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Former CIA Directors Speak Out Against Trump; Deadly Flooding in India Continues; Bomb Hits School Bus in Yemen Said to be Made in America; Aretha Franklin Dies of Cancer at 76; Glass-Bottom Suspension Bridge Opens in China; Paris Installs Outdoor Urinals Around the City; Manafort Trial Continues; Colorado Husband/Father Murders Family; Genoa Bridge Collapse Victims Mourned. Aired 4-5a ET

Aired August 18, 2018 - 04:00   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.


[04:00:00]

GEORGE HOWELL, CNN HOST: Thanks for watching; our coverage continues.

Munitions experts make a disturbing discovery, that bomb that killed dozens of children in Yemen, it was made in the USA.

NATALIE ALLEN, CNN HOST: More former senior intelligence officials slam the U.S. President for his decision to revoke the security clearance of one of their own.

HOWELL: And this, the scene in southern India, rescues under way there as monsoon rains and deadly floods hammer that region.

ALLEN: And it has for months now, hasn't it? We'll take you there. Welcome to our viewers here in the U.S. and all around the world, we're coming to you live from Atlanta. I'm Natalie Allen.

HOWELL: And I'm George Howell from CNN World Headquarters, "Newsroom" starts right now.

ALLEN: Thank you for joining us and we begin with a CNN exclusive. We're learning new and unsettling details about the Saudi-led airstrike that hit a school bus in Yemen earlier this month.

HOWELL: That bomb that killed as many as 50 people, 40 of them children, was supplied by the United States. CNN's Nima Elbagir reports and we warn you this contains disturbing images.

NIMA ELBAGIR, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Every day Isid Al-Homran visits the graveyard where his two little boys are buried. Today he brought their five-year-old brother along. Isid Al-Homran.

ISID AL-HOMRAN, FATHER OF CHILD KILLED IN BOMBING: (through interpreter) People were screaming out the names of their children. I tried to tell the women it couldn't be true, but then a man ran through the crowd shouting that a plane had struck the children's bus.

ELBAGIR: On August 9th, he filmed his class on the long awaited school trip, a reward for graduating summer school. Within hours, it had all gone horribly wrong. A plane from the U.S.-backed Saudi coalition struck a bus carrying them. Dozens died. Some of the bodies were so mutilated identification became impossible. All that's left are the scraps of school books, warped metal and a single backpack. Eyewitnesses tell CNN this was a direct hit in the middle of the market.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: (Through translator) I saw the bomb hit the bus. It blew it into those shops and three bodies clear to the other side of those buildings. We found bodies scattered everywhere. There was a severed head inside the bomb crater.

ELBAGIR: This video of the shrapnel was filmed in the aftermath of the attack and sent to CNN in contact. A cameraman working for CNN subsequently filmed these images for us. Munitions experts tell CNN this was a U.S.-made mark MK-82 bomb weighing in at half a ton. The first five digits there are the cage number - the commercial and government entity number. This denotes here denotes Lockheed Martin, one of the top U.S. defense contractors.

(BEGIN VIDEO)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We're at the forefront of design that makes this real.

(END VIDEO)

ELBAGIR: This particular MK-82 is a pave way, a laser guided precision bomb. It's targeting accuracy up to a particular point of pride for Lockheed Martin. But with an arms deal with Saudi Arabia sanctioned and contracted out by the U.S. government. So why does the matter? Because the devastation inflicted by the MK-82 is all too familiar in Yemen.

In March, 2016, a strike on a market using this similarly laser guided 2,000 pound MK-84 killed 97 people. In October, 2016, another strike on a funeral hall killed 155 people and wounded hundreds more. Then the bus attack on August 9th, where they're still counting the dead.

The U.S. doesn't just sell arms to the coalition in its battle against the Iranian-backed rebel Houthi militias, it provides intelligences, help with targeting procedures, mid-air refueling. President Obama blocked sales of precision-guided military technology to Saudi Arabia over human rights concerns. Six months later under the newly elected Trump administration, then Secretary of State Rex Tillerson, overturned the ban.

(BEGIN VIDEO)

REAR ADMIRAL JOHN KIRBY (RET.), CNN MILITARY AND DIPLOMATIC ANALYST: Look, there is a balance that needs to be struck. The president also noted that the Saudis have a right to defend themselves. They were being attacked from across the southern border by Houthis who were being aided by Iran and were launching rockets and missiles. And what I would tell you is that we certainly had under the Obama administration deep concerns about the ways the Saudis were targeting. We acted only those concerns by limiting the kind of munitions that they were being given and stridently trying to argue for them to be more careful and cautious.

(END VIDEO)

ELBAGIR: Saudi Arabia denies targeting civilians and defends the incident as a legitimate military operation and a retaliatory response to a Houthi ballistic missile from the day before.

[04:05:00]

When asked to comment on CNN's evidence, the coalition spokesperson tells us the coalition is taking all practical measures to minimize civilian casualties. Every civilian casualty is a tragedy, adding it would not appropriate for the coalition to comment further while the investigation is under way. The U.S. wouldn't comment on the origins of the bomb, but the state department is calling for a Saudi-led investigation which the U.S. defense secretary supports.

(BEGIN VIDEO)

JAMES MATTIS, U.S. DEFENSE SECRETARY: Wars are always tragic, but we've got to find a way to protect the innocent in the midst of this one.

(END VIDEO)

ELBAGIR: Osama's cell phone footage is all his father has left of the two boys, their last happy moments. Osama's father isn't optimistic that an investigation will change anything. In a country where loss has become common place, they aren't even praying for justice anymore, just peace. Nima Elbagir, CNN, London.

(END VIDEO)

ALLEN: Just another unspeakable tragedy in this ongoing war in Yemin. Earlier I spoke with Retired U.S. Air Force Colonel Rick Francona. He is a CNN Military Analyst, and I asked him if the Trump Administration should have overturned the ban on giving precision-guided weapons to Saudi Arabia.

(BEGIN VIDEO)

RICK FRANCONA, RETIRED U.S. AIR FORCE LIEUTENANT COLONAL AND CNN MILITARY ANALYST: The weapons aren't the problem, it's how they're employed. We've spent years trying to teach the Saudis how to employ these weapons correctly and they've learned over time to do that. The decision that the president took was probably a good one at that time, but as the war progressed, the Saudis were using non-guided munitions. They were causing a lot more civilian casualties. When you use, just call them dumb bombs, you have to use a lot more to achieve the same results and kill a lot of other people.

Using precision-guided munitions actually prevents civilian casualties. I think that is what the Trump Administration was hoping for anyway. But then you have this terrible strike on August 9 where 40 children were killed. ALLEN: Right. Well the U.S. says it doesn't make targeting decisions for the Saudi-led coalition. The U. S. Secretary of Defense said I will tell you that we do help them plan what we call kind of targeting. We do not dynamic targeting for them. What does that mean?

FRANCONA: This strike was probably a quick reaction strike. There was a Houthi missile attack on Saudi Arabia the day before; one person was killed when the missile was intercepted. The Saudis were looking for retaliation and that's the story for this war, tit for tat. One side does something and the other side just retaliates and it continues.

So the Saudis wanted to strike back. They probably had a quick reaction package ready to go and they said we know the Houthis are using this area for their command and control and planning and probably launched a sortie (ph) right at that. Unfortunately it happened to be in a market place; it happened to be in a crowded marketplace and that school bus happened to be there.

I have no doubt that the Saudis actually hit what they were aiming at. The problem is the target selection process really needs to be looked at.

ALLEN: Right. We know the U.N. is investigating what happened; the U.S. is investigating what happened but the United States does support Saudi operations through billions in arms sales, the U.S. refueled Saudi jets and shares intelligence. So why groups are now raising the question, does the U.S. bear any moral capability? What are your thoughts on that one?

FRANCONA: Yes, that's an issue and that's something we have to grapple with and something we have to address. You know Saudi Arabia is a key ally of our in the Middle East. They were part of the founders - they're one of the founders of the anti-ISIS coalition. They're one of our key allies in our confrontation with the Iranians. So if we don't act alike an ally to them, they will not act like an ally to us. And it's kind of critical that we have the Saudis on our side especially as the Iranians continue their operations not only in Yemen but we see them in Iraq and in Syria, and in Lebanon. So it's very important that we retain a good relationship with the Saudis. Unfortunately when these events happen, it calls the value of that alliance into question.

ALLEN: Right. Absolutely. You mentioned a school bus was right there at that market when it took a direct hit. The U.S. has worked with Saudi Arabia to protect civilians in this war but it's not happening, is it? Is there an explanation?

FRANCONA: Yes, the explanation, the Saudis are fought following proper targeting procedures. There is a validation process and we've gone over for decades we have been working on this with them. And I can tell you working with the Saudis I mean to be polite, challenging and frustrating. You can teach them, but they don't always listen. ALLEN: Well there you go. Maybe they will now that another horrible

tragedy has happened.

FRANCONA: And we have to be - we have to instill that in them right now.

ALLEN: Absolutely.

[04:10:00]

They must get it somehow, because what these civilians are going through, not to mention the cholera outbreak in Yemen, it is horrible. Always appreciate your expertise Lieutenant Colonel Rick Francona, thanks Rick.

FRANCONA: Sure.

HOWELL: A and now the U.S. President doubling down on what many see as his enemies list. The White House has reportedly drafted several documents revoking the security clearances of critics the president wants to punish.

ALLEN: One senior official says they have discussed timing the release of those documents to distract from news cycles unfavorable to President Trump, that according to the "Washington Post."

HOWELL: This comes as the president is being sharply criticized by 75 former intelligence officials. Our Kaitlan Collins picks up this on story.

(BEGIN VIDEO)

KAITLAN COLLINS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: President Trump lashing out at the Russia investigation, reminding critics his presidential powers go a long way.

DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Hello, everybody.

COLLINS: (Voice over) Defending his decision to strip former CIA Chief John Brennan of his security clearance and rejecting criticism that he is trying to silence his critics.

TRUMP: If anything, I'm giving them bigger voice. Many people don't know who he is. Now he has a bigger voice and that's okay with me, because I like taking on voices like that. I've never respected him.

COLLINS: That as sources tell CNN Trump is prepared to revoke more clearance in the coming days. His next target, Bruce Orr a little known department employee.

TRUMP: I think Bruce Orr is a disgrace. I suspect I will be taking it away very quickly.

COLLINS: Trump has repeatedly targeted Orr because of his contacts with Christopher Steele, the former British spy who investigated Trump's ties to Russia. The Department of Justice department says Orr has no involvement with Robert Mueller's investigation.

TRUMP: For him to be in the Justice Department and to be doing what he did, that is a disgrace; that is disqualifying for Mueller.

COLLINS: Trump reveling in what he sees as rave reviews.

TRUMP: I know that I've gotten tremendous response from having done that because security clearances are very important to me.

COLLINS: But the reviews haven't all been positive. In a stinging rebuke, more than a dozen former intelligence officials issued a joint statement criticizing the move, calling it ill-considered, unprecedented, and an attempt to stifle free speech; the president in his own words drawing a direct line between revoking clearances and the Russia investigation.

TRUMP: Look, I say it, I say it again, that whole situation is a rigged witch hunt. It's a totally rigged deal it's not us. It is a rigged witch hunt. I said it for the long time.

COLLINS: Trump showing little interest if sitting down with the special council.

TRUMP: Mr. Mueller has a lot of conflicts also, directly, yourself. So you know that. Mr. Mueller is highly conflicted; in fact, Comey is like his best friend. I can go into conflict after conflict. But sadly, Mr. Mueller is conflicted.

COLLINS: The president encouraging Mueller to wrap things up.

TRUMP: Let him write his report. We did nothing. There is no collusion.

COLLINS: Kaitlan Collins, CNN, The White House.

HOWELL: Steven Erlanger is joining us now. The chief Diplomatic Correspondent in Europe for "The New York Times" live this hour. Thank you so much for your time today there in Brussels.

Look several former senior intelligence officials, 75 to date, they are speaking out against the president's actions to cancel John Brennan's security clearance. And in a joint statement, they argue that cancellation of security clearances should be based on national security concerns Steven, not political views so it does seem like an attack on one is becoming an attack on all.

STEVEM ERLANGER, NEW YORK TIMES CHIEF DIPLOMATIC CORRESPONDENT: Well, it does and you've heard President Trump there who sounds sometimes rather hysterical on this Russia issue. I mean, he really sounds like this is the one thing that bothers him most of all in the entire world. Now, this is the same president who gave away an important Israeli intelligence source through chatting in the Oval Office early in his time.

This is not about national security. John Brennan has been a sharp critic of President Trump and President Trump has struck back. And if he does as he keeps talking about doing, taking security clearances away from people like Susan Rice, from former Obama officials who simply don't like the way he is handling the presidency, well, that will show us something about how President Trump really defines national security. If he defines national security as his own security, I think people will not be very happy about that, including many Republicans.

HOWELL: We are hearing from the former CIA Director John Brennan responding about having his security clearance revoked by President Trump. Let's listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO)

JOHN BRENNAN, FORMER CIA DIRECTOR: He's drunk on power, he really is and I think he's abusing the powers of that office. I think right now this country is if a crisis in terms of what Mr. Trump has done and is libel to do. And so are the Republicans on the Hill who have given him a pass, are they going to wait for a disaster to happen before they actually find their backbones and spines to speak up against somebody who clearly, clearly is not carrying out his responsibilities?

(END VIDEO)

HOWELL: Brennan responding there in light of the "Washington Post" reporting that the decision to do so, to revoke his clearance, was based on switching news cycles and Steven, more cancellations are on the way purportedly for the very same purpose. Your thoughts here.

ERLANGER: Well, John Brennan is clearly - has been angry about Trump for a long time and he is feeling wounded. And you know, everything becomes partisan in Washington. The hope is you keep national security nonpartisan. It is generally been nonpartisan. And what upsets some people, many people probably, is the way President Trump is confusing national security with political criticism of his presidency and that is a kind of barrier that president in the past have not crossed.

Now, the White House has always been used for partisan purposes. The president is a political figure; that is not the question. He is a Republican president and he can do what he wants to help Republicans. But this feels like to many people he is using the White House to protect himself and to shield himself from criticism from a group of people who generally don't really have politics, but have the interests of the nation at heart. And this is I think what bothers quite a lot of people is this confusion between national interests and self interests.

HOWELL: Steven Erlanger, we always appreciate your time and perspective. Thank you.

ERLANGER: Thanks George.

HOWELL: The worst floods in nearly 100 years in Southern India. We've seen hundreds of lives lost there. We'll tell you about the story there and the very latest ahead.

ALLEN: That video tells the story doesn't. Also victims of Italy's bridge collapse are being remembered at a joint state funeral, but some of the families are boycotting. We'll explain why later this hour.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

ALLEN: The worst flooding in Southern India in almost a century has killed hundreds of people, many of them in the past 10 days alone.

HOWELL: The Prime Minister Narendra Modi has been visiting the flood- damaged areas of the State of Karala. The Chief Minister says the damage has reached nearly $3 billion.

ALLEN: We're also learning the international airport in Kochi has suspended all flights for one week because the runways are submerged. Look at that. Here is CNN News 18 reporter, Radhika Ramaswamy with more.

(BEGIN VIDEO)

RADHIKA RAMASWAMY, CNN CORRESPONDENT: The State of Karala has seen unprecedented flooding this year. In fact, I'm in one of the worst affected areas in Karala, this is (inaudible) District. This is called Afundula(ph), this is a small town here. As you can see behind me, this entire place is completely flooded. Rivers are all flowing down and overflowing bridges which is why several districts in the State of Karala, are under water.

As of now rescue and relief operations are going on, several agencies from the center are doing the rescue operations via the army, navy, coast guard or the NDRF and even local police officials and fire rescue teams are doing these rescue operations for the last couple of days. But the fact remains that this rescue operation has become enormously challenging because thousands of people are still stranded in many of these islands and in many of these isolated places and their homes are completely flooded.

People are standing on terraces calling out for help. So that is the kind of devastation that we are witnessing. Now the challenges that we are facing, I will just show you the situation here right now. This place is completely flooded and I will take you through the challenges that the officials here are facing in terms of relief and rescue.

Several challenges, be it the landing area for boarding, be it the flow of water which is extremely heavy. Because of that, none of these boats are actually going into the places which are severely affected because of the heavy flow of water as well as lack of landing and the other lack of structure. So therefore, what the state requires is more services from the vendor, more armed forces to really come in and do the rescue and also chopper services. There are chopper services in several areas but more choppers are required. Right now Prime Minister Narendra Modi have been holding talks with the state government and has assured all the help to the states but at this point, things are quiet. Many thousands still stranded. We will have to see how this evacuation(ph) is going to pan out in the days to come. For CNN "New Day" in India, this is Radhika Ramaswamy reporting from (inaudible).

HOWELL: The report there tells the story just standing in the water there. India's meteorological service has issued a warning for more heavy rainfall in some areas that have already been badly hit.

ALLEN: And let's talk with Derek Van Dam about that. And Derek why this season has just been so deadly for them.

DEREK VAN DAM, CNN METEOROLOGIST: Well officially the monsoon rains in Karala started May 29 of this year but it's been raining in Sicily and particularly heavy over the past two weeks. This is some of the handout images, there's the Prime Minister Modi visiting Karala. And look at his view outside his airplane window. I mean this is incredible to witness the devastation that is taking place here.

And to put it even into further perspective, we've got satellite imagery, what I want you to see; this is Kochi, a population of about 6,000 people. Focus on t his side of your television screen because I want you to see the difference between 2017 and just a couple days ago the flooding that has inundated this region. It is immense and it is wide spreading across this particular area. By the way Karala has a population of about 35 million people. We have had over a month's worth of rainfall in just four day's time so that has created travel concerns. Of course we know that the main international airport in Kochi is now closed until August 26.

In fact some of the images floating around social media, believe it or not, are actual flood waters rising up to the engines of the jet lines that are parked there on some of the tarmacs and their meteorological department still has orange alerts for the west-facing shorelines of the Indian sub continent. The good news here, George and Natalie, I'm seeing the heaviest of rainfall is going to start shifting a little further to the north away from Karala. It may be giving them a brief respite from the heavy rain they've experienced lately.

ALLEN: We'll take that...

HOWELL: Let's hope for that, I'm sure, yes.

ALLEN: All right Derek, thank you.

HOWELL: Derek, thanks.

ALLEN: Well it seems to be the phrase of the week but just what are security clearances? After the break, we'll look at what they are, who gets them, who keeps them and why.

HOWELL: Plus some of the victims' families from the bridge collapse in Genoa are boycotting the Italian state funeral. We'll explain why. Stay with us.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[04:30:00]

ALLEN: Welcome back to our viewers here in the U.S. and all around the world. This is "CNN Newsroom." I'm Natalie Allen.

HOWELL: And I'm George Howell. And the headlines we're following for you this hour, Imran Khan is officially Pakistan's new Prime Minister. The former Cricketer turned politician was sworn into office just a few hours ago. Khan's party swept the party's contested elections in July but they fell short of an outright majority in Parliament.

ALLEN: In Southern India, the Chief Minister of Karala State says at least 324 people have been killed in floods or landslides there since the start of monsoon season back in May. About half those people died in the past 10 days. Indian officials say the financial damage has reached about $2.7 billion so far; the worst flooding to hit Karala State in nearly a century.

HOWELL: The backlash is getting bigger, even more U.S. intelligence officials, 75 to date, are slamming President Trump for evoking the security clearance of a former CIA Director John Brennan. The White House is also planning to strip more Trump critics of their clearances and according to the "Washington Post" reporting rolling the measures out to counteract negative news stories.

So the issue around security clearances, we thought it would be a good idea to talk more about what access those security clearances bring.

ALLEN: Who gets them and why do some not currently in government have them? Our Tom Foreman breaks it down.

(BEGIN VIDEO)

TOM FOREMAN, CNN JOURNALIST: What precisely are security clearances and where do they come from? Security clearances are issued by many government agencies and can come in several different levels offering different access to sensitive or classified material, and even if you have the highest level of clearance, that is not an invitation to plunder all files. You will likely see only materials you need to know about. Who gets security clearances? As a practical matter, they go to people who are intimately involved in the safety and defense of the United States and its allies.

This is not all military business. For example, there could be economic information or infrastructure details or negotiations with other countries which might be considered highly sensitive and fall under this umbrella. But all this has to do with active government service. So why should anyone who has left the government retain his or her security clearance? Former employees of an agency have experience, they have institutional knowledge. The people who take over for them may need that. Say you worked on some classified matter involving other country and a new team comes in, they need to know what you did. This would assist the new team to be able to talk to you about the current situation as well.

In addition, some private industries, defense contractors for example, do work that requires private citizens to deal with sensitive government matters. So having a security clearance outside the government can also be useful. So why would anyone lose or have their security clearance revoked? Usually that happens because they truly no longer need it or some conflict has arisen for example they start working for a foreign hostile government, or they just get into trouble; they commit a crime or they are linked to some illicit or risky activity, but for criticizing or opposing a politician? No, that has not been a typical reason for such action.

(END VIDEO)

ALLEN: Steve Hall is a CNN National Security Analyst and retired CIA Chief of Russia Operations. Steve, thanks so much for coming on with us. John Brennan, let's talk about him first. The former CIA director, an agency where you served and you served with him. How would you describe his reputation?

STEVE HALL, CNN NATIONAL SECURITY ANALYST: Well, I can first of all just discuss who he was when he was the director and I was in the position that I was at CIA. He was one of the most straightforward direct, honest, you know, full of integrity kind of director that you would want to work for. He was somebody that really command the room when he walked in. I saw him do it not only at CIA, but in dealing with several foreign intelligence services. He was well respected within the building and he was just a very competent, honest, straight, direct guy. Very apolitical and inside the CIA that is a big deal when you can say somebody is not a politician.

ALLEN: Very true there. So the president has revoked his security clearance. What does this mean to national intelligence and do you think in any way this was merited?

HALL: First of all Natalie, I think it is important to understand that this really isn't about security clearances.

[04:35:00]

You know, John Brennan as well as any of the other seniors that either had their security clearances revoked, right now it's just Brennan, but they are discussing others, it is really not going to affect them. These guys have gone off and done other things with their lives. It is not as though they had access to classified information. So it is not really about that. What it is about is about an attack on people who have really difficult jobs, real patriotism, more than just putting on a hat and waving a flag at a rally.

Serving in difficult places, doing difficult work, and the muzzling of those people that this administration particularly President Trump is trying to do, that is really what this is about. It is limiting their rights to criticize, not to disclose classified information, but just to criticize what this president and what this administration has done. So it is less about the classification and more about that First Amendment right issue. ALLEN: OK, thanks for that clarification. Seventy-five former

intelligence officials have criticized President Trump for revoking Brennan's clearance. Do you think this may backfire on the president in any way or will this help him silence his critics?

HALL: I'm not sure because that is sort of I guess a political question, but I can tell you this, when you have this kind of people, these kinds of people, people who served overseas, done difficult work, you have several former senior military guys who have also done that in very difficult places. When you have a group coming together like that and saying wait a second, this is way out of bounds, this is inappropriate, this is not what we fought for, this is not the kind of democracy that we have represented during our long careers, I think it sends a very strong message and I think the president ought to be very concerned about the unanimity that these former officers are showing.

ALLEN: Mr. Trump is threatening in the meantime to do the same to a Justice Department official Bruce Ohr, who Mr. Trump says played a part into starting the investigation into Russian election interference. There has been no evidence of that. Could Mr. Ohr lose his job if his clearance is revoked?

HALL: It would be difficult I would imagine for somebody in that particular position, although I've never served in the Department of Justice, I would imagine if you required a security clearance to have that position, if that security clearance is revoked, it is difficult for me to understand how you could be effective in that particular position. So again, this is sort of couched in a national security where protecting clearances and that's the president's prerogative, but I think what is going on is much more dangerous to our democracy.

ALLEN: Steve Hall, CNN National Security Analyst and retired CIA Chief of Russia Operations, always appreciate your expertise, thank you.

HALL: Sure.

ALLEN: A former aid to the Trump campaign faces sentencing in three weeks for lying to federal investigators. Special Counsel Robert Mueller is recommending that the man seen here, George Padopoulous, go to prison for six months and pay a fine of $9,500. Sentencing is set for September 7. According to a federal court filing on Friday, Papadopoulos hurt the investigation by lying to the FBI more one dozen times about meeting a mysterious man known as, quote, "the Professor." That person has been identified by CNN as Joseph Mifsud who claimed he had damaging information about the Hillary Clinton campaign.

HOWELL: Jury deliberations in the Paul Manafort trial are set to resume Monday.

ALLEN: The former Trump campaign manager is accused of extensive tax evasion and bank fraud. Earlier Friday Manafort's former boss gave him a vote of confidence. Kara Scannell explains.

KARA SCANNELL, CNN CORRESPONDENT: The jury in the Paul Manafort trial deliberated for 15 hours over two days, but most of the activity was outside of the courtroom Friday when President Donald Trump was asked if he would pardon Paul Manafort, he offered words of support for his former campaign chairman.

(BEGIN VIDEO)

DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: I think the whole Manafort trial is very sad when you look at what is going on. I think it is a very sad day for our country. He worked for me for a very short period of time, but you know, what he happens to be a very good person and I think it is very sad what they have done to Paul Manafort.

(END VIDEO)

SCANNELL: Manafort's attorney, Kevin Downing, spoke to reporters after court ended for the day thanking the president for his support.

(BEGIN VIDEO)

KEVIN DOWNING, ATTORYNEY FOR PAUL MANAFORT: We were very happy to hear from the president and that he is supporting Mr. Manafort.

(END VIDEO)

SCANNELL: Downing also said the length of the deliberations was in his favor. The jury reconvenes on Monday where they will deliberate for the third straight day deciding Manafort's state in this high stakes case where if convicted Manafort faces at least a decade in prison. Kara Scannell, CNN, Alexandria, Virginia.

ALLEN: A Colorado man is in jail, suspected in the death of his pregnant wife and their two daughters. The victims were found on Thursday, days after the husband and father pleaded on TV for their safe return. New court documents show that some of them may have been strangled. The suspect seen in these family photos has not been formally charged. He is expected to appear in court on Monday a week after his wife and children were reported missing. On Friday mourner in the state of Colorado paid their respects to the murdered woman and children.

HOWELL: In Italy, 18 of the 38 victims of the Genoa bridge are collapse are being remembered at a joint state funeral and these are images of the funeral in progress from the Genoa Convention Center. You see people coming together remembering the dead. Some families though are boycotting this commemoration; they are protesting the negligence they claim caused the bridge to come down. Burial services for four of the victims were held Friday in the town of Torre del Greco. Our CNN contributor, Barbie Nadeau joins live from Rome with the details and Barbie, again some boycotting this state funeral as again not all have been accounted for and crews continue to search through the rubble.

BARBIE NADEAU, CNN CORRESPONDENT: That's right, George. It is a sad national day of mourning here in Italy for these victims and those that were buried yesterday; one of the fathers of one of the young victims buried near Naples yesterday said that they didn't want to be part of a quote, "parade of politicians." There is so much finger pointing going on yet about the cause of this disaster. We've seen before in the past these sorts of state funerals and natural disasters like earthquakes, but in this particular instance, they are considering this of course a human disaster. This is something that was caused most likely by negligence, lack of maintenance, or some sort of human error and that is what has angered these families who have chosen not to participate in the state funeral. George.

HOWELL: And also talk to us about the efforts there, they continue searching through rubble for people not accounted for.

NADEAU: That's right. Now there are four people still unaccounted for according to the authorities in Genoa. The number was five, but they got a hold of someone who they thought might have been on that road and they found that person alive, so there is some relief at least for that family. But these remaining four people are officially still missing, but they don't know for sure if there could have been a car they are unaware of, there is still a lot of rubble.

The big chunks of cement are hard to move and they are treating it very much like they treat an earthquake or other natural disaster, going through it, trying to break up the concrete, hoping that there could have been some pocket of air inside there that someone could still survive. But as time goes on of course they are losing hope for any survival of the rest of those victims, George.

HOWELL: CNN contributor Barbie Nadeau following the story live for us in Rome, Barbie thank you.

ALLEN: Turkey stands up against the United States and faces economic hardship as a result. Now Turkey's president has to reassure a nervous country and he's been doing that in the past few minutes. We'll take you there live in a moment.

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ALLEN: Turkey's President Recep Tayyip Erdogan is expected to speak soon at his party's grand congress. Just moments ago he spoke to the crowds outside.

HOWELL: The Justice and Development parties congress comes as the country's economy is in free fall, this thanks in part to a trade war with the United States.

ALLEN: Gul Tuysuz, CNN Producer with a closer look. Erdogan apparently talked about what he was going to say to the people, the congress, inside. Did you hear what he had to say?

GUL TUYSUZ, CNN PRODUCER: Yeah, Natalie, he said that he was going to be going into the congress and delivering some of those strong messages that he has been reiterating over the last week as this spat with the U.S. has been really hitting the Turkish economy. He came out to his supporters and once again called for basically a rally along the flag and asking for the country to stand as one nation and he said that as long as the people are behind him and that people stand strong, that no one can bring down the Turkish nation and he reiterated one point that he's made before, he said if they have the dollar, then we have God. Now, that is not something that necessarily is going to be calming the markets because no one really knows what that means but it just goes to show you how defiant Erdogan is in the face of this trade war that he has been waging with the U.S.

And of course that rhetoric has really been helping him rally Turks around the flag and really come together in national sentiment. He frames the economic crisis that has been unfolding here over the last week as an economic war that they are trying to bring down Turkey, that with threats they are trying to make this country come to heal and that basically saying threats will not work and that Turkey will not bow down. But at this point, with Erdogan and Trump so publicly sparring, it is really detrimental to the partnership and the relationship that these two countries which is are of course are NATO allies have built up over the years. Natalie.

ALLEN: And we're seeing live video as he walks inside and makes his way in, still greeting supports to speak at his party's grand congress. The question is what can he do at this point to make the financial situation better?

TUYSUZ: Well, that is the million dollar question Natalie because so far the markets have been calling for a series of economic actions for Turkey to take. One is raising interest rates which Erdogan himself, because he has a very heterodox view of the economy has said he is not willing to do. Aside from that, there have been a series of steps taken by economic institutions here to try to ease this and to try to hold the crisis off, but really there is not much that he can do. Erdogan has said that Turkey doesn't have to beholden to the United States of America, that it has other options, that it could look to Russia or China. But whether or not that will be enough to stem the depreciation of the lira is something we just don't know at this point.

ALLEN: We will wait and see what he has to say. We know that you will get back to us after he is finished talking. Thank you, Gul Tuysuz there for us in Ankara.

HOWELL: This next story that we'll cover is interesting. Bright red receptacles are popping up across Paris. They look a bit like mail boxes, but here is the thing, you don't want to drop a postcard in any of these. We'll explain, stay with us.

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HOWELL: Welcome back. Funeral arrangements are set for music legend Aretha Franklin. Franklin died Thursday of cancer at the age of 76.

ALLEN: What a giant.

HOWELL: Indeed. ALLEN: A private ceremony for friends, family and invited guests will be held in two weeks, August 31, at Detroit's Greater Grace Temple. Afterwards she will be entombed at Woodlawn Cemetery.

HOWELL: And the public can pay their respects during a two day viewing August 28 and 29 at the Museum of African-American History in the city of Detroit. A tribute concert is scheduled for November.

ALLEN: If you are scared of heights, this might make you queasy.

HOWELL: This might freak you out in fact. The new glass-bottom suspension bridge just opened in Northeast China. it is almost the length of four football fields and 158 meters high; that is about 170 yards. More than 10,000 people showed up to take those stomach churning steps. Could you do it Natalie? Could you do that?

ALLEN: I can't even think about it. Stretching between two cliffs over a canyon, it is quite the sight. Vertigo must be a national sport. China has dozens of these dizzening (ph) transparent walkways, so what is up? Someone tell us why.

HOWELL: So a bold and controversial experiment is under way in Paris to deal with the problem of public urination.

ALLEN: But critics say the proposed solution is only making matters worse. CNN's Lynda Kinkade has this one for us.

LYNDA KINKADE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Paris, the city of lights and love. a place to admire beautiful landscapes, streets lined with historic landmarks, and maybe catch a local relieving himself as a tourist boat floats down the River Seine. A new addition to the city's landscape has many residents peeved; the view of a loo.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: (through translator) Seeing people urinating right in front of your door is not the nicest thing.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: (through a translator) It is not very private and also I don't know how they are going to solve the issue of the smell.

KINKADE: Meant to fight the problem of public urination, city officials have installed open air urinals, one not far from the Notre Dame Cathedral. Many locals painting the receptacles red and putting a flower box on them doesn't do much to hid a very public privy.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: (through translator) I think installing a urinal in the streets of Paris for those who don't respect their surroundings is a good idea. But in my opinion this model is not attractive at all and where it's been set up is not appropriate at all.

KINKADE: The city says the devices are eco-friendly since they turn waste into compost for parks and gardens. Neighbors and businesses say there is nothing pretty about them. Writing to town hall to demand their removal, some have taken to social media asking why they are only catering to men. With four potties around Paris and with 15 planned, there is no relief in sight for some residents in Paris who believe some moments are best behind closed doors. Lynda Kinkade, CNN.

ALLEN: Good luck with that one, Paris. Today's stories, our top stories are just ahead.

HOWELL: Stay with us.

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