[Vause:] After weeks of tensions on the Korean peninsula, the U.S. and South Korea have a simple message for Pyongyang, here's the solution when it comes to military exercises. Planned U.S. and South Korea drills are into their second day. That's despite North Korea warning they could lead to a, quote, "uncontrollable face of a nuclear war," if they went ahead. Paula Hancocks is in Seoul. She joins us live. So, Paula, the big question is not so much what the North Koreans are saying but what they're actually planning to do.
[Paula Hancocks, Cnn Correspondent:] That's right, John. If they're planning something at this point, whether there's going to be another missile launch, whether there's going to be another nuclear test. Certainly, this time last year, September 9th, we had the most recent nuclear test, which was just a few weeks after the military drills, the Operation Freedom Guardian. No way of knowing whether or not they were actually connected or whether it was just time for North Korea to carry out another test. So we're hearing more rhetoric today. We're hearing a number of, or reading a number of articles in the state-run news media saying they were going to give ruthless retaliation and punishment for these military drills which are ongoing. But we've also heard from the top U.S. military command in the region in the last hour or so. They gave a press conference. And General Vincent Brooks, the head of the U.S. forces in Korea, said that, in our view, we have to exercise until we have reason not to. And that reason has not yet emerged. Also, we heard from Secretary of Defense James Mattis, saying that the North Korea know these drills are defensive, no matter what they say for public consumption. They've had these drills for decades and they know they're very transparent about them to make sure there's no room for miscalculation John?
[Vause:] Paula, thank you. Paula Hancocks, in Seoul, with the latest. We'll take a short break. When we come back, as the United States continues to grapple with a fierce and emotional debate over statues of Confederate monuments, we'll look at the lessons from Eastern Europe. Also ahead, millions of star gazers tracking the moon on Monday as it blocked out the sun. We'll look at the total solar eclipse in just a moment.