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Biden: Putin "Cannot Remain In Power"; Biden Warns Putin: Don't Move On One Single Inched Of NATO Territory; Russian Missiles Strike Ukrainian Fuel Depot; Air Strikes Cause "Significant Damage" To Lviv's Infrastructure; Blinken: We Do Not Have A Strategy For Regime Change In Russia; Ukrainian Lawmaker Reacts To Biden's Speech In Poland; World Leaders Concerned Russia Will Use Chemical Weapons In Ukraine; U.S. Planning Potential Responses In Case Putin Takes Extreme Step; War In Ukraine Adding Pressure To Already-High Food Prices; Dance Therapy Provides Comfort To Refugee Children; Duke's Coach K Reaches Record 135th Final Four. Aired 6:00-7a ET

Aired March 27, 2022 - 06:00   ET

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

[06:00:00]

GRIFFIN: -- to his boss is right now being used to kill civilians in Ukraine. It is why he did what he did. As for the yacht and its likely owner, we received a cynical response from that Russian defense firm saying it does not comment on the personal lives of its employees or their property. Drew Griffin, CNN, Atlanta.

BORIS SANCHEZ, CNN ANCHOR: Buenos dias. Good morning and thank you so much for joining us this Sunday, March 27th. I'm Boris Sanchez.

CHRISTI PAUL, CNN ANCHOR: And I'm Christi Paul. Thank you so much for waking up with us.

We want to start with you this morning with Russia's war in Ukraine. President Joe Biden back in Washington this morning after rallying U.S. allies behind Ukraine and raising some eyebrows too when he appeared to call for regime change in Russia. Now, the White House pushed back on that quickly saying, that was not the case.

SANCHEZ: Now, the president arrived back at the White House just a few hours ago. His remark about Putin came during his speech in Poland marking the end of his European trip. After calling Putin a butcher earlier the president said Ukraine would emerge victorious over Russia's brutality.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JOE BIDEN, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: A dictator bent on rebuilding an empire will never erase the people's love for liberty. Brutality will never grind down the will to be free. Ukraine will never be a victory for Russia -- for free people refuse to live in a world of hopelessness and darkness.

We will have a different future, a brighter future, rooted in democracy and principle, hope and light, of decency and dignity, of freedom and possibilities. For God's sake, this man cannot remain in power.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SANCHEZ: And it was that last remark that really caught a lot of folks off guard because of the implication. The White House downplaying it. A White House official saying -- quote -- "The president's point was that Putin cannot be allowed to exercise power over his neighbors or the region." Biden -- "was not discussing Putin's power in Russia, or regime change."

PAUL: In a speech, the president warned that the battle in Ukraine will not be won in days or months, but he said NATO is stronger and more united, and warned Russia not to move on a single inch of NATO territory.

Just before the president spoke, by the way, Russian forces struck a fuel depot and a military site. This is just outside of Lviv as you see here. We know at least five people were reportedly injured. That attack on that depot, you can see it there, it sparked some flames, but you can see the thick, black smoke that was billowing over the city which has been considered relatively safe up to this point. The mayor says a second strike caused significant damage to the city's infrastructure.

SANCHEZ: It did take fire crews some 14 hours to put that fire out at the fuel depot in Lviv. Russia says that it strike -- targeted the fuel supplies for Ukrainian troops.

PAUL: CNN's Don Lemon made his way close to the scene as the fire was still burning and the thick smoke was rising. Here's part of his report.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DON LEMON, CNN ANCHOR: You can hear the flames roaring. And what they are concerned about is another one of these tanks exploding, so they are pushing people back until they can get control of this blaze.

You were mentioning how close it is to a neighborhood. It's really close to a neighborhood. It's on the other side, there's a little valley in here, and the other side of a retention wall.

Peter, if you can just go around just a little bit and show them how close this is to a neighborhood really quickly and then we'll get back on the flames. So it's really, really close. This is a neighborhood where everyone has gathered, all of the rescue people, and they've done this on a number of different streets.

So, if you'll come back here -- so we're, you know, just within a tenth of a mile or so from where this is happening. But again, look at those flames. They're just roaring. Black smoke coming out of there. And you can see them putting the fire retardant, spraying the fire retardant on this.

But again, as you said, it is a chaotic scene. They're running fire hoses through this residential neighborhood, this retention wall and then to the other side of that valley and tanks.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SANCHEZ: That was CNN's Don Lemon on the scene from Lviv.

PAUL: CNN has teams covering the latest developments both here and in Ukraine. I want to start with CNN's Phil Black there in Lviv.

So, Phil, we just saw what had happened. We also have Jasmine Wright with us, we want to point out. You see her there on the screen as well. But, Phil, I want to start with you. Talk to us about the damage you see this morning from this latest missile strike from Russia.

PHIL BLACK, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes. So, Christi, that fire -- well, emergency crews fought it through the night and it was only after -- not long after sunrise this morning that it was finally extinguished. That site has suffered severe, severe damage. So too another site the Ukrainian authorities say was struck.

[06:05:01]

They described it as military infrastructure but no more specific than that. The Russians today confirmed they were responsible for this and said that other military site was a radio repair plant, which they say was used to help modernize Ukrainian weapon systems.

Now, these are the first strikes to take place within the crowded city limits of Lviv. So the people in this city are a little nervous today. The streets, the squares, a lot quieter than they would normally be, even on a Sunday. The extraordinary thing is that no one was killed. No reported deaths. And it is surprising, because these strikes took place very close to where people live.

This is Lviv's mayor talking shortly after the strikes took place.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MAYOR ANDRIY SADOVYI, LVIV, UKRAINE: This is the second hit over the last week, and we can clearly see that they were very targeted strikes on the infrastructure and the destruction is serious. And the shock of the blast also destroyed a kindergarten, a school, and luckily there are no casualties.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BLACK: The mayor says that this was clearly a special message to President Biden, who was at the time a relatively short distance away, across the border in neighboring Poland, perhaps. But it is also part of a clear, concerted effort by Russia, because this is the third fuel depot to be knocked out in country in recent days. At least the third.

Russia has also been using its missiles to strike weapons storage areas in different parts, across this vast country. Russia is going after the support and logistics sites that it believes Ukraine needs to continue its military defense. SANCHEZ: President Biden, some 250 miles away, roughly, from where that strike took place and it happened just moments before he gave that speech. Phil Black from Lviv in Ukraine, thank you so much.

Let's take you to the White House now and CNN White House reporter Jasmine Wright. Jasmine, the White House quick to walk back the president's comments that Vladimir Putin cannot remain in power. They're saying President Biden was not talking about regime change.

JASMINE WRIGHT, CNN WHITE HOUSE REPORTER: That's right, Boris. And they are in a bit of cleanup mode here at the White House. It continues into today, as they're trying to really minimize any damage that could come in the wake of the president's off the cuff remarks here. Yesterday, they tried to both clarify and, as you said, walk back a bit these really strong comments from the president yesterday that appear to call for -- appear to call for a regime change in Russia.

And just a few moments ago in Israel, we heard from Secretary of State Antony Blinken, who really reiterated those White House talking points that the president's remarks yesterday did not amount to a discussion about President Putin's really regime in Russia. Take a listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ANTONY BLINKEN, SECRETARY OF STATE: The president, the White House made the point last night that, quite simply, President Putin cannot be empowered to wage war or engage in aggression against Ukraine or anyone else. As you know, and as you've heard us say repeatedly, we do not have a strategy of regime change in Russia or anywhere else, for that matter. In this case, as in any case, it's up to the people of the country in question. It's up to the Russian people.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WRIGHT: Now, there we heard from Secretary Blinken continuing some of his cleanup from the White House. Now yesterday, an official told CNN that the president's remarks were not in prepared text, they were off the cuff. And it's a bit surprising, as this White House has been really disciplined in its message since the invasion has begun. And they've also been disciplined in their military action.

Again, we saw from the president just over the last few days, where he reiterated that they did not want any fighter jets transferred to Ukraine anymore, and of course, not establishing any fly zone over Ukraine. But bottom line here is that these were strong remarks from the president, and they could have an outsized wake depending on how people want to view them. So again we see the White House really trying to circle the president, really trying to downplay these remarks. And, of course, we know that the president now will wake up here in Washington after returning just a few hours ago. Boris, Christi.

PAUL: Jasmine Wright, we appreciate the update. Thank you so much.

So President Biden also warned remember Russia to stay out of Poland and all NATO countries.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BIDEN: Don't even think about moving on one single inch of NATO territory. We have a sacred obligation -- we have a sacred obligation under Article 5 to defend each and every inch of NATO territory with the full force of our collective power.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

PAUL: Retired Major General Paul Eaton with us here live to talk about all of this.

[06:10:03]

General, thank you so much for being with us. First and foremost, how concerned are you that this war could, indeed, spill over into a NATO country?

MAJOR GEN. PAUL EATON (RET.), CNN MILITARY ANALYST: It's a real concern. And the illogic that has been applied here to Russia attacking Ukraine just makes no sense, unless you're going to use that as a move to expand the fight.

So what the president did was clearly and very clearly establish that the clients of NATO is a vital national interest to the United States, that we're all in. And that declaration, "not one inch," is a very clear message to Mr. Putin and to his armed forces that the response will be an Article 5 full return on that attack. So it was a very clear statement.

PAUL: I want to listen to one Ukrainian lawmaker who said this about the president's speech yesterday.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

INNA SOVSUN, UKRAINIAN MEMBER OF PARLIAMENT: I wanted to hear some concrete action, some steps that will be taken to help us here in this war. Again, I don't mean to sound ungrateful. We actually appreciate a lot of the help that we have been receiving, but we need -- unfortunately, we need more.

We need more weapons in order to be able to protect our skies. We need those fighter jets. And we really did have hope that President Biden visiting Poland will actually result in a solution to this mix that we have been asking for for weeks, from the beginning of the war.

But after the visit and after the speech, I did follow the social media. I did follow the posts by other people and the general reaction was that of disappointment.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

PAUL: Are you surprised that she says the general reaction to his speech was disappointment? And do you see a place where -- or any avenue where the U.S. could be doing more? EATON: Christi, the legislator was eloquent and I'm not surprised at all that there was disappointment because they're in an existential fight right now. So whatever it is that President Volodymyr Zelenskyy asks for, he should be given, period. And this is ground anti-air equipment. This is offensive equipment, anti-tank, and this is aircraft.

This is an existential fight that they're in. We need to make sure that it goes better faster and that we stop this Russian harassment and interdiction fires that they are applying to this country.

PAUL: If Russia, as they -- it has been stated a goal is to get Zelenskyy -- to assassinate him. If Russia assassinates the president of Ukraine, what does the world do then, General?

EATON: We just keep doing what we're doing right now, ratchet it up, and then -- I cannot surmise an attack in response to the political leadership of Russia, but I think that we should put them on notice.

PAUL: But how do we do that further than what we've done already? If you -- if it ends up that that -- that President Zelenskyy is assassinated surely a lot of people looking at this think that the world has to do more than what we've done thus far. What's realistic, I guess, is the question? What's realistic?

EATON: Realistic is the U.S. Navy and the U.S. Navy's presence and threat and perhaps attack on Russian naval assets, Vladivostok to Leningrad. We need to further isolate Russia. We need to bring the full power of our economic sanctions ratcheted up. We need to make it political -- politically unfeasible for Mr. Putin to remain as the president of Russia.

The Russian people are the center of gravity here. We have to make sure that we are in complete contact with as many Russians as possible and to make sure that they understand what's going on. But we use naval blockade during the Cuban crisis and the Russians blinked. Blockade is a military event, but it's a military event that is in our power to effect and it is an option.

[06:15:11]

PAUL: When you talk about the power inside Russia, for the people of Russia, that they are the central gravity of all of this, and you say you have to make it politically unfeasible, how do you do that with the power that he holds over all of Russia? Do you see any cracks in his system at this point?

EATON: We're seeing that there's a building unrest in Russia right now, but communications to the Russian people and a grinding economic misery applied to the country is a means of making sure that every Russian understands that having President Putin in power is a problem for them, personally. And that they act to get this man out.

PAUL: Retired Major General Paul Eaton, we so appreciate your insight, your expertise and sharing it with us. General, take good care and thank you so much. EATON: Christi, thank you very much.

PAUL: Of course.

SANCHEZ: Still ahead, concern over chemical weapons. We'll tell you how the White House and global leaders are preparing for a worst-case scenario in Ukraine.

Plus, the Russian invasion having ripple effects around the world. Now, there are fears that conflict could lead to a global food shortage. We'll explain and talk to an expert when we come back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[06:20:42]

PAUL: International leaders are bracing for Russia's next potential move, planning what to do if President Putin uses chemical, biological, or nuclear weapons in the war against Ukraine. Now, within days after Russia invaded Ukraine the White House national security advisor authorized a team to create contingency plans in case Vladimir Putin made an extreme move.

We want to get a closer look at this with Christine Parthemore. She's CEO of the Council On Strategic Risks and also a professor in the Global Security Studies Program at Johns Hopkins University. Thank you very much, Professor, for being with us. First and foremost, how concerned should we be about Russia actually utilizing a chemical or a biological weapon?

CHRISTINE PARTHEMORE, CEO, COUNCIL ON STRATEGIC RISKS: Thanks for having me. I'm extremely concerned about his use of chemical or biological weapons. Unfortunately, he illegally possesses these weapons. We believe -- and they've crossed that line before. So they've used chemical weapons with the poisoning of Navalny and the Skripal attack in the United Kingdom. And Russia really held Syria's dictator Bashar al Assad's hand as he was slaughtering his own people with chemical weapons.

So we're very concerned that they don't fear crossing that line, the way that they should, and that they don't fear the illegality of that. And also, the conflict is just not going the way the Russians had calculated, clearly, which puts them in a position to potentially be interested in utilizing something that they believe could change the game in their favor.

PAUL: Are you confident in the gauge the U.S. and NATO allies have in the capabilities for warfare of that type from Russia and is there any point where you would -- you mentioned that President Putin -- it's not going the way that he wanted to. You would see this as potentially a form of desperation on his part?

PARTHEMORE: Yes, exactly. I think it would be desperation to try to flip the dynamics on the battlefield and specific locations in their favor. So I'm very worried about it, in terms of U.S. and NATO knowledge of what they're doing my -- from my experience, when I worked in the Pentagon, I think our understanding of Russian capabilities is very good. And it's also aligned with the fact that they've used advanced chemical agents weapons like novichok. You know, they've shown their hand in terms of what they're capable of doing.

PAUL: So I have to note the close relationship between Russia and Syria when we look at what has happened over the last say six years. How does the Syrian government's multiple uses, we should point out, of chemical weapons potentially factor into Russian calculations with Ukraine?

PARTHEMORE: I believe that Russians calculating -- because of the experience with Syria, that he would be able to use chemical weapons or biological weapons in a perhaps targeted way. For example, on specific neighborhoods or population centers the way Assad did in Syria. And potentially get away with it, in terms of not having a direct military response from the United States or NATO.

My understanding is that our national security advisor has issued a strong warning against Russia, calling into question that belief that we would not do anything significant in response. Keeping our options open in terms of what we would do in response is the smart thing to do right now and that appears to be the posture that we're taking.

PAUL: Do you feel that the U.S. is drawing an overt red line? And if they haven't done it thus far, how do they make that happen, realistically?

PARTHEMORE: I don't think that we have drawn a very clear overt red line and -- when President Obama did that with Syria I was sitting a few yards in front of him when he made the red line announcement in Syria. As is publicly known now, that was done in such a public manner because we were very concerned about an imminent, very significant attack. And so, it was really meant to save the lives of potentially thousands of Syrians at that particular time.

I don't think we've drawn a stark red line in the same way right now, but doing things like sharing the intelligence and overtly naming the concerns that we believe that Putin may be gearing up to use chemical or biological weapons, as well as providing private warnings that he's not going to get away with it is the better approach in this particular circumstance.

[06:25:15]

PAUL: I know U.S. tiger team has been reported -- are meeting regularly to decide how to respond if something like that happens and that the severity of the attack would dictate the -- severity of the attack would dictate a response. What -- do you have any gauge of how severe some sort of chemical or biological attack would have to be for the U.S. to do something in an actionable manner to respond?

PARTHEMORE: I believe that the way we're treating it and the way we should treat it is that crossing the line to any use of weapons of mass destruction is prohibited under international law and absolutely cruel and horrific and that we would treat the situation as such. So the severity would certainly dictate the nature of our response in my particular moment but NATO's posture in this conflict has been pretty clear. And I'm sure that they're working on what would trigger different changes in that potential posture as part of their contingency planning. To say as well, though, that type of contingency planning happens all the time.

There are professionals that walk through this including the military options as well as the diplomatic approach under such circumstances. So no matter what happens, if they do cross into the use of weapons of mass destruction of any kind I'm sure at least part of our strategy will be a very significant diplomatic search to try to make sure that in terms of international institutions and in the eyes of the rest of the world that Russia is fully seen as the pariah state that it has become.

PAUL: Christine Parthemore, your expertise is so valuable. Thank you for taking time to be with us this morning.

PARTHEMORE: Thanks for having me.

PAUL: Of course.

SANCHEZ: Before the war, Ukraine exported its wheat supplies to the entire world, but now there's real concern that an already dire hunger crisis is about to get much worse. Hear from an expert, just minutes away.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BORIS SANCHEZ, CNN ANCHOR (on camera): The economic fallout of Russia's invasion of Ukraine is being felt all over the world not only with a spike in gas prices, but now prices for key agricultural products produced in the region are skyrocketing. And there are fears of a potential global food shortage.

To discuss this morning, we have former chief economist for the U.S. Department of Agriculture Joseph Glauber. Joseph, we appreciate you sharing part of your morning with us. Russia and Ukraine are among the world's top grain exporters. They produce roughly 30 percent of the world's traded wheat. They also supply vast amounts of fertilizer. So, connect the dots for us. How does that lack add up to a potential global food shortage?

JOSEPH GLAUBER, FORMER CHIEF ECONOMIST, DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE: Yes, Boris. I think an important thing to remember is that even prior to the Russian invasion of Ukraine, global stocks, the inventories held by countries were at pretty low levels. And we had a lot of the agricultural prices for things like wheat and corn and soybeans were at near-record levels, at least in nominal terms.

And so, this invasion has pressured it even more. As you mentioned, Russia and Ukraine account for about 30% of the wheat trading in the world. They're big exporters of -- Ukraine is a big exporter of corn. Ukraine accounts for about 50 percent of the sunflower oil traded in the world.

So, these -- the inability to export out of that region, at least insofar as Ukraine, and to a degree, Russia too has been hampered, that is putting a lot of pressure on prices. And we've seen prices rise by 20, 30. Wheat went up about almost 50 percent over the last few weeks.

SANCHEZ: So, Joseph, where do you see the biggest impact coming? Where should consumers expect the most strain?

GLAUBER: OK, so first of all, it's important to know we're not going to run out of wheat. There's a lot of wheat in the world. It supplies are really tight and prices are going to reflect that and have already reflected that. But the regions that are really going to be most affected are countries in North Africa and Middle East. Those countries consume almost twice as much wheat as we do per capita.

So, in a country like Egypt, almost 35 percent of their calories come from wheat. 35 percent, that's a lot. You know, it's all in bread consumption. And they import a large share of that wheat. And most of those imports come from the Black Sea. 30 years ago, that region, the Black Sea -- you know, former Soviet Union was actually importing, was a big net food importer, but they've regained their role is for the large breadbasket of the world.

And so, those countries are scrambling to find supplies. They're looking at suppliers in the E.U., looking at suppliers in the U.S., Australia, Argentina, other big wheat producers in the world. But supplies around the world are tight right now. And moreover, prices for other commodities are high. So, it's not necessarily the case that everyone's going to start growing wheat now because corn and soybeans still look very attractive to producers making planning decisions.

SANCHEZ: A moment ago, we showed a full screen with details that the European Commission put forward a range of steps that they're trying to take to enhance global food security to try to mitigate the problem. What can the West do realistically to lessen the impact that this conflict is having on the supply of food globally?

GLAUBER: Yes, I think frankly, first and foremost, do no harm. And I -- what I mean by that is, in the past, back in 2007-2008 and 2010- 2011, we saw prices rise. And we had food rise and things like that. A lot of that situation was exacerbated by the fact that countries put on export bans.

So, a country decided, prices are really high, I'm going to keep that wheat at home, I'm not going to export it. That was really good for that country, but it just made global supplies all that more tight. And unfortunately, those export bans can be very contagious. Once one country starts, another one follows, and that can really exacerbate price volatility and price levels. And so, we hope that doesn't happen.

I think to the degree, it's going to be tough to get a lot of new area out, you know. I think the farmers will respond to high prices. But I think this is going to take not just one year but probably two years to get the sort of any sort of recovery. And of course, that assumes that Ukraine and Russia will be ultimately back online and exporting like they have been in the past. [06:36:08]

SANCHEZ: Yes. There's no indication at this point that this conflict is going to end anytime soon. I got to leave the conversation there. Joseph Glauber, we appreciate your expertise. Thanks so much.

GLAUBER: Thanks so much.

CHRISTI PAUL, CNN ANCHOR (on camera): Still ahead, millions of families and children, you've seen them, their lives has been turned upside down by the Russian invasion. Next, we're going to show you how there's one group doing something unique to help provide some comfort to these kids.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[06:40:00]

SANCHEZ: According to UNICEF, one in two, so roughly half, of all Ukrainian children have been displaced since the start of the Russian invasion.

PAUL: And you know from millions of families finding moments of normalcy, that's all they want, but they're very rare right now, obviously. There's a program trying to bring some comfort to kids in a new way. Here's CNN's Miguel Marquez.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

MIGUEL MARQUEZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voiceover): Dance therapy for Ukrainian moms and their children fleeing war.

How was the dancing, Igor?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Awesome.

MARQUEZ: You're a very good dancer.

The not exactly shy Igor Lutsak, five and a half years old, he and his mom, Tetiana, are from Kharkiv, Ukraine's second-largest city, suffering indiscriminate Russian rockets and artillery attacks since the war's start.

How are you doing? How's he doing?

I'm playing soldiers, he says. His mom ads --

Yes, soldiers, he's always saying air raid.

If me and you were playing air raid now, how would we play?

Show them how you play, she says.

I'm shooting at a tank, he says. Any tank I can hit.

How do you explain what is happening in Ukraine? He saw everything, she said. And now, he's repeating it. I think he'll play regular games when this is over and he calms down, games like cars and trains.

No, no says Igor. He will be the same. I like it.

Igor, his mom, and godmother are one of dozens of families being housed by Jesuit Refugee Service and the local children's cancer charity Magic Association.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: The mothers we see they can be tough when they're with their children. But when they come and speak to us privately, they break down.

MARQUEZ: You are a very good dancer.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Thank you.

MARQUEZ: Ylena and Sophia Orlova, seven years old, arrive days ago from Dnipro. Russian attacks have been pushing toward and hitting the strategic Dnipro region. The city's population nearly a million. Orlova and several of her relatives are now refugees, but not everyone.

My son is 18 years old, she says. He has an injured leg but wasn't allowed to cross the border. My son is in Ukraine. She can barely speak the words.

Today's dance class, a welcome distraction. Today, this was a stress relief, she says. For two days, we didn't eat or sleep and we're grateful to relax. The dance instructor, a refugee to he fled war in Cameroon.

I want them to feel joy, he says, because I know how it is to be in their places. It's very hard. It was very hard for me too.

Sofia wanted to dance in Ukraine but was too young. Today, a bit of hope.

My dream, she says, came true.

A simple activity bringing comfort to moms, and kids, refugees far from home. Miguel Marquez, CNN, Bucharest.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

SANCHEZ: Thanks, Miguel.

In the middle of the devastation, there was a ray of sunshine for war- weary Ukrainians.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

(END VIDEO CLIP)

[06:45:03] SANCHEZ: These sounds from an underground concert ringing through the tunnel of a metro station in Kharkiv that's being used as a shelter. One of the orchestra members said it was his way of helping his country and to send the message that Ukrainians are fearless and strong. Stay with CNN. We'll be right back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

PAUL: Are you ready for a new week? Because there could be a new round of severe weather associated with it as well, sadly,

SANCHEZ: Yes. That means some places like Louisiana that got hit with tornadoes last week could soon get hit again. CNN's Allison Chinchar is live in the CNN Weather Center for us. Allison, what are you seeing in the forecast?

ALLISON CHINCHAR, CNN METEOROLOGIST: Yes, unfortunately, not good news. I mean, for some of those folks that still have tarps on the roof, you know, the last thing they really want is heavy rain, let alone something even worse, say like a tornado.

But unfortunately, we've got another system that's on its way, we've got that first one exiting out of the Northeast today. A few Lingering snow showers there, but then that finally moves out. We're really keeping an eye on this next system that's about to enter into the West Coast. When it does, it's going to bring some rain and snow.

Ahead of it, though, we're talking about fire conditions for areas of Texas, New Mexico, Oklahoma. We've even got some very dry conditions here across Georgia as well as North Carolina, those very low humidities and winds up around 30 to 40 miles per hour. Now that will change once we get some moisture back into the air. And that will come from that system we talked about pushing through the West.

Again, it's going to bring some rain and even some snow showers to several western states. But by the time we get to Tuesday and Wednesday, we really start to see the potential for severe storms ramp up with this low-pressure system as well. So let's break down the areas.

Here's a look at where our biggest concern is going to be for Tuesday, basically stretching from Iowa all the way back down into South Texas, a few tornadoes, large hail and even some tornadoes. Then we fast forward into Wednesday. And unfortunately, you'll notice these are a lot of the same areas Christi and Boris that were just hit last week that may be going through a secondary round when we talk about Wednesday of the upcoming week.

PAUL: All right, Allison Chinchar, thank you so much for the heads up as always.

SANCHEZ: So, half the men's final four is sad and Duke is right there. Meaning, Coach K's final March Madness run will end on college basketball's biggest stage. More March Madness when we come back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK) [06:55:00]

SANCHEZ: Coach K's 42nd and final season as Dukes basketball coach will end with a record-setting 13th trip to the Final Four.

PAUL: Wow. Carolyn Manno has this morning's "BLEACHER REPORT." This might have been expected but is your head reeling otherwise, Caroline?

CAROLINE MANNO, CNN SPORTS CORRESPONDENT: Good morning to you both. You know, I think Coach Krzyzewski just really wanted to make it to this final weekend for this group. You know, regardless of what happens from here, it's just great to be there at the end in his final season.

He already has five national titles. He's already considered to be the greatest coach in college basketball history by many. And now, he's just two wins away from retiring with another championship which of course is not off the table. The Blue Devils look like a team on a mission. It gets Arkansas last night, one of the best defensive teams in the tournament. Duke closing to a 78-69 win to secure that record 13th trip to the Final Four for Coach K that Boris just mentioned.

He's now the first head coach in Division One history men's or women's to reach a final four across five different decades as well. But Krzyzewski says the moment belongs to his group.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MIKE KRZYZEWSKI, COACH, DUKE UNIVERSITY: There's nothing like being a regional champion and going to Final Four and playing on that Saturday with three other champions. It's an amazing day. I'm on their bus. I'm on their bus. They're not on my -- you should interview him.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: He's the GOAT right here.

KRZYZEWSKI: No, no, shut up.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

MANNO: That moment going viral. Duke's next game in New Orleans on Saturday is guaranteed drama to guys because they'll either face their arch-rival North Carolina or the biggest Cinderella of all time in St Peter's. Villanova is headed to their third Final Four in the past six tournaments. The veteran-laden squad becoming the first team to book a spot in this year's Final Four with a win over Houston before that Duke game.

It wasn't easy. Houston slice a deficit to two awful 811 to run the Villanova show boys down the stretch. They responded with some big shots to escape for the six-point win. The Wildcats, a perfect 15 for 15 from the charity stripe as well.

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JAY WRIGHT, HEAD COACH, VILLANOVA UNIVERSITY: It feels great to be going back to the Final Four. It never gets old. It is a dream of every player and coach in college basketball. It's the ultimate. We're going to enjoy this tonight -- and tomorrow we're going to enjoy this. And we're going to rest up and then we're going to get to work. We get to keep playing. That's what we enjoy the most.

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MANNO: Two more teams bound for the final for later this afternoon. Tenth seated Miami and top seated Kansas tipping things off at 220 Eastern. Then, St. Peters the only 15th seats to make it this far in the tournament hoping to keep that Cinderella story going when they face perennial powerhouse North Carolina just after 5:00.

And lastly, this morning for you, the cheerleaders coming to the rescue at the NCAA Tournament. Once again the ball getting stuck on top of the backboard during the Duke-Arkansas game last night. And before the floor crew could even get out a broom, the Arkansas cheerleading team leaping into action. Bella Shelly standing on the shoulders of another cheerleader, notching the ball loose. This is actually the second time that she leader has rescued the ball earlier in the tournament and an Indiana cheerleader doing the same thing.

If only she had a formula for how to outshoot Duke, then we really be in business. But still, nice work there, team effort all around and some great games on top for later on this afternoon.

SANCHEZ: Carolyn Manno, thank you so much for the update. Don't go anywhere because the next hour of new day begins right now.