representatives. the lapd says rock declined to press charges. wolf. >> brian todd reporting. i'll be back later tonight in two hours, 9:00 p.m. eastern for the latest on ukraine. until then, thanks very much for watching. "erin burnett outfront" starts right now. outfront next, breaking news. russia now stepping up its attacks on ukraine's fuel supply, as president biden makes no apologies for saying putin cannot remain in power. plus, quote, we walked among corpses. hear the horrifying accounts from ukrainians who have managed to escape the besieged city of mariupol. and negotiators, including a russian oligarch, trying to hammer out a deal between ukraine and russia recently experienced skin peeling and sore eyes after a negotiating session. what happened? let's go outfront. good evening, i'm erin burnett.

outfront tonight, the breaking news, russia intensifying its assault as it targets ukraine's fuel supply. according to a top ukrainian military official, russian forces have hit a fuel depot in western ukraine. this is just the latest strike targeting the country's fuel facilities specifically. over the weekend, a barrage of russian missiles targeted fuel storage sites including in lviv and today's attack happening as russia and ukraine are battling for control of crucial ukrainian cities. tonight the mayor of the besieged city of mariupol using some important words saying humanitarian corridors are now in the, quote, hands of the occupiers. also calling for a complete evacuation of the city which at one point had a population of 440,000 people. just outside the capital, ukraine's deputy defense minister claims russian forces are attempting to block humanitarian supply routes around kyiv. our fred pleitgen traveled to one village north of the capital and this is video that he and

his team filmed today. you'll hear from him in just a moment. look at those roads. i mean those streets are completely impassable, utter destruction. builds destroyed. there's no in and out easily there. it does come, though, as ukraine is making real progress near kyiv. in irpin the mayor says it has freed the contested town and russian soldiers are offering themselves up for surrender. there is a lot to get to on the ground tonight as the president of the united states says he is not backtracking on his comments that, quote, putin cannot remain in power. >> i'm not walking anything back. the fact of the matter is i was expressing the moral outrage i felt toward the way putin is dealing and the actions of this man, just brutality. half the children in ukraine, i had just come from being with those families. and so -- but i want to make it clear, i wasn't then nor am i now articulating a policy

change. i was expressing the moral outrage that i felt. nobody believes we're going to take down -- i was talking about taking down putin. >> we have reporters across ukraine as well as in poland where so many of the nearly 4 million ukrainian refugees are tonight. i want to start with fred pleitgen outfront live in kyiv. fred, i just showed everyone some of the video that you filmed when you went north of kyiv. it was amazing, right? you saw in the streets complete and utter rubble. those giant -- pothole wouldn't be the right word. those are complete holes and destroyed what used to be city streets. what more -- that's what i'm referring to right there. what more are you seeing on the ground tonight? >> reporter: well, i think that was emblematic of what we saw there in that suburb, which is to the north of kyiv. we're still seeing some of those pictures now. what you're seeing now is a house that got hit by an artillery shell or rocket and several people were wounded in that house and a 2-year-old child was actually killed.

that's something that unfortunately is all too common in those areas, especially toward the north of kyiv and to the northwest of kyiv as well. the place that we were at yesterday is actually now been declared one of the most dangerous places around the capital of kyiv. at the same time, throughout this entire day, erin, it's really been something we've seen throughout the past days but even more so today, there has been extremely heavy fighting in those areas. this entire day we've had air raid sirens and booms going off. we've had multiple rocket launching systems being activated especially toward the northeast. it was so interesting that the ukrainians came out and said that they had taken -- fully taken that suburb of irpin. now, that is one of those places that was really hotly contested and fought over. while they say they have taken over that entire area, they still say it's unsafe to enter there because it continues to get shelled. we were north of the capital. the russians are trying to make advances, in many cases they're

failing and they're shelling a lot of those areas and civilians are being hurt. as you know, we've been reporting about this for such a long time now, the russians claim that they're not hitting civilian targets. what we saw on the ground, especially in that area, certainly seemed to indicate that a lot of civilian houses were being hit. the deputy defense minister came out and said the russians are trying to create corridors around the city, encircling the city. that's something the ukrainians are trying to stop and they say they're somewhat making headway, erin. >> fred, thank you very much. now let's go to retired army lieutenant general mark huertling and seth jones. he served as an advisor to the commanding general of the u.s. special operations forces in afghanistan. so much to talk about with what's happening on the ground. seth, first, though, president biden today saying he was, quote, expressing my outrage, end quote, but that he was not making a policy change when he

explicitly said putin cannot remain in power. he says he's not walking anything back and makes no apologies for anything he said. what do you make of those comments? >> well, i think the comments, frankly, were unhelpful. if we look at the russians right now, their military has gotten bogged down. the number of fatalities are in the order of about 10,000, which is an extraordinary number of russians killed in battle. wounded maybe at the 30,000 level, about a 3-1 ratio. the economy is in shambles and russia is politically isolated. so anything that begins to sound like the u.s. is encouraging the russians themselves or putin to be overthrown i think is backing putin into a corner. so i think the president doubling down frankly was probably not unhelpful. remember, russia at the end of the day has nuclear weapons so we don't want to get into a particularly destabilizing period with them. >> general huertling, you have spoken extensively and done

analysis on why so many russians are being killed and why so many russians have been injured. your work on that has been phenomenal. so with your perspective, where do you see things right now, especially when you look at irpin. the ukrainians say they have taken it over. mariupol, they're -- the ukrainians are saying the russians are controlling the humanitarian so-called escape corridors. where does this stand with the russian forces having suffered such losses? >> well, you've got certain areas, erin, where the russians actually have forces on the ground and they're being engaged with ukrainian forces. i mean it is a conventional, high intensity fight with a lot of lethality. there are other places where there are no russian forces to be found, but they can continue to shell cities and towns and populations with long-range fires coming anywhere from 17 miles to 200 or 300 miles away,

depending on the type of munitions that are fired. but the issue is on this, you can't hold territory if you don't have people there. you can certainly continue to shoot at it and destroy things and make a wasteland, like we just saw with fred pleitgen's report walking through those towns. i mean that's just catastrophe. and there's nothing left in many of those places. no one can live there right now. but if you're a russian and you're trying to take a place over, you don't want to take over a wasteland either. you just want to destroy it. and that's what's happening with a lot of war crimes as part of all that. it's just dastardly. so where are we right now? the ukrainians are still fighting ferociously against other -- against russian forces. they are trying desperately to relieve towns, but that brings up the conundrum of a lot of refugees in those towns trying to get out.

so it is an intense battlefield on both sides. seth mentioned 10,000 casualties. i'm going to say i believe that it's much higher than that with much higher wounded, but this is intense, modern-day, conventional conflict with high-powered and ferocious weapons. it's very different than what we've been watching for the last 20 years in iraq and afghanistan when it's squad against squad. these are heavy armored equipment against other heavy armored equipment. >> it is stunning when you talk about it, whether it's 10,000 or as you say, general, perhaps significantly higher and then you add in wounded on top of that. you're starting to look at a significant percentage of the troops that were ever even stationed around ukraine by the russians. >> yeah. and if i can add to that too, erin, what we're talking about too are the combat forces. when you put an army into another country, less than 50% of the total force are the front-line combat forces.

about 55 to 60% are the logistics forces. so what you're talking about truly is the majority of the casualties are coming in the combat forces. so it's even -- it's even worse than you would consider when you start doing the battlefield calculus and the battlefield math. >> seth, in that context, ukraine asks for more weapons from nato and the u.s. obviously has been providing a significant amount of weaponry to ukraine and defensive capabilities as well. but when you look at the incredible losses putin is suffering and then you con textualize it, how does putin see that when it comes to the fundamental choice that he will have to make over what weaponry to use? >> i'm concerned about a couple of different things. one is what we saw in syria with president putin's ally, bashar al assad, which is the use of chemical weapons, to clear

cities and neighborhoods. they used sarin, chlorine and other types of weapons and the russians were very active in providing a disinformation campaign. the other is increased targeting in an effort to interdict the flow of weapons coming into the country. we have seen examples in the past couple of years, including a gru unit, military intelligence, conduct an attack in the czech republic of an ammunition depot. so this would be a subversive act in a nato country like poland to target a weapons depot being used to provide assistance to the ukrainians. those are two areas that i'm concerned and will continue to watch. we've been war gaming various aspects of that as well. >> then you endi up with a tens situation escalates in a way that nobody wants. thank you both so very much. next, ukrainians who have managed to flee one of the hardest-hit cities are telling us now the horrific scenes that

they witnessed as they left. >> soldiers without heads, without arms. they are lying there. nobody is gathering them. >> plus cnn learning top negotiators for both ukraine and russia, including a russian oligarch, recently suffered minor skin peeling and sore eyes. so what happened? and the academy of motion pictures, arts and sciences responding to will smith slapping chris rock as new details emerge from what happened last night. like the splash they create the entrance they make, ththe surprises they initiate. otezla. . it's a choice you can make. otezla is not a cream. it's a pill that treats plaque psoriasis differently. with otezla, 75% clearer skin is achievable. don't use if you're allergic to otezla. it may cause severe diarrhea, nausea, or vomiting. otezla is associated with an increased risk of depression. tell your doctor if you have a history of depression or suicidal thoughts or if these feelings develop.

some people taking otezla reported weight loss. your doctor should monitor your weight and may stop treatment. upper respiratory tract infection and headache may occur. tell your doctor about your medicines, and if you're pregnant or planning to be. otezla. show more of you. i've always focused on my career. but when we found out our son had autism, his future became my focus. lavender baths always calmed him. so we turned bath time into a business. ♪ and building it with my son has been my dream job.

♪ at northwestern mutual, our version of financial planning helps you live your dreams today. find a northwestern mutual advisor at nm.com ♪ it wasn't me by shaggy ♪ you're never responsible for unauthorized purchases on your discover card.

we gotta tell people that liberty mutual customizes car insurance so you only pay for what you need, and we gotta do it fast. [limu emu squawks] woo! new personal record, limu! only pay for what you need. ♪ liberty, liberty, liberty, liberty. ♪ we're carvana the company who invented car vending machines and buying a car 100% online. now we've created a brand new way for you to sell your car. whether it's a year old or a few years old, we want to buy your car. so go to carvana enter your license plate, answer a few questions, and our techno wizardry calculates your car's value and gives you a real offer in seconds. when you're ready we'll come to you, pay you on the spot, and pickup your car. that's it! so ditch the old way of selling your car and say hello to the new way. at carvana!

new drone footage into cnn showing the sheer scope of the devastation in mariupol. officials estimate 90% of residential buildings in that city have been damaged. many of them i mean just completely as you see there reduced to rubble, to just shadows. passage in and out of the city is now under russian control, leaving those stranded without access to food, water or electricity. ivan watson is outfront in zaporizhzhia. ivan, what are you hearing from the people who were able to make the harrowing escape from the capital and to survive doing that after surviving weeks with no communications and no fresh water and no electricity and no additional supplies of food? >> reporter: well, can you imagine, erin, that people who

had to endure this terrifying bombardment and shelling and air strikes, who in many cases say their homes were damaged or completely destroyed, and had to endure this without normal amenities like electricity and running water and heat and fresh food. then they flee and they have to go through multiple checkpoints run by the same military that destroyed their city. that's what i'm hearing again and again from these evacuees. and when they reach this city, for some, it's their first moment of kind of peace and safety in a month. shattered by russian artillery, the windshield of a car that a ukrainian family used to make their two-day escape from the besieged port city of mariupol. be we meet natalia shortly after

her family reaches relative safety in the parking lot of a store. the day before yesterday an artillery shell hit our house, she says. half of the house is gone. this is what was left. >> translator: if russia sees this, i want them to know that they aren't defending us, they're killing us because they seem to think they're defending us and that's not true. >> reporter: this parking lot, an unofficial gateway to ukrainian territory to more than 70,000 ukrainians who officials say fled mariupol. the evacuees look shell shocked. they arrive in vehicles draped with white rags and signs that say children, and some, like 4-year-old alisa show up in yellow school buses. they were bombing us, she says. bombing us with planes and tanks.

alisa's aunt says she suffered from a concussion for days after a strike hit her home. >> translator: we walked among corpses. there were bodies under the evergreens. soldiers without heads, without arms. they are lying there. nobody is gathering them. there was such fear that i felt like i was underwater. i wanted to wake up. now i am here and this feels like some kind of a dream. >> reporter: inside the superstore, volunteers and the city government are trying to help. >> newly arrived evacuees are welcomed at this support center where they're offered warm meals, access to medics and information about how to travel deeper into safer parts of ukrainian territory. there's also a bulletin board here where some people are offering free repair of shattered car windows. and there are also postings here, looking for information about missing loved ones.

for some who survived russia's modern-day siege, this is the first hint of safety they have had in weeks. outside, yulia and her son stanislov have just arrived. stanislov is chatty and upbeat, but his mother appears unsteady. when russian warplanes bombed, she says, the family hid under the dining room table surrounded by pillows. >> translator: when the plane flew past, we were sheltering in the center of town. until now my ear still hurts from the shock wave. >> reporter: the unlikely safe haven provided in this parking lot is precarious. ukrainian officials say russian troops are positioned barely a half hour's drive away from here. now, erin, all of these evacuees, they tell me they wiped their phones of photos and all their social media content because the russian troops at

checkpoints go through their phones looking for information. one man i talked to, he said that a russian soldier asked him, hey, why aren't you fighting alongside us, with us, for russia? and the man stayed quiet, he said, because he was afraid of being shot by the soldiers. of course he does not support russia's invasion and occupation of his country. erin. >> fascinating conversation or question to ask. thank you, ivan. next, president biden said he was speaking directly to the russian people when he said putin cannot remain in power. so did anyone in russia hear the message? a special report, next. plus, russian billionaire roman abramovitz suffered a reaction after attending a meeting to end the invasion. physical, skin issues, eye issues. what was it? it grows two times faster than seed alone for full, green grasass. everything else just seems... slow.

it's lawn season. let's get to the yard.

(music throughout) this is elodia. she's a recording artist. 1 of 10 million people that comcast has connected to affordable internet in the last 10 years. and this is emmanuel, a future recording artist, and one of the millions of students we're connecting throughout the next 10. through projectup, comcast is committing $1 billion so millions more students, past... and present, can continue to get the tools they need to build a future of unlimited possibilities.

when it comes to cybersecurity, the biggest threats don't always strike the biggest targets. so help safeguard your small business with comcast business securityedge™. it's advanced security that continuously scans for threats and helps protect every connected device. on the largest, fastest, reliable network with speeds up to 10 gigs to the most small businesses. so you can be ready for what's next. get started with internet and voice for $64.99 a month. and ask how to add securityedge™. or, ask how to get up to an $800 prepaid card. tonight, president biden says he was speaking to the russian people when he went off script during his speech in europe declaring putin, quote, cannot remain in power. >> the last part of the speech

was talking to the russian people, telling them what we thought. i was communicating this to not only the russian people, but the whole world. this is -- this is just stating a simple fact. that this kind of behavior is totally unacceptable. >> matthew chance is outfront. matthew, president biden says that he wanted the message to get to the russian people, that he wasn't making a regime change statement, he was talking to the russian people to try to tell them that putin cannot remain in power after this war. but of course the question is, you know, when a tree falls in the forest, right? do people actually hear this in russia? >> reporter: erin, i've just lost contact with you i think in the studio but i heard your question and, look, you're right. if no one heard it then what's the point of saying it. but the truth is i think from the monitoring of russian state television that we've been doing here, you know, it does seem

that in fact this issue of the suggestion that there should be a regime change in russia, which of course president biden and the white house rode back on earlier today, that did cut through. that was promoted on russian television but it was used as a way to show that president biden said the wrong thing. it was called a careless remark on russian state television. the spokesperson for vladimir putin said it was a personal insult against the russian president, so it was all used to ridicule, if you like, president biden. but you're right, generally the russian authorities have tightened their grip on the information flow to ordinary russians so they cut off all the independent media. a great example of that was an interview done yesterday by several independent russian news outlets in which they interviewed volodymyr zelenskyy, the first time russians have been able to do that.

before it went to air it was banned by the russian media regulators. the russians say that it could violate the laws in the country. one of the journalists that i spoke to exclusively tonight said what this is clearly about is controlling that flow of information vet again to ordinary russians. take a listen. >> translator: this was a ground-breaking interview with what the kremlin sees as an enemy head of state. and a first for russian journalists covering this war. but for many russians, the words of president zelenskyy, including his offers of compromise for peace, will never be heard. russian authorities banning the interview before it was even broadcast, and now vowing to investigate the journalists who carried it out. journalists like the editor in chief of tv rain. an independent russian channel forced off the air earlier this month.

no to war, his editorial staff said, as they walked off their moscow set. >> there is a digital iron curtain on the ukrainian topic in russia, and we see that as military censorship in russia and all the information, which is not going from the russian minister of defense or from the kremlin is forbidden, so it is really important to tell the people the truth, or at least to tell them what the other side of the conflict, of the war thinks. >> reporter: why do you think it is so important for the kremlin to keep such a tight grip on that, on that flow of information and on the message they want russian people to hear? >> the whole story of russian war in ukraine is a big lie, just from the beginning. even the word "war" is not being used by the russian government. we understand that this is not true. we understand that there is a war.

we understand that a lot of civilians die there every day. and we understand that a lot of russian soldiers as well die there every day. and volodymyr zelenskyy is the person who has a lot of information on what is going on there, and of course he gave us this information during this interview and of course the russian government doesn't want this information to be spread in russia. >> reporter: this is what the kremlin does want russians to see, blanket coverage on state media of its special military operation. russian forces cast as liberators and heroes. there have been displays of dissent like this one of a journalist holding up an anti-war placard during russia's main daily newscast. the program was quickly cutaway. but for millions of russians, the idea their country is a force for good fighting

neo-nazis is much more appealing than the hard truth. >> why is it such a successful strategy? why are people so ready to believe that propaganda? >> there is a huge part of russian society of people who are in denial, people who just do not want to admit that their country, our country, my country is bombing civilian objects and schools and hospitals and et cetera, et cetera. it's hard to admit that maybe there is something very wrong with your -- with your homeland and that somehow we as a citizen of russia is somewhat responsible for it. >> reporter: hard to admit perhaps, but with tough, new information laws, increasingly illegal too. russia's criminalizing of the truth is this war's latest casualty. >> matthew, as the kremlin

intensifies its crackdown on the media, i know you are also reporting that some negotiators in the peace talks that have been sort of ongoing have experienced skin peeling, sore eyes, during those talks between ukraine and russia and that includes the billionaire russian oligarch roman abramovich who has been -- went with ukrainian negotiators to these meetings. what more are you learning about this? >> reporter: yeah, it's an extraordinary tract in this ongoing saga between russia and ukraine. the fact that the current owner of chelsea football club and one of the richest men in the world was involved as a back channel between the ukrainians and the russians i think is fascinating, but when you add to that this idea that a couple of weeks ago, according to sources that i've spoken to close to the ukrainian negotiators, a couple of weeks ago there was annin incident in turkey where they experienced,

roman abramovich and a couple of ukrainian negotiators experienced sore eyes and their skin peeling. there was some speculation it's due to poisoning. that's been rode back by various other sort of people in the know saying it could have been an environmental factor that was involved, some sort of toxicity in the atmosphere. but nevertheless, it does add a layer of intrigue to what is a very intriguing story already, erin. >> it sure does, especially in the context of the russian history here with poisons, right? you hear this and it raises so many questions. all right, thank you very much, matthew chance, for that reporting. i want to go now to andre, a russian investigative journalist and founder and editor of a watchdog of the russian secret services activities that has now been blocked in russia. let me just start with you. you hear matthew chance reporting that ukrainian negotiators and roman abramovich

were left with minor skin peeling and sore eyes during the russia/ukraine talks earlier this month. now, you followed russian intelligence services for a long time. what do you think about this story? >> well, unfortunately, the record of the russian security services is absolutely horrible. we know that poisoning actually is one of the most preferred methods of the russian security services, and for the last 20 years, we've seen a series of poisonings, of journalists, of activists, of politicians, again activists both in the country and abroad. the symptoms now described by people close to abramovich are quite consistent with what was experienced by one of the most prominent russian activists in 2018. >> wow. so, look, there's a lot we don't know here, but obviously the context here is what causes --

you just sort of sit there and say, wow, i can't believe this. so the financial times reports that putin personally approved roman abramovich's participation in the peace talks and president zelenskyy asked president biden don't sanction roman abramovich because he's important here. why do you think he has been chosen for this role, presuming he stays in it given what appears to have occurred, but by both sides? >> first of all, roman abramovich himself volunteered because he doesn't want to be under western sanctions, that is absolutely clear. also to be honest, it would be very easy for putin to dismiss everything which would be offered by roman abramovich. these days he's not that close to vladimir putin. he can get a meeting with him, but he doesn't have an official

standing. he doesn't occupy any official position. so while you can use him or you can just dismiss him. you have all options. >> andrei, thank you, i appreciate your time. >> thank you. and next, a federal judge saying it's, quote, more likely than not that trump committed a felony by trying to overturn the 2020 election, a significant development today. plus we'll take you to the largest ukrainian refugee site in all of europe where resources tonight are being pushed to their limit. to pag e 188... uh carl, a are there different planning options in here? options? plans we can b build on our ow, or with help from a financial consultant? like schwab does. uhhh... could we adjust our plan... ...yeah, like if we buy a new house? mmmm... and our son just started working. oh! do you offer a complimentary retirement plan for him? as in free? just like schwab. schwab! look forward to planning with schwab. [zoom call] ...pivot... work bye.

vacation hi! book with priceline. 'cause when you save more, you can “no way!” more. no wayyyy. no waaay! way! [phone ringing] hm. no way! no way! priceline. every trip is a big deal. and it's easy to get a quote at libertymutual.com so you only pay for what you need. isn't that right limu? limu? sorry, one sec. doug blows a whistle. [a vulture squawks.] oh boy. only pay for what you need. ♪liberty, liberty, liberty, liberty♪ there's a different way to treat hiv. it's every-other-month, injectable cabenuva. for adults who are undetectable, cabenuva is the only complete hiv treatment you can get every other month. cabenuva helps keep me undetectable. it's two injections, given by a healthcare provider every other month. it's one less thing to think about while traveling.

hiv pills aren't on my mind. a quick change in my plans is no big deal. don't receive cabenuva if you're allergic to its ingredients or taking certain medicines, which may interact with cabenuva. serious side effects include allergic reactions, post-injection reactions, liver problems, and depression. if you have a rash and other allergic reaction symptoms, stop cabenuva and get medical help right away. tell your doctor if you have liver problems or mental health concerns, and if you are pregnant, breastfeeding, or considering pregnancy. some of the most common side effects include injection-site reactions, fever, and tiredness. if you switch to cabenuva, attend all treatment appointments. every other month and i'm good to go. ask your doctor about every-other-month cabenuva.

when you need help it's great to be in sync with customer service. a team of reps who can anticipate the next step genesys technology is changing the way customer service teams anticipate what customers need. because happy customers are music to our ears. genesys, we're behind every customer smile.

president biden denying he is trying to walk back his remarks that putin can no longer be in power due to his invasion of ukraine. >> i was expressing the moral outrage i felt towards this man. i wasn't articulating a policy change. >> just to be clear, this was what he said initially. >> for god sake, this man cannot remain in power. >> outfront now, will herd, former republican congressman from texas who spent nearly a decade as a cia officer.

he is author of "american reboot, an idealist's guide of getting big things done." we need idealism and we need big ideas. let me start off with president biden saying putin cannot remain in power. he said i was talking moral outrage, i was talking my emotion and my heat, not signaling some policy change where the u.s. is going to take putin out of power. can those two things exist simultaneously from the president of the united states? >> not from the president of the united states. just like we learned in the last administration, errant tweets, errant comments in speeches has a tectonic impact when it comes to foreign policy. there is a lot of russians today thinking, oh, maybe this is the u.s.' goal is for regime change. a lot of our allies are asking questions like is this -- does this signal policy? also you have the ukrainians thinking, oh, my god, is this now the time for the americans to start providing more support to us in order to really double

down against the russians, so it complicates our foreign policy. >> i guess in a sense it sounds like what you're saying is, look, you can have moral outrage. we all know what biden thinks, of course he wants putin out of power. but saying something, putting words to something, even if putin already knows it, is still a different thing. >> it is a different thing. being the leader of the free world has impact, right? what you say matters. we've got to make sure our actions and our words combine. that's one of the chapters in my book, i talk about how to make sure our audio and our video match. we've got to do the things that we say. when they don't match, you ultimately have problems. also our adversaries need to know, be clear what do we stand for, what are we going to do? in my opinion when it looks -- i've been associated with the national security space for 20 -- 21 years and i learned something very simple. your friends should love you and your enemies should fear you. that statement makes our enemies -- our allies, excuse me, question what our policy

really is and what have we done all day today? we've talked about what did biden really say. we haven't talked about what did president zelenskyy mean by saying he's open to the idea of neutrality. we haven't talked about how do we have a marshal plan for ukraine and eastern europe to deal with the aftermath of the russian invasion of ukraine. those are the conversations we should be having, and we're not because of this gaffe. >> so earlier today, a federal judge -- you know, you talk about trump with his tweets and the things he was saying, right, was -- it was absurd, it caused problems in so many cases. today a federal judge said it's more likely than not that former president trump committed a felony with specifically with trying to overturn the 2020 election. so do you think somebody who committed a felony should be a party's presidential nominee? >> no, of course i don't think that. again, i don't know what information the judge was basing this off of. i think a phone call to the georgia secretary of state

saying scrounge up some votes, that was an effort to commit fraud. even when someone like mo brooks says we need to look forward, not back, the republican party needs to accept the fact that donald trump lost this election. the sooner we get beyond that, the better off we'll be as a party. >> in your book you write about this. you're critical of the state of the republican party and you write the party can't have in it a-holes, racists, misogynists and homophobes. we will need to appeal to the middle, not the edges. do you see that spreading in a party where, you know, what you're facing is it seems to be a quarter to a third of the country, and certainly the vast majority of your party still believes in trump? >> so i would say voters are different. like i've crisscross -- you know i had a big district when i was in congress. >> yep, largest border district in the country. >> largest border district in

the country. as i crisscross the country, you hear people are concerned. what's going to happen in '22? republicans are taking back the house. we're taking back the house because of democratic incompetence. imagine if we were a party that people looked to and said, hey, we actually believe in your ideas and we like you people. it's not just a vote because we don't like the other side. that is what we'll have to deal w if the republican party starts appealing to a broader audience, you'll see some south texas a lot more latinos voting for republicans and probably in record numbers. why? because the border is in chaos. why? because 40% of folks that live along the border have some connection to law enforcement. so when one wing of your party on the democratic side talks about defunding the police, these things have impact. so this is the opportunity for the party to go to. oftentimes what do we do in politics, we fight the last election, not the next election. >> thank you very much, congressman hurd. this book is out tomorrow.

next we go to the city home to the largest refugee camp from ukraine. its population has grown by almost 20%. hospitals, schools, full. plus will smith posting a message just moments ago. what he's saying about the joke that led him to slap chris rock. it's not burnt brown pellets. the farmer's dog makes it simple to feed your dog real food. it's real meat and veggieses. freshly-made. developed with vets. delivered right to your door. that's why dog lovers are choosing the farmer's dog. a smarter, healthier pet food. delivered. visit tryfarmersdog.com and get 50% off your first box of food.

if you have advanced non-small cell lung cancer, your first treatment could be a chemo-free combination of two immunotherapies that works differently. it could mean a chance to live longer. opdivo plus yervoy is for adults newly diagnosed with non-small cell lung cancer that has spread, tests positive for pd-l1, and does not have an abnormal egfr or alk gene. together, opdivo plus yervoy

helps your immune system launch a response that fights cancer in two different ways. opdivo plus yervoy equals a chance for more time together. more family time. more time to remember. opdivo and yervoy can cause your immune system to harm healthy parts of your body during and after treatment. these problems can be severe and lead to death. see your doctor right away if you have a cough; chest pain; shortness of breath; irregular heartbeat; diarrhea; constipation; severe stomach pain, nausea or vomiting; dizziness; fainting; eye problems; extreme tiredness; changes in appetite, thirst or urine; rash; itching; confusion; memory problems; muscle pain or weakness; joint pain; flushing; or fever. these are not all the possible side effects. problems can occur together and more often when opdivo is used with yervoy. tell your doctor about all medical conditions including immune or nervous system problems, if you've had or plan to have an organ or stem cell transplant, or received chest radiation. here's to a chance to live longer. ask your doctor about the combination of two immunotherapies, opdivo plus yervoy. thank you to all those in our clinical trials. ♪ ♪

♪ "how bizarre" by omc ♪ no annual fee on any discover card. ♪ ♪ major cities across ukraine remain under full attack by russian forces tonight. this is cnn footage of kharkiv, once a bustling city of more than 1 million people, the second largest in ukraine. look at this. this is the second largest city in ukraine. the constant bombardment has forced millions of refugees from there and elsewhere mostly in eastern ukraine across the border to poland, where resources are now stretched incredibly thin. kyung lah is outfront tonight in warsaw. >> reporter: nothing can help 5-year-old yan understand how he and his mother ended up here, a packed convention all in warsaw,

poland, filled with thousands of ukrainians. >> he's constantly afraid. he's always afraid? "he's afraid to sleep alone," says his mother, after nights in this basement, as russian missiles leveled his neighborhood two hours north of kyiv. "everything is fine," she tells him. are you sure there's nothing flying here, he asks? >> they even don't know why they are here. they think maybe they can for some kind of vacation or -- >> they don't comprehend? >> no. >> because they're too young. >> yeah, too young. >> reporter: multiply yan by thousands a day and that's who this man is trying to help at what's the largest ukrainian refugee hub in all of europe with up to 7,000 refugees here a day. >> i must work, you know, and i don't have to think about such a things too much because it's --

it's really difficult, and it's a tragedy, you'll see. that's -- it's better not to think about that. >> reporter: the 1.5 million square foot expo is now a gateway to the rest of the world, where after crossing into poland, refugees begin the real process of finding a temporary life beyond war. they're waiting to go somewhere? estonia? >> yeah, they're getting to estonia. >> reporter: those with no destination yet wait. how long has this been going on? >> it's less than a month. >> less than a month? >> yeah. >> reporter: that becomes more challenging as a war stretches on. "thank you, warsaw," says this woman, a ukrainian, one of the more than 2 million ukrainians refugees that have arrived in poland, more than 300,000 in warsaw alone. >> the polish people will welcome ukrainians, whatever

happens, because they are fighting for our freedom, and we do understand that. but of course there is a certain limit what we can do. >> when you say you're at capacity, what do you mean? >> we've offered as a country free education, free health care to all of our guests, which of course means that, you know, our schools are going to be filled within weeks, that our hospitals are going to jam. >> reporter: warsaw's mayor says no one will be turned away, but he needs help. to help yan, his mother, and the people of ukraine. the polish people accepted us well, she says. >> good people. >> good people? >> yeah, good people. >> reporter: the mayor says his population of the city has increased by 20%, and that's just happened in one month. so what is extraordinary to him and really to us, erin, as we walk around is what we are not seeing. people sleeping on the streets, any tents anywhere. he says he's been able to do this successfully so far.

he's just not sure how much longer he can do that. >> that's obviously the crucial question. how much longer can all this stay? thank you, kyung. next, will smith just posting a message for chris rock. it's lawn season. and i need a lawn. quick. the fast way to bring it up to speed. is scotts turf builder rapid grs. rapigrass is a revolutionary mix of seed and fertilizer that will change the way you grow grass. it grows two times faster than seed alone for full, green grass in just weeks. after growing grass this fast, everything else just seems... slow. it's lawn season. let's get to the yard. download the scotts my lawn app today for your personalized lawn plan.

liberty mutual customizes your car insurance so you only pay for whatchya... line? need. liberty biberty— cut. liberty... are we married to mutual? only pay for what you need. ♪ liberty. liberty. liberty. liberty. ♪

if you're a small business, there are lots of choices when it comes to your internet and technology needs. but when you choose comcast business internet, you choose the largest, fastest reliable network. you choose advanced security for total peace of mind. and you choose fiber solutions with speeds up to 10 gigs to the most small businesses. that's virtually everywhere we serve. the choice is clear: make your business future ready with the network from the most innovative company. comcast business. powering possibilities™.

will smith moments ago apologizing to chris rock for slapping him at the oscars last night. it came after the comedian joked about smith's wife's hair. smith just writing this on instagram, quote. jokes at my expense are part of the job, but a joke about jada's medical condition was too much for me to bear and i reacted emotionally. i would like to publicly apologize to you, chris. i was out of line, and i was wrong. stephanie elam is outfront. >> reporter: a slap to the jaw that had jaws dropping all around the world, and the academy condemning will smith today, announcing a formal review to explore further action

and consequences. this after will smith confronted chris rock onstage for a joke about smith's wife. >> jada, i love you. g.i. jane 2, can't wait to see it. >> reporter: at first, smith appeared to laugh. but watch jada pinkett smith's face. their mood changes as the joke sinks in. >> oh, wow! wow! will smith just smacked the [ bleep ] out of me. >> keep my wife's name out your [ bleep ] mouth. >> wow, dude. >> yes. >> it was a g.i. jane joke. >> reporter: the dolby theater crowd stunned. denzel washington and others stepped in to counsel smith as sean combs called for calm. >> okay. will and chris, we're going to solve that like family at the gold party. >> reporter: rock's words a reference to the head shaven character from 1997's g.i. jane. over the years, though, pinkett

smith has spoken publicly about her struggles with alopecia. it's unclear if rock knew this when he made the comment onstage. >> will smith. >> reporter: when smith won best actor later in the night, the world waited to hear what he would say. >> i want to apologize to the academy. i want to apologize to all my fellow nominees. art imitates life. i look like the crazy father just like they said. >> reporter: obviously missing from his apologies, chris rock. the actors date back to at least the mid-'90s. >> which one of you handsome men is big willie? >> reporter: when rock appeared on the fresh prince of bel-air. but it was in 2016 when rock hosted the oscars that he took aim the smiths, joking that pinkett smith wasn't invited anyway and poking fun at the size of smith's paycheck for wild, wild west. it's unclear if any of that fed into the oscars fiasco.

smith later joining the party circuit with oscar in hand, dancing to one of his own songs. stephanie elam, cnn, hollywood. >> thanks so much for joining us. ac 360 starts now. good evening. whatever you'll hear tonight or heard over the weekend about russia shifting its military focus to eastern and southeastern ukraine, it might not be as simple as that because there has been shelling overnight in and around kyiv and other attacks in the west. despite news today from irpin's mayor that his suburban town had been liberated, the sight of residents being helped out of what the mayor said could soon become a combat zone again was sobering. the same could be said for ukraine's general staff, the defenses within mariupol continue to hold because this is mariupol. look at that. ukrainian officials now say 90% of the city's residential buildings have been damaged or