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1,700 Plus Dead as Rescuers Struggle in Myanmar Quake Aftermath; Protesters Stage "Global Day of Action" Against Elon Musk; Boston Judge Halts Deportation Order Against Rumeysa Ozturk; Protests Held in Gaza Last Week Against Hamas Rule; GOP Looks to Hold on to Slim House Majority in Florida Races; Utah Becomes First State to Ban Fluoride in Drinking Water. Aired 5-6 am ET
Aired March 30, 2025 - 05:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
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[05:00:35]
KIM BRUNHUBER, CNN ANCHOR: Hello and welcome 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.
The race to find survivors as aid groups respond to the deadly earthquake in Southeast Asia. We'll look at what obstacles stand in their way.
Protests across the U.S., all part of a so-called Tesla takedown, why demonstrators are targeting Elon Musk's business interests.
Plus, a special election this week in Florida. What the results could say about the strength of President Trump's brand.
ANNOUNCER: Live from Atlanta, this is CNN Newsroom with Kim Brunhuber.
BRUNHUBER: A desperate race is underway to find survivors after Friday's deadly earthquake tore through Southeast Asia.
The death toll in Myanmar has now jumped to at least 1,700, and that number is expected to climb much higher.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MARIE MANRIQUE, MYANMAR PROGRAM COORDINATOR, IFRC: What we're seeing here in Myanmar is a level of devastation that hasn't been seen over a century in Asia. This is a level of the earthquake that we're going to see not just today, tomorrow, but for the next weeks, ongoing death tolls, types of injuries. We know that buildings have collapsed. There are people still under those buildings. We have a small window of opportunity to reach those people now.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BRUNHUBER: Health workers on the ground are struggling, as the United Nations says everything from damaged roads to a shortage of medical supplies are hurting relief efforts. Rescue teams are also criticizing a lack of aid from the military government, which is waging a civil war against rebels. But the country's so-called shadow government has announced a two-week pause in offensive military operations.
They include ousted but democratically elected lawmakers who oppose the ruling junta. A U.N. human rights representative for Myanmar is now urging the international community to work with the shadow government on relief.
Now there is some good news. Just hours ago, this young man was pulled alive from wreckage after being stuck under the rubble for about 40 hours. And in Bangkok, Thailand, the city reports about 9,500 buildings have been damaged. It also announced its death toll has risen to 17.
Rescue workers there are still looking for survivors after a high-rise collapsed. Two bodies have been recovered.
All right, joining us live from Singapore is journalist Manisha Tank.
And, Manisha, bring us up to speed on the latest.
MANISHA TANK, JOURNALIST: Well, actually, you were talking about the fatalities there, a very sad fact coming from Bangkok. We know that at least 80 people are still missing, according to authorities there. And also they are sending out teams to make sure that other buildings that may have been damaged in this quake are also secure.
Bangkok is not a city that's familiar with earthquakes. It's just not something you think of in that part of the world. So this has come as a huge shock and a surprise.
And, of course, in neighboring Myanmar, you were pointing out some of the numbers, the loss of life there. We can expect, according to a lot of agencies, for those numbers to rise.
One of the big difficulties is actually getting teams to where they're needed most to assess the damage. There are power outages. It's very difficult to get on the Internet. So these sorts of things are hampering efforts.
But amid all of this tragedy, as you say, and you've already illustrated, there are stories of hope managing to work their way through, including the story that we heard of a lady in Bangkok who was in labor when the earthquake struck. Have a listen to this.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
KANTHONG SAENMUANGSHIN, THAI MOTHER (through translator): I was telling my baby, don't come out yet. But the pain kept growing and growing as I was coming down the stairs. Then I was put on a hospital bed and was surrounded by a lot of medical staff, where I just gave birth right then and there. It was all a shock to me, too.
(END VIDEO CLIP) TANK: Kim, you were mentioning the United Nations. The United Nations is providing as much data as it can to give us updates on the situation. I can tell you that they've said nearly 1,700 houses in Myanmar, 617 monasteries. And we don't know how many hundreds of years old some of those might have been. Those have also collapsed, schools, bridges.
We are now beginning to get satellite imagery of the kind of destruction that we can expect to see in Myanmar. There are photos showing what it looked like before and then after. For example, a bridge that is the Sagaing Bridge, which goes over the Irrawaddy River. It separates Sagaing from Mandalay. That has collapsed and it has sort of sections to the bridge, the whole thing collapsing into the water. There are other neighborhoods where you can clearly see the destruction.
[05:05:14]
Pagodas, for example, from those beautiful monasteries and temples, completely reduced to just crumbs, really, from the force of Mother Nature and whole neighborhoods, which have been flattened. So there's a huge amount of work to do, at least the government, and we hope that they will honor what it is they've said. But in a very rare appeal, they said that they'll leave the pathways open for foreign aid to come in and make its way to where it's needed, Kim.
BRUNHUBER: Yeah, such a huge challenge ahead. Manisha Tank in Singapore, thanks so much.
Both Wall Street and Main Street are on edge ahead of what U.S. President Donald Trump dubbed the Liberation Day. That would be this Wednesday when his reciprocal tariffs on imports would kick in. It would match whatever tariffs foreign countries impose on their imports from the U.S. But that's only step one, because separate 25% tariffs on car imports are set to go into effect the next day. The move is expected to add thousands of dollars to cars' sticker prices.
But Trump said on Saturday he couldn't care less if the prices shoot up, because people will eventually start buying more American cars. He also indicated he's open to negotiations on tariffs if he gets something of great value in return.
Meanwhile, new data shows U.S. consumer confidence is taking a nosedive, while stocks followed suit Friday, with the DOW on track for its worst quarter since 2022.
Elon Musk faces a growing backlash in the United States and abroad for his role in slashing U.S. government jobs and foreign aid. The Tesla takedown movement staged a global day of action on Saturday. Here in the United States, more than 200 demonstrations were scheduled at Tesla locations across the country. The protesters are angry with Elon Musk, the Tesla CEO and head of President Donald Trump's Department of Government Efficiency. In his government role, Musk has worked to gut federal staffing and budgets.
NANCY BIRDSALL, PROTESTER: I'm an economist, and this is not about efficiency. This is about reducing efficiency. You know, it's taking a hammer to issues.
Getting rid of senior people especially does not bode well for improving any efficiency.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BRUNHUBER: CNN's Marybel Gonzalez reports from a protest in Southern California.
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MARYBEL GONZALEZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT: The protests against Tesla and Elon Musk continue nationwide, with over 200 reported just this weekend alone.
Now here in Pasadena, California, dozens and dozens of people have come out outside of a Tesla store with signs saying, democracy is not autocracy. Keep Elon Musk out of the federal government.
All sorts of messages they hold to the ears of President Donald Trump and Elon Musk himself. They're critical of Musk's recent downsizing of federal agencies and their employees, and they say they're worried about the future, especially when we're talking about their health care and their other needs. We spoke to one organizer who tells us what drove him to attend this protest, which is now his third one in recent weeks.
SCOTT VICTOR, PROTESTER: These are not regular protestors here. This is a pretty seasoned crowd, if you know what I mean. Probably most people here are over 60. And, you know, these aren't the activist type of people, so you've got to ask the question, why are these people coming out here? There's been a wholesale gutting of Social Security, there's a threat to Medicare and Medicaid, and there's so many people in our state, how did it end up that way?
GONZALEZ: Now, these protests have been, by and large, peaceful, with organizers of this movement asking protestors to remain calm when sending their message. But we do know that there's been several incidents of violent attacks and vandalism on Tesla cars, Tesla dealerships, and other Tesla facilities.
I asked these organizers what they think about these acts of vandalism, and they strongly denounced them, saying that is not the way to send a message. Instead, they said this is what people should be doing, taking to the streets to boycott Musk's companies until they see him step down.
Reporting in Pasadena, California, Marybel Gonzalez.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
BRUNHUBER: Well, Elon Musk has gone from the darling of environmentally conscious E.V. owners to a pariah for many after he led the charge for massive federal job and budget cuts. Tesla's stock has fallen 45% since December. Wall Street Analyst Dan Ives has been one of Tesla's most bullish
cheerleaders, but he's reassessing his opinion and explaining what he thinks Musk should do to turn things around.
Here he is.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DAN IVES, GLOBAL HEAD OF TECH RESEARCH, WEDBUSH SECURITIES: There's going to need to be a balance, almost arm's length, you know, in terms of how he's going to, you know, interact with DOGE as well as being CEO of Tesla.
[05:10:03]
This is not sustainable. This cannot continue at this pace. I think that all hands meeting that was a step forward. But I mean, for Musk, this is a key four to six weeks ahead. It's sort of the clock struck midnight. He needs to sort of balance this. This cannot continue at this pace. And Musk is Tesla. Tesla is Musk.
Where's Jensen from NVIDIA now? Looking at code? Where is Cook from Apple? You know, where's Nadella from Microsoft? I mean, there -- so it just speaks to the point like, OK, Musk is obviously going to do this differently. But I think it's reached a tipping point. And I think you see in the stock, you see it investors. And that right now, for Musk, this is a key period ahead. And days like today cannot continue for Tesla.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BRUNHUBER: President Trump is escalating his threats to take over Greenland. He told "NBC News" he's engaged in serious discussions about annexing the Danish territory, but it's not clear who he may be discussing it with. And when he was asked about the possibility of using military force to take over the island, the U.S. president said, quote, "I don't take anything off the table."
This comes after Vice President J.D. Vance's controversial visit to Greenland stirred up anger. The Trump administration stuck to its aggressive stance.
Listen to this.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
J.D. VANCE (R), U.S. VICE PRESIDENT: We can't just ignore this place. We can't just ignore the president's desires.
DONALD TRUMP (R), U.S. PRESIDENT: We need Greenland, very importantly, for international security. We have to have Greenland.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BRUNHUBER: U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth is in Japan as part of his tour of Asia. Earlier today, he held a press conference with his Japanese counterpart in Tokyo. The trip comes amid questions about how the Trump administration will handle U.S. military alliances. Hegseth said this.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
PETE HEGSETH, U.S. DEFENSE SECRETARY: America and Japan, we seek peace. But as my first platoon motto says, those who long for peace must prepare for war. We must be prepared.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BRUNHUBER: On Friday, Hegseth signed a memorandum to downsize the Pentagon's civilian workforce. Officials said last month they would cut up to 8% of the Pentagon's 950,000 civilian workers.
Now, amid a growing scandal over discussion of U.S. military operations on a commercial messaging app, President Donald Trump says he does have confidence in National Security Advisor Mike Waltz and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth.
Trump told NBC News' Kristen Walker that the controversy is, quote, "just a witch hunt" and the "fake news." Now, this comes after "The New York Times" reported that the president has privately considered firing Waltz, who mistakenly added a journalist to a Signal group chat that included detailed attack plans against Houthi rebels in Yemen.
Earlier this week, Trump said Waltz was doing his best.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
TRUMP: No, I don't think he should apologize. I think he's doing his best. It's equipment and technology that's not perfect, and probably he won't be using it again, at least not in the very near future. What do you think?
MIKE WALTZ, U.S. NATIONAL SECURITY ADVISER: Sir, I agree with you. Let's get everybody in the room whenever possible.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BRUNHUBER: But "The Times" reports that the president has grown frustrated and angry that the story won't go away.
A federal judge in Boston has temporarily halted the deportation order against a detained Tufts University student. Immigration authorities were told to stop deportation proceedings against Rumeysa Ozturk, a pro-Palestinian activist.
CNN's Rafael Romo has more.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
RAFAEL ROMO, CNN CORRESPONDENT: The only thing that's temporarily stopping U.S. immigration authorities from removing the 30-year-old Ph.D. student is an order published by a Massachusetts district court. Judge Denise Casper wrote that Rumeysa Ozturk, who is currently in detention at a Louisiana facility, shall not be removed from the United States until further order from this court.
As you may remember, Ozturk was arrested Tuesday night near her home by six plainclothes officers, who suddenly encircled her on the street near her apartment in Somerville, Massachusetts, in the Boston area. Her attorneys say the Tufts University international student was transported across multiple states before ending up at the Louisiana facility.
In a statement, Ozturk attorney Mahsa Khanbabai said the following about the federal judge's order. This is a first step in getting Rumeysa released back in home to Boston so she can continue her studies. But we never should have gotten here in the first place, she said. Rumeysa's experience is shocking, cruel and unconstitutional.
Ozturk is one of several international university students facing deportation following a Trump administration order to crack down on pro-Palestinian demonstrations on college campuses.
This is what Secretary of State Marco Rubio had to say about these cases.
MARCO RUBIO, U.S. SECRETARY OF STATE: Every time I find one of these lunatics, I take away their visa.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: You're saying it could be more than 300.
RUBIO: Sure. I mean, at some point, I hope we run out because we've gotten rid of all of them. Why would any country in the world allow people to come and disrupt? We gave you a visa to come and study and get a degree, not to become a social activist that tears up our university campuses. And if we've given you a visa and then you decide to do that, we're going to take it away.
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ROMO: There's another case that stands out, that of a Russian scientist who was detained after failing to declare frog embryos upon returning to Boston from France, according to her attorney.
Kseniia Petrova, who works at Harvard Medical School, has been detained for weeks and could be deported. Her attorney, Greg Romanovsky, says his client faces deportation to her native country, where he says she would face immediate arrest over her previous outspoken opposition to Russia's invasion of Ukraine. Romanovsky says she has an immigration court hearing in Louisiana in early May.
Rafael Romo, CNN Atlanta.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
BRUNHUBER: Ecuador's president met with Donald Trump on Saturday. Daniel Noboa is pushing for troops from the U.S., Brazil and Europe to help his country fight powerful gangs. He shared this photo on social media.
Ecuadorian officials say it was a, quote, "friendly and private meeting." President Noboa is facing a runoff election in two weeks. His opposition, leftist candidate Luisa Gonzalez, opposes bringing foreign troops to Ecuador.
Well, there are no signs of a letup in the protests over the arrest of a popular mayor in Turkey. Still had thousands of supporters hold a rally to push back against his imprisonment.
Plus, people turned out this week in Gaza to protest against Hamas rule. We'll speak with one Palestinian in the U.S. about why the demonstrations are happening now.
Also ahead, Russian drones strike Ukraine's second largest city as Kyiv reports moves to open a new front across the border.
Stay with us.
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[05:20:40]
BRUNHUBER: Turkey's opposition is keeping up the pressure on the government following the arrest of the popular mayor of Istanbul. Thousands of people attended a rally in Istanbul on Saturday, more than a week after Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu was detained on corruption charges. It happened just before he was selected to be the opposition's candidate in the next presidential election expected in 2028. His supporters say the arrest was politically motivated, and some polls show he would beat President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.
Demonstrators turned out in Israel Saturday to demand that the government accept a ceasefire and secure the release of all hostages in Hamas captivity. Well, this was the scene in Tel Aviv as minor scuffles broke out between police and protesters. They want the government to agree to a ceasefire proposal that would see Hamas release five hostages and allow humanitarian aid to enter Gaza. Hamas said Saturday that it would accept the deal.
Meanwhile, the Israeli military is ramping up its attacks in Gaza. The IDF announced the start of ground activity in Rafah and ordered some neighborhoods in southern Gaza to be evacuated.
This week, Gaza has seen Palestinians take to the enclave's devastated streets to protest rule by Hamas and Israel's continuing attacks. Now, thousands of people have participated. A demonstration on Tuesday was the largest protest against the militant group since the October 7th attack on Israel.
Gaza has been under the control of Hamas, designated a terror group by the U.S. since 2007. Protesters say the Islamist organization bears responsibility for the destruction in the enclave, along with Israel. And there are concerns that Hamas will crack down on dissent if protests continue.
All right, we're joined now from Washington, D.C., by Khalil Sayegh, President of Agora Initiative.
Thank you so much for being here with us. So, just to start, some context. How widespread are these protests, and how unusual are they?
KHALIL SAYEGH, PRESIDENT, AGORA INITIATIVE: Thanks for having me, Kim. It's quite widespread. It actually started from the northern part of Gaza, Beit Lahia, the part that have seen the most bombardments by the Israeli occupation.
This is an area that was completely devastated by Israel. There was an attempt to ethnic cleanse it completely, to push out people out of it. However, on March 25th, we've seen people rising up to the streets, saying no to evacuation order by Israel, saying no to the continuation of bombardments, and saying very clearly that Hamas is responsible for part of this.
This is happening, and saying very clearly that their demand, not only for Hamas to step out of government, but for Hamas to step out of their lives. Do you want to see Hamas in Gaza dismantled? Because Hamas has been causing these issues for them in their lives, this war, but not only this war. The broader context is 18 years of Hamas authoritarian regime in Gaza, really repressing the Palestinians there. And 18 years of war after war between Israel and Hamas that gets them nowhere. So, it's quite widespread.
BRUNHUBER: So, I mean, this -- the war and all the suffering originally caused by Hamas' October 7th attack on Israel, I mean, this has been going on for almost a year and a half. So, why now?
SAYEGH: Yeah, to start with, I would say the context is not only October 7th. Things have started definitely before October 7th. Even before October 7th, it was already the deadliest year on Palestinians in the West Bank. This is an occupation that has been going on for decades, and Israel have refused any attempts to a political solution.
That being said, yes, Hamas is part of the problem. And Hamas has been not only, you know, committed the October -- horrific crimes on October 7th, but also have cracked down on Palestinians for so long within Gaza.
Now, when we -- when we say why now, I think that anger has been accumulating for so long. Anger has been accumulating against Hamas for so long. However, this is a breaking point for people because they are tired.
After the ceasefire, phase one of ceasefire has been violated by Israel, return of fighting is back, and people feel the need to speak. However, it's important to point out that just before October 7th happened, two months before that, in August 2023, we have witnessed a huge protest against Hamas.
So, if anything, the Israeli bombardments and attack on Israel has delayed the protest against Hamas rather than accelerated it. But this is a point where people start seeing that Hamas is not making any compromises from their point of view.
[05:25:13]
Yes, obviously, Israel is the one that violated the ceasefire agreement. But as far as the people in Gaza are concerned, they don't want Hamas to only make a compromise. They want Hamas to leave Gaza Strip. This is a movement that is controlled by a coup. Since 2018, there is no election held, and there is no taking responsibility over the destruction that brought to Gaza, and the people simply want them to leave.
BRUNHUBER: All right. So, let's get to the import of all of this. If Hamas loses popular support, what does that mean in practical terms? And what impact or pressure might this put on Hamas in the cease-fire negotiations with Israel?
SAYEGH: The reality is, Hamas already lost popular support in Gaza. This is just a fact. Statistically, the majority of the people opposed them. We've seen in the protest hundreds of thousands -- or, sorry, we've seen in the protest at least tens of thousands. There is no way to confirm the exact numbers. We've seen how Hamas, during the six weeks of ceasefire, spend their time kidnapping Palestinian dissidents, shooting them in the legs in really horrific ways in Gaza to silence them.
And then, in the 28th of March, they kidnapped one of the protesters, Odai Al-Rubai, and they tortured him to death, Kim. They tortured him to death. They dragged his body in front of his home, left his body in front of his home, and told his family, this is the price of criticizing Hamas. So, Hamas is losing credibility and losing popular support in Gaza.
However, the main obstacle for really replacing Hamas in Gaza has been the Israeli occupation. Here is -- you have a government in Israel led by Netanyahu that says there is no political solution for Gaza, that says we want to have continuous war forever. And this continuous war, A, is recruiting certain people for Hamas, and B, is not allowing any kind of policing forces to come to Gaza. The only solution for Gaza is a political solution, one that will allow Palestinian forces that has legitimacy from the Palestinian streets to stop Hamas' authoritarian and criminal militias from cracking down on Palestinians.
BRUNHUBER: Yeah, certainly the dynamics do seem to be changing. We will see what effect all of this has in the weeks to come. Khalil Sayegh, thank you so much for speaking with us.
SAYEGH: Thanks for having me.
BRUNHUBER: Ukraine could be trying to get a new bargaining chip in ceasefire talks with Moscow. The Kremlin says Ukrainian forces have launched an incursion into Russia's Belgorod region, claiming 20 villages are under attack. Ukraine has been silent about that allegation.
But the operation would come as Ukraine is losing ground in Russia's Kursk region, where Kyiv gained ground last August. It's not clear what Ukraine's goals in Belgorod might be. But both sides are looking for territorial gains as the White House pushes for a cease-fire.
Meanwhile, Ukraine says Russian drones hit the city of Kharkiv Saturday night, killing two people and injuring at least 25. The attacks hit a military hospital, a shopping center and residential buildings.
Well, Donald Trump needs another big win in Florida. Voters there are about to go back to the polls in a special election to look at why the Republicans are worried about a race they're almost certain to win.
Stay with us.
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[05:31:58]
BRUNHUBER: Welcome back to CNN Newsroom. I'm Kim Brunhuber in Atlanta.
Let's check some of today's top stories. The race to find survivors is underway after Friday's deadly earthquake in Southeast Asia. More than 1,700 people are dead in Myanmar, and that number is expected to climb. The United Nations says damaged roads and a shortage of medical supplies are hurting relief efforts.
A U.S. District Court judge in Massachusetts says a 30-year-old Ph.D. student from Turkey can't be deported at this time. The judge says Rumeysa Ozturk, who is currently in detention at a Louisiana facility, shall not be removed without order from the court. Ozturk is one of several international university students facing deportation if the Trump administration cracks down on pro-Palestinian demonstrations on college campuses.
And protesters gathered outside Tesla locations across the country on Saturday as part of the Tesla takedown movement. They're calling on people to sell Tesla vehicles and shares of Tesla stock in response to Elon Musk's controversial Department of Government Efficiency. Musk has faced massive backlash over his efforts to cut federal jobs and budgets.
On Tuesday, Florida's special elections will test the strength of the Trump brand and the GOP's slim House majority. Republicans are defending two open seats in the state. In Florida's 1st District, Republican nominee Jimmy Patronis is looking to take over the seat formerly held by Matt Gaetz. But his Democratic opponent, Gay Valimont, continues to dominate in campaign contributions.
Now, a Democrat's fundraising dominance is also on display in the deep red 6th District race. Democrat Josh Weil faces off against Trump's hand-picked candidate, State Senator Randy Fine.
Republicans are bracing for a closer-than-expected result in that district, which was held by current National Security Advisor Mike Waltz. And as the race heats up, so do the attack ads.
Listen to this.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Randy Fine, a violent, corrupt politician, so radical and dangerous, he supports the effort to cut $880 billion for Medicaid. UNIDENTIFIED MALE: America First is on the line in Florida. Josh Weil and his liberal Washington backers want open borders and higher taxes. Everything Florida stands against. They're funding Weil's campaign for Congress to stop President Trump's agenda.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BRUNHUBER: Meanwhile, on top brass in the GOP who've grown so concerned over Fine's lackluster performance, they had to enlist the help of Trump himself. On Thursday, Trump joined tele-rallies for the special elections and came to Randy Fine's defense. Here he is.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
TRUMP: He was one of 14 Florida state legislatures who endorsed me very early in my campaign for president. That's why Randy will always have a very open door to the Oval Office.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BRUNHUBER: And joining us live from St. Petersburg, Florida is Mitch Perry, Senior Reporter for the Florida Phoenix. And Mitch has covered politics in Florida for more than two decades. So we're grateful to get your insights into this.
But I mean, you know, let's get this straight. These are two ruby red districts. You'd expect a cakewalk for the two GOP candidates. So what's making these races stand out now?
[05:35:07]
MITCH PERRY, SENIOR REPORTER, FLORIDA PHOENIX: Well, I think one of the big things, simply, is that sort of, if the only game in town, right? You know, there was a lot of frustration amongst Democrats has been since last November's election. And these are two congressional districts that are getting a lot of attention because other than the Wisconsin special election for Supreme Court justice, there's no other elections going on right now.
So these two Democratic candidates have been able to successfully fundraise from across the country. As people watch this and look at the battle for Congress, Republicans only have a narrow lead. So that's been the big story about why both Josh Weil in CD 6 and Gay Valimont, Congressional District 1, have out-fundraised their Republican opponents, much favored Republican opponents by so much. And in the case of the District 6 race that you've been talking about there with Randy Fine versus Josh Weil, it has seemingly gotten pretty close in the last few days. And that's the Republicans have been on red alert.
You mentioned Donald Trump did the tele-halls on Thursday night. He also re-endorsed both Patronis and Randy Fine yesterday on Truth Social, put it out there again, because they really, these are red districts. These Republicans should win easily.
And yet, especially in Congressional District 6, at least according to some early polling recently, it is, has been too close to call.
And I looked at some voting numbers this morning and Republicans are up in terms of voting by early, voting by mail or by early voting, by about 4%. This is a district, again, that Mike Waltz won by more than 30% just last November.
BRUNHUBER: All right. So we're talking about these two Democrats sort of having a puncher's chance, I guess, but the Democratic brand itself has literally never been lower in terms of its favorability since they started those surveys. I mean, that's nationally. I assume that's true in Florida as well, which was, you know, it seems like so long ago now considered such a hopeful purple state.
PERRY: This was the quintessential swing state for so many years going. And I would say going back to even 2018, where Ron DeSantis beat Andrew Gillum by less than one percentage point, the same thing in the U.S. Senate race that year. It's really changed over the last five years here.
COVID really changed a lot. A lot of people moved down here, were more Republican, and this has become a Republican stronghold. Ron DeSantis won a reelection by 19 points back in 2022.
Donald Trump won the state by 13 points last November. He won these two congressional districts by more than 30 points, 37 points in District 1, 32 points in District 6.
So what is happening here? Again, at the end of the day, this may be comfortable Republican victories. You know, we have to obviously wait and see what happens on Tuesday night. But basically, the Republicans weren't paying much attention to these districts.
They assumed they're going to go Republican. Trump endorsed both candidates. And the Democrats, on their own way, very craftily, and the strategy was really smart, broadening out nationally, putting a lot of ads on social media to attract people from around the country to go, oh, wow, there's those two races going on.
Again, we can help out a Democrat here. The fact is, again, these are very strong Republican races. They should win it. Again, I would say in most cases, they're going to win it. But the fact that they're having to put some energy back into this, especially in CD 6, is alarming for Republicans. And maybe an early indication about how things aren't going so well in terms of what Trump and Elon Musk are doing with DOGE in terms of firing so many federal employees and really changing the way our federal government is seemingly working right now.
BRUNHUBER: Yeah, I'm wondering about that. I mean, you keep saying, and this is likely true, the most likely outcome, Republican wins. But it's interesting because of what it might tell us about 2026.
I'm just curious, because you've talked about sort of Donald Trump and Elon Musk and DOGE. I mean, it's very hard to tease out what might be the driving factor here in terms of voter dissatisfaction. What exactly are you looking for as this race, you know, sort of evolves? PERRY: Yeah, yeah. One thing, again, if Randy Fine -- let's just look at Cambridge District 6, that seems to be the more competitive race here. Fine, you know, again, if he wins, but by how much? You know, is it less than 10%? That would be, I think, pretty significant. Anything more than that, look, a loss is a loss for the Democrats.
You know, again, they've been taking it on the chin pretty hard, you know, nationally, of course, as well here in Florida. But it could be an indication, obviously, of the dissatisfaction with going on with the president right now, and the people, you know, wanting to weigh in on it and show in some way that they're really paying attention. Do these candidates, these Democratic candidates get some crossover votes from Republicans or Independents here?
So we are, I think, a lot of experts are looking at the margins here. When that's all said and done on Wednesday morning, do they have something to be really worried about? Or is it like, OK , there was a lot of attention put on this in the last few weeks, but once we focus our own attention on it, get some more money to Randy Fine, you know, everything worked out well.
So, you know, really, obviously, just in all cases, when you look at an election ahead of time, you have to wait to see the final results. But the fact that Republicans are putting energy into it right now is an indication that they're a little worried right now that the congressional district takes rights.
[05:40:05]
BRUNHUBER: Yeah, I mean, we saw in so many races in the last election, things that were considered maybe up for grabs and so on ended up being Republican blowouts. So we'll see whether that happens. In this case, it's a fascinating race to follow and really appreciate getting your analysis of all this.
Mitch Perry, thank you so much.
PERRY: Thank you.
BRUNHUBER: Well, fluoride under the microscope. Coming up, why a successful public health campaign to promote dental health is now under a legislative backlash in the U.S. That's next. Stay with us.
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BRUNHUBER: This week Utah became the first U.S. state to completely ban the addition of fluoride in public drinking water. According to the Centers for Disease Control the mineral strengthens teeth and reduces cavities and is safe in the levels added to community water. It's widespread adoption in public water sources has been considered one of the biggest health achievements in U.S. history but Utah's Republican governor recently compared public fluoridation to being medicated by the government.
On Thursday Spencer Cox signed the bill into law defying the strong opposition of dentists and public health experts. The ban prohibits fluoridation of all of Utah's public water system. It bans cities and communities from deciding whether to add fluoride to their local water sources and allows pharmacists to prescribe fluoride supplements to individuals under specific guidelines.
Scott Tomar is the Associate Dean for the Prevention and Public Sciences at the University of Illinois' College of Dentistry and he joins us from Chicago.
Thanks so much for being here with us. So listen if I boil down the argument made by Utah's governor he essentially said, half the state had water treated with fluoride, half didn't and there was no difference in outcomes so why bother adding fluoride? How would you respond to that?
[05:45:00]
SCOTT TOMAR, ASSOCIATE DEAN, UNIVERSITY OF ILLINOIS COLLEGE OF DENTISTRY: So one of the things that the governor is overlooking and perhaps the legislature as well is that fluoridation also has what's known as a halo effect, a diffusion effect. So often people that live in the adjacent communities benefit from that. It doesn't necessarily mean that fluoridation is not effective. We have many other studies that show that it is.
It's just that if the people that are living in the non-fluoridated communities are getting the benefits of fluoridation from nearby communities they're also benefiting from it.
BRUNHUBER: All right so it's not as if all of the concern about fluoride is completely unfounded. Recently there was the federal national toxicology program examined fluoride research and it concluded with moderate confidence that higher levels of fluoride are associated with lower IQ in children but this is important there were plenty of caveats about those findings. So how significant are those concerns in the U.S.?
TOMAR: Most of the studies that they looked at had no relevance at all to the level of fluoride we use in community water fluoridation in the United States. In fact three quarters of the studies they included in that review by the author's own admission were very low-quality studies at high risk for bias. Almost all the evidence coming from China, India, and Iran.
Countries that do not use water fluoridation and have levels of fluoride in their water often much, much higher than we would ever use. In fact we would use alternate water sources if that were the case in the United States. Reviews that have looked at exposure relevant to the levels that we use in the United States have actually found no association between fluoride exposure and IQ.
BRUNHUBER: All right so again important to -- to stress the studies show it's it helps prevent tooth decay and there's no evidence that it has any adverse effects on -- on children's IQ at least in the -- the levels that we see in the states. But this has been a contentious topic for years it's usually been a local decision. With what we're seeing now do you get the sense that it might become more and more a partisan issue that that fluoride will be the new COVID vaccine?
TOMAR: I unfortunately I do think that it's -- it's popping up in many areas. Most unfortunate is that this is all based on misinformation. Again we have many years of evidence that fluoridation is effective at preventing tooth decay. It continues to be effective even at a time of widespread availability of things like fluoride toothpaste and other products. We still see an added benefit and as I mentioned we still have continued evidence that it is safe at the levels that we use in this country. I think people are -- are misinterpreting the evidence.
BRUNHUBER: The -- the anti-fluoride views are getting a huge push nationally now with U.S. Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. having advocated banning fluoride calling it an industrial waste associated with everything from -- from arthritis to cancer. So having the country's, you know, health portfolio being led by a man whose views are at odds with the mainstream medical community, how worried are you that health policy these days is being driven more by ideology than by science?
TOMAR: So it's well certainly a huge concern. You know, we're we in the public health community and in the dental community rely on the best available evidence to guide our policy making and that really should be the principle for -- for public health everywhere.
You know unfortunately I think that again people you know people are misinterpreting the evidence that's out there creating unfounded fear when again we -- we have a public health measure that we've known for a long time safe effective and -- and saves money.
Unfortunately the residents of Utah will have increased dental bills and it'll be an increased cost to their state Medicaid program because of this unfortunate legislation.
BRUNHUBER: Yeah. Well, listen, you're getting up really early for us to do this but it's such an important topic. Certainly appreciate getting your expertise on this.
Scott Tomar in Chicago thank you so much.
TOMAR: My pleasure, thank you.
BRUNHUBER: A Chinese animated film is smashing Box Office records in China that is. Why the movie is struggling to find an audience in cinemas elsewhere in the world. Stay with us.
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[05:53:33]
BRUNHUBER: The sequel to a popular Chinese animated film is enjoying tremendous ticket sales in China and the Chinese diaspora, but the film Ne Zha 2 is not getting the same all-star treatment from other audiences elsewhere in the world. CNN's Kristie Lu Stout has more from Hong Kong.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE) KRISTIE LU STOUT, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): This pint-sized warrior from Chinese mythology is fearless and the fiery star of "Ne Zha 2," a Chinese animated epic that is breaking box office records, beating Pixar and DreamWorks to become the highest grossing animated film ever.
Its success igniting scenes of celebration in China. The city of Chengdu lit up skyscrapers to mark the milestone.
STOUT (on camera): After packing theaters in the mainland, "Ne Zha 2," opening Hong Kong, Australia, New Zealand, North America, and elsewhere. It became an instant hit among the Chinese diaspora.
STOUT (voice-over): In this video from the film's overseas distributor, moviegoers in Australia pile on the praise.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I've never seen animation like that before and it just blew my mind.
STOUT (voice-over): Praise further pushed on state media, touting the movie as a symbol of China's soft power and social media as well with netizens hailing how China is overtaking the U.S.
YING ZHU, PROFESSOR, HONG KONG BAPTIST UNIVERSITY: So, there's a tremendous amount of national pride in this. So, that kind of explain this phenomenon of rallying support behind this box office success.
[05:55:07]
STOUT (voice-over): To help boost its box office, take supporters in China are watching the movie again and again.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE (through translator): This kid has watched it twice and that kid has watched it three times. Our family has bought about "Ne Zha 2" tickets in total.
STOUT (voice-over): But outside China, mainstream audiences are not flocking to the film. This social video shows an empty theater for a U.S. screening of "Ne Zha 2." This reality has not gone down well prompting rumors of a U.S. boycott of the film.
Any criticism of "Ne Zha 2" may draw attacks from patriotic fans. These people share the abuse they say they've received online for sharing unflattering takes of the movie and articles on how the film is becoming impossible to criticize, have been censored.
ZHU: When it becomes not just a cultural event, it becomes a movement everybody has to be in, right?
STOUT (voice-over): Across China, passions are high for the highest grossing animated movie of all time, an achievement earned from runaway ticket sales, mostly at home. But for China to claim soft power success on the global stage, it has yet to strike gold.
Kristie Lu Stout, CNN, Hong Kong.
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BRUNHUBER: Parts of the Earth's northern hemisphere were treated to a partial solar eclipse on Saturday. It was most visible in eastern parts of North America, but some people saw it in Europe as well. Now this type of eclipse happens when the moon passes in front of and partially blocks the sun, casting a shadow on the Earth.
All right, that wraps this hour of CNN Newsroom. I'm Kim Brunhuber. For viewers in North America, "CNN This Morning" is next. For the rest of the world, it's "The Journey Matters."
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