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New Day Saturday
Gas Prices Hit $5 National Average After Rapid Rise; CPI Surges 8.6 Percent in May, Core Inflation Rises 6 Percent; CDC Ending COVID Testing Rule for Air Travelers Entering U.S.; New Baby Formula Shipments Arrive As Part of "Operation Fly Formula"; Five Marines Killed in Military Aircraft Crash in California Identified. Aired 6-7a ET
Aired June 11, 2022 - 06:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
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[06:00:23]
CHRISTI PAUL, CNN ANCHOR: Well, it is good to know that you are with us on this Saturday morning. Good morning to you. I'm Christi Paul.
BORIS SANCHEZ, CNN ANCHOR: Good morning, Christi. I'm Boris Sanchez. Breaking overnight, a new painful record high at the pump. The average cost of gas now topping $5 a gallon. We'll tell you how that's weighing down the economy and who the White House is blaming for soaring prices.
PAUL: Also, the January 6 Committee is taking its case public laying out how the insurrection happened and what the country's leaders were doing at that time. What we expect to hear from the next set of hearings.
SANCHEZ: Plus, flying in without a COVID test why the CDC says it's dropping a key testing requirement for international travelers.
PAUL: And speaking out the embattled Uvalde Texas police chief defending his actions as questions continue to mount over his department's response. You're going to hear from him just ahead.
SANCHEZ: Buenos dias. Good morning. It is Saturday, June 11. Thank you so much for starting your day with us. Christie, always a pleasure to be with you.
PAUL: Always good to be with you too. Boris, thank you so much, even when we have to talk about what we're talking about now because this is affecting every single person watching us.
SANCHEZ: Yes, no question about that. We begin this morning with some painful economic news the national average gas price surpassing $5 a gallon for the first time ever. This is unprecedented. According to AAA, that is a 60-cent increase from just a month ago, the biggest jump in prices since 1981, more than 40 years ago.
PAUL: Now inflation fueled by rising gas prices triggered this massive sell off on Wall Street as well. And President Biden official and Biden officials, I should say have admitted inflation is quote uncomfortably high as we all continue to pay more for really just about everything. In remarks yesterday, the President tried to shift blame for the country's economic troubles to Russia's invasion of Ukraine.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JOE BIDEN, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Make no mistake about it. I understand inflation is a real challenge to American families. Today's inflation report confirm what Americans already know. Putin's price hike is hidden in America hard.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
PAUL: CNN chief business correspondent Christine Romans has more on this and the massive sell off we saw on Wall Street this week.
(BEGIN VIDEO TAPE)
CHRISTINE ROMANS, CNN CHIEF BUSINESS CORRESPONDENT (on camera): Boris and Christi, American consumers are still feeling the pain of higher prices for just about everything but especially at the pump.
Look, the May consumer price index that number of 8.6 percent from the year before the fastest since 1981. And when you look at just the month prices rose 1 percent from April to May. One percent, that's a big move in one month.
Core CPI that's when they strip out food and energy which can be more volatile that rose 6 percent from last year. Prices across the board more expensive than last year, largely driven by shelter, the biggest yearly gain there since 1991. Food up 10.1 percent. The first double digit increase in 41 years and energy with gas prices rising nearly 50 percent up four and a half percent in just the past month alone as prices hit record after record.
Now this high pace of inflation means the Federal Reserve is all but certain to continue to aggressively raise interest rates when it meets next week. This is an inflation fire the Fed is the firefighter. There are some who are wondering whether the fire is raging too strongly for the Fed to really be able to get it under control with only a 50 basis point interest rate hike. We will see when the Fed meets next week. Christi, Boris.
(END VIDEO TAPE)
PAUL: Christine, thank you so much. Well, Donald Trump and election lies that's going to be the focus of the next January 6 committee hearing. It's scheduled for Monday and the panel says the hearing will examine former President Trump's massive effort to spread fraudulent information about the 2020 election.
SANCHEZ: The Select Committee delivered its opening argument in prime time on Thursday. CNN congressional correspondent Ryan Nobles has details on the reaction from Capitol Hill. (BEGIN VIDEO TAPE)
RYAN NOBLES, CNN CONGRESSIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): The January 6 Select Committee has begun to make its case that Donald Trump is to blame for what happened on January 6, using the words of Trump's closest allies like Attorney General Bill Barr.
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.
NOBLES: And family members.
IVANKA TRUMP, FORMER SENIOR WHITE HOUSE ADVISER: I respect Attorney General Barr, so I accepted what he said was saying.
[06:05:06]
NOBLES: To lay the groundwork that Trump knew he lost the election but told his supporters he won anyway. The former president already pushing back taking to his new social media platform to claim his daughter had quote, long since checked out and was in my opinion, only trying to be respectful to Bill Barr.
Meanwhile, the committee is forging ahead. The committee planning for seven public hearings in all. The second scheduled for Monday, the 13th, and the third on Wednesday, with a fourth to be held on Thursday the 16th.
Vice Chair Cheney teasing out the themes each hearing will head on. She says hearing two will show Trump's massive effort to spread false and fraudulent information about the election.
The third will focus on how the former president quote, corruptly plan to replace the attorney general that a hearing devoted to what the committee says was Trump's idea to get then-Vice President Pence to refuse to count electoral votes for Biden.
Trump claiming, he never endorsed his supporters chanting hang Mike Pence, calling it a quote, made up story. After that, testimony that genie says describes how Trump corruptly pressured state legislatures to hand him the presidency.
And finally hearing six and seven zeroing in on how Trump summoned a violent mob to the capital that led to a deadly riot, all with the aim of convincing the American people of a conspiracy to overturn the election directed by Trump.
REP. ADAM SCHIFF (D-CA): It's a pretty simple story of a president who lost who couldn't stand losing.
NOBLES: Republicans like Congressman Jim Jordan, who was a focus of the investigation, attempting to downplay the committee's work.
REP. JIM JORDAN (R-OH): This was a partisan production put on by the former head of ABC News. I don't think we learned anything new. NOBLES: And committee chair Bennie Thompson telling CNN the committee has a lot more to share.
REP. BENNIE THOMPSON (D-MS): We have a number of witnesses who come forward that people have not talked to before that will document a lot of what was going on in the Trump orbit, while all of this was occur.
NOBLES: And the impact of the violence on January 6 still being felt today.
CAROLINE EDWARDS, CAPITOL POLICE OFFICER INJURED ON JANUARY 6: That day, it was just hours of hand-to-hand combat, hours of dealing with things that were way beyond any, any law enforcement officer has ever trained for.
NOBLES: And as the Committee continues to make its case, President Biden is endorsing their work and encouraging Americans to pay attention.
BIDEN: It's important to the American people understand what truly happened. I tell you what, there's a lot, lot going on.
NOBLES (on camera): And among the revelations from Thursday night was one from Vice Chair Liz Cheney, that there were Republican members of Congress that asked the former President Donald Trump for pardons before they left office and she identified one of them, Representative Scott Perry of Pennsylvania. Perry pushing back on that claim and a post on Twitter saying the idea that he ever sought a pardon for himself or anyone else is an absolute shameless and soulless lie.
Cheney says the committee has evidence that he did just that mob to see if that evidence is revealed before these hearings are complete in the month of June. Ryan Nobles, CNN on Capitol Hill.
(END VIDEO TAPE)
SANCHEZ: Ryan, thank you so much for that. Let's dig deeper into the January 6 committee's work and their next steps. We have defense attorney and former federal prosecutor Shan Wu with us and New York Times congressional correspondent Luke Broadwater as well. Gentlemen, appreciate you getting a bright and early for us.
Luke, let's start with you. We know the committee plans to lay out exactly how former President Trump is connected the insurrection. It was a major focus during the first hearing. What specifically are you expecting to see next week in that regard?
LUKE BROADWATER, CONGRESIONAL CORRESPONDENT, THE NEW YORK TIMES: Well, we have a number of hearings next week. The first is about the spreading of the big lie. So we're going to hear about how Donald Trump was told repeatedly that what he was saying was false about the election, yet persisted anyway.
And this gets to, one, it gets to a potential intent about committing a fraud and perpetrating fraud on the American public. But two, it also gets to how the crowd was motivated to come to the Capitol that day.
We're going to hear about the attempt to meddle with the Department of Justice and asked the acting Attorney General to intervene into elections and attempt to cling to power that way.
And then finally, we're going to hear about the pressure campaign on Mike Pence once all other efforts fail. That crowd was unmasked to put pressure on Pence to throw out the legitimate votes from the states from people who voted for Joe Biden and then install Donald Trump in for a second term.
[06:10:05]
So those are going to be the three hearings, we're going to hear a lot of new evidence from what I'm told. A lot of this is already known, but there will be, I think, new and potentially explosive details that no one has heard before from some of these more than 1,000 witnesses that the committee has interviewed.
SANCHEZ: Yes, and especially watching some of that witness testimony that recorded testimony, even from Ivanka Trump and Jason Miller and others is extremely impactful.
Shan, you've said that the committee needs to establish what you describe as a mind body connection between Trump and those who ultimately carried out his attempt to overturn the election. Help us understand what that means. And whether you think they've done that well to start.
SHAN WU, DEFENSE ATTORNEY: I think they've done a good job to start with it. I mean, as Luke was saying, they've kind of laid out what they intend to show. And that mind body connection is, you have to show that for the coup, there's the brains behind operation, if you will, and they're clearly saying that's Trump as the motivator.
And then the connection to the body, the muscles carrying that out, there is the sort of violent muscle, the physical muscle, the Proud Boys, the Oath Keepers. But there's the legal muscle too, the Sidney Powell, the John Eastman, who wrote that memo, Rudy Giuliani, those are the people who are really implementing that. And they need to tie that part together, the mind behind it, and the body actually carrying out the coup attempt.
SANCHEZ: And Luke, I've heard a lot of Republican lawmakers argue that these hearings are a distraction from what they are calling the real problems facing Americans, the economy. And as we noted earlier, this hour rising gas prices, et cetera.
Based on what we've seen so far, though, what do you predict the political impact of this is going to be, not necessarily on those who are on either side of this issue, but those who might be in the middle, those conservatives that might have supported Donald Trump, but see this? And perhaps have second thoughts?
BROADWATER: Yes, I think it remains to be seen whether there will be a tremendous political impact from these hearings, I think the country is so divided, and people are so entrenched in their various political camps, that it may be hard to move anybody politically.
That said, I do think the hearings have an important role to play for history, for documenting exactly what happened with this attempt to overthrow the election, even that -- even if that has no impact on the 2022 races or the 2024 races.
There may be some impact on sort of looking whether Donald Trump can run again and whether Republican primary voters will consider him. But I think probably the greater impact will be on the history books on generations from now when they look back on the dark day of January 6, and now a much fuller account of exactly how that day unfolded and the days before it.
SANCHEZ: And that's what Congresswoman Cheney's referring to talking about Republicans that supported former President Trump in his attempt and the dishonor that they may face down the road.
Shan to you. Some argue that the hearings lay the foundation for perhaps federal state criminal charges to be brought against Donald Trump. What's your assessment of how likely charges might be?
WU: That's a tough question. I think the evidence is there, they're laying it out. It's really going to be a matter of prosecutorial discretion on the part of AG Garland and the Justice Department. And he's weighing probably a lot of issues such as how does this affect the image of the department? Will they look like they're being used politically? How will this affect future Justice Department officials, future administrations will criminal prosecution become a political weapon? He's got to be concerned about that.
And so it's really going to rest on the will to take that leap into an area that no AG has gone into before, which is to bring this kind of prosecution against a former president.
But I certainly think that a foundation has been laid for the department and they've really kind of taken away at this point, even at this early stage of hearings, Trump's big defense that he had a good faith belief that the election was stolen. I think they've pretty much eviscerated (ph) that.
SANCHEZ: Yes, and we will likely see more of that come Monday. Shan Wu, Luke Broadwater, appreciate the conversation. Thanks so much for joining us.
BROADWATER: Thank you.
WU: Good to see you.
SANCHEZ: And don't forget you can watch the next hearing on January 6, this Monday at 9:00 a.m. Eastern right here on CNN. Don't miss it.
PAUL: So reminder, something that's been breaking overnight. We have now hit $5 on average for a gallon of gasoline, and we know it's not just gas that is seeming to really hurt the economy right now.
[06:15:07] Skyrocketing costs of everything from food to shelter, it is all just raining down. It feels like particularly on people who are unlimited budgets. So CNN Priscilla Alvarez is with us. She's traveling with the president at the Summit of the Americas in Los Angeles this morning.
Priscilla, we know that President Biden has been addressing this. He's been blaming the war in Ukraine with the Russia's war as he calls it, including a number of other reasons. What else is he saying this morning?
PRISCILLA ALVAREZ, CNN REPORTER: Well, the President here in the Port of Los Angeles yesterday talked about inflation and the challenge that it is for American families. And he said that lowering inflation is a top economic priority because as you mentioned, the latest consumer price index has shown that record gas prices drove inflation to 8.6 percent. Food prices have gone up to 11 or rose by 11.9 percent.
And that's the reality that Biden and the administration is contending with and he pointed to Russia President Vladimir Putin as one of the reasons for that, calling it quote Putin's price hike, take a listen.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BIDEN: Make no mistake about it. I understand inflation is a real challenge to American families. Today's inflation report confirmed what America is already know. Putin's price hike is hitting America hard, gas prices at the pump, energy and food prices account for half of the monthly price increases since May.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ALVAREZ: Now the President also said that he's calling on Congress to pass legislation to lower supply chain costs and the lower price on goods but again, the White House conceding yesterday. This is still an uncomfortable situation. Christi?
PAUL: Priscilla Alvarez, we appreciate it so much. Thank you. Well, lawmakers say they are making progress on the framework of a deal on gun control legislation, the main sticking points and whether it has a chance really of passing. That's coming up.
Also, embattled Uvalde, Texas Police Chief Pete Arredondo is speaking out. He's defending the response to the shooting at Robb Elementary School that killed 21 people. You're going to hear from him just ahead.
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[06:21:29]
SANCHEZ: So tens of thousands of people were expected to march across the country today demanding action on gun reform.
PAUL: Yes, the second March For Our Lives rally is taking place in front of the Washington Monument and locations across the country. More than 300 marches in fact are planned and more than 40 states. This is a successor to the 2018 march organized by former students after the mass shooting at Parkland High School in Florida. The marches are coming as lawmakers are facing this renewed pressure as you know to take action on gun control.
SANCHEZ: Despite widespread opposition on the right, negotiators believe they're going to have more than the 10 Republican votes needed to pass that bill in the Senate.
Let's take you now to Capitol Hill and CNN's Daniella Diaz. Daniella, Senator Chris Murphy yesterday saying that both sides were on the precipice of a deal. When can we expect to learn what's actually in it?
DANIELLA DIAZ, CNN CONGRESSIONAL REPORTER: Negotiators told us, Boris, that we should expect some sort of announcement of the framework of a deal either this weekend or early next week. They are so, so, so close. And this is notable because there's never been some sort of deal like this between Republicans and Democrats in the Senate on gun safety reform.
On one hand, you have what House Democrats are doing, of course, they passed a wide array of measures earlier last week on gun safety reform, including a bill that would raise the legal age of buying -- for buying a rifle from 18 to 21. Let's local governments run buyback programs for magazines, tax incentives, retail sales, lots of measures here that House Democrats passed in the effort to try to do something on gun safety.
The problem here, Boris and Christi, is that the Senate of course needs at least, there needs to be at least 10 Republicans on board. And they have their own negotiated -- negotiations. They're working on a bipartisan group who has met since the Uvalde shooting, that horrific shooting that took place in Texas a little over two weeks ago. They have been meeting almost every day, whether virtually or in person to try to create a framework that could get 10 Republicans on board.
And it's so notable that they're even 10 -- some Republicans in these negotiations. They of course are going to have a more narrower scope on legislation, for example, they're right now talking about incentivizing states to pass red flag laws, instead of a federal red flag law. They're waiting -- they're considering a potential waiting period of 18 to 20 -- for 18 to 21 year old to purchase firearms, semiotic firearms, semi-automatic, excuse me, firearms, such as an AR- 15, that weapon that was used in Uvalde. And they're also talking about school safety and investments and mental health care.
But just as you said, Boris, there is one Democrat who is incredibly optimistic that they can reach a deal. He's been in these negotiations for years trying to get Republicans on board on gun safety reform. That is, of course, Senator Chris Murphy of Connecticut. He told us earlier last week, that he believes there could be more than turn Republicans on board and he continues to share optimism that they can reach a deal. Take a listen to what he said.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SEN. CHRIS MURPHY (D-CT): That is the work that we're engaged in right now, trying to find if the art of compromise is possible. My hope is that we'll be able to deliver good news to you, transformative news to you soon, because this country needs it. This country needs to know that Washington is listening to them.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
[06:25:02]
DIAZ: Boris, Christi, so, so notable that there could be some sort of framework on gun safety legislation that we will hear from this bipartisan group about early next week.
SANCHEZ: Yes, despite so much being put to the side on these talks, still significant that something will get potentially through Congress, after so many years of inaction. Daniella Diaz from Capitol Hill. Thank you so much.
We have a quick programming note to share with you. Be sure to check out a new episode of the CNN Original Series Watergate: Blueprint for a Scandal. It airs tomorrow night at 9:00 Eastern right here on CNN.
PAUL: Do stay with us, why the embattled school police chief and Uvalde says he left his radio behind intentionally and why he didn't think he was the person in command. That story is next.
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[06:30:00]
PAUL: Here are top stories for you now. Starting tomorrow, if you're traveling into the U.S., you no longer have to test negative for COVID to enter.
SANCHEZ: Yes, midnight on Sunday, the CDC is going to lift its testing requirement, experts say that based on the science, it's no longer necessary. The CDC is going to reassess its decision in 90 days and only reinstate the rule if it's needed. The travel industry has been urging the Biden administration for weeks to end the testing requirement, arguing that it's hurt tourism.
PAUL: So operation Fly Formula will bring nearly a million pounds of baby formula into the U.S., but experts say, this is just a fraction of what the nation's families really need. This week, United Airlines though flew in the first of 12 donated shipments over the next ten days. The 960,000 pounds is coming in through the operation, about two days worth of typical formula sales, that's according to CNN analysis.
The crisis stems from the February closure of the Abbott plant in Michigan due to some safety problems there. Production did restart last week, and the plant will start shipping specialty formula as of June 20th. It's going to take weeks though for other formulas to make it back on to your shelves. SANCHEZ: The U.S. military has released the names of five marines
killed in a training mission when their Osprey military aircraft crashed. The service members are Corporal Nathan E. Carlson, Captain Nicholas P. Losapio, Corporal Seth D. Rasmuson, Captain John J. Sax, Lance Corporal Evan A. Strickland. Officials say they are investigating the cause of the crash which happened in California on Wednesday, and they're currently recovering equipment from the site.
PAUL: Well, more than two weeks after the mass shooting at Robb Elementary, remember 19 children and 2 teachers died. Well, Uvalde school police chief Pedro Pete Arredondo is speaking out now about his response to that massacre.
SANCHEZ: And in an interview with the "Texas Tribune", he never considered himself the scene's incident commander. He denies that he halted attempts to breach the building, too. CNN's Rosa Flores has the details.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
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.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Of course, it was not the right decision, it was the wrong decision, period.
FLORES: The chief says he arrived at the school around 11:35 a.m. and intentionally left his two police radios outside, believing they would slow him down. He wanted his hands free to hold his gun, 14 minutes later, the school district e-mailed parents, saying students and staff are safe in the building.
By 12:03 p.m., as many as 19 officers were in the hallway, officials have said. Arredondo said he was not aware of 9-1-1 calls being made about the shooting, because he didn't have his radio. And says no one in the hallway related that information to him. On Thursday, a Texas House Committee began an investigation into the circumstances surrounding the shooting.
FLORES (on camera): Do you feel confident in the testimony from Texas DPS?
JOE MOODY, VICE CHAIR, STATE HOUSE INVESTIGATIVE COMMITTEE, TEXAAS: I'm not going to go into testimony we've received today. I do feel confident in the process, I respect the process. And you know, investigation like any other investigation is one that you do, you do diligently and as hard as you can, and you lay the facts bear, 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 that Arredondo said we're ready to breach, but that door is locked.
Arredondo told the "Tribune", school lockdown measures were working against them. The classroom door was reinforced with a steel jab which officers were unable to kick down. At some point, the "Tribune" reports a janitor provided six keys that were unable to open the door, and another key ring with as many as 30 keys was brought to the chief later, but those were unsuccessful as well.
"Each time I tried a key, I was just praying", Arredondo told the paper. At 12:50 p.m., a tactical team breached the classroom using a key from the 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.
[06:35:00]
FLORES (on camera): 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. Rose Flores, CNN, Austin.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
SANCHEZ: Rosa, thank you. U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin is calling out Beijing for its aggression in the Indo-Pacific region. Just ahead, we're going to tell you how China is reacting to his comments. We're live in Singapore after a quick break.
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[06:40:00]
SANCHEZ: Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy is warning of a severe food crisis and famine in Asia and Africa if Russia continues its war against Ukraine.
PAUL: Yes, President Zelenskyy delivered a virtual address today to the Shangri-La Dialogue, it just premiers defense conference and it called on leaders to do whatever is necessary to stop Russia. Listen to this.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
VOLODYMYR ZELENSKYY, PRESIDENT, UKRAINE (through translator): We must break the ability of Russia and any other country in the world to block, seize and destroy the freedom of navigation. If it's about sanctions, then we need sanctions. If it's about symmetrical managers to limit the servicing of Russian ships in ports, then we need these measures. Russia must feel that its belligerent policies will have consequences for itself as well.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SANCHEZ: Let's take you to the Shangri-La Dialogue in Singapore with CNN's Oren Liebermann. Oren, you were there for Zelenskyy's message. How was he received?
OREN LIEBERMANN, CNN PENTAGON CORRESPONDENT: Well, judging by the applause when he wrapped his remarks, he was incredibly well received here at the Premier Conference -- Defense Conference in the Indo- Pacific region. Normally, to be here, to speak here, the director who introduced him said you have to be here in person. They of course made an exception for Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy who wrapped his comments just a couple of hours ago.
He said the international order is being decided on the battlefields of Ukraine, and that's why the nations that have continued to contribute so much to Ukraine's aid should continue to do so and must continue to do so. He asked rhetorically if all of the country's in attendance here would be willing to go through, would be willing to sacrifice what Ukraine is sacrificing.
Would they stand up to -- if Russia were to come to their territories and loot their resources and sell them or move them away from the country to attack, to kill civilians, a rhetorical question that had an incredibly powerful impact as he talked about Russia's ongoing war. At the end there, he thanked all of the countries here, the U.S. the U.K. and so many others in attendance for all they have provided.
And then he said, it's not just for Ukraine, it's for you as well. Ukraine very much hanging over this not just as the biggest story in the world, but also because of the parallels both perceived and actual between Ukraine and Taiwan.
Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin in his remarks earlier this morning condemning China for its actions, its growing aggressiveness as he said towards Taiwan, accusing or at least expressing concern that China is looking to alter the status quo with its actions and its statements when it comes to Taiwan, warning them away from doing so.
China of course, responding very firmly afterwards, saying that the comments were essentially, frankly, ridiculous that it was the U.S. that was looking for a conflict here.
PAUL: All right, Oren Liebermann, thank you so much for the update. Appreciate it. Up next, a major security scare for Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh this week, has pushed Speaker Nancy Pelosi and the house to take action on what has been up to this point a stalled bill.
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[06:45:00]
PAUL: Well, next week, the house will vote on a Senate-passed bill that enhances security for Supreme Court justices and their families.
SANCHEZ: The bill's purpose was brought into sharp focus earlier this week after an armed man was arrested near Justice Brett Kavanaugh's home. That suspect is now being charged with attempting or threatening to kidnap or murder the Supreme Court Justice. CNN's Nick Watt has more on the heightened threats against members of the judiciary.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: He came from California, took a taxi from the airport to this location.
NICK WATT, CNN REPORTER (voice-over): To Justice Brett Kavanaugh's home carrying a glock pistol and zip tie, says the FBI, planning to kill Kavanaugh. He found the address online.
JOHN MUFFLER, RETIRED CHIEF INSPECTOR, U.S. MARSHALS SERVICE: The nine justices, all nine justices are in danger because that information is out there.
WATT: According to the complaint, he was upset about the leak of a recent Supreme Court draft decision regarding the right to abortion. The public disclosure on 2nd of May prompted a significant increase in violent threats, reads a DHS memo circulated last month. Some of these threats described burning down or storming the U.S. Supreme Court and murdering justices and their clerks.
Abortion has long fueled fury since the Roe v. Wade decision nearly 50 years ago. Anti-abortion extremists have carried out multiple bombings and murders. Now, the DHS since the leak of that draft opinion that could overturn Roe v. Wade also fears pro-abortion rights extremists violence. So there's now a high fence around the highest court in the land. And --
MERRICK GARLAND, ATTORNEY GENERAL: Last month, I accelerated the protection of all the justices' residences 24/7.
[06:50:00]
WATT: Threats against federal judges were already on the rise. In 2014, 768 threats and inappropriate communications against the judiciary according to the U.S. Marshal Service which protects federal judges. Last year, 4,511, a near six-fold increase.
MUFFLER: Not that long ago, you know, I'd write Nick Watt a letter and threaten him, right? Now, we have social media, and so one person tweets something and 300 people glom on to that, and this goes to both sides of the aisle, right?
WATT: One week ago --
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The -- we'll be devoted to hearing the motion.
WATT: This retired judge in Wisconsin zip-tied and shot dead in his home by a man he once jailed.
JOSH KAUL, WISCONSIN ATTORNEY GENERAL: We have seen a rise in domestic extremism. I think it is important that we take a look at the protective measures that we have in place.
WATT: Nearly two years ago, a federal judge in New Jersey, Esther Salas targeted by a self-proclaimed anti-feminist lawyer who once appeared before her.
ESTHER SALAS, U.S. JUDGE: My son Daniel Mark.
WATT: Daniel, her son was shot dead on their doorstep.
SALAS: Judges put their lives on the line to do their job, and really, judges do stand at the front line ensuring that democracy is alive and well in our country.
WATT (on camera): There is a bill currently stuck in the House of Representatives that would improve the security afforded to federal judges. It's actually named after Judge Salas' son. Now, one thing that, that bill would do is make it much harder to find things like Justice Brett Kavanaugh's home address on the internet. Nick Watt, CNN, Los Angeles.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
SANCHEZ: Nick, thank you. Across the United States, hundreds of demonstrations are scheduled for later today as Americans demand gun reform and call on lawmakers to finally take action. We're live from one of the biggest rally sites in Washington at the top of this hour.
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SANCHEZ: We have got to talk about Steph Curry this morning. The Warriors guard putting on a legendary performance last night, lifting his team past the Boston Celtics in Boston evening, the NBA finals of two games apiece.
PAUL: Yes, Coy Wire is with us now. Boy, the energy of the crowd can make or break it sometimes, can't it, Coy?
COY WIRE, CNN SPORTS CORRESPONDENT: Yes, passionate fans can empower a home team, but they can also perturb an opponent and Warriors' Klay Thompson even admitted Celtics fans got to them in their loss on Wednesday, and that Bin(ph) town crowd was loud again for game four last night. But the great ones make themselves immune to it. Thirty four-year-old Steph Curry despite an injured foot and not getting much help, Steph Curry was cooking and doing the clean-up. Forty three points, becoming the second oldest player behind LeBron
with 40 points and 10 rebounds in a finals game. These Warriors are fighters who refuse to give up hope and their heart-beat is Steph Curry, 107-97 win, series tied at two games, 5 back at San Francisco, Monday. Speaking of fighters, Kathrine Switzer used a pseudonym to become the first woman to run the Boston marathon in 1967.
Women weren't allowed to run it back then, an official tried to rip her bib number off of her, stopped her from running, key word, tried. It wasn't until 1972 that the Boston Marathon officially sanctioned a women's race, Congress passed Title 9 that year, demanding equal opportunity for women in educational settings. It's also one Switzer helped organize the MasterCard New York mini-10-K solely for women.
The mini celebrates its 50th anniversary today and Kathrine Switzer tells us why this event and others like it are vital.
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KATHRINE SWITZER, AUTHOR: We have to keep changing people's minds and keep presenting opportunities for women. And in sports, it's the opportunity to compete, it's the opportunity of sponsorship, it's the opportunity of scholarships, it's the opportunity of women's coaches. Title 9 opened the flood gates, Title 9 changed the landscape, but there's still a long way to go even with Title 9 as it exists right now.
Sometimes the worst things in your life can become the best things in your life. At the time, that was terrible. I was embarrassed, humiliated and down-right terrified. But I also -- because I was very young, made the decision to finish that Boston Marathon. Despite being attacked, despite being humiliated by the press truck and the people, I made the decision to finish the race, and it wasn't going to be easy and I did.
That made all the difference. Don't quit is my message. Don't ever quit. When we got the acceptance at the Boston Marathon, that opened the flood gates for people to realize with such a huge distance that women deserve these opportunities. But then we began pushing for the Olympic games. So when, indeed, Title 9 had its ramifications in women's sports, we campaigned mightily for all of the running events as well, because you know, running is easy, cheap and accessible.
I think one of the greatest things about the women athletes of today, who have been around for a long time, all of us have a sense of gratitude for what it has given us. Even if we missed opportunities, we want to pass those on now to other girls and women, and to really help them. That's really important. I think -- I think we all feel that the more we give away now, the more we get back. And certainly, there's a sense of we can do this.
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