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Russian Troops Escorted All Women, Children And Elderly From Mariupol Besieged Plant; New Images Of Soviet-Era Symbols Seen In Mariupol; New Poll Shows Mixed Opinions Supporting Roe v. Wade; Three U.S. Tourists Found Dead At Sandals Resort In Bahamas; Putin's Rumored Girlfriend Set To Be Sanctioned By E.U.; First Lady, Jill Biden, Meets With Children Who Fled War In Ukraine; At Least 32 Killed, 19 Missing After Explosion At Havana Hotel. Aired 4-5p ET

Aired May 07, 2022 - 16:00   ET

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

[16:00:05]

JESSICA DEAN, CNN HOST: You are live in the CNN NEWSROOM. I'm Jessica Dean in for Jim Acosta today.

And a miracle in Mariupol for the hundreds of Ukrainian civilians who were stranded beneath a steel plant. As Russian forces battered them overhead for nearly two months the nightmare is finally over. Ukraine's deputy prime minister today says all women, children, and elderly civilians have been evacuated from that site. It is a small sign of hope in a city that has been all but flattened by Russian attacks.

And now the areas still standing are getting a chilling resign. Soviet era imagery and monuments are cropping up and some road signs have even been switched to Russian. This as Moscow's Red Square readies for a military spectacle. Monday's Victory Day parade will commemorate the Soviet Union's victory over the Nazis, a campaign Vladimir Putin has tried to link to his Ukraine invasion.

But nearly 80 years ago, Russian tanks brought the liberators. Now for Ukraine they're the occupiers accused of carrying out Nazi-like atrocities, and it could get worse. Ukrainian officials now warning of increased Russian attacks tied to that holiday.

Let's focus now on Mariupol, CNN international security editor Nick Paton Walsh has a deeper look at the weeks' long struggle to get those civilians out.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

NICK PATON WALSH, CNN INTERNATIONAL SECURITY EDITOR (voice-over): Escorted by armor, curtains closed, inside are said to be some of the latest civilians to evacuate the unbridled hell of Azovstal steel plant in Mariupol. Yet these are Russian troops escorting them out, not the United Nations who helped evacuate earlier in the week. Ukrainian soldiers here Friday said one of theirs died and six were injured in an evacuation bid.

Battered and uninhabitable as much of Mariupol is, still, ahead of Monday's Victory Day, it appears the city's drama theater, its basement is packed with children when it was bombed by Russia killing hundreds, is now being cleared up, excavated.

These satellite images first on CNN showing rubble visible in April, gone in recent days. Vehicles lined up and the ground around the theater cleared to make it more presentable. It's not clear why they are tidying the scene of what many called a war crime.

The warped world of what Russia calls liberation was also on view here in these rare images filmed inside a filtration camp, where Ukrainians are held before being forced to go to Russia, passports taken, sleeping on the floor or in chairs, illness from the cold, all part of the experience of liberation, according to one woman whose father was there.

And this staged visit, evidence of Russia's rush to assimilate what it's clumsily torn off Ukraine. This is Kherson, the first city it captured, and the man in the beard is Denis Pushilin, separatist leader from Donetsk, and the visit suggesting Kherson on the Russian occupation where protests are crushed will also be declared a tinpot people's republic soon. It all has the whiff of empire.

Here, he sits discussing transferring food from Kherson to Russia's separatist areas, watermelons and tomatoes. He might call it trade, Ukraine a food heist. But Moscow is far from having its way and the costs are heavy.

These images CNN has confirmed were filmed in a graveyard in Ryazan, the flags over the Russian paratroop division, the elite, and there are many just in this one city.

These are the dead behind the propaganda with so much rubble in Russia's tiny victories.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

DEAN: Nick Paton Walsh for us, thanks so much.

And joining us now is Miro Popovich. He's a U.S. Military veteran now defending his homeland in Ukraine.

Miro, thanks for being with us. As someone who's fighting against Russia, I'd like to know what your reaction is to these images that we are now seeing out of Moscow's Red Square of them preparing for this big victory like celebration where Vladimir Putin's going to show off his military might there and try to possibly declare mission accomplished.

What do you think about that?

MIRO POPOVICH, U.S. CITIZEN FIGHTING IN UKRAINE: Well, it's not a surprise to me because the propaganda machine is working and the propaganda machine, it doesn't work for the outside world, but, you know, his main mission right now is to convince his own people that what he's doing is right, and it's like the Soviet Union with 50, 60, 70 years ago USSR was doing the same thing. I mean, it's the same thing, they use the same notebooks where they

get their marks, how to make propaganda inside their own countries so it's not a surprise to me.

[16:05:07]

But right now, you know, I am -- I was deputized and we worked in Kyiv, we're going to move to the east where the battle is in about a week, but right now we stayed here behind because we wait for some provocations or rocket attacks or whatever, something on this May 9th, May 10th, victory days. We're waiting for something to come because we don't know what to expect, but we're ready, something's going to happen here in Kyiv or in other big cities.

DEAN: Yes, I can't imagine -- yes, the anxiety that goes for everyone that's having to experience that, just waiting to see what happens. How would you say the Ukrainian forces are holding up?

POPOVICH: Well, you know, Ukrainian forces are holding up well. The biggest thing right now is, you know, as of Azovstal steel factory in Mariupol where all the civilians were evacuated not so long ago is great, and I'm happy about it, but there's still military personnel there, and injured military personnel there. And I think it's important for the world to know that there are still people there in the factory because, you know, military people, military personnel, they're humans, too.

There's injured people that died there for starving, dehydration and injuries, and I hope that we were already sending of course from Turkey or other people or other countries to help these evac missions from the factory because there are still people there. Of course children and women were already evacuated from there. But, you know, military personnel, they're humans, too, and I hope the world will know and help us to evacuate them from that factory.

DEAN: Still there in those horrid condition.

POPOVICH: Because those -- yes, those same soldiers from Azov battalion that were there for two months protecting civilians and kids and children, and every day they drop like 50, 60 bombs on them. Can you imagine? It's horrible. It's unimaginary.

DEAN: Yes. It's awful. It's absolutely awful.

I want to ask you, we're seeing the Russians trying to put their stamp on Ukrainian cities, we just saw that in Nic's piece that we just played, the flags, road signs, they're changing the language from Ukrainian to Russian. These are some of the same places where they bombed civilian buildings beyond recognition. What are you seeing on the ground in terms of that sort of thing?

POPOVICH: Well, where I'm at right now around the capital it never happened, but I think what they're doing is, again, for propaganda purposes. They're changing signs and they're taking videos and pictures so they can show on their TV that, see, it's being liberated and that sort of thing. I think it's just a show, nothing -- it's just a propaganda, type of propaganda so they can show that they achieved something, you know. They can make it look bigger on TV than it is.

DEAN: Right. And President Zelenskyy has said more than a half million Ukrainians have been forcibly deported to Russia since the start of this war. What do you think Russia plans to do with all of these people?

POPOVICH: Well, you know, I cannot tell you for sure, but I haven't heard a single time that Russia did something good with anybody. I hope and I pray for the best, but you know, I've been to -- right after the Russians ran away from the capital area, I seen what happened in Bucha and Irpin, you know, there are hundreds of bodies lying on the ground executed and I don't know, you know, whatever they do -- they do a lot of war crimes.

And I cannot -- I have no explanation why they do it. I hope those people who are forcefully moved to Russia, I hope they'll be fine, but, you know, I just hope they'll be fine. I have --

DEAN: Right, and I want -- you mentioned Bucha and what the horrors that you witnessed there. How are you processing that as just a human taking all of that in?

POPOVICH: You know what, let me tell you, the first time I was there I was still to move something one block away.

[16:10:08]

I forgot -- sorry, one second. Yes. Sorry, the lighting, yes. I was told to move something one block away and I looked at that street, and that street that one block I counted six bodies lying on the floor, and you know, I just said, I'll just go around, so I went around the block so I just don't have to go through those bodies, so I don't have to, you know, look. Because one thing is when you look at it on, you know, on CNN or whatever online, on Facebook or whatever, you go Google and you see these images, it's horrible. But when you actually have to experience it, you know, it's horrible.

DEAN: I'm sure it is.

POPOVICH: So that day I had to go around the block so I don't have to just go through those bodies, and there were so many of them -- sorry. Somebody called me. Yes, there were so many, horrible.

DEAN: It's awful. Well, all right, Miro, thank you for taking time. We appreciate it.

POPOVICH: Sorry, can I have one more thing? I've seen -- I want to thank American -- you know, there's a lot of support, and we know that we're not alone, and my American friends and family and a lot of American people, they're sending us gear, and they're sending us, you know, plates, gas masks, stuff like that to help us fight. And I just want to say thank you that you're not leaving Ukraine and not leaving us alone. It's very important. Without you, without you, nothing is possible, so thank you.

DEAN: Miro Popovich in Kyiv, thanks so much for being with us. We appreciate it. Take care of yourself.

Coming up, new CNN polling on where Americans stand on abortion after the Roe versus Wade leak. Plus, reaction from the attorney who worked with the woman immortalized as Jane Roe in that Supreme Court case. Gloria Allred is joining me, next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[16:16:20]

DEAN: We have brand new CNN polling in the wake of that draft opinion revealing the Supreme Court is on the verge of striking down the landmark abortion decision Roe versus Wade. The leaked document is not final, but it has already ignited rallies for and against abortion rights nationwide, and now tall fencing surrounding the entire perimeter of the Supreme Court in anticipation of what may be to come.

CNN political director David Chalian takes a closer look at where Americans currently stand on this issue.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

DAVID CHALIAN, CNN POLITICAL DIRECTOR: Our brand new CNN poll conducted by SSRS gives us a first look at reaction to that bombshell draft opinion that was leaked out of the Supreme Court suggesting the court is poised to overturn Roe versus Wade, and what we find in this brand new poll is that it is still a two to one issue in favor of Roe remaining the law of the land. 66 percent of Americans in this poll do not want to see Roe v. Wade overturned.

Only 34 percent would like to see that case overturned, and when you break it down by party, 88 percent of Democrats want to see Roe remaining in place, 71 percent of independents and 37 percent of Republicans do not want Roe overturned.

As for those efforts in the Senate by Democrats to try and find a way to codify Roe into law, well, that's broadly popular even though Chuck Schumer doesn't seem to have the votes for it up on Capitol Hill. 59 percent of Americans in this poll support a law that establishes a nationwide right to abortion, 41 percent oppose it. And we asked folks what would you like to see happen in your state in a post-Roe world if it is overturned.

Look at this, 20 percent of voters in this poll say they would like to see a complete ban on abortion in their states, just 20 percent. But look at the bottom of this, 51 percent, a slim majority, would like to see their state a safe haven for abortion in a post-Roe world.

As for the political impact on the midterms, this may be one of the most interesting findings in our new poll. Look at this, we asked how people felt if indeed the Supreme Court does overturn Roe. 17 percent, just 17 percent say they would be happy. Compare that down with the 36 percent who say they would be angry. Obviously, those that would be angry a larger group, but look at how those groups are thinking about the 2022 midterms. Among the group that said they'd be happy if Roe was overturned, 38

percent say they are extremely enthusiastic about voting in the midterms, but among that larger group, the group that says they would be angry if Roe was overturned, only 20 percent consider themselves extremely enthusiastic about voting in the midterms so it is not yet clear that this is some big advantage for the Democrats.

Obviously, this is just the first look, when the court issues an actual opinion and lots of campaigns get mobilized around this issue, public opinion could certainly shift.

David Chalian, CNN Washington.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

DEAN: David, thank you.

And former secretary of state and Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton giving a stark warning that if Roe is overturned, it will only be the beginning and that more rights will be rolled back. Here's what she told CBS.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

HILLARY CLINTON, FORMER SECRETARY OF STATE: This opinion is dark. It is incredibly dangerous, and it is not just about a woman's right to choose. It is about much more than that.

[16:20:02]

And any American who says look, I'm not a woman, this doesn't affect me. I'm not black, that doesn't affect me. I'm not gay, that doesn't affect me. Once you allow this kind of extreme power to take hold, you have no idea who they will come for next.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

DEAN: My next guest calls the possibility of Roe versus Wade being overturned both devastating and horrific. Back in the 1960s before Attorney Gloria Allred was a household name and before Roe v. Wade was the law of the land, she was raped at gunpoint, became pregnant and had a back-alley abortion. She later represented Norma McCorvey, the woman known to millions as Jane Roe, years after the landmark Supreme Court ruling in 1973.

Gloria Allred joins me now.

Gloria, lovely to have you on. Thanks for making time for us. So we know that Justice Clarence Thomas condemned the leak of this draft opinion saying that government institutions should not be bullied. He also reiterated his past comments that justices are obligated to take a fresh look at established precedent. What is your response to that?

GLORIA ALLRED, VICTIMS' RIGHTS ATTORNEY: Well, it's very clear that abortion should be safe and legal and affordable and available, and Roe v. Wade has been a precedent since 1973, affirmed later many times by the United States Supreme Court, and that is why it is called a super precedent, so they can take a fresh look, but they should not reverse. They should not strike down Roe v. Wade because the very lives and the health and the safety of women and girls are at risk if they do.

You are correct. I had an abortion after being raped at gunpoint in Mexico when I was in my 20s, and when I came back to California, I didn't realize that abortion was a crime in California at that time, not for a woman to have it, but for a licensed health care provider like a doctor or nurse to perform it, and so that's why I went to someone who -- for money provided a back-alley abortion, and as a result I had the abortion, was left in a bathtub hemorrhaging, almost dying in a pool of my own blood.

Ultimately, fortunately, an ambulance was called and I was taken to the hospital and packed in ice because of the 106-degree fever that was due to the infection from the back-alley abortion and the nurse said to me, I hope this teaches you a lesson, and of course she was anti-choice, but the lesson that I learned was not the lesson that she wanted. The lesson I learned was that abortion must be legal and safe and affordable and available.

And now I am seeing the world changing, the legal world and the lives of women placed at risk with this leaked draft opinion, the language of the opinion of the Supreme Court opinion may very well be changed somewhat, but I think ultimately in the next six weeks when we see the final opinion handed down it is likely to be that Roe v. Wade will be struck down. And so no longer will it be a constitutional right, and what that means is they're turning it back to the states.

States that are outlawing abortion, half of them already either have laws that will either restrict or eliminate legal right to abortion or -- and then the other half of the states will keep it safe, keep it legal, and become haven states like California is going to be a sanctuary state, the complete opposite of what it was in the '60s. And we are now proud of our state, and we are going to be a state that is going to help women come here to get abortions.

But then we have on the other side, we have Louisiana, and I've been saying for years that the anti-choice people often want a fertilized egg to have more rights than an adult woman, and this is exactly what we just saw happening in a bill in Louisiana that would make abortion a murder. In other words, back to the moment there's a fertilized egg, not at 15 weeks, not at six weeks, but the moment there's a fertilized egg, if a woman or a girl decides to terminate the pregnancy she could be charged with murder.

She could be prosecuted. She could be convicted. And she could be sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole. That's how extreme the anti-choice movement has become. And we are going to have rallies across this nation next Saturday, May 14th.

[16:25:05]

I'm going to be at the rally at Los Angeles City Hall. I will be one of the featured speakers, and we want everyone, we want thousands of women to come. We want everyone in the nation to go to the rally in their state and make a difference because each one of you showing up will make a difference and then we're going to motivate everyone to go out and vote as though their life depends on it because it does.

DEAN: And I want to ask you, Gloria, because you're in this unique position that you represented Norma McCorvey, AKA Jane Roe, we know that she expressed remorse at the end of her life that she'd switched sides and said she accepted money to be part of the antiabortion movement. How do you think she would react to this moment? And can you shed some light a little bit on her?

ALLRED: Yes, because I did help her to have a voice. She wanted to speak out in favor of the right to choose legal abortion, and we did together do that for a number years, and then at a certain point she became anti-choice. She still maintained contact with me, however. We had a very cordial relationship because knowing that I'm pro-choice, I support a woman who chooses to have an abortion and a woman who chooses not to have an abortion.

And -- but I knew she was really not anti-choice, and she at the end of her life, you're correct, did give a death bed confession, so to speak, on tape in which she admitted she'd always been pro-choice. She really only became anti-choice because she was offered money, economic support to be an anti-choice speaker. She needed it. I'm not going to criticize her. I don't criticize women.

But all I can say is I think now she would be marching with us, rallying with us in support of the right to choose abortion and -- because, you know, life is very complicated and difficult, and these anti-choice elected officials are making it more difficult. To show how cruel they are, they are willing, in some states, there are no exceptions for rape or incest.

If a child even wants to have an abortion, a 12-year-old, a 13-year- old who is made pregnant by her father, which is a crime, incest, she is being forced to carry that pregnancy to term and deliver. Now that is cruel. It's also dangerous to her health. And we are going to stand up for other people's daughters and their mothers and their sisters and their aunts, and they have the right to choose.

It should not be a stranger sitting in Washington, an elected official or even in their own state who gets to decide for them. Women should be trusted, and they are the ones who have a right to decide if they're going to have an abortion or not, and we are going to fight for this. It's important and we are never going to stop until we win our rights again.

DEAN: All right, Gloria Allred, thanks so much for joining us this afternoon.

ALLRED: Thank you.

DEAN: Still to come, a mystery in the Bahamas. Three Americans on vacation found dead at a popular resort. What we're learning about that investigation, that's next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[16:33:00]

DEAN: Three Americans have been found dead at a luxury resort in the Bahamas. A fourth American, a woman, has been airlifted to a hospital in Nassau.

Officials aren't saying how the Americans died but say foul play is not suspected.

CNN's Polo Sandoval is following this for us this afternoon.

And, Polo, if it's not foul play, are officials giving any indication of what might have caused the deaths?

POLO SANDOVAL, CNN CORRESPONDENT: They're not at this point, Jessica. So that really speaks to the bizarre nature of this story, much because of what we don't know.

But also key here is what we do, which, as you point out, based on a preliminary investigation, is that there was no foul play involved in the death of these three Americans in the Bahamas.

In fact, a lot of the information that's coming right now is from Sandals Resort that released a statement today. They're confirming the death of three of their guests. Those deaths taking place in Emerald Bay Resort yesterday.

Part of the statement reading, "A health emergency was initially reported. And following their protocols they immediately alerted emergency medical professionals and relevant local authorities."

Sandals Resort going on to write that they are supporting both the investigation and the family members of these guests. But they could not disclose any more information. They said it's because of the privacy of their guests.

There's a little more information coming from the acting prime minister in the Bahamas that confirms there were two men and one woman that were discovered dead in villas at the resort.

A fourth person apparently was injured in some way and is currently at a hospital. But again, not elaborating a lot more on that.

So right now, the key is obviously investigators are basically retracing the steps of these four individuals, trying to get a better idea of the hours and perhaps days leading up to the discovery of those three individuals, dead in villas at a resort in the Bahamas, and a fourth person is currently hospitalized -- Jessica?

DEAN: Polo Sandoval for us, thanks for that reporting.

[16:34:51]

And coming up, Europe is preparing to sanction more prominent Russians and Vladimir Putin's rumored girlfriend is on the list. (COMMERCIAL BREAK)

DEAN: Italian authorities announcing they've seized a super yacht that may belong to Vladimir Putin himself. The "Shahir Assad," believed to be worth $700 million, has been described as a mini city complete with two helipads.

This, as the European Union is set to sanction Putin's rumored girlfriend.

CNN's Brian Todd has that story.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

[16:39:58]

BRIAN TODD, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): She's been linked romantically to Vladimir Putin for more than a decade, though he has always denied it.

An early photograph of them together at the time she was a decorated gymnast shows Putin looking infatuated with her.

The E.U. appears to set new sanctions on Alina Kabaeva, according to two European diplomatic sources.

LOUISE SHELLEY, TERRORISM, TRANSNATIONAL CRIME AND CORRUPTION CENTER: This is very personal. She is not only part of his inner circle but she also probably holds a lot of money for Putin.

TODD: Kabaeva also, late last month, in a rare public appearance at a gymnastics event in Moscow, spoke out in support of Putin's war in Ukraine.

ALINA KABAEVA, FORMER OLYMPIC GYMNAST (through translation): Every family has a history of war. And we shouldn't forget about it. We should hand it over from generation to generation.

BEN JUDAH, THE ATLANTIC COUNCIL: Alina Kabaeva has participated in a lot of propaganda state efforts to shore up the Putin regime over the years.

TODD: Kabaeva and Putin have rarely been seen in public together, but analyst say, she and her family have gotten rich because of her close ties to the Russian president.

SHELLEY: She spends much of her time overseas, even though she has lavish properties in Russia to the tune of tens of millions of dollars.

TODD: Experts say targeting Putin's purported girlfriend for sanctions is a cold-eyed method of punishing the former KGB colonel for the Ukraine invasion.

JUDAH: One of the leaders to make him feel some of the costs of this is to sanction those closest to him. And American officials believe that she is very close, indeed.

TODD: Putin's two adult daughters from his first marriage were sanctioned by the U.S. last month.

A U.S. official confirmed their names are Maria Putina, who also goes by the name Maria Vorontsova, and Katerina Thikhonova, shown here speaking at an economic conference. Both are believed to be in their mid-30s.

CASEY MICHEL, KLEPTOCRACY INITIATIVE, THE HUDSON INSTITUTE: We know they have traveled widely, especially in the West. We know one of them, Katerina, was married to Russia's youngest billionaire. And we know that she also tried to pursue a career in acrobatic rock-and- roll.

The other one, Maria, we don't know quite as much about. We know she has pursued or at least purportedly pursued a career in medical sciences.

TODD: As for Alina Kabaeva, last month, "The Wall Street Journal" reported that U.S. officials had debated whether to placed American sanctions on her. But held off out of concerns that so personal a strike at Putin would escalate tensions even more.

Now that the E.U. could soon sanction Kabaeva and the U.S. has already sanctioned Putin's daughters --

SHELLEY: Putin might take this personally and strike out more at Ukraine and against the U.S.

TODD (on camera): Experts say there's also Putin's ex-wife, Lyudmila, the mother of Maria and Catarina, who also may have accounts in other places where Putin is hiding his assets.

One expert who tracks Putin's finances says he doesn't believe Lyudmila has been placed under any sanctions yet but he says that could be coming as the U.S. tries to ratchet up the personal pressure on Vladimir Putin.

Brian Todd, CNN, Washington.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

DEAN: Brian, thank you.

First lady, Jill Biden, is in eastern Europe this weekend meeting with Ukrainian refugees. She visited a school in Romania this morning and heard some heartbreaking stories from women and children who have fled the war in Ukraine.

This school in Bucharest opened its doors to refugee students after Putin's invasion began back in February. Romania has so far taken in more than 850,000 Ukrainians.

CNN's Kate Bennett is joining me now live from Slovakia, the first lady's next stop, after Romania. Kate, how has Jill Biden been received on this first solo trip of hers

to the region?

KATE BENNETT, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Well, she's really been received quite well. Everyone here is very grateful to see her. Now of course, we're in Slovakia where we're going to be headed closer to the border with Ukraine tomorrow.

Earlier today, we were in Bucharest, Romania, where the first lady really saw the traumatic side of Putin's war. Mothers and children trying to incorporate themselves, their world into a whole new atmosphere, a whole new city.

This is something that the first lady really focused on today. She focused on the mental health of children, the trauma they had been through, you know, new schools, new friends, new homes, things that are really going to have long lasting effects.

She wanted to understand how Romanians were taking care of their newest residents. if you will.

One 7-year-old girl in the classroom today drew something on her little hand card there that said, "I really just want to go home and see my father." She was from Kyiv.

Another little girl said that she wished she could go home to Odessa.

Of course, we know the toll. We've seen the images of what Ukraine is going through.

A lot of these families, though, even though Romanians have welcomed their homes and their hearts quite frankly to these refugees, they still want to go back home.

And there are 7,000 Ukrainians arriving per day still in Romania.

So the first lady wanted to have a hands-on look at what's happening there. She met with the Romanian first lady, who's also a teacher, just like Dr. Biden is.

And she wanted to really feel the support that America has for Ukraine and for Romania for being a partner in taking in a lot of these refugees.

[16:45:05]

And again, like I said, tomorrow, we will be moving closer to the border with Ukraine to see more refugees and spend Mother's Day with some very brave mothers who took their kids and had to flee the war of Vladimir Putin and Ukraine -- Jess?

DEAN: So many of those children having to bear the burden of that war on their small little shoulders, Kate.

All right, thanks so much for that reporting. We appreciate it. The Taliban is putting new measures in place that further limit

freedoms for women in Afghanistan. According to a decree issued today, women must cover themselves head to toe, including their faces, whenever they appear in public.

Since taking control of Afghanistan again, the Taliban has banned women from traveling on their own. And despite promises of a woman's right to an education, the Taliban shutdown girls' high schools in March on the day they were due to open.

South Korean and U.S. intelligence officials are analyzing a second North Korean ballistic missile launch in less than a week.

The short-range ballistic missile fired today reached an altitude of about 37 miles and a trajectory of more than 373 miles. That's according to South Korean officials.

It's North Korea's 14th missile launch this year alone. And it comes just weeks after this military parade where North Korean leader, Kim Jong-Un, vowed to ramp up their development of nuclear arms.

The South Korean military says the repeated launches are, quote, "threatening acts that must be immediately stopped."

Coming up, a massive explosion rocks a popular hotel in Cuba, killing more than two dozen people. That's a live look at it right now. We're going to talk about what went so horribly wrong when we come back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[16:51:31]

DEAN: On a brand-new episode of "SEARCHING FOR ITALY,"" Stanley Tucci visits a region of the country spearheading a slow food revolution.

Here's a preview.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

STANLEY TUCCI, HOST, "SEARCHING FOR ITALY": And if there's one dish that Valedosta's close neighbors are famous for, it's fondue. On this side of the mountain it's called fonduta. And over here they make it a little differently.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE (through translation): Is it good?

TUCCI: Yes.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: The difference between, for example, Switzerland and France, they have fonduta with different cheese.

(CROSSTALK)

TUCCI: What do they use?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Gruyere. TUCCI: Gruyere? (SPEAKING FOREIGN LANGUAGE)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: (SPEAKING FOREIGN LANGUAGE)

TUCCI: Italian fontina cheese from cows on sweet grass high in these mountains make the fonduta so luscious it doesn't need the white wine they add in France or Switzerland.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

DEAN: Never not hungry when watching those.

Be sure to tune in. A brand-new episode airing tomorrow night at 9:00 right here on CNN.

And developing right now, at least 32 people have died and 19 remain missing after an explosion at a popular hotel in Havana, Cuba.

Look at this video showing the aftermath. We know dozens of other people were hurt, including one person who was pulled from the rubble overnight.

Patrick Oppmann joining me now from Havana.

Patrick, any confirmation on what caused that explosion?

PATRICK OPPMANN, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, the early word is as the investigation continues is that it was a gas leak. This hotel thankfully behind me was closed down.

And we're just going to show you the extensive damage to this hotel. I asked the cameraman to give you an image of the hotel as rescue operations continue.

But as the hotel was being readied to reopen next week, they brought in a truck of gas, liquid gas that they were using to resupply the hotel. They use it to cook with here at the kitchen.

And apparently, a gas leak took place as they were transferring the gas from the truck into the kitchen into their tank there. It filled the hotel up with gas, and then you can see it just exploded out and showered rubble down on where I'm standing.

That has been cleared now. And now they have started going through each area of this hotel, what's left, looking for the remains of people.

Not a half an hour ago, Jessica, we saw a body bag being taken out. And you could hear a pin drop here as all the rescue workers lined up.

The Cuban police stood at the ready and everyone just watched this body, the latest body to be found here, taken out and put by stretcher into the back of an ambulance to be taken away and hopefully identified.

So that remains the situation here. Rescue workers hoping they will find someone alive. But it's been now about 14, 16 hours since they have actually pulled anyone alive out of this building.

They say they remain hopeful, but all day long, this afternoon, we've heard reports of more bodies being taken out. We certainly expect by this evening there will be a new count.

And you said that there are 32 confirmed dead. There are also 19 confirmed missing. And that is really the concern here.

Behind me, in the park there, are family members waiting to get word. Obviously, you can just see the tension in their faces as they're hoping for some kind of miracle here.

[16:55:06]

But in the last hours or so, all the news that's come from here, unfortunately, has been quite tragic.

DEAN: And such an agonizing time for those families.

Patrick Oppmann, for us live in Havana, Cuba, thanks so much.

Coming up, police find the getaway car in the hunt for a missing corrections officer and a murder suspect. So why do authorities say they're back at square one in the search?

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