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Moscow Mourns Boris Nemtsov; Winter Weather Advisory for Millions; Venezuelan President Bans Top U.S. Officials; DHS Faces Another Funding Crisis; Nearly a Year Since MH370 Vanished

Aired March 01, 2015 - 15:00   ET

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

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

FREDERICKA WHITFIELD, CNN ANCHOR: Happening right now in the NEWSROOM, the signs read I will not be afraid. Thousands take to the streets of Moscow, mourning the death of Boris Nemtsov.

Plus the first glimpse of three teenagers believed to be on their way to join ISIS. New video shows the girls boarding a bus in Turkey.

And in about three hours, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu touches down in the U.S. With his trip mired in controversy, will his speech to Congress backfire?

You're live in the CNN NEWSROOM.

Hello again and thanks for joining me. I'm Fredericka Whitfield.

A massive rally in Moscow from murdered opposition leader, Boris Nemtsov, gunned down with insight of the Kremlin, Friday. Thousands of marchers went from the city center to the spot where Nemtsov was killed. This was a rally he was supposed to lead today and it came just days after he reportedly threaten to release information about Russia's involvement with rebel group in Eastern Ukraine.

And there is new surveillance video of the moment he was shot. In it, you can make out Nemtsov and his female companion walking before he goes down and then what appears to be the alleged gunman getting away in a vehicle.

And this is Nemtsov's companion who is now a key witness, a 23-year- old Ukrainian model.

Fred Pleitgen has more on the investigation from Moscow. So Fred, is this model friend being protected, is she cooperating with investigators giving everything that she knows?

FRED PLEITGEN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, certainly, the Russians are saying that she is being protected but she's not in the official witness protection program. So they do say that she is in a safe location. She's in an apartment that apparently belongs to one of Nemtsov's friends. There are apparently Russian security officials there. And one of the things that that lead investigator has said that they believe at this point, there is still so much information that they hope to get from her. But they do want to keep her there a little bit longer.

She's of course a Ukrainian citizen who would probably travel back to Ukraine if she got the chance to, if she were released to do that. However, they do say they so want to keep her there a little bit longer as a witness, of course, not as a suspect or anything, to try and get more information from her.

What they are saying is that at this point, she is the most important witness that they have because she has been able to information. She was obviously right next to Boris Nemtsov when this happened. She made the initial call to the police. And she also called one of Nemtsov's friend who was at the scene of the crime within 10 minutes.

Now the other thing that the police have done, and Fredericka, if we go back to that surveillance video is they have also questioned the driver of that snowplow that went past the two right as it appears those shots were fired. He apparently told investigators that he did not hear those shots being fired but then all of a sudden he saw someone laying on the pavement in his rear view mirror. Then, that this woman, the Ukrainian who was with him, came up to him, said that her friend has been shot and asked for a phone to be able to call the police.

So he was someone who was also being questioned. And that video itself, Fredricka, is obviously also a very important piece of evidence because it does dispel the original theory that the police had mainly that Nemtsov and his companion were walking along that bridge, a car stopped, fired at them and then sped off. It appears as though someone might have been hiding near or on that bridge then stalked Nemtsov, shot him and then jumped into the getaway car, Fredricka.

WHITFIELD: And so, are investigators feeling with more clarity based on the description you just gave, that this was a carefully plotted assassination with a vehicle following him, I guess to make sure that he was going the route where an alleged hit man was waiting, lying and waiting?

PLEITGEN: Yes, absolutely. I mean, they certainly say they believe that this was an operation that was carried out professionally. Vladimir Putin, the president, of course, came out shortly afterwards and said that he believed this was a contract killing.

One of the things that the police have said that they believed that the killer or killers must have known the exact route that these people taking. They must have been stalking these people up because before this happened, they were in a restaurant together, which is right on red square, it's called the Bosco restaurant. They went across red square, and they were followed and it appears as though that gunman was waiting on the bridge.

So someone must have known the exact route that they were going to take. And also that they were traveling on foot and not traveling by car. So certainly, it does seem as though the case gets becomes ever stronger that this was something that was carried out professionally, Fredricka. WHITFIELD: Right. But to have all that insight knowledge about the

means in which they were traveling and exactly what route that they will be traveling back to is very perplexing.

All right, thank you so much Fred Pleitgen. Give us more as you get it as this investigation pick up speed.

All right, last year Boris Nemtsov told CNN's Anthony Bourdain that he was concern about the very foundation of Russia's political system.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BORIS NEMTSOV, CRITIC OF VLADIMIR PUTIN: The problem is that general security problem for the Russian problem and the rest of the world is that we build very unstable and very unpredictable system. System when everything depends on one person is very unstable. Let's mention that for example (INAUDIBLE), what's happen to this country? Nuclear power, a member of the United Nations council of security, right? What's happened with this country without balance, without understanding for the next center? This is for real a very unstable and very unpredictable country.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WHITFIELD: And be sure to watch the rest of Anthony Bourdain's interview with Boris Nemtsov with footage you have never seen or heard before. Tonight, 7:30 eastern time right here on CNN.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is about two hours now from arriving in Washington for what has become his most controversial visit to the U.S. He 's flying into a political firestorm, over his speech to Congress Tuesday. He is expected to oppose a possible Iranian deal while White House negotiators are at the table. And it's becomes a partisan divide in Washington.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DANA BASH, CNN SENIOR CONGRESSIONAL CORRESPONDENT: When Netanyahu says he is come to speak, he says he speaks for all Jews. Does he speak for you?

SEN. DIANNE FEINSTEIN (D), CALIFORNIA: No, he doesn't speak for me on this. He doesn't at all speak for me.

BASH: Does that bother you when he says he speaks for all Jews?

FEINSTEIN: Yes, I think it's a rather arrogant statement. I think the Jewish community is like any other community, there are different points of view. So I think that arrogance does not by fit Israel candidly.

DOUG HEYE (R), FORMER RNC COMMUNICATIONS DIRECTOR: This has really been a fumble by the White House. The more they attack Benjamin Netanyahu, the more they attack his speech, and the fact that he is giving a speech, the more they amplify his message. And that's something that if you're the White House, you don't want to do. We already know that relations are strained with Israel as can be.

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WHITFIELD: Former RNC communications director Doug Heye and Senator Dianne Feinstein on "STATE OF THE UNION" this morning.

So more than 30 top Democrats including vice president Joe Biden plan to skip Netanyahu's speech. Senator Feinstein says she will attend even though she has concerns.

So, will this speech by Netanyahu potentially backfire on the prime minister?

Joining me from our London bureau, Fawaz Gerges, a professor of Middle Eastern politics at the London school of economics and political science. Good to see you.

So with so much, you know, going on in the Middle East, and so much instability, how does this sort of stress relationship between Netanyahu and Obama influence that region in any way?

FAWAZ GERGES, CNN LONDON BUREAU: Well, I mean the Iranians have made it very clear that Netanyahu's visit is not very helpful to bridging the divide between the international community on the one hand and Iran. If Netanyahu is really genuine about putting an end to the alleged nuclear threat by Iran, Netanyahu should really work very hard to assist the president of the United States and the American position in reaching an agreement, an agreement that puts an end to the nuclear question, the nuclear potential that Iran could develop a nuclear bomb.

So the fact is that this by itself tells you a great deal about what Netanyahu wants, Netanyahu wants a military strike against Iran. A military strike, a military campaign that could easily, that could easily implode the region more than it is today.

WHITFIELD: So how do you see Netanyahu's expected message particularly about increasing sanctions on Iran now as oppose to waiting? How might that undermine the president of the United States diplomatic approach with Iran, especially when the president says, you know, allow us a little bit more time to actually make some progress and this kind of speech only is a set back? Who wins that argument?

GERGES: You know, first of all, let's not lose sight of the big argument. The big argument here, Fredricka, is not Netanyahu, it is the Republican party that presented by its top leadership, inviting a foreign leader to make a case against the president of the United States of America.

The president of the United States of America and the U.S. government that's deeply engaged in a very serious talks with a foreign power in order to prevent the outbreak of conflict between the United States and that particular power. This is the question. And secondly, for you American viewers, when we talk about Iran, Iran

is under one of the most stringent sanctions regimes in history ever. This is particular sanction regimes is a product of Barack Obama's ability to convince the international community to basically exert more pressure on Iraq.

But the president's position, Barack Obama's position is the following, that he does not want to go to war against Iran and the only way to prevent the military campaign, a military confrontation between the United States and Iran is to reach an agreement.

You have new leadership in Iran, President Rouhani and hid foreign minister Zarif and this particular new leadership basically has made major inroads to convincing the Iranian leadership to basically compromise with the United States.

What Netanyahu is trying to do is to basically sabotage, undermine basically the progress that has been made between the United States and Iran. I'm not suggesting that a deal is in the offing. But a great deal has been done and basically both sides have made progress and who knows? They might reach an agreement, if not in the next few weeks, probably in the next few months.

WHITFIELD: All right, Fawaz Gerges, thank you so much from London. Appreciate your insight.

GERGES: Thank you.

WHITFIELD: All right, still to come, Venezuela's president bans former president George W. Bush and former vice president Dick Cheney from visiting? CNN's Rosa Flores is following the story for us.

ROSA FLORES, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Fred, social media has been lighting up on both sides as tensions continue to rise, and hear this, some U.S. officials going to twitter to fire back. I'll have that next.

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WHITFIELD: All right, Venezuelan finding a new way to ratchet up tensions with the U.S. The South American country is accusing several Americans of espionage. And now, Venezuelan president Nicolas Maduro is actually banning prominent U.S. officials from entering the country because of what Maduro said is their involvement in bombing Iraq, Syria and Vietnam and other terrorist actions. Among those the not being permitted to enter Venezuela, George W. Bush, Dick Cheney, Senator Bob Menendez and Congressman Mario Diaz-Balart.

Senator Bob Menendez responded to the ban with this tweet. I will continue to speak out against human rights abuses in Venezuela, even if I am banned from traveling there #sanctionedbyMaduro.

CNN's Rosa Flores is following the story for us.

So Rosa, the relations between Venezuela and the U.S. have been very tense in the past few and the (INAUDIBLE) yet another notch, doesn't it?

FLORES: I know. And one of the things that I find fascinating is that Venezuela is one of the top oil importers into the United States. So, if you think about it in the business and trade world, these two countries play in the sand box. But you wouldn't know it by watching this.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

FLORES (voice-over): Surrounded by a sea of revolutionary red in Caracas, Venezuelan president Nicolas Maduro turned up the heat on an already tense relationship with the United States.

NICOLAS MADURO, VENEZUELAN PRESIDENT: (SPEAKING FOREIGN LANGUAGE)

FLORES: Announcing on Saturday, the arrest of several Americans for engaging in alleged espionage, including a pilot of Latin-American origin flying an American plane and carrying what he called all kinds of documents.

Four missionaries from North Dakota were detained in Venezuela for two days and released Saturday according to U.S. officials. It's unclear if these are the Americans president Maduro was referring to.

Government supporters cheered when the Venezuelan president went on to list sanctions on the U.S., including visa requirements for Americans, a down sized U.S. embassy in Caracas and a travel ban on some American officials, including George W. Bush, Dick Cheney, Bob Menendez and Marco Rubio, calling them terrorists, in part for what he says are human rights violations by America in Iraq, Syria and Vietnam.

Florida representative Mario Diaz-Balart, one of many voices firing back on twitter, saying, I have always wanted to travel to a corrupt country that is not a free democracy and now Castro's lap dog won't let me.

All these coming weeks after President Maduro accused the U.S. of plotting to overthrow his government, a month after the U.S. imposed visa restrictions on Venezuelan government officials over human rights and years of an outspoken opposition that in the last 13 months has turned into deadly protests, leading more than 40 dead on both sides.

As president Maduro begins closing the doors on the U.S., Venezuela struggles in its house divided.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

FLORES: Now the U.S. has not responded to the latest sanctions by Venezuela. But as these tensions boil over, Fred, it really makes you wonder what will happen when president Nicolas Maduro and President Barack Obama are in the same room, which hear this, Fred, it could happen next month at the summit of the Americas which is on April 10th, I believe, in Panama City, Panama. So, we are going to see kind of what happens when they are both in the room.

WHITFIELD: It could be mucho-caliente (ph), right? FLORES: (SPEAKING FOREIGN LANGUAGE)

WHITFIELD: All right, Rosa Flores, thank you so much for us in New York.

All right, still to come, snow weary Boston could break their all-time snow records. Seventy-seven million Americans across 20 states under winter weather advisory or warning. CNN's Tom Sater is watching it all for us.

TOM SATER, AMS METEOROLOGIST: Fredricka, this is getting (INAUDIBLE) another Sunday, another major winter storm, Boston only needs 5.7 inches to break their snowiest season of all time in 143 years, and that 5.7 is slight compared to what they have in these areas in pink. Full report on snowfall, possible power outages and travel disruptions when CNN NEWSROOM returns. Stay with us.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WHITFIELD: All right, checking our top stories right now.

Newly released surveillance video showing three missing British teenagers suspected of traveling to Syria to join ISIS boarding a bus in Turkey. This is the first that we have seen of the school girls since they left London nearly two weeks ago. Authorities now believed the teens are in Syria.

And some 77 million Americans across 20 states are under winter weather advisories and warnings today. And yes, Boston once again is already been tossed by eight-and-a-half feet of snow. This winter, well now, they can get up to six more inches by Monday and that will break the city's all time snow record. The wintery weather on the clover (ph) of the Southern plains is now marching east creating dangerous driving conditions. Take a look right there, a KMOV news crew capturing video of that SUV spinning out on the highway this morning.

And snow in the Ohio valley is also affecting road conditions, up to six inches of snow could fall over northern Ohio by evening. So many areas around Indianapolis also could see a very similar amount of snow by tonight.

CNN's Tom Sater is with us now.

So, my goodness. Nobody can put away their snow shovels, their parkas, mittens, nada. Not yet.

SATER: Let's start with something positive.

WHITFIELD: OK.

SATER: One week from today will be daylight savings time. We turn the clock forward, it's something. The tide has to change. It is not today.

St. Louis, in the warning, already six to eight inches. And then you get to Indianapolis, and they have had 7.8 inches, snowing heavily in Columbus. Already now, you get into areas of Washington, D.C. to Philadelphia. And this is where it gets interesting but also a little frightening. Because snow in Philadelphia is going to change over to sleet and we believe the accumulation could be up to a third of an inch. And that is the threshold for losing power.

But if you are traveling, ground stop in Philadelphia until 4:00. But I think that's when it's going to change over and get worse. So that could go on for a while. Tarboro (ph) until 3:00 ground stoppage, but again, that could continue. LaGuardia, for one hour and 35 minutes, two hours and 15. In JFK, Liberty, you are looking at over four hours and the list goes on.

This hasn't been mention. Charlotte had ground stoppage. Denver, here's the snowfall across the north. And it is going to be moving into Boston a little bit later this evening, 5.78 is what you need for the snowiest season. And that, of course, is 143 years of records. You are going to get pretty close to that.

Change to rain in Raleigh. Good news, Norfolk, you're on the line. Richmond, you're still looking at a mix. D.C. that mean Baltimore as well. Philadelphia snowfall is one to two inches, changes over to a good accumulation, as I mention, of ice. I think in New York city, you'll see that changeover as well. But you may see two to four inches of snowfall that could keep the ice accumulations to maybe about a 10th. So, not the threshold for losing a lot of power. But we're a little concerned about Philadelphia and the surrounding areas.

So you can see the ice accumulation. We'll take a look at the snowfall. There will be pockets over eight, maybe even 10. And again, there it is in Boston.

But one thing we know so many cities to talk about. Fredericka, Denver, for the month of February, on average --

WHITFIELD: And they would be happy.

SATER: Yes. Well, five to seven inches as an average February, they have 22. (INAUDIBLE).

WHITFIELD: The skin is so good.

SATER: Yes, it is today.

(CROSSTALK)

WHITFIELD: All right, thanks so much, Tom. Appreciate it.

All right, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu set to land in Washington, where there not being a problem for him, landing about 90 minutes from now. Tomorrow, he addresses the American-Israel public affairs committee. But it's his Tuesday speech before U.S. Congress that is stirring controversy. That is next.

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WHITFIELD: Happening right now in the NEWSROOM.

In about 90 minutes, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu touches down in the U.S. with his trip mired in controversy. Will his speech to Congress backfire?

And it has been nearly one year since Malaysia Airlines flight 370 vanished without a trace. So is anyone still searching for that plane.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: MH 370 is a challenge like no other.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WHITFIELD: News right now.

Hello again, everyone. And thanks so much for joining me. I'm Fredricka Whitfield.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will speak before the American-Israel public affairs committee tomorrow. And Tuesday, he addresses U.S. Congress, a move some are calling destructive. Netanyahu is expected to talk about Iran's nuclear program.

CNN's Elise Labott is traveling with to the prime minister and takes a closer look at the threat of a nuclear powered Iran.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ELISE LABOTT, CNN FOREIGN AFFAIRS REPORTER (voice-over): For the state of Israel, a nuclear Iran would position Tehran as a super power in the region, allowing it to continue to threat Israel. But now with a weapon of mass destruction in arsenal, a threat to its very existence that many Israeli believe the United States half a world away can't possibly understand.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We have no doubt about the seriousness and the good intentions of the Obama administration about it. Maybe we are more concerned because we feel the threat, because they are speaking about elimination of the Jewish state.

We are here, we are under the constant Iran terror threat and nuclear threat and we want the Iranian's threat to be over.

LABOTT: The U.S. has pledged to safeguard Israel's security, but there are fears here that the thorn relations between the U.S. and Iran since the election of President Hassan Rouhani has clouded the Obama administration's judgment.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: That the sense in Israel and it goes way beyond Netanyahu is that the administration the president underestimate Iran's duplicity, underestimates Iran's ruthlessness, the religious imperative behind this ideology.

LABOTT: For Prime Minister Netanyahu, Tuesday's address to Congress is a warning that in his view, beneath its friendly new image, Iran is still intent on wiping Israel off the map.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I think he feels (INAUDIBLE) that he is leading the Jewish people when it potentially faces a genocidal threat. That's the sort of Netanyahu mindset is that the people are in peril and he needs to stand firm and say what needs to be said and if necessary, act in the way it needs to be, you know, take the steps that need to be taken.

LABOTT: Even an Iranian nuclear threshold state would threaten one of the main tenants of Israel's national security. That no enemy be permitted to develop a weapon of mass destruction, even if it means a pre-emptive strike.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: They're afraid at to the end of the day, if the administration fails, if Iran re-launch its project, Israel would be left alone to make the call whether to accept this, to contain an Iranian nuclear ability, nuclear capability or to make the call and strike.

LABOTT: Israel worries that a nuclear Iran would spark a nuclear arms race in the Middle East and that it could find itself surrounded by a group of nuclear armed enemies in a region of turmoil.

Elise Labott, CNN, Jerusalem.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

WHITFIELD: And more than 30 Democrats are planning to boycott Netanyahu's Tuesday's speech before U.S. Congress. And the Obama administration is clearly displeased at Speaker Boehner invited Netanyahu without consulting the White House in the first place. One Democrat in favor of the speech, is former senator and vice presidential candidate Joseph Lieberman who join me now by phone.

So Mr. Lieberman, why are you in favor of Netanyahu's speech to U.S. Congress.

JOSEPH LIEBERMAN, FORMER VICE PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE (via phone): Well. Hi, Fredricka. Good to be with you.

What I would say is that the speech is not my idea, in other words, the speaker thinks he had the right to invite Prime Minister Netanyahu and wants invited prime minister Netanyahu said he thought he had no choice but to accept, to take this opportunity to express his concerns about the agreement toward Iran that may emerge.

But my own feeling is that, and this is really what I'm focusing on, that members of Congress and others shouldn't get distracted by political and personal stuff as often happens in Washington, D.C.

What's on the line is a really important question, which is can we stop Iran from becoming a nuclear power, which not only threatens Israel and our Arab allies, but with the Iranians building sophisticated intercontinental ballistic missiles could trick us as well. And just get the feeling that people go and listen and see if you

agree with him, you disagree with him. It's in the spirit of our country to show respect to the democratically elected leader of, not just any country, but happens to be our closest ally in the Middle East.

WHITFIELD: Sir, on concerns that you just spelled out about Iran and its nuclear capabilities, isn't that also the concern of the White House and hasn't the White House already said this is the route in which it feels it's wisest and most advisable, the diplomatic efforts, let a plane come to fruition before there's talk of anymore kinds of sanctions. And does Netanyahu's speech, planned speech undermine what the White House is doing. Do you agree with that sort of arrangement while also listening to all the options?

LIEBERMAN: Yes. Let me agree with the first part of this that you just said which is that there's no question that the White House right up to the president is following a course that they feel is most likely to end in deterring Iran from becoming a nuclear weapons power. A lot of people in Congress, I would say probably a majority are concerned about the direction in which those negotiations are going.

I'm concerned myself, because they have going from the initial goal of the administration stated of stopping Iran from becoming a nuclear power in return for dropping off the sanctions against them, restoring diplomatic relations, to now basically asking the question when can they become a nuclear power and that's quite different and quite threatening to all of our allies in the Middle East Arab and Israeli.

So the goal is the same, to the concern is that these negotiations are heading, it appears to a lot of us in the wrong direction and that although the president has said no deal is better than a bad deal with Iran, and agree. A lot of people in Congress are fearful that we're heading toward a bad deal and that's why probably most positively, there was by partisan legislation introduced at the end of last week lead sponsors are Senators Corker, Menendez, and Graham and Kane. And that was in the event of an agreement with Iran giving Congress 60 days to review it and take whatever action it wanted to take.

And I think that's really a constructive way to go. But this is also an indication that this is not just sort of Netanyahu against Obama. There's a lot of people in Congress concerned about the way the negotiations are going and the Congress wants to exercise their constitutional power with regards to foreign policy.

WHITFIELD: All right, we will leave it there. Former Senator Joe Lieberman, thanks so much for your time.

LIEBERMAN: Thank you.

WHITFIELD: All right, still ahead, the clock is ticking again on homeland security funding, will Congress let it run out of money on Friday? Will House Speaker John Boehner's potentially facing a loss of his gavel in the process?

CNN's Erin McPike is at the White House following both angles. ERIN MCPIKE, CNN GENERAL ASSIGNMENT CORRESPONDENT: Fred, Speaker

Boehner is getting pressure from all sides and is now being backed into a corner. More on that after the break.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WHITFIELD: This week, the U.S. department of homeland security faces another possible loss of funding. Many employees could be furloughed, others could be forced to work without pay if Congress doesn't send a funding bill to President Obama by midnight Friday. And that's when a temporary seven-day extension runs out.

Erin McPike is at the White House for us.

So Erin, it seems that not just the DHS funding that is in limbo, but Speaker Boehner's job too maybe hanging in the balance. Bring us up to date. What are you hearing?

MCPIKE: Well, Fred, there is real skepticism that a coup could actually happen including from Jim Jordan. He is another Ohio congressman who is very close to Boehner. But he has also quite close to a lot of conservatives as a conservative himself.

But I would also point out that there is a lot of pressure building in all corners of politics on Boehner to bring a clean bill to the floor and funded the department of homeland security for the rest of the year and find some other way to deal with it. That, of course, could mean a lot more trouble, though, on the right.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

MCPIKE (voice-over): Airport security lines are open and planes are flying. But travelers we have spoken with at Washington's Reagan airport are still upset with House Republicans for delaying the vote on homeland security funding for another week.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: And I vote for these people and they should be doing their job. Their job is to negotiate, you know, come to an agreement, not just fight each other.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: The only power we have is voting. So, if you are not satisfied with something you buy, don't give that, render your money again.

MCPIKE: This democratic congressman ads --

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The American people don't care about political gamesmanship, they don't care about the inner workings of Congress. What they care about is that our public safety workers and our first responders are given the tools and resources that they need to keep our country safe.

MCPIKE: Former homeland security secretary Tom Ridge agrees.

TOM RIDGE, FORMER HOMELAND SECURITY SECRETARY: We are still bleeding in a fund relations department. So a little band aid of a wig doesn't help either address the problem or frankly demonstrate to folks outside the beltway that Republicans are in-charge and capable of leading.

MCPIKE: Perhaps, he says, the house should look to the Senate for ideas on how to solve the issue.

RIDGE: Conservatives in the House should take the lead from the conservatives, the strong conservatives in the Senate and passed the funding bill and get about the business of governing. After all, we are in charge of both chambers.

MCPIKE: His prediction.

RIDGE: I like the think that cooler heads will prevail. My Republican colleagues have made their point. The world knows we don't like the fact that the president has oversteps his presidential authority with all these executive orders.

MCPIKE: Meanwhile, back at national airport, this conservative Texas voter says he sympathizes with House Republicans who want to stop the president's executive actions on immigration, but --

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I would hope that our legislator could find other ways to push back and so still keep us relatively safe.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

MCPIKE: But again, funding for the department of homeland security runs out again at midnight on Friday. So Fred, you and I could be talking about this very same thing next weekend.

WHITFIELD: Something tells me, eyes, you ear right, that could happen, but hopefully not. Hopefully we'll talk about some good news, a resolution or something, right?

MCPIKE: I hope.

WHITFIELD: Yes, I hope so, too. Thanks so much from the White House. Appreciate it.

All right, still ahead, it has been called the biggest aviation mystery in history. Flight 370 vanishes from the sky without a trace, nearly one year later, we still don't know what happened. Up next, where that search stands.

But first, tonight CNN takes an in depth scientific look at the authenticity of six ancient objects linked to Jesus. This program examines the question is whether Jesus left a physical record behind. One of the most famous and controversial is the shroud of Turin, which some believe was the burial cloth.

The special, "Finding Jesus, faith, fact, forgery" premieres tonight, 9:00 p.m. eastern time right here on CNN. Here's a preview.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: An unprecedented CNN event. He didn't vanish without leaving a trace.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: For the first time in history, we're able to place these relics.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: And gross something that change the world.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: This is really the moment of truth.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It's the story of Jesus.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: The rock up on which the church is built.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: An icon of scientific obsession.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: This extraordinary define an archeological piece.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: What do we really have here?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Why did Judas betray Jesus?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Somebody chose to write this.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The science does matter. Is this the burial shroud of Jesus?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: What are the tools he left behind? "Faith, Fact, Forgery," Finding Jesus, premiers tonight at 9:00 on CNN.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WHITFIELD: All right, checking our top stories now.

Volcano in Russia forces the cancellation of several Alaska airlines flights over the weekend. Ash from the volcano shut some 30,000 feet into the atmosphere and then wind blew it across the very sea into western Alaska creating unsafe conditions for planes. This is the second time, the ash has interrupted air travel in the region.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I've got the cable, thanks.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Sounds good.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WHITFIELD: That's NASA astronaut, Barry Wilmore (ph) and Terry Burst (ph), the duo wrap up the space walk outside the international space station about two hours ago. And once again a small amount of water pushed into the helmet worn by Burst (ph) at the end of the five-and- a-half hour operation. NASA still says the water poses no threat to the astronauts' safety.

And we're coming up on one year since the disappearance of Malaysia airlines flight 370. The plane believed to have gone down over the Indian Ocean disappeared without a trace. Well, today, relatives of several passengers offered prayers for the missing loved ones at a temple in Kuala Lumpur. To date, there have been no trace of the plane.

But as CNN's Anna Coren shows us, the search for the missing airliner is far from over while plans to recover the plane are already under way.

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ANNA COREN, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): While the search continues in the MH 370 in the depths of the Southern Indian Ocean, a team of mechanical engineers is already planning for the next crucial step.

This is an ROV, a remotely operated underwater vehicle. Cutting-edge technology normally used in the oil and gas industry.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It flies likes an underwater helicopters. And it really takes the capability of a diver and puts it into a machine.

COREN: But if and when MH 370 is finally located, this could be the device that will be use to retrieve the wreckage and those vital black boxes, hopefully with the answers as to what went so terribly wrong.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: MH-370 is a challenge like no other. It's a unique challenge in the world at the moment. There's very little reference material that we can use to know what you would find and what the technology is going to need to do.

COREN: The only test case that comes close is Air France 447 back in 2009, that crashed in the Atlantic Ocean with 228 people on board. While authorities knew where it hit the water, it took nearly two years to recover the black boxes, at around 4,000 meters below the surface. The depth of the search area for MH-370 is deeper still at 4,500 meters. But there are sections that drop away to 6,000 meters and it's rugged terrain.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It's easy to imagine a plane on a sea-day-old bed, but the reality could be very much different. It's the dynamic range of what is the (INAUDIBLE) look like, what is the seabed looks like that's still basically unknown for it.

COREN: The Australian government has already invited an expression of interest for the recovery of MH-370, preparing for the day when the wreckage is finally found. Among the requirement, retrieving the debris, the all important cockpit voice and flight data recorders, as well as human remains from the ocean floor.

(INAUDIBLE) company TMT (INAUDIBLE) based in Perth, is one of many vying for the multimillion dollar contract. But the significance of this job goes far beyond its monetary value.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Nobody expects to step on the airplane and not step up against safely on the other side. If we can learn from what's discovered, then that is going to make the world a safer place and it is going to allow people to properly grieve and move forward with their lives.

COREN: An overwhelming need for the families who just want to put their love ones to rest.

Anna Coren, CNN. Perth.

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WHITFIELD: And we will be right back right after this.

But first this tomorrow transformed report.

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RICHARD QUEST, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Over the years, we have all increase in either technology in our homes. And that's meant increased demands in the electric grid. So we turn to solar and wind power, as renewables became all the rage.

Being energy efficiency is just the start. Imagine if your home provided all its own energy. For instance, the heat from your television powers your coffee maker.

This house do just that. On the outside, it looks like any other home in suburban Washington, D.C. But on the inside it's a laboratory.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We take over 500 readings a day every minute.

QUEST: The national institute of standards and technology, or NIST short, build this house to prove that net zero is possible.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: So net zero energy home is a home over the course of a year produces as much energy as it consumed. We have a virtual family that lives here, and they perform all the same functions that you would with your own family. So we have devices, for example that emulate a toaster, a blender, a hand mixer. And all of these devices operate at a precise time according to a schedule so that the home is occupied as a home normally would be.

QUEST: In the first year, the house went way beyond net zero. It actually produced a surplus, enough energy was left over to drive an electric vehicle 1400 miles.

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