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British Airways Plane Catches Fire on Runway; Clerk Who Denied Same-Sex Licenses Freed From Jail; Hillary Clinton Apologizes on Private E-mail; Europe Struggles with Migrant Influx; New Era in Late Night Television; Apple to Reveal Latest Products; Yazidi Girl Enslaved by ISIS Leader; Queen Elizabeth II Makes British History; Aired 12-1:00a ET

Aired September 09, 2015 - 00:00   ET

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


[00:00:10] ZAIN ASHER, CNN ANCHOR: Despite the smoke and flames, the passengers on board this plane that caught fire in Las Vegas escaped with only minor injuries.

ERROL BARNETT, CNN ANCHOR: Plus, as the world's migrant crisis deepens, another nation offers to shelter more refugees.

ASHER: And a county clerk at the center of the same-sex marriage debate in the United States is greeted by a huge crowd after her release from jail.

BARNETT: Lots to get to today. Hello. And welcome to our viewers here in the states and all around the world. We are your anchor team for the next two hours. I'm Errol Barnett.

ASHER: And I'm Zain Asher. Glad to be with you. This is CNN NEWSROOM.

OK. I want to begin in the United States with passengers who are leaving Las Vegas aboard British Airways Flight 2276 are no doubt feeling especially lucky right now.

BARNETT: Yes, this was frightening.

ASHER: Absolutely. The Boeing 777 was about to take off for London when, there you have it, a fire broke out in the aircraft's left engine and within just minutes, just minutes, all 170 passengers and crew members had evacuated the burning plane.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ROSEMARY VASSILIADIS, DIRECTOR OF AVIATION, MCCARRAN AIRPORT: The pilots quickly aborted the takeoff. Clark County Fire Department responders from McCarran International Airport station 13 were notified of a potential engine fire at 4:13. At 4:14, firefighters were at the aircraft dousing the fire and evacuating with the passengers.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BARNETT: So this all unfolded very quickly. Fire officials say at least 14 people were hurt. Most of those injuries are minor.

Our Dan Simon spoke with one passenger.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JAY JENNINGS, FLIGHT 2276 PASSENGER: We were just getting speed to take off. And we saw a big thud. I opened up the cover of my window and saw flames on the engine. And we suddenly stopped. We sat still for about a minute, just waiting to hear what to do and then we just heard the captain say this is an emergency, evacuate.

DAN SIMON, CNN ANCHOR: How scary was it?

JENNINGS: It was pretty scary. Yes. Like, I mean, yes, it was just shocking more than anything. I don't think anyone was too hurt. Otherwise, I don't know. But yes, it was pretty scary stuff.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ASHER: Our Dan Simon who actually interviewed that passenger is joining us live now on the phone from Las Vegas.

So, Dan, before we begin, I just want to pull up on the screen an image of the plane on fire so we can see exactly what we're talking about. So this is the plane moments after it caught fire. You can see black smoke billowing in the air. Of course if you look very closely you can actually see the left engine is where the flames started.

So, Dan, it is remarkable to me when you see just how dramatic this fire was that only 14 people were injured. How is that possible?

SIMON: Well, this was a quick reaction by the pilot and the crew. Obviously they knew right away that there was something wrong and they quickly deployed those chutes, those emergency chutes.

You know, we happen to be in Las Vegas working on another story and once we realized this was a potentially serious situation, we raced over to the airport. And I have to tell you, it was kind of surreal for a while. We were just hanging out in the international terminal and all of a sudden we saw lots of ambulances show up. This is about an hour after this all happened. So we figured that, you know, mostly everybody had been evacuated at that point.

But no, they were still assessing people and lots of passengers were coming out. Thankfully these were minor injuries, but from what we understand when people are going down those emergency chutes, some had, you know, some friction injuries, basically going down. They may have, you know, burned their elbows and such. So the paramedics were tending to them. Everybody seemed to be in relatively good spirits, although we did see one passenger who seemed to, you know, be in emotional distress.

This is somebody who actually had some smoke inhalation and she just looked she was, you know, really torn up. And you can imagine, you know, looking at that video, how frightening that must have been. You know, we saw some other video of passengers literally, you know, running for their lives. You know, going down those chutes and just running away from the aircraft -- Zain.

ASHER: Absolutely frightening. And before we continue, I understand from my producers that we have some new video. So if we could play that for our viewers.

OK. You can actually see in the corner there, that was the plane engulfed in flames there and I believe that was a fire truck heading towards it. And I believe, I'm not entirely sure but this could passengers leaving the aircraft, fleeing the aircraft.

[00:05:13] So, Dan, in terms of the investigation, OK, we know that the left engine, that's where the fire started. Do we know what caused the fire and what is next in terms of this investigation?

SIMON: We know that a go-team from Washington, D.C. from the National Transportation Safety Board is on its way to Las Vegas where they'll start, you know, looking at how this occurred. We don't know how or why this fire started. What we do know, from talking with one of the passengers, is just as the plane was beginning to pick up speed, that left engine caught fire. He said it was something like a thud and then he looked out his window and saw that engine on fire.

So it's really going to be up to the authorities to examine how this happened. Of course any time you have a mishap with an aircraft, they will interview passengers, they'll talk to the crew, they'll look at maintenance records. Just pretty much anything you can think of.

ASHER: And so clearly a mystery in terms of the investigation, in terms of what caused that fire. But how soon -- I know that 14 people were injured. But in terms of the passengers who are OK, how soon will they be able to re-board another flight to London?

SIMON: Well, from what we understand, British Airways put the passengers up in a hotel this evening in Las Vegas. They did not hop on another plane tonight. From what we understand, arrangements are being made to get them on another plane tomorrow.

As far as those 14 people are concerned, I don't know precisely when they will be going home. As we know, these are minor injuries. So perhaps they have already been released from the hospital. I would imagine that it was, you know, precautionary in a way to take them by ambulance to take them to area hospitals just to be on the safe side. But, you know, I would imagine that most of those passengers will be heading home tomorrow, Zain.

ASHER: At least the good news is that the response during this emergency was so rapid. Obviously everybody was able to evacuate very quickly within minutes and of course as Dan was just saying 14 people injured. Only minor injuries. Thankfully.

OK, Dan Simon, thank you so much. We appreciate that.

BARNETT: And in other aviation news, an internal investigation prompted by an ongoing federal investigation has led to the ouster of the CEO and two other top executives at United Airlines. Now in a statement on Tuesday, the company announced the chairman and CEO Jeff Smisek has stepped down.

ASHER: The U.S. government has been examining United's dealing with former chief of the Port Authority in New York and New Jersey, including adding a flight convenient to a home he owns in South Carolina. United says it is cooperating with the government's investigations.

BARNETT: Now surely you've heard the name Kim Davis bouncing around social media in these past days.

ASHER: Who hasn't? Unless you've been living under a rock.

BARNETT: Surely. Well, if you don't know, this county clerk in the U.S. state of Kentucky is now a free woman some five days after she was jailed for refusing to issue marriage licenses to same-sex couples.

ASHER: And our Martin Savidge has more on the woman who finds herself at the crossroads of a very changing society.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

MARTIN SAVIDGE, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): It was a stage fit for a presidential candidate, but it was embattled Rowan County clerk, Kim Davis, who stole the show, fresh out of jail and welcomed by cheers from hundreds of supporters.

KIM DAVIS, ROWAN COUNTY CLERK: I just want to give God the glory. And people of Rowan, you are a strong people.

SAVIDGE: Davis went to jail for contempt of court after refusing to authorize all marriage licenses following the June Supreme Court decision on gay marriage. She said she was religiously opposed to having her name appear on a document for same-sex couples. She spent five days behind bars while support from Christian conservatives grew.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The Bible trumps man's law.

SAVIDGE: The effort to free her drew two Republican candidates to her jail cell, Mike Huckabee and Ted Cruz. This despite the fact that Davis is a Democrat. But even before they arrived, the judge that sent her to jail suddenly freed her on one very big condition, that she shall not interfere in any way with the efforts of her deputy clerks who are issuing marriage licenses. Some of them to same-sex couples.

Davis' attorney says she hasn't changed her position on same-sex marriage and hinted another legal showdown could be brewing.

MAT STAVER, ATTORNEY, LIBERTY COUNSEL, REPRESENTING KIM DAVIS: She will do her job good, she'll serve the people as they want her to serve, and she was elected, and she'll also be loyal to God and she's not going to violate her conscience.

SAVIDGE: To many, the small-town Kentucky clerk has become a hero of her faith.

MIKE HUCKABEE, (R), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: And I feel like she has shown more courage than most any politician I know and most every pastor I know, because she has not only said something, she has been willing to put her life as risk.

[00:10:09] SAVIDGE: But as Davis goes home after spending nearly a week in jail, many of her followers and her detractors wonder how long that freedom will last.

Martin Savidge, CNN, Grayson, Kentucky.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BARNETT: Our CNN political commentator Ryan Lizza joins us from D.C. to talk about this.

Ryan, great to have you. Kim Davis has become an icon these past 24 hours. Two evangelicals, who have been staunchly opposed to gay marriage but we should explain the Supreme Court, the highest law in the land here in the States, has settled this issue legally and elected officials have to follow the law. So what is it really that Mrs. Davis represents?

RYAN LIZZA, CNN POLITICAL COMMENTATOR: Well, I think the first thing to say is it might -- maybe it's surprising how little resistance of this kind there has actually been since the Supreme Court decided this. I think a lot of people predicted there would be a lot of more resistance. But there are small patches in very conservative places in the United States where people are arguing that their religion makes it impossible for them to follow this law.

Now as the judge pointed out in Kentucky, that's not legal. She's an elected official. She has to do this. The Supreme Court has already settled this issue. And so, you know, I think you're going to see isolated cases like this until people -- until people move on. But to a certain segment of very religious Americans, this does resonate what she's doing.

BARNETT: And the fact that you call it isolated is kind of the key aspect here. You have one of the Republican candidates, Governor Mike Huckabee, he emceed the event and he said, quote, "I'm not willing to spend the next years in tyranny under people who think they can take our freedom and conscience away."

I mean, the U.S. Constitution makes it clear the government isn't to endorse any religion and to be frank, Christians are overwhelmingly represented in government anyway. So what is this tyranny that they speak of exactly?

LIZZA: Yes. And there's a little bit of a sense of victimization among some white evangelicals in the United States that they are now a persecuted minority, which to be frank is not really the case. And I -- look, once you get a presidential campaign going and you get American politics involved in these issues and in the Republican Party, in the early states that matter in our nominating process, evangelical conservatives represent a larger than typical percentage of the electorate. Specifically in a state like Iowa.

So there is incentive for people like Mike Huckabee to go down and associate themselves with this case. And that's what you're seeing here. You're seeing politicians exploiting this issue in Kentucky to boost their credentials among Iowa religious conservatives.

BARNETT: And maybe because it happened so quickly, this, you know, Kim Davis in a way got to make this statement but the fact remains she and others still have to follow the law.

LIZZA: That's right.

BARNETT: Ryan Lizza, our CNN political commentator, great to get your insight today. Joining us from D.C.

LIZZA: My pleasure.

ASHER: And staying in the United States, she is saying she's sorry. For the first time U.S. presidential candidate Hillary Clinton is publicly apologizing for using a private e-mail server when she was secretary of state.

BARNETT: Now as Brianna Keilar reports, Clinton's mea culpa comes as her popularity among voters shrinks.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

BRIANNA KEILAR, CNN SENIOR POLITICAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Hillary Clinton's numbers are taken a dive, down 10 points nationwide as she tries to turn a corner. Tonight for the first time, she directly apologized for her use of a private e-mail server while secretary of state. Telling ABC News --

HILLARY CLINTON (D), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: That was a mistake. I'm sorry about that. I take responsibility.

KEILAR: According to the "New York Times," aides are crafting a strategy for her to show more spontaneity, heart and humor.

CLINTON: I do kind of know what Donald is going through. And if anyone one wonders if mine is real, here's the answer. The hair is real. The color isn't.

KEILAR: What President Obama's former adviser David Axelrod is poking fun at the reboot, tweeting a report, "read more like 'The Onion'. Her detailed plan to show more authenticity and spontaneity, just do it." In Iowa this weekend Clinton tried to shore up her shrinking lead in the polls.

CLINTON: I believe I've got the vision, the policies, the skill, the tenacity and the determination to get us back on the right track.

KEILAR: Her loss is Joe Biden's gain. New poll numbers out today show a swell of support for the vice president. He's up 10 points since last month and he's still deciding whether to get in the race. Dodging questions about a possible run. [00:15:07] JOE BIDEN, VICE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: You know,

I talked to my wife about that. I've got to talk to my wife about that.

KEILAR: Nationwide, Biden is running neck and neck in the polls with Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders who is beating Clinton in a new poll of New Hampshire primary voters.

BERNIE SANDERS (D), DEMOCRATIC CANDIDATE: And don't tell anybody. I think they are getting nervous.

KEILAR (on camera): But while this summer has been all about the Sanders surge, it really is the Biden bump that's dominating headlines right now going into the fall. Talking to Clinton campaign sources they say they're not too worried. They think that if Biden were to enter the race he would see his poll numbers dip under the harsh spotlight of the campaign trail.

Brianna Keilar, CNN, Washington.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BARNETT: Now Australia's prime minister ups his country's commitment to the humanitarian crisis in the Middle East.

Coming up next, what he's offering and how it will impact Europe's migrant crisis.

ASHER: Also ahead, a new name is lighting up late-night television in the U.S. And politics may never be the same again.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[00:20:05] BARNETT: Welcome back. Australia's prime minister is stepping up his country's commitment to ease the humanitarian crisis in the Middle East and help stem Europe's migrant crisis.

ASHER: On a news conference, Tony Abbott pledged to expand his military fight against ISIS. The group he says is a major cause of the refugee crisis. He also said Australia will take in about 12,000 refugees from Iraq and Syria, as well.

BARNETT: German chancellor Angela Merkel is calling for quotas to ensure that each European nation takes in what she described as their fair share of migrants.

ASHER: Now many Eastern European countries oppose that and they say they just don't have the resources. Chancellor Merkel says all EU countries need to act in a spirit of solidarity.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ANGELA MERKEL, GERMAN CHANCELLOR (Through Translator): I've rarely been so convinced inwardly that this is a task which decides about the future of Europe and whether we are accepted as a continent of values and individual freedom. The whole world is looking at us and we can't just say listen, Syria is too far away. We won't deal with the problem. This would create huge damage, also for the acceptance of Europe.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BARNETT: And while leaders and diplomats talk about all of this tempers flared in a migrant holding camp in Hungary.

ASHER: That's right. Hundreds of people fed up with the squalid conditions and basically grabbed their children and their possessions, their meager possessions. And took off running from the camp.

CNN's Arwa Damon was there.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ARWA DAMON, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): A frantic dash after breaking through a police line.

"Stay together," this man shouts, carrying his daughter as they charge into the corn field.

No one knows where they are going, just that they need to get far away. They had spent hours, for some, days, waiting at a holding area that was supposed to be temporary, and just couldn't take it anymore. Stumbling over uneven ground, shouting out the names of the war zone they fled.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Syria, Iraqi.

DAMON: Jubilant, breathless, defiant, and desperate to move.

(On camera): People are in quite a bit of a panic. They are worried that the police are going to come and potentially use violence to try to get them back into the camp. And you can hear the sirens right now. It's causing people to run even faster, especially those with the kids. They are the ones that are really struggling to get away.

(Voice-over): Fumbling through thick undergrowth. The police close in, forcing the refugees to scatter. Split into two groups, families lose each other but this is no time to stop. Drained of what little energy they had, the police eventually catch up but the refugees keep going.

A sister and brother lose their shoes, rocks digging into their tiny feet, but they don't complain. Their mother carries the youngest. Unable to comfort him, she ignores his cries.

After hours of walking, the police finally block their path. Again, they try to push through. Crushing bodies, screams, babies crying. The police eventually convince them to stay. They bring food and much-needed water. Negotiations lead to a compromise. Buses to take them elsewhere for the night and then, in the morning, they are told, a train to the Austrian border.

A breakout, driven by sheer mental, physical, emotional exhaustion, having travelled this far unable to cope with waiting any longer.

Arwa Damon, CNN, Hungary.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

ASHER: OK. Joining me now to discuss this is Behzad Yaghmaian, professor of political economy at Ramapo College.

So, Professor, thank you so much for being with us. So I'm sure you've heard the concerns from people within countries like Germany, like the United Kingdom, like France, as well. People saying that somehow perhaps terrorists could perhaps exploit the migrant crisis to make their way, to gain access into Europe. What do you make of those concerns? Do you feel that they're valid?

BEHZAD YAGHMAIAN, PROFESSOR OF POLITICAL ECONOMY, RAMAPO COLLEGE: Well, there's always a risk of terrorism or other types of attacks within any type of migratory movement. But I've been following the movement and the migration of Muslims to Europe and to the rest for the past 12, 13 years, I did, when I was doing my book on migration, I actually traveled with Muslim migrants for three years. I lived with them. I followed their lives. I became a part of the landscape of their everyday lives.

[00:25:10] I have met hundreds of people. Not a single one of them actually had any inclinations of causing any problems elsewhere in the world. In fact the people I met were running away from conditions in their home countries. They were lacking security whether it was political, cultural, or economic security at home. They were seeking another home elsewhere in the world to give them the security they were denied at home.

So the accusations and the claims that the flow of migrants would European countries, understand the fear but it is totally false in terms of the reality and the facts on the ground.

ASHER: OK. So you think the fears are clearly overblown. I do want to ask you, though, the Obama administration says that it is actively considering, quote, "actively considering," ways to help, including the idea of allowing more refugees into the United States. Do you think the United States has an obligation to share the migrant burden with Europe?

YAGHMAIAN: Absolutely. And I'm not sure what President Obama means by actively considering. The numbers that the United States has accepted, for example, from Syria, are so small that it is pathetically low.

The United States is the largest country in the world with the biggest economic capacity to absorb migrants. It is utterly important for the U.S. to join the bandwagon and become part of the conversation and solve the humanitarian crisis.

ASHER: One other question I do want to ask you because we're running out of time is that the U.K. has decided to accept about 20,000 migrants but not the migrants who've been traveling through Europe. They are going to be accepting migrants who were in refugee camps in the Middle East. What do you make of that? Do you think that is fair?

YAGHMAIAN: The number is actually extremely low. Right? Compared to a half million migrant refugees that Germany is going to accept. In a sense, it is not fair, but I think I actually propose a similar policy for other European countries as well as the United States. We now have more than a million refugees from Syria living in Turkey, four million refugees from Syria living in the neighboring countries.

It is possible for the Western countries, for the wealthy countries in the world actually to begin the process of resettlement where the refugees are instead of actually forcing them to take the sea, to risk their lives in order to arrive within the European Union and then apply for asylum.

ASHER: Certainly a complex problem but one thing I know for sure is that the migrant crisis is here to stay for a very long time.

YAGHMAIAN: Absolutely.

ASHER: OK. Behzad Yaghmaian, thank you so much. Appreciate that.

YAGHMAIAN: Thank you.

BARNETT: Yes, that's very true, Zain. It's heartbreaking to watch so many families trying to find a better life and having to go through all of that.

ASHER: Then when you think about what they're going through, trudging through Europe and as I mentioned, you know, the fact that the United Kingdom, they're accepting 20,000 migrants but not the migrants that are walking through Europe. They're accepting migrants who are in refugee camps in the Middle East. So --

BARNETT: It's a difficult situation.

ASHER: Yes. It is certainly difficult.

BARNETT: And now making matters worse there is a powerful storm barreling across the Mediterranean and we already know it's a deadly trek to cross that body of water. This could make it even more.

Our meteorologist Pedram Javaheri joins us with more on that. I mean, how bad will it be?

PEDRAM JAVAHERI, AMS METEOROLOGIST: Yes.

BARNETT: It already is a life-threatening journey for so many people.

JAVAHERI: This time yesterday it looked like it had the potential to become what we call a medicane. And essentially a Mediterranean type hurricane feature when it comes to the warm waters across this region. Sometimes storms near the tropical characteristics, they are not tropical fully in nature but they produce wind gusts that are hurricane force. So the potential was there yesterday. It has weakened a little bit. But right now we're still seeing powerful winds in that region, easily winds that would be able to capsize boats.

So that's a major concern when you talk about an area with so many people going over very precarious situation when it comes to small boats. But there's the satellite perspective and the center of your screen, look carefully, you see a complex of thunderstorms pop up just east of Sicily. This is an area we're watching very carefully. Of course many of the migrant routes right over this region. Exiting Syria points to the north around southern Italy and also into the Balkans.

In fact we've kind of plotted every single one of those tracks. And you notice the heaviest of rain in the next 24 hours cruises by this region eventually pushes in towards the Balkans. That's where we're watching for the land route to be severely impacted as well. In fact it is so severe that the Europe laboratory here has issued a level two on a scale of one to three there for probability for strong winds, isolated tornados, large hail as well over this region. Winds anywhere 50 to 70 KPH so we're talking about 45 or so miles per hour.

And this forecast continues on into Thursday. So any of these routes would be severely impacted. You know the rescue operations that have taken place just a couple of weeks ago. Of course thousands being rescued across the Mediterranean when it comes to boats capsizing and taking on water.

And always important to note, waves can capsize a boat when they're just 30 percent of the boat's length. A lot of these boats, 10 meters or so in length. So you're talking three-meter wave heights will begin to push boats over. So it becomes a dangerous situation over that region with storms continually cruising by. And now this is kind of an unusual track this early into the season for a storm system and it's easily the strongest one we've seen all season. So it's something we're watching carefully.

[00:30:12] BARNETT: All right. We'll get more updates from you next two hours.

ASHER: Thank you, Pedram.

BARNETT: Thanks a lot.

JAVAHERI: Thanks. Yes.

ASHER: OK. Time for a quick break here on CNN. When we come back, Apple is scheduled to make a big announcement. And we've got a full report on what they are expected to say.

BARNETT: Plus, U.S. presidential candidate Jeb Bush arrives for a guest appearance on a new late-night television show with an all familiar face. Some say, though, this could be a big political gamble. Stay with us.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BARNETT: You are watching CNN NEWSROOM. Thanks so much for staying with us. I'm Errol Barnett.

ASHER: And I'm Zain Asher. The headlines at this hour.

Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott says his country will now take part in coalition airstrikes against ISIS targets in Syria. He also says that Australia will take in 12,000 additional refugees who are fleeing from ISIS.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

TONY ABBOTT, AUSTRALIAN PRIME MINISTER: Today's commitment by the Australian government to take refugees on a permanent basis will be one of the largest commitments made to date anywhere in the world.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BARNETT: More than a dozen people suffered minor injuries when a British Airways plane caught fire in Las Vegas, Nevada. And the fire broke out in the Boeing 777's left engine as it was about to take off for London. You can see this eyewitness video. All 172 passengers and crew evacuated the plane. The cause of the fire is still under investigation.

ASHER: U.S. presidential candidate Hillary Clinton has acknowledged that using a private e-mail server while she was secretary of state was a mistake. In an interview with ABC News, she said she was sorry. The issue has pushed Clinton's poll numbers down.

[00:35:15] BARNETT: All right. Here's a bit of a fun news update for you. A long-awaited era in late-night television has started in the U.S. Stephen Colbert, the former host of "The Colbert Report" on Comedy Central, has taken over for David Letterman on the late show on CBS. Just a few minutes ago I think the show wrapped up. Jeb Bush was one of his first guests.

ASHER: Yes. So the U.S. presidential contender has faltered just a little bit during his campaign and political analysts are curious to see, they're waiting to see how Bush handled the one-on-one with the quick-witted Colbert. And now acting heartthrob George Clooney sporting a gray goatee was the other guest. And he is no stranger certainly to talking politics either.

BARNETT: And you know what's true is that late-night television really has become a rite of passage in many ways in U.S. politics.

ASHER: Right. Right. And in this presidential election cycle there's certainly no shortage of candidates as potential guests.

Here's our Brian Stelter with more.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

STEPHEN COLBERT, HOST, THE LATE SHOW WITH STEPHEN COLBERT: My guests will be George Clooney and Jeb Bush, or as the tabloids have coined them, Jeborge Cloosh (ph). BRIAN STELTER, CNN SENIOR MEDIA CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Late

night TV, the new Sunday morning for politicians. As Stephen Colbert takes over the "Late Show," the buzz isn't just about George Clooney, it's about presidential contender Jeb Bush.

COLBERT: And I'm not the only one who's excited. So is Jeb, which, given his logo, is really his only option.

STELTER: Late-night couches are increasingly a place for political Q&A. Colbert invited Hillary Clinton for his premiere, too, but she is doing "The Tonight Show" with Jimmy Fallon next week instead. Fallon also beat Colbert to Donald Trump. The GOP frontrunner and ratings gold will be on "The Tonight Show" this Friday.

JIMMY FALLON, HOST, "THE TONIGHT SHOW": I was fantastic. The ratings were huge.

STELTER: This booking battle shows the symbiosis between candidates and the late-night comics who make fun of them.

PETE DOMINICK, HOST, SIRIUS XM'S STAND UP: Comedians isn't a journalist. They're going to ask questions that aren't so serious. They're not going to talk about economic policy as much as maybe what's your favorite midnight snack, what about your family, things about your childhood, things that wouldn't be asked by a journalist, wouldn't important necessarily to a voter, and they get to show their personality, hopefully.

STELTER: Hopeful of using the guest couch to humanize themselves, like New Jersey Governor Chris Christie eating a donut on "Letterman."

John McCain announced his run for president on Letterman's show in 2007. And Mitt Romney did a "Top 10 List."

MITT ROMNEY (R), FORMER PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: Isn't it time for a president who looks like a 1970s game show host?

STELTER: Late-night has become a rite of passage for presidential candidates, one that actually dates back five decades. Then Senator John F. Kennedy went on Jack Paar's show in 1960. In 1968, Richard Nixon did "Laugh In."

RICHARD NIXON, FORMER PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Sock it to me?

STELTER: And who could forget Bill Clinton playing the sax on Arsenio Hall.

But there's always the risk of an awkward moment or just coming off dull. Many critics thought John Kerry bombed on "The Daily Show" in 2004.

JON STEWART, FORMER HOST, "THE DAILY SHOW": Are you or have you ever flip-flopped?

JOHN KERRY (D), FORMER PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: I've flip-flopped, flop-flipped. STELTER: Now with Trump, Clinton, Bush, viewers will be watching to

see if they are big hits or political misses.

Brian Stelter, CNN, New York.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

ASHER: The CEO of Apple is scheduled to make big announcement on Wednesday. Likely to unveil the latest in the iPhone line of products.

BARNETT: That's right. But they could make a major splash in another way.

CNN business correspondent Samuel Burke reports.

SAMUEL BURKE, CNN BUSINESS CORRESPONDENT: Usually, iPhones are the stars of this big Apple event. This time, it looks like an updated version of the Apple TV console might steal the spotlight. That's because no one is expecting an iPhone 7 until next year, likely just an iPhone 6S and a 6S Plus this time around, with an improved processor and better camera. The biggest change might be a screen with force touch. If you press a little harder on the screen, it will reveal extra menu settings.

We're also expecting a new iPad. Sales keep going down for Apple's tablets. They are hoping a bigger screen, possibly 13 inches, 33 centimeters, will help turn things around.

All eyes will be on the Apple TV set-top box. It connects your TV to the Internet so you can watch video from outlets like Netflix and YouTube. Recent sales numbers show Apple TV is the most popular streaming device in the United States, beating out Google's less expensive $30 Chromecast. Apple TV currently costs 60 bucks but there are reports the updated model could jump to 150 bucks or even more. That will get you an improved remote control with a touch pad and new gaming options, possibly better integration with Siri.

The company previously called Apple TV just a hobby, now Apple appears to be taking the product more seriously as streaming becomes one of the most lucrative areas in entertainment and tech.

Back to you, guys.

[00:40:11] BARNETT: And we will let you know what the big announcement or announcements may be.

ASHER: Exactly. That's our Samuel Burke reporting there.

BARNETT: Now coming up next, Queen Elizabeth II surpasses Queen Victoria as Britain's longest reigning monarch. Details after the break.

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BARNETT: Amid the fighting in Syria, one man sits at the head of ISIS. We've heard very little, though, about Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi on a personal level, that is until now.

ASHER: That's right. CNN senior international correspondent Atika Shubert spent time with a young Yazidi girl named Zeinat. Now in Atika's exclusive report Zeinat says she became a slave of the caliphate handpicked by the ISIS leader himself.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ATIKA SHUBERT, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): In 2014, Kurdish, Iraqi and U.S. troops rescued thousands of Yazidis in a dramatic airlift caught on CNN cameras. Thousands of others were captured. Yazidi women and children parceled out as slaves to ISIS fighters.

One year on, this young Yazidi girl tells CNN she was enslaved but not just by any ISIS fighter. This man, ISIS leader, Abu Bakr al- Baghdadi. She instantly recognizes Kayla Mueller, the young American aid worker killed in ISIS captivity. They shared a cell together, she says. Both slaves of the caliphate.

We sat down with Zeinat, an assumed name, at a safe location. She described how she was handpicked from among hundreds of captured Yazidi women.

[00:45:04] ZEINAT, HELD CAPTIVE BY ISIS LEADER (Through Translator): The first time he came, I was sitting and crying. He came close to me and called over the man who was in charge of the house. When I stood up, he looked at me and told the guard, take this girl away and put her to the side.

SHUBERT: Zeinat says she began work as a slave girl in the Baghdadi household, cleaning up after and cooking for his three wives and six children. She was just 15.

The family was constantly on the move. Just days after she arrived Zeinat says an airstrike destroyed the house next door. Eventually, Zeinat tried to escape with another girl.

ZEINAT (Through Translator): They would lock us in and one night we got the key and unlocked the door. At this time we were six girls. We ran and ran. After three kilometers, we saw a house just outside Aleppo in a village. And there was an Arab woman. She said she would help us, but then she called Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi.

SHUBERT: They were punished, she says, beaten with a belt, a garden hose and a plank of wood, dislocating her elbow. The last blows delivered by Baghdadi himself.

(On camera): What did he say to you when he hit you?

ZEINAT (Through Translator): Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi told us, we beat you because you ran away from us. We chose you to convert to our religion. We chose you. You belong to the Islamic State.

SHUBERT: Where did he hit you?

(Voice-over): This is when she met Kayla, she says, locked in the same cell.

ZEINAT (Through Translator): The first time I entered the room, I saw Kayla. I asked, how did she come here. And she said, ISIS, they captured me. And I told her, I'm a Yazidi girl from Sinjar and I was captured by Daesh. After that, we stayed together and became like sisters.

SHUBERT: One day, she, Kayla and another Yazidi girl were moved to the home of a high-ranking fighter by the name of Abu Sayyaf. Shortly after, she says, Baghdadi came to visit. He called for Kayla.

ZEINAT (Through Translator): When Kayla came back to us, we asked her, why are you crying? And Kayla told us that Baghdadi said, "I'm going to marry you by force and you're going to be my wife. If you refuse, I will kill you." She was telling me everything. She wasn't hiding anything from me. Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi raped me. That's what she told me.

SHUBERT (on camera): How many times did this happen?

ZEINAT (Through Translator): Four times.

SHUBERT: Four times that you know of? Did he ever rape you as well?

ZEINAT (Through Translator): Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi told us, I did this to Kayla and what I did to Kayla I will do to you.

SHUBERT (voice-over): Zeinat and a younger girl plotted their escape.

ZEINAT (Through Translator): I told Kayla to escape with me. But Kayla refused. And she said, if I escape, they will behead me.

SHUBERT: She says she waited until 1:00 a.m. and pushed open a broken window in their room. After a harrowing three hours, she says, they made it to a village, and one man agreed to smuggle both girls out.

ZEINAT (Through Translator): At the time, I didn't know it was Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, but when I escaped, I saw him on TV and I heard his voice. I could not have imagined it would be the leader of ISIS. I was so frightened. He could have killed me.

SHUBERT: There is no way for CNN to independently confirm Zeinat's story. But she says she has spoken to U.S. investigators, including details about Baghdadi's daily routine, how he woke up at 10:00 a.m., went to bed at midnight, and had no phones for fear of being traced, relying on others to relay messages.

(On camera): What kind of a man was Baghdadi? Was he ever, ever kind to you?

ZEINAT (Through Translator): No, he was always evil. There were no kind words.

SHUBERT (voice-over): She says she hopes some piece of information however small will lead to the downfall of the man who once called her his slave. Atika Shubert, CNN.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

ASHER: OK. Well, today marks the historic moment for the British royal family. Queen Elizabeth has officially reigned for 23,226 days. I counted, by the way. Just kidding. And she now becomes the longest serving monarch in history.

BARNETT: That's right. She's reigned for 63 years, longer than both of us have been alive, Zain. Put together. Surpassing her great, great grandmother, Queen Victoria.

Nick Glass has more.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

NICK GLASS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: So many images, so many waves, so much animation. Britain's recent island story is unimaginable without Elizabeth. Just as the 19th Century were unimaginable without Victoria. That's her urn the parasol. Although her image was rather severe.

(On camera): The Queen only has to step out on (INAUDIBLE) balcony of the Buckingham Palace to be reminded of her great, great grandmother. Victoria reigned for 63 years, seven months, and two days.

(Voice-over): It all began rosily for both of them. Victoria became queen at a girlish 18. Always livelier in those early portraits than in photos. Elizabeth came to the throne at 25. Almost overnight a cover girl of film star glamour. Both women married cousins. Victoria chose Prince Albert of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha. Elizabeth knows the painting well. It's in the royal collection. She of course married Prince Phillip of Greece and Denmark.

With nine children, Victoria presented the royal family as a model of domestic virtue. Elizabeth tried to do much of the same with some success until three of her four children married and divorced.

[00:55:09] One profound difference between the two reigns is visibility. Victoria was the first British queen ever photographed. Widowed at 42 she then famously retreated for many years from public life. A magazine from 1900 illustrated some of her rare outings. And here she is seen in a wheelchair. She was by then 80 and in the last year of her life.

At 89, Elizabeth is still very much out and about along with Phillip, age 94, meeting friends and allies, simply doing her job.

(On camera): Victoria ended her life as figure head of the largest, wealthiest, most aggressively powerful empire in the world. She was revered. She lent her name to the age.

(Voice-over): Elizabeth's realm is obviously diminished, but her reign has given continuity to help make the monarchy a viable institution and she's evidently cherished. In her latest portrait she is reading official government papers, still very much at work.

Nick Glass, CNN, in London.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

ASHER: Still very much at work. OK. Just like us. So thank you so much for watching, everyone. I'm Zain Asher.

BARNETT: And I'm Errol Barnett. Stay right there. Zain and I will be back with another hour of the world's biggest stories after this short break. See you soon.

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