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Trump Speaks With Pakistani Prime Minister and Sudan's President; NBC: Palin Lobbies For Veterans Affairs Post; Colombia Ratifies Peace Deal With FARC Rebels; Fans Pay Tribute To Brazilian Football Team; U.N. Tightens Sanctions Against Nuclear N. Korea; The Rise Of Populism Could Rock EU. Aired 1-2am ET

Aired December 01, 2016 - 01:00   ET

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

[01:00:00] JOHN VAUSE, CNN ANCHOR: You're watching CNN NEWSROOM live from Los Angeles.

Ahead this hour, Donald Trump says he is getting out of his business to make America great again. But questions about potential conflict of interests will not end there.

Chants and cheers inside a packed stadium in Brazil. But fans are not watching a football match.

And later, chained, bruised and branded. We're learning horrific new details from a California mother who went missing for weeks.

Hello, thanks for joining us, everybody. I'm John Vause. This is the second hour of NEWSROOM L.A.

It was on the hat, it was on the campaign posters, and Donald Trump says it's more important for him to make America great again than to keep control of his business. So, he's making plans to walk away from his global real estate empire before his inauguration this January.

Trump says it's visually important to avoid any conflict of interest. He tweeted, "Legal documents are being crafted which will take me completely out of business operations. The presidency is far more important task."

Joining me now, talk radio host, Ethan Bearman and John Philips. John is also a CNN political commentator and political columnist for the Orange County Register.

Let's look at the tweet that the president-elect put out. Because, you know, it looks like he's playing with the words here a little bit; the emphasis on the business operations as opposed to getting away from the ownership here.

So, Ethan, to you, it does seem he is not ruling out selling the company or at least putting it in the hands of an independent administrator.

ETHAN BEARMAN, CALIFORNIA TALK RADIO HOST: Well, I think selling the company is the preferred option. That way, there is no conflict of interest. Even with an independent administrator, there's still are opportunities for him to know "Hey, look there is that giant gold Trump name. I can influence how things go."

I would really like to see him completely sell it off as opposed to just naming an administrator. But worse yet, I've even heard maybe some of his children could be involved in running the businesses. That would be a real problem.

VAUSE: And that has been talked about a lot. The children who are, you know, intimately involved in the campaign could now be running the business. Someone said, you know, if you give the kids a Ferrari, you still know you got the Ferrari.

JOHN PHILIPS, CNN POLITICAL COMMENTATOR: Yes. I just don't think that there's anything that he can do. Just assuming the worst of it, let's just assume there is going to be some quid pro quo or conflict of interest, how is that going to fly under the radar?

People said that if he didn't win the election that he would start Trump TV. Well, we already have Trump TV: it's called CNN; it's called FOX News; it's called NBC; it's called CBS, PBS.

Everything this guy does is covered in chapter and verse. So, I don't think we have any improprieties to worry about.

VAUSE: So, what you're saying essentially, we all just have to sit back and trust him?

PHILIPS: Well, we're going to call him on it. If he does something that's not kosher, the media will call him on it instantly. This happens all the time. We see it happen at the state and local level where businessmen who don't have elected office experience get elected and suddenly they have to figure out what they're going to do with their business. It tends to work itself out and I think it will work itself out here.

VAUSE: Ethan, does that sound a bit too simplistic?

BEARMAN: It does and I think this is just another great example of how ethics in Washington, whether we're talking Sacramento here in California. But Washington, draining the swamp, ethics are part of the big issue. I like that his trying to get the lobbyist out but he's got to remove all appearances and all opportunities to violate --

(CROSSTALK)

VAUSE: This is what Democrat Senator Elizabeth Warren said essentially about the question of conflict of interest.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ELIZABETH WARREN, VICE CHAIR OF THE SENATE DEMOCRATIC CAUCUS: Is he really going to have a separation where he doesn't know what advances Trump interests and foreign governments, for example, don't know what would advance Trump interests.

If they both know what advanced Trump interests, this is not about formal ownership this is about whether or not you've a conflict of interest, whether or not Donald Trump is actually working for the American people or just working for Trump enterprises.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

VAUSE: John, again, your past presidents have sold or put their assets into independent trust or blind trust. They don't have to do it. It's not legally required. Why shouldn't Donald Trump follow what every other modern day president has done?

PHILIPS: Someone not named Donald Trump is going to be running that company. And it's got to be church and state --

VAUSE: Trump could still be running that company.

PHILIPS: Well, that's true. There's got to be church and state between the government and the company, and there's no doubt in my mind he's going to take care of that.

VAUSE: OK. Let's move on. OK. Because, you know, one of the -- one of the things about the conflicts of interest is the influence of foreign leaders.

A foreign leader called U.S. President-elect Donald Trump on Wednesday, the Prime Minister of Pakistan. According to the Trump transition team, this is what the readout was: "The two had a productive conversation about how the United States and Pakistan will have a strong working relationship in the future. President-elect Trump also noted that he is looking forward to a lasting and strong personal relationship with Prime Minister Sharif."

The Pakistanis, though, they had a very different take on exactly what happened during that telephone conversation. They said President Trump said "Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, you have a very good reputation. You are a terrific guy. You are doing amazing work which is visible in every way. I am look forward to see you soon. As I'm talking to you, Prime Minister, I feel like I'm talking to a person I have known for long. Your country is amazing with tremendous opportunities. Pakistanis are one of the most intelligent people. I am ready and willing to play any role that you want me to play to address and find solutions to the outstanding problems. It will be an honor and I will personally do it. Feel free to call me any time, even before the 20th of January that is before I assume my office."

OK. So, clearly, they broke with protocol here in releasing their side of the conversation.

John, we listen to what the Pakistanis are saying. You know, is this a typical conversation between an incoming president and a foreign leader?

PHILIPS: He's a charmer. He said that he would talk to any head of state. He said he'd talk to Putin. He said he'd talk to Kim Jong-un during the campaign. If that's what it takes, my guess is that he's willing to talk to any head of state who is wearing sunglasses in their official portrait or their first name is General. He is talking to the guy who is the President of Pakistan. He's charming him. He's showering them with praise. That is what a businessman does. That's what a negotiator does.

VAUSE: Does a president do it? And doesn't this show you why you need the State Department briefing books?

BEARMAN: Oh, there's no question that the State Department briefing books are critically important. But this is also, for me, an example of the contradiction between what we saw in the campaign trail with the harsh and tough rhetoric. And now, that he's been elected and he won the election, we're seeing a different side of Donald Trump.

So what is actually going to happen once he's inaugurated? I think this is a dangerous president, because Pakistan is one of the leading countries as a source of terrorism in this country.

VAUSE: Very unstable part of the region and issues with India which is a U.S. ally, which is -- a lot of rivalry with Pakistan.

There are also some kind words today from the leader of Sudan, the dictator, Omar al-Bashir. He's actually wanted by the International Criminal Court for genocide. This is what he said:

"I'm convinced that it will much easier to deal with Trump than with others, rather, because he is a straight forward person and a businessman who considers the interest of those who deal with him."

John, will Donald Trump be doing business with Omar --

PHILIPS: Well, this guy seems to think so. Just because he thinks, it doesn't necessarily mean it's going to be true or happen.

VAUSE: But is it a worry when people like Omar al-Bashir who, you know, essentially can't leave his own country because he'll be (INAUDIBLE) for by the ICC; has such praise for Donald Trump?

BEARMAN: Again, one of the concerns that we have with the President- elect Trump is -- and what's so funny actually are the irony is the right was very concerned that President Obama was going to come in and negotiate with the Ayatollahs, the Iranians. Now, we potentially have President-elect Trump negotiating with a genocidal war criminal.

PHILIPS: Just because they say that doesn't mean --

VAUSE: So, there's a reason why they say it. Well, maybe that he's a charmer, too.

PHILIPS: Well, look, I mean -- Saddam Hussein thinks he won the Gulf War. Crazy people sometimes say crazy things. This is true.

VAUSE: This is obviously going to be a lot of foreign policy issues for whomever the Secretary of State; that could be Mitt Romney. He is down to one of four. He's with the final four, just, you know, like the American Idol.

He had dinner with Donald Trump on Tuesday. That did not impress the former Speaker of the House, Newt Gingrich. NEWT GINGRICH, FORMER HOUSE SPEAKER (voice-over): You have never ever

in your career seen a serious adult who's wealthy, independent, has done been a presidential nominee suck up at the rate that Mitt Romney is sucking up.

I mean, I am confident that he thinks now that Donald Trump is one of his closest friends, that they have so many things in common, that they're both such wise, brilliant people. And I'm sure last night, at an elegant three-star restaurant in New York that Mitt was fully at home, happy to share his vision of populism, which involves a little foie gras, certain amount of superb cooking, but was done in a populous happy manner.

VAUSE: John, what's going on with Newt Gingrich?

PHILIPS: Well, there's a little bit of back story there. Before we had the very bitter, nasty 2016 presidential race, we had the less bitter and less nasty but still bitter and nasty race for the presidency in 2012. And Mitt Romney and Newt Gingrich were rivals.

And Newt Gingrich, of course, won that crucial South Carolina Primary. At one point in time, it looked like he had a possibility of winning the nomination. And then, Romney went ahead with all the power of the establishment, Republican Party, and was able to take the nomination away from Newt Gingrich. So, I still think there's a little bit of that rivalry going on.

Newt also bought stock when it was cheap with Donald Trump, when Mitt Romney was a huge critic. And I think there's a little bit of -- a little bit -- a little bit of that rubs in the wrong way, too.

VAUSE: I wonder if it's actually more to do with that. Because if you look at it, Gingrich carried a lot of water for Trump over the last year or so; he gets nothing. He's out of the cabinet; there's no rewards from President-elect Trump for Newt Gingrich. But Mitt Romney who was leader of the Trump campaign, has a two-hour dinner meeting with Donald Trump and now he's set to become Secretary of State.

BEARMAN: And Newt Gingrich sounds like a bitter, jilted lover. That's what he sounds like. He's on the outs. Mitt Romney is in. And Newt Gingrich suddenly becomes a -- basically a nonperson, politically again.

Look, he had disappeared. He had lost and lost and lost. After resigning in disgrace, the house leadership and here his opportunity is down the drain again.

VAUSE: You know, the thing with Newt Gingrich and Donald Trump, what it says to me is that loyalty only goes so far with Donald Trump. Would you agree?

PHILIPS: Well, I think he recognizes the fact that you just can't -- you can't let these feuds last forever. At certain point, you have to take some of your enemies and you have to turn them into allies. And I think over time, the bitterness that Newt has to Romney being let back in the tent will go away. I mean, how mad can you be over a dinner that you weren't invited to

when he clearly hasn't missed too many meals?

VAUSE: OK. A lot has been said about the millionaires and the billionaires who are filling the Trump cabinet including Steve Mnuchin, nominated as Treasury Secretary, he's a former partner at Goldman Sachs.

Take a look at the stock of Goldman Sachs since the Election Day. Look at this, up 21 percent. This is just since the Election Day; way more than the broader gains of the market.

Ethan, it looks like the "one-percenters" are doing pretty well out of the Trump administration despite what Donald Trump said during the campaign.

BEARMAN: Yeah. I mean, there's -- I don't understand how this actually benefits the people, we the people. We're going to have another person in charge of the treasury from Goldman Sachs. How many is this in a row now? 6,8,10, I've lost count.

VAUSE: Yeah. About six.

BEARMAN: The Goldman Sachs controls our treasury. We don't have outsiders in charge of our money supply anymore. We have a singular firm that controls our money supply. And on top of it all, Donald Trump was one of the people who was railing on Wall Street during the campaign, and now, he picked a key "Wall Streeter" to run the treasury.

PHILIPS: It's not just Goldman Sachs. The stock market is at a historic high --

VAUSE: We were told that if Donald Trump was elected it was going to tank. I don't know if you're getting tired of the winning yet, but certain things are --

(CROSSTALK)

BEARMAN: Don't bring Charlie Sheen into this, John.

PHILIPS: And during the campaign, he promised to bring his rich friends in. He talked about the fact that the United States negotiates horrible deals and he was going to bring in the best and the brightest people that were successful, were titans of the industry, and have them negotiate on behalf of the American people.

VAUSE: I'm glad you mentioned the best and the brightest because that brings me to my last question about a possible pick for veterans affairs, former VP nominee, Sarah Palin being touted as someone who could lead up veterans affairs. What do you think?

PHILIPS: I think that's where Mitt Romney should end up. Mitt Romney is the guy that's a turnaround artist. And the VA needs someone who knows how to do that. I think it is tailor made for Mitt Romney to go in there. VAUSE: Not Sarah Palin?

PHILIPS: I think Mitt Romney is tailor made for the V.A.

VAUSE: What should Sarah Palin be doing?

PHILIPS: I think Mitt Romney is tailor made for the V.A. Ask me what the weather is like.

VAUSE: OK. We'll leave it at that. Ethan and John, thank you. Appreciate it.

PHILIPS: Thanks, John.

VAUSE: Well, after more than 50 years of civil war, the Colombian government and the rebel group FARC have reached a peace deal. The country's Lower Congress unanimously ratified the revised agreement just a few hours ago. The Senate approved it a day earlier. The rebels now have 150 days to lay down their arms and end a conflict which has claimed hundreds of thousands of lives. And on (INAUDIBLE) Colombian voters narrowly rejected the first version of this peace deal.

Just minutes before a plane carrying a Brazilian football team crashed in Colombia, it was apparently low on fuel and had no power. Audio recordings captured a conversation between one of the pilots and air traffic control in which the pilot said the jet had a total electrical failure. The controller lost the plane's radar signal as it went down moments later, killing 71 people.

Brazil's Chapecoense football team was due to play in its biggest match ever, Wednesday night in Medellin. Instead, thousands of heart broken fans gathered to mourn the players, coaches and the staff who died in the crash. Some surviving teammates were there as well. Here's Don Riddell.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

DON RIDDELL, CNN WORLD SPORT ANCHOR: You can easily mistake this for a celebration. The flares, the cheering, the chanting. But the true story at Chapeco, Wednesday is very, very different.

From the loyal club servants who for 25 years laid out the shirts for his players in the locker room, to the father who lost his son on his birthday, to the wives and girlfriends, the families and fans, this club is absolutely heart broken.

On Wednesday night, some 20,000 of the team's loyal supporters gathered here at the stadium to honor their fallen players, teammates, comrades, a mass being held on the center circle. An incredibly emotional time for everybody involved. People are in tears. People are hugging and trying to console each other and trying to make some kind of sense of this most unspeakable and untimely tragedy.

Throughout the day, the players and their loved ones have been gathering inside the stadium. We spoke with one of them, the goalkeeper, Nivaldo. He was bereft. His sister was consoling him touching his arm throughout the interview as he tries to make sense of it. And he said, "Having played for this team for 10 years through thick and thin, he just doesn't know how it's possible to go on."

NIVALDO, CHAPECOENSE GOALKEEPER (through translator): I don't know why he didn't want to take me. That was in his head and it was my destiny. I have this dual feeling of being alive today. But deep in my heart, what if I had gone?

RIDDELL: The surviving members of this club say they will meet in December to try and plan the way forward. They will appoint a new president and try to begin the daunting task of rebuilding this club. But before that, the much more important task of bringing their loved ones home. Dozens of players, managers and coaches, physios, medical staff, and directors perished in Colombia. The team says they would like to bring them back to the stadium here so the fans can pay their respects.

They need to consult with the families to get their permission but that is the wish of the club. And once these awful days have passed, then the team can think about the future. But at the moment it really is one very small step at a time. Don Riddell, CNN, Chapeco, Brazil.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

VAUSE: Next on NEWSROOM L.A, a defiant North Korea hit by new sanctions paying a high price for its missile and nuclear tests.

Also, politicians riding the Trump train across Europe. Anti- establishment candidates tapping to frustration and anger, what the rise of populism means for the future of the European Union.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

KATE RILEY, CNN WORLD SPORT ANCHOR: I'm Kate Riley with your "CNN WORLD SPORT" headlines.

A day on from that fatal plane crash in Colombia, the small city of Chapeco is trying to come to terms of what happened. For many, the tragic tale of what occurred to the Chapecoense football team as being referred to as fairy tale horrendously cut short.

Thousands of supporters of the Brazilian first division club including relatives of some of the victims attended a vigil at the site, Arena Conda in memory of those involved.

76 players and staff were traveling to their first ever (INAUDIBLE) Pseudo-American Final when the fatal accident happened. 71 people died. Brazil, as a country has begun three days of mourning.

Tributes from across the world of football have been pouring in including at EFL Cup quarterfinal matches, where Manchester United faced West Ham, teams held a minute silence before the march to mark the tragedy.

After the match itself, United beat West Ham 4-1 with both Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Anthony Martial scoring twice. United will play Hull City in the semi-finals.

And over the weekend, Germany's Nico Rosberg claimed his first Formula 1 world title. And on Wednesday, he returned to his birth town of Wiesbaden in Germany to celebrate it. He was greeted with a hometown reception featuring the town's mayor.

And that's a look at all your sports headlines. I'm Kate Riley.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

VAUSE: The cost of filling a tank could be on the rise after a new agreement to cut oil production. OPEC finalized the plan on Wednesday after months of wrangling between rivals, Saudi Arabia and Iran. The cartel will slash overall oil output by 1.2 million barrels a day. Prices are surging as a result; way up from $26 back in February. Last check, Brent Crude was selling at $52 a barrel, an increase of more than half a percent.

Well, South Korea is welcoming the U.N.'s unanimous vote for tough new sanctions on North Korea over its latest nuclear test. But as Jim Sciutto reports, experts still don't think much will change.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JIM SCIUTTO, CNN CHIEF NATIONAL SECURITY CORRESPONDENT: Tonight, the U.S. military finding new evidence North Korea could be preparing for another nuclear test. U.S. surveillance satellites capturing digging at a tunnel that is part of Pyongyang's underground nuclear test site, a potential signal the North Koreans may use the site again, a U.S. Defense official tells CNN.

The renewed activity comes as the United Nations Security Council voted unanimously to tighten economic sanctions against North Korea.

SAMANTHA POWER, UNITED STATES AMBASSADOR TO UNITED NATIONS: This resolution will slash by at least $800 million per year the hard currency that the DPRK has to fund its prohibited weapons programs.

SCIUTTO: The measures imposed five months after the regime carried out its fifth nuclear test, this despite already crippling sanctions. North Korea experts are skeptical the new measures will have significant effect.

VICTOR CHA, CENTER FOR STRATEGIC AND INTERNAITONAL STUDIES: It will make it harder for them to develop their programs. But a little less cash in their pocket is not going to fundamentally change their objective, which is to be a nuclear weapon state.

SCIUTTO: President Obama has now advised President-elect Trump on the grave threat to U.S. National Security presented by a nuclear North Korea.

Mr. Obama's predecessor, George W. Bush issued a similar warning yesterday.

GEORGE W. BUSH, FORMER PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: North Korea presents a grave security threat. It shows how the proliferation of a deadly technology can allow small leaders, failed cruel and criminal leaders, to threaten and disrupt the world on a grand scale.

SCIUTTO: And now, new evidence of a growing crisis inside North Korea. A human rights advocacy group released these satellite photos highlighting North Korea's growing prison camps system, which is thought to confine up to 120,000 men, women, and children. This image detailing one of the camp's perimeters and numerous guard shacks.

BUSH: North Korea also presents the greatest sustained humanitarian challenge of our time. The whole country is a prison run by a sadistic warden.

SCIUTTO: A nuclear North Korea has been a nightmare scenario for successive administrations of both parties. What is not clear is if President-elect Trump plans to deal with North Korea differently from his predecessors. Jim Sciutto, CNN, Washington.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

VAUSE: With up to 200,000 lives at stake, the U.N. is issuing an urgent call for a pause in the fighting in Eastern Aleppo. The Security Council held an emergency meeting on the humanitarian crisis in Syria. What members heard was blunt.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

STEPHEN O'BRIEN, UNITED NATIONS HUMANITARIAN CHIEF: For the sake of humanity, we call on, we plead with the parties and those with influence, to do everything in their power to protect civilians and enable access to the besieged part of Eastern Aleppo before it becomes one giant graveyard.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

[01:24:57] VAUSE: Thousands are fleeing the government battle for rebel-held territories in the city. A volunteer group says 45 civilians; mostly women and children were killed on regime shelling on Wednesday. There is little food, clean water or medical supplies. One U.N. official said Aleppo is enduring a slow motion descent into hell.

Next on NEWSROOM L.A., Brexit and the election of Donald Trump shattered expectations, and now the rise of populism could change the political face of Europe starting this weekend with votes in both Italy and Austria.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

VAUSE: You're watching CNN NEWSROOM live from Los Angeles. I'm John Vause, with the headlines this hour:

Thousands of fans in Colombia and Brazil paid tribute to the Brazilian football players killed in Monday's plane crash.

Just before the plane went down, a crew member told air traffic controllers the jet was low on fuel and had no electrical power. 71 people were killed, six survived.

Colombia's government has ratified a new peace deal to end a decade- long civil war with FARC rebels. Colombia's Lower Congress unanimously ratified the revised agreement. Voters rejected an earlier version in October. The rebels have 150 days to lay down their arms.

North Korea is facing its most severe sanctions yet. The U.N. Security Council voted unanimously, Wednesday to punish Pyongyang for its nuclear tests. The new sanctions targets officials, companies, and exports North Korea uses to fund its missile program.

Europe could soon be dealing with not one but two political crises with separate votes in Italy and Austria. A constitutional referendum in Italy could help the leader of an anti-establishment party, you see here on the left. And the politician seen here on the right could become Austria's next president. He will be the first European far- right head of state since the end of World War II.

VAUSE: Brexit and the election of Donald Trump were major political upsets reflecting the rise of populism. As Nick Robertson explains what this means now for the future of the --

[01:30:00] JOHN VAUSE, CNN ANCHOR: And the person on the right become Austria's next president. He would be the first European far-right head of state since the end of World War II.

Brexit and the election of Donald Trump were major political upsets reflecting the rise of populism.

As Nic Robertson explains what this means for the future of the European Union.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

NIGEL FARAGE, FORMER LEADER, UKIP: I hope that some of these --

NIC ROBERTSON, CNN INTERNATIONAL DIPLOMATIC EDITOR (voice-over): First, Farage, then Trump did the unexpected, brewed a form of populism to electoral triumph. So how did it happen and what could come next?

Anger at the establishment over immigration and the economy, bottled up since the financial crash of 2008. The feeling for many, Europe is flooded with migrants from Syria and other wars, jobs tough to find, wages slow to rise, politicians tone deaf to it all.

Trump used Farage's Brexit success to oxygenate his campaign. Combined, they could spark a chain reaction and blow the lid off Europe's 28-member union. In the next 12 months, 75 percent of the Euro area voters will go to the polls. Populism will be tested.

Austria's Norbert Hofer, the anti-E.U. nationalist, took 35 percent of the first-round presidential vote. Since then, U.K.-U.S. results have buoyed his second-round chances. The Italian P.M. Matteo Renzi called a referendum on political

reforms. He has seen his party's popularity plunge to anti-E.U. leftists. The pro-E.U. P.M. says he will quit if he loses.

In Germany, Chancellor Angela Merkel's popularity is riding the storm. Her open migrant policy and economic bailouts for E.U. members have deepened European divisions. For now, she is 50 percent declaring she will run for leadership in 2017.

And in France, France National leader and the presidential candidate, Marine Le Pen, claims Trump's victory is energizing her populous message. Her popularity is on an upswing, now expected to win the first-round presidential vote next year. If she wins the 2017 elections she'll take France out of the E.U., Frexit, likely collapsing the 23-year-old institution.

So where to from here in a Europe awash with uncertainty? One certainty has risen on the top, Farage and Trump have shaken the establishment. No telling yet if it will all boil over.

Nic Robertson, CNN, London.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

VAUSE: Dominic Thomas joins us now. He's the chair of the Department of French Studies at the University of California here in Los Angeles.

Let's begin with the situation in Italy, the referendum. With many things Italian, it's complicated but the referendum is straight forward. What will they be voting on?

DOMINIC THOMAS, DEPARTMENT OF FRENCH STUDIES, UCLA: You have this young prime minister who came in and promised to transform the electoral system -- he has already done that -- by moving the elections to a two-round runoff season system. He is trying to find a way to break down the gridlock that is in place in the complex parliamentary structure with 945 elected officials. So, what he's agreed and the Senate and the lower House and upper House have agreed to this is to reduce the number from 315 to 100 in the upper House and allow the lower House to make decisions on the vast majority of legislative actions and so on, so that things can move along. However, I think the mistake he's made is to call this a referendum in which he has staked his own political future. So, that the focus is less on the issues of reform than it is providing the far right northern league and the party, the five-start movement, an opportunity to weigh in and push their own agendas.

VAUSE: Because Renzi has promised to resign if the reforms are voted down, this is where we get into the Trump effect or the Brexit effect. Many people see this as a chance to stick it to the elites, as some might say.

THOMAS: Yes, and the momentum throughout Europe with Brexit in June and the Trump election is this move toward the right and toward populist agendas. It's the criticism of the elite and political establishment in the form of the word Washington or Brussels as the center of the E.U. It's the fear of the migrants, the migrant crisis, Islam, and the sentiment that Europe is in decline, and this is bolstered by poor GDP rates, and unemployment and so on.

[01:35:10] VAUSE: If Renzi steps down, if he sticks to his word -- there's no guarantee -- that doesn't mean Italy leaves the E.U. It means there will be fresh elections and that means this anti-Europe, anti-globalist party could come to power.

THOMAS: Absolutely, the case. Right now, the majority with the Democrats is small. It's 20-something center. There's a very strong chance you could have a right or far right coalition that essentially comes to power. As with the Austrian vote the question of the European Union is more up in the air certainly in the Austrian case. But what you will see is the beginning of the collapse of the banking system. Italy facing a crisis analogous to that of Greece. And with the rising Germany and the splintering of the European nations into these anti-E.U. votes you are witnessing the beginnings of the collapse of the European Union especially since Italy and France were part of the inner core members in the early days of this.

VAUSE: This is the rerun of a presidential election between the green candidate and the leader of the Freedom Party. This is a far-right party founded by the Nazis in the '50s?

THOMAS: This is the background to the party which is why it's so frightening to many in Europe. But you have a very divided electorate no matter what the outcome is. And many are forgetting the history. Many are talking about the return to the 30s around marine le pen and these parties who are main streaming her issues. So of course, this is a tremendous concern to people. What you essentially have is a very divided Europe in the vision to where Europe is going. A declinist Europe versus a Europe that wants to be engaged with the world and is open and diverse and multicultural and so on.

VAUSE: Quickly, some argue the issue with the election of the president in Austria is overblown because is it a ceremonial role.

THOMAS: It is, but if the far-right president is elected, the country will be forced to have a general election. And it is the sitting president appoints the chancellor and can appoint and fire cabinet members. The mood will be moving in that direction. We should be concerned about the way these things are going.

VAUSE: And a lot to watch this weekend, in particular.

THOMAS: Absolutely.

VAUSE: Dominic Thomas, thank you for coming in.

THOMAS: Thank you, sir.

VAUSE: A short break here. Next on NEWSROOM L.A., the bizarre kidnapping of a California woman. Why the investigation may have been compromised.

Back in a moment. (COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[01:41:16] VAUSE: More horrifying details have emerged in the case of the California mother who vanished for three weeks and was found by the side of the road her hands chained and a bag over her head. Authorities say Papini endured weeks of abuse and her abductors branded her with a message.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICER: Sherri did receive injuries over this three-week period in which she was abducted and held captive. I will confirm that the suspects did brand her. I will not get into the details of where the brand is located on her body, nor what was branded on her, for the integrity of the investigation.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

VAUSE: Papini went missing while jogging at her home in Reading. Last week, she was found more than 200 kilometers away. Police are searching for her kidnappings, described as two adult Hispanic women.

Steve Moore joins us now. He is a CNN law enforcement contributor and former FBI special agent.

Steve there are so many disturbing details in this case. Let's start with the branding. Why would her captors do something like that?

STEVE MOORE, CNN LAW ENFORCEMENT CONTRIBUTOR: No idea. You want the profilers to get involved here. She they might have an idea why they would do this. But you have to have much more information to make an intelligent guess at it, because we don't know what it says, where it was, or how she was branded. Whether it's permanent or nonpermanent is also very important.

Papini's husband, Keith, has spoken out about the conditions his wife endured.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

KEITH PAPINI, HUSBAND OF ABDUCTED WOMAN: She was bound. She had a metal -- sorry, a chain around her waist. A bag over her head. Her left hand was in the vehicle chained to something when she was -

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Make sure she didn't jump out of the car.

PAPINI: Yeah. She was chained any time she was in a vehicle.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

VAUSE: Earlier he made this written statement about his wife's condition, "Her face covered in bruises ranging from yellow to black. The bridge of her nose broken and her emaciated body of 87 pounds covered in burns, rashes and chain markings. Her long blonde hair has been chopped off. She has been branded and I can feel the rise of her scabs under my fingers." They stabbed her and cut her hair, what were they trying to do to her?

MOORE: Again, you have to go to profilers to find out what type of deviant mind would want to do something like this. And you have to find out how old the broken nose was and how old the wounds were and date each individual wound.

VAUSE: Because they may not have happened over that three weeks?

MOORE: You want to know if most of the wounds were late loaded, whether they happened immediately, before she was released, or whether they happened right at first, or whether it was a linear progression through the time.

VAUSE: Why is the timing of that important?

MOORE: Because it -- the story -- I mean, I'm not saying she wasn't kidnapped. The problem is this is a completely unlikely scenario. For women to be kidnapped and not killed is rare. Women, when they kidnap, are doing so usually for a rival and they eliminate them. These people apparently didn't know her and only did mild harm to her over the course of three weeks. When you keep somebody for three weeks, it's hard. You don't want them to get away. They went through a lot of effort to hurt her just a little bit.

VAUSE: That written statement by Papini's husband blindsided the sheriff investigating the case. This is what he said.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

[01:45:11] UNIDENTIFIED LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICER: I did not know he was going to release this until a short time before I did a media interview. And, yes, I do think that with some of the details that he has provided, it could affect the integrity of the investigation.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

VAUSE: Keith Papini has been cleared as a suspect. But how could this compromise the investigation?

MOORE: There is a thing called culpable knowledge, something only the perpetrator and the police and the perpetrator would know. It's crucial in many investigations. If there is a word, for instance, that has been branded, and the police don't let that out, then only the perpetrators would know. And that in interrogation is a way you can confirm guilt or innocence, and so that's why you don't want to let details out like she was chained or her hair was cut. You want to keep everything you can close to the vest.

VAUSE: Very quickly, Sherri Papini is the most important witness in all this. She doesn't seem able to talk a lot about it.

MOORE: She doesn't. She is not providing a lot of details. I would wants to see her clothes, whether there are fibers from a specific car, and I want to know why the husband has been polygraphed and Sherri hasn't. VAUSE: Steve, thanks for coming in. Good to talk to you.

MOORE: Thanks.

VAUSE: Now to CNN's Freedom Project. A non-profit group in the U.S. is hunting down the demand side of the trade.

As Robyn Curnow reports, would-be predators who try to buy sex online could see their phone numbers on the Internet and given to police.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ROBYN CURNOW, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Sexual predators behind computer screens are not as hidden as they might think. Youth spark launched a new initiative that tackles the lesser discussed side of the problem, demand.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: When every day you are serving youth who have been sexually exploited you sit back and say what is causing this? It's nothing wrong with the kids. We really felt like we owed it to the youth to work upstream a little bit and start doing what we can as an NGO to address the exploitation they were being faced with.

CURNOW: Demand Tracker is simple. An employee posts ads online offering juveniles up for sex. Hers are decoys and the models agrees to post for them. When a predator calls or texts the number in the ad, the number is added to a public searchable database. The caller is sent a text message letting them know the number has been identified and now known to law enforcement.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You now know that someone is watching and I'm going to be held accountable. You think, whoa, law enforcement is paying attention. That is the kind of message we think that men will take to change their track real fast.

CURNOW: In a month the system has recorded 12,000 unique numbers. It can identify phone numbers but not who places the calls and cannot intentional calls from misdials.

Police are mainly concerned with numbers that show up multiple times as these are likely not accidental.

It is not perfect but many in law enforcement see it as a great start to tackling demand.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It may not be something we could use in a particular case but it is good to push legislation to make tougher laws against the purchasers. It could help in bringing together training curriculum on how to track purchasers by looking at their patterns and habits.

CURNOW: And it sends a message to predators.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We are coming after the demand side just as hard as the exploiters and the supply side. You are no longer going to be safe behind those keyboards. We are going to find you and prosecute you.

Robyn Curnow, CNN, Atlanta.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

VAUSE: Tomorrow, the CNN Freedom Project will introduce you to students running an endurance race to save the lives of trafficking victims.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

[01:49:53] UNIDENTIFIED CORRESPONDENT: For 24 hours, teams will run relay laps in a mission to raise awareness of modern day slavery and money to fight human trafficking.

UNIDENTIFIED STUDENT: Slowly, I started to go back to my home roots and when I found out about it in India, how it manifests in many forms, I felt sad.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

VAUSE: That's tomorrow right here on CNN, 1:00 a.m. in New York, 2:00 p.m. in Hong Kong.

Back in a moment.

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VAUSE: Kanye West heading home after a week of observation in hospital. The rapper checked out of the UCLA Medical Center where he was treated for exhaustion. He made headlines days for a cynical rant days before he was at admitted. He cancelled the remainder of his North American tour.

Dolly Parton has created a fund to help families devastated by wildfires in Tennessee. That's where the country music star was born into a life of poverty. More than 700 buildings have been damaged or destroyed as flames raced through the area. One town that was hit was Pigeon Forge, a special place to Parton. She built her Dollywood theme park there to provide jobs and help the local economy.

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DOLLY PARTON, SINGER: We want to provide a hand up all those families that have lost everything in fires. And to recover, we want to make sure that the Dollywood Foundation provides $1,000 a month to all those families that lost their homes in the fires until they get back up on their feet.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

[01:55:17] VAUSE: Guests were evacuated from Dollywood as the wildfires closed in but the park was not damaged.

You think truck drivers would be careful about locking the van when they leave, but a man stole a bucket of gold flakes from the back of a truck in mid-town Manhattan. The thief noticed the truck and walked away with the gold worth more than $1.5 million. The police are looking for the suspect. The truck driver is probably looking for a new job.

You're watching CNN NEWSROOM live from Los Angeles. I'll be back with another hour of news right after this.

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[02:00:08] VAUSE: This is CNN NEWSROOM live from Los Angeles.

Ahead this hour --

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