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At Least 10 Die In Extreme Weather; Alex Murdaugh Gets Two Consecutive Life Sentences Without Parole; Ukraine Dominates Biden- Scholz Meeting; Interview With Alexei Navalny's Daughter; Anti-Semitic Michigan Suspect Ordered To Stay In Custody; Ohio Residents Worry About Train Toxins; Some High-Profile Republicans Avoid Conservative Political Action Conference; Tom Sizemore Dies At 61; Secret Corridor Found In Great Pyramid of Giza. Aired 5-6a ET

Aired March 04, 2023 - 05:00   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): Hello and welcome to all of you watching 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: It just came up; 20 seconds later, it was gone.

BRUNHUBER (voice-over): Tornadoes and golf ball-sized hail pummel parts of the Southern U.S. And there's another round of severe weather on the way.

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BRUNHUBER (voice-over): Plus, from prominent attorney to convict, a swift prison sentence for Alec Murdaugh. What he had to say during his sentencing.

The Michigan man accused of plotting to murder Jewish lawmakers appears in court for the first time since his arrest. We'll look at the rise in anti-Semitism across the U.S.

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UNIDENTIFIED MALE (voice-over): Live from CNN Center, this is CNN NEWSROOM with Kim Brunhuber.

BRUNHUBER: We start this hour with the extreme weather hitting huge parts of the country. At least 10 people have died, as the powerful storm system marches across the South and into the northeast.

The next Western storm will be pushing inland Saturday, bringing yet another round of snow to the Pacific Northwest, Northern and Central California. In some places, new snow will be measured in feet.

The storm system that brought tornadoes, damaging winds and flooding to the central and eastern U.S. this week will be mostly offshore by later this morning. But the cold part of the storm is still going strong.

Winter weather alerts are in places across portions of Pennsylvania, to Maine, through Saturday afternoon and evening. And Boston, Buffalo and Albany are under winter weather advisories; from 1 to 6 inches of snow is possible.

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BRUNHUBER: Disgraced former South Carolina attorney, Alex Murdaugh, is now locked behind bars for the rest of his life. He was given two consecutive life sentences on Friday, with no possibility of parole.

Murdaugh was taken for processing immediately after the judge handed down the sentence. He'll undergo medical tests and mental assessments before being transferred to a maximum security prison.

Friday's hearing came less than a day after Murdaugh was found guilty of killing his wife and son. CNN correspondent Randi Kaye is in Walterboro with more on the story.

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JUDGE CLIFTON NEWMAN, SOUTH CAROLINA CIRCUIT COURT: I sentence you for the term of the rest of your natural life.

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RANDI KAYE, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Alex Murdaugh, convicted and given two life sentences for the murder of his wife inside.

NEWMAN: I know you need to see Paul and Maggie during the nighttime, when you're attempting to go to sleep. I'm sure they come and visit you.

ALEX MURDAUGH, CONVICTED MURDERER: All day and every night.

KAYE: After more than a month in the courtroom, jurors took about three hours Thursday to convict Murdaugh of murder for his wife Maggie and 22-year-old son Paul, who were found fatally shot on the family's property in June 2021.

CRAIG MOYER, JUROR: I didn't see any true remorse.

QUESTION: How do you know he wasn't crying?

MOYER: I saw his eyes. I was this close to him.

KAYE: Murdaugh, once a prominent lawyer in the area, took the stand last week in his own emotional defense, maintaining that he found the bodies after returning from a brief visit to his mother that night, despite cell phone video placing him at the scene.

NEWMAN: Remind me of the expression that you gave on the witness stand? Wasn't it, oh, what tangle we weave?

What do you mean by that?

MURDAUGH: I meant when I lied, I continue to lie.

KAYE: The defense relied heavily on Murdaugh's opioid addiction to account for his deception and lies about his whereabouts. Something the judge and jury didn't buy.

NEWMAN: We've concluded that you continue to lie, lie and lie throughout your testimony. You're not credible, not believable.

KAYE: Despite all the circumstantial evidence against him, Murdaugh maintained he was not guilty.

MURDAUGH: I'm innocent. I would never, under any circumstances hurt my wife, Maggie. And I would never under any circumstances hurt my son, Paul-Paul.

NEWMAN: And it may not have been you. It may have been the monster you've become when you take 15, 20, 30, 40, 50, 60 opioid pills.

KAYE: Still, Murdaugh's defense team says they wouldn't have done anything differently.

DICK HARPOOTLIAN, DEFENSE ATTORNEY: He's a liar and thief. And he admitted. That he's not a murderer. We saw a relationship between Paul and Alex, it's just -- it's inexplicable that he would execute his son and his wife in that fashion.

CREIGHTON WATERS, LEAD PROSECUTOR: No one who thought they were close to this man knew who he really was. And Your Honor, that's chilling.

KAYE: When I interviewed Alex Murdaugh's defense lawyers, they said they do plan to appeal; they have about 10 days or so to do that. They're going to appeal on the grounds of all these alleged financial crimes being included. They said they expected some of the financial crimes to go into the trial but not as much.

They said this was not a trial of Bernie Madoff, this was the trial of Alex Murdaugh. And of course, Alex Murdaugh will still go to trial for the 99 charges that he is facing in those financial crimes -- Randi Kaye, CNN, Walterboro, South Carolina.

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BRUNHUBER: Earlier, CNN's Anderson Cooper spoke with the lead prosecutor in the case. He asked Creighton Waters for his thoughts on the sentence and the fact that Murdaugh was still proclaiming his innocence, despite the jury's decision. Here he is.

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WATERS: Nothing more than the same. I think after he said that, I had got up and said words to the effect of, what more needs to be said? You know, the truth is not in this man. And I think that was a big part of what the jury saw and certainly a part of, I believe, what led them to the right verdict that they reached.

ANDERSON COOPER, CNN HOST: Were you surprised at all by the speed of the jury's deliberations?

WATERS: Well, I've always said that, you know, trial lawyers tend to be a little superstitious and I try, frankly, not to think about things like that and people come up and talk to you while you're waiting.

And I'll say this, though, we had put so much out there. It had been such a huge effort by the whole team and you saw the whole team in action.

I probably was less nervous waiting for this verdict than I ever had and not because of overconfidence but I just felt like we had done all we can do.

But yes, usually when you get a verdict within a short period of time, that's generally good for the State. But you know, you never like to even consider that until you actually hear the word that you want to hear.

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BRUNHUBER: The United States is pledging another $400 million worth of aid to Ukraine. Much of it is ammunition, including powerful HIMARS precision rockets. Friday's news came the same day as U.S. president Joe Biden was hosting German chancellor Olaf Scholz at the White House.

The last time the chancellor was at the White House was soon after he took office and shortly before the Russian invasion began. Here's what the two leaders are now saying about the importance of backing Ukraine for the foreseeable future.

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JOE BIDEN (D), PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: You've driven historic changes at home.

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BIDEN: And, you know, increased the defense spending and diversifying away from Russian energy sources. I know that's not been easy. It's very difficult for you.

OLAF SCHOLZ, GERMAN CHANCELLOR: This is a very important year because of the very dangerous threat to peace that comes from Russia invading Ukraine. And it is really important that we act together.

(END VIDEO CLIP) BRUNHUBER: On the war's front lines, Ukraine's military gave an update a short time ago saying it has repelled numerous attacks in the Donetsk region over the past 24 hours.

This as the U.K. defense ministry says the city of Bakhmut is under increasingly severe pressure, as Russian forces advance in the city. Russian forces continue to attempt to surround Bakhmut. The Ukrainian army reports intense fighting taking place in and around the eastern city.

Officials believe more than 4,000 civilians are trapped by the fighting.

Meanwhile, to the north, Ukrainian officials say constant Russian shelling has forced mandatory evacuations in the eastern of Kupyansk. People with limited mobility, disabilities and children are being told to get out now.

Ukrainian troops liberated the city in September but the fighting remains close by at the front lines, some 12 miles or 20 kilometers from the city. CNN's Salma Abdelaziz joins me now.

Salma, the Russian defense minister paid a rare visit to the troops.

What more can you tell us about that?

SALMA ABDELAZIZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT: I think that's an indication of just how important Bakhmut is to Moscow. I want to take a look at the video, showing, of course, Russia's defense minister there, visiting the front lines, visiting troops, visiting what they described as forward positions for Moscow's forces in the area.

You can also see him handing out medals to some of those troops in serving damaged buildings. He gave a short statement there, saying, the hard work continues -- I'm paraphrasing there. But those were his words.

A very rare visit from a top Kremlin official. As more fears, more concerns, grow, that Bakhmut may soon fall to Russian troops, you updated our viewers there, on the latest on the battlefield.

But just to expand on that, Bakhmut is a city that has been pummeled by Russian troops for months. Much of it has been damaged and destroyed. A large portion of its population has fled the city. It's only about 4,500 civilians, a few of them children, dozens of children as well, among those civilians still trapped inside.

There is one key supply route, one vital supply route that has been blown up. It was a bridge that has been blown up by Russian forces just about in the last day. That means, again, that small group of civilians and those troops inside are now cut off, largely, from humanitarian aid and more weapons.

Russian forces, to be more exact, Wagner troops, the head of the Wagner forces, said they were able to surround the city of Bakhmut. Ukrainian troops say that's absolutely not true. So far, they are still holding the line of resistance.

But President Zelenskyy himself admits, this is an extremely difficult battle for his troops on the ground. Officials saying, Ukrainian officials saying, they're willing to strategically withdraw from the city if necessary.

Look, this would be a symbolic victory for President Putin, who has seen very few gains on the ground in the last few months. This would be an opportunity for the Kremlin to say we need a win, particularly because it's in the Donbas region, a region that President Putin has illegally annexed, despite not having full control of it on the ground.

Beyond the symbolism of that win, again, a win that comes at a very high cost for Russia, thousands of troops potentially that have been lost there, a majorly depleted Russian arsenal, it's mostly a symbolic and not a strategic win.

For President Zelenskyy, it's the same. He absolutely does not want to back down from any Ukrainian land, whether or not it is geopolitically strategic. That was his vow to his countrymen, that no drop of blood will be lost in vain.

So you're going to see both sides here, really digging in their heels. Again, there are major concerns that Russia is preparing to really step into Bakhmut and that Ukrainian forces simply can't hold the line much longer. Kim.

BRUNHUBER: Thanks for the update, Salma Abdelaziz.

The daughter of Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny has sent a message to president Vladimir Putin in an exclusive interview on CNN. Dasha Navalnaya called on Mr. Putin to release her father, who is serving a nine-year prison sentence on charges that are widely seen as trumped up. CNN's Erin Burnett asked her how hard it is for Russians (ph) to fight the Kremlin.

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DASHA NAVALNAYA, DAUGHTER OF ALEXEI NAVALNY: Whenever I get to talk to my friends, they say that, economy -- the economy is crumbling and it's getting harder to live and it's an incredibly police state.

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NAVALNAYA: Right -- one of my friends told me that, right now, when you go into the subway station, it's filled with policemen, trying to search for guys, to just take and swift off to the -- to the army, to send off to Ukraine.

ERIN BURNETT, CNN HOST: Yes.

NAVALNAYA: And it's terrifying. It's scary for my friends, for any other Russian, because you lose your job, you lose custody of your children, you lose a prospect of getting an education. People get killed over this. And it's incredibly scary to live in Russia, right now.

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BRUNHUBER: The suspect in an anti-Semitic plot in Michigan appears in court. Why he wanted to go after Michigan's attorney general and other Jewish members of the state government.

And how attacks on lawmakers and regular citizens in the U.S. are part of a growing trend of anti-Semitic conspiracy theories. Stay with us.

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BRUNHUBER: The suspect in an alleged plot to target Jewish members of Michigan state government will remain behind bars.

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BRUNHUBER: State attorney general Dana Nessel says she was one of his intended targets. The suspect had a detention hearing on Friday, where the judge ruled he will remain in custody.

But as Omar Jimenez reports, his attorney claims the court doesn't have jurisdiction over him.

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OMAR JIMENEZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): The suspect, Jack Carpenter, consented to being detained. But he also through his attorney distributed a letter, challenging the court's personal jurisdiction over him.

Now that could be because, the FBI says, he doesn't believe that law enforcement or the government has jurisdiction over him. That said, he remains in federal custody.

The threats that he's accused of posting online allegedly came from out of state, where, in one of those threats, he allegedly wrote, "I'm heading back to Michigan now, threatening to carry out the punishment of death to anyone that is Jewish in the Michigan government.

"If they don't leave or confess and now," later adding, "any attempt to subdue me will be left met with deadly force in self defense."

He was eventually arrested but Michigan attorney general Dana Nessel confirmed what a source had already told CNN, that she was the alleged target or the target of this alleged plot. Others included a state lawmaker, who came forward and told CNN that partly, this wasn't a surprise. Take a listen.

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SAMANTHA STECKLOFF (D-MI), STATE HOUSE: We've seen a rise in anti- Semitism pretty much since the Charlottesville --

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UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes.

STECKLOFF: -- when President Trump came in 2016, we saw this rise and wave of this right Christian national group.

And it really, really, really hit the fire when Kanye West said he was going to go DEFCON 3 on all of the Jews back in October -- November.

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JIMENEZ: As for this suspect, he was an employee at the University of Michigan for 10 years until December 2021. He's claimed on social media that he was fired for refusing to take experimental medication.

Now the university wouldn't comment on that but they did require COVID-19 booster shots for all employees around that time.

Now in regard to this case, he's accused of violating an interstate communications law, when it comes to threats. We haven't seen a plea just yet. But when I approached his public defender after his court hearing Friday, he had no comment -- Omar Jimenez, CNN, Detroit.

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BRUNHUBER: The threat in Michigan is only the latest example of a growing trend of intimidation and attacks targeting Jewish people. The country reacted with horror following the killing of 11 people at the Tree of Life Synagogue in Pittsburgh back in 2018.

A shooting in a San Diego area synagogue killed one and injured three others in the following year.

And just this past month, federal prosecutors charged a man with two hate crimes after he allegedly shot two different Jewish men in a Los Angeles neighborhood. He was indicted by a grand jury on Friday.

The Anti-Defamation League tracks these sorts of crimes. It reports that in 2021, the latest available annual figures, there were more than 2,700 anti-Semitic incidents. That's an increase of more than a third from the year before.

Their research also includes a rare detail about the particular nature of anti-Semitism, how it centers on stereotypes of Jews. The ADL found that more than 80 percent of Americans believe at least one anti- Jewish trope, whether it's Jews not sharing the same values or having too much power in the business world.

Again, that's an increase compared to just two years earlier.

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BRUNHUBER: Brian Levin is the director of the Center for the Study of Hate and Extremism at California State University/San Bernardino. He joins me now from Southern California.

Thank you so much for being here with us.

So just, specifically on the Michigan case, what stands out to you?

BRIAN LEVIN, DIRECTOR, CENTER FOR THE STUDY OF HATE AND EXTREMISM, USCSB: What stands out to me is this is textbook with regard to what we're seeing. I'm going to tell you what we're seeing.

For some time now, going on years, and that is, we've had an increase in anti-Semitic hate crimes. Our center shows that there was a 59 percent increase in American -- major American cities in 2021 and about another 30 percent in 2022.

And those are the latest figures available anywhere. Unfortunately, the FBI's data collection system collapsed last year. So this is some of the best data that's out there.

And I think what we're seeing are three things: one, an increase in invective online and it has a higher, an elevated half-life. On top of that, that increase in hate crimes on the street that we're talking about.

But moreover, these regularized violent fatal or near fatal attacks. And we've been seeing that time and again. So we're in a new era with regard to anti-Semitism, that we've been looking at for the last several years.

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BRUNHUBER: The problem is in this Michigan case, we're seeing the confluence of two sort of trends of anti-Semitism, which you've talked about. And then also the fact that public officials seem to be increasingly in the crosshairs, literally, you know.

Yet another way that right wing extremists are trying to undermine democracy in this country.

LEVIN: Yes, our friends at the ADL showed, in a recent report, showed that, over the last decade, extremist homicides were very much tipped to white supremacists. Our research shows the same thing: far-right and white supremacists, since 2018, had the highest fatalities with regard to extremist homicides.

And with regard to anti-government, because of conspiracy theories, Jews are often behind that. In fact, that's something we're seeing consistently as there's been a decline in the communal institutions that holds together with regard to skepticism and distrust.

Anti-Semitism, whether it's in regard to QAnon or other types of anti- government conspiracy theories, is often either at the forefront or anchoring it.

BRUNHUBER: The question is how do we stop it?

I mean the Biden administration has said that they are, you know, ramping up their response on this front.

But are they doing enough to tackle this?

LEVIN: They are certainly making a real effort. And we have to have a coordinated effort. But it's very important that civic leaders, along with the social media companies, stop the spread of these stereotypes.

Because these stereotyping, as Dr. Robin Williams of Cornell would say, is it creates a printed circuit that labels who is a legitimate target for aggression.

And something you touched on earlier, oftentimes what we're seeing is different types of stereotypes tied together -- anti-government, anti- Semitic. If you go to anti-Black for instance, anti-Black and anti- socialist.

So these fears and stereotypes are tied together. Now what we're seeing is this wave, this oneship (ph), sometimes that are tethered together with prejudice. So the scapegoating that occurs is tied to a grievance, which can have an institutional component but also a religious or ethnic opponent as we've seen in these attacks.

So we're not only seeing an increase in anti-Semitism but also an increase in threats against government officials.

BRUNHUBER: Very worrying to see. We'll have to leave it there, Brian Levin, thank you so much for speaking with us. We appreciate it.

LEVIN: Thank you and thank you so much for covering this.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BRUNHUBER: Still to come, we'll hear from people in California, still stranded after huge snowstorms.

Plus, concerns grow about the long term effects following toxic train derailment in Ohio. Why some residents believe their lives may never be the same again. 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.

I want to get back to one of our top stories this hour. Severe weather leaves more than 1.5 million homes and businesses without power across the U.S. The northern side of the storm system, which dumped snow on the Great Lakes region, is moving on. Snow is now falling on parts of the Northeast and will continue

throughout the day today. The next system for the West moves onshore today, bringing more heavy snow to the Sierras through the weekend.

It's not just the Sierra Nevadas getting hit; parts of Southern California have seen snow for the first time in decades. In the San Bernardino Mountains, there's already been so much snow that people are trapped and 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: Adverse health effects are starting to show among residents following a train derailment in East Palestine, Ohio.

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BRUNHUBER: A 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.

But local residents believe the derailment may have long-term effects no matter what the plan is. They are concerned that potentially toxic chemicals may have seeped into the ecosystem. And as Miguel Marquez finds out, they are not sure their lives will ever be the same again.

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DAVE ANDERSON, OWNER, ECHO VALLEY FARM: Come on, girls. Come on, girls. Come on, girls.

MIGUEL MARQUEZ, CNN SENIOR NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Dave Anderson raises grass fed beef 4 miles downwind of East Palestine, Ohio. After the derailment fire and venting of toxic chemicals, this is what drifted over his Echo Valley farm.

ANDERSON: As far as the smoke, you could probably see 100 yards. You know, it was dark. MARQUEZ: And what did you experience?

ANDERSON: Burning eyes, burning throat, burning mouth.

MARQUEZ (voice-over): The cloud from the toxic spill settled on his pastures and ponds. The question he now cannot answer are the cattle he's raised for years OK for human consumption.

ANDERSON: Customers that buy grass fed beef directly from a farmer. They care about their food.

MARQUEZ: They want to know what they're getting --

ANDERSON: They want to know what they're getting.

MARQUEZ: -- is topnotch.

ANDERSON: And healthy for them.

MARQUEZ (voice-over): He's now sued Norfolk Southern. He also wants testing, a process, a way to certify his livestock is safe.

ANDERSON: The lawsuit is about peace of mind to start with.

MARQUEZ: Right.

ANDERSON: And information to make decisions.

MARQUEZ (voice-over): Solid information, here tough to come by. Officials have established a 2-mile zone around the derailment site as a priority because Anderson's farm is farther away. Despite being directly in the path of the plume from the toxic spill, he's yet received little support and no answers from Pennsylvania's Department of Environmental Protection, DEP.

MARQUEZ: What will sways your concerns?

ANDERSON: Testing. But there has been no testing.

MARQUEZ: None?

ANDERSON: None. And so --

MARQUEZ: DEP has not been out here at all?

ANDERSON: DEP came yesterday for the first time, four weeks after the event. A little more than four weeks after the event.

MARQUEZ: Did they test?

They take samples?

ANDERSON: They did not. They were investigating whether they should be active in this area outside of the 2-mile ring.

MARQUEZ (voice-over): The crash occurred just feet from the Pennsylvania border. The winds typically blow east toward Pennsylvania. The state is going house to house, testing soil and water in areas closest to the derailment.

MARQUEZ: What did you see that night?

SAMUEL WEGNER, PENNSYLVANIA RESIDENT: Standing at the end of the driveway, I saw a huge plume of smoke. I saw flames above the tree tops, well over 100 feet in the air and it was terrifying.

MARQUEZ (voice-over): Samuel Wegner and his wife, Joyce, had their fourth child, Jackson Hayes, a week ago. He says the state's response has been too slow and lacking any information to know whether his town of Darlington, Pennsylvania, is still a safe place to raise a family.

MARQUEZ: Have you tested your well or has it been tested?

WEGNER: It was tested today and we're told to be another three weeks until we get results.

MARQUEZ (voice-over): Wegner, who works in landscaping, says they evacuated for four days but moving permanently isn't an option.

MARQUEZ: How tough was it to come back to this house, knowing that you bring a newborn here?

WEGNER: I feel like I possibly regret the decision every day but here we live paycheck to paycheck. We live within our means and we don't have the financial luxury to pack up and move. It's just -- it's scary.

MARQUEZ (voice-over): The CDC is now conducting health survey in and around East Palestine, trying to determine the long-term effects on human health. While air and water testing is occurring daily, answers about long term health won't come quickly.

CAPTAIN JILL SHUGART, U.S. PUBLIC HEALTH SERVICE: We are hoping in the next couple of weeks to be able to have collected all of the information that we need and then those results will be available in the coming months.

MARQUEZ (voice-over): For Pennsylvania residents and business owners, downwind of the toxic fire, answers can't come soon enough.

MARQUEZ: But you're losing business because people aren't sure it's safe to eat your food.

JC SUMMERS, OWNER, BUTCHER AND THE BAKER, DARLINGTON, PA: Yes, I think so. I lost a wedding over that, yes, catering job. They just -- they don't know. I mean, I'm -- I don't think there's anything wrong with anything but I don't know either.

MARQUEZ: It must hurt.

SUMMERS: Yes, it sucks. I'm sorry. I don't know how else to put it. It's just the uncertainty. MARQUEZ: Pennsylvania officials have pushed back pretty hard on the notion that not enough is being done to help people in the area. They say they have tested nearly every private well with within a two-mile radius of the derailment. They have a soil sampling program that they are about to get underway.

[05:40:00]

MARQUEZ: They work with state veterinarians and animal welfare experts to ensure that farmers know best practices for the situation. They've opened up a health clinic in Darlington in that area, that anyone can use; 200 people or more have already used it at this point.

And they are welcoming more to come. They say that everything, all the test results for all the water all the soil everything and all information, can be found both online or in person. Back to you.

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BRUNHUBER: A former U.S. president is set to headline at a major conservative conference today. But it is much about who isn't there as it is about who is on the stage. That's coming up next, please stay with us.

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BRUNHUBER: Potential and declared U.S. Republican presidential contenders have been making their case in Maryland. Former South Carolina governor Nikki Haley told the Conservative Political Action Conference that it was time for a new generation to step up.

Meanwhile, former secretary of state Mike Pompeo increased speculation that he's ready to take a run at the White House with his comments about a, quote, "crisis of conservatism."

For many people, the headline act is going to be former president Donald Trump, who takes the stage later today. But as Trump dominates the conference, several big name Republicans are staying away. Our Jeff Zeleny is there for us.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JEFF ZELENY, CNN CHIEF NATIONAL AFFAIRS CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): It's long been a command performance for Republicans harboring White House ambitions.

NIKKI HALEY (R-SC), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: It's great to be back at CPAC.

ZELENY (voice-over): But at the annual Conservative Political Action Conference outside Washington, the parade of potential presidential hopefuls is far shorter this year. Former South Carolina Governor Nikki Haley --

HALEY: If you're tired of losing, put your trust in a new generation.

[05:45:00]

HALEY: And if you want to win not just as a party but as a country, then stand with me.

ZELENY (voice-over): And former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo gently called for a new direction.

MIKE POMPEO (R-KS), FORMER SECRETARY OF STATE: We shouldn't look for larger than life personalities but rather we should find power in the rooms like this one.

ZELENY (voice-over): But the long running, three-day gathering called CPAC is now seen as The Trump Show.

DONALD TRUMP, FORMER PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: These are my people. This is beautiful.

ZELENY (voice-over): The former president is set to appear Saturday, joining a sea of loyal supporters and members of his own family.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Your president, President Donald Trump will be here.

ZELENY (voice-over): Who are rallying to return him to office. But other big-name contenders, who many Republicans see as the party's future, had other plans.

Last year, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis took to the stage as a rising star.

GOV. RON DESANTIS (R-FL): CPAC.

ZELENY (voice-over): But as he inches closer to declaring a presidential bid, he attended a gathering of donors in Florida hosted by Club for Growth, an antitax group urging the party to move on from Trump.

Several potential rivals also skipped CPAC and headed to Florida, including former vice president Mike Pence, South Carolina senator Tim Scott, South Dakota governor Kristi Noem and New Hampshire governor Chris Sununu.

But adoration for Trump was on full display at CPAC, where Evie Phillips (ph) took a seat at a replica Resolute desk against a backdrop of a faux Oval Office.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Trump first.

ZELENY (voice-over): OK.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: And then DeSantis, let's do that in '28. ZELENY (voice-over): Colleen Hoffman is from Jacksonville, Florida. She wore a DeSantis hat even as she sported a Trump sticker. She said she's torn but believes Trump is the stronger choice for 2024.

COLLEEN HOFFMAN, CPAC ATTENDEE: I really love this hat because it's like, let us alone, you know?

It's -- I love it. But as of right now, I'm going to vote for Donald Trump.

ZELENY (voice-over): At the early stage of the campaign, it's hardly a two-man contest, as Vivek Ramaswamy, an Ohio businessman who jumped into the race last month, made clear on the CPAC stage.

VIVEK RAMASWAMY (R-OH), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: When we rallied behind the cry to make America great again, we did not just hunger for a single man. We hungered for the unapologetic pursuit of excellence. That is what it means to be an American.

ZELENY (voice-over): Yet even as the Republican field grows, the conversations at CPAC and the comparisons between candidates always came back to Trump.

KRISTEN FORBES, CPAC ATTENDEE: I think Governor DeSantis is wonderful. I think he's amazing. I just don't think it's his time quite yet. I think if he could just give it four years, I think he'd be a great successor to Trump.

ZELENY: As former president Donald Trump comes for the final day of this convention, all eyes clearly are on his message.

Will he distinguish himself between his growing field of rivals?

His aides say expect him to do just that, particularly going after Ron DeSantis. But of course, this is far more than a two-person race. This campaign is just getting underway -- Jeff Zeleny, CNN, Oxon Hill, Maryland.

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BRUNHUBER: President Biden has a lot of explaining to do to his fellow Democrats after they were blindsided by his decision not to veto a controversial piece of Republican legislation. At issue is a GOP bill that would strike down a recent crime law passed by the Washington, D.C., city council.

That law relaxed some sentences for violent crimes, even as crime is on the rise in the city. The Senate is expected to vote on it next week.

Many Democrats are now undecided after the president's surprise decision not to oppose the bill as Biden is now trying to explain he still supports D.C.'s right to govern its own affairs but doesn't agree that penalties should be reduced for robberies and carjackings.

Long COVID is defined as new, returning or ongoing health issues after the initial infection. U.S. health officials say the condition affects up to a quarter of those who contract COVID-19.

A new study also finds it's associated with a higher risk for a range of health problems, including a doubled risk of death. Among other concerns, sufferers have double the risk of cardiovascular events, three times the risk of pulmonary embolism and three -- and nearly twice the risk of chronic lung disease and moderate to severe asthma.

The study's lead author said, quote, "The biggest takeaway is that long COVID is a health condition that we need to continue to study and take seriously."

We have now learned that President 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 that all cancerous cells had been removed and no further treatment was needed. He also revealed that first lady Jill Biden had similar lesions removed earlier this year.

Family, friends and movie fans are remembering "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 he died peacefully in his sleep at 61, with his brother and sons at his side. He had been hospitalized in a coma since last month, when he suffered a brain aneurysm that was triggered by a stroke.

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BRUNHUBER: His brother called him larger than life.

We'll be right back.

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BRUNHUBER: A secret corridor has been found inside the Great Pyramid of Giza. According to the head of Egypt's Supreme Council of Antiquities, it could lead to more discoveries.

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AHMED ISSA, EGYPTIAN SUPREME COUNCIL OF ANTIQUITIES (through translator): We all have faith. God willing, we will discover artifacts for King Khufu. And this is what adds mystery to the pyramid of Khufu.

Because where are his artifacts?

The artifacts belonging to all former kings have been discovered. So everyone is working really hard to find King Khufu's artifacts. And we all know very well, the only artifact that has been discovered was a small statue. And it doesn't even date back to the same period.

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BRUNHUBER: The secret tunnel was found during a project called Scan the Pyramids. It's been using modern technology, including endoscopes, to peer deep inside the Great Pyramid of Giza. The monument has a height of about 480 feet or roughly 150 meters.

[05:55:00]

BRUNHUBER: It was the tallest structure built by humans until the Eiffel Tower was erected in Paris in 1889.

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 the 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.

All right, before we go, it should be a happy spring for "The Lord of the Rings" fans. Have a look.

(VIDEO CLIP, "THE LORD OF THE RINGS: THE RETURN OF THE KING")

BRUNHUBER: Wow, what a great scene. "The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King" is expected back on the big screen in April for the 20th anniversary of the film's release.

But if you're looking for a brand new production, you may be able to satisfy your cravings with a musical instead. That's right. There will be an open air mixed media performance in the U.K. with tickets going on sale March 15th.

I can't imagine what that would look like.

That wraps this hour of CNN NEWSROOM, I'm Kim Brunhuber, you can follow me on Twitter at Kim Brunhuber. "CNN this morning" is next, for the rest of the world. It's "AFRICA AVANT-GARDE."