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Millions Traveling This Holiday Weekend As New Cases Plummet; Idaho Governor Rescinds Ban On Mask Mandates Issued By Lt.Gov. While He Was Out Of State; Gun Violence Archive: Around 233 Mass Shootings In The U.S. This Year; Democrats Fighting To Keep Up With Online Misinformation; Hunt For Road Rage Suspect In Killing Of Six-Year-Old Intensifies; Despite Growing Calls For Tokyo Olympic Games To Be Postponed, IOC Is Moving Ahead. Aired 12-1p ET

Aired May 29, 2021 - 12:00   ET

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

[12:00:00]

JESSICA DEAN, CNN HOST: The Biden Administration's goal vaccinating 70 percent of adults with at least one dose by July 4th, that's according to the latest CDC data the success of the U.S. vaccination effort now fueling record pandemic air travel numbers as the TSA screen nearly 2 million travelers on Friday alone. CNN's Polo Sandoval is joining me now from New York LaGuardia Airport and Polo is you seeing a lot of traffic there?

POLO SANDOVAL, CNN CORRESPONDENT: You know Jessica, it's actually a little bit slower than you might expect. But that's probably because of what you just mentioned here. The TSA sharing a little while ago that just yesterday alone, they saw yet another pandemic error record screening about 1.96 million people at airport security checkpoints.

Yes, that does include not just passengers but also airport workers and crews. But it's still a very telling number that people are gaining that post vaccination confidence and hitting the road.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SANDOVAL (voice-over): --are back on the move. Fast just over 40 percent of the country is now fully vaccinated against COVID-19.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It's great to be out and about.

SANDOVAL (voice-over): That traveler in Atlanta has plenty of company this Memorial Day weekend. AAA estimates more than 37 million others are hitting the road for the holiday as a 60 percent increase from what we saw during a pandemic ravaged 2020. Robert Sinclair from AAA expects what we're seeing this weekend is a promising sign of what's to come this summer.

ROBERT SINCLAIR, SENIOR MANAGER PUBLIC AFFAIRS, AAA: A lot of pent-up demand, people locked at home for more than a year. We're seeing that people really want to get out and travel the so-called revenge travel, where people are able to save a lot of money because they weren't traveling to work last year. And so, they're going through places they're staying longer and doing more things and spending more money. SANDOVAL (voice-over): More of that money, maybe going to airfare with Sinclair estimating tickets increased about 19 percent in April compared to last year. And if you're driving to your destination, it may not have been that much cheaper. The average cost of gas is hovering at about $3 a gallon. That's a seven year high.

On Friday, the White House said that's not unusual given increased demand. But whatever the price to fly or drive Americans seems to be happy to pay it if it means getting back to normal.

MARSHA CROSSON, TRAVELER: I did not travel for the last year and so I'm very grateful to be traveling this year.

SHAVAR REYNOLDS, TRAVELER: It's good to just kind of get some normalcy back. You know I mean people get to travel and I know people's going crazy been inside.

SANDOVAL (voice-over): It may be a return to a pre pandemic norm for many Americans. But it will also be a big test with more than half of the nation still unvaccinated. Health officials will be looking to see if we'll avoid a post holiday COVID-19 surge now that mask and social distancing restrictions have been eased.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SANDOVAL: We're still in the middle of the weekend still not too late to actually hit the road especially for those folks that are considered fully vaccinated right now though, if you are going to be part of the masses this weekend and make sure you pack a mask too. Jessica remembers it is still required by the federal government that if you are going to be traveling on public transit too wears a mask, back to you.

DEAN: Alright, a good reminder. Polo Sandoval thanks so much. As more people start flying again the number of incidents of unruly passengers on planes is also increasing. Just this week Southwest Airlines says it permanently is banning the woman accused of a violent assault on a flight from Sacramento to San Diego. As CNN's Pete Muntean explains it is part of a disturbing trend of increasing violence in the skies.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

PETE MUNTEAN, CNN AVIATION CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): The newest problem facing pent up demand for travel is pent up frustrations in the sky with federal agencies citing a serious surge of in-flight fights. In a new letter, Southwest Airlines flight attendants say unruly passenger incidents are becoming intolerable and more aggressive.

These images are from a Southwest flight on Sunday, when a flight attendant had two teeth knocked out by a passenger according to their union.

LYN MONTGOMERY, PRESIDENT, SOUTHWEST AIRLINES FLIGHT ATTENDANTS UNION: They seem to be almost angry before they step on board the aircraft and they are verbally attacking flight attendants calling them names, pulling on their lanyards getting aggressive. We've had to deal with almost riot like incidences.

MUNTEAN (voice-over): Even if you are fully vaccinated masks are still required on all public forms of transportation and in terminals by the TSA. It is now investigating 1300 cases of people violating that mandate. The Federal Aviation Administration says it has received 2500 reports of unruly passengers just this year 1900 of them about mask compliance.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Started antagonizing other passengers.

MUNTEAN (voice-over): A crew member on this JetBlue flight says an unruly passenger cut this coast to coast trip short causing a Deland in Minneapolis.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Gesturing stabbing motions towards the other passenger and there was also observed erratic behavior and snorting a white substance.

DARBY LAJOYE, ACTING TSA ADMINISTRATOR: We want to be clear that anyone causing a disturbance onboard an aircraft or within the airport environment will be punished with fines and possible criminal charges.

[12:05:00]

MUNTEAN (voice-over): Even still health officials are telling fully vaccinated Americans to enjoy Memorial Day. AAA says the rush to return to travel is on with 37 million people headed out this holiday weekend only a 13 percent drop compared to 2019. Airports that were a ghost town last year are now filling up. TSA figures show air travel has already hit 90 percent of pre pandemic levels compared to 13 percent a year ago.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It's been a stressful year and I'm just going to go by myself and have some fun in the Bahamas.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It can be a little crowded, but I feel pretty safe. I got my vaccine and my mask hand sanitizer so should be good to go.

MUNTEAN (voice-over): The latest forecast from the U.S. Travel Association says 77 percent of Americans will take at least one trip this summer up from 29 percent last year. But flight crews hope with people rushing to return to normal. This does not become the new normal.

SARA NELSON, INTERNATIONAL PRESIDENT, ASSOCIATION OF FLIGHT ATTENDANTS: These actions onboard the aircraft, what may start out as little actions can become really big action - problems really quickly. And we're stuck in the middle to where we can't call for help or people cannot walk away. So we've all got to treat each other with respect.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

MUNTEAN: Southwest Airlines is telling its workers that the flight attendant who was assaulted on Sunday is receiving ongoing care but at a new memo obtained by CNN Southwest says it's not releasing any more information until it is done gathering its own details. Southwest says it's received hundreds of reports of unruly passengers on its flights. And it has a zero tolerance policy Pete Muntean, CNN, Reagan National Airport.

DEAN: All right. Thanks to you, Pete. And you saw Sarah Nelson comment in Pete's report just then. She is the International President of the Association of Flight Attendants and Sara joins us now. Great to see you thanks for being on with us.

NELSON: Good to see you.

DEAN: Yes, that was a shocking incident on that Southwest flight. Sara, what is going on, on these flights?

NELSON: Well, already, in the first five months of this year, we have more than 20 times the amount of incidents we might have, in a normal year of unruly passengers. And people are coming to the door of our aircraft in a combative mood.

They have been led to believe that the safety precautions that we have in place are a political issue rather than a public health necessity. And it has created this atmosphere that we have never seen before. And what can very quickly turn it into sort of a mob like behavior.

Normally, when they're - when there have been incidents in the past, they have been really isolated, and we've been able to use other passengers to help de escalate. We are, of course, trained in de escalating and flight attendants can oftentimes manage that.

But we'll also use peer pressure. And sometimes if it gets out of hand, even direct passengers do help us contain a threat. This is sort of a new era where the people who really just want to have a safe, uneventful flight, which are the majority of people on board are afraid to speak up because there is so much of this latent anger just sitting everywhere it seems.

DEAN: That's remarkable. Is it the mask mandate that's been the main source of conflict? We heard that one flight attendant say, it seems like people and you're saying this are coming on this board crap just already agitated?

NELSON: Yes. So as I said, people have been led to believe that wearing the masks is a political issue rather than a public health necessity. And 1900 of the 2500 incidents that have been reported through May have started with a mass compliance issue.

So people are really challenging that and they're coming on board in a combative mood over it. And the truth is that we cannot vaccinate everyone who's on our planes. Children can't even have access to the vaccine yet, not everyone has had access.

We don't know who's been vaccinated and who hasn't. So CDC and all of the authorities are continuing to say that the safest way to travel is to continue to travel with everyone wearing a mask. And that is what has been allowed us to have safe travel during the pandemic as well along with deep cleaning, have the filtration through our air circulation system, and also a modified food and beverage service.

I do want to note too, a major contributor to these incidences, alcohol. And so we applaud the airlines that are halting the alcohol sales for now until we can get through this and get back to some level of respect on board and a real controlled environment.

We also would like to see a pause of alcohol sales in the airports and we believe that the federal government can lead on this.

DEAN: Yes, it is remarkable that we're talking about you know the fact that that people just cannot control their anger on these planes right now and that flight attendants are having their teeth knocked out. You did talk about the alcohol service.

Southwest said yesterday it's going to be delaying a return to its alcohol service. And I hear you on the airport as well. What do you think that's something that that you guys that we might see that it's permanently removed from flights or at least until we get past this?

NELSON: Well, this is something what you saw for a little while out of some airports and on most airlines right after January 6th, and so it has been done before.

[12:10:00]

NELSON: We believe with the level of incidents taking place right now and the contribution that alcohol makes to those incidents, gives reason to give a pause here. And that can be directed for a short period of time, everyone is very excited to get back to normal.

We're not quite through the pandemic, yet, we've got to stick together. We've got to practice solidarity. And what I would say too, is that there are a lot of people out there who are helpers who want to make this work. So we would ask you to be good witnesses, we would ask you to overboard in showing your respect, and your recognition of the people sitting around you and the flight crews who are giving instructions.

Remember that when we tell you to put your seatbelt on, we don't say if you believe that your seatbelts going to protect you, you should put it on. We know that if we hit clear air turbulence, you're going to fly to the roof of the airplane, and you're going to land on someone else and hurt them too.

So everyone has to put those seatbelts on. The same is true with these masks. And so we just ask that you listen to the flight attendant instructions, respect the crew who are there to keep everyone safe, and we can all then regain our freedom because we're all ready to get out.

We're all ready to experience life again. And we've got to do that together with respect for each other.

DEAN: Yes, definitely. It takes community that's for sure. All right, Sara Nelson thanks for being with us.

NELSON: Thank you.

DEAN: Ahead at this hour, Georgia's Governor taking executive action prohibiting schools from putting mask mandates in place even for the students who are too young to be vaccinated. Is this about policy, or just politics? Plus, Democrats take action amid growing concerns over the rise in political disinformation. I'm going to talk to a Former Florida Congresswoman whose taking part in that fight.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[12:15:00]

DEAN: Georgia Governor Brian Kemp has just signed an executive order prohibiting schools in the state from implementing mask mandates. Officials in at least four other states are also taking steps to block public schools from requiring mask wearing in the next school year.

Now that's despite current CDC guidance calling for unvaccinated people and those under the age of 12 to continue to wear masks in public places. Children under the age of 12, of course, aren't yet eligible for the vaccination in the U.S. and masks can still be worn optionally in those states.

Joining me now to discuss is Dr. Abdul El-Sayed, an Epidemiologist and also a CNN Contributor. He's also the Former Health Commissioner for the city of Detroit great to see you. I'm curious does the data support this policy decision. Or is this just about politics in your opinion?

DR. ABDUL EL-SAYED, EPIDEMIOLOGIST: Unfortunately, when it's coming to Brian Kemp, and it's come to COVID-19, this has always been about politics. And it's sad to see because the people at risk are going to be children, for whom we don't know there are going to be vaccinations yet authorized for use by the fall.

And so why take this step to preempt a policy that we really ought to just wait and figure out whether or not the science whether or not the policy actually can be justified in the fall. And so, taking this step here has a lot more to do with being a political base that has chosen to see masks more as an ideological issue a political issue, rather than a very effective public health intervention to protect us all from a very serious disease in COVID-19, it's really frustrating to see.

DEAN: Yes, so much of this is about these masks that have become politicized. The officials implementing these restrictions, banning the mask orders say they want to put the parents back in control of their kid's education and health care decisions. That's what they're saying. So how do you think parents in these states should be navigating these decisions as a doctor as an expert on this? What is your guidance to them?

DR. EL-SAYED: Sure. The really frustrating piece here is in fact, they are putting parents in a really tough place because if kids have to go back in the fall and can't get a vaccination, a mask is the most important way to protect them. And we know that kids get bullied in places where things like masks are politicized.

And so parents are not going to be in a position where they are asking, well, can my child go back to school safely in a circumstance where many of the children may not be wearing masks in where we know that across this country, 4 million children already have been infected with COVID-19?

My advice to parents is do what you need to do to protect your kids, most importantly, for children ages 12 to 15, get the kids vaccinated, right? Sit down with them, talk to him about how important this is, and get your kids vaccinated when the vaccine is authorized for younger children.

It's really important to get them vaccinated too in the interim when people are going to be indoors it is worth having a conversation about masking and for parents who want to be very secure a mask is a very effective way to protect from the transmission of COVID-19.

DEAN: I want to talk about a situation in Idaho. It's a little bit lengthy to explain, but I'll try to do it quickly. So Governor Brad Little there repealed an executive order prohibiting state entities from issuing mask mandates on Friday it rescinded a ban that the Lieutenant Governor issued while the governor was out of state on Thursday, and Governor Little has called his lieutenant governor's actions irresponsible and self-serving.

And he's called it a political stunt as well. We should note that the Lieutenant Governor, he also has runs announced a run for Governor last week and has repeatedly clashed with Governor Little over the state's response to the pandemic in public. So, all of that is to say, what do you make of something like this? And is this just yet another example of public health being politicized?

DR. EL-SAYED: I mean, for the past 16 months, Jessica, we've watched as politicians have played politics with the pandemic, played politics with public health. And this is a prime example of that. This is a politician who is ambitious, who sees this as an opportunity to feed the base to go one step further than her boss.

[12:20:00]

DR. EL-SAYED: The Governor does this thing which, frankly, in any conservative ideology, right preempting local control makes no sense. It's not part of traditional conservative ideology. But she knows that there's a base that's been riled up about this pandemic and wants to play to that base by, by preempting mask mandates in local communities. Took this opportunity while the Governor was away to use her fiat to do that.

And now the Governor is being responsible in saying, look, we need to put this back in the control of local communities to make decisions that portend with their circumstances.

The point here that also connects to the last question we talked about, about Georgia, is vaccination rates still are lagging in many of the parts of this country that we're talking about here because of the same politicization, the same kind of politics that tells us that masks and vaccines are all part of some ideology, rather than obvious public health interventions to protect us from a very serious pandemic.

And so it's frustrating to watch and, you know, what are the good folks in that state? I hope that they'll make a decision that is good for them good for their families, in their communities, but also make a thoughtful decision about the kind of people you want leading you into the future.

DEAN: All right, Dr. Abdul El-Sayed thanks so much for being with us. We appreciate it.

DR. EL-SAYED: Thank you for having me, Jessica.

DEAN: The Duchess of Cambridge has joined the millions of Britons who have received their first dose of the vaccine. She posted this photo on Twitter saying yesterday I received my first dose of the COVID-19 vaccine at London's Science Museum. I'm hugely grateful to everyone who's playing a part in the rollout. Thank you for everything you're doing.

Her husband Prince William announced earlier this month he'd received a first dose of the vaccine as well. Just ahead as investigators in San Jose, California try to piece together a motive, a frightening discovery what police found at the gunman's home?

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[12:25:00]

DEAN: Investigators are trying to figure out why a gunman in San Jose, California opened fire at his workplace Wednesday? He killed nine people at a public transit rail yard before killing himself. Dan Simon has more now from San Jose.

DAN SIMON, CNN CORRESPONDENT: The shooter here in San Jose had three semi-automatic handguns in his possession when he carried out the mass shooting. He also had 32 high-capacity magazines. The guns were purchased legally the magazines are illegal in California.

But in addition to those weapons, we're learning that he also had an incredible amount of weaponry stashed at his home, the Santa Clara County Sheriff's Office releasing some stunning photos showing the items that were collected at the home.

They include multiple cans of gasoline suspected Molotov cocktails, at least 12 more guns and 22,000 rounds of ammunition 22,000 rounds. And it is believed that the shooter took some of that ammo, put it in a pot, put it on the stove, surrounded that pot with some accelerants and then started the stove. And that's ultimately what caused the home to set on fire.

Now at this point, there's no definitive motive in terms of what led the shooter to carry out this shooting. But one thing that we are learning one theme that has emerged is that this is somebody who is highly disgruntled, very upset with his workplace.

You take all of that uncontrollable rage; you mix it with easy access to weapons. And then unfortunately you have the recipe for the kind of mass shooting that we saw unfold on Wednesday Dan Simon, CNN, San Jose, California.

DEAN: Dan, thank you and I want to talk to Former Florida Congresswoman Debbie Mucarsel-Powell now she's a Senior Advisor for Giffords Group that's working to end gun violence in the U.S. It's named after Congresswoman Gabby Giffords, who was shot in 2011. Congresswoman thanks so much for being with us. It's great to see you.

San Jose was one of 233 mass shootings just this year 233 just this year. I don't have to tell you that. I cover Congress. They are trying right now. There are some Senators trying to get bipartisan support for gun legislation that is not going anywhere. How is this going to be combated, especially with that gridlock in Congress?

DEBBIE MUCARSEL-POWELL, SENIOR ADVISER, GIFFORDS: Well, good afternoon, Jessica. And happy Memorial Day weekend for everyone. Listen, it is truly shameful to see the inaction coming from the Senate, when the majority of Americans close to 90 percent of Americans support passing at the federal level and universal background check though.

California has some of the lowest rates of gun violence even after this horrific shooting in San Jose, but they can't prevent ammunition and other guns to come into the state if we don't have a mandate at the federal level. I think that Americans at this point are tired.

We cannot continue to live this way. This is not normal to live in a country where Americans love their guns more than they respect human life, that there has to be pressure put on the Senate. This is not political. This is about safety.

This is about those nine families that we just saw that are now left with the pain and trauma of losing a loved one in such a violent manner.

DEAN: And, Congresswoman, you served in Congress, you know what it's like in terms of trying to turn the tide on this and the strong resistance to getting new legislation passed? Is it going to be about public outcry?

[12:30:02]

I mean, when I've talked to Senator Chris Murphy who's leading the charge on trying to get this legislation together, they remain optimistic because they say the public is behind them. But is it up to the public to push them that direction?

DEBBIE MUCARSEL-POWELL (D), FORMER U.S. REPRESENTATIVE: I think what we saw, if you go back to 2018, I think that the activism that came from the students after the Parkland shooting really moved the needle on electing members of Congress that were going to act and take action in gun violence. And for the first time back in that session, we were able in the Judiciary Committee to pass the first piece of legislation, the Universal Background Check Bill in over 20 years. So a reminder to everyone out there that public activism, public pressure to your senators really matters.

And they work for us. They work for the American people. They don't work for the gun lobby. And we need to stop all the misinformation also, that has come from the gun lobby that has used this as a political opponent to divide us.

DEAN: And I want to talk about another troubling trend that we're seeing here in America. This is the rampant spread of disinformation. And I want to take a look, these are just a handful of Trump voters, some from your state, who spoke to our Donie O'Sullivan, take a look.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: At a lot of people in, well, in Washington D.C.

DONIE O'SULLIVAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: What's your name Ma'am?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Who are in horrible child trafficking, sex trafficking.

O'SULLIVAN: What are your thoughts on the violent insurrection incited by Trump at the Capitol?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Oh my God, that's all such a lie.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I do believe that the election was stolen. And I do believe that it was a peaceful rally that day.

O'SULLIVAN: You guys both genuinely believe the election was stolen?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Yes.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

DEAN: It's really remarkable to watch all of that. And you've said you believe misinformation among Latino voters was a big reason you lost reelection last year? Explain what you saw happening.

MUCARSEL-POWELL: Look, Jessica, one of the most dangerous things that we're facing, I think it's one of the biggest threats in America is that now we have Republicans who are in Congress who are spreading lies and misinformation, perpetuating what you just saw right now. What I saw leading up to the election is that we knew that there was misinformation in some places and social media and the dark web.

But what we didn't realize and I realized this right before the November election is that this had really penetrated mainstream media. So we were hearing this misinformation, spread and repeated not only in social media, but also on Spanish radio stations here locally on our main Spanish newspaper with inserts that had been placed for over 30 weeks before the election, spreading misinformation on election fraud on vote by mail ballots, on all of that, and really setting the stage for this big lie that if Trump didn't win in November, then it was due to a fraud.

And I think that it's the responsibility of elected officials to speak the truth. And what we're seeing here in the senate after this January 6th commission that they voted against it is that at this point, the Republicans that are in Congress have become so radicalized. They are not protecting the Constitution. They're violating their oath. And they're a threat to our democracy.

DEAN: And so how do you combat all of that when you wrap it up? How do you push back against this disinformation when there's so many people out there who truly believe these things are true? If you speak to them, they absolutely believe that these lies are true. How do you begin to get at that?

MUCARSEL-POWELL: Yes. And you know, I've been working since my election with different groups, one of the main things that we need to do is to be present in our communities, to hear what their concerns are, to listen to everyone that believes this lie, we need to understand where they're getting that information, what they're listening, educate them, and it's going to take a lot of work. This is not going to happen overnight.

But with the right resources, with the right advocacy, with the right people being present in our communities, I think that we can definitely start to break that pattern. It's dangerous. I wish that we had some courage in the Senate and in Congress for our leaders to start speaking that truth. It starts with them words matter.

DEAN: Yes. Words do matter. Former Congresswoman Debbie Mucarsel- Powell, thanks so much for being with us this afternoon. Thank you, Jessica.

[12:34:34]

We will catch you, strong words from the California D.A. as they continue to search for the person responsible for killing a six-year- old boy in a suspected road rage incident. The latest on that investigation and the rising reward in that case. That's coming up next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

DEAN: The reward money continues to grow for any information about the tragic death of a six-year-old boy in California shot in a suspected road rage incident. The California Highway Patrol has just released images of the vehicle driven by the suspect. You see them there. The family of Aiden Laos, while dealing with an thinkable tragedy says they are appreciative of all the financial and moral support.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It's really helping us more than they know. We appreciate it. UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It's very comforting. It's -- I can't find the words to tell you how much it means that I've read every comment on GoFundMe. Thank you so much. My sister's going to need help to get through this.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: After this being all over nationwide, someone's going to speak up especially with the reward now. So I'm hopeful, we're all hopeful.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

DEAN: The reward is now topping $325,000 for anyone with information that leads to the arrest and conviction of that shooter. And joining me now is Orange County, California District Attorney Todd Spitzer, Todd, nice to see you. Just first tell us where this investigation stands.

[12:40:10]

TODD SPITZER, DISTRICT ATTORNEY, ORANGE COUNTY, CA: Well, we're getting all kinds of tips and thank you to the public and to the media. Thank you so much for, Jessica, for having me on and publicizing this as much as possible, you never know where a tip is going to come from. And people can call 1-800-TELL, T-E-L-L, C-H-P, they can go on Crimestoppers in Orange County and file an anonymous tip.

In fact, if you know who this person is, and you're afraid, I want you to go on and leave a tip, even if it's anonymous, leave us a little code word or buzz phrase. And then later, we can link that up with you to give you the reward. But we have the actual vehicle that we're able to find and follow through various cameras along our freeway systems here in Orange County. And we've actually put the real car out that is wanted for these crimes.

DEAN: Right. And somebody out there has to know something. What is your message now to the suspects in this case?

SPITZER: Jessica, I made it very clear. You know, I'm the elected district attorney of this county, and this is Orange County, California. And we get our suspects. We get them. We treat them fairly. But we use the full force and effect of the law. This little child should be talking about starting kindergarten, the step, the lead in that you played that young woman, 15-year-old. That's Alexis. That's Aiden's sister, older sister, who is stepping up as like the adult in the room, right, and speaking on behalf of her little brother to get justice for her little brother.

I've met her. I've stood next to Alexis, and she's a brave woman. And I give her a lot of kudos for what she and her brother are doing to get justice for their little brother. But this kid should be starting kindergarten. This family is instead planning for his funeral. So you know, I'm throwing the full force in effect of the law at the suspects. I'm letting them know that the door is getting closed on my willingness to listen to why they shot that they did. I want to understand the facts of the case. But I'm telling you, they're making this incredibly difficult. They are increasing the resources for a large scale, man hunt and woman hunt. And we are going to get them. It's just a matter of time. So I'm encouraging them and really urging them and almost forcefully telling them they need to turn themselves in.

DEAN: Right. It's a very clear message there. How -- tell me a little bit about Orange County and how it's coming together to help this family because it sounds like that's been, I mean even beyond Orange County. But it sounds like that sort of support that moral and financial support has meant so much to them.

SPITZER: You know, this is a county that still supports its victims. And we have an innocent little six-year-old who did nothing except now his life has been ended and his family is devastated which we all can understand. I have two children. I'm the elected D.A.

I take this very seriously. And our community loves its kids. And it loves its law enforcement. And it is completely supportive of catching these individuals and holding them accountable and bringing the justice system to forbearance.

We're a fair county. We're an equitable county. But let me tell you something, we love being safe. And when a child is randomly shot at on a freeway at 8 o'clock in the morning, going to preschool, it shocks the conscience of our community.

DEAN: Sure, of course it does. Of course it does. Before I let you go, I just want to go back to the reward and to you can leave an anonymous tip. We have the benefit of a national audience right now. So anybody who is out there listening who is afraid to come forward, but has information, I just want to get us -- do that answer from you one more time, they can remain anonymous. They don't have to share their name, right?

SPITZER: No, they don't. And so if you go to -- if you Google, O.C., Orange County Crimestoppers, Orange County, California, you can either leave an identifiable message or you can leave an anonymous tip. But what I'm telling people is if they want to leave an anonymous tip because they're afraid of say retaliation, it could be a family member.

I mean, somebody could be out there who's related to these people knows exactly what they are, but they're in danger if they feel like they're going to be a snitch, right, if it's going to come back on them. So you can actually just leave a code phrase.

Leave something, your birthdate, where you were born, what hospital you report in. So then later on, when you come back and say I left that tip on such and such a date, and I left you this code phrase, we can marry that up with the reward so you get the reward.

I don't want anybody to be afraid of coming forward. But I also know that people can be afraid, and I'm just giving some indication how they can make sure they can give us that information, and yet still be eligible for the reward. DEAN: Right. All right, Todd Spitzer. Good luck. Thanks so much for being on with us and we certainly hope to see justice in this. All right, thank you.

[12:45:06]

SPITZER: And I'll be back --

DEAN: Coming up, despite growing calls for the Tokyo games to be postponed, the IOC is moving ahead. What longtime Olympics broadcaster Bob Costas now says about the future of the games?

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DEAN: Despite growing concerns about the spread of the coronavirus in Japan, Tokyo and the International Olympic Committee are plowing ahead with plans to go ahead with the games this summer. Longtime Olympics broadcaster and CNN contributor Bob Costas told HBO's Bill Maher this is not the right time for the games.

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[12:50:03]

BOB COSTAS, CNN CONTRIBUTOR: It should be postponed, not canceled.

BILL MAHER, COMEDIAN: Right.

COSTAS: If they postponed it till the summer of 2022, then as a one off, it would go back to the way it was prior to the 90s which was that the Winter and Summer Games took place every four years in the same calendar year.

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DEAN: Our Selina Wang explains the city is now getting ready for the logistical nightmare ahead.

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SELINA WANG, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Over the next two months, some 90,000 Olympic participants for more than 200 countries will be flying into Tokyo suddenly opening the floodgates for a country that's had its borders closed for most of the pandemic. COVID- 19 cases are surging in Japan, Tokyo, and large parts of the country are under a state of emergency.

KENJI SHIBUYA, PUBLIC HEALTH EXPERT: The Olympics will add another burden on the health system which is already overstretched. As opposed to the symbol of unity and peace and hope at the Olympics, it becomes the nightmare with a super-spreading event in Tokyo.

WANG (voice-over): Just around 2 percent of Japan's 126 million people have been fully vaccinated, the rollout slowed down by bureaucracy and the lack of medical staff to administer them. At the current rate, the rest of the adult population won't even be eligible for the vaccine by the time the Olympics begin.

(on camera): Organizers claimed the games will be held in a safe bubble at this Olympic Village, athletes will be tested daily and monitored with a contact tracing app. Vaccines are not required but officials say more than 80 percent of the Olympic Village will be. They're asked to practice social distancing, wear masks except for when training and competing, and to only use public transport when necessary.

Now experts say though, that it's impossible to keep the massive games completely safe. Plus, they say there are plenty of ways for this bubble to be punctured, as the Olympic participants come into contact with tens of thousands of unvaccinated volunteers who live outside the bubble. Olympic venues are all over Tokyo with the marathon in some soccer matches held 500 miles north in Sapporo.

So whose responsibility is it to keep all these Olympic participants safe? The Olympic playbook puts the ultimate responsibility on the athletes rather than organizers or the Japanese government. Japan is spending more than $15 billion on these games, the most expensive Summer Olympics on record, including $900 million in COVID countermeasures. But poll after poll shows that the majority in Japan do not want these games held.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I definitely don't think Japan should go ahead with the Olympics. I'm very scared.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Everyone thinks we should hold the Olympics. But the government isn't in a position to say that.

WANG (on camera): Ultimately, it's largely not up to Japan, Olympic contracts are written to favor the IOC, so public opposition, a medical system headed for collapse, cost overruns are all burdens Tokyo will have to bear. The IOC has the legal power to cancel the Olympics, but they plan to plow ahead.

Selina Wang, CNN, Tokyo.

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DEAN: All right. Thanks, Selina.

Now to Long Beach, California where a native owned company is turning an age old craft into sustainable art with it's one of a kind Navajo inspired hats. Here's today's Start Small, Think Big.

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THUNDERVOICE EAGLE, THUNDERVOICE HAT COMPANY FOUNDER: My father, he always said that every man needs a hat. I am ThunderVoice Eagle and I'm the founder of ThunderVoice Hat Company. We're trying to build sustainable wearable art. We reclaim old hats and we bring them back to life. But my dad actually made my hat band and each piece of it has symbolism to remind me of my family.

How I found this hat which is actually a reclaim hat is one that I found that a bowtie that began our journey of finding those sustainable hats the old Stetsons and the old beaver hat company, we found that if we just take out the liner, we put everything new in the inside the hat body itself will keep breathing and reshape it as many times as you want.

We also have the hat band that has ammo belt in it. We put in elements that bring peace and harmony, sage and cedar and we invite others to look into their own background and their culture. I find the pieces symbolic of their healing process. We put a lot of time and effort into and made each piece unique. We have had great success and what we're doing. For a lot of people it resonates having something that is reclaimed, no matter how worn out we are we can still carry on this beauty with us.

[12:54:16]

And we can also have a new beginning buying from native companies like ourselves is investing in our communities so that we can build our own legacy of wealth for our future generations.

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ALLISON CHINCHAR, CNN METEOROLOGIST: I'm meteorologist Allison Chinchar with a look at your Memorial Day weekend forecast.

Unfortunately, it's going to start off pretty soggy for areas of the northeast and even into the Mid Atlantic. We have some rain showers continuing to push through places like Boston, Philadelphia, New York, even around Washington D.C. where they could pick up as much as two to four inches of rain total.

In addition to that it's pretty chilly there. You've got places like Boston, New York, Pittsburgh, even Columbus that are all about 20 degrees below normal. Many of them may barely make it into the low 50s for high temperatures for today. We also have some areas of showers and even thunderstorms across portions of the coastal Carolinas and some strong to severe thunderstorms out west, places like eastern Colorado, eastern New Mexico where we could end up getting damaging winds, large hail the size of golf balls, and even some isolated tornadoes.

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Severe storms will continue across the central us not only Sunday, but also into Memorial Day itself. We also have the potential for yet again another set of rain showers into the Northeast on Memorial Day as well. The portions of the southeast look nice. The next hour of CNN NEWSROOM starts right now.