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CNN Reports on the Outrage Over Toxic Spill Response; Biden Publicly Addresses Unidentified Flying Objects; Earthquake Rescue and Recovery Efforts Continue in Syria and Turkey; Ukrainian Officials: Renewed Russian Offensive Underway; Union Strikes Ground Flights At Seven German Airports; Georgia Grand Jury Releases Part Of Report On 2020 Election. Aired 2-3a ET

Aired February 17, 2023 - 02:00   ET

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

[02:00:00]

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KIM BRUNHUBER, CNN ANCHOR: Welcome to all of you watching us here in the United States, Canada, and all around the world. I'm Kim Brunhuber. Ahead on "CNN Newsroom," scared, frustrated, and terrified for their safety. The head of U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is promising accountability for the toxic derailment in Palestine, Ohio. But many residents are skeptical.

Signs of life. Believe it or not, people are still being rescued from the quake zone in Turkey. We are live in Istanbul with the latest.

And defense and diplomacy. The war in Ukraine tops the agenda as world leaders, including U.S. vice president, gather in Munich almost one year since Russia invaded.

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

BRUNHUBER: We are getting a better sense of what happened in the moments leading up to the train derailment in East Palestine, Ohio that spilled toxic chemicals all over the community two weeks ago. We'll have a look here. Take a look at the top of your screen. Apparent overheated wheel bearing began sparking more than 40 minutes. Before the disaster, the train passed through another town. Investigators are looking into the matter.

Teams from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and Department of Human Health and Services are being deployed to evaluate the disaster. The head of the Environmental Protection Agency spoke with our Jason Carroll about the government's response. Listen to this.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MICHAEL REGAN, EPA ADMINISTRATOR: We will be here for as long as it takes to see this process through. I want to assure the people --

JASON CARROLL, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: I just want to say, when you say as long as it takes, I think the question is long term. So, we're going to be here a year from now, two years from now to come back, test the water, test the soil?

REGAN: I'm very clear when I say as long as it takes. We will go through this process with the citizens of East Palestine for as long as it takes. The federal government will be here for as long as it takes.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BRUNHUBER: The chair of the National Transportation Safety Board says the agency is working vigorously to understand what caused the train to derail. In the meantime, the NTSB chair is urging people to stop speculating and spreading misinformation about the crash. Residents are increasingly angry over the disaster and the response from officials in the rail company.

CNN's Brian Todd reports.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

BRIAN TODD, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Anxiety and frustration continue to mount in East Palestine, Ohio.

KRISTINA FERGUSON, EAST PALESTINE, OHIO RESIDENT: People are getting sick. We should not have been let back in the town until all of this was done.

TODD (voice-over): Officials are pumping oxygen into local waterways, hoping that will break down chemicals. They removed contaminated soil from the area near a train derailment that unleashed a torrent of toxic chemicals. But about two weeks since that accident and despite an assurance from the governor that the town's water is now safe to drink --

UNKNOWN (voice-over): Do you feel confident in that?

FERGUSON: Honestly, no, I don't.

TODD (voice-over): Some residents report symptoms like dizziness, headaches, rashes. They're also complaining about a lack of transparency. Resident Jamie Kosa (ph) tells CNN the only reason she knows her house isn't safe to live in is because she demanded that the soil and water be tested and Norfolk Southern Railroad sent a toxicologist.

UNKNOWN: And it's only because I run my mouth that I got this testing done.

TODD (voice-over): EPA administrator Michael Regan was on the ground there in Thursday, assuring residents they will get all the resources they need for the cleanup and --

REGAN: We are absolutely going to hold Norfolk Southern accountable, and I can promise you that.

TODD (voice-over): But the bailout is being accused by some residents of ducking accountability after railroad officials bailed on attending a town hall meeting Wednesday night, citing -- quote -- "the growing physical threat to our employees," a meeting where residents vented more of their anger.

MAYOR TRENT CONAWAY, EAST PALESTINE, OHIO: They screwed up our town, they are going to fix it. If they don't, I'll be the first one calling you back to do this all over again.

UNKNOWN: Why are people getting sick if there's nothing in the air or the water?

UNKNOWN: Everybody that came here expects a hell lot more than what we are getting right now.

TODD (voice-over): Investigators say they haven't found significant traces of the dangerous chemical that escaped from the train. Vinyl chloride in the local waterways. But health monitors warn (ph).

WENONAH HAUTER, FOOD AND WATER WATCH: Vinyl chloride causes cancer.

[02:04:57]

If the soil is used in gardens, children play in it, it could be very dangerous. And the chemical will leach into groundwater.

TODD (on camera): Compounding all the anxiety and uncertainty the community is dealing with are worries about practical living arrangements. East Palestine resident Jamie Kosa (ph) told CNN some residents feel they're forced to go back to the town because they don't have the money to move elsewhere.

Brian Todd, CNN, Washington.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BRUNHUBER: For more on this, I want to bring in Jennifer Sass, who is a senior scientist with the National Resources Defense Council, and she

joins us from Rockville, Maryland. Thanks so much for being here with us.

So, we heard complaints about a lack of transparency. I mean, there still seems to be a lot we still don't know in terms of what and how much was spilled.

JENNIFER SASS, SENIOR SCIENTIST, NATURAL RESOURCES DEFENSE COUNCIL: There has been a real, a slow leak of information. There -- it has creating a mistrust between the community and authorities. But not only that. Also, there are health care workers and hospitals, first responders like firefighters and others that need accurate and timely and complete information, as well as communities that are impacted by this. They deserve that.

BRUNHUBER: So, what are the biggest concerns right now in terms of the health of residents and responders?

SASS: Well, for sure, people are going to be worried about acute effects. Community members, cleanup workers, first responders, we've already heard that people are having lung and throat and breathing irritation, skin issues. Those are all real concerns not only for potential air contamination but water as well.

People should be cautious not just about drinking their water, but also about washing and cooking with it. Anything that would heat up the water such as a hot shower will volatilize those chemicals. Once volatilized, those chemicals will be breathed in, and then from the lungs into the blood supply and throughout the body. So, people need to be concerned about that water in any of its uses.

BRUNHUBER: I mean, some people are hoping that this may be diluted either in the air on in the water. But how dangerous are these chemicals even at low levels?

SASS: Well, obviously, lower levels aren't going to be as dangerous as a higher exposure. That is for sure. Nonetheless, these chemicals are dangerous at whatever exposure level they have wherever they are because they are hazardous chemicals. They are just simply not safe chemicals. They are hazardous chemicals. So, they are dangerous. Carcinogen, for example, is always a carcinogen even at low levels.

The other thing is there is vulnerable populations. For example, pregnant women and children, elders, people with other diseases, people with other exposures that they might have from other sources in the community, all of those cumulatively will pose a risk and the addition of this disastrous exposure scenario adds to those burdens.

BRUNHUBER: We heard in the piece, the expert (ph) raising the threat to the groundwater. How persistent is this threat? How long could it last and how long could it take to clean all of this up?

SASS: That is a great point. I thought it was really well- articulated. The problem is that these chemicals are going to move. And in one sense, authorities are treating that as part of the solution, by saying there's going to be dilution. But it also means that they would get into the water tables (ph), into groundwater and surface water, and also people's wells. That could happen days, weeks or months out depending on how fast and what direction and what distances these chemicals are moving.

So, there needs to be ongoing monitoring. People need to have continued information about the exposures and the health effects also. We need to have ongoing monitoring of health effects as well. And all of that information needs to be shared in a transparent and timely manner with communities, first responders, government officials, Department of Health, Department of Environment, and health care workers.

BRUNHUBER: We heard the NTSB is investigating to find out what happened here exactly. What should be done, do you think, to prevent this type of thing from happening again given that we don't know exactly what caused it. But there are -- are there things that could still be done in terms of containment and so on that might help prevent this?

SASS: Yeah. It is great that they're doing an investigation. The investigation needs to be independent. It needs to be independent of the company and there needs to be direct reporting out to communities, workers, unions, government officials and others.

[02:10:01]

There needs to be lines of communication and response plans set up. Right now, there isn't. And there also -- I think the rail company needs to be held accountable. They need to be part of the discussion. They should not be leading or holding the investigation. They have a history. They have a long history of train car accidents, explosions, contaminations.

There was a chlorine gasoline at the same rail company responsible for -- that sent over 500 people to the hospital and killed people as well as a worker on the train. So, there really does need to be some accountability on this company.

BRUNHUBER: Really important issue. We will stay on top of the story. Appreciate your insights on this. Jennifer Sass with the National Resources Defense Council, thanks so much for being here with us.

SASS: Thank you.

BRUNHUBER: U.S. President Joe Biden is getting a clean bill of health from his physician. The commander-in-chief had a routine physical on Thursday at Walter Reed Medical Center. He had a small lesion removed from his chest for biopsy. A neurological exam found no evidence of a stroke, multiple sclerosis or Parkinson's disease. The White House didn't say whether Biden took any cognitive test.

Dr. Kevin O'Connor says -- quote -- "President Biden remains a healthy, vigorous, 80-year-old male, who is fit to successfully execute the duties of the presidency."

President Biden is finally speaking publicly about the unidentified objects shot out of the sky by the military. He says nothing suggests these objects are related to China's spy balloon program or that they were surveillance objects from any other country. But we should note the U.S. hasn't been able to recover any other debris from these three objects because of remote locations and severe weather.

CNN's Phil Mattingly reports from the White House.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

PHIL MATTINGLY, CNN CHIEF WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: For nearly a week, President Biden has said nothing about what was an unprecedented three days -- three U.S. fighters shooting down three separate unidentified objects. It raised a lot of concerns. Certainly, raised a lot of alarm.

Lawmakers on both sides of the aisles had called on President Biden to explain what exactly was happening, what his administration was doing about these objects that seemed to have no explanation, no clear origin, no real sense of what they were supposed to be.

That changed on Thursday. President Biden speaking for the first time on the issue, detailing how those three unidentified objects were very different from the Chinese spy balloon that has been shot down prior, are likely not some new phenomena but something that had been happening over time and just was picked up by U.S. radars, that it had been expanded in their aperture since that Chinese balloon, and also, that there are significant number of steps that U.S. officials are now taking to try and address these objects going forward, including this --

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JOE BIDEN, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA: Make no mistake. If any object presents a threat to the safety, security of the American people, I will take it down. I'll be sharing with Congress these classified policy parameters when they're completed, and they remain classified so we don't give a roadmap to our enemies to try to evade our defenses.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

MATTINGLY: There are the classified parameters in terms of when U.S. fighters will be called to shoot down objects. There are also series of steps. The National Security advisor, Jake Sullivan, is leading a team on to better understand how to grapple with these issues going forward.

Public, private, state-owned, this is clearly something that officials are in the midst of trying to get their heads around at this moment. They're also trying to have a better understanding of what the relationship is with China going forward. This is the most important geopolitical relationship, no question about that, the critical bilateral relationship for President Biden.

He says he is going to speak with President Xi Jinping soon. When exactly that is, advisors say they don't have a date yet. Communications have certainly been stunted. There certainly been a lot of back and forth.

But Biden has attempted to walk a pretty careful line on this, making clear that the U.S. will act if it feels like its sovereignty is impeded, but trying not to send a tense relationship already into an even worse spot and making clear that the most important thing for U.S. officials at this point is maintaining lines of communication.

Phil Mattingly, CNN, the White House.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BRUNHUBER: Police say two handguns found on the Michigan State University shooter were purchased legally, but weren't registered. The Chinese consulate in Chicago confirms two of the five wounded students are from China. Their families are being offered an assistance to come to the U.S.

Meanwhile, CNN's Miguel Marquez has spoken with the professor of the class where the gunman first opened fire, killing two students.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MARCO DIAZ-MUNOZ, PROFESSOR, MICHIGAN STATE UNIVERSITY: And it was so horrible because, you know, when you see someone who's totally masked, you don't see their face, you don't see their hands, you don't see -- it was like seeing a robot. It was like seeing something not human standing there.

[02:15:02]

All I could see was this silvery kind of a steel shiny weapon. I don't think it was a pistol. I think it was something larger than that. And then I could hear the shots and they're just as loud as the ones in the hallway. And it was just a nightmare.

I think everybody under adrenaline did whatever they could. I don't know how long he stood there. Probably -- I mean, he shot at least 15 shots. One after the other, one after the other, one after the other.

MIGUEL MARQUEZ, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (on camera): Bang, bang, bang.

DIAZ-MUNOZ: Bang, bang, bag. He stepped out. And at that moment, because I don't recall what I did between his starting to shoot and what I'm going to tell you just now, I just -- my intuition told me he's walking down the hall and he is going to enter through the door I'm closest to.

So, I threw myself at that door and I squatted. And I held the door like this so that my weight would keep it from. And I was putting my foot on the wall and holding like this so that he couldn't open it. All the time aware that he could just shoot the door handle and open it. But the only thing I thought I could do was that. At least, I attempt to stop it.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BRUNHUBER: Arielle Anderson and Alexandria Verner were killed in that classroom. Brian Frazer was shot and killed a few minutes later at the Student Union.

In Shreveport, Louisiana, a police officer was arrested Thursday and made his first court appearance. He is facing charges of negligent homicide for the shooting death of 43-year-old Alonzo Bagley, an unarmed Black man. Bagley was killed two weeks after police went to his apartment complex on a domestic disturbance call.

Body camera footage shows Bagley running and after a brief chase, Officer Alexander Tyler fatally shoots him. A state police investigator said the video shows Bagley's hands were up in the split second after the shot was fired. Tyler's next court date is April 3rd.

Five former Memphis, Tennessee police officers are set to be arraigned in the coming hours for their involvement in the death of Tyre Nichols last month. They're each facing seven charges, including second-degree murder and aggravated assault. Nichols, a 29-year-old Black man, was repeatedly punched and kicked during a traffic stop on January 7th. He died three days later.

Tremendous damage appeals for aid and so much death, and yet glimmers of hope are still emerging from the earthquake wreckage in Turkey. We are live in Istanbul. Please do stay with us.

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[02:20:00]

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BRUNHUBER: Eleven days after the catastrophic earthquake in Turkey and Syria, the death toll has climbed to nearly 44,000. While the window for survival was thought to have closed earlier this week, a handful of people are still being found alive.

Have a look here. This is one of two men rescued in Turkey's (INAUDIBLE) province more than 260 hours after the quake. And a 12- year-old boy was also saved about an hour later. For many in the quake zone, the toughest part of the tragedy is not knowing the fate of loved ones.

CNN's Jomana Karadsheh spoke to several survivors in Turkey still trying to locate their relatives.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JOMANA KARADSHEH, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Turkey no more, they say. This once bustling historic city now in ruins. It is here where hope meets despair and every corner seems so painful of lost so hard to comprehend. She has waited days for news of her husband, but the wait never prepares you for this. Nothing could have prepared the people of Antakya for this grimness of days. Misery here so palpable in the air.

AYLIN AKYURT, SEARCHING FOR FAMILY MEMBER: You lose track of time, so I don't know which day it is. But at this point, I don't think there is anyone left alive.

KARADSHEH (voice-over): Aylin and her family have been searching for her aunt. Other bodies have come out of the building, but not hers.

AKYURT: You go through all stages of, you know, grief. You're angry, you're desperate, you're sad, you accept, then you get mad again. At this point, we have come to accept that she has passed away, but we just want to put her to a final resting place because of how it has been going. Leaving her here is unimaginable.

KARADSHEH (voice-over): Around the corner, the rare good news these days. After more than 220 hours under the rubble, a woman and two children were rescued alive.

(On camera): Several bodies have also been recovered from the building. There are others still trapped inside. They don't know if they are alive or dead.

(Voice-over): They pray they find them alive. Mohammed Byron (ph) just buried his daughter and her husband. His 12 and 14-year-old grandchildren are still inside.

God, I beg you, he says. Just like they got that woman and two children out alive, we're hoping for the same.

It has been the most agonizing of waits for his and other families here. May the Lord not put anyone through this, this woman says. Muhammad (ph) has not eaten in 11 days. He says all he can do is hope, pray, and wait.

We were not able to get these big machines for a few days, he says. They had to go through other buildings here first. Maybe if they had, they would have come out alive.

Another call for quiet during our interview, one of many in the past few days. Rescuers hear something. Cheers break out. They believe they have located two people alive. A tense wait, now into the evening, the crushing sound of silence. It's hardest for those who wonder if they mourn or wait. It is here where hope fades as fast as it grows.

Jomana Karadsheh, CNN, Antakya, Turkey.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BRUNHUBER: And CNN's Nada Bashir is tracking recovery efforts live from Istanbul. And Nada, those survivors and the millions affected by this will need help on a massive scale.

NADA BASHIR, CNN REPORTER: Yeah, absolutely, Kim. And as we saw there in Jomana's reporting, the humanitarian situation on the ground is hugely difficult. And, of course, while there are still so many people waiting for news of their loved ones, there are also thousands now grappling with a new reality.

[02:25:05]

Their homes are completely destroyed. Everything they knew in Southeast Turkey has gone. We have already seen families being evacuated to other cities, including here in Istanbul, and they are desperately in need of help.

We have seen a groundswell of support here in Istanbul, a huge amount of donations coming in, a coordination effort to get that aid to Southeast Turkey. We see mobile clinics being set up on ferries that are shipped then to Southeast Turkey. But, of course, there is a real focus on the funding that is going in to that support and that humanitarian assistance.

Just yesterday, U.N. Secretary General Antonio Guterres called for a flash appeal of $1 billion. He's calling for that support. That comes after flash appeal for Syria, around $400 million. So, a huge amount of funding is needed to support those when it comes to the humanitarian assistance, and it was clear in Guterres's speech. He acknowledged that Turkey is home to one of the world's largest populations of refugees. He said now is the time for the world to stand behind Turkey. This is going to take years of recovery, of course, not only in terms of the infrastructure but, as you can imagine, the emotional trauma that these people have gone through.

We have been meeting with families evacuated to Istanbul and they are struggling, you know, the emotional trauma they have been through. Some say they are still afraid that an earthquake could hit Istanbul. Of course, there is a huge challenge ahead for President Erdogan when it comes to that infrastructural challenge as well. Kim?

BRUNHUBER: Yeah, what a massive challenge ahead. Nada Bashir, thanks so much for that. Ahead, captured Ukrainian troops are now back in Ukraine after a prison swap. We will have those details just ahead. Plus, a live report from London on the Munich Security Conference that is soon to get underway. Please stay with us.

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[02:30:00]

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

We've seen a sharp uptick in Russian attacks in Ukraine recently and Ukrainian officials believe the Russian offensive they predicted last December is now underway.

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BRUNHUBER: The epicenter of the most intense fighting is said to be in and around the city of Bakhmut in eastern Ukraine. At least five civilians were reported killed there on Thursday by Russian shelling. About Russian forces, appear to be making little to no headway and according to Ukrainian troops, the Russians are taking heavy casualties with each assault. And Ukraine is due to receive a lot more advanced weapons and ammunition in the coming weeks and months. Ukraine's president tells the BBC his country will continue fighting until all of its territory is recovered. Listen to this.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

VOLODYMYR ZELENSKYY, UKRAINIAN PRESIDENT: (Speaking in a foreign language)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Any territorial compromises, he told me, are only going to weaken our country. So, it's not about compromise. We make millions of compromises every day. But the question is with Putin, no. Because we don't trust Putin.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BRUNHUBER: Ukraine announced on Thursday that one hundred Ukrainian POWs and one civilian have been repatriated in a prisoner swap with you -- with Russia. Among them are said to be more than 60 Ukrainian soldiers who have defended the Azovstal steel factory in Mariupol. The ongoing war in Ukraine will be front and center when the Munich Security Conference convenes in the coming hours. CNN's Clare Sebastian joins us from London. So, Clare, take us through what we're expecting.

CLARE SEBASTIAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes. Kim. Conspicuously not invited to this year's Munich Security Conference are Russian government officials, most notably, of course, the Prime Minister, Sergey Lavrov, who has been a regular fixture at the conference for a number of years. This is according to the conference's chairman because they simply don't want to give him a platform for what they call his propaganda, a very deliberate move from them. But we are, by contrast, we're going to see what the organizers are calling a record- sized congressional delegation coming from the U.S.

We saw vice president Kamala Harris touchdown in Munich on Thursday. They have made it very clear that this is an opportunity to reaffirm not only the transatlantic alliance that has coalesced around Ukraine over the last year but in particular, the U.S. leadership of that alliance. We know that the U.S. is by far the biggest donor when it comes to military aid in absolute terms and has really been critical for example. Germany would only agree to sending its leopard tanks when the U.S. also agreed to send its tanks. So, we're going to see an ongoing debate over weapons.

I think this comes obviously at a crucial time where Russia is stepping up attacks in Ukraine. And Zelenskyy really setting out the store there by saying that he is not willing to compromise on territory that presumably includes Crimea, which we know is a red line for Russia. So, a really critical event, and one that I think will also underscore longer term, the major shift that this war has caused for European security, Kim.

BRUNHUBER: All right, we'll be covering this throughout the day. Clare Sebastian in London, thanks so much.

A voluntary recall has been issued for hundreds of thousands of Tesla cars. Just ahead, the issue that could pose a danger on the roads. We'll bring it back coming up. Please stay with us.

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[02:38:32]

BRUNHUBER: Well, we're following a developing story out of Germany where union strikes have grounded planes at seven airports. The country's prime carrier Lufthansa has ceased all flight operations in Frankfurt and Munich. Germany's airport Association, ADV, says close to 300,000 passengers are impacted in total. All airports affected include Bremen, Hamburg, Hannover, and Stuttgart. Authorities are telling people scheduled to fly in the coming hours not to go to the airports.

Across France on Thursday, have a look at this.

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BRUNHUBER: More than 400,000 people marched in the fifth round of strikes and protests against the French government's plan to raise the retirement age from 62 to 64. It's notable this was the lowest number of protesters and the least disruptive to the public transportation system since demonstrations started a month ago. French Union's vowed to bring France to a complete standstill with the wider strike on March 7.

Tesla is recalling more than 360,000 vehicles because of issues with the self-driving feature. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration says the full self-driving system may not respond properly to traffic in intersections and certain traffic signals. It's also believed the current software doesn't allow drivers to take control fast enough in an emergency. Tesla CEO Elon Musk tweeted that the word recall was wrong and the problem can be fixed with a software update.

[02:40:05]

A leak into Russian spacecraft will delay the return to Earth for astronauts on the International Space Station. The first cargo ship docked at the space station was already supposed to act as a replacement vehicle while in December it was found to be leaking coolant, then a leak was detected on the spacecraft meant to replace the first one. Russian engineers anticipate a new rescue vehicle will be ready to launch in March. Until then, the crew on the space station will continue with normal activities.

Well, I'm Kim Brunhuber. For viewers here in North America, we'll have more CNN NEWSROOM right after a short break. For our international viewers, "WORLD SPORTS" is just ahead.

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[02:45:39]

BRUNHUBER: A court in Atlanta has released part of its grand jury report about former President Trump's efforts to overturn the 2020 election in Georgia. Now, much of the reports that could recommend criminal charges are still under wraps but as Sara Murray reports, the jurors believe some of the witnesses have been less than honest.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

SARA MURRAY, CNN POLITICAL CORRESPONDENT (voiceover): Some witnesses may have lied to a special grand jury in Georgia, the panel says, recommending the district attorney consider indictments.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: This is basically the grand jury say go get him, madam District Attorney.

MURRAY: The special grand jury which spent months digging into efforts by former President Donald Trump and his allies to overturn the 2020 election in the Peach State concluding perjury may have been committed by one or more witnesses testifying before it. The grand jury recommends that the district attorney seek appropriate indictments for such crimes where the evidence is compelling. This after the special grand jury heard from 75 witnesses including high profile names like Georgia Governor Brian Kemp, former Trump attorney Rudy Giuliani --

RUDY GIULIANI, TRUMP'S FORMER ATTORNEY: They asked the questions, and we'll see.

MURRAY: -- and South Carolina Senator Lindsey Graham, who's standing by his testimony.

MANU RAJU, CNN CHIEF CONGRESSIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Are you confident in your testimony?

SEN. LINDSEY GRAHAM (R-SC): Yes.

MURRAY: The grand jury also heard from technical experts, poll workers, and investigators concluding we find by a unanimous vote that no widespread fraud took place in the Georgia 2020 presidential election that could result in overturning that election, adding that they heard from witnesses still claiming that such fraud took place. Because Georgia special grand juries don't issue indictments, their final report is a vehicle to recommend whether anyone should face criminal charges. The judge overseeing the grand jury ordered sections of the report released Thursday but held back the panel's conclusions on criminal charges after Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis argued against the report's release.

FANI WILLIS, FULTON COUNTY DISTRICT ATTORNEY: We think for all future defendants to be treated fairly is not appropriate at this time to have this report released.

MURRAY: Saying last month, she would soon make decisions on whether to seek indictments from a regular grand jury.

WILLIS: The decisions are imminent.

MURRAY: The Georgia probe got underway soon after Trump phoned Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger in January 2021, pressing him to find the votes for Trump to win Georgia.

DONALD TRUMP, FORMER PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES (voiceover): I just want to find 11,780 votes which is one more that we have because we won the state.

MURRAY: Since the call, the investigation expanded to include the fake electoral scheme, false election fraud claims before state lawmakers, and efforts by unauthorized individuals to access voting machines in one Georgia county.

MURRAY (on camera): Now, Trump's team is arguing that because he wasn't named in any of these sections of the report released, that he must have done nothing wrong, this must be a total exoneration. Obviously, we don't know that yet. The judge made the call not to allow any names to be named in this early release of these sections of the report. And ultimately, it's going to be up to Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis to decide if she's going to go before a regular grand jury and seek indictments either for former President Donald Trump or for any of his allies.

Sara Murray, CNN, Washington.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BRUNHUBER: And for more analysis on this, I want to bring in attorney and Legal Affairs commentator Areva Martin. She's speaking with us from launch -- Los Angeles. So, good to see you again. Thanks so much for being here with us.

So, first of all, I want to start with the conclusion that there was no widespread voter fraud here in Georgia. I mean, not a surprise. We knew that already. But how important is that conclusion in the context of this case?

AREVA MARTIN, ATTORNEY & LEGAL AFFAIRS COMMENTATOR: I think it's very significant that these -- this special grand jury reached that conclusion because that is exactly what the courts, the mini courts where lawsuits were filed by Trump's former lawyer Rudy Giuliani and Sidney Powell, that was the same conclusion reached by those courts. And I think that's a damning conclusion for Donald Trump and others because that gives credence to any potential indictment that we may see coming from this district attorney. There is no doubt that there was no widespread voter fraud, so the claim that Donald Trump and his team continue to make with respect to voter fraud is unequivocally false. And now it has been said yet again by this grand jury.

BRUNHUBER: All right. So, to those potential indictments, I guess more than 70 people testified, hard to know who might be charged with perjury specifically, but what do you make of those comments?

MARTIN: Very, very shocking comments, Kim, because not only does this district attorney now have to deal with the voter fraud issues, which is what was the subject matter of this grand jury, but now, potential investigations into perjury charges.

[02:50:00]

As you said, we don't know how many individuals have been implicated with respect to basically lying to this grand jury. But this grand jury was pretty clear that they believe that witnesses did come before them, witnesses told lies, and they believe that crimes were committed, and those crimes should be investigated and potential indictments should be issued with respect to those individuals that told those lies.

BRUNHUBER: Now, a lot of this we didn't get to see but does anything in what you did get to see whether it's the substance or the wording, does any of that give any indication that Donald Trump himself might be indicted?

MARTIN: Well, it's hard to know. As you said, we didn't see any names. That part of the grand jury's report was not released. But we did hear Fani Willis in court several weeks ago use the term defendants and say that it was inappropriate to release the entire report because it might prejudice defendants. And she said indictments were imminent. So, we've heard this language, we've seen actions by this district attorney all to suggest that there will be indictments.

And of course, Donald Trump, we know is the subject matter of the -- of this investigation, and this is one of the people who are the subject matter of the investigation. So, I would not be surprised if he's not one of the people. Again, go back to that phone call where he's talking to those Georgia election officials and he's pressuring them to find those 11,870 votes. It would be hard to imagine that others are indicted and not Donald Trump.

BRUNHUBER: Now, we don't have charges yet, but even charges obviously don't mean someone will be convicted, so this is such a complicated case. How hard do you think it'll be to make that case?

MARTIN: Well, one of the things we know has to be established in this case, as in any criminal case, is the issue of mens rea. Did the individual involve in the activity willingly engaged in the activity? Did they know that they were engaging in false -- engaging in election fraud, in this case, knowing that they had lost the election and that there was no voter fraud?

And I think there's sufficient evidence that has been established in this case that Donald Trump knew at the time that he was pressuring these Georgia election officials that there was no voter fraud, that he had lost the election, that Joe Biden was the legitimate president of the United States. So, I don't think there's going to be any issue about his mens rea about what he knew at the time that he was engaged in the conduct that may be the subject of an indictment. So, always difficult cases always difficult to prosecute someone as high profile as Donald Trump. We've not seen a former president of the United States indicted for criminal charges that have to go before a jury. But this may be a first, which is why what's happening in Georgia also what's happening at the Department of Justice, what's happening in New York, all are unprecedented actions against a former president.

BRUNHUBER: Yes, could have so many repercussions. We'll be following this along with you. We'll have you on to discuss it as the -- as the developments warrant. Areva Martin, thank you so much for being here with us. Really appreciate it.

MARTIN: Thank you.

BRUNHUBER: U.S. Senator John Fetterman is being treated for clinical depression. The Pennsylvania Democrat checked himself into a Washington area hospital Thursday. Fetterman's Chief of Staff says the attending physician of the U.S. Congress recommended in-patient care after an evaluation. Fetterman said he's experienced depression off and on for years, but it recently became worse. He suffered a stroke in May of last year but was elected to the Senate in November. The family of Bruce Willis says he's suffering from Frontotemporal dementia or FTD. His family announced the news in a statement Thursday. The Mayo Clinic says FTD is an umbrella term for brain disorders in the areas associated with personality, behavior, and language. Currently, there is no cure and no treatment that slows the progression of this disease. Last spring, Willis's family said he would take a break from acting because of aphasia that affected his cognitive abilities. The family hopes immediate attention from this announcement will lead to more awareness and research into FTD.

More than 20 million people are under winter weather alerts from Chicago through much of Michigan and across New England. And those alerts along the northern end of the storm that brought dozens of reports of tornadoes, wind, and hail to the south. Three tornadoes were reported in Mississippi where at least one mobile home was flipped over and two others were damaged. There have been more than 60 storm reports in the past two days in the southeastern U.S. Dozens of wind and hail reports across the region.

Well, nothing brings people together quite like donuts. Have a look at this. Poland's celebration of Fat Thursday encourages everyone to treat themselves to one last rich sugary pastry before the start of Lent. Once a medieval indulgence, this tradition has bloomed into a day dedicated to donuts, or paczki as locals refer to it. Eating one is even believed to bring good fortune.

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Now, someone with a sweet tooth should expect to wait for this delicacy because lines are wrapping around street corners, as you can see there. Bakers say the long wait is due to the careful shaping, frying, and icing of each individual donut by hand. Now I'm hungry.

I'm Kim Brunhuber. I'll be back in just a moment with more CNN NEWSROOM. Please do stay with us.

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