tonight pennsylvania senator john fetterman still hospitalized nearly two weeks after he checked himself in to walter reed for clinical depression. today fetterman's office released a statement acknowledging his recovery will be a weeks long process. he originally checked himself into walter reed after feeling light headed a week earlier. he is of course still recovering from the stroke he suffered last may. thanks so much for joining us. "ac 360" begins now. good evening. tonight one rising super power and two big stories with global impact whether to do with the looming threat in the biggest european armed conflict since

the second world war or new assessment of the worst pandemic since 1918 china is front and center tonight. on ukraine members of the administration spoke today and over the weekend warning beijing that arming russia would be a mistake. >> we are confident that the chinese leadership is considering the provision of lethal equipment that would be a very risky and unwise bet. >> bill burns, the cia director. on covid we learned yesterday that the department of energy has assessed in a newly updated intelligence report that it most likely originated from a laboratory leak. cnn has just learned the reason for that updated report. three sources telling cnn that the department of energy shift was based in part on information about the research that the chinese centers for disease control, the chinese cdc in wuhan, was doing around the time of the outbreak on a coronavirus variant. cnn has previously reported that the lab was studying coronaviruses m bats but it is unclear how closely related the variants were to the strain which started the pandemic.

as for the energy department's new assessment it is described as low confidence and is a minority view apparently within the intelligence community. that said, it still sparked new calls for transparency from china. >> we'd wish to see from the prc a greater degree of responsibility, greater acknowledgment that it is in the interest of the chinese people, yes, to better understand the origins of covid-19, but in the interests of people around the world to understand the origins of covid-19. >> today's development also prompted two leading house republicans to send letters demanding the state department, department of energy, and fbi provide testimony and documents related to the ongoing probe of the pandemic's origins. china's foreign ministry also weighed in calling on relevant parties to, quote, stop vilifying china and politicizing the issue. in a moment more on china's potential role in the ukraine crisis but right now our cnn medical analyst, and senior

intelligence analyst john miller. how much stock should anybody put in the department of energy assessment if they are saying confidence is low? what does that mean? >> when you do an intelligence assessment high confidence means certainly. most likely. medium confidence means likely, probably. low confidence means possibly maybe, maybe not. so the answer is, we shouldn't put much stock in it. they're coming to a conclusion based on incomplete intelligence. they are one of 16 agencies that were asked to look at this. we've seen the votes from other agencies. so they're saying based on what we have, which isn't all we need to come to a solid conclusion, this is our choice but we're not solid on it. >> reporter: dr. wen, cnn learned this update from the department of energy assessment was in part based on information the chinese cdc in wuhan was

studying coronavirus variant around the time of the outbreak. how is that different from what was already known about the work the lab was doing? >> anderson, i don't know. we would need more information because we had already known that the two labs in wuhan, the chinese cdc as well as the wuhan institute of virilology, they were studying coronavirus, an active area of research for them. to have more evidence in favor of the lab leak theory we would have to find that the samples they were working with in the lab were genetically linked or genetically the same as the ones that caused illness in those individuals infected with covid-19 initially. we don't have that information. i think the bigger issue here is that we know that there are two possible theories, the lab leak theory, the animal spill over theory. there are data points in both directions but if both are possible we also need to protect against the next pandemic by working to protect the world against both of these possibilities. so in a sense it is an all of

the above approach. if the goal is actually to improve human health which is we have to improve laboratory biosafety and at the same time reduce the likelihood of spill over from animals to humans. >> there is still a lot we need to learn about covid in terms of how to respond to the next pandemic. should schools be shut down like they were? it doesn't seem like that was that great an idea. obviously we know a lot more. how important is it to know exactly where it came from? >> it is important. it is important to know if that was a natural occurrence out of a food market in wuhan that sells exotic animals where this could come from. intelligence officers don't like coincidence, anderson. the idea there were two labs there working in this field of all places is certainly suggestive. but the question you pinpoint is was this something milled in the lab, was this something that could be weaponized, is that why it spread so fast? was this a natural occurrence?

and even going back to the director of national intelligence, the national intelligence council, the gray beards of the entire spy world and their conclusions, when you go back to the original report, four intelligence agencies believed it was a natural exposure from an animal. one intelligence agency which we believe was the fbi said with moderate confidence they believed it was a leak from the lab. and three remained unable to coalesce around a given theory because of the intelligence gaps. the things we didn't know. so the department of energy coming over gives us a signal but a confusing one when they say low confidence. >> was anything ruled out like bioterrorism? >> what was ruled out was an intentional leak or launch. that is really important to know. because of all countries that were hurt by this, china was hurt first and hardest and longest. so the idea of intentionality has been ruled out by all of the intelligence agencies based on

what they know. the question is was it a government accident or was it an animal accident in a market? a natural exposure? >> dr. wen, what i don't understand is something like hiv, genetists have they been able to figure out it came from southeastern camaroon i think it was, several monkeys, siv combined of several monkeys, an approximate time frame prior of 1920 to 1908 if they can do that with hiv how come they can't with covid? >> a lot of it has to do with the lack of transparency by the chinese government which has been actively obstructing investigation to the point that we don't even know how much information we can trust coming from them. it is because of the obstruction that we may actually never know the answer here, which is really disappointing. but i think that is why we need to shift the question from the

important one as john was saying of what caused covid to instead ask if either of these theories is true, then what? i think we are at that point where i just don't really see the chinese government at any point soon opening up their investigative logs and letting independent researchers in. so if that is the case we as a world can move on and say, there was no intentionality. it was an accident in some way. so how do we prevent this from happening again in the future? >> thank you for joining us. now the "new york times" foreign affairs columnist tom friedman and also best selling author. there was a spokesman for the state department who said today china had been blocking from the beginning international investigators, members of the global health community from accessing information they need to understand the origins of covid-19. how important do you think it is to understand where this virus originated? >> anderson, listening to the

previous conversation we know two things for sure. one is this virus emerged from wuhan. and the other is that from the very beginning chooen has -- china has not cooperated in giving the world health organization the raw data that they would need to determine exactly where this virus emerged from. and that's been the case from the very beginning. >> if the u.s. government were to conclude with the reasonable degree of certainty that it originated in a chinese lab, not intentional, but got out, what are the options going forward? how would that impact things? >> i don't see what you can do today because the chinese will never admit it. we're not going to go to war with them or sanction them over this. i don't think the rest of the world with -- would be with us. i think it is something the chinese have to think about because it would increase their isolation in the world.

they have taken the decision basically to not release the raw data. they suppressed the information when the virus emerged, the information it was transmitted from humans to humans and suppressed their own doctors and early scientists the raw data you would need to know what emerged from the market, what were the neighborhoods, who were the people. without that it is really hard to determine anything. >> in terms of china and ukraine, if china gives lethal military aid to russia -- drones, artillery, you know, long-range artillery, ammunition, how does that change the dynamics of the war? >> that would be huge, anderson. that would be world war 3 kind of stuff. that would be china and russia against i would say the european union and the united states, which makes me surprised that the chinese would do that since the european union and the united states are their two biggest export markets. i think what may be going on is a wrestling match inside china. i think there are some chinese

officials, military people probably saying you know the americans have been sticking it to us all year. they stuck it to us on semiconductors, on wawa, our companies, and meanwhile have been asking us to stay out of the war. maybe we should ask them how about a little fire, scare crow? what if we threw some weapons into this thing. that is one school. i think there is another school that recognizes wait a minute. we've been under covid lockdown for three years. we decide we're finally going to open up again to the world, invite foreign investors here, send chinese business people, students, and academics out into the world. the last thing we need to do now is enter the war on the losing side. i think there is a bit of a fight going on inside china and i suspect the administration decided to elevate this information and bring it public in order to tip that internal fight. >> what about taiwan though? doesn't that factor into this in their thinking? >> it certainly does. i would just say as a general

rule, anderson, i have, i would rather not be in a war with china. you know? i live by the rule, let's not fight china and russia at the same time. right now we are in a big indirect war with russia. if i can at all avoid it i'd rather not be in a conflict with china, too, at the same time. i think i also not want to be creating a situation where china's president feels if he doesn't take taiwan right now then he is not going to be able to take it at all. we are not ready to defend taiwan right now. taiwan would not be ready to defend from an onslaught from xi. we should be very quietly arming taiwan to the teeth and say nothing. we want xi jinping to wake up every morning and look at taiwan and say, na, not today. any time you make it that he feels he has to act you're doing something very reckless. >> do you think there is something the united states could offer china as an incentive to not pursue a

weapons deal with ukraine? i mean relief from tariffs, something similar? they are, you know, getting a lot from russia in terms of cheap energy. >> yeah. no, i think the administration acted wisely if there is this debate inside but i think it is very important again we not be talking ourselves into a war with china. i actually don't like to use the word china sometimes. i much prefer one-sixth of humanity who speak chinese die elects. i would rather not if i can avoid it be at war with one-sixth of humanity who speak chinese dialects. i want to stay the course as we've always been on with china, build bridges where possible and draw and arm red lines where necessary. but i am very worried when i see a congressman or republican congressman attack judy chu, the first chinese american in congress saying she shouldn't have a security clearance. that is terrible stuff.

mccarthy era stuff we don't want to repeat. let's everybody calm down here a little bit and not talk ourselves into war with china. a conflict, stand-off may be necessary. but let's be smart about this. >> tom friedman, appreciate it. thank you. next the 2020 election lies fox news personalities foisted on viewers and what fox chairman rupert murdoch admitted about them under oath. a new court filing lays it out. details when we come back. later the defense rests in the alex murdaugh trial. what murdaugh's brother said on the stand today and what could happen when jurors visit the scene of the crime. ♪ ♪ ♪

♪ ♪ ♪ get it with gurus. cargurus. ♪ i gotta good feeling about this, yeah ♪ ♪ i'm with it ♪ ♪ i gotta good feeling about this ♪ ♪ yeah, ♪ ♪ so let's get it ♪ ♪ i'm feeling good vibes ♪ ya'll gotta sniff this stuff! ♪ woop woop! ♪ whooo! smells great, downy! ♪ ugh, cul de sacs. downy unstopables. you gotta sniff it to believe it. if we use kevin's college fund, we can afford this house. the house whisperer! this house says use realtor.com to find options within your budget. good luck young man. realtor.com to each their home.

every day, millions of things need to get to where they're going. and at chevron, we're working to help reduce the carbon intensity of the fuels that keep things moving. today, we're producing renewable diesel that can be used in existing diesel tanks. and we're committed to increasing our renewable fuels production. because as we work toward a lower carbon future, it's only human to keep moving forward.

if your business kept on employees through the pandemic, getrefunds.com can see if it may qualify for a payroll tax refund of up to $26,000 per employee, even if it received ppp, and all it takes is eight minutes to get started. then we'll work with you to fill out your forms and submit the application; that easy. and if your business doesn't get paid, we don't get paid. getrefunds.com has helped businesses like yours claim over $2 billion but it's only available for a limited time. go to getrefunds.com, powered by innovation refunds. oh booking.com, ♪ i'm going to somewhere, anywhere. ♪ ♪ a beach house, a treehouse, ♪ ♪ honestly i don't care ♪ find the perfect vacation rental for you booking.com, booking. yeah. will you pause it real quick? (mumbles) just sold the car to carvana. what? all i had to do was answer a couple questions and got a real offer in seconds. then, they just picked up the car and paid me right on the spot. sell your car at carvana dot com today.

you've worn many hats, from past jobs in fact. now, you can trade in those hats to help earn your grad cap. your past experience can help you earn your degree faster and for less. . striking new details in dominion voting system's defamation lawsuit against fox news from a court filing late today that fox chairman rupert murdoch admitted that fox news continually pushed on their viewers not only the election lies. lee levine is so well respected he worked for basically every media company in the united state, in particular for fox and

cnn in past cases. we appreciate him being on. oliver, what is in these filings? >> this is shocking stuff. >> even you were surprised. you've been following this stuff for years and you were surprised. >> i was reporting a lot about fox and what was fox was doing in 2020 and i never imagined behind the scenes there would be this sort of damning information, these sort of admissions made by top executives and top hosts like sean hannity, tucker carlson, and so on. in this recent legal filing we have rupert murdoch calling the trump lies being pushed about the election damaging, calling them b.s. then also conceding that he knew that some of his top hosts at the network were peddling this lie to viewers. in a deposition that dominion took and i'll read to you part of it they asked him you are now aware fox endorsed at times this false notion of a stolen election. murdock says, not fox. no. but maybe lou dobbs, a former

fox host, maria bartiromo, as commentators, a weird splitting of hairs he does. then they go through. fox host jeanine pirro? >> i think so. >> lou dobbs a lot. sean hannity. a bit. then it goes on and he says some commentators were endorsing it and the dominion lawyer says about their endorsement of a stolen election? yes. they endorsed is what rupert murdoch says. all while he is behind the scenes saying he does not believe any of trump's election lies. >> a lot of these fox hosts behind the scenes didn't seem to believe it either. >> no they didn't. this actually exposes the fact fox is not at its core a news network. news networks deliver the truth as they know it to viewers. they do the best job to attain the truth and sometimes it is not perfect but that is what they do. in this case we know that behind the scenes, top personnel knew that the narrative they were pushing to viewers was not true. we have evidence now that shows

they did this in search of profit so they didn't lose viewership. >> and they were afraid of losing viewers. >> exactly. they did this so they didn't lose viewers to the smaller right wing channels trump was promoting after the election was called on fox for biden. >> when i spoke to you for a "60 minutes" story about this last year you said this was the strongest defamation case you have seen in your 40 years of seeing defamation cases and you have seen dozens if not hundreds. do these filings, how do these filings change your opinion at all? is this still -- how would you characterize it now? >> they haven't made dominion's case weaker. i can say that. >> what about dominion's case, why is it so strong? what is so damning about these, this new filing? >> well, i think you have to separate out the news value of today's filing from the legal significance of today's filing.

as a news matter for all the reasons oliver was just saying, this is important stuff. from a legal perspective, it is certainly helpful to dominion's case but it is not a smoking gun. i have not seen in the deposition excerpts at least evidence that murdock believed that the specific statements in the specific broadcasts that are being sued about were endorsed by the hosts. he's speaking more generally about whether the hosts were endorsing the idea of a stolen or fraudulent election. and that is certainly helpful to dominion but doesn't get them all the way to the finish line. >> do you think, do you see any reason the case would not continue to go forward? >> oh, no. based on the hundreds and hundreds of pages that have been released over the last few weeks

on the summary judgment briefing i would be extremely surprised if a substantial number of the statements that dominion has sued about don't make it through to trial. >> maggie, former president trump still spewing all of these election lies in his current presidential campaign. fox news' identity is so closely tied to him, are they going to have to correct or challenge his lies about election going forward? >> i think that is a big question in terms of how fox handles trump going forward. we have seen fox has been moving away from trump. trump has barely been on fox. it used to be whenever he wanted to go on, he could just dial in to hannity or hannity would go interview him. other hosts would do the same. that is not the way it is now and without lou dobbs it is even less so. they have pivoted toward ron desantis who they are encouraging and basically the entirety of news corporation is behind desantis and the candidacy at this point. that is different than saying

trump was wrong and saying the wrong things. i don't think and a lawyer could speak to this better than i could, i don't think they are likely to start doing that because they are still in this litigation. i think they are concerned about anything they say publicly. they are definitely in a bind of their own making in terms of how they handle donald trump. >> do you agree that they would have to think twice about what they say about the president's election lies he is spinning now? >> absolutely. you've seen just in the last few days it's been reported that they've told howard kertz he can't talk about the case on air precisely because they don't want people saying things that might come back to bite them in the litigation. >> oliver, this filing also describes rupert murdoch's relationship and interactions with the former adviser i guess son-in-law to the president jared kushner. he was giving information about biden ads to kushner before they ran.

is that right? >> again, this is not how a news network is supposed to operate. theoretically this would be a fireable offense if someone at any other network were to do this. according to the filing, it says during trump's campaign rupert murdoch provided trump's son-in-law and senior adviser with confidential information about biden's ads along with the strategy before it was public effectively giving that campaign an edge over biden's. this is one of the many things we are learning in these documents that show rupert was helping to work with the gop. another part of the filing or the previous filing there is talk about do anything you can to help down in georgia where there is of course that special senate race. again, this goes back to paint a broader picture of fox not necessarily as a news network at its core but one that really works to push republican talking points. something we've known for a while but these documents are

pretty damning. >> thank you so much. appreciate it. up next the defense in the alex murdaugh trial rested their case with a witness suggesting two shooters may have done the killings. ♪ ♪ get directv with a two year price guarantetee. your best defense againsnst erosion and cavities is strong enamel- nothing beats it. new pronamel active shield actively shields t enamel to defend against new prerosion and cavities. i think that this product is a gamechanger for my patients- no. ♪ -no. -nuh-uh. ♪ yeah. oh. yes. ♪ oh yeah. yes. isn't this great? yeeaahhhh!! ♪ yeah, i could do a cartwheel in here.

oh hey! would you like to join us? no. we would love to join you. ♪ i want my daughter riley to know about her ancestors and how important it is to know who you are and to know where you came from. we're discovering together... it's been an amazing gift. when your v-neck looks more like a u-neck, that's when you know, it's half-washed. downy has 7 benefits that condition and smooth fibers so clothes look newer, longer. feel the difference with downy. ♪ inner voice (kombucha brewer): if i just stare at these payroll forms... my business' payroll taxes will calculate themselves. right?

uhh...nope. intuit quickbooks helps you manage your payroll taxes, cheers! with 100% accurate tax calculations guaranteed. in order for small businesses to thrive, they need to be smart... efficient... agile... and that's never been more important than it is right now. so for a limited time, comcast business is introducing small business savings. call now to get powerful internet for just $39 a month, with no contract, and a money back guarantee. all on the largest, fastest, reliable network. from the company that powers more businesses than anyone else. call and start saving today. comcast business. powering possibilities.

the defense rested today in the alex murdaugh murder trial but not before jurors heard from his brother and forensic scientist who said the evidence suggested this was not the work of one person. randi kaye has more. some of what you'll hear is disturbing. >> do you have an opinion whether there was one or two shooters who murdered maggie and paul on the night of june 7th?

>> my opinion is the totality of the evidence is more suggestive of a two-shooter scenario. >> reporter: a forensic scientist testifying for the defense breathing new life into the defense's theory that two shooters were involved in killing maggie and paul murdock. here is why. whoever shot paul the witness says likely would have needed time to recover, given the violent nature of paul's death. >> what is happening to the shooter at that point? >> he is getting hit with large amounts of brain material, blood, skin, hair, bone fragments, and i believe very likely some of the pellets. >> and what would be the force of that hitting the shooter? >> substantial. >> would you expect to see any type of injuries to the shooter? >> that's quite possible. i mean, for sure -- >> reporter: so what about the shooter's clothing? >> how much biological material and blood is going to be on the shooter's clothing and person? >> a lot.

a lot. on the upper body and head. >> reporter: keep in mind investigators first on the scene who testified for the state said they didn't see any blood on alex murdaugh that night. the state has suggested he washed up and changed clothes after allegedly killing his wife and son. on cross examination, the state took issue with this witness's conclusion that a foot print found in the feed room where paul was killed belonged to paul's killer. >> you haven't seen the report that identified those as paul's foot prints? >> definitively defined as paul's? no i did not. >> you only saw the reports the defense wanted you to see. >> i got the reports that were supplied to me, yes. >> place your left hand on the bible. >> reporter: the defense called one of murdaugh's brothers john marvin murdaugh as its last witness. he painted a picture of his brother as a loving family man and left the jury with this disturbing description of having to pick up the pieces of his nephew, paul, in the feed room.

>> it had not been cleaned up. i saw blood. i saw brains. i saw pieces of skull and when i say brains it could just be tissue. i don't know what it was. it was terrible. and for some reason i thought it was my -- something that i needed to do for paul to clean it up. i felt like i owed him and i started cleaning. and i can promise you, no mother or father or aunt or uncle o should ever have to see and do what i did that day. >> randi kaye joins us from the courthouse. the judge approved a visit by the jury to the crime scene. any idea when? >> reporter: anderson, the state is expected to call four or five reply witnesses tomorrow that could take all day. if it does then this visit to the crime scene by the jury would happen first thing

wednesday morning. this is the property known as moselle, about 30 minutes from here, 1700 acres, a hunting property belonging to the murdaughs. when the jury goes there they'll be able to see everything they've seen in pictures throughout this trial. they'll see the feed room where paul murdaugh died, how close that was to where maggie murdaugh's body was found. they'll see the golf cart path alex murdaugh said he took from the main house down to the kennels and back that night and how close the two building are. they'll probably see the gun room where authorities seized all those guns, see the shooting range. these are all the places they've seen in pictures. it will really give them for the first time in person some perspective about what went on there and hopefully they would be able to figure out a little bit more about how they feel about what they've heard throughout all this testimony, anderson. >> interesting. joining us tonight criminal defense attorney mark o'mara and here in the studio former federal prosecutor jessica roth. what does it tell you that the jury wants to visit the crime

scene? >> i think the request came from the defense. and the judge said his practice is if either side makes the request he generally will grant it. >> when they go is anybody talking to them? this is where the body was, this is where paul's body was? >> it is a little unclear how this is going to happen. i think that would have to be agreed upon by the parties in advance. what if anything will be said. there really shouldn't be much said. the jury is going to be there to see the crime scene. there is a real loss of control though that happens. any time the jury comes out of the jury box and out of the courtroom. a famous example from the oj simpson trial where the jury went to oj simpson's house and the defense attorneys had changed the art to make it more appealing. there is a loss of control and potential for a sort of prejudice impact on the jury based on what they see. it is not exactly as it was the night of the murders and that is one thing the prosecution pointed to in opposing this. to say for example the trees

have grown more between the house and the kennels and i gather one point maybe could the defendant have heard gunshots if other people were there shooting his wife and son. would he have heard it from the house. if the trees have more foliage that might impact. >> mark, we just heard very disturbing details from the forensic scientist today not only supporting a two shooter theory and maybe the person who did the shooting needed time to recover. >> what the defense has to do is put reasonable doubt in at least one juror's mind to think this happened some other way than the state believes it happened. again, i don't know that this is exoneration from murdaugh because i think what needs to happen now on rebuttal, presuming it is going to happen, is the state needs to own that. they need to own the possibility that yes there may have been a second shooter. we don't believe so. but either way we know one person was involved and that is

murdaugh and i presume that's what they'll do with their rebuttal testimony. i think they probably should have owned the possibility after two shooter scenario earlier in the case because we knew this was coming. we've talked about it well before the case began. >> so you're saying they need to offer essentially an explanation of how there could be two shooters but that paul murdaugh was one of them. >> yeah. i think the best thing they can do if they're doing away with the potential reasonable doubt that now has been thrown out with the two shooters, everyone was wondering why there were two different type of weapons. i think the state has to own it, sit back and say this is very consistent with our theory of prosecution. murdaugh was one of them. maybe the only one. but certainly he was one. and that sort of does away with any significance of this defense presentation. >> jessica, what do you think of that? is it too late? >> i am skeptical about the prosecution switching to a new theory of the case. we haven't heard that from them yet that he was one of two

shooters. generally prosecutors need to convey confidence in their case and sort of switching at the last minute i don't think is going to go over very well. i do think the two shooter theory is going to resonate with the jury because as a matter of law there's always been this question of how could the defendant if he were acting alone have used two guns, two really large guns? why would he use two guns to shoot his wife and son in very close proximity and time? the jury has likely been wondering about that. now there is expert testimony on the record the defense can point to and say it is not just a matter of common sense and you wondering about this from logic but now an expert has told you he thinks the evidence is more consistent with there being two shooters than one. >> the defense also talked today about how the crime scene was left by authorities, you know, biological matter, pieces of brain laying around. do police clean up crime scenes after they're done investigating? i've been to a couple murder scenes and i don't recall them cleaning up afterward.

>> no. they really don't. that is up to, hopefully they'll bring in some other agency to do it. they don't bring it up and once they finish their job they're out looking at trying to put together the investigation. i wasn't suggesting a pivot in the prosecution's case. but i do think they need to acknowledge and do away with this defense theory of two shooters and they can do that by suggesting at least one was murdaugh. >> thank you. just ahead what ron desantis has to say about the former president in his new memoirs. the soft launch of the florida governor's likely presidential campaign.

mass general brigham -- when you need some of the brightest minds in medicine. this is a leading healthcare system with five nationally ranked hospitals, including two world-renowned academic medical centers. in boston, where biotech innovates daily and our doctors teach at harvard medical school and the physicians doing the world-changing research are the ones providing care. ♪ there's only one mass general brigham.

time to protect your vehichle from winters wrath of course the hot sun can be tough on vehicles too you need weathertech all year round! come on, protect your investment laser measured floorliners and cargoliner will shield the carpeting from sand and snow for your interior, there's seat protector and sunshade plus, mudflaps and bumpstep for the exterior order american made products at weathertech.com surfs up yeah, right

♪♪ alex! mateo, hey how's business? great. you know that loan has really worked wonders. that's what u.s. bank is for. and you're growing in california? -yup, socal, norcal... -monterey? -all day. -a branch in ventura? that's for sure-ah. atms in fresno? fres-yes. encinitas? yes, indeed-us. anaheim? big time. more guacamole? i'm on a roll-ay. how about you? i'm just visiting. u.s. bank. ranked #1 in customer satisfaction with retail banking in california by j.d. power.

a weekend long retreat hosting influential republicans at a hotel down the road from the maryling residence florida governor ron desantis releases his new memoir tomorrow. in the accompanying video is just the latest evidence of what some see as a soft launch for a presidential campaign, the new book focused on culture war fights and takes a few swipes at the former president. >> reporter: flore desantis inching closer to a presidential launch with a new kpaen style video. >> freedom is worth fighting for. >> reporter: and a new book that serves as a road map for a potential 2024 republican

primary. in the courage to be free, obtained today by cnn, desantis plants his flag as a leading alternative to donald trump and pushes back against the former president's often made assertion that he alone is responsible for the governor's success. i do not think republican primary voters are sheep who simply follow an endorsement from a politician they like without any individual analysis. but i do believe that a major endorsement can put a candidate on the radar of gop voters in a way that boosts a good candidate's prospects. >> i stood for what he believed was right. >> reporter: he said it was his debate performance that led to his come from behind victory. as the republican presidential field takes shape, desantis is making an early splash. >> florida is where woke goes to die. >> reporter: holding up his florida record as a blueprint for a national platform. like the parental rights and education act which critics have dubbed the don't say gay bill.

that led to his feud with the disney corporation. >> today the corporate kingdom finally comes to an end. there is a new sheriff in town and accountability will be the order of the day. >> reporter: the governor went to walt disney's back yard to sign a law today effectively punishing the entertainment giant for speaking out against the desantis agenda. he uses that fight to bolster his view that big business, a long time ally of the gop, has become too woke in his characterization and should be called out by a new class of republican leaders. corporate america has become a major protaganist in battles over american politics and culture. the battle lines almost invariably find large, publicly traded corporations lining up behind leftist causes he writes. adding, old guard corporate republicanism is not up to the task at hand. while desantis is not planning a formal campaign announcement

until at least may, aides tell cnn he is trying to capitalize on a hunger among many republicans eager to find an electable fighter. as florida governor he has become a combative figure in the culture wars. for which he offers no apologies. >> always be on offense because if you're not then you are basically a sitting duck and you let these people come and just take pops at you all the time. >> reporter: there is no doubt a formal announcement is expected right after the florida legislative session. he plans to sign more bills into law by then to take and sell them to the republican primary base. but it is clear he wants to influence this race right now. he twoonts freeze the race if you will from the other candidates already in the race. when you read through this book one thing that really stands out is how important ron desantis is now from the first time he wrote a book in 2011 just a decade ago. the trump era has changed the republican party of course and certainly changed him. he talked about a role of

limited government. now of course he is using government to enact his agenda. a very interesting read on the new governor desantis. >> thanks. coming up the creator of the "dilbert" comic strip, who says he said nothing incorrect after hundreds of newspapers pulled his column. the latest, next. en they expect. it's havaving an ecommerce solution that scscales with your business as you grow. itit's using innovative technology that manages your inventory and orders. discover how ryder ecommerce makes your customer's experience ever better. ♪ i gotta good feeling about this, yeah ♪ ♪ i'm with it ♪ ♪ i gotta good feeling about this ♪ ♪ yeah, ♪ ♪ so let's get it ♪ ♪ i'm feeling good vibes ♪

this cough. [sfx: coughs] this'll help. vicks vaporub? vicks vaporub's ...medicated vapors go straight to the source of your cough... ...so you can relieve your cough to breathe easier. vicks vaporub. fast-acting cough relief. we're carvana we created a brand new way for you to sell your car go to carvana answer a few questions and our techno wizardry calculates your car's value and gives you a real offer in seconds we'll come to you pay you on the spot then pick up your car that's it at carvana

i screwed up. mhm. i got us t-mobile home internet. now cell phone users have priority over us. and your marriage survived that? you can almost feel the drag when people walk by with their phones. oh i can't hear you... you're froze-- ladies, please! you put it on airplane mode when you pass our house. i was trying to work. we're workin' it too. yeah! work it girl! woo! i want to hear you say it out loud. well, i could switch us to xfinity. those smiles. that's why i do what i do. that and the paycheck. i screwed up. mhm. i got us t-mobile home internet. now cell phone users have priority over us. and your marriage survived that? you can almost feel the drag when people walk by with their phones. oh i can't hear you... you're froze-- ladies, please! you put it on airplane mode when you pass our house. i was trying to work. we're workin' it too. yeah! work it girl! woo! i want to hear you say it out loud. well, i could switch us to xfinity. those smiles. that's why i do what i do. that and the paycheck.

scott adams is not backing off from racist comments he made last week on his youtube channel that got his work pulled from hundreds of newspapers. today he defended his comments and that white people should, quote, get the hell away from black people. he wrote an obvious question for those that cancel me is do they disagree with my point. so far i don't agree with it. sara has more. >> reporter: you know his work but might not know his name. scott adams is the cartoonist behind the dilbert comment. he finds himself in hot water

for this. >> nearly half of all blacks are not okay with white people, according to this poll. not according to me. according to this poll. that's a hate group. >> adams was responding to the poll that does not meet cnn standards asking black americans if they agreed with the statement it's okay to be white. they said over half of those agreed with. he said that made it a hate group. >> i don't want to have anything to do with it. and i would say based on the court reporter way things are going the best advice i would give to white people is to get the hell away from black people. just get the [ bleep ] away. wherever you have to go, just get away. because there is no fixing this. >> adams failed to about nj or may not know that the phrase it's okay to be white was

popularized by white nationalists online and used to troll people. the phrase it's okay to be white sounds perfectly inknnocuinnocu >> it is not new. it is not innocuous. it is a long standing slogan used by white supremacists to try to make the point that there is some conspiracy against white people. and they do that, sara, really with the intention of trying to undermine claiming of anti-black racism, to undermine claims of anti-semitism and say that somehow they feel like an marginalized population. newspapers across the united states dropped his cartoon with immediate effect after he posted his thoughts on youtube. the editor saying of adams, we are not a home for those who

espouse racism. we certainly to not want to provide him with financial support. but adams is not without defenders. one of the most famous men in the world and certainly on twitter stepped in to defend adams. elon musk did not condemn adams' racist comments but instead said the media is racist. of course, he is the owner of a media company, adding without any evidence, for a long time, u.s. media was racest against non-white people and now they're racist against whites and asians. he said the comments had an element of truth to them and then musk went on a rant accusing the victims of the media giving victims of police violence more cover. unarmed black americans and native americans are both nearly three times as likely to be

killed in a police encounter. as for adams, the company that syndicates dilbert said it is cutting ties with the comic strip and its creator saying in part as a media and communications company, they value free speech. we're proud to share different voices and perspectives, but we will not share any commentary rooted in discrimination or hate. adams said on twitter that he was only, quote, advising people to avoid hate and suggested free speech in america is under assault. even so, he seemed to be reveling in his newfound notoriety. >> i forgot i'm supposed to be feeling bad about all this. you know, one of the things i realized about myself, i like attention. i just kind of like it. >> and sara joins us now. certainly a lot of attention. the timing of this is interesting. >> it is interesting because it is black history month.

like we're still in black history month, and he's saying these segregationist words at a time when people are trying to celebrate the contributions that black people made to this country, for everything from, you know, if first female millionaire in this country teaching women that they can do just what their male counter parts can do to, you know, the people that built this country for free. so you have him saying this, while at the same time, you have to wonder the timing of the poll being released. using a phrase that has been used ad nauseam by white supremacists who were trying to make the point that somehow they are the marginalized group in this country, not people of color, it is disturbing, but i would like to say, as a person who is of mixed race, my mother is white and my father is black, i will be making sure that i'm around all of my family and i'm glad that you have decided not to stay the hell away from me.

>> you're welcome any time. thank you. coming up next, a look at the winter weather already hammering much of the country and late word on where the storms are heading next. t to fas with dynamic charting and a futures ladder that lets you place, flatten, or reversese orders so you w won't miss an opportunity ah, these bills are crazy. she has no idea she's sitting on a goldmine. well she doesn't know that if she owns a life insurance policy of $100,000

or more she can sell all or part of it to coventry for cash. even a term policy. even a term policy? even a term policy! find out if you're sitting on a goldmine. call coventry direct today at the number on your screen, or visit coventrydirect.com. when it comes to reducing sugar in your family's diet, the more choices, the better. that's why america's beverage companies are working together to deliver more great tasting options with less sugar or no sugar at all. in fact, today, nearly 60% of beverages sold contain zero sugar. different sizes? check. clear calorie labels? just check. with so many options, it's easier than ever to find the balance that's right for you. more choices. less sugar. balanceus.org may lead to severe vision loss and if you're taking a multi-vitamin alone, you may be missing a critical piece... preservision. preservision areds 2 contains the only clinically

proven nutrient formula recommended by the national eye institute to help reduce the risk of moderate to advanced amd progression. preservision is backed by 20 years of clinical studies. so ask your doctor about adding preservision and fill in a missing piece of your plan. like i did with preservision. now with ocusorb better absorbing nutrients. lomita feed is 101 years old this year and counting. i'm bill lockwood, current caretaker and owner. when covid hit, we had some challenges like a lot of businesses did. i heard about the payroll tax refund, it allowed us to keep the amount of people that we needed and the people that have been here taking care of us. see if your business may qualify. go to getrefunds.com.

as the world keeps changing, so does covid-19. how recent is your booster? there are updated boosters designed to better protect against recent omicron variants. schedule yours now. ♪ every day, millions of things need to get to where they're going. and at chevron, we're working to help reduce the carbon intensity of the fuels that keep things moving. today, we're producing renewable diesel that can be used in existing diesel tanks. and we're committed to increasing our renewable fuels production. because as we work toward a lower carbon future, it's only human to keep moving forward. tonight from coast to kes

severe weather is hitting millions of americans. parts of the northeast are forecast to get the first storm warning of the season. watching are in effect where up to three inches of snow is expected. farther north up to ten inches of snow could fall. west blizzard warnings in nevada where whiteout conditions shut down interstate 80. meanwhile, a possible tornado near dayton, ohio this afternoon. and leaving 12 people injured, flipping cars, downed trees are left in ruins. this is where more than 100 storms hit over the weekend. the news continues. "the situation room" with wolf blitzer starts now. tonight, it's the virus that shook the world, killing more than a million