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Advocates Calls for Gender-Sensitive Products to be Included in Aid; Millions of Americans Under Winter Weather Alerts; Putin Delivers Speech Marking One Year Anniversary of Russia-Ukraine War; Supreme Court Hears Gonzalez V. Google. Aired 3-4a ET

Aired February 22, 2023 - 03:00   ET

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

[03:00:00]

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

PAULA NEWTON, CNN HOST: A warm welcome to our viewers here in the United States and around the world, I'm Paula Newton. Ahead right here on "CNN Newsroom," Joe Biden and Vladimir Putin deliver dueling speeches just days before the first anniversary of Russia's invasion of Ukraine. We are live in Poland with the latest.

Plus, we'll discuss why the earthquake in Turkey and Syria puts women at risk of period poverty and how aid workers can better meet their needs.

And more than 65 million people -- look at that map -- are under winter alerts right across the United States. We will have a live report from the Weather Center.

So, in the hours ahead, U.S. President Joe Biden will wrap his final day in Poland meeting with NATO secretary general and leaders of the group known as the Bucharest Nine for the eastern part of that NATO alliance. And this comes one day after Mr. Biden delivered a rallying cry declaring Ukraine will never be a victory for Russia. He repeatedly called out Vladimir Putin by name and just as he did a day earlier in Kyiv, he again vowed unwavering support for Ukraine.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JOE BIDEN, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA: One year ago, the world was bracing for the fall of Kyiv. Well, I've just come from a visit to Kyiv and I can report Kyiv stands strong. Kyiv stands proud. It stands tall, and most importantly it stands free.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

NEWTON: CNN's Kevin Liptak is following these developments and he joins us now from Warsaw. It's good to have you on the ground there Kevin. And given what Biden has been saying in his speeches, but also the diplomacy he's been doing.

You know, he sees NATO, he says, as likely the most consequential alliance in history. And yet there are risks upcoming in terms of that NATO alliance holding its unity. What are his goals today when he doses meet with the Bucharest Nine?

KEVIN LIPTAK, CNN WHITE HOUSE REPORTER: Well, I think he really wants to reiterate to these leaders from these nine countries along the eastern flank that the U.S. remains committed to this alliance. He said yesterday that NATO was the most consequential alliance in American history. And it is true, Paula, that this conflict in Ukraine really has given NATO a new purpose.

There were some questions about it in the last couple of decades. Now NATO does remain united. And I think President Biden will really want to emphasize that this conflict is not over. And you heard him say yesterday that there could be bitter days ahead, really trying to steal his partners in eastern Europe, in Ukraine, and in the United States for what will be an uncertain phase of this war.

That's according to American officials at least, who say that we are now entering a more complex part of this conflict as Russia prepares for an offensive, as Ukraine seeks to regain some of the territory that it's lost over the last year. President Biden really wants to show that the United States remains in this fight, at least in terms of the support in the months and potentially years ahead.

And I do think that that is sort of the looming undercurrent of this trip as President Biden prepares to return to Washington after what really has been quite a momentous three days on the ground here. That is the question, how will this war end? We don't really have a picture of what the endgame will be. Nothing President Biden said in his speech yesterday offered any more clarity on that front, and so that will be a question as we move ahead, Paula.

NEWTON: Again, how to hold it together, that alliance through might be a conflict that will last certainly months and possibly years. Kevin Liptak for us on the ground in Warsaw. Appreciate it.

Now, the president of Poland, meantime, says he is thankful to U.S. President Joe Biden and to U.S. lawmakers and the American people for supporting Ukraine. The two leaders held talks in Warsaw Tuesday and of course, as we were saying, they'll meet again in the coming hours.

Now, in an exclusive interview, the Polish president told CNN's Christiane Amanpour the Biden surprise visit to the Ukrainian capital on Monday sent a powerful signal.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ANDRZEJ DUDA, PRESIDENT OF POLAND (through translation): To the very thing that the president traveled to Kyiv, that he was there, it sends an incredibly powerful signal, a political and strategic signal. It is a demonstration of strength of the United States indeed.

[03:04:59]

It is like saying that the American leader, who is a matter of fact, is the leader of the free world, is able to travel even where war is raging, even to a place where there is a potential danger. He is not afraid because the United States is strong enough to protect him. That is number one. And number two, he was there and today he is in Warsaw. He gives his speech to the whole world.

And he sends a signal of the defense of the free world, and the defense of NATO, of the defense of every inch of the territory as the president said today. So, to us, to Pols, this American signal, this allied signal not only within NATO, but first of all, a signal sent by the greatest superpower in the world, a signal sent by our friend and ally today is so significant.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

NEWTON: Now, you can see Christiane Amanpour's full interview with Poland's president later today, 7:00 p.m. in Warsaw, 6:00 p.m. London time.

Meantime, in Moscow this hour, Russian Vladimir Putin, we are still trying to parse that speech that he delivered, and that was Tuesday. And announced in fact that Russia was suspending a nuclear arms control treaty with Washington. He also argued that it's the west that is to blame for escalating the situation in Ukraine, claiming it wants to make the conflict even wider.

CNN's Clare Sebastian is live with us in London and our Kristie Lu Stout, pardon me, is following China's diplomatic efforts from Hong Kong. Clare, we are going to go to you first just to kind of give us an overview of Putin's speech, which I have to say was not quite as (inaudible) or menacing as others have been in the past. And yet, to the audience, he certainly made some clear declarations, especially when it came to nuclear security.

CLARE SEBASTIAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yeah, Paula, it was very long. There was a lot of domestic business in there as well interspersed. And it revealed really that the grievances that caused him to launch the war a year ago are pretty much all still there, which I suppose could show, could be an admission of sorts that he hasn't achieved any of his goals.

He talked about NATO expansion. He talked about U.S. imperialism. He talked about unproven claims of the need to de-Nazify Ukraine. He buried the really the only major headline at the very end of the speech, which is that Russia is now suspending its participation in the New START treaty though not withdrawing from that treaty. Take a listen to how he talked about that.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

VLADIMIR PUTIN, PRESIDENT OF RUSSIA (through translation): They want to inflict a strategic defeat on us and climb all over our nuclear facilities. So, I'd like to make the announcement today that Russia is suspending its participation in the START Treaty.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SEBASTIAN: It was interesting that he talks about this -- the idea of a strategic defeat. President Biden was at pains in his speech in Warsaw to deny that the U.S.'s goal is to destroy Russia. That was something that President Macron of France has also denied in the past week or so. But this is something that Russia feels gives it the right to up its nuclear threats.

That may also, of course, reveal its limited options going forward. But in that vein, to U.S. officials speaking to our colleagues in Washington, believe that around the time that President Biden visited Ukraine or just before, Russia did test an intercontinental ballistic missile, the Sarmat. It's capable of delivering nuclear warheads.

They believe that that test failed, otherwise, we may have heard more about it in Putin's speech. But that does show that Russia, amidst its difficulties in Ukraine, does want to reinforce that it still has that nuclear leverage, Paula.

NEWTON: Yeah, nuclear leverage that it will hang on to. Kristie, to you now, in terms of what Putin has been looking for in the last few months of this conflict, one of them is support from China. And at this hour, China's top diplomat happens to be in Moscow.

KRISTIE LU STOUT, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yeah, China's top diplomat, Wang Yi, is in Moscow. He is due to speak with Sergey Lavrov, the foreign minister of Russia, any moment now. This is according to Russian state news agency TASS. And the Kremlin has not ruled out the possibility of a meeting between Wang Yi and the Russian president, Vladimir Putin.

The ministry of foreign affairs has said this visit is an opportunity for both sides to exchange views on the relationship as well as international hot spot issues which would of course include the war in Ukraine.

Now on Tuesday, Wang Yi met with the head of Russia's security council. They discussed an opposition to the Cold War mentality. They also expressed a desire to strengthen cooperation. They also discussed a situation in Ukraine, though no specifics were given.

This meeting, this visit and the entire relationship between China and Russia is under immense international scrutiny. Last weekend, the U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken warned Wang Yi of consequences if China were to go forward and provide material support to Russia for its invasion in Ukraine.

And China has fired back repeatedly and is also now accusing the U.S. of sabotage. I want to show you this op-ed from the "Global Times," it's a state-run tabloid from China. In it says, this quote, "The U.S. has been wearing thick tinted glasses to view China-Russia friendly tries from the very beginning. The suspicions, provocation and sabotage from Washington toward China-Russia ties have never stopped, and now they have reached a peak because of the conflict," unquote.

[03:10:07]

And finally, Paula, just perhaps underscoring the no limits relationship between China and Russia, the "Wall Street Journal" is reporting that Xi Jinping, the Chinese leader, is currently planning a visit to Moscow for a summit with Vladimir Putin, a meeting that could take place in April or in May, back to you.

NEWTON: Okay, Kristie Lu Stout for us in Hong Kong. And now we continue to follow the developments in Moscow, and Clare Sebastian, appreciate your input there from London.

Now to a developing story this hour. South Korea's military says it believes North Korea is capable of firing an intercontinental ballistic missile further than ever before. And it's preparing to prove that with an upcoming test, a goal to put pressure on the U.S. The new warning comes just days after North Korea carried out the third known test of its long range Hwasong-15 ICBM in less than a year.

Okay, still ahead for us, protesters say they were brutally tortured in secret detention centers right across Iran. You'll want to see our exclusive report, next.

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NEWTON: Over the past five months, tens of thousands of Iranians have taken to the streets in nationwide protest ever since a 22-year-old woman died in state custody. Mahsa Amini had been arrested for not wearing her head scarf correctly. In December, a CNN investigation found evidence of a push by Iranian authorities to condemn an execute protesters using sham trials and forced confessions.

Now, Iranian human rights organizations tell CNN at least 60 protesters were executed in January alone. Now, in a special report, CNN has found more than three dozen so-called black sites or illegal detention centers that Iran has used to dole out the worst, most barbaric torture. CNN spoke with more than two dozen survivors, whose stories corroborate a clear methodology of unprecedented torture.

Our chief international investigative correspondent, Nima Elbagir, has the exclusive report. And we must warn you, it contains graphic descriptions of torture and sexual violence.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

NIMA ELBAGIR, CNN CHIEF INTERNATIONAL INVESTIGATIVE CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): For the last six weeks, Kayvan Samadi has been on the run. Each night he moves to a different safehouse. Brutally tortured for 21 days at the hands of the Iranian regime, he is terrified they will find him.

His crime, organizing medics to help wounded protesters. But even with this fear of being tracked down, Samadi still wants to identify himself. He wants to show the regime they didn't break him.

KAYVAN SAMADI, MEDICAL STUDENT (through translation): I set up a group of underground medics. We treated around 700 people. The regime was committing war crimes, forbidding treatment to the injured. I promised my friends to fight for them.

ELBAGIR (voice-over): His friends, like so many Iranians, have been on the streets protesting against the clerical regime that has for so long dictated their lives. For his defiance, Samadi, a medical student, was picked up by Iranian Security Forces and brought to a black site. A clandestine interrogation facility outside the rule of law where many survivors tell CNN, forced confessions are extracted through the most brutal of torture methods.

These forced confessions have at times been used in court to execute protesters for crimes against the state. Samadi refused to sign what he believed would be his death warrant.

SAMADI (through translation): Why should I have signed something that I haven't done? I'm not a terrorist, not a murder or a saboteur. I only saved lives. That's it. My team and I did nothing more.

ELBAGIR (voice-over): Unlike so many other victims of torture that CNN interviewed, Samadi was not blindfolded during his detention. Based on his testimony, CNN commissioned the following images to take you inside the ordeal that he and so many other Iranian protesters have been subjected to.

SAMADI (voice-over): I was forced into a building hidden by trees next to a girl's school. On the first day, the two guards kicked me, I vomited blood. Each day the torture got worse. There was a closet in the corner of the room filled with torture tools, electric cattle prods, different cutters, some syringes.

They drugged me. They wanted me to stay alive longer to torture me more. The guards started kissing me and licking my neck. They touched my genitals and my buttocks. On day 16 of my arrest, I descended into hell.

SAMADI (through translation): They tied my hands and shackled my legs. They wanted to break me, to destroy me. They pulled my trousers down. I thought we were going to give me an electric shock again. I couldn't believe they were going to do this. He took the baton and went behind me. I was waiting to be beaten up. He kissed my neck and shoved the baton into my anus. And he said this is what us soldiers of the revolution do to gay boys like you. I was shocked and didn't know what to do. I couldn't even scream. I was dumbstruck and just cried in silence.

ELBAGIR (on camera): I can see the dark circles around your eyes. Do you sleep?

SAMADI: I'm sorry.

ELBAGIR (voice-over): Samadi believes that if had signed the false confession as the guards wanted him to, then they would have hanged him for treason. He doesn't know why his torturers released him. He thinks they wanted him to die on the streets. A chilling warning to others.

[03:19:58]

Based on Samadi's detailed eyewitness testimony and cross referencing with satellite imagery, CNN has been able to locate the black site where he says he was tortured. In his hometown of Oshnavieh. These are the trees that hide the unnamed building he was brought into. And these is the girl's school where he heard children playing in the courtyard.

But this is not the only black site. Cross referencing testimony from over two dozen sources with satellite images, CNN found dozens of these black sites, which could be divided into two types. Undeclared illegal jails inside government facilities such as military bases and intelligence centers, and makeshift clandestine jails that typically crop up temporarily near protest sites.

For instance, in this city known for its religious pilgrimage sites, they've been using some mosque as detention centers, according to multiple sources CNN spoke with. This pattern can be seen in different cities across the country. In Sanandaj, we found at least six unofficial detention centers, Zahedan, five and Tehran, the capital, where CNN was also able to locate eight different pop-up torture sites.

After speaking to dozens of eyewitnesses who were tortured in these different unofficial detention centers, the barbaric treatment used on Samadi was not unique. His experience tallies with other eye witness testimony.

UNKNOWN: Called me a slut.

UNKNOWN: Rubbed himself against me.

UNKNOWN: Naked with their hands tied.

UNKNOWN: Humiliation.

UNKNOWN: Videotaping us.

UNKNOWN: No choice but to confess.

ELBAGIR (voice-over): In total, CNN located over three dozen clandestine jails across the country. It paints a picture of a regime meting out torture on an industrial scale, designed to crush an uprising that has posed the biggest existential threat to the regime in decades.

These are photos of just some of the protesters that state hospital physician. Dr. Mohsen Sohrabi, and his colleagues treated in the city of Sanandaj, a major flash point in the crackdown of the uprising. It was an illegal act according to the Iranian regime. For that, he too was brought to a black site and tortured.

MOHSEN SOHRABI, MEDICAL DOCTOR (through translation): They are a power in and of themselves. They don't follow any kind of human rights. There is no supervision. What kind of supervision do you have to have when people are being raped? They don't have any more boundaries. They just want you to confess so they can prosecute you.

ELBAGIR (voice-over): Dr. Sohrabi is also now in hiding.

(On camera): You've had to risk so much just to do your job.

SOHRABI (through translation): If I cry, it's not because I feared the Islamic Republic. It's not because of what I have lost. It's for the cruelty that people in Iran are facing.

ELBAGIR (voice-over): Even as evidence of torture on an industrial scale point to the desperation of the regime, Iran's young protesters are equally defiant, even in the face of the unimaginable, torture and death. Nima Elbagir, CNN.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

NEWTON: CNN reached out to Iranian authorities for comment on our findings and it has not received a response.

Still ahead for us, (inaudible) doesn't stop for a disaster. How earthquake survivors in Turkey face gender hurdles in getting the care they need.

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[03:25:00]

NEWTON: Monday's major aftershock in Turkey has now killed at least six people. It's compounding the suffering and damage from the initial earthquake, which struck Turkey in Syria more than two weeks ago. Right now, nearly 900,000 people are living in temporary shelters in Turkey. And for more on the story, we're now joined by Nada Bashir who is in southern Turkey. And tell us what you're seeing, Nada, as obviously, you are in a place where internally displaced people are trying to find aid.

NADA BASHIR, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yeah, absolutely, Paula. And this is a camp in the city of Iskenderun where the majority of families are Syrian. These are families that have already had to flee war and now have lost their homes in Turkey. They've already been through so much.

And you can see behind me, the tents that have been set up. The message that we've been hearing from so many of the people here is that these tents are not enough. So many of the families that we have been speaking to have been sleeping out on the street for the last two weeks since the earthquake struck. And there have been these devastating aftershocks for the last two weeks, which really struck fear into a lot of these families here.

And you see the children behind me, I mean, this camp is full of young children, sleeping out in the street, in the cold of night. And you can see them now, just collecting some of the snacks and food that has been provided by the aid groups here, Turkey's Disaster and Emergency Management Agencies overseeing the distribution of aids here.

And as you mentioned there, some 900,000 people across southeast Turkey are now living in tents like this. It is a tense city over here. But look, there is still so much need here. The feeling here is not enough is being done at this stage. Just this morning, we're already seeing 150 new tents being built in this particular area, this particular camp. But these families have been living on the streets for the last two weeks. This is far too late for them, Paula.

NEWTON: Yeah, and just think about what they've been going through with their lives, so torn apart. Nada Bashir for us, really appreciate your report.

I want to bring in Bahar Aldanmaz Fidan. She's co-founder of We Need To Talk, a Turkish organization advocating for menstrual care needs.

[03:30:00]

And I thank you for joining us. You know, this is what they call period poverty. And it means a lack of sanitary products, a safe space, you know, really adhering to the needs of women in these kinds of humanitarian situations. It's already a problem for millions. But how much more difficult is it during this kind of catastrophe?

BAHAR ALDANMAS FIDAN, CO-FOUNDER, WE NEED TO TALK: Period poverty is experienced not only by survivors of an earthquake or similar kind of disasters, but by many other menstruaters all around the world. And it's been a problem for so many years. But in the times of a disaster, things gets worse because most of the time the governments or other humanitarian agencies, they don't count menstrual products or other menstrual care items as an essential need.

When it is not counted as an essential need, they don't include menstrual products or other supportive items in the emergency response packages.

NEWTON: Now, I understand the government's approach so far. They haven't really incorporated this issue of being gender blind. So, what's your best shot at changing that, especially as we see tens of thousands of people on the ground right now in urgent need of humanitarian aid.

ALDANMAS FIDAN: I can only speak for the case and the context of Turkey because that's where I am specialized in. But I think now what we are doing is we are creating content for volunteers and also employees at civil society organizations, because they have been so active in the field, directly working with the survivors.

So, it is very important to keep them informed about how they can provide response to the survivors with a gender lens. What that means is, for example, we heard directly from our contacts who are working in the field that women are afraid to list sanitary pads as an item in the needs list. And it's mainly because these lists are taken by men.

So that's a very basic thing to change, including women into the list takers' lists. So it's like this kind of importance yet ignored, actions can really change the setting where the humanitarian response is given.

NEWTON: I want to ask you specifically because this is what always gets to me that if you're an adolescent girl or young woman beginning your adult life, this is already difficult, and in some cases traumatic when you begin menstruation. But in this context, when there has been a tragic earthquake, I mean, how much more vulnerable are those adolescent girls and young women?

ALDANMAS FIDAN: I can't even describe the vulnerability, but I also want to say, as an association, we are also very careful with how we describe this vulnerability, because they're already in a very vulnerability position. But I just want to say it's very important to tell these girls that what they see as a blot doesn't mean that they are bleeding for a negative reason.

And since it's a disaster setting, they have been seeing blood all around. So, it's very important to at least create a space when you're giving the menstrual products. So, it's very important to say that it's not only about giving the product but telling what that bleeding means and why they are experiencing menstruation.

That's why as we need to talk -- that's why as need to talk, we created tiny brochures in different languages that people are speaking in these contexts so that when we are giving the product we also include those brochures so that these girls and women can read when they're taking the menstrual product.

NEWTON: Yeah, which would seem to give a lot of reassurance, obviously, to, as I said, especially the young women. I mean, look, it's extraordinary to me that aid is not gender blind at this day and age. It is 2023. But I really appreciate you explaining what the problems still are and this fear. Appreciate it, Bahar.

ALDANMAS FIDAN: Thank you so much.

NEWTON: Okay. Ahead for us, tens of millions of Americans are bracing for some awful winter weather. I know, it's winter. Coming up, the extreme conditions already disrupting travel and the cities about to get buried in snow and ice.

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[03:35:00]

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NEWTON: More than 65 million people under a winter weather alerts across portions of the Northern United States, where hundreds of flights already have been canceled.

We want to bring in CNN meteorologist, Britley Ritz. And Britley, can't say you didn't warn us.

BRITLEY RITZ, CNN METEOROLOGIST: Yeah. I'm trying. We have many under some sort of winter weather alert, 65 million, as Paula said, but two million plus under blizzard warnings. And just want to give you what a blizzard warning entails.

The criteria you need to have 35-mile-per-hour winds for at least three hours' time, knocking down your visibility down to a quarter of a mile. And there you are seeing the blizzard warning in orange. That does not include Minneapolis, but whiteout conditions are a possibility. Travel is just near impossible with the system. It's already snowing.

Round one has made its way through yesterday. Wednesday into Thursday, some of the heaviest snow now expected. Now, we're getting a second wave of snow through Minneapolis this morning. But the heaviest snow expected to roll on in later this evening. You'll see that here on your future cast Wednesday night, 8 o'clock, heavy snow rolling through the upper Midwest.

[03:40:00]

Switching over to ice where it's slightly warmer across parts of the Great Lakes, just north of Chicago, Detroit dealing with that ice as we roll through the overnight hours. Then, of course, the whole system tracks into New England over the next two days. S,o expect the winter weather alerts to continue on over the next few days too.

You're seeing areas in purple. That's eight plus inches of snow through Friday. That's on top of what we've already picked up. Minneapolis already picked up 3 inches of snow. Noticing the pinks? That's 12 inches of snow. Minneapolis, if you wind up with two feet of snow, that's the greatest three-day total in nearly 30 years. So, top five heaviest snowfall, if that happens, record-breaking snow a possibility here.

And again, this is just through Friday. Flooding and severe weather another end of the system, we could be dealing with isolated tornadoes on the southern end where we're much warmer. Paula?

NEWTON: I'm surprised how long the storm is hanging on. Britley, thanks for the update, appreciate it. I want to thank you for watching. I'm Paula Newton. For our international viewer, "Marketplace Europe" is next. For our viewers in North America, I'll be back with more "CNN Newsroom."

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[03:45:00]

NEWTON: Welcome back to our viewers here in the United States and in Canada. I'm Paula Newton, and you are watching "CNN Newsroom."

The U.S. president's final day in Warsaw, Poland will be a busy one. In just a few hours, Joe Biden will meet the Bucharest Nine leaders at the presidential palace before returning to Washington. The Bucharest Nine represent the nine countries on NATO's eastern flank. They are expected to discuss efforts to strengthen the alliance and how to best support Ukraine. Now, Friday will mark exactly one year since Russia's invasion.

Britain's prime minister wants Vladimir Putin to reconsider his decision to suspend Russia's participation in the New START Nuclear Treaty. A spokesperson for Prime Minister Rishi Sunak says this is another example of Putin jeopardizing global security for political gain. Russian president made the announcement during his address to the Russian people in which he railed against the west over the war in Ukraine.

CNN's Frederik Pleitgen has the story.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE) UNKNOWN: (SPOKEN IN FOREIGN LANGUAGE)

FREDERIK PLEITGEN, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT9 (voice- over): A determined Russian leader entering center stage. Vladimir Putin showing he will not back down from the war in Ukraine, calling Kyiv's leadership illegitimate.

The Kyiv regime is essentially alien to the people of Ukraine, he said. They are not protecting their own interests but those of their minder countries.

Putin squarely blamed the west for the conflict even though it was Russian forces that invaded Ukraine almost a year ago. The Kremlin claims Russia is under assault from the west, even more so after President Joe Biden went to Kyiv to meet Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, showing the U.S.'s resolve to help Ukraine stand up to Moscow.

The elite of the west does not conceal their ambitions, which is to strategically defeat Russia, he says. What does that mean? It means to finish us off once and for all.

While Putin praise his army, he acknowledged they need better gear as progress has been hard to come by and losses mount in the face of stiff Ukrainian resistance. Still, support among Russians, both for what Putin called the special military operation and the Russian leader himself remain rock solid, Russia's top independent pollster tells CNN.

DENNIS VOLKOV, DIRECTOR OF LEVADA CENTER: Now it's about 80 percent because, again, situation calmed down a little bit by the end of the year people accommodated, get used again, and the rating -- his rating stabilized.

PLEITGEN: And patriotism is on full display in Moscow, though not everyone wants to talk about it.

The operation is going sluggishly, this man says. We must strike the centers like Germany, London.

I think the west will bend and be forced to make concession, he says.

What opinion can there be? We shouldn't have barged into where we weren't wanted, this man says.

Putin saved arguably his biggest message for last, announcing Russia is suspending its participation in the New Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty after Moscow last year accused Ukraine of striking an air base for strategic bombers.

We know that NATO is complicit in the intents by the Kyiv regime to strike our air bases. And now, they want to come inspect our bases?

While Putin says the treaty could be revived if relations between the U.S. and Russia improved. On this day the gulf between Russia and the west further widened. Fred Pleitgen, CNN, Moscow.

(END OF VIDEOTAPE)

NEWTON: So, warnings from Walmart and Home Depot have investors worried that a recession still could be possible in the United States. Now, both retailers lowered their outlook for the year ahead with Home Depot missing revenue expectations for the first time since the pandemic.

Now, the numbers are kind of ugly. The Dow plunged nearly 700 points on Tuesday. The S&P 500 was down 2 percent. And the NASDAQ dropped 2.5 percent.

So let's see if these markets can recover. This is the futures right now. Not doing much of anything really. And again, investors trying to parse whether or not there can be a soft landing in the U.S. economy. We want to have a look at those markets in the Asia mark -- Asia Pacific right now.

Obviously, taking a bit of a turn given what happened in the United States. And Europe just opened in the last hour. It, too, down, again, trying to take in whether or not the United States could be plunged into a recession in the coming months.

[03:50:09]

So, on Tuesday, the U.S. Supreme Court heard arguments in the case of Gonzalez versus Google, which has the potential to upend the Internet. Now, Google says current laws protect them from liability for search recommend on sites like YouTube. But the Gonzalez family claims the tech company is responsible for hosting content that may radicalize terrorists like the ones that killed her daughter.

CNN's Jessica Schneider has our report.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

BRETT KAVANAUGH, ASSOCIATE JUSTICE OF THE SUPREME COURT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA: Lawsuits will be nonstop.

JESSICA SCHNEIDER, CNN JUSTICE CORRESPONDENT: The Supreme Court taking on a case that could reshape the Internet, hearing arguments from a family who has lost a daughter and who now wants big tech to pay.

BEATRIZ GONZALEZ, DAUGHTER KILLED IN 2015 PARIS TERRORIST ATTACK: We continue in this fight because we're seeking justice.

SCHNEIDER: The Gonzalez family's long legal fight started when their 23-year-old daughter, Nohemi, was killed in Paris in 2015. Nohemi Gonzalez was at a bistro when ISIS terrorists unleashed gunfire, part of a coordinated city-wide attack of bombings and shootings that killed 129 people. She was the only American.

GONZALEZ: It was a terrible, horrible moment in my life that I cannot describe the pain.

SCHNEIDER: The Gonzalez family now wants YouTube, and parent company, Google to be held liable for Nohemi's death. Their lawyer arguing to the Supreme Court Tuesday that because YouTube not only allowed ISIS videos on its site, but also recommended those videos to certain viewers, the social media site should be held responsible for aiding and abetting terrorism.

ERIC SCHNAPPER, GONZALEZ FAMILY ATTORNEY: When they go beyond delivering to what you've asked for to start sending things you haven't asked for, our contention is they're no longer acting as interactive computer service.

UNKNOWN: So even if I --

SCHNEIDER: But Google says they're protected by the broad contours of Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act. Congress passed the law in 1996 to shield Internet platforms from being sued for harmful content posted by third parties on their sites. Google's lawyer argued that shield also applies to any recommendations the site might make.

LISA BLATT, ATTORNEY FOR GOOGLE: Exposing websites to liability for implicitly recommending third party content defies the text and threatens today's Internet.

SCHNEIDER: This is the first time the Supreme Court has considered the scope of Section 230. The justices acknowledge that if the Gonzalez family succeeds, that would open up tech companies to a flood of lawsuits and would require social media sites to heavily police the content posted, and the justices also asked whether it's Congress and not the courts who should clarify how much tech companies are protected.

ELENA KAGAN, ASSOCIATE JUSTICE OF THE SUPREME COURT OF UNITED STATES OF AMERICA: Every other industry has to internalize the costs of its conduct. Why is it that the tech industry gets a pass? A little bit unclear. On the other hand, I mean, we're a court. We really don't know about these things. You know, these are not like the nine greatest experts on the Internet. Isn't that something for Congress to do, not the court?

SCHNEIDER: The Gonzalez family has lost the case at the lower courts, but they can't to search for justice after the death of their daughter at the hands of terrorists.

GONZALEZ: Nothing is going to give me back my daughter, but at least there is something good is going to be accomplished.

SCHNEIDER: The Supreme Court will hear another case Wednesday morning to determine if social media companies are responsible for terrorist content on their sites under an anti-terrorism law. That case does not involve Section 230, but big tech is still bracing for the rulings in both of these cases by the end of June.

Jessica Schneider, CNN, Washington.

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NEWTON: Okay. We have some big news for gamers. Microsoft has announced deals with Nintendo and NVidia that would make the Call of Duty franchise available on their gaming platforms. Now, the 10-year deal would take effect once Microsoft buys Activision Blizzard, the games developer. Anti-trust officials have raised concerns about the merger. Microsoft and Activision executives met with regulators in Boston Tuesday. Microsoft's president tells CNN, deals with Nintendo and NVidia address concerns about competition.

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BRAD SMITH, PRESIDENT, MICROSOFT: Microsoft announced two agreements that together will bring Call of Duty, the game that everybody has been talking about, to 150 million more people on Nintendo devices and through NVidia's cloud streaming service.

The big concern that people have expressed is if we acquire Activision Blizzard, Call of Duty will be less available than it is today. We've shown with these new 10-year binding agreements, it will be more available instead.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

NEWTON: Brad Smith there now who says Microsoft, in fact, would be happy to make a similar deal with rival Sony as well.

All right. Starbucks -- I'm not sure about this -- Starbucks is rolling out a new line of drinks featuring an ingredient not commonly found in coffee, extra virgin olive oil.

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And believe me, this is not just a drizzle on top. It's apparently a full spoonful of the stuff in your latte, espresso, or even the sweet foam topper. Really? That slippery sheen of oil in the cup may seem strange, but Starbucks is betting its health benefits will attract customers.

Now, the Oleato drinks are, of course, only found in Italy, where you would find the best olive oil as well, but will debut in other parts of the world later this year. And of course, it's coming to California in spring. Yeah, sorry, not sold and not convinced, even though I was raised by an Italian mother who claims olive oil does great things.

Okay. I'm Paula Newton. I want to thank you for your company. "CNN Newsroom" continues with Max Foster, and that's next.

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