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At Least 10 Die In Extreme Weather; Alex Murdaugh Gets Two Consecutive Life Sentences Without Parole; Intense Fighting In And Around Bakhmut; China's National People's Congress; Mob Violence Rocks Palestinian Village; Mortality Rate Disparity In Elective Surgeries; Baltic Wreck Reveals 500-Year-Old Spices. Aired 4-5a ET
Aired March 04, 2023 - 04:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
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KIM BRUNHUBER, CNN ANCHOR AND CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Welcome to all of you watching us here in the United States, Canada and all around the world. I'm Kim Brunhuber. Ahead on CNN NEWSROOM.
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UNIDENTIFIED MALE: First thing that came to my mind was the maybe twister (ph).
BRUNHUBER (voice-over): Tornadoes and severe storms move through the South And Southeast. We will tell you where the storm system is headed next.
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BRUNHUBER (voice-over): Plus, the lead prosecutor in the case against Alex Murdaugh tells CNN, what sealed his fate with the jury.
And later --
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UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Really excited to see Senator Cruz.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Honestly like seeing Ben Carson.
BRUNHUBER (voice-over): Conservatives are gathering this weekend to hear from some big names in the, party and nobody is bigger than Donald Trump. But some other big names are going elsewhere.
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UNIDENTIFIED MALE (voice-over): Live from CNN Center, this is CNN NEWSROOM with Kim Brunhuber.
BRUNHUBER: And we begin with extreme weather, from snow to tornadoes battering huge swaths of the U.S. At least 10 people have died as the powerful storm system marches across the South and into the Northeast. Four of those deaths in Kentucky.
In some places, the storms brought winds strong enough to flip semi trucks. Now this as Interstate 64 near Lexington, Kentucky, the driver says, he is lucky to be alive.
Have a look at this. The roof of a church in Indiana ripped right off as winds reached near hurricane strength. And this man was home in Spencer County, Indiana, when the storm hit. Look at this.
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UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The back story started shaking, the house started shaking and then I couldn't see nothing but white. We didn't even have time to get anywhere. It is right on top of us. The house was shaking. We were all close together in the middle room of the house still. But wow.
It is the craziest thing I have ever been involved in. And about 30 seconds, later I see nothing but absolute devastation all around my house.
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BRUNHUBER: More than 1 million homes and businesses are without power right now. Kentucky is the worst hit with about half a million customers in the dark, Michigan is also seeing significant outages after heavy snow and high winds. Winter storm warnings are now up from Michigan all the way to Maine.
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BRUNHUBER: In California's San Bernardino Mountains, there has been so much snow that people are trapped and possibly in danger. CNN's Camila Bernal has more on that.
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DEREK HAYES, STRANDED IN SNOW (voice-over): First, I was really frustrated. But now, it's to the point where we were somewhat scared.
CAMILA BERNAL, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Derek Hayes trapped in the mountains of Southern California after an epic winter storm.
HAYES: There's nowhere to put the snow. There's no way to walk around it. You know, it's up to my neck in a lot of places. You take a step, you sink all the way down, you have to crawl yourself back out of the snow to try to get on top of it. Even move around.
BERNAL (voice-over): Derek, just one of the many who were stranded.
HANNAH WHITEOAK, STRANDED IN SNOW: It's unfathomable.
BERNAL (voice-over): The only thing they can do is wait for help.
CHARLENE BERMUDEZ, STRANDED IN SNOW: It's just crazy. There's no way to get out anywhere.
BERNAL (voice-over): Their concerns, food, heat, medical emergencies or medicine and food for their pets, just to name a few. These San Bernardino mountains do get plenty of snow in the winter but the past few weeks have been unprecedented with the National Weather Service issuing its first ever blizzard warning.
ROMAN DURAN, PUBLIC INFORMATION OFFICER, CALIFORNIA HIGHWAY PATROL: Our main concern right now, is to try to get the infrastructure up the mountain to be able to clear some of these roadways so that we can essentially get, you know, the people that live up there back to their houses and the people that are stuck up there back down.
BERNAL (voice-over): Emergency crews, so far, carrying out roughly 100 rescues.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: That's a lot of ice.
BERNAL (voice-over): Governor Gavin Newsom also declaring a state of emergency for San Bernardino County and 12 others, activating the national guard. Residents say, lives are in danger.
BERMUDEZ: We were actually going to be getting a neighbor out of his house. He's a cancer patient who is elderly and he has a doctor's appointment that he's going to try and get to.
BERNAL (voice-over): Some have been shoveling non-stop.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Dig out the truck for the fourth time.
BERNAL (voice-over): But not all are able to do so.
WHITEOAK: It's one of the roughest, roughest experiences and -- but you still go into survival mode and you just keep pushing through. You know, I feel incredible bad for anyone that hasn't got that physical presence.
BERNAL: And authorities apologizing for the time it is taking to help people, who are stuck in their homes, up in the mountain. They say they are expecting progress over the next couple of days.
They do have members of the National Guard who are up there with firefighters, trying to clear the roads; that is their priority. But they say it could take about a week before people can come and go from this mountain -- Camila Bernal, CNN, San Bernardino, California.
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BRUNHUBER: Former South Carolina attorney Alex Murdaugh was given two consecutive life sentences with no possibility of parole Friday, a day after he was found guilty of killing his wife and son. The lead prosecutor spoke with CNN about the case. Listen to this.
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CREIGHTON WATERS, LEAD PROSECUTOR: We started to look at that timeline and it really appeared that this was a man who was manufacturing an alibi and that these time periods were more compressed than seem reasonable.
And I think it is kind of ironic that he was using his cell phone and this kind of data to construct an alibi but, in the end, that kennel video, I think, really caught him.
But the chain of circumstances even if the burden is on the state, the chain of circumstances that he was trying to get this jury to believe just defied any sort of logic, that this could've occurred. And I think it was compelling to the jury.
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BRUNHUBER: CNN's Dianne Gallagher has more from Walterboro.
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JUDGE CLIFTON NEWMAN, SOUTH CAROLINA CIRCUIT COURT: I sentence to you for the term of the rest of your natural life.
DIANNE GALLAGHER, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Two consecutive life sentences for disgraced attorney Alex Murdaugh for the murders of his wife, Maggie and his son, Paul; the end of a dramatic six-week trial.
NEWMAN: Mr. Murdaugh --
GALLAGHER (voice-over): Murdaugh spoke in court again, saying he did not kill his wife and son.
ALEX MURDAUGH, CONVICTED MURDERER: I'm innocent. I would never hurt my wife, Maggie, and I would never hurt my son, Pawpaw.
GALLAGHER (voice-over): But Judge Clifton Newman offered a different take.
NEWMAN: And it might not have been you. It might have been the monster you become when you take 15, 20, 30, 40, 50, 60 opioid pills. Maybe you become another person.
GALLAGHER (voice-over): Judge Newman saying this trial was, quote, one of the most troubling cases of his career.
NEWMAN: And I know you have to see Paul and Maggie during the night times when you're attempting to go to sleep. I'm sure they come and visit you. I'm sure.
MURDAUGH: All day and every night.
NEWMAN: Yes, I'm sure.
GALLAGHER (voice-over): The prosecutor again pointing out Murdaugh's lies.
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WATERS: The lack of remorse and the effortless way in which he lies, including here, sitting right over there in this witness stand.
GALLAGHER (voice-over): Today, sentencing comes just one day after the jury found Murdaugh guilty of two counts of murder and two weapons charges.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Guilty verdict.
GALLAGHER (voice-over): One juror spoke to ABC News about the jury's decision, saying the cell phone video placing him at the scene sealed Murdaugh's fate.
CRAIG MOYER, JUROR: The evidence was clear. Hear his voice clearly and everybody else could too.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: So it took basically 45 minutes for you guys to come to a decision?
MOYER: Probably about 45, maybe an hour.
GALLAGHER (voice-over): Craig Moyer also saying Murdaugh's reactions during the trial were not convincing.
MOYER: His responses how quick he was with the defense and his lies, steady lies. I didn't see any true remorse or any compassion or anything.
GALLAGHER (voice-over): Murdaugh's defense team spoke to CNN today about their decision to put their client on the stand.
JIM GRIFFIN, DEFENSE ATTORNEY: By putting him on the stand I think the jury also got to see his emotions about Maggie and Paul, which are very raw and real. But then, you know, the next day on cross examination, got to give credit where credit is due. I mean, they clearly painted Alex as, you know, a liar.
GALLAGHER (voice-over): Vowing their fight is not over.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We're appealing and we feel good about an appeal. He's a liar and he's a thief and he admitted that. He's not a murderer.
GALLAGHER: Now the defense team says they believe the fact that the judge allowed the inclusion of the financial crimes Alex Murdaugh is accused of to be used as evidence in this murder trial, it tainted the jury's perception of their client. And if they weren't included, the defense team says, maybe we could be looking at a different outcome.
Now Alex Murdaugh may be in state custody but he still has to face those pending charges, about 99 of them, mostly related to those financial allegations against him. The attorney general tells me that just because he was sentenced to
life in prison for these murders does not mean that they are not going to go after him for the financial crimes as well -- Dianne Gallagher, CNN, Walterboro, South Carolina.
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BRUNHUBER: Adverse health effects are starting to show among residents following a train derailment in East Palestine, Ohio. The train carrying hazardous materials jumped the tracks and caught fire on February 3rd.
Now a state health survey says many residents are complaining of headaches, anxiety, coughing, fatigue and skin irritation. But officials say water testing is so far not showing dangerous levels of any contaminants related to the derailment.
The rail operator, Norfolk Southern, has been ordered to fully clean up the site. But a source says the Environmental Protection Agency has not accepted the company's plan yet and it expects an update next week.
All right still, ahead thousands of civilians are still trapped in Bakhmut as Russian forces pound their city. Ukraine's military is trying to prevent the city from becoming surrounded, the latest on the fighting next.
Plus, a Palestinian village becomes a flashpoint for violence and children are caught in the middle. Our details on the impact of revenge attacks sparked by the killing of two Israeli brothers.
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BRUNHUBER: President Biden hosted the German chancellor at the White House on Friday to reaffirm continued allied support for Ukraine. It's the first time Olaf Scholz has been back in the White House since before the Russian invasion. During their meeting, the German leader said his country was prepared to support Ukraine indefinitely. Here he is.
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OLAF SCHOLZ, GERMAN CHANCELLOR: It's really important that we act together, be organized in lockstep, we can give the necessary support to Ukraine. This time, I think it's very important that we give the message that we will continue to do so. As long as it takes. As long as it is necessary.
(END VIDEO CLIP) BRUNHUBER: Also on Friday, the U.S. announced another $400 million security package to Ukraine. Primarily, to resupply ammunition for weapons already in Ukraine. So far, the U.S. has provided Ukraine with more than $32 billion in military support since the war began.
Now to the front lines. The Ukrainian army reports intense fighting taking place in and around the eastern city of Bakhmut. Russian forces continue to attempt to surround the city. Officials believe more than 4,000 civilians are trapped by the fighting. CNN's Melissa Bell has the latest from Kyiv.
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MELISSA BELL, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Bakhmut still stands, says the Ukrainian military. But only just.
VSEVOLOD KOZHEMYAKO, KHARTIA BATTALION, UKRAINE: It looks really hellish.
BELL: The bridge along the last possible supply route in and out, destroyed overnight, leaving out of reach and nearly encircled around 4,500 civilians, including 48 children, the ghost of Bakhmut, entirely out of sight. Any sign of life driven underground.
What is life like in Bakhmut today for the civilians, for the soldiers?
KOZHEMYAKO: What life? What life? The soldiers are doing their work and civilians are trying to survive. There is no water, there's no electricity.
BELL (voice-over): This was Bakhmut in August, when the seashell just begun. This is Bakhmut seven months on. The city's empty, people are afraid to go out, every day, new destruction. It's better not to go outside, writes Dr. Elena Molchanova from inside the town.
CNN met her and other nurses on Christmas Eve, not quite happier times but certainly less desperate ones.
Now the constant artillery prevents her from leaving the basement of her hospital. The Ukrainian military says civilians are now trapped.
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BELL (voice-over): The head of the Wagner mercenary group urging Ukrainians nonetheless to try to leave Bakhmut as his men close in.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE (through translator): The pincers are tightening, Ukrainian soldiers are fighting but their lives near Bakhmut are short a day or two. Give them a chance to leave the city. It is in fact surrounded.
BELL: Ukraine dismissing those comments as a disinformation campaign designed to spread panic. For now, Ukrainian soldiers continue to fight. UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Almost all the building, the outskirts, are ruined absolutely. Almost every house has this holes and have these marks of shelling. The streets are empty, the pictures quite say it.
BELL: But inside, life as best it can goes on. Elena helping those who come with what drugs are left. And she sends us this.
"Spring is coming she says, even to Bakhmut." And that means there's hope -- Melissa Bell, CNN, Kyiv.
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BRUNHUBER: Ukraine's president is calling on international prosecutors to investigate alleged Russian crimes committed against his country. Volodymyr Zelenskyy made the remarks at a justice conference in Lviv on Friday, where he met with the U.S. attorney general.
A U.S. official said Merrick Garland held several meetings and reaffirmed America's determination to hold Russia accountable. In Zelenskyy's speech at the conference, he said the world has a moral and legal duty to prosecute Russian president Vladimir Putin and his accomplices.
He also announced the International Criminal Court will soon be opening an office in Ukraine. CNN's Salma Abdelaziz joins me now.
Salma, back to the war front here. We've been talking a lot about Bakhmut.
What would taking Bakhmut mean for the Russians?
SALMA ABDELAZIZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Fundamentally, Kim, Bakhmut is a symbolic rather than a strategic victory for Russia. We have seen Moscow's troops really lob everything they have at gaining the city for nearly six months now.
Wagner as well, that mercenary group, that fights with Russian troops, sending its most expert fighters on the ground. They say they've been able to encircle the city. Ukrainian officials say that's absolutely not true. They're still holding the line of resistance.
But even President Zelenskyy's men admit they are absolutely on the back foot. As you heard there, in that report, the one supply route, the vital supply route, that rail bridge that connected Bakhmut, to the ability to get supplies for troops to humanitarian aid for the few thousand civilians trapped inside.
That vital bridge has been blown up by Russian forces, making that city look ever more likely to fall to Moscow. President Zelenskyy's men have admitted they could strategically withdraw from there.
Now for President Putin, again, this would be a largely symbolic victory, the ability to say he has gained more territory in that all- important Donbas region that he illegally annexed, of course. If you look at the map there, it's really a city that's wedged -- it's
not a major city; it's a city that's wedged between two other areas of importance, separatist regions controlled by Russia.
But it does not provide a geopolitical bridge or anything to other regions that Ukraine would want to gain back. But President Zelenskyy, it is also symbolic as well. He's promised to win back every single inch of Ukrainian land and simply does not want to back down here.
Although we've heard from U.S. sources, sources in D.C., of course, the partners of President Zelenskyy in this war, saying that U.S. officials want to see President Zelenskyy shift his focus to the south, where there could be greater gains.
Again, for now, President Zelenskyy unwilling to do that, saying he will hold the line of resistance as much as he can. One final note, just because we receive this information this hour, Kim, I want to share with you, that might show you, again, just how important this win is for President Putin.
We know that Russia's defense minister was visiting the region right on the front lines, speaking to troops. We have video to show you of that, handing down metals, looking at some of the damaged buildings, surveying the area.
That this was, again, in that Donbas region right up near those front lines. One other indication, this very rare visit from a very top official from the Kremlin, this very rare visit again emphasizing the importance of a victory in Bakhmut, how much that would mean to President Putin.
BRUNHUBER: Yes. Staying with Russia and the wider war, from their perspective, we've been talking about a Russian spring offensive.
Can Putin afford another big push?
Or are his resources running out?
ABDELAZIZ: Look, to answer that question, I have to begin with a caveat. It's very difficult to have a clear understanding of the finances of Moscow, of course, because reporting is quite limited there.
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ABDELAZIZ: Of course, this is a country now that, since the start of the war in Ukraine, has faced thousands of sanctions, literally, from the United States and other Western partners, of course, in Kyiv's war.
And we do understand from U.S. officials and other sources, that resources are dwindling. The weapons arsenal has been depleted severely, that many thousands of Russian troops have been lost on the ground, that Russia now is turning to countries like China and Iran to replenish its weapons arsenal. It's relying ever more on something like the Wagner mercenary group,
which has brought in prisoners to fight on that. So all that painting really a negative picture.
We also have a quote, a direct quote, that I want to pull up for you. This is coming from a billionaire oligarch in Russia, someone who's seen as close to the Kremlin but was not a supporter of the war.
He says, "There will be no money already next year. We need foreign investors."
Again, it's very difficult to measure the impact of Western sanctions on Russia. But there is an understanding, of course, that Russia's economy has shrunk in the face of the sanctions. There's been very few major victories or any major victories for President Putin, a year into this conflict.
So yes, as you head into the spring offensive, you are, potentially, going to look at a Kremlin that is increasingly turning to its partners, whether that be in China or elsewhere, to try to receive that help. But very opaque to get that reading on the finances. But those Western sanctions still being piled on. Kim.
BRUNHUBER: All right, appreciate the analysis.
Firing speakers taking the stage at the big conservative conference in the U.S., including former Trump advisor, Steve Bannon.
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STEVE BANNON, ADVISER TO FORMER PRESIDENT TRUMP: The storm is here. The storm is here. This is the most dangerous time in world history since the late 1930s, early 1940s.
BRUNHUBER (voice-over): We're at the CPAC conference, asking Republicans, what they really want from their politicians. Stay with us.
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BRUNHUBER: 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.
At the annual Conservative Political Action Conference in the U.S. right now, it's as much about who isn't there as it is about the people who are on stage. In previous years, it was the hottest conservative ticket in town, especially for presidential wannabes hoping to kickstart their campaign in front of a friendly audience.
And we can expect to see former president Donald Trump headlining later today. But this time, many top Republicans are staying away, including Florida governor Ron DeSantis, who's one of Trump's most fierce rivals. Here's a flavor of what some of the other leading conservatives have been saying at CPAC so far.
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NIKKI HALEY, FORMER U.S. AMBASSADOR TO THE U.N.: If you are tired of losing, put your trust in a new generation. And if you want to win, not just as a party but as a country, then stand with me.
MIKE POMPEO, FORMER U.S. SECRETARY OF STATE: Over the last few years, I've heard some who claim to be conservative excuse hypocrisy by saying something like, well, we're electing a president, not a Sunday school teacher. That's true. But having taught Sunday school, maybe we could get both.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I ended up putting a sign outside my office door that said, there's only two genders, male and female. Trust the science.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I think we have to spend four or five days asking the Chinese spy balloon what its pronouns were before we willing to shoot it down.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Make no mistake, this is an investigation of Joe Biden. And it determines whether or not Joe Biden, first of all, lied to the American people, I think we're going to be all right on that answer.
But secondly, is Joe Biden compromised?
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BRUNHUBER: Our Kristen Holmes has been asking people in the conservative crowd who they most want to see.
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KRISTEN HOLMES, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Who are you most excited to see this weekend?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Besides Donald Trump?
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UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Kari Lake, definitely, at the Ronald Reagan dinner. And Lauren Boebert at the women's committee breakfast.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Always Steve Bannon. I think he's brilliant. He just is my favorite information person.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I'm really excited to see Senator Cruz.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I'm almost excited to see Ben Carson.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Today I'm pretty excited about seeing Donald Trump Jr. but this weekend, I'm really excited to actually see Donald Trump.
HOLMES: The Conservative Political Action Conference, also known as CPAC, has, for decades, been one of the biggest conservative gatherings in U.S. politics. This year, it is incredibly Trump- centric. It just shows what a strange position the Republican Party finds itself in ahead of the 2024 presidential election.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I am a Trump supporter, because he's a warrior. He's the only one that can pull this through.
HOLMES: Was there anyone that you are disappointed that wasn't going to be speaking here this week?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: My understanding is, governor DeSantis is not coming. That was disappointing. He was one of the bright spots for the Republican Party during the midterms. He not just won reelection, he won big, beating a former governor.
HOLMES: While Trump may be the main draw here, many are talking about who isn't here. Florida governor, Ron DeSantis, who is widely expected to run in 2024 as well. DeSantis is at a dueling event for the Club for Growth, one of the top spenders in Republican politics, that is at odds with Trump.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: President Trump is not doing himself many favors when he attacks governor DeSantis. One, DeSantis hasn't gotten in the race yet. So Trump may find he's going to lose support if he continues on the path of attacking DeSantis.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I would recommend one thing. Take the Ronald Reagan approach. Don't talk bad about Republicans.
HOLMES: That change your mind about him at all?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: No. But settle down, Mr. president.
HOLMES: But even with the interest in the DeSantis candidacy, there's still a lot of questions about what a path to a Republican nomination looks like for anyone not named Donald Trump.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: You know, we love Ron DeSantis. He's an amazing guy. We need him as our number two to support Donald Trump. He and Donald Trump will be an amazing team.
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BRUNHUBER: And China's rubberstamp legislature, the National People's Congress, is set to convene on Sunday. Preparations for that event are now underway. The focus of the congress is expected to be on reviving China's sluggish economy, following Beijing's disastrous zero COVID policy.
To that end, the congress is likely to approve new economic leadership.
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BRUNHUBER: A move widely seen as an effort by Beijing to exert more control over the business sector.
Violent protests have broken out in the Greek capital, Athens, after a train crash on Tuesday, killing at least 57 people and injuring dozens more.
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BRUNHUBER (voice-over): You can see here, demonstrators throwing petrol bombs and fireworks at police outside the parliament buildings. Around 2,000 students took to the streets on Friday night, as anger over the crash grows across the country.
Many of those involved in the accident were young people, who were traveling from the capital after a holiday weekend. Here's how students at the protests reacted to the tragedy.
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UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE (through translator): It's a disgrace.
What were they thinking?
Let's go and whatever happens?
What happened was lives were lost. Now all of Greece is crying for morning until evening.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE (through translator): Most of us all feel rage, that this could happen in the year 2023.
How can two trains collide, to be dealing with such an event when there's so much technology?
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BRUNHUBER: We are going to take you now to the Palestinian village of Huwara in the occupied West Bank, which has seen some of the worst violence in recent days.
Last week, a mob of Israeli settlers torched cars and homes and shot a man dead after the killing of two Israeli brothers. Palestinians have been flooding the streets to protest the violence.
The tense situation there has been escalating since Israel's far-right finance minister said he thought the village should be, quote, "erased." On Friday, the E.U. ambassador to Palestinian Territories toured the scene and called for accountability.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) SVEN KUHN VON BURGSDORFF, E.U. AMBASSADOR TO PALESTINIAN TERRITORIES: It's absolutely necessary for us that accountability is fully ensured, that the perpetrators be brought to justice.
That those who lost property, be compensated. Even more important, that settler violence must stop. If it continues, there's no future for this place. If there is no protection of innocent civilians, they cannot live in peace and freedom and cannot work for their families here.
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BRUNHUBER: Our Hadas Gold explains why the village has become such an epicenter of violence between the Israeli and Palestinian communities.
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HADAS GOLD, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): This is the Palestinian village Israel's far-right finance minister said needs to be erased. Huwara, where Israeli settlers tried to do just that on Sunday. Revenge attacks after the killings of two Israeli brothers by Palestinian gunmen hours before.
Days later, the smell of burning rubber still lingers in the air. As residents cleanup shattered glass, burnt up cars, Blackened buildings, one Palestinian man killed in the ensuing chaos.
Huwara has long been a flashpoint for violence between Israeli settlers and Palestinians, partly due to the highway that runs through it.
NAHAWAND DAMIDI, HUWARA RESIDENT (through translator): They usually attack us by throwing stones. If we try to defend ourselves, they will use weapons. But last time was different. Wherever you look, there are bullets fired. Fires everywhere.
GOLD: Security cameras outside of residence home show masked settlers gathering flammable material to set this home on fire. The door literally melting.
Ten-year-old Lamar Abu Saris said her room's window was broken by three big stones.
LAMAR ABU SARIS, HUWARA RESIDENT (through translator): Mom hid us in her room and focus to the rooftop to see what was happening. We heard them breaking the windows of the house. We didn't do anything to them.
GOLD: Her 2-year-old sister, Sawar, jumps when she hears a noise outside.
"Beep, fire," she whispers, a reference to the car set ablaze that her family's auto repair shop.
Their mother, Hana, saying her children are traumatized.
HANA ABU SARIS, HUWARA RESIDENT (through translator): They burned the cars and shot three bullets toward me and were screaming "Death to Arabs."
GOLD: A few days later, that phrase, "Wipe out Huwara," echoed by the Israeli finance minister and settler leader Bezalel Smotrich.
BEZALEL SMOTRICH, ISRAELI FINANCE MINISTER (through translator): I think the village of Huwara needs to be erased. I think that the State of Israel needs to do this and God forbid not private people.
GOLD: Smotrich later tweeting he didn't need it and only wants to quote, "act in a targeted manner" against the terrorists and supporters of terrorism.
NED PRICE, U.S. STATE DEPARTMENT SPOKESPERSON: These comments were irresponsible.
GOLD (voice-over): The U.S. State Department calling his original comments "repugnant" and "disgusting." At least a dozen settlers have been arrested, according to Israeli police. There is now a heavy military presence in town.
Israeli soldiers telling our team to stop filming, because it's a closed military zone, as Israeli authorities still search for the gunman who killed the two Israeli brothers and to keep Israeli settlers out of town -- Hadas Gold, CNN.
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BRUNHUBER: U.S. Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin heads to the Middle East today to connect with key allies in the region. The Pentagon says the trip will include stops in Israel, Egypt and Jordan. He'll also visit with some of more than 30,000 members of the U.S. military stationed in the region.
A new study highlights a racial disparity in the U.S. health care system.
Still ahead, why are older Black man apparently more likely to die after elective surgery than white men?
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BRUNHUBER: A medical emergency worker tested by police impeded his efforts to provide care to Tyre Nichols. Tyre Nichols died in January, three days after his arrest and horrific beating, allegedly by police in Memphis, Tennessee.
On Friday, EMT Robert Long testified before a state medical board. He was one of three Memphis fire department emergency staff who responded to the incident and were later fired. He said police impeded care for Nichols by loudly saying Nichols was
going nowhere and refusing to uncuff him. Long also said he believed Nichols did not want to be treated. Nichols' condition deteriorated minutes later. The testimony was part of an effort to restore Long's license, which was suspended for failing to provide care.
A public health expert says a new study validates concerns that racial inequalities exist in American health care. The study showed that older Black men are about 50 percent more likely to die after elective surgery than their white peers.
In other words, the mortality rate for elective surgery for Black men is 1.3 percent, compared to 0.85 percent for white men. Researchers say structural racism, physicians' bias and higher stress experienced by African American men could be part of the reason. The study was published in the medical journal, "BMJ."
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BRUNHUBER: Dr. Dan Lee is assistant professor at the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA. He was the lead on the study and he joins me now from Los Angeles.
Thanks so much, Doctor, for being here with us. So death after elective surgery was 50 percent higher for Black men than for white men. Obviously, a huge difference here.
What's causing this?
Is it something going on during surgery?
Or something that happens afterwards?
DR. DAN LEE, ASSISTANT PROFESSOR, DAVID GEFFEN SCHOOL OF MEDICINE, UCLA: Yes, you hit it on the nail. When you think about things before surgery, things during surgery and things after surgery.
Before surgery, one possibility is that Black men are more likely to have delays in their care, which makes the surgery longer, more difficult. Black patients may have worse management of chronic diseases like hypertension and diabetes.
Black men in particular, research shows, face especially high cumulative amounts of stress, which leads to worse health. Those are the sort of factors before the surgery.
Think about factors during the surgery, the research suggests that Black patients are less likely to have access to high quality specialists, high quality surgeons. So there might just be differences in types of surgeons that Black patients in particular, Black men see.
Then after surgery, you think about possibilities of complications that might be less recognized in Black patients. So those are the factors that I think about before, during and after surgery that might be contributing to this difference, this 50 percent difference between Black men and white men. BRUNHUBER: It's so tricky to pinpoint the cause, because, on one
hand, the outcomes for Black men were worse than for Black women. So that suggests that something beyond just race is going on here.
But then a different study found similar results among children, with Black children dying at a higher rate after surgery than white children.
What role do you think race plays here?
LEE: That's really tough, Kim. I think, again, thinking about the role of structural racism, thinking about redlining, thinking about how Black patients might be exposed to more pollution, might be in areas that have worse hospitals, access to worse facilities and things of that nature.
There's just so many ways in which race can play a role both structurally and due to biases by physicians and by the medical system.
BRUNHUBER: If we were to focus just on this one angle, the surgical outcomes finding, so this is the most important question.
What can be done to help reverse this?
LEE: Well, I think, when you think about surgery and you think about even beyond surgery, I think the two major ways that we can improve health care for Black patients, one is to increase the number of Black doctors and of doctors from other groups underrepresented in medicine.
So we know when Black patients see Black doctors, Black doctors are just more likely to spend more time with Black patients. In turn, Black patients are more likely to undergo preventative care like cholesterol screenings, like flu vaccinations.
I would say that, when one sees a physician that looks like you, just understands your experience better, better care results. I think one major way to improve health care disparities is just to increase the diversity of the physician work force.
BRUNHUBER: That's a real challenge to try to get a handle on. Hopefully, your study will help to shine some light on the problem. Really appreciate having you on, Dr. Dan Lee, thanks so much.
LEE: Thank you.
BRUNHUBER: We've now learned that U.S. President Joe Biden, had a cancerous lesion removed from his skin during last month's annual exam. According to the president's physician, a biopsy confirmed the lesion was a basal cell carcinoma, a common and easily treatable form of skin cancer.
The doctor added, all cancerous cells had been removed in no further treatment was needed. He also revealed the first lady, Jill Biden, had similar lesions removed earlier this year. Still ahead, King Charles and Camilla make their first international
trip, as Britain's monarch and queen consort. We'll have details on where they're going, what they'll do, coming up, stay with us.
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BRUNHUBER: King Charles and the queen consort, Camilla, are scheduled to make their first official state visits. Buckingham Palace announced that the royal couple will travel to France and Germany at the end of this month.
The international trip will promote the close relationships between the nations. They'll show solidarity in their fight against climate change and their support for Ukraine.
The oil that's going to be used to anoint King Charles III during his coronation has been consecrated. The ceremony was held at the Church of the Holy Sepulchre on Friday. The British monarchy's coronation ceremony has remained essentially the same for over 1,000 years.
The oil was harvested from olives from two groves on the Mount of Olives, according to the palace. It's based on an oil used for the coronation of late Queen Elizabeth in 1953. The coronation of King Charles III is scheduled for May 6th.
The discovery of spices 500 years old underwater off Sweden's coast is being called extraordinary. The savory food items were found in the Baltic Sea in the silt of a royal ship that sank in 1495.
Divers discovered the ship in the 1960s and have since recovered items, such as timber and figureheads. But this time they found spices, such as saffron, peppercorns and ginger.
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MIKAEL LARSSON, ARCHEOLOGICAL RESEARCHER: To find spices like this in one samplet (ph) is quite remarkable.
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LARSSON: If we look at the exotic spices, it is quite -- it is very unique; saffron, particularly.
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BRUNHUBER: Researcher Mikael Larsson says this is the only excavation area he knows about, where archaeologists have discovered delicate saffron threads. His colleague, Brendan Foley, says these spices good have come from the Far East but remained well preserved in the frigid water. (BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BRENDAN FOLEY, ARCHEOLOGICAL SCIENTIST: The Baltic is strange, it is low oxygen, low temperature, low salinity. So many organic things are well preserved in the Baltic where they wouldn't be preserved elsewhere in the world oceans system.
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BRUNHUBER: Foley plans to continue searching in the Baltic for more unique items.
Family, friends and movie fans remember "Saving Private Ryan" actor Tom Sizemore, who died on Friday.
Sizemore often played tough guys and is best known for roles in the movies "Heat" and "Black Hawk Down," along with the TV series "China Beach."
His representative says Sizemore died peacefully in his sleep at 61 with his brother and sons at his side. He'd been hospitalized in a coma since last month, when he suffered a brain aneurysm that was triggered by a stroke. His brother called him larger than life.
That wraps this hour of CNN NEWSROOM, I'm Kim Brunhuber, I'll be back in just a moment with more news, please stay with us. "CNN NEWSROOM," stay with us.
