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Millions Under Severe Weather Watches, Warnings In U.S.; NWS Confirms Tornado In Little Rock, State Of Emergency Declared; Tornado Watch In Effect For Parts Of Alabama, Mississippi, Tennessee; Trump Expected To Surrender Voluntarily On Tuesday. Aired 7-8a ET

Aired April 01, 2023 - 07:00   ET

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

[07:00:00]

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: My two boys are out now trying to help dig people out of their homes.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

VICTOR BLACKWELL, CNN ANCHOR: Five people are dead, hundreds of thousands without power this morning after a tornado outbreak across several states. We're live in hard hit Arkansas, and we're tracking the threat for more severe storms as tornado watches are in effect this morning.

AMARA WALKER, CNN ANCHOR: Preparations are underway in New York for former President Trump's first court appearance after he was indicted by a Manhattan grand jury. What we're learning about the charges he's facing and how this historic moment is expected to play out.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JOHN KIRBY, NCS COORDINATOR FOR STRATEGIC COMMUNICATIONS: Russia is a hostile environment for American citizens right now, and it's time to go through there.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BLACKWELL: The Biden administration is urging U.S. citizens to leave Russia after a reporter for the Wall Street Journal is detained, accused of espionage where his case stands, and what this says about the current state of us Russia relations.

WALKER: And new details about the CDC team that got sick while investigating the cause of that train derailment in East Palestine, Ohio that was carrying hazardous chemicals.

We begin with people in the southeast waking up to the threat of severe and dangerous weather. Tornado watches and warnings are in effect right now for parts of Mississippi all the way to Georgia. It comes as we're getting a better look at the destruction left behind after those massive storms tore through seven states. Over 50 tornado sightings have been reported. At least five are now

dead. The powerful storms blew through Wynne, Arkansas, killing at least two people and trapping dozens inside their home, leading town officials to send out a call for neighbor to help neighbors.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: They were asking people to come into town because they were having to help dig some people out of their homes. Me and my son's parked way out of town and walked in because they were begging for folks to come and help.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BLACKWELL: Two people died when an apparent tornado ripped through Sullivan, Indiana. First responders worked through the night to clear the streets so they can get to the places hit the hardest. And in Illinois, baseball sized hail damaged some vehicles so badly they had to be towed from the roadside. Look at this.

WALKER: Oh, gosh, it has battered that vehicle. Let's start our coverage this morning with CNN Meteorologist Derek Van Dam in Wynne, Arkansas. Yes, Derek, what are you seeing there on the ground?

DEREK VAN DAM, CNN METEOROLOGIST (on camera): You know, Amara, Victor, the mayor described it best yesterday when he said this Twister literally cut his town in half. We find ourselves directly in the middle of that path of destruction. We had no idea what we would expect when we approached Wynne, Arkansas, but we knew it was going to be bad.

And unfortunately, our worst nightmares were realized because what we've seen here is significant to catastrophic damage. This is just a drop in the bucket of what took place here in Wynne, Arkansas. And what you're seeing behind me is what is known as Wynne High School, the yellow jackets, they call this home and this building is a complete loss, to say the least.

We're looking at the inside of classrooms, there's a chalkboard, a smartboard. Windows completely blown out but behind this, I will take you into the sky so you can see it. But the auditorium has been completely collapsed. The path of the twister was so intense that vortexes that the updraft associated with this tornado literally sucked the turf off of the football field that is just behind the auditorium, over my left-hand shoulder, just incredible.

We managed to speak to some of the first responders. The search and rescue efforts that were ongoing throughout the night, and they went from home to home, putting exes on the home, green axes to indicate that the house was clear. There's no one trapped inside, and there were no injuries within that particular home.

But unfortunately, we are aware of two fatalities that have occurred here. And no wonder that there were injuries and fatalities because, again, the destruction here is significant. And you can just clearly see that this tornado tore through this area causing winds. Clearly, over 100 miles per hour. It was a terrifying moment for residents here.

People riding out inside of closets, inside of their bathrooms some neighbors having to rescue neighbors helping each other out to get through what was an absolutely terrifying, terrifying few seconds. They said it was like a bomb went off. You could see clearly that's what it looks like behind me.

WALKER: It does look like that -- the pictures say it all. Derek Van Dam, thank you for being there.

Well, about 100 miles east of Wynne, Arkansas, the National Weather Service has confirmed the tornado did touchdown in Little Rock. And you can see it in this video. The massive twister devastating the community, killing at least one person. One man talked about what he experienced.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Everyday it happens like five, six -- this is like, it came home. It was not -- a lot of commotion and stuff. We just stayed home and I'm alive. And for the most part, I'm not -- I don't feel. It's just a humbling experience.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

[07:05:16]

BLACKWELL: We're joined now by the Mayor of Little Rock, Frank Scott, Jr. Mr. Mayor, thank you for being here with us. First, we know that the Little Rock Fire Department had to rescue some people who are trapped by the storm. Is there anyone that you know of that is unaccounted for this morning.

FRANK SCOTT, MAYOR OF LITTLE ROCK: Thank you so much, Victor. It's truly by the grace of God, that the city of Little Rock did not experience any fatalities at this time as we are continuing the assessment of each area of the city that was impacted. We're very grateful for the men and women of the Little Rock Police Department and Fire Department and all first responders.

We've been working around the clock to ensure the public health, safety and welfare of each Little Rock resident. We also, as you know, declared a state of emergency at a request, made that request to Governor Sanders. She dutifully accepted, and we have activated the National Guard as well here in Little Rock in Central Arkansas, as we've all been impacted. In addition to others around these cities, can take us to the city of Little Rock.

WALKER: Yes, talk about the impacts to us, Mr. Mayor, what are you seeing in terms of the damage?

SCOTT: Well, the impact is devastating. Literally, in a matter of minutes, it went through the entire western portion of the city of Little Rock. I would say somewhere around the impact is about 2100 residents. As it relates to the pathway of the tornado. There are complete neighborhoods that have been flattened, as well as commercial businesses. It just came out of nowhere -- clearly, we know it was coming and everyone took cover as relates to the emergency response from this standpoint. But just to see the devastation of the impact of the flattening of homes, the flattening of businesses, in a matter of minutes.

BLACKWELL: And we see the video that we're running now while we're speaking to you; a lot of people lost a lot. Fortunately, as you say, no fatalities, so everyone escaped the storm with their life. But for those people who didn't have damage to their home, but were inconvenienced by power outages, what do you know about those numbers this morning?

SCOTT: As of a few hours ago, we believe we're somewhere upwards of 30,000 residents in Little Rock that are still without power. We are working with Energy Arkansas to get those individuals back up as quickly as possible. We're asking for patients; this could be a matter of days. We also have paying special attention to gas leaks.

And so, summit utilities, which manages our gas within the city of Little Rock in most of the state of Arkansas, they're being very responsive as well, and really doing all that we can to ensure that there's no fire issues in the gas issues, things of that nature as we continue to move forward. So, the safety is top of mind for all of us. I'll be leaving here in just a few moments to go to our public workstation as they're going to start working on tree debris to help out with our utility organizations.

WALKER: Yes, clearly a lot of debris there on the ground. Mr. Mayor, for your residents who are watching you, any word of advice, you know, especially when it comes to resources on the ground, and you know what kind of help they will get?

SCOTT: Yes, so we want to make sure that the residents of Little Rock in Central Arkansas know that we got your back. We're focused on response and recovery. We're mission focus at this period of time, doing all that we can to get the power back up as quickly as possible, but also to make certain that we're taking care of our residents that have been displaced, ensuring that they have all the needed resources that they need for food, for cover for well-being and shelter. We're working on our emergency response communication to ensure that all of that information is out. Everyone has that information as of last night, but we'll continue to have rolling communication plans to share with the public.

BLACKWELL: Frank Scott, Jr., Mayor of Little Rock, Arkansas, thank you for your time. Be safe out there.

SCOTT: Thank you so much. Do appreciate you.

BLACKWELL: All right. And the severe weather threat is now moving toward the southeast. CNN Meteorologist Britley Ritz is tracking it from the weather center. Several states at risk now. Tell us who is facing what and when?

BRITLEY RITZ, CNN METEOROLOGIST (on camera): Yes, many of us still dealing with the same threats today, not near as bad, thankfully. I mean, we had over 450 storm reports over the last 24 hours. 57 of them, tornado reports. So, this is a true outbreak, a true tornado outbreak.

True definition for that would be six to 10 tornadoes with one system. So, here we are stretching from the Midwest down into the south without over the last few hours in that whole system with that pushes eastward bringing in the severe threat across the Northeast and back again across the southeast.

[07:10:07]

We've been dealing with severe storms already this morning across parts of the southeast. Thankfully, the tornado watch slowly starting to be trimmed back. No more counties in Tennessee under a tornado watch. However, we still have a tornado watch for parts of Georgia back through parts of Mississippi.

Those counties will slowly get trimmed back within the hour. Several tornado warnings earlier on this morning now dealing with severe thunderstorm warnings rather where your areas highlighted in orange. That's where winds are picking up over 58 miles per hour. We're dealing with some small hail.

Areas in yellow that again, where we have the biggest threat for severe weather later this afternoon and into the evening hours, especially across the Northeast where we have the greatest threat for tornadoes. Again, not as great as it was yesterday, but still holding on to that threat. Damaging winds will be our biggest threat with that. So, take a look at the timeframe.

Saturday morning, we've got one batch of rain, but we clear out for a second. And that's not the good situation because the next system really rolls in here about 5:00, 6:00 into the evening, especially across the Northeast Philadelphia. New York back into Boston, dealing with some of these stronger storms as we progress through the afternoon. Victor and Amara.

WALKER: Britley Ritz, thank you for tracking that for us. Former President Donald Trump is expected to travel to New York, Monday, and then voluntarily surrender the next day to the Manhattan District Attorney. It will be a first in U.S. history for a former president. Security is tight in and around the courthouse ahead of Tuesday's arraignment, and that is when we expect the lengthy indictment against Trump will be unsealed.

BLACKWELL: Now, this will not be like a routine court appearance. The fact that the former president is also a current candidate with his own secret service detail, which he would have had as a former president anyway, complicates this. For a preview of what we can expect next week, here CNN's Jessica Schneider.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: What are the charges against President Donald Trump? JESSICA SCHNEIDER, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voiceover): A historic court date set for former President Donald Trump on Tuesday in Manhattan, where District Attorney Alvin Bragg has brought an indictment against him. Trump is planning to leave his Mar-a-Lago estate on Monday for New York and then on Tuesday, authorities will take his mugshot and fingerprints before escorting him to his arraignment.

NYPD and Secret Service already working together to bolster security at the courthouse as they track any threats and possible protests. The indictments still under seal styled the people of the state of New York against Donald J. Trump. CNN learning the grand jury voted to charge him with more than 30 counts related to business fraud after hearing from an unidentified witness for about 30 minutes, Thursday.

MICHAEL COHEN, FORMER TRUMP ATTORNEY: I am a convicted felon, I am disbarred lawyer, but I also brought the documents. There's plenty of testimony, corroborating testimony to go around.

SCHNEIDER: Former Trump fixer Michael Cohen met with prosecutors and testified to the grand jury on multiple occasions in this year's long investigation.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Raise your right hand.

SCHNEIDER: Cohen was convicted on federal charges and sentenced to three years in prison in part for his role paying off porn star, Stormy Daniels, to keep her quiet in the lead up to the 2016 election about her alleged affair with Donald Trump.

CLARK BREWSTER, STORMY DANIELS ATTORNEY: It's a fight against his rejection of truth and his manufacturing of stories that really motivated her to try to cooperate anyway, certainly, to get the truth out.

SCHNEIDER: Trump denies the affair and any wrongdoing.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Mr. President, did you know about the $130,000 payment to Stormy Daniels.

DONALD TRUMP, 45TH PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: No, no -- what else?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Then why -- why did Michael Cohen make this, if there was no truth to the allegation.

TRUMP: Well, you have to ask Michael Cohen. Michael's my attorney and you'll have to ask Michael Cohen.

SCHNEIDER: Cohen though admits to writing the $130,000 check and claims he was reimbursed by the Trump Organization. That reimbursement and the way Trump accounted for it appears to be at the heart of the case against Trump.

COHEN: For Donald, since we're talking about convicted felons, see on Tuesday, pal. SCHNEIDER: Sources tells CNN, the grand jury also heard testimony about a catch and kill scheme to bury a story about another alleged Trump affair with former Playboy Playmate of the Year, Karen McDougal. Trump's longtime friend and then Chairman of the National Enquirer's parent company, David Pecker, is believed to have orchestrated that $150,000 payment. Pecker testified before the grand jury Monday. Trump also denies any affair with McDougal. Trump's lawyers are now vowing to fight saying they will move to get all charges dismissed before any trial.

JOE TACOPINA, TRUMP DEFENSE ATTORNEY: There's no crime. I don't know if it's going to make the trial because we have substantial legal challenges that we have to, to front before we get to that point.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SCHNEIDER (on camera): CNN has been digging into who this last witness was Thursday before the grand jury voted to indict Trump. Of course, a lot more could become clearer as this case progresses and we'll also see how strong this case might be after the indictment is unsealed likely Tuesday at the arraignment.

[07:15:05]

In the meantime, former Attorney General Bill Barr is the latest now speaking out joining that chorus of Republicans to say that this is all a political hit job and a very weak case. Notably, though, no one has seen the exact charges or any of this evidence, Victor and Amara.

BLACKWELL: All right, the historic indictment against Trump is drawing abroad spectrum of reactions largely breaking down along political lines.

WALKER: Of course, it is, let's get some perspective now from CNN Political Commentator, Michael Smerconish, he's also the host of CNN's "SMERCONISH," airing later this morning at 9:00 a.m. Eastern. Michael, good to see you this morning. So, on your Twitter account, I mean, you, you pose an interesting question is the prosecution of Donald Trump by Alvin Bragg political? And you offer some interesting scenarios, different ways to see this. Break that down for us.

MICHAEL SMERCONISH, CNN ANCHOR: Well, at its core, these are 7-year- old facts based on a transaction involving sex. And I'm asking whether if Donald Trump had gone quietly into the night after losing in 2020, he'd still be facing this indictment today. And I have my doubts that that would be the case, that kind of raises a question as to whether it's political.

I mean, you have the Washington Post in the New York Times, among others, not exactly right of center publications, regarding the legal theories that we think we're going to see, I have to stress that, as being risky, or novel or untested. I mean, at its core, it's a falsifying business records case, we think, with a 2-year-old statute of limitations and that's a misdemeanor case, as the two of you have been discussing this morning. So, you've got to elevate it to felony status by adding in additional

crimes, and that involves some legal gymnastics. That's what we've never seen before. Is it worth it at the end? Is this going to cloud the court of public opinion before what I think is the real serious threat to President Trump, former President Trump, and that's the Jack Smith investigation, the Special Counsel for those Mar a Lago documents that probably results in an obstruction of justice charge.

BLACKWELL: Michael, let's talk about what's, what's right in front of us. And that's the arraignment coming in just a couple of days, Jessica just walked through some of the efforts to create this inconspicuous entry and exit, and of course, because of safety, and the President's Secret Service detail, do you think this President wants to kind of slink in and slip out? Or does he want the big moment the campaign says he's raised more than $4 million since the announcement of the indictment and a speech either at, at Trump Tower or there at the courthouse that would play into his playbook?

SMERCONISH: It's funny you raise that Victor, because I've been thinking the same thing. And my speculation is that behind closed doors, there's probably a negotiation taking place between the Secret Service telling him, this is the way we need to do this, so as to safeguard your safety. But I'd be floored if Tuesday were to come and go without there being some moment where Donald Trump you know, wants to engage and embrace this. I mean, who or what will be the first to put a mug shot on a t-shirt, if it ever gets out? I could see him using it for fundraising purposes, I could see his opponents trying to use it to besmirch him. I got to believe the circus is coming to town. That's my hunch.

WALKER: I mean, like you've got at least two schools of thought here, right? I mean, regarding whether or not this is just about accountability, you know, just showing, underscoring that no one is above the law. And then you have the other side where, you know, of course, you know, a lot of Republicans criticizing this move thing.

It's political, weaponization of the of the justice system, but also it will further divide the country. That's what we what we heard Vice President Mike Pence saying that this is a way to interfere with Trump's 2024 run. It just a big picture here, Michael, is this good or bad for this country that's already just in toxic political waters?

SMERCONISH: Well, I don't know, because I get the argument on one side that nobody is above the law. What I'm asking and trying to make clear is, is this the case that's in the nation's best interest to pursue, or would it be one of the other looming possible charges? My own hunch is that some of those Republicans who quickly rallied around the former president in this case, would not have done so if it were some of the more serious charges that he faces pertaining to January 6th, or possible obstruction related to Mar-a-Lago.

And I haven't even mentioned Fulton County yet. So, there's a lot out there that's swirling around him. But this is the one that's going first, doesn't mean it will be the first to get to trial. But I think it is going to create an impression among people who aren't paying very close attention to all of this, you know, what are all these investigations about? Oh, he ends up getting indicted for the 7-year- old case about sex.

BLACKWELL: What are the callers saying into your radio show? I mean, we're talking on television, we're hearing from members of Congress, but Republican voters, are they as passionate about this as some of their elected leaders on the Hill?

[07:20:18]

SMERCONISH: Victor, what are the callers saying? Largely that I'm wrong.

BLACKWELL: OK. All right.

SMERCONISH: I truly -- like the reaction, the reaction largely has been like, why are you bending over backwards, you know, to provide him with the cover? And I'm like, no, that's not where I'm coming from. I'm looking at it as a lawyer. And I'm saying you got four possible buckets of cases here. And to me, this is the weakest. And I think there were others that, frankly, they've had enough time to investigate. What has taken so long to bring all these things to closure?

BLACKWELL: Well, the timing surprised a lot of people on this one. We'll see what the timing is on these other investigations, especially Georgia with the Fulton County D.A. there saying imminent months ago. Michael, thank you so much. And everyone be sure to tune in --

SMERCONISH: See you guys. Thank you.

BLACKWELL: -- to Michael's show 9:00 a.m. this morning, right here on CNN. Thanks, Michael. Security has been stepped up as we said in New York ahead of former President Trump's court appearance Tuesday -- a look at the measures in place before the appearance that's coming up.

WALKER: The White House says it has "deep concern" for an American journalist currently detained in Russia. The urgent warning the State Department has four Americans who are still in Russia now.

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[07:25:38]

WALKER: New York's mayor says the city has seen no credible security threats, but it remains vigilant for possible protests and unrest. As you mentioned, the courthouse is now under 24/7 blanket security. The floor where Trump will be going has been sealed off from the public and will remain that way until Tuesday's arraignment. Media cameras inside are expected to capture the moment Trump walks towards the courtroom, but it's unclear if they will be permitted inside.

Joining us now is Chief Charles Ramsey, a CNN Senior Law Enforcement Analyst and a Partner at 21CP Solutions. Good morning to you, sir. As you know very well, New York City has a lot of experience dealing with high profile high security events. But, but Trump's indictment is an unprecedented logistical challenge. I would imagine. How different would this be from other high-profile events in the city? Is there a difference?

CHARLES RAMSEY, CNN SENIOR LAW ENFORCEMENT ANALYST: Well, I mean, there are differences in their similarities. Obviously, this is unprecedented, as you mentioned. I mean, we have a former president that was indicted, and the challenge is going to be getting him in and getting him out safely. And you have a lot of different locations that have to be secure -- Trump Tower is one, the D.A.'s office, the court, the state capitol there in New York. And certainly, that's going to pose its share of challenges.

Now, New York City is the largest department in the United States, all 35,000 men and women will be in uniform and available for deployment if necessary. So, you have not only the security concerns of a former president, which that in and of itself is always a challenge, but protests, both anti, as well as pro-Trump protests that could take place, keeping those groups apart so that they can both exercise their First Amendment rights, but at the same time, keep everything safe. So, there are a lot of moving parts in this intel sharing, and the like.

WALKER: Yes, it seems pretty complex, especially when it comes to that especially but also when it comes to, you know, paying attention to the chatter so that you can prevent or just, you know, respond quickly if a protest just spontaneously pops up. How -- take us behind the scenes with that? I mean, is there a team that's, that's watching the online chatter?

RAMSEY: Oh, yes, there, you know, your intel will be paying very close attention to social media, extreme left and right Web sites to see whether or not people are planning in any significant way to protest. And, and remember, this isn't just affecting New York, I'm sure Washington, D.C. is on high alert, because something could happen there.

And other cities around the country, the police departments are paying attention to social media to see whether or not there'll be protests in those locations. I don't expect it to be but you have to be prepared. And so, information sharing is going to be critical. I know when I was chief in Washington, D.C., which there is no city that has more protests than Washington, D.C.

We were constantly exchanging information with federal agencies. We were monitoring not only social media, but also just things like whether or not there's been significant uptick in the number of buses that were being rented. Less than four, Washington in this case will be destined for New York give you an indication that you have a lot of people on the way to participate.

And so, there are a lot of things that you're doing right now to make sure you have sufficient staffing and resources on hand in order to be able to deal with whatever it is that comes down the pike.

WALKER: And what about the Manhattan D.A.'s Office, and Alvin Bragg himself? I mean, how much of a priority or target are they?

RAMSEY: Well, it's a huge story. We have general individuals that are going to require some additional security steps. So, again, it's not just the NYPD or the Secret Service. You have the U.S. Marshalls, you have court police, you have D.A. -- has a detail.

[07:30:03]

You have a lot of different law enforcement groups that have been working on this for a while. I mean, and anticipation of a possibility of an indictment, which is now, of course, a reality. But they have been tabled topping this.

In other words, they've gone through scenarios together, you know, all the what ifs that could possibly take place to make sure that they've, at least considered everything that they possibly can, every possible event that could take place. So that they know how to react, how to respond, who's responsible for what all those kinds of things have taken place, and we'll continue to take place this weekend.

WALKER: Chief Charles Ramsey, appreciate your time. Thank you so much.

RAMSEY: Thank you.

BLACKWELL: The Biden administration is urging Americans to leave Russia after authorities there detained an American reporter for The Wall Street Journal.

BLACKWELL: The latest on that, next.

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BLACKWELL: President Biden says that Russia should release the American Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich. She is being held in Russia, accused of espionage.

[07:35:00]

WALKER: The president calls a charge, ridiculous, and is demanding his release.

His message was blunt and to the point, when asked about Gershkovich.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: What's your message to the Russia right now as they are detaining --

(CROSSTALK)

JOE BIDEN, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: To who?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: To Russia, as they are detaining this Wall Street Journal reporter?

BIDEN: Let him go.

(END VIDEO CLIP) BLACKWELL: CNN White House Reporter Jasmine Wright is traveling with the president in Wilmington, Delaware. Jasmine, what else we're hearing from the president?

JASMINE WRIGHT, CNN WHITE HOUSE REPORTER (on camera): Yes, Victor. Well, President Biden, he offered that three-word message, let him go yesterday to the Russians, marking the first time that he made this sort of public appeal to Russia to free Evan Gershkovich.

Now, it comes after we've heard from officials who have said those espionage charges were ridiculous, were absolutely ludicrous, and said that, that he was just doing his job. So, now we hear from the president publicly.

Now, privately, of course, behind the scenes, there is been this scramble from state department, and other officials trying to get consular access to Gershkovich in Russia; really to do two things here.

First, of course, a safety and wellness check, really trying to hear his side of the events. But then, also, that's the first step that the U.S. takes before it declares somebody is wrongfully detained, something that is likely to happen.

Now, that consular access so far as terms of yesterday has not yet happened. Instead, the administration is really pushing renewing this urgent call for Americans. Take a listen to NSC's John Kirby.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JOHN KIRBY, COORDINATOR FOR STRATEGIC COMMUNICATIONS, NATIONAL SECURITY COUNCIL: This is not the time for Americans to be in Russia.

If you're in Russia now, whether it's on business or leisure, whatever kind of travel, you need to leave now. This is not a good place for you to be in Russia. Even if you are a working journalist.

Russia is a hostile environment for American citizens right now. And it's time to go if you're there.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WRIGHT: So, Kirby's statement there, leave now, it's a hostile environment, is just the clearest example of how poor U.S.-Russia relations have become since Russia invaded Ukraine.

So, now, Victor and Amara, we are waiting to see what the next steps the White House lays out, especially, as President Biden on Friday, said the plan currently is not to expel any Russian diplomats from the U.S., something that The Wall Street Journal and other news or news organizations are calling for.

Victor, Amara.

BLACKWELL: Jasmine Wright, reporting there from Delaware for us. Thank you very much. Let's get some perspective and context now from former CNN Moscow bureau chief, Jill Dougherty. She's also an adjunct professor at Georgetown University.

Jill, good to see you.

Is there some consensus on why Russia -- why Putin is doing this? Is this retaliatory for the U.S. charges against this student who the U.S. says was a spy for Russia or something else?

JILL DOUGHERTY, FORMER CNN MOSCOW BUREAU CHIEF: You know, I've talked with several former senior diplomats to U.S. And to a person, they say, number one, this is very bad situation. And number two, there could be a number of different factors going on.

I think the one that you're referring to the possibility of a trade that the Russians wanted to grab someone in order to trade them for one of their alleged illegals, living in the United States, then, going to Brazil. It's a complicated story, and they have others.

You know, in Europe, they have been rolling up a lot of Russian spies. And this could be creating pressure on Moscow.

Then, also you have the abysmal relationship between Russia and the United States right now, because of the war in Ukraine.

And I'd also mentioned another factor, I think, that we don't always talk about, that the internal situation in Russia right now.

You know, Putin wants to look strong to his own people. And the war in Ukraine is not going well, to put it mildly.

So, I think, some of these things, you know, we -- pulling out or temporarily pulling out of the New START nuclear agreement with the United States, saying that they are going to deploy tactical nuclear weapons in Belarus.

And remember, just a very short time ago, we had that incident with the American drones. So, I think there is there is an effort by Putin also, to look tough and to say, you know, essentially, Russia can do whatever it wants.

BLACKWELL: Yes, some important context there. And the possibilities, maybe we'll hear more to give us an answer to exactly why this is happening.

But on the specific accusation of espionage, how -- what does that suggest about a willingness to release or trade, because Paul Whelan has been wrongfully detained in Russia for years, even as Trevor Reed was traded, and Brittney Griner was traded.

What does that suggest about the future, at least, in the near term for Evan Gershkovich?

DOUGHERTY: I don't think it's a good sign at all, because espionage brings it into another level completely. [10:40:03]

This now will be considered top secret. So, everything about the case, even the charges against him, Evan Gershkovich may not know precisely what those charges are. The Russians can drag this on for a very long time.

I mean, they're saying that they'll provide consular access. In other words, U.S. officials in Moscow can see him. But when? The Russians are capable of dragging that out for a long time.

So, I think that this is a very bad sign, and it is probably the most serious charge that they can bring against anybody.

BLACKWELL: And again, now the White House says that Americans in Russia, it is time to leave. Jill Dougherty, always appreciate the insight. Thank you so much.

WALKER: And coming up, Ukraine is marking the one-year anniversary of the liberation of Bucha. The town that has become synonymous with Russia's brutal occupation and alleged war crimes. We're live in Ukraine with the very latest next.

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[07:45:27]

WALKER: New this morning. Wimbledon is reversing course. Organizers of the U.K. Grand Slam tournament are now saying Russian and Belarusian players will be allowed to compete this year if they agree to enter as neutral athletes.

BLACKWELL: Ukrainian officials say this decision is immoral. And, of course, you know that the war in Ukraine is ongoing. Officials rejecting now a call from Belarus's president for a ceasefire. Russian forces still occupy large swathes of Ukrainian territory.

CNN's David McKenzie joins us now from Kyiv. David, we also understand that Ukraine just marked a grim anniversary.

DAVID MCKENZIE, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (on camera): Victor, Amara, good morning. Yes, this was a very solemn occasion. The one- year anniversary of when Russian forces were pushed out northwest of where I'm standing from Bucha.

Now, that neighborhood has become synonymous with the alleged war crimes that happened there. Awful stories of sexual violence, civilian murder, and torture that have continued to emerge over the many months.

You had the president there, handing out medals, saying that this is a moment to reflect on the strength of Bucha and of Kyiv.

Of course, a tragic thing is of these many alleged war crimes that are still being investigated, this is just one small part of this, this ongoing war, and they are areas of occupied territory where you hear almost on a weekly basis of new allegations coming out of these possible crimes. Victor, Amara?

WALKER: And tell us more about some aid. Ukraine receives some much- needed aid from the IMF.

MCKENZIE: Well, this is actually a loan and it's critically important. More than 50 -- $15 billion that is being added to more than $100 billion.

You know, Amara, we focus, of course on the human impact of this war. But the economy here has been absolutely shellshocked by this conflict.

A third of the economy has been basically destroyed by this conflict. And the IMF, which is a multilateral lender has given this money to Ukraine as a loan.

Now, they say this is, in their words, even a risky maneuver, but they believe that the Ukrainian government can handle this. And it's in two parts and here's why it's important. The second part is money that they hope will be used to reform this economy. And the government and push against corruption in the eventual aim of Ukraine, joining the European Union more formally.

So, it does have a political dimension. I think in the short term, it will be able -- will make the government able to pay its bills, because the ongoing fighting has really made this economy not on its knees, but certainly had a massive impact.

This will be a big help for the Ukrainians, though it will require some tightening of belts and reform. Amara, Victor?

BLACKWELL: David McKenzie, there for us Kyiv. Thank you, David.

Well, after that toxic train derailment in East Palestine, Ohio, CNN has learned that several CDC workers who were there studying the possible health impacts got sick.

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[07:52:57]

BLACKWELL: The CDC is investigating a salmonella outbreak linked to flour. Dozen illnesses, including three hospitalizations have been reported in connection to the outbreak.

The CDC says the scale of the outbreaks is likely much larger. Most of the patients claimed to have eaten raw dough or batter in the week before falling ill.

Also new this morning, CNN has learned that several CDC investigators who were studying the health impacts of the East Palestine toxic train derailment briefly fell ill themselves in early March.

They were doing house to house surveys near the derailment site where hazardous chemicals were released into the air, into the water, in the soil. CNN's Jason Carroll has details for us.

JASON CARROLL, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (on camera): Well, this latest information about the CDC investigators only came to light after a member of CNN's health team saw posts on social media and checked with a government source about what had happened.

According to the CDC, seven government investigators did fall ill in early March.

CARROLL (voice over): They were part of a 15-member team sent there to conduct what is called an assessment of chemical exposure or an ace investigation.

They went door to door in the area near the derailment, when apparently, seven members of the team said they started feeling sick. Their symptoms included sore throats, headaches, coughing, and nausea.

These, of course, are some of the same symptoms that residents first responders and rail workers had complained about.

When the CDC -- when CNN asked the CDC about the investigators, a spokesperson said the symptoms resolved for most team members later the same afternoon, and everyone resumed work on the survey data collection within 24 hours.

Impacted team members have not reported ongoing health effects.

It's unclear what caused their symptoms. The other eight team members did not report any symptoms. The EPA has repeatedly said that the air and the water in East Palestine are safe.

Government officials have also repeatedly said, they want all aspects of their investigations to be transparent.

[07:55:04]

So, in the spirit of transparency, it's just not clear at this point, why that information about the investigators would not -- was not released to the public at the time, especially, when you consider residents there had been complaining of the same symptoms.

CARROLL (on camera): Jason Carroll, CNN, New York.

BLACKWELL: Still ahead, much more on the deadly tornado outbreak in the central U.S. that killed at least five people. We are live in Arkansas, in one of those hard-hit communities.

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[08:00:09]

BLACKWELL: Good morning.