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Sources: Secret Diplomatic Push To Restart Iran Talks; Trump Staying In DC This Weekend To Keep Pressure On Senate GOP; U.S. Families Agonize Over GOP's Proposed Medicaid Cuts. Aired 8:30-9a ET

Aired June 27, 2025 - 08:30   ET

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

[08:30:00]

REP. AMI BERA (D-CA): Sounds a lot like the Iran Nuclear Deal that I voted for and supported a decade ago. Now, Obama took a different approach. It was a negotiated deal. It wasn't perfect, but it was the best that you could do, and it would have set back the Iran nuclear program allowed inspectors into Iran and so forth. I'm supportive of the Trump administration entering into negotiations. I would hope he works with Congress on this.

We'll get a better deal if both branches of government are on the same page. Work with the Foreign Affairs Committee, which I'm a member of, and let's see if there's a context where we can move this forward.

The one difference between when President Obama was president and right now is the Iranian regime is extremely vulnerable based on the attacks by the Israelis, we just demonstrated how precise we could be as well. If this is about the regime trying to stay in power, their vulnerability is pretty exposed, and that may be a different negotiating lever that we have at this particular moment in time.

SARA SIDNER, CNN ANCHOR: Yeah, Iran is sort of between, as we just heard from Sabrina saying, a rock and a hard place at this point in time. I want to move to some domestic issues now. This bill that Donald Trump has dubbed the big, beautiful bill, that Democrats have called the big, ugly bill. What is your biggest issue with Trump's mega bill, and considering the infighting and the policy differences with some of the Republicans, do you think it even has a chance to pass by July 4?

BERA: You know, my biggest concern here is, I'm a doctor, and we've done a wonderful job extending health care to so many working Americans, getting Medicaid expansion to a lot of Americans, and this bill will take health care away from anywhere from 10 million to 16 million Americans, and that's a step in the wrong direction.

And what is it doing? It's actually taking health care away from folks to give tax breaks to the wealthiest Americans. I don't think it's a good idea. It also doesn't do anything to address the budget deficit, our debt. It actually adds trillions of dollars to the debt. So again, I think it's a big, ugly bill. I don't support it. That said, I have -- I hear Republicans say all the right things.

I think they're more afraid of Donald Trump than they are of hurting their own constituents. And you know, I would urge my Republican colleagues to say, see if this is going to help the people that you represent. It's probably going to hurt a lot of them. It's going to hurt rural hospitals. It's going to take food benefits away from million American -- millions of Americans. It's not a step in the right direction. This is a bad bill, and I would hope that enough of my colleagues on the Republican side stand up and vote now.

SIDNER: All right, Congressman Ami Bera, thank you so much for your comments today on many different subjects. Really appreciate it. New details this morning about two missing Idaho teens. Their mother now telling CNN she fears they may now be with a religious group in Utah, and as lawmakers on Capitol Hill debate Medicaid cuts in President Trump's mega bill, we're hearing from one mother who says the decision could really mean life or death for her daughter.

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COURTNEY LEADER, DAUGHTER RELIES ON MEDICAID: It's not a luxury. This is not a luxury thing, like I am not -- I did not have my daughter enrolled on Medicaid so that we can have fancy things. I have my daughter enrolled in Medicaid so that we can keep her alive.

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[08:35:00]

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KATE BOLDUAN, CNN ANCHOR: So a bipartisan group of state attorneys general are calling on the Senate now to reject a proposal in President Trump's domestic policy bill, tucked in that mega bill is a measure that would block states from enforcing regulations on artificial intelligence for the next decade. With us now, CNN's Clare Duffy, who's looking into this. Why are people -- and of course, the Host of Terms of Service with Clare Duffy? Why are people who follow Silicon Valley, so wrapped around the axle on this.

CLARE DUFFY, CNN TECH WRITER: Yeah. The real concern is that this bill, this provision in this bill, could stop states from holding tech companies accountable for potential harms caused by their A.I. systems for the next decade. This provision ties not enforcing state A.I. laws to the receipt of really crucial federal funds for internet infrastructure, and most of the state laws that are regulating A.I. right now are really targeted at the worst possible harm.

So things like the creation of deep fake pornography or the use of A.I. to discriminate in hiring. I spoke with North Carolina Attorney General Jeff Jackson, who, of course, is a former congressman, and he said he is especially concerned about this because there is currently no federal legislation, comprehensive federal legislation that regulates A.I., and he said he has little faith that Congress will pass such a law because of their record on things like social media, data --

BOLDUAN: Anything tech related.

DUFFY: Yeah, exactly. He just doesn't believe that they're going to have the political will to do something on this. He told me, I think it's perfectly reasonable to be concerned with over regulation of a nascent technology that's going to be economically transformative.

However, if we're weighing that concern against being locked into doing literally nothing for the next decade, that's a major concern, and that seems to be how people see this. A lot of people see this as either we have these state laws or we have no guardrails for these tech companies.

BOLDUAN: So what are tech leaders saying about this?

DUFFY: So most of Silicon Valley, I think, is in favor of this provision, because they say they would rather have one federal law than a patchwork of state regulations to navigate, and that over regulation could stop innovation.

But what's interesting is that not all tech leaders are in favor of this provision, and a notable exception is Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei, who, of course, gave those dire warnings about A.I. taking jobs. He thinks that this is overreach. As long as there's no federal law that there should be state laws to regulate the tech companies.

BOLDUAN: Wow, that's really interesting. Great to see you, Clare. Thank you so much.

DUFFY: Thank you.

BOLDUAN: Sara.

SIDNER: All right. Thank you, Kate. Senate Republicans are scrambling after the body's top rules official rejected key provisions in President Trump's bill. The parliamentarian denied a controversial Republican plan to limit the ability of states to collect more funding for Medicaid by taxing health care providers.

[08:40:00]

But even before this, the bill's Medicaid changes were drawing opposition from Democrats and even some Republicans because of the impact it could have on their states and their populations. CNN Jeff Zeleny got a first-hand look.

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LEADER: I know that they're saying that they're not planning to cut Medicaid, right? I reached out concerned that if any changes are made, there will be this trickle-down effect that will impact families like mine.

JEFF ZELENY, CNN CHIEF NATIONAL AFFAIRS CORRESPONDENT: The front lines of the Medicaid debate are right here in Courtney Leader's kitchen.

What is the face of Medicaid, do you think? And it is a different than you think some people may assume.

LEADER: I mean, we are the face of Medicaid.

ZELENY: The Missouri mother of five wrote her Republican senator Josh Hawley to explain how slashing benefits would be devastating to her nine-year old daughter, Serena, who lives with brain damage and cerebral palsy.

LEADER: Our private insurance won't cover the formula. It doesn't cover the feeding tube pump, the hit on our budget, it would be over $1,500 a month just for the formula, just for the pump rental, and those are things that we have to have to keep my daughter alive. Oh, there's my beautiful smile.

ZELENY: We came along for the ride, sitting behind Serena's nurse, who's funded by Medicaid as they drove to weekly therapy sessions, also paid by Medicaid, which more than one in five Missourians rely on for health coverage.

LEADER: We cannot let people like my daughter lose her benefits. And if anybody tells you that, oh, she's -- she's covered, she's protected, I would really encourage you to say, how? What provisions have you made to make sure that those who meet eligibility requirements are covered?

ZELENY: We visited Ozarks Food Harvest, which distributes food across one-third of Missouri.

What is the demand like for food?

BART BROWN, CEO, OZARKS FOOD HARVEST: Unfortunately, Jeff, right now the demand for food is quite a bit higher than it was even at the height of the COVID crisis.

ZELENY: Congress is weighing billions in cuts to food assistance programs like SNAP, once known as food stamps. That will increase demand at already crowded food pantries like this.

How important is this food to you?

JUNE OWENS, MARSHFIELD, MISSOURI RETIREE: Well, it really helps us get through the month, and they have a good variety of things.

ZELENY: Your husband got hurt in an accident?

OWENS: Yeah, he fell between 10 to 11 feet, landed on top of his head. But it kind of changed everything. We were in the process of getting all of our ducks in a row, so to speak, for retirement, and then he got hurt, really bad, and it just upside downed everything. And so food pantries through that have helped us through the situation.

ZELENY: Another hotly contested piece of the spending bill is deep cuts to rural hospitals. Inside a maternity ward in Clinton, Missouri, Dr. Jennifer Blair worries for her patients.

DR. JENNIFER BLAIR, GOLDEN VALLEY MEMORIAL HEALTHCARE: Missouri has the fourth largest number of maternity care deserts. We actually are surrounded by several maternity care deserts that's defined as a county that has no or very limited access to obstetric services for their patients.

If we were to lose that access, the Birthing Center here at Golden Valley, our patients would have to travel more than 60 miles.

CRAIG THOMPSON, CEO, GOLDEN VALLEY MEMORIAL: Four out of five babies that are delivered in our hospital are covered by Medicaid, and that's not unique to us.

ZELENY: Craig Thompson is CEO of Golden Valley Memorial. He said many rural hospitals in Missouri and across the country are at high risk for closure.

Is your hope for what happens over the next couple weeks in Washington in this debate?

THOMPSON: Well, I think the thing that again, would be beneficial is for better understanding of who Medicaid serves and what the real Medicaid face looks like because, again, I think that's been lost somewhere along the way.

ZELENY: Courtney Leader shares that hope too.

LEADER: I do not have my daughter enrolled on Medicaid so that we can have fancy things. I have my daughter enrolled in Medicaid so that we can keep her alive.

ZELENY: What do you worry about the most?

LEADER: I'm worried that the red tape is going to affect our Medicaid because of just the oversight burdens, and that as a result, I'm going to lose my daughter.

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ZELENY: So as we talk to Courtney Leader and so many others on a recent trip to Missouri, it was clear that they are the face of Medicaid. And the hospital administrator is deeply worried about rural hospitals closing, not only there, but across the country.

And Sara, that is one of the worries that we have heard from so many Republican senators as well, so that is why this bill is taking considerable time in the Senate.

[08:45:00]

Now the President may talk about grandstanding people holding up the bill, but there are deep policy differences, and this is just among Republicans as well. So as this bill moves forward, these cuts to Medicaid could have long, lasting effects, of course, on their lives, but politically as well.

So it is a fascinating moment here in this tug of war over the President's agenda to pay for tax cuts and other matters at the expense of some safety net programs. Sara?

SIDNER: Jeff Zeleny, can I just thank you for such a comprehensive look at how policy affects people, and in this case, in life or death situations. It was really, really excellent reporting from you. Appreciate it. Over to you, Kate.

ZELENY: Thank you.

BOLDUAN: All right, breaking just moments -- moments ago, a new read on the economy, right now. New data showing that consumer spending fell last month, as Americans were pulling back, inflation also on the rise. Matt Egan here with some more detail on this. What are you learning, Matt?

MATT EGAN, CNN SENIOR REPORTER: Well, Kate, this is some disappointing news about the engine of the U.S. economy, consumer spending. So it unexpectedly fell in May by 0.1 percent, this is a surprise. We were expecting a slight increase. We got a slight decrease. And this comes after April, which was pretty weak as well.

So this is a concern, because consumer spending is the biggest part of GDP, and if consumers stop spending, that's where you get real trouble in the economy. So why did this happen? Well, some of this does appear to be driven by a hangover from tariffs, right? We know that a lot of people, they tried to beat the clock on tariffs, and so they spent a lot in March and April, and they cut back in May.

That's why we did see a drop in spending on cars and car parts. Makes sense. If you bought a car in March or April, you're probably not buying one in May. Also, gas prices were low, so that's a factor. But it's not just about tariffs and gas prices, because we also saw there were declines in spending for restaurants and hotels and also on food and beverages.

So that's notable, right? Because that's really discretionary spending. Now, we also got an update on prices. This is the Fed's go to inflation metric, and it showed that prices, they were up by just 0.1 percent on a month over month basis, that's not alarming at all. The annual rate, though, did heat up. It did go in the wrong direction.

It went up to 2.3 percent. That's moving a little bit further away from the Fed's 2 percent target. This shows you the trend. Obviously, we're in a much better situation than three years ago. We've moved closer to that 2 percent target. But here's the concern, Kate, economist after economist, they are warning that this is probably the calm before the storm when it comes to inflation, that because of tariffs, we're probably going to see the inflation rate tick up.

Taking a look at how markets are reacting, not a major reaction here. Markets were up before these numbers, and I should note that U.S. stocks are on track to open the day in record territory.

BOLDUAN: All right. Well, stand by to have that very soon. It's great to see you, Matt.

EGAN: Thank you.

BOLDUAN: Thank you so much for coming back on. Sara?

SIDNER: All right, some good stuff for you, this morning. An Arizona family facing a really tough battle got an unexpected lift from a garage door company.

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UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Like we planned for everything, but you don't plan to fight cancer for almost five years. It's amazing you just see how many good people around the world.

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SIDNER: Piper was just a little girl when she was diagnosed with cancer in 2021. KTVK reports that after multiple surgeries, the cancer just kept spreading. But hope came in New York, where she began treatment for the world's only pediatric cancer vaccine. Piper now travels there every three months for her shot. But back home, life goes on.

So when their garage door broke, a garage door service stepped in, installing a brand new one for free, and then came another big surprise, a $10,000 check for Piper and her sister's education. How wonderful.

All right, this morning, we're hearing from the family of the man accused of killing a Minnesota lawmaker. His wife calling his actions a quote, betrayal. That story and more, ahead.

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BOLDUAN: This morning, the man accused of shooting and killing a Minnesota lawmaker and her husband, he's due back in court, and while that happens about a mile away at the state capitol, State Representative Melissa Hortman and her husband Mark will lie in state ahead of their funeral, Saturday.

Vance Boelter is also facing charges for shooting State Senator John Hoffman and his wife in what investigators believe was a broader plot to assassinate several politicians. CNN's Whitney Wild is tracking this for us. Whitney talk to me about what's expected in this court appearance of this suspect today.

WHITNEY WILD, CNN LAW ENFORCEMENT CORRESPONDENT: This is still among those very early court appearances, Kate, where this is basically administrative work. This is when the judge is going to rule on a detention. He's also going to rule on whether or not there is enough probable cause to move forward.

So again, Kate, this is the very early part of this case. This is in federal court, and as we know, he's facing multiple charges in state court, Kate. We expect both of these cases to unfold, and we are continuing to learn more information about Vance Boelter's case.

[08:55:00]

And we expect to hear a little bit more perhaps, from his defense attorneys, today. It is possible he may enter a plea, but again, Kate, this is just one of these early cases where they're basically checking in on Boelter, making sure he understands the court process and making a decision on his detention, Kate.

BOLDUAN: Boelter's wife is also speaking out now for the first time. What is she saying?

WILD: Well, Kate, she's saying simply that they are shocked. She's calling this a betrayal. This is interesting, Kate, because there have been a lot of questions about what his wife, Jenny Boelter knew, and what we know is that investigators say she was initially not forthcoming with information about her husband being involved in something serious.

However, they later said she was cooperative. Here is her quote. She says, we are absolutely shocked, heart-broken and completely blindsided. This violence does not at all align with our beliefs as a family. It is a betrayal of everything we hold true as tenets of our Christian faith. Kate, this is the first time we are hearing from Jenny Boelter.

Again, this is a, you know, quite a moment, Kate, because there have been questions about whether or not she was cooperative. Again, investigators saying at first she wasn't forthcoming, later saying she was cooperative, Kate.

BOLDUAN: All right, Whitney, thank you so much for staying on top of this one for this one for us. Sara?

SIDNER: All right, thank you, Kate. Police in Idaho have issued an Amber Alert for two missing siblings, 13-year-old Allen and 15-year- old Rachelle Fischer. The siblings are believed to have fled their home to return to a fundamentalist church of Jesus Christ of Latter- Day Saints group in Utah. Their mother, who is a former FDL -- FLDS member, with sole legal custody of the children, fears they may be in serious danger. The FBI has offered to assist in the search for her two children.

All right, this morning, it is the end of an era at Vogue. Anna Wintour announcing she is stepping down as Editor-in-Chief after nearly four decades at the helm of that magazine. The movie -- the move is part of a wider global restructuring of the company, rather than a retirement announcement. Wintour said she will remain as Vogue's Global Editorial Director.

All right this morning, what is keeping you from feeling joy? One New York based physician and scientist has done ground-breaking research that may explain it. Dr. Judith Joseph is the only one to take up research on a condition that was largely ignored in her profession. What she learned could change the game in mental health.

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DR. JUDITH JOSEPH, BOARD CERTIFIED PSYCHIATRIST: We are built with that DNA for joy. It's our birth right as human beings.

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SIDNER: Board certified psychiatrist, Dr. Judith Joseph is a joy doctor. No, really. She's also a scientist and professor that has done ground-breaking research on finding joy and what keeps us from it. What is the biggest obstacle to feeling joy?

JOSEPH: I think people don't realize that there's happiness and then there's joy. Happiness is external. It's typically dependent on something happening for you to feel that sense of happiness, right?

SIDNER: Like a quick fix.

JOSEPH: Yes, and joy is internal. It's harnessed within. You don't have to teach a child joy. Well, some of us actually have something called alexithymia, which makes it difficult to name how we feel. Others of us, we have something called anhedonia, which is a lack of joy and pleasure and interest.

People who are high functioning, they avoid dealing with their pain by busying themselves.

SIDNER: Dr. Joseph is now teaching people about a new diagnosis. After everyone else in her profession said it wasn't real, she alone performed clinical studies to prove it is. She thought it had to be because she was experiencing it personally. It's called high functioning depression.

What is high functioning depression?

JOSEPH: In mental health, we're still in the dark ages. We're waiting for people to break down. I wanted people to learn that. Listen, depression looks different. There are some people who struggle with anhedonia, a lack of joy. They don't seem depressed. You don't have to have sadness to meet criteria for depression.

Many of us are pathologically productive. We're the rock. We show up for others, but we're struggling in silence. And I wanted people to know about this term anhedonia, that you don't have to live like this. There are better ways to live.

SIDNER: She's now written a book about it. As I read through this book, something really stuck out to me. You said, no one gets worried when they walk in on you sending work emails in the ladies bathroom, the way they would if they caught you doing cocaine in the stall. Holy smokes. That is quite a comparison.

JOSEPH: Well, personally, in 2020 I was going through a period where I was pathologically productive. I wore this mask of everything looks great and on the outside, it did look great. You know, I was running my lab, had a small child at home, looked like the perfect family, getting all these awards. I was on TV.