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Al Jazeera Responds After Its Journalists are Killed in Gaza; CDC Workers Concerned for Their Safety Amid Misinformation; Influencers Promoting Anti-Sunscreen Movement to Millions. Aired 2:30- 3p ET

Aired August 11, 2025 - 14:30   ET

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

[14:30:00]

KEN CUCCINELLI, FORMER DEPUTY HOMELAND SECURITY SECRETARY UNDER PRESIDENT TRUMP: ... position to utilize not just the National Guard, but also the military to support and supplement what is normally thought of as civilian law enforcement.

BORIS SANCHEZ, CNN HOST: And we'll see how the higher courts rule. Ken Cuccinelli, appreciate you sharing your point of view.

CUCCINELLI: Yes.

SANCHEZ: Still to come, new calls for the end of airstrikes in Gaza after several journalists are killed, one correspondent apparently deliberately targeted by Israel.

Stay with CNN.

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[14:35:00]

DANNY FREEMAN, CNN HOST: The news chief of Al Jazeera English is accusing Israel of trying to, quote, eliminate any eyewitness after an Israeli strike killed at least five Al Jazeera journalists Sunday in Gaza.

Among the dead is 28-year-old Anas Al-Sharif. He was a prominent correspondent who denied Israel's accusation that he was a leader of a Hamas cell.

Al-Sharif was one of 180 some reporters killed since October 7, 2023.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SALAH NEGM, DIRECTOR OF NEWS, AL JAZEERA ENGLISH: They won't be there. Yes, every journalist in Gaza is writing his own obituary. Because if you are in Gaza, you are not safe anywhere, whether you are a journalist or a normal citizen.

60,000 people died. Every morning, you have something like between 50 and 100 people killed by Israel bullets or drones or whatever.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

FREEMAN: Amnesty International says it, quote, Strongly condemns Israel's deliberate killing of journalists and is calling for an independent investigation.

Meantime, more Western nations are condemning Israel's plan to expand the war, advancing into Gaza City.

CNN's Matthew Chance is in Jerusalem with more on this. Matthew, how did Israel target this Al Jazeera correspondent?

MATTHEW CHANCE, CNN CHIEF GLOBAL AFFAIRS CORRESPONDENT: Hey, Danny. Well, I mean, it's not clear whether it was an airstrike or whether it was a drone strike or a rocket or something like that. But basically, this very prominent Al Jazeera correspondent, Anas Al-Sharif, 28-year- old, two kids, married, been reporting from inside the Gaza Strip extensively for nearly two years, for longer than that, but in a high- profile way for the past two years since Israel's military campaign inside the Gaza Strip began.

He was sitting in a tent or sleeping in a tent, possibly, sort of late at night with his other colleagues from Al Jazeera. There were four other Al Jazeera staff members that were also killed. And, you know, it is shocking, of course, but it's not altogether surprising, given that so many journalists inside the Gaza Strip, reporting in very dangerous circumstances and very tough circumstances as well, have been killed already in the past nearly two years, something like 178, according to the Committee for the Protection of Journalists. Other organizations have different figures, but it's a large number.

Now, on this occasion, the Israelis say that, as you mentioned, Anas Al-Sharif was a member of Hamas. They said he was the leader of a cell that was involved in carrying out rocket strikes against Israeli troops and Israeli civilians.

There was no real confirmed evidence presented for that. And when he was alive, Anas Al-Sharif categorically denied those allegations and his network, Al Jazeera, continues to do so.

The other four Al Jazeera staff members, by the way, who were also killed in the same strike, there was never any allegation against them, you know, just for the record.

So, yes, it's something that's been condemned by the United Nations, by the international community, by, you know, journalist rights groups and protection groups. But it's something that Israel has not expressed any regret for -- Danny.

FREEMAN: Matthew Chance, thank you for bringing us the update on just another troubling story. Really appreciate it.

All right, still to come, Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. visits the CDC staffers today after that deadly shooting on Friday. We'll tell you what employees say they want now from the Trump administration. [14:40:00]

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SANCHEZ: Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. is visiting the Atlantic campus of the CDC after Friday's deadly shooting there. We're told that Kennedy is surveying the damage and meeting with staff.

A law enforcement source tells CNN the shooter took his own life and that medicines for treating schizophrenia were found during a search of his home.

CNN medical correspondent Meg Tirrell is following this for us. So, Meg, what more have you heard from CDC employees?

MEG TIRRELL, CNN MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT: Yes, Boris, I mean, we're hearing that there's a lot of anger among employees and a lot of them, obviously, feeling very traumatized by the events of Friday. We learned that there was a call with some CDC staffers over the weekend where CDC leadership was reaching out to them in some sense because of what they said they may hear about the shooter's motivation. The idea that he may have thought that the COVID vaccine contributed to some of his illness and he was targeting the CDC for that reason.

Some of the staffers on the call said that they felt like sitting ducks on Friday in those offices. Another staffer asked leadership about the misinformation and disinformation that they worried was coming toward the CDC and that they worried is contributing to this situation where they feel targeted.

A lot of public health workers have been feeling this way really since the peak of the pandemic. And so there is just a lot of fear about what they are going through. And as Secretary Kennedy, we learned, visited the campus today surveying that damaged meeting with staffers. There are calls for his resignation among some current and former employees.

One group called Fired But Fighting, which is a group of fired HHS employees, including some from the CDC, putting out a statement saying, quote, We don't need thoughts and prayers. We need an administration that does not villainize federal workers who are just trying to do their job. We need a health and human services secretary who does not promote misinformation about science and vaccines.

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In response, the Department of Health and Human Services saying, quote, Secretary Kennedy has unequivocally condemned this horrific attack and remains fully committed to ensuring the safety and well- being of CDC employees. They say he extends his deepest condolences to the family and loved ones of Officer David Rose, who was tragically killed. Officer Rose's sacrifice to protect the CDC on its darkest day will never be forgotten.

But guys, still a lot of questions. I wanted to hear a lot more from Secretary Kennedy himself condemning some of what they see as misinformation and disinformation that possibly contributes to this sort of climate of fear among public health workers -- guys.

SANCHEZ: Yes, Meg Tirrell, thanks so much for that reporting.

Still to come, a troubling trend on TikTok, as many young people leaving their sunscreen at the bottom of their beach bags. We're going to talk to an expert about why following this fad could lead to health problems in the future.

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[14:50:00]

FREEMAN: A growing movement online is in revolt against something a lot of us take for granted. Sunscreen.

Driven by influencers, these voices are calling into question the benefits of sunscreen and exaggerating the dangers. Dermatologists are worried that people persuaded by their misinformation could be increasing their exposure to cancer-causing UV rays.

For more on this clinical perspective, we have board-certified cosmetic dermatologist, Dr. Shereene Idriss joining us now. Doctor, thank you so much for being here to clear this up. Let me just ask you this right up front.

Are you hearing some of this skepticism from your patients?

DR. SHEREENE IDRISS, BOARD-CERTIFIED COSMETIC DERMATOLOGIST: First off, thank you so much for having me. But absolutely. Lately, I have seen more and more people proudly announce that they are completely ditching sunscreen.

As a practicing dermatologist who sees up to 100 patients a week, let's be clear that sunscreen is not a conspiracy. It is one of the most well-studied, most effective tools that we have, not just to prevent sun damage but skin cancer as well as premature aging. And sadly, there is no DIY alternative in the form of coconut oil or carrot juice that can ever replace it.

FREEMAN: Well, let's start -- but first of all, can you identify, I mean, is that correct that you're seeing patients come in concerned about this based on seeing things on social media? Is that where a lot of this is coming from?

IDRISS: A lot of it is stemming from social media, where a lot of patients come in every single day repeating a lot of the misinformation that they repeat. And unfortunately, some of that is trickling into the sun protection domain and the fear of surrounding sunscreen.

FREEMAN: All right, well, let's talk about some of the, I guess, science here. Because some people are worried, I guess, about what's specifically in their sunscreen testing released by the FDA in 2019 found that seven sunscreen chemicals were absorbed from the skin into the bloodstream after a single day of use but remained above FDA safety levels. So what do you tell people who are worried about the chemicals that they're putting on their body?

IDRISS: That's a very good question. And I think, unfortunately, those studies were blown out of proportion. Because those testing was not actually reproducible and realistic in real life settings.

And when you look back at the original studies that were performed on animals, on rats specifically, those rats were given sunscreen, were applied sunscreen to them at a dose that was nearly eight and a half times what a human does in a single year. And so you would have to apply sunscreen to your whole body four times a day over eight and a half years to get that dose that was applied to those rats. So those studies were never reproduced in humans.

And as a result, unfortunately, that information was completely misaligned.

FREEMAN: Thank you for clearing that up for us. I really appreciate it because it's helpful. And that's not the amount of sunscreen that most of us use if we're just going to enjoy a day at the beach.

Can you spell out, because listen, not all SPF, not all sunscreen is created equal. There are degrees that sunscreens work for different people in different ways. Can you just lay out how someone watching at home who's going to the beach this weekend, how they can be sure that their sunscreen is working for them?

IDRISS: Absolutely. So you're totally correct in that not all sunscreens are created equal, but also not the way that we apply it is created equal either. And so if you're somebody going to the beach this weekend, sunscreen is one factor of sun protection, where ideally for your full face, you want to use two full fingers to apply to your face.

And if you're using your neck or your chest, you want to add a third finger. Now, for your full body, that usually converts to around 35 mls. But the trick is if you're at the beach jumping in and out of water, you're going to be having less efficacy when it comes to that sunscreen because of the water. And so you must reapply every two to three hours as long as you are out under the sun.

But you have other ways to protect yourself as well with UPF rash guards, with the shade, avoiding sun exposure between peak hours like 10 a.m. and 3 p.m. So you can do other things to help yourself as well in addition to using the sunscreen.

FREEMAN: And just quickly before I let you go, you know, I have darker skin. That's the Latino in me right here. I should still wear sunscreen, too, right?

My friend Boris as well, right?

IDRISS: When in doubt, just wear the damn sunscreen -- Boris.

FREEMAN: Dr. Shereene Idriss, thank you so much for joining us today on all this sunscreen chaos. I appreciate you clearing things up. Appreciate it.

SANCHEZ: Extra, extra sunscreen on the dome up here. I don't want to get burnt.

Now to some of the other headlines we're watching this hour.

A pair of prisons seeing the full force of Mother Nature over the weekend. Check out this video, a violent storm ripping early Saturday. The roof coming right off the Nebraska State Penitentiary. The damage at two housing units displaced about 400 inmates.

A different but also dangerous situation in Colorado. One of the largest wildfires in that state's history, forcing the evacuation of nearly 200 inmates from the Rifle Correctional Center.

[14:55:00]

More than 1,000 firefighters are beating back flames from the Lee fire. Today, though, only 7 percent of it is contained.

And AOL, pulling the plug on its 34-year-old dial-up internet service next month. Who is still using this? Starting on September 30th, users will no longer be able to hear the familiar You've Got Mail announcement that marked the early days of the internet. According to the most recent numbers available from 2023, some 160,000 people were actually still using landlines to connect to the internet. Wow.

And the year's trendiest toy, so hot even burglars can't resist. The Associated Press reporting that a group of mass thieves broke into a store near Los Angeles and stole about $7,000 worth of Le Boo Boo dolls. Wow. Global demand for these Chinese plush toys has skyrocketed, making the resale of their adorable and yet creepy grins worth hundreds of dollars. I personally don't get it.

Still to come, we're following some breaking news out of Pennsylvania this afternoon. These are live images. Rescue crews trying to search for people trapped after multiple explosions at a steel plant.

We have the latest in just moments. Don't go anywhere.

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