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President Trump in France for G7 Summit; China Trade War Affecting Markets; Trump Wants Russia Readmitted to G7; Police Fire Tear Gas As Hong Kong Protests Enter 12th Week; Organizers: Estimated 15,000 People Are Protesting G7 Summit; Little Girl Killed, Three Others Wounded in St. Louis Shooting; Michigan High School Has Places to Hide from Shooters. Aired 12-1p ET

Aired August 24, 2019 - 12:00   ET

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

[12:00:00]

FREDRICKA WHITFIELD, CNN HOST: Hello again, everyone. Thank you for joining me this Saturday. I'm Fredricka Whitfield. All right, we begin this hour with the high stakes G7 summit and global turmoil. President Trump arriving in France this morning for the gathering of world leaders amid global disputes that are threatening unity between allies. In the next hour the president will have dinner with several foreign leaders and their families and over the next three days, those leaders will discuss everything from trade and economic issues to climate change and the ongoing tension with Iran and North Korea. But before departing for the summit, President Trump set the stage for conflict, vowing to escalate a trade war with China and threatening to his France with a tariff on wine.

(BEGIN VIDEO)

TRUMP: I don't want them doing anything having to do with taxing unfairly our companies. Those are great American companies and frankly, I don't want France going out and taxing our companies; very unfair. And if they do that, we'll be taxing their wine or doing something else. We'll be taxing their wine like they've never seen before.

(END VIDEO)

WHITFIELD: CNN Senior White House Correspondent Pamela Brown joins us now from southern France. So Pamela, President Trump and Macron have already met and they have talked. What more are you learning about their discussions and hopes?

PAMELA BROWN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, I just spoke to a U.S. official who said the two leaders had a long discussion and a frank discussion, but the source wouldn't say whether the president confronted Macron face to face on the digital tax and the threat that he made that you just played, imposing tariffs on French wine and perhaps other French goods. Though I am told by sources that is something top of mind for the president and he wants to discuss with Macron, among many other issues including trade. Both sides have a lot to say on that matter. Of course the U.S. is threatening to impose tariffs on auto imports from Europe and there's this ongoing trade war with China that just escalated yesterday with both sides slapping tariffs on each other and some G7 leaders here believe that is partly causing the global economic slowdown. But the two leaders spoke just before lunch and they exchanged pleasantries, putting a positive spin on everything though President Trump did hint at some of the underlying divisions the two leaders have. Here's what they had to say.

(BEGIN VIDEO)

TRUMP: We look forward to it but we actually have a lot in common, Emmanuel and I. We've been friends for a long time and every once in a while we go at it a little bit, not very much. We get along very well. I think I can say we have a special relationship. We all remember the Eiffel Tower dinner and that was a very good beginning, and we have some really great things to talk about.

EMMANUEL MACRON, PRESIDENT OF FRANCE: We talk about the economy global situation, how to fix the situation in terms of trade and standards. I think...

(END VIDEO)

BROWN: And the two leaders in the other G7 leaders will be having dinner tonight. Tomorrow is a very busy day with working sessions and an economic forum that President Trump and his aides have been pushing for. President Trump had told aides he really didn't want to come this year. Of course, the last few years had ended acrimoniously. And so one of the ways aides were able to make this more palatable to the president was to add this economic forum. I'm told by sources that the president has expressed frustration about some of the other issues on the agenda this weekend including having to do with climate change, having to do with gender equality. The president really feels like the main topic throughout the weekend should be the economy and trade. That's one of the reasons this forum is happening tomorrow. Back to you.

WHITFIELD: All right, Pamela Brown, thank you so much.

Joining me right now Margaret Talev who is a CNN political analyst and Patrick Healy, who is a political editor for "The New York Times" and CNN political analyst. Thanks to both of you; I appreciate it. So Patrick, let me begin with you. Before the president left for the G7, he threatened to tax French wines and then he actually sat down with France's President Macron there at lunch and then it nothing but nice things to say. So, you know, how is this to be interpreted? You know, bluster and then up get there and reality check or is that just kind of later -- tax talk will come later?

PATRICK HEALY, "NEW YORK TIMES" REPORTER: You've nailed it, Fred. I mean the reality is that President Trump likes to make threats. Whether he follows through on those threats, oftentimes does not happen. He believes in bluster.

[12:05:00]

He believes in using twitter and remarks on the White House lawn to make these comments that can seem very, very tough and direct, like, you know, saying that he hereby orders American companies to stop doing business in China.

But oftentimes, Fred, there isn't the kind of follow-through here. The question is the president sees these relationships as very competitive, long-game challenges. He sees these relationships as having a long arc of history, whether it's China ripping off the United States or the special relationships that he likes to invoke with Britain, with France. So he doesn't see in the moment I think a lot of times these threats as totally destabilizing a relationship like sometimes they get covered. But what the reality is and what he doesn't continually seem to realize is that for allies, for businesses that need to make long-term investment decisions, these moment-to- moment gyrations really rattle and make people more resistant to either dealing with you, to investing in the economy because it just adds such turbulence.

WHITFIELD: Yes, the uncertainty. So Margaret, the global economic slowdown; it's a big concern for many of these leaders at the G7, really all of them, right? So these countries are very fearful of this U.S. trade war with China and really what's next because the president only continues to threaten more tariffs as punishment. What are they to think about his technique? In fact, just take a listen to what he had to say before you answer that.

(BEGIN VIDEO)

DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Our economy is doing great. We're having a little spat with China and we'll win it. We put a lot of tariffs on China today as you know, they put some on us, we put a lot on them. We're up to about $550 billion. They've been hitting us for many years for over $500 billion a year, taking out of our country, much more that than $500 billion a year so we want that stopped.

(END VIDEO)

WHITFIELD: So Margaret, that little spat that he's talking about. I mean that's the stuff that these other leaders are looking at and they're trying to figure out, well wait a minute. How will we be able to count on the U.S. as we have in the past?

MARGARET TALEV, CNN POLITICAL ANALYST: Yes. That's right. I mean Fred I think one man's little spat is another man's global recession. So there are some real concerns and we heard Donald Tusk of the European Council talk a little bit about this today but there's some real concerns that what's going on now between the U.S. and China could have a ripple effects and could end up effecting the rest of the world including western Europe.

So I think it's sort of ironic because President Trump wants to go into the G7 with a focus on the economy so that he doesn't have to talk about all of these other issues. These leaders, the western allies also want to talk about the economy but they want to talk to him about what he's doing and what they're concerned it may have in terms of impact on their economies also.

When it comes to the French wine tax, some of the frustration on France's part and the EU's part is that is not like sort of a reciprocal thing. I mean France is trying to deal with a technology tax that affects a lot of other companies, not just companies that are U.S. companies and the president's talking about wine. He's also been talking about this for months. Like he's literally been threatening this for months. the U.S.T.R. is now in the final stages of trying to figure out whether they want to go forward with this and it's not really clear what impact it would have.

I mean the U.S. is the biggest country in terms of receiving the value of exports of French wine, but it's not the biggest recipient of bottles. So most of what the U.S. receives from France really are expensive bottles of wine and if you're paying a lot for a bottle of wine, you're probably willing to pay more. So there's some questions about that. But on the one hand, the president is messaging tariffs, tariffs, retaliation. When it comes to China on the other hand, he doesn't want France to do the same. So there's some dissonance and some frustration among the leaders that are going to be there at the G7.

WHITFIELD: Yes, and Patrick, on China I mean the world is watching when they see the U.S. president even telling America - American companies you know he can order them to no longer to do business with China, find alternatives. What is that message? I mean does that only make it more perplexing for these leaders on how do they deal with him?

HEALY: Sure. I mean there's uncertainty there. You know the president keeps invoking the 1977 Emergency Powers Act but it doesn't - at least according to experts - it doesn't necessarily apply in the way that the president is hoping which is basically how if he was the leader of a socialist style command economy, he could have a more direct impact on companies, he could punish them. He could certainly rein them back in but that's not how the system - you know the American system, the western system works. The reality is he sets up repercussions. He seems very determined to win a fight against China when he is not able to have all of the levers of power that China has in this fight. That's not to say he shouldn't be pressing this, but the strategy of issuing tweets after the markets close to increase tariffs by five percentage points is so jarring and it creates such a sense that this is a president, as some have said, who seems to be going from unpredictable to chaos to sort of seeming unhinged. It's not very healthy for an economy.

WHITFIELD: And Margaret, I mean this reference to whether it the application of a national emergency, in that respect it reminds us all about how the president wanted to use national emergency, you know, to really sell his point on the wall and even that was challenged. So I mean it's not just America watching, but it's the world who is watching to see this U.S. president whether he is not well schooled on the use of - of this kind of precedent or whether it's willful ignorance and that too sends a message to any of these other G7 nations as to how much to take seriously from this president.

TALEV: Well, it's certainly true that the president would face legal challenges if he actually tried to pursue this in terms of what he's talking about with China. But I think more likely before it even got to that, he would face massive economic repercussions. I mean can you imagine if U.S. companies with a presence in China were actually told that they had to withdraw -- he's facing reelection so I think there is a real sense among everyone in the U.S. and the rest of the world that some of that message may have been blowing off steam or kind of throwing a threat against the wall to see what sticks. But the more likely consequences we'll see in about a week when that next deadline for raising the tariffs comes up. He's threatened to do it...

WHITFIELD: September 1 and then again, you know threatening October 1.

TALEV: That's exactly right. Yes.

WHITFIELD: Yes. All right. Margaret Talev, Patrick Healy. Thanks to both of you. Appreciate it.

All right. Still ahead, as the trade war between the U.S. and China intensifies, President Trump threatens new tariffs, just more of what we were talking about. Is there any end in sight? Plus Russian President Vladimir Putin says he will deliver a symmetrical response after the U.S. launches a new missile test and are we seeing the beginning of a new arms race?

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[12:15:00]

WHITFIELD: As the president arrives at the G7 in France, a cloud of economic uncertainty follows him. Signs of a global economic slowdown are everywhere and just yesterday the trade war between the U.S. and China erupted again when China said it would put new tariffs on $75 billion of U.S. goods. Trump's reply on twitter telling U.S. companies not to do business in China. Well, that sent the Dow Jones plunging more than 600 points. Earlier in the week the president said this about the trade war in China.

(BEGIN VIDEO)

TRUMP: Somebody had to do it. I am the chosen one. Somebody had to do it so I'm taking on China. I'm taking on China on trade and you know what? We're winning.

(END VIDEO)

WHITFIELD: All right then later he backtracked on what he said about being the chosen one. Listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO)

TRUMP: Let me tell you, you know exactly what I meant. It was sarcasm, it was joking. We were all smiling and a question like that is just fake news. You're just a faker.

(END VIDEO)

WHITFIELD: OK. So with me now from Washington is Ken Rogoff. He is the former Chief Economist for the International Monetary Fund and a professor at Harvard University. So how was that interpreted? The Dow did plunge 600 points and he said a number of things in addition to "the chosen one," whatever the interpretation of that was. But -- but, you know, how did you see that and a direct correlation between what the president said and what happened to the market?

KENNETH ROGOFF, FORMER CHIEF ECONOMIST FOR THE INTERNATIONAL MONEY FUND: I don't think there's any question that the trade war is spooking international markets. it's causing a deep recession perhaps risking in the rest of the world, it could boomerang here. He also said that the president, the head of the Federal Reserve is an enemy of the state. You know, for an economist that just outdid everything in a week of crazy statements.

WHITFIELD: So this is what the president said about his predecessors and China trade. S

(BEGIN VIDEO)

TRUMP: China's been hurting our country for 30 years with the money they've been taking out. Other presidents should have done something about it and they should have done it a long time ago, whether it was Clinton or Bush or Obama, any of them. They should have done something about it and they didn't. I'm doing it and I have no choice because we're not going to lose close to a trillion a year to China and China understands that. I hope that with President Xi I have a good relationship but they understand we're not going to do it. And this is more important than anything else right now just about that we're working on.

(END VIDEO)

WHITFIELD: So what and who is the provocateur of the tumult now? Is it what's happening right now or is it with the predecessors?

ROGOFF: Well, he's the provocateur. I don't there's any question. You know there is some method in his madness but unfortunately there's a lot of madness in his method. China is slowing. They are weak. There are economies much more vulnerable than the United States. Look what's going on Hong Kong. They have the slowest growth in 30 years. They have waves of college graduates coming to the labor force that they can't employ. He is hitting them when they're down. But when he says the trade war is zero on the U.S. economy; our economy is great. This isn't doing anything. That -- that's just not true. That is the source of uncertainty.

[12:20:00]

And again when the Fed chair had the audacity and integrity to state that on Friday, he just blew up. But that's where we are.

WHITFIELD: So if or when this trade war gets resolved, can American exporters get that China market share back? I mean perhaps you heard me talk to the president of the National Farmers Union earlier, Roger Johnson, and he said, you know, these relationships whether it be with China or any other country has been established over many, many years, and to be able to get that business back is really unlikely.

ROGOFF: It's tough. I mean to be fair, this is a consensus issue in Washington and if a democratic president wins in 2020, I suspect we'll see a continuation perhaps a lot calmer continuation of similar challenges. I think people don't want to wake up in 40 years and find out China's not only by many times surpassed us but that we don't agree with their values; we have a lot of frictions. It's an important topic, but it is a wild ride and it is absolutely the source of jitters about a global recession right now and of course it's a war. Of course China is going to fight back.

WHITFIELD: Yes, as any economy would. I mean that would be their position, right?

ROGOFF: Absolutely.

WHITFIELD: All right, Ken Rogoff, thank you so much; appreciate it.

ROGOFF: Thank you for having me.

WHITFIELD: All right, still to come, as leaders gather for the G7 summit, North Korea launching more short-range missiles. Why President Trump says he is not concerned next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WHITFIELD: As world leaders gather in France for the G7 summit, they are also keeping a close eye on developments with North Korea. The U.S. says Pyongyang fired two short missiles today in the direction of the Sea of Japan, also known as the East Sea. North Korea has launched several short-range ballistic missiles in recent weeks and President Trump says he's not concerned.

(BEGIN VIDEO)

TRUMP: Kim Jong-un has been, you know, pretty straight with me I think. We're going to see what's going on. We're going to see what's happening. He likes testing missiles but we never restricted short range missiles. We'll see what happens. Many nations test those missiles.

(END VIDEO)

WHITFIELD: Meanwhile President Trump says Russia should be readmitted to the G7. Remember Russia was disinvited from gatherings after the country's annexation of Crimea, something the group still thinks have a violation of international law and this comes as the U.S. and Russia go tit for tat, following the collapse of a Cold War nuclear treaty; both countries conducting missile tests over the last week. And that has many worried that the two super powers are locked in a new arms race. Here's CNN's Fred Pleitgen.

FRED PLEITGEN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: As President Trump heads for the G7 summit with hopes of once again admitting Vladimir Putin to the exclusive club of world leaders, it appears the two countries they lead are moving even closer to a new nuclear arms race. During an angry announcement on national TV, the Russian president slammed a recent test by the U.S. of a new type of cruise missile vowing to match American fire power with his own.

(BEGIN VIDEO)

VLADIMIR PUTIN, PRESIDENT OF RUSSIA: (Through translator) I instruct the ministries and relevant departments to analyze the level of threat posed by the actions of the United States to our country and take comprehensive measures to prepare a symmetrical response.

(END VIDEO)

PLEITGEN: Russia and the U.S. are blaming each other for killing the intermediate range nuclear forces or INF Treaty. Putin reiterating today that Russia already has new super weapons in the works.

(BEGIN VIDEO)

PUTIN: (Through translator) We were simply forced and were obliged of course to ensure the security of our people and our country. We are doing this now and will certainly do in the future.

(END VIDEO)

PLEITGEN: But as Russia vows to develop new weapons, its still reeling from the malfunction of a nuclear powered missile it was already testing causing an explosion and a radiation spike in the north of the country and killing five nuclear specialists. Russian opposition media is reporting to die of radiation poisoning even though the Kremlin is downplaying any dangers posed by the radiation.

But authorities in Arkhangelsk where the explosion took place acknowledged today one of the doctors who treated the victims now has the radioactive isotope CZM137 in his body. Officials strangely claiming the contamination didn't come from treating blast victims but from eating seafood. CZM137 has the feature of accumulating in fish, mushroom, likens and algae an official statement says. With a certain degree of probability, we can assume that this element got into the human body through the products of food.

On Monday, Putin told reporters no background radiation had been found but analysts are skeptical. Moscow has a history of covering up nuclear incidents including the meltdown in Chernobyl in 1986. The history of that incident now the plot of an HBO series.

(BEGIN VIDEO)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It will burn and spread its poison until the entire continent is dead.

(END VIDEO)

PLEITGEN: It's unclear if the leaders of the G7 will discuss the nuclear incident or Trump's interest in readmitting Russia to the group.

(BEGIN VIDEO)

TRUMP: Well I think it's much more appropriate to have Russia in.

(END VIDEO)

PLEITGEN: What is clear tonight, though, is that despite President Trump's interest in building a bridge to Russia, Vladimir Putin says he is gearing up for a possible new confrontation. Fred Pleitgen, CNN, Moscow.

WHITFIELD: Coming up, police and protesters clash in Hong Kong as demonstrations continue into the 12th week. Why police use tear gas to quiet the crowds, next.

[12:30:00]

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WHITFIELD: Police in Hong Kong fire tear gas at protesters for the first time in two weeks today. This was the scene there overnight. Police appearing in riot gear after protesters were seen throwing rocks, bricks, and glass. This is the 12th week of protest in Hong Kong and it's showing no signs of stopping.

CNN's Andrew Stevens is in Hong Kong with more.

ANDREW STEVENS, CNN HONG KONG CORRESPONDENT: Police have begun their clearing out operations just in the last 10 minutes or so. The riot teams swept through the barriers and swept thousands of protesters further down the street. They've now drawn the line here as you can see. And they're now firing tear gas into the remaining protesters and slowly now advancing forward in a more orderly fashion.

The first charge was literally just set a charge down to the protesters and the protesters absolutely fled. You can now smell the tear gas in the air. Not much of it. But the police have cleared this place out where probably four or 5,000 protesters standing here and have been here for several hours.

Just getting slightly the effects from the gas here. But as you can see, continuing to push the protesters back, continuing to use tear gas to try to clear this street.

[12:35:07] The protesters have actually been here protesting against new high tech surveillance measures being used by the police and actually being rolled out in this area in Kwun Tong. And they have come here to protest that. It was a standoff for several hours, and as can you see now, the police are sweeping down the road, sweeping protesters before them in clouds of tear gas.

Andrew Stevens, CNN, Hong Kong.

WHITFIELD: All right, turbulent conditions.

All right, meantime, the earth's lungs continue to burn this morning. And now Brazil is facing immense international pressure to act fast in combating the Amazon wildfires amid worldwide protest.

In a surprise reversal, Brazil's president says he plans to deploy the military to help fight the fires but the clock is winding down as new satellite images show smoke from the fire spilling over from Brazil and into neighboring countries, sparking even more international concern. We're told the Amazon fires are high on the agenda as world leaders gather at the G7 Summit today in France.

Still ahead, some of the world's most powerful people are gathered together in France for that G7. And that poses some rather unique security concerns. That's next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[12:40:28] WHITFIELD: Right now, some of the world's most powerful leaders are coming together for the G7 Summit in France. And earlier today, President Trump made his arrival and met with French President Emmanuel Macron.

But as these powerful figures gather in one place, authorities are taking extra precautions to protect them. Summit organizers estimate 15,000 people are protesting the summit in the streets.

Let's bring in Jonathan Wackrow, a former Secret Service agent under President Obama. Good to see you, Jonathan.

JONATHAN WACKROW, CNN LAW ENFORCEMENT ANALYST: Good to see you.

WHITFIELD: So as a former Secret Service agent, walk me through, you know, some of the security preparations that have gone into this trip that you are allowed to reveal.

WACKROW: Yes, absolutely.

Well, I can say, Fred, you know, having planned previous G7 trips for the president when I was with the Secret Service, I'm keenly aware of the challenges that they face. I think most importantly, what the viewer must understand is that we're not just moving the president into these environments, we're moving the entire White House. So the logistical challenges of doing that on foreign soil are significant.

The planning takes months and months of a coordinated effort by the White House staff, the State Department, the military, and the Secret Service. From a security standpoint, the Secret Service does have, you know, some significant challenges that they face.

One, they have no authority to operate on foreign soil. They're not a law enforcement entity. So they have to rely on foreign counterparts to execute on the security plan and execute on the methodology that they've always maintained which is 360 degrees of protection around the president at all times. That includes the hotels, transportation, airfare, the -- or the air travel in event sites themselves.

So, you know, executing on that is very difficult. Coupled with the fact that other countries are also asking the host country, France, for the same resources, so it's an asset grab right now as they try to, you know, put together this comprehensive plan.

At the end of the day, the Secret Service is worried about three main things. It's, what are they going to do in a tactical situation. What are they going to do in a medical situation? And how are they going to react if they have to relocate the president from the summit site?

WHITFIELD: So when you have protest taking place, you know, by the numbers that we are learning, you know, how does that add to the preparations or even the response?

WACKROW: Well, this is where protective intelligence is key, working with the intelligence community, the Secret Service is very mindful that the environment in France is very charged. We are coming off the yellow vest protest, that's the most significant civil unrest in, you know, modern French history. That is a key factor that is going into the security planning. And it goes back to, what are we going to do if we have to relocate the president?

So, we also have to understand in the event that there are protests, 15,000 is a significant number, what is the reaction that the French authorities are going to take. How are they going to react to that? Is this a peaceful protest? Are they going to try to push them back?

That's going to have a measured effect on the Secret Service security plan. So it's very dynamic in situation --

WHITFIELD: Yes.

WACKROW: --but again, we're on foreign soil, we have to align to the security policies of the host country.

WHITFIELD: All right, Jonathan Wackrow, we'll leave it there for now. Thank you.

WACKROW: Thank you so much.

WHITFIELD: All right, coming up, it's a sign of the times. A high school in Michigan gets a makeover with mass shootings on the minds of the designers. We'll talk to one of the architects behind the secure school, next.

But first, he was ahead of his time. A genius of fashion but with his mediocre rise to fame came a tragic downfall. Don't miss the premiere of the CNN film "Halston." Here's a preview.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Is success fun?

HALSTON, FASHION DESIGNER: Oh sure, it's fun and it's not fun. And as my mother says it's the price we have to pay.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The most successful individual in the history of American fashion, Halston.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Halston.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Halston.

HALSTON: I'm Halston. I made it in New York.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: His clothes danced with you.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Halston felt that he had to design everything.

HALSTON: Rugs, sheets, perfume, shoes, bags, gloves.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: He came like a king.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: He knows how to get publicity. The problem was he began to believe it all.

HALSTON: I'm the all-time optimist.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I took Halston to Studio 54.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: He fell in love with it right away.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: They lived out a lot of their fantasies.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Drugs, sex, and rock 'n' roll.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[12:48:47] WHITFIELD: Another deadly shooting in America, this time taking the life of a little girl. An eight-year-old girl was shot and killed and three others were wounded at a high school event in St. Louis Friday night. Authorities say they were clearing crowds in the area when shots were fired.

CNN Correspondent Polo Sandoval is following the story for us. So, Polo, what can you tell us?

POLO SANDOVAL, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Fred, by all accounts, it seemed that this little girl was simply an innocent bystander who was shot and killed during this incident. I can tell you the police there saying that officers were already either at the scene or near the scene responding to what appeared to be a fight at a high school football event. Just on the city's northwest side. Investigators saying that at least two young men were injured, also an adult woman was shot as well. However, as you're about to hear from the police chief, an eight-year-old little girl was also injured but, sadly, she did not survive.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

CHIEF JOHN HAYDEN, ST. LOUIS POLICE: Of course the little girl wasn't doing anything wrong. She with family when this occurred and shots rang out. We're not sure what particular fight that was going on when shots rang out but, again, the police were in this area. They had been in their area clearing out the crowd from this large event.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

[12:50:00] SANDOVAL: Investigators are still trying to track down a suspect or suspects involved here. Earlier this month, CNN had reported of seven other individuals under the age of 17 who were shot and killed just this year alone, Fred. And then this now, this latest even when you look at the old numbers that have been posted by St. Louis police. They show a sharp increase in assault and in murder cases as well. They're in that city when you compare the last of the months with that same period in 2018.

WHITFIELD: And then Polo, there was another scare at a second high school.

SANDOVAL: There was about 12 miles west of there at about the same time. In this case, it was a so-called football gym parade. There were reports of gunfire that sent people into a panic. Our district official said that they find no evidence that any shots were actually fired so right now they're working with St. Louis County police to try to find out exactly what happened. Nobody injured in that situation but, of course, a deadly situation that took place a little closer to this city's downtown living one little girl dead.

WHITFIELD: All right, so sad. Polo Sandoval, thank you so much.

SANDOVAL: Thanks, Fred.

WHITFIELD: So incidents like that are spearheading efforts across the country to find new safety measures at schools. And one Michigan district is actually taking a rather unique approach. Designing a new high school with the goal of giving students shelter from an active shooter situation.

Matt Slagle is the architect who designed Fruitport High in western Michigan. Matt, good to see you.

So, you know, so much of the discussion has been about how do we stop a school shooter? But it sounds like your approach is a little different. If a school shooter wants in, they will get in. So how do you design a structure to save lives?

MATT SLAGLE, ARCHITECT, FRUITPORT HIGH SCHOOL: Exactly. If somebody's intent on doing harm there's not a lot you can do to completely prevent that but we -- at Fruitport, we created learning communities so that the classroom is open on to a project-based space, and then we hardened the wall between the classroom and the learning community about two-thirds of that wall with concrete block which would be kind of a typical construction and then we had glass for the rest. The glass has the ballistic resistant film so that it won't shatter and break so you can't break into the room.

And then we created wing walls into the classroom to where there's a shadow area where the students can shelter in place as necessary. Also into these learning communities -- I'm sorry. WHITFIELD: Yes, I was just going to say so kind of tell me, you know, what went in to your thinking and your design. How did you bring, you know, these ideas to paper and then construction? You know, what really motivated to you to come up with this concept in the way in which you designed it?

SLAGLE: We met with the school district every two weeks for about a year as we designed the whole project. It takes about a year to design a $50 million school. So we constantly, you know, how do we create spaces that are next-generation thinking for teaching and learning while also making them as safe as possible. So that was the constant dialogue back and forth as we work through the design process.

WHITFIELD: So what did you feel like needed to be there to promote, you know, safety. I mean, the best, you know, route in which for kids to flee, you know, if someone gets in with a gun. I mean, help me understand how it is you -- you know, everyone is fearful about this happening, you know -- this happening again to another school. But then how do you as an architect say to yourself, how do I design a school, what do I need. Do I need the open space that we're seeing, you know? Do I want to make the hallways different configuration so that if someone is in there -- I mean, can I go through the checklist of all the things that you had to conceptualize and then try to get into a design with safety in mind, promoting the safest environment in mind?

SLAGLE: So we really think about, you know, as somebody approaches the front door so this idea of people who aren't supposed to be in a building. During the school day, all the doors are locked except for the front door. So the receptionist has the ability to buzz somebody into the office and then into the school. And then there's a third button that locks down the school. And that releases all of the cross corridors, fire doors in the building.

So if somebody for example that wasn't supposed to be there got into the central area and somebody hit the button, it compartmentalizes all of the classroom wings and all of the students away, giving them time to either shelter in place or flee. And, you know, it really just -- it slows people down from getting into places they're not supposed to be while emergency responders would have the key to get through those fire doors.

WHITFIELD: So what kind of an emotional journey was this for you to be a part of this?

[12:55:07] SLAGLE: Fruitport was special to me. I graduated from Fruitport in 1995. And then went away to school and eventually I'm coming back full circle. So I thought about the school for really my entire life.

WHITFIELD: All right, Matt Slagle, thank you so much and thanks for sharing this concept, this design

All right, coming up, President Trump meets with world leaders at the G7 and he's already raising concerns about new tariffs. More on the meetings in France, next.

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WHITFIELD: All right, hello again, everyone. And thank you so much for joining me this Saturday. I'm Fredricka Whitfield.

All right, we begin this hour in southern France where world leaders are gathering for the high stakes G7 summit. And at any moment now, we will see President Trump and other leaders of the world's major economies attending the summit's official welcoming dinner.

The president arrived in France this morning amid global disputes that are threatening unity between allies. And over the next three days, those leaders will discuss everything from trade --

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