA.

YOU'RE ABSOLUTELY RIGHT.

ABOUT 40% ON AVERAGE OF PEOPLE TURNING TO US FOR HELP HAVE NEVER BEFORE RELIED ON THE CHARITABLE SYSTEM.

SO THESE ARE PEOPLEá-- THEY'RE YOUR NEIGHBOR.

THEY'RE THE PERSON RIGHT NEXT DOOR.

AND I'M GLAD YOU ASKED THE QUESTION IN THE WAY THAT YOU DID BECAUSE THERE ARE SO MANY MYTHS AROUND WHOM IT IS THAT WAS FOOD INSECURE BEFORE THIS PANDEMIC STARTED.

THERE ARE A NUMBERá-- THERE ARE MILLIONS OF WORKING CLASS POOR PEOPLE IN THIS COUNTRY WHO CAN'T MAKE ENDS MEET.

AND THEN WHAT THIS PANDEMIC HAS SHOWN US IS THERE ARE ALSO MILLIONS OF PEOPLE WHO ARE RIGHTá-- SITTING RIGHT THERE ON THE BRINK.

AND SO MANY VULNERABLE COMMUNITIES RELY UPON THE VERY INDUSTRY THAT ARE HARDEST HIT BY THE PANDEMIC.

SO ONE OF THE HORRORS FOR ME WAS HIDDEN IN PLAIN SIGHT WAS THINGS WERE GOING TO HAPPEN JUST LIKE THEY DID.

WHEN WE STARTED CLOSING RESTAURANTS, I KNEW THAT THERE WERE SO MANY PEOPLE WHO WERE GOING TO HAVE TO TURN TO US AND TO OTHER SOURCES BECAUSE THEY JUST WEREN'T GOING TO BE ABLE TO MAKE ENDS MEET.

DAVID, I'M ASSUMING THAT THE HOSPITALITY INDUSTRY IS BIG IN ORLANDO, KIND OF IN THE RIPPLE EFFECTS OF HAVING THE MAGIC KINGDOM THERE.

WHAT IS IT LIKEá-- AND I'M SURE YOU'VE SEEN THIS HUNDREDS OF TIMES NOW.

WHAT IS IT LIKE WHEN YOU SEE THAT PERSON WHO'S COMING FOR THE FIRST TIME?

WHAT IS GOING THROUGH THEIR MINDS?

WHAT'S THE SIMILARITY?

YEAH, WE'RE GETTING LITERALLY THOUSANDS OF THOSE PEOPLE APPROACHING US FOR FOOD RELIEF.

AND WHAT'S DISTURBING IS THATá-- WELL, FIRST OF ALL, THEY'VE NEVER BEEN IN THAT POSITION BEFORE, OKAY.

AND THEY START EXPLAINING THEMSELVES OUT OF EMBARRASSMENT AND ALMOST SHAME THAT THEY HAVE TO BUILD A CASE FOR THEMSELVES THAT THEY NEED FOOD.

AND IT'S LIKE YOU'VE GOT TO GIVE THEM A GRACIOUS TIME-OUT AND SAY, HEY, WE UNDERSTAND, YOU KNOW.

YOU'RE IN THIS THROUGH NO FAULT OF YOUR OWN, AND HOW CAN WE HELP YOU?

SO THERE'S A LOT OF THAT GOING ON.

AND A LOT OF THESE FOLKS PUT THAT REQUEST OFF AS LONG AS THEY COULD BECAUSE OF EMBARRASSMENT, YOU KNOW.

I'LL GIVE YOU JUST ONE EXAMPLE.

YOU KNOW, A LOT OF THE FOOD DISTRIBUTIONS ARE DRIVE-THRU SO THERE'S NO TOUCH.

VOLUNTEERS PUT THE FOOD IN THE VAN OR CAR.

THERE WAS A SINGLE FATHER WITH A 6 OR 7-YEAR-OLD SON PUTTING FOOD IN THE CAR.

THE 6-YEAR-OLD LOOKED AT HIS DAD AND SAID, ARE WE GOING TO EAT TODAY?

HIS FATHER JUST LOST IT.

HIS FATHER SAID, SON, YES, WE'RE GOING TO.

AS THE DAD PULLED AWAY, HE MENTIONED TO THE VOLUNTEER THAT HE HAD LOST HIS JOB UNEXPECTEDLY, YOU KNOW.

HIS WIFE HAD PASSED AWAY.

AND HIM AND HIS SON HADN'T EATEN IN THREE DAYS.

IN THE ORLANDO AREA, OKAY, AGAIN, LIKE I SAY, THIS IS GOING ON AROUND THE COUNTRY.

I MEAN, SOMETHING IS TERRIBLY, TERRIBLY WRONG HERE.

THEY SAY THAT ABOUT ONE-THIRD OF THE U.S. POPULATIONá-- ONE-THIRDá-- IS LIVING PAYCHECK TO PAYCHECK, AND THEY DON'T HAVE 3 OR $400 IN THEIR CHECKING ACCOUNT TO PAY FOR ANY KIND OF EMERGENCY.

SO WHEN THE WIND BLOWS, THEY'RE TEETERING ON THAT TIGHT ROPE.

WHEN THE WIND BLOWS, IT'S BLOWING THEM OVER.

CLAIRE, I DON'T KNOW IF MOST PEOPLE REALIZE WHERE FOOD BANKS GET THEIR FOOD FROM.

I KNOW THAT THERE'S A COUPLE OF BIG FEDERAL PROGRAMS RIGHT NOWá-- THE FARMERS TO FAMILIES FOOD BOX PROGRAM, THERE'S THE FOOD PURCHASE AND DISTRIBUTION PROGRAM.

THEY ARE SET TO EXPIRE AT THE END OF THIS CALENDAR YEAR.

YES.

WHAT KIND OF IMPACT IS THAT GOING TO HAVE AROUND THE COUNTRY WHEN THESE PROGRAMS THAT HAVE HELPED FEED HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS OF PEOPLE RIGHT NOW COULD ZERO OUT?

YEAH.

SO, LET ME GIVE A LITTLE CONTEXT FOR WHAT THAT'S GOING TO MEAN TO US IF THERE'S NOT INTERVENTION.

SO, OUR REMARKABLE NETWORK WAS ABLE TO PROVIDE ABOUT 5 BILLION MEALS LAST YEAR.

1.7áBILLION OF THEM WERE AS A RESULT, DIRECT RESULT OF FEDERAL COMMODITIES.

WE'RE LOOKING AT A 60% INCREASE IN DEMAND.

AND IF NOTHING ELSE HAPPENS, WE'RE LOOKING AT A 50% DECREASE IN THOSE COMMODITIES.

THAT IS A PERFECT STORM.

SO RIGHT WHEN PEOPLE NEED HELP SO DESPERATELY, IN THE MIDDLE OF THE WINTER, IN THE MIDDLE OF A PANDEMIC, WE'RE LOOKING AT HAVING LESS SUPPLY.

I MEAN, IT'S REALLY CRITICAL.

SO PART OF WHAT WE ASK IS FOR CONGRESS TO ACT.

THERE'S SOME REASON TO BE HOPEFUL IN SOME OF THE DRAFT LEGISLATION THAT'S OUT THERE RIGHT NOW.

BUT I'VE SAID MORE THAN ONCE LATELY, I'VE SEEN A LOT OF GRAPHS.

I'D LIKE TO SEE SOME LEGISLATION BECAUSE WHILE WE'RE THINKING ABOUT IT AND TRYING TO GET IT PRECISELY RIGHT, PEOPLE ARE STRUGGLING RIGHT NOW.

ORDINARILY THE VAST MAJORITY OF THE FOOD THAT WE RECEIVE AS A NETWORK COMES FROM SOME FORM OF DONATED FOOD, RIGHT.

SO IT'S THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT.

WITH COMMODITIES, IT'S RETAIL, IT'S MANUFACTURERS.

RIGHT NOW WE'RE SEEING DECLINES IN THOSE PLACES, WHICH IS FORCING OUR MEMBERS TO GO OUT AND BUY MORE FOOD THAN THEY'VE EVER BOUGHT BEFORE.

AND ALSO BECAUSE OF OUR NEED TO BE SAFE, WE HAVE TO HAVE IT BOXED UP IN A CERTAIN WAY SO WE CAN DO THESE MASS DISTRIBUTIONS.

ALL OF THAT COLLIDES TO HAVE OUR WHEN, ACCORDING TO THE U.S.

BUREAU OF LABOR STATISTICS, WE TELL GROCERY SITES ARE AT A 50 YEAR HIGH.

SO OUR MEMBERS ARE OUT THERE BUYING FOOD THAT WE DIDN'T HAVE TO BUY IN THE PAST, AT A TIME WHEN IT COSTS SO MUCH MORE.

DAVID, WHATá-- ONE OF THE THINGS CLAIRE MENTIONED WAS THIS PERFECT STORM, THAT DEMAND WAS LIKELY TO INCREASE.

WITH YOUR KIND OF EARS ON THE GROUND, YOU'RE LIKELY MEETING PEOPLE WHO ARE JUST A COUPLE OF PAYMENTS AWAY FROM BEING EVICTED OR PEOPLE FOR WHOM ANY SORT OF UNEMPLOYMENT INSURANCE HAS RUN OUT, OR WILL RUN OUT IN A MATTER OF WEEKS.

UNFORTUNATELY HOMELESSNESS IS GROWING AGAIN.

YOU KNOW, INCREDIBLE EFFORTS TO MINIMIZE THAT OR REDUCE IT.

BUT IT'S GROWING.

IT'S LIKE ONE STEP FORWARD AND THREE STEPS BACK.

WE HAVE SINGLE MOTHERS WITH FAMILIES WHO ARE LIVING IN STORAGE SHEDS IN CENTRAL FLORIDA.

AND THEY'RE BEING CHARGED $500 A MONTH.

I MEAN, THAT'S DISGUSTING.

IT SHOULD BE ILLEGAL.

EVICTION NOTICES ARE INCREASING.

I WAS JUST TALKING TO ONE OF OUR FEEDING PARTNERS AND, YOU KNOW, THEY'RE A FAIRLY SMALL OPERATION, BUT IN THE PAST WEEK THEY HAD 18 FAMILIES COME TO THEM.

SAID, WE'VE BEEN EVICTED.

YOU KNOW, WE NEED, WE NEED FOOD, YOU KNOW.

CAN YOU HELP US WITH SOME KIND OF RENT PAYMENT SOMEWHERE?

AND ALL THESE PROGRAMS, YOU KNOW, THEY'RE RUNNING OUT OF MONEY BECAUSE OF THE DEMAND THAT THEY'RE FACING.

THIS PANDEMIC HAS REALLY LAID BARE SOME PRIOR HUGE ISSUES IN THIS COUNTRY, FROM COMMUNITY TO COMMUNITY.

AND ONE THING THAT EXISTS ACROSS THE COUNTRY IS LACK OF AFFORDABLE HOUSING.

THIS IS ALL INTERCONNECTED.

SO WHEN YOU HAVE A LACK OF AFFORDABLE HOUSING CONNECTED WITH LOW WAGES, YOU'VE GOTá-- YOU'VE GOT A HORRIBLE COCKTAIL RIGHT THERE FOR HARDSHIP.

SO, CLAIRE, HERE WE ARE ABOUT TO TURN THE PAGE TO A NEW ADMINISTRATION, AND THE AGRICULTURE SECRETARY, SOMEBODY WHO HAS BEEN ON YOUR BOARD BEFORE, TOM MILLSACK, WHAT ARE THE OPPORTUNITIES HERE?

WHEN WE'RE NOT JUST TALKING ABOUT FIXING THE CRISIS THAT'S AROUND THIS PANDEMIC, BUT SOME OF THE DEEPER INEQUALITIES THAT IT'S LAID BARE THAT DAVID IS POINTING TO.

YEAH.

SO, I HAVE TO TELL YOU, I'M REALLY OPTIMISTIC ABOUT WHAT THE FUTURE REPRESENTATIVES.

I BELIEVE THAT PART OF WHAT WE NEEDED TO DO AS A COUNTRY WAS TOá-- WE NEEDED CERTAIN THINGS TO BE REVEALED, RIGHT.

THERE WERE THINGS HIDDEN IN PLAIN SIGHT.

AND WE NEEDED TO HAVE LIGHT SHONE ON THEM AND THEY HAVE.

SO AS I CONTEMPLATE WHAT NEXT YEAR HAS IN STORE FOR US, I THINK OF SHORT-TERM INTERVENTIONS THAT ARE GOING TO BE SURE.

INCREASING COMMODITIES.

LIKE INCREASING THE FEDERAL NUTRITION PROGRAMS.

TRYING TO TRACK WITH THE INCREASE THAT WE ALREADY HAVE IN THE, THE COST OF GROCERIES, TRACK THAT IN INCREMENTAL INCREASES IN THE FEDERAL NUTRITION PROGRAMS.

I THINK ABOUT THAT AS THE FEDERAL NUTRITION PROGRAMS AS BEING PART OF THE SHORT AND MID-TERM SOLUTION.

BUT THEN BEYOND THAT, WE MUST TAKE A FRESH LOOK AT OUR POLICY, AND WE REALLY NEED TO FINALLY ADDRESS SYSTEMIC ISSUES.

I THINK WE NEED TO SEIZE UPON THE OPPORTUNITY TO STOP ASSUMING THAT THE PEOPLE WHO ARE NOT AS IMPACTED BY THESE POLICIES ARE BETTER POSITIONED TO SOLVE FOR THEM.

WE'VE GOT TO BRING PEOPLE FACING HUNGER, FOR INSTANCE, TO THE TABLE AS WE COME UP WITH CREATIVE SOLUTIONS FOR PEOPLE FACING HUNGER.

DAVID, IF YOU HAD A BIT OF ADVICE FOR THE INCOMING BIDEN ADMINISTRATION, NOT JUST HOW TO DEAL WITH WHAT YOU'RE FACING TODAY AND THE NEXT COUPLE MONTHS, BUT THE BIGGER PICTURE?

WE, YOU KNOW, WE ARE OUT HERE IN THE TRENCHES.

WE ARE NOT LOOKING FOR GOVERNMENT TO SOLVE ALL OF THIS, OKAY.

WANT TO MAKE THAT MESSAGE CLEAR.

MY ADVICE TO THEM IS TO DO AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE OF INSPIRING AND ENGAGING THE COUNTRY TO END HUNGER, OKAY, AS A GRAND VISION.

AND THEN TO WORK AT HOW DO YOU DO THAT.

AND THAT TAKES, THAT TAKES LOCAL, STATE, FEDERAL GOVERNMENT AT THE TABLE, CORPORATE AMERICA AT THE TABLE, PRIVATE FAMILY FOUNDATIONS, INDIVIDUAL RESIDENTS.

EVERYBODY CAN PLAY A PART AND DOES PLAY A PART.

AND JUST AN EXAMPLE OF THAT, I MEAN, IF YOU CANá-- I GOT A HANDWRITTEN NOTE IN BLOCK LETTERS FROM SAVANNAH.

SHE GOES, I'M A 7-YEAR-OLD IN SCHOOL AND I DON'T WANT TO SEE HUNGRY PEOPLE.

SHE PUT A $20 BILL IN THE ENVELOPE.

I MEAN, IF SAVANNAH CAN DO THAT, CERTAINLY THE REST OF US CAN DO SOMETHING.

WE CAN SOLVE THIS, SO I AM ENCOURAGED BY THAT.

BUT I'LL JUST SAY MAYBE TOM MILLSACK HAS TO CREATE A NATIONAL FOOD CZAR, YOU KNOW.

WE HAVE TO GETá-- ELEVATE THIS FOOD SECURITY THING TO A MUCH HIGHER LEVEL AND TAKE IT MUCH MORE SERIOUSLY.

THE OTHER SPECIFIC PIECE ON LEGISLATION IS TO INCREASE S.N.A.P. OR FOOD STAMP BENEFITS BY 15%. THERE'S A LOT OF MYTHS AROUND S.N.A.P. AND WHO USES IT AND EVERYTHING, BUT FOR EVERY MEAL THAT A FOOD BANK PROVIDES, S.N.A.P. PROVIDES NINE.

YEAH.

OKAY.

AND ALL THE S.N.A.P. DOLLARS ARE ECONOMIC DRIVERS TO LOCAL COMMUNITIES.

SO IT MAKES SO MUCH SENSE.

AND THE S. IN SNAP, THAT ACRONYM, IS SUPPLEMENTAL.

NOBODY CAN LIVEá-- NO FAMILY CAN LIVE ON $4.85 A DAY FOR A MEAL.

CLAIRE, HOW DO YOU SQUARE THIS?

WHEN WE LOOK AT THIS STRUCTURALLY, HOW IS IT POSSIBLE WE COULD BE SO WEALTHY AND AT THE SAME TIME HAVE SO MANY PEOPLE IN SUCH NEED?

I WANT TO TALK ABOUT IT THROUGH THE LENS OF MY OWN LIFE WHERE I AM A PRODUCT OF THE GENEROSITY OF THIS REMARKABLE COUNTRY.

I'VE HAD ACCESS TO EDUCATION THAT MY PARENTS DIDN'T HAVE.

THEY DIDN'T GRADUATE FROM HIGH SCHOOL.

MY PARENTS GOT TO GO TO SCHOOL.

MY GRANDPARENTS WERE SHARECROPPERS ON BOTH SIDES.

NONE OF THEM HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO GO TO SCHOOL.

I GET TO REALIZE THE AMERICAN DREAM.

THERE IS AN AMERICAN DREAM, AND THERE IS AN AMERICAN IDEAL, AND THAT IDEAL, WE HAVE NOT LIVED UP TO THAT IDEAL.

SO SOME OF THIS IS TO COUNTER TO WHO WE THINK WE ARE.

SO, WHEN WE TALK TO LITTLE KIDS ABOUT EATINGá-- A PICKY EATER ABOUT EATING ALL OF THEIR FOOD, WE WILL TELL YOU, BABY, YOU'VE GOT TO EAT YOUR FOOD BECAUSE THERE ARE HUNGRY KIDS IN AFRICA, INDIA, CHINA.

MY WHOLE LIFE I'VE UNDERSTOOD WE DO NOT NEED TO LOOK TO DISTANT SHORES TO FIND HUNGER.

HUNGER IS RIGHT HERE IN EVERY COUNTY IN THIS COUNTRY.

THERE ARE CHALLENGES AROUND FOOD INSECURITY.

AND IT'S SIMPLY NOT WHO WE THINK OF OURSELVES AS.

SO I THINK WE AREá-- I KNOW WE ARE A GREAT NATION.

WE CAN DO SO MUCH WHEN WE SET OUR MINDS TO IT.

BUT PEOPLE DON'T SOLVE THE PROBLEMS THEY DON'T THINK THEY HAVE.

I THINK IN THIS MOMENT WE CAN SEE THE ISSUE, AND THAT'S WHAT MAKES ME SO OPTIMISTIC WE'RE GOING TO DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT.

CLAIRE AND DAVE, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR JOINING US.

THANK YOU FOR HAVING US.

YOU'RE WELCOME.

WHILE CLAIRE AND DAVE REALLY ARE HEROIC FRONT LINE ESSENTIAL WORKERS, AND WHO COULD NOT BE MOVED BY THE VERY, VERY INCREDIBLE STORIES?

TWO PEOPLE, A FATHER AND SON HAVEN'T EATEN IN ORLANDO, FLORIDA, FOR THREE DAYS?

THOSE ARE THE STORIES WE TRY TO PUT TO THE SENATOR AT THIS CRUCIAL TIME.

> AND FINALLY, IMAGINE A WORLD WHERE INSTITUTIONS ARE FINED FOR HAVING TOO MANY WOMEN.

WELL, THAT IS EXACTLY WHAT'S HAPPENED IN FRANCE THIS WEEK.

THE FRENCH GOVERNMENT FINED THE CITY OF PARIS FOR POINTING MORE WOMEN TO SENIOR POSITIONS.

IF THAT SOUNDS TOPSY-TURVY, WELL, IT IS.

AND MARYANN HIDALGO BRANDED IT ABSURD AND EVEN DANGEROUS.

BUT SHE SAID SHE WOULD BE PROUD TO PAY THIS ONE.

AND SHE CALLED FOR MORE ACTION FOR MORE GENERAL DIFFICULT PARITY.

MEANWHILE, IN FINLAND THERE IS NO SUCH THING AS AN OVERLOAD OF FEMALE POWER.

THE CURRENT COALITION GOVERNMENT IS LED BY FIVE WOMEN, AND THEY HAVE A MODEL TRACK RECORD ON COVID MANAGEMENT.

> AND THAT IS IT FOR OUR PROGRAM TONIGHT.

REMEMBER THAT YOU CAN FOLLOW ME ON THE SHOW ON TWITTER.

THANK YOU FOR WATCHING AMANPOUR AND COMPANY ON PBS AND JOIN US AGAIN TOMORROW NIGHT.

♪♪♪ ♪♪♪ ♪♪♪

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CHARLES ROSEN BLOOM.

JEFFREY KATZ AND BETH ROGERS.

ADDITIONAL SUPPORT PROVIDED BY THESE FUNDERS.

AND BY CONTRIBUTIONS TO YOUR PBS STATION FROM VIEWERS LIKE YOU.

THANK YOU.

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