institution, but is connected and responsive to the everyday concerns of our people. there's no doubt that how a united europe works together can be improved. but look around the world at authoritarian governments and theocracies that ruled by fear and oppression, and there is no doubt that democracy is still "the" most just and effective form of government ever created. >> announcer: this is cnn breaking news -- good morning. welcome to your "new day." we do have breaking news. president obama announcing moments ago he is sending 250 additional forces to join the fight generals isis in syria. >> live in germany with all the breaking details, michelle kosinski. >> reporter: hi, alisyn. we know 250 additional special operators to syria. that would mean a total of 300 in country by the time this is done. we expect them to be there over the next couple of weeks. they could deploy in phases, but that would mean there are six times the number of special operators in the end than there are now. a significant increase. we heard the president talk about why now, to build momentum, to keep things going, as isis continues to lose territory. listen -- >> -- i've approved the deployment of up to 250 additional u.s. personnel in syria, including special forces, to keep up this momentum. they're not going to be pleading the figpleading -- leading the fight on the ground bud essential in assisting local forces, they continue to drive isil back. >> reporter: so even though the white house keeps emphasizes this is not a combat role, obviously, these special forces are going to be working with fighters that are already there. so they're not going to be on the front lines but they're going to be there advising and assisting. a significant increase and earlier in the year we saw a few other additional troops going to iraq. the total number of u.s. troops in iraq and syria is around 4,000. you know, we're seeing a boost trying to keep up the momentum, as the president said, but the white house insists that these are mostly going to be there to train, to help provide arms to these forces and try to recruit more sunni arabs in the fight, because up until now, most of the fighting has been done by kurds. chris and alisyn? >> thanks so much, michelle. we'll talk more what that means through the show. another breaking story. a political bombshell. ted cruz and john kasich announcing that they will team up to try to deny donald trump the republican nomination. the trump campaign firing back calling this "a horrible act of desperation." all these as all northeast states head to the polls tomorrow. phil mattingly, tell us about this unusual arrangement, phil? >> reporter: unexpected. started with a couple phone calls and progressed into a secret meeting between the top two officials of both campaigns and then last night a jars dual statement released. john kasich/ted cruz, now working together with the same strategy, stop donald trump. >> i want to ask each and every one of you to come out and vote for me ten times. >> reporter: ted cruz betting big on indiana, announcing he's joining forces with john kasich in an unprecedented last-ditch effort to stop donald trump. the dividing conquer agreement, cruz' campaign will "focus time in indiana and clear the path for kasich in oregon and new mexico." this is critical to keeping him from the nomination. recent polling shows cruz trailing trump by single digits in the hoosier state. the strategy shift coming despite the fact that kasich and cruz continue to attack each other on the campaign trail. >> a vote for cruz or trump, frankly, is a vote for hillary clinton. >> john kasich has no path whatsoever to the nomination. >> reporter: trump lashing out on twitter and issues a lengthy statement writing, dough lucico often illegal in many industries, yet these two reverted to co-collusion in order to stay alive. the latest gop bombshell coming ahead of tuesday's primaries in connecticut, delaware, maryland, pennsylvania and rhode island. states where trump appears poised to perform well. the republican front-runner continuing his own attack dog strategy on the trail this weekend. >> cruz is working really hard to -- i don't want to use the word bribe -- but to bribe the delegates. >> reporter: accusing cruz of illegal activity and rejecting calls to appear more presidential. >> it's so much easier to be presidential, because i don't have to use any energy. you know, i can just walk out -- so much easier. you think this is easy? ranting and raving? i got to entertain 18,000, whatever the hell number of people we have here. >> reporter: guys, no shortage of questions about what this will mean going forward, but as i was going back and forth at the campaign last night, one of the advisers said there is only one clear overarching goal here. an adviser told me, get to cleveland. all about the contested convention, guys. >> all right. so we're quiet, because, wow. >> marinating on everything you just said. >> a good introduction for you. when we're actually impressed with what you're reporting. there is no quick response. all right. so let's talk about how this happened and what it will mean and how long it will last. our brand new cnn politics editor, wana, great to have you, wana sanders. >> and david gregory, host of the david gregory podcast. okay. collusion. put up the statement from donald trump. let's just say this is what he's calling it. collusion, his tweet. very angry, tweeting a lot, calling it desperation. whenever it's in caps you know he means it. the question, is it collusion? david gregory, co-collusion would be doing something secretive for dishonest or illegal purposes. this is not that, but unprecedented and huge for kasich and cruz. >> first, donald trump is right. two relatively weak campaigns relative to his campaign joining forces to stop him, because they know the real game for them is to stop trump to win on the first ballot in cleveland. if he gets it on the first ballot, it's over. they know if they can stop a first ballot victory for trump they have a shot. maybe the two of them join forces, mabon marco rubio, maybe it's somebody from the outside. i think that's unlikely. a lot of this is really about indiana. the three of them in the race, you have an advantage to trump. if you take kasich out of it, because he it some appeal there as a midwestern republican governor in a conservative state, if you take him out of the equation, cruz and trump get much closer. i think their view is, if trump were to win in indiana, it really does kind of are slam the door shut after perhaps he'll have a pretty good run here tomorrow. >> let's talk about the chess game and how they divvied up the pieces. so cruz is going to get indiana, and kasich oregon and new mexico. and i guess -- i mean, the big question is, can this work? >> that's a great question and keep in mind the five states that vote tomorrow on tuesday, or all states phil noted donald trump could perform well and this from stopping donald trump from getting the nomination, it is much slimmer. we're seeing the campaigns working together it to see ground effect with one another. whether it will work and be enough is really an open question. >> right. because that's the thing. we're using the phrase, phil, you get this, you get that. neither gets any of these. the case that kasich wins those southwestern states, northwestern -- no. not going to win them, but he'll be competitive. indiana, will cruz -- maybe, maybe not. what do you think the real st t strategy is here? all about convention? >> all about convention. these states aren't winner take all. appealing delegates state by state. while donald trump may win indiana, ted cruz going into congressional districts and taking delegates away, not only like john kasich did in new york. donald trump had a crushing win but john kasich took away delegates. what this allows them both to do, save resources. obviously, john kasich really low on money allows him to narrow his campaign, focus on specific areas, particularly oregon, and his campaign really likes new mexico where they think they can play well, peel off delegates giving ted cruz an an avoided slhot at indiana. it's make or break in indiana for ted cruz. >> one of the interesting things about this, ted cruz in particular was on the record he was not interested in any arrangement like this. when there were whispers about this a couple weeks ago he shot it down basically saying he didn't need john kasich who he considered a spoiler. >> and a staunch -- he said to you, i think, no, no, no. there's no convention. this is all about who wins right now. i'm the only one who can beat this guy. >> absolutely. so what changed? >> reality. a few weeks ago, trump won wisconsin. and cruz in wisconsin did something he hadn't done before. expanded his base of support beyond christian conservatives. he was showing signs of perhaps he could expand that support and then got crushed. he gets a bagel in new york and now has to look ahead and see the prospects, and now they're finally picking up what was the prescription from mitt romney. the former standard bearer in 2012. he said a month ago this ought to be the playbook for these two candidates to try to get it to an open convention, because -- he told me on my podcast last week, if both kasich and cruz coming out of new york were going at each other and all of these states through california they're just going to divide too much of the vote and indiana tells the tale. because as phil just said, cruz has got to win in indiana. a conservative state, and if there's three people on the race and he's trailing he needs kasich out of the equation. doesn't mean he can necessarily do it or everybody staying home but a way for the campaign to say we have a strategy and have to work together to deny trump. >> a kink in it. one is that indiana, as phil pointed out, proportional. southwest, northwest states, proportional. most are now winner take all. big difference between the democrats and republicans. so does this really help them? and some context whether or not they're all in on this strategy, a nice way of saying they're not. what they've said about each other. >> just hours beforehand. >> we have cruz and kasich about cruz and kasich? >> yes. watch this. >> a vote for cruz or trump frankly is a vote for hillary clinton. at the end of it all i think when we're at the convention, the delegates are going to want to know who can beat hillary? and these guys don't have enough time to turn around super high negatives. >> as we stand here today there are two people and only two people that have any plausible path to winning the nomination. me and donald trump. as i said, plausible path. >> an hour beforehand. >> the frenemies strategy. that's what this is. >> exactly. >> going along to get along here and hoping this magic strategy will work out, but john kasich and ted cruz represent two very different sections of the republican party. very different appeals to one another. it's not clear if this can work and the open question, so you deprive donald trump of delegates ahead of the convention. a big question looming over the so-called stop trump movement from the beginning, then who the person republicans can put up to defeat the democratic nominee, whether or not it's hillary clinton or the long shot, bernie sanders. indiana is may 3rd. is that now the make or break state on the republican side? >> no question about it. for ted cruz, they made that clear last week. a back story to what you just showed. the top advisers for ted cruz and john kasich were meeting had a secret meeting in florida this past week. while ted cruz was in florida, during that rnc meeting he called john kasich a spoiler, didn't belong in the race. while ted cruz was still saying this their top advisers were meeting behind the scenes to make this happen. the reality is, while both candidates blessed the deal, neither spoke to one another. still difficulties between the two of them. the reality, a recognition from both campaigns as painful as it may be from the candidates themselves that this is it. it might even be too late, but indiana is it for ted cruz and for john kasich it's never been about winning states, all about getting to cleveland. this is an opportunity to make a deal, save resources and perhaps get himself to cleveland with donald trump in a weakened state. >> one little problem. one big problem. the little problem, consistent for kasich, always saying it's an the convention. the last month or so. for cruz, a big change. he'll explain that. the big problem is tomorrow. a ton of delegates are going to come down tomorrow and a lot of them are winner take all in that. some uncommitted at the convention, but it's a big deal. we'll see how they feel about this with the big numbers piling in tomorrow night. we'll keep talking about this. in the 8:00 hour, players and the campaigns. sam clovis with the trump campaign and ron nehring with ted cruz's campaign. we'll see what they have to say about this. very different stories, i promise you that. mic. take a look at what the democrats have to say. hillary clinton is posed for a big day tomorrow as five northeast states head to the polls. bernie sanders fighting to stay alive. clinton is setting her sights now on the general election. our national correspondent jason carroll is in hagerstown, maryland with more. good morning. happy monday. >> reporter: happy monday to you, and you know, as you know, sanders has already acknowledged over the weekend that his path to the nomination looking more and more narrow. all this as hillary clinton is already setting her sights on who might be the republican nominee. >> hello, bridgeport! >> reporter: hillary clinton is gearing up to a five-state primary battle with bernie sanders, but it doesn't sound that way on the stump. >> what trump and cruz say, it's not only offensive, it's dang dangerous. >> reporter: the democratic front-runners speeches were against donald trump. >> donald trump actually says, wages are too high in america. trump says things like, bar all muslims from coming into the country. >> reporter: ted cruz wasn't spared either. >> when ted cruz says, hey, let's round up all of the muslim-americans making sure we have police watching all of them, the commissioner of the nypd really summed it up when asked, when he said, ted cruz doesn't know ma-owhat the hell talking about. >> reporter: the vermont senator is not budging, continuing to draw a stark contrast between them. >> this campaign, unlike secretary clinton's, has not raised $15 million from wall street. as secretary of state she pushed the fracking technology. >> reporter: with nearly 400 delegates on the line this tuesday, sanders vows to keep fighting for each vote. >> this campaign is doing well, and will win. >> reporter: sanders promising to wage war against clinton all the way until june. >> we do have a path to victory. i think we have come a very, very long way in the last year, and we're going to fight for every last vote until the -- until california and the d.c. primary. >> reporter: and looking ahead to california, the clinton camp also asking the sanders camp to tone down the rhetoric. this after a sanders supporter actress rosario dawson mentioned monica lewinsky over the weekend. >> we'll talk about that with our panel come's up shortly with our panel. thank you for that. bernie sanders is staying in the race. what is his strategy and what does he say if hillary becomes the nominee? 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listen to what he said about that. >> i will do everything that i can to make certain that donald trump is not elected president, but if that scenario plays out, the major responsibility will be on secretary clinton to convince all people, not just my supporters, that she is the kind of president this country needs to represent working people in this country. she's going to have to be very explicit about supporting a program which stands up for the needs of the middle class and working families. >> so juana, that was an interesting line of questioning and response. what did you make of it? >> fascinating listening to bernie sanders kind of threaded needle. didn't outright say fully support her and stump for her but left the door open. a different tone we've heard bernie sanders when he talks about hillary clinton. that's for a number of reasons. as he noted, the path for the nomination is quite narrow especially given the states that vote tuesday all of which tend to favor hillary clinton and the moment we are in the race, very few good states left for bernie sanders as he's facing a number of closed primaries, not a lot of caucus states left. this is a slim path for him and he's starting to come around to the realization, seems at least from most comments there night m not be a path to victory and he has to decides how to handle if donald trump is the nominee. >> much more than on the gop side. almost all states proportional from this point out, so he can't get blown out of the water and super delegates, he can hold out he can make a different case to him. who knows. >> that's not his plan. to stay until it's all over. >> the system is more advantageous. a big thing we saw last week, supposed to play into this week, david gregory, keep it above board. be better than the other side. democrats are saying. rosario dawson gets up, yes, an actress, not a pundit or sophisticated player, nonetheless, getting headlines. here's what she said. >> we are literally under attack for not just supporting the other candidate. now, i'm with monica lewinsky with this. bullying is bad. she's actually dedicated her life now to talking about that, and now as a campaign strategy we are being bullied. >> yes or no, should your surkitts be talking about monica lewinsky? >> i have no idea in what context rozsario was talking about her. i hope everyone is focusing on the massive wealth and inequality we have. >> david, in no way am i suggesting bernie sanders is architecting this type of strategy, but how much weight to you put on what rosario dawson says? >> there's passive aggressive and then there's aggressive. that was just aggressive. easy to dismiss, campaign can't control it. this is a couple of times in a couple of weeks when the sanders campaign has had to be in a very uncomfortable position because of what a surrogate says. so it's a little cute on the part of senator sanders to say, oh, i have no idea what my surrogates are saying. he was clearly informed of it and this is where you have this annoyance, the frustration, anger on the part of the campaign that may be coming to the surface again. relatively mild compared to what we've seen on the republican side, but it's still there. but bernie sanders is in a position where he's not about to come around just yet on hillary clinton. he's got a big base of supporters and a lot of money and something of a movement behind him. he's different than somebody else in a race. i don't think he's going to run for president again. he's got a power base that he'd like to keep going. maybe it's an outside group. some kind of constituency. it's a little early for him to start talking about falling in line for the good of the party, even though he's certainly signaling that's what he's going to do. >> dive into deeper, juana, what rosario said. what was she talking about further? being bullied? who's bullying her? sort of didn't even explain beyond monica lewinsky what she means and who is giving sanders grief? >> i certainly don't what to over -- what she said. bernie sanders and his supporters we can note had outside views, characterized as bernie bros in some reports and had some very antagonistic things to say about secretary clinton as well as her supporters, that they that fall in line. he has little or no path to the democratic nomination and it's time for them to come around and support hillary clinton as hillary clinton did when running against senator barack obama. that's what they want to see. and rhetoric over what's appropriate, what's not. raisinglewinsky, a fair critique, it's a distraction from what bernie sanders needs to talk about and be doing if he doesn't close the gap in the narrow path to victory that still lies there for him. >> juana, david, great to get your insights. a crazy story out of ohio, a manhunt following the execution-style murders of eight family members. authorities have a chilling warning for the rest of the family. but with nexgard, their flea and tick killer doesn't have to be. nexgard, the vet's #1 choice for dogs, is a delicious, beef-flavored chew that kills both fleas and ticks. so it's easy to give, easy to take. reported side effects include vomiting, itching, diarrhea, lethargy and lack of appetite. use with caution in dogs with a history of seizures. why mess around? 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>> reporter: good morning, michaela. a tragic story became more bizarre with announcement over the weekend that a marijuana growing operation was found at the residences of the victims. a source close to the investigation tells me it was not for personal use but for something much, much bigger. even still authorities are not saying this is drug related. certainly people in this community have speculations given the ruthless nature of these executions. many think it was drug related. with fear the suspects are still on the loose thinking they may be next. authorities tried to address that as a press conference yesterday. >> this was a pre-planned execution of eight individuals. it was a sophisticated operation. >> i've spoke with the family. it's very evident that they were a target of this horrible crime. i cautioned them they were a target, and i told them to be armed. >> reporter: perhaps the most disturbing detail out of all of this is one of the victims wa as mother who was shot and killed. shot in the head while sleeping next to her 4 day-old baby. more than 100 tips, interviewed between 50 and 60 people, but still have no suspect. ma clay? 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for powerful flea and tick protection, ask your vet about nexgard. the #1 choice of vets for their dogs and yours. shoshow me more like this.e. show me "previously watched." what's recommended for me. x1 makes it easy to find what you love. call or go online and switch to x1. only with xfinity. can a ted cruz-john kasich partnership keep donald trump from cinching the nomination? a surprise announcement saying they will attempt to divide delegates to conquer trump. joining us now, cnn politics reporter m.j. lee, just spent a week in rust belt states talking about the election. start with this surprise announcement last night. what do we know about this cruz-kasich alliance? >> joining forces to try to deny trump the nomination. probably an effort too late, as with all of the other stop trump efforts we've seen over the last couple months. we know for a fact that cruz and kasich, neither of them can get to that magic number of 1,237 on their own. we know that trump is the only person who realistically can get to that number, and when you look at the states that we're talking about, indiana, oregon, new motiexico, these are not wir take all states. >> cruz will take indiana, kasich oregon and new mexico to try to keep trump from getting to 1,237, rig. >> right. and not all states of winner take all. in order to stop trump from getting to that number, it's too late probably because of where we are in the race and how far along trump is, and i think this plan is really flawed, because other than those three states, you notice that the campaign statements did not actually mention all of the other states that will have contests heading into june. so you can -- imagine the scenario where the kasich campaign and the cruz campaign get to a state where they both think they probably have a good chance of getting some delegates. how can you say at this point that, you know, they don't reach a moment of friction where they say, look, i think i have every right to compete in this state. >> one thing we can count on, it's moments of friction, in this election. you've just spent a good chunk of time in interesting places. erie, pennsylvania, and other places in the rust belt. play for viewers a snippet of some of the things you were told. >> when it comes to politics, the discussion ultimately is around donald trump around cross the board people are saying, he's got it right. i'm voting for him. and that's what scares them, because he's not a political guy. >> i just hope that whoever gets in is pro growth and creating jobs. people are concerned about jobs. you know, ge announced a big layoff. you heard, 1,500 people. that's very, very big. it's not unemployment as much as it's the under employment. >> you don't think anyone can help you? any president can help you? >> i got to help myself. they ain't going to get me no job, feed me, clothe me. they ain't going to do anything for me. >> you hear a common theme running through all of those. jobs, jobs, jobs. >> right. the three cities we went to, talking about cities that once used to be a huge manufacturing hubs and since the '70s and '80s when a lot of people left because jobs started leaving south or overseas, these people have tried to make sense of this all, and figure out, well, how can we make our towns and cities the sorts of places that they used to be? and a lot of the people that we spoke to, they said when they think about the presidential election, they want a candidate who will come to their towns and their cities and really talk to them and say, here's a proposal i have to make sure you can put food on your table. a proposal i have to make sure that your kids can get good college educations. here's a proposal i have to fill in the potholes that are all over your city and close down the homes that are all boarded up, and closed, and just sitting there vacant. for a lot of these people they're sort of juggling with, you know, knowing what their cities yews to be and the potential their cities used to havened a wanting 2016 to be an election that gives them hope, and a hope that's realistic, grounded on realistic proposals. >> you talked to 30 voters. fascinating what they told you. check it out on cnn.com to see the pull result of the rust polls she did thank you very much. reports a grand jury will hand down a decision in the johnny manziel case. details coming up. they say that in life, we shouldn't sweat the small stuff. but when you're building a mercedes-benz, there really is no small stuff. every decision... every component... is an integral part of what makes the 2016 c-class one of our most sophisticated cars ever. because when you're setting a new benchmark for refinement, it is the small stuff... that makes the biggest impression. the 2016 c-class. see your authorized dealer for exceptional offers through mercedes-benz financial services. so you don't have to stop., tylenol® 8hr arthritis pain has two layers of pain relief. the first is fast. the second lasts all day. we give you your day back. what you do with it is up to you. tylenol®. i'm terhe is.at golf. people say i'm getting better. no one's ever said that. but i'd like to keep being terrible at golf for as long as i can. he's just happier when he's playing. but he's terrible. for the strength and energy to keep doing what you love, try new ensure enlive. only patented ensure enlive has hmb, plus 20 grams of protein to help rebuild muscle. and its clinically proven formula helps you stay you. oh. nice shot. new ensure enlive. alwayse you. shoshow me more like this.e. show me "previously watched." what's recommended for me. x1 makes it easy to find what you love. call or go online and switch to x1. only with xfinity. but you can count on our 1,000 americas and canadas best value inns for room discounts, upgrades, instant rewards, and a home town touch. the central plains are bracing for a dangerous storm this morning. officials warning of massive hail, strong winds and even an outbreak of tornadoes moving from southern texas right up to missouri. meteorologist chad myers has a look what we can expect ahead. chad, this is serious t. is. especially for tomorrow. for today maybe around chicago there will be some severe weather, but tomorrow is the big day. it's battle stations day tomorrow, because the jet stream is doing that. when you see a big turn in the jet stream like that, there will be severe weather right here on the east side of that. i need you to get your apps all up to date. know where you are, what county you live in. know your plan for tomorrow in you are in that spot right there. let me highlight it for you. anywhere inside that big red box is where the severe weather will be's it's one of those days. categories, where there's no severe weather, some severe weather, quite a bit and oh, gosh. we're close to a that oh gosh from kansas through oklahoma. tomorrow is the big day, be ready for it in the plains. chris? >> chad, appreciate it. we'll check back with you, we know the situation is in flux. bleacher report, not just about bad behavior, about the law, and formal indictment is expected to today against former cleveland browns quarterback johnny manziel. coy wire has it for us this morning. my brother. >> how are ya, chris? it has been reported by multiple media outlets in dallas johnny manziel indicted by a dallas grand jury on a misdemeanor assault charge. his ex-girlfriend said he hit her so hard back in january, he broke her ear drum. manziel released a statement last week saying these thankful for those who really know me and support me. that statement came after he was fired by a second agent in two months. now, scary moment for the defending champs. golden state in game four. playoff series against the rockets. steph curry missed the last two games with a hurt ankle slips on the court playing defense in the second quarter. that knee buckles. he leaves the game. tries to come back in the second half, the team said he could not go. he got emotional. the team says a strained right knee. the rest of the team seemed to rally. warriors made an nba record 23 three pointers in the game. big kin taking a three to one series lead. more playoff basketball on tnt and nba tv tonight. heat and hornets, mavericks and thunder and clippers and trail blazers, alisyn, tip off tonight. >> i will be looking forward to that, coy. thanks so much. >> you're welcome. all right. president obama announcing a major announcement this morning. more u.s. special forces will head to syria in the fight against isis. they will not be involved in combat, he says. so what will they do? 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"may i be excused?" get the new xfinity tv app and for the first time ever stream live tv, watch on demand, and download your dvr shows anywhere. -- i've approved deployment of up to 250 additional u.s. personnel in syria including special forces to keep us this momentum. >> big headline. president obama announcing this morning what you just heard. 250 additional special operators going to syria to support the fight against isis. that makes about 4,000 americans on the ground in the bad lands of syria and other hot beds in the region. the question is, are we slipping deeper into the maraz. and commanding general for the 7th army, lieutenant general mark hurtland. general, how are you? >> good morning, chris. how are you? >> when you hear this news, what does it mean to you? >> first of all, chris, it's not unexpected. we've been anticipating additional deployment of special operations forces, and as the president said that includes special forces. i'll delineate the difference in a seconds. expected it for weeks, for months some of us thought about this. he said it over a year ago. once he started to gather intelligence in syria and have the iraqi army step up in iraq we would provide more support in both of these fights against isis. >> how reasonable is the concern anytime you're on the ground you might as well be fighting? >> that's my rationale, chris. you're going to have special forces, the ones that advise and assist, the so-called green berets with the unit. you'll see some forces maybe not executing combat operations, but they are certainly going to be in harm's way. they have to be there in order to see how the people they've trained deliver the kinetic action, and also need to be there to help support with either air power or passing of intelligence for targeting purposes. they are close by the action. make no mistake about that. >> you've been saying literally for years now you cannot help this without being on the ground. it doesn't work that way. the situation is -- is going to be decided on the ground. so the balance here is whether or not, what, you're the ones actually fighting it for them, versus being there helping them? i mean, how should people understand this? >> well, you do have to have ground forces indigenoctchous g forces, and the president has it right. we don't want to put americans fighting in this conflict for arab issues, and so you have to gather the support and garner the support of sunni tribesmen in syria to contribute to what the peshmerga have already done in that country and support the iraqi security forces that are, in fact, stepping up under the al abadie government and actually retaking ground. yes. there has to be ground forces's no mistake about that. but the u.s. force, that will be will will contribute to the ground forces with air power, artillery and the kinds of things that will be very helpful in any kind of desert war fare. >> consensus is real. i hear more and more people saying, listen, unless autocrats come back into these countries we're talking about and take control of life for the people there, you're going to see u.s. involvement on the ground go up in the coming years. is that true? >> you won't find me as part of that consensus, chris. i don't believe that. i think you can actually have a movement where a representative form of government can take over and the assad regime, he has been pushed to the negotiating table until some other things happened and was pulled away thinking his forces could continue operations in places like aleppo, but you've got to represent all the people in the country. if you don't you're going to have these kinds of instances where just the very nature of society is going to have people wanting to be represented, and in both of these countries, there is a wide swath of folks. both in iraq and in syria, who don't feel like they're being represented in terms of the decision-making of the government. >> let's put something on people's radar they might not hear anywhere else. surprising for you to hear the head of afghanistan, the president there right now, saying to pakistan, hey, you better take care of what's going on in your side of the fence here with the taliban. if you don't start fighting against them we have to assume you're helping them. that conversation used to happen in reverse. especially with musharraf saying afghans need to help themselves. what does that mean going forward? will we wind up on the ground there now? >> this is a back and forth between those countries that existed for years, chris, and i think, you know, it's the old story, if you want a new idea, read an old book. if you want a new news item in afghanistan, read an old newspaper. that's what's been happening. it's the blaming of the other side. the taliban has moved from afghanistan into the tribal areas of pakistan. pakistan is saying that's disrupting their government. both sides are -- they've got to make concessions to one another to stop this flow of fighters across the border, but if you've ever been to that area, you know how tough it is to do that. this is going to continue. >> all right. well, you have lived it. i have just been a visitor in both places. general, thank you for helping us understand, as always. >> always a pleasure, chris. there's a lot on the table for you this morning. ted cruz and john kasich are frenemies. what does that mean? we're going to tell you, right now. >> i think they both should get out. what are they doing? >> ted cruz and john kasich announcing that they will team up to try to deny donald trump the republican nomination. >> if we continue to unite we will win this primary. >> i i don't have viability why is everybody so afraid of me? >> it will be an election between crooked hillary and wonderful donald. >> loose cannons tend to misfire. what we have with him is the loosest of all cannons. >> we're going to fight for every last vote. >> and syria i've approved deployment up to 250 additional u.s. personnel including special forces. >> these terrorists will learn -- >> your hatred is not match for our nation. >> two years after the mass abduction of the school girls in nigeria to retake boko haram territory and on the edge everywhere you look, scenes of devastation. >> announcer: this is "new day" with chris cuomo, alisyn camerota and michaela pereira. true. good morning, everyone. welcome to your "new day." up first, we have a political bombshell to tell you about. republican rivals ted cruz and john kasich joining forces to stop donald trump. the duo teaming up in hopes of denying the front-runner the delegates he needs to clinch the party's nomination before the convention. trump calling this a "horrible act of desperation." >> the front-runner taking fire from all sides. hillary clinton has a new ad using the donald's own words against him. all of this unfolding as five northeast states with a bunch of delegates are up for grabs tomorrow. we have the 2016 race covered the way only cnn can cover it beginning with phil mattingly. good morning. >> reporter: no love lost between the ted cruz campaign and the john kasich campaign. the candidates attacking one another on the stump. their aides relentlessly attacking one another on twitter. behind the scenes something else was happening. calls exchanged last week. a secret meeting between the campaign's top two advisers and late last night, dual statements with a jarring recognition. they share one thing. they need to stop donald trump. >> i want to ask each and every one of you to come out and vote for me ten times. >> reporter: ted cruz betting big on indiana. announcing he's joining forces with john kasich in an unprecedented last-ditch effort to stop donald trump. the divide and conquer agreement, cruz' campaign will "focus its time and resources in indiana" and "clear the path for kasich in oregon and new mexico." kasich confirming the campaign collusion in a statement. writing that "keeping trump from a plurality in indiana is critical to keeping him from the nomination." recent polling shows cruz trailing trump by single digits in the hoosier state. the strategy shift coming despite the fact that kasich and cruz continue to attack each other on the campaign trail. >> a vote for cruz or trump frankly is a vote for hillary clinton. >> john kasich has no path whatsoever to the nomination. >> reporter: trump lashing out on twitter and issuing a lengthy statement writing "collusion is often illegal and many other industries and yet these two washington insiders have had to revert to collusion in order to stay alive. they are mathematically dead, and this act only shows as puppets of donors and special interests how truly weak they and their campaigns are". the latest gop bombshell coming ahead of tuesday's primaries in connecticut, delaware, maryland, pennsylvania and rhode island. states where trump appears poised to perform well. the republican front-runner continuing his own attack dog strategy on the trail this weekend. >> cruz is working really hard to, i don't want to use the word bribe, but to bribe -- the delegates. >> reporter: accusing cruz of illegal activity and rejecting calls to appear more presidential. >> it's so much easier to be presidential, because i don't have to use any energy. you know i can just walk out. so much easier. you think this is easy? ranting and raving, i got to entertain 18,000 whatever the hell number of people we have here? >> reporter: no shortage of question what's this will actually mean to the race. the least of which is, is it too late? i walk talking to advisers of both kpants last night what is the overarching goal? one advisers said, get to cleveland. alisyn, it is all about that open convention in cleveland. >> phil, we do have a lot of questions, and luckily we're getting some answers this morning. thanks so much. let's talk more about this at about the cruz/kasich divide and conquer strategy with our fab ris panel. jeffrey lord, ben ferguson, and ana navarro, great to have you all here this morning. >> good morning. >> good morning. >> ana, someone has been reading your twitter feed, because you saw this coming. in fact, you suggested it. let me read what you put out on april 22nd. you tweeted, cruz should lead northeast states to kasich, stronger there. kasich should lead indiana to cruz. coordinate, or trump obliterates. arepsychic, ana? >> i don't think it takes any esp or special powers to realize that they have limited resources. cruz and kasich. and they have one common goal. keeping trump from reaching 1,237. if not, they don't get to the dance. that the only way they get to the dance. you know, listen, trump reaches 1,237, they've got no chariot, no golden slipper's they got no chance whatsoever. so, you know, i have been wondering for weeks now why this hasn't happened. i hope it's not too late. i am so glad it's happening. it is the only chance they have. i know they don't like each other. i know they don't trust each other but they've got to work together. sometimes you just have to do it. >> ben, ana makes it sound like a no-brainer. it certainly has not been that for cruz. for weeks calling kasich a spoiler, he should get out of the race. ben, why now are they doing this alliance? >> i think their looking at the map and realizing this is a complicated map. if they continue to go against one another, and in certainly area. the more candidates that have been in the race the more it actually helps donald trump win. the smaller the field gets, the tougher for donald trump to get to that magic number. look, this is july madness, i call it. everybody wants to get to the big dance like at the basketball tournament in march madness. you have a chance now with this strategy for both men to be able to do one thing, and that is stop donald trump, and also get a united ticket at the convention. what you do see from both of these campaigns is they understand that they think donald trump is a disaster. especially looking at the head-to-head polls against hillary clinton or bernie sanders. there's one poll that's been consistent. donald trump has high unfavorables, and he is getting killed by either those candidates in a general head-to-head matchup. what i think both men realize, and both campaigns realize was, we can fight this at a convention. may the best man win, but this is how we're going to get to the big dance, because they both understand donald trump is a total failure head-to-head against hillary clinton or bernie sanders. >> jeffrey, just hours before they issued these surprise statements that they were joining forces, neither candidate, cruz nor kasich, sounded like they would ever consider, you know, working with each other. so let me play for you how they sounded yesterday morning. >> at the end of it all i think when we're at the convention, the delegates are going to want to know who can beat hillary, and these guys don't have enough time to turn around super high negatives. >> as we stand here today there are two people and only two people that have any plausible path whatsoever to winning the republican nomination. me and donald trump. as i said, plausible path. >> so jeffrey, as a trump supporter, what do you make of this? >> yeah. i have to say, i really am astonished at this. senator cruz said a lot of good things. thought he should be on a trump ticket. what's happened, using his phrase, he has sold out suddenly to the washington cartel. this is the -- equivalent of a republican munich in this kind of thing. >> why did he do it? >> he and donald trump have repeatedly gotten, you know, 60, 70, 80% of vote in this anti-establishment wave that's going on here and suddenly senator kproocruz has signed up the establishment. i am astonished. apparently turning from being pro-ted cruz to, you know, pro establishment. this is baffling to me, but i think it's going to backfire and not a good thing for him to do. >> go ahead, ben. >> it shouldn't be baffling -- >> can i just say -- >> hold on, ana. >> shouldn't be baffling. one of the things both candidates understood, donald trump showed true colors specifically on one issue where he said it was an incredibly liberal idea. the bathroom issue of allowing a grown man to go into a bathroom or a locker room with young girls and donald trump said, well, it's good for business to have this policy and bad for business to fight for what you stand up and believe in when it became a moral issue. you saw both campaigns scratching their heads, going, are you kidding me? donald trump, the front-runner on the republican ticket advocating for one of the most extreme liberalized -- one of the things that brought them together. >> alisyn, let me get in here. it's 7:09 in the morning. pie really can't believe we're talking about toilets, but i love ben ferguson and he brought it up. i think ted cruz has chosen this toilet issue, frankly, folks, really? are we going there? are we in the midst of having to combat isis, having to deal with the economy, going to fight over who uses what toilet? i would be happy if we could pass a law to get known put the top down. you know? i would be happy if we could pass a law -- >> ana just went there. >> and women's bathrooms are just as short as the lines as men's bathrooms. how about we prioritize a little more, like combating isis. we're not going to talk about toilets. i think last tuesday was a wake-up call. last wednesday, a wake-up call for ted cruz, who woke up and had been decimated in new york. there was no point for him to continue doing that in the other northeastern states. john kasich's campaign had been reaching out to cruz for weeks, for weeks, and been getting rebuffed. the wake-up call came wednesday when the results from tuesday night and they finally realized that they had to puts suspicions about each other to rest and that they needed to work together towards a common goal. >> okay. >> it is big boys, what adults, have to do. >> not all republicans agree that this is a good idea. mike huckabee tweeted cruz/kasich join forces. this was yesterday. sorry. i wish they wanted to stop hillary as much as they did the republican beating both of them. >> jeffrey, last word. >> exactly right. the real target is hillary. ted cruz, respectfully, if he wins the nomination only managed to get 14% of the republican vote in new york. i'm in pennsylvania. he's about to get clobbered here in pennsylvania. this is a weakness as a candidate. i am astonished what he's done here. sell out is not too strong of a word. >> hmm. jeffrey, ben -- sorry. i owe you one. we got to leave it there. jeffrey, ben, great conversation. great to talk to you guys. thank you. >> thanks. coming up in our next hour we will hear from sam clovis and ron nehring. with ted cruz's campaign what do they say about aligning? and hillary clinton shifting her focus to the general election ahead of the northeast primaries tomorrow. attacking trump in a new campaign ad. but bernie sanders isn't putting his presidential hopes behind just yet saying he is in until california has its say. national correspondent jason carroll live in hagerstown, maryland, with more. hi, jason. >> reporter: and hello to you, michae michaela. it's bernie sanders supporters in for the long hall. the #bernieorbust gaining know meant um on twitter all this as hillary clinton is gearing for a fight for whoever will end up being the republican nominee. >> hello, bridgeport! >> reporter: hillary clinton is gearing up for a five-state primary battle with bernie sanders, but it doesn't sound that way on the stump. >> what trump and cruz say, it's not only offensive, it's dangerous. >> reporter: the democratic front-runner's weekend speeches were saturated with attacks against her presumed general election rival donald trump. >> donald trump actually says, wages are too high in america. trump says things like, bar all muslims from coming into the country. >> reporter: ted cruz wasn't spared from clinton's blistering criticism either. >> when ted cruz says, hey, let's round up all the muslim-americans making sure we have police watching all of them, the commissioner of the nypd really summed it up when asked. he said, ted cruz doesn't know what the hil he's talking about. >> reporter: clinton is clearly focusing on moving past sanders, but the vermont senator is not budging, continuing to draw a stark contrast between them. >> this campaign unlike secretary clinton's has not raised $15 million from wall street. as scientist, she pushed the fracking technology. >> reporter: with nearly 400 delegates on the line this tuesday, sanders vows to keep fighting for each vote. >> this campaign is doing well, and will win. >> reporter: sanders promising to wage war against clinton all the way until june. >> we do have a path to victory. i think we have come a very, very long way in the last year, and we're going to fight for every last vote until the, until california and the d.c. primary. >> reporter: so, chris, sanders is in it at least through california and asked what it would take to get him to endorse hillary clinton at some point. he said three things, first, stand up to the billionaire class, make health care more available for people, also make college education more affordable for young people, but once again, he's not into endorsements. at least not yet for now, though he is going to stay the course, at least through california. chris? >> appreciate the reporting. check back in a little bit. another breaking story this morning out of germany. president obama just announced plans to ramp up u.s. efforts to topple isis in syria. that means more troops. 250 additional special operators to syria. cnn's barbara starr live at the pentagon with breaking details. how do you make sense of this? >> reporter: good morning, chris. this is a major new commitment by the pentagon to the fight in syria. very tough business. 250 additional special operations forces on the ground. the question always is, is this now combat? the president says, no. listen to how he laid it all out. >> they're not going to be leading the fight on the ground, but they will be essential in providing the training and assisting local forces they continue to drive isil back. >> reporter: where this will all take place, again, in syria. the goal, the city of raqqah. the u.s. wants to get more sunni arab fighters into the mix. those are the fighters they think will go to raqqah and try and get it back from isis, but isis is not about to give up raqqah, its self-declared capital easily. this is something very symbolic, something isis very much wants to hold on to. so this will not be easy going. these u.s. special operations forces that will advise, assist and help train these arab fighters, they will not be in combat. they will not be looking for combat, but they will are heavily armed, prepared to defend themselves in what is going to be a very tough neighborhood. >> hmm. >> alisyn? >> barbara, thanks for flushing out the breaking news in this morning. more tributes to tell you about for the late music legend prince. his remained cremated in a small private ceremony over the weekend as questions still swirl about his estate and what killed him. live at prince's estate outside of minneapolis, stephanie elam. good morning. >> reporter: good morning, alisyn. yes, we are in chanhassen, minnesota where prince lived at paisley park. the memorial that's become the fence here, it wraps around the front of the building continuing grow. people coming to remember prince. seeing people showing up throughout the weekend with tears in their eyes as they looked to find answers. of course, we're probably not going to get answers as to what led to the death of the artist simply because it's going to take about four weeks or so before we get results of that autopsy, but we know he was cremated and over the weekend there was a very small ceremony. cnn van jones tells us about 20 people inside who remembered prince, his friends, family and his musicians. then afterwards they came outside and handed out these purple boxes. inside was memorabilia from the artist. those fans feeling very lucky to have been here to receive those. at this point, what's going to happen to his massive catalog of music and the reportedly thousands of songs that remain in a vault inside of paisley park, that still is a question we don't know the answer to, michaela. >> such a nice touch that they did that for the fans, been there struggling with his passing. a beautiful moment for them. stephanie, thank you so much for that. other news now. the u.n. security council slamming north korea over its latest missile test. pyongyang hailing the successful launch of a ballistic missile from a submarine over the weekend. south korea, though, says it malfunctioned and crashed into the sea after traveling some 19 miles. the u.n. is now threatening new measures just weeks after imposing tougher sanctions over the north's recent nuclear tests. a wisconsin teenager suspected of opening fire on two sunts outside a high school prom. then gunned down by police. jacob wagner his name that showed up at antigo high school with a rifle, police say, and then opened fire as students left the prom. two students wounded. both are expected to be okay. it's the only good news in this situation. police say wagner was a former student at the school. no known motive yet. back to the world of entertainment. beyonce doing it again. dropping a new album in an unexpected way. in the middle of her hour-long hbo special. but what really has fans buzzing is lemonade, the name of the album, deeply personal lyrics referencing a cheating spouse. lemonade is her sixth album, also touches on empowerment and the black lives matter movement. the hbo special featuring touching appearances by the mothers of michael brown and eric gardner, and her husband appears on it, her daughter ivy and serena williams make cameos. everyone is parsing the lyrics of this. >> i have to go watch the entire thing on hbo and, so much to unpack in it. that dress, walking down the street with hair streaming behind her. please. >> start there. >> slay. >> all i heard in that was, um powerment, black lives matter. cheating spouse will get all the play today. >> some is, and people say it may have something to do with her father. there's a lot in all of that. who knows. shall we turn back to politics as we do. >> let's. >> and back to entertainment. >> exactly. >> bernie sanders, the democratic underdog vowing to fight on. can he make a dent in hillary clinton's delegate lead in tomorrow's super tuesday contest? 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[claps] woah! lose the sneakers pal. kind of a thing. spring is on. start your trugreen lawn plan today. trugreen. live life outside. a perfect car then smash it into a tree. your insurance company raises your rates. maybe you should have done more research on them. for drivers with accident forgiveness, liberty mutual won't raise your rates due to your first accident. just one of the many features that comes standard with our base policy. call for a free quote today. see car insurance in a whole new light. liberty mutual insurance. for bernie sanders, the road to the democratic nomination is very steep. the vermont senator acknowledges that, says he's not dropping out and has a path to victory. in fact, he believes there will be a resurgence tomorrow in these big states that are up in the primary for the northeast. so let's bring in oregon senator jeff merkley who is a bernie sanders supporter. good to have you with us. respond to this for me, if you would -- david plouffe tweets the following on the 20th. sanders has run a stunningly strong campaign fueled by passionate supporters, but raising money stating you have a path to the nomination is fraud. a nice tweet that wound up being not nice right in the last word. what is your response? >> well, certainly think is a path, an uphill path. bernie acknowledged that, but we've seen in campaigns in the past, anything can happen. and bernie is mobilizing tremendous energy within the democratic party and that energy is very valuable and important and we need to give everyone across america a chance to weigh in. >> the question that becomes how does bernie sanders' campaign from now until, let's say, the convention, and whatever happens there, do you believe that the sanders' campaign is comporting itself in the positive way senator sanders says it will? >> well, just as bernie reiterated yesterday the focus needs to be on the issues, on the differences in how the candidates are taking on the biggest problems facing america, certainly that's living wage jobs, the challenge of taking on global warming. that's our trade policy. that's our affordability of higher education. and i think he keeps coming back to those core policy issues. you know, we have had a chance to have wonderful battles here on the democratic side. two highly qualified candidates with good hearts and good minds and good principles. and it's really something to be proud of. it's a huge contrast to the republican circus we're witnessing day by day. >> so what do you make of these surrogates for bernie sanders? first it wassong, used the ugly phrase during his remarks, which he then apologized for, says it wasn't about secretary clinton. now rosario dawson bringing up monica lewinsky and a clumsy analogy about bullying. is this something that the campaign would be behind jo. >> those are complete distractions. in a campaign you have many people who step forward on your behalf. they come out with some things that go off track. hopefully everything i say will be on track, because i do believe that this is a conversation about so many important issues. we have an american citizenry that for the last four decades only one out of ten americans has benefited from the increase in income in america. that means nine out of ten americans have been left out in the cold. how are we going to change that? how are we going restore a program of construction of the infrastructure. >> i get what the problem, whether republican or democrat. the problems seem to be similar, but is it a coincidence the surkitts said thi-- surrogates s inflammatory things or is this the good cop/bad cop situation coming out of the sanders' campaign? >> no. this is individuals going off track on their own. that's not helpful to the campaign, and it's certainly not in keeping with what bernie wants to see. >> senator, say you get to the convention, and let's say the senator has not been able to get the delegates that he needs. the super delegates won't be swayed. what obligation is there on senator sanders to help galvanize the party? he says it's not about him. he can't tell his supporter what's to do. that's a little naive on his part. don't you think? >> well, i think that the point he was making, and he made it quite clearly, is that it's going to be very important for the winner of the democratic primary to reach out with principles that connect with all americans. and that he can't -- if he is not the nominee, he can't do that on behalf of the nominee, but i think you also have heard him say he'll do every possible thing to make sure that the republican nominee does not win the presidency. >> what kind of problems do you think there will be in bringing this party together? someone like a senator merkley. aren't many like you lining up behind sanders. what do you think happens when it comes that time? are you concerned about if you have to get behind a secretary clinton candidacy? do you think it will be an easy transition if it happens? >> i'm absolutely persuaded we're going to see folks from both camps linking arms, going forward together in united ta fashion in november. what we saw eight years ago, a very contested primary and in the middle of june hillary clinton looked at the situation and said now's the time to join arms and she pivoted. whoever is ahead at that point and is wrapping up the nomination, i think we'll see them reach out and see the person who's behind reach out, and together they'll -- they'll link arms and go forward together. >> but as senator sanders says time and again, it ain't time for that yet. senator merkley, thank you very much for making the case for bernie sanders this morning. >> you're very welcome. great to be with you, chris. >> alisyn. i'll take it here, chris. the desperate search continues for hundreds of missing schoolgirls kidnapped by boko haram in nigeria two years ago. up next, a cnn exclusive. we'll take you to the front lines as military patrols scour hostile territory looking for those missing girls. no more questions for you! ooph, that milk in your cereal was messing with you, wasn't it? 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coordinating efforts in upcoming primaries to try to prevent trump from reaching that magic number. you know, the majority of delegates, 1,237. will it work? what it's about? john avalon, editor and chief of the "daily beast" here to break it down. great to have you. if i called you, often we talk. we're actually friends. i calmed you, i'll tell you what will happen, they're teaming up. oh, i got to go. the office is on fire. >> uncomfortable right now. this is happening. right? the long-plan collusion between candidates who previously had no time for each other. >> this isn't in effect yet, but tomorrow is a big day. >> uh-huh. >> now, it was suggested, hey you know, from here on out, they're all winner take alls, how we'll get to 1,237. not really? it's complicated? >> that. the facebook status, it's complicated. mostly it's proportional. without getting in the weeds on individual states. >> a strategy like this might work, it's not actually winner take all. you can peel off? >> correct. tomorrow is the zombie effect of the somme blumbering incumbents strong lead. kasich's in second, not cruz. a total reversal of the cycle. >> here we go. what you say this is really about. why is indiana so important? >> indiana is the key to understanding all of this. this is ted cruz' last stand. he feels this is a state that should be good for cruz. it is a red state. yes, they've elected democratic senators in the past, but he feels with a strong evangelical contentant, should be able to at least stop donald trump's momentum but only if kasich drops out. >> why? take a look at numbers. >> look at the numbers. think about the republican parties in warlord status. no clear leader. a couple warring leaders. we have essentially a non-aggressive pact between cruz and kasich. you cull out in indiana, kasich, i'd cede states for you. it's a statistical dead heat. what cruz needs, in addition to the governor of indiana pence should be on paper, keeping cool on the sidelines. interesting to see how he gets nudged into the game. >> how did he fare after all the reaction laws, to the gay marriage decision, religious freedom laws? >> back tracked, big business comes in, huh-uh. don't muddy up our state's reputation. >> he's still strock there? >> a culture warrior, a background in right-wing talk radio. should be a cruz guy. has not endorsed him. >> what kasich get. to be clear, this is a problem for cruz. saying i'm going to win. the convention is a joke. kasich saying for weeks and weeking. i know whatever the numbers are they are. rubio still beating me, not in the race, home fishing, but if i get to the convention i'm good. what he gets. >> right. here's the two states essentially that are the trade for indiana in this non-aggression pact between cruz and kasich. oregon not likely a republican state in the fall, but very good state potentially for john kasich and new mexico. previously the cruz campaign was making noise they were in strong position to succeed. the republican governor of the state, but this is a swing state in a general election potentially. these are states with a center right hue john kasich feels he can pick up. >> do you think he'll win either of these states? >> proportion's situation. he is in a better position looking at the composition to marshal up the delegates. remember, a game of deep away for these cats for donald trump. get to do convention, stay alive. trump has to run the table outside those three states in order to get to the, exceed the 1,237. >> has to basically run the table anyway. high 50s maybe into 60% had to win. why do this? making you look very weak? doesn't it? >> all people negotiating from weakness. a high stakes game of poker and a lot of bluffing going on. donald trump is set to have a strong night tomorrow in the northeast primaries. kasich, accumulation of ways. whatever the numbers, can they stop him? trump can still reach the magic number without oregon or new mex c mexico but has to run the others. a fastcinating race. >> how big a role, jeb bush doesn't have -- rubio does. delegates for him. how much sway where those delegates go at the convention? >> fascinating -- >> like 170. wipe we bring it up. >> like john kasich said. ruleio comes back from the dead. horse racing and can control the delegates. >> rubio. have to start putting him in again. he's got 170 or so. >> the ghost in the machine here, and then 50-odd delegates undeclared from pennsylvania no matter what. every delegate matters if trump falls short of 1,237. >> becomes 1,237, trump becomes v.p. >> non-zero. >> that was weak! >> very good. thank you for having me here. >> do you think this will work? a good idea? let us know. tweet us at "new day." post your comment on facebook.com/newday. the intense search continues for hundreds of missing schoolgirls kidnapped by boko haram in nigeria two years ago. in a cnn exclusive what the nigeria military is doing to find the girls. can they be rescued? stay tuned for that. through allergies. try zyrtec® for powerful allergy relief. and zyrtec® is different than claritin®. because it starts working faster on the first day you take it. try zyrtec®. muddle no more®. whe gets a ready for you alert the second his room is ready. so you know what he gives? i'll give you everything i've got and then some. he gives a hundred and ten percent! i'm confident this 10% can boost your market share. feel me lois? i'm feeling you. boom! look at that pie chart. the ready for you alert, only at laquinta.com. this just got interesting. why pause to take a pill? or stop to find a bathroom? cialis for daily use is approved to treat both erectile dysfunction and the urinary symptoms of bph, like needing to go frequently, day or night. tell your doctor about all your medical conditions and medicines, and ask if your heart is healthy enough for sex do not take cialis if you take nitrates for chest pain, or adempas for pulmonary hypertension, as it may cause an unsafe drop in blood pressure. do not drink alcohol in excess. side effects may include headache, upset stomach, delayed backache or muscle ache. to avoid long-term injury, get medical help right away for an erection lasting more than four hours. if you have any sudden decrease or loss in hearing or vision, or any symptoms of an allergic reaction, stop taking cialis and get medical help right away. ask your doctor about cialis and a $200 savings card and to help you accelerate,ast. stop taking cialis and get medical help right away. we've created a new company. ♪ one totally focused on what's next for your business. a true partnership where people, technology and ideas push everyone forward. accelerating innovation. accelerating transformation. accelerating next. hewlett packard enterprise. because you can't beat zero heartburn! i take prilosec otc each morning for my frequent heartburn ahhh the sweet taste of victory! prilosec otc. one pill each morning. 24 hours. zero heartburn. to a cnn exclusive now. senior international correspondent goes to the front lines in the fight against boko haram and the search for those missing 200 nigerian schoolgirls along with nigerian forces. he and her crew infiltrated the terrorists they calmed home. dangerous terrain. nema joins us from london. incredible access. >> reporter: it has been two years, michaela, and you see, you saw there that it really is still very much an uphill battle for them to get infiltration into the areas and also to get any kind of information as to the girls' current whereabouts. take a look at this. monday market in this area. two men showing absolute panic, both suspected terrorists quickly, they say, subdued. normality returned, but it gives you the sense of the tension as boko haram lost their territorial footprint or much it, growing increasily reliant on unleashing waves of suicide bombers into the heart of this area. no one is above suspicion. at heart of the nigerian army's campaign to retake boko haram territory. under an operation of peace by any means. spread out across the country's vast northeast. the road to the forest or what's been cleared so far. relentless heat bears down on our heavily armored convoy. [ speaking in foreign language ] >> all boyce, be very vigilant. over. >> reporter: soft sand, ideal hyding places for ieds. directing our convoy on and off the track. two years ago when we visited chibok after the mass abduction, parents described how they followed the trail to the front gates, to the entry point of the forest are and we unable to move any further. this is the sambeesa. unable to gain territory. from the territory right in the center that is still where they're moving towards. and this is where some of the cha chiba girls are believed to be held. a major general tells us he's proud of his men, but they are in need of more international support. tanked with both following the girls 2-year-old trail and waging war against boko haram's brute's insurgency. he allowed us to join his men to see for ourselves. boko haram do indeed appear to have been pushed back, but their press inlingers. everywhere you look, scenes of devastation. all the way through our journey cross-country we've seen village after abandoned village, devastated, destroyed. what boko haram couldn't loot they attempted to burn to the ground and people are still too afraid to come back to their homes. but the hope is that the longer the nigerian military maintain their hold on the territory up here, the more people's confidence will grow. the more willing they're be to return and reclaim their lives, and their homes. for cnn, northeast nigeria. >> nima, so important for us to see what you are telling us about those images that are so powerful and stark. what can you tell us about what u.s. intelligence is doing to assist in finding the girls? >> reporter: well, we also got to see what they don't have, and in spite of the fact u.s. intelligence is playing a huge role. surveillance reconnaissance flights, one of which flew overhead when there, providing that intelligence that is being followed up on the ground, but the issue is, how it's being followed up on the ground. there is no they wermal imaging advanced means that would be in europe in this situation. dealing with all of that faced with the reality of boko haram now since its alliance in isis is evolving rapidly. the ieds wasn't something we saw two years ago. now pretty much every single track is heavily sown with these devices. the families don't want to hear that, just that hopefully one day they will come home. >> must be infuriating and so feign. 's infuriating. nema, thank you. and dropping monica lewinskis name on the campaign trail. is that fair? clinton's team responds, next. oh. henry! oh my. good, you're good. back, back, back. 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>> i have no idea in what context rosario was talking about her. i would hope that all of our people focus on the real issues, facing working people and the massive level of income and wealth inequality that we have. >> all right. let's bring in deputy communications director for the clinton campaign, christina shocke. thank you so much for being here. >> hi. >> she wasn't invoking monica lewinsky in reference to bill clinton but that she's made her second act about how she was bullied, shamed and rosario dawson said some of the sanders' supporters feel the same way. is that out of bounds? >> we all let senator sanders speak for his surrogates. i think he said in that clip, and hillary agrees, we really want to get back to talking about the issues in this campaign. >> are you happy with how he responded there? basically he did pivot away, not saying that rosario dawson shouldn't have said that, or that monica lewinsky should never be invoked by a democrat. he just said we need to talk about inequality. should he have gone further? >> we'll let him decide what is appropriate for him and his surrogates to say in this campaign. senator sanders and hillary have run campaigns very different than what's happening on the republican side. we saw in new york it got a little bit more negative. senator sanders was in a tough position here in her home state where she's really strong because people know how she really deliver for the record him as a senator. he got more negative here. i think his surrogates did, too. >> let's talk about something else that's interesting that happened this weekend. one of the koch brothers, one of the most high-profeel conservative donors, millionaire, billionaire, basically said he could imagine voting for hillary clinton over trump or cruz because of the rhetoric that they have used. let me play his own words for yo you. >> is it possible another clinton could be better than another republican next time around? >> it's possible. it's possible. >> you couldn't see yourself supporting hillary clinton, could you? >> well, that -- her -- we would have to believe her actions would be quite different than her rhetoric, let me put it that way. on some of the republican candidates before we could support them, we would have to believe their actions would be quite different than the rhetoric we've heard so far. >> okay. in response to that, hillary clinton then tweet this had out. she said not interested in endorsements from people who deny climate science. was this a missed opportunity to say i'll take any republicans who are disgusted by what's happening on the gop? >> hillary clinton believes that koch brothers have been destructive. they've supported conservative candidates who don't even believe climate change exists and fought the progressive agenda in this country. she certainly doesn't welcome their support, as you saw in the tweet. but this really speaks to the disarray on the republican side and how unhappy people are with their choices unlike the democratic side. hillary has received more than 10 million votes, has won commanding leads in states like texas, ohio. and, you know, florida. things that are really going to matter in the general election. she's ahead by 240 delegates. she has a commanding lead in this race. i think the comments that he made just speaks to the disarray on the other side. >> it seems as though hillary clinton has turned her focus to the general election, pivoting there. not talking much about bernie sanders. talking more about donald trump. yesterday she put out a new campaign ad. this one, she's trying to use trump's own words against him. let's watch this. >> a told and complete shutdown of muslims entering the united state states. >> one of my personal heroines, maya angelou, said when someone shows you who they are, believe them. >> is that the strategy moving forward, that now she just focuses on donald trump? >> no. hillary is solidly focused on the primaries. she's campaigning in every state. she is the only candidate that's been calling out donald trump from the very beginning, when he made his announcement last summer and referred to mexicans as rapists, she was the candidate who came out and said this is hateful rhetoric and it has no place in our politics. we've seen over the last week donald trump's charting to moderate his opinions and this is an ad from our campaign to remind people to believe him for who he is. >> kristina schacke, thank you for being here. >> thank you. ted cruz and john kasich st teaming up to stop trump. let's get right to it. >> ted cruz and john kasich have no path to victory. >> do we want to be behind a campaign that is based on yelling and screaming? >> i ain't getting out, just so you all know. >> i don't want to be too presidential yet. >> you have to ask yourself, what really is at stake in this election? >> we're going to fight for every last vote. >> it's a phony business, this politic politics. >> these terrorists are doing everything in their power to strike our cities and kill our citizens. we need to do everything in our power to stop them. >> the news of prince's death has been a shock. as the world mourns a musical icon. this is "new day" with chris cuomo, alisyn camerota and michaela pereira. >> i ate my way through rome. >> this is a big day. >> my last day on "new day." >> some come and some go. >> i'm staying right here. >> i know, i know. we'll talk about that later. enough of that. plenty of breaking news for you. stunning twist in the republican race. ted cruz and john kasich keep going at each other. not so much anymore. to deny the front-runner delegates he needs to clinch the nomination. what does trump say? a horrible act of desperation is one of the nicer quotes. >> hillary clinton taking aim at donald trump. this is a mega republican donor, suggests clinton could be a better president than the gop nominee. all this unfolding as voters in five northeast states head to the polls tomorrow. 2016 covered the way only cnn can. let's begin with phil maddingly. hi, phil. >> hi, alisyn. their aides going after one another on twitter. behind the scenes, something else was happening. phone calls between their top two advisers, secret meeting between the campaign manager of one and chief strategist of another just last week. they desperately need to stop donald trump. >> i want to the ask each and every one of you to come back and vote for me ten times. >> announcing he's joining forces with john kasich in a last-ditch effort. divide and conquer agreement, cruz's campaign will focus its time and resources in indiana. kasich, confirming the campaign collusion in a statement, quote, d keeping trump from winning a plurality in indiana is critical to keeping him under 1237. >> a vote for cruz or trump frankly is a vote for hillary clinton. >> john kasich has no path to the nomination. >> trump lashing out, issuing a lengthy statement writing, collusion is often illegal in many other industries and yet these two washington insiders have had to revert to collusion in order to stay alive. they are mathematically dead and this act only shows as pup kls pets of donors and special interest how truly weak they and their campaigns are. the latest gop bombshell coming ahead of tuesday's primaries in connecticut, delaware, maryland, pennsylvania and rhode island. states where trump appears poised to perform well. the republican front-runner continuing his own attack dog strategy on the trail this weekend. >> cruz is working really hard to -- i don't want to use the word bribe but to bribe the delegates. >> accusing cruz of acting more presidential. >> it's so much easier to be presidential. i don't have to use any energy. i can just walk out. you think this is ease sni i have entertain 18,000, whatever number of people we have here? >> not the least of which is, is it too late? in talking with campaign advisers last night, it is clear they have one goal. as one texted me, it's just three words that matter. get to cleveland. chris, it's all about that contested convention in july. >> to cleveland. some of the only math in this election, that makes sense. appreciate it very much, phil. sam, what do you think, and will it work? do you think they're going to stop donald trump? >> no, i don't think so. i'm a basketball fan and this is playoff season right now. coach of the razorbacks, wonderful guy. how he was going to adjust to a particular team and he responded and said i don't think we adjust to anybody. we play our game and make them adjust to us. i think this is exactly what we're seeing here. they don't have a chance on their own or together to do this. i think we're going to do great on the primaries and then slam the door on the other candidates and would hope they would start thinking about maybe instead of coming out here and trying to contest everything, let's all get together here so we can start going after hillary clinton or bernie sanders and let's win this election in november. >> this type of move that's going on, donald trump calls it conclusion. in truth, collusion is usually secretive. this is out in the open. how much of this does donald trump have to thank himself for? it's like these guys are following his advice. >> i think really what we've seen here is something -- you know, chris, you've been in this game a long time. i've been an observer for over 50 years. i've never seen a campaign like this. and i think that we -- you have to throw the rule book out here. there's no template for this on either side. we see bernie sanders is doing extremely well and at least is making his statement there. i think we've seen very unconventional things going on here. collusion is certainly there but not uncommon in particulars, in particular politics in particular. >> here is the concern, i would guess, from your side t doesn't work. getting the 1237 isn't easy anyway. yes, a lot of these states up come rg winner take all. but it gets complicated. there's all this marginal proportion ality in there. the system is going to matter here. is this combination of kasich and cruz that you're going to have to work the system to win the election? it's not as simple as reaching the number. >> i think so but that's also why we've brought on some people -- the bandwidth got pretty saturated there. we brought on people like ed brookover, barry bennett and a bunch of great professional people we have out here to help us with all these aspects. the comment i would make is work your way backwards, look add your desired end state. we've done that. that's one of the reasons we're out doing what we're doing right now. once we get to the convention, it's going to be very hard, after tomorrow -- i think it's going to be very hard for ted cruz or john kasich, either one, to make the case that they should be the nominee. we're going to double them up in delegates. it's going to look very enticing. we're ahead in indiana. if we do well in indiana, we slam the door on everybody. then it's just a race to see what the outcome will be in california. eventually, that's where this is going to end up. we're going to see the delegate count out there. i do think there will be a sense of inevitability and kasich and cruz, every day, have a hard time making their case. >> if it's no longer 1237 and you hear all the people on the rnc side saying that, yes, they love their rules. every party organization does. they keep saying the same things to end very clear message. this doesn't end if you don't get to 1237. in their minds if you get to 1236 it's like the thing never happened and you go into the convention. after that first vote, it's anybody's game. do you think donald trump can make it out of a convention? >> i do. i think the number, 1237, yeah, we got that number, chris. but i also think that there are 150 unbound delegates there that are going to take a look. if donald trump comes close, those are the delegates that will essentially put him over the top. the people who comprise the rnc and are part of that unbound delegate cache have to make a decision. do they want an extended floor fight, an extended open surgery on the floor of the convention or get on to defeat the democrats and win the white house in november? i think cooler heads will prevail and we'll do that. i think that's what's going to happen. even if mr. trump comes in close and he's not at 1237, i think cooler heads will prevail and they'll see the big game out in front of them. >> thank you for teeing up what is a question. i would like to ask it to trump himself. i don't know what's going on. he hasn't been available here on "new day." cooler heads will prevail. shouldn't that start with trump? he won't lose his base sporters, he says that more than anybody else. why not start to be the kind of candidate that many people in your party, many of whom you know personally, can beat hillary clinton? why not at least give it a try and see what happens? >> well, i think that we will be giving it a try as we move further along here. i do think that those are the idea. but, country, and you and i have had this discussion months ago, this whole issue that everybody is trying to push donald trump into a particular femp template. i think this is what exists inside new york, inside the beltway. how we've been able to bring all these people out, millions of people to come out and vote. this is not the way we brought people to these rallies. this is not the way we've reenergized the people of this country to want them to take this government back. and i think that we -- it's very delegate issue. we have to keep people engaged. at the same time we don't want to drift off into the country club aspect of this. >> understood, sam. in politics, as marshall goldsmith, the noted business consult kls ant says what got you here doesn't always get you there. that's the calculation you guys have to make. mr. clovis, always appreciate you being on new day to take us through the thinking. we'll have you back on again soon, i hope. >> okay. thanks, chris. great to see you today. >> always, always. coming up on "new day," ted cruz's campaign will give their take -- their explanation on why they're doing this now after they said they would never do anything like this. michaela? >> meanwhile, hillary clinton leading across the northeast, hoping she can put bernie sanders away this tuesday. she appears to be focused more on the general election fight. sanders, for his part, not giving up, admits it is a narrow path to victory. national correspondent jason carroll is live in maryland with more. hi, jason. >> reporter: good morning to you. the reality is that the enthusiasm is there. but the path to the nomination is no longer there. clinton knows that. that's why she's now focusing on the republican front-runners. >> hello, bridgeport. >> reporter: gearing up for a five-state battle with bernie sanders but it doesn't sound that way on the stump. >> when trump and cruz say it's not only offensive, it's dangerous. >> reporter: democratic front-runners weekend speech were saturated with attack against her presumed general election rival, donald trump. >> trump says wages are too high in america. trump says things like, bar all muslims from coming into the country. >> reporter: ted cruz wasn't spared from clinton's blistering criticism either. >> when ted cruz says, hey, let's round up all the muslim-americans by making sure we have police watching all of them, the commissioner of the nypd really summed it up when he was asked. ted cruz doesn't know what the hell he's talking about. >> reporter: with a close lead across the polls in all five states, clinton is clearly focusing on moving past sanders but the vermont senator is not budging. >> this campaign, unlike secretary clinton's, sanders vows to keep fighting for each vote. >> this campaign is doing well and will win. >> promising to wage war against clinton all the way until june. >> we do have a path to victory. i think we've come a very long way in the last year and we'll fight for every last vote until california and the d.c. primary. >> so, what they want to do moving forward is bring its message, get its message to the convention. the clinton camp, for its part, wants them to tone down the rhetoric. actress rosario dawson mentioned monica lewinsky over the weekend. >> we will talk more about that. thank you for that. more breaking news to get to this morning. president obama announcing plans to deploy another 250 special operations forces to syria in what he says will be an advise and assist role for syrian opposition forces. michelle kosinski is live in germany with all the details. good morning, michelle. >> reporter: 250 additional americans about to deploy to syria. it's true. we're not talking about thousands of american troops on the ground. but this is a significant jump, especially when you consider when all is said and done, there will then be six times the number in syria that there is right now. their goal is to advise and assist local troops that are fighting isis, to train them, provide them with weapons. arabs would be best equipped to keep arabs in ar areas, in and around rocca, isis' strong hold. why now? the president says keep up the momentum. isis is losing ground. this is not to say that the u.s. wants to continue to do the lion's share of the work on its own. the president took this opportunity to urge other countries to do more. >> europe, including nato, can do more. more nations contributing trainers who help build up forces in iraq. so it can stabilize liberated area areas. >> reporter: total number after this will be 4,000. chris? >> it's 50 here, 250, then it's to thousands and where does it lead? no question that's why we're staying on it. we'll take a quick break here. family and friends saying their final farewell to music legend prince. his remains were cremated over the webbed in a small, private ceremony. now there's the question of how to settle the state. under minnesota law, prince's sister will inherit the estate if he died without a will. there's all this music. what other assets are there? it will be a big deal. >> speaking of music, another loss in the musical world. singer billy paul has died, remembered best for his 1972 hit "me and mrs. jones" performed here on "soul train." ♪ me and mrs. mrs. jones mrs. jones mrs. jones ♪ >> we've got a thing going on. my goodness, that song. it earned billy paul a grammy. he burst on the scene in jazz clubs with the lakes of charlie parker. he lost his battle with cancer at 81 years old. forever remembered for that and so many others. >> good life at 81. that adds to the prince situation, 57 years young. >> absolutely. well, is team sanders playing dirty? a sanders surrogate, referencing monica lewinsky over the weekend. is that fair? we'll discuss with two democratic strategists ahead. no one's ever said that. but i'd like to keep being terrible at golf for as long as i can. he's just happier when he's playing. but he's terrible. for the strength and energy to keep doing what you love, try new ensure enlive. only patented ensure enlive has hmb, plus 20 grams of protein to help rebuild muscle. and its clinically proven formula helps you stay you. oh. nice shot. new ensure enlive. always be you. ♪ you wish your dog could fight off fleas and ticks. but since he can't... you rely on frontline plus. because frontline plus unleashes a deadly killing force to kills fleas and ticks, plus flea eggs and larvae, preventing a new flea infestation. its protection lasts a full 30 days. no wonder frontline plus is recommended by vets for killing fleas and ticks. after all, your dog is a lover not a fighter. frontline plus. vet recommended flea and tick killer. the call just came in. she's about to arrive. and with her, a flood of potential patients. a deluge of digital records. x-rays, mris. all on account...of penelope. but with the help of at&t, and a network that scales up and down on-demand, this hospital can be ready. giving them the agility to be flexible & reliable. because no one knows & like at&t. are you powered by protein? i am. milk has 8 grams of protein to help give me energy to unleash my potential. start every day with milk's protein and milk life. i know whether you're working hard in a factory or to make a small business successful, you should feel your country has your back. small business people, when i'm president, especially minority and women own small businesses will have that. >> well, that was hillary clinton, sounding confident ahead of the five northeast primaries tomorrow. bernie sanders, though, says he sees a path forward, despite the long odd. >> obviously our goal now is, while we have a narrow path to victory, we're going to fight through that path and hope to win. >> here to discuss, former senior adviser to bill clinton and democratic strategist, richard socrates. and ben. what do you think will happen in these five midatlantic states tomorrow? will bernie sanders beat hillary clinton in any of these? >> millions of people haven't voted. although the path is narrow the campaign and all of the sanders allies across the country will go to the mat to turn out every possible voter. i'm not going to guarantee we will win every one of these states. every time we work for everyone not just the billionaires we get closer to the country that bernie sanders is talking about,y $15 minimum wage, health care for all. we've broken up the big banks and the economy is serving working people and the middle class. i think that will be squarely a focus for this campaign going forward. >> richard, bernie sanders has the cash to stay in the race. he still is attracting big crowds at rallies, as we've seen over the weekend. why should hillary clinton supporters like you say he should get out of the race? >> i don't think anybody is saying he should get out of the race. >> some people are. some people are saying it's time to coalesce around the front-runner. >> you're seeing a change in tone. democrats have run an issue-based campaign on both sides and i think the democrats will continue to focus on the issues, especially when compared to the republicans. but now senator sanders talks about a narrow path. that's a change in tone. he will continue to raise important issues. the issues he raises will be an important part of our convention. you saw senator measuringley, most important surrogate earlier on the show today, say we will be able to see everybody come together. hillary put out an ad called "love and kindness. that's what the campaign will be about, i think. >> over the weekend one of bernie sanders' supporters, actress rosario dawson invoked the name monica lewinsky, talking about how she has been bullied and shamed and she was drawing an analogy that some sanders' supporters have been as well. is that out of bounds to talk about monica lewinsky? >> there's a reason you haven't heard that name in more than a year along the campaign. it has nothing to do with this race. this race is about the issues, fighting climate change, equal pay. these are the issues that motivate people to make phone calls for bernie sanders, click those instant donation links. those are the issues we'll be focused on going forward and rightly so. >> what should bernie sanders, richard, have said after rosario dawson brought up monica lewinsky? >> it doesn't sound like he wanted anything to do with it and not much that can be added to what ben said. i don't think it has any place in the campaign and i don't think we'll see it. >> breaking news this morning. president obama overseas has announced he's sending 250 more troops to try to quell the terrible civil war going on in syria. how do you think that's going to play? >> it reminds people of the decisions of getting involved in the middle east and the iraq war where bernie sanders and barack obama had the same view. it's vital that the united states never get bogged down into a quagmire where it can ultimately make things worse rather than better. as sanders says, we keach our eye on the balance, not make a mistake that could put yourself lives and lives of people locally at risk by getting involved in something that can spin out of control. >> hillary clinton is seen more hawkish. how should see respond to this? >> 250 troops, they're not ground troops. we have to fight isis. everybody is committed to defeating isis. the president's very measured actions today are something that all democrats can get behind. i don't think it will play much within the democrat ic primary process but in the general election where you have two people with no experience running to be president. hlry's experience will stand in stark contrast to that. >> thank you. we'll send it over to chris. fans and fellow musicians honoring the leng end that is prince. cee spls ceelo green will share his memories with us. thanks for being with us. we stop arthritis pain, so you don't have to stop. tylenol® 8hr arthritis pain has two layers of pain relief. the first is fast. the second lasts all day. we give you your day back. what you do with it is up to you. tylenol®. wrely on the us postal service? because when they ship with us, their business becomes our business. that's why we make more e-commerce deliveries to homes than anyone else in the country. here, there, everywhere. united states postal service priority: you why does your tummy go "grumbily, grumbily, grumbily"? no more questions for you! ooph, that milk in your cereal was messing with you, wasn't it? try lactaid, it's real milk, without that annoying lactose. good, right? mmm, yeah. lactaid. the milk that doesn't mess with you. tributes for the late, great prince keep pouring in. fans gathered just outside his paisley park residence. one of those singer, songwriter, producer, great man in his own right, ceelo green. i know you have a heavy heart today. i appreciate you joining us to talk about your time with prince. you've been influenced by him. i understand you were at that last show. tell us about that evening. >> yes, i was. we felt very fortunate we were able to see him, given that the earlier cancellations had disappointed so many people. for him to be able to come back and perform two back-to-back soldout shows is something i will always remember i feel very fortunate because of it. >> what do you want people to remember about prince as we start to figure out what his legacy will be and not just the months but the years to come? what should people know about him? >> he had always been such a mentor of mine. i want people to remember him through his charitable efforts, such a brave, unique individual and just remember what he set out to do. for those of us who are able, to stand up and step up and continue the work. >> it's so tragic. you realize how much of our lives were set to his sound track. it reminds us all of a time in our life. had you an opportunity to actually perform with him. tell us about that moment when you both sang "crazy." >> i had heard through the grapevine he had been covering "crazy" and he did reach out to me and gave me the great pleasure of being able to perform with him, open up for him, matter of fact, at madison square garden. looking at this clip now. i can't believe that that even happened in my lifetime. he is one of my all-time favorites, an idol of mine. but that was one of a few times i got the opportunity to perform with him. >> for another artist that you so admired to play your song has to be bananas. did you have one of his? it's almost hard to count. >> i have a favorite album of prince. most people would say "purple rain," "let's go crazy" "1999." my favorite song from prince is called a song "do you lie" it's a great little diddy on his "parade" album. of all the prince fans out there, true fans, they'll know this record. >> absolutely. >> you mentioned something that people who are close to him say we can't emphasize enough. you knew him for his music and his charitable efforts. i was talking over the weekend with an artist she gave a start to. i want to talk about all the hit records, urban farming, helping people in inner cities with food. he said whatever i can do mierks music, my money. whatever you want. was he different that way? >> i believe he was very different in that way, a very well-rounded and dynamic individual. so many sides to prince. a very selfless and soulful individual. i believe this is the root of all that he was able to accomplish with music came from this very sweet soul he had. >> when he canceled the shows and so many people were disappointed, what did you think was going on with him? did you know him to be sick? >> no, it's -- >> it's strange to think about. he is one of those individuals that you wouldn't assume anything -- he would live forever. devout chris -- jehovah's witness, very humble and full of energy. you just wouldn't think anything would happen. it's flu season. that's pretty, you know, typical in general, but when i got to see him, he did not look anything near death. it was perplexing. he had done two stellar performances back-to-back. i just couldn't believe it. >> you, like many people, took to social media to sort of mourn this loss. i think we're all trying to make sense of it. i know all of us are trying to imagine a world without prince in it. that is one of the things you said in your instagram. i find myself being afraid now, feeling alone in the world without him. alone. there's a lot of great musicians, yourself included that, will carry on his legacy. no? >> absolutely. death is definitive. i believe an awful lot of possibility dies with prince. i just wish i could have known him, that we could have had those conversations and wish he could have passed that torch to me. so maybe essentially and ultimately it's what it means. i just have to assume the position now, you know, in remembrance. and in respect of prince. >> ceelo green, it is delightful to speak with you, albeit with heavy hearts. >> just 57 years old. who knows how much more music, how many different generations the man and the music -- >> of course. >> he would want to know that the next generation, the seed had been planted. right? and that there are, out there, potential -- not princes or princesses, but others that are ready to take the torch. >> i just want to have a prince fest i want to listen to "do you lie" because that was his favorite and i don't know that. >> quoting it for the rest of the campaign. we'll take a quick break. when we come back, new details of this horrible series of murders in rural ohio. the discoveries made at the crime scene have led investigators to believe that eight family members were killed because they were specifically targeted. why? that's where we take you next. you premium like clockwork. month after month. year after year. then one night, you hydroplane into a ditch. yeah... surprise... your insurance company tells you to pay up again. why pay for insurance if you have to pay even more for using it? if you have liberty mutual deductible fund™, you could pay no deductible at all. sign up to immediately lower your deductible by $100. and keep lowering it $100 annually, until it's gone. then continue to earn that $100 every year. there's no limit to how much you can earn and this savings applies to every vehicle on your policy. call to learn more. switch to liberty mutual and you could save up to $509. call liberty mutual for a free quote today at see car insurance in a whole new light. liberty mutual insurance. we stop arthritis pain, so you don't have to stop. because you believe in go. onward. today's the day. carpe diem. tylenol® 8hr arthritis pain has two layers of pain relief. the first is fast. the second lasts all day. we give you your day back. what you do with it is up to you. tylenol®. man 1:man 2: i am. woman: ex-military? man 2: four tours. woman: you worked with computers? man 2: that's classified, ma'am. man 1: but you're job was network security? man 2: that's classified, sir. woman: let's cut to the chase, here... man 1: what's you're assessment of our security? man 2: [ gasps ] porous. woman: porous? man 2: the old solutions aren't working. man 2: the world has changed. man 1: meaning? man 2: it's not just security. it's defense. it's not just security. it's defense. bae systems. police in ohio are searching for the suspect or suspects behind the killings of eight family members. police say the family was specifically targeted. wh nick valencia joins us. what have you learned, nick? >> reporter: a very interesting twist over the weekend when authorities announced a sophisticated marijuana-growing operation was discovered at three of the four crime scenes where the rhodans were killed at their residences. execution-style killings, they believe, have something to do with drugs. local residents tell me there is a huge drug problem in this area, methamphetamines and heroin. authority also not make the direct connection to this being drug related. there are no suspects or suspect in custody. yesterday at a press conference, attorney general and local sheriff addressed those concerns. >> this was a preplanned execution of eight individuals. it was a sophisticated operation. >> i spoke with the family. it's very evident that they were a target of this horrible crime. i cautioned them that they were a target and i told them to be armed. >> we know the family was targeted, but why? i asked the best friend of dana rhodan, one of the victims, if they had anything to do with drugs or tied to a nefarious underworld. that friend told me everyone has skeletons in the closet but overall the rhodans were good people. michaela? >> thank you. trump blasting kasich and cruz, calling it collusion and a horrible act of desperation. hillary clinton hoping for a clean sweep in the northeast tomorrow. bernie sanders admitting he has a tough path to win the nomination but believes he can do it and isn't going anywhere. president obama sending 250 additional special operations forces to syria, the president saying they won't be leading the fight on the ground but really serving in an advise and assist capacity in that local fight against isis. brussels metro station that was targeted in last month's terror attacks reopened today. friends and family saying their final farewell to music legend, prince. his remains were cremated over questions still swirl over who will oversee his estate and, of course, what caused him to die. for five things to know visit newday.c newday.com. alisyn? a member of team cruz will join us next. ♪ if you have moderate to severe plaque psoriasis isn't it time to let the real you shine through? introducing otezla, apremilast. otezla is not an injection, or a cream. it's a pill that treats plaque psoriasis differently. some people who took otezla saw 75% clearer skin after 4 months. and otezla's prescribing information has no requirement for routine lab monitoring. don't take otezla if you are allergic to any of its ingredients. otezla may increase the risk of depression. tell your doctor if you have a history of depression or suicidal thoughts, or if these feelings develop. some people taking otezla reported weight loss. your doctor should monitor your weight and may stop treatment. side effects may include diarrhea, nausea, upper respiratory tract infection, and headache. tell your doctor about all the medicines you take, and if you're pregnant or planning to be. ask your dermatologist about otezla today. otezla. show more of you. whe gets a ready for you alert the second his room is ready. so you know what he gives? i'll give you everything i've got and then some. he gives a hundred and ten percent! i'm confident this 10% can boost your market share. feel me lois? i'm feeling you. boom! look at that pie chart. the ready for you alert, only at laquinta.com. what if 30,000 people download the new app? we're good. okay... what if a million people download the new app? we're good. five million? good. we scale on demand. hybrid infrastructure, boom. ok. what if 30 million people download the app? we're not good. we're total heroes. scale on demand with the number one company in cloud infrastructure. you know what they say, keep your friends close and your enemies closer. cruz and kasich, why are they doing this? will it work? let's hear it straight from the cruz camp's mouth, ron nehring joins us. from i will beat donald trump lierks get to 1237. don't talk to me about conventions. you cannot deny the will of the people. and now this. how do you justify this action? >> i had a fupny feeling you would bring this up. >> yes. >> political campaigns are dynamic. we have a 19-week long process. the nature of that contest has changed from our original win in iowa, super tuesday to now where we are today, looking forward to john -- june 7th. donald trump being the nominee would be a disaster, turning the white house over to hillary clinton and congress over to chuck shuchumer, nancy pelosi a the like. we have to meet the strategic realities of the time, involving competing very strongly in the state of indiana, coming up. gathering as many delegates. >> i get the theory of the case now but pragmatism aside, what about principle? forget about the convention. that's not how these things are supposed to be done. that's the insiders, the bad, bad, bad. now he has both his arms wrapped around it like his favorite teddy bear at night. how do you take ted cruz at his word when he changes what matters? >> when we set out this campaign, our goal, of course, was to reach flat out majority at the convention. that was always the goal. that have the best scenario for us, to reach that majority in the first ballot, like most other conventions have gone that way. that's not going to happen. donald trump, even though he has the most delegates, is unable to consolidate the republican base around him. by most -- if you use history as a guide, the race is already consolidated by now. donald trump has such high negatives, even within the republican party, that he can't consolidate the base going forward. we want it make sure that by some accident, by some fluke of the rules whereby donald trump is gaining more delegates that he has earned a share of the vote, he doesn't become the republican nominee and lead this party to a disaster. >> right. the question becomes, how does this work, though, going forward for ted cruz, if it does go into a convention? you have donald trump saying this is exactly the kind of shenanigans that cruz says he was against. he calls it collusion, desperate, weakness. do those words apply? >> for the guy who calls himself mr. flexible and unpredictable, donald trump is probably the most predictable person in this race. >> he came up with a nickname for himself today. someone in the control room remind me. wonderful. wonderful donald trump. you're lyin' ted. that's who you're representing. he's saying this is an example of that, ron, because you said one thing and now you're doing another. >> the great man of humanity, donald trump, and mr. unpredictable here. the reality is that we'll make sure that donald trump is not the republican nominee and we have an opportunity to elect ted kroousz. in the five states that lead up to new york, we won the five states leading up to that. he doesn't have the math. he won't get the altitude, especially now, in order to get a majority of the delegates and the rule also not be changed for donald trump. the rules, ultimately, he has to get to a majority. what rule? 1237. this is about who gets the most support across the country. now this change. isn't that the problem? of course, the practical problem will be what happens if he doesn't win in indiana? what if it doesn't work? the nature of the campaign has changed. only two who can ultimately merge as the republican nominee. we probably won't see another election like this in our lifetimes and have to deal with the reality as it is now. and that's exactly what we're doing. >> when times change all we have to fall back on are the principles that we will not. how will that play into this conversation? we'll see in the days and weeks ahead. ron nehring, thanks for making the case for cruz camp as always. >> thank you. >> so, what do you think? it's monday. you're getting that stretch going. how about good stuff to motivate the day, next? 98,352 what's that? the number of units we'll make next month to maximize earnings. that's a projection. no, it's a fact. based on hundreds of proprietary and open data sets folded into a real-time, actionable analytics model. nine. eight. three. five. two. you're not gonna round that up? you don't round up facts. powerful analytics driving decisions for the world's most valuable brands. ♪ ♪ you wish your dog could fight off fleas and ticks. but since he can't... you rely on frontline plus. because frontline plus unleashes a deadly killing force to kills fleas and ticks, plus flea eggs and larvae, preventing a new flea infestation. its protection lasts a full 30 days. no wonder frontline plus is recommended by vets for killing fleas and ticks. after all, your dog is a lover not a fighter. frontline plus. vet recommended flea and tick killer. he gets a ready for you alert the second his room is ready. so he knows exactly when he can settle in and think big. and when josh thinks big you know what he gives? i'll give you everything i've got and then some... he gives a hundred and ten percent! i'm confident this 10% can boost your market share. look at that pie chart! boom! you've never seen a number like that! you feel me lois? i'm feeling you. yeah you do! let's do this! watch out he just had a whole thimble full of coffee... woot! woot! the ready for you alert, only at laquinta.com. la... quinta! yeah! a group of police officers stopped to eat after attending the funeral of a fellow officer. they certainly didn't expect what happened next. >> they shook my hand and that was enough for me. just to have police officers. >> she was their server, heard what they were talking about, and picked up the bill and said i can't imagine the day you have all had, let alone what you go through every day. >> that's wonderful. >> stellar. time now for "newsroom" with carol costello. hi, carol. >> have a great day. "newsroom" starts now. happening now in the "newsroom," divide and conquer. cruz and kasich's new plan, team up to stop trump. >> 65% to 70% of republicans nationwide recognize that donald trump is not the best candidate to go head to head with hillary clinton. >> i'm winning by millions and millions of votes. i'm winning by 300 -- almost 300 delegates. mo is he about to rack up even