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Driver And Passenger Recovering After Dramatic Shootout; The End Of "Succession" And End Of The Roy Family Drama; Tonight: Celtics Attempt To Complete Historic Comeback Vs. Heat; Josef Newgarden Wins 107th Indianapolis 500; Pools, Beaches Grapple With Summer Lifeguard Shortage; 4 Great White Sharks Detected In Waters Off NY & NJ. Aired 8:30-9a ET

Aired May 29, 2023 - 08:30   ET

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

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[08:30:15]

RAHEL SOLOMON, CNN ANCHOR: Welcome back. An update now on a story we've been following out of Iowa this morning. Officials say one more person has been rescued from a building that collapsed in Davenport, making eight total rescues. That person has been taken to the hospital. No confirmed deaths at this time.

The city's fire chief said just moments ago that first responders are near the end of the rescue phase of the response and will soon begin the recovery phase. Stay with CNN for more updates here.

ERICA HILL, CNN ANCHOR: A city bus driver and a passenger are recovering this morning after getting into a dramatic shootout. This happened on board a bus in Charlotte, North Carolina, earlier this month. The transit system, though, just released the video. So you'll see on it here a rider pulling out a gun. Then the driver takes out his own and begins firing.

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(GUNSHOTS)

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HILL: So Charlotte Area Transit System released a statement with the video saying that this began after the passenger asked to get off the bus at an undesignated stop. CNN's Dianne Gallagher joining us live this morning in Charlotte. How does it escalate to this point, though, Dianne, that we end up with a shootout?

DIANNE GALLAGHER, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, Erica, that was just a two-minute argument, according to the Charlotte Area Transit System, or CATS, that escalated into that shootout because that passenger wanted to get off right now. They say that the driver told him that they could only stop at an authorized location, and that's when the passenger, as you can see on the video, pulls out the gun. The driver sees that gun, pulls out his own gun. And then, according to CATS, they both fire their guns in rapid succession. Although at this point, it is unclear who shot first. Now, look, that passenger, Omari Tobias, sort of crawls down the walkway. The driver follows him. There are more shots exchanged before both men get off the bus.

There are also two additional passengers on the bus at this time, though, we're told that they are unharmed. Now, both Fullard and Tobias were shot. The driver was shot in the arm, the passenger in the abdomen. Tobias, the passenger, has been charged in relation to this shooting. It is unclear at this time if the driver is going to be but he was fired from his position.

CATS says that he did not follow de-escalation protocols. He never used the radio or the two-silent alarms that are available to him. He was hired by a third-party operator, and they also have a protocol that means -- that says that you cannot have a weapon on you at the time.

Now, his attorney, the driver's attorney, tells CNN that he had worked as a dedicated CATS driver for 19 years and says that he's represented several other CATS drivers in the past and says that, look, they've continuously tried to encourage the CATS' system to enhance their security measures for drivers. So hopefully, nothing like this happens again in the future. Erica?

HILL: Wow. It's really something. Dianne, appreciate it. Thank you.

SOLOMON: And coming up, it's a wrap on "Succession". Don't worry, we're going to try to make this a spoiler free zone, especially for my benefit. We'll talk about the impact of the show with official "Succession" expert Kara Swisher. She joins us live coming up next.

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[08:36:56]

SOLOMON: I mean, if those chords are already making you nostalgic for all of the corporate drama that was "Succession", yes, us too. The finale aired last night, but the alarm clock goes up a little too early for anyone on this team or myself to watch it. So if you were an early riser, chances are you probably also didn't see it.

So we're going to try to make this a spoiler free zone this morning. But, you know, who definitely did watch, that would be Kara Swisher, host of HBO's official Succession Podcast. OK, Kara, no spoilers, but let's just get some business out of the way. Who took over Waystar Royco after Logan's death?

KARA SWISHER, HOST, "HBO'S SUCCESSION PODCAST": OK.

SOLOMON: Kendall, Shiv, Rome?

SWISHER: Who took over after his death or in this finale?

SOLOMON: Yes. In this finale. SWISHER: Which one? Oh, it was the Swede, the Swede.

SOLOMON: The what?

SWISHER: The Swede took over afterwards. The Swede, Matsson took over afterwards. And, you know, this was part of a -- yes, that happened, yes.

SOLOMON: That is -- OK, that is very shocking. In all seriousness, what did you think of the finale? Did they land the plane?

SWISHER: I think they did a great job. I think it was -- they didn't do any stunts. It was -- it made sense. A lot of people said it wasn't a surprise and it was obvious, but it was still amazing ride to get there.

You know, these kids have been struggling this entire -- you know, the show is called "Succession", so we're trying to figure out who's going to succeed Logan Roy, the legendary businessman. And these kids have always had trouble figuring out which one was correct and at the same time, whether they had the skills to do so.

And, obviously, throughout the show, they kept displaying sort of a lack of ability to do what he did, and he did too. And I think the key line in the show was much earlier, before he died, where he said, I love you, but you're not serious people. And I think that was echoed in the finale.

SOLOMON: Yes, that was tough to watch, nonetheless. So you unpack the series finale in a two-part podcast. You interview Alexander Skarsgard, who plays the tech billionaire, as we just talked about, Lukas Matsson, and also Jeremy Strong, who plays Kendall Roy. What can you tell us about the podcast there?

SWISHER: Well, it's interesting because they sort of unpacked their own feelings about their characters and where they got their inspiration and how they felt about it. And Jeremy Strong, who's sort of the center of this show in this particular finale, talked about his -- you know, the different endings that they thought about, including him possibly running out to the water.

Water has always been a big metaphor for this particular character, either floating in it or maybe he was committing suicide or he was happy. And so to end it at the water was critically important, I think.

And, you know, I think every single character on the show, down to people that played smaller characters, got their moment in this finale and also throughout the season. It was beautifully written. And so that was what was great about it.

And you sort of have a sense of what could happen next now that these people have been released of this sort of prison sentence of being that wealthy and having that many expectations put on them when they didn't have the ability to carry them out. And so one wonders what's to happen next for all of them, actually. [08:40:02]

SOLOMON: Well, one thing that's for sure is it certainly had a cultural impact. Kara, where do you think "Succession" falls on the list of greatest HBO shows of all time? And that's a tough group to be in because you're talking about "Veep", you're talking about "The Wire".

SWISHER: Yes.

SOLOMON: You're talking about "Game of Thrones". I mean, is it top three? Where do you think it lands?

SWISHER: Right. You know, I think it's sort of like "Sopranos". I think it's that way. I mean, it's of a group of people in business, whether, you know, being in the mob is in business. And so I think that was the attraction of it. It's sort of a look into these lives, and yet a lot of it, even though, they're wealthy people, a lot of their problems are like regular people.

They suffer from the same problems despite great wealth and great power. They're still unhappy. They're still -- and if you want to go way back, "Dynasty" and "Dallas", those kind of stories. And I think people like to watch those. And in this case, it was so beautifully written.

Jesse Armstrong, the creator, and his team of writers deserves -- and directors deserves enormous credit here, along with the actors. And so it was a really good grouping of that. And the actors who were all, they sort of made these indelible characters both humane and awful. Nobody in that show is good, but they're all people you want to watch and actually care about, which is hard to do.

SOLOMON: They're also nuanced. Yes.

Kara, I want to very quickly show you one of our favorite moments from the show, at least mine. A boar on the floor. And then we can talk about your favorite moment.

SWISHER: Yes.

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UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Sit on the floor. It's fun.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Seriously?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes, it's a game. Boar on the floor.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I really -- I feel --

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Get down. Boar on the floor. Boar on the floor. Kendall, ring the troops.

ALL: Boar on the floor.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Guys --

ALL: Boar on the floor.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Get down.

ALL: Board on the floor.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Greg, on the floor.

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SOLOMON: I'm just so good. Kara, any favorite moments for you on the show?

SWISHER: Yes. Not that one. That was about cruelty, you know what I mean? Because this guy was a sadist in a lot of ways, and they all were versions of sadists and masochists with each other and depending on where they were in the power thing.

I think that scene in the Karaoke bar with the children where he was -- they were having a frank talk about their relationship was really disturbing. I think the last, the very last image of Shiv and Tom where he reaches out his hand after he's betrayed her, essentially, and she just places it on top but doesn't hold it. You know, you wonder where that relationship is going.

You know, and the scene of the three kids in the boardroom at the end, I think, arguing with each other about how they're just, I don't think I can say it, but they say they are not up to the task. And Kendall Roy, played by Jeremy Strong, can't handle that idea because this is -- he has been told since his childhood that this is what he's supposed to do. And what do they all do now?

And that's what's really interesting. Even though they walk away with billions and these people are going to be very rich, you wonder what they're going to do now.

SOLOMON: Yes, that's a great point. I'm still a few episodes behind, but Kara Swisher, great to chat with you this morning. Thank you.

SWISHER: Sorry. Thanks a lot.

HILL: Well, the Boston Celtics have an opportunity to make history in game seven of the NBA conference finals. So is the luck of the Irish on Boston's side. Tonight, we'll discuss.

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[08:47:20]

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UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It's off to Smart for the seventh game. No. It might have been tipped in, but the buzzer sounded. The light was on. It will be reviewed.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I don't think he got that in in time.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: They're saying on the floor, they're counting it. The Celtics are going to win. There's a game seven back in Boston.

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HILL: Do you believe in miracles? Well, if you're a Celtics fan, yes, I think you do. After the Heat beat the Boston Celtics in the first three games of the best of seven series, wasn't looking so hot out there. The future was downright bleak for Boston. But then, in this wildly unlikely twist, of course, the Celtics clawed their way back, getting to game six.

And then with less than a second on the clock, as you just saw there, Derrick White tipped in the game winner. The close call had everyone actually fooled at first. You heard it from the announcers there, not sure that counted. You can see the final score on the screen. They called the game for the Heat before the review.

Of course, though, we know what happened next. The Celtics got that shot, and now they have the chance to make the most historic comeback in NBA playoff history. If they win tonight, this will be the first time a team has ever advanced after falling behind 3-0. And, in fact, before Saturday, only three teams had ever even forced a game seven.

So that all sounds great. Keep in mind, though, none of those teams, the 1951 Knicks, the '94 Nuggets, the 2003 Trail Blazers hosted their game seven. But guess who's hosting tonight? The Celtics. Both teams say they're ready.

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DERRICK WHITE, BOSTON CELTICS: My job isn't done yet. We got a tough one in game seven, and we got to find a way to get one more win here.

JIMMY BUTLER, MIAMI HEAT: I know that we will do it. We got to go on the road and win in a very, very tough environment, but we're capable of it. So let's get busy.

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HILL: Let's get busy. Joining us now, National NBA Writer and Celtics Reporter for the Boston Globe, Gary Washburn. Gary, great to have you here this morning. I mean, that moment, right? That true buzzer- beater, give us a sense. What was it like in that moment when there was still this question before the shot was confirmed?

GARY WASHBURN, NATIONAL NBA WRITER & CELTICS REPORTER, BOSTON GLOBE: Yes, it was a surreal atmosphere because it was a sold out crowd at the Kaseya Center in Miami, all clad and white, all ready to celebrate their trip to the NBA Finals. So there was like a kind of for moments, people thought the game was over and then the Heat won.

Then the shot was put in. There was kind of a, well, is it at the clock? Did it beat the buzzer? Was it after the buzzer? I thought personally, being there, it was after the buzzer until I saw it again, and I was like, oh my goodness, he beat the clock. And so that's when the crowd saw it on the replay at the arena. Then there was a collective silence.

[08:50:06]

But the Celtics, the small throng of Celtic fans in the arena started cheering loudly. And then the Celtic players kind of went crazy on the floor. And, you know, it was just -- it was mayhem.

SOLOMON: Gary, how did the Celtics turn around this series in such a remarkable fashion?

WASHBURN: Yes, it's incredible. They looked uninterested. You know, they pretty much quit in game three. They lost by 26 points. They just didn't give a maximum effort. It was an embarrassing performance, one of the more embarrassing performances in recent memory for a really proud organization.

And so, their mentality was, you know what, let's just try to win one game. Let's just go out with respect. And they were able to eke out game four and they played well. Then they brought it back to Boston and then they played with more confidence and momentum and force and they were able to get game five.

So, obviously, a very difficult game six where they led most of the way and they started playing more like themselves. It started -- you know, Jayson Tatum told me they started to relax because now no one expected them to play well. No one expected them to try to win this series.

So this team seems to do well under adversity and seems to kind of botch prosperity. And that's been the case in this series.

HILL: So what do you think we're looking at tonight then, though? Is this -- is it going to be more adversity or prosperity in this case?

WASHBURN: Anyone's guess, because I stopped trying to predict this team. I thought that they would win game three, they lost game three. I thought they would lose game four, they won game four. So I just expect a very highly competitive basketball game. Both teams going for it all.

A trip to the NBA Finals where they meet the Denver Nuggets. It's going to be an all-out just, you know, battle between two rivals, very proud organizations. And the Celtics do have a chance to make history in a city that has a very rich sports history.

SOLOMON: Well, we know John Berman, of all people --

HILL: Oh yes.

SOLOMON: -- will be watching. One of our colleagues, a huge Boston fan.

Gary Washburn, thank you.

Hard to say predictions in terms of who will win, but I think we can safely predict it will be a good game.

HILL: It will be a great game. Berman will be staying up, definitely watching all of it.

SOLOMON: Yes.

HILL: And it's true, as Gary said, Boston is such an incredible sports town. There's going to be a lot of energy for tonight.

SOLOMON: As a Philadelphia person, I'm not going to agree to that.

HILL: You have your own special sports energy in Philadelphia.

SOLOMON: Right, exactly, exactly.

HILL: We should point out. So, yes.

You can watch game seven between the Celtics and the Heat tonight on TNT, tip off, 8:30 Eastern.

A really terrifying scene at the Indianapolis 500 yesterday. Driver Felix Rosenqvist hits the wall, spins out as you're seeing here just barely nicking fellow driver Kyle Kirkwood. Kirkwood then flips. One of his tires goes soaring over the fence toward the crowd. Now, thankfully, it did miss the stands. Landed, actually in a parking lot. Remarkably, no injuries reported. Kirkwood also OK.

Nashville native Josef Newgarden came away with the checker fly, becoming the first American to win the Indy 500 since 2016. You can see the celebration there, getting into the stands by fans, getting mobbed by fans, before, of course, the requisite Indy 500 milk bath.

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JOSEF NEWGARDEN, 107TH INDIANAPOLIS 500 WINNER: I'm just so thankful to be here. You have no idea. I started out as a fan in the crowd, and this place is -- it's amazing, regardless of where you're sitting. It doesn't matter if you're driving the car, you're working on it, or you're out here in the crowd. You're a part of this event.

It's so long to get to this point. We're here for weeks working and grinding on this thing just for this one moment, and that's what makes it so demoralizing when it doesn't work out. I can tell you it is -- we're going to enjoy it tonight.

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[08:57:37]

SOLOMON: Welcome back. Many Americans heading to the beach this Memorial Day as we head into the summer with the U.S. facing a national lifeguard shortage once again.

HILL: New York City says it needs some 1,400 lifeguards. The American Lifeguard Association said hundreds of thousands of pools could be affected because of the shortages. CNN's Polo Sandoval is joining us now live from New York's Rockaway Beach. So, Polo, those numbers, the figure is pretty drastic. Is there a solution or is it too late at this point for the summer?

POLO SANDOVAL, CNN CORRESPONDENT: What you're seeing right now, Erica, is basically seeing some of those municipalities trying to boost up their recruitment efforts, offering more benefits, upping the salary. Here in New York, for example, going from about $16 an hour to $21. But still, they are certainly swimming against the current when it comes to actually boosting those numbers.

I checked on the parks and recreation site this morning, and they currently don't have any availability for any certification classes for this particular season, not until 2024. So that gives you an idea of sort of what municipalities like New York all the way across the country are actually facing.

But in terms of today, it is really just a beautiful Memorial Day morning. Most of the folks that you'll see here at this particular beach are folks that are surfing way off the coast there. A little later, of course, that could potentially change as you begin to see some of those families make their way out here.

The big recommendation that we heard from the American Lifeguard Association earlier this morning is, look, to do your research. If you go to those beaches that typically have a lifeguard, make sure that they are going to continue to have that. If not, perhaps shift your strategy and go to another location.

And then the other recommended -- to two other recommendations that we heard, Rahel and Erica, is designate a water watcher, right? If you're going to be out there with your family, make sure that somebody's always keeping their eye out on the water.

And last but not least, folks, learn to swim. Again, this is coming from the experts this morning as folks get out to celebrate their Memorial Day today. Back to you.

SOLOMON: And a lot to keep in mind. But Polo, also, there have been four great white sharks spotted in the waters off New York and New Jersey this past week. We don't have a lot of time --

SANDOVAL: Yes.

SOLOMON: -- but that's also something that people have to keep in mind.

SANDOVAL: Absolutely. We learned about that about four sightings way off the coast just north of where we are right now. Keep in mind, experts have said that what we see is these sort of great chart migratory patterns that usually ship them north for, you know, some of those -- the bounty of the feeding grounds and then they head back south for the winter.

So, again, it's certainly normal, but it is fueling some concerns for folks way off the coast of New Jersey and New York. Back to you.

SOLOMON: That's why I stay on the coast. Just get my feet in.

HILL: There you go.

SOLOMON: Thank you, Polo.

HILL: Polo, appreciate it.

Thanks all of you for joining us this morning. CNN News Central starts right now.

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