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Ten Thousand Migrants Stuck in Northern Greece; Clinton and Sanders Sharpen Jabs in Flint Debate; Military Barracks Attacked in Tunisia; New Sanctions Hit North Korea over Nuclear Program; Families of MH370 Victims Face Deadline to Sue; Trump and Cruz Seek One-on-One; Nancy Reagan Dies. Aired 10-11a ET

Aired March 7, 2016 - 10:00   ET

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


[10:00:00]

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LYNDA KINKADE, CNN HOST (voice-over): Ahead at the INTERNATIONAL DESK, a crucial summit on the migrant crisis.

Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders have a feisty debate.

And North Korea threatens a nuclear strike.

(MUSIC PLAYING)

KINKADE: Hello and welcome to the INTERNATIONAL DESK. I'm Lynda Kinkade.

We start with emergency talks aimed at easing Europe's migrant crisis. E.U. leaders and Turkey's prime minister are meeting in Brussels trying to

forge a plan to stop the flow of migrants into the continent. Most pass through Turkey and end up in Greece hoping to head north. But with many

nations along the Balkan land route closing their borders, the migrants end up stuck in Greece with no place to turn.

Senior international correspondent Arwa Damon is witnessing firsthand the misery at one border camp in Northern Greece and international diplomatic

editor Nic Robertson is following the crisis talks from our London bureau.

We'll start with Arwa first.

Just give us a sense of what you have been seeing.

ARWA DAMON, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, Lynda, as Europe tries to ease the burden on itself or at least control the flow of the

refugees coming through its borders and its various end destination countries by shutting down the route, what they are doing is creating even

more miserable situations for those refugees and migrants that are hoping to reach what they believed would at least be a better life.

There are about 13,000 people stuck here right now at what was a transit area that was built to at most house 1,500 and that's why you see all these

brightly colored tents that have been donated that have sprung out.

And this extends for a few kilometers back in. People are beginning to get at this stage very tired, very frustrated with this whole entire process

because there is very little information that is flowing toward them in terms of explaining to them why it is that they are being held up and what

the logic behind it is going to be.

There are also great concerns that, because of the sheer volume of humanity that (INAUDIBLE) children are starting to get sick. The sanitary

conditions are not built, were not established to house these many people at this stage.

And you have the United Nations in and of itself saying that it isn't quite understanding the logic behind what is taking place and why it is, for

example, that Macedonia at best is only letting a few hundred people through.

So you have an entire population at this makeshift camp that effectively right now is living in limbo with about 35,000 refugees and migrants at

this stage in Greece and 1,500, Lynda, arriving every day.

KINKADE: Yes, absolutely incredible numbers. And I just want to bring in Nic on this.

This is obviously a huge discussion today among E.U. leaders and it seems that the E.U. is putting additional pressure on Turkey to do more.

NIC ROBERTSON, CNN INTERNATIONAL DIPLOMATIC EDITOR: They are. More than $3 billion had been set aside to help Turkey. There's a feeling in Europe

amongst European leaders that Turkey isn't doing enough.

One of the things -- if you sort of take a little step back and look at this the way that the European Union is tackling this migrant problem is to

cut the flow of migrants to Europe and cut it in two places.

One is the Aegean Sea between Turkey and Greece. NATO is deployed there. The idea is they work with the coast guards of both countries. But the

pressure is on Turkey to, number one, stop people trying to cross that sea but then take back all those that are getting out into the sea, that will

be picked up, take those back.

And the other place that the E.U. wants to cut this flow of migrants is what's known as the Western Balkans route and that is they want to shut

down that route that we're looking here, all the way from Turkey through Greece to Macedonia, Serbia, Croatia, Slovenia and all the way to Austria.

If they can cut that and then cut off the route in the sea as well, that will stop that flood of migrants getting as far as Europe.

But that leaves the problem in Turkey. So it's convincing the Turks that they have a responsibility in helping them to do that and also Greece,

humanitarian aid, additional up to 70 million euros there to help them with the situation. But the burden is really being put here on Greece and on

Turkey.

KINKADE: And as these E.U. countries and Turkey look at various solutions, the migrants are stuck in limbo, as Arwa said.

Arwa, you have been speaking to those migrants.

What are they saying to you about the E.U.'s response?

DAMON: Well, they keep coming up and asking if there's been any concrete outcome to these meetings that they are --

[10:05:00]

DAMON: -- very well aware are taking place at this stage. They do realize their destiny basically lies in the hands of these various different

European leaders.

And another thing to mention at this stage, too, to Nic's point about pressure being put on Turkey, Turkey has cracked down, according to the

government, to the best that it can at this stage.

But here's the other thing, too, Lynda, is that a lot of these people didn't make it across the water on their first or second or third attempt

because they were caught by the Turkish coast guard or because, in some cases, their boats were beginning to capsize and they were saved by the

Turkish coast guard.

Most of these people took anywhere between five to seven attempts to actually get across. And that brings up this whole larger issue and that

is people will keep trying to get across, no matter how many attempts they have to make.

And that is why it's so vital to create an alternative way to either provide them safe haven in some areas, provide them an alternative route or

really resolve the crux of this issue and that is trying to solve the war zones, which, realistically speaking, is not going to be happening anytime

soon.

But all these measures we've been seeing put into place by trying to shut down these land routes, by trying to crack down on the sea route, it's not

necessarily stopping people from coming; it's just making the journey that much harder.

KINKADE: Yes, that's a good point.

Arwa Damon in Idomeni, Greece, and Nic Robertson in London, thank you both very much.

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KINKADE: There were no vulgar innuendos on (INAUDIBLE) but Democratic presidential candidates Bernie Sanders and Hillary Clinton are both

recovering after a bruiser of a debate on Sunday night. The pair faced off in Flint, Michigan, a city that's grappling with a toxic lead water crisis.

CNN's Brianna Keilar has more on the fiery debate.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

HILLARY CLINTON, FORMER SECRETARY OF STATE, PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: It is raining lead in Flint and the state is derelict in not coming forward with

the money that is required.

BRIANNA KEILAR, CNN SR. WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): With Michigan's primary looming, contaminated water and lost jobs dominated.

SEN. BERNIE SANDERS (I), VT., PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: Children in America should not be poisoned.

KEILAR (voice-over): Senator Bernie Sanders and Secretary Hillary Clinton sparring more aggressively than ever before over Wall Street ties and the

economy.

CLINTON: I voted to save the auto industry. He voted against the money that ended up saving the auto industry.

SANDERS: If you are talking about the Wall Street bailout, where some of your friends destroyed this economy --

CLINTON: You know --

SANDERS: -- excuse me, I'm talking.

ANDERSON COOPER, CNN HOST: Let him respond.

CLINTON: If you're going to talk, tell the whole story, Senator Sanders.

SANDERS: Well, let me tell my story; you tell yours.

CLINTON: I will.

KEILAR (voice-over): Sanders supported a stand-alone auto bailout bill that failed but voted against a larger bill that included money to bail out

Wall Street and money to bail out the auto companies, Sanders cutting Clinton off a second time to make his point.

SANDERS: I said let the billionaires themselves bail out Wall Street, shouldn't be the middle class of this country.

CLINTON: OK.

SANDERS: Wait a minute, could I finish?

You'll have your turn.

KEILAR (voice-over): Clinton optimistic about growing the economy.

CLINTON: We're going to stop this kind of job exporting and we're going to start importing and growing jobs again.

KEILAR (voice-over): -- only to be slammed by Sanders over trade agreements she supported two decades ago...

SANDERS: I am very glad, Anderson, that Hillary Clinton has discovered religion on this issue. But it's a little bit too late. Secretary Clinton

supported virtually every one of these disastrous trade agreements written by corporate America.

KEILAR (voice-over): -- and butting heads again over gun control.

SANDERS: Essentially your position is there should not be any guns in America, period.

(CROSSTALK)

SANDERS: Can I finish, please?

KEILAR (voice-over): Post-debate, Clinton's campaign chair telling me Sanders' performance was a disappointment.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: He's repeatedly said he wants to run a positive campaign. In recent days it seems a little more negative, a little more

desperate and I thought his tone tonight bordered on the disrespectful.

KEILAR (voice-over): The Sanders campaign dismissing the charge as a distraction.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: They don't want to talk about her bad trade record. They don't want to talk about her record of taking Wall Street

contributions. They don't want to talk about these things. It was really a bad night for the Clinton people.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

KINKADE: That was Brianna Keilar reporting there.

And no matter what Sanders' campaign thinks of Clinton, she's still the candidate to beat when it comes to the numbers. Now, remember, the goal is

to accumulate enough delegates to guarantee a nomination at the national party convention.

John Berman looks at where things stand between the two Democrats and what comes next.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JOHN BERMAN, CNN HOST: This weekend was a little bit like a kid's soccer league. Everyone won something. Bernie Sanders here, he picked up three

states, Kansas --

[10:10:00]

BERMAN: -- Nebraska, Maine. Hillary Clinton's only win came in Louisiana but that was the state with the most delegates at stake and she won by a

very big margin. She now has 12 states total under her belt. Bernie Sanders has eight. This puts Hillary Clinton pretty far ahead in the

delegate count 1,147 for her, 498 for him.

Yes, this does include super delegates but, even without the super delegates, Hillary Clinton about 200 delegates in front right now. She's

about halfway to the total she needs to clinch the nomination.

As for tomorrow, 188 delegates at stake, Michigan, the biggest prize. Mississippi also votes.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

KINKADE: Both Clinton and Sanders are campaigning across Michigan today. Our Joe Johns is live in Dearborn, Michigan, just outside Detroit.

Joe, it was a feisty debate. Clinton is way in front of the delegate count and Sanders was not about to go easy on her last night.

JOE JOHNS, CNN SENIOR WASHINGTON CORRESPONDENT: He certainly wasn't. He was very aggressive, I think, with Hillary Clinton, angry in some places

and it's just not clear always how anger plays in a debate.

Certainly for Donald Trump it seems to have played quite well. But this is a Democratic debate and tends to be a little bit more studious, a little

bit more civil and I think that confrontation you saw that occurred over the issue of the auto industry bailout was just a key point.

Sanders has been going around the country, talking about the bailout and the evils and ills of Wall Street. And I think he may have been just a bit

surprised with that question there.

I'm sorry; am I hearing sound in my ear?

All right.

Anyway, he seemed a bit surprised on that issue of the auto bailout and Hillary Clinton hitting him on his vote against the auto bailout. So he

recovered on it as best he could. But here in Michigan the auto bailout is the thing that's been able to give so many people their jobs. And that may

count on Tuesday -- Lynda.

KINKADE: And so who do you think came out on front when it came to that discussion about the auto bailout?

JOHNS: I'm sorry, Lynda; I could not hear you.

Would you repeat that question, please?

KINKADE: Who do you think came out in front, Bernie Sanders or Hillary Clinton, when it came to that discussion on job cuts and trade?

JOHNS: Yes. The trade question is a complex question and Hillary Clinton is having some difficulty on the campaign trail because of it, simply

because as secretary of state she had to support the Trans-Pacific trade deal. That of course is a big deal that the Obama administration has very

much been in support of.

Now she says she's opposed to it and Bernie Sanders has been hitting her on that, especially here in this state. People here are deeply concerned

about the years of the North American Free Trade Agreement and what it meant to jobs in this part of the country.

And they are concerned that the TPP will just be sort of an extension of that in Asia.

KINKADE: OK, Joe Johns in -- just on the outskirts of Detroit, Michigan, thank you very much. We will leave it there for now. We do have some

audio problems obviously there with the (INAUDIBLE).

Still to come, North Korea is threatening the U.S. and South Korea with nuclear attacks in response to joint military drills. We'll have that

story, just ahead.

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KINKADE: Indonesian militants have attacked a military base near the Libyan border. Tunisia says more than a dozen people were killed in the

attack along with a number of militants in the ensuing clashes. CNN's senior international correspondent Nick Paton Walsh is in Beirut, Lebanon,

and joins us now.

Nick, I understand about half of those killed were reportedly ISIS fighters.

What are you learning?

NICK PATON WALSH, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: There has been an extraordinary rise in the death toll now. The last we're hearing from

officials suggest as many as 53 people were killed in this. Now, yes, well over half, 35 of those, said by government sources to have been ISIS

fighters.

But it's where this happened that's quite so significant. Yes, it's a very short drive from the border between Tunisia and Libya, a place which has

been heavily fortified after the attacks against the Bardo museum and the capital and also the tourist resort of Sousse during the summer of last

year and it's also very close to another key tourist resort of Djerba, just down the road from where this occurred in Ben Guerdane.

Now we understand that, early in the morning, what seems to have been dozens of well-prepared ISIS fighters, according to many accounts,

launched attacks against a military barracks there, against a police station and, according to one human rights activist, in fact, sought out

and killed the local anti-terrorism police chief there as well.

So a lot of signs of preparation here in the numbers of individuals but also the kinds of weaponry they had. And the key question of course is

were these Tunisian men -- remember, very large numbers of the foreign fighters with ISIS in Syria and Iraq are thought to be Tunisian,

potentially as many as 3,000.

Were these men who'd come back from Libya, Syria or Iraq to carry this out?

Or were they men who never left Tunisia and had ISIS sympathies?

It has sent really I think a cold shiver through the spines of Tunisian security officials and many I think observing Tunisia from afar. Remember,

Tunisia considered to be perhaps the only remaining success story of the Arab Spring, the first place in which it struck and now a place which is

trying to retain enthusiasm for its tourism industries after the attacks on Sousse and seeing this, where the death toll, quite staggering, will make

many, I think, concerned about the level of ISIS sympathy that could be particularly so close to the border of Libya, where there have been

increased activity against ISIS, many say by Western coalitions in the past months or so -- Lynda.

KINKADE: This is a developing story. Thanks very much for staying across it, Nick Paton Walsh in Beirut, Lebanon, thank you.

Military exercises are underway now between the U.S. and South Korea. The war games are held each year and with them comes threats of retaliation

from North Korea. This year's maneuvers are bigger than ever and so is the warning from Pyongyang. Paula Hancocks has more from Seoul, South Korea.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

PAULA HANCOCKS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Threats were expected and North Korea did not disappoint. Day one of the annual military drills between the U.S.

and South Korea and North Korea has threatened a preemptive and offensive nuclear strike against both countries, also an indiscriminate nuclear

attack.

Clearly North Korea is not happy that the drills this year are the largest ever, 300,000 South Korean troops, 17,000 Americans, all involved in eight

weeks of drills on land, sea and air.

Now South Korea's defense ministry says that they have increased surveillance on the North to see if there are any signs of a possible

attack. At this point, they say there is no movement.

Tensions are always higher this time of year because of these military drills. Pyongyang thinks that the U.S. and South Korea are practicing for

an invasion although Washington and Seoul say they are defensive in nature.

But this year, it is even more tense. Consider the year that has gone so far. January: North Korea carried out a nuclear test. In February, they

carried out a satellite launch, which most people saw as a missile test.

And then just last week the U.N. passed unprecedented sanctions against North Korea. And then on Friday, Kim Jong-un, the North Korean leader,

said he wanted his nuclear weapons at the ready so he could use them --

[10:20:00]

HANCOCKS: -- at a moment's notice.

But don't expect things to calm down anytime soon. These drills between the U.S. and South Korea go on until the end of April -- Paula Hancocks,

CNN, Seoul.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

KINKADE: China is, of course, urging restraint on all sides to avoid making an already tense situation worse.

For analysis now, our chief U.S. security correspondent Jim Sciutto joins us live from Washington.

Jim, great to have you with us. Now last year North Korea threatened to turn Washington into a sea of fire; this year it's warned of a preemptive

nuclear strike.

Is this a lot of bluster?

Or are officials thinking this could be a serious threat?

JIM SCIUTTO, CNN CHIEF U.S. SECURITY CORRESPONDENT: Well, U.S. officials look at the timing here and they look at patterns. So every year around

the time of these U.S.-South Korean military exercises, there is some North Korean provocation.

Last year, as you mentioned, Lynda, it was this threat of turning American cities into a sea of fire. So now you have this talk of a preemptive

nuclear strike. They really see it more as bluster, provocative bluster.

But they don't expect that the threat that North Korea will carry out and there are still questions, hard questions about whether North Korea could

carry out such a threat.

They know they have made progress on nuclear devices, based on their most recent tests, certainly have made progress on missile technology.

What is not clear is have they been able to wed those two, to put something nuclear on top of a missile?

The U.S. view is that they have to believe that's possible. But it's at least an untested capability.

So, one, you look at capability; two, you look at the timing of this. And then as Paula was mentioning, it's even more so this year because you had

the missile test, you had the nuclear test; now you have a very serious round of U.N. sanctions. That's something that makes North Korea very

angry and this is part of their message back in retaliation, in effect, for that.

KINKADE: So Jim, is it likely that this sort of talk is aimed at a domestic audience as a way to perhaps build support for the regime as it

justifies its massive military spending?

SCIUTTO: It is. It's a combination. It's a message for an international audience in effect to say we're angry with the steps you're taking. The

U.S., China, the U.N., so you have it directed outwards but certainly inwards as well because this is a regime that is built on this aura of

invincibility and part of that is based on these constant threats but also a deep, deep investment in its military program to the cost of the North

Korean people as we know well that this is a country where you have famines, you have starvation. You have so many of the resources focused on

that military program.

So to justify that, in effect, they have to continue this sense of we are a nation, we are a superior nation under attack and we will stand up to the

West. The West wants to invade us. They want regime change here, that kind of thing. And this is our defense.

So absolutely right, an international message but also a domestic message.

KINKADE: Always great to have your perspective on this, Jim Sciutto in Washington, thank you.

SCIUTTO: Thank you, Lynda.

KINKADE: Still to come, Malaysia Airlines Flight 370 disappeared from radar screens two years ago Tuesday. As families remember their loved

ones, time is running out for them to seek compensation. More on that story, just ahead.

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[10:25:00]

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KINKADE: Welcome back. Media reports say the families of a dozen Chinese passengers of Malaysia Airlines Flight 370 have filed lawsuits today.

Tuesday marks the two-year anniversary of the jet's disappearance and also a legal deadline that could mean millions of dollars to families that still

don't know what happened to their loved ones. CNN's Saima Mohsin has more.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

SAIMA MOHSIN, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): A day of remembrance as the two-year anniversary approaches since MH370 went missing. Families have

flown from around the world to Kuala Lumpur, where the plane was last seen as it took off.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It is important so that these people remember that MH370 has not come home yet. And we want them to keep on remembering so

that at least it helps us remind the government that it's not over.

MOHSIN (voice-over): But with the two-year anniversary comes a two-year deadline. Under the International Montreal Convention, any court action to

claim damages must be taken within two years from the date the aircraft should have arrived.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: There's been no evidence, no information, nothing concrete enough to make some decision. Anything you do is just a gamble at

this stage. You only have these very limited options and you're put in a very tight corner with a very tight deadline.

MOHSIN: And with this deadline comes a twist: in February last year, parliament passed Act 765, stipulating, amongst other things, that MH370

families have to ask Malaysia Airlines for permission to file a lawsuit against Malaysia Airlines.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It's really absurd I have never heard of it before, when someone is saying you have to get permission from them to sue them.

MOHSIN (voice-over): Lawyer Aranon Salvarage (ph) is representing some of the MH370 families. He tells me there's another twist. Malaysia Airlines

will only give consent if families agree to certain conditions. If they sue MAS, they can't sue anyone else.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: So you can't sue the government, you can't sue the DCA, you can't sue the immigration, you can't sue Boeing. You can't sue anyone

else except MAS.

MOHSIN (voice-over): CNN has asked Malaysia Airlines about these conditions and is awaiting a response.

MOHSIN: There's also concern about the renaming and restructuring of Malaysia Airlines under Act 765 from Malaysia Airlines Systems perhaps to

Malaysia Airlines perhaps.

Why?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: They seem to be cherry-picking all their assets and liabilities.

MOHSIN (voice-over): The voice of MH370 groups slammed the move as a blatant and despicable act of irresponsibility and cowardice by MAS, openly

aided and abetted by the Malaysia government.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Anything, everything out from the old company and the new company is saying, look, that's the old company. You can't sue us.

You can't sue the new company. So eventually when people sue MAS, if they want to go for MAS, there's nothing left in MAS.

MOHSIN (voice-over): In a statement, the airline says, "MAS remains committed to ensuring a fair and equitable compensation. MAS has insurance

coverage in place to meet its obligations to pay compensation to next of kin."

While Malaysia Airlines says, quote, "166 families have commenced compensation proceedings, many are yet to file." They remain in denial,

unable to accept the disappearance or that their loved ones may never return -- Saima Mohsin, CNN, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

KINKADE: You're with the INTERNATIONAL DESK. Ted Cruz is shrinking the gap with Donald Trump in the U.S. Republican presidential race. Why both

candidates now want the field narrowed. That story, just ahead.

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[10:30:00]

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KINKADE: Welcome to the INTERNATIONAL DESK. I'm Lynda Kinkade. Here are the headlines we're following.

(HEADLINES)

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KINKADE: There's new intrigue in the U.S. presidential race after Ted Cruz's stronger-than-expected showing on Super Saturday. He put a dent in

Donald Trump's delegate lead and hopes to keep the momentum going before contests on Tuesday. Trump wants Marco Rubio, who did pretty poorly, to

drop out so he can ultimately face Cruz one-on-one for the Republican nomination.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DONALD TRUMP, REPUBLICAN PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: He comes in third, he comes in fourth, every time he comes in third or fourth, he says, you got

to be able to win. And he has not been able to win. And I think it's time that he drops out.

I would love to take on Ted one-on-one. That would be so much fun because Ted can't win New York. He can't win New Jersey. He can't win

Pennsylvania. He can't win California. I want Ted one-on-one. OK?

SEN. TED CRUZ (R), TEXAS: But we have beaten Donald not once, not twice but seven times now. All across this country, no other candidate has been

beaten him more than once. And I think that's part of why people are coming together as they recognize, if we're divided, Donald wins. And if

Donald wins, in all likelihood Hillary wins. And so we have to come together. We have to unite.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KINKADE: CNN Politics reporter MJ Lee is following developments from our New York bureau and joins us now.

MJ, obviously both Cruz and Trump want to face each other head on. Marco Rubio, as we know, is struggling to get his campaign off the ground. He is

hoping, though, to win the state of Florida, his home state, which has a lot of delegates.

But even if he does that, will that be enough to give him the momentum needed?

MJ LEE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: At the end of the day, this race is all about the delegate math. The math is not looking so good for Marco Rubio right

now. Remember, he has only won two states so far this cycle and he is very far behind both Donald Trump and Ted Cruz in terms of how many delegates he

has been able to pick up so far.

And this is why he's putting so much emphasis on the race in Florida, which will take place on March 15th next Tuesday. And this is an important race

for him not only because there's so many delegates at stake. It's a winner-take-all state with 99 delegates at stake.

But also because this is his home state, this is an area where he wants to be able to prove to his constituents and supporters that he can win his own

state.

But right now things are not looking so good for Marco Rubio. You look at the polling that's come out recently and he's actually trailing Trump in

his own home state and he insists that he's going to win there. But if he doesn't, it is very hard to see what path he has to move forward further --

[10:35:00]

LEE: -- in the race if he can't even win the state where he should actually have an easier time winning.

KINKADE: You would think so.

Looking at Donald Trump and the comments he made about torturing suspected terrorists, he spoke about it again yesterday on CBS. Just take a listen

to this.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

TRUMP: We are playing by rules but they have no rules. It's very hard to win.

JOHN DICKERSON, CBS NEWS HOST: Is that what separates us from the savages?

TRUMP: I don't think so. No, we have to beat the savages.

DICKERSON: And therefore throw all rules out?

TRUMP: We have to beat the savages.

DICKERSON: By being savages?

TRUMP: No, we -- well, look, you have to play the game the way they are playing the game. You're not going to win if we're soft and they're --

they have no rules. No. I want to stay within the laws. I want to do all of that but I think we have to increase the laws because the laws are not

working.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KINKADE: So, MJ, how is Donald Trump's position evolving on this subject?

And how is it being received in the party?

LEE: This is an issue where Donald Trump has actually done am entire 180, flipping from saying one day that he supports targeting the family members

of terrorists, including using torture tactics like waterboarding. And then the next day, after he faced a huge backlash from national security

leaders, from foreign policy leaders, many of whom said, look, this is basically calling for -- asking for your military leaders to do things that

are unlawful and his comments demonstrate that he's not fit to be president.

After facing all that criticism he walked those comments back a little bit and said I would not support asking anyone in my administration to do

things that do not fall in line with international law.

So this is clearly an area where he has felt the pressure and the criticism from his critics and walked his position back, which is not something that

he does a lot throughout this cycle. We have seen him say things that are offensive or inflammatory and has faced a lot of criticism and he has

really stood by his position.

So seeing him take back some of what he said in this arena really goes to show that he feels the pressure and he feels the criticism that is coming

from his critics and comes at a time when this race is really heating up and there's just so much at stake.

So saying one thing and stating one position that might actually hurt him in any way, I think we're seeing a Donald Trump that's more cognizant of

the ramifications of what he says out on the stump and on the debate stage.

KINKADE: A very good point, it is very rare that we see Donald Trump backtrack on his comments. MJ Lee, reporting from New York, thank you very

much.

LEE: Thanks, Lynda.

KINKADE: And CNN will have all-day coverage of Tuesday's Michigan primary. Three other states will also hold contests. Again that's Tuesday, right

here on CNN.

New pictures of a ski holiday in the French Alps might just melt your heart. Prince William, Katherine and their beautiful growing family were

pictured on vacation in the French Alps. Kensington Palace says it's their first holiday as a family of four and the first time the kids have played

in snow.

They certainly seem to enjoy it.

The INTERNATIONAL DESK will continue after this short break. Stay with us.

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[10:40:00]

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KINKADE: President Barack Obama has just ordered the flags at the White House to be flown at half-staff in honor of Nancy Reagan. The wife of

former president Ronald Reagan died on Sunday at the age of 94.

CNN's Stephanie Elam is inside the Reagan Presidential Library in Simi Valley, California. And as we heard over the weekend, so many dignitaries

and politicians paid tribute to Ms. Reagan and preparations are now underway for her memorial and final farewell.

STEPHANIE ELAM, CNN CORRESPONDENT: That's right, Lynda. What they are doing here is preparing the grounds for what will be a large but private

memorial here as she will be laid to rest next to her husband.

And they are also going to make sure that there's time for people in just the public who want to come and pay the respects. Many people remembering

Nancy Reagan as a staunch supporter of her husband and a very long love story that they shared.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ELAM (voice-over): A country in mourning for one of the most influential first ladies of the 20th century. During a campaign that has so invoked

Ronald Reagan's legacy, the Republican presidential candidates quick to express their condolences.

Donald Trump called Ms. Reagan, quote, "an amazing woman."

Ted Cruz said that she will be remembered for her deep passion for this nation and love for her husband.

A moment of silence for her at the Democratic debate Sunday. The president and first lady, Michelle Obama, say they are grateful for her life and pray

she and her beloved husband are together again.

Born in New York City and raised in Chicago, Nancy Reagan began her career as an actress in Hollywood, where she met fellow actor, Ronald Reagan, in

1949. The two married in 1952, beginning one of Hollywood's and Washington's most enduring partnerships.

NANCY REAGAN, WIFE OF RONALD REAGAN: Everything just fell into place with Ronnie and me. We completed each other.

ELAM (voice-over): Nancy played a pivotal roll in the rise of her husband's political career, from governorship to the presidency, always by

his side, gazing adoringly.

REAGAN: I don't remember thinking anything except that, my gosh, here he is and he's president.

ELAM (voice-over): As California's first lady, she focused her efforts on helping Vietnam veterans. As America's first lady, she championed the

fight against drug abuse, bringing national attention to her issue with her "Just Say No" campaign.

She had her own special grit, President Reagan's fiercest protector, never leaving his side after an assassination attempt. Later in life she nursed

her husband during his battle with Alzheimer's and became a leading activist, raising millions for research.

REAGAN: It's sad to see somebody you love and have been married for so long and you can't share memories.

ELAM (voice-over): After his death in 2004, she remained committed to preserving her husband's legacy, a symbol of the Republican Party.

REAGAN: When you balance it all out, I had a pretty fabulous life.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

ELAM: And Nancy Reagan had been known to say that nothing prepares for you living in the White House. And indeed, President Obama and first lady

Michelle Obama said that that was in case true but they benefitted because they had her, quote, "warm and generous advice" -- Lynda.

KINKADE: Great story, Stephanie Elam. Thank you very much.

That does it for us here at the INTERNATIONAL DESK. I'm Lynda Kinkade. Don't go anywhere. "WORLD SPORT" with Christina Macfarlane is up next.

END