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Connect the World
Hamas-Run Health Ministry: More than 24,700 Killed in Gaza; U.S. Launches Fifth Round of Strikes against Yemen's Houthis; Haley Takes on Trump ahead of Hampshire Primary; Clock Ticking as Ukraine Aid is Stuck in U.S. Funding Fight; Over 100M People in U.S. Under Winter Weather Alerts; Madonna Sued for Starting Concert Two Hours Late. Aired 9-9:45a ET
Aired January 19, 2024 - 09:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
[09:00:00]
ELENI GIOKOS, CNN HOST, CONNECT THE WORLD: It is 6 pm here in Abu Dhabi. I'm Eleni Giokos. This is "Connect the World". Happening this hour, Prime
Minister Benjamin Netanyahu argues against creating a Palestinian state as inconsistent with Israeli security.
There is growing concerns over U.S. aid to Ukraine as President Biden continues to push lawmakers to approve his $60 billion funding request. And
more than 100 million people across the U.S. under winter weather alerts as a major winter storm is set to bring more snow to the East Coast this
weekend.
Welcome to the show, and we start with clashing opinions on the future of Gaza. There can be no security and stability in the region without
establishing a Palestinian state. That is according to the Palestinian Authority President Spokesperson that comes after Israeli Prime Minister
Benjamin Netanyahu argued against a Palestinian state Thursday, saying it would be at odds without Israel's security.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BENJAMIN NETANYAHU, ISRAELI PRIME MINISTER: Any agreement with or without agreement, the State of Israel must control security between the Jordan
River to the sea, the Prime Minister of Israel should have the ability to say no, even to our greatest friends when he has to.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
GIOKOS: Well, his comments fly in the face of international efforts, including by the U.S. to encourage a two state solution. But U.S. officials
say they will not stop pressing the matter with their Israeli counterparts. Meantime, with in Israel there are growing calls for Mr. Netanyahu to
resign. And in an op-ed on Thursday, Israel's Former Prime Minister Ehud Barak called for fresh elections.
CNN's Nic Robertson was recently in Gaza right now. He joins us from Tel Aviv, Nic, good to see you. Big questions around this I mean, clearly the
Biden Administration and Netanyahu not aligned on the process and of course, the thinking of a two state solution Netanyahu very clearly stating
that he told the Americans that he has no intention of the establishment of a Palestinian state.
It's a fisher here, that's between Netanyahu and what the U.S. is expecting, but how we you seeing this playing out in real time.
NIC ROBERTSON, CNN INTERNATIONAL DIPLOMATIC EDITOR: Yeah, I think at the moment you have the position as you say, from the White House that we heard
from U.S. Secretary State Antony Blinken when he was here just a week or so ago, having been around the region and coming here to Israel and telling
the Prime Minister.
Look, you're potential partners in the region for building peace and stability in the region particularly Saudi Arabia particularly normalizing
relations for Saudi Arabia. You can do that in a post Gaza war environment, if you recognize a Palestinian state, that's a prerequisite for the Saudis
from others in the region.
Now, that's the White House position. That's obviously a part of position coming from the region as well. So Netanyahu is not that on the head. And
this really underscores what Ehud Barak the Former Prime Minister wrote in an op-ed today that Netanyahu is not putting forward a vision for a post
war scenario inside of Gaza.
He calls it unconscionable. He says that undermines the IDF and what they can realistically achieve on the ground. He said, it leads to a potential
Gaza quagmire where you're stuck in a war in Gaza you have escalating tensions and potentially worse on the West Bank and on the northern border
of Israel with Lebanon you could get into a much higher escalated war situation there.
So he's describing that as you know Netanyahu is failing on that front. And for that point he says it's important to get the support of the Israeli
people and for that to be an election and he suggests setting June as a deadline. And that's what he's suggesting to the war cabinet partners,
those Unity Party members of that cabinet.
And interestingly Gadi Eisenkot, a Former IDF Chief who is in that war cabinet the very tiny war cabinet that enables Netanyahu essentially to
continue the war in Gaza. He spoke last night and said look, the Prime Minister needs to level with the people of Israel.
He needs to tell them very clearly there is no military victory to be had no complete military victory to be had over Hamas which is what the Prime
Minister saying. He also said look, there's no way of getting the hostages out in the near term unless you make a deal. And he also made that point.
Time for elections he suggested is somewhere in the coming months in the summer.
GIOKOS: All right, Nic Robertson, great work. Thank you so much for that. Well, the Hamas-run Health Ministry in Gaza says the death toll there is
approaching 25,000 since Israel began its war on Hamas. Intense fighting is again being reported in Khan Yunis in Southern Gaza, where Israel is
focusing its offensive against Hamas militants.
These scenes are from earlier this week close to one of the city's hospitals. Now the U.N. says the war has displaced nearly 85 percent of
Gaza's civilian population. I want to bring in our Juliette Touma she is Communications Director for the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for
Palestine Refugees in the Near East and joins me now from Jordan's capital, from Amman.
[09:05:00]
Juliette, great to have you with us thank you so much, I know that you were in Gaza earlier this week, you're now in Jordan. We know that this has been
one of the longest communications blackouts in Gaza. It's lasted from my understanding for most a week, but how does this affect your work and the
ability for first responders to assist people that need help urgently?
JULIETTE TOUMA, DIRECTOR OF COMMUNICATIONS FOR UNRWA: Yes, thanks for having me in this telecommunications blackout, as so far been the longest
since the war began. And it impacts all aspects of life. Imagine not being able to place a simple phone call from one mobile device to another let
alone very, very patchy internet and including in our own offices and facilities. So it's very hard to co-ordinate delivery of much needed and
life-saving humanitarian assistance due to this blackout.
GIOKOS: Look, from my understanding as well there are only 6 out of 22 UNRWA sites that are currently operational right now. You would just say I
want you to tell me what you saw at your sites. Also 1.4 million people from what my understanding are sheltering at UNRWA shelters right now.
So you know the question is, is there enough food? Is there enough water? Is there medicine on the ground? And how you ascertaining and
characterizing what you saw?
TOUMA: Yeah. The 6 sites by the way just to be accurate are the health facilities that UNRWA manages. However, across the Gaza Strip we have many,
many more. And yes in our shelters more than 150 of them everywhere including but especially in the south. They are overcrowded with people who
continue to come into these shelters.
I visited one of them by the way in the middle areas where people have recently moved and because the school was way overcrowded people have set
up these little structures in what used to be the playground for children in the school. And I went into one of those structures. It's not really a
tent.
It's a bit like a shack and 26 people were living in there some were sleeping on the concrete some didn't have a blanket. There were children
there on the same place. They were cooking. Sewage was overflowing. And it had rained just before people have not washed for weeks on end, inhumane
conditions.
GIOKOS: Very chilling to hear these stories and the plight of what people are experiencing right now. And the fact that so much of work has been
hampered. Again, I was looking at the statistics you've lost over 150 of your staff members that continued strikes on UNRWA premises as well. From
my understanding 232 strikes thus far.
We've also seen reports that Israel plans to unwind or disband UNRWA post the war. What is your understanding of this given the incredible work, the
difficult work that you're doing on the ground right now?
TOUMA: We have not heard these reports and beyond what was reported in the media. Right now our focus -- sorry, there's a terrible echo.
GIOKOS: Can you hear me? OK, Juliette.
TOUMA: So we will continue. There's an echo. I'm sorry.
GIOKOS: Yeah. OK, we seem to have audio issues. Juliette unfortunately, we'll have to leave it there. We'd love to get you back. Thank you very
much for joining us. Great to see you, thank you. All right, that was Juliette Touma from UNRWA joining us there.
Well, supporters of Yemen's Houthi movement are protesting a move by the U.S. to designate the Iran backed rebels as a global terrorist
organization. Thousands of people took to the streets of Sanna today with banners and flags in support of the Houthis.
The U.S. has struck five Houthi targets in Yemen in the past week and the hope of stopping their attacks on vessels in the Red Sea. The White House
says the U.S. strikes are degrading the rebel's capability to inflict damage. But President Joe Biden admits the Houthis remain undeterred.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Are the airstrikes in Yemen working?
JOE BIDEN, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA: Well, when you say working, are they stopping the Houthis? No. Are they going to continue?
Yes.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
GIOKOS: Well, the U.S. says the Houthis have fired missiles at several American owned ships this week. Houthi spokesperson said vessels linked to
Israel will continue to be attacked while ships from other countries like China and Russia will not be threatened.
[09:10:00]
Mexico and Chile are asking the International Criminal Court to investigate whether crimes have been committed in the Palestinian territories. Their
request does not directly mention or accuse Israel or Hamas. Now Israel has repeatedly stated it is targeting Hamas and not civilians in Gaza. The move
by Mexico and Chile comes two months after several other countries submitted a simile referral to the court.
Next hour on "Connect the World", we have a gripping report from CNN's Jeremy Diamond on an Israeli operation to exhume graves and remove bodies
from the cemetery in Khan Yunis. Israel's military saying its soldiers we're looking for the bodies of hostages killed in Gaza. Based on
international law an intentional attack on a cemetery could amount to a war crime. So stay tuned for that report.
And in other brewing conflict that is paying out, Iran has conducted large scale military exercises after Pakistani missile and drone strikes inside
Iran that Tehran says killed at least 10 people. Those attacks followed deadly Iranian attacks inside Pakistan. Now both sides say they were
targeting strongholds used by militants inside the other's country, the U.S., EU, U.N. and Russia as well as China, all calling for restraint. Ivan
Watson has more.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
IVAN WATSON, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Survivors sifting through rubble after a series of deadly cross border missile
strikes, this week's flare up between Iran and Pakistan adding fuel to a region already on fire.
WATSON (on camera): The Islamic Republic of Iran and Pakistan share a long and porous border. In a 48 hour period their militaries have carried out
tit-for-tat drone and missile strikes into each other's territory and unexpected crisis for two neighbors who just days ago appeared to be
getting along.
WATSON (voice-over): On Tuesday, Pakistan's Prime Minister held face to face talks with the Iran's top diplomat in Davos. But hours' later Iran
carried out what it called precision missile and drone strikes and what it claimed were Iranian terrorists in Pakistan's Balochistan (ph) region.
Pakistan condemned what it called a breach of its sovereignty that killed at least two children. And on Thursday, the Pakistani military struck back.
MUMTAZ ZAHRA BALOCH, PAKISTANI FOREIGN MINISTRY SPOKESPERSON: This morning, Pakistan undertook a series of highly co-ordinated and specifically
targeted precision military strikes against terrorist hideouts in Sistan and Balochistan Province of Iran.
WATSON (voice-over): Using killer drones, rockets and loitering munitions the Pakistani military says it targeted separatist militants from the
Baluch ethnic group. Iranian authorities say at least 10 people died prompting Tehran to condemn Pakistan. In fact this week Iran also carried
out missile strikes against Northern Iraq and Syria.
A deadly show of force after ISIS claimed responsibility for twin blasts in the Iranian City of Kerman on January 3rd, which killed scores of
civilians.
ALI VAEZ, IRAN PROJECT DIRECTOR, INTERNATIONAL CRISIS GROUP: This was really primarily a demonstration of force in a place that Iran thought
would have limited repercussions in terms of the risk of escalation. I think they underestimated how this would put the Pakistani government in a
very difficult situation.
WATSON (voice-over): For its part the Pakistani government seems to be willing to de-escalate.
BALOCH: Iran is a brotherly country, and the people of Pakistan have great respect and affection for the people of Iran.
WATSON (voice-over): The question now does Tehran want a conflict with its much more populous nuclear armed neighbor? Ivan Watson, CNN.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
GIOKOS: Well, there are just four days left until Nikki Haley, Ron DeSantis, as well as Donald Trump test their campaigns in New Hampshire.
They are all holding events across the state looking to build momentum before the primary election to pick a Republican presidential candidate.
Haley was at a CNN Town Hall last night saying she needs to be strong at New Hampshire's primary. However, she didn't mention how she would mean to
beat Trump. CNN Correspondent Omar Jimenez has more.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
OMAR JIMENEZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Nikki Haley sees a path in the final days to the New Hampshire primary one that increasingly involves
going right through Donald Trump.
NIKKI HALEY, REPUBLICAN PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: The reality is who lost the House for us? Who lost the Senate? Who lost the White House, Donald Trump,
Donald Trump and Donald Trump?
[09:15:00]
JIMENEZ (voice-over): It's a notable shift from Haley who up until now has largely focused her criticism of the Former President on policy
differences.
HALEY: Through a temper tantrum last night, he's doing other things to attack me, but he won't get in front of me and answer the question.
JIMENEZ (voice-over): The Former South Carolina Governor emphasize to voters there's a crucial bottom line at the ballot box Tuesday.
HALEY: I'm going to tell you the truth. You're going to see a lot of things said. But at the end of the day, it's the drama and the vengeance and the
vindictiveness that we want to get out of the way.
JIMENEZ (voice-over): Haley was the only candidate campaigning in New Hampshire Thursday, hoping to capitalize on a toned down DeSantis presence
in the state as DeSantis says they're shifting focus to states beyond New Hampshire.
GOV. RON DESANTIS (R-FL): Nikki Haley cannot compete with Donald Trump there. And the fact that she can't do it there, she can't do it anywhere.
She's certainly not going to do it in South Carolina.
JIMENEZ (voice-over): Meanwhile, Former President Trump has turned his attention squarely on Haley here as a weaker candidate to take on Biden.
DONALD TRUMP, 45TH U.S. PRESIDENT: A vote for Nikki Haley this Tuesday is a vote for Joe Biden and a Democrat Congress this November because that's
what's going to happen. You can't do it.
JIMENEZ (voice-over): And even going after his rival personally promoting lies on social media about her eligibility to run for president despite
Haley being born in the U.S.
HALEY: He can say whatever he wants. His record has been that he lost the House. He lost the Senate. He lost the White House. That's a fact. That's
not what I'm saying. That's what he's done.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
JIMENEZ (on camera): Some of the sharpest comments we've seen yet toward the Former President. Now, one of the interesting things with all this is
that when Chris Christie dropped from the race, I talked to a lot of his supporters who are thinking about jumping in to support Nikki Haley at the
time.
But those that were hesitating told me is because they didn't think she was confronting Donald Trump directly enough. So it'll be interesting to see if
this is part of a pattern or just her responding to recent attacks. Omar Jimenez CNN, Henniker, New Hampshire.
GIOKOS: The scathing U.S. Justice Department report on the 2022 school shooting in Uvalde, Texas, paints a picture of confusion and cowardice
among the officers who responded to events at Rob Elementary. It says the officers' decisions ran counter to protocol that should have guided their
response. CNN's Senior Crime and Justice Correspondent Shimon Prokupecz tells us about the 77 minutes that cost 21 lives.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
SHIMON PROKUPECZ, CNN SENIOR CRIME AND JUSTICE CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): The Justice Department releasing a damning new report about law
enforcement's failures responding to the mass shooting in Uvalde, Texas.
MERRICK GARLAND, U.S. ATTORNEY GENERAL: The law enforcement response at Rob Elementary school on May 24th, 2022. And then the hours and days after was
a failure. That should not have happened.
KIMBERLEY MATA-RUBIO, MOTHER OF UVALDE VICTIM: I hope that the failures and today and the local officials and do what wasn't done that day. Do right by
the victims and survivors of Rob Elementary.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We got shots fired in the school.
PROKUPECZ (voice-over): Bursts of gunfire.
GARLAND: The victims trapped in classroom 111 and 112 are waiting to be rescued at 11:44 am approximately 10 minutes after officers first arrived
when the subject fired another shot inside the classrooms.
PROKUPECZ (voice-over): Reports a teacher was shot.
GARLAND: They were still waiting at 11:56 am when an officer on the scene told law enforcement leaders that his wife, a teacher was inside room 111
and 112 and had been shot.
PROKUPECZ (voice-over): A desperate 911 call from a trapped student.
GARLAND: The student was in a room full of victims, that student stayed on the phone with 911 for 16 minutes.
PROKUPECZ (voice-over): Major events that should have prompted police to step in immediately. Instead, police waited 77 minutes to stop the gunman.
GARLAND: 49 minutes after officers arrived on the scene. And they were still waiting for another 27 minutes after that until finally officers
entered the classroom and killed a subject.
PROKUPECZ (voice-over): During those 77 minutes 19 children and 2 teachers were killed. The long awaited 575 page report is the fullest accounting of
what happened highlighting the serious failures in the law enforcement response.
JOSHUA KOSKOFF, LAWYER AT KOSKOFF, KOSKOFF, BIEDER: These families didn't need a 400 or 500 page government report to learn that law enforcement
failed them in a historic way.
PROKUPECZ (voice-over): While quick to arrive to the scene their report found law enforcement stopped outside the classroom where the gunman was on
a killing spree inside.
GARLAND: I think the report concludes that had law enforcement agencies followed generally accepted practices in an active shooter situation and
gone right after the shooter to stop him. Lives would have been saved and people would have survived.
[09:20:00]
PROKUPECZ (voice-over): Countless other issues identified in the report after the gunman was killed from the emergency medical response to how
bereaved parents were told their children were dead.
GARLAND: Some families were told that their family members had survived when they had not.
PROKUPECZ (voice-over): Many family members of the victims and survivors thankful for the federal report detailing what went wrong that horrific day
but they are still frustrated by the lack of accountability.
VERONICA MATA, MOTHER OF UVALDE VICTIM: We're grateful that we got what we have right now. Because it's probably the most updated information that any
of us have gotten.
JAZMIN CAZARES, SISTER OF UVALDE VICTIM: What else does she possibly need to prosecute or to remove these people from their positions of power when
they can't even do their jobs?
PROKUPECZ (voice-over): The Federal assessment does not make any recommendations for punitive steps for law enforcement. But in an exclusive
interview with CNN, Attorney General Merrick Garland says the report provides a basis for accountability.
GARLAND: That community now has the kind of report necessary to make sure accountability occurs.
PROKUPECZ (voice-over): The Uvalde District Attorney says she's continuing to investigate, but families say they want charges brought against the
officers.
MATA: We're going to continue finding that some type of change is made in honor of our kids.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
PROKUPECZ (on camera): The Governor of Texas Greg Abbott released a statement thanking the Department of Justice for their report. He said that
he's already taken some of their recommendations and put them in place. And he says that the most important thing that he's done is try to keep schools
safe.
We also heard from other officials like from the Texas Department of Public Safety, they too have thanked the Department of Justice for their report.
And they say also that they have already implemented some of the recommendations. Shimon Prokupecz, CNN, Uvalde.
GIOKOS: You're watching "Connect the World". There's more news right after the short break, stay with CNN.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
GIOKOS: Welcome back. Nine officials in Western Russia is reporting new drone attacks from Ukraine. The Governor of Russia's Bryansk Region says a
drone was shot down but its munitions fell onto a fuel depot setting oil tanks on fire. He said air defenses down two other drones. No injuries were
reported.
Meantime, Ukraine's war chest is dwindling and U.S. Democrats and Republicans still can't agree on new funding. President Biden is urging
lawmakers to resolve that deadlock with the White House aware there may be no more chances to agree on aid for Ukraine before the U.S. presidential
election.
Natasha Bertrand joins us now with more from the Pentagon, great to see you. Ukrainian military is feeling the lack of funding on the ground. We've
been covering the story. We know that they're assigning to lack resources.
[09:25:00]
How important is this funding going to be for Ukraine, but also importantly for the United States where they've been all in essentially since the
beginning of this war?
NATASHA BERTRAND, CNN NATIONAL SECURITY REPORTER: Well Eleni, the U.S. officials have told us that it's extremely difficult to overstate just how
important this continued funding is for Ukraine's survival really and their ability to continue prosecuting this war against Russia.
Top officials at the White House told lawmakers just the other day that without additional funding for U.S. equipment for Ukraine for weaponry,
then things like artillery, ammunition and air defense systems could run out very soon. They could be completely depleted really without U.S.
support.
And so underscoring the importance of this $60 billion in supplemental funding that the administration has requested from Congress, U.S. officials
really sought to emphasize to lawmakers that this is not something that is optional for Ukraine.
This is something that if they want to continue fighting Russia, if they want to ultimately push the Russians out of their territory then they need
continued U.S. support. Of course, they still have European support. But without the U.S., there are questions about whether Europe might start to
pull back at support.
There is a question about whether allies might start to get tired of funding the war on their own if there is no U.S. money that is going into
this as well. And in the short term we are told that you know this might not have a dramatic impact on the battlefield.
Yes, Ukraine might struggle to keep up with its air defenses. It might struggle to find artillery ammunition. But Russia also kind of needs some
time to regroup as well. So in the very short term Ukraine might be able to get by without these additional billions of dollars in U.S. aid.
But in the longer term this could be really detrimental for Ukraine especially because we don't know what's going to happen in during the
election and Former President Trump might be re-elected. And as he has said many times he does not necessarily believe that it is in the United States'
best interest to continue funding Ukraine.
And so it's really all up in the air right now. And if Russia continues to get support from say Iran and North Korea and the Ukrainians are struggling
to get support from some of their biggest partners then there is clearly going to be a discrepancy there and an imbalance that is going to favor
Russia in the longer term.
And so it's really key right now official safe for the U.S. to continue this funding. But given the gridlock on the Hill right now even arguing
over how to keep the government open and avoid a shutdown. It just seems really at this moment that no one knows what is actually going to happen
with this funding, Eleni.
GIOKOS: Alright, good point. Natasha Bertrand, thank you so much. Well, we're going to a very short break and we'll be back right after this.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[09:30:00]
GIOKOS: Welcome back. I'm Eleni Giokos in Abu Dhabi and you're watching "Connect the World". Let's take a look to see how markets are trading right
now. And as you can see, the DOW Jones is up almost four tenths of a percent. We've got a green day all rounds.
We've had a few negative days throughout the week. There's major concern about what the Federal Reserve will be doing with those interest rates and
whether they're going to be bringing those down going forward. There are so many risks on the horizon when it comes to inflation that is definitely top
of mind for so many investors out there.
In the meantime, the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland is wrapping up two major conflicts dominated this year's panels, the situation in Gaza
and Russia's invasion of Ukraine. But it was another battle that had everyone talking at the closing panel, the battle for the White House.
Take a listen to what European Central Bank President Christine Lagarde had to say about the prospect of a second Donald Trump term as U.S. President.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
CHRISTINE LAGARDE, PRESIDENT OF EUROPEAN CENTRAL BANK: The best defense if that's the way we want to look at it is attack. And to attack properly you
need to be strong at home. So being strong means having a strong deep market having a real single market.
And we should be expecting some suggestions by Enrico Letta, Former Prime Minister of Italy who is in charge of producing this report on how we can
deepen and improve the functioning of that single market which is a huge economic zone in the world. But which is not completely a single market yet
as many CEOs I'm sure experience on a daily basis.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
GIOKOS: And in the U.S. more than 100 million people are under winter weather alerts from the Pacific Northwest to the Mid Atlantic. Another
blast of Arctic air is set to bring more snow to the Eastern United States this weekend. Check out these big blankets of snow in upstate New York.
Homes and cars buried under more than four feet in certain places. The area had near whiteout conditions on Thursday. But if you can hold on a few more
days it looks like relief is in store for a lot of the country. I want to hear from CNN Meteorologist Allison Chinchar for more on that. A very good
morning, wow, incredible pictures I have never seen so like that before.
ALLISON CHINCHAR, CNN METEOROLOGIST: Yes Eleni, it's crazy because in these areas. They're used to getting that snow but just maybe not all at that
short period of time. And the reason we're getting so much snow in several of these areas is the Arctic air very, very cold air is seeping down mostly
across the central U.S.
But it's expected to spread eastward and southward in the coming days. Because that cold air is places that moisture slides across you get a lot
of areas that are ending up seeing some snow that includes Ohio, Kentucky even some southern states like Tennessee and North Carolina and then yes,
even more snow for Washington D.C. up through New York.
Again, you can kind of see the heavier patches here across West Virginia, portions of New Jersey and Pennsylvania. But the good news is as we go
through the rest of the day we're going to start to see that snow begin to push eastward.
So for now, you still have all of these states in pink and purple under some type of winter weather alert. The vast majority of them through this
evening because once we get through towards the afternoon commute for many folks a lot of that moisture really starts to push out over the open
Atlantic.
The only thing we're really left with on Saturday is some additional lake effect snow across several of the Great Lakes regions. Overall, most of
these areas likely to pick up an additional two to four inches but some of these spots could pick up half a foot or if not even possibly more.
The cold air however is still there. The current temperature in Chicago just 10 degrees, 39 in Atlanta topping at 26 right now in Cincinnati, but
when you factor in that wind because some of these areas are looking at 30 even 40 mile per hour winds. It feels like its 8 degrees below 0 in Chicago
feels like it's only 28 in Atlanta.
So for today the focus for a lot of these wind chill alerts as the north central portion of the U.S. Probably tomorrow we're now starting to see it
spread into more of some of those southern states, the states that aren't really used to seeing this cold of air. Take Atlanta for example yesterday
temperatures near 50 degrees tomorrow they're barely going to be above the freezing mark.
Other areas as well going to see those temperatures dropping at least 10 to 15 degrees below normal, but there is light at the end of the tunnel. Once
we get to next week not only do those below average temperatures go away, but we actually see a rebound temperatures actually above normal for a
change.
[09:35:00]
Take for example Concord, New Hampshire. This is one of the locations where the next primaries taking place. You'll notice by next week those
temperatures actually above where they normally would be this time of year.
GIOKOS: Allison Chinchar, thank you so much. Good to see you. Now, there are growing concerns over comments made by Kim Jong-Un that North Korea
will no longer pursue reconciliation and reunification with the south.
And now the country is claiming to have tested an underwater nuclear capable drone in response to naval drills held by the U.S., South Korea and
Japan. CNN's Will Ripley tells us why some analysts are increasingly alarmed.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
WILL RIPLEY, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): The Korean Peninsula staring down the barrel of a catastrophic conflict. That
warning from one of America's leading nuclear scientists one of two longtime North Korea observers who say Kim Jong-Un is sending signals in
state media.
He may be prepared to take advantage of global chaos to exploit what he sees as weakness and vulnerability between the U.S. and close allies South
Korea and Japan.
SIEGFRIED S. HECKER, PROFESSOR AT MIDDLEBURY INSTITUTE OF INTERNATIONAL STUDIES: Talking about war, they're talking about war preparations for
their country. And so we're quite concerned.
RIPLEY (voice-over): For years Former Los Alamos Director Siegfried Hecker had unparalleled access to North Korea's highly secretive nuclear program
seeing more than almost any American. What he's seeing now he says, reminiscent of the lead up to the catastrophic Korean War more than 70
years ago. A chilling shift in leader Kim Jong-Un's strategy is far more than the usual saber rattling.
HECKER: I think this time is different. He may have decided that it is time to actually take some actions.
RIPLEY (voice-over): For the past 30 years North Korea's goal was normalizing ties with U.S. Hecker says that ended 2019 when Summit talks in
Hanoi, Vietnam collapsed. Former President Donald Trump and Kim walked out humiliating and infuriating the North Korean Leader riding his armor
private train back to Pyongyang empty handed, perhaps giving up on U.S. diplomacy making a strategic turn towards conflict.
HECKER: He may believe that there actually there is some way sort of what one would say what's a path to victory that he may be thinking very
differently than what our conventional thinking is.
RIPLEY (voice-over): Kim's confidence may be bolstered he says, by closer ties with China and a deepening military alliance with Russia. North
Korea's Foreign Minister Choe Son Hui visiting Moscow just this week, also labeling South Korea a hostile country.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: This is a political provocation.
RIPLEY (voice-over): And not just political North Korea testing a new hypersonic missile, potentially nuclear capable adding to Kim's growing
arsenal. Will Ripley, CNN Taipei.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
GIOKOS: Ahead in sports an epic comeback at the Australian Open how a Russian teenager grabbed victory from the jaws of defeats?
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[09:40:00]
GIOKOS: Well, two angry Madonna fans are suing the Popstar after she showed up over two hours late to start a concert in New York. And it sounds like
the late start is pretty standard for the Material Girl. The lawsuit accuses her of kicking off her show after 10:30 pm on all three nights she
performed in Brooklyn last month.
The fans want her held liable for false advertising and negligent misrepresentation. It is unclear how much they're seeking in damages and
CNN has reached out to Representatives for Madonna for comment.
What started as an April fool's joke on Instagram has turned into an unlikely brand collaboration. Burt's Bees which makes skincare products and
Hidden Valley Ranch Salad dressing or making a limited edition lip balm variety pack, it supposedly tastes like a basket of chicken wings. And the
pack has four flavors buffalo sauce, crunchy celery and fresh carrots and of course the trademark Hidden Valley Ranch flavor.
It's so popular. It's sold out in two days and they advise don't actually eat the lip balm, interesting. All right, we're going to have a short
break. We'll be right back, stay with CNN.
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