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What We Know with Max Foster
RFK Jr. Spars With Senators Over Stance On Vaccines; Zelenskyy, Trump & Ukraine's Allies Discuss Security Guarantees; Hamas: Ready For "Comprehensive Deal" To End War; D.C. Sues Trump Administration Over National Guard Deployment; Three Days Of Mourning After Lisbon Streetcar Derails; Taliban Say More Than 2,200 Dead After Sunday's Quake; Sources: Trump Justice Department Mulls Gun Ban For Trans People. Aired 3-4p ET
Aired September 04, 2025 - 15:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
[15:00:35]
MAX FOSTER, CNN HOST: Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. says he doesn't know how many Americans died from COVID-19, as the U.S. health secretary faces tough
questions on Capitol Hill.
This WHAT WE KNOW.
Senators from both sides of the aisle grilling Robert Kennedy, J. over his stance on vaccines and the recent shake up as well at the Centers for
Disease Control. U.S. President Trump's health secretary testifying today on Capitol Hill.
Mr. Kennedy also defended the firing of the CDC director, saying she wasn't a trustworthy person and that changes made at the agency were absolutely
necessary. The secretary is a longtime vaccine skeptic and has expected faced a barrage of questions on that matter. He had his heated -- had this
heated exchange with Democratic Senator Elizabeth Warren over future access to vaccines.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SEN. ELIZABETH WARREN (D-MA): As Senator Dr. Cassidy said, you are effectively denying people vaccines.
ROBERT F. KENNEDY, JR., HHS SECRETARY: We're not going to recommend a product for which there's no clinical data for that indication, which -- is
that what I should be doing?
WARREN: What you should be doing is honoring your promise that you made when you were looking to get confirmed in this job.
KENNEDY: You're going like this --
WARREN: And that is, you promised that you would not take away vaccines from anyone who wanted them. You just changed the classification of the
COVID vaccine.
KENNEDY: I'm not taking them away from people, Senator.
WARREN: It takes it away if you can't get it from your pharmacy.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
FOSTER: More now on the hearing from CNN medical correspondent Meg Tirrell.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
MEG TIRRELL, CNN MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, this was actually a previously scheduled hearing for the Senate Finance Committee to discuss
President Trump's 2026 health care agenda. But that was completely overshadowed by the events at the CDC last week, where Secretary Kennedy
and the White House fired Director Susan Monarez, who they had just installed in that job, who had been confirmed by the senate only about a
month previously.
And now, just before the hearing kicked off, Dr. Monarez published an op-ed in "The Wall Street Journal" giving her side of the story. And as part of
that she said, quote, I was told to pre-approve the recommendations of a vaccine advisory panel newly filled with people who have publicly expressed
anti-vaccine rhetoric.
Those folks, of course, having been installed on that panel by Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. And now, in the hearing today, he was
asked about that, and he said that Dr. Monarez was lying in that op-ed.
Later on in the hearing, he gave his own recollection of he says why he asked her to resign. Here's that exchange.
WARREN: That if she refused to sign off on your changes to the childhood vaccine schedule, that she had to resign?
KENNEDY: No, I told her that she had to resign because I asked her, are you a trustworthy person? And she said, no. So, if you had an employee who
told you they weren't trustworthy, would you ask them to resign, Senator?
WARREN: So, I'm sorry, but this is not what she has said publicly. She has said --
KENNEDY: I'm not surprised about that.
WARREN: So, you're saying she's lying?
KENNEDY: Yes.
TIRRELL: And that was just some of the back and forth during this hours- long hearing. But there is going to be more action coming ahead because there is a meeting of that outside panel of vaccine advisers to the CDC
scheduled for September 18th, where they are set to vote on several key childhood vaccines.
And so, there have been calls from Republican Senator Bill Cassidy, who is a doctor and the chairman of the health committee, to indefinitely postpone
that meeting. That doesn't appear to be happening. And in fact, Secretary Kennedy may even appoint more members to that committee before that meeting
takes place.
But a lot of concerns from the public health world and from lawmakers on both sides of the aisle over vaccine policy under Secretary Kennedy.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
FOSTER: Now in Paris, Kyiv's Western allies, known as the Coalition of the Willing, held talks with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. French
President Emmanuel Macron says 26 nations have pledged to provide postwar security guarantees to Ukraine if a ceasefire agreement is reached.
[15:05:00]
Earlier, Mr. Zelenskyy spoke on today's phone call with U.S. President Donald Trump.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
VOLODYMYR ZELENSKYY, UKRAINIAN PRESIDENT (through translator): We talked to President Trump today. We are grateful for his support. We discussed in
detail how to create conditions for peace. We have discussed various options.
The most important is pressure. Economic actions that will force Russia to stop the war. The key to peace is to deprive the Russian war machine of
money, of resources. We have also raised the question of protecting Ukraine's sky, saving lives. As long as there is no peace, our people's
lives are taken away by Russian attacks, Russian rockets, Iranian drones.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
FOSTER: Kristen Holmes live in Washington.
Europe clearly trying to do all it can to get in a position for some sort of peace talks. But those peace talks are nowhere near, are they?
KRISTEN HOLMES, CNN SENIOR WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: No. They seem to have completely stalled, and that's when this phone call comes into play.
Now, we heard from White House officials who went through what President Trump told European leaders who, as you noted, were also on the call with
the Ukrainian president.
Essentially, we are told from these officials that Trump told Europe that they needed to stop buying oil from Russia, that they were funding Russia
through those oil purchases. And on top of that, they needed to put more economic pressure on China. The thing to keep in mind here is the timing of
this phone call. What we have seen in the last several weeks, which is, of course, President Trump pushing this idea of secondary sanctions because he
was sitting down with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Alaska. Then after that, hosting these European leaders, as well as the Ukrainian
president here and announcing that there was next step was going to be this meeting between Putin and Zelenskyy.
There is no indication that that meeting is anywhere near fruition. It actually appears as though all of this has stalled. And it's also coming at
a time where President Trump is frustrated. He's frustrated at the Russian president, Vladimir Putin, because these peace talks have stalled. But he's
also frustrated with the Chinese leader Xi because of what we've seen in the negotiation with trade and the economy.
So, what we're seeing here is President Trump now saying that these other countries have to take more action against Russia and China economically.
Now, of course, President Trump himself has threatened some kind of economic ramifications, but he hasn't actually gone through with any of
them.
We talked to a number of foreign policy experts who say that really should be the next step. But yesterday or two days ago, we heard President Trump
saying there was going to be a phase two and phase three. Still unclear what that actually means when it comes to Russia.
FOSTER: Okay. Kristen, really appreciate that. Thank you.
Now Hamas is responding to a U.S. Donald Trump's demand that it release all hostages in Gaza, saying it's ready to enter a comprehensive deal to end
the war. Hostage families say the Israeli government must act on that and immediately enter negotiations. But Israels defense minister says Hamas
must accept Israels terms or face mass onslaughts.
Israel says it now controls 40 percent of Gaza city ahead of a planned siege that would force the entire population out. A network of Palestinian
NGOs warns that would be the most dangerous displacement since the war began. Many residents say they will not leave despite relentless strikes.
One woman says an expectant mother in a tent was amongst those killed today.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: The woman is getting ready to (deliver) the baby, here are the Pampers (diapers) for the baby, the clothes of the baby, it is
her (due) month, what is her fault? This is a people's tent, what is their fault? Make me understand, what is their fault? Is it a war against Hamas
or a war against the people?
(END VIDEO CLIP)
FOSTER: Well, Pope Leo is making a personal appeal for a ceasefire. The Vatican says he raised the, quote, tragic situation in Gaza when he hosted
Israeli President Isaac Herzog.
Today, D.C. officials are suing the Trump administration over its deployment of National Guard troops to the nation's capital. They're
arguing that President Trump violated the Constitution and federal law when he ordered the military in without consent of local leaders.
Gabe Cohen joins us now. Weve seen some similar resistance, haven't we, in California, but this would be a different type of appeal on different
grounds, right?
GABE COHEN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yeah, Max. That's absolutely right.
So, the local attorney general here in D.C. is arguing that deploying these armed troops, more than 2,000 of them, that we have seen across the
nation's capital and deputizing them to behave like local police, to patrol, to make arrests.
Well, that, they say, is a violation of sovereignty and of federal law. In this complaint that they filed today, they wrote, no American jurisdiction
should be involuntarily subjected to military occupation. The District of Columbia, they say, brings this lawsuit to obtain declaratory and
injunctive relief that will stop the defendant's violations of law. That's the administration they're talking about. Remedy the harms that the
defendants are inflicting on the district and preserve the district's sovereignty.
[15:10:01]
And this comes as the military is planning to extend that National Guard order into December, though, Max, it's not clear at this point if those
troops are actually going to be deployed for that entire time.
Now, the White House has dismissed this lawsuit, saying it is nothing more than an attempt to at the detriment of D.C. residents and visitors to
undermine the president's highly successful operations to stop violent crime in D.C.
The president, of course, and his administration have been touting the decline in violent crime in recent weeks. And over that time, we've seen
D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser doing this really delicate political dance, trying not to antagonize the president, trying to work with federal authorities as
a way of getting through the federal emergency that the president has called for. Today, she refused to endorse this latest lawsuit from her own
elected attorney general. Here is what she told reporters when she was asked about it.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MAYOR MURIEL BOWSER (D), WASHINGTON, D.C.: What's fair to say is my 100 percent focus is on exiting the emergency, and that's where all of our
energies are.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COHEN: And that's something that we have heard repeatedly from the mayor, Max, that her North Star is protecting D.C.'s autonomy.
And as of next week, this 30-day emergency that the president has called for is going to expire, unless, of course, Congress decides to vote and
extend it. The mayor issued an order earlier this week saying that they are planning to work with federal law enforcement moving forward because
they're trying to give the administration an off ramp, essentially a victory, to say, you can end this and we will work with you moving forward.
This is also important. It's important to note that the Trump administration is considering National Guard deployments in other Democrat-
run cities, like, for example, Chicago. And Trump has said that this operation in D.C. is really a testing ground for what will come. And it
looks like, Max, this lawsuit could be a part of that test.
FOSTER: Yeah, it's really interesting. Gabe, thank you so much for joining us from there in Washington.
We are learning more details now about the deadly train crash in Lisbon, which happened during rush hour on Wednesday evening, which we reported on
shortly after it happened last night. The Portuguese prime minister says 16 people are confirmed dead now. More than 20 others are injured.
The U.S. State Department has confirmed to CNN that a U.S. citizen was amongst the dead. Look at the scene there. That's drone footage of the
aftermath, of course.
A witness saying one of the funicular's carriages came off its tracks and hurtled into a building at full speed, falling apart like a cardboard box.
Flowers are being laid near the scene of the crash, as Portugal observes three days of national mourning.
Isa Soares has more as authorities begin their investigation.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
ISA SOARES, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Lisbon in mourning and shaken to its core after a deadly funicular crash. As the sun rose over the
Portuguese capital, it revealed the extent of the damage of Wednesday evening's accident with one of its two linked cable streetcars in tatters.
The Gloria funicular is extremely popular with both tourists and locals. Its cars have carried passengers up and down a steep cobbled street in the
heart of the city for over 140 years. Each car operates as a counterweight to the other. But last night, something went horribly wrong.
BRUNO PEREIRA, EYEWITNESS: I'm looking at the funicular, which came from Bairro Alto, from the Sao Pedro de Alcantara viewpoint, completely
unrestrained. It looked like a toy, banging from side to side on the Gloria street cobbles. I hear screams, and then, all of a sudden a big bang.
SOARES: More screams and a massive plume of smoke followed as passengers from the lower car frantically tried to climb out of the windows and flee
the scene.
Abel Esteves was one of them.
ABEL ESTEVES, SURVIVOR: Well, when I saw the other funicular going down, I shouted to my wife, "We're all going to die here", because I thought the
elevator was coming to hit this one.
SOARES: But the funicular crashed into a building, stopping it from plunging even further. Local authorities say it's too early to determine
the cause of the derailment, but the Lisbon firefighters regiment says that a cable detached along the line, causing the descending funicular to lose
control.
CARLOS MOEDAS, MAYOR OF LISBON: Obviously, it's an accident that shouldn't have happened. This is a tragedy that has never happened in our city.
SOARES: Forty-year-old and father of two, Andre Marques, is the first victim to be identified. He was the vehicles brakeman, according to the
transport workers union. There are also multiple foreign nationals on board.
Lisbon city council suspended operations of other streetcars in what is known as the City of Seven Hills, and ordered immediate inspections,
according to local media.
[15:15:05]
The prosecutor general's office is opening a formal investigation.
As Lisbon warns, there are already calls for accountability over how something so tragic could happen.
Isa Soares, CNN.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
FOSTER: Now, a 5.6 magnitude earthquake has hit northeastern Afghanistan. The quake struck within the last few hours. It's believed to be the
strongest aftershock so far from Sunday's deadly 6.0 earthquake. The Taliban says more than 2,200 people have now been confirmed dead, with wet
weather and damaged roads making it very difficult for rescuers to reach those remote villages.
Afghanistan was already facing hunger and an economic crisis after decades of war, and the U.N. warns food for victims could run out in four weeks if
nothing changes.
Nic Robertson has more.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
NIC ROBERTSON, CNN INTERNATIONAL DIPLOMATIC EDITOR (voice-over): For these children, their first cooked food since the quake struck. Families in this
remote village in eastern Afghanistan, forced to seek shelter in their fields.
More than two days after the magnitude 6 tremor hit the rugged mountainous region, aid agencies are only just beginning to reach the worst affected.
"We need everything, we don't have food," this villager tells us. "We don't have the means to cook because we lost our kitchens and firewood. We don't
even have a pillow and a mattress to sleep on. Everything is gone."
The only way even these limited supplies are getting here is by helicopter. Firefighters with little more than picks and shovels joining the search for
survivors. Many villagers still missing, but time is running out.
Recovery efforts pausing to pay respects. As they discover those who didn't make it through that awful Sunday night.
Homes here, testament to the quake's power and an object lesson to the scale of the calamity for communities whose buildings are boulders, rock
and trees bound together by mud.
"The majority of people from every household were killed. For example, there was a house where 19 people were living and now only one of them is
alive," this survivor tells us. "I'm in a state of shock right now and so is everyone else, our brains have stopped working."
The government says the death toll is still climbing. Over 2,200 now and may rise again.
DR. MUKTA SHARMA, WHO AFGHANISTAN DEPUTY REPRESENTATIVE: Being able to bring in the heavy equipment to rescue people, to remove the rubble is
something which has not been possible to date in many sites. So really a very difficult situation on the ground.
ROBERTSON: Seen from a helicopter, the scale of the challenge becoming clearer. Miles of dirt roads cut by landslides, only accessible on foot.
After shocks and heavy rain, a hampering relief efforts. But the challenge here goes way beyond just getting to those affected.
SHARMA: These are not wealthy people. These are people who are barely on the edge of existence. They eke out a living.
So for most of them, they have lost everything. They've lost their homes, they've lost their animals. And they're starting, when they start life
again, really from zero.
ROBERTSON: For many here, for now at least, shedding Sunday's trauma is still their biggest challenge.
"It was like doomsday for us," he says. "It was a test from God and I pray that the Almighty God doesn't test us like this again."
Nic Robertson, CNN, London.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
FOSTER: Coming up, how transgender people in America could soon be banned from owning guns.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[15:22:23]
FOSTER: Trans people in America could be declared mentally ill and be banned from owning guns. That's one of the proposals that two officials say
are under discussion at Donald Trump's Justice Department. The talks come after the shooting at the Minneapolis Catholic Church school last week,
which police say was carried out by a transgender woman.
Evan Perez is with me.
And a lot of people saying this just fits into a, you know, an ongoing narrative really coming from the White House around trans issues.
EVAN PEREZ, CNN SENIOR JUSTICE CORRESPONDENT: It really is. It's a narrative that began shortly after the president took office, his second --
in his second term. He's already signed executive orders banning transgender people from the U.S. military, as well as ordering that they be
moved to prisons that match their gender assigned at birth.
And, you know, first of all, Max, one of the things I should point out is that obviously, in this country, we've had a lot of mass shootings. And
they occur with such -- with such regular occurrence. There's a lot of studies made on them.
And what we've found is that the vast majority of these shootings are not committed by people who have anything to do with transgender identities.
And so, that's one of the issues that you see arising here. And what we're told is that the administration is looking at perhaps passing a -- some
kind of rulemaking and administrative rule that would be issued by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms and Explosives.
And essentially, it would declare that people who identify as transgender are mentally ill and are therefore not able to have their Second Amendment
rights. And so, in the U.S., the law says that you can have your firearms taken away from you. If a judge declares that you are mentally defective.
That's the terminology used in the law, or if you're institutionalized.
And so, the question is how are they going to determine this for these people if none of those steps have been taken?
I should note that the president also has signed orders that says that the U.S. government does not recognize transgender identities. And so people
essentially don't -- if you identify as a woman, you have to get a passport, for instance, issued as a male if that was your gender assigned
at birth. And so, the question is, how are they going to determine any of this?
Again, that's something that they're still trying to work out. And we'll see whether this survives legal challenges because we know some of the
Second Amendment rights groups, some of the gun rights groups are very much worried about the slippery slope that this could go into other ways, that
that guns could be taken away from lawful citizens -- Max.
[15:25:08]
FOSTER: So this is you know, part of the debate, isn't it, about, reducing gun violence. So the Trumpian view, if you like, is that it's a mental
health issue, which they're trying to trans, whereas, you know, a lot of other people are saying it's a gun issue. If the guns aren't there, then
people won't get shot.
PEREZ: Right. Right. No, I think that that's one of the ways that they're essentially trying to show the public and the supporters of the president
that they're trying to do something.
And again, they've picked on a very small number, a very small percentage of the population. Because that is something that seems to -- certainly
sort of align with the base of the president, his political base who view trans rights as something that, you know, obviously is more on the left
side of the political spectrum.
So, again, they're not really going after the guns, per se. They're going after people who they believe are mentally ill because they identify as
transgender.
FOSTER: Evan, thank you. It's a complex issue. But, you know, it's a -- a lot of talking about it today. Thank you.
First, Donald Trump tried to fire her. Meanwhile, now she's under criminal investigation. Federal Reserve Governor Lisa Cook is being subpoenaed by
the Justice Department over claims that she committed mortgage fraud. Cook denies those claims and has taken the White House to court after President
Trump ordered her dismissal.
Now still to come, the top U.S. health official says he doesn't know how many Americans died from COVID-19. Just one of the revelations today from a
heated hearing on Capitol Hill.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[15:30:09]
FOSTER: The White House is praising the U.S. health secretary's combative testimony on Capitol Hill today, signaling it remains fully behind this --
well, his effort to restrict vaccines. Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. said the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention lied to Americans during the
COVID pandemic, citing its recommendations on wearing masks and getting vaccine boosters. He defended the ouster of the CDC director and said more
firings could be ahead.
Kennedy raised eyebrows when he didn't provide answers to some basic questions about the COVID vaccine. Have a listen to this heated exchange
with Senator Mark Warner.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SEN. MARK WARNER (D-VA): Do you accept the fact that a million Americans died from COVID?
KENNEDY: I don't know how many died.
WARNER: You're the secretary of health and human services. You don't have any idea how many Americans died from COVID.
KENNEDY: I don't think anybody knows that because the -- there was so much data chaos coming out of CDC, and there was perverse incentives. And these
are modeling --
(CROSSTALK)
WARNER: You don't know the answer of how many Americans died from COVID.
This is the secretary of health and human services.
Do you think the vaccine did anything to prevent additional deaths?
KENNEDY: Again, I would like to see the data and talk about the data.
WARNER: You had this job for eight months and you don't know the data about whether the vaccine saved lives.
KENNEDY: Oh, and that's the problem is that they didn't have the data. The data by the Biden administration absolutely dismal.
(CROSSTALK)
WARNER: So data --
KENNEDY: There's chaos.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
FOSTER: CNN's Arlette Saenz is on Capitol Hill. It is extraordinary how trust is completely broken down right between the CDC and the Trump
administration, frankly, if they are praising the appearance that we saw today.
ARLETTE SAENZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Max, it was both Democrats and some Republicans who challenged Secretary Kennedy over the nearly three
hours in this hearing. And coming out of his testimony today, there are several notable Republican senators who would not say if they still have
confidence in Kennedy's ability to lead the Department of Health and Human Services. That includes Senate Majority Leader John Thune, who told our
colleague Manu Raju or would not say when our colleague Manu Raju asked specifically about that matter. There is also Senator Bill Cassidy and
Senator John Barrasso, who's the number two Republican in the Senate.
And I pressed Senator Thom Tillis, another senator who was skeptical about Kennedy's performance, whether he still has faith in him. Take a listen to
what he had to say.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SAENZ: Do you still have confidence in his ability to lead the nation on public health?
SEN. THOM TILLIS (R-NC): Well, I think a lot of that, I'm concerned with some of the actions over the last four weeks. You know, I'm a -- I'm a
management consultant. I've never, never would occur to me that an executive would put so much time into sending somebody forth for a Senate
confirmation would not have done the basics beforehand. I don't know how you turn around in four weeks on any one issue. That's a concern to me.
So I want to know if it's being managed properly. Are we really relying on science?
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SAENZ: Now, Democrats, coming out of that hearing that I spoke to were united in their criticism of Kennedy, saying that they believed he lied on
multiple occasions and that he should resign.
Democratic senators have also said that they want the ousted CDC director, Susan Monarez, to come to Capitol Hill to testify, to hearing about her
experience. There were moments where Kennedy challenged what Monarez has said. She had written in a "Wall Street Journal" op ed that published this
morning, that she was pressured to accept recommendations from a vaccine advisory panel that was handpicked by Kennedy before that group had even
met to offer their recommendations.
In the hearing today, Kennedy said that she was lying in this "Wall Street Journal". So Democrats have said that they want to get to the bottom of
that.
I also spoke with Senator Tillis a bit later, and he told me that he plans to privately meet with Monarez and does think it would be helpful going
forward for her to come on the Hill to testify.
But there's a lot of questions about how Republicans will approach this moment as going forward.
Senator Bill Cassidy, the head of a committee that oversees HHS, has said that he wants to conduct oversight but hasn't committed to holding hearings
yet or outlining any other steps that they might take, even as there is a small group of Republicans who were challenging Kennedy on that vaccine
policy.
FOSTER: Okay, Arlette, thank you so much for joining us.
Listen to that. Former U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius, the former governor of Kansas, as well.
Thank you so much for joining us. I mean, as you saw today's hearing unfold, what struck you the most about it?
KATHLEEN SEBELIUS, FORMER U.S. HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES SECRETARY: Well, I don't think I've ever seen a hearing like that with the cabinet secretary
in any administration and members of the United States Congress.
[15:35:08]
I've never seen an official of government tell elected senators that they're speaking gibberish and that challenging and, you know, basically
dismissing their questions as somewhat ridiculous. I don't know of anyone in my lifetime, Republican or Democrat, who has gone up to the Hill, so
badly prepared, with so little knowledge about the department he or she has been appointed to run with so little information and seemingly so little
interest in finding out what exactly is going on.
FOSTER: If we talk about that moment, about how many died from COVID, the point he was making was that he didn't trust the data he was getting from
the CDC. So, that's why he couldn't give the exact figure. It wasn't because he didn't know.
SEBELIUS: Well, that's ridiculous, in that the CDC data is a collection of data from every health department in the country, the CDC isn't making up
figures. They are actually compiling figures. So, then he doesn't trust any state and local data. There also were universities at the same time running
their own data sets.
There was basically universal agreement, you know, maybe off a day or two on how many hospitalizations, how many deaths, how many of those deaths
were vaccinated folks and unvaccinated folks. This was not a secret. It was on websites all over the United States.
So, for Kennedy to say that somehow he's mystified and doesn't know what the data says, again, CDC is collecting data from state and local
governments, and they are required to turn it in on a regular basis. So he's basically saying that he doesn't trust any data.
FOSTER: He is, but he's also saying what the White House wants him to say. They praised his appearance today. So, should the criticism be aimed at the
White House and not at, you know, the messenger, as it were?
SEBELIUS: Well, I think there's no question, President Trump nominated Kennedy to this very important post, which I find to be horrifying at the
start. Kennedys views were very clear that he was a vaccine skeptic, that he made a lot of money suing companies, that he had very little scientific
background or interest, that he mixed often facts with, you know, quack science.
During his hearing, he was questioned on those views. He asserted that he would not interfere with vaccine strategies in this country, that he would
not try to interrupt what was a schedule of vaccines. He lied about that. He clearly has done just the opposite. Firing the whole advisory panel,
putting in place his hand-picked cronies.
So there are a series of steps Republican senators who confirmed Kennedy to this incredibly important, really global public health position, share some
of the responsibility. Bill Cassidy among them as a doctor who believe Kennedy when he said, you know, that he would totally change his views. But
I think it's time because the life and well-being of American families, of American children are really at risk.
It's important for parents to understand what the vaccine schedule looks like, where they're getting accurate information about keeping their own
kids safe and secure. We have the state of Florida who just suggested that they may get rid of all vaccine mandates for kids going to school. That
applies, then to preschools.
And if I were a parent in Florida with a young child, I would be terrified about taking my child to daycare or taking my child to a, you know,
kindergarten. If people haven't had the polio vaccine and haven't had the measles vaccine and some of these basic disease categories, which have been
long eradicated in the United States, may well come roaring back.
So, we're at a very, I think, dangerous time for the health and security of Americans.
FOSTER: Okay. Kathleen Sebelius, really appreciate your thoughts on that hearing today.
SEBELIUS: Sure.
FOSTER: Still to come, as the U.S. pushes to end Russia's war in Ukraine, that push stalls European leaders step up to the challenge of getting peace
efforts back on track. Those details just ahead.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[15:42:53]
FOSTER: Returning now to post war security guarantees for Ukraine. Earlier, some 30 countries, known as the Coalition of the Willing, took
part in talks with Ukrainian Volodymyr Zelenskyy.
French President Emmanuel Macron says 26 nations are ready to provide troops to protect Ukraine's future. But first, a ceasefire agreement has to
be reached.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
EMMANUEL MACRON, FRENCH PRESIDENT (through translator): We have 26 countries that have formally committed to deploy as a force of reassurance
in Ukraine, to be present on land, at sea or in the air, to bring this reassurance to the Ukrainian territory the day after a ceasefire or peace.
In the coming days, we are going to finalize the American support for these security guarantees. The United States, as I mentioned, has been involved
in every step of the process.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
FOSTER: So what we want to know is, can Europe keep the U.S. on side with Ukraine peace process?
Joining me now, Ambassador Bill Taylor, the former American ambassador to Ukraine.
Thank you for joining us.
I mean -- I mean, the Europeans are doing what America had wanted, stepping into the void, right? And supporting Ukraine and providing more for
Ukraine, where America wasn't putting in that free finance, as it were, at least.
So, what would he have made today, Donald Trump, of the -- of the developments coming out of Europe?
WILLIAM TAYLOR, FORMER AMERICAN AMBASSADOR TO UKRAINE: Well, I think he will recognize exactly what you said, Max. And that is Europeans are
stepping up. But it's more than European. It's Europeans, Canadians, it's the Japanese, the Australians. Theres a lot of people who are contributing
to this.
But the Europeans are taking the lead. The Brits and the French are leading this Coalition of the Willing you talked about and a large number are
making big contributions. The Brits and the French and the Estonians and maybe others are ready to put troops on the ground in Ukraine.
So, I think President Trump will be pleased with the efforts that the that the Europeans are making to defend themselves by helping Ukrainians.
FOSTER: You end up in this Catch-22, though, don't you, because you can expect then presumably Moscow to say, well, we find it unacceptable that
Western NATO troops effectively might be on the ground in Ukraine. Therefore, we're not going to start any peace talks because that's a
nonstarter for them.
[15:45:10]
TAYLOR: It's a nonstarter, but it makes no sense, Max. They'll ask the Russians or even listen to the Russians when they say they don't want
troops in Ukraine. The only foreign troops in Ukraine right now are Russian, let's be clear.
The Russians get no say in how Ukraine defends itself, provides its own security. They get no say. What they do get a say in is whether or not they
stop the fighting. And that depends on the pressure that the United States and Europeans put on Putin to make him stop the fighting.
When that happens, he'll come to the table and then he will have to deal with the ceasefire or an armistice. But he doesn't get to say whether --
whether or not there are foreign troops in Ukraine. Again, his are the only ones there right now.
FOSTER: The Europeans are putting pressure on Trump as well, aren't they? They're basically pushing ahead with this post peace plan process when it's
not even started yet. Perhaps sort of saying we've got all that covered. So, you now need to put pressure on Russia.
How do you think Trump will respond to that pressure coming from Europe effectively, and the other countries that you mentioned?
TAYLOR: All the nations, the Europeans, the Americans, the Japanese, South Koreans, Australia, all the nations need to put pressure on Russia,
economic sanctions work best when they're widely used or widely implemented. So that's the reality.
But it is certainly true that the Americans have a big lead, have a big, important role to play in these economic sanctions. And President Trump has
talked about doing that in this exact circumstance when the Russians and Mr. Putin are stopping or are the obstacle to sitting down and talking
about a ceasefire or an armistice that's -- that's -- the problem is Putin, and that's where the pressure needs to come.
But you're absolutely right. It's the Americans as well as the Europeans and others that need to put this pressure on.
FOSTER: He will run out of patience, presumably at some point, Donald Trump with President Putin. And we saw a bit of that, didn't we, at the,
you know, the ceremony in Beijing, the military ceremony where he talked about, those autocratic leaders effectively conspiring against the United
States.
Do you get a sense that perhaps he might be changing attitudes and being less trusting of Putin?
TAYLOR: Absolutely. But it's not just this latest thing. This has been coming for months now. This has been coming -- you remember President Trump
has talked about how irritated he is, how frustrated he is, how angry he is with Putin for not doing this. And then he had this meeting in Anchorage
where it seems to calm things down.
But now, Putin is doing the same thing, bombarding. Here we are. I'm in Kyiv right now, and they're bombarding every evening around this country.
So this -- and that's what got President Trump upset before. Putin says, I'm all for peace. But I bomb every, every night.
So yes, I think the answer is yes. President Trump will -- has already run out of patience and will now take some steps to show that.
FOSTER: Okay. William Taylor, thank you so much for joining us.
We'll be right back.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
FOSTER: Now, Europe has banned key chemical used in some gel nail polishes and other cosmetic products. That's because European regulators have
classified it as a type of reproductive toxicant. The chemical known as TPO, helps polish set under polish set under ultraviolet or UV lights. The
move has left many consumers wondering whether the chemical will soon be banned elsewhere as well, including the U.S.
More from CNN health reporter Jacqueline Howard, who's in Atlanta.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
JACQUELINE HOWARD, CNN HEALTH REPORTER: We haven't heard back yet from the FDA on whether we could see similar actions here in the United States when
it comes to banning this certain chemical in gel nail polishes. But experts I've talked to told me they think it's unlikely. What could happen, though,
is we could see manufacturers start to phase out this chemical as an ingredient in gel nail polishes and reformulate their products.
The ingredient we're talking about here is called TPO. It's a chemical that is a photo initiator. That means it responds to light. So it's the
ingredient in gel nail polish that helps the polish to set and cure and harden under the UV light lamp.
And just to be clear, Europe has not banned all gel nail polishes, just those containing TPO as an ingredient. And that's because European
regulators have classified this chemical as a type of reproductive toxicant. They say the concern here is that animal studies show an
association between TPO and reproductive health risks, even including impacts on fertility.
So, this ban in Europe, it went into effect on Monday, September 1st. It means nail products containing TPO can no longer be sold. They can no
longer be used and all products remaining in stock should be taken off the market.
Now, gel manicures. They are very popular. I asked some scientists what people should do if they enjoy getting gel manicures. The scientists told
me not to panic. Don't stress yourself out.
But there are two things you can do if you're concerned. I'm even someone who enjoys getting manicures. So, number one, ask for products that don't
contain TPO. There are nail polish brands out there that have phased out this ingredient, so you can get some on your own and take that polish to
the nail salon with you. Or ask the salon specifically about the products that they use. You can even seek out a nail salon that markets itself as
specializing in using less toxic products.
Number two, you can always switch to good old fashioned regular polish as a backup plan. I know that it takes longer to dry, and it doesn't last as
long as gel polish, but regular nail polish has been used for years since the 1920s, so it can be an alternative option.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
FOSTER: Interesting.
Now, if you have a couple of million dollars burning a hole in your pocket, you can own a truly iconic piece of Hollywood history. Some of the most
significant props from the movies going up for auction today. Have a look.
(BEIGN VIDEOTAPE)
FOSTER (voice-over): A few scenes from movie history are as iconic as the fight between Luke Skywalker and Darth Vader in "The Empire Strikes Back".
And now you can own the lightsaber that was used in this battle. Prop store is conducting a three-day auction of some of the most significant items
from movie history. Darth Vader's lightsaber, which "The Star Wars" props department built out of a piece of camera equipment, is the crown jewel of
this auction and expected to fetch between $1 million and $3 million.
If you have a little less money to spend, then the whip that Harrison Ford used in one of "The Indiana Jones" movies is also up for auction. It's
expected to sell for around half a million.
The prop store auction includes more than a thousand items from the clapboard from the movie "Jaws", to costumes worn by Michael Keaton in
"Batman" or Tobey Maguire in "Spider-Man", and even Harry Potter's eyeglasses.
Most of the big items will be sold in person on Thursday. Have fun bidding.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
[15:55:03]
FOSTER: Well, someone who could buy all of it is the person who wins the grand prize for Saturday's Powerball drawing. It's jumped to $1.7 billion.
This after no one won the jackpot on Wednesday.
Saturday's prize, now the third highest payout in U.S. lottery history. But the odds of winning aren't great. About one in 292,000,000 we reckon.
Finally, tonight, Britain's Princess Kate, the princess of Wales, stepping out with a new look. The royals seemingly taking a break from her signature
chestnut locks and embracing a new blond-ish style hair. Experts say she's right on trend actually. Her honey tones complementing autumn's golden hues
here in the U.K.
I'm Max Foster with all your fashion critique.
That's WHAT WE KNOW.
"QUEST MEANS BUSINESS" up next from Bilbao, Spain.
END
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