lot of fun watching these four out there going through 18 holes. giving each other the -- ribbing each other as they made bad shots. >> not many people can make fun of tom brady. tiger woods is one of them. >> it's nice to see live sports in this country. andy, thanks very much. "new day" starts right now. the coronavirus death toll in the u.s. edging painfully close to 100,000 people. >> shut it down again, no. we understand it now much better. >> in other parts of the country, show people closer than health officials would like to see. >> everybody going to get sick one day. >> large crowds, my reaction was concern. they were not practicing social distancing, nor were they wearing masks. >> out of respect for each other, we need to be wearing masks in public when we cannot social distance. it's really critically important. >> this is not about politics. this is one time when we truly are all in this together.

>> announcer: this is "new day" with alisyn camerota and john berman. >> welcome to our viewers in the united states and around the world. this is a special memorial day edition of "new day." john is off. jim sciutto is with me. great to have you here, jim. >> good to be here. >> this morning, we remember the brave americans who made the ultimate sacrifice for america as well as those we lost to the coronavirus. later this morning, president trump and the first lady will visit arlington national cemetery to lay a wreath at the tomb of the unknown soldiers. we near a staggering 100,000 americans who have died. beaches from coast to coast were crowded. that includes alabama, which is seeing a steady rise in cases. so we'll speak with the mayor of montgomery coming up. he's sounding a warning that his city is running out of icu beds for the sickest patients.

>> the head of the fda is calling on everyone to follow those safety guidelines, warning that the coronavirus is not yet contained. ahead, the -- the head of the coronavirus task force is reminding americans that there's clear, scientific evidence that masks work to help stop the spread of infection. this even though the president does not follow those guidelines. the president spent the weekend playing golf as the nation nears a very grim and sad milestone. let's begin with rosa flores, live in pensacola beach, florida. rosa, tell us what you're seeing there. >> reporter: good morning, jim. we're seeing people hit the beach very early this morning. just like millions of americans will be doing across the country. look, this year, memorial day has extra meaning as we remember the nearly 100,000 americans who have died from the coronavirus. now, the beach behind me, we observe social distancing happening yesterday. that was not the case in other

parts of the country. scenes in the unofficial kickoff to the summer showing many americans not practicing social distancing measures. >> you wouldn't know a pandemic was going on by looking at the beach today. >> reporter: over the weekend, people crowded beaches and parks and restaurants and bars. >> everybody going to get sick one day. everybody. that's life. >> reporter: this pool party in the ozarks showing revelers nearly arm to arm. >> let's shut down all eastbound. >> look at this police footage from daytona beach showing hundreds gathering in the streets. >> our residents are excited about having access to their beach. we're going to have to figure out how we can control these crowds and largely how to inform the visitors. >> ocean city, maryland's boardwalk packed with people. many without face coverings. dr. deborah birx urging americans to stay vigilant with social distancing and wearing masks. >> we have said to people, there's clear scientific

evidence now by all the droplet experiments that happened and that others have done to show that a mask prevents dop lets from reaching others. we need to be wearing masks in public when we cannot social distance. >> the question of wearing a mask has become political. from president trump repeatedly refusing to wear one in public to protesters gathering outside state cap tols, many without their faces covered rallying to expedite the reopening process. ohio's governor said this should not be a debate. >> this is not about politics. we wear the mask and it's been very clear what the studies have shown. it's not to protect yourself so much as to protect others. >> in missouri, two hairstylists potentially exposed 140 clients to the disease while working up to eight days with symptoms. >> i think we need to comprehend the consequences of this. if we're going to work sick and sharing this illness with others, that's not a good

approach. >> and in arkansas, a high school swim party helped to spread the coronavirus to several people. >> they're young. they're swimming. they're just having activity and positive cases resulted from that. so it's just an encouragement for us to be disciplined in our activities. >> president trump welcomes back kocongregant congregants. >> church is essential. >> denying the stay-at-home order restricting indoor gatherings to ten people. >> i would hope we get to houses of worship sooner than later. but we want to do it right, responsibly and don't kill anybody by doing it too fast. >> reporter: here is how social distancing worked in pensacola, florida. if you look at the beach behind me, the depth of the beach is about 250 feet. now, umbrellas were set more than six feet apart allowing families to take in the sun together but also social distance. alisyn, you need space in order

to social distance. here in escambia county, there's 27 miles of white sandy beaches. >> rosa, thank you very much for that report. alabama, it's seeing a steady rise in cases. nearly 1,000 new infections just over the weekend. in the state capital, there is serious concern that the hospitals are running out of icu beds for the most sick people. joining us now is the mayor of montgomery, alabama, steve reed. mayor, great to see you this morning. give us a status report of how montgomery is doing because last week you had said that you were worried because i believe there was one icu bed left. so what's happening this morning? >> this morning we have six icu beds out of 100 in this region. so while that is some mild improvement, it is not the type of improvement we like to see. we're still at a crisis level in this community. we still have issues right now

with more positive cases coming in. and patients coming in, in much worse condition. we have to make sure that in this community we're open on all the guidelines and the steps that we took months ago and when we had progress and our numbers were low and we don't relax things too soon and don't go back into some of the practices you just covered before coming on. >> let's talk about that. here's the graph of where the cases are going in alabama. they're going in the wrong direction. i mean, you can just see if you follow that red line, they are trending upward. there are some times, including this -- where there's a huge spike in cases. but in general, it's going in the wrong direction. why do you think that is, mayor? >> well, i think certainly people have decided that the pandemic is over. that there's not a risk out there and they're ready to get back to their normal way of doing things. that's a mistake that we've been making over the last few weeks.

we've eased restrictions in this community and across the state. it's given people false sense of security. we're still in the middle of the crisis. we're still battling this pandemic. we still have to practice social distancing. we have to wear masks in public. people have to make sure that they are passing that on to friends, family and colleagues. this is not over. we have not won yet. we have to get that to the public. that's why we wanted to sound the alarm last week and that's why we're continuing to talk to our community and talk to business leaders, faith leaders and everyone else to remind them of where things stand and the risk that still exist, not only here in montgomery but in alabama. >> i heard your governor speak last week and basically she was eager to reopen. there are all sorts of economic consequences for having been shut down. she said they were going to rely now on personal responsibility.

everyone was just going to have to take personal responsibility. are you comfortable with that plan? >> no, i'm not. i think that we have to ask people to be personally responsible but i also think government has to set the tone. i think we have the facts and information. we have the data. we cannot put that aside for the sake of trying to get -- or to prematurely have us go back to a second wave of this. i think that it's important to ask people to do their part. people have done a great job in this community of coming together, helping their neighbors and really looking out for one another. however, it's not been enough. we want to make sure that we are present for and the information that's needed. but the public can make their own decisions. but also free to make the decisions as leaders that we think is best for the residents that we serve and the people that depend on us to give them the information and given the

best decision with the data that we have. >> let's talk about high school sports. high school students are going to be able to, as i understand it, starting next week, june 1st, resume their workouts and their training and conditioning and i think that's a week earlier than had originally been predicted. so why move up the date and how do you feel about that? >> well, listen as a little league coach, i understand the importance of sports in this community. i understand what it means to not only the kids and the parents and families and to the community. i think, again, this is another example of us moving too fast. moving too soon. again, in many communities, this is the way that brings people together. it's a rallying point. but i'm concerned that we may put not only the students at risk but we may also put their loved ones, their families at risk as well. in a state where we haven't figured out what we're going to do about public education.

we don't know how we're going to educate our kids in school buildings and what that's going to look like. it seems to allow people to come back and start practicing, it seems, in groups when we're still seeing the numbers in various parts of this state that exists right now. >> the things that have been reopening. the stay-at-home order went into effect in alabama on april 4th through the 30th. then on may 11th, which was earlier than other states, bars, restaurants, gyms, hair salons, nail salons, reopened on may 22nd entertainment venues, summer camps, child care facilities. what has it been like in montgomery since then? are you seeing a sort of robust return to the economy? are people going out to restaurant and movie theaters? >> not yet. at least here in montgomery, we have not seen that type of response. what we're seeing is kind of a

split community, where you have people who believe this is over and have decided that they're going to get back to their normal way of living and willing to take the risk. what they're not considering is the risk they're posing to others when they do not see some of the symptoms in themselves and how they can spread this virus. that is the issue here. that's why we're trying to make sure everyone understands it. we still need them to stay home as much as possible. we need our vulnerable communities to make sure they're protected. we have to do our part and really let people know what's at risk. i understand that people have seen stores are -- that's exciting, we're praying for more recovery. however, we still have to do our part to make sure that we don't continue to see these numbers rise and we don't prolong this virus staying around not only in this community but the entire country. i think while we've seen people move out and start to get back

to the normal way of doing things, we have to make sure as leaders, we're sounding the alarm and guiding them in a more precautionary approach to this pandemic. mayor, thank you very much for your time. stay safe. >> stay safe and have a happy memorial day. >> you too. stay safe. important word. tropical weather could make memorial day a washout in some parts of the country. meteorologist chad myers has your holiday forecast. chad? >> good to see you, jim. hi. especially florida, there will be tropical moisture all over the state and the beaches will be certainly wet and probably lightning filled in spots. make sure you go inside when you hear it. this is brought to you by tractor supply company. so let's get to it. we have a storm system that's going to make severe weather up and down the middle part of the

country and heavy rainfall in south florida. also, rip current problems across parts of florida as well. we'll look at the weather through the middle part of the country, there could be a tornado or two in the bigger storms. down to the south, here's the heavy rain. not that you didn't have enough yesterday, but more for today as well. farther up the coast, things are pretty good. a little bit of high surf. this is the issue here. the heavy rain. 4 to 6 inches of rain across south florida, maybe toward panama city. if you hear the thunder, go indoors. 82 in charleston. now jim the sunshine is very bright today in many spots. this will be the first time people got out and about. sunscreen day today for sure. back to you. >> i hear you. smart advice all around. chad myers, thanks very much. millions will head to the beaches on this memorial day. how can scenes like this one be

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welcome back. americans are flocking to the beaches, parks this memorial day. scenes like this show that not everyone is applying the social distancing guidelines, wearing masks, still in effect by the way. 18 states are seeing an increase now in new cases while only ten states are seeing a decline. that's a change from last week. more states seeing an increase. joining me now, dr. jonathan -- and juliette kayyem. dr. reiner, if i can begin with you. we had them contradicting the president's message saying that the virus is, in his words, far from contained in this country.

how should folks at home who understandably want to honor the day, memorial day, they want to spend time with their family and take advantage of a relaxation, not an end to the social distancing guidelines. what is safe in your view for families today, what's not safe? >> good morning. i think what's safe is to do what we know works, which is to continue to social distance and if you find yourself in a place where you really can't separate yourself from other people, you need to have a mask on. look, i think every american on this memorial day needs to understand that we protect each other in times of crisis in this country. and in this crisis, we protect each other by wearing masks. it's the patriotic thing to do. the president is going to visit arlington national cemetery today. an intensely holy place that commemorates enormous sacrifice. millions of americans are making sacrifices now in this country.

when the president goes to arlington national cemetery today, he should set an example and wear a mask. so everyone who goes out in public now should wear a mask, keep your distance. that's how you protect each other. >> juliette, dr. birx had to adjust this, this weekend. dr. deborah birx, part of the coronavirus task force. she was asked why the president isn't wearing a mask and proudly not wearing a mask in public. as always, this is not an enviable position for her. she had to thread the needle between what the science says and try to somehow explain what the president is doing despite what the science says. it comes down to what the doctor said. out of common courtesy shall that's what you do. that's what she goes to. listen to this moment. >> we have said to people, there's clear scientific evidence now by all the droplet experiments that happened and that others have done to show that a mask does prevent

droplets from reaching others. out of respect for each other, as americans that care for each other, we need to be wearing masks in public when we cannot social distance. >> it's just hard to understand how the president could hear that and still decide not to wear a mask. >> yes. he's gotten it in his head that the mask is a symbol of defeat to the virus. no. it's actually a symbol that you are respecting the virus and recognize a responsibility to limit the likelihood that you would be a transmitter or get sick. we have to think of masks as not ohm sort of important aspects of protecting ourselves but part of -- we're in the security world, right? as one of many tools as we start to open up are necessary to minimize the risk to the american public. we know we're not going to get the risk to zero. we're living with this virus for

many months, if not years, to come. we know what works. it's masks and social distancing. it's trying to limit the amount -- the number of people around. trying to limit the kind of interactions we have with people so that gyms are very, very different than, say, going to a retail store. then to use every tool imaginable to mitigate the licklic likelihood that we will spread the disease. totally manageable, none of them scary or shocking. the president has -- i'm not surprised the american public is confused. >> dr. reiner, that is a sad fact, right? that the politics tip to trump things not just recommendations on masks. even the numbers. the president is raising kwez about whether the death toll is real. there's nothing to support that. it understates.

>> you're seeing this play out state by state, community by community, right? the politics are leading some places to open more quickly and violate those recommendations. are we seeing already in the numbers a consequence of that? >> i think we are. look, there's a difference in how the news from the administration is presented. when it's presented by a scientist like dr. fauci offer dr. birx versus how it's presented by the president. you heard this weekend dr. hahn explain to the in public that we still doep have containment: if you removed new york city and the new york area from the national mix, the virus is still on the rise in the united states. we are not at all close to containment. but we get mixed messages from this administration. the president doesn't wear a mask. he wants to open big, he wants to open churches.

the result is what we saw in the ozarks and all around the country. we see people shoulder to shoulder without masks. that's how you spread a virus, not contain a virus. the message needs to be very, very focused. we can defeat this virus and we will. but we do it by simple measures. think about carrying the biggest golf umbrella that you have. if people are inside or under that umbrella, they're too close to you. keep your distance from people. be smart. dr. jonathan reiner, juliette kye yim, thank you all very much for the advice. >> my pleasure. as the u.s. death toll reaches 100,000. sf cnn has reporters across the country to bring you all of the latest developments. >> reporter: i'm paul vcam

vercamm vercammen. a lot of people paying attention to social distancing rules here. in fact, we saw people riding their bikes, wearing their masks on this 22-mile long bike way that the county just reopened. some of the bike riders telling us that people in other parts of the country should pay attention to them and how they are following social distancing rules and wearing their masks because it takes a whole country to stop the spread of covid-19. >> reporter: i'm ed lavendera in little rock, arkansas. health experts will be closely watching the state this week as they're in the midst of a second peak of coronavirus cases. clearly 900 new coronavirus cases have been reported since last thursday. the governor says that is due in large part to more testing being done in the state and that the silver lining that they're seeing so far is that the positive infection rate and the daily hospitalization rate remain low. i'm kristin holmes at the white house where one of the top

economic advisers for the president is getting a dire outlook at the unemployment numbers. telling our dana bash on sunday that he believes those unmoimt numbers could still be in the double dij is, final number. as for the new york teacher, he predicted that it could be north of 20% this month and that the unemployment ray could be each higher in june. he added that this was going to be one aspect of the economy that came back shoer as the country reopened. our thanks to all of our correspondents around the country. anti-government protests breaking out again in hong kong. how will the u.s. government spopt to china's could controversial new plan. rour correspondent is on the ground in the middle of all of this.

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among the personal feuds playing out on twitter with the president involved, the president escalating one with his former attorney general, jeff sessions who he appointed. the dispute over his recusal from the russia investigation, the president is now calling on sessions to drop out of the

alabama senate race. sessions firing back at his boss. joining me now, former boss, i should say. jeffrey toobin joining us. always good to have you won. sessions one of the early endorsers, not the lone, but one of the few sitting lawmakers to support him. no love lost at this point. let's listen to how the president attacked a personal jeff sessions over the weekend. >> jeff sessions was a disaster as attorney general. should have never been attorney general. he's not mentally qualified to be attorney general. he was the biggest problem. >> jeff, perhaps remind me who appointed jeff sessions before you react to the attack and what's behind it. >> of course, it was president trump who named his first attorney general. just to remind people of the roots of this feud, jeff sessions was a major campaign

surrogate for president trump during 2016. when he became attorney general, the investigation of the campaign began and he, of course, properly recused himself. i can't investigate, lead an investigation of a campaign in which i was a principal part. so he turned the investigation over to his deputy, rod rosenstein who, in turn, named robert mueller the special counsel. because of that, donald trump has been deeply angry at jeff sessions ever since for recusing himself and leading to the mueller investigation. now that sessions is running for his old seat in the senate from alabama, trump is trying to take his revenge. and punish him in a state where the president is very popular.

>> now, bill barr, the president has a much more aggressive attorney general, does he not, even on issues of recusal? >> one who is much more doing the president's personal bidding, whether it's trying to end the michael flynn case or doing all these investigations of the roots of the mueller and russia investigations which is something the president has been complaining about ever since he took office. it is a very different justice department. i think a lot of people would have been surprised to think that jeff sessions, who is known as an extremely conservative senator, that is like the good old days compared to what's going on now. >> yeah. >> so you bring up the flynn case. it is truly remarkable. for folks at home not following, let's remind people. michael flynn, he pleaded

guilty, remind people that the justice department under republican appointee at the time, investigated him. but explain how unusual the justice department now dismissing its own case against michael flynn is. how unusual in your perspective? >> this has become quite tangled and bizarre. you know -- look, i've been around the criminal justice system my whole career, i have never heard ever of the justice department saying to a judge, well, this defendant he pleaded guilty, he was advised by competent lawyers, he's a very intelligent man. he pleaded guilty but we think the case has no basis. we think you judge sullivan, should dismiss the case even though he's pleading guilty. judge sullivan, in washington federal district court said, wait a second, i've never heard anything like this. i'm not sure i'm going to dismiss this case.

in fact, i'm going to name a former judge, john gleason from new york, to advocate on behalf of keeping the guilty plea. just letting this case proceed to sentencing. michael flynn's lawyers, his new lawyers have appealed this ruling. they have said, look, you need to dismiss this case right away. you can't appoint this former judge. just get rid of the case. that case is now on appeal. jim, stick with me. it's not quite over. what happened now -- >> just as you're telling it, what's remarkable, the justice department's own case they're saying they want the judge to dismiss. go on. because the details are amazing. >> that's so bizarre. now. in the appeals court, you have the prosecution and defense on the same side against the judge. so what happens just yesterday. i guess the day before now. judge sullivan appointed a

distinguished washington lawyer, beth wilkinson to represent him in the court of appeals. beth wilkinson will be arguing against the justice department and michael flynn in the court of appeals saying that this case needs more investigation. it shouldn't just be dismissed. >> we should note that he happens to be married to one of our colleagues, david gregory. it's a remarkable case. worth watching. it has precedent for how law is run in this country. jeffrey toobin, always good to have you on. >> all righty. happy memorial day. to you too. alisyn? >> okay. now to this developing story. police in hong kong firing tear gas at protesters on the streets. they fear that china's proposed national security law will crush civil liberties and -- anna koren is there. >> thousands of protesters took

to the streets here in hong kong to demonstrate against that controversial national security bill that beijing is going to enforce here in hong kong. it is unprecedented that china is taking this move. but they say that the security of hong kong is at risk. under these new laws, subversion and treason would be banned. that means that demonstrations like this would then be a criminal ascent. it hasn't been the numbers perhaps that organizers were hoping for compared to what we saw last year where tens of thousands, hundreds of thousands at a time, 2 million people marched against that extradition bill which the government eventually -- the people turning out today are defying the

police. they're defying the government. and they want it known that the one country must stay in place. they don't want to see hong kong lose its freedoms and be controlled by beijing. [ inaudible ] hong kong is at risk of becoming part of china, one country, one system. anna coren, hong kong. >> our thanks to the reporter there. so much has changed about daily lives, especially how we say goodbye to those we've lost. see how the military is honoring our fallen heroes on this memorial day monday. are you a weirdo?

ah, the weirdest. i just feel like everybody's disappointed in me and i never live up to anybody's expectations. scott! hey, thanks for listening to all of this. you're one of the few people who treat me you know like a person. you're welcome.

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pictures of the tomb of the unknown soldier at arlington national cemetery. president trump, the first lady and the vice president will participate in a wreath-laying ceremony about two hours from now. but honoring our nation's fallen heroes is different now because of the pandemic. barbara starr has more. >> the flag that covers the casket is no longer handed to the next of kin. instead, it's gently laid on a table next to the grave at arlington national cemetery. solemn funeral owners adjusted in the age of coronavirus to pay tribute to decorated world war ii veteran robert belch. here everyone wear masks, even the rifle platoon. captain doug road i has been back from iraq for just eight months. he now performs ceremonial duties for the army's old guard

unit here. >> we can still be there for the families even though, you know, we're dealing with a lot as a country right now. >> the new reality, only ten family or friends are allowed graveside and as few troops as possible to perform funeral honors. distance is kept, masks are worn. but still, the same dignity and respect at every funeral, even with the changes. even if on this memorial day arlington is open only to families of those buried here. specialist joseph gore gut is part of the platoon, the unit that carries those killed on the battlefield, elderly veterans and presidents of the united states. >> since covid-19 has started, we've gone from conducting 40 missions as a platoon a week to zero. >> the horses that pull the caissons are still on duty but

with extra troops required to do it right, they're not being used to limit the number of people interacting. up the hill at the tomb of the unknown soldier, troops wear masks as they get ready for their razor sharp walk. visitors no longer allowed. but there is no easy tradition. >> there's always been somebody guarding the tomb 24 hours a day, seven days a week. >> they had lives. it's the least we could do is continue our mission to the best of our abilities. >> across arlington on this memorial day, troops determined to carry on. >> there have been a few funerals that we've done in the last couple months where no family has been able to attend due to the virus. you know, our heart goes out to them. we're very happy that at least we could be there for them as they're laid to rest. >> barbara starr, cnn, washington. wow. jim, i mean how kind and

valuable that they have been able to make these adjustments so that they can have ceremony with safety. >> absolutely. and to hear that some folks can't make it to those moments, just sad. but the extra effort and as we see there, they're all wearing masks, doing their part, the soldiers there. to keep this at bay. great to have that story. >> in honor of memorial day, we want to remember some of the veterans who have lost their lives in this pandemic which has claimed nearly 100,000 americans. martin travel stead was a veteran of the u.s. army, devoted husband and grandfather. as a long-time deacon at his church in indiana, he kept his pockets full of candy for the children. his family says he was what everybody needed to strive to be. a veteran of the u.s. marine corps. because of the coronavirus he had to be hospitalized and was

unable to have visitors in his final days. so lonely. his daughter remembers her father as someone who loved his family and his country. alfred liz yoe, was 99 years old. he served during world war ii as an air mechanic. his secret for long life? a daily handful of raisins or a banana or a glass of red wine. his grandson, alfred's positive attitude was his real secret. just a few of the americans who lost their lives. we'll be right back. whether it's bribes to roll over.

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nearly 40 million americans have filed for unemployment during this pandemic, and a top white house economic adviser tells cnn the bleak jobs outlook will likely get worse before it gets better. >> my expectation is that since there's still initial claims for unemployment insurance in may that the up employment rate will be higher in june than in may

but after that, it should trend down. i think we're close to inflection in business activity and probably about a month away in terms of unemployment. >> you think unemployment is going to be even higher? >> it's going to be quite a bit higher. there were some technical things they kind of messed up, on an economics lecture we'd go into them but it could be if they fixed the things they mischaracterized last time that you'll end up with a number more than 20%. >> in michigan it has the second highest unemployment rate in the country. businesses are closing, even as the state reopens. cnn's miguel marquez is live in michigan with more. what are you seeing, miguel? >> reporter: alisyn, some of the counties are being hit harder than others. up north there's sheboygan, with unemployment rates up over 30%, that is 30% of the workforce in these areas have applied for unemployment insurance, just devastating them. in sheboygan in the northern part of the state that just

started reopening this weekend, things are a little different. they have just come out of the long, hard winter and the summer is not looking much better. >> we had a lot of dreams here. >> reporter: the dream, a book store laura hart and her daughters could run that everyone in this lake huron tourist haven could enjoy. >> covid came in and it changed the landscape. we wanted very much to be a community place where people could come, bring their kids, play games, open mic nights, game nights. >> reporter: blue roses books and more, sheboygan's only book store, will close. another casualty of the pandemic. >> i think i've spent the past week crying. i know my daughter and i have both had some hard minutes. >> reporter: hart faced a hard calculation with the high season short here and the pandemic keeping tourists away, she'd never be able to pay the bills into the winter, when it's locals only. how tough is it going to be to tlook door and -- >> it's going to be really

tough. i'm going to miss it. >> reporter: sheboygan county in northern michigan among the hardest hit in the state with more than 30% of workers applying for unemployment, the food bank of eastern michigan has more than doubled its distribution here and even with businesses reopening, hiring isn't exactly bouncing back. >> normally we would be hiring and i'd be bringing on new faces but now i'm working with the people that i have. this is the kickoff to the season and it really feels like just another normal weekend, except for the stress of reopening. >> reporter: another stress, food prices, with the price of beef through the roof, steaks off the menu. >> i've changed my menu. i'm very thankful that i bought a smoker two weeks before the pandemic hit. i can take cheaper cuts of meat and throw hem into something fabulo fabulous. >> reporter: for this seasonal town the pandemic couldn't have hit at a worse time. >> we've lost our summer and

more things will fall by the wayside for the fall. >> reporter: kevin kemper expects to make half of what he'd make in a normal year. another consideration? outsiders coming in, raises the risk of covid-19 coming to a place that has seen few cases. >> it's a concern, because people are handling it different at every level. >> reporter: a high season of low expectations. now one thing that is clear up here is that the unemployment insurance in that extension has certainly helped people out but as that comes to an end, and if they cannot make money over the next three months, not just individuals but businesses as well, it will be very difficult for places like this to survive into next winter and beyond. it's the secondary effects of the pandemic that the country will be wrestling with for a very long time. jim? >> it's smart to cite that. it's not going to go away in a

day. miguel marquez, thanks very much. gun rights protesters in kentucky hung an effigy of the democratic governor, andy bashir from a tree, just outside the governor's mansion. witnesses say another protester cut that effigy down a short time later. the mock hanging was condemned by both democrats and republicans, including senate majority leader mitch mcconnell, who is from kentucky. the republican national committee and other gop groups are suing the state of california for ordering absentee ballots to be mailed to all voters. voting by mail is expected to be used widely in the fall to ensure safety during this pandemic. last week, president trump targeted leaders in two swing states, michigan and nevada, over this issue. despite the president's protests, there is no evidence of widespread fraud in mail-in voting. >> yes or even an advantage to one or another party. overseas, israeli prime

minister benjamin netanyahu is denouncing the charges against him as his corruption trial, that of a sitting prime minister, gets under way in jerusalem. netanyahu faces bribery, fraud and breach of trust charges, the first time in israel's history a sitting prime minister appears in court as a criminal defendant. the pandemic is changing memorial day plans for many of us coast to coast. "new day" continues right now. >> reporter: the first several holidays since the start of the covid outbreak and americans are flocking to beaches from coast to coast. >> you wouldn't know a pandemic was going on by looking at the beach today. >> the people are being respectful, they really are, even on the beach. >> you don't know who is infected. you can't social distance and you're outside, you must wear a mask. >> it is impossible to enforce that. it's a matter of public choice and we don't have enough arrest powers or facilities to harbor that many people who are not

following the guidelines. >> this is not about politics. this is one time when we truly are all in this together. >> announcer: this is "new day" with alisyn camerota and john berman. >> good morning, everyone. welcome to our viewers in the united states and all around the world. this is a special holiday edition of "new day." john berman is off. jim sciutto joins me. great to have you. thanks for being here. >> good to be here >> on this memorial day we remember the heroes that made the ultimate sacrifice for this country, and this year we also pay tribute to the nearly 100,000 americans we've lost to coronavirus. millions of people marked the holiday by heading to beaches, pools and parks. not all of them followed social distancing guidelines, as you can see on your screen, or wore masks. take a look at the huge crowds in daytona beach, you see an aerial view right there, and you can check out this scene in missouri, where hundreds of

people were elbow to elbow at a pool party. >> yeah, no social distancing there. this is happening as 18 states are actually seeing new cases rise by 10% or more, this includes arkansas, where the governor there confirms his state is experiencing a second wave of the infection. 22 other states are holding steady. ten states seeing cases decline. despite all that, president trump is urging schools and churches to open now. the president made little mention of the staggering human toll of this pandemic this weekend, instead he golfed on both saturday and sunday. let's begin our coverage with cnn's rosa flores, live in pensacola beach, florida. florida's been ahead of the game on reopening from the beginning. what are we seeing here now on a big holiday weekend? >> reporter: jim, good morning.