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FAA Announces Staffing Increases, Upgrades After Newark Meltdown; Real ID Now Required for Air Travel withing U.S.; Utah's Ban on Fluoride in Public Drinking Water Starts Today. Aired 2:30-3p ET
Aired May 07, 2025 - 14:30 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
[14:30:00]
BRIANNA KEILAR, CNN HOST: The FAA says it's taking immediate steps to address the systems breakdown that has led to rampant flight delays and cancellations at Newark Liberty International Airport. This is a plan that involves increasing staff and upgrading telecommunication lines. And we're also learning more about the big outage where controllers could not see and could not communicate with the planes that they were supposed to be tracking.
CNN aviation correspondent Pete Muntean is here with more on these developments. And Pete, you actually interviewed a controller who was in the room during the meltdown.
PETE MUNTEAN, CNN AVIATION CORRESPONDENT: Yes, and a few other big developments here. We're hearing from the FAA that it's going to make -- vowing to make major fixes at Newark Air Traffic Control.
Also, the head of United Airlines just weighed in with a solution of his own. But the big finding from our reporting is that Newark Air Traffic Control.
Excuse me. I have something in my throat.
KEILAR: I can pick it up if you need.
MUNTEAN: Thanks. But big finding here. I've got it back.
The Newark Air Traffic Control meltdown happened before. Newark Air Traffic Controller tells me it was by the grace of God there wasn't a midair collision in that case back on November 6th. He tells me the controllers lost contact with a FedEx flight and he could not tell the pilots to make a critical turn onto the final approach at Newark. So the flight just kept on going into the busy airspace near LaGuardia.
I want you to listen now to the audio from liveATC.net that captures the confusion that other pilots had when they could not communicate with Newark approach controllers. Listen.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNITED FLIGHT 1560 PILOT: Yes, we have no answer on approach, so I don't know. It seems like he's not talking to anyone.
NEWARK TOWER: Yes, they said that they lost their frequencies.
NEWARK APPROACH: Listen up, everybody real careful, anybody besides United 1560, 1043 or 2192. Is there anybody else that can hear me on this frequency?
(END VIDEO CLIP)
MUNTEAN: This is similar to last Monday's systems failure at Newark Approach Control.
[14:35:00]
The controller that I spoke to says he was there during the time of the incident when they lost both radio and radar systems for about 90 seconds, he says. That means controllers could not talk to flights, could not see where they were. He also called it the most dangerous situation you could have as an air traffic controller.
The FAA now says it will update the telecom link in question, uses copper wiring, now being replaced with fiber optic cables. FAA also adding in a temporary backup system. Also, the FAA says trainee controllers will be on the job there soon, but the help really can't come soon enough here, Brianna, with five workers in total, a controller -- three controllers, a supervisor and a trainee now all out on 45 days of trauma leave. That blackout happened only just last Monday.
KEILAR: And of course, Newark is a major hub for United, which is canceling about 70 flights a day. What's the airline saying?
MUNTEAN: Well, we just heard from United Airlines CEO Scott Kirby and this memo sent company wide and shared with CNN. And he says that the FAA has the power to make the fixes here. He needs them, he says, to reimplement something called slot rules, which were taken away back in 2016, that essentially limits the number of flights that airlines can operate in and out of an airport.
He says that if the FAA puts that back in place, then when United throttles down flights, other airlines won't swoop in and take those flights away. He says, really, the ball is in the FAA's court here. We will see exactly how they respond, though.
KEILAR: Yes, so we keep hearing that from aviation experts. This is the key. So we'll see if they go ahead and do it.
MUNTEAN: Yes.
KEILAR: Pete Muntean, thank you -- Erica.
ERICA HILL, CNN HOST: Well, following years of delays, the TSA is now enforcing the Real ID Act. The 20 year old law requires what's known as a REAL ID for you to board a plane for domestic travel.
Of course, not everyone has complied. And that is what is leading to long lines at DMV's across the country. CNN correspondent Whitney Wild joins us now from Chicago. Whitney, I
saw some of these lines earlier. They were long, to put it mildly. How are things going at this hour?
WHITNEY WILD, CNN CORRESPONDENT: They have shortened a little bit. So we are at the Real ID Supercenter. This is right at Clark and Lake, right downtown Chicago, right in the loop.
Let me walk you through the line. So this is where it starts right here on the corner. Busy city streets here. And then as we walk, you can see just how many people are still in line. This is a dramatic improvement compared with what it looked like earlier today. I spoke with a couple of people in line who say that the line right now is running about 20, 30 minutes.
Earlier today, Erica, people had gotten in line 30 minutes before it opened, 45 minutes before it opened, and they were still waiting 30 minutes after it opened. So here's what one woman told me about her experience with her two kids.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ELIZABETH BAUMSTARK, IN LINE FOR REAL ID: We got here at 7:03.
WILD: 7:03, OK, so you've only been waiting here an hour. Is that true?
BAUMSTARK: Yes, I guess so, yes. I mean, the line's moving really quickly. People are really nice. They came by with free coffee. So like, no complaints.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
WILD (on camera): So right now, Illinois is less than 50 percent compliant with the Real ID Act. And the Illinois Secretary of State told us a couple of minutes ago that that's because they were kind of late to the game getting Real ID up and running here.
They didn't start it until 2019. Then COVID hit. So a lot of people are behind. So right now, tons of people are playing catch up.
The major, major message here out of the Illinois Secretary of State is that he's trying to clear up some confusion. He wants people to understand today is not the last day to get a Real ID. They're going to be issuing them forever. So if you don't have to travel anytime soon, you can wait. You don't have to come in during this May 7th rush.
But just start getting your paperwork in order. Start moving towards getting a Real ID. But don't panic because they're going to be issuing them forever. There's plenty of time if you don't have to travel -- Erica.
HILL: All right, good news there. Whitney, appreciate it. Glad to see the line is going down as well for the folks who did decide to come today. When we return how the Navy lost a second jet from the USS Truman aircraft carrier.
[14:40:00]
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HILL: Welcome back to CNN NEWS CENTRAL. Let's just get caught up on some of the heather lines we're watching this hour.
For the second time in just over a week, the U.S. Navy has lost a multi-million dollar fighter jet from the same aircraft carrier in the Red Sea. It's not entirely clear what happened.
Several sources, though, say the F-18 Super Hornet fell into the water after suffering some sort of failure while trying to land on the USS Harry Truman. The pilot and lone crewmate ejected and were rescued. Last week, another F-18 fell off the Truman, reportedly as that carrier made an evasive move when it was coming under fire from Houthi rebels.
On Capitol Hill this morning, yet another grilling for university presidents about their efforts to combat anti-Semitism on campus. The House Education Committee questioning the presidents of Haverford College, DePaul University, and Cal Poly San Luis Obispo, along with a Georgetown law professor. Representative Elise Stefanik singling out Haverford for several reports of anti-Semitism, including a student group that called for the dismantling of Israel by all means necessary.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
REP. ELISE STEFANIK (R-NY): I am asking you, was there any disciplinary action taken?
WENDY RAYMOND, PRESIDENT, HAVERFORD COLLEGE: Disciplinary action can include expulsion and --
STEFANIK: I'm not asking what it can include. I'm asking, was it taken?
RAYMOND: Respectfully, Representative, I will not be talking about individual cases.
STEFANIK: Respectfully, President of Haverford, many people have sat in this position who are no longer in the positions as president of universities for their failure to answer straightforward questions.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HILL: And the Magic Kingdom in the Middle East. Disney says it is building a new theme park in Abu Dhabi, the first new park for Disney in 15 years. It's estimated it could open, Brianna, in the early 2030s. So, get your travel planning on.
[14:45:02] KEILAR: All right, I'll have my Real ID ready for that.
So, if you ever feel easily distracted, or you need some help concentrating, there is a way to trick your brain into focusing. Dr. Sanjay Gupta has more in today's "CHASING LIFE."
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
DR. SANJAY GUPTA, CNN HOST, CHASING LIFE PODCAST: I'm Dr. Sanjay Gupta, host of CNN's CHASING LIFE podcast.
Do you ever need a boost of energy, a boost of motivation, well, try creating a dopamine menu, or a dopamine. It's a personalized list of activities that can bring you relaxation, relief, and reward.
Dopamine is a neurotransmitter. It's a key part of our brain's reward system. It's crucial in decision-making, planning, and the ability to pay attention. If you can trigger your brain and access that dopamine, it can help you focus. So, here are a few tips for creating your own dopamine menu.
Write down your ideas in advance, so you have a list of activities ready when you need it. Pick things that are reasonable to do, and that resonate with you. Reading, listening to music, taking a bath.
You can also organize your menu the way a restaurant does. Appetizers are small breaks. Main dishes take a bit longer, and desserts are more indulgent.
Just remember, have fun with it, and you can hear more about how to optimize your health and chase life wherever you get your podcasts.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
KEILAR: All right, Sanjay, we love that.
Now coming up, the ban in Utah on fluoride in public drinking water is in effect. We're going to look at the impact on dental health and broader health, as other states consider making the same move.
Stay with us.
[14:50:00]
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KEILAR: Starting today, Utah's ban on fluoride in public drinking water goes into effect. It's a mineral that helps prevent tooth decay that has been added to public water systems in the United States since 1945. The CDC once counted fluoridation in the top 10 public health achievements of the 20th century.
Other states, including Florida, are moving towards similar bans despite experts' warning of a rise in health complications, especially for children in low income families. Health and Human Services Secretary Robert Kennedy Jr. has called on
states to stop fluoridating water and has praised Utah for its ban during his visit to the state last month.
Dr. Brett Kessler is the president of the American Dental Association and he's with us now. Doctor, first off, the impact here. Who is it going to be? What is the impact going to be? Who's going to be most impacted when you're talking about Utah no longer adding fluoride to its public drinking water?
DR. BRETT KESSLER, PRESIDENT, AMERICAN DENTAL ASSOCIATION: Hi Brianna. Thank you. We're going to see probably a 25 percent to 30 percent increase in cavities, especially among children of lower income socioeconomic demographics.
And we're going to see it probably in the next two to three years once the fluoride is removed from the water in Utah.
KEILAR: When you have that many more cavities, what is the broader implication when it comes to health?
KESSLER: Wow! Every time we have to put a filling in someone's tooth, especially a kid's tooth, we're going to doom that kid to more dentistry and a lifetime of dental needs around that tooth because that filling will need to be replaced. And you know, a small filling will turn into a bigger filling. A bigger filling will turn into a crown, and then a root canal, and then an implant. And there's a whole economy that's going to be attached to that first filling that could be avoided if fluoride was implemented in the development of those teeth.
KEILAR: Yes. And those are so much fun, as we are aware, and so expensive. We know the cost of these to families. And if you don't have a lot of money to spend on that, it might not even be happening, right?
So I do want to talk to you about something, though, which is that fluoride has long been the subject of conspiracy theories. But then there was also this U.S. National Toxicology Program report last year that concluded with moderate confidence that drinking water with elevated -- and this is key here -- elevated fluoride levels is linked to lower IQ in children.
We're talking primarily water that had more than 1.5 milligrams per liter. So that is elevated. That is beyond what is recommended to be put in these public water systems. That's the WHO suggested limit.
With that in mind, that there are these concerns, people will be looking at that report and say, I do have some concerns about fluoride. What should the fluoride policy be, if not banning it outright from the public water supply?
KESSLER: So right now, we have it at 7.7 parts per million, which is less than half of what that study was based upon. So that study pretty much is not relevant to what's happening today. And it's very disheartening to have this growing distrust to tried and true science. Something that has worked in our system is one of the greatest public health initiatives of the 20th century, with 80 years of success with no side effects. You know, and so that study is not relevant. And you know, it is in question right now.
And we are happy to, as a science-based organization, the American Dental Association, we're a science-based organization. We're happy to develop a study to prove its efficacy. And because we know it works.
KEILAR: So if you are in Utah or Florida, which has its ban going, but that's going to be in effect here coming up, what would you say to parents of kids?
[14:55:00]
How else can they be getting much-needed fluoride for their dental health?
KESSLER: Yes, so first of all, we have to be really diligent with their oral hygiene. Got to brush, got to floss, got to use a fluoride- based toothpaste. If you're averse to fluoride, then you have to also cut out sugar and sweetened foods because sugar causes cavities.
So we have to be really diligent about getting to the dentist. There are fluoride supplements that could be given to the population. It calls to be integrated into your personal water supply.
KEILAR: All right, yes, that is a lot of good tips there, though, as people are looking for solutions. Of course, we know in the end, some people aren't going to go through all of that, and we're going to see -- we'll see what happens in Utah there.
Dr. Kessler, thank you so much for being with us.
KESSLER: Thank you, Brianna.
KEILAR: Stay with us. We're watching The Chimney. You see it there as nightfall is upon Vatican City. We're still keeping our eye on this chimney on top of the Sistine Chapel, looking for some black smoke, some white smoke, to see where the Cardinals are in voting to elect a new pope.
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