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Ukraine: Counteroffensive To Resume After Ground Freezes; CNN Interviews Ukraine Defense Minister Ahead Of Missile Attack; Ukraine Energy: "Significant Power Deficit Caused By Russian Attacks; Karen Bass Sworn In As First Woman Mayor Of Los Angeles; China Braces For Sharp Rise In COVID Cases As It Relaxes Restrictions; Hospitals Strained Due To Rise In COVID, Flu & RSV Cases; Treasury Secretary Yellen: "I Believe Inflation Will Be Lower In 2023". Aired 2:30-3p ET
Aired December 12, 2022 - 14:30 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
[14:32:08]
BIANNA GOLODRYGA, CNN HOST: The Russian occupied region of Melitopol faced heavy shelling from Ukrainians over the weekend. And the Russians continue to target Ukraine's power grid as civilians face a harsh winter.
VICTOR BLACKWELL, CNN HOST: CNN senior international correspondent, Will Ripley, is live in Kyiv.
Will, we understand you just spoke with the Ukrainian defense minister. Did he discuss the strategy going forward?
WILL RIPLEY, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: He did. Defense Minister Oleksiy Reznikov said, even though the United States was anticipating fighting to slow during the winter months, the exact opposite may happen.
Because, from the Ukrainian perspective, once the deep freeze kicks in the official start of winter, just days away, and temperatures plunging by the day, it will be much easier to move heavy equipment and weapons through areas currently very muddy, swamplands that are very difficult to traverse.
So the Ukrainians planning to retake territory currently occupied by the Russians. And it's been very intense fighting along the frontlines, both in the east in Donetsk and also in the south.
Now, the Ukrainian side has been shelling very heavily in Melitopol. You just mentioned, this is a town which is believed to house a hotel that was a sleeping quarters for Russian mercenaries working for the privately owned Wagner Group.
It's basically an arm of the Russian army, unofficial, of course, because they often have been accused in past conflicts of doing the dirty work that the Russian military doesn't want to be officially tied. And yet, they're supplied with weapons and money by the Russian government.
These fighters are on the front lines fighting in Ukraine. They're fighting in Donetsk, trying to retake Bakhmut, a town Russia has been setting its sights on in recent weeks.
But in Melitopol, these Wagner Group operatives, these mercenary fights, perhaps hundreds of them were sleep in a hotel that was hit with Ukrainian rockets, fired by U.S. military equipment. And according to reports coming in, potentially very heavy losses sustained.
Certainly, if that, indeed, is the case, it would be a significant, a significant development and victory for the Ukrainians.
The defense minister also talking about the constant bombardment by Russians at the power grid, including kamikaze drone attacks that plunged 1.5 million people into darkness over the weekend.
Those are, of course, the drones made in Iran, fired by Russia that explode on impact.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
RIPLEY: What's your best strategy here to defend against these kamikaze drone attacks from Russia?
OLEKSIY REZNIKOV, UKRAINIAN DEFENSE MINISTER: Every day, we're trying to find the best solution they targeting our infrastructure. They trying to ruin our energy supply, water supply, heat supply systems.
Because they cannot, to have a success against armed forces of Ukraine, they trying to fighting with the civilian population. That's why they trying to -- to stop the energy or water to the house, especially during this wintertime.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
[14:35:02]
RIPLEY: On Sunday, Ukraine's prime minister said that all of this country's thermal and hydroelectric power stations have been damaged in wave after wave of Russian missile strikes.
Now, the U.S. has just announced another aid package for Ukraine. It was actually announced on Friday.
The Ukrainian president spoke with President Biden about that and other issues. And he also participated in the Group of Seven's virtual meeting with President Biden.
On the list -- or notably, off the list, our Patriot missile defense systems that Ukraine is asking for, but they have not yet received. They say they're badly needed on the battlefield -- Victor?
BLACKWELL: Will Ripley, for us there in Kyiv. Thank you, Will.
GOLODRYGA: The nation's second-largest city has its first female mayor. How Karen Bass plans to tackle the city's homeless crisis and renewed controversies surrounding the city's council, next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[14:40:24]
BLACKWELL: The first woman to lead the city of Los Angeles as mayor is officially sworn in. Former Congresswoman Karen Bass took the oath of office yesterday with help of vice president and former California Senator Kamala Harris.
And as promised, her first act this morning as mayor, declare a state of emergency on the city's skyrocketing homeless crisis.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MAYOR KAREN BASS (D-LA): My emergency declaration unlocks tools and powers to make sure we are using every resource possible at the scale that is needed to save lives and restore our neighborhoods. There will be no holding back on my watch.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
GOLODRYGA: CNN's Nick Watt joins us now.
Nick, she, by no means, is the only mayor in the country trying to tackle this issue. But how does she plan on solving the problem specific in L.A.?
NICK WATT, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Bianna, she says urgently, strategically and cooperatively.
Listen, it is a massive problem in the city. Just in the city of Los Angeles, about 40,000 people are homeless. Billions of dollars spent. Plenty of people pledged and tried to solve this problem. And yet, it only just keeps getting worse.
It was huge on the campaign between Karen Bass and Rick Caruso, her billionaire property developer opponent. Both of them basically trying to outdo each other in terms of saying how much they could and would do to solve this problem.
Now, Karen Bass has said she will create 15,000 new homes within her first year. She hopes to do this using her connections both on the state and federal level and trying to get people to cooperate.
Listen, she has made this the hill that she will be judged on. She has said this is going to be her core focus.
So, you know, listen, as I said, others have tried and failed. She has said she will be judged on it. And it's going to be a very, very tough job, indeed -- Guys?
BLACKWELL: Let me ask you about this video that we've seen, embattled L.A. city councilman, Kevin De Leon.
WATT: Yes.
BLACKWELL: People remember the name. Refused to step down after he was part of a group of city leaders recorded making some disparaging remarks about other city leaders.
But he was just involved in a fight with activists. Tell us about it.
WATT: This is Kevin De Leon, one of the giants of the Democratic Party in Los Angeles and, indeed, in California, getting into what looks like a wrestling match with a local activist.
De Leon, wearing a Santa hat. This was at a tree-lighting ceremony with a bunch of kids present.
And De Leon facing increasing and sustained pressure to resign after that audio you mentioned that was leaked a couple of months ago.
Audio from a year ago of a meeting in which De Leon and other council members were discussing, in rather disparaging, rather racist unpleasant terms, another council member and that council member's son.
Now, the president of the council, she apologized and resigned.
De Leon has been keeping a low profile, refusing to resign. This was really his first sort of step back into the public waters. He attended a city council meeting on Friday, then this event at which this erupted.
Now both De Leone and the man he is seen wrestling with, both of them claim that the other one was aggressive.
The LAPD now has this video and they will have to decide what they think happened.
But, listen, the general background here, a lot of people in this city think that local politics is broken.
We've got a new mayor trying to deal, she says, with the biggest problem facing the city, and you've got a guy in a Santa hat wrestling with a member of the public.
It's not a great look -- guys?
BLACKWELL: All right. Nick Watt, thank you very much.
Put that video back up that we just watched, if you can of the altercation here.
So this councilman tries to walk to a different room. And then this - protester -- hands up, though -- shoves him in a corner, headbutts him several times. I mean, it is a bad look.
GOLODRYGA: It's a bad look.
BLACKWELL: But how long do we expect him to stand in that corner --
GOLODRYGA: Yes, and --
BLACKWELL: -- as someone was physically pushing him into a wall? GOLODRYGA: From that video, it's clear that the protester approached
him.
BLACKWELL: Yes.
GOLODRYGA: And he was trying to leave the room. And it appears he was trying to leave the situation, and he kept following him.
Again, no violence is ever condoned.
BLACKWELL: Yes.
GOLODRYGA: But, as I say, there's a time and place. Not at a tree- lighting area where kids are involved. All right.
[14:45:02]
BLACKWELL: All right, COVID, RSV, the flu are putting strains on hospitals across the country. And that's prompting health officials in multiple cities to urge people to mask up this holiday season. What you need to know to stay safe. That's next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
GOLODRYGA: China is bracing for an unprecedented wave of COVID-19 cases as a top doctor warns the Omicron variant is rapidly spreading across the country.
The alert comes amid an official drop in cases and as the government begins dismantling many of its restricted zero-COVID policies.
Just today, authorities scrapped one of its COVID infection tracking apps.
Dr. F. Perry Wilson is an associate professor of medicine at the Yale School of Medicine. He also wrote the upcoming book, "How Medicine Works and When It Doesn't."
Doctor, thank you so much for joining us.
[14:50:01]
Listen, we know that China's trying to portray this as a plan that they had in the works and the reason they're lifting some of these restrictions is because they say this is a milder variant.
We know that's not true because they don't have the proper steps there waiting for these people as these factors are going to be lifted. They don't have the vaccines and they don't have hospitals ready.
How concerned are you about what we could end up seeing in the next few weeks in that country?
DR. F. PERRY WILSON, ASSOCIATE PROFESSOR OF MEDICINE, YALE SCHOOL OF MEDICINE: Thanks, Bianna. I'm quite concerned. China, as a country, probably has the highest
percentage of vulnerable people, by which I mean people who have not been previously infected by COVID or who have adequate immunization from a vaccine of every country in the world.
And their first real exposure, their first real test after the initial wave years ago will be the Omicron variant, which is highly contagious.
We don't have much line of sight in here. China is not tracking its cases reliably anymore. So the way this will manifest is in overwhelmed hospitals. We know, when that happens, people die that could have been saved.
GOLODRYGA: Especially the elderly.
And given they don't have immunity there, and most people don't have effective vaccines, are you concerned we could see a new, more lethal variant come up?
PERRY: Well, I'm concerned about new variants. Certainly, every new infection is the opportunity for a new variant to emerge. That's just the random chance of genetics.
Whether those variants will be more or less virulent is anyone's guess. It could go either way. But the fact is, any new variant is going to challenge the existing immunity that is here right now.
So it's difficult to predict, but clearly we'd rather have less cases than more.
GOLODRYGA: Let's come back to the U.S. Because New York officials are now urging people to start wearing masks again since we've seen an uptick in cases and we're seeing a rise in flu cases as well, and hospitals that have started to get more busy, and busier through this holiday season.
Do you think that Americans and New Yorkers will start putting their masks on, though, after they happen for so many months?
PERRY: Yes. I think so. I think the framework though has to be one of individual protection.
So I was rounding in the hospital today seeing patients and I saw multiple COVID patients, multiple flu patients.
Even someone with something, Metapneumovirus, which is another respiratory infection that travels around this time of year.
And I think, as people see just how much virus there is out there this time of year -- you know, when you are in a public place and you are surrounded by strangers, throwing on a mask for 30 minutes while you go shopping is not too much to ask just to protect yourself.
Even if you are a healthy person, being sick for a week or two with flu or COVID is not fun. GOLODRYGA: No, it's not. But I have to tell you, just from watching
people here in the city, I don't see many people walking around in masks yet. That could change in the next few weeks.
While we have you, let me ask you about another alarming development we have seen, and that's a shortage of over-the-counter medications.
And these are medications that are prescribed for fever reduction and pain, typically given to children. We've seen an increase in COVID, flu, RSV.
How alarming is that, and what can parents do now?
PERRY: So many kids are sick. I've got three of them. They've all had their share of respiratory illnesses this season.
Parents need to know that, you know, fevers don't absolutely need to be treated, you know.
Kids with fevers, provided they're over 2 months old, can be -- if they're feeling OK and they're just staying home and hanging out and, you know, watching TV and doing some homework, that's fine.
They don't absolutely need to be treated. Of course, talk to your doctor.
Kids under 2 months old, 100 percent, call your doctor if they have a fever.
In the case where your kid is feeling pretty bad, yes, you might have to call around stores to find that children's Tylenol, children's ibuprofen.
One more reminder. Baby aspirin is not for babies. Kids and adolescents should not be receiving aspirin for fever, aches or pains, or anything else because of the risk of something called Reye's Syndrome.
So you want to look for that Tylenol or ibuprofen. And you may have to call a few stores to find it if your kid needs it.
GOLODRYGA: All right, such good advice as always.
Dr. F. Perry Wilson, thank you.
WILSON: Thank you.
[14:54:03]
BLACKWELL: Members of the Biden administration met virtually with the sister of Paul Whelan. Up next, new details on the efforts to bring the detained American home from Russia.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
BLACKWELL: High prices for everything -- food, gas, rent -- they're hitting Americans hard. But Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen is optimistic things will turn around.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JANET YELLEN, TREASURY SECRETARY: I think we'll see a substantial reduction in inflation in the year ahead.
UNIDENTIFIED CORRESPONDENT: But for families who are paying more at the grocery store, when 2023 comes around, do they need to be worried about a recession?
YELLEN: There are always risks of a recession. The economy remains prone to shocks.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
GOLODRYGA: So let's get into this with CNN's Matt Egan.
So a big week. We got a cancelation report tomorrow, and a big decision coming from the Fed this week already. What will you be watching?
MATT EGAN, CNN REPORTER: Yes, it is shaping up to be a huge week for the economy, and the Fed's war on inflation.
And Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen is striking a cautiously optimistic view. She says that she thinks, a year from now, inflation will be, quote, "much lower" than it is now.
She's stressing that a recession, while it's a risk, it is not required to get inflation under control.
But we should not that Yellen and many other economists, they have been overly optimistic on the inflation front, right? It's proven to be a lot more stubborn than people anticipated.
[14:59:59]
We're going to get another big check on inflation tomorrow, the CPI, Consumer Price Inflation. It's expected to show that prices are up by 7.3 percent, year over year. That is not good.
As you can see on your screen, though, this would be an improvement.
