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Sanders Vows to Continue Campaign; Trump Interviewed by Jake Tapper; A Look at the US Carrier Group Supporting Attacks in Syria and Iraq; Two NPR Journalists Killed in Attack on Convoy in Afghanistan; India Organ Harvesting Scheme Busted. Aired 3-4a ET
Aired June 06, 2016 - 03:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[03:00:00] AMARA WALKER, CNN NEWSROOM SHOW HOST: Sanders defiant. The Bern vows to press on, despite another loss to Hillary Clinton and daunting ads in the last major primary about the season.
Ramping up. A firsthand look at the U.S. carrier group that is intensifying the attack on ISIS in Syria and Iraq.
And also ahead, sharing the meals, the new mobile app that connects Arabic speakers to Syrians in need, just in time for Ramadan.
Welcome everyone to our viewers in the United States and around the world. I'm Amara Walker. Thanks for joining us as we kick off a second hour of CNN Newsroom.
Hillary Clinton is one step closer to beating rival Bernie Sanders to their party's nomination. Clinton is the projected winner of Puerto Rico's democratic primary. She is expected to pick up more than half of the U.S. territory's delegates. That leaves Clinton just 29 shy of the number needed to secure the nomination.
Now, Clinton and Sanders are looking forward to the final primary contests. California is the biggest of them all, with 475 delegates at stake. Clinton and Sanders are in a dead-heat among the states eligible voters, according to a recent USC/Los Angeles Times polls.
But in a survey of likely voters, Clinton holds a 10-point lead over Sanders. Both candidates are working down to the wire in California, battling to get every single one of the state's delegates.
CNN senior correspondent Jeff Zeleny has the latest.
JEFF ZELENY, CNN SENIOR WASHINGTON CORRESPONDENT: The final full day of campaigning today for Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders here in California. Making one last push for those delegates at stake in Tuesday's primary.
Hillary Clinton making the case again and again about one of the rivals, but it's Donald Trump, she's talking over and over, about how he's not qualified to be president. She's barely mentioning Bernie Sanders on the campaign trail. She had a closing rally in Sacramento on Sunday night. This was her final message to voters. (BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
HILLARY CLINTON, (D) U.S. PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: I want to finish strong here in California. It means -- it means the world to me.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ZELENY: And Bernie Sanders making the case to his supporters here in California as well, telling them that they can still change the direction of this democratic race for the presidency. But with Puerto Rico in the bag now, the only six more states to vote on Tuesday, followed by the District of Columbia next week, then this race is over.
Bernie Sanders trying to keep this argument alive that he will need super delegates to pull them over to his side, increasingly, that is an uphill battle. But this is what he told voters last night in San Diego.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BERNIE SANDERS, (D) U.S. PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: Any objective analyst of the current campaign understands that the energy and the grassroots activism in this campaign is with us, not Hillary Clinton.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ZELENY: The outcome of this democratic presidential nomination does not hinge on California. But a Clinton win here in California would certainly cool the argument Bernie Sanders is trying to make, that he can still take this to the convention.
That's why all eyes today still on California, as both campaign, both candidates fight here until the end for those 475 delegates at stake.
WALKER: On the republican side, Donald Trump is saying it's not only a Latino judge who might have a bias against him. The presumptive republican presidential nominee has been under fire since lashing out at the U.S. district judge who is presiding over fraud lawsuits against Trump University.
Trump said Judge Gonzalo Paul Curiel Mexican heritage makes it impossible for him to rule fairly. Sunday, on CBS' Face the Nation, he was asked, what if the judge was Muslim?
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JOHN DICKERSON, FACE THE NATION MODERATOR: If it were a Muslim judge, would you feel like they wouldn't be able to treat you fairly because of the policy of yours?
DONALD TRUMP, (R) U.S. PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: It's possible, yes. That would be possible, absolutely.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
WALKER: CNN's Jake Tapper spoke with Trump and challenged him about his comments about that federal judge.
JAKE TAPPER, THE LEAD SHOW HOST: The presumptive republican presidential nominee, Donald Trump is still campaigning hard here in California, ahead of the Tuesday primary. With no major republican candidate still in the race and enough pledge delegates to secure the nomination at the Cleveland convention next a month.
He is rallying the party as the GOP establishment is still lining up behind him. But that doesn't mean he's toning it down.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
TAPPER: May I ask you about comments you made about the judge in the Trump University case.
TRUMP: Sure.
TAPPER: You said that you thought it was the conflict of interest that he was the judge because he is of Mexican heritage, even though he's from Indiana.
[03:05:02] TRUMP: OK, yes.
TAPPER: Hillary Clinton said that that is a racist attack on a federal judge.
TRUMP: She's so wonderful, you know. I mean, here's a woman that should be put in jail for what she did with her e-mails and she's coming to me. I'll tell you what it has to do. I have had ruling after ruling after ruling, that's been bad rulings, OK?
I've been treated very unfairly beforehand, we had another judge, if that judge was still there, this case would be over two years ago. Let me just tell you, I've had horrible rulings. I've been treated unfairly by this judge.
Now this judge is of Mexican heritage. I'm building a wall. OK? I'm building a wall. I'm going to do very well with the Hispanics. The Mexicans is going to love it.
(CROSSTALK)
TAPPER: So, no Mexican judge can be involved in a case that involves you?
TRUMP: Well, he's a member of a society where, you know, very pro- Mexico. And that's fine. So fine.
(CROSSTALK)
TAPPER: But I see you're calling into question his heritage.
TRUMP: I think he should recuse himself. Does he know the lawyer on the other side? I mean, does he know the lawyer? You know, a lot of people say yes. I don't know.
(CROSSTALK)
TAPPER: But I'm not talking about that.
TRUMP: You know, that's another -- that another problem.
TAPPER: But you're invoking his race when talking about whether or not he can do his job.
TRUMP: Jake, I'm building a wall, OK? I'm building a wall. I'm trying to keep business out of Mexico. Mexico is fine. There's nothing...
(CROSSTALK)
TAPPER: But he's an American.
TRUMP: ... and Mexican -- he's of Mexican heritage and he's very proud of it, as I am where I come from, my parents.
TAPPER: But he's an American. Is it not, when Hillary Clinton says this is a racist attack, and you reject that. If you are saying he can't do his job because of his race, is that not the definition of racism?
TRUMP: I don't think so at all.
TAPPER: No?
TRUMP: No. He's proud of his heritage. I respect him for that.
TAPPER: But you're saying he can't do his job because of it.
TRUMP: Look, he's proud of his heritage, OK? I'm building a wall.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
TAPPER: Now Trump is ready to take the fight to Hillary Clinton, who could secure enough delegates on Tuesday to become the democrats' nominee next month at the convention in Philadelphia. If you include the super delegates. That's a big if fo course. Clinton told me this week that she is happy to compare her record with Donald Trump's.
WALKER: Scottie Nell Hughes is political editor for RightAlert.com and a Trump supporter. She is joining us now from Nashville, Tennessee. Thanks so much for your time.
SCOTTIE NELL HUGHES, RIGHTALERT.COM POLITICAL EDITOR: Thanks for having me.
WALKER: I first have to start with your thoughts on Trump's comments about Judge Curiel of who's of Mexican descent. And he's basically claiming that this federal judge who will be presiding over Trump's fraud case will be biased against him because of his race.
And even some of Trump's staunch supporters are calling this racist and a very big mistake. What are your thoughts? HUGHES: Well, I think there's a lot more into it, even though Mr.
Trump in his rallies has only able to cite the race. But he did do a great interview with CNN this past weekend with Jake Tapper where he went a little bit more in depth with that there was more than just necessary.
It's not necessarily about his race. It's about the activism and all the groups that he's a part of. Plus, when you look at it, this judge did a point, a prosecuting firm that has given I think $675,000 to both Bill and Hillary Clinton, as early -- as late as 2014.
And so, there are some ties. This is a judge that's appointed by Barack Obama and has opened and closed and opened to this case time and time again. And so, you have to wonder, how much politics is involved?
WALKER: But Donald Trump has made some pretty hostile comments against Latinos and Muslims. How do you think that's going to impact him -- Trump's efforts to make inroads with minority groups in the United States? I mean, Latinos are a very huge voting bloc.
HUGHES: No, it is a very huge bloc. And this is been a voting bloc that the republicans as a whole, the GOP as a whole has had issues with. It's not just something new to Mr. Trump. And I think when you look at his actual organization, the minorities that he's hired, the Hispanics that he's hired, you will see that there's actually people in there that have quite affection and quite respect for Mr. Trump that are part of these minorities.
I think the question is, Mr. Trump looks at these, not necessarily as a Hispanic, as a woman or as an African-American. He looks at them as an American and across the board. And so, his policies appeals to a lot of them, even if they don't get the press because he's talking about the things that they care about the most.
Education, national security, the economy. Those sort of core issues when he actually sticks to those, resonates within all of the groups. Because in the end, we're all in the common theme of being Americans.
WALKER: Where are you seeing that, though? Because a lot of times you're seeing violence is breaking out at his rallies. And many times you're hearing the protesters saying that they're quite angry about the Trump's propositions especially some of those insults against Mexicans and building walls and calling them rapists and murderers.
HUGHES: Well, there's definitely passion on both sides of the issues. And let me say this, when we look at these riots that have happened, when you've seen law enforcement that has been assaulted, even equestrian officers horses that have been assaulted. And then you see the Trump supporters themselves being bloodied or the woman that was assaulted by the mob this week.
That does not bode well for whatever argument that these protesters are trying to get across. Because people outside of California see that, and go, wait a minute, we obviously do have a problem.
WALKER: Scottie Nell Hughes, we're going to have to leave it there. Thank you so much for your time. I appreciate your perspective.
[03:10:01] HUGHES: Thank you.
WALKER: California, New Jersey, New Mexico, South Dakota and Montana all hold primaries on Tuesday. We will have all-day coverage right here on CNN. Be sure to tune in on June 7th for the final batch of the state primaries of the election season. We are in the final stretch.
Well, the attacks on ISIS are intensifying with fighters closing in on the militants' defective capital in Syria.
After three days of fighting, aide groups say the Syrian army backed by Russian war planes advanced into Raqqah province Saturday.
In the meantime, U.S.-backed Kurdish and Arab militias to control of a strategic road connecting Raqqah to the ISIS held city of Manbij.
And in Iraq, security forces and militia stormed the neighborhood in southern Fallujah. It was the first Iraqi city to fall to ISIS in January 2014. Now the stepped campaign, the bombing campaign I should say, against ISIS prompted a U.S. carrier to move closer to targets in Syria and Iraq.
Frederik Pleitgen went on board to see the operations in action. He's joining us now with the very latest from Chania in Greece. Hi there, Fred.
FREDERIK PLEITGEN, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: hi there, Amara. Now this is USS Harry Truman for stationed in the Persian Gulf for the past couple of months and then obviously had to fly or its plane had to fly very far away to get into the area of operations both in Iraq and in Syria as well.
Well, that aircraft carrier has now moved here to the Mediterranean Sea, where it's actually very, very close to Syrian territory. And of course, with that, also very close to some of these key battlefields there in northern Syria where pro-U.S. forces are trying to take back territory from ISIS and in many cases, doing so.
Here's what we saw on the Harry Truman. High-intensity operations on USS Harry Truman. Jets taking off every few minutes to hit ISIS. Now, from a better position than before.
The Truman just moved from the Persian Gulf to the Mediterranean Sea, much closer to Syria. We spoke to F-18 pilots flying one of the first strike missions.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: There was a close air support mission. So we don't know the targets prior to taking off. There did happen to be a few targets. We struck those targets.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
PLEITGEN: The U.S. says its air strikes are having a major effect, as allied forces on the ground continue to win back territory from the extremists in places like Fallujah in Iraq and in northern Syria.
American jets not only hitting ISIS positions on the frontlines but also supply lines and cash warehouses. The U.S. has drastically stepped up its bombing of ISIS targets both in Iraq and Syria. And the Harry Truman played an important role in that stepped up campaign.
Now that it's here in the Mediterranean, its jets are even closer to many of the targets they need to hit. The increased operational tempo and the move from the Gulf to the Mediterranean, put a strain on the Truman's crew. The carrier's tour extended by a full month. But the admiral tells me, his men and women are still going strong.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BRET BATCHELDER, CARRIER STRIKE GROUP EIGHT COMMANDER: It's a graphic illustration of the flexibility that's inherent with the naval forces. You know, we can operate anywhere we want to in the world as it happens on this deployment. Our priority has been the support of Operation Inherent Resolve" in Iraq and Syria.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
PLEITGEN: U.S. commanders believe the coming weeks will be critical in the fight against ISIS, now that the group seems to be losing its grip on some of its major strongholds. Gains the Truman's pilots helped pave the way for.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We have definitely degraded them. And we've destroyed them in many different places all throughout Iraq and Syria. So, I feel like we've made a large impact.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
PLEITGEN: ISIS may be weakened. But some of the most intense fighting against the group probably still lies ahead. And so, do many more combat missions for this carrier's jets.
An so, in that decisive phase, Amara, the crew of the Harry Truman obviously has better access to many of the battlefields there in Iraq and Syria. But it certainly also does raise new concerns.
One of the things about this new position in the Mediterranean is that, with that, the USS Harry Truman is also very, very close to the area where the Russians operate. They're of course in the west of Syria in the town of Latakia.
We spoke to the pilots and also to the admiral about that as well. He says, so far, there's been very little interaction with the Russians. But they say that when they did see Russian jets or speak to the Russians, that has been quite professional. And there is an understanding between the two sides that they would not get in each other's way in that airspace above Syria and Iraq as well, Amara.
WALKER: And, Fred, when we talk about Syria how significant is this stepped-up campaign against ISIS? Considering that the U.S.-led coalition from the ground and on the air, have been fighting ISIS for some time now.
[03:15:05] PLEITGEN: Well, you know what, it is very significant. And there is two reasons for that. On the one hand, of course, you have those Syrian democratic forces which are led by the Kurds but also had some Arab troops into them as well trying to close in on Raqqah.
But right now, probably be even more significant front in Syria is that Manbij area. And the reason for that is that it's right on the border between Turkey and Syria and it's been an objective both of the U.S. and of the Russians for a very long time to try to cut ISIS' access to the Turkish border.
Because that's the way ISIS gets weapons, funding and also additional fighters into its territory. And so, they want to cut ISIS off from Turkish territory to make sure that they don't have access to that anymore making more difficult for ISIS to replenish its ranks.
And so, that offensive that's going on around the Manbij area is something where you certainly cannot overstate the importance of trying to seal the border between Turkey and Syria, Amara.
WALKER: Frederick Pleitgen, live in Chania, Greece, with the latest on the battle against ISIS. I appreciate that, Fred. Thanks.
Well, National Public Radio News is mourning in the death of two journalists of its own. They were killed in an attack while covering the conflict the ongoing in Afghanistan. We'll have the story just ahead.
Also, swimmers on-edge in Western Australia after two fatal shark attacks. What's going on in the waters? We'll explain next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
KATE RILEY, CNN WORLD SPORT ANCHOR: I'm Kate Riley with your CNN World Sport headlines.
Novak Djokovic has won his 12th major success on Sunday with victory over Andy Murray at the French Open. He has now held a Grand Slam title and becomes the first man since Australian legend, Rod Laver, in 1969, to hold all four Slam titles at the same time.
Although Murray started strong, taking the opening set, 6-3. It was no lay-off to that world number one with the second set 6-1 and then cruise again in the second to win 6-2.
The legacy of Muhammad Ali continues to be honored. Tributes are pouring in from those who are impacted by his life and greatly moved by his death on Saturday.
In California, one of the sport's most famous forces, Michael Buffer, known by his trade mark catchphrase, "let's get ready to rumble," paid his own special tribute to Ali by ringing the memorial count of 10 bells for the man known as the greatest of all-time. And in ice hockey, after 25 years of waiting, it was a last-minute
finish that gave the San Jose sharks their first Stanley Cup final game victory, as they beat the Penguins, 3-2. The penguins were leading the entire game.
Totally and they chased them to a tie in the first Anfield period. But a goal in overtime sealed victory for the California team.
[03:20:03] And they are all your sports headlines. I'm Kate Riley.
WALKER: Welcome back, everyone.
Two NPR journalists have been killed while on assignment in southern Afghanistan. They were traveling with an Afghan army unit near Marja Sunday, when the convoy was attacked and their vehicle came under fire. NPR or National Public Radio, is a nonprofit membership media organization in the U.S.
CNN's Asia-Pacific editor, Andrew Stevens, is covering the story from Hong Kong. He joins us now live with more on what happened. And there were two other journalists who were traveling with the other two who were killed and they were unharmed.
ANDREW STEVENS, CNN ASIA-PACIFIC EDITOR: Yes. That's right. It was a four-person team, Amara, and two were unharmed. Now the attack as you say, took place in the town called Marja, which is in southern Afghanistan province of Helmand, which has been a notoriously dangerous place to operate for many, many years.
And so, in recent years, it has been falling more and more under the control, or if not the control, the influence of the Taliban. Now the NPR reporting team had been in-country for about three weeks, doing reports as they went. And the two journalists, David Gilkey and Zabihullah Tamanna were in a convoy of five vehicles, which is being led by the Afghan Special Forces when it came under attack.
Some reports are calling it an ambush. And the vehicle, in which the two journalists were in, was hit by shell fire. The driver also died in that attack. So, three dead there. The Afghani who was with him, Zabihullah Tamanna, was actually working as a translator for David Gilkey. But he was also a photo journalists in his own right. Amara.
WALKER: Yes. And more about Gilkey. I mean, he is someone who was very passionate about his craft. And he talked about just, you know, the horrors that he's encountered and some of the dangers he's come face-to-face with, as well.
STEVENS: That's right. A man described as one of the very best in the field. A man at the top of his game. A photojournalist who displayed a commitment. Those words you keep hearing, you keep reading, when talking about David Gilkey, an incredibly committed man.
Our own Ivan Watson in fact, himself formerly an NPR journalist worked with Gilkey in Iraq and describes his level of commitment. And Ivan, sort of describing David as almost like a mentor and a man who was very, very aware of security situations. First aid, as well. But also absolutely committed to bringing the story back home, back to America.
He told Ivan that he realized many of the images that he sent back were very confronting. But he wanted America to know the real story of what was actually happening in these areas.
It wasn't just war zones. So, it was also humanitarian disasters. He was in Haiti in 2010 for the earthquake there in Gaza. And also, in Somalia, the family in Somalis. And he was actually interviewed by NPR a few years ago. And this is what he had to say about what he did.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DAVID GILKEY, NPR PHOTOJOURNALIST: You know, when you're taking pictures, it's easier. That doesn't make it OK. It's not like you put the camera to your face in there for it makes what you're seeing OK. But certainly you can put yourself in the zone. It's -- I am doing this. What I'm doing is not pleasant. But you just, you march through it.
I mean, it's hard. But you can't get caught up in it and become part of it. You still need to maintain your state of mind that you are helping tell this story.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
STEVENS: Just had the Secretary of State issue a statement, too. John Kerry, Amara, that the attack is a grim reminder of the danger that continues to face the Afghan people.
The dedication of the Afghan national Defense and Security Forces to securing country and of the courage of intrepid journalists and their interpreters who are trying to convey that important story to the rest of the world. Amara?
WALKER: A very sad story indeed. Andrew Stevens, covering that for us from Hong Kong. Thanks so much, Andrew.
We're going to check some other stories now that we've been following. At least three people were killed in a train crash in eastern Belgium. Officials say a passenger train slammed into the back of a freight train at high speed Sunday.
Police say one of the people who died was a driver of the passenger train. Dozens of people were also injured. Several of them critically. Authorities are looking into the cause of the crash.
Pope Francis is clarifying the Roman Catholic Church's position on sexual abuse cases involving children and adults. He has announced that bishops who failed to report clerical sex abuse cases can be removed from office for negligence.
[03:25:03] The Catholic Church has been criticized for not holding Bishops accountable for failing to act.
And investigators in Bangladesh believe that Islamic militants are responsible for killing the wife of an anti-terror police superintendent. Police states three men stabbed and shot the woman. Her husband has worked to arrest violent religious extremists in southern Bangladesh.
A 60-year-old woman has died after being attacked by a shark off the coast of Western Australia. She was driving in a popular area near Perth when this happened. And this is the second fatal shark attack in the area in the past week.
A surfer died Friday after losing his leg to a shark a few days earlier. A massive great white was caught at the same beach where the surfer was attacked. Authorities are not sure if it's the same shark. But they found it to be threatening and had it killed. There have been 11 reported shark attacks in Australia just this year so far.
Also, in the United States, stretch of California's Huntington Beach was closed after this. Yes. Several people spotting several sharks. The great white sharks were said to be more than two meters in size. The beach is expected to reopen on Monday, even if it did, I would not want to go in the water after seeing these images.
So, the number of shark attacks has been increasing in recent years across the U.S.
Meteorologist Pedram Javaheri joining us now with more on that. So, what is it, I heard warm waters.
PEDRAM JAVAHERI, CNN METEOROLOGIST: Yes.
WALKER: Is that what brings us out the sharks to.
JAVAHERI: Warm waters certainly exacerbates the problem. You know, you look at this. You look at the droughts we've seen in recent years. And that alters the salinity of the water. So, the shark are displace at different for food sources in different region.
So, if you bring people close to them, it a bad combination. That's what we've seen in recent years.
Let's graph -- a graphic does a pretty good job, Amara, as far as showing you the numbers in recent years. There were shark attacks, according to the international shark attacks filed. It keeps track of attacks. In the United States in particular, 2005 through about say 2012. The numbers generally into the 30s, with around 50 degrees with one year there in 2007.
And then look at what's happened in the last four years, where the numbers have exceeded or approached to 40 to 50 or so and exceeded. And again, this number we know you look at the drought situation in recent years, the focus right there across the southwestern corner of California.
If you look at the temperature trend in recent decades. And in Western United States in particular, since the year 1970, the temperatures have warmed up about 2.5 to 3.5 degrees Fahrenheit or .6 to .8 degrees per decade. So, you put this all together, and again, you can make a correlation
of what's happened, as far as seeing increased shark attacks in those California temperature trend, since the 1970s. A steady incline there going in the last couple of decades.
But how about the temps we experience around the Western U.S. On Sunday afternoon, Seattle, 93 degrees. Only a handful of times per year for the northwestern U.S. to see temperatures of this warm, 113, that's about 38 Celsius.
If you're watching this internationally look at Las Vegas at 109, Death valley at 119. Phoenix making to that mid-July like temperatures there with 113 degrees Fahrenheit on Sunday afternoon.
The other big story we're following, of course, it is a tropical storm, this is Colin that's formed in the past several hours across portions of the Gulf of Mexico. This is the earliest storm we had to have three storms in a season in recorded history.
In fact, the last time we had this many storms prior to June 12th, was back on June 12th, 1887. This particular storm. Again, that concerns right now is the big bend of Florida, across Southern Georgia. Tremendous rainfall in the forecast. It is early in the season.
We're not going to see much in the way of heavy, heavy winds with this. But the rainfall, Amara, is going to cause significant flooding in southern Georgia, the Carolinas, and also parts of florida as well the next couple of weeks.
WALKER: It's the season.
JAVAHERI: It's the season. Absolutely.
WALKER: All right. Pedram, thank you so much. Good to see you.
Well, several people under arrest in India, accused of organ trafficking. We're going to tell you who police believe is behind the smuggling scheme.
Also, U.S. President Barack Obama, sending sells wishes to Muslims at the start of Ramadan. We'll tell you how he used the opportunity to slam the man who wants his job.
[03:30:00] (COMMERCIAL BREAK)
WALKER: Welcome back to our viewers here in the United States and around the world. I'm Amara Walker. Time now to update you on our top story this hour.
CNN projects Hillary Clinton will win Puerto Rico's democratic primary. She holds a strong lead over rival Bernie Sanders. As of now, Clinton is just 29 delegates short of the number needed to win her party's nomination.
One of Syria's largest city is facing a fierce bombardment as fighting rages between rebel groups and regime forces. Activist say at least 40 air strikes groups hit Aleppo on Sunday. There's also shelling from helicopter gunships and barrel bombs.
Two National Public Radio journalists have been killed while on assignment in southern Afghanistan. David Gilkey and Zabihullah Tamanna were traveling with an Afghan army unit near Marja Sunday, when the convoy was attack, their vehicle was hit by shell fire.
And in India, five people are under arrest, in connection with a suspected organ-harvesting scheme at one of New Delhi's most prestigious private hospitals. And now police are searching for the allege ring leader.
CNN's Sumnina Udas following this story from New Delhi. She has the very latest very disturbing. What do we know about the people who are arrested?
SUMNIMA UDAS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes, five people have been arrested so far, as you mentioned, Amara. And two of them are associated with one of the most prominent, one of the most prestigious hospitals in this country. And perhaps that's why this story has become such a big deal in this country.
Now, the hospital says that these two people were not directly employed by the hospitals that they were secretarial staff of some doctors there. And that the hospital itself has been a victim of this very massive, very well-orchestrated kidney trafficking plan.
Now police are investigating who else could be involved at the moment because the Indian government actually came up with a law to mandate any institution that conducts these sort of transplants to have a committee full of government employees and also doctors.
So, every kidney transplant has to be overseen by this committee. They look through all of the documents to insure that the donor is not doing it for altruistic reasons -- or sorry, is doing it for altruistic reasons and is not doing it for money.
[03:34:59] So, the investigators say a lot of other people could be involved in this case. Not just middleman and touts. They're looking to see if someone higher up could can have been involved in this case. Amara?
WALKER: Yes. And, Sumnina, some of our viewers may not even know that kidney smuggling, these kind of organ-trafficking is a problem in India and also in other parts of Southeast Asia.
You know this story very well. You've done a documentary on it. And just talk to us a little bit about how the smuggling operations work and how they prey on poor people.
UDAS: Yes. There's two ways that someone who needs a kidney can get one. The first way is through a family member, a relative. That is the easiest, most efficient way. The other way is to wait for someone who is brain-dead, who is going to donate that organ. That's a more complicated process.
There's a lot of people on that waiting list. According to a lot of organization. There a list some 200,000 people who are in need of a kidney every single year in this country. But only 3 percent of that demand is actually met through official means.
So, what happens is middlemen, traffickers, they go out to the most vulnerable sections of society. To villages. To poor areas. And what they do is they lure these people with money. In this case, they lure them with about 4,500 to $6,000 for their kidneys.
So, people who are in debt are willing to forgo their kidney for money. And in many cases, they're also duped. As you mentioned, we made a documentary on this. And we found many people who had no idea what they were going through.
They were told that they were -- that their kidney will grow back. And this is nothing serious. And then they found that that is not the case at all. So, there's is this whole system in place. Of course, there's laws in place to stop the vulnerable from being exploited.
But of course, as we're seeing in this case, there are still a lot of loopholes in the system, as well, Amara.
WALKER: Yes. Not easy to stop these operations. Sumnima Udas, I appreciate that live for us there in New Delhi.
U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry is calling on China to find a diplomatic solution to the rising tensions over the South China Sea. He's in Beijing for talks aimed at expanding cooperation between China and the U.S.
The South China Sea issue is expected to dominate the discussions. Beijing has sought to strengthen its claims there by building and fortifying islands.
U.S. Defense Secretary Ash Carter on Friday warned China against, quote, "Erecting a great wall of self-isolation." On Sunday, China reacted as the top admiral said "Beijing will not be intimidated."
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SUN JIANGUO, CHINESE NAVY (TRANSLATED): We do not make trouble but we have no fear of trouble. China will not bear with the arbitration of words nor will it allow any infringements on its sovereignty and security interests. Or stay indifferent to the irresponsible behavior of some countries in and around the South China Sea.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
WALKER: We're going to take a short break here. When we return, share the meal is aiming to end world hunger from your Smartphone. My conversation with the head of the initiative when we come back.
[03:40:00] (COMMERCIAL BREAK)
WALKER: U.S. President Barack Obama is marking the start of the holy month of Ramadan by extending well-wishes to the millions of Muslims who celebrate Ramadan around the world. He's also taking a subtle jab at presumptive republican presidential
nominee Donald Trump. Part of the president's statement said read, "I stand firmly with Muslim-American communities in rejection of the voices that seek to divide us or limit our religious freedom or civil rights."
An award winning app is making it easier to join the fight against world hunger right from your Smartphone. Now, it's launching in Arabic just in time for the start of Ramadan. The world food program share the meal initiative has helped millions of refugees and hungry children. It's doing it with just a few cents at a time. Here's how it works.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: The share the meal app, enables you to share your meal with children in need. All it takes is 50 cents and a tap on your smartphone, whenever you want, wherever you are. The United Nations World Food Program provides the meals. We show you where the children are and how we are progressing.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
WALKER: Now Tunisian actress Hend Sabry is a WFP ambassador against hunger and she visited Lebanon to support the rollout of the app's Arabic version and she's urging people to use the app to share what Syrian refugees over Ramadan.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
HEND SABRY, WFP AMBASSADOR AGSINT HUNGER: These are mothers watching me now care about children as nutrition as much as I do, as a mother of two. And I would like to make a pledge. And let's try this whole holy month, and share a meal every day, and every meal that we're having or should be having, when fasting. Let's share a meal with a Syrian refugee wherever they are in the world.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
WALKER: Well, earlier, I spoke to the head of the Share the Meal initiative. And he told me how the app came about.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SEBASTIAN STRICKER, SHARE THE MEAD HEAD: It cost 50 U.S cents to feed a child for one full day. And we thought if there -- we thought people want to help, when they see these pictures also on CNN, of people, of children starving. They want to help. But maybe they're lacking that easy way to do so.
And so, we thought an app could help here. And then we also understood that there are 20 times as many people that have a Smartphone than hungry children. And so, the idea came along that we build now called Share the Meal to try to fight global hunger.
WALKER: It's so true, though. People want to help but they want an easy way to do it. I just downloaded the app about a couple of hours ago. And it really is that easy. Just a few taps on your phone and you can donate as little as 50 cents or as much as you want.
But you launched the Share the Meal app for users in the Arabic speaking world. And you can of timed it just right with Ramadan. Tell us the significance of that and why you decided to launch around this time.
STRICKER: Yes. Well, Share the Meal, the idea behind Share the Meal real is to make it as easy as possible for people to help. And one a half weeks ago, we launched the Arabic version, basically to allow Arabic speakers to also use the Share the Meal app to download it in the Apple app store and the Google play store, and then start feeding children.
I think what makes us happy -- this happened about one a half weeks ago. And since then about every nine seconds, we see that someone somewhere in the world shares his or her meal with a child that is suffering from hunger. That immensely motivates us.
[03:45:02] And, yes. We are very happy. Obviously there's the coincidence now with the -- or the start of the Arabic version coincides with the start of Ramadan. And for those who had observe Ramadan, if they may feel hunger pangs through the day, throughout the day, they can use the app and press the button and feed a child that is suffering from chronic hunger not only now.
Or when they break the fast with the sunset and share the meal with their families and friends, well, they can use the app and also share it with a child that is suffering.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
WALKER: Yes. We're going to take a short break. When we return, Louisville, Kentucky, is remembering Muhammad Ali. We'll see how his hometown is paying tribute. Plus, how Hollywood is remembering the boxing legend.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
JAVAHERI: Time to talk weather. Meteorologist Pedram Javaheri here for Weather Watch.
And look at this, areas of connected storms right across the Yucatan Peninsula of Mexico that is now formed and organized into what is tropical storm Colin. This is actually of course our sea latter storm, the earliest at which we've had our third storm since the 1800s when records began.
The storm system itself we want to kind of we enter to the north and eventually push off to the east. And we think the big bend of Florida right there going to be in-line for the initial landfall, which with what would be a decent tropical storm there with heavy rainfall really being the main concern,
Right here we're talking 150, maybe 200 millimeters of rainfall. And eventually, we'll go right up the eastern seaboard before it pushes offshore past the Carolinas.
So something we'll watch carefully for the next couple of days. The conditions around Miami, looking at cloudy skies there at 31 degrees. Places like Atlanta into the upper 20s. The heat has been on around the Southwestern United States that is going to begin to moderate a little bit. Notice the orange contour is wanted to begin to shift a little father and expand across much of the Eastern United States.
In fact, even as far north as the Midwestern United States. Look at these temps, into the 30s, we're talking 90s Fahrenheit in places like Chicago, by the latter portion of the week.
So, certainly a warming trend in store in that region. How about Guatemala City? How about some thunderstorms there around 21 degrees. Mexico City, some afternoon storms, as well, around 23.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
WALKER: Muhammad Ali's family says he belonged to the world. But it's his hometown of Louisville, Kentucky, that's pulling out all of the stops to celebrate its hero. Ali's body arrived in the city he grew up in on Sunday.
There will be a public memorial there this Friday for the legendary boxer. His body will be driven through the streets before that ceremony. And the tributes have already begun. Especially outside the boxing great's childhood home.
[03:50:04] Our Ryan Young reports, from the Muhammad Ali Center.
RYAN YOUNG, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: When you talk about the sport of boxing, you can't imagine it without the big figure of Muhammad Ali and what he did to transform that sport, just with the way he talked.
But a lot of people now are focusing on the way he changed the world. Especially here in his hometown. If you look behind me and you can see all the people who decided to show up and put those flowers out and come out to pay their respects to the great champion.
One of the things that caught our eyes is the gloves that are right here. One that says "Love Ali, faith and hope." And you see his pictures here. We're seeing those gloves pop up all around. Not only here at Louisville but across the country.
People wanting to talk about and pay their respects about to Muhammad Ali. In fact, the center's director here, talked about his impact across the globe.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DONALD LASSERE, MUHAMMAD ALI CENTER DIRECTOR: Muhammad Ali was much more than the boxer. By it being here at the center, people can have an understanding of Muhammad's six core principles, those thing that made him great. More importantly that he was an ambassador of peace. That he was an inspiration for millions of people all around the world. (END VIDEO CLIP)
YOUNG: We know a memorial service will happen here on Friday. There's plenty now have former President Bill Clinton here, comedian Billy Crystal. And also Bryant Gumbel, the journalist here to give a eulogy for Muhammad Ali.
And then they are going to take his body through the streets of Louisville. A place that really loves him. Now don't forget, this is a boxer who started fighting because of the age of 12, someone stole his bike. He said he wanted to whoop that person. A cop that he told that to said, "Hey, I'm going to teach how to box." And that is history. And people will remember this man for quite someone.
WALKER: So, no doubt Muhammad Ali left a unique mark on the entire world. But it is his family that feels his absence more than anyone. Ali's daughter, Hanna spoke to CNN earlier about her father's final moments.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
HANA ALI, MUHAMMAD ALI'S DAUGHTER: It was really beautiful. He was very -- he was at peace. You know, we were all taking take and speaking with him and whispering and telling him we love him. It was very peaceful and beautiful. He would have been proud.
(CROSSTALK)
WALKER: I mean, he would have been proud.
ALI: There was really -- you know, I think, yes. Because our father's such a spiritual man. And he's always been -- he loves his religion. And it literally broke his heart to see, you know, I think the way the world is viewing Islam now as a whole because of the actions of a few people.
He is -- Islam means peace and love. And he's all about peace and love and he always tried to spread that share that. Then just to see him go and have an imam there and reading the Koran to him in Arabic and in English it was just beautiful and spiritual and overwhelming.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
WALKER: Well, Kim Serafin joins us now. She's a senior editor for In Touch Weekly magazine. Kim, good to have you on the program. We of course have to start with Muhammad Ali. Of course, the world is mourning his loss. How is Hollywood paying tribute to him?
KIM SERAFIN, IN TOUCH WEEKLY SENIOR EDITOR: Yes. I mean, looking at the tweets out there, people -- so many people tweeting, tweeting quotes, tweeting about how Muhammad Ali influenced them. Celebrities, so many celebrities making some tweets.
You know, everyone from obviously from Mike Tyson and boxers to George Foreman and Michael Moore, even, Lionel Richie. And then even people like Billy Crystal, obviously who had this relationship with him. This friendship with him after that iconic impression.
Billy crystal is set to speak at his memorial on Friday. So that was a big celebrity. And even Prince. There is these reports that have now come out. Prince even talked about in an interview how the reason he stopped cursing in his music is because of Muhammad Ali's influence.
And when they met, he called him his personal hero. So, there is that interesting link there. And actually Muhammad Ali, one of his final tweets that he sent out was about Prince when we lost Prince. So, a deep connection there between Prince and Muhammad Ali, and many people in Hollywood and celebrities were so influenced by him.
WALKER: Yes. It's incredible to hear someone like a superstar like Prince can be in awe of somebody else. But it is indeed was. And it is understandable to be in awe of Muhammad Ali.
The Forbes magazine is out with a new list of the wealthiest Americans. And this includes several self-made women. Do tell who and these are names that we will definitely recognize, right?
SERAFIN: Yes. This is the second-annual list of self-made women, America's self-made women. And of course, there are many pop stars and celebrities on this list. Oprah, of course. You have to talk about her. She's number two at 3.1 billion. So, that makes sense for sure.
But then you have Taylor Swift is the youngest woman on this list. She is 26. Worth $250 million. And of course, this is because of her talent and her music. But it's not just because she's won 10 Grammys and all the awards she's gotten. It's also because, you know, she is such a great businesswoman. And she's really set herself up.
You know, she is the one that wrote that letter to Apple when they weren't paying the artists enough.
WALKER: Right.
SERAFIN: So, she's on that list. Beyonce, of course, with $265 million. Also on that list.
[03:55:00] Jessica Alba on that list for her honest company. She's worth $340 million around that. And, I mean, Jessica Alba really has taken her career to a new level in starting that honest company. And of course Barbra Streisand is on the list. Madonna is on the list. So, many, many pop stars and celebrities.
WALKER: Good to hear. And speaking of celebrities. Zayn Malik and Gigi Hadid, I mean we're hearing rumors about them being on and off of again. And a lot of people want to know especially, you know, women and men, whether or not they're on the market, these really hot two people.
SERAFIN: Exactly. You want to know if you might have a chance with one of them. This is one of the breakups we're hearing about this summer. Last summer was a big summer of breakups. And this summer, we're hearing new breakups. Taylor Swift and Kevin Harris broke up. But, yes. Zayn Malik and Gigi Hadid, superstar pop star and superstar model, seems like they broke up. But then Gigi Hadid did an interview on Friday where she talked about, you know, what did she like to do? She liked to stay home rather than go out. She liked to cook and paint and hang out with her dog and hang out with her boyfriend.
So, now everyone is wondering does that mean that maybe she and Zayn are not broken up? Maybe they are still together. She did appear at the Guys Choice Awards. They tape this Spike TV Guys Choice Award here in L.A. last night.
She was looking fabulous. She certainly -- if she and Zayn and not broken up she has no -- she won't have to worry about finding someone else, let's just say. Looking at the way she looked last night. And certainly she is a superstar. You'll hear more and more about her, whether or not she and Zayn are still together.
WALKER: Both of them always stunning. And so are you. Kim Serafin, good to have you. Thank you so much for your time.
SERAFIN: Great. Thanks so much.
WALKER: And that is our time. I'm Amara Walker. Early Start for our viewers in the U.S. For the rest of you, stay tuned for more news, live from London.
[04:00:00] (COMMERCIAL BREAK)
