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Sources: Former Wisconsin Judge Killed In Plot Against Government Officials; Justice Department Will Not Prosecute Mark Meadows And Dan Scavino; Crises Keep Piling Up On President Biden's Desk; Biden: Americans Understandably "Anxious" About Gas, Food Prices; Frustration Mounts Over Shifting Narratives In Uvalde Shooting; Queen Elizabeth Skipping Some Platinum Jubilee Celebrations. Aired 12-1p ET

Aired June 04, 2022 - 12:00   ET

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

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[12:01:28]

FREDRICKA WHITFIELD, CNN HOST (on camera): Hello, everyone. Thank you so much for joining me. I'm Fredricka Whitfield in Atlanta.

We begin this hour in Wisconsin where a deadly shooting left a former judge dead. And sources tell CNN, the gunman was planning to target several other high-ranking government officials.

Former Juneau County Circuit Court Judge John Roemer was gunned down in his home on Friday. Police say the shooter then shot himself. Sources say the gunman was also planning attacks on Wisconsin Governor Tony Evers and Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell.

CNN's Whitney Wild has details on this. Whitney, what more are investigators sharing?

WHITNEY WILD, CNN LAW ENFORCEMENT CORRESPONDENT (on camera): Well, Fredricka, sources tell CNN that the suspect had a list of targets, a long list of targets.

Officials say that this was somehow related to the justice system. Was it one case? Was it several cases? That's simply not clear, but what I can tell you is that this all began Friday morning when someone ran out of Judge Roamer's home, called 911 and told police someone had broken inside and shot two rounds inside that home.

When police tried to negotiate with the suspect, it just didn't go anywhere. Those negotiations eventually just totally dissolved. And that's when tactical teams in Wisconsin made entry into the home where they found 68-year-old former state Circuit Court Judge John Roemer dead.

They also found that suspect, a 56-year-old man with a gunshot wound to the head. He was taken to the hospital. We don't yet know what that suspect's name is. We don't yet know what the condition of that suspect is today. But we do know that officials are very sure that this was a targeted attack. Here is what they said.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JOSH KAUL, ATTORNEY GENERAL OF WISCONSIN: This, as I mentioned before, does appear to be a targeted act. And the individual who's the suspect appears to have had other targets as well. It appears to be related to the judicial system.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WILD: Fredricka, federal officials have been warning for months about anti-government sentiment, the possibility of violence related to anti-government ideology.

They are warning that we remain and have remained for more than a year now in this heightened threat environment. And what this is an example of is a highly visible, but also soft target.

That is something that really alarms law enforcement because what they are afraid of, are these -- again, these lone actors that fly under the radar that are not always visible to law enforcement until it's too late. That is why this case is so significant, and it's certainly going to attract a lot of law enforcement attention outside Wisconsin, throughout the country, as local police nationwide assess the threats in their own area. Fred.

WHITFIELD: Right. Yes. I mean, heightened alert, but there is precedents to this target -- you know, to a targeted judge at home.

WILD: Right.

WHITFIELD: In the most recent case. And I'm thinking of the judge -- the judges son, and without being killed at home. Yes, all right.

WILD: Right. Yes, killed. Absolutely. Yep. Yeah. All right. Another devastating case. Yes.

WHITFIELD: Certainly. Whitney Wild, thank you so much.

A stunning new report in The New York Times says that a top aide of former Vice President Mike Pence warned the Secret Service that President Trump could turn on the Vice President, and the aide feared for Pence's safety on the eve of the Capitol riot.

The New York Times report claims Pence's Chief of Staff Mark Short warned the Secret Service of his safety concerns one day before the insurrection.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MAGGIE HABERMAN, CNN POLITICAL ANALYST: This is an extraordinary moment to think that there is a chief of staff to a sitting vice president so concerned about the potential threat that has been created by a pressure campaign led and encouraged by the president who picked this vice president. [12:05:02]

HABERMAN: It is -- it is jarring and it just takes a minute to absorb. Marc Short had a conversation, according to sources, with Tim Giebels, the lead Secret Service agent, saying exactly what you just said that the president was going to turn on Pence, and that, you know, they might have a security risk.

Short, as I understand it, did not have a sense of what that threat could look like. I don't believe, based on my reporting that he envisioned, you know, what we saw on January 6th, the way we saw it.

But what he did realize is that the former president had supporters who were very reactive to him, who basically acted, you know, responded to things he would say, and he could see, you know, one person, two people, three people, you know, several people doing something that could be problematic, safety-wise for the vice president, just based on this pressure that the former president was exerting.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WHITFIELD: A Secret Service official disputed the exchange and told CNN that concerns about violence directed at Pence or any risk posed by the former president's actions was never communicated to them.

We're also covering new developments in the Capitol riot investigation. Two former Trump administration officials will not face charges for contempt of Congress in the January 6th investigation.

The Justice Department says it will not indict former White House Chief of Staff Mark Meadows and former Deputy Chief of Staff Dan Scavino. The Select Committee begins its first public primetime hearings this Thursday. The panel is expected to reveal new evidence and witness testimony.

CNN national security reporter Zach Cohen joining us right now. So, Zach, what is the House Committee saying about this decision that these two former high-level Trump officials would not be indicted?

ZACHARY COHEN, CNN NATIONAL SECURITY REPORTER (on camera): Fredricka, the committee says that they're puzzled by this decision. They frankly don't understand how the Department of Justice did not indict Dan Scavino and Mark Meadows for what they feel is their defiance of a congressional subpoena.

Now, they have made clear over the last several months that both Scavino and Meadows are considered to be key witnesses in their investigation. And they reiterated that again last night, reacting to the news that they would not be indicted, saying both individuals undoubtedly have knowledge about Donald Trump's role and efforts to overturn the 2020 election and the events of January 6th.

Now, that is why the committee believes that Meadows and Scavino, despite being high-level White House officials during the Trump administration should have been obligated to comply with the subpoena that they were sent previously.

Now, it is a little bit more complicated than some of the other cases because of their status in the White House. But also because both individuals either did cooperate, at least, to some extent or engaged in negotiations and discussed the parameters of a willingness to cooperate with the committee.

Now, look, we know Mark Meadows has handed over 1,000s of text messages. And those are going to be featured prominently during the committee's hearings. But the committee wants the Department of Justice to explain why it's not bringing criminal charges against both men, especially because of their importance to the investigation.

WHITFIELD: All right. Zach Cohen, thanks so much.

All right. Joining me now to discuss these developments is Michael Zeldin. He is a former federal prosecutor and host of the podcast "That Said with Michael Zeldin. Michael, good to see you.

MICHAEL ZELDIN, CNN LEGAL ANALYST: Good to see you, Fred.

WHITFIELD: All right. So, the Justice Department informing the House Select Committee investigating the January 6th insurrection that it will not initiate prosecutions for criminal contempt against the former Trump White House officials, Mark Meadows and Dan Scavino.

So, how big of a blow to the House panel is this to -- for them to want to enforce subpoenas?

ZELDIN: Well, it is important that people honor subpoenas. Period. Especially, government and high government level people.

So, Meadows, and Scavino, and Navarro, and Bannon really all have a moral, ethical obligation to comply. That said, of course, the -- those who are indicted, Bannon and Navarro completely stonewalled the committee. Whereas Scavino and Meadows endeavor to cooperate partially at least, and that I think is what distinguishes them not being indicted from the others who were indicted.

But of course, it's bad for the committee, it's bad for the country, more importantly, that these people keep their testimony, their important testimony to themselves at about with no real reason, and at about the beginnings of the hearings on January 6th.

WHITFIELD: So, now, because of that inconsistency on being able to indict a few but then not for others. Now, that select committee is also asking the Justice Department for an explanation.

Will the Justice Department give an explanation?

ZELDIN: Typically, they don't. Normally, when they declined to prosecute, they say we declined to prosecute, and they don't explain it. We saw that sort of play out in Comey and Hillary Clinton.

[12:10:00] ZELDIN: And why that created such a stir was that Comey was talking about things that normally the Justice Department doesn't talk about. So, I think they would be well advised to not talk about this, to say this was our prosecutorial decision. People can speculate like I just did as to why Navarro gets an indictment and Scavino doesn't.

But I think it's better for the Justice Department to just keep its cards to itself as it historically does.

WHITFIELD: All right. So, all this on the eve of this upcoming week's January 6 committee primetime hearings. Audiences have seen the video, but what will be key in how the committee informs or sways the American public about the events, you know, leading up to during, and after the insurrection? How do they need to lay out their case?

ZELDIN: It's the movie, Wag the Dog in a sense that really need a narrator who can tell a coherent story from beginning to end how did this come about? What was the funding of it? What role did key players play in the lead-up to it? What specifically did Trump play in the lead up to it, and on the events of January 6th, and they need, you know, Peter Falk, from The Princess Bride, or somebody telling a story that people are compelled to listen to remember, what we're going to hear on Thursday is sort of almost like the preview because they're going to then have six hearings after that.

And so, if you will, this was a television show, we want to say, oh, let's tune in for the next episode in the next episode, next episode. And so, they really need to attach some narrative that's compelling to the American people to watch it. Otherwise, they're not going to watch.

WHITFIELD: So, you think it will be compelling that as you've learned it, they -- this hearing will be broken down into chapters? You only see pluses here and no minuses in that?

ZELDIN: Well, if they, on day one, in the preview, if they can capture the audience's interest in what is going to come next week, then, I think it will be a terrific success as they capture the audience and it keeps growing with the momentum that each episode presents.

If on day one, it's the same old -- same old we've seen the videotapes previously, that doesn't seem like there's anything new here, then, I think people are going to turn the channel.

So, I think it's really important that they set up the cell -- the television show, if you will.

WHITFIELD: Yes.

ZELDIN: In a way that -- want to watch it.

WHITFIELD: And a real primary objective as to why it will be prime time is so that more people and larger American audience can actually watch this, as opposed to being at work or school or wherever they're during the day side, so that they can actually watch it at home or from wherever they are in the evening. All right, Michael Zeldin --

ZELDIN: Exactly.

WHITFIELD: Yes. All right, thanks so much. Good to see you.

ZELDIN: Thanks, Fred.

WHITFIELD: All right, straight ahead this hour, heavy rains are turning roads into rivers in South Florida right now as a large storm system moves across the state. We'll tell you how more rain is still to come.

Plus, 70 years on the throne. How the world is celebrating Britain's longest-serving Royal?

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[12:17:16]

WHITFIELD: All right, happening right now, potential Tropical Cyclone One, making a mess of South Florida. But a flash flood warning for Miami and Fort Lauderdale just ended.

More than 11 inches of rain has fallen there in the last 24 hours of flooding the streets and leaving cars and the drivers, like you're seeing right there, stranded in the storm.

In all, more than 7 million people are under tropical storm warnings now across Florida and the Bahamas. CNN's Carlos Suarez is in Fort Lauderdale and meteorologist Gene Norman are track -- is also tracking the latest.

So, Carlos, you first. Well, it still looks like you got high water there and drivers in it. What's going on?

CARLOS SUAREZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT (on camera): Yes. So, Fredricka, remember what we were talking about getting a bit of a break from that rain, well, a quick look at the radar shows that that's going to be pretty short-lived, because we've got a line of thunderstorms making their way from the south up into Broward County.

It's really probably the last punch from the storm. And it will no doubt push the water levels, the total rainfall for parts of South Florida to well over a foot of rain over the past 24 hours.

Here in Fort Lauderdale, we're seeing numbers at about probably close to eight, 8-1/2 inches over the last 24 hours. And that's led to some pretty serious flooding, especially along parts of A1A, which run alongside the beach out here.

As you can see cars they're doing the one thing that law enforcement is asking them not to do, which is to try to make it past some of this flooding. There is a lone park ranger out here that occasionally will get on the loudspeaker and tell drivers that if they tried to do just that they run the risk of getting their cars stuck. That is something that we saw play out across Miami overnight as car after car ended up getting stuck in some of the flooding there.

In fact Miami Fire Rescue, they have a team of firefighters that are going around the city trying to get some of these cars out of the road after having rescued some of their owners overnight.

Again, the story here on Fort Lauderdale Beach is that parts of Los Angeles right now are still trying to dry out after nearly eight inches of rain fell over a 24-hour period.

It does seem that we're going to get that one more line of storms making their way across South Florida. And that when all -- when everything is said and done, parts of Miami Dade County, specifically in the city of Miami and south, they will most likely have seen nearly a foot of rain over a single day period.

Fredricka?

WHITFIELD: Wow, what a mess. All right, thank you so much. Gene, to you now in the Weather Center.

So, as we saw right there, the storm has caused quite the mess and it's ongoing really. So, how much longer can people expect to be in this deluge?

GENE NORMAN, CNN METEOROLOGIST (on camera): Fred, let's say about another six hours that they're going to see more and more of this rain. And here is the radar that Carlos was talking about.

Sure enough, here, you see these bright red colors, a couple of flashes of lightning there, moving between Fort Lauderdale in Miami.

[12:20:02]

NORMAN: And Miami are you really getting pounded right now, and they're under a flash flood warning because the rain is coming down so fast at a rate of maybe one to two inches an hour.

So, they've already seen about 11 inches, they're going to get another two or three out of this before this system finally moves on out. But this part of the state, the southeast part is the one that's really getting the most rain right now.

You see everybody else is kind of clearing out over here by Lake Okeechobee and backed by Fort Myers not looking so bad. Even Key West is beginning to dry out a little bit.

So, this system has been taking its sweet time moving across Florida since yesterday. And that's one of the reasons why we have these heavy rainfall amounts.

And when you hear the word tropical storm, that's what you should be thinking of, as opposed to a hurricane, which is more of a wind threat. And this certainly has been a system that's dumped a lot of rain. Now, there are still some flash flood warnings in effect in the green. But notice right around Miami, that's where the flash flood warning is in effect, simply because of more rain expected. But Miami picking up at 11 so far, Hollywood nine. And as Carlos said up close to eight in Fort Lauderdale.

So, these rainfall amounts will continue to tick up as long as the system is moving through.

So, here is the good news.

WHITFIELD: Oh, bring it.

NORMAN: We're watching this rain moving on out. That's the good news.

WHITFIELD: Right.

NORMAN: It should be out of here by midnight. And then, on the backside, we do see just a few, you know, regular Florida thunderstorms for Sunday afternoon, as opposed to the tropical nature.

And we still also have a risk of perhaps a few isolated tornadoes, although that risk is really diminishing.

As my producer, Heather, said to me in my ear, this storm is a hot mess and she is right.

WHITFIELD: Sure is.

NORMAN: Because all the showers and thunderstorms to the east, as opposed to right around the center or circulating, and it's one of the reasons why it hasn't been upgraded yet. But that can still happen.

WHITFIELD: Oh my gosh. Well, I know they're looking for it. The dry out, whenever that will come, because that's a lot of water that needs to recede or go somewhere.

NORMAN: Absolutely.

WHITFIELD: Because drainage system isn't, you know, like a lot of -- like you see in a lot of other cities there in South Florida. So, ouch.

All right, Gene Norman, Carlos Suarez, thank you so much.

And now, in honor of National Gun Violence Awareness Day, the White House was illuminated in orange Friday night. Several other government buildings including California's Capitol dome and city hall in New York City will also be lit up in orange this weekend.

This 8th Annual National Gun Violence Awareness Day comes as people in the U.S. are reeling from a spate of mass shootings just in the last month.

We're back in a moment.

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[12:27:02]

WHITFIELD: Well, the bad news just keeps coming for President Biden and the nation between rising inflation, spiking gas prices, baby formula shortages, a war in Ukraine, ongoing pandemic, a series of mass shootings in the U.S., and Republican opposition to new gun laws.

The president has a difficult summer ahead as midterms heat up and threatened to stall his agenda.

Here with me now to discuss, CNN senior political analyst and senior editor at The Atlantic Ron Brownstein. And CNN political analyst and professor of history and public affairs at Princeton University. Julian Zelizer. Good to see both of you.

All right, Ron, you first. The president has been quick to say that many of these crises are outside of his control, even though that is generally correct. Is that, you know, the right message to be sending to Americans, when so many are struggling with rising food costs, high prices at the pump, finding baby formula? I mean, they want answers.

RON BROWNSTEIN, CNN SENIOR POLITICAL ANALYST (on camera): Absolutely. Look, when you are the president, especially, when your party is in unified control of Congress, voters fairly or not, blame you or credit you for what's going on in the country.

And right now we are seeing voters extremely dissatisfied with the direction of the country. You know, I've written that for President Biden, normalcy is sort of like the horizon. It recedes every time you get close to it.

A country can't get back to anything that feels like normal life that existed before the pandemic. And in many ways, Fred, I thought that was the core underlying promise of his presidency -- of his campaign that he would kind of steer the country back to normalcy after all the storms of Trump.

But instead, we have seen inflation, as you mentioned, other problems, these mass shootings, you know, continue to unsettle Americans. And he has been undercut, I think, to an unappreciated degree, by the refusal of two Senators Joe Manchin and Kyrsten Sinema to allow him to move forward on an agenda that basically 99 percent of his party supports.

So, you have voters in the middle who are unhappy with conditions and you have voters in the base who feel that they have not delivered on their promises, and that's a pretty toxic combination.

WHITFIELD: And Julian, you have a new opinion piece that just published on cnn.com. And in it, you right that Biden could face the same fate as one term president, Jimmy Carter, if he doesn't turn things around. And at this point, do you feel like the president can turn things around?

JULIAN ZELIZER, CNN POLITICAL ANALYST (on camera): Well, the president can turn things around. There have been presidents at the end of this period going into midterms who are struggling, including Ronald Reagan in 1982, Barack Obama in 2010, and have gone on to reelection. That's not inevitable.

And I do think, talking about other factors, being responsible for crises usually doesn't work for presidents. I think what the electorate is looking for is to see President Biden doing what he can with executive power, with incremental steps to get on top of the crises, rather than to look like he's throwing his hands up in the air.

[12:30:10]

WHITFIELD: At the same time, doesn't he run the risk of overusing executive power?

ZELIZER: Always and presidents have to be cautious. And that is a critique, but on issues like inflation, when he will not make progress at this point on Capitol Hill because of Republican obstruction. And as Ron said, the Manchin-Sinema problem, that's going to be the one tool that he has at his disposal. And I think easing economic concerns right now is probably more important for his presidency than any risk of, you know, overusing executive orders at this point.

WHITFIELD: And on the issue about inflation, this was the President yesterday.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JOE BIDEN, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: And there's no denying that high prices, particularly around gasoline and food are a real problem for people. But there's every reason for the American people to feel confident that we'll meet these challenges.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WHITFIELD: So Ron, is that fair enough for Biden to say, when a recent CBS poll found that 65 percent of Americans believe that he is slow to react?

BROWNSTEIN: Yes, look, we have not had inflation of this magnitude in 40 years. And as Julian was referencing back to the Carter era, I mean, the Carter years, the early Reagan years, the late Nixon years, when inflation is high, it dominates politics, and it's something that people feel every day, far more than they feel even, you know, the stock market or the job market inflation is with you all of the time.

Again, I think part of the problem that Biden face goes back to the Manchin-Sinema issue, I mean, there are a lot of Democrats, who were very heartened when Biden during the State of the Union, repackaged and reframed key elements of the Build Back Better agenda as a way to help Americans with their daily costs. I mean, they're, you know, there are components of this bill that would help people with their childcare costs, with their health care costs, with their drug costs, with their utility costs. Larry Summers the other day, was being interviewed by "The Washington Post," and he probably did more to predict the current inflationary problems than any other single individual. You know, he said, Build Back Better actually would have helped stabilize the macroeconomic situation, the exact opposite of what Manchin has been arguing that it would exacerbate inflation.

He said that -- Larry Summers said that was wrong. But on all of these fronts, Biden can't deliver what is a tangible response to people's concern, as Julian said, he has only limited, you know, impact on the overall problem of inflation, but they could deliver a series of targeted programs that help people with their daily costs.

And again, that is what he has been prevented from doing by the resistance of Manchin, largely, and Sinema, to some extent. And so they are left with the worst of both worlds in which they seem to be paralyzed at a moment when people have real concerns.

WHITFIELD: And why midterms are going to be so in incredibly important. Still, I mean, even more so. So Julian, Biden told CNN that he didn't know until April that baby formula shortage would be so serious. That was months after formula producer Abbott, you know, shuttered its plant. Do you think of the President just -- that was an oversight, he's been poorly served by his own aides in the White House? I mean, should more blame, or this kind of blame be placed on the White House for a manufacturing problem?

ZELIZER: Well, I don't know the source of the mistake. And I don't know whose problem or mistake it was in the White House. But it certainly doesn't play well. Those are the kinds of issues when dealing with inflation or supply side shortages, that really resonate for voters, you know, not being able to obtain enough formula is something every family, every parent understands the concern.

And so regardless of how that happened, those are the exact kind of mistakes that the administration can't be making at this point. All right, Julian Zelizer and Ron Brownstein, good to see you both gentlemen, have a great rest of your weekend.

BROWNSTEIN: Thank you. OK.

WHITFIELD: All right, and 50 years ago this month, a bungled break in at the Watergate in Washington, D.C. tipped off the biggest political scandal of the 20th century. And the new CNN original series, Watergate blueprint for a scandal shares the untold and complete picture of how it unfolded.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

CARL BERNSTEIN, JOURNALIST: A year before the Watergate break in there is a discussion with Nixon, Haldeman and Kissinger, and they are talking about fire bombing and breaking into the Brookings Institution to get some papers that are in Brookings that would make Lyndon Johnson look bad in his conduct of the war in Vietnam, and Nixon look good. UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Jack Caulfield came into my office wide eyed and he said Colson wants me to firebomb the Brookings Institute. I said, come again?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The President wanted classified documents and he told the plumbers, do it. Chuck Colson says what you're going to do is start a little fire, fire alarm go off, and the plumbers we're going to rent a fire truck and answered the fire. While Liddy and others go up, go to the safe, break it and pull out all the classified material.

[12:35:19]

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I said, this is insane. This is declaring war on a think tank because they have papers the President thinks he wants.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

WHITFIELD: A scandal like none other. Be sure to tune in tomorrow at 9:00 p.m. Eastern and Pacific only on CNN.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[12:40:13]

WHITFIELD: A man who stabbed three hospital employees in Los Angeles County is now in custody. Yesterday afternoon, the man attack to nurses and a physician in the emergency room of the Encino Hospital Medical Center and then barricaded himself inside the building. Two of the victims are in stable condition while the third is in critical condition and had to undergo surgery last night.

Authorities say the motive for the attack is not clear but that the man was seeking some type of treatment. The suspect has had multiple contacts with police including to arrest for assaulting officers and a manhunt is underway for a suspect who shot at least three people this morning after opening fire from a U-Haul truck outside of Houston nightclub. Three victims, a woman, and two men ranging in age from 32 to 50, were transported from the scene after 4:00 a.m. The female was in critical condition and the two males are in stable condition according to police. A search for the suspect is underway and police are asking the public for information. The U-Haul truck, the suspect was driving, has not been located.

And 10 days after a gunman killed 19 children and two teachers in Uvalde, Texas. There's growing frustration over continued gaps in information provided by authorities. And a meeting of the Uvalde school board last night, the superintendent announced students will not be returning to Robb Elementary School. Families expressed frustration the school board didn't have answers about security once students do return to the classrooms. CNN's Camila Bernal is in Uvalde. And Daniella Diaz is on Capitol Hill. Camila, you first we heard from Texas legislator that the incident commander at the school wasn't in radio communication. What are you learning?

CAMILA BERNAL, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, Fred, let me just say that again, an incident commander without a radio. That's according to Texas State Senator Roland Gutierrez. I mean, it is almost incredible just to think about this, he may have had a cell phone. But of course, the big question is whether or not he knew that there were still children in that classroom, calling 911. "The New York Times" got a transcript of one of those 911 calls where a girl is saying that she's afraid, that she does not want to die, it says that there are bodies describes her teacher being shot.

And so of course, that is the frustrating part that we still do not know. And there are many gaps in this investigation. We're still asking, but it keeps on changing official sending corrections, and still a lot of unknowns. That's the problem here in Uvalde. And of course, the parents are frustrated. Many of them who went to that school board meeting yesterday was the first one after the massacre and the parents saying that they simply want answers that they want to know how the school district is going to keep their children safe. They're saying that their children don't want to return it to school.

Two things to note from that meeting, the first being, as you mentioned, that the superintendent said, there will not be any more classes that Rob elementary teachers and students will not return. The other notable thing is that Pete Arredondo, the police chief, the school police chief, there was no action taken against him. So we do not know what the school district is going to decide to do, despite the fact that we still don't know why he called the shots when it comes to not going inside of that classroom.

It's been more than two weeks. And we still don't know why and how that shooter was in that classroom for more than an hour before he was shot by authority. So that's the problem that there's still so many questions. And in addition to all the questions we have in terms of the investigation, there is the trauma. There is a community that's grieving. We have so many people here at this makeshift memorial, paying their respects, trying to honor and remember the victims.

And I want to highlight one of those victims, Ellie Garcia, she would have been 10 years old today. Her favorite color was purple. So there are many members of this community who are wearing purple today. We went to the local Starbucks, and they're all wearing purple. They said her dad was a regular and that they just wanted to show his support. So think about this family who would have been celebrating a birthday today and instead they're grieving. Fred?

WHITFIELD: Tragic. All right, thank you so much, Camila. And, Daniella to you, lots of discussions now have come from this latest mass shooting about gun reform. Where do things stand between Republicans and Democrats who are engaged in that conversation?

[12:45:00]

DANIELLA DIAZ, CNN CONGRESSIONAL REPORTER: Fred, there is still such a divide between how Republicans and Democrats want to approach this issue of gun safety reform. You know, they were in recess this past week. But there were virtual meetings that took place between Republicans and Democrats these bipartisan talks, but they're not able to meet in the middle just yet. As an example, Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell said that the issue here is, quote, mental illness and school safety.

Meanwhile, Democrats want to raise the age of purchasing semiotic weapons from 18 to 21, which has not gained any traction in these talks. Republicans don't believe that there should be any changes to gun reform -- any gun reform in this country. Democrats want to see gun safety reform. But look, these talks are including topics such as upgrading school security, bolstering the country's mental health system, expanding background checks, and pushing states to implement tougher red flag laws. Also, some gun trafficking laws are being discussed between these bipartisan this bipartisan group as well, this small group of Republicans and Democrats.

Fred, remember that the Senate in order for any bill to break that filibuster, it needs 60 votes to break that filibuster to advance legislation. So even if every Democrat supports any sort of gun safety legislation, they need at least 10 Republicans on board. And right now there are not 10 Republicans on board on any measure.

Now, meanwhile in the House, they're moving forward, Fred, with several bills. In fact, this week, they're going to vote on a bill that would actually expand a lot of background checks has a lot of wide ranging measures. But it's not likely to pass in the Senate, it will likely get stuck. Take a listen to what one congressman from Texas, Joaquin Castro, actually said about the efforts in the House and how they're likely going to get stuck in the Senate.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

REP. JOAQUIN CASTRO (D-TX): We also realize that we're trying to work on something that has a chance of getting through a Senate where Republicans have stood in the way of any kind of reform, you know, so we are working on our end, but it takes the other party also being willing to compromise. I hope that that happens. I think Uvalde shock the conscience in a way that we haven't seen since Sandy Hook at least.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

Diaz: He really sums it up very well, Fred. Democrats are hoping that the momentum after this horrific shooting in Uvalde will allow Republicans to start negotiating and maybe meet Democrats in the middle on gun safety reform, something that's not happened yet, after so many horrific shootings. But of course, a lot of things are still waiting, there's still a lot of negotiations taking place. Senators are back this week. So those negotiations will take place in person and they're really hoping they can get some Republicans on board. Fred?

WHITFIELD: All right. Daniella Diaz, Camila Bernal, thanks to both of you, appreciate it.

[12:47:45]

All right, meantime, the Girl Scouts have awarded their highest honor to one of the Uvalde's school shooting victims, 10-year-old Amerie Jo Garza was a proud Girl Scout. And just one week before the massacre, she had completed her Girl Scout bridging ceremony. The Girl Scouts posthumously awarded Amerie Jo with the bronze cross. It's the highest honor granted to scouts who put their lives at risk to save or attempt to save another's life. Amerie Jo's stepfather told CNN that she was trying to call 911 before she was killed. Amerie Jo was laid to rest on Tuesday. We'll be right back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WHITFIELD: All right, the Epsom Derby has just wrapped up near London. The iconic race kicks off day three of the four day celebration of Queen Elizabeth's Platinum Jubilee. The Queen herself was not at the race. Buckingham Palace says the 96-year-old monarch is continuing to have mobility issues. And later this evening, there will be a huge party in the Queen's honor at the palace. CNN's Max Foster has details from London. Hi Max.

MAX FOSTER, CNN LONDON CORRESPONDENT: Fred, actually just had an update on the Queen's health from Epsom where the Queen was due today at the races but she had to cancel because of her mobility issues. Her granddaughter Zara Tindall is there. However, she said she's spoken to her recently and she said her grandmother is well, but obviously she was in London on Thursday referring there to the fact that the Queen probably over exerting herself a bit on the first day of the Jubilee celebrations.

But this is the best bit, Fred. The Queen will just be sat in front of the sofa watching the T.V., she'll be in her comfy clothes, according to Zara Tindall, so I think she is well and she is engaging with the Jubilee celebrations by watching them on T.V., even if she can't be there in person. We also think it's quite unlikely that she's going to appear tonight at the Jubilee Concert here. Everyone's appearing from Diana Ross to Alicia Keys. And Prince Charles and Prince William will be giving speeches as well.

We can expect a quite a powerful and poignant one I think from Prince Charles. The Jubilee events do continue. Prince William and the Duchess of Cambridge have been in Wales today as part of a Jubilee tour around the British nations. They were there with their two eldest children. Everyone very excited about the concert tonight. Good weather expected thankfully because it's all outdoors. We're hoping the rain will hold off as well tomorrow for the street parties and the Jubilee pageant, the final day of this four day celebration, Fred.

[12:54:49]

WHITFIELD: Thank you so much Max Foster. Let's hope for no rain tomorrow. All right, we're back in a moment.

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[12:59:35]

WHITFIELD: All right this week a grim reminder of the sacrifices first responders in America make every single day. Four former members of the New York City Fire Department have died of 911 related illnesses just days apart. These gentlemen Michael Verzi Robert Reynolds, Vincent Mandala and Jack McCauley all died during the end of May according to the department. To date, 287 FDNY members have had their lives cut short by World Trade Center related illnesses.