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Obama Claims Duty to Nominate Scalia Successor; China Deploys Missiles to Disputed Island; Reporting on First US Zika Virus Patient; Pope in Mexico; US Rock Band Returns to Paris to Finish Show Stopped by Terror Attack. Aired 3-4a ET

Aired February 17, 2016 - 03:00   ET

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


(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[03:00:00] ROSEMARY CHURCH, CNN NEWSROOM SHOW HOST: The U.S. President says it's his duty to nominate a Supreme Court Justice despite what his critics claim.

Beijing adding to tensions in the South China Sea, by deploying missiles to an island in disputed waters.

And Dr. Sanjay Gupta exclusive report on the first American patient to contract the Zika virus.

Hello and welcome to our viewers here in the United States and all around the world. I'm Rosemary Church. This is CNN newsroom.

With the South Carolina republican primary just days away, the presidential candidates attacks on each other are intensifying. They have called each other liars and questioned each other's accomplishments.

And as they battle for votes, President Barack Obama offered an unusually candid prediction of Donald Trump's chances of winning the White House.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BARACK OBAMA, UNITED STATES OF AMERICA PRESIDENT: I continue to believe Mr. Trump will not be president. And the reason is, because I have a lot of faith in the American people. And I think they recognize that being president is a serious job.

It's not hosting a talk show or a reality show. It's not promotion, it's not marketing. It's hard. And a lot of people count on us getting it right.

DONALD TRUMP, (R) U.S. PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: This man has done such a bad job. He has set us back so far. And for him to say that actually it's agreat compliment to be on another term. You're lucky I didn't run last time when Romney ran because you would have been a one term president.

(END VIDEO CLIP) CHURCH: Well, the back and forth comes as a new poll shows Trump with

a healthy lead in South Carolina. A CNN/ORC poll shows 38 percent of likely voters support Trump, putting him 16 points ahead of Ted Cruz. Marco Rubio is at 14 percent. Jeb Bush just barely in double digits, Ben Carson and John Kasich trailing the pack.

Among democrats, the same survey shows Hillary Clinton with a sharp lead over Bernie Sanders, 56 to 38, due in part of the strong support she is getting from women and black voters.

So, why does South Carolina infamous for dirty politicking and mud- slinging matter so much to candidates in both parties? Our Jonathan Mann explains.

JONATHAN MANN, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: South Carolina hosts the first in the south primary with republicans voting February 20th, democrats a week later. Known for its beaches and barbecue, the Palmetto State is a republican strong hold.

Almost three quarter of voters describe themselves as somewhat or very conservative in the states last GOP primary. Nearly as many 65 percent said they were born again or Evangelical Christians, and about a quarter said they were active or former military.

South Carolina is more diverse than Iowa and New Hampshire with a sizable African-American community. The vast majority of them democrats. You may (TECHNICAL DIFFICULTY)

The South Carolina primary went on to win the GOP nomination. And the last three Presidents, Obama, Bush, and Clinton all lost in New Hampshire but won in South Carolina the year they were first elected.

[03:05:12] CHURCH: Jonathan Mann reporting there.

Well, meanwhile, President Barack Obama says he will nominate a replacement for Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia despite republican objections.

Scalia died in his sleep over the weekend. And republican senators have already said they want the next president to propose his successor.

Here's White House correspondent Michelle Kosinski.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

OBAMA: But that's not how the systems supposed to work.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

MICHELLE KOSINSKI, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: President Obama taking questions now for the first time on the Supreme Court vacancy wasted no time hitting back at defying republicans vowed to not even bring his nominee up for a vote.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) OBAMA: We've almost gotten accustomed to how obstructionist the Senate has become when it comes to nominations. There's no unwritten law that says that it can only be done in off year. Venom and rancor in Washington has prevented us from getting basic work done.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KOSINSKI: He described his ideal nominee.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

OBAM: We're going to find somebody who's an outstanding legal mind, somebody who cares about our democracy and cares about rule of law. Any fair-minded person, even somebody who disagreed with my politics would say -- would serve with honor and integrity on the court.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KOSINSKI: As for whom, a number of names have been circulating and it is an interesting diverse group. Sri Srinivasan, federal judge born in India served in both the Obama and Bush administrations, worked on cases that supported gay marriage, but also big oil mining companies.

Congress approved him to the federal bench unanimously two years ago. So, you can see how such choices could put republican opponents in a tough spot and that may well be the strategy. Choose a moderate that could spark a storm of criticism if republicans refuse to even take it up. Or if a liberal choice help rally democrats to get out and vote.

Today, in a Washington post op-ed, Senate Minority Leader, Harry Reid blasted republican vows to shut the nominee out. "If republicans proceed, they will ensure that this republican majority is remembered as the most nakedly partisan, obstructionist, and irresponsible majority in history."

Other potential choices, more federal judges. Paul Watford who's an African-America, Jacqueline Nguyen, born in Vietnam, Jane Kelly, a long-time public defender. A Mexican-born California Supreme Court Judge, Maria Florentino Cuellar.

Also, Attorney General Loretta Lynch, confirmed by the Senate just last year after a record delay that infuriated the White House.

Now though, some republicans are intimating that stonewalling could be the wrong choice. Senate judiciary chair Chuck Grassley now says.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

CHUCK GRASSLEY, U.S. SENATE JUDICIARY CHAIR: I would wait until the nominee is made before I would make any decisions.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KOSINSKI: And this from Senator Thom Tillis.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) THOM TILLIS, NORTH CAROLINA STATE SENATOR: I think we fall into the trap if we just simply say sight unseen, we fall into the trap of being an obstructionist.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CHURCH: Michelle Kosinski reporting there. And later this hour, we will hear from a constitutional attorney about the legal issues for replacing Justice Scalia.

Well, the United Nations aid workers plan to head into seven besieged areas inside Syria within the next few days. It comes after U.N. Special Envoy, Staffan de Mistura began negotiations with the Syrian regime's foreign minister in Damascus. Their talks are set to continue. And de Mistura hope to get permission for more aid convoys into areas held by all sides in Syria's Civil War.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

STAFFAN DE MISTURA, U.S. SPECIAL ENVOY FOR SYRIA: We are being particularly talking about the issue about humanitarian and hindered access to all besieged areas, not only by the government, but also by the opposition and by ISIL.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CHURCH: Meantime, troops from the Syrian regime have quickly gained ground in the Civil War.

CNN's Jomana Karadsheh sat down with a rebel commander who says the changing battle lines are the result of one decisive factor, Russian air power.

JOMANA KARADSHEH, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Crawling through the rubbles, regime forces declare victory in Al Sheikh Maskin or what's left of it.

After weeks of heavy fighting, Syrian rebels last month withdrew from the small strategic town that lies on an important supply route for government forces. And since then, another town in the south, other men who also lost to regime forces.

Rebel commanders say Assad's allies in the sky have shifted the balance. And with this air cover opposition forces believe regime troops are now moving to retake the country's border with Jordan, a move they say mere tactics and advances in northern Syria.

(FOREIGN LANGUAGE)

BASHAR AL-ZOUBI, FREE SYRIAN ARMY COMMANDER (TRANSLATED): We can only been the so-called friends of the Syrian people who are sitting back expectators and watching us get killed.

[03:10:04] The Russians are killing the north and south. They claim to have come to Syria to fight ISIS, but most of the strikes have targeted the moderate Syrian opposition. (END VIDEO CLIP)

KARADSHEH: Bashar al-Zoubi is the top opposition commander fighting under the banner of the Free Syrian Army. His group Yarmouk Brigade will adapt and change tactics. Al-Zoubi says, but his concern is with the civilians in and around Daraa living in constant state of fear.

Tens of thousands of them according to local officials have fled in recent weeks. With Jordan citing security concerns, it is admitting 50 to 100 Syrian refugees a day. And there are about 20,000 others mass on the country's northeastern border.

So, aide officials say it is unlikely that those fleeing the violence in Daraa would head towards Jordan. They are moving into towns and villages within the province, but unless there is a pause in the violence, they warn that could quickly change.

As for the ongoing peace talks, al-Zoubi takes a dim view.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

AL-ZOUBI (TRANSLATED): As rebels of the opposition, we agreed to go for a political solution, but where is that political solution? They are now negotiating to allow food in, basically even rice no need negotiations constant by world powers.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KARADSHEH: The United States needs groups like al-Zoubi as partners in the fight against ISIS, but this commander says his fighters needs more than just words, they need weapons desperately.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

AL-ZOUBI (TRANSLATED): Unfortunately, we are on our own with no intervention from the friends of Syria to help us. Most of the support comes from the regimes friends. We hope Western countries, especially the United States responsible for the humanitarian disaster, because only the U.S. can stop the Russians.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KARADSHEH: Al-Zoubi says they've long lost faith in international community, but with no other alternative, they wait for help, he says, from countries they still call friends.

Jomana Karadsheh, CNN, Aman.

CHURCH: Another big story we are following, China has deployed surface-to-air missiles on the contested Woody Island in the South China Sea. That is according to Taiwan and senior military officials, Beijing claims it is in self-defense.

CNN's Ivan Watson joins us with more on the growing tension in that region. So, Ivan what do we know is happening on this island right now and how is the region responding? IVAN WATSON, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, first of

all, the island is called Woody Island, and it's in the South China Sea in the archipelago known as the Paracels Island that are claimed not only by China but also by Vietnam and Taiwan.

Now, what the Taiwanese Defense Ministry and the Pentagon are telling CNN, is that China has moved surface-to-air missiles to this small island. It is not that unforeseen because China has had a military presence here, I'm told, for some 50 some odd years. So, it has had a presence there.

However, some people are taking this as somewhat a provocative act because it comes on the tail of a summit that U.S. President Barack Obama hosted in California with leaders of Southeast Asian countries.

And the White House is really pushing hard a point that the South China Sea should not be militarized. And that all the competing territorial claims in this body of water which is used for the transit of an estimated 30 percent of the world's shipping, that this should all be resolved peacefully through arbitration.

And so, what you have now is that the U.S. has been challenging the Chinese territorial claims to this body of water. And get this, China, which is up here, is claiming all of this, all the way down to here and back. And there are competing claims from countries like the Philippines, Malaysia, Bhutan, Vietnam they're all competing these claims.

And despite that China has been moving ahead and building up islands here in the Spratly Island. Literally, building manmade islands. Take a look at the before and after photos. This is a reef that was called Fiery Cross before major engineering projects.

Now, Rosemary, take a look at this. China built a landing strip here and basically constructed an island out of the water here in waters that is claimed by the Philippines and much closer to actual Philippines territory.

The U.S. Has been flying war planes and sailing navy ships close to areas like this as what the U.S. calls Freedom of Navigation Operations to challenge China's claims to these areas. China has responded by saying that this is not good for the stability of the region and it's been defending its buildup of artificial islands like this saying this is purely a matter of self-defense. And that these installations are designed to help fishing and emergency medical rescues in the surrounding waters. Rosemary.

[03:15:03] CHURCH: All right. Our Ivan Watson keeping a very close eye on the situation from his vantage point in Hong Kong. Many thanks to you, Ivan.

And still to come here on CNN Newsroom, Pope Francis's time in Mexico will come to an end. We will look at what does he's got planned for the last day of his trip? Back in a moment.

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KATE RILEY, CNN WORLD SPORT ANCHOR: I'm Kate Riley with your CNN World Sport headlines.

The Champions League return to action on Tuesday for the start of the knockout phase. And while FIFA is done at St. Petersburg the last- minute winner most of the attention was on the French capitol. With Paris Saint-Germain took on Chelsea. And for the third successive seasons these two teams are drawn together in the knockout phase. But there was no draw in the actual match.

PSG took the first half lead through Zlatan Ibrahimovic's his free kick only for Regal from Chelsea's John Obi Mikel on the strike for halftime that PSG's Edinson Cavani was still the home team please, and they took advantage 2-1 to London for their time leg.

Looking ahead to Wednesday's fixtures and Roma will face Real Madrid and the marking (ph) match. This is the Roma boss, Luciano Spalletti second place is in charge of the Italian team. They've won four out of their last five series matches.

Reinaldo (ph) will be without the strike at Gareth Bale. He's got the catch straight. But Christiana Ronaldo is firing on all cylinders. Real will still start the game as favorite.

And Manny Pacquiao's aim to end his boxing career on the high is under threat. Now the controversy has erupted over comments he made during a TV interview. His remarks about gay people drew severe criticism and the Philippine boxer has since apologized.

And that's a look at all of your sports headlines. I'm Kate Riley.

CHURCH: Welcome back, everyone.

Pope Francis brought a message of hope to a Mexican City beset by drug violence. He celebrated mass in Morelia where thousands gathered to hear him speak. The pope encouraged them not to give in to cartels and violence. He also spoke out against Mexico's wealthy elite.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

(FOREIGN LANGUAGE)

POPE FRANCIS, ROMAN CATHOLIC CHURCH POPE (TRANSLATED): It will be difficult to feel rich when we see the loss of friends or our family members to the hands of drug traffickers, to drugs, to criminal organizations which field terror. It is difficult to feel the riches of a nation when there are no opportunities for dignified work.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

[03:20:00] CHURCH: And later on Tuesday, the normally cool Pope Francis lost his temper and his balance in the middle of a crowd. I want you to take a look at this. Someone pulled the pontiff so hard he fell on to the child in a wheelchair. And after aides and security grabbed him and helped him get back up right he scolded the person who would pull him down for being selfish.

Well, the pope will end be his Mexico tour on Wednesday with the trip to Ciudad Juarez, just south of the U.S. border.

CNN's Polo Sandoval tells us what's planned for his last day in the country.

POLO SANDOVAL, CNN CORRESPONDENT: There is no shortage of anticipation and security here on the streets of Ciudad Juarez, Mexico. Where the place is once considered one of the most dangerous places in the world at the height of a bloody cartel turf war back in 2010, well, now it gets ready to welcome the head of the Catholic Church.

We're told that soon as Pope Francis arrives here in Juarez at about noon Eastern Time, he will head directly to the Juarez State prison here in the city. It's a place that now reflects the various changes of the people of Juarez have seen. A city that is now on the slope at a steady path to peace.

Francis expected to pray in that prison with about 700 inmates. However, most people here would tell you that some of the symbolic moments will come towards the end of the day as he heads to the U.S./Mexico border to celebrate an open air mass.

At least 215,000 people expected to be there in attendance. And one of the key moments will come as he makes his way to a temporary memorial to migrants that's been set up a only a few yards away from that boundary. And he will pray for those immigrants that have made it across the border and of course those who have not.

Ultimately, though, at the end of the day here will come as Pope Francis gets ready to head back to the Vatican, the people, not only here in Juarez but also several Mexican cities hoping that his message of hope and peace resonates for years to come.

Polo Sandoval, CNN, Ciudad Juarez, Mexico.

CHURCH: And read more about the pope's tour. Just visit our web site at cnn.com/popeinmexico.

Hundreds of sharks are swimming near the shores of Palm Beach in Florida this week. But the effects of El Nino coupled with climate change may be altering their migration routes.

Meteorologist Pedram Javaheri joins us now from the International Weather Center with all the details on this. So, is this going to be a permanent situation?

PEDRAM JAVAHERI, CNN METEOROLOGIST: You know, the studies in recent years, Rosemary, are starting to show pretty significant shift. And that's really what's concerning about all of this. Because if it is permanent, then you're putting a lot more people in close proximity to a large scale amount of sharks.

But here's a mass shark sighting that was in place on Tuesday across on Palm Beach in Florida. You see another one from that same day. In fact, the paddle boarder right here, and you could see several schools of sharks right here across this area, and of course potentially the paddle boarder has no idea and images like this are really what's concerning.

And we know normal migration pattern certainly takes them farther south where there are temperate climate supports the migration of sharks towards that region. But typically come to their farthest extent being around say the Carolinas.

But recent year's observations have taken them as far north as say, Long Island, across portions of coastal New York State. And that's really what is concerning when it comes to the shift in the migration patterns of sharks.

But some of the possible causes, we know climate change certainly could have a lot to do with it. As our planet warms the migration pattern could shift. We know El Nino is in full swing in that place, the significant role as well.

But the increased water salinity and that certainly because of drought could also play a role as well. We know large scale drought is taking place. That is not brand-new news. But of course that plays a role in the salinity of the ocean across this region. That can enhance where the sharks begin to migrate.

And we know decreased food supply, there's over fishing be in perhaps done across this region. Typically, sharks like this they're off shore. Recent observations are bringing them closer potential looking for food near the coastal communities.

But shark attacks in particular, in 2015 alone, if you look at the numbers across the United States. Record numbers were set shark attacks, we have some 59 unprovoked shark attacks across the United States.

In the State of Florida, that account for more than half of them, 30 of them coming out of the State of Florida. Globally speaking, the second and third place countries also pretty incredible. Because you go down towards Australia, you see they had roughly some 18 shark attacks observed. These are, again, unprovoked.

Then you work your way towards South Africa. They saw that eight shark attacks that were unprovoked. So, you put the number of people together, you enhance the water temperatures and with El Nino. That is really what is concerning in the numbers out of the United State readily available from the international shark attack file.

The numbers clearly show that typically stay around, say 35 or so shark attacks in a 10-year average. We had anomalies year in 2010, the 50 shark attacks. And then you see a trend begin to develop in recent years. That sea surface temperatures begin to rise the shark attacks now are increasing and averaging closer to 50.

So, this is something that a lot of people in this year they are beginning to look at very carefully and observe just to see exactly how this could play out as you're now increasing the number of people coming into close proximity to the number of sharks, Rosemary.

[03:25:08] CHURCH: A wake-up call there. Many thanks, Pedram. I appreciate it.

JAVAHERI: Thank you.

CHURCH: Well, a judge in California has ordered Apple to help federal investigators unlock an iPhone used by one of the attackers in the San Bernardino shootings. Syed Farook and his wife killed 14 people in that attack.

Police later killed the duo in a shootout. Authorities have not been able to access data from the phone because it's locked with a pass code. And too many failed attempts of could who unlock it would activate Apple's auto erase function.

Well, after more than 50 years of Cold War tensions it's now legal for airlines to offer commercial flights between Cuba and the U.S. The agreement was reached in December and final papers were signed on Tuesday.

U.S. airlines now have about two weeks to bid for rights to fly to the island nation. Flights between the two countries could resume by October.

Well, republicans and the U.S. president are squaring off over filling a vacancy on the Supreme Court. Coming up, a colossal look at the legal questions.

Plus, a return engagement in Paris for a U.S. rock band. Later this hour, why the concert was so emotionally charged.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

CHURCH: Welcome back, everyone. To our viewers here in the United States and to those of you all around the world. I'm Rosemary Church.

[03:30:00] I want to update you on the main stories we're following this hour.

China has deployed surface-to-air missiles on a disputed island in the South China Sea. That is according to Taiwan and senior U.S. military officials.

Beijing claims it is self-defense. The move could ratchet up tensions with neighboring countries which are already locked in a territorial feud with China in the region.

U.S. State Department spokesman says Russia must, quote, "put up or shut up" if a ceasefire in Syria is to take effect on Friday. World powers including Russia agree in principle to the truce last week. But the spokesman said if Russia continues to supply the Syrian regime and carry out airstrikes.

A judge in California has ordered Apple to help federal investigators unlock an iPhone used by Syed Farook, one of the attackers in the deadly San Bernardino shootings. Authorities say the phone is locked with a pass code. Too many failed attempts of course to crack the code would activate Apple's auto erase function.

President Barack Obama says he will name an indisputably qualified nominee to the Supreme Court. And he took a swipe at republicans who say the next president should appoint the justice to replace Antonin Scalia.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

OBAMA: I'm amused when I hear people who claim to be strict interpreters of the Constitution suddenly reading into it a whole series of provisions that are not there. There is more than enough time for the Senate to consider in a thoughtful way the record of a nominee that I present and to make a decision.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CHURCH: Page Pate joins me now to talk about the debate regarding when the Supreme Court vacancy can be filled and by whom. But when it comes to the Constitution, there is no doubt that President Obama is within his right to nominate the person to fill that position. So, is this just politics at play?

PAGE PATE, CONSTITUTIONA ATTORNEY: It is just politics. The Constitution clearly gives the president not just the authority but the obligation to nominate and appoint a justice to the United States Supreme Court whenever there's a vacancy.

Now the Senate does have a role in that process. It's supposed to give its advice and consent to the president. But that just means the Senate has to consider the nominee that the president sends over. And they're saying they don't want to do that.

CHURCH: Well, that's the thing, the republicans have said, no, we'll refuse. So, what happens in that sort of situation?

PATE: Well, I would expect that the president will still make a nomination. The president is going to send the Senate a name. Now what the Senate does with that is up to the Senate. There's nothing in the Constitution that gives the president some way to compel the Senate to vote.

So, the Senate can say, OK, we've received your nomination, we're going to consider this individual. They can take as long as they need to. There's nothing in the Constitution that sets a timetable so they may just simply table the nomination, deliberate it and wait until the next election without ever voting up or down on the nominee.

CHURCH: And of course, Justice Scalia referred to himself as a social conservative. How likely is it that President Obama would fill that vacancy with someone, a social conservative or moderate?

PATE: I don't see that happening. I mean, the president has been clear, I think in the past, with his nominations that while they've certainly been qualified to serve, they had the right legal credentials and qualifications, they've seen cases the way the president sees cases.

They share his theory of the Constitution and the principles behind it. So, I think if the president has one last opportunity to nominate another Supreme Court justice, it's going to be someone like the ones we've seen before with Justice Kagan, Justice Sotomayor, it's going to be someone closer to him politically.

CHURCH: Which will upset the republicans to no end.

PATE: Oh, that's no way.

CHURCH: Of course. And the problem here, the longer they wait to fill that position, the more likely you're going to have the split four- four court.

PATE: That's right.

CHURCH: With the Supreme Court when it comes out to some big decisions, when it comes to immigration and abortion and some other issues. Let's talk about that and what happens in a situation like that.

PATE: Well, it's unusual because rarely do we have a situation where we know there's going to be a vacancy for so long. I mean, generally if a justice is going to leave office that justice will announce that they're going to retire once a replacement has been confirmed.

So, you have a complete nine person court until you have the new justice. In this case, we don't know how long we're going to go with an eight person court. And that's not a full court. For many cases it won't matter.

A lot of cases that go in front of the Supreme Court, they're not close. You know, you'll get an 8-1 decision, even a 9-0 decision, but for a few critical cases, abortion, immigration, there's potentially a death penalty case that may go up that may call in to question the Constitutionality of how we're imposing the death penalty.

[03:35:05] Those close cases you really need that 9th vote to break a tie. And right now, most people would say that we've got four relatively conservative justices and four moderate or liberal justices. So, we're short one.

CHURCH: Page Pate, always great to get your analysis. I appreciate it.

PATE: Enjoyed it.

CHURCH: A U.S. rock band has returned to Paris to finish its show. This time security was tight on Tuesday as Eagles of Death Metal performed at a different venue. Its performance last year at a theater in the French capitol came to an abrupt and tragic end when terrorists killed dozens of people.

CNN's Erin McLaughlin joins us now from Paris with more. Erin, it has been a long and difficult three months for people in Paris as they try to digest and move forward and, of course, this performance was an effort to heal. Talk to us about that.

ERIN MCLAUGHLIN, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: That's right, Rosemary. Last night was a night of rock and roll and reflection. Eagles of Death Metal finished what they started over three months ago to the delight of a sold out crowd.

Some 900 survivors and relatives of victims were in attendance for a very emotional evening. Following the concert, I spoke to one survivor, Natalie, tears in her eyes, who told me that the concert for her was a form of therapy, a step towards returning to normal life. Take a listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I don't know when to cry. Minutes before around the time with my boyfriend, we hold each other tight. We have each other. And we hug with other people, too, other victims. Because a beautiful thing to do.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

MCLAUGHLIN: Well, joining me now to talk more about last night's concert is cnn.com reporter, Bryony Jones. Bryony, you were inside the venue. This was certainly not your average concert.

BRYONY JONES, CNN DIGITAL PRODUCER: It wasn't. And the signs of that were apparent before we got into the venue. And security levels were incredibly high, more like you've seen an effort than another concert. I.D.s were checked repeatedly, tickets were checked repeatedly.

We had pat downs, x-rays that kind of thing. Once you got inside you did see more like your typical rock concert for a little while and there were people dancing, having fun, drinking beer with friends, but then on the sidelines there were odd signs that things were a little bit amiss.

You know, a team of counselors were standing by. There were some people who were just visibly upset by the whole thing. And, you know, there were some who were just looked like they were using every last end of strength they had not to run for the door.

MCLAUGHLIN: How did the band interact with the crowd?

JONES: Once the band got on the stage, they were like, we're going to get through this together. Because remember for the band themselves, you know, this is truly dramatic experience.

They lost friends too. At one point, they dedicated a song to their merchandising manager who was killed at the Bataclan and the front man of the Eagles of Death Metal, Jesse Hughes said several times through the evening how much he needed the audience there last night. How much they were helping him get through as much as he was helping them.

And at several points house lights came up just a little bit and it was as if the band kind of needed to check that everybody was still there and they were doing OK. MCLAUGHLIN: Any other stand-out moments?

JONES: At the beginning of the encore Jesse came out on stage alone and picked up a guitar that he hadn't been used until that point and it was painted in the colors of the French flag. And he held it up and declared to the entire audience. It was huge cheers and applause of course, that he was proud to consider himself a Parisian.

And later on the encore he kind of disappeared from the stage, the rest of the band kept playing, he vanished, only to reappear right at the back of the venue on the balcony, which, until then, you know, obviously down in the mosh pit, the main part of the crowd it had been crazy. There was crowd surfing going on, people were dancing.

But instead, it was calmer, there was a time for reflection up there. People who were struggling a bit more found seats up there. Pi kind of coming up there and playing for those guys, too, it was kind of a sign of solidarity, I guess, that he and the band and all of the guys in the theater were in this together, they were going to get through this together.

And, you know, yes, this tragedy, this terrible thing happened united them, but they're not going to let it stop them. Going out, having a good time and dancing with their friends. They're not going to let the terrorists win.

MCLAUGHLIN: It sounds like an incredible event. One survivor said that the evening was an act of courage.

[03:40:00] JONES: absolutely. There were some really brave people, on the stage and in the audience last night.

MCLAUGHLIN: Bryony, thank you so much. Rosemary, that concert was actually not held at the Bataclan. It was held at the Olympia Hall. The Bataclan is still close. Authority say that they expect the Bataclan to be open perhaps by the end of the year. Rosemary?

CHURCH: We hope so and certainly a moment of solidarity there in Paris. Erin McLaughlin, many thanks to you.

Well, years before the Zika virus left Africa, a U.S. woman was infected with the mosquito-borne virus without being bitten. We will explain how in our exclusive report. Back in a moment.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

CHURCH: The U.S. Food & Drug Administration is asking people returning from areas affected by the Zika virus to delay donating blood for four weeks. The FDA says there are no known cases of the mosquito-borne virus entering the U.S. blood supply, but as the risk transmission is likely.

The recommendation also applies to people who have had sexual contact with the person who has traveled to a Zika infected area within the last three months. Now this comes as the virus is spreading rapidly. Thirty countries are battling outbreaks. That's according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

And earlier this month, a man in Dallas made headlines as the first person to transmit the Zika virus sexually. But the first such documented case actually happened eight years ago in the U.S.

Could America's first patient help us understand how the virus is spread? Here's chief medical correspondent Sanjay Gupta with our exclusive report.

SANJAY GUPTA, CNN'S CHIEF MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT: Just looking at the images it isn't hard to understand why Professor Brian Foy became so sick. The year was 2008.

Brian was in Senegal studying an insect most of us would rather avoid, mosquitoes.

[03:45:06] I've heard that mosquitoes have killed more than any other animal on the planet.

BRIAN FOY, COLORADO STATE UNIVERSITY PROFESSOR: By far, yes.

GUPTA: With this sort of work it wasn't unusual to feel a little miserable when you got home, but this time was different.

FOY: It really hit me up. I think I was driving in the car and I just couldn't keep my eyes open.

GUPTA: Tests came back negative for just about everything. The only thing Brian was fairly certain about, this virus was from mosquitoes and it hit him hard. His whole body hurt, ankle pain, hip pain, wrists and thumbs, a rash here on the chest and back. Mild fever.

Brian's wife, Joy, who hadn't been to Africa, in fact, hadn't even left Northern Colorado in more than a year also got sick.

FOY: She got worse than I did by far. She -- she -- her arthralgia was stronger and lasted a lot longer. She couldn't really open cans and things like that for quite a long time.

GUPTA: So, at this point you knew she had what you had.

FOY: I felt very confident, yes.

GUPTA: Brian and Joy were convinced the virus had been transmitted by sex.

FOY: We had just saw each other, you know.

GUPTA: Right.

FOY: Do what husband and wife do.

GUPTA: But what many don't know, is that the testicles are an area of the body known as immune privilege. That's an area where the immune system won't easily attack, probably because it would affect a man's ability to have children in the future, but it also means viruses can hide more safely here and be sexually transmitted.

Brian decided to freeze his and Joy's blood in the hopes they would one day find the answer. And by the time Zika hitchhiked its way around the world to the Americas, they knew the virus had already made its way to the United States nearly a decade earlier, even if no one else had listened to them.

FOY: They had wanted to see more evidence. Now unfortunately we have more evidence.

GUPTA: And consider this, if we had paid attention back in 2008, maybe today, we would have a therapy or even a vaccine for Zika virus.

All right. This is it, huh, the insectary?

FOY: The insectary.

GUPTA: Today, Brian is giving some of the mosquitoes he studies the treat they need more than any other, human blood. It helps them understand how they transmit the virus. The aedes aegypti mosquito typically only lives only 30 days, takes 14 days before they can spread the virus. So, a solution may not be to eradicate the deadliest animal on the planet but just to shorten its life span.

Dr. Sanjay Gupta, CNN, Fort Collins, Colorado.

CHURCH: Fascinating stuff there.

Well, a Nevada rancher accused of leading an armed standoff against the U.S. Federal government in 2014 has been denied bail. A federal judge in Oregon says Cliven Bundy is a flight risk. The 69-year-old faces several charges, including conspiracy to commit an offense against the United States, extortion and obstruction of justice.

Bundy was arrested last week in Oregon, where his two sons were allegedly involved in an armed standoff against federal authorities there.

And CNN Newsroom continues after this short break.

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JAVAHERI: If you're a skier or snowboarder watching, weather watch right now on CNN. This is what it looks like across parts of North America departing snowstorm that was parked in place across the northeastern U.S. beginning to exit the picture and really it gets quiet across the area over the next couple of days.

You could still get still a few snow showers out of this but the forecast doesn't really keep much in the way of heavy snow fall in the forecast.

[03:50:02] And you notice temperatures are plenty cold. So, initially for your Thursday, around parts of New England, looking at minus 6 to minus 18 being the range the range in temps across this region. A very cold across southern portions of Canada as well. Temps ranging from about 3 below to 12 below zero.

And you notice machine groomed conditions. We do have some trails that have really struggled in recent days because of the lack of snow coming down. And still about 54 percent of the trails often across that region are working their way through this station (Inaudible).

Almost all trails ago with machine groomed conditions. And loose granular conditions as you work your way towards Blue Mountain resort with some recent snowfall to go around across that region.

Finally, seeing the transition take place in the Southwest. It has been dry. And parts of the Western U.S. but we do get initial rain, then secondary bouts bring in some snow showers. And it gets pretty parked in place there for some snow showers to continue from Friday to potentially to as late as Saturday and Sunday as we head towards the latter portion of the week.

So, notice temps drop off. A little bit of Squaw Valley has really struggled, 3 degrees their high temperatures with some snow showers. But the forecasts over the next couple of days brings in plenty of snow in this region.

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CHURCH: Police in West Palm Beach, Florida, arrested a teenager they say was pretending to be a doctor. Officers hauled the 18-year-old away from a medical clinic on Tuesday.

The health department says he advertised himself as a doctor running an alternative medicine and urgent care clinic. Last year, the teen was accused of posing as a doctor at a local medical center. And he says he's hurt by the allegations.

Well, a new top dog has been crowned at the Westminster Kennel Club's annual show.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Best in show dog tonight in 2016, is the German short haired pointer.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CHURCH: C.J. is a 3-year-old male and the first sporting group winner to take best in show since 2009. The runner up this year was a Borzoi also known as a Russian wolf hound.

You could say that Hillary Clinton's U.S. presidential campaign has gone for the dogs, or at least that's what she sounded like during a rally this week in Reno, Nevada. While folks on the internet find creative ways to imitate her. Donald Trump says he refuses to bark back.

CNN's Jeanne Moos reports.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) JEANNE MOOS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: The bite is proving worse than the bark as the internet nips at Hillary's for her doggy imitation.

Just at that posing videos and movie clips.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Bark like a dog.

MOOS: All because Hillary told a story about an old political ad that featured the dog trained to bark at lies. Wouldn't that come in handy for following around her republican rivals, she said.

HILLARY CLINTON, (D) U.S. PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: Every time they say these things, like oh, you know, the great recession was caused by too much regulation.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Her inner terrier.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: She's funny.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I don't know if this was a tribute to the Westminster dog show.

MOOS: One that Donald Trump refused to emulate.

DONALD TRUMP, (R) U.S. PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: If I ever did that I would be ridiculed all over the place. I won't do it. I'm not going to imitate her so there will be no barking.

MOOS: As if Hillary didn't face ridicule, an actual dog barking interruption at a Trump rally last month was one of the many mocking means making the rounds.

TRUMP: What was that? Was that a dog?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Hillary.

TRUMP: It's Hillary.

MOOS: It's enough to make triumph the insult dog.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Senator, is it true you tried to shut down the government so you could go to a nickel back concert.

MOOS: You overshadowed on the campaign trail, but Hillary is in a puppy league compared to a guy dubbed psycho dog man for his canine impersonation. An Australian retiree went viral back in 2010 after imitating some scary neighborhood dogs.

[03:55:07] UNIDENTIFIED MALE: They came bounding out.

MOOS: his imitation was remixed that even scared real dogs. Though psycho dog man suffered some of the exact same mockery.

His dog would make mincemeat of Hillary's.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Who let the dogs out? MOOS: Jeanne Moos, CNN, New York.

CHURCH: I think he's probably regretting that. Well, apparently, Hillary Clinton is not the only U.S. presidential candidate growling like a dog these days.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JEB BUSH, (R) U.S. PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: I wish we could actually have that argument on a debate stage instead of -- it's not a skill set I ever envisioned being necessary to aspire to the presidency of the United States, but I've gotten better at it.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CHURCH: Bush used this light moment during a campaign stop in South Carolina on Tuesday to mimic the bickering between republican candidates. He also took a jab at opponent Donald Trump by saying he must work to have the last word with the billionaire in a debate since Trump is a bully.

Well, just months ago, Japan launched a rocket into space carrying a satellite that will study various kinds of x-rays and gamma-rays. The satellite is expected to operate in low orbit for three years. Here we go.

More thanks for watching CNN Newsroom. I'm Rosemary Church. Remember to connect with me any time on Twitter @rosemarycnn.

Early Start is coming your way for our viewers here in the U.S. and for everyone elsewhere, stay tuned for CNN Newsroom. Have a great day.

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