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Longest Living U.S. President Jimmy Carter Begins Hospice Care; Russia Charged With Crimes Against Humanity By The U.S.; Direct Confrontation Of U.S. With China Over Alleged Spy Balloon; Recovery From COVID Is Difficult For China's Economy; North Korea's "Surprise" Drill Launches Long-Range Missile; Norfolk Southern Railway CEO, Alan Shaw, Promises Support To East Palestine, Ohio Residents After Train Derailment Accident; Secretary Of State Antony Blinken To Visit Turkey On Sunday. Aired 3-4a ET

Aired February 19, 2023 - 03:00:00   ET

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

[03:00:00]

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ANNOUNCER: This is CNN. More people get their news from CNN than any other news source.

PAULA NEWTON, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: And a warm welcome to our viewers here in the United States and all around the world. I'm Paula Newton.

Ahead right here on "CNN Newsroom," Former President Jimmy Carter entering hospice care at his home in Georgia. We'll look at what that means. The U.S. and China meet face to face at the Munich Security Conference for the first time since that suspected spy balloon was shot down. We're live from Munich and from Asia with the latest. And why one environmental health expert says, it's best to, "Stay away from the area after the train derailment in East Palestine, Ohio".

ANNOUNCER: Live from CNN center. This is CNN NEWSROOM with Paula Newton.

NEWTON: After a series of short hospital stays, Former U.S. President Jimmy Carter has decided to spend his remaining time at home with his family and receive hospice care. Those words, part of the statement, issued Saturday by the Carter Center about the 98-year-old former president. CNN's Jeff Zeleny has more now from Washington.

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JEFF ZELENY, CNN CHIEF U.S. NATIONAL AFFAIRS CORRESPONDENT: Former President Jimmy Carter, Americas longest living president, at age 98, is now in hospice care. On Saturday afternoon, the Carter Center, his presidential library and museum in Atlanta, announcing that the former president would be spending his days in Plains, Georgia.

They acknowledge that after a series of brief hospital stays, he's going to be spending his time in Plains, that small town about two hours south of Atlanta, really, where he spent his entire life with the exception of his service in the military and his four years here in Washington serving as the nation's 39th president.

Now, he has had many health scares over the years and he has overcome them again and again. Brain cancer, other maladies. But this is a different moment, we're told. He is in hospice care but his life is an extraordinary one. His post presidency, certainly spanning nearly half century, includes building houses with habitat for humanity, traveling around the world to fight hunger issues, to push for democracy issues. And he is, of course, a member of a very unique club here in the United States, the Former Presidents Club.

And if you take a look at these images from the time where Barack Obama was sworn into office in January, 2009. You see that Former President Jimmy Carter here standing a bit off to the side with Former President George W. Bush, George H. W. Bush, Bill Clinton, and of course Barack Obama.

That is a metaphor for how he, sort of, was. He was, sort of, a part from this presidents club. He really marched to his own drum, did his own work, did not live in the elite circles that many former presidents do. He went back to Plains, Georgia and he lived in the same home where he and Rosalynn, his wife of more than 75 years, lived. And they did their own work.

So, his legacy certainly is a strong one. If you walk through the Carter Center in Atlanta, that really comes to life. The work that he has done, really, in all corners of the globe, is extraordinary. But Jimmy Carter in hospice care, we're learning on Saturday. President Biden was alerted to this. He's very close to the former president and the White House is keeping in close contact, we're told, with the Carter family.

Jeff Zeleny, CNN, Washington.

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NEWTON: Now, of course some of us have heard of the term hospice care but we may be not sure exactly what that involves. So, we'll listen now CNN Medical Analyst Dr. Leana Wen. She has more, shall we say, fulsome explanation of what it entails. Listen.

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DR. LEANA WEN, CNN MEDICAL ANALYST: Hospice care is a specialized type of medical care that is focused on ensuring comfort. And so, it focuses on reducing physical pain and also caring for someone's psychological needs, spiritual needs with an interdisciplinary team of providers. So, generally, people who qualify for hospice care are people who are near at the end of their life. People with life expectancy of less than six months, and individuals also who have an incurable medical condition.

This is not about giving up on medical care but rather it's tending to the individual, tending to their caregivers, tending to the family. And it's a type of care, I think that's really heavily underutilized. There are a lot more people who are qualify for hospice care and who would probably benefit from it. And in this case, I'm sure that it was difficult but an important decision that the former president and his family made.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

NEWTON: Now, President Carter's grandson, meantime, says his grandfather is, "At peace with his decision to turn a hospice care." Jason Carter tweeted that his grandparents' home is full of love.

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Georgia Secretary of State, meantime, Brad Raffensperger, tweeted, our prayers are with the Carter family at this time. May they find peace in all that President Carter has contributed throughout his decades of service to Georgia, our nation and our world. The U.S. ambassador to the U.N. Human Right Council, Michele Taylor, saying, President Carter has lived an extraordinary life of service, to his community, his country and the world. Wishing his family peace at this difficult time.

The U.S. has leveled its most serious accusations so far against Russia over its brutal invasion of Ukraine. Now, on Saturday, Vice President Kamala Harris declared that Russian forces were committing crimes against humanity. CNN's Isabel Rosales has the details.

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ISABEL ROSALES, CNN NEWSOURCE NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voiceover): On Saturday, Vice President Kamala Harris said the evidence is clear, outlining Russian crimes against humanity. The declaration came during the Munich Security Conference in Germany where her visit was part of the Biden administration's intense efforts to show commitment to Ukraine's sovereignty and unity among western allies.

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

ROSALES (voiceover): The vice president's speech cited evidence of indiscriminate attacks, deliberately targeted civilians. It includes the bombings of a maternity hospital that killed a pregnant mother, and a theater in Mariupol where hundreds were killed.

HARRIS: Think of the images of Bucha. Civilians shot in cold blood. Their bodies left in the street.

ROSALES (voiceover): Also, in Germany at the conference, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken, who echoed Vice President Harris's speech in a statement, saying the determination was based on a careful analysis of law and of available facts.

ANTONY BLINKEN, U.S. SECRETARY OF STATE: The solidarity with and support for Ukraine remained stronger than ever. And there is a great determination among, virtually (ph), all of the country's represented here to continue that support for as long as it takes for Ukraine to succeed it.

ROSALES (voiceover): The U.S. accusation against Russia comes as February 24th marks one year since Russia launched its war against Ukraine. I'm Isabel Rosales, reporting.

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NEWTON: China also made headlines at the Munich conference with Blinken directly confronting Beijing's top diplomat over the suspected spy balloon shot down by the U.S. in -- two weeks ago. The dramatic meeting took place on the sidelines of that conference and marked the first time Washington has complained to Beijing face to face.

And the balloon, as you can imagine, wasn't the end of the tense exchange. Secretary Blinken also bluntly warned his Chinese counterpart to stay out of Russia's war in Ukraine. Saying, there were disturbing signs Beijing was considering sending weapons and ammo to Moscow. CNN's Nic Robertson is covering the conference for us in Munich, and CNN's Marc Stewart is standing by for us in Tokyo with more from Asia.

But first to you, Nic, you know, the U.S. and China seem to agree only on one thing, right? That the meeting was contentious. One example was, you know, China saying that it was going to try to broker pre -- peace in Ukraine. And the U.S., as I just said, warning of exactly the opposite, that they were seeking to, perhaps, escalate and materially help Russia through us -- through this. What more are we learning?

NIC ROBERTSON, CNN'S INTERNATIONAL DIPLOMATIC EDITOR: Well, it is a concern that China may do more to try to support Russia in the war, in terms of military support, which it isn't doing at the moment. There's no evidence that it is. But that was a concern that was shared here with allies and partners. And I spoke with the European Commission President, Ursula von der Leyen, on this precise issue yesterday, and she said it is an open question.

We are watching quite closely what China does. It is a concern going forward. And there's a realization here that if China does support Russia because it has such a scope and scale of armaments and ammunition that could be supplied to Russia at a time when it really needs them for this war in Ukraine, as well as the potential other elements of the, sort of, hybrid type warfare that Russia is engaging in at the moment, cyberattacks that sort of thing, that China, potentially, here could be a significant game-changer.

There's no evidence but it's a very real concern. And part of the concerns expressed by the White House and the State Department here yesterday are precisely as you say. That on the one hand, China appears to be, sort of, expressing that it can play a role as an intermediary, as a peace bringer. But what Wang Yi said, the Chinese Foreign Minister, when he spoke at the Security Conference yesterday, he said that legitimate security concerns must be addressed.

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Must be acknowledged by the Europeans. The implication, I think, to everyone here is he means, the pretext for which Russia invaded Ukraine, Russia, Putin, claiming that it was under threat from NATO must be part of the piece here. And I think from the White House perspective, the State Department perspective, and for many here, there's a sense that China is saying one thing but maybe doing another. That's going to let it -- get a lot of scrutiny. And, of course, the warning from Secretary of State Blinken to Wang Yi last night that that is a very, very bad path to go down.

NEWTON: Yes, definitely it would escalate what is already an absolutely tragic situation in Ukraine.

Marc, to you now. This was, at least, the start to dialogue, right? China is re-emerging after all on the world stage after COVID. I listened to Wang Yi's speech, it was extraordinary, in a way. Is there a sense that he too wants to put, you know, the whole balloon incident behind them despite the rhetoric that was apparent in his speech?

MARC STEWART, CNN CORRESPONDENT: I mean, at least publicly, Paula, China is being very resolute. It did nothing wrong. And if you look at the statements in Chinese state media over the last few hours, Wang Yi has described this meeting as informal and really has put the burden on the United States to repair what it sees as damage to its relationship.

Again, it maintains that this movement by the balloon, its weight of course was by accident, and that there was nothing nefarious about that. Yet, at the same time, we are seeing perhaps some signals that there is room for diplomacy. For example, the State Department spokesperson said that Secretary Blinken, in his meeting, did keep the door open to a possible conversation between President Biden and Chinese Leader Xi.

So, we are just going to have to see how this unfolds. But I think neither side wants this to be the big sticky foot in a much broader discussion. There are serious political discussions that need to be had in this relationship, as well as economic discussions especially as China reopens and the United States and the world economy really try to regain their footing.

NEWTON: Yes, regain their footing. And as you said, that comes along with, you know, re-emerging on the world stage. Wang Yi is on his way, we should as well, to Russia in the coming days. Marc Stewart for us in Tokyo. Nic Robertson continues to follow that Security Conference for us in Munich. I want to thank you both. Appreciate it.

Now, we are learning more about North Korea's latest long-range missile test, it's third in less a year. State tv reports an intercontinental ballistic missile was fired on Saturday in a surprise drill under the written orders of Leader Kim Jong-un. The test comes a day after Pyongyang warned the U.S. and South Korea of, "Unprecedented strong responses if they go ahead with planned military drills". We get more now from CNN's Will Ripley.

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WILL RIPLEY, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: North Korea always conducts these kinds of highly provocative tests for a reason. Could they have been doing it because of the G7 Foreign Ministers' meeting at the Munich Security Conference? Did they want to get the attention of, you know, the leaders of places like the U.S., Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the U.K., the E.U.?

Well, they certainly did get it. They got a statement from the G7 members, strongly condemning North Korea's launch of what is to believe to be an intercontinental ballistic missile, an ICBM, like the one that they launched back in November that traveled around 22 times the speed of sound, could potentially hit the U.S. mainland, Japan has warned, and was in the air for more than an hour.

Now, this was essentially the same statistics with preliminary information. Today's -- you know, Saturdays launch from that November launch which was later determined to be a Hwasong-17. But the question now is that, is this an old North Korean ICBM or is it something new? Because remember last week, they had a military parade in Pyongyang. They have showed an apparent mockup of new solid fueled ICBMs, solid fueled dangerous because they can fill it up and launch it very quickly without spy satellites getting a glimpse of it, kind of a surprise attack sort of thing.

And North Korean Leader Kim Jong-un wants to build a lot of these, wants to mass produce them. Also on Friday, North Korea threatened the U.S. and South Korea over these upcoming military drills that are going to be happening computer simulations. They call them table top drills at the Pentagon. But then next month, boots on the ground drills on the Korean Peninsula.

So, don't be surprised. A lot of Korea watchers say if North Korea steps things up, I mean, they've certainly with an ICBM launch, they're sending a strong message and world leaders are listening. But the question, is what can they really do to stop them? Will Ripley, CNN, Taipei.

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NEWTON: Still ahead for us. the railroad company is promising to help the Ohio community where that train derailed carrying toxic chemicals. But is it enough? We'll get some insights from an expert, that's coming up.

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NEWTON: The CEO of Norfolk Southern Rail company is promising to help the East Palestine, Ohio, "Recover and thrive again." Those comments come as he visited the site where that train carrying hazardous materials derailed two weeks ago. CNN's Polo Sandoval has our story.

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POLO SANDOVAL, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Norfolk Southern is a rail company that the USCPA says will be held accountable because of its role in this disaster. The company for its part on Saturday tweeting, reminded that they said that they will not be walking away from the situation. In fact, on Saturday also tweeting a link to an air testing service for businesses and homes in the area, free of charge, and also saying that they will be in it for the long haul.

But still, this is doing little to a assure many of the residents of East Palestine, including some that have reported some symptoms like sore throats, nausea, feeling headaches. They're worried that these symptoms could potentially be linked to the chemicals that were released at the derailment in early February.

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And even after authorities have said that multiple tests have shown no elevated levels of chemicals in drinking water or in the air, there are still many concerns that remain from residents there in eastern Ohio.

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 was safe.

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

SANDOVAL: Late Friday, federal officials announced that FEMA will be supplementing the federal response on the ground in the coming days in the form of a senior response official. Also, a regional incident management assistance team. The goal will be to assess the long-term needs for members of the community there.

They can also expect authorities to set up -- to bring up clinics potentially there to provide medical personnel and also toxicologists an opportunity to evaluate some of these individuals that have come forward with some of these symptoms that may potentially be linked to the events of earlier this month. Polo Sandoval, CNN, New York.

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NEWTON: Peter DeCarlo is an environmental health professor at Johns Hopkins University and he joins me now from Washington, D.C. And thanks for joining us on what has been an upsetting story, not just for the community there, but for people all across the country and beyond who've been watching this. Now, you're under record saying that despite best efforts, the right test may not have been carried out so far for this community to really feel safe. In your estimation, what kind of tests are lacking?

PETER DECARLO, ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH PROFESSOR, JOHN HOPKINS UNIVERSITY: So, I'm basing that off the publicly available information that's on the EPA response website. The EPA differentiates between monitoring and air sampling, and they've been doing both. Monitoring seems to be what is heavily relied upon, especially in screening people's homes. And it's the data that's mostly reported on that response website.

And the problem with monitoring data is it doesn't give us chemical specificity. It doesn't tell us what chemicals are present and at what concentrations. It gives us an idea of generally how much of a class of chemicals is there, but it doesn't specify the specific chemicals. And that's what's important to understand exposure and potential toxicity.

NEWTON: Yes, I mean, as you're talking, we're looking at a video from this week where they had gone in and tried to do some of this testing. You know, the burning of the chemicals was perhaps necessary, right? They went through this. They had to do that so that there wasn't an explosion.

But people who claimed to know what they're saying, saying -- are saying, look, residents it's fine, you know, can go back. It's safe. And yet residents are unsettled. They still smell chemicals. They're wondering what's going on with the water. And they're being told, look it couldn't hurt to open your windows, wipe down all your surfaces. It doesn't inspire confidence. Do you think that the residents are wrong here to feel this unease?

DECARLO: I mean, I can't argue with a resident who is having a livid (ph) experience right now and feeling the way that they are feeling. I think, as you brought up, the burning of the vinyl chloride, I think, is something that really throws, kind of, a wrench into understanding what chemicals are present. Because as soon as you burn something, it's no longer that chemical anymore.

And so, while we know that it was vinyl chloride on the train, that black plume of smoke that I think we've all seen coming from that controlled burn is no longer vinyl chloride. And so, it creates a whole host of other potential chemicals that we also have to start thinking about and their potential toxicity. And I think those are some unanswered questions that we don't really have the data for at this point.

NEWTON: Yes, and you bring up another good point. And do you trust the system and the process and the regulatory oversight? You point out that perhaps maybe even the staffing levels are an issue here. And that could be right down the line, whether it's from regulatory bodies at the state and the local levels or also from the railroad. Do you think that could be a problem or something that we have to look at in future so that this doesn't happen again?

DECARLO: I mean, I don't know how many people are on the ground. I don't know that it's understaffed. But I do know that the data available seems to be lacking. The air sampling data, we haven't seen updates on that for quite some time and we certainly haven't seen data from samples taken at the accident and downwind of the accident site in terms of air sampling, in terms of the chemicals that are being released to that people are potentially exposed to.

[03:25:00]

And without that data, it's really hard to know what people should be worried about and what next steps maybe. But it's -- from reports on the ground, from people who live there and who have come back, there are certainly still odors and chemicals present in the area. And that worries me.

NEWTON: And if that worries you as a scientist, you know, they're looking at common sense, right? If I can smell it, some people say they feel it in their throat or in their nose. Is that cause for concern?

DECARLO: Quite possibly. I mean, there are chemicals that we can smell. There are chemicals that we can't smell. And it really comes to down to being able to measure those and understand what's in the environment.

And I really want to stress, it's probably most important to know what's in people's homes? What, from that accident, may have gotten into people's homes or into the soil that people track into their homes? With small children, I would always be worried about what they're getting into and their potential exposure is. Because ultimately, they're -- they are some of the more vulnerable people to be exposed to these types of chemicals.

As an environmental engineer and scientist who measures these types of chemicals, I think, I personally would want to not come back. And honestly, it sounds like the bill for hotels is being footed by the -- by Norfolk Southern. And if that's still the case, I would maybe want to extend that time away from the area until I knew more.

NEWTON: Uh-huh.

DECARLO: And it really comes down to if there are children involved, as you mentioned, pregnant women, people who are, you know -- the consequences of having exposure that could be really detrimental, I would especially exercise caution there.

NEWTON: Yes, certainly. Your opinion is really sobering, actually, and likely quite prudent. And we have to say, it's a major inconvenience just to move your life to a hotel in the first place but you're trying to do it for safety for your family. Peter DeCarlo, I want to thank you for your insights on this.

DECARLO: Thank you for having me.

NEWTON: Ahead for us, a difficult decision by the oldest living U.S. president. Jimmy Carter begins hospice care at his Georgia home, we have details on that after the break. And the U.S. Secretary of State will travel to Turkey in the next few hours to survey the earthquake damage affecting an important NATO ally. We'll have a live report from Istanbul.

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NEWTON: And a warm welcome back for our viewers here in the United States and around the world. I'm Paula Newton and you are watching "CNN Newsroom".

I want to update a story now that we are working on. Former U.S. President Jimmy Carter has decided to begin hospice care at his Georgia home after battling deteriorating health for some time. Now, Carter is 98 years old, the nation's oldest living president. He beat brain cancer in 2015, then faced a series of health challenges in 2019.

His grandson, Former Georgia State Senator Jason Carter, says the former president is "At peace with the decision". Adding that his grandparents' home is full of love. Carter was the 39th president of the U.S., serving one term from 1977 to 1981. After leaving office, he founded the Carter Center and has devoted his life to advancing world peace, health and human rights.

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken will be visiting Turkey in the coming hours, while there, he'll get a look at the rescue and recovery efforts and the damage from the devastating earthquake that hit about two weeks ago.

Now, the death toll in Turkey alone rising to more than 40,000, according to the most recent figures in the Turkish Disaster Management Agency. Now, across the border meantime in Syria, more than 5,800 people are dead. The majority of them in rebel held areas, that's according to the United Nations.

Now, for more on the story in the latest developments on the ground in Turkey, we are joined by CNN's Nada Bashir. Good to see you, again, Nadia as you -- Nada, as you continue to follow this story. So, we have Antony Blinken arriving there, and it will be sobering for him as it has been for so many. These rescues that continued to go on, certainly, it points to the resiliency of those people that have been trapped for so long. And of course, the rescuers who have been indefatigable through all this. But there's so much more to do, still, right, for the survivors?

NADA BASHIR, CNN REPORTER: Absolutely, this is going to be a long challenge ahead for the survivors and also, of course, for the Turkish government. We heard yesterday from the foreign minister here in Turkey, thanking members of the International Community who flew in to support in that search and rescue effort.

Thousands of personnel on the ground in Southeast Turkey continuing with that effort. But of course, although we have seen survivors being rescued into the weekend, in fact, we continue to see survivors being pulled from the rubble, those rescues are becoming few and far between. And the window for finding survivors is certainly closing very, very quickly.

And now, the focus is somewhat shifting to providing support to those who did survive. Thousands of them left homeless, currently living in difficult situations, freezing temperatures. Many of them have lost absolutely everything on top of losing their loved ones. This will be a difficult few weeks and months ahead.

The Turkish government, for its part, has said it is committed to rebuilding parts of Southeast Turkey within one year. They say, they plan to start building 30,000 apartments by March. So, this is going to be a significant challenge but the Turkish government already preparing for those plans and getting those plans underway.

At this stage, we are still seeing aid being funneled into Turkey and that is crucial. The message we're hearing from aid groups (ph) is that they need more donations, they need more support. And that is certainly coming in, not only from the International Community but all across Turkey. We have seen a ground swell of support.

And the United Nations has been very clear. They say, now is the time for the world to stand behind Turkey. U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres announcing a flash appeal for $1 billion over the next three months in aid to Turkey. That comes after an appeal for nearly $400 million for Northwest Syria over the next three months. So, that aid will be crucial in supporting those impacted by the earthquake.

[03:35:00]

But here in Turkey, I have to say, there is a sense of frustration, there is also a sense of anger. For some, many questioning whether enough was to prepare for a catastrophe at this scale. And also, of course, some questioning now the accountability that'll be behind the destruction of many of these buildings in Southeast Turkey. Questions around the construction code and whether or not rules were followed.

The Turkish government, for its part, is carrying out of an investigation. They say, they have so far arrested 120 out of more than 400 identified suspects connected with allegations of construction negligence. But that in itself will also be a long process. And for those who have lost everything, for those still waiting for news of their loved ones buried beneath the rubble, this may not be enough solace for them. Paula.

NEWTON: Yes, I mean, just everything that you just gone through there, everything that we reviewed is overwhelming to us, never mind if you are a survivor there and already in marginalized area of Turkey trying to figure out where you go from here. Yes, and we certainly hope that there are plans that they will hear of in the coming days and weeks. Nada Bashir for us, appreciate the update.

Now in Idlib, Syria, a makeshift camp has been set up near a city stadium for people displaced by the earthquake. Many of those staying in the camp say they feel safer there rather than staying indoors.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UM HASSAN, EARTHQUAKE SURVIVOR (through translator): We left our houses because of the earthquake. The house next door fell on our neighbors and our house cracked. We are very scared of aftershocks. Yesterday, there was a strong tremor, so we live in the camp.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

NEWTON: Yes, as she points out, there are still tremors going on there. Now, for more information on how to help the earthquake victims go to CNN.com/impact, you'll find a list of organizations working on rescue and relief efforts.

Now, the U.S. military along with Syrian Democratic Forces conducted a helicopter raid in Eastern Syria, early Saturday, capturing an ISIS official. The U.S. Central Command says, the official was involved with planning attacks on detention centers and manufacturing explosives. CENTCOM says, no one was killed or injured in that operation. It comes two days after a senior ISIS leader was killed and four U.S. troops injured in another helicopter raid.

Ukraine is urgently requesting more ammunition from its allies to fend off a wave of attacks from Russia. Now, in the east, Russian troops and mercenaries are claiming they captured a village near Bakhmut, but the Ukrainian military says, its forces are still fighting to repel that offensive, which they acknowledged has been a tall order. Listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE (through translator): To be honest, the situation is difficult. The enemy is using a lot of resources and soldiers. You can see the situation on the front. Everyone can see it. How strong and how quick we push them back. No one thought we'd survive, let alone win.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

NEWTON: In the south, meantime, Russia appears to be sending more mercenaries to the front lines. The Ukrainian mayor of occupied Melitopol shared the video you're looking at there. It's those busses passing through his city. He claims they were transporting, in his words, cannon fodder to Zaporizhzhia.

Now, the possibility of dying in battle has alarmed thousands of Russian civilians, so much so that many are now fleeing their homeland and finding refuge in other countries. Some have journeyed all the way to North America to seek asylum in the United States. CNN's Rafael Romo has their stories.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

RAFAEL ROMO, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voiceover): Anatolia Takhtorav says he already knows where he wants to build his new life.

ANATOLIA TAKHTORAV, RUSSIAN MIGRANT: There is many Russians in Los Angeles. My friends, Pavel and Sergei, they want to go to New York.

ROMO (voiceover): The migrant from Moscow is staying at a shelter in the Mexican City of Reynosa along across the border from McAllen, Texas along with two other Russian friends. Getting to this side of the world, he says, was not easy.

TAKHTORAV (voiceover): From Moscow to Minsk, Belarus, then Istanbul.

ROMO (voiceover): After arriving in Istanbul, he says he traveled to Madrid before flying across the Atlantic to the Mexican beach resort of Cancun and then making the trip to Reynosa. His 26-year-old friend Sergei Zhustarev, who's also from Moscow, is not shy about the reason why he left his native country.

SERGEI ZHUSTAREV, RUSSIAN MIGRANT: I don't want fight and kill people. I don't want fight for the terrorist Putin.

ROMO (voiceover): At the shelter, they were joined by Pavel Fedorov, who says he left his dentistry practice in Moscow as an act of defiance against his country's leader in a war that has become a threat for everybody.

[03:40:00]

PAVEL FEDOROV, RUSSIAN MIGRANT: For men, especially at 18 to 65, this is -- you are a soldier. No immigration, no pass, stay in Russia. Too much people in Georgia, Armenia, Mongolia.

ROMO (voiceover): During the first months of the war, Russian men fled in droves to neighboring countries like Georgia.

ROMO (on camera): But some Russians have decided safety can only be found on this side of the world. The migrants staying at the shelter in Reynosa are only three among tens of thousands who have made the long trip in the last year after the invasion started. Many have applied for asylum and say they hope to build a new life in the United States far away from the war and Putin.

ROMO (voiceover): According to U.S. Customs and Border Protection figures, the number of Russians who crossed the southern U.S. border last fiscal year when the Ukraine invasion started grew by more than 430 percent compared with the year before. Back at the shelter, Zhustarev reflects on the hard decision he had to make.

ZHUSTAREV: Very difficult. I have three daughter, wife -- young wife. Very hard.

ROMO (voiceover): He says he hopes both of them will be able to join him soon to build a new life together in New York. Rafael Romo, CNN, Atlanta.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

NEWTON: California authorities are revealing new details about a man facing hate crime charges in connection with antisemitic shootings last week in Los Angeles. We'll have an update for you right after the break.

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NEWTON: Authorities say, the suspect in the shooting of two Jewish men in Los Angeles was previously in trouble for bringing a gun on a college campus. 28-year-old Jaime Tran is facing hate crime charges after evidence showed he chose his victims because they were Jewish. Camila Bernal now in Los Angeles has our story.

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(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE) CAMILA BERNAL, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Authorities say, both of these shootings were targeted. One happened on Wednesday, the other one on Thursday, but both victims were Jewish men walking home from the synagogue. Authorities say, that when the man was arrested, this 28- year-old man, he admitted to the shootings and said that he came to this area, he was looking for Kosher Markets (ph) and targeted his victims because of their head gear.

Authorities also looking into his past and they say that there is antisemitic behavior there. He sent messages to his classmates, both vie e-mail and text messages, expressing hate and also threatening his classmates. The U.S. attorney that's in charge of this case vowing to bring justice. Here he is.

MARTIN ESTRADA, U.S. ATTORNEY, LOS ANGELES: For the past two days, our community has experienced two horrific acts. An individual motivated by antisemitism, hatred for people in the Jewish community committed two tremendously horrible acts. Targeting individuals because of their Jewish faith. Targeting two victims as they departed from religious services.

BERNAL: And one of the victims of one of these shootings speaking out and telling his friends that he is lucky to be alive. He has gone back to the synagogue and said that this motivated him to pray even more. But the big picture here is that the community is in fear. So many people say, yes, I am thankful, and it's good that this man was arrested, but they are still worried about their children, their husbands walking around on a Saturday.

They say that they will likely live in fear for the next couple of weeks because of what happened. And they're worried about the next attack on members of their community. Camila Bernal, CNN, Los Angeles.

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NEWTON: In Michigan, funeral services have been held for two of the three students killed in the mass shooting at Michigan State University. Brian Fraser and Alexandria Verner were laid to rest on Saturday, the third student, Arielle Anderson will be remembered at a service on Tuesday.

Now, this weekend the victims were honored at a pair of college basketball games. Fans, you see them there, held silent tributes and waved signs in support for the school. Three students died after a gunman opened fire on the campus last Monday. Five people were wounded and remain hospitalized. It's still unclear why the shooter targeted the university.

All right, there's much more ahead for us here on CNN NEWSROOM, including an unusual scientific project that reveals new details about the works of one of the world's most important painters. You will want to see this.

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[03:50:00] NEWTON: So, a new dunk champion, there he goes, has been crowned at the NBA all-star weekend. Philadelphia guard Mac McClung stole the show this Saturday with, yes, a series of jaw-dropping, you just saw our highlights in that dunk contest. He easily won the title after recording three perfect scores in four attempts.

Now, to cap it off an entertaining Saturday night in Utah which also featured the hometown team of winning the skills challenge. And Portland star, Damian Lillard are taking home the three-point shooting title. The action will continue tonight for the highly anticipated all-star game. All smiles there.

Now, the women's basketball star, meantime, who spent 10 months in a Russian prison will reportedly make a return to the court. Brittney Griner has signed a one-year deal to play with the Phoenix Mercury for the upcoming season, according to ESPN and The Athletic. Griner played for the team in 2021 and helped lead them to the finals.

You'll remember she was arrested in Russia for drug smuggling last February and sentenced to nine years in prison but was released in December through a prisoner swap. Phoenix are scheduled for their season opener on May 19th, and what a welcome to the court it will be for her.

Now, the 17th century Dutch painter Johannes Vermeer is known as the master of light. And now his artwork has been subjected to a new kind of scrutiny that will be featured for the first time and likely the last time at an exhibit at Amsterdam's Rijksmuseum. Nick Glass explains in this CNN exclusive.

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NICK GLASS, CNN CONTRIBUTOR (voiceover): For a glorious 90 minutes, we had the place to ourselves. Vermeer's paintings, their beauty, their size demand intimacy and quiet. And here was an opportunity to spend quality time with his most famous creation.

GLASS (on camera): This is rare. I've been an arts scholar (ph) for something like 20 years, and to be alone with a painting like this "Girl With a Pearl Earring", it's extraordinary and she's not alone.

GLASS (voiceover): The Rijksmuseum has pulled off an astonishing artistic coup, the greatest Vermeer show of this or any other lifetime, 28 of the 34 to 37 attributed works. Vermeer himself would never have seen so many of his paintings altogether in one place.

TACO DIBBITS, DIRECTOR, RIJKSMUSEUM: It's very exciting. I've kind of had this dream of having all the paintings together. Obviously, there are only about 37 paintings by Vermeer but having 28 here is just something we would have never saw possible.

GLASS (on camera): "The Lacemaker" from the Louvre in Paris, "Girl With the Red Hat" from the National Gallery in Washington, "Girl Reading a Letter at an Open Window" from the Gemaldegalerie in Dresden, Germany.

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GREGOR WEBER, CO-CURATOR, RIJKSMUSEUM: Remember that I saw for the first time two paintings by Vermeer from the National Gallery London, and I think I fainted a little bit with such a glowing light in the paintings. And since then, I feel busy with Vermeer.

GLASS (voiceover): Vermeer has been under intense scrutiny in another way in the lab under infrared and other light. They've adapted specialist techniques first used by NASA to map minerals on Mars and the moon. It amounts to non-invasive fine art archeology.

IGE VERSLYPE, PAINTINGS CONSERVATOR, RIKSMUSEUM: It's as if you're looking over his shoulder and seeing what he's doing.

GLASS (voiceover): We didn't know it, but Vermeer never stopped experimenting.

ANNA KREKELER, PAINTINGS CONSERVATOR, RIJKSMUSEUM: If you see the underlying paint layers for example, the underpaint, he really put on kind of fast and rough brush strokes to define light and shadow. For example, in the tablecloth, you have areas where he -- where there's black underpaint like here and here, at the darkest shadows. And then on top where the light hits the table, he used a wide underpaint.

GLASS (on camera): And behind her on the wall?

KREKELER: Here was a fire basket, a large element to dry your clothes, and then here was a dark rag with ducks hanging on it.

GLASS (voiceover): We've known for a long time that Vermeer was a genius with paints and a brush, but only now are we beginning to understand how precisely he did it.

Nick Glass, CNN, at the Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam.

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NEWTON: I confess I've seen that story several times now and a can't get enough each and every time of the art. I'm Paula Newton. Thank you for your company. Kim Brunhuber, my friend and colleague picks things up from here. We'll have more CNN NEWSROOM in just a moment.

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