-- captions by vitac -- www.vitac.com washington braces for arrests, expected as soon as monday as part of mueller's investigation. catalonia's ousted president calls for a peaceful opposition as madrid takes control of the region. and now a mom facing a prison sentence. >> live from cnn world headquarters in atlanta, welcome to our viewers in the united states and around the world. i'm george howell. >> and i'm natualie allen. "cnn newsroom" starts right now.

the special investigation into an alleged collusion between the trump campaign and russia steps into a new phase this week, the reality here someone will be arrested. >> cnn was first to report that a grand jury had charged someone, as part of mueller's investigation. we talked earlier about what comes next. >> the charges remain sealed and no word on who is facing charges and what the charges are. we do hope that later today we may get some word on whether anyone has been asked to surrender. all indications are that at some point on monday, the indictment will be unsealed and we'll learn what the charges are. attorneys representing some of the people who are under investigation that we have talked to so far have not been asked to have their clients surrender. for now, all this still a mystery that will hopefully get answered sometime on monday. >> so even though mueller's investigation cast a shadow on

the white house for months, the trump administration remained quiet on these first indictments so far. >> and instead trump and his team have been going after one of their favorite targ oatettar hillary clinton. >> the white house is not commenting on the latest news coming from robert mueller's probe into alleged ties between the trump campaign and russia, however, they are focusing a lot of their energy on a former political opponent of the president's, hillary clinton. look at the tweets september sent out by sarah sanders. she goes on, the evidence clinton campaign, dnc and russia colluded to influence the election is indisputable. that glad reference in

quotation, that he was happy that the clinton campaign solicited the opposition research provided by fusion gps during the campaign, however, to call it collusion definitely goes a step further. beyond that earlier this week, house republicans announced they were launching an investigation into the circumstances surrounding the sale of a uranium mining company to russia. the president has alleged that the former secretary of state, hillary clinton, got bribes from russians in exchange for a favorable uranium deal. and beyond that, cnn has learned that the white house has pressed staffers to work with the department of justice to lift a gag order on a former fbi informant that has information on that sale in order for him to testify during the course of the investigation. beyond all of that, the president is also pushing the state department to release e-mails that it still has pertaining to hillary clinton's time as secretary of state.

so while the white house you would imagine would be on the defensive as news that charges stemming from robert mueller's investigation are imminent, they're on the offensive on opponent of the president that he defeated about 12 months ago. boris sanchez, cnn, at the white house. let's talk more about what we expect from this investigation this week. we're joined by brian class, a fellow at the london school of economics. thank you for being with us. first of all, monday could be a pivotal day in the investigation. what does this indicate that an indictment may be handed down? >> this is a very big deal. we have about a year past the election, now we are at a milestone moment in this investigation where somebody will be arrested. this is very bad news for the white house, because a trump affiliate almost certainly will be the person arrested. this is also making clear that the mueller investigation is going to go on for a long time. this is the beginning, this is not the end, they're not

wrapping up, they're only launching these indictments. so we may expect more of them to come. and it is also something where we can expect some reckless tweets from the president, potentially next week, this past week there was a ramping up of attacks on hillary clinton in tandem with the fact that all of this is happening behind the scenes. this pattern of lashing out is something that we should be very careful about, because it comes from the president of the united states. he's going to be on a trip to asia soon. this may be as his presidency is imperiled by impending investigations and indictments, so it is a pivotal moment for the mueller investigation and we should expect to see much more of this in the months ahead. >> and also, president trump repeatedly said this is the witch-hunt, there is nothing here, but his own top advisers acknowledged there was russian meddling in the election. so it will be interesting to see how the president comes out on the same page this week with his revelation. but then again, he doesn't seem to always care to be too concerned with the fact that

he's not always on the same page with his team. what do you think? >> the witch-hunt parallel is an interesting one. it is what nixon said when he was under investigation. that turned out not to be a witch-hunt. this one turned out not to be a witch-hunt. you don't indict people over a witch-hunt. let's look at the bigger picture. the intelligence community agreed that russia meddled in our election. in an effort to help elect donald trump. we have another election in 12 months. the trump administration has done the minimal amount to stop any future meddling. if this investigation does not go to its logical conclusion, we have a real problem if there is no deterrence to other actors to try to interfere in american democracy. it is a very serious problem. interfering in elections with a metathreat, it affects every other decision that the american government takes. so this is, you know, not a witch-hunt. this is a serious issue for american democracy. and trying to dredge up past

issues about hillary clinton as a distraction technique only threatens our democracy further by distracting people who really should be focus ed on the fact that we have a president who is potentially imperiled less than a year into the job and potentially having his affiliates get arrested in handcuffs. this is not a joke, not a witch-hunt, not some sort of partisan thing, it is a genuine investigation into criminal wrongdoing. >> we know the president is set to travel to asia at a time, very tense time with north korea. what does it say about our relationship, the united states relationship with russia, that north korea is on the table, very, very tense in that region. we still have this lingering russia issue as you say, another election is coming forward, and we really still don't have any solid positive relations with russia. >> that's true. and i think the one thing that we need to be really thinking of carefully is why has the trump

administration not executed the sanctions that were passed overwhelmingly with bipartisan support in congress with a deadline that has now passed. why have they not done that. i'll leave that answer up for viewers to decide themselves but i think there is fair amount of evidence that this investigation is calling the trump administration worry and worry with a compromise with russia. they need to enforce the sanctions. if they do not do so, there is no deterrent effect for russia to do what it did last time in again in 2018. we need to send a very clear message as a country that this will not be tolerated and there will be consequences to anyone who cyberattacks americans and american democracy. >> you're right. there is still so much unknown about our election process and how secure and safe is it. brian class for us, london school of economics, thank you, brian. >> thank you. moving on to spain, both government and catalan leaders

are calling for calm at a time when tensions are very high in that nation, just a few hours time, pro unity demonstrations will take place in barcelona. spain's central government says catalonia's bid for independence is now over. >> madrid has imposed direct rule on the region and dismantled its parliament. after they voted overwhelmingly for independence on friday. spain's deputy prime minister is now in charge. but dismissed catalan president is urging catalans to use democratic opposition to advance their calls with new elections scheduled for december. >> live in barcelona, erin mclaughlin following the story for us at this hour. there is a pro unity rally set to happen in the coming hours, of course we'll follow. what can be expected as we see madrid continue to move to take over powers within that region. >> reporter: hi, george. we'll have to wait and see what

comes out of madrid today. all eyes at the moment are on that pro unity rally that you just mentioned, expected in the next couple of hours here in barcelona. it is potentially significant given that that is an anti-independence rally. essentially in protest of what the catalan government has just done. their declaration of independence. looking very closely to see how many people turn out for that demonstration, considering catalonia is deeply divided on the subject of independence, especially when you consider that the lawmakers who passed the law declaring independence in catalonia actually only represent around 48% of the electorate. they don't have a majority in terms of the vote itself, the number of people that they were representing when they voted to declare independence in catalonia. we'll have to look to see how many people take to the streets in barcelona today in protest of that. the other thing we're going to be looking at in terms of the

pro unity march is how the local police respond, considering that that are also deeply divided on the subject of independence. we obtained copies of a number of internal letters that went out yesterday to the police officers, calling on them to remain objective, calling on them to do their jobs with respect to peaceful demonstrations, trying to maintain the peace and respect catalan institutions. it will be critical to see how they respond, especially when you consider that their police chief was sacked yesterday by madrid. >> erin, you've been covering this for some time. there are two story lines that seem at odds with each other. let's talk about the dismissed president there of catalonia, urging people to protest in a legal and freeway. as far as he's concerned, a state prosecutor said he plans to charge -- charges of rebellion against him for declaring independence at the same time we're hearing from a

central government spokesperson saying that that he's welcome to continue his political career in the new election. what is the reaction to what seemed to be a mixed message about his future? >> that was interesting to hear from the government spokesperson out of madrid yesterday say that the now dismissed president of catalonia is welcome to run in the election. it is really not up to the government to decide whether or not he's qualified to run in the election given everything that happened, given that madrid is currently preparing charges of rebellion. but it is in madrid's interest to try and lend some legitimacy to the elections that they're now scheduled for december 21st. they want pro independence parties to take part in the elections because they want them

to be seen as legitimate in the eyes of the catalan people. at the same time, though it does seem very unlikely that the now dismissed president puigdemont will run in that election. >> erin mclaughlin, thank you. still ahead here on "cnn newsroom," the crisis in puerto rico continues and there is a potentially fatal threat lurking in the water and some puerto ricans, they're relying on for surviv survival. sentenced to prison for sending money to her son. we'll hear the mother's story. hi, i'm johnny bench. after a hall of fame career of taking shots like that, it's no wonder why i use blue-emu maximum arthritis cream. blue-emu's non-greasy, deep-penetrating formula gets down deep into those joints for big time pain relief. and without any of that funky smell. makes me feel good enough almost to get back into the game.

maybe not. blue-emu, it works fast and you won't stink.

in puerto rico, millions of people are still struggling to get back to a normal life after hurricane maria devastated the island more than a month ago. 51 people have died in the storm, and since the storm. >> in the meantime, that u.s. territory is still in a state of crisis. power is down for 70% of the island. only 41% of cell towers are operational and 20% of puerto ricans still don't have access to clean water. >> hundreds of thousands of

those people who can't access clean water have been despera desperately turning to contaminated sources. >> some have died as a result of that, in what officials are treating as a health emergency. cnn's martin savidge brings us this report. >> jorge antonio struggles to understand how his father died two weeks after the hurricane. describing the symptoms that came on so suddenly. nausea, stomach pains, headaches and diarrhea. a doctor diagnosed the flu and sent the man home, where he only got worse. so the family brought him to this regional hospital, where unfortunately he died. and it was only then they learned what made him so sick. lepto spirosis, i asked him if he knew about it. no, i have never heard of it before, he tells me. the source is bacteria and animal urine, making its way into rivers and lakes, especially after flooding.

hurricane maria triggered massive flooding while knocking out fresh water to many on the island. in desperation, puerto ricans have been turning to potentially contaminated rivers and water ways to wash, even to drink. the cruz family still has no water at their home, so every other week they have been coming to the river. they do laundry, and the children play. i asked jose if he had any fear about the water for his family. his answer was simple -- no. but in the town of yucos, maria is worried. it is why every day, she with her daughter and grandchildren, come to town and fill plastic jugs at a community well. we're in desperate need of it, she says. i live on the second floor and i carry the containers with water every day. it is exhausting. as the number of confirmed and suspected cases have grown, the government is trying to keep public fear in check, describing the situation as neither an

epidemic nor a confirmed outbreak. but they are treating it as a health emergency. puerto ricans have endured a long list of sufferings in the aftermath of maria. now comes another potentially fatal threat, lurking in the very waters some have been relying on just to survive. martin savidge, cnn. >> thanks for the report. on to somalia, the nation's capital came under attack again, two weeks after the deadliest car bombings in the country's modern history. 19 people were killed on saturday in mogadishu. two car bombs went off near the presidential palace and gunmen stormed a nearby hotel. >> officials say a former lawmaker and at least one police officer are among the dead. the terror group al shabab claims responsibility. somalia is still mourning at least 277 people killed in those bombings two weeks ago. this is the dilemma facing many parents whose sons and

daughters join isis, first they lose their children to the terror group, and then they are forced to turn on them when they reach out for help. >> cnn's melissa bell sits down with the french mother whose son died while fighting for isis in syria. she was sentenced to prison because she sent money to her son. >> a few photographs are all that natalie has left. >> reporter: natalie would never have believed that her son whose innocent stares back from the photos would decide his destiny was jihad. the first signs came after a trip to see his father in algeria, then with money sent to him by his mother natalie, a holiday he claimed to be on in malaysia. a few months later, he call ed from the self-proclaimed caliphate of isis.

several weeks later, another phone call came. the one that every mother dreads. what followed for natalie was not a period of quiet mourning, but a trial. in september, she was sentenced

to two years in jail for having sent her son money while he was in malaysia. natalie says her son was the victim of brainwashing and that she is now the victim of a witch-hunt, by a state that is powerless to pursue the jihadists themselves. in all, french authorities believe there are around 500 french citizens currently in isis territory who are either jihadists or the children of jihadists. men, women and children whose numbers have fallen as they have fallen victim to the war, put whose families are now facing prosecution in cases like natalie's. among those still in isis territory, sylvia's daughter and three small grandchildren, she says her family has been abandoned by french authorities, help lines provided by the government have proved useless and no one is prepared to help. cnn reached out to the french interior ministry but got no response. >> translator: i have more fear than hope, but i try to keep

faith nonetheless. not helping them is sentencing them to death without a trial. it is true. and, yes, i'd give money, i'd bi give my life, yes, of course. it is the same for every mother. when we mothers think about it, we get panic attacks. so we push us away because it is unbearable. it is just unbearable. >> reporter: back in strasburg, natalie is waiting for the result of her appeal, alone. her only support the informal networks created with other mothers of jihadists. they are united, she says, in their grief and in their understanding of the strongest of bonds.

melissa bell, cnn, paris. >> all around tragedy. the opioid crisis in the u.s. is killing thousands of people, tearing families apart. next, you'll hear from opioid addicts, how it all started for them. plus, a plant native to southeast asia that could help opioid addicts next. cnn's dr. sanjay gupta explains how. stay with us. witness katy perry.

witness katy perry become a legal witness. witness katy perry and left shark. or a card shark. grandma? witness katy perry work. witness katy perry firework. witness katy perry swish. witness katy perry... aaaaaaw look at that dog! katy perry: with music videos and behind the scenes footage, xfinity lets you witness all things me. welcome back to viewers in the united states and around the world. you're watching "cnn newsroom." it is good to have you with us. i'm george howell. >> thank you for being here. i'm natalie allen. our headlines this hour, spain says catalonia's bid for independence is over.

a government spokesman says if dismissed, catalan president carles puigdemont wants to pin in politics, he should prepare for the next election, by calling a fresh vote madrid says it is allowing catalan's voices to be heard, quote, in a legal and freeway. in somalia, at least 19 people have been killed. this after two car bombs went off near the president ideal palace. terror group al shabab is claiming responsibility. the attack happened two weeks after 277 people were killed in the deadliest car bombings in somalia's modern history. iraqi kurds are deciding whether to accept conditions discussed during the cease-fire with baghdad. iraq wants kurds to withdraw from disputed areas and allow government forces into those areas. kurds voted for independence in a contested referendum. tropical storm philippe is making landfall in florida right

now with 64 kilometer or 40-mile-per-hour maximum winds. it is moving very quickly toward the northeastern part of the united states. the national hurricane center is anticipating philippe could merge with a low pressure system and strengthen to impact on new york and new england. the opioid epidemic in the u.s. is described as the worst drug crisis this country has ever seen. opioid overdoses may be killing more than 100 people each day in the united states. >> some are as young as 18-year-old dustin, 19-year-old joseph, childhood friends, lived in the same community here in the u.s. state of georgia, they died of an overdose earlier this year. >> the problem is so bad, president trump declared a public health emergency this week. experts say it is a positive start, long overdue, but it is not as helpful as declaring a

national emergency which would make new funding available. during the announcement, mr. trump talked about how addiction hit home for him through his late brother fred. >> i learned myself, i had a brother fred, great guy, best looking guy, best personality, much better than mine, but he had a problem. he had a problem with alcohol. and he would tell me don't drink. don't drink. he was substantially older and i listened to him and i respected, but he would constantly tell me, don't drink. he would also add, don't smoke. but he would say it over over and over and over again. and to this day, i've never had a drink. >> u.s. president donald trump there. opioid addictions can be found in any city or town, but now we want to show you how the opioid epidemic is unfolding near the city of boston.

>> we want to warn you, this may be tough to watch. gary tuchman's report has images of drug use, but we think it is important to show you that some people start their addiction to opioids after taking legally prescribed painkillers. >> reporter: to most people, this is a neighborhood south of downtown boston. to others, it is a living hell. >> i'm a junkie. i've been shooting heroin for 16 years. i'm homeless. i live on the sidewalk. this is my life. >> i didn't grow up thinking i was going to be a heroin addict. this isn't exactly what i want to be. >> reporter: what are your hopes and dreams? >> to get sober, to have a family. i at one point thought i was going to and i lost the love of my life, he overdosed, when i woke up, he was dead. >> reporter: billy wants to be a

tattoo artist some day. but even while we talked, he was looking for a vein. is it possible for you to start shooting the heroin while we talk? >> um -- if i got it in me, it would be. >> reporter: that's what i'm wondering. you feel such a strong urge you can't stop while we talk? >> yeah. yeah. there is nothing that would stop me. that's how bad it gets. >> reporter: megan also lives on the streets and the sidewalks. you're about to reach your 30th birthday. how long have you been addicted to heroin? >> since 19. >> reporter: how did you start the first time? >> it was pills, then pills became expensive, hard to get and heroin was just extremely easy to get and a lot cheaper. >> reporter: like megan, the gateway to heroin for billy was also pain pills. he was 13 years old when he started. >> i was already using prescription pills. i like the way it felt. i found out heroin was cheaper

than the pills. and it was more intense, so i found out it was the next step from there, i would save money, and to shoot, the first time i shot it, i fell in love with it, it was like -- the only way to explain it is like i met god. >> reporter: they're joined in their opioid devotion with scores of other people who gather on the street. it happens to be near a hospital, methadone clinics and shelters, people who want to help. 40 miles up the road in the small city of gloucester, massachusetts, police will in the arrest you if you come to the police station with opioids looking for help. the strategy of help not handcuffs started here and spread throughout the country. but after a much publicized and encouraging start, the police chief here is facing a stark reality, things are not getting better. >> we have seen an increase in fentanyl.

fe it is stronger than heroin. >> reporter: it is an opioid, even a tiny dose of it can be lethal. craig uses fentanyl, like everyone we met on the street, he wants to stop, but says he can't. >> i am addicted to opiates. >> reporter: what do you do in the street? what kind of opiates? >> the thing is, every -- all the opiates right now is fe fentanyl so everybody is dying. >> reporter: it is about to start pouring in boston. these people that can't live without their pills and needles will sleep in dirt that will turn into mud. are you afraid you're going to die from this? >> i know i'm going to die from this. >> reporter: are you afraid you're going to die from this? >> not really afraid. honestly sometimes it just just seems easier. >> reporter: gary tuchman, cnn, boston. >> not very afraid, but her voice shaking when she said that. some experts say controlling the opioid epidemic requires

reforming how the u.s. medical system deals with people in severe physical pain. >> cnn's chief medical correspondent dr. sanjay gupta reports on an herb which could help people in pain, it could help those addicted. >> everything hurts. you're sick, you're nauseous, you're throwing up, diarrhea, your will to live is gone. >> reporter: withdrawal, from opiate drugs. many will tell you that you continue to use because after a while, it is no longer about getting high. it is to chase away the feeling you're about to die. for patricia slaven, it all started four years ago with abdominal pain and a prescription for dilautid. it was first time she had taken an opiate. >> they upped the dose and it got to the point where i was taking a very high dose of pain medicine. i had to get on pain management. every month they say how are you? i say, well, you know, not

really helping as much. i'm still in a lot of pain. okay, we'll add this to it, this pill, this patch. >> reporter: lisa, patricia's younger sister, also had obd nall pa abdominal pain. she had five operations including a hysterectomy and, yes, she had lots and lots of narcotics. >> i was torn between not being able to care for my family, or, okay, i can take care of them, if i take some more pills. >> reporter: within months, two sisters, lisa and patricia, were both addicted to opioid painkillers. but things would soon turn more desperate for patricia. >> every time they give me more, my body would get immune to it. if i didn't have it, i get sick, sick. real sick. >> reporter: what did you do? >> there was a guy i worked with, his wife had dilautid, she didn't like them, he would sell me what she had, so if i ran out, i still had some.

>> reporter: one day that same guy didn't have any pills and offered up a cheaper alternative. heroin. >> the rest as they say is history. went downhill from there. >> she called asking for money for more heroin. and i told her i will not send you money for drugs. i will not. but i will buy you crateum. >> reporter: around the world, crateum, an herb, has been used for centuries to help people manage pain and also for the withdrawal from opiates. lisa knew from personal experience. >> the reason i started taking it because i didn't want a withdrawal. i had no idea it would help me with the pain like it did. >> we believe this could be a solution to -- or part of a solution to the opioid crisis we're currently in. >> reporter: christopher mccurty is a medicinal chemist and one of a handful of scientists in america studying the southeast asian plant. >> i don't see anything that

rivals or comes close to the ability for this plant to surf as a potential treatment. >> reporter: and yet, in the u. u.s., it is banned in six states and the dea considers a drug of concern over worries of potential addiction and some report deaths. according to mccurty that concern is because cratom is not regulated and mixed with other drugs. >> there needs to be regulatory measures put into place with this plant material. but there is a huge wealth of anecdotal evidence out there and some scientific that there is definite medical potential for this plant. >> reporter: for something so promising, you wonder why others including big companies haven't investigated it. part of the problem is it is a plant. that mean no one can patent it. >> there is no financial incentive for any drug company to really pursue developing this

into a drug. how does the future look for you now? your family, all your teenage kids you have? >> bright. it looks beautiful. i have hope. >> reporter: how confident are you that you won't going to back to heroin? >> never fully confident. never fully confident. it is a powerful, powerful drug. but i think as long as i have kratom, as long as i can get it, me personally, i'll never go back. >> reporter: you may be watching that and saying that looks like it is too good to be true, that a plant, that an herb could have such an impact. well, the truth is, that it has been used for hundreds of years in other countries. it is starting to get more interest from the scientific community here. but there is still a lot of tests and it needs to be done. if you buy kratom, you have to make sure of a lot of things now. you got to make sure it is

kratom, you're getting the right dose and it is in the mixed with something else. there are caveats here. this is one of the possible angles, one of the possible options or alternatives to try and make a dent in this opioid crisis. >> cnn's dr. sanjay gupta reporting there. still ahead, a houston police officer saving lives during hurricane harvey, and also fighting a death defying battle of his own at the same time. audio from the october 1st

massacre that took place in las vegas, nevada. >> in it, you hear the moment hotel security guard jesus campos radioed to dispatch that shots had been fired from inside a room at the mandalay bay hotel. campos would later be shot in

the leg by stephen paddock as he approached the gunman's room. here is his call over his radio. >> there are shots from 32-135. >> the clip has no time stamp, so it won't yield any clues about the timeline of that rampage. 58 people were killed at a concert outside that hotel. often, we take their quiet heroism for granted, but first responders doing their jobs save lives. >> a first responder was saving lives while battling his own situation, stage four cancer. stephanie elam has his story. >> reporter: when hurricane harvey dropped a deluge of water on houston -- >> the rain just kept coming down. i mean, coming down.

>> reporter: -- police officer norbert ramon headed to the only station he could get to, lake patrol on lake hue uh-ouston. >> seemed like an apocalypse, unreal. >> reporter: with floodwaters engulfing neighborhoods, lake patrol took to boats, skirting trees, cars to get people to safety. working 12 hour shifts, officer ramon was in and out of water helping to rescue people. >> you know what sticks in my head is the children. you see different emotions. >> reporter: how many people do you think you helped rescue? >> god, i don't know, 200, 300 easily. >> he never had any signs of him having anything wrong. >> reporter: he has stage four colon cancer, which spread to his liver and lungs. diagnosed in march 2016, ramon gets chemotherapy every two weeks, a constant reminder of his battle. >> i'm out there in the street and i got to leave half a day

to, you know, go out there and do that. as long as i'm with these guys, they keep me up. you know? >> my respect level for him is beyond explanation. >> reporter: teamed up for boat rescues, alvin steelman had no clue about ramon's health crisis until after the water receded. >> he's not looking for sympathy. he wants to be part of the team and he was. >> for three days of his life, he was in a world where he didn't are have to think about . he was happy helping people. >> reporter: ramon was in no pain. >> he is a police officer first and cancer. >> reporter: his wife of 13 years, however, was concerned. he sent her this picture while on the murky water to let her know he was all right. >> i was worried about him. energiwise i didn't know how it would affect him. but at the same token, i knew there is nothing i could say or do that would hold him back. >> i just want to go out there and do it like i don't even have

it. >> reporter: a man rescuing others from the brink while in a battle for his own life. stephanie elam, cnn, houston. >> we wish him well, of course. houston got ravaged by a storm, puerto rico we have been talking about ravaged by a storm. there is another one coming, but, first of all, people in new york might be thinking about the storm that hit them many years ago. they may soon have reason to reflect on hurricane sandy from this time, five years ago. >> right, our meteorologist karen maginnis joining us now with what's happening now. >> we're in an exceptional season. we saw harvey and in texas, irai irma in florida, and maria across puerto rico. now we have got another tropical storm which will indirectly impact and produce staggering amounts of rainfall as secs of the northeast and new england. this is going to have what is called explosively -- explosive

psychogenesis. it is called bombogenesis. areas of low pressure will intensify very rapidly. it also is going to move away very rapidly. this is not going to be the equivalent of sandy. we will hardly see that, or expect anything like that. but you are expecting some very gusty winds, heavy downpours, you could see considerable power outages across this i-95 corridor, extending up towards new england. as we go into about midday, new york city starts to pick up winds, maybe gusts as high as 50 miles per hour, on some of those outer areas into the cape, we're expecting some wind gusts, maybe exceptionally up to around 65 miles an hour. some are suggesting maybe 70 miles an hour. just under hurricane force winds

expected across this region. downed trees, downed power lines, and especially in this area across the northeast and new england, tropical storm philippe is already producing some heavy rainfall across southern sections of florida. back to you guys. >> all right, karen, thank you. >> thank you. coming up here, we'll take you to russia where there are protests and threats of violence all over a film. one about a ballerina and the last russian czar, it is sparking controversy. my "business" was going nowhere... so i built this kickin' new website with godaddy. building a website in under an hour is easy! 68% of people... ...who have built their website using gocentral, did it in... ...under an hour, and you can too. type in your business or idea. pick your favourite design. personalize it with beautiful images. and...you're done! and now business is booming. harriet, it's a double stitch not a cross stitch! build a better website - in under an hour. free to try. no credit card required. gocentral from godaddy.

in russia, some topics are so taboo, to touch them is an insult to some religious groups. >> so there is a new film featuring the last czar and his love life and it is stirring up passions but not necessarily in a good way. robyn curnow has more. >> reporter: there is an outcry in russia over the release of a controversial film. groups of religious protesters stand outside movie theaters, holding crucifixes and religious icons. >> translator: this movie will bring our country to decay more and more and our families will die because of this movie. and tomorrow we will wake up in a very different country.

>> reporter: matilda portrays a premarital affair between the future czar and a prima ballerina. nicholas, he and his family were murdered by the bolsheviks. threats and arson attacked followed the debut. several actors have received death threats and missed the premiere. >> they all loved our movie, absolutely, sincerely, gave it their hearts and souls but were afraid to come here, which i think is a great shame. >> reporter: most of the blowback from russian orthodox christians who canonized nicholas in 2,000. they call it offensive and anti-religious. >> translator: the czar and his family are the saints celebrated by the holy senet and should be

treated with care and resecretary. th >> reporter: the russian orthodox church yields a great amount of power in a country home to many original dakotas christians. the church is thought to have deep tries to the government and its influence in russia is widespread. the movie is banned from several theaters and those playing it have heightened security. but even as the controversy escalates, there are those who see the film as a work of art. >> translator: the film is excellent. the film is beautiful. the film is about history. our history. about great history. >> and that is our first hour. thank you for watching "cnn newsroom." i'm natalie allen. >> i'm george howell. the news continues here on cnn right after the break. so you're looking for male customers, ages 25-54,

who live within five miles of your business? like these two... and that guy. or maybe you want to reach women, ages 18 to 34, who are interested in fitness... namaste. whichever audience you're looking for, we'll find them we're the finders. we work here at comcast spotlight, and we have the best tools for getting your advertising message out there. anywhere, any way your audience watches. consider them found.

no tweets, no statements, the white house stays silent about the first charges forth coming in the russia probe, but the administration still had plenty to talk about. catalonia's ousted president calls for a peaceful opposition as madrid takes direct control of the region. we're live in barcelona with the very latest for you. in france, as officials try to understand how young people are becoming radicalized, what happens to the parents that they leave behind. the story of one woman's grief and the son she lost to terror and the price she may yet pay for. welcome to our viewers in the united states and all around the world. i'm natalie allen. >> i'm george howell.