Return to Transcripts main page

NEWS STREAM

White House Expected to Issue Updated Travel Ban; The Fight to Retake Western Mosul; South Sudan Says 100,000 In Danger of Starvation; British Parliament Debate Trump Visit. 8:00-9:00a ET

Aired February 21, 2017 - 08:00   ET

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

[08:00:01] KRISTIE LU STOUT, HOST: Welcome to News Stream.

Now, President Trump is expected to issue a new travel ban, but will the new executive order avoid the travel chaos caused by the last one?

Aid agencies warn that 100,000 people in South Sudan could die of starvation as famine is officially declared in the country.

And forced to work as a slave in Hong Kong. One man sought help from authorities, but he didn't get it.

The White House is working on what it calls a tighter travel ban. The new executive order is expected some time this week. And here's what we know,

the new ban targets travelers from those same seven Muslim majority countries, but now it will include a phase in period to avoid the kind of

chaos that we saw at airports the last time around, and it's being crafted to stand up in court.

Now, we will have more with CNN's Laura Jarrett a little bit later on the program.

Now, Donald Trump has named his new national security adviser, army lieutenant general H.R. McMaster is a combat veteran who is known to speak

his mind. Joe Johns has more.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: A man of tremendous talent and tremendous experience.

JOHNS (voice-over): President Donald Trump unveiling Lieutenant General H.R. McMaster as his new national security adviser.

TRUMP: He is highly respected by everybody in the military, and we're very honored to have him.

JOHNS: McMaster is a decorated Army soldier; a veteran of the first Gulf War, Iraq, and Afghanistan; and a widely respected military strategist.

MCMASTER: I'd just like to say what a privilege it is to be able to continue serving our nation.

JOHNS: Known as a creative thinker, McMaster is a West Point graduate and holds a Ph.D. in military history. The pick drawing praise from both sides

of the political spectrum. Senator John McCain, who's been among President Trump's toughest Republican critics, calling McMaster "an outstanding

choice, a man of genuine intellect, character and ability."

McMaster takes the helm of a National Security Council one week after Michael Flynn was forced to resign for misleading the vice president about

his communications with a Russian ambassador.

MIKE PENCE (R), VICE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: I was disappointed to learn that the -- the facts that had been conveyed to me by General Flynn

were inaccurate.

JOHNS: President Trump's first choice to replace Flynn, retired Vice Admiral Bob Harward, but he turned down the job, citing family reasons.

Sources tell CNN Harward was also concerned about being able to form his own team.

But as an active-duty officer, McMaster did not have the option of saying, "No thanks."

What remains to be seen is how independent-minded McMaster will work with Steve Bannon, the president's controversial chief strategist, who sits on

the National Security Council.

REINCE PRIEBUS, WHITE HOUSE CHIEF OF STAFF: The president has said very clearly that the new NSA director will have total and complete say over the

makeup of the NSC and all of the components of the NSC.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

LU STOUT: And that was CNN's Joe Johns reporting there.

Now, thousands of Americans opposed to President Trump's policies took to the streets on Monday using the President's Day holiday to stage not my

president's day rallies.

Demonstrators in cities across the U.S. came out to air their grievances, which range from immigration and climate change to reproductive rights.

Now one place where you won't hear about any of that protest: North Korea. The media there report few details of U.S. politics, but people do not who

President Trump is.

Now, in a rare trip inside Pyongyang. Will Ripley ask the locals what they think of the new White House.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

WILL RIPLEY, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Time off is precious in North Korea. Work and school is usually six days a week. Sports

are a popular pastime even in the freezing cold.

Regular North Koreans don't have Internet and can't make international calls. State media is their window to the outside world.

"We know President Trump by name," says this researcher. We also know of former President Obama. But we really don't care who is in power. We only

care if they stop their hostile policy toward my country."

"Hostile policy," two words repeated by everyone we meet. They're in the newspapers they read and on the handful of channels they watch.

"I think it would be a good idea for President Trump to meet with my supreme leader," says this computer engineer, "but he would have to put an

end to America's position still policy."

For the most part North Koreans are friendly, even when they learn I'm an American. Unlike other countries I visit, they don't share personal

opinions about President Trump.

(on camera): Even the media and the outside world focuses a lot on what President Trump tweets and what he says, the state media here reports very

little about his daily activities. People know his name but they don't focus on what he's doing. They focus on their lives here.

(voice-over): The message they receive is tightly controlled and so are we. We're only allowed to show you the good side of life in Pyongyang. Like

this free eye hospital North Korea says was built in seven months despite U.S.-led sanctions. We don't see the poverty and food insecurity described

by the United Nations and others. We see a hospital shop selling expensive designer frames and hear a strikingly similar message when it comes to the

United States.

Does it matter who is the president of the United States?

"It doesn't matter at all," says this housewife.

"We don't care who the U.S. president is," says this work team leader. "We have the leadership of Marshal Kim Jong-Un."

Even North Korea's children spend hours each week learning about their supreme leader. On the playground, constant reminders this is a militarized

nation. Children are taught they must be ready to fight they are under the imminent threat of invasion by the U.S. and its president.

For decades, a simple, effective message has helped keep order and control by keeping out the rest of the world.

Will Ripley, CNN, Pyongyang, North Korea.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

LU STOUT: Now, one week on, new information on the death of Kim Jong-nam, the half-brother of the North Korean leader. Now, he died in Malaysia.

Investigators have now ruled out at least one possibility for his death.

Now, let's go to Saima Mohsin in Kuala Lumpur.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

SAIMA MOHSIN, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Kristie, Kim Jong-nam did not die of a heart attack, that's according to Malaysia's director-general

of health, who held a press conference at the morgue where the body is being held for the autopsy. That was Tuesday.

Now, he also says that the cause of death is still pending.

Now, you'll remember that the South Korean intelligence committee at a national security briefing last week. Just a day after the death was

actually announced said that they believe this was murder with poison.

Well, the director-general of health was also asked about any poisonous substances being found in the body. He said they are still waiting for

tests to come back from the chemistry lab.

All of this, of course, crucial information to find out how he was killed. This is, of course, a murder investigation.

They're also waiting to release the body once the post-mortem examination is complete. They say they won't do that until a next of kin comes

forward, or they get a DNA sample.

Now, so far, according to Malaysia's director-general of health, no next of kin has come forward to identify the body. Add to that the diplomatic row

that's going on and in the midst of North Korean embassy officials speaking out, in particular the ambassador to Malaysia holding a dramatic press

conference where he said that the North Korean embassy identified the body as Kim Chol according to the passport he was carrying at the time.

Malaysia's deputy prime minister said that it was the North Korean embassy themselves that identified him as Kim Jong-nam, a growing diplomatic row

before the two previously amicable countries - Kristie.

LU STOUT: Saima Mohsin there.

Now, an Israeli soldier has been sentenced to 18 months in prison for killing a Palestinian. Elor Azaria was convicted of manslaughter for

shooting a wounded suspect in a knife attack as he lay on the ground, subdued.

This case has divided Israel with some pushing for Azaria to be pardoned along with prison time the judge ordered Azaria to be demoted from sergeant

to private and handed him 12 months probation.

Now, turning now to the battle against ISIS. Iraqi forces, backed by the U.S., have now taken control of a key village on the outskirts of western

Mosul.

Now, it's an elevated area that overlooks the Mosul airport. It has strategic value in the push to retake the airport. Now, nearby, officials

say they discovered this: a recently abandoned ISIS tunnel, and inside they found supplies, beds, coolers, and water tanks.

Now, this new push is expected to be the toughest fight yet against ISIS in Iraq. Now, the western side of Mosul is one of the terror group's last

strongholds in the country. And you can see the Tigris Rivers runs right through the city. The eastern half was retaken several weeks ago. Human

rights groups warn the use of heavy weapons in the densely populated old city will lead to high civilians casualties, and this is where the village

that forces were able to retake is located.

Now, the push is likely to come up from the south and the west, and the bridges connecting the eastern half of the city, they've been destroyed.

CNN's Ben Wedeman has more on the challenges the Iraqi troops are facing.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

BEN WEDEMAN, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: The push to take western Mosul has made rapid progress so far. In just 48 hours, Iraqi forces

managed to liberate more than a dozen villages and are now on the outskirts of their first major objective: Mosul's airport.

But this is really just the beginning of the fight. ISIS sees Mosul in June 2014 and since then has had plenty of time to prepare its defenses.

Iraqi forces have already uncovered a network of tunnels south of the city, and that's just a taste of things to come. They can also anticipate such

things as suicide car bombers, snipers, and other perils.

And of course it's going to be difficult for the Iraqi army's heavy armor to negotiate the narrow alleyways and passages in the old city of Mosul.

And as the offensive moves forward, there's also the ever present danger of ISIS sleeper cells in the east. We've already seen a series of bombings

there. In fact, the situation is so insecure that some people who had returned to their homes in the east have fled for a second time.

Concern is also mounting about the possibility of a mass exodus of civilians from the west. United Nations high commissioner for refugees is

predicting that there could be as many as 250,000 people fleeing the western part of the city. And they warn they don't have the facilities to

accommodate them.

I'm Ben Wedeman, CNN, reporting from Istanbul.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

LU STOUT: And turning now to the ceasefire in eastern Ukraine, the Organization for Secuirty and Cooperation in Europe reports that hundreds

of ceasefire violations have taken place since Monday. The group's chief monitor tells CNN the situation remains tense at the conflict line.

Now, both sides, Ukrainian troops and Russian-backed separatists, have heavy weapons and are positioned too close to one another. He says that

increases the possibility of further flare up.

Now, the sudden death of a well respected Russian diplomat has shocked the United Nations. Vitaly Churkin, Russia's ambassador to the UN, died after

suffering cardiac arrest. Now he is remembered for his intellect, his wit, and the pride he took in representing Russia's interests. And he passed

away just one day before his 65th birthday.

Although, he was often at odds with the U.S., UK, and France, he's being honored as a gracious colleague. The U.S. ambassador to the UN says they

did not always see things the same way, but he unquestionably advocated his country's positions with great skill.

Now, millions in South Sudan, they are right now facing a desperate situation. Aid groups are making an urgent call for help as war induced

famine threatens the lives of many. We'll have a report on that next.

Plus, a Pakistani man forced to work without pay and beaten up by his bosses. His fight against human trafficking in Hong Kong.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[08:15:35] LU STOUT: All right, coming to you live from Hong Kong. Welcome back. You're watching News Stream.

A 100,000 people in South Sudan are on the verge of starvation. And UN agencies warn almost 5 million people in the country need help now. Now,

South Sudan is reeling from what aid groups say is a man-made famine. They blame the crisis on years of civil war. More than a million children are

suffering from acute malnutrition, and the famine if fueling Africa's biggest refugee crisis.

And to make matters worse, aid groups say that they're running out of food supplies for those in need. Now, let's go straight to our Farai Sevenzo in

Nairobi for more on the crisis there. And Farai, war, a refugee crisis, economic woes, all of this has now led to famine. Just hour dire is the

situation there in South Sudan?

FARAI SEVENZO, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Kristie, it is a really dire situation. That is the apt word to use. You're talking about 5.5

million, which is 47 percent of the entire population of South Sudan. It's gotten so worse because of the fighting.

Now, the aid groups are not able to access those in their most dire need. Children and women are the most affected. The men, meantime, have not put

down their guns. The United Nations failed to impose an arms embargo on December 2016 and is the proliferation of arms where one in three has a

gun.

It is a dire situation, which badly needs the world's attention.

LU STOUT: Famine has been declared there. It needs the world's attention. South Sudan has also generated the world's - I'm sorry, Africa's biggest

refugee crisis. Are regional leaders in Africa stepping up to help out and to address the situation there?

SEVENZO: You know, South Sudan has become a problem that nobody quite knows how to solve. But in terms of Africa's response to the South Sudan

crisis, Uganda has definitely stepped up. They have accepted over 500,000 refugees just since July 2016. And they keep taking them on.

They have given them land. They have given them a place to live and they're giving them the right to work. But in the meantime, the African

Union, the global - the whole African contingent of presidents - really need to try harder to get the people in South Sudan to stop fighting,

because that is the essence of it. Everybody is calling it a man-made disaster and that is what it is, Kristie.

LU STOUT: And if there any way to deliver aid if the fighting continues? I mean, what can be done to help these people?

SEVENZO: At the moment, the air drops as you've just seen, are happening. We had here the World Food Program spokesperson just this morning saying

they have done so much already to try and reach these people.

And when they warn about famine, it means people are already dying. The numbers are going to get bigger unless something badly is done. 1.6

billion is what the United Nations needs to avert this crisis. And obviously it needs access to the areas that the humanitarians cannot reach.

And that can only be given by the government in Juba, South Sudan.

LU STOUT: And you know, and this is such a tragedy, because South Sudan was once a story of hope. You know, it gained independence from Sudan

2011. It is the world's youngest country. So, how did it descend into this catastrophe today?

SEVENZO: Kristie, 2011, everyone was excited as Africa's newest country. Before that, we had South Africa, and before that we had Namibia. And

South Sudan was the last country to be independent.

It descended into this because of sheer fighting between the leadership of South Sudan. President Salva Kiir and his deputy Riek Machar fell out.

One is a Dinka tribe, one is from the Nuer tribe. And it became ethnic, intrinsically ethnic in its content. And that is what has led to this.

The fighting has not stopped since 2013. They've had two years of relative peace and continually they keep on taking arms.

LU STOUT: Yeah, and the situation there is utterly, utterly heartbreaking. Farai Sevenzo, thank you so much for your reporting and help fixed the

world's attention on what is happening to the people of South Sudan today. Thank you so much and take care.

Now, here in Hong Kong, a Pakistani man who escaped four years of forced labor is now fighting to help other victims of human trafficking. He says

that he worked seven days a week without pay, suffering beating after beating.

And when he finally found his freedom, he faced another battle, a battle for justice.

Alexandra Field has his story in this installment of the CNN Freedom Project.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

[08:20:10] ALEXANDRA FIELD, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): This is what most of the world pictures when they think of this city.

It isn't his Hong Kong.

"It felt like being in a prison but I couldn't free myself because I wasn't allowed to," he says.

PATRICIA HO, HUMAN RIGHTS ATTORNEY: Trafficking is a very hidden issue.

FIELD: He didn't fall through the cracks in a system human rights attorney, Patricia Ho, argues. Here there is no system.

(on camera): It sounds strange when you say that.

HO: It is so shocking.

FIELD (voice-over): Hong Kong has no specific laws criminalizing forced labor or human trafficking.

HO: Even the Philippines, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Afghanistan, they have forced labor laws.

FIELD: She is fighting to change that.

"My bosses treated me worse than an animal. It was physical torture, mental torture. I would work 24 hours a day," he says.

We aren't showing his face because he lives in fear of retaliation.

He told a Hong Kong court he was brought here from Punjab with another Pakistani family with the promise of work and they kept his paperwork and

didn't pay him. He spent four years in this neighborhood forced to live, eat, work, and sleep in a cell phone store, where he says he was beaten and

abused, and then his boss sent back to Pakistan. He snuck back in by boat.

"Even after I came back to Hong Kong all I was asking for was my wages. I went to several government departments but no one would listen."

The judge concluded his claims were overlooked by the police, the immigration department, and the labor department while he says he faced

threats to his own life and his family.

HO: And throughout all of this, nobody has asked him or considered the fact that perhaps he was a victim of trafficking.

FIELD: The 150-page high court decision in his case is the first ruling that could change that.

"He was left floundering in a system in which concern for victims of human trafficking of forced labor is a rhetorical maneuver," the judge writes.

"This was clearly the fault of the system because of the lack of effective framework or set of measures to address human trafficking or forced labor."

(on camera): The Hong Kong government argues it doesn't need dedicated legislation because it says those offenses are covered under other laws but

they say they are working to combat the problem.

(voice-over): New programs established in the last year include a pilot program in the police force and immigration department to identify victims

along with enhanced screening for victims and improved cooperation between departments ensuring victims know their rights.

Ho hopes it will force the government to reconsider and write a law on trafficking.

HO: Look around the world, New York, London, they all acknowledge serious trafficking problems and that's when they start taking steps to tackle it.

FIELD: Steps this man risked everything to fight for.

Alexandra field, CNN, Hong Kong.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

LU STOUT: Now, a powerful story and a landmark case. Now, Alexandra Field is with us now. And Alex, this man, he risked so much by returning to Hong

Kong, sneaking back in. What does the judge's ruling mean for him now? And is this finally justice?

FIELD: Well, look, Kristie, he's really fighting for justice on a number of different fronts now. Practically speaking, this ruling means that the

government can have a chance to appeal. On the other side, his attorney, Patricia Ho, who you saw there, says she'll continue her fight as well.

She'll continue to pursue cases and bring them for judicial review if that will force the government to enact the kind of anti-trafficking legislation

that she and her clients are continuing to pursue.

For this man who you saw here, he tells us point blank that he came back to Hong Kong, because he really believed that he was owed the money that he

worked for. He didn't get all that money. At the same time, his former employer has never been charged with a crime. So, there's no justice on

that front for him.

But he was deeply moved by the words written in that ruling itself, the 150 pages. There are about 50 pages in that judge's ruling that document the

kind of suffering that he endured and that also lay out and endorse the fact that he went to authorities and wasn't given the assistance that he

needed and required. That felt like a measure of justice to him, and he hopes that it leads the way for others who are in similar situations to

come forward and to try and pursue the justice that they are looking for, Kristie.

LU STOUT: And how many others are like him in similar situations here in Hong Kong, forced into bonded labor? And what are the prospects for

justice for them?

FIELD: Look, the prospects have been frankly bleak, because you have got this case, which is a landmark case now, bringing forward this issue of

having dedicated anti-trafficking legislation, something that others like him have lived here for so long without.

The activists who are on the ground, who are doing the outreach, who are in communication with these people, estimate that there are about 29,000

people living in Hong Kong in conditions of forced labor or exploitation. The government says that there are only rare occurrences of human

trafficking and that there is a comprehensive set of administrative and legal measures that are designed to protect those people and help them when

needed.

But, Kristie, in the second part of this series, we do sit down with some people who say that they are in that kind of condition. They tell us what

they have done to pursue legal challenges, to mount legal cases. They talk about the limbo that they are then forced to live in. And they really tell

us that for them, even with these other laws in place, justice is a gamble.

[08:25:36] LU STOUT: You know, and Hong Kong may bill itself as a world class city, but Hong Kong has no anti-trafficking law. So, what options do

trafficked people have when it comes to seeking protection here?

FIELD: The activists that we are speaking to, and the attorneys who you see in this piece, say that it is essential to have a dedicated anti-

trafficking law, that the government's response that there are other laws, which cover conduct associated with human trafficking, isn't enough,

because they believe that with a dedicated law there will be more education, there will be more efforts to try and stop trafficking itself

and to identify the victims of trafficking, that's sort of the front end of the problem.

But they also believe that there should be stricter penalties and more prosecution for traffickers themselves, which they believe could come from

a dedicated law. And they really hope that a legislative effort to combat trafficking in a more serious way would provide more assistance from the

government. It's these activists who say they are trying to help victims right now, but that they are not getting the support that they need to try

and protect victims who want to pursue legal claims against employers. They say they need more help sheltering these people and more help making

sure that these people have access to legal counsel, Kristie.

LU STOUT: Yeah, so in the meantime, here is hoping that this report and his story could lead to at least more awareness about the issue here in

Hong Kong. Alexandra Field reporting for us. Thank you so much and take care, Alex.

Now, CNN is teaming up with young people around the globe for a day of action against modern-day slavery. My Freedom Day is on March 14. And

driving the day is a simple question: what does freedom mean to you?

Send us your answer via text, photo or video across social media using the #myfreedomday hashtag.

Now, President Trump's new travel ban is nearly ready. And we will tell you about the changes the White House hopes will mean a smoother rollout

this time around.

Plus, U.S. lawmakers are getting an ear full from their constituents back home. The fury that is erupting at Republican town halls.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(HEADLINES)

[08:31:12] LU STOUT: And joining me now with more, CNN's Laura Jarrett in Washington. And Laura, I understand two big moves are expected on

immigration this week. So, lay it out for us.

LAURA JARRETT, CNN CORRESPONDENT: That's right. So, on the one hand we're seeing some guidance from our Department of Homeland Security on how to

implement President Trump's executive orders on immigration and border security. But we're also seeing a revised, or tweaked new travel ban.

And that's supposed to come later this week, is what we're hearing.

And as you said, some of the things will be different. Some things will be the same. The same seven Muslim majority countries that we think are going

to be included. But green card holders this time will be specifically exempted, or protected - at least, that's according to the Secretary of

Homeland security.

We can also expect to see some sort of protections, or phase in, if you will. Secretary Kelly said over the weekend, look, understand last time

around it was a bit of chaos in the airports, so this time if somebody is in the air when the executive order, the new one, comes down. They'll be

able to come in to the country, but for someone who is still at the airport or back home, there are questions about what will happen to them.

LU STOUT: The key difference is in this do-over of the Trump travel ban, the next order that's going to come out. I just want to confirm this point

with you, because this affects so many of our viewers around the world, at this moment is it safe to say that legal permanent residents, or green card

holders, will be exempt in the new revised travel ban?

JARRETT: based on everything that we're hearing, that's correct. As you remember, you know, a couple of weeks ago we saw some guidance issued from

the White House counsel saying that was supposed to be the case all along, even though we saw some initial confusion. So, in the new order, we expect

to see that formalized, so that green card holders, or legal permanent residents in the U.S. will not be affected by the travel ban.

LU SOTUT: And that will be relief for many, many, many families. Laura Jarrett reporting for us live. Thank you so much and take care.

Now, the travel ban, as well as the push to repeal Obamacare that's been fueling protests across the U.S. Now Republican lawmakers, they've also

been fueling the anger at town hall meetings in their home districts.

Kyung Lah has more.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

KYUNG LAH, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Welcome home, Congressman Scott Taylor, to your district's town hall.

EZRA LEVIN, INDIVISIBLE GUIDE: Would you support the creation of a House Select Committee investigating Russian interference in our election?

REP. SCOTT TAYLOR (R), VIRGINIA: Yes (ph).

LAH: From jeers to clear disapproval, part of a growing tide of grassroots rage against their representatives. The White House is noticing.

DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: They fill up our rallies with people that you wonder how they get there.

SEAN SPICER, WHITE HOUSE PRESS SECRETARY: This has become paid, AstroTurf- type movement.

LAH: Are you making any money on this?

LEVIN: Making any money? No. I mean, no, this is not a money-making venture.

LAH: Meet the team responsible for the movement dubbed "Indivisible" -- three former Democratic congressional staffers.

LEAH GREENBERG, INDIVISIBLE GUIDE: We had seen a very powerful local activist movement, the Tea Party, emerge and so we knew exactly how

powerful local action could be because it had been used against us very effectively.

LAH: Days after the election based loosely on Tea Party tactics, they sketched out an online guide for progressives of how to stop Trump's

agenda.

LEVIN: When we put it out, we had hoped that, I think, our parents would like it on Facebook.

LAH: It became a viral sensation. The "Indivisible Guide" now viewed 15 million times, downloaded by 1.7 million. The authors have now filed with

the IRS as a non-profit. There's one full-time employee, Ezra Levin, who still hasn't been paid. Three weeks ago they put up a donation tab on their

website. Only small donations so far, they say. Their movement growing, based on a simple idea.

[08:35:06] LEVIN: "No" is a complete sentence. That's that a smart move because it keeps your coalition together and it allows you to have the

greatest impact possible.

TAYLOR: But...

LAH: The congressman forged to a loud town hall but it was outside that got confrontational-- the crowd that couldn't get into the packed auditorium.

Two political sides separated by police.

CROWD: Build that wall. Build that wall.

LAH: One taken away in handcuffs but no injuries. The new congressman just a month into his new job says Congress should continue to face voters.

TAYLOR: There's legitimate safety concerns. At the same time, I think it's important that we get out and talk to our people.

LAH: However intimidating it may seem.

Kyung Lah, CNN, Virginia Beach, Virginia.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

LU STOUT: Now, opposition against Mr. Trump is flaring across the Atlantic as well. Some lawmakers in the UK are making no secret of their distaste

for the new U.S. President and using some rather lively language.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

LU STOUT: Welcome back.

Now, in the UK a couple plan to take their legal battle for a civil partnership to the supreme court. They've been barred from entering into a

civil partnership because they're not same-sex. Now, the couple lost a challenge in the British court of appeals. They say not allowing

heterosexual couples to form civil partnerships violates the equality act. The British government says it needs more time to decide what to do with

civil partnerships following the legalization of same-sex marriage four years ago.

Now, in the UK, the House of Lords resumes debate on the Brexit bill. The prime minister has said she wants to trigger Article 50 by the end of next

month, and that kickstarts official talks on Britain leaving the EU. House of Commons has already given a green light, and the House of Lords has made

it clear it is unlikely to say no. Still, lawmakers are asking for more information.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

LORD MANDELSON, BRITISH LABOUR PARTY: I believe, and I hope that noble lords will agree, that we cannot simply consign Britain's economic future

to this headlong rush towards Brexit at any cost. We have a responsibility not to next year's growth figures or inflation figures, but to the

prosperity of our country for decades to come.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

LU STOUT: And British lawmakers have something else to debate: U.S. President Donald Trump. Opposition lawmakers and hundreds of thousands of

UK citizens are not happy. Mr. Trump will be paying a state visit. And as Jeanne Moos reports, they're making their feelings clear with some colorful

language.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JEANNE MOOS, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): President Trump doesn't just get people stirred up at home.

UNIDENTIFIED BRITISH PARLIAMENT MEMBER: Sit down. Sit down.

MOOS: Look what happened in the British parliament.

UNIDENTIFIED BRITISH PARLIAMENT MEMBER: Let's have some fake outrage here. I'm standing here as a woman being shouted down by women.

MOOS: All because Britain's prime minister invited President Donald Trump to --

THERESA MAY, BRITISH PRIME MINISTER: A state visit to the United Kingdom later this year.

MOOS: Over 1.8 million U.K. residents signed a petition that he could come visit but he should not get an official state visit because it would cause

embarrassment to Her Majesty, the queen.

Opposition members of parliament lobbed insults at President Trump.

[08:40:12] PAUL FLYNN, PARLIAMENT MEMBER, LABOUR PARTY: Like a petulant child. The intellectual capacity of the president is protozoan.

MOOS: Protozoan? Like a single-celled microscopic animal?

UF: Can you lay out the red carpet for someone who has talked about grabbing women by the (EXPLETIVE DELETED).

MOOS: Members of parliament went there.

DAVID LAMMY, PARLIAMENT MEMBER, LABOUR PARTY: I think about a man who thinks it is OK to go and grab (EXPLETIVE DELETED).

CAROL MONAGHAN, PARLIAMENT MEMBER, SCOTTISH NATIONAL PARTY: I became concerns when I heard I grabbed them by the (EXPLETIVE DELETED).

MOOS: The Scottish lilt helped.

EDWARD LEIGH, PARLIAMENT MEMBER, CONSERVATIVE PARTY: Which one of us has not made some ridiculous sexual comment at some time in our past.

MOOS: The queen, probably. She would be President Trump's official host, as she was for President Obama that time he absolutely toasted --

BARACK OBAMA, FORMER PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: To the queen.

MOOS: -- right through Britain's national anthem.

Outside parliament, protesters rallied. God save the queen from Donald Trump.

The president was portrayed as King Kong, clutching the monarch, as he scaled Big Ben.

(SHOUTING)

UNIDENTIFIED BRITISH PARLIAMENT MEMBER: I think the nos have it. In the end the government made clear.

MOOS: In the end, the government made clear --

UNIDENTIFIED BRITISH PARLIAMENT MEMBER: The visit should happen. The visit will happen.

MOOS: But god save the queen from this debate.

UNIDENTIFIED BRITISH PARLIAMENT MEMBER: Pimping out the queen for the Donald Trump.

MOOS: Jeanne Moos, CNN --

UNIDENTIFIED BRITISH PARLIAMENT MEMBER: Mr. Walker, I don't think it's in order to refer to pimping out our sovereign.

MOOS: -- New York.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

LU STOUT: And protozoan, that's a good one.

And that is News Stream. I'm Kristie Lu Stout. But don't go anywhere, World Sport with Amanda Davies is next.

END