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White House Withdraws CDC Nominee Just Before Confirmation Hearing; Trump EPA Axes More Than a Dozen Anti-Pollution Rules; CT Woman Accused of Holding Stepson Captive for 20-Plus Years. Aired 2:30-3p ET

Aired March 13, 2025 - 14:30   ET

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

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[14:31:19]

BORIS SANCHEZ, CNN HOST: The White House today withdrawing its nomination of Dr. David Weldon to lead the CDC. The former Republican congressman has expressed skepticism about vaccines, which have been widely scrutinized.

His nomination was pulled hours before he was scheduled to face questions at a confirmation hearing.

BRIANNA KEILAR, CNN HOST: Even Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr had concerns after Weldon displayed a lack of knowledge about basic facts about the agency this week in meetings that he had, sources have told CNN.

CNN medical correspondent, Meg Tirrell, is here with details on this.

Meg, what can you tell us about this pole nomination?

MEG TIRRELL, CNN MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT: Yes, Brianna, we are starting to learn a little bit more about the events that led up to that really stunning announcement, just a little bit before the hearing was supposed to start this morning.

Dr. Weldon actually gave us a statement where he said that he received a call 12 hours before this hearing was supposed to start, saying that the nomination was being withdrawn because there weren't enough votes to get him confirmed.

Then he talks about how, in a meeting earlier this week, he had interactions with staffers from both Senator Susan Collin's office as well as Senator Bill Cassidy's office. Both Republicans on the Health Committee, which was holding the hearing today.

Where Weldon claims that they were approaching him as if he we're anti-vaccine. Now, he says specifically about Cassidy, quote, "He was throwing around the claim that I was," quote, "anti-vax or that I believed that vaccines cause autism," which I have never said.

Now, our colleague, Andrew Kaczynski, surfaced a 2019 video where there's an interview with Weldon where he said this. (BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DR. DAVID WELDON, FORMER CDC DIRECTOR NOMINEE: Some children can get an autism spectrum disorder from a vaccine.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

TIRRELL: Now we reached back out to Weldon to ask him for comments on that, where it seems like he is saying that some children can get autism spectrum disorder from a vaccine. And we should note, of course, that many, many studies have debunked any link between the two.

I'm also learning from a source that, in that meeting, Welden, according to this source, was mischaracterizing those interactions. And in fact, Susan Collin's staff, the source says, was asking how he planned to deal with the perception that he's anti-vaccine.

Also, the source said that it appeared that Weldon was unprepared for the role of CDC director and indicated he planned to learn on the job.

Finally, we should say, guys, that he, Weldon, claimed in this statement that Cassidy had asked for his nomination to be withdrawn. A spokesperson for Cassidy's office says that's not the case -- guys?

SANCHEZ: Meg Tirrell, thank you so much for the update.

[14:34:00]

So this is perhaps the most-weird story of the day. Police say a 32- year-old man intentionally set fire to his own home in order to escape after allegedly being held captive in a storage space for 20 years. The hellish details, and who he claims was holding him hostage, when we come back.

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SANCHEZ: The Trump administration is poised to roll back more than a dozen pollution rules, including ending regulations on soot, mercury and coal ash pollution, as well as the good neighbor rule that controls downwind air pollution.

Programs overseeing environmental justice and diversity also set to be eliminated. And there is much more. The EPA must now go through a month's long regulatory process before the rollbacks actually go into effect.

Let's get the latest from CNN chief climate correspondent, Bill Weir.

Bill, talk to us about these changes and what will have the biggest impact on Americans.

BILL WEIR, CNN CHIEF CLIMATE CORRESPONDENT: Well, it's a good question, Boris. It feels like yesterday was a -- was a whole lot of press relations. It was a whole lot of P.R. announcing these big sweeping changes. But the devils in the details when it comes to these rules. And let's

take E.V. so-called mandate that the Trump administration has been harping on.

There is there is no mandate for Americans to buy electric cars at any time. There we're tailpipe emissions rules for model 2027 and beyond that were stronger, tighter.

You know, need to get more miles per gallon out of that vehicle down the road. And so a lot of automakers have shifted to electric vehicles to meet with that.

And so if these rules get rolled back, for example, that tailpipe rule, it will take many months at the earliest. There has to be public comments. It'll circle -- circle through the courts and all of that.

[14:40:05]

But if they should get that passed, we'll basically go back to the -- the laws of a year ago. People wouldn't notice that particular one.

But this is, of course, a promise made by Trump to CEOs of the big fossil fuel companies that if they help him get elected, he would basically engage in an orgy of deregulation, which is what we've seen from DOGE and from the EPA yesterday.

But there are problematic announcements in this as well, especially for folks who live on frontline communities. They're stripping any sense of environmental justice from people living next to big polluting plants or toxic dumps.

A big court case was set to go to trial in Louisiana next month, about an elementary school close to one of these polluting factories. They dropped it and won't pursue that.

And while the Environmental Protection Agency, the clue is in, the name was set up in the 70s when the pollution was just unavoidable, you couldn't ignore it, you could taste the air, you could see the rivers on fire.

Well, now Lee Zeldin, yesterday, seemed to pivot it much more to an agency that he says, in his words, is -- (TECHNICAL PROBLEM) -- heating and shelter more affordable, without mentioning that a lot of the alternative fuels are cheaper, better and faster than the old fossil varieties right now.

But that's just a little context on what was yesterday just a barrage of deregulation announcements.

SANCHEZ: Bill Weir, thank you so much for the reporting.

Brianna?

KEILAR: Now to some of the other headlines that we're watching this hour. Scientists say Alaska's Mount Spurr volcano is showing signs of new

activity. There you see it. And there is an increased likelihood that it could erupt here in the coming weeks.

Mount Spurr is only about 70 miles west of Anchorage, but there are no towns in its immediate vicinity.

Also cue the "he's running" meme. Former Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg said he's ruling out a run for governor of Michigan and the state's open Senate seat in 2026.

And that has people wondering maybe he's setting up to run for the White House in 2028. Some Michigan Democrats are worried they might lose that Senate seat to Republicans in a state that Trump won last year.

And an explosion on the campus of Texas Tech University setting off fires, prompting evacuations, canceling classes. Officials say the explosion happened inside of a maintenance hole. No injuries reported here, but what a sight to see there.

Boris?

SANCHEZ: Yes, some cool video.

Now to a story that is just upsetting. Police in Connecticut say that a man admitted he set his own home on fire as part of an escape plan after allegedly being held captive inside for more than 20 years.

Officials say the man's horrific ordeal began when he was about 11. He's now 32-years-old. We're told the man weighed less than 70 pounds after allegedly being fed a couple of sandwiches and a small amount of water each day.

His stepmother is now facing charges.

CNN's Jean Casarez has been tracking the details for us.

Jean, walk us through how all of this happened.

JEAN CASAREZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT: You know, police officers in the department in Waterbury, Connecticut, said that they just didn't believe it. They couldn't believe it.

But now they say they've got credible evidence that this is all true. You know, this -- this 32-year-old man said that when he was a little boy, that that he went downstairs to get some food one night because he was hungry. And after that he was kept in a very small storage shed for all this time.

And he said that when -- it was in 2005, he remembered that the police came to the home because Department of Children and Families had been called and said to make a welfare check. Well, the home was in order, so police didn't find anything.

And then, according to the 32-year-old man, that they did come out again. But since this time, he has just been in this room with multiple locks on the outside, so he couldn't get out.

He was allowed out to do some chores, but that would only be for, at one point, up to two hours a day. And -- and at this point, it was up to minutes a day.

His father, who also lived in the home, died last year. I want you to listen to what the police chief of Waterbury, Connecticut, says as far as his physical condition.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

FERNANDO SPAGNOLO, CHIEF, WATERBURY, CT, POLICE DEPARTMENT: Obviously, he's got a lot of mental health issues that he has to deal with at this point in time.

There are a lot of physical conditions that he's working on as well. I mean, here's an adult that was five foot nine and 68 pounds. You know, there's some apparent orthopedic issues. You know, the room was very small.

And, you know, honestly, you know, when I -- when I read about it and talk to the investigators and overlook the interviews, it was -- it was worse than the conditions of a jail cell.

CASAREZ: Now his stepmother has been charged with assault and kidnaping.

[14:45:02]

Her attorney spoke out saying this didn't happen. Listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

IOANNIS KALOIDLE, KIMBERLY SULLIVAN'S LAWYER: Absolutely not true. He was not locked in a room. She did not restrain him in any way. She provided food. She provided shelter. She is blown away by these allegations.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CASAREZ: But police are saying there is credibility because they found all the holes on the wall where all the locks had been and were taken off right as the fire department was arriving to put out that fire.

Now, Kimberly Sullivan is held on $300,000 bail. Her next court appearance is mid-March. And Boris, the police chief, said she may make that bail of $300,000.

SANCHEZ: What horrifying accusations.

Jean Casarez, thank you so much for bringing us that story.

Brianna?

KEILAR: In the next new episode of the CNN original series, "UNITED STATES OF SCANDAL WITH JAKE TAPPER," Jake will take us on a deep dive into the colossal collapse of Enron.

Here's a preview.

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JAKE TAPPER, CNN ANCHOR & HOST, "UNITED STATES OF SCANDAL": What was he doing that was so alarming and such a no-no.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: In effect, if I just bought a company for $10 million from you and one month later, I'm saying it's really worth $15 million. We're going to ride it up to $15 million and put $5 million on the income statement. That $5 million is just bogus. You just made it up.

That -- that --

TAPPER: And that's what Jeff Skilling did?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: That's what they did. Yes.

TAPPER: They would just assess what they thought it was worth?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Yes.

TAPPER: But --

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: But just a month ago, we had just bought the asset.

TAPPER: There actually is a hard number?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: There's a hard number.

TAPPER: But they would not do that. They'd say, well, we think we can get five times this on the market. And so we're going to say this is worth $50 million.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Yes, yes. It was all legal, but you just can't write things up like that. I mean, that was the beginning of -- of the seeds of the -- of the fraud that killed Enron.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KEILAR: You can watch the new episode of "UNITED STATES OF SCANDAL WITH JAKE TAPPER" this Sunday night at 9:00 Eastern and Pacific.

And we'll be right back.

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[14:51:11]

KEILAR: Today on "HOME FRONT," the digital and television column where we try to bridge the civilian-military divide, we're talking about one of the toughest parts of military life, the moving so much, moving every two to three years on average for most military families. And it's only been made tougher as a huge Defense Department contract

that was supposed to streamline the process has instead created problems as military families try to ship all of their household goods from their last duty station to their new one.

This change was years in the making, but now the military is pumping the brakes on this change after many families have been left in the lurch.

We're now joined by Megan Harless, military family advocate and founder of PCS Like a Pro. That's the Permanent Change of Station that we know that move by in military parlance.

All right. So Megan, first off, this was an overhaul that the Pentagon had in effect for the relocation of military families that was consolidating all of the moves, which we should note are all over the world, to one provider, HomeSafe Alliance.

What kind of issues have military families been reporting?

MEGAN HARLESS, MILITARY FAMILY ADVOCATE & FOUNDER, PCS LIKE A PRO: Yes. First, thank you so much for having me.

A lot of the issues that we've been hearing from our military community have been the lack of communication from HomeSafe and families trying to get information about their move, trying to set up those pre-move surveys where the company sees how much stuff they have.

So that way they can properly plan for the amount of packing materials and truck space communication and confirming their packing dates and confirming their pickup dates.

Having those confirmed pack dates be met with nobody showing up to do the work.

And then on the other side of it, when they expect delivery of their household goods, that that day is coming and going and we have families that are waiting three to four weeks past their required delivery date before their items show up to their new home.

KEILAR: All right. That sounds like a nightmare when you're in the middle of a move.

We should note that HomeSafe has put out some statements.

They've said they've "apologized to every family affected by capacity related delays. They say the vast majority of their moves have been successful and timely."

We should note, though, that the military is now dialing back on how they are phasing this in.

And I know that you had actually consulted, right, you had warned about potential problems with this program all the way in last June. What kind of feedback did you get from those warnings? HARLESS: You know, ever since this program became a thing back in

2019, when General Lyons, who was the TRANSCOM commander at the time, mentioned it in his TRANSCOM posture hearing.

I had always held out a sliver of hope that this program would work for the sole purpose of it working means that our military community isn't suffering.

As we've transitioned into this program now under HomeSafe Alliance, and seeing, you know, how they're kind of rolling out, how they're handling things, that sliver of hope has really diminished and disappeared.

And so, you know, it's one of those things that looking at how they we're kind of building this program, how they we're implementing different things, how they were, you know, trying to build their network with the moving industry.

And much of the moving industry is saying, you know, they weren't going to do the work at the rates that HomeSafe was offering them, you know, wasn't enough to cover their expenses.

For me, being a military family, hearing all of this, it made me wonder, you know, if they're not paying the moving industry enough, then who's really going to be there to service our moves and to pick up our stuff?

If all of the major van lines are saying no to this, and all of the smaller companies that have done DOD work for years are saying no to this, who's going to be there and who's going to be actually part of their network?

You know, so it's been kind of concerning seeing some of the issues that we've been seeing. There are issues we see every year, but we typically don't see them.

[14:55:03]

So we're in the middle of peak season. And we started seeing them in January, which is supposed to be the slow time of the year.

KEILAR: Yes, we're moving into peak season for these PCSs.

So talk to us about, as we're moving into this peak moving season, what you think the solution is going forward.

Because military families not having their stuff when they're supposed to, that ends up just being money out of your pockets. That's how that works. So what is the solution here, do you think?

HARLESS: I think one of the biggest pieces that could really help things right now is that we just put a pause on this program. We put a pause on GHC.

They've shown us that they don't have the network to handle things that they -- they can't get people moved on time. They can't get their household goods on time.

So why don't we just take a tactical pause, be able to let them address those issues, let them figure it out.

And we use what's called the Legacy System right now and be able to move everybody through that where it hasn't been an issue getting people moved on time underneath that program. So I think we revert back to that.

I think we keep the rates that we pay military families to be able to move themselves. You know, what we typically have seen in the past. That way it covers all of their expenses.

Because that's another issue that a lot of families are seeing, too, is that the PCS rates or the bidding where it's that amount of money given to a military family that allows them to move themselves, rather than going through the military contract and moving.

And that rate has even been cut significantly as well, where a lot of families are coming out of pocket. So I think we keep that rate.

Historically, what we've seen, it allow it to cover the expenses so we can get through peak season. And then we readdress this contract come the fall when once we're out of peak season.

KEILAR: Yes. Putting that money towards a U-Haul and doing the move yourself. It sounds like some military families are saying their reimbursement rate, it isn't even covering that kind of thing.

You're talking about the GHC. Just to be clear, that's the Global Household Goods Contract. And that is the lifeblood of American families in the military as they're moving.

And, Megan, it's great to have you. Thank you so much for being with us.

HARLESS: No, thank you for the opportunity. I appreciate it.

KEILAR: Megan Harless, thank you.

So some fired federal employees telling CNN they're struggling to qualify for unemployment benefits because their termination letters wrongly claim they were let go for poor performance. We'll have more on this coming up.

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