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Shots Fired Inside a Moving Bus Injures Driver and Passenger; Chris Sununu, New Hampshire governor, to Decide on Potential 2024 Presidential Race; Grand Canal in Venice Displays Fluorescent Green Water; After a Heart Attack, Having Strong Legs May Improve Recovery; California, State Farm Suspends Sale of New Homeowners Insurance; Days Before Potential Default, White House and GOP Reach a Debt Agreement. Aired 10:30-11a ET

Aired May 29, 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]

DIANNE GALLAGHER, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Now, both men, according to CATS, fired their guns, "In rapid succession." It is unclear at this time who shot first. Fullard stops bus and then, sort of, follows Tobias down that walkway as he crawls back. They both get off the bus as well. And there were two other passengers who were on the bus at the time, they were unharmed, according to CATS. Both Fullard and Tobias were shot. The driver in the arm, the passenger in the abdomen. The passenger, Tobias, is facing charges related to the shooting. John, it's unclear at this time if the driver will face charges as well.

JOHN BERMAN, CNN NEWS CENTRAL CO-ANCHOR: What about the bus system? What do they have to say about all of this?

GALLAGHER: So, look, the driver was fired. He was hired by a third- party contractor. In this situation, they say, you're not allowed to have weapons on you. Also, they -- CATS has basically said that he did not follow de-escalation measures. He didn't use his radio nor the two silent alarms. But here's what the interim CEO of CATS had to say about the situation.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BRENT CAGLE, CATS INTERIM CEO: I understand everyone's need to protect themselves. I also believe that this incident may have been avoided.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

GALLAGHER: Now, the attorney for the driver, David Fullard, says that his client had worked as a driver at CATS, John, for 19 years and says that he's represented several other drivers of this system in the past. He says that they have continuously encouraged CATS to enhance security measures for drivers so they can feel safe doing their jobs.

BERMAN: Just terrifying video. All right. Dianne Gallagher, thank you very much for that.

Kate.

KATE BOLDUAN, CNN NEWS CENTRAL CO-ANCHOR: Another Republican could be about to throw his hat in the ring. New Hampshire Governor Chris Sununu is expected to announce soon whether or not to throw he plans to run for the White House.

CNN's Eva McKend is tracking this, she joins us now. Eva, what could his decision do to the Republican race?

EVA MCKEND, CNN NATIONAL POLITICS REPORTER: Well, Kate, he says, the money has been lined up, the support has been lined up and he has a pathway to win. Governor Sununu, he's popular among independents, that's a critical group in a general election. He's a Republican governor in a blue state who has long argued Trump can win -- can't win with most voters in a general matchup. But not everyone needs to be a candidate. He is still trying to determine if he would be better off helping from the outside as the larger the field becomes, the more favorable it is for trump. Let's listen to how he's thinking about this.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

REP. CHRIS SUNUNU (R-NH): I just want what's best for the party. It doesn't have to be the Chris Sununu show all the time. It's just what's best. So, that's kind of what I'm narrowing down now. The money has been lined up, the support has been lined up, there's a pathway to win. All that -- all those boxes are checked. The family is on board, which is always a big one. I just got to make sure it's right for the party and right for me.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

MCKEND: So, he clearly enjoys this, will he, won't he conversation. He says, it doesn't need to be the Chris Sununu show, I'm not so sure about that. But we should get a more clear answer from him soon maybe next month, Kate.

BOLDUAN: That's a great point, Eva. It's great to see you. Thank you.

John.

BERMAN: All right. Kate.

So, this might be the picture of the day. And by that, I mean, the gross picture of the day. Why is this canal in Venice bright green? Maybe celebrating the Celtics. I don't know.

BOLDUAN: Maybe it's --

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[10:35:00]

BERMAN: President Biden and other world leaders are congratulating Turkey's incumbent President Tayyep Erdogan who won a historic third term after a tightly contested runoff election. President Biden says he looks forward to working together as, "NATO allies on global challenges." Erdogan now enters his third decade as the leader of Turkey.

Archaeologists say they have discovered two of the largest workshops ever used in ancient Egypt to mummify human and animal corpses. The tombs were discovered just south of Cairo and date back to as early as 305 B.C. Archeologists also discovered the tombs, they say, of two priests, one 4,400 years old and the other dating back more than 3,400 years.

A giant panda named Ya Ya arrived back to the Beijing Zoo today after quarantining for a month in Shanghai. And before that, spending two decades at the Memphis Zoo. She was returned to China following months of heated discussion on Chinese social media about whether she received adequate care and attention in the United States. The Memphis Zoo denied mistreating Ya Ya but the acrimonious back and forth was seen as a sign of rising tensions in U.S. China relations.

Kate.

BOLDUAN: So, there is definitely something in the water in one of Italy's most iconic sites. Officials just aren't sure exactly what it is. A section of the Grand Canal in Venice turned bright green over the weekend, and that's where all the questions begin.

CNN Contributor Barbie Nadeau has much more on this for us from Rome. Barbie, officials are investigating, but what are you hearing? How -- any -- how -- are they any further along in figuring out what exactly is going on here?

BARBIE LATZA NADEAU, CNN CONTRIBUTOR: Well, they were very quick to say that this wasn't anything toxic. So -- that there is no harm to flora and fauna in the Grand Canal.

[10:40:00]

They really think what it is, is a substance that's used in the underwater building that's used in, like, a teaspoon form in order to see if there's any movement, if there's a leak when they're doing some water. Obviously, a construction, obviously, that's a big concern in Venice. And what happened though is a huge amount of this, if this is what it's turned to be was dumped on the water on Sunday morning, turning the Grand Canal into the Green Canal, obviously.

But they were thought -- they thought immediately that it was climate activism. We've seen lots of these attacks in Italy across the last couple of months. But none of these groups that usually take -- you know, do these attacks took credit for it and, in fact thought, that was a great idea but it wasn't us. So, they're just waiting for the water to clear now and saying that they don't think it's toxic but they're still testing the water. Kate.

BOLDUAN: Yes, I mean, I think, they can definitely say it's toxic and we will believe those test results. But it's wild to see the Grand Canal such a bright shade of green. Barbie, thank you very much for that. John.

BERMAN: All Celtics fans, clearly, Venice.

BOLDUAN: Stop it. That is not --

BERMAN: Venice is cheering for the Boston Celtics --

BOLDUAN: Yes. OK.

BERMAN: -- to win. This historic game seven tonight.

BOLDUAN: Fine. Fine. I give in.

BERMAN: That's why they turned it green.

California wildfires are making it harder to get home insurance. Hear which company is stopping sales in that state.

And do not skip leg day ever. A new study out about why it could save your life.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[10:45:00]

BOLDUAN: This morning, there is new research showing growing evidence that having strong legs could help your heart. The findings have yet to be published in a peer-reviewed journal, but they are highlighting the importance of regular exercise.

CNN's Jacqueline Howard has much more on this. So, Jacqueline, as John says, you can never skip leg day ever again. But what is the connection that this research is finding between legs and heart?

JACQUELINE HOWARD, CNN HEALTH REPORTER: It is interesting, Kate. The researchers looked at quadricep muscles as a marker for overall muscle strength in older adults. And they found that those who maintained that muscle strength had better heart health outcomes after a heart attack. So, this just shows the importance of exercise and maintaining muscle strength as you age.

And what the researchers did, they looked at the data on more than 900 heart attack patients between the ages of 57 and 74, and again, they measured quadricep muscle strength. And they found that the incidence rate of heart failure among hearth attack patients who had low muscle strength in their quads was much higher than those who have high muscle strength, so much so, that high quadricep strength was associated with a 41 percent lower risk of developing heart failure after a heart attack.

But the take away here, Kate, is that overall, the importance of maintaining that muscle strength can lead to better outcomes while recovering from a heart attack. And the researchers say that this might be evidence to support doing cardiac rehabilitation and strength training during that recovery process, Kate. BOLDUAN: That is really -- I think that is really fascinating, this connection, this correlation however the -- specific way to say it. Thanks for bringing it to us, Jacqueline.

John.

BERMAN: That's why I do squats during commercials.

BOLDUAN: I can't. Did you find yourself squeezing your legs doing that? I did. I did.

BERMAN: It is all private.

This morning, a new impact of the wildfires we've seen raging in California the last few years. State Farms says, it will no longer accept home owner insurance applications in the state, citing wildfire risks and skyrocketing construction cost.

CNN's Matt Egan has the details here. Matt, what are you learning?

MATT EGAN, CNN BUSINESS AND ECONOMY REPORTER: Well, John, this is alarming news for California residents. I mean, State Farm is not some tiny player in the state, it's California's largest home insurer. And now, as of this weekend, it's no longer going to sell new home insurance.

So, the company is citing three main factors here. One, the skyrocketing cost of rebuilding when disaster strikes. Two, the fact that in California, disaster has been striking a lot more often, largely because of the state's wildfire problem. And then re- insurance, which is basically insurance for insurers. It has become harder to come by in California because of those first two issues, inflation and wildfire.

Now, the company says that they basically had no choice here in order to boost their financial results that they felt like they needed to take a step back in California. Now, the inflation issue, of course, that is not a problem specific to California. That is a national issue, if not a global one. It's really the catastrophe risk that is specific to California.

The governor's office there says that the state has averaged 7,000 wildfires per year over the last five years. And California -- in California, those wildfires have consumed more than 2 million acres per year, stunning figures. And scientists, they blame the climate crisis for this issue. If you look at the worst wildfires in California history, three of them have occurred in just the last six years, John. So, no surprise to see State Farm pulling back.

BERMAN: Well, it is surprising, in a way, to have a company basically saying that homes are uninsurable in the nation's most populous state because of natural disaster. Are they the only company saying that?

EGAN: They're not, John. Unfortunately for California residents, this is a growing issue.

[10:50:00]

Last year, AIG reportedly -- they stopped insuring thousands of homes that they had previously insured. Chubb, which is the state's biggest home insurer for high-end homes, they're doing something similar. Now, State Farm, the largest player is retreating.

You know, here's is why this is a problem for California home owners and home buyers, this means that there's going to be fewer choice for them, right? Fewer competition. And that, of course, is going to make things even more expensive for residents in what is already a very expensive state. You know, it feels like for the longest time, wildfires were just looked at as, kind of, the cost of doing business in California. But now, the problem has gotten so bad that some home insurers are just walking away altogether. And, John, that is going to add to expenses for consumers.

BERMAN: It'll be very interesting to see if this changes patterns of where people choose to build and live. Matt Egan, thank you very much for that.

Kate.

BOLDUAN: Still to come for us this morning, we are waiting the arrival of President Biden and the first lady at Arlington National Cemetery. They're going to be joining the nation to stop and honor those who have made the ultimate sacrifice while serving the country. The 155th National Memorial Day Observance Ceremony, it's about to get under way. We'll be right back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[10:55:00]

BERMAN: Let the counting begin. Yes, they have a deal to raise the debt ceiling and void default, but we do not know if the deal has the votes. The frantic effort on both sides of the aisle to get the numbers.

BOLDUAN: Memorial Day is the unofficial start of the summer. Travel season, of course, and it is now a huge test this time for airlines and airports across the country. How they're handling some of the biggest crowds since the pandemic set in.

BERMAN: President Biden due to lay a wreath at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, you are looking at live pictures at this very moment. It is Memorial Day, a time to honor those who have fallen in service to the nation. This is "CNN News Central."

All right. They are whipping the votes. Party leaders, both Republican and Democratic Party leaders, attempting to convince their members to back this new debt limit deal. President Biden and House Speaker Kevin McCarthy reached the agreement over the weekend. The plan would suspend the debt for about a year and half, through January 2025, this pushes off any kind of debate about this until after the presidential election. If they do not get the votes, the Treasury Secretary, Janet Yellen, says the U.S. could default on its debt as soon as June 5th, that is one week from today.

Let's get right to CNN's Lauren Fox on Capitol Hill, Arlette Saenz is at the White House up. Do they have votes, Lauren? I mean, where are they at right now?

LAUREN FOX, CNN CONGRESSIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, they are trying to get the votes furiously behind the scenes, making calls throughout the day on both sides of the aisle to try to lock in support so that they can pass this through the House of Representatives. That vote is scheduled on Wednesday.

We should note that they are going to lose some conservatives on the right. There are a number of members who have already said that they will not back this proposal because it does not cut spending at the levels that they wanted it to. It doesn't reflect the same agreement that was passed out of the house with just Republican votes. But that is OK. The speaker can still move this bill through with a coalition of moderate Democrats and moderate Republicans.

In fact, just a few minutes ago, Kevin McCarthy arrived on the Hill, our colleague, Morgan Rimmer, asked him if he was concerned about losing that conservative support. He argued, he does not operate under hypothetical, that he is not worried about it. Asked if he was concerned at all about a critical vote tomorrow in the house rules committee where there are a number of conservatives voicing concern. He said, nope. He's not concerned.

So, that gives you a sense of where things are. We expect that this could pass the House as soon as Wednesday, then it goes through the U.S. Senate, that is where things could take a little bit of time if anyone member voices objections, they can really slow down the process, pushing us closer to that June 5th deadline. John.

BERMAN: You know, everyone is looking at this, Arlette. This unusual Biden-McCarthy coalition here. McCarthy may lose votes on the right but President Biden might lose some votes on the left. Where does the White House see things right now?

ARLETTE SAENZ, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Well, John, the White House recognizes the difficult task at hand in trying to garner enough support to get this legislation across the finish line. And they know that there some Democrats who have voiced concerns, and indicated they may not be ready to vote for such an agreement.

Now, the president has argued that this needed to be a compromise. That they're needed to be some give and take from both sides, and that neither side got everything that they wanted in the deal. But you've heard frustration from progressives, specifically on the issue of work requirements when it comes to the food stamp program as the age for eligibility or the age eligibility limit for those work requirements has now been extended by an additional five years.

Now, the president bristled a little bit when he was asked a question about whether he was negotiating with Republicans on the debt ceiling. Something that throughout this process he had insisted he wouldn't do. Take a listen. [11:00:00]