Return to Transcripts main page
Connect the World
Putin Reasserts Authority; Ukrainian Soldiers on the Front Lines; Clashes Break Out at March for French Teen Killed by Police; Protesters in Baghdad Attempt to Enter Swedish Embassy; Latin America's Heat and Drought; Presumed Human Remains Found in Titan Wreckage; Academy Invites Nearly 400 New Artists and Execs. Aired 10-11 ET
Aired June 29, 2023 - 10:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
[10:00:00]
(MUSIC PLAYING)
BECKY ANDERSON, CNN HOST (voice-over): I'm Becky Anderson, live from Abu Dhabi. The time here is 6:00 in the evening. You are watching CONNECT THE
WORLD.
Coming up this hour, the Kremlin tries to reassert President Putin's authority after Prigozhin's rebellion and there is talk about a military
purge.
Protests in Paris demanding justice for Nahel after a police shooting that killed a 17 year old boy.
Happening now, the U.S. Supreme Court justices ruling on several major cases, including student loan forgiveness, affirmative action and LGBTQ
rights.
And fans will have to wait a little longer to see Madonna in concert after a health scare.
(MUSIC PLAYING)
ANDERSON: Vladimir Putin is out in public again, trying to convey a sense of normalcy after the aborted mutiny that shook Russia last weekend.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON (voice-over): The president speaking today at a forum to promote business initiatives, not addressing the brief insurrection. His public
appearances this week coming as questions swirl over the status of some of his top military leaders.
One has not been seen in public since the uprising ended. His last appearance, this video, appealing to Wagner chief Yevgeny Prigozhin to halt
the march to Moscow.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: In the front lines in Eastern Ukraine, the death toll is now 12 from a Russian missile that slammed into a crowded pizza restaurant.
Several children are among the dead and injured. Ben Wedeman connecting us from Eastern Ukraine.
BEN WEDEMAN, CNN SR. INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: First of all, regarding Sergey Surovikin, that head of the Russian air force, everybody is
wondering where he is.
According to the "Moscow Times," quoting two sources, that's the Russian edition, he's been arrested. But CNN contacted the Kremlin spokesperson,
who said he had no comment and referred CNN to the defense ministry.
The defense ministry said they have nothing to say. Of course Surovikin is widely speculated to have been involved in one way or another with Yevgeny
Prigozhin's mutiny over the weekend. But as I said, the mystery remains regarding that.
As far as the last, the strike in Kramatorsk, the search and rescue mission has come to an end. The final death toll: 12; more than 60 injured. The
Russian defense ministry did put out a statement today, saying, regarding that strike, that, according to them, the strike killed two generals, 50
officers and 20 foreign advisers, a rather tall claim in the grand scheme of things.
But that's the Russians' justification for hitting that pizzeria -- Becky.
ANDERSON: Ben, much talk since the weekend that this failed mutiny might just distract President Putin, the Russian military and give the Ukrainians
an opportunity to make more ground in their counteroffensive. The Ukrainians that we have spoken to, of course, have said there is no reason
to rush this.
When you look at the battle front, as it stands today, what's your assessment?
WEDEMAN: What we are seeing is, for instance, in the Bakhmut area, the Ukrainians do seem to be making slow but steady progress. Their goal,
according to Ukrainian officials, is to encircle Bakhmut and the Russian forces inside.
We were recently at the front near Bakhmut and the soldiers there are pretty down to Earth and practical. Their attitude is that, until they
actually make dramatic gains, they think it's just going to be business as usual on the front lines.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
WEDEMAN (voice-over): In the woods outside the Russian occupied town of Bakhmut, the Ukrainian crew of a Soviet-era self-propelled gun prepares to
open fire; cleaning the barrel --
[10:05:00]
WEDEMAN (voice-over): -- getting the ground ready and then the order to fire comes over the radio.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: (Speaking foreign language).
WEDEMAN: This counteroffensive is just over (INAUDIBLE) old. So far, the Ukrainians are only inching forward, taking a small village here and a
slice of territory there.
WEDEMAN (voice-over): Here, it's still a grinding war of attrition for the troops of the 57th Motorized Infantry Brigade; small advances, followed by
Russian counterattacks. But most of the time, they hunker down under cover and wait.
"When we have targets, we fire fast and precise," says the gun commander, whose call sign is Diesel.
"We hit infantry, tanks, vehicles but most of all, infantry."
Their targeting is helped by the brigade's drone operators. This drone video shows a successful strike on Russian troops on the edge of Bakhmut.
But these eyes in the sky can fall victim to friendly fire. That gunfire from nervous troops, trying to shoot down their own drone.
Here, they heard about the brief mutiny led by Wagner boss, Yevgeny Prigozhin, and shrugged it off.
"I said from the start, it's a lie," says drone operator Zaporizhzhytz (ph).
"It was theater."
Their more immediate concern: getting enough ammunition; crates of freshly manufactured 152 millimeter rounds from Pakistan are strewn about near the
gun.
Battery commander, call sign Catanosz (ph) -- Satan -- says he'll believe there's a counteroffensive when he sees it.
"Until we take a major town or get a tactical advantage," he tells me, "there is no counteroffensive."
Here, believing is seeing; the only certainty: the war goes on.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
WEDEMAN: Now the spokesman for Ukrainian forces in Eastern Ukraine says that the Russians are moving thousands of their troops from other areas
into the Bakhmut region. So it appears that that area, yet again, is gearing up for some intense combat -- Becky.
ANDERSON: Fascinating and a really insightful report. Ben, as ever, thank you very much indeed.
Ben Wedeman is on the ground for you.
NATO's chief says that the mercenary mutiny has revealed cracks and divisions inside Russia. Jens Stoltenberg making those comments today at a
European Council summit in Brussels.
He also said that the drama is an internal Russian matter and it's too early to draw any conclusions. CNN's Clare Sebastian is following all of
this from London.
Clare, Stoltenberg is being clearly somewhat circumspect in how he describes this situation.
What else are Western nations saying at this point?
CLARE SEBASTIAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: I think you really see a bit of a balancing act in how some of Ukraine's allies that handled this situation
in Russia.
There's been lots of talk, as you heard from Jens Stoltenberg there, about how this is an internal issue, reflecting and understanding that there will
be parties inside Russia looking for ways to potentially blame this on the West, countries that are allies of Ukraine, who don't want to be drawn into
this.
We heard this from Stoltenberg as well; they are trying to re-focus on continuing to help Ukraine, providing the necessary aid, especially because
we are coming up to a NATO summit in under two weeks.
Stoltenberg saying that Ukrainian pilots have already started training on F-16s, that training provided by E.U. countries. So he wants to keep up
that focus.
But this whole episode has created another potential security challenge, particularly on NATO's eastern flank.
We've heard warnings this week from Lithuania and Poland, that the threat, potentially, of a large number of former Wagner fighters, if they do indeed
move to Belarus, as has been offered to them, could present a major security threat to these countries.
And it did prompt a reassurance from Stoltenberg that NATO would continue to defend every inch of the territory. So it's a challenge now that NATO is
facing on its eastern flank.
ANDERSON: Clare, thank you.
New clashes have broken out at a protest march in a suburb of Paris, where a fatal police shooting has touched a very raw nerve.
[10:10:00]
ANDERSON: The march being led by the mother of a 17 year old boy who was shot dead during a traffic stop. His killing setting off two nights of very
violent protests and accusations of systemic racism within the police. Let's get straight to Melissa Bell; she is following this.
Melissa, this march seems to be a more traditional peaceful protest so far, at least. But authorities don't think that it will stay that way, as I
understand it.
MELISSA BELL, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: In fact, it seems even to be turning now. We are starting to see some tear gas being used, some
clashes on the edges of that march.
It was meant to be a peaceful march, as you suggested; it was meant -- it was called for by young Nahel's mother. It was meant to be held just
outside the police station there in Nanterre to protest as you say, these allegations, this feeling of systemic racism, because this is an issue that
goes way back here in France.
It's difficult for the police to investigate and yet very real in how it is felt by the communities involved.
What we have been seeing over the last couple of hours is that march moving from where it was meant to take place, at the police station, in the
northwest of Paris, and heading out into the neighborhood, into the cite, as they are called here in France, and turning much more violent, because
of all that anger.
But you are quite right; it is tonight that authorities expect, as night falls, that things will turn more violent. Still some 40,000 police men and
women have been mobilized, Becky, across France.
It's not just here in Paris on the outskirts of town; it's all across the country that we saw those protests, those riots, overnight; 150 people were
arrested. And it was really the state institutions, Becky, that were targeted -- the schools, the police stations.
Calls of calm today by Emmanuel Macron but also other politicians, saying it's not about the state; this is about the doings, the misdoings, of one
particular police officer.
ANDERSON: Is it, though?
These charges of institutional racism are not new, are they?
BELL: They are not and, of course, this kind of anger we've seen time and time again in these neighborhoods in Paris, because what you have seen have
been many examples over the years of police brutality or even fatal instances of police checks, whether they're traffic or identity checks,
generally, in the same neighborhoods and targeting the same communities.
What is very difficult is that for all the calls for police reform and investigations into these matters, here in France, the law does not allow
the state to consider questions of race and ethnicity.
It's part of France's secular tradition and that has made it difficult for the police investigating their instances of police, the allegations of
police brutality or worse. And it's been very difficult for them to put a name on what is so clearly felt by those who find themselves targeted by
police checks much more frequently than other French people.
That is a long-standing, very real anger that you are seeing erupting once again on the streets of France. It's happened before. Think back to 2005;
it took an entire summer to get to the end of the anger that exploded on the streets of France as a result of a very similar incident.
Two young men trying to escape a police check, who died as they sought refuge in a power station. They were electrocuted, very young teens, in
that instance.
ANDERSON: And I remember that.
The president, Emmanuel Macron, very quick to come out and suggest this killing was unjustified -- "unjustifiable" was the term I think he actually
used when this death happened earlier this week.
What has he done since he has been in office?
And what has the government done to date to address these accusations of institutional racism?
We've seen similar accusations in the U.K., for example, and we have seen investigations, internal investigations and efforts to address what was
seen to be systemic racism within the force, not just in London but other parts of the country.
What is specifically being done to address these long-term concerns and allegations in France?
BELL: Allegations -- you are quite right to broaden that out -- that have been really revived as a result or rather was given a fresh lease of life.
[10:15:00]
BELL: Not as much attention was paid as a result of Black Lives Matter, the resonance that was felt in so many parts of the world, including here
in France.
But the particularity of France, again, the fact that, here in France, in the name of secularism, all French people considered equal, it is very
difficult to name even race, anything to do with ethnicity or religion.
In fact, I think it is really interesting, that one of the most left-wing and largest opposition parties here in France, that has been very quick
today to call for action to be taken for the law here in France, that allows these police traffic checks, so often turned violent, to be changed.
It has called for radical action. It is really bringing very low down in its communiques and its expressions to the media anything to do with
racism. It is an extremely difficult thing here in France even for the opposition to name, to speak of.
And you can imagine all the more, therefore, the anger that's being expressed on the streets of Nanterre today and will no doubt be expressed
later today across France.
If you are a young Frenchman, who is Black or of Arab descent, you will find yourself on the receiving end of racism far too often, much more, of
course, than you would like, and in a way that is impossible to get the authorities to recognize.
And I think that's what's at the heart of so much frustration here in France today and that we are likely to see once again tonight.
ANDERSON: Melissa, thank you. Important stuff and your analysis and insight is so vital as we continue to monitor those protests and
demonstrations. Thank you.
A huge week at the U.S. Supreme Court, rulings on some blockbuster cases. We've just heard the court's opinion on affirmative action; there is more
to come. We will get you to Washington up next.
Plus --
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON (voice-over): Fury against Sweden erupting in Baghdad after the Quran was burned in Stockholm.
Who and why?
The latest developments are up next.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
(MUSIC PLAYING)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
(MUSIC PLAYING)
ANDERSON: Protesters are attempting to enter the Swedish embassy in Iraq's capital, Baghdad. This is sparked by Sweden's decision to allow a Quran
burning protest outside a mosque in Stockholm. A chorus of condemnation is coming not only from Iraq but also from Saudi Arabia, Morocco and other
Muslim majority countries.
[10:20:00]
ANDERSON: A single person took part in Wednesday's Stockholm demonstration. It coincided with the Muslim holiday of Eid al-Adha, one of
the most significant in the Islamic calendar. CNN's Jomana Karadsheh is monitoring this from London.
Not only was this demonstration allowed to go ahead but it was greenlit by Swedish authorities. Just explain what we understand to have happened here
and what the consequence is and might be going forward.
JOMANA KARADSHEH, CNN CORRESPONDENT: It's no surprise we are seeing this anger and condemnation coming from across the Arab and Muslim worlds. This
is not the first time that Sweden has allowed for the burning of the Quran to go ahead.
This happened earlier this year; we also saw demonstration after that far- right Danish politician burned the Quran outside the Turkish embassy. Now in this case specifically, on Wednesday, this was an Iraqi refugee.
Now he says he's a Swedish citizen; he was granted permission to set Islam's holy book ablaze outside a mosque in central Stockholm.
And police, in their authorization letter, this permission he was given after a legal battle, we understand, that went on for a few months, they do
acknowledge that there will be or could be repercussions when it comes to foreign policy, an increased risk of attacks.
Yet they allowed this to happen. And Swedish officials, who have continued to say that they don't condone these acts, they find them highly offensive,
but they refer you back to the Swedish constitution and freedom of expression in the country.
And the reaction we are getting from across the Arab world, as you are seeing today in Iraq, this is not the first time that we are seeing a
protest taking place. It happened before.
They say that these acts under the pretext of freedom of expression should not be allowed to take place, describing this as a hate crime, as hate
speech, as anti Islamic actions, Islamophobia and xenophobia.
In this case specifically today, as we are seeing what's going on in Baghdad, this comes after the powerful Shia cleric Muqtada al-Sadr, a man
that can mobilize the masses in that country, came out with a strongly worded statement, calling on his supporters to head to the Swedish embassy
in Baghdad to protest.
And he also called in the Iraqi government to expel the Swedish ambassador and to revoke the citizenship of the Iraqi individual who burned the Quran
on Wednesday. And what we are seeing right now -- we are trying to get more information about what is happening.
But it does seem that scores of angry supporters of Muqtada al-Sadr outside the Swedish embassy, it's really unclear at this point how far away they
are from the embassy itself.
But you see, in some of the social media videos that have come out, that they are scaling the walls around the embassy. For the most part, it
doesn't appear to be violent.
But you can see people are angry, chanting "our blood, our souls we sacrifice for Iraq."
Also We've also reached out to the Swedish foreign ministry. They said that their staff are safe and that they are in contact with them. We've also
heard from several Arab governments today, Jordan summoning the Swedish ambassador, Morocco recalling its ambassador to Sweden.
And really no surprise seeing the sort of reaction, because not only is this highly offensive for many Muslims, a sacrilegious act, it happened on
one of the holiest days, on the first day of Eid al-Adha, Becky.
ANDERSON: Thank you. Jomana Karadsheh in London for you.
Smoke from Canadian wildfires is again sweeping across parts of the United States, covering more than a dozen, from the Midwest to the East Coast.
More than 120 million people in the U.S. and millions more in Canada are under alerts for poor air quality.
And in some cities, the haze is not expected to clear for a couple of days. Meanwhile, other parts of the United States are experiencing extreme heat.
Nearly 90 million people under heat alert.
Officials say that at least 11 have died in one county in Texas because of that heat. Now the heat wave is set to expand northward and eastward.
Further, in the South, into Mexico, health officials report more than 100 people there have died due to the heat since the beginning of March. Along
with the heat, parts of Latin America are also experiencing severe drought.
[10:25:00]
ANDERSON: CNN's Rafael Romo has that.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
RAFAEL ROMO, CNN SR. LATIN AFFAIRS EDITOR (voice-over): Boats that used to be on water are now lying on grass. Residents can now walk where they used
to be able to swim. This is Alajuela Lake, which serves as a reservoir for the Panama Canal.
"There used to be boats right here where we are," this nearby resident says. "Water came this far."
A severe drought has forced authorities in Panama not only to implement water saving measures but also to impose restrictions on cargo ships
crossing the key global trade route.
ROMO: Panama is the latest example of countries in Latin America having to deal with severe drought conditions. A report published by the European
Commission states that precipitation deficits, above average temperatures and recurring heat waves are causing one of the worst droughts in decades
in the region.
ROMO (voice-over): In the fall of 2021 and the spring of the following year, low water levels at the Parana River, which flows for nearly 4,900
kilometers -- 3,000 miles -- through Brazil, Paraguay and Argentina, caused cargo ships to stop delivering goods.
CHASE HARRISON, EDITORIAL MANAGER, AMERICAS SOCIETY: The situation in Argentina is unprecedentedly bad. They're having the worst drought
conditions in 75 years and we are seeing those conditions exist in neighboring countries as well.
Chile having the worst drought conditions in 50 years and Uruguay having the worst drought conditions in 80 years.
ROMO (voice-over): Mexico is now recovering from a late spring heat wave. And last summer, President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador declared an
emergency in the northern state of Nuevo Leon (ph) due to lack of water, a situation that experts believe aggravated conditions that have pushed many
Mexicans to leave their country.
HARRISON: So if we have large-scale movements of people from one place to another, it's going to put a strain on the social services of those
countries. It's also just going to create economic dead areas in some of these countries, where there cannot be business (ph).
ROMO (voice-over): An analysis by Gro Intelligence published in 2021 concluded that Mexico's corn crop is threatened by the country's most
widespread and intense droughts in nearly a decade. And target corn markets are likely to transmit the shockwaves worldwide.
Back in Panama, the government agency that manages the canal imposed draft restrictions, meaning cargo ships with a very low hull can't transit, which
may slow the delivery of goods worldwide -- Rafael Romo, CNN, Atlanta.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
ANDERSON: Recovery crews in the North Atlantic have made a big discovery. Just ahead the finding of what's believed to be human remains from the
Titan sub. More on that with a live report up next.
(MUSIC PLAYING)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[10:30:00]
(MUSIC PLAYING)
ANDERSON (voice-over): Welcome back. I'm Becky Anderson in Abu Dhabi. You are watching CONNECT THE WORLD. The time here in Abu Dhabi is half past 6
in the evening. These are your headlines.
A protest march escalating into clashes in the Paris suburb of Nanterre, where a 17-year old was killed by police during a traffic stop. Police
officials are bracing for even more violence after nightfall. They are deploying 40,000 security forces nationwide.
The Kremlin is declining to answer questions about the status of a top general who has not been seen in public since the end of the Wagner chief's
brief rebellion. His last appearance in video, appealing to Yevgeny Prigozhin to halt the Wagner march to Moscow, in which he appeared to be
under duress.
NATO's chief calls the turmoil an internal Russian matter but he added that it is revealing cracks and divisions inside the country. Jens Stoltenberg
also stressing the alliance's most important task is supporting Ukraine.
ANDERSON: Presumed human remains have been recovered from the debris of the Titan submersible. Now the U.S. Coast Guard will conduct a formal
analysis on those remains. Earlier this week the company in charge of the recovery of the debris from the Titan submersible says that it has
successfully completed the offshore work. The Titan had five people on board to try to look at wreckage from the Titanic. All on board were killed
when the Titan imploded underwater.
Joining us now with the very latest is CNN correspondent Paula Newton.
What do we know at this point?
PAULA NEWTON, CNN ANCHOR AND CORRESPONDENT: We know so much more than we did 24 hours ago. I know there was some disquiet and grief from the
families that they are presumed human remains.
This will help the U.S. Coast Guard, who say that medical professionals will now conduct an analysis. It will tell them, perhaps, much about how
this submersible imploded and how quickly that might have happened and the reasons why.
Crucial to the families here, Becky, is to know exactly if their loved ones knew what was coming and if they suffered. As delicate as the situation is,
all the authorities know that is a point of knowledge that the families want to know about.
I want to get to some more developments. The Transportation Safety Board in Canada released something last night, saying that their investigators have
finished collecting relevant documents and completed the preliminary interviews with those on board the support vessel Polar Prince, the mother
ship to the Titan.
The investigation team has taken possession of the vessel's voyage data recorder, which has been sent to the TSB engineering laboratory here in
Ottawa for further analysis.
And key there is that the Transportation Safety Board can now analyze what was that last communication with the Titan and what was done afterwards in
terms of trying to determine what the safety issue was and why it did not surface.
That's so crucial to this, Becky. And again, earlier, yesterday we saw those very large pieces of debris, something that few expected. So many,
including the dome, the view port, parts of the cabin hull that had those passengers, they all are now on shore.
They are in the custody of the U.S. Coast Guard but also the Transportation Safety Board here, saying that they've cataloged that debris and now will
be able to also take part in the investigation.
ANDERSON: Yes. And you can see just how detailed this all is and, of course, needs to be.
Just going back to the identification process, if you will, just remind us, what are the next steps at this point?
NEWTON: The next steps are key. And when you look at the human remains, that is the delicate procedure, with the families being appraised hour by
hour, day by day, about exactly what's going on with that.
And that's medical professionals involved with the U.S. What is keen now is these pieces of debris that must go into a laboratory -- apparently, it's
the U.S. Coast Guard that will handle that. And again, it's the issue of -- this was a carbon fiber hull, right?
How did that implode?
Why did it implode?
Was it the material itself?
What kind of stress fractures were there?
Again it will take -- I want to warn -- months, if not years, to actually determine what caused this. But an important point as well. Both here in
Canada and in the United States, they're determining whether to make criminal referrals.
Those examinations continue and, so far, there is no full-blown criminal investigation but that still remains a possibility.
ANDERSON: Paula, thank you.
[10:35:00]
ANDERSON: Paula Newton on the story, has been following the story, was there as the search was on. We appreciate it, thank you very much indeed.
To the U.S. Supreme Court now and we are expecting decisions to be handed down over the next day or so on cases that could have a huge impact on
American life. Just moments ago, the court handed down its ruling on affirmative action, which has benefited Black and Latino students.
In a landmark decision, the court has decided to overturn precedent, saying that colleges and universities can no longer take race into consideration
as a factor in admissions.
The justices, as expected, have saved these big decisions for last. The current term getting ready to wrap up. Other cases still to come are gay
rights and the president's student loan forgiveness plan.
U.S. President Joe Biden placing the health of the U.S. economy at the center of his reelection campaign. Speaking on Wednesday in Chicago, the
president tried to draw a sharp contrast with Republican economic policies. He says they have failed middle class Americans for decades. He laid out
the specific steps he will pursue if he is reelected.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JOE BIDEN (D), PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: First, making smart investments in America; second, educating and empowering American workers
to grow the middle class; and, third, promoting competition to lower costs to help small businesses.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: The Biden administration believes that inflation is finally easing and the job market remains strong. But there are plenty of weak
spots in the broader economy, according to the latest polls.
About three-quarters of Americans believe it is doing poorly and have been a Q1 revision -- the economic growth numbers are certainly looking better.
We've been having a look at the Dow; I will get that to you when I can. But certainly, the markets are trading a little higher today.
Coming up, what happened to Madonna?
The serious health scare that landed the mega pop star in the ER and intensive care unit. An update on that.
Plus, a football reunion, as a former manager joins Lionel Messi at Inter Miami. Old friends turned new friends once more.
(MUSIC PLAYING)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
(MUSIC PLAYING)
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON (voice-over): Singer Taylor Swift, one of nearly 400 new artists and executives invited to become members of the Academy of Motion Picture
Arts and Sciences. Even though she's never been nominate for an Oscar, she will be eligible to vote for the annual Academy Awards.
[10:40:00]
ANDERSON (voice-over): Though being nominated is not required for membership. Other invitees included Academy Award nominee Stephanie Hsu and
Austin Butler, as well as Oscar winners Ke Huy Quan and the composer of last year's Best Original Song from the film "RRR."
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: CNN has been told that Madonna's home from hospital after a serious health scare. The sources telling us she is in the clear. Earlier,
the pop star postponed her upcoming tour because of her health.
(VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: Earlier, her longtime manager confirmed that she was recovering from a serious bacterial infection that landed her in the ICU for several
days. Here's CNN medical analyst Dr. Leana Wen.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DR. LEANA WEN, CNN MEDICAL ANALYST: So if somebody is coming into the Emergency Department and they are unresponsive, as it sounds like Madonna
was when she showed up and they're expected to have a bacterial infection, you first want to stabilize the individual.
You would first want to make sure that they are breathing and supported. If they have low blood pressure from sepsis and overwhelming infection, you
want to support their blood pressure.
And you also want to start broad-spectrum antibiotics that would cover a whole range of organisms in case they are what's causing the infection. And
then you start looking for the source.
The source could be a skin infection, soft tissue infection that then spread to the rest of the body. It could originate from the kidneys. It
could originate from the lungs by way of pneumonia.
It could be appendicitis or a gallbladder infection or something in the belly. So there are all kinds of infections that could then spread to the
bloodstream and unfortunately, lead to this level of illness.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: The 64 year old Grammy winner was due to launch her 43 city celebration tour next month.
(SPORTS)
[11:00:00]
END
