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Mexico Cracks Down Immigrants Following Trump Tariff Threats; DHS' Inspector General found Egregious Conditions in ICE Detention Centers; Donald Trump and Sons Visited Doonbeg Golf Resort in Ireland; U.K. Prime Minister Theresa May Resigns as Party Leader; Australia's ABC Headquarters Raided by Australian Federal Police; Huawei Signs a Deal to Develop 5G Network in Russia; Xi Jinping and Vladimir Putin meet in Moscow; Mexico-U.S. Talks To Continue Friday; Trump Wraps Up European Trip With Stop In Ireland; Battle For Tripoli Enters It's Third Month; Saudi Teenager Facing Execution; Dominican Republic Deaths; French Open Could Be All-Teen Match; France Will Host Women's World Cup; Death Of A Legend, Cyril Vanier's 100 Club. Aired 3-4a ET

Aired June 7, 2019 - 03:00   ET

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


[03:00:00] (COMMERCIAL BREAK)

NATALIE ALLEN, CNN ANCHOR: Mexico plans a security crackdown on its southern border to stem the flow of migrants as it negotiates with the United States over looming tariffs.

GEORGE HOWELL, CNN ANCHOR: Theresa May is about to make or exit as party leader, but it's hardly the end of Britain's political troubles.

ALLEN: Also this hour, a CNN exclusive, he was arrested at age 13 for demanding rights for his country's Shia minority. Five years later, this Saudi teen is facing the death penalty.

HOWELL: From CNN world quarters in Atlanta, welcome to our viewers around the world. I'm George Howell.

ALLEN: I'm Natalie Allen and we begin right now.

Our top story, in an apparent concession to U.S. President Donald Trump, Mexico says it's taking steps to crack down on illegal migrants from Latin America.

HOWELL: That's right. Mexico's foreign minister says the country is ready to send thousands of National Guard troops to its border with Guatemala to reduce border crossings.

ALLEN: Mexico faces a Friday deadline from Washington, either they strike a deal on immigration enforcement or President Trump signs an Executive Order to begin tariffs on all Mexican imports. Mexico's foreign minister says he is optimistic to reach an agreement.

HOWELL: In the meantime, U.S. Immigration says the wave of migrants from the south has pushed it to breaking point.

ALLEN: CNN's Tom Foreman takes a look at the increasing number of illegal crossings.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

TOM FOREMAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: The numbers are huge, 144,000 migrants arriving in the U.S. via the southern border in May alone, including more than 11,000 unaccompanied children. That's more than 30 percent higher than the previous month and the highest total in 13 years. We are in a full blown emergency, the acting head of Customs and Border Protection says, the system is broken.

REP. WILL HURD (R-TX): All of last year, 400,000 came into the country illegally, right? And so, this is how staggering this current -- this current crisis really is.

FOREMAN: For the president, it is another reason to hammer on Mexico, saying that country should stop migrants before they reach the U.S.

DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA: They have to step up to the plate. And perhaps, they will. We're going to see.

FOREMAN: To be sure, many point out migrants are being driven out of their home countries south of Mexico by economic hardships and violence with the promise of a better life in the states if they can make it to the border to make an asylum claim.

The White House says, Congress must help fix that part too.

MERCEDES SCHLAPP, WHITE HOUSE DIRECTOR OF STRATEGIC COMMUNICATIONS: We know that needs to happen is through congressional action, which is at a closing the legal loophole, which would then stop the magnet of illegal immigrants coming to United States.

FOREMAN: But some critics say the president is also to blame. They argue his singular focus on building a wall has allowed an administrative logjam to develop. And many immigrant families know the rules limiting how long children can be detained, mean they will likely be released while their cases make their way to the immigration courts.

JOHN SANDWEG, FORMER ACTING DIRECTOR, U.S. IMMIGRATION AND CUSTOMS ENFORCEMENT: Now, the administration has begun beefing up the immigration courts, but it's really just far too little. We're looking about 400 judges today. Maybe next year, we'll have 500 judges processing over 1 million cases.

HURD: They basically stay in the United States for almost five years before they go through their complete immigration court case. And they're all being treated as an asylum seeker.

FOREMAN: The nature of these asylum seekers is changing as well. In decades passed, it was frequently single men looking for work now. Now, many times, you are looking at families with children seeking asylum. And that is changing the political and practical challenges in dealing with them.

Tom Foreman, CNN, Washington. (END VIDEOTAPE)

HOWELL: Earlier, I spoke with international politics professor, Scott Lucas, about the migration crisis and Mexico's decision to send troops to its southern border. Listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SCOTT LUCAS, PROFESSOR OF INTERNATIONAL POLITICS, UNIVERSITY OF BIRMINGHAM: What they will not do -- and let's be clear here -- is they will not take all the migrants and say, you cannot have any of them eventually claim asylum in the United States. Mexico is not going to become the country of last resort.

So, the question is whether Donald Trump accepts, what will be limited but I think headlines steps by the Mexicans and say, yes, I won, or whether he doubles down on this and says, no, there have to be -- has to be more from the Mexicans and imposes these tariffs despite economic damage that will cause.

HOWELL: I want to get another question on this to you, Scott. We hear there are signs of progress in the negotiations, Mexico sending 6,000 National Guard troops to the border with Guatemala. Do you see this as an issue that Mexico can tackle with more troops or is it sort of a bandage that shows good faith in these latest tensions over tariffs but does little to address the bigger issue here?

[03:05:11] LUCAS: I think there is a practical issue for viewers to think about, George, and that is when you deploy the National Guard, whether it's in the United States or Mexico, you can't permanently deploy them. I mean they -- eventually, they have to be stood down.

So, to actually ask Mexico to put up a permanent military force in Central America and be on the border, that's not viable. There have to be other steps that are taken and you put your finger on it. The clause of this influx towards the United States in large part is the violence, it is economic issues, that's why we're not seeing those dangerous men that Donald Trump was talking about but many families and women.

And until you deal with that, you will be in a permanent crisis. But I think Donald Trump wants a permanent crisis. I think he wants this for 2020 for the reelection bid, which is if a problem is solved, everybody is happy. If the problem is not solved, he can keep saying to build the wall.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HOWELL: And that, again, was international politics professor, Scott Lucas, speaking to me earlier.

And we're learning more about the conditions many undocumented migrants are facing after they are detained in the United States.

ALLEN: Yes. An internal report from Homeland Security says at least two facilities were found to have egregious violations during an inspection last year.

As Jessica Schneider reports exclusively, the inspector general noted the people being held were not prisoners and detention was not meant to be punitive.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JESSICA SCHNEIDER, CNN JUSTICE CORRESPONDENT: Improperly packaged raw and leaking meat, overflowing toilets and moldy shower stalls, and berated (ph) bed sheets, referred to as uses (ph) that have sometimes been used for attempted suicides, the Department of Homeland Security's inspector general says a these are some of the immediate risks and egregious violations found in multiple ICE detention facilities in an unannounced visit over six months late last year, the worst in New Jersey and California.

The inspector general's investigation began after a tip about terrible conditions on his hotline. The IG made unannounced visits to four facilities in California, Louisiana, New Jersey, and Colorado.

Immigration and Customs Enforcement responded to the violation and said in an addendum to the report that it has completed significant actions to address identified issues. ICE even attached pictures of improved bathroom and shower conditions at its California location.

But the conditions were dangerous and unsanitary for the nearly 5,000 detainees held in total at the four facilities. The IG stressing, all ICE detainees are held in civil not criminal custody, which is not supposed to be punitive.

Nevertheless, the inspector general found detainees at the New Jersey and Colorado facilities essentially trapped inside. Detainees were not allowed proper access to outdoor creation and forced to make do with a so-called recreation yard that had a partial covered roof or mesh cages on the glass enclosures.

The IG also found the food handling situation so bad at the New Jersey detention center that the kitchen manager was replaced during the inspection. They saw open packages of raw chicken leaking blood, slimy, foul-smelling lunch meat, and moldy bread.

But the problems could get worse given the record numbers of migrants now in government custody. ICE's new acting director, Mark Morgan, said Monday that they are currently around 52,000 single adults in ICE custody. That's an all-time high and exceeds funding levels yet again. And the numbers across immigration facilities are expected to grow as more and more migrants cross the border. Last month, more than 144,000 migrants were apprehended or encountered at the southern border, the highest monthly total in 13 years.

Now, these violations were found over a seven-month period, and ICE has reported many fixes to the inspector general, but the IG is still insisting that even more documentation that confirms that follow-up inspections and other corrective actions have been completed. But since these facilities are at risk of getting overwhelmed with the recent influx of migrants, it's possible that these problems could potentially flare up again.

Jessica Schneider, CNN, Washington.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

HOWELL: Jessica, thank you. President Trump is in Ireland this hour, and weather permitting, he may squeeze in a round of golf before returning to the United States.

ALLEN: The five-day trip to Europe culminated with a gathering of world leaders and more than 100 surviving veterans of D-Day, not so many of them anymore. Of course, that was to mark the 75th anniversary of the Normandy invasion.

HOWELL: Just look at that. Afterward, the president arrived by helicopter to his resort on Ireland's Atlantic coast, the Doonbeg Golf Club, employs 100 -- hundreds, rather, of local residents.

ALLEN: Nic Robertson joins us from Doonbeg, Ireland. So, Nic, it seems that this might be a place where the president will see a warm welcome, at least from his club.

[03:10:00] NIC ROBERTSON, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Certainly getting a warm welcome. And there's also a very sort of big police cordon around his golf resort here. You can see on the screen there the golf resort. This is building the golf links. There's a beautiful stretch of Atlantic coastline here, sandy beach, sand dunes where he's expected to go and play golf.

There are some pretty big clouds on the way in. So, if he wants to get around to golf and stay dry, I think the president should probably get out there and get going.

But there's a real serious sight to what President Trump does here. The people in this local community really benefited from the money that he's put into that resort, the jobs at it creates, and there's a good feeling about the president and his family here because of that.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ROBERTSON: Eric and Don Jr. Trump dropping in to their dads local.

A few minutes from his Doonbeg golf resort, laughing up the love.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: How does it feel to be in Ireland?

DON TRUMP, JR, DONALD TRUMP'S SON: Always great to be back here. Thank you, guys. Thank you so much. I appreciate it. I love to see all the support coming in here today. It's incredible.

ROBERTSON: It became a pub crawl, Tommy Comerford's bar next.

TOMMY COMERFORD, OWNER OF COMERFORD PUB: It was a big shock. We really didn't expect this. Suddenly, this entourage came in the door and the media, lights, flashlights.

ROBERTSON: The whole town near enough came out.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It's everything, right?

RITA MCINERNEY, OWNER, ATLANTIC WAVE CAFE: So, I'd like to come to find it nice (ph).

ROBERTSON: Really? Like a big sporting event --

MCINERNEY: Yes. It did. It just reminded me of kind of the team coming home or visiting all the pubs with the cup. And that's what it kind of reminded me of.

ROBERTSON: Rita McInerney runs a cafe in this tiny village, population 341 marked (ph) census.

Folks here put the flags up for Trump of you days ago, but support for the American president got began ways back when he bought the failing Doonbeg Golf Resort in 2014, saving local jobs.

MCINERNEY: For me, like it's putting my niece and nephews in college. They both work there. And it's just a great spinoff for me and the cafe and I own a grocery store as well. So, it's a great spinoff. And as well as the guests --

ROBERTSON: It's keeping your family going?

MCINERNEY: Yeah. The 310 people that are working there as well, they spend in the local economy as well.

ROBERTSON: Up and down this main street, Trump is a success story. Ask Tommy Comerford, his family owned this bar for four generations.

COMERFORD: Donald Trump took it over before he was president. People said, oh, he forgot about the village. No, he didn't. He actually added and he has enhanced it.

ROBERTSON: Could you keep your pub going if there wasn't a Trump resort?

COMERFORD: No, not a hope. Not a hope.

ROBERTSON: It's not to say that everyone here is a fan. Don Jr. and Eric missed a handful of protestors who did come out.

So, of all the special relationships that President Trump has been courting while he's been over here in Europe, perhaps Doonbeg is the most successful one for him and the people of this area are paying the president back in a way that he likes best, with their loyalty. Natalie?

ALLEN: Absolutely. All right. We enjoyed the story and happy golfing to the president, hopefully. Thank you.

HOWELL: The changing of the political guard begins in Great Britain on Friday. In the coming hours, the prime minister, Theresa May, will officially resign as a leader the conservative party. ALLEN: She will remain prime minister until that successor is chosen and in place. That's expected in July. Her resignation will trigger the race to become a next PM. As of now, 11 people have declared their candidacy.

HOWELL: Our Anna Stewart joins us now from Peterborough, England. Anna, good to have you with us. Again, Friday marks the end of the prime ministers time as a conservative leader and a conservative MPs will be looking to replace her, 11 of them. Depending on who takes the helm, it will determine whether or no deal Brexit might become a possibility.

ANNA STEWART, CNN REPORTER: It's a really crowded race. Eleven candidates is a lot and they will be whistled down over the next few weeks until there are just two and that will be put to the membership of the conservative party to pick. So, we expect to have a new leader possibly in the wake of the 22nd of July.

Now, you mention a no deal Brexit. Yes, perhaps it's more likely giving some of the candidates are staunch Brexiteers brings us the frontrunner, Boris Johnson, the former foreign secretary. And yet, you look in parliament, there still isn't likely to be appetite for a majority for a no deal Brexit.

[03:14:56] However, I think we can say the party are very aware that there is a huge frustration up and down the country with the fact that Brexit is still a discussion that it hasn't happened, particularly from areas like this one. This is Peterborough where over 60 percent of people voted to leave the E.U. in 2016. There's huge anger and frustration that hasn't happened.

And they have actually just had a by-election to elect a new MP between general elections and they have elected a labour MP, but the Brexit party, an eight-week-old party, came in second, taking a huge chunk out of the conservative party vote.

And I just actually spoke to the leader of the Brexit party, Nigel Farage, to see how he's feeling. Fortunately, he seems to be pretty good loser on this account. Take a listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

Close, not close enough, if you couldn't win a seat now, straight after the success of the repeat (ph) elections, can you ever win a seat?

NIGEL FARAGE, BREXIT PARTY LEADER: You know, this is a by-election. You're up against the might of the labour national party membership. They've been knocking on doors here for months, building up data of who might vote and who might not. We were launched eight week ago today. So, I said from the start what we would have was energy and enthusiasm. What they would have was data and professionalism. And it's within a couple of hundred votes.

What has changed is (inaudible) politics are no longer about two parties. It's about three or four political parties. And also along with last night's result here, unbelievably, was the national opinion poll putting the Brexit Party six points in the lead across the entire country. So, whichever way you can see, yes, sure, a couple of hundred votes the other way, it would look a little bit different this morning. But the truth of it is rules (ph) politics has changed fundamentally.

STEWART: Yeah. I wanted to ask you, what can we read into this? Given today is the day that the prime minister steps down as leader of her party, what can we interpret of these results about Brexit, about how the country is feeling?

FARAGE: That there is a change and the two-party politics is no longer going to be business as usual. It has for the most of the last hundred years that there are two dominant forces in British politics. This has been the biggest change as of yet. You know, a huge number of people just don't trust the existing political parties.

And all the people that want to succeed Mrs. May say we're going to leave on the 31st of October. Well, Mrs. May has said 108 times we're going to leave on the 29th of March and we didn't. So, I'll set you up (ph). I'll make this prediction. If we don't leave on the 31st of October, the Brexit Party will climb higher still.

STEWART: OK. Boris Johnson is the front-runner. You said there's a seat change in terms of the country, not much change in parliament. Well, anything change if Boris Johnson, a staunch Brexiteer head up this party, would there actually be any change at all?

FARAGE: You know, Boris twice voted against Mrs. May's treaty, the one she signed with Mr. Barnier from the European Commission say it was an awful deal. It will reduce us to a slave state. The third time it came back to the House of Commons, guess what? He voted for it. So, I don't know what Boris believes in.

STEWART: Is there any answer in parliament for a no deal Brexit?

FARAGE: In the country, there is. And if parliament doesn't get that, the Brexit Party will get stronger still. That's why the Brexit Party is growing in strength. The parliament is out of touch with the people.

STEWART: Very briefly, President Trump, how did that meeting go?

FARAGE: Yeah. Good. I mean, it was more of a social meeting than anything else. I'll tell you what. He does believe in Brexit.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

STEWART: Now, he may have lost out on a seat here in Peterborough, but you can hear that he is betting on potentially having more support for the Brexit Party if we continue in this state where we don't leave E.U., if we asked for an extension, if the conservative party gets the new leader but still cannot get a Brexit deal through by the end of October. So, it's not over yet for Nigel Farage. George?

HOWELL: A measured response to. Anna Stewart with that interview. Anna, thank you.

ALLEN: The head of Australia's state broadcaster has accused the government of intimidation after recent police raids. So, what is this all mean for freedom of press in Australia? We'll have the story coming up here.

[03:20:00](COMMERCIAL BREAK)

ALLEN: The head of the Australian Broadcasting Corporation has condemned the federal government there for raiding its offices in the wake of a story critical of the Australian military.

HOWELL: Ita Butrose says the police raid was clearly designed to intimidate, saying an untrammeled media is a necessity.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ITA BUTROSE, CHAIRMAN, ABC AUSTRALIA: This is a moving story, you know, and there would be announcements made in the next week and the following week. And at the moment, this case is tied up with lawyers. So, it makes it very difficult for us to talk about it. But I have been a journalist for a very long time, and I know how important the freedom of the presses, and I will defend it to the utmost.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HOWELL: CNN's Simon Cullen has this look now at how the raid is affecting press freedom in Australia.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

SIMON CULLEN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: With the possibility of criminal charges hanging over the heads of journalists at Australia's public broadcaster, the top cop of the federal police promised reporters that the detectives who raided the homes and offices of their colleagues are not out to crush press freedom.

NEIL GAUGHAN, ACTING COMMISSIONER, AUSTRALIA FEDERAL POLICE: I reject the claim over the last few days that we are trying to intimidate journalists.

CULLEN: He also denied the police are being used by the recently reelected conservative government to settle old scores.

GAUGHAN: I need to emphasize in the strongest possible terms that not the government nor any minister has directed the actions of these investigations.

CULLEN: The man at the center of the case disagrees. David McBride handed over a throve of military files to the Australian Broadcasting Corporation alleging misconduct by Special Forces.

DAVID MCBRIDE, FORMER AUSTRALIAN MILITARY LAWYER: I don't think you have got any choice as a soldier. It's not a matter of laying up the pros and cons. You have to go do your duty.

CULLEN: He's pleaded not guilty of charges of leaking classified information. He says what he did was in the public interest.

MCBRIDE: I lost my job, ruined my marriage. I had to leave the country. I'm facing 60 years in prison.

CULLEN: The recent raids of the Australian Broadcasting Corporation in Sydney and at the home of the news corps editor on the ground of national security have left journalists across the country worried about whether they can safely do their jobs.

The police commissioner on Thursday fielding a question about officers turning out the underwear drawer of that female news corps journalist who reported on national security legislation.

GAUGHAN: (Inaudible) by their nature are quite small and are quite easy to consume in different locations. And that's why the search was conducted in accordance with their standard procedure and that we would always search those particular locations.

CULLEN: The government has denied it directed the police to investigate the journalists.

SCOTT MORRISSON, AUSTRALIAN PRIME MINISTER: Australia is a place where the rule of law stems and no one is above it. And the way that our laws are enforced and upheld is by the actions of independent law enforcement agencies acting in accordance of the statute that govern them. That's what happens in democracies, and that's what is happening in Australia.

CULLEN: That's called comfort for many in press corps with police refusing to rule out more raids.

Simon Cullen, CNN, London.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

HOWELL: China is warning the United States that if it escalates their trade war by adding more tariffs, Beijing will keep retaliating. But that's not deterring the U.S. President Trump says, he could add tariffs on another $300 billion of Chinese products if talks with China's President Xi Jinping don't pan out at the G20 summit.

[03:24:59] ALLEN: No meeting has been announced yet, but the upcoming G20 conference is the first chance for the leaders to meet since last year. The trade war is driving some manufacturers out of China but to other countries not the United States.

The government data shows U.S. imports from Vietnam and Taiwan are up during the first four months of 2019 and U.S. imports from China are down 12 percent.

China's major tech company, Huawei, is set to build Russia's first 5G wireless network. It's signed a deal with Russia's largest mobile carrier as Chinese President Xi Jinping held talks with the Russian president. Huawei is on the frontline of the escalating trade war with the United States. HOWELL: It's the world's biggest supplier of telecom equipment and the world's number two smartphone brand. But it's taken some financial hits after the Washington banned the company from having anything to do with the 5G network in the United States.

When the Chinese and Russian leaders met in Moscow, it looked like the friendship.

ALLEN: The two were coming closer together as a relationship with the U.S. drifts farther apart. Brian Todd has that story.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

BRIAN TODD, CNN CORRESPONDENT: It was a split screen tailor-made by Russian President Vladimir Putin. Just as President Trump was meeting with the America's most important allies in Europe, two of America's biggest adversaries were holding court in Moscow in a summit that analysts say was time to send a message. Putin hosted Chinese President Xi Jinping.

KEITH DARDEN, AMERICAN UNIVERSITY: I think this is Russia's response to what they perceive as an American threat. And it's a way of saying, we don't need the west.

TODD: The two strong men have been getting closer every year. This time, Xi calling Putin his, quote, best and bosom friend, saying he cherished their deep friendship.

XI JINPING, PRESIDENT OF CHINA (through translator): Our bilateral relations have not reached the maximum, and can become even better.

TODD: The comments almost direct echo of Trump's description of his relationship with the two men.

TRUMP: The relationship I have with the President Xi is extraordinary and it's really very good.

And I think I could have a very good relationship with President Putin.

TODD: During their summit, Putin and Xi showed off their friendship with a visit to the Moscow zoo, where they went two new Chinese pandas, a gift from Xi to Russia. They went to the theater, reviewed soldiers, and looked at Chinese cars. But beyond the pageantry and the pandas, analysts say America should be very wary of this growing partnership.

ANDREA KENDALL-TAYLOR, FORMER U.S. DEPUTY NATIONAL INTELLIGENCE OFFICER FOR RUSSIA: They are working together, coordinating more than we've seen in the past to really accelerate to decline of U.S. influence globally.

TODD: Putin experts say it's being classic Putin, manipulating his way to the world stage, trying to insert himself as indispensable player. DARDEN: He would like Russia to have that role in the international conference that Russia should have to be consulted, called, be a port of call for any major leader.

TODD: In April, Putin met with Kim Jong-un in the wake of the North Korea dictator's failed summit with President Trump. Putin even offered to be an intermediary between Kim and Trump, which experts say was a typical Putin moved to peel the U.S. away from countries he's doing business with, even as the suggest he's trying to help.

Experts say Trump will have to brush aside what they call his naive take regarding Putin and Xi and deal with the real threat the two leaders present to American security. They say Russia and China coordinate cyber attacks and military moves that can knock U.S. forces off balance.

KENDALL-TAYLOR: It's not hard to imagine a scenario where Russia and China make moves into countries on their periphery, so China in the South China Sea and Russia into Ukraine, for example. And that kind of coordination would severely strain the United States' ability to respond.

TODD: How can President Trump and his team counter this threat from Putin and Xi? Analysts say they're going to have to think of creative ways to split those two apart, militarily, economically, and otherwise. But to do that, they say, Trump is going to need the help of his European allies. And the problem is that Trump has often done more to alienate those allies than to work with them.

Brian Todd, CNN, Washington.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

HOWELL: The battle to control Libya rages on. Still ahead, exclusive footage from the frontlines as rebel forces moving into the suburbs of the capital city of Tripoli.

ALLEN: That story is ahead. Also, he was 13 when arrested for protesting. And now, two years spent behind bars without charge, he could now face the ultimate punishment. We have a CNN exclusive coming up here.

[03:30:00] (COMMERCIAL BREAK)

GEORGE HOWELL, CNN ANCHOR: Welcome back to our viewers around the world you're watching CNN Newsroom live from Atlanta, I'm George Howell.

NATALIE ALLEN, CNN ANCHOR: Thanks for staying with us I'm Natalie Allen here are our top stories. Mexico's foreign minister says his country is sending troops to its Southern Border to try to stem the flow of people heading north. The U.S. has threatened tariffs starting Monday. If these people aren't stopped. Talks between the two countries on immigration and tariffs are set to resume Friday.

HOWELL: The U.S. President Donald Trump wrapping up his five-day trip to Europe with a stopover at his golf resort on Ireland's Atlantic Coast. Mr. Trump returns to the United States Friday earlier. The president sons caused quite a stir there when they visited three pubs in the nearby village of Doonbeg.

ALLEN: British Prime Minister Theresa May officially resigned as Conservative Party leader Friday. She will remain Prime Minister until successor is in place as expected the week of July 22nd. At this point, there are 11 declared candidates to succeed her.

HOWELL: It was just two months ago, a renegade Libyan general and his soldiers launched a major military offensive to take the capital city and to topple the U.N. recognized government there.

ALLEN: The battle has now reached Tripoli's doorstep. CNN's Ben Wedeman has our report with exclusive frontline footage from the freelance cameraman Gabriel Chaim.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

BEN WEDEMAN, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Battle rages on the outskirts of Tripoli, the Libyan capital. Since early April, fighters loyal to the U.N. backed government national accord have struggled to stop the advanced of war lord Khalifa Haftar, so called Libyan National Army which now phenomenally controls most of the country and almost all its oil.

It's a conflict with sound in fury of plenty. Captured in footage provided to CNN by freelance cameraman Gabriel Chaim. As factions fight it out, civilians are as usual caught in the middle. Nasad (inaudible), one of the last civilian left in his neighborhood of Yarmuth in the south of Tripoli.

We were afraid of course, he says, but what choice do we have? He says, he is happy just to live one day to the next. His son Markasm (ph) should be in third grade, but all of his friends have fled. And schools had been closed for weeks. Children's toys still cluttered a house only used by gunman.

The jubilation of which Libyan greeted the fall of Muammar al-Gaddafi regime made years ago. Now seem a distant memory. The country is hopelessly divided, with France, Russia, Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates and Egypt, backing Haftar's Benghazi based group. And the U.S. now leaning in his direction as well.

[03:35:09] While officially the U.N. recognizes the Tripoli base government which is backed by Italy. The most recent outbreak of violence has left more than 600 dead and nearly 100,000 displaced.

The future says this young fighter is miserable. Since we were young there has only been war. U.N. led attempts to restore calm are in tatters. Misery does indeed appear to be in Libya's future. Ben Wedeman, CNN, Beirut.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

ALLEN: And now we have this from Saudi Arabia, where executions are terrifyingly common in that country. In April, the kingdom put more than three dozen people to death in a single day.

HOWELL: And soon, a teenager could face the ultimate penalty, his crime? Protesting against the government. Our Salma Abdelaziz, has more in this CNN exclusive report.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

SALMA ABDELAZIZ, CNN PRODUCER: It looks harmless, children gathering for a group bike ride, but these are actually the moments before an anti-government protest in Saudi Arabia where it's illegal to protest the government. This boy in the middle Qureiris, he was later arrested. He was only 13. He spent for long years in prison without charge. When the authorities finally did charge the teenager, he was accused of being a member of the terrorist organization.

Today, Qureiris is 18, he still in jail and now faces the death penalty. Qureiris is from Shia family, that is his dad just behind him. A family that has a history of demonstrating against what they say is unfair treatment of the (inaudible) by the government.

In fact, Qureiris' brother was killed by Saudi forces in a rally. Part of Qureiris charges include attending his brother's funeral. Because the government says it turned into a march against the royal family. Qureiris was just 11 at the time. The Shia minority, which resides largely in the East of the country, has felt marginalized by their Sunni rulers for a long time.

Protests are not new, neither are arrests, but as Crown Prince Mohamad Bin Salman rose to power, the government crackdown on Shia's intensified. In April 2019, Saudi Arabia announced it had executed 37 people. One of the largest mass executions in the kingdom's history. The majority were Shia, and three were killed for protest related crimes they committed as minors. According to rights group (Inaudible). Qureiris was 13 when he was arrested, the prosecutor in Qureiris case is not only calling for the death penalty, but for his body to be crucified or dismembered afterwards.

As far as the kingdom is concerned, this is state security. Saudi Arabia has often labeled protestors as terrorists and often described protests as violent. Saudi activists maintain the funeral turn rally where Qureiris was arrested was peaceful. We are not able to contact Qureiris directly. It is illegal for Saudi citizens to speak to foreign journalists. And the details of this case are not yet public.

We asked for comment from the Saudi authorities, but have not received a response. So where does (Inaudible) stand now? Some of the charges against him or for crimes allegedly committed when he was just 10 years old. Some relied on confessions with only a thumbprint for confirmation. Today, (Inaudible) awaits a ruling. Will he be spared the death sentence? Salma Abdelaziz, CNN, London.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

HOWELL: Salma putting the focus on that story, good to understand what is happening there. Now to the mysterious deaths of three Americans at a Dominican

Republic resort. Preliminary autopsy results show that they all had fluid in their longs, one suffered a heart attack, and the other two had internal bleeding.

ALLEN: A lot of people watching this, because they do not know what is up here. Authorities won't be able to determine the exact causes of death, of course, until toxicology results are completed. The resort says it followed all the necessary protocols, and that there is no connection among the deaths.

Another American couple claims they became ill while staying at that same Dominican Republic resort last year.

[03:40:04] HOWELL: Our Drew Griffin spoke with them as they continue the search for answers.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

DREW GRIFFIN, CNN SENIOR INVESTIGATIVE CORRESPONDENT: Kaylynn Knull, reached out to CNN almost immediately after learning three Americans just died at the same resort in the Dominican Republic where she believes she was poisoned, along with her boyfriend.

What is your reaction?

KAYLYNN KNULL, SAYS SHE WAS POISONED AT BAHIA PRINCIPE RESORT: Blood boiling. It's too coincidental, with the symptoms that we had, for me to even begin to stay quiet about it.

GRIFFIN: One year ago, this month, the Colorado couple travel to the all-inclusive Grand Bahia Principe Resort, La Romana, and for the first few days, it seemed a vacation of a lifetime, but on the six day, Knull became ill.

KUNLL: I woke up with a headache one morning, we have gone to breakfast to see if I could get some water, get some juice, try some food, feel better. And then when we came back to the room, it actually hit us a lot stronger and we smell the snow of chemicals.

GRIFFIN: She got progressively worse, than her boyfriend Tom Schwander, started to feel it too.

They say they were sweating, drooling, dizzy, nauseous. It wouldn't go away. Neither would the smell in their hotel room.

KNULL: We saw a housekeeper outside and like, called her and to see if she could come in. She walked me five six feet into the room, and turned around and said, I'm not doing that. And then got on her walkie talkie to the front desk and said something is going on with this room. She refused to come in and clean it.

GRIFFIN: Kaylynn and Tom had seen someone spraying plants near the air conditioner outside of their room. They assumed it was pesticides, but the hotel wouldn't say what it was. They switched rooms twice, it did not help. TOM SCHWANDER, SAYS HE WAS POISONED AT BAHIA PRINCIPE RESORT: It

progressed on our trip and over the course of a couple of weeks after.

GRIFFIN: A couple of weeks?

SCHWANDER: Yes. The abdominal cramping and the G.I. upset lasted a couple of weeks.

GRIFFIN: And you said drooling? Sweat?

SCHWANDER: Sweat, tearing --

GRIFFIN: Dizzy --

SCHWANDER: -- nauseous, and the abdominal cramping was the worst. That was the hardest simply to deal with it, it was so much pain.

GRIFFIN: Back in Colorado, Knull physician diagnosed her with organo phosphate poisoning, Schwander's doctors suspect the same thing. Heavily regulated, and in some cases banned in the U.S. organo phosphate are man-made chemicals found in insecticides, exposure can cause increase saliva, tear production, diarrhea, nausea, sweating, confusion and death. The couple says they still have occasional symptoms and they are most concerned about their future health, even after filing a lawsuit, they still do not know what exactly poisoned them.

KNULL: Honestly, all I wanted was the chemical name. That is all I ever wanted. I could care less about the money if I can save my own life later and him to. It's what happened to him, what happened to me. What is it that we can do at this point?

GRIFFIN: The Bahia resort company failed to answer almost all of our questions, specifically told us they would not comment on the legal case being pursued by this couple, and told us not to speculate on recent deaths at their resorts until those deaths are investigated. Drew Griffin, CNN, Denver.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

ALLEN: And we will of course, follow up on that story when those toxicology reports come back here. Coming up here, anticipation building in Paris ahead of the women's world cup. Why this year promises to be the biggest and best tournament yet, that is next.

[03:45:00] (COMMERCIAL BREAK)

ALLEN: More severe weather in the U.S. and at least one person is dead in Louisiana. Police say a man got out of his car in flooding and was pulled under the water.

HOWELL: Take a look at this. A tornado just south of Baton Rouge. Blowing power transformers and sending dangerous debris flying into the air. Our meteorologist Derek Van Dam is here to tell us more about that, Derek.

DEREK VAN DAM, CNN METEOROLOGIST: Well, that is incredible footage. You saw that the driver was going towards the tornado --

HOWELL: Definitely that is not something we recommend, right?

VAN DAM: We also, got a hold of some incredibly dramatic video coming out of Baton Rouge. This is all part of the same storm system that is following tornadoes in Louisiana. Check this out, two firemen rushed to the rescue of these sinking vehicle. The woman driving the vehicle had to be rescued and had a special device to try and break open the windows which you can see here. Eventually, they were able to pry the door open, take the woman out successfully and the woman was unharmed. But that just shows you how quickly flash flood could occur and can sweep away your vehicle. That woman is lucky to be alive today.

Let's get to the graphics, talk about the situation unfolding. We have a very soggy weekend ahead of us across the gulf coast states. Once again, tropical moisture surging into the area, that is going to bring the potential for more heavy rain from Louisiana, to Mississippi, Alabama, the Carolinas as well, as the Tennessee River valley. You can see, well, now you see it now you don't I should say, because we have a drought across some of these locations.

Some areas have a recorded rainfalls in about 25 days, well that is going to come to an end very quickly, because, well, the flood threat last right through the weekend and into next week. The weather prediction center has a slight risk of flash flooding today. Baton Rouge, New Orleans, Mobile, Alabama, and into Birmingham, Atlanta all the way to Nashville and (Inaudible).

So, keep that in mind, the National Weather Service has a slogan, turn around, don't drown. That means if you come to flooded road way, you need to go to the other direction. Don't attempt to cross a flooded road. You'll never know how deep it is, right? Computer models, spit it out over half a foot of rain over the next seven days that is a significant amount of precipitation in a short period of time people that is why we have the potential for flash flooding across this area.

This low pressure responsible for the flooding is going to (Inaudible) and I don't used that word lightly. It's going to stall over the southeast and bring us our chance of flood across that area. Now, you can see the, flash flood warnings are still lining the entire Mississippi River delta, including the Arkansas River. Flash flooding possible across the Kentucky's into northern Kentucky as a strong system continues to bring heavy rainfall across the area.

Radar, lighting up like a Christmas tree, we have a rough go in Atlanta here for the next six hours. By the way, large channel of damaging winds and a few tornadoes possible across the southeast and across the northern plains that is where are greatest risks exist today for North Dakota and the South Dakota.

HOWELL: How about that footage, that woman is so lucky to be alive.

ALLEN: She really is.

HOWELL: Very lucky.

VAN DAM: Last moment.

HOWELL: Derek, thank you.

ALLEN: Thanks, Derek. All right, let's talk some women's tennis shall we? The French Open could be headed for the first all teen final in 20 years, 17 year old Amanda Anisimova stunned everyone Thursday, when she crashed defending champs Simona Halep in straight sets.

HOWELL: No teen (inaudible) among the men this year. Friday semifinal revives the old rivalry between Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer.

ALLEN: Will be watching that one.

And now something else going on in France. The biggest tournament for women's football kicks off in Paris in the coming hours with host France taking on South Korea.

[03:50:02] HOWELL: It's only the eight FIFA women's world cup, but this could be the year that takes women's football to new heights. Our Amanda Davies breaks it all down for us.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

AMANDA DAVIES, CNN WORLD SPORTS: Anticipation is building here in Paris and across France ahead of the eight edition of the women's world cup, it is said to be the biggest and best yet, 750,000 tickets have been sold with the tendency expected to top 1 million. FIFA has increased the prize money to 30 million dollars, that is double, what it was at the tournament four years ago, and they set the ambitious target of one billion TV viewers, as they really try to grow the women's game.

The tournament slogan is dare to shine, and as the USA that has traditionally shone brighter than the rest, and like the Eiffel Tower, towered over the competition. The defending champions has been a team in transition, since winning the title four years ago. But they're back to their winning ways, as the top rank team in the world's and the favorites once again.

Ada Hegerberg, the winner of the first women's Ballon d'or won't be in action because of a dispute with the Norwegian Football Federation. But, the player widely regarded as the greatest female of all time, Martha will be playing for Brazil. This is her fifth world cup, and she is already the tournament's record goal scorer without even taking to the pitch here in France.

Host France will be looking to emulate the success of their men's team in Russia last year. They kick off their campaign here at the (inaudible) France -- against South Korea. And if (Inaudible) emerge victorious, in 52 matches time, France will become the first nation ever to hold the men and women's world cups at the same time. Amanda Davies, CNN, Paris.

(END VIDEOTAPE) HOWELL: All right, Amanda. We'll be right back after this.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

ALLEN: His friends and family called his Malcolm Rebennack Jr. But the world knew him as Dr. John. A six time Grammy winner, song writer and member of the rock and roll hall of fame.

HOWELL: The former studio musician who became a flamboyant lead act, he died Thursday. Died of a heart attack. Doctor John was called a true original, for his Mardigras costumes, feathers, sunglasses and that growling voice.

ALLEN: He had a distinctive voice. He help to find the sound of his hometown up New Orleans, with such hits such as "Right place wrong time, and such a night. Dr. John, was 77.

HOWELL: All this week we are profiling companies that have been in business for more than 100 years.

ALLEN: This installment of the 100 club, CNN's Cyril Vanier looks at Crayola, how the crayon maker has adapted and thrived over the past many years.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

[03:55:00] UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: When I talk to anybody and tell them that I work at Crayola, they always have a story to share about their first box, their first 64 Crayola box with the 24 Crayola box used for school.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I remember I was in art class when I was in the second grade and part to me was always a little bit intimidating, but I got into the class, I started creating some things, and what was really cool, no matter what is actually on a paper, if you are a little kid, to you, there's a story that goes to that.

CYRIL VANIER, CNN SHOW HOST: Crayola, the named synonymous with crayons, actually began 116 year ago under a different name. Bennie and Smith, the company's founders. In 1903, the Crayola brand was born, with the first box of crayons in eight colors. In 1958, the brand signatures 64 count box of crayons with the build in sharpener was introduced.

It remains incredibly popular today, and it is still made here at company headquarters in eastern, Pennsylvania. In fact, nearly all of the world crayons are made here. Some 13 million per day in 152 colors. The last 116 years have not come without challenges, and Crayola's relationship with our increasingly digital society will be key to the brands next 100 years.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: From a technology perspective and a digital perspective, we want to embrace both. We want to offer these new products that include digital experiences in a real, authentic way. But at the same time, lean into the importance of physical, old traditional play and the role that that plays. (END VIDEOTAPE)

HOWELL: And of course, we joined Cyril Vanier for the 100 club all this week as he explores the stories behind famous brands that have survived and thrived for more than 100 years. And tune in to Cyril's special report Saturday, at 9:30 in London, that's 4:30 in the afternoon in New York here on CNN.

ALLEN: And that will do it for us. Thanks for watching CNN Newsroom, I'm Natalie Allen.

HOWELL: And I'm George Howell. The news continues after this.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Replacing the Prime Minister Theresa May. She hands in her resignation as the conservative party leader today triggering a race to replace her. The very latest coming up.

END