Return to Transcripts main page
CNN Newsroom
2 Dead, Dozens Wounded in Weekend Mass Shootings; China's COVID Lockdown Poses Massive Risk to Global Economy; Polish Border Guard: For 2 Days, More Have Entered Ukraine Than Exited; Some Ukrainians Forced to Exit Country Through Russia; Ukrainians in Donetsk Brace for Russia's Eastern Offensive During Easter Weekend; Florida Rejects 41% of New Math Books Citing Critical Race Theory Among the Reasons. Aired 1:30-2p ET
Aired April 18, 2022 - 13:30 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
[13:30:00]
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
SHIMON PROKUPECZ, CNN CRIME & JUSTICE CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): In Pittsburgh, a mass shooting at a large party held at a short-term rental property. Two 17-year-olds were killed and police say at least eight others were wounded by the gunfire early Sunday morning.
CHIEF SCOTT E. SCHUBERT, PITTSBURGH POLICE: It's heartbreaking. I mean, here we are at Easter and we have multiple families, two that won't see a loved one.
PROKUPECZ: Police say as many as 200 people were at the party, most of them underage.
SCHUBERT: How can you even have a holiday when your child was involved in something traumatic like this.
PROKUPECZ: According to the police chief, multiple shooters firing more than 90 rounds inside and outside of the house.
Some party goers jumped out of windows, leaving some with broken bones and cuts, police say.
The search for the suspects is underway. And officials are urging anyone with information to come forward as investigators process as many as eight separate crime scenes.
In Columbia, South Carolina, one man was arrested after a mass shooting at a mall on Saturday. BAYRONE BILLUPS, WITNESS: We didn't know who was shooting, what
direction it was coming from, and it was -- I mean it was really terrifying.
PROKUPECZ: Twenty-two-year-old Jawayne Price (ph) appeared in court Sunday. According to the Columbia Police Department, Price is charged with unlawful carrying of a pistol. Police said more charges are possible.
CNN has not been able to determine if Price has a lawyer. He's been released on house arrest.
Police say they believe those involved in the shooting knew one another. The shooting left 14 people injured, at least nine suffered gunshot wounds and five others hurt while attempting to leave the scene.
About 100 miles south of Columbia, in Hampton County, South Carolina, police say nine people were shot early Sunday morning at a lounge.
CNN affiliate, WTOC TV, reported the lounge was hosting an Easter bash when the shots rang out. Some people jumped into nearby ditches to avoid being hit WTOC reported.
The South Carolina Law Enforcement Division is leading the investigation.
In Boston, police said two people were shot in the city's Chinatown neighborhood.
GREGORY LONG, SUPERINTENDENT-IN-CHIEF, BOSTON POLICE: Both of these males were transported to local area hospitals. And both are currently listed in critical condition with life-threatening injuries.
PROKUPECZ: Three suspects are in custody after the vehicle, police say, they were fleeing in crashed. Two were injured in the crash, but police said they do not believe those injuries are life-threatening.
Boston police say what led up to the shooting is still unclear, but the investigation is ongoing.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
ANA CABRERA, CNN HOST: Shimon joins us live now.
Shimon, the shooting there in Pittsburgh, no one has been arrested. What are people or police, I should say, saying about the search for suspects?
PROKUPECZ: Right, that continues, the search for suspects. They think now that possibly as many as 100 rounds were fired by these multiple shooters. They found shell casings belonging to different guns, which is leading them to believe that there are multiple shooters.
They are still searching for them this morning. Schools there were put on modified lockdown out of concern for students' safety. Big concern there for law enforcement about this party and some of
what was going on at that party. The police chief there saying that there was alcohol and potentially some drugs as well.
This was all supposedly a party where most of the people who were attending were underage. He says there were some adults at this party. But, obviously, big questions surrounding this party.
The concern here is that there was a fight and there was just this argument between some groups and someone pulled out a gun and then someone else pulled out a gun and that's how all these innocent bystanders were hurt.
CABRERA: Shimon Prokupecz, thank you.
The masks are back, and so is the resistance. The city of Philadelphia is now facing a lawsuit over the return of its indoor mask mandate. Endorsement of that mandate began today.
But a group of business owners and residents who filed suit say the mandate violates the state constitution and goes against CDC guidelines.
Philadelphia is now the first major U.S. city to reinstate a mask mandate. The city is under a level-2 COVID response, which was triggered because the number of cases increased by more than 50 percent over the previous 10 days.
So masks are now required in all public indoor spaces. That includes schools, businesses and restaurants.
Health experts say the true number of COVID-19 cases here in the U.S. may be much higher than officially reported. In fact, the number could be as much as 14.5 times higher, according to one health research group.
Officials point to a rise in at-home testing, as one reason why. And the concern is that most of those results go unreported. Efforts are under way to better track home test results.
Health officials also point out that most people who are infected with the Omicron variant of COVID-19 may not show any symptoms and thus don't even know to take a test.
[13:35:00]
In China, COVID cases are on the rise. And now nearly 400 million people across 45 cities in China are under full or partial lockdown as part of China's strict zero-COVID policy.
And this could end up having a major economic impact all around the world.
Let me bring in CNN reporter, Matt, is here with us. Matt Egan is joining us.
What's that risk here? What is the big risk?
MATT EGAN, CNN BUSINESS REPORTER: Ana, China is the world manufacturing power. So when something breaks there, we feel it everywhere. And stuff is definitely breaking there because of these lockdowns in China.
We've already seen all these different impacts. Freight traffic frozen. Cargo flights canceled. And 90 percent of the trucks that deal with imports or exports out of action right now.
The port of Shanghai, the world's largest for contain movement, it's essentially at a standstill. All of that has to do with the flow of supplies.
We've also seen the production of new supplies get impacted. Tesla, Sony, Apple, just a few of the companies that have had their factories shut down.
Some companies are trying to reopen, but we'll have to wait and see how long they actually can stay open because of China's zero-COVID policy.
Why does this matter to everyone? It's about inflation.
CABRERA: Yes.
EGAN: We saw -- this is when COVID hit right here. Consumer prices going straight up after that. A lot of that had to do with the fact that supply has been really weak because of COVID. Demand has been really strong.
The concern is that, if China's lockdowns worsen the supply chain crisis, that could keep prices pretty high.
CABRERA: The supply chain issue has been an ongoing thing for so much of us.
So what is the U.S. saying about this? Are officials going to take action?
EGAN: Well, COVID has really exposed this weakness in U.S. supply chains, right? We're so reliant, dependent on components built overseas.
So there's a thought process that perhaps this latest wave of COVID lockdowns in China could actually give new momentum towards efforts in Washington to try to build new supply in the United States, try to bolster U.S. supply chains.
But that's not going to be easy because globalization, for the longest time, really did keep prices low for better or worse. And unwinding that, trying to decouple from China is not going to be easy. And could easily lead to higher prices in the medium term.
CABRERA: Of course, it takes time --
EGAN: It does.
CABRERA: -- to revamp everything.
Matt Egan, as always, thank you so much.
EGAN: Thank you, Ana.
CABRERA: The fighting is growing more intense, and widespread. So why are more people now returning to Ukraine from Poland than fleeing the war-torn country?
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[13:42:27]
CABRERA: The humanitarian toll of Russia's war in Ukraine spilling over far beyond Ukraine's borders. Just shy of two months into this invasion, nearly five million refugees have fled the country, according to the United Nations.
But in the middle of this exodus, an unexpected development at the Polish/Ukrainian border. For the past two days, more people have been entering Ukraine than exiting.
CNN's Salma Abdelaziz is at the border.
Salma, do we know what's driving this reverse flow of refugees that emerged this weekend?
SALMA ABDELAZIZ, CNN REPORTER: Ana, from reporting on this border for weeks now, I can tell you, I'm not surprised by this reverse flow. There's a simple economic reason as to why it's been happening.
We've been speaking to volunteers all along the border area who have been putting up these refugees on their own dime.
Spending thousands out of pocket to provide them with food, shelter, supplies, putting them at times up in their own office buildings, homes, any places they can really find to convert into shelters.
And they are running out of cash. They say they're getting no help from government authorities, particularly here along the border.
That's not just the shelters running out of money. Ukrainians themselves, who brought themselves across the border, were putting themselves up in hotels or hostels or anywhere they can find. Now they have no work, no cash, no money.
They are going back, Ana, even if they don't feel it's safe.
CABRERA: Oh, my goodness. And they obviously didn't know when they left how long they'd have to be gone. So, obviously, very difficult to prepare for any situation in this circumstance.
For so many of those fleeing, it isn't a simple trip from point A in Ukraine to point B in Poland. What are people telling you about their journeys?
ABDELAZIZ: Ana, I met one family that had an extraordinary round-about and dangerous journey to make it out of Eastern Ukraine.
Of course, the hardest hit part of the country where some villages, cities and towns are fully occupied by Russian troops. They are besieged, encircled, bombed and hit every single day.
One family I spoke to, again, who I met here in Poland, said their only option was to flee into Russia, into the country that was bombing and besieging them.
They were lucky -- and I use lucky here as a relative term -- because their daughter, their relative, was a Ukrainian-American with the means to get them out of Russia.
Take a listen.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
[13:44:58]
MILA TURCHYN, UKRAINIAN-AMERICAN VOLUNTEER: I heard them for the first time after whole month. I was so torn. I was happy they alive. But I was terrified that they are in Russia. And I don't know, should I be happy or should I be sad?
Somebody from Poland gave me a number of people who transport, smuggling basically. Obviously, it's dangerous.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ABDELAZIZ: Thousands of Ukrainians remain stranded in Russia, living in the country that's been bombing and besieging them unwanted there -- Ana?
CABRERA: Salma Abdelaziz, thank you.
Yesterday was one of the holiest days of the year for many of us. For Ukrainian Orthodox Christians, it was Palm Sunday. That didn't stop Russian forces from shelling a church in the contested Donbass region.
In a different city in the region, residents were able to safely pray.
CNN's Clarissa Ward spoke with them about the upcoming Russian offensive.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
(SINGING)
CLARISSA WARD, CNN CHIEF INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice over): At the Alexander Nevsky Cathedral in Sloviansk, an ardent prayer from worshippers under the shadow of Russia's war:
(SINGING) WARD: "We ask for your mercy, Lord."
(SINGING)
WARD: "Please hear us."
They have gathered here for Orthodox Palm Sunday, carrying willows instead of palms, per the Orthodox tradition. It is supposed to be a celebration of Jesus' return to Jerusalem. But there is little joy in this congregation.
Ukrainian officials say this city will be a decisive battleground in Russia's imminent offensive in the Donbas region. The streets are getting emptier as the fighting gets closer. Those still here are being urged to leave.
(AIR RAID SIREN)
WARD: The air raid siren is an unrelenting wail.
(on camera): You can't hear it because the sirens are so loud, but we have heard a steady stream of booms coming from that way in the distance. But as you can see here, people here are just used to it.
(voice-over): The children continue the play. The adults try to stay strong.
This group is awaiting an evacuation bus to the safety of western Ukraine. Rayisa (ph) tells us she is taking her grandchildren to Lviv. Their mother died three years ago.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: (SPEAKING FOREIGN LANGUAGE)
WARD: "You hear what's happening here," she says. "My husband is still at home. His health isn't good enough to make the journey."
Her granddaughter offers some support.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: (SPEAKING FOREIGN LANGUAGE)
UNIDENTIFIED GIRL: (SPEAKING FOREIGN LANGUAGE)
WARD: "Oh, grandma," she says, "I love you."
Anna Stepanovna (ph) is full of anguish that the international community has failed to rein in Putin.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: (SPEAKING FOREIGN LANGUAGE)
WARD: "When they show the children killed, I can't, I cry," she says.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: (SPEAKING FOREIGN LANGUAGE)
WARD: "Why can't they stop this one idiot? If they will send me, I will shoot him."
Seven weeks into this ugly war, there is no end in sight.
Pavel (ph) is saying goodbye to his wife, Olga. She doesn't want to let go of him, scenes of separation that have become all too familiar.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: (SPEAKING FOREIGN LANGUAGE)
WARD: "Everything will be okay," the organizer tells her. Comforting words but it masks a grim reality.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
[13:53:06]
CABRERA: Welcome back. The Florida Department of Education says it has rejected 41 percent of all new math textbooks submitted for next year's school curriculum -- 41 percent -- claiming publishers were attempting to, quote, "indoctrinating students."
Again, we are talking about math books.
The state claims some of these books reference Critical Race Theory. Critical Race Theory is taught at the graduate level, not primary school.
It is an approach that acknowledges that racism is both systemic and institutional in U.S. society and analyzes and tries to understand why racial inequality still exists.
I want to bring in CNN's Steve Contorno in Florida who has been doing a lot of reporting on this.
Steve, have Florida officials given any examples of what was in these books that they deemed so inappropriate?
STEVE CONTORNO, CNN REPORTER: Ana, the short answer is, no, they haven't provided any details. And we've asked for specifics of what exactly in these math textbooks were so objectionable.
What we do know is that 21 percent of these books were rejected because they included, quote, "prohibited topics like Critical Race Theory," or, quote, "unsolicited strategies like social and emotional learning."
Some other books were rejected because they included principles of Common Core, the Obama-era administration teaching standards that were actually once championed by past Florida governors.
However, we've asked for pages or math problems or lesson plans or materials that explain what exactly was so objectionable and we haven't gotten anything back and neither have a lot of people.
And that is one of the reasons whys, Ana, Democrats are so enraged right now, because there are few answers. And they're concerned that this is just a political push by an administration that has taken education into this really political arena.
[13:55:03]
CABRERA: Steve Contorno, obviously, there's more digging to learn in this story. Thank you very much for your reporting.
That does it for me today. I'll see you back here tomorrow, same time, same place. Until then, I hope you'll join me on Twitter, @AnaCabrera.
The news continues after a quick break.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
