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Turkey and Russia Spar over ISIS in Syria; Pope in Midst of Six-Day Visit to Africa; Gays under Attack in Uganda; Many U.K. Retailers Find Black Friday Profitable. Aired 1-2a ET

Aired November 27, 2015 - 01:00   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.


[00:30] ISHA SESAY, CNN ANCHOR: And, Max, the U.S. rock band, The Eagles of Death Metal were actually playing at le Bataclan Theater the night of the Paris attacks. We are learning more about what they experienced on that terrible day.

MAX FOSTER: Imagine being on stage where you had a view, effectively, of what was going on. It's been very hard for them to deal with, naturally, and they're taking some time speaking; but we are hearing what it was like for the Band performing inside the le Bataclan the night of the Paris terror attacks two weeks ago now. The Eagles of Death Metal sat down with the news program "Vice" to share their harrowing story and here's Brian Todd with that report.

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BRIAN TODD, CNN CORRESPONDENT: The moment when an upbeat, joyful evening at the le Bataclan Theater turned chaotic. The band, Eagles of Death Metal, was on stage and exposed. In their first interview since the Paris attacks, the band's sound engineer tells the news organization "Vice" people started dropping to the ground and he came face to face with the gunman.

SHAWN LONDON, SOUND ENGINEER, EAGLES OF DEATH METAL: He looked right at me and he shot at me and he missed. He hit my console and buttons went flying everywhere.

TODD: Shawn London told "Vice" that's when he hit the floor.

LONDON: I think he thought I probably got hit because I went down so quickly and everybody else around was injured; there was blood all over. He stayed there and continued to shoot and shoot and slaughter and just scream at the top of his lungs, Allah Akbar!

TODD: Band members say the most awful thing they saw was the attackers relentlessly shooting into the audience, in the packed ground floor section. Other survivors gave similar accounts; saying after the gunman came through the front entrance, and shot people there --

ISOBEL BOWDERY, BATACLAN ATTACK SURVIVOR: They moved upstairs, by the stage, onto the first level and that's when they shot at the crowd; anyone who moved was shot. TODD: CNN counter-terrorism analyst, Phil Mudd, says given the meticulous planning of the Paris attacks and the operational security of the ISIS cells, the nature of the le Bataclan assault was surprising.

PHILIP MUDD, CNN COUNTERTERRORISM ANALYST: The attackers with were overwhelmed by the emotion of the moment. They just went in and shot everything they could find. The indiscriminate nature of this, to me, was striking.

TODD: Members of Eagles of Death Metal say they eventually got off stage, ran upstairs to a dressing room, then got out a side exit door. Amateur video of those moments shows how frantic people were to make it to those exits. While some scrambled out, others hung from window sills. As he reflected on those moments, the band's co-founder told "Vice" he wants to be the first play at the le Bataclan when it reopens and he'll always feel a strong connection with the fans inside the concert hall.

JESSE HUGHES, CO-FOUNDER, EAGLES OF DEATH METAL: The kids there, I feel like we are in it together, especially now. I am really grateful for that.

TODD: The band's musicians made it out alive but their merchandise manager, Nick Alexander, was killed. One band member says after he was shot, Alexander stayed quiet, didn't call out for help because he didn't want to draw the terrorist attention and get anyone else hurt.

Brian Todd, CNN, Washington.

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FOSTER: We're building up now, Isha, to the memorial service in a few hours time, the national moment where, I think, everyone will gather around their TV sets and see that national moment. It's going to be a military-style event because they see, the governments see the victims of the attack as people who died as a result of war effectively. So they are giving them military honors. It will be a very powerful moment. We'll obviously bring that to everyone as it happens.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SESAY: Very, very powerful indeed; a chance for the nation and the world to remember the 130 people who lost their lives and over 300 who were injured. Max Foster reporting there from Paris; thank you.

Time for a quick break; deadly brushfires burn in Australia. We'll update you on how much progress firefighters have made just ahead.

And the new shows hoping to find the next marijuana millionaire; we'll hear from the creators of the reality TV program that is called the "shark tank" or "dragons den" for pot.

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[00:35] SESAY: Firefighters say they have now contained a deadly bushfire in South Australia, but that flames are still burning. Fire officials say that at least two people have died and 19 injured. The flames consumed 85,000 hectares and destroyed homes and sheds. Even though this fire is contained, fire season is only beginning across Southern Australia. Let's bring in Meteorologist, Derek Van Dam, who

joins us now from CNN Center with more. So, Derek, contained but still burning?

DEREK VAN DAM, CNN METEOROLOGIST: Still burning. Embers could be a problem going forward Isha. In fact, some of the firefighters battling this blaze described it as Armageddon-like, reducing some of the small farming communities to charcoal and ash, just like the picture behind me; devastating to see.

It doesn't help that much of Australia is experiencing below average rainfall. We're talking about portions of Queensland, into Victoria, Tasmania, Southern Australia and into Western Australia. We've highlighted the regions in red. Look at this that actually extends in the greater Adelaide region, right where the fire was located, again, just outside of Adelaide, about 70 kilometers to the north. Just because the fire is contained, as Isha just mentioned, we still have some burning embers and it doesn't take much over this very flat land to have a strong gust of wind to pick up those embers and create spot fires further downstream or downwind.

It also doesn't help that we're in the midst of the busiest time of the year for firefighters. In fact, the Australia fire season is just beginning, lasting anywhere between December and April for Victoria, into South and Western Australia. Also, on top of that, we have our strong El Nino that we continue to talk about. In fact, nine of the ten driest seasons throughout Australia have coincided with strong El Nino events just like we're experiencing now. That is going to create above-normal fire risk for much of Australia.

Here's the weather forecast going forward: You can see how temperatures will be on the increase for Adelaide, not helping the situation as well. So, as we go forward with our wind forecast as well, it appears as if fire concerns will still be a problem and doesn't look to get any better as high pressure continues to dominate. That means

sunshine and dry weather for those communities. Isha?

SESAY: Something to pay close attention to. Derek Van Dam joining us from CNN Center; thank you, Derek.

VAN DAM: Thank you, Isha.

SESAY: Well, entrepreneurs with a passion for marijuana are getting a shot at becoming millionaires on a show that is being called the "shark tank" or "dragons den" for weed. The marijuana show is the first ever [00:40] reality show about investing in pot and it kicked off its second season this fall. Earlier I spoke to the woman behind the show.

Karen Paul, Wendy Robins, welcome to the show. You are both the creators and producers of "The Marijuana Show," which is being described as "Shark Tank" for gangaprentuers. For our international viewers, please explain, what's the concept here?

WENDY ROBBINS, CO-CREATOR & CO-PRODUCER, "THE MARIJUANA SHOW": Okay, cannabis entrepreneurs get to pitch to accredited investors and make a lot of money.

KAREN PAULL, CO-CREATOR & CO-PRODUCER, "THE MARIJUANA SHOW": Millions of dollars; they can get from $100,000 to -- one of our contestants got $5 million offered to them on our show this last season.

SESAY: Why focus on weed? Why focus on cannabis? Talk to me about this.

PAULL: It is a new industry. It's like the .com, it's the next economy. We think it is the next biggest economy, compared to organic food, for instance. It's rising fast; it's at $2.7 billion in 2015. It's estimated to be over $19 billion in 2020.

ROBBINS: Imagine if you could save lives and be the next marijuana millionaire.

SESAY: So what makes a good idea? Talk to me about the ideas that have really risen to the top and, really, who judges what is a good idea and invests in it? Talk to us about that.

PAULL: Once they get through the gatekeepers, and we decide they have a viable business and they have a good business plan, they know their numbers, inside and out, then they get an opportunity to pitch to our accredited investors.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Robo-farm, an innovative, hydroponic system that does everything but eat the crop.

PAULL: And they come from Wall Street. They come from the cannabis industry. There's four on our show in Season Two. Of the four they invested the $13 million in our contestants.

SESAY: Interesting that you decided to do this on-line, for digital space, not TV. Why is that?

PAULL: Well mostly because you can't advertise on television yet in the cannabis space, but also we wanted to start on-line. We are in discussions with a few networks right now, to pick up our show.

ROBBINS: What we want to do is we want to educate, advocate, legalize cannabis and hemp; so to teach people about hemp and cbb and a lot of people don't know the difference. So that's part of the show too.

SESAY: So what would you say is a future path for that, in terms of I know that is your goal, seeing it legalized in all 50 states, but how do you see that going?

PAULL: Well it's going to fall out naturally, like, right now California is probably going to go rec next and then Florida.

ROBBINS: Maybe Nevada. PAULL: And maybe Nevada, and then eventually globally. You know, I

think it will fall out naturally as people see the tax incentives and how much money is being made. They are going to want to be a part; but also, really, more than is the medical benefits, to see people really get healed from cancer, get off opiates, find some natural path to healing. I think that's where the real value is in this product.

Karen and Wendy, we appreciate it; thank you. Good luck with show.

ROBBINS: Thank you so much.

PAULL: Thank you.

SESAY: And thank you for watching "CNN Newsroom", live from Los Angeles. I'm Isha Sesay. "World Sport" is up next. I will be back with more news around the world in 15 minutes. You are watching CNN.

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("WORLD SPORT" AIRS)

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ISHA SESAY, CNN HOST (voice-over): You are watching CNN NEWSROOM live from Los Angeles. I'm Isha Sesay. The headlines this hour.

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SESAY (voice-over): We're following Pope Francis as he travels through Kenya. Right now he's visiting a church in Nairobi's Kangemi slum. You're looking at live pictures there.

He was welcomed by Sister Mari Killeen, known as Kenya's Mother Teresa.

Two men are under arrest in Berlin, accused of plotting what police call a significant attack. Authorities found a suspected dangerous object in their van, which prompted an evacuation. One of the men is from Syria. The other is from Tunisia.

British prime minister David Cameron could call for a parliamentary vote as early as next week, for U.K. airstrikes on ISIS targets in Syria. Mr. Cameron laid out his case Thursday, saying ISIS poses a direct threat to the U.K. and its allies.

Russian president Vladimir Putin said he was shocked that Turkey shot down one of its warplanes this week. Mr. Putin told reporters on Thursday he considered Turkey an ally. He also said it wasn't possible the Turkish air force didn't recognize the Russian aircraft.

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SESAY: Well, Turkey says it will not apologize for downing the Russian warplane, which it claims violated Turkish airspace. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said his forces were simply doing their jobs. Mr. Erdogan spoke with our own Becky Anderson in his first interview since the plane was shot down.

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RECEP TAYYIP ERDOGAN, PRESIDENT OF TURKEY (through translator): Of course, we are saddened by what happened. We are disturbed by what happened because -- we have a strategic partnership with the Russian Federation, a partnership of great importance.

Despite our different approaches to the Syrian issue, we will not have wanted this incident to take place.

BECKY ANDERSON, CNN HOST: Was it a mistake and will you apologize?

ERDOGAN (through translator): Well, I think if there's a party that needs to apologize, it's not us. Those who violated our airspace are the ones who need to apologize. Our pilots and our armed forces simply fulfilled their duties, which consisted of responding to a violation of the rules of engagement. I think this is the essence.

ANDERSON: Sergey Lavrov, the Russian foreign minister, has called this "planned provocation."

And Putin has accused you of deliberately driving relations between your two countries to a standstill.

Your response?

ERDOGAN (through translator): There is no deliberate effort from our side to bring the relationship to a standstill. I think these are emotional attitudes to the issue. I don't think it's the right thing to say. We have never had this kind of an intention to bring the relationship to this kind of a point.

ANDERSON: They do keep coming. Putin has accused you of effectively stabbing him in the back, I think is the line he used, and as being -- Turkey as being an accomplice of terror.

This is pretty fiery stuff, isn't it?

ERDOGAN (through translator): Well, the expression, "accomplices of terror," I don't know if he used it or not.

If Mr. Putin is saying that we are cooperating with daish, that we are accomplices, I think that will be a huge mistake because we are doing the exact opposite.

And Russia is not engaged in a fight against daish in Syria. On the contrary, they are actually targeting moderate opposition. Turkey is a country that fights against terrorism. So, calling Turkey an accomplice of terrorists --

[00:01:35]

ERDOGAN (through translator): -- would be the worst thing to do. Yesterday, there was a declaration which was very unacceptable. Some people claimed that we were buying oil from daish.

And the fact that people in positions of authority in Russia said this, was actually very, very unacceptable.

(CROSSTALK)

ERDOGAN (through translator): Yes. It's a horrific lack of respect vis-a-vis Turkey because those people who make this claim should prove it. So no one can accuse us of buying oil from daish. These are smugglers; if any such thing is happening then we would apprehend these people and put it to an end.

ANDERSON: The moving of the Russian S400 anti-missile system into Western Syria by the Russians, do you see that as a threat to Turkey and/or to other coalition members, who may be flying sorties in this region?

ERDOGAN (through translator): As you know, Russia has been giving this kind of defensive support to Syria for a long time; since the time of Assad the father, Russia has been actually selling these missile systems or giving the missile systems to Syria in support.

And currently, you know, it's not possible for us to say that they're not doing the same thing. In last year, for instance, as we speak, they are in the process of establishing a base. And this can have two meanings.

The first one would be to control the Mediterranean and take this step to this end. And, also, the recent discussion has been focused on maybe possible Russian effort of sending their ship carriers to this region.

Of course, you know, the United States is also present in that region in terms of the aircraft carriers.

So what would be the possible consequences of this situation?

Well, it's something that we wouldn't want to see, of course. It's not a favorable development for us. We are still keeping a very keen eye on the developments in the region. We'll continue to do so. But we are not aiming to be part of this race, if I can put it this way.

ANDERSON: Alluding to the S400 system, if a Turkish fighter jet were to stray into Syrian airspace, which has happened in the past, and it was shot down as a result of this new system, that would be a problem to you, correct?

ERDOGAN (through translator): We do not want to see any escalation of the situation in the region. We don't want to become a party to that. But those who side with Syria and escalate the tension, I think, are the responsible parties to this.

And this kind of an incident, which may happen, as you expressed, of course, will further push us to take measures, which, of course, are not discussed. They simply are taken. These are things that you simply make and do. And of course it will be an aggression against our rights of sovereignty. And it's the natural right of the state to protect those rights.

ANDERSON: Can you confirm that you'll meet and talk with President Putin in Paris?

ERDOGAN (through translator): We have made such a request. And there has been no response to my request yet. But our ministers of foreign affairs had contact yesterday.

And President Hollande is going to talk to President Putin today. And then, he said that he, you know, would give me or share some information with me. And the day the incident happened, I actually called the president.

ANDERSON: Did he take your call that day, President Putin, out of interest?

ERDOGAN (through translator): No, no. We did not talk. We could not talk. They, you know, then called us back. But that talk didn't happen.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

SESAY: Our Becky Anderson there with that exclusive sitdown with Turkey's President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.

Coming up, Pope Francis has been visiting with poor residents in Nairobi, Kenya. Coming up, a look at why meeting with them is so high on his agenda.

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[00:01:40]

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SESAY: Welcome back, everyone. We're following Pope Francis as he travels through Kenya. Right now, he's speaking at a church in Nairobi's Kangemi slum. He was welcomed by Sister Mari Killeen, known as Kenya's Mother Teresa.

Serving the poor is a key message on his six-day trip to Africa. CNN's Robin Kriel is in Nairobi and joins us now with more.

And, Robin, I know that you were able to spend some time with Sister Mari Killeen. And give a sense of just how much meeting the pope was going to mean to her. Tell us about that.

ROBYN KRIEL, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, she was such a fantastic character, Isha, that I think both the pope and Sister Mari would mutually benefit from meeting each other. Sister Mari Killeen arrived here in 1976 from Ireland and we counted with her to see just how many lives she could have affected. And it turns out that she has affected close to 300,000 children's lives in Kenya by the educational programs that she has started. And she has fantastic anecdotes about just how she's done this.

She tells the story of how she was walking down the road one day and when she first moved here, the situation was so dire that half of the country's schoolchildren were out of school.

She was surrounded by a group of young men that she thought were thieves, that were sort of desperate back then, that they were actually stealing people's clothing. So she was surrounded by these young men. And she thought they were going to steal from her.

But in fact, they said to her, Sister Mari, we believe that you can educate overseas. Can you educate our younger siblings? We ourselves are thieves. But we don't want the same for our younger siblings.

So fantastic stories like this. She says that -- one of our favorite quotes is, she says, "I don't believe in religion." She believes in action.

SESAY: Yes, yes. Indeed. Some wonderful anecdotes there. And Robin, for the pope to make this trip to Kangemi, one of Kenya's poorest areas there on the outskirts of Nairobi, it means so much to so many of the local residents there's who often feel forgotten.

KRIEL: Indeed, they do mean so much to the people here of Kenya. This does mean a tremendous amount, even though this is the pope's -- one of the first papal visits here in --

[00:01:45]

KRIEL: -- history here in Kenya. But this is, of course, a little (INAUDIBLE) for him, because he is from the global south. And he's seen firsthand exactly what he's witnessed today in the slum of Kangemi. He's seen this growing up. He lived in Argentina. He worked in the barrios. He himself has seen exactly what good people like Sister Mari and others working in those slums can do.

And that's why he's pushing so hard for poverty, for reform almost of the Catholic Church to be more focused on the poor.

I want to just give you an idea, Isha, where we are at the moment. We're at Kasarani Stadium, just a short drive from Kangemi slum, where the pope is next due to visit. We are awaiting his visit. And I would say that the stadium is fairly full. There were long, long lines outside.

And we are expecting the pope, we hope that Pope Francis will be driving around, excuse me, will be driving around this athletic track behind us. Now Kenya and its athletes, obviously -- you can tell how excited everyone is.

Kenya and its athletes, this is obviously historic in itself because Kenya has such well-known athletes and are so dedicated to its athletes. People are so excited he will be talking about youth, unemployment. And he can talk about it from a firsthand experiment. He has lived it himself. SESAY: Yes, you can -- the excitement is palpable. Robin Kriel there at the Kasarani Stadium, the pope's next stop. Robin, we appreciate it. Thank you so much.

Well, Pope Francis travels to Uganda later in the day after his visit to Kenya concludes. And while so many people in Africa are embracing him, Uganda's clergy are not happy with the pope's attempts to reach out to gay Christians. CNN's David McKenzie has more on the challenges for the gays living in Uganda.

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DAVID MCKENZIE, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): In Uganda, God isn't hard to find. In Internet cafes, boutiques and stores and a Tuesday sermon for thousands.

MCKENZIE: Does God love Uganda?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: He does. We are not just a part of Africa. We are God's choice.

MCKENZIE (voice-over): It should be fertile ground for the next pastoral visit.

MCKENZIE: What is your message to the pope when it comes to Uganda?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: His standing is simply hypocritical. He must take a stand as a leader.

MCKENZIE (voice-over): But some Uganda priests and pastors are angry at Pope Francis' attempts to reach out to gay Christians.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You tell the people, this is the truth, this is the way. Homosexuality is dangerous.

MCKENZIE (voice-over): Mukasa Jackson (ph) and Makissa Kim (ph) are afraid to move together in daytime. They cannot go back home. Their families have abandoned them.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We have people screaming outside. "Hey, gays, gays, they are here. Gays are here."

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: (INAUDIBLE) beaten so badly.

MCKENZIE (voice-over): And they live in fear of being attacked again.

Hauled into court, they faced years in prison for acts of homosexuality and the colonial era laws. They were eventually released for lack of evidence.

MCKENZIE: Is it hurtful that people hate you so much?

JACKSON MUKASA (PH), UGANDAN: It's so hard for us, that people hate us so much because they realize that we're gays. MCKENZIE (voice-over): A failed 2014 anti-homosexuality bill has done nothing to slow preachers and politicians in Uganda.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: If the law says go to jail, you have to go to jail. It's like any other crime that we have in our nation and in the world.

MCKENZIE (voice-over): But Jackson (ph) and Kim (ph) say they are proud of who they are.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: That's why I even have a question to God. I wish I could meet God.

Is it that being gay is a crime to God because that's why all these things are happening?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I was there, dancing.

MCKENZIE (voice-over): They say no matter what happens, they will suffer together -- David McKenzie, CNN, Kampala, Uganda.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

SESAY: The pope is still in Kenya. More live pictures from that visit, where Pope Francis is visiting at the residents of the Kangemi slum. You're looking at live pictures there from the pope's visit to one of Kenya's poorest areas. We'll have more on the pope's trip after a break. Do stay with us.

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(WEATHER REPORT)

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SESAY: Hello, everyone. The day after Thanksgiving in the U.S. is called Black Friday. When holiday sales rev up and retailers traditionally make a profit or get into the black. It was imported into the U.K. But some retailers there are now shunning the Black Friday sales, after stores descended into chaos last year. Isa Soares reports.

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ISA SOARES, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over) Pushing, shouting and shoving, all for a TV. It was scenes like this at one 2014 Black Friday event that helped spark a backlash against the shopping phenomenon, both by British retailers and politicians as well as by the police.

But through the hype, it left some retailers with little to cheer about. Walmart-owned Asda, who initially brought Black Friday to the U.K., is abandoning the event. This as it focuses its efforts around the U.K.'s traditional seasonal sales period.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Xbox, where's the Xbox?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I think some retailers are shying away from it. Maybe they haven't gotten the purchasing power with suppliers. They haven't got the margins. So completely it doesn't make sense for some retailers to get involved.

We think it -- retailers who have been bad prepared in years gone by and invested more in their I.T. and logistics capabilities, they're the ones that are really -- stand to participate.

SOARES (voice-over): And 77 percent of U.K. retailers will participate, offering some sort of Black Friday discount. In-store, consumers are predicted to spend almost $2 billion this year on deals over the Black Friday-Cyber Monday weekend.

While Internet spending on Black Friday alone is expected to hit a record $1.62 billion.

SOARES: While some British retailers are pulling out of Black Friday, department store John Lewis, a real barometer of the British High Street, is --

[00:01:55]

SOARES: -- continuing with its Black Friday event. This after last year when it made $270 million in sales in one week alone.

Reason enough, it seems, to keep this U.S. tradition going.

SOARES (voice-over): Reaction to Black Friday may be mixed, with some indicators pointing to a larger Black Friday this year in terms of the number of retailers taking part and growing interest from shoppers. Black Friday looks set to remain a fixture on the U.K. shopping calendar for some time -- Isa Soares, CNN, London.

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SESAY: Well, Adele fans, get ready to belt out hello in an arena near you. The singing sensation announced details of her upcoming tour on Facebook Thursday, to the delight of her legion of fans. The 15-week tour will hit cities around the U.K. and Europe, starting in Belfast at the end of February. Her new album, "25," is smashing sales records in its first week of release.

Can't wait for it to come to the United States.

And you are watching CNN NEWSROOM, live from Los Angeles. I'm Isha Sesay. I want to take you back live to Kenya, where Pope Francis is visiting a slum on the outskirts of Nairobi. Our own Natalie Allen will be up next with much more on the pope's visit, right after this. Stay with CNN.