a cnn exclusive. critical text messages that may have led to the murder of journalist jamal khashoggi. plus this. >> this is the most traveled artery in alaska, and take a look at what has happened to the roadway because of the earthquake. >> alaska struggling to recover from severe damage after a 7.0 earthquake rips through anchorage. also ahead this hour, protesters and violence in the city of paris. it provokes a promise from the government to stop its spread. we are live from cnn world headquarters in atlanta and we want to welcome our viewers here in the united states and all around the world.

i'm george howell. the cnn newsroom starts right now. it's 3:00 a.m. on the u.s. east coast. thank you for being with us this day. we begin with a cnn exclusive. new insight into the murder of journalist jamal khashoggi and one of the unanswered key questions. why was he killed? cnn's nina dos santos has exclusively obtained ten months's worth of what's app messages khashoggi sent to a fellow saudi dissident and they offer new clues into why khashoggi may have been killed. >> reporter: these are words you won't have read in jamal khashoggi's columns. instead, they are what's app messages never seen before sent by khashoggi in the year before his death. they laid bare his disdain for saudi arabia's crown prince, saying, quote, he's like a beast, like pacman. the more victims he eats, the more he wants.

in another, may god rid us and this nation of this predicament. the words were exchanged with omar abdullah aziz, a fellow critics in exile in canada. >> he believed that mbs is the issue, is the problem. and someone has to tell him that, you know, you have to be stopped. >> reporter: talk like this is dangerous for those from a country of one of the world's worst records for human rights. it wasn't just political views that the pair was trading, but plans to hold the saudi state to account, creating an army of so-called cyber bees on social media, leveraging khashoggi's name and the 340,000-strong twitter following of his confidant. >> in the beginning it was a bit difficult for us to have this kind of relationship. for me, i was a disi dent and he was a guy who worked for the government for almost 35 years. >> reporter: khashoggi pledged funds and abdullah aziz bought the hardware, hundreds of foreign sim cards to send back home, enabling dissidents to

avoid detection. in one message abdullah sizz sent, i sent a a brief idea about the electronic army. brilliant report, khashoggi replies. i will try to sort out the money. we have to do something. how much did he say he would commit to the project? >> 30,000. >> reporter: 30,000 u.s. dollars? >> yes. >> reporter: how dangerous is a project like that in saudi arabia? >> you might be killed because of that. you might be jailed. they might send someone to assassinate you. >> reporter: just like khashoggi, abdul aziz believes he was target afrtd r after two saudi were sent to canada to coax him to the embassy there. he made the secret recording of their meetings and shared them with cnn. [ speaking foreign language ] >> translator: we have come to you with a message from mohammed bin salman. i want you to be reassured, we don't have to approach someone from an official department or the state security. the saudi arabian embassy awaits you.

>> reporter: when abdul aziz refused, they got to him another way, hacking his phone, according to a lawsuit abdul aziz filed this week against the israeli firm behind the spy wear. when the pair's plans were discovered, khashoggi panicked. god help us, he wrote. how much of a target did that make both of you? >> the hacking of my phone played a major role on what happened to jamal. i'm really sorry to say that. we were trying to teach people about human rights, about freedom of speech. that's it. this is the only crime that we have committed. >> reporter: nina dos santos, cnn, london. >> nina, thank you. saudi officials have not responded to cnn's request for comment regarding the allegations of omar abdul aziz. the israeli company that invented the software used to hack abdul aziz's phone, is used

for governments and law enforcement agencies to fight terrorism and crime. the company adds it does not tolerate misuse of its products. fallout from jamal khashoggi's murder made for tense moments with the saudi crown prince at the summit in argentina. reports say some world leaders ignored mohammed bin salman while posing for the g20 class photo that you see here. when french president emmanuel macron met with the crown prince, he told him that europeans would like international experts to be part of the khashoggi investigation. a private conversation between the two men was captured on video. it is not clear what they discussed, but what is clear, mr. macron was firm with the crown prince. bin salman got a much warmer reception from the russian president vladimir putin, as you see here. the two men even sharing what amounted to a high five at the

summit. the u.s. president, donald trump, is tweeting about the g20 and new results of his meeting with the chinese president xi jinping. the leaders of the world's two biggest economies agreed to a temporary truce in the trade war for at least the next 90 days. a short time ago, mr. trump tweeted that, quote, china has agreed to reduce and remove tariffs on cars coming into china from the u.s. adding that currently the tariff is only 40%. china hasn't confirmed this move yet, but the president's tweet comes as negotiators from both sides are trying to iron out key trade differences. let's go live to beijing. cnn's steven zhong following the story for us. the president tweeting as the negotiations continue. this kind of part of negotiations? and has there been any reaction there in china? >> reporter: well, george, no official reaction so far, and they -- the chinese officials

may choose not to respond at all. it is probably a wise move considering how quickly the u.s. president may change his mind. this tweet is typical of mr. trump, boasting without clarity or details. it does require a bit of context here, george. because china actually slashed tariffs on foreign cars back in july right before the trade war started with the u.s. so now, if you buy foreign cars from countries other than the u.s., you pay a 15% tariff. the 40% tariff figure on u.s. cars is because china has added a 25% punitive tariff on u.s. cars after the trade war began. so a lot of people are still trying to figure out what the president meant by reducing or removing the 40% tariffs. does he mean it is going back to 15% or 0%? that would be a major coups. still, this example really illustrates, george, the added confusion, uncertainty trade negotiators from both sides, i think, have to deal with as they resume their very tough trade talks in the coming weeks and

months, george. >> steven, so let's talk about what we do know, because certainly there are questions from what the president tweeted. but we do know that the united states has agreed to essentially put tariffs on ice for a moment, and china plans to buy more goods and services from the united states. so, the question to you, how much pressure does this take off of these two economies, even at least temporarily? >> reporter: i think if you look at the markets here, they have responded very positively. the numbers are significantly up in shanghai and shenzhen. shanghai the number is up more than 2.5%. that is a very good piece of information or news for investors. and it also gave breathing room for consumers around the world. american farmers as well as chinese manufacturers. but here is the key going forward. that is, these 90-day negotiation period, that is because these talks are going to

focus on the core demands from mr. trump. that is, china not only has to buy more from the u.s., it also has to change its economic structure and stop using unfair trade practices. and these are the points long resisted by president xi and his government. so now it is still a little difficult to envision. they reach a mutually agreeable permanent solution on the thorny issue, but at least the two sides are sitting down again to talk. maybe they are buying more time, but in the short run i think people are breathing a sigh of relief, george. >> a temporary truce. steam enzhong, thank you again for the reporting. qatar has announced it will withdraw from opec. the organization of petroleum exporting countries on january 1st of next year. our anna stewart is following this story live for us in our london bureau. anna, qatar not exactly a major player in opec, but it does come at a time when that organization is under pressure to increase its production. >> reporter: have a look at oil prices today, george, because

you'll see that they are much, much higher, both crude and wti up 4, 5% there. now, a lot of this actually isn't to do with this news because although qatar has been a member since 1961 is big news politically, it is actually not, as you said, a big player in oil. and actually this news, very interestingly, comes out of the g20 over the weekend, which is where we saw saudi arabia and russia look set to continue to collaborate to reduce oil on the market. so that's why we're seeing a big oil move today. this news, however, is very interesting politically, and this news came as something of a surprise, i'd say, today. in the top line from the qatar i press conference we had from the tweets we got out today, qatar wants to focus more on natural gas which is of course a much bigger market. >> so, you point out, not exactly economically as important within that block, but politically and symbolically, what does this mean, especially with regards to the tensions,

anna, between saudi and qatar? >> yeah, i think these tensions have a lot to play in terms of the subtext. within opec, which is, you know, de facto led by saudi arabia, i think qatar has been feeling increasingly isolated. now, it continues to have a travel and trade embargo placed on it by saudi arabia, uae, allegations it supports terrorism, close links with iran. so that continues to filter through. and in addition, you have a non-opec player like russia playing into the mix, having a much, much bigger say and control within opec as well. so you can see in that move. plus, george, you've got to look at domestically they've had a big cabinet reshuffle recently. the new energy minister at the top is seen by many as a much more aggressive player. so perhaps it doesn't come as much of a surprise given it happened just earlier this month. but i can tell you an opec meeting coming up later this week, emerging markets editor

john definiwill be there. we'll see what the fall out is for this. >> anna stewart all over the details. thank you for the reporting. we'll keep in touch with you. still a he'd here on cnn newsroom, we look back at the life of the former u.s. president, george h.w. bush, his style in stark contrast to the politics of the day. we look at the comparison ahead. plus, assessing the damage from the 7.0 earthquake that rattled u.s. state of alaska. so this christmas,

take care of the hands that take care of you. that's me in back in 1987, when i gave isotoner gloves to all my teammates. now i have a different set of teammates. my family. and they all want isotoner gloves for christmas because they keep getting better. there's smartouch. for selfies whenever, wherever. then there's four way stretch for flexibility. they even have smartdri. see? stays dry. so get isotoner gloves for the whole family. take care of the hands that take care of you.

monday marks the beginning of memorial services and week of national mourning for the former president of the united states, george h.w. bush. mr. bush died friday. he was 94 years old. during his time in office, he helped to end the cold war. he saw the reunification of east and west germany, and he oversaw the successful operation desert storm launched after iraq invaded kuwait.

again later monday, the president bush's casket will be flown to the u.s. capital. there, the public will be able to pay their respects to a man who spent his life serving his country. cnn's suzanne malveaux has details. >> reporter: it is being called special air mission 41, the mission to deliver the body, the casket of president george h.w. bush to his final resting place. the presidential aircraft is now in ellington field. this is the presidential aircraft that carried president trump to the g20 summit in argentina. it is the same aircraft that will carry the body of president bush from here to joint base andrews. the formal ceremonies beginning around 4:45. the capital rotunda where bush will lie in state, it will be 7:30 monday evening through 8:45 wednesday morning. the public will be able to pay their respects. 11:00, a memorial service at the national cathedral where

friends, family and dignitaries will gather as well. and then wednesday evening, the president's body to return here to texas where he will lie in repose until thursday morning. and then a second memorial service at st. martin's episcopal church, this is the same church that barbara bush was memorialized. a brief trip by train, and then on to college station, texas, where the president will be buried at his presidential library, alongside barbara bush and their young child robin who died at age 3. we have been talking to so many people here in houston. we have been seeing the tributes, the beautiful statues, the flowers, the teddy bears, even those colorful socks that the president loved. all of them honoring the late president. take a listen. >> i think they're very well respected. i think he was a great states man. i loved his socks, so i loved seeing him on the news. i loved seeing the bush family. so i think he's going to be very missed here. >> maybe texas is obviously a red state, but houston, the city

is vibrant with progressive ideas. but i think there is that sense of unity still. we realize we're part of a larger picture here. it's not just about houston, it's about texas. i think we really do rally behind the bushes in what they stood for in terms of civility. >> reporter: president was a huge sports fan here, big city booster and of course the representative for the 7th district of texas, which is now turned democratic. people in houston embracing this man with love and respect as well as his whole family as the rest of the world prepares to say good-bye. suzanne malveaux, cnn, houston, texas. >> let's now bring in tim naphtali, former director of the nixon presidential library joining via skype this hour. thank you for your time today, tim. >> my pleasure. >> looking ahead at the events to take place this week, what are your expectations? >> well, it will be somber moment. actually a somber series of

moments. i believe it will also be an opportunity to celebrate a life. and it will also be for many people an opportunity to celebrate an american role in the world, a role that america does not play at the moment, but may once again play in the future. george herbert walker bush deeply believed in the importance of allies. he believed in the concept of collective security. in some way, you could see him as the continuation of franklin roosevelt. george bush fought in world war ii. believed that some of the ideals that roosevelt saw when he helped build the united nations were ideals that had a place in the cold war -- post-cold war world. he really felt that nations should work together for peace. >> just following on what you're describing here, really, the paradigm shift, right? you're talking about the

politics of then in contrast to the politics of today, this feeling -- when you think about george h.w. bush, the themes that come to the fore of allies, of globalism, certainly in contrast to the politics that we're seeing play out now on the geopolitical stage. >> well, two things. one, i think individuals matter. there is a debate among historians and scholars as to the extent to which great events are the product of structure and great waves of change. and others look to the role of individuals. and, of course, most of us think it's a bit of both. does donald trump represent most americans? does his view of america first, does his isolationism -- because that's basically what he's pushing. is that the mind-set of america now? i'm not convinced that it is. i'm not convinced that most americans embrace donald trump's view, transactional view of international affairs. but he is president, and as

president has enormous power and influence. but it's not clear that that's where america will be once he leaves office. so i'm not sure we're in the paradigm shift in terms of where america is going. we're certainly in a presidential paradigm shift. >> speaking of mr. trump, he will be attending, tim, he will be attending one of these ceremonies. this is important because it will be the first time we've seen the u.s. president, mr. trump, side by side with the other presidents, former presidents who he has openly disparaged. i hate to bring that into view, but that is the case as it stands. how significant will it be, or what is the -- what's the impact, do you think, of seeing this president side by side? how important is it for the nation for that to happen? >> well, it's extremely important for donald trump to act like a president. and he has, time and again, rejected presidential norms, rejected the kinds of things we expect from presidents, whether they're democrats or

republicans. attending a state funeral is a requirement for a president. he had the opportunity to find an excuse not to go to first lady barbara bush's funeral earlier this year. he did not have to go to senator john mccain's funeral. he has to go to a state funeral. he doesn't have a choice. the death of a president leads to a state funeral, so he had no choice but to go. so it's really up to donald trump. will he behave the way all american, all modern american presidents have behaved? that's the test for him. it's not a test for the american people and it's not a test for the presidents that are going to be sitting next to him. it's a test for donald trump. is he going to act presidential during this week of mourning? >> tim naftali, we appreciate your time. thank you so much. >> my pleasure, george. thank you. >> the president's close friend and former secretary of state james baker, he was there throughout the president's term in office and there till the day

he died. baker described the president's last day to my colleague jake tapper. >> when i showed up 7:00 in the morning, one of the aides who assisted him physically, said, mr. president, secretary baker is here. he opened both eyes. he looked at me. he said, hey, bake, where are we going today? i said, well, heffie, we're going to heaven. he said, good, that's where i want to go. little did i know or he know, of course, by 10:00 that night he'd be in heaven. >> wow. and you were there for his last words, which were to his oldest son, president george w. bush. tell us about that. >> yeah, well, then later on as it became obvious that he was probably going to pass that evening, they they got all the kids on the phone. you know, when somebody is

passing away, the last sense that goes is the hearing. and they can hear things. so they got the kids on the phone and each one of them spoke to him and he spoke back or mumbled back anyway. and then they got 43 on the phone and 43 said, i love you, dad. and i just want to -- and i'll see you in heaven. 41 said, i love you, too. and those are the last words that he ever spoke. >> again, this monday starts a week of national mourning, the loss of the u.s. president george h.w. bush. the business dealings of the current president, donald trump, they are under scrutiny once again. ahead, the latest on the failed project to build the trump tower in the russian capital. also, alaskans dealing with the aftermath of the 7.0 earthquake. there have been hundreds of aftershocks after that. we'll take a look at it as newsroom continues. place, the xfinity xfi gateway.

and it's strengthened by xfi pods, which plug in to extend the wifi even farther, past anything that stands in its way. ...well almost anything.

leave no room behind with xfi pods. simple. easy. awesome. click or visit a retail store today. welcome back to our viewers here in the united states and all around the world. you're watching cnn business news room live from atlanta. i'm george howell with the headlines we're following for you this hour. a cnn exclusive, text messages sent by jamal khashoggi may shed light on why the journalist was murdered two months ago. cnn has received exclusive access to the messages between khashoggi and other saudi exile. in them, khashoggi bluntly criticized the saudi crown prince. he also wrote about funding an electronic army of young saudi dissidents on social media. in the united kingdom, time

running out for the british prime minister to convince parliament to back her brexit deal. they vote on the bill in just eight days, and if it doesn't pass, the main opposition labor party will likely seek a no confidence vote for theresa may. the g20 summit has come and gone, but now u.s. officials say the difficult work starts to resolve the u.s./china trade dispute. the two nations called a temporary truce in trade war for at least 90 days after the president's trump and xi met at the g20 in argentina over the weekend. negotiators now trying to work out these outstanding issues. qatar has announced that it is leaving opec. the country's minister of state for energy affairs said the withdrawal from the oil producers organization is set to happen on january 1st and says the country wants to focus its efforts on increasing its own natural gas production. there were major developments this past week about the trump tower moscow project. a project that donald trump

pursued while he ran for office. on thursday, the president's former attorney said that mr. trump knew about the proposed tower's progress well into his presidential campaign. the discussions reportedly included an idea to offer a penthouse to the president of russia, vladimir putin. let's go live to russia. cnn's matthew chance following the story in moscow this hour. matthew, what more can you tell us about where that site would have been? >> reporter: well, first of all, that attempt to offer vladimir putin a penthouse was supposed to be a marketing strategy. but we now have confirmation from the russian-base of codevelopers of that site that a trump tower was indeed going to be built or they were planning to build it on the outskirts of moscow. and it's the efforts that the trump organization went to and trump's lawyer went to to make that happen, and how long that effort went on for during the

u.s. presidential election campaign, rather, in 2016, that is really once again placed president trump's business interests in russia under the spotlight. for trump, it's always been about business, his business, his brand, his properties. >> people ask me, what does trump stand for more than anything else? and if i use one word, it's always quality. big windows, great fixtures, beautiful kitchens. everything is going to be the best, and that's what it's all about. >> reporter: and it was trump that property developer who campaigned to be a republican presidential candidate. juggling his business and political ambitions which inevitably overlapped. but by how much is only now coming to light. his former lawyer revealing negotiations to build a trump tower in moscow went on much

longer than previously admitted. at least june 2016, after he essentially secured the nomination. nothing wrong with that, trump insisted, before leaving for the g20. >> so it was a well-known project. it was during the early part of '16, and i guess even before that. i didn't do the project. i decided not to do the project. so i didn't do it. so we're not talking about doing a project. >> reporter: it was in this location on the outskirts of moscow, near the sprawling city business and entertainment complex that the trump world tower moscow, as it was called, was meant to be built. part of a 14-tower project according to the developers, which would have stood across this whole area. you can see as you look through the wire fence that some of the towers have already started to be constructed, but, of course, the trump tower isn't amongst them. one of the ideas for that trump building, according to one of his business associates, was

to give the top floor, the penthouse apartment, in a 250-apartment block, to vladimir putin, the russian president, as a way of attracting buyers. >> the trump organization likes to be ahead of the curve. we are always ahead of the curve, and this would be another example. >> reporter: ivanka trump and her spa and fitness brand were also an integral part of the moscow proposal. according to a letter of intent obtained by cnn, trump's daughter would be given sole and absolute discretion to approve the spa designs. this was a trump family affair. but how much was the kremlin also involved? until this week, it insisted attempts by trump associates to make contact over the moscow tower had been ignored. the kremlin spokesman now admits his office called and asked why they wanted to have meetings with the presidential administration, and explained that, we have nothing to do with

construction issues in the city of moscow. it may be an important change. the russian-based owners of kroca city where trump tower was to be build have been embroiled with the trump family in other areas, too. did the russian authorities give your family information to pass on to the trump administration? take the pop star son of krokas owner aras aguilar oven who helped set up a meeting between president trump, jr., and attorneys in trump tower new york. oras aras co-organized the 2013 miss universe project. george, the critics of president trump, the mix of politics is far too close. the president himself insists

he's done absolutely nothing wrong, but what's happened is that the version of events that we were told is now starting to change, and that could throw up even more revelations in the weeks and the months ahead. george, back to you. >> i'm curious, matthew, to ask you. so, we're hearing about this story here, but has there been any reaction? what's the feeling among russians as they hear this news? >> reporter: well, look, i mean, the russian attention has been very much focused on the fact that presidents trump and putin have been unable to get together for any meeting since helsinki earlier this year. there was meant to be a face-to-face two-hour summit at the g20 summit in buenos aires. that was called off on twitter which they found out about on the way to argentina. he said russia had not handed back the ships in the naval personnel that they had suesed from ukraine during a naval

confrontation in the straight the week before. according to many in the russian media, many russian officials here, it's this domestic political issue, this new focus on trump's russia business interests that has caused him to step away from important talks, as they would see it, with the russian leader. >> cnn's senior international correspondent matthew chance live for us in moscow. matthew, thank you for the reporting. moving on now to france, the government there is considering all options to diffuse violent protests two straight weeks. options include introducing a state of emergency there. french president emmanuel macron took a look at the damage on sunday and led a crisis meeting to discuss how to respond. our paris correspondent melissa bell was on the scene during the unrest. >> reporter: the teargas and the scuffles began early. all around the edge of the perimeter, the police had set up

to prevent a repeat of last week's violence on the champs-elysees. the yellow vests had warned that this would be part three of a protest against a hike in the fuel tax which helped push the price of diesel up 16% this year. but the hike on which the french president has refused to back down was just the spark of a protest now aimed more broadly at the cost of living in general, and the liberal policies of the french president in particular. ahead of today's protests, authorities had warned that more radical anarchist elements might once again infiltrate demonstrations that were supposed to be peaceful. the so-called caster intent on violent action. stun guns and canons were used by police, cars were burned and shops damaged and looted by protesters. macron condemned the violence at the g20 summit from argentina.

>> translator: no cause justifies shops pillaged public or private buildings set on fire, or that the ark de triumph burned. they want chaos. they betray the cause they claim to serve. >> reporter: but the afternoon, some of paris's most expensive neighborhoods were the scenes of confrontation between riot police and protesters. with the round about of the ark detry um of changing hands several times. they tweeted to condemn the violence calling it an insult to the republic. violence that spread more widely and lasted longer than it had lasted saturday, even though the numbers on the streets of france were down. this was the scene around so many of the roads that lead onto the round about that is around the arc de triumph. so much of the violence we have seen late into the evening, still police services struggling to contain the anger, the

violence with tear gas canisters still being fired late into the night. already the yellow vests have said that they will be back again next week. melissa bell, cnn, paris. >> melissa, thank you for the report. still ahead here on cnn newsroom, a 7.0 magnitude earthquake caused substantial damage in one of alaska's major cities. we are there with the very latest on damage recovery and how residents are dealing with all the aftershocks. stay with us. got it?

got it. it's slippery. nooooo... noooo... nooooo... yeeeesss... quick, the quicker picker upper! bounty picks up messes quicker and is 2x more absorbent than the leading ordinary brand. hey look, i got it. bounty, the quicker picker upper.

we're truck and jeep experts,ore than a store. and have been for over 50 years. from wheel and tire upgrades. to full custom builds. 4-w-p has you covered. whether you want to order the best parts online or shop in-store. do the work yourself. or get it done by a pro. all roads lead to 4-w-p. do your rig right.

shop online or find your store at 4-w-p.com. sorry about a former cnn journalist and the head of a popular news website called rap ler back in the philippines, she surrendered in court to a court in manila. maria reza and rappler were indicted on tax fraud charges. an arrest warrant was issued for aresa. her news site has been critical of philippine president rodrigo duterte's drug war. she said on sunday she won't

back down. >> going to hold my government accountable for publicly calling me a criminal. i am not a criminal. i have been a journalist my entire life. i will continue to hold the government accountable. the second is obviously it makes you feel vulnerable. but i think that's the point, right? the point is for the government to actually make you feel its power, and that it can do what it wants to do, including bending the law to the point that it's broken. >> ressa's attorney said he has posted bail and she was free to leave the court. in alaska, after a 7.0 magnitude earthquake, no serious injuries were reported on friday, but residents there are coping with aftershocks and severely damaged buildings and roads. our stephanie elam is on the scene there and stephanie filed this report for you. >> reporter: road after road.

>> very major damage right at that area. >> reporter: torn apart. alaska battered by a 7.0 earthquake. >> oh, my god. >> reporter: the shaking, the worst here since 1964. nick coleman is checking his vacationing neighbor's place for the first time since the quake hit. what he finds is a home wrecked by mother nature. upstairs, cabinets knocked to the floor. heavy dressers piled in the bedroom. a bathroom full of glass. the shower door pulled from the wall. >> it's pretty devastating, especially it seems like the higher up you go in the building. >> freaking earthquake. >> reporter: from anchorage to asila and the home of sarah palin. residents reeling from loss, but thankful that does not include lives. shocking, they say, because of scenes like this. road crews right now working 40 sites similar to this. this is the most traveled artery in alaska. and take a look at what has

happened to the roadway because of the earthquake. it looks like some massive machine has clawed the road away. because of that crews are working around the clock to get this roadway open. they're saying within days. but there is a threat. take a look at this. see this crack right here? we have to stay on this side of it, and that is because everything on the other side of it is liable to give way with all of the aftershocks that continue to hit the anchorage area. according to the alaska earthquake center, more than 650 aftershocks so far. around 20 of those at magnitude 4 or higher. >> i didn't want to go to sleep last night, afraid it was going to happen again. >> reporter: diane and bill coleman, like so many here, still on edge. after riding out the quake in their eagle river home of 47 years. >> it was just a tremendous loud sound. >> reporter: even with their possessions crashing down around them, they never heard a sound over the roar of the quake. now like so many, they repair what they can, and search for memories that survived.

>> we had to put some lights up to make it a little brighter and cheery in here. makes it easier to work. otherwise you cry. >> reporter: still, they know that nothing lost here outweighs what really matters. >> wow, that was quite something we survived. >> reporter: stephanie elam, cnn, eagle river, alaska. >> wow. stephanie, thank you. a chinese researcher claims that he's pushed the boundaries of science, but many scientists are condemning his work in gene editing. the latest on this controversy. these folks, they don't have time to go to the post office they have businesses to grow customers to care for lives to get home to they use stamps.com print discounted postage for any letter any package any time right from your computer all the amazing services of the post office only cheaper get our special tv offer a 4-week trial plus postage and a digital scale

go to stamps.com/tv and never go to the post office again!

a book that you're ready to share with the world? get published now, call for your free publisher kit today! there is backlash and it's getting worse after a chinese researcher claimed last week that he helped to engineer the world's first genetically edited humans. he said he consulted with an american bio ethicist. the stanford professor tells us he didn't think things would get this far. >> two beautiful chinese girls. >> this is the doctor who changed the future of the human race and let the world know on youtube. he stunned the scientific community with the claim he pushed the boundary no one else had.

>> a line has been crossed that should not have been crossed. >> it's very disturbing. it's inappropriate. >> oh, this is huge. >> reporter: he says he genetically edited human embryos, not just for research, but for implantation leading to the world's first births of genetically altered humans, baby girls born in china from embryos designed to be resistant to hiv. >> for this specific case, i feel proud actually. >> reporter: the tool used called crisper is found in labs around the world. >> it gives us a precise way of cutting the gene or putting a little piece of gene in. >> reporter: it is often used by researchers trying to treat incurable diseases. >> it is very easy. you can use it everywhere, and use it now. >> reporter: leaders in the field of gene editing have collectively agreed it is too early to implant edited embryos in humans because of the risks and unknown question about

altering human kind. >> we are at a hinge of human history. >> reporter: the leading bioethicist. the doctor consulted with him. >> we would talk about the seriousness of the issues, and in a sort of step-wise way, what you had to do to make sure it was done right. but when i heard that there were live-born children from it, i thought, oh, my gosh, he just jumped ahead. >> reporter: he knew nothing of the plans to edit human embryos. the doctor studied at stanford as a post doctor fellow. hurt butt described him as smart but too trusting of his own wisdom. >> he's young, he's inexperienced, and he's from a small rural community in china. >> reporter: his research has been shutdown by chinese authorities. it's also raised questions about whether there will be a rash of new regulations to stymie

scientific development or whether they can regulate themselves. >> we all want to be first. this is where you really feel that you're making a huge difference and you're getting recognition. but i think in this particular case, the outcry from the community is so huge that i think it will slow things down. >> reporter: his work has already stoked fears about the future, what it could look like, how soon it could come, whether it includes designer babies, and if a tool found in labs around the world could one day make them. alexandra field, cnn, hong kong. >> alexandra, thank you. now to johannesburg, south africa, the late nelson mandela's 100th birthday, and star power was out in full force there. for a charity concert, it brought thousands of people together sunday for the global citizen festival, the goal of that festival to raise awareness about poverty while also honoring south africa's

anti-apartheid icon. among the performers there, beyonce, jay z, and ed sheeran, and oprah winfrey giving a keynote address on mandela's legacy. police have closed a short-lived case in new york city's most wanted couple. for two days now, police were searching for this newly engaged couple whose marriage proposal literally slipped through their fingers. by the time police retrieved the ring, the pair had already gone home without leaving their contact information. but with the help of twitter, police were able to find that happy couple right there, and they're making arrangements to get their ring back, which is very important. again, here in the united states, it is a week of memorials and mourning that starts for the former president of the united states, george h.w. bush. later this day, the late president's casket will be flown to washington on air force one. mr. bush's children, grandchildren, family and friends will be on the flight. including his faithful companion

sully, his service dog, the former president's spokesperson posted this photo of sully next to mr. bush's casket, saying, mission complete. the 41st president of the u.s. will remain at the u.s. capital from monday evening to wednesday morning. that to be followed by a funeral service. then a return to the state of texas. a second service there, where he is set to be buried on thursday. stay with cnn for our special coverage. and we thank you for joining us this hour. i'm george howell at the cnn center in atlanta. early start is next for our viewers in the united states and for our viewers around the world the news continues with my colleague max foster live in london. you are watching cnn, and we thank you for it, the world's news leader.

. . .

♪ special air mission 41 takes flight today. a final farewell to the late president george herbert walker bush. the president worked out a pause, but not resolution in the trade dispute with china. where is the crime? >> roger stone maintains he did not wrong in 2016 about what he knew and when about hacked democratic e-mails. and the new york police department saves the day after an engagement ring