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Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy Meets with Congressional Delegation Led by Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell; Ukrainian Civilians and Soldiers Still Trapped in Steel Plant in Mariupol; Widespread Shortages of Baby Formula in U.S. Causing Panic among New Parents; Demonstrators Plan Protests across U.S. in Support of Abortion Rights; Seventeen People Injured in Milwaukee After Mass Shooting Downtown; U.S. Farmers Under Pressure Amid Skyrocketing Costs; Elon Musk Indicates Hold on His Purchase of Social Media Platform Twitter; Judge Signals End to Federal Oversight of Oakland Police Department; Heatwave Affecting U.S. Southern States. Aired 10-11a ET

Aired May 14, 2022 - 10:00   ET

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

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[10:00:25]

BORIS SANCHEZ, CNN ANCHOR: Good morning. It's Saturday, May 14th. You are live in the CNN Newsroom. Thank you so much for joining us. I'm Boris Sanchez.

CHRISTI PAUL, CNN ANCHOR: Hi, Boris. I'm Christi Paul. Thank you. We are grateful to have do you with us.

We want to tell you about Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. He's welcoming a congressional delegation led by Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell. These are some of the first pictures we're getting in of that meeting.

We know that Zelenskyy has said the visit sends, quote, a strong signal of bipartisan support for Ukraine. And it is not clear, we want to point out, not clear whether the meeting took place today nor whether the delegation is actually still there in Kyiv. But this is the second visit by a group of U.S. lawmakers in just two weeks' time.

SANCHEZ: CNN's correspondents are covering the latest developments in Ukraine from multiple angles. CNN Congressional correspondent Daniella Diaz is live from Capitol Hill. And with us from Kyiv, Ukraine, is CNN's Melissa Bell.

PAUL: Daniella, I want to go to you first. What are you learning about this delegation to Ukraine?

DANIELLA DIAZ, CNN CONGRESSIONAL REPORTER: Christi, I was to emphasize what you said, which is that we're still getting a lot of details about this visit from Senator Mitch McConnell and Senator Susan Collins, John Barrasso, John Cornyn. We are not sure yet if they are still in Kyiv, they're still meeting with Zelensyy. Of course, the Senate was in session just two days ago, so it's likely that this took place already.

We have reached out to all of these Senators' offices and have not yet heard back on the details for this trip or whether they plan to debrief President Joe Biden and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi did when she led a delegation just two weeks ago to Ukraine.

But look, this is all happening as the Senate is trying to pass a bipartisan bill, about $40 billion to continue helping Ukraine in its efforts to combat Russia and that Russian invasion that's affecting the country brutally. But the problem here, of course, noticeably missing from this delegation is Senator Rand Paul, Republican from Kentucky. He is holding up this legislation while Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell and Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer have worked with their party and have most of the parties in support of this legislation. He's -- Senator Rand Paul is holding up this legislation because he wants to see a vote on an amendment that would create a special inspector general to oversee how the Ukraine military aid is spent, that aid that they are sending over to Ukraine and to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.

Now, McConnell and Schumer have offered to have an amendment vote on this rule that Rand Paul wants to create, but that's not enough for him. He wants it in an underlying bill, which is why he's holding up this legislation, which means the Senate can't fast track this process and haven't been able to pass this legislation as quickly as they wanted.

However, what's expected to happen in these next couple of days is Schumer will go through the process that's needed to pass this legislation. They will break filibuster. They'll eventually pass it. It's just not happening as quickly as Senate leaders wanted, even though, again, very unique, this is a bipartisan bill here on Capitol Hill. That's incredibly, incredibly rare. So of course, these Republicans visiting Ukraine as all of this is taking place on Capitol Hill and will continue when they return if they've already returned next week.

SANCHEZ: A significant and symbolic moment of solidarity with the Ukrainian people. Daniella Diaz, thank you so much.

PAUL: Daniella, thank you.

Listen, we're following another developing story out of Ukraine as well this morning. A Ukrainian fighter is describing just horrific conditions inside that battered steel plant in Mariupol.

SANCHEZ: He says there are about 600 wounded still inside that sprawling complex. He says that conditions right now are unsanitary, and that operations are being performed without anesthesia. We want to take you live to Kyiv now and CNN correspondent Melissa Bell. Melissa, what more are you learning about what's happening inside that plant.

MELISSA BELL, CNN CORRESPONDENT: What we've been learning, we've been learning, as you said, from that fighter that managed to speak to the outside world through Ukrainian television early this morning, giving an idea of those appalling and deteriorating humanitarian conditions inside the plant. We at our end here in Kyiv have been meeting with the family members of some of those men who are still inside and have been now for several weeks. These are family members that are really trying to attract the world's attention, making desperate pleas earlier in week for the Turkish president to intervene, now appealing to the Chinese president to see whether he act as a mediator.

[10:05:00]

You have to bear in mind that we're talking about desperate families, mothers, fathers, trying to get their sons out. Now, as I said, communication have been extremely limited. And I'd like you to listen to what Tanya had to say to us a short while ago. Her son who is in his early 20s that she hasn't seen since the month of February is inside the plant. She last had communication with him on the ninth of May when he called her for Mother's Day. Have a listen to what she told us a short while ago.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

TANYA VYCHNYK, MOTHER OF AZOV SOLDIER (through translator): He loves his country very much and he says if we don't defeat them, they will defeat us. Everyone has to fight for their country. He loves his country, and all the guys who are there now, especially Azov, they love their land very much, and the will fight for it until the very end. He told me I am prepared to give my life for it, but I am not prepared for this.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BELL: Tanya shared pictures of him when he was a baby. We're talking a 21-year-old boy who is now trapped in that plant with several hundred other young fighters. And their situation grows more dire. We know they're out of medical supplies. And what we understand from the families is that their food supplies are now dwindling. The families say that if they are not helped, they really only have another week or so to live.

PAUL: So Melissa, talk to us about this counteroffensive that Ukraine has launched to try to retake some territory.

BELL: This was crucial front as far as Russian forces and Russian military efforts in Ukraine are concerned. It was the heart of their latest offensive to try and move beyond a particular stretch of river north of Luhansk. And that attempt we're now seeing through satellite imagery and eyewitness reports, they kind of corroborate what we have been hearing from Ukrainian forces over the last few days, which is that those Russian forces tried to cross this river extremely important for them in terms of moving north towards, keeping that momentum, trying to encircle the Ukrainian positions and carry on taking ground. That appears to have failed and fairly spectacularly.

There have been several attempts by those troops to cross the river, building pontoons. And what we see now from the satellite imagery is that Ukrainians have been successful in blowing those up. We understand that some Russian forces did manage to cross the river, but not in numbers sufficient to sustain any significant advance. So this is a serious setback now for Russian forces on what was, remember, the heart of their concentrated efforts to try and continue gaining ground, even as Ukrainian forces have been successful in their counteroffensive further to the north and around Kharkiv. Boris and Christi?

PAUL: Melissa Bell, we so appreciate the updates. Thank you.

SANCHEZ: We want to turn now to another major story, a nationwide scramble for baby formula. The White House and private companies say they are working to get more of that formula into the hands of desperate parents.

PAUL: Throughout the pandemic, stores struggled, as you know, to keep shelves stocked with a lot of popular brands, but a recall in February and then continued supply issues have really pushed parents to the breaking point. And now manufacturers say, listen, it would be weeks, even months before supply is at full capacity. And there are a lot of parents now scrambling for alternative ways to feed their babies.

There are some mothers who are able to breast-feed, not all can. And I talked to one of those mothers. Jessica Ibarra takes anti-seizure medicine, and that is transmitted in her breast milk. So breast- feeding for her newborn Aria, who is just 10 days old, that's just not an option. I spoke to her and her husband Mario earlier about the anxiety and what they said is panic that they experience, particularly that they brought their little girl home.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MARIO IBARRA, PARENT OF NEWBORN, CAN'T FIND BABY FORMULA: We came home, and it's supposed to be a time of celebration. And it has been, but it's still celebration/panic. And that's not really the ideal situation you want to bring a newborn into is that little area of chaos.

JESSICA IBARRA, PARENT OF NEWBORN, CAN'T FIND BABY FORMULA: When we got home with her and realized there was no formula and we had hours' worth of formula left, it was nonstop anxiety. It was all of the postpartum hormones that you get from having a child plus not being able to feed your kid, not knowing where her next meal is going to come from. And it was panic. I was waking up in a cold sweat every night. It was just consuming my thoughts. And I was almost paralyzed with fear, until we were lucky enough to have some friends and family really step up and help us.

MARIO IBARRA: As a husband, it's kind of sad because you're the provider or whatnot, and you're supposed to take care of the family, and it's kind of hard knowing you can't do that. And it's out of your control, it's out of our control, and I understand that.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

[10:10:01]

SANCHEZ: We want to take you to Wilmington, Delaware now. That's where we find CNN White House reporter Jasmine Wright, who is traveling with President Biden over the weekend. Jasmine, the Biden administration has taken some criticism for handling of this shortage. How is President Biden responding to that criticism?

JASMINE WRIGHT, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: They've taken a number of steps in recent days, Boris, but it comes as questions continue to mount as to why this White House didn't move at least publicly sooner to avoid what we are seeing now, which is bare shelves, and of course, very concerned parents. My colleague Jeremy Diamond yesterday at the White House asked the president this very question. Take a listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JEREMY DIAMOND, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Should you have taken those steps sooner before parents got to these shelves and couldn't find formula.

JOE BIDEN, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: If we had been better mind- readers, I guess we could have. But we moved as quickly as the problem became apparent to us.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WRIGHT: So there we heard a bit of defense from the president. And now in the meantime, though, the fact is that it's going to take some time for the product to reach the shelves. So the White House has taken a number of steps, including yesterday they announced a new Health and Health Services website hhs.gov/formula to help parents really on this kind of quest to find baby formula in their area. You can see that webpage right here on your screen.

In addition, they said that they been in contact with manufacturers trying to up the product to put it on the shelves. The FDA says the next week they will have more information about those efforts, really trying to streamline the process. And then also they've taken some rather limited but still steps trying to mitigate the problem, including importing formula from abroad, something that didn't happen before, and in also urging states to allow those who are on the WIC, government assistance program to have more flexibility in terms of what type of infant formula they can purchase at stores. Right now, in some places, it's kind of limited, among other options.

Something that the White House is considering that they have not yet pulled the trigger on is putting in place the Defense Production Act which allows the White House to really take control in emergencies about more of what the country is producing, that kind of production aspect. They haven't yet decided on that but that is something under consideration as this White House focuses on responding to this emerging crisis here. Boris, Christi?

SANCHEZ: Jasmine Wright from Wilmington, Delaware. Thank you, Jasmine.

Let's dig deeper with an expert now. We have with us Dr. Tanya Altmann. She's a pediatrician, and we should point out, she is also a consultant who has worked with the baby formula industry for many years. Doctor, we appreciate your sharing part of your Saturday with us. The main question, I think, for parents is, what should they do? What are their options?

DR. TANYA ALTMANN, PEDIATRICIAN: So I think that's a great question, and just like the parents you've portrayed in this story before, I've been hearing from parents all across the country, and my own families. And they are scared, and they are starting to think outside the box. And I'm glad to hear that the administration is looking abroad.

As you mentioned, I do consult with Australian formula maker Bubs Australia, and they have an open letter going out to lawmakers on Monday urging them to help since their formula is already compliant with the infant formula act in the United States, is already third party tested by the Clean Label Project in the United States for over 400 plus contaminants.

And I think we are going to need to start accepting high quality products from other countries where they have been making formulas for decades that have safely fed their babies. And that could be one more layer to help us ramp up production and distribution here in the United States.

SANCHEZ: I want to get a better understanding of that. What is different between the formulas that are produced in the United States and those produced, for example, in Australia? Why is it that there are rules in place to limit their import?

ALTMANN: So the rules historically were there to make sure that we had safe formula in the United States that met the specific rigorous formula requirements sent out by the FDA here in the United States, and that it's been tested specifically by the FDA. Now, that said, we know that formula technology and nutrition has improved so much worldwide, and not all international formula is created equal, but there are some amazing, safe products from Europe, from Australia, that we know due to surveys that parent have already been importing in this country for the last five to ten years. And so I think now we need to take a closer look at this, and especially some of the countries -- sorry, some of the products like Aussi Bubs, they actually already were set to start production shortly in the United States before this shortage happened. So why not allow them to provide formula now?

The other things, as a pediatrician, I always have to mention breastfeeding as well, so I want everyone to know that the human milk bank of North America is also working 24/7 to provide breast milk for families who desire that. And if mom's have extra breast milk, I really encourage you to think about donating to a milk bank.

[10:15:06]

SANCHEZ: The problem, Doctor, does gnat appear as if it is going to be alleviated any time soon. There's one formula manufacturer that says they are expecting shortages and high demand for the balance of the year. If that's the case, what would you advise parents to do to make it through the coming months?

ALTMANN: That's why I think we really need a multipronged approach here in the United States. So we talked about breast milk. We talked about importing high quality, clean label formula, but also talk to your pediatrician. There are still many products here in the United States. Even smaller companies that are not the WIC companies that do have good product, and often babies can switch from one brand to another brand without any issues.

Now, it's most challenging for parents who have babies with food allergies and sensitivities, and in that case, you're looking for a specific formula. There are also cases where if your baby is over six months of age and eating a wide variety of solid foods, and your pediatrician can talk to you about this, you may be able to use a high-quality toddler formula. That's what they do in many countries over six to nine months of age. And in some cases pediatricians are even recommending cow's milk for a short period of time under one year of age like they do in Canada. What concerns me about that is that cow's milk doesn't have added iron, and in most cases infants aren't eating enough iron rich food. So again, always work with your pediatrician or pediatric dietitian to ensure that your little one gets all the nutrition that they need during this very important time of growth and development.

SANCHEZ: Doctor, you can imagine, I've seen a lot of suggestions on social media, and obviously speaking to a pediatrician is the best bet in that regard. But what about the concept of watering down formula or perhaps coming up where a homemade version of formula?

ALTMANN: OK, so that's a really important point we should talk about. It can be extremely dangerous to make your own baby formula. In my physician Facebook groups this morning, there were lot of accounts of hospitalizations that were occurring due to this.

The infant formula manufacturing proses has been based on decades of scientific research, so you can't simply buy those individual ingredients and mix them up in your own kitchen. It's very challenging to get the ratios of protein, fat, vitamins, and nutrients to be exact and uniform throughout. There also could be a contamination from bacteria and other organisms when you make your own baby formula, and those are some of the issues that we have seen putting babies in the hospital.

So I really urge parents against that. And also watering down your formula to stretch the supply, that's going to also change the nutrition profile, throw the electrolyte balance off, which can also cause serious health problems in an infant, especially those in the first six months of life who are not yet eating solids and relying solely on the infant nutrition as their only source of food.

SANCHEZ: It is a tough time for new parents, but we're grateful to have your expertise to walk us through that. Dr. Tanya Altmann, thanks so much.

ALTMANN: Thank you.

PAUL: Today abortion rights groups are expected to be in cities across the country. Next, we'll take you to the nation's capital. Demonstrations are about to get underway there. Also, Twitter stock tumbles after Elon Musk says his bid to buy the social media site is on hold. What does it mean for his potential takeover, and he could he walk away altogether?

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[10:22:37]

PAUL: So today, supporters of abortion rights are gathering nationwide for rallies and marches following the leak of that Supreme Court draft opinion that would overturn Roe versus Wade.

SANCHEZ: Events are being planned at iconic locations such as outside the Supreme Court, the Brooklyn Bridge, Los Angeles City Hall, among others. Let's go now live to CNN's Joe Johns. He's on the National Mall today. Joe, what are you expecting to see today?

JOE JOHNS, CNN SENIOR WASHINGTON CORRESPONDENT: Boris, this is the location on the National Mall where we're expecting this event to kick off in Washington, D.C. over the next hour-and-a-half or so. There's going to be first a rally here at this location, then a march up to the Supreme Court. They tell us they're expecting about 17,000 people to show up at this location, but there are hundreds of locations around the country where we do expect this type of event to occur today, and that includes what they are calling the core cities of Chicago, New York, Los Angeles, Austin, Texas.

There are multiple organizations involved in planning this protest including the women's march, the Planned Parenthood Action Fund, SEIU, and many others. And they are speaking in no uncertain terms about how they feel about this draft opinion that was released. They say it's their worst nightmare. However, that nightmare has not been fully realized, because as everybody knows, it's a draft opinion that was released, and "Politico" picked it up and publicized it. The question, of course, is whether the language in that draft opinion will be adopted in part or completely by the court. We might not even know that for the next two months or so. Boris and Christi, back to you.

PAUL: Joe Johns, we appreciate it so much. Thank you.

We have White House reporter for "The Washington Post" and CNN political analyst Seung Min Kim is with us now. Seung, good to see you. Thank you for being with us. Talk about these protests today. When you see the numbers that we're talking about, it does suggest, as do polls, significant support for abortion rights. And I'm just curious what message do all of these marches send to the justices? And do the justices pay attention to what's happening, say, today?

[10:25:00]

SEUNG MIN KIM, CNN POLITICAL ANALYST: I think the justices would tell you that they try to block out any sort of outside influence, including political influence and whatnot. But there is no doubt that certainly there's so much energy right now, particularly in the aftermath of a leaked decision, among supporters of abortion rights. And what Democratic leaders both here in Washington and nationwide hope that happens is that energy is translated to action at the polls in November.

Obviously, we have critical midterm elections. We also have several critical gubernatorial races and state legislatures at stake. And Democrats from President Biden on down hope that that energy really gets to, really bolsters Democrats' motivation in a year where things are not looking particularly great for the party.

PAUL: Does it bolster the opposition?

KIM: It certainly could. We have known for decades that abortion, the courts, is certainly an energizing issue for the Republican Party. But it's really interesting. I've talked to a lot of Republicans about abortion over the last -- not just over the last several days, but over the last several months when we have seen it become an issue, when we've seen it rise as an issue.

And they tell me that while, yes, abortion is an issue that is important to their base, they feel this election is going to be won on other issues such as inflation, the economy, the state of the pandemic. And President Biden sort of almost flicked at that earlier this week when he told us in his big inflation speech that combatting rising costs is his top domestic priority. It's not necessarily voting rights, not abortion, but it is inflation. So they feel, Republicans feel that that is favorable terrain for them as they fight to take back the congressional majorities this fall.

PAUL: So we know that the Senate knew that their vote to codify the 1973 SCOTUS decision into law would fail this week. That was a given going in. What would the takeaway of that vote, though, did it serve the Democrats in any way?

KIM: I think it served what Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer wanted to do, which is to create that contrast between Democrats and Republicans and try to paint a picture for public of which party, according to their view, is on the side of women's rights and abortion rights. And that is a reason why there are two Republican senators, two female Republicans, who do support access to abortion, just not in the way -- just not in the way that this bill was written. And that's Susan Collins and Lisa Murkowski.

And we asked Chuck Schumer, why not come up with a compromise that could get people like Susan Collins, Lisa Murkowski, and Joe Manchin, the moderate Democratic senator, on board. And he made it pretty clear that this is a messaging bill that is meant to show that distinction between the two parties when it comes to abortion rights. So in terms of wanting to do that, they made that clear. But obviously, in terms of showing whether a Democratic controlled Washington can do anything, I think it showed that they can't, and they are really struggling here, both the White House and Democrats here.

PAUL: So I want to mention what happened yesterday during this speech in Dallas. Justice Clarence Thomas expressed his dismay at the leaked draft, comparing it to, quote, an infidelity. He said it's changed the culture of the nation's highest court. So when you look at that overall, what is your assessment of how this leak is shaping the nature of the court and the impact it's had on the country? KIM: It's really -- one thing it's done is it's kind of shown -- it's

done many things, but it's also kind of shown the political side of this institution. And I think that's really the struggle here for Chief Justice John Roberts. You've heard that after confirming the leak draft from "Politico" was an authentic one, he decried the leak and he has launched an investigation into who at the court may have been responsible for getting that opinion out to the public.

But I think it's really kind of punctured this public image of the court as kind of this institution that is above politics. And while it is -- of the three branches of government it is still seen more favorably than perhaps the White House and Congress, I think the public image and the public approval of the Supreme Court has been declining for some time. And I don't think this really helps their image on that end.

PAUL: All right, Seung Min Kim, appreciate your perspective and reporting on this. Thank you so much.

KIM: Thanks for having me.

SANCHEZ: From record heatwaves to rising prices, farmers across the country are struggling to keep their crops healthy. Next, a look at some of the pressures they are facing and how they are dealing with being on the front lines of inflation. We'll be right back.

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[10:34:18]

PAUL: For this time of year, U.S. farmers would be tending to their budding crops, preparing of course, for the winter harvest.

SANCHEZ: Yes, but an unprecedented drought in the western United States, plus rising global inflation has many U.S. farmers stressed that there's going to be less supply this season to sell. CNN's Gabe Cohen spoke with several farmers who say this is a very real concern.

(BEGIN VIDEO TAPE)

BRIAN BROOKS. BROOKS FARM: It's going to be tough.

GABE COHEN, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Just six weeks from winter wheat harvest, Brian Brooks is staring down 4,000 acres of barren Colorado farmland, dried out by a brutal drought that could drive food prices even higher.

There's nothing young salvage here?

BROOKS: Oh, no. We're done. You walk through there and it's so frustrating to see all your hard work sitting here blown away.

[10:35:02]

COHEN: Now it's time to plant corn. Would it even grow?

BROOKS: No. We'd just be wasting our money.

COHEN: A severe drought from Kansas to California has put 71 million crop acres at risk, 22 percent of the nation's crops. Farms are rationing water, some destroying crops they know won't survive.

In the Midwest, it's the opposite. Farms are soaked, and planting is weeks behind. It's just one more strain on farmers, with costs skyrocketing for labor, fuel, seed, and fertilizer.

MARC ARNUSCH, MARC ARNUSCH FARMS: We're planting less to live another year.

COHEN: Marc Arnusch, like many, is switching crops and planting half as many acres.

ARNUSCH: Consumers without a question are going to feel the pinch at the grocery store.

COHEN: U.S. food prices keep climbing, up 9.4 percent from a year ago, and expected to rise at least five percent to six percent this year. The war in Ukraine is adding to it, sending global prices sky high and creating a hunger crisis with Ukraine and Russia's grain industry largely cut off.

JOE BIDEN, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: We're reducing the red tape.

COHEN: On Wednesday, the Biden administration announced new measures to help U.S. farmers, doubling funding for fertilize production and expanding access to double cropping insurance and technologies that reduce the need for fertilizer.

BIDEN: We can make sure the American agricultural exports will make up for the gap in Ukrainian supplies.

COHEN: But a new USDA report is projecting less supply and higher prices in the U.S. on grains like wheat and corn, and there's growing concerns crop problems could add more stress to the food supply chain.

JAYSON LUSK, PURDUE AGRICULTURE: Those drought impacts are going to result in less food being on the market, which is going to further put pressure on food prices, on top of some inflationary pressures we have been seeing.

COHEN: At City Bakery in Denver, Michael Bortz has already seen his cost of flour nearly double.

MICHAEL BORTZ, OWNER, CITY BAKERY: I lost a lot of sleep for it.

COHEN: He's hiked his prices 20 percent to cover it.

If wheat prices keep rising, will you have to raise your prices?

BORTZ: Yes. There's no way around it.

COHEN: A problem that could grow from this desolate dirt where nothing elsewhere.

BROOKS: So, just pray for rain.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

SANCHEZ: Gabe Cohen, thank you for that report.

Elon Musk says he's putting his bid to acquire Twitter on hold just a few weeks after agreeing to take the company private in a $44 billion deal. The confusion from the news initially sent Twitter shares plunging by more than 20 percent before it rebounded.

PAUL: Musk says the delay is due to pending details about spam and fake accounts among the platform's users. But he assured everyone he is, quote, still committed to acquisition. CNN chief media correspondent Brian Stelter walks us through this.

BRIAN STELTER, CNN CHIEF MEDIA CORRESPONDENT: Hey, Boris and Christi, Is Elon Musk just trolling us all again? I think that is the dominant question this weekend in the tech world after Musk tweeted on Friday about this Twitter takeover being on hold.

Let's analyze exactly what he wrote in his tweet and see if we can read between the lines. He said, "Twitter deal temporarily on hold pending details supporting calculation that spam, fake accounts, do indeed represent less than five percent of users." He linked to a nearly two-week-old story from Reuters about the existence of spam accounts on the platform.

So maybe he's saying that is actually a lot more than five percent, if there's a lot more spam and fake accounts, and it's actually a bigger problem than Twitter thinks, then maybe he doesn't want to buy the platform after all. Maybe he wants to back away from the deal. That seems to be what he is implying here.

But a lot of investors, a lot of analysts looked at this and said, he is just citing the spam issue as a pretext, and this is really all about money. Of course, with the broader market selloff in recent weeks, the shares that Musk owns in Tesla have declined in value. He needs those Tesla shares in order to help finance the deal for Twitter, so it's possible he's just trying to get back away. Or may he's trying to get a lower price for Twitter. Maybe he's trying to buy it at closer to $30 billion than $40 billion. Of those just big questions left after his tweets on Friday.

He did follow up and say he was still committed to the acquisition, but analysts are quite skeptical now that he's going to go through with this, and maybe only one person knows for sure -- Elon Musk. Christi, Boris, back to you.

SANCHEZ: Brian Stelter, thank you.

After 20 years, the federal government may no longer have to oversee the Oakland, California, police department. Has that department changed for good? We'll take a closer look at its progress after a quick break. Don't go anywhere. (COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[10:44:13]

SANCHEZ: Some 17 people were injured in Milwaukee last night after a mass shooting downtown. It leads our top stories for you today. New video shows how the chaotic scene unfolded.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

(GUNFIRE)

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SANCHEZ: This video post on social media. You can hear several shots going off as people run for safety. Investigators say the victims' range in age from 15 to 47. A total of 10 people were taken into custody and some nine firearms were also recovered from the scene. According to police, the incident happened only two hours after another shooting just blocks away near the city's arena where an NBA playoff game was taking place.

PAUL: Let's go to Texas together now.

[10:45:00]

Authorities are offering more than $22,000 for any tips leading to the arrest of the man you see there on your screen, escaped inmate. He's currently serving two life sentences for capital murder. That is 46- year-old Gonzalo Lopez you see there. He reportedly broke out of his restraints and attacked the officer who was driving the transport bus. He then crashed the bus about two miles away and ran. Right now, Lopez is on the Texas most wanted fugitive's list as more than 300 law enforcement personnel are searching for him.

After nearly two decades, federal oversight of the Oakland, California, police department may be coming to an end.

SANCHEZ: A federal judge ruled on Thursday that the police department has reached, quote, substantial compliance in achieving internal reforms mandated by a 2003 settlement. That was after Oakland police officers were accused of planting evidence and beating up suspects. CNN's Josh Campbell spoke with Oakland's police chief who says it is a new day at that department.

(BEGIN VIDEO TAPE)

JOSH CAMPBELL, CNN CORRESPONDENT: It was a notorious time for the Oakland Police Department, officers in the early 2000s accused of racial discrimination, beatings, kidnappings, planting evidence. Victims filed a lawsuit.

JOHN BURRIS, PLAINTIFF'S ATTORNEY: It was rotten to the core in many areas, largely because officers were not held accountable, and that the leadership turned a blind eye to a lot of these things. CAMPBELL: As part of eventual $10 million settlement, the department was placed under federal oversight, mandating more than 50 reforms, including officer discipline, training, field supervision, incident reporting, and more.

Do you feel today, like if you saw something happening that shouldn't be happening, that you would be able to speak up?

MIA COOPER, OFFICER, OAKLAND POLICE DEPARTMENT: Absolutely.

CAMPBELL: Officers like Mia Cooper, new to the force, are now training that silence is not an option.

COOPER: Stand up and say something.

CAMPBELL: After nearly 20 years of federal supervision, a judge now says that oversight will end next year if the department can stay the course.

Are you confident that Oakland police today, this reformed department, has the trust of the community that you're sworn to protect?

LERONNE ARMSTRONG, CHIEF, OAKLAND POLICE DEPARTMENT: I think it is a work in progress. But I think we are taking steps every day to build trust.

CAMPBELL: Chief Leronne Armstrong, who took over the department last year, points to new officers trained with a new mindset.

BRIAN WOOD, OFFICER, OAKLAND POLICE DEPARTMENT: My name is Brian Wood. I'm originally from Sacramento, California.

CAMPBELL: Brian Wood has been on the force for two years. He and Mia Cooper are part of a newer generation of OPD officers who have only known the city's current model of progressive policing.

WOOD: Now, it's in our DNA. It's not just, hey, go out there and arrest bad people. It's let's go out and actually serve the community who has empowered us to do that. It's not what policing was 20, 30 years ago.

COOPER: Before, we are just police officers, we are just going to go look for this, go look for that, stop people, pull people. Now, it's like no, let's connect with the community.

CAMPBELL: OPD tells us it carefully screens new recruits.

DAMON GILBERT, ACTING SERGEANT, OAKLAND POLICE DEPARTMENT: We need officers that embrace constant training, constant growth, servant's spirit, have a heart for the people. If you don't have a servant's spirit, wrong profession. Wrong profession.

CAMPBELL: The results have won over some critics, including John Burris, who filed the original lawsuit against the department.

BURRIS: We don't have the beatings that we used to have. We don't have the shootings that we used to have. One of the big questions is, can we maintain the efficiency that we have. And I'm hopeful that we will.

CAMPBELL: But not everyone is.

CAT BROOKS, COMMUNITY ACTIVIST: I think the people of Oakland should get to say whether or not the police department is ready to come off of federal oversight.

CAMPBELL: Cat Brooks, a community activist, says many residents are skeptical that any of reforms will stick.

BROOKS: Police departments do not want to change. They do not like being told what to do. It was supposed to be a five-year process, and it took 20 years for you to stop beating, racially profiling, mistreating.

ARMSTRONG: I'm sorry that it took so long. And I'm sorry that there was resistance.

CAMPBELL: Chief Armstrong understands the frustration but says what matters now is the present.

ARMSTRONG: Maybe it took 20 years to get us to this point, but I think we all should be proud of the fact that we are here.

(END VIDEO TAPE)

SANCHEZ: Thanks so much to CNN's Josh Campbell for that report.

Don't go anywhere. We're back after a quick break.

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[10:53:34]

SANCHEZ: An intense heatwave is expected to be felt across most of the south this weekend. And that means millions of people could see dangerous temperatures.

PAUL: Yes, meteorologist Allison Chinchar with us now, and I understand, Allison, this isn't something that is just going to come and go.

ALLISON CHINCHAR, CNN METEOROLOGIST: Right, and I think that is going to be the key thing is that this is a prolonged heatwave event. In the middle of May we're looking at temperatures that we would normally see in July and August this early. So a lot of people aren't necessarily acclimated to this type of heat, especially when it's going to last for five, six, even seven days.

We had several records already yesterday. Taking a look this is in a lot of different states. This isn't one or two places. Wichita Falls, Texas topping out at just under 100 degrees. But areas of Louisiana, Illinois, Wisconsin also breaking record temperatures for yesterday. This southwest, a place you typically think of as being very hot, it's even going to be above average by their standards. Phoenix is going to be 103 today. That's 11 degrees above their normal. Tucson, even Las Vegas also looking at temperatures about 10 degrees above normal.

But it's other places. You're seeing that heat expand into other areas. You have potential records that stretch from California down to Florida and even several in some northeastern states. At some point over the next seven days, over 200 locations have the potential to break records. San Angelo, you're looking at the next three days in a row at least of being in triple digits. Lubbock reaching triple digits on Sunday. Same thing for Dallas.

[10:55:00]

This is widespread, but again, for some areas of Texas, you could be breaking daily records five, six, even seven straight days in row. One of the other concerns not only on your body but also when dealing with the wildfires Christi and Boris, because the firefighters have to keep fighting those fires, but now in triple digit temperatures.

PAUL: That's a very good point. Let's keep our firefighters in mind there. Allison Chinchar, thank you so much.

And we always appreciate spending part of our morning with you. Thank you for being here, and we hope you make good memories today.

SANCHEZ: Christi, always great to be with you. Fredricka Whitfield is going to pick up the next hour of CNN Newsroom.

But before we go, we want to give you a quick reminder. Be sure to watch an all new episode of NOMAD WITH CARLTON MCCOY tomorrow night right here on CNN. This week he's showing us a different side of his hometown in Washington, D.C. Again, it airs tomorrow night at 10:00 p.m. right here on CNN.

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