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Shanghai Reported New COVID Cases; Extreme Weather Conditions Left 10 People Dead in India; Indo-Pacific Allies Conduct Joint Drills; World is Headed to Famine; U.S. Imports Baby Formula; President Biden Made His First Asia Visit; Russian Troops Target Civilians; President Zelenskyy Condemned Deliberate Attacks; No Place for Forgiveness; January 6th Committee Investigates Republican Involvement to Insurrection. Aired 3-4a ET

Aired May 20, 2022 - 03:00   ET

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

[03:00:00]

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

KIM BRUNHUBER, CNN ANCHOR: Hello and welcome to all of you watching us here in the United States, Canada, and around the world. I'm Kim Brunhuber.

Ahead this hour, Joe Biden makes his first trip to Asia as the American president. We're live in Seoul monitoring and keeping an eye on any activity out of North Korea.

The war in Ukraine rages on as the first war crimes trial for a Russian soldier is under way.

Plus, new developments on the January 6 insurrection. We'll bring you the latest. This is CNN Newsroom.

UNKNOWN: Live from Atlanta, this is CNN Newsroom with Kim Brunhuber.

BRUNHUBER: U.S. President Joe Biden is expected to land in South Korea next hour to begin his very first Asia trip as president. He'll spend most of the weekend in the country holding talks with the new South Korean president before heading to Japan, where he'll be meeting with Japan's prime minister as well as Indian and Australian leaders.

Officials say the trip to Asia comes later in his presidency than he might have liked, but Biden plans to, in his words, quote, "affirm the importance of our Indo-Pacific alliances."

CNN's Kevin Liptak is live in Seoul. So, Kevin, as I said it's taken Biden a while to make his first Asian trip in his presidency.

KEVIN LIPTAK, CNN WHITE HOUSE REPORTER: Yes, he is certainly coming over later his presidency than his recent predecessors, and probably a little later than he would have liked to. So, President Biden has tried to make Asia a center of his foreign policy, just like President Obama did, just like President Trump did, but he has been stymied somewhat by these other foreign crises (AUDIO GAP). So, this is really his opportunity to come here and reaffirm the

importance of these critical alliances in South Korea and in Japan and kind of demonstrate that he is able to do two things at once, that he is able to focus on Ukraine while at the same time focusing on this larger strategic initiative in Asia, which has really meant to counter China.

And what U.S. officials say is that of course they're able to focus on two things at once. But also, that the president's ability to rally allies behind the sanctions regime in Russia is actually a reassuring thing for allies in Asia as they're looking on and contemplating what the next couple of decades holds.

Now as the Ukraine crisis has unfolded, there are these other hot spots in Asia that are starting to bubble up, and principally, the threats from North Korea. They have intensified their provocations in the last several months. And even as the president is on his way here from Washington, there is a threat looming over his visit here.

U.S. officials say that North Korea could be preparing for its seventh underground nuclear test, or they could potentially launch a long- range ballistic missile. U.S. officials say that they are prepared with contingencies should that take place. They've discussed it with allies. And if that happens, the American President Joe Biden and his South Korean counterpart, President Yoon would confer and perhaps show some resolve together if that occurs.

Now that's one issue that on the plate here. The other of course is China. China has been increasingly flexing its military and economic muscles in the region. The president has made it sort of a defining facet of his foreign policy to counter China in that area.

And so, when the president touches down here in Seoul in just a matter of an hour or so, his first stop will be at a Samsung plant that manufacturers this critical technology, these semiconductors or microchips that are important for car manufacturing. And there has been sort of a global shortage because of COVID shutdowns of plants in China.

The president wants to emphasize that we can get these chips from elsewhere like South Korea. Also make them in the United States. So, there is this economic component to the president's visit as well that you'll hear from him as soon as he touches down here in an hour or so, Kim.

BRUNHUBER: Yes, very significant trip. And we'll speak with you again when we cover his arrival live as you say in about an hour or so. Kevin Liptak, thank you so much. I appreciate it.

And an enormous aid bill for Ukraine is on its way to South Korea to be signed into law by President Joe Biden. On Thursday, the U.S. Senate overwhelmingly voted to pass the nearly $40 billion package that would provide money for both military and humanitarian assistance to the war-torn nation.

And that same day, the White House announced another security package worth $100 million for Ukraine. It includes additional artillery, radar and other equipment.

[03:04:55]

Ukraine's military is upbeat about the success of its recent counter- offensives. The top commander says Russian sieges of Kharkiv and Mykolaiv have been broken and Ukrainian forces are pressing on towards Kherson. But fighting is fierce across the front lines in eastern Ukraine.

Russian air strikes and shelling killed at least a dozen civilians in a strategic city of Severodonetsk. And in Mariupol, an unknown number of Ukrainian soldiers are vowing to keep fighting from inside the Azovstal steel plant. Hundreds of them have surrendered in recent days.

CNN's Suzanne Malveaux is standing by in Lviv. And Suzanne, let's start with the strikes which killed so many civilians. What more are we learning?

SUZANNE MALVEAUX, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, still very few details about that strike, at least the one that we're talking about north of Kyiv. This was in a town of Desna, about 40 miles from the border with Belarus. And we heard from the president, President Zelenskyy talking about this, saying that there were many, many dead. Just how many civilians were killed are unknown at this time, but certainly raising the alarms that many civilians are really taking the brunt of these punishing strikes.

The president also addressing a key area, as you had mentioned that is the east and the Donbas with the Luhansk as well as Donetsk regions. And that is where we have a little bit more information about those strikes.

This was in the Luhansk region. It was last night. It was when Russian missiles and attacks were just absolutely furious. They were hitting civilian targets. We see the high-rise buildings, with some photos of the aftermath as well. But at least 12 civilians had been killed. Sixty properties destroyed.

And in the Severodonetsk area, as you had mentioned, the city itself 70 percent of the houses now just demolished. And so really, quite a bit of pain and suffering in that particular area. And again, the president lashing out, if you will, saying that there was no military purpose for these strikes. No -- that this was inhumane, that there was no reason that these people should suffer the way that they do. But they continue to do so, and that the Ukrainians will fight. Take a listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

VOLODYMYR ZELENSKYY, PRESIDENT OF UKRAINE (through translator): The bombing and shelling of other cities, the air and missile strikes of the Russian army, all this is not just hostilities during the war. This is a deliberate and criminal attempt to kill as many Ukrainians as possible, destroy as many houses, social facilities and enterprises as possible. (END VIDEO CLIP)

MALVEAUX: And Kim, he also points out the fact that Ukrainians have been able to successfully at least hold the defensive lines and their position so that the Russians are not making any significant military headway. Kim?

BRUNHUBER: And then, Suzanne, back to the Azovstal steel plant in Mariupol. What's the latest on the situation there?

MALVEAUX: Well, Kim, all eyes are on that plant right now because there could be some activity, some movement there. There are at least 1,700 who had been evacuated over the course of the week. But there is several hundred that are inside.

We do know now apparently that there are some senior military Ukrainian leaders inside. We had heard from one via social media essentially saying the fight is not over. The war is not over. That the big war has just begun. We also heard from a deputy it was just last evening who seemed to suggest in a video statement that was released that there is more to come.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SVIATOSLAV PALAMAR, AZOV REGIMENT DEPUTY COMMANDER (through translator): My command and I are on the territory of the Azovstal plant. An operation is underway. I will not give any details. I'm grateful to the whole world and to Ukraine for support. See you.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

MALVEAUX: And so, Kim, we continue to watch that plant to see what develops and whether or not they come out peacefully, or whether or not they in fact do a major fight and offensive from that facility. Kim?

BRUNHUBER: All right, Suzanne Malveaux in Lviv, thank you so much.

The war crimes trial of Russian soldier Vadim Shishimarin is set to resume in Kyiv about an hour from now. On Thursday, he was confronted by the widow of the unarmed man he admits killing in cold blood.

CNN's Melissa Bell has our report.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

MELISSA BELL, CNN CORRESPONDENT: From the start Russia's invasion of Ukraine stalled. Like here on February 28th. These pictures shared exclusively with CNN by Ukrainian armed forces, show a column of Russia's fourth tank division after it hit a land mine and its soldiers had fled. One of those soldiers on Thursday facing both justice and grief.

[22:10:01]

KATERINA SHELIPOVA, SLAIN CIVILIAN'S WIDOW (through translator): Why did you come here? Did you come to defend us? From who? Did you defend me from my husband you killed?

VADIM SHISHIMARIN, RUSSIAN SOLDIER (through translator): Our commanders gave us an order to move in as a column. I didn't know what would follow.

BELL: Vadim Shishimarin is accused of killing Katerina Shelipova's husband, Oleksandr, an unarmed civilian in the village of Chupakhivka. CNN has geolocated this video where Shishimarin's unit hit the mine as being just two miles from Chupakhivka.

The Ukrainian armed forces say that the Russian soldiers then fled and killed local civilians. In court, the prosecutor said that Shishimarin and four other soldiers had fled the scene in a stolen car, and that Shishimarin was given an order.

SHISHIMARIN (through translator): It was very stressful. I was under great stress. He shouted at me.

BELL: A version of events corroborated by another Russian soldier who was traveling in the car that day.

IVAN MALTISOV, RUSSIAN SOLDIER AND WITNESS (through translator): The warrant officer ordered Vadim to shoot, with the justification of the man could be reporting on us. Vadim refused to do it and the man ordered him to do it.

BELL: A glimpse into the chaos and fear of the early days of the war on the Russian side, as well.

SHELIPOVA (through translator): Can you please tell me, what did you feel when you killed my husband?

SHISHIMARIN (through translator): shame.

SHELIPOVA (through translator): Do you repent?

SHISHIMARIN (through translator): Yes. I acknowledge my fault. I understand that you will not be able to forgive me, but I am sorry.

BELL: Shelipova said she wanted Shishimarin imprisoned for life. The only alternative, she said, an exchange for the Azovstal prisoners of war now in Russian hands.

Melissa Bell, CNN, Kyiv.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BRUNHUBER: The January 6 committee is zeroing in on a tour of the U.S. Capitol building given by a Republican congressman just a day before the deadly insurrection. We'll bring you his response after the break. Stay with us.

[03:15:00]

(COMMERCIAL BREAK) BRUNHUBER: There are two major developments on the investigation into

the January 6 U.S. Capitol insurrection. First, former Attorney General Bill Barr has tentatively agreed to testify under oath to the House select committee, according to two sources familiar with the negotiations. This comes as the committee is also investigating a capitol tour that a Republican congressman gave one day before the deadly insurrection.

CNN's Ryan Nobles has the details.

RYAN NOBLES, CNN CONGRESSIONAL CORRESPONDENT: The January 6 select committee once again has in its sights a Republican member of Congress, looking for more information that they believe is a key part of their investigation. This time it's Congressman Barry Loudermilk of Georgia. They want to know more about a tour that Loudermilk gave on January 5th, the day before the insurrection at the capitol.

And this tracks back to an accusation that was made by Congresswoman Mikie Sherrill in the days after January 6 where she alleged that she saw members of Congress, Republican members of Congress giving tours of the capitol, and she described those tours as reconnaissance tours.

Now Sherrill has never provided any evidence to back up that claim, and Republicans have been very critical of her calling them out. And Loudermilk, for the first time is being -- is being identified as someone who potentially may have been given one of those tours.

Now Loudermilk pushed back on this accusation today. In a statement see said, "as a constituent family with young children meeting with a member of -- their member of Congress in the House office buildings is not a suspicious group or a, quote, "reconnaissance tour." The family never entered the capitol building."

The select committee is once again pushing a verifiably false narrative that Republicans conducted reconnaissance tours on January 5th. And Republicans are now asking for the Capitol Police to release the video in question here. It's something that Republicans asked several weeks ago as well.

Capitol Police say they do not have the authorization to do so, but it's clear this video is in the possession of the January 6 select committee. The question is do they make it a part of their public hearings, and then will they also provide more evidence to suggest that there may have been something questionable about this tour. And it's not as innocent as Loudermilk claims it to be.

There are still many unanswered questions as it relates to this development. But it has become another important part of the committee's investigation.

Ryan Nobles, CNN on Capitol Hill.

BRUNHUBER: Pennsylvania officials have been counting ballots all day, but the state's Republican primary race remains too close to call. So here is a look at where things stand right now. Trump endorsed TV personality Mehmet Oz is hanging on to a slim lead over former hedge fund executive David McCormick.

McCormick told a local radio show Thursday that he expects counting to be done in another day or so, but he thinks the margin will be so small, an automatic recount will be triggered.

All right. Coming up here on CNN Newsroom, new COVID cases in Shanghai, just as the city begins to reopen. We'll find out the latest economic toll of zero COVID in China, just ahead. Stay with us.

[03:20:00]

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BRUNHUBER: Welcome back to all of you watching us here in the United States, Canada, and all around the world. I'm Kim Brunhuber. This is CNN Newsroom.

Returning now to our top story, the U.S. president will soon arrive in South Korea on his first trip to Asia as commander-in-chief. Joe Biden wants to reaffirm key relationships there as provocations from North Korea intensify.

According to the U.S. Intelligence, Pyongyang may be preparing to fuel an intercontinental ballistic missile and could conduct a test launch while Biden is in the region. If that were to happen, the president and his South Korean counterpart have made plans over how they would jointly respond.

[03:25:01]

So here to discuss this is Evans Revere, nonresident senior fellow at the Center for East Asia Policy Studies at Brookings. And he joins me now from Valencia, Spain.

Thank you so much for being here with us.

So just to talk about North Korea to start here, to conduct a weapons test while a sitting U.S. president is visiting South Korea, I mean, that's a pretty brazen, and I think unprecedented move, right?

EVANS REVERE, NONRESIDENT SENIOR FELLOW, CENTER FOR EAST ASIA POLICY STUDIES, BROOKINGS: Even by North Korean standards, that would be a pretty bold move. My sense is that the North Koreans were likely to do this test either just before the president's visit or perhaps just after he leaves Korean airspace and is over in Japan, where the North Koreans would send this message. But for them to do it during the visit, as I said, even by North Korean standards, that would be a major step.

BRUNHUBER: I mentioned just a minute earlier that South Korea and President Biden would announce how they would respond to this. I mean, what kind of options do they have?

REVERE: Well, there are U.S. assets in the area, air and naval assets in the area that could be moved around, there could be aircraft that could be launched as a signal to North Korea that they've gone too far.

And there could be some pretty strong statements, even stronger than the normal statements that you would get from the White House and South Korea's leadership as well. So, some combination of all of those things is possible if the North Koreans decide to go down this path.

BRUNHUBER: All right. So more broadly, then, what is President Biden hoping to get out of this trip?

REVERE: Well, a critical component of the Biden administration's game plan for dealing with China, Russia, and other countries that are undermining or questioning the U.S.-led international order is for the United States to lead coalitions of allies and partners, like-minded country, democracy, open societies, open economies.

And this is part of that process of coalition building. South Korea and Japan are two of our stalwart allies in the world. They are the first two countries that he had summits with last year. And so, the emphasis here is trying to do in Asia, Northeast Asia, East Asia what the president has already done with NATO which is to pull together our allies and partners who are all working with us in common cause and to do the same sort of thing in Asia both on the economic front, as well as on the security front.

BRUNHUBER: Yes. South Korea and Japan having a sort of notoriously fractious relationship, which hasn't really improved in the past couple of years. So, I guess he's hoping he can maybe bring these two together.

So, this will be the first time that President Biden will have met President Yoon. So, explain some of the key differences between Yoon and his predecessor, Moon Jae-in, and how that might translate into a different relationship with Biden in the U.S.

REVERE: Sure. The former Korean president placed improved relations with North Korea right at the top of his agenda. He was also accused of tilting a bit too far towards China in trying to be a balancer, if you will, between his American ally the United States and China.

This new Korean president has made it very clear that South Korea shares a whole range of important values and concerns with the United States and that he's going to place the U.S.-South Korean alliance first. That's probably the biggest and most dramatic difference between this new Korean president and his predecessor.

BRUNHUBER: So as South Korea then pivots to the U.S., U.S. president have spoken about this pivot to Asia, which has kind of taken a back seat recently, especially with the war in Ukraine. So, how do you think the war itself might kind of reframe the approach of Asian nations when I'm thinking of, for example, China perhaps being more aggressive and taking control of disputed territory militarily. Has that kind of changed their thinking?

REVERE: In the opening weeks of the Russian invasion of Ukraine, there was a lot of speculation that somehow American credibility was being tested and the strength of our alliance relationships were being tested. And this led to some trepidation, if you will, in some Asian capitals as to whether the United States would be there for these countries going forward.

Well, based on what the United States and NATO have done in response to that invasion, I don't think there is any question right now that America's commitments have a higher level of credibility today than perhaps, they've ever had.

This is an administration in Washington that has shown that it can deliver with its allies in response to invasions or threats to our shared values and the security of our allies and partners.

[03:30:04]

And so, I think there is a lot of calm, if you will, among American allies in the region. And the message to China is don't test America's resolve. Don't test our alliances. Because as you have seen from what has happened in Europe, America stands ready to deliver on its commitments.

KIM BRUNHUBER, CNN ANCHOR: All right. We'll have to leave there it. I really appreciate your analysis, Evans Revere, thank you so much.

REVERE: My pleasure. Good to be with you.

BRUNHUBER: Well, as I mentioned, concerns of a possible North Korean ballistic missile launch come despite the country's worsening COVID outbreak. North Korean state media reports so-called fever cases have surpassed two million since late April and more than 750,000 people are currently being treated.

Several of the country's cargo planes have been spotted flying to and from China. Now we don't know what they were carrying, but Beijing has pledged to help the country battle coronavirus.

And North Korea isn't the only Asian country suffering from a relentless COVID outbreak. The hard-hit Chinese city of Shanghai is reporting a handful of cases outside its quarantine areas. This comes just as the financial hub is starting to reopen.

So, for more on that, I'm joined by CNN's Kristie Lu Stout in Hong Kong. So, Kristie, Shanghai has found COVID-19 cases outside of those quarantine areas as I said, just a handful, right? Only three. But what does that mean for the city's reopening?

KRISTIE LU STOUT, CNN CORRESPONDENT: It raises some pretty serious questions about the pace of reopening in Shanghai. Look, earlier today, Shanghai announced three new cases of COVID-19 detected outside quarantine areas. It was just three days ago when the Shanghai government achieved that major milestone, saying that it achieved zero COVID at a community level.

Earlier today, the Shanghai government also said that it posted zero new deaths caused by COVID-19 for the first time since mid-April. And yet very, very strict restrictions remain in place in Shanghai, especially for businesses. I want to show you this statement from the vice mayor of Shanghai who

concedes the following. He says this. "Although more and more enterprises are resuming work and production, the overall percentage is still low. It is important for companies to meet the COVID prevention protocols," unquote.

The government has allowed some 5,600 businesses to resume operations in Shanghai as they undergo this very, very gradual reopening. These businesses include delivery services, financial institution, even carmakers.

But according to CNN calculations, that represents about 0.2 percent of all businesses in Shanghai. And it's not just in Shanghai. These very strict measures are in place across the country.

Let's look at this dynamic map that you see on your screen right thought. And according to CNN's calculations based on government data, some 26 cities across China are still in some form of lockdown, partial or full, affecting some 180 million people across the country.

We have learned if we zero in on Beijing, in one district they're affecting one college campus, some 670 students and staff were immediately sent into a government-run quarantine center after 11 COVID cases was detected.

And then in nearby Tianjin, a port city, you're looking at video here, you're seeing a significant number of people standing in line with their baggage waiting to board buses to be taken to a quarantine center there.

CNN, I should add has reached out to the municipal government to confirm whether all these residents in this village has been sent to quarantine. We have yet to hear back. Back to you.

BRUNHUBER: Yes. And all this taking a real economic toll in the country.

LU STOUT: Yes.

BRUNHUBER: Kristie Lu Stout, thanks very much. I really appreciate it. And we'll be right back with more news here on CNN Newsroom. Stay with us.

[03:35:00]

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BRUNHUBER: Heavy pre-monsoon rains have swept through northeast India, causing severe flooding and landslides. And according to disaster officials, they've killed at least 10 people. More than 700,000 people have been impacted.

Tom Sater reports.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE) TOM SATER, CNN METEOROLOGIST: Half a million people are on the move

across northeast India's Assam state, some wading through ankle-deep water, others paddling canoes in deeper water or makeshift rafts. The Brahmaputra River has burst its banks in parts of Assam over the last three days following torrential downpours and more rain is in the forecast.

Already some 1,500 villages are inundated. Rescue boats have been deployed in harder hit areas, but not everyone in trouble has been saved. Several have drowned. And many are in need of help.

SADANABDA BORDOLOI, NAGAON RESIDENT (through translator): The condition of the flood is worsening with each passing day. Schools, prayer houses, temples, everything is getting submerged in the floodwaters. The entire place looks like an ocean. The weather here is horrible. It has been raining continuously for three to four days. The people are facing a lot of difficulties.

SATER: Many farmers say they have lost the majority of their crops due to the floods. These farmers are trying to dry out wheat grains they were able to harvest.

YUSUF ALI, HOJAI RESIDENT (through translator): There are floods because of excessive rain and a lack of a river dam. There are 3,000 to 4,000 farmers who live here. They have to harvest their crops early because of the water.

[03:39:57]

SATER: And while Assam is suffering from too much water, other parts of India are suffering from an acute water shortage in the midst of a heatwave. Some New Delhi residents are putting chains and locks on water canisters to prevent theft. And the river that flows through the capital is parched.

Tom Sater, CNN.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BRUNHUBER: For those of you watching here in North America, I'll be back with more news after a quick break. For our international viewer, Inside Africa is up next.

[03:45:00]

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BRUNHUBER: U.S. President Joe Biden is set to arrive in South Korea in the coming hours. His trip comes as China and North Korea increasingly flex their military muscles in the region.

We'll now take you to a U.S. Aircraft carrier deployed in that part of the world to show you how Washington is trying to draw the line for Beijing and Pyongyang.

Blake Essig has the story. (BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

BLAKE ESSIG, CNN CORRESPONDENT: If you ask United States 7th Fleet Commander Karl Thomas, this is what deterrence looks and sounds like.

KARL THOMAS, COMMANDER, U.S. 7TH FLEET: Deterrence to date has worked. And I'm hopeful that it continues to work. But my job is to be prepared in case it doesn't.

ESSIG: For the past several months, the U.S. Navy carrier Strike Group 3 led by the USS Abraham Lincoln and armed with the U.S. Navy's most advanced fighter wing has conducted joint drills with allies like Japan and patrolled the waters of the Indo-Pacific.

THOMAS: Being out here operating as a very visible and very agile dynamic force, there is no better way to provide the deterrence that we need in this part of the region.

ESSIG: This aircraft carrier brings massive firepower to the region. Its purpose, to protect power, increase security and serve as a deterrent to countries like China, North Korea, and Russia. But in a part of the world seemingly more unstable by the day, the effectiveness of the carrier strike group like this as a deterrence to adversaries is called into question.

KEN JIMBO, PROFESSOR, KEIO UNIVERSITY: We need to have a more robust like-minded states coalition, because China's rise is now the global phenomenon.

ESSIG: A reality that isn't lost on quad member states. A coalition made up of the United States, Japan, Australia, and India, whose leaders are set to meet in Tokyo early next week. With South Korea watching from the sidelines, member states are likely to discuss a unified response to Russia's invasion of Ukraine, the recent flurry of weapons tests conducted by North Korea, and of course China.

RAHM EMANUEL, U.S. AMBASSADOR TO JAPAN: One of the things that China doesn't have is friends and allies. They have subjects. We have friends and allies who want to stand shoulder to shoulder with the United States.

ESSIG: Well, the quad isn't a NATO-like mutual defense commitment, continuing to upgrade security cooperation between quad member states and other like-minded nations in this region is extremely important to maintaining maritime security.

But according to Cleo Paskal, an Indo-Pacific strategic specialist, the key to combatting China's rise isn't necessarily through military strength.

CLEO PASKAL, SENIOR FELLOW, FOUNDATION FOR DEFENSE OF DEMOCRACIES: By the time you get to the military part, you're almost too late. You don't want to cut off China militarily. You want to block its influence politically and economically first.

ESSIG: However, as China and Russia work to strengthen their own military alliance in the region, Rear Admiral J.T. Anderson says the U.S.'s presence along with the strength of its allies has proven to be an effective deterrent. Nevertheless, if that deterrent fails --

J.T. ANDERSON, COMMANDER, CARRIER STRIKE GROUP THREE: Our job is to fight and win, period.

ESSIG: And outcome no one wants, but one the U.S. military and its allies must prepare for.

Blake Essig, CNN on board the USS Abraham Lincoln in the Philippine Sea.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BRUNHUBER: The Biden administration is preparing to fly in the first batch of baby formula from overseas. The White House came to an agreement with Nestle to transfer the equivalent of 1.5 million eight- ounce bottles of formula. Official says the first plane is anticipated to leave from Switzerland in the coming days, and this is part of the newly launched Operation Fly Formula program in response to the alarming shortage in the U.S.

Earlier, CNN spoke to one mother who's also concerned about paying for her baby's food. Here she is.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ANGELA KONCZAK, MOTHER OF 2-YEAR-OLD DEPENDS ON SPECIALTY FORMULA: No matter where I look, the formula is price gouged so badly. Just to put it into perspective, on the manufacturer's web site, a case of four cans which is an eight-day supply for my daughter normally costs $168.

Right now, I've been having to pay upwards of $300 every eight days and have family members help. We've had, you know, we've some help from outside sources. But it's ridiculous that it's costing that much.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BRUNHUBER: Now earlier in the day, senior administration officials couldn't provide CNN specifics on how they would carry out their latest plans, saying they were in ongoing discussions with manufacturers about how to proceed.

[03:50:05]

The United Nations says millions of lives are at stake because of Russia's actions in Ukraine. Not only because of the fighting but also because the war is holding back food exports from those two countries, which account for 30 percent of the world's wheat trade.

For more, Nada Bashir joins us from London. Nada, the warnings for the world are pretty stark here.

NADA BASHIR, CNN REPORTER: Yes, absolutely. And this is really engaged diplomats from across the western world. We know that E.U. development ministers are meeting currently in Brussels to discuss this crisis. This comes just a week after the G7's top diplomats met in Germany with food security the top of the agenda at that meeting as well.

And this has also been a key topic of concern for the Biden administration. We heard from Secretary of State Antony Blinken speaking at the U.N. Security Council on Thursday. He said that according to the U.S. government's assessment, Russian forces are deliberately attempting to prevent ships from leaving the port of Ukraine -- ports of Ukraine with agriculture goods for export.

He has warned repeatedly that this could have serious repercussions for millions of people across the globe who are dependent on Ukrainian agriculture exports. And he was urging U.N. member states to amp-up the pressure on Russia on this matter. And that has been the repeated call from the U.N. itself.

We heard from the World Food Programme chief David Beasley warning that if the situation isn't sorted out soon, this could lead to famine-like situations across large parts of the world. Take a listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DAVID BEASLEY, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, WORLD FOOD PROGRAMME: It is absolutely essential that we allow these ports to open, because this is not just about Ukraine. This is about the poorest of the poor around the world who are on the brink of starvation as we speak. So, I ask President Putin, if you have any heart at all to please open these ports.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BASHIR: You heard him there appealing directly to Russian President Vladimir Putin. We also know that Ukrainian officials have been engaged in talks, looking at ways to unblock the ports. The Ukrainian foreign minister, Dmytro Kuleba speaking with his British counterpart, Liz Truss, looking at ways also to perhaps ease trade between Ukraine and European Union border nations as well.

This has been something that the President Zelenskyy has been discussing with Boris Johnson here in the U.K., so some serious concerns. We've heard from exports that even if the war in Ukraine ends soon, this is going to have a lasting impact, and it could take years for Ukraine's agriculture sector to fully recover. And that could have an immense impact on those most dependent on Ukrainian agriculture exports. Kim?

BRUNHUBER: Yes. Really dire repercussions there. Nada Bashir, thank you so much.

The U.S. state of Oklahoma's legislature just passed one of the country's strictest abortion bills, essentially banning all abortions after fertilization. The bill would also allow private citizens to sue providers who knowingly perform or induce abortions on a pregnant woman. The only exceptions are for medical emergencies or if the pregnancy resulted from a rape, sexual assault, or incest and is reported to law enforcement. The bill now needs to be approved by Oklahoma's Republican governor,

who has pledged to sign every legislation limiting abortions.

The suspect in Saturday assets mass shootings in Buffalo, New York appeared in court on Thursday as investigators focus on a private social media chat he created just before the rampage.

Payton Gendron has been indicted by grand jury and so far, faces a charge of first-degree murder. A source say that 15 people are part of the discord chat he created before the shooting. The suspect started that chat before the shooting spree, which killed 10 people and wounded three others and was believed to be a racially motivated attack. The first funerals are set to begin later today. One woman who knew five of the victims described the moment when she heard they were gone. Here she is.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

GENEVA SMITH-JOHNSON, KNEW FIVE SHOOTING VICTIMS: I was at a celebration for one of the members of our church. She had turned 100 years old. And we were having a dinner party for her. And that's when the names started coming in as to who the victims were. It's like a nightmare and you hope you're going to wake up and it's not true. They were kind, kind people. They were loving people active in the community.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BRUNHUBER: Parts of the U.S. southwest are experiencing an exceptional drought and high temperatures, and it's intensifying wildfire season. In Texas, the Mesquite Heat fire has burned almost 10,000 acres and is only around 5 percent contained as of Thursday. Officials say nearly 30 structures have been destroyed, and dozens of homes lost.

The Taylor County government declared a disaster earlier in the week and sent a gold star team to assist with the fire. He says the next few days are crucial.

Liftoff from Cape Canaveral, Florida just a few hours ago. Have a look.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

[03:54:59]

UNKNOWN: Three, two, one and liftoff! Star Liner is headed --

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BRUNHUBER: And the thing is this rocket was completely empty. The Boeing capsule has no crew as it makes its way to the International Space Station. The plan is to have it dock and then return days later. Now Boeing is trying to show NASA that its Starliner spacecraft is ready to carry astronauts after several years of setbacks.

Well, that wraps this hour of CNN Newsroom. I'm Kim Brunhuber. I'll be back in just a moment with more news. Please do stay with us.

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