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UN Warns about Civilians in Fallujah; Trump Attacks Media for Reports on Veterans Fundraising; Brazil Water Safety an Issue for Olympics; US State Department Warns Americans over Potential Terror Attacks in Europe; Democratic Nomination Campaign Examined; Flooding in France Detailed; OAS Calls for Meeting over Venezuela. Aired 3-4a ET

Aired June 1, 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] ROSEMARY CHURCH, CNN NEWSROOM SHOW HOST: Trapped. The U.N. warns as many as 200,000 children are caught up in the fight for Fallujah.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DONALD TRUMP, (R) U.S. PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: I have never received such bad publicity for doing such a good job.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CHURCH: Lashing out. Donald Trump rips reporters for his questions on his fundraising for veterans.

Also ahead, new questions about the safety of the Summer Olympics, amid reports of real sewage, trash and body parts in Rio's waterways.

Hello and welcome to our viewers all around the world. I'm Rosemary Church. Thanks for joining us as we kick off the second hour of CNN Newsroom.

ISIS militants are threatening the lives of innocent men, women, and children in a major battle in Iraq. The U.N. estimates about 50,000 people are trapped in Fallujah as Iraqi forces try to retake the city from the terror group.

Civilian and children make up nearly half of the figure. And then n Syria, deadly air strikes have hit the rebel-held city of Idlib but it's not clear who is responsible.

CNN Pentagon correspondent Barbara Starr has the details.

BARBARA STARR, CNN PENTAGON CORRESPONDENT: Syria's youngest caught in the line of fire in Idlib. Rescue crews worked desperately. A small body pulled from the wreckage. At least 23 people were killed in air strikes, one hitting near a hospital. The Russians deny they conducted the strikes.

Across Syria and Iraq, civilians are caught in the middle, as is tries to defend its turf. In Fallujah, the last major ISIS stronghold in Anbar province, west of Baghdad, Iraqi forces are pushing from the south and east.

Iranian backed militias from the north. The U.N. says there are heavy civilian casualties as ISIS carelessly uses them for protection.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

WILLIAM SPINDLER, UNHCR SPOKESPERSON: There are also reports of several hundred families being used as human shields by ISIL in the center of Fallujah.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

STARR: Iraqi and militia forces not yet in the city center, there are thousands of boobie traps and mines laid by ISIS.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

CEDRIC LEIGHTON, CNN MILITARY ANALYST: If they are being used as human shields as the U.N reports indicates, that means that they have absolutely no way out. And they are going to be pawns in the struggle between ISIS and the Iraqi government as well as the Shia militias and it is going to be one of the worst scenes that we can possibly imagine.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

STARR: It's significant the Iraqis are staying to fight in Fallujah and not running away as the battle intensifies.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

STEVE WARREN, ANTI-ISIS COALITION SPOKESMAN: We think that the state of play is much improved from a year ago. You know, a year ago, here in Iraq, the barbarians were at the gate. Baghdad was actually threatened. And in theory, was in direct danger of being invaded by these animals that we call ISIL, now we have driven them back.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

STARR: But from the top U.S. commander, continuing caution.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JOSEPH VOTEL, U.S. CENTRAL COMMAND COMMANDER: I am being very pragmatic in this as I think we will continue to work through more obstacles and we will continue to see some setbacks, but I think we'll also see some continued progress.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

STARR: There is another complication, Iranian backed Shia militias are also in the fight to retake Fallujah, a Sunni town. A lot of concern that sectarian violence could break out.

Barbara Starr, CNN, The Pentagon.

CHURCH: And senior international correspondent Fred Pleitgen, who recently came back from Syria and he joins us now from London. Fred, let's talk about those deadly air strikes in Idlib. Because of course we don't know who is responsible but many are pointing the finger at Russia.

FREDERIK PLEITGEN, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Yes, certainly. And the reason for that, Rosemary, is that it was in the past the Russians who were mostly the air force that would operate in the area around Idlib, it's actually fairly close to where the Russians have their base in Latakia.

And one of the things that the Russians had been trying to do, is they had been trying to strengthen the position of the Syrian military. They are in that area, therefore a bombing, for instance, target Al- Jabhat Al-Nusra which is Al Qaeda's wing in Syria. But also some other rebel groups as well.

One of the things that U.S. was saying, they've been accusing the Russians of bombing mostly moderate rebel groups rather than ISIS. The Russians for their part deny this.

Now as far as these air strikes in Idlib that happened two days ago are concerned the Russians vehemently denying that it was them. They say that not only they were not conducting any sorties in that area. In fact, they didn't any planes in that area of operations is what the Russians said.

So far, it's absolutely unclear who may have been behind that. The U.S. coalition or the U.S. backed coalition usually doesn't operate very much in that area around Idlib.

[03:05:03] And the other air force that could have been here would have been the Syrian government's air force, the Syrian military, unclear however, at this point in time who may have conducted those air strikes.

But they certainly are very intense air strikes, and speaking to people there on the ground in that area, even though Jabhat Al-Nusra was not part of the actual cessation of hostilities in Syria. That area had been fairly quiet for the past couple of weeks, but certainly very, very intense, very deadly for the folks there on the ground, Rosemary.

CHURCH: Yes, and as we mentioned, Fred, you just got back from Syria, paint us a picture of what people are going through on the ground there?

PLEITGEN: Well, yes, you know, it's interesting, because what you have had in the past in Syria there was little hope for any of the people. I spent most of my time in the last time in and around the Damascus area. And that's actually one of the places where this cessation of hostilities at the international community has brokered, where that's holding. And where it does hold, it is actually a big benefit to the local civilian population there. For the very first time, they're able to go out, go about their business not in fear of getting hit by mortars or by air strikes from above. So certainly it's a benefit for them.

The big problem right now, and it's certainly something that's weighing very heavily on people is the lack of any sort of political progress. You have had the head of the opposition negotiating group quit.

Mohammed Al-Lusha (ph) saying there had been no progress and blaming the government. The government of course, for its part, blames the opposition for the lack of progress. But that really is the big question.

They don't get out of this political impasse, that they make a headway on terms like reconciliation, the freeing of political prisoners.

Getting aides of the sieged areas which is still a major problem. The U.N. is now talking about air dropping aid, which is really the last resort for them. As long as there isn't any progress on these fronts, the fighting could come back very intensely at any point in time, in some places like Idlib, like Aleppo, it already is, Rosemary.

CHURCH: All right. Our Fred Pleitgen joining us there from London, where it's just after eight in the morning. Many thanks to you.

A warning, an image in our next story may be difficult to watch. It involves a Mediterranean migrant crisis. And the U.N. refugee agency says since the start of the year more than 2500 people have drowned while trying to cross into Europe.

At least 880 migrants died in the past week alone in a series of shipwrecks. And here is a look at one of the youngest victims. This baby's lifeless body was pulled from the sea last week. Now we don't know the child's gender, age or nationality, but the German humanitarian group says it decided to publish this photo to raise awareness.

Well, French rail workers are striking to protest labor reforms, reports say the strike is expected to hold 40 percent of high-speed TGV trains and up to two thirds of services on other lines.

The walk-out is the latest in a series of moves against a bill that gives employers more flexibility to hire and fire workers and weakens the power of unions.

The U.S. State Department is issuing a travel alert warning Americans of the risk of potential terrorist attacks across Europe in the coming months. There isn't a news specific threat, but the State Department wants travelers to be on guard and alert.

More now from CNN's Elise Labott.

ELISE LABOTT, CNN GLOBAL AFFAIRS CORRESPONDENT: The last time that the State Department issued a continent-wide travel warning for Europe was in late March after the Brussels attacks. But now, State Department saying that with the large amount of tourists traveling to Europe this summer, this presents a target of opportunity for terrorists groups like ISIS, who may be planning attacks at public locations, especially those that are hosting large events. Where lots of tourists could be traveling.

Now, they are singling out the European soccer championships in France and also the Tour de France, in June and July, and they are also singling out the Catholic Church's youth day in Krakow, Poland in late July.

Officials says they don't have any particular or credible information about plots at any of these events, but they say these are the kinds of events that terrorists could be looking for where large amount of people are gathering.

And they are just calling for Americans to be vigilant, to make sure that they are aware of any security precautions and to just be aware of their surroundings. Official say that they are not discouraging Americans from traveling to Europe, they just want them to be on alert.

Elise Labott, CNN, the State Department.

CHURCH: Donald Trump is on a fierce offensive against the media over how they've covered his donations to veterans. He called a news conference Tuesday to clear up questions about millions dollars he's raised, but it turned into an all-out assault against reporters.

It's the latest example of how hard Trump hits back at any critics.

[03:10:03] Jim Acosta has more.

(APPLAUSE)

JIM ACOSTA, CNN SENIOR WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: It was supposed to be a day for Donald Trump to salute the nation's veterans and highlight the $5.6 million he's raised for their causes.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

TRUMP: This is a check for a million dollars.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ACOSTA: Trump ticked off to more than 40 groups he claims of receiving donations. Some in the hundreds of thousands of dollars. From the Fischer House Foundation to the Bob Woodruff Family Foundation and the Intrepid Fallen Heroes Fund.

But clearly furious after months of questions about exactly where the money is going, Trump engaged in some verbal combat of his own, against a target he has attacked before.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

TRUMP: You know my opinion of the media. It's very low.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ACOSTA: The news media.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

TRUMP: Instead of being like, thank you very much, Mr. Trump, or Trump did a good job, everyone is saying who got it? Who got it? Who got it, and you make me look very bad.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ACOSTA: So, Trump took aim at the reporters asking the questions.

ACOSTA: To follow up on that, you keep calling us the dishonest press, it seems as though you are resistant to scrutiny, the kind of scrutiny that comes with running for president of the United States.

(CROSSTALK)

TRUMP: I like scrutiny but you know what? When I raise money...

ACOSTA: You raise money for veterans...

TRUMP: Excuse me, excuse me. I've watched you on television, you're a real beauty.

What I don't want is when I raise millions of dollars, have people say, like this sleazy guy right over here from ABC, he is a sleaze in my book.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ACOSTA: Trump went to say he never wanted any credit for helping veteran's causes.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

TRUMP: I don't want to have credit for it. Now, actually though, what I got was worse than credit, because they were questioning me.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ACOSTA: But it was Trump who launched this fundraising drive as a major media event, rivaling a GOP debate in Iowa that he was skipping.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

TRUMP: We actually raised close to six to be totally honest.

(APPLAUSE)

But, and I have to say, a lot more to come.

(END VIDEO CLIP) ACOSTA: The presumptive GOP nominee also fired off on the questions

being raised about Trump University, the real estate school he founded that's being sued by former students who say it's nothing more than a fraud.

Newly released documents in the case reveal some of the programs aggressive sales techniques, including a playbook that focus on how to market more expensive courses to students. Trump has questioned the motives of the judge handling the case, noting his ethnicity.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

TRUMP: So what happens is, the judge who happens to be, we believe, Mexican, which is great. I think that's fine.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ACOSTA: When asked why he highlighted that the judge's heritage, Trump didn't answer the question.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ACOSTA: Why mention that judge is Mexican?

TRUMP: You know what, because some of men are principle. And most of the people that took those courses have letters saying they thought it was great essentially.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ACOSTA: As Trump told reporters today his combative style isn't about to change, even at White House press conferences.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

TRUMP: That is going to be like this, David, if the press writes false stories like they did with this.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ACOSTA: Trump also wrote off the odds of a third party challenge in the upcoming general election describing libertarian candidate, Gary Johnson, as a fringe candidate.

Jim Acosta, CNN, New York.

CHURCH: Now, outside that news conference, at Trump tower, a small group of veterans protested, they say Trump has repeatedly over stated the amount of money he's raised and they accused him of using them as political props. Take a listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

PERRY O'BRIEN, MILIRAY VETERAN: I think what Donald Trump doesn't understand is, veterans are not for sale. We are not interested in making a deal when it comes to the safety and security of our brothers and sisters who still serve in uniform.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CHURCH: And democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton says Trump does not deserve much credit for making the donations.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

HILLARY Clinton, (D) U.S. PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: He has bragged for months about raising $6 million for veterans and donating a million dollars himself. But it took a reporter to shame him into actually making his contribution and getting the money to veterans.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CHURCH: Joining me now from Los Angeles is CNN senior reporter for media and politics, Dylan Byers, great to talk with you. Now of course, Donald Trump targeting political reporters, calling them dishonest. We've seen it before from other politicians, but is Trump taking this to a different level?

DYLAN BYERS, CNN SENIOR MEDIA AND POLITICS REPORTER: Yes, he absolutely is, you know, anti-media rhetoric has been a feature of Donald Trump's campaign for the 10 months that he has been running. He always rails against the dishonest media scum. He's even targeted specific reporters.

But what we saw today really took it to a new level. He was unable to sort of withstand even the most basic level of scrutiny about the amount of money he's raised for veterans.

And you know, this was an issue that may have just sort of fizzled out and been forgotten, had it not been for pressure from various media outlets including the Washington Post and CNN and others, and the fact that he was so resistant to this questioning and seemed to be so angered by the fact that the media didn't, you know, just sit around and laud him for raising $5.6 million, was really telling about what his attitude toward the press is.

[03:15:05] At one point during this press conference he was asked is this what we have to look forward to if we are in, you know, a Trump presidency? Is this what your relationship with the press is going to be like? And he said absolutely.

He was unequivocal about that. He said he would continue to attract -- to attack the press. So this is a flavor of what's to come for at least the next five or six months.

CHURCH: And attacks on the media helped Trump of course in the race for the GOP nomination, but is it likely to play out in the general election. Will he still benefit his supporters seem to love it, don't they?

BYERS: Well, that's a -- you know, this is a really great point. Because of course the primary audience is very different from a general election audience. There's no question that his base holds very little stock in the media. They don't trust the media, they don't like the media. They don't feel like the media represents their concerns. And they feel like they have been abandoned by this sort of liberal coastal elite.

When we're talking about the general election audience, we're talking about people who do sort of care what the media reports, who do believe that there are legitimate questions that Donald Trump needs to answer. And that he can't just sort of shake them off by going against the media and trying to scapegoat the media or inoculate himself from the media simply by saying that we're all a group of, you know, distrustful and dishonest liars.

So, yes, it's very curious to see why he is continuing to strike this stance, even as he heads in to a general election against Hillary Clinton. You would think that it would be far more to his advantage to try and court the media a little bit more as he had done before he started running for president.

CHURCH: And of course, CNN's Jim Acosta confronted Trump and suggested he was resistant to scrutiny. Had we ever seen a presidential candidate as resistant as this? And will voters even care or could it become his Achilles heel perhaps?

BYERS: Well, it's so soon to say if it will become his Achilles heel. But you're absolutely right, we have not seen presidential candidate who has been so resistant to the media. Usually what happens, we've always seen republican candidates who are able to go against the media and that's sort of red meat for their base.

But at a certain point, candidates run up against the accountability issue, when it comes to tax returns to fundraising to money to their past, to statements they've made. Statements they've made now that may contradicted statements they've made in the past.

You found candidates in the past, whether it's Mitt Romney or John McCain, running up against this where they do feel like they have to answer the media's question, and they sort of buckle under pressure.

If there is one thing we know about Donald Trump doesn't buckle under pressure. You know, he is very much calling the shots from this regard. He is very content to sort of charge straight through the media inquiries and go after us and really make this less of a story about his own controversies and more of a story about Donald Trump verse the media. And again, that plays very, very well to the base.

CHURCH: All right. Watching it very closely. Dylan Byers, always a pleasure to chat with you. Thanks so much.

BYERS: Thanks for having me.

CHURCH: Well, meantime, the libertarian presidential nominee is showing Trump a little love. However, sarcastically, Gary Johnson appeared on CNN's New Day to pitch his socially liberal and fiscally conservative brand of politics. And when Chris Cuomo ask him about Trump, Johnson showed he is not worried.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

CHRIS CUOMO, CNN'C NEW DAY SHOW HOST: Are you ready for Donald Trump once you're in this thing and he recognizes you to give you a punch in the nose for calling him a racist?

GARY JOHNSON, U.S. LIBERTARIAN PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: I think that they have already started coming. So, Donald.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CHURCH: Get it. As we said a little while ago, Trump is dismissing Johnson, calling him a fringe candidate, which Johnson tweeted, "strangely enough, that is what he was called just a few months ago."

Well, still to come in the race for the White House, Clinton versus Sanders, the democratic front-runner announces a last minute change of strategy in California.

To Asia now, and the Philippines controversial president elect is taking his own shot at journalists. At a news conference Tuesday, Rodrigo Duterte said reporters killed in the Philippines were often corrupt and he said, quote "just because you are a journalist, you are not exempt from assassination."

Duterte was asked how to protect press freedoms after a crime reporter was killed in Manila last week, a journalist union called Duterte's comments appalling.

Deadly flooding is taking a toll on parts of Texas and a lot more rain is on the way. We will take a look at some of the record breaking totals.

Plus, North Korea's latest missile test may have failed, but U.S. officials are just as worried as ever.

We will explain. You are watching CNN Newsroom. Back in a moment.

[03:20:00] (COMMERCIAL BREAK)

DON RIDDELL, CNN WORLD SPORT ANCHOR: I'm Don Riddell with your CNN World Sport headlines.

We start with a warning. The European Championships are just 10 days away. And the U.S. State Department has warned that the fans heading to the event are targets for a terrorist attack.

France is already in a state of emergency following recent devastating attacks in Paris and Brussels. So, the hundreds of thousands of travelers would have already known of the potential risk. But this is still significant.

It's only the third time in 20 years that the State Department has issued a warning for Europe. Those headlines have somewhat overshadowed many of the final squad announcements that were made on Tuesday. There was a big eyebrow raiser there in Germany as Marco Royce learned

on his 27th birthday that he wasn't invited to France. And you've got to feel for the guy. He missed out on the World Cup because he was injured and now the Borussia Dortmund striker has been dropped because his manager doesn't think he is fully fit.

Rain washed out most of the matches at the French Open on Tuesday, but not before the sixth seed Simona Halep and second seed Agnieszka Radwanska were ousted. Tournament organizers were trying make up for Monday's complete wash-out, but miserable conditions on Tuesday make things difficult.

Again, Radwanska said that hitting a wetter, heavier ball was almost impossible with her in Roland. And her shot last Tsvetana Pironkova, meanwhile after losing to Samantha Stosur, Halep said that no one cares about the players.

That is a quick look at all your sports headlines. I'm Don Riddell.

CHURCH: Torrential rain has been drenching parts of northern France, the downpours have flooded homes and roads leaving cars stranded on the streets.

In Paris, the French Open was disrupted for another day, only two of the 10 scheduled matches were completed Tuesday.

And in the U.S. parts of Southeast Texas are dealing with record flooding levels after the region was pounded with rain last week. Seven people have been killed, and at least one person is still missing.

The National Weather Service has issued several flood warnings and is telling people to not walk or drive cars through flood waters. And with rivers cresting and more rain in the forecast, Texas will continue its threat of deadly flooding.

We want to turn to our meteorologist Derek Van Dan, he joins us now in the studio. I mean, this is a concern, when is this rain likely to end? Do we know?

DEREK VAN DAM, CNN METEOROLOGIST: Unfortunately, not for the foreseeable future. At least another five to seven days of measurable rainfall expected to cross the state.

CHURCH: Wow.

DAM: We've been talking so much about the Brazos River, which is about seven feet above flood stage as we speak, and it left images like this. I've got to show you this video quite compelling, kind of tells the story in this area.

[03:25:01] About a dozen horses had to seek refuge on the only dry patch of ground that they could find. And that was the front porch of this particular home.

Wow, astounding video and it really shows the wisdom of these beautiful creatures. Really protecting themselves from the flood waters that were from the Brazos River that we just mentioned a moment ago. There's an aerial shot of that one little island of safety being that home.

Get to the graphics. We will talk a little bit of detail about what's happening. There are plenty of moisture involved in the system and going forward in to the rest of the work week and into early parts of the weekend. There's an upper level low that will stall out over the state that's going to pull in significant amount of moisture from the Gulf of Mexico tapping into that moisture trend once again.

What we're looking at is the past week's rain, there's Austin, there's Houston and there is Dallas. Remember, we had Washington County over 19 inches of rain in 36 hours. What you are looking at the right hand side of my TV screen is the projected rainfall going forward over the next two days.

Three to five inches of additional rainfall and a saturated environment already from the previous rain. That means flash flooding are concern going forward for all of Texas. You can see the flood threat continuing for this region. Flood warnings are flood watches across the state from San Antonio to Dallas, as well as Houston.

We mentioned the River Seine in France. Well, this is Paris, a very familiar sight. I've walked those streets before. And right along the road or the river there, it's really flooding its banks.

And this really impacted the French Open. Monday's matches were cancelled due to rain. That's the first time in 16 years. They've had 7 of the past 10 days of the tournament actually disrupted by rainfall.

The forecast calls for more showers heading in to the day on Thursday. We'll leave with this video, because this is another flooding story that we've covered lately, southwestern Germany and they are cleaning up from immense, immense flash flooding. And unfortunately, there were some fatalities associated with this flooding scene you've seen here.

But this is all about the big clean-up and scary moments for those people because of flash flooding came up so quickly that it actually moved whole vehicles and took out some lower levels of floors. It was a scary situation from southwestern, Germany.

CHURCH: Yes. Flash flooding is terrifying.

DAM: It is.

CHURCH: Many thanks, Derek. Always a pleasure to talk to you.

We'll take a short break here. But Donald Trump still has not won over some fellow republicans. Why some say they would rather take their chances with Hillary Clinton than support their party's presumptive nominee. Back in a moment.

[03:30:00] (COMMERCIAL BREAK) CHURCH: And a warm welcome back to our viewers all around the world. I'm Rosemary Church. I want to update you on our main stories here on CNN Newsroom.

Hundreds of families are fleeing the Syrian city of Idlib after air strikes killed at least 23 people on Monday. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights blames Russia, and says one of the air-raids hit near a hospital. Russia's military denies it was behind the strikes.

The U.S. State Department is warning travelers of the risk of potential terrorists attacks across Europe. It mentioned major tourist events such as the upcoming Euro 1016 Football tournament in France and warns Americans could be targeted.

The travel alert expires August 31st.

The organization of American States is calling for an urgent meeting on the crisis in Venezuela. The group's leader is asking whether the nation violated the OAS charter. Venezuelan President Nicholas Maduro strike back saying the OAS leader could, quote, "Shove that democratic charter wherever it fits."

Well the U.S. is strongly condemning North Korea's latest missile test which appeared to be unsuccessful.

As Brian Todd reports the U.S. officials are that Pyongyang may still be advancing its weapons program even when a test fails.

BRIAN TODD, CNN CORRESPONDENT: A stunning failure. The sources caution could lead to dangerous success for North Korean dictator Kim Jong-un. U.S. sources say the 32-year-old leader tested another medium range ballistic missile with the range designed to hit America.

The test is believed to have failed. The missile apparently flew for three to three seconds before it exploded. A U.S. defense official tell CNN it may not have even made it over water.

But now, U.S. officials are telling CNN Kim Jong-un's missile program still poses a significant threat to America. Something even President Obama acknowledge on Thursday while visiting the region.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BARACK OBAMA, UNITED STATES OF AMERICA PRESIDENT: Each that they test, even if those tests failed, they learn something.

TODD: What has he learned?

THOMAS KARAKO, CENTER FOR STRATEGIC & INTERNATIONAL STUDIES FELLOW: Well, if they take the time to study the data and if they are not killing the scientists that failed, they can look at it and figure out which part ma have failed.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

TODD: U.S. defense official say the missile test was likely with the North Korean called a Musudan.

[03:35:00] (TECHNICAL PROBLEM)

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

HILLARY CLINTON, (D) U.S. PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: ... is his mode of operation and, you now, I just don't think that's going to cut it.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BRIANNA KEILAR, CNN SENIOR POLITICAL CORRESPONDENT: Clinton spent the day fundraising in New York, after she walked in the Memorial Day parade in her hometown of Chappaqua.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

CLINTON: I love it, I love being here.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KEILAR: Sanders hit the trail in Northern California today.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BERNIE SANDERS, (D) U.S. PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: We've got an uphill fight but as I look around me, I think we have a lot of fighters here who are not afraid.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KEILAR: Clinton cancelled her planned campaign events for Thursday in New Jersey where voters also cast ballots in a week to move up the final push in California.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

CLINTON: Wow, I am so happy to be here.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KEILAR: She won a big endorsement from California Governor Jerry Brown. But his polls show voters struggle to trust Clinton even this prize brings back memories of old allegations. This was Brown debating then Governor Bill Clinton in 1992.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JERRY BROWN, CALIFORNIA GOVERNOR: He is funneling money to his wife's law firm for state business. That's number one.

BILL CLINTON, FORMER U.S. PRESIDENT: I don't care what you think of me, but you ought to be ashamed to yourself for jumping on my wife. You are not worthy to be on the same platform of my wife...

(CROSSTALK)

BROWN: I'll tell you something, Mr. Clinton, don't try to escape it.

(CROWD CHANTING)

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KEILAR: Sanders spent days on end in California, even paying respect Monday night to the Golden State Warriors as he trails Clinton significantly he is hoping for a game seven style comeback, like the Warriors pulled off to advance to the NBA finals.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SANDERS: They turned it around and I think that is what our campaign is going to do as well. A very good omen for our campaign.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KEILAR: Clinton said she'd work with Sanders but stopped short of saying exactly how.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

CLINTON: Once the primaries are over, as of next Tuesday, we will begin talking in more detail about what we can do to unify the party.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KEILAR: Still, Sanders may be hedging his bet. Asked Sunday about a Clinton/Sanders ticket, he did not dismiss the idea.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Would you take the call if Hillary Clinton asked you to be her running mate.

SANDERS: Well, right now, again, what I am here we are in California, I'm knocking my brains out to win the democratic nomination.

(CROSSTALK)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes, you are.

SANDERS: That's where -- that's where I am right now. What happens afterwards, we will, you know, we'll see.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KEILAR: Brianna Keilar, CNN, Washington.

CHURCH: And Bernie Sanders is pulling a page from Donald Trump's playbook, making up his own sarcastic nickname for the billionaire. We've all heard what Trump calls his opponents like 'crooked Hillary, lyin' Ted.'

Well, Sanders is calling Trump 'Mr. Macho,' for first embracing then backing away from a proposed one on one debate. By the way, Trump calls Sanders 'crazy Bernie.'

Well, it appears some republicans still are not warming up to Donald Trump. In fact, they are backing his democratic opponent Hillary Clinton.

Kyung Lah tells us why.

KYUNG LAH, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: What happens if Republican Party if Donald Trump becomes the president?

DOUG ELMETS, REPUBLICAN: That's a scary prospect.

LAH: So scary to lifelong republican Doug Elmets that he's left with only one choice.

ELMETS: It's going to be an easy vote, four years of Hillary Clinton is better than one day of Donald Trump as president.

LAH: Have you ever voted for a democrat?

ELMETS: Never. I have never voted for a democrat in my entire life.

LAH: This is more than the never Trump, or stop Trump movement.

[03:39:58] Elmets is part of republicans for Hillary. Not just a Twitter hash tag, Elmets is actively urging prominent republicans to vote for the democrats.

Back when you had dark hair. I was a once...

LAH: A once unthinkable move for a man who worked for President Reagan through two terms, as a White House spokesman and then for the Department of Energy. A republican operative through four republican campaigns. A decades-long consultant to California's Republican Party.

ELMETS: I think Ronald Reagan would be astonished by what has happened. He has managed to hoodwink America into believing that he will lead this country through the fire. I think he will thrust us into the fire.

LAH: What has been the reaction among all of your republican friends?

ELMETS: They think I've lost my mind.

LAH: But he is not alone. William Oberndorf, one of the GOP's biggest money contributors tells CNN, "If it's Trump versus Clinton and there's no viable third party candidate, I will be voting for Hillary Clinton." Those who disagree are letting Elmets have it from voicemails.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You are a disgusting pig.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I can't even believe you call yourself a decent republican.

LAH: To e-mails, calling him a "disgrace" and a socialist to simply "shame on you." Other republicans choosing a decidedly different path.

House Speaker Paul Ryan and Senator Lindsey Graham, vying on Trump. And Marco Rubio burying his hatchet with the man he once called "a con artist."

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MARCO RUBIO, FORMER U.S. PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: I want to be helpful and not harmful, because I don't want Hillary Clinton to be president.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

LAH: But Trump's harm argues Elmets is already unfolding before the electorate.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ELMETS: These rallies are not a moment in time. If Donald Trump is elected president, you will see these things continue on for years beyond.

LAH: You believe you are in good company?

ELMETS: I believe I'm in great company. They are just afraid to say that they support Hillary Clinton. But I so think that either they will do it publicly at some point, they'll privately do it in the polling booth in November.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

LAH: Kyung Lah, CNN, Sacramento, California.

CHURCH: And Donald Trump is getting an endorsement from a country that often makes nuclear threats against the United States. More on the unlikely praise later this hour.

Plus, a German paralympian says he has seen, sewage, garbage, and body parts in the sailing venue for the Rio Olympics. His desperate plea to get the waters cleaned up. That's next.

[03:45:00] (COMMERCIAL BREAK)

CHURCH: Welcome back, everyone.

Well, Brazil is struggling with its worst economic recession in 80 years. And that's just one of many crisis casting a dark cloud over the upcoming Rio Olympics. The country's unemployment rate is on the rise, 11.2 percent in the most recent quarter.

The situation had been improving between 2010 and 2014. That was according to the IMF. But unemployment jumped to 6.8 percent in 2015. And is forecast to reach nearly 10 percent for this year.

Well, A German gold medalists says Rio de Janeiro needs to clean up its polluted bay before the games in August. He is worried about the filthy waters that left one of his fellow paralympic sailors needing weeks of medical care.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

HEIKO KROGER, GERMAN PARALYMPIC ATHLETE: Rio is a very small city and most of the city, I think they have no system, where they collect trash and so, all the favelas they throw out of the window of what they have. And the wind and the rain washes all stuff down to the water.

So, it's there in the bay. There was an arm found floating around and so, there's lot of animals and other things in this bay, so all you can imagine.

Eric Heiler (ph) is one of my teammates for Sailing Team Germany and he is a 49, a sailor, Olympic sailor. He got some of these bacteria in between his skin and his wet suit. It looked like something has drilled in his leg. It was a hole in his leg and it was really deep, it was nearly that you can stick a finger inside.

Well, it's strange, because it's a nice sailing area, but every time you get water in your face, it feels like there's some alien enemy entering your face. So, I keep my nose and lips closed.

And that's just, I have a big fear that I get too much of this water inside, and that's really strange. I mean, water is not our enemy normally.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CHURCH: There's a real concern there. The Rio Olympics will be the first ever held in a South American city. But that's just one of many things that could make the games unique.

CNN's Rhiannon Jones reports.

RHIANNON JONES, CNN WORLD SPORTS ANCHOR: Seeing triple. These three sisters from Estonia hope to make history running in Rio this summer. With their blonde hair, blue eyes and matching outfits, it's easy to see, Leila, Liina, Lily Luik are identical triplets.

There are being twins at the Olympics before, but these marathon running sisters aim to be the first set of triplets to compete in the games.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

LEILA LUIK, ESTONIAN RUNNER: We love dancing and swimming and maybe that's why we love to be so active. And that pushes us to too easily to professional sports.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

JONES: The triplets came to the sport late at 24. They are now 30. They train together regularly and say they root for each other in competition.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

LIILY LUIK, ESTONIAN RUNNER: I'm happy with my sisters are doing well and win some competitions and then I'm also happy.

LEILA LUIK: It's boring when you are alone, and when we are together, I feel I have more energy, maybe, and support each other.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

JONES: And when asked if they expect to medal.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

LEILA LUIK: We would love that. It's like our dream also.

LIILY LUIK: Yes.

LEILA LUIK: But we know that we have to be in reality and we know that it's very hard to compete against the Kenyan and Ethiopian runners.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

JONES: Regardless, this trio to Rio says their goal is to finish together. Set personal bests and end the race with a smile.

Rhiannon Jones, CNN.

[03:49:57] CHURCH: Well, North Korea is known for its war-like rhetoric, but now a state controlled web site is lavishing praise on a U.S. candidate who is famous for his tough words. There he is. When CNN Newsroom continues, we'll explain.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

DAM: Good day. I'm CNN meteorologist Derek Van Dam with a quick look at your Weather Watch.

Temperatures over the Western U.S., starting to warm up. Especially across the western interior. Let's talk San Francisco and Los Angeles, where day-time highs for the middle of the work week will tap in the lower and middle 20s. Some sunshine overhead.

But look at what's happening across the Texas region into Dallas, heavy showers and thunderstorms, remember we have been talking about the potential of flooding across this U.S. State. And it looks unfortunately to appear that flooding will continue, or at least the possibility through the rest of the work week and in to the weekend as an area of low pressure continues to move across the state and has the possibility to produce significant amounts of precipitation going forward.

How much rainfall? Well, we could potentially see in excess of 150 millimeters on top of an already saturated environment. So, the threat for flash flooding continues Dallas, Houston, into the Fort Worth region into Austin. Elsewhere, isolated to scattered showers and thunderstorms across the

Eastern U.S. New York City we start to see our temperatures slide a little bit into the weekend. So, you can see today 27, but by Thursday and Friday, temperatures in the lower 20s.

We'll spike up to 28 by Saturday and bring back the chance of rain by the end of the weekend. Active weather continues across Central America.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

CHURCH: Now there is one powerful image and the next time you want to give up. Think of this story. Remember Bethany Hamilton, a shark took her left arm in 2003 when she was just 13. But she never quit on her dream of being a pro surfer.

Hamilton entered the elite World Surf League event in Fiji as a wild card and finished third overall on Tuesday. She even wiped out the world's number one surfer along the way. How about that incredibly inspiring.

Well, Donald Trump isn't saying anything about his latest presidential endorsement. As CNN's Jeanne Moss reports, the unlikely praise comes from a new site, controlled by North Korea.

JEANNE MOOS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: You've got to hand it to Donald Trump, what other American candidate gets a vote of confidence from North Korea? A country that releases a video showing its missiles striking Washington.

[03:55:05] And now, publishes an editorial in a state media outlet calling the Donald "a wise politician. A far-sighted presidential candidate and advising Americans to not vote for that dull Hillary." Trump at least has said that he'd talk to North Korea, as Korea expert John Feffer put it.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JOHN FEFFER, FOREIGN POLICY IN FOCUS DIRECTOR: I would have to say that Donald Trump is the Dennis Rodman of American politics.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

MOOS: Prone to shake things up to make outlandish statements. Well maybe not as outlandish as when Rodman praises Kim Jong-un.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DENIS RODMAN, BASKETBALL PLAYER: He's a great guy. Just a great guy. I think...

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: A great if it's 200,000 people in prison camps?

RODMAN: Well, you know, and guess what. There are so many things as how we do the same thing here.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

MOOS: The Donald is not high fiving Kim Jong-un any time soon.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

TRUMP: He is like a maniac, OK. And you got to give him credit. How many young guys take over these tough generals. Incredible. He wiped out the uncle

(END VIDEO CLIP)

MOOS: And speaking of wiping out.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

TRUMP: I would get China to make that guy disappear in one form or another very quickly. And let me tell you, the people will say, oh...

(CROSSTALK)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: How do you make him disappear, are you going to assassinate him or?

TRUMP: Let me just tell you -- no. I have heard of worse things frankly. I mean, this guy is a bad dude.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

MOOS: But the thing Trump that North Korea do share? Flamboyant hair.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JIMMY KIMMEL, JIMMY KIMMEL LIVE SHOW HOST: And for the time being, the meeting of the two greatest adult male hair dudes in the world will not take place. That said, but Kim Jong-un doesn't have time to meet with Donald Trump, he is too busy making North Korea great again.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

MOOS: Kim Jong-un has been photoshopped with Trump's hair but at least we're not talking about little hands. We are talking about shaking not so little hair hands.

Jeanne Moos, CNN, New York.

CHURCH: And thank you so much for your company. I'm Rosemary Church. Remember to connect with me any time on Twitter. I want to hear from you.

And up next, CNN Newsroom, live from London. You have a great day.

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