[George Howell, Cnn Anchor:] A bomb scare at the White House. A man drove up to the White House checkpoint, claiming to have a bomb. He is now in custody. And we have details ahead for you. Plus getting some answers. The FBI director James Comey set to testify Monday on the possible connection between the Trump campaign and Russia during the election. And "Roll Over Beethoven," fans and celebrities say goodbye to rock "n" roll legend Chuck Berry. From CNN World Headquarters in Atlanta, welcome to our viewers here in the United States and around the world. I'm George Howell. CNN NEWSROOM starts right now.
[Howell:] It is 5:00 am on the U.S. East Coast and in Washington, D.C., The situation there around the White House is returning to normal after a security scare. Officials tell CNN that a man drove up to the White House in the vehicle that you see right there late Saturday night. He told a guard that he had a bomb. CNN's Ryan Nobles has been on this story and has the very latest for us.
[Ryan Nobles, Cnn Correspondent:] This all started just after 11 o'clock Eastern time here in Washington. That's when a man driving a vehicle pulled up to a security checkpoint on the east side of the White House near the Treasury Department. He told the guard at that checkpoint that he had a bomb. That started a security situation which lasted for more than four hours. Secret Service agents and bomb technicians methodically checked the vehicle from front to back, bringing in a robot to pull items out of the trunk and a bomb technician in full bomb gear to go through those items. After that long search, the Secret Service agents declared the situation cleared and re-opened a series of roads that had been shut down near the White House for several hours. This marks the third security incident here at the White House in just a little more than a week, including one where a man jumped over the fence and was on the White House grounds for more than 16 minutes. Then earlier on Saturday a man jumped over an extended barrier, attempting to get over the fence on the North Lawn but was stopped by Secret Service agents. The president was not here at the time. He is at his Resort, Mar-a- lago in South Florida. So he was never in any danger. But you can bet this is going to start yet another debate about security conditions here at the White House over the next couple of weeks Ryan Nobles, CNN, Washington.
[Howell:] Ryan, thank you for the reporting. Also in Washington, Monday will mark one of the most crucial days yet for the new president and his administration. That's because the FBI director James Comey is set to testify publicly before the House Intelligence Committee. The focus: possible Russian meddling in last year's election, especially any Russian connections with the Trump campaign. CNN presidential historian Timothy Naftali says that it could be a revealing moment, even if the director is short on details.
[Timothy Naftali, Cnn Presidential Historian:] I suspect that Monday, we will hear a little bit about the extent to which the FBI has undertaken a counterintelligence investigation about possible U.S. assistance to the Russian active measures or deception campaign. I don't expect a lot of detail because that's highly classified information. But I suspect we will learn a little bit about the extent of the investigation.
[Howell:] Now we get some insight on how the Kremlin will view what comes ahead on Monday. Clare Sebastian is live in the Russian capital. Clare, first of all, let's talk about what we know. The FBI director set to testify publicly. This will be an opportunity for many people around the world to hear what he is focused on, if there is an investigation, what might have happened between the Trump campaign or the administration and Russia. On that side of the world, though, is this a major story?
[Clare Sebastian, Cnn Correspondent:] It's interesting, George. The Kremlin publicly is saying that they are very busy with their own work, they don't follow these hearings, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov telling us Friday he doesn't expect to hear anything new, using the colorful phrase, that this is a, quote, "broken record with futuristic songs," essentially making the point that these accusations against Russia keep coming, despite the fact that Russia has strenuously denied that it was ever engaged in any meddling in the U.S. election and has insisted that any contacts between Russian officials and the Trump campaign, now Trump administration, were nothing more than the day-to-day business of diplomacy. But I think it's fair to say, when you have the FBI director testifying under oath on Capitol Hill
[Sebastian:] about Russia, we understand that Russia will be watching. Certainly this is an uncomfortable moment for the Trump administration. But also perhaps for Russia because, over the last two months, we've gone from a situation where many of those high up political circles, certainly the media, were engaged in a frenzy of enthusiasm toward potential improvement in the relationship with the U.S. under Trump. And those hopes have been repeatedly disappointed. We're now at a stage where there's a realization really that Russia, it may be Trump's biggest Achilles heel. And I think that's why you see these kind of offhand dismissals from the Kremlin and why you've seen here in Russia a marked reduction in the amount of media coverage of the Trump administration. They are very much trying to distance themselves from these accusations against Russia that are coming out of Washington George.
[Howell:] Clare Sebastian live in the Russian capital with perspective, Clare, thanks for the reporting. Let's get some perspective now on Monday's upcoming hearing with Scott Lucas, he is a professor of international politics at the University of Birmingham in England. Scott, always a pleasure to have you with us here on CNN. Clearly this could be a telling moment when we see the FBI director speak publicly about whether there was any sort of connection between Russia and the election.
[Scott Lucas, University Of Birmingham:] Well, I think it's just the opening. We've got a long play ahead of us because, while the FBI director, I think, will come out and say, yes, there is substance to the investigation; otherwise, they wouldn't be pursuing it, he's got to be cautious because substance doesn't mean proof. And you don't go in with all guns blazing unless you have all the evidence assembled. And that's going to take some time. I do expect him to say however, first of all, there's no truth to the allegations the Obama administration wiretapped the Trump campaign, thus clearing away this diversion and then emphasizing, yes, we do have a serious situation here, with which the FBI is justly engaged and, therefore, giving substance to those who say there has to be a significant independent investigation of these claims.
[Howell:] Director Comey has come under fire in the past, how he handled issues, like the Clinton e-mail situation, for one. Is his credibility in question here?
[Lucas:] I think people do remember what happened last October, that he really went against protocol when he said that the investigation into Clinton's e-mails had been reopened only days before the election. And that's going to reinforce his caution that, on the one hand, he's got congressmen on both sides, Democrats and Republicans, that will look at any point where they think he stepped over the line. And then on the other hand, he's got to defend the independence of the FBI because Donald Trump has tried to push back and tried to contain the FBI and, indeed, other intelligence agencies by saying they're not legitimate. Well, it's not just Comey but the FBI, whose reputation is on the line, just as Trump's reputation will be on the line in the weeks to come.
[Howell:] And when it comes to the United States and dealing with intelligence, certainly there has been that wiretapping claim, did get the ire from the United Kingdom. How does that play out with the president continuing to double down on these unsubstantiated claims with no evidence to back them up?
[Lucas:] Just when I think our jaws have dropped as far as they can go, he comes out with something and there's just they sink even further. The willingness by Trump to alienate America's closest allies the British, the Germans in recent days simply because, one, he cannot stand any criticism; two, I think he's justifiably worried about the exposure of possible links to Russia, and three, just because he's unpredictable and has no filter on his thoughts, that's a really toxic combination. And we see it in very serious areas. We've seen it in terms of NATO, we've seen it in terms of the position versus the Russians on key foreign policy issues. But Trump's, as it were, Twitter tirades, they're sort of like the tip of an iceberg that is, I'm afraid, is going to sink America's reputation if it continues.
[Howell:] Scott Lucas, live for us in Birmingham, thank you so much for your insight. And we'll be back with you, I'm sure, to continue talking.
[Lucas:] Thank you.
[Howell:] Another provocation from North Korea. The nation now claiming to have made a great leap forward in their rocket development. Reports on state media say the regime has successfully tested a powerful new rocket engine. Earlier, CNN spoke with our military analyst Mark Hertling about the technological significance of this test.
[Lt. Gen. Mark Hertling, Cnn Military Analyst:] Some of these technologies which the North Koreans are including in their rocket expansion program actually have to do with a covert method of firing missiles without being detected in advance of actually exploding the devices. So that's part of the issue. The other piece is, when you are talking about an intercontinental ballistic missile, the types of warheads and the amount of weight that are in the missile itself have to be launched off of a pad. And the better they can improve their technology to do that, the more accurate these systems are going to be, not only from leaving the pad but also going into the atmosphere and then hitting the target on the other side. So all of these things are steps in a grogram that continue to advance their technology.
[Howell:] CNN's Will Ripley is live in Beijing, where the U.S. secretary of state, Rex Tillerson, just met with the Chinese president, Xi Jinping. And, Will, I have a feeling that what we just talked about was certainly on the table.
[Will Ripley, Cnn Correspondent:] Oh, absolutely. Secretary Tillerson has said repeatedly during this Asia trip, George, that North Korea is the most pressing concern that he faces right now. So that it has really dominated conversations in Japan, South Korea and here in China. Yesterday he met with China's two leading diplomats. And while it was very pleasant statements that were made publicly, behind closed doors, very frank and candid exchanges. And China and the United States have very different opinions about the best way to deal with North Korea. China would like to see the U.S. discontinue military exercises with South Korea that are ongoing right now. Pyongyang always gets very angry and we often see missile launches and these tests during those joint military exercises. But the U.S. says these exercises are conducted in full transparency; they're a necessary part of two militaries learning how to work together and there is no plan to discontinue those exercises. What the U.S. thinks China needs to do is to more heavily sanction, more heavily penalize North Korea for their ongoing nuclear and missile activity. There was a United Nations report that showed that the North Korean regime, led by Kim Jong-un, has really found a way to get around sanctions and continue doing business with companies, including entities here in China in defiance of those U.N. sanctions. So Secretary Tillerson was actually expected to say that if Beijing was not prepared to rein in North Korea, the U.S. could start slapping unilateral sanctions on these companies that are doing business with Kim Jong-un, which is certainly something China would not be happy about.
[Howell:] Will, this is a very important story. It's good to have you there in Beijing covering it. But I do want to pivot and kind of talk about the process for which it takes for a reporter to be there to cover the secretary of state. I know that he only traveled with one reporter on the plane. Explain, the situation for journalists trying to travel, trying to follow and report on news with the secretary of state on big stories like this one, where the world wants information.
[Ripley:] It's been a very frustrating situation for the diplomatic press corps, which is accustomed traditionally to traveling with the secretary of state on a larger plane, allowing them to have access, conversations with staffers. And in a country like China, where it's very difficult for journalists to get a visa to work on the ground here, traveling with the secretary of state would have allowed these seasoned diplomatic reporters to be able to cover the trip more extensively. Thankfully, CNN has a bureau here. Other networks have managed to squeak out coverage in China and in South Korea and Japan. But it has been very frustrating. A lot of the diplomatic press corps have felt that it's been a struggle to uphold the right to freely report about the secretary of state. So that's certainly something they are hoping the administration will re-examine, the State Department, moving forward.
[Howell:] CNN international correspondent, Will Ripley, live for us in the Chinese capital, Beijing, Will, thank you for your reporting. We'll stay in touch with you as well. Japan is not taking any chances when it comes to North Korean aggression. That country is used to preparing for natural disasters. But now children are being taught how to react to a potential North Korean missile attack. Our Ivan Watson has this report.
[Ivan Watson, Cnn Senior International Correspondent:] Japanese schoolchildren at play, overseen by teachers who sometimes join in the fun until they're suddenly interrupted. At the sound of the siren, children hit the deck and wait for further instructions. "This is a drill," a loudspeaker announces, "a missile has been launched." This is Japan's first missile evacuation exercises, a simulation preparing people for the threat of a possible North Korean missile strike against this country.
[Watson:] The Japanese government is trying to demonstrate that as North Korea's missile program grows more sophisticated, communities like this could become a target. When it's all over, a government official thanks the volunteers and promises the Japanese armed forces will do all they can to shoot down North Korean missiles. But earlier this month, neither Japan nor its U.S. and South Korean allies could stop North Korea from successfully firing at least four missiles in a single day, three of them landed in the sea less than 200 nautical miles from the small coastal town. In this sleepy fishing port, locals are waking up to a growing threat. "It's scary," says this fisherman who'd just hauled in freshly cut octopus. "You never know what the North Koreans might do next." For some here, the missile exercise brings back painful memories. "During World War II, we performed evacuation drills," 89-year-old Reinosuke Ishigaki tells me. "We put on gas masks and dug tunnels to hide in and in the future, we might have to do that again." The principal of the main elementary school here says his students need to be prepared for a manmade disaster. "Usually we perform drills for natural disasters," he says. "But the potential threat from a missile is beyond imagination." In addition to its fresh air and sea foods, this remote corner of Japan is famous for Namahage, a fairytale monster that kept kids awake at night. But now, there's a very real threat that may leave everyone here losing sleep Ivan Watson, CNN, Oga, Japan.
[Howell:] Ivan Watson, thank you. Some sad news to report, a big loss to the music world. The father of rock "n" roll has died.
[Nischelle Turner, Cnn Correspondent:] Chuck Berry was one of the pioneers of rock "n'roll. His powerful guitar licks fueled hit songs such as "Johnny B. Goode" "Maybellene" and "Roll Over Beethoven." During the '50s and '60s, Berry's music signaled a new era in rock 'n" roll. The singer's owes ability to seamlessly blend R&B and rock music made a strong impact on the Beatles and the Rolling Stones, to name a few.
[Unidentified Male:] It's very difficult for me to talk about Chuck Berry because I lifted every lick he ever played.
[Turner:] Berry experienced a career resurgence in the mid-'80s and "90s. His music re-entered pop culture in films such as "Back to the Future" and "Pulp Fiction." In 1984, Berry received the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award and a year later, he became the Rock 'n" Roll Hall of Fame's first inductee.
[Unidentified Male:] Mr. Berry.
[Chuck Berry, Rock Legend:] God Almighty. God Almighty, thank you.
[Turner:] On the heels of his induction, the Stones' Keith Richards invited a roster of great musicians to celebrate the rock icon's 60th birthday and then in 1987, Berry was humbled to receive a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
[Berry:] I cannot describe, I don't have the voice, I don't have the wind, I don't have the spirit, but believe me, I'll remember it the rest of my life.
[Turner:] The married father of four repeatedly had trouble with the law. He was behind bars three times for charges ranging from attempted robbery to tax evasion and convicted of transporting an underage girl across state lines. However, Berry's career was not derailed.
[Berry:] That margin of glory is not too high. That margin of defeat then is also not too low. So I lived right through it without any pain.
[Turner:] Berry received the Kennedy Center Honor Award in 2000 and continued to perform well into his 80s. His remarkable contributions to music will forever remain a part of rock "n" roll history.
[Howell:] Chuck Berry dead at the age of 90 years old. NEWSROOM we'll be right back after this.