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Zelenskyy: Russia Seeks To Destroy All Of Donbas; Russia Making Slow Advances In Eastern Ukraine; China Defends Zero COVID-19 Strategy; Blast At Kabul Mosque Kills At Least 10, Injures Dozens; Ukrainians In Mexico Put Hope In New U.S. Visa Program; Biden Calls For G20 To Eject Russia; British Ambassador Back In Kyiv; Lake Powell Dangerously Low From Mega Drought. Aired 5-6a ET
Aired April 30, 2022 - 05:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
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UNIDENTIFIED MALE (voice-over): This is CNN breaking news.
MICHAEL HOLMES, CNN ANCHOR AND CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Hello and welcome to our viewers here in the United States and all around the world. Live from CNN World Headquarters in Atlanta, I'm Michael Holmes. Appreciate your company.
Ukraine says it is holding off Russian attacks on several fronts in the east, even as fresh Russian units come across the border. Ukraine's military says this video shows them firing on Russian armor in Izyum. Russian forces have been trying to use that area as a staging ground into the Donetsk region.
Russia has had some success in targeting Ukrainian supply lines. This is the aftermath of an attack on an important railway hub near Slovyansk. Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy says Moscow's aim for the eastern regions is clear.
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VOLODYMYR ZELENSKYY, UKRAINIAN PRESIDENT (through translator): In Donbas, the occupiers are doing everything to destroy any life in this area. Constant brutal bombings, constant Russian strikes at infrastructure and residential areas show that Russia wants to make this area uninhabited.
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HOLMES: In the south, the situation also growing ever more dire for Mariupol's last defenders, holed up in that steel plant, along with hundreds of civilians. A planned operation to evacuate them on Friday did not take place.
CNN correspondents are across the region. Our Randi Kaye is in Moldova. CNN's Oren Liebermann is at the Pentagon and MJ Lee at the White House.
But first let's bring in Isa Soares, live from Lviv in Ukraine. Isa.
ISA SOARES, CNN ANCHOR AND CORRESPONDENT: Good morning to you, Michael.
In the last few hours we have heard that Russian forces are continuing their offensive in the east, along the entire line in fact of contact in Donetsk and Luhansk. But Ukraine is pushing back, holding off these attacks on several fronts, Michael, even recapturing a town near Kharkiv. And that is according to Ukrainian officials.
And in the last few minutes as well, intelligence from U.K.'s ministry of defense, as you can see on your screen, says Russia has been forced to merge as well as redeploy some of its units that took part in the failed advance in northeast, that likely suffering from weak morale as you're seeing there.
In Kyiv, meanwhile, the city's relative peace was shaken by Russia's missile attack on Thursday night. It happened while the U.N. secretary general was finishing his visit here. Earlier I spoke with a Ukrainian lawmaker, within earshot of one of the targets. Have a listen to what she told me.
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KIRA RUDIK, UKRAINIAN MP: When I heard the attacks and explosions really nearby, the first thought I had was like, oh, no, not again. And it was at least three missile hits, we think it was three to five missiles attacking infrastructure objects and civilian buildings in Kyiv.
And, of course, right now, before we can't say that we protect our sky, right now it's nowhere in Ukraine where people can feel safe. We have seen the recently attacks on the western cities, where the refugees usually sleep, on Kyiv, on the eastern cities.
So while Russian missiles can hit any point of Ukraine, it's nowhere we can feel safe. This is why we do need all the supplies and all the weapons so badly. Once it is in and we can start protecting our skies, it will be much easier for all the Ukrainians.
SOARES: We have seen the Russian side attacking the supply lines, which is so important, as you point out.
How quickly is Ukraine rebuilding again to make sure that those supplies are going right to the front lines?
RUDIK: Well, you are absolutely right. So because Russians see there's more and more help and support getting in, they start attacking railroads and train stations. For us, it's the top priority to rebuild these infrastructure objects as soon as possible.
Railroad is the main way for us to get all the weapons and all the humanitarian support in.
[05:05:00] RUDIK: So there are at least 10 teams on the ground now who are concentrating on rebuilding the broken lines. And we are able to do it pretty quickly.
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SOARES: Kira Rudik there, as you heard, Michael, the MP really emphasizing that Ukraine is managing to repair, to make these repairs pretty quickly.
And the importance of that, given that the Russians keep attacking their supply lines and keep attacking -- stopping those critical supplies from getting into the front lines. Something that I have been hearing the last few days, Michael, one analyst telling me this is becoming more and more a war of logistics, Michael.
HOLMES: Yes, Isa. Thanks so much. Appreciate the reporting there. Extraordinary stuff.
I want to bring in now former Ukrainian defense minister Andriy Zagorodnyuk.
Thanks so much for being with us. Good to see you again.
ANDRIY ZAGORODNYUK, FORMER UKRAINIAN DEFENSE MINISTER: Thank you, Michael.
HOLMES: Now despite the strong performance of the Ukrainian military, how concerning are those Russian advances in the east and also the south?
ZAGORODNYUK: Of course, concerning. They are collecting substantial forces, actually all they can. And they're trying to advance and trying to take more territory and kill people and capture our lands.
So obviously this is their best chances, they think. And they put all their efforts, all their best generals, all their equipment. So, yes. That's a huge challenge.
HOLMES: How concerned are you that Russia will start to hit those weapons convoys coming into the country?
We have seen railways targeted.
But are you worried that arms shipments, which are so crucial for Ukraine, might themselves be hit?
ZAGORODNYUK: They will try for sure. They will try to intercept logistics. But Ukraine is not -- Ukraine doesn't depend on like one road or one railroad. So I don't think this is something which they can easily close for us. So it's -- we can do this. We can deliver.
HOLMES: Well, to that point, I mean, we talked about the Donbas. We know what's going on Mariupol.
How worried, are you, that Putin will try to create another front involving Moldova, Transnistria?
ZAGORODNYUK: The forces they have there are not that substantial. So generally, strategically here in all Ukrainian south, including Odessa. But to approach Odessa with substantial forces, to capture it, to encircle it, it's easier said than done.
And he certainly will be creating some sort of unrest there. He can use that in order to divert our attention. But I don't think that forces they have there are capable and ready at this stage to create some really serious challenges, at least at the moment.
HOLMES: Right. We're more than two months into this war.
What do you think of the chances this will turn out to be a protracted conflict, perhaps for years?
What are the risks of that happening?
What would it mean?
ZAGORODNYUK: Well, that would mean exhaustion -- that would mean exhaustion of international attention, the international resources, Ukrainian resources, something which we don't want to happen.
And Russia would be recovering after some losses and then start in it again. Then recovering and starting it again. This is scenario which we don't want to happen. And I don't suggest that Ukrainian government and international government even plan for that.
We have forces and opportunity to stop that war and to finish it much quicker. We should use that.
HOLMES: You make a good point. With the protected conflict, there is also the risk that the West, those countries supporting and arming Ukraine, could lose interest if it goes on for too long. That assistance almost has a shelf life.
Could you see that happening?
ZAGORODNYUK: Well, politically, no, because we share the vision and goals with our allies. I understand why it's important for us to win.
But of course, if something goes into years, that gets into totally different type of decision making and totally different type of attention, investing some attention and resources and so on.
You cannot continue high intense war for years. It's very difficult. So that's why, of course, and from a resources perspective, something will go to the low interest and more exhausting type of war.
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ZAGORODNYUK: We certainly -- nobody is interested in that. We need to do it much quicker. We need to finish it and we need to win it.
HOLMES: When you speak about finishing it and winning it, if there is a cease-fire that somehow emerges in the near to medium future, how important is it that Russia does not continue to hold Ukrainian territory in any cease-fire agreement or at least more territory than Crimea and the paths to the Donbas it all held before this all began?
You imagine that it's pretty crucial that they're not given any reward for this territorially?
ZAGORODNYUK: Exactly. Exactly. Rewarding aggressor means reinforcing its position and hence they will continue. As soon as they recover, they will breach that cease-fire and will start attacking again.
So cease-fire is not -- it doesn't help actually. It only gives Russia a chance to recover, replenish and start again. And then, obviously, as we saw with Minsk agreements, they would be blaming everybody, including mainly Ukraine, for breaching that cease-fire.
So they would even confuse the information space about reasons of breaching our cease-fire. So the situation would become much more complex. Right now, it's very clear. There is an aggressor and there's us. And we're fighting for our independence.
And then with some agreements, it would be like something much more difficult to understand. And Russia would be playing with that information space, like they did with the Minsk agreements. So again, as I said, we need to win and get them out of our territory and use international resources and help to do so as soon as possible.
HOLMES: Andriy Zagorodnyuk, thanks so much. Good to see you again. Appreciate it.
ZAGORODNYUK: Good to see you, Michael. Thank you.
HOLMES: Well, it is one of China's most draconian lockdowns since the pandemic began. Coming up, we'll get a look at what life is like in Shanghai by a CNN reporter still stuck at home.
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HOLMES (voice-over): What you're seeing there is a massive tornado, passing over Andover, Kansas, on Friday. The governor has declared a state of emergency. City officials say at least a dozen people have suffered minor injuries. And 50 to 100 structures have been damaged.
The National Weather Service says there were more than a dozen tornadoes reported, most of them in Kansas and Nebraska, all part of a severe storm system passing through the region this weekend.
(WEATHER REPORT) HOLMES: Now COVID cases in Shanghai, China, appear to be on the way
down. Some good news. On Friday, the global financial hub reporting just over 10,000 infections, a fall of 5,000 from the day before.
Shanghai has been one of the country's hardest-hit cities during the latest outbreak. On Friday, China crediting its zero COVID policies with protecting lives as well as minimizing economic impacts.
The Chinese government defends the harsh COVID policy as a, quote, "magic weapon" to prevent the spread of the virus. Shanghai COVID numbers are gradually falling, as we said. But daily case counts still remain fairly high. And millions are still under strict lockdown, including CNN's David Culver, who has more for us from Shanghai.
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DAVID CULVER, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Lockdown in China is like nowhere else on Earth. Here, you see a man getting swabbed for a COVID test through the fence.
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CULVER (voice-over): Using a megaphone, healthcare workers call for others to get tested. The country's zero COVID strategy turning millions into virtual prisoners across the nation.
Outside of Beijing, these residents forced to hand over their apartment keys so community workers can lock them in from the outside. For those who refuse, crews drill holes to chain the doors shut.
In a northeastern province, no need for a lock. Workers installing steel bars to keep people from leaving the building. Right now across China, at least 27 cities are under full or partial lockdown. CNN's calculation estimating that directly impacts up to 180 million people -- more than half the U.S. population.
For over two years now, China's COVID containment has become more extreme, fracturing everyday life. In Shenzhen, a city not under lockdown, babies kept off the subway.
The reason?
They didn't have negative COVID test results. It is now mandatory to get access to most of public life in the city. To accommodate the new rule, they have opened 24/7 testing sites.
A delayed test result had this groom in Shenzhen watching his own wedding ceremony via livestream, not allowed to enter the venue, laughing off the insanity of it all.
China's zero tolerance for any new cases comes from the top. President Xi Jinping tasked the vice premier to oversee major outbreaks. In Shanghai, that means working with the city's most senior official, the Communist Party secretary.
Their orders are carried out by the municipal government, which runs the quarantine centers and coordinated at local levels with thousands of communities. Those local workers are our little gatekeepers, determining who goes in and out of each compound, facilitating food deliveries and managing our health information.
CULVER: In addition to very regular PCR tests, each day we are also required to do rapid antigen tests. We then upload the results to this government app. And then we take a screenshot of that and a picture of the test. And we share it publicly with our community group chat, so that all our neighbors can see we are negative.
CULVER (voice-over): The community group chats can serve as a helpful way to source food but also as a space to call out neighbors, sometimes becoming a witch hunt to kick out positive cases and have them sent to quarantine centers.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It has become quite common for local authorities basically to say we have a wartime situation and, therefore, we have to apply emergency measures and, therefore, you have to simply follow orders.
CULVER (voice-over): It reminds some residents of the Cultural Revolution from the '60s and '70s, a painful era of political and social chaos, sparked by extreme policies. Criticism of Beijing's zero COVID strategy is not tolerated from anyone, including the son of a Chinese billionaire who was also sent to a crowded quarantine facility in Shanghai.
He was banned from Chinese social media after criticizing the policy. His profile, with 40 million followers, erased. But not everyone is silenced. Back in Shanghai, many residents confined to their homes adding to the growing chorus of dissent. As COVID cases surge across China, millions now sentenced to lockdown.
Their release date?
Unknown -- David Culver, CNN, Shanghai.
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HOLMES: Now American parents hoping to vaccinate their young children against COVID could soon get their wish, according to the latest meeting scheduled by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. A COVID vaccine for kids under 5 could come as soon as June.
The agency's vaccine advisory committee will review data from Moderna and Pfizer and discuss whether their emergency use authorization for young children should be approved. From there, the CDC would have to sign off on the authorization before shots could start going into young arms.
A Taliban police spokesman says at least 10 people are dead and 30 wounded after an explosion at a mosque in Kabul after Friday prayers. Witnesses say the death toll likely much higher than that. This is the latest in a series of deadly blasts that have rocked several Afghan cities over the last two weeks.
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UNIDENTIFIED MALE (through translator): Around 300 to 400 people were there, performing rituals, when the blast went off. I helped carry 10 to 15 wounded people and three who were killed to vehicles. Many of the injured and martyred are still being evacuated from the area. There are many casualties.
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HOLMES: Most of the recent attacks were claimed by an ISIS affiliate but so far no one claiming responsibility for this explosion.
A member of the ISIS terror cell known as the Beatles will spend life in prison on two continents. In September, Alexanda Kotey pleaded guilty to involvement in the hostage taking that led to the deaths of American, Japanese and British citizens in Syria.
He will serve the first 15 years in the U.S., then will be transferred to the U.K. for the rest of his life term.
Some stunning video coming in to CNN following a building collapse in a city in southern China. State media reporting five people have been rescued, not knowing how many others might still be trapped in the rubble.
The structure is described as a resident's, quote, "self-built house." It reportedly had six stories, including a restaurant, a cinema and a hotel in addition to private living quarters. No word yet on the cause.
The one-time German tennis phenom Boris Becker has been sentenced by a court in Britain to 2.5 years in jail. The former world number one was convicted on four charges under Britain's Insolvency Act. He hid hundreds of thousands of dollars of assets after being declared bankrupt.
Becker was found guilty of transferring money to two former partners after his 2017 bankruptcy. The six-time grand champ lives in Britain, the scene of his first major Wimbledon victory, age just 17. He won 49 titles during his career.
Thanks for being with us. I'm Michael Holmes. For our international viewers, "AFRICAN VOICES: CHANGEMAKERS" is next. If you're here with us in the United States, I will be back with more news after a short break.
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HOLMES: Welcome back to our viewers here in the United States and Canada. I'm Michael Holmes. You're watching CNN NEWSROOM.
Now Ukraine says it is holding off the Russian offensive on several fronts and that it has repelled 14 attacks in the Donetsk and Luhansk regions over the past 24 hours. Ukraine's military says Russia is bringing in reinforcements from its far east but they have so far failed to break through in the Izyum area.
The Ukrainian National Guard says the video you're seeing there shows an artillery attack against Russian armored units in that area.
And to the southeast, in Mariupol, the bombardment of that steel plant not letting up. We've got some drone footage that just came in to CNN, showing smoke rising from that steel plant. There is no word on exactly what is causing the smoke.
Obviously we don't have that video for you.
But a Ukrainian commander inside the plant told CNN earlier that Russian attempts to storm the area have, in his words, been deflected. Hundreds of civilians and Ukrainian troops have been holed up in the plant for weeks.
And this just came in to us a few moments ago, Russia's ministry of defense confirming what the Ukrainian military has been saying for a week. It is using submarines to carry out cruise missile attacks on Ukrainian targets.
The ministry published video on Friday, showing the launch of caliber cruise missiles from a diesel submarine somewhere in the Black Sea.
Russia's expansion to the southern Ukraine may be to connect to Transnistria, the breakaway territory, hit with a series of unexplained explosions recently. Russia blaming Ukraine. But the Ukrainian government calling it a false flag operation orchestrated by Moscow.
The tiny sliver of land lies between Ukraine and Moldova and could be a jumping-off point for a future attack. It is, if Moldova, in itself, any way. Our Randi Kaye went to the border with Moldova and filed this report.
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RANDI KAYE, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: We drove here from the capital of Moldova to see just how close we could get to Transnistria. That's that breakaway republic that sits on the border of Moldova and Ukraine. That shared border is about 250 miles long and Transnistria is about the size of Rhode Island.
There are about 500,000 people living on that tiny strip of land, many of whom do speak Russian. There's also believed to be about 1,500 Russian forces there. Those are believed, according to Russia, to be peacekeeping forces. But as we saw, many of them are manning those border crossings.
That bridge in the distance behind me goes to the city of Dubasari (ph) in Transnistria. It's one of five bridges that connects Moldova where we are to Transnistria. We did drive up there, hoping to get closer. But once we saw a Russian armored vehicle and Russian troops, we turned around quickly.
Some Moldovans who we've spoken with, who have crossed over, say there are police everywhere there in Transnistria. And it feels very much like the Soviet Union. The reason that Transnistria could be so key is because it could be just what Russia needs to expand the war from Ukraine into Moldova.
A Russian commander recently raised concerns: the army plan to control southern Ukraine and open a land corridor stretching to Transnistria.
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HOLMES: Some scary moments for a woman farming in southern Ukraine and the crew from CNN Portugal, who was interviewing her at the time. They were standing in an open field, no place for shelter, when they suddenly came under fire from Russian artillery. Have a look.
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UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: (Speaking foreign language).
HOLMES (voice-over): You can hear the firing and you can see some smoke in the distance as well. The team was able to leave the area safely. Residents stayed behind, safe for now.
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HOLMES: Ukrainian refugees in Mexico are hoping to fast-track their applications to come to the U.S. Thousands of them have been waiting in refugee camps like this one in Mexico City. But some of them now say a new U.S. visa program, called Uniting for Ukraine, could speed up the procedure.
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VALENTYN KRAMAR, UKRAINIAN AMERICAN: A new program, United for Ukraine, because it gives them a lot of -- they'll be in the States legally.
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KRAMAR: And they have a lot of opportunities, as in work and as in other stuff as well.
As long as the new program takes. I heard it takes from seven to 10 days. I heard it takes longer than that.
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HOLMES: The U.N. estimates that more than 5.4 million refugees have fled Ukraine since the fighting began. Even more people are internally displaced within the country. Almost 3 million of those refugees fled to Poland.
But now that they're safe from war, the big question is, what next?
As Erica Hill reports from Warsaw, both refugees and their hosts are preparing to be in it for the long haul.
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ERICA HILL, CNN ANCHOR (voice-over): From coffee to clothes, laundry to day care, two months into this crisis, refugee shelters like this one outside Warsaw have found their rhythm, offering a place to rest and regroup, while people try to determine what and where is next.
We will go back to our home of Melitopol, this dad tells me, if it is under the Ukrainian flag. They left two weeks ago, making their way to Warsaw, to Crimea and Russia.
You were able to leave with your family. Do you want to go fight for Ukraine?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes, I left with my family but to fight?
I don't know. It's a difficult question for me. I can't answer.
HILL: There is so much that can't be answered, including how long this will last. The need is massive. There are volunteers working in this space 24/7 to deal with all the donations but if needed, they could push all this back to accommodate more beds and as many as 6,000 refugees.
Currently, they're averaging 3,000 people a night but officials say there is no way to know what the numbers will be from one day to the next.
Alla, fled with her mother and two young daughters at the start of the war. Now she is one of several psychologists volunteering to help those who just arrived. Increasingly, they are from the hardest-hit areas.
ALLA LYKOVA, PSYCHOLOGIST, UKRAINIAN REFUGEES: There are no easy stories here. Either, you spent a month in the basement or ran from shelling or don't know when you can go back. You don't have anything here.
HILL (voice-over): Making simple moments all the more important. The goal is to make this space as comfortable as possible. Yet the truth is no matter how warm or welcoming, no one wants to be here. They'd rather be back home.
HILL: The reality is that this refugee center will likely be needed for some time. And just to keep it running is truly an incredible undertaking. You saw the washing machines they brought in, portable showers as well. In one month that facility goes through six tons of toilet paper and half a million coffee cups -- in Warsaw, I'm Erica Hill, CNN.
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HOLMES: Now if you would like to safely and securely help people in Ukraine who might be in need of shelter, food and water, please do go to CNN.com/impact. Lots of ways there that you can help.
An emotional moment at the Pentagon on Friday. During the afternoon press briefing, Pentagon spokesman John Kirby choked up when speaking about the atrocities in Ukraine. Kirby was asked if he believes the Russian president Vladimir Putin is a rational actor. Here is part of what he said.
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ADM. JOHN KIRBY (RET.), PENTAGON PRESS SECRETARY: It's difficult to look at the -- sorry -- it's difficult to look at some of the images and imagine that any well-thinking, serious, mature leader would do that. So I can't talk to his psychology, but I think we can all speak to his depravity.
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HOLMES: Kirby also spoke of Mr. Putin trying to justify the war as protecting Russians in Ukraine, defending Russian national interest and rooting out Nazism in Ukraine. Kirby called that B.S.
Now the G20 summit won't take place until November, six months from now. But a potential diplomatic showdown already brewing over attendance, after Russia said it had accepted Indonesia's invitation to participate. Here's MJ Lee with more on that story.
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MJ LEE, CNN POLITICAL CORRESPONDENT: Vladimir Putin confirming that he intends to attend the G20 summit coming up in November, creating a diplomatic headache for this White House.
But President Biden has, previously, said that he believes Russia should be kicked out of the G20 because of its invasion into Ukraine.
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LEE (voice-over): He made these comments back in March, when he was in Belgium attending a series of emergency summits to discuss this war.
Now White House press secretary Jen Psaki reacted to this news and CNN asked her if anything could change between now and six months from now, when that summit is supposed to take place to make the U.S. believe that it would be productive for Russia to attend that summit.
And this is what she said.
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JEN PSAKI, WHITE HOUSE PRESS SECRETARY: We have conveyed our view that we don't think they should be a part of it publicly and privately as well. There's a lot that could happen between now and then but we certainly haven't seen an indication to date of Russia's plan to participate in diplomatic talks constructively.
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LEE: It is unlikely at this moment in time that Russia would be kicked out of the G20 because not every member country agrees that this should happen, including China. And then, there is also the question of the host country, Indonesia.
Jen Psaki said her understanding is Indonesia invited Russia to the summit before the invasion began. But Indonesian president said that Indonesia wants to unite the G20, that he doesn't want there to be a split.
So this certainly doesn't sound like a host country that is eager to see Russia kicked out of the summit -- MJ Lee, CNN, the White House.
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HOLMES: Now police arrested seven people and towed more than 20 vehicles on Friday at the start of a three-day biker rally in Canada's capital, Ottawa.
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HOLMES (voice-over): More than 500 people are expected for the Rolling Thunder rally, with many participants protesting COVID mandates and calling for, quote-unquote, "freedom." Police and many residents don't want to avoid a repeat of the noisy Freedom Convoy that gridlocked Ottawa earlier this year.
Police warned they could not tolerate hate symbols or threatening behavior.
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HOLMES: The pandemic changed many aspects of life, of course. Among them is how we tip, who we tip and how much we tip. Coming up, how those who depend on gratuities are faring in the new post-COVID economy. We'll be right back.
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HOLMES: And you can see there all red arrows in the U.S. markets, ending a dismal month. The Dow on Friday sank 3 percent. The tech- heavy Nasdaq finishing its worst month since 2008.
And the S&P 500 fell to its lowest point this year. Investments had three bitter pills to swallow in just the last week: Amazon stock plummeting, of course, after reporting that $3.8 billion loss last quarter. Apple sent out a warning about more supply issues in the near future.
And a key indicator of inflation shows it's here to stay, at least for the time being. Richard Quest breaks it all down for us.
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RICHARD QUEST, CNN HOST: It was a horrible session that ended a difficult week. As more companies have revealed their earnings, so it's becoming clearer. Share prices could not be supported.
The latest victim was Amazon, one of the bellwethers, a favorite of the pandemic, who revealed losses that were much greater than expected and costs that were rising even faster.
As a result, Amazon was down some 15 percent -- an extraordinary amount for a stock like Amazon. Put it all together and investors are going into the weekend worried over inflation, concerned over higher interest rates -- which are coming on both sides of the Atlantic -- and bewildered about the market's inability to see a way forward.
With the current environment, there can be no assurance of gains anytime soon -- Richard Quest, CNN, New York.
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HOLMES: Now that new economic normal Richard was talking about includes some remnants from the pandemic. One of them may not be generous tipping. Tom Foreman looks at what life is like now for those who depend on those tips.
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TOM FOREMAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): At this Stellina Pizzeria in D.C., the food has been hot and the tip steady throughout the pandemic.
Have the tips been good during the pandemic?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Oh, for sure.
FOREMAN: But now, the staff, suppliers, customers, everyone is facing a tipping point and service workers in some places are paying the price.
Just ask Isabella Sarmiento, the operations manager.
Tipping has grown a lot more complicated.
ISABELLA SARMIENTO, ACCOUNTING & OPERATIONS MANAGER, STELLINA PIZZERIA RESTAURANT GROUP: It has. You are not wrong.
FOREMAN: The pandemic by many accounts pushed tips to new prominence in home deliveries, at takeout stands, food trucks and in ride sharing services far beyond the spots where many consumers were used to seeing them.
At "The New York Times," food writer Christina Morales says that's left a lot of folks wondering, where to tip, when and how much.
CHRISTINA MORALES, FOOD REPORTER, THE NEW YORK TIMES: What's driving a lot of this anxiety and confusion is the fact that these changes in tipping have happened so fast.
FOREMAN: She says even the social norms for tipping have become unsettled. Noting one company which tracks credit card transactions found tips rose as the pandemic began, then leveled off and now are falling amid the confusion and inflation. So should you tip at a coffee stand, a supermarket, a convenience store?
ANKUR BHALLA, CUSTOMER: I'm a good tipper.
FOREMAN: Some customers say it's simple. If someone helps you, tip. If you help yourself --
BHALLA: I was at the airport and I grabbed a bottle of water from a convenience store and they asked me for a tip. I was like -- that's not happening.
FOREMAN: To make it clearer, Stellina's now puts a 20 percent service charge on your bill. That is the tip, unless you want to add a little more.
MORALES: For me, I personally evaluate the service I'm receiving. And I also take into account the person behind the counter. And I say, you know, how much could they possibly be making?
SARMIENTO: Just understand they think we're all trying to do what's best for the people around us.
FOREMAN: That's a good tip.
SARMIENTO: Thanks.
FOREMAN: Inflation is just complicating things more, as people count every dollar and try to make every dollar count on both sides of the tipping wall -- Tom Foreman, CNN, Washington.
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HOLMES: You can tip me.
This just in to CNN, another country returning its ambassador to Kyiv. There has been no official announcement from London that Melinda Simmons is back at work in the Ukrainian capital.
However, she tweeted on Friday, quote, "It was a long drive but worth going the distance. So good to be in Kyiv again."
Now in his Friday evening video address, president Volodymyr Zelenskyy said the return of Britain's ambassador meant that diplomatic missions from 27 countries were now operating again in Kyiv. [05:50:00]
HOLMES: A state of emergency in Kansas after a swarm of tornadoes tore through that state and Nebraska. We'll go to the CNN Weather Center for the latest.
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HOLMES (voice-over): Just look at that video. We have been following this storm pushing into the Midwest this weekend. This is one of more than a dozen tornadoes that hit Kansas and Nebraska on Friday. And we will have more on this coming up in a live report from the CNN Weather Center. That starts at the top of the hour.
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HOLMES: Now people living in the Western U.S. are experiencing a long-term megadrought.
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HOLMES (voice-over): Have a look at these new images of Lake Mead, which straddles Nevada and Arizona. It is so low one of its original water intake valves, you see at the bottom of the screen there, is exposed for the first time. CNN's Stephanie Elam with more.
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STEPHANIE ELAM, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Sometimes it's hard to see just how much the climate crisis is impacting our lives out here in the West.
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ELAM: But you can see it with this megadrought dragging on and on.
There's now something tangible you can see.
Take a look at these images of this water intake valve inside of Lake Mead. It was put into service in 1971 and decommissioned earlier this year because of the fact that the valve is now above the water line. Seeing it was going to happen, the Southern Nevada Water Authority put
another intake valve that is now situated near the bottom of Lake Mead in place. They started to work on it in 2015 and completed it in 2020, because they saw that this was going to happen.
And this is how people in Southern Nevada, 2.2 million people, get their water in that region. So this is obviously very important. And when you look at the rings of Lake Mead, you can see how it has dwindled. All of this because there's not been enough precipitation.
And there's the issue with the snowpack, which is a frozen reservoir up in the mountains. And it has been too small over the last few winters. So that is playing out in California, where we are starting to see some mandatory water restrictions being put in place.
Specifically in parts of Southern California, you are only allowed to water outdoors one day a week beginning June 1st. If it's not going to save enough water, they say, on September 1st, there will be no outdoor watering for certain people living in certain communities.
Overall, authorities are asking people to cut their water usage in Southern California by 35 percent. As we are looking at unprecedented dry conditions out here and no sign of it getting better anytime soon -- Stephanie Elam, CNN, Los Angeles.
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HOLMES: And that will wrap it up for this hour of CNN NEWSROOM. I'm Michael Holmes. Thanks for spending part of your day with me. Our breaking news coverage of the war in Ukraine continues on "NEW DAY"."
