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U.S.: Russia Fired Hypersonic Missiles For First Time In Combat; U.N.: 847 Civilians, Including 64 Children, Killed In Ukraine; U.S. Marine Confirms Four Marines Involved In NATO Training Mission Crash In Norway; The Rush To Save Ukraine's Endangered Historical Sites, UNESCO "Deeply Concerned"; U.S. Citizen Among Several Killed In Russian Attack On Chernihiv; Moderna Seeks Authorization For Second Booster As Health Experts Warn Next COVID Surge Could Hit U.S. Within Weeks; Price Of Diesel At Record Levels, Hammering Truck Drivers. Aired 1-2p ET

Aired March 19, 2022 - 13:00   ET

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

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[13:00:39]

FREDRICKA WHITFIELD, CNN HOST: Hello again, everyone. Thank you so much for joining me. I'm Fredericka Whitfield. And we start this hour with breaking news out of Norway. Search and rescue efforts underway at this hour after U.S. Marines were involved in an aircraft crash. U.S. officials confirm four Marines were involved in the crash during a NATO exercise. They have not commented on their fate. But the Norwegian Prime Minister says the servicemen were killed.

We're also continuing to follow new developments in Ukraine. U.S. officials now confirming to CNN that Russia used hypersonic missiles against the Ukrainians last week. The first known use of those types of missiles in combat. A short time ago the U.N. confirming nearly 850 civilians have been killed in Ukraine since the start of the invasion. 64 of them children. Today, in a video message, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy calling on Russia to begin peace talks without delay.

But Russia continues its onslaught. Launching new missile strikes in southern Ukraine reportedly killing dozens of Ukrainian troops at a military base. Let's begin with the breaking news on that crash involving U.S. Marines. For the very latest, let's go back to CNN's Natasha Bertrand. Natasha, what more are you learning?

NATASHA BERTRAND, CNN WHITE HOUSE REPORTER: That's right, Fred. So, the U.S. Marine Corps is confirming that four U.S. Marines were involved in a training accident as part of this big military exercise that NATO has been conducting in Norway. And their accident occurred when their Osprey was heading towards a village in the Arctic Circle. And very little is known right now about what exactly caused that crash.

But statements from the Norwegian authorities appear to suggest that the weather was a major factor as rescue teams tried to reach the site of that crash, they had a lot of difficulty getting there because of really bad weather conditions, because of heavy snow, heavy rain, and there was even an avalanche warning. So, obviously that contributed, they say to the crash here. And, you know, the U.S. Marine Corps has not confirmed yet that these Marines did die.

They say that their status currently is being investigated. But the Norwegian authorities did say that -- the Norwegian Prime Minister did say that those Marines had been killed. And we do have a tweet from the U.S. ambassador to NATO, saying that she is devastated by the loss of these Marines and that her condolences go out to the families of the victims. But this is a major training exercise that more than 30,000 forces are -- have been involved in over the last week.

It started last week, goes until about April 1st. And thousands of Marines are also part of that mission. And obviously this is a very closely watched exercise because of everything that's been going on with Ukraine, the Russian invasion of Ukraine, getting very, very close to NATO's doorstep there. So, a very important mission, a very important exercise. And obviously, this is a tragedy kind of heading into the rest of -- rest of that next mission and exercise, Fred.

WHITFIELD: Natasha Bertrand, thank you so much. So, rescue operations are still underway in the Ukrainian city of Mykolaiv after a Russian missile strike hit barracks housing Ukrainian soldiers. Reporters from CNN Swedish affiliate Expressen were at the scene and report dozens of troops were killed in the shelling. Expressing also "a survivor is saying about 90 percent of the 200 soldiers there did not survive the attacks."

CNN's Salma Abdelaziz is joining us live from Lviv. Salma, where you are, this is a place where many refugees have found, you know, a safe place, a bed, you know, a warm meal. What have the efforts been like?

SALMA ABDELAZIZ, CNN REPORTER: Yes, I'm just going to start by showing you where I am here, Fredricka. In peace times, this is normally a gym. It's part of the Lviv University. We're just panning around to show you here. You can see, each one of these rows is about 12 beds, so there's absolutely no sense of privacy here. Again, this is a place where wrestling matches used to be held, now it's been converted into this large space for places for people to sleep in.

I'm just going to crouch down here so you can get an understanding of the conditions. This is a basic wood pallet here. That's what's supporting this very thin foam mattress, just a bit of thin bedding as well. All of this we're told coming from volunteers. And people have been living under these conditions now for weeks. Many of them coming from some of the most affected areas in Ukraine, eastern parts of Ukraine like Kherson and Kharkiv.

[13:05:06]

ABDELAZIZ: Areas that have been invaded by Russian forces, occupied by Russian forces even. And I've been asking, what's the plan here? Are you going to go further west? Are you going to try to cross the Polish border and go into Western Europe? And many of them say, nope, we're going to wait it out here. Fredricka. Even if it's weeks, even if it's months, we're going to wait until we can get back home. However unrealistic that sounds to us. Many here still holding on to that glimmer of hope. And here many people are relying solely on volunteers. Its volunteers that are bringing this bedding that you see it's volunteers that are often bringing warm food. Yes, the city council is supporting but it's that charity, that kindness of strangers that's really getting everyone here through it.

These are people who fled with nothing, but what they could carry on their backs. One person I spoke to told me they had 10 minutes to leave their home. So, as you can imagine, it is just the very bare, bare necessities if that all and it makes you question, Fredricka, how much longer can families live under these conditions?

WHITFIELD: And then in addition to that, as these missile strikes happen, and then rescue efforts are underway to try and find any survivors. What are you hearing about? You know, what the obstacles are to those kinds of efforts?

ABDELAZIZ: Yes, yes. A very destructive strike right in the heart of the Ukrainian military's forces in the city of Mykolaiv, a very strategic important city because of its closeness to the Black Sea in the southeast of the country. A city that's been encircled in besieged by Russian forces for days. And now there we understand in the early hours of Friday morning, two Russian war planes -- war planes rather, dropping five bombs on Ukrainian military barracks.

Dozens of troops are feared to be dead. There are rescue efforts to try to see if there's anyone left alive. But yet again, it shows just how vulnerable the Ukrainian military is to the skies. Fredricka?

WHITFIELD: Salma Abdelaziz, thank you so much. All right. We're also learning more about the human toll of the war in Ukraine. Today, the U.N. confirming nearly 850 civilians have been killed in Ukraine since the start of the invasion. 64 of them children. This week, President Biden called Putin a war criminal. Congressman Adriano Espaillat is a Democrat from New York. He is joining us right now. Congressman, so good to see you.

REP. ADRIANO ESPAILLAT (D-NY): Thank you, Fredricka. Thank you for having me.

WHITFIELD: Thank you. I understand you and a Republican Congressman have introduced a resolution urging that Russian President Vladimir Putin be tried for war crimes. Tell me about this resolution.

ESPAILLAT: Well, first and foremost, Fredricka, we heard from President Zelenskyy and he received a great deal of support from both sides of the aisle of the U.S. Congress, of the U.S. House of Representatives -- partisan lines. This is one time where would come together to support his efforts and the Ukrainians efforts in on behalf of democracy. And of course, you -- we have already invested $13.6 billion that will go to traditional foreign aid, military supplies, intelligence, enforcement of the sanctions.

But, you know, he is a war criminal as our President Biden said, and the International Court already, that just this past week, ruled that he should get out of the Ukraine. And in fact, he has been targeting civilian sites, maternity wards, children's hospitals, apartment buildings where families live. And we're very concerned that his next step to be chemical warfare. So, we're very concerned about that.

And certainly, he is walking down the path of past war criminals while -- we're very much concerned about.

WHITFIELD: Yes. And ultimately it will be up to the International Criminal Court to determine whether indeed, you know, President Putin should be tried for war crimes. Right now, U.S. officials are saying it's their feeling that he is a war criminal. And I realized you have the resolution, but to ultimately determine it will be up to that International Criminal Court, right?

ESPAILLAT: That's correct.

WHITFIELD: Yes.

ESPAILLAT: That's correct. The International Court is the one that has to do jurisdiction to try him. But certainly, they're gathering evidence. And they have already expressed their great concern regarding the invasion and the very rough tactics that he has applied and the Russian army has applied. And certainly, we're very much concerned that he may be -- he may be down the path to then try to use chemical warfare which will be just ratcheting it up another level of what is unacceptable human behavior.

WHITFIELD: Yes. That certainly remains a big concern and fear. You were in the room this week, you know, when the Ukrainian President Zelenskyy had his address to U.S. lawmakers.

[13:10:05]

WHITFIELD: Let's listen to this moment when he made a direct plea to President Biden. And he was -- Zelenskyy was speaking in English.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

VOLODYMYR ZELENSKYY, UKRAINIAN PRESIDENT: To President Biden, you are the leader of the nation, of your brave nation. I wish you to be the leader of the world. Being the leader of the world means to be the leader of peace.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WHITFIELD: What was your reaction to hearing President Zelenskyy?

ESPAILLAT: Well, very compelling arguments from President Zelenskyy. He is a hero, someone that has really led the way for the Ukrainian people. And of course, I support, fully support President Biden's stand on this Ukrainian conflict. He is heading to meet with NATO nations as we proceed with this. He has been steadfast in his support for the Ukrainian people. Again, we have approved, set $13.5 billion just after the Zelenskyy speech.

You know, he added additional dollars from the State Department that will go directly to the Ukrainian army to provide a stinger missiles and other types of weapons that will help them save their lives. They're fighting for their lives, but at the same time, they're fighting for democracy for the world. And I would dare to say for Europe.

WHITFIELD: Yes. Well, while you are in complete support, you say, you know, President Biden's approach, Zelenskyy said, he was making a plea to President Biden, be the leader of the world to peace. I mean, he essentially was, you know, on his knees begging for the U.S. to do more are -- how does that make you feel as a member of Congress to hear this plea coming. you know, from the leader of a country that's really in a desperate situation, saying U.S., you can do more. Thanks for the weapons, but there is more that you can do, for instance, like the --

(CROSSTALK)

ESPAILLAT: Obviously -- yes, obviously, it touches the deepest chambers of my heart. Right? But, you know, the president did speak to the Chinese leadership just yesterday, and told them what our position is regarding their possible engagement in this conflict. And I think he has shown the leadership that we're asking for him to show he has been a true leader, very firm in his request for the Chinese not to get involved in army of --

(CROSSTALK)

WHITFIELD: Do you think that's influential that -- do you think that this influential in that conversation with Xi? You know, to try and encourage or implore China, not to acquiesce to any request or help from Russia.

ESPAILLAT: I believe so. And I believe also, the President stands in denouncing Putin czar, war crimes is very critical, because we must do that on a daily basis to try to prevent them from ratcheting it up to another level that will lead to thousands of casualties on the ground. And so, the president has certainly been steadfast in terms of the financial support that we must give the Ukrainian army and the -- and his people.

He's playing a critical role in trying to speak to other world powers to ensure that they don't get involved in the conflict in support of Russia. And he's now meeting with NATO to strengthen that relationship and to tell our allies, we're fully behind them. We're not in support of the fly zone because there will be direct involvement in the conflict itself. And may not have the results that we're looking for.

WHITFIELD: Congressman Espaillat, thank you so much for your time. Thanks for being with us today.

ESPAILLAT: Thank you, Fredricka. Thank you for having me.

WHITFIELD: Coming up. Russian President Vladimir Putin claims to make just $140,000 a year he says. Yet, may be one of the richest people on the planet. And the owner of this palace not that $140,000 is to sneeze -- is anything to sneeze at. But look at the opulence of which he is living.

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[13:18:21]

WHITFIELD: The U.S. Justice Department and Treasury Department have officially launched a joint Russia sanctioning task force. Working with seven countries in the European Commission to collectively hit one of Russia -- Russian President Putin his most prized assets. His oligarchs. CNN's Drew Griffin investigates Putin's secret wealth.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

DREW GRIFFIN, CNN SENIOR INVESTIGATIVE CORRESPONDENT (voice over): On the shore of the Black Sea, it can only be described as a palace. 190,000 square feet. From the air you can see the church tea house and amphitheater. And reportedly an underground hockey rink with a no-fly zone and a no-boat zone.

This according to an investigation last year by the jailed Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny's group. They claimed that this gilded luxurious palace fit for a king was built for Vladimir Putin.

MARIA PEVCHIKH, HEAD OF INVESTIGATIONS, ANTI-CORRUPTION FOUNDATION: The palace is very much a symbol, and miniature of Putin's Russia. He no longer sees himself as a government employee, as an elected figure. He sees himself as a czar, as king of some sort. The Russians, of course, deserves a palace.

GRIFFIN: CNN can't independently verify Putin's connection to the palace. And Putin spokesman denies the Russian leader owns it or any palace. Maria Pevchikh from Navalny's Anti-Corruption Foundation says they have proof. That their sources and documents all point to the palace as an example of how the oligarchs corruptly enrich Russia's president.

PEVCHIKH: It has been a paid by Russian oligarchs, by Russian-state owned companies.

[13:20:03]

PEVCHIKH: Money from Russian people, from regular people was stolen and diverted into building this horrendous thing on the Black Sea.

GRIFFIN: GRIFFIN: According to the investigation, and a whistleblower who came forward, the money for the palace came from a Russian investment fund company that solicited charity donations from the Russian oligarchs.

JILL DOUGHERTY, CNN CONTRIBUTOR: There are these rumors about Putin being the richest man in the world. And he may be. It is very, very hard to try and understand what his wealth is, and where it is held.

GRIFFIN: Rumored to be worth more than $100 billion, officially, Putin claims an 800-square-foot apartment, a few cars and a modest salary in 2020, valued at about $140,000. But his official income is irrelevant. Russia watchers say Putin controls Russia by determining who gets money, and who doesn't, who gets around business, who skims profit, and how the wealth is passed.

He doesn't need any assets listed in his name, says journalist Tom Burgis. It's all his when he asks.

TOM BURGIS, AUTHOR, KLEPTOPIA: He is closer to something like the Godfather. But, ultimately, they owe everything they have to the boss. With a click of the fingers, as he is shown in the past, Putin can take everything from an oligarch. However rich and however influential they may seem, they are ultimately dependent on him.

GRIFFIN: Fight the system, interfere in politics, and face his wrath.

Exiled Russian oligarch Mikhail Khodorkovsky, who was convicted of tax evasion and fraud, spent 10 years in a Russian prison, he says, for not playing Putin's game. He claims Putin is paranoid, dangerous, and must be stopped.

MIKHAIL KHODORKOVSKY, FORMER RUSSIAN OLIGARCH AND OIL TYCOON (through translator): All the accounts of all of the oligarchs who function as Putin's wallet must be stopped. They must all feel the pain right now, and it must continue until the war ends.

GRIFFIN: Newly-imposed sanctions from the West have now made it hard for many of the Russian billionaires to do business outside of Russia. Yachts, bank accounts, frozen. Inside Russia, the economy shows signs of crumbling.

But chipping away at Putin's brutal hold on power through economics will take time. From his actions, observers believe Putin's strategy is far beyond personal riches.

DOUGHERTY: He wants to rebuild Russia as a great power. You always have to go back to the czarist days to understand that.

GRIFFIN: Just look at the gates of Putin's purported palace. A golden two-headed crowned eagle, a symbol of Russia, similar to the two- headed crowned eagle that is atop the gates of the winter palace that belonged to Russia's last czar.

Drew Griffin, CNN, Atlanta.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

WHITFIELD: And still ahead, UNESCO says that even though the most pressing priority is the protection of civilians in Ukraine, they are taking measures to protect the country's heritage and culture. Details next.

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[13:27:25]

WHITFIELD: As the Russian invasion of Ukraine pushes on, there is a desperate push to protect Ukraine's historical and cultural sites. The United Nations is asking Ukrainian authorities to mark key buildings with that blue emblem. Lazare Eloundou Assomo is the director of UNESCO's World Heritage Center. And he's joining us right now. So, good to see you.

LAZARE ELOUNDOU ASSOMO, DIRECTOR, UNESCO'S WORLD HERITAGE CENTER: Thank you for having me.

WHITFIELD: Thank you. I'm wondering if you can tell us what confirmed damage, there has already been to heritage sites in Ukraine so far.

ASSOMO: From the reports that we are receiving from the ground, you know, from the -- our contact who are professionals, who decided to stay in most of the cities. I mean, the situation is really devastating. More than 30 historic monuments and sites have been confirmed --, completely damaged from certain cities like in Kharkiv. But also, in Chernihiv. In Chernihiv for instance, the historic center seems to have been completely chipped down.

And this is really a terrible situation because no one knows if all these historic buildings and the cultural heritage will be recovered again.

WHITFIELD: Yes. I mean, they're intricate and just gorgeous as we look at these pictures. It's hard to believe that trying to repair or rebuild any of that, you know, is possible. So, as you're in contact with so many officials there, cultural, you know, institutions, leaders of such places there in Ukraine. I mean, is it their feeling that these 30 buildings that you mentioned, were directly targeted or it's just indiscriminate and that they are damaged and destroyed just simply because of these -- the erratic targeting of missiles?

ASSOMO: You know, it's very -- it's not going to be easy today to know exactly the reasons why they were -- they were targeted or they were destroyed. But the fact that they have been destroyed, and this is a terrible loss. And I think we continue to monitor the situation using our satellite images, but also our reports of people from the ground, and we fear that this is going to be even worse in the future if this is collection of violence and combat continues.

[13:30:06]

WHITFIELD: And while I mentioned, you know, earlier that UNESCO is trying to, you know, strengthen the protection of these site base putting and requesting that these blue emblems be put on the buildings.

I mean, you're hoping that those emblems will be respected. But then we already saw, you know, a building that had the markings that there were children inside.

From the air, they could see that there might be children inside, and that didn't seem to matter, you know, to the Russians.

Are you confident that those blue markers would be respected? ASSOMO: You know, this emblem is very important because this emblem --

they're to be put on all historic monuments simply because, you know, Russia and the Ukraine have signed the international instrument to protect cultural heritage in case of conflict.

So if any building has this emblem and is targeted as a result of collateral damage, it means that those who have done it are responsible and can be taken to justice and this can also be considered as a war crime in the future.

WHITFIELD: And you have experienced in the past, in other places with protection and reconstruction, particularly in Mosul, in Iraq, after ISIS attacked the city.

Can you tell me about the efforts to restore historical, cultural sites that were damaged in that conflict?

ASSOMO: You know, one of the biggest consequences when historic buildings or cultural heritage is destroyed is that the cultural references are disappearing and people cannot recover from their trauma.

Because they don't have the reference to start with, to start healing from this trauma. Culture is very important.

This is exactly what we experienced in Mosul, in northern Iraq.

And that's the reason why UNESCO decided to start helping to rebuild all the iconic monuments of the cities like the important most but from the different communities so that we create an environment for them to start this important reconciliation process that is important.

That's the reason why we are rebuilding in Mosul, not only Muslim mosques but also Christian churches that are very important to bring communities together.

And also by giving them opportunities to be involved and also get enjoyment from this process.

WHITFIELD: It seems the protections and the rebuilding efforts are going to be herculean.

Lazare Eloundou Assomo, the director of UNESCO's World Heritage Centre, thank you so much for being with us.

ASSOMO: Thank you for having me.

WHITFIELD: Still ahead, the story of an American civilian caught in the deadly crossfire in Ukraine.

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[13:35:55]

WHITFIELD: We're learning more details about American James Whitney Hill, who was killed while visiting his partner in Ukraine. James Hill, who went by Jimmy, was in Chernihiv, Ukraine, this week at

a local hospital when it came under Russian artillery fire. His partner, Ira, was being treated there for multiple sclerosis.

Here's CNN national correspondent, Camila Bernal.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

CAMILA BERNAL, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): "Bombing has intensified. No way out." That was the last post from American James Hill before confirmation of his death.

His Facebook detailing a chilling account of his last days in Ukraine.

"Intense bombing, still alive, limited food, room very cold."

KATYA HILL, JAMES HILL'S SISTER: At one point a missile went by him in and landed at a distance.

BERNAL: According to his family, Hill was waiting in a breadline with several other people when they were gunned down by Russian military snipers. His body was found in the street by the local police.

Hill was in Chernihiv with his partner Ira, who's Ukrainian and battling M.S.

HILL: He was not going to leave Ira's side in her condition.

BERNAL: "We're hanging in there," he wrote on Monday. "Very cold inside, food portions are reduced. Bombing and explosions most of the night, hard to sleep. People getting depressed."

In his posts, he describes feeling helpless, hungry and cold while narrating a war.

(SHOUTING)

BERNAL: "Intense bombing last night for two hours. It was close to hospital. Machine gunfire could be heard. It stopped just after midnight."

Hill even encouraging political action, posting this on March 7th.

"For my American friends and relatives, please pressure your local representatives to expedite American visas for Ukrainians, especially for families with children and skilled workers.

[13:40:01]

HILL: My brother was the helper that people find in a crisis.

BERNAL: But while he wanted to help others and find a way out, it was too late.

HILL: We don't know where my brother's body is. So, that kind of closure the family won't have right now. (END VIDEOTAPE)

BERNAL: And, Fred, of course, not being able to say that final good- bye very difficult for the sister, for the entire family, and for his friends.

I spoke to some of them, and they describe him as someone who was grateful, who was caring, who always wanted to help others, who was loving.

They even said he loved to travel, love the outdoors, enjoyed fly- fishing.

One of the friends I talked to said she was able to keep in touch with him and was essentially able to say good-bye to him via Facebook because so many followed along as he told the story of what was happening in Ukraine.

At the same time, we now see all of his Facebook is filled with condolences. People who are going there to honor and remember a brother, a friend, and a brave man -- Fred?

WHITFIELD: That is devastating, Camila Bernal. But his narration of war, I mean, that is really powerful.

Thank you.

All right. Coming up, U.S. doctors warn new COVID variant emerging overseas could soon lead to an increase in cases in the U.S. over the next few weeks.

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[13:46:09]

WHITFIELD: As wildfires rage in central Texas, a sheriff's deputy dies while helping people evacuate. The Eastland County Sheriff's Office says Sergeant Barbara Fenley was going door to door and was last heard from when she was on her way to check on an elderly person.

The largest of the fires, the Eastland Complex Blaze, has so far burned more than 45,000 acres. Officials say strong winds and dry grasses have caused the flames to spread quickly.

More than 50 million people, stretching from the gulf coast to the northeast, are now under severe weather threats, including strong winds, hail, and tornadoes.

In Atmore, Alabama, cleanup is under way after storms ripped through a Escambia County. Six people were injured.

And in Louisville, Kentucky, tornado sirens sounded overnight as a line of thunderstorms left thousands of people without power.

Moderna is now seeking emergency use authorization for an additional COVID booster shot. The news comes as doctors warn a new COVID subvariant, which is

emerging overseas, could show up in the U.S. in the next few weeks.

Joining us right now is emergency physician, Dr. Jeremy Faust.

Dr. Faust, good to see you.

So Moderna wants approval for all adults to get a fourth shot, unlike Pfizer and BioNTech, which are only seeking another dose for people over 65.

So, what do you think about all this?

DR. JEREMY FAUST, EMERGENCY PHYSICIAN, BRIGHAM AND WOMEN'S HOSPITAL: Thank you for having me.

I think that fourth doses will be necessary in some people. We'll need a very clear data readout on what exactly is the protection that we are getting from these doses and for how long does it last.

Some people need third and fourth doses clearly. And others, maybe won't feel so strongly.

I think, ultimately, the public has a certain appetite. And we're all understanding something like a yearly booster, like we do for flu, seasonal flu, I think is very reasonable.

But I think there are some people who won't go much further than that.

I think we need to now know is how long does this protection last, what is it. Because you could get boosted and it could wear off in 12 weeks. And if you did that at a time between waves, what did you achieve?

I think there's a lot to learn and now is the time to learn it and we can make good policy based on this.

WHITFIELD: Now, we have this other subvariant, this BA.2 subvariant. I mean, they're rising in the U.K. and in western Europe right now. We've heard some experts say that we should expect the surge to hit the U.S. in about three weeks.

Do you agree with that? And is there any connection to the thoughts of a fourth dose here that we're talking about?

FAUST: I think what happens this spring is an open question.

Last year, we saw there was a variant that popped on the scene in some parts of the world and really outside of Michigan.

We didn't have much of that in the spring because it was a time of great vaccination and better weather. So we don't know if.

What I can tell you is what we do now to prepare will make all the difference. In the past month, we've gotten two great real plans, the first time

in my view, that lay out what we should do as a nation, that the administration at the State of the Union started to lay that out the next day.

And also some former Biden and advisers and experts put out a plan saying we need to have tests in place. We need the right masking. We need wastewater surveillance. So that we can do nimble responses.

The sooner we get our responses going, the less drastic they have to be to achieve the best outcomes.

So I don't know what's going to happen. But I do know if we don't have that funding -- and Congress is looking at not funding some of these important things.

But if we don't have that funding, we won't have the right outcomes.

But we've learned so much. So I would say let's get that funding so we can have a better outcome every time a wave comes. No matter if it's a horrible one or a dud, we'll be ready no matter what.

WHITFIELD: Yes. All this as many states have dropped in the number of, you know, COVID cases.

[13:50:02]

And there's a universal of people relaxing, embracing the idea that masks are no longer required in a lot of places. And maybe they're even falling back on the whole social distancing.

So now, with the BA.2 variant, with discussions about a fourth booster shot, what are people to do? How are you hoping they'll embrace this new information?

FAUST: I think, for now, the normal is that we have to be willing to be nimble with a pivot. So I agree when Dr. Fauci said recently that we should be able tom when cases are extremely low, to relax a bit.

I was very relieved to see, for example, some things that should have happened a long time ago, like outdoor masking for my kid. Outdoor masking doesn't do much in a low-density area.

But there are other situations we need to be able to say, look, we have to put the masks back on. We have to have things back in place.

So the more we learn, the more nimble we become.

We didn't used to have the granularity we have now. So let's be nimble because, no matter what happens, we want to respond.

I think that people are tired. And the problem is that if we have them pedal to the metal the next five years, they won't listen when we have something like Omicron happen. Because Omicron, we needed to do more than we did. So I worry how we handle waves a lot. And a big part of it is saying

to people, look, if we do pull back on mitigation, we may have to bring it back. But hopefully, only in the short term.

I think people would go along with that if they know what they're aiming for.

WHITFIELD: Yes. I like the use of the word you chose, "nimble." Yes, be nimble. That seems like something everybody can do and embrace.

All right, Dr. Jeremy Faust, good to see you. Thank you so much.

FAUST: Thank you.

WHITFIELD: All right. As the price of oil continues to rise, so does the price of diesel fuel. It, too, is record levels. And the soaring costs hit independent truckers especially hard.

CNN's Ryan Young visited the world's largest truck stop to talk to truckers who are trying to survive.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

(HONKING)

RYAN YOUNG, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): For every dollar the average American sees rising at the pump, truck drivers are seeing double.

That's because they rely on diesel fuel. And we all rely on truck drivers.

TODD SPENCER, PRESIDENT, OWNER-OPERATOR INDEPENDENT DRIVERS ASSOCIATES: So 70 percent of all the goods that moved in America move exclusively by truck. Over 90 percent of what most communities need are only delivered by trucks.

YOUNG: Which explains why, when it comes to large trucks, drivers are at the wheel over five times more than the average car driver and using up to more than 11,000 gallons of diesel fuel a year per driver.

And that adds up. Diesel is historically more expensive than regular gasoline on $1-per-gallon basis. And now it's hit record highs surging more than $2 a gallon since this time last year.

SPENCER: Trucks are what keeps our economy going.

YOUNG: Todd Spencer is the president and Owner-Operator Independent Drivers Association, which started in the wake of the 1973 oil embargo.

SPENCER: Fuel is the single-largest variable expense that any trucker is going to incur if you're operating the truck yourself. If you own your own truck, that's your largest single cost.

YOUNG: For the independent truck driver, they have to absorb the higher fuel costs themselves.

EARL WILLIAMSON, PROFESSIONAL DRIVER: It's made it tight. It's made it very tight on us right now. I don't know how we're going to make it.

YOUNG (on camera): It's that bad?

WILLIAMSON: It's that bad.

BARRY LAGO, PROFESSIONAL DRIVER: We have a lot of drivers. And, and I talk to a lot of them on a day-to-day basis and they're thinking about parking their truck, because they can't afford to run it anymore.

YOUNG (voice-over): Delia Moon Meier's family has owned Iowa 80, the world's largest truck stop for 58 years. And she's concerned for her customers

DELIA MOON MEIER, SENIOR VICE PRESIDENT, IOWA 80 GROUP: Since fuel for their trucks and fuel for their cars, it makes a big difference to them on what they're able to eat, where they're able to stay. Their -- you know, their whole livelihood is based on the price of fuel.

YOUNG: She watched in awe as truck drivers kept everything moving when the pandemic shut the country down.

MEIER: I think that is one thing that the pandemic and the supply chain issues have really brought to light is how important trucking is.

YOUNG: Fuel shocks aren't anything new for Americans. And for some of these drivers, the payoff of their job is worth a pinch for now.

LAGO: It's like a Friday every time you get in the truck, man. I mean, it's -- you're self-employed, or I am anyway. I get to make my own decisions. I get to see the country. I get paid to do so. And so it's almost like a paid vacation no matter what I'm doing.

YOUNG (on camera): You can see the trucks lined up behind me, moving all the critical goods across America.

These truckers say they never stopped working during the pandemic. And they say they need more attention put on fuel costs that they're starting to see that are getting too high for them to afford.

Reporting in Walcott, Iowa, Ryan Young, CNN.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

WHITFIELD: All right. Thanks so much, Ryan.

And thank you for watching. I'm Fredricka Whitfield.

More of CNN NEWSROOM straight head with Jim Acosta.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

[13:55:06] DENISE WOODARD, FOUNDER & CEO, PARTAKE FOODS: Partake Foods makes delicious allergy friendly foods.

Do you like the beans?

Great.

That inspiration behind Partake is my daughter, Vivian. Shortly after her first birthday, we learned that she had several good allergies.

When I set out to find safe snakes for Vivian, I walked away frustrated and disappointed. The products had ingredients I did not feel good giving her. And they didn't taste very good either.

In August of 2017, I left my job in corporate America and I sold cookies out of my car to natural food stores around the New York City area.

Success did not come overnight.

Fundraising was one of the biggest challenges. We got nearly 100 noes before we got a yes.

I emptied my 401K. I maxed out all of my credit cards. I sold my engagement ring.

A ton of business.

The turning point was raising a million-dollar seed round led by Marcy Venture Partners, which Jay-Z cofounded.

Partake has grown from 350 stores at the end of 2019 to over 8,000 in 2022. My revenue has grown over 4,000 percent.

As the first black woman to raise $1 million for a packaged food company, I feel really proud. But I also feel a deep responsibility to help change that statistic.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

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