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Trump Rails Against Radical Left After Kirk Killing; Law Enforcement Piecing Together Facts In Kirk Shooting; Trump Calls On NATO Allies To Stop Buying Russian Oil; Rubio Arrives In Tel Aviv For Meetings With Israeli Leaders; More Than 70 Killed On Saturday In Intensified Israeli Strikes On Gaza; Trump Says White House Ballroom Expansion Will Be "A Littler Bigger" Than Original Plans; New Evidence In Fed Governor Lisa Cook's Efforts To Keep Her Job; Cuomo Slams Mamdani For "Rageful" Language; Temperatures Heating Up Across The United States; White House Reviews Information National Park Employees Flagged As "Disparaging" To The United States. Judge Extends Protections For Guatemalan Children; L.A. School Superintendent Takes On ICE; Bad Bunny Residency Ending After $200 M Boost To Puerto Rico; Pope Leo Turns 70 With Cake From Chicago Hometown. Aired 6-7a ET

Aired September 14, 2025 - 06:00   ET

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

[06:00:36]

VICTOR BLACKWELL, CNN ANCHOR: It's a brand-new week. Thank you for starting it with me. Welcome to CNN THIS MORNING. It is Sunday, September 14th. I'm Victor Blackwell.

Here's what's happening this morning. We've got some new details about what Charlie Kirk's killer was doing in the moments after the shooting. Plus, what we're learning about plans for his upcoming memorial.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio is in Tel Aviv this morning. He met with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu as Israel ramps up its strikes on Gaza.

The interior department will decide this week whether it will remove material from national parks that the Trump administration deems inappropriate. What could soon be removed and how conservationists are responding.

Also, Bad Bunny closing out that blockbuster residency in Puerto Rico today. We're going to talk about the impact his performances are having on the island and around the world. That's all coming up.

All right. So, we have now some more details this morning about the suspect in the murder of conservative political activist Charlie Kirk. "The New York Times" reports that 22-year-old Tyler Robinson joked in an online chat on Discord that his, quote, "doppelganger" carried out the killing.

President Trump said that he plans on attending Charlie Kirk's funeral and ramped up his attacks on, quote, "the radical left." This was in an interview with NBC. Saturday, the president said this, I'd like to see the nation heal. But we're dealing with a radical left group of lunatics, and they don't play fair. They never did.

Tonight, supporters of Kirk, including members of Congress and the Trump administration, they're going to be in D.C. for a prayer vigil to honor Kirk. CNN's Danny Freeman has more on the investigation -- Danny.

DANNY FREEMAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Victor. Yes, still so many questions about 22-year-old Tyler Robinson, the main suspect in the killing of Charlie Kirk earlier this week. Currently, he's being held in the Utah County Jail. That's about 250 miles northeast of where we are right now, in the southwestern part of Utah, where Robinson grew up, where he lived, where his family was as well.

At this point, as far as we understand, he has stopped talking to authorities. But investigators have been all over this area over the course of the past few days trying to understand what might have made this person go up to that university and open fire on Kirk.

So, let me tell you what we know at this point, Victor, because again, at this point, law enforcement officials have not clearly laid out any motivation that would have made that happen just yet. Here's what we know. So, according to people who knew Robinson in this area, he lived, frankly, a fairly normal life here in southwest Utah.

He was a good student. He came from a close-knit family. Both of his parents were registered Republicans, though he himself was not affiliated with any particular party. He got a merit scholarship to Utah State University, though he only attended for about a semester. He then left that university, ended up enrolling in a technical college where he was working on studying to become an electrician.

People said that he was very much into video games, but he was also pretty quiet and not overtly political unless he was asked specifically about a political subject. And this is all despite bullet markings that were, of course, found at the scene at that university that had memes, writings of memes, and other video games references as well on those bullet markings.

Investigators, though, as I said, still working to figure out a clear motive at least one that they can announce. And I'll note this comes as Governor Cox, the governor of Utah, said that in recent years, family members had told law enforcement that he was becoming more and more political.

But I want you to take a listen to what the governor told CNN's Anderson Cooper when it comes to that question of what may have caused this to happen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

GOV. SPENCER COX (R-UT): Well, I think, maybe what stands out is that nothing stands out the way you would normally expect. You know, this is a -- this is a good family, a normal childhood. All of those things that you would hope would never lead to something like this and sadly, it did.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

FREEMAN: Now, Victor, the key date that we all have our eyes on, coming up next is going to be this coming Tuesday here in Utah. That's when the formal charges are expected to be announced here in the state. And also, that's when we're expecting to see Robinson make his first court appearance.

[06:05:00]

So hopefully, we'll get some more answers potentially to that question of motive by then -- Victor.

BLACKWELL: All right. We all will be watching. Danny, thank you. President Trump is ratcheting up the pressure on NATO. He issued an ultimatum that there will be no new U.S. sanctions on Russia unless NATO allies stop buying Russian oil. He also called on NATO countries to ramp up tariffs on China in a show of force. NATO leaders are now weighing the demand, and Russian drones have now breached Romanian airspace, raising fears of escalation.

CNN's Betsy Klein has more for us this morning -- Betsy.

BETSY KLEIN, CNN SENIOR WHITE HOUSE REPORTER: Good morning, Victor. That's right. President Trump issuing an ultimatum to NATO member countries in a letter on Saturday. The president says that he is ready and willing to impose major new sanctions on Russia if and when NATO members do the same, and also agree to stop buying Russian oil and gas.

Now, in that same letter, the president is also calling on NATO countries to impose significant tariffs 50 to 100 percent on China in a major show of force. Now, of course, meeting the president's demands would mark a significant change in policy for many of these NATO member countries, and it remains to be seen whether there could be collective interest in taking these kinds of steps. But the president, laying out his rationale in that letter, he writes, quote, NATO's commitment to win has been far less than 100 percent, and the purchase of Russian oil, by some, has been shocking. It greatly weakens your negotiating position and bargaining power over Russia.

Many of these NATO countries still import Russian fossil fuels and liquefied natural gas. And Turkey, which is a NATO member country, is also a major importer of Russian oil. Now, it's generally not how European countries approach the use of tariffs. So, it remains to be seen whether President Trump can get that buy in from his counterparts to take these steps. And all of this comes as momentum toward ending Russia's war in Ukraine in recent weeks has stalled.

Russia has shown very little interest in de-escalating this conflict. And Secretary of State Marco Rubio was asked Saturday about a recent Russian drone incursion into Polish airspace. Listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MARCO RUBIO, SECRETARY OF STATE: I don't think anybody's happy about seeing it happen. You saw NATO respond to it appropriately. We don't want to see it happen again. We think it's a -- unacceptable and unfortunate and dangerous development in this regard.

I think it will take a few more days for everybody to fully -- the drones were intentionally launched. There's no doubt about the drones were intentionally launched. The question is whether the drones were targeted to go into Poland specifically. If that's the case -- that the evidence leads us there, then obviously there'll be a highly escalatory move.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KLEIN: President Trump, meanwhile, says that his patience with Russian President Putin is running out and running out fast. But his latest demands, Victor, risk prolonging this conflict.

BLACKWELL: All right. Betsy, thank you. New this morning, CNN's Fareed Zakaria sat down with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. They were at the Yalta European Strategy Conference in Kyiv to talk about how to end Russia's war on Ukraine.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

FAREED ZAKARIA, CNN HOST: You've mentioned the Russian drones in Poland several times. Do you think NATO failed? What should NATO have done to respond to that attack?

PRESIDENT VOLODYMYR ZELENSKYY, UKRAINE (through translator): I do not believe -- I don't think that NATO has failed. Everywhere where NATO is present, there is no war. So, we understand that there's a strong alliance and strong allies.

It's simply that I believe that now, when there are such signals coming to NATO countries -- and let's be honest, during this war, there were no such massive attacks on the territory of NATO countries. But there were cases with Romania and Poland that -- so, this is not the first time. I simply believe that there must be a response to him.

The signals, we don't say here that NATO must use this or that weapon. Nobody wants to expand the war. Nobody is talking about that. At least I'm not the one to talk about that. We're not a NATO member. We are simply warning and we are saying that strong answers are needed, strong response.

For example, we'll give Ukraine certain weapons that Ukraine never had. Why? Because there are drones flying in Ukrainians cannot down them. And some of them land on NATO countries, territories. So, we'll give Ukrainians the weapons that they have asked all along, and that weapon will hit, not the drones, but the facilities, factories where those drones are being produced.

[06:10:10]

It's not about NATO. It's about Ukraine. That's it.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BLACKWELL: That was a small part of a wide-ranging conversation. You can watch Fareed's full interview with President Zelenskyy at 10 a.m. eastern right here on CNN.

You heard from Secretary of State Marco Rubio a few moments ago. Well, in about an hour, Secretary Rubio will meet with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at the Western Wall in Jerusalem.

Rubio arrived in Tel Aviv earlier this morning. He says he's there to gain a better understanding of Israel's strategy. This is happening just a few days after the IDF struck the capital of Qatar.

Qatar is usually a U.S. ally or is a U.S. ally and a mediator in the Gaza war talks. Israel said it was targeting Hamas. Vice President JD Vance and Secretary Rubio met with Qatar's prime minister on Friday in Washington.

CNN correspondent Nada Bashir following this for us. So, tell us about what we're expecting from these talks.

NADA BASHIR, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, we've heard from Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Victor, discussing his plans for this visit to Israel. We know he's expected to meet with his Israeli counterpart. And later today, as you mentioned, to meet with the Israeli prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu.

And, of course, there has been some word alluding to the tension between the Trump administration and the government of Prime Minister Netanyahu. We know that the Trump administration has said that it was not necessarily happy with Israel's unilateral decision to strike Doha in Qatar. As you mentioned, Qatar is a key ally to the United States. They have played a key role in mediating peace talks between Israel and Hamas.

In coordination with the U.S. we know, of course, Trump has been pushing for that ceasefire agreement repeatedly now. And, of course, important to underscore that Qatar is also home to the United States' largest military base in the region. So certainly, some wider questions as to how this may shift relations between the Israeli government and the Trump administration, given the previous frustrations we have seen.

However, we did hear from the secretary of state speaking to reporters, saying that this has not changed the relationship, so to speak. Take a listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

RUBIO: He didn't like the way it went down. But that said, that's not going to shake -- our relationship with Israel is going to remain strong. And sometimes, you know, things happen or come up in those relationships that perhaps we're not 100 percent aligned with or what have you. But it's not going to change the nature of our relationship with the Israelis.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BASHIR: Now, Victor, while the secretary state has said this hasn't shaken the relationship, it certainly has shaken any hopes for a ceasefire agreement in the immediate future, at least according to Qatari officials, who, of course, been -- have been the key mediator here alongside Hamas officials. That strike in Doha was fortunately targeting Hamas' chief negotiator, Khalil al-Hayya, although he was not killed in that attack.

We've heard from the Qatari prime minister telling CNN that this has really undermined the peace process and also has posed a risk to the hostages currently held captive in Gaza. There are, of course, concerns around potential retaliatory attacks.

We've been hearing from the family members of those hostages currently held captive who have been calling on the Israeli prime minister not only to do more to secure the release of hostages, but some even now saying that the Israeli prime minister has sabotaged these hopes, this peace process, to secure the release of those hostages.

And in fact, we saw thousands taking to the streets yesterday once again protesting, calling on the government to do more. One -- some protesters even unfurling a flag, calling on the prime minister, in their words, to stop deceiving the U.S. president.

So, there is that mounting pressure domestically as there has been for months now on the Israeli prime minister. It remains to be seen what these talks between Secretary of State Marco Rubio and the Israeli prime minister amount to, whether we see any shift. The secretary of state has said that this will focus on what is next, what exactly Israel's strategy is here, and there will certainly be a lot of international pressure trying to understand what these next steps are, given the amount of pressure there is calling for a ceasefire to be achieved.

And, of course, important to remember that as all this diplomacy is happening, we are still seeing air strikes taking place across the Gaza Strip. The Israeli military deepening its assault on Gaza City. At least 70 people killed on Saturday, and those evacuation orders for civilians continue. They are being told to move southwards. But of course, as we've been hearing from so many humanitarian organizations, the fear is that there is simply nowhere safe for civilians to run to, Victor.

BLACKWELL: And just a few weeks out from the second anniversary of the October 7th attacks.

[06:15:03]

Nada Bashir, with the reporting for us, thank you so much. President Trump says the White House ballroom expansion will be a little bigger than originally planned. So, the new ballroom will have a capacity of 900 people.

The president says this $200 million expansion will be paid for by private donors. We don't know yet if Congress will approve the necessary funds for maintenance and upkeep. President Trump told reporters that construction has started and is expected to be done before the end of his term. All right. There's evidence that the White House claims of mortgage fraud against Federal Reserve Governor Lisa Cook may be unfounded. The administration has accused Cook of reporting two different homes as a primary residence. President Trump is trying to use that to fire Cook for cause and replace her with his pick. She's suing to keep her seat.

New documents obtained by Reuters show that Cook declared the second property as a vacation home when applying for the loan. According to real estate experts, the document appears to help Cook's case.

And new criticism from governor -- former Governor Andrew Cuomo against his New York mayoral race opponent, Zohran Mamdani. This is in a new interview, Cuomo claimed that Mamdani uses, quote, "rageful" language in his political discourse. He cited Mamdani's 12-year-old Twitter post describing then-president Barack Obama's, quote, "evil," and the New York police department as corrupt. Cuomo said extremism breeds that kind of language.

Let's talk about the weather. Temperatures rising across the United States, late season heat wave moves in. More than 120 million Americans can expect temperatures above 90 degrees sometime over the next week. CNN meteorologist Allison Chinchar has the latest. I'm OK with it.

ALLISON CHINCHAR, CNN METEOROLOGIST: The thing is, it's going to be temporary. Fall will come back. We got a sneak preview, you know, for the last week for most folks.

BLACKWELL: And it was glorious.

CHINCHAR: It was.

BLACKWELL: Yes.

CHINCHAR: Yes, it's been great. And it will come back. It's just we've got this last kind of, you know, swing of hotter temperatures that we've got to kind of get through.

And for some of these areas, it's already there. You're already seeing those 90-degree temperatures. And that is really focused across the center of the country, where we also have the potential for some strong to severe thunderstorms.

Because, again, it's the heat of the day that's really kind of ramping those things up. But that heat is going to spread eastward as we head through the next couple of days. So, places like the mid-Atlantic, the southeast also going to start to see their temperatures rise.

Here's a look at the map. Again, we're only in the 70s in Chicago yesterday. Now getting back into the 80s. You're also seeing temperatures rise across the Lower Mississippi Valley and also into the mid-Atlantic. And in some places, especially the southeast, it's actually just going to continue to get warmer as we head into the rest of the week.

And that orange color indicating those temperatures that are above average is not only going to spread east, but it's also going to expand, adding a lot more people dealing with these temperatures that are expected to be 10, 15, even in some cases as much as 20 degrees above average for the middle of September.

Again, here's a look at some of these rises. Again, you can take a look at D.C., average high of 81. Next couple of days starting to go up. You do have some rain on Tuesday that's going to drop the temperature back. But places like Saint Louis, Little Rock, your temperatures are just going to keep going up and they're going to stay there at least until the very end of the week.

Take, for example, Saint Louis. Again, the next several days in the 90s. Still above average a few days after that. We don't get back below average until the very end of the week or into the weekend. But a place like Nashville, they're going to spend every single one of the next seven days at or above normal.

BLACKWELL: All right. So, if you got the shorts still out before you pack them away, this is the week.

CHINCHAR: Yes.

BLACKWELL: All right. Allison, thank you. Still to come, the Trump administration is reviewing material that could be, quote, "disparaging" of Americans. We'll have details of some of the items that have been flagged.

Plus, the Los Angeles Unified School District superintendent, he's drawing a line. He says that schools should be off limits to ICE.

And Pope Leo turns 70 today. How the pontiff is celebrating his birthday.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[06:23:57]

BLACKWELL: There's a deadline this week in the White House's review of displays at national parks. Here's the back story.

In March, an executive order directed the Interior Department to ensure public property did not contain anything that could, quote, "inappropriately" disparage Americans past or living. Now, that material is due to be removed or covered by Wednesday.

And last week, the "Associated Press" reported some of the information park employees submitted for review. A book titled, "Incidents in The Life of a Slave Girl" by Harriet Jacobs was flagged at Charles Pinckney National Historic Site in South Carolina.

At the Washington Monument, someone flagged a book that discussed the fact that George Washington owned slaves. In Florida, an employee at the Castillo de San Marcos National Monument noted a panel about the imprisonment of plains Indians. That employee wrote that the text needed review because language of U.S. government giving choice of extinction could be considered negative towards the United States. [06:25:01]

Joining me now, Alan Spears, senior director at the National Parks Conservation Association. Thank you for being with me. I read some of what the AP is reporting will be decided upon what will happen with it next. What's at risk for the park visitors if these are removed, covered, other contextual signs and markers like them?

ALAN SPEARS, SENIOR DIRECTOR, NATIONAL PARK CONSERVATION ASSOCIATION: Well, good morning. It's great to be with you. Listen, what we're talking about here is an effort to sanitize our history as it's being told and interpreted in national parks.

So, this -- these are stories that nobody is questioning the veracity of the National Park Service's interpretation here. It's not like they've gotten the facts wrong. It is that following up on the presidential executive order from earlier, and then secretary of the interior, Doug Burgum, secretary order 3431 from May 20th of this year, there are some folks who believe that we can't handle the truth as a country, and that we need to remove certain references to slavery, references to transgender activism, things that might make people feel uncomfortable.

And I think what's at stake here is just the honest rendering of our history in ways that are accurate, just, inclusive and inspiring. That's what's at risk here.

BLACKWELL: OK. So, Alan, you say that it's sanitizing. Let me -- let me put it to you from the administration's perspective. They say that these markers, the parks -- and they point specifically to the Biden administration. They say that the focus was too much on the negative of American history and not on the goodness and abundance of the United States. And so, from that perspective, you say, what?

SPEARS: Well, I'd say this. I think that we have a long and deep and complex history in this country, and it involves many elements. And so, for instance, if we go to a place like Independence Hall in Philadelphia, where the park service is now being asked to remove a display about slavery at the president's house in Philadelphia, that what we have is people in the 17 -- late 1700s, 1780s figuring out how we actually established this country and working on ideals and principles of democracy. At the same time, they are existing side by side with enslaved Africans.

That is all a part of our shared national narrative. And you can't decouple those things in any kind of effective way and still claim to be about truth and justice. So, that's my response. I think that's the response of so many people in this country that we want to make sure that there's room for everything.

This isn't denigrating America. This isn't denigrating our founding fathers. It is sharing the complexity of the history at the start of this country.

BLACKWELL: You know, we've talked about the issues of discrimination and racism, slavery, the impact on indigenous people as well. One thing that, I guess, I did not expect when this review was announced, there's a sign titled "The Air We Breathe" that was flagged at Cape Hatteras in North Carolina because it discusses the importance of clean air, pollution from human caused ozone, it explains, threatens people's health and vegetation. And power plants and cars and industries that burn fossil fuels are the pollutants' primary sources. According to the AP, that that's one that's under review. What's your reaction to not just the -- a focus on disparities and discrimination but on climate in this perspective?

SPEARS: Well, we do have some assaults on science as well that's taking place here. Maybe let's take a step back and look at the incredibly important role that our national parks and the National Park Service play in helping to inform the public about our historic and cultural resources, but also other items -- other issues that are pressing today, including our climate emergency.

National parks are places where people can go. They are these incredible outdoor living classrooms that can give people a sense of the political issues, the social issues, scientific issues, and the climatic issues that are facing us as well. And what we see right now is an effort to just, again, sanitize this history so that people can have an unchallenged experience when they go to these national parks. I think that's taking us in the wrong direction.

BLACKWELL: Alan Spears, good to have your thoughts on this. Thank you.

SPEARS: Thank you so much.

BLACKWELL: Certainly. Still to come, the L.A. school district superintendent wants exclusion zones around schools where ICE will not be allowed to operate. What else he's asking for, next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[06:34:07]

VICTOR BLACKWELL, CNN ANCHOR: A federal judge has extended the timeline for blocking the Trump administration from deporting dozens of migrant Guatemalan children.

Earlier this month, dozens of children were pulled out of their beds in the middle of the night in government shelters and foster care. Staff prepared them to fly back to their home country after notices from the White House. They were boarded on a plane in Texas meant for Guatemala.

But then immigration and children's advocates sued the Trump administration. A judge then imposed a temporary restraining order. That order has now been extended because the judge said he needed more time to study the issue.

The Trump administration has ramped up immigration policies and have some teachers and families worried that school children could be the next targets. In Los Angeles, the nation's second largest public school district, the Teachers Union says more than 30,000 students are immigrants. And they say a quarter of them are without legal status. [06:35:05]

CNN's Julia Vargas Jones has now the city's pushback against ICE.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JULIA VARGAS JONES, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Los Angeles, a recent target of aggressive immigration enforcement actions after protests and a weeks-long legal battle, the Supreme Court allowed so- called roving patrols to continue in the city, just as L.A. kids went back to school.

Los Angeles Unified Superintendent has drawn a line in the sand. Schools, he says, should be off-limits to ICE, and he's asking for an expansion of protections.

ALBERTO CARVALHO, SUPERINTENDENT, LOS ANGELES UNIFIED SCHOOL DISTRICT: Can we not establish zones of exclusion two blocks away from any school across the country, where one hour before the start of the school day, one hour after the school day is over, that no action would take place within those two blocks?

JONES: You asked, how would a first, second, third, fourth, or sixth grader pose any type of risk to the national security of our nation that would require Homeland Security to deploy its agents to two elementary schools?

Have you gotten an answer?

CARVALHO: Not yet, but I will ask the question again.

Our children are not a threat. Our children are a promise. They've always been, immigrant or not.

JONES: You've said recently that you would be a hypocrite if you did not defend students that are now going through what you went through as an undocumented teenager. You said that you would put your job on the line if necessary for that.

I'm curious as to where that line is right now.

CARVALHO: Why I feel I have both a professional but also a moral responsibility to stand in defense of those who today are experiencing the same journey I lived through over four decades ago.

Agents have come into our community. They've tried to have access to our kids in elementary schools. And we've done what I believe is right.

JONES: Are you concerned that at some point, that will mean that you have crossed a line with federal agents, that you would be obstructing federal operations like we've seen other officials in Los Angeles be accused of?

CARVALHO: So, we are informed by our own legal entities in terms of everything we do. We do not think that we are crossing the line. We are enforcing the law.

Do I have institutional concerns? I do. I'm concerned that somehow our protective policies and practices may invite a challenge that may compromise or threaten the federal funding we get from Washington, D.C. Funding like Title I that supports kids in poverty or IDEA which supports students with disabilities.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Back up. Back up. You're in my way.

JONES (voice-over): As the Trump administration ramps up raids in other cities, Carvalho has a message for his counterparts.

CARVALHO: Know the law. Know your legal rights. Ensure that your institution is prepared to protect your kids and your workforce. But don't fail to maintain a dialogue because I do believe that it is at the table of conversation in a respectful way that you actually craft policies of protection for our kids.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

JONES (on-camera): And Victor, in a statement earlier this week, the Department of Homeland Security did not address Los Angeles schools specifically, but it did say ICE is not raiding campuses or arresting children. Instead, it said the directive that allows ICE to go into schools would only be used in extremely rare cases and with supervisor approval.

Victor?

BLACKWELL: Julia Vargas Jones, thank you.

Bad Bunny's residency in Puerto Rico is coming to an end.

Coming up, how he helped Puerto Rico with a massive boost to its economy.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[06:43:29]

Today, global superstar Bad Bunny wraps up his 30-show residency in San Juan, an unprecedented run that's reshaped Puerto Rico's summer. The concert, through fans from around the world, pumped an estimated $200 million into the island's economy.

Local economists say Puerto Rico has never seen artistic and commercial success on this scale.

Joining me now are co-creators of the Bad Bunny syllabus, Petra Rivera-Rideau and Vanessa Diaz. They've got a new book coming out in November that looks at how Bad Bunny became the global voice of Puerto Rico.

Ladies, welcome to you. Thank you for being with me. The title of this residency says it all, No Me Quiero Ir De Aqui, I Don't Want To Leave Here, to schedule this residency during hurricane season, going through the peak of the season, huge commitment, huge risk.

Petra, talk to me about it.

PETRA RIVERA-RIDEAU, CO-CREATOR, BAD BUNNY SYLLABUS: Yes, I mean, I think that it's really, really significant for so many reasons to have the residency in Puerto Rico, as you mentioned, in hurricane season, which is a downtime for tourism. And as a Caribbean Island, Puerto Rico is a tourist economy.

I also think the significance of the name No Me Quiero Ir De Aqui, I Don't Want To Leave Here, speaks to this ongoing crisis of gentrification and displacement that is affecting Puerto Rico and Puerto Ricans as a result of tax incentives that have been luring wealthy Americans to the island.

[06:45:05]

So I think it's both, you know, a celebration of Puerto Rico, a historic residency for the island of Puerto Rico, showcasing Puerto Rico's beauty and culture, but also a significant political statement about the importance of keeping Puerto Rico for Puerto Ricans.

BLACKWELL: Vanessa, I talked about the economic boon for the island, the $200 million. But talk about all of the elements that are not quantifiable and the ways in which it helps young Puerto Ricans, the image of the island, the esteem of the people who are there.

VANESSA DIAZ, CO-CREATOR, BAD BUNNY SYLLABUS: Absolutely. I mean, of course, as you mentioned, there's this huge financial boom, and that extends beyond just the concert. Of course, there's street vendors, there's artisans, it's the hotel industry. My best friend there works in the hotel industry.

And so for him, being able to interact with people who are coming to Puerto Rico in a celebratory fashion, it's about more than just Bad Bunny, because his music and his art are about more than just him. They're about really teaching about Puerto Rico.

And so I think not just for Puerto Ricans going there from the diaspora, but yes, those on the island are really feeling the pride of this really special moment, this historic moment. And Bad Bunny has always set trends, he hasn't followed them. And I think with this residency, it's no different, and it's all about centering his homeland.

BLACKWELL: And Petra, there was, in CNN's reporting of this, there was a tourism official who said that there's this narrative that Puerto Ricans have to leave the island and go to the mainland for opportunity, right? And how this has shifted that assumption that this global superstar said, no, I'm going to do it here, and the first few shows will be for Puerto Ricans only.

RIVERA-RIDEAU: Yes, absolutely. So during the month of July, the first set of shows were just for residents of the island of Puerto Rico. Tickets were sold in person. And I think this is also part of his overall message with the record, Debi Tirar Mas Fotos, that is centered in the residency.

Vanessa and I had the pleasure of attending the concert a few times last month. And even at the end of the concert, Bad Bunny makes a little speech thanking everyone for coming. And one of the things he says is that he wants to have a Puerto Rico where every Puerto Rican youth can live their dreams and make it there and not feel they have to leave.

So that is a central aspect of the residency and the whole message of what he's been doing since the record came out in January.

BLACKWELL: Yes. And for fans in the mainland U.S. who are waiting for this tour to come to their local arena or stadium, it's not going to happen, he says, in part because of concerns over ICE.

Vanessa, talk to me about that.

DIAZ: Well, I think that just like Petra said, the residency itself was a political choice, having it there, making it about educating on his homeland. And I think the statement that he made was also a political one. And it speaks to the fact that right now Latinos all over the U.S. are feeling targeted. And that is a key part of his audience. And he doesn't want to contribute to that.

He wants to continue drawing attention to the issues that matter most to him. And that includes speaking out about the ways in which Latinos are being targeted. And he has been a forceful voice for a variety of issues throughout his career.

BLACKWELL: Yes, his concern is that ICE would target his audience for deportation efforts.

Petra, as we wrap up here, when this was announced back in January, I thought, man, this is a great idea. Why hasn't anyone else done this? Is there any other star who could have pulled this off, pulling in hundreds of thousands of fans from around the world?

RIVERA-RIDEAU: You know, I'm not sure. I don't think so. Bad Bunny has broken so many barriers as a Spanish language artist, as a reggaeton and trap artist, as a Puerto Rican artist on the global level without compromising aspects of his identity, his politics, even his accent he talks about.

So I think, you know, he has become one of the most important global representatives of Puerto Rico of our time, if not ever. And I think that he has the resources, the capacity to make this residency happen in Puerto Rico, but also the global recognition to really draw this international audience to his homeland at this time.

BLACKWELL: Fantastic residency now ending. Petra, Vanessa, thank you very much. And good luck with the book. Good to have you this morning.

[06:50:02]

Our Pope Leo turns 70 today. How the Pontiff is celebrating his birthday. That's next.

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BLACKWELL: This morning, Catholics and leaders around the world are sending birthday wishes to Pope Leo who turns 70 today.

Yesterday the new Ambassador to the Holy See Brian Burch, he made his first official visit on behalf of the U.S. and took along a taste of home. The Ambassador gifted the Pope a chocolate cake straight from Chicago, the Pope's hometown.

And of course, there was more than cake, the Vatican turned St. Peter's Square into a stage hosted its first ever pop concert. The big names with singer-songwriter Pharrell Williams directing the show.

[06:55:13]

Other performers included the Italian tenor Andrea Bocelli, Jennifer Hudson, John Legend, and Jelly Roll.

The Vatican also gathered influencers in tech and AI, including Black Eyed Peas front man will.i.am, who runs a tech company.

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WILL.I.AM, FOUNDING MEMBER, BLACK EYED PEAS: The fact that we have an American Pope from Chicago is beautiful, especially with all the things that are happening in America. And yes, I wish we treated Chicago and inner cities that are, you know, going through tough times with, you know, a human, delicate approach. You know, making sure we invest in communities, invest in people's lives and education properly.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BLACKWELL: He told CNN that the Vatican event offered a safe haven for brainstorming on AI.

Still to come next hour, Facebook settlement payouts that going out. What the social media platform users who filed a claim may expect to get.

That's a hit.

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