risk, it makes you seem like a riskier choice for the voter, is going to hurt you back. we went down seven points that night. >> my choice for the vice presidency is senator dan quayle of indiana. you can tell george bush one thing, go get 'em. >> for all quayle's boasting, for all quayle's boasting, bush continues to drown in the polls. lee atwater brings in ad man sig rogich. >> we collaborated and came up with good scripts and good ideas. and then they would be tested. >> the candidate for president -- how much do we really know about michael dukakis? >> out of touch with our values

and problems. >> i thought we captured the differences between us and michael dukakis. >> though congress has natured federal spending at an alarming rate, michael dukakis has increased state spending in massachusetts twice as fast. >> the natural throwaway line is it's negative campaigning, but it ae's comparative campaigning. how do you contrast two philosophies and two ways of running for government if you can't compare? >> michael dukakis promises not to raise taxes. but as governor, he imposed the largest tax increase in massachusetts' history. he promised jobs. since 1984, massachusetts lost 90,000 blue-collar jobs. and now he wants to do for america what he's done for massachusetts. america can't afford that risk. >> people will sit there until they're blue in the face saying they hate negative ads, but they're the only ones they

remember. >> dukakis loves the moral highgrand so much, he won't left estrich play dirty. >> we had one in the camp with the helicopter flying over bush's house in kennebunkport. the ocean and the golf course s. is this where you live? >> dukakis said, i never want to see that ad go on the air. >> i wasn't listening. i mean, i made a decision, we're not going to respond. >> it was perfectly clear that they were playing hardball, and we were playing softball. and you can't win hardball with softball. >> i was doing some research on george bush, and wouldn't you know it, we found a piece of footage. >> george bush had been a pilot in world war ii, and he'd been

shot down in the pacific. >> a submarine emerged and saved him. somebody on the submarine had a camera and filmed it. we used it everywhere. you know, as much as we could. >> i, george herbert walker bush -- >> i, george herbert walker bush -- >> how does a man get to this point in his life? how does one man come so far? maybe for george bush it came when he became the youngest pilot in the navy. or perhaps this day in 1944 when he earned the distinguished flying cross for bravery under fire. >> i state law footage, and i was sick because it was -- it was phenomenal. i mean, the guy was a war hero. that is hard in the television age to overcome. >> atwater take bush to flag factories. he puts him in f-16s, and the

democrats, they tanked. literally. >> i was told to go to sterling heights, michigan, and report to the general dynamics tank factory and proving ground up there. he's going to take a ride in a tank. we had an enormous world historic campaign catastrophe.

two months to go until the election and presidential nominee michael dukakis hopes his visit to a tank factory will have the whole nation singing "hail to the chief." >> it is a real personal privilege to introduce mike dukakis of massachusetts. >> to show he's a real man, dukakis is going to sit in a tank. what could possibly go wrong? >> there's a site advance person, there's press people and motorcade, and my job was to deal with the sites. they said, you should really get a sense of what this is like. would you like to go for a ride yourself? however, when i looked at myself in a mirror and i realized i

have a bit of a nose the way dukakis does, i thought i will look terrible in the helmet and so will he. and i got incredibly nervous about putting mike dukakis in this tank. so i called the boss at headquarters and told him he's going to look terrible if he wears this helmet, and they said, well, bush was just sitting in an f-16, now we're going to sit in a tank, this is our thing, just do it. >> dukakis prepares to flex his military muscles before the national press. >> and he was excited to ride in the tank because he's a red-blooded american male, he wanted to ride in this tank, too. so you're like, all right, terrific, let's go. >> i didn't give it a second thought. i was going to get into the thing and he told me to put the helmet on. i did so. >> so the doors open and the tank emerges. and i will never forget what happened. we have this giant riser full of

press, at least 90 people. and they just burst out laughing. i mean, to a person they're just guffawing. and i think, oh, my god, we are in so much trouble. >> you're looking at a guy and you say to yourself, jesus christ, that guy doesn't belong in a tank, which is to say, that guy doesn't belong running the national security of our country. >> dukakis standing in the hatch of an abrams tank as it raced across the open field. >> we gather in lee's office and there was much howling, much laughter, much celebration.

>> he looked ridiculous, and i wrote a commercial that night. >> michael dukakis has opposed virtually every defense system we developed. he opposed anti-satellite weapons. >> he added grinding gears, so those are gears grinding the tank, you know. >> dukakis opposed the stealth bomber. >> it goes, eeh, eeh. >> and now he wants to be our commander-in-chief. >> then we froze-framed it and said america can't afford that risk. >> dukakis had a tremendous knowledge and record on education. on health care. on job creation. but that wasn't what the election turned out to be about. they defined it as who's the

risk here? >> by late september, dukakis' lead is like mist in the sun. can things get any worse for him? of course they can. >> bush and dukakis on crime. bush supports the death penalty for first-degree murderers. dukakis not only opposes the death penalty, he allowed first-degree murderers to have weekend passes from prison. one was willie horton, who murdered a boy in a robbery, stabbing him 19 times. despite a life sentence, horton received ten weekend passes from prison. horton fled, kidnapped a young couple, stabbing the man and repeatedly raping his girlfriend. weekend prison passes, dukakis on crime. >> the willie horton ad comes not from the official republican campaign, but from pro bush activists. >> willie horton was a black american, and i think one of the reasons the campaign did not want to associate itself directly with the ad is that they felt that people might interpret it as being a racist ad. >> weekend prison passes,

dukakis on crime. >> but lee atwater smells fresh blood. >> lee knew that it was powerful. lee knew that it fit a liberal stereotype that would make a larger point about dukakis. >> atwater wants to put willie horton front of stage, but he knows he's playing with fire. >> lee also knew that it could be radioactive with bush, that if it weren't handled right, bush wouldn't use it. bush would declare it off-limits. >> atwater and ailes take a different tack. casting a shadow over dukakis' prison weekend furlough program by making a spector of willie horton. >> we felt that the furlough policy in massachusetts was too lenient. and so did we push it? yes, we did.

>> as governor michael dukakis vetoed mandatory sentences for drug dealers -- >> we went to a prison site in utah, we created and built a set, the revolving prison door? >> his revolving door prison policy gave weekend furloughs to first-degree murderers not eligible for parole and many are still at large. now michael dukakis says he wants to do for america what he's done for massachusetts. >> the revolving door ad accomplished what lee atwater said was his goal, which was to make willie horton into dukakis' running mate. >> we like mike. we like mike. >> the dukakis team arrives in california for the final debate. willie horton looms over the agenda like the grim reaper. >> this is our last chance in front of a national audience of that size. what if he gets the willie horton question? what is he going to say?

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if you would all please take your seats, it would -- >> with just three weeks until voting day, the candidates prepare for a face-to-face battle. top of the agenda, crime. >> it's what we had spent most of our debate prep doing, was

getting ready for the willie horton question. there was going to be a question coming, whose side are you on? the criminals or the victims? >> ladies and gentlemen, on behalf of the debate commission, we welcome you. >> estrich believed the answer is in michael dukakis' own family history. both his father and brother have been victims of violent crime. >> this is what the answer has to be, however they frame the question. i know what it's like to be the victim of crime. i found my brother who was killed on the side of the road, left to die by a hit-and-run driver. my father in his 70s in his medical office, they came in, they tied him up, robbed him, took the medicines, a 75-year-old man. so, believe me, i know what it's like to feel that pain.

great answer, huh? >> vice president george bush, the republican nominee. >> you know, the lighting looks good, the vice president walks on stage very powerfully and strong, he looks presidential. [ applause ] >> there are no restrictions on the questions that my colleagues and i can ask this evening -- >> i was watching in the senior staff room that i had set up in the basketball arena for ucla. >> the candidates have no prior knowledge of our questions. >> susan estrich is there. >> the first question goes to governor dukakis. >> the first question comes in. >> governor, if kitty dukakis were raped and murdered, would you favor an irrevocable death penalty for the killer?

>> oh. here it is. it's a lay-up. here it is, it's a layup. it's so easy for dukakis to react with genuine emotion and anger and righteous indignation at the idea that somebody would murder his wife. >> i know what it's like. that was where the answer had to go. >> no, i don't, bernard. and i think you know that i have opposed the death penalty all my life. i don't see any evidence that it's a deterrent. i think there are better and more effective ways to deal with crime. we've done so in my own state and that's why -- >> and i thought, dead. >> when he answered the way he did, which was clinically and analytically, we just -- it just -- all the air went out of the room. >> did we just lose the election? >> we have the biggest drop --

>> that was a perfect answer. >> there was jumping, there was fist pumping. we knew that it was going bush's way in a dramatic fashion. >> people were looking for something a lot more emotional than what i gave them. >> i would like to thank all of you for joining us this evening. >> an ecstatic lee atwater meets the press. >> dukakis was so squeamish tonight about being a liberal. i mean, i think that was the most interesting thing, he stayed on the defensive all evening long. >> i saw him coming off the stage, and he said, "i'm sorry. i blew it. i'm sorry." i said, "we're all just doing the best we can." and, you know, we just cratered in the polls.

>> three weeks later, george h.w. bush thunders home with almost 80% of the electoral college votes. >> the people have spoken. and with -- [ cheers and applause ] >> there's no question that the attacks hurt and my failure to anticipate them and be ready for them from the beginning was a huge mistake on my part. >> i, george herbert walker bush, do solemnly swear that i will faithfully execute the office of the president of the united states. >> my father went back to work the next morning. he walked to the subway, went back to the statehouse to go do his job. and that was unsurprising to most of us. >> congratulations. >> thank you.

♪ >> lee atwater used to say -- and he was right about this -- that there's a little boat and on this little boat are the people the american people can imagine being president. they are the kind of people who have the stature or experience. george bush was in the boat. dukakis never made it in.

welcome to our viewers here in the united states and around the world. you are watching "cnn newsroom." i'm george howell. we continue covering the breaking news this hour. two very strong earthquakes and the deadly aftermath on opposite sides of the pacific rim. the first to hit japan on saturday, and now ecuador. a magnitude 7.8 quake there struck the coastline. so far, at least 77 people are dead, nearly 600 more are injured. rescue workers are still trying to save people who may be trapped beneath a collapsed bridge. a state emergency remains in effect. state of emergency in place across many parts of the area. the epicenter of this initial quake was about 170 kilometer,

107 miles, from the capital of ecuador, quito. some 55 aftershocks have been felt so far. let's get the latest on this earthquake and the damage that is still being repaired. the weather is playing into. this our meteorologist, derek van dam, is here. >> first we'll talk about japan and then move to ecuador, too. obviously, very busy in the weather center. busy for the search and rescue crews, as well. in japan, first and foremost, they did have extremely heavy rain that moved through early in the mornings on sunday. and this was significant because that rain cannot only hamper the search and rescue efforts but bring the potential of hypothermia for anyone potentially trapped underneath rubble, for instance. another aspect to look at, as well, sometimes during these large earthquakes, water is cut off, as one would imagine. so rainwater can actually be a way to hydrate for anyone who's actually stuck within rubble, as

well. there's two ways to look at that. nonetheless, it is not good if you are in the earthquake zone, as aftershocks continue into the island of southern japan. current weather is dry, 18 degrees. that's going to change. we have another round of rain that's headed this way. by monday, especially in the morning hours, i've stopped it around 10:00 japan standard time or jst time. you see the band of showers moving through. that will hamper the search and rescue efforts going out. we clear out by tuesday. wednesday stays dry. clouds increase, and then another impressive area of low pressure moves off the east coast of china. and that will bring another round of heavy rain. you see our three-day forecast here for kumamoto. a good chance of rainfall monday. tuesday, in, wednesday, increasing cloud cover. temperatures, by the way, on monday, cold. lower teen, as well.

doesn't take long for hypothermia to set in. we could get 15 to 20 millimeters of rainfall. on the other side of the world, we're also following the earthquake in ecuador. the 7.8 that occurred hours ago. some of the first images coming through to cnn. a lot of compromised buildings. the search and recovey weather going forward for the esmeraldas region, along the northwest region of ecuador. it calls for rain, but temperatures nowhere near as cold as japan. hypothermia not a concern for the area. nonetheless, rain, not necessarily a good thing for this particular region. we do have showers and a few thunderstorms in the forecast for this area. the population that felt the shaking across northwest ecuador, 1.8 million people experiencing very strong to severe shaking. this was a significant earthquake. this is one of the most active parts of the world in terms of earthquake activity. there have been seven magnitude

7.0 since the early 1900s, rather, the year 1900. lots of activity. this is on the edge of two major tectonic plates. this is the ring of fire. we talk about this so frequent ly because this combines and stretches across the pacific rim. we expect that to continue. that will be a problem for buildings that have already been compromised and damaged. here's the typical number of aftershocks one would expect after a magnitude 7.8. you see there, george, we would anticipate roughly on average ten magnitude 8 or higher aftershocks. >> we'll stay in touch with you. the effort continues in ecuador certainly to repair damage and in japan where they're still searching for people. >> that's right. also talking about the earthquake in japan, let's get more from the red cross, and

naoki joining us from the area. i understand you just arrived in the disaster area. this is one of the areas that is most devastated. what's the situation there? >> caller: i'm one of the most beautiful areas in japan. i'm in the middle of spring, but the situation here turned badly after the disaster. what i see here is the bridge has dropped off, and the roads are cut off. and it's bad through here. >> we're seeing these image of many of the roads that, frankly, look impassable. what is it like for your teams to get into these areas and then to start searching for people? >> caller: i had to take about a four-hour tour to reach here because the shortest route has been cut off. there are many people in

evacuation centers, and the characteristic is many aftershocks which is very strong. and the people are so much scared. the first one, the second one was bigger, and that make people afraid. a more bigger one may come. that's the people. 200,000 people evacuated because of probably the fear, a lot of fear with the people. >> we talk about the earthquake and the works that your crews are doing. you bring up the point of people. seeing image of many people who are obviously doing their best to endure and get through this. have any personal stories struck you? what have you heard about getting through this thing? >> caller: sorry, i didn't get -- line is not good. >> that's okay. sure. we just want to know what you're hearing from people there on the

ground. what are people saying about their ability to get through this thing? >> caller: you see, we are quite used to the earthquake, and people have normally have much endurance for that. i think the fear that we got from the first two are still with them. i think we have yet to see until -- if the aftershocks become much less than people feeling more comfortable. >> you mention the aftershocks, but i'd like to ask you just about the weather situation there. is weather going to be an issue as the efforts continue? >> caller: no. the weather we're afraid -- last night was supposed to have a heavy rain, but the morning the sky cleared up.

we are lucky to have very good weather this sunday. >> one other question that i would like to ask. how many teams do you have -- >> yeah. we have 23 and more of medical teams has arrived. we're expecting -- i was trying to identify the site for the crew arriving from osaka. that should arrive tonight. >> thank you very much for being with us. we wish you safety again as you and your teams continue to work this to help people who have been hit by this earthquake. are you watching "cnn newsroom." ahead this hour, donald trump lost the state of wyoming to his rival, ted cruz. ahead, why trump is blaming the voting rules. live in the united states and around the world, you're watching "cnn newsroom."

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america's choice 2016, and the republican presidential race. republican ted cruz has won his party's primary in the state of wyoming. donald trump still leads in the national delegate count. now the republican front-runner is focused on tuesday's all-important primary in the state of new york. cnn has this report. >> reporter: the cruz camp celebrating a big win in wyoming. they walked away with all the 14 delegates who were elected at the state convention. that essentially met their expectations. cruz was the only candidate who had an organized campaign presence in this state. they began recruiting grassroots volunteers and supporters as early as last fall. trump saying he didn't want to waste resources in the state. in fact, saying that this weekend and again criticizing the delegate election process

here. this is a state that elects its delegates to the national convention through state conventions and county conventions. instead of an open primary. i talked to one trump supporter here who said had it been the other way around, and there had been a primary here, the result may have told a much different story. >> if people could go to the polls and actually vote for their man, i never liked the idea of one person deciding, you know, 1,500 people's votes. i just -- it never rubs me right. it always bothered me. one man, one vote. >> reporter: ted cruz picking up more momentum after this weekend, coming out of wyoming. although, trump and kasich, who are in new york campaigning this weekend, expect to turn the tides come tuesday. ana cabrera, cnn, casper, wyoming. on the democratic side, candidate bernie sanders says he had an extraordinary meeting with pope francis, but he's not sharing what the pope told him. saturday sanders arrived back in

new york from rome. he thanked the pope for raising awareness about economic inequality. sander was at the vatican for a conference and previously met with pope francis before he flew to a migrant camp in greece. >> translator: it's called manners and not getting involved in politics. if anyone thinks that a greeting is getting involved in politics, then i recommend they look for a psychiatrist. >> the democratic front-runner, hillary clinton, has repeatedly attacked sanders on gun control. 20 years ago, the vermont senator voted against a key law mandating federal background checks on gun sales. now sanders says he supports gun-control reform. still on saturday, clinton slammed him again while campaigning in california. >> i will continue to take on the gun lobby for common sense gun safety measures.

[ applause ] this is one of the biggest differences between senator sanders and myself. no matter how often he's asked by family members of those who have been murdered, he sticks to his talking points. >> as organizations and whole states boycott north carolina over controversial legislation, the nba commissioner says its all-star basketball game will stay there for now. details on that story coming up.

welcome back to "cnn newsroom." i'm george howell. cnn has been granted a rare interview with a high-ranking north korean official who is well acquainted with u.s. politics. and now, will ripley joins us live from pyongyang, north korea. you have been following this and spoke to that official. he's talking about some of the rhetoric that's been heard on the campaign trail, specifically from donald trump. >> reporter: yeah, you remember

a few weeks back, donald trump caused a lot of shock and bewilderment in this part of the world. there were comments in japan and south korea about trump's remarks, that those two countries, key u.s. allies that the united states is bound by treaty to protect with its military, trump essentially said the military should pull out of the countries, and they might have their own nuclear weapons instead to defend against the threat from north korea. it was a shocking statement. until now, we didn't hear anything from north korea itself about this. we sat down with one official who's well connected in pyongyang. and he told us that he thinks that the comment is not only illogical but potentially dangerous. do north korean officials understand american politics like the long-type dim mat and former ambassador is deputy director of the snuft of international studies. his pyongyang think tank monitors global events and reports back to north korean leadership.

"we're not really interested in the u.s. election," he says. "we don't care who become the next u.s. president. when republicans or democrats take power, it has nothing to do with us. u.s. politicians have always had a hostile policy against korea." he's one of a handful of north koreans who are k access the internet. state media doesn't cover details of the u.s. presidential campaign. the average person wouldn't even raze recognize any of the candidates. in recent months, each has spoken out against north korea's nuclear and missile programs. >> good to be with you! >> reporter: the republican front-runner, donald trump, shocked allies in ashe which he suggested japan and north korea could arm themselves with nuclear weapons. >> nobody has them. north korea has nuke. japan -- nukes. japan has a problem with that. maybe they would be better off if they defend themselves from north korea. including with nukes, yes. >> reporter: what is north korea's response? "donald trump's remarks are totally absurd" and illogical, he says. "the u.s. tells us to give up

our nuclear program, is preparing a nuclear attack against us, and on the other hand would tell its allies to have nuclear weapons? isn't this a double standard?" pyongyang has not responded to donald trump's remarks. last week, satire scolded president obama for u.s. nuclear policy in the voice of abraham lincoln. "even in a country known for bellicose rhetoric, i believe his ideology is dangerous," he said. "trump's remarks give us a deeper look at america's hostile view toward my country. simply put, america's hostile acts against us are making the situation on the korean peninsula worse." he warns a policy like trump's would only escalate north korea's nuclear arms race. last year, north korea reached out to the u.s. government asking for peace talks. when pyongyang said they would not consider stopping their nuclear program if a deal was reached, then washington

rejected that request. so essentially the standoff continues. and the north koreans say the rhetoric out from the campaign trail's certainly not helping the situation, george. >> cnn's will ripley live in pyongyang, north korea. we appreciate your reporting there. we will stay in touch with you for more reporting from north kor korea. now to the united states. several southern states are feeling the economic backlash from new laws critics say discriminate against the lgbt community. north carolina is among them. the laws there force transgender people to use public restrooms matching the sex on their birth certificate. in response, cirque du soleil has joined a list of acts to cancel their performances in the state because of the law. for now, the national basketball association says it plans to play its all-star game in north carolina despite calls to relocate it. >> the law as it now stands in north carolina is problematic for the league.

there was flow discussion of moving the all-star game. what the view in the room was, we should be working toward change in north carolina. the best role for the league to play here is through constructive engagement toward change, not setting deadlines, not making ultimatums, but working with the private sector and the government to affect change in north carolina. >> our national correspondent is with us live. paolo, you've been following the controversialing well. north carolina is not the only state. >> absolutely not. it seems to be this wave of debate that continues to sweep across the southeast. you have, as you mentioned, north carolina. mississippi is perhaps the state that has the most sweeping law. really, the focus here is north carolina because you have the national basketball association here that is involved. you have obviously the bottom line of the state that could potentially be affected. so as a result, you have the

head of the nba now speaking about this controversy, and you mentioned something very important, too. the game is going to stay in north carolina for now. that's because the commissioner was fparticular about saying no final decision has been made. at the same time, they are in a unique position, the league, with respect to making change happen. that's because they are hoping to really not send that mixed message. if they do yank the game out of state, what message would that send since north carolina's team is in the playoffs. >> right. >> there is concern if they do go ahead and remove the game from the state, there is perhaps no leverage here, no incentives for the state to actually consider either changing the spot or removing it altogether. >> it is interesting to see the push back and forth between businesses and then people who want this controversial measure. you know, the question, is north carolina's governor, is he

responding to demands to repeal, or even change this bathroom law, as it's called? >> we saw a response this week with the governor's executive order that pushed further protections for state employees. critics saying that is not enough. they want this law repealed altogether. and you brought up a good point. the business impact here. you have to consider in the world of business and politics, sometimes politics come first. this is something that the states are considering, not just north carolina, but several other in the united states, as well. >> very interesting. business came first here in the state of georgia. >> absolutely. >> a similar measure came up and was vetoed. even with the economic fallout, are there states still considering these type of measures? >> you don't have to go too far. you have south carolina that despite opposition from a republican governor, lawmakers are still hoping to spruce a very similar piece of -- to introduce a very similar piece of legislation. let's look ahead. you can expect the conversation

to continue or move south of north carolina. and then also keep tennessee on your radar. in the week ahead, we expect lawmakers to bring up two separate issue. we have a similar bathroom bill. and also a therapist bill that could potentially end up on the tennessee governor's desk as early as this week. again, this is -- this conversation that's happening, these -- the debate that continues, i think you have the other side of the coin then g. to louisiana where the governor has signed an executive action essentially outlawing discrimination against some of the state employees. they are clearly trying to get ahead of the curve since there's so much potential for the -- for impacts on the state's bottom line here in the united states. >> one other question just for our international viewers here in the united states and around the world, can you explain the crux of the measure in north carolina specifically? >> the big issue here and the reason why so many critics call this state-sanctioned discrimination is because it forces or at least requires transgender individuals to use the bathrooms that would correspondent with the sex on

their birth certificate. so that is very similar to what we saw in mississippi, for example. i had the opportunity to speak to people in mississippi, and they also have a fairly similar law that's in place. in fact, they're the last one that signed one of these pieces of legislation into law. and they say this is simply state-sanctioned discrimination. they don't feel that this is a piece of legislation that should be in place. again, a debate far from over, not just in mississippi but north carolina and others. >> it will be interesting to see where this goes. cnn's paolo sandoval. thank you very much for your time. thank you for being with us this hour. i'm george howell at the cnn center in atlanta. we'll be back with another hour of news from around the world. thanks for watching cnn, the world's news leaders.

welcome back to our viewers here in the united states and around the world. you're watching "cnn newsroom" i'm howl. we continue to cover the breaking news that -- i'm george howell. we continue to cover the breaking news this hour. two earthquakes in the pacific. we begin in ecuador. a 7.8 earthquake struck the coastline there. the epicenter, 170 kilometers or just over 100 miles from the capital city of quito. 77 people are confirmed dead, and nearly 600 more are injured. some 55 aftershocks have been

felt since that initial earthquake. and here, some powerful video coming from the city where rescue workers are trying to save people stuck beneath a collapsed bridge. many of the areas are still in a state of emergency. our meteorologist, derek van dam is, here with us as crews assess the extent of the damage there. >> reporter: the extent of the damage is catastrophic in many parts of ecuador. and you know, it seems as if this is a major thing that we'll continue to monitor. aftershocks are going to be a concern going forward. and yeah, this is an area that has produced some of the world's largest earthquakes. this is no different. you're looking at some of the images coming to cnn. ies esmeralda city. one of the many areas hardist hit by the magnitude 7.8

earthquake. this says it all. i want to take note of the infrastructure across the area. i was talking to a producer off screen a few minutes ago, trying to compare the resilience of these countries, japan, very resilient to earthquakes of this magnitude. ecuador, not quite the same infrastructure. the ability to cope with strong earthquake as what we're seeing here. and this -- this is just unreal as daylight comes to fruition in the next several hours. they will be assessing the damage fully. let's reassess. magnitude 7.8, shallow earthquake. 19.2 kilometers below the surface of the earth. this is on the northwestern section of ecuador. we zoom in closer. this is the u.s. geological survey shake map. indicates around two million people felt strong or very strong shaking from the 7.8.

they have the ability to assess the potential fatalities from an earthquake of this magnitude. you see in this graph, it outlines between 100,000 and 1,000 people when compared to earthquakes with a similar magnitude and population and similar depth. this is what we would anticipate going forward. we have the official toll at 77 at the moment, unfortunately. the magnitude offer further aftershock, you see that we could potentially experience maybe five to ten magnitude 5.8 or greater from here on forward. this is going to be something that they will consider as the search and rescue efforts go forward. some of the buildings and structures across the area which are more or less brick and mortar, they are compromised and further aftershocks could bring them down quite eisley. the chance of rain tuesday and

wednesday. the good news, temperatures relatively warm when compared to japan. we don't expect the onset of hypothermia to be a concern for the search and rescue efforts as rain moves through. japan, that's another story. we'll touch on that later in the hour. weather could play a factor. thank you very much. we move to japan. rescue crews are still busy in the desperate search to find people who may be trapped under rubble. this after the managetude 7. -- magnitude 7.0 earthquake. the death toll stands at 32 people. the nation was trying to recover from a tremor that killed nine two days before. more than 1,000 people have been injured in the two quakes. japan's prime minister is calling the search for survivors "a race against the clock." the government has deployed 25,000 troops to join the search for those missing. cnn is on the ground in kumamoto, japan. matt rivers is live with us. good to have you again.

if you could first tell our viewers about the situation at the evacuation centers. i understand you did stay overnight with many of the residents there. what was that experience like? >> reporter: we did, the evacuation shelter was very, very full. everyone here, when their house was catastrophically damaged or when it only had minor damage, chose to stay in the evacuation shelters. frankly, they were nervous about the fact that the aftershock might be worse or as bad as the first two earthquakes you mentioned. today the first day since the sun is shining, as compared to yesterday when it was raining. today for the first time, residents here could get back into the neighborhoods and take a look at what kind of damage had been done. we spoke to one woman as she visited her residence for the first time. her 80-year-old father survived when this building collapsed on top of him. and that's the only piece of good news kyomi has got.

"it's just so surreal," she says. "i'm still in shock." her family ran a salon in this building for 40 years. they lived together in the back. two earthquakes, the first on thursday, then again on saturday, shredded her home. "it's devastating," she says, "utterly devastating." kyomi is like tens of thousands of other in southwest japan still realing from the unexpected disaster -- still reeling from the unexpected disasters. dozens killed, hundreds injured, and some still missing, buried under twisted metal and wood. we watched as a rescue team went property by property looking for anyone still alive. it's grim work. few have been found so far. that's partly because precautions were taken. this picture is from friday, and this is what that same home looks like right now. oddly enough, many people we've spoken to in this neighborhood tell us they're happy that two earthquakes occurred. after the first one hit, tens of thousands of people were forced

to evacuate from neighborhood like this one. so when the second one hit on saturday, some 15 times stronger than the first one, there were less people around. that might have saved lives. most of those evacuees ended up at shelters like this one. parents, kids, grandparents, dogs, some don't have homes to return to. the ones that do are simply too afraid to go back for fear of more aftershocks. "everything was shaking so badly during the earthquake," he said. "i thought it was the end of my life." count kyomi among those with nowhere to go. she's staying in her car for now but was so stoic and calm when she talked to us, she only choked up when we asked her what comes next. "i wanted this business to stay in my family for generations," she says. "i'm not sure that can happen now. t "the earthquakes were over in a

few moments, but their effect will be felt far longer than that. >> reporter: so people still very afraid of aftershocks. we've felt several throughout the day, up to a half dozen. some were minor, some we could feel ourselves swaying back and forth. even if people do get over the fear of the aftershock, even as seismic activity begins to settle, when people are able to get back into their homes is a big question here. the power remains out in this area. and fresh water is currently an issue. so a long way to go toward normalcy, george. >> the aftershocks there continue. and as we can see behind your shot there, the effort, rescue efforts are still underway. matt rivers live for us in japan. thank you very much. we'll stay in touch. be sure to keep it here on cnn. we'll speak with the red cross in japan later about the aid and assistance the organization is providing the many people impacted by the two deadly earthquakes. that's coming up in 30 minutes on "cnn newsroom."

pope francis has given some refugees much more than a simple message of hope. he gave 12gees a you in home. the -- 12 refugees a new home. they had been living at a migrant camp where pope francis visited saturday. he spoke to hundreds of migrants there telling them that they are not alone, and later he told journalist that a isists share responsibility to welcome the refugees. our vatican correspondent, delia gallagher, is live in rome this hour. it's good to have you with us. what more do we know about the three families that were chosen, and what happens to them next? >> reporter: well, you know, for such a short trip, the pope was only there for five hours. certainly it left a lasting impression not only on the families bow the peoput on the pope met himself. when he was coming back on the airplane, he said it was a day for tears. he said that she was given some drawings by children showing

people drowning, and the sun crying, and the pope himself was very moved by meeting these people. he said another important thing on the island, george, which goes to a criticism that is sometimes heard when the pope tells europeans and european countries to open their doors to migrants. and the pope said, the worries expressed by institutions and people in greece and in other countries in europe are legitimate and understandable. so he spoke to that criticism that sometimes politically it can be more complex to help the migrants. he said, i want to remind people that these migrants are not just statistics. they are people with names and faces. in the dramatic way then brought back three syrian families. i shall give you their names and tell you about them. they are hasan and nure teamwork engineer with their children. romney is a teacher.

suhila is a taylor. osama and wafa are the other couple with a 3-year-old son. they're muslim syrians. their houses were bombed. two from damas cass, another from iraq. they fled to turkey and from turkey to the refugee camp where they were fortunately picked by lottery on friday evening to join the pope on his trip to italy. they will be taken care of by the catholic community here that works closely with the vatican who will help settle them in apartments paid for by the vatican. and get them jobs. george? >> very important, significant gesture by the pope. and it will be interesting to see how that plays into the politics when it comes to refugees across europe. delia gallagher, live for us. thank you for your reporting. you're watching "cnn newsroom." still ahead, a key meeting among the world's biggest oil producers is underway in qatar. how they are trying to fix

falling oil prices just ahead. plus, a north korean official is calling donald trump's comments on pyongyang absurd. hear what else he had to say about the republican front-runner in a cnn exclusive. ♪ [engine revs] ♪ ♪ [engine revving] the all-new audi a4 is here. i missed a payment. aw, shoot. shoot! this is bad. no! we're good! this is your first time missing a payment. and you've got the discover it card, so we won't hike up your apr for paying late. that's great! it is great! (both simultaneously) thank you.

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been there, done that. my chronic constipation keeps coming back. i know. tell me something i don't know. vo: linzess works differently from laxatives. linzess treats adults with ibs with constipation or chronic constipation. it can help relieve your belly pain, and lets you have more frequent and complete bowel movements that are easier to pass. do not give linzess to children under six and it should not be given to children six to seventeen. it may harm them. don't take linzess if you have a bowel blockage. get immediate help if you develop unusual or severe stomach pain, especially with bloody or black stools. the most common side effect is diarrhea sometimes severe. if it's severe stop taking linzess and call your doctor right away. other side effects include gas, stomach-area pain and swelling. talk to your doctor about managing your symptoms proactively with linzess. right now, members of the organization of petroleum-exporting countries,

opec, are holding a crucial meeting with other major oil producers in qatar that will determine the future of oil prices. overproduction has dragged down the cost of oil for the last two years. sunday's talks will focus on a plan to freeze crude production in an effort to contain the global supply glut. it is uncertain if oil producers will actually agree to that. cnn money emerging markets editor joining us live from doja with the latest. why is this meeting so critical at this time? >> reporter: well, it's -- yeah, it's amazing, george, because the market really is on edge and hoping for what they like to call the big freeze but what should be a simple task to freeze oil production at where it is today has gotten a lot more complicated the last few hours and, shall i say, more acrimonious because of some of the talks taking place. there are up to 18 countries

here, but one notable absence, and that is iran. because of sanctions, it did not want to sign on to the freeze. the host, qatar, suggested that it not attend. at the same time, just in the last 24 hours, the deputy crown prince who holds a lot of the power in saudi arabia, was suggesting that saudi arabia could add another million barrels a day immediately, two million barrels between six to nine month, and didn't like the idea that iran would not sign on to the deal. you could see the tensions. it's a good compromise to offer the freeze. there's oversupply in the market. george, even if they sign on to the agreement, there's always the issue of reality. what happens during implementation of that deal after they would leave the air. >> reaching an agreement is one thing, but implementing the terms of agreement is another thing. and opec, the history of opec, there's been cheating in the past. and there's another country which -- which is not in opec,

but i don't know if they are in the freeze, that is russia. >> reporter: so russia is a challenge. i'm supposed to speak to the russian energy minister in the next few hours. george, russia has been producing nearly 11 billion barrel a day. that's a record. can they cap it and commit to not producing more oil going forward? you know, they had this freeze concept which included russia back in february. they had four countries around the table. now we're looking at four times that amount, and that's why it's become so complicated. we thought it would just be a two-hour meeting, and it's dragging into the afternoon time. >> the meeting still ongoing. and john, talk to us about how old rivalries play into the efforts to get a deal here. >> reporter: at the bottom of all this, they are competitors, fighting for customers or for market share, these major oil players. to have saudi arabia and russia sitting down together after not

having reached an agreement before is one thing. but if you focus on saudi arabia and iran, sunni and shia rivalries. with iran coming out of the shadows and having sanctions lifted, saudi arabia's not happy about that. the deputy crown prince of saudi arabia, also the head of the supreme proetroleum council, is not happy to the fact that iran will not sign on. iranian source that i spoke to made it extremely clear, we're not going to flood the market, but you can't ask us to sign on when we've been out of the market for years. they want to add a similar amount over the next year saying we're not going to put all this oil in the market right away, but we're not going to be the first to blink. that gives an indication of the bad blood. they're trying to bridge the gaps behind closed doors with the minister. bringing the ministers is significant, but can they walk away with a deal is the question. >> the question, who will be the first to blink?

john deffterius live. thank you very much for reporting. and now to the u.s. presidential race. democratic candidate bernie sanders is trying to win over minority voters in the state of new york. the primary set for tuesday. on saturday, mr. sanders spoke to a multiracial and religious group. if elected he would become the first jewish u.s. president. the vermont senator says he has advocated for racial equality since the civil rights movement in the 1960s. >> we owe a debt of gratitude to the black lives matter movement. [ applause ] for substantially raising consciousness on this very

important issue. let's start it off. fact, we have more people in jail than any other country on earth. think about it -- china, four time our size, a communist author therriitarian country, wt more people in jail than china. 2.2 million people. disproportionately, disproportionately african-american, latino, and native american. >> and the democratic front-runner hillary clinton will land in new york soon. the former new york senator wrapped up a trip to california where she tried to appeal to voters and donors. we have this report. >> reporter: hillary clinton showing up in south los angeles at the southwest college here. with dozens of people cheering her on, listening to what she has to say. and also making sure that when protesters came forward, three of them, that they basically booed them out and chanted

"hillary, hillary," because shea wanted to hear what she had to say. most of the people showing up, supporting hillary clinton who talked about environmental policies, about climate change, and how she feels compared to how the republicans feel. she also talked very much about trump, donald trump, the front return in the republican party for the presidency of the united states. she talked about him and said, look, the reason i keep bringing up his comments on not allowing muslims into this country could is i do not want our partners around the world who are helping us fight terrorism, who are helping us grow, we don't want them to think that this is the values that americans have. i want to show a difference and make sure they know that. she brings that up. sheep also went after ted cruz, as well. who shy did not go after is -- who she did not go after is bernie sanders, who has been critical of her big-money, big-ticket phrasing that is happening this weekend. this smack dab in the middle two

of huge fund-raising events where people pay $33,000 a popper person or $353,000 to be able to sit at the table with her. the clintons and a-lister george clooney and his wife, amall, a lot of folks getting angry about that over the weekend from the bernie camp. certainly here at the college supporting hillary clinton, saying, hey, if you want to see her in person, if you want to hear what she has to say, if you want to shake her hand and talk to her, show up to these events, and it'sy from. cnn, los angeles. -- and it's free. cnn, los angeles. >> thanks. to the republican side, candidate ted cruz has won the 14 delegates up for grabs in saturday's state of wyoming case. this is in addition to nine delegates that he won there in an earlier round of voting. donald trump decided not to campaign in the state and instead is focused on new york. mr. trump said he lost wyoming because the voting rules are unfair in his words. the republican national committee denies that

accusation. despite his loss in wyoming, donald trump is still in the lead to secure the 1,237 delegates we're needed. that's how many are needed to clinch the republican nomination. mr. trump is ahead with 758 delegates followed by ted cruz, 553 delegates, and john kasich, 145. if no candidate reaches the threshold, delegates will vote for their party's nominee in a contested convention, that is set for july. cnn has been granted a rare interview with a high-ranking north korean official who is well acquainted with u.s. politics. our international correspondent, will ripley, is the only american journalist in pyongyang right now. he tells us this official calls comments on north korea bhie u. by u.s. presidential candidate donald trump absurd. here's the official report. >> reporter: few north korean officials understand american licks like the long-time diplomat and former ambassador, deputy director general of the

institute of international studies. his pyongyang think tank monitors global events and reports back to north korean leadership. "we're not really interested in the u.s. election," he says. "we don't care who become the next u.s. president. when republicans or democrats take power, it has nothing to do with us. u.s. politicians have always had a hostile policy against korea." ri is one of a handful of north koreans who can access the internet. state media doesn't cover details of the u.s. presidential campaign. the average person wouldn't even recognize any of the candidates. in recent months, each has spoken out against north korea's nuclear and missile programs. >> good to be with you. >> reporter: the republican front-runner donald trump suggested japan and north korea could arm themselves with nuclear weapons. >> nobody has them. so north korea has nukes. japan has a problem with that. i mean, they have a big problem with it. maybe they would be better off if they defend themselves from north korea. maybe we would be -- including

with nukes, yes. >> reporter: what is north korea's respond? "donald trump's remarks are totally absurd and illogical," he says. "the u.s. tells us to give up our nuclear program is, preparing a nuclear attack against us, and on the other hand would tell its allies to have nuclear weapons, isn't this a double standard? pyongyang has not officially responded to trump's remarks. last week, north korean propaganda attempted political satire adopting the voice of abraham lincoln scolding president obama for u.s. nuclear policy. "even in a country known for bellicose rhetoric, ri believes trump's ideology is dangerous. "trump's remarks give us a deeper look at america's hostile policy against my country," he says. "simply put, america's hostile acts against russ making the situation on the korean -- against us are making the situation on the korean peninsula worse." he warns a policy like trump's would only escalate north korea's numerous arms race. ♪ >> reporter: will ripley, cnn, pyongyang. you're watching "cnn

newsroom." still ahead, hundreds of thousands of people have been evacuated in japan after a series of deadly earthquakes struck in just days. up next, we'll speak to the red cross about the relief effort there. plus, businesses are pulling out of north carolina after politicians there passed a controversial law. up next, the latest reaction from a major sports league. you're watching "cnn newsroom." ♪ you're not gonna watch it! ♪

♪ no, you're not gonna watch it! ♪ ♪ we can't let you download on the goooooo! ♪ ♪ 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 in the united states and around the world. you are watching "cnn newsroom." good to have you with us. i'm george howell. and we update now our two top stories this hour.

a powerful earthquake struck the coast of ecuador. at least 77 are dead, nearly 600 more are injured. many people fled their homes fearing a tsunami. officials say the risk of tsunami has passed. even still, aftershocks continue to hit with some 55 felt since the initial quake. several areas remain in a state of emergency. in japan, people are filling in to evacuation centers fearing for more aftershocks. this after a magnitude 7.0 earthquake hit early saturday. the death toll there has now risen to 32 people dead. this is the same region that was hit by a very strong earthquake just two days earlier. that quake killed nine people. some 180,000 people had been evacuated into more than 800 shelters there. widespread power and water outages have also been reported. japan's rescue and recovery effort has already been impacted by bad weather, and it may get

hit again. derek van dam has more. with the rain the possibility of landslide. >> we've had the earthquake and the subsequent aftershocks loosened the dirt and soil on the deep mountainsides. but add rain into that factor, and that just compromise the soil even more. more rain in the forecast. not good because hypothermia is a problem. and you can imagine that anyone getting wet, say they're still stuck under rubble in the buildings, getting wet, they don't have protection to keep themselves warm. that could easily spell hypothermia. it's 17 degrees in kumamoto. it is dry, the sun is out -- about to go down at this moment in time. temperatures will drop to the lower teens tonight. and we have a break in the weather for the moment. there's rain in store for monday. i've timed it out for you here.

early monday morning, rather about 11:00 local time. i expect a band of showers, maybe rumbles of thunder to move through the extreme southern sections of japan. kyushu island potentially receiving rainfall, more rain, maybe 10, 15 millimeters of rain before it's said and done. the three-day forecast, look at the overnight lows, as well. dropping to the single digits. i was incorrect in what i said a moment ago. nonetheless, that is significant because it doesn't allow that much time for someone to get hypotherm hypothermia. we have to take this into consideration. time is of the essence at the moment. you see our chances of rain throughout the area. showers moving through, this is all thanks to our pacific ring of fire. the area that sees the most active earthquakes across the world, 90% of our earthquakes are actually -- occur across this region. and we had our moment recent one here in ecuador. here's a look at their weather forecast for the search and recovery efforts.

significantly different, warmer, but rain is also in this particular outlook. >> just bad news. the thought of more rain given the fact that the crews are doing their best. >> it is. so much to contend with at the moment. >> thank you very much. we'll stay in touch with you. for more on the quake in japan, let's bring in the representative from the red cross joining us on the phone. it's good to have you with us. i understand that you are in one of the most devastated areas. what is the situation like? how difficult was it for you to get into that region? >> it's one of the most hard-hit areas and one of the most beautiful parts of japan. we're in the middle of spring, but this is a bad scene with the landslides and collapsed houses. many people are scared because of the -- we count 14 big

aftershock after the second one. in fact, the first one was strong enough, but this one was bigger. people are afraid that there could be another big one. that makes people more scared. >> when you talk about the aftershocks, what has that experience been like? how strong are they? >> we use the japanese scales. that is more than five. and five, minus five plus six, seven. we counted 14 of this. and five minus is strong enough to make you just run out of the house. that is 14 time after that. >> we're looking at the images, the devastation seems so extensive there. we're looking at roads, many

impassable. what is the experience of crews trying to get into the areas to find out if people might be trapped under the debris the rubble from these homes? >> actually, the city, this area could be reached within 30 minutes or so. but today i took four hours, the roads with the -- how we call it, the mountains. but the road was not bad. i could reach there. >> we just heard if our meteorologist, derek van dam, that there is a possible of mudslides just given the rain that has been a problem in that area. on o top of the quake s. that a big concern for the team as they search for survivors? >> yes, heavy rain was much concern.

actually the road i took, there was no risk of any slides. but where the people are under the risk of mudslides with the continuing aftershocks and the heavy rain with -- with water within this earth. it has the risk of an additional long slide if the aftershocks continue. >> you've been talking and we've been seeing dramatic images. i want to tell you, we saw an image of a rescue worker pulling a child out of rubble and debris. i think our viewers can get a good sense. we see it there. get a good sense of what your crews are dealing with. we wish you and your teams the best of safety as that effort continues. thank you very much for your time with us. >> thank you. still ahead this hour, the

pope visited thousands of people stuck in greek migrant camps. still ahead, cnn speaks with greece's prime minister about the pope's visit and the plight of the many, many migrants still in limbo. stay with us. is my retirement. retiring retired tires. and i never get tired of it. are you entirely prepared to retire? plan your never tiring retiring retired tires retirement with e*trade. plan your never tiring retiring retired tires retirement a skin transformation olaythat rivals the

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show me "previously watched." what's recommended for me. x1 makes it easy to find what you love. call or go online and switch to x1. only with xfinity. -- in your opinion and along t . in europe, and migrants along a small greek village hoping for a visit from the pope. thousands were in a miakeshift camp when the balkan route was sealed off by europe. we heard from one refugee living there after the pope's visit. listen. >> translator: i hope it is good

for us. i wish he could visit and see us. maybe because of his visit european countries will reopen the borders and to go to the country they want. to the situation like this is very difficult. it's the same as being in our country at war. it's the same situation in syria and here. >> during his visit there to lesbos, the pope met with the greek prime minister, alexis tsipras. we have more on the migrant crisis. take a listen. i think it was a significant chance to give the correct messages to the global community in order to recognize the efforts of the greek people and to greece, in order to face this humanitarian crisis, this refugee crisis. i think it was very -- it was too important for us because we tried from the very beginning to phase this crisis in high

difficulties. i think that during the day we managed to keep our values and principles. at the same time in europe, there were some of our partners that didn't do the same. >> reporter: what countries, hungary, for instance, others? >> no sense now to say specifically, but i can say that it's not so easy for me. it is european councils. when my colleagues ask me to protect the borders by pushpack, to people on the scene. it was not so easy for me to explain to them that this is against our principles, secondly, out of the international legislation, and

it was difficult to convince my colleagues when their public opinion went against the idea to give help and aid and solidarity to these people. >> reporter: you're not naming countries names. let's talk about turkey. there was a protest outside of the gates -- >> everybody knows, i'm sorry -- everybody knows in the countries that decided unilaterally to close the balkan route. everybody knows about that. so the same time that we would try to give solidarity to the vulnerable people, some decide ed -- decided to build fences and build walls. >> reporter: the pope saying the camp he visited today is an e.u. prison. stop the deportations. that is the turkey e.u. deal. do you think it's a good deal? >> the turkey deal, it was very difficult deal. of course, there are a lot of

condition that we have to implement with high difficulty because i believe, and this is my priority, to deliver the deal on the framework of the international legislation. that's our obligation, to examine ad hoc all the asylum demands, all the -- >> reporter: it's taking a long time. there's a lot of frustration in the camps. >> the fact, the fact is that after this deal, the floods have been reduced substantially. >> reporter: is that because turkey, you believe, all along could have secured its side of the border better? >> i think that this is true. this a combination of the turkish side to implement the agreement. and -- the same time, it was

clear that the illegal routes has stopped. at the same time, a legal route start to begin. this is the substance. so the substance is to say to these people, these vulnerable people, don't trust the smugglers, don't take the risk to trust the smugglers in order to go to europe. but go with the resettlement from turkish coast and also for the location from greece. >> alexis tsipras speaking there. to the united states where several southern states are feeling economic backlash from a law that critics are calling anti-lgbt. the state of north carolina is among them. the law forces transgender people to use public restrooms matching the sex on their birth certificate. in response to the law, cirque du soleil has joined a growing list of acts canceling shows in the state of north carolina. the national basketball association says for now it

plans to play its all-star game in the state despite calls to relocate it. listen. >> the law as it now stands in north carolina is problematic for the league. there was no discussion of moving the all-star game. the view in the room is we should be working toward change in north carolina. the best role for the league to play here is through constructive engagement toward change. not setting deadlines, not making ultimatums, but working with the private sector and the government to effect change in north carolina. >> cnn national correspondent paolo sandoval is here live following the controversial legislation. and paolo, look, there's a great push and pull between business and politicians. and north carolina is not alone. >> no, last summer we began to see several states introducing

and passing measures because the supreme court of the united states legalized in essence gay marriage last summer. as a result we've seen several states introduce, and as we mentioned, pass the legislation. back to the nba tie here, we have to recognize the unique position the league was in and was called out by the commissioner. there is a very real concern. if they do remove the all-star game which is not scheduled to play out until i guess probably another ten months, but still, they're trying to -- credit rick t -- critics are trying to push it out of the state because of the law. if they do, that would it send a mixed message out there given that north carolina's professional basketball team is in the playoffs? even expected to play tonight. so there is that concern. but at the same time, what we saw and what we're hearing from the economicser here i think is he is steadfast, resolute about the league's position about discrimination, when based on race or, in this case, sexual orientation. again, he says the all-star game

will remain in north carolina for now, no final decision has been made. meanti meantime, they want to possibly repeal the law. >> i know some in atlanta have wanted the game to be here given that the governor here, nathan deal, vetoed a similar bid t of legislation. the question, in north carolina, is the governor responding to these pushes, the calls to repeal or even change the law? >> what was interesting, george, is we did see an executive order issued by north carolina's governor furthering protections for transgender state employees. critics saying that is not enough. they want the law modified or repealed because what did stay was the requirement that transgender individuals use the public restroom that corresponds with the sex that they would find on their birth certificate. >> interesting. so even with the potential

economic fallout that states are facing, are there still efforts create laws in different states? >> yeah. it's surprising here. even as -- you don't have to go far. south carolina considering legislation despite the republican governor's opposition to that. but we have to remember in the world of politics and business, sometimes politics comes first. you do have conservative states, people with traditional views when it comes to marriage and also gender identification. a lot of lawmakers and governors have them to respond to. it will be interesting to see long term what this means for the south. >> indeed. politics or business, which will take the lead? we'll see. national correspondent paolo sandoval. thank you very much. >> you bet. this is "cnn newsroom." ahead, it is a romantic story of the state of montana sort of. when we come back, the story of how bandits armed with guns couldn't stop this kissing couple. we'll have the story next. ♪ ♪

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welcome back to "cnn newsroom." hundreds of actors and filmmaker graced the red carpet saturday

at the opening of the sixth beijing international film festival. the festival has drawn more than 2,000 attendees and film organizations to the chinese capital. american actress and oscar winner natalie portman brought her directorial debut film to this year's event. the film runs until april -- femme, festival, i should say, runs until april 23rd. they say love is blind. that turned out to be true for a couple kissing at a montana watering hole. they didn't notice an armed robbery just an arm's length away. cnn's jeanne moos has the story. >> reporter: there they were kissing. caps backwards, blissfully unaware as a woman and two male robbers walked into the tap inn brand iring guns. did it stop the lovebirds? nope. they kept nuzzling as the bandits in bandanas emptied the register. one of the robbers brushed past

them. finally you see the moments when it dawns on don juan that there's a robbery in progress. the bandit even steals what may be lover boy's phone. no one was hurt, the surveillance tape went viral as everyone tapped into the tap-inn's kissing couple which upset owner bobby rhodes. he told the "billings gazette," nobody has bothered to ask so how my bartender doing. he's doing well. love is blind, says the internet, in this case, deaf and dumb, as well. the only arms they noticed were around each other. jeanne moos, cnn, new york. >> maybe really into each other and just didn't see it happen. thank you for being with us this day. i'm george howell at the cnn center in atlanta. for our viewers in the united states, "new day" is next. for other viewers around the world, "best of quest" starts in a moment. thank you for watching cnn, the world's news leader. sfx: climbing sounds

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look at this. we're starting with this breaking news this morning. deadly 7.3 earthquake in ecuador. nearly 70 killed and rescuers are