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Bipartisan Capitol Hill Warning On China Threat; Deadly Train Wreck In Greece; Parts Of California Buried In Snow With More On The Way. Aired 2-3a ET

Aired March 01, 2023 - 02:00   ET

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

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[02:00:31]

ROSEMARY CHURCH, CNN INTERNATIONAL ANCHOR: Hello and welcome to our viewers joining us here in the United States and all around the world. I'm Rosemary Church. Just ahead on CNN NEWSROOM. Epic snowfall in California measured in feet, so much snow some ski resorts closed. Cars buried, roads shut down, some people trapped in their homes as another major system barrels towards the state today.

A high-profile hearing on China's threat to America, a new house panel meets in primetime, as global tensions are rising amid the spy balloon saga and fears China will provide lethal support to Russian forces in Ukraine.

Plus, at least 32 people are dead after two trains collide head on in Greece.

ANNOUNCER: Live from CNN Center. This is CNN NEWSROOM with Rosemary Church.

CHURCH: Good to have you with us. Well, California under blizzard warning parts of the Golden State have been buried in up to seven feet of snow over the past few days. As a freezing cold system moves inland over the U.S.

On Tuesday 23 million Americans who are under winter weather alerts with many of those in California. The surprise snow storms are also bringing high winds streaming across the southwest and more snow tracking up across the Pacific Northwest. But the storm system is not spreading just snow, it's also spreading panic as resources grow scarce. Cities in the San Bernardino Mountains are facing food and fuel shortages because of dangerous conditions on the roads.

Two more bouts of heavy snow are expected in the Sierra Nevada mountains and across northern California over the next few days. It'll take some time for snow to melt in the city of Truckee where snow banks seem to be taller than vehicles. California's Highway Patrol is warning residents to stay off roads if possible.

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UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I-80 is closed. I repeat it is closed and there is no way to get over. So, unless you've got one of these handy equipment, pieces of equipment in front of you, don't even try it.

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CHURCH: CNN Meteorologist Derek Van Dam has the latest forecast.

DEREK VAN DAM, CNN METEOROLOGIST: Heavy snowfall is paralyzing parts of the state of California so much so that communities have been cut off because the roadways are virtually impassable. Snowfall is piling up to the tops of the first stories of some of the homes. They have search and rescue helicopters going into just make sure that everybody in the communities are safe, they can get supplies.

Some people have actually been left no other option but to leave their car on the side of the vehicle because there's simply just too much snow within the area. Just take this image for example. Look at the snowfall piling up. That is a sliding glass window that's coming out of the Lake Arrowhead California region. Get this. There has been so much snow in some of the ski resorts in California that they actually had to close the ski resorts.

I mean, that's incredible, right? Isn't the purpose of a ski resort to have a lot of snow? Well, too much is perhaps too much of a good thing, right? 38 inches of snow in the past 24 hours at Palisades near Lake Tahoe and there is still more snow to come. You can see that digging in with another trough. Winter storm warnings, blizzard warnings, blanketing the state of California. Those alerts extend across a great basin over 10 million Americans feeling the impacts of this latest round of winter weather.

And of course, as the system advances eastward, it'll pile up more snow, the potential for another two to three feet on top of what they've already experienced. But unfortunately, it's going to encounter some warm air upstream and cause the potential for severe weather. We actually have two different severe weather systems. Today we have severe weather across the deep south but on Thursday, that's the big show.

We're going to watch out for the potential for tornadoes across East Texas into Arkansas, Louisiana as well as parts of Mississippi. The potential for flash flooding exists across the region as well. Back to you.

CHURCH: Thanks for that. Well, for the first time since 1983 Chicago has ditched an elected mayor. Lori Lightfoot conceded Tuesday after failing to secure a spot and a top to run off. She couldn't overcome a spike in violent crime and years of fights with police and teachers' unions. Lightfoot made history by becoming the first black and openly gay person to lead Chicago.

[02:05:07]

LORI LIGHTFOOT, MAYOR OF CHICAGO: As we all know in life, in the end, you don't always win every battle. But you never regret taking on the powerful and bringing in the light. To my friends across the country, and my fellow mayors, never fear being brave and bold. (END VIDEO CLIP)

CHURCH: One of the two candidates advancing to the April runoff, his longtime public schools chief Paul Vallas on the right. He built his campaign on a pro-police tough on crime message, and he will face Brandon Johnson, a Cook County Commissioner popular with progressives, no candidate received more than 50 percent of the vote.

Well, the U.S. Supreme Court heard oral arguments on Tuesday and two challenges to President Joe Biden's student loan debt relief plan. Demonstrators gathered in Washington to back the President's plan. It could potentially forgive federal debt up to $20,000 for some individuals. Some of the more conservative justices on the court appeared skeptical, but an Obama appointee is signaled Mr. Biden has the right of way from Congress. Take a listen.

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NEIL GORSUCH, ASSOCIATE JUSTICE OF THE SUPREME COURT OF THE UNITED STATES: What I think they argue that is missing is cost to other persons in terms of fairness, for example, people who've paid their loans, people who don't have plan their lives around not seeking loans and, people who are not eligible for loans.

ELENA KAGAN, ASSOCIATE JUSTICE OF THE SUPREME COURT OF THE UNITED STATES: You know, this is an emergency provision. There was an emergency, it's an earthquake. Congress used its voice. Congress used its voice in enacting this piece of legislation.

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CHURCH: If the plan goes through more than 40 million federal student loan borrowers would be eligible for some type of debt cancellation or forgiveness. The Congressional Budget Office reported in September the plan would cost us taxpayers around $400 billion over roughly 30 years. There's a pause on payment requirements until the Supreme Court reaches a decision.

A terrible train wreck in Greece has claimed at least 32 lives as rescue crews search for survivors. A passenger train carrying more than 350 people collided with a freight train near the city of Larissa. Dozens of people are injured and more than 50 of them are hospitalized. Authorities say the number of victims is expected to rise. This collision happened shortly before midnight local time.

The passenger train was heading from Athens to Greece's second largest city Thessaloniki. And CNN's Eleni Giokos is tracking this for us. She joins us live from Dubai. Eleni, what is the latest on there's a deadly and tragic train disaster?

ELENI GIOKOS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes. Absolutely. Absolutely deadly and tragic. And I've just been monitoring a state broadcaster ERT who've -- they've been giving incredible updates and looking at some of the imagery in terms of search and rescue that is going on right now. I want to take you through the numbers. 32 people right now confirmed dead. The train itself, the passenger train had 346 people on board.

And this happened just outside of Larissa where a cargo train collided with a passenger train. The cargo train coming from Thessaloniki, passenger train coming through from Athens and it actually had picked up passengers in Larissa. State broadcaster also saying that for some reason the passenger train had been changed lines at that -- at which point then just outside of that city, the collision occurred.

Of course, authorities are investigating whether this was a technical fault. Whether this was human error. But priority remains search and rescue right now. You can see cranes and of course, metal cutting machinery. We're also hearing that the first two carriages caught lights, took firefighters a long time to put that fire out. The fatalities occurred in the third carriage. The theory is that in the first few carriages there were still passengers.

We can also see some rescue dogs as well people on the ground. The first few carriages were actually where the restaurant was. And this is the major concern that there are more people perhaps trapped under the rubble. This is nine hours into the operation and people talking about being a marathon rescue operation that is occurring right now. But Rosemary, many questions around this how this happened but right now, there are big focus. There's a big focus on search and rescue.

CHURCH: Absolutely. Eleni Giokos, many thanks for keeping a very close eye on that and bringing us all the updates. Appreciate it.

[02:10:07]

Still to come. The battle for Bakhmut intensifies constant Russian shelling. And airstrikes are raising fears there may be nothing left at the Ukrainian city when the fighting stops.

And Russian President Vladimir Putin makes a rare public admission about his country's losses on the battlefield. Back with that and more in just a moment.

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CHURCH: The months' long battle fallback mode appears to be reaching a crescendo as Russian forces intensify their assault, and Ukraine's military holds on despite being outnumbered.

Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy says in his nightly message that the biggest challenge, the most difficult situation across the long front lines is in Bakhmut. One of the President's advisors tells CNN Ukraine's military will weigh all options, including strategically pulling back if needed. Ukraine says the city is not surrounded though one commander says Russia's constant shelling and bombardment are breaking the city into molecules.

Several thousand civilians are still believed to be caught in the fighting and mostly cut off from humanitarian aid. Ukrainian soldiers say the situation in Bakhmut is hellish and much worse than officially reported but they're vowing to defend the city until the end no matter what. [02:15:11]

And in a rare admission, Russian President Vladimir Putin has acknowledged losses among the ranks of Russian intelligence officers on the ground in Ukraine. In his speech to members of Russia's intelligence agency, the FSB on Tuesday, he called on the agency's leadership to support the families of fallen agents. He also signed a law suspending Moscow's participation in the new Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty with the United States.

Though Russia's foreign ministry says the suspension could someday be reversed. More now on Russia's push toward back mode and Vladimir Putin's FSB speech from CNN's Fred Pleitgen.

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FREDERIK PLEITGEN, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice over): Russian warplanes bombing Bakhmut. This video posted on state media trying to show the advances that Kremlin's forces are making.

On the ground mercenaries of the Wagner private military company are leading the assault the Ukrainian say. These Wagner footsoldiers saying they're close to Bakhmut city limits.

We're approaching Yahidne, he says. And Yahidne is the entrance into town. This district our platoon has taken without a single loss.

Ukraine says the situation is tough for their troops in Bakhmut but that they are clinging on.

While Wagner boss Yevgeny Prigozhin is recruiting even more people in an ad with a top Russian propagandist.

Sign up for PMC Wagner, he says. You'll learn a man's work and we'll be in good shape for the upcoming World War III. While Prigozhin claims he's gearing up for World War III, he's also involved in a social media standoff with the son-in-law of Russia's defense minister Sergei Shoigu. After the son-in-law Alexey Stolyarov allegedly liked an anti-war blogger's comment on social media which Stolyarov later denied doing, Prigozhin taking aim.

We need to catch Stolyarov your roof and bring him to me, he says. I will train him for six weeks since I am a Z-redneck myself, I will help him improve by sending him to combat operations.

As the fighting in Ukraine rages on, Russia's president now acknowledges that operatives for the intelligence service, the FSB are both on the front lines and allegedly behind Ukrainian lines.

VLADIMIR PUTIN, PRESIDENT OF RUSSIA (through translator): Unfortunately, there are losses in our ranks, the leadership of the FSB must do everything to provide additional support to the families of our fallen comrades.

PLEITGEN: With FSB boss Alexander Bortnikov on the stage, Putin also said Russian intelligence needs to up its game. PUTIN (through translator): We need to beef up our counter intelligence in general, because Western special services have traditionally been very active in relation to Russia. And now they have put in additional personnel, technical and other resources against us. We need to respond accordingly.

PLEITGEN: The Russian leader yet again casting this conflict as an existential battle for Russia against those allegedly plotting to destroy it.

Fred Pleitgen, CNN, Moscow.

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CHURCH: Joining us now, CNN's Salma Abdelaziz live from London. Good morning to you, Salma. So, what else came out of President Putin's meeting with members of Russia's Federal Security Service Tuesday? And what are you learning about reaction to this ongoing war in Russia?

SALMA ABDELAZIZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Absolutely, Rosemary. You heard a little bit there of President Putin speech yesterday, Tuesday to the FSB. Of course, this is the intelligence arm, the intelligence wing of Russia. In that speech, he called on his FSB service to step up their work, level up their work in the face of what he says are growing espionage and sabotage attacks inside Russia by Western intelligence agencies.

Of course, in the context of the Ukraine War, President Putin had some very clear instructions for the FSB. I note here that President Putin himself was the director of the FSB in the late 1990s. So, very clear orders from him to his man. I'm going to just summarize a few of them. He calls on them to stop what he calls sabotage groups from entering Russia. He calls on the FSB to prevent what he calls again, illegal arms flow into Russia.

He says that Western intelligence agencies are reviving what President Putin calls terrorist cells, extremist cells, essentially covert cells inside Russia. And again, he wants the FSB to curtail those cells from what he calls again being revived. And then he goes on to call on the FSB to step up security in those four illegally annexed regions in Ukraine. Remember those four provinces that President Putin signed illegally into law as Russian territory.

[02:20:05]

Now that military, Moscow's military does not have full control of those areas. But some parts of those regions are occupied by Russian forces. So, what does all this mean, Rosemary? Well, in any conflict in any war, including this one, of course, there is that very open war that we see happening on the battlefield. And then there is a covert war, a spy war, something that is happening in the shadows that is very difficult to report on.

But we've seen more and more signs of that shadow war in recent weeks and months. Just yesterday, Russian officials were saying that covert drone attacks and we have video to show you that covert drone attacks were taking place across Russia. One of those drone attacks hitting a Gazprom facility and causing that fire that you see on our screen now. There were further drone attacks again.

Secret drone attacks, covert drone attacks, unclaimed drone attacks happening inside Russia in December. Those included hitting an airbase that damaged some of the weapon's arsenal there and led to three service members being killed. I'm going to point to a couple of other incidences that are larger. And again, these are not things that were pointed out by President Putin in this speech, but you can see could be perceived as intelligence failures by Russia.

Another example, key example, the Kerch Bridge blast. Again, not claimed by Ukraine, but a major attack on the one and only lifeline that connected Crimea to mainland Russia. That was a huge hit for Russian security forces, a huge and major attack on them. And then one final example, I'm going to give you here, the assassination of the daughter of a man who was called the spiritual guide of President Putin in his war on Ukraine.

All of these incidences point to -- for President Putin, a growing spy attack. A growing covert attack by Ukraine and Western allies. Again, these are not claimed by Ukraine against Russia. And what he is doing there is he is ordering his servicemen to step up, as he said in that speech. And you have to remember, President Putin doesn't just clamp down on civilians. President Putin has an iron fist inside and outside government.

He's been known to fire generals. He's been known to fire people if they do not act quickly. These orders will be taken very seriously, Rosemary, by the FSB.

CHURCH: All right. Our thanks to Salma Abdelaziz bringing us that live report from London.

And still to come. U.S. lawmakers hold a hearing on China's support of Russia and its suspected espionage activities targeting Americans. We will ask an expert what this means for the fraying relations between Washington and Beijing.

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CHURCH: A bipartisan hearing focusing on threats, U.S. lawmakers believe opposed by the Chinese government wrapped up just a few hours ago at the U.S. Capitol. It featured first person testimony from a Chinese human rights activist and several high-profile witnesses, including former President Donald Trump's National Security Adviser, H.R. McMaster who had this to say about Beijing suspected espionage tactics. Take a listen.

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H.R. MCMASTER, FORMER U.S. NATIONAL SECURITY ADVISOR: I think the message is that, you know, that we are intending to continue a broad range of surveillance activities. The balloon I think is in many ways, you know, a metaphor for the massive effort at espionage.

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CHURCH: Former U.S. Ambassador to China Gary Locke joins me now from Seattle. Thank you, sir, for being with us.

GARY LOCKE, FORMER U.S. AMBASSADOR TO CHINA: My pleasure, Rosemary.

CHURCH: So, what did the New House Select Committee on China achieve at its first hearing Tuesday as it highlights the threat China poses to America amid these rising tensions between the two nations over several issues, including concerns Beijing may decide to send lethal support to Russia for its war on Ukraine?

LOCKE: Well, the first hearing of the congressional committee clearly points out the concern that the United States Government, members of Congress and the administration have on a bipartisan basis about the rising tensions between the United States and China exacerbated by the balloon incident. And especially now with the intelligence that the U.S. government has that China is considering, seriously considering providing lethal aid to Russia in the war against Ukraine.

The U.S.-China, tensions are at an all-time high. The relationships are all-time low. And so, all of these activities from the balloon incident to airplanes flying close together over the South China Sea in the Strait of Taiwan to what's happening in Ukraine is not helping the U.S.-China relationship which needs to work together. But yes, we have very significant differences between our two countries.

At the same time, we must work together whether it's to stop the proliferation of nuclear weapons in North Korea or trying to combat climate change.

CHURCH: Ambassador, the Biden administration warned Tuesday that anyone providing lethal aid to Russia for its war on Ukraine will be targeted. What might that signal as Putin ally Belarusian President Lukashenko arrives in China for a state visit?

LOCKE: Well, it's a clear signal that -- to Russia and to any of its allies, including China, that we are aware of these developments that our intelligence is sound. And so, it's really giving a warning to China especially and really encouraging other nations that might be dealing with China to also reinforce that message that there will be severe consequences if China were to provide a lethal aid to Russia.

You know, China really depends on trade with so many other countries. And so many other countries' export, needed supplies and equipment to China.

[02:30:00]

And so, the response if China were to provide lethal aid cannot just be from the United States alone but has to be a multilateral coordinated effort, including our allies, and the Europeans.

CHURCH: And as you mentioned, there's also considerable concern about China's spy balloon, as well as what Beijing plans to do with Taiwan. One of the witnesses who testified Tuesday night was former Deputy National Adviser Matthew Pottinger. How convincing was his testimony and laying out the threat posed by China?

LOCKE: Well, I think everyone knows the very serious threat posed by China in terms of its military, growing military presence, it's military buildup, the amount of money that they're spending on developing their military. But also, their actions are all around the world in soft power trying to develop a through foreign assistance, allies and friends throughout the world. Certainly, there are huge technological issues that we have between China and the United States. The Biden administration has imposed restrictions on exports of high- technology goods to China that could ultimately be used by the Chinese military. So, these concerns are very clear, and really indicates a bipartisan concern about the security threat posed by China.

CHURCH: Gary Locke, thank you so much for joining us. Appreciate it.

LOCKE: My pleasure.

CHURCH: And still to come, after a controversial election, Africa's largest democracy has a new president. We will have a live report from Lagos, back in just a moment.

[02:35:00]

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CHURCH: Nigeria has declared the winner of its controversial presidential election. Bola Ahmed Tinubu will now lead Africa's largest economy, despite a growing outcry from opposition leaders and independent observers who say the vote was rigged. Tinubu supporters celebrated his victory at party headquarters in Abuja. And CNN's Stephanie Busari, joins us now live from Lagos. So, Stephanie, Bola Ahmed Tinubu, declared the winner but critics say, the presidential election was rigged. So, what's the latest on all of this?

STEPHANIE BUSARI, CNN SENIOR EDITOR, AFRICA: So, Rosemary, Nigerians are waking up to a new president. And as you say, it's a controversy, it's been a controversial election cycle. But we have a President- elect declared and opposition leaders say they believe that the results were rigged or manipulated. But the only recourse really available to them is the courts. And in this in Nigeria elections, Presidential elections are not really overturned. So, they face a long legal uphill battle to challenge these results.

Tinubu for his spot, as appeal for calm is urged his opponents to come together, so they could work for the unity of the country. Let me read you a little of what he said during his acceptance speech. He said, "This is a serious mandate, I hereby accept it. I'll be your servant and not your leader to work with you to make Nigeria a great country. I take this opportunity to appeal to my fellow contestants, let us team up together. It is the only nation we have. It is one country, and we must build together. Let's work together to put broken pieces together." There are many broken pieces to be pieced together, Rosemarie, the country's divided along a lot of religious and ethnic lines. Young people in particular will be waking up feeling very disappointed this morning because their candidate Peter Obi, who they believe was a reformer, the anti-establishment candidate that they thought would lead the country, that new direction has come in third in this -- in this election cycle. So, Bola Tinubu Ahmed former Lagos governor, he is -- he has a long way to go to bring a divided nation together. Rosemary.

CHURCH: All right, Stephanie Busari, joining us live from Lagos. Many thanks for that report. Iran's Foreign Minister recently sat down, with our Christiane Amanpour, for an exclusive interview covering a range of topics, including the alleged sexual abuse of anti-government protesters and the custody of Iran's Revolutionary Guard Corps.

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CHRISTIANE AMANPOUR, CNN CHIEF INTERNATIONAL ANCHOR: When you say the Islamic Republic of Iran, respects human rights, one female protester, says that she was detained inside a Revolutionary Guard facility for more than a month, and raped by three different men. She went to the cleric Amola (PH) afterwards because she was having suicide thoughts. She was so upset. CNN spoke with that cleric. Is that acceptable? Is it acceptable for a woman, whatever she's done, to be arrested and raped? And there are many, many, many reports of sexual abuse in this situation against women and men.

HOSSEIN AMIR-ABDOLLAHIAN, IRANIAN FOREIGN MINISTER (through translator): Firstly, in the peaceful demonstrations in the fall, no one was arrested.

AMANPOUR: So, you're just denying that?

AMIR-ABDOLLAHIAN (through translator): However, in those protests that have become violent, some individuals, some of whom had entered around from the outside. And were using firearms and killing the police were arrested. You do know that the Supreme Leader actually issued an amnesty, and all those who were imprisoned to were released. With the exception of those who had killed someone or being sued. Regarding the Iranian women that you mentioned, I cannot confirm it. There have been so many such baseless claims made on social media and in media.

[02:40:10]

AMANPOUR: OK, these are not baseless and they weren't on the internet it's CNN spoke to a cleric, a religious person inside your country and got this report.

AMIR-ABDOLLAHIAN (through translator): We have seen some of CNN reports that are targeted and false.

AMANPOUR: That's not true. We report the facts, and we report the truth and that's why you're sitting here with me, Mr. Foreign Minister.

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CHURCH: Tune in for Christiane Amanpour, exclusive interview with the Iranian Foreign Minister covering topics including the crackdown on protesters supplying Russia with drones and Iran's uranium enrichment. That is Wednesday at 7:00 p.m. in Geneva, 6:00 p.m. in London only here on CNN. And thanks for joining us, I'm Rosemary Church, for our international viewers, "WORLD SPORT" is next. And for our viewers in North America, I'll be back with more news after short break. Do stay with us.

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