discovered a strange and fabulous and delicious slice of america i'd never known was there. but i'm trying to figure it out. belgian police make a major rease. a man they think might be the third bomber in last month's brussels airport attack. from inside mosul's dam, crews tried to keep it from collapsing and submerging iraq's second city. finally spacex gets a hole in one. they make an historic rocket landing after sending important cargo to the international space station. live from cnn world headquarters from atlanta, welcome to our viewers in the united states and around the world. i'm george howell. "cnn newsroom" starts right now.

i very good day to you. we begin with the dramatic developments into the paris and brussels terror attacks. for months now, police have searched for mohammed abrini, the man whom authorities believe drove the paris attackers. now he's finally in custody following more raids in brussels. investigators are trying to determine if abrini is the mysterious man you see in the hat here. the third brussels airport bombing in video. they also netted in friday's raids in brussels, at least two other terror suspects, including a man suspected of being involved in the second brussels attack at a metro station. these arrests could bring investigators more much-needed intelligence. kelly morgan is live in brussels following this investigation. kelly, what more do we know about these arrests and how important it could be for investigators?

>> reporter: it's absolutely, george. abrini is a huge -- he's one of the most wanted men in europe at the moment. when he was arrested yesterday, that dramatic footage, he was walking around in plain sight. he was arrested by police officers wearing plain clothing and taken into custody. he's been in custody overnight. we assume police are questioning him and what he knows about the brussels and paris attacks. the paris attacks, we know there is cctv footage showing him with fellow captured paris terror suspect salah ab des lal. they were captured on cctv at a petro station en route to paris days before the attacks. in terms of brussels, prosecutors say his dna was

found in the scarborough apartment, basically, the bomb-making apartment used by the brussels attackers. he's a huge fish for authorities to caught. what they're still trying to establish is what his role was on march 2 nd. let's take a look to what prosecutor had to say about that. >> at the moment, investigators are verifying whether abrini mohamad can be positively identified as the third person in brussels international airport, the so-called man with the hat. the investigation continues. currently in the interest of investigation, no further data can be given. >> reporter: so, the other main suspect that was arrested yesterday is a man bit name of osama krayem. now, he's the man prosecutors

believe was with metro bomber el bakraoui metro station. he's significant in that he also has connection to abdeslam. we know he traveled from syria into europe with another man. they arrived in germany and were picked up outside a refugee camp in germany by abdeslam and then driven back to belgium. so, another big fish. what this is all doing is really consolidating those links between the paris attacks and the brussels attacks and really helping police try and dismantle this terror web that clearly has tentacles across europe. >> kelly morgan live in brussels. thank you much and we'll stay in touch with you as investigators continue their work. the online media wing of isis claims the terror group has released hundreds of factory workers in syria. they were taken hostage when isis captured a sprawling cement

factory north of damascus. isis says they release 30d 0 workers because they're muslim and not loyal to the syrian regime. according to isis, four people have been executed because they belonged to a minority shiite sect. the u.s. secretary of state john kerry made a surprise visit to baghdad on friday, all to support prime minister al abadi. he is trying to reform government corruption there and hitting roadblocks. there's also a growing concern isis will seize on any political gridlock and then become stronger. mr. kerry says current efforts against isis are working and they don't want to lose any momentum. >> we urge everybody to work together. we urge everybody to put the interests of iraq writ large, ahead of personal interests or sectarian interests.

and to find in this moment of crisis a way to join each other and come out strong. >> meanwhile in iraq, even though isis no longer controls the mosul dam, that big structure could still threaten the lives of more than a million people in that country. our senior international correspondent arwa damon takes us inside the dam to show us why so many people are at risk. >> reporter: the advance on mosul has been put on something of a pause with the iraqi army holding defensive positions until reinforcements arrive. the threat posed by isis is not the only one mosul or the country potentially faces. it has been described by some as the most dangerous dam in the world. the mosul dam, the largest in iraq, which produces hydroelectricity, is built on a

foundation of soft gypsum rock, making erosion a constant challenge. we enter the underbelly of the dam to see how it is even still standing. completed in the mid-1980s, what keeps it all intact is a process that needs to happen daily. workers are drilling bore holes. this one will go down 150 meters, or around 500 feet. drilling that particular distance takes about a week. and the machines go up and down along the length of the dam, breaking up and then repouring cement to try to ensure the stability of the dam's foundation. it's a process called grouting. when isis took over the dam, this stopped for 45 days. the u.s. issued a stark warning,

describing the potential for collapse as, quote, serious and unprecedented, a catastrophic event that would see mosul, iraq's second largest city and under isis control, entirely submerged with flooding as far downstream as baghdad. that warning said the lives of 1.5 million iraqis would be at risk. the dam's manager insists disaster is not imminent. >> translator: if the dam were to collapse when the water level is at 330 meters above seawater, yes, mosul would be flooded. but with current levels, there would be minimal damage. >> reporter: the seepage is one of the reasons why he says the u.s. is so concerned, but he claims his team has determined it is not impacting the dam's foundation. still last year, the u.s. installed an early warning system they monitor regularly and there's an urgent need for repairs.

millions of iraqis are directly reliant on the mosul dam in one way or another, but years of neglekneneglect by the iraqi go by corruption are already being felt. couple that with security concerns that for years kept international companies from taking up the job. an italian company has just been contracted to repair and refur beneficiary the dam, but work is yet to begin. and in iraq where nothing is ever entirely predictable, it is always the best to plan for the worst. of course, the hope is that worst-case scenario is not going to materialize and the u.s. does not know exactly when the dam may or may not collapse. they say it could be a week, a month, even years. at this stage it's not a risk the country can afford to take. >> arwa damon reporting there for us. and iraq's prime minister has said that if the dam does burst, the government would assist people forced to leave

their homes. a story we will continue to follow, of course. and al qaeda-linked ed affiliate in bangladesh is taking responsibility for the machete killing. the militants called the attack vengeance because they say he had, in their words, abused god and islam. following this story, our senior international correspondent ivan watson live in hong kong. good morning. what do we know about the investigation into these claims? >> reporter: well, i just spoke with police in dhaka about an hour ago. they say they have yet to make any arrests in the murder of samad on wednesday. they also say they're investigating the authenticity of this claim from al qaeda in the indian subcontinent that they carried out the murder on wednesday night. now, if you look at the document itself of the purported group,

and we cannot independently confirm whether or not the claim is, in fact, real, the group says that it carried out the slaughter of this writer in revenge for his perceived insults against the prophet muhammad and islam. it cited three of his facebook posts dating back from 2013 and 2015. the group went on to basically say that it would continue to target atheists who dare to question al qaeda's strict interpretation of islam. it went one step further, george, saying it would also target people who stop the spread of islamic shariah law, a name these potential targets could include engineers, doctors, judges and lawyers. george? >> protests obviously happening as people demand protection for free speech.

what can be done? what can people do to make sure they are protected? >> reporter: let's also keep this in context. there have been some small protests but they've been a couple dozen people. perhaps 100 support efrz of this slain writer. again, chopped down with machetes on wednesday night on his home -- way home from university classes. the sixth atheist blogger or publisher for atheist texts to be killed in some 14 months. the bangladeshi authorities insist they are investigating and they will extend protection to anybody who requested. i spoke with a blogger whose name was published on a list, a hit list of 84 people more than a year ago and that man says he lives in fear now, that dozens of his colleagues have simply fled the country. this his case, he's described

some of the measures he's taken. he bought a new house, he basically moved. he bought a new car, changed his phone number, takes alternate routes to and from work and he no longer publishes anything on social media. he meets in private with atheist colleagues and they share plans and measures to protect their lives. he feels atheists are under a campaign of assassination. he goes one step further saying he cannot trust the police for safety because the same police that are offering to extend protection have been prosecuting some of these writers in the past for allegedly committing crimes of blasphemy, criticizing religion in bangladesh. george? >> wow, ivan, you explained those steps that he's taking, extreme measures, really, the danger there of free speech. ivan watson, live for us in hong kong.

thank you. we'll stay in touch with you. we move on to north korea, state media reporting what they call a successful weapons test. leader kim jong-un is said to have overseen a ground test of a new engine for intercontinental ballistic missile. tensions are high ever since pyongyang. it is 4:14 on the east coast. this is "cnn newsroom." after a week of bickering, it looks like the u.s. presidential candidates are playing nice again. a war of words between hillary clinton and bernie sanders. plus, the marijuana business, it is booming in argentina, even though shops are not allowed to sell the actual plant. we will explain as "newsroom" rolls on. what brand of makeup is better for your skin than wearing no makeup at all? neutrogena® cosmetics.

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america's choice 2016, the race for the white house and hillary clinton and bernie sanders face off in the coming day in wyoming's democratic caucuses.

14 delegates and 18 superdelegates are up for grab. clinton leads with 1780 and bernie sanders with 1099. tune into cnn for the very latest on the wyoming democratic caucuses only here on cnn. a much bigger prize on the democratic horizon. it is the state of new york. that crucial primary will be held on april 19th. cnn's suzanne malveaux has the very latest for us. >> reporter: hillary clinton not letting go of charges from bernie sanders that she is not qualified to be president. >> you may have heard senator sanders say i'm unqualified to be president. well, seriously -- seriously, i've been called a lot of things. over the years, but unqualified has not been one of them. he doesn't really believe that. this is all pretty silly. >> reporter: the rebuke from the democratic front-runner comes as

sanders backs off his earlier criticism of clinton's qualifications. >> does she have the experience? obviously, she does. he was secretary of state, u.s. senator. i thought an outstanding first lady, in many respects, breaking the mold. >> reporter: clinton returning the favor when asked if sanders is qualified. >> as i said, i would take him over donald trump or ted cruz any day. >> reporter: sanders, though, is insisting that clinton's judgment is still fair game. >> we all make mistakes, but i regret less than she does because i had the courage to vote the right way even when it wasn't necessarily popular. >> reporter: a sign of the tough battle in new york ahead of cnn's next debate in brooklyn and the state's april 19th primary. both sides are playing up their empire state connections. >> i'm really going to try to win the new york primary because i love new york. >> reporter: while the brooklyn-born sanders paid a visit to his childhood home. >> i spent the first 18 years of

my life in apartment 2-c right here. >> reporter: thursday bill clinton's fiery exchange with black lives matter protesters in philadelphia. >> you are defending the people of those who kill the lives you say matter. tell the truth. >> reporter: the former president trying to move beyond his comments at a campaign stop in erie, pennsylvania. >> i did something yesterday in philadelphia. i almost want to apologize for but i want to use it as an example of the dangers threatening our country. we all have different experiences. we cannot learn anything unless we listen. >> reporter: back in new york where sanders hopes to maintain his momentum after a string of recent victories. his campaign says it is making plans for an open convention. >> we're getting to work on that right now. in fact, in all likelihood, there will be an open convention. >> that was cnn's suzanne malveaux reporting for us. new york will be the spotlight for next week's cnn democratic presidential debate.

hillary clinton and bernie sanders face off live from brooklyn next thursday. april 14th, 9:00 p.m. on the u.s. east coast only here on cnn. now to the republican side of things. donald trump believes he has a twitter problem. that is according to ben carson, the former presidential candidate has served as a surrogate for the trump campaign. carson says trump thinks his use of social media could hurt his campaign. the republican front-runner has been criticize for repeatedly using twitter to viciously attack his rivals. the republicans are ramping up their fight to secure the number of delegates needed to win their party's nomination. saert colorado selects its rendell gates and in less than two weeks there's that all-important new york primary. donald trump leads with 746 delegates followed by ted cruz, 525 delegates, john kasich with 145. and our jim acosta, the one to report on it all.

>> reporter: inside trump world it's a new day in the gop delegate battle and donald trump's new general in charge of racking up the magic number to clinch the nomination is predicting victory. >> it will be apparent to the world that trump is over the 1237 number. at that point in time, when it is apparent, everything will come together. >> reporter: trump convention manager paul manafort told chris cuomo, with a new power-sharing relationship with corey lewandowski. >> this is an example of donald trump managing. the campaigns have different phases. >> reporter: while manafort pushed back on the thought that lewandowski is being sidelined because of campaign missteps. >> i listen to one voice. >> reporter: mafort's rise

comes at a crucial time as ted cruz is grabbing delegates everywhere he can. case in point, this weekend cruz is scheduled to visit colorado, where republicans are holding their own convention to select delegates. cruz picked up more delegates there today. >> the cruz campaign has been successful in colorado because we started earlier, we identified more of the grass root supporters. i don't think the other campaigns took this process seriously early enough. >> reporter: it's a trip trump decide against in the hopes of a landslide over cruz in the new york primary. trump was apparently working out of the office today saying in a tweet, so great to be in new york, catching up on many things. remember, i am still running a major business while i campaign, and loving it. >> look, we have a clear path forward to get to 1237 delegates. it's difficult. we've got to win. and we've got to win consistently. >> reporter: cruz told cnn's

dana bash he's laughing off th " "r" rated welcome he got in new york. lagging behind in the delegate find, john kasich is making the case he won't be dead on arrival at the gop convention this summer. >> don't be fooled, ted cruz can't win the nomination outright and he can't defeat hillary clinton either. >> reporter: with a tough new ad, kasich still argues he has the best shot at beating hillary clinton and he's warning trump's make america great again slogan is a national disaster. >> we are stille strongest country by far in the entire world and people ought to stop whining about america. >> reporter: as for ted cruz, he's courting some big donors here in las vegas. he'll address republican jewish group run by casino tycoon sheldon adelson and after downtime donald trump gets back on the campaign trail in his home state of new york. jim acosta, cnn, las vegas. day two of the masters golf

tournament is now in the books. defending champ jordan spieth leads the way at the halfway point, but his rival, rory mcilroy is not far behind. the northern irishman is just one shot back after a 1 under par round on friday, tied for the best round of the day. just seven players are under par at the augusta national course. windy conditions, though, on friday pushed up many scores. spieth and mcilroy will play the third round together. and the texan says he is ready. >> i'd rather be someone -- rather be playing with someone less threatening, to be honest. he's certainly proven himself in majors. but i think it's going to be a really fun challenge. >> adding to the intrigue, if mcilroy wins the masters, he will achieve the career grand slam of all four of golf's major tournaments. we'll have to wait and see.

isis destroyed a 2,000-year-old city in syria and now a russian museum wants to help bring it back to life. see how they plan to use the new technology that's available to restore an ancient treasure. live in the united states and around the world this hour, you're watching "cnn newsroom."

welcome back to our viewers in the united states and around the world. you're watching "cnn newsroom." i'm george howell. the headlines we're following this hour. north korea claiming another successful test in its arms program, this according to state

media there. kim jong-un supervised a new ground test for an inner continental ballistic missile. last month they had a miniature warhead to be mounted on missiles. a group in bangladesh is claiming -- to a jihad monitoring group. the death of nazimuddin samad. mohamad abrini is the latest person to be arrested in connection to last november's terror attacks in paris. authorities are now investigating if he played a part in the bombings in brussels. officials believe he may be the unidentified third man seen in airport surveillance video during that attack. with this new arrest, abrini could be a vital piece in the growing investigation. authorities are concerned about the scope of a terror network in europe and every potential link can lead to more intelligence.

earlier our zain asher spoke to cnn security analyst bob bear on how significant this might be. >> what's extraordinary is the fact he was involved in the paris bombing on the 13th of november, yet stayed in brussels and managed to put together another plot under the -- you know, before the police, essentially. it's incredible. >> the fact he stayed in brussels, how surprising is that to you? >> well, that surprises me in the sense that he didn't realize how deep and reclusive, isolated this moroccan community is in brussels, the fact that he could hide there, even though he was a mass murderer for the paris attacks. and he still could hide, it's amazing. those communities are so separated from mainstream belgium that it's -- i think it's even come to a surprise to the belgium police.

>> so, the next step is obviously authorities are going to interview him. what is the track record of terrorists actually cooperating with authorities? >> i have found these people who are ready to die, accept mar martydom, don't make good witnesses. he's ready to accept prison time. he could spend years there. i've spent years interviewing prisoners in israeli prisons -- >> is it the fact they won't talk at all or give false information? >> they'll give false information, false leads. they probably won't talk at all. it's very surprising to find one that will turn against the movement. >> so, do these arrests now make an attack in either brussels or paris more likely, more imminent, or less likely, do you think? >> as we know, zain, there are other people out there.

the network hasn't been completely rolled up. we don't even know where these people arrested today have been. you know, one was in birmingham. another is swedish. they've been coming in and out of europe, posing as refugees. one had a a fake syrian passport, according to local media. so, i don't think we're even at the beginning of identifying the entire network. i mean, there's a lot of these people witting -- unwitting ones. we could be talking years. >> belgian authorities have made a lot of arrests over the past two weeks but they have also come under a lot of criticism. do you think that criticism is fair? >> oh, it's justified. to undertake an attack like this at brussels airport in the metro with people that are already identified, yes, they failed. >> that was cnn intelligence and security analyst, bob baer, speaking with my colleague zain asher.

a top military commander in africa says isis has doubled its number of fighters in libya. this intelligence comes from the intelligence community. they believe there are between 4,000 and 6,000 fighters there. libya has become a haven for militants since the fall of moammar gadhafi in 2011, especially from north african countries. isis has all but destroyed the ancient city of palmyra, but now the hermitage museum in russia has a plan to restore the city. our cnn national correspondent matthew chance has more now. >> reporter: the old amphitheater at palmyra was a backdrop. drone video shows it's one of the few monuments there still standing. other irreplaceable structures like this monumental roman arch

was simply razed to the ground by the so-called islamic state. the kremlin says helping recapture is one of the major achievements of its air war. now, one of russia's most prominent museums with an important palmyra collection wants to help restore the unique site. >> palmyra is one of the few surviving ancient cities when we come to rome, we see ruins. we see buildings. palmyra is a nation site. >> reporter: russia's archeological interest and expertise in palmyra is real. this hermitage collection of artifacts from the city, like these stones inscribed with

ancient greek scripts is one of the most important outside syria, even more so now that so much of palmyra has been destroyed by islamic state. >> you can see them on the pyramid -- >> reporter: you see them as a hologram. >> yes, in the middle. >> reporter: and those at the museums are building holographic models of the palmyra buildings breathing life, they say, into the ancient city. >> the main point is the reconstructions that are now shown in the holograms are real reconstruction with the real sizes and texture of how it used to be before the explosions. >> reporter: so that can be useful restoring the site? >> exactly. >> reporter: only once palmyra is secure, say museum officials, will a russian team be sent to assess the archeological damage. it could be years before the cultural vandalism of isis is undone.

matthew chance, cnn, st. petersburg. >> restoration under way, but sadly, it can never be the same. you're watching "cnn newsroom." still ahead, argentina's budding weed industry, cannabis shops are flourishing by selling everything except cannabis itself and now they are calling on the country to finally legalize the drug. plus, a milestone in space flight. we will tell you why this rocket landing could launch the next generation of space exploration. stay with us. "why are you checking your credit score?"

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hour. you're looking at live pictures where pope francis is holding a holy year audience. it's part of his jubilee of mercy year. the pope may address his statement, urging priests around the world to accept catholics who have divorced and remarried.

francis also asked the church to be more tolerant of gays and lesbians. he did not change any church doctrines. in a mostly catholic latin american country, gays and lesbians are celebrating a major judicial decision in a move toward equality. colombia's top court has paved the way for same-sex marriage. six of nine justices voted to throw out a petition defining marriage as between a man and a woman. colombia is now the fourth latin american nation to recognize same-sex marriage. now onto argentina, where marijuana is producing profits for shops in buenos airies even though businesses are not allowed to sell the plant yet. we have this report. >> reporter: buenos airies has a unique cannabis business where the business consists of

everything except the cannabis itself. >> translator: i always explain i cover 99% of the business. i don't touch seeds, and that's the remaining 1%. >> reporter: sales of seeds and thc, the active chemical in cannabis, is illegal. courts have tolerated possession for personal use and have recently allowed medicines containing thc in specific cases. there are no restrictions on the sale of flower pots, fertilizer and other equipment to grow marijuana. nevertheless, if police finds the plants, there will be problems with the law. >> translator: many people are interested. we aren't talking about people only interested in the recreational use of cannabis. we're talking about a plant shown in value recently in medical research and has increasing medicinal use. >> reporter: while the marijuana business grows in argentina, to the east uruguay already allows medical and recreational use.

chile to the west use business. people think is will be legal in argentina soon and he believes the shops in his country's capital will go from profitable to making it big. the state of colorado in the u.s. has a population of 5.5 million people. and the legal cannabis business of $1 billion a year. meanwhile, buenos aires and surrounding areas have a population three times that size. shops like these are awaiting a storm. a very profitable storm. the shop, opened since 2009, currently employs five people, he says, but its impact goes beyond retail. >> translator: we require fertilizer and we use a logistics network because we have to transport many goods. i have to get soil, pots and

other items. >> reporter: for a company with a relatively small manufacturing sector, this air filtering system suggests a trickling effect. a bill introduced in congress in 2012 to legalize planting and consuming cannabis use is not currently on the agenda. at least for now there is only hope for an industry that buds but can't flower. looking at weather now, athletes who love extreme sports came together on the icy mountain plains of norway for an out of this world competition that involves the weather. meteorologist eric van dam is here. >> i was captivated by this story because only last week i ticked off a bucket list item for me. that was kite surfing while in south africa. >> how was that? >> i managed to get out on the water and try something i'd never done before. it's extremely difficult, challenging and exciting at the same time. these athletes you're about to

see took this to a whole new level. this is 350, yes, snow kiters. now, this is a sport i didn't even know existed. that's why i'm so excited and captivated by the story. we'll get in with a closer image. they use skis or snowboards and are pulled literally by a kite. obviously, that's all dictated by the strength the wind. but they have 100-kilometer race to travel. unbelievable. almost 60 miles. and, again, this is one of the toughest competitions, at least for this particular sport. you can see just how extreme it can be. and taking my own experience into account here when i was in south africa last week, kiteboarding, which is on water using a wake board is extremely difficult. i can only imagine how challenging this is because you have a much harder surface to fall on if you don't get it right. we're going to winter in the united states because that was in norway, by the way, those

images you saw a moment ago. it feels like winter over the eastern u.s. if you're traveling to new york city or even washington, d.c. or boston, you'll want to listen up, because you'll want to pack the winter clothes in your bag. even though the calendar says it's spring, it certainly feels like winter. we have freeze warnings in effect from omaha to cincinnati and nashville. that extends all the way to the east coast, including the nation's capital. we've got a huge roller coaster of temperatures today. overnight lows dropping below freezing for the big apple. we have the potential for 10 to 15 low temperature records set across the eastern u.s. look at washington, d.c. yeah, we've got a roller coaster of weather for you as well. it's all thanks to this deep trough digging into the east half that's going to allow for that cold arctic blast to settle in and it's even bringing the potential for snow for some of those cities over the eastern parts of the country. take a look at this video coming from -- well, we'll bring you to space -- from the international

space station. i love this. this is a time lapse. look at the lightning storms from above. yeah, the international space station, by the way, george, is traveling at 5 meters per second -- 5 miles per second, rather, and goes around the globe 90 times in a minute. moving on to a milestone in space exploration, the spacex has nailed the landing of falcon 9 rocket on a platform that is bobbing in the ocean. four previous attempts failed. the privately-owned company hopes to reuse rockets dozens of times to make space travel cheaper. this rocket just carried up -- a capsu capsule, i should say, with food, supplies and experiments headed to astronauts at the international space station. we have more on this story. >> two, one, zero. lift-off! >> reporter: this is not your standard space launch.

no, elon musk's reusable falcon 9 rocket isn't just restocking supplies on the international space station, think more along the lines of galactic. it's all about life outside our planet and the cargo on board could ever determine if we could sustain a stay on mars and beyond. among the 7,000 pounds of supplies and experiments, fungi and seeds. astronauts have already grown red romain lettuce in orbit and sampled the goods. next up is chinese cabbage. the project laying the groundwork to see if growing vegetables on other planets is possible. also in tow, mice. their mission to help scientists figure out how to stop muscle waste and bone loss in orbit. it's also carrying an expansion for the international space station. inflatable mod dual called beam. if it works in orbit, it could represent the future of space

habitats. cnn went inside another one of the habitats. bigelow air space is made to make living in space more accessible but there's sure to be an air of nervousness in this spacex camp. the last cargo delivery in june ended in failure with the rocket disintegrating after a couple of seconds. this time they hope it survives the journey. coming up, a united airlines flight attendant makes a dramatic and fast exit from her plane. now she's out of a job. u.s. authorities are investigating the incident.

this is a strange one. a united airlines flight attendant made a dramatic exit in houston, deploying the aircraft's emergency slide instead of just walking off the plane. jeanne moos has more on this very bizarre getaway. >> reporter: united airlines didn't let this slide. a flight attendant activated the emergency slide after the plane landed in houston. you can see her toss out her bag and then slide down the chute. >> that's insane! why? >> reporter: that we don't know. and many of the passengers didn't even know it happened. >> when we landed, we were

notified to -- we were told to stay in our seats as deplaning would take a bit longer. >> reporter: cnn affiliate says the flight attendant's family told them the woman is doing well and it's a private family matter. united says she's no longer employed there. the last time a flight attendant did this it was a far more flamboyant exit. who could forget steven slater. he got fed up after getting cut by a jetblue passenger's bag. he took to the intercom. he grabbed a couple of beers and activated the chute. >> i was just thinking, i'm free. i'm finally free. but i got to the bottom, wonderful, warm sunlight was out there and i felt unencumbered. >> reporter: he was immortalized in song. ♪ steven slater didn't need no

escalator ♪ >> reporter: as for those emergency slides, they've been sliding places they shouldn't be. this one deployed inside the plane, forcing an emergency landing two years ago. and this one fell off a jumbo jet last month and landed in a mesa, arizona, front yard. >> it was just a loud bang and then the house actually shook. >> reporter: passengers keep opening the emergency exit. thankfully before takeoff. a man aboard this china southern plane opened the door hoping to get some fresh air, thinking the lever opened a window. and a first-time flyer in china mistook the exit for a rest room. oops. no wonder flight attendants get a kick out of this t-shirt, i understand this is not a lavatory unless, of course, it's the flight attendant opening the door. jeanne moos, cnn, new york. >> just when you thought you saw it all. thanks for being with us. i'm george howell at the cnn

center in atlanta. i'll be back after the break with another hour of news from around the world. you're watching cnn, the world's news leader.

belgian police nab one of europe's most wanted. the man who could be the man in the hat seen here at the brussels airport bombing. a brutal murder of a blogger in bangladesh. al qaeda claiming responsibility. russian museum wanting to help restore theantiquities. i'm george howell. "cnn newsroom" starts right now.

good day to you. we begin this hour in europe with a possible breakthrough in the brussels terror investigations. authorities believe they may have found the mysterious man in the hat seen in airport surveillance during the bombings. mohamad abrini was arrested in one of several raids in belgian friday. he has known connections to the attacks in paris and the mastermind, salah abdeslam. police are holding another man as well. they believe he was there for the bombing at the metro station. mohamad abrini is 31 years old, belgium national, originally from morocco. he was seen at a gas station with abdeslam, another attacker, two days before that attack.

the brothers and abrini were childhood friends from brussels. he had a younger brother who was killed fighting for isis back in 2014. and the bigger question now is about the extent of the terror network, how widespread might that web be across europe? kelly morgan joins us this hour, following it from brussels. it's good to have you, kelly. so, what could these new arrests bring to investigators when it comes to intelligence? >> reporter: yes, george. well, they certainly consolidate, don't they, the links between the brussels attacks and the paris attacks. you just mentioned the links abrini had to the paris attacks. in terms of what happened in brussels, prosecutors allege it was his dna found in that apartment, the so-called bomb-making factory used by the brussels attackers. he's spent his first night in custody after that dramatic arrest on the streets of brussels yesterday.

he was walking around in plain sight in another neighborhood in brussels when he was pounced on by undercover operatives and taken into custody. after that further searches were conducted in that area. there was concentration in one particular property. forensic police were seen leading that property, carrying bags of evidence. we will wait to learn more about what exactly was recovered from that property. but authorities will want to work very quickly to find out what this man knows and if indeed he is the third airport bomber, which has been widely speculated by the belgian media. also the second suspect arrested yesterday, the man by the name of osama krayem, that he was the second metro bomber, that's something, isn't it? because we're talking about two men who walked away from those brussels attacks. now the question is, were they supposed to be suicide bombers and did they basically back out?

or the bigger concern or was that the plan? are they somehow coordinators of these plots and did they walk away, survive, because there are other plots in the planning? that is what police will be working hard to try and establish, george. >> you know, that brings me to the other question that i'd like to ask just about the possibility, kelly, of sleeper cells there. the possibility of a much deeper, extended network across europe. are investigators getting close to figuring out what could be more there in europe? >> reporter: well, you'd expect that with these two arrested -- these were two big fish. we knew right after the brussels attack that there were at least eight suspects that police were hunting. the names were put on a european security bulletin. that's at least eight. we know it's a cell, a network that has tentacles stretching

across europe. we've had arrested in germany, netherlands, brussels, right around europe. it's absolutely crucial police work together across the borders and also between local and federal authorities within countries to try and establish who is part of this network that has tentacles across europe, george. >> talking about what could be there in europe and talking about the idea of hiding in plain sight. abdeslam was discovered in a neighborhood where he was known to spend time. obviously, we'll continue to follow this investigation. live in brussels, kel y thank you. let's get more on mohamad abrini and osama krayem. earlier my colleague zain asher talked about the two terror suspects and the potential for more attacks in europe. >> i've talked to isis fighters, recent defectors from the isis

organization and they have assured me that the war is being brought to europe in a way that i think we have not seen in the past two years. paris was a forte of the spectacular success of isis, of that massacre, has redoubled their efforts to try and emphasize foreign operations. i've been told that, you know, very have dispatched other sleeper agents into the heart of europe. according to cnn today, paul reported a dozen operatives who took part in the brussels and paris attacks. i've heard even women are to be repurposed as suicide bombers and sent into germany to wage attacks there. yes, i think this is a very, very dangerous period for the continent. >> belgium has the largest number of isis fighters per capita. >> yeah. >> how do authorities in belgium begin to even root that out? >> the problem is we've sort of gone so far -- or we've allowed

the situation to become so dire that it is, you know, almost a herculean effort to rectify what has been done. the first order of business, of course, is to get muslim, arob police officers, people from these communities. abdeslam was captured -- he lived for four months in a house that was one block away from his childhood home. hiding in plain sight doesn't even begin to do justice, that old cliche. what's needed is human intelligence. what i've called glibly the broken window of counterterrorism. having law enforcement, counterterrorism officials who have come from these communities, who have built up the trust of the local neighborhoods and the population and who, frankly, you know, are able to bridge this divide between what has been essentially bantoos existing in the heart of european capitals -- >> places like molenbeek.

>> yes, or parts of london, for example. >> now they have abrini in custody, what can they learn from him and can they trust what he tells them? >> they have two major players of this isis network in europe in custody. i believe, my theory is abdeslam has been very cooperative. and i think we have some indication of his willingness to talk or his willingness to sort of, you know, turn the other way on this issue because he didn't perpetrate a suicide bombing, as was intended. now abrini, the question s how cooperative will he be? what information does he have in his possession in the thing to keep in mind, and this is sort of a benefit, i suppose, to this current state of affairs, a lot of these guys know each other going back to their childhoods. abrini and abdeslam were childhood friends, and brothers were childhood friends. they got into scrapes and fell

on the wrong side of the law in thirteen age years. it seems they were radicalized in tandem. as part of this network. that exists in the area. so, they know the community well. they know who the sympathizers and fellow travelers are. and, look, are we to believe salah abdeslam was hiding for four months in his hometown n his neighborhood, a block away from his childhood home without anybody in that area knowing he was there? of course they did. if that contingent of how many, perhaps, not active members of isis, doing things to facilitate or provide logistical support of those who are isis members. this is the kind of thing i think is the information that needs to be gleaned from him and mr. abrini. >> they currently had a support network. i have to leave it there. thank you so much. >> sure. moving on to syria now, where rebel groups say they have taken a southern town back from isis.

pro-rebel news agency called smart posted the video you see here friday on its website, saying this was heaviest fighting that was seen near tasil. they say they welcomed the armed rebel groups as they drove through town. last month the syrian observatory for human rights reported a militant group loyal to isis took over tasil. more now on the secular blogger who was hacked to death by machete for criticizing islam. we now know an al qaeda-linked affiliate is claiming responsibility for that brutal attack that played out in bangladesh. this newest claim is according to a group that monitors jihadist groups. the blogger, nazimuddin samad died this week. his death has sparked protests by university students there. they are calling on the government to do more to protect free speech. our senior international

correspondent ivan watson is following it all from our hong kong bureau. what is the latest on the investigation into these claims? >> reporter: well, the bangladeshi government says they're investigating. they're trying to confirm the authenticity of these claims. if you take a look at the declaration itself by this group that calls itself the bangladeshi branch of al qaeda in the indian subcontinent, well, it squarely claims responsibility for what it describes as the slaughter of this 26-year-old writer. and it cites facebook posts from 2013 to justify the murder of this young man, saying he insulted islam and he insulted the prophet. in its declaration, this group goes on to say that it will target any other atheist who dares to criticize its strict interpretation of islam and also says that it will target anybody

who prevents the spread of islamic shariah law and listed as possible targets, it lists judges, lawyers, doctors, engineers. basically, taking aim at intellectuals in this majority muslim country where secularism is protected as a tenet of the constitution. george? >> what steps can people take, ivan, to protect themselves? is it a matter, simply, of notifying police that they might be in danger of what other things are happening so people can find a way to protect themselves? >>. >> reporter: well, the government says it's taking this threat very seriously. it says it is hunting for samad's killers and anybody who needs protection can come to the government for help. these are the statements the police and ministers have said multiple times. they point to the fact a blogger who was murdered, an atheist

blogger murdered in 2013, that late at the end of last year, two convicted killers were sentenced to death for that murder. but there have been no arrests so far in the case of this young man, who was murdered on wednesday. in the meantime, it appears that certainly the small atheist community in bangladesh, they say that basically the jihadis, the extremists have declared war on them. so, large numbers of people who used to post things on facebook and on social media, criticizing, questioning extremist interpretations of islam and other religions, are simply fleeing the country. others have gone into hiding in bangladesh. one man i spoke with said he's basically quit all social media, changed his residence, changed his mobile phone and now he walks around basically living in fear, looking over his shoulder all the time. and he added one important point. he's afraid to go to the police

because a couple years ago police began prosecuting some of these atheist bloggers for writing things that were judged to be insulting of islam. george? >> ivan watson live in hong kong, thank you for your reporting. it is 5:14 on the u.s. east coast. you're watching "cnn newsroom." still ahead, hillary clinton and bernie sanders are locked in a battle for the state of new york. we'll have the very latest for the u.s. race for the white house still ahead. plus, a russian museum wants a new project. a little later, plans to restore the 2,000-year-old syrian city that was destroyed by daesh. stay with us. ♪ ♪

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. the race for the white house, hillary clinton and bernie sanders are hitting the campaign trail hard. both democratic candidates are fighting to win their party's primary in the crucial state of new york. it's the place where clinton served as senator for eight years and also where bernie sanders was born. 247 delegates are up for grabs there. new york's primary will be held tuesday, april 19th. clinton also leads in the overall count of delegates with an estimated 1780. bernie sanders has 1,099 delegates. a candidate needs 2,383 delegates to clinch the democratic nomination. both candidates have also

been locked in a war of words over who is better qualified to be president or not. bernie sanders is now backtracking a bit after saying that clinton was unqualified. cnn's jeff zeleny has the latest on the war of words. >> reporter: an apparent cease-fire in the heat democratic presidential race. bernie sanders backing down after repeatedly saying hillary clinton is not qualified to be president. >> does she have the experience? obviously, she does. she was secretary of state, a u.s. senator. i thought an outstanding first lady in many respects, breaking the mold. >> reporter: the war of words cooling for a moment. >> do you believe he's qualified to be president? >> yes. you know, as i said, i would take him over donald trump or ted cruz any day. >> reporter: but the race remains highly contentious. >> you may have heard senator sanders say i'm unqualified to be president. well, seriously -- seriously, i've been called a lot of things

over the years, but unqualified has not been one of them. >> reporter: it's a bitter fight for the new york primary. >> thank you, south bronx! >> reporter: with both sides taking out their own turf. visiting buffalo, clinton took a page out of the playbook from her two u.s. senate wins here. >> i am so excited to be here and to see the extraordinary achievements of this community. >> reporter: sanders went home to brooklyn, the streets of his childhood, reminding voters he's a new yorker by blood. >> i spent the first 18 years of my life in apartment 2-c right here. >> reporter: the race for the white house has taken a decidedly local turn, with the nerve centers of both campaigns in brooklyn. each office taking on the style of its candidate. inside the sanders office, supporters are trying to channel his momentum into a new york upset. >> every state we've gone to we've been told what we can't do and we continued to defy the

odds and win. >> we're calling, hoping we have your support for hillary clinton. >> reporter: sanders' campaign manager says his team is gearing up for a forefight at the convention. >> many people on the campaign, you'll have floor experience in the democratic party so we're looking at all of our options. >> reporter: clinton campaign manager robby mook dismissed that possibility. >> the stakes are so high here for democrats, for americans, that senator sanders will believe in the importance of bringing his party today, making sure the white house stays in democratic hands. >> reporter: on the campaign trail in pennsylvania, former president bill clinton sought to move beyond his heat exchange with protesters on thursday, whom he tangled with for 15 minutes. >> it bothers me now that that happens. so, i did something yesterday in philadelphia i almost want to apologize for. >> that was cnn's jeff zeleny reporting for us. new york will be the spotlight for next week's cnn democratic

presidential debate. hillary clinton and bernie sanders face off live from brooklyn, next thursday, 9:00 p.m. on the u.s. east coast, only here on cnn. and the republican presidential candidates are ramping up their fight to secure 1237 delegates. that's how many are needed to clinch their party's nomination. donald trump leads with 746 delegates. ted cruz with 525. and john kasich with 145. if no candidate reaches the threshold, rendell gates will vote for their party's nominee in a contested convention set for july. during the coming day, the race for delegates continues in the state of colorado. in less than two weeks, 95 delegates there are up for grabs in new york state. that is the home of the republican front-runner donald trump. sara murray has more. >> reporter: donald trump stepping away from the trail to regroup and firing off a

reminder that he has priorities beyond his bid for the presidency. tweeting, so great to be in new york. catching up on many things. remember, i am still running a major business while i campaign. and loving it. trump laying low as his campaign crafts a plan to clinch the nomination before cleveland. >> the reality is, ted cruz has seen his best day. the reality is, this convention process will be over with some time in june. probably june 7th. and it will be apparent to the world that trump is over the 1237 number. >> reporter: trump's recently named convention manager paul manafort making it clear he'll play a prominent role in the campaign from now on and report directly to trump. >> i work directly for the boss. i listen to everybody, but i have one man whose voice is louder than everybody else. >> reporter: manafort adding his role is a sign trump is ready to take a more strategic approach to the race. >> because the campaign comes in stages, he also understands there comes a time when winning

isn't enough. it's how you win and how much you win. >> reporter: meanwhile, ted cruz is still trying to make the case that he has a path to 1237 delegates, even as his campaign hustles behind the scenes to prepare for a contested convention. >> we have a clear path forward to get to 1237 delegates. it's difficult. we have to win and we have to win consistently. >> reporter: skroouz telling cnn's dana bash, even as he vies to lead the party, he won't apologize to senate majority leader mitch mcconnell of accusing him of lying. >> no apology to mitch mcconnell? it could help you. >> my focus isn't on washington. if washington lobbyist want to see that happen, they can hold their breath for a long, long time. >> reporter: john kasich soldiered on and took a swipe at trump along the way. >> we're not winning. we're winning on everything. we are still the strongest country by far in the entire world and people ought to stop whining about america. >> reporter: the kasich campaign also going after cruz on the air

waves, dismissing the texas senator's chances of winning the nomination or the general election. >> don't be fooled, ted cruz can't win the nomination outright. and he can't defeat hillary clinton either. breaking news we are following this hour. the u.s. secretary of state john kerry has just landed in afghanistan on a surprise visit there. cnn global affairs correspondent elise joins us by phone. what more do we know about the mission going to afghanistan, what the secretary of state has to deliver or say? >> reporter: well, george, he's really here to co-host the u.s./afghan bilateral commission, which is really an annual meeting, to review the progress in various areas the two countries outlined in their strategic partnership of 2012. so, we're talking about security and defense, democracy and

governance and development. he's also here to shore up the national unity government of president ashraf gone any and abdullah abdullah. secretary kerry negotiated this national unity government about 18 months ago. they're five months into the term. the two gentlemen are still locked into a power struggle over key appointments, the future of the government very uncertain. they're facing a resurgent taliban. taliban making a lot of ground here. basically what secretary kerry is trying to do is shore up the government and also talk to the troops, make sure -- thank them for their service and stalk about how the government can move ahead on its plans for reconciliation with the taliban, although ahead of the fighting season, it really remains unclear whether the taliban is even interested in talking, george. >> elise labbot on the phone with us. stand by.

the traveling with the u.s. secretary of state. >> i would like to bring in our own nick paton walsh who is live on the ground there in kabul to tell us about this trip. we just heard elise talking about the secretary of state planning to talk to the troops, also to shore up support there. what more do you know on the ground? >> reporter: well, this is a pivotal time for secretary of state's visit. the national unity government, the compromise between the man who is now afghan president ashraf ghani and the man who is the ceo, and they didn't agree on the winner of the last election. they fought against each other. that national unity government is in severe trouble, frankly. that's widely accepted here. there's been a lot of criticism against them, a lot of debate amongst those who oppose them on how long they can sustain that government because it reaches a deed line in september-october.

a lot of technicality here. basically there's a sense of urgency that political reform needs to come here. that's aside of the security issues here. kabul itself, relatively stable, although i think a fear amongst many who live there about how the taliban infiltrated and how day-to-day crime is a problem. to the south in helmand, territorial losses in advancements. and according to the u.s. mission here, general nicholson, he said last year afghan forces lost 5500 thousand people in the fighting there. that is way more than the entire nato campaign lost while they were here over a decade. so, a moment here i think of not crisis, perhaps, but certainly real angst in kabul about the future forward, this summer's fighting season intense. the taliban have shown no real desire to come to the negotiating table right now despite the persistent message from u.s. officials. that's what they would like them

to potentially be doing. instead, they seem to be making strides on the battlefield. secretary kerry here historically comes, i think it's fair to say, at a time when there's a lot going on, when there is a sense of crisis, a sense of a need to try to almost bash heads together. there's been some bit of light in the parliament. it's just seen a measure of success in the interior minister, who has finally been approved by the afghan parliament as has the president's choice for attorney general. there's a very rare moment of hope in a story that's seen the defense and intelligence chiefs, the acting officials because the parliament won't approve them. it means a country facing the most resurgent insurgency it's seen in over a decade, having to fight that with an acting defense minister, acting intelligence chief. hugely hamstringing their operations here. afghanistan is facing the most difficult fighting season i think it's going to have this summer ahead of it.

it's going into it with security forces that are severely hit by casualties. it's going into it with still the message coming from washington that they're going to bring their troops down from 9,800 now to 5,500 next year, despite the territorial losses in helmand and elsewhere. and i think secretary kerry will have to make a very clear message of u.s. support here and i think, too, try to find a way to get abdullah abdullah and president ghani to keep this unity government on track and rekindle public support for it here in afghanistan. >> nick paton walsh giving us the political landscape the secretary of state will be maneuvering while he's there. thank you for your reporting. i'd like to bring back in elise labbot, who is traveling with the secretary of state. elise, nick brought up the issue of security. what can you tell us about

security that's under way as the secretary is in kabul? >> reporter: we're go to board the helicopters. i don't know if you can hear me very well. the u.s. secretary needs to show support at times where the afghans know the president has decided to draw down those troops to 5,500. it's certainly not what the afghan government wants to hear, but it is something that will be happening toward the end of the year if the president follows through on his pledges. there are some commanders who think it's too early, that this should be more of a conditioned-based withdrawal. we'll have to see through the fighting season whether conditions are in place for these troops to draw down. certainly, the afghans facing a lot of ground from the taliban. they're not in a position where they can go it alone. they still need u.s. weapons, they still need more training and they still need more air support, george. >> elise labbot there as the

helicopters are about to take off. thank you so much for your reporting. we'll stay in touch with you. you're watching "cnn newsroom." it is 5:30 on the u.s. east coast. we'll be back after this. the call just came in. she's about to arrive. and with her, a flood of potential patients. a deluge of digital records. x-rays, mris. all on account...of penelope. but with the help of at&t, and a network that scales up and down on-demand, this hospital can be ready. giving them the agility to be flexible & reliable. because no one knows & like at&t.

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♪ you'll just have to miss it! ♪ yeah, you'll just have to miss it! ♪ ♪ we can't let you download... uh, no thanks. i have x1 from xfinity so... don't fall for directv. xfinity lets you download your shows from anywhere. i used to like that song. welcome back to our viewers here in the united states and around the world. you are watching "cnn newsroom." it is good to have you with us. i'm george howell. we are following breaking news this hour. a surprise visit by the u.s. secretary of state to afghanistan. at this point, we know that he is there to talk about troops, u.s. troops that are presently on the ground.

some 9800 that are presently there and plans to draw that down to about 5,000. also we know he is there to show support for that country's leadership. cnn's elise labbot is traveling with the u.s. secretary of state. we'll stay in touch with her and bring developments as we hear back from her. we also have our own nick paton walsh on the ground in kabul. again, reporting from those two journalists. team coverage later in this show. the online media wing of isis claims the terror group has released hundreds of factory workers in syria. they were taken hostage when isis captured a sprawling cement factory north of damascus on wednesday. isis says it has released 300 workers because they are muslims and not loyal to the syrian regime. at least 20 others, though, are still being held. according to isis, four people have been executed because they belonged to a minority shiite sect. isis has all but destroyed

syria's ancient city of palmyra and now the hermitage museum in russia has a plan to restore the 2,000-year-old structure. matthew chance has this report for us. >> reporter: the old amphitheater at palmyra was used as isis as a back drop for public executions. russian drone video shows it's now one of the few monuments there still standing. other irreplaceable structures like this monumental roman arch was simply razed to the ground by the so-called islamic state. the kremlin says helping recapture and now demine palmyra is one of the major achievements of its air war. now, one of russia's most prominent museums with an important palmyra collection wants to help restore the unique site. >> palmyra is one of the few surviving ancient cities when we

come to rome, we see ruins. we see more than that, buildings. palmyra is a nation site as the status it was. it's a great structure and a great archeological site. >> reporter: russia's archeological interest and expertise in palmyra is real. this hermitage collection of artifacts from the city, like these tariff stones inscribed with both ancient greek scripts is one of the most important outside of syria. even more so now that so much of palmyra has been destroyed by islamic state. >> you can project them down on the pyramid. >> reporter: you can see thems a hologram. >> yeah, in the middle. >> reporter: volunteers at the museum are developing a more high-tech approach. building holographic models of the palmyra buildings, breathing life, they say, into the ancient city. >> the main point are the

reconstructions they made, now shown in the hologram, are real reconstruction with the real sizes and texture of how it used to be before the explosions. >> reporter: right. that can be useful when it comes to restoring the site? >> exactly. >> reporter: only once palmyra is secure, say museum officials, will a russian team be sent to assess the archeological damage. it could be years before the cultural vandalism of isis is undone. matthew chance, cnn, st. petersburg. a canadian delegation has concluded its trip to north korea to meet with the detained pastor sentenced to hard labor for life. now the reverend's family is waiting for news on their loved one. cnn's will ripley has been following this story and is now live in beijing. will, i know you have definitely followed this story for some time. there are great concerns now about the pastor's health. what more can you tell us? >> reporter: yeah, i spoke with the family spokeswoman, lisa

pak, who tells me they've had brief communication with the canadian delegation that went from seoul and went out friday. according to the family, his health is now a serious concern. i interviewed the pastor, he's 60 years old, i met him in january shortly after he was sentenced to hard labor for life. at that time he said he was receiving regular medical checkups, three meals a day. while he lost some weight, he said and appears to be in good health. according to the family, that has changed now. they're also concerned about his emotional well-being. he's been detained in north korea for more than a year now. he was detained last january. going in on a humanitarian trip for his church outside of toronto. they run a number of nonprofit organizations in the country to try and help everything from young children to senior citizens who are struggling. however, the north korean government said the pastor on more than 100 trips into the country was actually going in

and trying to subvert the regime using religion. they said he came in under the false pretense of helping children but was preaching an anti-north korean message which is why he was sentenced to hard labor for life. the family has hope because this canadian delegation was able to meet with him, perhaps there will be movement in his case. if his health is a concern, that could speed things up a bit. in the past we have interviewed other detainees held on religious grounds, jeffrey fowl, both released after intervention by u.s. government. but since the pastor is canadian, they are taking the lead. i spoke with a spokesperson for the canadian foreign affairs office confirmed the trip but wouldn't discuss the case with north korean official. >> will ripley following this course for us in beijing. we appreciate your reporting and we'll stay in touch with you for this.

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now are you with me? to awesomeness! to watchathon!! big is back. xfinity watchathon week starts april 18. the greatest collection of shows free with xfinity on demand. welcome back. in the u.s. state of south carolina, lawmakers have introduced a bill that would require transgender people to use public bathrooms matching their sex at birth instead of the gender they identify with. this comes as other southern states in the united states are considering or passing laws seen as discriminatory against the lbgt community. our affiliate wdpe has more. >> now they want men who claim to be women to go in the bathroom with children. and you got corporations that say this is is okay.

well, i want to stand with north carolina, i think you should as well with our neighbors to the north, who are showing common doesn'tcy and common sense. >> reporter: in the two weeks since the so-called bathroom bill passed in north carolina, big businesses like paypal have announced they're pulling out of the state. four states in four cities have canceled nonessential government travel quoting discrimination against the lbgt community. >> it's not what they're saying. it's a direct target to the lbgt community. and senator bright is known for starting these bills that do target the lbgt community. >> reporter: local leaders fear now the same implications would happen here should the bill now in the south carolina senate pass. in a statement, the president's ceo of myrtle beach chamber of commerce called it sad and disappointing. saying in part, instead of meeting the employment needs of thousands of residents and planning on finishing interstates to tourist

destinations in south carolina, our elected officials are talking about bathroom signs. governor haley calling the bill unnecessary. >> we haven't had any issues that i'm aware of. i've often said south carolina doesn't have to mandate respect. it's something we have naturally, our citizens do. >> reporter: still some south carolinians say safety is the goal of the bill, not discrimination. >> if they still have male parts, they should be using a male bathroom because it could make women uncomfortable. >> i wouldn't want someone who is a male going into a bathroom and my daughter being in there. >> reporter: safety concerns going both ways. >> let's say someone born as a boy but they identify all their adult life as a woman, all outward appearances they're a woman, if they go in the men's room they'll be harassed or bullied there. >> and the debate continues in the united states. switching now to weather. you know about kitesurfing but derek van dam is here. this is taking it to extreme.

>> extreme. instead of kite surfing where you have a liquid surface to fall into. >> which is tough enough. >> i tried it last week. these are taking it to another level, being a hard surface, ice, snow. that's 350 kite surfers, actually snowkiters. they're competing from over 30 countries. they can choose a snowboard or ski to help control their kite. they went into this competition, they had to travel 100 kilometers via that mode of transportation, which is heavily dependent on the wind and weather conditions across the area. >> could you do it? >> i would give it a shot. i think i'd be a bit nervous. can you imagine falling with this strapped to your body? yikes. that's very scary. i have a whole new appreciation for that because a few days ago i was in south africa and i was trying kite surfing for the first time.

that's quite a sport. now, you need to be in a warm climate for that. unfortunately, what i'm about to talk about is a cold climate topic. that is winter holding onto the eastern united states. unfortunately, if you're traveling to d.c., perhaps into new york city or philadelphia, you have to be prepared for very chilly conditions. in fact, freeze warnings intact from iowa all the way to the east coast. look at this roller coaster of a forecast for new york city. temperatures below freezing tomorrow morning. we have the potential to break records across maybe 10 to 15 different cities over the eastern u.s. be prepared for that cold weather. yes, even the possibility of that four-letter "s" word, snow. you see that shading from pittsburgh to philly. maybe a few flakes will fall in new york city but i expect it to stay warm enough to keep that in the liquid variety. george, wow, winter just not letting go over the eastern u.s. >> i wish it would go away. >> i do, too. >> thank you very much. you're watching cnn news

room. still ahead, the marijuana business is booming in argentina. but there's a catch. shops are not allowed to sell the actual plant. we'll explain next. bounce back like it used to? neutrogena hydro boost water gel. with hyaluronic acid it plumps skin cells with intense hydration and locks it in. for supple, hydrated skin. hydro boost. from neutrogena

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welcome back to "newsroom." i'm george howell. in argentina, marijuana is producing profits for shops in buenos aires, even though the businesses are not allowed to sell the actual plant, at least yet. entrepreneurs hope the country will legalize the plant once and for all. diego has this report for us. >> reporter: buenos airies has a unique cannabis business where the business consists of everything except the cannabis itself. >> translator: i always explain i cover 99% of the business. i don't touch seeds, and that's the remaining 1%. >> reporter: sales of seeds and products with thc, the active chemical in cannabis, is illegal. courts have tolerated possession for personal use and have recently allowed medicines containing thc in specific cases. there are no restrictions on the sale of flower pots, fertilizer and other equipment to grow marijuana.

nevertheless, if police finds the plants, there will be problems with the law. >> translator: many people are interested. we aren't talking about people only interested in the recreational use of cannabis. we're talking about a plant that has been shown in value in recent medical research and has increasing medicinal use. >> reporter: while the marijuana industry grows in argentina, to the east uruguay already allows research, medical and recreational use. chile regulated medical use. people think marijuana be will legal in argentina soon and he believes one of the 20 shops in his country's capital will go from profitable to making it big. the state of colorado in the u.s. has a population of 5.5 million people. and the legal cannabis business of $1 billion a year. meanwhile, buenos aires and surrounding areas have a population three times that size.

shops like these are awaiting a storm. a very profitable storm. the shop, opened since 2009, currently employs five people, he says, but its impact goes beyond retail. >> translator: we require fertilizer and we use a logistics network because we have to transport many goods. i have to get soil, pots and other products and that creates further economic growth. >> reporter: for a country with a relatively small manufacturing sector, this air-filtering system suggests a trickle effect. a bill introduced in congress in 2012 to legalize planting and consuming cannabis for personal use isn't currently on the government's agenda. at least for now there is only hope for an industry that buds but can't flower. diego laje, cnn, buenos aires. we leave you this hour with

a milestone in space exploration. this spectacular pinpoint landing off the main stage of a falcon 9 rocket on a platform bobbing in the ocean. four previous attempts to do so failed. the privately owned company spacex hopes to reuse rockets dozens of times to make travel cheaper. this rocket had just carried a capsule into orbit with food, supplies and experiments, all headed to astronauts on the international space station. very exciting news. thank you for being with us. i'm george howell at the cnn center in atlanta. for our viewers in the u.s. "new day" is next. for other viewers around the world, "witnesses" is next. thanks for watching cnn.

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we're happy to have you with us this morning as always. i'm christi paul. >> and i'm martin savidge in fehr victor black well. secretary of state john kerry is on ground in afghanistan this morning. another surprise stop in the middle east for him -- or a surprise for us, i should say. >> kerry is making a stop in the middle east to shore up relations with allies to fight terrorism. elise is on the phone with us. elise, he's planning to meet with you and afghan