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Shake-Up in Cruz Campaign Ahead of Nevada Caucuses; Kasich Sorry for "Women Left Their Kitchens" Remark; Syria "Cessation of Hostilities" Agreement Reached; Afghan Troops Leave 2 Helmand Province Districts; Protests Cause Water Shortage in New Delhi; British Referendum on E.U. Membership Contentious; Sanders Not Giving Up as Clinton Leads Polls; Breaking into the Terrorist Phone; Nevada Voters Struggle to Name Candidates. Aired 2-3a ET
Aired February 23, 2016 - 02:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
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[02:00:25] ROSEMARY CHURCH, CNN ANCHOR: Hello, and welcome to our viewers all around the world. I'm Rosemary Church. This is CNN NEWSROOM.
The Republican caucuses are just hours away in the U.S. state of Nevada. Frontrunner, Donald Trump, and Ted Cruz both held late-night rallies there to energize supporters. Earlier in the day, Cruz fired a top aid. His communications director posted a falsified video about rival, Marco Rubio.
Jim Acosta has more on the right for Nevada.
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JIM ACOSTA, CNN SENIOR WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Riding high into Nevada, Donald Trump is holding the best hand in the battle for the GOP nominations. For starters, his two main rivals, Marco Rubio, are busy attacking each other.
SEN. MARCO RUBIO (R-FL), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: Every single day something comes out of the Cruz campaign that's deceptive and untrue.
ACOSTA: Rubio began the day demanding Cruz fire somebody over a video distributed over the Texas Senator's campaign, which falsely accused the Florida Republican of dismissing the Bible. The video misquotes Rubio as saying about the Bible, "Got a good book there, not many answers in it." But actually Rubio says, "All of the answers are in it," a blatant fabrication.
Top Cruz spokesman, Rick Tyler, who circulated the video, apologist to Rubio on Facebook for, quote, "posting an inaccurate story about him." But Rubio snapped, "That's not good enough."
RUBIO: At some point, there has to be some level of accountability. Otherwise, you're running an operation where you're sending the message to the people that work for you, go out and do what you want, and if you get caught, we'll just apologize, but we'll keep doing it.
ACOSTA: Hours later, Cruz stunned the campaign world, announcing he's asked Tyler to step down.
SEN. TED CRUZ (R-TX), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: This morning, I asked for Rick Tyler's resignation. I have made clear that we will conduct this campaign with the very highest standards of integrity.
ACOSTA: The bogus attack on Rubio is the latest incident raising questions about how Cruz has conducted his campaign.
Trump seized on the flap, tweeting, "More dirty tricks."
(CHEERING)
ACOSTA: Trump is also getting help in the form of an error from John Kasich, whose awkward remark about the women backing his Senate campaign in the late 1970s annoyed one supporter.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
GOV. JOHN KASICH (R-OH), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: We just got an army of people and many women who left their kitchens to go out and to go door to door and to put yard signs up for me.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: First off, I want to say your comment earlier about "the women came out of the kitchen to support you," I'll come to support you but I won't be coming out of the kitchen.
KASICH: I've got you. I've got you.
(LAUGHTER)
(APPLAUSE)
ACOSTA: Kasich later explained it was an off-the-cuff remark.
KASICH: I'm real, and maybe sometimes I may say something not as artfully said as it should be.
ACOSTA: Trump, who holds a commanding lead in the delegate count, and is poised in the polls to rack up another big victory in Nevada, is boasting his support comes in all shapes and sizes.
So, we won with everything, highly educated, pretty well educated and poorly educated. But we won with everything, tall people, short people, fat people, skinny people. We just won.
(LAUGHTER)
(APPLAUSE)
ACOSTA: But Rubio, who spent part of his childhood in Nevada, and his supporters, are getting aggressive. A pro Rubio super PAC started airing this new attack ad now pounding Cruz and Trump.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ANNOUNCER: Trump, unreliable. Cruz calculated, underhanded.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
(CHEERING)
ACOSTA: And Rubio is attracting more establishment support, picking up more GOP endorsements.
TIM PAWLENTY, FORMER MINNESOTA GOVERNOR: This is a three-man race. At the moment, as a practical matter, this is between Rubio, Cruz and Trump. There are some others, but I don't they will be in the race that much longer.
ACOSTA: Some want Kasich to drop out to funnel his support to Rubio. Kasich laughed off that idea.
KASICH: I think it's funny.
(LAUGHTER)
I think it's funny. I think it's ridiculous.
ACOSTA: Rubio is touting a slew of new endorsements from Bob Dole to Orrin Hatch to Jeff Flake.
As for the Trump campaign, advisors are confident about their chances in Nevada but this is a caucus state and they remember what happened last time there was a caucus in Iowa.
Jim Acosta, CNN, Las Vegas.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
CHURCH: And as you heard in Jim's report, Republican John Kasich apologizing for remarks people are calling offensive when he told that crowd in Virginia Monday that, early in his political career, women left their kitchens to support him. Kasich later defended his record on women's issues in this interview with CNN's Wolf Blitzer.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
[02:04:56] KASICH: Sometimes when you operate on the high wire without a net, sometimes you'll fall off and not say things the way you want to. But in the beginning of the campaign, they were at breakfast tables, at evening when we had coffee and I recruited people, and I want to be clear, we had a lot of women that played a major roll in my political campaign and life, and they still do. In fact, my chief of a staff, she's now running my campaign for president, the person. And only person I appointed to the Ohio Supreme Court was a woman.
WOLF BLITZER, CNN ANCHOR: Why not just say, I made a mistake, I'm sorry.
KASICH: Sure, I'm sorry, anybody who's offended, of course. Look -- 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. But, look, all I'm saying to you, Wolf, is without the power of the women, who helped me out early in my career to give me a chance to hold public office, I wouldn't have made it. And I'm very grateful to all the work they put in for me, and many of them that still do.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CHURCH: And you can watch John Kasich and the rest of the Republican presidential candidates face off at the CNN debate in Houston, Texas. CNN's Wolf Blitzer will moderate. And it will be their last appearance together before Super Tuesday. And you can see it here Friday morning at 9:30 a.m. in Hong Kong.
Turning now to another big story we are following. A so-called cessation of hostilities agreement is set to go into effect in Syria at midnight on Friday. The U.S. and Russia negotiated the terms of the deal. And Syria's main opposition group expressed preliminary support. But not all fighting will stop.
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VLADIMIR PUTIN, RUSSIAN PRESIDENT (through translation): Concerning ISIS, al Nusra and other terrorist organizations acknowledge as such by the Security Council of the United Nations, they're fully excluded from this ceasefire regimen. Strikes on them will continue to be carried out.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CHURCH: ISIS claimed responsibility for a series of attacks near Damascus and Homs Sunday that killed nearly 200 people.
And for more on the agreement, Jomana Karadsheh joins us now from Amman, Jordan.
Jomana, a cessation of hostilities agreement has been reached, and its hope is it will go into effect midnight Friday, but key Syrian groups have not signed on yet, so how likely is this to succeed?
JOMANA KARADSHEH, CNN CORRESPONDENT: I think the key is in the wording. All the statements we saw coming out after this announcement. Really, no guarantees. An agreement like this would need a great deal of good faith and trust that is lacking when it comes to this conflict. There's so much that could go wrong with this very fragile agreement. And there's a lot of concern about that. For example, as you mentioned, a number of groups, ISIS and other terrorists groups designated by the United Nations, are excluded from this deal, which means the United States, Russia, the Syrian military can still go after these groups and carry out air strikes. This is something that the rebels, the moderate opposition would say, well, this has been going on for some time where they accuse the Russians and Syrian government of attacking them under the pretext of going after ISIS. So, there is concern this could happen. Skepticism whether the Russians and Syrians would stop this once this goes into effect. And what we have been seeing in the north part of the country, the Turkish part of the border, the fighting between Kurdish and the Arab rebels in that area, Turkey and the Kurds on the other end, is that going to hold in that part of the country? We heard President Obama after his call with President Putin, one of the things he said was next step is that both parties need to insure that the parties on the ground agree to this, that they provide their responses. We know that by noon on Friday that the groups taking part in the cessation of hostilities need to provide that to the Russians and the opposition to the United States. So, so much uncertainty right now.
Rosemary, but one thing is for certain is that this pause in fighting is so desperately needed after all these years of fighting. The civilians that have been caught in the middle of this would really be hoping to see a pause in this, especially in those besieged area where people have been literally starving to death in some places -- Rosemary?
[02:10:07] CHURCH: A desperate situation. Of course, we would never expect ISIS and al Nusra to be on board with an agreement like this, but we'll continue to watch this.
Jomana Karadsheh, reporting there from Jordan, many thanks to you.
Well, Afghan troops have left two hard-won districts in Helmand Province. The Afghan government said its decision was a tactical move to shore up forces elsewhere. But provisional leaders say this choice now leaves neighboring districts vulnerable to Taliban fighters. Militants have increased attacks in the opium-producing regions since international troops withdrew two years ago.
Let's bring in Sune Engel Rasmussen for more on this. He is a journalist with "The Guardian," and he joins us via Skype from Kabul.
Thank so much for talking with us.
Sune, what impact has this had?
SUNE ENGEL RASMUSSEN, JOURNALIST, THE GUARDIAN: It does leave them vulnerable to being over run by the Taliban but I think this is probably part of the deliberate strategy from the Afghan forces side. At least they left without a side against the Taliban, so I think the strategy seems to be that they will consol date in more important cities and then concentrate on that. It's national advisors. Some have recommended for a while because the Afghan security forces spread out pretty thin and they seem to think that it would be more preferable to just consol date.
CHURCH: But it does then leave these areas exposed and that is what they're saying there right at the ground level. So, what is the solution here?
ENGEL RASMUSSEN: Sorry, I didn't catch the last part? CHURCH: The districts that have been left, the two districts, are
exposed. So, what is the solution here? Because clearly there don't appear to be enough troops when they have to take those troops to another more important part of the country.
ENGEL RASMUSSEN: I think there's a recognition here that the only solution to the conflict is a political solution, not a purely military solution. And obviously, negotiations will have to be accompanied by some sort of military action from the Afghan security forces. They need to show the Taliban that there is a limit before the Taliban will have any incentive to negotiate about peace and about this political division of power. But today, there are talks, not with the Taliban, but among the Afghan and Pakistan governments, along with U.S. and China, here talking about how to get the peace process back on track. And this is also recognition that the Afghan security forces can completely eradicate the Taliban, along with the international forces. And if they can't do that, then they're going to have to consolidate where they can to maintain power and then reach a status quo and negotiate from there.
CHURCH: Many thanks to Sune Engel Rasmussen, reporting there for "The Guardian," from Kabul. Many thanks.
British Prime Minister David Cameron brings his case to stay in the E.U. before parliament. How he and those who wish to leave are making their appeals to voters.
Plus, hundreds of tankers are being deployed across India's capital to provide relief to millions of people facing a water shortage. Find out how long it could take for the water supply to return to normal. That's next.
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[02:18:00] CHURCH: India has deployed more than 750 tankers to provide water for 10 million people after protests in a neighboring state cut off the supply at a major canal. Officials say the damage is extensive. The protesters, who were demanding the same access to job as lower caste workers, have now reached a deal with the government. This comes after at least 16 people died in clashes.
CNN's Sumnima Udas joins us live from New Delhi.
So, Sumnima, bring us up to date on the situation on the ground right now and when this water supply might return to normal.
SUMNIMA UDAS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: The government officials are saying it will take at least two weeks for the entire water supply to be restored because the reparation work at the canal is still being done. So, the part that was damaged by the protesters is currently functioning. One of the main boundary walls has been severely damaged. Where we are now is a main filling station in Delhi. Water tankers
like the one behind me have been coming in every five to seven minutes, filling up water from the underground reservoirs. You can see all the Delhi water board people here filling up. And the trucks have been leaving every five to seven minutes. And residents arriving to file their complaints who don't have water in their homes right now. The government says some 10 million people have been affected. And that means that these people are not receiving water in their pipe system, on their tap, so they're having to depend on these types of water tanks.
CHURCH: Sumnima, let's look at what caused this. We know, as we reported, 16 people died during that week long protest and a deal has now been made with the government. Talk to us about who's involved with the deal and how this will work.
[02:20:16] UDAS: The leaders of the protesters have said that they have reached some kind of deal with the government, the state government and also the central government, and that their four co- agitators on the ground to pick up the blockade and stop the blockade and go back to their normal lives. But we were talking to the agitators this morning and yesterday, and they said until they see something on paper, they will not believe it and they'll continue to demonstrate. This is a struggle they've had for the past 15 years. They're asking for reservations at India's government's caste-based system for government jobs and the education system. They said, look, the system, it's been touted as one of the big success stories of India, helping a lot of disadvantages lower caste, but for the upper caste to have to compete for these university spots and government jobs is becoming very, very difficult. They were saying, even though they do much better in their lower caste in exams, they're not getting admissions into colleges, they are failing, they're being made fun of by their families, a lot are committing suicide. It's becoming very difficult for these upper castes to compete in a society where access to government jobs is becoming very, very difficult -- Rosemary?
CHURCH: Sumnima Udas, many thanks for bringing us up to date. We'll talk again next hour.
British leaders are wasting no time, with four months to go until a historic referendum that will decide the country's future with the E.U. Prime Minister David Cameron brought his case before Parliament on Monday. He was peppered with questions from dissenters, including some from his own party.
Max Foster takes a look at the long road ahead.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
MAX FOSTER, CNN LONDON CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Standing room only as David Cameron made his case to remain inside the European Union.
DAVID CAMERON, BRITISH PRIME MINISTER: We will be out of the parts of Europe that do not work for us, out of the Euro, out of the Eurozone bailouts, out of the passport-free no-borders Schengen area, and permanently and legally protected from ever being part of an ever closer union.
FOSTER: He described the deal as the best of both worlds. But he hasn't got support from both sides of the House, namely his own party.
Boris Johnson is among several high-profile Conservative Party members backing a so-called Brexit.
BORIS JOHNSON, LONDON MAYOR: Explain to the House and to the country exactly what way this deal returns sovereignty over any field of law making.
FOSTER: The London mayor, who is also an M.P., said he will vote to leave the European Union so a better deal can be cogitated with Brussels that gives the U.K. more power.
The prime minister quick to land his first punch.
CAMERON: This process is not an invitation to rejoin. It's a process for leaving. Sadly, Mr. Speaker, I've known a number of couples that have begun divorce proceedings --
(LAUGHTER)
-- but I do not know of any who have begun divorce proceedings in order to renew their marriage vows.
(LAUGHTER)
FOSTER: And still, Cameron found more support from the opposition.
UNIDENTIFIED BRITISH M.P.: The Labour Party and the trade union movement are overwhelmingly for staying in.
(SHOUTING)
UNIDENTIFIED BRITISH M.P.: Because we believe --
(SHOUTING)
UNIDENTIFIED BRITISH M.P: Because we believe that the European has brought investment, jobs, protection, the workers consume the environment, and we're convinced that a vote is in the best interest of the people.
FOSTER: The questions, however, kept coming.
UNIDENTIFIED BRITISH M.P.: Can he tell the House, in his estimation, by how much the welfare changes will reduce immigration for the E.U. in the coming year?
UNIDENTIFIED BRITISH M.P.: When will they first begin to be eligible for some benefits?
UNIDENTIFIED BRITISH M.P.: We do not have the control without the permission of Brussels.
UNIDENTIFIED BRITISH M.P.: What can we do about these unfairnesses if we stay in the European Union?
FOSTER: Cameron answers resolute, insisting he got the best deal for Britain. Choosing to leave, he says, is choosing the unknown.
CAMERON: I'm not standing for reelection. I have no other agenda than --
(SHOUTING)
CAMERON: I have no other agenda than what is best for our country.
FOSTER (on camera): So, David Cameron has made his position very clear. It's now up to the other campaign, effectively led now by Boris Johnson, to explain why Britain would be better off by leaving the European Union. We've got four months now of intense Brexit debate.
Max Foster, CNN, Downing Street, London.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
[02:25:05] CHURCH: Some strong opinions there and the financial implications are significant on both sides. For those that favor a co-called Brexit, a key sticking point is access to jobs and benefits for E.U. nations, an estimated three million migrants from the E.U. block leaving Britain. Brexit supporters also point to high regulation costs for British companies and contributing to the E.U. shared budget.
But those who support the deal say the economic impact of leaving the European Union is far worse, citing the possible loss of billions in foreign investment and trade, almost half of all British exports go to other E.U. countries. And data from the European Institute shows more than three million British jobs rely on trade with the E.U.
Meantime, leaders from more than a third of U.K. businesses signed a letter that appears in Tuesday's "London Times" warning that if Britain leaves the E.U., it would threaten jobs and deter investment.
Let's take a short break. But back in a moment. Bernie Sanders goes on the offense for the race in the White House. We'll see how much ground he has to cover to catch up with Hillary Clinton with the South Carolina primary just days away.
Plus, CNN speaks to a man who founded an app that security encrypts messages so well even terrorists are using it. And exclusive report coming your way.
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[02:30:04] CHURCH: You are watching CNN NEWSROOM. I'm Rosemary Church.
I want to update you on the main stories we've been following this hour.
(HEADLINES)
CHURCH: The Democratic candidates for the White House will face off Saturday in the South Carolina primary. The latest CNN poll of polls shows Hillary Clinton ahead of Bernie Sanders by 25 points.
Joe Johns reports, Bernie Sanders is not giving up.
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(CHANTING)
JOE JOHNS, CNN SENIOR WASHINGTON CORRESPONDENT: Bernie Sanders is going on offense today after his loss to Hillary Clinton in Nevada.
SEN. BERNIE SANDERS, (I), VERMONT & DEMOCRATIC PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: What the American people have got to determine is which candidate, whose life work is about standing up to the billionaire class, standing up to wall street, standing up to corporate interests, and who does not.
JOHNS: And tweeting about the lack of transcripts for Clinton's paid speeches. "It's been 17 days since @HillaryClinton said she would look into paid speeches to Wall Street."
He spent the weekend in South Carolina, even stopping by a fried chicken dinner after church to court a key demographic, African American voters.
SANDERS: (INAUDIBLE).
JOHNS: But Clinton is riding high after her weekend win.
(CHEERING)
HILLARY CLINTON, (D), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE & FORMER SECRETARY OF STATE: Some may have doubted us but we never doubted each other. And this one's for you.
JOHNS: Polling shows Clinton has the advantage in South Carolina, in part, thanks to her strong showing among African-American voters there.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MORGAN FREEMAN, ACTOR: She says their names.
CLINTON: Trayvon Martin.
FREEMAN: Trayvon Martin.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
JOHNS: She's out with a new ad voiced by Morgan Freeman that invokes Trayvon Martin and the Flint water crisis.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) FREEMAN: She speaks for a city poisoned by indifference.
CLINTON: We need action now.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
JOHNS: And the battle between the two candidates is sharpening. Clinton hit Sanders hard over the weekend for over promising.
CLINTON: You shouldn't say that unless you can really deliver it.
If the numbers don't add up, it's wrong to make those promises.
JOHN: And Sanders accused Clinton of copying his message.
SANDERS: I think our message is resonating. And obviously, the proof of that is that Hillary Clinton is more or less echoing much of what we are saying. I think that indicates the success that we are having.
(CHEERING)
JOHNS: Even with her Nevada win, Clinton still faces doubts about her trustworthiness from some voters.
CLINTON: I understand that voters have questions. I'm going to do my very best to answer those questions. There's an underlying question that is really in the back of people's minds and that is, is she in it for herself or us? I think that's a question that people are trying to sort through.
JOHNS: Joe Johns, CNN.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
CHURCH: And a programming note. You can watch Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders come face to face with South Carolina voters right here on CNN. Chris Cuomo will host a town hall live from the state capital, Columbia, South Carolina. You can see it Wednesday morning at 9:00 a.m. in Hong Kong.
Want to turn to Fiji now. And the death toll stands at 28 after this weekend's devastating cyclone. Rescue workers are trying to reach the country's outer islands to fully assess the damage. Authorities say Winston is the most powerful storm on record in the southern hemisphere. The prime minister says many people are without food, and shelter.
We turn to our Meteorologist Pedram Javaheri who joins us with more on the cyclone, and a significant severe weather threat in the southern U.S.
Pedram, a lot to cover. But just on Fiji, it is horrifying, the death toll has gone up, and there could be more under the rubble.
[02:35:00] PEDRAM JAVAHERI, AMS METEOROLOGIST: I believe so, absolutely, because the nature of these islands because they're about 330 islands scattered about this region and you look at some of the properties that have lost literally everything, the walls, roof, and we know thousands upon thousands of people are displaced, and a lot of people are surprised to hear it doesn't really get hit too often with tropical cyclones, never have they seen a category 5 make landfall as they did this last sad. And some of the waterways blocked.
So, any sort of additional rainfall on top of this scenario going to cause flash flooding to take place. And the storm system itself still sitting there as a category 2 storm. About 1,000 miles across and the storm threads the needle and the island that was very hard hit, the concern is the outer bands of the storm could bring upwards of two to four inches. Across this northern fringe of the area very hard hit. So, any additional rainfall going to exacerbate what goes on.
And this is the second highest leveling of threat for the southern U.S. On a scale of 1 to 5, it's a four. Mobile, Alabama, one of the main areas of interest. The month of February, typically quiet. It picks up dramatically. But we've had significant tornado outbreaks in February. Upwards of 80-plus occurred in a matter of couple days that led to 57 fatalities. And this had the potential to produce a significant number of tornados on Tuesday and Wednesday.
CHURCH: Many thanks to you Pedram. Appreciate it.
JAVAHERI: Thank you.
CHURCH: We're going to take a very short break. But still to come, an Uber driver accused of a deadly shooting rampage appears in court. What we are learning about his actions just before the attack, next.
Plus, as federal investigators try to break into a terrorist iPhone, the founder of an app that allows users to securely encrypt messages talks about the dangers of such technology. We're back with that in a moment.
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[02:40:31] CHURCH: The Uber driver accused of killing six people in the U.S. state of Michigan appeared in court for the first time Monday. Jason Dalton faces a total of 16 charges, including murder. Police say they found 11 rifles in his home. And CNN has learned that he purchased a tactical jacket that can conceal hand gun hours before the attack.
But the most chilling detail may be that Dalton allegedly continued driving around passengers between shootings. One passenger told CNN what he saw while riding with Dalton.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MATT MELLON, WITNESS: I was pleading with him to stop the vehicle so he could let me out. He was surprisingly calm the whole time. He was just stating that he was like, don't you want a ride to your friend's house? Don't you need a ride? And I was like, please, just pull over and let me out, and he refused to stop. And he just kept driving really erratically.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CHURCH: Police have yet to uncover a possible motive for those attacks.
Apple is vigorously defending its opposition to a U.S. federal court order to break into an iPhone. Federal investigators are trying to get Apple to change its encryption software so they can get data from one of the iPhones of the attackers of the San Bernardino shootings. In a memo thanking employees, Apple CEO Tim Cook wrote, quote, "This case is about much more than a single phone or a single investigation. At stake is the data security of hundreds of millions of law-abiding people and setting a dangerous precedent that threatens everyone's civil liberties."
The email came after the director of the FBI wrote an op-ed about encryption saying this: "We don't want to break anyone's encryption or set a master key loose on the land. Maybe the phone holds the clue to finding more terrorists, maybe it doesn't, but we can't look the survivors in our eye or ourselves in the mirror if we don't follow this lead."
Encrypted communication has been used by business leaders and activists to secure their messages, but investigators believe the Paris terror attack suspects also used encryption to help them carry out their plot.
The founder of the app Telegram, reportedly used by those attackers, told CNN that you can't make messaging technology safe against criminals.
Erin McLaughlin got this exclusive interview.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
ERIN MCLAUGHLIN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: This is the man at the center of the global encryption debate. Russian exile, Pavel Durov, says he prefers to remain in the shadows. Normally, he doesn't give television interviews. But he says he wants to explain the company he cofounded, Telegram, the messaging app you download for free on your phone. Telegram offers encrypted communication, the kind authorities can't easily intercept. It's found on the phones of journalists, activists and business leaders.
(GUNFIRE)
MCLAUGHLIN: But Telegram was found on terrorists' phones on the bloodied streets of Paris.
(on camera): Did that thought cross your mind when you saw what was happening in Paris? That Telegram could be involved? Did you think about it? PAVEL DUROV, FOUNDER, TELEGRAM: No. Of course, we're concerned about
the potential use of the technology we make.
MCLAUGHLIN: So, you were concerned?
DUROV: Of course.
MCLAUGHLIN (voice-over): ISIS later used Telegram to claim responsibility for the attacks.
(on camera): Do you feel Telegram is in any way responsible for what happened.
DUROV: I don't think so. They were also using iPhones and Android phones and microchips. It's kind of misleading to say we were responsible and any other tech companies are responsible.
MCLAUGHLIN: But many say technology is part of the problem.
DAVID CAMERON, BRITISH PRIME MINISTER: In our country, do we want to allow a means of communication between people, which even in extremists, with a signed warrant from the home secretary personally, that we cannot read?
DUROV: You cannot make messaging technology secure for everybody except for terrorists.
MCLAUGHLIN: This isn't just about terrorism. It's also about criminals, drugs, human traffickers, pedophiles. All have access to your app.
[02:45:12] DUROV: When I was in living in Russia a few years ago, all these activities were used as a pretext to monitor the communication of Russian citizens and then, in many cases, used to suppress dissidents and liberal thinking.
MCLAUGHLIN: It was 2011, mass opposition protests in the streets of Moscow. Durov was the CEO of the company he founded, V.K., Russia's equivalent to Facebook. He says he publicly refused to block pages of Russian opposition activists.
DUROV: I had groups of armed policeman trying to get into my home. Then I started to think of ways to defend myself, get in touch with my brother, and I realized there are very few options for us to communicate securely.
MCLAUGHLIN: Durov eventually lost control of V.K. and left Russia. He started Telegram believing people have a right to secure communication. But the question many are now asking, at what price?
Erin McLaughlin, CNN, London.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
CHURCH: And the Telegram app is quickly gaining in popularity. As of September, people were sending 12 billion messages through the app daily as compared to just one billion a day one year ago. The company says it doesn't make a prophet and that it believes in fast, free messaging. Telegram is pretty confident about its encryption. It's offering $300,000 to anyone who can crack the encryption.
A dream comes true for a woman who's seen a lot in her 106-year-old lifetime. Her joyous reaction to something special. There's a hint there. Back in a moment.
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[02:50:57] CHURCH: With the Nevada Republican caucuses on Tuesday, it's no surprise that some voters still haven't made up their minds. But there are others who go way beyond undecided.
Here's CNN's Randi Kaye.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
(CROSSTALK)
RANDI KAYE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: At the Black Bear Diner in Las Vegas -- it's pancakes served up with a side of politics.
(on camera): You ready to play candidate trivia?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yeah.
KAYE: OK, let's do it.
(voice-over): We put the voters to the test to see how much they know about the candidates just a day before the Nevada Republican caucus.
Tony started off strong.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: That's the one and only, Mr. Trump.
KAYE: But when I showed him a picture of Ted Cruz, he didn't know his name. And watch what happened when I showed him a photo of this candidate.
(on camera): Who's this?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: That looks like Eliot Spitzer.
(LAUGHTER)
Is that him?
KAYE: No, it's definitely no.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The Love Guv they call him.
KAYE: The Love Guv.
(LAUGHTER)
KAYE (voice-over): With this candidate, I got a blank stare.
(on camera): You want to ask your pal over here?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yeah.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: John Kasich.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: See, I don't even know him.
KAYE: Now you have the answer, you don't even know the name.
(voice-over): Ohio Governor John Kasich's photo stumped nearly everyone we asked.
(on camera): Who is this?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Is that John from Ohio?
KAYE: John from Ohio. I like that. Do you know his last name?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I do not.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Is it Kucinich?
KAYE: Kucinich?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yeah.
KAYE: No.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: No. Wrong, OK.
KAYE: Want to try again? His initials are J.K. Does that help you at all?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Jack Kemp?
KAYE: Jack Kemp? Oh, my goodness.
(voice-over): This first-time voter clearly has to study up.
(on camera): Who is this?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Marco Rubio?
KAYE: No.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Teddy Cruz.
KAYE: Teddy Cruz.
(on camera): 18-year-old Whitney also had a whole lot of trouble with Kasich.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I think he's a movie star.
KAYE: What movie? Do you know?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: No. I don't know.
KAYE: He's a governor of a state and he's running for president.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Oh, wow. I did not know that.
KAYE (voice-over): But she does know movie stars.
(on camera): Who is that?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: George Clooney.
KAYE: You know George Clooney, but you don't know John Kasich.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: No.
KAYE (voice-over): Her dad didn't do much better.
(LAUGHTER)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I'm not sure about that guy. He's not currently running, right?
KAYE (on camera): What if I told you he was?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I would be embarrassed.
KAYE (voice-over): Some couldn't recall which candidates were in which party or even still running.
This guy got Bernie Sanders and Jeb Bush confused.
KAYE (on camera): You think that's Jeb Bush and --
(CROSSTALK)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The face -- I have --
KAYE: Yeah. No clue.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: No clue.
KAYE: OK, the initials are B.S. Does that help you?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: (EXPLETIVE DELETED) No. Isn't that what most politicians are?
KAYE (voice-over): Considering this group's track record, it's no surprise even this photo threw them off.
(on camera): Who is it? UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I know he's on CNN, too, but I don't know his
name.
KAYE: He's on CNN? What show does he do?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Isn't it at the night time?
KAYE: That's actually our vice president.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: No, it isn't.
(LAUGHTER)
KAYE: Who is that?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Biden.
KAYE: OK. Your daughter thought he had a show on CNN.
(LAUGHTER)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: He kind of looks like Anderson Cooper, right?
(SHOUTING)
(LAUGHTER)
KAYE (voice-over): Randy Kaye, CNN, Las Vegas, Nevada.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
CHURCH: OK. They need to watch more CNN, right?
Living to be 106-year-old doesn't always guarantee a trip to the White House, but for one women, the visit exceeded expectations. Virginia McLaurin had wanted to live to see an African-American in the White House, and meeting the Obamas did not disappoint.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
[02:55:12] BARACK OBAMA, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Virginia McLaurin?
VIRGINIA MCLAURIN: Hi.
(LAUGHTER)
OBAMA: How are you?
MCLAURIN: I'm fine.
OBAMA: Oh, so nice to see you.
MCLAURIN: It's an honor. It's an honor.
OBAMA: You want to say hi to Michelle? MCLAURIN: Yes.
(LAUGHER)
OBAMA: Slow down now. Don't go too quick.
She's 106.
MICHELLE OBAMA, FIRST LADY OF THE UNITED STATES: No you're not. You are not 106.
OBAMA: Well, you've got -- you slow down.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
CHURCH: She is so gorgeous.
McLaurin launched a social media campaign to meet the Obamas back in 2014.
And I'm Rosemary Church. Remember you can always get in touch with me on Twitter, @RosemaryCNN. I want to hear from you.
And I'll be right back after this short break with more news from all around the world. Stay with us.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
