spying and more. reports of israeli espionage and what it's said they did with information infuriating the white house. isis in action. exclusive footage of the milltants making their pitch far from the syrian battlefield. and going public. another cancer scare leads angelina jolie to remove her ovaries. welcome to viewers in the u.s. and around the world. i'm barperrol barnett. >> i'm rosemary church. this is "cnn newsroom." we begin with israel and

some high-level u.s. officials saying the countries spied on the nuclear talks. >> the "wall street journal" saying israel used the information to lobby the american congress to sink any potential deal. that's apparently what angered the white house the most. the paper says the israelis deny spying directly on u.s. negotiators. >> we have more on the story from jerusalem. orrin lieberman joins you live. it is about 9:00 in the morning there in jerusalem. perhaps too early to great reaction. talk to us about what you're hearing about this and also whether this perhaps explains how angry the obama administration clearly is with mr. netanyahu and what the ramifications might be. >> reporter: first, it's important to point out that the israeli administration prime minister's office categorically denies spying on the u.s. or any other allies. they reject that part of the

story. at the same time, from what we've seen israel has used whatever information it has about the talks however it got those to try to influence the negotiations to try to make sure that israel and the security of the country stay a primary concern in those negotiations. of course netanyahu throughout the campaign talked about the threat of a nuclear iran not only to the security of israel but to the stability of the region. and that would be for example, when we saw netanyahu speak before congress. we heard right before that speech from an administration official that israel would provide congress with information they didn't think they had. obviously the administration believes it has information that congress could use or that it could influence congress, and that's what we've seen. as the administration here the prime minister's office has realized it can't stop the deals, it has shifted its focus from the white house to congress to try and influence congress on the deal. we've seen that through netanyahu's campaign. again, through his speech before the white house. of course these actions only angering and deepening the irf

between the white house and prime minister's office. this won't improve the relations between the two. we've heard it many time before here. the relations at an all-time low. we heard a few weeks ago. if that's the case these relation vs. found a way to get more strained over the last few weeks. >> we'll be watching that part of the story. the other part of the story, prime minister netanyahu has apologized to israel's arab minority. and in response to mr. netanyahu's pre-election comments saying he would not support a palestinian state. white house chief of staff dennis mcdonough said yesterday that they cannot pretend these commence were never made and added that the occupation that has lasted more than 50 years must end. now these are very strong statements. clearly. talk to us about how this is also playing out and how it has really changed the relationship each more between the united states and israel. >> reporter: absolutely. we've seen netanyahu backtrack on both commence.

first the commence about arab voters on election day. then the commence he made right before election day when he said there would be no two-state solution under him. he's tried to backtrack the two-state solution comments. the white house rejected that backtracking. he's apologized for the comments he made about arabs. the white house not the only one not accepting the apology. the joint arab list one of the strongest parties -- parties that made the strongest showing in the elections rejecting his apologies. again, comments that infuriated many here and in the united states certainly will not improve relations in any way. but at this point we talked to a senior administration official. they said they have no response to the white house's commence that they reject the apology. we'll have to see, we'll have to see what comes of this. but netanyahu straining that relationship between israelis and arabs, between jews and arab. we'll have to see what else if anything else comes from his office or from him other than this apology. >> indeed. watching that very closely. of course, orrin lieberman

joining us live from jerusalem. many thanks to you. yemen on the brink of civil war as factions ton battle for territory there. protesters in yemen's third-largest city surrounded a military camp to block the houthi shiite rebels fromheading south to adan. that's where the president has taken refuge. the houthis fired teargas at the crowd. >> yemen's foreign minister is calling on sunni gulf states to interscreen stop the rebels. saudi arabia says iran is trying to build its power base by backing the houthis. >> translator: we are against iranian military interference because it is ton protect iran from iran or yemen but comes as an aggression. it was not requested by the legitimate yemeni government. how could anyone support this aggression? how is it possible for anyone to be with this aggression? >> u.s. and british forces have now withdrawn from yemen because the security situation there has gotten so bad.

>> indeed. barbara starr reports there can concerns troyer groups could exploit the chaos. >> reporter: yemen now on the brink of civil war. amid the rising unrest, the united nations warninging the worst may to be come as a group -- as groups apply for power. >> unless a solution can be found in the coming days the country will slide into conflict and fragmentation. >> reporter: a u.s. official tells cnn al qaeda fighters which have vowed to attack the u.s. are moving quick three increase recruiting and continue plotting attacks. the u.s. just became essentially blind on the ground. more than 100 u.s. military commandos like these who'd been tracking al qaeda known as aqap secretly ordered out of the country by the pentagon over the weekend. the special operations forces were evacuated by military

aircraft and transported across the gulf of adan to jibuti. fighter jets patrolled overhead while emergency stop helicopters were stationed nearby. >> one of the organizations that has been most interested and capable of conducting strikes in the u.s. homeland al qaeda in the arabian peninsula, has natured its control of territories. >> reporter: the remaining u.s. tools, drone strikes and monitoring cell phones and social media. >> it is true that that coordination would be more effective if there were u.s. personnel in the country. >> reporter: the number-one u.s. target -- al qaeda's master bomb-maker. al assiri knows how to make bombs with hard to track explosives. he was tied to the so-called underwear bomb attack in 2009. the newest threat -- the isis branch in yemen which claimed responsibility for these mosque

attacks killing and injuring hundreds. isis releasing photos of the attackers. their popularity growing. >> they're promoting themselves as isis. it's the rebranding of a new militant group. their understanding that we have is they're initially starting to recruit from within aqap ranks. now they're expanding and trying to recruit within the tribal areas. >> reporter: all of this leaving the u.s. at risk. >> we will have no intelligence foot precipior capabilities to monitor what aqap and isis and the shia militants are doing in the region. and without get intelligence stops against plots in the homeland. ripe maeshl officials say there was no direction threat to troops in yemen, but the violence has grown so bad they could not do their work and had to be pulled out. cnn, the pentagon. >> and cnn's nicaragua will join us later -- nic robertson will join us later to talk more about what's happening in yemen.

in another story, u.s. law enforcement is notifying about 100 american troops targeted in a hit list. a group claiming affiliation with isis posted the list on line over the weekend threatening u.s. soldiers on american soil. the group also posted the names and addresses of the military members. >> officials say they take seriously the possibility of lone wolf attacks. some military families say they have been scrubbing their social media sites of any potentially sensitiving in. in the coming hours, afghan president ghani will meet with u.s. president barack obama. this is mr. ghani's first official visit to the u.s. he's expected to push for a slow did drawl of u.s. troops -- slow withdrawal of u.s. troops from afghanistan. >> they will focus on the future of afghanistan's security. monday the u.s. pledged to keep funding afghan security forces through 2017.

>> the security environment we must recognize is difficult. but our armed forces and all-volunteer force are ready to do their duty. >> one big security challenge for afghanistan -- trying to stop isis recruiters who are now actively looking for new members there. >> we have rare video of a meeting that shows how the mill taps are trying to convince afghan to join their rank. nick paton walsh has this exclusive report from kabul. >> reporter: where there has long been faith and war, in afghanistan'ser is marine hills, a new and modern plague. you're seeing rare pictures filmed by our cameraman by what we are sold an isis recruitment session in afghanistan. "brothers, i'm here to tell you," he says, "about the mujaheddin in syria." after a decade of war the taliban is strong but fractured,

and the u.s. is leaving. the u.n. warns isis is getting a foothold in afghanistan, and this may be how. this afghans he's come back from fighting in northern syria and is one of five recruiters. his pitch is simple. come fight true jihad for isis baghdadi for a $500 wage. some listeners are driven. "my aim is to fight gyp if idles -- to fight infidels in syria or if in afghanistan i will." others report sur. "i delve need the mope but will stay here and hope peace comes," one add. there's a bitter fear here, isis application forms for them to complete on camera. also a clear message to angry young afghans disillusioned with the taliban's wars. there's now an even more ruthless choice you can make -- isis. cnn, kabul.

the museum in tunisia that was the site of a horrific attack last week is set to reopen today. >> 23 people were killed in the massacre at the bardo museum. security forces shot and killed two gunmen. a third attacker is still on the run. actress angelina jolie heads off a major medical crisis. coming up for you, the action star's bold and personal decision. plus a republican firebrand becomes the first candidate to throw his hat into the 2016 u.s. presidential race. then later, the caribbean nation many americans just cannot wait to visit.

welcome back. actress angelina jolie has just zip a "new york times" op-ed describing recent surgery to remove her ovaries and fallopian tubes. >> it was two years ago she underwent a preventive double mastectomy you may remember. jolie said at the time that she carried a gene that sharply increased her risk of breast and ovarian cancer. her mother died of ovarian cancer in 2007. >> jolie of quick to point out that surgery is not the only option for women in similar situations. in her op-ed she writes "a positive brca test does not mean a leap to surgery.

there is more than one way to deal with any health issue. the most important thing is to learn about the options and choose what is right for you personally." she is a very brave woman. and to share what she's gone through with other women who may be gl going down a similar path is just extraordinary. >> that's what she says is point. it's just a note that you can own your health and have all options available. does not necessarily mean you have to do the same thing that she's doing. >> she's been very transparent about what she's dealing with. the next u.s. presidential election isn't for another year and a half. still, the race for the white house just officially began. >> ted cruz is the first candidate of either party to officially announce that he's running. he is a staunch conservative a loud critic of president obama, and as jeff zeleny reports, a lightning rod himself. [ applause ] >> reporter: finally let the race begin. senator ted cruz is the first republican out of the gate. >> i believe in the power of

millions of courageous conservatives rising up to reignite the promise of america. that is why today i am announcing that i'm running for president of the united states. [ applause ] >> reporter: with those words, cruz jump-started the 2016 presidential race. officially making his lofty ambitions known. there was no hometown rally for this freshman texas senator. he selected the virginia campus oflish university. all for a public-perfect backdrop of 10,000 evangelical students. he made clear that liberty would be the soundtrack of the campaign. saying the word more than a dozen times. >> how fragile liberty is. an assault on our religious liberty. we will stand for liberty. >> reporter: cruz made his announcement on the fifth anniversary of the signing of obamacare. a fitting date for a freshman senator who rose to the national spotlight with his role in the 2013 government shutdown. he made no apologies as he

delivered his unabashed brand of conservatism. >> imagine in 2017 a new president signing legislation repealing every word of obamacare. >> reporter: not everyone was sold on his message. a group of rapped paul supporters said they were being used as props because students were required to attend. >> i don't think it was right to do it at a university that's requiring convocation attendance. >> reporter: whether you plan to support him or not, what did you think of the message? >> he's nice but for my beliefs he's too much of a warting to. >> reporter: he caught up with cruz and asked if he was ready for the republican field with nearly a dozen candidates. >> if every day is like this, i'm inspired by young people ready to turn the country around. >> reporter: every day, of course will not be like this. his republican rivals plan to jump into the race next month. this day, cruz and family reveled in the moment.

his wife heidi is taking a leave of absence from her job at goldman sachs to spend time on the campaign trail with her two young daughters. >> i am honored to stand with each and every one of you courageous conservatives as we come together to reclaim the promise of america. >> reporter: senator cruz made it clear that he plans to run directly again the party's establishment. that means candidates like former florida governor jeb bush. he dip mention him by name but did implicitly criticize him. it's too early to know if senator cruz will actually win his nomination fight. it's no question that he will move the race even further to the right. jeff zeleny, cnn, lynchburg, virginia. >> a lot of reaction on social media to cruz's announcement. >> it exploded really. i'm not sure -- >> twitter's a place to watch. >> i don't know if he would pressure the hash tags. take a look for yourself. certainly take note:well, british prime minister david

cameron fsz he wins re-election in may, it will be for his last term in office. >> and mr. cameron would secure a second full term as prime minister if his ruling conservative party is returned to power. however, he told the bbc he descent. the job beyond that. mr. cameron's been prime minister since 2010 and party leader since 2005. want to return now to the spiraling unrest in yemen. soemgs loyal to yemen's president are fighting off a southern advance by houthi rebels. >> tanks and anti aircraft weapons are stationed around an army post to try and halt the shia rebels from reaching adan where the president took refuge after fleeing san amp certainly still is a fluid situation there. british and u.s. forces have pulled out of yemen amid all this chaos. our senior international correspondent, nic robertson, joins us to talk about the situation. we've seen scenarios like this before when you talk about a failed state and groups wanting to have a foothold there.

have we seen this type of scenario where you is sunni aqap fighters shia-backed houthi rebels and isis looking to make gains? it almost looks as if it's a two, three-sided battle in this almost failed state. >> reporter: you know if you sort of change the names a little bit here not only of isis and al qaeda but change the name of the houthi rebels for the shia backing for the government of president bashar al assad, his drawing on shia support in the country, his drawing on hezbollah from lebanon was drawing at least on shia fighters from iraq and is getting support from iran. in that way, there are a lot of similarities here. this of course is the real concern for the international community. when you pull out the british special forces, the u.s. special forces who would have been there on missions to target the growth and stop the growth of al qaeda and isis we've seen this in syria. what happened in syria, isis and

then al qaeda followed suit. they saw the country was spiraling into civil war. they decided what they would do is perhaps not fight the civil war directly but use it as at opportunity to gain strength to gain territory, to gain control over revenue-generating things like oil. perhaps that will be harder in yemen. but to make space for them, to solidify. and that's the real concern that will happen in yemen now. i mean, for yemen essentially, look at syria. that's the model for what al qaeda and isis would like to try to do. get stronger gain power, put down deeper roots, make it harderum three destroy them. >> to say that yemen could be the next syria is an ominous point make. then how will the regional powers change their behavior? we've already seen the u.s. pull out. they say they will continue to conduct drone strikes. but that's more difficult when you don't have intelligence on the ground. saudi arabia has threatened to

take necessary measures. we're not clear what that means yet. what is the dominant power dictating yemen's future right now? is it saudi? is it the u.s. anymore? >> reporter: what's happening now is yemen is on track if the government of the president isn't ousted from adan, it's on track to split from the north and south. that's the direction it's going at the moment. at least that's what appears to be happening. the gulf the gcc, gulf community counsel that's led by saudi arabia supports the president. he is supported by the united states who support's supported by the united nations, as well. united nations mediators are trying to find a solution. the gcc trying to find a mediated solution here. but just yesterday there was a meeting of the gcc in head saudi arabia. the yemeni foreign minister called for an arab and military intervention force to come to yemen to help support president

hadi and the government, which means prop up the territory that they have in the south and parts of the country. the way that the saudi foreign minister was reported to have responded to that he said, look we would like a peaceful negotiated solution. however, if that fails, we are prepared to take necessary steps. however, what we're seeing on the ground is -- and probably the political reality at the moment is the saudis and the gcc haven't taken a decision yet to back up their words with a military force. they're not at that position yet. the concern -- i'm hearing from people inside yemen -- concern is that the military initiative on the ground is with the houthis, with iran that is backing them. while they are acting decisively the yemeni government and gcc are not. that's what we're hearing at the moment. >> yeah. this could change as saudi arabia looks at more of its options. so many aspects of all of this to consider.

nic robertson joining us from london. good to see you. thanks. let's take a quick break. just ahead, travel tour companies are trying to meet the high demands of americans anxious to visits cuba for the first time. details coming up. [ male announcer ] eligible for medicare? that's a good thing, but it doesn't cover everything. only about 80% of your part b medical expenses. the rest is up to you. so consider an aarp medicare supplement insurance plan, insured by unitedhealthcare insurance company. like all standardized medicare supplement insurance plans they could save you in out-of-pocket medical costs. call today to request a free decision guide. 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. join the millions who have already enrolled in the only medicare supplement insurance plans endorsed by aarp... and provided by

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more americans are looking to travel to cuba after u.s.

restrictions were loosened to the island nation. >> two companies rushing to keep up with demand. while travel to cuba is now easier you can't just go for leisure. >> reporter: tropical sunshine carnival even a spot of gambling. in the 1930s and '40s, cuba was a playground for american travelers. now after half a century of frozen relations, u.s. tour companies are coming back. smart tours in new york is getting ready to start its first trips to cuba in april. >> demand was already through the roof. from our existing client base alone, we sold out of a couple of months of departures within hours. >> reporter: the tours went on sale in november last year. even before the u.s. president announced travel restrictions would be relaxed. >> there was confusion about what's possible with travel to cuba from the u.s. you can't go there as a tourist

and just do touristy/leisure activities. >> reporter: one thing that's changed, u.s. companies no longer need a special tlons travel to cuba. smart tours had only just received theirs when the policy was lifted. >> we should probably frame it. >> reporter: now your travel needs to fit into one of 12 categories including family visits journalstick activity or educational activities. >> the rules are relatively simple. they just need to follow what we've said because it is still a very serious sanctions program that is implemented by an action of congress. >> reporter: the travel industry is racing to meet the new demand. the u.s. tour operators association says 20 out of its 52 members currently operate tours to cuba. online site kayak includes cuba in its searches now. and last week saw the first direct charter flight between new york and havana in half a century. cnn, new york.

more tourists could mean big bucks for cuba. the communist island could see a million u.s. visitors a year. that's in addition to three million phoenix who travel -- folks who travel from elsewhere around the world. >> it could mean in excess of $2 million a year. an annual military exercise between the u.s. and south korea has north korean leader kim jong-un on the defensive. coming up an exclusive look at those military drills. plus the toll of the battle of isis in iraq and doctors working to heal warriors who only want to head back to the frontlines. and this -- 104-year-old woman -- she's in there somewhere. she's been drinking the same soft drink for more than 50 years and it says's the secret to her longevity. secrets revealed after the break.

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hello, and welcome to our viewers in the united states and around the world. this is "cnn newsroom." i'm rosemary church. >> i'm errol barnett. our last half-hour with you today. let's check the headlines. actress angelina jolie has revealed in a "new york times" op-ed that she's had surgery to remove her ovaries and fallopian tubes. two years ago she underwent a preventive double mastectomy. she says at the time that she carried a high genetic risk of breast and ovarian cancer. israel denies reports that spied on the closed door iran

nuclear talks. the "wall street journal" cites high-level u.s. officials who say israel wanted information to lobby the american congress to sink any potential deal. a top israeli official says the country does not spy on the u.s. or its allies. protesters are trying to stop the rebel advance in yemen. they surrounded a military camp trying to prevent the houthis from moving into adan danadan where the president has taken refuge. arab countries will take the necessary steps to respond to aggression by the iranian-backed houthis. new violence has erupted in iraq. a car bomb exploded in front of a popular restaurant in baghdad killing at least two and wounding more than a dozen others. the attack happened in a shiite district in the eastern part of the city. meanwhile, iraq's air force conducted a number of air strikes against isis. the country's defense minister says the strikes killed at least

70 militants and destroyed ten vehicles loaded with weapons. soldiers in iraq are fighting hard to break down isis and reclaim territory the militants have seized. it is all coming with the price. warriors on the front lines coming home wounded or worse. with more, i'm joined live from baghdad to talk about this. there have been a number of developments. you've had iraqi air strikes and the car bombings we mentioned. what's the latest on the fight against isis there, and how it is impacting the iraqi forces? >> reporter: all eyes are on the city tikrit north of baghdad. this would be the first major city that iraqi forces are trying to recapture from isis. as you recall, isis took the city? june of last year as it was advancing in northern iraq. that operation that began earlier this month about three weeks ago, it did seem that there was a lot of optimism. that iraqi forces the iraqi

government were really optimistic that they are going to recapture the city in days. now seem to have stalled. according to officials that we've spoken to here they're describing this as a tactical pause and say that they have surrounded isis militants inside the city. and they're not advancing for a number of reasons. that could change at any point. despite all of this the casualties are still coming in. they're coming in to hospitals here in baghdad from that battle for tikrit. and we manage to speak to some of them here at a hospital. this woman doesn't want to leave her son's side. last week she almost lost him -- her only child. the 20-year-old was wounded while fighting isis in his hometown near the city of tikrit. "i encouraged him to fight, to defend iraq. i'm very proud of him. every mother worries about her son," she says. "my heart's always with him, and i know he will win.

his friend saved him. he shot and killed the isis militant to injured him." unlike most of the fighters who are shia, they are from a sunni tribe. "we're all one hand. no sunni or shia. we're all brothers we have one enemy that wanted to tear iraq apart. god willing," he tells us "we will be united to liberate mosul in every inch of iraq." iraqi forces volunteers militiamen, and security forces have made advances in the battle for tikrit. that has come with a heavy price. this is one of a number of hospitals in baghdad dealing with the war wounded. doctors here tell us half of its 14 floors are dedicated to treating members of security forces and volunteer fighters. there are no official call tee figures. staff say they've treated thousands of wounded fighters since the waver on isis began last year -- the war on isis began last year. today's quiet, but that can k change at any moment. doctors tell us the hospitals

have been in a state of emergency for months. far from the front lines, chief resident ibrahim feels he is part of the fight. >> supporting fighters. we are with them. we are happy to do this for them. we are proud to support them to feel that we are a part of this. >> reporter: responding to the call by the shia religious authority, 27-year-old muhammad joined the fight five months ago, taking part in different battles. he was shot by a sniper on the outskirts of tikrit. "we want to liberate our land from the terrorists," he says. "we will not go home until then." the men here know this war will be a long and brutal one. they say they're driven by their faith and doing it for their country. it might be months before hamid's back on his feet. when he is like others here, he vows to continue the fight for

iraq. that sort of determination is something we heard from almost every person we spoke to in the hospital. iraqis don't know how long this battle for tikrit is going to take. of course their ambitions are focused on other cities major cities like mosul, too. for iraqis this really is a battle for survival. a war against isis. >> for many they want to continue to fight for their country and see it repaired after years of war. reporting live from baghdad, thanks. is on south america now and dozens of people dead after a highway crash in northern peru. the ministry of health says at least 37 people were killed when three buses and a freezer truck collided monday morning. six people are in critical condition. the state-run news agency reports one bus entered an oncoming lane and hit another bus as the two other vehicles approached. now to berlin where greece's

prime minister alexis tsipras, and angela merkel were all smiles at the visit to the capital machine. that was -- monday. that was for the press. behind the scenes tough talk. mr. tsipras needs to come one proposed government reforms so he will be money to run -- given money to run his country. a texas woman may have found the secret to a really really long life. what it is may surprise you. this stuff is good. it's got sugar in it and three -- two docks have told me that if i drink it i will die. but they died first. you forgot the milk! that's lactaid®. right. 100% real milk just without the lactose. so, no discomfort? exactly. try some... mmm, it is real milk. lactaid®. 100% real milk. no discomfort. ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ [ male announcer ] eligible

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this easy-to-understand guide will answer some of your questions and help you find the aarp medicare supplement plan that's right for you. utah is bringing backfiring squads as a backup method of execution. the governor signed the measure into law on monday. you see, lethal injection remain the primary source of execution in the state. if the drugs cannot be obtained the firing squad would be used instead. the governor's spokesman said those opposed to the bill were primarily against capital punishment in general. the united states and south korea are in the midst of their annual joint military exercises. an event that always angers north korea.

pyongyang claims they're a rehearsal for invasion. the u.s. and south korea dispute that. our paula happen cox got exclusive access -- hancocks got exclusive access to the drills. how aware is south korea and the united states of north korea's capabilities as they undertake these military drills? >> reporter: rosemary certainly both seoul and washington will be watching closely to see what -- what north korea can do. we know they've been firing short-range fwlim beginning of the drills. we know that just before as well they test fired new technology. and certainly those two countries -- around the region around the world, officials will be watching closely to see what capabilities they have. but as for these military drills that happen every year both washington and seoul say that they are routine and say they -- they don't say openly that they are preparing to defend themselves against north korea.

they say more that they are preparing themselves to be able to work well together. [ gunfire ] >> reporter: firing at an unseen enemy, tanks moved closer to the threat to defend their position. under tank cover, the infantry mobilized to take out targets on a nearby hill. american and south korean military fighting side by side. the battle may. be real but the threat is. around 20 miles or more than 30 kilometers north of this live fire range is north korea. a country south korea is still technically at war with. these exercises happen every year and every year north korea gets angry. as far as pyongyang's concerned, this is a dress rehearsal for an invasion. seoul and washington have consistently said that their routine -- they're routine and

defense 95 nature. these war games last two months. u.s. commanders say they run through these kinds of scenarios every single day. essential training to prepare for any eventuality. >> every chance we get to build readiness, we've got to capitalize on. and so we're doing that now. >> reporter: after the firing comes the debrief. soldiers from both countries encouraged to talk about what went wrong as well as right. >> i think at the end of the day boeing of us not only are improving our relationships but getting better. we're learning from each other in the process. >> reporter: preparing for a war they hope will never come but one they have to be ready for. one key word i kept hearing from u.s. commanders was readiness. that both sides had to be ready for any eventuality and had to be ready to work side by side. rosemary? >> all right. paula hancocks keeping a close eye on those military drills

from seoul in south korea. many thanks to you. we want to turn to the weather. we have our pedram javaheri here. and of course winter doesn't seem to want to budge in some parts of the united states. what is going on? bring spring on. come on. >> a lot of people saying the same. has had one good thing a tornado drought's been in place across the united states. we've had zero tornadoes in march. that sun precedented since 1970 whenning in was kept. around minnesota, upwards of a foot or 30 centimeters came down. the footage out of minnesota to share with you. the kids having fun with all of the snow as well if we have fooltage to share. the perspective looking like this. five days into the spring season and the snow showers abundant across the region. working through chicago, six inches or 15 centimeters came down. that was the single biggest snowstorm in the month of march, this late in the season since

1982. maps in motion here we go. sunday into monday there's about 30 centimeters or a foot that came downment an hour's drive south of minneapolis. chicago's near six inches caused 750 flights to be canceled. you think the airline industry is ready for the spring season to get underway when it comes to mild temperatures? i think the number is like $6,000 per flight being canceled. tens of thousands cancelled in recent months. this is what's going on as far as temperatures. 20s windchills across portions of the midwest. 21 what it feels like in new york city at this hour. and these sort of temperatures of course conducive to snow showers and inhibiting some of the tornado formation. in fact in 2015 we've own had 28 reports of tornadoes. two out of washington state, gig harbor. more reports of tornadoes in california and washington this year so far than in texas, oklahoma and kansas. so wrap your mind around that. things about to change quickly. the perspective as far as the

climatological norm. in march, quickly upwards of 0 tornadoes. rapidly goes up in intensity as far as activity for april, may and june. you look at the perspective state by state in the month of march, about 80 tornadoes should come down. five or so from say, mississippi into georgia. 13 is the normal number for tornadoes in march. here is what has happened up precedented as far as march tornadoes are concerned. nothing as far as activity. things about to change. severe weather potential in the forecast. warm, moist air from the south. cool dry air from the north. they're not the best of friends. you put them together this is what happens. the threat for joplin missouri in to springfield, missouri from st. louis on into wednesday. this is what we're watching for an enhanced risk for severe weather. storm could be rotating certainly a possibility of tornadoes in the forecast. and again, the disparity in the air mass there. we've had much colder temperatures on the eastern side of the u.s. the much warmer weather on the western side of the u.s. and it continues. that has been the case since

january with snowstorm after snowstorm. we just talked about one in chicago. and it looks like into next week this blocking pattern that is giving some people extreme heat while other people extreme winter -- >> the low tornado count is concerning because you wonder if we'll get them later in the year. >> we've seen it happen before. only takes one. they talk about hurricane andrew. in 1992 there was only one hurricane that made landfall. one of the more notable ones. we'll watch that. >> okay. thanks. appreciate it. as the saying goes an apple a day keep the doctor away. this texas woman found a new prescription from a different kind of doctor. that is next. ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪

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now you too can enjoy the home security and control you want for your family. try plug and protect in your home for a full 90 days. included is our hassle-free guarantee. go to livewatch.com. plug & protect is not available in stores so go to livewatch.com right now. that's livewatch.com. a ken woman's 10k race story has gone viral. not because she had a record-breaking time but because she finished. >> yeah. asia ford was recovering from pneumonia the day of the race. she recently lost 217 pounds roughly 98 kills on and was determined to finish. she was less -- had less than two kilometers to go less than a mile when she starred having trouble breathing. that's when lieutenant aubrey gregory took her hand. >> said, you're going to finish the race, report you?

i was like yes. >> i'm not going to let her stop. we're going to do this together. >> great. she said she had to finish to show her son also in the picture, that you never give up. isn't they great shot? >> a fantastic message. perseverance pays off. what is the secret to living a very long life? well into your 100s? i don't know anyone like that near me. except of one person -- >> what? we report on a 104-year-old woman who gives some credit to her doctor for her long life. dr pepper, that is. >> reporter: elizabeth sullivan has lived in the same ft. worth, texas, house since 1942. >> nice to meet you. thanks for inviting us to your home. >> i'm glad for you to come in. >> reporter: and she has just celebrated her 104th birthday as the big balloons in her living room make clear. you had your driver's license

until last january? until you were 103? >> i waseverywhere. i was going to church, going bridge everything. >> reporter: she credits longevity to a low-pressure star state favorite. you're drinking dr pepper now. >> that's exactly right. this stuff is good's got sugar in it and three -- two doctors have told me that if i drink it i will die, but they died first. >> reporter: that's proof it's good for you. >> yeah. >> reporter: you think -- you think that this drink has helped you live to this age of 104? >> well evidently because everybody tells me it has too much sugar. since i've been drinking three a day for 50 or 60 years, ever deeply my body needs sugar. i don't take any medication. they can't find anything wrong with me. >> reporter: elizabeth says other than giving birth and getting her tonsils out, she's never been a help patient.

even at 1 -- a hospital patient. even at 104, elizabeth managed to maintain her independence. a widow, she has two children six grandchildren, and 13 great grandchildren who want her to live with them. she wants to stay in her own home. >> and if i don't feel like sleeping i come sit in this chair and pick up a book and attorney a light or turn on the tv and stay up all night. >> reporter: elizabeth is a proud graduate of the university of texas. >> if i have a key here i really was smart in college. now in this beta kappa. >> reporter: beautiful. >> i knew how to do things in college. just made as, as, as all the way. >> reporter: she taught high school math in ft. worth for decades and was tutoring students until a few years ago. while we were visiting she received a birthday grist one of her granddaughters. >> oh my gosh. she calls me gaga. so this is a thing she's written

about me. gaga turned 104, and the whole world celebrated. oh my goodness. >> reporter: the granddaughter who sthept is 60 years -- who sent this is 60 years old. elizabeth sullivan says her life has been fulfilling and for happy. i want to thank you for having us. thank you for inviting us to your home. >> you're welcome. you're a kind and gentlemen ten man. >> reporter: and you are a kind and gentle woman. thank you. and an inspirational woman who proved you can still have up if when you're in your 100s. gary tuchman, cnn, forg ft. worth, texas. >> i think it's less about dr pepper and more about her attitude. optimistic. >> positive. long live gaga. >> well done. i'm rosemary church. >> i'm errol barnett. "early start" is next for those of you in the states. for everyone else, "cnn newsroom."

iran. reports claim spies eavesdropped on nuclear negotiations. who they sent that information to and if this will effect the negotiations one week from the deadline. we are covering all angles. good morning. welcome to "early start." i'm christine romans. breaking overnight, accusations