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Obama Advises Britain to Stay in the E.U.; Stevie Wonder Remembers Prince; Brussels Airport One Month Later; Nations Sign Historic Climate Change Pact; More People are Choosing Green Burials; America's Choice 2016; Ecuador Earthquake Survivors Wait for Aid; British Astronaut to Run Marathon in Space; The Women Prince Loved. Aired 4-5a ET

Aired April 23, 2016 - 04:00   ET

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

[04:00:00]

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BARACK OBAMA, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: The U.K.'s going to be in the back of the queue.

GEORGE HOWELL, CNN ANCHOR (voice-over): The back of the queue: tough words from President Obama, warning of consequences if the U.K. leaves the E.U. But those campaigning for exit are hitting back.

Plus: still no clear word on why music legend Prince died as the world honors and mourns his memory.

And he is in orbit. But that's not stopping this astronaut from trying to become the first to run a marathon in space. It's hard enough to do on the ground.

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.

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HOWELL: A good day to you. We begin this hour in the United Kingdom. The U.S. president is there and facing some backlash for his thoughts on the debate over Britain leaving the E.U.

It's called a Brexit and he warns that there are consequences to consider. Barack Obama was very brunt, saying Britain would be, quote, "at the back of the queue" for U.S. trade deals if it leaves the E.U.

In the coming hours, Mr. Obama will speak to people at a town hall there, where he is set to talk about the importance of the U.K.- America relationship. And indeed, it has always been considered a very special relationship between these two nations.

We are live in London this hour. CNN's Athena Jones is there, following developments. Athena, good day to you. The president says that, as a friend, he should offer an opinion. But there are also those who say that he should, quite frankly, butt out.

ATHENA JONES, CNN CORRESPONDENT: That's true. Those in the Leave campaign, George, say that the president of the U.S. is meddling in the affairs of the United Kingdom, something that they wouldn't allow other countries to do.

They also make the argument that the U.S. would not allow, for instance, totally open borders as is the case in the European Union. But you heard, as you mentioned there at the top, that the Brexit issue, the issue of the U.K. possibly leaving the E.U. really dominated the press conference yesterday with Prime Minister David Cameron.

Several questions about the topic and the president also spoke about the topic, even before receiving questions, a clear point that he wanted to make this case strongly to British voters ahead of that June 23rd referendum.

But they should think carefully about this decision to potentially leave the European Union. You heard him talk about the fact that while the Leave campaign, many on the Leave campaign argue that no problem if the U.K. leaves the E.U., we'll just negotiate a separate trade deal, an individual trade deal with the U.S. And he spoke on that. Take a listen to what he had to say.

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OBAMA: I think it's fair to say that maybe some point down the line, there might be a U.K.-U.S. trade agreement. But it's not going to happen anytime soon because our focus is in negotiating with a big bloc of the European Union to get a trade agreement done. And U.K.'s going to be in the back of the queue.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

JONES: So that is one of the president's economic argument that he's asking British voters to consider, as you said, he said, I'm offering my opinion as a friend. I'm not trying to fix a vote. I'm not casting a vote. I'm just telling the U.K. voters what I think or what the U.S. president thinks about this issue.

Another part of the argument; we've heard a lot of talk about the special relationship between the U.S. and the U.K., no closer ally. And the president says, I want my closest, strongest ally to have a voice in E.U. issues, a voice in the issues facing Europe, which we know are a multitude of issues, include migrants flowing into Europe.

So he has made it clear how the U.S. feels about this position in his talk yesterday. And we expect him to do the same today if asked at the town hall later today -- George.

HOWELL: And, Athena, no doubt the British prime minister, David Cameron, welcomed this opinion from a friend across the pond in what has been quite a contentious debate there in the U.K.

What could you tell us also just about the president's schedule while he's still there?

JONES: Well, after a very big day with royals, apart from the bilateral meeting with Prime Minister Cameron, he had lunch with Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip; he also had dinner with the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, Will and Kate and Prince Harry and even met little Prince George.

Today, he'll have the town hall; before that town hall, he's going to tour the Globe Theater, which is, of course, the theater where many of Shakespeare -- William Shakespeare's plays were originally performed.

He'll go to the town hall and he'll meet later on today with Labour leader, the opposition leader --

[04:05:00]

JONES: -- Jeremy Corbyn. So another full day here on his second day in London -- George.

HOWELL: A very, very busy day for the U.S. president.

Athena Jones, live in London, Athena, thank you for your reporting.

And as Athena mentioned just a moment ago, the president has a very busy schedule. And we will stay on top of it and continue to watch here on CNN.

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HOWELL: Now to the death investigation of Prince. It could be weeks from now before we know exactly how he died. The medical examiner in Minnesota has completed an autopsy and now Prince's body has been released to his family.

On Thursday, paramedics discovered Prince unresponsive at his estate outside Minneapolis, Minnesota. Prince was 57 years old. The sheriff there was no sign of obvious trauma or suicide.

Prince, though, has had some medical scares over the past few weeks. A spokesperson for the medical examiner, though, thanked everyone for respecting the investigation. Listen.

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MARTHA WEAVER, MEDICAL EXAMINER: This is something that we remember and we take very, very seriously and we appreciate the respect and the dignity and the outpouring of support that everyone has shown, not only to his family but to the law enforcement officers working on this, to the state of Minnesota, that so proudly claimed him and adored him.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HOWELL: And in the meantime, Prince's last days are the main focus of this investigation. CNN's Kyung Lah has more now on his final weeks.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

KYUNG LAH, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Investigators here in Minnesota say that they are still working to try to piece together an accurate timeline.

What was Prince doing in the days and weeks leading up to his untimely death?

And while this is happening, CNN has obtained exclusively this video from a strip mall, right near where he lives. A woman captured this video.

He appeared healthy enough just five days before he died to be riding a bicycle, doing something that any normal healthy person would do. The woman said that he looked quite healthy; yes, thin, but healthy enough to ride a bicycle.

Investigators say what they have been able to concretely learn is that, the night before Prince died, he was dropped off here at his home at 8:00 pm. He wasn't discovered again by staff until he stopped picking up calls. They found him unresponsive, collapsed in an elevator. CPR did not revive him.

Investigators say now that they have conducted an autopsy; the results are expected to come in in days, if not weeks. They also want to try to talk to as many people as Prince had contact with. They want to know what doctors was he seeing, where did he go, was he on any medications -- Kyung Lah, CNN, Chanhassen, Minnesota.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

HOWELL: It could be weeks, though, before we know much more about the cause of death.

There have been, though, so many tributes from celebrities that have been pouring in. Perhaps the most touching, though, may have come from Stevie Wonder. Listen.

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HOWELL (voice-over): It is beautiful how he plays the piano. And that was how he chose to remember his friend and fellow musical genius, Prince, playing his own distinctive version of "Purple Rain" during an interview with our own Anderson Cooper

Earlier, though, in that wide-ranging and emotional conversation, Anderson asked if he would play that Prince song. And this was his initial reaction. Listen.

STEVIE WONDER, MUSICIAN: Yes, I think I would probably break down if I do a song right now. But, you know, he was incredible and I'm just glad that I was able to say to him, "I love you," the last time I saw him.

COOPER: And he wrote a lot of songs for other artists over the years. And he was also a philanthropist, donated instruments for young musicians, was concerned about social justice issues, about -- I mean, he did a lot of things for charity and didn't necessarily get his name associated with that.

He did a lot of things anonymously.

WONDER: Well, I think his spiritual commitment was far bigger than from him having to say he did this and he did that. His commitment was in the action of what he did, not with the satisfaction of letting people know that --

[04:10:00]

WONDER: -- he did it.

COOPER: How do you -- I don't know if I should even ask this question because it's maybe too soon to figure this out. And certainly, we'll always have the music.

But how do you hope people remember him?

WONDER: Just a great musician, a great producer, a great songwriter, someone that allowed himself to be himself and encouraged others to be themselves and he was very free. And to do what he did without fear was a wonderful thing.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

HOWELL: The artist, Stevie Wonder, remembering his friend, Prince.

Still ahead here on CNN NEWSROOM, it has been one month now since the devastating terror attacks in Belgium. And for the first time now, we are seeing the reconstruction of the Brussels airport.

Plus: the growing trend of green burials, how people take their efforts to preserve the Earth literally to their graves. You are watching CNN NEWSROOM.

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[04:15:00]

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

Now back to a story that we're following from Bangladesh. Police there say a university professor was hacked to death near his home in Western Bangladesh along the Indian border. Fifty-eight-year-old Rezaul Karim Siddique was waiting for a bus. That is when two or three assailants attacked him from behind. The reason for that assault, though, is still unclear. It's all still under investigation.

Earlier this month, blogger Nazimuddin Samad was murdered when attackers hacked him with machetes and then shot him. That was one of a string of killings in Bangladesh targeting secular writers.

We are now learning more about one of the terrorists who attacked the city of Brussels just one month ago. Najim Laachraoui was one of the two suicide bombers who blew themselves up at the Brussels airport. That happened on March 22nd. And now we have learned that he actually worked at the airport for 11 days in 2011 and then for a week in 2012. He was contracted by a company there to do general cleaning.

Meanwhile, an attorney representing former ISIS hostages says her clients have also identified Laachraoui as their jailer in Syria. Four former French hostages say the Brussels bomber guarded them alongside another man. That man happens to be in custody for an attack on a Jewish museum in 2014.

And Belgium is trying to recover from the devastating attacks that killed 32 people. The metro station that was targeted is set to reopen on Monday. And for the first time, we are getting to see the reconstruction at the Brussels airport, which is set to resume full operations in June.

Our Erin McLaughlin reports.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ERIN MCLAUGHLIN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: This is the first time we have been able to access the departure hall here at the Zaventem International Airport. A month ago, this was the scene of complete and utter devastation, but now, as you can see, it is very much a construction site.

It's surreal standing here, knowing the chaos that unfolded that tragic day. Surveillance footage shows the three alleged attackers wheeling their luggage trolleys through this hall.

The first suicide blasts happening just seconds apart; the third bomb was detonated by authorities once the hall had been evacuated.

MCLAUGHLIN (voice-over): The calm hum of construction belies what was a scene of terror, the sounds of people running for their lives in fear; the image of a flight attendant sitting shocked, her face covered in blood; the sound of a child crying. These are the images that will be with this country forever.

MCLAUGHLIN: Now as you can see, they are working to get this airport back up and running. It is still not operating at full capacity. They set up a temporary check-in facility not far from here.

There's multiple layers of security there. Passengers are screened before and after they check in. Military is also present, as authorities are taking no chances -- Erin McLaughlin, CNN, Zaventem Airport, Brussels.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

HOWELL: Two of the world's biggest polluters, the United States and China, are promising to formally adopt a historic climate change accord before the year is completed. They were among the 175 nations at the signing ceremony for the Paris agreement.

It took place at the United Nations on Friday, coincidentally happening Earth Day. U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry also had a special guest with him you see there as he signed that accord. It was his granddaughter, Isabel. She was one of 197 children there.

The U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said the pact is a promise to them and to future generations.

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BAN KI-MOON, U.N. SECRETARY-GENERAL: With their signature today, governments have made a covenant with the future. The children who are with us this morning reminded us of our responsibility to them and to future generations.

The words they wore on their shirts said it clearly -- I quote -- "Your promise, our future," unquote.

Today's signing is a vote of confidence in a new approach to climate change. It is imperative this strong political momentum continues to grow.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HOWELL: Very poignantly said, I should say, "Your promise, our future."

The Paris agreement aims to keep the average global warming below 2 degree rise from pre-industrial levels. It even strives to curb it to 1.5 degrees and to rapidly reduce global emissions and greenhouse gases.

[04:20:00]

HOWELL: It also requires all participating countries to implement their proposed action plans. Leaders have one year to sign the document, which is meant to take effect in 2020. But it could start sooner once 55 countries representing 55 percent of global emissions sign on.

Several climate milestones have occurred since the Paris agreement was established back in December of last year. And our meteorologist Derek Van Dam has been following all of that.

Derek, it's very important that this happens.

DEREK VAN DAM, AMS METEOROLOGIST: It is important that it happens. Unfortunately, these milestones are more ominous, let's say. And they're just highlighting the urgency that this Paris agreement needs to be adopted as quickly as possible.

So it's good that we finally have over 170 countries putting pen to paper and promising that they will start to take action because what I am about to show you and everyone at home watching is some pretty astounding milestones, again, ominous. And Mother Nature just not willing to wait around for governments to come together.

2015 was the warmest year on record. That was a very well average highest situation. But I want to show you on this graph just what we are working with here. These are temperatures above pre-industrial averages, 2010, 2014 and 2015, the three highest temperatures above average ever recorded since records have been taken.

And then you look at where we are with 2016 and we have far surpassed that. So that is milestone number one. Here's milestone number two: we had February 2016 as the warmest month ever recorded.

Well, guess what? March has now just become the warmest month ever recorded. And that is on the heels of 10 consecutive months that were the warmest months on records. Another milestone, again, these are rather ominous.

So what do scientists do to gauge this climate change, this global warming?

Well, we looked for barometers, let's say. This is more of a symbol here but just giving you an indication of what it means to have a warming planet. We look at arctic sea ice, for instance, and we compare it to where it should be and where it actually is.

You see, once we get to the spring and summer months, we have our maximum extent of our arctic sea ice. And then we start to see that recede.

And that is when we start to measure exactly this square mileage or the kilometerage of how far that expanse is. And it is roughly 1.12 million square miles below average. And that is about the size of Spain and France. And that really puts it in perspective.

Now you add the arctic sea ice reduction as well as melting glacial ice and you have the potential for sea inundation and coastal erosion across many of the coastal cities.

This is an artist's rendition of London with a 2-degree warming world. We also are starting to associate and correlate extreme weather events with climate change, something that we have seen a 50 percent increase in disaster, weather disasters, since 1985 and 1995 decades.

So they are on the increase and we start to see that human imprint with climate change clearly visible in our weather.

HOWELL: It's serious stuff. I mean, if the numbers don't get you, the images and the artist's rendition there I mean, London, Miami, so many other cities --

(CROSSTALK) HOWELL: -- major changes. New York, I mean, the list goes on an on.

Derek, thank you so much.

In the U.S. state of New York, some people are taking their environmental efforts to their grave. Tim Cassidy from our affiliate, News 12 Westchester, explains.

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TIM CASSIDY, NEWS 12 (voice-over): More than 200 miles north of the Hudson Valley, just south of Ithaca, sits nature at its best. Thousands of acres of protected forest surround rolling meadows, dotted with evergreen groves.

KEN ZESERSON (PH), GREEN BURIAL ADVOCATE: This is where she is.

CASSIDY (voice-over): But it's what's beneath this pristine landscape where this story lies.

ZESERSON (PH): This is a stone my sister picked out.

CASSIDY (voice-over): In September, 2014 Ken Zeserson's (ph) stepmother made a final wish, to sleepy eternally among this beauty without embalming, without a casket and without a headstone.

ZESERSON (PH): She had been wrapped in Irish blankets because she was Irish. And so we lowered her into the grave and then the people of Greensprings had cut these green branches, which we laid on her, because this is all about the Earth and being green.

CASSIDY (voice-over): The green burial, an alternative to traditional burials, was offered here at Greensprings Natural Cemetery Preserve in Newfield, New York.

CASSIDY: This is another burial area here at Greensprings. And as you can see from some of the plots, they are really simple. This is Jennifer. She chose just to put her first name on the nameplate. And that's really what these green cemeteries are all about. They are simple, they're more affordable and they're environmentally friendly.

JAN JOHNSON (PH), BURIAL COORDINATOR, GREENSPRINGS: Completes that natural cycle of life.

CASSIDY (voice-over): Jan Johnson (ph) is the burial coordinator at Greensprings.

JOHNSON (PH): I don't think there has ever been a burial --

[04:25:00]

JOHNSON (PH): -- when people didn't come up to me after and say to me, this is exactly where they belong.

(VIDEO CLIP, "SIX FEET UNDER") CASSIDY (voice-over): In 2004, HBO's "Six Feet Under" was one of the first programs to examine the concept of a green burial. And yet today, only a handful of states in this country offer the green option.

CARRIE POTTER KOTECKI (PH), GREEN BURIAL ADVOCATE: The more I read about it the more I realized it truly made sense as a burial choice.

CASSIDY (voice-over): Carrie Potter Kotecki (ph) is looking to bring a green cemetery to Rockland County.

KOTECKI (PH): Green cemetery, to me, is the best way to return to the Earth.

CASSIDY (voice-over): Kotecki (ph) points to the fact that the land in a green cemetery is not cleared. And that's why this land can be used for other events. In fact, a wedding just took place here at Greensprings.

KOTECKI (PH): Land preservation has been a challenge in our community. It hasn't been a priority. But this could be an answer as well as providing an option for environmentally conscious people.

CASSIDY (voice-over): Kotecki's (ph) voice may be larger than most. She uses her monthly radio program to show Rocklanders they have a choice. And there are other options besides being wrapped in blankets, like the biodegradable pine casket.

Or the ecopod, where your body becomes the root of a new tree. Also available, the infinity burial suit, a shroud that helps the body decompose.

Those who are dying to be green believe the green choice just makes sense.

KOTECKI (PH): When you think about how much effort we put into teaching our kids about recycling those soda cans, you drive a more environmentally friendly car, well, why stop there?

ZESERSON (PH): OK. Well, see you later, Pat.

CASSIDY (voice-over): Because of his stepmother's decision, Ken, his wife and father will also be buried at Greensprings the green way.

ZESERSON (PH): It's just more natural.

CASSIDY (voice-over): Here they follow one simple motto: save a forest, plant yourself. Renew, sustain, endure.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: This is the ultimate recycling you can do.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

HOWELL: Interesting.

4:26 here on the East Coast in the U.S. NEWSROOM continues right after the break.

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[04:30:00]

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HOWELL (voice-over): Welcome back to our viewers here in the United States and around the world. You are watching CNN NEWSROOM. It is good to have you with us. I'm George Howell.

The headlines we're following:

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HOWELL: In the United States, the three remaining Republican presidential candidates have some very different ideas about the race for their party's nomination.

The front-runner, Donald Trump, believes that it should already be over. But challengers Ted Cruz and John Kasich are holding onto the hope that they can keep Donald Trump from stealing that deal early and instead to take their chances at a contested convention. CNN's Jim Acosta has more.

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DONALD TRUMP, REPUBLICAN PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: God, I like that. Let's have some fun.

JIM ACOSTA, CNN SR. WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): With Donald Trump closing in on the GOP nomination...

TRUMP: I was hit really, really hard. And if I didn't hit them back really, really harder, I wouldn't be here.

ACOSTA (voice-over): One of his top advisers, Paul Manafort, spent part of this week wooing Republican Party officials down in Florida, making the case that there's more to the real estate tycoon than his brash image on the stump.

PAUL MANAFORT, TRUMP CONVENTION MANAGER: When he is talking about the kinds of things he's talking about on the stump, he's projecting an image that's for that purpose and then in June you'll start to see it come together in the course of the next several months.

ACOSTA (voice-over): In this recording obtained by CNN, Manafort can be heard behind closed doors, explaining to RNC leaders that much of Trump's super-heated rhetoric, which has savaged the party's delegate process in recent days...

TRUMP: It's such a crooked system it's disgusting.

ACOSTA (voice-over): -- will cool down to just the right temperature over time.

MANAFORT: The part that he's been playing is evolving into the part that you've been expecting, but he wasn't ready for it. The negatives will come down, the image is going to change, but Clinton is still going to be Crooked Hillary.

SEN. TED CRUZ (R), TEXAS: Donald's campaign is now run by a Washington lobbyist who has been a lobbyist for 40 years.

ACOSTA (voice-over): Ted Cruz seized on Manafort's remarks as evidence that the man who's dubbed him Lyin' Ted ...

TRUMP: If it's Lyin' Ted Cruz.

Lyin' Ted.

Lyin' Ted Cruz.

ACOSTA (voice-over): -- is telling some whoppers of his own.

CRUZ: They were down in Florida, meeting with party leaders and they were saying -- these are their words -- that all of this is just a show, that he doesn't believe anything he's saying. He's just trying to fool gullible voters and he's not going to do any of it. He's not going to build a wall; he's not going to deport anyone. He is telling us he is lying to us.

ACOSTA (voice-over): Cruz is arguing Trump is already betraying conservatives on controversial state bathroom laws that aim to bar transgender people from using the restroom of their choice.

CRUZ: A couple of months ago Donald Trump told us he could be the most politically correct person on Earth. Well, we're beginning to see what that looks like.

ACOSTA (voice-over): Trump counters that Cruz and John Kasich are wasting the voters' time, as they no longer have a path to the nomination outside a contested convention.

TRUMP: There's no path to victory for Cruz, so he should get out. They should both get out.

ACOSTA (voice-over): Caught in the crossfire, RNC chair Reince Priebus is calling on the GOP to look past the bitter primary season and stand united.

REINCE PRIEBUS, RNC CHAIR: Now I know that our candidates are going to try to say some things to attract attention. That's part of politics. But we all need to get behind the nominee.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

HOWELL: That was our Jim Acosta reporting for us.

Now Donald Trump's victory in New York was a big step toward reaching -- [04:35:00]

HOWELL: -- that magic number of delegates needed. He needs to hit 1,237 delegates to clinch the nomination before the convention in July. And he's just about 400 away from that at the moment.

His opponents are far behind and they're playing the long game with the delegate count. Both Cruz and Kasich hope to turn the matter around when it comes to the convention.

In the meantime, the Democratic front-runner, Hillary Clinton, is also trying to seal up her party's nomination. But rival Bernie Sanders isn't showing any indication that he intends to bow out. Clinton is trying to convince voters that she is better prepared to handle Republicans.

But Mr. Sanders is making sure that he stays in the picture relentlessly attacking Hillary Clinton. Our Ryan Nobles has this report for us.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

RYAN NOBLES, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Hillary Clinton is looking past Bernie Sanders, focusing her attention on November.

HILLARY CLINTON, FORMER SECRETARY OF STATE, PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: I am hoping that, if I am fortunate to be president and break that highest and hardest glass ceiling, that it will send a message.

NOBLES (voice-over): After months of battling with Sanders, she is signaling the primary is coming to a close.

CLINTON: We got to pull the country around to a point of unity, where we are all helping each other again.

NOBLES (voice-over): Clinton touching on a range of topics during a campaign stop today outside Philadelphia, including online bullying.

CLINTON: If I am the nominee, we could very well have a campaign that is exactly all about that.

NOBLES (voice-over): The Democratic front-runner saying when Trump goes after her, she won't take the bait.

CLINTON: It isn't really about me. And I'm not going to respond to what he says about me. I'm going to respond to what he said about women in general. I'm going to respond to what he has said about immigrants.

NOBLES (voice-over): She is also taking advantage of Earth Day to hit Republicans on their views about climate change.

TRUMP: This whole global warming hoax.

GOV. JOHN KASICH (R), OHIO, PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: It's some theory that's not proven. NOBLES (voice-over): But Sanders is showing no sign of surrender, going after Clinton for her position on reforming Social Security.

SEN. BERNIE SANDERS (I), VT., PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: Time after time after time she has waffled, not given a straightforward answer.

Secretary Clinton, join us.

NOBLES (voice-over): The Vermont senator also highlighting new comments from Vice President Joe Biden, comparing Sanders' campaign style to Clinton, telling "The New York Times," quote, "I don't think any Democrat's ever won saying, 'We can't think that big. We ought to really downsize here because it's not realistic,'" Biden said.

"Come on, man, this is the Democratic Party. I'm not a part of the party that says, 'Well, we can't do it.'"

A point Sanders fully embraced Thursday night.

SANDERS: And I think the vice president, born and raised in Scranton, I think the vice president is exactly right. That is what this campaign is about.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

HOWELL: All very fascinating. That was Ryan Nobles reporting for us.

Now like Donald Trump, Hillary Clinton has a sizable lead in the delegate count. She is more than 400 delegates shy at the moment of the Democrats' magic number: that number 2,383 delegates to clinch the nomination.

Clinton's big win, though, this week in New York's primary, gives her extra breathing room for many, many from a standpoint, it halted the series of wins that Bernie Sanders had. He was closing in.

Other news we are following in the United States: people in a small Ohio town are on edge after eight members of one family were killed on Friday. They were all shot in the head, execution style, most of them while they were asleep. Only three young children survived.

The sheriff says the family was specifically targeted and that surviving members of the family could still be in danger. We'll continue to follow that story.

You are watching CNN NEWSROOM. Still ahead, after a massive earthquake in Ecuador, there is little hope of finding more survivors in the rubble there and aid is barely reaching the most isolated villages.

Plus: a British astronaut is set to become the first marathon man in outer space. How he is preparing for an out-of-this-world race, you could say, as NEWSROOM continues.

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[04:40:00]

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

Ecuador is struggling to recover after a 7.8 magnitude quake that struck there a week ago. It was the worst quake to hit Latin America and the Caribbean since the Haiti earthquake; 602 people died in the earthquake and 700 aftershocks have since been reported.

Ecuador was already hurting economically. The president there says the recovery will cost up to $3 billion. So the government is now raising taxes on people. But experts say that will simply not be enough to cover the costs of all the damage and devastation there.

Aid is barely reaching the most isolated villages. Thousands of homes are destroyed; people are homeless and many more are desperate to find food and water. Boris Sanchez has this report for us.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

BORIS SANCHEZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT: These volunteers are dedicating their time, sorting thousands of pounds of donated clothing. A lot of them are students or part of church youth groups; some are also unemployed, figuring this was the best way to spend their time.

There's a very real fear of looting and people coming to donation centers like this one and taking advantage and stealing goods that are meant for people who are in dire need of held help right now.

So we looked through the relief center about four hours ago. This is a trip we made two days ago and it took five hours to get to the Manabi province (INAUDIBLE) rural towns that were badly hit by the earthquake hard.

SANCHEZ (voice-over): Hundreds have spent hours in line outside this police station in Tarqui (ph), waiting for trucks carrying relief packages, since well before dawn.

The sun begins to set. They've watched the trucks come and go. As they plead for food and water, many are still empty-handed.

SANCHEZ (voice-over): "How many trucks have passed by since 6:00 am? And we're still with nothing.

SANCHEZ: Military officials here are asking people to remain calm because there's an air of desperation here. A lot of people rushed to this truck when it first stopped here, handing out water, offering perhaps their first relief in several days.

(Speaking Spanish).

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: (Speaking Spanish).

SANCHEZ: This woman says she's been waiting two days for water simply because there isn't any potable water around her to drink.

SANCHEZ (voice-over): This woman says she's been pushed around by people cutting the line all day. She calls the relief effort disorganized and says her complaints have fallen on deaf ears.

Down the street, others are looking through every piece of debris. Several families lived in this multi-story building. Neighbors tell us five people were killed when it collapsed, including a young child.

SANCHEZ: Here we see these performers --

[04:45:00]

SANCHEZ: -- occupying the children's minds, bringing smiles to their faces as they watch the world around them seemingly fall apart. There's a moment where they can just be kids and enjoy themselves.

I asked a woman earlier what she was telling her own children in these very difficult moments.

She said she had no words for her child. She didn't know what to tell him.

SANCHEZ (voice-over): With aid reaching only a fraction of those in need, the people of Ecuador will face many challenges ahead, trying to move forward while living in the shadow of a catastrophe.

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HOWELL: CNN's Boris Sanchez reporting there for us.

Now we move on to Northeast India: 16 construction workers have been killed in a landslide there. A district official says it was caused by heavy rain over the past few days. Two people have been rescued. The Indian prime minister sent his condolences to the family.

As the world mourns the loss of Prince, he was well known for his musical talent and also known for the women in his life, who inspired many of those songs. Up next, we explore that as NEWSROOM continues.

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HOWELL: We are literally talking about a race in space. That is what one British astronaut is planning to do this weekend. CNN's Jonathan Mann has the story of the first man to run a marathon while orbiting high above the Earth. (BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JONATHAN MANN, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Even before he was an astronaut, Tim Peake was a runner, competing in cross-country as a teenager and running the London Marathon in 1999.

On Sunday, the British astronaut will do it again, only this time from onboard the International Space Station.

TIM PEAKE, BRITISH ASTRONAUT: So this is what keeps me strapped to the treadmill when I run.

MANN (voice-over): Peake will wear a special harness, keeping him tethered to the treadmill while he runs the full 26.2 miles in zero gravity.

PEAKE: I'm comfortable that I can get on and run the marathon on Sunday. But I'm sure there'll be a few points where I'll be wishing I did a bit more training.

MANN (voice-over): Peake will start the race at the same time Sunday morning, as more than 30,000 runners in London. And while he'll be orbiting some 250 miles above the Earth, Peake will run the marathon virtually, from space, using an app that allows him to see the actual course and interact with other runners.

PEAKE: So I'll actually be looking at the route that I'm running. And I'll be running alongside everybody else who's running the digital version of the London Marathon. I'll be able to actually see what's going on with the real race, down in London. Which will be a huge boost to me, to be able to know that I'm running alongside everyone down there.

MANN (voice-over): Back in 1999, Peake ran the London Marathon in just under three hours, 19 minutes. He says he won't be that fast on Sunday. His goal is to finish in 3.5-4 hours. But that's still pretty fast for a race in space.

PEAKE: Good luck to everybody.

MANN (voice-over): Jonathan Mann, CNN.

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HOWELL: The death of Prince. When it comes to many of his songs, it's no secret that many of them were inspired be some of the women in his life. In fact, some of his biggest hits were a result of some of those relationships.

His two ex-wives say they are absolutely devastated by his death. CNN's Randi Kaye tells us about the women that Prince loved.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE) RANDI KAYE, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): She was his drummer, then eventually his fiancee. As Sheila E. told it to "The Daily News," somewhere in the middle of a European tour, Prince mouthed to her during a song, "Marry me," and the answer was yes. The two had reportedly met at one of his concerts in 1978.

SHEILA E., PRINCE'S FORMER FIANCEE AND DRUMMER: I was walking backstage to introduce myself and he was in the mirror.

And he shook my hand and he goes, "I know who you are."

And I went, "Huh?"

He says, "I've been following your career."

KAYE (voice-over): She later signed a contract with Prince's production company and Prince oversaw her first album, "The Glamorous Life."

Another of Prince's loves was his protege, Denise Matthews. The former model who became a singer began dating Prince after meeting him at the American Music Awards in the 1980s.

"Jet" magazine said she later claimed Prince was the only man she ever truly loved. Prince called her Vanity and built a group, Vanity 6, around her, encouraging her to be sexy and record such memorable songs as "Nasty Girl."

After several years together, she and Prince split. When she died earlier this year, he dedicated a song to her on tour.

Madonna also had a relationship of sorts with Prince. The two dated briefly back in 1985. Prince later helped produce her 1989 album "Like a Prayer," which he was also featured on. The two sang a duet for the track, "Love Song."

Years later, the friendship soured, though just last fall, Madonna attended one of Prince's famous late night jam sessions at Paisley Park in Minnesota. After her own concert, she grabbed a VIP seat as Prince took the stage for his own 2:00 am show.

Prince met the stunning Carmen Electra when she was just 18 around 1990. They dated for a while and Prince produced a rap album for her. It was Prince who decided she should change her name to Carmen. She recalled how it happened to Oprah.

CARMEN ELECTRA, DATED PRINCE: The name of the song was "Carmen on Top." My name's Tara so I was confused. I loved the song. I love it.

But he said, "No, you're not Tara. You're not Tara. You're Carmen."

KAYE (voice-over): Prince's first wife, Mayte, called him her first crush.

MAYTE GARCIA, PRINCE'S EX-WIFE: I got married when I was 22. I can't really pinpoint a time when it became romantic. I think it evolved, you know, through --

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GARCIA: -- the heavens. I don't know.

KAYE (voice-over): As she tells it, they first met when he asked her backstage at one of his concerts. She was 16. She eventually joined his band and the two started seriously dating. They married on Valentine's Day in 1996.

Mayte Garcia was her full name. Prince was smitten, so it's no surprise she inspired many of his songs including "The Most Beautiful Girl in the World."

But the marriage wasn't meant to be. The couple lost two children; one son lived for only a week. The other was a miscarriage. Mayte told reporters it was hard to move forward as a couple after that. They split in 1998 and divorced in 2000.

Prince tried marriage again in 2001 when he married Manuela Testolini. "People" magazine reported the two met while working for his charitable foundation. He was 43. She was just 24.

When they tied the knot, the magazine reported his new wife actually took his last name, Nelson, which the singer never used. This marriage reportedly lasted five years, after which she filed for an amicable divorce -- Randi Kaye, CNN, New York.

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HOWELL: Prince died at 57 years old.

Thank you for being with us. I'm George Howell at the CNN Center in Atlanta. I'll be back after the break with another hour of news from around the world. You're watching CNN, the world's news leader.

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