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Debt Limit Showdown; Two More Oath Keepers Sentenced; Family Demands Justice in Police Shooting; Beachgoers Warned about Sharks. Aired 9:30-10a ET

Aired May 26, 2023 - 09:30   ET

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

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[09:31:40]

JOHN BERMAN, CNN ANCHOR: Happening now, airports across the United States are seeing the busiest Memorial Day weekend in years. New data released just a few minutes ago shows more people passed through airports yesterday than at any time since Thanksgiving of 2019. And today is supposed to be even busier.

Ukrainian officials say at least two people have died after a Russian air strike on a medical facility in Dnipro. According to officials, 23 people were injured in the strike, including a six and a three-year- old. Ukrainian military officials say they downed several of the 17 cruise missiles and 31 attack drones used in the latest round of attacks.

Kate.

KATE BOLDUAN, CNN ANCHOR: The best way to put the state of play on the debt ceiling is potentially the following, there are some signs of progress, some hints that they're getting closer to agreement, but honestly that can change in a nanosecond. What hasn't changed is the real fear of what happens after June 1st. That's the earliest estimated date that the Treasury may not be able to pay the government's bills.

CNN's Arlette Saenz is tracking this for us from the White House, joins us now.

Arlette, what are you hearing from there at this point this morning?

ARLETTE SAENZ, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Well, Kate, I think what's clear this morning is that these negotiators are really racing up against the clock when it comes to trying to secure an agreement. It really, with these next 24 to 48 hours serving as a very critical time period for that. Now, President Biden has said that he does believe they can get to an agreement, but so far there is not a clear deal in sight. There are some contours of what an agreement could potentially look like, including increasing the debt ceiling for two years and pairing that with spending caps for that same length of time.

But there's still a number of sticking points when it comes to spending levels and other issues that are taking place in these negotiations at this very moment. But one thing that the president and the White House have repeatedly tried to hammer away at is stressing the point that Congress needs to act in this moment and that it's only legislative options that are available when it comes to raising the debt ceiling. Some progressives have pressed the president to raise - to use the 14th Amendment to raise the debt ceiling on his own. But this morning the deputy treasury secretary was very emphatic in saying that that option is a no go.

Take a listen.

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WALLY ADEYEMO, DEPUTY SECRETARY OF THE TREASURY: The 14th Amendment can't solve our challenges now.

POPPY HARLOW, CNN ANCHOR: Is that a no?

ADEYEMO: So the question was whether the United States would use the 14th Amendment. And I think the president and the secretary have been very clear that that will not solve our problems now. So, yes, that is a no.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SAENZ: Now, negotiators are expected to continue speaking throughout the day. President Biden, for his part, is set to depart for Camp David a little bit later this evening. The White House has defended that decision, saying that he can address and work on these issues from anywhere. But it's very clear that these negotiators are heading into a very serious time crunch, especially when you take a look at the legislative calendar.

BOLDUAN: Absolutely. It's great to see you, Arlette. Thank you so much. Let's see what happens truly in the next minutes and hours from the White House when we think -- while we wait for that.

Let's also now go straight to Capitol Hill. That's where CNN's Lauren Fox is standing by.

Lauren, haven't most lawmakers left town already? And then my next question is, is that a good sign or a bad sign?

LAUREN FOX, CNN CONGRESSIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, Kate, it is a sign that it's Memorial Day weekend, that lawmakers had plans in their districts.

[09:35:04]

And the reality is, the people in the room are Patrick McHenry, Garret Graves, White House negotiators. They are all still going to be working around the clock. And if a deal comes together, they can call lawmakers back to Washington, get them back here within 24 hours. And it's just a good reminder that even if a deal comes together in the next few days, lawmakers on the Republican said still are going to get three days to read over that legislation. So that gives them a little bit of a window and some flexibility.

There is still a lot of concern about some of those outstanding issues. There's also growing concern from conservatives and from progressives that the deal that is starting to take shape, the deal that they are making progress toward, it just may not be something that everyone can back. And that was always going to be the reality, but Democrats especially are warning the White House that they cannot take their votes for granted.

The Democrats had a caucus meeting yesterday where they addressed some of these issues. There was a phone call last night between Steve Ricchetti and Hakeem Jeffries, the Democratic leader in the House of Representatives, just trying to reinforce once again that this is a deal that still has to get the votes. And I think that we've been talking a lot about what the contours of a deal are, when a deal could come together, but it's also important to remember that's just the first step. They have to pass it out of the House of Representatives, they have to pass it out of the Senate, which could take some time, if any one senator objects to moving forward on a time agreement. So that just gives you a sense that, yes, time is running short. And potentially there's going to be a lot of work to do to get the votes needed to get this through the House or the Senate.

And Arlette brought up a good point, the 14th Amendment appears to be off the table in the White House's mind. So this means the only path forward is getting a deal and passing it through Congress.

Kate.

BOLDUAN: Yes, to get the -- to get - to get to the final step you need to take a first step, which is actually getting to an agreement. It's great to see you, Lauren. Thank you very much.

John.

BERMAN: I do also wonder, Kate, about the possibility of announcing a deal on Friday evening of a holiday weekend if that takes maybe some of the pressure off some of the members.

BOLDUAN: A lot of deals are struck when lawmakers are far away from cameras and from each other.

BERMAN: Big moment Friday night of Memorial Day.

All right, very shortly, Jessica Watkins, a member of the far-right extremist group the Oath Keepers will be sentenced for her role in the January 6th insurrection. And this afternoon, Kenneth Harrelson will be sentenced as well.

This comes after the founder of the group Stewart Rhodes was sentenced to 18 years in prison for seditious conspiracy, the longest yet for anyone connected to January 6th.

CNN's Katelyn Polantz is with us this morning.

So, Katelyn, talk to us about what's important today. KATELYN POLANTZ, CNN SENIOR CRIME AND JUSTICE REPORTER: Well, John,

we're going to see a series of sentencings for people that are convicted in -- as part of this group of the Oath Keepers that were led by Stewart Rhodes, the founders of the Oath Keepers, on January 6th, organized, planned for that attack at the Capitol and made sure that there were people there to help support them and also to make sure that there were guns around D.C.

And today the two people we're seeing being sentenced are just another set of people in that group under Rhodes. So, if Rhodes is at the top of this structure, below him there was Kelly Meggs, who was sentenced yesterday to 12 years, and then there are a series of other team leaders essentially, one of them Jessica Watkins. She was called Cap for captain because she was a leader and she was part of this conspiracy as well, not seditious conspiracy as far as her convictions go, but she was part of the group that was convicted and had a leadership role. The government is asking for, I believe, 15 years for her -- I'm sorry, 18 years for her.

And then the other person sentenced today, Kenneth Harrelson. They're asking for 15 years for him. He was another team leader from Florida coming and organizing people.

And the big thing to watch for today, John, is that yesterday a major moment in Rhodes' sentencing was not just what he said, but also how the judge viewed this as a domestic terrorism crime. He said it was. And with Watkins and Harrelson today, the Justice Department is, again, going to argue that these people should have their sentences much harsher because they are domestic terrorism. We'll wait to see what the judge does there.

John.

BERMAN: All right, Katelyn Polantz, in Washington, thank you very much.

Let's now go to Orlando in Florida where Florida governor and now Republican presidential candidate Ron DeSantis is delivering what is his first speech since he is -- or became an announced presidential candidate. He is speaking to the Florida Homeschool Association.

GOV. RON DESANTIS (R-FL): And so we showed and we really blew up that entire narrative in the state of Florida by standing against it. Obviously, when you saw the rioting going on in Minneapolis, I didn't just sit there and do nothing, I called out our National Guard. We were not going to let Florida cities burn down. And that did not happen here. And it will never happen here.

[09:40:03]

And so we have to be honest about the destruction that we have seen throughout our country over the last three years, particularly in these urban areas that turn their back on our school children and put the interests of school unions ahead of the interests of parents and students. And education is an important issue. As a governor, I know how important it is for the state. But I also look at it through the lens of being a father of a six, a five and a three-year-old. And my wife and I, we really believe in our bones in the rights of parents to direct the education and upbringing of their kids.

We were one of the first states in the country to sign into law a parental bill of rights. And part of parents' rights means you have a right as a parent to curriculum transparency. You have a right to know what is being taught in your kids' school. And if they are materials that are inappropriate because of age or they violate Florida standards, you have the right to blow the whistle on that.

Now, we've had empowered - empowered parents to do that. Parents have been doing that. And most school districts have been fine. But there have been some that have done some really questionable things. So, the parents will blow the whistle if they see something like pornographic books in the middle school library. Of course that is not appropriate. And so they will do that. And that book should not be there.

The media, they try to say that this is, quote, banning books. But what you have in a school, you have to make judgments about what's appropriate or not. It doesn't mean you as adults can't buy these books. Some of them, I don't know why you'd buy, but they're available in Florida. You go ahead and knock yourself out if you want to do that. But that's much different than what should be in front of a 10- year-old school child.

And so the media, when they talk about book ban, understand, that is a hoax. They are creating a false narrative. We actually did a press conference that we titled "exposing the book ban hoax." And before I had any of the parents talk, before I even talked, we played a short video that just showed what it was the parents were objecting to. It had some graphic images, had some very graphic language, and the news stations who were covering that press conference had to cut their feed because they said it was too graphic. Well, if it's too graphic for the 6:00 news, how is it OK for a 10-year-old school child?

And the latest thing they're trying to do is, down in Miami-Dade, you have legacy media outlets creating this poem hoax. And so what this is, this is some book of poems, I never heard of it, I had nothing to do with any of this, but it was a book of poems that was in an elementary school library and the school or the school district determined that was more appropriate to be in the middle school library. So, they moved it from the elementary school library to the middle school library. Legacy media outlets are saying that Miami-Dade is banning books. Literally just moving it from one part of the school to the next is now considered a book ban.

So, you know when they're doing that, and even the school district had to come out and say that's ridiculous, you know, we made the decision, we think it's better to be in middle school, but when they're doing that, you know these legacy media outlets are lying to you. They are trying to create a political narrative that is totally divorced from the facts. And if they're going to do something like this ridiculous poem hoax and actually put that out there and think that you're going to believe it, honestly, that just shows you they're insulting your intelligence. In our country a republic requires citizens to be engaged. And if you

are a citizen who's accepting legacy media outlets uncritically, their narratives uncritically without using your own independent judgment, you are failing at your duty of being a conscientious citizen. Do not buy what they're trying to feed you.

BOLDUAN: And - and if there was any -- Ron DeSantis speaking at a homeschool convention there in Florida. If there was any question what his campaign was going to look like, a lot like what we've seen from him as governor, leaning into culture wars that he will be now running on as a presidential candidate, leaning into taking on the media, as you can see very clearly. And leaning into parents' rights as they continue to talk at this homeschool convention about education and schools and what he's been doing in Florida.

We'll obviously continue to follow Ron DeSantis on the campaign trail.

Also this ahead for us, we are hearing now from the mother of the Mississippi boy who was shot by a police officer after that boy called 911.

[09:45:05]

He was the one that called 911 for help. What that mother is saying now.

We'll be right back.

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BERMAN: New this morning, the attorney for a Mississippi family says that is no way an 11-year-old could have been mistaken for an adult when a police officer shot him in the chest. Aderrien Murry was seriously injured by the responding officer after the child called 911 for help. Earlier this morning his mother spoke out.

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NAKALA MURRY, SHOOTING VICTIM'S MOTHER: He was like, I don't want to die. That's what he was saying. While he was - I was on the ground, I said, you're not going to die, baby. Was he expecting a kid to come around the corner? I don't know.

[09:50:00]

But there's protocol when kids are around. I want to see him fired.

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BERMAN: Murry is recovering at home from his injuries this morning and the attorney says he is traumatized from what happened.

CNN's Nick Valencia joins us now.

Nick, way don't you bring us up to speed on the latest developments? NICK VALENCIA, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, this morning, Aderrien, we're

told, is going to start counseling. And a family attorney tells me that there's just no way any reasonably trained officer could have made this mistake. The family believes that Aderrien came within an inch of losing his life. And a new photo that we have this morning shows the extent of Aderrien's injuries, a bandage over the hole in his chest that he has after being shot by police.

All of this, of course, unfolding, according to the mother, Nakala Murry, on Saturday morning when the father of one of her other child showed up unannounced at her home irate. She was so scared for her safety that Aderrien was sleeping in the room and she was able to briefly getaway and sneak him a cell phone and tell him to call 911 to help her. And that's exactly what he did.

Now, two officers responded to the scene, we're told. And one of the officers had his gun drawn when he got to the door, ordered everyone out of the house, including the mother and Aderrien, and that's when Aderrien came from around the corner, from a hallway into the living room and was shot by that police officer.

Listen to the family attorney tell me there's nothing that Aderrien could have done differently to avoid being shot.

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CARLOS MOORE, ATTORNEY REPRESENTING MURRY FAMILY: This sounds like the boy did everything right. I mean, everything right. He was a good student. He obeyed his mom so -- request for him to call the police for her assistance. He called the police and his grandmother. And then when the officer showed up, he said come out with your hands up. He obeyed the officer's request and he still get shot.

There's no way he could have been mistaken for the adult. The adult was over six feet tall. This young man, this 11-year-old child, was about 4'10".

(END VIDEO CLIP)

VALENCIA: The incident was captured on body camera this morning. We reached out to the Indianola Police Department. They're referring all questions to the Mississippi Bureau of Investigations, which has told us they wont' be commenting any further than they have already and they are not going to be releasing the body camera footage because of an ongoing investigation.

Bottom line here, John, the family says they won't be pleased until this officer is charged and arrested.

John.

BERMAN: All right, Nick Valencia, again, you can see the photo right there you were talking about the bandage the family provided you. Hopefully he is at home and recovering as well as he can. Appreciate it.

Rahel.

VALENCIA: You bet.

SOLOMON: And John, still ahead, frightening moments caught on camera. A security camera captures the moment a teenager steals a car with a baby still inside. What the baby's mother is now saying about how she got her child back.

But up next, as you make your weekend plans, officials up and down the East Coast warning of possible shark sightings. What you need to know before you get in the water, straight ahead.

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[09:55:54]

SOLOMON: Welcome back.

A word of warning now for folks heading to the beach this Memorial Day weekend. You may not be alone in the water. This week three shark bite incidents and a shark sighting along the East Coast prompting new alerts for safe swimming. So the attacks were in New Jersey and the Florida Keys, and a great white was also spotted near South Carolina. Now, thankfully, none of the encounters were deadly. Experts say shark attacks are rare but they do happen.

Let's bring in now CNN's senior national correspondent Miguel Marquez.

So, Miguel, what are officials saying about being aware of sharks this summer season?

MIGUEL MARQUEZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT: You got to know that if you are at the ocean, you are in their front yard and in their backyard. Here at the Rockaways, you know, it is - it is business as usual, which is to mean no business at all, just but surfing, which is great to do on a beautiful day like this. And it's only going to get busier.

But New York officials are concerned about sharks. They're putting more drones in the air over the beaches to watch for sharks and more ships around the beaches to make sure that they can spot sharks and get people out of the water if necessary.

This follows those shark attacks that you were talking about, and others. There was one in the Turks and Caicos where a 22-year-old woman had her leg - her leg taken off by a shark. That is very concerning. She is in serious condition. They were snorkeling off the reef off of a private boat, and that's when that shark struck. They think maybe it just mistook her for prey, but they're not entirely sure.

There was a young woman, a teenager, who was surfing off the coast of New Jersey earlier this week and she got bit by what she thinks was a shark.

And then there was a young woman who was just wading out in the - in the water, just sitting out on the beach in Florida, and she got bit on her stomach and on her arm. So, it can happen. It is very rare. But, you know, the best advice, if you see schools of fish, if you see seals, stay away from them. Most of the times the sharks mistake people for food.

Back to you.

SOLOMON: Miguel, is that what you said, that the sharks have just become a bit confused at least in some of these incidents? Is that what's leading to some of these incidents?

MARQUEZ: That the sharks have become confused? I think the sharks think that sometimes they see somebody in a wet suit, they see something out on the water. They're not sure if it's a seal. They're not sure if it's prey. And sometimes they strike.

The thing about the woman in the Turks and Caicos, that it took her leg off. I'm not sure if it completely took her leg off or if they had to remove it after she was bitten, but she is in serious condition. And that was a much more serious bite than sharks usually do. Usually they strike and then they back off.

Back to you.

SOLOMON: A good reminder.

Miguel Marquez, thank you.

Kate.

BOLDUAN: Still ahead, coming into CNN NEWS CENTRAL, we're going to have more on the story that we just learned about this hour. Pope Frances has canceled all events today due to a fever. The latest that we're learning from the Vatican on this.

Plus, one for the record books, apparently. AAA predicting an historic summer of travel and it is kicking off this weekend with tens of millions of people heading out of town.

We'll be right back.

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