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Civilians Evacuated In Mariupol Steel Plant; House Speaker Nancy Pelosi Secretly Visits Ukraine; Profiteering During A Pandemic; President Biden Attends White House Correspondents' Dinner; Manhunt for Missing Inmate and Corrections Officer; CNN Original Series Nomad with Carlton McCoy. Aired 5-6p ET

Aired May 01, 2022 - 17:00   ET

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

[17:00:00]

JIM ACOSTA, CNN HOST: You are live in the CNN NEWSROOM. I'm Jim Acosta in Washington. They were trapped underground and facing constant Russian attacks overhead. Now they are free. Brand-new video out of Mariupol shows civilians being escorted through the rubble of the destroyed steel plant where they've been stranded for weeks. Women, children, babies, the elderly finally seeing daylight and getting onto evacuation buses.

Ukrainian officials say 100 people were rescued and we're just learning a Ukrainian commander says Russian shelling has already resumed at the battered steel plant where hundreds more are still underground inside a city that has become a killing field. Mariupol city council says in two months the Russian army has killed twice as many people as Hitler's forces killed in two years of attacks on that port city.

The toll there is estimated at 20,000 people so far. Elsewhere, a wave of fresh Russian attacks, deadly assaults have been raining down on locations across Ukraine and Russia is said to be reinforcing its firepower in the east. All of that was the backdrop for House Speaker Nancy Pelosi who made a surprise visit to Kyiv yesterday becoming the highest ranking American official to meet with President Zelenskyy since the war began.

Let's get you right now to CNN's Sara Sidner on the ground in Kyiv. Sara, thanks so much for being with us. Such a dramatic situation in Mariupol. What is the status of that ceasefire and what can you tell us?

SARA SIDNER, CNN SENIOR CORRESPONDENT: Look, we now know that there are dozens of people who have been set free. This is a really important moment because, as you know, for weeks you have had people there. They needed food, they needed water, and they were dealing with, you know, just devastation as that part of the country here in Ukraine has been bombarded for weeks.

We should also mention that there are also, you know, other issues going on. Of course, you did have people, many people, killed in the area and now we are seeing evidence of mass graves. Take a look at this. (BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

SIDNER (voice-over): No tears, no remembrances, no final good-byes. Just dust to dust and the burial is over.

UNKNOWN (through translation): We bury 50 people a day, (inaudible) says. Today we've done two lots of 18 bodies and then another 10, 46 in total.

SIDNER (through translation): Grave diggers like (inaudible) can barely keep up the pace at the Starokrymske cemetery on the outskirts of Mariupol. Once marked with only a number, a sign the bodies have yet to be identified by family.

UNKNOWN (through translation): People come and find their loved ones and bring crosses and a board, he says.

SIDNER (voice-over): CNN is not present in the Russian occupied Donbas, but footage we obtained and satellite images show dozens of fresh graves. Local authorities say about 600 in total and this is not an isolated case. Images show graves have been dug en masse at two other burial grounds. This is one of them, Manhush.

UNKNOWN (through translation): They've been bringing bodies every day for a month, Ana (ph) says. They just keep bringing more and more, bit by bit.

SIDNER (voice-over): Here, too, footage shows rows of freshly dug graves and indications bodies have been buried before being identified.

UNKNOWN (through translation): Each body is given its own grave and a coffin and a board with a number.

SIDNER (voice-over): A separatist soldier who did not want to be identified says --

UNKNOWN (through translation): After they're processed, the city funeral service works with the prosecutor's office to organize their burial.

SIDNER (voice-over): CNN could not independently verify the claims but local authorities say the majority of those buried here and in Starokrymske were killed during Russia's assault on Mariupol. Moscow has now seized control of most of the strategic port city but some Ukrainian forces continue to hold ground at the Azovstal steel plant. So far, the Kremlin hasn't reported an official death toll but Ukrainian officials say it's in the thousands.

UNKNOWN (through translation): By our optimistic estimation, more than 20,000 people, women, kids, elderly died on the streets of our city, the mayor of Mariupol says.

SIDNER (voice-over): Because the death toll is bound to rise, at Manhush, the work continues, about 100 freshly dug graves ready for the dead. As war rages, Ukrainians aren't just being murdered by strangers, but also buried by them.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

SIDNER (on camera): Now we should also mention that here in Kyiv there was an unannounced visit, as you mentioned earlier, of the most senior U.S. official to come to this country since this war began. Nancy Pelosi showed up here. She was on the ground about three hours, Jim.

[17:04:53]

She was able, of course, to meet with President Zelenskyy who appreciated her showing her support and it really was to show solidarity with Ukraine but also to visit troops, the 82nd Airborne in Poland, making it very clear and showing the strength of the United States, but also showing the togetherness that it has and its support for NATO as well, Jim.

ACOSTA: All right, Sara Sidner, thank you very much for that report. We appreciate it. I'm joined now by retired U.S. Army Brigadier General Peter Zwack. He also a former senior U.S. defense attache to the Russian federation.

General Zwack, what do you make of the fact that 100 people were rescued today from that steel plant in Mariupol but now the shelling has continued? I mean, they sort of turned the spigot on and off when it comes to just the terrible situation those folks are trapped in there?

PETER ZWACK, RETIRED U.S. ARMY: Jim, there's certainly a motive. This decision didn't magically happen and the corridor didn't remain open for two days. Just to bring us out just for a moment, remember that 9 May, the big, big Russian victory day, big parade in Moscow, and I've attended it, is on.

There's no triumph this year to show. And maybe, just maybe, they're clearing some civilians out, the ICRC, Red Cross, you enter there. They get some, you know, maybe some positive media and then they go in and try to finish this siege over the next week to be able to hoist the light blue and red flag over all of Mariupol.

I think also I wonder that if they can eke out that and a little bit more in Donbas, which hasn't gone well, they then, because they've been trying to show a modicum of humanitarianism, they then continue to press for a ceasefire and negotiations and try to gain a line inside of Ukrainian territory beyond the 24, if you will, February boundary.

But there are definitely reasons I worry about a major, major push now. Same in the Donbas but the aspirations there I think are less because they've been pretty bloody and the same goes for the south.

ACOSTA: And as we were just showing our viewers a few moments ago, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi now the most senior U.S. official to visit Ukraine and meet with President Zelenskyy since this war began. She could have conducted this meeting via Zoom or a video link of some sort. What's the impact of her going there personally along with this delegation?

We were just speaking with the House Intelligence Committee Chairman Adam Schiff a short while ago and he was talking abo, you know, how remarkable it is to sit there face-to-face with Zelenskyy who has just become the face of this really incredible Ukrainian resistance. What are your thoughts on this trip?

ZWACK: Well, when we go back to the 24, 25, 26 of February at the beginning of this aggression, this invasion, all of this was incomprehensible. We didn't even think he would be there. We thought it was going to, you know, fall, most of us, within the first few days. It didn't.

So now as the senior, if you will, American political figure there who just, you know, following the SecDef and SecState, this is a big deal especially when you add all the Europeans and other nations that have gone in. And it is a message sent to the Kremlin that, look, nobody wants to go into a direct fight with Moscow, but we, meaning our allies and like-minded nations, are here to stay and we want -- and so will be Ukraine.

ACOSTA: And is it possible that the Russians and the U.S. military are speaking in some way to coordinate a trip like this? How does that work, or do we just keep them out of it? I suppose those kinds of communications did go on during the cold war from time to time. But what about now? Would that even be within the realm of possibilities that we would have those kinds of discussions?

ZWACK: Jim, I don't know -- I don't know the specifics and how it happened. The embassies do talk. They still talk in Syria. There are still links, but coordinating a trip, I don't know. If so, the message is sent. You know, seniors going in and don't do it. Don't fire the rockets all right, or else it will be hell to pay in a lot of different ways.

ACOSTA: Exactly.

ZWACK: I frankly am not --

ACOSTA: No, that makes -- that makes perfect sense. And we spoke with Adam Schiff in the last hour. Here is what he was saying about the trip that they just had.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

REP. ADAM SCHIFF (D-CA): We wanted to discuss with him within that really vast sum what is the priority in terms of what weapons that he needs, what other assistance that he needs.

[17:15:01]

So we went, you know, through a detailed discussion of the next phase of the war. It's moving from a phase in which Ukrainians were ambushing Russian tanks. It was close quarters fighting to fighting more at a distance using long-range artillery and that changes the nature of what Ukraine needs to defend itself. ACOSTA: What do you think, general? Do you agree with that? That this

-- we have reached a new phase in this war?

ZWACK: I think we're getting to the point where we're seeing the Russians for the second time as they did outside of Kyiv, culminate and their being -- and while powerful, they're being ground down and, sadly, so are the Ukrainians. But again, it comes down that the Ukrainian will to fight and what we're seeing in the Donbas is the Russians and you read it on the back channel traffic, are trying to push their troops and they're slowing -- and many of them probably don't want to fight anymore.

And so, it's -- they've gone into a grind it out almost stalemate which is bad for Russia. People say time isn't on Ukraine's side, but I also say in this context especially with the south, which has also slowed down and the continued epic siege battle in Mariupol.

Yes, I think that the Russians have a lot of problems which is why I'm concerned they're going to be looking for a ceasefire negotiation on lands taken since the beginning of the invasion, which will become really difficult for that.

The Ukrainians are going to need heavier weapons, in my mind, to get at least to the lines that occurred in 2014, the original lines before the battle began, this invasion began, and that will be a whole other dialogue.

But yes, they are being plussed up. They're thinking offensively, but they've got to be careful about getting out too far in offense. That they did in 2014-2015 and got ahead and got mangled.

ACOSTA: All right, Brigadier General Peter Zwack, thank as always. We appreciate it. Good talking to you, sir.

ZWACK: Hey, cheers. Thank you.

ACOSTA: All right. Coming up, pandemic incorporated. Pandemic Inc. What a new book exposes about the fraudsters who banked millions of dollars while the rest of the country was getting sick with COVID. We'll talk about that next. You're live in the "CNN Newsroom."

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[17:15:00]

ACOSTA: If you still feel guilty about all of that toilet paper or Clorox wipes that you hoarded in the early days of the pandemic, consider this. That is nothing compared to the schemes that some health care companies and contractors were running to get rich during one of the darkest moments in American history.

It was back in those early days of 2020 when the U.S. government realized the national stockpile had only a fraction of the lifesaving equipment needed, things like masks and gloves that were impossible to find. And desperate, the government shelled out big money for companies to provide them often at a steep markup, but shortages persisted. So why was that?

Well, in the brand-new book, "Pandemic, Inc.: Chasing the Capitalist and Thieves Who Got Rich While We Got Sick" -- heck of a title there -- ProPublica reporter David McSwane spent over a year on private jets and in secret warehouses getting to the bottom of all of this.

David, great to have you with us. We appreciate it. You know, in this book you talk about a fraudster who has paid tens of millions of dollars to supply millions of these N95 masks that we were all desperate to find there throughout the pandemic to the Department of Veterans Affairs, and yet they never produced a single mask.

DAVID MCSWANE, REPORTER, PROPUBLICA: Right.

ACOSTA: Where did all of that money go? How is that even possible?

MCSWANE: Well, in that case, that contractor wasn't actually paid and, you know, as the Veterans Administration which oversees the largest hospital network in the country, and these were the really scary weeks when everything was locked down and we begin to see that the federal government was really just panning up contracts willy-nilly and by virtue of that, really racking up the price and he had states and cities and the federal government all competing for it. So, really, it was just a profound mess.

ACOSTA: But there were some folks I suppose who were putting money in their pocket and not doing what they were supposed to do.

MCSWANE: Right. Yes. There's one example I detail in the book of a contractor who formed an LLC, six days later had a $10 million deal with the Federal Emergency Management Agency for test kits, and these are the PCR test kits. You know, there's some real science involved and started digging into it and turns out this contractor had a history of fraud allegations.

Looked into it and the test kits were actually mini soda bottle preforms that are blown up to create your two liter soda bottles at the grocery store. They are unsterile, completely unusable.

ACOSTA: You kidding me.

MCSWANE: Yes. Yes. Set back testing throughout the country and you know, those were really crucial moments.

ACOSTA: And some of these brokers who claimed to have access to masks would use videos called proof of life. What is that all about? I had not heard this before.

MCSWANE: Yes. When I first heard it, it sounded like something from a hostage movie or something like that.

ACOSTA: Right. Yes.

MCSWANE: But I came to find out some of them were forwarded to me, these were grainy cell phone videos coming from all over the world, sort of panning over a lot of masks and, you know, the boxes are labelled 3M and the seller would claim, you know, I have this lot ready to go, millions of masks. You just got to wire the money. And I couldn't believe it, but this is how the deals were being done while we were all kind of stuck at home.

ACOSTA: Just use a little video from your phone and send that off.

MCSWANE: Right.

ACOSTA: And all of a sudden a check for millions of dollars will come into your bank account. Is that essentially what, I mean, that -- it was that simple?

MCSWANE: Some people did actually wire funds. You know, and I tracked down a few of these deals that involved, you know, it was a federal contract that everyone was kind of buzzing around.

[17:20:00]

And, you know, at the end of the day the masks didn't exist or they were subpar Chinese masks, the KN95's that we've all come to know. And, you know, this was really the madness behind the federal response which was to essentially, you know, put our national well-being in the hands of mercenaries because we weren't prepared and the Trump administration had really dragged its feet in those crucial early weeks.

ACOSTA: Yes. It's mind blowing. And people suffered as a result of this. Talking about Peter Navarro because when the pandemic hit, he became the person in charge of prioritizing manufacturing for the COVID response. Obviously, he's a high-profile figure from the Trump years, kind of got into some stuff there at the end with January 6th. But during the pandemic he had a role and you dug into that. What did you discover there?

MCSWANE: Yes, I was really drawn to Peter Navarro because he's such a character, you know, everyone has an opinion about him here in Washington. And he sorts of inadvertently set me off on this journey. I was just looking at the contracts that were being awarded in those early weeks and we found a sizable deal, almost $100 million and someone had written as ordered by the White House.

And the White House is not supposed to pick and choose who gets major government deals for obvious reasons. So, I was aware of his work but I wasn't sure that he was behind it. And the congressional inquiry later showed that he'd really done something remarkable as he's trying to sort of agitate within the Trump administration to get things moving in what he called Trump time.

He essentially took over federal purchasing and started awarding contracts to people with White House connections, got in the middle of some deals that didn't work out when we could have delivered, you know, masks. So, sort of following his work really sort of helped me illustrate the madness behind the scenes and the fact that we were really making it up as we were going because we didn't have the things we needed. ACOSTA: Very quickly, just to button that up, people with White House

connections, people with Trump administration connections got lucrative contracts?

MCSWANE: Absolutely. Yes. And we're finding out more and more about that as a result of congressional inquiries, sort of digging into those early weeks.

ACOSTA: All right. David McSwane, you know, you want to, you know, I don't know if you laugh or you cry when you read about this stuff, but it's just so important because of everything that we went through. I mean, people were desperate for these kinds of supplies and to think that these kinds of shenanigans were going on.

I suppose, you know, I shouldn't be pollyannaish about this after covering politics in Washington, but it is astounding to go see that this was going on during such a difficult time for the country. David McSwane, thank you very much for being with us.

Again, he's the author of the book "Pandemic, Inc.: Chasing the Capitalists and Thieves Who Got Rich While We Were Sick." Great title. Check out the book. David, thanks so much.

And coming up, President Biden takes a swing at his predecessor at this year's White House Correspondents' Dinner.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JOE BIDEN, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA: This is the first time a president has attended this dinner in six years. It's understandable. We had a horrible plague followed by two years of COVID.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[17:25:00]

ACOSTA: President Biden taking jabs at Trump, the GOP, and himself at last night's White House Correspondents' Dinner. Here's a taste of him playing comedian-in-chief.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BIDEN: I'm really excited to be here tonight with the only group of Americans with a lower approval rating than I have.

This is the first time a president has attended this dinner in six years.

It's understandable. We had a horrible plague followed by two years of COVID.

The very first president to attend the White House Correspondents' Dinner was Calvin Coolidge in 1924. I'd just been elected to the United States Senate.

I know this is a tough town. I came off with an ambitious agenda and I expected to face stiff opposition to the Senate. I just hoped it would be from Republicans.

I'm not really here to roast the GOP. That's not my style besides there's nothing I can say about the GOP that Kevin McCarthy hasn't already put on tape.

The public seems to support one fellow, some guy named Brandon. He's having a really good year. And I'm kind of happy for him.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ACOSTA: He's right about that. He has had a good year. Joining me, CN political commentator and host of PBS "Firing Line" Margaret Hoover. And also joining us, CNN senior political analyst John Avlon and author of the new book, "Lincoln and the Fight for Peace." John, I called you just so briefly last night. It was a fleeting moment, but it was great to see you.

Margaret, I wish I had seen you as well, but thanks to both of you for coming on. Take your pick whoever wants to chime in first. How did the president do last night? I mean, I thought that the jokes were pretty funny, but in many cases, they wrote themselves.

JOHN AVLON, CNN SENIOR POLITICAL ANALYST: Well, that's the story of our times. But look, you know, at first it was good to have the president back in the room poking fun at himself as well as the press. And look, that's part of, a key part of democracy is being able to take a joke if you're the president and be able to give a joke.

And I thought Biden did pretty well. It was a well written speech and there were some lines that stung and some that, you know, caused a genuine laugh. So, good for him.

MARGARET HOOVER, CNN POLITICAL COMMENTATOR: And in terms of --

ACOSTA: And none in our direction so.

AVLON: Oh, yes, for sure. Some in our direction (inaudible) with age. I mean, you know, the whole point of a roast in a speech like this is that there's no topic off limits. That's where the humor comes from.

HOOVER: I'll just say that, Jim, in terms of delivery, yes, Biden got the jokes off, fine. They were good. It was -- that was all great.

AVLON: Not impressed.

HOOVER: No, I -- honestly, I chuckled. It was great, but I actually thought the most compelling part of what he said last night was the last third of what he said, which wasn't funny at all.

[17:30:01

And he just took a turn for serious and made a really important point. And he said the free press is not the enemy of the people. Far from it. At your best, you are the guardians of truth. And it's unfortunate that that had to be said, but it had to be said because this is a reset. The president is back in the room with the press.

This is a celebration of the fourth estate and the importance of the first amendment and the importance of free speech and the importance of the press. And so many people take it for granted still, and it's so important for those listening around the world to hear this and for those at home who needed to be reminded.

AVLON: That's right.

ACOSTA: No, absolutely. And I -- it was refreshing to hear a president not refer to the press as the enemy of the people and saying quite the opposite. No. I thought that was a very key moment. And John, the comedian, the headlining comedian of the night, Trevor Noah, he did not hold back in going after Washington. And guess what, we deserve it so it's fine. Let's listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

TREVOR NOAH, COMEDIAN: It is my great honor to be speaking tonight at the nation's most distinguished superspreader event. Give it up for Kirsten Sinema. Whoever though we'd see the day in American politics when a senator could be openly bi-sexual but closeted Republican. Huh? That's progress.

Mr. President, thank you for being here. Thank you for having me here. You know, I was a little confused about why me, but then I was told that you get your highest approval ratings when a bi-racial African guy is standing next to you.

Because these people have been so hard on you, which I don't get. I really don't. You know, I think ever since you've come into office things are really looking up, you know, gas is up, rent is up, food is up. Everything.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ACOSTA: And the president laughed, you know. The president laughed at jokes at his expense.

AVLON: I mean, you have to. I mean, really, you know, except for the last, it's part of the job. And I will say one of the great tragedies of Trump never doing this dinner is that he actually is a natural insult comic. It could have been a classic. But Trevor Noah you saw that this is a guy who understands pacing and pause and everybody got skewered and I thought he was one of the better, you know, comedian riffs I've heard at the correspondents' dinner in recent years. So, I thought he did a good job.

ACOSTA: Yes. No question. And Margaret, let me turn to you and let's get serious and talk about some of these texts that CNN has obtained this past week between Fox News host0 Sean Hannity who, by the way, was the target of some jabs last night, and former Trump chief of staff Mark Meadows. Let's talk about this. Here is just one of them. Meadows says, stress every vote matters. Get out and vote on radio.

Hannity, yes, sir, on it. Any place in particular we need to push? Meadows, Pennsylvania, North Carolina, Arizona, Nevada. Hannity, got it. Everywhere.

I mean, you know, I know we're not supposed to be shocked anymore by any of this but, Margaret, I mean, my goodness, what is going on? This is not anywhere near being appropriate for somebody who is on a network that calls itself, you know, has the word news in it. Help us sort this out. What do you think?

HOOVER: Well, and for a primetime host of the leading cable news station in the United States essentially acting as the White House communications director or the campaign communications director, when he's going to go on air and talk to his 3 million people that night saying, you know, especially if you're in North Carolina, Arizona, Pennsylvania, Michigan, make sure you vote. Your vote -- every single vote matters.

That's -- I mean, that makes Fox News the propaganda wing of the Trump White House. And that used to be an accusation that seemed a little bit over the edge but those texts prove it. It is right there in front of us. Last night, Joe Biden was joking about, you know, Fox News and the chief was lending his chief of staff for messaging to the cable news.

I mean, he was making that joke but that is deadly serious. That happened in the last administration.

AVLON: Yes.

HOOVER: So, there's nothing to (inaudible) about it except for its highly, not only inappropriate, I mean, potentially is that a campaign finance violation? Was that an in-kind donation to the campaign? I mean, there are a lot of questions apart from a fact.

AVLON: That would imply we had a working FEC. But I mean, you know, yes, sir, got it. Yes, sir, got it. I mean, you know, just click --

ACOSTA: Can I have another?

AVLON: -- click your heels and salute. It's unbelievable.

ACOSTA: Right.

AVLON: All the criticism directed at the so-called liberal media by conservatives, we've never seen the kind of direct really collusion between a partisan press and a White House that we did and then we have the evidence. We got the receipts in real time. And it's beyond shameless and it's nothing to do in the same zip code as journalists.

ACOSTA: Yes. And I remember seeing Hannity out on the campaign trail with Trump and so on. And you just wondered how deep did this go and these texts perfectly illustrate they were working hand in glove quite a bit.

Guys, let me talk to you about this. Let's talk about Elon Musk. We haven't done that.

[17:35:00]

Apparently, he's taken control of Twitter for $44 billion. He's got, I guess, $44 billion to spare. He tweeted a cartoon this week to explain how his political views have shifted over the last 14 years. There's been a lot of discussion of this. It's being put up on screen. These are the stick figures. I don't know if he drew this himself or found it online.

But from left of center in 2008 when Obama was elected, but then the cartoon shows, quote, "woke progressives make him look right wing." What do you think of that? I mean, I have a lot of thoughts on this, but I want to hear your thoughts.

HOOVER: Well, I mean, Colin Wright. I believe his name is Colin Wright, was the cartoonist. So he's re-tweeted and he's made an NFT of that cartoon by the way, which is trading at like $1.3 -- it's bidding at $1.3 million right now. So that's the power of Elon's Midas touch. But there's a couple of things and John and I have -- competing things. Who was going to answer this question first to say about it?

One thing the cartoon doesn't take into account, I'm giving this to you, John Avlon, you can take away the centrist point, it doesn't take another (inaudible) Donald Trump. And there is a fallacy going around in terms of how people on the center right talk to themselves about being on the center right. And I say this as a person on the center right.

There is a lot of what aboutism (ph). Well, but the progressive left is so much worse and what about that? And they don't take into account Trump and what the Trump wing of the party has done to the Republican Party and done to pull the party not even to the right, but off the rails.

ACOSTA: Yes.

HOOVER: What it doesn't take into account, right, is that elected Democrats are not represented by the progressive left, but elected Republicans are represented by the Trump wing.

AVLON: Yes.

HOOVER: And so it's actually isn't the same thing. And it's a nice little cartoon that can make you feel good, but it doesn't take into account real effects in our politics.

AVLON: Yes. It probably needs a reality check there. I mean, look --

HOOVER: Is that tomorrow?

AVLON: Not may very well be tomorrow, but I do think it speaks to something honest where, you know, people get into their negative partisanship wing and they respect the backward chambers and they do the what aboutism (ph) dance that Margaret has just described. But you got to put it against the reality of our politics and the reality of where the parties are and it breaks down real quick if you look at the data. That's just the deal.

ACOSTA: Yes. And there's just sort after snow flaky victimhood thing going as well. It just makes me wonder, you know, come on. Can, you know --

AVLON: I mean, all the stuff like, just, you know, facts not your feelings. Yes, it's all just -- it's just a mirror.

ACOSTA: Right. All right. All right, well, John Avlon, Margaret Hoover, great to talk to both of you and glad that you made it through the weekend. We appreciate it. Thanks so much.

HOOVER: Take care.

AVLON: Take care.

HOOVER: Bye.

ACOSTA: All right, coming up, a nationwide manhunt now under way for an inmate charged with murder and a corrections officer who hasn't been seen since Friday. It's a wild case. We'll bring you the latest, next. You're live in the "CNN Newsroom."

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[17:40:00]

ACOSTA: U.S. Marshal Service is now offering a $10,000 reward for information leading to the capture of a capital murder suspect who disappeared along with a corrections officer who was transporting him. CNN's Nadia Romero has been tracking the latest developments in this case for us. It's a wild case. Do the police have any leads at this point, Nadia?

NADIA ROMERO, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes, we just got an update from the Lauderdale County sheriff within the last hour, Jim. And he says they're getting a lot of leads coming in. They're going through that information. They're also looking for video to try to see what car the two might have left in because we know that her patrol car was left in a shopping mall.

They're going through all these leads but they don't have anything confirmed right now. And he wasn't able to answer one of the bigger questions that you see a lot of people asking on social media, how was the corrections officer involved? Is she a hostage or was she an accomplice?

So, this is Vicky White. And the sheriff says she worked the halls of the detention center with access to all prisoners including Casey White. She's been there for nearly 17 years. She was the assistant director of corrections for several years. We're also told that she sent in her retirement papers on Thursday, which would have been one day before the escape. Another twist in this story.

We're also told that she's a widow with no children. But the sheriff says he's shocked that he didn't think that this would happen at his jail and especially not to her, his employee who has been working there for so long. Listen to him explain why everyone says she was well liked and well respected.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNKNOWN: All of her co-workers, all the employees, the sheriff's office, the judges, all have the most respect for her. She has an unblemished record. She's an exemplary employee so we're very concerned for her safety.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ROMERO: And the reason why is because a long list of convictions of inmate Casey White. Take a look. This is from being sentenced back in 2019. This is a wanted poster that's out for him as Jim mentioned, $10,000 reward. He has convictions including attempted murder and robbery and burglary and kidnapping. There you can see that long list, that rap sheet.

Now, he was already serving 75 years in prison when in 2020 prosecutors said he told them he killed 59-year-old Connie Ridgeway. He murdered her in her apartment back in 2015. And this is Connie Ridgeway here. You'll see her in pictures with her two sons.

And now, White pleaded not guilty by reason of insanity according to our news affiliate, WAFF, but the sheriff says they found out that he was planning an escape by taking a hostage.

[17:45:02]

And as punishment, he had more restrictions placed on him and he was sent back to prison. But more recently he was brought back to the county detention center because he had court proceedings related to the Ridgeway capital murder charges.

This is Ridgeway's son, Austin Williams. And he says he just hopes that White is captured without anyone being hurt.

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UNKNOWN: It does kind of bring it all back together, you know, the shock and you just kind of wonder how it's possible. But there's a part of me that knows that, you know, justice will be served and you knew you're just going to have to leave it to God and leave it to the law enforcement to do their jobs to bring him in. It's not something I thought I would experience again.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ROMERO: And they are experiencing all of the emotion. One last look at Casey White. And something to note, he is 6 feet 9 inches tall. So, he should stick out in just about any crowd. Different looks there depending on if he has hair or not. He also has tattoos of a rebel flag and words that say, "southern pride." But Jim, they are out looking for him. The FBI is also involved in this investigation.

ACOSTA: All right. Yes, he should be easy to spot. All right, Nadia Romero, thank you very much. And we'll be right back.

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[17:50:00]

ACOSTA: He's a classically trained chef, master sommelier and expert traveler and now in the all-new CNN Original Series "Nomad with Carlton McCoy," Carlton takes us on a global exploration of food, music, art and culture to discover the universal threads that connect us all. Here's a preview.

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CARLTON MCCOY, CNN HOST, NOMAD WITH CARLTON MCCOY (voice-over): This isn't like a tour or anything like that. I'm here to meet with someone super special. Chef Francis Oge. He's a chef de partie here at the Palace kitchen.

FRANCIS OGE, CHEF: The house doesn't work like a regular restaurant or a regular hotel. This is the first house of France and we are like a display for the world.

MCCOY (voice-over): Chef Oge is a first generation immigrant. He grew up in the suburbs, but he now cooks for the president and his wife.

(On camera): First of all it's a pleasure to meet you. I mean, honestly I was sort of like fanboying out on your Instagram. I also love like very ornate classical French cuisine. It's like about as classic as you can get like food that people don't really know how to cook anymore.

(Voice-over): Today he's preparing an old school French dish that we both love.

OGE: Here today you have a mille-feuille.

MCCOY: It means like 1,000 leaves.

OGE: Yes. Exactly. Exactly.

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ACOSTA: And joining me now the host of "Nomad," Carlton McCoy. Carlton, he's a nomad as we speak. There he is in Napa, California. Carlton, you learned how to cook, from what we understand, from your grandmother. You got a scholarship to the Culinary Institute of America and you're the second African-American to earn the prestigious title of Master Sommelier. That's a very impressive background. Tell us about it.

MCCOY: Thank you. Yes, I was, you know, I was really blessed early on, my grandmother instilled within me significance and the importance of food culture and the ability to tell stories through food. And when I was in high school I didn't realize until much later that it was such a marketable skill. I didn't realize that most people couldn't cook. So going to culinary school was a blessing, but I think it did really

-- what it showed me was that there were other stories around the world that I didn't know and I was learning their dishes and I needed to go find out how these people lived. So I started to travel the world and a whole new perspective opened up to me.

ACOSTA: And in the first episode, Carlton, you visit the Paris suburbs where this evolution of French identity is under way and the idea of French culture is being redefined. What did you find there?

MCCOY: Well, what I found was that, you know, in no way does it discount our cliche idea of the identity of someone who is Parisian. What it does is it adds to what is already a really exciting identity and city. As I started to go to Paris through wine and food and exploring some of these outer areas, you realize that, you know, there are incredible multi-traditional (ph) immigrant families that have been there, living and thriving in Paris.

And they had sort of been left out of the narrative. So we wanted to do was to explore, you know, their side of Paris and try to see the city through their purview, through their eyes. And it was an incredible experience for me so I hope the viewers enjoy as much as I did.

ACOSTA: All right. It's absolutely making me hungry right now just watching this. And give us a taste of what else viewers will be experiencing this season. You go everywhere from Seoul to towns along the Mississippi River.

MCCOY: Yes. Yes, I went to Seoul. I went to Ghana. We went -- we really went all over and I think it was a really exciting time for myself and the crews to travel because we all had been sort of cooped up due to COVID. It was sort of our first venture back out into the road and, you know, what you realize it was a great reminder that the world is an absolutely incredible place and there are so many great stories for all of us to sort of discover.

And through that we also can look at our own environment and say, okay, what am I not paying attention to here. You know, the world changes very quickly and I think that forces us to sort of question the idea of national identity and what it means to be American or French or Korean.

ACOSTA: Well, Carlton McCoy, it looks wonderful. I can't wait to watch the show and welcome to the CNN family. Thanks so mch for being with us. We appreciate it.

MCCOY: Thank you. Thank you.

ACOSTA: Good to see you, sir. And good luck with those travels.

[17:54:57]

Be sure to tune in to the all-new CNN series "Nomad with Carlton McCoy" premieres tonight at 10:00 right here on CNN. It's made me very, very hungry. I think you as well. That's the news. Reporting from Washington, I'm Jim Acosta. I'll see you back here next Saturday. Pamela Brown takes over the NEWSROOM, the CNN NEWSROOM live after a quick break. Good night.

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[17:59:59]