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U.S. Expected To Supply Cluster Bombs To Ukraine; CNN Tours Camp Military Group Could Use In Belarus; Two Palestinians Killed In Israeli Operation In West Bank. Aired 11a-12p ET
Aired July 07, 2023 - 11:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
[11:00:00]
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
ELENI GIOKOS, CNN HOST, CONNECT THE WORLD: This hour the leaders of Turkey and Ukraine are set to meet to discuss extending the vital Black Sea Grain
Deal. We will be exploring the relationship between the two nations. But first, your headlines this hour.
The Biden administration is expected to announce a new military aid package to Ukraine that includes cluster munitions, weapons that are banned in more
than 120 countries. Experts warn they pose a threat to civilians because they may leave behind unexploded bombs.
Media outlets, including CNN have visited a site in Belarus, where the country's president says Wagner fighters might be housed should they be
transferred to the country and two Palestinians have been killed in Nablus during an Israeli operation in the occupied West Bank. Latest deaths coming
just days after Israel's largest West Bank military operation in decades that ended in Jenin.
Welcome back to Connect the World. In the next hour, we expect Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy to meet with his Turkish counterpart Recep
Tayyip Erdogan in Istanbul. The conversation will focus on the vital Grain Export Deal, Turkey helped broke with Russia. It expires in just 10 days.
And it is seen as a crucial cog for the global food security.
So tonight we ask will the deal be allowed to expire. For more than that, let's go back to standards Ben Wedeman in eastern Ukraine. Ben, look,
meeting happening very shortly. grand deal, as we said expires in 10 days. Can Zelenskyy get Erdogan to help extend this deal?
BEN WEDEMAN, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: If there's anybody who can do it Eleni, it would be Recep Tayyip Erdogan who has maintained
cordial relations both with Ukraine and with Russia.
He was critical along with United Nations in working out this deal in the first place last year, and therefore, certainly he is the one who could
perhaps convince Vladimir Putin to renew this arrangement because the Russians have complained that as a result of Western sanctions, they don't
have the ability to export their goods in the way they would like to at a time when Ukraine is able to over the last year export more than 30 million
tonnes of wheat and other foodstuffs.
So certainly, President Zelenskyy is eager to make sure that this deal continues. But obviously, the final decision really comes from Moscow, and
we've had no indication that the Russians are willing to budge on this yet.
In the past, they have expressed objections and threatened not to renew the agreement. But perhaps President Erdogan can pull this off. Now also, when
the two leaders meet President Zelenskyy is going to be talking with his Turkish counterpart about Sweden's membership in NATO.
So Turkey has objected to that, because they feel that the Swedes have not been harsh enough on Kurds who are sympathetic to the creation of a Kurdish
homeland on Turkish territory living in Sweden. And until he's satisfied with that, those objections are essentially a veto power over Sweden's
membership in NATO. Eleni.
GIOKOS: Ben, I want to talk about the front lines and the news that we've heard about the gains that Ukraine has made in Bakhmut.
WEDEMAN: Yes, well, actually, we were near the front lines around Bakhmut today, and what we saw was Ukrainian artillery, pummeling Russian positions
in and around that town were accorded Ukrainian officials, the Russians have deployed as many as 50,000 troops.
And so certainly the impression we got first of all, just I've been going on and off to Bakhmut since last summer, and I've never heard so much
shelling from the direct -- in the direction of Bakhmut. Now, obviously, the Russians are firing back.
But what the Ukrainian troops told us is that recently they've noticed that the shelling, the intensity of the shelling from the Russian positions, has
decreased somewhat they say because the Russians are being pulled back and we did hear the spokesman for Ukrainian forces in the East saying that in
the Bakhmut area, they have pushed forward by a kilometer.
[11:05:00]
He didn't go into specifics where but we know that the Ukrainians are essentially trying to encircle this town of Bakhmut and that the two main
accesses are from the north and from the south. Now we've been in contact with Ukrainian troops on the southern front who say they are gaining ground
but we understand from other Ukrainian officials in the north the fighting is much more difficult. Eleni.
GIOKOS: All right Ben Wedeman for us them. Well, my colleague Becky Anderson recently got to go inside one of the ships covered under the Grain
Deal. It was carrying about 26,000 tonnes of wheat out of Ukraine. She climbed aboard when it was stopped for U.N. inspection in Istanbul and she
asked the captain what it was like to navigate through a conflict zone Take a listen.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MOHAMAD BALKIS, CAPTAIN, PACIFIC ROSE: Well, this is safe. I contact with control.
BECKY ANDERSON, CNN ANCHOR: Yes.
M: (inaudible) control and Odessa control by in this area.
ANDERSON: Got it.
M: Everything is safe. I contact for -- (inaudible) what (inaudible) I sent all this to GCC, it take to Istanbul. When it take to Istanbul everything
is OK.
ANDERSON: Since the beginning of this deal, some 1800 ships have done this route and been inspected. That's some 30 million tonnes of foodstuffs,
feeding more than 150 million people and perhaps as importantly, bringing the price of food globally down by some 20 percent.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
GIOKOS: Right. For more, I want to bring in Serhat Guvenc, Professor of International Relations at Kadir Has University in Istanbul. He has written
extensively about Turkey, and joins us by Skype. Thank you sir for joining us. Great to have you on. This is a critical moment with the grain deal,
expiring 17 July as Zelenskyy and Erdogan meeting, Erdogan has been absolutely integral in this deal, facilitating an extension a couple of
months ago, can he convince Putin to keep it in place, despite the concerns and the grievances that we've heard from Putin himself?
SERHAT GUVENC, PROFESSOR OF INTL RELATIONS, KADIR HAS UNIVERSITY: Well, he's going to try, he's going to do is try to do his best to get a renewal
of the deal and get Russia on board again. But this time, Russia has three solid concrete demands, which are, which can be categorized under three
headings.
One is about the insurance problems, you know, Russians have been having difficulty finding insurance for their shipments of grain and fertilizers
from the Black Sea ports. So they have been overcharged and insurance has proven to be an impediment to their grain exports under the deal. Secondly,
they are asking the readmission of their agricultural bank to the SWIFT system so that they can receive payments on the deal.
That is the second point of concern for the Russians. And finally, they are demanding the resumption of transit of ammonia from Russia, via Ukraine to
a Ukrainian port in Odessa. And of these three Zelenskyy has power, has power to exercise, has power to influence only one.
That is the transit of ammonium through the Ukrainian territory. The rest depends on the -- on the decision of the countries which impose -- which
have imposed sanctions on Russia. Therefore, under the circumstances, Erdogan will try to find alternative benefits for Russia to remain in the
deal or to renew the real deal for another 120 days.
And it seems that Russians have been keeping a very close eye on the outcome of the visit, as the Kremlin spokesperson himself stated so. But
under the circumstances, indeed, there is very little Erdogan can offer to Putin to get him on board again, with the deal. But nevertheless, this is
an important visit, it's an important visit for Zelenskyy.
GIOKOS: There's a lot. There's a lot going on at the same time, right? As you say the current circumstances. I mean, there's so much that is at play.
But Erdogan has positioned himself as one of the mediators in this war keeping communication open with Putin calling for a ceasefire, calling for
peace talks. Does he actually have weight here, given all the other issues that are playing out in parallel, in tandem with what we're seeing?
[11:10:00]
GUVENC: Well, Erdogan's ability to play a mediating role will very much depend on the preparations that are -- that are undertaking behind the
scenes. There have been reports off track to diplomatic contacts between the U.S. and Russian former officials. And therefore, and there is modest
progress in the -- in Ukraine's much anticipated counter offensive.
So the conditions for a negotiated settlement might be right. And then this may provide Erdogan little window of opportunity to reassert himself in --
in the process of moving towards negotiations. Probably I mean, he will not play the leading role -- role, but nevertheless, he will have a lot to
contribute to (inaudible)
GIOKOS: Look, I want to ask you about the United States is about to supply cluster bombs to Ukraine. But we have to remember that Turkey has already
supplied cluster bombs to Ukraine. Russia has used cluster munitions since the start of the war. How does this complicate the conversations right now,
not only with Zelenskyy, but also importantly, with Putin as well?
GUVENC: Well, Putin can live with a Turkey supplying Ukraine with lethal weapons that are -- that will be -- that are used against Russian troops in
in Ukraine, because he has to make a choice. I mean, if he pushes Turkey too hard, then he may totally lose Iran to the Western camp, and therefore
and Erdogan claims that he's following a delicate balancing act.
So at the strategic level in the Turkey contributes to Russia's resilience by not imposing sanctions on Russia, but at the tactical and operation
level, it supports Ukraine substantially. And both sides have learned to live with the fact that Turkey has a differentiated role to play in that
conflict. So for Putin, I guess this is not a huge consideration because the alternative is to sever all the links with Turkey and loose -- push
Turkey to the Western alliance totally and have a Turkey which impose sanctions on Russia.
GIOKOS: Serhat, it's great to have you on of course, there's so much more, right? NATO will be important as well, in terms of topic of conversation.
There's so much more. That meeting happening in about an hour from now, Serhat. Thank you, sir, for joining us.
Meantime, the weapons you see falling here. They are banned and more than 120 countries but the U.S. could be sending them to Ukraine today. The
Biden administration is expected to announce a new military aid package to Ukraine that will include controversial cluster munitions or cluster bombs.
They can be dropped from the air and released across a wide area and they pose a major threat to civilians after the moment of attack because they
leave behind unexploded munitions. CNN U.S. National Security Reporter Natasha Bertrand has more from the Pentagon. I want you to explain why the
U.S. is including these in the new arms package.
NATASHA BERTRAND, CNN NATIONAL SECURITY REPORTER: Yes Eleni. So it really has to do with the realities of the war in Ukraine and how the counter
offensive has been unfolding. Specifically U.S. and Western officials believe that it has not been going as quickly as they had anticipated.
Ukraine has not been making as substantial gains, as the U.S. had hoped by this point. And in the process, the Ukrainians have been burning through a
large amount of artillery ammunition, something that the U.S. is not sure is sustainable in the long term.
And so that is why the decision was made only in the last two to three weeks, we are told to provide Ukraine with these cluster munitions. The
U.S. has a very large stockpile of these munitions that they are no longer using because they began phasing them out in 2016. However, the U.S. and
Ukraine are not signatories to a ban on these cluster munitions that has been signed by over 100 countries. It was signed in 2010.
And the U.S. therefore is free to provide these weapons to Ukraine, despite many of the reservations, of course that U.S. allies may have about that.
We are told, however, that the U.S. has behind the scenes, been trying to reassure allies that this is the right move at this point and that without
these cluster munitions, Ukraine might have trouble keeping up its supply of ammunition.
And of course, artillery ammunition is one of the most important tools that Ukraine has in order to keep up its counter offensive against Russia. If
they are outmatched in terms of our ammunition, then they are in big trouble according to U.S. officials. So the U.S., major turnaround here
only in the last several weeks that they say has been influenced heavily by the conditions on the battlefield and by military analyst here at the
Pentagon who say that the U.S. might not be able to continue its support in terms of ammunition if the Ukrainian counter offensive continues as it has
and if the U.S. does not tap into those very controversial weapons stockpiles, Eleni.
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GIOKOS: Right, Natasha Bertrand, great to see you. Thursday's announcement, that Wagner's leader is not in Belarus, as previously believed, has raised
questions over whether his military group will take up the invite to transfer to the country. Earlier CNN toured a camp in Belarus, where Wagner
fighters could be housed.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MATTHEW CHANCE, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: This is the closest we've ever come to a Wagner camp, not in Russia nor the Ukrainian Front
Lines, but standing empty for now, in Belarus. Well, this is where we thought that Wagner soldiers invited to Belarus could be housed in fast
Tent City that this supposedly disused military base, about 100 kilometers, 70 miles or so outside of the Belarusian capital in tents like these that
have been set up to house a couple of dozen fighters at any given time.
And for the most part, empty at the moment. And that's because the plan to invite Wagner and its leader over here into Belarus after their military
uprising in Russia now appears to be on hold.
Recent satellite images showed how quickly the camp at Osipovichi was transformed, ready to house large numbers of troops at short notice and the
Belarusian general who gave us access, told me Wagner forces could still be deployed here if the political decision is made.
There's room for up to 5000 soldiers at this camp alone themselves. And we have other facilities too.
Have you been told to prepare this camp for the possible arrival of Wagner fighters? Is that what you were told?
We've prepared it for training and for territorial defense, he says. It was the sudden announcement by the leader of Belarus that neither Wagner nor
its leader was in fact in the country that seems to have thrown planning into disarray. Lukashenko insists his offer, which helps bring Wagner's
armed uprising to an end last month is still on the table.
But with new questions over Wagner and its leader, it seems unlikely this would-be Wagner camp will ever now be filled. Matthew Chance, CNN
Osipovichi in Belarus
(END VIDEO CLIP)
GIOKOS: Hundreds turnouts more to Palestinians killed in the latest Israeli operation in the occupied West Bank. We're live from the region on what has
been happening and what has been a violent week. Plus 12 years after the disaster at Japan's Fukushima nuclear power plant, officials are moving
forward with a controversial plan for the site's wastewater. That story coming up.
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[11:20:00]
GIOKOS: Welcome back. You're watching Connect the World with me Eleni Giokos in Dubai. Now we head to the West Bank where tensions are at risk of
escalating again, just days after Israel's largest operation in decades ended in Jenin. Two Palestinians were killed during an Israeli operation in
Nablus.
A convoy of Israeli armored vehicles were seen driving through the city. The Israeli military says the two people were wanted for shooting anti-
Israeli police and were killed in an exchange of fire. Salma Abdelaziz is standing by for us in Jerusalem. Salma, great to see you. In Nablus to
Palestinians killed during that Israeli raid. What more do we know about the operations there?
SALMA ABDELAZIZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, most of the information we're getting, of course, is coming from Israeli forces. They say they entered
Nablus this morning to carry out again, this military operation. They engaged in a shootout with what the Israeli military says were
Palestinians, Palestinian militants rather, inside Nablus that led to two Palestinians being killed and three others wounded.
Israel's military says that those two Palestinians were involved in a shootout with police earlier this week. They described them again, as
militants. It comes after just yesterday, there was an incident just outside of settlement, near a settlement in the occupied West Bank that
left one Israeli soldier dead according to Israeli forces.
Again, there was a perpetrator a shooter, a Palestinian militant that killed that Israeli soldier leader engaged with Israeli forces and was
killed in that engagement. Hamas leader claimed responsibility. All of this of course, Eleni in the wider, wider context of these escalating tensions,
escalating violence in the West Bank.
GIOKOS: Salma, you have important perspective on the impact of the incursion on people in Jenin. This was a tough week for so many who had to
evacuate as well as returned to destruction. On the ground, what did you experience?
ABDELAZIZ: It's been a tough week and it's been a tough year, Eleni. If you take a step back, that incursion in Geneva is absolutely not something that
is happening in isolation. There is a sea change, there is a shift. The United Nations says this is on track to be the deadliest year in the
occupied West Bank since the U.N. began record keeping in 2005.
The question is why is that? Why are we seeing so much more bloodshed in the occupied West Bank, a few different factors here that I want to go
through. First of all, the government that's in place, Israel right now has the most right-wing government in its history.
Among Prime Minister Netanyahu administration, there are right wing figures like a National Security minister, Ben Gvir, and those voices are lending
their support to the settler movement and not just to settlers in the occupied West Bank, but to the expansion of settlements in the occupied
West Bank.
Again, those right wing voices are pushing for a heavy handed response in the occupied West Bank. So you have that rising military pressure, that
rising number of military operations taking place. Jenin happening within the context of this and for the Palestinians living in these areas, the
question is, what voice do they have?
Well, if you take a city like Jenin, which is again just a microcosm of this conflict, it is a place that should be controlled by the Palestinian
Authority. But the Palestinian Authority has essentially taken a hands off approach because they are widely seen as ineffectual and corrupt in Jenin
as they are in many other places.
In fact, when we were there on Wednesday, during those huge demonstrations, funerals that took place in the city, Palestinian Authority officials were
being booed out, forced out of Jenin, parts of the Palestinian Authority offices were being stoned. So there's essentially a vacuum there in Jenin
and in other parts of the occupied West Bank that is allowing this Palestinian movement to grow, to develop.
And Israel's response to that is saying that there is an uptick first of all, of course in shooting attacks emanating from places like Jenin.
According to Israel, some 50 shooting attacks just this year have emanated from Jenin and so the military incursion there was meant to curb that to
eliminate that security threat, if you will, but what it does is potentially just give temporary respite. I'll leave you with one last
thought. A day after Israel withdrew Hamas published video, yes propaganda video but video of their militants rebuilding IEDs in Jenin.
[11:25:00]
These Palestinian militants are absolutely rebuilding again and preparing for the next fight.
GIOKOS: Yes and as Netanyahu says it's not over, that these raids will happen again. Salma Abdelaziz, thank you so much for your perspective. And
for more on Salma's experience in Jenin and other stories out of the Middle East, you can subscribe to CNN's Meanwhile in the Middle East newsletter.
It's sent three times a week curated by experts across the region, you can sign up at cnn.com/middleEastnewsletter. There's a QR code right now on
your screen, an easy way to log on.
And the United Arab Emirates where we are broadcasting from right now will contribute $15 million for urgent humanitarian needs in the Jenin refugee
camp. The money will support efforts by the United Nations to repair a health center and homes that were destroyed in the violence.
But I want to get you up to speed on some of the stories that are on our radar right now. U.N. Secretary General Antonio Guterres is calling for
immediate action to help Haitian police combat gang violence. Gangs control much of Port-au-Prince plaguing residents with extreme violence as Haitians
also grapple with extreme poverty. Guterres says humanitarian conditions in the country are beyond appalling.
Twitter is threatening to sue Meta after the launch of Threads, Meta's new app that's trying to take on Twitter. An attorney representing Twitter sent
Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg a letter accusing the company of trade secret theft by hiring Twitter's former employees. Meta is dismissing the letter.
And a company founded by billionaire Jack Ma has been fined nearly $1 billion as part of China's crackdown on internet firms. China's securities
regulator determined. Ant group breached corporate governance and other rules.
Healthy economic competition. That's what U.S. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen said is needed between her country and China during a meeting with
China's Premier in Beijing. Li Qiang said Yellen's visit has drawn the world's attention. She is in China for three days. Yellen also met with
business leaders Friday, telling them a separation of U.S. and Chinese commerce would hurt both countries and she criticized what she called
China's unfair economic practices.
Now in the U.S., the labor market cooled off. In June official say 209,000 jobs were added last month. That is the lowest monthly gain since a decline
in December 2020. Fed officials have been hoping for their aggressive rate hiking campaign would lead to a slowdown in the jobs market and help ease
inflation.
Here's what Wall Street makes of the latest reports. As you can see Dow Jones is down slightly. NASDAQ is up three-tenths of a percent. S&P barely
higher. A muted response I would say to the latest numbers. Markets probably still absorbing what it all means for inflation and the rate
hiking cycle down the line.
Right now a new drug for Alzheimer's has gotten key approval. Just ahead a look at the drug and what this decision means for the fight against the
memory robbing disease. And the earth broke records this week for all the wrong reasons. We'll explain in just a little bit.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
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GIOKOS: Welcome back to Connect the World with me Eleni Giokos. Your headlines this hour. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy is set to meet
with his Turkish counterpart in about 30 minutes from now. They'll discuss a critical deal with Recep Tayyip Erdogan, that he helped broker, that
allows Ukraine to export grain. That agreement expires in 10 days unless Russia renews it.
The U.S. is expected to announce a new military aid package to Ukraine today that will include controversial cluster munitions for the first time.
These weapons were banned in more than 120 countries under a 2008 convention but Russia, Ukraine and the U.S. declined to sign the treaty.
Two Palestinians were killed during an operation by Israeli forces in the occupied West Bank. Israeli military officials say the two were suspected
of carrying out a shooting attack on an Israeli police car earlier this week. The Palestinians died during an exchange of fire with Israeli forces,
three others were injured.
Now the U.S. Food and Drug Administration has fully approved the first Alzheimer's treatment proven to slow the course of memory-robbing disease.
The move paves the way for an estimated 1 million people to get access to the medicines. CNN's Meg Tirrell reports.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MEG TIRRELL, CNN MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT: Six years ago, Joe Montminy saw a neurologist for what he thought were a few minor problems with his memory.
JOE MONTMINY, DIAGNOSED WITH ALZHEIMER'S: Then she came back and said you know what, Joe, I -- you actually have younger onset Alzheimer's disease.
You're likely going to start to experience declines in the next five years. And you may not recognize your family in five to seven years.
TIRRELL: Now 59 Montminy is one of millions of Americans living with Alzheimer's disease. But this year, new hope emerged. A drug aiming to slow
down the disease's progression got accelerated FDA approval in January, based on the fact that it clears amyloid plaque buildups in the brain
associated with Alzheimer's.
But Medicare declined to cover it until the FDA granted a fuller traditional approval based on a bigger clinical trial proving the drug has
benefits for thinking clearly and being able to function in daily life. Without insurance, the medicine called Lecanemab and sold under the brand
name Leqembi costs $26,500 a year.
MONTMINY: You had this treatment at your fingertips and suddenly you had Medicare saying yes, but you can't quite get access to that at this point
in time.
TIRRELL: A larger trial funded by the drugs makers Eisai And Biogen did find that Leqembi can slow the progression of Alzheimer's disease by about
27 percent. It's the first time a drug has proven to alter the disease's course.
DR. LAWRENCE HONIG, PROF OF NEUROLOGY, COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY IRVING MEDICAL CENTER: It was a very dismaying experience getting a diagnosis of
Alzheimer's disease and to be told that we don't have anything that will slow down or stop the disease in its tracks.
TIRRELL: Columbia University's Dr. Lawrence Hoenig says this is the beginning of a new treatment era. But he warns that Leqembi is not a cure,
and not everyone will be eligible for the drug.
How difficult do you anticipate the conversations being with people who are more advanced and maybe are too advanced to benefit from the drug?
HONIGIOKOS: We're already having these conversations that sometimes aren't so easy. It's not that we know it's not good for people with moderate or
severe disease. It's just that we don't know.
TIRRELL: Side effects could be worse for people with more advanced disease as well, he says. Already there's something to be aware of. About 13
percent of patients receiving the drug in its trial had brain swelling. 17 percent had brain bleeding compared with 9 percent in the placebo group.
Leqembi is administered through IV infusion once every two weeks. Infusion centers like Vivo Infusion are gearing up for an expected surge in new
patients.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: In certain areas I anticipate we will receive probably at least 15 percent to 20 percent more patient referrals for this drug.
TIRRELL: Joe Montminy is hoping he'll be able to get it for a chance for more time with his wife and two grown sons.
MONTMINY: Like any parent, I would love to see them actually get married and have a family. I just want to experience many of the activities that
most people take for granted.
TIRRELL: Meg Tirrell, CNN reporting.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
[11:35:00]
GIOKOS: Joining me now is Dr. Richard Isaacson. He's a Preventative Neurologist at the Institute for Neurodegenerative diseases of Florida. Dr.
Isaacson, great to have you with us, I want you to give me a sense about the efficacy of this drug's ability to drop amyloid plaque buildup, because
that is essentially what it's targeting.
DR. RICHARD ISAACSON, PREVENTATIVE NEUROLOGIST: Sure, so I think this is a really important day, and an important era, opening a new era and treatment
for Alzheimer's disease. But in terms of you know, this isn't a cure, this isn't, you know, something that's going to stop disease in the tracks.
But it can slow the disease by about 27 percent. And, and that's good, that's good progress. It doesn't mean that it's a cure all. But it can give
more hope to families, it can give more meaningful activities to patients. And I'm really excited about having another tool in our toolbox to fight
Alzheimer's disease early.
GIOKOS: Yes, and you're so right. I mean, this is an incredible breakthrough. I think so many of us have family members that have dealt
with Alzheimer's. We know how or what a weight it is on family. I just want to talk about availability here, because when I think about it,
practically, availability of the drug, you know how the insurance companies are going to deal with this.
Have you been able to look at how people are going to be accessing Leqembi from this moment on?
ISAACSON: Sure, there's going to be a large learning curve for both doctors and patients affected as well as family members. And along that learning
curve, there's going to be some trouble with availability. This is not a simple drug that you can take as a pill.
This is an infusion, where you have to come to the clinic and, and actually, even before the clinic, you have to have a variety of tests, you
have to make sure that there's a pathologic protein, something called amyloid in the brain, either through a scan or initially a blood test, then
you have to have an MRI scan of the brain to make sure things look good, and there's no bleeding or swelling to start off.
And then availability, well, you can get the drug. But -- but the drug is also costly. And it may be, you know, covered by some insurance carriers in
the United States. Medicare, we hope will cover it. But in terms of cost and access, and -- and really our medical system is not ready for a therapy
like this. But I think it's going to take, you know, many weeks, often, honestly, probably several months for really the first cadre of people to
start receiving it.
GIOKOS: Absolutely. As you say Medicare coverage, we've got to remember this isn't the United States, FDA approval, we don't know what's going to
happen at a global level. The price tag is $26,500 a year. Do insurance companies want more data before they start approving the use of this drug?
I mean, I can just imagine that everyone's looking at the margins here. And also looking at it from a cost perspective.
ISAACSON: Yes, I mean, this is a -- it's a very costly drug. And it's also not just the drug itself, but it's the infusion, it's the centers and the
fees and, and the MRI costs. So I think, you know, each country is going to have to wrangle with the individual issues. And, you know, insurance
companies often take a while to come around.
And what I do believe is that they're going to be additional studies that show that there's going to be a cost benefit in terms of using the drug,
not just on quality of life, but maybe delayed, you know, placement of into nursing homes, for example.
And, you know, just -- just delaying nursing home placement by one year can cover years and years of the drug. So, you know, I'm hopeful that the
insurance carriers are going to, you know, see the value in this drug. But -- but at this time, it's expensive.
GIOKOS: Yes, in terms of your experience, right now, we know there's this drug has been trialed extensively, how are you going to be treating your
patients right now that come to you and say, look, I think I need to be put on this drug?
ISAACSON: Well, I've had a lot of patients on this drug in terms of clinical trials. And also the drug has been available in the United States
for the last several months. It just again, hasn't been had had full FDA approval and haven't had, you know, the full insurance covered, but some of
my patients have actually been paying out of pocket.
This drug can be extremely helpful when used in the right patient at the right dose at the right time. And what I mean by that is it has to be used
early, very early when the mild memory changes are starting. But the person can mostly take care of themselves. When a person already has dementia,
advanced dementia, when they can no longer take care of themselves, you know, this drug probably won't work.
And we don't really have data to suggest at this time that it does work. But what I can say is that when this data -- when this drug is used early
and in low doses, and we use it safely, and we monitor the patient carefully, I've been impressed with the results.
And you know, I'm really hopeful that -- this drug isn't for everybody. We have to monitor patients closely but it's one tool in the toolbox along
with lifestyle changes, exercise on a regular basis, monitoring blood pressure and cholesterol and diabetes control.
[11:40:00]
When you use this drug in combination with other therapies, that's how we're going to really win the battle against Alzheimer's disease.
GIOKOS: And you're right, I mean, the side effects, we just heard what the list is. In terms of R&D for opening the doors for more extensive therapy,
that is what is exciting about this right now. Do you feel the same?
ISAACSON: Yes. I do I do. This is just really the beginning. And you know, just like any chronic disease, like diabetes, or high blood pressure, high
cholesterol, you know, we just don't have a magic pill or magic potion or IV or anything to prevent or cure any of those diseases.
You know, it takes -- it takes a battle. When any type of war, we need to attack from every angle. And this is just one extra tool in that war
against Alzheimer's disease. I hope one day we're going to have anti amyloid drugs and tau drugs and all the fancy proteins and fancy names.
But we're also going to really focus on lifestyle changes so that people can take control of their brain health by exercise and healthy
Mediterranean style diet and adequate sleep and minimizing stress. And doing these all together. That's how we can really have success.
GIOKOS: Adequate sleep, I need to work on that. I know that is very dangerous. I have to ask you from a global perspective, especially for
other markets. Do you think that we're close to getting a more generic, a cheaper option of this?
I mean, how do you see this playing out? Everyone's going to want to get their hands on this. You're talking about trying to produce this at scale
for other markets. And I'm just thinking about the supply chain here.
ISAACSON: Yes, this is a complicated drug, not only to give, but a complicated drug to monitor. If a -- practice setting doesn't have easy
access to MRIs, brain scans on a regular basis, patients need to get their brain scanned, every, you know, several months to make sure they're not
having early side effects of the -- from the medicine.
You know, in terms of will there be a generic available in the coming months or years? No, that's going to take a long time. So unfortunately,
this drug is going to be really limited in its initial use, but it opens the era to an entire new phase and a new epoch in our -- in our field of
Alzheimer's disease.
You know, I hope in the coming five years, seven years, we're going to have new drugs, multiple mechanisms, you know, we're going to hit this disease
from every single angle. But in terms of emerging countries and emerging markets and low cost, you know, high cost medical care, this is going to be
a challenge to really get -- get there on the grand scale.
GIOKOS: Well, that does it. Dr. Isaacson, you've inspired me to make sure I get enough sleep this weekend and also to jump on the treadmill. Thank you
very much. I hope you have a great weekend. Thank you, sir.
ISAACSON: Thank you so much.
GIOKOS: Well, coming up on Connect the World, a popular beach in New York is seeing an influx of shark bites. What officials are doing to keep
swimmers safe and we'll see how a seabird that was presumed extinct over 300 years, is now a beacon of hope for wildlife conservation around the
world. We'll be right back.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[11:45:00]
GIOKOS: This week, Call to Earth has been looking at species facing the threat of extinction. Today we join our Guest Editor, Gerardo Garcia in
Bermuda, where he met up with Ornithologist Jeremy Maderios to hear the remarkable story of a native species of seabird that was presumed extinct
over 300 years ago.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
GERARDO GARCIA, HEAD OF ECTOTHERMS: Would you be able to take notes?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Oh my God. Am I going to destroy your database now.
GARCIA: No, no, no.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: In five minutes.
GARCIA: I have confidence in you.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: OK, here we go.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: So, it's about 75 days or 78 days old now. And it'll fledge in about 90 to 100 days. Hey there maybe. So yes, so here he is, is
still in very much he's shedding his down like mad right now. You can see it's just blowing off.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: This is a cahow, a nocturnal seabird and like several other creatures on Bermuda, it is a Lazarus species risen from the dead. It
once numbered in the hundreds of 1000s. But the cahow population was wiped out after human settlement in the early 1600s. And the species was presumed
extinct for 300 years. Then, in 1951, a group including 15 year old Bermuda school boy David Wingate, made a dramatic discovery on a tiny rock in the
middle of the ocean.
DAVID WINGATE, BERMUDA ORNITHOLOGIST: Being young, of course, I was able to bend over and look into crevices a little easier than the others. And about
half an hour into our search, we found what was obviously an occupied burrow, and we actually found three I will never forget, when the bird was
extracted, I mean, that we were rediscovering a bird which was thought extinct 300 years ago.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: From that moment on, David has devoted his life to protecting the cahows, creating artificial burrows to keep out the
aggressive white tailed tropic birds. But hurricanes posed a significant threat to the cahow habitats. And it became clear something more would need
to be done if they were to survive.
WINGATE: I recognized quite early due to the science that the islands, through these islands could be over washed completely when you get a bad
hurricane. So it was a pretty critical situation.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: This solution build a new home on the larger and safer Nonsuch Island and hope that the cahow colony would be enticed to make the
move.
JEREMY MADERIOS, PRINCIPAL TERRESTRIAL CONSERVATION OFFICER: I think when I first started working with David in the 1980s, they were at that point
around about 30 pairs. When he retired and I took over the program, I think they were up to 53 pairs at that point and now this year, they in 2023 they
reached 164 breeding pairs, which sounds wonderful but it's still a really, really tiny population.
Nonsuch has the capacity we think for five to 6000 pairs just on it.
GARCIA: Now he is, you can see his wingspan spanning. He's developing all of his flight feathers primary.
MADERIOS: You take over us to foster parents, you feed them daily, weigh them, you measure them, give them vitamins for the last week before they
depart. They come out every night because there are nocturnal seabird and they imprint on that area, they go to high points and they look around and
it's like they're memorizing exactly where they are in the planet.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: When the chicks finally take flight, they stay out at sea for three to five years. But Jeremy is already seeing the results of
the translocation.
MADERIOS: 105 birds I moved over five years 50 percent of them returned to Nonsuch. It was such a relief because I had sleepless nights.
WINGATE: There isn't any other species that I can think of that has gone from such rarity to such rapid increasing. We have no excuse not to use all
these tools for conservation, because it's a matter of life and death not for this, for us but for the planet.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
GIOKOS: Wonderful story of resilience and endurance. You'll be able to see more of Gerardo Garcia's work in Bermuda. Watch the full documentary Call
to Earth: The Edge of Extinction airing this weekend here on CNN. You're watching Connect the World live from Dubai. Up next what officials saw in
the waters of a popular new beach that caused him to ramp up patrols. That is coming up. Stay with CNN.
[11:50:00]
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
GIOKOS: Welcome back. Earth's heat records just keep dropping. A climate scientists tell CNN, this week's records are probably the warmest in
quotes, at least 1000 years. That is not a typo. Scientists are pointing to the climate crisis combined with this year's El Nino. And they say the
Earth's average daily temperature touched 17.23 degrees Celsius on Thursday.
That's 63 degrees Fahrenheit, I want you to remember, this is just an average number for the entire world. Temperatures in the low 60s Fahrenheit
may not sound that hot to anyone sweating through a summer heatwave. But researchers say this figure represents a new indicator that Earth's climate
is heating up way faster than anticipated.
Now summer is in full swing. And that means more people looking to cool off at the beach. With that officials in the U.S. are ramping up shark patrols
after a spike of shark bites. Five people were bitten in just two days along the beaches of the Long Island region of New York. I want to bring in
Polo Sandoval joining us now from Robert Moses State Park in Babylon, New York. Do we have an explanation as to why all the sharks are moving closer?
And why there are still people swimming on the beach despite the sharks?
POLO SANDOVAL, CNN CORRESPONDENT: It's a really good question, Eleni. Yes, and when you hear from some of the experts, they'll tell you that a lot of
the baitfish are basically feeding closer to the beach. And if you have baitfish, you're likely to have sharks and what is what we've all we've
always seen sharks. The concern, though, is just what we saw this week alone, at least five incidents up and down New York state beaches here,
non- life threatening injuries that these folks state.
Authorities believe that it was -- that they were victims of shark bites. Yes. Earlier this week, there was a large group of what was initially
believed to be sharks just off the coast here. Today, we find out that officials have amended that saying that it was in fact a school of harmless
fish.
But nonetheless, when you look, when you take in the sights, it's very clear that people are still coming out to enjoy the day. Of course, people
are still keeping in mind that it was just yesterday that it was about a 10-foot shark that was located off the coast here.
The lifeguard springing into action, asking people to get out of the water for a little while allowing for that shark to go up back out to sea. So
it's certainly not keeping people from going out and enjoying. But it certainly is something that folks are at least keeping in mind.
And this is why New York State officials are not only on the beaches via lifeguards, keeping a close eye on the water, but also in the air. We've
seen helicopters, we've seen boats, we've seen drones being deployed up and down the New York State coast to keep a watchful eye on the water, warning
people of any potential dangers. Back to you.
GIOKOS: Yes. I mean, look, sharks don't like to eat humans. I mean, it's not part of their diet. But I'm just curious in terms of the -- the bites
and how serious these incidents have been. I see some brave souls quite deep into the water today, and wondering if you're going to get in in just
a moment.
SANDOVAL: Listen, I'm doing my part in protecting the public by not exposing them to my bare chests. So I'm doing my own part here. But in
terms of folks getting in the water, I can tell you that folks are not worried about it. And whether they're doing it intentionally or not,
they're following for the most part, the advice of officials, which is swim in groups, stay close to the coast.
And also try to avoid any sort of schools of fish that they may see out there, that they may see out there because the concern obviously if you see
those schools, that's likely to lead to sharks.
[11:55:00]
But look speaking to a longtime resident, he's been coming out to this beach for eight years. He told me eight summers in a row. Eight years ago,
somebody fished, he said, a 10-foot shark out of these waters. So it's certainly something that they're well aware of. The concern though, is
those five incidents that we saw earlier this week, again, non-life threatening injuries.
Authorities are hesitant to definitively say that they were any form of shark attacks and that the victim or anybody around them positively
identified it as a shark. But authorities are calling it a potential shark attack. So that's enough to not only trigger warnings, but also a pretty
significant presence on the water.
GIOKOS: Absolutely. Fascinating story, because question is as to why they're so close to the shore. And also, I hope you enjoy your day on the
beach, despite the fact that you're working. I hope you get to wet your toes a little. Thank you so much, Polo, great to have you on.
SANDOVAL: Thank you.
GIOKOS: Well, that is it for us. One World with Paula Newton is up next. From Eleni Giokos, I hope you have a fantastic weekend and I will see you
on Monday. Take care.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
END
