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John Kerry Flown to Swiss Hospital After Cycling Injury; Beau Biden Passes Away at Age 46; Senate to Debate Patriot Act; "Taliban 5" Travel Ban Expires Within Hours; Report: Four Americans Held Captive In Yemen; Colorado Police Link Two Attacks; Iraqi Attacks on ISIS Stronghold Kill 31, Wound 82. Aired 2-3p ET

Aired May 31, 2015 - 14:00   ET

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


(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

[14:00:17] RANDI KAYE, CNN HOST: Happening now in the NEWSROOM.

BARACK OBAMA, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: We shouldn't surrender the tools that help keep us safe.

KAYE: The battle over government surveillance.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: There is no constitutional justification for the government to collect all of your phone records.

KAYE: The Senate returning today to take up the fight over the patriot act. Plus, secretary of state John Kerry hospitalized after a serious

bicycling accident overseas.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: He is been in good spirits and talking and alert.

KAYE: And a mysterious shooter, targeting Colorado roadways.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: 911, what is the emergency?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I'm on the highway right now and somebody just hit me and I'm bleeding and I'm scared.

KAYE: Today, new details which police say show the shootings are linked.

NEWSROOM starts now.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KAYE: Hello, thanks for joining me, I'm Randi Kaye in for Fredricka Whitfield today.

We begin with breaking news. Secretary of state John Kerry helicoptered to a Geneva, Switzerland hospital earlier today after being injured in an accident while biking in the French Alps. Kerry as you may know is an avid cyclist and often takes his bike when he travels. CNN's Nic Robertson is in Geneva and he is tracking the story for us.

NIC ROBERTSON, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Randi, Secretary Kerry sustained this injury we are told when he was negotiating a curb when on his bicycle about 30 miles outside Geneva early Sunday morning. He was in France. He was taken by medical helicopter to this hospital in Geneva, back in Switzerland, the university hospital in Geneva. He's been treated by doctors throughout the afternoon. The fracture detected in his femur is close to a previous operation where he had hip replacement surgery in his right femur. And Secretary Kerry decided it would be better to go back to Boston to be treated by his doctor there who did the hip replacement surgery. But he's been in the hands of doctors here in Geneva throughout the afternoon. And clearly, the determination is made that it is better for him to allow his staff to travel back on his own plane while he will wait a medically-equipped aircraft state department officials made available to him. So he is using that aircraft to fly back to Boston.

How will this impact the important Iranian negotiations under way right now that have a deadline June 30th? The reason secretary Kerry was in Geneva. Secretary Kerry has a lot of experts on his team. It is his own personal relationship with the Iranian foreign minister that has been key and critical in talks up until now.

So for a man of Secretary Kerry's age, of an injury of this type in the femur, recovery is often slow. Secretary Kerry said he will not be going to Madrid, obviously. He will not be going to those important ISIS talks in Paris on Tuesday. But he does attend - he does hope to attend them remotely is what the state department is saying. The Iranian talks, that's another question -- Randi.

KAYE: Nic Robertson, our thanks to you.

Vice president Joe Biden and his family are mourning the loss of their eldest son, Beau, today. The vice president remembers his son as quote "the finest man any of us have ever known." The 46-year-old passed away yesterday following a battle with brain cancer.

Joe Johns is back now with the life of Beau Biden.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

BEAU BIDEN, FORMER DELAWARE ATTORNEY GENERAL: Good evening. I' I'm Beau Biden and Joe Biden is my dad.

JOE JOHNS, CNN SENIOR INVESTIGATIVE CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Beau Biden is the eldest son of vice president of Joe Biden but also a public servant in his own right, a federal prosecutor in the late 1990s and Delaware's attorney general for eight years. Leaving office just this past January. Born in Wilmington in 1969, his childhood was marred by a tragic car accident.

B. BIDEN: My mom took us to go buy a Christmas tree. On the way home, we were in an automobile accident. My mom, Neila, and my sister, Naomi were killed. My brother, Hunter, and I were seriously injured and hospitalized for weeks. I was just short of 4 years old. One of my earliest memories was being in that hospital. My dad always at our side.

JOHNS: Beau Biden and his father would remain close, even as the elder Biden became vice president.

B. BIDEN: I went out Saturday night with my wife to a parent/teacher kind of thing on Saturday night and mom and dad baby sat. They baby sat the weekend before.

JOHNS: As Delaware's A.G., Beau Biden put a special focus on prosecuting crimes against children and took his talent for the law into the military, serving for a year in Iraq as part of the judge advocate general corps.

[14:05:05] JOE BIDEN, VICE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Today, I come as you prepare to deploy as a father. A father who got sage advice from his son this morning. Dad, keep it short, we're in formation.

JOHNS: Biden announced his intention to run for governor in Delaware 2016, but he has had recurring health troubles, suffering a mild stroke in 2010 and admitted in 2013 to a Houston cancer hospital for a brain lesion.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE REPORTER: Vice president Joe Biden's son, Beau Biden was evaluated at the hospital. This is after what is called an episode of disorientation and weakness.

JOHNS: Biden, 46, leaves a wife and two children.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

KAYE: The White House said a short time ago that it was canceling a reception at Forbes Theater for quote "out of respect for the Biden family's recent loss."

In about two hours, the Senate returns to Capitol Hill to duke it out over three provisions of the patriot act which are set to expire at midnight without some quick action this evening. While the government says these programs are important, it still does have access to other counterterrorism measures. For example, it still has access to court orders to tap telephone conversations and can order surveillance for potential terrorists.

Now, the U.S. freedom act which ends automatic bulk collection of telephone data by the government has already passed the house in a bipartisan vote. However, Utah Republican senator Mike Lee told CNN he believes a deal will get done.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SEN. MIKE LEE (R), UTAH: I do believe we have the votes. And so at this point, I think the question is not really about whether we'll get this passed, but when. It will happen either tonight or it will happen on Wednesday. (END VIDEO CLIP)

KAYE: Some in the Senate want a temporary extension of the current program. So here is what we expect to happen today.

At 3:59 p.m. today, eight hours before the midnight lapse, the national security agency will begin shutting down that bulk collection system. Now, at 4:00 p.m., the Senate will be back. However senators will need at least 60 votes to defeat the current filibuster which could lead to as much 60 more hours of debate. A vote is expected before 6:00 p.m. And with no decision by the Senate, patriot provisions expired at midnight.

CNN's Sunlen Serfaty joins me now live from the White House with more on the debate going on in Washington.

Hello to you, Sunlen.

SUNLEN SERFATY, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Hi, Randi. Well, yes. That's right. The Senate will gather in about two hours. In just one minute before that gathering time is when the White House says that the NSA will have to start winding down parts of their surveillance program. That is unless there is a quick resolution which as of now does not seem likely.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

SERFATY (voice-over): On Capitol Hill, time is almost up. The scramble in the Senate is about to beyond.

OBAMA: We shouldn't surrender the tools that help people safe.

SERFATY: Unless the Senate acts at midnight tonight to keep provisions of the patriot act will expire, including one which the controversial bulk phone data program operates. It collects numbers dialed and how long calls lasted, but does not capture the contents of conversation. And other surveillance provisions set to expire, one allowing the government to seek a court order on individuals for business records, roving wiretaps for burned phone and the ability to track a non-American lone Wolf. All powers the administration claims are essential to fighting terrorists.

OBAMA: It would be irresponsible, it would be reckless. We shouldn't allow it to happen.

SERFATY: The house passed a compromised bill supported by the administration, which would extend the key provisions, but would reform the bulk data program. That telephone data would be kept in the hands of phone companies instead. And will require the government to seek a court order for access.

Today Republican Senator Rand Paul is preparing to get back in the ring, vowing to do all he can to stop the surveillance programs unless changes are made to weaken them.

SEN. RAND PAUL (R), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: There is no constitutional justification for the government to collect all of your phone records without your name on a warrant, without suspicion and not signed by a judge. Your privacy is yours, your records are yours, and the government needs to leave us alone.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

SERFATY: And unless Senator Rand Paul unexpectedly gives in this afternoon, it's likely some of these programs could be shut down at least several days. That, of course, force the government to adjust its counterterrorism strategy, Randi, at a time where the threat is still high.

KAYE: A lot of people concerned about that possibility being shut down 72 hours.

Sunlen, thanks very much.

Four Americans have been taken prisoner by Houthi rebels in Yemen's capital. That's according to "the Washington Post" citing U.S. officials. Now, the report says none of the four are government employees. The state department says it is aware of the reports and is working to get the prisoners released. Officials say due to privacy concerns, they can't release specific information about the Americans, but added that the protection of American citizens abroad is a top priority. The rebels reportedly planned to let one of the Americans go, but have since reversed that decision.

Meanwhile, another American, (INAUDIBLE) is also in Houthi custody. He has been held more than five years on terrorism charges brought by the previous government.

Well, just hours to go until parts of the patriot act disappear. We've got two security experts to discuss what that does to our ability to keep the homeland safe.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[14:14:00] KAYE: In less than two hours, the U.S. Senate will convene in a rare Sunday session to try save key parts of the patriot act which are set to expire at midnight.

Joining me to discuss the debate in Washington is CNN's national security analyst Juliette Kayyem. Juliette is former assistant secretary of the department of homeland security and founder of Kayyem solutions. And joining us from Washington is CNN law enforcement analyst Tom Fuentes.

Nice to see both of you. Glad you're here to discuss this topic.

Juliette, first to you. The administration says that parts of the patriot act expire at midnight. And that could hurt national security. You worked in the Obama administration. What is your take on this? Does this really put us at risk?

JULIETTE KAYYEM, CNN NATIONAL SECURITY ANALYST: Well - I mean, it doesn't put us at imminent risk. But let's just be clear here. These authorities are being used. They are sort of serve as a base for investigations as ways to - not interrogate, excuse me, gather information to eventually either make cases or stop attacks. So it's not like it's going to be pulled and there is a terrorist attack the next day. And no one actually believes that.

What happens though in this instance if we do sort pulled the plug, first of all, it's no way to run national security. You don't say at 11:59 its going and at midnight it's over. It's just a silly way and it's very destructive to the men and women who are trying to protect us.

And then, lastly, what the difficulty what is about to happen, and I think we are going to lose these authorities. I see nothing about Rand Paul that suggests that this is - that we are not going to come to a standstill.

The final thing just to remember is there are thousands of investigations going on right now. And there is an increased threat. And what you don't want right now is people who are serving our country to protect it to wonder what their authorities are. Because in that instance, they are afraid that they are going to break the law or not they are not going to do what they are authorized to do. And that's the confusion we are entering in the next day.

[14:15:56] KAYE: Tom, let me turn to you for the law enforcement perspective. And will this make it harder for law enforcement agencies to track suspects? I mean, don't they still have access to court orders for surveillance?

TOM FUENTES, CNN LAW ENFORCEMENT ANALYST: Well, let's go with that, court orders. You know, right now, I would refer to the program as mini data, not metadata. It's basically the storage of old phone bills for a longer period of time than any one phone company or Internet provider would want to do. Usually they don't want to hold it longer than the appeal period, two, three months. You have two, three months to argue your bill. And if you don't, it's too late and they can destroy it.

So I heard some Senators talk about, well, we'll create it where the government can subpoena the private companies that will be required the whole of these bills indefinitely. But first of all, you don't know if the private companies will stay in business more than two years, merge with other companies who will have the data. Second of all, I don't think people realize there are over 3,000 separate Internet service providers in this country with voice over Internet capability.

So you are asking the FBI if you have a suspect issue 3,000 subpoenas to track down which possible phone company it might be. So right now, you basically have one-stop shopping that if you have a Boston marathon bombing, you have the cell phone numbers of suspects in that, you can go back on those phone numbers and see what other numbers were called or texted or calls received from going back two, three years. And if the bombing happens at 6:00 p.m. on a Friday, you don't have to wait until Monday business hours to contact phone companies to find out who belonged to those records. And you don't have the clerical staff to do 3,000 subpoenas.

So this - what they are talking about is just really, it is not workable and it just means not having capability which is fine. But don't then call it an intelligence failure if law enforcement can't solve these cases.

KAYE: Right. And certainly, Juliette, I mean, the big concern people are very uneasy with the idea the government collecting information on them even about their phone records. The real question is, has the program helped track any of these bad guys?

KAYYEM: Well, I think both sides are sort of being extreme in their assessments of the program. There is absolutely no proof any of these powers on the patriot act actually stopped an imminent attack. On the hand, there is still no proof that these programs invaded people's privacy. And I think the truth lies somewhere in between. That these authorities are being used to set a baseline to begin investigations that then may ultimately result in a good counterterrorism case. And that's important.

That is why -- here's the irony of everything going on, whether you are a Republican or Democrat. The house compromise over the patriot act ends up being sort of rather rational at this stage. We don't often say that about the house. And it's the Senate, the McConnell side, saying no changes to the patriot act and Paul side saying get rid of it that looks like it's at these far extremes which we typically expect the house. The house compromise is exactly that is a compromise that got bipartisan support because it has more oversight which is absolutely necessary at this stage.

KAYE: Where the government actually have to ask the phone companies for those phone records.

All right, Juliette Kayyem, Tom Fuentes, nice to see you both. Thank you.

FUENTES: You're welcome.

KAYE: Ahead, secretary of state John Kerry is in a Swiss hospital right now. He suffered a severe injury this morning in a bicycle accident. A doctor joins me next with the prognosis for John Kerry.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[14:23:11] KAYE: I want to bring you up-to-date on our top story this hour.

Secretary of state John Kerry was flown to a Geneva, Switzerland hospital earlier today after being injured in an accident while biking in the French Alps. Now, doctors say that Kerry has broken his right leg and will be taken on a medical transport flight back to Boston for further treatment.

So let me bring in Dr. Seema Yasmin. She is a professor of public health at the University of Texas in Dallas. Doctor, let me start with the gravity of this injury. As a patient,

Kerry we know is 71 years old, he is quite active, but how potentially serious of an injury is this for him?

DR. SEEMA YASMIN, PROFESSOR, UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS (via phone): I mean, it's a very serious injury. The bone he's broken (INAUDIBLE) is the longest and strongest bone in the human body. It can take a lot of force to break it. In this instance he was biking at a slow speed. We typically tell patients that it can take up to six months that injured to recover from this type of injury. And that's after surgery and after physical therapy and lots of rehabilitation.

There are a few things that bode well. The first thing that the doctors in Europe have given him the all-clear to fly back to the U.S. and that is really reassuring. And the other thing that they told that he didn't lose consciousness at the time of injury, which means he probably wasn't in agony and he didn't lose lots of blood. Those two things are reassuring.

KAYE: Yes. That is - good news. He's being flown from Geneva back to Boston. That's because Kerry previously had surgery on his hip in Boston and his new injury is located pretty close to that old one. So how valuable is it to have the doctor who did his hip surgery now work on the leg injury?

YASMIN: It's fine to have the same doctor. It can be useful to have someone who knows the patient really well who actually did that surgery and knows exactly what went on. We know the secretary of state is no stranger to injury. As you mentioned, had that hip replacement in 2009, He had knee surgery (INAUDIBLE) in 2005. A broken nose a few years ago and he has had jaw surgery. You know, it's really helpful to have a doctor who understands everything that's been going on for the patient. It can make a difference.

[14:25:09] KAYE: So, if you were your patient, how long before you would give him the OK to go back to work because this is a pretty busy guy.

YASMIN: He's very, very busy. He traveled to more than 60 countries since he's been secretary of state. You would typically tell a patient it takes at least six months to heal. But it does depend on the kind of fracture they had. And every patient is different. About six months. Healing time is kind of a ballpark measure. It depends on where the fracture happened in the bone, how serious it is and how well they do after surgery. You kind of take all those things into account.

KAYE: All right, Dr. Seema Yasmin in Dallas for us, thank you.

YASMIN: Thanks.

KAYE: In a few hours, five Taliban leaders freed in a prison exchange could be allowed to travel freely. We'll get an update on negotiations to keep them out of the war on terror.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK) [14:59:40] KAYE: Hello. Thanks for joining me. I'm Randi Kaye in for Fredricka Whitfield.

Four Americans have been taken prisoner by Houthi rebels in Yemen's capital. That's according to "the Washington Post" citing U.S. officials. Now, the report says that none of the four are government employees. The state department says that it is aware of the reports and it is working to get the prisoners freed. Officials say that due to privacy concerns, they can't release any specific information about the Americans, but added that the protection of American citizens abroad is a top priority. The rebels reportedly also had planned to let one of the Americans go, but it since reversed that decision.

Meanwhile, another American, Sharif Mobley, is also in Houthi custody. He had been held more than five years on terrorism charges brought by the previous government.

Adam Goldman covers national security and terrorism issues for "The Washington Post" and is also the co-author of the book "Enemies Within." He joins me now by phone to talk more about this. Adam, what have you heard from the State Department?

ADAM GOLDMAN, "WASHINGTON POST" NATIONAL SECURITY REPORTER (via telephone): I haven't been in contact with the State Department. I talked to other U.S. officials about what's going object. Just like you said, they are working to try to get them.

KAYE: Do we know the circumstances of their capture? All right, I believe we lost Adam's signal by phone. We'll try to get back to him with more on that.

In the meantime, we'll move on to another topic. In a few hours, five Taliban militants who were released by the U.S. last year in an exchange for U.S. Army Sergeant Bowe Bergdahl could be free to travel.

Ever since their release from Guantanamo Bay last May they have been living in Qatar under surveillance, but their one-year travel ban is about to expire. The worry for the U.S., well, they could return to the battlefield in Afghanistan.

CNN's Nick Valencia is here with much more on that. I know that all weekend the U.S. has been holding these negotiations with the government of Afghanistan and Qatar to try and extend this travel ban. How are those talks going? Do we know?

NICK VALENCIA, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Senior administration officials say all weekend these talks have been going on between the U.S. government, Qatari government as well as Afghanistan's government.

Last we heard on Friday from some diplomatic sources is that what was supposed to be a decisive meeting held between the Qataris and the Americans on Saturday. The details of that had still not been made public.

But that hasn't stopped the chatter surrounding the controversy of the so-called release of the "Taliban 5." Earlier today on "STATE OF THE UNION" four-star -- retired four-star Army General Stanley McCrystal talked about the controversy of the trade for Bowe Bergdahl and what happens next for the "Taliban 5."

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

GENERAL STANLEY MCCRYSTAL, U.S. ARMY (RETIRED): It's important to get them back. We've got to decide what we deal with. The five that are back presumably they'll go back to the battlefield, but they won't change the dynamics. It's not going to change the balance of effort there, five guys. It's something we've got to watch.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

VALENCIA: We wanted to introduce you more specifically to these five individuals that the U.S. relinquished to secure Bergdahl's release. They were mostly mid to high level officials within the Taliban.

One of them was the chief army staff under the Taliban regime accused of war crimes during Afghanistan's civil war in the '90s. Another denied his role and importance of level of access to Taliban officials. Wazik is the third reportedly also an al Qaeda intelligence member.

He has denied links to any terror groups and contends that he was detained actually while trying to help U.S. officials find and locate senior Taliban leaders. A fourth, Omari, was a minor Taliban official and the Taliban's chief of communications.

Perhaps the most high profile was said to be an early member of the Taliban with direct ties to Osama Bin Laden. Of course, as you mentioned, Randi, the concern is that they will rejoin the Taliban and strengthen that group.

KAYE: Yes, I was watching that Stanley McCrystal interview with Jim Sciutto on "STATE OF THE UNION" and it was a great interview. He was alarming by saying it's presumed they will go back to the battlefield.

But the one thing I did take away from it was the fact that he said these guys have been out of the game for a long time and maybe will not go back to be the leaders that they were. Let's hope that is the case. Nick, thank you very much. Appreciate the update.

All right, let's talk more about this. Joining us now are former Navy SEAL and former FBI special agent, Jonathan Gilliam and Retired Army Lieutenant Colonel Tony Shaffer who once oversaw the Army's human intelligence program.

Col. Shaffer, how serious a threat are these Taliban leaders do you think?

LT. COL. TONY SHAFFER, U.S. ARMY (RETIRED): Well, I disagree with Stan McCrystal. I respect the general. He is in my book, "Operation Dark Heart," but he's wrong. They are like rock stars. If they don't go directly back to the battlefield, there will be a great psychological edge to the Taliban, and we are still in combat with them. So I think we have to take very seriously the potential of their return. I would like to see their presence in Qatar extended. I think we have to do more to actually try to figure out what we are going to do to monitor them.

Qatari do not want to have any additional surveillance upon them. It's in our interest to figure out what will happen with them because again, everything I talked to -- and I've talked to very senior leaders, one of which who worked for Stan McCrystal said that these guys will put a great deal of wind back in the sails of the Taliban should they get back.

KAYE: Jonathan, let me ask you about this report by the director of National Intelligence, James Clapper, saying that one of the Taliban 5 actually contacted militants and Senator Lindsey Graham said at least one of the men met with members of an al Qaeda-affiliated group. Isn't that a huge red flag?

JONATHAN GILLIAM, FORMER NAVY SEAL: As Colonel Shaffer was saying, the whole thing is a red flag. The real red flag here, though, is that we don't have a handle on the way that we are fighting this war on terror globally and here at home.

[14:35:12] I mean, why did we have to release these five particular people? They were chosen by the Taliban. I think what we are seeing is things not thought through like the Patriot Act expiring. Why are we allowing that to expire?

Why aren't we discussing it figuring out what's good and bad about it? Why are these things politicalized? It makes no sense whatsoever. I agree with Colonel Shaffer.

I disagree with General McCrystal because here is the thing, look at al-Baghdadi, he was nothing and went to prison and by the time he came out of there, he was the head of ISIS.

KAYE: Colonel, Qatar and U.S. officials have been meeting, but so far it doesn't sound like there is a deal yet to extend the travel ban. I mean, what kind of pressure can the U.S. bring to bear to force a deal? What can they do?

SHAFFER: Well, a great deal. I mean, Qatar depends on us for a great deal of economic support. Jonathan is spot on. He said it there we don't have a plan. I can't believe State Department started negotiating three days before the travel ban expires. This is totally insane.

We don't have an idea of what these guys would do. We see guys go back all the time to the battlefield after having been detained and take up huge leadership roles. They don't have to be current, but effective.

We have to be clear here of what we expect to occur when these things happen. Again, I think it was a bad trade, five four-star generals for one individual, who probably would be held accountable to have deserted his post. I don't think we know what we are doing. KAYE: Let me ask you about another topic. Let me change focus to ISIS and Iraq. This is brand-new video that we have here released by the Iraqi Defense Ministry that shows the country's military bombarding ISIS in Anbar Province with air strikes.

Colonel, we've seen air strikes from coalition forces aimed at ISIS for months now. This strike is from the Iraqi Air Force. Is this a sign that they are getting stronger and could be more successful in the fight against ISIS?

SHAFFER: Well, they have to be. I mean, there is no doubt here when you see large armies amassing in open broad daylight. You have to do something. I think Ash Carter's comments were true. Iraqi army has to get its act together.

I think we should do more to motivate it, though. We have to figure out who can we work with? I think we've underutilized the Peshmerga and I think we've underutilized our own Air Force. We are running three to five sorties a day. We should be doing a hundred a day to be effective.

KAYE: Jonathan, what is your take?

GILLIAM: Well, I think Colonel Shaffer could absolutely agree and tell you that if we just allow these other host nation individuals to fight their own war and we are not over there at least advising them, and sometimes leading them into battle, you are just fighting skirmishes because nobody fights like we fight.

They are really good at fighting in their area of operations and maybe their village. Once they step out of that area, throwing bombs down a range does nothing. It looks like success maybe for the Iraqis, but to me, it just looks like another band-aid in a bad foreign policy or bad war plan. I guess you could say overall.

KAYE: Great to have you both here. Great discussion. Thank you, Jonathan Gilliam and Lt. Col. Tony Shaffer. We will be right back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[14:42:15]

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

BEN ROTHENBERG, "THE NEW YORK TIMES": I'm Ben Rothenberg. I'm a contributing writer to "The New York Times." I think it's one of the most wide open slams we've seen on the women's side for quite while. There are a lot of people who have a realistic shot getting it this year.

Serena has been the dominant player on tour. It's her worst surface and worst grand slam of the French Open. That opened up the door for other names and faces that people might be less familiar with to come through and get a grand slam title in Paris.

She's developed into an incredibly solid player after comparing herself to a cow on ice on the surface. Her long limbs didn't work for her. She's solidified and become a strong physical player and solid one who learned how to play the long rallies and build points the way she didn't have to before.

This can be a convergence of a lot of different story lines. The 2015 French Open could be a game changing grand slam.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

KAYE: Four Americans have been taken prisoner by Houthi rebels in Yemen's capital. That's according to "The Washington Post" citing U.S. officials. Adam Goldman covers national security and terrorism issues for "The Post" and he joins me now by phone. So Adam, what are you hearing from the administration?

GOLDMAN (via telephone): Well, we are hearing that trying to get these Americans out is complicated because they are in power in Yemen. They are looking for intermediaries to make contact with them.

KAYE: What do we know or what have you learned about the circumstances of their capture? There are some reports there were failed attempts to free the prisoners. Tell me about what you know about their capture.

GOLDMAN: Well, in the case of one of the individuals, we believe he got crossways and they picked him up. The others, their circumstances are a little murkier. The first one was taken May 17th. The others, we are not so sure about.

KAYE: What do we know about these failed attempts to try and get them?

GOLDMAN: I have not heard about attempts to rescue these individuals, if that's what you are referring to. I think there are negotiations going on and private parties are also engaged. Friends of at least one of the individual who has contact with the Houthis are trying to get him out using not violent means.

KAYE: All right, Adam Goldman, appreciate it, thank you very much.

A fierce battle is under way in and around Fallujah, Iraq. Iraqi war planes and artillery are bombarding the city to loosen the group of ISIS. A live report from Iraq coming your way next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[14:48:51]

KAYE: A series of mysterious shootings in Northern Colorado had the community on edge for weeks now. But fears of a serial sniper have ratcheted up following the shooting death of John Jacoby, who was cycling when he was shot and killed.

His attack follows several other incidents along a stretch of Colorado highway including a shooting that injured 20-year-old Corey Romero. Now until now police were not officially connecting any of the shootings, but now they are.

CNN's Erin McLaughlin is following this for us. Erin, what can you tell us?

ERIN MCLAUGHLIN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hi, Randi. Well, authorities are working furiously to solve this mystery. Jacoby's death marks the first homicide this small town has seen in eight years. Now some of the shootings are linked, people there are very nervous.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

MCLAUGHLIN (voice-over): Two random shootings. Authorities now say are linked. Fears in Colorado there is a sniper on the loose.

JOHN MICHAELS, WINDSOR POLICE CHIEF: Be vigilant. Be aware of surroundings. See what's going on.

MCLAUGHLIN: The warning came Friday as police revealed there is new evidence connecting the fatal shooting of 48-year-old John Jacoby to the shooting of 20-year-old Cori Romero. Police won't say how they are linked, but say the victims appear arbitrary.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: That these two victims knew each other?

MICHAELS: There is no indication of that at all.

[14:50:07] MCLAUGHLIN: On May 18th in the town of Windsor, Jacoby was shot twice and killed while riding his bike. Five miles away and about a month earlier, Romero was shot in the neck while driving.

UNIDENTIFIED OPERATOR: 911, what's the address of your emergency?

CORI ROMERO: I'm on the highway right now and somebody just hit me and I'm bleeding from my neck and I'm scared.

MCLAUGHLIN: The FBI are involved offering a $10,000 reward. So far no suspect has been identified, adding to the mystery, at least two dozen reports of shattered car windows.

MICHAELS: I know there have been a lot of broken windows on I-25, car windows. Those have not been linked to this event. It's not they've been discounted either.

MCLAUGHLIN: The news has this rural town on edge.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It makes you stop and think. It's scary.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

MCLAUGHLIN: When asked just how concerned people should be about these shootings, the police chief responded saying it's impossible to say. They are leaning at this point on the public for assistance, asking anyone with information to come forward -- Randi.

KAYE: Erin, do you know if they put any extra security precautions in place or what people are doing to protect themselves? MCLAUGHLIN: Well, at this point, not clear. They are not in that press conference there, police chief did not mention any additional security precautions. He did not in between those two shootings that have now been linked people have traveled thousands of miles without any incident -- Randi.

KAYE: That is some good news. Erin McLaughlin, thank you very much. We'll be right back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[14:55:24]

KAYE: A deadly battle under way to get Fallujah back out of the hands of ISIS. Witnesses tell CNN Iraqi war planes and artillery have been bombarding Fallujah and surrounding villages in Anbar Province for three days now.

This is new video released by the Iraqi Defense Ministry showing part of that assault. Let's bring in CNN senior international correspondent, Nick Paton Walsh. He is in Baghdad for us. Nick, what is the latest from there?

NICK PATON WALSH, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, that assault really on Fallujah just seems to be the first major part of this operation to clear Anbar Province. I should tell you terrifyingly, there are 100,000 civilians said to be inside that city today. The heaviest air strikes yet.

Thirty one set to have been killed. We were southwest of that key city this afternoon in an area still held by pro-government forces. These men are in fact Sunni tribesmen, who are angry at the lack of help they are getting from the central government.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

WALSH (voice-over): These sandbags are exactly what Iraq needs to stay together as a country. Meters away, you can glimpse the flag of ISIS extremists from Iraq's Sunni minority. But holding them off here, the U.S. says a key to victory, Moderate Iraqi Sunnis, who will die to rid their home town of ISIS.

(on camera): If America is to send help to the Sunni tribes in Anbar here is where it is most badly needed. They have been in combat with ISIS for months. Now the enemy is just across the river.

(voice-over): But they have been without pay for months. No one has come to help us, they say. Another says not Sunnis, they are enemies that want to destroy, not build.

The local mayor of the town of Fallujah around which ISIS swarms and fires mortars daily sees his enemy on the TV screen, this long distance camera shows their mortars slamming into ISIS positions and was paid for by locals themselves.

They say Baghdad officials are often Shi'a distrust Sunnis and ignored months of their pleas for help. Now they arm themselves. We buy them, he says. There are lots of weapon for sale in the Iraqi market whether from the previous army or what ISIS took for the army and put it up for sale.

Even what comes in from Iran, lots come in from Iran that are sold directly. Here is where local volunteers are trained and armed, but again, we are shown the chipboard, 500 of them, they say. This man was trained by the U.S. nine years ago to help them fight al Qaeda here.

Now they want America's help again. They want the Americans to arm us directly, he says. If they give it to the government, they'll take what they want and give us the tired weapons. The good stuff, they'll keep.

Outside the hospital, you see the help they are getting, an ambulance from Sunni Saudi Arabia. Inside, three injured from a mortar that hit off duty young fighters playing football the day before. Another died.

This town endures, yet feels abandoned despite broad recognition. It is vital they win.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

WALSH: Now Randi, the government's official line on why those city tribes aren't getting the weapons they want is that they have to arm people through official channels alone because they don't want nongovernment militia in the country.

Of course, that is something which the Sunni tribes say is good enough and they say they are deeply under pressure. Basically, the fear amongst many there is they are being left out by the government to face ISIS on their own.

And the conspiracy theory is perhaps actually there are some pro-Shi'a politicians in Baghdad and it might be OK with the notion of a Sunni failure in the defense of that area.

So therefore, the Shi'a fighters doing all the fighting here could sweep in and, quote, "save the day, so a very sectarian picture, a divisive issue around there. It is just the southwest where the bombing is worse right now -- Randi.

KAYE: Yes, certainly a very tougher environment there. Nick Paton Walsh, thank you and stay safe.

We have much more just ahead in the NEWSROOM and it starts right now.