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Presidential Candidates Gear Up for Iowa's Caucus Voting; Long- Awaited Peace Talks for Syria; Fears Grow Over Zika Virus; Escaped Inmate Turned Himself In; Conflict in Yemen Growing Worse; Novak Djokovic in the Australian Open Final Again; Sarah Palin A Force to Be Reckoned With; CIA Releases Hundreds of Declassified Documents on Aliens. Aired 5-6a ET

Aired January 30, 2016 - 05:00   ET

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

[05:00:00] (COMMERCIAL BREAK)

GEORGE HOWELL, CNN ANCHOR: It is getting down to the wire in Iowa as the presidential candidates gear up for Monday's caucus voting. Plus, long-awaited talks can find an end to Syria's civil war are taking place in Geneva just after days of delays. And later, fears over the Zika virus continue to grow as the disease now spreads through yet another country. From CNN World Headquarters in Atlanta, welcome to our viewers here in the United States and around the world, I'm George Howell. "CNN NEWSROOM" starts right now.

A very good day to you. We start this hour with the U.S. presidential race and the final push in the key state of Iowa. We're talking about the Iowa caucuses and they are do or die for candidates in both parties as Iowa is the first state to cast its votes for the presidential nominees. Senior White House correspondent Jeff Zeleny explains why this weekend is so important to the candidates.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JEFF ZELENY, CNN SENIOR WASHINGTON CORRESPONDENT: What the campaigns are doing now, they're going from persuasion, trying to win over their supporters to mobilization, trying to get their supporters out and get them organized.

Throughout the course of the weekend, there are going to be dry runs and, well what that means is people are going to, you know, sort of convene in the neighborhoods and precincts in trying to get their supporters out to facilities.

They'll be knocking on doors, they'll be calling. So it really is a test of organization. It's important to remember this is not a primary election where you walk in and cast a ballot. This is more of a series of town meetings across the state of Iowa on Monday night, we're at the same time, 7:00 p.m.

People actually say who they're going to support all at the same time. So it's a test of organization that's really going to tell us a lot about how long this presidential campaign is going to go.

(END VIDEOTAPE) HOWELL: Donald Trump was in New Hampshire on Friday but returns to Iowa on Saturday for at least three rallies there. His current main rival, Ted Cruz, will also be traveling and very busy around the state by bus, stomping for votes.

Marco Rubio will be flying around Iowa, drumming up support ahead of Monday's critical votes. And right now, he is the newest target in Cruz's latest attack ads.

HOWELL: CNN political correspondent, Sara Murray, has more on the big push for votes.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DONALD TRUMP (R), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: Ted Cruz is an anchor baby in Canada.

SARA MURRAY, CNN POLITICS REPORTER: After a tough night for Ted Cruz, Donald Trump is piling on.

TRUMP: Cruz is in second place. He got really pummeled last night. Actually, I'm glad I wasn't there because I guess that'll all be that he had, pummeled. Wow! And, you know, they didn't even mention that he was born in Canada, right? ...

MURRAY: Sharpening his attacks on Cruz's citizenship and delighting in his decision to skip Thursday night's debate.

TRUMP: I did something that was very risky and I think it turned out great because I'm on the front page of every paper. I'm getting more publicity than if I -- you know? I don't know.

MURRAY: Cruz is coping with a rockier reception after sparring with debate moderators.

SEN. TED CRUZ (R-TX), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: If you guys say -- ask one more main question, I may have to leave the stage.

MURRAY: And facing incoming fire from his GOP rivals.

SEN. MARCO RUBIO (R-FL), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: The truth is, Ted, throughout this campaign you have been willing to say or do anything in order to get votes.

MURRAY: Cruz woke up to this front page in Iowa and tried to get back on offense by taking shots at his opponents.

CRUZ: It's easy to come to Iowa and propose as Donald Trump did, let's expand the ethanol mandate. Now, next week he may have a different position but that's the position today.

MURRAY: Cruz isn't the only one drawing scrutiny as Rubio's rivals put him on defense over his shifting stance on immigration.

RUBIO: You changed your position on immigration, because you used to support a path to citizenship. JEB BUSH (R), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: So did you.

MURRAY: Meanwhile, Trump's opponents predicted his debate stunt could undercut him in Iowa.

RAND PAUL, PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: I think the disdain and arrogance that Trump showed by not coming may well turn off Iowa voters.

MURRAY: But Trump told CNN's Brianna Keeler, it was a show of strength.

TRUMP: I think he's (inaudible) that a lot of the voters and a lot of the caucus goers, I think they're going to say, he's the one person that will stand up for himself.

MURRAY: And tonight, Iowa Conservatives seem to believe it won't do much damage.

MURRAY: Did it hurt him? Did it not hurt him?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I don't think it hurt him at all. His nearest competitor kind of bloodied, but I think the headline of "The Des Moines Register" which says rough night for Ted Cruz says it all.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HOWELL: So, the Democratic candidates will also be very busy on Saturday. Former President Bill Clinton campaigned with his wife, Democratic candidate Hillary Clinton on Friday.

She has a series of events that are scheduled for Saturday, and her rival Bernie Sanders also has a whirlwind of rallies planned for Saturday including a concert at the University of Iowa that is already sold out.

[05:05:00] Meanwhile, Hillary Clinton's e-mails, they are once again getting attention after the U.S. State Department says it will not release 22 e-mails from Clinton's time as Secretary of State because they contain top secret information. They weren't top secret at the time, though.

Clinton's campaign spokesman told CNN's Wolf Blitzer, this is a case of over classification run amok. Listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BRIAN FALLON, HILLARY FOR AMERICA PRESS SECRETARY: They did it at the behest of the intelligence community. I think the reality is, Wolf, many people saw this coming because there was an inner agency dispute that has been going on for months.

And some of the more aggressive actors within that inner agency have been broadcasting, publicly, their feelings that some of this material should be treated as very sensitive even as other agencies in the government have said that they don't have any basis to believe it to be classified. So it seems like some of the more aggressive, louder, and, in fact, more leak-prone agencies involved in this review of her e-mails have gotten the upper hand here, and we're disappointed in that.

We disagree with the finding and we think that these e-mails should be released as she called for a year ago when she provided them. She provided them for the purpose of them being made public because she wants the public to have an opportunity to read them and review them and learn about her tenure at the State Department.

And we're confident if people actually saw what was in the e-mails, they'd realize that this is an example of over classification where you have the gray area of different agencies having different definitions of what's classified and what's not. That's what's the issue here.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HOWELL: Now to talk about Donald Trump's feud with FOX News and anchor Megan Kelly over this week's Republican debate. It has put the spotlight once again on the news media's relationship with presidential candidates. Earlier, my colleague, Natalie Allen, spoke with Margaux Ewen about this issue. She belongs to a non-profit organization that promotes and defends the freedom of press.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MARGAUX EWEN, REPORTERS WITHOUT BORDERS ADVOCACY AND COMMUNICATIONS OFFICER: We all heard about Jorge Ramos getting kicked out, that's tinker for Univision and that was back last summer and recently he barred access to a "New York Times" journalist, just this month to an event and he has denied or restricted credentials for "The Des Moines Register", "The Huffington Post", "Buzz Feed" all throughout his primary campaign.

NATALIE ALLEN, CNN INTERNATIONAL ANCHOR: We have seen Donald Trump is certainly out, way out there when it comes to handling of the media as far as just not allowing them to do their jobs covering him, but Hillary Clinton, to some extent, at the start of her campaign, wasn't taking questions from reporters on the campaign trail.

EWEN: That's correct. She sometimes had some similar treatment to Trump's of the media especially where the foreign press is concerned. She banned access for "Daily Mail" reporter to one of her trips to New Hampshire.

She has been criticized by journalists for denying basic sourcing information, for basic information and she has also just restricted access to her campaign in ways that you would not expect because Donald Trump does it so brazenly in contrast to Hillary Clinton's treatment of the press has been a little quieter but it has been bad that "The Huffington Post" has even mentioned longstanding tensions between her and the press even though no recent events have occurred in the past six months.

ALLEN: What about overall, as far as the United States, and you think of the U.S. that you think of freedom of the press?

EWEN: Correct.

ALLEN: But I was reading that it may be true that our rankings have dropped in that.

EWEN: Yes. Actually, the United States has fallen 14 places since 2013 or "Reporters Without Boarders" Press Freedom Index. It now ranks 49th out of 180 countries. And it's really alarming for the country such as the United States that prides itself on the first amendment to be falling so hard so fast.

But it really can be explained by the recent administration's treatment of journalists, lack of transparency, going after journalist sources, for example, the Obama administration has prosecuted more whistleblowers than any previous administration combined, and when you add to that, the fact that journalists have been arrested while covering protests in Baltimore and Ferguson, it's easy to see why there's such decline.

ALLEN: This is supposedly the era of transparency but it's a difficult job and you're up against institutions. We really appreciate your time, Margaux Ewen, with "Reporters Without Borders." Thank you.

EWEN: Thank you.

(END VIDEO CLIIP)

HOWELL: So what exactly are the Iowa caucuses and why are they different from primary elections? Coming up in just about 25 minutes, our Jonathan Mann breaks it all down with a very easy to understand explainer for you.

[05:10:00] Now to the U.S. State of Oregon, a federal judge is denying bond for Ammon Bundy and several other protesters who have been occupying a federal wildlife facility. Eleven people have also been arrested so far. Four still remain inside the refuge, located near Burns, Oregon.

The occupation took a violent turn when a prominent member was shot dead during a traffic stop. The FBI released video of that incident. CNN's Kyung Lah walks us through the footage, but first we warn you, some of the images may be disturbing.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

KYUNG LAH, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: This shooting is why the FBI is releasing unedited video shot from a surveillance plane. The man gunned down is LaVoy Finicum, one of the leaders of the month-long wildlife refuge siege in Oregon. During the occupation, he told reporters he would give his life.

LAVOY FINICUM, SHOT DURING FBI CHASE: What he's doing, pointing guns at me, and I shall not point guns at you. How about we leave it at that?

LAH: ON Tuesday, law enforcement made their first move since the siege began. The black Jeep pulls over. Leader, Ammon Bundy surrenders.

The truck that Finicum is driving stops here. One passenger gets out turning himself in. Finicum, waiving to authorities but not exiting. For nearly four minutes, the truck sits on the road, and suddenly takes off.

GREG BRETZING, OREGON FBI: The white truck leaves the scene at a high rate of speed.

LAH: The truck approaches a road block, veers, nearly hitting an officer and slams into a snow bank.

GREG BRETZING, OREGON FBI: Finicum leaves the truck and steps through the snow.

LAH: His hands are up, but watch. He reaches to his left pocket here and then here, and officers fire.

GREG BRETZING, OREGON FBI: He did have a loaded .9-millimeter semiautomatic handgun in that pocket. At this time, police and troopers shot Finicum.

LAH: Three people are still inside the truck. Officers used flash banks and a pepper spray-type deterrent (ph) to get the two women and one man to surrender.

GREG BRETZING, OREGON FBI: Agents and troopers did find three other loaded weapons inside the truck. They included two loaded .223-caliber semiautomatic rifles and there was also one loaded .38 special revolver.

LAH: For the occupation here in Oregon continues, a small handful of people remain on the refuge just down this street. Negotiations with them, continuing. Kyung Lah, CNN, Harney County, Oregon.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HOWELL: In the U.S. State of California, one of three inmates who escaped jail last week has turned himself in. The Orange County sheriff says 43-year-old Bac Duong who has multiple convictions walked into a friend's auto shop Friday morning and gave himself up.

Now the manhunt is ramping up for the other two escapees. Investigators say they likely broke out after the 5:00 a.m. head count last Friday. Authorities didn't discover the escape until 15 hours later. You're watching "CNN NEWSROOM".

And still ahead, U.N. sponsored talks aimed at ending Syria's civil war. They finally began and Syria's opposition says they will attend after threatening to boycott the negotiation. But will they actively participate? We look into that.

Plus Syrian refugees in Norway fear they will be sent back to Russia and possibly sent back to their war-torn home. We'll have that story ahead.

[05:15:00] (COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HOWELL: Welcome back to "CNN NEWSROOM", I'm George Howell. Now to the peace talks for the Syrian war. The coalition representing Syrian opposition groups is reportedly about to leave Saudi Arabia for Geneva, that's where the peace talks that are aimed at ending Syria's long-running civil war have finally begun after days of delays.

The opposition's High-Negotiating Committee has balked (ph) at participating demanding that Syria's military lift sieges of towns and stop bombing civilians. The talks come as more people flee the fighting in Syria and for some people, that journey is a perilous journey.

On Saturday, 10 migrants were reported drowned after their boat capsized off Turkey. Hundreds of others are coming into Turkey by bus from Syria. Clashes near the Turkish-Syrian border intensify after Syria's military seized a key town in the region from rebel fighters last week.

Meanwhile, some E.U. governments want harsher policies to stop the flow of migrants. Dutch officials are proposing a plan to send migrants arriving in Greece back to Turkey immediately.

Following it all, CNN International Diplomatic Editor, Nic Robertson, joins us now from Geneva.

Nic, it is good to have you to talk about this situation and these talks. So after lengthy delays, we're finally seeing these talks get underway, but what can we really expect to see come out of these meetings?

NIC ROBERTSON, CNN INTERNATIONAL DIPLOMATIC EDITOR: Well, it's still early days (ph), George, and they still -- the talks are still on shaky ground.

Yesterday, Staffan de Mistura, the U.N. Special Representative overseeing these talks met with the Syrian government representatives led by their representative to the U.N., Bashar al-Jaafari. The meeting lasted about two hours. The Syrian delegation -- government delegation didn't talk on the way out.

Staffan de Mistura described the meeting as one where they sort of laid out the protocols, what to expect ahead and of course, as laid down by the U.N. Security Council Resolution in December, there was expected to be months of talks leading to a new constitution. A year after that, there's expected to be U.N.-administered selections in Syria.

So this is a very bright beginning. We know that the High-Negotiating Committee of the opposition, the group, that represents different elements of the opposition inside Syria. We know that they are expected to leave Geneva today -- leave Riyadh and Saudi Arabia today to come here to Geneva.

However, at the moment, it appears their participation is still in question --their full participation. What a spokesman for the HNC is saying is that they're not coming here to negotiate. They're not going into the U.N. compound, behind me. They expect to meet with the U.N. special representative, Staffan de Mistura, at their hotel.

They are still holding out. They say to see a commitment on the issues that they hold out are important and should be dealt with before they get into talks promptly, that is humanitarian relief getting to beleaguered villages and towns, release of prisoners particularly women and children and an end to the bombardment and to be followed by a broader ceasefire.

So, these are issues that at the moment are still the, HNC says, stopping them getting into the talks proper. So although it's begun, we can't really say it's up and running properly yet, George.

HOWELL: OK, so a very delicate situation when it comes to the actual talks of peace in Syria, but Nic, you know, the other big problem, you know, across Europe, this mass migration of migrants and, you know, from these talks, what is the hope to be accomplished for that and some sort of a plan and cohesiveness.

ROBERTSON: Sure. I mean, the talks hold out many possibilities and at least a ceasefire and peace inside Syria and an opportunity for the many millions internally displaced to go home for the millions that have fled the country, for them to go back home to end their suffering as they try to get to safer places inside Europe and also to bring about a chance to stop ISIS from growing its territory and therefore threatening attacks in Europe and in other places, the United States as well.

[05:20:00] But this issue of migration is one that's being keenly felt here at the U.N. Of course, you know, inside the compound behind me, the big U.N. compound, the Office of -- International Office of Migration, a U.N. body, they give briefings on the number of migrants that are trying to get into Europe. We know more than a million last year, many more expected this year.

And statistics continue to be depressing to say the least. They explained that this year, so far, the first week of the year, 50 migrants lost their lives trying to get to Europe by boat. The following week, 95. The following week, 160. Two hundred eighteen alone so far this year died trying to get just between Turkey and Greece. Another 10 we know died in the last 24 hours.

So, everyone of the polls (ph) knows there are so many things that can be improved if there's success, but, as I was saying, it's a long way to go. George?

HOWELL: Nic Robertson, live for us in Geneva. Nic, thank you so much for your reporting there.

The Arctic Circle near Norway, it might not seem like the likely destination for migrants and refugees crossing into Europe, but thousands had made their way to Norway, some cycling across the icy border from Russia. As CNN's Phil Black reports now many are afraid that they will be sent back to the country that they came from.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

PHIL BLACK, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: The winter weather in Norway's arctic region changes quickly. When the sun shines, it's brief, just a few hours a day this time of year. When it goes, temperatures drop and sharp winds cut through fabric. But thousands of migrants have still come here to this stark, striking landscape to find safety and perhaps prosperity.

The Norwegian-Russian border. Here the country's flags fly together. There are souvenirs from both and signs in multiple languages declared this is the frontier of the borderless Schengen immigration zone. This is the end goal for what's become known as the Arctic route to Europe.

During 2015, 5,400 migrants from various countries travelled through Russia and crossed this border on bikes because they weren't allowed to walk or drive across.

Now, something has changed here. There are no more bikes. The Norwegian government says no asylum seekers have tried to cross this border since the start of December last year. They think for a couple of reasons because of the tougher checks they put in place here but also because of the tough arctic winter conditions.

Now Norway is working to send many of the migrants back in the other direction. Eighty have been brought from across the country to this nearby camp. The government says they're to be deported because they already had permission to live in Russia which it considers safe.

That's little comfort to the Ibrahim family. Amjad, Noha and their 5- year-old daughter, Letsa, from the Syrian capital Damascus. They fled to Russia three years ago.

BLACK: To live, to work?

AMJAD IBRAHIM, SYRIAN REFUGEE: No. To (inaudible) we thought they have treatment for my child.

BLACK: Amjad says his daughter was diagnosed with autism. The couple hoped escaping the Syrian war and seeing Russian doctors would make a difference, but it didn't. Amjad says the treatment his daughter needs doesn't exist in Russia, and Norwegian doctors have since told him they can help.

BLACK: What will happen to you if you return to Russia?

IBRAHIM: My child will stay like this. And she will never be like another child. I don't want that to happen to me.

BLACK: And as a father, what does that mean to you?

IBRAHIM: It means I am dying.

BLACK: Syrians travel to Russia because it's one of the few countries where they can get temporary visas relatively easily. Russia and Syria remain allies. But that also means Moscow believes few Syrians need protection from their own government. So migrants here say being returned to Russia will inevitably see them sent back to Syria to live under a regime condemned by European countries including Norway. Phil Black, CNN, Kirkenes, Norway.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HOWELL: While the spotlight is focused on Syria, the conflict in Yemen has been steadily growing worse. ISIS is claiming responsibility for a suicide bombing at a checkpoint in Aden on Friday.

[05:25:00] This was the second such attack in as many days. On Thursday, 11 people were killed in a car bombing near the Presidential Palace. Indeed, the ongoing violence is taking a severe toll on civilians as well, especially children.

Earlier, we spoke with Julien Harneis, UNICEF's representative in Yemen, about the growing conflict there.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JULIEN HARNEIS, UNICEF YEMEN REPRESENTATIVE: UNICEF has been in Yemen for 50 years, and its' true that it's been a poor country that has had chronic (ph) programs. However, despite that, myself, my team, and my colleagues before me were able to reduce child mortality, we're able to work with local parties (ph) including government which increase children education.

This current conflict, however, is putting us back decades. The destruction of the infrastructure, the increase in malnutrition, we are going backwards in time. Where global acute malnutrition in Yemen is about 30 percent in many parts of the country and severe or acute malnutrition is 10 percent and that's just terrible and entirely preventable where it not for the situation of the conflict.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HOWELL: Nearly 10 million children in Yemen are currently in need of urgent aid. You're watching "CNN NEWSROOM".

Still ahead, people have been standing for hours in the cold for Donald Trump's rally.

Up next, we take a look at how the billionaire businessman is changing the Iowa caucuses.

Plus, we'll peek inside a science lab to see how one researcher is genetically modifying mosquitoes in an effort to fight human diseases.

Live from Atlanta and broadcasting around the world this hour, you're watching "CNN" worldwide.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[05:30:00] HOWELL: A warm welcome back to our viewers here in the United States and around the world. You're watching "CNN NEWSROOM". Good to have you with us. I'm George Howell. The headlines we're following for you this hour. The critical Iowa caucuses. They happen Monday, and U.S. presidential candidates in both parties are making their last-minute appeals to voters.

Iowa is the first state to select the person that voters want to see as their party's nominee.

The U.S. State Department says it is not releasing 22 of Hillary Clinton's e-mails, saying they labeled "top secret". The e-mails were sent when she was Secretary of State, but they weren't marked as "classified" back then. Clinton's e-mails have haunted her presidential campaign.

U.N.-mediated peace talks with Syria have finally started in Switzerland after days of delays. A coalition representing Syrian opposition groups will arrive in Geneva later Saturday after earlier threatening to boycott the negotiations.

The President of Brazil says their country is losing the battle against the Zika virus and he's calling on everyone to unite against mosquitoes carrying the disease. Zika has been linked to dangerous birth disorders in newborns and no vaccine or treatment is available.

Now back to U.S. politics. No one can deny that Donald Trump has drummed up crowds at every event so far this political season. The Trump factor has also undeniably changed the landscape in Iowa. Our chief U.S. correspondent, John King, takes a look.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JOHN KING, CNN CHIEF NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT AND ANCHOR: It is Iowa's defining question. They will wait hours in the cold to hear him speak. Will they do what it takes to deliver victory Monday night?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Any questions about the caucus, where to go? Is everyone a registered Republican already?

KING: These are the forms needed to register to vote or to switch a registration to Republican on caucus night.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Hey, great. Independent. It's OK. Thank you.

KING: Donald Trump is rewriting the Iowa rule book.

TRUMP: By the way, I'm totally pro-ethanol which ...

KING: Big rallies and a coalition that spans the ideological spectrum.

TRUMP: I love the evangelicals. They have been so great to me.

KING: Christian Conservatives, moderates, independents and political newcomers by the dozens. People like Shane Bohlmann not only plans the caucus for the first time but is organizing for Trump in Denver, Iowa and plans to deliver a speech at his local precinct.

SHANE BOHLMANN, TRUMP SUPPORTER: I can't stop. Can't quit. Got to keep going until the end.

KING: Bohlmann says he's learned to filter the Trump rhetoric his wife finds obnoxious.

BOHLMANN: He's not like, verbally correct on things, you know. Banning all Muslims from the United States. OK, I read into that a little bit between the lines and OK, I understand where you're coming from. I do like your point. You didn't come across perfect but I understand you.

KING: To drive Iowa is to find Trump support everywhere.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I'm actually volunteering for the Marco Rubio campaign.

KING: This is a Marco Rubio office in Cedar Rapids.

Unidentified Male: Thank you so much, Neil (ph).

KING: And this, a Jeb Bush phone bank in West Des Moines. Both areas were Mitt Romney's strongholds four years ago. And if Rubio and Bush fight for those establishment voters, they find plenty of Trump supporters.

STEVE GRUBBS, RAND PAUL CHIEF STRATEGIST: There's no doubt that Trump has changed the dynamic of the campaign for everybody.

KING: Steve Grubbs is Rand Paul's Iowa strategist this cycle. A caucus veteran who says those who doubt Trump's Iowa team, don't know them.

GRUBBS: Trump's got good people in Iowa working, and so, you know, I trust that they are doing the groundwork they need to do.

KING: The Marion Avenue Baptist Church is in Tiny Washington, Iowa. One of the rural towns vital to Ted Cruz. All are welcome here. The Cruz backer, Pastor Joseph Brown, concedes he is exasperated at Trump's success with conservative Christians.

JOSEPH BROWN, CRUZ SUPPORTER: God is the God of the second chance. But Donald Trump has not had a life transformation moment. He had an idea to become the president of the United States of America.

KING: Brown, leads a network of nearly 200 pastors Cruz implored this week to do more to highlight Trump's past support of abortion and gay rights.

BROWN: You know, I'm praying, it's going to take a miracle but I'm praying that people will wake up to the fact that he's a wolf in sheep's clothing.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yeah, so far ...

KING: It's too late to sway Carter Nordman.

CARTER NORDMAN, TRUMP SUPPORTER: Our entire family loved "The Apprentice". We loved watching it.

KING: His first vote will be for Donald Trump, Monday night.

NORDMAN: We need a president to run this country like a business, and who better than a very successful business man.

KING: Carter, a high school basketball player, is the state leader of students for Trump, another key piece of the Trump Iowa coalition.

NORDMAN: I'm the caucus leader in my town, Adel. And there's a movement going on. We have many, many students coming to caucus for the first time. And teachers say all the time that they've never heard so many students talk about an election before.

KING: Without a doubt, Trump dominates the talk here. Now, the test. Do the faces and feet that made this a caucus campaign like no other line-up one more time Monday night? John King, CNN, Pella, Iowa.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

[05:35:00] HOWELL: So, now let's take a closer look at the Iowa caucuses. They are the first nominating contest of the U.S. Presidential race.

A caucus is a neighborhood meeting open to any registered voter in the party, and in the State of Iowa, the two party's caucus differently. Republicans come together to try and persuade each other to vote for their favorite candidate then they cast a ballot for their preference. But Iowa Democrats caucus in a more traditional way. Our Jonathan Mann breaks it all down for us.

JONATHAN MANN, CNN INTERNATIONAL ANCHOR AND CORRESPONDENT: First, the caucus goers gather in a public space, like a high school gymnasium. Each candidate has a representative who speaks on their behalf trying to sway undecided voters and everyone else, too. Looks like the speeches are done. Now, the voters are headed for their respective candidate's corners.

George Washington has the most support with seven of our faceless little people, but the caucus isn't over yet. It's time now for community discussion and persuasion.

Jefferson supporters are headed for the Washington corner with cupcakes and every reason they can imagine for their rival supporters to join them and they have succeed in convincing one Washington supporter to move over to the Jefferson camp.

They don't actually have eyes, but Lincoln supporters see an opportunity, and one of them is headed over to Jefferson's camp armed with evidence of Lincoln's achievements and every argument he can summon up.

But no, the Washington supporter who defected to Jefferson is going back to the first president's corner and he's taking a Lincoln supporter with him. So the tally is now eight for Washington, four for Jefferson and just three for Abraham Lincoln.

Does anybody want to change their votes? No. So, it looks like the caucus is over, and George Washington will have his cupcake and eat it too, if they had mouths they would be smiling.

HOWELL: Nobody explains it like Jonathan Mann, CNN's "Political Mann" has the U.S. Presidential race covered from the positions of the candidates to their flops (ph). Our host Jonathan Mann, Saturdays at 8:30 a.m. in London and join him as he guides you through the world's wildest and most expensive exercise of democracy.

So, now it's time to talk weather, and the snow that might actually impact these Iowa caucuses. Derek Van Dam, they don't want to hear that.

DEREK VAN DAM, AMS METEOROLOGIST: I always wondered how the Iowa caucus is played out, and that was a perfect way that Jonathan Mann just explained for us. So, clarity finally, and I will be able to give you some clarity on the weather that could potentially impact the caucuses on Monday night.

Well, fortunately, George, it appears that the snowstorm that we have been talking about for the Midwest is actually going to hold off just a few hours after everything kind of crescendos on Monday evening in the Iowa State. So, let me give you a rundown on what's happening.

Take a look at this graphic. And we're talking Tuesday, OK? So, we're going a few days out but obviously all eyes, at least in the United States, are focusing in on Iowa. That's for Monday and into Monday evening, but it's really Tuesday when things start to get very interesting in the weather world for the plain states in the upper Midwest.

First of all, what's happening? We're drawing in a lot of cold air from the north ahead of our -- behind our low pressure but ahead of the low we're going to see above-average temperatures, so places like Atlanta to New York and Washington. Remember those areas that got slammed by a blizzard about a week and a half ago? Well, yeah, your big melt continues.

Now, the snow will be focused from the Colorado Rockies and the four corners through the plain states including Iowa and the upper Great Lakes. And we have the possibility of severe storms across the Gulf Coast states and into the Tennessee River Valley. That's for your Tuesday and Wednesday.

Now, this is a storm developing across the four corners. That would be Monday night. We're really going to see some impressive snowfall totals across the big ski resorts. So, great news for skiers and snowboarders in Utah, Colorado, parts of New Mexico, even Idaho and into the Sierra Nevada Range.

But as we look forward in to the future, you can see that snow spreading across the Dakotas and into Iowa. Again, that's going to hold off until Tuesday. In fact, we've timed this out for you just in case you're interested, if the snow will impact the Iowa caucuses. Well, we don't believe so because the snow will overspread Southwestern Iowa by (inaudible) blasted into the Des Moines region sometime overnight on Monday into Tuesday and then really start to filter in throughout the course on Tuesday afternoon. You can see our Iowa forecast for Monday, dry and temperatures actually above freezing for all locations.

Here's our severe weather threat. That first starts across Arkansas and into Missouri and then really fires up on Tuesday. This is the hot spot, Nashville to Memphis, Tupelo, Birmingham and Chattanooga. That's the region we're going to look out for the potential of strong lines of thunderstorms with even an isolated tornado possible as well.

[05:40:00] Hey, take a look at this. I'm going to end with this footage coming out of -- just off the coast of France. This is a crippled cargo ship, George, drifting slowly towards the French Atlantic Coast. It's about 300 kilometers offshore. Very difficult sea conditions have prevented teams from actually boarding the vessel to take control over it. Everyone was rescued and removed from the ship, of course, before it teetered over at about a 50-degree pitch. They were rescued by helicopters. So amazing videos coming off the coast of France there.

HOWELL: Derek Van Dam, thank you for sharing a great story.

VAN DAM: Thank you.

HOWELL: You are watching "CNN NEWSROOM". Still ahead, we will tell you about another country that is reporting its first patient carrying the Zika virus. Stay with us.

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HOWELL: Peru is the latest country to report a case of the Zika virus which has been linked to a dangerous disorder in newborns. Perus held minister (ph) says this Venezuelan national was diagnosed with Zika and was quick to report his symptoms to health officials.

Currently, there is no vaccine or treatment for the virus that has now spread to at least 24 countries. This outbreak has raised deep concern in medical circles and with world leaders.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DILMA ROUSSEFF, BRAZILIAN PRESIDENT: Zika is no longer just a Brazilian issue. It has hit other Latin-American countries. We're now seeing the possibility of an international threat to public health.

We do not have experience in this. We cannot compare it to anything that has already happened and it is still being studied. There are many things to be discovered and we still need to find a clearer link between this mosquito and the disease.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

[05:45:00] HOWELL: And Brazil's president went even further by saying her country is losing the battle against Zika virus. She's calling on everyone to unite against mosquitoes carrying the disease. CNN's Shasta Darlington shows us one research lab in Brazil that's trying to do just that.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

SHASTA DARLINGTON, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Here, in the state of Pernambuco, we are at the very center after the Zika virus pandemic sweeping across the Americas.

More babies have been born with birth defects here than anywhere else in Brazil and the only mosquito that's known to transmit the virus, the Aedes aegypti, is abundant. Well, now, another research center, Fiocruz, right here in Recife, is investigating whether a much more common mosquito could also be transmitting the virus. In fact, it's 20 times more common. We have the opportunity to chat with Dr. Constancia Ayres at the research center. Take a listen to what she told us.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: So here we have both species. This is the Zika vector, Aedes aegypti, the known vector, and this is Culex quinquefasciatus, the most common mosquito in America.

DARLINGTON: Including the United States and Canada?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Including the United States and Canada. And Culex is also a factor of many (inaudible) like West Nile Virus, Japanese encephalitis.

DARLINGTON: So couldn't be the first time that it was transmitting a disease that effects humans?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Yes. Exactly. So it's no (inaudible) of all the virus.

DARLINGTON: So why not Zika?

Now, if Dr. Ayres' research shows that the Culex mosquito can indeed carry the virus, the potential is huge for it to spread much more quickly and much further than initially anticipated. But even the doctor herself admits there are no conclusions reached yet, that the initial findings will only be in, in about a month and even then she'll require months of field work. Shasta Darlington, CNN, Recife, Brazil.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

HOWELL: A great real deal of research is being done on this. In Europe, one scientist shows us how he's genetically modifying mosquitoes in an effort to fight the diseases like Zika. CNN's Erin McLaughlin has this story.

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ERIN MCLAUGHLIN, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: They look like growing lobules. These larvae represent ground zero in the fight against mosquito-born disease. The virus known as Zika continues to spread throughout South America and beyond, linked to thousands of babies being born with shrunken brains. Authorities don't know exactly what to do about it. There's no vaccine, and fumigation is limited. MCLAUGHLIN: A company here in England says the key to solving the mosquito problem is more mosquitoes like these.

MCLAUGHLIN: Here at Altatech (ph) labs, they've been genetically modifiying to produce offspring that die before growing into mature adults. Only male mosquitoes are introduced into the wild.

ANDY MCKENNEY, HEAD OF FIELD OPERATIONS: I just want to show you the males because we only release males as they don't bite.

MCLAUGHLIN: Oh, OK.

MCKENNEY: It's actually the female mosquitoes which bite and the problem is they transmit the disease.

MCLAUGHLIN: OK.

MCKENNEY: So you can see, it's only the males I can put my hand in here without worrying that I'm going to get bitten.

MCLAUGHLIN: It's essentially death by sex. Once the genetically modified male mates with the female, it passes on the deadly gene. That gene then spreads to the larvae. The larvae are then unable to grow into adults. For tracking purposes, they also glow in the dark.

MCKENNEY: So here, we can see six of these mosquitoes, three at the top and three at the bottom under normal light. But if I turn down the white light, you can see the ones at the top there's a glow around the eye. That glow is due to a genetic mark up.

MCLAUGHLIN: And why is that important?

MCKENNEY: What we can do is look at the proportion of the mosquitoes we get back from the field and see what proportion have the gene which means they're not going to develop to adults as opposed to the proportion of wild type ones and based on that ratio, we can adjust the release rate of our males.

MCLAUGHLIN: So far that tracking shows promising results. One study done in the Brazilian City of El Dorado shows an 82 percent reduction in mosquito larvae compared to a non-treated area 1.5 kilometers away. Fight the swarm of the spread of Zika could spread into a global pandemic. Who would have thought that the key to stopping it could be a glowing mutant mosquito? Erin McLaughlin, CNN, Oxford, England.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HOWELL: You can find out how to help fight the battle against Zika from providing mosquito nets and antibiotics and other aid. It's all on our "Impact Your World" web site. That's at cnn.com/impact.

When it comes to Sarah Palin, is Tina Fey better than the real thing? Palin's daughter does not think so. Why Bristol is raising a fuss over the Palin parody. That's next.

[05:50:00] (COMMERCIAL BREAK) (WORLD SPORTS)

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HOWELL: OK. So this might not be everyone's first choice for a tattoo granted, but some people in the U.S. State of New Hampshire are rushing to get some free ink of Republican presidential candidate, you see him there, Donald Trump.

The owner of this shop says he has been getting tons of calls since announcing the deal. Some Trump faithful are even traveling from as far away as the state of Florida to get their free Trump tattoos.

All right, so she is not even a candidate, not a public servant at the moment but still, Sarah Palin remains a force to be reckoned with in U.S. politics and a lightning rod on the comedy circuit. While audiences may get a kick out of her most famous impersonator, Palin's daughter says Tina Fey has it all wrong. Jeanne Moos has the story.

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JEANNE MOOS, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: You may think Tina Fey has nailed her Sarah Palin impersonation.

TINA FEY, SARAH PALIN IMPERSONATOR: Heads are spinning. Media heads are spinning.

MOOS: But there's one critic who sounds a little bitter.

FEY: Right winging bitter clinging. Right winging bitter clinging. Proud quitters (ph) of our gun.

MOOS: Sarah Palin's daughter is clinging proudly to her mother writing in her blog that Tina Fey "sounds nothing like my mom."

[05:55:00] MOOS: Bristol compared what had she called Tina Fey's fake accent to nails on a chalk board.

FEY: Lurking (ph) off to ...

MOOS: Bristol thinks SNL has been slurping off the Palin gravy train. Writing Saturday Night Live and Tina Fey they have been clinging to this impersonation a little too long. It's getting pathetic.

FEY: You rocking rollers and holy rollers, pushed in strollers, probe baller with an abscessed molar.

MOOS: And then there's the glitzy sweater. Bristol says she thought it was funny SNL couldn't get its hands on the same top her mom wore because it's sold out. The costume department had to recreate it which it did in less than a week. SNL proudly trumpeted.

FEY: Trump and his trumpeters ...

MOOS: But when Bristol took a poll, who wore it better Sarah or Tina, it was Fey on the way, 87 percent. FEY: God bless the United States of America.

MOOS: That sounds like what Bristol would like to do to Tina. Jeanne Moos ...

FEY: God bless the United States of America.

MOOS: CNN, New York.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HOWELL: All right, so we end the show with talk of alien life. You're probably either a believer or a skeptic. Much like the agents Mulder and Scully on that hit T.V. show, "The X-Files."

Now, you can help the U.S. Government solve real-life investigations into possible extraterrestrial sightings. The CIA has released hundreds of declassified documents on aliens. You can find the cases on the blog of the Central Intelligence Agency and perhaps now the truth is actually out there.

I couldn't tell you outer space but we're got the world covered here. Thank you for joining us. I'm George Howell at the CNN Center in Atlanta. For viewers in the United States, "NEW DAY" is ahead and for other viewers around the world, "AMANPOUR" starts in a moment. You're watching CNN, the world's news leader.