Return to Transcripts main page

CNN Newsroom

Candidates Battle In Contentious Ninth Debate; 10 Killed, Suspected Gunman Found Dead; U.S. Secretary of State To Meet Soon With Saudi Leaders. Aired 2-3a ET

Aired February 20, 2020 - 02:00   ET

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

[02:00:00]

(MUSIC PLAYING)

ROSEMARY CHURCH, CNN ANCHOR (voice-over): Hello and welcome to our viewers joining us from all around the world. I'm Rosemary Church and this is CNN NEWSROOM.

Just ahead, the gloves came off at a fiery debate in Las Vegas. Democratic candidates took aim at the newest person on stage as the clock ticks to Super Tuesday.

The U.S. president is said to appoint a man with zero intelligence experience to be the acting spy chief. And as passengers continue to leave the Diamond Princess, we will talk to a couple now under quarantine in Texas.

Well, the most contentious U.S. presidential debate so far put two Democratic front-runners on the defensive for much of the night underscoring the high stakes of the upcoming caucuses, the six candidates leveled fierce attacks on each other.

The target from the start was former New York mayor Michael Bloomberg in his first debate appearance. Now Bloomberg has been accused of trying to buy the presidency with his $400 million ad campaign. He also faced attacks on his support for the controversial stop and frisk police policy and a history of sexist comments in cases that were sealed with nondisclosure agreements.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SEN. BERNIE SANDERS (D-VT), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: We are giving a voice to people who are saying we are sick and tired of billionaires like Mr. Bloomberg, seeing huge expansions of their wealth while a half a million people sleep out on the street tonight.

SEN. AMY KLOBUCHAR (D-MN), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: I actually welcomed Mayor Bloomberg to the stage. I thought he shouldn't hide behind his TV ads.

SEN. ELIZABETH WARREN (D-MA), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: I'd like to talk about who we're running against, a billionaire who calls women "fat broads" and "horsefaced lesbians" and, no, I'm not talking about Donald Trump, I'm talking about Mayor Bloomberg.

We are not going to beat Donald Trump with a man who has who knows how many nondisclosure agreements and the drip, drip, drip of stories of women, saying they have been harassed and discriminated against.

JOE BIDEN, FORMER U.S. VICE PRESIDENT AND PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: It's easy. All the mayor has to do is you are released from the nondisclosure agreement, period.

PETE BUTTIGIEG (D), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: Let's put forward somebody who is actually a Democrat. Look.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CHURCH: Well, front-runner Bernie Sanders' Medicare for all proposal was challenged as well as his electability as a Democratic socialist.

Thomas Gift joins us from Palo Alto in California.

Good to have you with us.

THOMAS GIFT, UNIVERSITY COLLEGE LONDON: Thank you, Rosemary.

CHURCH: Six Democratic presidential candidates came out swinging in this ninth debate with all eyes on front-runner Bernie Sanders but a lot of interest in newcomer Michael Bloomberg, who many accuse of buying his way onto the stage.

Who were the winners and losers just days ahead of the critical Nevada caucuses?

GIFT: Yes, so I'll mention two candidates who I thought were winners. First Sanders delivered another solid performance. Content-wise very similar to what we've heard before. But I think he kept the message on point and also effectively centered his comments on why he thinks he's the best to mobilize the base and beat Trump.

That focus on electability is what Sanders needed to keep the momentum going in Nevada. The polls show he has a sizable lead but he's still vulnerable to charges about whether a Democratic socialist is electable.

I also think Elizabeth Warren had one of her better debates tonight and got into quite a few attacks against Bloomberg over some of his problems as -- in his record as a mayor and also some of these sexist comments that he's made toward women. Losers, I think we have to talk about Michael Bloomberg.

CHURCH: Yes, absolutely. And I do want to listen again to what Elizabeth Warren had to say about Michael Bloomberg. Let's just bring that up.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

WARREN: I'd like to talk about who we're running against. A billionaire who calls women "fat broads" and "horsefaced lesbians" and, no, I'm not talking about Donald Trump. I'm talking about Mayor Bloomberg.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CHURCH: It was certainly Warren's big moment and Bloomberg didn't appear properly prepared to respond on his past actions, words and how surprise were you by his inability to strike back and what might that mean going into forward, do you think?

GIFT: I couldn't agree with you more. Bloomberg didn't seem to be in midseason form, I'll put it this way. This is it his first debate so maybe that's to be expected. But he had to anticipate some of these attacks were coming on stop and frisk and some comments he allegedly made toward women.

While I wasn't surprised by the content of some of his answers, I was struck by how unconvincing his delivery was. To this point, Bloomberg really has been able to define his own image through advertisements, these public appearances.

[02:05:00]

GIFT: But tonight was the first time he got pushback and from all angles. I'm just not sure he was 100 percent ready for prime time. It's just one debate, of course but I don't think this is exactly how Bloomberg wanted to debut on stage in these debates.

CHURCH: Yes, he seemed low energy. He had been practicing but this was the result apparently.

And, of course, if Bernie Sanders continues to move ahead and gain enough support to win the Democratic nomination, can he bring enough American voters on board to beat Donald Trump?

Or would his nomination guarantee another term in office for Trump?

GIFT: Well, I do think you have to say Sanders is the front-runner at this point and had excellent showings in New Hampshire and Iowa and in Nevada has a strong lead.

One aspect of this race that hasn't gotten that much attention is that, you know, there's a chance that a lot of the moderates, Bloomberg, Biden, Klobuchar, Buttigieg and so on, they're splitting the centrist vote.

So that gives Sanders a lot of leeway in this race because Warren is essentially the only candidate who is seriously contending against him on the progressive lane so it will be interesting to see if moderate voters rally around one of these centrist candidates and make it a two-way race.

I do think there is a lot of concern within Democratic elite circles that a self-styled Democratic socialist can get the voting required to beat Donald Trump. Of course, Sanders is countering by saying he's the individual who is most likely to, you know, galvanize support among that base.

So huge tensions within the Democratic Party. I think reasonable arguments could be made on both sides.

CHURCH: Yes, absolutely, of course, this is make or break for some of these campaigns.

Who out of the six presidential hopefuls we saw on that debate stage will go on to survive the next part of this long journey and who will need to bail out?

GIFT: Well, that's a really good question. I think a lot depends on what happens in Nevada as well as South Carolina. I will say that I think one candidate who really needs to do well in both of those states is Joe Biden.

Of course, he was a front-runner early on. He had a disappointing two showings in Iowa and New Hampshire. He tried to downplay expectations in those two states. But at some point you really need to show you're in the top tier of candidates.

So a recent poll from Nevada from last week had him in second place there at about 18 percent, compared to Sanders' 25 percent. I think Biden is hoping for a respectable showing in Nevada, get a little bit of momentum going and then focus on winning South Carolina from there.

You know, he has a lead in South Carolina but that has dwindled of late. But I think he's hoping to get that momentum back and we'll see if he can.

CHURCH: Yes, we'll keep watching. Thomas Gift, many thanks to you for sharing your perspective.

GIFT: Thank you.

CHURCH: CNN will host two town halls Thursday evening, tune in to hear from Democratic candidates Joe Biden and Elizabeth Warren at 8:00 and 9:00 Eastern respectively, right here on CNN. Don't miss it.

Well, president Donald Trump has named a staunch loyalist to be the acting Director of National Intelligence and it's drawing harsh criticism, including from inside the administration. President Trump announced Wednesday he named Richard Grenell, the ambassador to Germany, as the acting spy chief.

One former senior intelligence official tells CNN that current senior officials felt blindsided by it and more concerns are being voiced over his lack of intelligence related experience and close ties with the president.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JAMES CLAPPER, FORMER U.S. DIRECTOR OF NATIONAL INTELLIGENCE: It's very unlikely that this acting director is going to say anything that contravenes the world view of President Trump. And that's not good over time when, you know, the actual intelligence

-- the subsequent intelligence assessments are suppressed in favor of not irritating the president and not contravening his world view. And that's bad for the safety and security of the country.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CHURCH: In the coming hours President Trump's longtime adviser, Roger Stone, will learn his fate. A federal judge will sentence Stone on seven counts of lying to Congress, obstruction of justice and witness tampering. The accusations arose from the investigation into Russian interference with the 2016 election.

Prosecutors originally called for up to nine years in prison.

[02:10:00]

CHURCH: But just last week, attorney general William Barr recommended a more lenient sentence, which called Barr's motives into question. President Trump isn't telling if he would pardon his close ally, saying, "We're going to see what happens."

A lot to discuss. Michael Shear is a CNN political analyst and White House correspondent for "The New York Times."

Thanks for being with us.

MICHAEL SHEAR, CNN POLITICAL ANALYST: Certainly.

CHURCH: So President Trump named his ambassador to Germany, Richard Grenell, as his next acting intelligence chief. And while Grenell is certainly a staunch loyalist, he doesn't have any intelligence related experience.

Does that not matter anymore?

Or does loyalty trump experience?

SHEAR: Look, I think, certainly in this administration, loyalty is almost everything. The president has shown that both in terms of the people that he does want around him but also the people he doesn't want around him, right?

The recent purges we saw that the president did of some of the people who had testified against him during the impeachment inquiry suggests that, you know, he's ridding himself, he's ridding his administration of people around him who he doesn't think are sufficiently loyal.

And I think Rick Grenell is one of those people who, you know, has never strayed an inch from the Trump agenda, the Trump rhetoric both while in office serving in Germany but also just as an online presence before that.

So I think this appears to be a reward for that kind of loyalty and I think, you know, it is designed, putting him in as acting DNI, head of the intelligence services, means he doesn't have to submit Rick Grenell's name to the Senate for confirmation, where, frankly, I think there would be a great deal of skepticism.

You know, largely along the lines that you suggest, which is he doesn't have the kind of deep experience and intelligence matters that such people -- the people who fill such positions normally have.

CHURCH: Interestingly, even some Trump allies are unnerved by President Trump's Grenell pick.

What does that signal to you?

SHEAR: Well, look, I mean, you know, there have been moments when even President Trump's allies have expressed misgivings or concerns about a decision that the president has suggested -- has either made or suggested he's going to make.

What rarely happens though is the follow-through from that. Usually what has generally seemed to happen is a sense that some of the allies express some consternation but in the end they sort of fall in line and, you know, do what the president wants or at least don't express enough misgivings that anything actually changes.

I think what you're likely to see here, given the fact there is no Senate confirmation required, is you're likely to see Rick Grenell to be put into this position and the critics are going to sort of fade away.

CHURCH: Yes, and we also know, of course, that Donald Trump's buddy, Roger Stone, will be sentenced in a matter of hours now. On Tuesday the president pardoned a number of friends and felons.

Was that to set the scene for another pardon this time, of course, for Roger Stone?

SHEAR: Look, we're all -- in Washington we're all waiting for that shoe to drop, right?

Is President Trump going to pardon Roger Stone?

That would be an amazing assertion of presidential authority, essentially on the basis of a personal relationship for a friend of his.

You know, the pardons that he issued over the last day or so, many of them were for people who, you know, are sort of in his kind of broad category of friends and business associates, who, you know, who had recommended to him, here's the people that we want, we think that you should pardon and didn't go through the normal Justice Department vetting process.

It didn't sort of follow the normal usual rules the presidents do. And so I mean I think -- I think it at least suggests what we've already known, which is the president doesn't follow those normal rules. And if he continues to do that pattern, he may well decide to pardon Roger Stone.

CHURCH: Finally what, is the back story to suggestions that attorney general Bill Barr was considering resigning over President Trump's effort to undermine him on Twitter in relation to the Roger Stone sentencing and making his job harder?

Is that real or a distraction?

SHEAR: You know, I don't think we quite know. The people inside the Justice Department suggest that, you know, the attorney general has, in fact, considered it. Publicly, they're saying he is not about to resign. I think what we don't know is whether this is really a tipping point for Bill Barr, that he's ready to resign potentially.

[02:15:00]

SHEAR: If the president keeps tweeting about the department in a way that he doesn't think is proper or whether the attorney general is sort of trying to send signals to the president that say, look, I'm doing what you want me to do.

Stop making my life harder, stop making your life harder by putting me in this position. And I think there's some evidence to suggest that at least part of it is trying -- is him trying to send that message to the president. And we'll see if it works.

CHURCH: Michael Shear, always great to talk with you. Thank you.

SHEAR: Sure. Happy to.

CHURCH: And we'll take a short break here.

When we come back after one coronavirus quarantine in Japan, some Americans have to do it all over again in the United States. Two evacuees from the Diamond Princess cruise ship share their experiences. We're back in a moment.

(MUSIC PLAYING)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

STARTING POINT

(MUSIC PLAYING)

CHURCH: Well, China says the number of new cases from the novel coronavirus keeps dropping but it could be because the country has once again changed its counting methods.

[02:20:00]

CHURCH: Officials reported 394 more infections across the mainland on Wednesday, most of them from Hubei province. That's about 1,300 fewer than the day before.

Now the reason for the drop could be because China no longer counts clinically diagnosed patients or people who showed symptoms, even if they tested negative for the disease. Worldwide, the virus has infected more than 75,000 people and killed

at least 2,100. On Wednesday, Iran for the first time reported two deaths from the outbreak.

Meantime, Japan says two passengers from a quarantined cruise ship have also died. And this comes as officials are now allowing people to disembark and return home. CNN's Blake Essig is live in Yokohama.

What more are you learning about the deaths from the passengers from that cruise ship?

BLAKE ESSIG, CNN CORRESPONDENT: These are the first two confirmed cases of the coronavirus on that cruise ship that have resulted in deaths. The Japanese health ministry has come out and said these are two people -- they tested positive for the coronavirus last week. They're both in their 80s, a man and woman and both from Japan here.

But at this point not much else is known. We actually do -- one other bit of information; both did have pre-existing conditions. Another bit of information as far as new developments coming out today from this quarantined cruise ship, two government officials working on the cruise ship have tested positive for the coronavirus as well.

And this speaks to the -- you know, what health officials have come out and said is a failed quarantine on the ship. When you look at the numbers, more than 600 confirmed cases. And when you look at the entire country of Japan, there's only 68 additional cases on -- in Japan itself, not associated with the cruise ship.

And when you look at those numbers and think about the mortality rate, only two people have died so far but there's a roughly 2.3 percent mortality rate when it comes to this coronavirus. And so all those people on the cruise ship, the number is very small right now. But there is a potential for further loss of life, Rosemary.

CHURCH: Yes, totally understood. Of course, also a lot of concern on the part of medical experts and others, the testing and releasing many of these passengers. And sending them home now could potentially spread the coronavirus even further because there are no tests put in place to sort of check and keep tabs on them.

What's being said about that?

ESSIG: Well, that's what is really scary. You have all of these people, another 500 people that are supposed to be disembarking from the cruise ship today. They're leaving essentially with a clean bill of health, a certificate that says they've tested negative for the virus. They've essentially done their quarantine and can go anywhere in Japan and do whatever they want.

That being said, the CDC, on their website, says that, when it comes to testing in the early stages of the infection, you can actually be tested and come back with a negative test result, even, in fact, if you do have the virus and that is what infectious disease experts are so scared of. You have this quarantine on this ship, where you have people walking

around daily -- today the captain came over the intercom and said that the people that are still on board will have two to three opportunities to mill around the ship. The only requirements they have is to wear a mask, stay a meter away from other passengers and not congregate into groups.

But there is no green zone, red zone -- clean zone, infected zone -- to know where the virus could or may or may not be and so the potential for people who are disembarking to potentially contract this virus and take it out into the general population is pretty high and that is what is so scary, Rosemary.

CHURCH: Yes, that's why it's so confounding they have decided to do this. Blake Essig, thanks for bringing us up to date, appreciate it.

My next guests, Cheryl and Paul Molesky, are at Lackland Air Force Base under another quarantine after being stuck on the Diamond Princess.

Thanks for joining us after a terrible ordeal.

CHERYL MOLESKY, QUARANTINED CRUISE SHIP PASSENGER: Thank you.

PAUL MOLESKY, QUARANTINED CRUISE SHIP PASSENGER: Thank you.

CHURCH: Now how are you coping under this second quarantine period?

How difficult has this been?

C. MOLESKY: Well, we are doing pretty well. It's a couple days after our flight which was very difficult.

[02:25:00]

C. MOLESKY: And we're starting to settle into our new routine and the rules and the food and the things that we have to do here to maintain our comfortable as possible style and so on.

(CROSSTALK)

CHURCH: And what is that new routine?

C. MOLESKY: Well, actually --

(CROSSTALK)

P. MOLESKY: Getting over jet lag mainly.

C. MOLESKY: But also, you know, eating three times a day, contacting our family and friends, which we do a lot more often, now that we're here, talking to people on our comments on our YouTube channel, doing some interviews, just things like that, trying to exercise, walk outside a little bit.

CHURCH: Wonderful. Well, I have to say, I mean you both look absolutely fantastic and most of us have seen the videos that you took, documenting life under quarantine on the Diamond Princess.

When you look back, what was the hardest part of that quarantine experience?

C. MOLESKY: Really the hardest part is the uncertainty of every day. You just don't know what's going to happen next and you don't know if they'll come knocking on your door to take you to the hospital because you have coronavirus.

Or you don't know how you're going to get home. I think those were the biggest things. We just had to really go with the flow day to day.

CHURCH: And Japanese authorities, they kept you all on board that ship in what most experts say was a failed quarantine.

So what did you both think when you saw passengers tested then released off that ship Wednesday and sent out to various communities across the globe, with no follow-up and no quarantine like you're going through now, as a second wave?

C. MOLESKY: Well, really we weren't even aware of that but the Americans that got on the plane, they really hadn't tested us other than a questionnaire and taking our temperature. And, you know, we know now the COVID-19 can be asymptomatic. So really we feel that we were exposed to the virus while we were on the plane ride.

CHURCH: One of the problems on the ship was getting enough water in some instances, wasn't it, and getting that even flow of food?

You mentioned in the second quarantine you get three meals a day and getting the nice, clean water.

C. MOLESKY: Yes, in the beginning it was a little rough because they hadn't really done that before, think about delivering food to 3,000 cabins, you know, or people and it's difficult. So it took them a couple of days to get it down. But it worked out as time went on.

CHURCH: The tough thing on the ship was for a lot of those crew members, they were going from passenger to passenger handing out towels and various other items and in some instances exposing themselves to the coronavirus and perhaps passing it along as well because now we hear that it can stay alive for nine days on any surface.

It's a little worrying, isn't it?

C. MOLESKY: Wow. Wow.

P. MOLESKY: We didn't know that.

C. MOLESKY: Yes, we didn't know that.

That's why our room here after the plane ride we dropped -- we had an area where we could just take off all our clothes, leave our bags, everything dirty and just go into a shower and go into a clean area of the room. And we felt so terrible at that point that we had so many germs on us

that that's exactly what we did. And I'm glad we did that, now that we know it lasts for nine days.

CHURCH: Cheryl and Paul Molesky, thanks so very much for sharing your experience and documenting it so we all got to understand what you went through throughout that quarantine period and now in a second one. And we wish you the very best.

C. MOLESKY: Thank you.

P. MOLESKY: Thank you.

C. MOLESKY: We'll keep documenting.

CHURCH: Such a wonderful couple there.

We'll take a very short break. When we come back, a deadly shooting spree in Germany comes to an end. We have more information from police on the fate of the suspected gunman. We're back in just a moment.

[02:30:00]

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

CHURCH: Welcome back everyone. I'm Rosemary Church. U.S. Democratic presidential candidates took sharp aim at each other in a fiery debate in Las Vegas on Wednesday. Former New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg was the first targets in his debate debut. He was accused of trying to buy the presidency with his multimillion-dollar ad campaign, and he was challenged on sexist comments in cases against his company that was settled with non-disclosure agreements.

Rivals attack front runner Bernie Sanders on electability and his Medicare for all plans. Sanders' health has also become an issue. His campaign traded barbs with Bloomberg's about each man's heart health. Ryan Nobles has the details.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

RYAN NOBLES, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Bernie Sanders is facing new questions over his health.

SEN. BERNIE SANDERS (D-VT), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: I feel very good. Thank you.

NOBLES: After suffering a heart attack last fall, Sanders pledged to release his medical records before the primary. In late December, he released three letters from doctors who treated him that included a summary of the Senator's health and some test results. At Tuesday night CNN Town Hall, Sanders said that's as far as he plans to go.

ANDERSON COOPER, CNN ANCHOR: Just to be clear, you don't plan to release any more records.

SANDERS: I don't. I don't think we will. No. NOBLES: That after telling CNN this in October just days after his

heart attack.

SANDERS: At the appropriate time, all of our medical records are public for you and for anybody else who wants to see them.

NOBLES: A Sanders spokeswoman telling CNN today that additional requests for the Vermont Senator's medical records unfair.

BRIAHNA JOY GRAY, NATIONAL PRESS SECRETARY FOR BERNIE SANDERS: And what you're seeing right now is really reminiscent of some of the kind of smear, kind of skepticism campaigns that have been run against a lot of different candidates in the past.

NOBLES: Then going further by distorting Michael Bloomberg's past heart issues.

GRAY: It's really telling given that none of the same concern has been demonstrated for Michael Bloomberg who was the same age as Bernie Sanders, who has suffered heart attacks in the past.

NOBLES: That's not true. Bloomberg underwent a coronary stent replacement in 2000 for a blocked artery but did not have a heart attack. Bloomberg's campaign firing back calling this statement an "absolute lie" and saying, facts matter. This isn't the way we defeat Donald Trump in November. Sanders' press secretary later tweeting that she misspoke. Both candidates are 78 and would be the oldest president ever elected to a first year.

Bloomberg released a letter from his doctor in December saying he was "in outstanding health" with "no medical concerns president or looming that would prevent him from serving as president of the United States." And Sanders' doctors letters says that he is "in good health currently." That engaging vigorously in the rigors of your campaign travel and other scheduled activities without any limitation.

[02:35:09]

SANDERS: You think I'm not in good health, come on out with me on the campaign trail and I'll let you introduce me to the three or four rallies a day that we do. How is that?

NOBLES: And we asked our own medical expert Dr. Sanjay Gupta, CNN's Chief Medical Correspondent as to what he thought about the transparency or lack thereof from the Sanders' campaign, and he said that while Sanders has not released his full medical records, these three letters that he released from his doctor do give us quite a bit of insight into his health and his recovery from the heart attack.

He also said that letters like these are pretty standard forms of communication between doctors and their patients.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

CHURCH: Ryan Nobles with that report. A gunman suspected of going on a deadly shooting spree in Germany has been found dead in his apartment. Police believe he was responsible for two attacks, killing 10 people in a small town east of Frankfort Wednesday night. CNN's Nic Robertson joins me now from London.

So Nic, what were you learning about the shooting rampage and of course the circumstances leading up to these two attacks?

NIC ROBERTSON, CNN INTERNATIONAL DIPLOMATIC EDITOR: I think one of the significant things here, this is very unusual for Germany. The last time there was a killing rampage like this, it was four or five years ago, 2016. We know that the Frankfurt police, the much bigger city close there, about 10 miles, 16 kilometers away, the police there have now taken over the investigation.

One of the people who was killed was found at the property of the gunman himself. It's not clear who that person with him who was -- who was dead, was but it certainly sort of building a picture for the police about the person behind the attack. And we really don't know much more about them than this.

However, we can begin to perhaps build a partial bit of a picture from the locations that he chose to attack, two locations, shisha bars and what we understand to be an immigrant neighborhood in this town of Hanau. So it does appear, although there are plenty of, you know, Germans who are not immigrants, who would -- who would hang out at these places as well. There is perhaps an element of targeting there. We don't know.

Nine people, in total, killed at those two different locations. But I think the motivation is going to be key here. And what we know from CNN's affiliate RTL in Germany, they're quoting the police saying that there's gunman left behind written message and a video. I think we can reasonably expect that there will be clues to the reason for the attack in that letter and in that video, but at the moment, we don't know what they are. And it's really speculation to know what motivated him but there's by any stretch in Germany a terrible, deadly attack. Something the spokesperson for the Chancellor Angela Merkel has spoken about today in very sad and sympathetic terms.

CHURCH: Yes, it is a tragedy. Nic Robertson bringing us the details there from London. We will, of course, continue to follow this story and bring those details to our viewers. I appreciate it. We'll take a short break here. Still to come, America's top diplomat is in Saudi Arabia for high-level talks. Topping the agenda, the ongoing tensions with Iran. We'll have a live report just ahead.

[02:40:00]

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

CHURCH: Well, the U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo is in Saudi Arabia right now. Soon he will meet with Saudi leaders to discuss ongoing tensions with Iran. Pompeo says the U.S. is willing to talk to Iran if certain conditions are met. It was just over six weeks ago that a U.S. drone strike in Baghdad killed Iran's top military commander. More than 100 U.S. troops suffered mild brain injuries days later when Iran retaliated with a missile strike on Iraqi military basis.

So let's bring in CNN's Sam Kylie. He joins us from Abu Dhabi. Good to see you, Sam. What's expected to come out of Mike Pompeo's meeting with Saudi leaders? And how likely is it that we'll see talks between the U.S. and Iran?

SAM KILEY, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, to answer your second question first there, Rosemary, very, very unlikely indeed. The position of the United States or the policy of the United States is one of confrontation and containment as laid out a few months ago by none other than Mike Pompeo.

That means that from the American perspective, it's not until the United States very publicly and a verifiably abandons every effort to develop any kind of nuclear weapons program which of course, was supposed to have been agreed that it would suspend that process or suspended its trajectory in that direction as part of the famous JCPOA which the United States walked away from.

On top of that, they want to see the Iranians stop the destabilization programs that they've got around the world support for Hezbollah, Houthis in Yemen, and its destabilizing activities inside Iraq, and indeed, attacks on American targets in Iraq, which have been blamed on Iranian backed militias. So in that context, the Iranians who have an election later on this week, indeed, tomorrow are taking an increasingly hard line with their response to the United States.

But then, to look at what they may get out of this Pompeo-Saudi visit, it's part of the ongoing reassurance campaign shoring up that very critical strategic alliance from position of both sides in the face of what the Iranians have demonstrated is quite potent potential military power, those missiles that rain down with a very great accuracy into the Iraqi camp -- Iraqi airbase with an American camp inside it. Words really was quite devastating and really has shaken the United States in terms of demonstrating homegrown Iraqi technical military capability, Rosemary.

CHURCH: Sam Kiley in Abu Dhabi, many thanks. Well, speaking of Iran, as President Rouhani grapples with intense U.S. pressure, Iranian voters are gearing up to go to the polls Friday to choose a new parliament. But as CNN Fred Pleitgen explains, there's plenty of disillusionment in the political process there.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

FRED PLEITGEN, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Campaigning Iranian style. Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, one of the main conservative candidates at a rally in a mosque south of Tehran. The biggest issues, the tough economic situation and the Trump administration's maximum sanctions.

[02:45:12]

Enemies of the Islamic Revolution led by America, when they feel our power when they feel they're in danger, then the pursue a fight against our religion, our beliefs, and traditions, which are the basis of the Islamic Revolution, he says.

Not far away, the moderates try to rally their troops but their popularity has shrunk as Iran's economic turmoil deepens. One of the leaders of the reformist lists saying they want to try and economic isolation.

Fighting the roots of corruption, promoting civil liberties and expanding social participation of the people in their destiny, as well as developing relations with the world, he says. But moderates around President Hassan Rouhani are under fire as the Trump administration is pulled out from the Iran nuclear agreement and campaign of maximum pressure have battered the country's economy.

In November, protests over fuel price hike caused a harsh reaction from authorities. And the recent killing by the U.S. of top Iranian general Qassem Soleimani and Iran's counterattack firing ballistic missiles at installations housing U.S. troops in Iraq nearly brought the two countries to war.

Iran continues to face international backlash after accidentally shot down a Ukrainian commercial airliner killing all those on board during this standoff. Voter turnout will be a major factor to watch after thousands of candidates, many of the moderates, were disqualified for running by Iran's Guardian Council. At a press conference, I questioned the spokesman for the council about the issue.

Can you explain a little more the process that you go through when vetting and also disqualifying candidates for this election.

ABBAS-ALI KADKHODAEI, SPOKESMAN, IRAN GUARDIAN COUNCIL (through translator): The candidates should meet the standards such as certain age and degrees and police clearance, and also they should not have crime records such as drought, corruption and bad reputation.

PLEITGEN: Iran's leadership has started a P.R. campaign urging people to come out and cast their ballots as the country battles voter apathy from a public that continues to face major hardships. Fred Pleitgen, CNN Tehran.

CHURCH: And next on CNN NEWSROOM, once a beautiful family, now a grieving family. As more women die in childbirth in the U.S. than in less developed countries. A search for answers just ahead.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

DON RIDDELL, CNN INTERNATIONAL SPORTS ANCHOR: Hi there. I'm Don Riddell with your CNN World Sport headlines. It has been another dramatic night in the Champions League where Atalanta's fairytale run has continued. The Italians are playing in Europe's top competition for the first time. This is also their first appearance in the knockout stage and they destroyed Valencia at home in Milan taking a four-nil lead before Valencia grabbed a lifeline with an away go. Second leg is still to come but Atalanta will feel as though they already have one foot In the quarterfinals. And there was something of an upset in London where Germany's RB Leipzig beat last season's finalist Tottenham. Just the one goal in it, a penalty from Timo Wener, Spurs were missing their attacking stars Harry Kane and Son Heung-min. And they'll have to do much better in the return leg in Germany next month.

And Manchester City are desperately trying to change the narrative after being thrown out of the Champions League for breaching financial fairplay regulations. Their chief executive Ferran Soriano says the charges are simply not true. He was there speaking to cities in house T.V. station, and not to an independent journalist.

On Wednesday, City beat West Ham in the Premier League with goals from Rodri and Kevin De Bruyne, but surely the conversation will return the City's off-field problems soon enough. That is a quick look at your sports headlines, I'm Don Riddell.

[02:50:00]

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

CHURCH: The United States has the world's biggest economy, but it's also the only developed country with a rising death rate for pregnant or new mothers. Women in America are dying in childbirth in greater numbers than pregnant women in Iran, Turkey, or Kazakhstan. And systemic racism may be a factor. CNN's Robyn Curnow talks to a grieving family who want answers.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ROBYN CURNOW, CNN INTERNATIONAL ANCHOR: Little boys playing watched over by a mom they are too young to remember,

CURNOW: Kira Johnson's husband Charles hasn't stopped remembering. He's still grieving, still angry from that night in hospital.

CHARLES JOHNSTON, KIRA'S HUSBAND: I can see the Foley catheter coming from Kira's bedside began to turn pink with blood.

CURNOW: He says doctors told them now 3-year-old Langston's birth would be a routine cesarean section.

JOHNSTON: I just held her hands and said, please, look, my wife isn't doing well. And this woman looked me directly in my eyes and she said, sir, your wife just isn't a priority right now. And it wasn't until 12:30 a.m. the next morning that they finally made the decision to take Kira back to surgery.

CURNOW: As critical minutes turned into hours, Johnson says he was continually ignored by staff at Cedar Sinai Hospital in Los Angeles, as Kira's health continue to suffer.

JOHNSTON: When they took Kira back to surgery and he opened her up, there were three and a half liters of blood in her abdomen from where she had been allowed to bleed internally for almost 10 hours. And her heart stopped immediately. CURNOW: Johnston is suing the hospital for the loss of his wife. And with the case pending, Cedars Sinai told CNN in a statement that they could not respond directly because of privacy laws, but that Cedars Sinai thoroughly investigate any situation where their concerns about a patient's medical care. Kira was a successful entrepreneur who spoke five languages.

This is video she recorded teaching her firstborn son to speak Mandarin. This was a woman who could fly planes and skydive, seemed invincible to her family, which is why her death is so much harder to understand.

JOHNSTON: That's why I started to do the research myself and I realized that oh my gosh, we are in the midst of a maternal mortality crisis that isn't just shameful for American standards, it is shameful on a global scale.

CURNOW: The charity Every Mother Counts which was started by supermodel Christy Turlington works across the world on maternal health, but also in the U.S. because America is the only develop country with a rising death rate for pregnant or new mothers. Approximately 700 women in the U.S. die each year.

Globally, the comparison is stark. More mothers die in childbirth in America than they do in Iran, Turkey, or Bosnia Herzegovina, even Kazakhstan. All have lower maternal death rates.

LYNSEY ADDARIO, WAR PHOTOGRAPHER: Finally, they took her to the doctor.

Name is a Pulitzer Prize-winning war photographer who's documented the deaths of women in childbirth around the world in the same way she tackles a war zone.

ADDARIO: It's almost more heartbreaking because I think when I go to war, I kind of know what to expect.

CURNOW: What she did not expect was to find that her own birthplace, America, was failing pregnant women in some of the same ways that much less developed countries failed their mothers.

ADDARIO: When I go to the United States, I see, you know, these little scenes of heartbreak. I just can't believe they're happening in my own country. It's almost harder.

CURNOW: Every Mother Counts as many of their deaths are because of an unequal healthcare system and systemic racism. Public health experts warn this crisis is not just affecting poor or sick moms, but also a healthy, college-educated African American woman.

[02:55:10]

WANDA BARFIELD, DIRECTOR, DIVISION OF REPRODUCTIVE HEALTH, CDC: We do know that there may be issues in terms of institutional racism, a well-educated African American woman with more than a high school education has a five-fold risk of death compared to a white woman with less than high school education.

JOHNSTON: There is a failure and a disconnect for the people who are responsible for the lives of these precious women and babies to see them and value them in the same way that they would their daughters, their mothers, their sisters.

CURNOW: Now, part of an unnecessarily large fraternity of Americans who've lost partners in childbirth, Charles is pushing for policy changes, raising awareness and trying to hold doctors and hospitals accountable.

JOHNSTON: If I can simply do something to make sure that I send other mothers home with their precious babies, then it's all worth it.

CURNOW: And he's raising his sons teaching them about their mother.

JOHNSTON: What we're trying to do is just wake up every day, make mommy proud, repeat.

You're so good.

CURNOW: Robyn Curnow, CNN Atlanta.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

CHURCH: It is a shocking story. And before we go, some extraordinary video. Having a brain tumor removed is scary, of course. Imagine what it must be like to do this.

Musician Dagmar Turner played the violin during her operation at King's College Hospital in London. She feared her condition would affect areas of her brain that controls her hand movements. So surgeons talked to her and had her play while they worked. They successfully removed 90 percent of Dagmar's tumor, and she kept full function in her left hand. Extraordinary.

And thank you so much for joining us. I'm Rosemary Church. I'll be back with more news in just a moment. For our viewers in the United States, "EARLY START" is up next. You're watching CNN. Do stay with us.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

END