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HHS Secretary Becerra In Alabama After Court's Embryo Ruling; FTC Sues To Block $25 Billion Kroger-Albertsons Mega-Merger; Russia Making It Harder For Ukraine To Use Drones Against Them. Aired 7:30-8a ET

Aired February 27, 2024 - 07:30   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

[07:30:00]

XAVIER BACERRA, SECRETARY, DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH & HUMAN SERVICES (via Webex by Cisco): And so, this state court decision was made possible by the Dobbs decision. So if you connect the dots from this decision, which is now putting the opportunity for families to actually have a child to the Dobbs decision -- and Dobbs, of course, is directly connected to Roe versus Wade -- you can see what happens when you undo a 50-year constitutional protection that gave families -- women -- these opportunities to have families and to plan out their families.

JOHN BERMAN, CNN ANCHOR: What possible impact do you see beyond Alabama's borders?

BACERRA: John, it's unfortunate but the confusion, the fear goes beyond Alabama. A lot of families are trying to figure out does it makes sense for them to try invitro fertilization. The thousands of dollars that it costs -- will it to go -- to result in nothing?

What happens to contraception is that next, I think there are a lot of families -- not just women -- a lot of families who are asking what does this mean when you have your rights taken away. When my three daughters have fewer rights than their mother.

Something is going on and we've got to change it, but we've got to do it at the national level because it was Dobbs at the national level which took away rights. These decisions, as in Alabama, are hurting Alabamans. But we've got to deal with this at the national level.

BERMAN: Explain to me how, though, you plan to do it at the national level. Short of the Supreme Court reversing itself, which I don't think is on the horizon, what can you do to change the situation?

BECERRA: Well, I think we have to go in the opposite direction of what we see right now in the House of Representatives where I believe more than half of the Republican members in the House of Representatives have signed up endorsing a law that would call the moment of conception as the point where a human life begins -- which, of course, would make the decisions like this Alabama Supreme Court decision more possible.

And so, what we have to do is go in the opposite direction and reestablish the protections that we had under Roe v. Wade. Because it's clear it's not just protections for abortion, it's protections for health care for families that are in their reproductive stage of life.

BERMAN: There are many Republicans coming out now saying they do support invitro fertilization. And you are seeing sort of a pause or a rethinking of some measures around the country, including in Florida, overnight, where a Republican effort that would have passed some new restrictions and laws among unborn children has been put on pause.

So what do you say to that?

BECERRA: Well, I hope the pause is real and not political. I hope the pause is making people understand the consequences of depriving families -- women -- of their rights during reproductive years. And I hope what it means is that we'll move in a direction which provides protections, not takes them away. Because Dobbs took away protections.

BERMAN: Um-hum.

BECERRA: Dobbs took away the rights to freedom to autonomy. Dobbs has made it possible for politicians to now go into the home and into the family and make decisions for them about their family in the future. Hopefully, these pauses are permanent.

BERMAN: Well, while we're on the subject of Florida, there's a little bit of a measles outbreak down there where at least eight students have come down with measles.

There are a number of unvaccinated students who were exposed to measles. And the CDC recommendation is if you are unvaccinated and exposed you're supposed to stay home for 21 days. But the Florida Surgeon General says parents should make the decision on their own and if they want to send those unvaccinated kids to school they can.

What do you think the impact is of that?

BECERRA: Well, John, it's not just the recommendation of CDC; it's the recommendation of scientists and medical professionals that for years have known that these are very deadly diseases. And to not get vaccinated when we've seen decades of proof that they work and they keep people safe, and healthy, and alive is crazy. I'm not sure how else to say it.

I'm not a medical professional but I know enough -- and I'm married to one -- but I know enough to know that if you're telling your -- you're keeping your child from being vaccinated from something that could be very contagious, you're not just hurting your children, you're hurting the children of your neighbors and your friends.

It's hard to understand why any medical professional in the state of Florida would recommend that children not be vaccinated to stay safe.

BERMAN: Well, he's recommending -- he's saying that parents should have the right to send those unvaccinated kids to school in this specific instance. But I understand what you're saying.

Health & Human Services Sec. Xavier Becerra, thanks so much for being with us. Appreciate it -- Kate.

KATE BOLDUAN, CNN ANCHOR: Rising grocery costs are at the heart of a big move by the FTC now. Why the largest supermarket merger in U.S. history may be in danger.

And President Biden takes on the most burning of burning questions of the 2024 campaign. What will -- what will Taylor Swift do?

[07:35:00]

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SETH MEYERS, HOST, "LATE NIGHT WITH SETH MEYERS": Can you confirm or deny that there is an active conspiracy between you and Ms. Swift?

JOE BIDEN, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Where are you getting this information? It's classified.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

(COMMERCIAL)

BERMAN: So, this morning, the largest supermarket merger in U.S. history is in jeopardy. I should say proposed merger. The FTC is suing to block a $25 billion deal between Kroger and Albertsons. The FTC says the deal would hurt customers already facing high food prices. Kroger and Albertsons are gearing up for a fight now.

[07:40:00]

CNN's Vanessa Yurkevich is with me with the details on this.

VANESSA YURKEVICH, CNN BUSINESS AND POLITICS CORRESPONDENT: Yeah. This was a deal that was announced in 2022. It would basically merge the number five and number 10 supermarket chains here in the U.S. But essentially, the FTC is saying not so fast, guys. This would have been the biggest supermarket merger in history.

BERMAN: I've been stepping on that all day myself.

YURKEVICH: Supermarket, supermarket. But worth $25 billion.

But the FTC is essentially saying no, we're suing over this because it's going to essentially lead to job losses, store closures, and higher food prices, which is what Americans have been struggling with for so long now. Food prices are up 26 percent since 2020.

And Kroger, on the other hand, is saying well, wait a minute, guys. We're actually creating this merger to provide diversity in the market. To compete with the Walmarts, the Amazons, the Costcos of the world. They say that because of this deal they'll actually see $500 million in savings, which they are going to then use to reduce food prices, to provide promotions for customers. But the FTC isn't buying it, and that's why they are ultimately suing. Kroger says they're going to be appealing this deal. But the FTC is known to pick their battles and I think this is a

battle that they're going to stick with. They really want to make sure that the American consumer is winning in the end and they see this deal as a threat to that.

BERMAN: That's a good point. The FTC tries to pick fights that it thinks it can win.

YURKEVICH: Yeah.

BERMAN: Vanessa Yurkevich, thank you very much.

YURKEVICH: Thanks.

BERMAN: Kate.

BOLDUAN: Also on our radar this hour, the Pentagon says an internal review of the Defense secretary's delayed notification of being hospitalized -- the review found no ill will or intent to obfuscate. Despite finding no bad intentions, the review did make several recommendations of how to avoid the situation from happening again.

Now, Sec. Austin, you'll remember, he faced criticism last month for not disclosing his cancer diagnosis and the subsequent hospitalization that he had to the president -- President Biden, to Congress, or the public for days.

House Republicans not satisfied with this review and the report, promising to continue their own investigation.

Now, Taylor Swift's father -- her dad, Scott Swift, is accused right now of assaulting an Australian photographer in Sydney. The photographer has filed a police report. He claims Scott Swift punched him as the star and her entourage were leaving an after-party in Sydney Harbor.

A spokesperson for Taylor Swift claims that threats were being made against a member of her team. Two individuals were aggressively pushing their way towards them when this all happened.

A former faculty member from a New York college is giving back in a major way. Students at the Albert Einstein College of Medicine will receive free tuition thanks to a historic billion-dollar donation. The donor is 93-year-old Dr. Ruth Gottesman. She was a professor at the school for more than five decades. She hopes the donation gives new doctors the chance to begin their careers without debt hanging over them.

Unbelievable, Sara.

SARA SIDNER, CNN ANCHOR: Unbelievable. One of the things we need so much in this country is doctors. So, wow, what a gift.

All right. President Biden poking fun at himself and took some jabs at Donald Trump as well during a rare appearance on late-night TV last night with comedian Seth Meyers. Here's what he said about that far- right Taylor Swift conspiracy theory.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MEYERS: Can you confirm or deny that there is an active conspiracy between you and Ms. Swift?

BIDEN: Where are you getting this information? It's classified.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SIDNER: And joining us now is CNN contributor Dean Obeidallah. Thank you so much for being here.

That was funny and humor tends to do quite well --

DEAN OBEIDALLAH, CNN CONTRIBUTOR, HOST, "THE DEAN OBEIDALLAH SHOW" ON SIRIUSXM (via Webex by Cisco): Um-hum.

SIDNER: -- with most people.

Give me some sense of, though, seeing him show up there with Seth Meyers. There is a politics of late-night television. Does this work in his favor being able to joke, being able to make people laugh?

OBEIDALLAH: I think President Biden should only do interviews on late-night going forward with a live audience. I think he did a great job. He was funny right from the top of the segment. He was very comfortable with Seth. He's been on that show before. And he knows Amy Poehler, who was a fellow guest.

But he really was -- he was funny. He loved the energy of the crowd. He got a standing ovation from a young audience there at Seth Meyers' show. And he also tackled some really substantive issues. So I think Seth did a great job.

But look, what you're getting at Sara is true. Comedy is endearing. If you make people laugh they tend to like you more. That's why President Obama was probably the king of late-night going on show after show, even shows like "ELLEN," as a candidate, all the way through his presidency with doing Slow Jam the News with Jimmy Fallon.

So I think Biden made the right choice. I honestly think -- I'm not kidding -- I think he should do more of this. I think at the State of the Union next week he should open with a joke and put the sunglasses on and bring the place down. That would be huge laughs and lots of headlines.

SIDNER: I do want to ask you though because he has faced criticism for not sitting down with people who are less friendly. Let's say with regular journalists who have very tough questions where jokes may not work.

[07:45:05]

What do you make of that criticism, and is it fair?

OBEIDALLAH: Well, I mean, objectively, yes. He's sat for less press conferences than any of the last two presidents. That's true.

I think he's got to pick and choose where he's going to go right now. It's not about checking a box. He's running for reelection. We are about 250 days from the November 5 election. Go on places that are going to make you look good. That's life and it's a political reelection campaign.

Biden is funnier than people give him credit for. He was very funny there right from the top, making fun of his age. He did a joke about Donald Trump, which was a great joke. That's smart.

And I hope his handler, and people on his campaign, and himself -- yeah, we should do more of this. Go on Fallon. Go on Kimmel. Go on Jon Stewart's show. Show Americans a different side of who you are. I think that helps him.

SIDNER: I do want to show people what he said about age because this is a big issue. It keeps coming up. And both candidates, right -- their age keeps coming up -- but his, in particular. Here's how he dealt with the question about his age.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BIDEN: Number one, you've got to take a look at the other guy. He's about as old as I am but he can't remember his wife's name.

MEYERS: Yeah.

BIDEN: And, number one.

Number two, it's about how old your ideas are. Look, I mean, this is a guy who wants to take us back. He wants to take us back on Roe V. Wade. He wants to take us back on a whole range of issues that are 50- 60 years they've been solid American positions.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SIDNER: It's about how old your ideas are. Good strategy there?

OBEIDALLAH: Um-hum. Yeah. What he just did there is what we've talked about -- the listeners on my radio show -- all the time in the last few months.

You can't ignore an issue like age because polling shows it's important. But you can pivot quickly the issues that are more important. So the issue of age gets pushed down the hierarchy of interest where people go yeah, he's old, but he's going to fight for reproductive freedom. He is protecting our democracy. He has given us a strong economy. Here is his vision for 2024.

You can't run away from something that obvious but you can make it less important, and I think that's how he wins. You've got to make it about the issues that move people, like being forced against your will to carry a fetus to term -- and this is what some Republicans want in certain states. These are the issues that move people and win; not who is younger and older, him or Trump. I think his sense of humor in this context really, really helpful. I

think he should do more and more of that.

SIDNER: Dean Obeidallah, thank you so much for coming on and for your analysis. Appreciate you.

OBEIDALLAH: Thanks, Sara.

SIDNER: John.

BERMAN: All right. Just in, a dispute in public view this morning over the possibility of European nations sending troops to help in Ukraine.

And Wolverines not just the rallying cry in red dawn. No, the Michigan presidential primary is on. Voters are at the polls right now. What does Nikki Haley want out of it today? She'll tell us right here on CNN NEWS CENTRAL.

(COMMERCIAL)

[07:52:13]

BOLDUAN: Sending Western troops to Ukraine, quote, "cannot be ruled out." That is what French President Emmanuel Macron is now saying, adding this. "We will do anything we can to prevent Russia from winning this war."

But the reaction and, frankly, the pushback has been swift from other Western leaders. The German chancellor saying just last hour this. "There will be no ground troops, no soldiers on Ukrainian soil sent there by European countries or NATO states."

So while that plays out in Washington, President Biden is about to host the top leaders from Congress to talk about U.S. support for Ukraine.

CNN's Nick Paton Walsh is on the ground in Ukraine for us with how the fight is changing.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

NICK PATON WALSH, CNN CHIEF INTERNATIONAL SECURITY CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): They flit around fast, hiding each week in a new abandoned shell. Drone operators have been Ukraine's secret weapon for months but now it is getting harder.

We saw this unit in December but their base back then has been bombed. Yet, still, they hunt every day for a single mistake -- a Russian who gets himself spotted.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: One, two, three, four.

WALSH (voice-over): They say the Russians are better at hiding themselves, although sometimes obviously not. WALSH: We just spotted a Russian soldier carrying groceries and an adult came out to greet him. So I think it's quite possible that's where some Russians are hiding.

WALSH (voice-over): So it begins. The first strike on the window. One drone watching, the other flies into the target. And quickly, they prepare another.

The hunt is now game but has the tools of one. They lose about a quarter of their drones to Russian jamming.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Speaking foreign language.

TEXT: The jamming got worse. It's affecting us more. But we won't give up. We have to evade like snakes. Invent things. Experiment.

WALSH (voice-over): They see the Russians running into the blue house. Its roof clearly hit before a while ago. It becomes their next target. They go in again. It could be a mortar position they think. Watch how smaller explosions send fragments flying out.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Speaking foreign language.

TEXT: Nice one. Not sure it's a kill. We'll see.

WALSH (voice-over): The Russians often have to stay injured inside the damaged building to now draw in more drones.

[07:55:00]

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Speaking foreign language.

TEXT: They usually wait. They don't run out immediately.

WALSH (voice-over): They go in again. It could be a mortar position they think. Then suddenly, the power goes out. The internet down and screens black but remarkably, they barely miss a beat.

The commander sparks up his cellphone 5G with a drone feed and chat group by erecting the entire attack just from an iPhone. The smoke grows in intensity. They think they might have hit a weapons store.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Speaking foreign language.

TEXT: There's something inside. Should be ammo.

WALSH (voice-over): They never see Russian faces or taste the smoke. The blast noise takes a few seconds to travel to them. But this is still killing up close yet far away. Strike, launch, repeat all day.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Speaking foreign language.

TEXT: Nice! Nice!

WALSH (voice-over): Sometimes it's cheers here, screams there. Other times, the other way around. (END VIDEOTAPE)

BOLDUAN: Wow, what a perspective. Nick Paton Walsh, thank you so much for that.

Let's talk about where things stand and what is happening now. Joining us right now to discuss is a former U.S. ambassador to Ukraine, William Taylor. Ambassador, it is great to see you.

There is -- I want to -- I want to start with what we've heard from the French President Emmanual Macron that I was talking about -- where he was saying that it's possible that Western -- that putting Western troops into Ukraine cannot be ruled out. The reaction today from world leaders has been very interesting. But before we get to the reaction, what do you think of the statement coming from Macron? He knows the stakes of what comes with a move like that.

WILLIAM TAYLOR, VICE PRESIDENT, RUSSIA AND EUROPE, USIP, FORMER U.S. AMBASSADOR TO UKRAINE: Kate, you're exactly right. He knows those stakes. He also knows the stakes that are there in Ukraine. For the Ukrainians to be able to stop the Russians in Ukraine is crucially important for European security. The French know that. The Germans actually know that.

The people who know it the most -- the most clearly are the ones right on the border, so the Poles, and the Slovaks, and the Romanians. They understand the real stakes there. And so, it's not surprising that all options are on the table to be able to stop the Russians ideally by the Ukrainians.

BOLDUAN: A NATO official responded this morning saying that there are no plans for NATO to deploy combat troops on the ground. Germany's chancellor responding essentially saying that this is definitely not happening. The prime minister of Slovakia said a lot of the same.

Putin's spokesperson, this morning, saying that conflict with Russia is quote-unquote "inevitable" if the West sends troops into Ukraine.

What do -- what does this reaction -- it came pretty quickly this morning. What does the reaction say to you?

TAYLOR: Well, it says that this is a surprise to some people. It should not be a surprise to others. It's been discussed. People have had low-level conversations, quiet conversations about how important it is to stop the Russians in Ukraine.

And the possibility of troops -- you know, there are some allied troops already in Ukraine, Kate. This is not new. There are some bilateral troops that are from the West that are in Ukraine right now.

And so this is not a new concept. It is not a surprise. It is a demonstration. It's an indication of the importance of this battle -- of this fight -- of this attempt to stop the Russians where they are right now.

BOLDUAN: Do you think that Macron made the mistake of speaking too honestly, as we say often in politics, or what do you think was behind it, Ambassador?

TAYLOR: So, I think it's a recognition that he understands the possibility. He's going to get this into the public debate. This is -- again, this is in the public debate now. There's conversations.

The Ukrainians have not asked for Western troops. As I say, there are some now in advisory roles. But the Ukrainians have not asked for combat troops there and there is no indication from the U.S. government that there are plans to do that. As I say, there are some conversations outside the government about that. And so, for Macron to put this on the table, it gets the debate started.

BOLDUAN: I want to ask you about the debate that's happening here in the United States about continued U.S. funding and support of Ukraine.

President Zelenskyy has made clear in his recent -- in his new interview with CNN that Ukraine cannot succeed without U.S. aid, he says.

And CNN's Stephen Collinson -- he frames this funding mess in a very interesting way today with a focus on the Republican House Speaker Mike Johnson. Let me read this for you, Ambassador.

"The quiet Louisianan is besieged by intensifying calls among Republicans opposed to more Ukraine aid, especially from the pro-Trump wing of his conference, as he seeks to cling to his job longer than his ill-fated predecessor Kevin McCarthy."

[08:00:00]