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Biden Diagnosed with 'Aggressive Form' of Prostate Cancer; Trump's Agenda Passes Key Hurdle as Holdouts Change Votes; Google, Meta, Other Tech Giants Locked in Race for Relevance. Aired 6-6:30a ET

Aired May 19, 2025 - 06:00   ET

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

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RAHEL SOLOMON, CNN ANCHOR: Thanks for joining us here on EARLY START. I'm Rahel Solomon, live in New York. CNN THIS MORNING starts right now.

AUDIE CORNISH, CNN ANCHOR: It's Monday, May 19, and here's what's happening right now on CNN THIS MORNING.

Former President Joe Biden diagnosed with an aggressive form of cancer. What does a diagnosis like this mean? And what are his treatment options?

Plus, this.

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DONALD TRUMP, U.S. PRESIDENT: Nothing's going to happen until Putin and I get together.

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CORNISH: President Trump says there won't be peace in Ukraine until he and Vladimir Putin talk. So, will they get anywhere on a phone call today?

Also, this.

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UNIDENTIFIED MALE: They were just, like, swinging around from, like, back and forth.

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CORNISH: It was a terrifying scene. A Mexican naval ship with more than 270 people on board crashes into the Brooklyn Bridge. So, how did this happen? We'll have more later.

And it's tech we use every day: Apple, Facebook, Google. But in the race for relevance, will they soon be a thing of the past? It's 6 a.m. here on the East Coast, and here's a live look at Capitol

Hill. And it was a late night for a lot of lawmakers as they were working on President Trump's budget. We're going to get into that in a moment.

Good morning, everybody. I'm Audie Cornish. I want to thank you for waking up with me.

And we're going to begin with that news about the former president. Joe Biden has been diagnosed with an aggressive form of prostate cancer. His office revealed the diagnosis yesterday, saying that it had spread to his bones. It was found after a nodule was discovered.

The statement goes on to say that "While this represents a more aggressive form of the disease, the cancer appears to be hormone sensitive, which allows for effective management."

The news has led to an outpouring of support from leaders across the political spectrum. President Donald Trump saying, quote, he's wishing Biden "a fast and successful recovery." And Biden's old boss, former president Barack Obama, praised his ability to fight this challenge with his trademark resolve and grace."

Joining me now to discuss, Dr. Jamin Brahmbhatt, urologist at Orlando Health Medical Group Urology.

Good morning to you. Welcome to CNN THIS MORNING.

DR. JAMIN BRAHMBHATT, UROLOGIST, ORLANDO HEALTH MEDICAL GROUP UROLOGY: Good morning. Happy Monday.

CORNISH: So, I want to start with what we heard there that this cancer is hormone sensitive. I think prostate cancer is extremely common for older men. Can you talk about what it means for treatment, this aspect of the hormone sensitivity?

BRAHMBHATT: So, we diagnose over 300,000 men with prostate cancer a year. Out of those, about only about 5 or 7 percent, we will diagnose like -- like President Biden's diagnosis, where they already have metastasis through the rest of their body.

So, this, we do have lots of treatment options, but because it's already metastasized, because it's already elsewhere, the options are also very limited.

So, we can't do anything that's curative. You can't cure it. So, I saw some of these statements where recovery, we support. But the reality is that cancer is always going to stay with him.

So, the treatments that are out there are more medical based, either hormone treatments, steroid treatments, radiation treatments, they're all there to stabilize the cancer or slow down its progression.

CORNISH: So, I'm hearing you saying this movement to his bones, this is really the development that is remarkable here and what will make it so difficult? BRAHMBHATT: Absolutely. Like, if it wasn't in his bones and it was

localized, the life expectancy is almost 100 percent over five years. But in individuals like him, it would be about 37 percent over the next five years.

CORNISH: We have been seeing the former president doing interviews. He attended the funeral for the pope. Can you talk about, from a practical standpoint, what kind of impact treatment or even dealing with the disease can have on a person's day life?

BRAHMBHATT: To be honest with you, this week alone, I've diagnosed, like, four men with prostate cancer. Two of them were just like President Biden.

Majority of men can live normal lives. They can, and they can be functional. But it just all depends on how these treatments are doing and how the body's reacting to them.

So, these treatments are great. They can definitely control the cancer, but they're also very high risk in some -- in terms of some of the side effects.

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So, I think he can be normal. I see a lot of my patients that are normal, that can function, can drive, can do the things they want to do, continue on with their jobs.

But if the cancer progresses and there are -- there is pain in the bones, there is excessive fatigue or hot flashes, other side effects, then they may be limited.

For President Biden, I think it's just way too early. Like everyone's being very positive. We should, but we won't know how these treatments are working. We don't even know how many of these treatments him and the family are going to choose to move forward with.

CORNISH: And I understand that's part of the difficult decision- making, right? You talked about diagnosing people. I can't imagine what those conversations are like.

BRAHMBHATT: Yes. And they can be very, very tough. I know when I have to diagnose cancer in the office, like it's a very sensitive, emotional conversation.

So, I think the best thing that we can do as a public is give them their time, give them their space, and then let's see what happens over time. I think love and support goes a long way. And this is what I tell all family members, not just the patients in my office, but I would say the public right now, as well, for former President Biden.

CORNISH: Dr. Jamin Brahmbhatt, he's a urologist at Orlando Health Medical Group. Thank you for your time.

BRAHMBHATT: Thank you. CORNISH: Coming up on CNN THIS MORNING, hope for one big, beautiful

bill as it clears a key hurdle overnight. But the fight to pass the budget is not over yet for Republicans.

Plus, a ship belonging to Mexico's navy crashes into the Brooklyn Bridge. Families of those on board are now demanding answers.

And multiple days of deadly and terrifying twisters, leaving behind major damage from Colorado to Kentucky.

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UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I got in the hallway and put my hands over everybody, and it started blowing the windows out. And you're talking about praying. I prayed harder than anything I could ever do.

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CORNISH: OK, new overnight, President Trump's agenda back on track in the House as key conservative holdouts switched their votes. So, here's what happened.

Late last night, the sweeping bill squeaks out of the Budget Committee by a single vote. Friday night, four conservative members who want deeper cuts voted no. But House Speaker Mike Johnson says a weekend of negotiations eventually got the bill over the first hurdle.

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REP. MIKE JOHNSON (R-LA): Look, these -- these are men of great conviction. I share their conviction. The government is too large. It does too many things, and it does very little well. And we have to cut spending. And that's what our party stands for. That's what we're going to do in this -- this bill. It will be historic in the scope.

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CORNISH: Congressman Chip Roy was among the four conservative holdouts who ultimately voted "present," allowing the bill to proceed. But after Sunday's vote, he hinted that there may be some uncertainty with what happens next.

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REP. CHIP ROY (R-TX): I'm not going to -- not going to talk about all that stuff publicly. That's for the speaker to sort out. We made progress this weekend, but as you'll see in my statement, we didn't get nearly far enough.

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CORNISH: Joining me now in the group chat, Evan McMorris-Santoro, reporter at "NOTUS"; Kevin Frey, Washington correspondent for Spectrum News, New York One; and Sabrina Rodriguez, national political reporter for "The Washington Post."

All right, Sabrina, I want to start with you, because I feel like I have to translate my entire introduction to English, which is they forced -- they pressured these dudes over the weekend to take a stand on this bill. So, what happens, so to speak?

SABRINA RODRIGUEZ, NATIONAL POLITICAL REPORTER, "THE WASHINGTON POST": The right now, it's -- Trump wants to get this done before Memorial Day weekend. Republicans -- you know, speaker Johnson and Republicans that are supportive of the bill want to get this done. They want to show that there's progress. You know, we're past Trump's first 100 days. They would have liked to get this done ASAP when Trump came into office.

So, this is sort of one of those steps on the road to getting it done.

CORNISH: Because Trump has done so much with executive orders, right?

RODRIGUEZ: Absolutely.

CORNISH: So, this is the part where you're actually forcing some things into law, but also financing the rest of all the ideas.

RODRIGUEZ: One hundred percent. I mean, one key piece here there's several to this bill. I mean, that's sort of why it's the -- air quotes -- "big beautiful bill," is because they're trying to get all the things, all the wish lists that Trump has in his agenda. They want to get it in one bill.

Because they know that they really have, in terms of getting the votes together, we see how difficult this is already turning out to be. So, they feel like they have one shot this year to get this done.

So, there's, you know, the money for deportation proceedings, to ramp up, you know, immigration enforcement. There is huge changes to energy policy that they're trying to make through this.

And a big one that Trump wants is, you know, at the end of the year, a lot of the tax breaks that pass in his 2017 law will expire. So, they need to find ways to extend that and to be able to finance that.

And that's where you get into some of the tensions on the Hill over how do you pay for it --

CORNISH: Yes.

RODRIGUEZ: -- and what does spending look like?

CORNISH: OK, gentlemen, you jump in here on tensions. Who's fighting it and why?

KEVIN FREY, WASHINGTON CORRESPONDENT, SPECTRUM NEWS, NEW YORK ONE: So, you have basically two factions within the Republican caucus, which I know is not necessarily surprising for those who've been covering Washington for a while.

But you have the more moderates who come from these districts that, quite frankly, are the majority makers, and they will make sure to tell you that they're the majority.

CORNISH: Yes. And you cover New York. So, I'm often asking you about these moderate New Yorkers.

FREY: New York moderates.

CORNISH: Yes.

FREY: Also, some from Jersey. Also, some from California, where, for example, the state and local tax deduction is a really big issue for them. SALT. You'll keep hearing the word "SALT."

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At the same time, you have this more conservative faction that wants deeper cuts.

So, you have one side that wants to protect Medicaid to some extent. They want to boost this tax deduction, which costs more money. So, there's more money that they want to spend.

Then you have another faction that wants to reduce spending, that wants to make deeper cuts to Medicaid. And so now, these two are on a collision course. And well see if there's resolution this week. Last night was really just a procedural step.

CORNISH: I want to play -- play one clip of tape. The ranking member, Brendan Boyle, he's the Democrat on the committee that was involved in this. And he was saying that -- I think, just because -- what does he say? I said -- I just mean on the bill that's in front of us, making sure all the members know transparently just what the heck is in this thing, because obviously its changing back in the back room by the minute.

EVAN MCMORRIS-SANTORO, REPORTER, "NOTUS": Well, this is a normal sort of dc thing, right? These massive bills that get pushed through and people don't read them before they vote on them.

You know, this whole process is kind of both the easiest and hardest thing Republicans could do. And kind of all they had to do.

Before this whole thing started, I talked to a bunch of conservative activists right after Trump was elected. Right? What do they want to do legislatively?

And a lot of them told me, look, we have to do this one bill. We only have this. We have a very short period of time. Cram everything in there, because we have this divided caucus, very narrow margins.

So, the thing is, if we can push this forward by having enough stuff that these people want, that these people want, we can get this done, as opposed to if we break it up, we'll have a lot of interesting fights about, like, other stuff --

CORNISH: Yes.

MCMORRIS-SANTORO: -- that we don't want to do.

So, this is sort of their plan. But of course, what goes with that plan is how impossible it can be, because any sort of thing that changes or shifts --

CORNISH: Then someone else finds out about it.

MCMORRIS-SANTORO: -- could turn someone on, turn somebody off. Yes.

So, really, what it comes down to, in the end, right, will be Trump coming in and saying, I really want you to do this the way it is.

We've seen repeatedly Republicans kind of backing away from some of their own principles to sort of be, like, Well, we're with MAGA now. We're going to do what Trump says.

It's unclear at this point how powerful that will be in this case. But I do think that Trump being back from his foreign trip and here now is sort of what Mike Johnson and the rest of these leadership really want.

CORNISH: Yes.

MCMORRIS-SANTORO: Because they're going to see him say, look, all this fighting amongst you, you guys is over now. I'm back. We're passing my big bill. We're signing it.

CORNISH: Already, it feels like a test of the speaker's leadership, how he's been able to hold things together so far.

We're going to talk about this more this week, because apparently, it goes through another committee. And some of the holdouts are on that committee.

FREY: Yes, they are.

CORNISH: So, we're going to be hearing more from them.

But still ahead on CNN THIS MORNING, more testimony today in the trial of music mogul Sean "Diddy" Combs. What did one of the former contestants on Diddy's "Making the Band" have to tell the jury?

Plus, we're going to take a closer look at the decline of social media in the age of A.I. and chat bots.

Here's a live look at New Orleans as a frantic search is underway for seven inmates who busted out of jail. See the moment they broke free and the message they left behind. That's ahead.

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UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I deleted my Facebook account top of 2025. And when I tell you I've never felt so much relief, like I cannot explain it.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I'm most likely never coming back. It's as simple as the audio. I've seen what I needed to see.

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CORNISH: All right, I'm going to go off script for a second and talk about how some of the big tech CEOs all but admitted that we're not posting or friending as much as we used to, or even buying as many smartphones or even Googling.

The companies that reshaped how we use the Internet say that they are seeing the real-time effects of people using A.I. tools and chat bots.

So, what does that mean for how we all connect, the platforms we rely on every day? Joining me now to discuss is CNN business tech editor Lisa Eadicicco.

So, Lisa, let's start. We heard those people on TikTok basically being like, sorry, I'm sorry, unsubscribe. But do we have a sense from the companies themselves about what's going on?

LISA EADICICCO, CNN BUSINESS TECH EDITOR: So, we do have a little bit of a sense, and it's not that these companies are going away. It's just that some of the things that these services were designed for originally, like sharing with friends or searching on Google, there's a little bit less interest in those tasks now than there was before.

So, let's start with Facebook. Basically, in courtroom testimony, Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg said that people aren't sharing with friends as much on Facebook anymore. And I think that's part of this bigger shift in how people use social media.

It's not as much about sharing and posting with other people or friending other people. It's really about kind of following creators and personalities and things like that online.

And I think that's why we've seen such a -- a big increase in TikTok usage, and we've seen this kind of shift in social media not just being something that you're posting to, but where you're actually going to consume content, as well.

CORNISH: Right. They're leaning so much into videos. You can see that when Meta was trying to compete with TikTok, and they came up with reels.

I can't imagine any reason why this company or any other, though, would admit that in court. Like, what's going on? Why they would say, look, certain things we do are not as popular as they used to be.

EADICICCO: Well, I think it's actually in their interest to admit this in court, because you have to remember, these are antitrust cases that they're on trial for.

So, one of the big things that these CEOs are trying to prove in the courtroom is that they do have a lot of competition, and that they're not a monopoly.

So, I think that's part of the big motivation here. You know, Mark Zuckerberg highlighting that, yes, there is a lot of competition from places like TikTok. Even YouTube.

People don't think of YouTube, really, as a social network, but it is a really popular platform for teenagers. Actually, Pew Research had a study that showed that YouTube is actually their platform of choice.

So, I think that really is the motivation there.

CORNISH: What are you keeping an eye on next? I know that each one of these companies has some sort of A.I. wearable that they're pushing. Is that about the next version of the web?

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EADICICCO: Yes. So, I do think A.I. is a big thing to keep an eye on right now. Actually, this week, Google is having its developers conference, where we're probably going to hear a lot about Google's ambitions in this space.

And we do know that Google, along with Samsung, is working on smart glasses that will have A.I. built into them, which I think some of these companies think this could be the next evolution of the personal computer. Kind of like the smartphone, with the idea being that you have these glasses on your face that can kind of see what you're looking at in the world around you and answer questions about it so that you don't have to take out your phone.

And Meta is kind of also on this bandwagon. They have the Meta Ray- Bans, which also do exactly that.

CORNISH: All right. Lisa Eadicicco, tech editor with CNN Business. Thank you for being with us.

EADICICCO: Thanks for having me.

CORNISH: Next on CNN THIS MORNING, a crucial phone call. Today, President Trump and Russia's Vladimir Putin scheduled to talk. Will they be able to make a deal on Ukraine?

Plus, "Too easy, LOL." That was the message left behind when ten inmates in New Orleans broke out of jail. The urgent search for those still on the run this morning.

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