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CNN NEWSROOM

Red Hot debate Over Ditching Obamacare; New Details on the Downfall of Michael Flynn; France Presidential Candidate Emmanuel Macron Faces Massive Computer Hack; Thousands of Women are Marching Today Against President Nicolas Maduro; North Korea Officials Accusing U.S. and South Korea of Trying to Kill Kim Jong-un. Aired 4-5p ET

Aired May 6, 2017 - 16:00   ET

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


[16:00:16] ANA CABRERA, CNN ANCHOR: It is 4:00 eastern. 1:00 in the afternoon out west. I'm Ana Cabrera in New York. And you're live in the CNN NEWSROOM. Great to have you with us.

We began with the red hot debate over ditching Obamacare and the growing backlash against the House of (INAUDIBLE) to replace it. Almost immediately after many House Republicans patted each other on the back for passing this bill, oppositions began to mown first from some Republican senators who promise to scrap it and write their own version. Then from some constituent, fresh worries over what is in and what is left out of this legislation means the battle of American healthcare is far from over.

Here is what an Idaho mother of a nine year old son who was born with cystic fibrosis have to say.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

REBECCA SCHROEDER, MOTHER OF 9-YEAR-OLD WITH CYSTIC FIBROSIS: Today he lives a very healthy normal life because of the breakthrough Medications and high quality health care that receives. And I will not go back to a place where he is discriminated against because he has a preexisting condition.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CABRERA: I want to bring in CNN's White House correspondent Athena Jones. She is in Branchburg, New Jersey, not far from where President Trump is spending his weekend.

Athena, what changes can we expect from the Senate's version of this bill?

ATHENA JONES, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Hi, Ana. Well, we can expect some significant changes based on some of the concerns we have already heard Republican senators mention. You have senators who are concern about the cuts to Medicaid in this bill. You remember 31 states expanded Medicaid under Obamacare. That expanse will be put on hold and there will be cut to Medicaid totally more than $800 billion. You have other Republican senators who are concern there's not enough aid in this new plan for low-income people and for seniors, not enough assistance to have them have affordable coverage. And then there's a lot of other issue of preexisting conditions which we can get in into a more detail al little later.

But the bottom line is that there are going to be changes. The big question is whether those changes will end up being something that can be passed in the Senate. And if it does pass the Senate, will those changes be acceptable to House Republicans. So it's a big question mark as they enter this next stage in this fight to repeal and replace Obamacare -- Ana.

CABRERA: We heard from a number of senators who say they are waiting on the congressional budget office report. When can we expect that and how important is it?

JONES: Well, it's very, very important to members of Senate. We heard that from Democrats and Republicans alike. And we expect that to come in a next couple of weeks perhaps as soon as next week. This is, of course, a nonpartisan office, the congressional budget office. They score the bill to let members know how much it will cost, what impact it will have on the deficit and also what kind of impact it will have on the American people more broadly.

You will remember an early year version of this bill that was scored by the CBO said 24 million people would lose or would not have health insurance coverage by 2026. Take a listen to a Democratic members of the House talking about that CBS score. This is Adam Schiff. Watch.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

REP. ADAM SCHIFF (D), CALIFORNIA: Very shortly I imagine that CBO analysis is going to come out and it is going to likely show tens of millions of Americans lose their healthcare under this plan. And the image of those Republican members celebrating that loss of coverage for millions may very well come back to haunt them.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

JONES: So you hear Schiff warning that that might not be a very good score from the CBO. It could be more than 24 million people losing healthcare under this provision.

One last thing about this, Ana, is the reason the CBO scores is so important to the Senate is that they are trying to pass their version of the repeal and replace bill using special rules known as budget reconciliation. That's why they need to find out the impact of the deficit because under those rules, this bill can't increase the deficit pass the ten-year budget window. Meeting these rules, though, allow them to pass them with just 51 votes. Meaning, they can rely on Republicans rather than having to rule Democrats to get to 60. -- Ana.

CABRERA: Athena Jones, reporting for us. Thank you.

It was quote "a shameful day" in American history, this from the Democratic governor of Washington State talking about Thursday when the U.S. voted to repeal Obamacare and place it with a plan crafted by Republicans.

Governor Jay Inslee says it will threaten the help of millions of Americans. And he is joining us now.

Welcome, Governor. Thanks for being with us. You are not happy with this bill to say the least. I know you said in your statement released after this vote that 700,000 people in your state will lose healthcare coverage. Tell us more about that.

GOV. JAY INSLEE (D), WASHINGTON STATE: Well, I think describing this as a shameful act is a fair description. I have cancer patients, children with sis stick fibrosis, senior citizens on fixed income with respiratory problems. And let's be clear, it is absolutely clear what this can would do. It will kick those people off of healthcare.

You said they were going to ditch Obamacare. The problem is that they are ditching Washingtonians. We have estimated that there will be about 700,000 of my citizens who day to day if they got a lump on their breast they can have it treated. If they have got high blood pressure they can have it treated. And the Republicans have kicked them off of their healthcare.

Now that's a hash thing to say, but unfortunately that is true. And the images of people celebrating kicking people off healthcare, the most vulnerable amongst us, it is very difficult to swallow particularly the reason they did it.

Let's be clear why they did it, they took $800 billion out of the healthcare of people and they transferred it into the pockets and millionaires and billionaires in tax cuts for the people at the top one percent of the economic ladder. In what moral universe does it make sense to take a cancer, breast cancer, survivor in Washington State take her healthcare away in order to transfer tax cuts to millionaires with the president who won't show us his tax return.

CABRERA: Governor, you are right. There are big tax cuts in this bill. That is a fact. But Republicans would argue nobody is getting kicked off of their healthcare at this point. Those who support this bill though also believe federal government involvement is a barrier for driving healthcare cost down. That is one of the reason this bill, they say gives more power to the state, allowing more flexibility for people like yourself to design insurance plans that are specific for the populations in your state. And that there would be funds set aside to help supplement coverage for the vulnerable where it is needed most. Why don't you see that working for people in your state?

INSLEE: There is a reason that Republicans did not stand -- follow standard operating procedure. There is a reason that they voted on this without having this evaluated by the congressional budget office. And the reason is, this will clearly show this will kick off millions of people from their health insurance. And here is the reason. You can't take $800 billion out of Medicaid that now is providing health insurance for people and eliminate the Medicaid expansion.

We have 600 thousand people who today, seniors on fixed income, lower- income working people, people with cancer, 20,000 people already have received cancer treatment under Medicaid expansion. The Republicans seek to eliminate the Medicaid expansion program. That is simply unacceptable. Now you are hearing voices all across the country raising a hear and cry about this and when these senators start to feel the heat I think they are going to see the light that is not acceptable to eliminate Medicaid expansion.

It's unfortunate actually, I think we have all become a sort of very appropriately interested in the fact they have removed protection from people from preexisting conditions. But there's no debate that they will eliminate coverage over time for, in my state about 600,000 people who are receiving Medicaid. These are working people. These people who are providing healthcare for us today, providing foods in our restaurants, driving trucks, those folks deserve healthcare.

CABRERA: Right. And I think it's important to mention that Medicaid currently covers about 70 million Americans without one type Americans have Medicaid and in fact this GOP plan as proposed Medicaid will be cut by 25 percent by 2026.

But back to that issue of preexisting conditions. Because this was the big one for the lone congresswoman in your state who voted for the bill, Cathy McMorris Rodgers. She has a son with down syndrome which, of course, is a preexisting condition and this is very personal to her.

Here is what she says. She says safety nets and protection are important and must be maintained for those who need the most. Our plan accomplishes this mission in two keys ways by guarantying that access to health coverage can't be denied for people with preexisting and by empowering states to innovate with new models for better patient outcomes at a lower cost.

Why not take this challenge and run with it?

INSLEE: Well, we are very pleased that her child have insurance as member of Congress. Children of Congress are pretty lucky unlike millions of other Americans. The fact of the matter is we are succeeding in innovating in any state. Let me tell you what we have achieved by adopting innovative means of providing healthcare.

Number one, we have 750,000 people have insurance. Number two, we have reduced the rate of Medical inflation from 16 percent to six percent. We have reduced the uncompensated care by 60 percent. We have created 50,000 new jobs. And the reason we have been so successful in my state is we are bringing innovation. We are integrating mental and physical health so you can get treatment in the same place. We have new ways of buying healthcare when we get value rather than just volume. We work quality rather than quantity. We want people to have health coaches to that they can live more healthier lives.

All of those things are succeed and reducing the rate of Medical inflation. And we have a waiver from the federal government under the existing law to do that. So the point is we can have our cake and eat it too here, which is reduce healthcare cost but you don't have to kick 600,000 people who aren't lucky enough to have a parent who is in Congress to have insurance. And I find this a moral abomination to not listen to my state. Our insurance commissioner wrote this congresswoman and told her she

is going to be kicking off 60,000 people off health insurance in my state. She did not listen to that. We don't find this acceptable. We hope the senator will do much better. I know our two Democratic senators will insist it with too much better than this.

[16:11:01] CABRERA: All right, Governor Jay Inslee, we appreciate your time. Thanks for coming on.

INSLEE: You bet. Keep fighting.

CABRERA: Coming up, troubling new details about the downfall of Michael Flynn, President Trump's former national security adviser. What he was told ahead of time before he spoke with Russia's ambassador to the U.S.?

You are live in the CNN NEWSROOM.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[16:15:27] CABRERA: Well, we have some new details now about the down fall of Michael Flynn, President Trump's former national security adviser. He was fired for lying about his conversation with Russian ambassador. And now a former U.S. official told CNN Trump's transition team warned Flynn about those conversations weeks before Flynn's December phone call with Sergey Kislyak, when the two men discussed U.S. sanctions against Russia.

Now the "the Washington Post" first broke this story and it says Flynn was told on late November that his conversation about the Russian ambassador was almost certainly recorded. This new revelation becomes just two days before Sally Yates testified publicly about Flynn. She served as acting attorney general until President Trump fired her back in late January.

Let's talk it over with CNN investigative reporter for international affair Michael Weiss, coauthor of "ISIS inside the army of terror."

So Michael, if Flynn knew his Kislyak conversations maybe recorded why would he discussed U.S. sanctions at all?

MICHAEL WEISS, SENIOR EDITOR, THE DAILY BEAST: And do so repeatedly. He had numerous conversation with Kislyak. And you know, what is interesting about the way the Post reported this is the people on the Trump transition team who raised this issue were all former George W. Bush administration officials who understand the threat posed by Russia, Russian espionage, and certainly knew Mr. Kislyak from his decades of diplomatic service.

My question though is look, I find it a little hard to believe that there weren't other members of campaign who didn't know that Michael Flynn was having these conversations. Why did he take it upon himself to go and discuss sanctions, it was a sensitive issue. And he was in the running. He was going to be national security advisor.

So there are still unanswered questions here. I mean, this raises the issue, are there people in the Trump administration now trying to throw him under the bus and kind a distance themselves from the scandal completely to maybe buy some time or buy some credibility for the people who remain in the administration who might still have had unsavory or untoward contacts with Russian officials.

CABRERA: Well, here is what else is interesting. Because the source tell CNN, the head of Trump national security transition team actually reached out to the Obama administration and asked for the CIA to provide a profile on Kislyak to show to Flynn because they were worried that Flynn maybe wasn't taking this situation seriously enough. What does that level of concern tell you?

WEISS: That they were absolutely aggravated by what he was doing. And let's not forget, Flynn was the director of the DIA, the Defense Intelligence Agency.

CABRERA: Under the Obama administration.

WEISS: Yes. He himself had classified access or access to classified intelligence. He himself was a spy. The idea that he doesn't know who Kislyak was and even the three-page for four-page read out --.

CABRERA: Do you really believe he didn't know who he was?

WEISS: Well, no. But obviously, there were people in the Trump campaign who wanted to emphasize, look anything you say to this guy is going to be recorded. And again, they are sending Michael Flynn or Michael Flynn is taking it upon himself to talk to the Russian ambassador about sanctions. This was a warning to him not necessarily to have these conversations but be careful, right, because what he said it was going to be (INAUDIBLE) by the NSA and shared with the CIA. And it could damage what Trump was trying to do which was kind of repair, excuse me, relations with Russia in the first few months of his administration, a campaign promise or goal that seems to be scuffled. Thanks to, you know, the intervention in Syria and airstrikes have been file salvaging.

CABRERA: Let's talk about Sally Yates who is going to be testifying on Monday before the Senate intelligence committee. She, of course, is the former acting attorney general who was fired under the Trump administration when the travel ban initially came out. Now, she is telling us or sources are telling us that she is going to go before them and likely testify that she had warned the Trump administration about Flynn and his conversation with the Russian ambassador. What will you be listening for at this hearing coming up Monday?

WEISS: Well, I mean, somebody in her position to raise this alarm and say look, this is a national security threat and to be summarily dismissed and indeed fired by Donald Trump that is what I want to understand. What was the nature, what level of detail did she go through? What was the sort of concern that is she raised that might have persuaded then President-elect to do otherwise?

Also, now coming on the back of disclosures about Flynn, right. We know that other people in the campaign were worried about this stuff. So it doesn't do to just blame this on the Obama administration and say that they were trying to sink Donald Trump before he got started. People within his own team were saying we cannot be seen to be so close to the Russians. I mean, this is just not how business gets done in this country given the threat that they pose - cyber, military, espionage, you name it.

CABRERA: All right thank you Michael.

WEISS: Cheers.

CABRERA: Good to see you.

WEISS: You too.

CABRERA: Up next in the CNN NEWSROOM, the U.S. accused of an assassination plot against the leader of North Korea with a biochemical substance. It may sound like a spy movie but the north says it's real.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[16:24:18] CABRERA: It's a huge weekend overseas. What happens in France in a few hours could change the entire European landscape in lots of different ways. Tomorrow is Election Day, one of these candidates will be France's next President. And in the development that will remind you of the American election last year, one of them now claims a massive computer hack is trying to bring him down.

Emmanuel Macron's campaign says someone dumped tens of thousands emails and other personal documents on to the internet, some authentic and some fake in an effort to undermine his run for President. It is not clear who is behind but the message that were used are similar to the suspected Russian hack of the U.S. Democratic national committee last year during the U.S. election. A Kremlin spokesman says allegation and Russian involvement in this hacking is quote "pure slander."

(VIDEO CLIP PLAYING)

[16:25:09] CABRERA: This is Caracas, the capital of Venezuela, thousands of women are marching today against the President there, Nicolas Maduro, and calling for immediate election. It is the latest in several weeks and growing protests across Venezuela. Some of them turning violent and at least 36 people have died since last month when anti-government protest intensified.

Today, U.S. ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley released a statement demanding Venezuelan leaders respect the voice of the people and blaming the Maduro leadership for quote "failing to provide basic food and Medical needs" to the Venezuelan people.

To North Korea now and where officials are accusing the United States and South Korea of trying to kill North Korea leader Kim Jong-un. This accusations came in a report which include lots of details but no evidence. The charges is not at all helping bring down the intention level though between North Korea and the U.S.

CNN's Ivan Watson is in South Korea this week.

And Ivan, fill us in.

IVAN WATSON, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Ana, North Korean officials say they are embarking on a campaign against what they described as terrorist activities. This, after North Korean State media announced that security there had foiled what they claimed were an alleged U.S.-backed assassination plot targeting their supreme leader.

North Korea's dramatic unsubstantiated claim alleges that its security forces foiled the CIA and South Korean intelligence backed plot to assassinate supreme leader Kim Jong-un with biochemical substances at a military parade. CNN cannot independently confirm any of these claims. Intelligence officials in Washington and Seoul dismissed them.

According to North Korea state news agency, the alleged plot involves foreign agent recruiting a North Korean timber worker in eastern Russia as a spy. It claimed the foreign agents gave the Korean citizen identified only by the very common Korean surname Kim more than a half million dollars and a satellite transmitter supplied through a Chinese border city.

These claims should be treated with serious skepticism. Pyongyang has not published any images of the suspect or any other hard evidence to back the claim. And the state's news agency routinely publishes outrageous propaganda.

Just last month, KCNA wrote that a North Korean youth group would destroy North Korea's enemies with five million nuclear bombs. The same day the agency published a separate dispatch that North Korea weapons would kill all U.S. forces.

While hurling accusations, Pyongyang itself faces charges of a high- profile murder. Authorities in Malaysia accused North Korea of the assassination last February of Kim Jong-un's half-brother in Kuala Lumpur airport using a VX nerve agent.

Meanwhile in 2013, North Korea's leader publicly ordered the execution of his own uncle for treason. North Korea is one of the most repressive regimes in the world brutally crushing the internal dissent while frequently threatening the U.S. and its allies. And it's in this constant state of paranoia that Pyongyang promises a fresh crackdown against alleged agents of its American arch rifles.

Ana, here on the southern side of the demilitarized zone, South Korea is involved in a very different kind of activity. It's getting ready for Presidential elections on Tuesday. And believe it or not, more than 25 percent of the electorate have already cast their ballots in early voting ahead of Election Day - Ana.

CABRERA: Thank you, Ivan Watson.

Now President Trump and top Republicans were all smiles after the House passed that healthcare bill on Thursday, but Democrats was feeling good too after Obamacare was signed into law seven years ago, that was before they lost control of Congress. So will the GOP pay a similar price for passing their healthcare law?

You're live in the CNN NEWSROOM. We will discuss.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[16:33:33] CABRERA: The healthcare bill that narrowly pass the House this week now faces an uphill battle in the Senate. As the White House celebrates the political milestone, senators are already warning, major changes in store. Fallout from this vote already evident at town halls across the country.

This in Idaho voters booed, shouts down the Republican congressman after he tried to defend the bill.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: People on Medicaid accepts dying --

REP. RAUL LABRADOR (R), IDAHO: No one -- you know that line is so indefensible. Nobody dies because they don't have access to healthcare.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CABRERA: Meanwhile, Senate Republicans have created a group, you can see they are all men, to begin crafting their own version of the healthcare plan.

I want to bring in our panel now, district media group president Beverly Hallberg, and Endeavor Strategies president and political commentator Kurt Bardella, and CNN political commentator and Democratic strategist Hilary Rosen.

Hilary we saw the outrage there in Idaho with congressman Labrador tout of this bill. It's similar to the backlash seven years ago that Democrats got when they were pushing Obamacare. What kind of reaction do you think Trumpcare is going to get from voters across the country?

HILLARY ROSEN, CNN POLITICAL CONTRIBUTOR: Well, a lot of problem right now is that people don't know what's in the bill. And importantly, they don't know how things are going to be handled. So one of the ways that the Republicans got their votes was they gave a lot of decisions to the states. They didn't give a lot of money to the states but they gave a lot of decisions to the states. And so, when we think back before Obamacare, for instance on issues important to women, only nine states chose to cover maternity care as a mandated coverage.

Now, if we go back to that after Obamacare guaranteed women equal access to healthcare and maternity care, as men and at the same right -- rates that men were paying for insurance, that is going to inflame, you know, this disparity beyond. And when you look at what the Senate did creating a working group of all white men to make these decisions, the Republicans are just going down a bad hill here. [16:35:45] CABRERA: Beverly, does it bother you that it is all men on

the Senate group that are working on crafting their own regulation?

BEVERLY HALLBERG, PRESIDENT, DISTRICT MEDIA GROUP: Well, as a female who buy it through health insurance in the individual market as a small business owner, I'm thankful that this bill is moving forward. I don't think it is perfect. We don't know what it is going to look like when it ends up coming out of the Senate. But I would say for my female and any person out there who is buying on the individual market, these are individuals who are hurt the most. We are even hearing reports that in Iowa, you are finding the last individual market insurer as having to drop out more than likely. So while we do need the address the issue of how do we cover the healthcare cost of those chronically ill, what we saw with Obamacare shift that burden to those who are buying in an individual market. We need to consider everyone if we're going to have good healthcare.

CABRERA: Kurt, you use to work with Republican California Representative Darrell Issa who voted for the bill whose district went to Hillary Clinton by seven percent in the election. Are you surprised by the way he voted?

KURT BARDELLA, PRESIDENT, ENDEAVOR STRATEGIES: I wasn't surprised by the way he voted. Just again for many Republicans, not just congressman Issa, but many Republican who are On the Record, 40, 50 times voting to replace and repeal Obamacare, they kind have been boxed by the wrong rhetoric for the last six years that they really have to vote this in some way.

Now, I think it was a terrible decision I wouldn't have recommended it. I think that we also saw for so long Republicans really attack Nancy Pelosi and congressional Democrats for quote-unquote "voting for a bill without knowing what's in it." And here they turn around and do the exact same thing.

CABRERA: Do you think they were hypocritical?

BARDELLA: They are incredibly hypocritical. I mean, again, they don't know what's in this bill. Nobody is talking about this bill who voted for who can actually sit there and look at his constituents in the eyes and tell them how it will impact their healthcare. And that is the exact opposite of our policy makers are supposed to be doing.

CABRERA: Well, and Ohio representative Dave Joyce who voted against the bill, I want to read you what he wrote on Facebook. Because while nobody knows exactly what's in the bill, this is what he said. The idea that premiums could potentially sky rocket for people with preexisting conditions that increase three to five times for people who are nearing retirement or something I find unacceptable. Do you agree Beverly?

HALLBERG: Well I would say that when it comes to those who are chronically ill we need the figure out how to cover them. But to only focus on that which by the way, we are talking about --.

CABRERA: But it is not --. (CROSSTALK)

CABRERA: He was talking about people who are nearing retirement. We know right now under Obamacare insurance company can only charge those people three times than what they are charging people who are younger. But under this GOP plan as it's been presented it could be five times and state in fact could even waiver out and insurance companies could charge those folks even more.

HALLBERG: Yes.

ROSEN: Let's not talk about this just as sort of a chronic illness, as if really we have such a small population of people that are so, so sick. What preexisting condition coverage has done over the last couple of years it has allowed people economic freedom. It has allowed people to shift from job to job, it has given people the freedom to be entrepreneurs and still be able to get health insurance on the individual market. So there is a huge amount of misconception here when people say no, we're just going to cover those people who are very, very sick.

Preexisting conditions can be everything from, you know, pregnancy to, you know, muscular disease. So these are really, really important things for the state to have to cover and the Republicans letting insurance company off the hook when they made record profit over the last couple of years makes no sense.

CABRERA: Beverly, go ahead.

HALLBERG: Yes. What I would say is we definitely need to look at reforming the insurance markets. But at the same time the way that Obamacare has been set up, you were finding that so many people are coming on the insurance roles, insurance companies can't afford it.

Now, I'm not saying that their blameless in this, but we do need to set up a system that allows the free market to open up options for people so they can pick the healthcare plans that meet the healthcare needs they have. But also consider how can we have a safety net for those who do have preexisting conditions, those who chronically ill.

What we ended up doing with Obamacare is same because of percentage of people with preexisting conditions, we changed the whole healthcare law to address that. Instead of saying let's figure out a safety net like we do with welfare, like we do with Medicaid, like we do at Medicare, how can we address that issue instead of changing healthcare for everyone. And by the way, health care --.

[16:40:17] ROSEN: But we have a safety net. We have a safety net. It's called Medicaid and the Republican governors have so far by in- large refuse to endorse putting Medicaid for expanded coverage. Now you are giving those governors more power, all you're doing is making it worse for the people.

BARDELLA: And I think we have a real -- one of the big challenges here is aside from just preexisting conditions, the first pass at this, the CBO said 24 million people will be without healthcare because of this. There are so many more people impacted by this who just normal, healthy American families who are right now we can't tell them what this plan will mean for them, what this plan mean for their cost, what this plan mean for the credit they get. And the fact that Republicans are willing to vote for something without being able to answer that question, is inconsolable and incredibly politically stupid as well.

CABRERA: And let's remember now, the Senate is going to take up this bill. They say it's going to be weeks before they have any action probably that they take on the issue of healthcare. In fact, they do want to crack their own and they are waiting on that CBo score which we will learn exactly the cost of this plan and who and how people are going to be affected.

I do think it's important to note too, Beverly, Kurt and Hilary, our thanks to all of you for coming on as we look forward to how this unfolds, we are going to be talking about more on definitively how people with preexisting conditions are impacted. As I know this is such a huge issue as well as the Medicaid. And so those voices and those issues will come out as we wash through this situation.

Now a Kenyan athlete came very close to breaking one of the most coveted records left in all of athletic. He nearly ran a full marathon in under two hours if you can believe it. 32-year-old Eliud Kipchogen ran the 6.2 miles in just two hours and 24 seconds today. So, so close. That is him there in the red tank top. The 2016 Olympic champion came close to setting a record in Nike's breaking two project. The marathon was held on a Formula One race track near Milan, Italy. It was built for speed so even though he still ran fastest of any person who has ever covered that distance, he didn't necessarily break a world record because of the conditions that were so fine tuned for this fete. But what an amazing athlete he is.

He's something to consider if you are at home right now watching us. We want to help you stay healthy. And CNN's chief medical correspondent Dr. Sanjay Gupta explain when you should stretch and why that might just help you live to 100.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

DR. SANJAY GUPTA, CNN CHIEF MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT: Most people ignore stretching. And I think stretching is so important in terms of whatever goal you have whether it's height loss, whether it is building muscle. But none of that is going to be possible certainly not in the long run unless you are stretching and really taking care of those muscles and tendons to make sure they are healthy and they are not as likely to get injured.

There has been all this debate about when is the best time to stretch. And I think it was pretty good evidence that stretching before work out may not a best thing.

Couple of reasons. First of all your muscles, your tendons, everything is cold. If you start to actively stretch that you could potentially injure yourself. If you stretch too much beforehand it could hurt your performance during your actual exercise. But the best time to stretch is really after your work out.

According to the national academy of sports medicine, stretching is not something that's supposed to be a particularly long activity, really, no more than 30 seconds. You can push yourself a little bit but you never want to push yourself to the point where it hurts. That's when injuries start to occur.

Stretching is really about flexibility, both of body and of mind. Put those things together, that could help you live to 100.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[16:48:27] CABRERA: Thirteen reasons why Netflix original series is stirring a national debate on school campuses nationwide and is adopted from the fictional book by Jay Asher. The story retraces the steps of a high school student Hanna Baker who has committed suicide and what led her to do so.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Hey, it's Hanna, Hanna Baker. Settle in because I'm about to tell you the story of my life. More specifically why my life ended. And if you are listening to this tape, you are one of the reasons why.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CABRERA: The series is rated MA for mature audiences and contains graphic language. At least two graphic depictions of rape and it culminate with Hanna's graphic suicide.

While it carries warning and is targeted at mature audiences, schools are reporting children as young as elementary school age are watching the show, many of them on their mobile devices and elsewhere without the parents' knowledge or supervision. That has led many schools to send home letters to parents to warn them of the show's graphic content. And some schools in fact are now banning it outright.

Joining us to discuss via Skype is Chase Melke. He is a teacher at Plain View high school in Plainwell, Michigan. And I should say Plainwell high school in Plainwell, Michigan. He also created an award winning positive psychology program for at least 10th graders. And he wrote an article for the online community, we are teachers. It is called seven essential discussion, questions for 13 reasons why.

So Chase, thanks for being with us. I know the American academy of child and adolescent psychiatry and says suicide is the third leading cause for 14 years old of death for 15 to 24-year-old. And the sixth the leading cause of death for 5 to 14-year-old. That's so disturbing to hear the statistics on one key. So as I trigger, in fact, just having a friend, a family member commit suicide or watching a depiction of someone doing so. Are copycat suicides a concern to you as it pertains to this series? [16:50:27] CHASE MELKE, ENGLISH TEACHER, PLAINVIEW HIGH SCHOOL: Yes.

First of all, thank you for having me on the show. I think copycat suicide is always a concern for any educator which is why very often we are training to some specific conversation and being mindful of what these conversations sound like and to what extent we are having memorials as a part of our process for reading students. So the show in particular in its depiction has a lot of educators on edge on how to deal with it.

CABRERA: And when you watch the show, when hear your student talking about it what goes through your mind?

MELKE: My first response is trying to understand and start a dialogue of what their take away was from it. I'm actually been very impressed with how a lot of our adolescence to have come very maturely at the conversation. These are high schoolers and so I can't speak to what middle schooler students and elementary students just saying. But my first take is just to try to get their thought what was the conversation of the show, what was missing from the conversation of the show and just really read what they are taking from it.

CABRERA: What is it about this show that is driving so many of these students to want to watch?

MELKE: I think there's a certain reality that they are picking up on of how adolescence and how high school is. And the conversations that are had with student there are a lot of moments that they can really relate to how social media plays out and how social comparison happens and just even bullying that goes down within schools. And so, there is suddenly resonating with students as it relates to it. But also the show itself is set up in a way to try to hook students with mystery which that entertainment value I think is drawing a lot of student as well.

CABRERA: What did the producers get wrong in your mind?

MELKE: I think they -- one from the standpoint of entertainment which was their job. But in some so are presenting a very one side image of the mental illness and mental health. And so looking at the causes of reasons from adversities to student are experiencing and leaving out the fact there's like bio chemical factors or lack of coping mechanisms or even just the genetic history that a person have. And so, and only taking that one sided view it doesn't help students realize that there's a lot of complexity with the issue and there are a lot of resources that are available if the student is in trouble (INAUDIBLE).

CABRERA: If you think back even 20 years ago, maybe less than that, it was much easier for parents to monitor what their children watched on T.V. We didn't have all these new devices. And obviously, now we got computers, we got mobile phones, we got iPads. Do you think that's part of the challenge right now in terms of helping to control the dialogue around the sensitive type of issues and in some cases parents don't know their children are seeing this show for example.

MELKE: I think it's an added challenge. I think that more than ever parents need to be having open conversations with their student and kids about what they are exposed to. But I will say my mom is probably going to kill me for this. I remember when she told me that I shouldn't play video game moral combat weeks after she had already rented it for me. And it was that moment a lot of times we adults are catching up naturally to what kids are into because they are talking to each other first and they are getting that sort of access. So do we need to be a lot more aware, yes, and have conversation if you ask. But I think that is a big part of what this show is allowing us to do is just to talk and figure out how adolescence are in their lives right now.

CABRERA: So you don't think banning kids from watching this is the answer either?

MELKE: No. I don't think we really have a good track record of adults telling kids not to do things and then following it to a T. And since we are talking about it well after most student have already seen the show, I think we need to shift to a motto that is open conversation because the absence of the dialog is not eradicating or fixing the problem.

CABRERA: Chase Melke, thanks for your time.

MELKE: Thank you.

CABRERA: W. Kamau Bell believes uncomfortable conversations create change. This week he is walking the streets of Chicago with gang members finding out why violence there have been growing over the years in an alarming way. It's a powerful new "UNITED SHADES OF AMERICA."

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: What does the phrase black lives matter mean to you?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: That is a touchy subject.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It is the most notorious city in the country would exaggerate.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: For the younger generation what does that mean for them?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The first thing you put in your hand is a gun.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Everybody look up to the shooter. Other shooters that come up they are like them. That's what I want to be.

[16:55:04] UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The violence that have hit our city in Chicago it's perplexing.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: How did we bring on these problems?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: What can we do to make this better?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: If we want to talk about violence in our community, we have to talk about the support system we have.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The black student are getting less funded per student.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[16:59:41] CABRERA: You are in the CNN NEWSROOM. I'm Ana Cabrera in New York. So glad you could join us.

We begin with the Trump transition team's red flag warning to national security advisor Michael Flynn, this came months before he was forced to resign. A former U.S. official now tells CNN senior members of Trump's transition team warned Flynn about his conversation with Russian ambassador Sergey Kislyak weeks before the two discussed sanctions against Moscow.