slashing in seoul. the u.s. ambassador to south korea is attacked with a knife. plus no criminal charges against the ferguson police officer in the shooting death of an unarmed african-american teenager. >> and the boston bombing trial opens with never-before-seen video of the moments after the attack. hello, and welcome to our viewers in the united states and around the world, i'm rosemary church. >> i'm errol barnett. this is "cnn newsroom."

doctors if south korea say the u.s. ambassador will spend the next couple of days in the hospital after a vicious knife attack. mark lippert needed more than two hours of surgery and 80 stitches to close the wound on his cheek. he was slashed on the face and hand just before he was to deliver a breakfast speech in seoul. >> translator: if the injury had been one or two centimeters deeper it could have caused damage to an artery and could have been life threatening. >> thankfully though the worst case scenario of avoided. we're told lippert is in good spirits. he sent out a tweet, you see it on the the screen saying he's doing well. he says he's deeply moved by the support and will be back asap. the suspect was also injured. state media says he was angelburyangel --

angry about joint south korean/u.s. military exercises. christopher hill says seoul is usually considered a safe place. take listen. >> when i was ambassador here, yes, i had security but often i was able to walk outside by myself. occasion low, i would walk home from the embassy. it is a low-security environment environment. certainly i've been in many of those brefs. it was just across the street from the embassy. this is not one that is sobered normally with a need for high security. >> hill says south korea's government is typically responsible for providing security for diplomats. hillary clinton is breaking her silence on the controversy over her e-mails. the former u.s. secretary of state tweeted, and i'm quoting, "i want the public to see my e-mail. i asked the state to release them. they said they will review them for release as soon as

possible." the move comes amid chris simple that the former secretary of state used a private e-mail account during her time in the post rather than a government e-mail. you now let's get you the latest out of the u.s. state of missouri. the justice department has formally closed its investigation of the former ferguson police officer who shot and killed an unarmed black teen. >> a report released wednesday says no charges will be filed against darren wilson in the august, 2014 death of michael brown. brown's death led to violent protests in ferguson and other demonstrations across the country. >> the justice department also found racial discrimination among police in ferguson. one police employee is out of a job because of it. and a source close to the investigation tells cnn two others will likely lose their jobs as well. >> yeah. the report claims the department unfairly targeted african-americans and used excessive force. cnn's sara sidner reports. >> reporter: ferguson officials responding to a scathing federal

report highlighting racism at its worst. >> we must to better not only as a city but as a state and a country. we must all work to address issues of racial disparity in all aspects of society. >> reporter: the department of justice investigation blasts ferguson police and its courts saying they helped lay the groundwork for the unrest that erupted after the police killing of michael brown. >> of course violence is never justified. but seeing in this context amid a highly toxic environment defined by mistrust and resentment stoked by years of bad feelings and spurred by illegal and misguided practices, it's not difficult to imagine how a single tragic incident set off the city of ferguson like a powder keg. >> reporter: the doj points to the statistics for proof. blacks in ferguson twice as likely to be search during vehicle stops than whites, though whites were found to have more contraband. at least 85% of those putted

over -- those pulled over arrested or ticketed for traffic violations were black. the justice department saying it was money, not public safety that the department and city focused on. blacks paying the high ever price. >> the city relies on the police force to serve essentially as a collection agency for the municipal court rather than as a law enforcement entity. >> reporter: that comes as no surprise reverend derek robinson who obama a protest leader in ferguson. he says ferguson police once pulled him over saying his taillight was out but asked to search his car. >> i told him no. i said that you have no reason to search my car. i will not. so then he begins to say, well i will charge you with failure to comply. >> reporter: you got a ticket? >> yes, ma'am. >> reporter: for failure to comply? >> for failure to comply. >> reporter: failure to comply what? >> with the search of the vehicle. >> reporter: resigns say they are vindicated but also disgusted after seeing the damn emails unearthed by the doj including racist jokes, several targeting the president and

first lady. one includes a photo of bare-chested women dancing in when appears to be africa with a caption saying "michelle obama's high school reunion." another shows president obama as a chimpanzee. and yet another says obama won't be in office long because what black man holds a steady job for four years? >> let me be clear. this type of behavior will. be tolerated -- type of behavior will not be tolerated in ferguson or anywhere else. >> reporter: three people on administrative leave. one has already been terminated. someone close to the investigation told me that actually the other two will also no longer work for the ferguson police department. sara sidner cnn, ferguson, missouri. the boston marathon bombings trial is now underway in the u.s. state of massachusetts. an attorney for dzhokhar tsarnaev told jurors it was him. >> he went on to say that he did carry one two of bombs that were detonate at the finish line.

she says he was influenced by his older brother, tom land who the defense accused of masterminding the entire plot and planting the other bomb. prosecutors also played video unseen by the public until now. it shows the aftermath of the attack. we want to warn you, the video may be difficult to watch. in this store surveillance video, you see the explosion shaking the building and then people running inside immediately afterwards. some covering their ears. many in shock. some people can also be seen turning clothing into tourniquets to help victims. >> we have a video closer to where the bombing took place. shows people being treated by first responders. you see blood there on the street. people on the ground. four people were killed in the bombings, and the manhunt that followed another 260 were wounded in the attack. a lingering question remains -- did the defendant wetland the bombs as he claims? >> or is there a master bomb-maker somewhere on the

loose? looks alexandria field with more. >> reporter: we know them first as suspect one and suspect two. almost immediately after a munn that left one dead and the other captured investigators privately questioned if there were more involved. the reason for the doubts -- the bombs. court documents reveal questions from the beginning about whether tamerlan and dzhokhar tsarnaev were capable of making them. these relatively sophisticated devices would have been difficult for the tsarnaevs to fabricate. searches of the tsarnaevs' residences three vehicles and other locations associated with them yielded virtually no traces of black powder. of the two remote-controlled detonators used during the marathon bombings only one was recovered. new orleans two years later, the doubts still linger. >> these were two relatively sophisticated devices that went off almost smally. they had a very very short

delay. >> it would be my opinion that they had somebody who was more of a skilled bomb-maker, an engineer if you will assist them in saying these are the steps you ned to go through. >> reporter: tsarnaev incentive told police he and his -- dzhokhar tsarnaev told police he and his brother acted alone. explosives were made with improvised fuse was christmas lights and remote-controlled detonators made from model kparts. not impossible -- car pars. not impossible but hard to get right without testing. the government has never said where the bombs were made or if there's evidence the tsarnaevs tested others. >> that is a big gap in the evidentiary case. >> reporter: is it possible that police still believe to this day that somebody helped these brothers build a bomb. >> reporter: in the absence of any proof this they had the capability to do it there will continue to be investigations whether b whether there could have been three, four five. >> reporter: but who? no one has been publicly named

as a responsible co-conspirator. investigators have focused on tamerlan's ties to militants. in 2012 the older tsarnaev spent six months in russia. authorities have questioned how much exposure he may have had to radicals and whether he could have received training there. it's not clear if either side will suggest that there may have been a third party involved in the attack, but the defense will try to pin the blame on others. >> the defense strategy is going to be to create enough doubt in jurors' minds as to the mental state. that there may be an evil hand telling him what to do whether it's his brother or bomb-maker, fits nicely into the narrative. >> reporter: the trial centers on how the jury will see suspect number two. the prosecution painting a portrait of a cruel co-conspirator. an equal partner in hideous

crimes. radicalized through internet research spewing the rhetoric of al qaeda. a man who planned to kill and did. the defense will draw him in the shadow of a mastermind older brother. younger, struggling in school abandoned by his parents. an easy victim of deep manipulation from suspect number one. cnn, boston massachusetts. in a last-ditch effort australia offers a deal in the hopes of sparing two of their citizens from execution. plus investigator say a student enrolled at this high school is just the latest american drawn into the web of isis recrowding. stay with us. [ aniston ] when people ask me what i'm wearing, i tell them aveeno®. [ female announcer ] aveeno® daily moisturizing lotion has active naturals® oat with five vital nutrients.

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and get this document shredder free -- a $29 value -- when you use promo code go. call now. we go to iraq now with a huge military offensive on the city of tikrit taking place. isis militants have been in control since john. now iraqi troop are advancing with backing from shia and sunni fighter, as well as forces from iran. >> now progress has been reported for three days straight. that's despite everything being thrown at these guys running battles, roadside bombs, and suicide attacks, as well. taking back tikrit is seen as taking back baghdad 150 kilometer to the south:the reach of isis is growing wired as it recruits frierts around the

globe. >> law enforcement -- fighters from around the globe. >> law enforcement officials have charged a high school student with helping the terror group. brian todd reports from washington. >> reporter: he allegedly help a man travel to syria to fight with isis, went on line to connect the recruit to the terror group. the alleged recruiter, a 17-year-old boy in the suburbs of washington. that's according to a law enforcement official. the "washington post" reports the boy lives in woodbridge virginia. >> isis with pulling out their propaganda message over social media, teenager are using social media more than any other democratographic. it's no surprise that somebody who's 17 would become involved in pro-isis activities. >> reporter: fbi agents raided the townhouse where theally alleged -- where the alleged recruit irleave -- the alleged recruiter lives, leaving himself out in handcuffs. an official with the prince william county schools tells cnn the young man is enrolled at this high school osborne park

in man as, video, but is not currently attending classes. this follows other high-profile cases of young americans being enticed to try to join isis. two men from the new york area including a 19-year-old picked up last month. a 19-year-old somali american from minneapolis grabbed by federal agents at jfk airport just before his plane of to leave for turkey. a law enforcement source says ahmed posted these tweets saying he wanted to become a jihadist and "be a martyr." what prompts a young person to want to leave america and join isis? >> they're usually those that are very isolated. very upset about one issue or another. and have you know somer havite and motivations. sometimes it's psychological. sometime it's family issue. other times it's social. >> reporter: a top fbi counter terrorism official said the past year or two isis and other groups have gotten better at spotting potential recruits and that younger and younger people

are being recruit. this official said in the u.s. the fbi has seen children as young as 15 recruited by isis. brian todd cnn, washington. the australian government has made a last-ditch attempt to conduct a prisoner swap with indonesia. this follows a candlelight vigil for the two in cam berra, australia. countries across the spectrum were united in opposing the pending executions. >> the men convicted on drug smuggling charges have been in jail for nearly a decade now. they were moved wednesday to an island facility where executions are carried out. >> what we are seeking to do is have an opportunity to talk about options that might be available in the area of prison transfer, prison swap. absolutely no details, but we are seeking an opportunity to explore every option that might

be available, every thaef might be available to save the lives these two men. >> australia's foreign minister there. cnn hear more on developments from bangkok. she joins us now on the phone. so the australian government as we heard has suggested the prisoner swap in an attempt to try to save the two australians from the firing squad. how likely is it that that will happen? >> reporter: well, the frank answer it's not looking like that right now. the indonesians are plowing ahead. they have that force of force. and in the armored vehicle with an armed convoy of police officers and military making a forceful statement if you like. visible. this was going ahead. they've taken them to the bank and skaugz island. where they will face death bifiring squad. and as far as we're being ware there's no official word so far,

certainly not one this been made public or shared with the media that's the indonesian foreign minister that judy bishop has been in touch with. window about what she said, we heard her there, the prime minister forrous. she's repeatly emphasized that the fact that these australians are remarkable example in her own words. she believes that look they have reforms, they have constant process of rehabilitation. and they should be not rewarded necessarily say, but that sets examples of how a prison reform system can work. yes, they did role. yes, they should be punished. perhaps not face a firing squad is what australia is repeatedly saying. pressure too, from the prime minister. so far no response for the innesians. our team in jakarta, as well. i was there last month tracking

down president joko widodo who at thetime told chris anne christian is confirmed. >> yeah, and of course as you mentioned, the rehabilitation there. one of these men is an accomplished artist. is an ordained christian minister. we're learning thip families are arriving to their final gobs to the prisoners on the island. talk about that and the process as hours tick by. >> reporter: yeah. a very -- a mist all the wrangling and legal battles and the discussions that you and i are having let's not forget there are families and loved ones desperate to receive. and we saw the poignant moment as the two were taken, where the brother of andrew chan and girlfriend weren't allow. in we have seen families of the other people on death row. . just these those those are there

foreigners who indonesia international are also due to face death by firing squad. we understand some members of the family of the brazilian man and a french national who have's been talked to the island have arrived in the last few histories. the -- some are trying to make their way to the area. will they be allowed to stay alone at the island? will they have moments together? we have been told that access will be granted. we also know, of course you said at the beginning, but legally those who face the death penalty will be told and given a 72-hour notice. that doesn't have to be shared publicly. but they have set a precedent, the indonesians, for last

december. the first segment of on -- president what dee dee going ahead with these. the attorney general made an announcement, and we are keeping a close on the tanner inland's office, time to connect with him to find out if he does plan to hold another press conference and make it announce. and then we will of course know whether the decision is going to be release or it they're going to go ahead with this. >> we will be watching closely. thank you for joining us from bangkok. we apologize for the sound equal there. eeral? mexican authorities have captured the purported kingpin of the zeta's drug cartel. an official calls omar trevino morales, one of the most dangerous and blood-thirsty dplnls mexico. she has 11 criminal cases against him and an extradition case from the u.s.

his arrest marks the second high-level capture of an alleged drug boss in a week. more than 92 million americans are under some sort of winter weather warning, watch, or advisory across the united states. thursday's forecast coming up next. see, medicare doesn't cover everything. only about eighty percent of part b medical costs. the rest is on you. [ male announcer ] consider an aarp medicare supplement insurance plan insured by unitedhealthcare insurance company. like all standardized medicare supplement insurance plans it could really save you in out-of-pocket medical costs. so, call now and request this free decision guide. discover how an aarp medicare supplement plan could go long™ for you. do you want to choose your doctors? avoid networks? what about referrals? [ male announcer ] all plans like these let you visit any doctor or hospital that accepts medicare patients, with no networks and virtually no referrals needed. so, call now request your free guide, and explore the range of aarp medicare supplement

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the winter of 2015 has been unrelenting in the u.s. another storm is brewing. you're looking at ice and snow-covered roads of the u.s. city of cincinnati in ohio among many cities with a winter weather warning, watch, or advisory. >> totally miserable. the front is moving slowly. depending on where you live heavy snow, ice, rain and possibly flooding. >> meteorologist pedram javaheri talking about this. >> air temperatures, when it's cold, it's drier out. bacteria is more i guess able to survive in drier conditions. >> that makes the bad conditions feel worse. >> don't pass it on. >> another half-hour here. >> a lot could happen. the western side of the united states guys when records have been set in 2015 about 5,300

high temperature set. in the eastern united states 4,100 record cold temperatures. >> amazeingamazing. >> you think it's all about the, but the western side seattle, phoenix, seeing pretty warm weather throughout the year. impressive footage. sledding in a back yard across new jersey. there he goes there. and -- look. yeah. you might need hearty plank if dow that. scary stuff. this is what they're doing, the father gets the cool dad award. he put the ice on the track by opening the bathroom window and spraying the shower hose, shower water on top of the track to create icy conditions. this video they put on youtube got about a million hits. there he goes. over 90 million people dealing with winter weather. take yourself from texas toward the northeastern united states. of course there's been talk about boston and new york with the snowfall. but this particular snowstorm

has the potential to put the nation's capital in its most snow they've seen in five years. six inch could come down. look at that band from dallas out toward pittsburgh. the temperatures literally a three-degree range over a thousand-mile stretch of land when you go west to east. to the north and south drop there in memphis toward jackson, a 20-degree temperature drop. in mississippi, there's tupelo hometown birthplace of elvis, at the freezing mark. 32 fahrenheit. drop down some 300 miles to hattiesburg and temperatures at 73 fahrenheit. that north-to-south gradient significant. the cold air going to move in. a lot of snow going come with it. and 5,600 flights canceled wednesday. another 2,100 preemptively in place for thursday. the airports philly d.c., baltimore, seeing problems. icing a concern, as well across the southern tier of the u.s. here we go with the snowfall. pink areas, 10 to 12 inches. continues until the northeast. new york city today could see as much as six, maybe eight inches.

boston could see another five philly and d.c. will have five to seven, as well. winter rolls on. >> only days from spring. >> 15 and counting it. >> 15 now. >> all right. >> we're all working hard. >> past that point. >> exactly. all right. thank you very much. >> thank you very much. we'll take a short break. ahead, a shocking attack that triggered huge protests across india is back in the news. ahead, why the government banned a documentary about it. plus vladimir putin is speaking out for the first time since the death of his harshest critic calling boris nemtsov's murder a disgrace.

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you are watching "cnn newsroom." thank you very much for staying with us. i'm errol barnett. >> i'm rosemary church. the u.s. ambassador to south korea, mark lippert, is recovering from successful surgery after a knife attack. state media say the suspect was angry about joint u.s./south korean military exercises. lippert needed 80 stitches to close the wound on his cheek. the family of a canadian pastor says he's being held by the government in north. this information developing over the past few hours. reverend lin has been to north korea more than 100 time. it's not clear why he's being detained. north korea has held a number of people in the past on religious grounds. australia makes a last-ditch tampa to spare the lives of two of its citizens on death row by

proposing a prisoner swap with indonesia. this news follows a candle light vigil held for the two. the duo appear to be just days from facing death by a firing squad. now on government orders india's newschannels will not air a bbc documentary on rape. india's -- "india's daughter" focuses on the savage rape of a young woman on a bus in 2012. she later died of her injuries. >> the attack triggered massive protests across the country and forced a change in india's rape laws. the documentary includes an interview with one of the rapists who blames the victim for the crime. the government said the documentary appears to encourage and incite violence against women. >> we have more from mumbai. rape is a real issue there. the country struggling to deal with sexual violence. what exactly does the indian government disagree with and why do they see the documentary

as so dangerous? >> they don't want it to air and create what they say would be potentially a law and order situation. the documentary does have an interview with one of the rapists. while we can't quote from his interview, i can tell you that what he says in the interview is very very controversial. the filmmaker herself summarizes the interview and this will give a sense of how controversial it is what he said. >> no regret for one second out of 16 hours? no regret. in fact the opposite. mukesh's attitude is why are they making a fuss about us? everybody's doing it. >> reporter: no regret at all. that's what the indian government is worried about. if you air an you interview like

that that is bound to create a lot of reaction from the public. a lot of outrage in india. let's go back to 2012 when the deli gang rape took place. remember the protests we saw then. this rape case definitely touched a chord with indians, with men and women around the country. if you remember the protests back then, the government is fearing that it could see the similar kind of protest, similar kind of outrage on the streets. and it wants to fleent. and that's why it's saying it doesn't -- it will not allow the film to be released. >> the abhorrent opinion of mukesh staying the rapists are how common you do you think among india's young men? and is that why it's striking such a nerve? is the uncomfortable truth here that many men in india will agree with his opinion? >> i think it's fair to say that some men will agree with his opinion.

we heard him say it expressing no remorse whatsoever. in the film we also hear from defense lawyers, and the defense lawyers also go on camera saying that you know in our society there is no place for women. that women shouldn't go out late at night. the defense lawyers say that, too, that our culture doesn't respect women. so yes, you will fine some men who agree with what mukesh says, who agree with what his defense lawyers say. but to say that most men in india think that way i think that would be -- that's being unfair. most men don't think like that. if we take a step back, yes, india is a patriarchal society, yes, india does treat men and women unfairly. there are lots of real issues when it comes to quality between the two genders here -- to equal between the two genders here. but to think that most people think like this i think is taking it a bit far. even though our society isn't equal, it's unfair to say that most men think the way a

criminal like mukesh singh does. >> i absolutely agree. we don't want to suggest that in any way, shape or form that most men of india shared the horrific opinion. certainly because it's a widespread issue and the documentary which the director wants to make available, although it is banned it is on line it is stirring up a discussion and a conversation about the treatment of women which certainly needs to improve all over india. joining us this afternoon from mumbai. thank you very much. all right. to another part of asia now. economists around the world paying close attention as china kicks off its annual parliamentary meetings in beijing. >> they're hoping to learn something as china unveils its priorities for the coming year. >> cnn's andrew stevens has been closely monitoring developments and joins us now with more from hong kong. andrew the annual gdp growth rate the defense budget and the silk road, of course the ones to watch. what have we learned so far? >> reporter: the big one of

those, rosemary in this sort of address, this is an annual address, is what to look for as far as policymakers' view on the economy. they do give a prediction on what the economy will grow at in 2015. and it is around 7%. and that certainly by historical standards is a pretty weak number. you have to go back to 1990 to see growth levels at around this sort of rate. remember it wasn't that along ago there were double-digit growth. the reasons are that there is a weaker property sector. there's a lot of talk about the bubble bursting which could have a dramatic impact although that's not factored in. also the investment is weaker. and overall, the chinese economy is transitioning from an investment-led growth story to much more consumerism, spending by people in china to try and get more of a balanced economy. as a result of that it is going to be slower growth. there is going to be more reforms needed. they didn't go into specifics about what sort of reforms, but there are reforms which have

been on the table for a while to loosen up and to allow private sector investment to take hold in china, that sort of thing. listen to what the number-two in the communist party says also known as the economic czar of china. he gave the speech. this is what he had to say about the economy. >> development has entered a new normal. our country is in a crucial period in which problems need to be resolved. systemic institutional, and structural problems have become tigers in the road holding up development. without deepening reform and making economic struck material adjustless they'll -- structural adjustments, they'll have a difficult time with steady sound development. we have to be steady with development in our central towns. >> reporter: this has been the theme of restructuring that needs to carry through and continue which will have a short-term impact on economic growth. a couple of other points that mr. li spoke about, corruption. the anti-corruption drive.

that's two years old. shows no sign of weakening at all. a lot of people talking about how it's likely to focus both on the military and on the big state-owned enterprises. also the environment. the environment has a lot of publicity lately. and li saying that the chinese authorities would fight environmental issue with all their might to make sure that the legislation they have already in place to protect the environment is actually implemented as a result. they say that the environment at the moment is a blight on people's lives could their quote. and they not the need to change it the urgent need to change the economic and environmental conditions in china. >> andrew stevens, keeping a close eye on the sum there. and viewing it from hong kong. many thanks to you. next month's marathon in the north korean capital is now open to outsiders. a travel agency in beijing says officials in pyongyang have just lifted a ban on foreign participants in the race.

north korea had banned all foreign tourists back in october out of fear that the ebola virus might come with them. the ban of lifted on tuesday. some studies say your morning cup of joe is good for you. other say too much coffee is bad, so who do you believe? we will talk to a nutritionist about coffee and your health. back in a moment.

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the body of all 33 workers killed in a coal mine explosion in eastern ukraine have been recovered. the blast happened wednesday in the rebel-health region of donetsk. the official news agency there reports that methane gas could be the cause. >> separatists say the blast of is unrelated to the conflict in the region. but kiev claims pro-russian rebels are blocking rescue crews and investigators from getting to that site. russian president vladimir putin is speaking out for the first time on boris nemtsov's mysterious death calling the murder a shameful tragedy that was of politically motivated. >> the kremlin has denied any involvement with putin vowing to bring those behind the opposition leader's death to justice. no one has been arrested yet. the director of russia's security service tells a russian news agency that there are, though several suspects. the latest now from senior correspondent ivan watson who's watching this from moscow.

we watched as people mourned over the open casket of boris nemtsov on tuesday. we also are hearing from president putin. what is being said about the opposition leader's death now? >> reporter: it's been six days since nemtsov was gunned down a stone's throw from the kremlin. this prominent kremlin critic murdered. so far, the russian security forces have failed as far as we know to arrest any suspects connected to the murder. one interesting development is as mentioned, russian president putin has for the first time acknowledged that this was a politically motivated attack. take a listen to an excerpt from his speech on wednesday. >> translator: the most serious attention should be paid to high-profile crime including ones with a political subtext. russia should be devoid at last of the shame and tragedies like the one we have recently endured and seen. i mean the murder the

audacious murder of boris nemtsov right in the center of the capital. >> reporter: and in is important because initially the main investigative body here in russia had suggested a number of possible motives including that perhaps nemtsov's murder was linked to his business affairs, to the war in neighboring ukraine, to islamist extremists or even possibly to a domestic dispute and seemed to be ruling out the possibility that he could have been targeted because of his long and outspoken criticism not only of the kremlin but also for what he claimed was the kremlin's role in a war in neighboring ukraine. >> that's right. he was understood to be working on really linking russia to the rebels in eastern ukraine. president obama has said that this killing shows a worsening climate for civil society aiming

to challenge the status quo. the suspicions aimed at the kremlin because it happened within its shadow. there's still no one arrested at this point. will you say that things have worsened in that regard over the past decade as far as the opposition and those who stand up against the power structure? >> reporter: i think that anybody from russia's opposition movement which i have to say is largely marginalized under a great deal of pressure from the authorities here and fractured, as well and doesn't enjoy a lot of popularity or a lot of airtime on russian state media. they would august that the climate -- they would all argue that the climate has gotten much worse. they're openly ayou cuesing the kremlin of being responsible for what they describe as a climate of intolerance and fear that they say led to a murder like this of an outspoken critic. for example, in russian president putin's speech he went on to denounce what he described as the more and more

widespread activities of so-called extremists in russia that he claimed were trying to organize color revolutions. that was very much a criticism basically of the russian opposition movements which have tried to organize street protests against president putin in the past. i spoke with a deputy of boris nemtsov who was one of the first people on the scene after nemtsov was gunned down. and he once again repeated this accusation, basically accusing russian security services of being behind the killing. that's an accusation that the kremlin will of course deny. another interesting point -- he vowed that the report that nemtsov was preparing at the time when he was killed a report that he claimed would include proof that russian soldiers are fighting in the war in neighboring ukraine, that that report will in fact be published perhaps in a month's time to honor the memory of

boris nemtsov. of course the russian government denies that it has sent troops into ukraine to aid russian-backed separatists. even though from time to time in the russian newspapers in the russian independent media, there have been interviews with alleged russian soldiers who say they were sent to fight alongside the separatists against the ukrainian military. >> wow, kwas fass -- quite fascinate and a bowl move to make sure that nemtsov's work at the time of his death will see the light of day and be published. 11 minutes to 12:00 noon midday in moscow. thank you very much. coming up next on "cnn newsroom," in a bid to keep one its health-conscious customers, mcdonald's announces a major change to one of its most popular food items. everyone loves the way dark clothes make them feel... and no one wants that feeling to fade.

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international locations. if you're sipping your morning coffee now, listen up -- a question -- facor fiction -- coffee is beneficial to your health? >> i say no. >> according to recent studies, this is a fact. but if you said fiction rosemary you would also be right because coffee can be both good and bad for you. >> yeah. that is right for sure. some of the benefits include protection from parkinson's disease, prostate cancer and alzheimer's or so they tell us. depending on genetics age, and just how much coffee you drink, the benefits can be greatly reduced. for more on the good and bad of drinking coffee we are joined by a functional medicine practitioner miles price. so -- >> hey, miles. >> what are we to believe? one minute we're told that it's good for us. then we're told it's bad for us. this can be like week after week we get a different story. what's the truth about coffee? >> reporter: coffee has been drunk for thousands of years.

i think what we've come to realize from the studies which are coming out is that the benefits are definitely there. it's the chemicals in coffee that we're coming to understand now what they do inside our body. the benefits to brain, liver, heart. these studies are of scientifically justified. i think we realize that we have to drink our coffee and take note. >> what kind of coffee here miles? this is the age of starbucks, right? i'm imagining that i can't have this healthy cup of coffee and also add my sugar, my caramel, whipped cream, and all that stuff. i mean what's the ideal cup of coffee i guess? >> reporter: the ideal cup of coffee is getting your -- get could the coffee beans and your grinding them yourself -- >> what? >> reporter: yes! it is a big difference. >> you work for your coffee. >> okay. go on. >> reporter: basically, if you have the grown coffee and you're sitting there, what happens is the compounds and other compounds in the coffee can go

rancid. you want of to freshly grown coffee where you're keeping the delicate little compounds that have been fresh. and that makes a huge difference to the antioxidant activity. fresh ground is the way. >> let's talk about quantity here. some people drink way too much coffee or they'll have too coca-cola. that is not good either. we're talking about moderation here. what is considered to be the right amount of coffee per day? >> reporter: research is saying that one to three cups of coffee is where we should be getting. and that equates to under the 300-milligram capacity of caffeine. if we go above that 300-milligram capacity, we're getting the caffeine jitters which is the seahawkness we get in our -- shakiness we get in our hands sometimes. it's dependent on body weight

factors, too. one to three cups will keep you below the threshold. we can experience the benefits of coffee up to that point. >> all right, miles. miles price, a functional medicine practitioner. thank you very much. i'll raise my tea to you. green city okay right? a few seconds -- >> green tea. >> and chocolate, too, right? >> yes, yes. in small amounts. >> all right. >> no no. thunderstorm watch. -- thank you very much. a historic visit for a late-night funny man. conan o'brien produced his snow havana last night. >> the one-hour special was the first time a late night talk show has worked from cuba in 50 years, over 50 years. o'brien spent most of the hour poking fun at himself and his spanish moves or lack thereof. check it out. ♪

[ speaking spanish ] >> the espy made possible -- the special made possible by the thaw in relations. >> his word his being an idiot is universally funny. >> he throws himself in there, too. there you go. >> there it is. >> enjoy that for the rest of the day. >> great moves. you are watching "cnn newsroom." i'm rosemary church. >> i'm errol barnett. we'll see you next week. but stay with cnn. "early start" is next for those of you in the u.s. >> if are you watching elsewhere, another edition of "cnn newsroom" after the break. hey, you forgot the milk! ♪ l milk just without the lactose. so you can drink all you want... ...with no discomfort? exactly. here, try some... mmm, it is real milk. see? delicious.

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the american ambassador attacked in south korea. slashed in the face before giving a speech. what was behind the attack? the pictures are awful. the latest on the ambassador's condition. we are live. a monster snowstorm from texas through the northeast. thousands of flights already canceled. schools closing. millions of people facing a dangerous drive to work. this morning, what you need to know. michael brown's parents are set to respond to the federal investigation that cleared the