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Brush Fire On Long Island Triggers New York State Of Emergency; Interview With Governor Kathy Hochul (D-NY); Trump Pauses Some Tariffs, Then Threatens New Ones; Trump Announces Bitcoin Reserve; Russian Strikes Kill At Least 20, Dozens Injured; Trump Threatens New "Large Scale" Sanctions On Russia; Raw Milk Movement. Aired 7-8p ET

Aired March 08, 2025 - 19:00   ET

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

[19:00:18]

JESSICA DEAN, CNN ANCHOR: You're in the CNN NEWSROOM. I'm Jessica Dean in New York, and we do have breaking news tonight, as New York's governor has declared a state of emergency as crews fight a major brush fire on Long Island. You see that giant plume of smoke over the Sunrise Highway in Suffolk County earlier today.

CNN's Gloria Pazmino has been tracking the latest developments on this.

Gloria, what can you tell us?

GLORIA PAZMINO, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes, Jessica, we have been getting some incredible images of people who are driving around these giant smoke plumes. This is happening on the east end of Long Island, as you said, Governor Kathy Hochul declaring a state of emergency this afternoon after the brush fires were first reported.

Now we're talking about significant brush fires in the Pine Barrens. That's about 105,000 acre nature preserve on Long Island. So far, the concern is focused on the fact that we are expected to have significant windy conditions tonight going into tomorrow morning, and that is very worrisome to firefighters who are trying to fight the flames right now.

So far, we are hearing from officials that there are no -- there's no threats to people directly just yet. There are dozens of agencies that are responding to the fire. And Governor Kathy Hochul has deployed several resources from around the state, including the Air National Guard, fire trucks and crews, as well as the New York Army National Guard helicopter to help with the firefighting efforts.

Also important to note, there are some highways that are closed as a result of these fires. All lanes on the sunrise highway were closed eastbound at Exit 62 and westbound at Exit 65. So far there's been one injury reported to a firefighter and two structures that were damaged as a result of the fire.

Take a listen to local officials who just had a press conference a short while ago, updating residents on the latest. Take a listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ED ROMAINE, SUFFOLK COUNTY, NEW YORK EXECUTIVE: So far we've had one injury, a second degree. We have a number of minor injuries but an injury that required transportation to Stony Brook Hospital to the burn center, a second degree burn on the face of one of our firefighters. I hope that the extent of it we've had two structures that have burned, and we are now taking a very careful look at the air base to see if that needs to be evacuated depending on how the fire shifts. Our biggest problem is the wind.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

PAZMINO: So you heard it there. The biggest problem is the wind. That is a particular concern going into tomorrow morning. But so far, no evacuation orders in Suffolk County. But the brush fires are continuing to burn.

There's a very famous Sunrise Fire of 1995, Jessica. That's what some of these officials were mentioning today. Very similar situation, very similar conditions back then. More than 400 acres were burned in that fire. We're not at that stage yet, but it is what officials are concerned about, given the forecast into tonight and tomorrow morning -- Jessica.

DEAN: All right. Gloria Pazmino, thank you so much for that.

And joining us now on the phone is New York's Governor Kathy Hochul.

Governor, thank you for being here with us. We just had Gloria's reporting about this. What more can you tell us about the efforts to contain this fire?

GOV. KATHY HOCHUL (D-NY)(via phone): Yes. Gloria's reporting was very comprehensive, and we've been actually preemptively preparing for this. We started speaking yesterday about the risk of fire because of the dry conditions as well as there was an infestation of beetles that have taken down much of the trees. And so they're just sitting there like timber waiting for a huge fire.

So we knew the winds were coming. The conditions are dry. No rain. So we actually started putting assets in place. So I'm so glad we did, that we prepared for this and that we have 80 agencies and firefighting crews and agents and individuals all over working to put up a wet line, as you say, because the wet line is what our best defense against this spreading.

Now, this is no guarantee. We're in a better place right now but we are very concerned about the overnight and the increase of winds again tomorrow. This could be a multi-day event, and I'm also concerned about the air quality. While there are no structures in harm's way at this moment, again, this could shift in a moment.

But the air quality is definitely compromised. That's why I'm shipping 100,000 N-95 masks first thing in the morning, and I'm going to continue doing everything we can to put out the fire. You mentioned the -- I have four Blackhawks. Each Blackhawk is able to dump 660 gallons of water.

[19:05:02]

So that's part of why we've been able to get some control. But again, the control we have right now may not hold. And that is what we're focusing on the overnight.

DEAN: And Governor --

HOCHUL: I'll also say this.

DEAN: Go ahead. Yes.

HOCHUL: We just learned today something very troubling is that Washington funding cuts are now affecting the National Fire Academy, literally today, canceled classes for firefighters from all -- and first responders all over the country. And these are the people we need on the frontlines who are trained and experienced, and because of Washington budget cuts, they will not be continuing at all.

We know what happened with the California fires. The Palisades went on for three weeks. We also dealt with horrific air quality because of the Quebec Fires. New York City had the worst air quality on the planet for a number of days because of that impact. So we're in a crisis situation, and the cut funding that trains the people who could save our lives is deeply, deeply troubling to me.

DEAN: And, Governor, I just want to be clear. Do you feel like as of today, though, you have the resources you need federally to deal with what's happening right now on Long Island?

HOCHUL: I'm not counting on the federal government for this. This is definitely driven by the state. I have my resources there, the state resources that are leading the charge. The county executive you just heard from, Ed Romaine, doing an extraordinary job in Suffolk County. So we are working on a command center right now. But -- and I don't even know if there's going to be FEMA.

If this spreads, and we normally would be applying for FEMA reimbursements if a certain monetary threshold is hit, I don't know that there's going to be a FEMA by the time we would do any calculation of expenses if this got out of control any further. So, yes, we are concerned about what's happening even today with the cuts to the fire academy. I will be able to manage this at the state level with our local resources.

But my gosh, this is so unpredictable. We've always been able to count on the federal government for training and assistance, and we can't count on it right now. That has to change.

DEAN: And I do want to ask you, as you're talking, I just want to let our viewers know we're watching new video that were getting in to kind of help them understand the scope of these fires. In terms of an -- any additional evacuations, Governor, I know people who live in that area are probably concerned about that. Are you anticipating that? I know, as you mentioned, this is very minute by minute at this point. HOCHUL: We always have to be prepared for the worst. I've been

speaking for hours about what is the evacuation plan look like. We should be saying no unnecessary travel in case we need to have a mass evacuation. Right now there are no homes or population areas that are in jeopardy, but it's about three miles from a community called Riverhead. And that's really the beginning of what people know as the Hamptons. And that has larger population. Many homes along the coast, on the north coast and in the southern coast.

And again, there's a lot of exposure and vulnerability. I cannot say we're out of the woods right now. Things are looking more under control at this moment. But evacuations may be necessary. That's why we're putting out preemptive alerts, asking people to stay monitoring all the news reports. Watch out for our social media alerts. So if the citizens are paying attention, the residents are paying attention. We want to make sure we can get them to safety if necessary.

Again, all those images of what happened in the Palisades are so front and center in our minds. We need to be proactive, preventative, and try to stop the worst from occurring with all the power that we have. And that's exactly what we're doing.

DEAN: Yes. And I know, as you said at the beginning of our interview, it's the winds that you all are really worried about. Obviously the dry conditions, but in the coming hours, overnight, you are very concerned about the winds and what that might mean.

I do want to ask you for people in that area, is travel impacted at this point? Can they go back and forth?

HOCHUL: Well, enough where the roads are already closed. I mean, the Sunrise Highway, which is a major, major arterial to get people from the western end of the island to the eastern end, that has been closed. There are side roads that are still open, but this pine barrens area is very large and it's, luckily, thank God it's not populated in that area. It is a preserve. It's a nature preserve, but it would not take much for the fires to jump outside that area and head toward populated areas.

Don't see it happening at this moment, but yes, I'm concerned about the roads and people being able to get away safely. I will tell you, all of our plans include even sending ferries if people are on the -- in the coastal areas and their passage out of the area is blocked. So we have all of the above approach. We tabletop these exercises all the time with our local emergency partners. So we're prepared for this.

And again, I give so much credit at the moment we are in right now, better than it was a few hours ago because of the great work of our first responders and the coordination we have with our local volunteer firefighters and the professionals we have at the state level and the county. So stay tuned. I mean, this is a very much an evolving, ever changing situation, and we'll be up all night watching what's happening.

[19:10:02]

DEAN: And I know those firefighters do incredible and tremendous work, so we wish them safety and success tonight.

New York Governor Kathy Hochul, thank you for your time. We really appreciate it.

HOCHUL: Thank you.

DEAN: All right. We'll be right back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[19:15:01]

DEAN: President Trump threatening some new retaliatory tariffs on Canadian dairy and lumber. And it comes at the end of a week filled with whiplash, where he stepped back on some other tariffs. The president is claiming Canada is cheating American farmers with its 250 percent tariff on American dairy, and says he wants a matching tariff on Canadian dairy. Just five just days earlier, Trump gave an exemption for cars and delayed other tariffs on Mexico and Canada for a month.

CNN senior White House producer Betsy Klein is joining us now.

Betsy, it has been a week full of back and forth. What more are you learning about these new tariffs that are set to hit Canada next week?

BETSY KLEIN, CNN SENIOR WHITE HOUSE PRODUCER: Jessica, a week of tariff whiplash at the Trump White House. And President Trump, for his part, views tariffs and particularly the threat of tariffs as a key negotiating tactic, in this case taking aim at America's neighbors, Mexico and Canada, and trying to get them to crack down on the issue of fentanyl. So starting on Tuesday, the president placed 25 percent tariffs, as promised on Mexico and Canada.

He acknowledged, as markets were rocked that day, that there may be a little disturbance to the economy and told American farmers to stick with him. By Wednesday, he received a direct appeal from American automakers Ford, GM and Stellantis, who warned him that those tariffs on autos could hurt the domestic car sales. So he granted an exemption Wednesday for automakers. By Thursday, he backed off entirely on tariffs for Mexico and Canada for one month.

But that reprieve was in part short lived. By Friday, he was announcing 250 percent tariffs on Canadian dairy and lumber products, saying that that was a matter of fairness. Now, taken together, these moves have injected massive uncertainty into American markets and fueled anxiety amid businesses and consumers. But it also is setting up a key test, Jessica, for the leaders of Canada and Mexico, who will have to navigate Trump over the next month, their economy is depending so much on U.S. markets.

DEAN: Indeed, there will be much more to come on this.

Betsy Klein, though, with the latest tonight from West Palm Beach, Florida. Thank you so much for that. And while the political drama around tariffs and government job cuts

played out this week, President Trump also welcomed leaders from the crypto industry, meeting them face to face at the first ever White House Crypto Summit.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Yesterday, I signed an executive order officially creating our Strategic Bitcoin Reserve. And this will be a virtual Fort Knox for digital gold to be housed within the United States Treasury.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

DEAN: Joining us now, CNN global economic analyst Rana Foroohar and CNN chief media analyst Brian Stelter.

Good to see both of you on this Saturday night.

Rana, I want to start first with you. President Trump calling crypto digital gold. But how does a reserve for this work? Is it reliable? And you think about like a petroleum reserve. That's the thing that actually exists. A cryptocurrency reserve is different.

RANA FAROOHAR, CNN GLOBAL ECONOMIC ANALYST: Yes. For sure. You know gold is a good reference point because actually, as there's been increasing political worry about the U.S. both the price of gold and the price of bitcoin have been rising. And, you know, it is true that older people, if they want security, tend to go for gold, whereas younger people are more interested in crypto.

That is something that's a fact. It's hard to know, though, because we've never had a reserve currency that was literally completely virtual. You know, we've gone off the gold standard. Paper money is, you know, not physical, obviously, but bitcoin is something entirely new. And I'm going to be interested to hear the details. I mean, is this going to be backed by other kinds of assets? Are there going to be international agreements about the status of bitcoin as a reserve?

All TBD. And you know, of course, many people in Trump's camp are invested in crypto. So that also creates a sense of wariness, I think, about, you know, the extent to which the president himself maybe, you know, and Musk and those around him could be actually profiting from this move.

DEAN: Yes. I do think there's some real questions about that. And Brian, kind of to your area of expertise, how does this move really legitimize, help legitimize cryptocurrency, which I think, you know, has fought kind of this mainstream acceptance, fought for that. And then there's also the question of who around Trump and even himself benefits from these moves.

BRIAN STELTER, CNN CHIEF MEDIA ANALYST: And it's very hard to follow the money in these situations. This time last week, you know, the president came out and promoted very specific cryptocurrencies, and there were sudden spikes in trading over the weekend. By Monday those spikes had declined. The money had been pulled out. Some people got very rich. Some people lost a lot of money within those 24 to 48 hours.

[19:20:01]

As we've seen the stock market slide in recent days, we've seen some suggestions of rug pulling going on. When somebody comes out and pumps up one of these cryptocurrencies and then profits from it and leaves others holding the bag, so to speak. It's very hard, though, to follow the money in these situations. Maybe down the road we'll find out who has benefited, but in the short term, all we're left to do is speculate.

DEAN: Mm-hmm. And Rana, in terms of regulation for these companies and for, you know, cryptocurrency and as a whole, what is the -- how is the Trump presidency changing that environment, that regulatory environment?

FAROOHAR: Well, you know --

DEAN: Or is it?

(LAUGHTER)

FAROOHAR: What regulation, I guess is my answer to that. I mean, to be honest, the Biden White House was really not even able to complete the task of regulating cryptocurrency. Gary Gensler at the SEC did try to do that. Trump has actually, you know, just is in the process of trying to dismantle the CFPB, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. That's one of the agencies that would have looked out for things like fraud and, you know, problems with these currencies.

The SEC would be looking at speculation. I really have no reason to think that regulatory standards aren't going to weaken across the board under the Trump administration, not just for crypto, but for financial assets in general.

DEAN: Yes. And, Brian, I want to take us back to the discussion around tariffs. We saw this interview on FOX Business with Maria Bartiromo, who of course is a big Trump fan, a big Trump ally. But she asked him about the uncertainty that all of this is causing for business leaders. I want to play that clip.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MARIA BARTIROMO, FOX BUSINESS HOST: CEOs want to see predictability. They say, look, I have to speak with shareholders. I've got to make plans for Capex spending. I can't if it's 20 percent one day and then it's off for a month and it's 25 percent.

TRUMP: Yes.

BARTIROMO: So can you give us a sense of whether or not we are going to get clarity for the business community?

TRUMP: Well, I think so. But, you know, the tariffs could go up as time goes by and they may go up. And you know, I don't know if it's predictability. I think that --

BARTIROMO: So that's not clarity.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

DEAN: Brian, it's interesting to hear her speak back to him, say that's not clarity. She's trying to make the point that I've heard, too, from, you know, in business that people are having a hard time doing business when they don't know what the tariffs are going to be, how to kind of look forward and, you know, exist in that environment.

It is interesting, too. This is FOX Business. This is a media outlet that's usually quite friendly to Trump. What do you make of that kind of all put together?

STELTER: Yes. Right. The FOX feedback loop sometimes, you know, misinforms President Trump. But in this case it's actually trying to get him back on target. You know, trying to -- excuse me, trying to help him, you know, kind of down a better path for the markets. And we do see ultimately some of these business anchors, business correspondents trying to guide the president, trying to give him advice through the television.

I really think someday somebody is going to write a book, an entire 300, 400-page book, just about what happened last week with the markets and the tariffs, because the amount of whiplash, the amount of uncertainty, the profit taking, the losses, you know, it is book worthy. There has been so much of that chaos.

And listen, ultimately, when it comes to tariffs, when it comes to layoffs, the federal agencies, you can do things the best way or the worst way. You know, a good way or a bad way. I think what people like Maria Bartiromo are trying to address is not how, you know, not that Trump is doing it, but how he's doing it. Right? And whether there's too much damage being done as a result of the way he is going about this.

DEAN: Yes. And Rana, to that point, I mean, it's an old adage, but the markets like stability, they like certainty. They thrive off of that.

FAROOHAR: Yes. And particularly with something as groundbreaking as the tariff strategy, you really want to do it carefully. You know, I have not been against tariffs. I think tariffs on China, I was actually for them when Trump won. I was for them during the Biden administration because I think that there are certain mercantilist practices that you need to protect against. And I think that tariffs can be one tool in the economic toolbox if you're trying to regrow strategic industries at home.

But it's a big, big shift from the way we've done things really in the last 40 years. And so when you're trying to make that kind of shift, you would want to communicate it very carefully, very discreetly to the markets. And you also want to make sure that you're not slapping tariffs on adversaries and allies alike at the same time. I think that's been really, really concerning for people. You know, they're hearing China, Mexico, Canada are somehow all in the

same basket. That doesn't make sense. In fact, one of the interesting things is that Trump is in some ways undoing what some economists thought was a good thing, a good result of the China tariffs from the first Trump administration. It moved more production regionally into that U.S., Canada, Mexico orbit.

[19:25:00]

And that's really sort of what you want in terms of security and resiliency. So the U.S. can't go it completely alone. And the markets 100 percent want a clear articulated strategy.

DEAN: All right. Rana and Brian, our thanks to both of you. Appreciate it.

FAROOHAR: Thanks.

DEAN: Coming up, the U.S. set to restart peace talks with Ukraine even as Russia's attacks are more intense. The warning President Zelenskyy is hoping to send to Washington ahead of next week's negotiations. We'll talk more about it.

You're in the CNN NEWSROOM.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

DEAN: Tonight, Ukrainians are bracing for more Russian strikes after a week of attacks that mostly targeted the country's energy sites. Overnight, local officials say at least 20 people were killed. President Zelenskyy says these continued attacks, quote, "prove that Russia's goals are unchanged." CNN's Melissa Bell has more now -- Melissa.

[19:30:13]

MELISSA BELL, CNN SENIOR POLITICAL CORRESPONDENT: More civilian deaths in Ukraine over the course of the last day, 23 people killed, many more injured, say Ukrainian officials, the result of missile and drone strikes in Ukraine, even as Ukrainian forces on the front lines are under pressure. Specifically, we understand, from both Ukrainian and Russian bloggers in the Kursk Region captured by Ukrainian, remember last August.

What we understand is that Ukrainian forces there are now in their weakest position since that area was captured with fears that what might have been a crucial bit of leverage for Ukrainians is looking less and less certain for them.

This, as Ukrainian officials prepare to meet with American officials in Saudi Arabia on Tuesday, President Zelenskyy himself will be in the Country on Monday. At the heart of those negotiations, what we understand is this partial ceasefire idea that was initially floated by the French President, now backed by President Zelenskyy, essentially, what it would include, should it be accepted and go ahead, is the idea of a ceasefire in the air, in the sea, and on critical infrastructure.

So the key -- the battle lines would continue to be fought over. But what the plan entails is that limited ceasefire, a prisoner swap as a sort of trust building step, as officials hope that a ceasefire along the full front line can at some point be reached.

But certainly for President Zelenskyy, the ending of -- the freezing, rather, of American aid and military aid, with all its vital importance to Ukrainians' air defenses, again tested over the course of the last day, but also, perhaps most importantly, the end of the intelligence sharing with Ukrainian authorities really leaves it in a very weak position as it heads into those key negotiations -- Jessica.

DEAN: Melissa Bell, thank you very much for that.

Meantime, a Kremlin spokesperson confirming to CNN, Russia will not be at those talks next week in Saudi Arabia. President Trump on Friday warning of, "large scale banking sanctions and tariffs on Russia" until a peace deal is reached.

Now, this follows weeks of conciliatory statements toward Moscow and Vladimir Putin.

Joining us now, CNN contributor and former Moscow bureau chief Jill Dougherty. Jill, good to see you.

JILL DOUGHERTY, CNN CONTRIBUTOR: Thank you.

DEAN: White House economic advisor Kevin Hassett suggested this effort, this threat was an effort to get Russia to the negotiating table. Do you think that's an effective strategy with Putin?

DOUGHERTY: Well, if 0you look at the strategy so far, it appears that, yes, President Trump is trying to push both sides to get to the table. But he has been pushing Ukraine an awful lot more than he has been pushing Russia. In fact, you really could argue that he is not pushing Russia, even though he did say, I am considering large scale sanctions and tariffs, et cetera.

He is only considering, he did not take them. And you'd have to say, you know, on the sanctions, they've been sanctioned for a long time and it hasn't deterred Vladimir Putin. He is still fighting that war.

Then tariffs, there's no trade essentially between the United States and Russia. So tariffs wouldn't really be effective anyway. And then you have the reverse and, you know, we can talk about this, which is really a barrage of criticism about Ukraine and especially about Zelenskyy, who is in a very sticky situation right now. He has to repair that relationship with President Trump.

DEAN: To be able to move forward -- and since Russia's 2022 invasion, the U.S. sanctions have largely been aimed for Russia at limiting revenue from the country's oil and gas industry. What options do you think if he does move forward with that, what kind of options might he even have there? DOUGHERTY: Well, I mean, there are individuals who could be sanctioned. There are -- I presume, they have some idea of banking sanctions that I believe they actually specifically mentioned that. What that would entail is very hard to say. Because again, in the same breath, President Trump is saying, well, maybe we can have a renewed economic relationship with Russia.

So, you know, looking at the Russian media, looking at the statements from the Russian government, et cetera, I don't really think that they are particularly scared about all of this. They seem to be kind of taking it in stride or pretty much ignoring it, and they continue just to, you know, hammer what they want to say, which is -- look, Europe and the United States, the allies are splitting.

Now, it's the United States and Russia who want peace, Ukraine does not want peace. So, at least in my opinion, Vladimir Putin continues right on the road that he's been on for three years.

DEAN: And you mentioned that Zelenskyy is in this sticky spot right now on trying to kind of figure out how to move forward. We know that Trump is really interested in Ukraine's rare earth minerals as part of the negotiations. What do you think -- how do you think that all kind of shakes out as we look ahead to what's going to unfold next week?

[19:35:34]

DOUGHERTY: Yes, it's really a crucial meeting there's no question. I think if you look at the Trump administration, which is really driving all of this, they want a quick end to this war and quick is really, I think, the operative word. They want this over as fast as possible. So, you know, moving toward that ceasefire that they're talking about some type of kind of partial ceasefire.

And then, signing the minerals deal that at least would give President Trump what he wants. And then also, I think you have to say, even on that, the minerals deal would be if it comes about, it would be years in advance. You know, none of that infrastructure exists. None of this -- there are no mines.

All of these would have to be built and that takes years and years and years. So, even that is something for the future. I think it's really, you know, focus on the ceasefire ASAP is what Trump wants. But Zelenskyy wants, yes, maybe a ceasefire, et cetera, but he wants long term security guarantees and that is really complicating this?

DEAN: Yes, that's going to be the big question.

All right, Jill Dougherty, as always, thank you very much. We appreciate it.

DOUGHERTY: Sure.

DEAN: Still ahead, a stark warning from scientists, why experts say DOGE cuts could literally put lives at risk.

You're in the CNN NEWSROOM. (COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[19:41:41]

DEAN: Taking you back to our breaking news tonight. New York's Governor has declared a state of emergency as crews fight a major brush fire out on Long Island. Governor Kathy Hochul telling us earlier firefighters are working to put a wet line up to stop that fire from spreading.

She said four Blackhawk helicopters are helping, each dumping 660 gallons of water on that fire, but warned they are concerned winds could pick up tonight. The Governor says right now, no evacuations have been issued, but ferries are on standby. We'll keep our eye on that.

Also tonight, "The New York Times" reports the Trump administration plans even more cuts at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Now, that's on top of mass layoffs and resignations last week. Scientists are raising concerns about how the cuts could threaten public safety. CNN's M.J. Lee reports.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ANDY HAZELTON, HURRICANE HUNTER: Right now the wind is 13 miles an hour --

M.J. LEE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Andy Hazelton, is a hurricane hunter.

LEE (on camera): And you are saying there's like a version of this on the plane?

HAZELTON: Oh yes, a much more sophisticated version of it. You Know, there's anemometers and all sorts of instruments, radar and things like that.

LEE (voice over): As a physical scientist working at the National Hurricane Center in Miami, he has flown into the eye of the storm countless times, including catastrophic hurricanes Helene, Dorian and Ian.

HAZELTON: You basically fly through the storm three to four times, and then the forecasters are getting that data in real time. They're using that for their advisories to tell people, hey, this is where the storm is. This is how strong it is.

LEE (voice over): But as of last week, Andy is out of a job.

LEE (on camera): And your last day was Thursday.

HAZELTON: Last Thursday, yes, ma'am.

LEE (voice over): He was one of the hundreds of employees at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, or NOAA, whose roles were abruptly terminated as part of the Trump administration's sweeping efforts to drastically slim down the federal government. And it's not just hurricane forecasting, most divisions of NOAA, which researches everything from the weather to oceans to biodiversity, were affected by the cuts, raising alarm bells across the scientific community about the potential impacts on public safety and the economy.

HAZELTON: This is Biscayne Bay, where, you know, out of the Black Point Marina. Right there at that point, there is right where Hurricane Andrew, the center of it, made landfall back in 1992.

LEE (voice over): Andrew was the strongest hurricane to hit South Florida in 1992. Only the fourth category five hurricane that century to make landfall in the U.S., leaving in its path catastrophic destruction.

HAZELTON: This is the track forecast error.

LEE (voice over): In the 30-plus years since hurricane Andrew, Andy and scientists like him have helped make huge improvements to hurricane modeling and forecasts.

HAZELTON: Your five-day here is only 100 miles up.

LEE (voice over): When he wasn't out on storm flight missions, Andy built codes and graphics that helped predict the path and strength of future hurricanes.

HAZELTON: A five-day forecast now is as accurate as a one day forecast in Hurricane Andrew. So, think about that, you know, you have five days to prepare versus one you can convince people to evacuate. You can do a lot more things to prepare your home.

LEE (on camera): So we've really come a long way.

HAZELTON: We have.

LEE (voice over): Right up until he was fired, Andy says he and his colleagues had been busy preparing for the upcoming hurricane season just a few months away. Now, he is entirely unsure what the mass firings at NOAA will mean for the unfinished work.

LEE (on camera): Do you worry that we are about to go backwards when it comes to the science?

HAZELTON: I do. I mean, I hope, you know, I know that the colleagues that I still have there, you know, they're going to work hard and do their best. But, you know, when you have few people in places that are already understaffed, it just gets harder and harder.

[19:45:13]

LEE (voice over): And as he wonders about his own future, Andy, like so many Floridians, is also wondering about the next hurricane.

LEE (on camera): What does it mean for you that you can't do the work that you want to be doing? HAZELTON: I worry for the safety of, you know, the people here and my friends, my neighbors, our family and across the border. I mean, here in South Florida, like I said, we've been pretty lucky since Andrew. But if we look historically, that luck won't last forever.

LEE (on camera): And in talking to some of these recently fired federal workers, whether it's at NOAA or USAID, many of them do very specialized work, and they're quite passionate about the work that they do.

And as for Andy's case, he is young. He's 34, he is from Florida, basically grew up experiencing some of these major hurricanes going through his home state of Florida. And he's known for a very long time since he was a kid, that meteorology and hurricanes were things that he was interested in.

So, we are talking about an entire generation of scientists who are currently a little uncertain about their future and what is to come. As for Andy, he would love to continue growing his career at NOAA, he tells me.

M.J. Lee, CNN in Washington, D.C.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

DEAN: M.J. thank you.

Still ahead, the risks behind drinking raw milk and what's behind its rise in popularity?

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DEAN: Raw milk is increasingly becoming a new culture war flashpoint, as a small but growing number of Americans turn to unpasteurized milk despite some serious health risks. The nation's new Health Secretary, Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. is leading an effort to make it more accessible. CNN's Julia Vargas Jones has details.

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MARK MCAFEE, CEO, RAW FARM: Oh, yes, she's got milk.

JULIA VARGAS JONES, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice over): No, pasteurization, no processing, just milk straight from the cow.

Despite safety concerns, raw milk is having a moment. Mark McAfee is at the forefront of a movement to elevate it from the cultural fringes to the national mainstream.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Raw farm, dairy --

JONES (voice over): Raw milk has spiked in popularity in recent years and spilled into culture wars and even into politics.

ROBERT F. KENNEDY, JR., UNITED STATES SECRETARY OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES: I will only drink raw milk.

JONES (voice over): Secretary of Health and Human Services Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., turning it into a policy flashpoint.

KENNEDY: The FDA is the enemy of raw milk.

JONES (on camera): So, you buy into the whole movement of making America healthy again.

MCAFEE: So to make America healthy, to make the world healthy, we have to address the fact that food is medicine.

JONES (voice over): McAfee's raw farm takes a grass to glass approach.

MCAFEE: Are you ready? Just a sip.

JONES (on camera): Oh, gosh.

JONES (voice over): He says his product is not only safe to drink, but also offers a wide ranging list of health benefits.

MCAFEE: These are anti-cancer, anti-inflammatory, anti-tumor, antihypertensive, remineralization, good for the immune system, mast cell stabilization, all these kinds of things that are destroyed in pasteurization.

JONES, (voice over): But all of that disputed by food scientists.

JONES (on camera): So, I'll read you a claim and you tell me if that's true or false. Raw milk has additional bacteria that is beneficial for the gut.

JOHN LUCEY, DIRECTOR, CENTER FOR DAIRY RESEARCH: False.

JONES (on camera): Raw milk helps build the immune system.

LUCEY: False.

JONES (on camera): Raw milk can help cure allergies and asthma.

LUCEY: False.

The idea that pasteurization is, you know, reducing the nutrient profile are making this milk somehow inferior is just nonsense.

JONES (voice over): Fewer than one percent of Americans say they regularly drink raw milk and the FDA has issued numerous warnings about the risks.

Raw farm has faced multiple lawsuits and recalls after E.coli, bird flu and salmonella outbreaks. The latter, the largest connected to unpasteurized milk in decades.

California is one of 15 states where you can find raw milk at a grocery store. In some parts of the country, you can only buy it directly from farmers. Sixteen states prohibit sales for human consumption.

Nationwide, the FDA strongly encourages pasteurization for all milk and prohibits sales of raw milk across state lines. But change may be on the horizon.

McAfee says he was invited to apply for an advisory role in RFK Jr.'s FDA, and has already drafted a proposal for an ordinance that would establish an office with budget from Congress, create raw milk standards for farmers, and remove current regulations.

MCAFEE: ... we expect people to have access to super high quality raw milk, you're going to have to change a bunch of rules.

JONES (on camera): The HHS has not responded to CNN's request for comment, but McAfee said that Kennedy, who he says is a customer of his as well, has already reached out to his company, telling them to plan on having raw milk meetings as soon as his new FDA chief is confirmed.

Julia Vargas Jones, CNN.

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DEAN: Julia, thank you. We'll be right back.

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[19:59:10]

DEAN: Tonight, a new episode of "Have I Got News for You" airs at 9:00 Eastern and Pacific. Here's a preview.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ROY WOOD, JR., AMERICAN STAND-UP COMEDIAN AND ACTOR: Here's Mike Johnson dropping the hammer.

REP. MIKE JOHNSON (R-LA): The House has resolved that Representative Al Green be censured.

WOOD JR.: After the vote, Democrats sang a Negro-spiritual to support their colleague --

AMBER RUFFIN, AMERICAN COMEDIAN, WRITER AND ACTRESS: Roy, I will flip this whole desk. I swear Christ.

WOOD JR.: Bonus, question --

RUFFIN: Roy.

WOOD JR.: Which Negro-spiritual did they sing?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: No way, no way.

WOOD, JR.: Michael -- hit it, Michael.

RUFFIN: No.

MICHAEL IAN BLACK, AMERICAN COMEDIAN, WRITER AND ACTOR: We shall overcome --

RUFFIN: No, Devil.

BLACK: We shall overcome -- and then they went into bass -- how low can you go, we'll go -- what a brother know once again, back in here. It was very surprising. But it was beautifully executed.

WOOD, JR.: What Civil Rights 90's CNC music factory crossover did you just do?

(END VIDEO CLIP)

DEAN: Be sure to tune in. A new episode of "Have I Got News for You" is tonight at 9:00 P.M..

Thank you so much for joining me this evening. I'm Jessica Dean. I'll See you again tomorrow night, we start at 5:00 Eastern, "Real Time With Bill Maher" is up next.

Have a great night everyone.

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