kurdish peshmerga fight back afteris on militants launch a major assault in iraq. the u.s. accuses russia of undermining the latest cease-fire in ukraine. and the never-ending winner extends its grip across the u.s. creating havoc deep in the south. hello and a big welcome to viewers here in the u.s. and around the world, i'm errol barnett. >> i'm rosemary church. this is "cnn newsroom." we begin with the latest in the fight against isis. as kurdish forces say they've regained control of an area just outside the northern iraqi city of erbil. >> that is the self-declared capital of the kurdish region and not far from the isis stronghold of mosul. skies fighters launch -- isis fires launched a major assault on the area tuesday. a cnn team of in the area just

ten days ago. and kurdish fighters told them fighters were trying to infiltrate their defenses. kurdish source they they inflicted heavy casualties on the militants and even got support from coalition aircraft. >> for more on the developing situation, let's bring in cnn's tim lister, joins us via baby cam from erbil. there have been almost daily attempts by isis to infiltrate toured issue territory -- kurdish territory. we've seen this aggressive push which led to close contact fighting. fighting. s the latest? >> reporter: theing has died down. the fight doing last overnight for at least five hours. the kurdish peshmerga officers i spoke to said they inflicted heavy casualties on the enemy and say there were a lot of foreign fighters amongst these isis eunice that attacked three villages simultaneously.

a very accordinated complex attack -- coordinated complex attack that shows despite months of air strikes and considerable pressure on the ground difficulties in resupplying them isis is still capable of accord hated, complex attacks, and the kurdish forces in this area are strung out along a 1,000-kilometer range, are very vulnerable to this sort of probing attack that isis likes to launch. >> you mentioned earlier there could be some strategy to this isis hoping to draw occur issue fighters away from erbil to this area around 45 kilometers roughly 28 miles, fan far south of the town. what -- not far from the south of the town. what about how they've been armed? were the kurds outgunned in the battle? >> frequently they are outgunned. i've seen that as part of the cnn team that's been here, we visited many places along the

front lines. every kurd from the general to the volunteer says the sail thing -- we cannot cope with the weapon we've got. we can hole them off for so long but unless we get resupplied quite soon then at some point isis is going to overwhelm one of our positions. when that happens, they have to move reinforms to that position. they are constantly stretched along this huge front. isis is doing this because they want to relieve pressure on their prize their crown jewel in northern iraq. they're surrounded on three side by the kurdish peshmerga. anything isis can do to free up mosul is what they're doing. i'll give you one small example. we were on a mountain on a kurdish front line. there was a gentleman up there who had a 1941 footage artillery piece. he was using that as best he could against the isis forces who have a lot of stuff that they amy capture from the iraqi army. he only had 20 shells left. >> incredible. and you have to consider how key mosul is. it has iraq's hydro electric

dam, certainly a key part of the infrastructure that would need to be protected. tim lister live for us this morning from erbil iraq. just past 11:00 in the morning there. thanks. the united nations security council is set to meet today to discuss the situation in libya. that's where isis fighters beheaded 21 egyptian christians in a video posted on line this week. the u.n.'s human rights chief condemn the massacre as vile:ejipg president al -- vile. the egyptian president says there have been launches in the past several days. syria is willing to stop bombing aleppo for sick weeks so a local -- six week so a local cease-fire can be tested. >> forces trying to encircle the city and cut off supply lines. the rebels have to agree to stop fighting there, as well.

>> i have no illusions because based on past experiences this will be a difficult issue to be achieved. but we will engage also very much the position hopefully to see them to respond to a similar request from the u.n. to hold mortar and rockets all over the city of aleppo for six weeks. >> aleppo is syria's largest city. the one-time industrial powerhouse has been mostly divided between rebel and government control since fighting started there back in 2012. to another story now. according to the french newspaper "le monde," investigators have determined that last month's paris terror attacks were coordinated. citing investigators, the paper reports that one of the kouachi brothers who killed 12 people in the "charlie hebdo" massacre sent a text message just an hour before the attack. >> and that message went to

amedy coulibaly who killed two people at a koesher market two days later. "lemoon" reports the text was sent to one of 13 phones coulibaly used. the danish gunman who pledged allegiance to isis before killing two people on sudden may have acted drunk to avoid suspicion. >> denmark's jewish society says surveillance video shows omar abdel hamid el hussein staggering for the copenhagen synagogue where he shot and kill killed a guard. police were already on alert after he kill a filmmaker at a free speech forum earlier that day. foreign minister was across europe are meeting in washington to discuss ways to stem violent extremism. >> the white house is hosting a three-day sum on violent extremism. the focus so far has been on stopping people from becoming radicalized in the taxpayers. jim accosta has more.

>> reporter: with the isis cancer spreading quick three denmark where a gunman's rampage was allegedly inspired by the islamic state and to libya where ejipg christians were beheaded the white house is cram belling to counter a potent terrorist message. >> we need answers that go beyond a military answer. we need answers that go beyond force. >> reporter: vice president biden opened up this week's summit on countering violent extremism talking with u.s. city leaders about the root causes of radicalism with the u.s.-led coalition carrying out air strikes on isis. the summit's goals are aimed at the homefront. identifying vulnerable communities, brainstorming ways to counter extremist propaganda, and sharing those techniques globally. while it's not singling out isis, the obama administration is ramping up tortes to combat the group on social media, adding staffers to the state department's center for strategic counterterrorism communications. a u.s. propaganda outfit spreading the campaign think

again turn away on facebook and twitter. and on youtube with videos boasting about the u.s. coalition. meeting with new defense secretary ash carter the president said the u.s. needs a comprehensive strategy. >> everything from making sure this bier dismantling -- making sure that we are dismantling isil and not only stabilizing the situation in iraq but addressing the foreign fighter issue encountering theairative of violent extremism that has been turbocharged through the internet. >> reporter: but texas republican senator ted cruz complains the name of the summit doesn't even mention the word "islam." >> the word radical islamist terrorism do not come out of president's mouth. the word jihad does not come out of the president's mouth. and that is dangerous. >> reporter: attorney general ericholder says critics are

missing the point. >> we have in this conversation about words as opposed to what our actions out to be. this is a difficult problem. >> reporter: just before the summit kicked off, senior administration officials were asked why they avoid the term islamic terrorism. as one official put it you can call them what you want we'll call them terrorist. jim acosta, cnn, the white house. the fight against isis is expanding at a rapid pace. you can read about the new battle lines and the rest of the day's news on our website at cnn.com. the cease-fire agreement for eastern ukraine is unraveling as the ukrainian army and russian-backed separatists refuse to stand down around the town of debaltseve. a gas pipeline in the transport hub of hit by an artillery shell shell, igniting this huge explosion. fierce fighting is reported. the separatists say they've taken 80% of the town and are

holding 60 ukrainian prisoners of war. a claim senior citizen cannot verify. >> meantime the organization for security and cooperation in europe the osce, is charged with monitoring the cease-fire. the group says it's profoundly disturbed by what's going on and condemns the surge in violence. the u.s. ambassador to ukraine suspense the finger. blame directly at russian president vladimir putin. >> president putin could stop this violence with one phone call. these are forces which are taking instructions and direction from the kremlin and, more importantly, as we've noted, we have solid information that they're now regular russian forces involved in the fight. >> the u.n. security council unanimously passed a resolution calling on all parties to abide by that cease-fire. our erin mclachlan joins you now with more on the diplomatic pressure to end the conflict. and i mean, it has to be said the cease-fire looks like it's

hanging by a threat. at the same time we understand the russian president, vladimir putin, has said and called on ukrainian forces to lay down their arms talk about what exactly he to say on that matter. >> reporter: hi rosemary. yesterday in a press conference in hungary, russian president vladimir putin calling on kiev to allow ukrainian military to surrender to the separatists in debaltseve. debaltseve is a key transporting hub. the site of intense post cease-fire fighting. the separatists are claiming that they have -- they're now in control of around 80% of the city the ukrainian military saying they're standing their ground. now russian president putin weighing in. take a listen. >> translator: i expect that the officials in charge of the ukrainian leadership will not prevent the ukrainian troops and servicemen to lay down their arms. if those leaders cannot make

such orders themselves and. >> reporter: that they will not persecute people who lay down their arms to save their lives. >> reporter: german chancellor merkel in a phone conversation with russian president putin called on him to "use his influence with the separatists to get them to put down their arms." neither side looking like it's going to be budging on this issue. >> we know too, that the united states is skeptical about russia's role in this and what it's likely to do next. talk about that part of the story. >> reporter: that's right. the u.s. ambassador to the united nations, samantha power, said it was bitterly ironic that russia was the one to table the u.n. security council resolution yesterday that was passed unanimously, that called for all sides to observe the cease-fire. listen to what she had to say. >> russia is committed to peace,

it doesn't need a security council resolution to prove it. you, stop arming the separatists. stop sending hundreds of heavy weapons across the border in addition to your troops. stop pretending you're not doing what you are doing, and start calling on and insisting. the separatists observing the cease-fire around jewish discovery center in clarks summit. -- around debaltseve. >> and the commence were called deeply offensive. russia continuing to deny any direct involve. in the conflict in eastern ukraine. rosemary? >> erin mclachlan following the story closely. we'll get back to you for any developments. many thanks. still to come on "cnn newsroom," new details about an apparent road rage incident that left a mother of four dead. plus winter is nowhere near

over in the u.s. next a look at how some folks are trying to cope with this.

welcome back. now details about an apparent road rage incident that left a mother of four dead in las vegas. police say that after the

encounter the victim went home to get her son who brought a gun. >> they then went become out to find the other driver. the search is now on for her diller. -- on her killer. >> reporter: an autopsy revealing the terrible truth about how this las vegas mother of four was killed in an apparent road rage incident. tammy meyers died of a gunshot wound to the head. police say the suspect followed her home and shot her after the two argued over a traffic incident. police are searching for this man who they believe killed her. her case an extreme example of the potential dangers on the road. in a 2013 "washington post" poll the number of drivers who reported having uncontrollable anger toward other drivers on the road has doubled since 2005. and now with the proliferation of cell phones, some of that rage is being caught on camera. in february in austin texas, a driver loses his temper and is spitting mad when a woman photographs his license plate after he allegedly drove

recklessly. [ bleep ] >> black power -- >> reporter: he was charged with reckless driving and later apologized for his actions. in january in north carolina a mother begin videotaping an aggressive driver. >> this person is a real character right now. >> reporter: a minute later, an attack. >> [ bleep ] [ crying ] >> stop it! >> reporter: and who can forget this -- new york city a confrontation between the driver of an suv and motorcyclist. police say it began when biker intentionally harassed drivers and slowed down in front of the suv. one bike got hit. the motorcyclist then attacked the vehicle, and the suv driver afraid for his family hits the gas, running over three of the bikers. it ends when the bikers pull the suv driver from his car and beat him. several of the bicyclers have been charged. and then there's this in 2013. a doctor sworn to do no harm

rage against another driver when the driver pulls out his cell phone to capture the doctor's aggressive driving. >> he doesn't like that and he's -- slams on his brakes. >> reporter: eventually the doctor pulls a gun. no one of hurt. despite our natural instincts these days to pull out our cell phones and videotape everything consider this -- experts say it might actually escalate the situation. >> you're taking a chance of shooting footage of someone who is enraged and could that further enrage them? it's hard to say. you're taking a risk. we'll say the most person thing from aaa's perspective is to get out of the situation. you don't want to escalate it to the point where someone's so enlaged that they aren't thinking about -- enraged that they aren't thinking about what they're doing. to another story we're following. a police department in st. louis, missouri is now under fire for turning off a dash cam during a very physical arrest. >> while the camera is rolling, you can see officers pull the driver from the car, kick him repeatedly then stun him with the taser.

then one of the officers walks back and turns that camera off. listen to what she says. >> i want all of you to hold up. hold up. everybody, hole up. we're red right now. if are you worry about cameras, just wait. >> she said "we're red right now." red is slang for a rolling camera. the officers pause before that video ends. the confrontation happened last year. the video of just released after the driver in that footage filed a lawsuit. australian prime minister tony abbott is piling on the pressure on indonesia over its plans to execute two australians convict a decade ago of drug trafficking. mr. o got already warned of diplomatic consequences. now he says indonesia owes it to australia to spare the men. >> we are doing no more for our citizens than indonesia routinely does for its own citizens. and it's right and proper for indonesia to make these representations, if it's right

and proper for other country to heed indonesia's representations, it's right and proper for us to make the recommendation and for them to be heeded. >> tony o bat there. indonesia says it does not respond well to threats. it maintains that this is a law enforcement issue, and interference is not welcome. who says people don't cooperate in sfwhaesh. >> yeah. coming up, we found a group of people working hard throwing snowbillions in the u.s. capitol -- snow balls in the summit capitol. i've got a nice long life ahead. big plans. so when i found out medicare doesn't pay all my medical expenses, i got a medicare supplement insurance plan. [ male announcer ] if you're eligible for medicare, you may know it only covers about 80% of your part b medical expenses. the rest is up to you. call now and find out about an aarp medicare supplement insurance plan, insured by unitedhealthcare insurance company. like all standardized medicare supplement insurance plans it could save you in out-of-pocket

medical costs. call now to request your free decision guide. i've been with my doctor for 12 years. now i know i'll be able to stick with him. [ male announcer ] you'll be able to visit any doctor or hospital that accepts medicare patients. plus, there are no networks, and virtually no referrals needed. see why millions of people have already enrolled in the only medicare supplement insurance plans endorsed by aarp. don't wait. call now.

snow ice, and bitter cold are making things downright dangerous for the eastern half of the united states. want you to look at this close call in hampton, virginia. look at that. a television crew was rolling when an suv lost control and crashed into a car before heading straight toward their camera. they were okay though inside the van thankfully. >> thank good not. now the winter storm has also made traffic a mess. shut down federal offices in washington, d.c. on tuesday. the snow is not all bad, though. take a look at this huge snowball fight in the nation's capital. people can come together in d.c. for some things. >> busy at work. let's check in on -- with our pedram javaheri. our meteorologist. to explain why is it so bitterly cold? let t's extraordinary how it has come -- it's extraordinary how it's in down in the south.

extraordinary temperature. >> the air mass that's impacted will be impacting the south and eventually the midwestern and northeastern u.s. it's originating in northern canada. the same air being displaced to the south. literally taking a straight shot. it has very little time to modify or become warmer when it gets to places that should be even across say, tampa, in. they should be at about 54 degrees. about, say, 12, 1 celsius. -- 13 celsius. they will be at 32 or zero celsius. people across central and southern florida dealing with it as well. i'll show you what's happening and what i was describing. the areas in the light blue, carolina blue, there you go. that's across northern ontario, across hudson bay. to the north, among the most inhospitable places on the planet. i want you to follow the color contour as it falls to parts friday in the northeastern u.s. when this happens we will see the coldest temperature the nation's capital has seen since president clinton was in office in the mid '90s. 1994 to be exact there. minus two to minus 3 degrees the potential low temperature across

washington, d.c. in the next coming couple of days. midwest will get in on the brutal temperatures. notice another one comes in as we head in from sunday into monday. this one parked cree question become and new england -- parked across quebec and new england getting in on the temperatures. 6 across portions of chicago. minus 4 fahrenheit in minneapolis. down in atlanta it is in the 20s. new orleans, 3 degrees as they wrap up mardi gras the last couple of hours. temperature even in charleston have cooled off nicely down to the 30s. but again, the multiple blasts of cold air, notice the date stamp in the top corner goes from monday into tuesday into wednesday next week. this is going to be a long duration event set up here. so i don't foresee much in the way of getting up above the normal temperature for this time of year in at least the next seven to ten days. chicago in particular high temperature of 2 degrees on thursday afternoon. that by the way, is about minus 16 celsius. and notice it does not get anywhere near the norm. tries to on saturday 31

degrees. cools back in the next coming couple of days. maybe with a couple images. this particular one, hudson bay, the hudson river, this is pier 92 between pier 92 and 94 in the past 24 hours. the icy conditions set up. again, another blast of cold air going to support all of this. look at the footage. i want to share video. this particular one coming out of the state of new jersey. we had three people out on a lake. they thought it was solid ice. they went out some 80 or so feet out there. and when you have snow blanketing some ice, it acts as a blanket and essentially insulates the ice. stow kind of misleads you to think it's frozen solid, but then it's a lot thinner. they had to be pulled out. the air temperature of about 25 fahrenheit. >> wow. don't take risk. that's deadly. >> if you don't get rescued, i'm not sure how they were able -- if they had a phone or whatnot. it does not take more than ten minutes to lose that battle. >> does that happen a lot where you get the snow blanketing the ice -- >> it does, absolutely. it does. this season has been exceptional.

so it is more misleading than others where you've had so much snow that it's barely frozen beneath the show to. yeah. >> thanks for the chilly update. see you soon. a village in egypt mourns 13 sons lost to isis. they had gone to libya for work buttened up among the christians beheaded by the militants. also a judge has blocked u.s. president obama's efforts to the controversial issue of immigration. we brought you that breaking development this time yesterday. now the commander in chief says he isn't giving up without a fight. >> and some people are volunteering to make mars their now home and bring the colonization of the red planet closer to reality. eh, you don't want that one. yea, actually i do. it's mucinex fast-max night time and it's got a nasal decongestant. is that really a thing? it sounds made up. i can't sleep when i'm all stuffy. i take offense to that. i'm not going to argue with a talking ball of mucus. i think you're being a little hasty... he's not with me.

mucinex fast max night time. multi-symptom relief plus nasal decongestant. breathe easy. sleep easy. start the relief. ditch the misery. let's end this. [alarms blaring] ohhhhh... whoa whoa whoa! who's responsible for this?!? if something goes wrong, you find a scapegoat. ...rick. it's what you do. ahhhhhhhh! what'd you say? uh-oh! kelly! if you want to save fifteen percent or more on car insurance, you switch to geico. it's what you do. rick. don't walk away from me. ahhhhhhhh!

is "cnn newsroom." our last half-hour of the day. i'm errol barnett. >> i'm rosemary church. it is time to check the headlines for you. it took five hours of heavy fighting but kurdish official say they have beaten back a major isis offensive in iraq. isis fighters launched the assault from several different directions and targeted two towns near the toured issue capital irbil. commanders inflicted heavy casualties on the isis attackers. the ukrainian military and pro-russian separatists refuse to back down from heavy fighting in bada$$.rief -- in debaltseve. the u.n. says syria's government is willing to stop bombing and shelling aleppo for six weeks. it would be part of a test of a

local cease-fire. a u.n. mediator says for the test to work rebel forces will also have to stop mortar and rocket fire there. for now, egypt's air strikes against isis in libya have ended. they were of course a response to those ghastly murders of 21 egyptian christians by isis. people in one egyptian village are cry out for more vengeance. >> the area is home to a large christian population. one village lost 13 young men in that latest massacre. ian lee has more. >> reporter: a grieving mother and son turned martyr. 24-year-old mina didn't have much. a strong back but no real education. with marriage on his mind and empty pockets, he left for libya. "he was a worker, used to carry sand and rocks. what else, he do," asks his mother.

"he didn't have a tray. he would have taken any job offered to him." families like it may be poor, but they're rich in faith. the small close knit village mourns 13 sons who were part of a group of 21 who apparently lost their lives at the hands of isis in gruesome beheadings. the streets void of joy filled with a painful procession of crying eyes. this woman lost two of her sons. they were about to return home to celebrate christmas. they said, "ma cook all the holiday food," she tells me "but the bastards kid fornapped them. i hope god deprives them of their sons." the attack sparked national outrage. islam and christianity in egypt forming one hand. men in this village understand what it mean to -- what it means to work in elizabeth.

the thing about villages like this poem are poor work is scarce. libya was seen as the only opportunity. and some say once things calmed down they'll risk their lives going back. hannah not? returning. he's lucky to be alive, narrowly avoiding being kidnapped by isis himself. he's the last person to see the sons alive. hoe tell me there was a crack in the wall next to the a.c. mask men sized his -- seized his cousins and nephew in the adjacent room. he heard militants say they had orders from the emir to arrest all christians in sirte. hannah escaped with 15 others back home. he avoid his family. "i feel guilty," he tells me. "first of all, the situation was difficult, more than you can imagine. how can your nephew be taken from your hand? how can you face your brother or your uncle? what will you tell them?" heroics would mean one more son

of h.i.m. his wouldn't have returned home. despite the gruesome video, hannah takes solace in what he saw. "to the last moment, the name of jesus of on their lips," he tells me "as they were being martyred they were calling god's name saying god have mercy on us. the entire village is proud." this man doesn't hold a grudge against hannah. she knows her son is in a better place. ian lee, cnn, egypt. we turn to the situation in greece now. and greek prime minister alexis tsipras says he will not back down in a fight with the country's european creditors. his comments come one day after debt talks collapsed. tsipras wants an end to austerity measures tied to the current eurozone bailout plan. >> a new report says greece may ask for an extension of a loan agreement with the eurozone. but a source close to the greek government tells reuters the

full bailout program is dead. here's some of what mr. tsipras had to say to the greek parliament. >> tranlayer: we are not in a hurry, and we will not compromise. we are working hard for an honorable and solution without atator. without the bailout which destroyed greece in the last years, for an agreement without the toxic presence of the troika. >> meantime the head of the e.u. finance ministers says greece has until friday to request an extention of its bailout. here's a story we told you about yesterday. a federal judge in the u.s. state of texas has temporarily blocked president barack obama's executive actions on immigration. they're meant to spare millions of people from being deported. >> mr. obama says he acted legally and that the justice department will appeal the ruling. joe johns has more. >> reporter: less than two days before the government was going to start taking applications for immigrant children who want protection from deportation, a

huge last-minute setback. a texas federal judge brings the administration's new deferred enforcement policies that could affect up to five million people to a screeching halt. at least temporarily. late today, president obama said the administration would comply with the court's decision blocking implementation of his new policies but made clear that the legal fight is not over. >> i disagree with the texas judge's ruling and the justice department will appeal. >> reporter: judge andrew hannen said homeland security secretary johnson did not follow the law and administrative rules when he launched the new policies on deferred enforcement late last year. he wrote "the public interest factor that weighs the heaviest is ensuring that actions of the executive branch comply with this country's laws and its constitution." the judge is an appointye of former president george wm bush and a sharp critic of president obama's policies. republican texas governor greg abbott file the lawsuit on behalf of his and 25 other

states. >> in texas, we will not sit idly by while the president ignores the law and fails to secure the border. >> reporter: the white house is fighting this bad on two fronts. a faceoff with republicans in congress over the policies affect funding for the homeland security department. the ruling means people who were planning on filing for deferred action on immigration for their children starting on wednesday will have to wait. >> these people who were so excited in november, now they can gather their papers together but they can't participate in the program. >> reporter: the president's supporters were urging immigrants who want to change their status to use the time, the cases, and the course to get their paperwork together. >> get your birth certificates. i want you to get your passports up to date. i want you to get all your documentation to prove that you've been here. >> reporter: the funding bill for the homeland security department has been snagged because of a disagreement between democrats and republicans on the new

immigration policies. house speaker john boehner called on senate democrats who disagree with the administration to help get the bill moving. joe johns, cnn, washington. prosecutors have rested their case in the trial of a man accused of killing chris kyle. the subject of the blockbuster movie "american sniper." >> the suspect's lawyer admits his client killed kyle and his friend at a range in 2015 but says he was insane at the time. as ed lavandera reports, the accused killer's own words were again in the spotlight on tuesday. >> reporter: eddie ray routh is placed into a police car moments after authorities chased him down a texas highway. he's breathing heavy and teary eyed. the officer asks if he's okay and routh says i'm just so nervous about what's been happening in my life today, i don't know what's happening. i've been paranoid schizophrenic all day. i don't know what to even think of the world now. i don't know if i'm insane or sane.

the isn't j isn't allowing courtroom awed grow broadcast until after the trial you know. at times, routh appears agitated in the video. he squirms around in the back seat. other times he rests his head with his eyes closed. people who know routh, like tim zereland say the former marine changed before the killings of chris kyle and chad littlefield. >> i did notice a change several months before all this took place. it's hard to describe exactly, but it seemed like he was a little bit more jumpy. >> i got a woman and a kid 200 yard out moving for the combo. >> reporter: his reputation of well established before taking routh to the gun range. but he seemed more frustrated and annoyed with the two men trying to help him. the small arsenal of weapons chris kyle brought to the range was shown to the jury which included these five long rifles and several handguns including one of kyle's rifles labeled "american sniper."

but according to defense attorneys, routh in his psychotic state thought he was walking into a showdown on that range. from inside the jail where routh has spent the last two years, he spoke with a writer from the "new yorker" magazine three months after the shootings. prosecutors played some of that conversation today. routh sound annoyed at kyle and little feel and says "so we're shooting pistols here huh? hmm. okay. again, that's pretty much saying duel mother [ bleep ]. "later he's asked what sparked the killing and he blames chad little feel littlefield for not shooting with him. i was like, "what are you doing here? it's not a spectator sport, it's a shooting sport. what that's got me wired up." he also said "i took care of business and then left." as prosecutors said in their opening sometimes -- >> i not the term used for folks like him is troubled. i think you hear the testimony. this is a troubled young man. >> reporter: prosecutors say this troubled man wasn't insane. they say these are the actions

of a cold-blooded killer. >> and routh's mother also testified for the defense on tuesday describing her son's history of mental illness. now to another story we're following. in haiti's capital, an accident during the national carnivale parade has killed at least 16 people. >> investigators say it began when a singer on a mardi gras float was electrocuted boy a power line. authors say at least 78 people were hurt as they ran from that chaotic scene. >> haiti's president called the tragedy a grave incident. he joined hundreds of mourners at the memorial -- at i a nem site of an accident. officials -- at a memorial at the site of the accident. officials declared three days of national mourning. now on a much different note for some the lure of space travel is impossible to resist. even if it means a one-way ticket. we'll take a closer look at the candidate for mars 1 next. plus a move by the u.s.

vice president during a softwaringin ceremony -- swearingin ceremony is causing a media firestorm. i'm only in my 60's. i've got a nice long life ahead. big plans. so when i found out medicare doesn't pay all my medical expenses, i looked at my options. then i got a medicare supplement insurance plan. [ male announcer ] if you're eligible for medicare, you may know it only covers about

80% of your part b medical expenses. the rest is up to you. call now and find out about an aarp medicare supplement insurance plan, insured by unitedhealthcare insurance company. like all standardized medicare supplement insurance plans it helps pick up some of what medicare doesn't pay. and could save you in out-of-pocket medical costs. to me, relationships matter. i've been with my doctor for 12 years. now i know i'll be able to stick with him. [ male announcer ] with these types of plans, you'll be able to visit any doctor or hospital that accepts medicare patients. plus, there are no networks, and virtually no referrals needed. so don't wait. call now and request this free decision guide to help you better understand medicare... and which aarp medicare supplement plan might be best for you. there's a wide range to choose from. we love to travel -- and there's so much more to see. so we found a plan that can travel

with us. anywhere in the country. [ male announcer ] join the millions of people who have already enrolled in the only medicare supplement insurance plans endorsed by aarp an organization serving the needs of people 50 and over for generations. remember, all medicare supplement insurance plans help cover what medicare doesn't pay. and could save you in out-of-pocket medical costs. call now to request your free decision guide. and learn more about the kinds of plans that will be here for you now -- and down the road. i have a lifetime of experience. so i know how important that is. we are back. a job for life sound pretty good nowadays but this job has a

serious drawback. you'd have to say good-bye forever to everyone and everything you love here on earth. that's pretty severe. >> let's think about that. more than 200,000 people did apply to do just that for a chance at a one-way mission to mars. michael holmes locks at some of the -- looks at some of the shortlisted candidates. >> reporter: the nonprofit foundation mars 1 is one step closer to deciding on the final list of hopefuls to make a one-way trip to the red planet. they've narrowed the pool of candidate to 100, 50 men and 50 women. eventually 24 people will be chosen to make six crews of four. the group plans to send those crews every two years starting in 2024. their goal, to set up a permanent colony on mars. the group which is based in the netherlands, posted a movie-type trailer publicizing the mission on line.

>> the colonization of mars is the adventure of the century. >> reporter: but who really want a one-wayic to mars? well -- one-way ticket to mars? well a lot of people in fact. more than 200,000 people worldwide submitted video applications. scientists academics, and those just seeking adventure. among the top 100 candidates 29-year-old josh an engineer and standup comedian from australia. >> i want to commit my life to making the colonization of mars a reality. >> reporter: and this 21-year-old student at oxford university in the u.k. >> the greatest threat is our ability to dream of a better world. to a future and inspire a generation to bring it to life. >> reporter: and 42-year-old high school teacher joann from canada. >> i'm ready. let's do. let's go to mars. >> reporter: some are skeptical about the entire plan and whether they can raise the billions of dollars needed to fund it especially since only

about half of previous unmanned missions have succeeded. what's more a recent study by mit found that even with current technology if the group succeeded in getting there, they would likely only survive 8 days. it's also about what's ethical. >> we didn't send people to the moon on a one-way trip for the first time. would have been easier to do that. >> reporter: these 100 applicants will now go on for further testing including team-building exercises and isolation testing. the journey to mars will take about seven months. but for those chosen, it's the biggest decision of their life. michael holmes cnn. >> we do get one thing -- job security. >> i guess. >> only 68 days to live. i'm not sure -- >> are they shortlisted or shortsighted? would you want to spend the rest of your life with a cheesy comedian from australia? i mean -- >> what are you saying about australia? i couldn't get access to chocolate, that would be the end

of the world. >> it is a unique opportunity to be a part of something historic. >> yeah. absolutely. that's about it. okay. we'll keep watching that story. all-terrain vehicles and lucks row motoring may not seem to go together but roll royce is joining a growing list of high-end automakers looking to change that. the expensive british brand says it will add an suv to its lineup. >> yeah. rolls has not announced when the new vehicles will be available or how much they'll cost. the most important detail. the firm joins bent leap maserati -- bentley, maserati, lamborghini, and others in the high-end market. >> you can get the details at money. money.cnn.com. coming up, how social media is reacting to this video of the u.s. vice president. what is he doing? why is he doing it to the new defense secretary's wife? we'll explain. >> awkward. and one man turned his love of dogs into a profitable full-time career. we will tell how he did it next.

it is the whisper that's gone viral. a new video shows u.s. vice president joe biden making call it an odd move during a swearing-in ceremony. >> odd works, yes. the ceremony was for the new defense secretary, ashton carter. as educator was speaking the v.p. had his hand on mrs. carter's shoulders. hoe then lean in -- he then

leans in and whispers in her ear to which she nods her head awkwardly and uncomfortably. >> biden said at the ceremony he's known ash carter for years. does that excuse the behavior? some on twitter say he was just too close for comfort. brad tha ws "if joe biden did this to my wife. she'd knock him out. ". >> another comment on twitter, "the more i see that picture, the more grossed out i get." and this picture is making the round on social media. the headline reads, "50 shades of biden." >> i want to know what was going on in her mind. she was like let me not say anything -- >> please don't do this. it is the biggest event in the canine world. the 139th annual westminster kennel club dog show. >> this year more than 2,700 dogs competed for the honor of best in show. in this dog-eat-dog world, it came down to seven of them. [ cheers ] >> the beagle!

uno, i hope you're watching buddy! >> miss p. >> miss p.! >> 4-year-old beagle miss p. claimed top honors. she's the second beeg told win it all. a -- beagle to win it all. a sky terrier came in second. caring for the pampered pooches is a tough job. many are turning their love for dogs into careers. >> sound interesting. one former goldman sachs employee did just that. he his new dogsitting business is so profitable, he doesn't even miss his old wall street income. samuel burke has more. ♪ good girl stay. >> reporter: mike lamm knows a thing or two about keeping canines well behaved. >> good stay. good stay. >> come on -- >> reporter: he's taken care of hundreds of pooches since joining dog vacay. one of a number of popular new sites like rover and fetch that pairs dog owners with dog sitters. >> come on guys.

>> reporter: mike comes from the dog-eat-dog world of goldman sachs where he was once a computer programmer. >> say hi. >> he's now making just as much money looking after man's best friend. >> leaving goldman sachs to do this job. i mean, it's actually hard to believe. >> i know. i know. goldman sachs, you know, it's the cream of the crop. everyone. to be in there. but in a day if you're not happy doing what -- what you're doing, it's just not worth it. >> reporter: his screen name on dog vacay is pack leader mike. >> it's almost like online dating. you have to have the great picture. the great picture with the dog. >> exactly. >> reporter: he's in competition with other new york-based dog sitters on the site like auntie colleen. the west village pup palace. and rover's retreat. like other companies in the sharing economy, dog vacay gives humans a new outlet for making money on their own terms. >> retirees, mom and dad

freelancers, people doing this for fun and income on the side. what we've seen is it changed their lives. >> if websites like this continue to grow in popularity they take a bite out of more traditional businesses like biscuits and bath. they bill themselves as a luxury dog retreat. biscuits and bath offers boarding state-of-the-art pampering, and talk about social media -- this place lets dogs catch up on their current events, snout to snout. businesses like this are watching the online dog sitting craze closely. how do you kind of view them business-wise? >> i think there's an element of cometition there. >> reporter: dog vacay is clearly setting its sights on the sector. >> it's averaging under $30 a night, a little less than half the average kennel. >> reporter: in queens with mike, it's time for the afternoon walk. do you look back at your time at goldman sachs? you regret leaving? >> not at all. >> reporter: this is what you

love? >> that's right. >> reporter: still, the fur could fly if competition heats up. for the disruptor economy, this is one tale that's far from over. samuel burke, cnn, new york. >> looks like a stress-free job option do you think? >> i'm a dog lover. i think it's great the web is allowing people to have additional revenue, income. imagine the smell. >> you don't want other people's dogs there. that is it for this edition of "cnn newsroom." i'm rosemary church. >> i'm errol barnett. "early start" is next for those of you in the u.s. for everyone else stay tuned for max fosters in london.

just about anywhere you use sugar, you can use splenda®... ...no calorie sweetener. splenda® lets you experience... ...the joy of sugar... ...without all the calories. think sugar, say splenda®

breaking overnight, isis repelled after launching an intense attack near a major city in iraq what happens if they strike again? a live report in moments. new details this morning about the accused gunman in the copenhagen terror attacks. what officials now say about his state of mind the night of those attacks. and were concerns he was being radicalized ignored? a bone-chilling rescue caught on video. the incredible moments three people were pulled from icy waters. how did they end up trapped in the first place? good morning.