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CVS' Caremark Will No Longer Cover Weight Loss Drug Zepbound; 4th of July White House Event to Celebrate U.S. Strikes on Iran; Teen Influencers Beat the Drum for RFK Jr.'s MAHA Movement. Aired 2:30-3p ET
Aired July 01, 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]
BORIS SANCHEZ, CNN HOST: There's been a major insurance change for a popular weight loss drug. Zepbound will no longer be covered by one major insurance provider. CNN health reporter Jacqueline Howard has the details.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
JACQUELINE HOWARD, CNN HEALTH REPORTER: The pharmacy benefits provider CVS Caremark is essentially dropping Zepbound and prioritizing coverage for Wegovy. Starting July 1st, people using CVS Caremark's prescription benefits will have to switch to Wegovy if they want to avoid paying full out-of-pocket costs for Zepbound. Now, keep in mind this change, it's only for patients using CVS Caremark benefits.
So if someone has a Zepbound prescription and they're picking it up at a CVS pharmacy, but it is covered by another provider, this will not affect them. This only affects people using CVS Caremark. The question though, why is CVS Caremark doing this?
Well, the company says this is not to reduce access to these medications, but by pitting Zepbound and Wegovy against each other, the aim is to balance access and affordability.
In a statement last week, CVS Caremark said, quote, We're confident our decision to prefer Wegovy on our commercial template formularies will enable wider, more affordable coverage for weight management drugs while preserving clinical integrity, end quote.
That statement also noted if you previously were authorized to use Zepbound, you will not need a new authorization to switch to Wegovy.
Both Zepbound and Wegovy are under the umbrella of GLP-1 medications, and they've both been found to be effective for treating obesity. But of course, every person is different. Someone may respond more to one medication over the other, or they may experience more side effects with one over the other.
The main difference between these medications is their active ingredient. Zepbound is a type of medication called tirzepatide, and Wegovy is semaglutide. They both, though, work by mimicking the GLP-1 hormone in the body to help regulate appetite, leading to weight management.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
SANCHEZ: Our thanks to Jacqueline Howard for that.
Next, the pilots who took part in recent strikes on Iran's nuclear facilities are headed to the White House. We have new details about plans to celebrate them at this week's July 4th event.
[14:35:00]
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
SANCHEZ: Hamas is, quote, serious and ready for a ceasefire agreement to end the war in Gaza. That's according to a senior official with the militant group who tells CNN that it's willing to accept any proposal from Israel if requirements for permanently ending the war are, quote, clearly provided. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will convene his security cabinet again on Thursday as his government considers its next steps.
Today, President Trump said he would be very firm in discussions with Netanyahu next week about ending the war. Of course, Netanyahu is due to visit the White House on Monday, where Trump has said they'll also talk about last month's U.S. strikes on Iran -- Brianna.
BRIANNA KEILAR, CNN HOST: President Trump's 4th of July event at the White House will celebrate the U.S. military's recent strikes on Iran's nuclear facilities, according to a senior administration official. The pilots who flew in the mission are expected to attend the event, which will also feature a flyover by B-2 bombers, the jets used in the strikes.
We're joined now by retired Army Brigadier General Ty Seidule. He's a history professor at Hamilton College, and he's the author of the upcoming book that is due out on Veterans Day called "A Promise Delivered, 10 American Heroes and the Battle to Rename Our Nation's Military Bases." Thank you so much for being with us, General. How do you see the objective of having these pilots at this event?
TY SEIDULE, Army Brigadier General (RET.): Oh, thanks, Brianna. You know, I think that war is a tool to achieve political objectives through violence. But a president's got to keep his eye on the political objectives at home and keep the home -- sort of the home fires burning, all that. And that's what he's doing.
And it's longstanding practice to embrace military heroes, to sort of maintain a focus on a successful operation, which, from his eyes, it is. And I think it also shows, for Trump, his willingness to use force, but not boots on the ground, more air and special operations.
So I think this is a chance for him to show off, and maybe with the flyover, too, a chance to show off military hardware.
[14:40:00] KEILAR: By all accounts, this mission was operationally picture perfect. How unusual is it to identify the pilots behind it, to have a flyover like this? And does it raise any concerns or risks?
SEIDULE: Well, I think, history lesson here, we've done this a couple of times. So I think the most famous was 1942, the Doolittle raid, which was a raid to hit Japan right after Pearl Harbor. And the commander of that, Jimmy Doolittle, came to the White House, fearful that he was going to be court-martialed because he didn't hit any of his targets.
But it did show that the U.S. had that capability of hitting Japan. He was promoted twice, given the Medal of Honor -- received the Medal of Honor. So we've done that.
But there are other cases, like Libya 1986, where this wasn't the sort of White House vetting that we're going to see here. I think it's interesting that the Obama -- the Osama bin Laden raid, Obama went and saw them privately. So they've been both here.
So I don't know that there's anything -- anything bad that's going to happen. I do think it's a time for the Air Force to shine here. And I think that's what Trump wants to show, is the capability of the Air Force.
But there are going to be some happy pilots who probably will get some medals. And you know, us military folks love to get medals.
KEILAR: Yes, what do you think that's going to be like? I mean, so you expect they're going to get medals. How do you expect this is going to go?
SEIDULE: Yes, I wouldn't be surprised if the unit itself, the 509th Bomb Wing, received the presidential unit citation, which is a big deal. I think the pilots may receive the Distinguished Flying Cross. And they will be sort of given an opportunity to show off, really, what they did.
And also an opportunity to show that B-2 bomber and the bunker buster, to keep that story alive. So I expect they'll get something like that, you know, that the White House knows how to put on a show. And I guess those pilots, and you know, it's 125 aircraft that were a part of this, and all the ground crew and everything else.
It was a picture-perfect mission. And it shows the capability of our militaries, particularly the Air Force.
KEILAR: General, it is so great to speak with you about this. We will certainly be looking toward this event. Thank you so much for being with us.
SEIDULE: Thank you so much. Great to be here.
KEILAR: Coming up, jurors in the Sean Diddy Combs trial are asking to see key testimony from a high-profile witness as the deliberations go for a second day. [14:45:00]
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
SANCHEZ: One of the world's largest yogurt companies is now reviewing its ingredients as part of Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s Make America Healthy Again initiative. The CEO of that company, which owns brands like Yoplait, telling Bloomberg, There's more of a groundswell with younger and younger consumers.
A group seizing on Kennedy's push for healthier foods. Meena Duerson has the story.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
LEXI VRACHALUS, SOCIAL MEDIA INFLUENCER: Should we say it together or say, I say, like, real food.
GRACE PRICE, SOCIAL MEDIA INFLUENCER: We should try to say it together.
VRACHALUS: OK.
PRICE: In sync.
VRACHALUS: OK. So, we're going to walk. We're going to walk.
PRICE AND VRACHALUS, TOGETHER: Real food, packaged snack items.
VRACHALUS: Hey, the first try. That's good.
MEENA DUERSON, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Grace Price and Lexi Vrachalus, with a little assist from Lexi's mom, are filming content for their new social media brand.
PRICE: You like it?
VRACHALUS: I think it's cute.
PRICE: If you've ever struggled with depression, anxiety, we created this account on how to live healthy in a world where we're told lies about our bodies. Please join the MAHA Girls movement today.
DUERSON (voice-over): "MAHA" is for "Make America Healthy Again," the tagline RFK Jr. coined last year. The girls are trying to bring the movement to a younger demographic.
VRACHALUS: And they have no added sugar or seed oils.
DUERSON: How old are you guys?
VRACHALUS: Nineteen.
PRICE: We're both 19.
Girls our age are looking for answers. They have this opportunity to take ownership of their health, or they're going to fall victim to big pharma and big food. I was like, what if we, like, actually did a girl group? But it's for health.
DUERSON (voice-over): Price discovered and recruited Vrachalus from her grocery store videos, which have landed her millions of views and over 160,000 Instagram followers.
VRACHALUS: Cookies. Buy or bye?
DUERSON (voice-over): They met up in Austin last month at the launch of a wellness foundation for college students.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: If you all have not met the MAHA Girls, wow!
DUERSON (voice-over): It was a chance to mix with some of MAHA's biggest stars. Vani Hari, the "Food Babe."
VANI HARI, THE FOOD BABE: When you try to change the food industry, they're going to unleash a gauntlet of attacks to try to stop your voice.
DUERSON (voice-over): RFK right-hand man Calley Means, whose sister is Trump's pick for surgeon general.
CALLEY MEANS, SPECIAL GOVERNMENT EMPLOYEE, DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES: The president of the United States said that our food is toxic, and we're going to figure out why. And I do not give a shit whether the lobbyists get mad about that or not.
DUERSON (voice-over): And longtime RFK ally Del Bigtree.
DEL BIGTREE, FORMER CEO, MAHA ALLIANCE: We're building an army. We're starting a revolution, and we're going to change the world.
DUERSON (voice-over): Price was already in the MAHA inner circle. She's "grammed" from the inauguration, the Senate, and the White House.
DUERSON: It's kind of wild. You have the ear of some of the people who are, like, making the biggest decisions for the whole country.
PRICE: Yes.
DUERSON: What's that like?
PRICE: It's crazy. At the White House and all of these different events, it's all adults. We're the only 19-year-olds there. We literally are. So, what's the deal with that? Why is this not cool? Why is there not a Coachella for healthy food?
DUERSON (voice-over): Much of the guidance the girls share is backed by widely accepted science. Numerous studies have linked ultra- processed foods to diseases and health issues. But some MAHA talking points --
PRICE: So this toothpaste is not only fluoride and paraben free. DUERSON (voice-over): -- like the dangers of fluoride and seed oils are less clear-cut and have sparked pushback from the mainstream medical community.
Neither teen is a medical professional. Price self-produced a documentary about cancer, and Vrachalus is a certified health coach.
[14:50:00]
PRICE: They'll be like, Oh, are we really supposed to listen to this 19-year-old? And I'm not trying to claim any credentials. I'm just trying to bring you along with me on my learning journey.
VRACHALUS: Everyone is so bio individual -- individual. So, I think that everyone should take their information, do your own self- experimenting, and see what works for you.
DUERSON: Where do you guys get your information?
VRACHALUS: I started researching ingredients about 5 or 6 years ago. I'm constantly listening to podcasts.
PRICE: I was on PubMed, ScienceDirect. There are studies in plain sight that you can find on Google, or you can use ChatGPT, if that's your main search engine, to find the link to this article. Like, the information is there on the Internet, but you do have to search.
DUERSON: So how do you deal with misinformation?
PRICE: We are the number one B.S. detectors, because our generation, I mean, we get fed this stuff all day. And if you're not being authentic with your audience, it's something that we can tell instantly.
ROBERT F. KENNEDY JR., HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES SECRETARY: I'm honored to present you the MAHA report.
DUERSON (voice-over): The White House released its official MAHA report in May, laying out the administration's priorities for addressing chronic health problems in children. Shortly after our interview, news broke that a number of errors had been discovered in the report, including studies that had been misrepresented or did not exist. The White House chalked up the issues to, quote, Minor citation and formatting errors, and has since updated the report.
We reached out to the girls, but they did not respond.
PRICE: This is not a political issue. We're here, because our generation is the number one target of these big food companies, and we're trying to stand up to them.
DUERSON: But the phrase MAHA is inherently political.
PRICE: Of course. And I agree that, like, MAHA, it is unfortunate that it's so associated with other thing. But what MAHA has done is given voices to people in the health space. They haven't been a part of the mainstream health message. And it makes no sense to not use that incredible traction in our own branding.
VRACHALUS: We are taste testing some ketones.
We all need real food. It's -- I don't think that it's that complicated or that it should be taken so controversial.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
SANCHEZ: Our thanks to Meena Duerson for that report.
KEILAR: It is our second year asking viewers to share their favorite cities across America. And once again, you delivered hundreds of responses coming in. And the CNN travel team narrowed it down to a top 10. So tough to do that, but they managed.
SANCHEZ: Number four today, Bend, Oregon. CNN's Coy Wire went there and brought us this outdoor gem.
COY WIRE, CNN SPORTS ANCHOR: Hey, guys. Bend is this bastion of outdoor excursions, breathtaking views and brews. It reminds you to unplug, unwind and reminds you that nature is good for the soul. Check it out.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: There's almost like this pressure to go outside and keep doing things. It's like we've got snow going on up in the mountains, but it's beautiful down here. And so it's hard to go to work.
You're like, I got to go on a bike ride or the mountains got good corn snow. I've got to go skiing.
WIRE (voice-over): In Oregon's high desert between the Cascade Mountain Range and Deschutes National Forest is Bend, a picturesque outdoor lover's paradise where adventure always seems to be just around the bend.
WIRE: So for someone who's never been to Bend, Oregon, what can they expect when they come here?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It's a great place to try a bunch of different sports. It's not just for your most extreme kind of human. It's easy to go from like riding your bike in the city to getting on a trail for the first time without feeling like it's a death defying feat.
WIRE: Oh, this is awesome.
WIRE (voice-over): Now, if biking on the more than 600 miles of trails around Bend isn't your thing, just up the road is Mount Bachelor, one of the largest ski resorts in the country.
WIRE: This was just my second time skiing, so I was nervous, but it was awesome.
WIRE (voice-over): From here, you can zip up north where it's 70 and sunny at Smith Rock, the birthplace of American sport climbing.
WIRE: Let's go.
WIRE (voice-over): Now, this is harder than it looks, but don't worry. There are plenty of beginner climbs among the nearly 2,000 routes in the park.
WIRE: It's like a jigsaw puzzle finding the best place to put my Tetris pieces.
WIRE (voice-over): Grip by grip, sometimes just a fingertip, this adventure forced me into the moment with some peak-tacular panoramas.
WIRE: Feel like I'm on top of the world. Let's go.
WIRE (voice-over): Back in town, right through the middle of it is the Deschutes River.
WIRE: Bend, Oregon has water. You can fish, kayak, canoe, and surf. What? Look at this. Unbelievable. Hang ten, bro.
WIRE (voice-over): The water in this river is so fresh and so crisp, it fuels one of Bend's other famous pastimes, drinking brewskis. The craft beer scene is booming with more than 30 breweries.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Almost anywhere you go, you're going to find great beer on tap.
WIRE: And are we talking award-winning? Like, how good are they?
[14:55:00]
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Oh, yes, I mean, world-class, award-winning beers in most categories you can think of.
WIRE: Whether you're pining for picturesque panoramas or the perfect pint, I think I came to the perfect place.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You did.
WIRE: Cheers.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Cheers.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
WIRE (on camera): I am in love. Take me back. And there's so much you didn't even see, Boris and Brianna. There is an extinct volcano in the city that you can hike. There is the last blockbuster on the planet. Yes, talk about take me back. Listen, if you want to check out the full list of America's Best Towns, you can go to CNN.com.
SANCHEZ: Man, that was amazing, Coy. And that beer looked crisp.
KEILAR: Yes, so good. WIRE: They call it the craft beer capital. And all that stuff you saw
us doing, whether it's the river, whether it's the rock climbing, the biking, or the skiing, that's all in the same day.
We're talking this stuff's like 20, 25 minutes away. So it's an outdoor lovers and adrenaline junkies dream.
KEILAR: Yes, full disclosure, I used to vacation there as a kid. We'd go up from California. The fondest memories. It is a gem, Coy. And thank you for sharing it with everyone.
SANCHEZ: You weren't drinking beer as a kid though, I hope.
KEILAR: Definitely, I was not.
SANCHEZ: Coy, good to see you, man. Thanks so much.
WIRE: Good to see you too.
SANCHEZ: So the Senate has passed President Trump's massive budget bill after a record-breaking vote-a-rama, and they may have the easy part out of the way. It may get more difficult as we hear from Republicans next.
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