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Outrage Over Video of Emaciated Hostage; Nearly 1,400 People Killed While Seeking Food in Gaza; Senate Heads Home Without Reaching Deal on nominees; Watchdog Agency Launches Probe into Jack Smith; "Catholic Woodstock" Wraps Up; Consequential Week for U.S. Economy; Trump Tears Up the Rulebook in Second Term; Required Vaccinations Among Children Dropping. Aired 4-5a ET
Aired August 03, 2025 - 04:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
[04:00:00]
KIM BRUNHUBER, CNN ANCHOR: Welcome to all of you watching us here in the United States, Canada, and around the world. I'm Kim Brunhuber. This is CNN Newsroom.
Hostage families are outraged after disturbing pictures emerge of an emaciated Israeli hostage. We'll find out what relatives and the prime minister had to say. The pope wraps up the jubilee of Youth with a final mass. Hundreds of thousands of young people celebrated what's being called the Catholic Woodstock. And a record number of children missed required vaccinations last year. We'll talk to a doctor about his concerns as vaccination exemptions increase and a new school year begins.
ANNOUNCER: Live from Atlanta. This is CNN Newsroom with Kim Brunhuber.
BRUNHUBER: Protestors in Israel are furious following the release of new video showing hostages in Gaza.
Tens of thousands of people attended an emergency protest in Tel Aviv on Saturday urging the U.S. and Israel to bring all hostages home. They were angry over images from a video Hamas released showing hostage, Evyatar David. Now, his appearance came as a shock. We're deliberately not showing the full video, but his family approved this image being released. David's brother is asking for help getting him home, and he's appealing directly to President Trump.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ILAY DAVID, EVYATAR DAVID'S BROTHER: Watching helplessly as my younger brother --
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BRUNHUBER: We're having a bit of problems with those videos there. But Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu met with hostage families on Saturday and he expressed huge shock at the images. He released a statement saying, quote, "The cruelty of Hamas has no boundaries. While the State of Israel is allowing the entry of humanitarian aid to the residents of Gaza, the terrorists of Hamas are deliberately starving our hostages and document them in a cynical and evil manner."
U.S. Envoy is Steve Witkoff met with a group of hostage family members on Saturday. They say he told them there is a plan to end the war and bring all hostages back home. Israel's ceasefire talks with Hamas deadlocked last week, and their future isn't clear. As Barbie Latza Nadeau reports, Witkoff reportedly said he'll use a different strategy if the talks resume.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
BARBIE LATZA NADEAU, CNN REPORTER: U.S. Special Envoy Steve Witkoff said ceasefire negotiations between Israel and Hamas should be, quote, "all or nothing," with all 50 remaining hostages at Gaza returned in one go. Witkoff made the comments during the three-hour meeting with hostage families in Tel Aviv on Saturday. He told them that the United States' first priority is getting the hostages back to Israel, holding Hamas responsible, and doing what's right for the Gazan people.
The Hostages and Missing Families Forum said at least 20 of the remaining hostages are believed to be alive. Witkoff spent about five hours in Gaza on Friday, visiting a controversial aid site run by the U.S.-Israel-backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation. A number of Palestinians have been injured and even killed waiting for aid at similar sites.
Barbie Latza Nadeau, CNN, Rome.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
BRUNHUBER: The Israeli military says another 90 aid packages were dropped into Gaza on Saturday. Israel began allowing airdrops last week after international outrage grew over the rising number of deaths from starvation. But a number of aid groups say airdrops are expensive, impractical, and potentially dangerous. And as you can see from this video, they lead to chaotic scenes on the ground.
There are problems at the U.S.-backed aid distribution sites as well. The U.N. says nearly 1,400 people have been killed trying to reach them. Meanwhile, a group called HEAL Palestine is working to evacuate children from Gaza to the United States. The group's executive director says they're arriving with serious health problems.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
STEVE SOSEBEE, HEAL PALESTINE CO-FOUNDER AND EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR: The conditions that the kids are coming to the United States then is quite dire. Not only are these children suffering from severe injuries, many of them with amputations and severe burns, but the kids are coming with different levels of malnutrition and food deficiencies.
[04:05:00]
We had our team in Jordan, nutritionists, pediatricians, and general medical doctors just meeting them and trying to assess them. So, when they do come in the next day or two, we're going to be able to provide them the best care possible. Not only get them started on their healing journey, getting them the medical care they need, but also ensure that we provide them the adequate nutrition.
And our organization works in a way that isn't just providing medical care. It's also doing education, mental health services, social support. We work on a grassroots level. Our communities come forward. They take care of the kids, they house them. So, we're very proud of that. But the condition the kids have come in, many of them were living on one meal a day and even less.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BRUNHUBER: Now, even with a massive surge in aid right now, were that to happen, there are concerns that prolonged malnutrition can have long-lasting consequences, especially among children. Dr. Nick Maynard returned last week from a hospital in Southern Gaza where he volunteered as a surgeon. And he joins us live now from Oxford, England. Thank you so much for being here with us.
You just got back from Nasser Hospital in Khan Younis, one of only four centers left in Gaza that can treat the most dangerously hungry children. Now, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has denied that there is starvation in Gaza. What have you seen?
DR. NICK MAYNARD, CANCER SURGEON, OXFORD UNIVERSITY HOSPITALS: I've seen appalling malnutrition. I've seen the terrible effects of forced starvation. Of course, there's starvation in Gaza. There's no food being allowed in. I have seen with my own eyes patients dying of malnutrition. I've seen friends and colleagues, healthcare workers in Gaza who are starving, people who have lost 30 -- almost 40 kilograms in body weight. So, there is absolutely mass starvation and the most profound effects of malnutrition.
BRUNHUBER: And every day as well we hear about Palestinians dying trying to get to the little food that's being distributed. As I mentioned earlier, some 1,400 people have died so far. What have you seen on that score?
DR. MAYNARD: Yes. You're absolutely right. I've seen many predominantly young male teenagers, 11, 12, 13, 14, who have been shot at the food distribution points, the so-called bizarrely named Gaza Humanitarian Foundation food distribution points, and these young male teenagers are being shot at the food distribution points and coming in with the most terrible injuries.
And the stories, I'm -- I operate on many of these young boys. The stories I was getting from them, from their families, and indeed from Gazan healthcare workers who went to these food distribution points to get food for their starving families, the narrative is the same from all of them, that they are being shot by Israeli soldiers. And by the quadcopter drones.
And what was even more distressing was the particular clustering of injuries of particular body parts on certain days. So, one day they would all be coming in, being shot in the head or the neck. The next day, the chest, the next day, the abdomen, the next day, the arms or legs. And even one day, three weeks ago, we had several young male teenagers brought in, all of whom had been shot in the testicles. These are very serious injuries.
I had one 12-year-old boy die on the operating table because of injuries were so severe. And the pattern that we were noticing was so striking that it was clearly beyond coincidence.
BRUNHUBER: Gosh. It is just absolutely horrific and bizarre as well as you describe it. In terms of the starvation, I mean, we're seeing these horrific pictures of emaciated children with, you know, arms the width of a thumb, for instance. There are so many immediate dire concerns about the starvation, but as well long-term worries. When babies and toddlers don't get enough food for months, I mean, what does that do to their growing bodies and brains?
DR. MAYNARD: Yes. You're absolutely right to highlight that because the effects on the babies, the toddlers, the growing children is devastating. And will, of course, as you point out, have long-term effects. Their cognitive function, their brain development will be impaired, and that will have a lifelong impact. Their physical growth will be impaired, that will have a lifelong impact. So, these children will never fully -- if they survive, and many of them don't survive, their development, both neurological and the rest of their body will be -- will have a lifelong impairment.
BRUNHUBER: I mean, that's absolutely tragic to hear that. I'm wondering if the war, you know, let's say were to miraculously end tomorrow, I imagine the health effects that you're talking about there, you know, some of them couldn't be reversed. But in terms of giving people hope, I mean, can getting proper food in medical care, you know, in the next couple of months, say, can it turn things around for these children and maybe undo some of that damage?
[04:10:00]
DR. MAYNARD: I think much of that damage will be irreversible. I think in states of mild to moderate malnutrition, then yes, giving them food will help them recover. And some of those very early changes may be reversed. But when they are severely malnourished, simple food -- they need far more than simple food. They need acute medical care, they need intravenous medications, they need vitamins, they need trace settlements, they need chemicals such as phosphate. So -- and many of the changes I've described will be irreversible.
BRUNHUBER: Yes. Just so sad to hear how many lives will be changed by this forever, no matter what happens. Dr. Nick Maynard, thank you so much. Appreciate it.
DR. MAYNARD: Thank you very much indeed.
BRUNHUBER: Protesters in Australia are calling for more aid to be delivered to Gaza. Tens of thousands of people marched across Sydney's Harbor Bridge today. A U.N.-backed food agency said this week that the worst-case scenario famine is unfolding in Gaza. The enclave's health ministry says hundreds of thousands of children are going hungry with 70,000 showing signs of malnutrition.
U.S. senators are heading home without reaching a deal to confirm a handful of President Trump's nominees, they went into recess on Saturday hours after Trump told the Senate Democratic leader to go to hell. Sources tell CNN that Chuck Schumer asked the White House to release some federal funds and avoid further cuts to funding. But the President calls Schumer demands egregious and unprecedented.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SEN. CHUCK SCHUMER (D-NY), U.S. SENATE DEMOCRATIC LEADER: So, let me say it again, sooner or later, Donald Trump, Mr. Art of the Deal or so he claims, is going to have to learn that he has to work with Democrats if he wants to get deals, good deals that help the American people.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BRUNHUBER: And Schumer added that he was getting close to a deal with the Senate Republican leader and the White House before President Trump interfered.
The U.S. Special Counsel's Office is launching an investigation into former special counsel Jack Smith. The investigation centered on possible violations of the Hatch Act, which bars some political activities by government workers. Smith led criminal probes into President Trump's handling of classified documents and alleged 2020 election interference, but resigned earlier this year after dropping both cases. CNN's Julia Benbrook has more.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
JULIA BENBROOK, CNN CORRESPONDENT: The United States Office of Special Counsel, an independent federal agency tasked with enforcing several rules, including the Hatch Act, has confirmed to CNN that it is investigating Special Counsel Jack Smith for alleged Hatch Act violations, essentially investigating the investigator. Now, this news was first reported by The New York Post and later confirmed by our team.
The rule that he's accused of violating is not a crime, and the responses to employees that violate it can vary significantly. This investigation comes just days after Republican Senator Tom Cotton took to social media saying that Smith's legal actions were, quote, "Nothing more than a tool for Biden and Harris campaigns."
Now, Smith, of course, has been in the headlines a lot over the last several years as he led criminal probes into then-former President Donald Trump's handling of classified documents as well as alleged efforts to subvert the 2020 election. Now, both of those cases were ultimately dropped when Trump was reelected, but he has long been a target of Trump's frustration. Smith resigned from his role at the Department of Justice just about a week before Trump started his second term.
Traveling with the president in New Jersey, Julia Benbrook, CNN. (END VIDEOTAPE)
BRUNHUBER: A truck has been found that's linked to the suspect in the shooting deaths of four people at a Montana bar, but there's no sign of the man accused. Michael Paul Brown is on the loose and believed to be armed and dangerous. Searchers are focusing on the mountains in remote parts of the state. The shooting happened Friday morning. A worker at the bar says Brown lived next door. Adding, he was there often, but wasn't friendly with other regulars. A family member says Brown was a military veteran who struggled with mental health issues.
Officials in Tennessee are still searching for a man suspected of killing four people from Tennessee and abandoning a baby who was later found alive. The man, Robert Drummond is suspected of killing the four people before leaving the baby in a car seat. Now, this comes as police arrested two people connected with the crime, Tanaka Brown and Giovonte Thomas. Police say Brown is a known associate of Drummond. Brown was charged with accessory after the fact to first degree murder and evidence tampering. Thomas was also charged as an accessory. CNN's Rafael Romo has more on the search for the main suspect.
[04:15:00]
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
RAFAEL ROMO, CNN CORRESPONDENT: What officials in Tennessee say they want people to know right now is that the suspect is still at large and could be dangerous. Court records show the suspect has a criminal record that includes a 10-year sentence for a 2013 aggravated robbery. And the concern for officials in Tennessee and the public is that he's still at large.
The vehicle the suspect was believed to be driving a Y 2016 Audi was found unoccupied in Jackson, Tennessee. That's more than 70 miles away from Tiptonville where the bodies of the victims were found. The suspect has been identified as 28-year-old Austin Robert Drummond by the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation. He is five feet 10 inches tall, weighs 190 pounds and has brown hair, blue eyes, and I goatee, according to the TBI.
Drummond is accused of killing four relatives of a Tennessee baby who was found abandoned alive in sweltering heat on Tuesday in a car seat in what authorities describe as a random front yard near the Dyer County community of Tigrett. Nearly a 40-mile drive southeast of Tiptonville where the bodies were found.
DANNY GOODMAN, 29TH JUDICIAL DISTRICT ATTORNEY GENERAL: We are dealing with an extremely violent individual. This was what we would think is an isolated incident. It's not anything to where we think the community is in danger because of a person who may be out here randomly targeting people, because we don't think that's the case at all.
ROMO: District Attorney Danny Goodman also said the victims were all from Dyer County, and they suspect that the suspect knew all of them. He also confirmed that two of the victims, 21-year-old James Wilson and 20-year-old Adrianna Williams were the parents of the baby who was found abandoned in Dyer County. 38-year-old Courtney Rose and Brayden Williams, a teenager were also killed.
TBI Director David Rausch says, it appears the suspect, even after allegedly killing four people, had some compassion for the baby.
DAVID RAUSCH, DIRECTOR, TENNESSEE BUREAU OF INVESTIGATION: Yes. They brought attention when they dropped the child off, brought attention. There were people nearby. And so, brought attention to those people to come and get the child.
ROMO: The U.S. Marshal Service and TBI are offering a joint $15,000 reward for any information leading to Drummond's arrest.
Rafael Romo, CNN, Atlanta.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
BRUNHUBER: Pope Leo has been celebrating a mass in Rome. He's with hundreds of thousands of young people who've been taking part in the Vatican's Jubilee of Youth. We'll join the celebrations live after the break.
And later, I'll dive deeper into the state of the U.S. economy days before President Trump's new tariffs going to effect. Those and more coming up. Stay with us.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[04:20:00]
BRUNHUBER: 2025 was declared a year of Jubilee by Pope Francis before he died. Now, his successor, Pope Leo, is leading the celebrations. The past week has seen hundreds of thousands of young Catholic pilgrims gather in Rome for Jubilee of Youth. Many have spent the night at this venue awaiting the culmination of the week. The high point, Pope Leo celebrating a mass with this huge and enthusiastic multinational congregation.
CNN Vatican Correspondent Christopher Lamb joins us now live from Rome. So, Christopher, they're calling this the Catholic Woodstock, spending time with the pope. I mean, it must be a thrill of a lifetime for so many there.
CHRISTOPHER LAMB, CNN VATICAN CORRESPONDENT: Well, that's right, Kim. You can see behind me the mass has been going on celebrated by Pope Leo. It's coming to an end now. The Vatican estimate that there's more than a million young people here for this event. It really has been a sort of unforgettable few hours for those people here in Tor Vergata, on the outskirts of Rome beginning last night with this prayer vigil led by Pope Leo.
That was an event that had a Woodstock style feel at the beginning with the music and the warmup hacks for the star of the show. Pope Leo, the first American Pope touring the ground here and greeting almost million or more than million who are here from across the globe.
I've been speaking to a number of the pilgrims here, and they're all really excited by Pope Leo. They appreciate this kind of event, particularly given that in many parts of the world, in the west particularly, there's a decline amongst member -- decline in membership amongst those who are a part of the Catholic faith and other mainline religions. So, this is an event that kind of bolsters those young people who are engaged with their faith.
Pope Leo, of course, less than a hundred days into his role. This has been something of a charisma test for him as he's been with the young people. Can he engage? Can he connect with them? And I think the answer is yes, he is able to. He has a different start to his predecessor, Pope Francis, he's a bit more understated. He's been able to mix both an embrace of the enthusiasm of the crowds, whilst at the same time leading them in quiet contemplation, which is reflective, I think, of his personality.
But as you can hear behind me the music, there's been a choir and a live choir behind me accompanying this celebration, which is coming to an end of what has been a remarkable few hours of an encounter between Pope Leo and young people from across the world. Kim.
BRUNHUBER: Yes, you can feel the power of that music behind you there coming through loud and clear. Christopher Lamb in Rome, thank you so much.
All right. When we come back, new trade announcements from the White House and the release of crucial economic data. We'll break down what it means for your wallet coming up. Stay with us.
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[04:25:00]
BRUNHUBER: Welcome back to all of you watching us here in the United States, Canada, and around the world. I'm Kim Brunhuber. This is CNN Newsroom.
Countries around the world are bracing for President Trump's new trade plan to take effect in just a few days with India facing a 25 percent levy. Businesses there beginning to worry about the impact of these looming tariffs. CNN's Ben Hunte reports.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
BEN HUNTE, CNN ANCHOR AND CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): It looks like business as usual at this Indian port. But for outbound goods heading to the U.S., it's a brand-new trade world. With the U.S. announcing a 25 percent tariff on Indian imports, many businesses in India are recalculating what the future might look like.
India's seafood industry is a major supplier of frozen shrimp to U.S. retailers like Walmart, Kroger, and Costco. And there are fears that the new trade terms could impact the roughly 300,000 farmers that supply most of the shrimp. ASHUTOSH DAS, MANAGER, FALCON MARINE EXPORTS LTD. (through translator): The tariff will affect our supply chain. That includes farming, logistics, shipment, and processing. Tariffs will impact this entire chain and because of which many people may lose their livelihoods.
HUNTE (voice-over): Stunned Switzerland says it's hoping to renegotiate a better rate with the U.S. after being tagged with a 39 percent tariff. Manufacturers of luxury watches, which count the U.S. as its top export market, say the tariffs could be crippling on top of a slump in global demand and rising material costs.
SHAHZAIB, FOUNDER, K2 LUXURY AND SALON DES HORLOGERS: As much as the American market is -- I mean, it's a huge market for the Swiss industry, I don't think brands can absorb 39 percent.
HUNTE (voice-over): But in some places, the tariffs are political as well as economic. Unions and student groups in Brazil staged protests over its announced 50 percent tariff, a hefty tax that U.S. President Donald Trump had threatened to impose if Brazil did not end its trial against former Brazilian president, Jair Bolsonaro.
[04:30:00]
There's a lot of uncertainty, with nearly 70 countries and territories facing new import duties, leaving many people to question who will pay the biggest price. One manager in South Africa worries it will be workers.
KALOMO MUSOKOTWANE, MARKETING AND EVENTS MANAGER: And then 30 percent is drastic. So, a lot of people are going to lose jobs. And already, the government is struggling to create more jobs as it is, and I don't see them creating any more jobs again.
HUNTE (voice-over): But there is a sense of relief in some countries, especially in Southeast Asia, that were given lower tariff rates than expected. Thailand, Cambodia, Malaysia, Indonesia, and the Philippines all have 19 percent tariffs, leveling the playing field in this busy manufacturing hub.
Ben Hunte, CNN.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
BRUNHUBER: A flurry of new economic data this week is helping paint a clearer picture of the state of the U.S. economy. There are mixed reports on inflation, gross domestic product and consumer sentiment, but the jobs and trade data is most concerning.
Friday's new jobs report shows hiring was significantly slower in July than expected. And May and June were also revised down sharply. The reliable job market has become less of a sure bet, and employers may be more resistant to hiring than previously believed.
After that weak jobs report, expectations for a Fed rate cut shot higher. Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell decided earlier in the week to keep interest rates steady against the president's wishes. President Trump's aggressive trade agenda hasn't made a major impact yet. But according to Yale's budget Lab, his tariffs could end up costing the average American household $2,400 this year.
All right. I want to bring in Ryan Patel, who's a senior fellow at Claremont Graduate University's, Drucker School of Management, and joins us now in Atlanta. I can't think of a better person to make sense of all of this. We got hit with a lot of, you know, many economic numbers this week, inflation, jobs, GDP, consumer confidence. So, what's the big picture story they're telling us about where the economy is actually headed?
RYAN PATEL, SENIOR FELLOW, DRUCKER SCHOOL OF MANAGEMENT, CLAREMONT GRADUATE UNIVERSITY: Well, I mean, I guess if you had to describe it, I mean, they would use the word uncertainty, but I would use evolving. You know, I think two numbers that stood out to me immediately is the jobs report you mentioned. 73,000 jobs added in July, which that's a 258,000 downward revision. So, that's a big deal from May to June.
And then, the other number is unemployment. It ticked up a little bit here in the U.S. 4.2 percent in openings from -- if you think about two years ago from over 12 million to about 7.4 million now. So, it's a signal that opportunities are shrinking, that people are feeling that. And you get to see that in the sentiment with many of these companies doing the layoffs.
And that's not because they're reacting to this type of data, Kim, this has been going on, this is not the beginning. We're kind of in the middle of this, you know, what industries are growing and what industries are not. And we're definitely seeing that, especially in manufacturing and in federal jobs, they're losing ground.
BRUNHUBER: Yes, that's right. To drill down on those jobs, I mean, earlier this summer in, you know, May, June, July, many economists were kind of surprised that job numbers were so high and economically things were so rosy after President Trump announced his tariffs. And now, many economists are kind of saying, I told you so, right?
PATEL: Oh, we can say Kim and Ryan told you so. Right. I think the aspect of why we were seeing these numbers and why you and I had in these conversations because the sentiment and what was feeling and how people were using their monies and the markets were showing that, even with some of these companies that are global, you know, they're coming out, not just now, they've been saying it for months, Kim, that they cannot burden these tariffs, these numbers, the talent pool.
You mentioned the Budget Lab at Yale. You know, I think the -- that number I even go, consumer prices could rise from 1.8 percent to 2.3. That's an average household between 2,100 to 3,800 in total purchasing power. That's a pretty big range while we still figure out this uncertainty of where that lasts.
BRUNHUBER: Yes. Uncertainty is the name here. I mean, the bottom line then for Americans from what you're seeing, I mean, we haven't seen that much inflation yet. But based on what you're saying, I mean, should they be worried about where things are heading, tougher to get a job, prices seem to be rising?
PATEL: Yes. I mean, I think that there was a couple things why we didn't see it right away is that many companies stockpile the inventory. They kind of prepared and they're trying to avoid passing down to the consumer. But that point -- we've reached to that point. I think when you think of the consumer on average right now, I would say you got to prioritize the things that you need essentially, build an emergency a fund, a cushion, stay informed and flexible.
[04:35:00]
What I mean by that is you're going to have to look for other kind of substitutions in your own supply chain, what you buy or not. And I think one other thing, unfortunately, is avoid locking into a long- term commitment on big purchases.
And a lot of that is not just consumers, Kim. Businesses are doing that with their investments and with their hiring policies as well. And the average person sees that when they don't see those kind of jobs that are higher paying that are out there because companies are on the pause, which makes consumers need a little bit to be on the pause and be smart with how they invest their money.
BRUNHUBER: Yes. Certainly, a time to be smart with all of this uncertainty. Adding to the uncertainty, this sort of very specific intersection of economics and politics. President Trump fired the head of the Bureau of Labor Statistics and wants to replace Fed Chair Jerome Powell. So, how worried should we be about politicians messing with the people who crunch these economic numbers and what signal that might send?
PATEL: Yes. You know, it's interesting because I don't think we've ever -- you know, in the last two decades that the American people paid attention to -- or average -- how much we pay attention to these numbers. The question now becomes, what numbers should be paying attention to and why? And so, it does provide, you know, what institution do you trust? And --
BRUNHUBER: I think we might have lost Ryan Patel there. But our thanks to him for breaking down all those numbers for us. Really appreciate it, Ryan.
Well, global tariffs are just one example of how Donald Trump is completely upending long established norms in his second term in office. CNN's Chief Data Analyst Harry Enten looks at how this reflects the enormous influence the president wields.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
HARRY ENTEN, CNN CHIEF DATA ANALYST: The Donald Trump administration is implementing new tariffs this week, and I believe it is part of a larger story. That is that the Donald Trump administration is arguably the most influential this century and probably as well dating back a good portion of the last century as well. Love it, like it, lump it. Trump is remaking in the United States of America. Let's talk about tariffs first, right? There's all this talk that Donald Trump always chickens out when it comes to tariffs. Uh-huh. No TACOs for Trump. The effect of tariff rate, get this, it's 18 percent. The highest since the FDR administration in the 1930s, up from, get this, just 2 percent last year, from just 2 percent last year. We're talking about a level, an effective tariff rate level, get this, nine times as high this year than last year.
But is not just on tariffs, which of course Donald Trump ran on, in which you're seeing a tremendously influential presidency. What about immigration? Of course, Trump ran and has always run on a very hawkish immigration platform. Get this, 2025 net migration in the United States down at least 60 percent from last year. In fact, we may be heading for the first time in at least 50 years in which we have negative migration into the United States.
And last year, of course, in 2024, the net migration in the U.S. was 2.8 million. This year, we might be talking about negative net migration. My goodness gracious. Now, of course, this is part of a larger story, as I was mentioning. We're talking about immigration, net migration. We're talking about the effective tariff rate. But get this, how is Donald Trump doing it? Well, he's signing a ton of executive orders, get this, 180, the most in a year since Franklin Delano Roosevelt. Oh, my goodness, you have to go back to the first half of the 20th century, the last century.
And to make a comparison, Joe Biden signed, get this, just 77 during his entire first year, and we're only a little bit in August so far and Donald Trump making history with 180 executive orders signed so far this year. So, that's why I said that, in my mind, Donald Trump is the most influential president of this century and probably dating back a good portion of the last century, that is because he is remaking the country in terms of tariffs. He is remaking the country in terms of net migration, and he is remaking the country in terms of how much policy changes he's putting through in executive orders.
As I said, it truly is history making. Love it, like it, or lump it. Back to you.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
BRUNHUBER: Measle cases are going up in the United States while vaccination rates go down. Just ahead, we'll talk to a doctor about what this could mean as children head back to school. Please stay with us.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[04:40:00]
BRUNHUBER: Children across the U.S. will be going back to school in the coming weeks. Classes will kick off as a record number of parents want permission to exempt their kids from vaccinations. According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, about 3.6 percent of incoming kindergartners last year had a shot exemption on file. Exemptions have jumped more than a full percentage point in just the last four years. And during this time, measles cases have surged to record highs, with more cases now than at any time since the disease was declared eliminated 25 years ago.
All right. Joining me now live from Kailua, Hawaii is Dr. Scott Miscovich. He's the president and CEO of Premier Medical Group USA.
Good to see you again. So, the CEC just reported that more kids than ever are starting kindergarten without their required vaccines. I mean, how worried should parents be about sending their children to school this fall?
DR. SCOTT MISCOVICH, PRESIDENT AND CEO, PREMIER MEDICAL GROUP USA: Well, Kim first of all, it's good to see you again. And you know, if your child is vaccinated you don't have that much to worry about. But if you are a parent who has decided not to vaccinate your child and you're in a school cluster where these unvaccinated groups, you often occur in clusters in different counties and different areas across the country, then you do have to worry because, you know, measles is the most contagious virus this planet has ever known.
And you know, just to understand some of the challenges, one in five people who contract measles will get hospitalized and one out of every 20 children will get pneumonia from it. One out of a thousand will die from it. It's preventable. One out of five will have brain swelling and permanent brain damage. This is a very serious disease and it should not be taken lightly. But you know, again, as you said, the vaccination rates are going down to a record low.
BRUNHUBER: Yes. I mean, you know, as I mentioned earlier, I mean, measles considered eliminated 25 years ago. So, what would it actually look like if measles started spreading in schools again?
[04:45:00]
DR. MISCOVICH: Oh, I, if it started to spread in schools again, remember all the time we spent talking about COVID, we always talked about that R not, and that was how contagious it is. Well, just so everybody has a realistic good example, if 10 kids are in a room together and one of them has measles, and those 10 are not vaccinated, nine out of 10 will contract measles.
So, it is extraordinarily contagious and extraordinarily serious. And one of the things that worries me that I really don't think it's enough press right now is what happens when they take it home? What happens when they take it, especially to grandparents who could be at risk because of the very shoddy guidelines that the CDC has given the country for them?
BRUNHUBER: Beyond just measles, I mean, there's, you know, polio, mumps, chicken pox. I mean, schools require these vaccines for a reason. With fewer and fewer people getting vaccinated, I mean, at what point did these drop in rates become dangerous for entire communities, as you mentioned, not just for individual families?
DR. MISCOVICH: Well, that's exactly right. And you know, we look at this term, it's not just about measles. You know, I've dedicated so much of my career to public health. This is just devastating to public health because it is. just passing through trends, and the numbers are so low now. We always want to be above 95 percent, at times we are at 97 percent.
It's just showing that there's a distrust in public health. There's a distrust in the things that we all need to protect our community. People make decisions based on individualism. So, we're looking, what is this going to mean? Or we're already seeing more cases of whooping cough going around. Are we going to start seeing more polio cases coming through the United States because there are so many people that are going to start ignoring different vaccinations?
So, this is extraordinarily concerning just for the overall general prevented -- preventative healthcare that we need in public health to keep the country safe. And we've been one of the safest countries.
BRUNHUBER: This distrust you're talk about, about the distrusting medical advice is, that due to, I guess, misinformation from politicians, from social media. I mean, what do you see as being behind this?
DR. MISCOVICH: All of the above. And you nailed it with those too. You know, we have had -- social media has taken off during the time of -- it started well before COVID. I mean, we had the very first strike against the (INAUDIBLE) was when a physician published a well, well fake study with fake data saying that the MMR caused autism. It's been disproven.
Well, now, we have a director of Health and Human Services that believes that and has fought against that. Now, we have a CD -- or a country that's decimated it's public health infrastructure at a federal level and is always letting people have a voice that are not speaking the facts that the standard medical data supports and the data across the world supports, like MMR, the measles vaccine. It's the safest vaccine and saves 60 million lives according to the WHO.
And yet, we have people going on TV or putting on social media, oh, stay away from it. That -- it's just so scary at this point.
BRUNHUBER: Yes. Scary and potentially harmful for so many people, not just the kids, but parents, grandparents, the whole community as you eloquently said there. Thank you so much. I really appreciate it. Dr. Scott Miscovich.
DR. MISCOVICH: Thank you, Kim.
BRUNHUBER: All right. Well, how do you treat a snake bite? Well, maybe artificial intelligence can help. Scientists are turning to A.I. to create anti-venom. We will explain how just ahead. Stay with us.
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BRUNHUBER: Well, lot of them are hate them snakes can be deadly, and with the antidote called anti-venom being expensive and difficult to produce, the impact of their bites can be devastating. Now, scientists in Europe seem to be onto something. They're using artificial intelligence to solve the scarcity. CNN's Isabel Rosales has the details.
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ISABEL ROSALES, CNN INTERNATIONAL ANCHOR AND CORRESPONDENT (voice- over): Snakes are one of the deadliest animals for humans, killing at least 80,000 people a year, says the World Health Organization. But snake bites can also have a long-lasting impact for millions.
ANDREAS HOUGAARD LAUSTSEN-KIEL, PROFESSOR, TECHNICAL UNIVERSITY OF DENMARK: Often the snake by victims are either current or future breadwinners of their family. So, people living in snake infested areas are often dependent on manual labor. So, if they lose an arm, they may lose their chance to provide for their family or their future family.
HUNTE (voice-over): While there are existing anti-venoms to combat this issue, the methods used to produce them are costly, according to the WHO. And at present, only a limited number of countries can produce high quality snake venom, which is needed to create anti- venom.
LAUSTSEN-KIEL: There is a scarcity of anti-venoms and poor management, you could say of snake bites in large parts of the world.
HUNTE (voice-over): A team of scientists at the Technical University of Denmark is now using artificial intelligence to try to solve the anti-venom shortfall.
TIMOTHY PATRICK JENKINS, ASSOCIATE PROFESSOR, TECHNICAL UNIVERSITY OF DENMARK: Snake venoms are these incredibly complex cocktails of different molecules, so-called proteins, and we need to know what the most medically relevant toxins are. So, we use different techniques to identify these. We then have a very close look at the structure of them, throw them into advanced A.I. models, and then, actually use these to custom make basically glue to these toxins.
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So, we stick a protein to a toxin that might be attacking our nervous system, destroying our cells, causing our bloods to clot. And what we do is bind something to it, stick something to it so it can't do this anymore.
HUNTE (voice-over): The team is using RF-diffusion, a free protein design tool to create proteins that target so-called three finger toxins named for their shape. These toxins can be highly dangerous. And when delivered through a snake bite, can disrupt nerve signals, lead to paralysis, and even death if left untreated.
JENKINS: My personal hope is that within five years we've completed our first clinical trials where we can actually say that there is a product ready to be delivered to patients. HUNTE (voice-over): While these new antitoxins won't completely replace existing anti-venoms, these scientists hope they'll be cheaper and easier to make and reduce the suffering of snake bite victims around the world.
Isabel Rosales, CNN.
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BRUNHUBER: Fans of the Grateful Dead are celebrating the band's 60th anniversary this weekend. The legendary jam band has been synonymous with San Francisco and its counterculture since it formed in 1965. To honor the connection, Golden Gate Park is adding a dozen new especially developed rose bushes to its garden. And have a look at this. The bloom is called the Grateful Dead Rose. A sister of one of the original band members, Bob Weir, requested that it be created.
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BROOKS GUYERS, LAS PALMAS DE OJAI: Grateful Dead and the rose are synonymous with each other. There's a number of songs that relate to the Rose, and they've used the rose iconography as long as well as the skeleton for many, many years.
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BRUNHUBER: Dead and company, a band featuring three original members of the Grateful Dead is playing three concerts this weekend at Golden Gate Park. An estimated 60,000 people are expected to attend each day.
All right. That wraps this hour of CNN Newsroom. I'm Kim Brunhuber. I'll be back with more news in just a moment.
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