U.S. Prepares to Sanction Russian Oligarchs; Caravan of Migrants Arrives in Puebla, Mexico
BRIGGS:  4: 46 Eastern Time. The White House about to make its next move in the ongoing diplomatic skirmish with Russia. Sources say the Trump administration could announce sanctions as soon as today against several people with close ties to Vladimir Putin in connection with their alleged interference in the 2016 presidential election. CNN's Matthew Chance live for us in Moscow with the latest. Matthew, good morning to you. That's what everyone has been calling for is you got to go after the money. Is that where we're headed?</s>MATTHEW CHANCE, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: It certainly looks like that's the direction that these sanctions are pointing to. These are widely expected. They've been planned, these sanctions. They're aimed at individuals who are close to Vladimir Putin, the Russian president. It's also emerged that the Mueller investigation has been questioning a number of Russian businessman or Russian oligarchs in connection with the allegations that they illegally funded the Trump election campaign, the Trump inauguration. So that may be one of the factors that leads the U.S. administration to include people on the list. But the main reason, I think, is people who are close to Vladimir Putin. This is a way of punishing Russia for its alleged meddling in that 2016 presidential election. Of course there have been people sanctioned previously. This would add to that number. And it all comes, Dave, as the relationship between Russia and the West and Russia and the United States in particular is undergoing particular strains. Just yesterday, 60 American diplomats were put on buses and flown out of Russia in the latest tit-for-tat expulsions between the two countries, this time over the nerve agent poisoning of Yulia and Sergei Skripal on the streets of Salisbury. And these latest sanctions, when they come down, are not likely to make that relationship any better at all -- Dave.</s>BRIGGS: No. Indeed that is the case, Matthew Chance, big story coming today. Thank you.</s>MARSH: Well, the first busload of Central American migrants traveling northward toward the U.S. border is now in Puebla, Mexico. CNN's Leyla Santiago spoke with migrant families in the annual caravan. Their next stop, Mexico City.</s>LEYLA SANTIAGO, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Dave and Rene, the organizers of this caravan have admitted that they are overwhelmed. And so we are actually getting conflicting reports on what exactly is happening with this caravan. Some organizers saying that things are on hold, they're going to delay their next move. And others saying the march is on. We will continue to make our way north. So what are we seeing? We are in Puebla, where one bus arrived transporting people from Oaxaca further south to Puebla where we are right now. These were women, children, families that started with this caravan. Some now having permission from the Mexican government to be here without fear of deportation, having that special permit that allows them to be here. But many of them still saying they plan to go to the United States. Others saying they are afraid of the rhetoric coming out of the White House and they will stay in Mexico over going to the United States. Now the president of the United States, President Trump, has said that the numbers are dwindling. That this is a caravan that is breaking up. And while this group is seeing the numbers diminish and they are breaking up into smaller groups, that is actually something that is quite normal. Remember, this is a caravan that has been organized for years. They have been doing this for more than five years. And every year, they start with a big number. This year about 1200. And then the groups get smaller and smaller as they make their way to the north. And organizers say that a group of about 200, they believe, will make it to the U.S.-Mexico border to seek asylum. I asked some of the people here today what will happen if they encounter National Guard troops given that President Trump says that is the new plan to provide more security on the border. And many of the people here said if they have to wait, they'll wait. If they have to find another way, they'll find another way, but they will make it to the United States of America -- Dave, Rene.</s>MARSH: Thanks, Leyla. And Virgin Galactic successfully launched its rocket-powered Spaceship 2 on a supersonic flight. It's the company's first rocket-powered flight since a crash in 2014 destroyed an earlier model and killed all of its pilot. The Spaceship 2 took off shortly after 8:00 a.m. from the Mojave air and space port in California. It flew to an altitude of roughly 46,500 feet before separating from its mother ship and firing off its own rocket. The test puts Richard Branson's aerospace company another step closer to its goal of space tourism.</s>BRIGGS: That is awesome video. Some more stunning video to show you now. A towering crane being used to build the new police headquarters in St. Petersburg, Florida, collapses sending workers literally running for their lives. Security video capturing a massive crane about 10-stories high, falling over Thursday morning, just barely missing some of those workers on the ground. Thankfully no one was injured. Officials say the falling crane created no hazardous conditions and minimal damage at the construction site, if you can believe that. That's extraordinary.</s>MARSH: Yes. Amazing video there. So coming up, Facebook's apology tour. It's not over yet. As the company's data privacy scandal grows, so do the mea culpas. We'll get a check on all that in "CNN Money" next.</s>BRIGGS: Plus the MMA fighter, Conor McGregor charged by New York police after this epic rampage caught on camera. That's next.