isised ♪ the barnes firm injury attorneys ♪ ♪ call one eight hundred, eight million ♪ this is cnn breaking news. >> hello, welcome to our viewers in the united states and around the world. i'm john vause reporting live from lviv in ukraine. ukrainian forces now rapidly expanding battlefield gains as more russian troops withdraw from northern ukraine. this country's deputy defense minister on saturday declared the kyiv region liberated. an adviser to president volodymyr zelenskyy says another 30 towns and villages once again under ukrainian control. the president himself says russian forces are being eliminated wherever they're found.

>> translator: our defenders continue to regain control of localities in kyiv and chernihiv region. more and more ukrainian flags are being flown in areas which used to be occupied. ukrainian armed forces do not let the enemy withdraw without a fight. they are pounding the enemy, destroying all those we can reach. >> according to u.s. intelligence, moscow has set a goal of controlling the eastern region of donbas by early may. and ukrainian officials in the port city of odesa say russian missiles were fired on the city early this morning, hitting critical infrastructure. a cnn team reports a few depot is on fire. cnn correspondents are covering the conflict from every angle. david mckenzie in london, salma abdelaziz in hungary, ben wedeman in central ukraine. we'll begin with ed lavandera

live in odesa with more on that missile strike which we believe set a fuel depot on fire. what's the latest from where you are? >> reporter: we were jolted away just before sunrise with multiple missile strike on this this fuel depot. you can see that darkness you see in the sky, not clouds, that is the smoke rising from the scene there as firefighters continue to work, and they have been at that scene for several hours already this morning. we were at the scene, and it is a largely industrial area of the city. but there are a number of apartment buildings just across the street from where this fuel depot hit. we spoke with several witnesses who were dangerously close to where the blast detonated this morning. they told us that -- three people told us in recent days they had seen drones flying over at night, these fuel depot

areas, describing them almost as if they were reconnance drones flying over this target. that was one of the things that had stood out to them in recent days, days leading up to this attack. this is the second time since the invasion of ukraine started that the city of odesa has been attacked. the first time it happened was early on. this is the second strike here in the city. it had been relatively quiet for a while, for much of the last week, though this is definitely quite the departure from what has happened. but it's also in line with what -- the types of strikes we have seen from russian forces in many parts of the country where they have been targeting strategic infrastructure like this, fuel depots in various parts of the country. local officials here this morning are telling us that so far they are not reporting any injuries in the apartment buildings just across the street from the fuel depot, that we saw

smashed-out windows, the impact blowing out windows in the apartment complex. many people there very troubled and kind of shocked by what they witnessed here in the early hours this morning just before sunrise. >> quickly, while we have you, any suggestion this fuel depot was being used for military purposes or civilian purposes? >> reporter: hard to say. officials here aren't saying exactly what -- who counts on that fuel. so i have a hard time kind of just being 100% accurate on what exactly that fuel depot was supporting. but as i mentioned, it's a fuel depot in a highly industrial area of this city. >> okay, ed, thank you. appreciate that update. ed lavandera from odesa, thank

you. while russian forces withdraw they are leaving behind a trail of death and destruction. cnn's fred pleitgen has those details. a warning, some of the images in his report are graphic. >> reporter: it's certainly gotten a lot quieter here in the ukrainian capital of kyiv. we have air raid sirens a couple of times during the day, but by and large it's a lot less than this past week, even the past couple of days. the ukrainians are essentially saying that the russians are leaving the districts around kyiv, are retreating. the russians claim this was always part of their plan and they're just pulling back. what we're seeing now as the russians are moving out is that they certainly have taken some serious losses. i was out in some of these districts around kyiv, and we saw a lot of tank carcasses, destroyed armored vehicles, and also positions that were abandoned by the russians as they moved out of here. the other thing, unfortunately, that we're also finding is that there are still a lot of dead bodies that have yet to be

recovered. there was video that came out of a district called bucha, northwest of kyiv, where the streets seemed to be lined with co corpses. the ukrainians say they're going to try to bring some of them away and clean that area up. the ukrainians for their part are saying this is definitely not the end. they say they believe the russian forces were beaten as they tried to invade the capital, kyiv, and are essentially trying to regroup. ukrainian officials say they believe that attacks will intensify, especially in the southeast of the country. it's certainly something they're bracing for. >> fred pleitgen with that report. we're joined from kyiv with alexandra metchevkuk, human rights lawyer. how are you coping in kyiv? what's been happening there overnight? are you feeling a little safer

now that russian forces appear to be redeploying? >> it was a first time weed a a quiet night, but i couldn't sleep. for weeks before, we gather testimonies from people from settlements in the region. but yesterday we saw horrible reports and videos. and it's -- it's a real shock. >> there's also reports coming from ukraine's attorney general of an investigation that russian soldiers have been using children as human shields, placing them on tanks, using busloads of children in front of armored vehicles, holding them hostage so their parents would not give away their location. what have you heard about that? what do you know? >> we tried to check such information, but what we can say for the current moment, that the war crimes have so systematic and large-scale character, in each part where russian troops are presented to try to occupy, that we can clearly state that russia used war crimes as a

mass. it can't be any excuse. there is no military necessity in such situations. >> it seems war crimes and blatant human rights abuses are being committed in realtime across this country. yet there are no international observers on the ground trying to monitor what's been happening. and there is a risk if they're here, but how crucial is it to have monitors here right now to witness what's happening, rather than starting an investigation long after the fact? >> it's very essential. it can provide at least an effort to show brutality in human rights violations. international organization, ask them to ensure international presence, international monitoring on the ground. because when the war started, they drove their stuff to a safe place in ukraine or even abroad.

we're still waiting for a response for more than a month already. >> clearly there's a need for someone to be here to witness what's happening. what is the situation as far as you know in bucher? we have heard from one ukrainian member of parliament saying there are mass grapes, civilians, hands tied behind their back, shot in the back of the head, murdered. graphic images we're seeing. what do you understand what has happened there during that russian occupation? >> it was a terror against civilians. according to the international humanitarian military law, military has to provide a clear distinction between militant and civilian people. people found dead on the street with hands tied behind their back, they were civilians. they were unarmed. no purpose, no legitimate purpose to kill them. so russians did it deliberately. >> how do you hold these people accountable?

>> we are working on gathering evidence of war crimes throughout the country with the efforts of hundreds of volunteers. and we lan to work with international criminal court, with international commission of u.n. human rights council, and we also promote the idea of international hybrid now. >> alexandra, thank you for being with us, i wish you well in everything you're doing. stay safe, please. thank you. >> thanks. coming up on "cnn newsroom," a church in a small ukrainian town has become a temporary home for refugees fleeing russian attacks. how they made a daring escape. that's ahead. you don't know how much pressure you put on your septic system. but rid-x does. in a 21 montnth study, scientists proved that rid- x reducess

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essential mist aroma fragrances. a soothing blend of essential oils curated with eucalyptus and lavender to wrap you in relaxation and transform your mood. air wick essential mist aroma. another journalist has died covering vladimir putin's war of choice. maxim levin was killed by russian forces near kyiv. photo journalist found unarmed,

two gunshot wounds. he'd worked for a number of major western news outlets including reuters and bbc. reuters said it's deeply saddened by his loss and called his death a huge loss to the world of journalism. levin described himself as a documentary photographer, videographer, father, and human being. even as russia pulls back in some parts of the country, aid groups are struggling to get ukrainians out of harm's way. the international committee for the red cross has managed to get to the battered city of irpin in recent days. they've treated the injured and hope to return next week with more central supplies. the aid group was unable to reach mariupol. even after arrangements were made, conditions were imp impossible. 100,000 residents remain trapped. according to the united nations, more than 4.1 million refugees have fled ukraine since this war began. ukraine says more than 4,000 people were evacuated through humanitarian corridors on saturday. but with russian attacks making

it hard to keep the corridors open, some refugees are finding their way to safety through unconventional methods. here's cnn's ben wedeman. >> reporter: everything will be all right, he sings, for every one of us. ♪ words of comfort for those desperately in need. popular singer and former lawmaker siavto goes from village to village with a simple message. >> smile. >> reporter: this church is now home, temporary home, for those who have managed to flee russian-occupied territory. volunteering in the kitchens, svetlana finds peace but not peace of mind. "it's really hard, people here are very nice but i just want to go home."

vitaly, a mechanic in peacetime, now runs a complex operation feeding and housing the displaced. >> this war make us like a family, very close. >> reporter: the church feels like an oasis of the ordinary, far from the madness outside. early evening and a bus approaches marked in russian for "children." alas, no guarantee of safety. it's coming from a town under russian control. but it didn't pass through a humanitarian corridor negotiated by the red cross. the arrangement whereby these people are able to get out of the russian-occupied areas to here is very simple. men on the bus give russian

soldiers food and cigarettes, and the russian soldiers let them pass. larisa made it out bit remains tormented by fear for those who couldn't get away. "everything is really bad," she says. her parents are still hiding out in the basement of their town. she hopes they'll get out tomorrow. ben wedeman, cnn, southern ukraine. many people fleeing ukraine, poland is their first stop on a journey to safety. salma abdel aziz is across the border in poland, at a border town there where many of these ukrainian refugees have been arriving. selma, what's the scene there like today? >> reporter: john, this is the train station here on the border that hundreds of families flee through every day. it's a sleepy, snowy sunday morning here, but we've just

heard another train is about to arrive. you have to understand these train times are not consistent given the situation on the ground. volunteers essentially show up and ask around, when's the next train? how can we help? i want to show you around this train station. it's become a halfway point for these refugees. you can see there's a reception point over there that you can sign up as soon as you come in. they're going to offer you a hot cup of coffee, tea, a warm smile. they're going to want to make you feel welcome. people in high-visibility jackets, these are volunteers, here to answer questions, here to give people a sense of dignity, comfort. many of these families don't know what they're doing next. they come here, they start ringing the phones, asking about friends. they might find someone with a sign "destination munich" and hitch a ride with them. it's touch and go. basic medical assistance here. we know there is some paramedics and an ambulance if anybody needs to be checked out. there's specific signs for women who are pregnant or with babies that might need medical

attention. this hallway, you're going to see, this has become a waiting area. people overnight here, they sleep here, they take a few hours here to take a beat, take a breath. yes, of course this looks absolutely chaotic and it is at times, this hallway, completely packed with people sleeping here, laying here. they fled war but they don't know what's next. i'm going to keep walking down this hallway to give you a sense of the space. i think what's astounding is how many children you see, john. again, people have come with just what they can carry. so these kids have small toys that they're keeping distracted with. oftentimes that's about it. just outside, there is a food kitchen, a little tent food kit kitchen, a warm meal. they've already started serving breakfast this morning. down this way there's a play room that kids can play in once it's opened up. here's a little first aid station. so yes, this is a beautiful train station, actually, looking at it. 19th century embroidered with gold and trim.

it's become just this halfway point for refugees coming out of ukraine to take a moment here, find these volunteers, get a warm cup of tea, get a meal, try to figure out what's next. so far, 2.4 million of these refugees are here in poland. >> it looks like a tragic scene from world war ii in so many ways, salma. when the ukrainians arrive, you say some just don't have a plan, they don't know if they'll stay in poland, they don't know if they'll move on to other countries. how long will poland continue to accept refugees? they've already taken in over 2 million. i guess they've given every indication they'll take more but there has to be a ceiling at some point, surely? >> reporter: for the polish government, they've been very open that they want to welcome these refugees, that they feel a sense of connection. that doesn't just happen at a governmental level. there are families that we've seen show up at these train station saying, i can take you in for a week, for a couple of

weeks, how can i help? there's a deep sense of connection to what's happening to the families in ukraine, and that connection reaching back to families here in poland. they really want to help out. but you hear over and over again the polish government saying, we can't carry this alone, we need help, we need the international community to step in. they're asking for support, but they want to keep their doors open. >> god bless, salma abdelaziz, great reporting, thank you. putin's war increasing pressure on his political allies like hungary. voting is under way in the toughest re-election bid the right-wing prime minister has faced in more than a decade. his opponent has argued alban is simply a russian leader wannabe. more now from budapest. >> reporter: victor orban by most measures is the eu leader closest to vladimir putin recently. three weeks before the war began, orban took a trip to moscow, welcomed by putin across

a very long table. national elections in hungary on sunday will test whether orban's 12-year run as prime minister will go another four years. his relationship with putin is suddenly at the center of hungarian politics. what began as a campaign focused on local issues now has opposition leaders determined to link orban with putin and his bloody war in ukraine. with political attack ads painting orban as moscow's puppet, a strongman leader determined to side with authoritarian russia instead of the democratic west. this ad saying, quote, we want hungary to be a western country again. if you're voting for orban, you're voting for putin. or this one saying, quote, orban, tell your friend of 12 years, don't kill. orban has undeniably supported putin over the years, expanding the russian/hungarian

partnership. >> for russian policies of victor orban, which are very important building block of his entire political vision, are now exposed. >> reporter: with putin's popularity plummeting, the opposition calculus is simple. orban plus putin equals a winning political strategy. but not so fast. orban is fighting back. call it a flip-flop or pivot. orban is no longer putin's best buddy. even though he's not openly criticizing him personally, the hungarian leader went along with initial eu sanctions against russia, has described the invasion as russian aggression, and despite being vehemently anti-immigrant for years now has let in hundreds of thousands of ukrainian refugees in the past few weeks. he says, we are a great country which gives everything to people who are fleeing trouble. since the war began, orban has refused to let weapons pass through hungary to ukraine or provide military aid, but he's

deflected any criticism of that by claiming he is simply a man of peace. counting on the notion that many hungarians want nothing to do with the war. >> the gut reaction of most of the public is that, oh, oh, we should just not get involved with this stink. >> orban has taken advantage of that? >> that's what they are trying. >> reporter: whether it works remains to be seen. polling, which isn't always reliable, has orban and his party in front. one big name the opposition hopes will change that? that's ukrainian president volodymyr zelenskyy, who has criticized what he calls orban's lack of support for ukraine's fight for its existence. but it's not clear if that will be enough. at an anti-orban rally on saturday, ukraine flags flew and the crowd kept pushing the

orban/putin narrative. but not many showed up. whether that's an ominous sign for the opposition or as a result of cold, rainy weather, we'll find out when the votes come in. matt rivers, cnn, budapest, hungary. a quick reminder, if you would like to help the people of ukraine, please go to cnn.com/impact. last time we checked, cnn viewers like you have helped raise more than $7 million to help people in need in ukraine and neighboring countries, help provide shelter, food, water, and other essential needs. if you can, please help. thank you for watching. i'm john vause live in lviv, ukraine. for our international viewers, "vital signs" is up next. for viewers in north america, we will be back with more breaking news after a short break.

welcome back to our viewers in the united states. just gone half past the hour. john vause live in lviv. the latest developments from ukraine. officials in odesa say critical infrastructure was hit during russian strikes this morning. a cnn crew saw a massive fire at a local fuel depot creating a plume of smoke visible for miles away. ukraine's deputy defense minister says the kyiv region has been liberated, cleared of russian forces. cnn cannot independently confirm that. still, ukrainian troops have been gaining ground around the capital as the russian military

says it's de-escalating. also in the capital, we're hearing from two former ukrainian prisoners of war swapped during a prisoner exchange with russia. they say ukrainian soldiers were forced to shout "glory to russia" during their captivity and if they refused, they were beaten. as russia pulls back from areas around kyiv, new video shows some of the horrors that are left behind. a warning now, what you are about to see is graphic. these images show corpses left on the side of a road, many dressed in civilian clothes. this is the town of bucha. there are reports people had their hands tied behind their back before being shot. more than 300 residents were killed. i spoke to a ukrainian lawmaker about the extent of the bloodshed. >> i have seen these bodies with my own eyes. i have seen the destruction. this is something i have never seen before in my life. they $were so many bodies. we have found a grave of 300

people. all killed right there, women and children and men. i think the international tribunal is possible. this is the point where we as politicians, as members of parliament, is working, we are gathering evidence, we are creating the judicial baseline for that. so at some point, not only putin, but everybody who gave the orders, who executed on the orders, will be able to come to trial and be prosecuted and then executed. we want a nuremberg process, no less. this is something that would need to happen because what we have seen, it's not -- it's not war crimes, it's just crimes against humanity. it's devastation. how is it possible that people would do something like that? and here in the peaceful outskirts of the capital. you know, more than a month ago,

these people were alive, they were living their normal lives, they were creating world-known patents, they were living like europeans. everything was just normal. and now it is like in the movies from the second world war. but it is worse because you can see it in your own eyes. with vladimir putin redeploying his forces away from the northern part of ukraine to the east, u.s. intelligence believes he's working on a fatherly tight time frame. according to u.s. officials, vladimir putin wants that area under control by early may. the ukrainian president zelenskyy says ukrainians who keep fighting no matter what, here he is. >> translator: we are aware that the enemy has resolved to increase pressure in the east. what is the goal of russian troops? they want to capture both donbas and the south of ukraine. what is our goal? protect us, our freedom, our

land, and our people. >> let's get more on this may deadline. cnn's david mckenzie live in london. this is coming from new intelligence that basically says, the russian president wants some kind of significant progress to be seen by early may. what are we looking at here? what date is this, why is it significant? >> early may, may 9th, victory day. that is traditionally a day in russia to celebrate the victory over the nazi invasion at the end of world war ii. u.s. officials are saying that according to intelligence coming out from the u.s. on the russians' thinking is that they were hoping or putin is hoping to have some significant victory or show some significant victory in the eastern part of ukraine and in the south by that date where there is usually a large-scale military parade. i have to say that other officials, particularly in the european union, are skeptical

about that aggressive date given the grinding conflict we've seen over the last few weeks and the withdrawal of forces from russia from the kyiv region. but there is some sense that they wish to have some kind of symbolic victory, at least, or something to show by that date. may 9th. >> something to show, okay. you know, there are also these peace talks which are ongoing. there's two schools here. there's one school which says, keep talking because at least there's a chance for peace, you have to engage. but there are others who believe the russians are engaged in these talks for purely duplicitous reasons, to buy time to refocus forces in the east. against that backdrop, what are the chances of having some kind of negotiated settlement to this conflict? >> most experts say it's pretty low. also, again on that so-called may 9th deadline, the russians

controlled the media to a large extent inside russia. so no matter what is happening in the grinding conflict, they will be able to show whatever they want. which again leads to skepticism of these ongoing talks. there has been some statements in recent hours from ukrainian negotiators saying that they believe there is some progress being made from their point of view. but any kind of solid deal seems far off. >> so far, verbal agreements and nothing more from the russians. i guess take what you get. david mckenzie live in london, thank you. cnn has a closer look at some of the destruction left behind by russian forces. that includes the remains of the world's largest cargo airplane. ukraine says the antonov was destroyed on a russian attack on an airport in kyiv when all this began. one of the pilots of the plane says there's no hope it can be

restored. >> translator: the cockpit was here, right here. nothing left. only three engines left. the sadness is so indescribable. i just realized that exactly two months ago, i went on my last business trip. i flew and could never have imagined such things happening. >> the cargo plane could carry up to 250 tons and was used for a variety of purposes, including the delivery of humanitarian aid. it will not be doing that any more. thank you, russia. kim bruin huber in atlanta with more of the day's news, kim? >> thanks so much, john. great coverage out there, appreciate it. it has the makings of a huge crisis at the u.s. border. restriction that kept migrants out is ending as thousands of asylum seekers are expected at the border. we'll take a look at what happens next. emerge tremfyant®. with tremfya®...

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button and his regime will not stop in ukraine. this regime and his army will not be defeated here right now in ukraine. and over pressure of sanctions, over their military defeat on ukrainian soil, is the only way to do that. because if not, they will continue to -- they will be a threat to the entire world. >> that was a ukrainian air force pilot speaking to our jim acosta. he added, the u.s. and nato countries should arm ukraine to the teeth and take back its territories. he says sanctions will force russia to collapse, but until that happens, russia remains a threat to peace. pope francis says he's considering a trip to ukraine despite the obvious danger of the war. the pope said a possible visit to kyiv was, quote, on the table after a reporter asked about it while they were flying to malta for a papal visit.

pope francis explicitly criticized russian president vladimir putin over the invasion as well. >> translator: once again, some potentate sadly called up an knack ra istic claims is provoking and fomenting conflicts. a future will either be shared or not be at all. >> pope francis also received a photo and a letter from the family of a fox news cameraman who was killed in ukraine along with his producer. the pope responded and he told the family, quote, "he is up there." the ukrainian refugee crisis is reaching across the atlantic to america's southern border. mexican officials say hundreds of ukrainians fleeing the russian violence have arrived in the mexican border city of tijuana. some 1,500 refugees are seeking asylum in the u.s., and more are expected to come. u.s. department of homeland security is allowing ukrainians

to be exempted from trump-era border restrictions on case-by-case basis. mexican officials expectation all migrants to enter the u.s., but authorities there have been slow to process them. according to volunteers on the ground, most are just happy to be there. >> most of them are tired, most of them just want to get across. some of them haven't slept for days. so they're tired, some of them are upset. but i think most of them are happy to be here and have a chance to cross over and be in a safe place. >> on tuesday the u.s. government could end a trump-era restriction that kept thousands of migrants out of the country. it's called title 42. it's a pandemic restriction that effectively blocked migrants from crossing into the u.s. from mexico. polo sandoval explains why some officials say this is the worst possible time to make the change. >> reporter: with the predicted surge in migrant families expected in the coming weeks, the department of homeland

security of the united states saying it is preparing for a worst-case scenario, and that could mean, according to the federal government, up to 18,000 asylum-seeking people showing up at the nation's doorstep. that certainly is concerning. some critics of that biden administration and the announcement that was made on friday have expressed concern that the infrastructure at many of these border communities is not ready to handle an expected uptick in migrant families. the key issue here are these communities, temporary communities of migrants that have basically popped up in mexican border towns, including this one in brand-new cnn drone video just across the rio grande, a few blocks from where i'm standing at this hour. and these are migrants, according to sources, many of them have been basically expelled back. there are others who have made that journey to the doorstep of the united states but due to that title 42 public health authority have decided to simply wait out that policy until it's no longer an issue. then that announcement made by

the biden administration on friday that it will essentially allow that to expire c come may 23rd, there's concern many people who are waiting there, potentially 10,000 in this border town alone, will seize that opportunity to finally show up at ports of entry and declare asylum. and that is what's dividing many people in border towns throughout the country. polo sandoval, cnn, hidalgo, texas. we made it through pandemic shutdowns, but some small american business owners say the soaring cost of goods and gas is threatening their survival. ahead on cnn, how they're fighting to keep their doors open.

welcome back. right now, many u.s. businesses are trying to weather soaring inflation and fuel costs and an environment where there seem to be more available jobs than available workers. nadia romero visited a bakery in atlanta, georgia, where difficult financial decisions have to be made every day. >> reporter: every step of the baking process now costs more.

>> and you look at your cost of goods sold and you are like, whoa. >> almost eight years ago, they started cupcakery in east point, georgia. their baking business almost a bust during pandemic shutdowns. >> that first two weeks was probably the scariest time of my life, period. because we did not know. >> but cupcakery has kept baking and surviving. the president touting booming job growth nationwide. wages up, unemployment down. georgia commissioner of labor mark butler says the state is an example of record-breaking bounceback. >> you take a look right now in georgia, we have, you know, been breaking records in a lot of the different sectors, like, you know, talking about professional services, healthcare, you know, warehousing, transportation. and so we are doing really good all the way around. >> reporter: but inflation plagues the economy. deliveries carried cupcakery through covid. but now, skyrocketing gas prices sour the sweet treats. >> gas prices are ridiculous. um, so we had to, you know, increase our delivery costs for

the first time ever. >> reporter: and baking staples? >> doubled. the cost for each cupcake at this point. >> reporter: in 2019, cupcakery would pay about $18 per 15 dozen eggs. now? >> they are $55 for 15 dozen. >> reporter: cream cheese, about $6 per three-pound loaf. now? >> $11 per loaf. so almost double the price of that. >> reporter: their bottom line just didn't add up. >> last year, we actually had our busiest year ever and our lowest profit margin ever, as well. >> how does that happen? >> just everything's going up. like, tenfold. >> reporter: so for the first time, cupcakery's cupcakes now cost 5 to 10% more. >> you want a cupcake, we have got to charge the cost to make them. >> banana pudding. red velvet. >> reporter: customers take note. >> i did frequent another bakery where their cakes are -- they're

nice but the prices are excessive. so, again, another reason for me to come and have the opportunity to try something different at a cost that i feel is inviting. >> reporter: a recent u.s. chamber of commerce survey shows most small business owners have raised their prices due to inflation while also making big changes to attract a strong workforce. >> i still think we are a ways off to figuring out what the landscape is going to look like because there's been so many resets when it comes to the cost of goods, the cost of doing business, and wages. >> reporter: with baby number two on the way, they fight to open a second cupcakery location despite their challenges. >> some days, you can't sleep at night when you see the -- the numbers. but we're a business, and we know we have to stay in business. >> reporter: georgia commissioner of labor, mark butler, says when inflation is driven by increases in wages, that is not something you can easily roll back. but he says answering the

question of how do you stop inflation is harder now than it's ever been. nadia romero, cnn, atlanta. america's most populous state is already experiencing its driest year in nearly a century. america's most populous state is already experiencing its driest year in nearly a century. new evidence shows the dry spellman worsening. in california's last snowpack survey, 2 1/2 inches of snow were measured. it should be around 5 feet. let's talk about this historic drought with karen maginnis. i was in california covering the governor, sticking that ruler into the snowpack. it looks like he doesn't need a ruler to measure that. >> kim, you said it. what we've seen year after year, long stretches of drought, and yes, the department of water resources takes a look at this and it must be horrifying. because this is a dire situation. that winter snowpack is so vital

for what happens during those lean months. lean months meaning those months where you don't really see much moisture. fire season essentially has stretched out to the whole year. when we're looking at something like this, when there should be at least shoulder-height worth of snowfall and we're not seeing it, that's spelling something in the future that may not be pleasant to look forward to. perhaps the hydroelectric power that's generated from the snowpack, there's just not enough water. also for agricultural needs, urban needs. that water's not going to be there. 100% of los angeles county, 100% of the population is under drought conditions. some more severe than others. we have nine states across the west, and as a result, just about everybody here, 93% of these nine states under some sort of drought situation. there you can see across

interior nevada, also oregon, there are some more dire areas. is this going to change? chances are, not one or two snow events or rain events are going to be impacting this severe drought that we're seeing. there you see california. some of those interior counties have been really impacted as well. they are in dire need of moisture. but we've seen this ridge of high pressure, and it's very typical for this time of year, but most of that moisture goes around that ridge and is headed into the pacific northwest. snow levels are lowering. as a matter of fact, some of those higher elevations could see as much as 4 feet. for california, it looks like very little, at least in the short-term. >> yeah, those restrictions that they'll have to enact, cue the political wrangling over the solutions. such a hot-button issue there in california. karen maginnis, thank you so much, appreciate it. monday night's march madness men's title game is now set.

kansas easily defeated villanova 81-65 in the first semifinal game. kansas has won three championships in their history. the last one coming in 2008. they will meet six-time champions north carolina for the title. the tar heels defeated their bitter rival duke in a nail-biter 81-77. duke's loss means the end of a legendary coaching career. coach mike may y krzyzewski, th all-time winningest coach in ncaa history. i'm kim bruin hibber. i'll be back with the latest developments in russia's war on ukraine after the break. please do stay with us.

♪♪ i'm using xfinity xfi's powerful, reliable connection to stream “conference calls” on every one of these devices. i'm “filing my taxes” early. “wedding planning.” we're streaming uh... “seminars.” are your vows gonna make me cry? yes! babe. (chuckles) look at that! another write off. that's a foul! what kind of call is that!? definitely “not” watching basketball. not us. i wouldn't do that.

hello and welcome to all of you watching us here in the united states, canada, and all around the world. i'm kim brunhuber. i want to get straight to our breaking news. ukrainian forces are capitalizing on recent battlefield successes, as more russian troops pull out of northern ukraine. ukraine's deputy defense minister on saturday declared the northern kyiv region liberated, but there are reports of increased shelling and missile strikes in the south. ukrainian officials in the port of odesa say several russian missiles were fired on the city early this