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Brussels Airport Resuming Passenger Flights on Limited Basis; Migrants Who Arrived in Greece from Turkey After March 20 Will be Sent Back; Two Important Primaries Coming Up in Presidential Race; Controversial Drug Being Used to Help Cure Children; U.S. Lawmakers in Several States Have Debated Bills that Address Rights of LGBT Community; Sports Headlines. Aired 5-6a ET

Aired April 03, 2016 - 05:00   ET

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

[05:00:013] GEORGE HOWELL, "CNN NEWSROOM" ANCHOR: Reopened but not fully. The Brussels airport prepares to partially resume flights less than two weeks after the blast that ripped through the main terminal.

Stuck in limbo, a deal to send migrants back to Turkey is set to go into effect amid growing protests and concerns over poor preparation and this.

DONALD TRUMP, U.S. REPUBLICAN PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: Either they pay up including for past deficiencies or they have to get out.

HOWELL: Donald Trump ramping up his criticism against America's NATO allies was an important primary vote now hanging in the balance.

Live from "CNN World" headquarters in Atlanta, welcome to our viewers here in the United States and around the world.

I'm George Howell, CNN NEWSROOM starts right now.

A good day to you, we begin this hour in the Belgian capital. Passengers at the airport there just starting to check in this hour and this time under tightened security. That airport is resuming passenger flights on a limited basis for the first time since suicide bombers struck that location and at Brussels metro station just 12 days ago.

Cars are being checked as they arrive to the airport and passengers are being screened before they can even go inside the building. The airport's CEO says, "Sunday's reopening brings hope to Belgium."

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ARNAUD FEIST, CEO, BRUSSELS AIRPORT COMPANY: A restart of the operations even only partially as quick as this is a sign of hope that shows our shared will and our strengths to resurface and not to let our heads down.

I just want to thank every member of our airport committee and all the partners involved that has all made this possible. When getting back to normal, our main concern will remain the safety of our passengers, member of staff and the police.

We have always been working in order to guarantee an optimal safety level and bring passenger comfort as well.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HOWELL: CNN is live in Brussels, Alexandra Field joins us now at the airport there.

Alexandra, it's good to have you. So, what is the mood given that this airport is about to reopen but at this time, the security is much, much tighter?

ALEXANDRA FIELD, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Sure, if you think about the fact that two weeks ago, George, they were doing 600 flights a day in and out of this airport and you were down to three, it's obviously altered and changed kind of experience. I mean, very few people going into and out of that airport. They just started letting the cars through but people were being met by police as they drove into the airport earlier. They are seeing security before they even check in. They'll then be screened again, so there is really a heavy presence.

We were able to get back there and see the security presence that was in place outside of the airport. So I think that people might feel calm to see that there is this added layer of protection and security. But certainly, this will likely be emotional for many of the passengers who are going to take these first three symbolic flights as they are being called.

We know it is still going to be some time before this airport is operating its full capacity which all they could be, you know, perhaps two months. They're hoping to get up and fully running by the end of June or possibly even early July. But in the meantime, it was important to get the place open so they do have some temporary check- in facilities, that's where passengers will go today.

And then the coming days, they hope to add more flights to the schedule, they hope to get more people through the doors. But, it is important to keep that number small at least to start, they say, because they want to ensure that this extra security is certainly sufficient, that people feel calm and comforted by it and that they're able to handle the capacity that they are taking on, George.

HOWELL: Alexandra, let's also talk about what's happening in Brussels itself with these protests and the orders for people not to protest. There were arrests in the past few days.

FIELD: That's right, George. This started when a right-wing conservative youth group, a French youth group, had said that they plan to hold a march in Molenbeek, a community that is mostly inhabited by immigrants. Officials in the city were concerned that this would create chaos that it could cause an eruption of tensions, so they told people not to demonstrate.

But throughout the city yesterday, we did see large crowds gather and police responded swiftly trying to break up those crowds, at one point, going to Molenbeek in riot here, trying to disperse any crowds that had gathered, either to protest or to counter protest.

They even came in with proud twofold vehicles. We've got the same thing, a heavy police presence coming in when a crowd gathered at Place de la Bourse, which has been the area where the victims have been memorialized for nearly two weeks now.

About 140 people were taken into detention for refusing to disperse despite those police orders.

[05:05:04] We're told this is an administrative charge, it meant several hours of detention and a fine of up to 250 Euros. But, it's certainly underscores the point that city officials were trying to make earlier in the week when they said they just do not want these demonstrations right now, they do not want detention, they do not want the chaos and they also do need to provide security and support services for the ongoing investigations that are happening related to the attacks that took place in this city, George.

HOWELL: Alexandra Field live in Brussels for us. Alexandra, thank you so much for your reporting and we'll stay in touch with you.

Now, we move onto that controversial plan to relocate thousands of migrants. Starting Monday, migrants who arrived in Greece from Turkey after March 20th will be sent back. And in exchange, E.U. nations will accept vetted Syrian refugees from Turkey. Advocacy groups fear that Turkey will not protect the human rights of asylum seekers.

Among those to be affected by this deal, thousands of migrants were stranded there in Greece and on Saturday, many of them blocked the highway demanding that the Macedonian border be reopened. Four months now, migrants have been living in poor conditions at makeshift camps. Refugees are begging not to be forgotten.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

FATIMA, SYRIAN ASYLUM SEEKER (through translation): We reached this point and we were asking, "What is going to happen to us?" I'm asking all the countries, what is our faith? No one understands what we are going through except us. We, who ran away from our country, not because we were hungry, we didn't leave because we were hungry, we left because there was a war.

Is it our fate to die here also? No one is paying attention to us. Absolutely no one.

HOWELL: Many people who live in Turkey are also against the new E.U. deal. Hundreds of demonstrators rallied in the coastal city of Dikili. Preparations are underway there to register asylum seekers when they return from Greece, but some in the community say they don't want the rejected refugees housed in their town.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: First of all, Dikili is not ready for this. If you gather a large number of refugees in Dikili, it is almost like a punishment. This would trigger a change in this town that is a tourist spot, where people live in comfort.

The people of Dikili do not want this.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HOWELL: Furthermore, we are joined now by Journalist Elinda Labropoulou live via Skype from Athens. Elinda, good to have you again this hour.

So, this deal that is set to take effect on Monday, it's already causing a great deal of panic among people, these families who risk their lives to get to Europe now risk being sent back.

ELINDA LABROPOULOU, CNN JOURNALIST: Precisely, you know, they thought they had to maybe get to Europe, they thought that they are safe that they'll be able to start a new life away many chases (ph) from war. And now, there is this sense of fear and this confusion about who will be sent back and when.

Some migrants and refugees have tried to leave camps, so particularly on the islands of Chios, one of the first entry and exit points to Europe from Turkey. People have broken defense, they went to the course, they've been asking to get on ships through Athens. What they're trying to do is get to the northern border, and from there, they're hoping that they'd be able to continue their journey to Europe.

That border has been now closed for several weeks, but many of the people do not seem to be -- to really be believing this. They think that as long as they can get to the Greek border that they'll be able to make it to Europe.

The authorities on the Greece side, there's -- they have enforced riot police on some of the islands, they are saying that they understand that though the migrants are really in distress up in Bolmich, they understand why this is all happening. But at the same time, they're trying to pacify the Greek citizens that the islanders were also complaining that this cannot go on on the port of Chios, no boats are able to dock, they have to use another port at least until Monday.

And, you know, the main question for everyone here is, is this actually going to work, Greece not housed about 50,000 people stranded.

The number of boats, the number of people that have been arriving from Turkey, from the Turkish coast to the Greek islands has gone down since this agreement came into effect. But, if this doesn't work, and tomorrow really is the first day that we're going to see if this agreement can in fact be implemented, the question is, what is going to happen if more people are trying to still cross into Greece and into Europe, George.

HOWELL: But politics aside, you know, as nations try to figure out policies, you know, to reach some sort of solution, you look at these images, you think about the people, the families, the children, who are in the middle here. You know, many human rights groups, they're concerned about what happens to people when they are returned to Turkey. [05:10:07] Many of them believe that they would not be safe in Turkey.

What are you hearing from reporting?

LABROPOULOU: Well, this is exactly what we've been hearing as well. I mean, a number of countries have a hard time recognizing Turkey as a safe country.

And, Amnesty International had issued a report, had published a report saying that some of the refugees are actually being sent back from Turkey to Syria. So this is obviously an issue of concern and what we -- of concern.

And what we really don't know at this point is, yes, these people will be returned to Turkey, but what happens next. The E.U. has not gone into any details of explaining, will these people stay in Turkey, will they be sent back to their respective countries. This is a point that still remains (inaudible), George.

HOWELL: Elinda Labropoulou live for us via Skype in Athens. Elinda, thank you so much for your reporting and perspective on this.

And you can find out how to help Syrian refugees. You can head to CNN.com/impact, there, you will find a list of non-profits that are vetted by CNN and many other resources to help you get involved.

Onto Syria now where government forces have uncovered a mass grave in Palmyra, just nearly a week after recapturing that ancient city from ISIS. Syria media reported at least 40 bodies were discovered there, many of them women and children, many of them showed signs of beheading and torture.

The victims are believed to be among hundreds of people killed by ISIS after it's used Palmyra in May.

A decades old dispute over territory between Armenia and Azerbaijan has flared up. Both countries claim the Nagorno-Karabakh region. That is a landlocked area surrounded by Azerbaijan, but mainly occupied by forces backed by Armenia. At least 30 people from both countries were killed in clashes between armed forces on Saturday, I should say, in 1994, the ceasefire, they are ended in armed conflict that had lasted for six years.

The U.S. and Russia are urging diplomatic solutions.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DAVID BABAYAN, SPOKESMAN, ARMENIAN-BACKED SEPARATISTS: It was a violation of the ceasefire regime, the international law, international humanitarian law and the general conditions. Because whatever official bucko has done in the zone of Azerbaijan and Karabakh conflict will cause serious (ph) manifestation of terrorist and any type Armenian policy.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HOWELL: And at the same time, Azerbaijan blames the Armenians for starting Saturday's clashes.

Now, to a possible new clue in the mystery of the missing Malaysia flight MH370, a piece of debris was found on the island nation of Mauritius and may help to explain what happened to that plane. Hotel workers found the piece of wreckage on a beach on Thursday. You'll remember, 239 people were onboard that flight when it disappeared back in 2014.

CNN's Aviation Correspondent Richard Quest has more.

RICHARD QUEST, CNN AVIATION CORRESPONDENT: From the pictures that we've seen, it -- this one seems pretty clear cut. It is obviously a part of an internal panel, it's believed to be from the business class section.

And, the pattern of the wall is very distinctive, it's got a type of flower pattern. And if you compare this piece to pieces that there will be no battery ready, and look at what's on the plane, then you see it is actually very seamy but it's identical.

So, this wood suggests that the piece did come from MH370. And it would also tell investigators that the plane did indeed break up either in the air or when it hit the water, and didn't manage to land or do a gentle ditching in the ocean.

How much more it will tell investigators, of course, is somewhat suspect. It's unlikely to tell them exactly where the plane went down, and it's not going to give any secrets away about what's happened onboard the aircraft.

But, the more pieces of debris they find, the greater the picture they will get of how the aircraft came out at the sky by looking at compression fractures, rips and tires (ph), they'll be able to determine the forces that the plane when through as it went into the water.

There's still a long way from that, but this is one more piece of a very complicated puzzle.

Richard Quest, CNN, New York.

HOWELL: You are watching CNN NEWSROOM and still to come this hour. Witnesses to the deadly bridge collapse in Kolkata, India say they are still haunted by what they saw.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

[05:15:04] UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I pray to God I never have to see such a thing again. I can't sleep. I can't eat.

HOWELL: You will hear from people who watched it happened, firsthand.

Plus, when's the debate, where to debate the U.S. Democratic presidential candidates, they just can't decide. And, get this, they're blaming each other for the confusion.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HOWELL: You're watching CNN NEWSROOM.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

HOWELL: A somber moment in Pakistan where people are holding a memorial for the more than 70 that were killed in a bombing in Lahore that happened last week. Dozens of people were wounded as well.

School children held up signs condemning terrorism and saying, hymns for (ph) peace.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HOWELL: That attack is highlighting the danger of simply being Christian in Pakistan.

The suicide bombing happened at a park, it happened on Easter Sunday and a Taliban splinter group claimed responsibility saying that it was targeting Christians. That was the latest to the string of attacks that has seen churches bombed, it's in homes burned and families left in fear.

CNN Saima Mohsin takes you inside a small community to see how it is coping, it is an inclusive report Monday only here on CNN.

Now, to Kolkata, India, the sight of a deadly bridge collapsed which is now killed at least 27 people, many people saw that bridge fall firsthand and some told our Sumnima Udas, those memories will never leave them.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SUMNIMA UDAS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: From the ground, it feels like any other day. Life is back, people, cars, chaos.

It's amazing to think that exactly 48 hours ago, this entire area where I'm standing was full of rubble, concrete and cement, some of it several floors high.

But from above, life will never be the same again.

It was like a movie, it just fell like this, the whole slab at once. Below, there were cars, taxis, auto rickshaws, pedestrians. By the time I blinked, the overpass had collapsed, she says.

[05:20:03] In just a few seconds, a hundred meter long chunk of concrete and steel came crashing down.

I pray to God I never have to see such a thing again. I can't sleep. I can't eat. People were shouting, "Help me, help me." There was blood pouring out. I could see feet sticking out, hands dangling, there was blood everywhere, she says. From their room with a view, the Sethia (ph) family has watched this city grow. Bara Bazaar was one of the busiest parts of Kolkata, fruits and

vegetable vendors, tailors, traders, the homeless, all jostled for space, opening (inaudible) under the overpass.

So many people died, so many. I can't bear the pain. Imagine the people who lost their loved ones, she says. Her daughter-in law shows me the window from where she saw the overpass crack.

They had just poured concrete in the entire area that morning around 11:30 a.m. Then, an hour later, it broke, she tells me. The 2.2 kilometers long overpass built to relieve the congestion below has always been controversial. Spanning almost the entire width of the street, the Sethias (ph) say, no one in the neighborhood like the overpass because this, they say, is no way to live.

Sumnima Udas, CNN, Kolkata, India.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HOWELL: All right, America's Choice 2016 and the Democrats running for president are focused in on two very important primaries coming up in the states of Wisconsin and New York and the attacks between Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders, they are heating up as well.

Chris Frates reports the two candidates are now debating about debating.

CHRIS FRATES, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Bernie Sanders and Hillary Clinton campaigning hard in Wisconsin and in Northern City of Eau Claire. But before either candidate even hit the ground here in Wisconsin, they were throwing mud at each other. The Clinton campaign accusing that Bernie Sanders campaign on projecting three different dates to debate in New York in April saying this, "The Sanders campaign needs to stop using the New York primary as a playground for political games and negative attacks against Hillary Clinton."

Now, the spokesman for the Sanders campaign, Michael Briggs, firing back hard with his own statement saying, "Unfortunately, the dates and venues she has proposed didn't make a lot of sense. The idea that they want to debate in New York on a night of the NCAA Finals with Syracuse in the tournament, no less, is ludicrous. We have proposed other dates, which they have rejected. We hope we can reach agreement in the near future."

Now, it's important to remember how this all started after Bernie Sanders had a big weekend sweeping wins in Washington, Alaska and Hawaii. He challenged Hillary Clinton through a debate in her adopted home state of New York for about a week. Hillary Clinton was rather non-committal, then her campaign saying that they're trying to work out the dates with the Sanders campaign and then the Clinton campaign going after the Sanders campaign saying that they're playing games with these dates. The Sanders campaign, of course, denying.

And the reason why this New York primary is so important, many people expect that Bernie Sanders will be able to win here in Wisconsin, but he's able to close the gap in delegates that he has, he's lagging by about 240 delegates. He needs to upset her in New York.

There's a huge cash of delegates available in the entire state about 250, that's second only to California. If Bernie Sanders can pull a win there and upset Hillary Clinton in her adopted home state, he comes very close to helping close that gap against Hillary Clinton.

So Sanders and Clinton clashing out when they're going to have this debate, it's very important when and where could have a big impact on that April 19th primary. So we're going to continue to watch that here in Wisconsin.

Chris Frates, CNN, Eau Claire, Wisconsin.

HOWELL: The Republicans are also campaigning in Wisconsin, but frontrunner Donald Trump finds himself in a rather unfamiliar position in second place. He's also taking heat from every direction lately, including President Obama lambasting his foreign policy argument.

Trump, however, is sticking to his guns including his controversial take on NATO's.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

TRUMP: Many countries are not paying their fair share. That means we are protecting them and they are getting all sorts of military protection and other things. And they're ripping off the United States and they're ripping you off, I don't care -- I don't want to do that. Either they pay up including for past deficiencies, or they have to get out.

And if it breaks up NATO, it breaks up NATO.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HOWELL: Donald Trump there, and the Republican candidates are also focusing in on swaying delegates in the state of North Dakota this weekend.

[05:25:00] Though that state only offers a small number of delegates, they are crucial in what is a tightening race, and here's a look at why.

The state does not hold a presidential primary or caucus, meaning there is no public vote. Instead, party officials select the total of 25 delegates plus three party leaders to attend the national convention that is set for July.

The key here is that the delegates do not have to commit to any candidate before that convention. They are effectively free agents and could make a major difference if no candidate secures enough delegates to clinch that nomination on the ballot.

Trump's lead is fairly secure but the possibility of an open convention could make anything under that magic number of 1,237 a move point. Cruz and Kasich are focused on denying Trump that figure and not figuring it to reach themselves. Cruz picked up another six in Colorado today as part of their complex delegate selection process.

A broker convention isn't totally without a president, but it is certainly a departure from any election that we've seen in the past few decades. Our Tom Foreman delves into what it would mean for the candidate's chances to win the White House.

TOM FOREMAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: There is a reason they call it a floor flight if no candidate can get that magic number of delegates necessary to clinch the nomination before the convention begins.

Now, let's look at the delegate count right now. Donald Trump is the closest, but if he doesn't get that number before the convention starts, or let's say you actually get to the convention and you have a floor full of people out here who have Trump signs, but on the first vote he does not get enough to get the nomination score all the way, well then, we have a real problem because a floor fight is underway at that point.

Why? Because after the first vote, many of these delegates become unbound, that means they can vote for whomever they wish, not necessarily the person chosen by the people back in their states, so people who are holding Trump signs may suddenly be holding Cruz signs, or maybe Kasich signs, or maybe a sign for somebody else altogether.

Every state has his own rules, the convention will have its own rules when it starts and it won't always be clear which rules override other rules, and you can bet all three of those campaigns will be doing all they can to twist arms out here, to bend the rules and to push the referees to try to get an advantage.

And it could get very bitter and very nasty. But there is a reason the party does not want that to happen, overwhelming reason. Look at this from the Pew Research Center, these are the numbers. In the Republican Party, if the nominee is chosen on the first ballot, 64 percent of the time that nominee will go on to win the White House.

Second ballot or later, only 50 percent of the time and these numbers, by the way, are even worse for the Democratic Party. There is a real cost to be paid by a party that goes into his convention undecided.

HOWELL: Tom Foreman, thank you. And of course, remember to join us here on CNN all day Tuesday for complete coverage of that critical Wisconsin primary only here on CNN.

It is 1:28 p.m. in Dubai, 5:28 a.m. on the East Coast and still to come this hour.

Medical marijuana being used to treat children, coming up why one Israeli family says the controversial drug is the only thing that's left to help their toddler. The news continues live across the U.S. and around the world this hour. You're watching CNN NEWSROOM.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[05:31:58] HOWELL: Welcome back to our viewers here in the United States and around the world. You are watching CNN NEWSROOM and it is good to have you with us.

I'm George Howell. The headlines we're following this hour.

The main airport in Brussels partially reopening to passengers this day for the first time since the deadly terror attacks nearly two weeks ago. The airport company's CEO says there will just be three flights taking off Sunday bound for Portugal, Italy, and Greece. Passengers are being screened before they can even enter that terminal.

Syrian forces had discovered a mass grave with at least 40 bodies in Palmyra, this following the recapture of that ancient city from ISIS last week. Syrian media say many of the victims, they were woman and children. Many showed signs of beheading and torture.

The President of Niger will sworn in on Saturday for another five-year term. Mahamadou Issoufou was elected in a runoff vote last month that was marred by low turnout. The opposition boycotted that election due to their candidate being hospitalized just days before ballots were cast.

No one is paying attention to us, that's just one of the messages from migrants who blocked a highway in Greece on Saturday. They are demanding Macedonian border be reopened. It is presently closed ahead of a controversial E.U. plan that is set to take effect Monday. Migrants who arrived in Greece from Turkey will be sent back.

Last hour, I spoke with the spokesman for the International Organization for Migration about that new deal and just how safe Turkey will be for migrants who return.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

LEONARD DOYLE, SPOKESMAN, INTERNATIONAL ORGANIZATION FOR MIGRATION: I believe there have been some challenges, some concerns Amnesty International, for example, put that in a report in the weekend.

But, on the other hand, it has to be recognized. And in reality, Turkey is an extraordinary welcoming and generous country, is hosting almost 2.7 million refugees already from the war in Syria.

We do not hear daily reports of problem. In fact, the Turks had been -- have opened their hearts to these migrants. So, I think we'll have to look at in context. The Turks is certainly being a lot more welcoming than the Europeans had been towards the migrants and refugees.

HOWELL: And then, another very important part when it comes to Turkey and its discussions with the E.U., you know, how critical is that for this deal?

DOYLE: Well, extremely so. I mean, Turkey wants to join the -- you know, the marker (ph) and the interview house tree (ph). They want to have free movement to speak with Europe, something that's being promised to it for so many years and being denied by narrow self- interests of South European countries, let's put it that way. So that's finally kind of part of the bargaining, if you like, that's

happening now. And perhaps, that's the big win for them.

I've seen reports, for example, from some of the islands where the migrants are going that they're looking forward to the -- soon to the arrival of Turkish tourist. And so, there'll be a lot to win from having remove them (ph) to Turks across Syria, in particular in the big economy (inaudible) benefits and, (inaudible), but it's certainly part of the discussion.

[05:35:09] HOWELL: Leonard, I want to ask you this question, and it just goes to the heart of what people will think about this when it comes to a family there, a family that's in Greece that does not want to go back, a family that risked their lives to get to where they are right now.

What recourse do they have? What can they do to make sure that they can continue to move forward despite this new rule that is set to take them back?

DOYLE: Because suddenly, they don't really have a lot to fall back on. I mean, I think the reality is, is that everybody knows that the majority of these people are coming from refugee-producing countries, be that Afghanistan, Iraq or Syria.

And the Europeans to some extent, there are some Europeans (inaudible), in particular, has been extraordinarily generous and has opened the gates of our country to them, and so many have come in the hope of safety.

Now, what's happening in the meantime, of course, is that there's been a political backlash across Europe. And we've see this in recent election. So the reality is, is that position has been unsustainable, a position of keeping your exporters open to these large flows of migrants who were in great danger.

And, what's happening now is that the Europeans are now trying to contain that and control that. And that unfortunately means that for others who's already on route, there will be no destination in Europe. And they will be sent home.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HOWELL: That was Leonard Doyle, the spokesman for the International Organization for Migration.

The former Brazilian President, Luiz Inacio Lula Da Silva, joins about a hundred protesters at a pro-government rally on Saturday, chanting, "There will not be a coup." The demonstrations came a day after anti- government protesters rallied in Sao Paulo calling for the impeachment of President Dilma Rousseff.

Lula is under investigation for alleged corruption. He was recently sworn in as Rousseff's chief of staff.

Thousands of Colombian say their president is a traitor and are calling on him to resign. They stage demonstrations in more than 20 cities across that country on Saturday. They are opposing President Juan Manuel Santos efforts for peace after decades of guerilla conflict.

Protesters believed Mr. Santos has caved too much to rebel demands.

Former Colombian President Alvaro Uribe led one of the demonstrations and says he wants to bring awareness to the country's corruption.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ALVARO URIBE, FORMER COLOMBIAN PRESIDENT: (through translation): We want this march to create consciousness regarding the damage created by the impunity for narcoterrorism. Impunity is being given to a particular group and another comes forward. And Colombia will not escape the violence.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HOWELL: The Colombian Civil War has lasted more than 50 years.

This is CNN NEWSROOM. Still ahead, a controversial drug is being used to help cure children. Coming up why one family says marijuana is the only medical remedy that works for their toddler. Stay with us.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[05:41:31] HOWELL: Welcome back to NEWSROOM. I'm George Howell.

In the U.S., lawmakers in several southern states have recently debated bills that address the rights of gays, lesbians and transgender people. And one bill in the state of North Carolina has now become law.

CNN's Nick Valencia looks at the major impact so far.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

NICK VALENCIA, CNN CORRESPONDENT: It's Saturday in Raleigh, North Carolina and this is a midday drag show, a fundraiser for LGBT awareness.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: (Inaudible) on is Candis Cox.

VALENCIA: Candis Cox is the woman of the hour.

CANDIS COX, TRANSGENDER WOMAN: But the most important thing for me, personally, is that every time I close my eyes and I say a prayer and I ask my God as a person of faith how he feels, he doesn't seen to have a problem with it and my parents have no problem with it and their opinion matters to me.

VALENCIA: Cox is transgender.

COX: And Black trans women in North Carolina needs things that this in my back, though, not in my eye. VALENCIA: He says she's one of the tens of thousands of transgender

people in North Carolina affected by the Public Facilities Privacy and Securities Act. It's a new state law that requires trans people to use the public restroom related to the gender on their birth certificate, not how they identify.

COX: This law affects us because it puts us in danger and it is open discrimination. It's no different than the Jim Crow laws that we had here in the south.

ADAM DANIEL, CANDIS COX HUSBAND: (Inaudible) you look (inaudible).

VALENCIA: At home, Candis and her husband, Adam Daniel, say, now that she'll be required to use the men's room, they worry she'll be physically assaulted or worse.

PAUL STAM, STATE HOUSE REPUBLICAN PRO TEMP: I would say most of the attention is because the people do not understand what the bill actually does.

VALENCIA: State House Republican Pro Temp Paul Stam is one of the bill sponsors.

Stam says the law is not about limiting the protections of the LGBT community, but rather not giving them special rights.

STAM: We have lots of accommodations in the bill for those in special circumstances, but we're trying to protect the reasonable expectations of privacy of 99.9 percent of our citizens who think when they're going into a restroom or changing room or locker room that they will be private.

VALENCIA: And he is a boy.

COX: Yeah, (inaudible) junior counselor.

VALENCIA: 19 surgeries, two trips to Thailand and more than $100,000 later, Cox is post-op transgender.

Though her birth certificate says she's a man, she's with the trans community recall passable as a woman. But she says that doesn't make it any easier.

COX: We're all literally the same and we're all fighting for the same thing. We all just want to be accepted. And we want to know that we're not going to be discriminated against.

VALENCIA: Nick Valencia, CNN, Raleigh, North Carolina.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HOWELL: We now move onto Israel and the issue of medical marijuana. A family is using the controversial drug to treat their son's chronic health conditions and it's their last hope after other treatments fail to bring the toddler any relief.

CNN's Oren Liebermann has this report for us.

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OREN LIEBERMANN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: For two and a half-year-old Lavie Parush, moments of joy are all too brief.

Diagnosed with severe epilepsy and cerebral palsy from birth leaving him with brain damage, he suffered seizures dozens a day. Now, they're nearly all gone, with just a few drops a day of medical marijuana, cannabis oil mixed into his food.

[05:45:03] ASAF PARUSH, LAVIE'S FATHER: We saw a difference immediately and then after a few weeks, we didn't see any seizures at all.

LIEBERMANN: Other medicines didn't work, his father says or worse, caused severe side effects. Lavie has now been on medical cannabis for a year and a half.

This cannabis oil was developed in Northern Israel. The oil is high in CBD, the pharmacological ingredient in cannabis, and low in THC, the psychoactive ingredient of the drug that makes you high.

There's little research on the effects of medical cannabis on babies, but Parush has all the results he needs. Lavie hasn't had a seizure in months.

PARUSH: This is kind of when we feel that.

LIEBERMANN: He takes the CBD oil daily, and a second oil of THC only when Lavie is having a bad day.

When you give Lavie a drop of THC, that's the psychoactive ingredient in cannabis, it makes him high.

PARUSH: In the beginning, we were pretty anxious about it, I guess, but then we thought, "Well, what are we seeing?" You know what I mean? We're seeing this kid that was before, he was in distress, and now he isn't.

LIEBERMANN: At home, Parush and his wife play with Lavie and his little sister, Gefen.

The difference in development is stunning. She is 10 months old, a third of Lavie's age, and yet she can hold toys and play with their parents and so much more.

This, Asaf Parush fears, will always be too much for Lavie. Instead, he just hopes one day to hear his son say, "Dad."

Oren Liebermann, CNN, Northern Israel.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HOWELL: We turn now to weather around the world, but in portions of the United States, it is a lot colder than it should be for April. Our meteorologist Karen Maginnis is at the World Weather Center.

Karen, what's happening?

KAREN MAGINNIS, METEOROLOGIST: Yeah, it is colder and it's snowier and it's blusterier, if you can have a word as that, but we've got a snowfall on the way stretching all the way from the Great Lakes into the Eastern Great Lakes and then finally across New England.

We've got back to back storm systems, both are very fast moving, so it's high impact, short duration.

And that's cold comfort, no pun intended, as you take a look at when it will be, right around 60 or 65 miles per hour, right around 100 to 110 kilometers per hour and we'll start to see the next wave of this move on in towards Monday.

The snowfall is going to be fast and furious. There, you see in some of the coastal areas of Massachusetts and into Rhode Island in Connecticut, we're mostly seeing it as wet weather, but Western Massachusetts, the snowfall was already gone, also Washington, D.C.

Dallas reported some snow flurries just about an hour or so ago. Well, there was the first wave, we've got another one right behind of the clipper system that actually develops and deepens as we go into the next 48 hours, and those temperatures are going to reflect the cold air that's going to be in place.

Take a look at New York City, not until midweek where we expect those temperatures to start to creep back up again, but it will be the wind. It will be the blustery conditions, we are looking at snowfall totals, maybe in Boston, four to eight inches certainly possible.

Take a look at this video coming out of China and it's a combination of speed, poor visibility, as well as the slippery roads. There were 56 vehicles involved in this deadly crash that claimed the lives of two people and sends about 30 people to the hospital. Take a look at this again. Just suppose to show you that on those slick roads, you never can be too careful.

This happened in the past 24 hours, two fatalities associated with that.

And then New York (ph), I mentioned this for two reasons because of this broad area that we'll watch for tropical development. But also in the past hour, there was a report of an earthquake, 6.9 magnitude, about 20 miles deep, but, George, no tsunami warnings have been issued. That is no tsunami warnings issued for the basin.

HOWELL: And that is important to make a point out.

Karen, thank you so much. We'll stay in touch with you to continue following that as well.

Next here on CNN NEWSROOM, hear what Donald Trump's thought about running for president more than 10 years ago. That's right, more than 10 years ago. Stay with us. (COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[05:50:49] PATRICK SNELL, CNN SPORT ANCHOR: I'm Patrick Snell with your World Sport headlines.

Saturday in Spain witnessing the latest thrilling and performance of our league of El Clasico between El football enclosed (ph) Barcelona and Real Madrid, but before kickoff, there would be a minute of silence tributing on the legendary Johan Cruyff.

The vast study of camp (ph) now saying it's all in magnificent respect to not just one of its former players, but a highly successful former European Cup wining manager too, The Dutchman passed away last month after a battle with cancer with the age of 68, in attendance to at the stadium on Saturday, Johan's son, Jordi, who also played for the club.

So the action then were after a goal this first half, Barcelona would strike first, thanks to Gerard Pique. But the Catalan league didn't last long, they're inventing on the Frenchman leveling before Cristiano Ronaldo, who else would get the game win if it's head in Montreal as they hold on to win 2-1 and ends about a wreckle (ph) of 39 match on Batten street (ph).

I want to switch gears now, ahead to Bahrain, where Britain's Lewis Hamilton is quite literally in full position for a third success of the International Circuit there, that's off to edging out his Mercedes teammates and great rival Nico Rosberg during Saturday qualifying.

This is Lewis' 51st gray of pole and also the fastest lap ever at the Sakhir track, a time of one minute to 29.493 seconds. That's a job done to remind to Hamilton, but to winning Bahrain for a third time overall.

You're bang up to date. Thanks for joining us. That's a look at your CNN World Sport headlines. I'm Patrick Snell.

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HOWELL: Welcome back to NEWSROOM. I'm George Howell.

There is no doubt about the fact Donald Trump is a big proponent of success through self-confidence. CNN scoured thousands of pages of books of speeches and television interview transcripts from the past 30 years to put together a portion of the U.S. Republican presidential frontrunner in his own words. Here is a telling sample of what Donald Trump has said.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

TRUMP: I love (inaudible) and I love winning.

You do have to be born a certain way, I mean, having parents that are into the world. You know, the gene pool is somewhat important and it's a horrible thing to say. And, when people pay me a lot of money to teach people how to be successful, they hate for me to say that.

I was thanked very lovingly not by my father who would never do it, but by my mother, but very lovingly.

Really, I like to see anything I do succeed. I like nepotism. I think, you know, a lot of people say, "Oh, nepotism." So, usually, these are people without children.

I'm the biggest developer in New York by far. Work is good and accumulation is positive not negative.

The fact is that, I was very generous in a very bad time in my life because around 1990 and '91 and then the real estate ...

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You were down.

TRUMP: ... still crashing. I was down.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You got rid of $900 million of debts. How long would you do that?

TRUMP: Well, I wish it were only $900 million. I actually had many billions of dollars and they are going to the boardroom.

I rant and rave like a lunatic to these kids, and I leave and I go off and build my buildings.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Mr. Trump, would you like to be president of the United States?

TRUMP: What a question. I guess, a lot of people that are ambitious and all of the things would.

[05:55:01] I don't think I would want to give up what I had right now.

I'm very friendly with like everybody, OK.

Really, the people that I do best with are the people that drive the taxes, you know, wealthy people don't like me because I'm competing against them all the time.

What difference would these guys could use, most of them, I mean, I know so many of them and I've been dealing with them for years and I would be able to bring them together. I had no doubt about that.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Why do you involve in politics at all?

TRUMP: I enjoyed. I enjoyed the system. I doubt I'll ever be involved in politics beyond what I do right now.

I think I'm almost too honest to be a politician. I know politics ...

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: That's what I was going to -- you think you're too honest to run ...

TRUMP: I'm too forthright. I'm too -- I think I'm too honest, but I do believe I'm too forthright to be a politician.

(END VIDEO CLIP) HOWELL: Being in politics there.

Now, let's close the show on a different note, may be remiss not to tell you about this, this internationally recognized day where anyone can be a kid, including you, if you're asleep in the U.S. who are just waking up, grab your pillow right now because people around the world are battling it out during the 7th Annual International Pillow Fight Day, Saturday.

Dressed in their pajamas, you see them participating here at Berlin with (inaudible) that is flying also in Hong Kong, people of all ages took part in the festivities, some even wearing superhero costumes, Batman and Spiderman were even spotted in that crowd there. That looks like fun.

And we thank you for watching this hour of CNN NEWSROOM. I'm George Howell at the CNN Center in Atlanta.

For our viewers in the United States, New Day is next. And for other viewers around the world, the Best of Quest starts in a moment.

Thank you for watching CNN, the world's news leader.

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[06:00:14] HOWELL: From CNN world headquarters in Atlanta, I'm George Howell.