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Ukraine Troops In Bakhmut Holding Despite Constant Attacks; Interview With Rep. Seth Moulton (D-MA); Winter Storm Brings Rain, Snow, Cold To Southern California; RNC Chair Says Loyalty Pledge For GOP Debates A No-Brainer; Florida High School Student Attacks Teacher's Aide; Texas Judge To Rule On Use Of FDA-Approved Abortion Pill; Interview with Mayor Gregory Bricker about Toxic Waste from East Palestine, Ohio; Tonight's SAG Awards To Stream On Netflix's YouTube Channel. Aired 6-7p ET

Aired February 26, 2023 - 18:00   ET

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

[18:00:42]

JIM ACOSTA, CNN HOST: You are live in the CNN NEWSROOM. I'm Jim Acosta in Washington. And we begin this hour in Ukraine, and new worries one year into the war that Russia could soon receive support that could be a game changer.

The source of the concern is China and the possibility of Beijing providing lethal aid to Russia. Now the White House has called this a red line and the CIA doesn't believe a final decision has been made by Beijing, but it's worrisome nonetheless.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JAKE SULLIVAN, NATIONAL SECURITY ADVISER: And you know, Beijing will have to make its own decisions about how it proceeds, whether it provides military assistance. But if it goes down that road, it will come at real cost to China. And I think China's leaders are weighing that as they make their decisions.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ACOSTA: But first, let's go to CNN's Alex Marquardt, who is in Ukraine with the latest on the fighting there.

ALEX MARQUARDT, CNN SENIOR NATIONAL SECURITY CORRESPONDENT: Jim, some of the heaviest fighting, with some of the worst casualty rates on both sides, is now taking place around the eastern city of Bakhmut. Russian forces primarily from Wagner mercenary groups of convicts and contractors appear to be making gains. They have claimed that they have taken several villages to the north of the city in an attempt to encircle it. Ukrainian forces say that they are standing their ground in the face of what they call intense Russian assaults.

Now, the fight for has evolved over the past few weeks and months, from a longer-range fight using tanks, artillery, mortars, to something that is much closer quarters, urban warfare. The fight going from street to street, building to building. Ukrainian officials for now are not talking about leaving the city, surrendering it to the Russians.

But President Zelenskyy's stance on that has softened over time. He has said that they will not defend it at any cost, if it means losing all of their troops. Meanwhile, Biden administration official now openly warning China against sending legal aid. So weapons to Russia for use in Ukraine.

The Biden administration had already warned China about non-lethal aid that was being sent to Russia, but now top officials say that China is actively discussing sending weapons to Russia. They caution that no decision has been made yet, but the U.S. ambassador to the United Nations said that this would be a red line because it would be a significant boost to Russia in this fight.

Here's a little bit of what the CIA director, Bill Burns, told CBS News this weekend.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

WILLIAM BURNS, CIA DIRECTOR: I think Putin is right now entirely too confident of his ability to wear down Ukraine, to grind away. And that's he's giving every evidence that he's determined to do right now. At some point, he's going to have to face up to increasing costs as well, in coffins coming home to some of the poorest parts of Russia. There's a cumulative economic damage to Russia as well.

Huge reputational damage, it has not exactly been a great advertisement for Russian arms sales. So this is going to build over time. But right now, the honest answer I think Putin is quite determined.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

MARQUARDT: Burns also talked about the relationship between Russia and Iran, which has been supplying Russia with kamikaze drones and ammunition for its artillery and tanks. Burns saying that Russia is now offering Iran help with its missile program, and is also considering sending Iran fighter jets in exchange for their support to Russia. That relationship, Burns says, proceeding at a fast rate in a very disturbing way -- Jim.

ACOSTA: Alex Marquardt, thank you for that.

And joining me now is Congressman Seth Moulton. The Massachusetts Democrat serves on the House Armed Services Committee.

Congressman, thanks for being with us. We appreciate it. You know, let's start with --

REP. SETH MOULTON (D-MA): Good to see you, Jim.

ACOSTA: Yes, good to see you. Let's start with this U.S. intelligence that says China may be considering supplying legal military aid to Russian troops. I mean, that would defy warnings from the U.S. and NATO. What do you think of that? Is that crossing a red line for you? How would the U.S. and its allies respond if that were to happen, do you think?

MOULTON: Well, it is crossing a red line. And China needs to realize that if they want to be the world's superpower they claim to want to be, they want to supplant the U.S., then they have to respect the rule of law, or nobody will respect them and their own laws. So they're on the wrong side of history here, if they ally themselves with Vladimir Putin, a war criminal, and his illegal war. But I think what they're going to find, if they do that, is that the Western alliance stands strong.

[18:05:01]

We stand strong together, just as we have to oppose Russia in Ukraine, quite successfully, I would add, and that doesn't bode well for Xi Jinping's ambitions in Taiwan. If he solidifies the Western alliance the same way that Vladimir Putin has solidified NATO over his invasion of Ukraine, then it's going to be a lot harder for Xi Jinping to achieve his territorial ambitions in the South China Sea.

ACOSTA: And one more question on China before I go back to Ukraine. There's this updated classified intelligence report, that says the U.S. Department of Energy has assessed that the source of the COVID-19 pandemic likely came from a lab leak in China. A very notable, here, sources at the Department of Energy tell CNN that the report has, quote, "low confidence."

What's your reaction to that? It's in the news today, I wanted to ask you about it.

MOULTON: I mean, look, I'm not entirely surprised. The Chinese have mishandled COVID at every step of the way by trying to sweep it under the rug. Trying to try a strategy of zero COVID that utterly failed. And tens of thousands, hundreds of thousands of Chinese are dead as a result of the mismanagement of this pandemic by the Chinese Communist Party.

So for it to come out that the whole thing started because of mismanagement, I mean, look, we need to see whether this is true, but if it is, I don't find it surprising at all.

ACOSTA: And let's -- let me ask you a follow-up on Ukraine because, as you know, President Biden in the last couple of days, he's been pretty adamant about this. He is saying no F-16 fighter jets for now for Ukraine. He doesn't sound like he's completely closing the door to it, but he doesn't sound too keen on the idea either.

Do you agree with that? Because we talked to General Wesley Clark in the previous hour, Colonel Alexander Vindman a couple of hours ago. A lot of military experts are saying, the Ukrainians desperately need those F-16s, they need them now. And if we're not going to send them now, at least start training the pilots on how to use those F-16s. What do you think?

MOULTON: Well, Jim, this has been the story from day one of this war, where military experts have advocated for more weapons, more quickly. Oftentimes, I've been with the military experts on this. The Biden administration's role and specifically the president has been to walk this line between, you know, getting Ukraine what they need to win without provoking a larger war directly with Russia.

And I think that's exactly what the president is doing today. Now will he change his mind down the road? He's changed his mind about a number of systems before. He wasn't planning to give tanks to the Ukrainians. We're now sending tanks. So I wouldn't be surprised if this changes down the road.

But right now, he's sending a signal to Russia that he's conscious of the fact that he does not want this to escalate into a larger conflict directly between NATO and Russia. And it's good for Russia to see that. It's good for Russia to see that we're giving them a lot of arms. That Ukraine is doing very well with those arms, but we're conscious about these decisions and we're willing to draw a line.

ACOSTA: And I guess one logical question to ask, I suppose, is if China were to start sending arms to the Russians in Ukraine, does that maybe make it a bit more palatable for the Biden administration to get those F-16s to the Ukrainians? I mean, if China is going to go in that direction.

MOULTON: I think it's a great --

ACOSTA: Yes.

MOULTON: That's right. No, I think it's a great question, Jim, because that's absolutely one of the options that the administration has on the table. And it's very relevant today, right? Today, they're saying, no F-16s. If tomorrow, China decides to send arms, we can connect those decisions very closely and say, look, you crossed the line. We're going get F-16s to the Ukrainians. And I think F-16s are going to be a lot more effective than whatever weapons the Chinese can send.

ACOSTA: And the CIA director, William Burns, has a fascinating interview on CBS. You know, he was saying that there's evidence that Russia is offering to help Iran's missile program in exchange for military aid. I mean, I know the Iranians are not exactly, you know, the A-team here on the global stage when it comes to military assistance, but does it concern you that Iran could rapidly advance its military and missile capabilities?

MOULTON: Look, of course it's concerning. Iran is a total rogue nation. I mean, they're essentially a criminal nation when it comes to their foreign policy. And it's no surprise that they're in league with Vladimir Putin, a war criminal himself, who's desperate for help in this war. I mean, he's had to go to the lowest common denominator to try to find support.

And Iran and China are essentially trying to bail out a war criminal who's losing his war. It doesn't look good on anybody.

ACOSTA: All right. Congressman Seth Moulton, thanks so much for your time this evening. We appreciate it.

MOULTON: Good to see you, Jim. ACOSTA: Good to see you.

Traffic is moving again over California's Tejon Pass after a massive snowstorm shut down parts of Interstate 5.

[18:10:02]

Scientists at the Central Sierra Snow Lab tweeted this earlier today. A picture showing snow reaching midway up a window on the building's second floor. Look at that. My goodness. As it stands now, snowpack across the west is now more than 200 percent above normal.

CNN's Camila Bernal is in Lebec, California.

Camila, I mean, I have to -- I mean not to throw you off here, but I have to think when all this snow melts, maybe some of the water issues out in California, I mean, they may be alleviated somewhat. But this is just an unbelievable amount of snow.

CAMILA BERNAL, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Yes, it truly is unbelievable. It is white gold for California, and really for western states. And you mentioned that snowpack. Here in this area, we got maybe two feet of snow in higher elevation, more than six feet of snow in some of those areas. It is much-needed snow for California and for western states.

But when we talk about the drought, the big question is, will this be enough essentially to stop the water crisis in the west? Scientists saying that because of these back-to-back storms, this parade of storms, a lot of the snowpack and a lot of the reservoirs are in good shape. But what they're saying is, you have to be cautiously optimistic because even though we are getting a lot of snow and there is rain filling those reservoirs, it is going to depend on what happens in the next couple of months in terms of how hot and how dry it is going to be.

So if the snow melts too quickly, it might not be enough to essentially help us in this water crisis. So we'll have to wait over the next couple of months to see exactly what happens to this white gold here behind me. So, of course, scientists just very excited about what they're seeing here in California.

Some of the residents, though, it has been a headache for them, because as you mentioned, the 5 had been closed for such a long time, people had been stranded. People just not being able to get to where they needed to go. And we're talking a lot of flooding in the Los Angeles area. A lot of people without power. So we're left with all of this after the storm, but of course, it is good news for California and for the western states in terms of drought and water -- Jim.

ACOSTA: All right, Camila Bernal, thanks so much. I see those trucks moving behind you there. It looks like things are improving a little bit. Let's hope it keeps going in that direction. Thanks so much.

The Republican Party has a new plan. If you want to run for president, be prepared to back whomever the voters pick. Why the GOP chair says a loyalty oath is a no-brainer, in her words.

Plus, a Florida school employee is attacked and a high school student is arrested. What happened? My goodness, look at this video. That's ahead.

And later, which actors will take home the only awards given out by actors. We're live on the red carpet at the Screen Actors Guild Awards. That's coming up.

You're live in the CNN NEWSROOM.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[18:16:57]

ACOSTA: With the Republican Party getting ready for the upcoming presidential primary season, the chair of the RNC says a loyalty pledge could be a requirement for candidates to get on the debate stage.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

RONNA MCDANIEL, CHAIRWOMAN, REPUBLICAN NATIONAL COMMITTEE: We haven't put the criteria out, but I expect a pledge will be part of it. It was part of 2016. I think it's kind of a no-brainer, right? If you're going to be on the Republican National Committee debate stage, asking voters to support you, you should say, I'm going to support the voters and who they choose as the nominee.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ACOSTA: Yet here's what former President Donald Trump told conservative radio host Hugh Hewitt just the other day.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

HUGH HEWITT, CONSERVATIVE RADIO HOST: If you're not the nominee, will you support whoever the GOP nominee is?

DONALD TRUMP, FORMER PRESIDENT: It would depend. I would give you the same answer I gave in 2016 during the debate. It would have to depend on who the nominee was.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ACOSTA: It's deja vu all over again. Joining us now for this discussion, former Congressman Mondaire Jones and former Congressman Joe Walsh.

Joe, today a Trump campaign spokesperson responded to McDaniel's comments, saying President Trump the Republican nominee because it will be him. Yes, that's not exactly a commitment. And, I mean, here we are all over again. Not committing to honoring election results. Is that what this is?

JOE WALSH (R), FORMER ILLINOIS CONGRESSMAN: Jim, it's silly, but it's scary. A loyalty pledge, think about that, a loyalty pledge for this Republican Party when the leader of this Republican Party, Donald Trump is loyal to no one and no thing but himself. He'll never sign a loyalty pledge to support whoever the Republican nominee is.

Jim, look, we're seven to eight years into Trump taking over the Republican Party. And they're still all playing this cowardly dance. Ronna McDaniel, all the Republican donors, the Republican consultants, any other Republican who might get in this race, Jim, none of them want Trump. None of them want Trump around. But yet they remain absolutely afraid to criticize him and none of them will criticize him because he still owns this party.

ACOSTA: And Mondaire, to that point, there's a new FOX poll out showing it could be a two-man race in the Republican Party, Trump and DeSantis, well ahead of other potential candidates. I mean, what do you think, as a Democrat, to see the prospect of Donald Trump being the party's nominee again, or if not Donald Trump, Ron DeSantis, who very much, you know, is running on Trumpism?

MONDAIRE JONES, CNN POLITICAL COMMENTATOR: Well, I think if you're a candidate on the Democratic side running in 2024, then you definitely want Donald Trump on the ballot, because he is a huge drag on down- ballot candidates.

I've got to tell you, you know, in fairness to Donald Trump, and I never thought I would be saying this. It's not that he's not agreeing to honor the results of the election, if he's not the nominee. He's simply saying, he's not going to support the Republican nominee if it's not him, or that's what he's insinuating anyway.

[18:20:01]

And I don't think that anyone should be surprised by this. I think the reason that they would even have this threshold question would be for a guy like Donald Trump. It is probably assumed that everyone else running in the race, if they don't get the nomination, would immediately coalesce behind the Republican nominee.

This is a guy who was never about anyone other than himself. And so this is actually consistent behavior on his part. And I find it hard to believe that even if he nominally agrees to support the Republican nominee, which I'm not convinced at all that he'll agree to do, that he would actually behave in such a way in a general election, if he's not on the ballot.

And I think maybe this is a moot point because in all likelihood he will be the nominee, given that it's likely to be a crowded field where he takes about 30 percent to 40 percent of the vote. That's not going to peel away for him, even for Ron DeSantis.

ACOSTA: And that's what he did in 2016.

Joe and Mondaire, let me get you both to weigh in on this, this question about whether President Biden should visit East Palestine, Ohio, the scene of that deadly -- that toxic train derailment. What do you think, Joe? I mean, should he go or is it too late now

that former President Trump has gone? What did you make of Trump's visit out there? What did you think?

WALSH: Biden should have gone. He should still go. It matters. He's the president of this entire country. Showing up matters. Look, I am loathe to compliment Trump as well. That was a smart political move. This is part of being a president.

And I will tell you, Jim, that Democrats have an issue with working class America. They shouldn't, but they do. Working class Joe ought to be in East Palestine because I think it will really send a message. I think it's an important thing to do. I'm glad that Biden went to Ukraine, that was an amazing visit, but he can do both, and he should do both.

ACOSTA: Mondaire, what do you think? Because, you know, the question that I have is that Joe Biden really took that -- those blue wall states away from Donald Trump in the 2020 election. And that was really the key to the whole thing in many ways. I mean, one of the reasons why Joe Biden is president because of those blue wall states in East Palestine, maybe in Ohio, and it's a pretty red state right now, but it's right on the edge of those blue wall states.

Doesn't it make sense for him to go, politically? I know, you know, morally, as the consoler in chief, you should go and be there for folks, no question about it. But from a political standpoint, what do you think?

JONES: I appreciate the question because I was prepared to talk about how it wouldn't substantively make a difference, given that the EPA, which has the primary responsibility for cleaning up East Palestine, was there within two hours of the train's derailment. We know that the secretary of Transportation and the EPA administrator had been there, but I think optically, politically, yes, President Biden should take a visit.

He probably should have visited before now, frankly. I don't think it should have been in substitution of his visit to Ukraine, which was obviously important for it to be timed on the one-year anniversary of Russia's invasion. But I think by now, the president should have visited.

And I think so long as he doesn't visit, he's going to give his political opponents a talking point that frankly they shouldn't have, because it's their deregulation under Donald Trump, Republican deregulation of the railroad industry under Donald Trump, as in so many other areas of industry, that, you know, have made it more likely that this derailment would happen in the first place.

ACOSTA: You know, Joe, to play devil's advocate a little bit, it's not as though Trump's visit to East Palestine, Ohio, lit a fire under his campaign or super charged his campaign. I mean, you know, it was sort of listless to begin with and it's sort of still listless now. He was handing out MAGA hats and that sort of thing, kind of like the way he was throwing the paper towels to the folks in Puerto Rico after Hurricane Maria.

I mean, I suppose you could say it was a good idea for him to go, but it's not like this was a huge game changer or something.

WALSH: No, it was just -- I agree with that, Jim. It was just a really smart political move. And as you said at the top, look, there are only two potential candidates in this Republican race. It's Trump and it's DeSantis. They both occupied the Trumplane. This is 100 percent the party of Trumpism. So it's really important. Trump's running against DeSantis. He needs to stay out there and do his thing.

ACOSTA: And just very quickly, Mondaire, I only have just a little bit of time. Your thoughts, though, on Tim Scott potentially running for president. He sounds like he's going to be going to Iowa. I have just a little bit of time, but a very interesting prospect for the GOP, do you think?

JONES: Not particularly.

ACOSTA: OK.

JONES: Only because Donald Trump is going to -- only because Donald Trump is going to continue to have this outsized role in what will be a crowded field. And the addition of Tim Scott in fact only makes it more likely that Donald Trump is going to get the nomination.

[18:25:02]

You know, if Donald Trump were not in this thing, it would be a whole different story. And by the way, Tim Scott, Nikki Haley, they don't even distinguish themselves when you ask them what they would disagree -- what they disagree with, with respect to Donald Trump. So they're trying to have both and they're not going to get anything.

ACOSTA: Yes, we had Larry Sabato on yesterday, that astute political observer from UVA, and he said they're tiptoeing through the Trump tulips these day. I think that is exactly what's happening.

All right, former Congressman Mondaire Jones, former Congressman Joe Walsh, gentlemen, thanks so much for your time. Appreciate your time.

WALSH: Thanks, Jim.

ACOSTA: All right. Still ahead, a Florida school employee attacked by a high school student after she allegedly took away his Nintendo Switch, of all things. The incident caught on video. Why officials in the county are thankful it did not end worse. That's next.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SHERIFF RICK STALY, FLAGLER COUNTY, FLORIDA: This could have been a homicide. He's 6'7", 270 pounds and he's in high school. OK? That's a big kid.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

[18:30:22]

ACOSTA: News of a high school student violently attacking a teacher's aide is shocking enough, but the surveillance video now being released by Florida officials is nothing short of terrifying.

I want to bring in CNN's Isabel Rosales, who's following this for us.

Isabel, I cannot believe this video. It is just so unbelievably, just awful. Tell us more.

ISABEL ROSALES, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes, Jim, it is sickening to watch this surveillance footage from inside of a school. And in it, we see a student just brutally attacking a teacher's aide. The student, 6'6" and about 270 pounds. So when he's in a room speaking with the school resource deputy, he tells that deputy that the reason he did that was because he was upset that this teacher aide took away his Nintendo Switch.

So we do have that video, but first, a warning, it is disturbing. This happened on Tuesday in Flagler County just south of St. Augustine. And you see that teacher aide right there in the black, and there goes the student, knocking her to the ground. She's instantly motionless and then he is just kicking and punching at her repeatedly, approximately 15 times according to an arrest report.

Students, other teachers and staff notice the attack and rush in trying to separate him away from this teacher's aide and even as he is being dragged away, you can see that he's still attempting to punch and kick at her. She was later taken to a hospital. Listen to what the sheriff of Flagler County, Rick Staly, had to say about this.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

STALY: This could have been a homicide. When you push people down like that, they hit their head, you never know the outcome. Fortunately, other students and other faculty members, administrators came and intervened.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ROSALES: And that student, that 17-year-old has been arrested. He is facing a felony battery -- aggravated battery with bodily harm. He's been turned over and that's the arrest video right there to the Department of Juvenile Justice.

Jim, we did reach out and left a message with the family of this student, but we have not heard back.

ACOSTA: All right. Isabel Rosales, thank you much.

Still ahead, a federal judge in Texas set to rule in a critical lawsuit in the use of medication abortion nationwide. What we know about the Trump appointee whose decision could be the biggest in reproductive rights since the Supreme Court overturned Roe vs. Wade. That's next.

You're live in the CNN NEWSROOM.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[18:36:59]

ACOSTA: Arizona and federal authorities are reporting a major drug bust that took three years to pull off. They seized an estimated 4.5 million fentanyl pills and 3,000 pounds of methamphetamine along with large amounts of heroin and cocaine. The street value of the drugs, $13 million.

In Texas, all eyes are on a key case that could impose the most far- reaching limits on abortion access since the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade last June. A Texas judge will soon rule on a lawsuit that seeks to revoke the government's approval of the abortion drug mifepristone. The lawsuit alleges that the FDA improperly approved the drug more than 20 years ago and its use should no longer be allowed. It's part of a two-drug regimen used in abortion medication.

The presiding judge in the case, Matthew Kacsmaryk, was nominated by then President Trump and confirmed in 2019. He is known for his anti- abortion convictions. In "The Washington Post," Caroline Kitchener has written an in-depth profile of this judge and this looming court ruling and she joins me now.

Caroline, thanks so much. You and another reporter for the article spoke to 20 people who know this judge, including family members and close friends. What can you tell us?

CAROLINE KITCHENER, NATIONAL POLITICAL REPORTER, THE WASHINGTON POST: Well, we knew, you know, when he was confirmed, we knew that he was coming from a conservative legal advocacy group, First Liberty. He had made a series of statements about LGBT rights that really made clear of his conservative convictions before he was confirmed.

But we really found a long history that goes back decades of deep anti-abortion beliefs, really since childhood. He was raised by two born-again Christians who really emphasized the pro-life issue and then he really took it on himself through college and the years after. We spoke with a lot of his friends and family members who are very open about the depth of his beliefs on this particular issue.

ACOSTA: And Caroline, the location of this case is no accident. You write that the Amarillo Division of the Northern District of Texas is the go-to place to challenge a wide range of Biden administration policies. Why is that?

KITCHENER: Well, this is a single judge district. So you know that if you file a case there, you're going to have it heard by Judge Kacsmaryk. And he had a reputation even before he took the bench. People were aware of these kinds of statements that he had made. And since then, he has just made ruling after ruling after ruling that sides with conservatives on immigration, on contraception, on a series of really hot-button issues.

So I spoke with a variety of conservative lawyers who were pretty candid with me and said, yes, you know, this is something that you do, you know, as a lawyer, to get the result that you want. And he really has a reputation out there in Amarillo.

[18:40:00]

ACOSTA: And you reported that the judge has a very personal connection to the abortion issue through his sister. What is that story?

KITCHENER: Yes. So we found out that when his sister, who he's very close with, he's called her his hero, when she was 17, she got pregnant, she moved away from home, from their conservative community, into a maternity home, and then she put her son up for adoption. Now, that -- that particular experience has been described to me as formative for the judge on the abortion issue, seeing his sister go through that and seeing the adoption rather than the abortion.

Sixteen years after that happened -- and he actually went to the hospital to be with his sister at that time, 16 years after that, he joined the board of the maternity home, and that's an anti-abortion maternity home that took his sister in. So clearly, this is very personal. It's not just kind of a philosophical belief. It is something that really goes deep for this judge. And you know, I think it's important context going into this case.

ACOSTA: And are pro-abortion rights groups anticipating that this judge is going to overturn approval of this particular medication? And if so what happens after that? I suppose it's on a path to the Supreme Court. What do you think?

KITCHENER: Yes. I mean, part of the concern is that the cases that are heard by Judge Kacsmaryk, when they're appealed, they go to the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals, which is, you know, a pretty widely considered the most conservative court of appeals in the country. And then to the Supreme Court, which of course overturned Roe v. Wade in June. So there's really a path there that has been consistently -- you know, has consistently yielded the results that conservatives want on these kinds of cases.

So, you know, I think that if this case was filed in a different district, with a judge that had a different reputation, abortion rights groups would be far less concerned, because the claims in the lawsuit have been pretty widely dismissed as lacking kind of legal and medical basis, but because it is this judge at this moment, they're really worried. And they're making plans for, you know, what would happen if mifepristone goes off the market.

And there are some things that they can do. They could go to a misoprostol only protocol, so that would, you know, a different kind of pill that they could use, but that is something that really has not been done in this country for many years, so it would take a lot of finagling and it would really just send abortion clinics into upheaval once again.

ACOSTA: Well, it's a case that has far-reaching implications and it's an extremely critical case. Caroline Kitchener, thanks for your reporting on this subject. We appreciate it. KITCHENER: Thank you.

ACOSTA: All right. And tonight, we learn the EPA is shipping contaminated soil and water from East Palestine, Ohio, to two new sites. One of those is in East Liverpool, Ohio, and I'll speak to the mayor of that town for his reaction in just a few moments.

You're live in the CNN NEWSROOM.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[18:47:35]

ACOSTA: This afternoon, the EPA says it will ship hazardous waste from the train derailment site in East Palestine to two different cities in Ohio, Vickery and East Liverpool, and the mayor of East Liverpool, Ohio, Greg Bricker, he joins me now.

Mayor, thanks for joining us so quickly. What's your reaction to hearing that this material is heading your way?

MAYOR GREGORY BRICKER, EAST LIVERPOOL, OHIO: Well, I've been on the phone with the company that is doing the incinerating. I've talked to the federal EPA and the Ohio EPA. So, you know, they've assured me they're following all the guidelines that are necessary, so, you know, I think everyone's concerned of what's happened in the past couple of weeks, but again, we're relying on the EPA at this point to guide us in the right direction.

ACOSTA: I have to think that you must have some concerns that this is all going to be handled appropriately, given everything that your area has been through so far. I guess what will you be doing to make sure that everything is done and handled appropriately?

BRICKER: Yes, I mean, again, just keep relying on the EPA, have been in direct contact with them this weekend and, you know, I'm not an expert in this, in the least. I'm an accountant, a financial adviser, so I'm going to be talking to them. And you know, even in the beginning, you know, kind of dumb this down to me and explain it to me. So to just make sure that our residents are safe.

ACOSTA: And what's it been like in that area for your town over these last several weeks? I mean, I have to imagine that even where you are, even though you're a little bit away from East Palestine, that folks are concerned.

BRICKER: Yes, absolutely, of what's happened, you know, with the contamination, is it getting in the water? So there's definitely concerns, you know, and I think we've been doing a good job relying on the EPA and making sure we're following all their guidelines.

ACOSTA: And I guess, I mean, I have to ask, did you get any kind of chance to say no, we don't want this material coming to our community, or how did it go down, they called you and said, it's coming your way, get ready? Or how did that work? BRICKER: Yes, pretty much we had a conversation over the weekend of,

you know, there's going to be several facilities, an East Liverpool facility will be one of them handling the materials.

[18:50:01]

ACOSTA: And do you know what the site is like that it's going to? Does it seem secure? Is it a facility that folks know about in the community, has had a good track record over the years? What about that?

BRICKER: Yes, I think the facility is secure. I know they've had an issue or two in the past. But, you know, I sent pictures over. This is, you know, literally you can see it from my backyard, and it's literally in some people's backyards. So it's definitely a concern. And we want it done the right way. But, again, we're just going to be relying on them to guide us through this process.

ACOSTA: And just very quick, did you say that you can see this facility from your backyard, and that there have been a couple of issues in the past?

(CROSSTALK)

BRICKER: Yes, my backyard -- I'm sorry.

ACOSTA: And that there have been a couple of issues in the past?

BRICKER: I think it's been several years since there has been an issue. But, you know, East Liverpool is right on the Ohio River where West Virginia and Pennsylvania meet. And you can overlook my backyard and down -- I'm sorry, upriver you can see the heritage site. So, I mean, you know, we have a 2-year-old daughter. And of course that's a concern. But, again, I think this is a state-of-the-art facility that can handle this type of waste.

ACOSTA: All right. Well, East Liverpool Mayor Gregory Bricker, thanks very much for your time. Best of luck to your community and all the folks there. I know everybody has been through a lot. So we appreciate your time.

BRICKER: Thank you.

ACOSTA: Thank you very much.

The SAG Awards, often seen as an Oscar preview, are tonight. We're live from the red carpet. That's coming up next.

You're live in the CNN NEWSROOM.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[18:55:53]

ACOSTA: Some of Hollywood's biggest stars are hitting the red carpet for tonight's 29th Annual Screen Actors Guild Awards. The show is often seen as a bellwether of just what will happen at the Academy Awards, and CNN's Stephanie Elam has a preview.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

STEPHANIE ELAM, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): There's glitz and glamour.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Just smile right there, beautiful.

ELAM: But are there viewers? TV awards shows were already in decline before getting crushed by the pandemic.

MATTHEW BELLONI, FOUNDING PARTNER, PUCK: They're not dead, but the days of award shows bringing in 20, 30 million people, that's over.

ELAM: Enter streaming and Netflix, which scooped up the Screen Actors Guild Awards this year for its YouTube channel before jumping to Netflix itself, the main platform, next year.

BELLONI: The streaming services are all introducing advertising tiers. They want live programing that can support those ads. And awards shows are live programing.

ELAM: A Grammy ratings boost this year offers hope for other shows, especially with familiar blockbusters getting nominated. From "Elvis."

BAZ LUHMANN, DIRECTOR, "ELVIS": He was always about uniting different kinds of people, different age groups, bringing the difference together.

ELAM: And "Top Gun: Maverick."

(On-camera): How does it feel to be in a movie that like single- handedly brought people back to the theater, Jay Ellis?

JAY ELLIS, ACTOR, "TOP GUN: MAVERICK": You know, I just -- you're welcome.

ELAM (voice-over): Even award show frontrunner, "Everything Everywhere All at Once," was a box office success.

MICHELLE YEOH, ACTOR, "EVERYTHING EVERYWHERE ALL AT ONCE": What's happening?

ELAM: The cast is nominated for a SAG Award, as is Michelle Yeoh who plays an aging immigrant who visits the alternate lives she could have led.

YEOH: For people who sometimes get overwhelmed and sort of sidelined, she is someone that you look at and say come on, you can do this.

ELAM: The SAG Awards will be the last time this season fans can root for Viola Davis in "The Woman King." She is one of the stars edged out of an Oscar nomination by Andrea Riseborough who came out of nowhere when a grassroots social media campaign inside Hollywood worked. Even Cate Blanchett gave her a shout out at the Critics' Choice Awards. Soon after, came this. UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Andrea Riseborough in "To Leslie."

ELAM: An Oscar nomination for what supporters called a powerful role as an alcoholic in the small film "To Leslie." The academy investigated whether lobbying rules were violated.

BELLONI: They did not disqualify her, but they essentially said that they are going to deal with the people who were improperly campaigning individually, and we're going to get some new rules after this season.

ELAM: Too late for "The Woman King" director Gina Prince-Bythewood who wrote, "Of course I'm disappointed. I agreed to speak up on behalf of black women whose work has been dismissed in the past."

(END VIDEOTAPE)

ACOSTA: And Stephanie Elam joins us live from the red carpet.

Stephanie, I always envy your position there. That's always a lot of fun. What are you seeing so far?

ELAM: We're seeing a lot of stars walking the carpet. I saw Quinta Brunson walk by, from "Abbott Elementary." She's also the creator of that show. We've seen some of the stars of "Barry" walk by, like Anthony Kerrigan. I talked to him for a bit.

One of the things that has come up several times here is just the number of nominees who are working actors who have been putting in the grind for decades, finally getting some recognition. And I just had a lovely conversation with Jamie Lee Curtis. She is nominated for "Everything Everywhere All at Once," along with Michelle Yeoh. That film also nominated for an ensemble award here.

And we talked a bit about the fact that there are so many actors who are just, you know, getting their laurels now. Take a listen to what she told me.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JAMIE LEE CURTIS, BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS NOMINEE: I'm 64 years old. I've been an actress since I was 19. If I'm not having a good time, if we're not, together, if you and you and me aren't having a good time, what are we doing?

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ELAM: What are we doing? And she also talked a bit about the fact that, you know, actors are making people feel things at home and that we need to be an escape, she said. And so really owning that role and that position, saying she just had a ball this award season with "Everything Everywhere All at Once." And you just see her out there rooting for everybody.

Just taking a quick look. If you can get it. There are people out here from "White Lotus."

ACOSTA: Yes.

ELAM: Some of the actors behind me now. So we're getting close to showtime. But, Jim, a really fun carpet tonight.

ACOSTA: I see that. One of the stars from "White Lotus" behind you. Very cool, and very cool interview with Jamie Lee Curtis. I'm a huge fan.