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New Poll Shows Trump with Commanding Lead; Price of Brent Crude Falls Below $28 A Barrel; Recent CNN Poll Shows Sanders Would Beat Clinton In Match Against Five Leading Republicans. Aired 12-1a

Aired January 21, 2016 - 00:00   ET

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


[00:00:00] JOHN VAUSE, CNN ANCHOR: This is "CNN NEWSROOM," live from Los Angeles. A new CNN poll shows Donald Trump has commanding lead in a key early voting state, one day after picking up a big tea party endorsement; the U.S., the East Coast bracing for a storm that could be of epic proportions, we'll have the very latest forecast; also ahead, we'll explain why this American rapper was detained by South African immigration authorities.

Hello, everybody; great to have you with us. We'd like to welcome our viewers in the United States and all around the world. I'm John Vause. The first hour of "NEWSROOM" L.A. starts now.

A day after announcing her big endorsement of Donald Trump, Sarah Palin was out on the campaign trail. Her stump speech is pretty much the same as her endorsement speech. It's pitched to conservative voters who will mostly choose between Trump and Ted Cruz. A new CNN/WMUR poll shows Trump holding his 20-point lead in New Hampshire, but Senator Cruz is on the rise at 14-percent. Jeb Bush and Marco Rubio are tied for third, 10-percent each. Jake Tapper looks at whether Palin's backing will build on Trump's lead.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SARAH PALIN, FORMER GOVERNOR OF ALASKA: I love that Donald Trump does go rogue.

JAKE TAPPER, CNN HOST, "THE LEAD": She has always been supportive.

PALIN: I'm on Trump's side.

TAPPER: And now Sarah Palin has made it official.

PALIN: Our next president of the united states, Donald j. Trump!

TAPPER: Last fall I asked the former Alaska governor about a potential cabinet position with Trump, who had praised her.

Is there a particular area you think would line up best with your strengths, a position you would want to serve in?

PALIN: That's a great question. I think a lot about the Department of Energy, because energy is my baby. Oil and gas and minerals, those things that god has dumped on this part of the earth for mankind's use. I think a lot about Department of Energy, and if I were head of that, I'd get rid of it.

DONALD TRUMP (R), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE

TAPPER: But the bigger question is whether Palin's endorsement will make a difference.

CONAN O'BRIEN, HOST, "CONAN": He got the endorsement of Sarah Palin, yeah. Yeah, when he heard, John McCain said, well, then you're all set.

TAPPER: Conan O'Brien aside, for those candidates running against Trump, Palin's support during their congressional campaigns was no joke.

SEN. TED CRUZ (R-TX) PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: Sarah Palin jumped in early and supported Rand Paul. She supported Marco Rubio. Let me tell you something, I would not be in the U.S. Senate today if it were not for Governor Sarah Palin.

[Applause]

TAPPER: Congress is full of Palin beneficiaries, including Arizona's Jeff Flake and Iowa's Joni Ernst. According to data from "Open Secrets" of the congressional candidates who received the most money from Sarah Palin's PAC since 2010, about 2/3 have won their seats.

ERIC TRUMP, EVP DEVELOPMENT & ACQUISITIONS, THE TRUMP ORGANIZATION: It is a major, major endorsement. she is kind of the anti- establishment candidate.

TAPPER: But can this famous friend of the underdog really boost the current top dog?

KATIE PACKER, REPUBLICAN STRATEGIST: Palin-type voters are already with Donald Trump and it's not going to mean a lot of momentum.

SEN. LINDSEY GRAHAM (R), SOUTH CAROLINA: Probably hurts Cruz more than it helps Trump.

TAPPER: In a conversation that we had with Sarah Palin last month, it seemed clear that she identifies with Trump in the way that the Republican establishment sneers at him.

PALIN: If we want to restore what is great about America, we have to win this thing. So shame on the GOP establishment if they essentially boot a top tier candidate out.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

VAUSE: Palin's jabs at the Republican establishment underscore the divide within the Republican party. Trump and Cruz are courting the anti-establishment vote, while the rest of the candidates battle it out for mainstream voters. Jeb Bush is questioning Palin's endorsement, as well as Trump's conservatism.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) JEB BUSH (R), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: I respect her, but for her to say that Donald Trump is a conservative when he was pro-abortion in the most recent past; he believed in higher taxes; he thought Hillary Clinton would be a great negotiator in Iran; he's been all over the map on foreign policy, certainly not a conservative. Rush Limbaugh and others are now questioning his conservative credentials, and I think they're right.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

VAUSE: And Trump fired back at Jeb Bush during an interview with CNN's Don Lemon.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

TRUMP: I don't think he is going to do well. He spent $79 million. He's a low energy person. It's not what the country needs. The last thing we need is another Bush, and the only reason I speak badly about him, because I almost feel sorry for him, frankly; the only reason is he spends millions and millions of dollars on negative ads about me. Otherwise I wouldn't even talk because he is at the back of the pack. So, you know, he is not doing well. Probably in New Hampshire a little bit better but nationwide he is doing almost nothing.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

[00:05:02] VAUSE: Mr. Trump also says he is honored to be leading in that CNN/New Hampshire poll; and that survey also shows Bernie Sanders would fare better than Hillary Clinton in the hypothetical matchup with Republican candidates.

In that CNN/WMUR poll, Sanders leads all five Republicans. His rival Hillary Clinton would face tighter races against the same Republicans. Senator Sanders is also outperforming Clinton by 27 points in the Democratic Primary, according to that survey.

Lynn Vavreck is a professor of political science at UCLA. She joins me now to talk more about Bernie Sanders, Trump, and what is turning out to be a really strange presidential season. A very odd election race, the likes we've never seen before. Let's look at the numbers here.

Bernie Sanders, I guess, one indication that he is doing pretty well right now, he is being hit by Donald Trump. Trump called him a "whack job" twice today on the campaign trail.

LYNN VAVRECK, PROFESSOR OF POLITICAL SCIENCE, UCLA: It's a strange thing when you know you have arrived on the scene for the 2016 presidential election because Donald Trump is attacking you.

VAUSE: So this is an indication that Sanders is now being taken seriously, not just on the Democratic side, I guess, but also by the Republicans.

VAVRECK: I think we don't want to make too much out of it. Donald Trump is definitely becoming more of a presidential candidate day by day and one of the things presidential candidates do is talk about the other party and so I think we just can see this as part of his evolution toward looking more like a regular candidate.

VAUSE: And part of Bernie Sanders sort of evolution, if you like, he has upped his attacks as well. He's throwing a few elbows. In fact, out on the campaign trail, he is going out to Hillary Clinton a lot more. He's even sounding a little Trumpish, he's bragging about his poll numbers.

VAVRECK: Yes, there is definitely a sense of anger and anxiety, I think, out among the electorate; and then we have lots of survey data coming in now showing this and both of these gentlemen are tapping into that. So they're starting to sound the same because they're both tapping into that dimension.

VAUSE: Okay, I mean, we're talking about Donald Trump thinking about I guess the general election but right now he doesn't really have to worry what the majority of Americans think about him. It's all about the Republican primary. So with that in mind, I guess the Sarah Palin endorsement, what, it's political gold at this point?

VAVRECK: Well, I think it's actually a sign that he is worried about Ted Cruz.

VAUSE: Right.

VAVRECK: Because why do you bring Sarah Palin out? You bring her out to shore up the Tea Party vote, and that Tea Party vote is not stronger for Ted Cruz now than it is for Donald Trump, but those are the people who support Ted Cruz. so if he can peel off that support from Cruz, then he doesn't have to worry about Cruz at all.

VAUSE: Just put this in perspective, though. When we're looking at this Tea Party vote in Iowa, are we talking about a fairly small group of voters within the Republican caucuses that will actually go and vote?

VAVRECK: Well, we're talking about a small group of people within the Republican party, but not in the Iowa Republican party, --

VAUSE: Right.

VAVRECK: -- and not among caucus goers.

VAUSE: Okay, so that's why the Palin support I guess is so crucial because it's a big move and, once again, if nothing else, Donald Trump and Sarah Palin sucking out all the oxygen. No one else is talking about anything else; and even when Republican candidates are being questioned, it's what do you think about Trump and Palin.

VAVRECK: I hate that we're talking about it right now.

VAUSE: Right.

VAVRECK: But they are birds of a feather. VAUSE: Okay, Lynn, we'll talk to you next hour. A lot more to get to with the next hour, here in Los Angeles in "CNN NEWSROOM." So thank you for staying around. We'll talk to you soon.

VAVRECK: Sure.

VAUSE: We'll go to the turmoil now in the financial markets. Falling oil prices continue to drag down stocks. In the U.S., the Dow fell more than 500 points on Wednesday before regaining some ground to close down 1.5-percent. Trading is under way in the Asia-Pacific region. Let's take a look at the latest numbers right now.

Tokyo's Nikkei -- we've got the numbers? there we go. The Nikkei, it's down by 1-percent. Hong Kong the Hang Seng down by 3/4 of 1- percent. Shanghai in positive territory by half a percent; and the ASX 200 up also by almost half a percent.

The price of Brent Crude fell below $28 barrel in U.S. trading. Right now it's up about 1 1/2-percent.

Let's bring in CNN's Paula Hancocks; she is live in Seoul, South Korea, looking at all the action in the region. So I guess, are we looking at the market now stabilizing at least a little bit here?

PAULA HANCOCKS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, it certainly not as bad as it was yesterday. I think we can say that, John, and we're not seeing these markets rebounding in any meaningful way today. As you said, a couple were up, a couple were down. So we're not necessarily seeing any regaining of what the markets have lost over the past few days. And, of course, many are experts and many analysts are saying you're not likely to see a rebound, you're not likely to see a stability entering these markets until oil has hit bottom. So that's one of the crucial factors that investors are looking at this point and it does look as though there could be some instability in the oil price and pressure on the oil price for some time to come.

[00:10:04] You bear in mind there is an oversupply in the market. Everybody has accepted that. The International Energy Agency calling it a "world drowning in oil". Then, over the next weeks, potentially months, you have Iran, who is going to be adding to that supply now Western sanctions have been lifted; and Saudi Arabia, the biggest oil producer, not wanting to pull back on their production. So that oil price is going to be under pressure for some time to come, which, of course, puts energy stocks under pressure, puts commodities under pressure and makes investors very nervous.

VAUSE: And, Paula, today China's Central Bank pumped a lot of money into the banking system. How much and why?

HANCOCKS: Well it looks like it was close to $17 billion, according to reports at this point. It's not unusual for China to do this, this time of the year. We're just a couple of weeks away from the Lunar New Year holiday, a very important holiday in China. It's a time of feasting, a time of exchanging gifts, and it's a time when a lot of people need cash. So what we're seeing is the Central Bank really pumping this money into the banking system as they have done in the past. John?

VAUSE: Okay, Paul Hancocks, keeping an eye on the markets there, from Seoul, South Korea. Thank you, Paula.

A short break here. When we come back, many in the U.S. are stocking up on food and supplies ahead of what could be an epic snowstorm. We'll check in with the Weather Center when we come back. Also, we'll have the latest on the contaminated water in Flint, Michigan. We'll find out how much the city's mayor says it will cost to undo the damage.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

VAUSE: Welcome back, everybody. We're learning new details about how officials in Michigan have dealt with the contaminated water crisis in the city of Flint over the past two years. The governor has released all of his emails about the situation. They include comments from one staffer who says it was the City's problem, not the state government. Other's seem to dismiss complaints, even call the issue a "political football."

U.S. President Barack Obama addressed the problem during a visit to Detroit on Wednesday.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BARACK OBAMA, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: I know that if I was a parent up there, I would be beside myself that my kid's health could be at risk."

(END VIDEO CLIP)

VAUSE: Michigan Governor, Rick Schneider, has called on the state to spend $28 million to fix this crisis but critics say that's just a fraction of what's needed to undo the damage. Flint's mayor says the final cost could be as high as $1.5 billion. Congressman Dan Kildee is a Democrat who represents Michigan's Fifth District, that includes the City of Flint, and that is where he joins us from now.

Congressman, in your assessment, what more needs to be done by the State and also by the Federal Government right now?

REP. DAN KILDEE (D), MICHIGAN: Well, the Federal Government may be able to help. It did not cause this problem and that's why I think the lion's share of the responsibility falls to the state. They need to make sure that we have immediate help to the people that are here and need drinkable water. That's underway, and I'm glad that the Governor activated the National Guard.

But, when we think about the real fix, the long-term fix to this, $28 million, it sounds like a lot of money, but it's less than half of what people in Flint spent in a year for water that they couldn't drink. It's not equal to the size of the problem. I know the Governor says he plans on more resources. I hope it is a robust enough response, that it's equal to the gravity of this crisis. We need help with our infrastructure, but especially what we need is

support for those young children who will face developmental challenges as a result of having high levels of lead exposure. They're going to need nutritional support, educational help, ongoing support, not just this year or next year, but for quite a number of years to come. That's the kind of help that I think the state must come up with.

VAUSE: Congressman, what about accountability here? Who's being held accountable for this disaster?

KILDEE: Well there are a number of investigations underway. The Justice Department is looking into this. They announced an investigation. Our State Attorney General, I know, has done the same. I'm confident that the process of determining who is ultimately responsible will (inaudible) the facts. So, for me, that's an important question, but accountability for a purpose; accountability, not just to say somebody was at fault, but so we know who we need to turn to to make it right. So far, all roads lead to Lansing when it comes to accountability. There may be other changes that we might ask of the EPA, in terms of enforcement, but this was a decision made by a state appointed Emergency Manager. It was a failure of the Michigan Department of Environmental Quality to protect environmental quality. So I really thing that's where the lion's share of the responsibility falls.

VAUSE: There was this cartoon in "Politico" and it shows two drinking fountains, one is labeled "white" and it has clean drinking water. The other is labeled "colored" with dirty drinking water. That's sort of what a lot of people have been saying in Flint, isn't it? This is a mostly poor, black community and their voices have not been heard. What's your take on that?

KILDEE: Well Flint's my hometown. I've seen it go through a lot, and I know, while it might not be intentional, there's this implicit bias against older cities, particularly older cities with high degrees of poverty, majority minority communities. It is hard for me to imagine the indifference that we have seen exhibited, if this had happened in a much more affluent community. Now some might say that that's an unfair charge, but I'm just going by the facts. It is very difficult for me to imagine six, seven, eight months passing without any real action if this were a more affluent community. I suspect there would have been immediate, urgent action to help the community.

VAUSE: Sir, thank you for being with us.

KILDEE: Thank you very much.

[00:20:03] VAUSE: Well, the East Coast of the United States is getting ready for what could be one of the biggest snowstorms in history. It's already snowing in Washington, D.C. The mayor is asking residents there to stay off the roads. The storm system could affect tens of millions of people in Virginia. Officials have reported 163 accidents due to slippery roadways. Let's go now to Derek Van Dam, our meteorologist standing by at the CNN Weather Center. We also got word that Nashville, all public schools will be closed on Thursday again, because of icy roads. So this is shaping up to be a big one.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DEREK VAN DAM, AMS METEOROLOGIST: It is, and that's not even the main event, John. In fact, that storm will actually just be gathering its punch by Thursday afternoon and into Friday. That's when we expect it to be the big blockbuster that we continue to talk about.

Get a load of this; this has the potential to see records shattered into the Nation's capital. The storm total from this storm, the potential, I should say, could double the average snowfall in the nation's capital and well exceed the entire season from last year. Here's a look at the latest watches. Currently Winter Storm Watches from Kentucky to the Virginias, as well as into Maryland, that's where we actually have blizzard watches. But the path of the storm, the exact track of the low, we say it time and time again, that is crucial because if it hugs the coast then we see the snowfall travel further north but if it moves off the Mid-Atlantic, then we'll see the northern periphery of the heavy rainfall stop right about New York and Boston. In fact, take a look at the difference in snowfall totals between three separate cities.

We're talking about Washington, D.C. potentially receiving up to 30 inches of snow, according to the American model, but New York only 7 inches. This is actually down from 10, which is an earlier computer model, that we saw earlier today; and Boston, yeah, that's right zero inches of snow from this. Only a few snowflakes anticipated because they will be on the outer periphery of the heavy band.

So do we have all the ingredients for a northeaster? You bet you. Take a look at this.

We're going to start to see the low develop across the Gulf Coast states. Severe weather possible from Louisiana into Alabama, as well as parts of Georgia. Then we see the icing take place across Kentucky and into the Carolinas. Then, finally, the snow overspreads the nation's capital just south of New York City.

Take a look at this, John. We could experience 3/4 to an inch of ice accumulation. So that is not the only concern, snow, ice, and strong winds and coastal erosion. Back to you.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

VAUSE: Need to get a jacket on there in that studio; it looks like it's pretty cold. Thank you, Derek.

Okay, we have this note as well: 2015 was the warmest year on earth since recordkeeping began more than a century ago. According to the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and NASA, the average temperature last year was 1.62 degrees Fahrenheit, or 0.9 degrees Celsius, above the average for the 20th century. expert says El Nino, the warm water phenomenon in the Pacific, was mostly to blame for the higher temperatures; but the change was also largely driven by an increase in carbon dioxide and other man made emissions.

In the U.S. Senate, Democrats blocked a Republican bill that would have limited the entry of Syrian and Iraqi refugees. The bill would have required top U.S. officials to certify that each refugee does not pose a security threat. Democrats say that would have been unnecessary and is unfeasible but Republican, Paul Ryan, Speaker of The House said in a statement, "Senate Democrats are making it that much harder for us to keep Americans safe. Their vote is irresponsible in a time of grave threats."

The British Home Office is ordering an urgent review of housing for asylum seekers in the northwestern English town of Middlebrough. Media reports say their homes had doors that had been painted red. As Hala Gorani reports, many asylum seekers worried that made their homes too easy to spot and made them a target for abuse.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

HALA GORANI, CNN CORRESPONDENT: To an outsider, these red doors may look like a cheery decoration, brightening the streets of this largely industrial town in northeast England; but to those who live behind them, it can feel like a target, as the majority belong to asylum seekers like 32-year-old Abdel al-Bashir.

ABDEL AL-BASHIR, ASYLUM SEEKER, SUDAN: Painting the door red, you're telling everyone I'm asylum seeker. I'm less person than anybody, and that I hey, I should be targeted; and that's what is happening.

GORANI: The allegations were brought to light by "The Times of London," which found that many asylum seekers in the area have felt stigmatized by the red doors.

RASHID ALI, ASYLUM SEEKER, MOROCCO: I've seen the paint but I don't know exactly what they mean but I know after a couple of days, I know it is target because there were foreign nationals in the streets.

GORANI: After reports of arson, vandalism and intimidation, a local [00:25:04] politician is bringing the issue to Parliament's front door and pointing a finger at the contractor, Joe Mast, in charge of housing asylum seekers in the area.

ANDY MCDONALD, MP, MIDDLEBROUGH: Joe Mast has some 168 properties in two wards. 155 of them have their front doors to the street painted red and this simply marks out those properties and their inhabitants for those with prejudicial motivations and evil intent.

GORANI: Something that the property owner denies.

STUART MONK, JOURNAL OWNER & DIRECTOR: I don't think that really the average guy walking down the street would be able to distinguish between -- to make any distinguishment between asylum houses, (inaudible) house and other properties in the street particularly.

GORANI: The company that oversees Joe Mast and awarded the asylum housing contract for the area says there is no policy to house asylum seekers behind red doors, but promises to repaint the doors different colors; but are the door colors just the tip of the iceberg in communities like Middlesbrough, where the proportion of the asylum seekers are the highest in Britain? That's what one local campaigner for refugees believes.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: There's other issues, other housing issues, like the shared rooms, that's - where people have to share a room where they've got no common language or faith or culture. There's the issue of them not having that forum, to be able to take things forward.

GORANI: A problem that may go deeper on the paint of the front doors of a few hundred asylum seekers.

Hala Gorani, CNN, London.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

VAUSE: A short break here on "NEWSROOM" L.A.; when we come back, Bernie Sanders is hoping the excitement of his campaign will appeal to voters in Iowa, and he is channeling Barack Obama (inaudible).

Also ahead, how a deadly attack at a university in Pakistan exposed divisions within the Taliban.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[00:30:00] VAUSE: Welcome back, everybody. Just got 9:30 on a Wednesday night here in Los Angeles. You're watching "CNN NEWSROOM" live from L.A; I'm John Vause. The headlines this hour: (HEADLINES)

Well, more now on that latest poll from New Hampshire, which has Bernie Sanders beating rival Hillary Clinton in the Democratic Primary race. The CNN/WMUR survey also shows Sanders leading five Republicans in those hypothetical matchups. Clinton would face tighter races against the same Republicans; this comes as both candidates try to appeal to voters in another crucial state, that would be Iowa. Here is Jeff ZELENY.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SEN. BERNIE SANDERS, D-VT, DEMOCRATIC PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: Thank you, Iowa!

JEFF ZELENY, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Bernie Sanders is no Barack Obama; or is he?

SANDERS: In 2008, Barack Obama ran one of the great campaigns in the history of this country. He rewrote the caucus rulebook right here in Iowa; unbelievable.

ZELENY: In the state that launched the President's path to the White House --

PRES. BARACK OBAMA: They said this day would never come.

ZELENY: Sanders is hoping that old Obama magic rubs off.

SANDERS: Now I'm not saying that we can replicate that but I think any objective look at our campaign and the energy and the excitement that it is generating with young people and with working people, compare that to Secretary Clinton's campaign.

ZELENY: Sanders is riding a wave of momentum, with a stunning 27- point lead over Clinton in a new CNN/WMUR poll in New Hampshire. Today Bill Clinton urged voters there to take another look.

BILL CLINTON, FORMER PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: We're on a home field disadvantage here but the real issue is who can win the election, who is prepared to do the job, who can make real change.

ZELENY: And Secretary Clinton fought back in a new TV ad.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The person who lives here has to solve problems as big as the world and as small as your kitchen table.

ZELENY: But Sanders is trying to repeat Obama's feat eight years ago, showing Clinton is not invincible.

THEN-SENATOR BARACK OBAMA, D-IL, DEMOCRATIC PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: I can't do it by myself and that's why we're here today. That's why we're canvassing because in our history, change has always happened from the bottom up.

ZELENY: It's an open question whether Sanders, a 74-year-old Democratic Socialist, can replicate Obama's massive organization.

SANDERS: I think we've got a real shot to win here and I am feeling really, really good.

ZELENY: A record-setting 239,000 people took part in the 2008 Iowa caucuses. Party officials believe turnout will be far lower this time because Sanders hasn't spent the year building a robust team. To gin up excitement, Sanders are going hard after the value of Clinton's experience.

SANDERS: She was Secretary of State for four years, that gives you a lot of experience. Dick Cheney had a hell of a lot of experience; god help us all.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

VAUSE: That was Bernie Sanders finishing that report there by CNN Senior Washington Jeff ZELENY.

Now, adding to Clinton's political challenges is a report saying her private e-mail server contained classified intelligence from top secret programs. In an interview with National Public Radio Clinton brushed off the report as a leak without evidence, designed to hurt her campaign. She denied sending or receiving classified materials on the server. Donald Trump spoke about that with our Don Lemon a short time ago.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

[00:35:01] DONALD TRUMP, R-NY, REPUBLICAN PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE, via telephone: How would you be so stupid to have done such a thing? This shows such bad judgment. How can a person running for president and wanting to be president show this kind of judgment? And historically, she has had this judgment, whether it's White Water or -- it's always something. It's always something traumatic and that's bad judgment.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

VAUSE: The family of former FBI agent last seen in Iran in 2007 calls mix messages from the U.S. Government "outrageous." White House official says they believe Robert Levinson is not in Iran, but somewhere else in Southwest Asia.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JOSH EARNEST, WHITE HOUSE PRESS SECRETARY: We have reason to believe that he no longer is in Iran.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

VAUSE: The FBI has been heading up the investigation into Levinson's disappearance. Evan Perez has been speaking with officials there.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

EVAN PEREZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT: FBI investigators believe that if Robert Levinson is still alive, he is being held in Iran. That's in contrast to the comments that we've heard from the White House and State Department officials saying that Levinson is no longer believed to be in Iran.

Levinson is a former FBI agent and at the time he disappeared in 2007, he was working as a CIA contractor. His family have been highly critical of this deal announced this weekend in which Iran released five U.S. citizens it held in prison while the U.S. released seven Iranians it held and dropped charges against others.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

VAUSE: Just days ago Iran released five Americans it had been holding. Tehran is promising to help with the Levinson investigation. And the Iranian Foreign Minister, @@ Zarif, is speaking for the first time since sanctions against his country were lifted. Our Christiane Amanpour sat down with Zarif for an exclusive TV interview, Christiane asked Zarif about the recent tension between Iran and Saudi Arabia.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ZARIF: Iran and Saudi Arabia can be two important players, who can accommodate each other, who can complement each other in the region. We don't expect or we're not interested even in pushing Saudi Arabia out of this region because Saudi Arabia is an important player in this region.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

VAUSE: Zarif also criticized the U.S. for new sanctions it imposed on Iran because of a ballistic missile test. He called those measures "a nuisance."

We go to Kabul now. The Afghan network (Inaudible) TV says seven employees were killed in a suicide attack that targeted a bus carrying journalists. The Taliban has claimed responsibility. A spokesperson from the militant group is accusing Talo TV of spying for the West. The Taliban has threatened the popular network for reporting that Taliban fighters raped women during the capture of Kunduz last year.

Officials say the militants who raided a university in Pakistan timed their attack during a ceremony to try and kill as many people as possible. At least 19 people died in Wednesday's siege. Four militants were also killed. A Pakistani Taliban spokesman claimed responsibility, but another spokesman denied any role.

Let's go to Alexandra Field right now; she joins us live from New Delhi. So, Alexandra, is there any reason why this particular university was targeted?

ALEXANDRA FIELD, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Quite likely, John. Look, this university is in the northwestern part of Pakistan. It's an area that has long been a stronghold for militant groups, which means it's also the area where the Pakistani military carries out operations to ferret out groups like the Pakistani Taliban. So when you look at a target like this university, it's obviously considered something of a soft target; it's a word we use a lot when militants can, with some amount of ease, get into a spot where they can generate a lot of attention for their terrorist activities.

This was a university they were holding a celebration. So that means there was a maximum number of people on campus, some 3,000 students, some 600 guests. It brought a lot of people together. It was an opportunity, in the eyes of the terrorists, to do something that would draw the most attention possible, that would also have the possibility for the maximum number of casualties, which is what terrorists seem to do in these kinds of attacks, John.

Again, this is a school that is not too far from the school in Peshawar, which was the site of another terrorist attack carried out by the Pakistani Taliban back in 2014 and no one forgets that attack because more than 140 people were killed then, many of them just young children.

VAUSE: Obviously going after as many casualties as possible. In some ways though this attack could have been a lot worse but they had recently increased security on campus. What more do you know that?

FIELD: Yes, officials are saying that they were able to mitigate some of the casualties to some extent. We know that the military operation was successful, in terms of the fact that troops who were brought in and put on the roof tops of the buildings were able to take out four attackers. We now know from officials that were only four attackers [00:40:02] who were on the campus, but they're saying that there had been recent intelligence assessments that predicted attacks in the area, in the region that had given the university some time to prepare.

They say they had brought extra security guards on board. There were extra security measures implemented given the fact that this celebration was going on; and because of that they say they were able to contain these attackers to just one portion of the campus, John.

VAUSE: Alexandra Field live in New Delhi; thank you. A short break here on NEWSROOM L.A. When we come back, a final report is set to be released on the investigation into the death of a vocal Russian critic. More on that when we come back. Also, you'll hear what American artist Mos Def had to say after he was detained after trying to leave South Africa with a very unusual travel document.

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VAUSE: In a few hours from now, British authorities are set to release the final report into the death of a vocal critic of the Russian president. Alexander Litvinenko died in 2006 after being poisoned with a radioactive chemical. He was in a London hotel at the time. Here is Nic Robertson.

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NIC ROBERTSON, CNN CORRESPONDENT: When this picture was taken 20th of November, 2006, Aleksander Litvinenko knew he was dying, even claiming he knew who had killed him with the rare, radioactive poison, Polonium 210, authorizing this statement on his death: "you may succeed in silencing one man, but the howl of protest from around the world will reverberate, Mr. Putin, in your ears for the rest of your life."

The former KGB spy turned British agent had fled Russia in 2000 and was increasingly critical of President Vladimir Putin. He said Russia [00:45:03] orchestrated apartment bombings that killed hundreds and led to Russia's invasion of Chechnya. In the days before he died, he told police he suspected the poison had been planted in tea he drank here, three weeks earlier, in the upmarket central London Millennium Hotel. He told police he was having a business meeting with two Russians, his former KGB associate Andre Lugovoi and Dimitri Kofton. Hotel security cameras caught vital moments. Minutes apart, both Lugovoi and Kofton visit reception, then the lobby bathroom. Traces of the poison Polonium 210 were later found in the bathroom, on the chairs where the three met and in the teapot Litvinenko drank from. So serious in evidence and allegations, the British government opened an inquiry. Putin was robust in his denials of involvement.

VLADIMIR PUTIN, PRESIDENT, RUSSIA, via translator: Aleksander Litvinenko was fired from security forces where he served in Convoy, Ministry of Interior.

ROBERTSON: Denials escalated to tit for tat expulsion of diplomats when Russia refused extradition of Lugovoi to face trial in the UK. Both Lugovoi and Kofton deny allegations and Russia refuses to extradite them. ANDRE LUGOVOI, FORMER KGB AGENT: Regarding my position on traces of Polonium, I think these questions should be addressed to UK Security services, as they had direct involvement in whatever was going on around Litvinenko.

ROBERTSON: It is a denial the British say doesn't stand up against the huge weight of evidence they have and until both Lugovoi and Kofton stand trial in the UK, Litvinenko's murder remains and open case.

Nic Robertson, CNN, London.

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VAUSE: Sierra Leone has confirmed a second case of Ebola in less than a week. The Reuters News Agency cites a health ministry spokesman who says the new patient is a woman who cared for a relative who died of Ebola just last week. the World Health Organization had declared Sierra Leone, Guinea, and Liberia Ebola-free. the outbreak has killed more than 11,000 people since 2013.

Tomorrow here on "CNN NEWSROOM" live from L.A., we'll have a happy ending to a story we first told you about back in August. 9-year-old Jai Jai was once considered unadoptable. He was 3 months old when his parents abandoned him because of botched surgery. CNN's Will Ripley met Jai Jai at an orphanage in Beijing.

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UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It was very hard to find a family for Jai Jai. We waited for nine years. He waited nine years.

WILL RIPLEY, CNN CORRESPONDENT: A family that promised to adopt him backed out. Many of his friends found homes and moved away. Now, finally, an American family is filing paperwork to adopt Jai Jai.

Dad, Mom, three sisters and grandparents. Wow, that's a big family.

The Wilson's from the Kansas City area are trying to raise $36,000 in adoption costs.

"If I have parents", he says, "I can live. I can have a life."

Jai Jai's new life is still likely months away, an eternity for a young boy who has been waiting nine years for a family.

It's okay.

Suddenly, no more words, only tears. It's okay.

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VAUSE: Jai Jai's wait is finally over. Will was there with the Wilson family who finally arrived in China to meet their son and to take him home. We'll have that story for you right here on CNN live from Los Angeles; 6:00 in the morning if you're watching from Berlin. A short break here. When we come back, American artist Mos Def is speaking from detention, after trying to leave South Africa with a so- called world passport. You'll hear what he has to say. Also, astronomers think they found a ninth planet in the solar system, and it's bigger, a lot bigger than earth.

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[00:53:15] VAUSE: Well, an American hip-hop artist and actor is speaking out about his immigration arrest in South Africa. Mos Def tried to leave the country last week with a so-called "world passport". Now, as David McKenzie reports, he is addressing his detention through the website of another prominent hip-hop artist.

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DAVID MCKENZIE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: When hip-hop artist, rapper and activist Yaslin Bey, formally known as Mos Def, took out his world passport while trying to leave Cape Town International, South African authorities took Bey to jail.

GARY DAVIS, FOUNDER, "WORLD PASSPORT": Hello, my fellow Earthling.

MCKENZIE: Yes, the world passport exists, started by this man, Gary Davis in the 1950s in protest against war and nation states.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You can apply for the world passport right here online; fill out a form and they'll send you the document for a fee. They claim it's accepted in a handful of countries.

MCKENZIE: But not in South Africa, where Bey has been living.

YASLIN BEY, ACTIVIST: Peace; this is Yaslin.

MCKENZIE: Out on bail, charged with violating immigration law, Bey is speaking out with an audio clip posted on Kanye West's website, where he announced his retirement.

BEY: I'm being prevented from leaving unjustly, unlawfully without any logical reason.

MCKENZIE: Bey is probably best known for his roles in "Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy" and "The Italian Job."

BEY: Learn the language of poetry, art, romance, sex.

MCKENZIE: But he has also pushed political boundaries. In 2013 getting force fed to protest Guantanamo Bay.

BEY: No more parties in (inaudible). Please, no more parties in (inaudible).

[00:55:04] MCKENZIE: Bey's family is now due to be deported on Visa violations. He faces trial in May. Mos Def may not be leaving on a jet plane any time soon.

David McKenzie, CNN, Johannesburg.

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VAUSE: Thank you for watching "CNN NEWSROOM," live from Los Angeles; I'm John Vause. Stay with us; I'll be back with another hour of news after a short break. You're watching CNN.