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Republicans Rally Ahead of Nevada Caucuses; Republicans Compete for the Latino Vote; Cessation of Hostilities Agreement Reached; Shooting Rampage Suspect Appears in Court; North Korea Promotes General to Top Military Post; Clinton Leads Sanders ahead of S.C. Primary; Trump Presidency Doesn't Sit Well with Some World Leaders; British Referendum on E.U. Membership Contentious; Protests Cause Water Shortage in New Delhi; A Taste of Academy's Governor's Ball Menu. Aired 1-2a ET
Aired February 23, 2016 - 01:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
[01:00:11] JOHN VAUSE, CNN ANCHOR: This is CNN NEWSROOM live from Los Angeles.
Ahead this hour, Ted Cruz fires his campaign spokesman after he spread a false story about rival Marco Rubio and bible.
Countdown to a ceasefire in Syria. Washington and Moscow agree on a partial truce for key Syrian groups to formally sign on.
And the alleged Uber gunman in court charged with murdering six people once again raising questions about the safety of Uber passengers.
Hello, everybody, and welcome to our viewers all around the world. Great to have you with us. I'm John Vause. Another hour of NEWSROOM L.A. starts right now.
Another day of political fireworks in the United States, Donald Trump roused his supporters at a rally in Las Vegas a short time ago just hours before the Nevada Republican caucuses. Trump has a comfortable lead among the other Republican candidates but he warned the crowd not to take his campaign's momentum for granted.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DONALD TRUMP (R), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: I'm watching television tonight and they all say, Trump is going to win tomorrow, Trump is going to win. Believe me, just assume we're going to tie, OK? Don't ever assume you're going to lose. We never want to even think about that. But if you assume we're going to tie, you're going to go out and vote, you know. Or, as they would say in the old school caucus, but forget the word caucus, just go out and vote, OK?
(END VIDEO CLIP)
VAUSE: Marco Rubio and Ted Cruz aren't taking anything for granted either. They're locked in a fight for second place and as Sunlen Serfaty reports, that battle is getting nasty.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE) SEN. TED CRUZ (R), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: And this was a grave error of judgment.
SUNLEN SERFATY, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Ted Cruz is in cleanup mode, demanding the resignation of his communications director, Rick Tyler, after he distributed a video that falsely depicted Marco Rubio dismissing the bible.
CRUZ: It turned out the news story he sent around was false. But I'll tell you, even if it was true, we are not a campaign that is going to question the faith of another candidate.
SEN. MARCO RUBIO (R), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: It's part of a pattern.
SERFATY: Earlier today, Rubio called foul on the Cruz campaign for what he said were dirty tricks.
RUBIO: Every single day, something comes out of the Cruz campaign that's deceptive and untrue and in this case goes after my faith. And no one is ever held accountable.
SERFATY: Trump is seizing on this staff shakeup to slam his rival, tweeting, quote, "Wow, Ted Cruz falsely suggested Marco Rubio mocked the Bible and was just forced to fire his communications director. More dirty tricks," as he takes a South Carolina victory lap.
TRUMP: We won with everything, tall people, short people, fat people, skinny people, just won.
SERFATY: Meanwhile, despite saying last month that Rubio is eligible for the presidency --
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: He was born here. It's different. He was born on the land.
SERFATY: Trump is now raising some doubt, re-tweeting a message suggesting otherwise.
TRUMP: I'm not really that familiar with Marco's circumstance.
SERFATY: But Rubio brushing it off.
RUBIO: I'm going to spend zero time on his interpretation of the Constitution with regards to eligibility.
SERFATY: John Kasich is in Virginia today taking a shot at Rubio.
GOV. JOHN KASICH (R), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: I didn't have a script. I didn't have a teleprompter.
SERFATY: But that unscripted style is getting him into hot water over comments about his support among women during his first run for state Senate in the late 1970s.
KASICH: We just got an army of people who -- and many women, who left their kitchens to go out and go door-to-door and put yard signs up for me all the way back when, you know, things were different. Now you call homes and everybody is out working.
SERFATY: Earning him a rebuke from one supporter.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: First off, I want to say your comment earlier about the women came out of the kitchen to support you, I will come to support you, but I won't be coming out of the kitchen.
KASICH: I got you.
SERFATY: At his next stop, Kasich attempted to clean up his remarks.
KASICH: I don't run around with all these notes like lots of people do. I'm real, and maybe sometimes I might say something that isn't artfully said as well as it should be.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
VAUSE: John Kasich there finishing that report by Sunlen Serfaty. And later on Monday, Kasich appeared on CNN's "THE SITUATION ROOM" with Wolf Blitzer and he apologized for his remark about women.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
KASICH: Sure, I'm sorry. Anybody who's offended. Of course. I'm not -- look, it's not -- of course I'm more than happy to say I'm sorry if I offended somebody out there but it wasn't intended to be offensive and if you hear the whole thing, you'll understand the context of it.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
VAUSE: Governor Kasich also denied reports some major Republican donors are pressuring him to get out of the presidential race to make way for Marco Rubio.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
KASICH: Haven't heard from any special interest to get me to drop out. In fact we're signing people up. We're signing up some significant Republican fundraisers and our political organization is expanding, as well. We're raising money, we're doing fine and, you know, I'm not sure the other people have all the money, so we're going to have enough money to hang in here and keep going.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
[01:05:07] VAUSE: The Republican candidates are all chasing the Latino vote, especially in Tuesday's Nevada caucuses and despite his promise to build a wall between the U.S. and Mexico, Donald Trump is winning over some Latino supporters.
Here is Tom Foreman.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
TOM FOREMAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): In the sprawling suburbs of Vegas, mortgage broker, Michael Diaz, wants two things. A stronger housing market and Donald Trump for president.
MICHAEL DIAZ, MORTGAGE BROKER: It's an economic reason but then also from a foreign standpoint, you know, I am worried about ISIS and people coming from across the border, and you know --
FOREMAN (on camera): Do you think he can handle that?
DIAZ: I think that he's smart enough to get the right people to handle it.
TRUMP: We will build a wall. Going to build a wall. You have to have a wall. Absolutely.
FOREMAN (voice-over): Latino support may seem odd, considering how Trump rose to political fame with a fierce stand against illegal immigration. Especially immigrants he says are sent by the Mexican government.
TRUMP: They're bringing drugs, they're bringing crime. They're rapists.
FOREMAN: So why are some Latinos tilting to Trump? Significant numbers in this heavily service-based economy have been U.S. citizens for a long time and have their own concerns about new arrivals looking for jobs. On top of which, Nevada suffered more than most states in the recession. And here Trump's name is associated with success.
At the University of Nevada Las Vegas, Stephen Miller is an economist.
STEPHEN MILLER, UNIVERSITY OF NEVADA ECONOMICS PROFESSOR: We've been recovering now for six years. But if you ask the average person on the street they were still in recession.
FOREMAN (on camera): Why is that?
MILLER: Well, we are still below where we were back before the great crash in Nevada.
FOREMAN (voice-over): Once it was thought all of that might turn these voters towards Marco Rubio or Ted Cruz. And some appear hesitant to openly support Trump with other Latinos in the race. But Diaz says --
DIAZ: When it comes down for everybody you got to be able to take care of your family. I mean, first and foremost it's your family.
FOREMAN (on camera): Do you think he'll overcome some of the hesitation on the part of Latinos?
DIAZ: I do.
FOREMAN (voice-over): How many agree with him, we'll soon know.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I'm Hispanic and I vote for Mr. Trump. We vote for Mr. Trump. Yes. FOREMAN (on camera): All of the Republicans candidates are competing
for a small slice from a very small slice. In the last presidential election, only 5 percent of the GOP voters were Latino. But if Donald Trump can prove that he can get them, he can once again prove that he's beaten the odds.
Tom Foreman, CNN, Las Vegas.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
VAUSE: And earlier I spoke with CNN political analyst Ryan Lizza about the fight between Marco Rubio and Ted Cruz. I asked him if Cruz overreacted by firing his communications director over that falsified video.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
RYAN LIZZA, CNN POLITICAL ANALYST: I'm a little surprised that this guy got the death penalty for what seems like could be a minor offense in another campaign. Why not just let him apologize and move on? Instead, by asking him to resign or firing him, they've basically turned this into at least a two-day story. It makes them seem like they are more guilty than -- guilty of something worse than they are actually are.
And I think the answer is, you know, this argument that Trump and Rubio are prosecuting against Cruz that he is not honest, that he engages in dirty tricks. I think the Cruz campaign clearly is sensitive to those attacks so they felt like they had to get rid of Rick Tyler. He had to fall on his sword.
VAUSE: Now Donald Trump did open up the lie floodgates. He was the first one to do it. He hasn't held back and before the spokesperson was fired he tweeted this out, "The reason Ted Cruz lost the evangelicals in South Carolina is because he's a world class liar and evangelicals do not like liars."
I guess the point he's making, heading into Super Tuesday, is that evangelicals for Ted Cruz will be crucial and to your point maybe this narrative of the dirty tricks and the dishonesty, maybe that's starting to stick and Cruz is sensing some problems.
LIZZA: Yes, and if you've noticed, if you see Cruz at any event, what is behind him? He has this banner that says, "Trust Ted," right? The whole ethos of his campaign is based on his personal integrity. And look, like a lot of times, there's always a jar of truth in a lot of what Donald Trump says and that is an important -- that is an important issue for a lot of more religious evangelical voters and Cruz is sort of losing that battle right now, and he's losing it from both sides. He's got Rubio on the one side calling him a liar and Trump on the other. And Cruz's problem is he's sipping from a very shallow pool of very conservative voters and he needs to break -- he needs to not only consolidate those very conservative voters but branch out into the more moderate electorate and Trump and Rubio are squeezing him. And it's going to be very interesting to see if he stays in the race, if he has a really poor showing on March 1st. (END VIDEOTAPE)
[01:10:11] VAUSE: Well, the five remaining Republican hopefuls will face off in a debate in Houston, Texas. CNN's Wolf Blitzer will be your moderator. Tune here Friday morning 9:30 in Hong Kong.
And ahead of Saturday's Democratic primary in South Carolina, Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders come face-to-face with voters also right here on CNN. Chris Cuomo hosts the town hall live from Columbia, South Carolina, Wednesday morning at 9:00 in Hong Kong.
A so-called cessation of hostilities is set to take effect in Syria at midnight on Friday. The U.S. and Russia reached an agreement on a partial truce and Syria's main opposition has given preliminary approval but ISIS and the al-Nusra Front are not part of the deal.
Now as Barbara Starr reports, their deadly attacks show no signs of ending.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
BARBARA STARR, CNN PENTAGON CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Suicide bombers striking in Damascus, the Syrian capital. Scores killed, nearly 200 wounded. And the massive bomb attack in Homs where the Assad regime is supposed to be in control. ISIS claimed responsibility for the devastation. Now the U.S. and Russia announcing a plan for a ceasefire, but not with ISIS.
President Obama and Russian President Vladimir Putin spoke on the telephone about the agreement scheduled to go into effect this weekend. Questions already about how secure the deal is. The U.S. warning it may be tough to get all sides to adhere to the agreement.
MARK TONER, DEPUTY SPOKESMAN, U.S. STATE DEPARTMENT: You can't just pull the switch and so it's going to take a little bit of time for us to actually implement it.
STARR: And an extraordinary admission on how the U.S. will keep tabs on the agreement, in part by watching aide groups.
TONER: There's not going to be any monitors on the ground to look at this, other than where we get information from, in terms of intelligence from but also through NGOs reporting on the ground and journalists, frankly, who give feedback as to who's being hit by whom.
STARR: At stake, the immediate fate of tens of thousands of Syrian civilians, bombed by Russia and the Syrian regime, starving and lacking medical care. Russia currently is dropping about 100 bombs a day, claiming it's bombing ISIS. The U.S. says Moscow is bombing civilians and Bashar al-Assad's opposition forces with help from Iran and the regime.
JOHN KERRY, U.S. SECRETARY OF STATE: Russia has to talk with Iran and with the Syrian regime and we have to talk with the opposition.
STARR: Putin saying he will get his side on board. VLADIMIR PUTIN, RUSSIAN PRESIDENT (Through Translator): We will do
whatever is necessary with Damascus, with the legitimate Syrian authorities.
BASHAR AL-ASSAD, SYRIAN PRESIDENT: We have to fight the terrorists.
STARR: Assad told the Spanish newspaper he definitely supports the deal, but warned that could change if others try to improve their battlefield positions.
ISIS and al Qaeda are not party to the agreement. U.S. airstrikes against ISIS will continue and nobody expects ISIS to stop its attacks.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
VAUSE: Our thanks to Barbara Starr there reporting in from the Pentagon, and the provision in the agreement which allows continued airstrikes on ISIS, al-Nusra Front and other militant groups is racing serious doubts about whether the truce will actually end the fighting.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
LT. COL. RICK FRANCONA, CNN MILITARY ANALYST: I don't think this agreement is going to do much of that. As we saw yesterday over 100 civilians killed by ISIS in a city, as Barbara said, controlled by the regime and the Syrian air force announced later -- earlier this evening that they regard anybody that's not supporting the regime to be terrorists and they're going to attack them because terrorists are specifically excluded, so I think we're going to run into a big game of semantics between who is a terrorist and who's a freedom fighter and who is anti-regime rebel.
And I think both sides are going to try and take advantage of this. So I'm a little skeptical and the timing also, John, is a little troubling. Why are we waiting until Saturday? I think we're going to see a real push by the Syrian army and the Russian air force over the next four days to try and cut off those people in Aleppo.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
VAUSE: CNN's military analyst Lt. Col. Rick Francona speaking to me a short time ago.
We'll take a short break here. When we come back, police have uncovered new details about the Uber driver accused of a deadly shooting rampage. We'll tell you what he purchased just hours before the attacks.
Also ahead, North Korea's leader promotes a 82-year-old general to the top military post. A position some analysts say is almost a death sentence.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
(SPORTS) (COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[01:18:38] VAUSE: The Uber driver accused of killing six people during a shooting rampage in the U.S. state of Michigan appeared in court for the first time on Monday. Police say they found 11 rifles in his home and CNN has learned that just hours before the attack, he bought a heavy duty tactical jacket made to conceal a handgun.
Nick Valencia reports from Kalamazoo.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
NICK VALENCIA, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Wearing an orange jumpsuit and glasses, his hands shackled, Jason Dalton made his first court appearance after being accused of murdering six people and critically injuring two others during a seven-hour killing spree in Kalamazoo, Michigan.
Appearing via video conference, the 45-year-old Uber driver sat motionless as the judge read the 16 charges against him. Dalton's blank stare only briefly interrupted as he appeared to sigh at the mention of being charged with attempted murder of a minor.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Is there anything you wish to tell the court at this time concerning your connections with the community?
VALENCIA: Earlier during a probable cause hearing, detectives told the judge that Dalton, quote, "admitted to taking people's lives." Prosecutors say he chose his victims at random in three different locations. So cold blooded they say that he continued to work and pick up Uber passengers in between shootings.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: And I said, you're not the shooter, are you?
[01:20:01] VALENCIA: One of those passengers spoke to CNN affiliate WWMT. He asked not to be identified.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: He said, no. And I said, are you sure? And he kind of just said, no. I'm just tired. I've been driving for seven hours.
VALENCIA: Mariana Cruz sent CNN an image of her receipt from a drive with Dalton that morning. She didn't want to go on camera but told CNN he made her feel uncomfortable. Thinking she was being paranoid, she gave him five stars on the ride anyway. That night, she says she saw Dalton's car on the news and made the connection.
RICH FINDELL, JASON DALTON'S NEIGHBOR: He seemed like a good guy.
VALENCIA: Rich Findell is Dalton's neighbor. He lives three doors down.
FINDELL: We both have interest in cars. He has a dog that we hear him chasing. But seems like a normal person.
VALENCIA: Uber says Dalton passed a background check. So why would a married father of two with no criminal record allegedly go on a killing spree? Police say they still don't have a motive.
Nick Valencia, CNN, Kalamazoo, Michigan.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
VAUSE: North Korea reached out to the U.S. to propose formal peace talks on ending the Korean War but senior U.S. officials say those efforts fell short when Pyongyang refused to include its nuclear program in any negotiations. Soon after North Korea announced it had tested a hydrogen bomb, the U.S. has since issued a new round of sanctions against Pyongyang and all of this comes amidst a military shakeup in North Korea.
CNN's Brian Todd has details.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
BRIAN TODD, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Kim Jong-Un pays a, quote, "surprise visit" to his air force. Looks confident in a Fedora as he inspects the combat readiness of his fighter pilots. The man sitting next to him has just been promoted to one of the most dangerous jobs in the world. He is Ri Myong-su, the new chief of the North Korean Army's general staff.
During Kim Jong-Un's bloody high-stakes military shake-up, three of the past four top generals before General Ri are believed to have been executed or disappeared.
MICHAEL GREEN, CENTER FOR STRATEGIC AND INTERNATIONAL STUDIES: It starts to look a bit like ancient Rome in the era of Caligula or other authoritarian regimes where getting these top jobs is almost a death sentence.
TODD: One of General Ri's predecessors, Hyon Yong-chol, was reportedly executed by being blown apart with an anti-aircraft gun in front of hundreds of people. His apparent infractions, pushing back on Kim's orders and falling asleep at meetings. Analysts say for the impulsive, violent young leader, General Ri may be a safe choice. He's in his 80s, started his career in the Korean War, he was a close confidante of Kim's father, Kim Jong-Il, and appeared with the father so many times he's actually on a North Korean postage stamp. But even the trusted General Ri has run afoul of the young Kim.
GORDON CHANG, AUTHOR, "NUCLEAR SHOWDOWN": He has been disappeared on occasion as have many other leaders but the point is, because he's so old, he probably doesn't have the ambition to take over the army.
TODD: A steady, nonthreatening hand right under Kim could even be a stabilizing influence at a time when tensions along the DMZ are feverishly high. Within just six and a half weeks, North Korea tested a nuclear bomb, test fired a long-range rocket. South Korea shut down the lucrative Kaesong industrial complex the two nations share.
American stealth fighter jets flew low over South Korea and now North Korea's leading party newspaper calls South Korean President Park Geun-Hye a, quote, "tailless, crazy old female dog." One senior U.S. official who tracks North Korea closely tells CNN it's
worth watching North Korea's elites to see how unsettled they may be by Kim's behavior and if it gets to the point where they fear for their own safety and mount a challenge to him.
GREEN: When you change the chief of the Korean People's Army, that coercive instrument of the North Korean state, with this rapidity, something is wrong in Pyongyang.
TODD: Analysts we spoke to say if Kim is challenged it could take two possible paths. Maybe the army is simply able to diminish Kim's power, keep him there as a figure head to preserve the Kim family bloodline which is so very important to North Korea's stability, or possibly one army general becomes so fearful for his safety that he takes matters into his hands and assassinates Kim.
Brian Todd, CNN, Washington.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
VAUSE: Now to Afghanistan where government forces have pulled out two important districts in Helmand Province leaving the Taliban in control. Officials say the decision was a tactical one to increase security elsewhere.
Provincial leader tells CNN this choice now leaves neighboring districts vulnerable to Taliban attack. Insurgents have stepped up their attacks in the opium producing region since the withdraw of international troops almost two years ago.
Well, still to come here, Bernie Sanders goes on the offensive in the race for the White House. We'll see how much ground he has to make up to catch Hillary Clinton with the next primary just days away.
Also ahead, days of protest over India's cast system are over but the unrest has led a water shortage in the capital.
[01:25:03]
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
VAUSE: Welcome back, everybody. You're watching CNN NEWSROOM live from Los Angeles. I'm John Vause with the headlines this hour.
Republican presidential candidate Ted Cruz has fired a top aide from his campaign staff. Communications director Rick Tyler admitted to posting a falsified video on Facebook which purports to shows rival candidate Marco Rubio saying the bible is not an important book instead of what he actually said.
Afghan troops will no longer have a presence in two districts in Helmand Province. A military official says they have been pulled out in a decisive move aimed at concentrating forces elsewhere but the decision raises questions over their ability to take on Taliban fighters if over run much of northern Helmand. Rescue workers in Fiji say they are still trying to reach the outer
islands to assess the damage from tropical cyclone Winston. The storm was the most powerful ever in the southern hemisphere. At least 28 people were killed when the cyclone hit Fiji on Saturday night.
Democratic candidates for the White House will face off Saturday in the South Carolina primary. The latest CNN poll of polls shows Hillary Clinton well ahead of Bernie Sanders, 57 percent to 32 percent. Many attribute that to her popularity among African-American voters in the state but Senator Sanders is fighting back, drawing attention once again to Clinton's ties to Wall Street.
Here is Brianna Keilar.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
BRIANNA KEILAR, CNN SENIOR POLITICAL CORRESPONDENT: Bernie Sanders is trying to regain his momentum fresh off a loss to Hillary Clinton in the Nevada caucuses.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
[01:30:00] SEN. BERNIE SANDERS (-VTI), DEMOCRATIC PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: I am delighted that secretary Clinton month after month after month seems to be adopting more and more of the positions that we have advocated. That's good. And in fact, is beginning to use a lot of language and phraseology that we have used. In fact, I think I saw a TV ad and I thought it was me.
BRIANNA KEILAR, CNN ANCHOR: Sanders is going on the offensive today, tweeting about the lack of transcripts for Clinton's paid speeches, saying, "It's been 17 days, 16 hours and 32 minutes since Hillary Clinton said she would look into releasing her paid speeches to Wall Street."
(CHEERING)
KEILAR: Hillary Clinton is riding high after her rebound win in Nevada and hoping for another victory in Saturday's South Carolina primary. Clinton has an 18-point lead over Sanders in the state by her 37 point lead among black voters.
And she's getting a little star power in the bid for support with the new television ad voiced by actor, Morgan Freeman.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MORGAN FREEMAN, CNN ANCHOR: She says her names, Trayvon Martin.
HILLARY CLINTON (D), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: Trayvon Martin shot to death.
FREEMAN: Donte Hamilton (ph).
CLINTON: Donte Hamilton (ph) unarmed.
FREEMAN: Sandra Bland.
CLINTON: Sandra Bland did nothing wrong.
FREEMAN: And makes their mothers fight for justice, her own. She speaks for a city poisoned by indifference.
CLINTON: We need action now.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
KEILAR: Even as Clinton rebounds from her New Hampshire loss, questions linger about perceptions from some voters she's not honest and trustworthy, an area she acknowledged she needed to improve on this weekend.
CLINTON: I think there's an underlying question that maybe is really in the back of people's minds, and that is, you know, is she in it for us or herself? That's a question people are trying to sort through.
KEILAR: Sanders and Clinton have their eyes on Super Tuesday next week when 11 states will hold Democratic nominating contests.
SANDERS: Please do not come to me state by state and say is this the end of the world? We are in this campaign to the end. We have gone much faster, much further than any or many people would have believed possible. And with organizations like the ones behind me, we are going to do just great in this campaign.
(CHEERING)
KEILAR (on camera): Bernie Sanders spending the day in Massachusetts, which will hold its contest on Super Tuesday, a few days after South Carolina, an indication of his campaign's realistic attitude towards his slim chances in South Carolina.
Brianna Keilar, CNN, Washington.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
VAUSE: As we've been saying, Donald Trump is a heavy favorite to win Tuesday's Republican caucuses in Nevada and the possibility of a Trump presidency, not sitting well with a number of world leaders.
Atika Shubert has more on that.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
ATIKA SHUBERT, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Donald Trump, real estate mogul-turned reality star-turned presidential candidate is now the front runner to become the Republican nominee, but how would world leaders deal with a possible President Trump? Here's what they've said so far. "Divisive, stupid and wrong," said David Cameron when Trump wanted to ban Muslims from traveling to the U.S. And the great wall of Trump to keep illegal Mexican immigrants from the U.S., Pope Francis called it not Christian. "Enormous ignorance and irresponsible," is how Mexican president described Trump's wall. Even his former business partner, Prince al Walid (ph) of Saudi Arabia said he bailed Trump out of at least two financial transactions in which Trump was under water called the Donald "a disgrace."
Trump's response, he called the prince, quote, "dopey."
The only world leader with the kind words come from Russian President Vladimir Putin. "A very colorful and talented man," Putin said of Trump.
But even "Harry Potter" creator, J.K. Rowling, has denounced Trump as, quote, "worse than Voldemort (ph).
But now with Trump the leading Republican contender, world leaders may have to give some thought on how to deal with a possible "he who must not be named" for president.
Atika Shubert, CNN.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
VAUSE: In Saturday's South Carolina's primary Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders come face-to-face with voters on CNN. Chris Cuomo hosts the town hall live from Colombia, South Carolina, Wednesday morning at 9:00 in Hong Kong.
And the five remaining Republicans will face-off in a debate in Houston, Texas. CNN's Wolf Blitzer will moderate and you can see it here Friday morning, at 9:30 Hong Kong time.
Still to come here, Britain has a few difficult months ahead as it approaches the future with the E.U. We'll explain why both sides to leave or stay believe their position must prevail.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[01:38:07] VAUSE: In Fiji, the death toll stands at 28 after this weekend's deadly cyclone. Rescue workers are trying to reach the country to assess the damage. Winston is the post powerful storm on record in the southern hemisphere. The prime minister says many are without food, water and shelter.
Apple's fight against the U.S. federal court to break into an iPhone is spilling onto the streets. Privacy advocates are planning rallies on Tuesday in support of the tech company. Federal investigators want to get data from the iPhone used by one of the attackers in the San Bernardino shootings. Apple's CEO argues doing so sets a dangerous precedent and puts security of data or millions at risk. Other major tech companies, including Facebook and Twitter, have backed Apple in its opposition.
Britain is beginning what may be a tumultuous a four months ahead of a historic referendum to determine the country's future with the E.U. The debate had an impact on the market. The British pound took a beating and could continue to fall among the growing uncertainty. The currency at the lowest level against the dollar since 2009.
Richard Quest looks at both sides of the E.U. argument and the tug-of- war between them.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
[01:39:28] RICHARD QUEST, CNN HOST, QUEST MEANS BUSINESS: Parliament is no stranger to titanic struggles on both sides but even the British parliament will rarely have seen anything as harsh and long standing as the tug-of-war for votes in the U.K. referendum with such strong disagreement about what is best for the countries.
Those who want Britain to stay in are appealing to the economy and the British minds. Those like the Prime Minister David Cameron talking about British businesses and workers benefitting from a single market that also on crime and security matters. Or Donald Tusk, the president of the European Counsel, who says it's a case of mutual interest to keep Britain in. And then there are top business leaders urging to U.K. to stay in the E.U. basically saying that jobs rely on Britain's partnerships and trade relations. That's the inside pulling hard.
On the other side, of course, you tug on the heart strings, you have Nigel Farage, of the UKIP Party, the Euro skeptic in chief, focusing on issues immigration and saying it's changing the character of the United Kingdom.
But there are those within government that are also against U.K. staying in, and most unusually you have the best start of six cabinet ministers, including the Justice Secretary Michael Grove, who are all arguing to leave. They believe those five cabinet members, the E.U. membership stymies Britain's ability to make its own laws and hurt the U.K.
And then perhaps the number-one critic, Boris Johnson, the mayor of London, also an M.P., he has uttered the most weighty endorsement to date. He says the E.U. is infiltrating every aspect of public policy.
Put it all together, you have a tug-of-war that will last for months.
Richard Quest, CNN, New York.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
VAUSE: India has deployed more than 750 tankers to supply water for about 10 million people. The lack of water was caused by a violent protest in a neighboring state. Officials say demonstrators damaged a major canal. The protesters who are demanding the same access to jobs as lower-caste workers have now reached a deal with the government. This comes after at least 16 people died in clashes.
CNN Sumnima Udas live now from New Delhi with the latest, I don't know to restore the water supply.
Sumnima, how long do you think before water supplies return to normal in New Delhi?
SUMNIMA UDAS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: The government here is saying: At least two weeks is what the New Delhi government is saying. We're at a filling station operating 24/7 since the crisis began. Even during the time trucks like these come in and out every five to seven minutes, come in and fill up water and head to the various areas affected. The Delhi government says 10 million people have been affected. What they mean, they mean they are not people are not receiving water in the taps through the system. They have to depend on these kinds of water tankers.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
UDAS (voice-over): A truckload of water is the hottest commodity. People jostled for every drop.
(on camera): They received no water for the past two days so this is what they have had to resort to, tankers like these. Hundreds have been going from neighborhood to neighborhood.
(voice-over): Government officials say 10 million people have been affected by the water crisis, which they are calling unprecedented.
(on camera): (SPEAKING FOREIGN LANGUAGE)
(voice-over): She shows me how she's coping.
(on camera): You filled up every single bucket in the house.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Because not having a drop of water.
UDAS (voice-over): The lives of many in this city of 25 million disrupted because of week-long protests in the neighboring state. Agitators damaged a major water canal that accounts for 60 percent of the city's water supply.
(on camera): This is one of the main highways connecting Delhi and it's completely blocked off the area, using these kinds of pipes, tree trunks and trucks. Trucks lined up one after the other so there is absolutely no access on this road for the past few days.
UDAS (voice-over): "Long-live Jot unity," they chant. The Jots are dominant caste, traditionally well off.
(on camera): Like a camping site.
(SHOUTING)
UDAS (voice-over): But they're demanding a place in the quota system designed to help lower castes disadvantaged for centuries.
(CROSSTALK)
UDAS: "The system is so unfair. Even if we study really hard and get much better grades than the lower caste, they are they ones getting accepted to the best universities just because they are lower caste. We want it to be equal for all," he says.
The government set up a committee to address demands but these protesters say they don't believe it, they want it on paper. Until then, they will continue to camp out.
It's a pattern of resentment growing across India as jobs and admissions at universities become more competitive.
(SHOUTING)
[01:45:] UDAS: Within minutes, they ask us to leave. Many here are still very angry.
(SHOUTING)
UDAS: This quota system just one of India's many fault lines, which can erupt any time.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
UDAS: The canal damaged by the protesters has been partially restored. The army has been able to take over the area. Even though the canal has started pumping the water out, they will not receive what they normally receive, the full capacity at least for the next two weeks. The Delhi government says it's far from over and urging residents to take caution and save as much as they can.
VAUSE: And I guess this protest and the damage which it did to the major water canal really exposed the vulnerabilities I guess of New Delhi's water supply. Is the government planning to try to improve the situation any time soon? Is it beyond repair at this point?
UDAS: That's right, John. The city requires about 1200 million gallons of water a day. What they get through the pipe supplies about 9000 million gallons a day. The rest is through ground wells that are actually illegal in Delhi but most have them. Most get water for about two to three hours a day and not to fill up their tanks and then have to ration that supply throughout the day.
It's always been -- what this case really shows you just how precarious the situation is. Delhi doesn't have much surface water. He has a river not far from here. It gets about 12 percent of the water from there but heavily polluted and so it relies on other states for much of the water -- John?
VAUSE: Sumnima Udas, live with the very latest on India's water crisis, which, as you report, still has a couple weeks yet before the services return to normal. Thanks, Sumnima.
A short break here. Next on CNN NEWSROOM L.A., Hollywood's winners and losers get a feast fit for a king or queen. Find out what is on the menu when we return.
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(WEATHER REPORT)
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[01:5136:] VAUSE: The Academy Awards aren't just the biggest night for Hollywood. You could say they're the appetizer for a very big night for celebrity chef, Wolfgang Puck. For more than two decades, he has crafted the menu for the Oscar's governor's ball.
Our Mona Raphael (ph) has a taste now of what is in store.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
(MUSIC)
MONA RAPHAEL (ph), CNN CORRESPONDENT: So we are here inside the governor's ball where the tables are set. Wine has arrived. The drinks are poured. The flowers are picked. The envelopes are stuffed. And Wolfgang Puck has crafted a menu for 1500 guests.
(on camera): What are you making here?
WOLFGANG PUCK, CHEF: Here we have the lobster with the ginger plum wine sauce. So it's a little sweet, a little spicy. Chilies in here.
RAPHAEL (ph): This is small plates and something for everyone. How many small plates on the menu?
PUCK: We'll make 30 different dishes. You can eat a 10-course meal or small plate. All together, we'll make 12,000 dishes.
RAPHAEL (ph): This is your 22nd year as chef as the Oscars. How is the menu evolved?
PUCK: The menu always changes. In the old time, it was a formal dinner, appetizer, main course and desert. Now it's a party with lower tables and people can enjoy and have a good conversation and table hop.
RAPHAEL (ph): What about the dessert?
PUCK: Here we have the newest dessert which is a donut but we don't fry them. We cook them on this Japanese stove and fill them with a raspberry champagne puree. Be careful of your hair.
RAPHAEL (ph): We're getting a sneak peak at the Oscar envelope. This design doesn't change from year to year. It's really icon. Let's see what is inside. Oh, I guess we have to wait until Oscar night.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
VAUSE: Oh, that was a let down.
OK. CNN is the place to turn before and after Sunday's Academy Awards ceremony. For all the glamour, tune into Hollywood's biggest night, Sunday night, 11:00 p.m. in London. And once the Oscar's wrap, join Isha Sesay and Don Lemon for "And the Winner Is." During the ceremony, take part by voting in the poll. You'll find that at CNN.com/awardsvote.
Finally here, a Washington woman has seen a lot in her 106 years but she is been waiting for one moment in particular, to see a black president and meet him, and that moment finally came true for Virginia McLaurin, and her excitement was contagious.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
VIRGINIA MCLAURIN, 106-YEAR-OLD WOMAN MEETS THE OBAMAS: Hi!
(LAUGHTER)
BARACK OBAMA, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: How are you?
MCLAURIN: I'm fine.
OBAMA: It's so nice to see you. So what's the secret -- I know dancing.
MCLAURIN: Just keep moving.
I thought I would never live to get in the White House.
OBAMA: You are here.
MCLAURIN: And I tell you, I am so happy.
[01:55:06] MICHELLE OBAMA, FIRST LADY OF THE UNITED STATES: We are happy to have you. Look at those nails. Wooo.
(LAUGHTER)
MCLAURIN: Our black president.
(SHOUTING)
MICHELLE OBAMA: Look at him, right there.
MCLAURIN: A black wife.
MICHELLE OBAMA: That's me.
MCLAURIN: Yeah.
(LAUGHTER)
And I'm here to celebrate black history.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
VAUSE: Mrs. McLaurin turns 107 next month.
You're watching CNN NEWSROOM live from Los Angeles. I'm John Vause.
Stay with us. The news continues with Rosemary Church after a short break.
You're watching CNN.
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[02:00:04] ROSEMARY CHURCH, CNN ANCHOR: A shake up within the Ted Cruz campaign just a day before a big test in Nevada.
Major powers agree to a pause in some of the fighting in Syria.
