the way that we did with the iranian program, and so i think we're going to have to really think very hard about what to do, because we can't just leave this one alone. i think the real issue is we need to find ways to make sure that program doesn't move forward as quickly as its been moving, and there are a number of ways to do that. technical issues. it's very sort of edge of your skis tough measures, but i don't think we can just let this thing continue to grow, because if they really exploded a hydrogen weapon, that is a very serious matter, and they're clearly getting close to putting it on missile. >> let's bring in will ripley who joins us live from beijing, and you've been to pyongyang many times. they always claim these tests are for peaceful purposes, but today the north says this is a defensive move. what's the message they're trying to send? >> reporter: well, there are multiple messages.

one, north korea wants to be recognized by the global community as a nuclear pauower. this is something the officials i spoke with earlier last year told me repeatedly, that they'll continue to push forward with the nuclear program. in the last 15 years they're the only country in the world that has continued to push forward with the nuclear tests. 2013 and now this test today. and north korea claiming that this test of an hydrogen bomb, hundreds of times more powerful than the other devices, clearly, this is, for a nation with few bargaining chip, this is one bargaining they hope, the supreme leader hopes will bring world leaders to the table. can i tell you what the north koreans truly want is to sit down with the u.s. president and have a conversation about normalizing relations. >> and that's what's, in a way, ironic about this. because before this test,

registrati relations with the south were warming. the reunifications are happening among families. you note that this is maybe an aim to meet with the u.s. president. it is president obama's last year in office. so do they not see that sanctions are going to likely result from this and that it really continues to isolate north korea as it has done in the past? >> reporter: keep in mind, this is a country that's moved forward with heavy sanctions for many years, and they've continued to develop this program. north korea, what it lacks in natural resources it has plenty of raw uranium, and mining is one of the major industries and raw commodities are a major export for them. they have the materials. they've shown they're willing to spend the money. widespread issues with people not having enough to eat, they've made this program a major priority. and the timing is significant. one reason, on friday, it is kim

jong-un's 3 3rd birthday. normally these tests happen around major events. in this case, it would be a clear message to the world of kim jong-un's power to hold a nuclear test, a hydrogen bomb test around his birthday. also this is nearing the second term of president obama's presidency. that was probably the closest the u.s. north korea had back in 2000 to any sort of normalized ties. and then when the bush administration took office, it ended. there hasn't been any movement with the obama administration. we'll have to watch closely to see how this process moves forward. will it bring other nations to the table now that north korea has shown that their nuclear program is growing and growing quickly. >> it's a cycle of behavior we've seen over the past few years, and if this test was, in fact, successful, north korea somehow has been able to make

stunning advancements. thank you, will. barack obama held nothing back as he announced the actions he's taking. they're called executive actions meant to curb gun violence. he blasted congress for failing to act, and his eyes teared up when he recounted recent massacres. >> he spelled out the specific steps he'll take and insisted that he's not threatening the substitution yal right to bear arms, the second amendment. >> we know we can't stop every act of violence and evil in the world. but maybe we could try to stop one act of evil, one act of violence. let me outline what we're going to be doing. anybody in the business of selling firearms must get a license and conduct background checks or be subject to criminal prosecutions. we're going to hire more folks to process applications faster

and help those suffering from mental illness. we're going to boost gun safety technology. if we can get it up that you can't unlock your phone without the right fingerprints, why can't we do the same things with our guns? our right to life and liberty and the pursuit of happiness those rights were stripped from college kids in blacksburg. in santa barra, and from high schoolers at columbine, and from first graders in newtown, and from every family who never imagined that their loved one would be taken from our lives by a bullet from a gun.

every time i think about those kids, it gets me mad. >> now, this, you could have expected. america's most prominent gun rights group, the national rifle association, lambasted the president's plan and even his tearful delivery. >> an nra spokesman said, and i'm quoting directly, the american people do not need more emotional condescending lectures that are completely devoid of facts. president obama's proposals would not have prevented any of the horrific events he mentioned. the timing of this announcement demonstrates not only political exploitation but a fundamental lack of seriousness, end of quote. >> but hillary clinton also responded quickly and enthusiastically viva twitter. thank you for taking a crucial step forward on gun violence. our next president has to build on the progress, not rip it

away. >> the republican presidential candidates weren't so enthusiastic. >> gun violence is committed by criminals. they don't care about the laws. he's obsessed with burdening law-abiding citizens who will follow the law no matter what it is. >> they're not going to take your guns away. they're not going to take your guns away. they're trying. it's no good. it's no fair. and they're not going to screw around with the second amendment. it's not going to happen. that's the way it is. >> i'm a strong supporter of the second amendment, and i will fight as hard as i can against any effort by this president or by any liberal that wants to take away people's rights that are embedded in the bill of rights, embedded in our constitution. >> surrounded by the people personally affected by gun violence, including the parents of a 15-year-old honor student who was shot dead in 2013 one

week after she performed at an event at mr. obama's second inauguration. she was killed in a park just a mile from the obama's home in chicago. her father joins me now. thank you so much, sir, for being with us. and i want to start by saying how sorry i am for your loss. none of us can imagine the pain you must have gone through. when you listened to president obama's emotional announcement of his new measures to try and stop gun violence, what were your thoughts and how much of an impact do you think his new measures will have? >> well, i thought that she was very -- she was vehe was very a with his emotion. how far this will go, i'm hoping it will go very far. we need it. too many kids, too many lives being lost out here, especially

in chicago. >> this is certainly the horror, isn't it? do you think that president obama's executive orders do go far enough? what more would you like to see happen here? >> well, what i would like to see is congress jumping on board to close up these loopholes that gun dealers have, you know, to be able to give -- to get dpugu out to urban communities. i don't see a purpose for us in chicago to really have guns. >> the republican party is critical of these measures. they say they wouldn't have made any difference to the recent shootings, and they vow to reverse his executive order on gun control. what do you say to that and what would you say to the republican party if you had an opportunity to speak with representatives face to face? >> well, first, for some reason i don't know why the republican party is missing this.

we -- me and my wife, along with a lot of other people feel that, you know, the second amendment, we have the second amendment right, and we have the right to bear arms. so i don't want that to go anywhere. i mean, i grew up with guns. my father was a district commander. he taught me and my brother how to use guns at a very young age, and me and my brother has never shot anyone. you know? and the thing is, it's not so much that we're trying to take guns out of responsible citizen's hands. we're trying to take guns out of the hands of people that are exfelons, that are mentally challenged. you know, things of that nature. we're not trying to interrupt anything. if you're a criminal, we don't

feel you need to have a gun. >> in a ththank you for talking us. our thoughts are with you and your family. >> thank you. >> and just impossible to understand what he went through, what his family went through. that is one of so many young people, and older people who have been shot. >> and he says there, he supports the second amendment. it's not about taking that away. >> it's just about having some checks and balances. >> next hour we'll hear from two members of the u.s. congress on opposite sides of this issue, but they agree on one part of the president's plan. th stay tuned to see what it is. >> on thursday, a special look at guns in america. the president will join anderson s during a live town hall event. you can join us 9:00 a.m. friday on hong kong only here on cnn.

welcome back. if you're watching from the u.s. west coast, the fbi is asking for your help in tracking the movements of the san bernardino terrorists. >> they've put together a nearly four hour time line of last month's massacre, but there's an 18-minute gap when authorities don't know when farook and malik were. >> we want to ensure that we know whether or not they stopped at any locations, any residences or businesses, that we don't already know about. we want to ensure that if they made contact with anyone that we don't already know about between those hours or between that time that we're able to fully investigate those matters. >> they say the missing information could help determine the motive for the massacre

which left 14 people dead. in oregon, armed protesters occupying a wildlife refuge facility say they're not backing down for now. >> the group is upset over land they claim the federal government is taking illegally. >> this could have been solved peacefully through the proper method if they would have responded to us. but they continue to ignore us and pushed us to the point where we felt we had to take a stand to defend our rights. this today, if something happens, know that it is because of the actions of the fbi, and because of their intimidation factors and because of their commitment to protect and defend other agencies rather than human people, rather than americans. >> and reaction to the protesters has been mixed. police have not moved in on the wildlife refuge facility since they took it over an saturday. >> and sara sidner is there, and

she reports some residents don't want the protesters disturbing their town. >> reporter: authorities say the armed protesters at the national wildlife refuge need to leave. but the protesters say they aren't going anywhere. can you give us a sense of exactly how long you might be here? >> this is a lot of work. it definitely is going to take some months. >> reporter: months that some local residents in oregon worry could turn into much longer. >> i feel like they lied to us. i feel like the whole protest march was a ruse so that they could do what they're doing right now. >> reporter: there are some people who are saying they came into our community and took over. why are they coming from outside into our community? >> i understand that concern. >> reporter: the group that calls themselves the citizens for constitutional freedom are here. it's day four. we don't see any local, state, or federal police out here, and it is in the middle of nowhere.

we're about 35 miles from the closest town. the lack of police presence is a stark contrast to the deadly siege in idaho that left three dead in 1992, including a u.s. marshal. less than a year later, there was the deadly raid in waco, texas that left at least 75 people dead including women and women and four federal agents. the word waco comes you have often. when they start hearing words like takeover. are you worried this is going to end that way? >> no. america isn't going to tolerate another waco. >> but you're the only ones here. america is at home. >> there's a neat quote from world war ii that said we can't do that because there will be a rifle behind every blade of group. >> reporter: they say the federal government is illegally grabbing land, and they want to give it back to local rarjers and farmers. >> i think it's time for people

to be talking about these issues. i think if they can do it in a nonviolent way, it's worthwhile. >> reporter: the group's leader is a rancher. in a statement the mormon church says they are deeply troubled by the reports that those who have seized the facility suggest that they are doing so based on scriptural principles. this armed occupation can in no way be justified in a scriptural basis. the group is made up of men aim women. they are opposed to the bureau of land management, a federal agency. >> stay with us for more "cnn newsroom" after this short break. i know i'm getting the best price on this? we'll match any competitors price. what about this? price match guarantee. and this? yep! so no monkey business, no tomfoolery? oh, we do have tom foolery, tom. staples has a price match guarantee. make low prices happen. staples make more happen.

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bernie sanders is vowing to break up america's biggest banks during his first year as u.s. president. >> in a campaign speech in america's financial capital, sanders said congress isn't regulating wall street. instead he says wall street's billions of dollars in lobbyists

are regulating are financial sector. >> let me be very clear. greed is not good. [ applause ] >> in fact, the greed of wall street and corporate america is destroying the very fabric of our nation. under my administration, wall street ceos will no longer receive a get out of jail free card. [ applause ] not only will big banks not be too big to fail but big time bankers will not be too big to

jail. >> well, meanwhile the republican front runner will soon be at the center of a debate in london, an online citizens petition to ban donald trump from the uk has enough votes to go to parliament. >> this comes from the call to ban muslims in the u.s. >> and remember, you can always follow us on twitter any time. we want to hear from you. more "cnn newsroom" after this quick break. >> a debate between two members of congress on opposing sides of the gun control debate. where our next arrival is... red carpet whoa! toenail fungus!? fight it! with jublia. jublia is a prescription medicine

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we're following breaking news. north korea says it has successfully carried out a nuclear bomb test underground making it the fourth test in ten years. >> and reaction is pouring in from around the world. hear from some of north korea's closest neighbors have to say about this.

>> and later, the u.s. president gives one of the most emotional speeches of his presidency on gun control can. >> a welcome to our viewers. i'm errol barnett. >> and i'm rosemary church. thanks for joining us. this is "cnn newsroom." and we begin with breaking news. north korea says it successfully tested a hydrogen bomb a few hours ago. >> photographs show north korean leader, kim jong-un signing the order. if this claim is true, this markets an advancement for a country which has only tested less powerful plutonium weapons. >> the test created a seismic event. you can see the ground shaking in china during the explosion informal some children near the border were evacuated from their school. >> a news agency reports south

korean officials are casting doubt on the claim. and others are taking a stand against north korea for the test. >> reporter: the test is a serious threat to the nation's security and cannot be tolerated. we denounce it. >> cnn has a team of correspondents and experts on all of this breaking news. paula hancock is seoul. will ripley is in china, and we have someone in hong kong. >> let's start with paula. we still don't know for sure if this was, in fact, a hydrogen bomb, but let's go through what we do know at this point so far. >> reporter: well, rosemary, this happened, according to the north koreans at 10:00 a.m. local time. they say it was a successful hydrogen nuclear test, as you say. we don't know whether or not that is the case. south korean officials are

casting doubt on that. we're hoping to get a press briefing from the defense ministry in a few minutes. hopefully they'll have more indication. some officials say it could be days whether or not they know it was a successful hydrogen test. as far as pyongyang is concerned, they say it was, and they say it was needed as a defense of the united states, saying they have a legal right to defend their country. if the u.s. does not violate north korean sovereignty, they won't use the weapons. using that justification of what they perceive as u.s. phostilit to carry out the tests, something they've said before. the condemnation is flying in from across the world. south korea's president sacalli it a provocation saying it threatens people's live. she's calling on a strong response from the international community from the u.s. and the

law school i -- the allies. after the previous three nuclear tests, they have not stopped pyongyang so far. >> paula, as you say, it could be days before we know for sure whether this is, indeed, a hydrogen bomb. how do they confirm that, and if it is, let's talk about the significance of that in the region. >> reporter: there are a number of ways. what they're doing at the moment, japan has sent aircraft into the east sea where they believe any radio active material would have been blown given the wind direction. they're going to collect that dust. they're going to analyze it and find out if that gives any clues. obviously, the amount of kilotons used could suggest how big the explosion was. but they don't know what the underground casing is or the format of this underground

tunnel that it's been tested in. that makes it complicated if they can say yes, this was or it was not a hydrogen bomb, but there are a number of ways to test it. if it is a hydrogen bomb, it's a huge jump in capability for north korea. back on december 10th, kim jong-un said i have the capability of a hydrogen bomb. and others dismissed it as unlikely that there was such a jump in capability so quickly. there is a race against time to finds out whether or not it is a hydrogen bomb. if it is, then it ups the anti. >> all right. paula bringing us up to date on the situation from seoul in south korea. many thanks. >> now, considering all of that, let's turn now to will ripley who has reported from north korea on multiple occasion. he joins us from beijing on more reaction. kim jong-un grew up watching his father test nuclear technology.

this is likely a lifelong dream for him. how does the north see the test? >> reporter: it's noteworthy he's been the leader overseeing two nuclear test. 2013 and now today. for the last 15 years north korea has been the only country continuing to conduct nuclear tests in spite of condemnation from the international community. the north korean regime has a track record of provoking enemies but why are they trying to do it? what are they trying to gain by continuing to show the world they're developing this dangerous program. august, 1998, supreme leader kim jong-un is 15 years old when his father, the late leader fires a multistage rocket over japan, demonstrating their potential to develop rockets that reach around the region. then this, october 2006, they

announce the first underground nuclear test, joining the small group of nations that possess nuclear weapons. >> the united states condemns this act. >> reporter: the u.n. slaps clipping sanctions on the regime. but north korea forges ahead. protection from the u.s. government which it says is bent in toppling the regime. the program resumes. december, 2012, in spite of u.n. resolutions, condemning rocket launches, north korea fires what it calls a peaceful satellite into space. increased sanctions stoke the north's anger further. >> translator: state media announcing a third nuclear test in february, 2013. >> reporter: with each test, north korea gains valuable new

knowledge. in may, north korea claiming it has miniaturized nuclear weapons small enough to put on a missile. >> this situation is dangerous. there's no constraints on his program, and north korea seems determined to build up the nuclear arsenal. >> reporter: they also seem determined to develop rocket technology despite the sanctions, including recent upgrades to a launch site. they believe there's a movable building and a cover over the launch pad designed to hide activity from prying eyes in the sky. but the space scientists said their purpose is peaceful. >> reporter: our launch is no threat to the u.s. said this researcher. what can you say to the world to prove there is not a ballistic missile program in disguise? >> translator: why would we have

any intention of trying to drop nuclear bombs on people in the world including the united states? >> reporter: but north korea's own state media boasts a growing nuclears oral a arsenal and wil to strike. however are they willing to go? >> reporter: the timing here is noteworthy. on friday, it is kim jong-un's 33rd birthday. 33 years old, and at the hands of a growing nuclear arsenal, a country that has missile capabilities that are also continuing to develop, very troubling, of course, not only for the united states but certainly south korea, japan, and even here in china as well. >> and, will, what is this likely to do to north korea's relationship with its strongest ally, china, for a long time it had encouraged the international community to embrace north korea. how might that change, if at

all? >> reporter: china is north korea's most powerful friend. they sent a high level representative to the workers's party celebration in october. the parade and other celebrations i attended there. it seemed as if the relations were on the up and up, but the president here, the chinese president, strongly condemns nuclear activity. within the last hour the ministry of foreign affairs in beijing strongly condemned the nuclear test and called for high level meetings to address this and try to stop any potential destabilization of the korean peninsula. china wants to keep the peninsula stable. they have a very significant trade relationship with north korea. they keep that country's economy going, and they do that because north korea -- as a strong friend of china, it counteracts the strong relationship between south korea and the united states. china certainly not supporting

this action. what they will do moving forward, though, is something we'll have to watch close cannily. >> all right. will live for us in beijing. will, thanks. >> joining me now from hong kong is mike, a senior fellow with the u.s. china institute at the university of southern california. he's also the author of "melt down, the in the story of the north korean nuclear crisis". thanks for joining us. we don't know if this was a hydrogen bomb. we need to emphasize that, but if it was. what does north korea achieve by carrying out this test now? what's kim jong-un's aim, do you think? >> i think there are several goals here. one is that developing and enhancing the nuclear capability has been a central theme of kim jong-un's rule since he took power. it's the policy of developing nukes and also the economy.

so it's in keeping with that. also, the north koreans by taking this step, it enhances their leverage. i doubt very much the north koreans plan to put a nuke on a rocket or on a missile and attack the united states, but in the very complex, diplomatic game that the korean -- that we see on the korean peninsula, this gives the north koreans additional leverage which they will probably try to use to extract concessions both from south korea and the united states. and more broadly, the north koreans really trumpet the idea they're an advanced society on equal footing with the big powers. they want to play in that league, and developing this nuclear capability plays to that sense of national pride, which is very important in consolidating kim jong-un's legitimacy. >> if it is confirmed this has a hydrogen bomb, something more

powerful than a plutonium weapon. how should the international community respond? what should it be doing at this point? >> this raises really tough questions for the international community, because there are no easy or straightforward answers. in the case of the three previous north korean nuclear tests, we saw the same pattern. international condemnation, resolutions of condemnation at the united nations. the imposition of sanctions. but none of those sanctions had any effect in changing north korean behavior. to be cynical, but i think the likeliest outcome is a repetition of the same pattern here. but there is, now, going to be real pressure on the united states, on south korea, so put some meat on this language about this is unacceptable. north korea has to change course, but how they can do that is really hard, because the kind of sanctions that might really hurt north korea would involve

also targeting chinese companies and chinese banks that do business with north korea and help prop up the north korean economy, and that would bring the united states into more open conflict with china. that's problematic. the fact is sanctions haven't worked. one of the questions that i think needs to be addressed is whether any kind of diplomatic engagement at this stage makes any sense at all. the american position has been no talks unless north korea agrees in advance at goal is that it will abandon the nuclear problem. the north koreans say it's not on. if there were a freeze on the north's capabilities, there might be a diplomatic door opening. but the politics in the states in an election year make that hard. i think at the end of the day, the north koreans are going to get away with this. there will be a lot of international huffing and puffing, but nothing will change and the north's nuclear program will continue full seem aheteam >> and it will be interesting to

see what china does, given that they asked north korea not to go ahead with this. mike, thank you. >> an em passioned speech. barack obama spells out his plan for cushing g for curbing gun violence. my doctor told me about stelara® it helps keep my skin clearer. with only 4 doses a year after 2 starter doses... ...stelara® helps me be in season. stelara® may lower your ability to fight infections and increase your risk of infections. some serious infections require hospitalization. before starting stelara® your doctor should test for tuberculosis. stelara® may increase your risk of cancer. always tell your doctor if you have any sign of infection, have had cancer, or if you develop any new skin growths. do not take stelara® if you are allergic to stelara® or any of its ingredients. alert your doctor of new or worsening problems including headaches, seizures, confusion and vision problems. these may be signs of a rare, potentially fatal brain condition.

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"credit karma. give yourself some credit." and bloodshed, barack obama announced his plan to bolster gun control in the united states. >> surrounded by family of gun violence victims, he chastised congress for failing to act. in his announcement he spelled out the executive actions he's taking. >> we know we can't stop every act of violence of evil in the world. but maybe we could try to stop one act of evil. one act of violence. let me outline what we're going to be doing. anybody in the business of selling firearms must get a license and conduct background checks or be subject to criminal

prosecutions. we're going to hire more folks to process a applications and do more to help those suffering from mental illness get help. we'll boost technology. second amendment rights are important. there are other rights that we care about as well. our right to life and liberty and the pursuit of happiness were stripped from college kids in blacksburg and from high schoolers at columbine. and from first graders in newtown and from every family who never imagined that their loved one would be taken from our lives by a bullet from a

gun. every time i think about those kids it gets me mad. >> joining me now are two congressional representatives. on the right now see roger williams, a republican from texas district that includes fort hood. on the left, karen bass from california. welcome to you both and thank you for joining us on cnn today. >> thank you. >> thank you. >> congressman williams, you called any efforts by the obama to enact gun control an attack on law-abiding gun owners, but nationally there's support for background checks. why not follow the will of the people? >> well, i don't know that that would be the case, the will of the people. the surveys we see don't show that. more important than that, what he's trying to do isn't going to

work. you're penalizing the good guys, and the bad guys will do bad things anyway. i think what we see is an extension of the anti-gun legislation, and he's using situations like california, fort hood, to get that point across, and i think he's dividing americanings. the truth of the matter is that the anti-gun legislation is what he's promoting. and like i say, it's not going to work, and i wish that he would focus on what i think is important, and that is fighting terror in this country. we are under attack, and he does not want to admit that terror exists here. i represent ford hoot hood, and had to argue if it was terror or workplace violence. i'd like to see him fight terror more than the second amendment

in. >> you're pivoting and talking about a different issue. when it comes to mass shootings in the united states, do you agree that something needs to be done? >> well, i think there's no question. you have to look, too, at what needs to be done. we have to address mental illness in this country. i don't think we've done that good a job. we have to focus on that and reach out to those people and let them know there's help available, but this is not driven by guns. this is not driven by good people. it's driven by bad people, and in many cases, mental illness is an issue. >> i think mental health is part of the u.s. president's overall strategy here. congresswoman bass, you support what the president is doing, but for this to stick over time, you'll have to work with congressman williams and many others who will resist this. how can you work together on this issue? >> well, i think the congressman gave a very specific point where i'm in agreement. that is on the issue of mental health. one of the things the president

called for in the executive order is he called on congress to approve $500 million for mental health. and so i do think as always, there's ways democrats and republicans can come together. that's a perfect example can. we need to think about it. there's no other country on the planet, a developed country that has the type of mass shootings that we do. what the president called for, actually, was not new legislation. he essentially called for modernizing our current system, so when background check legislation was put into being several years ago, it predated the internet. so he's calling for essentially us to strengthen existing laws which actually, i think that's something that the national rifle association has said that they support. we don't, according to them, need new legislation, but we need to enforce existing legislation, and that's what the president called for. but funding mental health, mr. williams and i are in agreement about that.

>> a bit of progress there. congress williams, the president blasted the nra. say said it's not an effort to take away guns. it's to stop violence. we know that you think mental health needs to be addressed, but don't you think that background checks should be improved so we know who is purchasing weapons that can kill people? >> we have background checks now when people buy from gun dealers. >> are they effective? >> let me say this. if what president obama wanted to do was effective, why is it not working in chicago? chicago where he is from, has the strictest gun laws anywhere in the united states. but, yet, every single day we read about the tragedies that come out chicago from people killing people. so like i say, it doesn't work. what he's proposing just doesn't work. and we need to have to address the issues. we've already talked about with mental illness. i'm very grateful in his plan he has money set aside for that, as

long as that is where it goes. the fact of the matter is that he is dividing america, and it gets back to his anti-gun agenda when he ought to be focussed on terrorism in this country. >> the president would say you do measure one thing at a time, and he mentioned the shootings in chicago as well. >> i think mr. williams is right. but one of the problems in chicago, an area like chicago, chicago might have tight gun laws, but the areas around the states around chicago do not have strict gun laws which is one of the reasons why so many guns come into chicago. there's a lot of different problems we have in this country that lead to violence, and we need to have a comprehensive strategy, and i think the points the president laid out is one part of a strategy. so we need to modernize the background checks and deal with internet sales. we need to deal with the way law enforcement should have information about people who are mentally ill so part of it is

information sharing. but a lot of it is really updating an outdated system. so i think that, you know, when it comes to intercity, urban violence, you need a completely separate strategy. one thing i think is often missed, people in the communities organize and fight every single day against the violence, and sometimes that doesn't actually get the proper media congress thverage that i deserves. >> congress williams, how many money are v you received from the nra? >> i don't know, but i support the nra. i support what they're doing. i'm a lifetime member of the nra. i don't mind telling you that. it's not an nra issue. the nra is working to make things right, to make sure that people can live in this country with the bill of rights the second amendment is the most important amendment in my district. >> i can help you answer that

question. in 2014 you received at least 2$,000 $2000. >> congresswoman, how much have you received? >> they have a report card that they give to legislators, andive to s -- they wouldn't give me a dime. >> i appreciate you both coming in to talk about this. i appreciate it. >> thanks for having us on. >> and a short time ago, i spoke with a father of a girl who was killed by a gunman less than a mile from president obama's home in chicago. it happened just days after the 15-year-old danced at the president's second inauguration in 2013. the father supports mr. obama's executive actions and insists they do not impinge on the rights of americans to bear

arms. >> we have the second amendment right, and we do -- we have the right to bear arms. so i don't want that to go anywhere. i grew up with guns. my father was a district commander. he taught me and my brother how to use guns at a very young age, and we never shot anyone. you know? and the thing is, it's not so much that we're trying to take guns out of people, you know, out of responsible citizen's hands. we're trying to take guns out of the hands of people that are ex-felons. that are mentally challenged. you know, things of that nature. >> we invite you to join cnn for a special look at guns in america with the u.s. president. anderson cooper hosts a one hour live town hall event. you can see it thursday at

8:00 p.m. in washington. that's 1 a.m. for those of you watching in london and 9:00 a.m. friday in hong kong only here on cnn. >> and coming up, a closer look at the risks north korea's leader is taking by testing a nuclear weapon.

a warm welcome back to our viewers here in the united states and all around the world. i'm rosemary church. >> and i'm errol barnett. let's update you on the top stories right now. first, our breaking news. north korea says it successfully exploded a hydrogen bomb in an

underground test. a hydrogen bomb is more powerful than anything north korea has tested before. china just released a statement which says safeguarding peace and stability in northeast asia is in everyone's best interest. the united nations security kou council is holding an emergency meeting. >> the president surrounded by the family of victims, he blasted the lack of gun control progress. he's taking executive action calling for more extensive background checks, increased mental health treatment and improved gun safety technology. >> in germany, police report dozens of women were sexually assaulted and robbed during a new year's eve celebration. an investigation is underway. germany's justice minister

cautions against linking the assaults to the immigration issue. >> back to the top story. north korea's surprise nuclear test. an assistant professor is joining us now over the phone to discuss this test implications. thanks for your time. what do you make of this claim from north korea? do you think it's true? >> well, there seems to be little debate they conducted a nuclear test. experts are trying to fathom if it was a hydrogen bomb, as they claim, or not. but it was not an earthquake, and it was a significant blow. so there was a nuclear device test. >> and for now everyone is trying to spin out if it is true, what next. kim jong-un apparently wants a higher status for his country on the international stage with this, but doesn't the north lose

leverage with a blatant violation? won't it result in more angs sanctions? >> we have to ask why now? from the outside, we know so little about the inner workings of the regime and how things work in north korea that we immediately focus on neighboring countries and the role of the united states. we should probably start domestically. from what we can tell, we're still in a period where kim jong-un is trying to consolidate his power. it's his in interest her political reasons to show strengths and prove he has this powerful deterrent that no one can mess with north korea under him. even to though that he's independent of china. the international relations affect it, but the first issue is the domestic politics of the decision, and evidently, he thinks it's in his interest to do this despite the obvious toll

it's going to take. >> and what about that toll, the relationship with china. it's the country's number one ally, a country that's been trying to get the world to engage with the north. do you think that will continue? >> well, historically they have a very complicated relationship, even though, as you say, they're formerly allies. it's been quite rocky under kim jong-un, and the chinese president. they haven't figured out how to get along well. the breakthrough in october when the chinese president sent a senior chinese leader to pyongyang, and that seemed to many of us, to be the kind of breakthrough we were expecting. but now this sets that back. this is very much a sort of slap in the face to beijing to do this. clearly, this is not something china wants to see. recently there have been rumors will kim jong-un do a visit to

china? you can scrap that, and the relationship goes back in the freezer. that said, the options are limited in terms of hard line sticks to use to stop kim jong-un. it's a dicey situation even for china. >> north korea continues to be a mystery. thanks for speaking with us today from seoul. and we turn to tensions in the middle east. iran's president is lashing out at saudi arabia over its ek cushion of a cleric. they say the saudi government can't hide its, quote, great crime by severing ties with tehran. >> the execution spurred protests throughout the middle east, and similar diplomatic action by neighboring countryings. on tuesday kuwait recalled the ambassador to tehran and saudi prince says he's no longer

considering projects or investments in iran. >> our international diplomatic editor is live in riyadh and joins us with the latest. nick, we're seeing this, more countries aligning themselves with saudi arabia. where is it all going? what efforts are underway to try to deescalate the tensions between iran and saudi arabia, and how bad could this get? >> well, certainly international efforts from outside of the region. the united states, for one, is also offered to be an intermediary to deescalate the united states and russia, both have interests in deescalating in syria. there are peace talks to that end scheduled in geneva on the 25th of january. what we're hearing from the saudi ambassador is the current diplomatic tensions with iran won't impact saudi arabia's participation in those talks, remembering that just for christmas, saudi arabia and iran

for the first time were around the same table to help negotiate over the future of syria and critical because both parties play such an influential and important role in the fight in syria right now. the iranian's backing bashar al assad, and the iraqis trying to push him out of power. the saudis are saying the talks can continue. the reality is that when you get inside that room for negotiations, that the polarization between saudi arabia and iran at the moment means it's going to be harder to find a compromise. we have bahrain just late yesterday saying they would now stop flights to iran as well, similar to the action that saudi arabia is taking, the cut in economic ties between the two countries. at the moment, we're not seeing and don't have an expectation for whatever the international pressure is to diminish the

current tension. diplomacy can work in mysterious ways and things can change quickly, but the message here is they're angry with iran in terms of the interference with the neighbors. at the moment, it looks like the tex will continue to exist. >> we know you'll keep a close eye on this developing story, and nick robertson reporting from saudi arabia. many thanks. >> still to come this hour, couples with one child in china no longer need permission to expand their families. we'll bring you more information on that after this. "ow..." "are you okay?" "yeah, i just got charged for my credit monitoring. that's how i know it"s working."

"ah. you know you can go on creditkarma.com and check it out there. it's completely free." "really?" "yeah" "oh, that didn't hurt at all." "yeah, completely painless." "credit karma. give yourself some credit."

we have this news just in to cnn. the office of the german chancellor has been sealed off because of a suspicious package. >> it's not clear if the prime minister is in the buildings. the area has been closed off for about an hour.

we'll keep you updated as we get more information. couples in china wanting to start or expand their family are no longer required to apply for approval according to china's state run news agency. >> matt rivers has more. >> reporter: their voices carry beyond the small room where they gather. ♪ men and women, some off pitch, most filled with emotion, all with two things in common. they each had one child, and that child has died. ♪ >> reporter: this man sings louder than the rest. he lost his son last year, leukemia took him at 3 is years old. >> translator: he was sick for

so long and suffered for so many years. we tried our best to save him but could not. >> reporter: he's like so many other chinese parents who raised children over the past three decades. the official policy here was one couple, one child. so he only had one. now his son is gone, as is any chance for grandchild ren to carry on his name. >> translator: i think if i had two children, it would, easier the to deal with this loss. >> reporter: they pay the cost of social engineering that was at times carried out in brutal ways. rights groups say forced abortions and sterilization were common. >> the so-called social support fees are a method for authorities to rake in money. >> reporter: a chinese lawyer

says local governments strongly rely on fines to help fund their operations. he stays he did his own study and sent letters to each of china's 31 provinces asking for information on the amount of money made from one-child policy fines in 2012. 24 responded and together reported they made about $3.2 billion u.s. enforcing that modpolicy requir man power. the government says roughly a half million people work for the family planning commission. they've helped create an entire generation of only children, a deeply entrenched bureaucracy that isn't going anywhere. wu thinks the bureaucracy will use old methods. >> translator: i'm not optimistic about the new policy. i think the local family planning commission will continue to force abortions.

>> reporter: continued enforcement including fines because local governments will still need the revenue. for people like this, questions about the future are irrelevant. he and others here grieve about the past. >> translator: he says his son was very kind. >> reporter: getting choked up. nothing will ever replace his pain, he says. whether things change for others in the future no longer his concern. matt rivers, cnn, beijing. millions across california are under a flood watch right now as heavy rain soaks the state. >> pedram javaheri joins us now from the international weather center with the details. pedram, the problem here, the earth is so scorched there, it's unable to absorb all this water. >> the burn scars, those are the areas we watched burn frequently across this area.

the rainfall is beneficial, but you take a look at the damage done in places. this is in ocean shores, not far from san diego with significant flooding. one of the wettest days in years across san diego. from monday to tuesday, nearly two inches of rainfall. a record on tuesday. additional 1 .7 inches could come down from wednesday to thursday. compare compare that to all of january in 2013 or 2015, not even close. certainly a good start when it comes to at least getting some beneficial rains. but for some people it's too much of a good thing quickly that becomes a bad thing. el niño pattern. a jetstream dives into the southern portion of california. that's where the storm trek is action. the moisture is in the region as well. as we move toward portions of southern california, from san diego to san francisco, the

coastal areas getting inundated by the flooding. through friday, four to six inches coming down in mountain locations. 2 to 4 inches up the coast. as we march frthrough the graphics, scotland, almost 200% of normal in the rain business. businesses submerged and homes. getting images on tuesday of a castle, a 450-year-old scottish castle that is on the brink of collapsing in a river. a 76-year-old man living in this home has been evacuated. this castle. you take a look. we have a gaggoogle image of 20 and then you can see the castle in place before it crumbled. and here's the top of the castle. here's the perspective of what occurred on tuesday. you see part of the road

completely gone. an incredible sight out of scotland. >> wow. thank you, pedram. >> a cricket star learns the hard way. the field is no place for flirting. we'll tell you how much it cost him, next. body fifa has decided

the suspicious of jerome vol can i by 45 days. >> he was suspended in september. he was accused of providing world cup tickets which were sold on the black market. he has denied those charge. and speaking of sports, a cricket star struck out while hitting on a reporter during a live tv interview. >> we have the story of the on air flirtation that backfired. >> reporter: don't blush, baby tends not to be a good answer to a question about cricket. chris gayle got a little too lost in the eyes of the australian channel ten reporter, mel mclaughlin. >> i want to do an interview with you.

that's why i'm here. hopefully we'll win this game and we can have a drink after. don't blush, baby. >> reporter: some saw red, not clever, not funny, not original. how about just let a fine broadcaster do her job. gayle's club called his behavior inappropriate. it was an expensive flirtation. his team fined him about $7,000 u.s. gayle called it a simple joke, no disrespect intended. >> if she felt that way, then i'm sorry for that. >> he issued an apology. i accept that, and i want to move on. >> reporter: it moved us back to a time a football coach got overamorous. >> i want to kiss you. i couldn't care less about the team struggling. >> reporter: and the same aaron andrews had to take action at

the daytona 500. >> reporter: maybe it's good to see that occasional a female athlete flirts. maria shar poe va. >> you it's nice. what was the question? i was just admiring your form. >> i was admiring yours. >> reporter: the next thing you know, he was broadcasting a message in russian to her. >> maria dc speaking in russian. >> you are very beautiful. and i'd love you to give me your number in english. >> reporter: with that volley, maybe he should be blushing. cnn. >> don't blush, baby. >> reporter: new york. >> thanks for watching cnn. i'm rosemary church. >> and i'm errol barnett. you can connect with us on twitter any time. no flirting, please. early start is next for those of you watching in the states.

>> for viewers elsewhere, stay tuned. have a great day.

breaking overnight, north korea explains it exploded a hydrogen bomb. new reaction from the world pouring in. blame canada. donald trump says the fact that ted cruz was born there could be an issue in the race for the white house. so is this a controversy part two? this morning how ted cruz is responding. president obama with a rare emotional display as