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Warnock And Walker Make Final Pitches Ahead Of Election Day; Crowds Flock To See Lava Flows From Hawaii's Mauna Loa Volcano; U.S. Eliminated From World Cup; Tymofiy Mylovanov, Former Minister Of Economic Development For Ukraine, Discusses E.U. Price Cap On Russian Oil, Russian Attacks On Power Grid; Victims' Family: Talk To Your Kids About Online Predators; Food Banks Struggle To Meet Growing Demand Amid Dwindling Supply. Aired 1-2p ET
Aired December 03, 2022 - 13:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[13:00:19]
FREDRICKA WHITFIELD, CNN HOST: Hello again, everyone. Thank you so much for joining me. I'm Fredricka Whitfield. And we begin this hour in Georgia with just three days to go before this state's key U.S. Senate runoff election. Incumbent Democratic senator Raphael Warnock and his Republican challenger Herschel Walker making their final pitches to voters. More than 1.85 million Georgians cast ballots during the state's week long, early voting period that ended yesterday.
CNN Eva McKend joining us now from Atlanta. So, Eva, what more are you learning about how they're stomping in these last few hours and days?
EVA MCKEND, CNN NATIONAL POLITICS REPORTER: Well, Fred, that 1.8 million number you referenced that was a mix of early in-person voting and absentee ballots. And, you know, all week long what we saw were these really long lines. And that could be due in part to the compressed voting schedule. You know, in the last run off two years ago, here in Georgia, there was nine weeks to vote, this time around only four weeks.
And that is why in park democrats push so hard for that extra day of early voting, that Saturday voting. This issue of voting rights deeply animating for democratic voters. Take a listen to how Senator Warnock spoke about this earlier today at a union rally here in Atlanta.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SEN. RAPHAEL WARNOCK (D-GA): What may be a convenience for some is a necessity for others. Wage workers need Saturday voting and Sunday voting because they don't need to have to lose a wage in order to vote. They knew what they were doing when they said you couldn't have Saturday voting and Sunday voting. They were afraid that workers would show up. They were afraid that students would show up.
They were afraid that single parents would show up. And so, they said we couldn't vote last Saturday. And I thought about you. And that's why I sued them. And we won.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
MCKEND: Now Senator Warnock also telling his supporters it is too soon to claim victory, basically not to let up here and really to get out and implore people to vote on Tuesday in the next three critical days. There were many union workers here not only from Georgia, but also from across the country volunteering and getting out and doing this crucial work of door knocking because of course run offs are turned about -- all about turnout.
For his part, Herschel Walker, not holding a formal campaign event today. But he is in Atlanta at a tailgating event. Central to Walker's argument for election is that Senator Warnock is too closely aligned with President Biden and a vote for Warnock would be a vote for an extension of the Biden agenda. Fred?
WHITFIELD: All right. Eva McKend in Atlanta. Thanks so much. And don't forget, join us for the Georgia runoff between Senator Raphael Warnock and Herschel Walker. Coverage starts Tuesday 4:00 p.m. Eastern time.
All right, one of the world's largest active volcanoes is continuing to spew more molten lava on Hawaii's Big Island. And the river of flaming hot molten rock is creeping closer to a major highway. Fountains of lava shooting more than 100 feet in the air, a scene that is attracting many people to the area to see this spectacle firsthand. CNN's David Culver is there with more.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
DAVID CULVER CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice over): The nighttime glow of Mauna Loa's oozing lava, well, you just have to pull over to properly admire it.
CULVER (on camera): It's basically the middle of the night. And you guys are out here. Why?
PILANI ZYCH, OAHU, HAWAII RESIDENT: Well, I mean, this is a once in a lifetime opportunity to be able to experience this. And we decided to come early in the morning so we didn't have to sit in the traffic.
CULVER (voice over): Having hopped from Oahu to here, the Big Island, this family three generations came to respectfully honor the Hawaii interruptions.
ZYCH: It's all beautiful to us. And so, we pay huge reverence to this. It's very culturally significant for us as well. So, it's a big deal.
CULVER: A site made even more alluring with a site of sunrise, which brought the crowds to old saddle road. Officials turning this stretch into a one-way street, allowing passers by the chance to stop and let the views seep in.
CULVER (On camera): And that keeps drivers from pulling over and stopping on this what is one of the main highways connecting one part of the island to the other. USGS and state officials warned the lava flow while slowed in recent days is inching closer to cutting off this highway. It's within three miles now.
The other worry not here on the ground, but up in the air. What looked like plumes of smoke, experts say those are acid gases. Officials monitoring the levels warning it could become toxic for residents and visitors of the Big Island.
CULVER (Voice-over): Mauna Loa is the second of the big islands five volcanoes currently erupting. Kilauea still rumbling after destroying within 600 homes here in 2018.
[13:05:05]
ERECH ZYCH, OAHU, HAWAII RESIDENT: This is very significant, like my wife -- we made lays on our wall, we brought them over here and we gave it as an offering, you know, just come with respect.
CULVER: But many Hawaiians see the potential path of destruction as simultaneous creation surfacing from this, world's largest active volcano.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
CULVER: And with the eruption continuing at its current pacing, officials feel like they should be able to give folks up to two days' notice should the lava make its way onto that major thoroughfare cutting off that highway, but they also warn, when it comes to the flow of lava. There is no forecasting.
David Culver, CNN, Hawaii.
WHITFIELD: So, a lava flow is unpredictable. And it's slow, but Hawaii's governor says it is still safe to visit the Big Island for now. CNN meteorologist Gene Norman joining us with more on this. I mean, Gene, the science of all of this is just so fascinating. And, you know, it really is remarkable to hear people who say they're, you know, they want to make the trip to get there and see it safely.
GENE NORMAN, CNN METEOROLOGIST: Exactly right, Fred. And these pictures really are astonishing. I want to talk a little bit about how weather plays into what might be happening in the days ahead. So, while we see these fantastic pictures of these lava fountains, lifting up from the earth, I want to show you where we're talking about. Here's Mauna Loa. This is where the volcano was occurring.
And the flows are moving northward through the island. But they're also moving down across the tops of the island here. And we've got about four fissures that we're really tracking. Two of them are the ones of most concern that have opened up and the one that's getting closer and closer to that major highway, it's only 2.7 miles away, as we've been saying. And just doing a back of the envelope calculation.
If it's moving at 150 feet per hour, that's really slow. It will take about four days to get to the highway. If it continues moving at that current rate. I tell you what, my youngest granddaughter can probably crawl faster than that. It gives you a sense of how slow the lava is oozing. And as far as weather goes, well, we have a few clouds around, not a big deal right now. And what we are tracking though, is the air quality.
And that was mentioned earlier that we've got the good conditions today. But again, that smoke that you see is not really smoke, it could be part of a combination of toxic gases, sulfur dioxide, as well as carbon dioxide being released because of the volcano. Now we've got a couple of light showers moving in from the east as well. And that's due to the wind flow, which right now is east to west.
And what does that mean for that potential the toxic gas? Well, it's all pushing east to west right now. However, as we work our way toward the end of the weekend, and the other part next week, Fred, we're tracking a front. That's going to change the wind direction more out of the south. And it's also going to increase the chances for rain. So, we'll see how all that plays into this scenario here.
But it is fascinating to watch, fascinating the track. Just one more thing that we just amazed that in the year of 2022.
WHITFIELD: Yes. What a year. What a way to - yes. Cap off the year. An amazing year. Gene Norman, thank you so much.
NORMAN: OK.
WHITFIELD: All right. Coming up. The U.S. suffers a devastating loss and is eliminated from the World Cup. But everyone's still so proud of this team. We'll bring you the latest from the tournament.
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[13:12:34]
WHITFIELD: All right. The U.S. men's soccer teams World Cup dreams of advancing further dashed in the first knockout round. The U.S. falling to the Netherlands three to one but fighting all the way to the end. CNN's Andy Scholes, oh, is live for us coming from an Atlanta sports bar when the Netherlands scored that decisive third goal. Just take a look.
ANDY SCHOLES, CNN SPORTS ANCHOR: They've gotten a lot of chances. That's the good news. But everyone here, Fredricka, on the edge of their seat hoping -- oh. The Netherlands just scored. As you can see, there's lots of Dutch fans behind me. Pretty excited about that. That's pretty brutal for team USA though, Fredricka. I can't hear you at all, because of the Netherlands fans. But --
WHITFIELD: Oh, what a moment that was. And we felt that awe at the same time. So, the U.S. falls in the round in the round of 16. The same result as their last World Cup run back in 2014. But still, this was -- this was an episode all, you know, unique to itself. CNN's Don Riddell and Andy Scholes with us now live. So, Don, you first. I mean, the U.S. coach Gregg Berhalter said it -- was bitterly disappointed with the result.
But I know everyone is hugely proud of the team. How did you -- how did you see it? DON RIDDELL, CNN HOST, WORLD SPORT: Yes, absolutely. I mean, first of all, their performance in this World Cup was I think a lot better than a lot of people were expecting. It was one of the youngest teams in the tournament, completely unexperienced at this level. 25 of the 26 players here had never even played in a World Cup. So, until they got here, they didn't know how it was going to work out. But they played really well against England.
They played really well in very difficult circumstances against Iran. And the wheels definitely came off tonight. But if you kind of analyze the game and look at the stats, the Americans gave it a really good go. They had more of the possession they had just as many chances and shots on goal of the Dutch. The difference was they couldn't take them and the Dutch were clinical when they had their chances the Netherlands put them away without hesitation.
The Americans just did not look anything like that ruthless in front of goal. And that in the end was the difference. So, I don't think the team USA really can have any complaints but that of course, is of no consolation to the fans who came here to support their team. Have a listen to the words of a couple I spoke to after the match.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: (INAUDIBLE) second the last game. Getting kicked in the cahonas, that's what it feels like right now.
[13:15:04]
It's rough out here. I'm not a hardcore fan like this guy but it hurts all the same, you know (INAUDIBLE) red, white and blue. So, it's just how it is.
RIDDELL: Well, you know, they say that this team is building and they're still young and inexperienced, but they're learning fast. And they're hosting in four years' time. So, where do you think this team is going to be in '26?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I mean, in '26, I think we're going to make a same final run at least. We have a young core, these guys all -- most of them never played in World Cup before. They're all under 24. We're going to be so strong point in '26. And I think this was a nice little alert for the world that we're coming.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
RIDDELL: Fred, that is a very, very big prediction from that support there. But I mean, this tournament for this team was always seen as a stepping stone towards 2026. So, anything that good -- anything good that came out of this experience was always going to be a bonus. I think some of their supporters maybe got a little bit carried away ahead of the Netherlands game. But in the end, I think they can return home with their heads held high.
WHITFIELD: I do think so too. I love how they're decked out in their red, white and blue fashion. Andy Scholes there at an Irish pub where people in Atlanta, people were lined up early in the morning to get their, you know, perfect spot, ready to watch the game and you were there with them. And, you know, through the victory of that one goal right down to, you know, the defeat of the Netherlands winning goal. Are folks still there?
(CROSSTALK)
SCHOLES: -- most of the USA fans, they filed out by now because they had a long emotional morning, as you mentioned we're here at Fado Irish pub. This place holds about 600 people align all the way around the building of people wanting to get here, be a part of this experience watching Team USA. And I tell you what, the place went pretty quiet from the USA fans right before halftime.
It was like a gut punch when they went down two to zero. But when they scored in the 76th minute, this place just went berserk. People were jumping up and down, high fives everywhere, beer was flying through the air because the USA, they were back in it, they had a chance. People had hope again, it only lasted five minutes because as you showed earlier, you know, we were live on CNN when it happened when the Netherlands went up three to one.
And at that point, everyone here pretty much knew it was over for team USA. But I talked to a lot of the fans, they were leaving here and they are super optimistic about the team's future. Take a listen.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I'm really happy for our boys. I'm really happy that we made it this far. And, you know, I just want to say that 2026 when it gets here, it's going to be incredible World Cup. And I'm incredibly excited.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We're a young team, and we have a lot of potential and this wasn't our year, but that's OK, we're looking forward to the next one.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It was an exciting game. It's unfortunate the way it turned out. But I think we played well through the group stage. I'm really excited about 2026 in our hometown. I mean, Atlanta is getting the game. How much more excited can you be? We got a young team. We're one of the youngest teams in the World Cup this year. And it's really exciting going for us.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SCHOLES: Yes. So, Fredricka, I mean, it's like night and day, right? Four years ago, we didn't even make the World Cup, everyone was down in the U.S. Men's Team. Now a completely different story. And it's just going to make 2026 even more exciting when the World Cup is here in the U.S.
WHITFIELD: The buildup is already on its way. Andy Scholes, Don Riddell, thank you so much. And you know just moments ago, there were others who chimed in that of the president of the United States. President Biden expressing his pride in the team. He tweeted fellas, you made us proud. We get up and keep going. Here's to a bright future and 2026 back here at home.
All right, still ahead. A dire warning about online safety. A woman whose sister and parents were killed in an alleged catfish murder is speaking out.
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[13:23:33]
WHITFIELD: For more than 30 years, thousands of service members and their families stationed at the Marine Corps at Camp Lejeune in North Carolina were exposed to contaminated water. And now some veterans and family members are battling cancer potentially caused by this contamination.
And as CNN's Nick Watt reports, they are trying to hold the military accountable.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: If you were stationed or working at Camp Lejeune.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: You may be eligible for significant financial compensation.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Please give us a call.
NICK WATT, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice over): You've probably seen the commercials. Lawyers lining up to help veterans in return for a slice of a potentially huge money pie. Huge because the water at this vast Marine Base in North Carolina was contaminated. Over 30 plus years by an off base dry cleaners, leaky storage tanks and chemical dumping. 1953 to 1987.
WATT (on camera): Potentially how big is this?
ANDREW VAN ARSDALE, OWNER, AVA LAW GROUP: Over a million people were likely exposed to this toxic water during that time period. And what does that mean in terms of damages? I mean, it's off the charts.
WATT (voice over): Greg Sexton's mom saw one of the commercials their first inkling that Camp Lejeune's water might be to blame for what happened to him.
GREG SEXTON, CAMP LEJEUNE WATER CLAIMANT: So, I spent the summer there in 1977. I was eight years old. I was spending time with my father who was in the Marines. He was a sergeant in the Marines. When I was 17, I was diagnosed Just with what's called a Wilms tumor.
[13:25:02]
WATT: He had kidney cancer. One of the diseases now potentially linked to those chemicals in the water on the base. A base where Ann Johnson lived with her Marine Sergeant dad where she met her future husband in high school, where she gave birth in 1984.
WATT (on camera): They didn't bring her to you immediately. No?
ANN JOHNSON, CAMP LEJEUENE WATER CLAIMANT: They did not. I guess they were trying to prepare me for what she looked like.
WATT (voice over): Anne's baby Jacquetta lived just seven weeks aged 18 and forced into an horrific decision, to let her daughter go.
JOHNSON: I looked at my husband and he just dropped his head, not knowing what to say. And so, I looked up at the doctor and I said just let it go.
WATT: Birth defect also now potentially linked to those chemicals in the water on the base. Here is the history. In 1980, tests found water is highly contaminated. In 1981, water highly contaminated with other chlorinated hydrocarbons, solvents that most contaminated wells weren't closed for four years after further testing.
In February 1985, PCE, a dry-cleaning solvent was measured at 43 times the current EPA limit for drinking water. Here in Tarawa Terrace which houses enlisted men and their families. Two months later, the base commander sent them all a letter. Two of the wells that supply to Tarawa Terrace have had to be taken offline because minute trace amounts of several organic chemicals have been detected in the water.
No health warning, just a request to reduce domestic water use because supply was now limited. Apparently, a mass health warning didn't come until much later. 14 years later.
ARSDALE: Certain areas water super contaminated, other areas it wasn't. The Marine Corps barracks, right? The Bachelor barracks that was in the areas where the water was tainted.
WATT: Large sections of the base used by officers and enlisted alike were affected. Van Arsdale asked his 6000 or so clients, what rank were you when you were exposed to the water at Camp Lejeune? 96.3 percent of respondents say they were enlisted. 3.7 percent were officers, worth noting there were always more enlisted men than officers on base. An act of congress passed in August allows marines and their kin to file civil claims.
SEXTON: Some simple acknowledgement would be my wish for everything moving forward.
WATT: The Navy has six months to process their claims.
ARSDALE: They received almost 5000 claims as of today, they have not yet done anything about any of them.
WATT: Do you think any of the claims that you filed so far will actually be processed within the six-month window?
ARSDALE: As of today, I do not.
WATT: And if not, claims could end up in a courthouse in the Eastern District of North Carolina. But litigation could take years to even get inside the courthouse. ARSDALE: It really could. I think that they are too worried about how to defend themselves then focus on what they should be doing. And that's to make these lives better of the men and women who are suffering today.
JOHNSON: Rather than it being me that it could have been the water that I consumed and the government could be responsible for what I went through. My ex-husband went on to remarry and have a couple of more children. And there was nothing wrong with them. Jacquetta had to be me. Because there's other kids were fine. So, it had to be me.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
WATT: So, the Navy unit handling the claims wouldn't talk to us on camera, citing ongoing claims and potential litigation. They said that they are now in the first phase of handling the claims but concede that they have not actually adjudicated not even one not yet. But they say that the Navy is committed to "resolving the claims in a fair, thorough and timely manner."
Now the Marine Corps also wouldn't speak to us on camera but they say that we care deeply about our service members, veteran's civilian workforce, and families including those who have experienced health issues they believe are related to their time in the service.
Now, the issue here is that a lot of people are sick right now and could really use the money right now. Not in five years, because in five years, some of them might have died. Nick Watt, CNN, Los Angeles,
WHITFIELD: Terribly sad. All right. Straight ahead. Ukrainian officials warning that the country faces a tough winter ahead but are confident they can avoid a national blackout as Russian missiles continue hitting its infrastructure.
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[13:34:00]
WHITFIELD: Welcome back. The European Union just agreed to cap the price of Russian oil imports at $60 a barrel. European leaders said it will help strengthen Russian sanctions already in place and cut into Russia's ability to fund its war in Ukraine.
And it comes as Ukrainian officials warn of a tough winter ahead as weeks of Russian attacks have targeted Ukraine's infrastructure and power grid.
Let's bring in now Tymofiy Mylovanov. He is a former minister of economic development in Ukraine, adviser to President Zelenskyy, and is currently the president of the Kyiv School of Economics.
Thank you so much, Mr. Mylovanov, for joining us.
The U.S. says -- the E.U., rather, says it will cap the price of Russian oil that it buys. Will that have much of an impact on the revenue, the money that Vladimir Putin needs for his war effort? [13:35:00]
TYMOFIY MYLOVANOV, PRESIDENT, KYIV SCHOOL OF ECONOMICS & A FORMER MINISTER OF ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT IN UKRAINE & PRESIDENTIAL
ADVISER: Yes, it will. There's, of course, a number of Analysts who are saying that the cap should be lower because that already is a discount at which the oil is traded.
But remember that the prices are volatile, so this cap ensures that the price will stay a bit and is probably going to be discounted anyway.
What we know from the historic data is that Russia goes into economic crisis if their revenues from oil and gas are lower than $150 billion per year. And this cap serves to try to achieve that goal.
WHITFIELD: And do you feel like the sanctions are working?
MYLOVANOV: Yes, but slowly. And two reasons. First, in economics, or in economy, it takes, you know, months to build a building, to move an economy anywhere, sometimes it takes years.
The second reason is that, of course, it takes months for the sanctions to take effect. We're only now talking about this price cap and it will be a little bit -- still a little bit of time until it goes into effect.
So we will be a year into the war. Can we cap the prices the first month of the war, we probably would have destabilized Russia's ability to finance the war already.
WHITFIELD: Let me ask you about, you know, you and your fellow Ukrainian people, about what life is like right now. The cold weather has moved in, you have snow on the ground, you have these occasional power outages. How are people coping?
MYLOVANOV: Yes. It is difficult. It's below freezing. I'm in downtown Kyiv next to a ministry. You see a lot of snow around me. Thank god and thank our infrastructure service companies and officials and people, we have electricity. There's electricity around me.
But that was not the case last week. Last week, Kyiv was without water and electricity and heating for about two or three days, and it was very, very difficult.
The apartments get cold real quick. People have been struggling. I myself was very, very cold.
WHITFIELD: What are some of your students telling you? You said people are struggling. What are they telling you specifically, some of your students?
MYLOVANOV: We have this fantastic conversation today actually at school. I asked them, why are they studying math if there was a war around? They were insistent they have to continue to study because they have to have a future, and this future is based on education. But ironically, surprisingly, attendance is at an all-time high.
Everyone is in the building because we have brought generators for the building. We have independent heating system. We are now drilling valves to get water. So essentially it's self-sufficient or soon going to be.
When there's a blackout, our university is working. So kids are saying, oh, I love being here. I spent the entire day here. Just go home and it's cold and dark there but it doesn't matter. I come back.
They even stay overnight at times. We got them sleeping bags and other camping equipment.
WHITFIELD: Wow. How do you explain how some of these young people are remaining so confident, wanting to continue to come to class, as miserable as the conditions are at home or sometimes even in the classroom with it being so cold?
Yet, you said they are still thinking about their future.
MYLOVANOV: Our first two floors of classrooms and the shelter in the basement are warm. We keep heat in there and it's independent with generators. It's warm. That's why we study there.
But also students recently left, you know, like they do, they leave funny notes. They do it in schools and universities. They left a note saying they're so grateful that there's a structure, exams, office hours, homework assignments.
They say this is perhaps the only thing which gives them a sense of normalcy and keeps their lives together.
WHITFIELD: Wow. And you're part of that, too, trying to help and you do consequently maintain a sense of normalcy with all of this.
All the best to you and your students as you continue to inspire each other and really inspire the world.
Professor Tymofiy Mylovanov, thank you so much.
MYLOVANOV: Thank you.
WHITFIELD: Economic sanctions, a failing military campaign, and grim prospects ahead. That's what Russia is facing as it heads into the first winter of this war in Ukraine.
As Fred Pleitgen reports, the mood in Moscow is reflecting it.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
(BELLS TOLL)
FREDERIK PLEITGEN, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice- over): As Moscow lights up for the holiday season, the festive mood is dampened by a dose of melancholy. As there seems no end in sight to what the Kremlin calls, its Special Military Operation in Ukraine. UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE (through translation): I think the operation is not going well, to put it mildly, because there are many losses on our side.
[13:40:03]
UNIDENTIFIED MALE (through translation): I don't know what the goal of the operation is but it's not reaching it.
PLEITGEN: After Russian forces were forced to retreat from large parts of northeast, eastern and southern Ukraine, many here don't even want to talk about what is happening on the battlefield.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE (through translation): To this question, I don't know what to say.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE (through translation): This is a provocative question. I don't want to answer it.
(MUSIC)
PLEITGEN: Even after the Kremlin ordered a partial mobilization, drafting around 300,000 Russians between September and early November, gains have been hard to come by for Moscow's forces in Ukraine.
Still, many Russians say they trust their leadership's decision- making.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE (through translation): As far as the military operation goes, I can only say one thing, that it is underway and that I should not comment on it. Because we all support our president of the Russian Federation.
PLEITGEN: And, Russian President Vladimir Putin is asking for more support and patience, promising things will turn around.
VLADIMIR PUTIN, RUSSIAN PRESIDENT (through translation): We, as all of you here rightfully said, we must achieve our goals and we will achieve them in the end.
PLEITGEN: But increasing numbers of boarded up shops show Russia's economy is running out of steam, as sanctions bite and some goods are becoming scarce.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE (through translation): Of course, many things we have grown used to buying have disappeared but life goes on. We have to adjust somehow.
PLEITGEN: Economic expert, Sergey Zhavoronkov, tells me he fears the economic woes could lead to wider discontent.
SERGEY ZHAVORONKOV, ECONOMIC EXPERT (through translation): It is unknown effect. A short victorious war may provoke enthusiasm but if the war goes on endlessly and does not lead to the desired outcome, comes disappointment.
PLEITGEN: For now, the lights remain bright in Moscow, even as dark clouds of economic uncertainty loom over the Russian capital.
Fred Pleitgen, CNN, Moscow.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
WHITFIELD: Still to come, inflation could drive many Americans to food pantries this holiday season. I'll talk to the CEO of a community food bank about how they are getting ready to deal with the increase in demand, next.
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[13:46:51]
WHITFIELD: A horrific slaying in California that investigators say began with an online romance between a predator and a teenager. Now family members warn parents to speak to their kids about online safety after this alleged catfish triple homicide last week.
Here is CNN's security correspondent, Josh Campbell.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
MICHELLE BLANDIN, WINEK FAMILY MEMBER: This horrific event started with an inappropriate online romance between a predator and a child.
JOSH CAMPBELL, CNN SECURITY CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): The child, a 15-year-old girl, is still in protective custody, undergoing trauma counseling and receiving extensive medical care after a law enforcement officer allegedly brutally killed her mother and grandparents.
UNIDENTIFIED LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICER: We have possible murder victims, multiple victims.
CAMPBELL: Then set the family's Riverside, California, home on fire and took off with her, driving for two hours until the pursuit ended with her fleeing the car and the suspect shot and killed by law enforcement.
The suspect, 28-year-old Austin Lee Edwards, was hired in Virginia by the Washington County Sheriff's Department just days before the murders, according to law enforcement, and was a former Virginia state trooper.
LARRY GONZALEZ, CHIEF, RIVERSIDE POLICE DEPARTMENT: We ask the same questions you all ask. How did this person get past a background investigation?
CAMPBELL: Police say Edwards developed an online relationship with the teen on social media, posing as a teenage boy, texting her from Virginia.
BLANDIN: This was an adult that traveled across the country to kidnap a 15-year-old girl with the idea to kidnap her and kill and devastate our family. CAMPBELL: Police unsure if she was kidnapped or coerced.
RYAN J. RAILSBACK, PUBLIC INFORMATION OFFICE, RIVERSIDE POLICE DEPARTMENT: We don't know if this was the first physical encounter they had. It's very possible it was. But we also don't know yet if he -- if she knew that he was coming to California.
CAMPBELL: This was a case of catfishing, and much more according to police, where the suspect impersonated another individual for the purpose of exploitation.
GONZALEZ: This type of victimization takes place across every platform, social media, messaging apps, gaming platforms, et cetera.
CAMPBELL: Police and the victims' families are urging parents to talk to their children and to monitor them.
BLANDIN: Please, please know your child's online activity. Ask questions about what they're doing and whom they are talking to.
DET. ROB OLSEN, RIVERSIDE POLICE DEPARTMENT: I work directly with the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children. And in 2021, they received over 22 million reports from service providers and the community for exactly this sort of thing.
CAMPBELL (on camera): And what is your message to parents out there? What guidance do you give them to perhaps prevent something like this?
OLSEN: Pay attention. I think you would be astonished to know how many parents are paying attention to their child's online activities
CAMPBELL: Now authorities tell us that this investigation continues, particularly on the digital front.
They are poring over a trove of online evidence that they are hoping will help them answer the question about the nature of this relationship between this suspect and this 15-year-old minor.
They are telling us they are seeing if there are other potential victims out there than may have been targeted by this former cop.
[13:50:00]
Josh Campbell, CNN, Riverside, California.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
WHITFIELD: Still to come, the U.S. national soccer team eliminated from the World Cup. We'll bring you the latest from Doha. Stay with us.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
WHITFIELD: The holiday season is here, and peak demand is sending more families to food banks. Continued inflation putting further strain on families, which, in turn, passes it onto local pantries. [13:55:04]
My next guest said they are experiencing demand on par with record highs set during the pandemic.
Joining me now is Kyle Waide, the president and CEO of the Atlanta Community Food Bank. His organization distributes supplies to more than 700 regional food pantries.
At the height of the pandemic, your organization moved about, what, 10 million pounds of food per month. So where is the demand right now? Is it on par with that?
KYLE WAIDE, PRESIDENT & CEO, ATLANTA COMMUNITY FOOD BANK: Yes. So we're seeing that lines are getting longer at food pantries. We are basically back up to the same levels of demand we saw during the pandemic of about 10 million pounds of food a month.
And we know, as you said, families are under pressure due to the inflationary measures we're dealing with.
WHITFIELD: What are the challenges for your organization to try to meet the needs right now?
WAIDE: Yes. We've got to get enough food to support that demand. We're in a period now where some of the federal stimulus programs has worked its way through the system. We're in this gap period. Relief is coming.
But we are having to buy more food than we ever have to try to make up that difference. Financially, that is very demanding on us and not very sustainable long term.
WHITFIELD: Yes. So if you are having to buy the food to keep up with the demand, you need more dollar donations. Are you able to get that? And how will you get it if you are not getting it now?
WAIDE: So we're generously supported by the community in Atlanta. Food banks have been generally supportive the last few years.
We're in the middle of the holiday season. We're encouraged by how that's going so far. But we certainly need the community to continue to support us.
WHITFIELD: Are there certain items that are most appreciated? When families come to you say, we need your assistance, is there a commonality of the kinds of things that you just can't get enough of?
WAIDE: So we are providing a full mix of grocery items that families need, that you and I need. So we're providing lots of fresh produce, shelf-stable items, lots of protein, dairy.
When people donate food to us, we certainly need nonperishable items. But it is more effective for people to support food banks financially.
We have a lot of supplier relationships where he can stretch your dollar farther than you can and go get the full complement of food inventory that the families were serving need.
WHITFIELD: Talk about distribution. At the height of the pandemic, people cannot forget the imagines they say of long lines, miles long, of cars, whether it was Chicago, Houston, Los Angeles, and here in Atlanta.
WAIDE: Right.
WHITFIELD: For people who were driving up, opening up the trunk and filling it up. Is that what we are going to see now or going to see?
WAIDE: I think we are still seeing long lines at food pantries. People are turning to our network to get the food they can't afford for themselves right now.
We anticipate this is going to be with us for an extended period. We have to work through this inflationary problem. I think working though it will take a long time. And so we're preparing for elevated levels of demand for many months to come.
WHITFIELD: How do you prepare for that?
WAIDE: Well, I think what's key for us to prepare for it is, one, we have to continue to receive financial support from the community.
We are working up closely with our partners in the federal government to make sure they understand the demand we're seeing so we can get more of that support coming.
We will continue to grow our relationships with the private sector who supports us with food donations so we have the food we need to meet all the needs of the families we're serving.
WHITFIELD: Similar to the height of the pandemic, we heard people say I never thought I'd be in this situation, you know, where I would rely on my food pantry, where I would need this kind of assistance.
Are you hearing that same sentiment from people who are grateful that you're there and available but never thought they would find themselves in had predicament.
WAIDE: Yes, I think what we are seeing reflected in this moment is how widespread the level of vulnerability is in our community. There's a much larger number of families than maybe many of us who would expect who are one disruption away from needing help from a food pantry.
So many of the folks are showing or doing so for the first time in their lives, but they have been kind of financially vulnerable for a long time.
So I think what we all have to work toward is a place whether families have more support, more resources to be able to absorb disruptions like job losses, health crises, loss of a loved one, divorce, and don't need to rely on a food pantry network to meet their basic needs.
WHITFIELD: I know a lot of families are very grateful that you're available.
I'm wondering, too, how you were uplifted by having the ability to be able to help out so many families in great need?
[13:59:58]
WAIDE: Well, we're inspired every day by our network of partners and supporters. We have 700 community partners for our food bank, 60,000 of those community partners across the country working with food banks.
