Return to Transcripts main page
CNN Newsroom
Seven Dead in Attack at Pakistani University; Impact of Palin Endorsement on Trump Campaign; U.N.: "Staggering" Civilians Suffering in Iraq; ISIS Cuts Its Fighters' Salaries in Half; Dounia Bouzar Helps Former ISIS Captives; Twenty Students Dead In Attack At Pakistani University; Michigan Governor Apologizes For Flint Water Crisis; CDC Warns Pregnant Women About Zika Virus; TV Judge Mistaken For Supreme Court Justice. Aired 2-3a ET
Aired January 20, 2016 - 2:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
(COMMERICIAL BREAK)
[02:00:19] ERROL BARNETT, CNN ANCHOR: The big welcome to our viewers there in the U.S. and those of you watching all around the world, we are with you here on CNN for the next two hours. I'm Errol Barnett.
ROSEMARY CHURCH, CNN ANCHOR: And I'm Rosemary Church, thank you so much for joining us, we appreciate it.
All right, I want to actually bring you up to date on this breaking news story that we are watching out of Pakistan. We've been telling you about these gunmen that entered the university there, the Bacha Khan University. And we understand that seven people are dead, we want to get clarification on this.
And we can now go to Sophia Saifi, she is there in Islamabad, she's been watching this very carefully, we're just learning about this seven people who have been killed but we haven't had clarification on that, we do understand attackers have been killed as well.
Talk to us about what you know about this so far.
SOPHIA SAIFI, CNN ISLAMABAD PRODUCER: Rosemary as of right now, it's a very tense situation in Charsadda at the university campus.
We know that seven people have been killed, unfortunately because of the information that's been coming out, it's very vague, it's very filtered. The security forces are not sharing much information. So we don't really know who has been killed whether the students, whether the professors. We do, we have been told by security forces, by rescue services that there are more dead bodies, that the death toll is expected to rise. That 20 people have been injured so far. We know that the militants are still holed up inside the university. That it's an ongoing operation, we can see -- we been joined by reporters on the ground, that there's aerial surveillance. That journalist can hear explosions constantly from inside the university.
It's a very vague situation, it's very tense. It's a foggy morning in Peshawar. And the information coming through is very filtered and not confirmed as of right now, Rosemary? CHURCH: And Sophia, we certainly understand that, but is there any
clarification at all on this report earlier that we have that a couple of the attackers had, perhaps being killed. Now, we understand that there are some gunmen hiding. Originally, it was three gunmen that were understood to have gone into this university. Has that changed?
SAIFI: We know that some -- we do know that some militants have been killed. We don't really know the amount of militants inside the university, so confirming the death toll at the moment will be difficult. It's expected to rise, it could be more, it's an ongoing operation, but it's still unconfirmed as of right now. That's right.
CHURCH: And talk to us too about how well equipped soldiers and police in that area to deal with a situation like this.
SAIFI: Well Rosemary, unfortunately this is not something that's new to this region. Just a little over a year ago, last winter in 2014, a school was attacked in Peshawar which saw over a hundred students being killed in a situation which is tragically very similar to what we're seeing unfold in front of us at the moment.
You know, rescue services are very well-equipped. They're very well versed in dealing with situations like this. There has been, you know, in recent months, there has been decrease -- we had seen a decrease in militants' activity in this particular region. But over the past three days, there's been an increase in attack. We saw check points being attack just yesterday which left 10 people dead.
So, the security forces and the police are very, very well-equipped. Unfortunately, to deal with something like this, the university itself had its own security personnel. Most educational institution hires private contractors to provide security to the students. So, it's something that's always at the back of people's mind in a place like Charsadda, Rosemary.
CHURCH: Yes, it's certainly horrifying situation, and we're talking there with CNN Islamabad Producer, Sophia Saifi. We will continue to bring our viewers updates on the situation again because it's very difficult to get a grasp on what exactly has happened here. But we do understand that seven people have been killed in this situation that still ongoing there.
We do appreciate it Sophia.
With a tight election contest less than two weeks away in Iowa, Donald Trump picked up an endorsement that could put him ahead with conservative voters there.
[02:05:03] BARNETT: Yeah, this announcement, it was quite the (inaudible). Former vice presidential candidate Sara Palin gave her support to Trump instead of his rival Ted Cruz. Palin praised Trump for raising difficult issues and challenging the status quo. Listen.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SARAH PALIN, FRM VICE PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: Only one candidate's record of success proves this is the master of the art of the deal. He is beholden to no one but we the people -- how refreshing. He is perfectly positioned to let you make America great again. Are you ready for that Iowa?
(CHEERS AND APPLAUSE)
PALIN: No more pussy-footing around. Our troops deserve the best. You deserve the best. He's from the private sector, not a politician. Can I get a "Hallelujah!"
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CHURCH: And we've talked with CNN political commentator Ryan Lizza about what kind of shockwave this endorsement might cause?
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
RYAN LIZZA, CNN POLITICAL COMMENTATOR: Donald Trump has already been striking fear in the hearts of many Republicans. I mean, you can find -- and there is now a cottage industry in Washington of the Conservative and Republican oriented columnists who are declaring that they will not vote for Donald Trump if he is the nominee of the party.
I think if there were one other figure in the Republican determined who scares many establishments and frankly, traditional conservatives in Washington and elsewhere it is Sara Palin.
So, you know, in a sense, he's doubling down on what was -- what a lot of Republicans feared about Trump in the first place.
CHURCH: Yeah, interesting, and then of course in 2012, Sarah Palin endorsed Ted Cruz (inaudible). Now she's turned her back on him. And on top this, Iowa's governor is telling people not to vote for Cruz.
LIZZA: Yeah.
CHURCH: Let's just listen very quickly to what he actually said.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
TERRY BRANSTAD, IOWA GOVERNOR: I believe that it would be a big mistake for Iowa to support him, and I know he's ahead in the polls, but the only poll that counts is the one they take on caucus night and I think that could change between now and then. I think this even is an important, significant step to helping educate the voters in this state. And this state is where it all begins.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CHURCH: Ryan, not a great day for Cruz.
LIZZA: Wow.
CHURCH: What impact is all this like, in behalf on his presidential bid. LIZZA: Well the governor in Iowa, he's very popular with Republicans.
He's the longest serving governor in America right now. So, I would -- I frankly, I think what he said today has a bigger impact than Sara Palin's endorsement of Trump. And you know, even among Republicans, Palin can be very polarizing.
I think what the governor is trying to do is send the message that, as bad as Trump is, a Cruz-Trump battle that goes on for a long time, might be worse for the Republican parties. In other words, one of these guys can't fit, you know, shouldn't leave Iowa and go into New Hampshire and to the rest of the States. That would be even worse for Republicans. And if Donald Trump is going to be someone that's going to be in the race for a long time, so be it. But if they can get Cruz our early, that's what the Republican establishment wants right now.
And the other thing, just to add a simple level, it's shows you that Ted Cruz, even though he's been in politics a long time, just does not have any friends at least in the class of elected officials both in Washington and out of the States.
CHURCH: Ryan Lizza, many thanks, always a pleasure to speak with you.
LIZZA: My pleasure.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BARNETT: Democratic presidential candidate Bernie Sanders has a commanding lead over rival Hillary Clinton in New Hampshire, that's according to a new survey. Sanders has 60 percent support to Clinton's 33 percent among likely Democratic voters in the CNN, WMUR Poll.
CHURCH: The survey was taken mostly before Sunday's Democratic debate. It found support for Sanders has increased by 10 points since late last year.
Well now to a staggering new report from the United Nations highlighting the devastating impact of the ongoing conflict in Iraq on his people. Nearly 19,000 Iraqi civilians were killed in violence in the 21-month period.
BARNETT: More than three million people were internally displaced. And the report estimates ISIS holds about 3500 slaves, many of them women and children. The U.N said the actual figures could be much higher.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
RAVINA SHAMADASANI, UNCHR SPOKESPERSON: (And our) commissioner has stressed that obscene as the death toll is, the committee pressured to (inaudible). It's the horrors that people of Iraq are facing are tremendous.
ISIL is abducting young children and recruiting them, putting them in the front lines of war. And in one case that we've documented, these children have fled (ph) the frontlines of war because they was (ph) kid. When they got back, they were executed by ISIL for desertion.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
[02:10:08] CHURCH: And ISIS has confirmed its notorious masked execution of "Jihadi John" is dead. An ISIS magazine published a picture of "Jihadi John" unmasked, along with an obituary.
U.S. officials announced last November he was likely killed in a drone strike in Raqqa, Syria.
BARNETT: Meantime, ISIS fighters are being forced to take a steep pay cut. And this U.S. air strike on a bank in Mosul last week maybe part of the reason a leaked ISIS memo informed fighters, there salaries were being slashed by half down to as little as $200 per month.
Joining me now to talk about this is Jonathan Schanzer, he's a former terrorism finance analyst at the U.S. Treasury. Thanks for your time. If we combine this memo with that air strike in Mosul, possibly millions of dollars have in cash was targeted. How do we assess the financial standing of ISIS right now?
JONATHAN SCHANZER, FORMER TERRORISM FINANCE ANALYST, U.S. TREASURY: Well, I would probably describe this as a blow that hurts ISIS in the short term. But in the long term, I think ISIS will continue to be able to accumulate cash, that they're able to do this through taxes, through plundering, through racketeering, through oil albeit in lower prices. They sale of the antiquities, they've got a lot of financial gains to be made through the territory that they control. And that is really the key to the financial success for ISIS.
BARNETT: Now if we take a look at the typical ISIS salary, if you can call it, among soldiers, it's estimated to be anywhere between $400 to $1200 per month, they get $50 stipend if they have a wife, and additional $25 per child. If they are in fact to go through this salary slash of 50 percent, would that impact recruitment at all. Do you not feel that it would at least have an effect on ISIS's momentum these next few months?
SCHANZER: Well, I think actually a lot of the question revolve around whether that the amount of money that ISIS is dangling for new recruits has dropped because a lot of the time we have seen cash incentives for those that would like to cross the border from Turkey and to enter Syria and to join ISIS. And that cash has been a huge incentive for a lot of these fighters.
Once they're on the battlefield, they probably have less room to barter, that if they tried to leave the battlefield that ISIS enforcement, let's call them, could take care of them or perhaps punish them. And so that become a disincentive for them to leave the battlefield.
BARNETT: And what about oil fields that ISIS had taken control of between Iraq and Syria. Oil is now trading at much lower that it was last year. How might that hit their momentum?
SCHANZER: This is going to hurt. I mean, we're looking at oil at $30 a barrel and then of course, when you look at ISIS oil, this is illicit oil so it's probably trading at roughly half of that or two thirds of that. So, it becomes less more difficult for ISIS to gain a significant profit from its oil cells.
But again you've got to know that despite the fact that oils has been a significant driver of income, it is in fact the racketeering and the taxes that have brought ISIS the lion share of the cash that they brought in. And so that's what we looked at when we look at ISIS's long term financial health.
BARNETT: Well, we appreciate you coming in and speaking about this. Former terrorism finance analyst at the U.S. Treasury, Jonathan Schanzer, thanks for your time.
SCHANZER: Thank you.
CHURCH: And we'll take a short break here, but still to come, a program to deradicalize. We will hear from a young woman who escaped ISIS and her message to other who maybe lured by the militants.
A long road home, a CNN exclusive. That's coming.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[02:16:12] RHIANNON JONES, CNN SPORTS ANCHOR: Hello, I'm Rhiannon Jones with your CNN World Sports Headlines. Rafael Nadal flop at his first ever Australian Open at round one exit. The 14 time grand slam champion has now failed to reach the second week of the three consecutive major tournaments. Seeder's (ph) best, the former world number one was knocked out of the men's singles by Fernando Verdasco. Nadal haven't got further than the quarter finals in any grand slam since winning the 2014 French Open.
In the women's draw, number two seed, Simona Halep also crashed out. Halep refused to blame the Achilles injury she's been struggling with, and the build up to this event after loosing in straight set to a Chinese qualifier ranks a 131 spot lower than the number two seed.
Organizers of the Rio Olympics have announced that it's failing back on (inaudible) at the roaming event. The numbers of unpaid volunteer has also being reduced from 70,000 to 50,000. They say it's in a bid to cut funding as Brazil -- the economic crises hits home (ph).
The country was booming when Rio was rewarded the hosting right back in 2009 but six months ahead of the opening ceremony inflations of more than 10 percent. And the economy is expected to remain in recession through 2017. That's a look at your Sports Headlines, I'm Rhiannon Jones in London.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
BARNETT: Welcome back, let's update you now on our breaking news out of Pakistan. At least seven people are dead and 20 others wounded after militants attack the Bacha Khan University in North Western Pakistan. Now police tell us security forces have killed four attackers but it's not yet clear if they are part of the seven dead. All of these still a developing situation, the death toll too is expected to rise. CHURCH: So far there has been no claim of responsibility and the local
officials say, it's hard to tell how many attackers are on the campus at this time because of fog and low visibility. We will of course bring you all the details on this breaking news story as they come into us.
BARNETT: But for now, we move on to this, the United Nations says, 400,000 Syrians desperately need food assistance as a civil war carries on the UNICEF says, civilians are on the siege in at least 15 locations across the country with limited access to food, water, and other basic services.
CHURCH: They say that eight agencies -- the lives have been lost as a result with children and the elderly particularly at risk. In recent days, Syria has allowed relief convoys to deliver supplies to some of these Syrians. But officials say, more needs to be done.
BARNETT: Let's turn now to someone with extensive experience in humanitarian sector. The Secretary General of the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies joins us now Elhadj As Sy is in Dubbo, Switzerland.
Thank you so much for your time in being with us here on CNN today, as we discuss aid in Syria. That there was a desperate attempt to get truck loads of aid into Madaya early last week. Its where some civilians died of starvation, aid eventually got through but it could it be a glimpse of things to come?
ELHADJ AS SY, SECRETARY-GENERAL, IFRC: In that, Madaya has been besieged for many years. Like many other places in Syria, you know a dozens of them. So we salute the opportunity we had, you know, thanks to the efforts of all partners, you know, including members of our movement, the ICRC and as well are the UN partners, so that we can access, you know, people in need.
[02:20:16] But there is only one access, you know that we had. We need many more and we need beyond, you know this content has access to those places. A permanent access to people so that they will not get trapped, you know, in situations they do not have control over. There is no surprise that once we get there, we sign this dramatic situation that is being described. People who are hungry, people who are sick, you know, children that I experience and something that a child that should never experience.
Now that is a wound in honor (ph) of humanity that is a wound on our humanitarian soul that we really need to heal. And the way to heal it is we cannot very quickly solve the problems so that people go back to their normal lives. That humanitarian space be guaranteed and be protected on a permanent basis so that people get the support they need.
BARNETT: And many of the aid workers who finally made it into Madaya talked about just coming to tears at the sights. They saw some people without enough energy to even eat. What can you tell us about the approximately 200,000 people, most of them women and children trap west of Dier in the a rocky border inside Syria. A U.N. report is suggesting there is a starvation risk there too.
AS SY: What do you expect, you know, these people are in a situation where they do not even access the basic needs like food, clean water, essential medicine. So what can we expect, you know, once we get there to see really this horrific pictures, you know there is no words to describe that. There are people of course, who now, were very affected to now with what they see. But they need to go over it very quickly and then try to gather their forces and their security, you know to support people.
Yes, they are hungry people, definitely. People will stay for money without even having a loaf of bread, you know, to eat. You know, people deprived (ph) in a situations, you know that have very traumatic such as they were getting on leaves (ph) and then taking leaves, you know to boil so that they can have something in their bellies.
Children who are emaciated, you know, in a situations, you know, that can remind us on a horrible pictures of wars and starvations and all of these is totally unacceptable, you know today and you know civilians have to be protected.
We need to do everything possible and we call on all parties that are part of this conflict to find a solution on to it. And then beyond that we call on all parties, you know that, you know, bring our efforts together. And then get the humanitarian space you know that is required for people to be fed, that clean water comes in, and then the medical supplies, you know will come.
And health facilities also be protected at the same way because once again, see battlefields happens to be everywhere. And then no place is safe anymore, no school is safe, no health facility is safe, no home is safe, no street and this is really something that we need to address you know head on humanitarian space has to be protected. And we call on all on parties, you know, to contribute to that.
BARNETT: You're certainly in the place and there's a lot of world leaders and business leaders in Dubbo, is of course, the World Economic Forum. You certainly pushing them to do more to tackle this humanitarian issue which appears to only be getting worse by the day we appreciate your coming on to CNN to underscore that Elhadj As Sy, the Secretary General of International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies. Thanks for your time this morning.
AS SY: Thanks for having me.
CHURCH: Despite this well-publicized brutality, ISIS continues to appeal to vulnerable young people. But all from those were lured to join the group fine their promised paradise quickly becomes a nightmare.
BARNETT: Yeah, that's what happened to one young woman named Hanane. But she escaped and is now getting to re-adjust in the program that it's direct tackles (ph) "a wave crashing against ISIS" Atika Shubert shows us in an exclusive report. ATIKA SHUBERT, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hanane was lured to ISIS territory
in Syria with pictures like this, promises of an Islamic caliphate that was in her words, a paradise, without racist and/or greed guided purely by Islamic principles. Instead she says she was imprisoned, bitten and accused of being a spy, after refusing to marry an ISIS fighter.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
HANANE: I did not understand. These girls were supposed to be my sisters. They said they loved me. I never did anything wrong to them but they wanted me dead because I refused to get married.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SHUBERT: Hanane was lucky and ISIS court ruled there were not enough witnesses to convict her. She says, she managed to convince her jailer to let her go.
[02:25:10] She spoke to us on condition we do not reveal her face. She's now on France under police observation.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
HANANE: When I got back to France, I was considered as a girl who tortured people. Like a monster who came back pretending to be a victim. I didn't hurt anybody there, the only person I hurt was, myself.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SHUBERT: Dounia Bouzar is the woman spearheading France's deradicalization program, also Hanane's counselor.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DOUNIA BOUZAR (TRANSCRIPT AS APPEARS ON THE SCREEN): When they take you to prison you go through square in Raqqa, you see heads on sticks not what you expected.
HANANE: I see people, their faces. They are without expression. I see the heads on sticks.
BOUZAR: And they put colored lights around the heads.
HANANE: Yes pink, green lights.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SHUBERT: Muslim and outspoken. Bouzar say she understands victims like Hanane because she was the victim of an abusive relationship herself.
BOUZAR: I think that's now a strength that shows that what doesn't kill you makes you stronger. There is a future, I tell those parents that their children are going to make their way through this difficult moment. You're child will face others. I'm sure that their experience will help France in the fight against terror.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BOUZAR: So you're nostalgic because you feel less empowered. You're not part of a group.
HANANE: Exactly, I am not in a group anymore. I don't have my shield anymore.
BOUZAR: And you feel vulnerable?
HANANE: Yes.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SHUBERT: Bouzar says the testimonies of returnees like Hanane are critically to turning recruits away from ISIS. But her work has also made her the target of ISIS death threats. She travels with at least two bodyguards.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SHUBERT: And those people who want to come back and feel like they won't be accepted back into society, what have you learned from the process and from speaking with Dounia?
HANANE: I always think of these girls. I'm angry at myself because I could get out and they left them over there. Sometimes I think I should have stayed to found a better escape and leave with other people who wanted to leave Syria. I know there are some girls who want to come back but they can't. Its torture for women there like you can't even breath.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SHUBERT: Hanane say, she now knows that paradise she was looking for exist only as ISIS propaganda. Catastrophic mistake she is hoping that Bouzar can helped to slowly undo. Atika Shubert, CNN Paris
BARNETT: Still to come this hour, we'll bring a life update on that deadly attack on the University in Pakistan.
[02:23:11] CHURCH: Plus an apology from Michigan's governor the lead poisoned water in the city of Flint. We will find out what his promising to do fix it (inaudible).
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
ROSEMARY CHURCH, CNN INTERNATIONAL ANCHOR: Welcome back, everyone. We want to bring you up-to-date now on our breaking news out of Pakistan. At least seven people are dead and nearly two dozen wounded after militants attack Batcha Khan University in Charsadda.
ERROL BARNETT, CNN INTERNATIONAL ANCHOR: Security forces there at the school say they've killed four attackers. Right now, we don't know if they are among the official death toll which police expect to rise. For more on this breaking news out of Pakistan, we want to bring in CNN Islamabad producer, Sophia Safi. She is on the phone with us. Sophia, we know that this situation is still unfolding.
Apparently, it all began just a few hours ago there on campus as classes were getting under way. What's the latest information you have on -- if this is under control yet?
SOPHIA SAFI, CNN ISLAMABAD PRODUCER (via telephone): Well, Errol, at the moment, we do know that we are getting reports from the military that's firing at the scene has stopped. But that day, the area block by block. This does not mean, however, that the operation is finished.
We're getting reports on the ground that they could still be hearing explosions just a little while ago. As you know, it's a very tense situation. It's an ongoing situation. And information coming out of that area is not a very precise and detailed.
So we are getting conflicting reports from different sources, but we do know that this took place in the morning today. It was a foggy morning in the northwest of Pakistan. And it's a situation where militants, we don't really know how many militants have gone in.
Took positions within the university, which had a number of students, classes are ongoing. The new semester have started. So it's a very big state of affairs as of right now.
BARNETT: All right. We'll continue to check in with you, Sophia, in the hours ahead, as the army and the government tries to get a handle on what is happening at university.
A positive development if the firing and gunfire has ended, but of course, as you mentioned, there is a bit of conflicting information coming out of the chaos there right now. Sophia Safi on the line with us. We'll continue to update you all as we get new information.
CHURCH: All right, back in the United States and a top story we have been following closely, Michigan Governor Rick Snyder says he is sorry about the crisis in the city of Flint where drinking water is contaminated with lead.
And he is promising to fix the problem. Snyder is asking state lawmakers to approve $28 million for measures to end the crisis. And he says he will release his e-mails about the city's water supply for the last two years to provide accountability.
BARNETT: Now take a look at this crowd of protesters gathered, they gathered outside the Michigan capital Tuesday calling for Snyder's resignation. Some want him arrested, but Snyder says he's not going anywhere.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
RICK SNYDER, MICHIGAN GOVERNOR: To you, the people of flint, I say tonight as I have before, I am sorry and I will fix it. No citizen of this great state should endure this kind of catastrophe. Government failed you.
Federal, state and local leaders by breaking the trust you placed in us. I'm sorry most of all that I let you down. You deserve better. You deserve accountability. You deserve to know that the buck stops here with me.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
[02:35:12]CHURCH: And the new report from the Environmental Protection Agency puts the blame for the crisis squarely on state and local officials. And a growing number of residents joining lawsuits over the contamination.
BARNETT: CNN's Jean Casarez reports on how this crisis began and what officials have and have not done about it.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
JEAN CASAREZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): It is something many take for granted, fresh, clean water from the tap in your home. But for the nearly 100,000 residents of Flint, Michigan, it's a problem.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Smell like -- smelled like toilet.
CASAREZ: Rhonda Kelso (ph) says that toxic water has been flowing in Flint for nearly two years. She is part of potential class action suits alleging the governor and other state and local officials lied to the community about what was in their water.
RHONDA KELSO, FLINT, MICHIGAN RESIDENT: You really don't want to think about it. You want to block it out of your mind. It's like did they really do that.
CASAREZ: The suits alleged that in 2014, local and state officials made the decision to switch from the safe Detroit water supply to water from the Flint River, a savings of about $60 a day according to the federal complaint. At that time, Flint was under a financial emergency.
CARY MCGEHEE, ATTORNEY: People, of course, are talking about rashes. They're talking about hair loss. They're talking about seizures that never happened before. We're talking of women that have had miscarriages.
CASAREZ: Officials failed to add an anti-corrosive agent to the river water, which then allowed lead from some of the system's pipes to contaminate the water. The complaint states that Flint emergency manager at that time and now defendant, Darnel Early, made the decision.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Can you explain why you twice declined to go back to Detroit water even after there were problems?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I'm not at liberty to answer any questions regarding that situation. CASAREZ: Governor Rick Snyder admits the water crisis is a disaster, but many are questioning the state's response. According to a new lawsuit, the U.S. EPA wrote in June 2015 a detailed memo outlining unacceptable levels of lead in Flint's water. That was shared with state officials, but no action was taken.
It wasn't until October 2015 that the state changed Flint's water supply. So far, hundreds of residents have complained of health issues including Rhonda Kelso, who now worries the about the future of her 12-year-old daughter?
(on camera): What are you asking for from the officials of the state?
KELSO: A refund for paying for poison. I'm asking for combination for injuries to my daughter. I am asking for compensation for my property damage.
CASAREZ: Jean Casarez, CNN, Flint, Michigan.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
BARNETT: Coming up in our next hour of CNN NEWSROOM, I'll talk with the investigative reporter who exposed this water crisis. He was telling me there are ongoing efforts to discredit all of the people, who brought this to light, even now. Do stay tuned for that.
CHURCH: All right, we are going to take a very short break here, but we will continue to follow our breaking news out of northwest Pakistan, that attack on the Batcha Khan University, seven people dead, 20 injured. At this point, it is still an ongoing situation. We're back in a moment.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[02:41:42]
CHURCH: We are following breaking news out of northwestern Pakistan where we are now learning at least 20 students are dead after militants attacked the Batcha Khan University campus.
Army officials in Charsadda say they are clearing the campus block by block after this deadly siege, which started just as classes were getting under way.
BARNETT: Now, we understand from earlier reports that at least four attackers have been killed. It is not clear if they are part of the official death toll that we had reported. The fog and low visibility is keeping security forces from knowing exactly how many militants are on campus.
CHURCH: The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is sounding the alarm on the Zika virus. It's recommending pregnant women who have traveled to these countries in South America and the Caribbean get screened for the disease. The virus has been linked to a sharp increase in cases of a specific brain defect in Brazil in recent months. CNN medical analyst, Dr. Seema Yasmin, joins me now from Dallas, Texas. Thanks so much for talking with us. So, Doctor, just how concerned should pregnant women be if they have already traveled to those countries in South America and to the Caribbean. And what symptoms should they be looking for?
DR. SEEMA YASMIN, CNN MEDICAL ANALYST: So the symptoms of Zika virus are actually quite mild. They include rash, fever, joint pain, sometimes red eyes and a headache. But what's really concerning now is this link between the virus and a very serious birth defect in children.
It's a birth defect that's called microcephaly where children are born with an abnormally small skull and an underdeveloped brain. Now we've been hearing from doctors and scientists in Brazil for a few months now that they've been telling pregnant women to be very careful, to check for any of these symptoms to see a doctor.
But it was only a few days ago on Friday that the U.S. CDC issued a warning saying that if you are pregnant in any trimester of pregnancy, you should avoid these 14 countries because of the risk of contracting Zika.
CHURCH: And Doctor, if a pregnant who has already traveled to these infected areas, does get screened, and finds that she has been exposed to the Zika virus, what then?
YASMIN: So what doctors are saying is it's really important that you go see a health care provider, let them know your travel history, let them know if you've had any symptoms. The most that doctors can do at the moment, though, is monitor that woman throughout her pregnancy.
They'll use an ultrasound scan to check the baby's development specifically looking at the baby's skull and brain. But at the moment, that's the most that can be done. There isn't a specific treatment for Zika, unfortunately. There isn't a vaccine. There are no medicines that can prevent the virus.
CHURCH: It is a real concern. And what is being done to try and stop the spread of this disease?
YASMIN: So really it's a lot to do with awareness and education. One of the things that's very frustrating is that the mosquito that spreads this virus called (inaudible) is a very aggressive biter.
It bites humans all throughout the day and it likes to come indoors and bite inside, as well. So the key thing to do right now is bite prevention and that means wearing long sleeves, long trousers, even when it's hot during the daytime.
Wearing an insect repellant even if you're pregnant and staying where it's air conditioned and using window screens. So, really, it's a very scary virus.
But we're left with quite basic measures to try and prevent the spread and already in Brazil we've seen what we can only describe as an explosion of cases up to 1.5 million people infected since May.
[02:45:10]In Colombia now, we're seeing upwards of a thousand cases reported every week. Again, we haven't got treatment for Zika virus so preventing mosquito bites is the most important thing to do right now.
CHURCH: And just finally, what happens to a baby born with the Zika virus? What sort of life does that baby have ahead of them?
YASMIN: It can really vary and sadly sometimes microcephaly can cause death in a baby. Other times it can cause developmental delay and intellectual disability. But it does vary because we see different types of severity. It's a very, very concerning birth defect, though, and scientists are very concerned there is a link.
The CDC is asking for more studies to prove the connection between Zika virus outbreaks and this birth defects that certainly doctors and scientists in Brazil are quite convinced that the two are connected.
CHURCH: Dr. Seema Yasmin, thank you so much for joining us. Appreciate it.
YASMIN: Thank you.
CHURCH: Very alarming situation there for pregnant women.
When we come back, a much lighter story. The worst passwords in the world have been identified and the list includes some old favorites. We will tell you about computer users lack of imagination when CNN NEWSROOM continues.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
PEDRAM JAVAHERI, AMS METEOROLOGIST: Ski watch time. In California, we've had an impressive run of snow showers in recent days has left us quite a bit of snow around Mammoth Mountain, 115 inches. The forecast, though, changes up a little bit.
We go into a dryer pattern. Generally speaking, we'll be sunny across this region for at least the next couple of days and when we do get more (inaudible) mainly in the way of rainfall to the north.
Squaw Valley, 1 inch is the best we can do. Mammoth Mountain, same score, again a drier pattern after what has been a very, very nice run of snow the last couple of weeks.
Trails are about 100 percent open. We had picked up some fresh snow even in the past 24 hours. Where we still have snow in the forecast, that's around portions to the north.
Around the cascades, more snow coming in and then we transition out of it as the winds shift and come in from a south to southwesterly direction. That's a favorable wind direction to warm temperatures.
Even when you get up to the ski resorts, look at this. Crystal Mountain makes it up to about a degree. Mount Baker makes it up to about 3.
We could see some snow showers around say 49 degrees north, but, again, not a significant snowmaker in the forecast across this region.
We have done pretty well when you look at some of the observations so far in the past couple of weeks. How about into Canada? Beth (ph) looking at 98 percent of the trails open. Looking impressive with about 100 percent with the trails open.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[02:50:17]
CHURCH: We are following breaking news out of northwestern Pakistan, at least 20 students are dead after militants attacked the Batcha Khan University campus. Army officials in Charsadda say they are clearing the campus block by block after the deadly siege, which started just as classes were getting under way.
BARNETT: Now at least four attackers, we understand, have been killed. The fog and low visibility is keeping security forces from knowing exactly how many militants are there on campus. We will continue to follow this breaking news in the hours ahead.
BARNETT: Let's turn to the weather now and a massive winter storm with the potential to impact more than 50 million people across the U.S. is brewing at this hour. Some cities in the northeast U.S. this weekend could see up to two feet of snowfall.
That's more than half a meter. Let's go over to our meteorologist, Pedram Javaheri, who has been following this closely. So who exactly is going to be hit by this?
JAVAHERI: You pick any major city across the northeastern United States, our own Rosemary, and a pretty good probability here that we'll see some significant snow accumulations.
I want to show you where all the eyes are turning now right across parts of the eastern U.S. as we are watching a storm system that is developing across parts of the northwest.
It will eventually dive into towards the areas of the gulf coast, draw in some gulf moisture and eventually push off towards the Eastern Seaborg where the ingredients are in place, the moisture in place and, of course, the cold air already lined up in places.
Right now, two variables, two possibilities that are likely with the outcome of the storm system. One of them takes the track parallel to the eastern Seaborg. That would bring in significant snows across portions of the Southern New England.
Another one would take it farther offshore. That could keep the snow confined out towards the mid-Atlantic region of the United States. You take a look, heavy snow and significant impact possibilities.
At this point, right there across the nation's capital back out towards Roanoke, Virginia. The points of the north, we get heavy snowfall from Philadelphia out towards New York. Moderate snowfall as you work your way towards Boston.
And the European model which has had a historically very, very good accuracy with the forecast, puts the bull's eye around the D.C. area and points just southward where the model see 18 up to 24 inches of snowfall.
Philadelphia, 6 to 10 inches. New York City keeps in line just under 10 inches. Boston would come in somewhere around 5 inches. And there's tremendous winds with the storm system in place, as well.
Anytime you put your winds over, say, 35 miles per hour, keep that going for about three to four hours. This is a widespread official for blizzards to develop Saturday morning into Saturday afternoon from Washington out towards New York City.
This would continue into the afternoon hours of Saturday, as well. Take a look at this. When you look at a storm system of this magnitude, you get these nor'easters and eventually give winds come out of the northeast, the first blizzard like conditions.
And then you take a look at some of the major metro cities, bring in some of the snow showers. The accumulation will be pretty impressive. Look at this. The flakes come down, you pick up areas of around 26 inches around Washington, D.C., 10 inches around New York City.
We could see as much as 5 inches around Boston. Some of these numbers, Rosemary, would put the snow totals in line with some of the great snow amounts in Washington that we've seen in recorded history if this verifies. Again, an impressive amount of snow in a short time period across the northeast.
CHURCH: Unbelievable.
BARNETT: Brace yourselves, everyone. Serious storm coming.
CHURCH: And suddenly it's gone. Thanks so much, Pedram.
Judge Judy is probably the world's most famous TV judge. A little too famous, perhaps.
BARNETT: Yes. It turns out an uncomfortable number of people in the U.S. think she serves on the highest court in the land. Here is Jeanne Moos.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
JEANNIE MOOS, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): How dumb are we?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Dumb ideas come from people who have dumb friends.
MOOS: Brains so dumb that almost 10 percent of the college grads think Judge Judy serves on the Supreme Court. UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Please.
MOOS: Just like the time an earthquake shook her courtroom. The thought that college guards think Judge Judy sits on the Supreme Court sent shock waves through society.
The statistic came from a survey of 1,000 college grads done for a report called a crisis in civic education. Maybe the grads fell for Jimmy Kimmel's lie witness news.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: What do you think about President Obama's decision to appoint Judge Judy to the U.S. Supreme Court?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Well, it's controversial.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I think it's a publicity stunt.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: She a gangster. You've got to give her that.
MOOS: A 10 percent statistic inspired tweets such as you raise stupid kids.
(on camera): But college grads may not be quite as dumb as this makes them sound. Consider how the question was framed.
[02:55:06](voice-over): Which of the following people serves on the U.S. Supreme Court? Elena Kagan, Lawrence Warren Pierce, John Kerry, Judith Sheindlin. The correct answer is --
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Elena Kagan.
MOOS: She better get it right. She is a lawyer. Many folks picked --
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Lawrence Warren Pierce.
MOOS: He was actually a federal judge.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Lawrence Warren Pierce.
MOOS (on camera): You just think he sounds Supreme Court-y.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I was thinking it's Judy Sheindlin?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: No, that's Judge Judy.
MOOS (voice-over): The thing is most people had no idea who Judith Sheindlin is.
(on camera): Do you know who this is?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Judith Sheindlin.
MOOS: Judge Judy.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: You know who I am, right? MOOS: And if you answered, uh, to this multiple choice question --
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: That's not an answer. Um is not an answer.
MOOS: Jeanne Moos, CNN, New York.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
BARNETT: The shame.
CHURCH: Scary, isn't it?
BARNETT: Now a quick one for you. The list of worst computer passwords of 2015 is out. A security applications company reviewed millions of passwords leaked over the past year.
CHURCH: Yes, do you want to hear them? Here's what they found, 1,2,3,4,5,6 was the very worst password on the list. The word password is number two. Then came 1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8, and qwerty was fourth. Do you want to know what qwerty is? It's the top six letters of the keyboard on the left.
BARNETT: That's creativity, folks. Change those passwords now.
CHURCH: We have to do better than that, right?
BARNETT: All right, that's it for this hour. We will have more CNN NEWSROOM for you after the break. Please do stay with us.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
