Return to Transcripts main page

CNN News Central

ICE Detains Day Care Teacher; Weight Loss Drug Deal; Teacher Wins Shooting Lawsuit; Trump Administration to Cut Flights. Aired 1- 1:30p ET

Aired November 06, 2025 - 13:00   ET

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

[13:00:00]

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[13:00:52]

BRIANNA KEILAR, CNN HOST: Bracing for a travel nightmare. The White House says it will cut hundreds of flights starting tomorrow if there's no shutdown deal. What this means for travelers and airlines if lawmakers cannot agree.

And they're the drugs that help people weigh less. And now the White House wants them to cost less. What we know about a deal to slash the price of drugs like Ozempic and Wegovy for some patients.

ERICA HILL, CNN HOST: And arrested at a day care, a Chicago teacher detained by ICE agents, as parents are there to drop off their kids for the day.

We're following these major developing stories and many more all coming in right here to CNN NEWS CENTRAL.

KEILAR: We could be on the eve of a disastrous travel day across the nation. The Trump administration is now considering a 4 percent cut in flights starting tomorrow if lawmakers do not reach a shutdown deal.

An official telling CNN that number could increase by 1 percent each day that the stalemate drags on. This would impact every major airport. It would eventually impact thousands of flights a day that could be grounded. And the FAA says staffing shortages are to blame here.

More than 400 have been reported since the shutdown began.

CNN aviation correspondent Pete Muntean is with us now.

Pete, what's the FAA saying here?

PETE MUNTEAN, CNN AVIATION CORRESPONDENT: Well, here's the latest. I'm hearing from an airline official that the Trump administration is now talking about phasing in these cuts, starting small and then ramping up. More on that in a second. This is now the most direct consequence of the government shutdown on

air travel. Airlines were completely blindsided by this directive and I'm told that carriers were given less than an hour's notice that the FAA would order flight reductions nationwide starting tomorrow morning.

Here is the reasoning from the Trump administration. Air traffic controllers just got this zero-dollar pay stub, their second of this government shutdown. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy says that stress in the national airspace system has reached a point where it is no longer safe to operate at full capacity.

Here is what Secretary Duffy said on FOX News this morning.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SEAN DUFFY, U.S. TRANSPORTATION SECRETARY: They missed a partial payment in early October. They missed a full payment a week-and-a-half ago. This morning, they're getting their pay stubs that they're going to get another big fat zero, no paycheck for the second time. They have all told me it's really hard, really hard to navigate a full month of no pay, missing two pay periods.

So I think you're going to have more significant disruptions in the airspace. And as we come into Thanksgiving, if we're still in the shutdown posture, it's going to be rough out there.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

MUNTEAN: So here is the new directive. If there is no deal to reopen the government, the FAA will reduce flights by roughly 10 percent at 40 of the country's busiest airports.

But now the Trump administration is talking about cutting 4 percent of flights tomorrow and increasing the cuts from there on out. Another source tells me these numbers are very preliminary, though. So this could change.

Where will this be? An FAA source tells me the list is expected to include what are known as the core 30 airports. Those are the busiest, most operationally critical airports nationwide. FAA Administrator Bryan Bedford says this new policy was all guided by safety reports from pilots, not air traffic controllers that these reductions are intended to protect.

Now, controllers tell me they are confused in their ranks about how this will all be implemented. Also a lot of confusion from airlines, which are now scrambling to adjust their schedules. All four major U.S. airlines say they're complying with this directive, giving passengers ways to change their flights free of charge.

And then there's this reaction from Frontier Airlines CEO Barry Biffle. He called the directive unsustainable, saying -- quote -- "You cannot run the national airspace like this. This is not how a modern aviation system functions." He even took it a step further. He suggested travelers consider booking a backup ticket on an entirely different airline.

Unprecedented to hear that from an airline CEO. Let's put this all into context. The U.S. handles about 45,000 flights a day. A 10 percent reduction of that is worse than the worst cancellation day of the past year every day until the shutdown ends. So this is not a small tweak.

[13:05:15]

Aviation's a multibillion-dollar industry. And when you slow the system, you slow commerce, air travel, supply chains, deliveries nationwide. The clock is really ticking now. Never in modern U.S. aviation history has the federal government done an across-the-board cut of flight capacity like this.

And now it seems that passengers are going to be the one paying for it.

KEILAR: Yes, it's really something.

Pete Muntean, thank you for putting it into perspective -- Erica.

HILL: Joining me now, aviation analyst, former NTSB Managing Director Peter Goelz.

Peter, good to have you.

I was struck by those comments that Pete just shared with us from the CEO of Frontier, who said, it's unsustainable, saying you can't run the national airspace like this. This is not how a modern aviation system functions. Is he right?

PETER GOELZ, CNN AVIATION ANALYST: He's dead right, unfortunately.

I mean, this is chaos out there. And I think Secretary Duffy, he's a good guy, but he's not an aviation guy. His service in the Congress was not on the Aviation Committee. He's been doing the best he can.

But there's a profound mistrust on the part of some of the Democratic negotiators that they could cut a deal with John Thune, and the White House wouldn't back it up. So they want somebody from the White House to commit to any kind of deal going forward. And that's just not there yet.

HILL: It's not happening.

I'm also -- I was struck by these other comments when you talk about Secretary Duffy, noting, he's a nice guy. Being a nice guy is great. It's about experience. Are you saying he doesn't have the experience to be in this position in this moment?

GOELZ: I would say he's learning on the job. And that's the best I can say.

HILL: OK. NTSB Chair Jennifer Homendy says the drawdown, in her words, is the

right thing to do because pressures are building in the system. What do you think are the specific pressures she's referring to that she's most concerned about?

GOELZ: Well, he's getting reports from pilots. The pilots are saying that there are more and more indications that the system is beyond safe, that it's stretching.

And they -- the pilots call in their reports after their flights. He has to make a decision to back those down, to back up. If he has an accident in an area where the pilot has warned, where pilots have warned that this has been an unsafe situation developing, it would be devastating.

The entire system would have to shut down. So it's a very delicate situation now.

HILL: Incredibly delicate. There are also potentially long-lasting implications. So the head of the National Air Traffic Controllers Association, who was on CNN earlier today, warned about, when we eventually get past this shutdown, when the government reopens, right, which will mean obviously paychecks will start flowing again for air traffic controllers, for the TSA, for example, but he said the impacts of this shutdown will be felt for a long time.

GOELZ: Yes.

HILL: What does that look like?

GOELZ: Well, it raises the question of privatization of the airspace. This has long been a goal of the conservative Republican side.

They think the airspace should be privatized, should be run as a private entity, with some government input. The pilots and the air traffic controllers have opposed that. This is underscoring that debate. And I think we will see it come up again in the future.

HILL: So perhaps even as soon as this shutdown is dealt with, which let's hope is soon, right, for the American people...

GOELZ: Yes.

HILL: ... you think that could come to the forefront in terms of a discussion in Congress.

GOELZ: I think that question is going to be debated again.

HILL: We will be looking for it.

We appreciate it. Good to have you, as always.

GOELZ: Thank you.

HILL: Still to come here: The White House wants weight loss drugs to cost less. What we know about the deal that was just announced. Plus, outrage in Chicago after ICE agents follow a day care teacher into a childcare center, then lead her out with her hands behind her back. What we know about that incident.

And still ahead here, following the latest on the investigation into that deadly UPS plane crash in Kentucky -- that and much more ahead right here on CNN NEWS CENTRAL.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[13:13:47]

KEILAR: Breaking news this hour, the jury has reached a verdict in the lawsuit brought by the Virginia elementary schoolteacher who was shot by her 6-year-old student.

CNN's Brian Todd has been following this trial.

Brian, what did the jury decide here?

BRIAN TODD, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Brianna, the jury has found in favor of the plaintiff, a teacher. Abigail Zwerner has won this lawsuit, although with an award that is significantly less than she sought.

The teacher, Zwerner, sought $40 million in this lawsuit. She was awarded $10 million, but this is still significant. It's a significant monetary award, but it also really could set a precedent for how school officials will be held accountable in the wake of school shootings. This really is kind of groundbreaking as a case in that regard.

Now, the attorneys for the plaintiff, Abigail Zwerner, had said in the closing arguments and all during the trial that the former assistant principal of Richneck Elementary School -- her name is Ebony Parker -- repeatedly failed to act when she was presented with warnings and voices of concern before the shooting, in the hours before the shooting, that the child had a gun at school that day, that the child was acting in a threatening manner, and other factors were going on.

But that the -- that that principle that you see on the right hand side there of your screen -- Ebony Parker -- excuse me, the former vice principal, that she just did not act on those warnings. Now, the defense had claimed that this was an unforeseeable event, that there's no way that anyone could have really foreseen that the child would bring a gun to school that day.

[13:15:15]

Also, the defense during this trial had claimed that Abigail Zwerner and other people at the school, other members of the faculty, had opportunities to remove the child from the classroom and take other mitigating measures to prevent the shooting, but that they did not act on those opportunities.

But that did not really resonate with the jury, clearly. They have awarded Abigail Zwerner $10 million as a result of this lawsuit. And what we are told as well is that the assistant principal herself, Ebony Parker, will not be the one paying that award. There is an insurance carrier for the school system that will be paying that award to Abigail Zwerner.

Also, Brianna, Ebony Parker is not finished with her legal entanglements here. She faces a criminal trial related to this entire case, and that criminal trial will start next month -- Brianna.

KEILAR: Yes, and it will also bring up a whole host of issues as well.

Brian Todd, thank you so much for the latest there. So many folks have been following this trial very carefully -- Erica.

HILL: The breaking news, millions of Americans struggling with obesity could soon pay far less for some very popular weight loss drugs.

President Trump just announcing a new deal with pharmaceutical giants Eli Lilly and Novo Nordisk that would make weight loss medications, including Wegovy and Zepbound, available for as little as $149 a month.

The deal would also pave the way for Medicare to cover the drugs. That's a move that's long been sought by patient advocates and some health care providers.

Joining us now from the White House, CNN's Kristen Holmes.

So, Kristen, walk us through what we know about the details here in terms of this deal.

KRISTEN HOLMES, CNN SENIOR WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Yes, Erica.

And I have to apologize. Obviously, I'm sure you can hear that, since it's deafening to me. Someone is doing yard work in the White House directly behind me, and they chose this moment, right as I was going to talk to you. So, hopefully, you will be able to hear me without me shouting.

This is all part of Trump's most favored nation initiative. This is the Trump administration efforts to lower those pharmaceutical prices. And we have seen a number of these different deals. We have seen them with IVF, in vitro fertilization, as well as deals announced with Pfizer or AstraZeneca.

But this one today is probably the most high-profile, because, as we know, these GLP-1s, these obesity drugs, have grown increasingly popular, and a lot of Americans have come to depend on them. But they are, at times, unaffordable for so many Americans.

They can be up to $1,000 or more a month. So, here you have some of the details, starting at $150 a month for some in pill form. That is the lowest dose is going to start at $149. The injectable medications directly from the companies will cost an average of about $350 a month. The reason why that again is notable, that's $350 a month from over $1,000 a month.

And these big companies have promised or committed to reducing the price to $250 over the next two years. And then, as you noted, $50 a month for Medicare payments -- excuse me -- Medicare patients, that would be the co-pay in this. These drugs are used for both obesity. They're also used for diabetes.

And they are, again, out of reach for a lot of Americans. So, this would be a game changer for those who rely on these drugs or have looked at these drugs, even with a prescription that sometimes costs over $1,000 a month.

HILL: And, Kristen, what's the timeline here?

HOLMES: So, there are two timelines. It appears that, when it comes to Medicare, those prices are going to be available mid-2026. When it comes to direct-to-consumer purchasing, which is like the $350 a month, eventually $250 a month, that is going to be available at the beginning of next year on the TrumpRx Web site.

We have heard a lot about this Web site. It has not launched yet. It's going to launch likely in January. That is the expected date. And this is going to have a number of pharmaceutical companies, several of the ones I mentioned, Pfizer, AstraZeneca. And now it will have these pharmaceutical companies offering GLP-1s, which will essentially give them a direct-to-consumer price.

And this is what the Trump administration has set up, again, all part of the most favored nation. They think that this kind of direct-to- consumer purchasing system is one that all of these companies should have and will significantly, ultimately, lower these drug prices.

HILL: All right. Kristen, appreciate it. Thank you.

Still to come here: A day care teacher in Chicago is detained by ICE inside a childcare center, all of this happening as parents are dropping off their kids, the very latest on that arrest, prompting a strong condemnation from the community.

Plus, an explosion in the Bronx leaves seven firefighters injured -- those new details ahead on CNN NEWS CENTRAL.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[13:24:15]

HILL: Today, parents and local leaders in Chicago are expressing outrage after ICE agents followed a teacher into a day care facility and arrested her in front of some of the children.

So we have an image to show you. So this shows two officers forcing the woman, who DHS says is undocumented. She's out -- being forced outside the preschool. You see her arms -- you may be able to tell, her arms behind her back.

CNN's Whitney Wild is in Chicago now joining us with more. So, we're hearing a little bit more from witnesses, also from the

Department of Homeland Security. What is everyone saying at this point, Whitney?

WHITNEY WILD, CNN LAW ENFORCEMENT CORRESPONDENT: Well, at this point, the Department of Homeland Security is saying that this is the series of events, that they were trying to pull over a vehicle that this teacher was in. She was a passenger in the front seat.

[13:25:00]

This -- they were using their lights to try to pull this vehicle over. The car didn't pull over. Instead, it sped into this plaza parking lot where the day care is located. She jumped out and then she ran inside Rayito de Sol, which is the day care here in Chicago.

And they say that she was arrested in a vestibule, that this didn't actually happen in front of children. And they put it plainly. They say, look, she was not here legally. She had come over in 2023. They admit that there is some -- there was a question about whether or not she had a work authorization. They say a work authorization does not mean that you were on these grounds, on U.S. grounds legally.

And then, further, they say that she facilitated human smuggling because she paid a smuggler to bring her two children, 16 and 17 years old, to the United States. That is the narrative from the Department of Homeland Security, who is not apologetic about any of what transpired yesterday.

Parents here and local leaders are absolutely outraged. They are disgusted, was one word that I heard from a parent that I spoke with today, that these ICE officers would come inside this day care. One parent I spoke with said that he was here in the aftermath. He -- his children saw the ICE agents here. They saw this vehicle with the teacher pull away.

So this idea that there was no witness from children, according to this parent, is just not accurate. I mean, kids saw the aftermath of this. Another parent I spoke with saw the aftermath and her 3-year-old was visibly shaken, crying, upset, more clingy.

And so these kids are, according to the parents I spoke with, internalizing what happened here. They spoke with me a little bit about the teacher, saying that she was a wonderful teacher, that she was a warm, bright member of this community. And really at this point, there are several emotions from the parents here.

As I said, they're outraged, they're disgusted. This day care is closed for the rest of the week. This is extraordinarily disruptive to their lives here. Here's more from a parent, Maria Guzman, who spoke about her feelings yesterday afternoon.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MARIA GUZMAN, DAY CARE REPRESENTATIVE AND PARENT: Federal agents have to be held accountable for entering the establishment without consent. They did not have a warrant. There were children in the building. There were babies in the building. They took a teacher and could have left children unattended. Think about that.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WILD: Emotions here are running very, very high.

So, moving forward, and we are trying to get in touch with a representative for the teacher here. Again, as I said, the day care is now closed for the rest of the week. This is extraordinarily disruptive. There are still -- excuse me -- many more questions that need to be answered here -- Erica.

HILL: Yes, absolutely. Whitney, appreciate it. Thank you.

We're also following developments out of Chicago on another big story, a federal judge just issuing a preliminary injunction to keep in place restrictions which limit the use of force by federal agents in what, of course, is known as Operation Midway Blitz.

During that ruling, the judge called evidence presented by the Trump administration not credible, and also said that Trump's top enforcer in this operation admitted to lying about whether a rock hit him before he used tear gas on protesters last month.

CNN's Priscilla Alvarez joining us now.

I mean, those two moments, admitting to lying and the evidence is not credible, that certainly doesn't sound good.

PRISCILLA ALVAREZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT: She got to this ruling after multiple days of hearings and multiple testimonies from the protesters, from federal agents, from Gregory Bovino's own deposition.

And her words were striking and she didn't mince them, and she simply said she does not think that the Trump administration's version of events is credible after reviewing all of the evidence that was presented to her, and one of those is the confrontation that you just mentioned where Gregory Bovino was seen throwing tear gas.

Now, at the time, that was an incident that garnered national attention because it brought into question the way that agents were engaging with protesters. The Department of Homeland Security had said that it was warranted because the federal agents were under threat and the department said that he was hit in the head with a rock.

Well, according to his deposition and the evidence and the videos that Ellis has seen, she says -- quote -- "Video evidence ultimately disproved this" and that he was hit in the head after deploying the tear gas. So it was moments like this and evidence like this that led her to her conclusion, according to what she said over the course of this hearing, which only wrapped moments ago.

She also said -- quote -- "I find the defendant's evidence," the defendant being the federal government, "simply not credible." She said that after hours and hours of bodycam video and video from helicopters was the best that they could provide.

Now, of course, the government's argument when judges provide or issue rulings like this, in this case limiting what federal agents can do, have argued that the judge is micromanaging the situation.

And Judge Ellis confronted that head on during this hearing and said -- quote -- "I'm doing no such thing with this injunction."