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U.S. Jet Shoot Down Third High-Altitude Object In A Week; Sen. Tester: New "Anomaly" Over Montana Being Investigated; More Survivors Pulled From Rubble More Than 6 Days After Quake; More Than 33,000 People Dead In Turkey And Syria; Intl Aid Slow To Reach Rebel-Held Areas Of Northwest Syria; Eagles Coach Relishes Chance Against Former Team. Annual Puppy Bowl Promotes Adoption, Foster Awareness; One Civilian Injured In Missile Strike In Kharkiv Region; Russian Missile Strike Targets Kharkiv Region. Aired 11a-12p ET

Aired February 12, 2023 - 11:00   ET

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

COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[11:00:49]

FREDRICKA WHITFIELD, CNN ANCHOR: Hello, everyone. Thank you so much for joining me this Sunday. I'm Fredricka Whitfield. And we begin this hour with new details on the latest potential threat shut down in North American airspace. The third object taken down in just the last week by U.S. fighter jet.

This shutdown happening Saturday over Canada's central Yukon territory about 100 miles from the U.S. border. Senator Chuck Schumer confirming this morning that intelligence suggests it was another balloon. President Joe Biden and Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau both approving the shutdown. Trudeau giving an update a short time ago.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JUSTIN TRUDEAU, CANADIAN PRIME MINISTER: Yesterday afternoon, I also spoke with President Biden and confirmed together that we will continue to do everything necessary to protect the sovereignty of our heirs, of our shared North American airspace, but also to do everything necessary to keep our citizens safe.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WHITFIELD: U.S. fighter jets assigned to NORAD scrambled to take the object down. Canadian authorities now are conducting recovery operations. CNN's Jasmine Wright and Kylie Atwood are tracking all of the developments. Jasmine, to you first from the White House, what do we know about this third object and the effort to bring it down?

JASMINE WRIGHT, CNN WHITE HOUSE REPORTER: Yes, Fred. Well, the official answer is not much. Major questions still remain about the object's origins, whether it's state owned, private owned, and really what the purpose is. The White House and the Pentagon had been cautious about providing details other than the fact that it is an object really, or seen it as reported, in part because of the fact that pilots went up to survey the Friday objects, they came back with conflicting accounts.

So the White House and the Pentagon have been reticent to put out any information. Now, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer just a few minutes ago, he went further than what the Biden administration has gone in characterizing Saturday and Friday's object. I want you to take a listen. He said this -- and before he said that last night, he was briefed by National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan. Take a listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SEN. CHUCK SCHUMER (D), MINORITY LEADER: We have to look at each balloon individually --

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Were these balloons Friday and Saturday night?

SCHUMER: I believe they were. Yes. But much smaller than the -- than the one -- the first one.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WRIGHT: So some fresh details there from Schumer whether or not it was a slip up, we're not quite sure. But of course, we've asked the White House to respond to his comments. Now, what we do know outside of those small details that we just went over is exactly how this all happened yesterday.

On Friday night, the Pentagon said that's when NORAD first noticed that there was an object floating, it went from Alaska airspace to Canadian airspace, and then the two countries will be joined together to really form and monitor this over 24 hours. And then President Biden and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, they took that rare joint step in authorizing it to be shot down.

Ultimately, it was shot down by an American fighter jet, an F-22, over Canadian airspace about 100 miles from the border. So that means that Canada is going to take the lead in those recovery efforts, really to try to give some of those answers to these questions that we still had.

Now, in terms of details of how Canada really talks about it, they said that it was real cylinder in its shape and smaller than the Chinese spy balloon that President Biden authorized to be shut down just last week.

WHITFIELD: All right. Kylie, at the State Department there, what is the State Department's saying about this, you know, seemingly new prevalence of flying objects?

KYLIE ATWOOD, CNN NATIONAL SECURITY CORRESPONDENT: Well, I've got to say the focus for this administration has really been on the Department of Defense right now, the Pentagon. Because they are the folks who are leading the recovery efforts for this object that was taken down over Alaska on Friday. They're working with, of course, the Alaska National Guard, the FAA, the FBI, a bunch of different entities. It's really all hands on deck effort to figure out exactly what that object really was. And so the Pentagon here is really the lead along of course with the White House. And then you have the State Department, who is a critical entity when it comes to U.S. diplomatic discussions, but there haven't been a whole lot of those yet as far as our reporting shows because the U.S. wants to figure out what this was before they start talking to allies about the problem on their hands here, about exactly what they're dealing with.

[11:05:16]

Now, what we are hearing this morning are lots of questions being raised by members of Congress. Of course, we've heard from Senator Schumer this morning questioning why the United States didn't know about these balloons earlier. He said that something that Congress is going to be looking at, just the existence of the balloons generally.

We also heard from Congressman Turner, he's the top Republican on the House Intelligence Committee talking to Jake Tapper this morning, questioning the U.S. defense of our airspace. And if that is adequate, as it stands now, questioning if there is need to introduce new radars or missile -- integrated missile defense systems.

So those are the questions that members of Congress are raising. And those are the kinds of conversations they will be having with the Pentagon, the White House and the State Department over the course of the next few weeks, once they figure out exactly what these two objects were.

WHITFIELD: And Jasmine, I mean, it was only a week ago and there were people who were asking, criticizing the President, the White House about what took so long to take down the initial, you know, Chinese spy balloon over the U.S. before it traversed across the U.S. and then was finally taken down over the coast of South Carolina.

And I'm wondering, is there a response from the White House as to why this quicker action? Is it indirect response to the criticism or are there other circumstances that they had to weigh?

WRIGHT: Yes, Fred. Well, if you ask White House advisers, they will likely say no, it was not about politics and said, they say that the greatest motivator was the fact that Friday's object was hovering at about 40,000 feet altitude high really at the top of the range where commercial aircrafts can fly, and therefore presenting too great of a risk to allow it to stay up in the air. And so they shot it down pretty quickly.

The second reasoning, they say it's also because that Friday object was small, it was about -- they said it was about the size of a small car, and therefore, any debris falling not only because it was Alaska, more remote area, it didn't carry the same risk of debris falling and causing property damages and damages to people as that Chinese spy balloon that was far larger shot down just a week ago.

But of course, it does feel like there are some politics involved with just how quickly this White House responded to this second event, in comparison to the way that they responded to the first event. And already, as Kylie said, we've heard lawmakers say that they want more information from the White House, they want them to be more transparent. And I'm sure that you're going to continue to hear those asks, continue over the next few weeks.

WHITFIELD: All right, Jasmine Wright at the White House, Kylie Atwood at the State Department, we'll check back with you later. Thanks so much, ladies.

All right, for more now, let's turn to CNN Political and National Security Analyst David Sanger. Good to see you, David. So three times now in the past week, what do you think about the contrast of response time?

DAVID SANGER, CNN POLITICAL & NATIONAL SECURITY ANALYST: Well, good to see you, Fredricka. And the response time is a pretty remarkable difference. I think the two big questions that come up here that we've sort of got to sort out as we talked to government officials, the first question is, is there really more activity out there, or are we just seeing it? And that has to do with the question of the sensitivity of the systems that we use, radar, satellite systems to detect these incoming balloons, particularly the smaller ones.

And what I'm hearing from government officials is that after the large Chinese balloon incidents, actually, after they missed some in Hawaii and Florida last year, they had begun to take the filters off their systems so they would detect more.

And then the second question is having detected more, do we have a different standard for shooting them down? And it seems to me pretty clear we do at this point. I mean, I hear what government officials say, I understand why they wanted to track the Chinese large balloon last week and understand where it was transmitting to. And it didn't have a lot of transmission equipment on it.

For these new incidents, these two, what we really don't know and we're not certain there was any transmission going on, and we're not certain that they were even Chinese in origin. It's entirely possible that we've just taken out things that previously we would let fly by.

WHITFIELD: There was also an incident last night apparently over Montana that led to a brief shutdown of airspace over that state, NORAD and NORTHCOM saying there was an anomaly. Here was Senator Jon Tester on that issue this morning.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

[11:10:00]

SEN. JON TESTER (D), MONTANA: The investigation is still going on as we speak. The truth is is that there was an anomaly and they've investigated. I think it got dark last night so they couldn't fully check it out. I'm sure, well, as we speak, it's being checked out right now.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: So it hasn't been ruled out, there may still be something there?

TESTER: Absolutely, there may still be something out there. It may be a false alarm. What's gone on in the last, you know, two weeks or so, 10 days, has been nothing short of craziness. And the military needs to have a plan to not only determine what's out there, but determine the dangers that go with it.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WHITFIELD: So what are your thoughts on that? I mean, still an anomaly.

SANGER: That's right, might well be a false alarm, could be that by the time the, you know, sun comes up there, and they've had a chance to get up and take a look. It'll be too late, whatever it is, will be gone or maybe it didn't exist.

But I think what you heard Senator Tester saying was a version of what we were just discussing, which is that we've got to get to a system first where we under set the filter right. You know, that the equivalent, Fredricka, is sort of where you set the metal detector if you go through the airport?

You know, that sometimes it gets set off by anything, you know, a bracelet you're wearing, some coins you left in your pocket. And sometimes it's set in a way that it's a little more tolerant of that, but it's still supposed to pick up larger objects and weapons. And I think what we're seeing happen right now is that they're still trying to adjust the system to this new reality where we're more sensitive to what's coming across.

And then the second question is, what's dangerous or not? Is surveillance itself dangerous? That's a harder issue for government officials than it is for most citizens. Because let's face it, we do a lot of signals intelligence against our adversaries. In history, some of that has included, you know, sending stealth surveillance capabilities over other countries. Think of the YouTubed (ph) are back during the Cuban Missile Crisis.

And before, we've used balloons before. So you're going to hear a little pushback in the intelligence community about setting a standard against all surveillance. Now, what the Chinese made, the mistake they made was that they sent such an obvious, huge device over the continental United States, maybe they didn't intend for it to go all the way across --

WHITFIELD: Either it was a mistake, or it might have been intentional. I mean, because it's so obvious and so low, surely somebody was going to see it. They might have know that.

SANGER: That's right. Somebody was going to see it. And Fredricka, increasingly, the theory I'm hearing from some government officials as well, they wanted some incursion into the U.S. They didn't intend for it to go all the way across the country. So it's possible something went wrong. But the question is, can investigators pick up enough of the pieces -- WHITFIELD: Yes.

SANGER: -- of the South Carolina to figure that out?

WHITFIELD: All right, we'll leave it there for now. David Sanger, always a pleasure. Thank you so much.

SANGER: Thank you.

WHITFIELD: All right, still ahead, nearly 200 hours now after the devastating earthquake in Turkey and Syria. And there are miracles amid the rubble. Rescue workers continue to pull survivors from the destruction. We'll take you there next. And if you're looking for ways to help these victims, you can go to CNN.com/impact.

Plus, once homeless. Now a group of shelter dogs are in the spotlight in a very big way -- on a very big day, and in a very big game. Meet the dogs facing off in today's puppy bowl, straight ahead.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[11:17:41]

WHITFIELD: Welcome back, more than six days now after a devastating earthquake hitting Turkey and Syria. Rescue workers are still finding people alive in the rubble of collapsed buildings including this 10- year-old boy.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

(Speaking Foreign Language)

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WHITFIELD: Oh my gosh, with arms outstretched. There was also this man who was pulled from a collapsed building after 140 hours under the rubble. Amazing. But one U.N. official is now warning that they're approaching the end of the search and rescue window.

More than 33,000 people have died since the earthquake hit on Monday. Officials say more than 2,000 people sent to the hospital in Istanbul have now been released and more than 1,000 are still being treated.

CNN's Nada Bashir is in Turkey for us. So some of the international rescue teams have paused their work, explain why.

NADA BASHIR, CNN REPORTER: Well, that's right. We are learning that some rescue teams who traveled into Turkey to help with that rescue effort were forced to temporarily halt their operations including a team from Germany, a team from Austria and a team from Israel all citing security concerns. A team from Austria, we're being very clear that these were not security concerns directly targeting the team and that they have now actually resumed their operations.

The German team for their parts have been ordered to return to their base in Turkey for the time being until the situation is deemed safe enough. However, one team from Israel said that they had received credible and verifiable intelligence that they could face direct threats and were forced to travel back to Israel.

Now we have heard warnings from the government around concerns or clashes between different groups in parts of Southeastern Turkey. They've also been reports of looting and other criminal activity. The President here Recep Tayyip Erdogan saying that all those taking advantage of the situation would be held accountable.

Despite some teams being cautious around the security situation, there has been a huge outpouring of support. And there are still teams from across the globe working around the clock in parts of Southeastern Turkey to retrieve people from beneath the rubble hoping against hope that there are still survivors now nearly a week on since Monday's earthquake.

[11:20:15]

And we have seen those remarkable and miraculous recoveries today, young children, elderly, people across the board being rescued after spending nearly a week beneath the rubble. And we are still seeing that enormous aid effort being pushed through across Turkey, and indeed in northwestern Syria.

But of course, as you've said, the time is running out and hope that there are still survivors alive beneath the rubble is dwindling and fading faster as that death toll continues to rise. And in northwestern Syria, the White Helmets which have been central to this rescue effort, say they no longer believe that any survivors are left beneath the rubble. Fredricka?

WHITFIELD: All right, but these miracles keep emerging. It's remarkable. Nada Bashir, thank you so much.

A long-awaited U.N. convoy of aid trucks crossed into the earthquake devastated area of northwest Syria today. It comes as the Syrian government has now approved sending aid into the rebel held territories of that war torn country CNN's Jomana Karadsheh travelled to some of those hard-hit Syrian cities.

JOMANA KARADSHEH, CNN CORRESPONDENT: We've been to a number of towns here in Idlib province in Syria, and we have seen dozens of buildings that have been flattened by the earthquake. Today, we came across many people who are digging through the rubble, with their bare hands, with chiseling tools, with makeshift tools, with whatever they can find really to try and locate their loved ones.

People here don't have much. The majority of them are reliant on international aid. And these are people who have been displaced from their homes several times already over the past more than a decade of this conflict in Syria. Very, very little aid has so far arrived in this part of the country.

People are desperately waiting for the international community, they say, to remember Syria and the Syrians. We spoke to one woman today and her message to the international community was she only wants one thing, she wants a tent. That's it. Just a tent.

Jomana Karadsheh, CNN, Idlib province, Syria.

WHITFIELD: And for more information about how you can help victims of the earthquake in Turkey and Syria, go to CNN.com/impact.

All right, coming up, it's the quest for the Lombarky trophy. It's team Ruff versus team Fluff in today's puppy ball. The referee joins me next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[11:27:06]

WHITFIELD: All right, today's Super Bowl will feature head coaches playing against teams they used to coach, not only as Kansas City Coach Andy Reid, the all-time winningest coach for the Philadelphia Eagles, but Phillies head coach started his NFL coaching career in Kansas City and is relishing the chance to beat the team that let him go.

CNN's Andy Scholes is outside the stadium. It can be the ultimate revenge. We've been talking about the rivalry and, you know, who do you, you know, vouch for and cheer on in terms of quarterbacks, but now it's all about the coaches. What's going on?

ANDY SCHOLES, CNN SPORTS ANCHOR: Well, I'll tell you, Fredricka, you know, some people are calling this the Andy Reid bowl. He spent 14 seasons there in Philadelphia. You know, he took them to five NFC Championship games, a Super Bowl. Really the only thing Andy Reid didn't do in Philly was win the big game.

But, you know, when he left Philadelphia 10 years ago to come to KC, Eagles Head Coach Nick Sirianni, he was on the Chiefs staff as their receivers coach. But, you know, Coach Reid, he was bringing motes many of his own guys, so he had to let Sirianni go when he got to Kansas City.

But when he did so, he called Sirianni in for a meeting and he talked to him and Sirianni, he has said to this day, you know Coach Reid doing that really meant to a lot to him in what was a tough moment of his life. Take a listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

NICK SIRIANNI, PHILADELPHIA EAGLES HEAD COACH: But when he did that and really spent a little bit of time, and it wasn't long, but it was just -- it was enough, it was a little bit of time to, you know, kind of tell me what he's heard about me and good luck to me and just can't -- you know why he couldn't keep me.

I was down in that moment. He gave me strength when I was down, you know, tried to pick me up when I was down and I think that's -- that says a lot about his character and who he is.

(END VIDEO CLIP) SCHOLES: Yes, so certainly a cool dynamic between the two Super Bowl coaches later today. Sirianni's Eagles slight favorites, one-point favorites in today's game. And I've been going around Arizona all week long, including to Michael Rubin's fanatics party yesterday talking to celebrities getting their picks for Super Bowl LVII.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: With the Chiefs, AFC team and the team that beat us, so.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I'm going with the Eagles so far just because I lost this little bit of pity right now.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I like the Eagles.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We were excited for me, but we're more excited for the Eagles to win the Super Bowl all night.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: That's not the worry.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I'm always rooting for the Patriots, so --

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Where's my team? I'm here, but did I leave the team?

SCHOLES: Yes.

I know you're Philly guys. I don't know you're picking but just tell me, how do you think it's going to go on Sunday?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: There's going to be a total blowout. It's probably going to be like 31 to 12.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I can't go against Mahomes. I just think the experience is going to do it.

SCHOLES: What you got on Sunday?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Rihanna. I'm going to Rihanna all the way.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: For the sake of this being Jake Tapper's network, I'll choose the Eagles.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

[11:30:00] SCHOLES: So there you go. Rich Eisen (ph) is taken the Eagles for Jake Tapper there, Fredricka. But, I will say, about 90 percent of the people I talked to, picked the Eagles to win the game today. So, we will see. Is that a good side or bad side? I don't know. I'm not betting against Patrick Mahomes.

WHITFIELD: Neither - me either. And, - but, I'm going to do like Coy Wire. I'm going for the Chiegles (ph). I like that blend. But, it's going to be an exciting night, nonetheless, and you're amongst all the stars. Lots of fun. All right, Andy Scholes, appreciate it.

OK. So, before the Super Bowl kickoff, there is Puppy Bowl, Puppy Bowl XIX, and it's digging in.

(VIDEO PLAYING)

WHITFIELD: Oh yes. It's getting really big, 122 players, I mean, puppies, will be divided into Team Rough and Team Fluff in the quest for the coveted Lombarky trophy. And, while it's all adorable, fun and games, the real goal is to actually get every puppy adopted into forever homes, while promoting shelter and foster pet awareness.

And, joining me right now, the game's referee, the big dog, Dan Schachner. Dan, so good to see you. This is very exciting. It's a lot of fun. And, of course, this airs on our sister network. So, it's very special to us this year. So, you have been doing this for quite a while. But, is it me, or does this Puppy Bowl seem to have a bigger bark these days?

DAN SCHACHNER, REFEREE, PUPPY BOWL XIX: It definitely does. We keep expanding. Every year, we get a bigger roster. We - our airtime grows and our audience grows. This year, you mentioned, it is 122 adoptable players representing - that represents 67 different shelters and rescues across the country. That's over 34 states. It's our biggest roster ever. We even have the most amount of special needs dogs ever, which we're very happy to announce, 11 special needs dogs competing this year as well.

WHITFIELD: So, of the many shelters, what are the characteristics of the pooch that gets selected to be a player?

SCHACHNER: Well, the requirements are not too strict. You have to be between three and six months of age, completely untrained. This is not the Westminster Dog Show, OK? We're seeing puppies in all their realness. And, you have to be up for adoption. That's really, really it. Once you've satisfied those requirements, our goal is just to showcase as many different breeds, mixed breeds, shelters, sizes of dogs as possible, to encourage people to go to your local shelter and adopt.

WHITFIELD: And, what's the training like for these pitches, because just looking at the real there, they look like they're ready to showcase something.

SCHACHNER: Absolutely. Yes. You know the NFL has training camp. We have training camp. And, for some of these players, they train half their lives. We're talking three or four weeks for this one moment. So, it's a very big deal.

WHITFIELD: That's right, because they're only between three and six- months-old. So, half their lives have training. So, every pooch player since 2005 has been adopted. Tell us how this event has really helped? I mean, there is a serious side to all of it. It's helping to raise awareness of rescue dogs of adoption, all of this on a much bigger scale. How do you know it's making an impact? SCHACHNER: It is. And, Puppy Bowl, I know you're talking about the Eagles and Chiefs earlier, and really it's a game that no matter what side you're on in the human football game, everybody can get behind Puppy Bowl, right? Whether you're nine or 90, you can root for Team Rough and Team Fluff and get these guys adopted. The way we see an impact is that every single one of the shelters that we work with, even after Puppy Bowl is done airing, reports an uptick in adoption inquiries.

WHITFIELD: OK.

SCHACHNER: And, that's our goal is to keep that spirit that we're channeling today, to keep that alive throughout the year so that we can hopefully clear those shelters.

WHITFIELD: And, there is some real stories behind how these puppies got to be in their predicaments, right, I mean, many of them, as a result of natural disasters, families who had to, unfortunately, leave their pets behind or maybe they got separated. I mean, talk to me about some of the stories of how these pups found their way into a lot of these shelters.

SCHACHNER: Yes. One of the unique things about our version of football is that we give you profile packages on almost every one of our players as they're playing the game, their background, how they came from rescue to rehab, to the big game. And, that journey is really incredible to watch. In many cases, as you said, families have been displaced. They've been through some natural disasters. There have been some tragedy, unfortunately, that struck some of these families. Some of them, dogs, are just found as strays or surrendered. And so, we don't really - our goal is to show how quickly a dog's life can change, simply by a couple of humans reaching out and trying to make a difference, and then by putting them on TV,--

WHITFIELD: Yes.

SCHACHNER: --we're showing you why.

[11:35:00]

Not only can they be rescued, rehabilitated, but they can actually perform and dazzle you. And, that goes for every type of dog, including, as I said, the dogs with special needs. We have dogs in wheelchairs. We have dogs that were born with three legs, and not four. We have dogs that are hearing impaired. And, that's, again, to raise that awareness for those dogs that might languish in those shelters.

WHITFIELD: Oh, yes. Hey, the standout players. It's all about showmanship, right? And, this is the big dance for the puppies. Dan Schachner, thank you--

SCHACHNER: Absolutely.

WHITFIELD: --so much. Well, I'll be watching Puppy Bowl XIX. And then, we'll be watching-- SCHACHNER: Thank you.

WHITFIELD: --the Super Bowl 57. All right. Thanks so much. We'll be right back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WHITFIELD: Russian forces targeting Ukraine with a new barrage of strikes. Officials say the target was the Kharkiv region which took heavy fire. At least one civilian was injured and a business destroyed.

[11:40:00]

CNN's David McKenzie is joining us right now from Kyiv. So, David, a bit of good news for Kyiv? They have been able to keep the lights on this weekend throughout.

DAVID MCKENZIE, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, it's certainly very good news. And, the reason it's good news, it's not just they've been able to keep the lights out, but what kind of pressure and sustained attacks from the Russian forces, Fredricka, that they managed to stave off in order to keep the lights on. You had these waves of barrage of missiles and drone attacks from Friday into Saturday. And, despite that, and because of the success of the air defense systems here in Ukraine, the Minister of Energy saying that they are able to keep the lights on without any blackouts here in Kyiv, and in the region, and also parts - other parts of the country, which is a very significant achievement.

He said in part it's because of the quick repairs of the energy system and the grid, despite those attacks from the Russians that did hit several plants in the last few days. But, the real intense fighting of this conflict right now is in the eastern theater of this war, what one Ukrainian commander is calling the Donetsk access in Vologda in the east, a small town but very strategically significant. The Russians have been pummeling that town, and according to both Ukrainian and even Russian blogging sources, they have had significant casualties there. The UK Defense Intelligence saying that this is the worst casualties the Russians have seen in terms of this war except for the very start of this war.

One other bit of video I want to show you, Fredricka, this is the Uzhhorod team, the football team, from the very far west of the country. They call themselves the Lumberjacks. Now, it is Super Bowl Sunday, a bit of levity, they wanted to show off this video, I'm sure, to get people in the U.S. to see, thanking the U.S. for the continued support. Tragically, one of the team members lost their lives in fighting in October last year. But, they're getting into the football spirit for Super Bowl Sunday, and having a bit of fun on the front lines. Fredricka.

WHITFIELD: They deserve to have as much fun as they want and can, just to continue to sustain themselves, for sure. All right. David McKenzie, thank you so much, and thanks for bringing that little slice of levity to. All Right. Still ahead, it is finally that time of year where you can get those highly coveted Girl Scout cookies and support your local groups. But, you may want to consider one unique troop, Troop 6000, made up of girls living in New York City's shelter system, an original member joining me next.

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[11:45:00]

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WHITFIELD: All right. Welcome back. It's Girl Scout Cookie season, and as you dig into those Thin Mints Samoas or Tagalongs, consider the story behind every delicious bite. In New York, cookie sales are changing lives literally, benefiting the members of Troop 6000, which serves the thousands of homeless girls living in cities, the city's shelters.

Joining me right now, Meridith Maskara, CEO of the Girl Scouts of Greater New York, and Hailey Vicente, one of the founding members of Troop 6000. So good to see you both. And, look, I just happen to be wearing my Girl Scout Green, and I was a Girl Scout too. So, we are all like channeling each other. Yes.

Hailey, you first, because you're a mother, a single parent of five kids, pitched the idea of Troop 6000, and you are one of the founding members, tell me how it came to be, and what has happened since that kernel of an idea actually came to fruition, and now here you are?

HAILEY VICENTE, FOUNDING MEMBER, GIRL SCOUT TROOP 6000: Hi. Well, I'm Hailey, and my family and I lost our home back in 2016. It was something that was really unexpected, and something that we never really expected ourselves to be in. And, living in a shelter, there was this great sense of loneliness and isolation that we were experiencing. And, my sisters and I were gross gods before becoming homeless. So, my mother understood the impact that it had on our lives, and she wanted to bring that to the girls in the shelter.

So, in February 2017, she pitched the idea of bringing Girl Scouts to our hotel, and it was a hit, and a few girls joined then, it just kept expanding ever since. And, it's something that's a big part of our lives.

WHITFIELD: So, how do you suppose, I mean, if there is a way to describe how it has changed the lives of many of the girls at the shelters once you brought this Troop 6000 there?

VICENTE: Yes. I think there is a great sense of loneliness and a lack of support living in a shelter. There was really no community or relationship that we had going on. So, I think bringing this was something that we all needed. None of us had anyone to relate to or to go to support outside of our families. So, this troop, we quickly built these bonds because we all understood what we were going through, and because of that, we felt that support, and we quickly became sisters. WHITFIELD: Meridith, I mean, the mission of the Girl Scouts of New York to build girls of courage, confidence, and character, and that really is universal throughout Girl Scouts.

[11:50:00]

But, for girls living in the shelter system, Troop 6000, as Hailey was just describing, offers even more. I mean, you must be so impressed by the effort, the idea, the execution of it, and the results. Talk to me about what you're most proud of with this troop?

MERIDITH MASKARA, CEO, GIRL SCOUTS OF GREATER NEW YORK: Well, it was no easy feat. You get no's (ph) a lot. And, - but, we were very determined to make this happen, because, here in New York, our vision is to create a New York City in which every girl feels empowered to lead. And, when we say every, we mean everybody. And, to bring equitable leadership opportunities to every girl, no matter where they live, was our sense of duty, right? So, we went through many barriers to be able to break through and to do this program, but I am so proud of - we started and had to prove our point in one shelter with a handful of girls. And, over the past six years, we've served more than 2,000 women and girls across 24 shelters, working in partnership with the Department of Homeless Services, and we continue to grow.

Unfortunately, the need continues. But, as long as the need is there, we will be there too.

WHITFIELD: Oh my Gosh. I'm looking at this video. It just happens to bring back memories for me too. I was a brownie. I was a Girl Scout. I was a campfire girl, and, just seeing the joy in the faces of these young kids, all these young ladies, and how they're communicating with one another, engaging with one another. I mean, Hailey, I understand you all meet once a week. But, kind of describe for me what happens when you all get together when Troop 6000 meets?

VICENTE: Honestly, it just feels like you're hanging out with your friends. We all come together. We're so excited to see each other. It's something that we all look forward to doing once a week. We get together. And, there is a lot of things that we do. We do teamwork. So, we learn how to become better leaders, how to advocate for ourselves and for others. We learn what's going on in the world. We take trips. And, it's something that's really fun for us, not just educational.

WHITFIELD: So, Meredith, how can people help? I mean, I know they're going to be enamored and just so fascinated by Hailey and Troop 6000 and what you all are doing. And, when it comes down to people buying cookies, I mean, I remember as a Girl Scout and a brownie, we were either out - we have a table outside grocery stores, or we were knocking on doors and selling but people are going to want to buy cookies from you now, Hailey, your Troop 6000. How do people do it? If you're not in New York, how do you do it?

MASKARA: So, there are so many ways to help. Obviously, this program is completely funded by individuals and foundations in partnership with the Department of Homeless Services. So, all of the support means that we can continue to grow and serve more girls. You can go to girlscoutsnyc.org/troop6000 to learn how to volunteer, how to donate, and of course how to sign up for the anticipated March 1 opening of the New York City Girl Scout Cookie season.

WHITFIELD: Awesome. Fantastic. Hailey, any last words of advice or encouragement for young girls and young ladies everywhere?

VICENTE: Yes. I would definitely say that your living situation does not define who you are. It's not a little bump in the road, but to never put your head down and to keep going, and to buy cookies this season.

WHITFIELD: Beautiful .Thanks to both of you ladies, Hailey Vicente, Meridith Maskara, you are amazing. Thank you.

MASKARA: Thank you.

WHITFIELD: And, we'll be right back.

VICENTE: Thanks.

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[11:55:00]

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WHITFIELD: All right. Super Bowl Sunday is finally here. So, how does the weather look in Arizona, in time for kickoff? CNN Meteorologist Allison Chinchar joining us now. I love this sweater. So they have sunny skies and little puffy clouds hanging over Arizona today?

ALLISON CLINCHAR, CNN METEOROLOGIST: They do. They do. Interestingly enough, I wear this because my team is not playing in the Super Bowl, and I was trying to stay neutral with a color that neither team had.

WHITFIELD: Oh, OK.

CLINCHAR: I think you blue is safe. But, it also works out for the forecast, because, yes, it's actually going to be very nice in Arizona. It is going to be a close call though, because we do have a low pressure system sitting just off the coast of California. The good news is, it's not likely going to be fast enough to bring that rain into this region in time for the game today. So, likely, yes, we are going to see that roof remain open. Here is a look at Phoenix, not too bad in that area. Temperature is expected to be 70 degrees today. So, not only for the game but even ahead of time. These people are out and about milling around the area. Temperature is nice, lots of sunshine there.

Now, overnight tonight, that changes. We will finally start to see a lot of the rain, and yes, even snow for the higher elevations, begin to push in overnight tonight and then linger into the day on Monday. So, if you've got some travel plans home tomorrow, you may have a little bit of some issues there with the rain and snow. Now, here is one thing. If you're a Philadelphia Eagles fan celebrating at home, it's going to be a different story. We've got this system here along the East Coast and that's bringing both rain and snow to some of these areas, mostly rain from Philadelphia back down through Charlotte, North Carolina. In the southern Appalachians, there we're talking about the potential for ice and even some snow. Most of this system completely exits the area in the next 12 to 24 hours.

When we talk about snow, not much left in terms of accumulation, maybe an extra inch or two on top of what they received earlier this morning. Rain-wise, you're talking one to three inches there. The one thing to note however, Fred, is a lot of these areas have had rain recently. So, that's one to two inches on top of what they've already had in the last couple of days.

WHITFIELD: Oh yuck, soggy mass. All right. Thank you so much. Allison Chinchar--

CLINCHAR: Thanks.

WHITFIELD: --I appreciate that. And, thank you for joining me today. I'm Fredricka Whitfield in Atlanta. I'll see you back here two o'clock Eastern Time.

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