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Soon, Biden Welcomes Filipino President Marcos To White House Amid China Tensions; Biden Shoring Up Asian Alliances, Building Out U.S. Footprint In Region; 100 Americans Arrive In Saudi Arabia After Fleeing Sudan Conflict Zone; Violent Clashes As Thousands Protest Macron's Reforms; Surgeon General: Rebuilding Social Connections A Top Health Priority; 13 Tons Of Floating Seaweed Drifting In The Atlantic. Aired 2:30-3p ET

Aired May 01, 2023 - 14:30   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

[14:30:00]

BORIS SANCHEZ, CNN HOST: Keep in mind, survivors say that Oropesa became angry after they asked him to stop firing his rifle so close to their house.

We're also following another huge bank failure. First Republic Bank being bought by JPMorgan Chase. This, after a frenzy of emergency moves this weekend ending with regulators seizing First Republic's $233 billion worth of assets.

First Republic is now the third bank to fail in just the past seven weeks. Regulators are hoping this move is going to boost confidence in the U.S. banking system.

Brianna?

BRIANNA KEILAR, CNN HOST: Any moment now, Boris, President Biden will be welcoming Filipino president Ferdinand Marcos Jr to the White House.

His visit is part of the president's efforts to strengthen security and also economic relations between the U.S. and the Philippines.

And of course, this is all happening amid these regional concerns over an increasingly aggressive China.

We have Phil Mattingly at the White House for us.

So, Phil, you have the president looking to reset this relationship. You cannot miss his concentration on shoring up these alliances with Asian countries, right, following on the state visit last week from the South Korean president.

PHIL MATTINGLY, CNN CHIEF WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Yes, it's been such an animating feature of the president's really entire foreign policy, but certainly his foreign policy in the region.

And that is either reestablishing alliances that had shown signs of fraying or starting to wane in terms of their importance or their focus over the course of the years leading up to this moment or trying to ensure that alliances that have long existed only grow.

And I think this is one of those cases where it's somewhere in between. You will recognize the name of the current leader of the Philippines. He's the son of the late and deposed dictator, Ferdinand Marcos.

An individual, a very complex relationship with the U.S. One where there is still litigation related to the father in the country.

And yet, the U.S. has utilized the ascension of the younger Ferdinand Marcos, Ferdinand Marcos Jr.

As an effort to almost do a complete reversal on a relationship that had waned under Rodrigo Duterte, his predecessor, and has shown very clear results in the course of less than a year, including an expansion of U.S. access to military bases on the island.

This is a meeting that is critical, not just for the region, but also in the partner-to-partner ties between the two countries as they continue to expand their military to military relationship, also economic relationship, trade relationship as well.

And, Brianna, you hit the key point. While administration officials try and make clear this isn't about one nation, this isn't about just China, it very clearly is central to the focus.

The northernmost point of the Philippines, only 100 miles away from Taiwan, which is obviously at the center of the tensions between the United States and China at the moment.

And what the president and his national security team have very clearly been doing over the course of two-plus years is trying to pull tighter the alliances that have been long-standing.

This is certainly a focal point of that effort as will be shown when the two presidents meet in the Oval Office in just a few moments.

KEILAR: Really something to watch.

Phil Mattingly, our chief White House correspondent, thank you so much.

Jim, it's just so interesting how you see he's shoring up these alliances, and he's also building out the U.S. footprint in the region.

JIM SCIUTTO, CNN HOST: No question.

Key thing about these alliances is bases. Let's have a look at military bases in the region.

Let's start with where the key U.S. military bases are right now in the region. Of course, U.S. ally, Japan, defense agreement with them. You have it both on the mainland there and then down in Okinawa.

South Korea, mutual defense agreement there. There's also a U.S. base down here in Guam. This gives you an enormous coverage in the area for both naval and air assets.

The Philippines, the U.S. has access to bases there now. But under this agreement, the expansion, they're going to have access to all these bases across the Philippines, providing enormous air and sea coverage in the south. As Phil noted, very close to Taiwan.

Here, the U.S. concerned about Chinese designs on an invasion. The top island is just about 100 miles away. But also the South China Sea where multiple countries, including U.S. allies, claim access here.

China is claiming it as its own. The U.S. doesn't buy that. And several of its allies also have claims in this region here.

So how else do they demonstrate the alliance? They have military exercises. And just in the last few days, the U.S. and the Philippines have had their biggest exercises they've ever had before.

You do things like practicing airlift, et cetera, getting those forces to work together. Getting them under the same command structure in the event of military action.

But I want to draw your attention to one thing they did in these exercises. And that is this. They sank a ship. This ship here. Joint exercises. You can see it, obviously a radar image in there is the ship. It went under.

Where did that exercise take place? It took place here in the South China Sea, where China claims it. The U.S. denies those claims.

That's important. It's notable. And by the way, when you do those exercises, it's not just about the military training, it's about sending a very public message to China about the U.S. military presence in Asia -- Boris?

[14:35:05]

SANCHEZ: An important story to keep an eye on.

Jim, we are obviously watching the president of the Philippines as he visits the White House. We'll keep you posted on what comes of that meeting.

Meantime, staying overseas, 100 Americans who evacuated from war-torn Sudan have now reached the port city of Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. This, after leaving Port Sudan on the "USNS Brunswick" yesterday where American servicemembers guided the boarding process.

The U.S. consul-general in Jeddah said about a thousand Americans have been evacuated since the start of the conflict. They are among the tens of thousands who have fled that country.

In the last two weeks, more than 500 people have died in the fighting between opposing military factions.

CNN's Larry Madowo is in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, for us, and he spoke with evacuees after they arrived. (BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

LARRY MADOWO, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: This is where the journey from Port Sudan to Jeddah ends, in Jeddah ports, where people are received by staff from the U.S. embassy, the U.S. consulate in Jeddah.

The head of the consulate here has been personally here speaking to the people, carrying luggage across from the ship.

And then the process over there getting the documents looked at. And then they go over across to the other side to clear Customs, have their passports stamped, and they're into Saudi territory.

Many people we've been speaking to tell us they are grateful to the Saudis for having organized this. Because before there was this U.S. naval ship, many came on Saudi royal Navy ship, and they were just grateful to be away from an active war zone.

Many of them had kids, families, elderly people, those who were sick, some who were stretching out of the ships. It's such a relief for them to be away from that.

But also, a sense of survivor's guilt that they are lucky to get out because they have passports. For many others, they don't have the same privilege.

And so many heartbreaking stories, people in tears at being able to leave when so many family members, even those sick or elderly, are stuck in Sudan as this fighting just drags on.

But quite a scene that's been playing out over the last two weeks. This fighting is now in day three. And this port of Jeddah has become the main extraction point for so many people fleeing the fighting in Sudan.

Larry Madowo, CNN, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

SANCHEZ: A relief for those who are able to evacuate but a reminder of what those who are left behind are now enduring.

Larry Madowo, thank you so much.

Brianna?

KEILAR: Boris, fury on the streets of Paris this May Day. Clashes all day long between police and protesters still enraged by a new law that raises France's retirement age to 64.

Riot police have been using water cannons to disperse demonstrators. And authorities say that more than 100 officers have been injured. More than 280 people have been arrested.

Let's go now to CNN's Melissa Bell. She is on the streets of Paris for us.

Melissa, I know it was really hard earlier just covering this to escape some of that wafting tear gas that was unleashed. What is the situation like now?

MELISSA BELL, CNN PARIS CORRESPONDENT: Well, this is where the march came to an end. It was this destination. As you can see behind me, the riot police are just now trying to clear the last of the protesters out.

It has been, Brianna, even by the standards of the last few weeks in France, a day of remarkable violence. Pitched battles between the riot police and you see lined up here and the Black Bloc protesters that came out in their many, many hundreds today, far more than any of the other protests.

These are the most radical extreme elements that really seek out the confrontation with the police. That's why you've seen so much water cannon, tear gas, so many moments of direct confrontation between protesters and police.

Behind that, there were of course all the hundreds of thousands of people who protested far more peacefully. And in fact, the figures will be good use to the unions, nearly 800,000 people nationally, more than 110,000 people here in Paris.

And that makes it the biggest protest, Brianna, that we've seen since this movement began on January 19th.

It's something of a success for the unions. They now regroup tomorrow morning to decide what their next step is.

Because even if this pension reform is now becoming law, they intend to carry on fighting. And they'll be deciding tomorrow whether the next day of protests is Wednesday or June the 8th.

But they intend to get once again many more people out on the streets of Paris to make clear their discontents.

And I think this matters beyond the particular raising of the retirement age from 62 to 64, for what it means for Emmanuel Macron's ability to govern beyond that and get through the many ambitious reforms he had planned for his next four years in government -- Brianna?

KEILAR: It certainly does. And it is just extraordinary to see what we are seeing there on the streets of the city behind you.

Melissa Bell, live for us in Paris, thank you so much.

Jim?

SCIUTTO: Rebuilding social connections and community is now a top public health priority in this country. Why the surgeon general is making the case against loneliness just ahead. It's important.

[14:40:08]

Plus, the clock is ticking in Hollywood as thousands of writers could go on strike at the stroke of midnight tonight, which could then shut down production on a lot of television shows you've been watching. We're going to bring you the status coming up.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

SANCHEZ: Now to some of the other headlines we're watching at this hour.

An Italian archaeologist out for a hike made an incredible find buried in the dirt, nearly 200 ancient silver Roman coins. The treasure was nestled within a Tuscan forest hidden inside a terracotta pot.

[14:45:01]

The coins date back more than 2,000 years and all of them were in good condition. They believe the coins were a soldier's hidden savings.

Also, thousands of Hollywood writers could go on strike at the stroke of midnight tonight, virtually shutting down film and TV productions.

Today is the deadline for the Writers Guild and several studios to agree on a new labor contract. The guild is demanding better compensation packages in the face of tremendous growth seen in streaming content.

And Actor Michael J. Fox is opening up talking about how he stays optimistic as he battles Parkinson's disease. The film and TV star has been living with the condition for 30 years.

He said it's getting tougher to manage, but despite spinal surgery, two broken arms, a broken hand, and broken bones in his face, he still finds the will to keep living.

Listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MICHAEL J. FOX, ACTOR: I recognize how hard this is for people. And I recognize how hard it is for me. But I have a certain set of skills that allow me to deal with this stuff.

And I realized with gratitude, optimism is sustainable. If you can find something to be grateful for, then you find something to look forward to, and you carry on.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SANCHEZ: Gratitude. Fox called Parkinson's the gift that keeps on taking. His life and his family, how his condition is affecting their day-to-day reality is going to be covered in a new documentary coming out next month.

Brianna? KEILAR: Such an important voice.

America the beautiful, America the lonely, diagnosablely so, in fact. U.S. Surgeon General Vivek Murthy says American is such a lonely nation that it's a health concern.

He says, quote, "The epidemic of loneliness and isolation has fueled other problems that are killing us and threatening to rip our country apart."

The nation's top doctor laying out the problem and also how to fix it in a "New York Times" essay.

We have CNN senior medical correspondent, Elizabeth Cohen, joining us with details on this.

I mean, Elizabeth, this is a huge problem when you have the surgeon general highlighting this.

DR. ELIZABETH COHEN, CNN SENIOR MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT: That's right. And actually, he's been talking about this for years, before Covid, how loneliness increased during Covid and now.

Let's take a look at some of the statistics that he cited in his "New York Times" piece. He cites a survey of about 2,500 Americans, 58 percent said that they have suffered from loneliness.

He also looked at who was most likely to be lonely. It is black people. It is Hispanic people. It is parents. It is those who are lower income and those who are under 25.

And really, I think the most powerful part of Dr. Murthy's essay is when he talked about his own struggles with loneliness. He talked about feeling isolated, even from the people that he loved the most, and how it eroded his sense of self-esteem -- Brianna?

KEILAR: What are the health effects of this?

COHEN: You know, this has actually been really well studied. And so doctors and researchers have found that people who suffer from loneliness are more likely to have dementia, more likely to have heart disease, more likely to suffer from strokes.

And so, in his essay, Dr. Murthy talks about the need to have sort of a real national plan to combat loneliness. Now, he didn't give details, but we are hoping soon that he lays out the details of that plan.

KEILAR: Dementia, heart disease and stroke, these are very serious things.

Elizabeth Cohen, thank you for that.

Jim?

SCIUTTO: Well, just moments ago, President Biden welcomed the Filipino President Ferdinand Marcos Jr to the White House, a critical moment as we are seeing tensions with China escalate. The U.S. looking to strengthen ties with the Philippines, other countries in the region. We're going to have more, coming up.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[14:53:14]

SCIUTTO: We have been warning you about this. An invasion of sorts on Florida's beaches. Sargassum, a type of large brown seaweed, has already begun washing up on beaches in the Caribbean, Mexico and south Florida, but the peak is not expected until June.

NASA images show the floating blob is about 13 million tons and stretches from the west coast of Africa all the way to Mexico and Florida.

CNN's Leyla Santiago joins us from Key West, Florida.

Leyla, I guess, as you know, the issue, it's even worse when it hits shore, right, because it starts to rot and doesn't smell very good?

LEYLA SANTIAGO, CNN CORRESPONDENT: It does not smell very good. The good news is it's not toxic. But, yes, to your point, this stuff does not smell good at all. And it can cause some breathing problems.

This is what we're talking about. It's called Sargassum. And, yes, out there, there's about a 5,000-mile-wide body of it has heading this way.

And this is just the tip of the iceberg. Look, this is the coastline here in Key West. And that is, by the way, the words of the scientists I spoke to, that this is just the tip of the iceberg.

Because this is what we're seeing washed up, but out there, it is still growing. This is something that can double in size in a matter of weeks or, you know, less than a month.

So these new numbers that were just released overnight show what scientists have been telling us for months now. Remember, the last time we were out here, they said, there's a lot, and it's coming.

And we're starting to see that prediction right here on the beach, expected to peak right in the middle of summer, that June/July time.

And I spoke to a couple here in Key West celebrating the 60th birthday. Listen to how they described their vacation so far because of it.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

[14:54:59]

GINNY MATTS, KEY WEST TOURIST: We were going to go fishing back in Marathon, and we got down there and it started smelling pretty bad. And then I really wanted to go swimming and do all the things you do in the Key. And then this is happening there as well.

We get here, the smell doesn't seem as bad. But the seaweed is still -- I would still not get into this water at all.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SANTIAGO: And listen, this is not new. We've always seen Sargassum, but it is coming in at a larger amount, and earlier than we typically see in the year.

That is what scientists have been tracking and are seeing right now -- Jim?

SCIUTTO: Goodness. Hope they can keep up with it.

Leyla Santiago, thank you so much.

Boris, you're a Florida guy. Ever see anything like that?

SANCHEZ: Not that bad, Jim. That looks quite gnarly next to Leyla and kind of nasty-smelling, too.

SCIUTTO: Yes.

SANCHEZ: Our thanks to Leyla Santiago, on the beach, for that report.

Some news just into CNN. Former President Donald J. Trump will participate in a CNN presidential town hall next week.

The former president is set to take questions from New Hampshire Republicans and undeclared voters who plan to vote in the 2024 presidential primary. "CNN THIS MORNING" Anchor Kaitlan Collins is going to monitor the town hall at Saint Anselm College.

Stay with CNN NEWS CENTRAL. We're back in just moments.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)