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Strikes on Kyiv and Russia; Officials to Provide Update on Building Collapse in Iowa; Judge Approves Settlement in Hutchins Case; Cutting the Risk of Breast Cancer Recurrence. Aired 9:30-10a ET

Aired June 02, 2023 - 09:30   ET

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

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[09:33:15]

JOHN BERMAN, CNN ANCHOR: The debt limit deal is heading to the president's desk after passing the Senate late last night 63-36. President Biden set to sign the bill into law today, then he plans to address the nation. Under the bill, the debt ceiling will be suspended until after the 2024 presidential election.

The May jobs report is in and it shows the jobs market soaring past expectations. The new data, which was just released last hour, shows employers added 339,000 jobs last month. Expectations were for 190,000. So you can see how much of a beat that was. The unemployment rate did rise from 3.4 percent in April to 3.7 percent in May.

Kate.

KATE BOLDUAN, CNN ANCHOR: Ukraine's military says that it repelled another wave of strikes from Russia overnight. Military officials saying that they took out more than three dozen drones and missiles targeting the country. Many aimed at the capital. Here we're going to show you residents sheltering in underground subways. This is in Kyiv. This is an underground subway station in Kyiv. Facing down the sixth attack on the capital in just six days.

And in Russia, the governor of the Russian border region of Belgorod reported two deaths from falling debris from strikes coming at them, joining a growing number of local Russian leaders now reporting attacks on them.

CNN's Sam Kiley is in eastern Ukraine for us. He's joining us now.

Sam, do people see this now kind of as part of a new normal, strikes, the continued bombardment of Kyiv, but as well as an escalating number of attacks on Russian soil?

SAM KILEY, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, the life in Kyiv or Kharkiv, where I am, you live with the potential for air strikes and have done for more than a year. Both cities were the scene of very intensive systematic attacks over a large scale against civilians at the beginning of this war.

[09:35:04] Over the last month, Kyiv has been once again the focus of the Russian air campaign. And what the Ukrainians are now doing, through proxies such as Russian citizens working with the Ukrainian military, is crossing now into Russia and taking some of the war back to Russia. They've also been increasing drone strikes. So we've got these reports of two dead in Belgorod province. That's just about a half an hour's drive from where I am now, or at least the edge of that province, the border between the two countries. There's been (INAUDIBLE) scene, some kind of drone strike against oil facilities there. And these Russian dissidents operating under the banner of the Ukrainians, at least inside Ukraine, across, they claim, into Russia and conducted operations there.

This all provoking Vladmir Putin to recognize that this is destabilizing for his country and insisting -- sending out a message to his countrymen saying, we mustn't let them do that. But figures such as Yevgeny Prigozhin, the leader of the Wagner mercenary group, has described the Russian military leadership as clowns, in his word, and saying they were offering that he ought to be moving his mercenaries to be protecting Russian territory out of Ukraine. It's that kind of effect that the Ukrainians most want to see, Kate.

BOLDUAN: Sam Kiley in Kharkiv, Ukraine. Thank you, Sam.

John.

BERMAN: Very shortly we are expecting an announcement from officials in Davenport, Iowa, at the site of the apartment building collapse. Three people still missing there. Two others who were previously unaccounted for, they were found safe. Officials now say that repair work had begun just days before the collapse. The city released photos showing what appears to be a void forming between the facade and the interior wall. They were -- there were also crumbled bricks in that space.

CNN's Adrienne Broaddus joins us now with the latest.

Adrienne, what are you learning?

ADRIENNE BROADDUS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: John, good morning to you.

According to the city's mayor, they are still working on a timeline when it comes to determining the demolition of that building. And they are working with experts, including those who worked on the building in Surfside, Florida, you may remember, in June last year. That collapse killed more than 90 people.

Here's the thing. We've been talking about the number of people who are missing. That number has decreased to three. Two were found safely. But we now are seeing the faces -- these are people's loved ones -- of those missing. On your screen, Branden Colvin. We also have Ryan Hitchcock and Daniel Prien.

Following the news yesterday that repair work started about four days before this partial collapse, people in the community were upset. I was standing near the building when a man was able to breach the fence that has been put into place to keep people away from that partially collapsed building. Police were able to intercept and stop him.

But I asked the mayor, knowing what you know now, do you have any regrets?

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MAYOR MIKE MATSON, DAVENPORT, IOWA: Do I have regrets about this tragedy and about people potentially losing their lives? Hell yes. Do I think about this every moment? Hell yes. Any tragedy, of any sort, particular to this city that I'm in charge of, and believe me, this is on - this is on me.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BROADDUS: So difficulty on so many sides.

Branden Colvin Jr. is the son of Branden Colvin, Sr., who's missing. The 18-year-old has slept on the pavement since Sunday. He's supposed to graduate tomorrow from high school, but he told me he doesn't know if he can. He said he just wants to hear his father's voice, John.

BERMAN: It's got to be so difficult.

Adrienne Broaddus, thank you for your reporting on this.

Kate.

BOLDUAN: Impossible choices all around for everybody involved.

Coming up for us on CNN NEWS CENTRAL, a settlement this morning for the family of Halyna Hutchins, the cinematographer who was killed on the set of "Rust." The details on that, we'll bring that to you, that's coming up.

And a month after Prince Harry returned to the U.K. for the coronation, the duke of Sussex is now heading back to testify in a phone hacking trial against British newspaper publishers.

We'll be right back.

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[09:43:53]

BOLDUAN: New this morning, Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin met briefly today with the Chinese defense minister on the sidelines of a conference in Singapore. Now the two defense chiefs, they shook hands, but the Pentagon says no substantive issues were addressed. China has rejected a proposal from the United States for Austin to formally meet with his Chinese counterpart ahead of this. And so you under now the sensitivities around it. But a handshake nonetheless.

Let's turn to Mexico now where there has been a gruesome discovery. Police have found 45 bags filled with body parts in a ravine in the western part of the country. Authorities say that the human remains have the characteristics matching seven missing call center workers. Those seven people disappeared two weeks ago. Forensic experts are now being brought in to work to determine the exact number of victims that they have here and their identities.

Prince Harry returning to London next week to testify in a phone hacking trial. He's seeking damages from British newspaper publishers over allegations that they spied on him. He and several other plaintiffs are suing Mirror Group Newspapers for unlawful gathering of information about their private lives. The publishing group says that some of the claims have been brought too late and is also denying other claims.

[09:45:04]

John.

BERMAN: Thanks, Kate.

This morning a New Mexico judge has approved a settlement agreement in a wrongful death lawsuit against Alec Baldwin. Cinematographer Halyna Hutchins was shot to death when a prop gun Baldwin was holding fired a live round on the "Rust" movie set in 2021. Hutchins' family sued Baldwin and the film's other producers and crew.

CNN's Chloe Melas with us now.

Chloe, the details of this settlement, what have you learned?

CHLOE MELAS, CNN ENTERTAINMENT REPORTER: Well, first of all, this is a major moment for the family of Halyna Hutchins. Her husband, Matthew Hutchins, filing this wrongful death suit shortly after the death of his wife on the set of the film in 2021 citing recklessness on the set.

The financial details, John, have been kept under wraps, mainly because we're dealing with a minor here. Their son, Andros, who is one of the beneficiaries of this settlement, was nine years old at the time of his mother's death. He's now 11.

I want to read you a little bit of what the judge said in the agreement that CNN has obtained, writing that the settlement is, quote, fair, appropriate, and in the best interest of Andros. This is the judge speaking.

We do know that there are going to be two payments made to Andros, one when he's 18 years old, another when he is 22.

I also want to take a step back here and look at the timing of all of this. This is coming as the film has just completed filming. Alec Baldwin went back. Same with the director, Joel Souza, who had been also injured that day that a live round was fired by Alec Baldwin's prop gun. And they just finished that filming in Montana. This settlement was always contingent on that film being completed because some of the money from that film is part of this settlement.

I also want to point out that Matthew Hutchins was made an executive producer on that film, John. So, unclear when that will come out, but clearly the settlement being approved right as the film finished filming just a few weeks ago. And again, a major moment.

But there are other civil suits that Alec Baldwin and the production of "Rust" are facing. Alec Baldwin has not said anything. And I think that some of that has to do with the fact that there is still a criminal trial looming here, John. Although the criminal charges were dismissed, there is still a possibility of maybe those charges being refiled against him.

BERMAN: So more to come here potentially. Interesting layers in that settlement.

Chloe Melas, thank you very much.

MELAS: Thank you.

BERMAN: Kate.

BOLDUAN: So, a 14-year-old from Largo, Florida, is this year's national spelling bee champ. Dev Shah correctly spelled the word psammophile to win the $50,000 prize. Shah described the win as surreal and said that his legs were still shaking from all of it. Shah was on CNN earlier today, and he says part of the strategy that he had was to study the root of the words.

Listen to this.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DEV SHAH, 2023 SCRIPPS NATIONAL SPELLING BEE WINNER: It's pretty important because it could be used as a backup plan, too, because when you're on stage, the nerves do get to you, even though if -- or even though if spellers don't show it, the nerves do get to us. And pressure does get to us. So, if you forget a word, you can still piece it back together like a backup plan.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BOLDUAN: Speaking for everyone and anyone who's ever done live TV, when words just escape you sometimes, it's good to have a backup plan. Two hundred and thirty-one elementary and middle school students competed in this year's Scripps National Spelling Bee.

John.

BERMAN: As someone, Kate, as you know, I can't even spell my name, I'm in awe of people like that.

BOLDUAN: No, really, you guys should see when he - when he writes in the prompter what it looks like. It's - it's like a graveyard of letters.

BERMAN: Just ahead, the promising new research that oncologists call a huge help. The progress made in the battle against breast and cervical cancers.

Florida on alert as a tropical depression forms just two days into the Atlantic hurricane season. We have the latest forecast ahead.

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[09:52:53]

BOLDUAN: Doctors are calling it a huge help. A new drug therapy to help in the fight against breast cancer. Specifically people with early stage breast cancer. It's a new trial and it found that when this drug was added to endocrine therapy, it reduces the risk of reoccurrence by 25 percent in patients.

CNN's Meg Terrell, she's got more on this study on the details of all of this.

This sounds wonderful. Anything that can help sounds fantastic. Tell us more about this trial.

MEG TIRRELL, CNN MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT: Yes, this is really important. So this was in the most common form of breast cancer, known as HR+, HER2- breast cancer, in early cases of this cancer, after people have already received treatment.

BOLDUAN: OK.

TIRRELL: And so the goal is to stop it from coming back. And what they found is that when they added this drug, which is called Kisqali, on top of existing treatment, usually hormone therapy, it reduced the risk of this cancer coming back by 25 percent.

BOLDUAN: Right. I'll take a - I'll take a reduction risk of reoccurrence by 5 percent. I mean this is wonderful.

TIRRELL: Yes, doctors say that the progress really can be incremental, but, of course, it builds up over time, and that's so important.

If you look at it a different way, if you look out to three years, the invasive disease free survival rates of survival without the disease really progressing is 90 percent with the drug, 87 percent without it. And so that may not seem like a huge difference, but that 25 percent really is super meaningful.

BOLDUAN: Yes.

TIRRELL: The one catch here with this medicine might be the price. Novartis says it costs between $6,000 and $15,000 per month before insurance.

BOLDUAN: Holy smokes.

TIRRELL: And so when you're thinking about adding up these drugs, it can get pricey.

BOLDUAN: Yes, absolutely.

There's also some new information that you have on another study having to do with cervical cancer. That there is - may be a better way without such radical treatments.

TIRRELL: Yes. This could be really, really helpful and potentially practice changing. Right now the treatment for early cervical cancer is a radical hysterectomy.

BOLDUAN: Yes.

TIRRELL: And so what they found is that if you do a simple hysterectomy, with is just a less intense surgery, you can have the same outcome. And so that can be really important.

And if you look at the global toll with cervical cancer, 600,000 cases per year, 350,000 deaths. Many of these are in developing countries. So if you can do a less radical procedure, that may increase the accessibility of it to people.

[09:55:01]

BOLDUAN: That's a - this's a hugely important perspective on this.

TIRRELL: Yes.

BOLDUAN: Especially where of this - where most of these really horrible outcomes are occurring.

Thanks for bringing it, Meg. It's great to see you.

TIRRELL: Thank you. You too.

BOLDUAN: John.

BERMAN: New legal trouble this morning for Bill Cosby. The new rape allegations and the lawsuit he is facing.

The Texas cheerleader who was shot after her friend accidentally opened the wrong door to the wrong car is speaking out. Her road to recovery and how she plans to get her life back.

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BOLDUAN: Donald Trump and Ron DeSantis are kicking off their campaigns by going after each other, not on policy, how the governor pronounces his name. Welcome to 2024.

[10:00:00]

BERMAN: A new warning for those who use payment apps such as Venmo, Cash App or PayPal.