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Helicopter Crashes Into NYC's Hudson River, Killing Six; U.S. Criticized For Response To Devastating Myanmar Earthquake; U.S. House Approves Budget Blueprint To Unlock Trump Agenda. Aired 5:30-6a ET
Aired April 11, 2025 - 05:30 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
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MEG TIRRELL CNN MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT: So if the price of the inputs -- the ingredients that go into these drugs starts to rise -- that you can't raise the price commensurately -- that could actually make it unprofitable to manufacture these generic medicines. And that could cause some of these manufacturers, experts tell us, to just decide to stop making the drug or providing it for the U.S. market.
And already we see a lot of drug shortages out there that are causing problems for patients and for hospitals and doctors. And antibiotics are one of the top five categories where we see these shortages, but we also see them in things like cancer chemotherapy drugs and many other drug classes.
So this is a major problem but unfortunately tariffs, experts tell us, will likely make this problem worse in the short term and they're not convinced because it's so expensive to build manufacturing plants and takes a long time in the United States that this is actually going to bring manufacturing back.
We should also note that on branded medicines -- those pricier drugs -- this could potentially raise those prices even further making pricey drugs even more expensive.
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POLO SANDOVAL, CNN ANCHOR: Our thanks to CNN's Meg Tirrell for that report.
Still to come, what we know about the victims of Thursday's tragic helicopter crash in New York. That aircraft crashing in the Hudson River.
You're watching EARLY START.
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SANDOVAL: This morning we are learning more about Thursday's deadly helicopter crash in New York's Hudson River that left a pilot and a family of five dead.
A law enforcement official says that Siemens executive Agustin Escobar, his wife, and three young children were among the six people killed in the crash.
And before we show you some of the video a warning that the footage is difficult to watch but it does give you a sense of some of the questions that investigators are asking themselves this morning as to how this could have happened. You see there the helicopter appearing to fall towards the Hudson River with pieces coming off of the fuselage before it plunges into the water.
Investigators right now looking at this footage trying to learn exactly what went wrong.
The Escobar family was visiting New York City from Spain. The helicopter tour flew them by the Statue of Liberty yesterday afternoon and then up north -- up along the Hudson along the New York City skyline to the George Washington Bridge where it then turned around and began flying south before it lost control and crashed near the New Jersey shoreline.
The company operating the tour was previously involved in two safety incidents that were investigated by federal aviation authorities.
The death toll from the nightclub roof collapse in the Dominican Republic now at 225 people. At least 189 other individuals were injured in Tuesday's disaster. On Thursday, rescuers ended their search for more bodies. This, as families bury their loved ones. And authorities are now trying to learn exactly what caused that collapse.
CNN contributor Stefano Pozzebon with more.
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STEFANI POZZEBON, CNN CONTRIBUTOR (voiceover): Rescue workers stand on the sidelines watching as the massive cranes and trucks leave the scene of the deadly nightclub collapse. Nearly three days after the roof of the popular Jet Set club caved in the search for survivors comes to an emotional end.
The director of emergency operations breaking down as he thanked his crews who saved nearly 200 people. But more than 220 lives were also lost and it's not clear how many are still unaccounted for.
The cause of the collapse hasn't been determined.
VICTOR ATALLAH, DOMINICAN MINISTER OF PUBLIC HEALTH: I don't think we can say anything about the investigation because the investigation has not even started.
POZZEBON (voiceover): Rescuers worked around the clock combing through the rubble but not one has been found alive in the last 24 hours.
ATALLAH: We have no more bodies and the whole area looks to -- seems to be covered. So I don't think -- I wouldn't expect any more recovery.
POZZEBON: The majority of the bodies have been taken here at the Institute of Forensic Medicine. And here is where the painful process of autopsies and identification can take place.
POZZEBON (voiceover): The waiting area is chaotic and hot. Many wear masks because the smell of decomposition is so strong. Family members comfort one another as they wait for news.
Angel de Los Andes (PH) tells us his cousin died at the nightclub less than four months after the death of her father.
ANGEL DE LOS ANDES, COUSIN DIED IN ROOF COLLAPSE: (Speaking foreign language).
POZZEBON (voiceover): "She was the light of the family," he says. "So smiley. So cheerful. So talented."
The whole nation is in mourning. Hundreds lined up to pay their respects to legendary singer Rubby Perez who was performing at the time of the collapse.
Dominican President Luis Abinader watched as Perez's daughter bid a powerful farewell to her father.
ZULINKA, RUBBY PEREZ'S DAUGHTER: (Singing).
POZZEBON (voiceover): Mourners outside singing his music --
MOURNERS: (Singing).
POZZEBON (voiceover): -- and saying their final goodbyes to a man they considered an idol, an icon, and a brother.
Funerals like this just the beginning for a country trying to cope with unbearable loss.
Stefano Pozzebon, CNN, Santo Domingo.
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SANDOVAL: The United States is being criticized for its response of the deadly earthquake in Myanmar -- the first major natural disaster since the Trump administration moved to dismantle the main U.S. humanitarian aid agency.
You see, more than 3,500 people died in last month's massive earthquake, which toppled buildings across impoverished Myanmar. It happened while the Trump administration gutted the USAID agency, slashing lifesaving programs and cutting staff.
The U.S. pledged $9 million in assistance and dispatched just three people to Myanmar. By the way, those three people -- they were laid off within days after getting on the ground. And just look at how this compares to the American response to a
similar sized earthquake that struck Turkey and Syria just two years ago. The U.S., then under President Biden, sent hundreds of workers and pledged $185 million in assistance. It's quite the contrast.
Still ahead here on EARLY START the U.S. House approving a plan to push forward Mr. Trump's tax and budget agenda. What the House Speaker had to do to actually get some of those votes. That's later in the program.
You're watching EARLY START.
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SANDOVAL: Welcome back. I'm Polo Sandoval. And here are some of the stories that we are closely watching today.
China is raising its retaliatory tariffs against the U.S. again, this time from 84 percent to a whopping 125 percent. This after President Donald Trump announced that he was going to raise tariffs against China to 145 percent. And that is deepening the ongoing trade war between the two nations. New reporting from the White House indicating that the president is waiting for the Chinese president to reach out directly in order to get those diplomatic talks going.
Markets turning lower on this news coming from China with European shares back in the red after a higher open. As for U.S. futures, they have also turned negative following sharp falls on Thursday. Then the Asian markets, which closed before China's latest move -- they actually closed mixed with Chinese stocks gaining ground and Japan Nikkei actually sinking almost three percent.
And the U.S. Treasury's market is showing some signs of distress as 10-year yields are actually rising, indicating a sell-off, and that's likely meant to be -- supposed to be a safe haven asset. On Thursday, the day after Trump's suspension of reciprocal tariffs, the 30-year treasury yield rose to nearly five, the largest weekly increase since 1982.
U.S. Democrats are calling for an investigation into potential insider trading connected to the president and some of his tariff pauses. Two Democratic senators -- they have sent a letter to officials, including the government ethics head. They're requesting what they call an urgent inquiry into whether the president, his family, or members of his administration are committing insider trading based on advanced non-public knowledge of challenges -- or I should say changes in Mr. Trump's tariff policy.
Mr. Trump told his Truth Social followers earlier this week, "This is a great time to buy!"
So now there are some bipartisan concern and here is some of it.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) REP. ALEXANDRIA OCASIO-CORTEZ (D-NY): I don't think that Trump just coincidentally said buy stocks and then shortly later made an announcement.
SEN. ADAM SCHIFF (D-CA): We want to find out whether people are insider trading on the basis of knowledge about this move or that move on tariffs.
REP. JEFF HURD (R-CO): I'm a member of Congress that does not believe we should be buying or selling individual securities as members of Congress. It is something that causes some concern for me. We may want to look at that.
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SANDOVAL: All right. Now a major win for Republican leadership after its subdued rebellion efforts among some of its members. The U.S. House actually approved a Senate budget plan on Thursday in a critical step forward for President Trump's agenda. But the plan advanced only after conservative holdouts were assured that the final bill would include $1.5 trillion in spending cuts.
The move caps a dramatic week for the House Speaker. He was forced to cancel plans for a vote earlier after nearly 20 fellow Republicans demanded a guarantee of steep spending cuts.
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MANU RAJU, CNN CHIEF CONGRESSIONAL CORRESPONDENT: And if it comes back with a reconciliation bill with less than $1.5 trillion?
REP. RICH MCCORMICK (R-GA): It's not going to get done. I promise -- I promise you would have not just me, you'll have 30 people that won't vote for it.
RAJU: But you'll vote against anything that comes back on a reconciliation bill under $1.5 trillion?
REP. ANDY OGLES (R-TN): That's right. We've got to hit that target. That's -- again, this is why President Trump won. We've got to hold our word. Hold leadership -- their feet to the fire.
RAJU: Are you confident that Medicaid will not be touched by these cuts?
REP. NICOLE MALLIOTAKIS (R-NY): Well, we've made it very clear to the speaker that we will not support something that changes eligibility that would strip benefits from our constituents. It's as simple as that. I don't really believe that the number will be $1.5 trillion. I think that it probably will come in a little lower.
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SANDOVAL: All right, now to a court ruling that one legal expert calls "maddeningly vague." The U.S. Supreme Court says that the Trump administration must facilitate the return of a Maryland man that was wrongly deported to a notorious prison in El Salvador. But the top court stopped short of requiring the government to make the return of Kilmar Armando Abrego Garcia to actually have it happen.
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CNN's Paula Reid explaining this ruling.
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PAULA REID, CNN CHIEF LEGAL AFFAIRS CORRESPONDENT: On Thursday, the Supreme Court released its much anticipated decision on a man who was accidentally deported to El Salvador. Now, a lower court had ruled that the Trump administration must return this man to the United States. The administration appealed.
And once this reached the Supreme Court they had a few options and in their decision released late Thursday they sort of took a middle road. They didn't order that the man has to be returned or that he does not have to be returned to the United States. Instead, they said that the administration must "facilitate" his return but didn't explain exactly what that means nor did they give the administration a deadline.
It is expected that this case will now go back down to the lower court to clarify some points that the justices said needed to be fleshed out.
So at this point it's unclear how long this process will take to play out and when, if ever, this man will be returned to the United States. And this decision comes after several wins for the Trump administration at the high court over the past few days -- wins on cases dealing with immigration but also with the administration's efforts to cull the federal government.
So we're still waiting for one big case from the Supreme Court right now and that is a decision on the administration's effort to end so- called birthright citizenship. That's the last big question the justices have on their desks for now but, of course, we're just a few months away from Supreme Court decision season.
Paula Reid, CNN, Washington.
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SANDOVAL: U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary RFK Jr. says that he is determined to discover what's causing rising rates of autism.
Here's what he said during a cabinet meeting on Thursday.
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ROBERT F. KENNEDY JR., SECRETARY, DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES: We've launched a massive testing and research effort that's going to involve hundreds of scientists from around the world. By September we will know what has caused the autism epidemic and we'll be able to eliminate those exposures.
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SANDOVAL: The Associated Press reports that RFK also said that he would advise the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to stop recommending fluoride be put in the water while the government researches its potential health effects.
And in an opinion piece for the New York Post, RFK wrote that he will combine offices of Health and Human Services into a new so-called Administration for a Healthy America. He says that it will be dedicated to disease prevention and fighting chronic disease.
More EARLY START after the break. We'll be right back.
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SANDOVAL: Welcome back to EARLY START.
Another surprise from Pope Francis -- this time a public appearance at St. Peter's Basilica on Thursday. Instead of the usual white papal vestments the 88-year-old pontiff instead wearing just black pants and a -- you can see there he had a striped blanket on his body there. He did -- was using an oxygen tube.
Pope Francis spent more than a month in the hospital with double pneumonia, as you recall. And this is his second public appearance since being discharged from the hospital last month.
Well, round two of the quest for the coveted green jacket -- it's teeing off in less than two hours with American Justin Rose holding a 3-stroke lead at the Masters tournament. Three golfers, including defending champ Scottie Scheffler -- they are bunched up in second place, and Rory McIlroy is seven strokes back at the first major of the season.
CNN Sports' Don Riddell with the very latest out of the legendary Augusta National course.
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DON RIDDELL, CNN ANCHOR, WORLD SPORT: The 44-year-old Englishman Justin Rose has had a phenomenal day here at Augusta shooting a 7- under par score to open his Masters tournament challenge here in 2025 leading by a comfortable margin.
Now, he is one of the most respected players in the game. He's a former U.S. Open champion. He's an Olympic champion. He's had chances here, most notably in 2017 when he lost a heartbreaking playoff to Sergio Garcia. But he's comfortable here and he knows that he's still got the game to win a green jacket.
JUSTIN ROSE, U.S. OPEN WINNER IN 2013: I feel like I've played well enough to win this tournament. I just feel like I don't have the jacket to prove it. I think you always feel self-pressure to add more, for sure. I do feel that I could make a statement with how well I play at the back end of my career. That's a great opportunity though for me, not a pressure. From my point of view that's a lot of fun today and that's what I'm in the game for is to feel the experiences.
RIDDELL: Of course there are still three rounds to go here at Augusta and one of the men breathing down Justin Rose's neck is surely going to be Scottie Scheffler. The world number one and defending champion is hoping to become only the second player after Jack Nicklaus to win three green jackets in the space of just four years. And he played superbly on Thursday shooting a 4-under par round, and he didn't drop a shot.
SCOTTIE SCHEFFLER, TWO-TIME MASTERS CHAMPION: I felt pretty good about it. I had a feeling the golf course was going to get pretty firm. And, you know, the areas to hit your irons out here are pretty small, and they get even smaller when the greens are firm. And so there's definitely some challenge to the golf course today and I'm sure that will continue as the week goes on.
I think any time you get close to the lead it's going to be easier for you to win the golf tournament. That's just -- that's just -- I mean, a simple fact of the matter. If you get off to a good start statistically, you're going to have a better chance to win the tournament.
RIDDELL: But unfortunately not everybody plays well at Augusta. It is a brutal test of golf. And spare a thought for the 21-year-old American Nick Dunlap. He turned professional just last year. This is only his second Masters appearance, and he had an absolute disaster shooting an 18-over par score of 90. That was more than twice as bad as the next worst score here on Thursday.
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