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Gas Leak At Legal Sea Foods In Huntington, New York Kills One, Sickens 19; "El Chapo" Captured At Mexican Resort; Ukraine's President Victor Yanukovych Voted Out Of Office; Supreme Court To Take Up Gun Rights Case On Monday; Tornado Warning Threatens Daytona Speedway; Jason Collins To Sign Short-Term Contract With Brooklyn Nets

Aired February 23, 2014 - 15:00   ET

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

FREDRICKA WHITFIELD, CNN ANCHOR: All right, we have much more straight ahead in the CNN NEWSROOM, and it all begins right now.

Hello again, everyone. I'm Fredricka Whitfield. These are the stories topping our news this hour. It was a huge reveal on the cover of "Sports Illustrated." Basketball player Jason Collins announcing he's gay. We have breaking news about his career.

Plus, after two weeks, the Olympics is over with no major attacks or incidents. We'll look at how the security plans worked out.

And a busy restaurant full of people and a deadly gas leaking into the air. One person killed and dozens rushed to the hospital. New details on what caused that leak.

Let's start with weather, which could be the biggest story at the Daytona 500 today. Rain delayed the race after lap 38, and now there's a tornado warning not far from the track where thousands of fans are outside.

Tom Sater is here following this very important story and the developments. What's going on?

TOM SATER, AMS METEOROLOGIST: Fredricka, we've got 33 of 200 laps completed and they had to halt because of rain. Rainfall, which is quite heavy from Louisiana right across northern Florida, but it's getting a little closer here because without a severe thunderstorm watch, without a severe thunderstorm -- or tornado watch, warnings have been issued by the natural weather service.

In pink is the tornado warning now. This is the first one was issued at 2:32. But just moments ago, the national weather service issued a new tornado warning and it seems as though this severe thunderstorm cell is starting to turn a little more southeastward toward Daytona Beach.

Why is this so important? We've got the Daytona Beach, the speedway there, capacity is about 147,000. If you include everyone in the infield, the vendors out in the parking lots, we've got a quarter of a million people. The skies are darkened. Now, they can most likely bring driers out, of course, and continue this race. But the important factor here is that the warning that has been just issued now includes the speedway. Moments ago it looked as if these storms moving east 35, 40 miles an hour would stay north of Daytona speedway. That is not the case anymore. Ormond by the sea, Ormond Beach, Holly Hill, these are all areas in the heavy rain.

Now, this top one here is moving pretty much to the north. This thunderstorm cell you see at Daytona Beach speedway developed about a half hour ago and has been sliding to the northeast. So, for the most part once that leaves the area, we're watching the larger cluster just to the north. We've got a sea breeze right now that is feeding the storm. It is almost on the beach and off the coastline. So if we can wait just about another 45 minutes, we should be in the clear. However, the warning, which includes Daytona Beach, is in effect, Fredricka, until 4:00 p.m. Quarter of a million people are at this stadium. We'll be watching this one close.

WHITFIELD: That's a lot of people, very potentially vulnerable situation. But keep us posted on that.

Thanks so much, Tom.

All right, let's talk sports in another direction. Jason Collins could make history tonight on the basketball court in Los Angeles. The Brooklyn Nets are about to sign Collins, making him the first openly gay player in a major pro sports league. The 35-year-old came out last April after his team's season was over.

CNN's Lara Baldesarra is joining me live with more on this. So, explain how this potential contract or how it works.

LARA BALDESARRA, CNN SPORTS CORRESPONDENT: Well, right now, he's very close to signing a ten-day deal with the Brooklyn Nets. And that sounds like it's not a very long-term type of contract which it isn't. But these are very common in the NBA, because NBA teams are not affiliated with a minor league team so if there's injuries, you can't call someone up. So ten days is very common.

It's a chance to show himself and prove himself out there. And if he does sign this contract, like you said, he would become the first openly gay athlete not just in the NBA but in any of the four major sports leagues in North America.

WHITFIELD: And it's not just a statement for him, but it's also a statement for the Brooklyn Nets, because there has been this lapse of time. It was April when he came out. There has been this elapse of time. Any team could have come forward and this is the first one as far as we know to at least extent a contract, a deal.

BALDESARRA: Absolutely, yes. You know, he's had a very long career in the NBA. He's an older guy now shall he's 35 years old. And he has had a good career but he hasn't exactly been, you know, your typical all star. Hi wasn't highly coveted. He's a role player. So we can't really read too much in the fact that there has been ten months since he did come out to "Sports Illustrated." But this would make a huge statement for the Brooklyn Nets. They have a massive fan base. There has been players on the team that have said we would absolutely welcome him. You know, Jason Kidd, the coach, says yes, we would absolutely welcome him. He would be a great signing really anywhere. And in that article in "Sports Illustrated," Collins said he really was happy that he was coming out in 2013 and not 2003 because the climate had totally changed. And we're seeing that we could be about to see that completely.

WHITFIELD: OK. We'll see indeed. More history making.

BALDESARRA: Absolutely.

WHITFIELD: All right. Thanks so much, appreciate that.

The winter Olympic Games, well, over. Some history made there in a lot of different corridors. Closing ceremonies have already happened in Sochi today, but first there were two other big events that took place just before closing, so here is the spoiler alert. If you don't want to know about the final medal count, you need to mute your television right now but just for 30 seconds and then come back to us.

Russia ends the games with not only the most medals, 33, but also more gold medals than any other country, 13. The USA game in second with 28, nine of which were gold.

Our Ivan Watson is in Sochi with what has been considered to be, I guess, history making in a lot of different ways for this Olympic Games. And in some circles, USA didn't necessarily do great on some of the skating venues, but they did do well on the mountaintop -- Ivan?

IVAN WATSON, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: That's right. In some of the new sports, there were 12 new event that were introduced, you know, in snowboarding, in skiing as well, and that's where the U.S. did pick up a lot of extra medals.

You know, Fredricka, the closing ceremonies just ended. There were fireworks lighting up the sky behind me here over the Olympic park. A massive display. I was in the stadium watching this closing ceremony. And it was pretty funny. The Russians actually showed a sense of humor making fun of themselves. And remember that fail in the opening ceremony where one of the Olympic rings didn't light up? They actually used that joke, incorporated that into the closing ceremony. It got applause from the crowd and it showed a sense of humor there.

The president of the international Olympic committee calling this the best Olympics ever, which is kind of a line that gets repeated at every Olympiad. The Russian president, Vladimir Putin, was up watching the closing ceremony. When the disco music was playing, he was clapping along with it, and this did feel like a success for the host country, amid a lot of controversy running up to it.

The human rights record that Russia has, the threats of terrorism. Russia's ring of steel, as it was called, the enormous security, it proved impenetrable. There were no attacks that we know of. This went off pretty smoothly. There were some problems with some hotels, we felt it, we saw it. But in the end, the Russians walk away with their heads proud and with the final word, they won the most gold medals, they won the most medals in all. It's a pretty proud day for Russia.

WHITFIELD: Indeed. And Ivan, it was always considered to be this was the most expensive Olympic Games and for a moment people thought it might be the most dangerous too. Let's talk a little more about security and the measures. You mentioned the ring of steel.

Also joining us CNN law enforcement analyst Tom Fuentes.

So you know, Tom, you first. There was an awful lot of attention about all of the concerns, the nearby terror activity and whether it would find its way into the Olympic Games. In what way are you kind of commending Russian authorities for having made this a very secure Olympic Games?

THOMAS FUENTES, CNN CONTRIBUTOR: First of all, Fredricka, I was one of those that expected an attack to occur, to think that it was going to be basically impossible for the Russians to prevent something if the terrorists really intended to do it. So now that the games closed, there was no attack --

WHITFIELD: What did they do right?

FUENTES: You know, we may never know exactly what they did right, and nor would we necessarily condone whatever it took on their part to make sure that the games were safe. We just know that they were safe. So maybe down the line it will come out. Some of the measures that I've heard of that were somewhat e extreme was that Russian authorities went door to door to the homes and families of known terrorists in Chechnya and Dagestan, took DNA samples from all of the family members and basically told the families if we have a bombing in Sochi and the DNA comes back to your family, we're going to come back to you.

WHITFIELD: Wow.

FUENTES: So maybe that had an effect on it. But again, the measures that the Russians can use in their country to ensure security are measures that certainly we would not condone or want to use in our country. They did it.

WHITFIELD: Yes. So Ivan, back to you in Sochi, what security measures did you encounter on a regular basis as a working reporter there as well as what did visitors encounter all the time? What did they see as big reminders that security was being taken very seriously there?

WATSON: Here in Sochi, you know, the police posted on the highways here. I think every quarter mile they had protection land, sea and air. There were blimps hovering, warships off the coast. Tens of thousands of security forces. And what really revealed a lot to me was when we drove outside of Sochi, about 150 miles north of Sochi, and you go through rings of security checkpoints on the way out where they didn't slow us down of the on the way back in, our car was searched at these checkpoints. Our passports were checked. We were questioned. And it got harder and harder as we got closer. And if you want a sense of how things work outside of this Olympic bubble, we were in this town called Mikop (ph) and there were plainclothes civilians, presumably federal security bureau, who were following my TV crew around in at least a half dozen cars. They moved into hotel rooms next to our hotel to give you a sense of how much the scrutiny was of us as outsiders coming into the city. We were outside of the Olympic bubble.

Coming back in was very difficult. There were a number of people who tried to come in and protest, most notably this notorious Russian punk band, pussy riot. They say they were detained at least three times in Sochi when they were walking around and then attacked and whipped by Cossacks at one point.

So if you weren't welcome here, as the band pussy riot, the Russian security forces made that very clear to people like that and there were a number of arrests as well. So, these are some of the measures that may have been used to keep undesirables out of this Olympic city, Fredricka.

WHITFIELD: A very clear picture painted. Thank you so much. Ivan Watson, Tom Fuentes, appreciate your expertise as well. Thank you.

FUENTES: Thank you.

WHITFIELD: All right, but Tom, will you wait and stick around because we are going to talk to you a little later on about the capture of the most wanted Mexican drug lord. That's coming up.

And the U.S. says it wants that drug lord extradited. We'll tell you what happens potentially next.

And dozens of exposed to carbon monoxide at a popular mall. Now a restaurant manager is dead. We'll tell you what caused this terrifying incident.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WHITFIELD: All right. It started out as an exciting day at Daytona 500, the kickoff for the NASCAR season, but then some bad weather rolled in. The race got under way, more than 30 laps and then everything had to stop for a moment because of this nasty weather moving in and threatening tornadic activity.

CNN's John Newsome is actually at the track.

In understand, John, you're there as a patron just to enjoy it and you're already eye witnessing that there are evacuations? What's under way there?

JOHN NEWSOME, CNN NEWS EDITOR (via phone): That's correct, Fredricka. Good afternoon.

Yes, the race started about 1:00 Eastern Time. As you mentioned, about 30 laps in, the rain started to fall pretty significantly. They give you the option here at the track to do a pass out, so you can take a ticket at the entrance gate that will allow you to come back in. So the way it works (INAUDIBLE) a group of people that as you can leave and then come back in once the track is dry. And I'm out in front of the Daytona international speedway and there's been a mass exodus of people that have left. There are a number of restaurants around the front gate. So a lot of people have talked to these restaurants trying to seek some sort of refuge from the torrential downpour we've seen in the last 20 minutes.

WHITFIELD: And are people pretty nervous or do they seem like they are kind of taking it in stride? Because, you know, it's not out of the usual to have kind of a rain delay but because of this threatening tornadic activity, that's in large part, why people are being asked to get to a safer area.

NEWSOME: Sure. I would describe the mood as very calm. I actually received one of the push alerts from the national weather service that alerted me to the tornado warning in the area. I imagine a lot of other people saw that similar message. But I would describe the mood as very calm. People are just trying to find a dry place at this point. And you know, a lot of the fans are telling are making fun at the business right now because it was beautiful weather, 75 degrees this morning. Not a cloud in the sky when we woke up. It was just a pop-up shower sort of sort of nowhere and now there are ponchos galore throughout the front gate around the track.

WHITFIELD: OK. Our meteorologist Tom Sater also with us now.

So Tom, you know, you were describing earlier for folks who have been in Daytona, but this is a really unique racetrack because it's almost on the beach. So weather can always be a factor, but this is something different.

SATER: And you know, you've got 147,000 capacity for the speedway, probably a quarter of a million with those that are in the inland -- the infield, that is, the vendors. All of the activity has been pretty much from Daytona northward. You know, if there's going to be a fine line, if they'll get the rest of this race in, this is it. I think, of course, they could dry the track. They may get it in later. There are more showers that are going to be coming later on in the day which are going to be from Daytona northward.

But let's talk about the severity, because at 2:32, the first of two tornado warnings were issued. The first one did not include the speedway that we see here. This one was issued right at 3:00. It's in effect until 4:00. It's almost offshore. What you're seeing is one thunderstorm develop. This one halted the race. Maybe some lightning, some thunder, it was not tornadic. But what you're seeing coming in quickly from the east at a good 35 to 40 miles per hour is the same thunderstorm that actually had the warning westward.

The reason they included the speedway is we were getting a breeze coming in from the ocean and it caused the storm to generate in strength and almost spin to the southeast. That included Daytona Beach. Now, most likely when we're going to find here is if there is circulation, which is why we have a warning, should maybe its way toward Holly Hill. Holly Hill is just north of the speedway, just south of Ormond Beach as you see here. This is almost over with. Once this is over with, I think we'll find the skies will probably stay dark but not threatening, or at least not life threatening.

They could continue the race. There will be sporadic showers that will just prolong this race. But the severity of this now is the heavy rainfall and the lightning. Therefore, authorities at the speedway, international speedway, said let's evacuate the grandstand. Find shelter if you can, as John was mentioning there.

Again, most of the heavy rain is just on the beach or just inland. And again, we're going to watch this moving rapidly at 35 to 40 miles per hour. So hopefully, we are going to see that this system will soon exit the coastline and they'll be able to resume. So let's keep our fingers crossed. Quarter of a million people endangered right now under that warning.

WHITFIELD: Lots of people. All right. Thanks so much, Tom. Appreciate that.

And new developments this afternoon in that deadly carbon monoxide leak last night at a popular mall on Long Island. A Legal Sea Foods restaurant manager died and one of his employees remains in the hospital after inhaling the odorless gas. This sign right there is now posted on the door at the legal sea foods Walt Whitman mall and says the restaurant is condemned as being unsafe.

Our Alexandra Field has more on the investigation and what caused this leak.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ALEXANDRA FIELD, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): A deadly gas leak at Legal Sea foods in Huntington, New York, leaves 27 people sick. Investigators say they were exposed to carbon monoxide because of a leak in the flue pipe of the restaurant's water heater. During the busy dinner hour Saturday night, Legal Sea Foods and two other restaurants at the Wallet Whitman mall were quickly evacuated.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We were eating dinner, the place was jammed, an hour wait. And just very calmly, the wait staff came and told us we have to evacuate the building.

FIELD: There were no carbon monoxide detectors inside the Legal Sea Foods according to Huntington town official who say that under New York State's fire code they're not required in restaurants. Legal Sea Foods passed their annual town inspection with no issues.

But on Saturday night, emergency crews realized there was a problem when they themselves started to feel the symptoms of carbon monoxide exposure, nausea and dizziness.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: They just told us to get out of the building, that there were people passing out in Legal Sea foods.

FIELD: Originally the crews had been called to treat a woman who had fallen and hit her head. That's when they founding the 55-year-old manager, Steven Nelson, unconscious, also in the basement. He was taken to a hospital where he was later pronounced dead.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We had to leave because I didn't want to blow up or anything like that, so I didn't know how dangerous it was. And they just told us to, you know, stay outside.

FIELD: More than two dozen people, including seven first responders, were sickened by the gas and taken to local hospitals with nonlife- threatening symptoms. According to police, most of the patients are Legal Sea Foods employees.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

FIELD: Legal Sea Foods is speaking out on twitter sending a message saying they are devastated by news of the leak and also offering condolences for the loss of their general manager, Steven Nelson -- Fred.

WHITFIELD: All right. Thank you so much, Alexandra Field.

All right, the U.S. says it wants a captured drug lord extradited. We'll tell you what happens, next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WHITFIELD: CNN has confirmed the U.S. will seek the extradition of a powerful Mexican drug lord arrested this weekend. Joaquin El Chapo Guzman, the alleged leader of the Sinaloa cartel was captured in a Mexican resort town. He was arrested with a woman in a condominium complex without any shots being fired. Guzman had apparently been moving around the town of Mazatlan through a series of tunnels, which of some were connected to the city's sewer system.

Let's get a closer look with Nick Parker in Mexico City, excuse me gentlemen, and CNN law enforcement analyst Tom Fuentes in Washington.

Nick, let's begin with you. How did they track him down?

NICK PARKER, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, what we know, Fredricka, from Mexican authorities is that the operation was ongoing for several months, as they put it. And during that time the security forces were staging raids in and around the state of Sinaloa where his cartel is based, both in the state capital, including raids at residences of some of his former girl friends as well as the city of Mazatlan.

Now, just in the last week they arrested a number of key cartel figures, including the head of Chapo Guzman's hit squad and this yielded vital information, including cell phone data, which ultimately led them to pinpoint that beach side condo development where they found him yesterday morning.

WHITFIELD: And then, Tom, let me ask you, what about the extradition? I mean, that was the initial thought or concern, would Mexico want to even hand him over. Would they prosecute him there first and then the U.S. extradition would carry through? How would it work? What's the sequence of event?

FUENTES: Right, Fredricka, I think the Mexican authorities will want to prosecute him first. Keep in mind that he's basically public enemy number one in Mexico. He's responsible for the death of thousands of people. He's considered one of the richest men in the world, according to "Forbes" list, a billionaire, and the Sinaloa cartel, which Sinaloa is a state on the Pacific Ocean in central Mexico. That cartel is considered the most prolific drug trafficking organization in the world.

So I think the Mexicans, President Nieto of Mexico, is going to want to prosecute him. They're going to want the first shot at him. The extradition to the U.S. could happen at a later date, but I doubt it. I think that the Mexicans are going to want him and they're going to want to keep him in prison down there. And within the last year they have also arrested the head of Los Zatos, another extremely violent drug trafficking organization.

So these are major accomplishments for the new administration of the President Nieto carrying on the drug fight started really by President Calderon, his predecessor.

WHITFIELD: All right, Tom Fuentes, Nick Parker, thanks so much. Appreciate that.

FUENTES: You're welcome.

All right, a country deals with a murky future with no president and fresh memories of deadly protests, so where does Ukraine go from here? The view from the capital city next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WHITFIELD: All right, bottom of the hour now. Welcome back. I'm Fredricka Whitfield.

Here are the top stories crossing the news desk right now.

A day of mourning and sadness in Ukraine following a day of huge change in that country. People laid flowers in Kiev in honor of those who died in protest last week. Yesterday, President Victor Yanukovych was voted out of office and tried to leave the country and former Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko was released from jail. Today, she said she doesn't want to be the next prime minister. More for what's next for Ukraine in a minute.

And Apple has released a fix for a security hole in its iphone and ipad software. The hole affected people trying to make secure connections like with a bank Web site and it meant hackers might have been able to see personal information going between your phone and the Web site.

And another big showing for the Lego movie for the third weekend in a row. The film led box office sales. It took in an estimated $31.5 million. That brings total box office sales to more than $183 million. A sequel is in the making, set for May of 2017.

Sports fans pay a steep price to own a piece of history. Last night items belonging to sports legends like Mohammed Ali and Babe Ruth were sold at auction in New York. A baseball bat used by shoeless Joe Jackson sold for nearly $1 million. Another high-priced item, Babe Ruth's pocket watch sold for more than $700,000.

All right, now back to Daytona Beach, Florida, where weather could be the big story at the Daytona 500 today. The raceway has been evacuated with upwards of a quarter of a million people there. It all started with a rain delay after lap 38 or so, and it only got worse from there.

Meteorologist Tom Sater is at the CNN weather center and CNN news editor John Newsome is on the phone with us on the track there in Daytona.

Let's begin with you, John. What is the situation? It looks like we lost that connection with John.

So, tom, let's look at the map there and what's happening. What are they enduring right now? Is there rain falling? Is it the threat of high winds? What's going on?

SATER: A little bit of everything. Rain is still falling. We do have some good news. And that is the tornado warning has been lifted. As you look at the rainfall, stretches from the parishes of Louisiana across Florida. Now, this came out of nowhere without a severe thunderstorm watch, without a tornado watch. We had a few renegade thunderstorms that developed and circulation ensued, moving eastward 35 to 40 miles per hour.

Now, anywhere else in the U.S. it probably would have been OK, but with Daytona speedway, and 147,000 seats capacity, about a quarter of a million if you include the infield, they all had to quickly find some shelter. In fact authorities at the speedway said with an impending thunderstorm on the way with a warning that was issued at 3:00 p.m., everybody had to find the cover they could. Now, it doesn't mean that they left the speedway. They're under cover in some sort of overhangs and what have you always.

The good news is the circulation passed right over i-95, passed over U.S. 1, and is now offshore. That is good news. Now they're just into some rainfall. There may be an occasional cloud-to-ground lightning strike, but this is very good news. And most of the circulation staying just north of the speedway, closer to around just south of Holly Hill as you'll see here.

So the question is now, will the race resume? We could not find more of a 50-50 situation here, 50 percent chance that it will bow dry and they'll bring the driers out. The other 50 percent chance is we're starting to see thunderstorms, Fredricka, develop as they're heading in that direction. So I don't think we're going to find circulation but this is an area of concern. We will continue to watch, of course, with this many people in the elements.

WHITFIELD: Incredible amount of people. All right. Thanks so much, Tom, appreciate that.

All right, a day after a fiery speech, Ukraine's former prime minister says she doesn't want to be the next prime minister. People are looking to Yulia Tymoshenko as a leader and there are reports that she might run for president.

Phil Black was there as she gave her passionate speech to the crowd in Kiev.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

PHIL BLACK, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): No one in independence square started their day thinking this was possible. By evening, news had spread, and thousands had come to see Yulia Tymoshenko.

In a wheelchair because of severe back pain, she declared this is now a different Ukraine. In a long, emotional speech she told the crowd not to leave independence square until they build the country they want.

Not everyone in this crowd supports Yulia Tymoshenko, but they have come here tonight because they know together they all played a role in securing her freedom, because together they are changing their country.

Tymoshenko has experienced rallying a crowd in this square. In 2004 she was a leader in what became known as the orange revolution, overturning a corrupt election result. She became prime minister. Later a presidential candidate, but lost to Victor Yanukovych. He was then jailed for abusing power while in office. America and Europe demanded her release, accusing President Yanukovych of taking revenge on a political enemy.

Now, Ukraine is again in the throes of revolution. Yanukovych weakened, the opposition controls parliaments. They voted to free her just hours earlier.

I think that Ukraine will do well now, she tells me. It will be in Europe, it will be free and it will be democratic. Her daughter, Evgenia, had lobbied world leaders to help her mother.

EVGENIA TYMOSHENKO, YULIA TYMOSHENKO'S DAUGHTER: When the parliament voted, I was -- I burst out crying and I was trying to see her. And I just feel so proud to be her daughter, I just feel so proud to be Ukrainian.

BLACK: This woman as an army of loyal supporters, but this isn't a Mandela moment. People here have good reasons for disliking politicians. Yulia Tymoshenko's previous time as a dominant figure was tarnished by infighting, scandal and disappointment. She's now expected to fight for the presidency. She must convince a divided nation she can lead them again.

Phil Black, CNN, Kiev.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

WHITFIELD: So after that massive change all in one day, what happens now for Ukraine?

Joining me now for more on that, the senior editor of "New Republic" Julia Ioffe. She is joining us right now from Kiev.

Good to see you, Julia. So is there real trepidation, real worry about this power vacuum or is there excitement about it?

JULIA IOFFE, SENIOR EDITOR, NEW REPUBLIC: I wouldn't say there's worry. I think there's a sense that this is being handled in a very controlled manner. Let's recall that Victor Yanukovych wasn't chased out by a mob. He was voted out by parliament. The very next day, parliament voted in an acting president who said he will step down as soon as a new government is formed. They have named the date of the new presidential election. There's a sense that this is kind of -- it's not chaos, it's very controlled.

WHITFIELD: So what about the prospects for new leadership? Who would be the new president or even prime minister?

IOFFE: Well, this was one of the controversies that emerged after Yulia Tymoshenko's speech last night. Many said that her speech was almost like the opening volley of a presidential campaign. She said there's a good reason you don't trust politicians. Let me be the one to guarantee that you're never fooled by politicians again.

And the crowd is quite skeptical, with good reason. She was a very corrupt leader. She was part of the reason that the orange revolution failed. She doesn't have much trust in the square. At the same time, a lot of people who made this revolution feel like this movement has created a lot of new leaders, a lot of young leaders, that now it's their turn, that Yulia Tymoshenko has led the country already. She's contributed what she can and now she should be -- just remain on the sidelines as a historical figure and not get involved in the political process again.

WHITFIELD: And that the president made a deal, so to speak, with Russia. That's what has led to this now change. Is there any concern or worry that Russia still might play a part, especially since there is this power vacuum?

IOFFE: Well, I wouldn't say there's quite a power vacuum. And the new acting president has said that they look forward to working with Russia with the understanding that this will be now a nation that's more oriented towards Europe. They're trying very hard to kind of toe a softer line towards Russia, not to antagonize it. To kind of back pedal all the talk of splitting the country into the Ukrainian west and the Russian east.

They're trying very hard to keep things together and to not antagonize Russia. And I have a feeling that Russia will have to go along with this. They're already, if you look at Russian state-controlled media, before they were talking about a coup staged by right wing radicals. Now, they're back pedaling as well and saying that this was a movement created by activists, that maybe if Tymoshenko comes back.

Now, Putin is very fond of Tymoshenko. He said about a month ago that he had a great time working with her and would love to work with her again. You're getting the sense that Russia is kind of taking a more pragmatic line. And you know, now that the facts are what they are on the ground, that they're ready to work with whoever is going to lead the country.

WHITFIELD: Julia Ioffe of the "New Republic," thank you so much for your time. Appreciate it.

All right, it's going to be a very busy week at the U.S. Supreme Court. Starting tomorrow justices will hear everything from gun rights to limiting presidential powers. We've got a preview next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WHITFIELD: All right, this week will be a busy one for the U.S. Supreme Court.

CNN's Athena Jones is at the White House where the administration will be looking to see what the court does.

Athena, what's on the docket?

ATHENA JONES, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hi, Fred. Well, this session could be a particularly interesting one and busy because the court could decide to take -- to add cases to its docket that address some issues that are very important to this administration, issues like gun control and also the limits of the president's power to tackle things like climate change without the help of Congress.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JONES (voice-over): There's no shortage of controversy before the court. On Monday, the justices could decide to take cases that could significantly expand gun rights. The national rifle association is challenging a Texas concealed carry law that bans anyone under 21 from carrying guns in public. The NRA argues the right of self defense extends to responsible 18 to 20-year-olds as well. And the NRA is appealing a federal ban on selling handguns to minors, saying that also violates second amendment rights.

JONATHAN TURLEY, PROFESSOR OF LAW, GEORGE WASHINGTON UNIVERSITY: After the Supreme Court recognized the individual right to have guns, the question became what type of limitations can be put on that right.

JONES: Also on Monday, the court hears a case that could test the limits of President Obama's push to use his executive power when Congress won't act, this time on climate change. At issue, whether the EPA went too far when without congressional approval it limited carbon emissions from power plants, factories and other sources of greenhouse gases beyond cars and trucks.

TURLEY: On the constitutional side, this is a classic conflict between Congress and the White House. Congress has refused to give the president what he wants, and now the EPA is going it alone.

JONES: And later this week, the court could get involved in the latest challenge to the death penalty. Missouri is planning to execute Michael Taylor by lethal injection. He was convicted of raping and murdering a 15-year-old girl. But the state is refusing to reveal which drugs it would use, after witnesses said another lethal drug mix in Ohio took some ten minutes to work on convicted killer Dennis McGuire.

TURLEY: Many defense attorneys have said that that raises the question of cruel and unusual punishment.

JONES: Critics say Missouri has been in a rush to execute. It carried out one recent lethal injection just minutes before the U.S. Supreme Court could rule on a last-second appeal.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

JONES: And we're also awaiting some big rulings that could come as soon as Tuesday or Wednesday. We're talking about rulings in cases involving things like campaign donation limits, college affirmative action, public prayers and recess appointments. So it could be an interesting week -- Fred.

WHITFIELD: It sounds like it. Thanks so much, Athena Jones in Washington.

And we'll be right back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WHITFIELD: The tornado warning at the Daytona 500 has been lifted this hour, but the rain is still coming down. You see there is another storm there just to the left of the screen. Kind of off into the horizon. We're keeping a close watch on that. Now, let's take a look at the upcoming workweek. We're going to see some bitterly cold temperatures.

Jennifer Gray is here with the week's forecast -- Jennifer.

JENNIFER GRAY, AMS METEOROLOGIST: Fred, winter is not over yet. Yes, we have another arctic blast moving in and it is going to impact mainly the northern states and the northeast. However, colder than normal temperatures will pop down to the south, as well.

We have a couple more days in the south to enjoy some mild air, though, 66 degrees in Atlanta on Monday. But look at Minneapolis, 16 degrees, your high temperature. That's 14 degrees below normal and then temperatures will even drop more. Five degrees in Minneapolis. By the time we get to Tuesday, Chicago at 21 and look at Chicago's temperature drops to 13 by Wednesday. Your high temperature in the south, we will be much cooler, not quite as cold as the last cold snap we had, 46 degrees in Atlanta your high temperature on Wednesday. New York City, high temperature of 32.

One more important thing to note, we're finally going to get some rain or at least a chance of it in California. By the end of the week, Friday and Saturday looks like we'll have a couple little storm systems rolling through. Bring some much, much welcome relief to the folks in California -- Fred.

WHITFIELD: All right, good news on that front. Thanks so much, Jennifer.

All right, all eyes had been on Russia for the Sochi games, but the country is still very famous for its vodka. We'll take you there.

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WHITFIELD: The Sochi Olympics are now in the history books. But Russia's other claim to fame is still going strong. I'm talking about vodka.

CNN's Ian Lee talked to an expert who squalled in.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

IAN LEE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: If there's one thing Russia is known for, it's vodka. And the only place to go here in Sochi is a local bar. We have many vodkas lined up here and we have my man, Felix. He's going to instruct me on the different types of vodka and how to drink it.

Felix, tell me, what is the most popular vodka here?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: (SPEAKING FOREIGN LANGUAGE)

LEE: But, first, I must master saying cheers in Russian. It's not easy.

Felix then starts me with the bar's most popular, (INAUDIBLE), then its finest Beluga. Definitely a lot smoother than the other one. Tell me, why are we eating pickles this time?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: (SPEAKING FOREIGN LANGUAGE)

LEE: In Russia, the salted pickle is the best snack for drinking vodka, he tells me. Felix displays the vodka bottles to advertise but drinking warm vodka unthinkable to him.

Why is it important to have cold vodka?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: (SPEAKING FOREIGN LANGUAGE)

LEE: It has to be cold, me tells me. It has to be very cold so it goes down smooth. Felix's wife, Anastasia joins us, but when I inquire about her favorite. UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: (SPEAKING FOREIGN LANGUAGE)

LEE: I can't say I like vodka, she replies. She tells me people drink to love, health, and luck that vodka is an inseparable part of Russian culture.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: (SPEAKING FOREIGN LANGUAGE)

LEE: It makes the soul warm says Felix. Maybe it's practice or the vodka, but I finally nailed down how to say cheers.

LEE: Ian Lee, CNN, Sochi.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

WHITFIELD: OK, bottoms up.