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Texas Cheerleader Recuperating Well After Shooting Incident; Interview with Woodlands Elite Cheer Co-Owner Lynne Searer; U.S.-China Economic Relationship Addressed by Secretary Janet Yellen; U.S. State of Economy; Home Sales Fell in March, Overturning Previous Profits; Supreme Court Delayed Access to Abortion Pill Decision Until Friday; Gender Identity and Sexual Orientation Education Prohibited in Florida Public Schools; Pentagon: UFO Sightings are Increasing, But No Evidence of Aliens. Aired 10:30-11a ET

Aired April 20, 2023 - 10:30   ET

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

[10:30:00]

KATE BOLDUAN, CNN ANCHOR: And police say, 25-year-old, Pedro Rodriguez Jr. was in that car, and according to Payton's teammate, Heather Roth, he got -- after making the mistake of opening the corridor of the wrong car, he got out of the car and began shooting, even as they were trying to apologize for the misunderstanding.

Rodriguez is now being held in jail. As for Heather Roth, she was struck by a bullet too but treated and released. And now, she and the team is preparing to compete at a huge championship this weekend without their teammate, Payton.

The co-owner of Woodlands Elite Cheer, where Payton and Heather train, Lynne Searer, she joins me now. Lynne, thank you so much. I know you're heading out right -- almost immediately after this to get to Worlds. But first and foremost, how's Payton doing? What's the latest you're hearing?

LYNNE SEARER, CO-OWNER, WOODLANDS ELITE CHEER: She's doing well as expected. She's in ICU still just because of the risk of infection. As soon as they have pumped her with enough antibiotics, that they feel like it's safe, they'll go back in to close her up. And at that point, she can start the road to recovery. They're also monitoring the wound on her leg which was the other place she was struck.

BOLDUAN: I mean, so --

SEARER: She was --

BOLDUAN: -- so much damage --

SEARER: -- was able to FaceTime with her team last night. Yes, she did. She was awake and able to FaceTime with her team last night as they did their last performance before heading out to the competition this weekend. So -- that was hard for her to watch but she was cheering them on.

BOLDUAN: Hard for her to watch. But what was what was it like for the girls? What was it like for the team, for you all to have her be able to FaceTime in?

SEARER: It was very -- it was a very emotional night. She's an irreplaceable athlete that we unfortunately had to replace at the last minute. So, it was really hard. The girls went to say they got to the last part of the routine and they knew they had done it. It was hard. They were crying, but they finished strong. They did the routine. Payton -- it was very hard for Payton to not be there and not be able to compete with them. But she's just the ultimate competitor and, at this point, we have to do it without her, but we'll be doing it for her.

BOLDUAN: Seeing some of the videos I have of her, she is a true, truly exceptional athlete. Her tumbling is amazing. I mentioned to you in the break, I competed in an all-star team when I was in high school. Some -- it seems a team very similar to Woodlands Elite. I'm looking at the video of your training facility, it looks so much like the one that I trained in when I was in high school.

And I cannot imagine having the girls go through what they have and what they're going through still after this tragedy with their teammates and then being expected to then go perform on, like, the biggest stage. It's a huge weekend ahead of them. What are you telling them?

SEARER: It is the biggest stage for all of these girls, actually, that were involved in this incident. It's their very last time to compete. They're all aging out after this year. They're high school seniors or in college. So, this is their last time to hit the mat this weekend.

So, it's extremely emotional. They're like up and down. They're fragile one minute, the next minute they're like out there doing it. They're going to do it for Payton. It's -- they're all over the place. We were happy to see them be able to get through it last night. And we do have practices on Friday in Orlando, so we'll have a little bit more time to prepare. And you know, we're just taking it one day at a time, but they are strong, fierce competitors and their undefeated this season. So, we're just really hoping we can still finish on a high note.

BOLDUAN: That's really unbelievable. I know you said that you fully expect, if anyone can recover fully from this, Payton is one of those people who will be able to and hopefully go on to continue to perform and compete at Baylor where she has committed to. But just finally, I mean, these girls made a simple mistake. One that -- I have honestly walked up to the wrong car in a parking lot many times and gone to open the car door.

SEARER: Right. Yes.

BOLDUAN: And have you been able, Lynne, to wrap your mind around what led some -- what could lead someone to react so violently and so quickly to something so insignificant?

SEARER: No, it's impossible to imagine. It kind of makes you question your safety on just doing everyday routine things. You know, this was a very well-lit parking lot in a huge grocery store on a major intersection. It's, you know -- it makes you think twice about a lot of things. And no, it's hard to wrap your head around.

BOLDUAN: It really is. Lynne Searer, thank you so much for taking time and good luck this weekend. We are all pulling for you and the team. Thank you.

SEARER: Thank you so much.

BOLDUAN: Sara.

SARA SIDNER, CNN NEWS CENTRAL CO-ANCHOR: All right. Treasury Secretary, Janet Yellen, talking tough on China as she delivers a major speech on how the United States plans to compete economically against Beijing. Details are ahead.

[10:35:00]

Also, House Republicans scored a win in their legal battle against the Manhattan district attorney who is prosecuting Former President Trump. What this all means for the legal tug of war between D.A. Alvin Bragg and the House Judiciary Committee.

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[10:40:00]

BOLDUAN: Happening right now, Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen delivering a key speech on the Biden administrations plans for its economic relationship with China going forward. Striking a tough but positive tone amid recent tensions with Beijing.

CNN's Vanessa Yurkevich, she's joining us now. You've been watching this and tracking -- well, obviously tracking this relationship. How is she striking a balance, walking that line between what Biden has said as they want to be competitors with China economically, but also acknowledging China's role in the global with the goal -- in the global economy?

VANESSA YURKEVICH, CNN BUSINESS AND POLITICS CORRESPONDENT: Absolutely. And right off the top, she wants to make it clear that the U.S economy is strong. She is saying, "Pronouncements of U.S. decline have been around for decades. But they've always been proven wrong." And she wants to make this point amid China's economy growing gangbusters in the first quarter. And what she is doing is essentially saying that the economy is strong, but we have to remember Americans are concerned about the debt ceiling crisis. Inflation is still very hot at five percent.

BOLDUAN: Uh-huh.

YURKEVICH: And of course, there is this looming recession that everyone is talking about. But China, of course, is our biggest trading partner. And there are many U.S. companies that manufacture in China, and that is great for the U.S. consumer in the sense that we pay cheaper prices, allowing us to have bigger and greater spending power. But of course, what that does is that shifts U.S. manufacturing jobs from the U.S. to China.

So, Janet Yellen today also wants to talk about how we hold China accountable while working with China. And some of the ways that she's going to detail that today, she's going to say that we need to make sure that we secure our national security interests, hold China accountable on human rights, fair competition between businesses, and also fair prices. And then also making sure that China is a global player by committing to working against climate change and also against debt distress.

But of course, as you mentioned, this comes at a time when there are tensions between the two companies.

BOLDUAN: Yes.

YURKEVICH: Chinese spy balloon floating into U.S. airspace, the U.S. government also wanting ByteDance, the Chinese company to sell TikTok because of U.S. privacy concerns. So, trying to say, OK. China willing to work with you, but let's make sure we're working on a fair playing field here.

BOLDUAN: Yes, it's the -- striking -- finding that balance --

YURKEVICH: Gets you (ph) dance.

BOLDUAN: It is. Speaking of dance, it's nearly impossible for any administration in this administration included. We -- there's also new data out this morning. Another read on the economy. This looking at the housing market, what are you picking up?

YURKEVICH: Just out, home sales dropping by 2.4 percent from February to March, down 22 percent year over year. So, for the Federal Reserve, this is good. They want to see this because --

BOLDUAN: Because its interest rates are so high, right?

YURKEVICH: -- it's an indicator that the interest rate hikes are working. Interest rate hikes now are -- our interest rates are about six -- between six and seven percent, they've been hovering back and forth.

BOLDUAN: Yes.

YURKEVICH: If you're a seller, of course you're thinking maybe I'm not getting as much from my home as I used to. For a buyer, you -- it's a tossup. Maybe home sales -- home prices are a little bit lower right now, but mortgage rates higher. You've got to do the math. Figure out if it's a good spend for you.

BOLDUAN: All right. Down 22 percent year.

YURKEVICH: That is huge.

BOLDUAN: That is huge. It's great to see you, Vanessa. Thank you.

YURKEVICH: Thank you. BOLDUAN: Sara.

SIDNER: A new deadline in the battle over abortion pills is now set. And what the Supreme Court decides between now and 11:59 tomorrow night could severely restrict access to one of the most widely used abortion pills and reshape healthcare as Americans know it.

CNN's Paula Reid is joining us now. Paula, the Supreme Court delayed their self-imposed deadline yesterday that extended the ability to access this pill. What do you know about why the Supreme Court delayed a decision?

PAULA REID, CNN SENIOR LEGAL AFFAIRS CORRESPONDENT: Well, Sara, extending in administrative stay is unusual. And it suggests that at least some of the justices may want to opine either individually or as a group about whatever move they make here. But as of today, this commonly used abortion medicine remains widely available but that could potentially change by tomorrow at midnight.

Now, at issue here is a drug called mifepristone. It is one of two drugs used in a process referred to as medication abortion. It accounts for over half of all the abortions in the United States. And last year, after the Supreme Court overturned the constitutional right to an abortion, medication abortion became a real focus, both in conservative state legislatures and for litigation. Several weeks ago, a judge in Texas overturned, sort of, reversed the FDA's longstanding approval of mifepristone.

And now, the Supreme Court needs to decide what happens to access to this drug while this issue moves its way through the courts. And, Sara, they have a lot of options here. They could try to take up this case before the end of the term, they could allow it to move through the appeals process and maybe eventually get to them. But right now, they need to inform the American public about what happens to access to this. Will they put that Texas case on hold or allowing widespread access? Will they allow the decision to go forward that would restrict, or will they come to something in between?

[10:45:00]

We might get an answer by tomorrow night, we might not.

SIDNER: Yes, there's a lot of people watching this. And as you mentioned, it's something that's used in more than 50 percent of abortions in this country. So, a huge decision for everyone. Is there any sense, like, what is happening, the machinations, we will be learning all about that as this deadline approaches Friday at 11:59, just before Saturday morning. Paula Reid, thank you so much for all of that, John.

JOHN BERMAN, CNN NEWS CENTRAL CO-ANCHOR: All right, Sara. New controversy over decisions being made in Florida. The Florida State Education Board has voted to expand a ban on teaching students about sexual orientation and gender identity.

The new move broadens what opponents have called the Don't Say Gay law to include students all the way through high school. Teachers who do not comply could be suspended or have their teaching licenses revoked. The original law prevented teachers from talking about LGBTQ topics in kindergarten classes to third grade. The law signed by Governor DeSantis just over a year ago has led to a wave of similar legislation being proposed in statehouses across the country.

CNN's Steve Contorno joins us now from St. Petersburg. Steve, you know when the law initially went through, one of the things that proponent said was, it's just through third grade. This goes way further than third grade. What's the explanation?

STEVE CONTORNO, CNN REPORTER: That's a great question, John, because you're right when this law passed, even Governor DeSantis said it was about protecting young children. And he specifically pointed out that kids that are as young as kindergartners should not be -- have this kind of topics presented to them. But this expansion goes to every grade through graduation, meaning even older kids will no longer have any, sort of, classroom instruction around any topics related to sexual orientation or gender identity.

And this obviously brought lot of protests yesterday when this directive was approved by the state board of education. But Governor DeSantis is standing by this action. This is something his administration has pushed for. And speaking yesterday in South Carolina, he defended this action and had this to say.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

GOV. RON DESANTIS (R-FL): You can't just be able to be kids without having somebody's agenda shoved down their throat. It is wrong to tell a second grader that they were born in the wrong body. It is wrong to teach kids they can change their gender. And in Florida, we've made sure that gender ideology has no place in our K through 12 schools.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CONTORNO: Now, in addition to this action, John, lawmakers in Florida are also moving ahead with a number of measures that will affect LGBTQ people and their health care. There's a measure that is probably headed to the governor's desk soon that bans transgender care for minors. And so, this is just one of many facets of the way that the governor is pushing this cultural agenda ahead of his potential run for president in 2024. John.

BERMAN: Steve Contorno, on the scene in St. Petersburg, thanks so much. Keep us posted.

Kate.

BOLDUAN: The U.S. government is tracking an increase in UFO sightings. So, what the Pentagon believes may be behind this now.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[10:50:00] SIDNER: UFO sightings are on the rise. The cases under investigation by the Pentagon have nearly doubled in just the past year. The head of the agency's effort told senators they're still working to try and explain the unexplained.

CNN's Oren Lieberman joins us now from The Pentagon. I never thought I'd be doing this story, but it's happening. What are their findings so far?

OREN LIEBERMANN, CNN PENTAGON CORRESPONDENT: Well, Sara, ever since this office was stood up, we've been looking at everything they've been doing. And the latest numbers coming from this office officially called the All-Domain Anomaly Resolution Office, which is tasked to look at UAPs, unidentified aerial phenomena, what normal people call UFOs, says that they're now up to looking at 650 different cases of these UFOs to try to figure out what they are. That is a dramatic increase from one year ago when the head of this office, Sean Kirkpatrick, said they were looking at about 350 cases.

So, part of the question is what's behind this? Is it simply noticing more or are there more of these UFOs or UAPs out there? The head of the office, Sean Kirkpatrick said, about half of these are of anomalous, interesting values. And they're trying to get more data about it and try to figure out what these are. But for those looking for some revelation that the Pentagon was in touch with extraterrestrials, Kirkpatrick shot that one down at the Senate hearing.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DR. SEAN KIRKPATRICK, DIRECTOR, ALL-DOMAIN ANOMALY RESOLUTION OFFICE: And our research arrow has found no credible evidence thus far of extraterrestrial activity, off world technology, or objects that defy the known laws of physics.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

LIEBERMANN: But part of the reason this is so important is, one of the big questions is, how much of a threat are these two national securities, and is it possible these are advanced technology from a foreign adversary like China or Russia being used to spy on the United States? And that's also a quick question here. Kirkpatrick said, a small number that they're looking at maybe of -- sort of, type of foreign intelligence. That's still what they're working to figure out.

[10:55:00]

Sara, one of the great challenges about many of these cases, as you get a small snippet of video, or a little bit of data about this, not nearly enough to clearly and concisely figure out what these are.

SIDNER: It's fascinating. Oren Liebermann, thank you so much, joining us from The Pentagon.

I'm obsessed. I will be honest with you. I do look in the skies all the time for potential odd things. BERMAN: As Mulder and Scully say, the truth is out there.

SIDNER: The truth is out there.

BERMAN: The truth is out there.

All right. More than 50 million people are under severe weather threats after multiple tornadoes swept the Midwest overnight, killing at least two people.

You have to see what happened during this morning's historic SpaceX launch. Historic good and historic maybe not so good. What went wrong to make the largest most powerful rocket ever explode.

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[11:00:00]