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Negotiators Race To Reach Debt Limit Deal Before June 5 Deadline; 42.3M Americans To Travel 50-Plus Miles Over Memorial Day Weekend; Americans To Spend $1.6 Billion Less On Gas This Weekend; VP Harris Delivers Commencement Address At U.S. Military Academy West Point; Texas House Set To Vote On Impeachment Of AG Ken Paxton; Notorious Seals Program Faces Overhaul After Candidate's Death; Bison Calf Euthanized After Encounter With Yellowstone Park Visitor; Iowa Gov. Signs Bill Rolling Back Child Labor Protections; Celine Dion Cancels World Tour Due To Health Reasons. Aired 10-11a ET

Aired May 27, 2023 - 10:00   ET

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

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[10:00:36]

AMARA WALKER, CNN ANCHOR: And good morning, everyone. It is Saturday, May 27th. I'm Amara Walker.

VICTOR BLACKWELL, CNN ANCHOR: I'm Victor Blackwell. Good to have you. You are in the CNN NEWSROOM.

WALKER: We begin this hour with debt ceiling negotiations getting down to the wire as White House and GOP lawmakers are racing against the clock to try to prevent a first ever U.S. defaults.

BLACKWELL: Congress now has fewer than nine days to pass a deal after Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen warned yesterday that the country could hit the debt ceiling by June 5th. The sources say negotiators are hoping to announce an agreement as soon as today.

WALKER: But major sticking points remain on everything from spending caps to work requirements. Earlier, I spoke with Congresswoman Debbie Dingell, who called for an end to the back and forth.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

REP. DEBBIE DINGELL (D), MICHIGAN: Compromised doesn't just go on one side. We cannot be cutting a deal for conservatives, for our right conservatives that are never going to vote for this bill. We need to do something so that we stop this drama, this kabuki dance of going down to the wire on our dead ceiling.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BLACKWELL: CNN's Alayna Treene is live on the Hill this morning. So Alayna, you caught up with one of the GOP lawmakers who's negotiating this deal. Is there any better sense of where the negotiations stand now? ALAYNA TREENE, CNN CAPITOL HILL REPORTER: Yes, well, good morning. There's still no deal, but it does seem like negotiators are striking a farmer optimistic tone than we've heard in days, and they're beginning to close in on the final stages of this agreement. White House and Republican negotiators were here in the Capitol until 2:30 a.m. this morning, and they're back here now continuing to hash out the final details of this.

But we did catch up with Patrick McHenry, he is a key Republican negotiator on this, and he said that even though they still think they're a few hours away from finalizing a deal, they have begun to narrow the list of sticking points that they're working on, including spending cuts and work requirements. Let's listen to what he had to say to us.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

REP. PATRICK MCHENRY (R), NORTH CAROLINA: Yes, this is not in how I anticipated the final hours, final days would go. But we're getting to a very narrow set of issues that has to be dealt with. You know, it's a severe challenge to actually hit the at x date and that's, you know, I think that's -- we're all aware of that.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

TREENE: Now, Congressman McHenry also told us that nobody's looking at this as a breakup anymore, which really shows that they're past the point where they think this deal could fall apart. Now, I'm also told, from sources that I've caught up with overnight that their goal is to get a deal today and to announce a deal today, and also have bill tax ready to go when they're ready to announce that deal.

But they're all operating now on this June 5th timeline, that's the deadline that Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen told Congress yesterday that if they do not have a deal in place by then and pass through Congress, the government could default on its debt. So we're really closing in on crunch time here with little days left to work this out.

And once they do have a bill, they still need to sell it to the House, sell it to the Senate and try to pass this through Congress, which is a huge obstacle that still remains.

WALKER: Just get it done. I'm sure that's how a lot of people are thinking --

TREENE: Yes.

WALKER: -- at home right now. Alayna Treene, thank you very much.

Well, senior White House officials say the administration is on track to get a deal passed in time to avert the June 5th deadline as well.

BLACKWELL: But some Democrats have expressed concerns about what will be in that final agreement, have even warned the White House that there is no guarantee that they will support the debt deal.

Let's go now to CNN's Jasmine Wright live at the White House. So what else is the White House saying?

JASMINE WRIGHT, CNN WHITE HOUSE REPORTER: Yes. Well we heard from President Biden yesterday and he really struck an optimistic tone as he was leaving the White House to head to Camp David, the presidential retreat. He said that he believed that they were close to getting a deal. But as Alayna just said, getting a deal is not mean that these two sides are anywhere near done.

A big task of theirs is going to be once a deal is made, once it's in legislative text is getting both sides to really whip up support and eventually vote and pass this to be on President Biden's death before June 5th. Now, we know that that is likely going to be a tough task for both sides of the party, Republicans and Democrats.

[10:05:00]

But specifically for Democrats who have signaled, you're right, their uneasiness with the way that some of this deal making is going. Basically saying that they feel that they could be put in a bad position heading into election year next year based on what this deal actually says, based on the deal cutting that White House and Republicans eventually make.

Now a chief issue sticking point that negotiators have come into contact with has been this idea of work requirements. Republicans want stricter work requirements when it comes to recipients of food stamps. Democrats obviously do not.

Now, take a listen to President Biden yesterday when he asked what his response is to Democrats who said that that he should not cave to Republican demands.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: President Biden, what do you tell Democrats who say that they don't want you to bow on a work requirement? What's your position?

JOE BIDEN, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: I don't bow in anybody.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WRIGHT: So there we heard some cheekiness from President Biden, but he followed that up with optimism saying that he felt like a deal could be done. He said that he would know last night at midnight, whether or not it was possible.

Now, after we heard the President speak, the White House put out a statement kind of criticizing Republicans afterwards for their assistance on including stricter work requirements when it comes to these programs. They wrote really that it is standing against -- the White House is standing against the cruel and senseless trade off.

But, ultimately, Republicans continue to say that they are adamant about including this among other issues into the debt ceiling agreement. Now, of course, the White House will have their hands full when it comes to, if a deal is actually reached, trying to whip up their side, as well as trying to assure Republicans that this is something that everybody can vote for. And again, get to President Biden's desk before June 5th. Victor, Amara?

BLACKWELL: All right, Jasmine Wright for us there at the White House. Thanks so much.

Laura Weiss is a Tax and Economic Policy Reporter for Roll Call and Congressional Quarterly. Laura, let's start with the optimism. Jasmine reports there's optimism at the White House. Alayna reports to this optimism among the Republicans on Capitol Hill. Is the optimism suggesting that they are very close, or is that optimism for the markets? Is that optimism for the camera?

LAURA WEISS, TAX & CEILING DEAL STILL "HOURS OR DAYS AWAY": Yes, so I think the optimism is suggesting that they are close. We are starting to hear things that could be part of this deal. So it does seem that they're nearing some kind of potential agreement. Of course, getting over the finish line is always a really difficult step. So there are no guarantees until there is a deal in hand and until it passes.

But the optimism does seem real. It does seem to be backed up, and we've seen these negotiations, you know, pick up pace. We've seen more consistently from negotiators, from Speaker McCarthy talking about optimism or progress.

You know, it does seem that they're hitting a different phase of these negotiations and they seem to be pretty nonstop. You know, you have Garret Graves going to the White House the other day for an LSU basketball event, and one of the White House negotiators was there. So, you know, it's really, it's nonstop talks.

BLACKWELL: Yes. How much of the Republican conference is Speaker McCarthy willing to lose to get a deal done? Is it just a small fraction maybe of the Freedom Caucus? Is it the majority that he's saying, if we can get enough Democrats and get just enough Republicans, he's willing to break the hazard rule of putting something on that doesn't get the majority of his party's support?

WEISS: Yes, so I think that's going to be a really key question in the days ahead. Especially as, you know, the House members are likely to be called back to town for a vote on this if they're able to get it across the finish line. And so, you know, that is something really critical we'll be looking at. It's -- he's probably going to lose a good chunk as you pointed out of Republicans from the farther right part of the conference.

And so, you know, that is something he's going to have to balance in the speaker's race earlier this year. The conservative wing of the party really, you know, flex their muscle, gains some power. And so I think it's both the question of, you know, how many votes does he bring along, is he comfortable losing, but also, how upset are those Republicans, you know, how much will this affect his speakership? And that's something that I think we'll see playing out in the days ahead, and especially when House members return to Washington. BLACKWELL: Yes. So we just had up the countdown clock about eight and a half days until the earliest estimate from Janet Yellen, June 5th, according to that letter she sent out to congressional leaders yesterday. How has that date changed, if at all, the urgency changed the pacing of the negotiations?

WEISS: Yes, so I think it definitely, you know, it gives a little bit more breathing room than the -- as early as June 1st state that, you know, lawmakers were kind of, and the White House were kind of operating off of beforehand, so it's certainly a bit more breathing room.

[10:10:01]

But there are hurdles to getting this through the House and Senate. So, you know, we may see negotiations drag a little bit longer. Congress tends to take up as much time as they can negotiating. We tend to see last-minute deals in situations like this. We are expecting it to go down to the wire, but it gives a little more breathing room.

That being said, you know, this is going to take a few days. House Republican leadership has said that they will honor a rule allowing 72 hours to review bill text before a vote, and then it goes through the House and then the Senate into Biden's desk. So even though we have perhaps a little more time than had been thought, time is running really short. This is still crunch time and the negotiators aren't indicating that, you know, the pressure is on.

BLACKWELL: We've talked for months about the consequences if there is a default, right? We've gone through the list, I think most people know. But if there is a deal in place and it's going through the legislative process, at the time when the country defaults, are those consequences as dire if the markets know, if, you know, our debtors know that the money is coming, we're just working through getting it to the president's desk.

WEISS: Yes, so I think one of the things that's tricky here is it's hard to tell exactly what the reactions will be, exactly what the economic consequences could look like. You know, in any situation, you're kind of flirting with those consequences. And so, you know, I think Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen has really warned of some dire consequences and pointed out that even if you get close to the date, there can be economic impacts.

And so, you know, I think it's yet to be seen and it's unclear if that's something that the White House and that, you know, Republicans in the House would be willing to risk, you know, getting past that date. But, you know, I think that's something we'll have to wait and see.

BLACKWELL: All right. Laura Weiss with Roll Call and Congressional Quarterly, thanks so much.

WALKER: The summer travel season is officially here and people are wasting no time getting away. In all, AAA expects 42.3 million Americans to travel 50 miles or more from home over the holiday weekend. The Transportation Security Administration says it has screened an estimated 2.7 million travelers at airports nationwide yesterday. That is the highest checkpoint volume so far this year.

And CNN's Isabel Rosales is live at Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport in Atlanta which is known as the world's busiest airport. Hi, Isabel. How are the crowds looking this morning?

ISABEL ROSALES, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hey, Amara. Boy, what a difference. Two hours make since I last checked in with you. Take a look right behind me. No longer is there a huge line that looks like Disney World.

You can see all the spacing in between the roped off area here of the main security checkpoint at Hartsfield-Jackson. So the lines long gone, which is great news for anyone still making their way to whatever destination to spend time with our family for Memorial Day weekend.

Now, you mentioned how busy TSA was nationwide yesterday. We certainly saw that here at the Atlanta airport, TSA reported that from 3:00 a.m. to 8:00 a.m. Friday, they -- nearly 32,000 passengers went through their security checkpoints. They called it the busiest morning rush ever.

In fact, the previous record was set on February the 4th, 2019, that was a day after the Super Bowl, Super Bowl 53 here in Atlanta, and they had 500 fewer passengers during that timeframe. Now they're still expecting, TSA is expecting more than 2 million passengers to pass through this airport by the end of the weekend.

Earlier, of course, we saw those huge lines to get through the security. I spoke to some customers, some passengers who were frustrated with this experience. Listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MARIE CLARK, TRAVELING WITH TWO YOUNG DAUGHTERS: Our shuttle was late. Our dropping off our car late and we got here late. And then there's immense lines, but everybody seems to be cool. So, that's a positive.

ROSALES: So next year, Memorial Day weekend, will you be traveling during the same timeframe?

CLARK: No. Not even kind of.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ROSALES: And Amara, I just checked FlightAware and it looks to be smooth out in the skies right now with just single digit cancelations and just over 200 delays. Amara?

WALKER: All right, off to a relatively smooth start. Isabel Rosales, thank you.

And if you're getting on the road, there is some good news. It's going to cost you a little less to get to your destination. CNN's Matt Egan has more.

MATT EGAN, CNN REPORTER: Hey, Victor and Amara. The roads are going to be packed as summer kicks off this weekend. AAA expects that more than 37 million people are going to be hitting the roads.

[10:15:00]

Hopefully not all of them in New Jersey where I'm going to be, some context around that 37 million figure, that is up by 6 percent from a year ago. But I am here with some good news, and that is, despite the rising number of people on the roads, the cost of road trips is actually going down. Drivers across the country are being greeted by cheaper gas prices than last Memorial Day we get. A lot cheaper.

On average, a gallon of regular gasoline sells for about $1 less than a year ago, according to AAA. And the national average is miles away from that record high of 502 a gallon set last June. GasBuddy says that prices are down in all 50 states, California, Alaska, New York, New Jersey, and Florida, or among the states enjoying the biggest price drops.

All of this is yet more evidence of cooling inflation, the cost of living crisis. You know, it isn't over, but it is getting better. There's two important points here. Gas prices, they were lower in 2021. And of course in 2020, when COVID shut the economy down and people weren't really driving, also the reasons for the gas price drop, they're not all positive.

Some of it is better supply. Also better than feared supply out of Russia, but it's also these lingering recession fears that have kept the lid on oil prices and also kept down the price of gasoline. Still, GasBuddy estimates that drivers will spend $1.6 billion less on gasoline compared with last Memorial Day weekend. And that is undeniably good news. Victor and Amara?

BLACKWELL: Thank you, Matt.

Millions, of course, will head to the beach this weekend. The weather might not be that great though.

WALKER: CNN Meteorologist Britley Ritz is in the CNN Weather Center. Heavy rain in the forecast, where?

BRITLEY RITZ, CNN METEOROLOGIST: Yes, on the East Coast. Not everywhere on the East Coast, but look at Myrtle Beach, awfully showery. We had raindrops two hours ago on the camera lens. Those have since cleared. However, we now have two red flags waving, which means the beach is closed. No beach here in Myrtle Beach.

We have 59 degrees. It's only warmed two degrees in the last two hours. We're struggling with this area of low pressure hanging nearby, and quite a bit of rain moving inland, bringing in the possibility of flooding, coastal flooding, strong winds. And yes, we have high surf advisories.

You'll see the areas highlighted in pink from Norfolk, Virginia down onto the Space Coast where we have wave heights reaching 4 feet to 8 feet and high rip currents. Hence why the red flags are waving. High winds and heavy rain. Here you go, bringing in 4 inches to 6 inches of rain over the next three days. Yes, the entire holiday weekend.

So be careful. Do not drive through flooded roadways. If you happen to come across one, turn around, find a different route. That's the best advice I can give you. And not only the threat for heavy rain on the East Coast, but then we move inland across the United States with a threat for severe weather from Rapid City to Midland both today and tomorrow where we see areas highlighted in yellow, a little more vulnerable for that severe weather.

Wind and hail going to be the main threats, but isolated tornadoes can't be ruled out either. We head on over to the East Coast all the way through your holiday weekend. Most of us are hanging out in the 70s, D.C. We've got the chance for a few showers, a Memorial Day itself.

Amara, Victor?

WALKER: All right, Britley Ritz, thank you.

And coming up, Texas sized tensions erupting in the lone star state between top Republicans. What is behind this very public intraparty fight?

BLACKWELL: Plus, New York City officials have highlighted the financial strain. The migrant crisis is putting on the city's economy. More on what they're doing about it.

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[10:22:54]

BLACKWELL: Right now, Vice President Harris is delivering the commencement address at the U.S. Military Academy at West Point. Listen in.

KAMALA HARRIS, VICE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: -- dedication and discipline. They are willing to sacrifice everything to protect the lives and liberty of people they may never meet. And I believe there is no more noble work than a person can do than to serve our nation in uniform.

And today, then to the class of 2023, you join the greatest fighting force the world has ever seen.

(APPLAUSE)

Cadets since our day, your first day on campus, the world has drastically changed. A once in a century global pandemic took millions of lives and disrupted life for billions more. America ended our longest war, and Russia launched the first major ground war in Europe since World War II.

Looking forward to the future, it is clear you graduate into an increasingly unsettled world, where longstanding principles are at risk. In Ukraine, Russia's aggression is an attack on the lives and freedom of the Ukrainian people, and an attack on international rules and norms that have served as the foundation of international security and prosperity for generations.

In the Indo-Pacific, China is rapidly modernizing its military and threatening both the freedom of the seas and rules of international commerce.

[10:25:09]

At the same time, autocrats have become bolder. The threat of terrorism persists and an accelerating climate crisis continues to disrupt lives and livelihoods. All a threat to global, stability and security, and here's how I see it.

In the face of all these challenges, America plays a singular role of leadership. Cadets, global security, and global prosperity depend on the leadership of the United States of America, and a strong America remains indispensable to the world. Our democratic ideals of freedom and liberty inspire billions.

Our vibrant economy creates unmatched innovation and opportunity and drives global growth. Our unrivaled network of allies and partners allows us to build coalitions and catalyze global action in a way no other nation can. And our military is the strongest in the world. Our military is a force that underwrites global stability and our national security. And it is this pillar of our strength where you cadets, have dedicated yourself to lead.

Essential to our strengths is the role then that --

BLACKWELL: Vice President Kamala Harris there delivering the commencement address at the U.S. Military Academy West Point today, speaking to cadets who will soon graduate from that great institution. We will, of course, monitor that. for the rest of her remarks.

Let's go to Texas now, where House lawmakers are expected to vote on impeachment articles that could lead to the removal of the State Attorney General Ken Paxton. Now, legal and ethical scandals have dogged Paxton since became AG back in 2014.

WALKER: But now the ethics panel from the GOP Controlled State House has filed 20 articles of impeachment against him. After investigators on Thursday accused Paxton of numerous criminal acts, including bribery and obstruction of justice.

CNN's Ed Lavandera has more on the case against Paxton.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ED LAVANDERA, CNN SENIOR NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): One of the most controversial politicians in Texas is facing impeachment.

KEN PAXTON, TEXAS ATTORNEY GENERAL: This shameful process was curated, from the start, as an act of political retribution. LAVANDERA (voice-over): Republican Ken Paxton has been the State's Attorney General, since 2014. But a Texas House committee, led by fellow Republicans, is accusing Paxton of a litany of criminal acts, including bribery, obstruction of justice, dereliction of duty, 20 Articles of Impeachment, in all, filed against him.

The charges, brought by the Texas House General Investigating Committee, detail alleged violations by the AG, and a request for more than $3 million of public money to pay a legal settlement to whistleblowers who worked as top deputies in the AG's office. They revolted against Paxton in 2020. There are also bribery charges, with a top campaign donor that involved an alleged affair.

In a statement, Paxton says, the allegations are politically motivated, and based on, quote, "Hearsay and gossip," and also added that "Corrupted politicians in the Texas House are actively destroying Texas' position as the most powerful backstop against the Biden agenda in the entire country."

PAXTON: Every politician, who supports this deceitful impeachment attempt, will inflict lasting damage on the credibility of the Texas House.

LAVANDERA (voice-over): Paxton has been under indictment for felony securities violations, since taking office. He's also under FBI investigation for his actions connected to the Articles of Impeachment.

Paxton has denied all wrongdoing. And Texas voters have reelected him, as Attorney General, twice. And along the way, he's garnered the support of a major ally.

DONALD TRUMP, FORMER PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: He loves this state, and he loves this country. Attorney General Ken Paxton.

[10:30:02]

LAVANDERA (voice-over): And taking a page out of the Trump playbook, Paxton blames the looming impeachment fight on liberal factions in the Texas Republican Party. One Texas State Representative predicts Paxton will be impeached, by the Texas House, but is calling on the Texas Senate to refuse to hold an impeachment trial.

STEVE TOTH, TEXAS STATE HOUSE: No one has any evidence that he did anything wrong. It's all allegations. It's all allegations. And so, yes, this is just -- this is political retribution as all it is. This is a complete sham.

LAVANDERA (voice-over): If the impeachment passes in the Texas House with a majority vote, it moves on to the Senate, where the Attorney General's wife, State Senator Angela Paxton, could be among those voting on his potential impeachment.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

LAVANDERA: Ken Paxton is urging friends and supporters to come peacefully rally on his behalf at the Texas Capitol later today when the Texas House votes on those Articles of Impeachment. And this is significant because it echoes what Donald Trump on January 6. And we must point out that Ken Paxton was on that same stage that day with Donald Trump.

Victor and Amara?

BLACKWELL: Ed, thank you so much.

New York City officials say that the migrant surge is putting a major strain on the city's finances. And at this rate, they say that the cost of caring for new asylum seekers will reach more than $4.3 billion by next July.

WALKER: More than 70,000 migrants pass through intake facilities in recent months, and nearly 45,000 are still in the city's care.

Let's go now to CNN's Polo Sandoval live in New York. Polo, officials ask the state Supreme Court to suspend parts of the city's right to shelter law. What is that and what are you hearing about that this morning?

POLO SANDOVAL, CNN CORRESPONDENT: It's a move that comes with some criticism that's being directed at the city mayor's office here, Amara and Victor. Now, what the city is doing, in addition to scouring the city and the state for additional shelter space, for some of the people that, you know, some of those numbers that you just shared with our viewers, about 45,000 of them are still in the city's care. So that is certainly an extraordinary number in the city, is basically trying to keep its head above water.

But in addition to scouring for space, they're also trying to take this legal step, asking a judge to suspend provisions of New York City's longstanding right to shelter law that basically requires New York City to offer homeless individuals a safe place to stay. And recently, as we've seen for the last 13 months or so, a lot of them have been asylum seekers.

So, what we heard this week was the mayor's chief council basically fighting back some criticism, trying to explain why they're doing this, saying they are planning for the next possible phase of this migrant crisis.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BRENDAN MCGUIRE, CHIEF COUNSEL TO NEW YORK MAYOR ERIC ADAMS: It's to have that flexibility. Do we want to necessarily exercise that in every case, in every way, whatever it may be? Not necessarily. So it's an effort to be responsible here to secure some flexibility now.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SANDOVAL: So judge yet to issue this ruling, but more on that criticism. What we've heard from migrant advocates is that this is a way, according to them of the city, basically skirting around their legal responsibilities and might provide them an opportunity to practically shut the door on the homeless population. But again, the city's saying the main concern right now is that the system could buckle under the weight of its own pressure.

BLACKWELL: Polo Sandoval with the reporting, thank you.

Still ahead, a new report discovered lapses that contributed to the death of Navy SEAL candidate Kyle Mullen just hours after finishing grueling training known as Hell Week. The SEAL's notoriously brutal process is undergoing and overhaul.

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[10:37:50]

WALKER: Last year, Navy SEAL candidate Kyle Mullen died just a few hours after completing the grueling Training Selection course known as Hell Week.

BLACKWELL: A new report discovered lapses that contributed to his death prompting an overhaul of the SEAL's notoriously brutal process. Oren Liebermann has details from the Pentagon.

OREN LIEBERMANN, CNN PENTAGON CORRESPONDENT: The Navy SEAL Selection and Training course is designed to be one of the most grueling, demanding courses in the entire military. Only the most capable of the candidates in that course are supposed to get through it with a very high attrition rate.

And yet, despite the demands of the course, an investigation into the entire training course after the death of a SEAL candidate last year, found there was improper, inadequate medical oversight as the candidates are going through this exhausted and often ill. In fact, the investigation, which was released late this week, found there was medical oversight that was poorly organized, poorly integrated, and poorly led.

This all came about after the death of 24-year-old SEAL candidate Kyle Mullen, after he had completed Hell Week in February of last year. He had gotten through the most difficult phase of the course again, known as Hell Week. He even had a final medical checkup, but he died eight hours after the conclusion of the course because of that improper medical oversight.

He had been suffering from respiratory difficulties. He'd taken oxygen a few times through Hell Week, but none of that information made it to those who went through -- those who checked them out for that final medical check. And beyond that, in addition, the personnel who was assigned to check on him in the hours after Hell Week didn't have proper medical training and didn't have the authority or the knowledge to know what to look for or to be able to do anything about it.

And it was because of that, a bacterial pneumonia infection that he was suffering from wasn't identified and wasn't cared for. In fact, according to the Navy investigation, he was coughing up a red orange fluid. He was bloated, his skin was turning blue, according to that investigation, and he didn't get the medical care he need. Following the investigation and following his death, the Navy has revamped some of the medical procedures in this course. During Hell Week, there are now evaluations every 24 hours, including at after the conclusion of Hell Week.

[10:40:04]

The recovery facility is now right next to the medical clinic there after Hell Week, so there is much -- a much closer examination there and there are more qualified medical staff on hand throughout Hell Week and beyond.

In addition, there is a greater screening for performance enhancing drugs. The investigation found there was a concern about that. So they've enhanced the efforts there. Victor and Amara?

WALKER: Oren Liebermann, thank you.

Now the Pentagon says it is increasing security screenings after a massive leak of classified documents by a member of the Massachusetts Air National Guard. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin ordered a review of procedures around the handling of sensitive and classified material. The Pentagon also says routine screenings of people entering and exiting the Pentagon will increase to make sure classified information is protected.

BLACKWELL: Another interaction with wildlife has led to deadly consequences. Why this bison calf had to be put down after this photo was taken. Plus, expert advice on what you should do if you come across an animal in the wild.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[10:45:11]

WALKER: A newborn bison calf had to be put down at Yellowstone National Park after an encounter with a park visitor. Now, officials say a man pictured here disturbed the calf after it was separated from its mother last week. The calf was trying to cross the river and the man was seen pushing that cafe up from the river and then onto a roadway. The calf was later seen walking up to other visitors and cars.

Now, the National Park Service said in a statement that, quote, "Park Rangers tried repeatedly to reunite the calf with the herd. These efforts failed. The calf was later killed by park staff because it was abandoned by the herd and causing a hazardous situation by approaching cars and people along the roadway".

Associate professor and extension wildlife specialist from Montana State University of Bozeman, Jared Beaver, joining me now. Thank you for your time, sir. So it looks like this man, who police are now looking for, may have been trying to help this calf cross the river, but clearly he did more harm than good. I mean, could the baby have survived if that man didn't intervene? DR. JARED BEAVER, ASSOCIATE PROFESSOR, MONTANA STATE UNIVERSITY AT BOZEMAN: Yes, and it's really tough to say, you know, I'm not part of the National Park Service and I wasn't there for that particular incident, but, you know, generally, you know, human interference is never good. It usually does more harm than it does good and it's best in these situations to just let natural processes occur.

WALKER: So tell us more about why human interference causes wildlife to reject their babies and what are other instances in which you'll see a mother abandon her own calf?

BEAVER: Yes, so, you know, Yellowstone on these national parks, these are, you know, wild, natural environments and so natural processes of life are occurring. And, you know, it's unfortunate, but there's a lot of reasons that an animal could reject. Its young, you know, that particular animal could be sick or injured., forcing that mom to make a difficult decision.

The mom could be in poor health. We just had a really severe winter here in Montana. Other reasons is maybe there's just too many offspring in terms of what that animal -- that mom can support. And so there's really a lot of reasons why a mother could reject or abandon its young. And so it's really tough to tell, you know, just what the situation was here.

It's just an unfortunate situation, but the real thing to take away and learn here is that we just have to let, you know, nature kind of take its course and, you know, from a person and a human perspective, we've just got to not interfere.

WALKER: Yes. And, you know, obviously, there was a lot of heat taken by Yellowstone National Park for this decision to kill the animal. And it did defend its actions in a statement by the National Park Service saying, quote, "We made the choice. We did not" -- "We made the choice we did, not because we are lazy, uncaring, or inexpert in our understanding of bison biology. We made the choice we did because national parks preserve natural processes."

Just the big picture here, though, I mean, what goes into a decision to euthanize an animal after this kind of exposure?

BEAVER: Yes. And again, you know, I can't speak on behalf of the National Park Service. I just know, you know, when you're talking about a situation like this, look it, it's complicated. There's a lot of nuance that goes on here.

Disease transmission is a real concern here. You know, bison can carry brucellosis. That can affect other wildlife. It can get into livestock industry. So there's a lot of social and economic consequences that could come with that as well. And there's a lot of state and federal regulations in place that control what can and can't happen in terms of wildlife transport.

And that can vary geographically, it can vary by species. And so, you know, the real takeaway here is it's very complicated and there's a lot to consider, and it quickly escalates beyond just an individual level concern.

WALKER: Just stay away from these wild animals.

Jared Beaver, appreciate your time. Thank you.

Coming up, music icon, Celine Dion cancels her world tour through next year due to her health. And now one source close to her says her touring days may be over.

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[10:53:55]

BLACKWELL: All right, top stories we are following now. Iowa's Republican Governor Kim Reynolds signed a bill into law that rolls back child labor protections. It extends hours the teenagers can work and where they can be employed. Republicans led on this bill. It was passed earlier this month after weeks of debate.

In a statement, Reynolds said that Iowa joins 20 other states set a relaxing child labor laws to address worker shortages. And under the new guidelines, 14 and 15-year-olds can work two more hours on school days. 16 and 17-year-olds are allowed to work the same hours as adults.

WALKER: The active search efforts for an 18-year-old American who fell overboard on a boat in The Bahamas have been suspended. Cameron Robbins fell overboard Wednesday, and he was on a senior trip after graduating from University High Lab School in Baton Rouge Sunday. The U.S. Coast Guard was assisting in the search.

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BLACKWELL: Celine Dion says that she's canceling her courage world tour and will likely never perform again. That's according to a source close to the singer.

[10:55:06]

Dion has known -- what's known as stiff-person syndrome, a rare condition causing body stiffness and muscle spasms. But Dion posted this on her Twitter on Friday. "Even though it breaks my heart, it's best that we cancel everything until I'm really ready to be back on stage. I'm not giving up. And I can't wait to see you again."

WALKER: So let's hope she'll be back.

BLACKWELL: Yes.

WALKER: The Brady Bunch House has been renovated and fully restored. It is now up for sale.

BLACKWELL: It is one of the most iconic, most photographed homes in America. HGTV bought the house for $3.5 million and then renovated it for a show in 2019. HGTV is now selling it for $5.5 million. A portion of the proceeds from the sale of the house in Studio City will go towards providing meals for hungry children across the country.

WALKER: That doesn't look renovated to me, right?

BLACKWELL: I would not want to live there.

WALKER: No, no. It's -- it definitely looks dated, so.

BLACKWELL: I just don't want people driving by all day waving and taking pictures.

WALKER: Living alone?

BLACKWELL: No.

WALKER: Yes, yes. I wouldn't want that either.

Well, that's our time. Thanks for watching, everyone. BLACKWELL: Much more ahead In the next hour of CNN NEWSROOM. Fredricka Whitfield is up next.

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