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10 Killed In Racially Motivated Mass Shooting In Buffalo; Sweden Announces NATO Bid, Ending Its Historic Neutrality; Hundreds Of Ukrainian Soldiers Evacuated From Steel Plant To Russian-Held Territory; FDA And Abbott Reach Deal To Reopen Shuttered Infant Formula Plant; North Korea COVID Admission Reveals Serious Health Situation; Karine Jean-Pierre Holds First Briefing as WH Press Secretary. Aired 1-2a ET

Aired May 17, 2022 - 01:00   ET

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

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[01:00:38]

JOHN VAUSE, CNN ANCHOR: Hello, and welcome to viewers here in the United States and all around the world. I'm John Vause. This is CNN Newsroom. And coming up, the racist massacre in a Buffalo grocery store appears to have been months in the planning and if his not surrendered to police, investigators say the suspect wanted his killing spree to continue at other target locations.

Tracking traitors in Ukraine and the moment please catch it and alleged spy in the act.

And the great (INAUDIBLE) and the end of hamburger diplomacy, McDonald's leaving Russia and what it means to global capitalism.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Live from CNN Center. This is CNN Newsroom with John Vause.

VAUSE: The U.S. President will travel to Buffalo New York in the coming hours to meet with families of the victims of Saturday's racially motivated shooting. This comes as we learn new details about the 18-year-old accused of the attack. Investigators say the gunman who opened fire in a supermarket killing 10 people traveled 200 miles to the predominantly black neighborhood two months ago and he was there this past Friday, authorities believe, carrying out reconnaissance just one day before the massacre.

New video shows the suspect taken into custody on Saturday. Police say he was heavily armed wearing tactical gear, a camera live streaming his rampage.

Authorities say they've uncovered evidence this supermarket was not his only target. If he'd not been stopped, the tragedy would have been much worse.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) BYRON BROWN, BUFFALO, NEW YORK MAYOR: Many more people would probably have been killed and injured if the Buffalo Police did not get to the scene as quickly they were able to subdue the gunman. They were able to take him into custody without incident and protect the surrounding neighborhood.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

VAUSE: The scene of the massacre has the highest black population of any zip code in upstate New York. Before he set out on his killing spree, police say the gunman posted a statement online 180 pages long describing himself as a white supremacist. CNN's Brynn Gingras has more now on the 10 victims of Saturday's attack.

(BEGIN VIDEO TAPE)

BRYNN GINGRAS, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Families overcome with emotion.

GARNELL WHITFIELD JR., SON OF RUTH WHITFIELD: We're not just hurting. We're angry. We're mad. This shouldn't have happened.

GINGRAS: Trying to process the unexplainable killing of their loved ones gone down at a Buffalo grocery store this weekend.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: She was an 86 year old power house.

GINGRAS: Ruth Whitfield, the oldest of the victims is the mother of Buffalo's former Fire Commissioner killed shortly after visiting her husband of 68 years in a nursing home.

WHITFIELD: There's nothing to take away the pain take away a hole in our hearts because part of us is gone. Since is taken from us by hate.

GINGRAS: Former police lieutenant Aaron Salter work security at the top store in his retirement, his last heroic act exchanging gunfire with a shooter and likely saving lives.

BROWN: He was beloved by the community.

GINGRAS: A community and a clergy now missing Hayward Patterson.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: This too much for my heart.

GINGRAS: He was killed in the parking lot, never making it into the store where his friends say he would often bring parishioners who needed to buy food.

LENNY LANE, THE F.A.T.H.E.R.S. ORGANIZTION: (INAUDIBLE) was the ones that transported them back and forth to their home so that they can continue to survive.

GINGRAS: Pearl Young also a woman of faith attended a prayer breakfast hours before the shooting.

JIMMIE SMITH, FRIEND OF PEARL YOUNG: For over 25 years, she was running a food pantry giving and helping and being faithful to her church. She was a Saint.

GINGRAS: Katherine Massey, who had 72 years old was known as someone who stood up for equality.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: She was just a go getter.

GINGRAS: Friends say she worked to make a difference through her actions and her words as a writer she penned a letter to the editor about gun violence just last year. Marcus Morrison died while buying snacks for his weekly movie night. Andre MacNeil was picking up cupcakes for his grandson's birthday, Celestine Chaney, a breast cancer survivor who plan to belatedly celebrate Mother's Day with family this weekend. Roberta Drury, the youngest victim who died dedicated her time to helping her brother fight leukemia and Geraldine Talley was grocery shopping for a party with her fiance who survived.

TAMIKA HARPER, NIECE OF GERALDINE TALLEY: Today get a chance to think blink, nothing. Just devastating. All the family that lost.

GINGRAS: Three others are recovering from the attack. 10 lives tragically lost in just minutes by a person authority say was fueled by hate. Brynn Gingras, CNN, New York.

(END VIDEO TAPE)

VAUSE: Joey Jackson is a CNN legal analyst and criminal defense attorney. He is with us this hour from New York. Thanks for taking the time, Joey. Good to see you.

JOEY JACKSON, CNN LEGAL ANALYST: Good to see you, John. Thank you.

VAUSE: OK. So once again, you were looking for answers here as to why and how, and all the how, as in how could this happen, is falling on social media. Want you to listen to the governor of New York State.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

KATHY HOCHUL, NEW YORK GOVERNOR: So I'm calling out the social media platforms where this hate can be spewed and people are learning how to create guns and violence and weapons.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

VAUSE: So the governor can call out social media platforms as much as she wants. But beyond sort of naming and shaming, there doesn't seem to be much which can be done in terms of enforcement or regulation of violent and harmful content, right?

JACKSON: Yes, that's absolutely right. You know, it's a very difficult scenario. But John, as it relates to social media, you know, we have, of course, a robust first amendment right. And that first amendment right allows people to express views that you and I might find offensive, we may find it reprehensible, we may be in disagreement with it.

But you know, what, under First Amendment principles, you're allowed to espouse it. And it gets even more complicated than the First Amendment. Why? Because the fact is, is that these social media sites, you know, they're private entities, these social media people, and as a result of that, they're not even subjected all right to the First Amendment to begin with, because of the fact that the First Amendment is governmental in nature. And so that gets even more complicated.

And at the end of the day, last point for this question, and that is, you know, social sites are even protected by the government and they have immunity with respect to users who are posting content, the actual site itself is not responsible for individual user's views. And so that gives an even greater complexity. So while politically that may sound good, at the end of the day, it's a much more complicated problem than that, John.

VAUSE: Well, Democratic Congresswoman Debbie Wasserman Schultz was calling for tougher gun laws. Like a lot of people have been doing this. We also need to revisit Section 230 to remove social media company immunity if they apply, amplified rather, radicalization -- radicalizing content and conspiracy theories that promote violence, like we saw in Buffalo.

So Section 230 was an amendment to the Communications Decency Act, which we told her two purposes. The first was to encourage the unfettered and unregulated development of free speech on the internet, as one judge put it at the time. The other was to allow online services to implement their own standards for policing content, and provide for child safety.

So, this is essentially for social media platforms, this is a get out of jail free card.

JACKSON: So in some respects, it is and so backing up just by way of explanation. You have people who are using, right, the byproduct of social media are so many people in the public square, who are using social media to really provide content to, to express views on, to do various things with respect to interacting with others.

And so when you look at Section 230, it really says, Well, if individuals are providing this content, and it's coming from all corners of the globe, why should the individual site be accountable, and really be held to the standard of adopting views simply because they're providing a mechanism that is the form of social media for having those views expressed there?

And so what Section 230 did was say we're going to immunize them immunized who, right meaning given immunity to actually the site provided. We're not going to blame the site provider for the individual who post content there. So it gets very difficult, right.

VAUSE: So in terms of the why, one motivating factor, it appears to be this racist ideology replacement theory, which we'll use either Democrats or the Jewish people are plotting to diminish the influence and the number of white people in this country. This theory was only existed on the fringes of the internet, the crazy parts, but it's gone mainstream at least within some factions of the Republican Party. Listen to this. (BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We know what the Democrats are up to here. They want open borders, this is exactly their strategy. They want to replace the American electorate

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: For many Americans what seems to be happening or what they believe right now is happening is what appears to them is we're replacing national born American -- native born Americans permanently transformed the political landscape of this very nation.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: This administration wants complete open borders and you have to ask yourself, why, is it really they want to remake the demographics of America to ensure there that they stay in power forever? Is that what's happening here?

(END VIDEO CLIP)

[01:10:02]

VAUSE: OK, so when it comes to the First Amendment, knowing what we now know about how there was a radicalization, you know, possibly of the shooter, how is what the Republicans have been saying they're any different to yelling fire in a crowded theater?

JACKSON: Yes, it's really problematic. We are in polarizing times, John. And at the same time, right, we have to recognize and respect that we're not all going to agree. We can have principal points of disagreement. And that's what the First Amendment is all about.

Now, one thing to talk about, we know that the First Amendment has limitations, even though we can argue with each other all day and all night. John, we could agree we can disagree. You can't yell fire in a theater. Why? Because it could impair someone else.

You can't defame someone that is state something false that impairs their reputation. Why? Because it affects someone else. So we have to really think about the First Amendment question in the context of what we're allowing, how we're allowing it, but at the end of the day, it's about decency and humanity. And if we have that perhaps we could prevent tragic instances, like what occurred in Buffalo.

VAUSE: If we had that. Joey, thank you. Great to see you.

JACKSON: Thank you, John.

VAUSE: Vladimir Putin's war of choice in Ukraine is our driving and historic change in European security. On Monday, Sweden formally announced that it would join neighboring Finland and seek NATO membership, and the decades of declared neutrality.

A Nordic expansion effectively turns the Baltic Sea into a NATO lake right at Russia's front door. Despite Kremlin threats of retaliation, Sweden's Prime Minister says NATO membership is the best way to ensure national security.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MAGDALENA ANDERSSON, SWEDISH PRIME MINISTER (through translator): Sweden will be very exposed during the time our application is being handled. Russia has said that it will undertake countermeasures if we join NATO. We can't rule out that Sweden will be the subject of disinformation and attempts at scaring and dividing us. But it is also clear that Sweden does not stand alone.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

VAUSE: Joining NATO could take months first requirement is to ensure applicants meet NATO criteria. That should not take long. Sweden and Finland already meet many of the requirements. And I've worked closely with the alliance in the past, then all 30 NATO member states must agree on approving those new members and that is where it all gets a little tricky.

On Monday, Turkey's president doubled down his objections, accusing Finland and Sweden of housing terrorist groups, adding that little can be done to overcome his objections to their applications.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

RECEP TAYYIP ERDOGAN, TURKISH PRESIDENT (through translator): Swedish and Finnish delegations are coming to Turkey on Monday. Are they coming to convince us? Excuse me, but they should not hire themselves. First of all, we should not say yes to those who impose sanctions on Turkey to join NATO. Because the NATO would cease to be a security organization and become a place where representatives of terrorist organizations are concentrated.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

VAUSE: The long standoff at the Azovstal steel plant in Mariupol is nearing the end game. Ukraine's military leader says the combat mission there is over the priority now to save the lives of the troops who held off the Russian military for 82 days. Evacuations are underway from the steel plant.

Officials say so far more than 260 people have been able to leave. But what happens next is unclear, many are wounded being bussed through territory controlled by Russia and its allies.

Ukraine says the Red Cross is involved and Ukrainians Deputy Defense Minister says a prisoner exchange will see the evacuees brought home. But she also said Monday some Ukrainian forces remain at the plant.

Well, Russia is set to take Mariupol elsewhere it is suffering big losses in Ukraine repelled from Kharkiv facing stiff resistance as oppose (ph) more troops into eastern Ukraine. And in Kramatorsk, Ukrainian agents hard at work rooting out people they allege a Russian spies. CNN's Sam Kiley has our report.

(BEGIN VIDEO TAPE)

SAM KILEY, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (on camera): This is the former headquarters of the SBU, that's the secret police effectively of Ukraine. Now it was hit right at the beginning of the war with an airstrike.

Clearly from the Russian perspective, this is an immediate necessity to knock out the SBU's capacity here in Kramatorsk because it is from this location that the counter intelligence operation would have been run.

(voice-over): We've been working on him for about four days. We have a complete picture of his actions said Serhay (ph). This is Ukraine's most secretive force, the equivalent of the FBI. And then some. Serhay (ph) says we have identified a person who according to our intelligence is committing a crime. Simply put this is a person who transmits to the Russian side, the Russian military information about the locations of our units. They're snatched team with orders to grab an alleged Russian spy.

The SBU says that spies feed a stream of information on troop movements and details of targets to Russia's aircraft and artillery.

[01:15:05]

In this region, the SBU says it catches one or two agents run by Russia every day.

And today's suspect is being watched. His ours. There he goes, having a smoke. All units green pants black sweatshirt, 1000.

Special Forces sweeping resistance.

Two Ukrainians are asked to witness the interrogation. Without camera present protocols are followed to the letter. He's told why he's arrested for high treason during martial law and confesses on the spot to spying. He says that he was allegedly recruited online gets orders via a messaging app from someone called Nikolai.

The suspect says that he got about $10 for his alleged spying, which included the locations of Ukrainian military units in the town. According to an alleged exchange between him and his handler, the suspect was arrested mid mission.

There's no death penalty for traitors here. But as he's driven through these gates, he'll know that if tried and convicted, he could spend a lifetime behind bars.

Serhey's (ph) hometown is under constant Russian bombardment. So for him, this is no small victory.

Russia is hitting us with missiles, rockets and air raids. These missiles hit the coordinates which are transmitted by these criminals. People die in these attacks, soldiers and civilians. But he adds, the more atrocities the Russians commit, the harder it's getting for the Kremlin to recruit local spies. Sam Kiley, CNN in Sloviansk.

(END VIDEO TAPE) VAUSE: They call North Korea the Hermit Nation for a reason. Well in two years into the pandemic and now comes data on COVID infections. When we come back, there is a lack of testing and treatment. So the reality of the outbreak remains murky at best. Details on the life report straight ahead.

Also, why new efforts by the U.S. government to ease a shortage of baby formula isn't really doing a whole lot of good. That's next.

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[01:22:17]

VAUSE: The makers of baby formula in the U.S., Abbott Nutrition has agreed to terms set out by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to address sanitary issues which led to a major recall. Pending court approval, Abbott says it could resume production and have supplies in stores in six to eight weeks of it closed its Michigan factory earlier this year after investigators found bacterial contamination at the plant.

The recall has led to a shortage nationwide, but other alternatives are available. The American Academy of Pediatrics says cow's milk may be an option for babies over six months old. Toddlers formula also say for limited time for babies almost a year old.

Meantime, The White House says it has been working for weeks to increase the supply of baby formula from both domestic and international sources. It's also launched a new government website to help parents find a formula. CNN's MJ Lee put (ph) social resources to the test.

(BEGIN VIDEO TAPE)

MJ LEE, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT (on camera): Last week, the White House was not able to offer clear federal guidance on what exactly parents should do if they are unable to find baby formula. And then on Friday, the White House announced a new hhs.gov/formula website, they said that this should provide plenty of resources for parents that are looking to get their hands on baby formula.

So CNN decided to try it out. We called some of the 181-800 numbers that were listed on that website, tried out some of the web chat sessions that they were recommending. And this is what we found when we tried the Abbott's 1-800 hotline. And of course, this is the company behind those major recalls. We were told that they are not answering any questions by phone. They also have set up before where a pediatrician can fax over a form along with a doctor's order to try to get formula to parents. It's just really unclear how long that will take.

Next, we also tried Reckitt their 1-800 hotline number, this is the company behind the popular formula Enfamil. And the call time there was 72 minutes at the end of which a representative got on the phone and they said that they are completely sold out of everything. And the third company we tried was Gerber. We tried some of the chat functions, and asked if they could recommend certain lines of formula that is similar to a certain line of a Similac formula. And they said that they were out of stock as well. Some of the representative saying my heart does go out to you during this time, clearly trying to show some empathy to parents that are looking for formula.

And then when we went on the Gerber website, we saw over the weekend that 16 of the 24 different formula lines appear to be out of stock.

So it's worth noting that many of these representatives that we encountered, they were pretty apologetic. They said some of these call times have been pretty normal that it has been very difficult for parents to get their hands on baby formula.

[01:25:02]

So this just gives us a little window into the broad frustration that we are seeing and hearing about across the country during this nationwide baby formula shortage. Back to you.

(END VIDEO TAPE)

VAUSE: More than two years into the pandemic and North Korea owning now revealing data on COVID cases, but it's hardly a complete picture. The government confirms just 168 infections between Thursday when identified its first case and Saturday, not included in Pyongyang's break down the nearly one and a half million so called fever cases recorded since late last week.

CNN's Blake Essig is following all the details for us from Tokyo. North Korea has this reputation of being the hermetically sealed when it comes to releasing any information. So why is Pyongyang releasing these numbers now, which I guess are dubious at best?

BLAKE ESSIG, CNN CORRESPONDENT: You know, John, I mean, that's a great question. One, I don't know we're ever going to get the answer to in a country that's extremely isolated under normal circumstances. It's unlikely we are ever going to know just how widespread the COVID outbreak is within North Korean borders. Perhaps they need assistance from the outside world, which is why they might have signaled that they're having problems.

But to this point, whether it's South Korea or World Health Organization, North Korea has not asked for assistance. But for the first time late last night, North Korean state run TV did confirm a total of 168 COVID-19 cases, the first cases that have been reported since the outbreak began. The majority 42 found in the capital Pyongyang. Nationwide, nearly 270,000 new fever cases were reported today, along with six new deaths, bringing the death toll up to 56, 16 of those deaths over the age of 61, while six below the age of 10.

It is worth noting that the level of testing in the DPRK is extremely low and is likely why these suspicious cases are being called fever cases instead of COVID cases. Of course, developing a fever doesn't necessarily mean you have COVID. In total since the outbreak began in late April, state run media KCNA reports that nearly 1.5 million people have developed fevers, and about 660,000 still are receiving medical treatment, possibly serving as a super spreader event. Multiple super spreader events just a few weeks ago, before North Korea says that the outbreak began several events were held to celebrate the day of the Kim Il-Sung 110th birth anniversary followed a short time later by a massive military parade to mark to 90th anniversary of the founding of the Korean People's Revolutionary Army.

On Monday, North Korea's health minister said that the country is shifting its approach in dealing with the outbreak from a quarantine based effort to a treatment based approach. He said that health and disease organizations across the country are focused on finding people with fevers isolating them and providing treatment.

Now, to treat COVID 19 and its symptoms, a North Korean doctor recently appeared on state TV advising the public to get rest drink water, easily digestible foods and gargle their mouths with saltwater for hygiene. To treat fever and other symptoms, the doctor advised using drugs like ibuprofen along with traditional herb based medicines to combat the ongoing spread.

KCNA reported over the weekend that North Korean leader Kim Jong-un gave the order to mobilize the country's military to stabilize medical supplies.

But John, to date, North Korea hasn't secured any vaccines through organizations like COVAX despite being eligible meaning that most of the country's 25 million people are likely unvaccinated.

VAUSE: Blake, thank you for the update. Appreciate that. Blake Essig there in Tokyo. Well, still to come, no more Mac (ph) Happy Meals will be served in Russia for good. McDonald's is pulling up and selling up and leaving Russia making (INAUDIBLE) to hamburger diplomacy. More on that when we come back.

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[01:33:20]

VAUSE: Welcome back to our viewers here in the United States and around the world. You're watching CNN NEWSROOM.

I'm John Vause.

Well, the European Union could not agree on a 6th round of sanctions against Russia during a meeting of foreign ministers on Monday.

The E.U.'s top diplomat says the proposed ban on Russian oil is still the main obstacle with objections from Hungary, preventing unanimous consent needed for approval. But Germany's foreign minister remains confident an agreement could occur in the coming days.

Thirty-two years ago, McDonald's opened its first franchise in Moscow to much fanfare, a symbol of change and a thawing of the Cold War in the last days of the Soviet Union. At the time, many were questioning the need for NATO. 32 years later, on the day Sweden announced it will apply for membership alongside Finland to NATO, McDonald's announced all 800 restaurants would be sold.

CNN's Clare Sebastian reports on an economy in Russia that is going nowhere but backwards.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

CLARE SEBASTIAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Though often unreliable and always boxy, the Lada in the 1970s was a potent symbol of the Soviet Union's economic self-reliance. By 2022, a majority stake in the brand now owned by Renault, it was a symbol of Russia's global integration.

That integration now unraveling because of the war in Ukraine and western sanctions. Renault has announced it's selling its stake in Lada maker Avtovaz to a Russian state research institute though with an option to buy it back within six years.

[01:34:51]

SEBASTIAN: Avtovaz announced in March it would have to redesign some of its cars, to make do without foreign parts. Initially that will mean no special features like anti-lock break systems, according to one expert. And that is just the beginning.

EVGENY ESKOV, AUTO BUSINESS REVIEW: If (INAUDIBLE) will be with us in the future, we will have not new cars. We will be with just only used cars in my opinion.

SEBASTIAN: And it is not just the car industry in reverse.

ELINA RIBAKOVA, DEPUTY CHIEF ECONOMIST, INSTITUTE FOR INTERNATIONAL FINANCE: Metals and mining will go chemical production, paper, textiles, even foods. Every industry is now cutting their production by half Or at least looking for NEW ways to import and new ways to export.

SEBASTIAN: Westernizing the economy was one of the hallmarks of Vladimir Putin's Russia. In the wake of the chaos and confusion of the 1990s, this policy helped bring prosperity, hope, and a real taste of something new. Now, shutters and plastic sheets barely obscuring the remains of what was.

Even McDonald's, which opened its first restaurant in Russia in 1990, says it is now starting the process of selling its business and quote, "de-arching" its restaurants.

Putin himself has played down the idea that his war and the resulting sanctions have undone 30 years of progress.

The Soviet Union lived under sanctions he said in March and achieved colossal success. Rhetoric designed to strengthen his grip on power as he prepares Russia for a potentially painful economic transition.

VLADIMIR PUTIN, RUSSIAN PRESIDENT: The economy will adapt to the new situation. If we can't (INAUDIBLE) one ship, we'll try another. If we can't go to one country, will go to a third country. If we can't buy here, we'll buy it in a fourth country.

SEBASTIAN: In the Soviet Union and the decade that followed its collapse, economic isolation meant regulars shortages of consumer goods and food queueing for things, a part of life.

So far, Russia is not seeing this on a wide scale. But experts say it will if the war drags on.

How much of a mess is this going to be do you think?

RIBAKOVA: I think this is the worst crisis that Most people in Russia are going to experience in their recent history. So we invented a time machine and it is the pain of the 90s, but the other way. We are going towards darkness.

SEBASTIAN: The Cold War didn't just cement the Soviet Union's isolation, it also required ever increasing defense spending, the true scale of which only emerged in its final years.

Russia's hot war in Ukraine could deal a similar, double economic blow.

Clare Sebastian, CNN -- London.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

VAUSE: Rana Foroohar is a CNN global economic analyst, and a columnist with the "Financial Times". She joins me now from New York. Good to see you.

RANA FOROOHAR, CNN GLOBAL ECONOMIC ANALYST: Nice to see you.

VAUSE: So apparently there's a word for this, it's called de-arching. That means those restaurants once they're sold. They will no longer use the McDonald's name, the logo or branding. They'll lose those great big shiny arches.

How big of a financial hit will this be though for McDonald's? And will all multi-national companies doing business in Russia sooner or later have to make a similar call?

FOROOHAR: You know, I think so. I think they will. And the truth is that many of them already have, you know. It's really hard to think of any brand name businesses right now that are openly doing business in Russia.

I mean, there is some behind the scenes that are still there. But you know, this really is a shift in globalization, in globalism and multinational business as we have known it.

And I think increasingly, companies are going to be forced to make a choice and it is very interesting because for the first time, in decades, it is a choice that is being made not on the basis of profits but on the basis of values and that is really a shift in capitalism as we know it.

VAUSE: And yes. The CEO of McDonald's basically spelled that out. It's about a lot more than the bottom line from McDonald's. Here's part of a statement from Chris Kempczinski.

"Hope is what brought McDonald's to the Russian market 32 years ago. Hope for a country that was opening itself to the world after decades of isolation. Hope that the world was becoming a little more connected.

Not being able to get the same Big Mac in Moscow that you get in Chicago with the tangible and tasty symbol of our growing connection."

You know, this whole notion, this idea that business and trade can promote reform in democracy in places like Russia and also China. It just seems to have failed.

FOROOHAR: You know, it absolutely has, John. And you know, the truth of the matter is that the whole notion of you know, two countries with McDonald's never going to war with one another, which you know, is of course, was put forward by Tom Freeman in "The World Is Black" (ph), that really hasn't worked since the fall of Yugoslavia.

You know, I mean really it's been a while since that truism was held, but I think it's taken the financial crisis, the pandemic, and now the war in Ukraine to really bring this home to us, that we are in an entirely new era. And it is going to be very different, particularly for business.

[01:39:58]

VAUSE: Yes, and part of the new era, these E.U. economic sanctions which have been targeting Russia. And on Monday there was no agreement on an oil embargo because of objections from just one country demanding compensation, that country is Hungary.

How serious is this in terms of European unity, which have been pretty firm up until now to other E.U. countries which are heavily reliant on Russian oil and gas now (INAUDIBLE).

FOROOHAR: You know, it's a great question. I think that this is going to be a moment where the E.U. will be tested once again. I mean you could argue that there have been many testing points for the E.U. in the last 15 or 20 years. But this is certainly one of them.

And the truth of the matter is Russia will be able to kind of hobble along in this war until there is really a cut off in exports of Russian gas and oil. I mean that is the bottom line.

Europe has to come together and decide, that is it. We are going to cut them off. Otherwise, you know, despite how devastating the sanctions are. Putin will simply be able to carry on with oil and gas prices at the highs that they are.

VAUSE: When you look at the demands being made by Hungary, they're talking that they want millions and millions of euros to reform, you know, their entire oil infrastructure because it's basically geared towards processing Russian oil. And they're confident in the deal, the offer from the E.U. was essentially to give them, you know, more time before the embargo kicked in.

So who is sort of in the right here? Who's got the better -- the more sort of just position?

FOROOHAR: Gosh, I think that is a question with no really good answer. I think that those with the most just position will be those arguing that Europe was incredibly naive to ever depend on Russia for its energy needs, you know.

And there are deep ties as we know particularly between Germany and Russia, about Eastern Europe and Russia as well.

But there was also kind of a willful blindness to the fact that Putin has been saying now for the better part of two decades, that it was a terrible thing that the Soviet Union collapsed. He wants to rebuild this empire.

I mean it is not a secret where we are today. And, you know, I think that, it really is a come to Jesus moment for Europe.

It is anyone's guess to say how it is going to end. But certainly, you're going to see it move away from any kind of European alliance with Russia, I think.

VAUSE: Yes, and that's happening I guess faster in some places than others.

Rana --

FOROOHAR: Yes.

VAUSE: -- thank you so much. Good to see you.

FOROOHAR: Thank you.

VAUSE: A U.S. House Republican with a long list of scandals and gaffes is seeking reelection. Many in his party want him gone. But can the backing of Donald Trump give Madison Cawthorn a last minute boost?

[01:42:40]

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

VAUSE: Well, voters in five U.S. states will soon choose their candidates for November's midterm elections. Tuesday marks the biggest primary night of the years so far.

The swing states of Pennsylvania and North Carolina are among those holding contests. And in North Carolina a Republican freshman with a history of misconduct is at risk of losing his party's nomination.

But as Dianne Gallagher reports, he has a very powerful ally insisting on a second chance. (BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

DIANNE GALLAGHER, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: The mountainous, tree- covered announce cape of western Carolina has been it become an ugly political background.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Cawthorn will lie about anything.

GALLAAGHER: As Republicans wage an all out war on embattled but Trump- endorsed Congressman Madison Cawthorn. He faces off against seven GOP challengers in Tuesday's primary who cast the scandal-plagued representative as absent, fame hungry, even dangerous.

WENDY NEVAREZ, REPUBLICAN CANDIDATE FOR U.S. HOUSE: A lot of things that he has said and done recently has aired in other countries as propaganda, it is back to a national security issue.

GALLAGHER: Pitching themselves to the very red district as more serious, less distracting alternatives.

CHUCK EDWARDS, REPUBLICAN CANDIATE TO U.S. HOUSE: Instead of talking about what lingerie that our congressman might like to wear in his spare time, we need to be talking about inflation and real issues.

GALLAGHERS: Republicans have rallied around the other candidates, like State Senator Chuck Edwards who has the backing of North Carolina's most powerful players including Senator Thom Tillis and the six figures that a Tillis-connected super PAC has dropped on attack ads.

REP. MADISON CAWTHORN (R-NC): I've really never seen the swamp launch such a coordinated attack against any other individual in politics except for Donald Trump.

GALLAGHER: Former president Donald Trump endorsed the 26-year-old Cawthorn more than a year ago though he has generally stayed away from the race.

But on the eve of the primary, Trump posted on his Truth Social platform, rehashing Cawthorn's background while adding "Recently he made some foolish mistakes which I do not believe he will make again. Let's give Madison a second chance."

And with plenty of voters in Cawthorn's hometown of Hendersonville who plan to do just that.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I think he's a good kid. It's political. Everybody is trying to, you know, do what they can to make themselves look good and make the opponent look bad.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: A lot of it is made up, fabricated stuff.

GALLAGHER: But for others between the unflattering headlines, poor congressional attendance, and fights (ph) over whether he shut down district offices it's just too much drama.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: He's real narcissistic and I'm just not into that.

GALLAGHER: North Carolina's 11th district is massive in rural, making voters both physically and digitally hard to reach. But one Cawthorn misstep that did seem to reach the entire district? His move late last year when new maps were drawn to leave it behind.

CAWTHORN: I will be running for Congress in the 13th congressional district. This move is not an abandonment.

GALLAGHER: But a lot of people took it that way.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: So when Madison Cawthorn decided to leave the congressional district and run in Charlotte, he asked me to step in and run as the America first candidate.

[01:49:56]

GALLAGHER: And when the court redrew the maps, Cawthorn came back.

Now adding to the unpredictability of Tuesday's race here are the unaffiliated voters. The voters who are not affiliated with either party but can choose which primary race to participate in.

More than 40 percent of all of the ballots that have been cast in the Republican primary here in this district, are from those unaffiliated voters.

And adding to this in North Carolina, a candidate must get at least 30 percent of the vote during a primary in order to avoid another runoff election. Experts say that could bode well for Congressman Cawthorn, as this fractured, large field of Republicans could give him that 30 percent.

Diane Gallagher, CNN -- Hendersonville, North Carolina.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

VAUSE: A programming note now, CNN will have special election coverage beginning at 7:00 p.m. Eastern time on Tuesday. That's 7 a.m. in Hong Kong.

We will be right back after a short break.

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[01:55:01]

VAUSE: A moment of history and a sign of the times at the White House on Monday with Karine Jean-Pierre, the first black and LGBTQ woman to serve as White House press secretary. She takes over the podium from Jen Psaki, a moment not lost on the new spokesperson herself.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

KARINE JEAN-PIERRE, WHITE HOUSE PRESS SECRETARY: I am obviously acutely aware that my presence at this podium represents a few firsts. I'm a black, gay, immigrant women, the first of all three of those to hold this position.

I would not be here today if it were not for generations of barrier- breaking people before me. I stand on their shoulders. If it was not for generations of barrier-breaking people before me, I would not be here.

But I benefit from their sacrifices. I have learned from their excellence. And I'm forever grateful to them. Representation does matter, you hear us say this often in this administration. And no one understands this better than President Biden.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

VAUSE: Jean-Pierre has briefed reporters before as deputy White House press secretary and has been part of the White House's senior communications team since Joe Biden took office. So she is a familiar face.

Thank you for watching CNN NEWSROOM. I'm John Vause.

Please stay with us. My colleague and friend Rosemary Church takes over after a very short break.

I'll see you, maybe after tomorrow.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

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