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White House, GOP Reach Debt Limit Deal Just Days Before Potential Default; Ukraine Says, 60-Plus Russian Air Targets Destroyed Overnight; FAA Put to the Test as Millions of Travelers Flock to Airports. Aired 10-10:30a ET

Aired May 29, 2023 - 10:00   ET

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

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KATE BOLDUAN, CNN ANCHOR: They have a deal. Now they need the votes. The Republican-led House is expected vote this week on the new debt deal as the treasury secretary warns that the United States will to default on the debt one week from today.

JOHN BERMAN, CNN ANCHOR: Huge explosions in Kyiv, as Russia launches a rare daytime attack on Ukrainian the capital. We have the assessments of the damage.

BOLDUAN: And now, it is Memorial Day in honor of the soldiers who have died in service to the nation. And this is the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. Today, the president and first lady will participate in a wreath-laying ceremony there, a very important one, as well as giving remarks after that. We are going to bring that to you live right here on CNN News Central.

The clock is ticking, but there are some real signs of progress, a breakthrough in the negotiations over the debt ceiling over the weekend, a deal among the leaders. But will the other lawmakers follow their lead? One week from today, the United States could default on its debt, which would be unprecedented, as we have talked about so much. President Biden, House Speaker Kevin McCarthy, they struck the debt limit deal this weekend, and the Republican-led House is expected to vote on Wednesday.

The agreement would do a lot of stuff, but includes suspending the debt limit for about a year-and-a-half, through January 1st, 2025. And, importantly, that pushes of this debate until after the election. Right now, leaders on both sides of the aisle are working to convince their members to get on board. Let's check in and see where that stands in this moment.

CNN's Lauren Fox is on Capitol Hill, Arlette Saenz is at the White House. Laurent, what are hearing from Republicans about this deal? We know that there's a lot -- there's a wide range but where are they today?

LAUREN FOX, CNN CONGRESSIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Yes. I mean, Kate, the race is really on to get the votes on both sides. The reality is that Kevin McCarthy as well as Hakeem Jeffries are probably going to lose some of the members on the far right of the Republican conference and on the far left of the progressive caucus. That is just part of the strategy here. They always knew they were going to have to thread the needle through the middle. So, that is where the focus is right now, with around the clock briefings trying to get Democrats read-in on all the specifics that are part of this deal.

We expect that White House officials are going to be continuing those briefings today. There also were some briefings last night over some of these details for Senate Republicans, for Senate Democrats. We are told that those briefings both went well, although we should note there was some concern raised in the Senate Republican briefing about the defense spending, arguing from some Republicans that this number was just not high enough.

So, that gives you a sense of the fight ahead. Like you noted, the vote is expected to take place in the House on Wednesday, and things could move quickly in the Senate if there is a unanimous consent to do that. But any one Republican senator can really slow this process down. So, they're going to be right up against that deadline. Kate?

BOLDUAN: Absolutely. All right, so, Arlette is at the White House. Arlette, we have heard from some progressive Democrats that they are not happy with this, that the White House should be concerned worried about this. What are you hearing about that from there?

ARLETTE SAENZ, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Well, Kate, the White House recognizes that they have a difficult task ahead in trying to garner enough support to get this legislation passed, including within their own party.

You heard over the weekend some progressives express frustration specifically when it comes to the work requirements for food stamp programs that are included in this bill. They did not want to see any type of work requirements or toughened work requirements in this agreement, that that is a concession that the White House did make in their talks.

Now, the president has defended his decision to negotiation with the Republicans, saying that he believes that he did not have to give up too much to them, but still, you have heard some frustration from those progressives.

Now, in private, they held a call with Democrats over the weekend, where they defended the president's work, and also argued that they were able to preserve some of the key items that were pivotal to this administration, including the Inflation Reduction Act and the infrastructure bill.

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And this morning, the White House communications director, Ben LaBolt, talked a bit about how progressives should see that element of this agreement as a win. Take a listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) BEN LABOLT, WHITE HOUSE COMMUNICATIONS DIRECTOR: Well, look, we'll leave to the speaker to win support from Republicans in Congress to move this forward. Yesterday, when he was on television, he said that he expected the majority of Republican members in the House to support the legislation.

The President brought in all four congressional leaders throughout this process and worked closely with the speaker to make sure that they all felt that they could win support from members of both parties to get a bipartisan vote to get this through, which is always how we've prevented default in the past.

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SAENZ: Now, throughout the day, White House officials are expected to brief members of Congress. They're also going to be holding some one- on-one phone calls with lawmakers, as they quickly have realized that that June 5th deadline is very quickly approaching, leaving very little time to get this bill passed.

BOLDUAN: Yes, and still a lot of work, very clearly, as you guys are laying out, a lot of work to get done to really get to the full finish line here. It's great to see you both. Thank you. John?

BERMAN: All right. This morning, Ukraine says it successfully shot down 11 ballistic and cruise missiles Russia launched into Kyiv, the capital, right here. This was a rare daytime attack, and it was using the Iskander missile. About 11 of these mobile short range ballistic missiles, this is what Ukraine says it shot down. It followed an attack overnight that used different weaponry, largely the Iranian- provided Shahed drone.

Now, Ukraine promises swift retaliation for this latest round of attacks. And we've seen a little bit of what the Ukrainians can do lately. They launched another over the border air attack on Belgorod inside Russia. And interestingly enough, they also hit the Russians in Russian occupied towns. This is part of Ukraine Berdiansk here, and Mariupol, the Russians have been in there since last spring.

Joined now by CNN Military Analysts and retired Air Force Colonel Cedric Leighton. Cedric, we have video I can show people of this attack in Kyiv, and you could see it's just broad daylight here. And in the video of this, you can also hear just the booms overhead. Why a daylight attack, and also why the range of weaponry that the Russians are using now, all these different kinds of missiles?

COL. CEDRIC LEIGHTON (RET.), CNN MILITARY ANALYST: Yes, John. I think the biggest thing that you're dealing with here is the Russians are throwing everything they've got at the Ukrainians. They want to throw them off balance. And it's unusual to do a daily attack. So, that very fact that it's not a normal time for these kinds of things, normally, you do it at night or in the early morning hours before dawn, this is the kind of thing that the Russians want to do. They want to make it seem to the Ukrainians that no place is safe for them, and that's why they did it at this point in time. BERMAN: So, Colonel, we've been pointing out for several weeks now that Belgorod, which is inside Russia -- I'm going to put the border up here so people can see, this is a border between Ukraine and Russia. Belgorod is a key transport point for troops, Russian troops going into Ukraine and also supplies, that has been a target for some time.

What appears to be a little new is the Ukrainians targeting the Russian-occupied cities of Mariupol and Berdiansk. Why do you think the Ukrainians might be targeting those cities now?

LEIGHTON: Well, there are a couple of reasons, John. One of them is both Mariupol and Berdiansk are port cities, and they do have the capability to serve, as you mentioned, as transshipment points for the Russian forces that are occupying that southern part of Ukraine.

So, what the Ukrainians are doing is they are taking the war to those supply areas. They're using longer range weaponry because they can actually affect the transport of those materials, those war materials, to the frontline. And what they can also do is they can interdict that, which means basically cut off the supply lines to the Russian forces that are deployed in that area.

BERMAN: And one of the things I know you've discussed frequently, again, is possibly one area for this spring counteroffensive. And I we'll say the days in spring are ticking away here might be for the Ukrainians to try to cut off the Russians, this area in red that they occupy, this land bridge to Crimea. If somehow the Ukrainians could break through there, that would obviously disrupt the Russian operation.

Cedric, if and when this Ukrainian counter offensive begins, what will that look and feel like?

LEIGHTON: Yes, there are several possible scenarios here, John, and one of them is a direct frontal assault on the Russian areas that are positioned in particularly the approaches to Crimea. But I think what the Ukrainians are going to do is they're going to try to cross the Dnipro River.

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They're also going to try to move their forces in a way that is hopefully lightning-quick and that really brings the Russians off balance at this particular juncture.

So, it won't be something that will be announced kind of like Eisenhower did on D-Day, where it was very clear that we were invading Europe back in World War II. In this particular case, I think it's going to be a far more subtle event that we will really know the full extent of after it has started. And that, I think, is what the Ukrainian plan is at the moment.

BERMAN: Just so people know what Cedric was talking about there, Colonel Leighton is talking about the Dnipro River right here, which does separate this Russian control territory in Southern Ukraine from the areas that Ukraine is still very much in command. We'll be watching that area very closely.

Colonel Cedric Leighton, always great to see you, thank you very much, Kate?

BOLDUAN: Right now, search and rescue operations happening in Iowa after a six-storey apartment building partially collapsed. The rescue so far and what officials are worried about still this morning, we're going to bring that to you.

Plus, a suspected drunk driver ends up in the water after officials say she sped along a packed Florida beach, almost hitting a child. We'll have the latest on that.

And with air travel smashing pandemic era records this Memorial Day weekend, how airlines and airports are handling the demand despite all of the staffing strains we've talked so much about.

We'll be back.

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BERMAN: First responders on the scene of an apartment building that partially collapsed in Davenport, Iowa. Eight people have been rescued, including one person who was hospitalized overnight.

Officials say they are not aware of any other people trapped inside that wreckage. It is still not clear what caused parts of this six- storey complex to separate from the rest of the building over the weekend.

Terrifying moments in New Smyrna Beach, Florida, when a woman plowed her car into the water after speeding down the beach at about 50 miles an hour. She narrowly missed hitting several families and a dog. Police say the 26-year-old from Orlando had a blood alcohol level nearly double the legal limit. She is charged with DUI and reckless driving.

And the live version of The Little Mermaid made a big splash at the U.S. box office this weekend. It brought in about $95.5 million so far over the three-day period. That is according to Industry Estimates. It is on track to be the fifth highest Memorial Day weekend opening ever. Kate?

BOLDUAN: All right. We're going to show you some live pictures from Arlington National Cemetery. As you can see, the program will be getting underway today at cemetery that very soon. President Biden and the First Lady will be taking part in a wreath-laying ceremony at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, as well as there's a wonderful program that happens every year right around this time of day that we're going to be bringing to you live.

Memorial Day is, of course, an important moment to honor the Americans who gave their lives for our freedom. We'll continue to honor them today, as you can see, this beautiful picture as the program is going to be getting under way there.

This at the same time, this Memorial Day weekend is also the unofficial start to the summer travel season, and this weekend is breaking records.

Pete Muntean is at Reagan National Airport for us once again. Pete, how are things going to play out today and tomorrow and the day after?

PETE MUNTEAN, CNN AVIATION CORRESPONDENT: It's still a big test for the airlines, Kate. They got through the first wave here of everybody leaving town. Now, the big question is whether or not they could keep it together for the second wave, everybody coming home all at once.

And I just heard from TSA, they say that some places, individually, some airports will break records today. This was always going to be a big trial by fire for the airlines, especially after the staffing shortages that they had last year led to 55,000 cancelations. And it all kicked off on Memorial Day, stretched all the way to Labor Day.

Also going to be a big test because of the number of people who have been traveling, 2.72 million people passed through security at America's airports on Friday. That is the highest number we have seen since the depths of the pandemic. Many days lately are bigger than the same day back in 2019 before the pandemic.

The good news here is that the cancelations had been relatively low in total from Thursday to today, about 600 cancelations in total. Compare that to Memorial Day last year, airlines canceled about 2,700 flights. Passengers here tell me that that issue of all of the problems last year, they're still thinking about it.

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UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It is absolutely in the back of my mind, but I'm keeping my fingers crossed that I get home without a hitch.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I hope that when I go back on Tuesday, I won't have a problem because I have to get to work.

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MUNTEAN: Just checked FlightAware, delays today nationwide in the U.S., about 600, much better when it comes to cancelations, only about 60 nationwide today. So, we will see if the airlines can keep it together, especially as the FAA is warning about ground stops and ground delays at places like Houston, San Francisco, Newark, LaGuardia, some of the busiest airports in the country today.

They say the big problem, though, will not be the volume of planes. 42,000 commercial flights scheduled, the FAA still dealing with the shortage of air traffic controllers, Kate. So, we'll see if the airlines can really stick the landing here when it comes to this unofficial start of the summer travel season.

BOLDUAN: Can they hold it together? That's a great question, Pete, and we're going to find out together. It's good to see you. Thank you. John?

BERMAN: So one of the things that people think about on holiday weekends, swimming, obviously, and pools and beaches across the U.S. are facing a shortage of lifeguards.

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You have live pictures of Hampton Beach in New Hampshire, a lovely beach. I have to say if you want to go to the beach in Hampton, New Hampshire, do it now because there's a lot of space there. I can't see in these pictures if there are lifeguards. I think there is a bench right there. I think they are well staffed.

But it has been a problem hiring lifeguards across the country. Some of the reasons include low pay, difficult qualifying tests, and, of course, the pandemic. And, obviously, it can have dire consequences. According to the American Academy of Pediatrics, 70 percent of drowning deaths for children 15 and younger happen between May and August.

With me now is Adam Katchmarchi. He's the executive director of the National Drowning Prevention Alliance. Adam, great to see you. How big of a problem is this?

ADAM KATCHMARCHI, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, NATIONAL DROWNING PREVENTION ALLIANCE: Good to see you, John. It's a really big problem right now. We don't have an official quantification of how large the lifeguard shortages around the country. We know from just anecdotal reports from numerous communities across the country that this is a real problem.

And when this problem is faced by a community, there's really only two options, neither which are good. One is to just simply shut down your lifeguarded facility or beach venue, or, two, which is to turn it into a swim at your own risk facility or venue. And neither one is that good for the general safety of the public.

BERMAN: So, this has been going on for three years. I mean, you could see it as an acute problem for the last two years. I haven't been out enough to know whether they're acutely missing so far this year. But why would it take so long to fix?

KATCHMARCHI: Yes. We're really dealing with both a short-term and a long-term problem. The lifeguard shortage really isn't a new problem. Those of and Aquatics have heard about this for quite some time, even before the pandemic. But the COVID-?19 pandemic really did exacerbate the problem.

And now ,what we're really finding is facilities and venues are faced with an immediate problem to staff the current needs of the facility. But, really, the cycle is broken in a lot of these facilities and venues. A lot of these kids grew up in going through swim lessons and spending time at the beach or the community pool and then eventually going on to that lifeguard training. And during the Pandemic when a lot of facilities and venues were closed, that broke the cycle.

So, now, a lot of these lifeguards we had prior to the Pandemic have moved on to other employment and we're still back filling those roles. And unless we come up with both a short-term and a long-term solution to this problem, this is something we're going to face summer after summer.

BERMAN: So, very quickly, what do parents need to know? You say you're faced with a situation occasionally of swim at your own risk.

KATCHMARCHI: Yes. There's a lot of swim at your own risk of venues and places to go during the summer, from your backyard pool to a beach, to a lake, to a river. Families are going to go recreating around the water this summer and we're excited about that. We want people to enjoy the water. But with the lifeguard shortage, it is people to keep important for people to keep in mind their own safety around the water.

And we encourage at the NDPA following our five layers of protection, that includes for backyard pools and venues around your home, making sure there're barriers and restricting access to that water. 70 percent of our toddlers are drowning during non-swim time. So, a lot of times, that's them escaping the home, so making sure we're restricting access, if we are going to an unguarded venue, making sure we're actively supervising, make sure there's a water watcher in place at all times.

If you can get your children into swim lessons, it's never too late. Learning to swim is a critical means of reducing the risk of drowning. And then if you're going to natural water venues, a life jacket is always a good idea. And then, five, this is why our lifeguards are there, be prepared for emergencies. Drowning and other aquatic injuries are true accidents. So, just make sure we know what to do in an emergency and how to make that nine one call.

BERMAN: Adam Katchmarchi, thanks so much for being with us, great advice. Kate?

BOLDUAN: So, could New Hampshire's governor be the next candidate to join the 2024 presidential race? Just ahead, the big decision now before Chris Sununu and how it could shake up the Republican race for the White House.

And also, the stunning moment on a Charlotte, North Carolina public bus when a driver -- when a passenger and the bus driver, they pull guns out. And then we'll show you what happened after this.

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BERMAN: This morning, newly released video shows the moments a North Carolina bus driver and a passenger got into a shootout while the bus was still moving. Authorities say there was an exchange between the two men before the incident and that both men were injured in the shooting, but are now in stable condition.

CNN's Dianne Gallagher joins us now. Dianne, what happened here? DIANNE GALLAGHER, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Yes, John. According to the Charlotte Area Transit System, or CATS, this all stemmed from a roughly two-minute argument between a passenger, Omari Tobias, and the driver, David Fullard.

The passenger wanted to get off at an unauthorized stop. The driver told him he could not stop at an undesignated location. And you can see in the video here, the passenger then pulls a gun out. The bus driver sees it, pulls his own gun out. And I want to warn you, what you're about to see is a bit graphic.

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