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Cities Request Federal Resources For Migrants Arriving From Border; Presidential Race Headed For Runoff, With Erdogan Leading; WHO Advises Against Using Sugar Substitutes For Weight Loss. Aired 11:30a- 12p ET

Aired May 15, 2023 - 11:30   ET

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

[11:30:00]

MICHAEL HANCOCK, MAYOR OF DENVER, COLORADO: Kind of a surge in the latter part of May and early June. So, we'll wait to see what happens. But in the meantime, we'll continue to serve those who are here and do what we can to prepare for a potential influx.

SARA SIDNER, CNN ANCHOR: I want to ask you about policy we have on the border. We've got one of our reporters, Polo Sandoval, and his producer. And they spoke to a couple of migrants one from Mexico, one from Venezuela.

And the migrants are telling us that look, they are coming to Denver for a specific reason. They are seeing that there are nice hotels, that the space is nice, and their friends are telling them, hey, instead of going somewhere else, go to Denver.

Do you worry that the policies that had been put forth and the thought that it's a sanctuary city has attracted people on top of this new thing that's happening where people are sharing a video of even the hotel rooms that they're going into? Does that worry you that it's going to become a place where a lot more migrants want to go?

HANCOCK: Listen. We will never shy away from being a city that is going to treat people with compassion and in a humane manner. That's just who we are here in Denver. But we also put in place some guardrails, which we thought were very important.

We communicated that to not only the migrants that arrived, but also to the NGOs on the ground at the border, that you come to Denver, you have a finite period of time that you're able to be here and able to take advantage of the opportunities, that we have available to help you move on to your next opportunity in the U.S. or if you're going to stay in Denver, make sure you have an eight number. And we are seeing that most people are coming with having a contact with the Border Patrol. So, those things are working in a sense.

We know they have a sophisticated line of communication between each other in terms of migrants. It's what we do particularly as families and communities that are trying to seek safety and security in the new (INAUDIBLE). But the reality is that we need to continue to make sure we have guardrails because we have finite resources. And we are indeed stressed here in Denver, and we're communicating that to our federal partners.

SIDNER: OK. You're saying you're stressed. You're asking for some help and assistance. In New York, same thing. Stressed with the number of people that have come.

HANCOCK: Yes.

SIDNER: So, their ideas to move people out to other cities within the state, what do you make of that? Is that something that you would do as the mayor of Denver?

HANCOCK: Well, we are doing it. Over 60 percent of the people who come through Denver -- or coming to Denver are going through Denver. And so, we are helping them with bus passes to go to the destination that they've desired, may have already had friends and family in these locations, and we're helping them move on.

You got to remember, Sara. This is the second phase of this huge influx of migrants coming. So, many have already gone and settled in their new locations, and the next phase is where these relatives and family and neighbors who are -- who are coming to connect with them.

So yes, we are moving folks on. We wrecked -- we suggest or think about 60 percent of them are moving on to other locations and are not staying in Denver.

But let me also share with you that five of us mayors, including Mayor Adams in New York, DC, Chicago, and Denver have joined together in a letter to the White House that arrives today requesting a meeting with the president so we can set and be very specific with him what we need to help our cities deal with this influx of migrants, and particularly as he continues to try to communicate with Congress about what they need to do to step up to the responsibility of federal government on this issue.

SIDNER: I did want to ask you. What do you think needs to be done, and do you agree that the immigration is broken in this country?

HANCOCK: Oh, it's absolutely broken. It's unfortunate that it's broken and it has been for a long time. U.S. has had a chance to address this issue, and because of partisan politics, it has not moved forward.

But what's needed today is really for Congress to move quickly to address our broken immigration system, number one. In the meantime, we also need to make sure that we have interim strategies, work authorization strategies for these migrants that are coming. Help the local governments with capacity particularly around shelter, and financial resources.

Denver has expended close to $17 million since December. We received $900,000 from the federal government in their latest allocation. That's absolutely unacceptable. We are bearing the burden of a federal responsibility around immigration.

And they need to lean in more and certainly a more robust way to make sure that the cities are made whole because this is coming directly out of our general funds. So, financial resources, shelter resources, all the necessary resources to care for the migrants in terms of resources around hygiene, around clothing, things necessary, as well as strategies to move them along and help them to resettle in the U.S.

SIDNER: Interesting that you say that you have gotten together with these other mayors of other cities. And I'm sure some of that information that you have just told us about now that you want from the federal government is in that letter that was sent you said to the White House. Thank you so much, Mayor. I appreciate your time this morning and your candor. John?

JOHN BERMAN, CNN ANCHOR: All right, new this morning. A fifth-grade teacher in Florida says she is under investigation by the state's Department of Education after she showed her students strange world, which is a 2022 animated Disney film that features a character who was both biracial and gay. CNN's Isabel Rosales is with us now. And, Isabel, I understand you just spoke with the teacher, under investigation for what?

[11:35:18]

ISABEL ROSALES, CNN CORRESPONDENT: That's the question right there. And the teacher has a lot of questions as to how this process is going to play out what is next for her. Her name is Jenna Barbee.

She teaches fifth grade in Hernando County, which is a part of the Tampa Bay area. And she says that this all happened during the standardized testing time in early May. She played for her fifth-grade class the Disney movie Strange Worlds because the plot of it was tied to their current lesson plan, which was the environment and ecosystems.

You mentioned that it does feature a character who is biracial and gay, but the teacher, Barbee, says that the movie was not sexually inappropriate in any way. And in fact, she thought she was following the policy because she had signed permission slip signed by parents of every student in that class to allow for the viewing of PG movies. And that movie was not listed as an objection.

Now, we did reach out to Hernando County Public Schools and they did confirm that the Florida Department of Education is investigating Barbee after a parent complained to them that this movie was inappropriate. That parent also a school board member. Now, they sent letters to the homes -- to the parents and this is what they said in the letter.

Yesterday, that Disney movie Strange World was shown in your child's classroom. While not the main plot of the movie, parts of the story involves a male character having an expressing feelings for another male character. In the future, this movie will not be shown. The school administration and the district's Professional Standards Department is currently reviewing the matter to see if further corrective action is required.

So, last week, Barbee actually showed up to a school board meeting and confronted them during the public comment section. School Board Member Shannon Rodriguez was there and she acknowledged that she was the one who called the Department of Education. Her daughter was in Barbee's class.

And she says that that movie was inappropriate. And that Barbee, she claims, did not follow policy because she did not get pre-emptive approval to show that specific movie. This is what Rodriguez had to say during that board meeting.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SHANNON RODRIGUEZ, SCHOOL BOARD MEMBER OPPOSED TO DISNEY MOVIE SHOWN IN CLASS: It is not a teacher's job to impose their beliefs upon a child, religious, sexual orientation, gender identity, any of the above. But allowing movies such as this assists teachers in opening a door. And please hear me. They assist teachers in opening a door for conversations that have no place in our classrooms.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ROSALES: And here is Barbee's response. Listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JENNA BARBEE, FLORIDA TEACHER UNDER INVESTIGATION BY STATE: I was never trying to indoctrinate my students by showing them something that had differences and diversity. I was showing them a movie that related to our curriculum and our earth that also taught many valuable life lessons that also correlate to our Florida best standards. However, I understand why that parent was upset as I had told her before, but I do not believe I made a mistake by showing this movie.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ROSALES: And CNN has reached out to Rodriguez and the Florida Department of Education for comment. Barbee says she's received considerable support from parents and students alike. She's trying to navigate the next step. She doesn't really know what could happen to her two weeks -- about two weeks left in the school year now, John.

BERMAN: Isabel Rosales, and of course, this all has to do with the so- called Don't Say Gay Law in effect in Florida schools. Isabel, thank you for your reporting here. Appreciate it. Kate?

KATE BOLDUAN, CNN ANCHOR: Yes. Coming up still for us in CNN NEWS CENTRAL. Turkey's hotly contested presidential election is headed for a runoff. Why the result there could have been so much the United States, NATO, and far beyond?

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[11:43:21]

BOLDUAN: It is an election that is too close to call and the whole world is watching. Turkey's presidential race is headed to a runoff. State-run news is reporting that President Erdogan still leads the group with just over 49.5 percent of the vote from Sunday. The leading opposition candidate has just under 45 percent and also now says that he is going to "fight until the end." No candidate has reached the 50 percent threshold required to win outright.

Let's get back over to CNN's Jomana Karadsheh. She's in Istanbul for us tracking all this. So, Jomana, what happens now?

JOMANA KARADSHEH, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Kate, on the 28th of May, Turks will head back out to the polls where they will vote again for these two candidates, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan or the opposition's candidate, Kemal Kilicdaroglu. And you've got two very different men, two very different visions for the country that the Turkish population was presented with.

And as we've seen from the results from this first round, this remains a very divided country. And also at the same time, if you look at these results, the opposition went into these elections really optimistic, really hoping that they're campaigning on this platform of change, of returning this country to a real democracy, of reversing years of Erdogan rule, and a united opposition coming together putting forward one candidate.

They believe that that was enough. They believed that they had a real chance at winning this election and unseating President Erdogan. But if you look at the reality of what has come out of these elections, again, you've got this divided nation.

[11:45:00]

And for President Erdogan, this might not be a victory but this was a win. This is coming at a time where he has -- his ratings have suffered in recent years and recent months, and especially because of his handling of the economic situation in this country, his economic policies that are blamed for the country's economic and currency crisis that has impacted pretty much every person in this country. So, we'll have to wait and see what happens, Kate, with that next vote.

You've also got a third candidate who got just over five percent of the votes. And those votes are up for grabs. Will either of those two different sides be able to gather any of these voters? Critical votes there, and we'll have to wait and see.

And of course, we'll see if the opposition is going to be able to keep the sort of momentum and enthusiasm they had going into the first round.

BOLDUAN: Jomana Karadsheh, it's good to see you. Thank you. Sara?

SIDNER: More than 42 million Americans will be on the move this Memorial weekend. That means nearly three million more people will hit the roads or take to the sky this year than last. Now, after those airline computer meltdowns, are they ready? That's ahead.

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[11:50:43] SIDNER: Millions of Americans turn to diet products when they look to drop a few pounds. But sugar substitutes found in those diet sodas and food may not help with your weight loss efforts. CNN Senior Health Correspondent Elizabeth Cohen is joining us now. A lot of people use some of these sugar substitutes hoping that it will help them at least keep weight off if not lose weight. So, what's wrong with that?

ELIZABETH COHEN, CNN SENIOR HEALTH CORRESPONDENT: Well, according to the World Health Organization, Sara, it actually doesn't work. They said they looked through a lot of studies and said we don't see that this actually helps people lose weight.

And in fact, they said there is a potential for problems. There's a potential for diabetes. There's a potential for cardiovascular issues. And so, they're basically saying, don't use these.

Now, artificial sweeteners are sold under a bunch of different names. Saccharin, stevia, aspartame, all sorts of other things. So, there's a bunch of things that you should avoid, according to the World Health Organization.

Now, there is one exception. If you have diabetes, and you are not supposed to be consuming sugar, this does not apply to you. But if you're taking -- if you're using these ingredients to lose weight, then the World Health Organization says stop, Sara.

SIDNER: It's so interesting. You also have some information on a new drug on the market that can help with hot flashes. Explain why this is so significant. We're seeing a picture of it right now on our wall.

COHEN: Right. So, this drug is called veozah, Sara. And what they -- either, drugs out there for women going through menopause, experiencing hot flashes like antidepressants, and hormones, this one works on your brain chemistry. It's different. It also cost $550 a month.

SIDNER: Wow.

COHEN: And so, it is possible that insurance companies could say well, they could -- they could say what you just said, Sara. They could say no, thank you, we're not going to pay for this. Also, there's potential problems with liver issues with this drug. So, people have to get their blood taken regularly and be monitored.

SIDNER: All right. That's a lot of information there. It's going to make people annoyed because a lot of people, yours truly, do use some of those substitutes. So, we'll have to see what to do next. Elizabeth Cohen, thank you so much. Kate?

BOLDUAN: Also new this morning, AAA has released travel predictions for Memorial Day weekend. And it's going to be busy setting expectations at 42.3 million Americans to travel 50 miles or more. U.S. airports also likely to be busier than we've seen in years keeping with a trend you've definitely seen recently if you've flown really anywhere.

CNN's Pete Muntean has the data. He's back with us. So, Pete, what's it going to look like?

PETE MUNTEAN, CNN AVIATION CORRESPONDENT: Two weeks from Memorial Day, Kate, and we're 10 days out from when the rush really begins on Thursday, according to AAA. So, you got to make your plans now if you've not already. And what's so interesting about the data is that this is really the unofficial kickoff this summer, and we'll likely see numbers this summer exceed-pre pandemic levels.

Of course, the vast majority of people will drive. 37 million people forecasted by AAA to drive 50 miles or more out of that 42 million people, expected to travel in total. That total number only one percent up from what we saw back in 2019 before the pandemic likely helped out by gas prices nearly $1 a gallon on average, lower than they were this time last year. 3.54 is the current average. It was 447 this time a year ago.

Here are the worst times to travel. Listen up to this. Friday between three and 6:00 p.m. before Memorial Day, and then Monday coming back when everyone begins coming back home all at once between noon and 3:00 p.m. Aixa Diaz of AAA says this is really the time to take advantage from work from home, flexible schedules, try and tweak your trip to try and avoid some of this traffic. Listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

AIXA DIAZ, SPOKESWOMAN, AAA: So, if you plan to extend that weekend trip to Tuesday perhaps or maybe work remotely on Tuesday, come back Wednesday, play around with your schedule a little bit to avoid those big delays because some metro areas could be seeing double traffic times, double than what they normally see. So, if your commutes normally two hours you could be looking at a four-hour trip.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

MUNTEAN: One of the big drivers in the increase of traffic here, Kate, is air travel. That's contributing to the big AAA number up 11 percent compared to last year. A lot of people are more comfortable with traveling by air now. Really, we're going to see things like normal or maybe even bigger, Kate.

[11:55:09]

BOLDUAN: OK. Thanks, Pete, with the unworkable solution of just take more time off.

SIDNER: Good luck with that.

BOLDUAN: (INAUDIBLE) Pete, thank you.

BERMAN: Well, what do -- what do you guys say? Like the Tuesday after Memorial Day. Like it's CNN NEWS CENTRAL, Kate's place. We're going to have like a big video wall. It looks a lot like a swimming pool.

BOLDUAN: That's -- yes. If one had a swimming pool, that sounds fantastic.

SIDNER: You know what we won't be having? Is a diet Coke because apparently it doesn't help.

BOLDUAN: Something I just can't --

BERMAN: No.

BOLDUAN: You really need to have real sugar.

SIDNER: I'm stuck on that.

BOLDUAN: You're going to have sugar full throttle.

SIDNER: I can't get off it.

BOLDUAN: But we need more sugar of caffeine.

SIDNER: All right. Thank you so much for joining us. This is CNN NEWS CENTRAL. "INSIDE POLITICS" is up next.

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