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Biden Travels To Poland As Anniversary Of Ukraine War Nears; Japan Says North Korea Has Fired Two Suspected Ballistic Missiles; Catholic Bishop In Los Angeles Found Shot To Death; Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg Demands Accountability From Rail Company; Trump To Visit Ohio Train Derailment Site; Court Docs Reveal FOX Stars, Execs Privately Trashed Election Fraud Claims; U.S. Officially Declares Russia Committed War Crimes In Ukraine. Aired 6-7p ET

Aired February 19, 2023 - 18:00   ET

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

[18:01:06]

JIM ACOSTA, CNN HOST: Welcome back to the CNN NEWSROOM. I'm Jim Acosta in Washington.

We begin this hour with President Biden heading off to Poland tomorrow. He will deliver a message of solidarity just a few days ahead of the one-year anniversary of Russia's full-blown invasion of Ukraine. He will reaffirm united support for that country. And his visit comes on the heels of the Munich Security Conference where the U.S. staked out some hard-nosed positions on several fronts, accusing Russia of committing crimes against humanity and warning China not to provide lethal aid to Russian troops in Ukraine.

Let's go straight to the White House, CNN's Priscilla Alvarez.

Priscilla, you know, we saw the vice president, Secretary of State Tony Blinken, all delivering these very tough messages to both Russia and China. Tell us more.

PRISCILLA ALVAREZ, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Well, and White House officials leading up to this up to this moment have said it's a crucial time as we hit that one-year mark of Russia invading Ukraine. And President Biden will mark that with his trip starting tomorrow in Poland. And during that time, he plans to reinforce the unity and support behind Ukraine.

Now he will be meeting with the Polish president during his visit there, as well as a group of eastern flanked allies, NATO allies, and he will also be providing remarks, and in those remarks, he will be talking again about humanitarian and security assistance to Ukraine as he continues to fight this war.

Now we got a sense of what Poland is expecting from this visit in these remarks from the Polish prime minister. Take a listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MATEUSZ MORAWIECKI, PRIME MINISTER OF POLAND: We have to change the paradigm and we have to say Ukraine must win, and Russia must be defeated. And I believe that the words of President Biden will reassure all Europe that the United States is with us in this fight for freedom and peace.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ALVAREZ: Now of course in addition to rallying support behind Ukraine, we also heard remarks, as you mentioned, from Vice President Kamala Harris on cracking down on Russia and holding them accountable by saying that they have committed crimes against humanity. That is a step further from where the administration has been before in saying that Russia has committed war crimes.

So of course, expect the administration, expect President Biden in his remarks to show that support for Ukraine, call for it, but also double down on Russia -- Jim.

ACOSTA: All right, Priscilla Alvarez, thank you very much over at the White House.

This just in to CNN, Japan is accusing North Korea of launching three suspected ballistic missiles. Let's bring in CNN's Paula Hancocks who is joining us now from Seoul.

Paula, what are you learning?

PAULA HANCOCKS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Jim, at this point, we're waiting to hear exactly what kind of missiles they were, but three have been launched. Japan's coast guard warning vessels in the area to be careful and not to approach any debris. But it comes after a very busy weekend here on the Korean Peninsula. On Saturday morning, North Korea fired a long-range missile which, on Sunday morning, it admitted was an ICBM, an intercontinental ballistic missile which it claims can hit mainland United States.

Now it was a Hwasong-15 and not one of the largest weapons they have but what they say they have done, according to Kim Jong-un's sister, Kim Yo-jong, she gave a very fiery statement again saying that she said they have perfected the reentry technology for missiles. So this is something that they have been working on we know for some time, being able to ensure that the missiles can reenter, saying that it will show those fanatics who raise tensions will pay the price, a thinly veiled reference to the United States and to South Korea there.

Now we saw also on Sunday a show of force from the U.S. and South Korean air forces, a B-1 bomber was flown over the peninsula, as well. Really the show of force we're hearing from the Department of Defense, to show that they have the tools available to respond to any kind of threat from North Korea.

[18:05:09]

So once again, over this weekend, we have seen tensions rise quite significantly. We're waiting there to see what those missiles were -- Jim.

ACOSTA: All right. Paula Hancocks, let us know if you have any new developments. We appreciate it.

A Catholic bishop described as a peacemaker in the Los Angeles area has been found shot to death. Police say Bishop David O'Connell was found dead at a local residence Saturday afternoon. He had served in the L.A. community for 45 years.

National correspondent Camila Bernal is on this story for us.

Camila, this must be sending shockwaves across L.A. I mean, you just don't see something like this happen very often. It must make this entire community very shaken right now.

CAMILA BERNAL, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Yes, many, many Catholics here, Jim, in shock, saying that they cannot believe what happened here because this is a murder investigation, and many of these parishioners saying they are heartbroken and they want to understand exactly what happened. There are some parishioners that we tried to talk to that were so emotional and said they couldn't even talk on camera because of how they were feeling at the moment especially on a Sunday where they're going to their services and remembering all the work that this bishop has done here in Los Angeles.

In terms of the investigation, the L.A. County Sheriff's Office saying that it happened at around 1:00 p.m. yesterday. They arrived at his home in Los Angeles and said that he was already shot somewhere near his chest. And by the time deputies were there, he was already dead. They do not know who is responsible for this, or at least have not said yet. They say they are looking for the shooter at the moment, and we're waiting to get more information from the sheriff's department as to who they believe did this.

At the moment, there is a prayer service happening for the bishop. Many of the members of this community who are coming together to try to remember and honor his legacy. The archbishop of Los Angeles also saying that he's praying not only for the bishop but also for the family, and also the investigators. The people who are trying to solve this murder.

I want to show you how some of these members of the community are feeling. Here is one of those parishioners.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

GABRIELA GIL, FRIEND OF BISHIP DAVID O'CONNELL: I'm very hurt. Very hurt by his passing because he's one of the most lovable, humble persons I've ever met. And out of all the years in my life, I've never met anyone like him. He was able to -- I talked to him about my life, and you know, he was able to understand because we sort of had some life struggles. So he really understood what I was going through, and he just made me feel so loved and taught me some prayers.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BERNAL: And as you heard there, Catholics in Los Angeles are heartbroken, but again wanting answers and wanting to know who did this -- Jim. ACOSTA: All right. Camila Bernal, thank you very much.

New this hour, Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg is calling for accountability from Norfolk Southern and demanding greater train safety measures. This two weeks after a Norfolk Southern freight train derailed, sending toxic chemicals into the air, water, and soil in the small town of East Palestine, Ohio. Buttigieg voiced his concerns in a letter to Norfolk Southern CEO.

CNN's Polo Sandoval joins me with more.

Polo, this letter from the Transportation secretary comes as he and the president, the Biden administration, they're facing some criticism for the administration's response to this disaster. What is the secretary of Transportation saying tonight?

POLO SANDOVAL, CNN CORRESPONDENT: So, Jim, the secretary is opening that letter to the company's CEO by really emphasizing how this tragedy has just upended the lives of so many people there in East Palestine, Ohio, and he's really calling on the company to be held accountable, demanding accountability from the company in that letter that was addressed to CEO Alan Shaw.

I want to read you a portion of what the secretary wrote to that CEO today, writing, "The people of East Palestine cannot be forgotten nor can their pain be simply considered the cost of doing business. Norfolk Southern must live up to its commitment to make residents whole and must also live up to its obligation to do whatever it takes to stop putting communities such as East Palestine at risk."

The secretary also reminding the company that the Federal Railroad Administration, it is conducting its own investigation right now. And when that concludes, and based on those findings, then federal government officials will hold that company potentially legally accountable here, subject to whatever those findings are. At the same time, the secretary also calling for stricter regulations safety regulations, as well.

[18:10:02]

And as you mentioned, this is coming amid some major criticism coming from those residents that are still living there right now, concerned about the long-term effects and also concerned that the federal government has perhaps not done enough. Now the government responding in the coming days, sending in medical professionals, including experts in the field of toxicology, to hear those concerns and potentially examine some of the residents that mostly have come forward, saying that they're experiencing symptoms like nausea, also rashes, and they're concerned that this is potentially linked to the events of earlier this month. And they fear that it could just be the beginning.

So, again, now to this latest development with the secretary of Transportation, sending a very direct letter to the head of Norfolk Southern that they should be in it for the long run.

ACOSTA: All right. Polo Sandoval, thank you very much.

And the situation in East Palestine, Ohio, is about to become a big topic on the road to the White House. One candidate, you might have heard of him before, plans to visit that area this week. We'll talk more about that. And later, will the U.S. avoid a recession? We'll ask a former "Shark Tank" guest judge and Harvard professor about that, coming up.

You're live in the CNN NEWSROOM.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[18:15:13]

ACOSTA: In Georgia, much of the tiny town of Plains is embracing Jimmy Carter and his family in love and prayers today. The 98-year-old former president is now on home hospice care and will refuse further medical treatment. Carter is 98 years old. And he beat brain cancer you may recall back in 2015. In 2019, he faced a series of health scares and underwent surgery to remove pressure on his brain. We are all thinking about the Carter family this evening.

In the meantime, some potential top contenders in the GOP presidential race are on the move this week. Former president Donald Trump will travel to East Palestine, Ohio, yes, East Palestine, Ohio, on Wednesday to meet with community members in the wake of that toxic train derailment there earlier this month.

This as Ron DeSantis heads to New York to speak at a pro-law enforcement rally. Overnight Trump once again lashed out at his potential rival, announcing in a 1:00 a.m. Truth Social rant, sounds familiar, he will no longer call DeSantis, quote, "Meatball Ron," a reference to him being Italian, I suppose. Going on to say Jeb Bush is his hero, his beaches and state were closed for long periods of time. His testing for the China virus," this is in Trump's words, "didn't work out too well and his loyalty skills are weak."

Joining us now to unpack that, if that's even possible, is former Trump administration official Gavin Smith and our old friend, CNN political analyst Paul Begala.

Paul, you know, reading the Truth Socials, just sort of feels like, you know, I only want to read the tweets any more. And I guess he isn't tweeting these days. But help us unpack what's going on between Trump and Ron DeSantis. It does indicate that he is worried about the governor from Florida. I mean, there's just no other way around it, right?

PAUL BEGALA, CNN POLITICAL ANALYST: Yes. It sounds like it. I heard your comment about President Carter, and we're all thinking and prayer for the Carter family.

And one of my old friends in Georgia, Zel Miller, always used to say a hit dog will holler, meaning Mr. Trump is barking because he's hit. He's worried, he's scared of Governor DeSantis. And maybe he should be, maybe shouldn't. I actually think Trump is the betting favorite, but, you know, it's not really my party. But he's clearly scared and that's why he's doing it.

ACOSTA: And Gavin, I mean, what do you think about, you know, Trump is going to be going to East Palestine, Ohio. I can't imagine it would be the last thing that folks in that town need is the Trump circus rolling into town, and you worked in that campaign, worked in that administration, so you know what that's all about. What do you make of all that?

GAVIN SMITH, FORMER TRUMP ADMINISTRATION OFFICIAL: Well, you know, I think that you said it best. I mean, at the end of the day, Donald Trump is his own worst enemy. You know, Nikki Haley has been getting a lot of slack for not taking him on. And I've been one of the people out saying, hey, why in the world should she? Donald Trump is going to do himself in. So yes, why does anyone, you know, want that rolling into town?

You know, at the end of the day, Donald Trump, you know, in fact, you know, what I was saying to you, Jim, is simply the other day I was talking to a grassroots person in South Carolina. And they told me we love 90 percent of the policies from the Trump administration. But we hate 90 percent of what he says. And I think that's the best way to put it. Why do you want that rolling into town when it comes to Donald Trump?

ACOSTA: And Paul, I mean, your sense of it, Trump is going to try to make a campaign event out of what is going on in East Palestine? It boggles the mind.

BEGALA: Of course, I think it's a good thing to shine a light on what's happening to those folks there. Right?

ACOSTA: For sure.

BEGALA: I don't know enough about it. We don't -- so that could be a very good thing. If in fact Mr. Trump was capable of turning the spotlight off himself and put it on to those families, that community, that's in a lot of pain, a lot of fear, I worry he can't. And this is based on many years of observing him. He's not good in empathy. We all recall when Hurricane Maria struck Puerto Rico and he was throwing paper towels around.

So he's not good at empathy the way that other presidents, Bush or Clinton or others, were. And he's not good at shifting the spotlight off of him. So I actually think this is a high risk event for Mr. Trump because this is a time when everybody should be focusing on that community and their needs, and I do think he tends perhaps to want all the attention to be on himself.

ACOSTA: Yes. I wonder, I mean, how is that going to work if he goes to East Palestine where all these folks are in so much pain, and he's going through his grievances about the election and everything else. It just -- it doesn't sound like it's going to land well.

But, you know, Gavin, you were talking about South Carolina and Nikki Haley announced that she's running. But, you know, when you look at the latest polls, and I know it's so early, we shouldn't be -- I probably should hit myself for talking about polls this early, but, you know, the polls are really showing that this is already shaping up to be a DeSantis versus Trump race.

I know you've talked with some of the Nikki Haley folks. What do they tell themselves? Just hang in there, we'll have our moment?

[18:20:02]

I mean, does she really think that she can emerge from this field and be perhaps that person who is going one on one with Trump as this process grinds on?

SMITH: Yes. Well, you know, Jim, I have a couple of things to say on that. First, I'm sitting right across from my office. And in my office there is a replica of a sign that used to hang on the door of Governor Nikki Haley's office, and it says, "Can't is not an option." And I truly believe that that's the mantra of her campaign. If she didn't believe that she could be president, she wouldn't be running.

Now when we talk about polls, I think what we should be talking about is that there's an AP poll that came out this week that says six out of 10 Republicans say it's a bad thing that Donald Trump would be at the top of the ticket in 2024. That's a bad number for Donald Trump. You know, another thing related to a poll is when we look back at 2016, what do the polls tell us?

The polls told us Donald Trump would never be president. Jeb Bush was the frontrunner. Scott Walker was a strong contender. And all of that seemed to blow up. So I think it's a little early to look at polls and quite frankly I think Nikki Haley has exactly what it takes to be the GOP frontrunner.

ACOSTA: And let me ask you this, Paul, I mean, this is a development that happened over the weekend that I think deserves more attention. The Michigan Republican Party chose election denier and former Secretary of State candidate Kristina Karamo, I hope I'm saying her name correctly, to be the new state party chair. She's a far-right extremist. She's a Trump loyalist who has made these bizarre claims about the existence of demons and calling abortion child sacrifice and a satanic practice, but she's also an election denier.

I mean, Michigan, that's -- the Michigan Republican Party, that's not small potatoes. That's a large political party. What does that say about the state of the Republican Party right now?

BEGALA: Well, in some places it's going through a crackup. It just makes no sense for Michigan Republicans to double down on election denying. For the first time since 1982, 40 years, the Democrats control the governorship, the attorney general, the secretary of state, the House, the Senate, the state board of education and the Supreme Court.

This hasn't happened in decades in Michigan. It's a razor's edge state. It's a state Mr. Trump carried by 10,000 votes in 2016 and then lost by 150,000 or so to Joe Biden. So in the wake of that, why has Michigan gone so hard against the Republicans? Some of it is I think Democrats are doing a good job. I think Governor Whitmer, Lavora Barnes, the state Democratic chair, they're fantastic.

But also some of this is a revulsion to what is quite obviously extremism in the eyes of Michigan voters. It's exactly where they need to not be. It's really -- I mean, I guess as a Democrat I'd be happy. But as a professional, it's malpractice to double down on what just cost you the statehouse, the state Senate, the attorney generalship, secretary of state, the governorship, the Supreme Court and the school board. Other than that, they've been on a winning streak in Michigan.

ACOSTA: Yes. I mean, it boggles the mind. All right. Gavin, Paul, thanks so much. Appreciate it. Great to see both of you.

BEGALA: Thanks, Jim.

ACOSTA: All right. On the air, FOX News hosts wrongly claimed the 2020 election may have been stolen, but behind the scenes, according to court documents, they told a different story to each other. That's next in the CNN NEWSROOM.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[18:27:42]

ACOSTA: Hollywood is mourning a beloved comedian and actor. Richard Belzer has passed away. Belzer is known best for playing Detective John Munch on several crime shows including "Homicide: Life on the Street" and "Law and Order SVU." His long-time manager Eric Gardner confirmed that Belzer passed away peacefully earlier this morning at his home in France. A long-time friend of the actor said that he had dealt with, quote, "lots of health issues." The remarkable and brilliant Richard Belzer was 78 years old.

Actor Tom Sizemore is in critical condition tonight. A spokesperson says the 61-year-old is in intensive care after suffering a brain aneurysm Saturday morning. Sizemore is perhaps best known for his role as Sergeant Mike Horvath in "Saving Private Ryan." He also appeared in "Black Hawk Down," among other films. I hope that Tom pulls through. An incredible actor.

In the meantime, a bombshell lawsuit is exposing what some of the biggest names over at FOX really felt about Donald Trump, even as they pushed his baseless claims of election fraud. A just released court filing also claims that anyone who veered from this election narrative faced sharp pushback. This is all coming to light in Dominion Voting System's $1.6 billion lawsuit against the network.

And joining us to talk about this is CNN senior media reporter Oliver Darcy as well as Mediaite editor-in-chief, Aidan McLaughlin. Here's an example of -- gentlemen, here's an example of some of the lies that FOX anchors were pushing. We'll talk about it on the other side?

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

TUCKER CARLSON, FOX NEWS HOST: So much for those claims that voter fraud never happens. Of course it happens. They knew it happened when they told us it would never happen because they're liars. UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I could see these people hand over what appeared

to be white envelopes. I thought those are ballots.

SEAN HANNITY, FOX NEWS HOST: And today, more reports of dead people voting from beyond the grave. An amazing system we set up.

MARIA BARTIROMO, FOX NEWS HOST: This is disgusting and we cannot allow America's elections to be corrupted. We cannot.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ACOSTA: And despite what you saw there, many of the anchors over at FOX were saying privately to one another they didn't believe any of this. But in the meantime, FOX issued a statement in all of this, highlighting the part that reads, "The core of this case remains about freedom of the press and freedom of speech."

Let's talk about this, Oliver and Aidan. You know, Oliver, I know you've done lots of segments on this since this bombshell material came out.

[18:30:04]

And I just have to ask you, you know, when FOX talks about protection under the First Amendment to say whatever they want, I mean, that is ultimately the crux of the legal issue in this case. I mean, it's going to come down to that very point.

OLIVER DARCY, CNN SENIOR MEDIA CORRESPONDENT: And Dominion is going to need to prove that FOX recklessly disregarded the truth here. And I think, you know, there is a mountain of evidence that might suggest, right, or show that FOX executives and their hosts, their top level talent people like Tucker Carlton, Sean Hannity, Laura Ingraham, that they knew behind the scenes that what they were selling, what the network was selling to the audience was bogus.

But the truth never made it to the FOX viewers, which is really the sad part here. Despite them talking in very candid terms behind the scenes about how nutty the arguments pushed by the Trump camp were, they never ended up going on camera and really sharing that with their viewers. Instead, as recently as this week, Tucker Carlson is on camera leading a show by casting doubt on the validity of the 2020 election, you know, and it's just really quite reprehensible stuff -- Jim.

ACOSTA: And Aidan, your site, I mean, it looks at what the media business does writ large. But I mean, one of the other I think bombshells that came out of this material in the Dominion case is what the motivation was behind the scenes over at FOX. I mean, they were essentially putting dollars over democracy, they were putting ratings over the republic. I mean, that's essentially what was going on here.

AIDAN MCLAUGHLIN, EDITOR-IN-CHIEF, MEDIAITE: Right. I think that's the crucial thing to remember about those weeks after the 2020 election, is that FOX News was the first network to call Arizona for Biden. And that enraged Trump, his supporters and his campaign. And that outrage eventually trickled down to FOX News' viewers. If you see it in the texts between Tucker Carlson and his producer, who told Tucker Carlson one night in the weeks after the election that the viewers were outraged about this call and that the network should do something about it.

And Tucker Carlson actually tried to get Jacqui Heinrich who's a prominent reporter, White House correspondent at FOX News, tried to get her fired in text to Sean Hannity, his fellow primetime host, because she fact-checked their claims -- Trump's claims about the election. So there was this pervasive fear at FOX News because of the Arizona call, and because a lot of the fact checking of these election claims that were happening.

There was this pervasive fear that viewers would flee to Trumpier pastures like OAN and Newsmax and these upstart conservative outlets that were embracing these lies more aggressively. And that made sure that FOX hosts and executives and even down to producers were on board with promoting these lies effectively.

ACOSTA: Yes. And I mean, I remember it because I was covering the White House at that time, and looking at what the ratings were doing. And people were migrating over to Newsmax and some of these other outlets because they were going to give them what they wanted and FOX for a moment there was, you know, trying to report things, people like Chris Stirewalt, the political editor over there. They were trying to do the right thing, call the election for Joe Biden.

Oliver, FOX News filed an amended counterclaim against Dominion. What does it say?

DARCY: You know, they are really wrapping themselves up in the First Amendment here, Jim. And that's been the legal strategy all along, that they aired a newsworthy material that what the president was saying was essentially newsworthy, that the First Amendment protects airing such material, and they're really wrapping themselves in "New York Times" versus Sullivan.

I do want to make one quick point. When I was reading these documents, one thing that was interesting is the executives and hosts talk about respecting the audience, Jim. They talk about how we need to be respectful of the audience, and one way to be respectful of the audience, I guess, is not to tell them inconvenient things, inconvenient truths, but I would argue that it's much more respectful to the audience to be upfront with them, to tell them exactly what you know, and that's something we didn't see happen after the 2020 election.

ACOSTA: And Aidan, we all care about the First Amendment. We all care about freedom of speech. But what FOX was doing was just reprehensible. I mean, it was just absolutely wrong when it came to these lies about the 2020 election.

But let me ask you this. If Dominion is somehow successful, which, I mean, it's mindboggling to think that they could be successful in all of this, what would that do to this titan of the media industry?

MCLAUGHLIN: That's right. I do want to point out, you know, the United States is really strong First Amendment protections for media outlets.

ACOSTA: Yes.

MCLAUGHLIN: And that's a great thing. Obviously you'd have to prove that an outlet acted with actual malice or out of reckless disregard for the truth if you want to prove defamation. So that's a really steep hill for Dominion to climb and if they want to win this case, they're going to have to prove it, and these texts and these documents are part of their way of proving that FOX News knew that the claims they were putting on air were not true.

[18:35:07]

It could have serious consequences for FOX, this case. You know, it's a steep thing to prove, but there's a lot of legal experts that say that Dominion really has a strong case against FOX. And that's why FOX News and Dominion did not settle this case. Usually, a network like FOX News would not allow a case like this to go to trial. But Dominion clearly I think was asking for a lot of money to settle, and FOX News refused, so that's why we see this case progressing far beyond where these cases normally do.

As far as the bottom line goes, Dominion suing -- they're claiming $1.6 billion in damages. That's a big number. FOX News is arguing that the damage to Dominion are nowhere near that. We'll see if FOX News is successful. I think when you talk to legal experts, they don't think the $1.6 billion number is necessarily a reasonable one for Dominion, but this could really, really hurt FOX News.

On the other hand, FOX News is a very, very successful company. It's a very lucrative company. It makes $1 billion a year.

ACOSTA: Yes.

MCLAUGHLIN: So it would take a lot to hurt FOX News' bottom line, but it does seem like Dominion has a strong case here and could make a lot of money if they win.

ACOSTA: And it's astounding in the discovery process that we're getting to see this peek behind the curtain over at FOX. There was one earlier, remember, during the January 6th Committee when some of those texts from some of the FOX anchors to Mark Meadows, the chief of staff, we saw some of this same kind of material. We saw it once there, we're seeing it again here. Where there's smoke, there's fire.

Oliver Darcy, Aidan McLaughlin, thanks to both of you. Appreciate it very much.

Vice President Kamala Harris says Russia has committed crimes against humanity in Ukraine. What does that mean for the U.S. approach to the war? I'll ask the U.S. ambassador at large for global criminal justice. It's a crucial position over at the State Department. We'll talk about that, next.

You're live in the CNN NEWSROOM.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[18:41:03]

ACOSTA: Tomorrow night, President Biden embarks on an overseas trip aimed at showing solidarity with Ukraine as the one-year anniversary of the full-brown Russian invasion comes this week. His trip to Poland comes just days after both Secretary of State Tony Blinken and Vice President Kamala Harris said the U.S. is determined that Russia has committed the most egregious of crimes in Ukraine.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

KAMALA HARRIS, VICE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: We have examined the evidence. We know the legal standards. And there is no doubt these are crimes against humanity.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ACOSTA: Joining us now is Ambassador Beth Van Schaack. She is the State Department ambassador-at-large for Global Criminal Justice.

Madame Ambassador, thank you so much for being with us. We appreciate it. You know, there is so much I think was made rightly of what the vice president said over the weekend, accusing the Russians of crimes against humanity in Ukraine. And to me, it just seemed like a very big moment for the United States to make that kind of declaration. And I know covering the Obama-Biden administration, that's not something that the administration would do lightly. It's sort of an off-the-cuff comment type of thing.

What did that say to you, and how meaningful do you think that is to make that kind of accusation and to state it as forcefully as she did?

BETH VAN SCHAACK, STATE DEPARTMENT AMBASSADOR-AT-LARGE FOR GLOBAL CRIMINAL JUSTICE: Yes. Thank you so much for having me and covering this important issue. This is a momentous determination, and these are not off-the-cuff comments. These determinations are following a rigorous examination of information from open sources, from classified sources, as applied against the law. And in this case, the definition of Crimes Against Humanity under international law.

And it was Secretary Blinken who carefully analyzed this material and made a determination, and then we saw Vice President Kamala Harris make this announcement at the Munich Security Conference in front of all the world to see. That indeed the United States accuses Russia of committing crimes against humanity in the war in Ukraine.

ACOSTA: And Russia's state media is quoting the Russian ambassador to the U.S., saying that America has, quote, "turned a blind eye to the atrocities of the Zelenskyy regime against Russian troops." I mean, obviously that's Russian propaganda, this is what they do. But your response to that?

VAN SCHAACK: Well, there's clearly no equivalency here at all. That's the classic litany of propaganda and misinformation, disinformation that we've been hearing from Russia throughout this entire war, even including the justification, quote-unquote, for launching the war or relaunching the war in the first place almost a year ago now.

What we have seen is allegations against Russia's forces really everywhere that they have been deployed, individuals found shot in the back of their head with their hands tied. Credible stories of rape and sexual violence, including against children and elderly persons. Attacks on the civilian infrastructure, et cetera.

So these -- we're seeing these atrocities everywhere that Russia's troops are deployed. And now we have this determination of crimes against humanity involving also Russian political officials. So there really is no equivalency to what the few allegations that we have heard against Ukraine's forces. And in most respects, Ukraine has responded appropriately. They've indicated they're opening an investigation. They've started to gather evidence and they will ensure that their troops are adhering strictly to the laws of war.

ACOSTA: And what are the odds -- I mean, this is unimaginable to think about almost, but what are the odds that we will see any Russians, including high-level Russian officials, held accountable for war crimes in Ukraine? I mean, could you foresee a day where the Russians have had enough, the Kremlin had enough, they pushed Putin out and we could see Putin himself held accountable for that sort of thing?

[18:45:05]

Because at the end of the day, isn't he ultimately responsible for so much of what we have seen in terms of these atrocities in Ukraine?

VAN SCHAACK: That is of course the outcome that we're all hoping for, that eventually the Russian people and other Russian officials will realize that Putin's war in Ukraine has been a disaster, a strategic failure at all levels by any measure. Until then, what we can do is document all of the crimes that are being committed.

The international community has been remarkable in the degree to which it has activated a number of different pathways to justice. So of course, there are investigations in Ukraine. Their courts are open and active, and the prosecutor general has recorded over 65,000 potential incidents that are being investigated with assistance from the international community, including the United States, which is funding a group of experts that are informing the prosecutor general.

Then of course you have the International Criminal Court, which has seized of this matter given Ukraine's consent. And then there are courts around the world that have opened investigations as well with prosecutorial authorities, working together under a joint investigative team within Europe to collect information, collate it, analyze it, prepare potential indictments.

So as soon as Russian perpetrators start to travel, start to leave, get tossed out, make the strategist decision that, you know, I'd rather face justice somewhere than potentially fall out of a window, as we've seen happen.

ACOSTA: Right.

VAN SCHAACK: These are all the long game that we're playing.

ACOSTA: Well, Ambassador, you're doing very important work. Thank you so much for being with us.

Ambassador Beth Van Schaack, I hope I pronounced your name correctly there.

VAN SCHAACK: OK. Thank you. And thanks for calling attention to this issue.

ACOSTA: We appreciate your time very much. Thanks for joining us.

VAN SCHAACK: Thank you.

ACOSTA: All right. In the meantime, inflation has slowed, but prices are still surging. What should you be doing right now to improve your financial situation? We'll talk to an expert about that next.

You're live in the CNN NEWSROOM.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[18:51:25]

ACOSTA: From the grocery store to the utility bill, Americans are still feeling the pinch of inflation. According to the Labor Department's Consumer Price Index, inflation has continued to slow. The annual rate in January stands at 6.4 percent but that's also reflecting a monthly jump of half of a percentage point.

Matt Higgins joins us now. He's an executive fellow and teacher at Harvard Business School and the author of "Burn the Boats." He's also a former guest judge on the TV show "Shark Tank," which is an entertaining program. Very interesting that you spent some time there, as well. All things. He's a man of many hats.

Matt, thanks for joining us.

MATT HIGGINS, EXECUTIVE FELLOW, HARVARD BUSINESS SCHOOL: Thanks for having me.

ACOSTA: Yes. Your book talks about the danger of fear and clearly many Americans are nervous about the economy. Their own finances right now. I mean, that's one thing that I wonder about with this economy is, you know, is it a self-fulfilling prophecy? You know, I also think about this with the moves over at the Fed. Are we just making a recession happen? Are we making inflation worse? What are your thoughts? Or do you think it's -- maybe the worst is over?

HIGGINS: I think completely the opposite. I actually think that we aren't leveling with the American public and I think there are a lot of people with their vested interest in talking about this thing called a soft landing. I don't know what a soft landing is anyway, but all you have to do is look at the data and there are many canaries in the mine. Last year we ended with Americans had a trillion dollars of credit card balances up 15 percent year over year. Our savings rate has gone from pre-pandemic around 9 percent to 3

percent. We're saving less than ever. The number of Americans that are behind on their car payments is, you know, at record levels. 30 percent increase year over year. So the bottom line, the only reason we're not in a recession right now is because we had almost $3 trillion of accumulated savings during the pandemic.

Americans are spending through those savings to make their ends meet and those savings are going to run dry this year, and I think we're due for a really, really painful correction.

ACOSTA: And why are these auto loan defaults the canary in the coalmine as you were saying?

HIGGINS: Because they're sort of the most reflective. We have a tale of two economies. You have the people at the top 20 percent, they're relatively immunized from higher interest rates. They can still finance their cars. The percentage of money they spend on eggs is obviously de minimis, right? But for the rest of Americans, when you're spending 70 percent more for eggs, right, you're now in a car that has negative equity, but you locked in high interest rates, what are the first things you do?

You try to cut back on those monthly payments and you start scrambling. So in 2008, it was, you know, subprime lending. In 2023, I think the leading indicator is those car loans. And there are a lot of people who don't want Americans to feel like a recession is coming because then spending dries up. 70 percent of our GDP in this country is consumer spending and once the consumer pulls back, then that's where the recession really gets underway.

ACOSTA: And you're right about the 2008 financial crisis. I mean, you and I lived through it. And that was part of it. People were -- there were so many parts to it. But people were buying houses that they couldn't afford. They were making additions to their home that they couldn't afford. And it sounds like what you're saying is that people have bitten off more than they can chew in other ways, heading to the current situation that we're in right now which leads me to ask, what should Americans be doing right now?

HIGGINS: Well, let's assume -- let's say I'm wrong. What's the worst- case scenario? You plan for the worst, which is the premise of my book. But at the same time, what are all the nice-to-haves in your life that nice to have that don't need to have? They're most likely going to be cheaper a year from now. So number one, cut back in spending to the extent we can. Don't listen to the experts. You know, batten down the hatchets.

That's what investors are telling their companies anyway. Accumulate cash. You should do the same thing. Number two, preserve your credit capacity because you may need it down in the future.

[18:55:02]

And three, this may be counterintuitive, but try not to pay principal where you can so you could accumulate cash. It's all about accumulating cash so you could can be prepared for the worst.

ACOSTA: All right, Matt Higgins, thank you very much. I'll be thinking about this one. Thanks for your time.

HIGGINS: Thanks for having me.

ACOSTA: And we'll be right back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

ACOSTA: A 4-year-old attending his first hockey game had the whole stadium cheering for him.

CNN's Jeanne Moos explains why.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JEANNE MOOS, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): It was George's first hockey game and the jumbotron ate him up. Detroit Red Wing fans booing. Opposing fans from Vancouver cheering. Every time George came up, even if he didn't quite get it, the opposition. The home team.

George finally cracked a smile and went viral. "King George" they called him. "I see a George bobblehead night." But it didn't give George a big head.

CHELSEA MILLER, GEORGE'S MOTHER: It's like he didn't know it was about him. And just kept saying like, yes, red team is winning.

MOOS: Chelsea Miller describes her 4-year-old son a shy amid a whirlwind of attention.

MILLER: There were probably at least a hundred people that asked to stop to take pictures with him and high fives, and getting autographs even.

MOOS: Mom says they were hoping a sign will get George on camera but they weren't expecting this.

MILLER: Everyone just made it so special for us.

MOOS: University of Michigan Hockey wondered, "George, do you need a Michigan jersey for the next game?" George's grandma here, and he definitely needs a jersey.

George reminded one poster of Mikey. Remember Mikey?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: He likes it. Hey, Mikey.

MOOS: Now, everyone likes George. Even Vancouver fans.

Jeanne Moos, CNN, New York.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

ACOSTA: He is certainly my MVP.