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New Day Sunday

CNN Projects: Bernie Sanders Wins Nevada Caucuses; National Security Adviser: No Intelligence Behind Claims Of 2020 Russian Election Interference; Soon: Trump Departs For Two-Day Trip To India; New WH Personnel Head Looking To Cut Disloyal Staffers; Candidates Prepare For Crucial Votes; South Korea Raises Alert Level As Coronavirus Cases Pass 600. Aired 7-8a ET

Aired February 23, 2020 - 07:00   ET

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

[07:00:00]

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: That's an experience that he finds extremely humiliating.

REPORTER: His father insists that the Prince of Wales is protected at all times. But Edward defies his father's orders.

JULILAN LORD HARDINGE, GRANDSON OF KING GEORGE V'S ASST PRIVATE SECRETARY: At one point, he escaped from his minders and headed off to the frontline.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

CHRISTI PAUL, CNN ANCHOR: "THE WINDSORS: INSIDE THE ROYAL DYNASTY" airs tonight at 10:00 Eastern and Pacific right here on CNN.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

WOLF BLITZER, CNN HOST: CNN can now project that Bernie Sanders is the winner of the Nevada caucuses.

SEN. BERNIE SANDERS (I-VT), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: In Nevada, we've put together a multigenerational, multiracial coalition, which is going to not only win in Nevada, it's going to sweep this country.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Bernie Sanders has momentum. It is the most cherished gift in politics and he has it.

PETE BUTTIGIEG (D), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: Before we rush to nominate senator Sanders in our one shot to take on this president, let us take a sober look at what is at stake for our party, for our values and for those with the most to lose.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: This is a real blowout that we're seeing here. It's a problem for all of these other candidates because one or more of them need to figure out who is the one to step back?

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ANNOUNCER: This is NEW DAY WEEKEND with Victor Blackwell and Christi Paul.

PAUL: Good morning to you on this Sunday.

Senator Bernie Sanders seems to be cementing his front-runner status with a victory in Nevada. With 50 percent of precincts reporting now, CNN projects he will win the state's caucuses. Former Vice President Joe Biden, you see there, in second place, former Mayor Pete Buttigieg in third and then Elizabeth Warren rounding out the top four.

VICTOR BLACKWELL, CNN ANCHOR: Now, Senator Sanders was in Texas as the early results came in, talking to his supporters, and assuring them that they will win across the country.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SANDERS: In Nevada and in New Hampshire and in Iowa, what we showed is that our volunteers are prepared to knock on hundreds and hundreds of thousands of doors, that no campaign has a grassroots movement like we do, which is another reason why we're going to win this election.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

PAUL: Now, Sanders celebrates his victory, his rival candidates are piling on the attacks.

BLACKWELL: Yes, both Buttigieg and Biden are making the case why they are the only ones who can beat President Trump in November.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BUTTIGIEG: I am here to make the case for a politics that invites everyone in instead of saying it's my way or the highway.

JOE BIDEN (D), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: I ain't a socialist, I ain't a plutocrat, I'm a Democrat. I'm a Democrat. I was proud to have and run with Barack Obama. And I'm proud to still be his friend.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

PAUL: CNN correspondent Evan McMorris-Santoro is in Reno, Nevada, following the results.

Evan, good to see you, I know, so early this morning. Thank you for being up for us.

Talk to me about --

EVAN MCMORRIS-SANTORO, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Of course.

PAUL: -- what voters are saying about how Sanders can broaden his appeal across the Democratic Party and turn out voters. Does this solidify that?

MCMORRIS-SANTORO: Well, listen, it was really interesting listening to that sound you just played of the other candidates now really shifting their attention to Sanders for really the first time in this whole primary process. They're now really trying to go after him.

What's interesting about it, what makes it a harder sell here in Nevada, this is a Democratic caucus. I mean, yes, it was open to anybody who wanted to show up. But it's a very involved thing to do. It takes a long time to caucus. It's very complicated. Only at a certain time of the day, there are very long lines sometimes.

You have to really be invested in the Democratic Party to really want to come out and participate in this thing. The people who did supported Bernie. So when you hear these establishment Democrats talking more about how -- listen, hey, I'm establishment, look at what I can bring, this is the kind of thing that Sanders can now push back on with a victory like he got here in Nevada.

And now, what he can do is move on and what he's already doing is trying to talk about how he's going to be the uniter of a Democratic Party, he's going to be -- you know, if he's the presumptive nominee, which of course he isn't, there's a lot of delegates to go. But the momentum that he's gotten is allowing him to talk as though he is the guy who's going to carry the party forward.

And you can hear in a speech he gave right after wining here in Nevada.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SANDERS: If we stand together, if we fight for an agenda that works for working families and the middle class, if we get involved in the political process, if we stand for justice, if we stand for justice, if we stand for compassion, if we understand that we are all in this together, that my family has to care about your family, your family cares about my family -- brothers and sisters, if we stand together we will not only defeat Trump, we will transform this country and create a government and an economy that works for all of us, not wealthy campaign contributors.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

[07:05:53]

MCMORRIS-SANTORO: So this is not a subtle message from Senator Sanders. He's saying, listen, I just picked up a bunch of momentum, it's time for you, the Democratic Party, to think about uniting behind me.

And his message is, look, the same message for a very long time. He says the same thing, talks about the same stuff. But this time he tied it to an organization that seems like it can't really be beat by anybody. I mean, the reality of winning in all these primary states that we've seen so far are really on the ground efforts that take a lot of time and a lot of people. And as he mentioned in that earlier sound we played before, we played, you know, his rivals, the organization is something to be very, very proud of.

And so far in these smaller states, he's been able to activate that base -- and activate that base of volunteers. Now we move into Super Tuesday, it's a bigger more traditional effort with air -- you know, ads and other ground efforts. So, we'll see how that Bernie momentum travels into that different environment.

BLACKWELL: Three contests down, 54 to go?

Evan McMorris-Santoro, thanks so much.

PAUL: Evan is getting a vision of what he has ahead of him too, as you say that.

Joining us to discuss, former Bill Clinton White House adviser, Guy Smith.

Mr. Smith, thank you so much for being with us.

GUY SMITH, FORMER BILL CLINTON WHITE HOUSE ADVISER: Good morning.

PAUL: Good morning to you as well.

So, it seems that Bernie Sanders has tremendous support. This is a man who is a self-proclaimed socialist. With that said, what do the victories from him tell you about the Democratic Party now?

SMITH: Well, the Democratic Party is changing, just as the Republican Party is changing. It's a fascinating time in American politics. And what I would be -- I would say to Democratic -- Democrat establishment people this morning, everybody take a deep breath.

Here's what's going to go on. We're very early in this process. Unquestionably big win for Bernie last night. South Carolina is next, next week. And we'll see if Joe Biden has a lot of strength there and then Super Tuesday.

And there's not a lot of attention given to Mike Bloomberg and all his money in the morning after. I mean, Bernie justifiably has momentum right now.

But there's a big divide. Donald Trump is very happy about Bernie and looked like the Russians are probably happy about Bernie. And then it's going to be -- Bernie is going to have to move to the center. That's normal in politics.

PAUL: How does he do that based on all of the policies that he's espoused up to this point? If he makes too big of a pivot, is he then disingenuous?

SMITH: Well, there are a lot of people think he's disingenuous anyway. In politics, there's a lot -- there's a lot of disingenuity in politics.

PAUL: True.

SMITH: I mean, the idea, if you look at those entrance polls that you were showing in the earlier segment, it shows there's a huge number of Democrat voters whose main objective is defeating Donald Trump. Well, politics is about compromise. And what Bernie -- Bernie is very good at attacking Democrats. He's

not all that good at attacking Republicans. He needs to get good at attacking Republicans and he needs to have a message to the Democratic establishment is I'm your guy. We're going to -- he said in the clip you just played, we're all in this together.

Well, he's right about that. But he has to demonstrate that he's right about it. And we're going to see in South Carolina and then later in Super Tuesday, and Super Tuesday, there are a lot of states where he doesn't have the ground organization that he had in Nevada. And that's going to tell the tale.

We'll see if Joe Biden can stay in. If Joe Biden falters again in South Carolina, the game is over for him.

PAUL: Well, speaking of South Carolina, the primary again, just to remind everybody is next Saturday. That is a different procedural process. That's a true primary. People are going into a private space.

[07:10:01]

They are marking the ballot for the person that they believe it should be. There isn't a lot of back and forth in trying to -- as in a caucus, trying to encourage someone to come over to your side.

Do you see South Carolina as being very different than what we've seen up to this point?

SMITH: Yes. The caucus process as your reporter was saying from Reno a few minutes ago, it's a very, very involved process. And the people that participate are deeply involved in the political process. Your average voter is living their life, they want to vote.

So, I think, like you said, they go in the booth and they actually vote. And then they go home and they do whatever else, their job. So their perspective is much different than somebody that's really deeply involved in the process.

PAUL: Second to Bernie Sanders was, of course, Joe Biden. It's the best showing in a contest he's had thus far. He was fourth in Iowa, he was fifth in New Hampshire.

Is Nevada proof that he's gaining some momentum or is it representative of maybe the makeup of that state?

SMITH: Well, it's both, I think. I think it's both. I mean, he clearly has momentum.

He certainly has the media momentum and it's justifiable. He did very well in Nevada and it required a lot of organization, a lot of people on the ground, and in a complicated process. The caucus process, like you said, it different than going into a voting booth.

But Joe Biden has a long time history, lots of support in South Carolina and then the Super Tuesday states, the establishment wing of the Democratic Party is going to come into play, we think. We'll see. But you got to remember, the Democrats, remember what the humorist

Will Rogers said about the Democratic Party? He said, I never been a member of an organized political party. I'm a Democrat. Well, he -- that's kind of funny and it is funny but it's also true.

You think back, you know, the Republicans went through a similar kind of thing. They had a zillion candidates and Donald Trump, you know --

PAUL: That's true.

SMITH: Yes.

PAUL: That's true.

Guy Smith, always appreciate you taking the time for us. Thank you, sir.

SMITH: Thanks for having me.

PAUL: Of course.

And with the days counting down until the South Carolina primary, six candidates take voter questions in a special two-night CNN town hall event. This is live from Charleston, all starting tomorrow night at 8:00 Eastern, only here on CNN.

The National Security Advisor, Robert O'Brien is contradicting a top official who said that Russia was attempting to interfere in U.S. elections.

BLACKWELL: O'Brien says he's not seen any evidence to support that claim, despite warnings from the intel community.

Now, on Friday, Senator Sanders told his campaign was briefed about Russia's effort to his run for the White House. But now, a senior national security official tells CNN that Russia has no preference.

CNN's Kristen Holmes is following the latest.

This is a lot to -- to unpack, to decipher. Help people at home understand what's going on here.

KRISTEN HOLMES, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Victor and Christi.

That's right. Let's start at the beginning so we can really break it down. All of this is surrounding something that happened earlier this month. A top intelligence official briefed lawmakers on Russian interference in the 2020 election. Now, sources say that this was a comprehensive briefing and that this top intelligence official said twice that the Kremlin has a preference for President Trump.

Now, of course, as you say, the national security adviser, Robert O'Brien, is pushing back on that notion saying there's no evidence of that. Take a listen to what he said during an interview.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ROBERT O'BRIEN, U.S. NATIONAL SECURITY ADVISOR: Well, I have not seen the finding. I think what he's referring to and what folks are talking about is a briefing that took place last week at the House Intelligence Committee that was leaked to the press. And I have not seen that report and from what I understand about the report is that there was no -- again, I get this secondhand, but from Republican congressmen that were in the committee, there was no intelligence behind it.

I haven't seen any intelligence to support the reports that were leaked out of the House. But it's just hard to comment on that because -- again, I wasn't there. And these are leaks that were coming from a House Intel Committee hearing. I haven't seen any intelligence that would back up what I'm reading in the papers.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HOLMES: OK. So what exactly is going on here?

Well, we spoke to sources who are both in the briefing and those familiar with what happened. They gave us a little bit of clarity. These sources say it wasn't so cut and dry. It wasn't just Russians like Trump. And that wasn't the narrative that the intelligence community wanted to come out of this briefing.

But that instead this top intelligence official was peppered with questions by lawmakers who are really trying to pin her down on who the Kremlin preferred. And that is when she eventually relented and gave her view of where that was.

[07:15:01]

So, that gives you an idea here of when it comes to Russia, when it comes to the 2020 election, it is very clear that just as in 2016, this is going to be a big part of that election narrative as we inch towards November.

PAUL: All righty. Kristen, thank you for breaking it down for us. Good to see you.

BLACKWELL: She's there at the White House, and let's stay at the White House. Live look here in short period. President Trump is going to leave Washington for a two-day trip to India, his first trip to the country as president. We've got a live report from Delhi.

PAUL: Also, the number of coronavirus cases across the U.S. is climbing this morning. Why the government is facing backlash over the evacuation of some patients.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

PAUL: All right. President Trump is soon going to be headed off to a two-day trip to Indian. This is his first time visiting the country as president. BLACKWELL: India's prime minister, Narendra Modi, is expected to roll

out the figurative red carpet for President Trump. On the schedule, there's a rally, a tour of the Taj Mahal and a state dinner.

CNN's Sam Kiley is in Delhi.

Sam, this is as Christi said, the president's first trip to India in office. What is he expecting? What are we expecting to see over the next several days?

SAM KILEY, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, Donald Trump himself has tweeted or said that he expects to see ten million people turn out to welcome him when he arrives in Ahmadabad, which is Modi's hometown, where the Indian prime minister used to be the chief minister, probably knock a couple of zeros off that -- wishful thinking even by Donald Trump's crowd control, probably greeted by hundreds of thousands.

But nonetheless, he is popular here in India. His approval rating sits at about 53 percent. Any presidential candidate in the United States would be chafed with those sorts of ratings. Clearly, he is well below that in his own country.

But, nonetheless, Mr. Trump is coming here to pay his respects to his Indian guru, because Mr. Modi pioneered the sort of populous politics that Mr. Trump rode to the presidency. He has campaigned successfully in last year's parliamentary to give him an overwhelming control over India's political life, on an unashamed Hindu nationalist platform, amid criticisms particularly this year that he's now started to pass draconian, anti-Muslim legislation. That'd be something that Trump would like to distance himself from, but clearly both men have a lot of in common politically -- Christi and Victor.

PAUL: All righty. Sam Kiley, appreciate the report. Thank you so much.

BLACKWELL: It appears President Trump's post impeachment purge is going to continue.

Coming up, the man the president tasked with removing staffers that he considers insufficiently loyal.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[07:26:19]

BLACKWELL: President Trump appears to be doubling down on his demand for loyalty. Since his impeachment acquittal by the Senate, the president has focused on the officials he perceives as anti-Trump.

PAUL: Yes Kaitlan Collins talks to us about it some more.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

KAITLAN COLLINS, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Today, the White House is making another effort at a post-impeachment purge. Johnny McEntee is the president's former body man who was marched out of the White House for a clearance issue two years ago, but now runs the personnel office in the West Wing, and he's on the lookout for staffers seen as disloyal to Trump.

During a meeting with liaisons from cabinet agencies first reported by "Axios", McEntee asked them to identify political appointees who may be against the president's agenda, warning that changes may be made.

McEntee is expected to focus on the State and Defense Departments, both at the center of Trump's impeachment. And it comes after Trump fired Lieutenant Colonel Alex Vindman and Ambassador to the E.U. Gordon Sondland, who were both key impeachment witnesses.

But because he's in charge of political appointees, McEntee will have firing power over career officials, who are typically dealt with at the agency level. This comes after the president named a loyal supporter the new acting director of national intelligence this week. He pushed Joseph Maguire out of the job after intelligence officials warned lawmakers that Russia is at it again, interfering in the 2020 election, which angered the president, who found out about the briefing later.

Today. The president dismissed their findings as another misinformation campaign being launched by Democrats, despite that information coming from his own officials.

Trump has now replaced Maguire with his ambassador to Germany, Ric Grenell, who is a vocal supporter with little intelligent experience. Grenell is only expected to remain in the position temporarily, and Trump says he's considering naming Congressman Doug Collins as a permanent successor. But Collins says he's not interested.

REP. DOUG COLLINS (R-GA): This is not a job that interests me at this time. It's not one that I would accept, because I'm running a Senate race down here in Georgia.

K. COLLINS: Floating Collins for the job was widely seen as a way for the president to avoid choosing sides in a heated Georgia Republican Senate primary. With Collins out of the running, Trump now says he has four great candidates under consideration, but he declined to name them.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BLACKWELL: Our thanks to Kaitlan Collins for that report.

With us now, Lynn Sweet, Washington bureau chief for "The Chicago Sun- Times".

Lynn, good morning.

LYNN SWEET, WASHINGTON BUREAU CHIEF, "THE CHICAGO SUN-TIMES": Good morning.

BLACKWELL: So, before we talk about the people forced out, I want to talk about the people who are choosing to leave. Our Kylie Atwood is reporting that sources tell CNN that top officials at the Office of the Director of National Intelligence are looking to leave in this upheaval now that Richard Grenell is the acting director.

What has been the impact of this pick, even if it's just for a few weeks or a month or two, putting Richard Grenell in that position?

SWEET: Well, it sends the signal once again that President Trump is not a respecter of the United States intelligence services with the bigger issue that a permanent director has not been in that office since last summer when Dan Coats was forced out.

This is a key position, subject to Senate confirmation. And Trump hasn't seen fit to have a permanent director for months now. So problem of this temporary stewardship is more deep than just the few weeks that Grenell may be in place. But now, post-impeachment, you also have the issue of whether or not part of his role there it is to oversee a purge of people who are not seen as Trump loyalists.

[07:30:05]

All of which goes to the heart of United States intelligence mission which is to get and gather information in a nonpartisan way to brief partisan officials to base their policy decisions on.

BLACKWELL: Yes, and that's exactly what Shelby Pierson was doing. She is the -- this position was just created. She's the person to oversee election security, going to brief members of the House Intel Committee about their assessment that Russia is interfering in the 2020 election. They have a preference for President Trump.

And what we've learned from sources is those inside the ODNI, Office of the Director of National Intelligence, she could be next to be pushed out of the office, the impact of getting rid of that person as we're just about eight months out from elections.

SWEET: Well, it is -- it is two levels of answers here, Victor. One, you're getting rid of a seasoned professional in what would seem like a retaliatory act for putting forth intelligence you don't like, which again, it goes to the core of what intelligence is for. Just to get unvarnished information.

And then if, indeed, she's presiding over election security issues, that the intelligence community needs to be on top of if she does leave, will the mission still be carried out when election security is a top priority of United States?

BLACKWELL: Before we move on to talk about what we're hearing from the national security adviser, Robert O'Brien, let me ask you about a permanent fill for the director of national security. Who would want this? This is kind of question that we ask every time someone is forced out because they touch one of the tender spots for the president. Who would want this job with credibility that has to prioritize the sensitivities of the president, the political issues when it comes to national security? SWEET: Well, again, let me separate the questions. You said who with

credibility would want the job? Well, I think there are people who would want the job in Trump world. He's always been able to find people to accept a top position, whether -- and credibility in the eyes of Trump and in the eyes of the House and Senate and the public is another thing we're learning. Trump who can make these appointments and they're, they can stay without confirmation, will pick whoever he deems qualified. Kind of like you just put the magic dust on them.

But the credibility of anyone with an independent intelligence background, that person may be deemed too independent for Trump to pick. So the world of who are credible picks, then, is narrowed because those people probably wouldn't be considered by the president at this point.

BLACKWELL: Yes. I guess you point out that the definition of credible is malleable when it comes to Washington, one end of the street to the other.

Let's go to Robert O'Brien. He's now saying that he's not heard of any or received any intelligence that supports the assessment that Russia prefers President Trump. Now, he says this is base on what Republican lawmakers at the briefing told him. He's the national security adviser, he doesn't have to get this secondhand or third-hand.

What are we seeing here?

SWEET: We're seeing chaos and confusion. Even President Trump said, I had to learn this through my, in a sense, his own source on Capitol Hill.

There is clearly -- again, a threshold level, isn't it a little -- it should be a matter of concern that key intelligence like this supposedly never reached the president or his top adviser. There is a concern that we should all have now that if the quality of in intelligence was questioned, that had it hadn't been done by the professionals to show the facts that led them to their conclusion.

But you see, this is a pattern on President Trump to disqualify information he does not like as either fake or somehow planted by Democrats in the top level of the intelligence community, which would then be part of conspiracy and plot that would be mind-boggling, Victor.

BLACKWELL: Yes. Well, we've seen --

SWEET: If true, which it is.

BLACKWELL: If true.

So, we see Richard Grenell at DNI, forced out the deputy. We'll see if there are more changes as the week starts tomorrow.

Lynn Sweet, always good to have you.

SWEET: Thank you. PAUL: So, the next ten days are critical for the Democrats hoping to

be the party's nominee.

[07:35:01]

Just ahead, we'll preview the next steps in the race to the White House.

BLACKWELL: A brutal primary, punishing campaign and stolen debate briefing book. It's Reagan versus Carter on the next race for the White House.

Here's a look.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JIMMY CARTER, FORMER PRESIDENT: I thank you for the nomination you've offered me.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Jimmy Carter is not on his game somehow and it goes to give praise to Hubert Horatio Humphrey, the former vice president of the United States who had passed of cancer fairly recently.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: This is a guaranteed applause line, a guaranteed emotional tug at this crowd.

CARTER: We're the party of a great man who would have been one of the greatest legends in history. Hubert Horatio Horn Blower --

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Did he say horn blower?

CARTER: Humphries.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I think every one of us on the podium sort of gasped.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It's as if at every step, Carter's attempts to not only be the victor but appear the victor are going horribly wrong.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BLACKWELL: Race for the White House tonight at 9:00 Eastern and Pacific, on CNN.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[07:40:49]

BLACKWELL: This one goes to Senator Bernie Sanders. Nevada, 50 percent of the precincts in and CNN projects that he will win the caucuses there. Former Vice President Joe Biden in second, former Mayor Pete Buttigieg third and Elizabeth Warren there in fourth place.

Now, Sanders told a room of supporters in Texas that his campaign put together what he calls a multigenerational, multiracial coalition in Nevada. And he said that's going to continue across the country. But he's taking a victory lap, while Buttigieg and Biden, they're going after him. Most of the candidates, now switched their focus to the next primary. That's in South Carolina.

PAUL: And let's talk about that, Victor, because there is a lot to look ahead to in the next several days. First of all, 15 states and one U.S. territory holding voting contests.

And Victor just mentioned South Carolina, this is pivotal. It's Democratic primary next Saturday, 54 delegates at stake here. The six top candidates are debating Tuesday night in Charleston. So, that debate happening before those votes are counted.

Super Tuesday, then, March 3rd. That's when 14 states and American Samoa vote. And we're talking about 1,367 delegates that are stake there.

And look at California. California has 415 of those delegates, the most in the country. And as we get into all of this, we cannot ignore the money. The massive Super Tuesday TV ad spending that's going on. You probably see it on your television. So far, a total of $210 million spent and that is just on television.

That doesn't mean digital or elsewhere. Michael Bloomberg spent nearly $160 million on TV ads in 14 states. By comparison, you've got Senator Amy Klobuchar, she spent just $2 million. Sanders spent, $11 million. Bloomberg has spent basically three times more money than all of the other candidates. Tom Steyer is a distant second with $39 million you see there.

And CNN's coverage of the Nevada caucuses continues later today on "STATE OF THE UNION" with Jake Tapper. That's at 9:00 Eastern, right here on CNN.

BLACKWELL: So this is one of those stories that makes you ask, what will they think of next? You ever heard of a sauna truck? It pulls up.

This is in Minneapolis. It's in today's "Staying Well".

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JESSICA NELSON-ROEHL, NURSING STUDENT: My name is Jessica Nelson- Roehl. I'm a member of the 612 Sauna Society here in Minneapolis.

This is one of the few mobile saunas that we have in the area. First time I went, I felt like I got done with a 90-minute massage.

DR. KAROLINE LANGE, INTERNAL MEDICINE: The effect that sauna has on your body is similar to exercise. It increases your heart rate. It increases blood flow, but it's also a very relaxing experience. It is medically established that it has benefits for your cardiovascular health. So it can reduce your risk for heart attacks and strokes, specifically.

One sauna session, so about 30 minutes of sauna bathing, can reduce your blood pressure by five to ten points. Some people with heart conditions that should ask their doctor before saunaing. But generally speaking, sauna is safe.

NELSON-ROEHL: Life can be very stressful. And the one thing I know is that I can go in the hot room, sweat, come out and then I just feel like a new person when I'm done.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[18:48:39]

BLACKWELL: Welcome back.

The Centers for Disease Control says there are now 35 confirmed cases of coronavirus in the U.S.

PAUL: That raises the number of cases to nearly 79,000 worldwide as health officials are struggling to slow the spread of the deadly virus.

CNN's Ivan Watson reports from South Korea where a state of emergency is in place there.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

IVAN WATSON, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: The South Korean government is raising the alert level to its highest right now in response to the outbreak of coronavirus.

The South Korean president calling this a watershed moment, saying that the next few days will be critical to try to track down as many people as possible who are infected with the disease, and he is also urging South Koreans to avoid large gatherings.

MOON JAE-IN, SOUTH KOREAN PRESIDENT (through translator): We have vividly witnessed how dangerous it is to have mass meetings an enclosed indoor place in terms of the spread of a contagious disease. I urge everyone to restrain themselves from group events or activities not only in indoor places but also outdoor places which can harm others, the people of the country.

WATSON: President Moon defended the position to try to stop the prayer gatherings of the South Korean religious movement Shincheonji and that is because roughly half of the infections in South Korea are involving members of that religious group.

[07:50:05]

Now, I'm coming to you from in front of one of their buildings here in the South Korean capital. Many floors above here are operated by the religious organization. It is shuttered right now.

One of the members came and spoke to me briefly and he defended his religious group he's hearing in society against it. He says it feels like it's the target of the 19th century witch-hunt.

President Moon Jae-in said religious freedom isn't being restricted but a matter of public health.

As the coronavirus outbreak has spread, it has reached into the military here. The ministry of defense has canceled all vacations for service personnel because a number of them have gotten the infection.

And the U.S. military, which maintains tens of thousands of troops here in South Korea, they have also announced that they're not allowing service personnel off of U.S. bases in the effort to try to limit the spread of the disease.

Ivan Watson, CNN, Seoul.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

PAUL: Thanks to Ivan Watson for that.

All right, I want to get you a smile this morning. Senior night was quite the surprise for one high school basketball team manager. How showing a little human kindness, I'm telling you it leads to the highlight reel that you will not forget.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[07:56:14]

PAUL: There's a new heavyweight champion of the world.

BLACKWELL: Coy's here, it's not him.

I have been told that this fight lived up to the billing.

COY WIRE, CNN SPORTS CORRESPONDENT: Oh, my bald brother, I love you, man.

Wilder/Fury 2, this is one of the most highly anticipated fights we've seen in decades. The only blemishes on either of the guys' record was a draw against the other.

This was the match that boxing needed. Tyson/Fury, the Brit, known as the Gypsy King, trying to dethrone the champ from Tuscaloosa. The bronze bomber, Deontay Wilder, looking like a Marvel comic villain, but he drops like the lead balloon. That's in the third there.

Fury landed that massive blow to the side of Wilder's corner throwing in the towel in the seventh round. Tyson Fury, the new WBC heavyweight champion of the world, grabbing the mic and singing as he's known to do after the win. Listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

(SINGING)

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WIRE: TKO and karaoke. Heavy dose of boos raining down on Houston since the sign stealing

fiasco broke. One fan holding a sign reading Houston Astros-risk had it confiscated by security. Safe to say we're going to see this type of reaction, Victor and Christi, all season, for the team who cheated during their World Series title run.

You have to look at this moment, a historic night on the ICE and the NHL. Both Carolina Hurricanes' goalies got injured. So, what did the team do? They turned to 42-year-old Zamboni driver and emergency backup goaltender, David Ayres. He's a kidney transplant survivor from Toronto, and he's tasked with trying to preserve a lead against his hometown team, the Toronto Maple Leafs.

And on the 40 anniversary of the Miracle on Ice, Ayres makes eights saves becoming the first emergency backup goalie to record a win. The eruption on the ice there and in the locker room after this win, you would have thought, Victor and Christy, they just won the Stanley Cup.

Here is Ayres, sweet as can be, after the win.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DAVID AYRES, MAPLE LEAF'S ZAMBONI DRIVER/HURRICANES GOALIE: Well, awesome. Obviously, the time of my life out there. I have been on the ice many times without fans but fans -- put fans in the mix, it's a whole different game obviously. But, hey, once in a lifetime, I'll take it.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WIRE: Incredible stuff. His wife afterwards was like that's my baby.

Congrats to David there on the historic moment.

PAUL: Awesome. Congratulations for sure.

OK, now watch this. I know you have seen this.

WIRE: Yes.

PAUL: This is one of our favorites. It's a video that I hope is just going to set your day up right. It illustrates what is possible when you show a little human kindness.

So the boys basketball coach at Pace Academy in Atlanta wanted to surprise his team manager Daniel -- I don't know if it's lucky -- if it's Luke. I apologize, Daniel, but it was senior night. He's a senior.

And the coach announced he's putting in the game. Suiting up and playing. Look at him there, obviously. And this is what he did with that moment.

Yes, sir. The manager of the team on senior night and look at him go. He hit the buzzer beater three-pointer. Fellow classmates on their feet, running out on the court. You see ESPN showed the special moment on their Instagram account.

It is proof that when you reward people for doing good, confidence can bring down a house in the sports. Congratulations. And I know it was a couple of weeks ago, guys , but --

BLACKWELL: That was fantastic.

WIRE: That will never get old.

PAUL: I think I've watched this ten times.

WIRE: Yes. Look at that.

PAUL: And I love the camaraderie of the whole team.

Wire: The whole school there supporting. So good.

PAUL: Thank you so much, Coy.

We hope you make good memories today.

BLACKWELL: "INSIDE POLITICS" with John King is up next.