Return to Transcripts main page

CNN Newsroom

California Man Facing Hate Crime Charges In Connection With Shooting Of Two Jewish Men In Los Angeles; Vice President Kamala Harris Accuses Russian Military Of Crimes Against Humanity Committed In Invasion Of Ukraine; Biden Administration Deploys Federal Medical Experts To East Palestine, Ohio, After Train Derailment Causes Toxic Chemical Spill; Defense Begins Presenting Its Case In Double Murder Trial Of Alex Murdaugh; Officials Say U.S. Convinced China Will Soon Increase Support For Russian Invasion Of Ukraine. Aired 2-3p ET

Aired February 18, 2023 - 14:00   ET

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

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[14:00:49]

PAULA REID, CNN HOST: Hello. Thanks for joining me. I'm Paula Reid in for Fredricka Whitfield.

We begin this hour with yet another hate crime targeting the Jewish community as our nation faces an alarming rise in antisemitic attacks. Today a California man is facing up to life in prison after he allegedly targeted and shot two Jewish men in separate incidents earlier this week. According to prosecutors, the first shooting happened Wednesday morning as the victim walked to his car after leaving religious services at a synagogue in Los Angeles.

The second incident happened the next morning just three blocks away. Video shows the victim just moments after he was shot in the arm. Police say both men were taken to local hospitals in stable condition.

Let's bring in CNN's Camila Bernal live in Los Angeles. Camila, what are authorities saying about the shootings?

CAMILA BERNAL, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, Paula, they're saying that they were targeted, specifically Jewish men who were shot here in both cases. You mentioned two different shootings, but very, very similar, both happening as these men were walking back from their synagogue on Wednesday and then on Thursday. After the shootings, of course, police started searching for the person responsible.

A 28-year-old man was arrested about an hour away from this neighborhood, and then police started looking into his background and also saying that there's history of antisemitism and that type of behavior. He was messaging and texting his classmates with hateful messages. We also know that he told authorities that he was looking at this area because there were kosher markets here. He also told police that he targeted his victims because of what he described as head gear. So, again, just things that were easily identifiable in terms of his victims.

The U.S. attorney looking into this case vowing justice. Here he is.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MARTIN ESTRADA, U.S. ATTORNEY, CENTRAL DISTRICT OF CALIFORNIA: This type of criminal conduct is completely unacceptable. Hate crimes have no place in our community. Antisemitism has no place in our community. Those who engage in these types of hate crimes will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BERNAL: And when you look at the big picture, it is the fear in this community, many who say they're scared to let their children out because of what happened Despite the arrest, many, many are in fear. We've seen extended security guards out here. We've seen police officers walking back and forth. And so the community trying to feel safe despite what happened, but a lot of them telling me, look, I just don't feel safe because it could happen again, Paula.

REID: Camille Bernal, thank you.

And I want to bring in Los Angeles City Councilwoman Katy Yaroslavsky. She represents District 5, the area where the shootings happened. First, tell us how is your community doing right now?

KATY YOUNG YAROSLAVSKY, COUNCILWOMAN, DISTRICT 5, CALIFORNIA: Good afternoon, Paula. Thanks for having me. So the community is relieved that this perpetrator was caught quickly. We're angry that this keeps happening and that it seems to keep getting worse. It happens with more frequency. And we're scared. We're scared that it might happen again.

And so I've been fielding calls and having meetings with Jewish community leaders about how we can make our Jewish institutions across Los Angeles safer and more resilient. And so there's a bunch of work to do to make sure that people are truly safe and feel safe.

REID: The suspect was arrested, but of course right now there's a wave of antisemitic violence on the rise according to the Anti-Defamation League, antisemitic attacks reached an all-time high in 2021, up 34 percent from the year before. And the Pico-Robertson area is a predominantly Jewish neighborhood. So how do you go about ensuring that your community is safe?

YAROSLAVSKY: Yes, you're right. I think the ADL is citing data that Jews in Los Angeles already know and feel, right.

[14:05:00]

There's been a troubling rise in antisemitic attacks across the country, here in L.A. They're getting more violent. Last year was the highest on record for hate crimes in L.A. And we know that three- quarters of all religious hate crimes are perpetrated against Jews. But we're not waiting for this problem to keep growing in L.A. There's a lot of work happening on the ground. We're actively working to address the rise of hate crimes. We've created in the city of L.A. a newly formed civil and human

rights and equity department. On the prevention side, that department has launched the L.A. For All campaign, which is the largest anti-hate PSA campaign in L.A. city history. The department has also hosted several intervention trainings and dozens of community dialogues on violence prevention. So that's the prevention side.

And then on the reporting side, it's really important that we have data when these crimes occur so that we can track it and make sure we marshal the resources necessary to respond in kind. So we've made it easier in the city for victims to report hate crimes and hate incidents. Victims of a hate crime can now call 311, which is the general city services hotline to report a hate crime or hate incident. This is really important in a city like L.A. where residents might be less likely to call the police.

My team is also working really closely with the Jewish Federation of Los Angeles and other organizations, you mentioned ADL, that's one of them, to make sure communities and institutions are safe. I'm going to be introducing a motion at city council chambers next week to make sure we're finding the money necessary to fund the Jewish Federation's community safety initiative, which is providing vulnerability assessments and active shooter mitigation trainings to our Jewish institutions, which is really important that we make sure that those facilities are secure.

REID: It's sad that you have to do that, but we are thinking of you and your community. Councilwoman, thank you for joining us.

YAROSLAVSKY: Thank you very much for the opportunity.

REID: And turning now to Russia's war in Ukraine and the international effort to bring the bloodshed to an end. Today world leaders are gathering at the Munich Security Conference with Russia's invasion top of mind. Vice President Kamala Harris reinforcing U.S. support for Ukraine, but also vowing to hold Russia responsible for what she calls crimes against humanity.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

KAMALA HARRIS, (D) VICE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: In the case of Russia's actions in Ukraine, we have examined the evidence. We know the legal standards. And there is no doubt these are crimes against humanity.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

REID: The U.S. vowing to help bring justice by documenting potential war crimes and pledging assistance to investigators and survivors. But even with the promises for help, Russia is not stopping its brutal assault in Ukraine. Intense fighting again today in parts of the south and east of the country. Russian forces meeting a fierce Ukrainian front. CNN's Alex Marquardt is in Kyiv. Alex, what is happening on the ground today?

ALEX MARQUARDT, CNN SENIOR NATIONAL SECURITY CORRESPONDENT: Paula, fierce fighting, indeed, but as Russia struggles to make any real progress on the ground, they are continuing to assault Ukraine from the sky. Another wave of cruise missiles, four cruise missiles fired earlier today from the Black Sea. According to the Ukrainian air force at least two of them were intercepted. There were, however, two explosions in a southwestern city. At least one military facility was hit.

President Zelenskyy saying earlier today that strike was one of 10 regions that were attacked in the past day. President Zelenskyy also speaking to world leaders at that Munich security forum on Friday, reminding them that it's not just about the weapons committed to Ukraine, but how quickly they get here. Take a listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

VOLODYMYR ZELENSKYY, UKRAINIAN PRESIDENT: Unfortunately, he can still destroy many lives, many. That is why we need to hurry up. There is no alternative to speed because it is the speed that the life depends on.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

MARQUARDT: So that plea for the weapons deliveries to be sped up coming at the time that we're seeing the beginning phases of a new Russian offensive. Again, they are not making much progress. One top State Department official calling what they have seen so far very pathetic. But one place that they are pushing very hard in is Bakhmut, that eastern city where there has been fierce fighting over the past several months. Ukraine's forces facing off against the Wagner mercenary group, that group made up of contractor mercenaries as well as convicts. They have suffered major losses according to the White House that just put out a new assessment. Some 30,000 casualties, including 9,000 Wagner troops that have been killed.

Paula, Ukraine also expected to launch its own counteroffensive in the south in the coming weeks. The U.S. believes that they should re-shift their focus from Bakhmut to the south.

[14:10:01]

That fight in Bakhmut is certainly symbolic and certainly around this anniversary of the invasion of Ukraine, but not a terribly strategic city, Paula.

REID: Alex Marquardt, thank you.

And many Ukrainian helicopter pilots are finding themselves outnumbered and outgunned, often fighting against Russian invaders while using outdated Soviet-era weaponry. CNN's Sam Kiley got exclusive access as these pilots refuse to back down.

(BEGIN VIDEO TAPE)

SAM KILEY, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: The target is Russian troops.

A hard bank left and a dive and flares to distract heat-seeker missiles. A pair of Ukrainian helicopters on an assault against Russian forces close to Bakhmut.

HENNADY, UKRAINIAN ARMY PILOT: The Russian aircraft are waiting around the border, on the frontline. We should be careful when we go. We should fly at very low altitude and very low speed to prevent our recognition.

KILEY: Below, trenches and East Ukrainian villages smashed by war. Back from their sortie, this forward base is secret, as low profile as possible. The MIA helicopters are refueled and rearmed. They expect to fly at least three sorties a day.

When you took off this morning, were you frightened?

HENNADY: Why?

KILEY: Well, because the Russians want to kill you.

HENNADY: We don't have any other choice than to fight with Russians. If you're frightened, you should stay at home.

KILEY: That's not an option here.

This Soviet-era helicopter is about 30 years old. The threat against it is extreme, and as a result of that, we're having to fly quite literally below the height of trees, climbing and dipping with every piece of woodland that we pass.

Built as transport aircraft, they are most vulnerable when they climb to shoot their rockets. Diving for cover to 20 feet above the ground is also perilous. A change in sound indicates a tree strike by the helicopter's blades. Back at base, the blades are swapped quickly. Ukraine doesn't have aircraft to spare, nor pilots.

Serhiy skippers the chopper that hit the trees. He tells me, "In December, a very close friend of mine died. A lot of people I knew, friends have already died, unfortunately. It's very painful and I am very upset, and I cannot move on." He went on, "We need new attack helicopters, new jets. Unfortunately, our equipment is old, and its range is very small, and it's inaccurate."

A year into fighting Russia's invasion, Ukraine is still asking for more advanced helicopters and jets. So far, the response from her allies has been, sorry, but no. And so they fight on here with what they've got.

Sam Kiley, CNN, eastern Ukraine.

(END VIDEO TAPE)

REID: Federal support is finally on its way to Ohio as residents of East Palestine complain of smells, headaches, and sickness after a train carrying hazardous chemicals crashed weeks ago. The latest next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[14:18:06] REID: It's been two weeks since the fiery train derailment in East Palestine, Ohio, and residents are still frightened and frustrated. Ohio Governor Mike DeWine says FEMA is deploying an assistance team to help after the derailment caused a toxic spill. The Biden administration also sending federal medical experts to assess what dangers remain to the community.

Residents were given the all-clear to return home February 8th, but test results have offered little reassurance. A lingering chemical stench, thousands of dead fish, and now residents are anxious that rashes and other symptoms may be tied to chemicals from the crash. They say something is making them sick, even if officials can't find it.

CNN's Polo Sandoval joins me now with more details. Polo, Norfolk Southern is reiterating it will be there for the people of this community for the long haul. Should they believe that?

POLO SANDOVAL, CNN CORRESPONDENT: And Paula, to remind viewers, that is the same rail company that the U.S. EPA said will be held accountable in light of this disaster just over two weeks ago as they say that they will not walk away. And earlier this morning, even taking to Twitter, the company, that is, sending a message to the residents there in eastern Ohio, saying that they are offering access to home and business air quality tests, as well as, again, that promise that you just mentioned, that they are in it, quote, for the long haul, and so referring people to that link to try to get their hands on that testing.

This would be on top of testing that has been offered already by local and state officials here. They say they've tested hundreds of homes and can conclude at this point that the air is safe to breathe and the water safe to drink.

But when you hear from the residents there in East Palestine, you can clearly hear the concern still in their voice, even after those assurances from authorities.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

[14:20:05]

KRISTINA FERGUSON, RESIDENT: We need help. We do. We need President Biden. We need FEMA housing. People are getting sick.

JAMI COZZA, RESIDENT: The railroad sent out his toxicologist, who deemed my house not safe. But had I not used my voice, had I not thrown a fit, I would be sitting in that house right now when they told me that it was safe.

JIM STEWART, RESIDENT: I don't recommend you put anything in the ground, I mean, vegetables or tomatoes or anything this year, because we don't know.

(END VIDEO CLIP) SANDOVAL: And as those doubts remain, the cleanup does continue in East Palestine. In terms of what we expect ahead in the coming days, FEMA late yesterday announcing that they will be adding to the assets already on the ground in a form of a regional management assistance team that will basically be assessing the long-term needs of the community.

Also, government officials as well as state authorities announced their plans to send medical personnel and experts in the field of toxicology as well to set up clinics to hear those concerns from people who are experiencing symptoms, those symptoms that you mentioned, Paula, a little while ago, things like a scratchy throat and some rashes, et cetera. Paula.

REID: Polo Sandoval, thank you so much.

And it's the defense's turn in the double murder trial of Alex Murdaugh, calling their first two witnesses on Friday. First, a coroner to clarify that his wife, Maggie, and son, when exactly was their time of death. And a public information officer with the sheriff's office to address the press statement that was sent out following the murders. Before the prosecution rested its case, their last witness laid out a timeline of the night of the murders from cell phone and GPS data. But as CNN's Randi Kaye reports, not all the data matches up with what Murdaugh told investigators.

(BEGIN VIDEO TAPE)

PETER RUDOFSKI, SLED INVESTIGATOR: This is going to be the full timeline.

RANDI KAYE, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Special agent Peter Rudofski analyzed cell phone data from phones belonging to the victims and Alex Murdaugh, as well as GPS data recovered from their cars. He presented a timeline to the jury from the night of the murders.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: And then at 8:44:55, what does it reflect on Paul's phone?

RUDOFSKI: You can hear Alex, Maggie, and Paul in the background.

KAYE: Rudofski testified about a key piece of video extracted from Paul Murdaugh's cell phone that witnesses say puts Alex Murdaugh at the scene just before prosecutors say Paul and his mother were killed.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: What time did Paul and Maggie's phones go silent forever?

RUDOFSKI: 8:49 is when their phones went silent forever.

KAYE: Rudofski told the jury that minutes after the murders are believed to have occurred, Alex Murdaugh's phone showed more steps taken than at any other point that evening.

RUDOFSKI: It's 283 steps.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: He's a busy guy right then, wasn't he?

RUDOFSKI: It appears.

KAYE: The witness says cell phone data also shows someone moved Maggie Murdaugh's phone minutes after she died.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: At 9:06:12, what happens?

RUDOFSKI: Maggie Murdaugh's phone implements orient change -- orientation change from portrait to orientation sideways.

KAYE: According to earlier testimony, Alex Murdaugh left the house that night around that same time, 9:06 p.m., to go visit his mother. GPS data from his car shows on his drive he slowed down right around the spot where his wife's phone was found in the woods the following day.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: After passing that location, does the defendant's vehicle start to accelerate?

RUDOFSKI: It does.

KAYE: Rudofski also told the jury data shows Murdaugh arrived at his mother's house at 9:22 p.m. and left there at 9:43 p.m.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: So roughly a 20-minute period?

RUDOFSKI: Roughly 20 minutes, correct.

KAYE: That's key because Murdaugh had told investigators in an interview played in court this week that he was at his mother's house for about an hour. But this GPS data shows he was there for just about 21 minutes. His mother's caretaker also testified earlier that he stopped by for about 15 to 20 minutes. Cell phone data shows Murdaugh arrived back home at the murder scene just before calling 911 at 10:06 p.m.

RUDOFSKI: This is showing the suburban arriving at the kennels at 10:05:57 p.m.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: From the moment the suburban arrived at the kennels, how long did it take for that 911 call to be made?

RUDOFSKI: Less than 20 seconds.

KAYE: Remember, Murdaugh told investigators he tried to turn his son over a couple of times and checked the pulse on both Paul and Maggie, all before calling 911.

PHILLIP BARBER, ALEX MURDAUGH DEFENSE ATTORNEY: If the person getting out of the car had seen the bodies already and already knew something that's horribly wrong, do you believe that that is an unreasonably short period of time to inspect and call 911?

[14:25:06]

RUDOFSKI: I'm here to testify on this data, not a hypothetical.

KAYE: Randi Kaye, CNN, Walterboro, South Carolina.

(END VIDEO TAPE)

REID: And just ahead, new court documents reveal FOX hosts and executives privately ridiculed Trump's election lies even as they repeatedly promoted them on air. That's next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

REID: A stunning new court filing shows FOX anchors and executives privately ridiculed former President Trump's lies about the election even while promoting them on air. The revelations are part of Dominion Voting System's $1.6 billion lawsuit against FOX. CNN's Brian Todd is digging into the damning testimony and messages.

(BEGIN VIDEO TAPE)

[14:30:01]

BRIAN TODD, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Immediately after Joe Biden's 2020 victory, FOX News hosts were unabashed in promoting the false declarations that the election had been stolen from Donald Trump.

TUCKER CARLSON, FOX NEWS CHANNEL HOST, "TUCKER CARLSON TONIGHT": Electronic voting machines didn't allow people to vote apparently, and that, whatever you think of it, the cause of it, it shakes people's faith in the system. That is an actual threat to democracy.

SEAN HANNITY, FOX NEWS CHANNEL HOST, "HANNITY": It will be impossible to ever know the true, fair, accurate election results.

TODD: But new court filing shows that in private, FOX hosts Tucker Carlson, Laura Ingraham, and Sean Hannity were brutally ridiculing the claims of election fraud and the people who were making them, their private messages in a legal filing that's part of Dominion Voting Systems' $1.6 billion lawsuit against FOX News. One person they insulted, Trump campaign lawyer Sidney Powell, a vociferous election lie promoter.

SIDNEY POWELL, TRUMP CAMPAIGN LAWYER: What we are really dealing with here and uncovering more by the day is the massive influence of communist money.

TODD: In one text revealed in the Court filing, Tucker Carlson texted Laura Ingraham saying, quote, "Sidney Powell is lying. I caught her. It's insane." Ingraham responded, "Sidney is a complete nut. No one will work with her. Ditto with Rudy," a reference to Trump lawyer Rudy Giuliani and his post-election claims.

RUDY GIULIANI, FORMER TRUMP LAWYER: There was a plan from a centralized place to execute these various acts of voter fraud.

TODD: In other messages, Sean Hannity said Giuliani was, quote, "Acting like an insane person." Ingraham described Giuliani as an "idiot." FOX Corporation Chairman Rupert Murdoch said it was, quote, "really bad" that Giuliani was advising Trump.

ERIK WEMPLE, MEDIA CRITIC, "THE WASHINGTON POST": This tells you a lot about FOX News' internal machinations. It tells you that they have one version of the world that they keep to themselves and another version of the world that they broadcast to their viewers. The two are entirely incompatible.

TODD: But FOX kept promoting election denialism. Why? The filings in the Dominion suit illustrate that FOX executives were worried about losing viewers to Newsmax, a smaller conservative channel that was constantly pushing election denial. Trump himself, furious that FOX had called Arizona for Biden, had encouraged his followers to switch to Newsmax.

WEMPLE: Since 2002, FOX News has basically been the preeminent ratings champion in cable news. And you see here, the moment that they see any sign that might be slipping away, it is panic.

TODD: But the Dominion filings also say that when then President Trump tried to call into FOX on January 6th, the day his supporters attacked the Capitol, FOX executives refused to put Trump on the air.

FOX News denies dominion's claims in the lawsuit, says that it's proud of its 2020 election coverage, and says those court filings contained cherry-picked quotes that lack context. In a statement, FOX accused Dominion of creating, quote, noise and confusion, and said the core of the case remains to be about freedom of the press and freedom of speech.

Brian Todd, CNN, Washington.

(END VIDEO TAPE)

REID: And the black man killed by Shreveport police is being laid to rest. Investigators say Alonzo Bagley was unarmed at the time of the shooting. We'll bring you the body camera footage of the incident next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[14:37:21]

REID: This hour, two funeral services are being held for the victims of the Michigan State University mass shooting. Brian Fraser and Alexandria Verner who are both being laid to rest in Grosse Pointe Farms, Michigan, the third, Arielle Anderson, will be remembered Tuesday.

This afternoon, Michigan athletics resume. The school is expected to honor the victims during the opening of the men's and women's basketball games. Three students died and five others were injured after a gunman opened fire on the campus earlier this week. It's still unclear why the gunman, a 43-year-old man with no known ties to MSU, targeted the university.

And a Louisiana police officer is charged with a negligent homicide in connection to the shooting death of an unarmed black man. According to authorities, 43-year-old Alonzo Bagley was shot after Shreveport police responded to a domestic disturbance call at an apartment complex earlier this month. His funeral was held earlier this afternoon. This week, Shreveport officer Alexander Tyler was arrested as investigators released body camera footage of the incident. CNN's Isabel Rosales joins us now. Isabel, this is graphic video, but please walk our viewers through exactly what it shows.

ISABEL ROSALES, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Yes, Paula, it is just incredibly tough to not only watch this footage, but to hear it, too. The whole encounter here lasts about two minutes, but in it we watch Alonzo Bagley take his last breaths, and we hear the police officer who shot him and killed him breaking down crying. And as you mentioned, this is graphic. We do want to warn people this may not be suitable for everyone.

This encounter took place on February 3rd, about two weeks ago. And it started with police officers responding to a domestic disturbance call. You see them right here knocking at the door of Alonzo Bagley. He refuses to come out, saying he's got to take care of his dogs inside. You'll see police officers go into the apartment there and start to follow him. And then it becomes clear he's running away.

He jumps over that balcony and escapes into that side building right there. The police officers are talking to one another, and as he rounds this corner right here, a shot goes off. We've frozen to the split second right before he is shot, and you can see that his hands are up. State police investigators say that they did not find a weapon on him. After that shooting, we see the other officer, who is not named, begin CPR and start to call EMS.

[14:40:02]

I want you to hear the following audio. This will be crying that you're going to hear, and this is from Officer Tyler, the man who shot Bagley.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Hey, hey.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: No, no, no.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Come on, come on.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: No, no.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Come on.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: No, man, no. No, man, no.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You're good.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Come on, dude.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Dispatch, send EMS right now 1018, 1018. UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Come on, dude. Stay with me. Stay with me.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Come on, come on. You're good.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Stay with me.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You're good, bro. You're good.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ROSALES: You can see it's very difficult to take in all of that footage. We did hear from the Bagley family attorney who has highlighted the swift action by the Louisiana state police in arresting and charging Police Officer Tyler and also talking about the importance of this body camera footage.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

RONALD HALEY, BAGLEY FAMILY ATTORNEY: A short flight takes place, but flight is not a death sentence. Flight does not mean shoot to kill. Flight does not mean judge, jury, and executioner.

XAVIER SUDDS, ALONZO BAGLEY'S BROTHER: No need for my brother to lose his life over a phone call, over a 911 call that was -- there's no threat there.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ROSALES: And the attorney for Officer Tyler, Thompson, that's his name, he insists said that while Bagley was not armed, that doesn't mean that he didn't pose a threat to police officers. Paula?

REID: Isabel Rosales, thank you so much.

And still ahead, an alarming new CDC report shows teenagers, especially girls, across the U.S. are experiencing record high levels of violence, sadness, and suicide risk. A licensed Children's therapist joins me next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[14:46:37]

REID: We have breaking news. Officials tell CNN that the U.S. is convinced China may soon increase its support for Russia as its brutal war in Ukraine nears the one-year mark. CNN international editor Nic Robertson is at the Munich Security Conference. Nic, what more are you learning?

NIC ROBERTSON, CNN INTERNATIONAL DIPLOMATIC EDITOR: Well, the United States is warning its allies here at Munich, and we know that Secretary Blinken and Vice President Kamala Harris have both had extensive meetings with many, many of their allies, the Germans, the British, the French, the Dutch, many of the Scandinavian allies and Japan as well. And what they are saying is they are seeing Beijing appearing to want to creep up to the line of providing lethal military aid to Russia in such a way that it can do it without getting caught.

Now, the officials are not being specific on the precise type of intelligence here, but it is being relayed to the nations. And I spoke to the president of the European Commission, Ursula Von Der Leyen, a very significant political figure in Europe today, and I asked her about what Kamala Harris was saying, the vice president was saying, about United States seeing an increased support coming from China to Russia. And she said, look, we're aware of this, but this is something that we need to monitor. We need to look for evidence, she said, if this is escalating to a military level.

So it is clear that this message from the United States is being received here in Munich, but it does appear that some allies are saying, OK, we need to see what this evidence is. So it will, of course, cause concern here, because there is a real concern in Europe that if China does support Russia, this could really influence the war in Ukraine.

If it does edge toward that military support and provide, perhaps, more components for more missiles, perhaps missiles themselves, perhaps just ammunition. China has a massive production capability. And this is a time when Russia is running out of military hardware and ammunition included. So this warning is being taken very seriously, and allies and partners here are looking to see what additional evidence there is and precisely what China does.

REID: And earlier today we talked about the possibility of Secretary Blinken meeting with his Chinese counterpart while in Munich. Is there any update on the possibility of that meeting?

ROBERTSON: Well, we understand that Secretary Blinken did leave his hotel, and that he will raise this issue if he meets with his Chinese counterpart, Wang Yi. We don't have confirmation at this time, but when Secretary Blinken left his hotel after going there, he had a couple of hours at the hotel after going from the Munich Security Conference, if he was in fact going to meet his Chinese counterpart this evening. We know that U.S. officials have been trying to arrange a meeting. We know that his Chinese counterpart has used very strong language against the United States, against the shooting down of the China spy balloon over the United States, that they used strong language about that today.

[14:50:04]

So it is a very -- potentially, potentially a very sensitive meeting. And at the moment, although Secretary Blinken has left his hotel for an undisclosed location, we don't know what that is. But if he was to meet with Wang Yi, we are told that he would communicate the United States growing concerns about China's growing support, edging, perhaps, toward the starting line of a more military-type support for Russia.

REID: Nic Robertson, thank you.

And fury, along with vivid descriptions of pain, heard at a New Jersey school board meeting. Hundreds of students and parents crammed into that meeting in Bayville denouncing bullying and sharing their own stories of being hurt. It was the first board meeting since 14-year- old Adriana Kuch took her own life after being attacked by four students. Current and former students told the board of school district officials that they did nothing about reports of being bullied.

Amid this latest heartbreak, there's now a renewed push by U.S. lawmakers to protect children against cyberbullying. At a Senate Judiciary hearing this week, lawmakers from both sides of the aisle lashed out at big tech companies and called for federal legislation to regulate social media. The push comes as a new CDC report shows teenagers, especially girls, are experiencing more violence, suicidal thoughts, and mental health challenges.

Joining me is Jody Baumstein. She is a licensed therapist with Children's Healthcare of Atlanta. Jody, the stories that we're hearing, the statistics on violence, depression, suicide among teens now being revealed, it's a really scary time to be a parent. So what can we as parents do?

JODY BAUMSTEIN, LICENSED THERAPIST, CHILDREN'S HEALTHCARE FOR ATLANTA: Pay attention to the warning signs. We want to believe that depression looks a certain way, but we've seen it time and time again. You could be at the height of your career, an athlete, a celebrity, and depression doesn't discriminate. So we really want to pay attention to major changes in mood and behavior.

Listen, we all have ups and downs, but this is about excessive sadness, excessive hopelessness, extreme fatigue. They have such low energy they can't get out of bed. The other thing we're talking about is when all of a sudden, they're not engaging in activities they used to enjoy. This is something that was pretty big in the report, that so many high school students were talking about the fact that they couldn't engage in regular activities because of this sadness.

And we also want to make note of the fact that some kids are not going to actively say that they're suicidal. They might engage in reckless behavior. They might talk about not having hope for the future, and we need to take that seriously every single time.

REID: And if a parent suspects their child is being bullied, what advice do you have on how to approach a teenager?

BAUMSTEIN: Well, if you suspect it or even if you don't, we need to be having regular conversations with kids. We don't want to wait until they come to us because they might not feel comfortable, or they might not have the language to really start that conversation. But with any of this, you want to be talking very openly and make sure that you're aware of your own feelings but not letting that really seep into the conversation. We don't want to leave them or put our own stuff onto them, but really create a space where we are asking the direct open question and then stepping back and listening to all the things they're saying and also what they're not saying.

REID: Of course, teenagers don't always come to their parents if they're being bullied or having problems. So what signs should parents be looking for?

BAUMSTEIN: Well, you want to notice, are they withdrawing? Are they suddenly not engaging in things they used to like to do? Are they no longer hanging out with their friends? Are they sleeping way too much or not sleeping at all? These are all signs. And, again, it's just communication. They might not have the language, but they're trying to show us. And so we want to make sure we're creating a safe space for them to be able to talk about it.

REID: And when is the right time to seek professional help?

BAUMSTEIN: Always. We always want to seek help, because the reality is we don't need to wait for it to become a crisis. I think we can agree that mental health in general has been very reactive and often does bubble up to the surface, to the point where now we are scrambling and trying to figure out who can see this kid as soon as possible. So it's OK to just get a consult. You're not signing up for anything, you're not committing to anything. But what you are doing is you're showing your child you believe them, that they're struggling, and that you are taking the steps to take it seriously.

REID: And what do schools need to do to make sure they have the right tools to recognize and manage the mental health challenges of students?

[14:55:04]

BAUMSTEIN: Well, I think this kind of brings up the conversation about the fact that we need universal prevention programs. We cannot target this by just individual services for all of these kids. Of course, many will need that level of care and we need to work on getting them access, but we also need to be thinking about these services that exist across the school, tier one kind of supports that everybody can get, because we know that kids are born with a full range of emotions, but they're not born with the skills to be able to navigate through it. And they need to learn this in everyday environments, and again, not just once something has bubbled up and become a crisis.

REID: Thank you so much for joining us.

BAUMSTEIN: Thank you.

REID: And thanks for joining me today. I'm Paula Reid in for Fredricka Whitfield. "SMERCONISH" starts after a quick break.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)