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Aftershocks Hampering Rescue Efforts; One Italian Village Empty After Quake; Lochte Charged Wight Filing False Police Report in Rio; Trump Calls Clinton a Bigot; France Top Court to Decide on Burkinis; 2 American Medics Trying to Save Lives in Iraq's Battle against ISIS; Getting Justice in Canada's Sex Trafficking Cases; Actress Leslie Jones Site Hacked. Aired 1-2a ET

Aired August 26, 2016 - 01:00   ET

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


[01:00:12] ISHA SESAY, CNN ANCHOR: This is CNN NEWSROOM live from Los Angeles. Ahead this hour, rescue crews dig through the rubble in Italy hoping to find survivors of this week's earthquake but time may be running out.

Plus Rio police charge Ryan Lochte with false reporting a crime. Still the U.S. Olympian may never see the inside of a courtroom.

And these protesters say Muslim women ought to be allowed to wear whatever they want to the beach but will a French court agree?

Hello, and thank you for joining us. I'm Isha Sesay. NEWSROOM L.A. starts right now.

Italy has declared a state of emergency for the areas destroyed by Wednesday's earthquake. So far 250 people are dead and hundreds more are injured. Crews are frantically searching and hoping for survivors, though the likelihood decreases by the hour.

One hard hit area is Saletta. And that's where we find our own Barbie Nadeau. She joins us now live.

Barbie, are search and rescue operations still going on where you are?

BARBIE NADEAU, CNN CONTRIBUTOR: Where I am, no. They've determined that they have taken everyone out of this area. 22 people died in this collection of houses behind me. And about 20 minutes ago, a half hour ago we just had an aftershock that was -- that registered 4.8, which is strong. You know, if that were an isolated incident, it would be an earthquake. That's an aftershock obviously in this particular situation.

But you can just see behind me the state of these houses, what's left of these houses. The cracks in the wall and just the rubble and the people's lives. People -- they're not searching for people here but all around this area in about a 10-mile radius there are still search and rescue operations going on. They still believe there is a possibility that someone could be found alive underneath the rubble. But as you said, as the hours move on that's going to become even less

likely. You know, but what we look at when we see these piles of rubble are just the remnants of everyday life. You've got books, you've got toilet seats, you've got, you know, the life just where it stopped at that moment. And as we talk to survivors, as we did yesterday, people want to come back to their houses and get their things even though this is what's left of those houses.

It's very, very difficult for them to come to terms with that. And you know, that's one of the things that the Civil Protection Authority is doing and all these rescue people are doing, they are trying to provide support to those people in need, also psychological support. Not just the physical injuries. But, you know, if you can imagine this is everything you've had, where you've lived your entire life, you know, those types of things are aspects of this disaster that people are starting to deal with now, more than 48 hours after the initial earthquake -- Isha.

SESAY: Yes. No doubt. They need a lot of support at this time. A state of emergency has been declared for the regions hardest hit by the quake.

Barbie, what does that mean for the ongoing emergency response?

NADEAU: Well, it frees up a lot of services that aren't immediately available after an earthquake, you know, and I'm talking about counseling services and things like that. It also allows them to start thinking about building some prefabricated temporary housing in an area like this. All of those things are bureaucratic, you know, details that need to be dealt with. But by declaring a state of emergency there's no red tape at this point. They can just order what they want, get it in, get these people out of the tents and into something that feels like a house, get them out of, you know, hotels in the area, get them into a place that feels a little bit like their own so they can start moving forward.

You know, we're in the end of August, school starts in three or four weeks here in Italy. You know, kids are going to have to start school. All of those things need to start going in terms of the mechanics of daily life moving forward. Calling it a state of emergency makes it easier for the authorities to do -- to go ahead and get all that in motion -- Isha.

SESAY: And Barbie, as people come to terms with the scale of this disaster I understand there is growing criticism of building standards there in the quake zone.

NADEAU: Yes. Absolutely. That is one of the big concerns. You know, in 2009 there was a devastating earthquake not very far from here that killed 309 people. Everybody was up in arms after that incident saying that the houses fell because they hadn't been reinforced up to standard codes that are -- you know, in a place like California and British Columbia, places that are earthquake-prone in other parts of the world adhere to a set of building standards that don't seem to apply here, even though there is a major earthquake here now every five years for the last several years. [01:05:09] And people are saying why. They're asking questions. If

you even look down this particular street you've got houses that are standing. You've got houses that are in rubble based -- you know, they're in the same area. Someone is following a building code, someone -- obviously not all of that applies in every situation. But people want to know why my house fell down and the neighbor's house is standing. But again, you know, in 2009, everybody was going to fix the problem. Everybody said any house over 100 years old had to be re-enforced.

The big question now is did anybody actually follow those rules? Did anybody actually learn any lessons from that last earthquake? And more importantly is anyone going to learn any lesson from this one? When, you know, there will be another earthquake in Italy. This is a seismic zone. That's what we know.

SESAY: Yes. It is a sad fact. It will happen again. We hope people are better prepared.

Barbie Nadeau joining us there from Saletta. Appreciate it. Thank you so much.

Well, a nearby village is also reduced to piles of rock while casualties are low, residents mourn for all the dead.

Atika Shubert takes us on an eerie tour of this now empty town.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ATIKA SHUBERT, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): The village Sant'Angelo has been reduced to rubble. It's cobblestone streets and piazza covered in debris. When we arrived, soldiers has salvaged the church bell, but no one is here anymore. Aftershocks keep residents from returning. And most of the village's 300 residents have survived. But a mother and child were killed, crushed in their bed.

(On camera): It's incredibly eerie walking through the rubble of this tiny village of Sant'Angelo. I want to point this out, this bed sheet here, you can see it knotted to the top tied together. I think residents inside may have used this to try and come down because as you can see the doors are -- they're stuck because the walls collapsed around them. And there was no way for people to come out this way. So survivors may have tried to come out here.

And you get a real sense of just how horrific this was by the scenes here. Whole walls sheared off. And you can see inside the kitchens and the living rooms just as they were at the moment the earthquake struck.

As you walk through the rubble here, you step over doors, these twisted pipes, windows that have been sheared off. But this really shocked us. What we're standing on top of now, it's actually a car that has been crumpled by the rubble of the home that's fallen on top of it. (Voice-over): At the village green, a tent camp is being built to

house hundreds from Sant'Angelo and neighboring villages. Survivors rest in the shade, still in shock.

This grandmother tells us there is no hope, too many people dead. And Amatrice doesn't exist anymore. Amatrice has disappeared. And there are so many dead, so many children.

(On camera): Now the village of Sant'Angelo is one of the places were tent camps are based. And this tent camp can house several hundred people.

Now I actually spoke to several teenagers that were right here in this playground when the earthquake struck at 3:00 a.m., that was lucky because they were able to help many of the elderly residents who were trapped inside their homes. They set up the first aid camp here. In that time the camp has grown. And I want to show you a little bit here. Many of the people from the neighboring towns and villages are coming here now. It's lunchtime, they're getting food, water, whatever medical help they need. But also, importantly, there's electricity. They're able to plug their phones in to keep in touch with their families and tell them that they're safe.

(Voice-over): Here they are safe but stunned by the destruction and loss all around them.

Atika Shubert, CNN, Sant'Angelo, Italy.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

SESAY: All right. A story obviously we'll continue to follow for you.

But turning now to time is of the essence for those rescue workers trying to keep survivors alive in the rubble. Meteorologist Derek Van Dam joins us with much more on all of this.

And Derek, what are conditions like as these operations continue?

DEREK VAN DAM, AMS METEOROLOGIST: Well, Isha, it certainly is a race against the clock. But if these rescuers can learn something from the past, I'm referring to the earthquakes in Haiti and the Philippines, they know that people can survive underneath rubble for anywhere between 10 to even 14 days. There have been documented incidents of that actually occurring within those two earthquake areas.

But environmental conditions need to be absolutely perfect. We're talking about recovery temperature cannot be too warm, cannot be too cold at night. We also need to see the potential for water going forward because that is a critical component for survival. The average human can survive three to five days without water but up to eight weeks without food.

[01:10:04] So here's the double-edge sword for the recovery efforts going forward. The temperatures are there to stay warm, that's good news. But you can see going forward no rainfall in this forecast. So if people are indeed trapped underneath the rubble getting them water is of the utmost important.

Now we talk about just how strong this particular earthquake was, but we want to say why it was felt so strongly at the surface because it was a particularly shallow earthquake. If it was any deeper than the 10 kilometers that it took place in it would allow for the ground to absorb the shock and the ripple effect. But that wasn't the case. The shallow nature of this earthquake caused the shaking to be extremely intense at the surface. Pancaking effect of the buildings on top and the ultimate collapse of some of those houses and structures as you saw.

Good news going forward, Isha, the frequency and the magnitude of the aftershocks should start to recede going forward over the next several days and weeks. Back to you.

SESAY: That is some very good news. Derek Van Dam there, appreciate it, Derek. Thank you so much.

VAN DAM: All right.

SESAY: Turning now to Brazil where police have charged Ryan Lochte with false reporting of a crime. The U.S. Olympic swimmer had said he and his three teammates were robbed at gunpoint during the Olympics. But authorities say security guards confronted the swimmers at a gas station after at least one of them vandalized it. Lochte later apologized and said he exaggerated the story.

Criminal defense attorney Brian Claypool joins us now.

Brian, we had you on when this first broke. Once it became clear the story wasn't quite what Lochte said initially and you felt very strongly that the police should pursue charges against him. That has now happened. Are you surprised that you were proven right?

BRIAN CLAYPOOL, CRIMINAL DEFENSE ATTORNEY: I am thrilled that I was proven right. You and I were here a week ago.

SESAY: We were.

CLAYPOOL: And I was one of the few people across the country that predicted that Ryan Lochte should face criminal charges. He has been indicted. Why? Because this is bigger than Ryan Lochte. The Brazil government felt like they were sucker punched by his lie during this investigation. And this is about respect from the Brazilian government. They want respect and that's why they've indicted him.

And the second reason why this is bigger than Ryan Lochte is putting off -- putting aside my being a lawyer, I have a little girl. And what message would this send to the youth across the world if you're allowed to to go to the Olympics which is a privilege, by the way, go and get tanked one night and vandalize a restroom, urinate all over the place and then lie about it during a police investigation and then face no consequences? That would send the worst message possible to people across the world.

SESAY: OK. He's been charged now. But what are the chances he'll ever see the inside of a Brazilian courtroom?

CLAYPOOL: Well, Ryan Lochte has a big, huge decision to make. Does he go back and face the indictment or does he send a lawyer and not go back to Brazil? Now my recommendation is he's paying all this money to a PR firm now, if he wants to repair his image, hop on a plane, get your butt back there, face this judge, apologize, and likely, Isha, he would probably only face paying a fine.

Now if he just sends a lawyer out to Brazil, doesn't show up, that's going to be another slap in the face to the Brazilian government and by the way, the Brazilian government could then at that point try him in what's called absentee, which means he's not there and he could get a conviction. OK. Well, maybe he never goes to jail but guess what? He can forget about ever swimming again in any Olympics if he's convicted.

SESAY: You say that and this is a serious matter. But not everyone sees it as such. I mean, I would assume that the likes of the Pine Brothers cough drops who have just signed him on.

CLAYPOOL: Thrilled you brought that up.

SESAY: You know --

CLAYPOOL: You know what their motto is for him?

SESAY: Speaking of messaging.

CLAYPOOL: Yes.

SESAY: Not everyone is running away from Lochte.

CLAYPOOL: Well, it's unbelievable. And the motto of Pine Brothers is, it's a -- forgive your throat, I'm surprised Ryan didn't get aligned himself with maybe a heart medication to forgive his heart maybe. I'm a little surprised by that. And then "Dancing with the Stars." That's --

SESAY: Finally that's in the offing. He may be doing that show.

CLAYPOOL: Maybe that or dancing with the inmates, I don't know. One or the other.

SESAY: Ryan Claypool --

CLAYPOOL: I'm not a big fan of Ryan Lochte.

SESAY: That's very clear.

CLAYPOOL: Sorry.

SESAY: We shall see what happens next and we'll get you on.

CLAYPOOL: OK. OK . Thank you, Isha.

SESAY: Brian, thank you. CLAYPOOL: You bet. Thanks for having me.

SESAY: Thank you.

All right. Time for a quick break now. Donald Trump is trying to reach out to African-American and Hispanic voters. But critics say he's swimming upstream and comments like this may not be helping.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ANDERSON COOPER, CNN ANCHOR: You called last night Hillary Clinton a bigot. Previously you called her policies bigoted. You directly called her a bigot.

DONALD TRUMP (R), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: She is a bigot.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[01:17:40] SESAY: Hello, everyone. Donald Trump is doubling down on his charge that Hillary Clinton is a bigot. He met Thursday with Republican African-American leaders in New York as part of his new outreach to minority voters. Later Trump spoke exclusively with CNN's Anderson Cooper.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

COOPER: You called last night, Hillary Clinton a bigot. Previously you called her policies bigoted. You directly called her a bigot --

TRUMP: She is a bigot.

COOPER: In what way?

TRUMP: Because you look at what's happening to the inner cities. You look at what's happening to African-Americans and Hispanics in this country where she talks all the time, she's talking -- look at the vets where she said the vets are being treated essentially just fine. That is over-exaggerated what is happening to the vets not so long ago.

COOPER: How is she bigoted? Bigoted is having hatred towards a particular group.

TRUMP: Well, because she is selling them down the tubes. Because she is not doing anything for those communities. She talks a good game but she doesn't do --

COOPER: You think she has hatred or --

TRUMP: Her policies are bigoted. Her policies are bigoted because she knows they're not going to work.

COOPER: But you're saying she is personally bigoted? TRUMP: She is. Of course she is. Her policies, they're her

policies. She comes out with the policies and others that believe like she does also. But she came out with policies over the years. This is over the years, a long time. She is totally bigoted. There's no question about that.

COOPER: But it does imply that she doesn't --

TRUMP: Look at what --

COOPER: She has antipathy, she has hatred toward, in this case --

(CROSSTALK)

TRUMP: I think she has been extremely, extremely bad for African- Americans. I think she's been extremely bad for Hispanics. You look at what's happened with her policies and the policies of President Obama and others. Look at the poverty, look at the rise in poverty, look at the rise in violence.

COOPER: But hatred is at the core of that? Or dislike of African- Americans?

TRUMP: No -- or maybe she is lazy.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SESAY: Well, joining me now Wendy Greuel is a former L.A. city council woman and a Clinton supporter and Mark Vafiades is the chairman of the L.A. County Republican Party and a Trump delegate.

Welcome to you both. Good to have you with us.

Mark, to start with you, we'll get to Donald Trump's comments and his reference of Hillary Clinton as a bigot in a moment. But I want to start with the question of the week which seems to be Trump's immigration policy and what exactly that is. It appears to be doing something of a morphing. Let's take a listen to what he said to Anderson Cooper on the matter.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

COOPER: If they haven't committed a crime is there going to be a path to legalization?

TRUMP: First thing we're going to do --

COOPER: I'm talking about citizenship, legalization.

[01:20:01] TRUMP: No. There's not a pass -- there is no path to legalization.

COOPER: You talk about paying back taxes on Hannity.

TRUMP: Unless people leave the country -- well, when they come back in, if they come back in, then they can start paying taxes. COOPER: So they still have to leave.

TRUMP: There is no path to legalization unless they leave the country and come back.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SESAY: Is the Trump campaign clear what his immigration stance actually is?

MARK VAFIADES, L.A. COUNTY REPUBLICAN PARTY CHAIRMAN: I think he is pretty clear. I think he's been pretty clear. He's just clearing things up a little more than he was in the past. When he says there is no path to legalization, he means no amnesty, he means no path to citizenship where they would be jumping a line ahead of other people that have been going through the process.

But I think that the priorities for Donald Trump is to secure the border and to deport criminal illegal aliens that have been committing crimes on citizens and non-citizens here in the states. But as far as deporting 11 million people that's -- I don't think that's happening.

SESAY: But that is what he made a central plank of his primary campaign.

VAFIADES: You know, he talked about that but the thing is, he's mentioned that he's flexible. He's been speaking with folks, Republicans and -- and non-Republicans alike throughout the country, and I think he realizes that people -- most of the people in the country don't want to just going to deport 11 million people that have been raising their families and working here and otherwise legally.

SESAY: So, Wendy, Mark says he is being flexible. The Trump campaign says it's softening. Critics say it's a flip-flop. You say what?

WENDY GREUEL, CLINTON SUPPORTER: All of the above. And that flip- flop and softening his position and changing. I think he's realized that his statements and the positions that he has taken have set him far from any of the Latino community in this country and the fact is 11 million people are not going to go back to their country of origin. We're not going to separate those individuals from their families and those children.

And -- so I think that he is trying to figure out what he can say to get -- whether it be Latinos or the African-American community to get on his side because he is doing extraordinarily poorly in those areas.

SESAY: Mark, I want you to take a listen to what Donald Trump said on Wednesday night and to Sean Hannity of FOX News as he's talked about his plans for the 11 million undocumented immigrants in this country. Take a listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SEAN HANNITY, FOX NEWS ANCHOR: No citizenship?

TRUMP: No citizenship. No citizenship.

HANNITY: Everyone agree with that? All right.

TRUMP: Let me go a step further. They will pay back taxes. They have to pay taxes. There is no amnesty as such. There's no amnesty.

HANNITY: Right.

TRUMP: But we work with them.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SESAY: People keep saying as they hear more and more of Trump's statements on immigration over the last couple of days that he is beginning to sound incredibly like Jeb Bush and what Jeb Bush said on the issue of immigration during the primary campaign, statements that Donald Trump ridiculed, and that's to the side, as he makes this softening, pivot, flip-flop, whatever you want to call it. This has real political risks for his base, does it not?

VAFIADES: Well, yes and no. I think Donald Trump has such a strong, dedicated political base that even though he is softening his stance a little bit on this issue I don't think they're going anywhere but at the same time I think he's widening his base by doing something a lot of people really agree with, and that is not just kick out 11 million people. He still says no amnesty. He says there, people cannot have a path to citizenship ahead of other people that have been going through the process. But there is a clear delineation between what Hillary Clinton would want which is pretty much open borders and what Donald Trump advocates for.

SESAY: And the delineation between Donald Trump and Jeb Bush?

VAFIADES: Yes. Still it is stronger than Jeb Bush. Jeb Bush, really his plan was a more clear path to amnesty or citizenship, whereas Donald Trump is saying no, we're not going to kick out 11 million people but people can't jump ahead of other folks that have already been going through the process legally to get citizenship.

GREUEL: And let's remember, he wants to build a wall that is physically impossible to do. It isn't the right way. Again, we have millions of individuals who have contributed to this country. They have been paying taxes. They have been doing a lot of activity. And he is now trying to change it when we're 70-plus days away from the election. He's been on the campaign trail for a long time. To pivot like this suddenly means, I'm changing my mind, I don't think people will remember what I said, and it's not looking at your base. It's looking how to expand it and I think that middle ground of people who are going to vote are going to say, you know, I don't trust this guy.

SESAY: Donald Trump has escalated his attacks on Hillary Clinton by calling her a bigot. He did it on Wednesday. He did it again on Thursday. Doubling down in his interview with Anderson Cooper. Here's what Hillary Clinton said in a speech on Thursday. Take a listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

HILLARY CLINTON (D), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: From the start, Donald Trump has built his campaign on prejudice and paranoia. He is taking hate groups mainstream and helping a radical fringe take over the Republican Party.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

[01:25:10] SESAY: Mark, when Donald Trump uses language like bigot, isn't he making her case for her?

VAFIADES: Well, you've just heard what Hillary Clinton said, is what she said any worse than what he said about her? These are the things that Democrats and the Republican opponents have been saying about Republicans for years. That is absolutely nonsense and not true. And now she is getting a little bit of a taste of her own medicine. Again, and what we just heard her say, she is basically saying horrible things about Donald trump that aren't true at all.

SESAY: Wendy?

GREUEL: Well, I don't think Donald Trump understands what the word bigot means. I don't think he understands the history of what Hillary Clinton has been doing whether it'd be with the Children's Defense Fund or her fighting as a first lady or as a senator for those that are less fortunate and particularly for minority communities.

I think what Hillary Clinton said in her speech today was based on exactly what Donald Trump has said. There is that TV ad, I don't know if you have seen it, which is where kids are sitting in front of a TV screen and hearing from Donald Trump's mouth some things that you -- I don't even want to repeat here on this TV station that are inappropriate for kids that spew that hatred.

And I think that what Hillary Clinton is trying to say is that -- there is a big difference between Hillary Clinton as president of the United States and a Donald Trump presidency and particularly around making sure about equal rights and economic development and all the other issues that all right important to the American citizens.

SESAY: Well, with 70 plus days to go, the conversation will go on and on. We'll have you both back. Thank you so much for joining us.

VAFIADES: OK. Thank you.

SESAY: Thank you.

All right. Time for a quick break now. France is weighing the legality of its controversial burkini ban. We expect a ruling in the coming hours as fierce debate rages over the full-length swim suit. Do stay with us.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[01:30:19] ISHA SESAY, CNN ANCHOR: You're watching CNN NEWSROOM, live from Los Angeles. I'm Isha Sesay. The headlines this hour --

(HEADLINES)

SESAY: Turning to Europe now. And France's top administrative court is expected to decide on Friday whether a ban on burkinis is legal. This comes after 15 French towns banned the swimsuit over terror concerns.

Here's Erin McLaughlin

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ERIN MCLAUGHLIN, CNN GLOBAL AFFAIRS CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): These images have sparked an intense and global debate, armed police stand over a Muslim women, interrupting her enjoyment of the French seaside. They seems to order to remove some of her clothes enforcing the burkini ban, now in place in the coastal city of Nice.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: How would you feel if a nun was told to take off her habit?

MCLAUGHLIN: Social media decries it as racism, sexism, hypocrisy. #wearwhatyouwant is trending. And cartoonists are having a fun at France's expense.

(CHANTING)

MCLAUGHLIN: On the streets of London, dozens of protests gathered to express their outrage.

(on camera): They have set up a makeshift beach with inner tubes, towels and sand. Organizers say it is an act of solidarity.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: The women should be able to wear whatever they want. Whether is it a bikini or a burkini.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I'm wearing my uniform and wearing it because I heard this story about women exercising their religious faith by what they choose to wear and they were treated in a way that is unacceptable. I wanted to stand in solidarity with them.

MCLAUGHLIN (voice-over): While some politicians warn it violates the constitution, others are doubling down. Some are calling it "a symbol of the enslavement of women."

And in Belgium, politicians discuss a ban of their own. Earlier this week, in an interview, the mayor of Antwerp said, "In the past, a Muslim woman could only sit in a tent on the beach. Now she is allowed to put that tent on and go in the ocean with it. We're improving."

An Australian designer said these politicians don't understand. She designed a take on the burkini to promote integration.

UNIDENTIFIED AUSTRALIAN DESIGNER: It was born in Australia and it was meant to integrate within the Australian society. We didn't want to be a judged upon non Muslims. We're just out there to swim.

MCLAUGHLIN: Erin McLaughlin, CNN, London.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

SESAY: I'm joined by Edina Lekovic, the spokeswoman for the Muslim Public Affairs Council.

When you hear the French officials make the case that this full-length swimsuit is inconsistent with French values, what does that say to you?

EDINA LEKOVIC, SPOKESWOMAN, MUSLIM PUBLIC AFFAIRS COUNCIL: I think it's a smoke screen for something deeper. If we want French Muslim women to be participants in society what is wrong with encouraging them to go to the beach? This is just extra clothing, the equivalent of a wet suit. To turn something that is just clothing into a political issue turns it into an identity issue and alienates the people the French government says it is trying to reach out to. You cannot liberate people by telling them how they need to be liberated. Feminism is about choices and these women deserve the choice of how they choose to dress. I love the protest that took place in London today with the beach party and I, myself, I have one of these full- length bathing suits. I have always felt self conscious wearing it. But for me I feel like I should go to the beach this weekend and should wear it proudly because this is just -- it shouldn't be an obstacle. It is giving people opportunities.

[01:35:18] SESAY: Can you see how for some people the burkini, as it is commonly referred and I know you don't like the term but can you see how to some it's a symbol of oppression by men and that's the whey it is construed in France.

LEKOVIC: It's understandable why people have those perceptions. Let's think about whether hijab or the scarf has been an impediment for the Muslim women medalists in Rio it wasn't an impediment. For heads of state it hasn't been impediment. It's just an aspect of their personality. French women deserve that same treatment. Ultimately this is about whether France is going to be an open society and allow the option of people becoming French. This is something that makes me really have a lot of pride as an American is that when my parents came here they knew they could become American. When they left the former Yugoslavia and went to Austria, they could not become Austrian at that time. And that's something to remember. And it's been upheld by our neighbors up north. The Canadian prime minister announced that women in hijab can be a part of the police force. That's what the Western culture is to say.

SESAY: It's it symptomatic of this clash of civilizations, battling with identity politics and nativist politics?

LEKOVIC: It is. And it presents an opportunity for the governments to instead of talking about Muslim women, talk to them, and ask what they want so you can create the opportunities that do include them and embrace and empower them in society. Those are the messages that women around the world are looking for. SESAY: Edina Lekovic, thank you so much for speaking to us.

LEKOVIC: Thank you, Isha.

SESAY: Thank you.

LEKOVIC: My pleasure.

SESAY: Now turning to Iraq and it says it has forced ISIS out of a strategic town and it is a crucial step to retaking Mosul. The Iraqi prime minister is promising to liberate Mosul before the end of the year.

The Peshmerga are a key force in the effort to retake Mosul and they're receiving some support from the U.S. military.

Our senior international correspondent, Arwa Damon, spoke with two American medics who are trying to save lives in the battle against ISIS.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ARWA DAMON, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): It's early morning and the Kurdish Peshmerga are launching a major push into ISIS controlled villages.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We're looking for a place to set up our medical triage here.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We have five dead and eight wounded.

DAMON: John Reese (ph) and Pete Reid (ph) are two Americans on the medical front line.

(SHOUTING)

UNIDENTIFIED U.S. MILITARY SERVICEMEMBER: We have two casualties. Let's treat them appropriately. Get him on. Black box. Black box.

(SHOUTING)

DAMON: It's a chaotic frantic effort compounded by a language barrier, different culture and significant lack of resources.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I need more plastic, (EXPLETIVE DELETED) plastic.

DAMON: John is an emergency medical technician from Syracuse, New York, is a volunteer. Pete, of New Jersey, is a former Marine-turned medic who works with a non-profit providing medical training and assistance.

There is no advanced warning, no time to prep before the next one arrives.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The toughest thing about being out here as a combat medic is when your patients don't live. UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Come on, man, stay with us. Come back to us, man,

come on.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Sometimes, we can't fix everything. So I think that's the hardest part for me personally. You want to save everybody but you can't.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: There's a breakdown in communication between us coalition forces, Peshmerga, it's difficult when you are trying your best to work on someone but -- just -- the rest of the system isn't there. Or it's not working properly.

DAMON: They both say they had comfortable, happy lives at home.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Right here. Right here.

DAMON (on camera): Was it guilt?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Guilt or sense of purpose, sometimes those overlap. Somewhere in the middle.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I can help people at home, for sure, and I do. I feel good for what I do there. But here that feeling is much greater.

(SHOUTING)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The Peshmerga need significant help. They need training. They need actual combat medical unit. People are throwing ammunition and guns at this place all day long. That's not saving lives.

[01:40:15] UNIDENTIFIED MALE: When I think of ISIS, I think of, you know, Khmer Rouge and the Nazis. There are few times in history there is such a black-and-white, good-versus-evil situation. They have been carrying this war in this region on their backs with not nearly enough support and people back home are upset about shootings and things like that and ISIS is involved there. And they don't have a clue what it's like a day here or a day in Baghdad or in Syria. It's very horrible.

DAMON (voice-over): Arwa Damon, CNN, Iraq.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

SESAY: Next on NEWSROOM L.A., the U.S. government is getting involved, following new online attacks against actress, Leslie Jones.

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SESAY: Hello, everyone. News just into us here at CNN. Turkey's official state news agency reports an explosion at a police check point near the border with Syria. At this point, there are no immediate reports of casualties. We'll get you more information as soon as it comes into us.

All this week, CNN's "Freedom Project" is looking into sex trafficking in Canada's indigenous communities. Many young people come from remote villages. Paula Newton shows us why identifying their perpetrators and bringing them to justice is often a complicated endeavor.

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PAULA NEWTON, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): It's a startling statistic that plays out again and again on the streets of Winnipeg. More than half of all women and girls trafficked for sex in Canada are indigenous, yet indigenous people make up just 4 percent of the population. Poverty, abuse, addiction, all play a role.

But who are the people preying on them?

[01:45:16] DANNY SMYTHE, WINNIPEG DEPUTY POLICE CHIEF: There's no set profile.

NEWTON: Danny Smythe is Winnipeg's deputy police chief.

SMYTHE: We see older people and younger people and white people and certainly indigenous people exploiting.

NEWTON: What the perpetrators have in common is a sense of impunity. History here says they are unlikely to get caught.

JENNIFER RICHARDSON, DIRECTOR, TASIA'S TRUST (ph): I think a lot of people who are already involved in crime have figured out this is a much safer way to make money.

What was that address again?

NEWTON: Jennifer Richardson is working to change that. She leads Tasia's Trust (ph), a government anti-trafficking program in Manitoba. Together with law enforcement, they are using laws already on the books to gather evidence against those interfering with the government's mandate to protect children.

RICHARDSON: So we started utilizing that piece of legislation. We don't need the children's testimony which is much different from other types of legislation in this area.

NEWTON: Because victims are often too fearful to testify, convictions for human trafficking are been few in Canada. The burden of proof rests with the prosecution to obtain victim testimony and prove they feared for their safety.

JENNIFER MANN, MANITOBA CROWN PROSECUTOR: There's no question this is a very difficult area to prosecute for a whole number of reasons.

NEWTON: Jennifer Mann is a Manitoba crown prosecutor and has been working these kinds of cases for years. This year she successfully prosecuted Darrell Ackman (ph) for making child pornography and sexual assault. Seven victims came forward, five of them children, two committed suicide before a verdict was even reached.

MANN: All of the victims were ripe to be taken advantage of and this accused did this with gusto. So you have the judge's very strong comments about the conduct and the vulnerability of the children involved in this case.

NEWTON: Mann said she didn't have the evidence to prosecute for human trafficking. Still she points out it's a strong verdict with a long sentence. Here in Manitoba, more arrests, prosecutions and convictions are

working in tandem with outreach, prevention and rehabilitation.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: How are you doing? Did you sleep yesterday?

NEWTON: So the trafficking of indigenous women and girls is no longer perceived as a crime without punishment.

UNIDENTIFIED POLICE OFFICER: Looks like they are wearing light tops. One's in layers.

NEWTON: Paula Newton, CNN, Winnipeg.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

SESAY: Very difficult situation in those remote places.

Next on NEWSROOM L.A., why one online columnist says that online attacks on Leslie Jones highlights racism and misogyny at its worst.

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(WEATHER REPORT)

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[01:51:38] SESAY: Hello, everyone. U.S. law enforcement agencies are investigating the alleged hack of Actress Leslie Jones' website. Some of her personal information along racist images were posted on the site, which is no longer active. The "Ghostbusters" star was also targeted on Twitter with a barrage of racist tweets last month.

Joining me is Amy Zimmerman, an entertainment contributor to "The Daily Beast."

Amy, so good to have you with us.

Why do you think Leslie Jones has become the target of such persistent online abuse?

AMY ZIMMERMAN: I think the explanation is pretty simple. It's pretty horrible but I think in the wake of all the "Ghostbusters" backlash, Leslie was a natural target as not just a woman but as a black woman and I think we have seen time and time again that black women are just magnets for this sort of hateful, disgusting speech, especially online.

SESAY: Yeah, you actually -- you say this in your piece and I want to read it for the viewers. You say the horrific hack which happened a month after peak "Ghostbusters" backlash shows the depths of racism and misogyny about black women in the public eye. As you make the point this has happened time and time again. ZIMMERMAN: Right. I use the specific term that's not a new term. I

believe it was coined in 2010 by a black year feminist scholar. That term is out there. But I feel that people don't use it enough and it speaks to the fact that black women face a particular brand of misogyny in pop culture. And we have seen it time and time again.

SESAY: Yeah, how is all this impacting Leslie Jones? I mean, what's your sense of that?

ZIMMERMAN: Yeah, I mean, people have definitely talked about the fact that Leslie has not as of yet responded to this latest attack. She was obviously very vocal responding to the first attack and that was really brave and she has spoke up on behalf of Gabby Douglas and I think that is incredible. At the same time, I have seen a lot of people talking about Leslie Jones is so brave and so incredible and/totally agree. I just wish we didn't have to have this conversation. I don't think it should be her responsibility to be so brave and incredible. I don't think any one woman or any one person should have to be the victim of this multi-pronged, deliberate attack. It's just horrible.

SESAY: It's absolutely despicable. I was struck by something I did not know until I read your piece. You said that Leslie Jones' white female costars have largely been silent?

[01:54:46] ZIMMERMAN: Yeah, this is a difficult thing to talk about. I obviously am not trying to call anyone out. Those are obviously women that Leslie Jones has a personal relationship with. So they may have had many conversations in private about it. I was pointing it out just as symptomatic of a larger thing which I think it's everyone's responsibility to have this conversation and it comes to misogyny against black women, I feel like other people, specifically white women who might identify as feminist and talk about misogyny all the time are not having this specific conversation and I think that's just an important thing to keep in mind that some of us may have the privilege of opting out of this conversation and of not being a victim in the way that Leslie Jones has become but that does not mean we should take advantage of that privilege, and it's a conversation we all need the be having.

SESAY: I couldn't agree more.

Amy Zimmerman, thank you for writing such a thought-provoking piece. We appreciate having you on the show this evening. Thank you.

ZIMMERMAN: Thank you so much for having me.

SESAY: The conversation that everyone should be involved in.

You are watching CNN NEWSROOM, live from Los Angeles. I'm Isha Sesay.

I'll be back with another hour of news right after this.

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[02:00:08] SESAY: This is CNN NEWSROOM, live from Los Angeles. Ahead this hour --

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