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Ex-Officers Arraigned With Tyre Nichols' Mom Watching; Court Documents Show Fox Stars Privately Trashed Trump's 2020 Fraud Claims; Russian Forces Bombard Key Eastern City In Pivotal Battle; Federal Hate Crime Charges Filed In Shootings Of Two Jewish Men; Survivors Grapple With Grief, Injuries After Devastating Quake. Aired 6-7p ET

Aired February 17, 2023 - 18:00   ET

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

[18:00:02]

PAMELA BROWN, CNN ANCHOR: Welcome to our viewers in the United States and around the world. Wolf Blitzer is on assignment tonight. I'm Pamela Brown and you're in THE SITUATION ROOM.

Tonight, the five fired police officers charged in the death of Tyre Nichols have entered not guilty pleas. Their first court appearance putting the spotlight back on this disturbing pace and the public outrage it sparked.

CNN Senior Crime and Justice Correspondent Shimon Prokupecz has our report from Memphis.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ROWVAUGHN WELLS, TYRE NICHOLS' MOTHER: They did not even have the courage to look at me in my face.

SHIMON PROKUPECZ, CNN SENIOR CRIME AND JUSTICE CORRESPONDENT (voice over): An emotional day in Memphis where the five former police officers charged with the murdering Tyre Nichols appeared in court together in front of the Nichols family for the first time. All five pleaded not guilty to charges of second-degree murder, aggravated assault, aggravated kidnapping, official misconduct and official oppression. Judge James Jones addressing the courtroom emphasizing this case could take some time.

JUDGE JAMES JONES, SHELBY COUNTY CRIMINAL COURT: We understand that there may be some high emotions in this case but we ask that you continue to be patient with us.

PROKUPECZ: After the arraignment, attorneys for the officers began to reveal how their defense would take shape.

JOHN KEITH PERRY, ATTORNEY FOR TADARRIUS BEAN: Tadarrius Bean was doing his job at that time and he never struck him. And there has been no information that we have seen as of right now that indicates that there is any sort of information that we can rely on to say that it is murder.

PROKUPECZ: When asked if his client had any regrets -- PERRY: I think at this point, he probably regrets being a Memphis police officer on that night. Because had he not been, he wouldn't have been called to do the job.

PROKUPECZ: Another defense attorney invoking his client's race and warning not to rush to judgment.

BLAKE BALLIN, ATTORNEY FOR DESMOND MILLS: Let's not forget that my client is a black man in a courtroom in America. This is a country where black people are incarcerated at times the rate of white people. Much has been said about the ways that this system has failed Mr. Nichols. I will work tirelessly to make sure that the system does not fail Mr. Mills.

PROKUPECZ: For Tyre Nichols' mother, relief that this legal process has begun but the pain of her loss is clear.

WELLS: I know my son is gone. I know I will never see him again. But we have to start this process of justice right now.

PROKUPECZ: The Shelby County district attorney saying his office has reviewed up to 100 prior cases involving the now disbanded SCORPION unit. 75 of those cases related to the five officers charged in Nichols' death, the clear sign yet that more justice could come to the city of Memphis.

STEVE MULROY, SHELBY COUNTY DISTRICT ATTORNEY: We'll be making decisions charges regarding all of those people in the time ahead.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

PROKUPECZ (on camera): And, Pam, not only could there be more charges for officers but, remember, there are at least seven other police officers that are facing disciplinary charges and potential termination. We should get word on that in the next few weeks.

And, of course, as we noted in this story here that there are going to be almost 100 cases under review, now, by the district attorney's office, which means cases could get dismissed, cases could get retried. So, there is going to be a lot of fallout and there's going to be a lot of investigations. And also keep in mind that the Department of Justice investigation that is still underway here in Memphis. Pam?

BROWN: Yes. He's definitely got a full plate there, that D.A. Shimon Prokupecz, thank you.

So, let's get more on this with Civil Rights Attorney Areva Martin and CNN Senior Law Enforcement Analyst and former Philadelphia Police Commissioner Charles Ramsey.

Areva, starting with you, I want to begin with your response to today's arraignment, all five of these fired officers entering not guilty pleas. What do you say to that?

AREVA MARTIN, CNN LEGAL ANALYST: I'm not surprised by it, Pam. We expected that. The lawyers had kind of already indicated that that was what their clients were going to do. I wasn't surprised that none of the former officers had anything to say in court. It's a pretty typical arraignment.

But I think what we did see after the court hearing, by listening to these lawyers, we are starting to get a sense about what the defense is going to be for some of these individual defendants. We heard -- I think it's Tadarrius Bean's lawyer, I think he said his client did not strike Mr. Nichols, at least that his client definitely did not have the level of culpability that many of us thought we witnessed on those videotapes.

So, I think we are going to start to see these defendants try to distinguished their conduct and distinguish themselves as defendants. They definitely don't want to be lumped in together. They want to try to make individual cases and ask the jurors -- I'm sure that's what they're going to be doing -- ask jurors to evaluate their conduct individually rather than I think what we have been talking about as a collective body, they're kind of collective in group conduct.

BROWN: Yes.

[18:05:00]

And you just heard Shimon talk about all of the other cases that the district attorney is reviewing there, up to 150 cases relating to the now disbanded SCORPION unit that was involved in Nichols' fatal arrest. Chief Ramsey, is this review the right decision? What do you think?

CHARLES RAMSEY, CNN SENIOR LAW ENFORCEMENT ANALYST: Absolutely, it's the right decision. I think the D.A. is right to be proactive. I have had a couple of cases, actually more than that, where I have had officers accused or serious misconduct and convicted criminally and, again, defense lawyers lineup to try to reopen cases, and I don't blame them, I mean, especially when there is an issue of integrity that is involved, untruthful statements, things of that nature.

So, those cases where the officer, the conviction came as a result primarily of that officer's testimony, there is no video evidence, there's no independent witnesses, those are the ones that are probably the most vulnerable when it comes to being dismissed or having a second trial or something like that. But it is not uncommon to have something like that. And a lot of people don't realize, these kinds of cases have far-reaching consequences. They go way beyond just that one incident that (INAUDIBLE).

BROWN: Yes, this is a reminder of that.

So, Areva, the next hearing in this case is scheduled for May 1st. What happens then between now and then?

MARTIN: Discovery, that is what is happening now, Pam. And we heard the judge talked about how everyone needs to be patient, that the court is going to move as quickly as possible in trying to expedite the trial of this matter. But at the same time, you got five defendants all of whom are going to be seeking discovery, seeking information from this district attorney's office.

So, there is going to be the exchange of information. That is what discovery is. Videotape, statements that were made by these ex- officers, statements that were made by witnesses that may have been out that night, any information that can be provided, that's going to help these defendants as they start to prepare their defense.

And, again, Pam, I think we are going to start to see how these individuals plan to fight these charges because, right now, they are being very affirmative in the fact that they are going to fight these charges.

BROWN: Yes. On that note, Chief Ramsey, I want to get your reaction to some of these defenses. One officer's lawyer is saying that his client was doing his job at the time, another officer pointing out his client is black and that black people are arrested five times the rate of white people, what do you say to that?

RAMSEY: Well, listen, if he was doing his job, he would have stopped the beating. He would have stopped it. That is what he should have done, is intervene. So, he is just as guilty as the others. I mean, listen, there are defense lawyers, they are doing the best they can to try to defend our clients but there is overwhelming evidence against these guys.

And I think behind the scenes, they need to be thinking about a plea bargain of some to kind. I don't think it's going to be long before you see somebody flip and take a plea and testify against other members. And as far as those cases being dismissed, don't be surprised if that number doesn't grows substantially, because you had other officers there who submitted reports that were probably falsified. I mean, all of these kinds of things start to just grow and grow and grow. This is a case that is going to be around for a while.

BROWN: Yes. Is that what you think is at play here, Areva, the prosecutor is hoping that at least one will flip through a plea deal and then help build a case against the others?

MARTIN: Oh, absolutely. And I agree with Chief Ramsey. The defenses that we are hearing by these defense attorneys, I don't think it holds any water. I don't think they believe in their heart of heart that these five ex-officers have any chance of being acquitted at a trial. But, obviously, they have a job to do. And they have to be zealous advocates for their clients.

So, we're going to hear them spinning information however they can to suggest that their clients are innocent. But reality is we saw it with our very eyes. Our eyes don't lie. The videotapes don't lie. We saw them brutalize Tyre Nichols. We saw use a level of force that was inhumane and definitely not constitutional.

So, there is no doubt in my mind that these cases go to trial, they would be found guilty at least on some of the charges and I suspect on even some of the more serious charges. Which is why I do believe that you're going to see some of them starting to point the fingers and saying, I didn't do it, he did it, I did a little something but he did more, and definitely everyone is going to be trying to cover their own behinds and trying to get the best deal that they could possibly get.

And the question is, is this prosecutor going to allow there to be a plea deal particularly given the national attention, the international attention that this case has got, prosecutors may say, no deal, we are going to trial because the public has a vested interest in seeing that justice is served in all five of these cases.

BROWN: That's interesting. We'll have to see. All right, Areva Martin, Charles Ramsey, thank you.

Up next, new court documents reveal Fox hosts and executives privately ridiculed Trump's election lies even as they repeatedly promoted him on air.

[18:10:05]

That is next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BROWN: A stunning new court filing shows Fox anchors and executives privately ridiculed former President Trump's lies about the election even while promoting them on the air. The revelations are part of Dominion Voting Systems $1.6 billion lawsuit against Fox. And CNN's Brian Todd is digging into the damning testimony and messages. So, tell us more, Brian.

BRIAN TODD, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Pamela, these messages reflect real angst and conflict within the top echelons of Fox News right after the 2020 election, as well as a hefty dose of hypocrisy.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

TODD (voice over): Immediately after Joe Biden's 2020 victory, Fox News hosts unabashed in promiting the false declarations that the election had been stolen from Donald Trump.

TUCKER CARLSON: FOX NEWS HOST: Electronic machines didn't allow people to vote, apparently. And that whatever you think of it, the cost of, it shakes people's faith in the system. That is an actual threat to democracy.

SEAN HANNITY, FOX NEWS HOST: It will be impossible to ever know the true, fair, accurate election results.

BROWN: But tonight, a new court filing shows that, in private, Fox Hosts Tucker Carlson, Laura Ingraham and Sean Hannity were brutally ridiculing the claims of election fraud and the people who were making them, their private messages in a legal filing that's part of Dominion Voting System's $1.6 billion lawsuit against Fox News.

[18:15:013]

One person they insulted, Trump campaign lawyer Sidney Powell, a vociferous election lie promoter. SIDNEY POWELL, TRUMP LAWYER: What we are really dealing with here and uncovering more by the day is the massive influence of communist money.

TODD: In one text revealed in a court filing, Tucker Carlson texted Laura Ingraham saying, quote, Sidney Powell is lying. I caught her. It is insane. Ingraham responded, quote, Sidney is a complete nut. No one will work with her, ditto with Rudy, a reference to Trump Lawyer Dury Giuliani and his post-election claims.

RUDY GIULIANI, TRUMP LAWYER: There was a plan from a centralized place to execute these various acts of voter fraud.

TODD: In other messages, Sean Hannity said Giuliani was, quote, acting like an insane person. Ingraham described Giuliani as an idiot. Fox Corporation Chairman Rupert Murdoch --

RUPERT MURDOCH, CHAIRMAN, FOX CORPORATION: We still have freedom of speech.

TODD: -- said it was, quote, really bad that Giuliani was advising Trump.

ERIK WEMPLE, WASHINGTON POST MEDIA CRITIC: They have one version of the world that they keep to themselves and another version of the world that they broadcast to their viewers. The two are entirely incompatible.

TODD: But Fox kept promoting election denialism. Why? The filings in the Dominion suit illustrate that Fox executives were worried about losing viewers to Newsmax, a smaller conservative channel that was constantly pushing election denial. Trump, himself, furious that Fox had called Arizona for Biden, had encouraged his followers to switch to Newsmax.

WEMPLE: Since 2002, Fox News has basically been the preeminent ratings champion in cable news. And you see here the moment that they see any sign that might be slipping away, it is panicked.

TODD: But the Dominion filings also say that when then-President Trump tried to call into Fox on January 6th, the day his supporters attacked the Capitol, Fox executives refused to put Trump on the air.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

TODD (on camera): Fox News has denied Dominion's claims in the lawsuit, says it is proud of its 2020 election coverage, and says these court filings contain cherry-picked quotes lacking context.

In a statement, Fox accused Dominion of generating, quote, noise and confusion. And so the core of this case remains to be about freedom of the press and freedom of speech. Pamela?

BROWN: All right. Brian Todd, thanks so much.

I want to bring in CNN Senior Media Reporter Oliver Darcy along with Maggie Haberman of The New York Times, she is also a CNN Political Analyst. So, Maggie, these court documents, they reveal a stunning level of hypocrisy on the part of Fox. What does this reveal about how just strong of a grip the former president had on the network?

MAGGIE HABERMAN, CNN POLITICAL ANALYST: It is quite striking, and you saw this evolution over time. Rupert Murdoch had always wanted to be close to a U.S. president. He got that when Donald Trump was elected, even though they really did not have much of a relationship to speak of. Rupert Murdoch had never thought very highly of him. But by the time he was in office, there was this synergy and Fox clearly saw a benefit in terms of viewers and ratings in staying close to Trump.

What I was very struck by, Pamela, was this claim in the suit that Trump had tried to get on Lou Dobbs after the riots had taken place but was not totally done yet. This was new information that had not been uncovered at any point in the last couple of years.

I do think it is also striking how the opinion hosts had such sway over what was being broadcast news-wise and it is just -- it's really jarring noticing how Donald Trump is not on Fox right now. I wonder what that will look like in the future as he remains a candidate.

BROWN: Yes, it is really jarring on so many fronts here. What do you think, Oliver? I mean, how much do you think this was motivated by a desire to appease viewers and preserve television ratings? These texts and communications are very telling.

OLIVER DARCY, CNN SENIOR MEDIA REPORTER: I think it was entirely motivated by the business decision, which was that they did not want to alienate their audience. And their audience was listening to Trump, was listening Rudy Giuliani, was listening to Sidney Powell, and they wanted to believe that the election was stolen from him. They wanted to believe that Joe Biden was not the rightful president-elect at the time and that this election could be overturned to Trump.

And so the Fox News hosts and executives, they could not have people on the air going contrary to this narrative that was being pushed by the former president. And so what you see here is that they are desperate to appease the audience. You see in text messages behind the scenes where they talk about not offending the audience, respecting the audience and in their eyes, I guess, respecting the audience is not telling them inconvenient truths. I would argue that respecting the audience is being upfront with them about what they knew and these text messages show that they knew the election was not stolen but they were happy prop this narrative up anyway.

BROWN: Yes. I mean, the job of just telling the truth.

[18:20:00]

That seems to be the best way to respect your audience. It is pretty stunning when you look at it that way.

And we knew at the time, I remember seeing that more and more -- if we look at the ratings at Newsmax at the time, more and more people were turning there. That, of course, as we see now inside the panic at Fox when that what was happening.

And, Maggie, you just mentioned that that new information, and I think all of us who covered the Trump White House, and especially you who covered Trump so closely over the years, the fact that Fox executives refused to put Trump on the air when he called in after the January 6th attack, I want to talk to your more about that. What do you think that reveals about Trump's state of mind?

HABERMAN: Well, I think it a couple of things. I think that it reveals that Trump's state of mind was about just being heard and speaking despite the fact that this violence had taken place. I don't know what he was going to say but I think that we can guess given the themes of that day and that he didn't seem willing to relent in everything that we have learned since then, even though he finally issued a statement publicly.

In terms of the minds of the Fox executives, I think that they were -- I have surmise that they were aware that Trump had been tweeting about Mike Pence, that he had been talking about Mike Pence at the rally at The Ellipse before this pro-Trump mob overtook the Capitol and they were concerned about being seen as adding to that. And that speaks to, again, the concerns that Trump really was gasoline on a fire in that moment.

BROWN: Yes. And yet, Oliver, when a reporter at Fox tried to fact- check, the communication showed the Fox executives and hosts were not too happy.

DARCY: No, not happy at all. And it is not just any host, it's the top rated host on this network. You have Tucker Carlson reaching out to Sean Hannity saying, can we get her fired? You have Sean Hannity saying, he is in contact with the Fox News CEO, Suzanne Scott. And, apparently, the message did get down to the reporter, Jacqui Heinrich, who ultimately deleted her tweet and then reposted another version of the fact-check.

But it is really striking to see that the people who are running this network and the people who Fox executives are in line with are not the news anchors, like Bret Baier. It is the propagandists, like Sean Hannity and Tucker Carlson.

BROWN: Very disturbing. Oliver Darcy, Maggie Haberman, thank you.

And coming up, we are going to take you inside a secret combat brigade in Ukraine as a key ally is warning the war is going to drag on.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[18:20:00]

BROWN: Tonight, we are getting an inside look at a secret base where Ukrainian forces are conducting combat missions against the Russians.

Let's go live to CNN Senior International Correspondent Sam Kiley in Eastern Ukraine. Sam, you are on embedded with the Ukrainian brigade and were on a decades'-old Soviet-era helicopter. We are going to see your full report later tonight on A.C. 360. But tell us about the incredible maneuvers these Ukrainians pilots make to make conduct their missions.

SAM KILEY, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, Pamela, in a sense, this is a David and Goliath story. The David is the pilots and aircrew on the MI-8 aircraft. These are transport helicopters fitted with rocket pods. They are supposedly kind of multipurpose but much like an American Blackhawk helicopter, but a lot more primitive.

Now, these aircrafts are all built before the collapse of the Soviet Union. They are flown by pilots who, luckily for Ukraine, have spent much of the last decade or so flying in Africa for the United Nations, in war-torn parts of Africa or on peacekeeping missions. Therefore, they are quite current, which is important, because they have to fly, and I'm not joking this, below the height of a tree top, not at tree top level but below it, so they have to leap like a skimming stone on water over the bands of trees that separate the fields, to get on the pylons and power lines as they go on these air assaults against their targets around Bakhmut, firing volleys of rockets.

And they fly about three missions a day, at least. I spoke to one young pilot, most of them are pretty old, or rather the captains are old. They're paired with younger pilots. But this young man had already flown more than 100 combat missions this year. And the skipper of his aircraft said he certainly couldn't remember and had given up counting long ago how many combat missions they have flown.

And they're up against Russian aircraft that can hunt them from a distance. They've got very sophisticated missiles on board these aircraft that can get at these helicopters at a range of about 30 kilometers. So, they have to fly low and slow. It is incredibly dangerous work. Pamela?

BROWN: Yes. I mean, to think that they are flying below the tree tops, it's incredible. I cannot wait to see this full report tonight on A.C. 360 at 8:00 P.M. Eastern. Thank you so much, Sam Kiley.

And now on to Germany, where western allies stress their unity with Ukraine today as they met in Munich.

CNN Chief International Anchor Christiane Amanpour is there. Christiane, I want to play for our viewers this exchange you had with the German chancellor. Let's watch.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

CHRISTIANE AMANPOUR, CNN CHIEF INTERNATIONAL ANCHOR: You in your speech said we have to be ready for the long haul. I mean, you must strategize. You must think amongst yourselves how long this will last. Do you have a target date?

OLAF SCHOLZ, GERMAN CHANCELLOR: I think it is wise to be ready for a long war and it is wise to put in the message that we are ready to stay all the time together with Ukraine and that we can constantly support the country. So, it is not really a very good idea that in this conference or at this podium, the two of us discussed the question when exactly and which this month the war will end.

[18:30:09]

The really important decision we should take altogether is saying that we are willing to do it as long as necessary and that we will do our best.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BROWN: Also, what more did he tell you there in Munich about how exactly the allies are preparing for a long war?

AMANPOUR: Well, it is very, very difficult because Zelenskyy himself, the president of Ukraine, addressed the conference just before that conversation with Olaf Scholz, and he said he wanted all of these weapons, all of this help, all of this ammunition that the west had promised to hurry up. He literally said it like that, it has to hurry up. We need to speed it up. He kept using those words. We are David and Goliath, a little bit like Sam Kiley said, David and Goliath, and we need your aid right now.

And he said he wanted the war over by the end of this year, which is why I put it that way to the chancellor. But there is an issue with production, ramping up manufacturing of the ammunition and all of the other stuff that they need to keep prosecuting this war. So, that is what the native NATO allies in Europe are having to do. The next phase is really getting there, manufacturing up and running.

And he put it in the context of as if it were cars, as if we had car factories. We're never out of cars. If you want to buy a car, we buy cars. If we need spare parts, they are there. This is what we have to do for the armament industry now given the intensive nature of this fight. Pamela?

BROWN: Right. Because as you say, President Zelenskyy is urging western allies to act more quickly but is Germany still wary of potential escalation?

AMANPOUR: Not really. I mean, that word has sort of stopped because it is escalating. I mean, all the time, it is escalating. So, there is no sort of question anymore about provoking Putin because Putin is doing all that stuff anyway. So, what they really want to do is stave him off, not let him win, help Ukraine get the better of him on the battlefield. And they say that they have to do that because Putin shows absolutely no desire to negotiate in good faith around the table. So, they are going to have to keep going, as they say, until Putin understands, again, this is their words, that he cannot win, that what he is doing will fail.

BROWN: All right. Christiane Amanpour, thank you.

Well, just ahead, did the U.S. military use a $400,000 missile to destroy a tiny hobby balloon? Think about that? What the White House just said about that possibility, stay with us.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK) [18:35:00]

BROWN: An Illinois hobbyist group says one of the three unknown objects shot down by the U.S. military over the weekend could be one of its $12 recreational balloons, a claim the Biden administration admitted today that it cannot rule out.

CNN White House Correspondent Jeremy Diamond joins us live. So, Jeremy, what more are you learning about this?

JEREMY DIAMOND, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Well, Pam, that hobbyist group says that one of its balloons went missing off the coast of Alaska on Saturday. That is also when a U.S. fighter jet took out one of those unidentified objects, one of the three objects from over the weekend.

Today, National Security Council Spokesman John Kirby said that the U.S. government has seen those reports but simply cannot confirm them, and that is largely because the U.S. hasn't yet been able to recover the debris of any of the three objects that were shut down over the weekend. Listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JOHN KIRBY, COORDINATOR FOR STRATEGIC COMMUNICATIONS, NATIONAL SECURITY COUNCIL: We just cannot confirm those reports or what the remains of that balloon might actually end up being. And we have not recovered it. So, it is very difficult until you can get your hands on something to be able to tell. And because of where it is over Lake Huron, I mean, we all have to accept the possibility that we may not be able to recover it.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

DIAMOND: And John Kirby also said that he simply can't promise that the U.S. will ever recover the debris of any of those three objects over the weekend given the rugged territory over which they were shot down.

But what he did do today was to defend the president's decision to shoot down these three objects even as they are also now saying at the White House that it is most likely that they were benign balloons used either for commercial, research or perhaps even in this case recreational purposes. And that is because the White House has says that President Biden followed the advice of the military out of an abundance of caution and saying that he made the best decision at the time based on the evidence, expressing no regrets, even if indeed it was simply a recreational $12 balloon being shot down with a $400,000 missile.

Now, the thing that is clear is that the U.S. is developing new protocols going forward. We are not going to see these types of balloons being shot down out of the sky with any kind of regularity. They are developing protocols for how they handle this going forward. And I am told that that is one thing that the president wanted to be clear about in his remarks yesterday, emphasizing what he has tasked his national security adviser was doing to develop those protocols going forward. Pam?

BROWN: All right. Jeremy Diamond, thanks so much.

I want to bring in Democratic Congressman Adam Schiff of California. So, you just heard Jeremy's report there, Congressman, John Kirby cannot rule out the possibility that the military shot down a balloon from a local hobby club. Does that point to serious issues and how they Biden administration handled these objects?

REP. ADAM SCHIFF (D-CA): Well, I think it points to serious issues in not knowing what is in our airspace, f some of these balloons at a low enough altitude where it could interfere with our aircraft, that's a problem, if we can't tell a hobbyist balloon from a Chinese surveillance balloon, that is a problem. I think it certainly does indicate we're going to have to have a much better means of determining what is floating over the United States.

[18:40:00]

I will say this for those that have criticized the administration for shooting down what could be a hobbyist balloon had the president ignored the advice of the military and let it drift over the United States, and it turned out to be a Chinese surveillance balloon, you would have heard a holy hell from them about the president's ignoring military advice.

So, look, I think he made the right decision. Certainly, taking down that Chinese surveillance balloon, we will learn a lot from the recovery of those material from that balloon. As to these others, yes, it would be a terrible waste of money if that is all it was but it just points that we need to know what is in our airspace.

BROWN: Yes. I mean, I think it raises some really serious questions about aerial threats and this -- of course, the administration has been looking closer after the surveillance balloon from China that they say was a surveillance balloon. But it raises questions about the technology that is being used, right? I mean, I was told that NORAD's technology is from the 1970s, it was installed in the 80s. They can make some adjustments, of course, but it is older technology. And, of course, the FAA has its technology but how much does all of that concern you. I mean, what more needs to be done to protect the skies over America?

SCHIFF: A lot more needs to be done. We did get a classified briefing as well as unclassified briefing about what we know about these different balloons. We know the most about the first. We know very little about the other three. And a big part of our conversation with the intelligence and military agencies that briefed us is where are we in terms of the technology to detect these things and what more needs to be done. Those, I think, are among the more important questions.

The advantage of a balloon as a surveillance technology, even though it seems quite primitive, and it is, is that it can hover, it can persevere over a location where a satellite is crossing the sky in a predictable pattern. You can hide things on the ground from a satellite, which you may not be able to hide as well from a balloon that can just hover. So, even these primitive technologies, simple technologies can have a real surveillance purpose and it just, I think, illustrates the need to get a much better grip on just what is over our airspace.

BROWN: All right. And before we let you go, I want to ask you about your Senate campaign. You are already facing some competition from at least one other House member and more may jump in. How crowded could this field get and do you think that will lead Senator Feinstein to withhold any endorsement?

SCHIFF: It could get very crowded. There are at least two or three candidates already in the race. But I am quite thrilled with receiving the support that I have up and down the state. And, as you know, Speaker Pelosi has endorsed my campaign. I would welcome the endorsement of Senator Feinstein at anytime she would feel comfortable getting involved in the race.

I think what Californians are dealing with, like much of the rest of the country, is real profound economic challenges, profound concern over the strength and health of our democracy and the health of our planet. And those are issues that are front and center in my campaign.

BROWN: All right. Democratic Congressman Adam Schiff, thanks for your time, tonight.

SCHIFF: Thank you.

BROWN: And coming up, what we are learning about the shootings of two Jewish victims in Los Angeles and the hate crimes charges that were just filed against the suspect.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[18:47:47]

BROWN: In Los Angeles tonight, a suspect in two separate drive-by shootings of Jewish men stands charged with hate crimes. We are also learning he has a history of anti-Semitic acts. And he told investigators he was looking to target Jewish people.

CNN security correspondent Josh Campbell is covering the case in L.A.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I heard like a pop, pop, pop.

JOSH CAMPBELL, CNN SECURITY CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): A drive-by shooting, one of two Jewish men hit by gunfire just blocks apart in Los Angeles this week. This man hit in the arm. Both victims were walking home from places of worship when they were shot by a man from inside his car. They were both hospitalized and in stable condition after the shootings.

Police have now arrested a suspect in both shootings and say the alleged shooter was in possession of a rifle and a handgun.

MARTIN ESTRADA, U.S. ATTORNEY: Hate crimes have no place in our community. Anti-Semitism has no place in our community.

CAMPBELL: The FBI has launched its own investigation focused on possible hate crimes and domestic terrorism charges.

JULIETTE KAYYEM, NATIONAL SECURITY ANALYST: If we do not prosecute these cases as federal crimes, they will continue to fester because they will be viewed as excused.

CAMPBELL: Anti-Semitic violence is rising across the country. Attacks reached an all-time high in 2021, up 34 percent from the year before, according to the Anti-Defamation League.

KAYYEM: In many ways, anti-Semitism is sort of like the canary in the coal mine. It is telling us something in society and about the hate in society.

CAMPBELL: The attacks in Los Angeles follow last week's edition of hate crimes charges in a San Francisco case against a man who allegedly fired a replica gun inside a Bay Area synagogue, and two other cases in recent cases where one suspect is charged with throwing a Molotov cocktail in a synagogue in New Jersey.

In Los Angeles, Mayor Karen Bass tells CNN a citywide effort is underway to protect the community.

MAYOR KAREN BASS (D), LOS ANGELES: The reality is, is that if it happens to one group, it can happen to anybody. If it is a danger to one, it is a danger to all. The only way to stop hate is for all of us to be united and stamp it out.

CAMPBELL: The LAPD is now ramping up patrols in the area, but some community members are still living in fear.

ELISHEVA AMAR, NEIGHBOR: Not letting our kids go to shoal this weekend and definitely scared to have them wear their kippahs, to look Jewish.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

[18:50:02]

CAMPBELL: And, Pam, the 28-year-old suspect in the case remains in federal custody. CNN is attempting to locate attorney information for comment. Reading through the criminal complaint, it is quite stunning. The FBI alleges that the suspect confessed, that he allegedly told them he came here to West L.A. after researching online for the location of a kosher market. He said that he targeted his victims because of, quote, their headgear.

By all accounts, according to authorities, this appears to be the latest in a number of violent anti-Semitic attacks we have seen in recent years across the country -- Pam.

BROWN: All right. Josh Campbell, thank you so much.

And turning now to the latest on the toxic train derailment in East Palestine, Ohio. CNN has obtained new surveillance video that gives us more insight into what went wrong in the minutes before the crash.

Our chief climate correspondent Bill Weir has more.

So, tell us what this video reveals, Bill.

BILL WEIR, CNN CHIEF CLIMATE CORRESPONDENT: It shows, Pamela, sparks coming from the axle that ultimately failed as it passed through a town 45 minutes away from the ultimate crash scene. This is the result. Critics of the railroad industry of North America of late would say of what happens when you -- build your business model around running longer trains with fewer personnel, that the engineers at the front did not know what was happening at the back, and on top of that the train has antiquated brake systems.

Today, Governor Mike DeWine tried to calm fears of residents there who are complaining of ailments, respiratory and dizziness and scratchy throats as a result of the chemicals in the air. He tried to say, look, from locals to state to federal officials have tested the air and water, and it is safe. Now, he says if you live on the village water system, go ahead and drink it. I think a lot of residents would have left to see him chug a glass after saying that because he had state senators coming out and say we do not believe the government.

So, Pamela, in addition to toxic air and water worries, we have toxic politics clouding information around this manmade tragedy.

BROWN: All right. Sure is. Bill Weir, thank you.

Just ahead, survivors share emotional stories of being saved from the rubble of Turkey's devastating earthquake as rescuers race against the clock to find any new signs of life.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[18:56:20]

BROWN: Well, tonight, survivors are sharing harrowing stories of being rescued from the rubble of last week's catastrophic earthquake in Turkey.

CNN's Sara Sidner spoke with families on the ground about their agonizing experiences.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

SARA SIDNER, CNN SENIOR CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Ahmet Ayyan is grieving the loss of his wife and son, while clinging to the one person who willed him to stay alive.

My daughter was telling me, papa don't cry, relax. They are coming to rescue us, he says.

This is Ahmet four days after he was buried neck-deep in rubble with his wife and two children. Only he and his four-year-old daughter made it out alive. We stayed under the rubble about four days. When the building fell

down, my daughter was on my leg. Thank God there was no rocks or something on her.

She was rescued first. A half hour later, he was. And the two got separated. He was taken to a hospital. She was eventually taken to social services with barely a scratch on her.

For days, he had no idea where his little angel was.

Did you worry that you would never see her again?

No. Never, he says.

You knew you would see her again.

And he was right.

Tis is the day they were reunited. They screamed and cried, elated to hold each other once more.

On the fourth day, my daughter told me, look, papa, there is light. I did not understand the light at the time, he says. Then I heard some voices. Those were the voices of rescuers, and a family member later found her in social services and made the connection.

Can Gursoy is hoping by hope he, too, will also be reunited with his parent.

I have one request for you. Please help me find my mother, Shukran Erdin (ph), he tells us.

He and his family were trapped inside this collapsed building for 24 hours. He and his sister made it out. His mother has not been seen since.

I remember the collapsing of the building. I remember passing out after a piece of the house hit me in the eye, he says.

Can you describe what it was like in this type space physically for you?

It was so difficult to breathe there. On the other hand, there was something crushing my leg, making me suffer, he says.

Ultimately, it was his decision to pull on a bit of the curtains that were visible to the outside that alerted someone he was alive. While he continues searching for his mother, Ahmet is nursing his foot injury while thanking God he has at least one person left to love.

That's my daughter, he says, and she is my little hero, my hero.

Sara Sidner, CNN, Adana, Turkey.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BROWN: That video.

For more on how you can support earthquake victims in both Turkey and Syria, visit CNN.com (AUDIO GAP).

I am Pamela Brown. See you Sunday morning on "STATE OF THE UNION".

"ERIN BURNETT OUTFRONT" starts right now.