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U.S. Employers Cut More Jobs Last Month; Danielle Smith is Interviewed about Tariffs with Canada; Hearing in Lively vs. Baldoni Battle. Aired 9:30-10a ET

Aired March 06, 2025 - 09:30   ET

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

[09:30:00]

TERRANCE FLOYD, GEORGE FLOYD'S YOUNGER BROTHER: Relive it, you know. But I - I wasn't surprised because -

SARA SIDNER, CNN ANCHOR: Why not?

FLOYD: I was not surprised because I, you know, how they say you trust a liar to lie. You trust a snake to bite you. I - when - when he - when he was elected and I seen - I seen all the things happening that was put in the document he had - excuse me, I'm sorry.

SIDNER: It's OK.

FLOYD: I just - I really - I wasn't surprised to see that - that all this news about him pardon - pardon - pardoning Derek Chauvin, once he did it with -

SIDNER: January 6th.

FLOYD: January 6th, then I was like, OK, let's - let's - let's keep watching. Let's keep watching. Buti wasn't surprised.

SIDNER: So you, in your mind, once you saw the January 6th attackers, many of whom were very violent -

FLOYD: Yes.

SIDNER: All of them getting pardoned, in your mind, you thought, this is going to be next. There's going to be a push for this next.

I'm curious what this does to your family. When you hear someone blaming your own brother for what a jury said unequivocally that Derek Chauvin, as the police officer, putting his knee on his neck, all of the experts coming out and saying the same killed your brother, what does this do to you to have to hear someone say, hey, he should be pardoned, for something that he pleaded guilty to in federal court.

FLOYD: It's - it's like a - reinjuring an open - a wound, you know? You have to go - you had to go through this since 2020. You had to go through the whole trial of seeing his actions over and over and over again, and people claiming that it was the drugs, it was this, it wasn't Chauvin's knee on his neck. You know, we had to go through all of that, all the lies, all the - all the different, disgusting stuff on social media.

And now, to relive it, for them to bring it back up. This is the fifth year. We were supposed to see progress. We were supposed to see progress. So many people promised things, you know, especially if you want to go with the DEI.

SIDNER: Yes.

FLOYD: You know, so many things was promised to us. Promised to us as a people. Not just - not just to the black and brown people, as a people. And they're - they're back pedaling.

SIDNER: Were you surprised that all of these companies, there - there are a myriad of companies who came forward and said, we've got to do something. They were moved by what happened to your brother. The entire world came out and marched, moved by what they saw happen with their own eyes to your brother on video taken by a 17-year-old girl. And now you're seeing a complete move away from that, at the behest, in part, of the president of the United States. What do you make of that?

FLOYD: Well, it kind of - it kind of makes me rewind back to the speech I did in Minnesota in front of Cup Foods, when I said, when things happen, people fight at - at that time, they're fighting, they're fighting and they want justice, want justice. But as time go on, they seem to get back to regularly scheduled programs. And - and I'm - I'm hearing a lot of people quiet, a little, a lot of people backpedaling on their promises. And because this is coming up, I really want to see whether people are going to move forward or go backwards.

SIDNER: One thing you would say to Ben Shapiro, who floated this idea of pardoning Derek Chauvin, the man who killed your brother?

FLOYD: Stay in your lane. You know, I would just say, stay in your lane. You know, your opinion is your opinion, but facts is facts. And the fact is, Chauvin's knee was on my brother's neck. The fact is, he held him down there to his last breath when he shouldn't have. Once he - once he seen that my brother was not responding, or not even moving, complying, he should have just did what normal police officers do, restrain him, cuff him, put him in the back and just do what he have to do. All of that, all of the knee on the neck, complete murder was not called for.

SIDNER: Terrence Chauvin - Terrence Floyd, thank you for talking this through with us. It is a very difficult subject I know for your family. You all have been through a tremendous amount of pressure and stress, and I do appreciate you coming to - to talk to me about it.

FLOYD: Appreciate you for having me.

SIDNER: All right. It's a great pleasure.

Kate.

KATE BOLDUAN, CNN ANCHOR: Coming up still for us, right now the markets are off to a rocky start to the day. What's driving investors?

And another light blinking on the economy. Employers cut more jobs last month than any February since 2009.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[09:39:39]

JOHN BERMAN, CNN ANCHOR: All right, the breaking news. The markets just opened in the United States, and it was brutal, frankly. You can see all yesterday's gains basically wiped out. This is after a new private report on layoffs. Recession level jobs cuts this report says. And that's on top of the wild uncertainty on tariffs.

Let's get right to CNN's Matt Egan for what we're seeing here.

[09:40:01]

Matt.

MATT EGAN, CNN REPORTER: Yes, John, look, I think investors are reacting to another flashing yellow light when it comes to this economy. And really the first concrete evidence that we're getting of the impact of all of those DOGE-led layoffs. So, we're talking about a new report from outplacement firm Challenger, Gray and Christmas. And it found that 172,000 layoffs were announced in February. That is twice as much as what we saw last February. It's the most for any month since July of 2020, which, of course, was during Covid. It's also, John, the most for any February since the Great Recession back in 2009.

When we look at the trend here, you can see that these layoff announcements late last year were hovering around 50,000, 60,000. But there's been this notable spike up to 172,000 in February.

Challenger, they've been tracking this monthly figure for 32 years. And there's only been 11 months over that span that had a higher number than this one. And, John, all of them were during recessions. Now, I'm not saying that's where we're going right now -

BERMAN: Right.

EGAN: But I think it does give some context here.

And I think this is telling, too, right?

BERMAN: Yes.

EGAN: Layoffs by industry. Two things stand out here. Retail, a big spike so far this year in layoff announcements.

BERMAN: Yes.

EGAN: And we know, John, consumer spending, consumer confidence have taken a hit recently. But the big, big increase here is government. Look at this. Just 151 layoffs were announced at this point last year. Now it's more than 62,000. Challenger said that the number one reason cited for layoffs in February were actions taken by DOGE. And listen, we know that they're trying to cut costs, right? They're trying to make the government more efficient. They're trying to get at the federal deficit.

But there's a real economic impact. And, John, look, there's real people involved too, right? These are moms, dads, millennials with student debt. And their lives have been turned upside down just over the last few weeks by all these layoffs.

BERMAN: You know, it is interesting, when we saw that chart before, yes, a huge chunk of this is government layoffs, but not all. I mean, retail too. It's across all sectors. It probably would be one of the, you know, worst months we've seen in a long time, even without the government cuts.

And then these swings we're seeing in the markets right now, just day after day, huge losses after big gains yesterday after huge losses the day before.

EGAN: Yes, listen, investors are just living and dying on, first of all the trade headlines, all the volatility, all the uncertainty.

BERMAN: Yes.

EGAN: Tariffs are on. They're off. They're dialed back. Theres's exceptions. And now they're reacting, I think, to some of these concerns about the economy itself.

BERMAN: This makes everyone uneasy, no question about that.

EGAN: It does.

BERMAN: Matt Egan, thank you very much.

EGAN: Thank you, John.

BERMAN: Kate.

BOLDUAN: So, let's talk more about tariffs. A tariff detour from President Trump. A one month reprieve from the tariffs slapped on all vehicles coming from Mexico and Canada. While the three biggest U.S. automakers now have a 30 day break, the 25 percent tariffs on all other goods coming from those countries still remain. That includes oil. The U.S. is Canada's largest energy customer. The U.S. received about 97 percent of Canadian oil exports in 2023. Most of those exports come from Alberta, Canadas largest oil producer.

Joining me right now is the premier of Alberta, Danielle Smith.

Premier, thank you very much.

So, where things stand today, does a one month pause on auto tariffs change things for your province?

DANIELLE SMITH, PREMIER OF ALBERTA, CANADA: I was just looking at your pretty grim jobs number, and I can tell you, it's only going to get worse in March. I mean you've already had 100,000 private sector job losses in the first two months of the year. And now with these tariffs overlaid, it's creating a dynamic where instead of talking about how we can each buy more from each other so both of us can benefit from higher job growth, now a tariff war creates the dynamic where each nation is going to buy less from each other. And that may include oil and gas. But if it doesn't include oil and gas immediately, then it's just going to be higher costs.

I've seen some of the analysis that 40 cents a liter - or, pardon me, 40 cents a gallon is going to be the increase in the amount of gasoline prices at the pump that relies on Canadian oil to - to - for the supply.

So, this isn't good for American consumers. It's not good for American job creators or those who need to work. And I think it's only going to get worse as long as these tariffs stay in place.

BOLDUAN: What is it going to mean for - what is it going to mean for people in Alberta?

SMITH: I can tell you that because we have 4.3 million barrels of oil, we've got access to the West Coast through a brand-new pipeline, Trans Mountain. We also - our oil goes all the way down to the Gulf Coast. If the Americans don't want to buy our products, if that's part of the solution is that they want to buy less from us, then we're going to have to look for new markets for our oil and gas, for our uranium, for our nickel, for all of our critical minerals, for our electricity.

And again, I don't think that that's the intention of what American job creators want.

[09:45:00]

I think they want those raw materials so they can create good American jobs, so they can - can create American goods that the world can buy. But that is, unfortunately, the reality of what we're seeing. As long as these tariffs stay in place, were going to have to start looking for new markets. I'd prefer to work with the Americans on increasing the amount that we sell, but that doesn't seem to be in the cards right now.

BOLDUAN: Where this started was, as Trump's trade adviser said to me often, is this is a drug war, not a trade war. He - Donald Trump said after a call with the Canadian prime minister that efforts to slow fentanyl trafficking across the U.S./Canada border is still, quote/unquote, "not good enough."

Setting aside the fact that less than 1 percent of the fentanyl coming into the United States came through Canada, that's - that clearly does not matter to him. Is there more that you and your province can do on that front, do you think?

SMITH: Our province has really met the - the - the objectives. We're putting $30 million into interdiction teams for - to contraband smuggling, including tobacco, which is a problem we know. We've got another $30 million that we've got sheriffs at the border with drugs sniffer dogs, drones and Black Hawk helicopters. We've been doing more commercial vehicle inspections.

And in point of fact, we've actually found cocaine and crystal meth coming up from America. So, I (INAUDIBLE) we have a North America wide drug problem. If you think it is just Canada and Mexico, you'd have to believe there are no cartels or organized crime or - or meth labs happening in the United States. We know that to not be true. So, we can only do a portion of the work in making sure that we're addressing this - this egregious drug death problem. The Americans have to do some of the work internally themselves and can't - and can't just blame their neighbors for that. This is a North America wide problem, and America included.

BOLDUAN: Which raises the question of what is good enough and what is the marker that needs to be met in order for all of these tariffs to be lifted once again.

What - I do want to ask you, though. One way you are responding is, I saw that you're pushing all liquor stores in the province to pull American made alcohol. The CEO of Jack Daniels' parent company, just this morning, called the move to pull the bottles "disproportionate." Here is the quote, "that's worse than a tariff because it's literally taking your sales away." "Worse than a tariff." Does that make you think twice about the move?

SMITH: Well, I guess that what we are seeing with the tariffs, what's the purpose of them? The purpose of them is so that American businesses buy fewer Canadian products. So, our reaction is, well, if the Americans aren't going to buy products from our Canadian companies, we have to. And so that means that we should be buying more Canadian beer and more Canadian spirits and more Canadian wine. And so, that's the reality of what we're facing.

We're - we're also looking at all of our procurement. Government buys a lot of goods and does a lot of contracts through the provincial level, federal level, municipal level, school board level. And we're asking them to do the same thing. If our Canadian companies are going to be hurt, it's - the best way we can help them is to redirect our purchasing for products that are available here, produced by Canadian suppliers.

Again, it's not ideal. That is just going to exacerbate American job losses. It's going to reduce the amount of dollars going into the - the American economy to - in order to - to create additional jobs. We are, I think it's important to remember, Canada is the largest consumer of American goods of anyone in the world, even though we're only one tenth your size. And what the reality of the tariffs is doing is it's causing us to look for other places to buy our products. So, the sooner they're gone, the better. It will - it will be better for both economies. And I - I hope that happens very quickly.

BOLDUAN: Well, we will stand by to stand by on that.

Premier Danielle Smith, thank you very much for your time.

Sara.

SIDNER: It was an excellent discussion. Thank you, Kate.

This morning, the legal battle between Blake Lively and Justin Baldoni heads back to court. What Lively's attorneys want the judge to do now.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[09:53:32]

BERMAN: In just a few minutes, lawyers for Blake Lively will try to convince a judge to issue an order to limit information that is released to the public in her legal battle with former co-star Justin Baldoni.

CNN's Elizabeth Wagmeister is following this all in Los Angeles.

Elizabeth, what's the latest?

ELIZABETH WAGMEISTER, CNN CORRESPONDENT: So, John, as you know, we've spoken about this, this is a messy, very public situation between these two actors who co-starred in the film called "It Ends With Us." Let me take you back.

So, this all started in December when Blake Lively filed her first complaint, where she accused Justin Baldoni, her co-star and the director of the film, she accused him of sexual harassment and then subsequent retaliation, alleging that he and his team orchestrated a sophisticated smear campaign behind the scenes.

While Baldoni has denied this fiercely, he then filing his own suit against Blake Lively and her very famous husband, Ryan Reynolds. He's alleging that they actually took over creative control of the film and sought to destroy his career.

So, today, there is going to be a hearing, as you said, just moments away. And what this is about is Blake Lively is asking for a stronger protective order, that she wants some information to be shielded from the public.

Now, I want to read you what her attorney had written last month to the judge.

[09:55:02]

They said, quote, "as detailed in Ms. Lively's amended complaint, Ms. Lively, her family, other members of the cast, various fact witnesses and individuals that have spoken out in support of Ms. Lively have received violent, profane, sexist and threatening communication." So, that is pertaining to this matter of the protective order. They are alleging that she, since she has filed this complaint, that she has been subjected to online threats and bullying.

While Baldoni's team, here's what they had to say in a letter to the judge, John. They say, quote, "given how actively the Lively parties have publicized and litigated Ms. Lively's claims in the media, we are surprised to now learn how vehemently she wants to prevent the public from accessing material and relevant evidence." So, Baldoni's team is saying, no, they just don't want this to be in the public because of her tarnished reputation.

So, John, much more to come in just a few moments.

BERMAN: Yes, it is beginning to amp up for sure.

Elizabeth Wagmeister, thank you very much.

SIDNER: Just as we amp down.

BERMAN: That's right.

SIDNER: Good times.

BOLDUAN: This is just the beginning for us.

SIDNER: This is just the beginning of mayhem.

Thank you so much for joining us. We will create our mayhem somewhere else so you don't have to deal with it. This is CNN NEWS CENTRAL. "THE SITUATION ROOM," up next.

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