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Far-Right AfD Places Second in Parliamentary Polls, Merz and Conservatives Tops Snap Elections; Russia-Ukraine War Marks Three Years; Scholz Concedes Defeat After Conservatives and Merz Top the Snap Elections; Pope Francis Continues To Fight Pneumonia In Both Lungs. Aired 3-4a ET

Aired February 24, 2025 - 03:00   ET

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

[03:00:00]

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

ROSEMARY CHURCH, CNN ANCHOR: Hello and welcome to our viewers joining us here in the United States, around the world and streaming us on CNN Max. I'm Rosemary Church, just ahead.

The likely next Chancellor of Germany says Europe needs to establish independence from the United States as the country sees a surge in support for the far right.

This while European leaders arrive in Kyiv to mark the third anniversary of Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine, how all this could affect the country's future and the possibility of joining NATO.

And the Vatican issues an update on the health of Pope Francis. We will go live to Rome for the latest.

UNKNOWN (voice-over): Live from Atlanta, this is "CNN Newsroom" with Rosemary Church.

CHURCH: Good to have you with us.

And we begin this hour in Germany, where we are awaiting a news conference from the far right AfD party after its surge of support in Sunday's snap election.

Preliminary official results show Germany's opposition conservatives winning the vote, with Friedrich Merz likely to become the next Chancellor. But the Alternative for Germany party came in second and the strongest showing for a far-right party since World War II. Chancellor Olaf Scholz's Social Democrats came in third.

CNN's Melissa Bell joins me now from Berlin with the very latest. Good to see you, Melissa. So the far right AfD party stunned many by coming in second, didn't it, in Germany's snap elections.

And soon we should hear from Alice Weidel, the co-leader. But what was behind their historic surge in support? MELISSA BELL, CNN SR. INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: One of the most

interesting things about last night's result is really to look at a map of Germany, Rosemary. We knew that their support was very strong in the former East Germany.

And so it showed. Their people turned out massively to vote for this far-right party. Alice Weidel, as you said, we're about to hear from her this morning.

No doubt hearing once again that tone of jubilation that we heard last night. I was at their headquarters yesterday evening when the vote came in. And there were not the cries of delight that you might have expected simply because they had hoped to do even better.

Some of them were predicting 22, 23, 25 percent of the vote. Still, they have doubled their vote on the last federal elections. And that is something of an earthquake here in Germany.

What has happened also is that we've already heard, of course, last night, as the city, the Christian Democrats got their result. We heard from Friedrich Merz that he was ruling out doing any kind of deal with the AfD. Holding firm to that firewall that exists in German politics around the far-right.

So the question now, who then he will try and rule with? The Social Democrats who suffered this historic defeat last night are likely candidates in those coalition talks that will begin.

Another interesting thing Friedrich Merz had to say yesterday was that, you know, there is this thing in German politics where they function at a very slow pace. There's a lot of horse trading. The coalition can take a long time to find, especially when you have as fractured results as you had last night.

Still, the man likely to be the next chancellor said yesterday evening that he hoped he could achieve a coalition deal by Easter. That's pretty ambitious.

But what he told the crowd was that the world would not wait for Germany. So the international context is such that there is a sense of urgency here in Germany, given its paralysis really since the last coalition fell apart in late autumn of last year. They know that they have so many issues to address, Rosemary, there is the state of the faltering economy, the largest in Europe.

After all, there is the pressing need to address the question of how and whether to continue aid to Ukraine, given the huge changes that have taken place geopolitically around the European Union.

There is the question of Europe itself. Remember that the AfD is not only anti-immigration in favor of closing the borders and expelling illegal immigrants.

It is also Euroskeptic. So there is this question. And this is really what's happened in Germany, this campaign, a concentration of what's happening in so many European countries. The surge of the far right and really existential questions about the

social democratic liberal order that has reigned in Europe since World War II, whether it is the one that Europeans want to continue with or whether they are looking for the kind of rupture, a big change that 20 percent of the German electorate has chosen for in the shape of the AfD, Rosemary.

[03:05:06]

CHURCH: Melissa, we are going to go to the AfD party leaders speaking right now at their news conference. Let's listen in.

(LIVE VIDEO FEED)

UNKNOWN (through translator): Please have a seat so that we can start.

Dear colleagues, welcome to this federal press conference.

For our traditional press conference marathon after the Bundestag election, we start with the AfD, Dr. Alice Weidel and Tino Chrupalla, the co-chairs, are here.

One preliminary remark, because we've got some foreign press attending as well. I wanted to say this, the federal press conference is not an event of the federal government, but it's an independent association of journalists.

Our job is to organize press conferences so that our members can report on important events. Ms. Weidel, you've got the floor.

ALICE WEIDEL, CO-CHAIR, ALTERNATIVE FOR GERMANY (through translator): Thank you very much.

Welcome to today's federal press conference. Now for the AfD, good morning. Very pleased that so many of you have turned up here.

Yes, we do have the results, and the AfD was able to have a historic victory, the best result ever in the history of our party. We are very happy about it.

Within three years, we have managed, since the last federal elections, we have doubled our support. That's a huge success, considering that our party is only 12 years old.

No other party has done something like that in such a short time to establish themselves as a party of the people. We are a party of the people, we are a stable and the second force in Germany.

The trend is upwards. And let me say one more thing.

After the last, the most recent elections, the European elections, there we managed to increase by more than five percent since then, within seven months. And that's really a strong result.

We are very strong amongst young voters. That is also a strong indicator that we are the party of the future. Young people wish to have a perspective for their lives, and we can provide these answers as the Alternative for Germany.

And as I already said yesterday and in recent weeks, we are ready to take on responsibility, because the German voters have voted for a political change. We have a strong majority for the AfD and the CDU.

The voters want a center-right government. It's up to the Union Party if they want to do that. It doesn't look like it right now.

Friedrich Merz is sticking to his no to the AfD, to block working together with the AfD. We think that is undemocratic. You cannot rule out millions of voters as such.

So it's really up to the Union Party or parties to decide how they deal with this. But you know what we can expect. If they form a coalition with the SPD, they will not be able to implement anything they promised to their voters, which were mainly AfD positions.

But we have a very pragmatic view. Tomorrow we will constitute ourselves as the new parliamentary AfD party. We are almost twice as strong.

I think we have about 152 seats. It's almost twice as many compared to the last parliament. We will have our constitutional meeting tomorrow. We welcome our new colleagues. And one thing I'd like to say as well. I'd like to thank our voters.

I'd like to thank all the supporters and those who have helped. They've been going on relentlessly during this campaign. We are very proud of this campaign. It went extremely well.

[03:10:08]

And this is the reason why we have these historical results. I personally am very happy. The leadership of the party is very happy.

We were able to set up a good strategic platform with the best prerequisites to overtake the CDU in the next years. To become the strongest force and then to get the mandate to govern in the Bundestag.

TINO CHRUPALLA, CO-CHAIR, ALTERNATIVE FOR GERMANY (through translator): I would also like to thank you and to wish you a good morning. First of all I'd like to thank the more than 10 million voters who voted for us. Twice as many as with the last elections.

I'd also like to thank our helpers. We had a very disciplined campaign. We were united. This is reflected in this result. At the same time I'd like to congratulate the CDU for their victory. That's just common courtesy.

Ms. Weidel mentioned already a few things. And I want to say something about the topic which played an important role in the campaign. Migration was important but also peace was an important topic especially in East Germany just as the economic situation was.

In Eastern Germany out of 48 seats we managed to win 45 directly. And there the voters gave us almost 40 percent. So the voters showed us what they think of this firewall that the others mentioned.

So as you should remember in 2017 when the AfD had opened 1 percent more in Saxony. The Saxony Prime Minister resigned then. I hope that we will see similar reactions in the Eastern states. Because some governments have been formed without the people or against the people.

All in all I'd like to thank very much our Chancellor candidate Alice Weidel. Her campaign was sensational. I'm really proud of her. I'm proud of being coached with her and support her. It's a historical result. Now of course we'll start our work with humility.

And we want to make strong opposition work now. That's our mandate. That's very important as the strongest opposition party. That is important for the next election.

You know, if other parties try to keep us out, if we refuse to be the vice president of the parliament or to chair committees, you know, we will see what democracy will be. The voters have shown what democracy is.

And the AfD made a huge contribution in terms of democracy. It showed how many non-voters we managed to get to the ballot. Almost two million fresh voters voting for us.

We've got an election turnout of more than 80 percent. 84 percent best since reunification. And the AfD played a big part for this. I thank the voters for that. Thank you for your attention. Now we can start with your questions.

UNKNOWN (through translator): Thank you for the initial statements. Two remarks. We have just until 10:00. I won't be able to receive all your questions.

I've allowed a few media representatives who are not a member of the federal press conference. They have no right to ask questions. We move to the questions. Ms. Lindner.

UNKNOWN (through translator): Good morning, Ms. Weidel, Mr. Chrupalla. What do you think about reforming the debt break or new special funds for the federal government? Could you imagine to cooperate there? And if yes, under which conditions?

WEIDEL (through translator): Good morning, Ms. Lindner. Thank you for your question.

Fundamentally, government must spend more than it gets. We know, by definition, a state shouldn't make debts. That's my personal opinion. And because this is not being adhered to, what the government is doing.

So we see that the state can't deal with the money of the people well. So on the outgoings, considering we've had record tax intakes, we need to really delete items, delete spending. So that more money is available.

[03:15:07] The state needs to focus on core tasks, securing domestic and external security, to guarantee reasonable infrastructure, to provide public infrastructure, to have a good education system. You're all aware of this. This has been neglected.

The previous governments made sure that for eight years, we have to face deindustrialization. We've got the highest energy prices. We take the money from the taxpayers.

We've got open borders. We've lost utter control. There's a lack of rights. Friedrich Merz will not be able to improve that. A grand coalition is meant to be formed. He will have to make compromises. He will not be able to implement anything of what he promised.

And yes, he's not willing to make concessions for the Linke party. And he will dilute the debt break. And that's the opposite of what this country needs.

UNKNOWN (through translator): I mentioned the special funds, the Sondervermogen. You didn't mention that. Would you support that for the Bundeswehr, the military?

WEIDEL (through translator): This is wrong per definition. We're not talking about special funds. These are special debts. I explained what my position on debt is. And I think the state should operate like a company in terms of finances.

And if a company takes on too much debt, you know what happens. I think the same is true for states, for countries. So this country needs to be led in a serious fashion. And the taxpayers' money needs to be handled in a reasonable way.

UNKNOWN (through translator): Your results are twice as high as last week. However, since the end of the Traffic Light Coalition, your position has been stable.

Despite all the support you had from abroad, you talked to Elon Musk. Viktor Orban received you like a stateswoman, etc. So you had all the support.

But you know, you didn't get any additional vote for that. So are the Germans not interested in what people from abroad recommend? Or what's the reason for that?

WEIDEL (through translator): Well, obviously, yes, because we've got twice as many votes. It's a historical victory.

The way you put it, that's just assumption. It's purely hypothetical. So I won't comment.

CHRUPALLA (through translator): Maybe we need to add Mr. Sternberg. What's your diagnosis with the CDU? You know, they've lost since. So they wanted to get more than 30 percent. And they failed with that aim. So I agree with Ms. Weidel. Ms. Weidel met J.D. Vance and Viktor Orban. I liked those meetings because you put us in the corner. You said we'd be isolated. And that's not the case. That's the wrong impression. We are serious people to talk to. And, you know, that will be our objective for foreign policy. We will talk with all countries in the world, also in Europe.

And we keep channels open. And that shows is what the voters want. And this diplomatic base, right, also with respect to Ukraine, that becomes a solution. So we make a contribution with our partners. And keep in touch with the elected representatives of other governments, other countries.

WEIDEL (through translator): I have one concern. I want to mention it. Last night we had the Berliner Runde discussion on television.

And Friedrich Merz proclaimed that he wanted to become independent of the U.S. And he compared Elon Musk to Putin. So, you know, that was --

(LIVE VIDEO FEED ENDS)

CHURCH: We have been listening to the news conference of the far-right AfD party. And Alice Weidel, the co-leader, calling her party's win an historic victory, coming in second, saying it is the party of the future.

Let's bring in Melissa Bell, who joins us from Berlin. Melissa, Alice Weidel also said that it was undemocratic for Friedrich Merz to block the far-right from being a part of the new government.

[03:20:06]

But talk to us about that, because he has really dug his heels in, hasn't he?

BELL: He has. There has been since World War II this traditional firewall that prevents the traditional established parties from either functioning in a coalition or even seeking the support of the AfD in parliament.

And Friedrich Merz was clear last night that he will hold firm with that. But the argument now of the AfD, and you heard it there from its two co-chairs, including Alice Weidel, is that this is no longer democratic, given the strength of their showing.

One of the ironies of this campaign has been that those guaranteed not to get power, that is the AfD, because of that firewall, that stands for historical reasons that you'll understand, has really been at the center of this campaign and so much political attention here in Germany.

With their result, and specifically their very strong showing in the former East Germany, and their showing with the young and the elderly and the disaffected, the argument that you just heard repeated there was that they can no longer be ignored.

And Alice Weidel and her co-chair Tino Chrupalla have very much had their eye, of course on this campaign, been very active on social media, run a remarkably effective campaign, speaking to the deep anger there is here in Germany about the state of the economy and of course about the question of immigration.

They've been hugely helped, Rosemary, by these four attacks, by people of non-German extraction in just three months, of course by the events that have led up to this vote. But their argument is that they can no longer be ignored.

The danger now for the other parties is they see coalition, and even given Friedrich Merz's optimism that a coalition can be found relatively quickly in the next few weeks.

There is this question now that will this pressure that will be on the shoulders of these centrist established party politicians of needing to address these very serious concerns and this very deep disaffection of parts of the German electorate, even as the AfD continues to nibble at their heels and make themselves heard and make the case that German democracy is no longer being served if such a large proportion of the electorate is being ignored, Rosemary.

CHURCH: And let's bring in CNN's Clare Sebastian. She joins us live from London. Clare, good morning to you. So how has the surge of the far right in Germany shaped the debate on Ukraine aid from Germany? And does Russia see an opening here?

CLARE SEBASTIAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes, you know, Rosemary, I think it's interesting. Russia will and frankly already is going to pick up that line that we heard from Alice Weidel and her co-chair in that press conference now that because of their surge in support now at 20 percent, they cannot be ignored and it's undemocratic to do so.

We've heard already this morning from a Russian senator, a prominent Russian senator, who said, you know, according to the preliminary numbers, about a third of voters voted for a party that doesn't share the current policy in Germany on Russia and Ukraine and those votes will not be taken into account.

He said, and I quote, "This is how exemplary German democracy works." So Russia looks for any excuse really in the countries that it sees as unfriendly to undermine their democratic processes, to emphasize this sense of chaos and they will, I think, continue to do this here and certainly the longer it takes to form a coalition, the more we may see this emphasis around chaos and undermining democracy. I think there are a couple of other clear reasons why this surge from the AfD benefits Russia.

One, although they are, of course, locked out of power for now by that firewall that Melissa was mentioning, they are shaping the debate, they're no longer on the fringes and they are opposed or have been very critical of aid for Ukraine.

So Russia obviously looks for any way to try to break the Western resolve when it comes to aid for Ukraine, so that certainly plays in their favor. And secondly, I think, and this is something that's been given a boost

by the Trump White House, they are now offering hope for the expansion of this anti-woke, anti-immigration populist coalition that we see gaining strength in Europe with the rise of various far-right parties and of course the steadfast support of people like Viktor Orban in Hungary who just before the election mended his ties with the AfD.

We know, of course, that J.D. Vance met with Alice Weidel on the sidelines of the Munich Security Conference. Elon Musk has appeared at an AfD event. So this alliance is sort of gaining ground and it very much aligns morally with Moscow.

So for all of those reasons, this is definitely good news for Russia.

CHURCH: All right. Our thanks to Melissa Bell and Clare Sebastian bringing us -- all right. Clare, if I can bring you back, sorry. Miscommunication with the control room here.

So just talking to us about Ukraine, let's look specifically at that issue because of course President Zelenskyy has been very much under pressure if we can sort of focus on where things stand with him.

[03:25:07]

He's offered to resign in actual fact if peace can be brought to his country and if his country can become a part of NATO, which of course has been problematic, hasn't it? I mean, it's problematic in a sense what he's offering up on a platter there.

SEBASTIAN: Well, look, I think for Ukraine they are facing what today is the third anniversary of this war. So heading into the fourth year without the guaranteed support of their biggest backer, the U.S. I think that's why the vote in Germany was also so critical from this perspective because Germany is the second biggest donor to Ukraine as an individual country after the U.S.

So, of course, a surge in support for a party that opposes that is problematic even though they are, of course, locked out of power. This is a question where Zelenskyy has stood firm on the one hand.

He said in a press conference yesterday that the 500 billion that Trump has been talking about that he wants back, Zelenskyy does not recognize that. He refuses to let past aid be essentially rebranded as debt and for them to pay it back.

But he is now accepting that future U.S. aid will be contingent on some kind of quid pro quo, which is likely to be around Ukraine's critical minerals. They don't have a deal yet. Zelenskyy wants the deal to include security guarantees.

The U.S. side says they're getting close to a deal, but that is where the negotiations are at the moment. And I think, look, Zelenskyy laid out his red lines very clearly, and he made it clear that among those red lines are not his own status as president. Take a listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) VOLODYMYR ZELENSKYY, UKRAINIAN PRESIDENT (through translator): If it's about peace in Ukraine and you really want me to leave my position, I am ready to do that.

Secondly, I can exchange it for NATO if there is such an opportunity. I'll do it immediately without a long conversation about it. I am focused on Ukraine's security today and not in 20 years. I don't plan to be in power for decades. Therefore, that's my aim and my dream.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SEBASTIAN: So he is rising above personal attacks on him. They're saying that it's not about him. This is about the security of Ukraine, and quite understandably, because this is a very dangerous, very active stage in the war.

Case in point, drone attacks have been escalating in recent days. We saw a record 267 overnight into Sunday, and then this morning again more than 180. So, Ukraine very much, still under attack. Russia continuing with this attritional war, which has brought it all the way to the negotiating table.

CHURCH: All right. Our thanks to Clare Sebastian joining us there live from London.

We will have more on the German elections and, of course, the Chancellor conceding defeat as the opposition conservatives grab a win in Sunday's snap election. A closer look at the results and what comes next.

Plus, the Vatican says Pope Francis is responding to treatment, but is still struggling with complex medical issues that landed him in the hospital over a week ago. An update on his condition in a live report. That's just ahead.

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ROSEMARY CHURCH, CNN ANCHOR: The head of Germany's opposition Conservative says his absolute priority is to strengthen Europe and achieve independence from the United States. That pledge, from Friedrich Merz, comes as preliminary official results show his center- right bloc will win the country's snap election, meaning he is now on track to become Germany's next chancellor.

Sunday's vote also saw a strong second place showing for the far-right Alternative for Germany party, followed by Chancellor Olaf Scholz's Social Democrats in third place.

The AfD party's leaders have been holding a news conference in Berlin, we're looking at live pictures right now, and they were saying just moments ago that their performance in this election means the party can no longer be ignored. And U.S. President Donald Trump is celebrating the election results in

Germany and suggesting the opposition win signals a global shift toward conservative movements. He even linked the outcome to his own election victory.

In a social media post, Mr. Trump framed the result in Germany as a rejection of policies on immigration and energy, drawing parallels between that country and the U.S.

Germany's likely next chancellor does not appreciate Trump's remarks about the rise of the right in his country, and he says Europe's future should not be determined by the U.S.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

FRIEDRICH MERZ, PARTY LEADER, CHRISTIAN DEMOCRATIC UNION (through translator): My absolute priority will be to strengthen Europe as quickly as possible, so that step by step we can really achieve independence from the United States.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CHURCH: That was center-right leader Friedrich Merz speaking at a televised roundtable on Sunday, and Merz went on to say the Trump administration is largely indifferent to the fate of Europe.

Well, joining me now from Berlin is Michaela Kuefner, chief political editor with the DW Deutsche Welle. Appreciate you being with us.

MICHAELA KUEFNER, CHIEF POLITICAL EDITOR, DEUTSCHE WELLE: Sure thing.

CHURCH: So, with these preliminary results showing Friedrich Merz's center-right conservatives set to win Germany's snap elections, Merz is saying that strengthening Europe and achieving independence from the U.S. is his absolute priority. So what will that mean for the transatlantic alliance?

KUEFNER: Well, that will mean, and he spelled this out in a foreign policy speech, that he wants Germany to proactively lead relations, particularly with France, with Emmanuel Macron, have hit an all-time low.

Even down to the working level, they simply don't speak the same language anymore, the Germans and the French. He also wants to reach out to Poland. These are all things that the outgoing Chancellor Olaf Scholz says he did as well, but Friedrich Merz wants to have a new take at that. He also has good relations with many people in the United States.

[03:35:01]

But having said all of that, first of all, he has to do the nitty- gritty of forming a coalition here, and that will go against his character to a certain degree, because he's taken a very much CEO- style approach on what he calls a turnaround in German politics, relating to the economy and migration as well. But now he faces having to make compromises, and that's something that

is very tough for someone who just recently came out of the private sector again.

CHURCH: And with Merz on track to become the country's next Chancellor, he says he plans to get straight to work on building a coalition. But with the far-right Alternative for Germany party, or AfD, now the second largest party, how difficult will it be for him to create a new government without their participation? Because, I mean, they've just held this news conference, haven't they?

And we heard from Alice Wiedel saying that it would be undemocratic for Merz to block the far-right from being part of this coalition, because they'd achieved such incredible support. What do you say to that?

KUEFNER: Well, there's something very important that one needs to factor in when talking about what looks like an easy majority between Friedrich Merz's conservatives and the far-right AfD party.

A lot of the people who voted for Friedrich Merz voted for him only because he ruled out cooperating with the far-right AfD. And if anything, he did pick a fight even within members of his own party after he had accepted votes from the AfD to, for the first time in history, get a majority in parliament with the help of the far-right AfD.

So, the AfD has as its aim to destroy and force into cooperation one of the last remaining Big Ten parties, which are the German conservative CDU, CSU, and it clearly is pushing further for that.

They rightly say that one in five people voted for them, but four in five here in Germany did not. And if Friedrich Merz were to make any movement into cooperation, that would for sure, we see that in the polling, cost him dearly in public support.

CHURCH: And Merz did reference Elon Musk's intervention in the German election campaign, didn't he, with the billionaire's support for the far-right AfD party in recent days. And he equated Musk's interventions to those of Russia, which is extraordinary, isn't it? What does that signal to you?

KUEFNER: He's in that very same talk show that you just had a quote from. He even said that the U.S. in interference was just as bad, if not even worse, than Russia's.

So this shows how dire, how bad the relationship between Europe and the United States is with the Europeans for well knowing that they are dependent upon the U.S., particularly in security terms, not necessarily in economic terms.

And that is something where Friedrich Merz vows that he will stand up. He also said, if you turn up as a dwarf in Washington, you will come back as a dwarf. That's what he said during his last campaign rally in Munich. I was in the room there. But now, he will have to translate that into political action. And

that will feel painfully slow, unless the Social Democrats, who will now have a new leadership, we don't expect current Chancellor Olaf Scholz to play any role, any significant role anymore, and is in record speed. That would be a real novelty here in Germany.

If both sides work together in record speed to get a stable government together, that's what all sides want. And that's what the overwhelming majority of Germans want. We see that in the polls as well.

CHURCH: Michaela Kuefner in Berlin, many thanks for joining us. I appreciate your analysis.

The Vatican says Pope Francis had a good night in the hospital, slept and is resting. That follows news that the Pope is now experiencing mild kidney failure.

And while it's said to be under control, it's another unwelcome health complication for the 88-year-old. He's still in critical condition as he fights double pneumonia in hospital. The Vatican says he's still on oxygen, but has not suffered another acute respiratory crisis as he did on Saturday.

CNN's Barbie Latza Nadeau joins me now live from Rome. Good morning to you, Barbie. So what is the latest on the Pope's health right now?

BARBIE LATZA NADEAU, CNN REPORTER: Good morning, Rosemary. This latest message that we got from the Vatican press office, which has a little bit of a change in language, which says he is resting this morning.

Now, we get a one-line missive every morning in that he's sitting in a chair, he's having breakfast. And so everybody's trying to sort of read the tea leaves what this means. He is resting. This came about shortly after 8:00 this morning.

But the concern here is growing because even this mild kidney failure that's under control, as you said, is a complication that is really hard to kind of digest when you think about this man's health.

[03:40:04]

He's 88 years old. He has mobility issues. He's been in the hospital now 11 days. This is the longest hospitalization he's had in his pontificate. And so everyone is very, very concerned about it. We'll get a more

detailed health report later in the afternoon.

But there's just nothing but concern and prayers really around the world for his health as he continues to progress and try to fight this pneumonia in both lungs. And now these other complications that are popping up, Rosemary.

CHURCH: And Barbie, what's happening at the Vatican right now as the Pope's condition remains critical?

LATZA NADEAU: Yes, you know, I mean, the Vatican is a finely-oiled machine. There is no question that there is a plan B and a plan C and then plans beyond that.

You know, Wednesday of this week is Ash Wednesday. This is a celebration that -- the Catholic celebration that begins Lent season. And normally the Pope would lead the procession out on the Aventine Hill at a church here in Rome.

Obviously, plans have been put in place for who was going to lead those prayer services and in all the subsequent Lenten celebrations by the Catholic Church.

Also, you know, this is the Holy Jubilee year. There are so many special events and masses and all these things that the Pope so carefully choreographed to try to be part of and to try to lead these pilgrims.

We're expecting thousands of pilgrims to come to Rome for the Holy Jubilee, and many of them will begin to come during Lent season, hoping to see the Pope.

Now, of course, everyone's concerned. Everyone's worried. But the Vatican itself, in terms of what they're doing and how they're carrying on the business of the church, that has been organized well in advance of his hospitalization in the event that there would be any problem with his failed health. Rosemary.

CHURCH: Barbie Latza Nadeau in Rome. Many thanks for your live report. I appreciate it.

Well, a new wave of immigration crackdowns has begun in Southern California. Ahead, we'll take you to a Los Angeles neighborhood that experienced one of these enforcement operations.

Plus, the death toll in Kentucky rises following a devastating storm that brought fatal floods and damaging winds. We'll have details for you after the break.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[03:45:00]

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

CHURCH: Italian Air Force jets had to escort an American Airlines plane to Rome on Sunday because of a potential security concern. It was ultimately deemed non-credible.

The flight was on its way from New York to Delhi, India, when it was diverted. American Airlines says the flight landed safely and law enforcement inspected the plane for re-departure on Monday.

U.S. immigration officials launched a new round of enforcement operations in the Los Angeles area and as what appeared to be federal agents moved through neighborhoods, community activists took to the streets with warnings and guidance for residents.

Well, this new effort follows recent immigration crackdowns in Chicago and New York. CNN's Julia Vargas Jones visited a community where one operation took place.

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JULIA VARGAS JONES, CNN CORRESPONDENT: As a new round of immigration enforcement operations took place, one of them happened here in Highland Park, a neighborhood that is traditionally Hispanic, Latino, just east of downtown Los Angeles.

We spoke with a woman who runs a food stand around here and who said that she knew the man, the one man she saw be arrested. She said that just the presence of immigration here has made people quite nervous. Take a listen.

Have you heard of undocumented people in your community and around Los Angeles not showing up to work because they're afraid of immigration showing up?

So not going to work, not sending their kids to school and now these families are kind of figuring out what to do because if the father is not working, how are they putting food on the table or paying the rent?

We don't yet know the scale of these actions, how many people were arrested, but we did reach out to ICE to get more of that information. But the potential consequences for California are huge.

Of the 11 million estimated undocumented people living in the United States, 1.8 is here in California, about half of those in Southern California. So, of course, these communities are on edge and this, we expect, should not be a one-off operation.

CNN did report previously that a whole wave of operations was expected to take place in Southern California. So these communities are feeling particularly targeted. Julia Vargas Jones, CNN, Los Angeles.

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CHURCH: The death toll in Kentucky has now jumped to at least 21 victims after a powerful storm brought widespread flooding and damaging winds across parts of the U.S.

Kentucky has borne the brunt of that severe weather system. More than a month's worth of rain drowned much of the state in less than 24 hours. It brought water levels to historic highs and set into motion deadly floods.

Kentucky is unfortunately no stranger to natural disasters. Just over two years ago, catastrophic floods killed 43 people and devastated parts of the state.

Well, turning now to the Pacific Northwest where more than four million people are under flood alerts across parts of the region. A strong atmospheric river event is forecast to last through Tuesday and could bring several inches of additional rainfall.

Meanwhile, other parts of the country could see a big warm-up after days of below average temperatures. By Tuesday, parts of the southeast and mid-Atlantic could see above average temperatures in the mid-60s Fahrenheit.

Well, from sour setbacks to shear success on the slopes. Coming up, how an American alpine skier has overcome hardship to make history in the World Cup. We'll take a look.

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CHURCH: A scene of faith and celebration days before the start of Carnival in Brazil. Devotees from Catholic and Afro-Brazilian faiths gathered at the parade venue in Rio de Janeiro for a spiritual cleansing ritual seeking protection and success during the country's biggest festival. The spiritual aspect of the celebration highlights the significance of the event for the city.

Well, now to the 2025 Screen Actors Guild Awards in Hollywood, where the stars themselves select the best performances across film and television. On Sunday, the cast of "Conclave" won for their outstanding performance in a motion picture depicting the secretive process of selecting a new pope.

Zoe Saldana continued her award season sweep, landing the Outstanding Female Actor in a Supporting Role Award, this for her part in the Netflix cartel crime film "Emilia Perez."

And Hulu's hit T.V. series "Shogun" won big for their take on Japan's warrior past. The ensemble cast took home the award for outstanding performance in a drama series. And individually, Anna Sawai and Hiroyuki Sanada won for their performances in leading roles. Well done.

Well, an incredible show of resilience, American alpine skier Mikaela Shiffrin has claimed her 100th World Cup victory in Italy. Her historic win comes after a string of injuries that had hampered her success on the slopes. CNN's Don Riddell has the details.

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DON RIDDELL, CNN WORLD SPORT: Mikaela Shiffrin was just overcome with emotion after she became the first downhill skier to win 100 times on the World Cup circuit, and her accomplishment comes hot on the heels of some pretty intense personal struggles.

It's three months since her 99th win, and since then she's had to recover from a freak injury that punctured her abdomen. The physical scars might have healed, but the mental recovery is taking a bit more work.

[03:55:08]

Shiffrin says she has post-traumatic stress disorder, and on Saturday she actually failed to qualify for a second run in the Giant Slalom for the first time since 2012. But her resilience is remarkable.

The very next day she skied in the slalom at Sestria in Italy and dominated, finishing more than half a second ahead of Zrinka Ljutic. And as it all sunk in afterwards, she was just overcome with emotion.

MIKAELA SHIFFRIN, ALPINE SKIER: Everybody's been so nice and so supportive. All of my teammates and competitors and coaches and the whole World Cup. And I'm so grateful. Thank you. And the fans, thank you.

RIDDELL: Congratulations to Mikaela. You know, 100 World Cup wins is an unprecedented accomplishment for a downhill skier, but that's not all. Her performance on Sunday means that Schifrin also made history in another way.

Her 155th podium finish has tied her for the record in that regard with the Swedish great Ingemar Stenmark. And that's a record that surely she will own outright very soon. Well, back to you.

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CHURCH: Aston Martin is showing off its new car for the 2025 Formula One season. The Mercedes-powered AMR25 is expected to debut at pre- season testing in Bahrain on Wednesday.

Aston Martin revealed the car online Sunday. The team finished fifth in each of the last two seasons. The new Formula One season begins next month in Australia.

I want to thank you so much for your company. I'm Rosemary Church. Have yourselves a wonderful day. "CNN Newsroom" continues next with Max Foster in London.

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