about his stroke. nor about his cardiomyopathy and need for a pacemaker and he was refusing to debate his opponent in an effort to run out the clock by not agreeing to a debate until many pennsylvanians had already voted. i defended an nbc reporter who was criticized for reporting that fetterman had trouble understanding her small talk before the interview. i thought the coverage was being determined by empathy alone, not objectivity when the facts demanded both. now comes the news from the junior senator admitted himself to walter read on wednesday night for treatment of clinical depression. his office released a statement saying while john was experienced depression on and off throughout his life, it only became severe in rekren weeks, he s receiving treatment on a voluntary basis. we re told that john is getting the care he needs and will soon be back to himself. this is fetterman s second hospital in as many weeks. he was recently admitted to george washington university
i m victor blackwell. welcome to cnn newsroom. we re hours away from president biden s state of the union address tonight, his first to a divided congress. instead of nancy pelosi over the president s left shoulder, it will be speaker kevin mccarthy. the speech is expected to draw the largest television audience for the president this year. americans will hear biden lay out why he believes the state of the union is strong as he said last week. he s expected to talk about lowering inflation, improving infrastructure and getting past the worst of the pandemic. he s also expected to talk about america s stand against china. of course just days after an american fighter jet shot down one of its supply balloons. the president will likely increase the urgency for congress to act on policing reform and an adult weapons band. all of it will be a test run for his re-election bid. phil mattingly is with us now. what more should we expect from the president tonight? you know, vict
hour on cnn newsroom. i m bianna golodryga. i m victor blackwell. in just a few hours, we ll see president biden in primetime. this will be his first state of the union address before a divided congress. the speech will offer the president his largest television audience of the year, and unlike last year when nancy pelosi sat behind the president, the house speaker seat will be occupied by republican kevin mccarthy. his party holds a slim majority in the house, and the president said he will extend his hand. he ll go across the aisle for veterans and the opioid epidemic. he expects to lay out his successes setting up what insiders say is a test run for his re-election bid. manu raju and phil mattingly are at the white house. give us a preview of what we can expect tonight. i think the president will try to connect. when you talk to his advisers, connect what they view of critical accomplishments to what they know they still need to accomplish the year or two ahead. it
cities and towns, this after severe storms ripped across oklahoma and parts of the central u.s. this morning, more than 50,000 without power in the region. at least nine tornadoes touching down in oklahoma and kansas. wind gusts equivalent to a category 3 hurricane about 120 miles an hour battering texas. ahead, the latest on the storm s and what s to come. plus, at least two people are dead, three others wounded after a drone attack in ukraine. this as the u.s. is now warning that china will face penalties if beijing provides russia with drones and ammunition, as u.s. intelligence indicates, to aid russia s ongoing invasion of ukraine. we do begin this hour with the latest on those severe storms and tornadoes. cnn s senior national correspondent, ed lavendera is in norman, oklahoma. cnn meteorologist chad myers standing by with the latest forecast. we want to begin with you, ed. some pictures there, just alarming. tell us what you re seeing on the ground. reporter: wel
ukrainian territory in the country s east. the biden administration says if beijing does provide weapons it will pay a real cost. we re not just making direct threats, we re just laying out the stakes and consequences how things will infold. and we are doing that clearly and specifically behind closed doors. cnn white house correspondent jeremy diamond joins us now, so, jeremy, some intense discussions as we go going on behind closed doors. any idea how imminent this potential for china could be? well, bianna, it s been clear, china has been weighing this for several months or so. but we re seeing over the last week, u.s. officials publicly and privately conveying to china there would be severe consequences if they do indeed move forward with providing lethal aid to russia. we do know china has provided nonlethal aid, body armor, helmets but u.s. intelligence now believes china is considering presenting russia with drones and ammunition. and there are questions about th