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Hala Gorani Tonight
Clinton, Sanders to Face Off Within Hours; Beatles Producer George Martin Dies; Macedonia Closes Border With Greece; Iran Carries Out Ballistic Missile Tests; South Korea Skeptical of North's Nuclear Claims; Donald Trump Plows Ahead. Aired 3-4p ET
Aired March 09, 2016 - 15:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
[15:00:19] HALA GORANI, CNN INTERNATIONAL ANCHOR: Tonight the latest surprises and a presidential campaign stranger than fiction. Hillary
Clinton cannot seem to shake Bernie Sanders and no one seems to be able to slow Donald Trump. Then this hour, remembering a producing legend. I will
ask two music industry giants how important George Martin was to the rise of the Beatles.
Plus, Iran makes a bold move. We'll tell you why the country's latest missile test is particularly disturbing to some.
And later torrential rains in the desert. Does not happen often. We'll show you how people in the UAE are dealing with a mega storm. Hello,
everyone. I am Hala Gorani. We are live from CNN London and from London to the UAE and all around the world thanks for joining us. This is the
WORLD RIGHT NOW.
Well, Donald Trump was running out of steam and that was the question that we were asking for several days but its game plan if yours to be well on
track after more big wins. But Hillary Clinton may be forced to rethink after an upset that almost nobody saw coming. The race for the White House
is defying expectations once again this time on the Democratic side. Bernie Sanders pulled out a shocker in Michigan, beating Clinton in
Tuesday's primary there. The polls indicated Clinton was way ahead. And new momentum today those Sanders. Even though Hillary Clinton did win the
state of Mississippi. Trump meantime widened the lead over his rivals winning three of four Republican contests on Tuesday. Ted Cruz took one
state while Marco Rubio went home empty handed once again. Before Tuesday's upset, it seemed that Clinton was already focusing on winning the
general election instead of securing her own nomination first. She was attacking the Republicans and not Sanders.
But as Jeff Zeleny reports, Michigan may have been Clinton's wake up call.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
JEFF ZELENY, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): A surprise upset over Hillary Clinton in Michigan.
BERNIE SANDERS (D), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: What we have done is created the kind of momentum that we need to win.
ZELENY: Vermont clinching a win and bringing new life into his campaign. In an expected but sweeping victory in the Deep South, Clinton is easily
taking Mississippi.
HILLARY CLINTON (D), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: I want to be the president for the struggling and the striving for people that have a dream.
ZELENY: Expanding her delegate win after scoring huge with a large turnout of African-American voters. But it's the battleground state of Michigan
Sanders biggest victory yet is keeping the Democratic primary fight alive.
SANDERS: The political revolution that we're talking about is strong in every part of the country and frankly we believe that our strongest areas
are yet to happen.
ZELENY: Secretary Clinton projecting an error of confidence at a rally in Detroit just Monday night.
CLINTON: The sooner I could become your nominee, the more I could begin to turn our attention to the Republicans.
ZELENY: But failing to campaign as aggressively as another states and looking around the corner, the Republican fight ahead may have distracted
her campaign. As Sanders held massive rallies on college campuses across the state.
SANDERS: If you come out to vote here in Michigan on primary day, we're going to win here in Michigan.
(APPLAUSE)
His support from younger voters and his economic message paying off in a big way.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
GORANI: Jeff Zeleny reporting there.
Now, Sanders win in Michigan could spell trouble for Clinton and other so- called Rust Belt states. We're talking about industrial states in America that feel they suffered economically. This map shows you the region we're
talking about here. It includes Ohio, an important swing states, Wisconsin, Pennsylvania and Illinois. States that once had thriving
industries that have fallen into significant decline because of globalization and jobs that have been shift outside of the United States.
Now, the economy will no doubt come up tonight when Clinton and Sanders face off in Miami just days after a fiery debate marked by some very
sharped exchanges.
Let's get some perspective on this.
I am joined by Jonathan Mann, the host of CNN's "POLITICAL MANN." Michael Smerconish is host of "SMERCONISH" on CNN. Michael and Jonathan, thanks
for being with us. I want to start with you Michael though. I mean, did anyone see this upset, this big win by Bernie Sanders in Michigan, all
polls had Clinton far ahead. What happened in Michigan?
MICHAEL SMERCONISH, CNN HOST, "MICHAEL SMERCONISH": I am not aware of the single poll Hala that showed Bernie Sanders defeating him before this
election. As a matter of fact last night I participated in CNN's Election Night Coverage. I had access to the exit polls, even the exit polls.
These are polls taking of individuals just after they have voted or perhaps as they walked into the ballot area. They showed Hillary Clinton winning
by five points and the margins before last night showed her winning by nearly 30. So, you really can't really overstate the upset nature of what
Sanders was able to achieve.
[15:05:35] And as you say now we wonder, is it a bleep on the radar screen or is it something that he'll be able to replicate very soon in the future.
My eye is on Ohio next Tuesday because I think that there are some similarities between the composition of the electorate in Michigan and what
he will get in Ohio. So a night that we thought that Hillary would really put it out of reach for Bernie Sanders instead gives new life to his
candidacy.
GORANI: All right. Interesting. And John Mann, explained to our viewers. I mean, when we say Rush Belt, that includes as Michael is mentioning
there, Ohio, a very important swing state, an important state in the U.S. presidential race. Is the feeling among Bernie Sanders supporters that
this can be replicated there?
JONATHAN MANN, CNN HOST, "POLITICAL MANN": Well, when you think about it, you know, everything in retrospect always seems obvious when you get a
chance to look back. Bernie Sanders message about income inequality, about the destruction of the American middle class, about the destruction of the
American industrial base fits Michigan like a glove and it fits other industrial states in the Rust Belt as well. So, I think Michael is right
and we will all be watching to see if he's resonating there in a way that pollsters are not able to predict. I put out another question for you and
from Michael, Rust Belt is traditionally been a pretty safe ground for the Democrats, what the results in Michigan suggests is that this message
against train which is also Donald Trump's message from the other side of the spectrum.
GORANI: Yes.
MANN: Whether this anti-trade message is going to spell trouble for the Democrats if indeed as we expect Hillary Clinton is the nominee because if
Donald Trump continues to hammer against trade in places like Michigan, Independents and even Democrats will be very tempted to listen to what he
says.
GORANI: And Michael, this is a great point that John is bringing out because what Trump's talk a lot about in his campaign appearances is isn't
just not about immigration and some of the very controversial remarks about Muslims et cetera. But also he is talking to the white blue collar
Americans who feel they have been down the short end of the economic state but their jobs have been shifted overseas. So, this is a theme that comes
back again and again and both Sanders and Trump are benefiting from it.
SMERCONISH: You know what's amazing. So many things amazing about this cycle but here we are talking about a Republican frontrunner who is a
billionaire and Democratic senator who is been around for a long, long time now just sort of coming into his sinif (ph). He's a Democratic socialist.
Hala, for your audience overseas, you know, that does not mean so much. Here in the United States, those are fighting words, you know, we don't
elect socialist to office in this country. And yet the two of them are emerging in a way that as you're now noting I think there's overlap in
their constituencies. And if Bernie Sander is not successful in challenging Secretary Clinton, I could see some of that Sanders
constituency going to the Republican in Donald Trump.
GORANI: Yes.
MANN: -- they overturned their consensus in both parties. Both of the Republican Party traditionally and the Democratic Party in recent years
under President Obama, President Bill Clinton, they were for free trade, they were signing free trade agreement to both Trump on one side and
Sanders on the other are campaigning against.
GORANI: But Jonathan, I was going to say, this is the establishment free trade as a certainly as a positive thing in and of itself is an
establishment message. I mean, what we're hearing from both Sanders and Trump is that it's hurt some people. And those people are the ones who are
angry right now. I mean, Michael, do you agree with that?
SMERCONISH: I do agree with that. And it's interesting to look at the internals of how folks voted in Michigan last night. Because there are
such consensus that the trade agreements whatever they might be are causing a loss of American jobs and jobs that are headed overseas. And so, some of
the messages that both Bernie Sanders has been offering about income inequality, and an oligarchy and the middle class not getting their just
due and Donald Trump talking about job loss are resonating in a way that I think was not foreseen by the pollsters.
GORANI: Let me before we wrap this up, let's talk about Florida. Because this is going to be the very important and interesting state. I want to
show our viewers two polls for Florida. First, likely Republican voters, choice for nominee. Trump way ahead, 40 percent, he's leading Rubio in his
home state. He's at 24 percent. Cruz at 19, Kasich at five. But importantly I want to talk about the Democrats here. Clinton at 61
percent. Sanders at 34 percent. When we saw how wrong Michigan was, Jonathan Mann, can we trust these polls?
[15:10:05] MANN: I trust the Florida polls for the Democrats. And I'll tell you why. The numbers may shift a little bit in the days to come, but
when you think about how the Democratic race is gone, it's been basically a demographic race. Bernie Sanders win these young voters. Hillary Clinton
wins older votes. Bernie Sanders wins white voters. Hillary Clinton wins minority voters. You think of Florida, it's kind of heavy elderly
population. Voters there are disproportionate older than other Americans. And of course it has got a very heavy immigrant population. A lot of
Hispanics in Florida. And so, if it is once again just simply amount of demographics, I think Hillary Clinton is in good shape. And once again, I
yield to Michael if I am doing the numbers wrong.
GORANI: And last word to you Michael, when we look forward to Florida -- yep, go ahead.
SMERCONISH: So, you know, Florida is such an important state to the American Electoral map. I don't think that the interest and excitement is
in Florida next Tuesday for the D's, the Democrats. It's for the Republicans. And Hala, one of the questions in my mind is whether the home
state advantage candidate Marco Rubio, I wonder if he'll even be a candidate next Tuesday. Big debates scheduled for tomorrow night. He is a
young guy. He is just 44. I don't see a pat for him in this race. And instead, I think he needs to make decisions about his long term political
career. He does not want to come out of this race having taken a major loss on his own turf.
GORANI: All right. Michael Smerconish, host of "SMERCONISH". Thank you so much for joining us. And Jonathan Mann, the host of "POLITICAL MANN"
right here on CNN. Thanks to you both. We appreciate your time this evening on CNN.
Now to this, Nancy Reagan's casket has arrived at the Reagan Presidential Library in California. Many of the candidates in the Republican field
often invoked the memory of her husband. But this is happening ahead of her funeral on Friday. The former U.S. First Lady will lie in wake
Wednesday and Thursday. Current First Lady Michelle Obama and U.S. presidential candidate Hillary Clinton will attend Friday's funeral. Nancy
Reagan died on Sunday at the age of 94. She was suffering from congestive heart failure. She will be buried next to her husband in California.
A lot more to come this evening. Remembering a man known as the Fifth Beatle. The music world says good-bye to George Martin.
Also ahead, we'll take you to the largest port in Athens and tell you why these newly arrived migrants are facing a very uncertain future. We will
be right back.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[15:14:42] GORANI: If anyone earns the title of the Fifth Beatle, it was George. That was the highest praise from Paul McCartney to George Martin
the music producer that died today at the age of 90. Martin collaborated with the Beatles throughout the 1960s. Helping them become the most
successful band in the world.
Erin McLaughlin has the latest from outside the iconic Abby Rose Studios in London.
ERIN MCLAUGHLIN, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Hala, here at Abbey Road Studios, they're paying tributes to one of the most influential and
successful and you can see that they're leaving flowers and notes and you can hear the Beatles music in the air. But I want you to take a look at
this wall. People from around the world have stopped here to show their love for the Beatles so much so that when it fills up, the studio simply
repaints it white and then there's layer upon layer of tribute there and George Martin is a huge part of that legacy.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
(MUSIC PLAYING)
(voice-over): He was known as the Fifth Beatles. So, George Martin not only discovered the greatest British pop band of all-time, he helped shape
their music and his successful career spent seven decades producing 700 albums with the variety of artists. But it was when he signed the Fab Four
in 1962 that his career changed course.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It was fantastic with the Beatles. I mean right from the word go. Because I guess that I fell in love with them. Because they
had this wonderful charisma when I first met them. I just told everybody else in town and it was really everybody in England and every record
company turned them down. I was the last ditch. And we just hit it off.
(MUSIC PLAYING)
(END VIDEO CLIP)
MCLAUGHLIN: From the Beatles first hit, Love Me Do to the psychedelic sounds of Sgt. Pepper. Martin's work helped spark a pop culture
revolution.
So George was a classically trained musician from North London, no previous experience in pop music. The Beatles were a young band from Liverpool,
would never been in a studio.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: At that time, my music wasn't very good. And I was, I knew that my job was to try and find good songs. It was crazy now when you
think about it. But they were not writing great songs. They did terribly well terribly quickly.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: One, two, one, two, three, five.
MCLAUGHLIN: Together they created some of the most memorable music of the 60s.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: They had a very great musical knowledge and background. I mean, he taught us a lot, and I am sure that we taught him a lot like
sort of primitive musical ability.
MCLAUGHLIN: Following the breakouts with the Beatles, George worked with other artists. He co-produced Elton John's tribute to Princess Diana.
(MUSIC PLAYING)
That his enduring legacy will be with the group of four men from Liverpool to transform music and marked an era.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
MCLAUGHLIN: And not far from the studio is of course the iconic crosswalk featured on the cover of The Beatles Album Abby Road, it was the last album
that Martin would produce here with the Beatles and judging from the number of people that we have seen stop here to take their photographs today, it's
clear that Martin has influenced his music lives on -- Hala.
GORANI: All right. Thanks Erin McLaughlin, if you have ever been outside of Abby Road Studios, you will see people usually all trying to pose with
the pictures while trying to avoid traffic. I have done it myself.
We will have much more on this story later in the show. I'll be joined by two music legend Bjorn Ulvaeus of Abba who says essentially that Abba was
so inspired by George Martin and The Beatles and that they are who they are because of some of that music. And Music Producer Trevor Horn. That's
coming up in about 15 minutes. Stay with us on CNN for that.
Now turning to migrants and the refugee crisis trying to reach Europe. The day are seen borders close right before their eyes. Countries along the
popular Balkan Route are introducing strict controls. Take a look at this map. The red lines show you the countries that are essentially closed
their doors. Macedonia is the latest to join that group. Shutting its border with Greece on Wednesday. Croatia and Serbia also has strict
controls in place. Only admitting people that have the VISAs.
The results, tens of thousands of migrants stranded in Greece. The country that is struggling to provide for them. That struggling four stop.
Nowhere is that more evident than the main port in Athens where the migrants get off with -- and step straight into limbo.
CNN Atika Shubert has our story.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
[15:19:45] ATIKA SHUBERT, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Korea's port, the gateway to Athens. But for many refugees is no longer the door way to
Europe. Most mornings, ferries arrive from the islands. The tourists come off first. And then the refugees. They carry bundles of blankets, rolled
up tents and one-arm babies and the other. All with the same destination. Germany.
(on camera): But there's been a lot of confusion and chaos. Nobody is sure where to go. There's a bus but it really only brings people around
the terminal. And there's no officially here to tell them where to go next.
(voice-over): We do see a single U.N. official attempting to figure out who needs what. But many refugees simply set up temporary homes inside the
port. But where there are few officials, there are plenty of volunteers. Safir Sarisafolus (ph) was laid off in the debt crisis so he turned to
helping the homeless and now refugees. But since the borders north have been closing, he says, their work has changed.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Food, clothing, and then medical care and then we see them off on their buses to the border.
ATIKA (on camera): But that's changed you now.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes, that's changed now and we have overnight became a camp.
ATIKA (voice-over): Greeks heavily in debt, deep in unemployment know what it's like to need a helping hand. Athens residence stream in with
donations. Nearby Johnson and Johnson sponsors a children's play area that also serves as a waiting room for an onsite pediatrician and a children's
dentist. But the days are hot, the wait is long and the border is still not opened.
(on camera): This is a group of refugees demanding that they open up the border.
(voice-over): But their demands are not heard.
As government's bicker over what to do, ordinary Greeks do what they can to help. The refugees wait, facing a choice. Stay in Greece and hope to be
legally accepted as an asylum seeker and relocated somewhere in Europe or keep moving whether illegal or not.
Atika Shubert, CNN, at Piraeus Port in Athens, Greece.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
GORANI: Now to a potentially major development in the fight against ISIS. U.S. officials are telling CNN that a detained ISIS operative has been
providing information on the group's chemical weapons program. And the U.S. military is now acting on that information, launching air strikes
meant to destroy the chemical weapons capabilities. This is the information we have. U.S. officials say intelligence agents have confirmed
12 chemical attacks by ISIS in Iraq and Syria, the most resent is just a month ago. Well, this is a detained ISIS operative. Apparently, that was
captured by the U.S. by a month ago and who has been providing information to U.S. Forces in their fight against ISIS.
Coming up, Iran has tested two ballistic missiles, we'll tell you about the anti-Israeli graffiti that the missiles were carrying and the reaction to
that launch. We will be right back.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[15:24:41] GORANI: Buckingham Palace and this is unusual has made a complaint Britain's press watchdog agency. It's a rare move and this is in
response to this front page story in the Sun Newspaper claiming that the queen supports a Brexit. Britain leaving the European Union and an
upcoming referendum. In a statement the Palace said, "The Queen remains politically neutral and she has for 63 years." The report claims the Queen
shared her views on the European Union with then-Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg who you see here. He also denied all of this. He took to Twitter,
saying he had no recollection of that discussion and tweeted, quote, "It is not the sort of thing that I would forget."
Now to the Iran story. The U.S., quote, "Will act if Iran is in violation of the term of its nuclear deal." It's what Vice President Joe Biden has
to say after Iran launched a series of ballistic missile test. The second round of missiles were launched Wednesday today. They reportedly board
this statement in Hebrew, quote, "Israel must be wiped off the earth." And that is according to Iran's semiofficial Fars News Agency. Iran in insists
the missiles are simply for defensive purposes. Now, the U.S. says in terms of the nuclear deal has likely not been broken. These are
conventional weapons but that Iran maybe in violation of U.N. resolutions. And -- reports, that the U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry discussed the
launches today with his Iranian counterparts.
CNN's Fred Pleitgen was just recently in Iran and he joins me now. So, what's the strategic reason behind conducting missiles launch tests now?
Even though there are (INAUDIBLE) --
FREDERIK PLEITGEN, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Yes. I think that there's messages on various levels as usually are when you deal with Iran.
On the one hand, it seemed additional missile tests ever since the nuclear agreement came to this. A lot of people said that this tests that we're
seeing now are reaction to Iran's election but I think it actually goes back further than that because if you look over it once, since the nuclear
agreement has been in place, the Iranians for the very first time have showed their bunkers where they keep these missiles. It had various
missile tests.
So, on the one hand, they're showing the moderates in their country around President Rouhani that these still wield a lot of power inside of the
country. And I think they're showing the international community specifically the United States and of course Israel as well. As America's
important ally in the Middle East. That despite the nuclear agreement, they're not going to slow down their ballistic missile program which is of
course what frightens Israel the most as far as Iran's capabilities are.
GORANI: Because these missiles have the range --
PLEITGEN: This is very interesting. This missile test that we saw today is very different than the one we saw yesterday. Because the ones that we
saw yesterday had a range of 750 kilometers. They wouldn't be capable striking targets in Israel.
GORANI: Yes.
PLEITGEN: Whereas the one that we saw today have a distance -- they say of about 2,000 kilometers. The test itself today was 1,400 kilometers from
the area -- Tehran all the way down to the Southeast of the country. If they were stationed in the west of Iran, they would have the capability to
strike targets in Israel. That is of course something we put worrying to the Israeli government who by the way, interestingly not issued any sort of
statement on this, so.
GORANI: OK. Interesting. And Joe Biden is visiting, he's in Israel.
PLEITGEN: Yes.
GORANI: Now, is this in violation of the Iran nuclear deal?
PLEITGEN: It isn't.
GORANI: Yes.
PLEITGEN: The U.S. says it isn't. The Iranians say it isn't. I was going today through the resolution 2231 which in Annex B says, that the Iranians
should refrain from ballistic missile testing for any ballistic missiles that can carry nuclear war heads. Now, the big question is, can this carry
nuclear war heads? The Iranians say, they can't. The Iranians said, it's not what they're destined to do. That they are conventional weapons and
they're not in violation of anything. It does not -- the Americans say that they want to raise it.
GORANI: Is it just a provocation?
PLEITGEN: I am not sure that it's a provocation as much as a message is. I mean all of these certainly have a level of provocation as well. But
it's certainly is an internal message and external message to show that the Revolutionary Guard in particular still wields a lot of power in the
Islamic Republic. And that is also willing to project that power to the outside as well.
GORANI: All right. Fred Pleitgen, thanks very much. This is the WORLD RIGHT NOW. Coming up, two legends of the music industry will join me live
to discuss this man's legacy. Sir George Martin known by some as the Fifth Beatles died today.
Also, a little bit later in the program, Trump crows about voter turnout and calls for Republican unity after his big wins on Tuesday. We will
return to U.S. politics later on in the world right now. Stay with us.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[15:30:30]
GORANI: Welcome back, a look at our top stories. A surprise win gives new momentum to Bernie Sanders' campaign for the White House.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
GORANI: He edged out Democratic frontrunner Hillary Clinton Tuesday in Michigan's Democratic primary and that was a big surprise. But Clinton
still won the state of Mississippi and maintains a big lead in the overall delegate count.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
GORANI: Also among our top stories Nancy Reagan's casket has arrived at the Reagan Presidential Library in California ahead of her funeral which is to
take place on Friday.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
GORANI: The former American First Lady will lie in repose for two days. Mrs. Reagan died on Sunday of heart failure, she was 94. The current First
Lady, Michelle Obama, and a former one, Hillary Clinton, say they will attend the funeral.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
GORANI: Iran's latest ballistic missile test maybe in violation of U.N. Security Council resolution.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
GORANI: A second round of missiles launched on Wednesday, they were reportedly spray painted with an anti-Israel message.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
GORANI: We're also following this story. North Korea is claiming that it can fit nuclear warheads on ballistic missiles and the regime has released
what it calls proof. But South Korea is skeptical. Paula Hancocks has our story from Seoul.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
PAULA HANCOCKS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Kim Jong-un says this is a miniaturized nuclear warhead, a capability the world hoped North Korea would never reach
but some U.S. officials feared they already had.
The location and date of these photos is unknown. Intelligence agencies around the world will be pouring over them to assess what it tells them
about the true capabi9lity of the nation that just days ago threatened nuclear war on the U.S. and South Korea. Is this a real nuclear weapon?
What kind of missile is this? And is this a blueprint blurred out behind Kim Jong-un?
South Korea casts doubt on its neighbor's claim saying in a press release "The South Korea Defense Ministry assesses that North Korea at this point
has not secured the capability of miniaturizing a nuclear warhead."
North Korea observers say Kim Jong-un's message is the same whether the warhead is real or not.
DANIEL PINKSTON, TROY UNIVERSITY: This is part of the regimes long term strategy to be accepted as a peer nuclear state. So they continue to
pressure the international community to show that they will not reverse course. This is a show of the defiance.
HANCOCKS: Defiance it has shown all year. January 6th it claimed to have successfully tested a hydrogen bomb and a claim that was wildly
discredited. February 7th a satellite launch seen outside the country as a long range missile test.
Unprecedented U.N. sanctions against North Korea last week were met with Kim Jong-un calling for his nuclear weapons to be on standby. Joint
military drills between the U.S. and South Korea this week were met with threats of a pre-emptive nuclear strike.
While experts don't actually believe that Kim Jong-un would launch a nuclear strike saying it would be suicidal, they do worry about a
miscalculation by the young leader or even an error by an individual soldier on either side of the border which could quickly escalate while
tensions are this high.
Paula Hancocks, CNN, Seoul.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
GORANI: All right, let's return now to George Martin, the music industry is remembering the famed producer who's often been called the fifth Beatle.
Martin died on Wednesday he was 90 years old. Now he was a huge influence of course of popular music and speaking of popular music, do you remember
this classic from the 80s? [ music playing ]
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
GORANI: It's not a Beatles song but we'll get to why we're running this in a moment. Do you remember this song that came out the year after?
(END VIDEO CLIP)
GORANI: Well that's because to talk about George Martin's life and legacy, I'm joined now by the two creative influences behind those songs. Abba's
Bjorn Ulvaeus, he joins me via Skype from Stockholm. And music producer, Trevor Horn in Los Angeles. Thanks so much to both you for joining us.
Trevor, I want to start with you. You knew George Martin, right? What's it - I mean what's going through your mind today and what went through your
mind when you learned of the death?
TREVOR HORN, MUSIC PRODUCER: Well, I was very - obviously I was very sad. I was a big admirer of Georges. I grew up with the Beatles and his
production on the Beatles was so good.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
[15:35:04]
HORN: I met him in 1983 when I got producer of the year, and he was so friendly and forthcoming and open, he was such a lovely guy. So I -- the
other thing that a lot of people forget about George is that he's the reason that record producers were paid in the end. Because when he started
out doing the Beatles, he didn't get a royalty but he actually left EMI and insisted that he get a royalty and changed the whole music business for us.
I wouldn't have a house if it wasn't for George.
GORANI: Well then you have a lot to thank him for and we have a lot to thank him for because of his music legacy.
Bjorn, let's talk a little bit about how you've said that the Beatles, the fact that you realized when you were listening to Beatles songs that these
were two song writers essentially who revolutionized pop music, that that gave you inspiration. Tell us more about that.
BJORN ULVAEUS, ABBA MUSICIAN: Yes, I met him George two times and what an inspiration he must have been to so many artists. And I can imagine the
creative flow of ideas that was going on in that studio with the Beatles. And as you said, the Beatles were actually the reason why my friend and co-
writer, Benny Anderson and I started writing songs. Because sudden you had this group they were writing their own stuff and nobody had done that
before.
GORANI: Trevor, do you think - I mean would the Beatles have existed in the way that they ended up revolutionizing music -- pop music without George
Martin, do you think?
HORN: Well, you know George was a perfect fit for the Beatles because he'd done the Goons records, you know I'm walking backwards for Christmas. He'd
done some really strange records and if you think about it back then the Goons would be like Monty Python would be nowadays.
I don't think the Beatles could have got a better producer because also George didn't have a huge ego and he didn't have any sort of ulterior
motives. And so for instance he tried to get them to record "How do you do what you do to me" you know the Jerry and the Pacemakers hit. And they
recorded it but you know they wouldn't release it and they insisted on doing "Please, please me." And George had - George went with it, he didn't
have any sort of ulterior motive anywhere you know.
GORANI: And how do you - I mean your sound Bjorn, and Trevor as well of course we're talking about the 70s and the 80s as well. But with the
Beatles it's the 60s. Explain to us Bjorn just how revolutionary that sound was at the time and how much George Martin was the reason behind some
of that.
ULVAEUS: Yes, I think the reason was that they were so daring, they always took another step in some direction we never had anticipated. And that - it
was so exciting with every album. And so that's what inspired us in Abba later on trying to do just that, to reinvent ourselves to change from album
to album. And they were the first ones to do that I think.
GORANI: They really did. By the way Trevor one of our producers asked you before the interview which one is your favorite Beatles song, and you
answered "Day in the Life." I just want to run a little clip of that and then get you to answer another question. [music playing] .
And this was quintessential Trevor, George Martin, right, super experimental, very instrumental, talk to us about that particular sound.
HORN: Well, I think - I think this is the one where John Lennon said he wanted orchestra to sound like it was having an orgasm. And that's kind of
quite challenging and -
GORANI: I'll never listen to that song the same way again. Yes, go ahead.
HORN: Sorry, well that was - and the way that George did it it was so brilliant, but it wasn't just on that song because on things like "I am the
Walrus," and "Eleanor Rigby" he really defined pop music string writing. No-one's ever come close to those two. And they're really held in high
regard by most of my generation you know.
GORANI: And Bjorn how - when you listen to today's music what's your take on - I mean there was real genius music production behind these classics,
these indelible masterpieces from the Beatles. What do you think today's music has taken away in terms of legacy from that era if anything?
[15:40:02]
ULVAEUS: A lot. You know the song writing - the writing of pop songs, it is virtually the same craft today as it was then when the Beatles started.
And I just - I wonder sometimes what would they have done if they had, you know, today's technical help. It's -- because they did only have an eight
track machine I think and maybe 16 towards the end, and that's what they had to make do with.
GORANI: Bjorn, Trevor told us his favorite Beatles song was "A Day in the Life." Which is yours? Do you have one?
ULVAEUS: I have several, I'm a melody freak so I love "Penny Lane" but I also love "Strawberry Fields."
GORANI: Oh, well those are - "Penny Lane" certainly George Martin a big influence, "A Hard Day's Night" as well. So we have a - you know a great
selection. I have today today's a sad day but at the same time it's a celebration really of the legacy of an amazing musical genius, George
Martin.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
GORANI: To both of you - both of you music legends as well, Trevor Horn and Bjorn Ulvaeus, thanks so much for joining us for talking - joining us to
talk about George Martin.
And don't forget you can get all the latest news, interviews and analysis on our Facebook page, Facebook.com/halagoranicnn. This is "The World Right
Now," Don Lemon will be joining me next with a preview of the next Super Tuesday on March 15th. There is a Super Tuesday, part 3. Plus a look at
the Democratic debate coming up tonight in Miami.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
GORANI: Welcome back, we talked a lot about the big upset in Michigan with Bernie Sanders coming ahead of Hillary Clinton, but let's focus on the
Republican race right now. Donald Trump is plowing ahead after another strong night. His confidence is on full display - was on full display at a
news conference. CNN's Jim Acosta has that story.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DONALD TRUMP, U.S. PRESIDENTIAL REPUBLICAN CANDIDATE: Only one person did well tonight and that was Donald Trump.
JIM ACOSTA, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: It was another election night victory lap for Donald Trump serving up some red meat to crown in the
form of Trump steaks along with Trump wine and Trump water, the GOP front runner laughed off the stop Trump forces out to destroy his campaign.
TRUMP: I don't think that I've ever had so many horrible, horrible things said about me in one week.
ACOSTA: And the super pak adds bombarding him on the airways.
TRUMP: I want to thank the special interest and the lobbyists because they obvious did something to drive these numbers up.
ACOSTA: To his top rivals Ted Cruz.
TRUMP: Lion Ted, he holds the bible high and then he goes he puts the bible down and then he lies.
ACOSTA: And Mark Rubio with who failed to slow his momentum.
TRUMP: Hostility works for some people, it doesn't work for everybody.
[15:45:02]
ACOSTA: John Kasich ended up neck and neck with Cruz for second place in Michigan bolstering his case that he should stay in this race.
JOHN KASICH, U.S. REPUBLICAN PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: The people are beginning to reward a positive campaign. Next week we are going win the
state of Ohio, it'll be a win.
ACOSTA: Cruz won Idaho managing to perform better than Marco Rubio who had another rough night. The Florida Senator is still holding out hope for his
home state.
MARCO RUBIO, U.S. REPUBLICAN PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: I believe with all of my heart that the winner of the Florida primary next Tuesday will be the
nominee of the Republican Party.
ACOSTA: As Cruz again is making the argument he's the GOPs best candidate to stop Trump
CRUZ: What Donald Trump wants is he wants us divided. If we are divided he wins the nomination and Hillary becomes President. If we unite, that
ain't going to happen.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
GORANI: Trump told CNN it was time to unify the party to attract all of the new voters he says are flocking to his cause.
TRUMP: I am a uniter, but I have to finish off the project. We should be talking and unified. Because I'll tell you what with all of the you new
people that have come into the Republican party and that have come to vote you know during all of this - during this last session, I mean it's been
incredible, during the primaries. With all of those people that have come in, we have something that's special. We have something that the Democratic
cannot beat us.
GORANI: Well, trump is certainly right about the turn out. This graphic shows the percentage change in voter turnout in 5 states since 2008.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
GORANI: Republicans are clearly streaming into the polls this year in far greater percentages than Democrats. You see it there for instance,
Oklahoma 35%, Democrats 25%. For example Tennessee 50 to 41% et cetera. And turnout will be one thing everyone is going to be watching on March
15th.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
GORANI: Our Don Lemon joins me now, he is in New York with more on the race.
So Don, let's first talk about Trump. I mean here's somebody who - this candidate who is still the frontrunner but who many experts were ah maybe
he's running out of steam now but no, he's right back where he was, he's back on track.
DON LEMON, CNN HOST, "CNN TONIGHT": Yes, everyone - well not everyone, the conventional wisdom is that he's l losing altitude right. Everything up is
down and down is up in this particular political year Hala as you've been watching it here in the United States. It's really crazy.
And you've been showing that. Basically what you're showing is that sort of enthusiasm gap between Democrats and Republicans and that's something I
think that has been captured by Donald Trump on the Republican.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
LEMON: Say what you will about Donald Trump, he has really gotten Republicans to become engaged, or at least people to become engaged on the
Republican side. Because not everyone who's going to the polls to vote for Republicans is a Republican.
GORANI: Yes. But when you in hypothetical one on ones, this is what I find interesting, Trump loses out to Cruz and even Rubio. So is there truth to
the theory that if just - if Kasich would just drop out, if Rubio would then fade away after Florida, then Trump wouldn't have such an easy road to
the nomination?
LEMON: Well I think it's easy - it's probably easier to say you know if you're looking at the raw numbers, right. And as we look at the raw
numbers, and at the polls we can think OK, well you know Hillary Clinton is going to win in Michigan and this person is going to win here, and none of
that has been true. Right? None of that has been true. So I think that's easy to say if you're talking about conventional wisdom and if you're
talking about the way we used to before this political - this particular political cycle, the way we used to look at elections I would say that's
absolutely true. But this time I'm not so sure about that. Because Ted Cruz has upset a lot of people in the Republican side for what people
believe he did to Ben Carson in New Hampshire by saying you know, he's not going to - that he's out of the campaign or out of the race.
So there are some people who are upset by Ted Cruz, and then there are other people who are upset by Donald Trump either. I don't think that
anything is 100% sure this time, I don't know if you can say that.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
GORANI: Right, and now and you asked some very good questions on race and other things at the previous debate between Hillary Clinton - or the last
debate I should say between Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders. Now after this giant Michigan upset that Bernie Sanders pulled off we have a very
important matchup coming up in Florida.
LEMON: Yes, it is. And this one is going to revolve around race somewhat because it's in Florida. There are lots of people of color there, there
are Latinos.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
LEMON: And an issue that's important to them is immigration. It's not the number one issue. The number one issue really that's important to everyone
the economy jobs. So immigration high up there when it comes to Latinos.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
LEMON: So they're going to be courting the Latino vote in Florida and speaking directly to Latinos not only in Florida but around the country
through this particular debate. So they must be careful with their language and their particular talking points as well when it comes to
Florida and speaking to brown voters.
[15:50:14]
GORANI: Yes, and Don, just one last thing, and this is something I've found very interesting as well reading analysis of some of Trump's speeches and
Sanders as well. They talk a lot about - I mean in the headlines you hear a lot about what the controversial things that Trump says about
immigration, about Muslims, about minorities, women et cetera. But really what he brings up and so does Sanders all the time, is the economy, is
jobs.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
GORANI: Look at the CNN ORC 24th/27th February, most important issue for registered voters, immigration is down there at 8%.
LEMON: Yes that's what I said - yes.
GORANI: Economy 47% health care 19, even terrorism is 14% and you hear so much more about that in the headlines as well. So these candidates that are
bringing this up and making a convincing case are getting support.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
LEMON: Yes, and listen, you know people will say well - I can't - Donald Trump is winning despite his - it's not despite his what he's saying his
political incorrectness, it's because of his political incorrectness. And because he is putting the economy foremost. He's talking about other
issues, he's talking about immigration, that was controversial. He talked about terrorism, that was controversial as well.
When you look at it, it's those Americans who feel so disenfranchised by the current economic climate in the United States who he's really appealing
to and I think that's why he's winning and that's why Bernie Sanders is doing so well as well.
If you noticed in the last debate Bernie Sanders talked about the economy a lot, about Wall Street. He kept going back at it, and that's their appeal,
the economy and those people who feel disenfranchised by the current climate here in the U.S.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
GORANI: All right, Don Lemon, thanks very much we'll see you on CNN a little bit later with a lot more of our coverage.
LEMON: Thank you Hala.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
GORANI: And by the way the two Democratic contenders as we mentioned with Don are set to meet head to head once again. CNN will simulcast the
Univision Democratic Debate in Miami. That's at 2am, Thursday in London for all you night owls. That's on CNN.
Coming up it is pouring rain in the desert.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
GORANI: It doesn't happen every day. We'll look at how Abu Dhabi is dealing with unprecedented stormy weather.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
GORANI: An update just into CNN for you. Israel is condemning Iran's ballistic missile test.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
GORANI: Iran conducted a second straight test today and the missile apparently bore an anti-Israel message. Iran claims the missile tests are
simply for defensive purposes, we hadn't had Israeli action up until now, but they are now officially condemning the test.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
GORANI: They say that it never rains but it pours. Well nowhere does that analogy seem truer this week than in the United Arab Emirates.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
GORANI: A massive storm battered the normally dry desert region. Hurricane strength winds were recorded. Look at these pictures, unbelievable. This
all forced airports to close, the UAE normally averages less than 100 mm of rain a year. So why is this happening, more wild weather?
(END VIDEO CLIP)
GORANI: Meteorologist, Tom Sater, joins me now live with more. Tom, what's going on?
TOM SATER, AMS METEOROLOGIST: Yes, what is going on? It's just a freak of nature Hala. I mean this is not an el-Nino induced storm. The jet stream
which was the highway, the storm track is typically well to the north of the region but it dipped south.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
[15:55:02]
SATER: Now this is an area of course we all now extremely dry and arid and you would think that the ground would soak this up, there's no need for an
infrastructure to have massive storm drains. Again as you mentioned Hala, less than 100mm annually for the UAE.
But it started on Saturday, look at this, one wave after another. First it was 10, 15, 22mm here and there but Wednesday, what a day. Frequent
lightening, hail. Where they did not have the rain, massive sandstorms. But look at this, hurricane force winds shutting down the airport, schools,
businesses closed down. 295mm, three times the yearly average and of course they're still assessing the damage not just from the winds but many
businesses looking at infrastructure problems. There were parking garages that were below ground that were flooded. Many homes as well.
This is the climatology for Abu Dhabi. Now most of the rainfall is February and March, but it's only like 45mm and 25. But to get nearly 300,
I mean that is a freak of nature and many who live there said they've never seen anything like it. Could it be a biblical scale? Possibly. Now
there's still some rain expected for Thursday, not as much, but it's enough to keep schools closed as the ponding of water will still be a problem. I
mean it was chaos on the roadways. Now the problem's going to be into Oman. And then Thursday southern Iran, Afghanistan, Pakistan. We're going
to be talking not just about villages that just do not have equipment to drain, but we're looking at the threat of landslides.
And if you look past this area of rainfall Hala, look at the snow in parts of Afghanistan, Pakistan, Tajikistan, all the way into the Jammu Kashmir
area of India. So what an incredible storm but there's no rhyme or reason. Just a freak of nature.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
GORANI: This is the - I have to say I had quite a laugh today when I saw this video today. When it rains in the UAE what do you do but you get in
your shopping cart and you try to push yourselves to your car with a stick.
SATER: OK.
GORANI: 'Cause why - why not, right?
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SATER: Yes, oh there it is. Oh my goodness.
GORANI: Look at what this man - he wasn't getting far, OK. To be fair A for creativity, I called this Noah's cart.
SATER: It could be a circus act. Cirque du Solei.
GORANI: And then eventually - Cirque du Solei, but the kind of like low budget version.
Anyway, eventually two men came to his rescue and wheeled him to his car.
SATER: Oh my, heroes. Fantastic video.
GORANI: He ended up making it. Tom Sater, thanks very much. This has been "The World Right Now," thanks for watching from the team and myself, I'll
see you hear tomorrow same time, same place. Quest Means Business is next.
END
