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US Attorney General Testifies on Captial Hill in FBI-Apple Dispute; New Facebook Emojis; Adele Wows Brit Awards; Chris Rock to Host Oscars Sunday. Aired Midnight-1a ET

Aired February 25, 2016 - 00:00   ET

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


[00:00:10] ISHA SESAY, CNN ANCHOR: This is CNN Newsroom, live from Los Angeles.

JOHN VAUSE, CNN ANCHOR: Ahead this hour, is there a bombshell ahead for Donald Trump? A big name in the Republican Party warns there could be big trouble in Trump's tax returns.

SESAY: Plus, Apple's boss is not backing down in his fight from the U.S. government. Why he claims unlocking a terrorist's cell phone would compromise the privacy of millions of iPhone users.

VAUSE: And Beirut's river of garbage, as city officials struggle to find a solution the trash keeps piling up.

SESAY: Hello and thank you for joining us; I'm Isha Sesay.

VAUSE: Great to have you with us; I'm John Vause. "Newsroom L.A." starts right now.

U.S. Republican Presidential Candidates are gearing up for a decisive day next week, the Super Tuesday primaries and caucuses but before that the five contenders will meet Thursday at a CNN debate in Houston, Texas.

SESAY: Frontrunner Donald Trump is celebrating his big win in Tuesday's Nevada caucuses. CNN's Jim Acosta has more.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JIM ACOSTA, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Donald Trump's first campaign event after his win in Nevada, says it all. Eyeing the Bible Belt states up for grabs on Super Tuesday, next week, Trump appealed to Christian conservatives by sitting down with televangelist Pat Robertson.

PAT ROBERTSON, TELEVANGELIST, CHRISTIAN BROADCASTING NETWORK: You inspire us all.

ACOSTA: Trump talked about forgiveness, perhaps even for his archrival, Ted Cruz; maybe.

TRUMP: I can forgive. Every once in a while, there will be somebody that went too far over the last few weeks, things were said that were lies. I have to be a good person today, at least for the next hour; I'm sorry. ACOSTA: But Trump isn't spending much time talking about his opponents. He's busy envisioning his days in the White House, the ultimate political outsider saying he would likely want a political insider as his vice president.

TRUMP: I do want somebody that's political because I want to get lots of great legislation that we all want passed.

ACOSTA: And strong conservatives for the Supreme Court.

TRUMP: Pro-life, it starts with that. Starts there. Very conservative; very, very smart, I mean, like Judge Scalia. He was a perfect representative.

ACOSTA: On Day One of a Trump Administration, the GOP frontrunner vows he'll scrap Obamacare, improve veterans' healthcare and end the President's executive actions to slow deportations of the undocumented.

TRUMP, via telephone: Especially the one on the border, where people are just allowed to come in, just pour into our country like Swiss cheese.

ACOSTA: Trump is heading into Super Tuesday with a lead that is ballooning quickly, with five-times the number of delegates as his nearest rivals.

TRUMP: The establishment, the media, the special interests, the lobbyists, the donors, they're all against me.

ACOSTA: Trump is also running a new ad, warning the D.C. establishment is out to get him and he's making the case Republicans should consider how he's expanding the party and get onboard.

TRUMP: We won the evangelicals. We won with young. We won with old. We won with highly educated. We won with poorly educated. I love the poorly educated. We're the smartest people. We're the most loyal people. And you know what I'm happy about? Because I've been saying it for a long time, 46-percent with the Hispanics. 46-percent; number one with Hispanics.

ACOSTA: The contenders vying to be the anti-Trump insist the race is far from over.

TED CRUZ (R-TX) REPUBLICAN PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: We can't get this wrong. We can't be fooled by P.T. Barnum. The time for the clowns and the acrobats and the dancing bears has passed.

[Cheering and Applause]

ACOSTA: Cruz went back to delegate-rich Texas to assure the endorsement of that state's popular governor.

GOV. GREG ABBOTT (R-TX): Ted is a constitutionalist, whose judgment I trust to appoint the right judges to the United States Supreme Court.

ACOSTA: Marco Rubio is urging supporters to pick a candidate who can win in November.

MARCO RUBIO (R-FL) REPUBLICAN PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: We can't just elect someone that's angry.

ACOSTA: And John Kasich said maybe a fight at the GOP convention won't be so bad.

GOV. JOHN KASICH (R-OH) REPUBLICAN PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: If we end up at a brokered convention, I can't think of a better city to have one in than Cleveland, Ohio. So, we'll see.

ACOSTA: He may be way ahead, but Trump is not slowing down. He has a bunch of events lined up in the South and Southwest to set the table for Super Tuesday next week and all of the early polls indicate that Trump has a chance to clean up and force some of his rivals out of the race.

Jim Acosta, CNN, Las Vegas.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

VAUSE: Technically, Donald Trump still has not locked up the republican nomination and Marco Rubio is seen by many as the one candidate who could turn the tide, but it's a pretty slim chance. It all depends on the Florida Senator winning his home state, where he trails in the polls right now, yes, to Donald Trump which is why many [00:05:01] Trump supporters are saying, game over. Thanks for playing. The nomination is in the bag; among them, Mel Robbins, a CNN Commentator, radio host and, at times, a paid speaker for Trumps company. Mel, thanks for being with us.

Hypothetically here, if all dropped out but Rubio, is that going to make any difference?

MEL ROBBINS, CNN COMMENTATOR & RADIO HOST: I'm sorry, what did you just say about Rubio? that he's dropping out? I don't want to spread any rumors, John.

[Laughter]

VAUSE: Well, hypothetically, if all of the others except Rubio drop out, would that make any difference? I'm guessing by your answer that it won't.

ROBBINS: Well, you know, -- look, I think that when Jeb dropped out, it was a really defining moment in the lead-up to who becomes the republican nominee because it cemented the final three and made it very clear that Trump is so far ahead, that the only way that Rubio gains at all, John, is first of all, if Cruz drops out, and Cruz is such a pit bull that he's not going anywhere until he gets dragged out of this race.

Second, of all the undecided folks that they're I'm assuming are going to then divvy up between these three, I think what the establishment in the Republican Party is hoping is that 100-percent is going to Rubio. The fact of the matter is that's not going to happen. Trump is, I'm certain, going to claw at least 50-percent of them. There's no reason to think that given the fact that he's not only crushed it in the last couple elections, but more importantly, that he's leading in Rubio's home state. I mean, if he can't bring home his home state delegates, I don't think there's a chance in heck that Rubio is going to win a national election.

VAUSE: You mentioned Ted Cruz there. I guess the common wisdom is that he will stay in until the bitter end. Is it too early to write him off? He is leading in Texas after all, his home state; a good win there might just revive his campaign, especially in the South.

ROBBINS: Well I think that - look, we're having a conversation about writing him off and I think it's important to say that we're talking about what's going to happen at the Republican Convention and I tend to think about this from a national level.

Could Cruz make some sort of last-minute push? Perhaps, but I don't think there's enough right-wing conservative evangelicals, which were the base of his support in Iowa, to have him surge in a way that would be necessary to have him knock Trump out of the lead. The fact of the matter is, whether or not the Republican establishment loves him or just likes him, he's too scary to win a national election because in order to do so, you have to appeal to Independents, like myself. You have to appeal to moderate republicans and you've got to appeal to Democrats that aren't particularly favorable to Clinton or Sanders. There's no way that somebody as conservative as Cruz with do that.

VAUSE: Okay; so if you're right at this point, nobody can stop Mr. Trump, then I guess it comes down to can Trump stop Trump? Today, we had the 2012 republican nominee, Mitt Romney. he has spoken out, saying there could be big problems for Trump and his tax returns. This is what Mr. Romney had to say.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MITT ROMNEY (R-MA) FORMER GOVERNOR: Frankly, I think we have good reason to believe that there's a bombshell in Donald Trump's taxes.

NEIL CAVUTO, JOURNALIST, FOX BUSINESS NEWS: what do you mean?

ROMNEY: well, I think there's something there. Either he's not anywhere near as wealthy as he says he is; or he hasn't been paying the kind of taxes we would expect him to pay; or perhaps he hasn't been giving money to the vets or the disabled like he's telling us he's been doing and I think that's -- the reason I think there's a bombshell in there is because every time he's asked about his taxes he dodges and delays and says well, we're working on it.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

VAUSE: Is that the kind of bombshell that could cause problems for Donald Trump? I mean, at this point it looks like he needs a nuclear blast to stop him.

ROBBINS: I think you're exactly right. First of all, I mean, look at the messenger. Mitt Romney could not bring home the election when he probably should have been able to, Number One. Number Two, why is Mitt Romney talking about this right now? Is he going on a book tour or is the establishment trying to push some sort of attack on Trump because they don't want him? Number Three, what would the biggest bombshell be against Trump? That is the fact that these gone bankrupt when he's pushing a narrative that he's a successful businessman. Guess what? That has not slowed him down at all.

So what you're going to see if there's any bombshell at all, which I highly doubt, he made his full financial disclosures many, many, many months ago. In fact, he was one of the first candidates to do so. Many of the pundits said he never would; he did. There was nothing notice those financials that anybody revealed. I don't know what on earth Mitt Romney could possibly be talking about; and by the way, Trump has already done what you would expect him to do. He's gone out on the attack and blasted Mitt Romney on Twitter. So I don't think Trump is going to slow [00:10:01] down, change his tactics or change his tone. I don't think anybody has a chance of landing a direct hit.

VAUSE: Hey, Mel, great to speak with you; thanks so much.

ROBBINS: I you got it. Great to see you.

SESAY: Well Democratic Presidential Candidate Hillary Clinton picked up an endorsement Wednesday from a key party leader but she says she's not taking anything for granted.

VAUSE: Clinton and her rival, Bernie Sanders, are also gearing up for Super Tuesday, as CNN's Senior Washington Correspondent, Jeff Zeleny, reports.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JEFF ZELENY, CNN SENIOR WASHINGTON CORRESPONDENT: Three days before the South Carolina primary, Hillary Clinton is not letting her foot off the gas.

HILLARY CLINTON (D-NY) DEMOCRATIC PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: I want an election about real change.

ZELENY: She's keeping her eyes squarely on South Carolina, and Sanders, despite her commanding lead here.

CLINTON: Look, I believe every election or caucus has to be taken seriously. I'm taking no vote, no place for granted.

ZELENY: Facing an uphill battle in the first southern primary, Sanders headed west, for Missouri and Oklahoma, Super Tuesday contests that could offer friendlier terrain.

CLINTON: We're going to win some states. We're going to lose some states. We're going to have good days. We're going to have bad days.

ZELENY: The fight for delegates is getting started. Clinton and Sanders are gearing up for a long road to the nomination, but Clinton is racking up advantages, including an endorsement today from Senate Democratic Leader, Harry Reid.

He told CNN's Manu Raju it's time for the Party to get behind Clinton.

SEN. HARRY REID (D-NV): I think the middle-class would be better served by Hillary.

ZELENY: Wall Street is a central issue in the race, and Sanders made clear at CNN's Presidential Town Hall he has no intention of giving Clinton a pass on paid speeches she made to big banks like Goldman Sachs.

BERNIE SANDERS (D-VT) DEMOCRATIC PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: I am very happy to release all of my paid speeches to Wall Street. Here it is, Chris; there ain't none.

ZELENY: Asked by CNN's Chris Cuomo if she'll turn over those speech transcripts, Clinton said yes but only if republican rivals do the same.

CLINTON: Why is there one standard for me and not everybody else, Chris? I mean --

ZELENY: Sanders had the last word sending out a tweet saying, "Hillary Clinton believes Republicans should set the standard of disclosure of her Wall Street speeches. Aren't we better than that?"

A majority of the Democratic electorate in South Carolina is Black, and Sanders and Clinton spoke directly to the concerns of African- American voters. Sanders said the Republican criticism and obstruction facing President Obama is at least rooted in racism.

SANDERS: And this is on top of his birther issue, which we heard from Donald Trump and others, a racist effort to try to delegitimize the President of the United States. Guess what? Nobody has asked for my birth certificate. Maybe it's the color of my skin; I don't know.

ZELENY: And Hillary Clinton is campaigning all across South Carolina, as you can see, in settings like this not because she's behind but because she wants to stay ahead. They believe that this Saturday South Carolina primary is a key point in her campaign to push her forward, into the March Super Tuesday contests.

Jeff Zelleny, CNN, Sumter, South Carolina.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SESAY: Well, CNN's Wolf Blitzer will moderate a Republican Debate in Texas. This is the last chance for Republicans to face off on the issues before the Super Tuesday contest next week. That airs at 9:30 in the morning Friday, in Hong Kong. It is right here on CNN.

VAUSE: Okay; the U.S. and China are moving to impose new sanctions on North Korea. The White House says it will be a strong and united response to recent provocations.

SESAY: the U.N. Diplomat says the Security Council could vote on a draft resolution in a couple of days. The move comes after Pyongyang's nuclear test in January and a satellite launch earlier this month.

Well the United Nations Security Council is expected to meet Thursday in New York to talk about the serious ceasefire agreement. It's set to take effect on Friday.

VAUSE: But the U.S. remains skeptical of Russia, which helped broker the deal and is considering a Plan B. Pentagon Correspondent Barbara Starr explains.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BARBARA STARR, CNN PENTAGON CORRESPONDENT: Heavy air strikes and chilling as Syrian forces try to take a key town in the northwest after ISIS moved in. Fighting ISIS is fair game under a ceasefire that is just days away from going into effect, but Russian and regime forces are dramatically reshaping the battlefield before the agreed stop in fighting with the rebels. The British Foreign Secretary making it all public.

PHILIP HAMMOND BRITISH FOREIGN SECRETARY: What we have seen over the last weeks is very disturbing evidence of coordination between Syrian Kurdish forces, the Syrian Regime and the Russian Air Force.

STARR: U.S. intelligence indicates Kurds in the west are working with the Russians to attack moderates the U.S. supports, even as other Kurdish groups press from the east, groups the U.S. wants to fight ISIS. It's all putting [00:15:02] Russian influence potentially in control of the border area next to Turkey, a NATO ally. Tonight, U.S. uncertainty about Moscow's compliance runs high.

JOHN KERRY, SECRETARY OF STATE: There's a significant discussion taking place now about Plan B in the event that we don't succeed.

STARR: The Pentagon, also doubtful.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I think there's a certain dose of skepticism.

STARR: Russia says it will comply with the ceasefire. But if it does not, what is Plan B? Several U.S. officials say there could be more sanctions on Russia or pressure on Russia to stop what Washington says is indiscriminate bombing of civilians. For now, Plan B stops short of any U.S. military action. The U.S. already flies under the eye of Russian radars across Syria, a U.S. official tells CNN.

Middle East allies could supply advanced weapons to the opposition, such as shoulder-fired anti-air missiles. That would be a dramatic escalation and risk ISIS getting its hands on them, as well. The U.S. military also concerned that the Russians may be maneuvering to retake Raqqah, the Syrian city that is the capital for ISIS and where it's believed many ISIS leaders may be hiding out. The worry, in part, the Russians could get there before the U.S. could deal with finding those ISIS leaders.

Barbara Starr, CNN, The Pentagon. (END VIDEO CLIP)

SESAY: Next on "CNN Newsroom" L.A., Sepp Blatter learns the fate of his appeal to FIFA and kind of a bad news/not quite good news situation. Details next.

VAUSE: Also a river of rubbish snaking its way through Lebanon's capital; it just keeps growing, as locals wait for a solution.

NICK PATON WALSH, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Bear in mind, this is just the cold of winter and the stink and the smell is intolerable. Imagine what the summer sun will do to this.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[00:20:47] SESAY: Welcome back, everyone. Former FIFA president, Sepp Blatter, and suspended UEFA President, Michel Platini have lost their appeal. However, their bans from football did get two years shorter.

VAUSE: The sport's governing body made the ruling on Wednesday. Blatter and Platini were appealing their eight-year-long bans. (Inaudible) in December after Blatter authorized a $2 million payment to Platini. The men can take their appeals to the court of arbitration for sport.

SESAY: Meanwhile, FIFA chooses Blatter's replacement on Friday. The five presidential candidates have been heavily campaigning for the post.

Bahrain's Sheik Salman, in the top right box there, is the marginal favorite to win. However, Prince Ali bin Al-Hussein of Jordan, in the top middle box, and Gianni Infantino, on the bottom right, remain confident they can cause an upset.

SESAY: We shall see. All right; Iranians will be voting on Friday for the first time since the deal was reached to limit the country's nuclear program.

VAUSE: As Senior International Correspondent Fred Pleitgen reports, the elections are seen as a crucial sign of the type of future Iranians are looking for.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

FRED PLEITGEN, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Campaigning Iranian-style. Volunteers for the Reform Movement handout flyers in Tehran's traffic. They say they're confident, but not certain they will win.

It's unclear what will happen because the Iranians only make up their minds in the last minute, he says, but the moderates' position is much better than that of the conservatives.

Tehran is plastered with election posters, as a fierce battle between the reformers around President Hassan Rouhani and conservatives around the powerful clergy unfolds.

Many observers view the upcoming elections as extremely important and also as a referendum on Hassan Rouhani's policies of opening Iran up to the West.

The divisions were exacerbated by the recent nuclear agreement, designed to prevent Iran from developing nuclear weapons in return for sanctions relief.

We support the Rouhani Government and the Nuclear Deal, this reformist says. We should have a parliament to support and not block Rouhani's policies.

But many conservatives view that as a threat. Death to America, they chant, at this hardline rally. They believe Iran has opened itself to American infiltration with the nuclear agreement.

Consider the nuclear deal to be American interference, she says, and we will fight against it and hopefully defeat it. Our nation will not allow America to influence our affairs.

The decisions Iranian voters make this Friday could do more than just alter the makeup of its parliament. It could influence the country's course towards the west and, some believe, the stability of its political system.

Fred Pleitgen, CNN, Tehran.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

VAUSE: For six months now the garbage has been piling up in Beirut, a blight on the Lebanese capital and worse still, a health hazard.

SESAY: Plans to ship the trash out have now failed, sending the city's waste crisis back to square one. Nick Paton Walsh reports.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

WALSH: Where once flowed beauty, now the river is of trash. Yes, the picture does need a second look. It is not a fake. Piled up over four months, the household waste Lebanon's woefully dysfunctional government can't deal with. All around Beirut, it lies on the street but here, one staggering eyesore of an apparent two million tons.

Lebanon is gifted with incredible natural beauty, in fact, you can see its cedars there sat just above this unnatural river; but, bear in mind, this is just the cold of winter and already the stink and the smell here is intolerable. Imagine what the summer sun will do to this.

In the winter, too, the rain drains toxins from it and adds them to the water table. Some say a health catastrophe is brewing. One official told us, though, look. At least it's organized. Tell that to locals.

UNIDENTIFIED WOMAN: It's not healthy at all. It's cancer. WALSH: Diseases, cancers. We're dying here, Ali (Inaudible) says. Look at what they're doing. The solution is [00:25:01] we die slowly. Our concerns are our children, Ali adds. We can tolerate it but what about our kids?

WALSH: Last summer, anger at this basic failure of the state was just beginning. The trash collectors lost their contract. Rotting garbage, a metaphor, protestors said, for the decay in leadership here. Still, even after this, nothing was solved.

An elaborate plan to ship it all to Russia fell apart Friday; now, there is no plan. No recycling. No end to the disposals this tiny country will consume; and summer's burning heat is closing in.

Nick Paton Walsh, CNN, Beirut.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

VAUSE: That's just incredible. That's been going on almost a year.

SESAY: Yes.

VAUSE: Okay; next here on "CNN Newsroom", Apple versus the FBI. The tech giant CEO is speaking out why he refuses to help investigators hack the phone of a terrorist.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

VAUSE: Welcome back, everybody. You're watching "CNN Newsroom," live from Los Angeles. I'm John Vause.

SESAY: And I'm Isha Sesay. The headlines this hour: (HEADLINES)

VAUSE: Apple CEO not breaking down from his refusal to crack a terrorist's iPhone. A judge ordered Apple to help federal investigators unlock a phone that belonged to one of the shooters in the deadly attack in San Bernardino, California last December.

SESAY: But Tim Cook says doing so would so badly undermine the privacy of hundreds of millions of iPhone users.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

TIM COOK, CEO, APPLE: This case is not about one phone. This case is about the future. What is at stake here is, can the government compel Apple to write software that we believe would make hundreds of millions of customers vulnerable around the world, including the U.S.?

DAVID MUIR, ANCHOR, ABC WORLD NEWS TONIGHT: And you'd have to write that system in order to unlock that phone?

COOK: Yes; the only way we know, would be to write a piece of software that we view as the software equivalent of cancer. We think it's bad news to write. We would never write it. We have never written it and that is what is at stake here.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

VAUSE: The U.S. Attorney General says the mission to protect the public's safety is threatened by the back and forth between tech companies and the government.

SESAY: Loretta Lynch testified before a congressional committee on Wednesday. She didn't specifically mention Apple by name but says there is precedent to get help from third-parties.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

LORETTA LYNCH, U.S. ATTORNEY GENERAL: It's a long standing principle in our justice system that if an independent judge finds reason to believe that an item contains evidence of a crime, then that judge can authorize the government to conduct a limited search for that evidence. If the government needs third-parties to ensure that the search is actually conducted, judges all over the country, and on the supreme court, have said that those parties must assist if it's reasonably within their power to do so.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

VAUSE: Joining us now is Hemu Nigam. He's an internet security analyst and founder of SSB Blues. He's also a former prosecutor for the U.S. Department of Justice. Hemu, let's just --

SESAY: Welcome.

VAUSE: Welcome; good to have you with us. Let's just clarify, because we're learning more and more exactly of what the FBI wants Apple to do. So let's be clear of what Apple is being asked to do here.

Part of the trouble-shooting system which is already there on an Apple iPhone allows Apple to bypass any kind of passcode to update an iPhone for security means. So, the FBI wants Apple to bypass the security codes, write a new program; strip away the security of the iPhone so the FBI can then hack it; is that what you see it?

HEMU NIGAM, INTERNET SECURITY ANALYST & FORMER U.S. DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE PROSECUTOR: Well, in fact, what the FBI is saying to Apple is write a piece of software that turns off the self-destruct feature if you try to change the security code of that -- change the security code more than four of five times, or multiple times. The phone will actually freeze and then self-destruct. Apple is supposed to design a piece of software that says turn it off and install it on that, according to the FBI, one particular phone and only one particular phone.

SESAY: Why is it impossible to see that it could be on just the one phone? Why cannot it be contained to the one phone? Why is it seen to have potential threats to others? I mean, is this really about creating the software and that falling into the hands of the wrong people? Or is it precedent it sets with companies asking for access?

NIGAM: It's actually a combination of both, and that is because, specifically, if Apple does this, it shows to the world that it is, number one, possible. Number two, on a policy level, it says to the United States Government, I will do it for you but what if China says something? What if France comes in? What if Germany comes in? What if all those other countries out there, some are not friendly to the United States, say to Apple, you did it for the U.S. FBI, why not do it for me? So Apple has to actually think of this, not from a local U.S. perspective, but from a completely global perspective.

VAUSE: And, Hemu, we had this report in "The New York Times" that Apple is now developing tougher security measures which could make this impossible. What's your take on that?

NIGAM: That's actually really interesting because Apple can only go so far to completely lock down its phones because at some point that phone is going to become, literally, a piece of brick.

SESAY: And slower.

NIGAM: And think about it, did you ever forget your password? Did you wonder what happened? And the geniuses in the Apple store, they say, well, if you backed it up in iCloud, don't worry; we'll reset it. We'll take care [00:35:02] of it; we'll transfer it over. But, if you completely encrypt it, completely make it inaccessible to anybody inside of Apple, or its authorized members, then that individual is going to say, wait a minute. I forgot my password but now I can't get my photos? And all of a sudden you have a business problem, not just a security issue.

SESAY: The question has been raised by some that the FBI could simply write the software themselves if Apple doesn't want to comply. They could go ahead and write it because my understanding is, this isn't necessarily the most complicated software to write; is that right? Where is the truth in that?

NIGAM: The change may not be so complicated, but what is complicated is only Apple can push a change into a software that belongs to Apple. That is one of the best pieces, from a security perspective, for Apple. So I think what you're seeing here, and I will be clear about this, both the FBI and Apple are right in certain things they are arguing, but the larger question I think we're not as much focusing on is where has Congress been? Where has the White House been in all these years when this has been slowly brewing and the companies have been asked numerous times to help in these situations? now, the companies say, hey, you know what? We need to clarify this and the court system is not the right way to do it. Congress, White House, start getting your act together and do your job. I think that's what both sides of the

VAUSE: This is a very old law they're using. It's 200 years old or something -- would you agree that the FBI has been careful in choosing the case they make out of this. They've been waiting for a situation where, essentially, now, I think they've been waiting for this opportunity and now it's come down to a choice between either Apple is with us or with they're with the terrorist, and that's how they're playing that out, because it's all down to PR now, really; isn't it? NIGAM: Well that's the unfortunate part, the case was chosen at that way but at the same time Apple also took the opportunity to say if the FBI is going to do its PR, we need to jump on it and do our PR. That's why all of these public relations mechanisms have been in full force, full gear, 100 miles an hour right now.

SESAY: And very, very, very briefly, Hemu, is there backlash potentially for Apple from this, I mean, because it has been framed as a security versus privacy issue in this world we live in today?

NIGAM: Absolutely; there's victims out there who are saying, what is if it was a kidnapped kid that's information was sitting in that phone? You're not going to tell and you're not going to help? Then there's privacy folks saying, well, if that's one phone that's one thing but what about the masses and the millions, don't you care about them?

VAUSE: There's countless hypotheticals to go through.

SESAY: There are.

VAUSE: Fantastic to have you here. Thank you very much.

SESAY: It's always a pleasure. Thank you.

VAUSE: Appreciate the insight. And, we'll take a short break; be back here in just a moment. You're watching CNN, live from Los Angeles.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

SESAY: Adele now has the awards to back up her success of her hit album "25." She stole the show at the Brit Awards Wednesday, winning four trophies, including the "Global Success Award." Adele also took a moment during an acceptance speech to publicly support Ke$ha. The pop star claims her

former [00:40:02] producer sexually abused her, which he denies. A judge recently told Ke$ha she has to stay with the music label.

VAUSE: Facebook is in the headlines today for finally giving people the chance to do something a little more than just "Like". Users had complained that it felt wrong to hit "Like" if someone posted something sad. Now, you can use emojis to express a wider array of reactions, including sad, angry and wow.

SESAY: I do like the way you said wow.

VAUSE: Wow.

SESAY: One thing we didn't get, the dislike button that founder Mark Zuckerberg hinted out earlier in the year. Facebook teams spent more than a year, spent more than a year preparing reactions for launch.

VAUSE: Seems like it took a little longer than it should have.

[Laughter] VAUSE: Okay; big weekend coming up in Hollywood. Everyone is waiting

to see how Chris Rock will handle the race controversy at Sunday's Oscars.

SESAY: Well the Academy, as you know, is under fire for not nominating a single person of color for top acting award for the last two years. As CNN's Stephanie Elam reports some say the African- American comedian's appearance at the Oscars comes at exactly the right time.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

STEPHANI ELAM, CNN CORRESPONDENT: He's known for his political comedy.

CHRIS ROCK, COMEDIAN: If a bullet costs $5,000, there will be no more innocent bystanders.

ELAM: And for telling it how it is.

ROCK: One month your mortgage is 900. The next month it's 9,000. You've got to look outside and see if you moved.

ELAM: Now, Chris Rock is bringing his brand of comedy back to Hollywood's biggest night as host of the 88th Academy Awards, a job he last took on in 2005.

ROCK: You try to approach it like another show.

ELAM: And with the lack of diversity in the Oscar nods and the ensuing Oscar so white blowback, some say the timing of Rock's return is perfect.

MATTHEW BELLONI, EXECUTIVE EDITOR, "THE HOLLYWOOD REPORTER": Chris Rock is going to be merciless. People speculated he would drop out; no. This is the best opportunity he's ever had for amazing comedy.

ELAM: Rock has already made it clear it's not a subject he's going to shy away, tweeting "The Oscars, the white BET Awards."

DON CHEADLE, ACTOR: What I hope happens is that Chris Rock goes in and skewers everybody: those who are complaining, those who are being nominated, those who are being celebrated, those who have been passed over.

ELAM: Spike Lee, who was among the first to say he wasn't going to attend the Academy Awards says he will watch the show at some point to see how rock handles it.

SPIKE LEE, FILMMAKER: I think Chris should do whatever he wants to do. I've said this already; I support Chris, whatever he wants to do.

ELAM: So in the midst of all of the attention on the Oscars lack of diversity, is it possible that Rock ends up being the reason some people tune in to the live show? BELLONI: I think Chris Rock is absolutely a draw for people to watch the show. The criticism of the Oscars in recent years is that it's this flabby and boring office exercise. Chris Rock changes that equation.

Stephanie Elam, CNN, Hollywood.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

VAUSE: And CNN is the place to turn before and after the Academy Awards, for all the glamour from the red carpet, tune in to Hollywood's biggest night, Sunday, 6:00 p.m. Eastern time in the U.S.; that's 11:00 p.m. in London; 7:00 Monday morning in Hong Kong. So there will be mimosas for the start of the day.

SESAY: And once the Oscars wrap up, I'll be teaming up with Don Lemon for "And The Winner Is" and during the ceremony you can vote in our Oscar poll at cnn.com/awardsvote. You're going to want to keep it here. It's going to be a great night.

VAUSE: Picked out your frock?

SESAY: I have, and I will be wearing sparkling shoes. Wow.

VAUSE: Me, too.

SESAY: That's a Facebook wow.

VAUSE: Exactly. Wow. Okay. You're watching "CNN Newsroom," live from Los Angeles. I'm John Vause.

I'm Isha Sesay. John and I will be back at the top of the hour with a look at the day's top stories, but first "World Sports" after - what are you doing?

VAUSE: They're not sparkly.

SESAY: Not tonight.

VAUSE: We'll have to wait until Sunday.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK) (WORLD SPORTS AIRED)