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January 6 Hearings; Russia's War on Ukraine; Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy Addresses Asia's Top Security Summit; No Deal on U.S. Gun Reform; U.S. Ends COVID-19 Testing for Air Travelers; Mickelson Joins LIV Golf. Aired 4-5a ET

Aired June 11, 2022 - 04:00   ET

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

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KIM BRUNHUBER, CNN ANCHOR (voice-over): Welcome to all of you watching us here the United States, Canada and around the world. I'm Kim Brunhuber.

Ahead on CNN NEWSROOM, the U.S. House prepares its next hearing on the January 6 insurrection. Have a look at what comes next, how it is playing out overseas.

Plus, new concerns of the war in Ukraine could stretch clear into next year. The conflict is one reason behind inflation being felt around the world from gas pumps in the U.S. to restaurants in Italy.

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UNIDENTIFIED MALE (voice-over): Live from CNN Center, this is CNN NEWSROOM with Kim Brunhuber.

BRUNHUBER: There is a growing sense of urgency among members of Congress ahead of Monday's second hearing on the January 6 insurrection. The select committee has planned six more hearings this month to present its preliminary findings.

They say their investigation paints a damning portrait of then President Trump as the central figure behind the failed coup. Since the first hearing, Trump and his supporters have been pushing back hard against the panel's emerging narrative. We have more now from CNN's Jessica Schneider in Washington.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JESSICA SCHNEIDER, CNN JUSTICE CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Tonight, the impact being felt from the first hearing of the January 6 committee as they set the stage for what's to come.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We have a breach, so be careful.

SCHNEIDER (voice-over): Some Republicans are working to discredit the findings. While the former president is reacting to this stunning allegation. REP. LIZ CHENEY (R-WY): Aware of the rioters' chants to hang Mike Pence, the President responded with this sentiment, quote, "maybe our supporters have the right idea." Mike Pence, quote, "deserves it."

SCHNEIDER (voice-over): Today, Trump responding, "I never said or even thought of saying, 'Hang Mike Pence.' This is either a made-up story by somebody looking to become a star or fake news."

The committee's first hearing focused on Trump's central role encouraging the rioters and his month-long efforts to discredit the election. Leading to what the committee called an attempted coup.

REP. BENNIE THOMPSON (D): Donald Trump was at the center of this conspiracy. And ultimately, Donald Trump, the president of the United States, spurred a mob of domestic enemies of the Constitution to march down the Capitol and subvert American democracy.

SCHNEIDER (voice-over): The committee is making its case with a parade of Trump administration officials and family members who have given depositions over the past year. Former attorney general Bill Barr spoke forcefully about how he told Trump the election was clean. And the president's daughter agreed.

WILLIAM BARR, FORMER ATTORNEY GENERAL: I made it clear I did not agree with the idea of saying the election was stolen and putting out this stuff which I told the president was bullshit. And you know, I didn't want to be a part of it. And that's one of the reasons that went into me deciding to leave when I did.

IVANKA TRUMP, SENIOR ADVISOR TO DONALD TRUMP: I respect attorney general Barr. So I accepted what he was saying.

SCHNEIDER (voice-over): But today Trump is downplaying his daughter's involvement, writing on his truth social platform, "Ivanka Trump was not involved in looking at or studying election results. She had long since checked out and was, in my opinion, only trying to be respectful to Bill Barr and his position as attorney general. He sucked."

And one Republican has denied he asked for a pardon from the president after Vice Chair Cheney said this.

CHENEY: Representative Perry contacted the White House in the weeks after January 6 to seek a presidential pardon. Multiple other Republican congress men also sought presidential pardons for their roles in attempting to overturn the 2020 election.

SCHNEIDER (voice-over): Congressman Perry tweeting, "The notion that I ever sought a presidential pardon for myself or other members of Congress is an absolute shameless and soulless lie."

And President Biden weighing in on the hearings, saying the future of democracy is at stake.

JOE BIDEN (D), PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: It's important to American people understand what truly happened and to understand that the same forces that led January 6 remain at work today. SCHNEIDER: The committee has laid out a road map for what is ahead. There are three hearings next week, starting Monday. Those will focus on Trump's months-long effort to spread false information about the election, even though he and his advisers were told repeatedly that Trump had lost.

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SCHNEIDER: Plus, the former FOX News political editor, who was fired weeks after the election, after he called Arizona for Biden, he says he will be a witness on Monday -- Jessica Schneider, CNN, Washington.

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BRUNHUBER: The two hour hearing was aired during prime time here in the U.S. and more than 20 million people watched it. Now while that number sounds respectable, other events have had larger audiences.

President Biden's State of the Union address got twice as many viewers. Estimates also don't account for every TV channel or most web streaming. The actual total is probably a lot larger.

So what do people overseas think of it?

Thomas Gift is the director of the Center on U.S. politics at University College London.

Thanks so much for being here with us.

So here in the U.S. one of the questions going into these hearings is, would people care enough to watch?

As we mentioned, 20 million people watched on TV, not including streaming and overseas. I saw it was leading the news or top of the page in a lot of global news sites. Take us through how much interest there has been on the story overseas.

THOMAS GIFT, UNIVERSITY COLLEGE LONDON: Well, Kim, certainly, I'm watching it. I think by and large it is gracing a lot of headlines. It is getting a lot of attention. At the same time, I do think that this feels somewhat like a replay of prior events.

You know, individuals abroad, including here in the U.K., have seen this before. They've seen a lot of the footage before. I think, to some extent, maybe they're looking for a bombshell. And they're not getting it. They're going to be disappointed.

At the same time, I do think that the hearings are giving more high- resolution details about certain aspects of January 6, about how Trump truly seemed intent on doing nothing to stop the riot, how the probable role of the far-right militant groups in executing a premeditated plan, how members of Trump's inner circle ultimately appeared to reject his false election claims.

All that, certainly, is garnering interest. BRUNHUBER: So you think it might enforce (sic) what they already

thought of U.S., rather than change perception of America and the country's standing in the world?

GIFT: I think that is fair. I think the notion that other Western countries look to the U.S. as a model, even before January 6, was maybe somewhat overstated and tinted by a lens of self-styled American exceptionalism.

There's no doubt that the Capitol insurrection really took the veneer off and exposed an underside to the country's political system that hadn't been fully understood, especially abroad.

I think it has disabused a lot of other Western states of the idea that they are immune from these problems. If it can happen in the U.S., a country with a long-standing reputation for competitive elections, for peaceful transfer of power, that it can essentially happen anywhere.

So certainly, one thing to hear about the dangers of unbridled populism, strongman type leaders wreaking havoc across authoritarian states and hybrid regimes. It's another thing for it to happen in the U.S. I think that was shocking for those abroad.

The fact that it happened so viscerally, with such force, it has to be a wakeup call for parts of Europe that have already witnessed the rise of far-right extremism.

BRUNHUBER: Yes. So, as you say, there've been these populist leaders that have almost literally taken a page of Donald Trump's playbook, even as far as alleging election fraud before the election has taken place.

For them, do you think the fact that the U.S. is going through this high-profile process of attempting to hold those responsible, will that have other leaders thinking twice?

Or do you think if Donald Trump isn't held accountable, will it just embolden them?

GIFT: I think it is going to embolden them. By and large, you can see other authoritarian leaders taking a page out of the playbook from Donald Trump, just like he has taken pages of the playbook from other authoritarian leaders.

You know whether the United States has turned a corner or whether it's going to ensure accountability, that is not clear to me. What is going to determine whether the U.S. is prepared to do that isn't what political elites on Capitol Hill are doing.

Instead, it's going to be shaped by what happens at the ballot box in 2022, especially 2024. What Trump did on January 6th speaks for itself. What also speaks for itself is the fact that Trump remains the prohibitive favorite to win the Republican nomination in two years.

Until the GOP is able to detoxify itself from the excesses of Trumpism and snap back to a party that is not held captive by someone who is peddling conspiracy theories and a cultlike leader, no amount of half- baked accountability in Washington is going to restore America's reputation.

So I think a lot of authoritarians, would be authoritarians are looking at this and saying, well, Donald Trump by and large got away with it in the U.S.

Why can't I do that here?

BRUNHUBER: We'll have to wait and see whether anything concrete comes out of this with the DOJ is watching.

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BRUNHUBER: Looking ahead, members of the committee have promised more bombshell testimony on Monday.

What are you looking forward to hearing?

GIFT: Well, Kim, I really don't think the hearings are going to budge public opinion very much. To a degree, I think that Democrats have miscalculated a bit with leaders like Jamie Raskin hyping up expectations, saying that these proceedings are going to create multiple breakthroughs. I'm not sure that's really the case.

The footage of the Capitol insurrection has basically been on a nonstop loop for 1.5 years. You know that in the United States, the U.K., other places, never Trumpers are watching this intently. But they're going to vote Democrat anyway.

Meanwhile, FOX News isn't even airing them live. Celebrity anchors are framing the sessions as America's ruling class giving yet another lecture on January 6, to paraphrase his words. Ultimately, we're left with is entrenched partisanship. 2022 is going to be a shellacking for Democrats because of sky high inflation.

The party's going to have to regroup. But regrettably, despite efforts -- and very commendable and well-intentioned efforts by this committee to hold Donald Trump accountable, I just don't think it's going to change public sentiment too much.

BRUNHUBER: Yes, it may not change minds, but it is hugely important for this nation nonetheless. Thomas Gift, thank you so much for joining us, we appreciate it.

GIFT: Thank you, Kim.

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BRUNHUBER: Well, most American consumers know all too well the price of just about everything is skyrocketing and the forecast isn't good.

On Friday, the U.S. government reported the highest rate of inflation in 40 years, 8.6 percent, soaring prices for food and fuel. Many Americans are struggling more than ever just to buy basic necessities. The consumer price index has been rising steadily since President Biden took office.

And he is calling on Congress to act quickly to help bring prices down. U.S. stocks plunged following that dismal report. the Dow closed down 880 points on Friday, while the Nasdaq tumbled over 400 points, the S&P was down nearly 3 percent and investors are reeling, worried that the Federal Reserve may increase interest rates further.

Now, of course, inflation is a global problem. The situation elsewhere closely resembles that in the United States. Both India and the U.K. reporting inflation at 7.8 percent, across the Eurozone it is 8.1 percent.

But in Turkey, it's a staggering 73.5 percent. This points to the risk of a global recession as people are forced to cut back on their normal consumer spending.

To help explain why all of this is happening, one need look no further than Italy. There, a simple dish of pasta helps illustrate the spiraling cost of food everywhere. CNN's Barbie Nadeau has the report.

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UNIDENTIFIED MALE: (Speaking foreign language).

BARBIE NADEAU, CNN CORRESPONDENT: This is the quintessential Italian meal, spaghetti with tomato. But the price of this Italian staple has increased tremendously over the last year.

NADEAU (voice-over): To understand where the cost to produce pasta from durum wheat and tomato sauce from fresh tomatoes has caught up, we went, directly, to the source.

Here at the Maestri Pastai pasta factory in Southern Italy, owner Valentina Castiello tells us the price of some of the raw materials to make her pasta have jumped by 100 percent. She tells us her company is trying to find ways to absorb the excess but some of it will go to the consumer.

VALENTINA CASTIELLO, OWNER, MAESTRI PASTAI FACTORY: We have increased the price of our final product by 30 percent. The cost is high but the consumer continues to buy the affordable products that everyone can use at home.

NADEAU (voice-over): The average Italian eats around 50 pounds of pasta every year. Castiello says, to confront the rising cost of living, distributors are actually buying more inventory from her factory. Because, even if the price of pasta goes up, it is still, by far, the most affordable way for many Italians to put food on the table.

The rising costs range from packaging, to electricity, to fuel to transport these goods.

But it isn't just pasta makers struggling to produce economical food. At this tomato farm near Rome, that Damina Larasca (ph) owns with her father and brother, things are much easier. She tells us that fertilizer costs alone have risen 150 percent over last year. They had to make a drastic decision to reduce the number of tomatoes they planted by 40 percent, because they had no idea what the market will be like when these new tomato plants are ready to harvest.

Larasca (ph) says the tomato is the base of the Italian diet.

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NADEAU (voice-over): During the summer, as fresh produce and during the other seasons as canned products.

The factors driving the prices of these fundamental Italian gradients are complicated. First came the pandemic, then Russia's war in Ukraine and now, the uncertainty of what's next -- Barbie Latza Nadeau, CNN, Rome.

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BRUNHUBER: Ukraine's intelligence agency says it's done the math about how much longer Russia can sustain the war, we will bring you their conclusions just ahead.

Plus Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy addresses a top security summit in Asia. We will go live to Singapore, where the summit is underway, stay with us.

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BRUNHUBER: And right now, Ukrainian President Zelenskyy is addressing Asia's top security summit in Singapore. Day two of the so-called Shangri-La Dialogue is underway. Zelenskyy is speaking a day after Japanese prime minister made a gloomy prediction, saying, what is happening in Ukraine now could be a prequel for East Asia in the future.

Earlier, Zelenskyy spoke at home and said, ongoing battles are tough.

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BRUNHUBER: Here he is.

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VOLODYMYR ZELENSKYY, UKRAINIAN PRESIDENT (through translator): The Ukrainian troops are doing everything to stop the offensive of the occupiers, as much as possible, as much as heavy weapons, modern artillery, all that we have asked and continue to ask our partners for, allow them to.

But the battles are still going on. And right now, in these very difficult battles, it is being decided when this after will come. It's being decided at which frontiers we will finally break the plans of the occupiers.

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BRUNHUBER: Now some of those battles are happening in Sievierodonetsk, a strategic city that has been fought over for weeks. The Ukrainian governor said that the situation is unchanged. Most of the city is under Russian control.

Ukrainians are putting up resistance on the streets. And Russian officials say negotiations are underway about hundreds of civilians believed to be sheltered in a local chemical plant.

We are covering the story from all angles. Salma Abdelaziz is joining us from Kyiv. And Oren Liebermann is standing by for us in Singapore.

Oren, the situation on the battlefield, starting with Sievierodonetsk.

SALMA ABDELAZIZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Absolutely. So that has been the flashpoint city. You're sure to hear Zelenskyy referencing, as you mentioned. He's speaking live right now to this Shangri-La Dialogue.

You're sure to hear him mention just how important the city is. The fate of the Donbas, in some ways the fate of the battlefield, lies in Sievierodonetsk. That fate is worrying for Ukrainians, to say the least.

They are trying to hold on to the last bit of the city, an estimated third of the city. They have pulled back to fortified positions. They are running out of artillery. And this is an artillery war. They are outmanned. They're outgunned.

It's hard to imagine that this city will not fall soon to Russian forces. It brings them that step closer to taking over the Luhansk region and, of course, the Donbas region. Sievierodonetsk is one of the last strongholds there for Ukrainian forces.

Caught in the middle are civilians, an estimated 10,000 civilians pinned down in this fighting, this constant shelling. They're running out of food, running out of water, running out of supplies. The humanitarian situation there is extremely bleak.

You also mentioned that this plant, where Ukraine officials say 800 civilians are sheltering, they're in negotiations underway to try and extract them. Russia claims there are hundreds of combatants alongside those civilians in that plant. So competing claims here.

This is yet another symbolic moment for the Donbas, for this region, for Ukraine. You are going to hear President Zelenskyy, yet again, calling on his allies and partners for support.

That support is absolutely crucial. Kim, we heard from one Ukrainian official yesterday saying that everything now depends on Western weapons.

BRUNHUBER: All right. Thanks so much.

Let's go now to Oren Liebermann, monitoring the security summit in Singapore.

Oren, President Zelenskyy, speaking remotely there. Fill us in on what he is saying and why he is addressing this particular summit.

OREN LIEBERMANN, CNN PENTAGON CORRESPONDENT: Well, the significance of the summit is certainly well-known, including, of course, president Volodymyr Zelenskyy. This is one of Asia's biggest defense summits with heads of defense and ministries, from across the world.

Zelenskyy knew very much who his audience was here. As he was introduced, the head of the conference made a point to note that generally this conference doesn't allow virtual speakers. You have to be here in person.

Of course, there was an exception made for Zelenskyy, as he was introduced here. He talked not only about what his country is going through but asked rhetorically, would any country be willing to accept. That?

Here's a portion what's Zelenskyy had to say just a short time ago.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

VOLODYMYR ZELENSKYY, UKRAINIAN PRESIDENT (through translator): Russian propaganda is assiduous and spreading in many countries, the defamation campaign that Russia's war against Ukraine is ostensibly something about NATO, about the role of the United States, about the intention of the West to somehow advance in Europe.

But in reality, Russia's war against Ukraine is not only about Europe. It is about globally important things. Russian leadership strives to discard all of the achievements of the historical development of humankind, particularly the system of international law, which we have today.

And it wants to come back to the life of the 19th century or even before that.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

LIEBERMANN: As is so often the case, Zelenskyy knew the audience to whom he was speaking. He knew the venue he was addressing in his remarks. He quoted Lee Kuan Yew, Singapore's first prime minister, a clear reference to where this is and where this gathering has come together.

You heard him mention the international order; this has been a very big theme here for the U.S., which said that Russia's invasion of the Ukraine is an example, a warning to the rest of the world, what happens if international order isn't upheld here.

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LIEBERMANN: That is something we've seen as a constant issue throughout this conference here. That a bit of a reference not only by U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin, also many other speakers here. In transition, of course, talking about Ukraine to the possibility of a Chinese invasion of Taiwan.

That underscores two things. First, Ukraine remains the largest story in the world. But how important Ukraine is and the actions around it, the issues around it, how important that is when the world looks at what is possible in the Indo-Pacific region.

It warns of what happens if the competition that we see here turns into open conflict. Zelenskyy's feature underscores the importance of Ukraine as these defense ministers, military officials, come together here and look at the international landscape when it comes to the strategic situations.

BRUNHUBER: Oren, you mentioned Lloyd Austin, the U.S. Defense Secretary. He had strong words when it came to the subject of China and Taiwan. Take us through that.

LIEBERMANN: Absolutely. Taiwan is clearly an issue that has come up in many MATTIS: with the United States. When Austin spoke he didn't address China or Taiwan openly. He talked about the importance of international order, the importance of larger countries respecting the sovereignty, respecting decision-making as well of their smaller neighbors.

That is a clear reference to Russia and Ukraine. But it was also in reference to Taiwan. Little later on in his speech, he dove right into the issue.

First, he said that U.S. stands by its one China policy. It stands by the Taiwan Relations Act. Under that act, it is able to provide Taiwan with not only defensive arms but the training to use those defensive arms.

He warned or expressed concern that it was China with its increasingly aggressive actions to the region, for example, its interception of Canadian and Australian aircraft the last couple of weeks, as well as its attempts to control the Taiwan Strait, its militarization of manmade islands.

He warned it appears that China is looking for the possibility of changing the status quo in Taiwan. He expressed concern about that. A major issue there right at the end of his speech.

BRUNHUBER: All right. Appreciate that. Both of you, Salma and Oren , thank you so much.

If you would like to safely and securely help people in Ukraine who may need shelter, food, water., please go to cnn.com/impact. You can find several ways to help there.

All right, coming up. We are getting new disturbing information about the mass shooting at a school in Texas. See what the police chief is saying in defending his response.

Also, new evidence in the disappearance of two people in the remote Amazon. Details ahead.

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BRUNHUBER: Welcome back to all of you watching us here in the United States, Canada and around the world, I'm Kim Brunhuber, this is CNN NEWSROOM.

We're getting new and somewhat puzzling details about the mass shooting in a Texas elementary school. A new interviews with the Uvalde school police chief raises new questions about the response of the shooting. CNN's Rosa Flores explains.

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ROSA FLORES, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): 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.

COL. STEVEN MCCRAW, DIRECTOR, TEXAS DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC SAFETY: Of course it was not the right decision. It was the wrong decision, period.

FLORES (voice-over): That chief says he arrived at the school around 11:35 am and intentionally left his two police radios outside believing they would slow him down. He wanted his hands free to hold his gun.

Fourteen minutes later, the school district emailed parents saying students and staff are safe in the building. By 12:03 pm, as many as 19 officers were in the hallway, officials have said.

Arredondo said he was not aware of 9-1-1 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.

FLORES: Do you feel confident in the testimony from Texas DPS, Texas?

JOE MOODY, (D-TX), VICE CHAIR, STATE HOUSE INVESTIGATIVE COMMITTEE: I'm not going to go 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 (voice-over): According to our 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 when 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 jamb, 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 pm, a tactical team breached the classrooms, using a key from a janitor, and fatally shot the gunman 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.

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BRUNHUBER: The week has come and gone and still the U.S. Senate hasn't reached a deal on bipartisan gun legislation.

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BRUNHUBER: Lawmakers have been racing to reach some kind of agreement but have yet to come to a consensus on this highly divisive issue. Sources tell CNN that negotiators are working to finalize a statement that details the progress they have made. The lead Democrat in the negotiations, Senator Chris Murphy, is

optimistic that a deal will be announced soon.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SEN. CHRIS MURPHY (D-CT), MEMBER, FOREIGN RELATIONS COMMITTEE: That is the work that we are engaged in right now, trying to find if the art of compromise is possible.

My hope is that we will 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 is listening to them.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BRUNHUBER: Hundreds of March for Our Lives rallies are planned in nearly all 50 U.S. states today. The movement started after the 2018 Parkland School shooting, where 17 people were killed.

David Hogg is a gun activist and a survivor of that shooting. Earlier he spoke to CNN about the chances the Congress will finally pass gun reform. Here he is.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DAVID HOGG, GUN ACTIVIST AND PARKLAND SHOOTING SURVIVOR: It's not going to be earth-shattering overnight. Unfortunately, kids are still going to die tomorrow, this week and next year because Congress is not going to do anything massive, as much as I would like to see that.

But any progress is better than nothing. But it needs to actually be progress and not just some talking point.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BRUNHUBER: Washington, D.C., New York and Parkland, Florida, are among the more than 400 cities where March for Our Lives protests will be held.

Teams in Brazil have found what appear to be human remains in their search for a missing British journalist and a Brazilian indigenous affairs expert. The discovery was in an area where the men were apparently heading. Police had already found blood on a boat belonging to a suspect. Shasta Darlington has more.

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SHASTA DARLINGTON, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Fear, outrage and anger: Brazilian president Jair Bolsonaro's government is facing backlash almost a week after British journalist Dom Phillips and Brazilian indigenous affairs expert Bruno Pereira went missing on June 5th.

The pair had set off on a reporting trip deep into the Amazon. They were supposed to take a two-hour boat trip in the remote Javari Valley, indigenous territory, in the far west of the country. But they never made it. While the Javari Valley is under government

protection, repeated incursions by land grabbers, illegal miners, hunters and fishermen have made it dangerous for indigenous peoples and other communities living there. Now Bolsonaro's government is facing growing desperation from families.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE (through translator): What is happening?

I just don't want him and Bruno to suffer. There is a lot of cruelty. I am heartbroken.

DARLINGTON (voice-over): And there is growing outrage that the Brazilian government may have been too slow to respond.

PAUL SHERWOOD, PARTNER OF PHILLIPS' SISTER: The search has gradually wrapped up. It took a couple of days before any helicopters and Army, Navy were involved and they are involved now. So that is better but it is still a picture of an insufficient response. We are angry, we're very disappointed at how it has turned out.

DARLINGTON (voice-over): Bolsonaro drawing criticisms from Phillips' family earlier this week after seeing the pair's reporting trip, quote, "is not a recommended adventure."

SIAN PHILLIPS, DOM'S SISTER: I think he's putting the blame on my brother for an adventure. It's not an adventure. He is a journalist. He is going there to research for a book that he wants to write on how to save the Amazon. It is to highlight the problems particularly in this region, the Javari Valley region.

DARLINGTON (voice-over): Britain's acting ambassador to Brazil, the U.N. human rights office, The Committee to Protect Journalists, Brazilian soccer legend Pele and even U.S. actor Mark Ruffalo have all urged the Brazilian government to redouble its search and rescue efforts.

Brazilian authorities said that 250 men, two helicopters, three drones and 16 boats have been deployed to search for the missing men. A suspect in custody and authorities are testing blood samples from his boat to determine whether they are a match for Phillips or Pereira.

Both had received death threats in the week leading up to their disappearances, according to a local indigenous organization. But they aren't the first.

In September 2019, an indigenous affairs worker was murdered in the same area, according to Brazil's public prosecutor's office.

Violence against indigenous peoples and people who seek to protect the rain forest is an ongoing issue in the Amazon, according to a 2019 Human Rights Watch report, which documented 28 killings, most of them since 2015.

Could that violence have caught up to Phillips and Pereira?

That is the nightmare their families dread -- Shasta Darlington, CNN, Sao Paulo.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BRUNHUBER: Still ahead, air travelers soon won't need proof of a COVID test to get into the United States.

[04:40:00]

BRUNHUBER: We will explain why officials decided it was safe.

And a small but promising immunotherapy trial has some cancer researchers buzzing. It may have helped a dozen patients see their tumors disappear. We will have details after the break. Stay with us.

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BRUNHUBER: Moderna's COVID vaccine is safe and effective for America's youngest children, according to new documents posted by the Food and Drug Administration. The vaccine was found to produce a favorable immune response in kids from six months to under six years old.

The FDA will now meet to decide if it should authorize the vaccine for that age group. This is happening as the U.S. is set to remove a COVID test requirement tomorrow for air travelers entering the country. CNN senior health correspondent Elizabeth Cohen has the details.

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ELIZABETH COHEN, CNN SR. MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT: Travel into the United States just got a little bit easier. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control has decided to lift the requirement that people get tested for COVID-19 before entering the United States.

Let's take a look at the particulars. This will go into effect at midnight on Sunday; in other words, at that time you won't need to get tested. The CDC will reassess this if a new variant does emerge.

The CDC could reinstate the testing requirement. Let's take a look at why the CDC wants to lift this requirement. They say now things are different. There are high rates of immunity to COVID-19 due to vaccinations and infection.

And also there is availability of therapeutics when people do get sick. The travel industry has been pushing for this change for some time now and some people say, look, vaccination rates in the U.S. have been relatively high for some time. Therapeutics have been available for some time. The CDC should've done this months ago.

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COHEN: But the CDC says that now they felt that it was the appropriate time. Back to you. (END VIDEOTAPE)

BRUNHUBER: Twelve out of 12 rectal cancer patients saw their tumors disappear, thanks to a promising therapy from researchers at the Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center. They received an immunotherapy drug. It does not kill cancer cells but helps the immune system to find and attack them.

The trial was small and researchers say the findings need to be reproduced and more patients, including those with diverse racial and ethnic backgrounds. I spoke earlier to Dr. Vlad Simianu, an expert in colon and rectal disorders at Virginia Mason Franciscan Health in Seattle.

He explained how the new therapy works and how big of an impact it might have, here he is.

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DR. VLAD SIMIANU, VIRGINIA MASON FRANCISCAN HEALTH: Rectal cancer, compared to colon cancer, is more aggressive and more likely to recur.

And so having a new tool in the tool box is important. Rectal cancer is commonly treated with a combination of surgery, radiotherapy and chemotherapy. And this new -- these new results are encouraging for this group of patients.

BRUNHUBER: Yes, I mean, you say new; how new is this type of therapy exactly?

SIMIANU: Yes, so, for those who may not know, this is called a check point inhibitor. It's part of a group of drugs we collectively call immune therapy. It's a set of medicines that revs up your body's immune system.

So it does not kill cancer directly but it teaches your own body to fight off your own cancer. And it's been a class of drugs that we have used for melanoma and a host of other cancers.

And recently we used it for colon and rectal cancers with a unique set of genetic mutations with good results.

BRUNHUBER: That set of genetic mutations, that was an abnormality called mismatch repair deficiency, right?

Does this sort of therapy have any implications for people who might have different types of cancer tumors but the same deficiency?

SIMIANU: Yes, we think that as many as one in four patients with rectal cancer have some sort of genetic predisposition for their cancer, mismatch repair or otherwise. So we have increasingly started to test patients for this, so much that we recommend that anyone who is under 50 with a new cancer gets genetically screened.

So this is a new tool in our tool box for these patients.

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BRUNHUBER: Record-breaking hot weather is threatening parts of the U.S. We will go to the CNN Weather Center for the details ahead. Please do stay with us.

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BRUNHUBER: Parts of New Orleans are seeing severe flash flooding, a line of strong thunderstorms brought heavy rain that overwhelmed pumping systems, the electric company says power was knocked out to thousands of customers in the area.

The city is still not out of the woods. Another storm is likely to roll through several states this weekend.

And a dangerous heat wave is affecting millions of people across the U.S. Southwest from California to Texas. Temperatures in several states are reaching the triple digits Fahrenheit this weekend. Experts say dozens of cities could break daily records over the next few days.

Joining me now, CNN meteorologist Derek Van Dam.

Derek, as I've told you, I love the heat but it can be a real health concern for many people when it gets that hot.

DEREK VAN DAM, AMS METEOROLOGIST: Especially when it doesn't cool down overnight. That's the concern. Our bodies, when we sleep, we want to regulate our temperature.

And when the morning lows only drop into the middle or upper 80s, that doesn't allow your body to cool itself down appropriately. That's where the dangers come in, especially for the individuals who don't have access to air conditioning.

Now look at this, this is just incredible, we have expanding heat advisories, covering much of Texas, much of Oklahoma, Mexico, Arizona, much of California as well. We have 70 percent of the lower 48, the contiguous United States, that will see 90 degree plus weather next week.

If that's not impressive enough for you, 15 percent of the U.S. population, 45 million people, will see three-digit heats, that's a lot of people, including here in Houston, Texas. Look at these individuals trying to cool themselves from the daytime heat, around 3- 4 pm, doing whatever they can to try to cool themselves down.

Just a brief sampling of the record high temperatures that were broken yesterday, many of which were in Texas. You can also see Colorado there reaching 100 degrees in Grand Junction. From today through the middle of this week, we have the potential to

either tie or break 140 record high temperatures. That doesn't even include the record minimum temperatures that will be broken across this area.

Take note of the temperatures, they are starting to cool over the southwestern portions of the state, cool -- I should put that inverted commas, because it's still hot, right?

The heat dome that is bringing in the successive heat will shift eastward. And there is the heat. We are next here in Atlanta but places like Nashville are expecting oppressive, oppressive warmth.

BRUNHUBER: We will keep following that throughout the weekend. Derek Van Dam, thank you so much.

And yet another star golfer is joining the controversial Saudi-backed LIV Golf series. Former U.S. Open champ Bryce DeChambeau said he will play in the LIV series after the PGA tour suspended 17 golfers for participating in the new league.

Those affected include six-time major winner Phil Mickelson. He made controversial comments about the Saudi Arabian funded events but still chose to play in the LIV series. Golf writer Alan Shipnuck said other golfers hope both series can coexist. Here he is.

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ALAN SHIPNUCK, GOLF WRITER: Of all the pro players are hoping that there is a middle ground, where they can maintain their membership, get the FedEx Cup bonuses and all the pension. But then they could cherry pick some of these LIV events.

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SHIPNUCK: That is the best-case scenario for these players. So I think there are cheering Phil on behind the scenes and hoping that this does succeed in some ways.

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BRUNHUBER: The inaugural event teed off in London on Thursday with big names like Mickelson and former world number one Dustin Johnson.

The NBA finals are all tied up at two games apiece as the best of seven series returns to San Francisco, thanks to a huge night from superstar Steph Curry, the Golden State Warriors defeated the Boston Celtics 107 to 97, the two-time MVP scored 43 points in front of a hustling crowd. The series now heads west for game five Monday night.

War may be tearing Russians and Ukrainians apart but music is bringing them together, at least for two bands.

A Russian punk group and Ukrainian pop rockers are teaming up for a tour that will raise funds for medical equipment for organizations helping Ukrainians impacted by the war. The frontman for Nervy, a Ukrainian native, was forced to leave Russia

after speaking out against the invasion. Now he says he is just trying to help his homeland. Here he is.

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ZHENYA MILKOVSKIY, FRONTMAN, NERVY (through translator): As soon as the war started, we immediately felt like we wanted to do something useful. I think this, going on a charity tour, is just the most useful thing that we can do now. We are trying to be helpful by using all of our talents and resources.

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BRUNHUBER: That wraps this hour of CNN NEWSROOM, I'm Kim Brunhuber, I will be back in a moment, more news, please do stay with us.