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Presidential Race Crunch Time; President; Melania Trump Tackles Cyberbullying In Rare Speech; How The World Views The U.S. Election; S. Korean President Apologizes For Scandal; Urban Warfare In Mosul; British Court Puts Brakes on Brexit Ruling Theresa May Needs Parliament's Approval to Begin Exit; California Considers Legalizing Recreational Marijuana; Dating World Strangely Influenced by Donald Trump. Aired 1-2a ET

Aired November 04, 2016 - 01:00   ET

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


[01:00:00] JOHN VAUSE, CNN ANCHOR: You're watching CNN NEWSROOM live from Los Angeles.

Ahead this hour, when they go low, everyone goes low. Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton trading insults in the final stretch of the election campaign Fighting ISIS street by street. Iraqi troops are in Mosul and now the urban warfare begins. And tear up the Brexit timetable. The U.K. court deals a huge blow to the British Government.

Hello, everybody. Thanks for staying with us. I'm John Vause. NEWSROOM L.A. starts now.

It's a full-court press by the U.S. presidential candidates and their campaign surrogates with just days until Election Day. Now, the race is tight and CNN's average of national polls, Hillary Clinton is edging Donald Trump by just four points. Meantime, both are making their last-minute pitches to rally their

base and win over any undecided voters, if there are any. More than 30 million ballots have been cast in 38 states in early voting.

Trump is keeping his cool, refusing to take Clinton's bait, even telling supporters he's trying to stay on message. CNN's Jim Acosta is embedded with the Trump campaign.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JIM ACOSTA, CNN SENIOR WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: It's the election surprise nobody saw coming, Donald Trump sticking to the script.

DONALD TRUMP, REPUBLICAN PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: Good job by the FBI.

ACOSTA: Gaining in some key battleground polls across the country, the GOP nominee is showing an un-Trump-like message discipline, consistently hammering Hillary Clinton's e-mail mess, as well as revelations about her campaign manager, John Podesta unearthed by WikiLeaks.

DONALD TRUMP, REPUBLICAN PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: He must be a bad guy. I don't know. But to say the things he said about her, she should look at him and say, "Podesta, you're fired!" But she can't do that, she probably needs him as a witness in the criminal case.

ACOSTA: He's even offering a restrained response to President Obama, who's pounding Trump every chance he gets.

DONALD TRUMP, REPUBLICAN PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: Now, why isn't he back in the office, sometimes referred to as the Oval Office? Why isn't he back in the White House bringing our jobs back, and helping our veterans? Right? Why? Why isn't he back working?

ACOSTA: Trump said out loud what his advisers are begging him to do privately. He wants to win? He has to behave himself.

DONALD TRUMP, REPUBLICAN PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: We got to be nice and cool, nice and cool. Right? Stay on point, Donald. Stay on point. No side tracks, Donald. Nice and easy. Nice. Because I've been watching Hillary the last few days she's totally unhinged. We don't want any of that.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE (voice-over): Donald Trump will turn Washington up- side-down day one.

ACOSTA: The Trump campaign is staying on point in the ad wars. Buying expensive spots during the World Series and unveiling the stinging new attack on Clinton's ties to disgrace Ex-Congressman Anthony Weiner, whose alleged sexting to a 15-year-old girl sparked the latest FBI inquiry.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE (voice-over): Hillary Clinton is under FBI investigation again. After her e-mails were found on pervert, Anthony Weiner's laptop, think about that.

ACOSTA: But Trump still has major vulnerabilities to overcome, especially among female voters who remain outraged over his history of crude comments about women. Trump's answer to that, he'll keep women safe.

DONALD TRUMP, REPUBLICAN PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: You know they say, well, what will you do for women?

I say to start off with, we're going to keep our country safe, is that a good? Is that a good starter? I think we are going to do tremendously with women.

IVANKA TRUMP, REPUBLICAN PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE DAUGHTER: It's a not a woman's problem. It's a family problem.

ACOSTA: After that, the campaign dispatched daughter, Ivanka, to New Hampshire, and Trumps media-shy wife, Melania to Pennsylvania to soften the candidate's image.

MELANIA TRUMP, REPUBLICAN PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE WIFE: We need to teach our youth American values, kindness, honesty, respect, compassion, charity, understanding, cooperation. ACOSTA: But not all of Trump's surrogates appear fully on board.

Consider Trump's old foe, Ted Cruz who campaigned with the party's vice presidential candidate, Mike Pence in Iowa, but neglected to mention the man at the top of the ticket.

TED CRUZ, UNITED STATES SENATOR OF TEXAS: He is someone who today I call my friend, and I very much look forward to calling him "Mr. Vice President."

ACOSTA: And oversight, Cruz quickly corrected.

CRUZ: I recognize some of you guys wanting to write stories suggesting divisions among republicans. I'll make a point, I'm getting ready to get on a gigantic airplane that has Donald Trump's name painted on the side of it.

On Monday of this week, I voted for Donald Trump.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

[01:05:04] ACOSTA: And Trump stayed on message, once again, at this rally here in North Carolina, where he focused on military issues. He was joined on stage by Medal of Honor recipients who he called brave. Then described himself, as financially brave.

Jim Acosta, CNN, Selma, North Carolina.

VAUSE: Joining me now, Eric Bauman, the Vice Chairman of the California Democratic Party; also, CNN political commentator, Lanhee Chen in Mountain View, California. Lanhee worked on Mitt Romney's campaign in 2012, the republican nominee.

OK. Eric, first to you, we're seeing a very different Donald Trump right now. Even joking about himself, stay on message, stay calm. And he is very much more focused than we have seen. And, you know, it does seem like he is getting it together in the final days of this campaign.

ERIC BAUMAN, CALIFORNIA DEMOCRATIC PARTY VICE CHAIRMAN: We have a wonderful pharmaceutical business in America and clearly they found the sedatives to calm him down. I mean, clearly this is not Donald Trump we watched for 17 months as Donald Trump has raged across America, has been totally unhinged, has been totally out of control, and suddenly in the last five days of the campaign, when he knows he's about to lose they've got him joking with himself. "OK, Donald, stay on message." This is really sad. This is not how a candidate for President of the United States acts.

VAUSE: Lanhee, do you think he can stay on message, if he can keep it together for the next couple of days?

LANHEE CHENG, CNN POLITICAL COMMENTATOR: You know, anything is possible for a few days, I suppose. I mean, I think the challenge here obviously is you've got it close to this campaign where it's pretty clear the momentum is behind Donald Trump, and perhaps that has fuelled him and enabled him to stay on message. But I do tend to agree that, you know, past is prologue.

And so, it's very difficult to keep someone cabined in that way for too long. So we'll see what happens. I mean, obviously, because he's been more on message these last few days, that in conjunction with the news about the FBI reopening its investigation to Hillary Clinton's e- mails, I think, has helped his campaign's number across the country.

VAUSE: OK. All the surrogates -

BAUMAN: But I want to say just one thing, though. But, you know, in all the conversation we're having about today's polling, we lose track of the fact that 30 million people have voted already.

VAUSE: We're going to get to that.

BAUMAN: And when you look at how they're voting, it will have a pretty decisive effect on the outcome.

VAUSE: And we will get to that. But right now, we -- all the surrogates were out in full force today. President Obama really appears to be enjoying himself out there on the campaign trail. Again today, mocking Donald Trump a lot. In this particular clip, you are about to see about Donald Trump having a feud with "Saturday Night Live."

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BARACK OBAMA, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Anybody who is upset about a "Saturday Night Live" skit, you don't want in charge of nuclear weapons.

No, I'm serious, this is a guy who, like, tweets, they should cancel "Saturday Night Live." I don't like how Alec Baldwin is imitating me.

Really? I mean, that's the thing that bothers you and you want to be president of the United States? Come on, man. Come on.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

VAUSE: So, Lanhee, at this point, it seems that the democrats have simply abandoned when they go low, we go high?

CHEN: Right. Well, I mean, again, the close to this campaign for Hillary Clinton and her surrogates clearly is to go negative because they've obviously calculated that for her to put a positive message out there is not going to get her across the finish line. That's why they're going negative.

What I will say about President Obama is that he is a very effective campaigner, he's always been a very effective campaigner, probably a better campaigner than president. And so, if you look at what his pitch is, his pitch is directed mostly at progressive voters. It's to make sure they get out to vote.

He talks about the benefits of Obamacare and same-sex marriage, and Dodd-Frank. These are not issues aimed at independents, these are issues aimed solely at making sure the progressive base, which has been lagging during this campaign cycle turns out to vote.

VAUSE: OK. Five days to go to Election Day and Donald Trump's wife, Melania, actually hit the campaign trail. Delivering a speech on what her role would be as First Lady and irony of irony she said that she will tackle bullying on social media.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MELANIA TRUMP, REPUBLICAN PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE WIFE: We have to find a better way to talk to each other, to disagree with each other, to respect each other. We must find better ways to honor and support the basic goodness of our children especially in social media.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

VAUSE: Eric, have at it.

BAUMAN: You know, there's no greater expert on cyberbullying than the woman who's married to Donald Trump. Because he is the greatest cyberbully in America. This guy - in his Twitter account, have insulted more people and especially more women than anybody in our nation and she lives with that.

[01:09:58] VAUSE: OK. You talked about the early voting because 30 million people have actually headed out to vote.

My question now, breaks down the numbers in two crucial states, North Carolina and Florida. So stick around after this.

MARK PRESTON, CNN POLITICS EXECUTIVE EDITOR: Five days to Election Day and 31 million people have already cast ballots in 38 states across the nation. But two states that I want to highlight right now, because they are specifically important in the race to the White House, is the state of Florida and North Carolina.

In Florida, 4.2 million people have already cast their ballots. But what party has an advantage at this point? Well, if you look at it right here, republicans do, which is small. It's by about 16,000 ballots returned.

But what's significant about that, is that if we go back to 2008 and we saw who was in the lead, it was democrats. They had a 73,000 ballot advantage at that time. Not necessarily good news for the democrats right now.

But let's go a little bit deeper into these numbers and look at race. You see right here, African-Americans account for about 12.3 percent of the electorate, Hispanics about 14.1 percent of the electorate in this election.

We go back to 2008, look at that drop off at the same point it time. It is about 3.2 percent right now of a dip in participation by African-American voters in the early vote. That is not good news for democrats. Great news for democrats, though, is look at this absolute increase

right here amongst Hispanic voters. If you are just to look at the raw vote right now, that's an increase of about 336,000 votes over 2008.

Let's move up to North Carolina today, another very important state in this election. A little more than two million people have already cast their ballots in the State of North Carolina. Who has the advantage?

Well, democrats have the advantage at this point. They have a lead of about 243,000 votes.

But not always great news, though. If you want to compare it back to 2012 where they were at the same point in time, the democrats had a 307,000 ballot advantage at this point. So, democrats have some work to do.

Let's go a little bit deeper now into the demographics of who's voting right now in North Carolina?

African-Americans account for 22.7 percent of the electorate at this point, Hispanics, 1.8 percent. You compare that to 2012, too, that is terrible news right now for democrats.

As you can see right now, we're looking at a 5.3 percent drop right now in participation from African-Americans in the vote right now in North Carolina, in the early vote. Hispanics comes up by about 0.6 percent. Not big but certainly every little bit will certainly count for democrats.

As we head now in these final closing days of the election, two states to absolutely keep an eye on, North Carolina, Florida.

VAUSE: OK, Eric. That surge in the Hispanic vote is that enough to make up for the drop-off in African-Americans?

BAUMAN: Well, one, I think African-Americans are going to come out. I think they're going to be energized. I think President Obama is going to help greatly in that regard.

Second of all, the surge in Latino voters is extraordinary, it tells us that many, many, many more Latinos are going to vote in crucial states all across the country.

And one thing to point out, despite those Florida numbers, when they polled early voters, Hillary Clinton had a 15-point lead.

VAUSE: OK. Lanhee, last words to you, how do you read the numbers?

CHEN: I think the democrats should be very concerned about those numbers, you know? There are a couple things, John, to keep in mind.

First of all, democrats traditionally always do well in the absentee and early voting. That was the case in 2012. It's been the case for the last several cycles. So, they need to be running ahead and well ahead.

If you look at North Carolina, if you looked at Mark's analysis, they were way ahead in 2012 and they still lost North Carolina.

The second issue with the Hispanic vote is what to see how that turns out. Remember in Florida, many Hispanics are Cubans. And the Cubans traditionally have supported the Republican Party. We'll see if that is the case this year as well.

VAUSE: OK. Five days to go. Five days to go.

Lanhee Chen and Eric Bauman, thanks so much for being with us. We appreciate it.

CHEN: Thank you.

VAUSE: Not just U.S. voters on edge over the outcome of this very bizarre and polarizing election. The entire world is watching. And while many countries seem to be anti-Trump, Hillary Clinton isn't too popular as well. Here's Clarissa Ward.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

CLARISSA WARD, CNN CORRESPONDENT: The rest of the world doesn't get to vote in next week's election, but it is watching the race with rapt attention. And it's easy to see why.

DONALD TRUMP, REPUBLICAN PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: We can't continue to allow China to rape our country.

HILLARY CLINTON, DEMOCRATIC PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: Well, that's because he would rather have a puppet as president if this (INAUDIBLE) state.

DONALD TRUMP, REPUBLICAN PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: No puppets, no -- we will build a wall. Mexico is going to pay for the wall.

WARD: The American election has global consequences.

DONALD TRUMP, REPUBLICAN PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: I'm really rich. (INAUDIBLE)

WARD: Donald Trump, initially seen as something of an amusement, is now in many countries a figure of fear and loathing.

In Mexico, Easter celebrants chose to burn effigies of him, rather than the traditional Judas.

While in Germany, activists took pleasure in tearing down their own Trump wall. The Foreign Minister called him a preacher of hate.

The French President didn't mince words either, saying Trump's excessiveness makes people want to retch or as one Canadian newspaper summarized it, we're terrified.

[01:15:02] But Clinton is not popular everywhere either. In Russia, which has been accused of hacking Democratic Party e-mails to influence the election, she has been denounced by one lawmaker as a cursed witch, while President Putin has publicly praised Trump.

And in Israel, Trump supporters are so confident of his popularity they have set up shop to get out the vote amongst expats. It seems everyone, no matter where they live has something to say about the U.S. election.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE (through translator): Hillary is more predictable and because of that, markets would react in a positive way. If Trump wins, Brazilian markets would certainly fall.

WARD: So, what's the bottom line? The world looks to America for leadership on everything from economic issues to the fight against ISIS.

And while Donald J. Trump may be good at grabbing international headlines, few overseas believe he can provide stability. Clarissa Ward, CNN, London.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

VAUSE: South Korea's leader, Park Geun-hye says she will cooperate with investigators in her corruption scandal which is engulfing her administration. The president's friend, Choi Soon-sil was arrested and charged Thursday, with abuse of power and attempted fraud for meddling in state affairs. Park apologized again for the scandal.

PARK GEUN-HYE, SOUTH KOREAN PRESIDENT (through translator): I thought I was improving the economy and the lives of the people. But in this process, a certain individual has committed corruption for personal gain. Everything is my fault and my mistake, and I feel huge responsibility for this.

VAUSE: Park is accused of allowing Choi to view confidential documents and presidential speeches despite not holding an official office.

Well, still to come here, for the first time in more than two years, Iraqi forces are inside Mosul fighting ISIS militants. One could complicate the battle. That's up next.

Also ahead, she was an ISIS prisoner in Mosul. She was raped and now has a son to one of the terrorists. How she survived this nightmare.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

PATRICK SNELL, CNN SPORTS ANCHOR: Hi there, I'm Patrick Snell with your CNN "WORLD SPORT" headlines.

Jose Mourinho's Manchester United in Europa League action on Thursday, versus Fenerbahce. United were able to beat the Turkish team two weeks ago in Manchester, but a different story for United on the road.

The home team jumping out to an early lead just two minutes into the match. Thanks to Moussa Sow's strike, a super goal. They would double their lead and hold on for a 2-1 victory.

Staying in Turkey, for the final stretch, the European Golf Tour's end of season finale, the highly lucrative race to Dubai, Rory McIlroy pulling out of the Turkish Airlines Open, this due to security concerns over ongoing unrest in the area.

So, it was all eyes on Masters' champ, Danny Willett. The Englishman needs to finish fifth or better, to reclaim top spot in the standings. But he has work to do here after opening up with 2 under 69. He's currently tied for 21st.

Willet playing catch up with George Coetzee, the South African who birdied three of his final four holes after shooting a 7 under par 64.

We can tell you there's a new kid on the Formula 1 block, who's just 18 years of age. The Canadian, Lance Stroll will debut with the Williams Team next season replacing the retiring Brazilian, Felipe Massa.

He'll be the first driver from Canada to compete in F1 since Jacques Villeneuve, seen as the current Formula 3 champion and he'll partner the Fin, Valtteri Bottas.

Thanks so much for joining us. That's a look at your "WORLD SPORTS" headlines, I'm Patrick Snell.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

VAUSE: Iraqi forces are now moving to liberate parts of Eastern Mosul from ISIS. An Iraqi Commander tells CNN, they have started clearing three neighborhoods. Our CNN team near Mosul can hear the clashes and has seen a large

number of Humvees moving into the city's east.

The Iraqi army finally entered the city on Thursday for the first time in more than two years. ISIS is now expected to put up more resistance in western districts, and shielded paramilitaries have cut off the main road between Mosul and the Syrian border.

Hundreds of civilians have fled the city but more than one million people are believed trapped inside Mosul.

CNN Military Analyst, Lieutenant Colonel Rick Francona joins us once again with more on this.

So, Colonel with the road now cut off to the west, is Mosul now completely surrounded or are there any escape routes left for ISIS leaders?

LIEUTENANT COLONEL RICK FRANCONA, CNN MILITARY ANALYST: No, they pretty much cut off the major roads, and this is something the Iraqis were going to the before they launched the major assault, but they were a little late getting out there. And we were seeing some supplies coming in from Syria, but now the Iraqis have effectively cut that off. ISIS is trapped in the city, and now it's up to the Iraqis to go into

the city and clean them out. And I think this is a kind of a success so far, John.

Look at these two divisions, you've got the Golden Division and the ninth armor division going in there. They're disciplined, they're doing what they're supposed to do, they're on schedule, they're meeting challenges and they're addressing them.

This is not the Iraqi army of two years ago. I think we've got reason to be really optimistic here, I think. It's going to take time but the Iraqis are going to this.

VAUSE: And that Golden Division in particular was trained up by the Americans. But we have a situation with the Iraqi forces inside Mosul; the Shiite militias are on the outskirts. Do you know or have you heard of any reports of abuses being carried out by the Shiite militias or are they being disciplined as well at this point?

FRANCONA: Well, you - there's a lot of anecdotal reporting coming out that we're seeing some Sunni retributions. People going in and wanting revenge, and these are like some of the - these are some of the Sunni militias that are accompanying the Iraqi forces.

But so far, the Shiites are out there to the west. The people in Tel Afar are very concerned of what the Shiites might do. But so far, we haven't seen any abuses out there.

So hopefully, the Iraqis will keep rein on what's going on there. And as you know, we've talked before, the big problem now comes what happens after ISIS is defeated? How do we address the future of Mosul? How do we address this humanitarian crisis that is unfolding in front of us?

VAUSE: And with that in mind, after Mosul is liberated, do you see a role for the U.S. military there, and at least trying to restore some kind of stability?

FRANCONA: I think the American role will be limited to what it was and has been as train and assist. And, unlike 2011 when we left the Iraqis to their own devices, and that led to the disintegration of Iraqi leadership, I think that we will keep some residual training force there to make sure the Iraqi forces have what they need and keep up this success that they're having. So far, so good.

VAUSE: So far, so good, but a long way to go. Colonel, thank you for being with us.

FRANCONA: Absolutely. Sure.

VAUSE: As hundreds of civilians flee Mosul, we are hearing about some of the atrocities they faced under ISIS control.

CNN's Senior International Correspondent, Arwa Damon has a story of a woman who was held as an ISIS prisoner. She was raped and now has a son of ISIS. (BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ARWA DAMON, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: For some, there will be no escape from the memory of ISIS's brutal rule.

Umm Al'aa does not want her identity revealed. She says her neighbors in Gogjali on the outskirts of Mosul were all ISIS supporters. But she and her family refused to pledge allegiance. ISIS fighters would regularly come to their home and threaten them.

UMM AL'AA, ISIS RAPE VICTIM (through translator): They came and beat my daughter. They tore off her head scarf. They ripped her clothes and they said, "Let's rape her."

But one of them, the top guy, the big one, he did not allow them to, and said we want the mother.

DAMON: A few days later, they got her.

UMM AL'AA (through translator): They took me from the market. They told me to get in the car and when I got in, I thought they would slaughter me. After they took me, they said you will be our slave.

DAMON: For a year and a half she lived like that, a prisoner.

UMM AL'AA (through translator): I lived with them like a dead person. But they had not killed me yet.

DAMON: She says one fighter raped her.

UMM AL'AA (through translator): I tried to fight. I cried a lot. There was a lot of pain. I was beaten a lot, but I could do nothing.

DAMON: Eventually, she was released. That moment she reunited with her children was like being reborn, she says, but she was pregnant with their half-brother, the offspring of rape by an ISIS fighter.

She named him Muhammad after her husband. He was killed on Tuesday amid the battles on Mosul's eastern outskirts.

UMM AL'AA (through translator): He left me a lot. My best memory of him was how much he loved me and respected me.

DAMON: That happiness but a fleeting memory. Still, her humanity endures.

UMM AL'AA (through translator): I'm not going to tell him who his father is, that his dad is ISIS. He's my son. He's not the son of ISIS.

DAMON: Arwa Damon, CNN, Gogjali, Iraq.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

VAUSE: A man arrested in Berlin may have been given the go-ahead by ISIS to carry out an attack in Germany. The 27-year old was arrested Wednesday, authorities say, he is

suspected of receiving instructions from an ISIS operative in Syria.

Officials say, the man had been living in Germany since last year. The country is on high alert after ISIS claimed to have inspired two attacks there over the summer.

VAUSE: Protests erupted in Kunduz, Afghanistan after dozens of civilians were killed in airstrikes in a military ground operation. Officials say at least 30 civilians and four Afghan soldiers died on Thursday.

U.S. says two American troops were also killed trying to clear a Taliban position.

The NATO-led mission twitted the U.S. conducted strikes to defend friendly forces. It also said claims of civilian casualties are being investigated.

VAUSE: Next here on NEWSROOM L.A. The U.K.'s departure from the E.U. hits a snag. What a court says the government must do now.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[01:31:01] VAUSE: Welcome back, everybody. You're watching CNN NEWSROOM, live from Los Angeles. I'm John Vause.

Let's check the headlines this hour.

(HEADLINES)

VAUSE: A British court has put the brakes on Brexit after ruling that Prime Minister Theresa May needs approval from parliament before formally starting the process of leaving the E.U.

Here's Diana Magnay reporting in from London.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

DIANA MAGNAY, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Brexit means Brexit has always been Theresa May's message. It has never been a question of if but when and how. The ruling that parliament must be consulted before May starts the process certainly goes against her government's plan. It may also test her promise that Article 50 of the Lisbon Treaty will be triggered by the end of March, the first step toward Brexit.

The legal challenge came from an investment manager. And a hairdresser led a crowd-funded campaign against the might of the British government.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: The result today is about all of us. It's not about me or my team. It's about our United Kingdom and all our futures. It's not about how anyone voted. Every one of us voted for the best country and the best future. This case was about process, not politics.

MAGNAY: The People's Challenge Group insisted it was not argue against Brexit.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I never challenged the result of the referendum. I voted for Brexit in the referendum for the sole reason I wanted power to be returned from Europe to the British parliament. But I did not think it was right for the government to bypass parliament and try to take away my legal rights without consulting parliament first.

MAGNAY: The government says it plans to appeal the high court ruling and will likely meet the people's challenge again next moth in the Supreme Court. If it doesn't overturn the judgment, parliament will have to be consulted before triggering Article 50. That process will involve several steps of debate and voting. The government will hope that ultimately a majority of M.P.s and lords respect the result of June's public vote.

UNIDENTIFIED BRITISH MEMBER OF PARLIAMENT: Mister Speaker, the government is disappointed by the court's judgment.

(SHOUTING)

UNIDENTIFIED BRITISH MEMBER OF PARLIAMENT: The country voted to leave in a referendum approved by an act of parliament. The government is determined to respect the result of the referendum. It is right that we consider it carefully before deciding how to proceed.

MAGNAY (on camera): Theresa May could face the daunting challenge of battling Brussels over trade while also battling parliamentarians at home. Some conservative M.P.s were renewing calls for an early election, something that Theresa May has always resisted. But if she can't get anything through the House without, she may think again.

Diane Magnay, CNN, London.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

[01:35:06] VAUSE: And this decision by Britain's high court will likely have implications not just on the timing of Brexit but the terms for Britain leaving the European Union.

The pound, which has tanked since the referendum, rose more than 1 percent after the high court's ruling, a sign that the markets at the very least are now expecting what is now a softer Brexit.

For more on this James Astill, of "The Economist," joins us now.

So, James, the Supreme Court is likely to hear the governments appeal next month is it likely to uphold the high court's decision?

JAMES ASTILL, WASHINGTON CORRESPONDENT, THE ECONOMIST: If the government argues the same case it failed to get approval for from the high court the Supreme Court is not going to smile on that argument. The high court's verdict on the government's case was dismissive. It was a humiliation for the government. I think if the government argues the same case that it has the right to invoke Article 50 to begin the process of Britain leaving the E.U. without parliament say so, then it will get the same result. VAUSE: OK, so let's assume that if this does go to parliament for a

vote the lawmakers are more likely to opt for a softer Brexit. How is that different from a hard Brexit?

ASTILL: Well, I mean, the critical difference is -- we think because all of this is a moveable feat -- that it involves staying part of the customs union and the single market. So Britain would still enjoy many of the same trade terms that it does currently and it would still be -- have to subscribe to a lot of E.U. regulation but it would have less control over how it is handed down as a full member.

VAUSE: It will leave many people who voted to leave quite unhappy.

ASTILL: Indeed. There is a growing sense from a hardcore maybe a minority of Brexiteers, especially in the Conservative Party, it would be better to go for the hardest Brexit possible to get out of all E.U. arrangements and to begin to negotiate Britain's trade terms afresh, actually. There is a belief that Britain has a prosperous future trading with countries and those countries are waiting for free trade agreements to be made with Britain. But it has been thus far unable to make because of its E.U. membership. It's an optimistic belief some of us believe within sort of hardcore Brexiteer lobby.

VAUSE: The governor of the Bank of England played down the impact of the court's decision. Listen to this.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MARK CARNEY, GOVERNOR, BANK OF ENGLAND: It is an example of the uncertainty that will characterize this process. As I said to the previous question, the negotiations themselves haven't even yet begun. There will be uncertainty and volatility around those negotiations as they proceed. And I would just view this as one of the symptoms or one example of that uncertainty.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

VAUSE: Would you say that is a massive understatement?

ASTILL: I think, yeah, he is clearly trying to write in more and more expectation of uncertainty and unpredictability into this process which is -- you know, taking Britain into virgin legal and constitutional terrain. No one has tried to leave the European Union before. The fact that the high court verdict today, you know, was on the most fundamental principle, whether parliament is sovereign to decide whether Britain can or should or under what circumstances leave the European Union. The most fundamental question, which was just settled by three judges, just shows how unpredictable and uncertain this process is.

VAUSE: And what you're talking about is the royal prerogative, the executive powers of the government, whether they can pull of Article 50 or whether they have to go to parliament. The court says you have to take it to parliament. What are the bigger legal implications here for Britain beyond Brexit? ASTILL: Well, the -- I think restoring the sovereignty of parliament

in this process is by far the biggest implication. It will affect not only how Theresa May's government deals with the next two or three months if it wants to stick to its timetable for leaving the European Union but how it manages that process of negotiating an exit from the European Union over the following two years. Parliament will have a far bigger role in this process than the government wanted. That's the big thing here. I think the post Brexit principle that has been established or re-established that parliament is sovereign over national law and this question, Britain's exit from the European Union is underpinned by national law. It's not a matter of foreign policy as the government tried to argue, in which case, rule prerogative would justify it taking whichever steps it choose to.

[01:40:39] VAUSE: James, we'll leave it there. Thank you so much for the insight. ASTILL: Pleasure.

VAUSE: Next here on NEWSROOM L.A., Californians won't just be voting for a president next week. The state could be the latest to legalize recreational marijuana.

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VAUSE: California may be the biggest battleground yet in the fight to legalize marijuana in the U.S. Voters will decide Tuesday if they'll join four other states where the recreational use of pot is legal. The arguments are familiar, those against, say marijuana is a gateway drug, and supporters argue it could be big business.

Here's Sara Sidner.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

SARA SIDNER, CNN CORRESPONDENT: John, there are five states in the U.S. considering legalizing marijuana for recreational use. California is the most populous and can be influential to the rest of the nation.

(voice-over): Clean and pristine like a fancy boutique, but at Harborside Health Center in Oakland, only licensed patients can buy the wares. The product is marijuana, from a whole plant to a plethora of tiny buds to this.

(on camera): From caramels to cookies to macaroons to little pieces of chocolate, there's no end to the number of ways you can take in cannabis.

(voice-over): California is the biggest battleground for the next wave of legalizing marijuana for adult recreational use.

While other states have done it, the decision here could be a game changer.

[01:45:09] DALE SKY JONES, EXECUTIVE CHANCELLOR, OAKSTERDAM UNIVERSITY: California is one-sixth of the U.S. economy. Whatever happens in California is going to affect the rest of the country.

SIDNER: Dale Sky Jones is the executive chancellor of Oaksterdam University in Oakland, America's first cannabis university. She points out California was the first to legalize cannabis for medical use and the first to put a proposition on the ballot for legal adult recreational use, but it failed.

Other states though followed suit, won, and big money followed. Colorado brought in more than $36 million in taxes and fees in the first 10 months of recreational marijuana sales there. Big business is paying attention, with the alcohol and tobacco industries trying to figure out if it's a threat to business or the next big opportunity for growth. In the past, the alcohol industry contributed money to the campaign against legalization.

JONES: I think there will be some people that perhaps choose a bud over a bud.

SIDNER: But the debate is fierce here.

ROGER MORGAN, CALMCA.ORG: I have two stepchildren aged 12 and 14 that got addicted to marijuana and meth.

SIDNER: Roger is part of CalmCA.org, a coalition that opposes legalization. He sees marijuana as a dangerous gateway drug that will create a bunch of stoners and cost society big time.

Tiffany Martin cherishes the cannabis plant for soothing her mother's pain when she had cancer.

TIFFANY MARTIN, MOTHER USES CANNABIS FOR CANCER: From my mother's experience and seeing it help other people made me feel this is the leaf of life.

SIDNER: But the arguments over whether it will do society more harm than good rages on.

MORGAN: I think if people really understand the truth about marijuana they will absolutely oppose it.

JONES: Many people that choose alcohol and choose tobacco and prescription drugs have a safer alternative that is nontoxic and can't kill them.

SIDNER (on camera): While the measure has detractors it has a lot of proponents as well including someone who is influential in this state and that's the lieutenant governor -- John?

(END VIDEOTAPE)

VAUSE: Sara, thank you.

We will take a short break. When we come back here, how some say the dating world has been strangely influenced by, yes, Donald Trump.

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[01:51:17] VAUSE: Welcome back, everybody. There appears to be a new trend in the dating scene. It's tied to the U.S. presidential race. Donald Trump is turning out to be a litmus test for singles. Some are using him as a way to filter out potential dates if they support Donald Trump. Maybe they won't go on that date.

Our next guest has opinions about all of this. Laurie Davis Edwards is an online dating coach and the founder of eFlirt.

Thanks for joining me, Laurie.

LAURIE DAVIS EDWARDS, ONLINE DATING COACH & FOUNDER, EFLIRT: Thanks for having me.

VAUSE: There used to be this gold rule that you go on a date and you don't talk sex, religion or politics. But something has changed.

DAVIS EDWARDS: The way we interact in our social lives with politics has changed. We are talking about it in social media and at brunch with our friends. So it's feeling more comfortable to have the discussions on the first date.

VAUSE: Is it really on people's sites?

DAVIS EDWARDS: It's like no Trump supporters please, it's a disclaimer for some people than people are putting it out there that they support.

VAUSE: What's the problem here as far as women -- I guess it's more of a woman issue when it comes to Donald Trump. Is it to do with the man or the position on women or the allegations of sexual misconduct?

DAVIS EDWARDS: The allegations of sexual misconduct and way he has been portrayed as, you know, as dealing with women.

(CROSSTALK)

DAVIS EDWARDS: And so, but I've seen it be an issue for women and men. I see it more with women for sure. But I think part of the issue is how you have these conversations on a date, right? It's like if you come --

(CROSSTALK)

VAUSE: let's have the conversation now.

DAVIS EDWARDS: OK.

VAUSE: So you're the Trump supporter. How you to do it?

DAVIS EDWARDS: If I were a Trump -- an anything supporter, I would not initiate the political conversation. You initiate. VAUSE: OK. HI, I'm a Trump supporter, want to get coffee?

DAVIS EDWARDS: What about Trump policies is so interesting to you?

(CROSSTALK)

VAUSE: He's not Hillary Clinton. How about that?

DAVIS EDWARDS: That's a lot of people's opinion. They are voting for who they are voting for to not vote for the other person.

What is important to know is that in relationships values matter so much and the traditional party values don't exist this year. Right? And so it's important to know that just because someone is supporting one candidate or the other doesn't mean their values are in line with that person.

VAUSE: Did this sort of happen at the beginning of the campaign or pick up --

(CROSSTALK)

DAVIS EDWARDS: It's getting more give.

VAUSE: After the "Access Hollywood" tape?

DAVIS EDWARDS: It was happening before "Access Hollywood." It happened after the first debate is when I saw it creep in the most and it's gotten more and more dramatic as we become more opinionated.

VAUSE: But there are women who clearly support Donald Trump. He does have high negatives with women. But it's the women who support Donald Trump are not the kind of women, the young women who are on dating sites looking to go out with people? Is it a different demographic?

DAVIS EDWARDS: It's happening on apps and sites and with people of all ages. Some of my clients are in their 50s and some are in their 20s and they are all dealing with this political issue. It's not just Trump. Sometimes it's Hillary, too.

(CROSSTALK)

VAUSE: It's -- this is firing up a lot of opinions.

DAVIS EDWARDS: Yeah.

VAUSE: There is -- this litmus test of being a Trump supporter, it's a red flag. What's it on par with?

DAVIS EDWARDS: I would say --

VAUSE: Living at home with mom?

DAVIS EDWARDS: Maybe like living at home.

(LAUGHTER) VAUSE: There is one dating website out there for Trump supporters, called Trumpsingles.com, making dating great again. How hard is it for a Trump supporter to get a date these days?

[01:55:12] DAVIS EDWARDS: It's easier on a site like that. You know this is not going to be an issue in a world where it has become such an issue. Even on an app like Bumble you can create photo filters that will tell who you are voting for. So people know that right up front and you don't have to say in your profile it's a deal breaker. You can see it.

VAUSE: Put it out there.

DAVIS EDWARDS: Yeah.

VAUSE: That Trump dating website has 12,000 members and is predominantly male. Do you know how their success is going?

DAVIS EDWARDS: I don't know much about the success there. There's always more men than female members. The men bring the women. But there's always more men on every platform.

VAUSE: Good to know. It's the litmus test. It's the new world we're living in.

DAVIS EDWARDS: Yeah.

VAUSE: Laurie, thanks very much.

DAVIS: Thank you.

VAUSE: Thanks for coming in.

You're watching CNN NEWSROOM, live from Los Angeles. I'm John Vause.

Stay with us. I'll be back with another hour of news right after this.

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[02:00:09] VAUSE: This is CNN NEWSROOM Los Angeles.