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Iraqis Withdraw from Green Zone, Postpone Protest, ISIS Twin Bombings; Surveillance Video of Attack on Syrian Hospital; Brussels Airport Departure Hall Reopens After Attacks; May Day Turns Violent in Paris; Some Latinos Support Trump on Immigration; Shift in Democratic Race; Interview with Hillary Clinton; No Evacuations after Volcano in Japan Erupts; U.S. Cruise Ship Makes Historic Voyage to Cuba; Leicester City Closer to Premier League Title. Aired 2-3a ET
Aired May 02, 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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[02:00:49] ROSEMARY CHURCH, CNN ANCHOR: Hello. Welcome to our viewers here in the United States and all around the world. I'm Rosemary Church. Thanks for joining us. This is CNN NEWSROOM.
ISIS is claiming responsibility for yet another mass bombing, this time in southern Iraq. At least 30 people were reportedly killed, and dozens wounded in two suicide bombings. The terror group says one attacker blew up his car at a gathering of Shiite Special Forces. The second car bomb detonated when security arrived.
The attacks come after intense protests near the Iraqi capital. Hundreds of demonstrators stormed the Green Zone in Baghdad over the weekend, demanding the top Iraqi leaders be dismissed. The protesters have left the area for now, but vow to return Friday.
Ben Wedeman has the details.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
BEN WEDEMAN, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Baghdad was on edge Sunday as the government and Prime Minister Abadi teeters on the brink of collapse. Thousands of protesters poured into the Green Zone, the fortified walled-in top-security Baghdad headquarters Saturday that is home to the Iraqi parliament, other government buildings and foreign embassies. They're protesting the failure of the Abadi government to live up to promises that it would crack down on corruption. Abadi has promised repeatedly to appoint a technocrat cabinet and take decisive action against corruption. But Iraqi lawmakers, who are the main beneficiaries of this system of patronage, have fought tooth and nail to try to prevent that from happening.
Images of protesters pulling down glass walls in the Green Zone and occupying parliament drive home the magnitude of what is happening in Baghdad today. Entry in the Green Zone, a forbidden city within Baghdad, was limited to the lucky few with special passes. In many ways, it symbolizes all that is wrong, or much that is wrong with Iraq today. While Baghdad suffers lengthy power cuts, the lights never go off in the Green Zone. Scattered between embassies, ministries and other government buildings are sprawling villas where politicians enjoy a life of luxury few outside the walls could even imagine.
This latest round of protests and entry of protesters into the very heart of government in Baghdad may signal that the system of government established by the United States in the aftermath of the 2003 fall of the regime of Saddam Hussein may be beginning to unravel.
Nearly 70 Sunni and Kurdish members of parliament fled late Saturday to northern Iraq after the protests. Adding to the uncertainty are twin suicide bombings in parts of southern Iraq, which are normally peaceful.
Political disarray in Baghdad could delay or possibly even derail the effort to drive ISIS out of Mosul, the second-largest city in Iraq, and efforts to crush the terror organization. As is so often the case, the best-laid plans in Iraq often go awry.
Ben Wedeman, CNN, Rome.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
CHURCH: Joining me now to talk more about the unrest in Iraq, is Feisal al Istrabadi, the former deputy permanent representative of Iraq to the U.N. and now a professor at Indiana University.
Thank you, sir, for being with us.
Now, ISIS is claiming responsibility for this double car bombing in Iraq. Where they say they targeted Shiite security forces. What was your initial reaction to this horrifying development?
FEISAL AL ISTRABADI, INDIANA UNIVERSITY PROFESSOR & FORMER DEPUTY PERMANENT REPRESENTATIVE OF IRAQ TO THE U.N.: Well, of course, the claim has to be believed, I think, taken at face value at least in the first instance. Unfortunately, they have been targeting -- this would actually be relatively unusual for them to target the security forces. Up until now, the principal targets have been so-called soft targets, civilian targets, shops, you know, markets, et cetera, even funerals and so on. I think clearly, they're gearing up. They know a battle is coming. They know that the situation is -- I don't want to say exactly unstable in Iraq, but not stable. And I think they are taking it as a target of opportunity. So hopefully, that will send a message to the political class that they need to take matters quite seriously now for the greater good of the country.
[02:05:43] CHURCH: And there is, of course, a lot of anger in Iraq over this and fear as well, given ISIS has penetrated the usually peaceful city of Samau (ph). What could this signal for Iraq's future and how should Iraq's leadership be responding to this?
AL ISTRABADI: Unfortunately, we have a political class which is not up to the job. It is, nonetheless, the elected class that we have. And we're unlikely to be able to go to new elections anytime soon. One would have hoped that before the events of the last 36 or 48 hours that political class would have risen to the challenge of governing a country, which is really in dire straits on a number of fronts. What we're going to have to do, I think, is to confront a number of issues simultaneously, ISIL, yes, but also a domestic agenda that includes failure to provide services and the failure to combat corruption, all of these things, and basic fundamental political reform, all of these things have now become a priority of the same degree they're all in crisis. We must deal with all these issues simultaneously.
CHURCH: And this is the problem after this twin bombing, of course. Meantime, in Baghdad, thousands of protesters rallying inside the Green Zone Sunday after storming that heavily fortified zone and Iraq's parliament. They want the government to approve reforms. They're vowing to continue their protests until the government responds. How is that all likely to play out do you think?
AL ISTRABADI: There's a significant problem here, and that is that everyone wants reforms, everyone mouths the language of reform, and we have done for months, and perhaps even years. Everyone now says we want a technocratic government. The basic point, however, is there is no agreement about what any of those terms mean. What does it mean to have a technocratic government? Is it enough to simply appoint technocratic ministers? What about the deputy? Will the parties still be able to appoint deputies? How about the deputy generals, workers in the field in the various ministries? These issues have not been resolved. We agree on the jargon, but there's no basic agreement on substance, and this is a real problem. These protesters are, in the first instance, sick and tired of the lack of basic services, which people in countries with far -- with a far less lofty history than Iraq take for granted every day.
CHURCH: We'll certainly be watching this story very closely here on CNN.
Feisal al Istrabadi, thank you so much for talking with us. We do appreciate it.
AL ISTRABADI: My pleasure to be with you, Rosemary.
CHURCH: Two police officers in Turkey are dead after a car bomb exploded near their headquarters. It happened early Sunday near the border with Syria. 22 people were wounded. No one has claimed responsibility for that bombing. Turkey has seen a series of attacks over the past year, mostly claimed by ISIS or Kurdish rebels.
U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry is in Geneva now to discuss the fragile Syrian cease-fire. He's already met with Jordan's foreign minister and he says he's in contact with Russian officials as well. The original cessation of hostilities has not gone as planned as of late, with renewed violence over the past few weeks.
One of the more shocking instances of the violence in Syria came on Wednesday, when an air strike hit a hospital in rebel-held Aleppo. Rights groups say it killed at least 50 people. Secretary Kerry says the Syrian government was responsible, a claim it denied on state-run media.
Channel 4 News obtained exclusive surveillance footage, showing the strike as it happened inside that hospital.
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[02:09:43] UNIDENTIFIED REPORTER, CHANNEL 4 NEWS: This is a silent film. But you begin to imagine the sounds. The CCTV cameras outside the hospital in the rain, and inside, are unflinching observers of what is about to unfold.
The clocks on the screen are an hour out. It is 9:38 on Wednesday evening and the hospital is shaken by an explosion nearby. Some people head downstairs expecting casualties to arrive. That turns out to be a deadly mistake. No one you can see here has any idea that this hospital is seconds away from becoming a target itself. The choice of where to go, left or right, up or down, seals their fate.
The man in green is a doctor leaving the intensive care unit. He's 36 years old and he's the last pediatrician in Aleppo. He's already done one day shift at another hospital, and is in the middle of the night shift in this one. He is single and his parents have fled to Turkey. He was looking forward to visiting them a few days later. We don't know exactly where he has now gone, but we do know his fate.
At 9:42:12, the hospital is hit. Same explosion, different camera. Minutes after the dust clears, the survivors emerge. The ghostly image of a nurse carrying a child or a baby from the maternity ward. Civilians milling around in a daze, taking on the tasks of the nurses, who have been killed or injured. The doctor is now dead and so are 50 others, nurses, patients, visitors.
As the smoke clears, the road outside emerges as a field of rubble.
Since then, two more hospitals have been hit and, yesterday, one of Aleppo's main medical storage facilities.
In this case, four CCTV cameras bear silent witness.
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CHURCH: The Brussels Airport departure hall has partially reopened to passengers nearly six weeks after the deadly terror attack.
As Erin McLaughlin reports, it's a symbol of recovery for the people of Belgium.
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ERIN MCLAUGHLIN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Over a month ago, this was the scene of chaos and devastation. After all, it was in this departure hall that three alleged terrorists with their luggage cards laden with explosives walked in. Now, the first two bombs detonated seconds apart. The third was detonated by authorities once the hall had been evacuated.
Authorities ever since that day have been furiously trying to get this airport back up and running. And today, a big step in that direction, this departure hall has been opened. There was an opening ceremony with dignitaries as well as airport staff.
As you see behind me, these are the first passengers to be checking in since the terrorist attacks, the symbol of recovery for this country.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We find that we are recovering and we are trying to do our best for us colleagues, as for the passengers to go back on track how we used to. It's a signal they cannot beat us, and they cannot just make us victims, it's a strong word, but we're strong and we're trying to fight back.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I feel sorry for all the people who were injured here. We just have to go on. This is the European Union, we travel, we do all the things you want to do.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It's strange to be here now.
MCLAUGHLIN: Why?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: A little bit afraid, I guess.
MCLAUGHLIN: Belgium remains under threat level 3, which means an attack is possible and likely. There is a heavy security presence, including military presence here at the airport. There's multiple layers of checks. In fact, passengers are screened before they can even check in, something that was not in place prior to march 22nd.
Now, this airport currently about 80 percent functional and that's because parts of the departure hall are still being repaired. It's expected to be fully operational mid-June.
Erin McLaughlin, CNN, Brussels Airport.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
CHURCH: May Day, or International Workers Day, was observed by demonstrators in many countries around the world Sunday. But in some places, rallies and protests flared into riots.
In the U.S. city of Seattle, police say protesters threw wooden poles, rocks and even Molotov cocktails at officers. Police responded by using crowd control grenades, called blast balls, which emit a pepper spray. Officials report five officers were injured and at least nine arrests were made.
May Day turned violent in Paris as well. Demonstrators clashed with police who responded with tear gas. The scuffles follow months of protests against new labor legislation, said to be debated in parliament this week.
CNN's Jim Bittermann has more now from Paris.
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[02:14:56]JIM BITTERMANN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: In what is almost becoming typical in these demonstrations now, the legitimate demonstration ended a few minutes ago, a lot of people dispersed, but now moving through the crowds are what the French call basically vandals, who have been throwing rocks at police, and police responding with tear gas. We've seen this a couple of times already this afternoon as the march went along, basically, being disruptive at several instances by the group.
The march itself is against a law that the government has proposed would reform the labor code in France. It's been watered down considerably by the government because it feared exactly this kind of outburst. But in fact, they are still going to present the law on Tuesday. And we expect these kinds of protests to continue around the law.
Jim Bittermann, CNN, Paris.
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CHURCH: Cuban-American relations take another step forward. Coming up, an historic voyage, a U.S. cruise ship sets sail for Havana.
Plus, Donald Trump's campaign rhetoric on immigration finds support some may find surprising.
And hear what Hillary Clinton has to say about Donald Trump's attacks against her. We're back with that and more in just a moment.
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[02:20:09] CHURCH: The next political battleground in the U.S. presidential race is Indiana. And a new poll shows Republican front runner, Donald Trump, 15 points ahead of Ted Cruz, leading into Tuesday's primary. It's especially bad news for Cruz, who was hoping the primary would keep Trump below the number of delegates needed to clinch that nomination.
The Democrats' battle is a lot closer. The polls show Hillary Clinton with only a narrow four-point lead over Bernie Sanders. That's within the poll's margin of error.
Trump has made immigration a major issue in his campaign, and he's used some harsh rhetoric doing it.
While this has angered some Latinos, Nick Valencia reports others support his position.
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DONALD TRUMP, (R), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE & CEO, TRUMP ORGANIZATION: We went under a fence and through a fence, and, oh, boy, it felt like I was crossing the border.
NICK VALENCIA, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): You've heard it before, the controversial comment by Donald Trump. TRUMP: They're bringing drugs, they're bringing crime, they're
rapists, and some, I assume, are good people.
VALENCIA: Remarks like this about Mexico that's inspired a new wave of Latino activism, both for and against the candidate.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes. Yes.
VALENCIA: At the Trump event in Wisconsin in March, we met Miguel Fihardo (ph), an adamant Trump supporter.
Who do you say to those, Miguel, who say I cannot believe he's supporting Donald Trump? What do you say to those people?
MIGUEL FIHARDO (ph), TRUMP SUPPORTER AND LATINO: All those people, they're illegal in the United States. They're called the illegal immigrants.
VALENCIA: Fihardo says he immigrated from Mexico to the U.S., quote, "The right way, legally." Now a U.S. citizen, he says Trump has empowered him, even to speak up and speak out against illegal immigration.
FIHARDO (ph): Yes, build the wall. I came in the right way. You have to come in the right way.
UNIDENTIFIED ACTIVIST: I can't believe the Latino people support Donald Trump. Because those peoples, they forgot where they come from, you know.
VALENCIA: For the Flores family, with Donald Trump surging in the polls, they say it is a battle of survival. While their four children were born in the U.S., parents, Jose and Maria entered the country illegally. Under a Trump presidency, they fear their family will be broken up.
(SHOUTING)
VALENCIA: Because of Trump, the Flores family and many others like them have stepped up their activism for undocumented immigrants. In an act of symbolism and pride, they say, at rallies, they wave both the Mexican and American flags.
UNIDENTIFIED ACTIVIST: I think everyone just wants to be proud of where they came from, but want to be a part of the United States.
(CHEERING)
TRUMP: The future president of the United States, Mr. Donald J. Trump
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VALENCIA: Should Trump actually become the next president, he will likely do so with the help of Latinos, something Mexican supporter Miguel Fihardo (ph) said won't be a problem.
FIHARDO (ph): He's the only one who can open the door and take out all the bad stuff for the White House.
VALENCIA: The Flores family couldn't disagree more.
UNIDENTIFIED ACTIVIST: I want to send my message to Donald Trump. My childrens make America great --
UNIDENTIFIED ACTIVIST: Not Donald Trump.
UNIDENTIFIED ACTIVIST: Not Donald Trump.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
CHURCH: That was Nick Valencia reporting there.
Well, Bernie Sanders is insisting the race on the Democratic side is not over yet.
But as senior Washington correspondent, Jeff Zeleny, reports, there is a shift in tide.
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JEFF ZELENY, SENIOR WASHINGTON CORRESPONDENT: Senator Bernie Sanders making the case today he's going to go forward, that he is gong to keep fighting for Indiana and then the states beyond this. He's making the case that this race is not yet over, that he wants his supporters to have their chance to have their voices heard.
Now, Senator Sanders concedes it's a tough road to climb, but not impossible road to climb. He's calling on super delegates in those states that he won, like New Hampshire, like Minnesota, like Washington State, to reconsider and support him. But even if they would do that, the math still remains so difficult.
But I asked Senator Sanders what he thought of Donald Trump's argument that some of Senator Sanders' own words against Hillary Clinton will now be part of the Trump campaign, and this is what he said.
SEN. BERNIE SANDERS, (I), VERMONT & DEMOCRATIC PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: That's nonsense. I'm glad to see he manages to get through to the media making that point. What is the campaign about? A campaign is supposed to be about not just political gossip, it's actually supposed to be about the points of view that the candidates have. Secretary Clinton and I have different points of view on a number of issues. And I have tried my hardest to run an issue-oriented campaign, explaining to the American people the differences that we have. Now, I may be old-fashioned, but that's kind of what I think democracy is supposed to be about.
ZELENY: So Senator Sanders not suggesting he will change his tone, but we've already seen a shift and change in the shift in this race. He will be campaigning on Monday in Indiana and he'll be in Kentucky, Tuesday. Clearly making a sign that he's going ahead. They question is what his tone will be when he's out there campaigning this week. And what the Clinton campaign will do in response to this. Clearly they want to turn the corner and start taking on Donald Trump or whoever that Republican nominee may be.
Jeff Zeleny, CNN, Washington.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
[02:25:35] CHURCH: U.S. President Barack Obama's eldest daughter is following in his footsteps, a little bit. Malia Obama will attend Harvard University after taking a gap year next year. She will be part of the class of 2021. Her father received his law degree, of course, from Harvard. Mr. Obama and his family will remain in Washington after his term is up so youngest daughter, Sasha, can finish high school there.
All right. We'll take another short break here. Still to come on CNN NEWSROOM this hour, the Democratic front runner in the U.S. presidential race has some harsh words for Donald Trump. You will hear Hillary Clinton's comments, plus her thoughts on rival Bernie Sanders' campaign. That's still to come.
Leicester City gets another shot at clinching the Premier League title Monday. But they won't be the ones playing. We'll explain later this hour. Stick around.
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CHURCH: A warm welcome back to all of you watching CNN NEWSROOM. I'm Rosemary Church.
Let's update you now on the main stories we've been watching this hour.
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[02:30:48] CHURCH: Sticking with the U.S. presidential race, Democratic front runner, Hillary Clinton, said she believes she will win her party's nomination. She sat down with CNN's Jake Tapper to talk policies, her 2008 presidential campaign, Bernie Sanders and Donald Trump.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
JAKE TAPPER, CNN ANCHOR, STATE OF THE UNION: Madam Secretary, thank you so much for doing this. Congratulations on Tuesday night.
HILLARY CLINTON, (D), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE & FORMER SECRETARY OF STATE: Thanks a lot, Jake. It was terrific.
(CROSSTALK)
TAPPER: Four for five.
CLINTON: We had a great campaign in all the states.
TAPPER: That night Donald Trump said he considers himself the presumptive nominee of his party. Do you consider yourself the presumptive nominee? CLINTON: No, I consider myself as someone on the path. Obviously,
I'm very far ahead in the popular vote and delegate count. So I think the path leads to the nomination but I'm going to keep competing in the elections that are up ahead of us.
TAPPER: Senator Sanders issued a statement that night that suggested he's not necessarily running to win anymore. He's running to advance progressive causes on the Democratic platform, specifically named $15 minimum wage at the national level, Medicare for all, breaking up the banks, changing our trade policy, and passing a tax on carbon. Are these issues where you think you could make a deal with Senator Sanders, find common ground and get those issues on the platform, should you be the nominee?
CLINTON: I certainly look forward to working with Senator Sanders in the lead-up to the convention, in the lead-up to the platform that will represent the Democratic Party. It will be a progressive platform. I've run on a progressive agenda. I really welcome his ideas and his supporters' passion and commitment. Because the most important thing for us is to win in November. There is no more important goal. And I was pleased when Senator Sanders said the other day he'll work tirelessly seven days a week to make sure Donald Trump is not president. And I really welcome that because that has to be our primary objective.
TAPPER: It's interesting, because of all the people in the world, there is probably no one who knows what Bernie Sanders is feeling more than you.
CLINTON: Right. Right.
TAPPER: Take us back to 2008, what you think Senator Sanders is going through, because it's like, oh, I came so close, but.
CLINTON: It's hard, Jake. You throw yourself into these campaigns body and soul. You work 24/7. Your family, your supporters, everybody is so invested in trying to win. And I'm very proud of my campaign, grateful that I have such strong support. But I absolutely understand that, you know, Senator Sanders has been a passionate advocate for positions that he cares deeply about. I think that's been helpful to the Democratic primary process. He's brought millions of people into the process, which I think is also very good for the Democratic Party. But there comes a time when you have to look at the reality. In fact, in '08, I was much closer in both popular vote and pledged delegates to Senator Obama than is the case right now. But eventually, I just decided that I had to withdraw and support Senator Obama, because the goal was to make sure we had a Democrat in the White House. I'm going to be very aggressive in reaching out to Senator Sanders' supporters, but we have so much more in common, and we have far more in common than they do with Donald Trump or any Republican.
TAPPER: You talked about Donald Trump's foreign policy. He gave a foreign policy address recently. I'm wondering if you had a chance to see it, or read about it, and what you thought. CLINTON: Well, I certainly read about it. And I think it's quite
concerning. His talk about, you know, pulling out of NATO, his talk about letting other countries have nuclear weapons, which runs counter to 70 years of bipartisan national security policy, the idea that he has a secret plan to get rid of ISIS that he's not going to tell anybody, I find it disturbing. I, as a Senator from New York for eight years, secretary of state for four years, I know that the stakes are high, that we face some real challenges and dangers in the world. I don't think loose talks about loose nukes, I don't think turning our backs on our strongest allies, I don't think saying you have some sort of secret plan is a very smart way to go forward in leading the world, which is what we must do.
[02:35:08] TAPPER: On some issues it seems he's going to run to your left. One of them might be the use of military force and intervention, whether it's Libya or Iraq. What will your response be when he says Hillary Clinton is part of what gets us into these wars?
CLINTON: I'm always someone who uses military force as a last resort. It's not a first choice. As secretary of state, I talked a lot about smart power, about diplomacy, and development. So when you have somebody who says he's going to be tough, and he's going to get results, but doesn't tell you how he's going to do it, I think we'll have a lot to contrast with.
TAPPER: He also said that if you were a man, you would be at 5 percent in the polls. What did you think when you heard that?
CLINTON: I don't respond to his attacks on me. I think it's kind of silly. I was elected to the Senate twice from New York. I was someone who got more than 18 million votes the first time I ran. I now have two million more votes than Donald Trump has, more than 12 million votes to his 10 million. It doesn't really square with reality.
TAPPER: He's taken politics to a new place with his negative branding of people, whether it's saying Jeb Bush has low energy, or Lyin' Ted Cruz. For his supporters, it's really worked. He's lately taken to calling you "Corrupt Hillary" and he's had personal and pointed tweets. Have you learned anything from watching the way the Republicans dealt with him in the primaries that will inform how you will deal with such an unconventional candidate?
CLINTON: Well, you know, remember, I have a lot of experience dealing with men who sometimes get off the reservation in the way they behave and how they speak. I'm not going to deal with their temper tantrums on their bullying or efforts to try to provoke me. He can say whatever he wants to say about me, I could really care less. I'm going to stand up for what I think the American people need and want in the next president. That's why I've laid out very specific plans. There's nothing secret about what I want to do with the economy, with education, health care, foreign policy. I've laid it all out there. And he can't, or he won't, I can't tell which. We're going to talk about what we want to do for the country and he can continue on his insult-fest. But that's the choice he's making. TAPPER: He will also try to attack you for the trade deals that he's
attacked so many of his Republican rivals for. And he says he's going to try to redraw the map and compete in places like Pennsylvania and Michigan, appealing to white working class voters who feel like most favored nation status for China and NAFTA hurt them. What argument will you make to those white working class voters?
CLINTON: Well, look, I won Ohio. More votes than he got in Ohio. I won Pennsylvania. More votes than he got in Pennsylvania. I feel very good about where we are, because I have a positive agenda to create jobs. I've said, very clearly, I will not support any trade agreement that I don't think creates more good jobs with rising incomes. That's why I'm against the Trans-Pacific Partnership. That's why I voted against the only multi-lateral trade agreement that came before me when I was in the Senate. I think that he can say whatever he wants to say, and he will, of course, but I have a track record of really helping people and standing up against China.
TAPPER: Do you think the trade deals pushed forward in the '80s and '90s, ultimately, some of them hurt working class voters in this country?
CLINTON: There's no doubt about that. And they were mixed. They helped a lot of people and they hurt people. And one of our problems in our country is that we don't do enough for people who are hurt by trade deals. But just picture this. I was at an auto plant, a UAW local, oldest local in the country, outside of South Bend the other day. They are making Mercedes-Benz cars to export to China. They are making the only mobile vehicle for people with disabilities to export around the world. They make Humvees. They have a broad array of products. They produce there, with about 1,400 people, with 300 more in the supply chain. They are in the global market. But they're in it in a way that advantages America. That's what I'm looking for. We're only 5 percent of the population. We've got to trade with the other 95 percent. We just have to be smart and tough in the way we do it.
TAPPER: Do you think Donald Trump is qualified to be president?
CLINTON: Well, the voters will have to determine that. I'll lay out my qualifications.
TAPPER: 11 years, ago when you were at the wedding of Donald and Melania Trump --
(LAUGHTER)
-- did you ever picture that you would be in this situation, with him as the presumptive Republican nominee, and you, as likely the Democratic nominee, running against each other in what is likely to be a very brutal and tough campaign?
[02:40:15] CLINTON: Well, look back then, I didn't think I would run for president, so I can't speak to whatever was in his mind. But that's a good question. TAPPER: But it's safe to say that sitting there, watching the two get
married, it never crossed your mind, some day he and I are going to face each other?
CLINTON: Never crossed my mind. No, not at all. Never crossed my mind.
TAPPER: Madam Secretary, thank you. Congratulations again.
CLINTON: Thanks a lot, Jake.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
CHURCH: Hillary Clinton with Jake Tapper there.
Well, history in the making. Coming up, inside the cruise ship voyage that's helping to thaw relations between the U.S. and Cuba.
Plus, Leicester City is playing the waiting game right now as they look to see if the Premier League crown will finally be theirs. More on their run towards the title. That's still to come. Stay with us.
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CHURCH: A volcano overlooking the city of Kagoshima in Japan has erupted. Smoke and ash flew as high as 4,000 meters. Japan's meteorological agency issued a level 3 volcanic alert, warning people not to approach the mountain. No evacuations have been ordered.
And our Pedram Javaheri joins us now to talk more about this.
This is terrifying for people nearby, but the fact that no evacuations must be good, right?
(CROSSTALK)
[02:44:53] PEDRAM JAVAHERI, AMS METEOROLOGIST: Absolutely. It is a 3, so it is on the higher side of the severity of it. Japan is home to 10 percent of all of our planet's active volcanoes. Over 118 volcanoes on the island of Japan there. Incredible site, but they're used to it. They're just saying don't go close to it. Common sense.
We'll touch on what's happening in the United States. Month of May upon us. Feels like the middle of the summer across the northwestern U.S. Massive heat building across the northwestern U.S. If you're watching in Portland or Seattle, you felt the heat the last couple of weeks. The month of April, on average, 80 degree Fahrenheit days. You typically have zero of them. Four of them happened the past April. How about 70-degree days? Typically you see two of them. We had eight in the 30 days in April. So incredible warmth already in place. Month of May comes in on the warm side, 86 degrees. Sunny skies across Seattle. Notice it does want to cool off to right around average for this time of year. Next weekend we go right back up above average. Sunny skies approaching Mother's Day weekend. Pretty sunny weather across the northwest with warmth in place. Notice again, the initial trend will be a cooling one towards the next couple of days with warmth building across the intermountain west.
The big story in recent days across the southern U.S., tremendous rainfall. Thunderstorms abound. When you do the numbers and tabulate what's happening across the lone star state of Texas, almost 200 severe weather reports, eight of which were related to tornadoes. No multiple fatalities because of a deluge of rainfall across Palestine, Texas, across eastern Texas. Almost eight inches came down in a matter of several hours in this region. Thunderstorms blossoming into the afternoon hours for your Monday across the southern portion of the United States. It's something worth noting. Again, not unusual to see thunderstorms this time of year. What is unusual, almost 100 percent of capacity soil moisture. Any rainfall that comes down quickly, takes that groundwater supply, the water table goes up higher, soil water becoming surface flooding is what it translates to. That is precisely what's happened in this region of Texas where so much rainfall has come down, and the water cannot just stay within the soil. A couple of years ago, Rosemary we were standing up here talking about major drought in these parts of the United States. The opposite on the spectrum happening right now.
CHURCH: Sadly, this is a story we do talk about in various parts of the world.
JAVAHERI: Absolutely.
CHURCH: This constant problem of not enough rain, then too much.
JAVAHERI: Absolutely.
CHURCH: Pedram Javaheri, thank you so much. Appreciate it.
JAVAHERI: Thanks.
CHURCH: For the first time in almost 40 years, a U.S. cruise ship sets sail for Cuba. We'll take you inside the historic voyage. That's coming up next. Stay with us.
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[02:51:36] CHURCH: Welcome back, everyone. Relations between Cuba and the U.S. have taken another step forward. For the first time in almost 40 years, a U.S. Carnival Cruise ship with American tourists onboard set sail for Havana Sunday.
Patrick Oppmann has more.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
PATRICK OPPMANN, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): The first U.S. to Cuba cruise in nearly four decades is finally under way.
(MUSIC) OPPMANN: One more step towards greater ties between the U.S. and its Communist-run neighbor.
Some of the 700 passengers aboard Carnival's Fathom line say they feel like they're making history.
UNIDENTIFIED TOURIST: My grandmother went way back in the day before it ever closed. So just to be able to go there and meet the people and see the people, it will be meaningful.
(HORN)
OPPMANN: But it's been anything but smooth sailing for the week-long cruise that will make three stops in Cuba. Cuban-Americans protested at Carnival's Miami headquarters after the company said Cuban law prevented Carnival from accepting bookings from anyone born in Cuba. The island's government says the restrictions on Cubans traveling aboard boats were in place to prevent Cubans from making the often dangerous journey to the United States.
(on camera): Facing growing public outcry, Carnival said it would delay the cruises until everyone could travel to Cuba. That's when the Cuban government did something completely unexpected and reversed their decades-old policy.
(voice-over): Now, Cuban-born people who have passports issued by Cuba can travel to island on cruise ships. And the Cuban government has said it will soon ease restrictions on private boats, and not a moment too soon for Carnival.
ARNOLD DONALD, CEO, CARNIVAL CORPORATION: To be a part of being the first people to be able to sail from the U.S. to Cuba and back, including those who were born in Cuba, is a tremendous privilege and honor.
OPPMANN: The Cuban government reversing course happens rarely, even less so to satisfy U.S. business concerns. But apparently opening to U.S. cruise companies and the potential earnings it would bring was just too good an opportunity for Cuba to pass by.
Patrick Oppmann, CNN, Havana.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
CHURCH: Leicester City is closer to the Premier League title, after a 1-1 draw against Manchester United Sunday. Well, it's now in Tottenham's hands. If they lose or draw against Chelsea on Monday, they'll fall too far behind to catch up, giving the Foxes their first major championship in 132 years of play.
Our Christina McFarland spoke to some of their fans.
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CHRISTINA MCFARLAND, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Waiting for the winning goal that never came. The match ending 1-1 against Manchester United tonight. Remember, tomorrow, the weigh shifts to the Chelsea game. Tottenham needs to draw or lose to wrap up the title.
But that didn't bother the fans here. They were waiting with nervous and bated breath throughout the day. Very happy to see them through to a draw.
I have Terry alongside me.
Terry, how are you feeling after that nail-biting match?
UNIDENTIFIED FAN: Brilliant. It was great. We hope Chelsea wins. Tomorrow night, back here, celebration will be real. It will be electric. Really electric. You ought to get yourself down there tomorrow night in Leicester. Leicester is going to win the league.
[02:55:02] MCFARLAND: Can you explain to me how Leicester has been so successful this season? It's a question everyone's asking.
UNIDENTIFIED FAN: The question is -- they're brilliant. They love each other they told me. They're just unbelievable. And a great manager.
MCFARLAND: How do you feel about the prospects of playing champions league football next season? Having the likes of Barcelona coming to your club here in Leicester?
UNIDENTIFIED FAN: I can't imagine it. I can't imagine it. Come to Leicester, you know what I mean? I can't dream it. I can't. I can't dream it.
MCFARLAND: OK. Well, celebrations put on ice here for 24 hours to see if Leicester can still wrap up the title for the first time in their 132-year history.
What do you say, guys?
(SINGING)
MCFARLAND: Christina McFarland, CNN, Leicester City.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
CHURCH: We'll see what happens.
Thank you for watching CNN NEWSROOM. I'm Rosemary Church.
Remember, you can always follow me on Twitter. Love to hear from you.
More from the CNN NEWSROOM after this short break. Stick around.
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