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U.S. Ends Low-Value Package Tariff Waiver; CDC in Turmoil After Chief Fired, Top Leaders Resign; Families of Two Victims Killed in Church Shooting Speak Out; Border Patrol Arrest 2 Firefighters Allegedly in U.S. Illegally; Cracker Barrel Removes DEI and Pride Pages from Website. Aired 8-8:30a ET

Aired August 29, 2025 - 08:00   ET

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

[08:00:00]

ANNA COOBAN, CNN BUSINESS AND ECONOMICS REPORTER: And as you can see here, over the last decade, this number has grown significantly. And that is partly why Trump is ending this de minimis exemption. It's to help discourage Americans from buying overseas and incentivize homegrown manufacturing.

U.S. Customs and Border Protection estimated that over 1.36 billion shipments entered the U.S. during the last financial year under this de minimis exemption, and that more than 4 million were processed every single day. Sellers will face different tariffs depending on which country they are in.

They'll face an $80 tariff per item for if they're in a country with an overall tariff rate of 16 percent, below 16 percent, and an up to $160 tariff per item if they're in a country with an overall tariff rate of between 16 and 25 percent. And then a brutal $200 per item tariff if they're in a country with an overall tariff rate above 25 percent. Right now, for example, Brazil and India have a 50 percent tariff placed on most of their goods flowing into the United States.

Sellers may decide to pass those extra costs on to U.S. consumers. And that means that those late night impulse purchases will come with an even bigger dose of morning regret, or they may simply not arrive at all. Postal services around the world, including in Japan and Australia and across Europe, have temporarily suspended shipments to the United States.

That's because some say they are simply unsure of how to navigate the new system. How do they make sure the tariffs are paid? What paperwork is needed?

And it's not yet clear when these services will be back up and running. For now, Americans wanting to indulge in some retail therapy will simply have fewer options.

Anna Cooban, CNN, London.

(END VIDEOTAPE) JOHN BERMAN, CNN ANCHOR: So what's going on at the CDC? The director fired, resignations, layoffs. Could major policy shifts on vaccines be looming?

Warning signs and violent obsessions. New details this morning from the Journal of the Minneapolis School Shooter.

The two firefighters detained by border agents as they battled Washington State's biggest wildfire.

Kate and Sara are out this morning. I'm John Berman with Erica Hill on this Friday. This is CNN NEWS CENTRAL.

ERICA HILL, CNN ANCHOR: This morning, a salute amid the chaos at the CDC. Staffers gathering outside the CDC's Atlanta headquarters to honor top officials who resigned this week in protest over what they say is the political interference that keeps keeping them from doing their jobs.

Hours after that clap out, those now former CDC officials continuing to speak out and talking about what they say the Trump administration has done to the agency itself and why they believe it is putting public health at risk.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DR. DEMETRE DASKALAKIS, FORMER DIRECTOR OF NATIONAL CENTER FOR IMMUNIZATION AND RESPIRATORY DISEASES: If CDC is being characterized as trouble by Secretary Kennedy, I think we have to turn the mirror back to him because I think that the trouble is emanating mainly from him.

DR. DEB HOURY, FORMER CDC CHIEF MEDICAL OFFICER: In the past year, with staffing cuts, with plans for reorganization, all of this is being dismantled. So if we want to say that the CDC needs an overhaul, it's because of what has happened in the past few months to it.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HILL: The officials, of course, resigned in protest this week after Secretary Kennedy fired the CDC's director, Dr. Susan Monarez, who'd only been on the job for three weeks following clashes over vaccine policy. Kennedy is expected to name Deputy Secretary of Health and Human Services Jim O'Neill as acting director.

CNN's Jacqueline Howard joins me now. So as you've been covering this story, Jacqueline, I know that you were there outside the CDC yesterday talking to a number of people, talking to a number of staffers. What did they tell you? What is happening in this moment and who's in charge?

JACQUELINE HOWARD, CNN MEDICAL REPORTER: That's right, Erica. There are drastic changes happening among CDC leadership at this moment. And when I spoke with current CDC employees who were outside of the CDC offices here in Atlanta, Georgia, they said they were there to show their support for those departing officials. But their main concern, they told me, is they worry about science being suppressed, especially under new incoming leadership. And that message about keeping politics out of public health, that was the overall takeaway message that the departing top CDC officials left with their colleagues. Have a listen.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

DASKALAKIS: What makes CDC great are the people that make CDC up, the scientists, everyone that makes this a family. And it's a family that defends our country and the health of our children and the health of adults.

DR. DANIEL JERNIGAN, FORMER DIRECTOR, NATIONAL CENTER FOR EMERGING AND ZOONOTIC INFECTIOUS DISEASES: Let's get the politics out of public health.

[08:05:00]

Let's get back to the objectivity and let the science lead us, because that's how we get to the best decisions for public health.

DR. DEB HOURY, FORMER CDC CHIEF MEDICAL OFFICER: We haven't been as effective because we've had staff cuts, program cuts and then political interference.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

HOWARD: And Erica, as we watched all of that unfold yesterday, HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. did send an e-mail to staffers. In this e-mail, he wrote, quote, I am committed to working with you to restore trust, transparency and credibility to the CDC. Your daily efforts, often unseen, save lives. Reform does not diminish your work. It strengthens it.

But again, Erica, there is still this lingering confusion, chaos, turmoil. And current CDC employees told me that they hope the future will show that they are committed to putting science first and they hope that the Trump administration puts science first.

HILL: In terms of putting science first, what do we know about Jim O'Neill? Is that how Jim O'Neill operates?

HOWARD: That's a good question. What we do know about Jim O'Neill, he does have a history within the Department of Health and Human Services. He did work for HHS under the George W. Bush administration. At that time, he led changes to food regulation and emergency response. More recently, though, Erica, he had spent years as a technology and biotech investor in Silicon Valley. And then, of course, just in June, he joined the Trump administration's HHS.

Now we are hearing that Kennedy will tap him to serve as acting CDC director. He is deputy secretary at HHS right now. So, of course, officials and CDC scientists say they'll be watching his leadership very closely.

HILL: Yes, absolutely. Jacqueline, appreciate it. Thank you -- John.

BERMAN: All right, new details this morning about the two children killed in Minnesota. The families of 10-year-old Harper Moyski and eight-year-old Fletcher Merkel released statements sharing their unimaginable pain.

We're going to have more on that in just a moment. Look at those faces.

Investigators are pouring through hundreds of pages of writings from the shooter, who one official says was, quote, obsessed with the idea of killing children. We are also hearing directly from some of the children who survived.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

GRAYSON SINGH, SHOOTING SURVIVOR: It just hit me that I just saw other people ducking under, and I was like, well, I'll duck under, too.

I just -- I tried putting my hands over the ears, but I could still hear screams of others and bullets. And I was just sitting there looking at the teacher under the pew next to us.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BERMAN: These kids are going to be thinking about this for the rest of their lives.

With us now is former Minneapolis Police Chief Medaria Arradondo. Chief, thanks so much for being with us.

I want to talk about the investigation. What do you think the most important thing to focus on this morning? What do you think?

MEDARIA ARRADONDO, FORMER MINNEAPOLIS POLICE CHIEF: Yes, John, I think right now Minneapolis Police Chief Brian O'Hara, this investigation is really going to be based on the intelligence right now that they're able to gather. We clearly know what occurred, the evil that occurred, that took our dear precious angels Harper and Fletcher.

But now this investigation shifts into the intelligence, the how, you know, what were the means and the methods for this shooter to carry out what they did, and the why.

Now, the why will hopefully get to a motive. As Minneapolis Police Chief O'Hara said, they may not get to that, but certainly, as you mentioned, the several search warrants that his teams have actively been carrying out and the hundreds of documents from the manifesto to the journals, as you just noted, paints at least right now a picture of a very disturbed, deranged person, had a fixation on other mass shooters in this country. And so that's where they're going to really try to focus, John, in terms of figuring out the how, the means and the methods, and more importantly as well is the why.

BERMAN: Yes, and again, this isn't just about curiosity, right? This is to try to make sure it can't happen again this way. So talk to me about how you use this information that's gleaned.

ARRADONDO: Yes, John, and obviously we know that, again, the shooter is deceased, but for these victims and the Minneapolis community and across the country, families, schools, places of worship, police agencies, they want to know what is the best way to either identify in the early stages someone who may be going down this path and also to possibly prevent the next one from occurring. So these investigative stages right now are going to be very important.

[08:10:00]

You know, who were the shooter's associates? Were there any close -- whether it was family members, coworkers, neighbors, any sort of intimate relationships that he has had. It's going to be very important to talk to those people to try to glean some knowledge.

You know, one of the things that the shooter revealed in one of the documents, apparently thought that his mother said that he was in a sort of a dark space or having dark energy. You know, how long was that known? Did others feel or sense that?

So again, the goal right now is really for the investigation to see can we determine, you know, the how this occurred and the why and can we prevent another one from taking place?

BERMAN: Chief Medaria Arradondo, we are thinking about you and your community this morning. Thanks so much for sharing your insight into all of this -- Erica.

HILL: We are also learning more about the two children who were killed in that shooting. Officials say they both died in the church pews.

This is a picture of 10-year-old Harper Moyski. Her parents say Harper was a loving big sister whose, quote, laughter, kindness, and spirit touched everyone who knew her. Eight-year-old Fletcher Merkel's father says his family, friends, fishing, cooking, he loved all of it in any sport he was allowed to play.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JESSIE MERKEL, 8-YEAR-OLD SON FLETCHER FILLED IN SHOOTING: Yesterday, a coward decided to take our eight-year-old son Fletcher away from us. Because of their actions, we will never be allowed to hold him, talk to him, play with him, and watch him grow into the wonderful young man he was on the path to becoming.

Please remember Fletcher for the person he was and not the act that ended his life. Give your kids an extra hug and kiss today. We love you, Fletcher. You'll always be with us.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HILL: May Fletcher and Harper's memories be a blessing.

Border agents are arresting two firefighters as they battled Washington State's biggest wildfire. Why? The Department of Homeland Security, what they have to say about it this morning.

Plus, a father on the run possibly spotted after disappearing with his three children more than three years ago.

And more changes at Cracker Barrel, how the company is now responding after quietly scrubbing DEI and Pride pages from its website.

[08:15:00]

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BERMAN: New this morning, Border Patrol agents arrested two firefighters as they were battling Washington State's largest wildfire. They were arrested for allegedly being in the U.S. illegally.

Let's get right to CNN's Priscilla Alvarez for the latest on this. Priscilla, what are you learning?

PRISCILLA ALVAREZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, John, certainly still a lot of questions as to why these firefighters were apprehended while, as you mentioned there, they were fighting this wildfire, which has torched over 9,000 acres and caused devastation and is still not contained.

But what the video does show is Border Patrol approaching a group of firefighters going through -- You see their -- their IDs. Two of those were apprehended, understanding that they are here illegally.

Now, in a statement, the Department of Homeland Security said the following, quote, The Border Patrol operation is not interfering with firefighting activity and Bear Gulch firefighters continue to make progress on the fire.

What this shows us, John, though, is the widening of the aperture that the administration has been doing when it comes to immigration enforcement.

In the early days, the administration repeatedly said they were going after public safety and national security threats. And while we still don't know all the details of these two firefighters, the fact that Border Patrol was there conducting these operations is indicative of the way in which the administration is broadening their enforcement actions across the country.

Now, this has prompted questions by Washington lawmakers, as well as the governor. The governor saying in a statement, quote, I have asked my team to reach out to federal agencies for more information to determine where these two individuals are and to question why the Trump administration's cruel immigration policies now extend to individuals fighting forest fires.

So Washington Senator Patty Murray also asking questions of the administration about what exactly led Border Patrol to apprehend two of those firefighters. So we're waiting to get more of those answers. But again, John, just an example of the way in which they're broadening their actions nationwide, including in this case, those firefighters fighting the Bear Gulch fire.

BERMAN: And Priscilla, you've also got some new reporting on what the administration has planned in terms of an immigration crackdown in Chicago. What have you learned?

ALVAREZ: Yes, Chicago has been a target for this administration for months. In fact, in just the first days of the Trump administration, they started doing enforcement actions there. But what I'm learning from my sources that they is that they are planning a major immigration enforcement operation in the city.

Of course, this follows the theme of the administration clashing with Democratic-led cities, some of which limit their cooperation with federal immigration enforcement. And what I'm told is that what we expect to see in Chicago is very much what we saw in Los Angeles, that is serving as the blueprint. If you recall those images, that was U.S. Border Patrol out on the streets along with Immigration and Customs Enforcement carrying out these operations.

National Guard was also there at the time to quell immigration protests. And our understanding is that they are similarly being prepared to serve as a, quote, peacekeeping presence, according to some officials.

So they are setting up a federal hub for this. The planning is that this could start next week and more specifically next Friday -- John.

BERMAN: All right, Priscilla Alvarez for us. Thank you so much for helping us understand what's going on there.

So if you're hitting road this holiday weekend, A, good for you. Enjoy your vacation. And B, other good news. Gas has not been this cheap since the pandemic.

[08:20:00]

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HILL: This morning, backtracking and is it also overcorrecting? After Cracker Barrel's massive rebranding fail, which included that new minimalist logo and a more modern, sleek interior at some restaurants, the Tennessee-based chain is now quietly making additional changes, this time to its website, including to pages about pride and DEI.

CNN Business Writer Clare Duffy is here. So what -- what are these changes and -- and why now?

CLARE DUFFY, CNN BUSINESS WRITER: Yes, well, conservative activists and influencers on social media are now claiming total victory after these changes to the website. Apparently, they thought that this logo change reverting from the new minimalist logo to the original logo, pledging to make some changes to that interior design didn't go far enough. And we're calling out the company for continuing to support LGBTQ plus causes.

And so now the company has removed pages that reference employee resource groups like LGBTQ groups, DEI groups, belonging groups, and has also removed a pride page from its website. Those pages now redirect to a company culture and belonging site that talks about company culture but doesn't mention these specific groups.

[08:25:00]

And Cracker Barrel is essentially trying to frame this as a decision that was previously made not related to these protests.

I'll read you what a spokesperson told us.

They said -- We have recently made updates to the Cracker Barrel website, including adding new content and removing out of date content. Several months ago, the company also made changes to our business resource groups that now focus all sponsorships or events on our corporate giving initiatives, addressing food insecurity, supporting community needs through food and reducing food waste.

So they're framing this as a decision that an update to out of date content on the website. But you do have to wonder if this potentially goes too far in responding to a small number of protesters online. Yesterday, the company stock actually fell again after it had initially recovered, you know, after this rebranding backtracking that they did earlier in the week.

HILL: It is an important question. We'll continue to watch it. Clare, appreciate it.

I also understand in the wake of all of this, like, as we're seeing the backlash, right, there have also been some, I suppose, other ideas. We could call them other suggestions about the logo rebrand.

DUFFY: Yes, it's interesting how much so many different people on social media have gotten in on this sort of rage cycle. But we've seen a number of social media influencers, graphic designers suggesting some alternate options for the Cracker Barrel logo. You see those on the screen there.

These are graphic designers who are saying we didn't like your new minimalist logo, but here are some other options that might have kept the sort of original feeling and nostalgia of the Cracker Barrel brand and put them into these new logos, as you see there.

HILL: It is something I just, I can only imagine what the backlash would have been had there been social media in the days of New Coke. For those of us who are old enough to remember it. Clare, appreciate it, thank you.

DUFFY: Thank you.

HILL: Still to come here, the new CNN reporting. FEMA officials put on leave after criticizing changes to the agency. Former top officials now warning that decades of progress following Hurricane Katrina have been dismantled in a matter of months.

Also ahead, Speaker of the House Mike Johnson joining us live here in the studio on CNN NEWS CENTRAL, weighing in on everything from those new Texas congressional maps to where things stand in terms of peace negotiations in Ukraine. Stay with us.

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