this is cnn breaking news. hello and welcome to all of you watching us here in the united states, canada, and around the world. ukraine is reporting progress on the ground as its counter offensive in the kharkiv region takes back more territory and inches closer towards the border with russia. ukrainian forces have now retaken a village just 21 kilometers, or about 13 miles from the russian border, and shouldn't be confused with moldova, the country. it's the latest village to come back under ukrainian control. meanwhile, ukraine says russian forces have made few advances in luhansk and the donetsk region. russians have attempting to surround ukrainian forces and in the luhansk region, new drone footage shows stunning devastation of a town. the drone appears to have been used by the russian military as they track ukrainian troops amid intense street fighting. all right, for more on the situation in ukraine, let's bring in isa soares in lviv. isa? >> a very good morning to you, kim. and we're keeping a close eye on mariupol at this morning. russia claims it will open humanitarian corridors beginning in the next hour to allow civilians to evacuation the azovstal steel plant in mariupol. moscow says it will pause fighting there for ten hours. it's not been confirmed from the ukrainian side, though. this is what the complex has endured, though, over the past few days. relentless, as well as growing attacks from russian forces. civilians are trapped there, along with the city's last ukrainian defenders. here's how a ukrainian commander inside the plant is describing the situation. have a listen. >> translator: for two days now, the enemy has broken into the territory of the plant. these are heavy, bloody battles. i am proud of my soldiers who are making superhuman efforts to contain the enemy's onslaught. >> well, ukraine says russia's renewed attempts to take the plant have not been very successful. our sara sidner has more for you. >> translator: our brave boys are defending this fortress, but it's really hard. >> reporter: a grueling, bloody battle as russian forces try to extinguish the last pocket of ukrainian fighters holed up in mariupol's sprawling steel plant. video from russian separatists show tanks moving in. a barrage of explosions from the air. according to a senior u.s. defense official, a couple thousand russian forces are still in the devastated city. russia's defense minister claims putin's forces have reliably blocked the ukrainian fighters cornered in the plant. the ukrainian foreign minister says the plant still holds, despite the relentless russian attacks. "out front" spoke to one of the ukrainian commanders on monday. at the time, he spoke about their fight. trn >> translator: we will be fighting as long as it is needed, despite extremely difficult conditions. >> reporter: according to the mayor of mariupol, there are still hundreds of civilians inside that plant, including 30 children. and tonight, ukraine's president volodymyr zelenskyy in a private phone call was urging the u.n. secretary-general to help save the lives of the people who remain in danger. and for those who have managed to escape, you can see it in their faces, just how difficult it has been. little food, no water, none of life's essentials. a far cry from the way things used to be. >> translator: this one girl said, you can start your life on a new page, but i don't want to. my previous pages were so clean and light, i want to go back to my pages and i know that it's impossible. >> reporter: and while the grinding assault continues, a different story is being told in russia, a state tv host returning to the air after visiting mariupol. the man known to many as the voice of putin claims those remaining in mariupol don't want russia to leave. propaganda, plain and simple. >> and that was sara sidner reporting there. and we saw the evacuation taking place yesterday for the city of mariupol itself, more than 300 people were evacuated, according to president zelenskyy speaking overnight. let's get more on all of this, daniel treeseman, a professor and author and joining me now from california. and daniel, a very good morning to you. let me start, really, with what we've just heard from sara sidner and inside that mariupol steel complex. as we've been looking in the last 24 to 48 hours, it's been completely battered and decimated by russian military. how do you see this playing out? >> reporter: well, the russians clearly would like to take the azovstal steel plant before may 9th. it seems that putin would like to announce victory on may 9ette and the last remaining part of mariupol that the russians haven't taken yet is this steel plant. so, they look as though they're trying really hard to make that happen, so putin on may ninth can say that the russians now have completed the takeover of the land bridge that will link donetsk to crimea. but as you reported, they're having a very hard time and it's not at all clear that by may 9th they'll have made progress and have completed that operation. >> and, you know daniel, i was speaking to the ceo of the azovstal steel plant, i would say probably about two weeks ago now, and i remember him saying to me, it's not azovstal that putin wants, it's the symbolism that comes with it, and obviously that symbolism would be incredibly important to him and to his rhetoric and to his message on that may victory day. talk to us about the symbolism for putin, for this date, if, indeed, he does make -- he does take mariupol here. >> well, right, so, mariupol is this last city that the russians have been fighting so hard, trying to take for weeks now. they control all the land between donetsk and crimea. clearly it was a major objective to connect crimea, the russian-occupied peninsula of crimea to the parts of eastern ukraine that russian troops controlled and mariupol stood in the way, and it got down to just the azovstal steel plant, which is still untaken, so, it's a thorn in his side, it's preventing him from announcing this, at least partial victory in what has proved to be an incredibly difficult war compared to what he anticipated going in. >> and i remember asking some of my guests on set here, daniel, you know, several weeks ago, whether mariupol would be the win, the trophy that generals would probably be handing him. some of the times perhaps not, he wants the donbas, but he's really struggled on that front. do you believe, as we've been hearing from u.s. and western officials, as they have been suggesting, that putin will use this, perhaps, daniel, as an excuse to really -- to declare victory over the donbas or do you think it's going to be more a de-escalatory move from him, or will he double down? i mean what are the options here? >> i think he remains committed to taking, consolidating power in at least the donetsk and luhansk people's republics and expanding the boundaries of those. he may not be able to announce significant advances by may 9th on those fronts, meeting a lot of resistance, but i think that remains the key objective. there are also rumors that he might do other things, like announcing the formal annexannexation of donetsk and luhansk or he might announce a general or partial mobilization. all of those rumors are unverified, we don't know at this point. many options that he could choose between on may 9th. >> yeah, really trying to read between the lines, trying to look at the putin playbook to try and understand what could come, of course, we have crimea is an example of that, but as you clearly pointed out, daniel, kherson, which we've seen them trying to have, obviously, a referendum, independence referendum for kherson, we have seen push-back, of course, from ukrainians in kherson. we shall keep an eye on the developments in the coming days. daniel, great to have you on the show, joining us from california. thank you, daniel. >> thank you. well, the european union is proposing a ban on russian oil imports. we broke that story yesterday, but may find it tricky, in fact, to implement it. it's part of the six package of sanctions on moscow for its war on ukraine. the czech republic and bulgaria are seeking xem moneys from the ban while slovakia and hungary say they need a three-year transition period. here's more from hungary's foreign minister. >> translator: it is not a matter of lack of political will or a question about intention or time. this is simply a physical, geographical, and in infrastructural reality. >> while the european commission president says the ban on russian oil is the next step to make vladimir putin, quote, pay a high price for his brutal aggression on ukraine. and i'll have much more from lviv next hour. in the meantime, back to kim in atlanta. kim? >> all right, thank you so much, isa. the u.s. federal reserve is taking action to bring down inflation, but it could mean higher mortgage, car loan, and credit card payments. we'll take a look at how financial markets are reacting. plus, president joe biden is promising a record reduction to america's deficit while going on the attack against maga republicans. that's next. stay with us. it w works naturally with the water in your body toto unblock your gut. ...f.free your gut. and your mood will follow. hey businesses! you all deserve something epic! so we're giving every business, our best deals on every iphone - that's the one with the amazing camera? yep! every business deserves it... like one's thare-opened! hi, we have an appointment. and every new business that just opened! like aromatherapy rugs! i'll take one in blue please! it's not complicated. at&t is giving new and existing business customers our best deals on every iphone. ♪ ♪ one of my favorite supplements is qunol turmeric. turmeric helps with healthy joints and inflammation support. unlike regular turmeric supplements qunol's superior absorption helps me get the full benefits of turmeric. the brand i trust is qunol. do your eyes bother you? because after all these emails my eyes feel like a combo of stressed, dry and sandpaper. luckily, there's biotrue hydration boost eye drops for instant moisture. biotrue uses naturally inspired ingredients. and no preservatives. try biotrue ♪ baby got back by sir mix-a-lot ♪ unlimited cashback match... only from discover. cal: our confident forever plan is possible with a cfp® professional. a cfp® professional can help you build a complete financial plan. visit letsmakeaplan.org to find your cfp® professional. ♪ big game today! everybody ready? alexa, ask buick to start my enclave. starting your buick enclave. i just love our new alexa. dad, it's a buick. i love that new alexa smell. it's a buick. we need snacks for the team. alexa, take us to the nearest grocery store. getting directions. alexa will get us there in no time. it's a buick. let's be real. don't make me turn this alexa around. oh my. it's painful. the buick enclave, with available alexa built in. ask “alexa, tell me more about buick suvs.” when i'm on my hands and knees and i'm digging through the dirt, i feel something in me, like a fire, that's just growing. i feel kinder, when nature is so kind to me. find more ways to grow with miracle-gro. among my patients, i often see them have teeth sensitivity as well as gum issues. does it worry me? absolutely. sensodyne sensitivity & gum gives us the dual action effect that really takes care of both our teeth sensitivity as well as our gum issues. there's no question it's something that i would recommend. u.s. president joe biden is sharpening his rhetoric against the republicans ahead of the high stakes midterm elections, when control of congress will be at stake. on wednesday, he went after what he called the ultra-maga agenda. he said maga republicans are protecting billionaires at the expense of working class americans and took aim at republican senator rick scott's economic plan. here he is. >> let me tell you about this ultra-maga agenda. it's extreme, as most maga things are. it will actually raise taxes on 75 million american families. over 95% of whom make less than $100,000 a year. >> biden claims his administration will reduce the deficit by a record amount as opposed to trump's administration, which increased the deficit every year he was in office. the u.s. federal reserve has issued its biggest interest rate hike in 22 years in an effort to bring down inflation. fed chair jerome powell announced the increase on wednesday. he says similar increases will be on the table for the central bank's next few meetings, but for now, the fed isn't considering steeper hikes. inflation in the u.s. is the worst in 40 years and the war in ukraine, plus covid lockdowns and china mean prices likely won't come down any time soon. >> i'd like to take this opportunity to speak directly to the american people. inflation is much too high and we understand the hardship it is causing. and we're moving expeditiously to bring it back down. we have both the tools we need and the resolve that it will take to restore price stability on behalf of american families and businesses. >> wall street responded to the fed's decision with a major rally. the dow had been pretty flat most of the day, but a late surge pushed the market to its best day in two years. blue chip stocks gained more th than 900%. all right, for more on this, let's bring in cnn's kristy stout. how are markets in asia interpreting the latest move and the comments from the fed? >> reporter: well, asian markets are tracking higher after the u.s. federal reserve hiked interest rates by half a percentage point, its biggest rate increase since the year 2000. all in a bid to tame inflation, which is at its highest level in 40 years in the united states. overnight, u.s. stocks rallied after the comments made by the fed chair, which said the committee is not actively considering a bigger rate increase, but analysts warn there is pain in the pipeline. there is a lot of concern about the pace of tightening. let's take a look at how asian markets are responding right now. we'll bring up the live chart for you. i should add that markets in south korea and japan are currently closed for a public holiday. as you can see, all green arrows. they are all tracking higher. now, here in asia, we are also monitoring u.s. futures. if we bring up that data for you, you can also see that we are expecting a lower start to the day, but only marginally so, by less than a tenth of one%. so, look, inflation is at its highest level since the 1980s and americans are feeling it, with the price of gas, groceries, home prices, as well. retail sales remain strong, but economists point out something that they call revenge spending. is the factor behind that, as we go into year three of the pandemic. but despite the rally that we're seeing here in asia, analysts who i've been talking to say, look, it's not going to be all good news. in fact, they tell me there are real reasons to be worried. take a listen. >> i think the market is getting very, very badly wrong about what the fed said. the fact that the fed didn't do 75 when the market was maybe thinking about it shows one against the fed is behind the curve. we have supply side inflation, which is going to get worse, because of what the fed just did. >> don't forget, the global economy is facing two additional challenges. china's ongoing and very tough and punishing zero-covid policy, which has been effecting domestic spending in china, as well as the global supply chain, and on top of that, the ever fluid and brutal war in ukraine. back to you, kim. >> plenty of head winds there. thank you so much. >> so, as we just mentioned, the fed's interest rate hike is meant to bring inflation under control, but it will also have an impact on people buying homes and cars and those paying off student loans and credit card debt. cnn's brian todd has more. >> reporter: allison braun, a first-time home buyer, learned the hard way that with low inventory and high competition, those trying to purchase a home don't have much leverage these days. >> to be quite honest, i did not expect it to be this difficult to get a home. >> reporter: a pricey housing market could be about to get worse. homeowners and home buyers across america will likely find some tough sledding ahead, because it will be more expensive to borrow money. if you're trying to buy a home, experts say, the asking price may not be much higher than it is now, but -- >> the cost to buy that house is going to be higher. so, because mortgage rates are going up. >> reporter: that means many new homeowners will not only be paying higher interest on their mortgages, but could get less house for their money. what about renters? >> renters could be indirectly effected by interest rate hikes to the extent that, let's say a landlord has to pay a higher rate on his mortgage, if he has an adjustable rate mortgage or thought he or she could refinance and can't, for example. that could get passed along to renters. >> reporter: but higher interest rates won't effect just homeowners. what about paying off your credit card, car loan or student debt? >> if you have credit card debt, it's going to cost you more. if you're buying a car, it's going to cost you more. because the rates to borrow that money to get that car is going to go up. >> reporter: experts say there could be some good news for people who have significant money stashed in savings ac accounts. with the new interest rate hike, they say, those accounts will start to earn interest again. but analysts warn it may not be enough interest to make much of a difference. >> you might see the interest that's being paid on a savings account go up a touch as a result of the announcement, but remember, it still may be below the pace of inflation. >> reporter: what can many of us do to brace for higher interest rates? the analysts we spoke to say, if you can hold off on that major purchase, like a house or a car that you've been thinking about, hold off on that for as long as you can. for others, they say, it may be time to think outside the box regarding your living situation. living with relatives or sharing a home with anyone else, they say, can help you ride out these rate hikes. brian toed, cnn, washington. hundreds of ukrainians are breathing a high of relief after leaving a city occupied by russian forces. next, they speak to cnn about their life under occupation in kherson. stay with us. allergies don't have to be scary. sprayinglonase daily stops your body from overreactingo allergens all season long. psst! psst! flonase all good. when you see things differently, you can be the difference. -how are you? -good. capella university sees education differently. our flexpath learning format lets you set deadlines and earn your nursing degree on your schedule. we are her teachers, her therapists, chefs... oh, that's why we're tired. it's because we're doing it every single day, all day. how do you like learning at home? i kind of don't like it. i kind of don't like it either. i just want you to have everything. everything that you want in life. ♪ ♪ ♪ 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. i fought for freedom abroad. i'm not going to allow anyone to take away women's rights here at home. abortion is effectively banned in texas, and at least seven other states only have a single abortion provider. we need leaders in congress who will stand up to extremist politicians, and protect our right to choose everywhere. and i will fight for pay equity, too. i'm emily beach, and i approve this message because nothing is more important than standing up for- - [all] our rights. right now. leaving their homes and lives behind and calling themselves lucky. that's the case for hundreds of ukrainians who managed to get out of the city of kherson after weeks of living under russian occupation. nick paton walsh spoke with some of them as they tasted freedom again. >> reporter: their road to salvation here is a dusty track. where few know the route and just follow the car in front. above the trees, the dust likely from fires caused by distant shelling. these are over 100 cars that have run the gauntlet out of kherson, the first city russia occupied. >> no school, no almost hospital. at the home, it's terrible. there's so many russians, military there. terrible. >> reporter: what did they do? >> they -- at the moment, they do nothing. >> reporter: eyes here tell of exhaustion, hours held at russian checkpoints. the only emotion left after two months under the russian gun. a slight smile of freedom. the idea dawning that life under occupation is behind them, even if a life displaced by war is ahead. you can see just in the length of this queue here, the desperation we're talking about. people fleeing russian occupation, leaving this morning at first light from the city of kherson, the first to be occupied by russia at the start of the war. some of them on their fifth attempt to get out. something this time was different. it was easy. "we left early and they were all asleep," she says. "goods are dried up. everything is from krim crimea, says. they squeezed ten in here. saying here is good. they're always shooting. tried for a week to get out. "we were just on the way to get out and they let us pass as human shields when things were flying over us," she says. "it was terrifying." five attempts. he said, "they didn't let us through. just turned around." they fled a city where things were not going according to the kremlin's plan. the sham referendum russia planned to consolidate control never happened. and this weekend, almost at the moment when they introduced the russian currency, the ruble, the internet and sell service suddenly went off. for even the youngest, the hope ahead is palpable. "it was sad to leave," he says, "but where we're going will be better." this is happening as villages and roads change hands daily here. these ukrainian soldiers in the next village anxious to not have their location or faces shown. "we evacuated 1,500 people over the last week," one said. "kids, elderly. russians let them through if they say they're going to kherson. further on, they drop of their cars, bikes, and go on foot to our side." across the fields, the agony of russia's blundering and senseless invasion pours out. nick paton walsh, cnn, ukraine. just ahead, the u.s. supreme court draft opinion that threatens to end legal abortion is sending shockwaves through the u.s. we'll visit a women's clinic in a state where abortion may soon be outlawed. stay with us. life can be a lot . ♪ this magic moment ♪ but heininz knows there's pleny of magic in all that chaos.. ♪ so different and so new ♪ ♪ was like any other... ♪ since i left for college, my dad has gotten back into some of his old hobbies. and now he's taking trulicity, and it looks like he's gotten into some new healthier habits, too. wh changes are you making for your type 2 diabetes? maybe it's time to try trulicity. wh changes are you making for your type 2 diabetes? it's proven to help lower a1c. it can help you lose up to 10 pounds. and it's only taken once a week, so it can fit into your busy life. trulicity is for type 2 diabetes. it isn't for people with type 1 diabetes. it's not approved for use in children. don't take trulicity if you're allergic to it, you or your family have medullary thyroid cancer, or have multiple endocrine neoplasia syndrome type 2. stop trulicity and call your doctor right away if you have an allergic reaction, a lump or swelling in your neck, severe stomach pain, changes in vision, or diabetic retinopathy. serious side effects may include pancreatitis. taking trulicity with sulfonylurea or insulin raises low blood sugar risk. side effects include nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea, which can lead to dehydration, and may worsen kidney problems. the choices you make can help control your a1c. ask your doctor about once-weekly trulicity. do you struggle to fall asleep and stay asleep? qunol sleep formula combines 5 key nutrients that can help you fall asleep faster, stay asleep longer, and wake up refreshed. the brand i trust is qunol. across the u.s., anger is building over the likely loss of federal abortion rights. new demonstrations were held around the country on wednesday. abortion rights supporters are furious that the supreme court appears to be on the verge of striking down roe versus wade, the landmark law giving women the constitutional right to end their pregnancies. meanwhile, we're getting a grim warning from the head of the centers of disease control and prevention. she says more people may die without access to safe and legal abortions. here she is. >> resources will easily cross state lines to be able to do so and those that don't may take matters into their own hands and membership not get exactly the care that they need in order to do so, and i do think that lives could be at stake in that situation. >> health clinics that perform abortions in the u.s. are often subjected to protests and harassment and sometimes even violence. cnn's gary tuchman visiting a clinic in knoxville, tennessee, to see how people there are coping in the wake of this supreme court bombshell. >> reporter: these two men are an anti-abortion protesters, trying to convince the frightened woman behind the wheel not to drive into this women's medical clinic parking lot where she has an appointment for an abortion. the woman who walked up to the car is the codirector of the clin clinic, assuring the patient, who speaks little english, is safe with her. this type of confrontation at the knoxville center for reproductive health in tennessee is very common, but it's happening at a very unusual moment in time, with the knowledge that legal abortion may be ending very soon in this state. >> i can't even find words how disturbing it is. >> reporter: corinne is a nurse practitioner and one of the other codirectors of this clinic, which provides all types of fine logical health care. >> what kind of society are we that we force people into motherhood, if they're not prepared to do that or cannot support another child? >> reporter: under a tennessee law passed in 2019, if the u.s. supreme court overturns roe versus wade, this state will then ban abortion 30 days after the ruling is issued. exceptions will only be allowed to prevent the death of the pregnant woman or a serious injury. dr. erin campbell is one of the physicians who performs abortions here. he's the medical director. >> i think people will pursue unsafe, illegal abortions and i think people will get sick and die and i think that blood and their death will be on the hands of these lawmakers that are passing these laws. >> reporter: dr. campbell's late father was the medical director here for many years. >> i think he would be devastated. >> reporter: there are very few places that provide abortions in tennessee. there was another clinic a few miles away from here. >> on new year's eve, our local planned parenthood affiliate was burned down, ruled to be an arson. >> reporter: and it hasn't reopened? >> it's not been rebuilt. >> reporter: doing this type of work has been intimidating and frightening for the medical professionals. many of the patients who come here for routine checkups do it out of support and loyalty for the clint you can. lisa being one of them and she shares the employees' motions. >> it makes me angry. >> reporter: for now, the an anti-abortion protesters say they will be here. >> we're not here to inle tim date people. >> reporter: but you do, you know this. the employees know the writing is on the way and that perhaps there is not much they can do about it. what are you going to start telling your patients? >> i don't know. i don't know that any of us know. >> reporter: i just talked to one of the other codirectors of 24 this clinic, she says she was born in 1979. she says she finds it incomprehensivable that roe will no longer exist and one of the reasons she believes, still has hope, that one of the conservative justices might change his or her mind. this is gary tuchman, cnn, in knoxville, tennessee. another round of brutal weather in parts of the u.s. have a look at this. this is video from similar knoll, oklahoma, after at least one tornado tore through the area several hours ago. a number of buildings have been damaged but there are no initial reports of injuries. and earlier in the day, tornado watches were issued for millions of people across oklahoma and texas. forecasters said the region could also see winds of up to 70 miles an hour. i'm kim brunhuber at cnn center in atlanta. "world sport" is up next for our viewers on cnn international. and for those watching in the united states, coming up next, the shocking attack on dave chappelle and what we're learning about the suspect. stay with us. simparica trio is the first and only monthly chewable that covers heartworm m diseas, ticks and d fleas, round and hookworms. dogs get triple protection in just one simparica trio! this drug class has been associated with neurologic adverse reactions, including seizures. use with caution in dogs with a history of these disorders. protect him with all your heart. simparica trio. out-of-state corporations wrote an online sports betting plan they call "solutions for the homeless". really? the corporations take 90 percent of the profits. and using loopholes they wrote, they'd take even more. the corporations' own promotional costs, like free bets, taken from the homeless funds. and they'd get a refund on their $100 million license fee, taken from homeless funds, too. these guys didn't write a plan for the homeless. they wrote it for themselves. (music throughout) we're learning new details about the shocking onstage attack of comedian dave chappelle in los angeles tuesday night. the suspect is now the custody, be a motive is still unknown. cnn's nick watt has the details. >> reporter: dave chappelle was introducing the next act. suddenly -- the comic tackled by a man who rushed the stage, wielding a knife shaped like a replica gun. >> i mean, he rammed right into him. >> reporter: cnn's rachel crane was just a few feet away, sitting in the second row. >> one second you're laughing and the next second, honestly, i was fearing for my life, because i thought that perhaps this man had a bomb in that backpack on his back. >> reporter: he did not, and chappelle was not injured, according to the lapd, quickly cracking jokes. the 23-year-old male suspect was hurt in the me laei, taken to te hospital and arrested for assault with a deadly weapon. any motive remains unclear. chappelle, in his recent netflix special does note that he angers a lot of people with his comedy. >> now listen, women get mad at me, gay people get mad at me, lesbians get mad at me. but i'm going to tell you right now, this is true, these transgenders, these [ bleep ] want me dead. >> reporter: this assault took place just about a mile away from another recent on-stage attack on a comedian. the infamous oscars slap. last night, chris rock was also performing, soon by chappelle's side, making reference, cutting the tension. >> was that will smith? >> reporter: so, still unclear why this happened and maybe more importantly, how this happened. >> it felt like an eternity before the security got there and, you know, intervened. in actuality, i'm sure it was just a few seconds, but it was a very charged moment and everybody -- there were gasps, screams. >> reporter: also still unclear, how this suspect could have gotten a knife into the hollywood bowl through past the metal detention, particularly with so many high profile performers and guests in attendance. also ironic that earlier in his set, chappelle was joking about having to increase security at his home after somebody was hanging around on the street and shouting at him. a spokesperson for dave chappelle tells cnn that he, quote, refuses to let this overshadow the magic of his shows here at the bowl. nick watt, cnn, hollywood. actress amber heard took the stand for the first time in the tumult wougs defamation case filed by her ex-husband, johnny depp. on wednesday, heard detailed the early days of their relationship, claiming she endured physical and sexual abuse. >> i just laugh because i thought he was joking, and slapped me across the face. and i laughed. i laughed because i -- i didn't know what else to do, i thought, this must be a joke. this must be a joke. because i'm -- i didn't know what was going on, i just stared at him, kind of laughing still. th thinking that he was going to start laughing, too, to tell me it was a joke, but he didn't. he said, you think it's so funny. you think it's funny, [ bleep ]. you think you're a funny [ bleep ]. and he slapped me again. >> suing heard for $50 million over a 2018 op-ed where she described herself as a victim of domestic abuse in. earlier testimony, depp said he has never struck a woman, that heard was abusive towards him. well, it's been nearly a week into the search for an alabama cessional officer and the inmate she's accused of helping escape from jail. officer vicky white and inmate casey white were last seen leaving a detention facility last friday. now, the two aren't related. the lauderdale county sheriff is urging the cessional officer to turn herself in. >> vicky, you've been in this business for 17 years. you've seen this scenario play out more than once and you know how it always ends. go ahead and end it now. >> warrant was issued for vicky white's arrest on charges of permitting or facilitating escape in the first degree. climate scientists say the drought gripping the western u.s. is the worst in more than 1,000 years. communities in southern california are being urged to sharply cut their water usage by 35% or risk running out of water during the hot summer months. well, there are genuine concerns the two largest reservoirs in the u.s. are in danger of drying up. the federal government on tuesday announced emergency measures to get more water into lake powell at the utah/arizona border to keep a crucial hydroelectric dam in operation. for more on this, let's bring in the codirector of the center fo university of california-davis. thank you so much for being here with us. so, drought in california and the west are obviously nothing new, so put this in a historical perspective for us. how does what we're seeing now compare with what we've been through before. >> well, this is one of the worst series of drought years that we've had historically. we had a similar series of drought in california in 2012 and 2016, but this time is essentially a repeat of that severity. this drought, however, is very different from previous droughts, except for the immediate preceding drought in having much higher temperatures. that's making drought years -- small drought years all throughout the west, including all throughout the colorado river basin, much deeper, because the higher temperatures are evaporating snow pack and rainfall before it has a chance to make its way down to reservoirs and ground water. >> and i mentioned there in the intro lake powell, i mean, some experts fear the huge reservoir could possibly run out of water, and lake immediate, the country's largest reservoir, you mentioned that drought of 2012 to 2016, i covered that out there, been out to see how, you know, it had reached historically low levels. well, now things are even worse, i mean, so low at lake immediate that it revealed a water intake valve. that's really a dramatic illustration of the problem that will effect millions and millions of people across the west. is it a realistic fear that some taps could actually run dry? >> i think probably not. most of the urban areas are pretty well prepared, they've thought about these issues for a long time, so, for most people, i think they'll probably find a way to scoot around it, moving water back and forth with some of the reservoirs in the colorado river so the intake structures and the outlet structures will continue to work, but we will -- with are seeing throughout the colorado river basin and to some degree parts of california, the higher temperatures are making it so that we have less water going into the future. >> and so then the effects of all that in terms of, you know, southern california, especially not having enough water to meet the normal demands for some 6 million people, so they've imposed these, you know, unprecedented restrictions, some people fear they won't be enough, but of course, because water is politics out west, many others say this goes too far. so, how hard is it to get anything done in terms of reducing usage when so many folks see it as a god-given right? >> well, i think we've had a fairly good ability to conserve water in cities in the west throughout the united states in conditions when the populous is very convinced that this is urgent. and so, that requires a lot of thoughtful messaging on the part of local water districts, local water utilities and in local and state and federal politicians. we've had water conservation up to 30% or 40%, even in the last year or so in towns in california that were really hard-pressed for water during the drought. >> so, you know, the root causes here, you mentioned the snow pack or the lack thereof, i guess. experts say this is climate change in action. so, beyond the huge, monumental task of slowing climate change, i mean, what else can be done to address this, because this problem isn't going to go away this year. >> well, i think over time, we're going to have to increase our -- the amounts of water conservation that we do in urban areas, because california urban areas still per capita use fairly high rates of water use. compared to other countries and prosperous countries and dry places like israel, spain, or italy. but we'll also have tremendous reduction, sizable reduction in irrigated agriculture in the west. in california and arizona, more than 70% or 80% of water use in the states are -- is for agriculture, so that's always going to have to be a very big player. >> yeah, but that's where the biggest battles usually lie. we'll have to leave it there, but thank you so much for your expertise, jay lund in davis, california, really appreciate it. >> very welcome. brazil's president is lashing out at american actor leonardo dicaprio for his recent comments about the importance of the amazon rain forest in the climate crisis. with deforstation of the amazon happening, dicaprio is urging brazilians to vote in the election. but jair bolsonaro who has allowed development of the amazon since 2019 pushed back, denouncing the remarks, saying he should keep his mouth shut. i'm kim brunhuber at cnn center in atlanta. i'll be back with more news right after this break. please do stay with us. we are her teachers, her therapists, chefs... oh, that's why we're tired. it's because we're doing it every single day, all day. how do you like learning at home? i kind of don't like it. i kind of don't like it either. i just want you to have everything. everything that you want in life. ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪i'm so defensive,♪ ♪i got bongos thumping in my chest♪ ♪and something tells me they don't beat me♪ ♪ ♪ ♪he'd better not take the ring from me.♪ national university has been focused on the future of higher education for over 50 years. we believe the future is accessible, so we offer four-week classes, online options, and over 75 career-focused programs. and we believe the future is affordable, so we offer scholarship opportunities that help make earning your degree possible. ♪ ♪ national university. your future starts today at nu.edu. ♪ you inspired the lexus es to be, well... more you. so thank you. we hope you like your work. ♪ this is cnn breaking news. hello and welcome to all of you watching us here in the united states, canada, and around the world. i'm kim brunhuber at cnn's world headquarters in atlanta. ukraine is reporting progress on the ground as its counteroffensive in the kharkiv region takes back more territory and inches closer towards the border with russia. ukrainian forces have now retaken a village just 21 kilometers, or about 13 miles from the russian borde