Return to Transcripts main page

CNN NEWSROOM

Numerous US States Prepare for Post-Storm Flooding; Latest from the Campaign Trail; Authorities Concerned over Terror Threat at New Years; Tuberculosis May Make a Comeback. Aired 3-4a ET

Aired December 30, 2015 - 03:00   ET

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


(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

[03:00:14] JAY NIXON, MISSOURI GOVERNOR: It's very clear that Missouri is in the midst of a very historic and dangerous flooding event.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ROSEMARY CHURCH, CNN ANCHOR: Missouri calls in the national guard of it widespread flooding at a rising dead toll.

High alert cities from Brussels to New York on guard the possible terror attacks after alleged New Year's plot is spoiled, and then they were 11. Republican George Pataki in his bid for the White House and takes the shot at Donald Trump on the way out.

Hello and welcome to our viewers here in United States and all around the world. I am Rosemary Church. Thanks for joining us, as we kick off the second hour of CNN Newsroom.

Where there is an urgent push for people to evacuate in parts of Missouri right now, as rivers rise to dangerous levels. The government says, when the Mississippi River crest it will be at it highest level ever. Missouri is one of the 13 states currently under flood warnings across the U.S. The governor has called in the National Guard to help first responders in evacuated areas at least 13 people have died in the flood so far.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

NIXON: The vast majority of deaths we've had. And I can't stress this enough as people driving into water and especially driving into water at night. So all of you and you out there talking to folks special with the water is still rising here, continue to express your friends, your neighbors and everybody else, just please don't do that.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ROSEMARY CHURCH, CNN JOURNALIST: And early CNN talk with the Missouri Department of Transportation about, how the flood orders are affecting the roads there.

LINDA HORN, SPOKESWOMAN, MISSOURI DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION: Then we're dealing with rising rivers all across the State of Missouri, we currently have over 225 roads that are closed in the State, and our worst situation is that Interstate 44 is closed in the middle of the state cutting near (inaudible) Missouri and we are expecting a spot on a Interstate 44 to closed in St. Louis before morning.

And those two closures on Interstate44 are making it, not only very difficult to get around Missouri but also very difficult for travelers trying to get through our state, and travel in the Mid West, the ability to get say from Illinois to Oklahoma, and so we're having a tough time dealing with truck traffic and through travelers trying to get through the State of Missouri.

CHURCH: And for more on what could be an unprecedented flooding situation from many locations, let's turned to our meteorologist Pedram Javaheri who joined us from the International Weather Center. So let's talk about that Pedram, but also we heard there the authority pleading with people to stay out of their cars, off the road particularly at night.

PEDRAM JAVAHERI, CNN METEOROLOGIST: Yeah, it's a very dangerous scenario, you have people do not take flooding maybe a seriously as a hurricane making landfall potentially or even when it comes to tornadoes in recent days. But flooding is among the top killers in the United States in the world of weather.

And we'll show what's happen right now with over 400 gages, see every single one of these (inaudible) circles, those are indicative of river gages that are reporting flooding setting is 443 of them scattered about the region and what's really unusually about what's happening is of course, it is the cold season, you should have a lot of the precipitation on this region, come down in the form of snow. When that typically happen, you're absorbing some of the moisture it actually alleviates the flooding problem.

This time around it been tremendously warmer, getting increase run off here, because the rainfalls is coming in an incredible amount and want to show this on a floor perspective because there we go with the Mississippi River base and you see the multitude of rivers that are scattered about this regions that all fit in. Eventually for the Mississippi river, of course we have about 70 tornadoes across this region of the United States in the past week alone.

What was left from these storms, a lot of rainfall in, we're talking about 15 centimeters, 30 centimeters, so 6 inches to 12 inches rainfall in a matter of couple days and the perspective looks something like this when it comes to the river engages and the crest that it expected down stream as you work you way in 2016, even the second, third day of the year there. Still going to see flooding continue down stream but we've often seen it be called "A slow motion disaster," because the sort of pattern it could sunny sky but then you're still seeing river gages report flooding. And we got a perspective to because have run off that been taking place and overtopping this for taking place as well with. An incredible amount of water all coming down stream, of course they all have to hide into the Mississippi River at some point.

A large volume of water is now being force up and over some of these leeves and you put enough stress down you're talking about getting some of these leeves that fill in its entirety, so that becomes a very, very dangerous situation over this region of the United States and the coming couple of weeks.

And Rosemary we touchdown this before, look at the flooding fatalities in the United States 81 per year, tornadoes coming a close second there it 72 per year on average.

[03:05:09] And when you look at the U.S. flood fatalities and what people are doing when their losing their in flooding, almost 70 percent of them last year occurred while people are driving of walking coming in their seven percent people falling in across flooded areas at 12 percent. So again, this is something that's very, very important with so many people that are been displaced as we speak Rosemary.

ROSEMARY CHURCH, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yeah, and when you look at that graphic we can't emphasize enough how important it is to people to stay off the roads in situations like this.

JAVAHERI: Very true.

CHURCH: Pedram, many thanks for joining us. Appreciate it.

JAVAHERI: Thanks.

CHURCH: Well, parts of Northern England, are dealing with their own flooding and now they're bracing for even more rain. Severe flood warnings over the six through out the United Kingdom. Some areas have seen up to a month worth of rain in recent week. Hundreds of soldiers have been deployed to try to help evacuate people.

Well, police are looking out for potential terrorist threat ahead of New Year's Eve. Offices in Belgium have raised their terror alert and they've arrested two people accused of plotting attack around Brussels. The New Year's Eve jitters are not limited to Belgium.

Jim Sciutto has more on the global terror watch.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JIM SCUITTO, CNN CORRESPONDENT: With New Year's fast approaching, authorities across the world on alert for terror from Belgium to Bangladesh to New York City.

JAMES O'NEIL, NYPD CHIEF OF DEPARTMENT: People should feel safe this New Year's eve because we're their. You're going to have one of most well police best protected events and one of the safest venues in the entire world.

SCUITTO: Police in Belgium arrested two men Tuesday in connection with the plot they say to attack historic sites in the Belgium capital on or around New Year's Eve. A senior Belgian security official tells CNN the target was Brussels central square, the Grand-Palace. The plot inspired do not directed by ISIS. Police conducted several terror raids Sunday and Monday seizing military uniforms an ISIS propaganda. The Belgian government raising the threat level to three out of a possible four, meaning an attack is likely. In Dhaka, Bangladesh, the U.S. embassy warned U.S, citizens of possible attacks on New Year's Eve. New York says there is no credible threat to the New Year's celebrations but it is dispatching 6,000 officers to Times Square where more than 1 million people are expected on Thursday night. The secretary of Homeland Security encouraging New York Police Academy graduates to be vigilant on their new bids.

JEH JOHNSON, U.S. HOMELAND SECURITY SECRETARY: In the face of this current threat to your country, to our country, I encourage you to build bridges to the communities in this city that Islamic state is attempting to target for recruitment.

SCUITTO: Underscoring the home grown dangers of British couple were both convicted today are preparing for acts of terrorism after investigators sees stock piles of chemicals and bomb making materials at one of their homes in this video showing them testing an explosive device.

LAURA NICHOLSON, SOUTH EAST COURIER TERRORISM CHIEF: It's clear that the radical and violent Islamic extreme ideology was motivated for these offenses.

SCUITTO: On the battlefield in Syria, the coalition announced that air strikes killed ISIS leader Charaffe al Mouadan. Who officials say had direct links to the master mind of the Paris attacks and was actively plotting more terror.

Jim Scuitto, CNN, Washington.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CHURCH: It was a triumphant moment for Iraq's Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi walk through the streets of Ramadi Tuesday and raised his countries flag. ISIS still controls about a quarter of that city but the Prime Minister says his military will now focus on Mosul the largest Iraqi city under ISIS control.

CNN's Nima Elbagir has the details.

NIMA ELBAGIR, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi raising the flag once more in Ramadi. His government doubling down on that claim of victory. If Ramadi is indeed retaken. It will have robbed ISIS of a stronghold almost three times the size of the country's capital and crucially handed the Iraqi government a win after the humiliation of their retreat in May this year. Avoid al- Abadi has promised this is just the beginning.

HAIDER AL-ABADI, IRAQI PRIME MINISTER (Through Translator): If 2015 is the year of liberation then 2016 will be -- if God willing, the year of the big and final victory and determination of ISIS President in Iraq.

ELBAGIR: In Ramadi Central District, families from ISIS territories elsewhere in Anbar Province are beginning to arrive risking their lives to flee the areas on the ISIS control and seek refuge a crime ISIS teams punishable by death. This perhaps declares sign yet but ISIS is so cold. They have rule a (inaudible) is weakening.

Nima Elbagir, CNN, Baghdad.

[03:10:13] CHURCH: A Pentagon official tells CNN, an Iranian rocker recently came within 1,300 meters that's less than a mile of the aircraft carrier the USS Harry S. Truman. It happened in the Strait of Hormuz last week the ship was crossing the strait when the Iranian Navy conducted a live-fire exercise nearby. Other ships where in the area as well the U.S. military officials says the Iranians we're not targeting the ships but the exercise was "Provocative and unsafe".

We're now on update on last week's mine collapse in China's Shandong Province. Xinhua News Agency reports rescue workers have found eight survivors who'd been trapped for five days now. This is video of the rescue was communicating with those miners. They're also able to deliver food provisions to them. The mine collapsed on Christmas day killing one worker nine people are still missing. The rescuers are unable to reach the miners as of yet. The investigation into what caused that collapsed is ongoing.

A wanted teenager and his mother will soon be returned to the U.S. to face new charges. We will look at what's next for the so called "affluenza" teen Ethan Couch plus the poll of U.S. Republican presidential candidates just got smaller. And look at the latest person to drop out of the race.

And a view of the world through Vladimir Putin's eyes, ahead with a new book making its way through the Kremlin.

We'll back in a moment.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

DON RIDELL, CNN WORLD'S SPORT HEADLINES: I'm Don Ridell with your CNN World's Sport Headlines.

The Premier League Season is now almost half way done and we have the most unlikely team sharing the lead at the top of the table. And the King Power Stadium on Tuesday Leicester City who played without goal draw with Manchester City a result that moves the Foxes unto 39 points. They are second only to Arsenal on goal difference. Last year at this point Leicester were bottom of the table.

Our Russian track and field athletes likely to missed Rio next summer. Well, that is the view of the European Athletics' President Svein Arne Hansen. The Russians was suspended last month by the IAAF to what was described as a state-sponsored doping program. Now Hansen has told Athletics Weekly Magazine that Russia "Must have a cultural change. They must get rid of all those people from before. For the moments they have to fulfill the conditions but I cannot really see them competing in Rio."

[03:15:01] And as the World Heavyweight boxing champion for many years, Mike Tyson wasn't put down on a canvass too much. He only lost six out of a 58 fights but when he falls, he falls really hard. This is ex champion on his kid's hoverboard and Tyson seems to be in control and enjoying himself until he goes until it goes horribly wrong. He was completely horizontal when he hit the deck and that must have hurt. I'm guessing not too much though since he was Iron Mike...

(OFF-MIC)

RIDDELL: And that is a quick look at your sports headlines. I'm Don Riddell.

CHURCH: Chicago Police Officer Jason Van Dyke was heckled on his way in the court Tuesday to enter his plea in the death 17-year-old Laquan McDonald

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNINDENTIFIED MALE: It was way to shoot an unarmed black man.

[02:35:00] UNINDENTIFIED MALE: Common people make a hole...

UNINDENTIFIED MALE: And who cares about him, who cares about him? Like the hole they made at that boy? What is he talking about?

(CROSSTALK)

UNINDENTIFIED MALE: Like the 16 holes he put in that boy?

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CHURCH: Van Dyke pleaded not guilty in the death of the teen in October of 2014. Police dash cam footage captured McDonald walking down the street away from police when he was shot 16 times.

At least 8 officers were also at the scene. Van Dyke is the only officer who fired his weapon.

In another shooting case a father whose son was killed by Chicago police says he feels like he was robbed of everything. An officer shot 19-years-old Quintonio LeGrier on Saturday. Police say 55-years-old Bettie Jones a neighbor was accidentally killed.

LeGrier's father has filed a wrongful death lawsuit against the city citing excessive and unreasonable force. He told CNN's Brooke Baldwin he called for help and no one came.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ANTONIO LEGRIER: My son was laying there and he was still alive and moving. And no one - no one at all assisted him at any time while he was there. And at which point I looked back and saw Ms. Jones laying there. And, once again, yelled, screamed as loud as I can, "Someone get an ambulance. Someone get someone to help my son."

And I called the Police Department because I wanted someone is trying to help him, when whatever he was going through because I was trained. But I never want stop it was he'd entered that stair case but his life will be ended by someone who didn't know what to do.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CHURCH: Police said Quintonio LeGrier had a baseball bat and was combative. The officer in the shooting has been placed on administrative duty. The city's mayor has also ordered changes in the way officers are trained.

An actor from the hit T.V. show Glee has been arrested for alleged position of child pornography.

Mark Salling best known for his role as "Puck" was taken into custody in California on Tuesday. The 33-year-old was a main character for the first four seasons of Glee. Salling has not responded to CNN's request for comment.

Ethan Couch known as the affluenza teen is expected to be back in the U.S. as soon as Wednesday. He and his mother were found in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico on Monday. Couch is wanted for allegedly violating his probation in the drunk driving crash which killed four people.

Here is Ed Lavandera reporting from Texas.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ED LAVANDERA, CNN CORRESPONDENT: When Ethan Couch was captured on the streets of Puerto Vallarta, Mexico with dark hair and a dark goatee. Texas authority say the 18-year-old had the look of someone on the run, trying to change his appearance.

Earlier this moth the teen was seen with blond hair in the video that appeared to show him at the party with alcohol of violation if his probation. Authority say Ethan and his mother Tonya Couch had what was a essentially a going away party the night before driving from Fort Worth to the Mexican resort town on the Pacific Ocean.

A Mexican immigration official says the pair crossed in the Mexico through Tijuana. Sheriff Dee Anderson says Tonya Couch will be charged with hindering of the apprehension of a fugitive and faces up to 10 years in prison.

DEE ANDERSON, TARRANT COUNTY SHERIFF: Our entire focus has been on making sure he didn't see any justice done. Making sure he was not accountable, so for her to assist him I felt like it was just a natural next occurrence. I'm not surprise if she helped him.

LAVANDERA: Not surprising to those who have seen the Couch family up close since the teen was only sentence to probation for a drunk driving crashed that killed four people in 2013.

His attorneys argued he suffered from affluenza saying he lived a privilege and wealthy lifestyle where there were no consequences for bad behavior. The victim's families filed civil lawsuits against the Coach family. ABC News obtained this deposition tapes from that case. In those tapes Ethan Couch openly talked about his drug use.

[03:20:17] ETHAN COUCH, AFFLUENZA TEEN: I'm taking valium, hydrocodone, marijuana, cocaine, xanax, vitamins, and I tried ecstasy once.

LAVANDERA: And his mother talked about how she let her son drive illegally.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You understood if he was - at anytime he was under 16. He was never to be driving by himself.

TONYA COACH, MOTHER OF ETHAN COUCH : Yes.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Nevertheless, you allowed that behavior to happen, correct?

TONYA COACH: Yes.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: When is the last time you recall discipline Ethan for anything?

TONYA COACH: I don't remember.

LAVANDERA: Mexican official say Ethan Couch and his mother are being voluntarily deported back to the United States.

Prosecutors are fighting to get Couches' case moved out at the juvenile system and into adult courts.

For now prosecutor say Coach isn't likely to face significant jail time for violating the term of his probation.

SHAREN WILSON, TARRANT COUNTY CRIMINAL DISTRICT ATTORNEY: If he stays in the juvenile court, the maximum sentence he could receive is incarceration in a juvenile facility until he turns 19 which is April the 11th of 2016. That is not enough.

LAVANDERA: When Tonya Couch returns the United States she will face that felony charged of interfering with the apprehension of the fugitive. She faces up to 10 years in prison.

And meanwhile, prosecutors are still trying to figure out just exactly what to do with Ethan Couch. The hearing to determine whether or not his case and his custody will be transferred from a juvenile system to the adult system is in scheduled to be heard until January of next year.

Ed Lavandera, CNN, Fort Worth, Texas.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CHURCH: CNN Legal Analyst and Criminal Defense Attorney Philip Holloway joins me now to talk more about. And thank you so much for being with us.

So Ethan Couch and his mother they're both been apprehended in Mexico. What is the next step for both of them because clearly they're going in different directions here?

PHILIP HOLLOWAY, CNN LEGAL ANALYST: Well they are. They are going in the same direction at least as far as probably Houston Texas. From there, they're going to go to separate jail. He's going to go to a youth detention facility. She will go to an adult jail because she now faces states charges in Texas. In fact it's a felony, it's called hindering the apprehension of a felon and it carries up to 10 year on a Texas prison if she were to convicted of that offense.

CHURCH: Yes, I mean that the irony if this is that looks like she's going to be in more trouble than he will be.

HOLLOWAY: In a short term.

CHURCH: But at this point, they're trying to transfer his case to the adult court system. What is that entail exactly?

HOLLOWAY: They go back before a juvenile court judge because he's still in the juvenile system. He was convicted in such in the juvenile system. And so a juvenile judge will have to decide if it's in the best interest of the people of Texas now to move him into a adult system so that he can be supervise just like any adult probationary would be.

The irony here is that if that happens, all that he can get under Texas law is a 120 days in jail. Considering the fact that his mother now faces 10 years in prison where he and a short term at least faces only a 120 days is not going to sit well with many people.

With that being said given his track record. I think that there's a very high likelihood that he could violate probation, again in which case an adult court judge has the option of giving him up to 40 years in prison for next time around.

CHURCH: This is the thing isn't it? He is a young man who has killed four people showed no remorse, fled from probation, missed his probation. So you're saying really if he behaves himself for the rest of time he will be fine. He basically might confront 120 days.

HOLLAWAY: If he has no further violation of his probation. You're absolute correct. He would serve out the remainders of his sentence somewhere along the lines of eight years on probation and then he's done. But his mother could still be depending on what kind of sentence she may get if she's convicted could still be serving time in a Texas prison.

CHURCH: And how likely is it that she would get bailed?

HOLLAWAY: Bail for someone like her who has shown a propensity already to be at flight risk. Let's look at the dramatic measures that she apparently has taken to evade capture for so many weeks. All of the assets by both the United Sates, the Mexican authorities that it took to track her down, I really don't see a rational judge giving her any bail. If so it would be so staggeringly high that hopefully she could even make that kind of a bond.

CHURCH: And you're fairly confident that Ethan Couch's case will be transferred to the adult court system? HOLLAWAY: I think that it's almost a certainty that a Texas judge in the juvenile court system will say "You know, I've seen what happened going so far with this case."

[03:25:02] And the people of the states of Texas need to be protected as best as possible because if they keep him in the juvenile system his case expires when he turns 19 in April and his off probation and he's out of the system all together.

CHIRCH: In credible situation is meant.

Philip Holloway, thank you so much.

HOLLOWAY: My pleasure thanks for having me.

CHURCH: Appreciate it.

Now to a different story the Kremlin handing out New Years gifts to a select group of officials. It's a book of quotes from President Vladimir Putin collected in a volume called Words That Change the World.

A pro-Kremlin youth group published the book in another signed of the quote of personality that's growing around Mr. Putin. Among the selections, Mr. Putin is 1999 promise to terrorist "We will waste them in the outhouse, they beat us and we get stronger." And a dietary nosh "I drink kefir."

While Donald Trump, calls Bill Clinton's marital indiscretions fair game. And now the billionaire was inviting the media and his rivals to investigate his own personal life.

And North Korean media described him as a loyal warrior.

Coming up, details of the death of a top aide to Kim Jong-un, well back in a moment

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

CHURCH: And a warm welcome back to our viewers here in United States and of course all around the world. I'm Rosemary Church. Let's update you now in the main stories we have been following this hour.

The Governor of Missouri is urging people to evacuate as rivers rise to dangerous levels. Missouri is one of 13 states currently under flood warnings across the U.S. The National Weather Service says major to historic river flooding is expected in Missouri through early next week.

[03:30:09] China's state-run Xinhua News Agency reporting rescuers have found eight workers in a collapsed mine. The miners have been trapped for five days. Rescue crews can now talk to them using an intercom system. One worker was killed in that collapse. Nine people are still missing.

Counter-terrorism officials around the world are on high alert ahead on New Year's Eve. Police in Belgium foiled one plot. Two members of a Muslim biker gang had planned to attack tourists, police and soldiers. Investigators say their plot was inspired but not directed by ISIS.

Well, North Korea says its top liaison with the South has been killed in a car accident. State media describes Kim Yang Gon as the closest comrade to leader Kim Jong Un.

Alexandra Field joins us now from Seoul with more on this. And, Alexandra, we did talked last hour about the speculations swirling around the circumstances surrounding Kim Yang Gon's death. (Inaudible) said officially about the course of this crash and what other thing likely happened?

ALEXANDRA FIELD, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, very little is being said officially which is probably what's fueling a lot of the speculation that you're referring to here, Rosemary, because officially the state news agency has simply said that Kim Yang Gon was killed in a car accident or saying nothing beyond that other than to keep (inaudible) on him as close confidant of Kim Jong Un and they devoted loyal warrior for King Jong Un's predecessors.

But what they're saying at this point that they have plan the state funeral for a fairly prominent aide to Kim Jong Un. However, there are a lot of people who are questioning how another top level official of North Korea has seemed to suddenly die and there are some experts are pointing to what they say as a pattern of officials being killed in unexplained car crashes.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

GREG SCARLATOIU, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, COMMITTEE FOR HUMAN RIGHTS IN NORTH KOREA: Able (ph) traffic accidents affecting senior officials use to happen on the way to or from a party organized by Kim Jong-il. Now, we're seeing the same pattern developing under Kim Jong Un.

I think this will be very interesting and -- it will be very interesting to see if this accident indeed happened on Kim Yang Gon's way to a NWA (ph) party or to his way from a -- and of the party.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

FIELD: They're really -- is no way to garner any more details about the circumstances surrounding his death, the circumstances surrounding this car wreck (inaudible) take the state news report which is simply just say that he died in a car crash but we do know that Kim Yang Gon is somebody who served in a pretty prominent role, very visible role. He was part of the envoy that North Korea sent to Russia back in 2014 and more recently he had a significant role in terms of speaking to South Korea during those crisis talks. In August, he was part of the team that helped to deescalate the tensions between the two countries at that, Rosemary.

CHURCH: And, Alexandra, given he is a high profile what impact is his death likely to have on North Korea and, of course, South Korea particularly with the liaison work he did and beyond perhaps. FIELD: It is a question of being sort of bandit (ph) about certainly here in South Korea. We know that one of the government departments did send a letter of condolence, the United Front Department which Kim Yang Gon was the head in North Korea.

There are some experts who watch the region closely who say its possible given the fact that we haven't heard whether or not North Korea has named the successor but this could, you know, potentially slow down or stole some talks in the future between the North and South. But there are others who are pretty argument (ph) that he was a representative of Kim Jong Un. Anyone can be use to fill that stop for Kim Jong Un, and that is a person who transmits the North Korean leaders message so that this isn't somebody who was really directing policies so much as communicating on behalf of Kim Jong Un. Rosemary.

CHURCH: All right. Another load of information coming out on the back story to this. We know you keep your ears open and be watching this very closely. Our Alexandra Field joining us live from Seoul in South Korea, many thanks to you.

Billionaire businessman Donald Trump has spent very little loan his presidential campaign so far and achievement really unprecedented in American politics. But now, that is about to change. Starting Monday, the Republican frontrunner says he plans to spend big on advertising in early voting state.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DONALD TRUMP, U.S. REPUBLICAN PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: I feel like I have an obligation even to myself and to the country to spend. And so we're going to be spending a minimum of $2 million for the first and then we'll see what happens. And if anybody goes after me, I will spend a lot of money against the people that go after me.

(CROSSTALK)

[03:35:14] TRUMP: Well, I'm just saying. If somebody attacks me, I will attack them very much and very hard in terms of ads. You got to understand a $35 million under budget. I thought as of January 1st, I would have spent $35 million on ads. I spent nothing. So I'm 35 million under budget.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Do you ever spend $40 million and you get...

TRUMP: No, I guess he spent 40 million. He's wasted 40 million.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CHURCH: Well, Trump says he's ads were focus on border security, trade, and protecting the U.S. from ISIS.

Meantime, Donald Trump is inviting his rivals and the media to investigate his personal life if they want. His remarks come as he -- has call Bill Clinton's marital indiscretions in recent days a fair topic on the campaign trail. CNN's Jeff Zeleny has more.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JEFF ZELENY, CNN SENIOR WASHINGTON CORRESPONDENT: Donald Trump is opening a new front in his war with the Clintons. Reviving political scandals from two decades ago.

TRUMP: It was certainly a lot of abuse of women and you look at whether its Monica Lewinsky or Paula Jones or many of them and that certainly will be fair game.

HILARY CLINTON, U.S. DEMOCRAT PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: Thank you all so much.

ZELENY: With Bill Clinton ready to hit the campaign trail, Trump said on NBC's Today Show everything is fair game in his outreach to women voters even this.

TRUMP: Certainly if they play the woman's card with respect to me that will be fair game.

ZELENY: In New Hampshire today, Hilary Clinton ignore Trump's latest taunt.

CLINTON: OK, great to see you.

ZELENY: Her campaign issued a statement saying "Hilary Clinton won't be bullied or distracted by attacks he throws at her and former president Clinton". The Clinton's the picture of a big happy family seen here on a Sunday stroll in New York. A historic reminder of how much time has passed since this tense moment at the height of the Monica Lewinsky scandal raising the question of whether this old controversies still carry any weight.

Trump once a golfing buddy with the former president told CNN's Wolf Blitzer in 2008 Clinton's impeachment was nonsense.

TRUMP: Look at the trouble Bill Clinton got into with something that was totally unimportant and they try to impeach him which was nonsense.

ZELENY: This morning he tried to explain his change of heart.

TRUMP: I'm dubbed as a world class businessman which frankly that's what I am and I get along with everybody. I get along with the Clintons. I get along with the Republicans, the Democrats, the Liberals, the conservatives -- that was my obligation as a businessman.

ZELENY: But now Trump is butting heads. The new feud has Trump's primary fight written all over it. Few thinks rally Republicans more than taking on the Clintons. Overnight, he tweeted, "Remember that Bill Clinton was brought in to help Hillary against Obama in 2008. He was terrible, failed badly, and was called a racist." From name calling to nose picking, the Trump campaign once again took the low road retweeting a photoshopped picture of Jeb Bush picking his nose. A Bush campaign spokeswoman fired back.

Out on Twitter, there were such a clatter, "Late night twitter drunk Donald is back at it". All candidates feeling the pressure.

Marco Rubio and Chris Christie also in Iowa squeezing in a final round of hand shakes and speeches of 2015.

In the New Year, Trump said he's going to open his checkbook in the final month before the Iowa caucuses. He quoted in a tweet today that he spent less than any candidate saying "Now I will spend big in Iowa, New Hampshire, South Carolina." He is fighting to stay out front.

TRUMP: I demand the election be today.

ZELENY: But the election of course will not be held today. It is held in five weeks when those Iowa caucuses kick off the road to the White House. The challenge for Donald Trump is trying to ensure all these supporters. You can see them behind me here. The crown gathered here in Council Bluffs. All these supporters in the caucus (inaudible) on the night of February 1st when these Republican voters start this presidential campaign. Jeff Zeleny, CNN, Council Bluffs, Iowa.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CHURCH: And George Pataki took (inaudible) shot of Donald Trump as he departed the U.S. Presidential race on Tuesday. A former New York Governor had been trailing far behind Trump in the Republican polls.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

GEORGE PATKI, FORMER U.S. REPUBLICAN PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: Well, tonight is the end of my journey for the White House as I suspend my campaign for president. I'm confident we can elect the right person. Someone who will bring us together and understands that politicians including the president must be the people serve and not their master.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CHURCH: And Pataki joins Rick Perry, Scott Walker, Bobby Jindal and Lindsey Graham in dropping out of the Republican race. 11 candidates remain.

[03:40:06] And some U.S. college students are sounding off about how they view the 2016 U.S. presidential election some of the words they're using to describe how they feel include embarrassing, divided, and confident. Here's (ph) look.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MORGAN JACKSON, DEMOCRAT: What worries me is that, it's just going to be another election of bashing because it's actually something I've hear, what do you have to say.

CLAY KOCH, REPUBLICAN: There's a lot of candidates for the lot to offer. I think that we just all need to be educated voters and vote the right people.

ERIN DEMPSEY, UNAFFILIATED: At the contrary, our election piece and represent us frequently. That was kind of frustrating and sometimes I'm embarrassed to be part of it.

DUSTIN HACKER, DEMOCRAT: Survive in is kind of how all (ph) is this. This year I feel like even more so because you have the extremes of Trump and Carson on the way far right. And then you have people like Bernie who are way far left. And he scares people because he just says, he's a socialist.

MARY MARGARET ARTMAN, REPUBLICAN: I feel so that the selection can go one way or the other way. They can go really great direction or it could go on even worst direction that's already (inaudible).

JOE WRIGHT, REPUBLICAN: I just feel so (inaudible) because we're seeing ads for months about here in South Carolina.

SCOTT HARVIN, DEMOCRAT: I feel like the candidate who wins the support of millennials is the one that was succeed and can change the world based off of those millennials beliefs. And so if you can connect with us, that what's going to make you a successful candidate.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CHURCH: And very mix responses, (inaudible) and where you want to know how the election makes you feel in a single word. You could share your thoughts on Facebook, Instagram or Twitter using the #2016INONEWORD. And we'll back in just a moment, stay with us.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[03:44:59] CHURCH: The World Health Organization has declared Guinea should be completely free of Ebola. Guinea is where the Ebola outbreak begun back in 2013 and then quickly spread to neighboring Liberia and Sierra Leone.

The WHO said the original chain of the virus has now been stopped.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BRUCE AYLWARD, WORLD HEALTH ORGANIZATION: For the first time in two years, we can say that all three countries have stopped the original chains of transmissions which had led to such -- which we driving this crisis and has led to such international and national alarm last year.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CHURCH: Since the epidemic began, the World Health Organization counts more than 28,000 confirmed also expected cases of Ebola worldwide -- more than 11,000 have been fatal.

West Africa saw the vast majority of cases and deaths with Guinea, Liberia, and Sierra Leone, the countries hardest hit by the virus.

All right, let's go to the United Kingdom now where another deadly disease is resurging (ph) in an alarming rate tuberculosis or T.B. was the leading cause of death in the Victorian era.

Well, Max Foster explores why people are getting sick now and what scientists are doing to stop it.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTFIED FEMALE: Hi, I haven't got much time.

MAX FOSTER, CNN LONDON CORRESPONDENT: Scurvy, tuberculosis and scarlet fever may conjure up images of a Charles Dickens tale. But diseases of the Victorian-era are re-merging in modern day Britain.

UNIDENTFIED FEMALE: That was, yeah a complete shock.

FOSTER: Twenty four year old Josie Garrett is nearing the end of intensive treatment for T.B. She's studying for master's degree but year ago was isolated in hospital.

JOSIE GARRETT, T.B. PATIENT: I contracted tuberculosis from my boyfriend. He caught T.B. from his friend. His friends contracted tuberculosis from his dad and his dad first was diagnosed with T.B. in the 90s after traveling to India, and then it basically re-emerge again as drug resistant form of the disease.

Up until this point, I wasn't able to work. I wasn't able to kind of socialize. I wasn't able to kind to life a normal life.

FOSTER: T.B. is one disease often synonymous with poverty affecting the most vulnerable, but health officials warn that strain of the disease lie undetected in all pass of modern society and could breakout in the future.

ONKAR SARHOTA, LONDON ASSEMBLY: The bacteria of tuberculosis can infect you and stay in your body later for long time and it did becomes reawaken again and many tested as the disease ways on the (inaudible) you main level.

FOSTER: Tuberculosis was one the deadliest diseases in the Victorian- era. Killing one in four people at one point and thousands of victims are buried here at the cemetery. Of course the situation isn't as bad today, but there are parts of London where T.B. rates area higher than they are in Rwanda or Iraq.

In a recent study by Britain's Nationals Health Service found out that other diseases common in the 19th century and making a comeback.

NURIA MARTINEZ-ALIER, GUY'S AND ST. THOMAS HOSPITAL LONDON: Notedly there's been a huge rising as scarlet fever, 14,000 cases in the last year, the highest since the 1960s. We have seen arise in the case of tuberculosis, we seen arrive in the cases of whooping cough. We have seen more measles in the last 10years and we're putting the 10 years before that.

FOSTER: In fact of the last 5 years in England cases of scarlet fever have risen by 136 percent, scurvy by 38 percent and cholera by 300 percent. Both scurvy and cholera their numbers are very slow. So, why resurgent?

MARTINEZ: Reduce that synaptic for example with measles reduce population immunity for example with whooping cough increase poverty as well as the in plan in migration and malnutrition.

FOSTER: Two hundred years later and age of reflections poverty, malnutritions, lack of health care contributing to the rise of Victorian-era diseases today.

Max Foster, CNN, London.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CHURCH: And still to come here on CNN Newsroom, we go to the restaurant in Beijing where customers are required to use their smartphones to order.

[03:49:30] And it's the quick knockout when former boxing champ Mike Tyson takes on a hoverboard.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

PEDRAM JAHAVERI, CNN WEATHER ANCHOR: There's been an incredible stretch of weather across parts of the Americas. In North America in particular in the past couple days, not only with regards to extreme heat but also severe weather that's the last disturbance in this round of active weather finally exiting the picture. You could see a few scatter thunderstorms across parts of the deep south in the Southern U.S. mainly around ports of Alabama, on it to Georgia.

Nothing the way of severe characteristics that we foresee with the storm is going to keep it rather soggy and that really has been one that transpired in this region where upwards before the rain has come down. And if you just see upwards of six inches in some area closer for the rain has come down and some of these areas in the Midwest in Saint Louis in particular in the river basins in that region really severely impacted.

But notice the temperature trend wants to cool it off. It certainly does for the Northeastern U.S. but much of the U.S. remains rather tranquil as we go into the first four week of 2016.

And that I don't expect it to continue. Atlanta will take the rain showers around 18 degrees, Chicago down to minus one. Could see some morning snow showers out of this. Denver one of the cold spots in the country and get up to be higher elevations of the Rockies, some areas can get down to 10 to 15 below zero in the overnight hours.

And look at this, to the South we go, this is where you expect the mild readings believes about 29. Havana looking at 32 degrees. Should be dry there in a gorgeous day across Mexico City's sunny skies about 27 degrees across that region. And I think in a way of organized weather across this region that tells you about the next 24 hours.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

CHURCH: Well some people complain that smartphones are running or ruining, I should say, conversations at restaurants. But one eatery in Beijing actually requires them to get a table. There are no host, no waiters, no cashiers. People use their phones to place their order. CNN's Andrew Stevens tried it out.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ANDRE W STEVENS, CNN ASIA PACIFIC EDITOR: It's lunch time in Beijing and here invade across the country workers are joining their friends and colleagues for a bite to eat. But we've found restaurants suffering some in slightly different in the dining experience. It's linking mobile technology with the city's big love of food.

Welcome to Renrenxiang and first you noticed about this restaurant is there's no waiters. They're being replaced with an app but its not just any app. I'm not on WeChat in my popular messaging app in China. When I say, popular, we're talking hundreds of millions of people on this. So I've got the menu of the seven choices. I'm going for the spicy beef rice noodles.

So now I'm getting a bit of discount. So all together that is five -- about $5. Instead give me a number, we can be called out on the speakers in just a few minutes and that will be my dish. One place (inaudible), the kitchen, a team of chef turning digital orders into your lunch.

[03:55:03] OK, here we are, it's been about five minutes and there's my beef with spicy noodles.

All through the power of the smartphone and the helping hand from the kitchen, but the restaurant owner is looking at cutting overhead even more.

LUI ZHENG, FOUNDER, RENRENXIANG RESTAURANT (THROUGH TRANSLATOR): There will be four no's in this restaurant -- that is no waitress, no cashier, no merchandiser and no chef. I did this because I'm following the technology development trend in China.

STEVENS: In an age where smartphones are signaling the end of face- to-face conversation around the dining table, why not take it one step further and take out the need to speak to a waiter, too?

Andrew Stevens, CNN, Beijing.

CHURCH: Looks delicious, Steve. All right, it's time to dust off those Guns N' Roses t-shirt.

Billboard reports the original band will reunite at the Coachella Festival in California this April. It would be the first time since 1993 that founding member Axl Rose and Slash will perform together. The report says they're also negotiating concerts at football stadiums across the U.S.

Well, despite all the warnings of that exploding batteries. Hoverboards were hot gift for the holiday. But even an athlete like Mike Tyson couldn't keep his balance on one. And you can see the former boxing champ taking some slow turns before falling flat on his back. There he goes.

He wasn't down for the (inaudible). He posted the video with the hashtag Mike Tyson breaks back and I'm too old for this.

All right. And thanks for the company. I'm Rosemary Church. Remember you can find me anytime on social media. I love to hear from you. Early Start is coming up for our viewers in the U.S. and to everyone else. Stay tuned in CNN Newsroom. Have a great day.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)