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Dr. Robert Califf is Interviewed about Covid Shots; Gov. Ned Lamont (D-CT) is Interviewed about Medicaid Cuts; Suspects Arrested in Sextortion Ring Case; Billy Porter is Interviewed about "My Happy Place." Aired 8:30-9a ET

Aired May 16, 2025 - 08:30   ET

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


[08:30:00]

KATE BOLDUAN, CNN ANCHOR: Covid vaccines, what do you make of it?

DR. ROBERT CALIFF, FORMER FOOD AND DRUG ADMINISTRATION COMMISSIONER: Well, you know, we're in a different time period now where the emergency phase of the pandemic is over. And we're now in a period where Covid is still around but a much -- most people have either been infected or have been vaccinated. So, I think it's perfectly reasonable for people to look at what the criteria should be for repeated vaccination.

Of course, a lot of this depends on the ACIP, the committee at CDC, vaccine experts, and I know they've been meeting. There have been some preliminary reports. But I'm not aware that there's a final recommendation for that -- from that committee.

But what I would say is, at least from everything I've heard, the plan will still be for high-risk people to be -- to get updated vaccinations. I'm -- I'm 73, so I'm planning on getting my updated vaccinations because it's still the case that if you're in a high-risk category, if you get infected, you really have to worry about dying or being hospitalized. And the vaccine is effective against that.

But, you know, healthy younger people are at very low risk right now. And I think it's a legitimate question to ask. We'll have to see what the final recommendation is.

BOLDUAN: Absolutely. And the reason -- one of the reasons this is -- is in the spotlight and under scrutiny is it -- it gets to the bigger issue of what we saw really on display this week when the secretary of Health and Human Services testified on Capitol Hill. And in his testimony, he really did show, once again, his -- you know, how he has been a leading anti-vaccine advocate for 20 years, as he did not unconditionally endorse vaccines when it comes to fighting measles and other diseases. Instead, I want to play how he described his opinion or the relevance of his opinion on this matter.

Let me play this.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: If you had a child today, would you vaccinate that child for measles?

ROBERT F. KENNEDY JR., HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES SECRETARY: For measles? Probably for measles. I -- I -- you know, what I would say is, my opinions about vaccines are irrelevant.

But I don't think people should be taking advice, medical advice, from me.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Right.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BOLDUAN: When you were FDA commissioner, were the opinions of the Health and Human Services secretary irrelevant?

CALIFF: Well, that's a loaded question. You know my answer to that. Of course people listen to what the -- that's the most powerful health position in the entire United States, probably in the world. So, there should be a full-throated recommendation to get vaccinated for measles, for example, but many other vaccinations.

Now, I want to distinguish here, of course there are risks to vaccination. And we should always acknowledge that there's a risk benefit trade off. But the number of lives saved is so great, the benefits so far outweigh the risk. People need to be aware that you can have a reaction or an adverse event from a vaccine, but looking forward, should you get vaccinated or not, there should be a full- throated recommendation to get vaccinated. I -- I think this is really horrifying to people who are in public health or in the medical community to have the ultimate leader not giving a full recommendation on this.

BOLDUAN: What is the impact of it, do you think, though? Is he doing harm?

CALIFF: I'm on record already saying that I don't think there's any question that if your raising this kind of doubt in so many people, in such a tumultuous time in our country, that we're seeing the vaccination rates go down and parents are worried. And this just increases their worry when the leader of the whole organization cannot give the full recommendation.

Now -- now, I haven't watched the entire hearing, but as I understand it, you know, he said there are questions. And there's always a need to do a better and better job of surveillance and finding out about all the potential risks and adverse events. But the lives saved are just undeniable. And the last thing we need is another outbreak of measles and whooping cough. And also, we don't want to redo the hundreds of thousands of people who died from Covid who would not have died had they gotten a free vaccine.

BOLDUAN: Dr. Robert Califf, Commissioner, it's always good to see you, and I really appreciate you coming on. Thank you.

Coming up for us, this morning, House Republicans are trying to get their kind of mega tax and spending bill back on track and somehow to the House floor, but Republican infighting is putting this key piece of Trump's agenda at risk.

[08:35:08]

And a college student is using his senior project to help his little sister. The custom prosthetic that he's designed.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

JOHN BERMAN, CNN ANCHOR: So, new this morning, nearly a dozen House committees have approved portions of the huge Republican tax and spending cuts package. Doesn't mean it's a done deal yet.

[08:40:01]

There are still a lot of Republican infighting here. We're tracking those developments.

In the meantime, many Democrats are slamming a controversial measure they say would slash funding to Medicaid and food benefits.

With us now is Connecticut Governor Ned Lamont. He's one of 23 Democratic governors who issued a statement voicing their concerns about these cuts.

Specifically, what are you concerned about, Governor?

GOV. NED LAMONT (D-CT): Hey, good morning, John.

I thought DOGE was going to get rid of waste, fraud and abuse. Instead, all they're doing is shifting the health costs and SNAP benefit costs onto the states, onto the state taxpayers. That's not what we signed up for. So, I'm concerned that, look, if we have to balance the budget, it will be at the expense of people who will need their food benefits. It'll be at the expensive of kids who are insured by Medicaid. Don't let that happen.

BERMAN: On the subject of Medicaid, what Republicans say is that we're creating some work requirements. That people should have to work, they say, a minimum of, say, 80 hours to qualify for these Medicaid benefits. We're also removing waste from the system.

Brett Guthrie, who's a Republican from Kentucky, writes, "undoubtedly, Democrats will use this as an opportunity to engage in fear mongering and misrepresent our bill as an attack on Medicaid. In reality, it preserves and strengthens Medicaid for children, mothers, people with disabilities, and the elderly for whom the program was designed."

What do you say to that?

LAMONT: I say, go after the waste. All the upcoding and the other games they play in Medicare and Medicaid, at the cost to taxpayers, a bundle, go after it. But the idea you're saving money just by shifting the burden onto the states, that is fraud when it comes to waste, fraud and abuse.

I think it's not the way to go at all. BERMAN: Yes, I notice you're sitting in Greenwich, Connecticut, this

morning. A lot of people in Greenwich are concerned about the SALT taxes, state and local taxes, and the deductions that are no longer available and their federal income tax is capped at $10,000. Right now, republicans are suggesting raising it to $30,000.

Where do you stand on this? What do you think an appropriate cap would be?

LAMONT: Well, remember, that was a big tax increase implemented by President Bush in his last administration. You know, eliminating the SALT deduction, or getting it down to $10,000. So, I think an increases is appropriate. It's a tax on middle class folks. If you got it up to $30,000 or $40,000, that sounds like a reasonable compromise to me.

BERMAN: $30,000 -- so, the $30,000 does seem like a reasonable -- 30 -- because that's -- Republicans are offering that right now. There are actually some blue state Republicans who say that's high and -- that's high enough -- not high enough, I should say. Mike Lawler nearby, New York 17, which borders Greenwich, he says $30,000 is not a high enough cap. But you say it might be.

LAMONT: I say you can go in with a maximalist position and argue this till you're blue in the face. But if you've got it up to $30,000 or $40,000, that's pretty good progress. That protects the middle class. Even some upper middle class folks. That's probably a pretty good start, from my point of view. You've got to reach a deal.

BERMAN: All right.

LAMONT: And what I really worry about is exploding the deficit, John. What I really worry about is all the tax cuts and the cuts for millionaires and billionaires. They go into effect now. And then all those cuts in the future, like work rules and work requirements, they happen in 2029, after the fact. And, by the way, they're incredibly expensive to administer. So, I'm glad they give us some time.

BERMAN: How would you cut the deficit and -- and the federal debt? I think it was the nonpartisan -- bipartisan committee -- commission on the budget, which predicted overnight that this bill, as it stands, would increase the national debt by I think it's $2.3 trillion. How would you reduce the national debt?

LAMONT: Well, immediately, I wouldn't give the tax cut for the millionaires and billionaires. And no offense, but I'd probably raise it a little bit there just so we can get the revenues in to start stabilizing where we've got to go. If you want to go after waste in Medicaid and Medicare, that's fine by me. Do that in a coherent way over a period of time.

So, there is some waste to go after. Raise the revenue on the richest folks. Bend the curve. Don't explode the deficit. All that's going to do is, you know, drive up interest rates, drive down the dollar and weaken America. BERMAN: One issue that -- that is bubbling in Connecticut, and frankly

around the country, and I say this as the parent of -- of a couple high school seniors, is the issue of cell phones in schools. And I think it was the Connecticut house which just passed a bill that would address this and maybe move to -- to ban or restrict cell phone use in schools. How do you feel about this?

LAMONT: I said this a couple years ago, smartphones make you stupid. Get them out of the classroom. Get them out of the schools. Especially in K through eight. Even K through 12. We've got them out of almost every single one of our classrooms, K through 8. You know, sometimes the students got a little edgy for a while. They kind of like it. They're back to playing with each other and having that.

[08:45:02]

Sometimes the parents got nervous. I can't stay in constant contact with my kids. They're fine with it now. They call the administrator if they have an issue. I think it's something we ought to expand upon.

BERMAN: Yes, it is interesting. Again, I say this as a parent here, I'm not weighing in, it's -- sometimes it's interesting to see how much the kids celebrate not having access to their phones for a little while. It's a societal development here we're all watching.

Governor Ned Lamont of Connecticut, thanks so much for being with us. I appreciate it.

LAMONT: Nice to see you, John. Thanks.

BERMAN: All right, this morning, a mechanical engineering student in South Carolina used his senior project to change his little sister's life. Vitally Bondarchuk designed a prosthetic arm for his seven-year- old sister, Bella. Bella loves playing Uno and painting. So, he created specific attachments for the arm that could help her do her favorite things.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

VITALLY BONDARCHUK, BOB JONES UNIVERSITY GRADUATE: I wanted to make it safe, but also easy to use. It's a very simple, like, sliding mechanism. That way there's not a lot of moving parts. Nothing can really break that easy.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BERMAN: He plans to keep adding attachments to the arm as Bella needs or want them. And if you're wondering, he got an A on his assignment. That's pretty incredible. Always good to have a brother who's a mechanical engineering major.

All right, more than a dozen people were injured after a driver plowed a car into a crowd before a packed soccer match. What investigators now say led to the dangerous crash.

And two baby orangutans safe and sound this morning after being rescued by police. Details on the man they say was trying to smuggle and sell them.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[08:51:33]

BOLDUAN: So, authorities say they've arrested four people in connection with a sextortion ring, and they're accused of targeting thousands of minors around the world. One of their alleged victims was 17-year-old Ryan Last. His mother says, in 2022, her son was blackmailed after being tricked into sending a nude photo to someone online. And shortly after he died by suicide.

CNN's Josh Campbell is following this one for us.

Josh, what's the very latest you're learning here?

JOSH CAMPBELL, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes, Kate, we're learning from the Justice Department that the FBI has disrupted this global sextortion ring that was targeting thousands of kids around the world. Four men arrested in the Ivory Coast, in western Africa.

Now, as you mentioned, this is one of the many victims that they are alleged to have targeted, including -- it included Ryan Last, this 17- year-old. And I'll talk about the scam through his story.

Back in 2022, he receives a social media message from someone pretending to be a girl. They start discussing intimate things. The cyber criminal on the other end then requests an intimate photo of him. He sends that. The cyber criminal immediately breaks cover and demands $5,000, or else they would send the photo, post it online, send it to Ryan's family and friends. Sadly, he took his own life within hours of that exchange. His family tells me that he left behind a note basically saying that he was just so embarrassed over what happened.

I spoke to his mother, Pauline, after his death. She's trying to turn her pain into purpose, trying to educate other parents out there about these scams.

Have a listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

PAULINE STUART, SON DIED BY SUICIDE AFTER ALLEGEDLY TARGETED BY "SEXTORTION" GROUP: These people that run this scam care more about his $150 than his life. And that, as a mother, I just can't grasp.

There's no other word but evil for me, that they care much more about money than a -- a child's life. And that hurts to know that there are people out there that could do that.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CAMPBELL: Now, I talked to Pauline yesterday, and she said that she thought these arrests might never come. This, obviously, welcome news. She was grateful that law enforcement never gave up on the case.

Now, as far as what parents can do, I've talked to medical experts who say that it's not just about creating awareness about these scams and educating yourself, but also messaging to your children that no matter what they do, even if they make a mistake, they can come to you to discuss anything.

Have a listen to one expert.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DR. SCOTT HADLAND, CHIEF OF ADOLESCENT AND YOUNG ADULT MEDICINE, MASS GENERAL FOR CHILDREN AT HARVARD MEDICAL SCHOOL: The most important thing that a parent should do with their teen is try to understand what they're doing online, and just really fully understand the context. You want to know when they're going online, who they're interacting with, what platforms they're using.

You also want to make it clear to them that they can talk to you if they have done something or if they feel like they've made a mistake, and that you're always approachable when these issues come up.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CAMPBELL: Now, in addition to the arrest of this crime ring, the FBI says that they've received an explosion in complaints. They're trying to educate parents from coast to coast to be on the lookout for these types of scams, to know what your kids are doing online, Kate.

BOLDUAN: Josh Campbell, thank you so much for that reporting. That poor family going through this.

John.

BERMAN: All right, this morning, 13 people injured after someone drove into a crowd outside a soccer match in Barcelona. The driver was arrested. Now, most of the injuries are said to be minor.

[08:55:02]

Others are in what they called less than serious condition, but pretty frightening video there.

This morning, people living in parts of Wisconsin are waking up to damaged homes and debris in the streets after dangerous tornadoes overnight. At least nine tornadoes reported across Wisconsin and Minnesota. As of now, no major injuries were reported, but the forecast shows more storms could be on the way.

A man was arrested, accused of smuggling two baby orangutans in Thailand. One is about one year old, the other, a month. Their names, the orangutans, Christopher and Stefan. Police say they were in a basket at a gas station, and the suspect was about to deliver them to somebody. Officials say they're now under the care of Thailand's Department of National Parks.

Kate.

BOLDUAN: The CNN original series "My Happy Place" takes viewers around the world with six celebrities who are taking you on the journey to the places that they go to escape, find peace, their happy place. This week's new episode features award-winning performer Billy Porter in Mykonos, Greece, where he shows viewers the vibrant and beautiful way of life there on that wonderful island.

Here's a preview.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BILLY PORTER, ACTOR AND SINGER: I'm no stranger to speak in my mind. Now, I have no issue with our first location. However, it is time to dial up the magic.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: OK. We are ready.

PORTER: I've never experienced a photo shoot in Mykonos before. The light is fabulous. The color is fabulous. And I just show up. I've been taking pictures a long time, honey. I know how to show up.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: One, two, three. Beautiful. I love it. Gorgeous. One more. Excellent. One, two, three. Excellent. Look at the flowers. Great. I love it. Would you like to see the photos?

PORTER: Sure.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: OK. You're an amazing model.

PORTER: Thank you. It's great. I love them.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BOLDUAN: I mean, how could you not love him in a dress like that?

Joining us now is the one and only Billy Porter.

It is wonderful to have you here. Thank you for joining me.

BILLY PORTER, ACTOR AND SINGER: Thank you for having me.

BOLDUAN: Talk to me about Mykonos. When did you first go? What was it about Mykonos that you first fell in love with?

PORTER: I went to Mykonos in -- for the first time in 2000. And I was traveling with a gay vacation company called Atlantis Events. And we stopped in Mykonos. One of the -- it was a cruise, and we stopped in Mykonos. And one of the things that I loved about traveling with this company is that they created a safe space for queer -- for queer people to travel together. I did not grow up -- I -- I grew up poor, so I didn't go on a lot of vacations. So, this was like my third vacation in my whole life. And most of the vacations I've gone on have been with this company.

And so, Mykonos was sort of set up to welcome us intentionally. The queer -- you know, the 3,000 or so queer -- queer guests in this space. And it was just so magical and so open and so -- the people were so warm and welcoming.

BOLDUAN: As you've traveled there and as you've been there, is it now been -- is it the food, is it the vibe, the air, the water, that light blue in the architecture that is so --

PORTER: Oh my God, you're -- you're answering -- you're answering your questions. Yes, it's all of the above. It's the landscape. It's that water that is so crystal blue. It's the food that is phenomenal. And, you know, as a -- as a heart healthy person, you know, Mediterranean food is -- is very heart healthy, you know. And so every meal is like, you can just eat all day because it's so good for you.

BOLDUAN: Exactly.

PORTER: And then the people -- the people are beautiful. The Greek people are just stunningly beautiful. That also helps.

BOLDUAN: Absolutely. Yes, doesn't -- doesn't hurt -- doesn't hurt. There's a lot of eye candy everywhere you look.

PORTER: No, definitely (ph).

BOLDUAN: Is there a favorite spot on the island? Like, a must stop by when you're there.

PORTER: Well, when I first started going, it was a beach club called Jackie O. Jackie O's. I think you're seeing it right now. And, you know, it's just -- it's on the outskirts of town. You have to travel a little ways to get there. And it's like on the side of cliff almost. And, you know, it's a departure from the mainland.

[09:00:03]

And yet you feel like you're in, like, the hippest, coolest spot.