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Ukraine Marks One Year Since Russian Military Invasion; Murdaugh Takes the Stand; Ukraine Faces Humanitarian Crisis; 18 Days After Quake, Many Survivors Still Lack Shelter; Large Part Of U.S. Blanketed In Ice And Snow; NTSB Preliminary Report Examines Ohio Train Derailment. Aired 2-3a ET
Aired February 24, 2023 - 02:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
[02:00:00]
MICHAEL HOLMES, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Hello and welcome. I'm Michael Holmes. Appreciate your company. Coming up here on "CNN Newsroom," Ukraine marking one year since Russia's invasion. Meanwhile, China laying out its position on the war. We are live in Kyiv and Beijing with details.
The displaced in Turkey and Syria are growing desperate for just the basics like a warm place to take shelter. We are live in hard-hit (INAUDIBLE).
Also --
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ALEX MURDAUGH, DISBARRED SOUTH CAROLINA ATTORNEY: I did a lot of them.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HOLMES: Sensational courtroom testimony as accused murderer Alex Murdaugh takes the stand, admitting he lied and stole, but saying he did not kill his wife and son.
UNKNOWN (voice-over): Live from CNN Center, this is "CNN Newsroom" with Michael Holmes.
HOLMES: One year ago today, Russia launched what it calls a special military operation to protect its security and defend Russian speakers in Eastern Ukraine. Most of the rest of the world calls it an unprovoked invasion. Either way, it has so far claimed the lives of an estimated 300,000 troops, likely similar numbers on either side. Kyiv reports that at least 20,000 Ukrainian civilians have been killed.
Live images coming to you there from Kyiv as this day has dawned there. Russian forces had hoped to quickly capture the capital. Today, there are barricades and there are sandbags, a lot of destruction, but not one single Russian soldier.
One of the fiercest battles right now is for the eastern city of Bakhmut. Ukrainian forces have been holding ground as Russian troops try to break through.
The western Ukrainian city of Lviv is playing tribute to fallen soldiers at a military cemetery. Residents have gathered for a joint prayer and a raise of memory light at display.
Meanwhile, the U.N. General Assembly is demanding Moscow immediately withdraw its troops from Ukraine. One hundred and forty-one of member states backed that resolution. Seven countries, including Russia, Belarus, Syria and North Korea voted against it.
U.S. President Joe Biden meanwhile set to meet virtually in the day ahead with the members of the G7 and the Ukrainian leader, Volodymyr Zelenskyy.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
VOLODYMYR ZELENSKYY, PRESIDENT OF UKRAINE (through translator): We must do everything to make Friday's diplomatic events fruitful for Ukraine really significant, not only in terms of symbolism because it will be February 24th, but also in terms of real benefits for our defense.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HOLMES: CNN has correspondents around the world to cover the story like no one else. Nic Robertson is live this hour in London, Kristie Lu Stout is in Hong Kong with details on China's peace proposal, but we begin with CNN's Melissa Bell in Kyiv.
And Melissa, I was there this time last year as the invasion began. Speak to the mood where you are in Ukraine on what is a bleak anniversary. Any sense the capital is bracing for an assault?
MELISSA BELL, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes, very much so. Across the country, measures have been taken, Michael, so that civilians are spared should that symbolic attack or action that the Ukrainians fear might come should it -- should it happen.
Now, of course, we simply have no way of knowing whether Russia at this stage has the capabilities to go beyond the frontlines on which it has been more active over the course of the last few days, more manpower, more fire power, as they try and take that town of Bakhmut that you mentioned.
But whether more broadly they have the kind of capability still at this stage one year on to take on a full assault across Ukraine, as some Ukrainians and Ukrainian leadership fear they might, is a question that divides many analysts looking from the outside of what they might have left.
Still, civilians taking no chances, schools have been paused, children are doing distance learning, people are staying home from work. And as you said, amidst that heightened security, the country really stopping to pause and pay tribute to those fallen. There is also ceremony going on just behind me here outside St. Sophia in Kyiv. And throughout the day, it is going to be also a question of looking back and mourning the dead. The numbers of dead, of course, as you alluded to a moment ago, Michael, are for the time being shrouded in secrecy. Neither side speaks to them.
[02:05:00]
But there are estimates that are absolutely horrifying when you consider that human toll one year on of this devastating war that has really seen not just extraordinary scenes of butchery on the front line along which there are very few rules and where soldiers have been used on the Russian side as cannon fodders as they try to make progress, but, of course, more broadly for the civilian population that has suffered so much at the hands of Russian forces when they have taken control of territory and then moved back. There are some 66,000 war crimes that have been documented so far. Michael?
HOLMES: Sixty-six thousand. Melissa Bell in Kyiv, appreciate it. Thank you so much.
As the war crosses that one-year mark, China spelling out its ideas about what should be done about the conflict. Several hours ago, Beijing released its new position paper about the war. Christie Lu Stout joins me now from Hong Kong with more on that.
And the thing, Kristie, this seems to me less of a roadmap to peace and perhaps more of a wish list of less than concrete suggestions.
KRISTIE LU STOUT, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Michael, you're absolutely right. On this first anniversary of the war in Ukraine today, China's ministry of foreign affairs released this, this 12-point position paper on the crisis in Ukraine. In it, China is calling for the end of hostilities. It is calling for the end of unilateral sanctions. It is also calling for the resumption of peace talks with China -- quote -- "continuing to play a constructive role."
But no concrete details are provided here. There is already reaction coming in from the head of the E.U. delegation in China, saying this is just a position paper. Just that. It is not a plan for peace. But we also heard from Ukraine's charge affair in China who says that the paper is a good sign while urging China to do everything to end the war.
Earlier, we heard from a senior official at the U.S. State Department who said any peace plan must be durable and it must be just. Listen to this.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
VICTORIA NULAND, U.S. UNDER SECRETARY OF STATE FOR POLITICAL AFFAIRS: It can't simply be a cynical ceasefire that allows the Russians the time to go home, rest, refit, and return. If Xi Jinping can get Putin and his army out of Ukraine, I think we would all applaud and give a peace prize.
(END VIDEO CLIP) LU STOUT: Now, this also comes as the U.S. State Department and the Pentagon warned China of consequences if China provides lethal support to Russia. This is an allegation that China has continued to push back on, including in the most recent briefing. These are the comments from the spokesperson saying this. Quote -- "We can easily imagine that the intelligence the U.S. referred to is most likely chasing shadows and smearing China. Since the outbreak of the Ukraine crisis, China has firmly stood on the side of dialogue and peace." -- unquote.
We are waiting more concrete details about China's peace plan and, of course, we are waiting Russia's response. Back to you.
HOLMES: Absolutely. Kristie Lu Stout there in Hong Kong, appreciate it. Let's go to London now with CNN's international diplomatic editor Nic Robertson. Nic, good to see you. Vladimir Putin, of course, had hoped to not only conquer Ukraine, but also fracture western resolve, weaken NATO, and so on. What has actually happened, though? What is the state of the coalition as we enter year two?
NIC ROBERTSON, CNN INTERNATIONAL DIPLOMATIC EDITOR: Yeah, I think if you step back and take the very big picture look a year on, the coalition has become stronger. There's a real sense that it reinvigorated the NATO, that it strengthened the western alliance.
What is notable about this western alliance is one of its definitions of how to end the war. That is quite simply for Russia, who is resoundingly and unitedly called the aggressor, to simply pull out of Ukraine, and this is the path to peace.
It's quite striking, you know, the division between where this western alliance sees the situation, where China sees it. There was no mention in China's 12-point plan of Russia as the aggressor here, merely saying that both sides should resume talks, where the western alliance sees this very differently.
I think, again, that is one of the stark things that has happened here, not only is the western alliance more united, but its position is perhaps more polarized obviously from Russia but also from China, and that's to the detriment of both the west and of China, not something that China, of course, recognizes as well.
But go back to the very beginning of the war. This resolve that was just getting going to support Ukraine resulted in bullets and some shoulder launched anti-tank-type missiles being sent. Look at where it is now. The alliances working together in unity.
HOLMES: Unfortunately, we lost the signal there to London. Nic Robertson, appreciate the information, anyway. We will move on. Cities across Europe are lighting up landmarks to mark the first anniversary of Russia's invasion of Ukraine.
[02:10:01]
More than a thousand people gathering for nighttime vigil in London's Trafalgar Square. Earlier, demonstrators painting a Ukrainian flag on the road outside the Russian embassy.
In Paris, the Eiffel Tower lit up in blue and yellow. The mayor, Anne Hidalgo, tweeting, glory to Ukraine. And in Brussels, the European Parliament illuminated in the colors of Ukraine's flag. The E.U. says that it will not rest until Ukraine prevails and is rebuilt.
Even before Russia launched its offensive, Russia's leader framed it as a patriotic struggle to -- quote -- "liberate Ukraine from western aggression." Now, one year on, many Russians, they still believe that.
CNN's Fred Pleitgen has more on the view from Moscow.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
FREDERIK PLEITGEN, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice- over): Vladimir Putin laying a wreath to Russia's Tomb of the Unknown Soldier commemorating Soviet troops killed in World War II, while the invasion in Ukraine is taking a heavy toll now.
VLADIMIR PUTIN, PRESIDENT OF RUSSIA (through translator): The sacred duty of the state is to take care of those who defend the country.
PLEITGEN (voice-over): A year after launching the major invasion, Russia's leader has been busy trying to convince his people he has a plan for victory.
PUTIN (through translator): We are confident in ourselves, confident in our strength. The truth is on our side.
PLEITGEN (voice-over): But the truth is also it has been months since the Russians have made any significant progress on the battlefield. Smaller gains coming mostly thanks to the mercenary of the Wagner private military company.
After a recent spat in which he blamed Russia's defense ministry for a high death toll for allegedly not providing enough ammunition, Wagner boss Yevgeny Prigozhin now sending battlefield greetings from near Bakhmut.
YEVGENY PRIGOZHIN, HEAD OF WAGNER GROUP (through translator): We congratulate all of the guys who are fighting, who are on the front lines, in the hospital, the military who are fighting for our motherland, volunteers, those who work hard and make much needed ammunition.
PLEITGEN (voice-over): But ammunition and weapons remain an issue, hampering Russia's offensive operations, former Putin advisor Sergey Markov tells me.
SERGEY MARKOV, DIRECTOR, INSTITUTE OF POLITICAL STUDIES: Vladimir Putin mobilized this November additional 100,000 soldiers, but they have not been used in attacking on the front because they have not been equipped by weaponry and other stuff themselves.
PLEITGEN: On the home front, support for what the Kremlin called its special military operation remain strong, even as only a few streets away, boarded-up shops show the toll sanctions are taking on Russia's economy.
UNKNOWN (through translator): We got ourselves into this ordeal. We have to see it through to the end. It's like in a common street fight. If you give in, you will take the beating.
UNKNOWN (through translator): I don't think we will see the end of it any time soon. I don't know what this end will look like, but I don't think there is anything good for Russia in it.
UNKNOWN (through translator): I believe we did the right thing. It's just that we should have hit them stronger from the start. There is no question that victory will be ours.
PLEITGEN (voice-over): Vladimir Putin acknowledges that times are tough for many Russians, but claims he had no other choice.
MARKOV: For the majority of the nation, he's fighting for Russia's survival, for existence. We have 1,000 history. If our generation will be responsible for stopping Russia, what isn't there to leave?
PLEITGEN (on camera): Making this out to be an existential battle for the very existence of Russia as a nation. That certainly seems to be the core that Vladimir Putin is trying to strike with his own population. And the way the Kremlin portrays it is that it's a battle on Ukrainian lands, but it is one between Russia and the west led by the United States.
Fred Pleitgen, CNN, Moscow.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HOLMES: And "CNN Newsroom" continues after a quick break.
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[02:15:00]
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HOLMES: And welcome to our viewers joining us in the United States. We appreciate your company. This is "CNN Newsroom" and I'm Michael Holmes.
Now, the world is marking a somber occasion right now with the first anniversary of Russia's brutal war against Ukraine. Ukraine's president expected to address the G7 leaders' virtual meeting in the coming hours, earlier tweeting that this year will be -- quote -- "the year of our victory."
Russia's year-old military offensive is badly stalled amid heavy losses and Ukraine's allies are now more focused than ever on getting weapons and ammunition to Ukraine as quickly as possible. Here is what U.S. Defense Chief Lloyd Austin told our Kaitlan Collins.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
LLOYD AUSTIN, U.S. DEFENSE SECRETARY: We are training and equipping several brigades of mechanized infantry. That is a pretty substantial capability. In addition to that, additional artillery. And so, they will have the ability to breach Russian defenses and maneuver. I think that will create a different dynamic.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HOLMES: Austin anticipates that Ukraine will launch its own counteroffensive once it receives the battle tanks and other advanced weapons that it has been promised.
Now, it is not often a man accused of murder testifies in his own defense. But a once prominent attorney accused of killing his wife and adult son did take the stand in South Carolina on Thursday. Alex Murdaugh spent hours answering questions and dropped a bombshell that could undermine his long-held alibi for the murders. Our Dianne Gallagher with the details.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
DIANNE GALLAGHER, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Alex Murdaugh taking the stand.
UNKNOWN: Nothing but the truth.
MURDAUGH: Yes, ma'am.
GALLAGHER (voice-over): Defending himself against charges he murdered his wife Maggie and son Paul at their low country home.
JIM GRIFFIN, ATTORNEY FOR ALEX MURDAUGH: Mr. Murdaugh, on June 7th, 2021, did you take this gun or any gun like it and shoot your son Paul in the chest, in the feed room at your property off Moselle Road?
MURDAUGH: Mr. Griffin, I didn't shoot my wife or my son any time. Ever.
GALLAGHER (voice-over): For weeks, friends and relatives have identified Alex Murdaugh's voice on a video found on Paul's phone that he recorded at the kennels just before he was murdered there.
UNKNOWN: Hey, he got a burn in his mouth.
UNKNOWN: This is a chicken.
GALLAGHER (voice-over): The once prominent now disbarred attorney admitting under oath that a major part of his alibi, he never visited the kennels after dinner, was a lie.
GRIFFIN: Were you in fact at the kennels at 8:44 p.m. on the night Maggie and Paul were murdered?
MURDAUGH: I was. GRIFFIN: Did you lie to SLED Agent Owen and Deputy Laura Rutland on
the night of June 7th and told them that you stayed at the house after dinner?
MURDAUGH: I did lie to them.
GALLAGHER (voice-over): Murdaugh telling the jury the reason he lied was rooted in his opioid addiction.
MURDAUGH: As my addiction evolved over time, I would get in these situations or circumstances where I would get paranoid thinking. I wasn't thinking clearly. I don't think I was capable of reason. And I lied about being down there. I am so sorry that I did.
GALLAGHER (voice-over): But during cross examination, Prosecutor Creighton Waters emphasizing Murdaugh's 20-month lie.
CREIGHTON WATERS, LEAD PROSECUTOR: Would you also agree that the first time -- law enforcement officers that you've talked to, prosecution, and here in open court, ever heard you say that you lied about being in the kennels was today in this court?
MURDAUGH: Yes, I am aware of that.
WATERS: You would agree with that?
MURDAUGH: Yes, sir.
GALLAGHER (voice-over): Murdaugh became emotional talking about his wife and son, who he called Paul-Paul.
MURDAUGH: Most of all, I am sorry to Max and Paul-Paul. I would never intentionally do anything to hurt either one of them. Ever.
GALLAGHER (voice-over): The decision to testify, a risky one for any defendant, but perhaps even more for Murdaugh, who was opening himself up to questions about a host of financial crimes he is still awaiting trial for.
MURDAUGH: You're asking questions.
WATERS: We'll talk about that.
[02:20:00]
GALLAGHER (voice-over): Waters ticked through allegations of years- worth of theft and fraud.
WATERS: And make this quick, correct? Isn't that what you said? Isn't that what you implied?
MURDAUGH: No, sir. Mr. Waters, you have charged me with murdering my wife and my son. And I have sat here for all these weeks listening to all this financial stuff. Again, I stole money that did not belong to me. I misled (INAUDIBLE) to take that money, and I was wrong.
WATERS: How many times have you practiced that answer before your testimony today?
GALLAGHER (on camera): Prosecutor Creighton Waters spent painstaking amounts of time going over little details of financial fraud and theft allegations against Murdaugh for a couple of hours on Thursday afternoon, painting Murdaugh as not just a thief, but also a liar.
He questioned why he had never heard the defendant call his son by the nickname Paul-Paul before, insinuating that the former attorney was playing it up for the jury.
Creighton Waters said that he assumed that he had about three to four hours of additional cross-examination on Friday to go, but he did concede that he is not very good at estimating time.
Diane Gallagher, CNN, Walterboro, South Carolina.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HOLMES: Disgraced movie mogul Harvey Weinstein now faces an additional 16 years in prison. The sentence follows his conviction in December on multiple charges of sexual assault after eight women testified against him in a California court. Weinstein pleaded not guilty to all of the charges, calling the case a -- quote -- "set up." He is already being sentenced to 23 years in prison in New York for sexual assault and rape. He is appealing that conviction.
The actor, Alec Baldwin, is pleading not guilty to manslaughter charges related to the death of a crew member on the set of the movie "Rust." In 2021, Baldwin was holding the gun that went off, firing a live round that struck the movie's cinematographer Halyna Hutchins. He has maintained that he did not pull the gun's trigger. Baldwin was released on his own recognizance as long as he stays away from alcohol, doesn't own a gun, and doesn't speak with other witnesses to the shooting. CNN has reached out to Baldwin for comment.
The war in Ukraine has triggered a humanitarian crisis that has affecting much of Europe. Still ahead, we will discuss humanitarian needs in the country one year into the devastating conflict.
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[02:25:00]
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HOLMES: Welcome back. Russian-held parts of Ukraine are largely off limits to U.N. humanitarian aid. That is according to the U.N. humanitarian coordinator for Ukraine who spoke with CNN on Thursday. She says the war has caused devastation on both sides of the frontline, but she says Russia is not giving the necessary guarantees for her teams to be able to go across the frontlines. As a result, about two million people who are in dire need are not receiving U.N. assistance.
All right, let's talk about the humanitarian situation in Ukraine one year into the war. I'm joined by Matthew Stearns. He is country director for Ukraine for the International Medical Corps. He is in Kyiv. Thanks so much for being with us. We talk daily about the battlefield, but what are the most pressing humanitarian issues and needs that you're seeing right now?
MATTHEW STEARNS, UKRAINE COUNTRY DIRECTOR, INTERNATIONAL MEDICAL CORPS: Thanks so much, Michael, for taking the time today. So, the needs that we're seeing now are as a result of the continuation of these intense hostilities that are happening here.
We see devastated health care systems, massive population displacements, particularly vulnerable groups that are having difficulty accessing humanitarian services. I'm talking about elderly folks, people with disabilities, women and girls who are especially vulnerable during wartime conditions.
And so, we're seeing these numbers increase. The latest estimates from the U.N., we are looking at about 17.6 million people --
HOLMES: Wow.
STEARNS: -- in need of critical humanitarian assistance. To date --
HOLMES: That is a stunning number. I wanted to ask you this. There are the physical needs that you deal with, but I know you also plays a great deal of importance on the mental health aspect of civilians.
STEARNS: Incredibly important and acute situation here, Michael. We have a mental health and psychosocial care team that is on the ground across the country doing outreach to provide services in support of the heavy trauma and fatigue, frankly, that is going on here amongst the Ukrainian people.
We are proud of the outreach that we've done. International Medical Corps has reached 15,000 people with its mental health care outreach. This is an ongoing problem. We anticipate it is going to increase as the conflict continues.
HOLMES: You mentioned this, and I wanted to come back to it. Your organization also focuses on gender-based violence, violence against women and girls. How much of an issue has that been? Have you been able to make a difference with that?
STEARNS: Michael, yes, this is a very serious issue here. We take it very seriously. We have an entire team of technical specialists that deal with violence against women issues. As we've seen here and as in other conflict settings, sexual assault has been weaponized as an instrument of war. It is present here in this conflict. This results in severe and acute vulnerability for women and girls in this conflict.
We've got an apparatus that is attempting to address that countrywide, especially in the frontline areas where the needs are most acute. Again, we've reached 15,000 women and girls through that type of programming and that type of support.
HOLMES: I was reading your job biography and it includes empowering, coaching, and mentoring colleagues. It made me want to ask you about this. The efforts of local humanitarian workers and counselors, the work they do, and how you might be able to assist them because they, of course, have themselves, many of them, suffered in this war.
[02:30:02]
STEARNS: Yes. Michael, thanks for touching on that. So, number one, you raised a point about localization. And we are using a lot of local partners here Ukrainian partners who have set up humanitarian operations.
We support a number of them both on the Violence Against Women efforts. That the interventions that we're supporting there. And then on the mental health and psychosocial care piece, especially for the providers of care.
The folks that are dealing with gender-based violence interventions and the mental health care professionals, the stresses that are on them that they're absorbing as a result of the significant number of people who are in distress here relative to these topics, it's huge. We do our best to take care of those folks in-house as well. And through our partners.
HOLMES: That's so important. I -- you know, we're a year into this, as we said. Do you worry about a lack of empathy from the outside world, that attention might be turned away?
STEARNS: Michael, I nips -- I mean, the generosity and support that we've seen so far from the international community here has been, frankly, humbling. I know there are competing catastrophes that we're looking at so I want to acknowledge what the people of Turkey and Syria are going through right now as a result of your earthquake there. But I will say that there's been a continuity of support relative to the Ukraine crisis that's moving and impressive. So, I hope that continues as this situation continues to unfold.
HOLMES: Matthew Stearns, International Medical Corps, thanks so much for the work that you and your colleagues are doing there in Ukraine. It's valuable.
STEARNS: Thank you so much, Michael. Happy to talk to you today.
HOLMES: All right, we'll take a quick break. When we come back. In Turkey's quake zone, a dire need for shelter. Many survivors still left out in the cold and the rain. We'll have a live report from Turkey when we come back.
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[02:36:08]
HOLMES: It has been 18 days since the powerful earthquake in Turkey and many survivors are still waiting for better living conditions. Hundreds of thousands living in humanitarian camps like this one, many others sleeping out in the streets in the cold and rain as they wait for tents of their own. And there is growing pressure on the government to provide more help for survivors and ensure a disaster like this never happens again. The Justice Ministry saying it's arrested more suspects over alleged unsafe construction practices.
CNN's Nada Bashir joins me now from Adana in Turkey. Let's talk about that, the focus, of course, helping the victims. But a lot of survivors angry too and want accountability, don't they?
NADA BASHIR, CNN REPORTER: Absolutely. And you know, the government has conceded that it could have done more than that, mistakes have been made, and that they are learning lessons from this. But that will provide no solace to those who have lost absolutely everything. And at this stage, there is an investigation ongoing into allegations of construction negligence across Southeast Turkey as well as questions over whether safety codes, building codes were adequately followed and implemented across this region. So far, at least 171 people have been arrested in relation to that investigation. More than 500 people so far identified as potential suspects.
But look, people are also angry about the situations they're in now, not just the preparedness of the government and the implementation of those building codes. We've been visiting some of those humanitarian camps across this region, particularly here in Hatay province, in cities of Iskenderun, and in Antakya, which was among the hardest hit by the earthquake a little over two weeks ago.
You know, we've seen thousands of families that have been put up in tents. But there are still many who don't have tents who are sleeping in the street and it gets very, very cold at night, many of them telling us that they've registered their names with a disaster and emergency agency. They're waiting. They've been told to wait for those tents, but still no news.
And so far, according to the authorities, some 900,000 people are living in tents. So, not only have they gone through the trauma of the earthquake, not only have they lost absolutely everything, many of them have also lost loved ones, but now their future is hugely uncertain with no clarity on when they're going to be offered shelter. Now, some are being put up in other locations, including University dormitories. We visited a ship yesterday -- a cruise ship, which has been converted into a temporary accommodation for those displaced by the earthquake.
But there is a significant challenge ahead for the government. President Erdogan says he's committed to rebuilding the impacted areas within a year. They say they're going to build some 200,000 supposedly earthquake-resistant buildings over the next year with construction of about 30,000 apartments set to begin in March. But when you look at the scale of the destruction, it is difficult to comprehend how that will be done within a year. It is a significant challenge for the government.
And, of course, the humanitarian situation poses a significant challenge to the government. There are calls for further support from the international community. The United States pledging further funding. The United Nations appealing for $1 billion in aid. And for those who are now living in these tents, unsure when they will be able to return to a permanent home. This will be a difficult few weeks and months.
HOLMES: Yes, absolutely. Nada, thanks for the reporting there. Nada Bashir for us in Turkey. And if you would like the help earthquake survivors, go to cnn.com/impact, you'll find a list there of verified organizations working on rescue and relief efforts.
It's been even more tense than usual in both Israel and the occupied Palestinian territories after one of the deadliest Israeli military raids in the occupied West Bank in years, a raid which killed 11 Palestinians and reportedly wounded at least 500 others on Wednesday.
[02:40:09]
On Thursday, demonstrators in Gaza burned tires near the border with Israel following back-and-forth cross-border attacks. The Israeli military says it struck key targets in Gaza belonging to the Hamas military group after a series of -- militant group rather after, a series of rockets were fired from Gaza into Israel.
Meanwhile, many Palestinian shops and schools across the region were closed on Thursday to protest the deadly Israeli raid. The country's prime minister though defending it and saying Israel will "settle accounts with those who attack its citizens and soldiers."
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BENJAMIN NETANYAHU, ISRAELI PRIME MINISTER: (Speaking Foreign Language)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We will continue to take all action on all fronts near and far in order to draw our enemy's efforts to attack us. Whoever tries to harm us will pay the price.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HOLMES: Benjamin Netanyahu there who leads a cabinet considered the most far-right and religious in Israeli history.
Thanks for watching. "WORLD SPORT" is next for our international viewers. For everyone else, the news continues after the break.
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[02:45:30]
HOLMES: Another day of brutal winter storms coming to millions of Americans. Icy streets, strong winds, freezing temperatures impacting large parts of the country. From California to Maine, the snow is piling up. 40 inches already in some areas. Meanwhile, more than 800,000 homes and businesses are without power.
And an extremely rare event, the National Weather Service issuing blizzard warnings for parts of southern California through Saturday afternoon. As the north and west experience heavy snow, strong winds, and significant icing, the Southeast basking in unseasonably high temperatures. We get more now from CNN's Adrienne Broaddus. (BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
ADRIENNE BROADDUS, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voiceover): Hail and even snow making a rare cameo in the Hollywood Hills and the mountains above Los Angeles.
JENNIFER GRAY, CNN METEOROLOGIST: If that's not wild enough, we have blizzard warnings across Southern California ahead of our next storm system.
BROADDUS: Several feet of snow expected to fall out of record-low elevations in Southern California today.
JONAH HASKELL, SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA RESIDENT: That's been since I was probably eight years old or nine years old.
BROADDUS: Oh, really?
HASKELL: Yes, so like back in 2010. It's been a long time since we've had snow like this.
BROADDUS: Across the country, more than one million customers are braving winter storms without power, some in freezing conditions. But winter storm warnings are also now impacting unlikely areas like parts of Arizona where high winds and heavy snowfall are making travel treacherous. Even Portland, Oregon is weathering a whiteout and a winter storm warning making driving potentially disastrous.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: OK. That's not the way that you want to go down that hill.
BROADDUS: Southern Wyoming is sending records with more than 30 inches of snowfall. In Nevada, high wind gusts are wreaking havoc along the Las Vegas Strip.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Wow. Well, there's a great example. Here we go.
BROADDUS: The wind and snow making travel hazardous.
ERIC LAFAVE, ESCANABA, MI PUBLIC SAFETY DEPARTMENT: Give yourself plenty of time. Just because the speed limit says 55, doesn't mean we can always go 55.
BROADDUS: More than 1700 flights were canceled across the country on Wednesday, but at least one thousand more grounded today. Schools now canceled in several states, including parts of Minnesota where the National Guard has been called to help rescue stranded drivers. Amid the record winter conditions, high temperatures are hitting the southeastern states including a February record-setting 81 degrees in Atlanta on Wednesday.
GRAY: Numerous high-temperature records broken as well as low- temperature records broken.
BROADDUS: Causing a 100-degree difference in temperatures across the country. (on camera) And all of the snow that fell across the state of Minnesota has to go somewhere. It's piling up and locks like this one and on some sidewalks. The next thing that will fall, the temperatures. The National Weather Service has issued a wind chill advisory saying in some areas it could feel like 35 below. Adrienne Broaddus, CNN, Bloomington, Minnesota.
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HOLMES: All right, let's get the latest from meteorologist Britley Ritz. What are you seeing out there, Britley? It was crazy to have 81 degrees in Atlanta. It was -- I think it was the warmest February day ever, wasn't it?
BRITLEY RITZ, CNN METEOROLOGIST: Yes, absolutely. It was.
HOLMES: Yes.
RITZ: And you know what, I'm not going to complain. I'm a big fan of that warmer weather, Michael. And I'm sure many across the southeast are finally saying yes, it feels a little more like spring. But now, since that wave of cold air has worked its way through, it's a big difference, especially across the northern plains where we have wind chill alerts in effect.
Thankfully, the snow has tapered back up. It's still dealing with some lake effect snow as of this evening and into the early morning hours for Friday, still snow and a little bit of ice leftover across parts of New England and Boston. Yes, we'll have a few slick spots out there for our morning commute to travel once again, not advice. So, if you don't have to go out and about, don't do so.
All right. Here are preliminary freezing rain accumulations for parts of Wisconsin, nearly three-quarters of an inch, and Michigan dealing with the same. That is what's caused the power outages across parts of Illinois and all across the Great Lakes, 800,000 plus. And the next system already working its way in. That area of low pressure, the next atmospheric river if you will, bringing in winter weather alerts all across the southwest part of the country including rare blizzard warnings that were issued from the National Weather Service office out of LA. The last time that happened was back in 1989.
[02:50:05]
Already noticing that moisture starting to work its way onto shore, the snow falling through the higher elevations, this is just the first round, which is going to be very beneficial for some of these reservoirs. So, here's the kicker. It's just not enough. We need more and more rain even with the swath of moisture that's going to be coming in over the next 24 hours to help with this water supply. So, here we are bringing in feet of snow through the Sierras and back down through Southern California, heavy rain. Some of these locations talking about picking up four to six inches of rain.
The area highlighted in red where we're a little more vulnerable for that flooding threat that moderate risk for LA and Long Beach. So, we'll watch that closely. Again, talking about picking up four to six inches of rain for places like LA and then through the Sierras nearly 10 plus inches of snowfall. Michael.
HOLMES: Oh my -- it's crazy, crazy.
RITZ: Yes.
HOLMES: Britley, good to see you. Thank you, my friend. Britley Ritz there.
Now, the man suspected of shooting five people in Orlando, Florida, Wednesday, killing three of them has been charged with murder. And the Orange County Sheriff's Office has released body cam footage of his arrest.
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KEITH MOSES, SUSPECTED SHOOTER: (INAUDIBLE) Let me go. Let me go.
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HOLMES: This is the moment that deputies apprehended 19-year-old Keith Moses. They say the weapon they took from him was still hot. It's unclear what triggered his alleged rampage. Authorities say Moses first shot a 38-year-old woman then later returned to the scene and killed the TV reporter who was covering her death. He's there on the right of your screen.
A news photographer was also shot but it is in stable condition. Moses has been accused of entering a nearby home and fatally shooting the nine-year-old girl, on the left of your screen. Her mother was also shot and is in critical condition.
Federal investigators are releasing new details about what caused the toxic train derailment in East Palestine, Ohio saying there's no evidence the crew did anything wrong, but that the terrible accident could have been avoided. Our Miguel Marquez with details.
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JENNIFER HOMENDY, NTSB CHAIR: This was 100 percent preventable.
MIGUEL MARQUEZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voiceover): One hundred percent preventable says the National Transportation Safety Board. Today releasing its initial read on what caused the toxic derailment crippling the small town of East Palestine, Ohio.
HOMENDY: During this deceleration, the wheel bearing failed. Car number 23 derailed.
MARQUEZ: The NTSB is saying it was an overheated wheel bearing on a single rail car that eventually set off a sensor alongside the train tracks, alerting the conductor to stop the train.
HOMENDRY: We have no evidence that the crew did anything wrong. MARQUEZ: In all 38 cars derailed including several transporting chemicals. Surveillance video shows sparks and a bright light coming from underneath the train car in Salem, Ohio, about 20 miles from East Palestine. Three trackside detectors picked up increased heating on the car where the fire eventually started. But it wasn't until a detector indicated heating of 253 degrees Fahrenheit, over ambient temperature, that the conductor hit the brakes to stop the train.
HOMENDY: We'll look at the temperature thresholds, which indicate immediate action once an overheated bearing is detected. Again, spacing and temperature are set by the railroads and vary considerably by railroads.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It's essentially where the cars were piled up. It's from here to there, right?
MARQUEZ: Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg visited East Palestine today he's saying he could have come sooner but didn't want to disrupt the cleanup or investigative work.
PETE BUTTIGIEG, U.S. TRANSPORTATION SECRETARY: We're going to be here day in, day out, year in year out, making our railroad safer and making sure Norfolk Southern meets its responsibilities. That is a promise. And the one I take very, very seriously.
MARQUEZ: Buttigieg called for stronger federal regulations for trains carrying chemicals through populated areas. And in what appears to be a nod to criticism from former President Trump over the current administration's handling of the derailment, both Buttigieg and the NTSB chair called for an end to using East Palestine for scoring political points.
HOMENDY: Enough with the politics. I don't understand why this has gotten so political. This is a community that is suffering. This is not about politics. This is about addressing their needs, their concerns. That's what this should be about.
MARQUEZ (on camera): The National Transportation Safety Board also says that it will hold a very rare field hearing here in the months ahead. They made a point that they just rarely do this and this particular incident is so significant that they want to do that. Also, the mayor of East Palestine met with Pete Buttigieg today, the transportation secretary, and he says that he is cautiously optimistic that the town will come back better than ever. Back to you.
[02:55:14]
HOLMES: All right, our thanks to Miguel Marquez there. Natural Resource officials are hopeful the area's aquatic life will eventually bounce back as well. It's estimated nearly 44,000 marine animals including fish, crayfish, and amphibians died in the area impacted by the derailment. Most of the deaths reportedly happened immediately after the accident. And state scientists say they haven't seen any further impacts to wildlife and hope those populations will eventually regenerate. Thanks for spending part of your day with me. I'm Michael Holmes. You can follow me on Twitter and Instagram at @holmescnn. Do stick around. Max Foster continues our coverage after a quick break.
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