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Russia's War on Ukraine; Top Trump Allies Tangle with McCarthy; Collecting Evidence of War Crimes in Bucha; Luhansk Bearing Brunt of Increased Russian Attacks; Interview with Lviv Deputy Mayor Serhiy Kiral; Russia's Economic Battlefield; Interview with Polish Minister of Climate and Environment Anna Moskwa; U.S.-Russia Prisoner Swap; Drama in the GOP; China's COVID Crisis; Coronavirus Pandemic; Mass COVID Testing in Beijing; Lockdowns in China; Afghanistan Fallout; Wind Energy Surpasses Coal and Nuclear. Aired 2-3a ET

Aired April 28, 2022 - 02:00:00   ET

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

[02:00:00]

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

ANNOUNCER: This is CNN breaking news.

ISA SOARES, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT AND ANCHOR: Hello, and a very warm welcome to our viewers joining us from the United States and all around the world. I'm Isa Soares live in Ukraine. Where Vladimir Putin is warning against Western intervention in his unprovoked war. While the U.S. says it has credible evidence of Russia's barbaric tactics on the battlefield.

ROSEMARY CHURCH, CNN INTERNATIONAL NEWS ANCHOR: And I'm Rosemary Church at CNN World Headquarters in Atlanta. I will have all our other top stories. Including tense moments behind closed doors in Washington, as top Trump allies tangle with Republican Leader Kevin McCarthy over leaked audio and lies.

SOARES: Welcome to the show, everyone. Well, Russia is increasing shelling in Eastern Ukraine. And Ukrainian officials say the Luhansk region is bearing the brunt of those attacks. You are looking at the aftermath of a strike on a hospital in Severodonetsk, said to be one of the region's only functioning hospitals. We are told that one woman is reportedly dead. Officials say the hospital is still operating despite suffering, of course, significant damage. Severodonetsk is among the hardest-hit towns as Russia intensifies its offensive in the East of the country.

Meantime, the British foreign secretary is making the latest appeal to provide more heavy weapons to Ukraine. Liz Truss says the West should supply Kyiv with tanks and even warplanes. This, as Russian President Vladimir Putin makes a very stark, as well a direct threat, about foreign interference in Ukraine. Have a listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

VLADIMIR PUTIN, RUSSIAN PRESIDENT (through translator): If someone intends to intervene in what is happening from the outside and creates unacceptable strategic threats for us, then they should know that our response to oncoming strikes will be swift, lightning-fast. We have all the tools for this. Ones that no one can brag about. And we won't brag. We will use them if needed.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SOARES: Well, his threat came shortly after three explosions inside Russian regions bordering Ukraine. This is an ammunition depot on fire in Belgorod. Ukraine has not said whether they are responsible for the blast. But an aid to Ukraine's President describes that as, "Karma." And those aren't the only explosions to rock territory under Russian control.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: (Speaking in foreign language).

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SOARES: What you're looking at in the Russian-occupied city of Kherson in Southern Ukraine. Russian state-run media report the blast was caused by three missiles fired by Ukrainian forces. We haven't had any confirmation of that from Ukraine. It reportedly happened near a TV broadcast, allegedly causing Russian channels to go down in the city.

Well, the United States says it has credible information that Ukraine -- the Russian soldiers, pardon me, executed Ukrainians who are trying to surrender. According to the U.S., this happened near Donetsk, in the Donbas region of Eastern Ukraine. At the United Nations on Wednesday, the U.S. Ambassador-at-Large for Global Criminal Justice said the U.S. also has credible reports of civilians killed execution style, torture, and sexual violence against women and girls. Have a listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BETH VAN SCHAACK, U.S. AMBASSADOR-AT-LARGE FOR GLOBAL CRIMINAL JUSTICE: Let us be clear, those who unleashed, perpetrated, and ordered these crimes must be held to account. And the evidence of this criminality is mounting daily. Our simple message to Russia's military and political leadership, and to the rank and file, is this, the world is watching, and you will be held accountable.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SOARES: Well, atrocities committed in the Kyiv suburb of Bucha are a main focus of investigations into war crimes, that's where scores of civilians were found dead on the streets after Russian forces pulled out. CNN's Anderson Cooper spoke with a local prosecutor, gathering evidence, as well as a civilian who risked his life to document the killings. And a warning, the images in this report are graphic.

[02:05:00]

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ANDERSON COOPER, CNN ANCHOR AND CORRESPONDENT (voiceover): In Bucha, blood still stains the street. When Russian troops pulled out, this is what they left behind on Yablonska Street, the bodies of several men shot to death, hands tied behind their backs. Further down, this person was shot to death on their bicycle, and another, and another, and another, and another, and another.

COOPER (on camera): What happened here?

RUSLAN KRAVCHENKO, BUCHA PROSECUTOR (through translator): Local residents were killed on the street by the Russian military. They were shot and killed even just going out to the street around their business or going to pick up humanitarian aid.

COOPER (voiceover): Ruslan Kravchenko is Bucha's prosecutor. He's now collecting evidence of war crimes.

KRAVCHENKO (through translator): People were killed at this point. There is a woman killed here. There were bodies here and there, where the road is turning left. There were people riding bicycles who were killed by the Russian military.

COOPER (voiceover): Russia denies it all. They say that more than 300 bodies found in Bucha after Russian troops withdrew were staged. As for these satellite images taken in mid-March when Russia was occupying Bucha, would show bodies in the exact same locations they were later found on Yablonska Street, Russia says they, too, are fake. But the evidence, already overwhelming, continues to grow.

COOPER (on camera): Prosecutors have been gathering evidence for weeks, and now reveal to us that they have photographs and videos taken over the course of several days as the killings occurred here. They say the images were captured by a person in this house on their cell phone camera.

COOPER (voiceover): It was through these windows he saw the slaughter. This is one of his first pictures, taken on March 5th. Two bodies, reportedly killed that day, were visible outside his window. On March 6th, when this picture was taken a third body is visible on the street. This video taken on March 7th shows at least two more bodies.

Ruslan Kravchenko says these images and the data in the camera phone they were taken with provides important proof of exactly who was killed and when.

KRAVCHENKO (through translator): It will prove that it was a particular phone, that the pictures were taken with, and also the time and the location that they were taken. The Russian Federation will not be able to continue saying that this was set up video or fakes.

COOPER (voiceover): We tracked down the man who risked his life to take these photos and video, we agreed not to show his face.

COOPER (on camera): Were you scared to take pictures? I mean, if they had seen you taking pictures, you could have been killed.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE (through translator): Of course, there was fear. But I had to prove that it was them. That they killed people who were civilians. I had to do something.

COOPER (on camera): Do you remember the first person killed on your street?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE (through translator): The first one to get killed was the man on the bicycle to the left of my house. On March 6th, there were more dead people. There were seven people dead on the street on March 6th. Seven dead people. I couldn't capture all the bodies from the window. There was a wall in the way.

COOPER (on camera): What do you want to see happen to those Russians, to everybody in the chain of command?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE (through translator): They must be punished. There was a young guy who was bringing potatoes in a bag, maybe for his family. The stores were closed. There was no power, no heating, no water. He wanted to help and he was killed. What do they deserve? Only punishment.

COOPER (voiceover): But punishing the guilty won't be easy.

COOPER (on camera): There were a number of different Russian units, that I understand, who were stationed here at one time or another.

KRAVCHENKO: Tak.

COOPER (on camera): You need to try to identify which unit it was and what the chain of command was?

KRAVCHENKO (through translator): And it's very important to identify not only the commanders but concrete troops who committed the crimes and have them held accountable.

COOPER (voiceover): Kravchenko says 10 Russian soldiers in Bucha have already been identified, using eyewitness accounts along with drone footage and images, like this one, taken by a traffic surveillance camera not far from the Yablonska Street.

But whether he can learn the identities of the Russians stationed on Yablonska Street is unclear. The man killed on March 5th, on his bike, was 68-year-old Volodymyr (ph) Brovchenko. His wife, Svitlana, lives not far away. They were married for 45 years and have two kids and three grandchildren.

SVITLANA BROVCHENKI, HUSBAND WAS KILLED IN BUCHA (through translator): We told him not to go to work because there were tanks on the street. We told him not to go. He said, no. I have to go to work. I have work to do. I don't know what to tell you. It's awful. It's awful. COOPER (voiceover): It is all so awful. The bicycle, her husband road, is still on Yablonska Street near the spot where he died. She doesn't want it back. The horror of what happened is just too terrible to face. Anderson Cooper, CNN, Bucha, Ukraine.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

[02:10:00]

SOARES: So much where and so much loss. Well, joining me down here in Lviv is Serhiy Kiral who's the Deputy Mayor of Lviv. Thank you very much, Serhiy, for taking the time to speak to us. Let me start off by, you know, looking at what -- you know, talking about what we've seen in the East of the country. That offensive is really ramping up. The United States has said, the Ukraine is winning, is that your assessment?

SERHIY KIRAL, LVIV DEPUTY MAYOR: I do believe that the war has already been decided, it's just a few battles which needs to still -- to still to be a win. As many Ukrainians, myself as well, are very reencouraged about these recent meetings, particularly in Germany, it was a 40 -- more than 40 countries, in fact. Not only all the NATO members have gathered in support of Ukraine. And the new command center -- control center is created in order to supply Ukraine with all it requested and all it needs particularly heavy weapons. This gives hope, not only to our civilians but also, and most importantly, to all the defenders who are continuing to courageously fight and stand against the Russian onslaught which continues.

SOARES: But you are seeing losses? And that is clear. Ukraine is now acknowledging these losses. Talk to us about the supply of weapons coming in. I spoke to a colonel, in the last hour, who told me this was a bottleneck. I'm going to read out what he said to me. He said, when it gets to Lviv, the sheer weight of bureaucracy halts it. Are supplies not getting through?

KIRAL: Well, Lviv has indeed become a kind of humanitarian hub. Indeed, it's in the crossroads of very important transportation routes, going West to East and vice versa. You also have to understand that Lviv as us as the local regional authorities, we have nothing to do with military supplies. This is completely part of our military and armed forces to organize that.

As far as the humanitarian aid is concerned, over these two months, we have received, as the city, more than 4,000 tons of humanitarian aid. This is about 200 trucks. 90 percent of that was immediately shipped to the East, to where it's really needed. The mayor is in constant communication with the mayors of Chernihiv, Mariupol, Kharkiv. We do not keep anything except maybe for a small reserve, in case of emergency.

SOARES: You talk about humanitarian. But I want to push you on the military. Because I've heard from several people now who have said that the supplies are not getting through. They're stopping at Lviv. Is that the case? Are you stockpiling here? And if so, why? KIRAL: For sure, we're not stockpiling anything. Moreover, as the local authorities, as the city, we are also concerned about the necessary supplies. Our local territorial defensive brigades have. And I --

SOARES: Is that because you think that something is going to happen? That you're going to see an increase in attacks?

KIRAL: No, it's because we are part of the overall war effort together with other cities and the Ukrainian central authorities. We just want to make sure they have everything before they're being sent to the East where the fight is the most important, the so-called battle on Donbas is going to unravel.

SOARES: How quickly though, we heard from the U.S. side, from Lloyd Austin saying, you know, we're getting weapons within a period of 24 to 48 hours. How quickly -- once they arrive in Lviv, how quickly are they being shipped out? Because this is really important.

KIRAL: I think we shouldn't overestimate the role of the Ukrainian authorities in the -- making sure the supplies are getting to the front. The Americans, they said themselves, including President Biden, that it takes more -- less than 48 hours from the decision before the weapons are actually on the ground. So -- and you also should understand that those Russian efforts to disrupt those supplies are not really effective. Probably because of the lack of proper intelligence, but mostly because we have multiple choices, many transportation routes. We have more than six border crossing points. We have rail and road which connects the border to other regions in Ukraine.

SOARES: But you didn't really answer my question. You didn't tell me how quickly they're getting sent out?

KIRAL: They get a green corridor, I'm sure. That they get -- as soon as they are at the Polish-Ukrainian border, shipped from all over the world, including from the U.S., I'm sure they can get to the front within 24 hours.

SOARES: Right. Thank you very much for clarifying that. We have seen, of course, here in Lviv attacks on your railways. Has that, in any way, Serhiy, affected -- shattered the sense of security, let's say?

KIRAL: There have been bombardments in Western Ukraine before over these past two months.

[02:15:00]

I'm sure there will be more attacks. It's part of the reason why Ukrainian authorities have been begging, in fact, for increased air defense capabilities, and the no-fly zone. It's because we understand that Russia -- Russia's capacity to continue to shell Ukraine will stay there. Unfortunately, we didn't receive that.

On the other hand, I'm sure this is not going to have a major impact. These six rail junctions which were shelled, they have been already been repaired. The emergency services, the firefighters, and other professional personnel are working very effectively. Take, for example, this recent shelling of the bridge in the South of Ukraine.

SOARES: Yes.

KIRAL: Within 24 hours, all the works were done and then the traffic has been reinstalled.

SOARES: Was that near Odessa?

KIRAL: Yes, that was near Odessa.

SOARES: Yes.

KIRAL: Connecting Odessa to the Siberian region. So, we make sure that all professionals that are staying here on the ground are working effectively and doing their job as quickly as possible.

SOARES: Serhiy Kiral, thank you very much. I've really appreciated it.

KIRAL: Thank you for reporting.

SOARES: Serhiy Kiral there, the Deputy Mayor of Lviv. While Russia's next offensive seems to be an economic one. What two European counties plan to do after Russia shutdown their natural gas supply. That is next. Do stay right here. You are watching CNN.

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PIPPA BAILEY, HEAD OF CLIMATE CHANGE & SUSTAINABILITY PRACTICE, IPSOS: My name is Pippa Bailey. I work for Ipsos and I'm head of our climate change and sustainability practice. So, many companies that we speak to struggle with, you know, how to talk about sustainability. How to share the great campaigns that they're doing.

And there's kind of a number of guidelines people need to follow. First of all, making sure you've got your own house in order. That your, you know, own environment, social and governance policies are heading in the right direction before you can go, kind of, on the offensive with a campaign where you want to illustrate and what great work you're doing.

[02:20:00]

But also, to kind of avoid brainwashing is making sure that that really fits under the brand banner that it represents what your brand is about so that it feels very intuitive consumers for instance.

SOARES: The European Union calls Russia's cutting off natural gas exports blackmail. Poland and Bulgaria had their supplies cut. And that Poland's Prime Minister calls a direct attack against his country. He adds, by autumn, Poland won't need Russian gas. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen demanded Russia stop using energy as a weapon. We're joined now by Anna Moskwa, Poland's Minister of Climate and Environment. Minister, very good morning to you. Thank you very much for joining us on the show.

ANNA MOSKWA, POLISH MINISTER OF CLIMATE AND ENVIRONMENT: Good morning.

SOARES: Let me start right there with what we've seen in terms of Russia's actions in the last 24 hours. Really deciding to close the gas taps to your country and Bulgaria. Why has Poland, just explain to our viewers, decided not to pay in rubles?

MOSKWA: Yes, we decided without any hesitation not pay in rubles. Our gas company has got a contract. A contract which should be -- which is operating. And this contract obliges both parties. And then it means that we don't need any new resolutions. We don't need any new degree, any new documents being imposed by Russia, by Putin. In Poland, we've got Polish law. It doesn't oblige us to follow any of Putin's documents. That's why we are of mind but we still got the contract and we don't need to follow any new Russian new procedures.

SOARES: Where does that leave Poland in this? I mean, do you have enough gas? Do you have enough supplies? And if so, until when?

MOSKWA: For now, we've got 80 percent of gas storage in Poland. At the same time, starting from the very beginning when our governments came to power, we started our very consequent and deliberate plan to be independent, fully independent from all Russian fossil fuels. We are ready to supply gas via LNG terminal from U.S. and Qatar. At the same time, we are ready to start operating our gas supplies from Norway via Denmark. We've got also connection with the Czech Republic. The new one is about to start with Slovakia. So, we are fully on the safe side.

SOARES: And I just want to show our viewers a graphic that shows, in terms of dependence, European dependence on Russian gas right across Europe. Just to get a sense of how much we depend. As you can see on your screen, Hungary depends for about 25 percent of Russian gas. Poland, 11 percent. On Hungary, I want -- we'd love you to hear, Minister, what's the Foreign Minister had to say. Listen to this.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

PETER SZIJJARTO, HUNGARIAN FOREIGN MINISTER: 85 percent of our gas supply comes from Russia, and 65 percent of our oil supply comes from Russia. Why? Because this is being determined by infrastructure. This is not for fun. We have not chosen this situation.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SOARES: So, you know, liquified natural gas is great, of course, Minister, when you can get it. But there are clearly supply issues in Europe. So, what's the long-term plan here for Europe?

MOSKWA: Yes, I know that there are many landlocked countries. Poland is not the one. But it doesn't mean that the gas, LNG gas, cannot be supplied with a different infrastructure. Countries have time to get prepared to build this infrastructure. Poland has done it. We built the infrastructure with Lithuania. We built with Slovakia. We are also ready to support landlocked countries. So, every single country had a chance to diversify and to be independent from Russia.

SOARES: The European Commission President, Ursula von der Leyen, said, as you just heard there, that this was tantamount to blackmail. Is Russia blackmailing Europe, Minister?

MOSKWA: Definitely. Poland was placed on the list of unfriendly countries by Putin. For us, it's an honor to be an unfriendly country and nominated by Putin on this list. But at the same time, it's a full --

SOARES: Anna Moskwa --

MOSKWA: -- every single country, every single gas supplying company has a contract which is enforced. And new documents --

SOARES: Minister --

MOSKWA: -- new law simply breaks it.

[02:25:00]

SOARES: Minister, I appreciate you taking the time to speak to us this morning. Anna Moskwa there. Thank you very much, Minister.

MOSKWA: Thank you very much. Have a good day. Bye.

SOARES: U.S. Marine Veteran Trevor Reed is on his way home right now following his release from Russia in a prisoner swap with U.S. Reed was detained for nearly three years, accused by Russian officials of espionage, charges he has consistently denied. U.S. officials say the prisoner swap took months of work. And concerns of Reed's health were, of course, a driving factor. Reed was swapped for Russian national, Konstantin Yaroshenko, held in U.S. custody since 2010 on drug trafficking charges which he also denies.

H.E. ZAYED AL ZAYANI, MINISTER OF INDUSTRY, COMMERCE, AND TOURISM, BAHRAIN: And when we come back right here, drama in the Republican Parties. Kevin McCarthy tries to defend himself for someone not so quick to forgive and forget. We'll explain next.

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Each hall is about 10,000 square meters, as you see here.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE (voiceover): To get more insight into the kingdom's strategy, I met up with the Minister of Industry, Commerce, and Tourism at one of the country's flagship projects. The Bahrain International Exhibition and Convention Center. This massive space is said to be the region's largest exhibition center when it opens later this year.

[02:30:00] UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE (on camera): Bahrain was already under pressure economically, before the pandemic, the pandemic brought along with it a lot more pain. But the country was already on the path of trying to diversify, away from oil and gas, do you think that's actually doable?

H.E. AL ZAYANI: If you talk primarily about diversification, it's not new to us. We've done it before. Before oil, we didn't have oil, we were a pearling nation. We went from pearling to oil, to industry, to banking, to telecom. And I'm sure we'll find more and more as we go along. I think the biggest asset in Bahrain is the Bahrainese themselves.

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CHURCH: Welcome back, everyone. Well, more drama on Capitol Hill, cracks in the Republican unity, and possibly ominous signs the GOP House Leader Kevin McCarthy. It centers around audio of McCarthy's comments, shortly after the January 6th Capitol riot, recently made public by "The New York Times". McCarthy is now in the crosshairs of some in his own party, including Congressman Matt Gaetz, who McCarthy singled out in some of those comments. And Fox News Commentator Tucker Carlson. Here is part of what Gaetz said to Carlson said, Wednesday night, on Fox News.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

REP. MATT GAETZ (R-FL): I don't know that Kevin McCarthy is in line to be a speaker. I don't know if the guy could get an account on truth social at this point based on the inconsistency between the recordings and what he says to us. And it is debasing for Republicans to give this guy a standing ovation after he smears Trump, lies to the country and then tries to sic big tech and the DOJ on members of congress whose views he doesn't agree with.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CHURCH: And we get more details now from CNN Congressional Correspondent Ryan Nobles.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

RYAN NOBLES, CNN CONGRESSIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voiceover): Tonight, house minority leader Kevin McCarthy is facing backlash from the most conservative members of his caucus after audio revealed him harshly criticizing some of them. Including Congressman Matt Gaetz, for their potentially dangerous rhetoric in the aftermath of January 6th.

REP. KEVIN MCCARTHY (R-CA): Well, he's putting people in jeopardy and he doesn't need to be doing this. We what people would do in the Capitol. You know, and these people came prepared with rope, with everything else.

NOBLES (voiceover): This morning, Republicans huddled behind closed doors. Sources in the room say, McCarthy attempted to explain that he was simply offering up ideas by taking away social media accounts, and he never acted on much of what was discussed. His speech led to a standing ovation. And publicly, most members of the conference say they are ready to move on.

REP. ELVIRA MARIA SALAZAR (R-FL): I am more concerned, not about the past, but about the future.

NOBLES (voiceover): Even those who criticized, including Congressman Mo Brooks.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Are you going to take it out with him, sir? Talk to him about it?

REP. MO BROOKS (R-AL): I don't see any need to.

NOBLES (voiceover): The Party, though, is not in universal agreement. Some members of the Far-Right Freedom Caucus are raising concerns. Like Gaetz, who initially refused to weigh in.

GAETZ: I haven't heard the tapes. And I'll probably have a lot to add when I take a listen to them.

NOBLES (voiceover): But then unleashed on McCarthy and GOP Steve Scalise on Twitter saying, this is the behavior of weak men, not leaders. And Andy Biggs, the former chair of the Freedom Caucus, who said McCarthy's words caught on tape, could lead to bigger rifts between various wings of the GOP.

REP. ANDY BIGGS (R-AZ): We have our leader that's basically negotiating with Liz Cheney, on whether he should encourage President Trump to resign or not. It becomes a huge, huge trust issue for me.

NOBLES (voiceover): And while McCarthy attempts to hold his membership together, Democrats arguing that this whole episode demonstrates that McCarthy has a problem with the truth.

REP. HAKEEM JEFFRIES (D-NY): It's a five-point playbook. Number one, lie. Number two, lie. Number three, lie. Number four, lie. Number five, lie again.

NOBLES (voiceover): And McCarthy critics, like Republican Congressman Adam Kinzinger, claiming the audio reveals who the leader really is.

REP. ADAM KINZINGER (R-IL): It's quite obvious that he's failed at that. And he continues to push a narrative that's false. He continues to defend people pushing false narratives and that's wrong.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

NOBLES (on camera): And of course, McCarthy's words could be of great interest to the January 6th select committee. The Chairman, Bennie Thompson, of that committee, saying this week that they are still considering issuing a subpoena for Kevin McCarthy.

Meanwhile, their investigation continues to expand. CNN can report that Rudy Giuliani, the former mayor of New York City, is expected to meet with the committee sometime next month. Ryan Nobles, CNN, on Capitol Hill. CHURCH: And Ron Brownstein is a CNN Senior Political Analyst and also Senior Editor at "The Atlantic." He joins me now from Los Angeles. Good to have you with us.

RON BROWNSTEIN, CNN SENIOR POLITICAL ANALYST AND SENIOR EDITOR AT "THE ATLANTIC": Hey, Rosemary.

[02:35:00]

CHURCH: So, GOP House Leader Kevin McCarthy coming under fire for criticizing Former President Donald Trump and Congressman Matt Gaetz in newly leaked recordings from after the January 6th riots. Expressing concern that some right-wing lawmakers' rhetoric could result in more violence. So, how bad could this get for McCarthy who aspires to be the next speaker of the house?

BROWNSTEIN: Yes, I think we're looking at this, kind of, upside-down and inside-out. I mean, just think about what he is being criticized for. He's being criticized for saying, in private, what was very clear to everyone in public, that the actions of Donald Trump and many Republican members of the house, around and before the January 6th insurrection were inappropriate, if not illegal. And he is -- being attacked on the right for acknowledging that.

So, the -- I think the issue is not so much whether he survives in his quest to be speaker, which I think is still more likely than not, but what he will have to do in order to survive. I mean, what does he have to do in order to mollify Trump and to mollify the right of his party. What, if any, are the assurances that he is giving about how he will behave as a speaker. Particularly with regards to the 2024 election. I think those are the real questions. I mean, it's more, can you stand up for the basic rules of democracy and still ascend in this caucus?

CHURCH: So, let's look at that. What are the optics of this and what impact could it potentially have on Republican unity with the midterms just months away?

BROWNSTEIN: Yes, look, I think it tells you all you need to know. That McCarthy is being forced to, basically, say that his comments are taken out of context, or he didn't really mean it. I mean, what that tells you is something that we've been talking about for over a year, which is that the extremist wing in the GOP House coalition. And in the political coalition, more broadly, has become in effect too big to fail. Too big to confront.

And, you know, this has always been, I think, the critical issue. Are there any meaningful slice of Republican voters who will take the same stance as Liz Cheney and Adam Kinzinger as saying, whatever our conservative ideals, this is a portion of the party that has to be isolated and excised? And that obviously has a huge impact on 2022 and 2024.

So far, you would say, the answer is no. That, you know, in the same way that McCarthy is really facing no pushback over abandoning what was the candid assessments immediately after the reaction, there really are no signs yet of Republican voters recoiling against candidates embracing the big lie. And that's going to be a critical factor in the balance of power in the party going forward.

CHURCH: And McCarthy's leaked comments have led to renewed cause from the January 6th committee or some of the members, at least, for him to testify. How will that likely play out given McCarthy's comments back in January appear very different to how he apparently feels now?

BROWNSTEIN: Yes, look, I think it's unlikely. And it's unlikely that many of the -- any of the other Republican members of Congress that they need to hear from are going to testify. I mean, you know, about their contacts with Trump on that day and so forth. Again, no critical mass developed inside the Republican caucus to demand that the party turn over every stone, understand exactly what happened, and excise and isolate those who participated in the insurrection.

To the -- you now, quite the contrary, it was those who called for truly understanding what happened, Kinzinger and Cheney who have been isolated and marginalized. And that is very revealing and very ominous. I mean, you know, history says, only four times since the Civil War has the party out of the White House not gained the five seats in a midterm election that Republicans need to win back the House. So, the odds are pretty high. They're going to have control of the House. And the question of what they do with that control around all the issues that will come around certifying the 2024 presidential election, I think, are more acute as a result of this episode than they were even before it.

CHURCH: Ron Brownstein, always great to get your analysis. Appreciate it. And still to come --

BROWNSTEIN: Thanks for having me.

CHURCH: -- still to come, long lines in Beijing, as millions get tested for the coronavirus, to prevent a Shanghai-like lockdown. How China is scrambling to implement its zero COVID policy, that's next.

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[02:40:00]

LORI COHEN, CEO, ECPAT-USA: Sex trafficking is happening in all hotels, in all brands, at all levels. My name is Lori Cohen. I'm the Chief Executive Officer of ECPAT-USA in Brooklyn, New York. In our research, we recognize that so much of the child sex trafficking was happening in hotels because these were anonymous locations and traffickers felt like there was very low risk in being detected.

In February of 2020, ECPAT-USA partnered with Marriott International and with the American Hotel and Lodging Association to launch a free online training for people working in hotel and hospitality industry. It was just before the pandemic and we thought the timing was going to be terrible. But when we counted the numbers, 15 months into the pandemic, we were stunned to see that over half a million members of the hotel industry had taken the online training. And so, even though it's an uncomfortable topic, there's a recognition that it's absolutely essential to protect children. It's the right thing to do and it's also good for the bottom line. (COMMERCIAL BREAK)

CHURCH: Authorities in Beijing are scrambling to detect new COVID cases and avert a major outbreak. Just hours ago, they announced the closure of some schools and major hospitals with almost no advance warning. Entertainment venues are closing as well. More neighborhoods are now considered high risk and are being sealed. While it's not the lockdown Shanghai has been facing, Beijing residents fear they're not far behind. CNN's David Culver has our report.

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DAVID CULVER, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voiceover): The calm before the storm. Beijing residents are stocking up, bracing themselves for a potential onslaught of COVID cases. Beijing officials calling the matter, urgent and grim, ordering nearly 20 million people to get tested three times this week alone. CNN is in the capital city.

CULVER (on camera): But it doesn't seem to affect daily life. These office workers take a quick test at lunchtime and back to work. They seem calm and prepared.

CULVER (voiceover): But Beijing's preparation is in part due to Shanghai officials' disastrous response to an outbreak there. The horror stories from the financial hub, a shock to many across China.

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Officials in the capital are determined to avoid the embarrassment of botching President Xi Jinping's zero COVID strategy, especially in the city where he lives.

STEVEN JIANG, CNN BIEJING BUREAU CHIEF: You are seeing, at least on the surface, a more orderly and, kind of, organized, kind of, effort. And even overstocking supermarkets which are still open.

CULVER (voiceover): Open for now. Residents know how quickly it can all change. Some Beijing communities already in lockdown. People sealed in. A taste of what life is like for most in Shanghai.

Nearly one month of hard lockdown and many Shanghai residents are at a breaking point. Feelings of being caged in amplified when the city recently began installing fences like these to keep people from leaving their apartment buildings. And on the streets, more and more barricades going up. Medical resources, stretched. These Shanghai hospital workers refusing to help a desperate mother.

CNN also living through the Shanghai lockdown. Outside my door, only a paper seal. A COVID guard sits on watch in my compound. Much like the rest of the city, exhausted by the extreme containment efforts. Here, the white hazmat suit is a new uniform of authority, the enforcers. So much so that this compound even using it as a scarecrow to keep people in check.

Since 2020, Chinese authorities have relentlessly turned to harsh lockdowns, in hopes of containing COVID. Right now, people in more than two dozen cities across China are living in full or partial lockdowns. Some border cities have been in months-long lockdowns, with outsiders barely paying attention.

In Shanghai, demand for government quarantine space is rising with the case count. Exhibition centers, gyms, classrooms, and entire office buildings. All taken over to isolate positive cases and close contacts. And those trapped in their homes? Banging pots to vent their anger. One woman heard screaming, give me back my freedom. David Culver, CNN, Shanghai.

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CHURCH: Extraordinary situation there. Well, gas and oil-producing areas of the U.S. are turning to another source of energy to keep the lights on. Just ahead, why wind energy is blowing up across America's heartland.

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JOSH TETRICK, CO-FOUNDER AND CEO, EAT JUST, INC.: We and other companies out there, and the biggest meat and egg and dairy companies and the biggest food manufacturers in the world need to make it easy for people to eat well. And that hasn't been the case for the last 50 years. We've made it really hard to eat well. And for us to build a better more sustainable food system, that has to happen.

But while that's happening, people can still choose to eat better. We can all consciously think about the everyday choices that we make to build a healthier food system. You can be an environmentalist. You can be someone that cares about a sustainable food system, and not always eat perfectly. And if we, and other companies, and I think you know, the world out there, strive just to be a little bit better every single day, a little bit better every single day adds up. There's a compounding interest to being a little better every single day. And that's, I think, we're going to build a food system we can be really proud of.

JACQUELINE HOWARD, CNN HEALTH REPORTER: There's Indian chai tea, Japanese green tea, and of course English black tea. But is any of it good for you? It can be if you brew it at home and stay away from those presweetened canned and bottled teas. Now black, green, and white tea, they all come from the same plant, the Camellia sinensis. Herbal teas like chamomile and mint tea, do not come from this plant. So, they don't have the same health benefits.

The polyphenols contained in black, white, and green tea, have anti- inflammatory and antioxidant properties.

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And they're linked to the prevention of heart disease, diabetes, and maybe even cancer. Drinking tea is generally very safe, but some people may be sensitive to the caffeine. Teas may also contain Vitamin K. So, if you're on blood thinners, you should check with your doctor first. CHURCH: Welcome back, everyone. The Taliban may have access to an enormous trove of American weapons now that U.S. troops are out of Afghanistan. A new report says U.S. forces left behind $7 billion worth of military equipment after their pull-out last year. That includes 40,000 military vehicles, 300,000 pieces of individual weapons, and 78 aircraft. But the report by the U.S. defense department says the aircraft have been rendered inoperable. It also says much of the leftover equipment needs specialized maintenance by U.S. military contractors.

Well, in parts of the U.S. communities devoted to producing oil and gas, a fueling -- an explosion in another energy source, wind. Analysts say the middle of the country is an ideal location for wind energy to flourish. And CNN Chief Climate Correspondent Bill Weir reports, the industry has some of the fastest job growth in America.

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BILL WEIR, CNN CHIEF CLIMATE CORRESPONDENT (voiceover): Earlier this month, and for the first time ever, wind produced more American electricity than coal or nuclear. And was second only to natural gas. That's right, wind. And climate wary, carbon cutters on the coasts have the red states in the heartland to thank. Especially Texas.

JENNIFER GOODWILLIE, VICE PRESIDENT FOR DEVELOPMENT, ORSTED: Texas is consistently number one in install capacity, both in wind and, like, more recently in solar as well.

WEIR (on camera): Everything is big in Texas --

GOODWILLIE: Everything is big in Texas.

WEIR (on camera): -- they say.

GOODWILLIE: Yes.

WEIR (on camera): Including green energy.

WEIR (voiceover): A Danish company called Orsted, which used to drill for oil in the North Sea now has a thousand turbines from Texas to the Dakotas, the new American wind belt.

WEIR (on camera): This is that easy. Just one reason winds technicians are among the nation's fastest-growing jobs. So, do you see guys go back and forth between the oil and gas industry into wind?

TOMMY GAGE, PLANT MANAGER, ORSTED WESTERN TRAIL WIND FARM: You know, a lot of times, you know, we'll see them come into the wind industry and typically, you know, not leave. It's a lot more of a stable job, you know, and we are here for the long haul, right.

WEIR (voiceover): The next wave of new jobs will come offshore after the Biden Administration smashed records with multibillion-dollar lease sales along the Atlantic Coast.

JOE BIDEN, U.S. PRESIDENT: They can be placed way out in the ocean. And, you know -- and by the way, I made it clear to my friends up in Nantucket, in that area, I don't want to hear any more about you don't like looking at it. They're pretty.

WEIR (on camera): The late Senator Ted Kennedy famously killed an offshore wind farm in the Chesapeake Bay because he didn't like the way it ruined the view. But they love the view in these parts of rural Texas because it means money. As for the other criticisms, yes, wind turbines kill maybe 800,000 to a million birds a year. But for perspective housecats killed 2.4 billion. And no, there is absolutely no science that says turbines cause cancer.

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This sector is growing so rapidly, officials from Osted tell me their biggest challenge may be running up against the limitations of the grid. There is no smart grid in North America. The country is divided into West and East and Texas which is its own power grid which brings up a whole another host of challenges and possibilities. A smart grid, part of Joe Biden's major infrastructure bill, and he would like to continue that with the Build Back Better Bill now stalled in Congress. Bill Weir, CNN, Vernon, Texas.

CHURCH: Great story there. Well, the latest SpaceX mission is off to a successful start after docking with the International Space Station a few hours ago. The crew four-team was greeted by crew three, already aboard the station, and set to return to earth next week. Among the new tenants is NASA Astronaut Jessica Watkins. The first black woman to join the space station crew. And her team will spend the next few months doing research and experiments to improve life on earth and prepare for further space exploration.

And thank you so much for joining us. I'm Rosemary Church. More of our breaking news coverage live from Ukraine right after this short break.

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