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Vilnius Summit Meeting's Top Priority will be Ukraine; Biden Getting Ready for Important Summit in Vilnius; Interview with Global Situation Room President and Former Director of Global Engagement in Obama White House Brett Bruen; Ukraine Expresses Gratitude to the US for Sending Cluster Bombs; Ukraine Asserts Progress Around Bakhmut has Increased; Russian Shelling in Lyman, Ukraine, Results in Nine Deaths; Azov Fighters Brought Home by Zelenskyy from Turkey; An Apparent Claim of Responsibility for the Explosion on Crimean Bridge Made by Ukrainian Defense Official; "Productive" Talks in Beijing; Judicial Reform Protests in Israel; Japan's Wastewater Release Plan Condemned by North Korea; IAEA: Japan's Plan Consistent with International Standards; Leaders of Brazil and Colombia Addresses Methods to Restore the Amazon Rainforest, Often Referred as "Lungs of the Planet"; FDA Approves Drug Shown to Slow Alzheimer's; NYPD: Man on Scooter Opened Fire, Killing One and Injuring Three; Large Ship in New Jersey Harbor Fire Contained; Reward Money for Any Information for Escaped Prisoner from Pennsylvania; Casey DeSantis on Campaign Trail; Dutch Government Breaks Down Due to Immigration; Soccer Star Megan Rapinoe retiring; Official End of touring for Elton John; "Ghost" Concert Workers are Taylor Swift Fans. Aired 4-5a ET

Aired July 09, 2023 - 04:00   ET

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

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[04:00:00]

KIM BRUNHUBER, CNN ANCHOR AND CORRESPONDENT: Welcome to all of you watching us here in the United States, Canada, and all around the world. I'm Kim Brunhuber. Ahead on "CNN Newsroom".

President Biden leaves for Europe in just a few hours. We'll look at how a controversial decision to supply Ukraine with cluster bombs could complicate talks with U.S. allies.

As Ukraine marks 500 days of war, President Zelenskyy welcomes home five commanders captured in the siege of Mariupol.

Plus --

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JANET YELLEN, U.S. TREASURY SECRETARY: The United States is not seeking to decouple from China.

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BRUNHUBER: U.S. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen says, the world is big enough for both the U.S. and China to thrive. We'll break down the key takeaways from her meetings in Beijing. ANNOUNCER: Live from CNN center, this is "CNN Newsroom with Kim Brunhuber."

BRUNHUBER: NATO leaders are meeting this week in Lithuania. We'll try to cover a lot of ground in just a few days with Ukraine topping their agenda. President Biden is set to leave in the coming hours stopping first in London before going on to Vilnius. At the summit, he'll press allies to continue support for Ukraine and discuss Kyiv's long- standing request to join the alliance. The summit will take place against the backdrop of the U.S. finally agreeing to supply Ukraine with cluster bombs in defiance of international convention. For more on all of this, here CNN's Priscilla Alvarez.

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PRISCILLA ALVAREZ, CNN WHITE HOUSE REPORTER: The stakes couldn't be higher for the future of the NATO alliance at a critical time with the ongoing war in Ukraine and the failed coup attempt in Russia just last month. So, President Biden is going to embark on this three-country trip. He's going to start at the United Kingdom, where he's going to meet with King Charles, as well as the British prime minister, then move onto Lithuania for the NATO summit and conclude his trip in Finland.

But that summit is going to be key, and it is one in which there will likely be discussions about whether or not Ukraine will join NATO. Now, on Friday, National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan told reporters that it's unlikely that coming out of the summit Ukraine will be joining NATO, but they could be discussing steps forward, and that is something that President Biden himself has acknowledged. It would be premature for Ukraine to enjoy now, but they could be discussing what that looks like moving forward.

JOE BIDEN, U.S. PRESIDENT: I don't think there is unanimity in NATO about whether or not to bring Ukraine into the NATO family now, at this moment, in the middle of a war. For example, if you did that, then -- and, you know, we -- I -- and I mean what I say, we're determined to commit every inch of territory that is NATO territory, it's a commitment that we've all made no matter what. If the war is going on, then we're all in a war. You know, we're at war with Russia, if that were the case.

So, I think that we have to lay out a path, for a rational path for Russia for -- excuse me, for Ukraine to be able to qualify to get into NATO. NATO is a process that takes some time to meet all the qualifications, and from democratization to a whole range of other issues.

So, in the meantime though, I've spoken with Zelenskyy at length about this. And one of the things I indicated is the United States would be ready to provide while the process is going on -- and it's going to take a while, while the process is going on to provide security, I'll -- the security we provide for Israel. Providing the weaponry, the need, the capacity to defend themselves if there is an agreement, if there is a ceasefire, if there is a peace agreement. ALVAREZ: The question of whether Ukraine will join NATO will be a flash point over the course over the next week, and President Biden would be a key player in determining criteria or timeline. So, that is really where the focus is going to be over the next few days, is will Ukraine eventually join NATO. And also, what does long term aid look like as the war is ongoing in Ukraine especially after the U.S. committed to sending cluster munitions to the country.

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BRUNHUBER: NATO allies aren't expected to follow the U.S. lead on cluster bombs and probably couldn't even if they wanted to. The U.K., where President Biden will arrive later today is among the many countries that ban them. Here is what the prime minister had to say about it.

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RISHI SUNAK, BRITISH PRIME MINISTER: The U.K. is signatory to a convention which prohibits the production or use of cluster munitions and discourages their use. We will continue to do our part to support Ukraine against Russia's illegal and unprovoked invasion. We've done that by providing heavy battle tanks, and most recently, long-range weapons.

[04:05:00]

I'll be heading off to the NATO summit next week in Vilnius where we will be discussing exactly this with our allies, how we can strengthen our support for Ukraine.

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BRUNHUBER: And Moscow mocked the revised U.S. policy on cluster bombs calling it an act desperation, an evidence of Ukraine's failed counteroffensive, adding that it won't keep Russia's military from achieving its goals in Ukraine.

All right. For more on this, I want to bring in Brett Bruen, who's the president of the Global Situation Room and the former director of Global Engagement in the Obama White House. And he joins us live from London. Thanks so much for being here with us. So, I just want to start on that decision about cluster new munitions. When we look at the international reaction, do you think the U.S. will pay a price here in terms of its international standing and whatever moral leadership it has around the world?

BRETT BRUEN, PRESIDENT, GLOBAL SITUATION ROOM AND FMR. DIRECTOR OF GLOBAL ENGAGEMENT IN OBAMA WHITE HOUSE: You know, it's interesting, Kim, because I actually think that it will refocus the attention of a lot of our allies on what they're not doing to help Ukraine. Because for the better part of the last year and a half, we've heard a lot of rhetoric, we've gotten a lot of promises, but there has been, I think, a big gap in terms of what Ukraine has actually gotten. And Ukraine has been fighting with one hand tied behind its back in a lot of respects as the U.S., as well as other allies, put restrictions on the length of missiles that they can receive or, in this case obviously, cluster munitions.

And while the U.S., obviously, went through a very difficult process deliberating this, I think at the end of the day, they came out at the right spot. They have to help Ukraine take back territory and stop the civilian casualties that Russia is inflicting on their own population.

BRUNHUBER: Yes -- I mean, you say they've been grappling with the situation for a while. I mean, how do you think President Biden has handled this crisis?

BRUEN: Well, look, from the standpoint of stepping up when it mattered, I think Biden gets an A-plus. However, and this is going to be important for Vilnius and the deliberations that are taking place this week, we've got to see more of his strategy, because right now what you have is, kind of like, a potluck dinner where everyone is bringing a dish, it doesn't all necessarily fit together. And Ukraine is somewhat struggling with the arms that they've gotten, how they work together, and what they actually need in order to put Russian forces out of their territory.

BRUNHUBER: All right. So, before we get to Vilnius, among the countries, you know, that disagree about the use of cluster munitions as we heard there, the prime minister of the U.K., who Biden will be meeting. Obviously, Ukraine will be talked of the agenda. Is there any daylight between their approach to the war? Any issues that need to be resolved there?

BRUEN: Well, certainly, both have been very strong supporters of Ukraine, so I don't think that you'll see much daylight there. Rishi Sunak, the British Prime Minister, would like to have a closer relationship to reinforce that so-called special relationship with the United States. Here in the U.K., I think there's a sense that Biden has not embraced the U.K. and that special relationships as much.

So, what I'm looking to see is what is the U.S. administration going to throw the U.K. in terms of tightening that bond between our two countries. And with respect to the war in Ukraine, I think there's a lot that we can do as the two countries that have provided the most support for Kyiv.

BRUNHUBER: All right. So, then looking ahead to the other allies, they're in Vilnius next week, the fourth NATO summit since the Russia invasion. You talked about the allies supplying Ukraine, but clearly, you know, Ukraine joining NATO will be on the list of topics there. We heard President Biden in the interview with CNN's Fareed Zakaria, Ukraine isn't ready to join NATO, says President Biden, but obviously, the when will be a huge question at that summit, right?

BRUEN: The when is a question. And quite frankly, this comes back to my old diplomatic days of descriptions. And I think there are ways in which we can describe Ukraine's potential membership, the path to that membership, as well as its current status. And you heard President Biden in his interview with Fareed mention that we can create, if you will, an extra special relationship of Ukraine to NATO. Zelenskyy's got to have something that he can sell to his people to say, look, NATO is truly behind us even if we don't yet have membership, I think that this counts for something.

BRUNHUBER: It will be interesting couple of days to see what comes of it. Thank you so much for your analysis. Brett Bruen, I really appreciate it.

BRUEN: Sure thing.

[04:10:00]

BRUNHUBER: So, despite over the controversy over the cluster bombs, Ukraine is thanking the U.S. for the move. Saying the weapons will help them defend their land. CNN's Ben Wedeman reports.

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BEN WEDEMAN, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: News that the United States is going to provide Ukraine with controversial cluster munitions is being applauded here. The Defense Minister, Oleksiy Reznikov, thanked the U.S. in a tweet and pledged that Ukraine would only use the weapons to liberate territory currently occupied by the Russians, that they wouldn't use the weapons in urban areas, and that they would keep a detailed record of where the cluster munitions were used in the event hostilities move on or the war ends.

Meanwhile, Ukrainian forces are reporting gains around Bakhmut. They claim to have seized strategic high ground around the village of Klishchiivka which is just south of Bakhmut. And also, Saturday morning, several Russian rockets slammed into a residential area in the town of Lyman, which is about 25 miles north of Bakhmut, it hit an area where residents were out buying groceries from local food stores. At least eight people were killed in that strike, and more than a dozen injured. I'm Ben Wedeman, CNN, reporting from Eastern Ukraine.

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BRUNHUBER: Ukraine's president has brought back five former commanders who had been sent to Turkey by Russia after being captured in battle. The soldiers, reunited with their loved ones when they returned home on Saturday, the 500th day of the war. They were greeted by supporters and church leaders in a ceremony and pledged to return to the battlefield to take on Russia. The group was allowed to leave Turkey after Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy negotiated their release, which he said was long overdue. Here he is.

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VOLODYMYR ZELENSKYY, UKRAINIAN PRESIDENT (through translator): On the 500th day of war, our state brought home five heroes of Ukraine, commanders of Mariupol and Azovstal defenses. They fought heroically, absolutely, they went through Russian captivity, then they were in Turkey for more than 300 days. It is time for them to be at home.

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BRUNHUBER: All right. CNN's Nada Bashir joins me now from London. So, Nada, how significant was their return to Ukraine? NADA BASHIR, CNN REPORTER: Well, look, and this is hugely significant and deeply symbolic. Many will, of course, remember the siege of Mariupol last year. We saw Ukrainian defenders holding out for months in bunkers and tunnels beneath the Azovstal Steel Plant until receiving that order from Kyiv to surrender, which point the port city fell under total and complete Russian control. And we saw, eventually, a prisoner swap brokered in part by Turkey in September, and it has long been a priority for President Zelenskyy to see the return of these soldiers, of these commanders, part of that prisoner swap.

And we heard from President Zelenskyy, as well as five commanders yesterday, speaking at that press conference. President Zelenskyy, of course, deeply moved advisably by the return of these commanders. And as you mentioned there, we heard from the commanders saying that they intend to return to the battlefield, saying that it is time to get back to work, that they are military men, and took an oath.

But of course, this has been met by some backlash from Moscow, of course. They have accused Turkey of not upholding the terms of the prisoner swap agreement, and have said that they were not informed at any point by the Turkish government. So, this could put Turkey in a difficult position.

President Erdogan has, of course, not only continued to support Ukraine, but diplomatically and on the military front. But he's crucially maintained cordial relations with President Putin. And with negotiations ongoing around the renewal of the grain deal and other diplomatic agreements, this could certainly put Turkey's position as a mediator in a difficult place.

BRUNHUBER: Interesting. And, Nada, we've heard more details now from Ukraine about that Crimea bridge explosion in October. What more can you tell us about that?

BASHIR: Yes. Absolutely. I mean, at the time Ukraine celebrated the bridge explosion but there was no admission of responsibility, at least no clear admission of responsibility. But this appears to be the clearest sign of responsibility that we have seen since that explosion. Ukraine's deputy defense ministers are taking to Telegram to list the 12 key achievements made by the Ukrainian armed forces since the beginning of Russia's invasion. And included in that list is the explosion of the Crimea bridge.

Now, of course, at the time this was a huge blow to Moscow, not only in terms of their military operations in Ukraine, but of course it was a huge psychological blow. This was a huge achievement for President Putin linking the Russian occupied Crimea.

[04:15:00]

And of course, logistically this was a significant feat. But of course, this was also a huge victory for Ukraine. So, seeing that admission now perhaps might be the boost needed in terms of propaganda, perhaps, as Ukraine continues with the counteroffensive.

BRUNHUBER: Yes, that's right. All right. Thanks so much, Nada Bashir in London. Appreciate it.

So, while President Biden prepares for his trip abroad, a top cabinet official is heading home after high level talks in China. Relations between Washington and Beijing have been strained for a long time. We'll look at whether that maybe changing after a visit by the U.S. treasury secretary. We'll have details in a live report after the break, do stay with us.

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CROWD: (Speaking in a foreign language).

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BRUNHUBER: And no let-up in Israel in the weekend protests as demonstrators vent their anger towards Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's planned judicial reforms. We'll have that story and more after the break.

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BRUNHUBER: After months of rising tensions, there might be a bit of a thaw in the U.S.-China relations. U.S. Treasury Secretary Yellen is heading back to America from Beijing right now after wrapping up what she describes as direct, substantive and productive talks with the Chinese premier, the vice premier, the minister of finance, and other top officials. Yellen said she made it clear the U.S. isn't seeking to disconnect economically from China. Here she is.

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JANET YELLEN, U.S. TREASURY SECRETARY: President Biden and I do not see the relationship between the U.S. and China through the frame of a great power conflict. We believe that the world is big enough for both of our countries to thrive. Both nations have an obligation to responsibly manage this relationship.

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BRUNHUBER: All right. Let's bring in CNN's Will Ripley live for us in Taiwan's capital of Taipei. So, Will, let's start with the wrap-up of her visit. Take us through the day.

WILL RIPLEY, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, essentially, she, by all accounts, looking at the video and the messaging both from the United States and Chinese side, it was a good series of meetings. It was a pretty grueling schedule. But it seems as if they really, on all sides, felt that they left with something that they can feel good about not necessarily in terms of delivering on answers to some of the most complicated economic issues dividing that have been dividing the U.S. and China.

But at least they're having conversations at a high enough level that they can shape policy eventually and maybe come to find common ground, and maybe not. But at least they have the opportunity to have the conversation. And really, Yellen probably more than almost anyone else in the Biden administration because she's worked so closely with the Chinese over the years on these economic issues, and they have been very good working with the U.S. on their economy side. We're talking about some other areas that have been more contentious. It's -- the discussions can be a bit more difficult.

But you can see in the videos there that they were getting along pretty well. And of course, the end result is that, they say, they feel confident that they will have a much more stable communication platform to stand on, which is -- I can't tell you how important that is, Kim, considering that just, you know, months ago, we were talking about how the U.S.-China relationship was at its lowest level in half a century.

And there were these increasing miscalculations of, you know, potentially a matter of seconds that could have made the difference between a collision, between military planes or ships, which could have led to something absolutely catastrophic. The U.S. is worried about that. And it seems like both sides now are trying to do their best to, at least, keep the talking happening and see where it goes from there. Kim.

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YELLEN: This was an opportunity for a new team in Beijing, a new economic team, to meet with us and for us to establish a desire and willingness to work together. I feel confident that we will have more frequent and regular communication and that there will be benefits that come from that.

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RIPLEY: Now, remember this was all supposed to start towards the end of last year, except for the fact that that Chinese spy balloon the eve of the secretary of state's planned visit to Beijing. It basically just put the brakes on all of this. And then we had six months of really rising tensions and a lot of rhetoric on both sides, rhetorical escalation that at times seemed like it was risking even, pushing even closer to a military escalation, that did not happen.

And much to the relief of many around the world who had been watching the U.S.-China ties situation very closely, Kim, these talks seem to indicate that the trend now, at least for the moment, is in a much more positive direction in terms of diplomacy and not, you know, military and militarization.

BRUNHUBER: All right. Appreciate it, Will Ripley in Taipei.

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CROWD: (Speaking in a foreign language).

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BRUNHUBER: You see Israelis in Jerusalem there among hundreds of thousands of people keeping up the pressure on Israel's government for a 27th consecutive weekend. Demonstrators marched in Tel Aviv and other cities on Saturday, protesting Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's proposed judicial changes. They say, his bill restricts the Supreme Court's power and undermines democracy. Many gathered outside the home of the country's defense minister in norther Israel. Calling on him to join the protests. They come ahead of a planned first reading of the bill in the Knesset on Monday. One demonstrator said, she's worried about the future.

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UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE (through translator): I attend all the protests every Saturday, and I don't think that things are getting any better. My concern hasn't dropped. I see that the government actually wants to proceed with a law that will infringe on people's ability to fight for their rights. And I'm currently concerned about our future here.

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BRUNHUBER: Japan's plans to release treated wastewater from the Fukushima Nuclear Power Plant is drawing more criticism, this time from North Korea. Pyongyang released a heated statement, calling the move evil and anti-humanitarian. Hundreds of people turned out in South Korea's capital, Saturday, to protest the plan the day after a visit from the head of the International Atomic Energy Agency. The group declared Japan's plan to be in line with international safety standards. Japan will treat the water to remove pollutants then it will be released gradually in highly diluted form, and that process will begin sometime this summer.

The presidents of Brazil and Colombia are meeting to discuss ways to save the Amazon. The rainforest is often called the lungs of the planet, and it's under assault from mining, cattle ranching, cocaine processing, and of course climate change.

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GUSTAVO PETRO, COLOMBIAN PRESIDENT (through translator): Saving life on the planet and overcoming the climate crisis requires an investment of $3.3 trillion per year. That means a change in the world's economic relations. It means prioritizing life over capital.

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BRUNHUBER: The Brazilian president is calling on all nations to stop illegal deforestation in their territories by 2030.

All right. Still to come, a major medical breakthrough now available in the U.S. as the FDA approves the first drug proven to slow the course of Alzheimer's. Stay with us.

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BRUNHUBER: And welcome back to all of you watching us here in the United States, Canada and all around the world. I'm Kim Brunhuber, this is "CNN Newsroom".

[04:30:00]

Police in New York have apprehended a man they say shot and killed one person and injured three more while riding a scooter through parts of New York City. Our Polo Sandoval has the details.

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POLO SANDOVAL, CNN CORRESPONDENT: While the indiscriminate nature of this violence is particularly disturbing here as NYPD investigators believe that the gunman was simply shooting people randomly in parts of Queens and in parts of Brooklyn, New York. In all five scenes, according to investigators, the suspect aboard a scooter used a 9- millimeter pistol with an extended magazine that you can clearly see in some of those photographs that were released by investigator, to shoot four people.

The arrest of the suspect happened less than two hours after the spree started. Investigators quickly able to get pictures of the suspect out to officers that led to this -- to a Hispanic 25-year-old man. And he was arrested without incident. He -- I want you to hear directly from one police official as they updated us on Saturday about what they know regarding this weekend shooting and its motive.

JOE KENNY, ASSISTANT CHIEF, NYPD DETECTIVE BUREAU: It seems that his acts were random. If you look at the demographics and pedigree of the victims, they were all different. At this time, video shows that he is targeting anybody, he is not following anybody. As he's driving on his scooter, he's randomly scooting people.

SANDOVAL: And in terms of the weapon itself, police went on to say that they have not yet found a serial number on it. So, it's too soon to say that it's a ghost gun, which is those privately assembled and impossible to trace weapons, or possibly that that identifying information was just filed off. So, they'll certainly turning to federal investigators with that aspect of the investigation.

This is really just the latest shooting of its kind in the United States. It was just this past Monday that a masked, armed and -- armored suspect opened fire in a neighborhood in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, shooting and killing five people. Polo Sandoval, CNN, New York.

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BRUNHUBER: Officials in Newark, New Jersey say the cargo ship fire that killed two firefighters is now contained. The fire has been burning since late Wednesday. Fire crews made significant progress in the overnight hours. They were able to contain the blaze on the 11th deck of the massive ship. Officials say, all the firefighters who were injured have now been released from the hospital. The cause of the blaze is still isn't known.

A manhunt is under way in Pennsylvania and New York for a man who escaped from a county jail by climbing on top of exercise equipment to the roof and using tied up bed sheets to get to the ground. Officials are now offering more than $10,000 in reward money for any information that might lead to the capture of Michael Charles Burnham. Authorities say, Burnham escaped from Warren County Jail on Friday. He is armed and considered very dangerous. He has self-taught survivalist skills and large arm tattoos.

This week, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration gave full approval to the first Alzheimer's treatment proven to slow the progression of the disease. Now, an estimated 1 million patients suffering from early forms of Alzheimer's will have access to the drug. CNN's Meg Tirrell reports.

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MEG TIRRELL, CNN MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT (voiceover): Six years ago, Joe Montminy saw a neurologist for what he thought were a few minor problems with his memory.

JOE MONTMINY, DIAGNOSED WITH ALZHEIMER'S: You know, she came back and said, you know what, Joe, I -- you actually have younger onset Alzheimer's disease. You're likely going to start to see -- experience declines in the next five years. And you may not recognize your family in five to seven years.

TIRRELL (voiceover): Now 59, Montminy is one of millions of Americans living with Alzheimer's disease. But this year new hope emerged. A drug aiming to slow down the disease's progression got accelerated FDA approved in January based on the fact that it clears amyloid plaque buildups in the brain associated with Alzheimer's. But Medicare declined to cover it until the FDA granted a fuller traditional approval based on a bigger clinical trial proving the drug has benefits for thinking clearly and being able to function in daily life. Without insurance, the medicine called Lecanemab and sold under the brand name Leqembi, cost $26,500 a year.

MONTMINY: You had this treatment at your fingertips and suddenly you had Medicare saying, yes, but you can't quite get access to that at this point in time.

TIRRELL (voiceover): A larger trial funded by the drug's makers, Eisai and Biogen, did find that Leqembi can slow the progression of Alzheimer's disease by about 27 percent. It's the first time a drug has proven to alter the disease's course.

DR. LAWRENCE HONIG, PROFESSOR OF NEUROLOGY, COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY IRVING MEDICAL CENTER: It was a very dismaying experience getting a diagnosis of Alzheimer's disease and to be told that we don't have anything that will slow down or stop the disease in its tracks.

TIRRELL (voiceover): Columbia University's Dr. Lawrence Honig says, this is the beginning of a new treatment era, but he warns that Leqembi is not a cure and not everyone will be eligible for the drug.

TIRRELL: How difficult do you anticipate the conversations being with people who are more advanced and maybe are too advanced to benefit from the drug? [04:35:00]

HOOVER: We're already having these conversations that sometimes aren't so easy. It's not that we know it's not good for people with moderate or severe disease, it's just that we don't know.

TIRRELL (voiceover): Side effects could be worse for people with more advanced disease as well, he says. Already there's something to be aware of. About 13 percent of patients receiving the drug in its trial had brain swelling, 17 percent had brain bleeding compared with nine percent in the placebo group.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: There we go.

TIRRELL (voiceover): Leqembi is administered through IV infusion once every two weeks. Infusion centers, like Vivo Infusion are gearing up for an expected surge in new patients.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: In certain areas, I anticipate we will receive probably at least 15 percent to 20 percent more patient referrals for this drug.

TIRRELL (voiceover): Joe Montminy is hoping he'll be able to get it for a chance for more time with his wife and two grown sons about.

MONTMINY: Like any parent, I would love to see them actually get married and have a family. I just want to experience many of the activities that most people take for granted.

TIRRELL (voiceover): Meg Tirrell, CNN, reporting.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BRUNHUBER: And now that the drug has full FDA approval, Medicare and Medicaid are expanding coverage of the medication.

All right. Still to come, the other DeSantis on the campaign trail. How Florida's first lady is trying to boost her husband's run for the White House. Stay with us.

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CROWD: USA, USA, USA, USA, USA, USA.

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BRUNHUBER: Former U.S. President Donald Trump there rallying voters in the battleground state of Nevada as he seeks a return to the White House. He's other (ph) Republican candidate spent part of his speech attacking his main GOP rival, Ron DeSantis, for supporting a plan to store nuclear waste at the state's Yucca Mountain. He also called on supporters to vote for him in massive numbers, promising to enact many conservative policies. Here he is.

[04:40:00]

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DONALD TRUMP, U.S. REPUBLICAN PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: We're going to get energy, we're going to pay off debt, we're going to reduce taxes, we're going to then lower interest rates because interest rates are way too high. People can't -- anybody looking for a house, because you might as well stop. You can't get the money from the banks.

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BRUNHUBER: Republican voters in Iowa could be the first to choose their new presidential nominee. The state central committee voted unanimously to hold their first in the nation caucuses on January 15th. Several other states have yet to declare the dates of their nominating contests., but the Iowa date would be the earliest start to the nomination process since 2012.

And Casey DeSantis has a high-profile role in her husband's 2024 White House bid. This week, she held her first solo campaign event for him in Iowa. Borrowing a page from the conservative group Moms for Liberty, which is involved in book banning and school board fights. Mrs. DeSantis is launching what the campaign is calling Mamas for DeSantis. Details from CNN's Kristen Holmes.

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CASEY DESANTIS, RON DESANTIS' WIFE: Thank you for the honor to be here.

KRISTEN HOLMES, CNN U.S. NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voiceover): A regular fixture on the campaign trail --

C. DESANTIS: As long as I have breath in my body, I will go out and I will fight for Ron DeSantis.

K. HOLMES (voiceover): Florida's first lady, Casey DeSantis, has built her own brand as a mom focused on parents' rights. Now, she's taking her act solo. Headlining her own event in Iowa this week to campaign for her husband.

C. DESANTIS: He led with principle, courage and conviction.

K. HOLMES (voiceover): And launched Mamas for DeSantis, a national initiative to mobilize women to back her husband's White House bid. Releasing this video, amplifying his core message and combative rhetoric.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: There's nothing we won't do to protect our children. We will not allow you to exploit their innocence to advance your agenda. We are no longer silent. We are united.

C. DESANTIS: And God bless --

K. HOLMES (voiceover): Once a local news anchor in Jacksonville, Florida. C.DESANTIS: Hello, everyone. And welcome to "First Coast Living". I'm Casey DeSantis.

K. HOLMES (voiceover): She is no stranger to the spotlight. Using her skillset and public speaking ease to campaign alongside her husband. Helping propel him to the U.S. House of Representatives and then to the Florida governor's mansion.

C. DESANTIS: He's teaching Madison to talk.

REP. RON DESANTIS (R-FL), U.S. REPUBLICAN PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: Make America Great Again.

I'm bringing out the first lady of Florida.

K. HOLMES (voiceover): Casey has always been a pillar of DeSantis' political campaigns, as has been their marriage.

R. DESANTIS: The two most important women in my life, my mother was from Youngstown, and my wife is from Troy. And so, our family reflects your family.

C. DESANTIS: He's a good dad. He is fighting for our children just as much as he's fighting for your families.

K. HOLMES (voiceover): It's a dynamic some Republican voters have noticed.

SHELLIE FLOCKHART, DESANTIS CAMPAIGN VOLUNTEER: Parts that, I think, that DeSantis is really strong in his family unit, his wife Casey. He's very respectful of her. And he just loves her.

KIT HART, REPUBLICAN VOTER: His marriage with Casey and his relationship with his children are, obviously, of utmost importance.

K. HOLMES (voiceover): For Casey DeSantis, her solo appearance in Iowa kept a week on the campaign trail that started with a pair of 4th of July parades in New Hampshire where she and her husband were joined by their three young children.

R. DESANTIS: All things considered, they're well-behaved, right? You always keep your fingers crossed on things like this.

K. HOLMES (voiceover): A sign of things to come as DeSantis puts his family front and center in his run for the White House.

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BRUNHUBER: Voters in the Netherlands are preparing for a new round of elections after the coalition government there collapsed. CNN's Michael Holmes has more.

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MICHAEL HOLMES, CNN INTERNATIONAL NEWS ANCHOR AND CORRESPONDENT (voiceover): Driving himself in a gray station wagon, Dutch Prime Minister, Mark Rutte, leaves the royal palace in The Hague, the country's long time premier tight lipped about his meeting with King Willem-Alexander after announcing just a day before his coalition government was irretrievably broken.

MARK RUTTE, DUTCH PRIME MINISTER (through translator): It's no secret that the coalition partners, we have differing opinions about immigration policy. Today, we unfortunately have to conclude that those differences have become insurmountable.

M. HOLMES (voiceover): In the end, the hot button issue of immigration, one that is polarizing European politics would split Rutte's fragile four-party coalition. With two parties saying they refuse to back a proposal put forward by Rutte's own center right party that would limit the number of children joining their parents who are already war refugees living in the country and make families wait for at least two more years before they can be reunited.

For now, at the request of the king, the fractured government will stay in place in caretaker mode until a general election is held probably in November. Rutte, who's been prime minister since 2010 says, he is interested in running for a fifth term, but first he'll need to convince his party that he is still the man for the job. And then there are the voters.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Would you like to see Rutte elected again?

[04:45:00]

PAUL GEENE, VOTER: No. I think that he is pretty much done. I think he's a very decent manager, but I think he lacks vision, and I think he's overdue.

JOHAN LEENDERS, VOTER: Yes. Well, it's a pity that the government has fallen right now. It's not good for the Dutch environment, the Dutch people. They need stability in this time of economical situation, and of course, the situation with Ukraine.

M. HOLMES (voiceover): While the Netherlands has one of Europe's toughest immigration policies, asylum applications jumped more than 30 percent last year. But that won't be the only issue swaying the votes. In March, a farmers' protest party known as the BBB won a huge victory in provincial elections by opposing government agricultural policies to limit nitrogen emissions, saying they hurt farm owners.

Both issues are expected to be key factors in the upcoming election. The next major step making way for that vote will be the dissolution of the Dutch parliament. Michael Holmes, CNN.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BRUNHUBER: All right. Coming up, a soccer trailblazer announces her retirement. We'll have a look at Megan Rapinoe's impact on and off the field, stay with us.

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BRUNHUBER: No one matched all the numbers for the tenth largest Powerball jackpot ever on Saturday. The winning numbers are seven, 23, 24, 32, 43, and the Powerball is 18. So, now that means Monday night's jackpot will be an estimated $650 million. The two main lottery drawings in the U.S. added together top more than a billion dollars right now. The mega millions jackpot is worth $480 million to a single winner.

And one of the United States' top soccer players has announced she will soon be hanging up her cleats. Megan Rapinoe, star of the U.S. women's national team says, she will retire at the end of the 2023 season. Rapinoe is a trailblazer on the field and beyond. Patrick Snell takes a look back at her storied career.

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PATRICK SNELL, CNN WORLD SPORT ANCHOR: Now, when it comes to footballing pioneers, then look no further than the iconic Megan Rapinoe, the American great who really has made one huge impact on and off the field. A play on Saturday, the 38-year-old announcing she is to retire from the sport at the end of this year's NWSL season, though she will compete at the fourth coming World Cup in Australia and New Zealand.

The U.S. forward training this weekend ahead of what is scheduled to be her 200th appearance for her country on Sunday in the United States' final World Cup warm-up match against Wales in California. Rapinoe hoping to become part of America's bid to win three straight World Cup, something no men's or women's team has ever done before. She was also part of the U.S. squad that won gold at the 2012 Olympics. And she's netted 63 times at international levels so far, including the six she scored at the 2019 World Cup. A tally that saw her claim the Golden Ball Award.

Rapinoe, though, about so much more than her amazing footballing career. Always passionate and showing deep and vocal support for a whole range of social issues, including LGBTQ+ rights, racial inequality, voter rights as well, and perhaps, most famously, gender and pay equity. I think fair to say Rapinoe leaving the game has one of the most impactful figures in the history of football both here in the United States and in the global women's game as well.

MEGAN RAPINOE, U.S. WOMEN'S NATIONAL TEAM FORWARD AND 2-TIME WORLD CUP WINNER WITH USA: I feel like as excited to play the rest of my career as I do to retire and to step away from this beautiful game. So, again, I know that I'm really lucky to be in this position that I get to have agency over the end of this really beautiful part of my life. And so, in a way I feel like it's a little bit of borrowed time and something I feel really grateful for and really excited about.

And there's sort of no distraction at hand because I know what it is to lose in a World Cup final, and I certainly don't want to do that again. So, the best way that I could possibly go out is winning. And so, it feels really easy to focus, and easy to put my all into it, and easy to be really settled and excited for what's, you know, undoubtedly going to be the best World Cup that we've ever seen.

SNELL: And we can't wait for that World Cup, just 10 days away from kickoff. Megan Rapinoe sure to make an impact on the pitch, and after she walks off it as well for the last time later on this year. With that, it's right back to you.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BRUNHUBER: And another goodbye of sorts. After 50 plus years of touring, Elton John played his final show on Saturday. The pop superstar reposted this retirement from touring announcement he made with CNN's Anderson Cooper five years ago.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ELTON JOHN, SINGER: I'm not going to be touring anymore, apart from the last tour which is going to start in September of this year, and it'll be a global tour. And it's the last time that I will be touring and traveling the world.

So, goodbye yellow brick road.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BRUNHUBER: COVID and hip surgery delayed his farewell tour. He's had countless hit songs, of course, and raised millions for his AIDS foundation. Elton says, he wants to spend more time with his two sons and husband.

And finally, two Taylor Swift fans are being hailed as legends after taking extreme and bizarre measures to attend the singer's show in Ohio. CNN's Jeanne Moos has the story.

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JEANNE MOOS, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voiceover): She found fame by hiding under a blanket in a long line of Taylor Swift fans waiting to buy concert merchandise in Cincinnati.

ANNIE BROWN, REPORTER: There are two Swifties here who shall remain anonymous who called in sick to work.

MOOS (voiceover): It wasn't her dedication to Taylor Swift that made her WKRC interview go viral.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I almost named my daughter's middle name Taylor, so.

MOOS (voiceover): It was her dedication to her disguise, the Cincy t- shirt folks immediately labeled her legend.

[04:55:00]

Then they claim they found the legend, though some commenters seem slightly suspicious, noting she has man hands, and theorizing that it's a dude. The blanket seemed inspired by sheets worn by ghosts -- (MUSIC PLAYING)

MOOS (voiceover) : -- in Taylor's "Anti-Hero" music video. Fans have been known to track down the exact same sheets at target.

(MUSIC PLAYING)

MOOS (voiceover): At Taylor Cincinnati concerts, there were sightings, likely copycats, saw two of the legends walking to the concert had floor seats, nonetheless. The blanket disguise reminded us of perp walks where those under arrest hide their faces, going so far as to use their own hair.

BROWN: And we're going to cross our fingers that work doesn't find out, right?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: No, they're not. We're good.

BROWN: Your secret is safe with me.

MOOS: And if, by any chance, you want to talk incognito queen, give us a call. We promise to keep your identity under wraps.

MOOS (voiceover): She reminded many of Cousin Itt from "The Adams Family."

CAROLYN JONES, ACTRESS, "THE ADDAMS FAMILY": Now, you can open your eyes, Cousin Itt.

MOOS (voiceover): Move over Cousin Itt, this is the Itt Girl of the Taylor Swift Eras Tour. Jeanne Moos, CNN, New York.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BRUNHUBER: I'm Kim Brunhuber. I'll be back with more "CNN Newsroom" in just a moment. Please stay with us.

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