Return to Transcripts main page

CNN Newsroom

Problems 4 Days Before Rio Olympics Begin; Infrastructure Coming Together at Last Minute in Rio; Republican Leaders, Clinton Respond to Trump/Khan Controversy; Trump: Debate Night Schedule Unacceptable; Growing Humanitarian Crisis in Aleppo, Syria; Turkish Military Under Tighter Government Control; Humanitarian Crisis is Aleppo; Tokyo Gets 1st Female Governor; Deadly Floods in Maryland; 1st Olympic Athletic Team Made Up of Refugees. Aired 2-3a ET

Aired August 01, 2016 - 02:00   ET

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


(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(HEADLINES)

[02:00:43] ROSEMARY CHURCH, CNN ANCHOR: Hello, and welcome here to the United States and all around the world. I am Rosemary Church.

GEORGE HOWELL, CNN ANCHOR: I am George Howell. Good to be with you live from CNN headquarters in Atlanta. CNN NEWSROOM starts right now.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

(MUSIC)

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HOWELL: Just from the graphic there, it looks exciting. The Rio Olympics is just four days away. The excitement continues to build but also question is building as well. There are concerns over the readiness of infrastructure and even health concerns for the athletes and spectators that threaten to spoil the smooth start.

CHURCH: And that's not even counting what else is happening in the streets of Rio. On Sunday, Brazilians demonstrated against suspended President Dilma Rousseff. They want her out for good. And that's all adding to a flurry of existing issues, but Brazil is hoping to put its problems aside to host a successful Olympics.

And Christina McFarland is joining us right now.

We see the beach of Copacabana behind you as the countdown continues. Just four days to go, but so many challenges for the host nation. What is the mood there and what is being said about all these problems and challenges and whether these games will be a success?

CHRISTINA MCFARLAND, CNN WORLD SPORT CORRESPONDENT: Yeah, Rosemary and George, welcome to one of our first-ever live from our Copacabana in South America. Look at the scene behind me. This is the Copacabana, one of four Olympic clusters where the games will take place here. We'll have the beach volleyball, the swim marathon and the triathlon all happening here just behind our live position.

But as you say Rosemary, perhaps unlike any other games in history, this Olympics has been besieged with problems in the run up. We've see the impeachment of President Dilma Rousseff, concern over the Zika Virus, and a deep economic recession.

But I have been on the ground for about a week and the mood is quite different. There is anticipation and excitement, and that's been building each and everyday that the athletes have been arriving here into the airport in Rio. And just a few days ago, we saw the fastest man on the planet, Usain Bolt, arrive at the airport with some fun fair. He, of course, going for the historic triples here in Rio, the triple relay and the relay gold medals for the third and straight Olympic in a row. We saw the U.S. gymnast out here in the Copacabana yesterday shopping and taking pictures with fans. And earlier today, a lot of the rugby athletes arrived here. They'll compete in their first ever Olympic games. Of course, rugby and golf, the new sports on the block here in Rio.

You mentioned those protests a few minutes ago. There were protests planned here on the Copacabana earlier today but it turned out to be small, indeed. The focus is shifting subtly from the problems we've seen to focus on the sport, which is due to kickoff in four days' time. The Brazilian people that I've been speaking to, they are all pleased that the Olympics have now arrived in Rio.

CHURCH: Certainly. And there is where they want the focus. But there is another drama brewing, involving Russian athletes, in a state of limbo, not sure if they'll be competing or not. What is the latest on that issue and more impact is the doping drama having on the games?

MCFARLAND: Yes, Rosemary, it is incredible to think with just four days to go there's still uncertainty on whether Russian athletes will be able to compete here at the games. They are here and we have seen them around the beach. They still have to fly back home. And what we are waiting on is a decision on the IOC on this. The IOC has been criticized for not taking a stronger stance from this issue, for not issuing a blanket ban following the report from the World Anti-Doping Agency a couple of weeks ago, where there was evidence found of widespread state-sponsored doping.

Earlier today, the president of IOC, Thomas Bach, facing the press for the first time at the Olympics and he faced strong questions on whether this scandal damaged the credibility of the game and if the IOC were too slow to respond to it. He was very defensive and he said they have done the best they could under the circumstances. Have a listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

[02:05:] THOMAS BACH, PRESIDENT, INTERNATIONAL OLYMPIC COMMITTEE: I trust the people that they realize they are the difficulties we are in. They realize that, again, it was not an easy decision to take. And they realize that we did our best to address these situations in a way which allows to protect all athletes all over the world.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

MCFARLAND: So the IOC has set up a three-person panel to decide which Russian athletes will compete here at the games. The IOC determined that they will have the final say on this but, of course, time is running out.

CHURCH: It certainly is. Very frustrating for those athletes, no doubt.

Christine McFarland joining us from Rio. Just at 3:00 in the morning. Let's talk again next hour. Appreciate it.

HOWELL: When it comes to putting on the Olympics, it requires a lot of a host city, specifically, it requires a great deal of new infrastructure to support the huge influx of people.

Our Shasta Darlington went out on the streets of Rio to see how ready that city is for the millions of people coming in for these games.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

(MUSIC)

SHASTA DARLINGTON, CNN CORRESPONDENT: It's a beautiful day. So we're going to head to some Olympic stadiums and test out the public transportation system, which is coming together at the very last minute.

Olympic transport tickets cost about $49 for a week, or $8 for a one- day card. So for the first leg we're taking this journey underground on the metro.

And here we go.

So we're going to head up to the escalator and up to the train that will be our next leg of this journey. So there are no signs yet for the Olympic Parks. A tourist is going to be pretty lost. They would probably head over here to the information booth. So we'll head over here. Which is also empty. So let's ask security if they know.

Excuse me, Olympic Park? Olympic Park?

Part two, getting on the train.

ANNOUNCER: Will depart from platform eight.

DARLINGTON: So this used to be the Can of Sardines train. Obviously it's looking better now. They've put more cars on the tracks, especially as we get close to the Olympics, and more security.

So if you're coming to see track and field, this is your stop. And let's see if, if you calculate the time to switch trains, it's about 50 minutes from your hotel door to right here at the stadium.

If you continue on to the Deodoro Park for BMX or rugby, give yourself a good hour and 15 minutes from the hotel. So if you have just seen an equestrian event or maybe a canoe slalom

and you want the get to the main Olympic Park, you're going to take this dedicated bus line. Right now it's empty. In fact, it looks like they're still finishing it. But once the Olympics starts, this is going to be a really important trajectory. It's going to connect to all of the Olympic Park right there, the main one, all of the hotels on Rio's south side.

The good news, this has its own exclusive lane. So hopefully, we won't be sitting in traffic.

That was fast, comfortable, and air conditioned. I'd be getting on the metro now, but the new line won't be open until four days before the Olympics start. For now, stuck in traffic.

Shasta Darlington, CNN, Rio de Janeiro.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

CHURCH: Donald Trump's bitter feud with the parents of a fallen U.S. Muslim soldier is sparking widespread outrage from the leadership of his own party. The war of words began when Khizr Khan, whose son died in Iraq, spoke at last week's Democratic convention. He denounced the Republican presidential candidate for proposing a ban on Muslims and said that Trump has sacrificed nothing. Trump later criticized Khan's wife for remaining silent on stage.

HOWELL: While not specifically mentioning Donald Trump by name, U.S. House Speaker Paul Ryan spoke out in defense of the Khan family, saying, "Many Muslims served valiantly in our military and made the ultimate sacrifice. Captain Khan was one such brave example. His sacrifice and that of Khizr Khan and Ghazala Khan should be honored. Period."

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell offered similar sentiments, saying, quote, "Captain Khan was an American hero, and like all Americans, I'm grateful for the sacrifices that selfless men, like Captain Khan, and their families have made on the war in terror.

[02:10:18] CHURCH: Trump's former Republican rival had an even sharper response. Jeb Bush tweeted, "This is so incredibly disrespect of a family that endured the ultimate sacrifice for our country."

CHURCH: And a spokesperson for his brother, former U.S. president, George W. Bush, said, quote, "President Bush remains deeply grateful for the sacrifice of all Gold Star families, as we should all be. He thinks about them and prays for them each and every day."

Khan's father is calling on those Republican leaders to withdraw their support for Donald Trump. He addressed them on Sunday here on CNN saying they have a moral obligation to repudiate their presidential nominee. Khan had sharp remarks of Trump's criticism of his wife.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

KHIZR KHAN, FATHER OF FALLEN U.S. SOLDIER: This person is totally incapable of empathy. I want his family to council him. Teach him some empathy. He will be a better person if he could become, but he's a black soul. And this is totally unfit for the leadership of this beautiful country.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HOWELL: And we are also hearing from the Democratic presidential nominee, Hillary Clinton, who weighed in on this feud at a campaign stop in the state of Ohio. Listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

HILLARY CLINTON, (D), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE & FORMER SECRETARY OF STATE: To launch an attack as he did on captain Khan's mother, a Gold Star mother, who stood there on that stage with her husband honoring the sacrifice of their son, and who has in the days since spoken out about the overwhelming emotion that any mother would feel as her son was being honored, and then to have Trump do what he did -- I don't know where the bottoms are. I don't know where the bottom is.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CHURCH: But Trump does not seem to worry about the controversy. The Republican candidate says his party convention boosted him in the polls and he says he got more television viewers than Hillary Clinton.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DONALD TRUMP, (R), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE & CEO, TRUMP ORGANIZATION: I had a big bounce and, in fact, I think you even said that was one of the biggest bounces in 20 years. It is been a long time since somebody had a bounce like that.

Look, I think the Republican convention was great or I would not have had the bounce I had. As you said, I had three million people more than she had on the final night. She had a speech and I had a speech. I had three million people more than she did.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HOWELL: Republicans had a boost after their convention and we are expecting to see some information or numbers on the boost for Democrats after their convention last week.

At the same time, the Commission on U.S. Presidential Debates says it will not change the present schedule for the televised debates that are set for later this year.

CHURCH: That is despite complaints from Donald Trump's campaign that the schedule is unacceptable.

Brian Stelter has the story.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

BRIAN STELTER, CNN SENIOR MEDIA CORRESPONDENT & CNN HOST, RELIABLE RESOURCES: Hey, there. Yes, the debate about the debates is under way. Almost two months remain before Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump are scheduled to meet on stage for the first of three highly anticipated debates. But this weekend, Donald Trump started to challenge the debate schedule, saying he's willing to debate three times but he does not like the dates that are selected.

Let me tell you what's going on. The debates in the United States are organized by a non partisan group called the Commission on Presidential Debates. It is been around for about three decades and its model has been borrowed from other countries as well.

This commission, made up of Democrats and Republicans, sets the dates for the debates about a year beforehand and also selects the moderators and the formats and the locations. So the commission chose the four days of three for the presidential debate and one for the vice presidential debates last September and two of them conflicted with the NFL games. That is the thrust of Donald Trump's complaint. He says it will take the viewership from the debates.

Initially, Trump told ABC News that he received a letter from NFL complaining about the schedule. Well, that turned out not to be true. The NFL says there was letter sent. Today, Trump's campaign backtracked and said actually it was a source close to the league that told him about this overlap.

As for the scheduling issue, well, it is a real issue. Two games scheduled on the day of the debate. But the commission says they had no other choice. This happens all the time, including in 2012 when Barack Obama and Mitt Romney debated.

Let me show you part of the commission's statement, an unusual statement they issued on this subject. They said, "It is impossible to avoid all sporting events and there have been nights on which debates and games occurred in most election cycles. A debate has never been rescheduled as a result."

The indication from the commission is we are not going to change the dates this year either.

But what's really happening here is the beginning of a negotiation, the beginning of seven long weeks perhaps of haggling between the campaign and the commission that organizes the debates. Normally, these negotiations happen in private. The campaigns argue over everything, even the temperatures of the air-conditioning in the debate hall. But as with everything about this election in the U.S., Donald Trump is doing it differently. Donald Trump is starting the negotiating in public.

Back to you.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

[02:15:45] CHURCH: All right, we'll take a short break. But still to come, a battle is raging for control of Syria's largest cities and witnesses say the civilians are trapped there and setting fires to protect themselves. An update on the fight for Aleppo, coming up. HOWELL: Plus, hundreds of soldiers detained after the failed coup attempt in Turkey. They have been released, but the government is putting a tighter grip on the military.

2:16 on the U.S. east coast. This is CNN NEWSROOM.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(SPORTS REPORT)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[02:20:02] HOWELL: Welcome back to CNN NEWSROOM. There is a major Syrian rebel offense under way. The rebels there trying to regain ground that they lost last week in Aleppo.

CHURCH: Witnesses say people inside the city are setting fires, hoping the smoke will keep war planes from hitting their targets.

HOWELL: I want to show you this amateur video that claims to show extensive damage to a hospital after weekend air strikes. It is the third hospital reportedly attacked in a week.

CNN is following this story with our Ian Lee, joining us from Beirut.

Ian, what more can you tell us about this new offensive?

IAN LEE, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, George, this offense was announced yesterday by the military spokesperson of a rebel group in Syria saying they have major offense under way to break the siege on Aleppo. A frontline about 20 kilometers, roughly 16 miles. Their objective is to break that siege and, as they say, restore the flow of humanitarian aid and just goods in general into that besieged part of Aleppo.

HOWELL: Ian, the situation inside Aleppo, we have seen so many images like the ones we are seeing now. What more can you tell us about what is like for people there and also these humanitarian corridors for people to escape?

LEE: Well, the situation grows worse by the day, George. We did hear that they are trying to obscure these skies so air strikes cannot be done. There was one day of reprieve. But yesterday, talking to sources inside the city, they say those air strikes have been ramped up, especially near the front lines.

But the situation for the general public, the 200,000 to 300,000 people there, it is a humanitarian disaster. You go to the market, there is no food on the shelves. And talking to doctors, they describe how there is a lack of medicine and lack of supplies. And one doctor tells us they are reusing their syringes because they ran out. And you look at fuel. Ambulances are on their last tanks. You have generators that are running hospitals that are running out of diesel fuel. Once that runs out, that'll just compound the crisis that the doctor says is already there. Most people are suffering from malnutrition. There's a desperate need for the humanitarian aide. The Syrian government and the Russians have said they've opened at least three corridors for civilians to get out. They said 169 civilians have made it out. It is a drop in the bucket if you consider the hundreds of thousands of people in the city. Those people are not trusting the Syrian government or the Russians to live up to their promise that they will be given humanitarian assistance. They are also offering amnesty to rebel fighters who want to cross over and lay down their arms. But a lot of skepticism there. They point to events in the past where similar amnesty and humanitarian corridors have been opened but people are then describing how they are separated from the men and women and children and those men are never heard of again -- George?

HOWELL: The issue of mistrust at the same time, such a dire situation in Aleppo for people who are there.

CNN international correspondent, Ian Lee, live for us, following the story in Beirut. Ian, we appreciate your reporting today. Thank you.

CHURCH: Another story we're watching, Turkey's military is now under tighter government control after a series of decrees following the failed coup attempt two weeks ago. The government dismissed close to 1400 military personnel on Sunday, saying they have ties to the alleged mastermind, Fethullah Gulen.

HOWELL: That Muslim cleric lives in exile here in the United States.

CNN's Fareed Zakaria sat down with Gulen, who again denied any direct involvement in the coup.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

FETHULLAH GULEN, MUSLIM CLERIC (through translation): Let any international organization investigate this matter in depth. If there is anything I told anyone about this verbally, if there is any phone conversations, or one-tenth of this accusation is correct, in fact, I will bend my neck and will say, they are telling truth, let them take me away, let them hang me. But I am talking with certainty. I have neither talked to anyone, nor did I say anything to anyone on the phone.

FAREED ZAKARIA, CNN HOST, FAREED ZAKARIA, GPS: Now in the background, there could be naive people tricked who are sympathetic to you or appear to be sympathetic with you in this situation or pressured to say things in the promise of reward.

GULEN: I don't know and I won't be able to say anything about it.

However, one of the most important proofs of a hastily made decision is, the day after the event, thousands of people are fired from their jobs. It clearly shows that they have been labeled previously and they needed a scenario for such operations. Common sense and good conscious tell us such.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

[02:25:30] CHURCH: It's worth noting, CNN has asked for a response from the Turkish president. So far, we have not received a reply.

In Munich, German Chancellor Angela Merkel attended a memorial service for the victims killed in a shooting rampage.

HOWELL: A German-Iranian teenager gunned down nine people on July 22nd before killing himself. Police say he had no connection to Islamic militant groups.

Muslims in several parts of France attended mass at Catholic churches over the week.

CHURCH: The presence was a gesture of solidarity after the killing of a priest in Normandy. The priest died last week when two 19-year-old terrorists attacked him with a knife. Authorities say they killed him in the name of ISIS.

HOWELL: Historic firsts when it comes to the territory of Tokyo's newest governor. Ahead, the challenge she will be tackling in her first few weeks on the job.

Plus, neighbors form a human chain to save a woman trapped in a car by a flood. How eastern Maryland is trying to recover from some incredible rain. That's coming up.

Stay with us.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

CHURCH: A warm welcome back to our view here in the United States all around the world. I'm Rosemary Church.

[02:30:00] HOWELL: I'm George Howell, with the headlines we're following for you this hour.

(HEADLINES)

CHURCH: Syrian rebels are battling to end the government siege of Aleppo. They began a major offensive Sunday. Syrian state television reports more than 150 civilians, mainly women and children, left the city through a safety zone set up by Syrian and Russian forces.

HOWELL: Russian media report that Syria and Russia will establish four more humanitarian corridors into Aleppo, but there is skepticism about how safe those corridors will be.

To talk more about the situation there, let's bring in Ingy Sedky, a spokeswoman International Committee of the Red Cross in Syria. Let's bring you in by phone.

Good to have you with us.

I want to talk about this situation in Aleppo. How bad is it? Earlier we heard from our correspondent who said that when it comes to food, water, medicine, there's not a lot in supply there.

INGY SEDKY, SPOKESPERSON, INTERNATIONAL COMMITTEE OF THE RED CROSS (voice-over): Yeah, effectively yeah, the situation in Aleppo is deteriorating from one day to another. Unfortunately, it's the civilians who are paying the higher price with the ongoing fighting. Basically there is -- no one is safe in Aleppo. There are many areas which doesn't have any access to food or medical supplies or many of the water infrastructure and the hospitals have been highly damaged. So the situation is really very bad nowadays. And there is a lack of food, higher prices in the city. Yes.

HOWELL: We're looking at these images, Ingy, as you're talking to us. You get a sense of just how dire the situation is for people there. But at the same time, there is a question about trust of any people there concerned, wonder whether the Syrian government will fulfill their promises when it comes to overseeing these humanitarian corridors. So if you could just talk to us about what people are saying, from what you hear, given that there are escape routes, but still this question of trust.

SEDKY: Referring to development in the last days, any initiative that can allow to spare the civilian population from ongoing hostilities and the fighting and to allow the injured people to have access to medical care or to be evacuated is positive. However, we have some humanitarian concerns when it comes to humanitarian corridors, because, by definition, humanitarian corridors, they are limited in geographical scope. And they need to be well planned and implemented with consent of all the parties. That being said, a cease-fire is a must in order to ensure the safety of the civilian and also to leave the city.

HOWELL: This is a logistical question. I'm looking at this video of what seems to be supplies that are getting into Aleppo. I'd just like to ask you, when it comes to getting that very important cargo to the people who need it, how is that going for groups like yours?

SEDKY: Unfortunately, from our side, we don't have access to eastern Aleppo. And ISIS is -- this situation there is very dire. And we have been asking a long time to have access to eastern Aleppo and to be able to assess the needs of the people there. And to provide the humanitarian aid there in collaboration with the Red Crescent.

Ingy Sedky, joining us live by phone. Appreciate your insight what's happening there in Aleppo. Thank you.

CHURCH: Voters in Tokyo have elected their first female governor. Yuriko Koike was also the first woman to serve as Japan's defense minister.

HOWELL: Koike beat her closest rival in the governors' race by over one million votes. He was the former internal affairs minister backed by the ruling party.

CHURCH: Anna Fifield joins us now. She is the Tokyo bureau chief for "The Washington Post."

Anna, thanks for being with us.

How significant is Koike's landslide victory and why did voters decide she was best equipped for the job?

[02:35:17] ANNA FIFIELD, TOYKO BUREAU CHIEF, THE WASHINGTON POST: Right. It is very significant. As you said, she is the first woman governor of Tokyo, a city of 14 million people with a budget bigger than some European countries. She had previously talked about there being a -- not a glass ceiling but a steel ceiling in Japan. In some ways she's put a crack in that now. But I think the reason that she managed to harness so much support is not so much because she's a woman but because she was presenting herself as an outside candidate who could come in and fix up the city after a series of missteps and scandal involving her predecessors. So as you mentioned, she was not backed by the ruling party. Even though she has been a member of it for a long time and served in parliament as a representative of that party, she was able to portray herself as something of an outsider.

CHURCH: And that's monumental in itself. Ms. Koike's predecessor was embroiled in a financial scandal linked to Tokyo's hosting the 20 Olympic games. Now it falls on Ms. Koike to ensure the games' success. How big a challenge will this likely be for her?

FIFIELD: This is a huge challenge for her and will be top of her agenda now. There's a lot of expectations surrounding these Olympic Games. Japan has been in this economic malaise for decades. And so they are really looking at this Olympic Games as a way to inject some new momentum into the economy. But it has been plagued by a series of scandals and missteps. Plagiarism claims, corruption, all sorts of fiascos have bedeviled these games. There will really -- it will be in Ms. Koike's court to fix this up. She will be going to Rio later this month to collect the flag and take over the mantle of the games once Brazil's done.

CHURCH: Ms. Koike is a former news anchor and speaks fluent Arabic. What else do we know about her and the type of leadership she will likely bring to Tokyo?

FIFIELD: Right, she has a very interesting back story. She speaks fluent English and is fluent in Arabic, which she learned at a student in Cairo in the 1970s and then she went on to become a journalist interviewing Gadhafi and Libya and Arafat, the Palestinian leader. She had the history as a journalist and was quite well known here as a result of that before going into politics. Since she's been a politician she has really been on the read wing of the LDP Party and has been promoting a conservative stance when it comes to things like historical issues in Japan. So we can expect to see more of that from her. Even though she's the governor of the city, she is the most high-profile woman politician in Japan now and she carries a lot of clout because of that.

CHURCH: Anna Fifield, with "The Washington Post." We'll all be watching very closely of course to watch this new leadership there in Tokyo. Many thanks to you. We'll have you back again next hour.

Recovery efforts are starting after a deadly flood in Maryland. It is the worst the area's seen in decades. Coming up, how quickly it grew out of control. HOWELL: And for the first time, those without a place to call home

will compete in Rio. Meet the Olympic refugee team as CNN NEWSROOM continues.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[02:42:14] HOWELL: Two people are dead and an entire city is ruined after historic floods in the U.S. state of Maryland. Officials there calling it the worst they've seen in 57 years.

CHURCH: Incredible. A month's worth of rain hit the Ellicott area within an hour. A woman was swept away and died. A man was killed leaving his car.

As Ryan Hughes tells us, the focus now is on recovery.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

RYAN HUGHES, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): The Ellicott City ravaged after severe flooding. Cars now sitting on top of each other. Others swallowed at part of Main Street collapses.

GILL ROBINSON, FLOOD SURVIVOR: People running out of the restaurant in panic. It's devastating to the businesses and the restaurants that are in town. It's very sad.

HUGHES: Gill Robinson considers herself lucky. Only dealing with four inches of water in her basement. But her neighbors in the historic district facing tremendous devastation.

The raging floodwaters tossing cars around like nothing. One man seen in this video holding on for dear life. He was rescued after going under.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The personal loss of life and just people's lives and livelihoods changed in a moment.

HUGHES: Maryland Governor Larry Hogan spent the morning surveying the damage. He signed a state of emergency declaration and is calling this damage the worst he's seen since taking office.

LARRY HOGAN, MARYLAND GOVERNOR: We're going to be trying to help those people that have lost their homes, we're going to try to provide the assistance to get the entire community back together.

HUGHES: Main Street is the hardest-hit area. Sidewalks are missing and buildings are facing significant structural damage. Crews spent the day pulling up chunks of concrete. Tonight, officials are vowing to rebuild.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We will make it vital and vibrant and even more vital and vibrant than it was before this occurrence.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

CHURCH: The images there just incredible. Everyone asking, is in the end of this bad weather?

HOWELL: Let's bring in our Meteorologist Karen McGinnis in the International Weather Center following it all.

Karen, good day.

KAREN MAGINNIS, AMS METEOROLOGIST: Good to see you guys, too. What we saw were some slow-moving thunderstorms, but they had a tremendous amount of moisture with them. It took about two hours for these inches of rainfall along a very peculiar weather system that just kind of is waving right across the mid-Atlantic region. It will be the focus point for more thunderstorms.

But let's talk about this particular rain event by the numbers. The timeline. In about 10 minutes they saw almost 1.5 inches of rainfall. In 10 minutes. Then you go another 10 minutes and we see 2 inches of rainfall. And before you know it, we've got 6 inches. In recent times, this is one of the most significant flooding events in Ellicott City in a city that is historically known to flood, has over the centuries. In recent times, 1972, that was due to Hurricane Agnes. So will Ellicott City see the moisture today? Hit or miss thunderstorms. It will be eastern Pennsylvania, northern New Jersey, that will see the bulk of the moisture. A couple of inches of rainfall millimeters. But other than that, just scattered storms. But by Wednesday, it looks like a return to a little bit more of a moist pattern there.

Let's talk about our other big story and this is Typhoon Nida moving west-northwest fairly rapidly. There is a signal 3 out for Hong Kong. And that signal 3 indicates that small craft on waters should be in harbors. That you should take action to protect yourself from flooding or storm surge. Also wind damage. Shortly, they will probably up it to a tropical cyclone signal 8.

Will it make landfall in Hong Kong? Well, on either side of Hong Kong, to the east or to the West, there's still going to be an impact. Probably sooner than later, because it is moving fairly quickly. If it is to the east, if it makes landfall to the east, that is going to cause the water, that storm surge, to pull out of that Hong Kong region. If it moves to the West, makes landfall to the West, then we're looking at a much more significant system. Either way the impact is going to be significant rainfall, some wind damage, power outages, could see over 200 millimeters of rainfall.

We'll keep you updated. Back to you guys.

[02:46:43]HOWELL: Karen, thank you.

The refugee Olympic team, they are already making a statement before the games even begin.

CHURCH: We will meet some of the athletes looking to make history in Rio.

Back in a moment.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[02:50:56] CHURCH: The Olympics will have an historic first this time around. A team of athletes made up entirely of refugees. And they come from all over the world. But they're competing under one flag.

HOWELL: It's just so beautiful. The world will get its formal introduction during the opening ceremony on Friday.

Our David McKenzie caught up with the team while training in Kenya.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

DAVID MCKENZIE, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Morning training in the hills, a Mecca for Kenya's Olympians. But these runners are refugees. They ran from their homelands from war and family. They have no flag of their own.

JOHN ANZARA (ph), OLYMPIC COACH: When they came in first, we went out training. And people were laughing. These are not athletes. Coach John, what are you doing with these people? That was very discouraging. At the beginning, as I thought, are we going to make it?

MCKENZIE: Coach John Anzara (ph) is molding raw talent.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: (SPEAKING FOREIGN LANGUAGE)

MCKENZIE: Refugees selected from south Sudan, Somalia and the Congo, training for a chance to make it to the Rio Olympics. It's the first ever refugee team.

(on camera): You see their times improved a great deal.

ANZARA (ph): Oh, it does. It was not the way they're running now.

MCKENZIE (voice-over): Rose Nazika (ph) has been running her whole life. When the war came to her village in south Sudan, she fled the killing on foot, then in the back of a truck.

ROSE NAZIKA (ph), OLYMPIC RUNNER: People undermine refugees as if they are not human beings like them. If they can discover their talents and make it like other people so they cannot be undermined.

MCKENZIE: Rose says her tough training can't compare to the hardship she has already gone through growing up in a refugee camp in Kenya's outer fringes. A city of refugees who fled from south Sudan's old and new wars. Here Rose took care of her brothers and sisters, volunteering for an NGO, going to school, and running.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: (SPEAKING FOREIGN LANGUAGE)

MCKENZIE (on camera): So they're very nervous today?

ANZARA (ph): Yes, they're nervous. But I would not just let them sit in the camp. MCKENZIE (voice-over): 43 athletes from around the world were

selected for training, only 10 will go to Rio, overcoming a lifetime of trauma to compete on the world's biggest stage.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Rose Nazika (ph).

(APPLAUSE)

MCKENZIE: Rose will run the 800 meters.

NAZIKA (ph): (SPEAKING FOREIGN LANGUAGE)

MCKENZIE: She'll be running for her family, for the refugees of Kakuma, and for every one of the 21 million refugees around the world.

Given the chance, Rose says, they can achieve anything.

David McKenzie, CNN, Kenya.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

HOWELL: When you consider everything they've been through, to get to that point and they are excelling, it truly is a beautiful thing.

CHURCH: It is.

HOWELL: You wish them all the best.

CHURCH: So inspiring to see that.

HOWELL: The excitement clearly building for these games. Be sure to stay with CNN, our continuing coverage of this.

CHURCH: Just head to our website, CNN.com/Olympics. There you can read more about the athletes, festivities and host city Rio de Janeiro.

Plus, you can take the great CNN Olympics quiz and put your knowledge of the games to the test. Go on. Do it. That's at CNN.com/Olympics.

HOWELL: I don't think I'd do so well on that quiz.

(CROSSTALK)

CHURCH: I don't think I would either.

Here's a great story. A skydiver in the U.S. has made history by plummeting to earth without a parachute. Can you imagine? Luke Akins jumped above the California desert nailing the landing at almost 200 kilometers. That is 125 miles an hour. Terrifying.

[02:55:07] HOWELL: Look at that.

CHURCH: Whoo.

HOWELL: How did he prepare? He did dozens of jumps each time wearing a parachute but opening it at the very last possible moment. In Saturday's attempt, he did it without a parachute landing squarely in a net.

CHURCH: I can tell you, I will never do that.

HOWELL: I don't think I will, too.

CHURCH: Unless you push me out of a plane.

HOWELL: Push with a parachute immediately.

CHURCH: Exactly.

Thank you for joining us. I'm Rosemary Church.

HOWELL: Thanks for being with us. I'm George Howell.

The news continues here on CNN right after the break.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)