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CNN Visits Easternmost Town Under Ukrainian Control; New York Subway Shooting Suspect Denied Bail; Lyoya's Family Calls for Termination of Michigan Officer; Life Under Shanghai's Lockdown; Harry and Meghan Visit the Queen on Way to Invictus Games; Multiple Storm Systems Make for Messy Holiday Weekend. Aired 4:30-5a ET

Aired April 15, 2022 - 04:30   ET

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

[04:30:00]

KIM BRUNHUBER, CNN ANCHOR: Welcome back to all of you watching us here in the United States, Canada and around the world. I'm Kim Brunhuber and this is CNN NEWSROOM.

U.S. defense officials say that Russian troops that retreated from northern Ukraine two weeks ago are now beginning to show up in the Donbas region, but the Russians are running up against fierce resistance as they try to advance. Ukrainian special forces claim they blew up this bridge as an armored Russian column was crossing it near Kharkiv.

Even Russia's naval power is being challenged. Moscow now admits its flagship vessel, the Moskva, sank in the Black Sea after catching fire. Ukraine claims it hit the guided missile cruiser with antiship missiles. A claim the U.S. and Western intelligence believe is credible.

And Moscow is widely expected to launch a three-pronged attack to try to capture a section of eastern Ukraine. CNN's Ben Wedeman's visits a town that could be in the path of that assault.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

BEN WEDEMAN, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice over): Denise loads food in his car for a delivery run. The supplies sorted by volunteers in this old warehouse were donated from around Ukraine and abroad. Denise was a musician before the war.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: My town is broken. Destroyed.

WEDEMAN (voice-over): Sievierodonetsk is the city furthest East under Ukrainian government control. And under constant bombardment from Russian forces nearby. The supplies Denise and other volunteers deliver are what keep this city alive. Two missiles landed outside Nadia's decrepit Soviet era apartment building. The strain of living under this shelling more than she can take.

It's hard, she says. I can't stay in this room. I'm so afraid I want it to be quiet and calm again.

With Russian forces massing in the east. There will be no quiet. There will be no calm.

Sitting on a hospital bed Iyana (ph) recounts the night her house was hit.

I was in the kitchen and it started, she says. Her home is now in ruins. More than 20 corpses lie scattered in the hospitals morgue. Wrapped in sheets and blankets awaiting burial. On the outskirts of the city more evidence of the toll war has taken.

WEDEMAN: This is a hastily dug graveyard that was started since the war began. Just look at the dates, 7th of April, 9th of April, 3rd of April, 4th of April. It goes on and on and on.

WEDEMAN (voice over): And more graves will soon be filled.

Ben Wedeman, CNN, Sievierodonetsk , eastern Ukraine.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BRUNHUBER: The European official who might one day prosecute alleged war crimes in Ukraine describes that country as a crime scene. Karim Khan is chief prosecutor at the International Criminal Court at the Hague. He's now traveled to two towns near Kyiv where mass graves and other atrocities were discovered after Russian troops pulled out. Afterward, Khan spoke with our Jake Tapper about what he and his team are trying to accomplish. And we want to warn you here that some of the images in there are graphic.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

KARIM KHAN, PROSECUTOR, INTERNATIONAL CRIMINAL COURT: I think we have all been seeing the pictures and reading the reports regarding the devastation, the human cost both to property, but really most importantly to civilians, men, women and children. And so, it was an opportunity to see firsthand to verify to try to start a process of collection.

JAKE TAPPER, CNN ANCHOR, THE LEAD WITH JAKE TAPPER: Putin is out there saying it's all fake. It's all a hoax, you're seeing with your own eyes.

KHAN: What we have to do, I think the job is to separate truth from falsehood. Truth always is said to be the first casualty of war. There's competing narratives. There's allegations and counter allegations.

[04:35:00] And I think this is why there's a role, an important role for an independent prosecutor's office. We don't have a political agenda. We're not in favor of Ukraine and against Russia or in favor of Russia against Ukraine, we're in favor of humanity.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BRUNHUBER: New York subway shooting suspect Frank James will stay behind bars for the time being. He was denied bail during his initial court appearance in New York Thursday. James didn't enter a plea to a charge related to terrorism and an attack on mass transit. Outside the courtroom, his lawyer cautioned against a rush to judgment.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MIA EISNER-GRYNBERG, SUSPECT'S ATTORNEY: Mr. James saw his photograph on the news. He called Crime Stoppers to help. He told them where he was. Initial press and police reports in cases like this one are often inaccurate. Mr. James is entitled to a fair trial and we will ensure that he receives one.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BRUNHUBER: Prosecutors say James set off two smoke grenades and opened fire during morning rush hour Tuesday -- 29 people were injured, including ten with gunshots wounds. Four victims are still hospitalized. Investigators didn't say what his motive might have been.

The family of a man shot and killed by police is calling for the termination and prosecution of the officer who shot him. It comes day after police in Michigan released several videos of the incident. CNN's Omar Jimenez has details.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

DORCAS LYOYA, MOTHER OF PATRICK LYOYA (through translator): I'm really deeply hurt and wounded.

OMAR JIMENEZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice over): The parents of 26-year- old Patrick Lyoya speaking publicly through their pastor for the first time since police release video of their son being killed.

D. LYOYA (through translator): I think about him every time. And I still cannot believe that my son died.

JIMENEZ (voice-over): The family came to the United States to flee war in the Democratic Republic of Congo. But it was in the United States that a bullet killed her son. The father still remembers asking police how his son was killed.

PETER LYOYA, FATHER OF PATRICK LYOYA (through translator): Very astonishing, amazing. They told me that he was killed by an officer. I didn't believe it. I said, the police that was supposed watching him, is the one who kill him. JIMENEZ (voice-over): Back on April 4th, shortly after being pulled over for what police say was improper car registration, Lyoya starts running. The officer chases and they go to the ground, beginning what would become minutes of wrestling and struggling.

The officer used his taser twice, but failed to make contact, as Lyoya puts his hands on the Taser when the two go to the ground for what would be the final time, struggling for a few brief moments before the officer's final words.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Drop the taser.

JIMENEZ 1915. I was just involved in a shooting. Nelson. Griggs.

RADIO: Sending medical.

JIMENEZ 1915. I'm Nelson. North of Griggs. That's 10-4. Suspect down.

JIMENEZ (voice-over): The officer got up. Lyoya didn't. The shooting sparked a mass protest in downtown Grand Rapids. Centered on justice for a new face in what many see as a familiar story.

The officer who fired the shot still hasn't been named but has been stripped of his police powers. The Lyoya family's power is now focused on one thing.

P. LYOYA (through translator): If really Patrick is dead, I just ask for justice.

JIMENEZ (voice-over): Omar Jimenez, CNN, Grand Rapids, Michigan.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BRUNHUBER: All right. Coming up on CNN NEWSROOM, China's zero COVID policy intensifies amid rampant spread of COVID cases and we'll show you what life is like under lockdowns in Shanghai.

Plus, we'll go live to London for the latest on the royal reunion after the break. Stay with us.

[04:40:00]

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BRUNHUBER: Shanghai is reporting more than 23,000 new COVID cases. That's 95 percent of all new infections reported across China on Thursday. Now, this comes as more than 40 Chinese cities are under full or partial lockdowns to stop the latest COVID outbreak, which may still be getting worse.

Shanghai is battling China's worst COVID outbreak since the virus first emerged in Wuhan in late 2019.

So, for more on that, I'm joined by CNN's David Culver in Shanghai. So, David, what's the latest on the COVID numbers and on those draconian lockdowns, which obviously you've been going through, as well?

DAVID CULVER, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes, living it in person here. Yes, life in lockdown. Difficult for many people in this city of 25 plus million. And you mention those numbers of 23,000 new cases. A little bit more than that reported today. That is slightly down from the prior day's reporting. So, that in and of itself is good news, but it's still significant enough for them to have to continue building these quarantine centers, which they're doing nonstop, it seems.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

CULVER (voice over): A few steps of freedom granted to some Shanghai residents strolling their own neighborhood as if taking in some strange new world.

CULVER: But where are you going to go. There is nowhere to go.

CULVER (voice over): Most shops still closed, and public transportation halted. Still, this woman can't hold back her joy, recording as she and her neighbors roam the empty streets. After forcing 25 plus million people into weeks of harsh lockdown, government officials facing mounting pressure, lifted some restrictions.

For communities like mine, without a positive case in the last seven days, that meant we could actually step outside our apartments. My neighbors enjoying the taste of relative freedom, and so too are pets, eager to stretch their legs still keeping within the confines of our compound.

The extent of my freedom? Is all the way to here, the compound gate. Still double locked, it has been like that for about a month. In recent weeks we had to get community permission to leave our homes, mostly for COVID tests, of which there were many. We can also step outside to pick up the occasional government distribution.

CULVER: Today's delivery, a bag of rice.

CULVER (voice over): But even with heavy restrictions still in place, we have it good, for now at least. A majority of the city remains in hard lockdown, kept to their homes, some hungry and suffering. This woman heard begging in the middle of the night, pleading for fever medicine for her child.

[04:45:00]

And this man recording his dwindling food supply.

Then there were those who've tested positive. Tens of thousands being sent to cramped government quarantine centers, whose residents have described a host of problems. Facilities that were quickly and apparently poorly constructed.

Outside of Shanghai, panic spreading quicker than the virus. The horror stories from China's financial hub have residents and other Chinese cities stocking up, from Xuzhou to Guangzhou. Online, sales for prepackaged foods surging.

This as China's National Health Commission warns of more cases. And publicly calls out Shanghai for not effectively containing the virus. Shifting blame to local officials for allowing it to spread to other places.

China's strict zero COVID approach forcing dozens of cities into weeks-long full or partial lockdowns. Residents in Jilin home, banging on pots to protest. Most of the 24 million people in the northern Chinese province confined to their homes for more than a month now.

Back in Shanghai, the joys of freedoms for some might last only a few hours, as it takes just one new case nearby to send them back inside, resetting the clock for their community. Another 14 days sentence and lockdown, a seemingly endless cycle.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

CULVER (on camera): One thing that has been reinforced from the top here is that zero-COVID, that policy, is here to stay. Kim, that has been stressed now multiple times by President Xi Jinping.

BRUNHUBER: Now despite everything. All right, interesting. David Culver in Shanghai. Thanks for that.

Queen Elizabeth has had some visitors this week. Prince Harry and his wife, Meghan, stopped by to see the British monarch on their way to the Invictus games, which begin Saturday in the Hague. Harry recently said that he hoped to visit his 95-year-old grandmother soon. The Queen has dealt with a number of health issues in recent months. Including feeling, quote, tired and exhausted since getting COVID in February.

Joining me now from outside of Buckingham is CNN's Nada Bashir. So, Nada, obviously there must be more worrying questions about the Queen's health here. What's the latest?

NADA BASHIR, CNN REPORTER: Certainly, there are some growing concerns around the Queen's health condition, as you mentioned. She won't be taking part in that Easter Sunday service this week. Traditionally, a very important holiday weekend for the Queen, where she would be gathering with family members. But according to a royal source, she has opted not to take part in that service this week.

And we have heard of other health concerns. We understand that the Queen has experienced feel tired and exhausted since her bout of COVID in February. And we have seen her on occasion using a cane for some engagements. So, some suggestion of perhaps troubles with her mobility.

And of course, in March, she did spend a night at a London hospital. She was advised by doctors there to take it easy, to take a rest, and she was absent from some royal engagements during that period. So, there are certainly some concerns. And there will be all eyes on the Queen and indeed the royal family over the coming weeks, as the royal family prepares to celebrate the Queen's platinum jubilee. She is, of course, also due to celebrate her 96th birthday next week.

So, this reunion with Prince Harry and Duchess of Sussex, Meghan Markle, will be, I imagine, quite welcome by the Queen. This is of course, the first time the royal couple has returned to the U.K. since they stepped back as senior members of the royal family in 2020.

Now, we have heard from Prince Harry. He has said that the family has taken part in Zoom calls with the Queen, they have kept in touch despite the fact that obviously there has been some tension in the family. That was expressed openly by the Duchess of Sussex, in her now-infamous interview with Oprah Winfrey. And the royal family itself has come under intense scrutiny as a result of that interview.

But clearly, those ties are still strong. Prince Harry and Meghan Markel meeting with the Queen, stopping by at Windsor Castle on their way to the Invictus games, a deeply important event for the Prince, who founded those games. But of course, a welcomed reunion for the Queen I'm sure -- Kim.

BRUNHUBER: Yes, I imagine. Nada Bashir thank you so much, appreciate it.

Parts of the U.S. pounded by storms this week. So, we'll look at what's in store for the weekend. We'll go live to the CNN weather center to find out. Stay with us.

[04:50:00]

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BRUNHUBER: Well, you're looking at damage from a tornado that hit Moore County, Minnesota, Tuesday night. Luckily, no one was killed, but officials say at least ten houses were destroyed. Authorities are still assessing the costs but estimate nearly $100,000 worth of damage was done. Residents and volunteers are now clearing debris and cleaning up the community.

Let's bring in meteorologist Gene Norman. It looked pretty bad. Take us through what happened.

GENE NORMAN, CNN METEOROLOGIST: Well, we've got -- that's one of 30 tornadoes, Kim, that we have been tracking for the last couple of days across the country, as a series of storms has been moving through. Also, lots of wind reports, hail reports, and heavy rain, across the lower Mississippi River Valley, anywhere from 2 to 4 inches and in some cases, more than that.

And as we head towards the weekend, get set for more rough storms, especially in the South. Winter hangs on in the North. And believe it or not, we're still dealing with a fire risk. Let me walk you through all of this kind of weather as we head into this big holiday weekend.

First, the storms. There'll be a new round of severe weather that will erupt later on this evening, on into early Saturday. Then it will sag down into the southeast for Saturday afternoon. We could see the potential for isolated tornadoes in places like eastern Oklahoma and northwest Arkansas. They have the greatest risk.

And because of the high heat out across west Texas and across New Mexico, a red flag warning is in effect. Fire could easily spread quickly in those areas.

Now let's switch seasons again. Talk about winter weather. Nearly 3 feet of snow has fallen in portions of North Dakota and Montana and they're in for more of that white stuff.

[04:55:00]

In fact, it looks like perhaps another inch or so in sections of North Dakota along with high winds. And out across the Pacific Northwest anywhere from 4 to 6 inches. Here comes the system bringing that snow to that part of the country. And then we'll see even more. In fact, places we showed you that got hit with the tornado, they'll likely have snow by Easter morning.

As far as the accumulation amounts, well, we could be looking at anywhere from 6 inches to about a foot, especially in the Sierra Nevada, and much-needed rainfall in the Pacific Northwest across Northern California. So, Kim, we've got a lot going on heading into a holiday weekend.

BRUNHUBER: All right, we'll keep an eye on it throughout the weekend. Gene Norman, thank you so much.

Now, before we go, the staff at the Russian Embassy in Washington thought they'd found a crafty way to thwart a protest. Have a look at this.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: They're trying to drown you out. They're trying to drag you out. You see that?

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BRUNHUBER: So, as you see there, they used a spotlight to try to blot out the Ukrainian flag that was being projected on to the building. So, a cat and mouse game ensued with the spotlight chasing the flag across the building. The embassy staff eventually gave up. Organizers tell CNN their next protest is to plant sunflowers, the national flower of Ukraine, on the vacant lot across the street from the embassy.

All right, that wraps this hour of CNN NEWSROOM. I'm Kim Brunhuber. Our coverage continues on "EARLY START" with Christine Romans and Laura Jarrett in New York and Brianna Keilar in Lviv, Ukraine. You are watching CNN.

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