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Organizers Plan Marches Across U.S. to Protest for More Gun Safety Measures; Senate Reportedly Making Progress on Bipartisan Gun Control Bill; Leaders of 10 Health Care Systems in Minnesota Calling Gun Violence A Public Health Crisis; Uvalde School District Police Chief Says He Did Not Consider Himself Incident Commander During Elementary School Shooting; Texas State Senator Roland Gutierrez Interviewed about Ongoing Investigation into Uvalde, Texas, Elementary School Shooting; Saudi-Backed Golf Tournament Luring Away PGA Golf Professionals; Heatwave Hits Parts of U.S. Southwest. Aired 10-11a ET

Aired June 11, 2022 - 10:00   ET

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

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

CHRISTI PAUL, CNN ANCHOR: Happening now in the Newsroom, demanding action, marches are planned across the country today as demonstrators call for stricter gun-control measures. Their message and the progress lawmakers say they're making on a deal.

Paying up to fill up. Yes, the U.S. average for a gallon of gas tops $5 a gallon for the first time ever. Who the White House is blaming for the surge?

And speaking out. The embattled Uvalde Texas police chief is defending his actions as questions continue to mount over his department's response to the deadly school shooting.

A new Saudi-backed golf league is luring some big-name golfers with some reportedly getting nine-figure payouts. What's behind the Saudi strategy, and how the PGA is responding.

And dangerous heat is gripping part of the country, 60 million of you are under heat alerts. When we're going to start to see some relief from the triple-digit temperatures.

Newsroom starts right now.

We wish you a good morning. We are grateful to have you with us on this Saturday, June 11th. Happy weekend to you. I'm Christi Paul.

BORIS SANCHEZ, CNN ANCHOR: Great to be with you, Christi. I'm Boris Sanchez. You are live in the CNN Newsroom.

And we begin this hour with a national call for gun reform. Hundreds of March for Our Lives rallies are planned in nearly all 50 states today with activists demanding lawmakers address the epidemic of gun violence in this country.

PAUL: A series of high-profile mass shootings from Uvalde to Buffalo, New York, have really reignited outrage and put renewed pressure on lawmakers on Capitol Hill to take some action here. Washington, D.C., New York, Parkland, Florida, those are just some of the more than 300 cities where these protests will be held today.

They're following the 2018 march organized by former students at Marjorie Stoneman Douglas High School there in Parkland. In February of 2018, a former student entered the school near Fort Lauderdale and started shooting. Fourteen students and three staff members were killed.

CNN's Polo Sandoval and Nadia Romero are standing by there. We want to begin, though, with Whitney Wild. She's live on the National Mall in Washington. That's where there are expected to be tens of thousands of people attending that march. Whitney, good to see you this morning. What are you seeing this hour?

WHITNEY WILD, CNN LAW ENFORCEMENT CORRESPONDENT: We're seeing more people pour into this protest, which according to the permit could bring as many as 60,000 people here to D.C., downtown D.C., just steps away from the White House, not far from Capitol Hill, and the message here directed directly at those elected leaders. And when you look back at the fact that the last time this happened here in Washington, it was 2018, that's only four years ago, but it feels so much longer because there have been so many mass shootings in between when these students organized this gigantic march in Washington. There was this real feeling at the time that that was such a galvanizing moment, but so much more bloodshed has happened in between that time and now.

And so the message here from a long list of speakers, all of whom have a direct connection to gun violence, is going to be how many more lives have to be taken before some action is made. Back to you.

SANCHEZ: Whitney Wild from Washington, D.C. thank you so much.

Let's take you to Parkland, Florida, now, and CNN's Nadia Romero. Nadia, it was the shooting there this Parkland that was the driving force behind the first march in 2018. What are you expecting to see there?

NADIA ROMERO, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Boris, that rally is well under way. You can hear people behind me, different speakers rolling through their impassioned pleas for change. And we keep hearing the same chant -- vote them out. They want people to hit the ballot boxes to vote against any politicians who do not support comprehensive gun reform and who do not support some of the measures that they've been pushing.

Now here in the state of Florida, right after Parkland, so we're talking Valentine's Day 2018, there was a vigil right here on this very spot the day after the shooting. A month later was the very place March for our Lives. And we're only about two miles from Marjorie Stoneman Douglas High School where 17 people lost their lives just four years ago.

Now we're back with March for our Lives Parkland again. We have some 400 other cities participating. And when I talk to people who were part of this organization four years ago, many of them are in college now, and they say that their activism has only grown.

[10:05:04]

And they want people to take a look. Here in Florida, right after the shooting in Parkland, the state legislature did make some changes, banning bump stocks and having red flag laws. But we haven't seen those kinds of initiatives on the national level. Listen to one student who was in middle school right next door to the Parkland shooting when it happened. She's now the main organizer for this event, just 16 years old. This is what she says she continues to fight for change. Take a listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ZOE WEISSMAN, ORGANIZER, MARCH FOR OUR LIVES RALLY: I think what I and March for Our Lives as a whole is really hoping is that our politicians listen to us. For four years we've been continuing the fight, and we're still here. And we're not going to stop until our politicians realize that we're being killed every single day, and we're not going to stop until they pass comprehensive policy that prevents gun violence in our country.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ROMERO: I spoke with another woman, her name, Debbie Hixon. Her husband was the athletic director in Parkland. He died while charging the gunman, trying to protect his students. She says her husband would be so proud of his former students, seeing the work that they've done. But she hopes that their work turns into action by lawmakers. Boris, Christie?

PAUL: We appreciate it so much, Nadia. Thank you.

CNN's Polo Sandoval, let's go to New York where he is right now. So what do you know about what's going to happen there today, Polo?

POLO SANDOVAL, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Christi, we're still hours away from the start of the program here. But in terms of what we expect, it will be a fairly large march according to organizers. It will start here in Brooklyn and it will make its way over the Brooklyn Bridge and then come to an assembly in lower Manhattan. We expect to hear from various speakers including the New York State Attorney General Letitia James. So right now early organizers are just now getting ready.

But it's going to be more about just a call for action. It's also going to be a day of tributes. Organizers here getting ready, setting up this tribute here which will be in honor of the 10 victims of the Buffalo shooting. That shooting happening just four weeks ago today. And you see 10 white grocery carts with each one of the images of those people, the faces of why these organizers are putting this together, not just for those who have been lost but those potential victims in the future.

And this is why specifically here in New York you will see not only a moment of reflection and a tribute to the victims of gun violence, but also a call to action not just in New York but the rest of the country. And also keep in mind, Christi and Boris, this happening just days after New York State Assembly passed and the governor eventually signed a lengthy list, a pretty significant legislative package that was meant to address gun violence. So we'll tackle that, we'll tackle the demonstration, and you'll hear from the participants throughout the day right here on CNN. Back to you.

SANCHEZ: Polo Sandoval reporting from New York City. Thank you so much, Polo.

These marches come as lawmakers in the nation's capital face renewed pressure to take action on gun safety legislation.

PAUL: Yes, CNN's Daniella Diaz is with us from Capitol Hill. Daniella, always good to see you. Senator Chris Murphy yesterday said both sides were on the precipice of a deal. What do we know about the optimism behind something actually getting passed?

DANIELLA DIAZ, CNN CONGRESSIONAL REPORTER: Christi, negotiators have told us that we should expect an announcement on a framework for some sort of gun safety reform either this weekend or early next week. This is huge, Christi, because these negotiators have been working since the wake of the Uvalde shooting on some sort of framework, and there are Republicans at the table, Senate Republicans at the table negotiating with Democrats on some sort of framework that they are tackling.

Now, here are a couple of things that we know that could be in this framework. We know that they're discussing incentivizing states to pass red flag laws. They're looking at potential waiting periods for 18 and -- to 21-year-olds purchase something sort of semiautomatic firearm like the AR-15 that was used in the Uvalde shooting. They're also talking about school safety and investments in mental health care and some of the things that we don't expect in a framework, but we are still waiting to hear from these negotiators, could be raising the age to buy an AR-15 from 18 to 21, a ban on assault weapons, and universal background checks.

Now, Democrats say that they will support incremental change because that is more than what's happened in the past even 10 years here on Capitol Hill on gun safety reform. And chief Democratic negotiator Senator Chris Murphy said that he expects more than 10 Republicans to sign on to any legislation. Remember there's a 50-50 split, 50 Republicans and 50 Democrats in the Senate, so they need at least 10 Republicans to sign on to break that 60-vote threshold for the filibuster to advance gun safety reform. Take a listen to what Senator Chris Murphy said yesterday about his optimism on the issue of gun safety legislation and finding a framework with these Republicans.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SEN. CHRIS MURPHY, (D-CT): That is the work that we're doing right now, trying to find if the art of compromise is possible.

[10:10:00] My hope is that we'll be able to deliver good news to you, transformative news to you, soon because this country needs it. This country needs to know that Washington's listening to them.

DIAZ: Democrats say that they are working on this momentum that they have after the Uvalde shooting, after the racially motivated Buffalo shooting that took place just before Uvalde, Christi and Boris, and that is why they're hoping that they can get at least 10 Republicans on board. But as it stands right now, it looks like they're working toward that goal, and it could happen.

PAUL: Good to know. Daniella Diaz, thank you so much.

The leaders of 10 health care systems in Minnesota are now calling gun violence a public health crisis. They're promising to search for solutions. In a joint statement here's what they wrote, "As health care providers, we see the impacts of gun violence firsthand every day. We uniquely understand the devastation of this violence in our hospitals and clinics, and the toll is takes on individuals, families, communities, and the care providers who treat the victims. We have an important role to play in creating a safer future for all."

Lisa Shannon, president and chief executive of Allina Health he is with us now. We appreciate you being here, Lisa. Thank you so much. First of all, when you say that you have an important role to play in creating a safer future for all, what role do you see the hospital staff and medical professionals playing?

LISA SHANNON, PRESIDENT AND CHIEF EXECUTIVE, ALLINA HEALTH: Yes, thank you for having me. This week those health systems in Minnesota took a really important step in addressing gun violence as a public health emergency, a public health crisis. So at Allina Health, we have a particularly important role to play, and I'd say that's true for all my colleagues. We see firsthand the devastating impact of gun violence as we transport patients and ambulances to our facilities. We see the impact to their families, to communities, to our staff. And here at Allina health, unfortunately we have also joined a growing list of organizations that face gun violence and a mass shooting in our own facility.

PAUL: How do you -- there was, I remember an instance where a man came into a facility and one person died, four others were wounded in your health system there. How is the staff doing now? When you say that you are seeing it firsthand, I'm wondering what your teams are left with emotionally and mentally.

SHANNON: Yes. There is emotional harm in this. And I would say back to a year ago February, that tragic shooting in our Buffalo crossroads facility, as you said, took one person's life, injured physically four others. I would say the emotional harm not only on victims and their families but hundreds if not thousands of caregivers, it is really long lasting, and we believe that makes it all the more important that we use our voice in amplifying how important it is for us to address gun violence.

PAUL: If I understand it, doctors have received a lot of pushback for speaking out about gun violence. What kind of pushback do they get, and why do you think that's happening now?

SHANNON: I think there's a lot of consensus, national and state associations, I can tell you in Minnesota, our 10 health systems with ease came together to declare and publicly announce this. I think we have three really important roles, and our doctors are pushing us to play these roles. You know the first, it's as patient care provider. The second is we're a community member, and we care about what happens outside the walls of our hospitals. It impacts health a lot. And so while what we do inside our clinics and hospitals really matter, for our providers, and that takes me to the third role, that third role, we are big employers in all of our communities. So we have an obligation to take our voices and to work to make a difference on this growing crisis in our country.

PAUL: So there are conversations obviously that turn to possible solutions. And we hear very often about the mental health care that is necessary. But experts have said mental health isn't an issue in a majority of shootings. What is your reaction to that?

SHANNON: Yes. If we had our mental health professionals right beside me, they would say the same thing, that the vast majority of mental health care is not producing these mass shootings. And as we work together in amplifying how important it is that we address violence, certainly there are mental health care matters that work to address together.

[10:15:03]

But collaborating with our community, colleagues, with police, with how we organize our own facilities to ensure early identification of patients who may be having some concerns, perhaps not mental health concerns, but other issues that we can raise up.

PAUL: Lisa Shannon with Allina health, we appreciate you taking time for us this morning. Thank you, ma'am.

SHANNON: Thank you very much.

SANCHEZ: Still to come in the CNN Newsroom, the Uvalde school district's embattled police chief shares his story with the "Texas Tribune," saying he never considered himself the incident commander on the scene of the shooting. We'll tell you what else we're learning about his response during a massacre that left 21 people dead.

Plus, gas prices reaching record highs. Inflation soaring. What President Biden says is behind the pain at the pump.

And enticed by major payouts, many pro golfers are risking suspensions with the PGA to play with a new Saudi-backed golf league. Why this could have consequences far from the fairway.

We're back after a quick break. Stay with us.

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[10:20:17] SANCHEZ: This morning the national average gas price surpassed $5 a gallon for the first time ever. According to AAA, that's a 60-cent increase from just a month ago, and the biggest jump in more than 40 years, since 1981. U.S. financial markets also down along with the president's poll numbers as everyday Americans find it more challenging to pay their bills amid a price surge. But Biden is actually pointing the finger in other directions, including at Russian President Vladimir Putin.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JOE BIDEN, (D) PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Make no mistake about it. I understand inflation is a real challenge to American families. Today's inflation report confirmed what Americans already know -- Putin's price hike is hitting America hard.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SANCHEZ: The White House is now calling inflation, quote, uncomfortably high as Americans continue to pay more for just about everything.

PAUL: Let's go to CNN's Priscilla Alvarez. She's traveling with the president at the Summit of Americas in Los Angeles this morning. Priscilla, good to see you. Talk to us about what else the president said, because Putin was not his only target.

PRISCILLA ALVAREZ, CNN REPORTER: That's right. The president also said that this was an economic priority, that is, lowering inflation, and he also called out oil and gas companies, urging them not to take excessive profit. And he called on Congress to pass a bill to lower or cut shipping costs to therefore lower the price of goods.

But to your point earlier, the president did point to Putin, calling it Putin's price hike as Americans grapple with soaring prices. And that is something that he has continued to do over the last few weeks as the administration grapples with the reality that gas continues to go up. In fact, the latest consumer price index showed us that the record gas prices drove inflation to 8.6 percent, and food prices rose 11.9 percent.

So the White House conceding that this is uncomfortably high, that is, inflation, but also at the same time saying that they respect the Federal Reserve and the independence of the Federal Reserve, and so while they are trying to find solutions to try to lower the costs that everyday Americans are feeling, the president saying yesterday that it is in part because of the war in Ukraine that this is being felt here in the United States.

And we should also note that this was a theme of the Summit of the Americas. That is why President Biden was here in Los Angeles this week, was to meet with heads of state of the western hemisphere. And in those meetings, it also came up -- the war in Ukraine and the ripple effects on the energy sector. So this was a topic of discussion on a broader -- on a global sense, and also here in the U.S. when he spoke at the Port of Los Angeles. Christi and Boris? PAUL: Priscilla Alvarez, thank you so much.

So starting tomorrow, travelers no longer have to test negative for COVID to enter the U.S. At midnight tomorrow, the CDC will lift its testing requirements, experts say, based on the science. It's no longer necessary.

SANCHEZ: The CDC is going to reassess that decision in about 90 days and only reinstate the rule if it's needed. The travel industry has been urging the Biden administration for weeks to end the testing requirement, arguing that it's been hurting tourism.

The push for answers and accountability continues in Uvalde. Weeks after the massacre at Robb Elementary school, we're going to speak to a Texas lawmaker leading the charge as new admissions from the school district's police chief come to light.

And the Watergate scandal heats up tomorrow night when the CNN original series "Watergate, Blueprint for a Scandal" picks back up with the bombshell revelation of Nixon's White House recording system. The battle for the audiotapes, tomorrow night at 9:00 right here on CNN.

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[10:28:40]

PAUL: Well, more than two weeks after the mass shooting at Robb Elementary that left 19 children and two teachers dead, Uvalde school police chief Pedro "Pete" Arredondo is speaking out about his response to the massacre.

SANCHEZ: In an interview with "The Texas Tribune," Arredondo says he never considered himself the scene's incident commander and denies that he halted attempts by officers to breach the building. CNN's Rosa Flores has the details.

(BEGIN VIDEO TAPE)

ROSA FLORES, CNN CORRESPONDENT: New revelations as embattled Uvalde school district police chief Pete Arredondo is now speaking out about law enforcement's delayed response, more than two weeks after the school shooting that left 19 students and two teachers dead. In an interview with "The Texas Tribune" and statements given through his attorney, George Hyde, Chief Pete Arredondo claims he never considered himself the incident commander, telling the paper, "I didn't issue any orders." State officials have previously pinned the widely criticized decision to not breach the classroom on Arredondo.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Of course, it was not the right decision. It was the wrong decision, period.

FLORES: The chief says he arrived at the school around 11:35 a.m. and intentionally left his two police radios outside, believing they would slow him down. He wanted his hands free to hold his gun.

[10:30:00]

Fourteen minutes later, the school district emailed parents saying students and staff are safe in the building. By 12:03 p.m., as many as 19 officers were in the hallway, officials have said. Arredondo said he was not aware of 911 calls being made about the shooting because he didn't have his radio and says no one in the hallway relayed that information to him. On Thursday, a Texas House committee began an investigation into the circumstances surrounding the shooting.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Do you feel confident in the testimony from Texas DPS, Texas --

JOE MOODY, (D) VICE CHAIR, TEXAS STATE HOUSE INVESTIGATIVE COMMITTEE: I'm not going into the testimony that we received today. I do feel confident in the process. I respect this process. And an investigation like any investigation is one that you do -- you do diligently and as hard as you can, and you lay the facts bare. That's our job.

FLORES: According to a review of investigative documents and body camera transcripts by "The New York Times," law enforcement officers were aware there were injured people still trapped inside the classroom while they were deciding how to enter. At around 12:30, the transcript viewed by the "Times" shows Arredondo said, "We're ready to breach, but that door is locked." Arredondo told the "Tribune" school lockdown measures were working against them. The classroom door was reinforced with a steel jab which officers were unable to kick down.

At some point, "The Tribune" reports, a janitor provided six keys that were unable to open the door, and another key ring with as many as 30 keys was brought to the chief later, but those were unsuccessful, as well. "Each time I tried a key, I was just praying," Arredondo told the paper.

At 12:50 p.m. a tactical team breached the classrooms using a key from a janitor and fatally shot the gunmen, CNN has reported. Arredondo told "The Tribune" he and his team responded to the information they had at the time. "Not a single responding officer ever hesitated even for a moment to put themselves at risk to save the children," he said.

About Arredondo not being the incident commander, about him not giving orders, he also told the paper that he ordered officers to break the windows of the school and evacuate students.

Now I'm here in Austin, Texas, because this is where Arredondo's attorney is. We requested interviews with both Arredondo and his attorney. Those requests were denied. His attorney sending CNN a text message, saying that Arredondo, quote, "needs some time as this has been very difficult for him,' end quote.

Rosa Flores, CNN, Austin.

(END VIDEO TAPE)

SANCHEZ: Rosa, thank you so much for that.

Joining us now is someone who has been pressing for answers from the very beginning, Texas State Senator Roland Gutierrez. Roland, great to have you on. Appreciate your time, as always. I'm wondering what you make of the comments from school district police chief Pete Arredondo telling "The Texas tribune" that he never considered himself the incident commander. Does that square with what you've heard from others?

ROLAND GUTIERREZ, (D) TEXAS STATE SENATE: Well, it's directly in contrast with what DPS has said. So now you have these two competing narratives, none of which makes sense. DPS has suggested directly, they leaked out that this man didn't have a radio. He acknowledges he doesn't have a radio. So then how is he then the incident commander if he can't communicate commands to other people?

I think that what McCraw said early on in this stage is this was a law enforcement failure throughout. I think that every entity that was there failed. From my own perspective, I want to know where DPS was in that hallway, where they were stationed outside. I've asked for that information both orally and in writing. I have yet to get that information. And it is now hidden behind a so-called criminal investigation. It's of deep concern to me, Boris.

SANCHEZ: I imagine it's got to be extremely frustrating because you represent this community, and you have families of victims and people across the area that you serve coming to you for answers, and effectively you're being stonewalled, no?

GUTIERREZ: Yes, and I think that we need to look at the very top. This is the most infamous day in Texas' recent history, and it's going to remain shrouded as long as Greg Abbott wants it so. He has the power to get this information, to be transparent about this information, to tell his DPS chief to give out this information. To hide behind a so- called criminal investigation where the defendant is dead, it makes zero sense. The community wants answers. And more importantly, they want solutions to problems that have yet to be fixed. This is our fifth massacre now, and Greg Abbott is still stonewalling us by doing nothing other than special committees which will lead to nothing. That is not a special session.

SANCHEZ: Senator, Arredondo told "The Tribune" that he didn't speak out sooner because he didn't want to compound the grief that families were feeling or cast any blame.

[10:35:07]

What's your response? I think that perhaps transparency might actually help these families instead of this yearning for answers that keeps only frustrating them.

GUTIERREZ: If everybody stood up and said, look, we made a mistake, we erred here, it was the heat of the moment, and showed everybody all of the facts, people would understand. It's the lack of transparency and the lack of credibility that's happening here. And it's starting again at the very top.

This -- this is more, this is about transparency, but frankly, it's an attack on democracy when you're keeping information from communities of interest. And furthermore, how in the world are we as policymakers ever going to be able to fix and make sure that that doesn't happen again, that lack of communication amongst law enforcement, that lack of protocol? How do we fix it if we don't even know what fully happened here?

SANCHEZ: Senator, we heard heartbreaking testimony this week on Capitol Hill from members of your community. Lawmakers in Washington have been cautiously optimistic that a bipartisan deal on gun safety legislation can be reached. They wanted it to happen this week. It did not. I'm wondering what your message is to them.

GUTIERREZ: My message is pass the one thing you need to pass, and that's 18 to 21. Let's not let another 18-year-old grab a gun again. And that's going to be the hardest lift because the NRA knows that it can fight off red flags in court because of constitutionality questions. But if you go off and change the age limit from 18 to 21, you are directly affecting gun sales for these companies. That's where these Republican politicians know that because they're in the pockets of the NRA and in the pockets of these gun manufacturers. This is the biggest thing facing America right now is that we are allowing 18- year-olds to buy assault rifles, and your Republican politician doesn't want to do anything about it, including Greg Abbott and all his friends in Austin.

SANCHEZ: Texas State Senator Roland Gutierrez, we appreciate you sharing your perspective and your effort to get answers for those families. Thanks so much.

PAUL: And so it's just one of those --

SANCHEZ: Stay with CNN. We'll be right back.

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[10:42:03]

PAUL: It's 41 minutes past the hour. And you know some of the biggest names in golf have been suspended from the PGA tour for competing in this upstart golf series that teed off this weekend.

SANCHEZ: The controversial Saudi-backed LIV golf series wraps up its inaugural event today, but what exactly is it, and why is it drawing so much criticism? CNN's Sports anchor Coy Wire joins us now to explain. Coy?

COY WIRE, CNN SPORTS ANCHOR AND CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Boris and Christi. There is the new Saudi-backed breakaway series, putting some of the top golfers directly in the crosshairs of a debate about money over morals. It's also reshaping the PGA tour as we know it. Stars like Phil Mickelson, Dustin Johnson, seven former major champions in all are among the 17 tour players taking part in the inaugural 48- player LIV golf event this weekend outside of London. The PGA tour suspended those players indefinitely, saying they've disrespected other players, fans, and partners, having made their choice for financial-based reasons. The LIV golf series is bankrolled by the financial arm of the Saudi

government. Phil Mickelson himself called the Saudis scary, saying they killed journalist Jamal Khashoggi and have a horrible human rights record. But this is an once in a lifetime opportunity to reshape how the PGA tour operates. Examples, former world number one Dustin Johnson played in 21 PGA tour events last golf season, so to speak, making $5 million in prize money. But with just eight LIV golf events he's reportedly getting more than $100 million to play in the series. Mickelson in three decades as a pro has made about $94 million in prize money, but he, too, is reportedly getting a nine-figure payout.

Unlike the PGA tour, everyone who plays at a LIV golf event is guaranteed money. Even last place this weekend wins more than $100,000. LIV Golf CEO Greg Norman told "The Washington Post" that Tiger Woods was offered a figure in the high nine digits to participate but turned it down. Two more former major champions, though, Bryson DeChambeau and Patrick Reed announced this week they, too, have officially signed on with LIV Golf. The big question now, Boris and Christi, is how many others and who else might jump ship from the PGA tour.

SANCHEZ: Coy Wire, thank you so much.

Let's bring in Kristian Coates Ulrichsen. He joins us to dive deeper into the LIV Golf tournament. He is a fellow for the Middle East and Rice University's Baker Institute. We appreciate you being with us this morning, Kristian. Critics say that Saudi Arabia is sports washing with these latest moves. Help us understand what that means and what the Saudi strategy is here.

KRISTIAN COATES ULRICHSEN, MIDDLE EAST FELLOW, RICE UNIVERSITY'S BAKER INSTITUTE: Well, it means changing the conversation about Saudi Arabia and moving it away from issues of human rights and the death of Jamal Khashoggi in 2018, of abuses connected to the war in Yemen, and getting people to talk about Saudi Arabia in connection with sports, in connection with entertainment, in connection with hospitality. It means changing the nature of the conversation.

So I think that's what they're trying to do, especially because of the eight events on this LIV tour, only one will take place in Saudi Arabia itself.

[10:45:03]

The other seven will take place in the U.S., in Europe, and in Asia. And so it's really about branding Saudi Arabia to the world in a very different way.

SANCHEZ: I want to play a clip for you of something that Phil Mickelson, known as leftie, said about his participation.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

PHIL MICKELSON, SIX-TIME MAJOR GOLF CHAMPION: I don't condone human rights violations at all. I don't think -- nobody here does, throughout the world. And I'm certainly aware of what has happened with Jamal Khashoggi, and I think it's terrible. I've also seen the good that the game of golf has done throughout history, and I believe that LIV Golf is going to do a lot of good for the game, as well.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SANCHEZ: What do you make of his comments? Is this simply about money for him?

ULRICHSEN: Well, the amount of money that is being poured into the LIV tour are quite amazing, quite stunning, compared to the average on the PGA tour and on the European tour. So it's certainly the case that the Saudis upped the investment fund chaired by the Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman have gone all-in in an attempt to incentivize senior players on the tour to jump ship, as it were. And so people like Phil Mickelson are taking a huge payday. It would be interesting, I think, to see whether younger golfers who have their entire career ahead of them are still willing in the same way to effectively make a professional decision that will guide the rest of their careers.

SANCHEZ: I'm wondering how sustainable this might be, because the LIV series is not going to be shown by any major broadcasters, at least in the United States. It hasn't attracted any big-name sponsors. Is the plan sustainable?

ULRICHSEN: Well, I think the broadcasters don't want to break their own records with the PGA tour. And so I think it's going to be interesting because the public investment fund can certainly afford to keep putting money into this tour to see if it grows and becomes sustainable at least in terms of attracting senior players. I think from that point of view, if we can get to the second or third events rather than just the first one where the focus has been on human rights, questioning of the players, if by the third or fourth event the questions are more about the golf, then from a sports-watching perspective, I think it will have been successful in changing the way that people are talking about the events.

SANCHEZ: I also wanted to get your perspective on the relationship between the United States and Saudi Arabia more broadly because top officials have told CNN that the Biden administration is preparing to move forward with a reset of that relationship. Biden on the campaign trail promised to make Saudi Arabia a pariah in the world, but now it seems as though he's moving toward a more Trumpian sort of realist worldview in which the United States ultimately needs Saudi Arabia to advance its agenda in that region. Do you agree with that assessment?

ULRICHSEN: Well, I think developments connected to the Russian invasion of Ukraine and the oil price have made it clear to the Biden administration that they cannot live without the Saudis, and they do have to negotiate and engage with the crown prince, whether they like it or not. And of course, the oil price increase has given the Saudis a degree of assertiveness and self-confidence which I think we see with the LIV tour, which the way they're moving assertively into trying to create parallel structures that really disrupt the status quo, and I think that's also an issue with the Biden relationship, too. The Saudis probably make the calculation that the Biden team needs them more than they need Biden, especially with gasoline prices so high coming up to the midterm elections in November. So I think that's part of the calculation.

SANCHEZ: Kristian Coates Ulrichsen, we appreciate your expertise. Thanks for sharing parts of your Saturday with us.

ULRICHSEN: Thank you.

PAUL: The temperatures today are being described as dangerously hot, just brutal triple digits. We'll tell you where and how long they'll last.

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[10:53:37]

PAUL: Listen, dangerous heat wave affecting millions of people across the southwest from California to Louisiana. It is brutal.

SANCHEZ: Yes, and temperatures in several states are going to hit triple digits this weekend. Some areas also setting record highs. Meteorologist Allison Chinchar joins us now live from the CNN Weather Center. Allison, this is going to affect the southwest through the weekend, but this is part of a broader trend, isn't it?

ALLISON CHINCHAR, CNN METEOROLOGIST: Yes, because we eventually start to see that shift into the southeast and even into areas of the Midwest. So over the next five days, this is really going to impact a lot of people. Let's look at some of the records from the last 24 hours. Death Valley, yes, we get it, it's a very hot place normally. But even for them this is extreme. They topped out at 123 yesterday, breaking a new daily record, beating the old record by three degrees.

But Phoenix, Las Vegas, Austin, even San Antonio also all broke daily records yesterday and all reaching the triple-digit mark. It's why you have heat advisories, excessive heat watches and warnings, stretching from California all the way over into Louisiana. And that is likely to expand out to the east in the coming days.

Now a bit of good news for areas of northern California in that today is the last day for the excessive heat there. We finally start to see those temperatures dropping off starting Sunday for places like Sacramento. But southern California, areas of the southwest, you've still got about another two to three days before you really start to see those temperatures dip back. So record potential still possible today, tomorrow, and even into the early portion of the week.

[10:55:07]

But also at the same time, you're going to start seeing more record potential across some eastern states and even into portions of the Midwest. One thing to note, too, is the prolonged period for some areas, especially in Texas. Houston and Austin could end up, guys, breaking five consecutive daily records before this heat wave finally pushes out.

PAUL: My gosh. That is crazy. Everybody just -- take good care of yourselves and each other. Allison Chinchar, thank you so much.

And thank you for spending some time with us. We always appreciate your company. And we hope you make good memories today.

SANCHEZ: Christi, always a pleasure to be with you.

The next hour of the CNN Newsroom starts after a quick break with our friend Amara Walker in for Fredricka Whitfield.

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