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South Carolina Jury Finds Alex Murdaugh Guilty of Murder; Severe Storm Pummel Parts of Southern U.S.; Russia's War in Ukraine Continues; Blinken and Lavrov Hold First Face-to-Face Since War Began; FBI: Man Posted Threats To Kill Jewish Elected Official; Duke And Duchess Of Sussex Asked To Vacate UK Home; Republicans Attend Conservative Political Action Conference. Aired 2-3a ET

Aired March 03, 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]

KIM BRUNHUBER, CNN ANCHOR: Welcome to all of you watching us around the world. I'm Kim Brunhuber. Ahead on "CNN Newsroom" --

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNKNOWN: Guilty verdict, verdict guilty, verdict guilty, verdict guilty.

BRUNHUBER: Disgraced former attorney Alex Murdaugh will be sentenced after being found guilty of murder. We will break down the verdict just ahead. And --

(END VIDEO CLIP)

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNKNOWN: It sounded like a freight train. It's just like -- going by the house.

BRUNHUBER: A powerful storm system is moving through the Southern U.S., bringing the threat of tornadoes and damaging winds. We are tracking the severe weather.

Plus, in the coming hours, the U.S. will announce more assistance for Ukraine as Ukrainian fighters are struggling to keep Russian forces out of the eastern city of Bakhmut.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

UNKNOWN (voice-over): Live from CNN Center, this is "CNN Newsroom" with Kim Brunhuber.

BRUNHUBER: Disgraced former South Carolina Attorney Alex Murdaugh will be sentenced in the coming hours after being convicted of killing his wife and son.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNKNOWN: Guilty verdict, verdict guilty, verdict guilty, verdict guilty.

BRUNHUBER: The jury deliberated less than three hours Thursday before returning their decision and welcomed by the lead prosecutor. Here he is.

CREIGHTON WATERS, LEAD PROSECUTOR: Justice was done today. It doesn't matter who your family is, it doesn't matter how much money you have or people think you have, it doesn't matter what you think how prominent you are. If you do wrong, if you break the law, if you murder, then justice will be done in South Carolina.

BRUNHUBER: Murdaugh won't face the death penalty. Prosecutors have indicated they will seek life in prison without the possibility of parole. On a separate case, Murdaugh faces dozens of financial crime charges for defrauding clients from law firm and the government.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

For more on this, let's bring in Areva Martin. She's a civil rights attorney and legal affairs commentator. She joins us from Los Angeles. Thank you so much for being here with us on this. So, the verdict --

AREVA MARTIN, CNN LEGAL ANALYST, CIVIL RIGHTS ATTORNEY: Thank you.

BRUNHUBER: -- came so quickly. Was that a surprise to you?

MARTIN: Very surprising, Kim, that the jury only deliberated for about three hours, particularly given how many witnesses testified on behalf of the prosecution and the voluminous amount of evidence that was presented both by the prosecution and defense. I was not expecting them to return in just several hours.

BRUNHUBER: Yeah. I mean, letting Alex testify, I mean, was that a big mistake, do you think?

MARTIN: I think the defense did not have a choice. When the prosecution put on almost 10 or so witnesses that testified that they could identify Alex Murdaugh's voice in that video that was taken or produced just moments before the cellphone of his son, Paul, went dead, that was a big problem for Alex because he had told the police for months that he was not at that kennel before his wife and son were killed.

And now, you had 10 witnesses coming forward for the prosecution saying, yes, that is his voice. He was there just moments before the murders occurred. So, he had to -- I believe, he felt he had to get on the witness stand and try to explain why he had lied to police.

BRUNHUBER: So, you think that -- I mean, the video that you're talking about from his son, on the cell phone, you know, proving that he was there within five minutes of the murder and lied about it, essentially, I mean, the son helped solve his own murder.

MARTIN: Oh, in so many ways, Kim. He was painted -- really pinned into a corner. He had to explain how it is that his voice could be on a video, as you said five minutes before the murders occurred, yet he consistently told police he was not there.

So, jurors, I think, had he not taken the witness stand, maybe they would have come back in 30 minutes or less. So, it was a calculated risk on his part. When defendants take the witness stand on their own behalf, oftentimes, it does not go well, and this is one of those cases.

He was drilled by that prosecutor, and the prosecutor over and over and over again during the cross-examination is saying, you lied, you know, when you said you didn't take money.

In this case, (INAUDIBLE) litany of lies that Alex Murdaugh had told to others and basically got to the conclusion that if you lied in those situations, then how is it that you expect the jury to believe you in this situation?

[02:05:08]

Basically saying, you lied then and you're lying now.

BRUNHUBER: Yeah, even though the evidence was circumstantial, I guess, he wasn't credible in the end. So, what do you expect at sentencing?

MARTIN: Oh, I expect him to get the harshest sentence possible. I've talked to several folks on the ground there in South Carolina, folks who are familiar with this judge, and they say that this is a judge that tends to give out heavier sentences.

When you think about the nature of the crimes, a man killing his own wife, killing his son, and the reason being trying to avoid having to expose or having to reveal his own financial misdoing, to reveal his finances, I can't imagine this judge giving him a lighter sentence. I suspect he will get life in prison without the possibility of parole.

And it is important to note, Kim, that he still faces criminal charges related to the financial wrongdoings that we heard so much about during this murder trial. So, even if he did not get the stiffness penalty in this case, he is still facing legal jeopardy in these other financial crime cases.

BRUNHUBER: Before we go, I just want to ask you something about what the lead prosecutor said in the press conference after the verdict. I'm sort of paraphrasing here, but he said essentially, it doesn't matter how much money you have, it doesn't matter how prominent your family is, justice will be done. What did you make of that message?

MARTIN: I think it's an important message to send. Many folks in South Carolina believe that because of who Alex Murdaugh was, because he had three family members who are prosecutors in this town, because of the legacy that his father, grandfather and great grandfather had, that perhaps he would get a break, he would not be held to account in the way that someone less affluent, less popular would be.

I think the prosecutors wanted to send a message that your education, your money, your privilege, and your status don't make you above the law.

BRUNHUBER: Right. We'll leave it there. We'll be watching for that sentencing later today. Attorney Areva Martin in Los Angeles, again, thank you so much. We appreciate it.

MARTIN: Thank you, Kim.

BRUNHUBER: Parts of the Southern U.S. are getting pummeled by strong storms. More than 60 million people across the region are facing the threat of severe weather. There have been at least 90 storm reports so far like this apparent tornado in Louisiana where we can see some of the damage it caused. Their buildings torn apart, cars getting crushed. Two children were in that car when the wind started getting stronger. Listen to this.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DAVID LANGSTON, WITNESSED TORNADO: That's when the wind started picking up. This lady said, my babies are in the car. She wanted me to help her. I said, let's go. But then all of the sudden, the wind got so bad. So, no, ma'am, don't go out. That's her car and it got slammed. If we had gone out there, maybe -- I mean, we would have been hit by that sign.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BRUNHUBER: So, once the wind died down, the two children inside the car were rescued. Luckily, they were unharmed. Now, this is the damage from another storm in Alabama.

Some of the strongest winds hit Texas with gusts up to 80 miles an hour in the Dallas Fort Worth area. The FAA ordered a ground stop for flights leaving Dallas and also to Austin and San Antonio. More than 180 flights departing Texas were canceled on Thursday.

The storms sent parts of buildings flying and knocked out power for more than 260,000 homes and businesses across Texas. The storm system is now marching eastward.

CNN meteorologist Allison Chinchar joins me now. So, what are we expecting, Allison?

ALLISON CHINCHAR, CNN METEOROLOGIST: A little bit more of the same, honestly, Kim. Here's a live look at the radar right now. You can see that strongest line of storms is making its way through portions of Arkansas as well as Louisiana.

We do have a tornado watch. That large red section here, you can see, valid until 8:00 a.m. central time. But we also had a tornado warning just south of Little Rock right now. This intense line of storms is going to continue to progress eastward as we go through the day on Friday.

Many of the same threats will continue. So, a few tornadoes, damaging winds, and the potential for some isolated large hail. This includes cities like Cincinnati, Nashville, even stretching down into Atlanta, Georgia.

Now, the system as a whole is going to start to slide off to the north and east. And when it does, it is going to encounter some much cooler air, which means that a lot of those areas along The Great Lakes and into the northeast, you are going to see that transition from rain into a bit of a snow, ice, freezing rain, and rain all mixed together at some point.

Overall, the heaviest rain is going to be on the south side where, yes, the potential for 2 to 4 inches is possible. Snowfall is going to be heaviest up across areas of New England where inaccessible foot of snow is possible.

[02:10:00]

Widespread flash flooding is also possible along the Ohio and Mississippi Valley river areas. Excuse me. Winds are also going to be a big concern even after this system moves through. Apologies here. We are still going to be looking at some wind advisories across many of these states.

One thing to note out to the west, we're getting a little bit of a break right now, but another system is going to be making its way into the West Coast as we head into the weekend. This does include California, which has received so much snow and so much rain in the last few days.

That next system is going to bring additional snow, yes, measuring 1 to 3 feet across these areas and some pretty high rainfall amounts right there along the coast. Kim?

BRUNHUBER: All right, appreciate it. Allison Chinchar, thank you so much. As Allison just mentioned, this lengthy winter storm has already created chaos in the west. Across California, several days of heavy snow knocked out power to thousands, made roads impassable and trapped residents in their homes.

Joining me now is Ingrid Braun, the sheriff-coroner of Mono County, California. Thank you so much for being here with us. So, your community is situated just between the Nevada border and Yosemite National Park, which has been really hard hit by the snow. So, describe the conditions and the dangers out there that folks have been facing.

INGRID BRAUN, SHERIFF-CORONER, MONO COUNTY, CALIFORNIA: Thank you for having me on. The danger has been astounding, how much snow we have received. I live in the town of Mammoth Lakes. We are about 8,000 feet (INAUDIBLE). We have had over 500 inches of snow here. (INAUDIBLE) over 600 inches of snow. And it has just become too much.

It caused traffic jams and caused the roads to be closed. When roads are closed, people want to skate. They're going to find a way to get around or they're going to try to find a way to get around. So, people have been stuck in their cars on roads. Sometimes, you can get through, but not when there is five feet of snow and the wind is blowing sideways. Seventeen people spent the night on one stretch of road but we could not get to them because the roads were just so impossible. It took us another day to get them out. Fortunately, everybody survived. But it has been a lot.

And we've had avalanches take out big sections of our north-south highway, which has isolated several communities. One of the avalanches took out the power source in Mono City and Bridgeport. They are isolated. They are still without power. They do have roads that are opening up, so it has been quite an ordeal.

BRUNHUBER: You talked about people being trapped out on the roads there. You tried to warm people. I mean, you put out a particularly blunt message on Facebook. I just want to read parts of it here. It's a blizzard, people. You cannot see your hand in front of your face, let alone a snow stake to guide your way. Stay home. You went on to say, we told you to make good choices.

I mean, was there a sense -- those are pretty spicy message out there for the folks. Was there a sense that people are not taking those dangers seriously?

BRAUN: Not our locals. The people who live here, they get, they know. They have chosen to live here, and they understand the dangers of living here. But it is our traveler, people trying to come here who just don't understand. If you don't check the weather forecast, don't take the roads and just start driving. They're not paying attention.

The apps don't help. Today, we're driving on a close section of road. It was because of the (INAUDIBLE). A map pops up that gave me a two- hour detoured through roads that have been clogged with snow for months. So, it does not help. So, I kind of lost my patience. It was a sassy post, but I don't regret it.

BRUNHUBER: There is also, you know, obviously, the threat on the roads, but people's homes as well. You talked about roof avalanches. Explain what you mean.

BRAUN: Snow continues to pile up on people's roofs. You've got roofs that have 10 to 20 feet of snow on them. Really hard to shovel roof. And if you let the snow pile up and it starts to melt or gets too heavy, it will fall off the eaves of the roof. So, you could be standing underneath the eaves of a roof and not think anything and get crushed by the falling snow.

So, you don't have to be in a mountain to be hit by an avalanche. You can get hit by roof avalanche or the way that the snow could just collapse and take down a building. So, we encourage people to clear the roof as best they can, and also to clear the propane tanks because the propane tanks need to get a little bit of air, they need to breathe, and if they don't, sometimes they explode and then your house is gone.

BRUNHUBER: Yeah. So, we just heard that there is more snow potentially to come.

[02:14:54]

Still dangerous to come even after that, when all of that snow eventually melts or even, you know, potentially more worrying when you get rain on all that snow. You could see huge flooding here down the road.

BRAUN: We could once spring comes around and the snow starts to melt. And we have this in the winter '16 and '17 where he had probably (INAUDIBLE) the creeks, the rivers, the lakes, they will overflow. That can be a problem as well. That's something that we have to watch for. Learn to mitigate and to keep people away from the rushing water. Turn around, don't drown.

BRUNHUBER: Yeah, great message to end on. Thanks so much and all the best of luck in helping all the folks who need the help out there. Sheriff-Coroner Ingrid Braun, thanks so much for joining us.

All right, still ahead, U.S. President Joe Biden will host the German chancellor in the coming hours. Both leaders are under pressure to send more weapons and military aid to Ukraine. We'll have a live report on the meeting, coming up next.

Plus, a man in Pennsylvania reportedly tries to bring an explosive device on to a flight. We'll show you the images of the material. Authorities say he tried to sneak on to a plane, coming up. Stay with us.

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BRUNHUBER: President Biden will host the German chancellor at the White House in the coming hours and the war in Ukraine is expected to dominate the agenda.

[02:20:03]

The two leaders are under pressure from Ukraine's president to provide more powerful weapons. This meeting comes as Ukraine's military considers whether to strategically pull back from the eastern city of Bakhmut. Russian forces advanced further into the city on Thursday. The U.S. is expected to announce further military aid to Ukraine in the coming hours.

For more on this, CNN's Scott McLean joins us from London. Scott, take us through what Ukraine is expected to get and what they say they still need.

SCOTT MCLEAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yeah, so, this will be welcome news for Ukrainians, especially as fighting really seems to intensify in Eastern Ukraine, specifically in Bakhmut, as you mentioned, Kim.

We've just actually learned this morning that, according to our teams on the ground who have spoken to local police, the last remaining supply route in and out of Bakhmut for the Ukrainians was a bridge, a key bridge that was actually taken out by the Russians overnight.

The Ukrainians still do have access in and out of the town through some dirt tracks and some fields, but it is not nearly as direct, not nearly as efficient as this previous route, this bridge. And so, the Ukrainians are under immense pressure right there.

And while, of course, in the coming months, they are getting tanks from western allies, they have also asked for fighter jets, this aid package coming from the United States expected to be announced today is likely to have neither of those things. In fact, it is likely to focus on the basics of what the Ukrainians need right now. Listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JOHN KIRBY, COORDINATOR FOR STRATEGIC COMMUNICATIONS, U.S. NATIONAL SECURITY COUNCIL: The focus is on ammunition, the kinds of things that they need for this long-range artillery, the HIMARS and for additional systems that they are using. Right now, they are in a vicious fight in Bakhmut. Stand-off range is important to them. You know, being able to prolong range fires is important.

But it is also part and parcel of our effort, this package coming tomorrow, of making sure that they are ready when the fighting gets even more intense in the weeks and months ahead, particularly in the spring when the weather will improve and we think the Russians are going to want to go on the offense, potentially in multiple places at once.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

MCLEAN: Now, part of the problem for Ukraine and by extension its western allies is that they are going through, they are burning through ammunition faster than the west can actually produce it.

In fact, recently, the NATO secretary general, Jens Stoltenberg, said that the Ukrainians were firing ammunition at many times the rate of production. All of this is raising questions about us stockpiles, about western stockpiles, and their own readiness and their own ability to defend themselves. Now, John Kirby, the national security official that you heard from just there, downplayed any concerns about that.

But also consider, Kim, that the last major aid package announced by the United States on the anniversary, the one-year anniversary of the full-scale invasion, was worth $2 billion, largely committed to sending more ammunition, more shells to Ukraine, long-range ammunition.

That did not actually take from U.S. stockpiles. Instead, this was an agreement for the U.S. to broker contracts to have that ammunition actually produced and then sent to Ukraine over a much longer time scale.

One other thing to mention is that that meeting between President Joe Biden and German Chancellor Olaf Scholz. This will actually be Scholz's very first visit to the United States since the full-scale invasion began.

A heck of a lot has changed in the space of one year, Kim. You will remember that Germany, early on in this conflict, was really ridiculed in some -- by some over its rather modest commitment to sending weapons to Ukraine. They have since come around. They are now committed to sending tanks. But Scholz and Biden will have some common ground in that both leaders have been extremely hesitant, at least at this point, to send fighter jets to Ukraine. Kim?

BRUNHUBER: We'll be tracking that meeting through the day. Scott McLean in London, thank you so much. We appreciate that.

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken is due to leave New Delhi soon where he has been attending the G20 foreign ministers meeting. Most recently, he has been holding talks with his counterparts from India, Japan, and Australia, known within the G20 as "The Quad." On Thursday, Blinken met briefly with Russia's foreign minister for the first time in more than a year.

CNN's Kylie Atwood has those details.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

KYLIE ATWOOD, CNN NATIONAL SECURITY CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): A surprise meeting on the sidelines of this week's biggest diplomatic gathering.

ANTONY BLINKEN, U.S. SECRETARY OF STATE: I spoke briefly with Russia's foreign minister, Lavrov, on the margins of our G20 meeting today.

ATWOOD (voice-over): U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken speaking to Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov face to face for the first time since Russia invaded Ukraine --

(GUNSHOTS)

-- more than a year ago.

BLINKEN: We stand with Ukraine while it defends itself.

ATWOOD (voice-over): Blinken reiterating the need for cooperation on nuclear arms control.

BLINKEN: I urge Russia to reverse its irresponsible decision and return to implementing the New START Treaty, which places verifiable limits on nuclear arsenals of the United States and the Russian federation.

[02:25:02]

ATWOOD (voice-over): The two diplomats spoke for roughly 10 minutes and also discussed American citizen Paul Whelan, who has been wrongfully detained in Russia for more than four years.

BLINKEN: The United States has put forward a serious proposal. Moscow should accept it.

ATWOOD (voice-over): Once again, Blinken stressing that the world is calling for peace in Ukraine.

BLINKEN: I told the foreign minister what I and so many others said last week at the United Nations and what so many G20 foreign ministers said today, end this war of aggression.

ATWOOD (voice-over): The Russians downplayed the conversation as one that occurred on the go. Tensions between the two countries have mounted over the last year.

SERGEY LAVROV, RUSSIAN FOREIGN MINISTER (through translator): This is a place for frank dialogue, for agreeing on approaches, until last year, when the west sacrificed its own ambitions in Ukrainian affairs.

ATWOOD (voice-over): Despite the high-profile dialogue, a senior State Department official made it clear that it did not represent a diplomatic breakthrough, saying not to expect changes on the topics they covered in the near term.

NED PRICE, U.S. STATE DEPARTMENT SPOKESPERSON: Russians may be trying to make some (INAUDIBLE) and to delve into some -- inside baseball or inside diplomacy. We are just not going to engage in that.

ATWOOD (on camera): Blinken and Lavrov have actually been in the same setting at the same time in multiple instances over the last year or so. When asked about why the secretary of state approached the Russian foreign minister now and not previously, the spokesperson only said that this was an opportunity to deliver a clear and direct message to the Russian foreign minister, but didn't really describe why he took advantage of this moment now whereas he hadn't in the past.

Kylie Atwood, CNN, State Department.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BRUNHUBER: U.S. authorities say Michigan men planned to target Jewish officials in the state. What the suspect's social media posts reveal about his possible motive and a look at the targets of his threats next here on "CNN Newsroom."

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[02:30:00]

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KIM BRUNHUBER, CNN ANCHOR: Welcome back to all of you watching us here in the United States, Canada, and around the world, I'm Kim Brunhuber. This is CNN NEWSROOM.

Here in the U.S., a new incident is adding to growing concerns about threats to government officials and worries over anti-Semitic violence. The FBI says a Michigan man threatened on social media to kill Jewish members of the state's government. Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel confirms she was one of the people targeted. Our Polo Sandoval has more.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

POLO SANDOVAL, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voiceover): The FBI foiling an alleged plot to kill Jewish government officials in Michigan. A federal complaint filed in Eastern Michigan naming Jack Eugene Carpenter III as the defendant. Sources telling CNN he was arrested just a day after allegedly posting disturbing anti-Semitic threats online using the handle tempered reason. A law enforcement source telling CNN among those specifically targeted by Carpenter, Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel.

I was a target of the heavily armed defendant in this matter, she wrote on Twitter. Court documents laying out the details on February 18. The FBI in Detroit was alerted by the Bureau's national threat operations center of the post-reading. I'm heading back to Michigan now threatening to carry out the punishment of death to anyone that is Jewish in the Michigan government.

Carpenters' account, also showing a bizarre declaration of sovereignty to a new country named New Israel at Carpenter's property in rural Michigan according to the criminal complaint. That address revealing Carpenter had three nine-millimeter handguns registered in Michigan, one of which had been stolen from his girlfriend according to the complaint That criminal complaint also shedding light on Carpenter's background who had an unserved personal protection order against him from early February and had been arrested in December of last year for assault. That unhinge plot just the latest in several threats and attacks on lawmakers and officials in the United States, as well as increasing anti-Semitic attacks.

OREN SEGAL, VICE PRESIDENT, ADL CENTER ON EXTREMISM: Whether it's in Michigan or other parts of the country, we are seeing the confluence of anti-government, COVID, and other conspiracy theories combined with anti-Semitism. And we see how this is animating people to action. It's not only operating in spaces online but in the fantasies and imaginations of people who are willing to then take action.

SANDOVAL: Governor Gretchen Whitmer, the target of a kidnapping plot in 2020, the anti-Defamation League reporting anti-Semitic attacks reached a record high in the U.S. in 2021. Up 34 percent from the year before.

ANDREW MCCABE, FORMER DEPUTY FBI DIRECTOR: This is right in the wheelhouse of what the FBI. And Director Wray have told us is they think is the most dangerous, the most concerning threat that they face on the counterterrorism side. He's heavily armed. He might be you know, mentally unstable, but nevertheless, has decided to act out his animus, his grievance towards Jewish leaders in Michigan.

SANDOVAL: Polo Sandoval, CNN, New York.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BRUNHUBER: And we just want to add that Carpenter is being represented by a public defender and CNN has reached out to his attorney for comment. CNN has obtained an image of an alleged explosive device that a man in Pennsylvania is accused of trying to bring onto a plane. The officials say the device contains a powder consistent with commercial-grade fireworks along with a fuse and other components. Now, according to court documents, it was in a suitcase that Marc Muffley checked at Lehigh Valley International Airport on Monday for a flight to Orlando but TSA agents caught the explosives and Muffley was later arrested in Lansford, Pennsylvania. A judge ordered him to remain in custody on Thursday as he faces a few federal charges.

Another chapter in the very public feud between the British Royal Family and Prince Harry and Meghan Markle. Coming up, why the Duke and Duchess of Sussex no longer have a place to call home in the UK. Stay with us.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[02:38:53]

BRUNHUBER: More drama in the very public spat between the British Royal Family and the Duke and Duchess of Sussex. The couple have lost their UK home after being evicted by King Charles. CNN's Max Foster reports.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

MAX FOSTER, CNN ROYAL CORRESPONDENT: This story has been bubbling up all week ever since the Sun newspaper headline that Harry and Meghan are being evicted from Frogmore Cottage. The decision apparently made by the king after Harry published his memoir. Prince Andrew, according to the Sun, has been offered Frogmore instead.

This was a cottage gifted to Harry and Meghan by the Queen. They have spent nearly $3 million renovating it. But in the future, they won't be able to stay in it when it comes to the UK or benefit from the security that comes with it. The palace aren't saying anything about this, only a royal source telling CNN that this is a private family matter. But Harry and Meghan have confirmed to CNN that it has been requested that they vacate the residence.

We'll have to see whether or not they come over to the UK in May for the king's coronation. The king's office nor Harry and Meghan's office have even confirmed that Harry and Meghan have received an invite.

Max Foster, CNN, London.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

[02:40:06]

BRUNHUBER: Well, thanks for joining us. For viewers here in the U.S., and Canada, I will be back after a quick break for more news. But for our international viewers, "WORLD SPORT" is next.

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[02:45:02]

BRUNHUBER: A high-profile Republican gathering is underway in Maryland. CPAC, the Conservative Political Action Conference has long been considered a major stop for Republican U.S. presidential hopefuls. But some key figures are skipping the event this year including the man considered the gravest threat to former President Donald Trump's candidacy. CNN's Kristen Holmes explains.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

KRISTEN HOLMES, CNN U.S. NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: OK, so here we go. Well, I have spoken to a lot of voters here on the ground -- Republicans and it's been very, very interesting. And first of all, I would just want to note one thing. This is a very Trump-centric event. It's not only that he's the keynote speaker tomorrow, but it seems to be almost completely branded by the MAGA movement. There are flags, there are Trump 2024 bumper stickers, there are even people here who I've spoken to who don't believe that Joe Biden is the actual president. They believe that Trump's election denialism.

Many of the speakers here are Trump supporters. We just heard from Devin Nunes, who was talking about Trump's Truth social, his own social media platform. However, while we did speak to a number of rabid Trump 2024 supporters, we also spoke to several people who said that they weren't sold on Trump 2024. That they actually wanted to hear from other potential 2024 hopefuls.

Now, as I believe you mentioned, I didn't hear you, but they probably won't get that chance or at least they won't hear at CPAC because so many of these major names that are potential 2024 Republican hopefuls are skipping this event. They're going to be at that private donor retreat in Florida. And that, of course, includes Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, former Vice President Mike Pence, South Carolina Senator Tim Scott. But I do want to play for you what we heard from voters because this sentiment -- there's actually two sentiments, we heard it over and over and over again. Take a listen.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I think we're all a little disappointed about Ron DeSantis.

JONATHAN RICHES, REPUBLICAN VOTER FROM FLORIDA: I came here specifically for Trump. We want Trump 2024. We want the other Republicans out there that might want to run against Trump not to run against Trump and endorse Trump so we can have a gigantic MAGA movement.

HOLMES: Now, the other thing I want to point out here was that even the people who were diehard Trump 2024, many of them refuse to say anything not good about DeSantis. They said they actually really liked him, and many of them said that they wished that former President Trump wouldn't attack him so much. What they said was that they believed he needed to wait his turn to be president -- run for President later. But again, they said they liked him and they liked their policies. So, a very interesting talking to these Republicans on the ground here.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BRUNHUBER: All right. For more on this, I want to bring in political analyst Michael Genovese, who's the president of the Global Policy Institute at Loyola Marymount University. And he joins us from Los Angeles. Thanks for being here again. So, are you just surprised how MAGA and how Trump-centric, the CPAC, is given that the polls show a large majority of Americans overall don't actually want him to run?

MICHAEL GENOVESE. POLITICAL ANALYST: Now, this has been homecourt territory for Donald Trump from day one. They fell in love with him early and they've supported him for the -- from the very beginning. For CPAC though the bloom is off the rose.

As you mentioned, a lot of the Republican potential candidates did not show up. And that's because there have been tainted by the allegations of groping by match slap the head of CPAC. And so, I think a lot of them used to go there to be seen and to be heard.

Now. they're trying to avoid it because it's somewhat toxic. And so, it's prudent to stay away. But that's emblematic of some of the problems the Republican Party is having right now in trying to figure out what their identity is.

BRUNHUBER: So, then, turning to the other event, the event DeSantis is attending, the Club for Growth private donor retreat in Florida. That's a hugely influential thing in Republican politics, and Trump was the only major 2024 hopeful not invited. So, it points to that huge divide in the party you were talking about. Which side do you sense has the upper hand here?

GENOVESE: Well, the Club for Growth would be the grownups where CPAC would be their -- the thrill -- the rabid Republicans, the MAGA Republicans. The Club for Growth, a lot of business folks, a lot of people who do international business, so they look beyond the horizon. They look for the long term.

And so, I think for those folks, Donald Trump is the past. And they want to put him in the rearview mirror. They think of him as a liability. And so, they're looking for the Republican Party to find a voice, a face, and a message that they can take through the next few years because they want a Republican in the White House.

BRUNHUBER: Yes. I mean, on that, you know, Trump is the headline speaker later today, but he is having trouble lining up endorsements from some of the Republican regulars. So, what do you think that means? Are they -- Is that what you were talking about? I mean, those -- you know, those grownups hedging their bets waiting to see if the outcome of Trump's legal troubles are just hoping he'll kind of implode?

[02:50:10]

GENOVESE: Well, you know, even as Trump declines, he still has the Republicans walking on eggshells. They still fear him. And that's a power that he has. They may want to push him out but they're afraid to take that step because they fear that Donald Trump may be the spoiled child who gets angered and then bolts, the party may be he runs as a third-party candidate or as an independent, and so they still fear him.

But really all of them, Republican candidates, that we've been talking about in one way or another are products of Donald Trump are their MAGA Republicans. And so, they're as close to Donald Trump as two coats of paint. So, the question is, who's going to be the face and who's going to be the voice going forward, Donald Trump, or person X?

BRUNHUBER: All right, we'll be watching. In the meantime, let's flip it over to the Democrats. President Biden and the congressional Democrats, they've been meeting to talk about implementing his agenda about messaging going forward to help them hold the White House, take back the House, what do you think that message is likely to be?

GENOVESE: Well, the message is pretty clear. It's been consistent from the White House, which is stick together. But Joe Biden is vulnerable. He's vulnerable because of his age and because of his low popularity, comparatively speaking. But I still can't imagine any Democrat challenging him.

He seems to get little credit when things go well, and I think that's a function of the sort of the change of popularity that we live in an age of hardened views. About 45 percent will go with Republicans no matter what. About 45 percent of Democrats no matter what. And there are very few persuadable voters nowadays. And so, I think you know Joe Biden's message is don't rock the boat. Stick the -- stick together, stay the course.

BRUNHUBER: All right. Appreciate your analysis, Michael Genovese, in Los Angeles. Thanks so much.

(INAUDIBLE) U.S. Congressman George Santos will face a House ethics investigation. The New York Republican has been confronted with legal issues and calls for resignation for lying about much of his life history during his campaign last year. On Thursday, the House Ethics Committee voted to move forward with the investigation. So, it'll look into a range of issues including whether Santos engaged in unlawful activity during his campaign and whether he engaged in sexual misconduct with someone who applied for a job in his congressional office.

U.S. Senator Dianne Feinstein has been hospitalized in California with shingles. According to a spokesperson, the 89-year-old Democrat was diagnosed with the virus late last month and expects to make a full recovery. Her absence could influence the Democratic strategy in the Senate. With Senator John Fetterman also hospitalized, there are 49 Democrats and 49 Republicans working in the chamber.

And I want to give you one last look here at the International Space Station where the SpaceX Crew Dragon Endeavor has successfully docked. And two Americans, a Russian, and an astronaut from the UAE will spend the next six months there working on science experiments and maintaining the 20-year-old station. Now, this is the sixth-man trip to the ISS for NASA's Commercial Crew Program. Their journey lasted just over 24 hours after the blast off from the Kennedy Space Center in Florida.

Well, not long after Lufthansa flight 469 had taken off from Austin, Texas en route to Germany, at least seven people on board were badly hurt. They were taken to hospital after the plane made an emergency landing in the airport in Alexandria, Virginia. CNN's Pete Muntean reports on the dramatic scare in the sky.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

PETE MUNTEAN, CNN AVIATION CORRESPONDENT (voiceover): The inflight thrashing came without warning. Wednesday night, German airline Lufthansa flight 469 was en route to Frankfurt from Austin, Texas. Federal investigators say as the flight flew over Tennessee at an altitude of 37,000 feet, the crew reported encountering severe turbulence. The result, according to passengers, like unexpectedly free-falling for five seconds off the top of a roller coaster. Plates and glassware were up at the ceiling.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: An airbus 330 15 miles east of Memphis reported severe turbulence at flight level 370 plus or minus 400 feet.

MUNTEAN: The flight diverted to Washington Dulles International Airport outside DC where first responders met the flight at the gate. The airport says in all, seven people were taken to nearby hospitals.

JENNIFER HOMENDY, CHAIR, U.S. NATIONAL TRANSPORT ON SAFETY BOARD: What is a significant concern?

MUNTEAN: National Transportation Safety Board Chair Jennifer Homendy says this is the latest incident of severe turbulence on board a commercial airliner. In December, 25 people were injured when this Hawaiian Airlines flight encountered turbulence on descent into Honolulu.

HOMENDY: It's the most common issue experienced on airliners and it can be very dangerous especially if you're not belted in.

[02:55:02]

MUNTEAN: Lufthansa attributes the incident to clear air turbulence. The FAA says it occurs without visual cues to warn pilots of the hazard. In 115-page study of turbulence incidents on commercial airliners, NTSB findings were simple. Wearing a seatbelt reduces the risk of serious injury.

HOMENDY: I wouldn't be afraid but at the same time, you do have to be prepared for any type of injury and make sure you buckle up.

MUNTEAN (on camera): Like in this latest case, turbulence often comes with little or no warning. The NTSB says between 2009 and 2018, the flight crew is taken by surprise 28 percent of the time. This is an especially big problem for flight attendants. The head of the NTSB says they are often the most at risk of getting hurt.

Pete Muntean, CNN, Washington.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BRUNHUBER: All right. That wraps this hour of CNN NEWSROOM. I'm Kim Brunhuber. I'll be back in just a moment with more news. Please do stay with us.

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