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Top European Leaders In Kyiv; Ukraine And Europe Allies Call For 30-Day Truce With Russia; U.S. Judge Orders Release Of Rumeysa Ozturk; Taylor Swift Subpoenaed In Blake Lively/Justin Baldoni Case; Cassie Ventura Could Testify In Combs Trial; U.S.-China Trade Talks; Flowers Affected By Trump Tariffs. Aired 3-4p ET

Aired May 10, 2025 - 15:00   ET

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

[15:00:00]

FREDRICKA WHITFIELD, CNN HOST: Hello again, everyone. Thank you so much for joining me. I'm Fredricka Whitfield.

All right. We begin with breaking news in Ukraine. A remarkable and very symbolic meeting in the capital of Kyiv. That's where leaders of Ukraine's top European allies gathered in person, Germany, France, the U.K. and Poland all part of the so-called Coalition of the Willing, they were there and they're putting pressure on Russia, demanding it agrees to a 30-day ceasefire and warning of possible severe sanctions on the Kremlin if it does not comply.

CNN Chief National Security Correspondent Nick Paton Walsh is in Kyiv. Nick, is the message carrying a lot of weight right now?

NICK PATON WALSH, CNN CHIEF INTERNATIONAL SECURITY CORRESPONDENT: It's an extraordinary moment in this conflict that killed hundreds of thousands of Ukrainians over a period of three years. And I think it was remarkable to see the heads essentially of three or four of the largest military powers in Europe alongside Ukraine, saying that as of the midnight from Sunday into Monday, there needed to be an unconditional 30-day ceasefire, essentially a demand for Russia to comply with that, backed up it seems by the president of the United States.

You saw in that image there those four key European leaders, all close to Trump, huddled around a telephone talking to him. They were clear that they received his support, not only for the ceasefire proposal, remember, that is something the U.S. and Ukraine proposed themselves after a meeting in Saudi Arabia nearly two months ago now, but also, American support for the key part of this, that if Russia violates this ceasefire or doesn't simply go along with it, that there could, in the words of French President Emmanuel Macron, be massive sanctions against Russia and also, too, that Europe and possibly the U.S. as well would boost military equipment and aid to Ukraine as well.

But here's what President Zelenskyy had to say, frankly, on this historic moment where peace may either begin or seem even more distant in the days ahead.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) VOLODYMYR ZELENSKYY, UKRAINIAN PRESIDENT (through translator): Weve agreed that since Monday, 12th of May, a full and unconditional ceasefire must start for at least 30 days. We together demanded from Russia. We know that the United States support us in this. The unconditional ceasefire means no conditions. An attempt to put any conditions is signaling intention to drag out the war and undermine diplomacy.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WALSH: Now, a 30-day unconditional ceasefire, it sounds easy when you say it, doesn't it? But there's an awful lot of complexity to this. In just about 26 hours, Ukraine has to find a way to explain to its frontline forces, many of them currently under heavy Russian attack, what indeed they do if Russia continues its assault, can they fight back in self-defense? Must they temper those actions to try and give this peace a chance? That's a tough one to sell potentially to frontline forces.

At the same time too, Macron, the French president, was clear that the United States has agreed to monitor this ceasefire. Obviously, they believe they have the technology on the American side to do that.

[15:05:00]

It's a big ask, though, for their capabilities. They need quality, quantity to be sure that if they spot violations by either side, that that is something they can document and present authoritatively. So, a lot of work needs to be done here.

But I should say there was a skepticism, frankly, about whether Putin would indeed go along with this. They have talked about their interest in supporting this. If there were nuances addressed. That's not an unconditional ceasefire that's conditions. And so, I wonder, too, if part of this was about addressing the one man who wasn't on the stage here in Kyiv today, and that's U.S. President Donald Trump, and that perhaps in the next 36, 48 hours is this ceasefire comes into effect, what the Europeans are more looking to do is to prove Russia's lack of willingness to seek peace here, and then perhaps suggest to the White House that a tougher course of action is required. Fredricka.

WHITFIELD: All right. Nick Paton Walsh, thank you so much. So, Russia is now responding to CNN about the growing pressure from top European leaders demanding that 30-day ceasefire in Ukraine. CNN's Fred Pleitgen was at the Kremlin, where just a short time ago Moscow reacted to this meeting in Kyiv.

FREDERIK PLEITGEN, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Hi there, Fredericka. Yes, I'm actually inside the Grand Kremlin Palace right now. And what's been going on over the past two days, really, is that Vladimir Putin has been involved in a flurry of bilateral meetings with leaders from around the world. And that's important because the Kremlin is saying they believe that those European leaders that we saw earlier today in Kyiv are nervous because all of that, because the Russians here, of course, are portraying that Vladimir Putin by no means is isolated and that there are many leaders who are willing to come here to Moscow and meet with him and also improve relations with Russia.

Of course, it comes only a day after that massive may 9th parade, a Victory Day Parade, which happened on Red Square here in Moscow with Xi Jinping, the Chinese leader, as the guest of honor.

But I did indeed ask the Kremlin spokesman, Dmitry Peskov, about that meeting that the Europeans had with Volodymyr Zelenskyy about that demand for a 30-day ceasefire. And here's what he had to say.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

PLEITGEN: Sir, the Europeans are currently meeting with Zelenskyy in Kyiv, and they said that they are demanding a ceasefire from Monday for 30 days. They're threatening massive sanctions against Russia and saying that U.S. President Trump is on board. Do you feel Russia is being pushed into a corner?

DMITRY PESKOV, KREMLIN SPOKEPERSON: No, I don't think so. Well, actually, a couple of days ago, Putin announced a ceasefire for three days. Have you heard any reaction from Kyiv? No, we haven't heard it either. Have you heard any criticism of Kyiv for not being able to respond or not willing to respond? No.

So, if Kyiv is willing to have a ceasefire, why not to have a ceasefire for at least three days?

PLEITGEN: They want the three-day ceasefire to essentially go on for 30 days.

PESKOV: We have to have -- we have to think about that. We have to think about that. These are these are new developments. So, we have our own position. Yes, definitely. We see that Europe is confronting us. Europe is actually confronting us very openly. We feel it. We know it. And we are quite accustomed to that.

PLEITGEN: And do you think that Russia can be pressured in this case?

PESKOV: Well, if you look during the history, during the old history, during the modern history, you'll see that -- so, Russia is quite resistant to any kinds of pressure. We are open for dialog. We are open for attempts to have a settlement in Ukraine. We do appreciate, efforts of mediation. We do appreciate. And we are very grateful.

PLEITGEN: From the Trump administration.

PESKOV: Of course, of course. But at the same time, it's quite useless to try to press upon us.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

PLEITGEN: So, you have the Kremlin spokesman speaking to me earlier today, Dmitry Peskov, saying that Russia will not bow down to pressure. And one of the things that we have, of course, heard from the Russians is that they are willing to enter into direct negotiations with Ukraine. But at the same time, they say that they are not going to back down from what they call their core national security interests, Fredricka.

WHITFIELD: All right. Fred Pleitgen, thanks so much. All right. The Tufts University student who was snatched off the street by masked federal agents is now free on bail. A judge ordered the immediate release of Rumeysa Ozturk after she was held in a Louisiana detention center for six weeks. Ozturk thanked a group of supporters gathered outside the detention center.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

RUMEYSA OZTURK, FREED TUFTS UNIVERSITY STUDENT: I like to thank for being here. And thank you so much for all the support and love. I am a little bit tired. So, I will take some rest, but I really appreciate you being here.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WHITFIELD: CNN's Gloria Pazmino is following this. What's next for this case?

[15:10:00]

GLORIA PAZMINO, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Fred, it's important to remember that even though Rumeysa Ozturk has been released now, after 45 days of being in detention, her case is not over by any means. In fact, she's got two legal proceedings unfolding that are against her. One is the federal case where she is challenging the Trump administration over the legality of her detention in the first place. And the second proceeding is, of course, the immigration proceeding. She still has the issue of the fact that her visa was revoked. And the Trump administration has said that they want to deport her from the country.

Part of what we learned yesterday during that bail hearing, after the judge ordered her release, is that Rumeysa is only months away from graduating. This is where she would be obtaining her doctoral degree, which she has been working towards for the past several years. Obviously, in the last few weeks that she's been in detention, she has missed a lot of work. We heard from Tufts University representatives yesterday during that bail hearing, that they're going to make sure she gets enough time to complete her coursework.

So, it's far from over. She is expected to be back in Massachusetts at some point later tonight. Her attorneys have -- were there to pick her up yesterday after she was released. And she has been making her way back home. But this legal ordeal of hers is not over.

However, we do know a little bit about how the judge that's overseeing the federal case is viewing all of this. Yesterday, part of what he said was critical of the government for their failure to provide evidence to support Ozturk's detention. He said that all of this appeared to be only related to her participation in writing that op-ed that was published in Tufts University's school newspaper, where she was critical of the school for its response to Gaza. The judge in the case saying it raised serious First Amendment and Fifth Amendment concerns. So, that will be the next step, and we'll see what decision he makes about whether or not her detention was constitutional in the first place. Fred.

WHITFIELD: All right. Gloria Pazmino, thanks so much. Keep us posted.

All right. Coming up, singer Taylor Swift reacting to being subpoenaed in the case between actors Blake Lively and Justin Baldoni.

And the ex-girlfriend of Sean Combs could take the stand as early as Monday in his federal sex trafficking trial.

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[15:15:00]

WHITFIELD: Superstar Taylor Swift has been subpoenaed in the case between actors Blake Lively and Justin Baldoni. Swift is a friend of Lively's and one of the text messages included in Baldoni's lawsuit appears to show an exchange between the two actors about their movie, "It Ends with Us," where the name Taylor is mentioned.

A spokesperson for Swift said, quote, "Taylor Swift never set foot on the set of this movie. She was not involved in any casting or creative decisions. She did not score the film. She never saw an edit or made any notes on the film. She did not even see "It Ends with Us" until weeks after its public release, and was traveling around the globe during 2023 and 2024. The connection Taylor had to this film was permitting the Use of one song, 'My Tears Ricochet.' Given that her involvement was licensing a song for the film, which 19 other artists also did, this document subpoena is designed to use Taylor Swifts name to draw public interest by creating tabloid clickbait instead of focusing on the facts of the case," end quote.

In a statement last night, a spokesperson for Lively said that Baldoni and his team, quote, "continue to turn a case of sexual harassment and retaliation into entertainment for the tabloids." The statement continues to say this, "This is a very serious legal matter, not Barnum & Bailey's Circus. The defendants continue to publicly intimidate, bully, shame, and attack women's rights and reputations."

CNN has reached out to representatives for Baldoni for comment. Lively accused Baldoni of sexual harassment and retaliation in a complaint and subsequent lawsuit. Baldoni has denied the allegations and filed a defamation lawsuit against Lively.

All right. Sean Combs' ex-girlfriend Cassie Ventura could take the stand as early as Monday in New York as the first major witness in his federal sex trafficking trial. Prosecutors say their testimony will take up most of the week. While the federal criminal case is playing out the civil sexual assault cases against Combs are building.

In a CNN exclusive, Elizabeth Wagmeister spoke to one attorney who says he's now reviewing more than 400 new potential civil cases.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ELIZABETH WAGMEISTER, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Sean 'Diddy' Combs on trial for his freedom. But his legal trouble won't end regardless of the verdict in his criminal case.

[15:20:00]

ANDREW VAN ARSDALE, ATTORNEY FOR COMBS ACCUSERS: My clients will be ecstatic if and when he's convicted guilty and behind bars. But the next step in their healing process is to get accountability for what happened to them.

WAGMEISTER (voice-over): Attorney Andrew Van Arsdale represents dozens of Combs' accusers who've already sued the embattled music mogul. He tells CNN exclusively, he believes he has more than 400 potential claims, some alleging sexual assault. That would be a stunning addition to the more than 60 cases Combs already faces. He denies all wrongdoing in those cases, and has pleaded not guilty to the criminal charges.

ARSDALE: Where we can file, when we can put forward an actionable claim within statute of limitations, we are going to be doing that.

WAGMEISTER: Four hundred cases, I believe you filed dozens, but nowhere near 400, not even anywhere near 100. Does this mean that you plan to file 400 individual claims against Sean Combs?

ARSDALE: Yes, we do.

WAGMEISTER (voice-over): He says some of his civil clients have cooperated with federal authorities in the criminal case and could testify in Combs' trial.

ARSDALE: This is an opportunity they maybe thought they never had in the fact that they see the system working.

WAGMEISTER (voice-over): Van Arsdale's firm operates a call center out of Montana that takes in and vets potential accusers. He says the center received over 15,000 calls, claiming varying degrees of mistreatment by Combs. Those were filtered down to what Van Arsdale believes are 400 potential cases. He filed his previous suits with co- counsel Tony Buzbee, who has been a target of Combs' defense.

WAGMEISTER: Now, 'Diddy's' defense has called you and attorneys representing other several accusers an ambulance chaser. They say, why do you have a call center? Why are you putting a 1-800 number behind your face at a press conference? What do you say to that?

ARSDALE: I appreciate what you're trying to do to defend your client. But at the end of the day, if your client did these things, if your client sexually assaulted people against their will, he's liable under the law.

WAGMEISTER (voice-over): But Combs' team has seized on inconsistencies in at least two of the civil cases.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I was screaming, I was telling him to stop.

WAGMEISTER (voice-over): One, based on an interview that a male client of Van Arsdale did with CNN, who gave details that didn't match his lawsuit, including the year he alleges he was drugged and sexually assaulted by Combs at one of his so-called white parties.

ARSDALE: The filing error that was corrected right away.

WAGMEISTER (voice-over): Van Arsdale says this clerical mistake was corrected and re-filed. Combs' attorneys pushed back, calling it a bogus case. Another claim against Combs and Jay-Z was withdrawn by the accuser after Jay-Z fiercely denied her claims. Van Arsdale said the Jane Doe was not prepared for the intense public scrutiny she faced. Jay-Z countered with a defamation suit against Jane Doe and her primary attorney, Buzbee.

WAGMEISTER: You and your co-counsel, Tony Buzbee, despite these inconsistencies, you do believe your clients, and you believe their core allegations.

ARSDALE: We believe our clients. We believe our core allegations.

WAGMEISTER (voice-over): Van Arsdale says he knows not all cases he says he's working on will see the inside of a courtroom, but he's confident Combs' criminal case won't be the last time he'll be facing accusers in court.

ARSDALE: And these brave men and women that have come forward are allowing that message to be sent. It 100 percent should have a chilling effect. People are operating this way. Those days are done.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

WHITFIELD: Elizabeth Wagmeister, thank you so much for that reporting. All right. Coming up, planning on buying mom flowers this Mother's Day? Well, they might cost you a little more this year. How the Trump administrations tariffs are impacting American florists.

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[15:25:00]

WHITFIELD: A lot of people felt it. A mild 4.1 earthquake striking just southeast of Greenback, Tennessee, shortly before 9:00 a.m. this morning. There were no immediate reports of significant damage or injuries, but it was felt by people as far away as parts of Georgia and North Carolina, prompting more than 30,000 reports that were submitted to the U.S. geological survey as the quake rippled across the southeastern portion of the country.

All right. Here's another shakeup this Mother's Day weekend. It's a washout across the east with heavy rain and potential of flash flooding. And in the west, its heating up with above average temperatures. Some cities are almost 30 degrees hotter than normal. CNN's Allison Chinchar tells us more about these conditions.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ALLISON CHINCHAR, CNN METEOROLOGIST: We are still technically several weeks away from the start of summer, but mother nature seems to be giving us a bit of a preview of some of that heat, especially out to the west. But that heat is going to start to spread eastward in the coming days, giving everyone at least a little bit of a glimpse of what summer should feel like.

Here's a look at the high temperatures as we begin Sunday. You'll see 98 for the high in Vegas today, dropping down to 90 on Monday and 75 on Tuesday. So, it's going to be a couple of days before we see those temperatures dropping back to normal. And that's going to be the case for Los Angeles, Phoenix, even around Albuquerque and El Paso, where you're going to have to wait at least a little bit longer to see that dive back down to normal.

[15:30:00]

Areas into the Midwest and the Northern Plains, we are talking extremely above average. Take a look at this. Fargo, their normal high this time of year is 66 degrees. We will be almost 30 degrees above that number, not just today but also Monday and also Tuesday. And they're not the only one. Rapid City looking at least 30 degrees above average.

Now, maybe not quite as bad for places like Omaha, Minneapolis and Chicago, but still above where they normally would be this time of year. But all of that heat, again, starting out in the western portion of the country and the northern tier. But by the time we get to Tuesday and Wednesday and Thursday, you see that really start to spread eastward, giving other folks a chance to see those temperatures beginning to rise.

And when you look at Dallas, for example, not too bad for today, actually a little bit below normal in Dallas for Sunday. But then you start to see that mercury rising. We're getting up to triple digit temperatures by the time we get to Wednesday. And Atlanta, similar scenario, below average to finish out the rest of the weekend. But those temperatures quickly rise as we head through the upcoming week.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

WHITFIELD: Tough conditions. All right. Thank you so much, Allison Chinchar. All right. Still to come, recent headlines have many people worried about lead exposure. Dr. Sanjay Gupta answers your questions, including if you need to cut down on chocolate.

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[15:35:00]

WHITFIELD: All right. The first day of high stakes trade talks between the U.S. and China have wrapped up for now. The crucial meeting in Switzerland aimed at easing the escalating trade war. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent met behind closed doors in Geneva today with Chinas top economic representative. This marks the highest-level trade talks between the two nations since President Trump announced the 145 percent tariffs on China.

I'm joined now by Wafa Hakim Orman. She is the associate dean and professor of economics at the University of Alabama, Huntsville. Professor, great to see you.

WAFA HAKIM ORMAN, ASSOCIATE DEAN AND PROFESSOR OF ECONOMICS AT UNIVERSITY OF ALABAMA HUNSTVILLE: Right. It's great to see you.

WHITFIELD: So, President Trump has suggested that he might be open to lowering tariffs on China from 145 percent to 80 percent. Would that drop being much of a game changer?

ORMAN: I mean, of course, it's a very big difference compared to 145 percent, but compared to what we had before, which was very, very marginal and low tariffs, this is still a very big increase. And we should still expect 80 percent to have a big impact on supply chains.

WHITFIELD: Treasury secretary --

ORMAN: And on imports and --

WHITFIELD: Yes. So, Treasury Secretary Bessent --

ORMAN: Sorry.

WHITFIELD: No. Apologies to you. -- says, you know, he doesn't expect a major deal to be reached during this initial meeting in China. But he calls it a much needed first step. If these trade talks are to drag on for, you know, months or maybe even weeks at a minimum, what kind of impact do you think these tariffs will have on the prices of that American consumers are paying?

ORMAN: So, already we're starting to see the beginnings of some impacts, right? So, at the moment it's not had a big effect yet, and that's only because suppliers really stocked up a lot on imports and the things we need to import in anticipation of tariffs. But in the last few weeks. We've seen shipping volumes from China to the United States drop dramatically. I mean, I have seen some numbers as high as a 60 percent drop in shipping volumes. And that is just much less stuff coming to the United States.

What's really going on is a huge degree of uncertainty. So, businesses are afraid to make big decisions. They don't know what the tariff rate is going to be. If they know what it's going to be, they can price it into their decisions and they can plan accordingly. And if it's going to raise costs, you can figure out what you're going to do. How much of that can you pass to the customer? How much of that do you have to absorb yourself? How much can you try to pass on to your supplier in China or another foreign country?

But right now, this -- everyone feels like they're in limbo because there is so much uncertainty. And I think the longer this drags on, the longer that uncertainty is going to drag on.

WHITFIELD: Do you see that in some respects it will be like what we experienced during the pandemic, a shortage of certain supplies or a spike in prices on others? Will it be like revisiting what that was experienced by many?

ORMAN: I don't anticipate that. I don't anticipate that exact set of circumstances to repeat. And a large part of that is we've had months to plan for this, right? We all knew that higher tariffs were coming. And we know now that there's going to be some level of higher tariff. So, a lot of businesses have already started gradually slowly raising their prices in anticipation of this. And of course, some of those tariffs are kicking in already. So, that has started happening.

There is some time to make plans. I think it would just help if people knew what those plans were, right? So, for example, if you take the deal that was announced yesterday with the U.K., the United Kingdom, and the first 100,000 cars imported from the U.K. will not face anything higher than that 10 percent standard tariff. And then, after that it increases.

So, right now, in some ways, it's cheaper to import a car from the U.K. than to build one in the United States that has a lot of imported components, because then those are subject to a much higher tariff. So, there's just a lot of confusion, and I think a lot of things are -- people are being very cautious and moving very cautiously.

[15:40:00]

Do I anticipate the kind of crazy shortages we had in 2020, where everyone ran out of toilet paper? That would be very unlikely, I think.

WHITFIELD: OK. President Trump is arguing that, you know, tariffs in the long run will bring manufacturing jobs back to the U.S. Do you agree?

ORMAN: Oh, am I allowed to say it's complicated?

WHITFIELD: You just did.

ORMAN: Yes. I just did. I just did. So, certainly, they will bring some manufacturing jobs back to the United States if it happens in the long run. I mean, the way tariffs work. Well, actually, let me take a step back and say it. I mean, the reason we import things from other countries is either that they can do something really well that we can't, you know, champagne from France would be an example of this, or they produce things more cheaply than we do. And most of the things we import from China are like this.

Although, that has changed. And, you know, so much manufacturing has moved there that there are some things they're just better at now than we are. But generally, that's the case.

WHITFIELD: Yes.

ORMAN: So, if you want to bring manufacturing back to the United States, you have to make the products more expensive, otherwise it's not going to be profitable to manufacture it in the United States. So, that's how --

WHITFIELD: Right. And labor costs are higher here. Yes.

ORMAN: Yes. They -- exactly. Labor costs are higher. Regulatory costs are higher here. There's a lot of things that make it more expensive. Now, of course, American workers are much more productive than many others. We have a lot of access to a lot of very advanced technology. So, yes, some of that will move back, back to the United States, but it'll do so with the result that prices will be higher.

And in fact, it'll happen because the tariffs will raise the prices. And that's the only way it can be profitable to make things in the United States.

WHITFIELD: OK. All right. We will leave it there for now though.

ORMAN: All right.

WHITFIELD: But you gave me some good stuff there.

ORMAN: Thank you so much.

WHITFIELD: Sorry about that. But we got to go. We appreciate it. Professor Wafa Hakim Orman, thank you so much.

ORMAN: Thank you. Thank you for having me.

WHITFIELD: All right. It is Mother's Day weekend. And if you haven't figured out a gift yet, flowers are the standard go to. But now, with a 10 percent tariff on countries like Colombia, major flower supplier to the U.S., those last-minute blooms could cost you more.

Here's CNN's Julia Vargas Jones. Amidst a whole lot of goodies that are going to be doled out to mommies everywhere, but it's going to cost the giver a little bit more. What's going on?

JULIA VARGAS JONES, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, yes, as my producer said, if you love your mother, you're going to have to love her twice because that's how much more these flowers are going to cost. You know, one of these dozen roses -- oh, my gosh, this is actually heavy. One of these dozen roses used to be about $20 last year. That's almost twice the price now, between $35 and $40. If you want to give that to your mom.

But it's not only the flowers. These are -- most of them, by the way, coming from Colombia. We're seeing boxes going around here. About 60 percent of the flowers in the United States do come from Colombia, 25 percent from Ecuador. But there's all these other things here also, Fred, like these decorations. A lot of these -- the little ribbons that go into it, the little teddy bears, these are these are objects that are coming from China and are subject to a whole other world of tariffs on it.

This is the largest flower market in the United States, the largest flower district in the United States. About 80 percent of that is coming from overseas. We just don't produce enough of that. One of the wholesalers who has one of these stalls and runs one of these stalls, told me that this is -- it's basically a chain reaction that happens, once you put those tariffs in, there's also a lot of uncertainty that ends up jacking up those prices, not only because of the tariffs, but because they have to make game time decisions, even though they're planning for one of the largest days in the year. Take a listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JONES: Are you hoping that these tariffs will eventually go away?

SAL JIMENEZ, FLOWER WHOLESALER: I think we all are. Yes, I think we all are. Because this country consumes a lot of import goods and that's definitely something that is part of our daily life. Yes.

JONES: How much are they hurting your business?

JIMENEZ: There is a percentage, because now people don't get prepared as they used to. They kind of wait for the movement flow. And then, everybody is kind of like last-minute.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

JONES: But, you know, there is still a lot of positivity here. People are coming. It's been a packed day. That's good for the economy, of course, but also for moms everywhere. Fred.

WHITFIELD: Of course. And moms deserve it everywhere. Just cost you a little bit more, everybody. Ready? Get ready to dole it out. All right. Julia Vargas Jones, thank you so much. We'll be right back.

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[15:45:00]

WHITFIELD: This week, our Chief Medical Correspondent Dr. Sanjay Gupta has been investigating how city officials in Milwaukee are scrambling to fix a crisis inside their aging public-school buildings. Dangerous lead paint has been found on a number of campuses, prompting the city to open special health clinics where students can get screened for exposure. Dr. Gupta answers some of your questions about protecting yourself from lead exposure.

[03:50:00]

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

DR. SANJAY GUPTA, CHIEF MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, we are on the ground here in Milwaukee getting a lot of questions about lead. Something I want to clarify right off the top, because a lot of questions came in about this. There is no safe amount of lead. That is something that you hear all the time. It's important to know.

But at the same time, when they test for lead, the sensitivity of the equipment is to really around 3.5 micrograms. So, that's the number that you often hear as an acceptable limit. But that really has to do more with the testing than the actual limit of the lead in the body.

Let's try and get to as many of these questions as we can. Karen from California asks, does lead ever leave your body? Really important question. The short answer is yes. Lead does leave the body, but important things to keep in mind. First of all, it can continue to accumulate at the same time that is leaving your body. So, it can be going sort of back and forth. It is stored in the blood. It is stored in soft tissues. It is stored in your organs.

But in adults, about 95 percent of the lead is actually stored in your bones and your teeth. And it can mobilize throughout your life, which is why lead can also be considered sort of a long-term toxin that is part of the problem. So, it can cause problems throughout your life. But the half-life is around a month, and it does sort of leave your body. As long as you don't continue to accumulate it.

Let's get to this question from John in roebuck, South Carolina. What kind of issues might be such an exposure cause for seniors? You know, we do talk a lot about kids, and part of the reason we talk a lot about kids is because kids are smaller. So, when they get lead exposure, it can have more of an impact on their bodies. Also, kids are closer to the ground. That's often where the lead dust is. Kids like to eat paint chips because paint chips are often sweet.

So, for all those reasons, lead exposure can have a bigger impact on kids than adults. But it can be a problem in adults as well. It does tend to leave your body, as we just answered in the previous question, but in adults, it can cause problems if you get significant lead toxicity, including problems with your cardiovascular system and your cognitive system as well, your central nervous system.

Let's get to one final question. We got this one from Barbara Hill in Vermont, who wants to know how much of an issue lead is in some of our favorite foods, specifically in chocolate? How can I continue to enjoy it occasionally while reducing my exposure?

All right. A lot of comments about lead in chocolate. Some heavy metals do end up in chocolate, lead, cadmium, even small amounts of arsenic. It has to do with the fact that that these foods are often grown in soil that might be contaminated with lead. So, if you go and you look at chocolate, for example, arsenic is not as big a problem. But if you look at lead, for example, in chocolate, if you look at the most strict standards, California standards, you'll find that about 43 percent of the chocolates out there do have levels of lead that would exceed those standards. So, 43 percent.

Now, that does sound concerning. But you got to keep in mind, again, there are a lot of heavy metals in all sorts of different foods. What they what they sort of concluded was that if you're eating only about an ounce per day, shouldn't be eating more than an ounce per day, then you should not be getting enough lead to really be of concern.

So, the answer, Barbara, lead is present in chocolate. It is of concerning levels in about 43 percent of chocolate. But if you're eating less than an ounce per day, or about an ounce per day, it should not be a problem for you.

Again, guys, lots of questions on the topic. Try to get to as many of them as we could. Hope that helps. (END VIDEOTAPE)

[15:55:00]

WHITFIELD: All right. This week on "The Whole Story," CNN Anchor Erica Hill takes us to Venice, Italy, where concerns about its survival are growing just as the water levels are rising. Erica joins me right now.

ERICA HILL, CNN ANCHOR: Fred, this is a magical destination that really feels like you are in a dream. Even just the word Venice, you hear it and you likely think of canals, gondolas, maybe carnival, a flooded piazza. If you think, though, that saving Venice is only about the water, about those floods and rising sea levels, think again.

For many of the locals, the Venetians, saving Venice means saving the soul of this ancient city and their place in it, both of which are increasingly threatened by rising tourism and a shrinking population.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

HILL: Do you worry about, as a Venetian, the soul of the city for people who live here? Do you worry about that going away?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: That is slowly going away because locals are going away. Everything changes because less locals means less services. Less services means less locals. So, it's a chain that keeps going a circle. So, you -- struggle to find a family doctor. You go to the supermarkets, which is full of supermarkets, but all of them sell only the highest price thing, because tourists buy it anyways.

The only way to save the city is keeping the locals in. Otherwise, it's going to be like an empty box.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HILL: As Venice really leaned into tourism, many locals feel they've been forced out. And while they're not saying the city should do away with visitors altogether, they warn not addressing the issue threatens their very survival.

I hope you'll join me on Sunday night as we take a look at all of these challenges, and also some of the solutions from the people who are determined to save the city that they love so much.

[04:00:00]

It is a beautiful, beautiful, and I think a little surprising hour. You will not be disappointed. Fred.

WHITFIELD: I look forward to that, Erica. Thank you so much. Be sure to tune in tomorrow to "Saving Venice," an all-new episode on "The Whole Story with Anderson Cooper," only on CNN.

I'm Fredricka Whitfield. CNN Newsroom with Jessica Dean starts right now.