a big welcome to those of you tuned in from here in the u.s. and all around the world. i'm errol barnett. coming up this hour three lives hang in the balance after a deadline comes and goes for the release of two isis captives and a convicted terrorist. we'll bring you a live report. also coming up a deadly explosion levels a maternity hospital in mexico leading to a frantic search for survivors, including babies. also ahead, a high profile murder trial is under way in the states ininvolving aaron hernandez. we'll look at the opening statements. another isis deadline has come and gone and still no

apparent movement on the latest hostage situation. isis demanded that convicted terrorist will be released by jordan by sundown thursday. those were their demands or else it would kill a jordanian pilot it's holding. you see him on the left of your screen. japan is working to secure the release of journalist kenji goto captured last fall by isis. the terror group has threatened to kill him several times over the past few weeks. japan's foreign minister says the hostage situation is still fluid. it is changing but that the country is doing everything it can to secure his freedom. let's bring in anna coren who is live in hong kong with the latest on all of this. anna it's friday where you are. i'm just wondering if we've heard anything new from jordan or japan now that the deadline has passed. >> no errol, we haven't heard anything from the jordanian government the japanese government or isis for that

matter. i think that is what is quite bizarre. they set that deadline at sunset on thursday for this failed suicide bomber to be brought to the turkish-syrian border to save the life of the jordanian fighter pilot. certainly not clear as to whether he was going to be released along with the japanese journalist kenji goto. but that was the deadline. they were the demands. then sunset came and went jordan was demanding proof of life from isis that their fighter pilot was, in fact alive. isis failed to deliver so hence there was no prisoner exchange. today, we wake up to find out what is the latest installment really of this morbid spectacle, but no news as yet. so really their lives, if they are still alive, still hang in the balance. obviously, we know that the

jordanian and japanese governments are working vigorously to secure the release of these two hostages. we have heard from the wife of kenji goto. he spoke yesterday, delivered an audio message in english and said she, in fact had been in touch with the isis captors, that they had been exchanging e-mails, which was a rather fascinating development. she also made an emotional plea and let's read this now, my husband and i have two very young daughters, our baby girl is only 3 weeks old when kenji left. i hope our oldest daughter who is just 2, will get to see their father again. i want them to grow up knowing their father. my husband went to syria to show the plight of those who suffer. so obviously, that very emotional appeal by rinko goto. you can only imagine the agony that this family is going

through, as well as the jordanian fighter pilot. his father saying to isis pleading saying he will have gratitude if they spare his son. >> these must be just unbearable times for the relatives of the hostages particularly when we look back in the past six months and see how these hostage situations typically end with more graphic beheadings. the deadline has passed so we're waiting for an update. interesting to note that the wife of one of the captives has been in contact with isis. do we know at all what the protocol is here? you even have japan and jordan that seem to have different approaches to the eventual aim of getting hostages free. do we know in what circumstances one of the hostages his wife would be able to be in contact with isis? >> reporter: look errol, this is new territory for everybody. the reason being is you have a sovereign government like jordan

negotiating with terrorists. we know that the united states the united kingdom, they refuse to do that. their policy is not to negotiate, not to pay for ransoms, because their belief is it will encourage further kidnappings of foreigners and it legitimizes isis. it gives them power. but as we've been discussing there are governments, european governments that have paid millions of dollars to secure the release of their citizens. that took place last year spain and france doing these back room deals. we know it took place because their citizens were freed. jordan obviously a close u.s. ally. they've been brought into this war against isis that they're part of that coalition keeping up these intense bombing campaigns against the terrorists in iraq and syria. obviously pressure back home why are we there, this is not our war.

so the jordanian government getting pressure from those at home to make sure that this fighter pilot is returned safely. same in japan. the japanese wanting to see kenji goto released and brought home safely. so these are new times, certainly for all governments involved in this as i say, this morbid spectacle playing out before our eyes. >> you're exactly right. all of that is taking place in the context that the governments are negotiating with people who have proven themselves to not be trusted. the initial demand $200 million and the rules kept changing. we still stand by as do the relatives, for an update on the status of the hostages. anna coren live for us in hong kong. anna thanks. there are concerns of five taliban militants released by the u.s. in exchange for a u.s. army soldier who have tried to

return to militant activity in qatar. the deal to free bowe bergdahl was controversial from the very start. you see the initial release or prisoner swap as it happened. white house officials said they received assurances from qatar where the militants ended up that their actions will be monitored. a pentagon spokesman says communication with qatar continues. >> we take issues of reengagement very seriously, and reengagement can mean a lot of things. it doesn't have to mean a return to the battlefield. but we look at all of these factors and when we consider reengagement we work closely with agencies and law enforcement and intelligence and our international partners to deal with it as effectively as possible. what i can tell you is we have strong security partnership with qatar, and are in constant dialogue with qatar government officials about these five detainees, and we're confident that we would be able to

mitigate any threat of reengagement by any of these members. >> now, the militants were held at the guantanamo bay detention camp. a u.s. report says 17% of the detainees transferred out of guantanamo have returned to militant activity. another big story, the death toll has climbed to three in a gas explosion that leveled a maternity hospital in mexico city thursday. a nurse and two infants before killed. 73 others have been treated for injuries including 20 newborns. the president visited survivors in hospital. officials believe everyone who is inside during the explosion is now accounted for. rescue workers scrambled to pull babies and others from the rubble. you see it here as the flames just engulfed the facility. the gas was triggered by a leaking hose on a gas delivery truck.

[ explosion ] >> reporter: a natural gas explosion tore through a maternity hospital in mexico early thursday. now this is all that's left of the maternity hospital. the hospital is located on the southwest side of mexico city and was part of the city government's health care system. rescue workers flocked to the scene of the blast to free anyone buried underneath the rubble and debris. dozens of women and children were evacuated, some with minor injuries. others are believed to be trapped inside. the number of people didn't make it out alive. a gas truck was fueling the 40789's tanks when a leak from the truck's hose ignited, causing the explosion. in addition to leveling parts of the hospital the explosion was strong enough to blow out windows of neighboring homes. >> translator: it was a very strong explosion, and all the house's windows blew out.

i found out it was a pipe taking gas to the hospital. >> reporter: the mexican president expressed his sadness and solidarity with those who were injured. as rescue workers continue to comb through what is left of the hospital. now to some news out of egypt. a group pledging allegiance to isis is claiming responsibility for deadly attacks in the sinai peninsula. at least 26 people were killed and dozens wounded when multiple bombings targeted security forces and a hotel. egypt's army has struggled to crush the militant insurgency there in the peninsula, which has expanded to cities including cairo. from promising national football league star to murder suspect. coming up next we'll take you inside the case against aaron hernandez, who prosecutors say was the triggerman in a brutal killing. plus the battle against the

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thanks for staying with us everyone. as the nfl's new england patriotses make preparations for the super bowl. one former player is sitting in a massachusetts jail cell on trail for murder. an nfl analyst called hernandez a rising star but that was

until he was arrested in june of 2013 charged in the slaying of his former friend. thursday marked the beginning of the long anticipated murder trial. and if convicted of first degree murder hernandez could face life in prison. cnn's susan candiotti takes us through a dramatic first day in court. >> aaron hernandez is -- [ inaudible ] >> reporter: in opening statements lawyers for aaron hernandez cut to the chase, asking what so many fans of the former star patriot want so badly to know. >> why would you kill his friend? aaron had the world at his feet. >> reporter: but prosecutors accuse hernandez of orchestrating oden lloyd's murder shot six times execution style in an industrial park. co-defendants have pleaded not

guilty and are being tried separately. >> he was shot six times. >> reporter: the gruesome details and crime scene photos too painful for lloyd's mother who breaks down in tears, briefly leaving the courtroom. sitting next to lloyd's mother his gift. her sister who was engaged to hernandez, sitting with his mother. sisters with split loyalties. prosecutors revealed dramatic surveillance video for the first time showing lloyd getting into a car with hernandez, wallace and ortiz. jurors also see a video prosecutors say is taken by hernandez's multicamera home security system. allegedly minutes after lloyd's murder. in his hand they say, the suspected murder weapon that's never been found.

>> we'll tell you, ladies and gentlemen, that appearance is unique. [ inaudible ] >> reporter: as hernandez rocks side to side in his chair, defense lawyers fight back suggesting to jurors that the object might be an iphone or ipad, and asking if hernandez committed murder why does that video still exist? >> the evidence will show that aaron hernandez wanted to destroy the records on that video system he could have but he did not. >> oden was known as the -- master. >> reporter: a joint walls found next to lloyd's body something prosecutors say links the victim

and his alleged killer. >> that joint is later analyzed and determined to have oden lloyd's dna and the defendant's dna. >> reporter: by law, prosecutors don't have to provide a motive. but they hinted at one, claiming hernandez was angry at lloyd over an argument at a club two nights earlier. but defense attorneys say it's not true. >> ladies and gentlemen, the evidence will show there was no motive. aaron hernandez did not murder his friend. >> reporter: susan candiotti, cnn, fall river, massachusetts. >> now, naturally attorneys on both sides painted very different pictures of aaron hernandez during opening statements. earlier i spoke with defense attorney mark geragos. he feels there are some significant factors that could help hernandez. >> well i will tell you, what was originally about a month or six weeks ago thought to be a

slam dunk prosecution case does not appear to be today. there's several reasons for that. number one, the judge has excluded any mention or use by the prosecution of the other two murders he's charged with. and number two, there was a text message from the deceased which he said i'm with nfl, presumably referring to nfl. that's been excluded as well. given that and i think most significantly the fact that he's not being tried, this trial does not have the other two gentlemen who are charged with murder there in the courtroom with him, i think that given the jury makeup he's got a fighting chance in this case and i like the jury makeup from a defense standpoint. >> mr. geragos also says that mr. hernandez's status as a famous sports figure also the lack of a murder weapon, could hurt the prosecution. listen to this. >> when you're famous opposed to

being infamous when you're famous you get a presumption of innocence. we've seen that over and over again with football players. ray lewis comes to mind o.j. comes to mind when they're charged with murder. so people will give you that presumption and will hold the prosecution to the burden of proof, which is beyond a reasonable doubt. most people would assume if you're try thing guy for murder in the northeast, and he's a patriot's player, you would want all men. i don't think that's the case. when you have a degree of celebrity and fame and you have a predominantly female jury i think that works to the defense's favor. i think also he's a presentable defendant, that's what the prosecution is going to keep calling him, the defendant. and given that i think people will be open to the idea that this is, and one of the things takeaways from the opening statements is that the prosecution's case is almost

singularly a circumstantial evidence case. literally, there is no smoking gun, that's no weapon at all. >> testimony continues friday. jurors are set to hear from several key witnesses, including the victim's mother. aaron hernandez has pleaded not guilty to the killing. more big stories coming up for you here ahead on cnn. growing evidence that kim jong-un is ready to resume north korea's nuclear program. and key testimony in the april of a south korean woman who caused quite a scene on a plane over some macdamian nuts. we'll explain, next.

north korean leader kim jong-un may be nexting ingflexing his nuclear muscles once again. >> reporter: with tensions already simmering, there are fresh concerns that kim jong-un is doubling down on his aggression towards his enemies. at north korea's main nuclear complex, signs the regime may be restarting the reactor to make fuel for nuclear bombs according to a new report from the u.s.-korea institute. >> i'm not pressing the panic button here but every facility in north korea that produces material for nuclear weapons should be of concern to us. and if this one is going back online it's of concern to us. >> reporter: the reactor had

been offline since august. the institute says it's too soon to conclude something is happening inside now. but new satellite photos show telling science. this picture in december shows melting show on the roof of the reactor building and the turbine building as well as some steam. a week later in january, there were more areas of melted snow. in december the frozen river by the plant had patches near the water outlet that were not frozen. in january, this was even more open water. what could all of this mean? >> the reactor may be restarting. if it's restarting over time it will be producing bomb-making material inside the rods that fuel the reactor. at some point, they will shut the reactor down move the thousands of rods to the other facility and take out the material and build more bombs. >> reporter: joel wit says the regime only has a few nuclear bombs now, but could have as

many as 100 within five years. kim jong-un could be flexing his diplomatic muscles soon. he's been invited to a summit to vladamir putin in may. north korea's leaders have accepted but will kim go venturing outside of income for the first time as a leader? taking kim out of his comfort zone is risky. >> he appears before the world media only on his terms, with his generals and his singing battalions of women. the risk of sending kim jong-un, is portrayed within the north korean system as a god-king it's unscripted. there are other world leaders. it's an international event. and he could look like a fool. >> reporter: but there are benefits to kim going to this event. u.s. officials tell us they think he may go possibly an effort to build ties with vladamir putin and others as his alliance with china cools down.

i asked a north korean official at the u.n. if kim is going to russia. he said he had no information on that. brian todd, cnn, washington. >> however, i know someone with lots of information as it relates to the international weather picture. derek vandam joins us to talk about this. you have had quite a week. the blizzard was. s a bad as initially expected. >> now another storm headed that way, but not near what it was along the new england coast a couple of days ago. this is the clipper moving through at the moment across the new england region. it is going to deepen off the atlantic coast, but not as strong as what we had recently. there's cold air building behind this the potential of a foot of snow in maine and northern parts of new hampshire and vermont. but places like boston and new york city only a few inches of snowfall expected out of this

storm. you can see some of the storm totals going forward over the next 48 hours with this clipper moving through. lots of cold air, talking about windchill values below freezing perhaps 20 degrees below freezing that's fahrenheit for all the major cities. so bundle up. you can see the local radar coming out of that region. again, being spared the headaches of the snowfall. as we focus towards the southwest of the united states look at how much rain has overspread los angeles and phoenix. very, very heavy stuff at the home. and for the mountains of new mexico we have winter storm watches and weather advisories. i'm not sure if you're aware, there's a little bit of a football game taking place sunday in phoenix. we have a few days of that heavy rainfall i just showed you on the radar. but it clears up just in time for sunday's 3:30 local time super bowl game. of course the seattle seahawks taking on the new england patriots. here's a look at the

temperatures for the west coast. mild to start off the weekend. upper 60s for los angeles and san francisco. here's the low pressure system responsible for the heavy rainfall. another wet 24 hours, just south of los angeles and into the phoenix area. again, we could experience another 1 to 2 inches of additional rain on top of what we've already seen. what's important to take out of this is that rainfall that we're experiencing in the southwest is also going to lead to another storm system potentially over the east coast of the u.s. by sunday and monday. all of our computer models trying to come together to give us an indication of the exact path of this particular storm. but we're going to be monitoring this as another heavy snow maker, specifically in the ohio valley, could have up to a foot of snow. here's a look at new york city. there's the dip in the weather this weekend. by monday and tuesday, very cold

conditions settle in. that's all the time we have here at the cnn world weather center. we'll be right back after a quick break. thanks for the ride around norfolk! and i just wanted to say geico is proud to have served the military for over 75 years! roger that. captain's waiting to give you a tour of the wisconsin now. could've parked a little bit closer... it's gonna be dark by the time i get there. geico. proudly serving the military for over 75 years.

you're watching cnn. i'm errol barnett. here are your headlines this hour. officials in mexico city believe they've accounted for everyone who was inside a maternity hospital that was leveled by a gas explosion. rescue workers pulled babies and others from the rubble as flames engulfed the building. a nurse and two infants were killed. at least 73 were injured, including around 20 newborns. the murder trial for former nfl player aaron hernandez is under way in massachusetts. he's accused of orchestrating, participating in and covering up the slaying of his former

friend in 2013. the victim's mother is set to testify friday. three american contractors and afghan national were killed in shooting in kabul, afghanistan. it's unclear whether the afghan was the shooter or not. the incident is under investigation, but a u.s. official says it appears to be an insider attack. jordan says it's still holding a female prisoner despite an isis ultimatum to release her by sunset thursday. isis has threatened to also kill a japanese journalist. japan and jordan say they are working together closely to see that the homgstages are released. but the prospect of bargaining with isis does not sit well in the west. >> reporter: many countries have a seemingly simple rule -- they

don't negotiate with terrorists. but for isis captives kenji goto from japan and the jordanian pilot, that sort of stance could have disastrous consequences. in the past in similar cases, governments have budged. last year the u.s. traded several taliban captives for bowe bergdahl. despite claims that bergdahl may have abandoned his post before being kidnapped, the state department defended the move saying it was nothing unusual. >> it is consistent absolutely with what's happened in previous wars including korea and vietnam. in vietnam, it was 500 americans for 1200 north vietnamese. so this has a long history in the ice of prisoner swaps. >> during the cold war, the west swapped hundreds of prisoners. the released agents often

crossed sides at the border between east and west berlin. but prisoner swaps with extremist groups remain controversial. in 2011 israel made a major concession to hamas, exchanging more than 1,000 palestinian prisoners for the return of a soldier who had been kidnapped in gaza in 2006. hamas celebrated the deal as a major victory, and the netanyahu government was heavily criticized. duncan bulivant a risk consultant says swapping prisoners for hostages is still paying for the release of some prisoners. >> if you hand large amounts of money over to terrorist organizations, there's no doubt that that money is going to fund future terrorist atrocities. buy weapons, buy explosives so it is a direct link between

paying a ransom and fueling terrorism. >> reporter: and in the case of the two isis captives a swap might be one of the few chances they have to stay alive. now to a story out of the netherlands and a bizarre yet dangerous situation at a tv station. take a look. a young gunman dressed in a tie and jacket got into the studio of a national tv broadcaster. the station went off the air and allowed employees who could to evacuate the building. but just look at this. a few minutes later, police stormed the studio. the gunman putting his hands up. they order him to drop the weapon. he reportedly demanded air time although it's not clear what he wanted to say. police say this does not appear to have been a terror related incident. the ceo of korean air is set to take the stand in the next hour in the trial dominating

headlines in south korea. you may have heard of this. his daughter is accused of forcing an airplane to return to the gate after she was served nuts in a bag and not on a plate. can you believe it? paul >> reporter: it's been dubbed nut rage and it's huge in south korea. heather cho, former vice president of korean air and the boss' daughter is on trial after ordering a plane back to the gate so she could kick the chief steward off. his crime, her nuts were served incorrectly. she told reporters, i sincerely apologize for creating such an issue. i'm sorry. cho has pleaded not guilty on charges of obstructing aviation security a charge that carries ten years. but she does not deny ordering the plane at jfk back to the gate as her nuts were served in a bag, not on a plate. korean air released footage of

the plane showing that she was traveling as a passenger, not in official capacity. testimony from crew members and passengers confirmed the executive used "violent language in a loud voice." the south korean public is less than impressed. one woman screaming outside court, don't hide, show your face, adding her profanity. this woman says it's not her own private jet. it's a plane with lots of passengers on it. you can't accept this kind of behavior. this man says it is an abuse of power. of course they should be legally punished for what they've done wrong. but the media coverage here has been rather excessive. like this reception for cho's father and korean air chairman cho yung ho. a media frenzy. cho has apologized for what he's called his daughter's foolish act and will be appearing in

court to testify friday. prosecutors tell cnn they want to know the events after the incident to make sure there was no attempt at a coverup and to see what measure also be taken at the chief steward. paula hancocks cnn, seoul. the u.s. senate passed a bill to allow construction of a pipeline that's met with strong opposition from the obama administration. senators voted 62-36 for the $8 billion extension for the key phone pipeline. nine democrats joined republicans to support the bill. the pipeline already runs from canada through refineries in illinois. check out this map. the bill would authorize construction of nearly 2,000 kilometer pipeline from canada to nebraska where it would tie into existing pipelines to texas and two pipelines in the gulf of mexico. the republican victory is likely to be short lived, though.

president obama has already said he would veto the measure when the senate vote fell short to override the veto. two tech companies are in the spotlight. the holidays were good for amazon. but missed the mark for google. amazon earned $214 million in the last quarter of 2014 sending its stock up 8% after the closing bell. meantime google says it's quarterly profit rose 41% over last year to $4.76 billion. that amount still almost $7 per share. but that figure fell short of expectations and the stock dipped after the bell briefly but later rose nearly 2%. hopefully you're following all that. google says revenue was squeezed by the strong u.s. dollar and falling ad revenue. you are watching cnn newsroom. stay with us. when we come back there's a promising shift in west africa's ebola virus outbreak.

we'll bring you the latest information on that. plus a measles outbreak is spreading across the u.s. we'll te you about the family's desperate fight to stop the anti-vaccine movement. stay with us.

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i am happy to be able to report encouraging news about the world's worst ebola outbreak on record. the world health organization reported thursday that the number of new infections fell to the lowest level in some seven

months. w.h.o. says the three countries had a combined total of 99 new cases last week. meantime in the u.s. a patient suspected of being infected with ebola is now in a special isolation unit at a university of california medical center. it's not clear if that patient recently traveled to west africa. at least ten people have been treated for ebola in the u.s. since the outbreak began. i don't want to alarm you here but this is an outbreak of the measles spreading across the u.s. since january 1, there have been 84 cases reported in 14 states. that's according to the u.s. centers for disease control. most of those cases are linked to a recent outbreak in disneyland in california. though more than 600 measles cases in 2014 compare that to less than 100 cases annually in recent years. we'll keep you up to date. dan simon is in san francisco

with a controversy over measles and the vaccine is growing. one family's plea is stirring up debate over what's already a hot button issue. >> reporter: 6-year-old is not vaccinated for measles or anything else but it has nothing to do with religion or his parent's philosophy towards vaccines. he's been battling hueleukemia. a thousand doses of chemo weakened his immune system. >> the vaccinations he had when he was a baby all the antibodies are wiped out, then they have to wait until he's strong enough to revaccinate him. >> reporter: until then his parents have an idea. they want the school system in california to bar children that haven't been vaccinated. >> this is not just about red, this the about all kids that

have immune dysfunction, whether from chemo therapy or something else. >> instead of waiting for an outbreak and reacting to what is a disease, let's get ahead of it and avoid having that outbreak in the first place. >> reporter: here in california and other states, there are xemp exemptions that allow parts to opt out and send their children to school. are your children vaccinated? >> for the most part. >> reporter: she got her children vaccinated for measles, but not everything the school requires. so she got an exemption. >> we live here in this place, which is a liberal place, it's a well educated place, and if

parents are choosing not to vaccinate, there's a reason. >> reporter: nearly three times the state average of 2 1/2%. nationally it's 1.8%. in a statement provided to cnn, the school district tells us california law protects the rights of parents to refuse to vaccinate their chirpldren. red's parents concede they're on the losing side of the battle but still hope some good would come of it. >> what we're trying to achieve is herd immunity so we don't have to worry about measles. >> reporter: they know it's unlikely anything will happen as a result of their efforts, but they're glad to trigger this national conversation. dan simon, cnn, san francisco. the dalai lama could make a joint appearance with president barack obama next week. both are expected to attend this

year's national prayer breakfast in washington on february 5th. the breakfast is an annual event that brings together hunls s hundreds of religious leaders. they have met three times in the past held despite the objections of the chinese government. doesn't it seem like there's been one scandal after another in the nfl this past year? but the key question is do you football fans even care? coming up next why the league struggles haven't dampened enthusiasm for the upcoming super bowl in arizona. of course the super bowl is not just about the game it's about the commercials. one ad featuring this lost puppy angering animal lovers. does it cross the line? you be the judge. financial noise

financial noise financial noise you only know in a fire to get out, to escape and now ok you are outside and you are safe but what do you do now and that's where the red cross came in... . we ran out of the house just wearing our pajamas. at that point just to even have a toothbrush that i could call my own was so important... .

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we're just a few days away from the super bowl. the national football league's biggest, most exciting game of the season. but it has been a difficult year for the league from the ray rice scandal to deflate gate. but fans keep watching. >> reporter: what do you call a championship game whose league and players who have been accused nothing less than attacking the brain, assaulting the body and compromising the soul? that's the super bowl. yeah super. a big end to a season filled

with defensiveness -- >> i got it wrong in the handling of the ray rice matter. and i'm sorry for that. >> reporter: denials. >> i didn't alter the ball in any way. >> reporter: and discipline. >> we have decided that the appropriate course of action for the organization and for adrian, is to put him on the exempt list. >> reporter: star running back ray rice caught on video hitting his now wife. star running back adrian peterson copping a plea to charges that he beat his son with a switch. star quarterback tom brady dodging cheating allegations. and the head of it all facing questions about how he handled it all. you might think this would put the success of the enterprise in question. but you would be wrong. attendance is up. for 17 straight weeks, an nfl

game was the most watched show on tv. now teams are splitting more than $6 billion in revenue. money. that's lots of it. >> i'm here so i won't get fined. i'm just here so i won't get fined. >> reporter: money might explain why marshawn lynch is there, answering questions when he doesn't want to. that's why he is there. but why are we? the fans? if there's so much outrage over scandals why do we keep watching? the fact is we do. we like it. the game at least. more than 100 million people will watch this sunday. and for the nfl, that simple fact that can described with one word -- super. john burman, cnn, new york. >> there's no doubt the super bowl has not just become a huge deal in the states but now it's really a global sporting event. consider this last year's game was seen by more than 111 million people in the u.s. alone.

that made it the most watched tv program in u.s. history. and this upcoming sunday's game between the new england patriots and the seattle seahawks there in arizona will be broadcast in 230 countries and territories all around the world. it will also be the most expensive year ever for tv advertising. a 30-second commercial going for an estimated $4.5 million. we all know there's much more to the super bowl than the game itself. it's also about the commercials and the halftime show. jeanne moos tells us about one ad that's so controversial, it's been pulled from the telecast. >> reporter: what sells better than sex? puppies. but when go daddy cut the cord with sexy commercials and went with buddy the golden retriever for its super bowl spot -- >> instantly my mouth was gaping open as i watched. >> reporter: first, the pup bounces off a pickup then makes

a grueling but adorable effort to find his way home. >> it's buddy. i'm so glad you made it home. >> because i just sold you on this website on go daddy. >> i was horrified. >> reporter: do you think puppy mills are funny, tweeted the spca? what kind of monster do they have running their market department? go daddy noted it spoofs the latest budweiser tear jerker. it celebrates puppy love and when the puppy is threatened, the clydesdales show up. there's a theory out there that we're not just falling for puppies, we're falling for a setup. ahhh. don't cry.

even the pup smells a setup. something go daddy floated this spot to provoke a backlash. >> you scrub a spot at the last minute then reproduce another one in three or four days kind of tells you there may have been something in the works. >> reporter: they sent it's not a stunt and they're working on a new commercial. but barry cunningham says just wait till sunday's game that the new spot will capitalize on the current flak. >> we'll see it finding a big home. >> reporter: now they're hoping a retriever will prove golden. jeanne moos cnn new york. let's squeeze in this story about a hunter becoming the hunted. treasure hunter tommy to haveson was arrested in florida tuesday after two years on the run. he made headlines 27 years ago when he and his team discovered

the sunken ss central america. he was known as the ship of cold. thompson and his crew brought up thousands of gold bars and coins from this old wreckage. he was paid millions of dollars by investors who say they never saw a return. when they filed a lawsuit, thompson disappeared with his partner, your see her picture there. a florida realtor says he remembered something strange when he rented a home to thompson in 2004. >> there was a massive mold problem in the kitchen area. frankly, i suspect that's where he was keeping the cash. >> thompson is scheduled to appear in a federal florida court next week. coming up next i'm errol barnett. thanks for watching. coming up next natalie allen picks up the world's biggest story. that's after this. stay with cnn.

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