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Flooding in West Virginia; Brexit's Repercussions; Trump Promotes Golf Courses Amid Brexit Fallout; What Does Bernie Sanders Want From Clinton; "What is the EU?" Trends on Google in UK. Aired 4- 5p ET

Aired June 25, 2016 - 16:00   ET

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


(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

[16:00:02] UNIDENTIFED MALE: Go, Joe, go!

UNIDENTIFED MALE: I won. I beat the mountain today. I didn't beat that train. I'll never beat that train, but today, of all days, I'm normal.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SUZANNE MALVEAUX, CNN ANCHOR: Top of the hour, you're live in the CNN NEWSROOM. I'm Suzanne Malveaux in Atlanta, in for Poppy Harlow.

It's this country's deadliest flood disaster in years. I want you to take a look at this scene. This is in central West Virginia, this is days of heavy rain causing rivers to explode out of their banks, totally surprising people living nearby.

Here are the worst news - at least 23 people now confirmed dead. National guard troops, emergency crews, the U.S. Coast Guard, they are searching flooded homes, swept away cars hoping the number does not rise.

Our CNN's Brynn Gingras is in central West Virginia. Brynn, you actually had a chance to talk with people and - who are simply glad to be alive today.

BRYNN GINGRAS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes, that's right, Suzanne. I mean, it's been an emotional moment when people are returning back to their homes to find out what has been destroyed, and in many cases, most of the homes have been destroyed and what was in them. I did talk to a man who lived here for several decades and he said he's never seen flooding like this, and that's the reason he didn't evacuate, and it almost cost his life. Take a listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DAVID ROSS, WATCHED FLOODWATERS RISE IN HIS HOME: I came outside and looked, and I saw water cascading over the lower part of the Virginia Avenue, and then I looked into my own backyard, and water was cascading off of Maywood Avenue into my yard, and before we had time to react, the water just literally rushed up, and so it didn't take long before it cascaded into my basement. My basement was completely filled and totally destroyed.

The water started coming up through the floor grates, and didn't stop until we had about four feet of water in the main part of the house, and our biggest problem at that time was trying to simply survive the storm, and, I guess, we started carrying everything up that was of value before the water started coming up into the house, and we ran out of time.

We couldn't get everything up, and when the water started coming into the house, it didn't stop until we had almost four feet of water on my main floor, and it's never been that way. Like I said -

GINGRAS: You said 39 years?

ROSS: I've lived here for 39 years. We have made so many improvements in this house. This house has a historical value. This house and the one beside of me was built back in the early 1900s for the original president and vice president of the Union Carbide, and their first operation in the world was just a few blocks down the street here.

GINGRAS: So in 39 years, you've never seen anything like this?

ROSS: In 39 years, I've never seen anything close to the devastation that this storm created. It was so fast. The rain was relentless. I looked out on my front porch, and when the water started cascading over that little wall right there, it came so fast that it literally created a torrent on my front porch, a violent torrent, and even though I'm an old water safety instructor with great swimming skills, if I would have stepped outside I would have been swept away.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

GINGRAS: And David Ross told me that's why he can see how there's been so many deaths with the storm. The water just came so fast. This is, like, basically cement, just poured concrete underneath my feet. Hard for me to move around, but I want to show you the water mark that's on this sewage pump.

Look how high that is from the ground, and I have to tell you, that gives you perspective. The river is probably another 20 feet below that level. This water was incredibly high on this side of the river. As we're panning around, you can just see the devastation it has certainly caused for many homes.

So yes, that FEMA assistance, the governor declared three counties needing FEMA assistance and the people who live here say they sure can use it. Right now, it's an emotional moment that people are coming just down the street that we're on, crying and just learning about pictures and valuables that are now gone. Suzanne?

MALVEAUX: Brynn, that is absolutely amazing where you are standing, you can see that tree that was toppled over and that car that was covered in mud, and, of course, that water mark line, just unbelievable.

Brynn, please be safe as well as the others there. We appreciate you're reporting.

I want to get a fresh update on the historic floods, what is being done to try to keep people safe if they can.

[16:05:02]

Joining me on the phone, this is Chris Stadleman. He is the chief of staff for West Virginia's governor, Earl Ray Tomlin, and, Chris, first of all, tell us what the governor's office is doing right now to deal with the situation in all 44 counties, those 44 counties that are now in trouble?

CHRIS STADLEMAN, GOV. TOMLIN'S CHIEF OF STAFF(OVER THE PHONE): Well, Suzanne, we actually have some news just in the last few minutes. The governor got word from FEMA that FEMA has approved his request for individual assistance as well as public assistance for at least the first three counties.

State of emergency did cover 44 because we were not sure exactly where the track was going to go, but the counties, and Brynn was just talking to someone in one of those, and Kenaw, (INAUDIBLE) and Nicholas counties have seen flooding nothing like they haven't seen in a hundred years or more.

The governor got an expedited request into FEMA, our congressional delegation helped out and I just heard from the White House that we've gotten approval for those counties to immediately get some federal assistance.

MALVEAUX: Chris, two questions. Firt of all, tell our viewers what does that mean for those three counties when you talk about them getting FEMA assistance and why those particular three?

STADLEMAN: Well, first, those three counties have been the most severely affected. Significant damage in a number of other counties, and we'll look to get FEMA assistance for them as well in the coming days and weeks, but the damage was so extensive in these three counties that FEMA was able to give an expedited to immediately give folks help and they can involve housing.

There are people who have not only just lost everything in their homes and we have hundreds of homes that have been destroyed and will not be livable. There will be housing assistance. There will be crisis counselling. This is a tragedy of epic proportions for our state, you know, as Brynn said, we have 23 deaths including 15 in one community, so you're going to have people that are going to have to cope with the loss of property, but even more tragically the loss of life in this case.

So, yes, the governor's thoughts and prayers are with all those folk, and we appreciate the outpouring support, not only from West Virginia residents but across the country already.

MALVEAUX: And Chris, I'm assuming, correct me if I'm wrong, that those three counties that you mentioned, are those the counties where you are seeing the largest casualties?

STADLEMAN: That's correct. The 15 are in Greenbriar county and six all right are in Kenaw county, so, yes, those have really seen the bulk of those tragedies.

MALVEAUX: Can we - how much time do residents of the other counties believed that they may be able to get some of that FEMA assistance as well. How long will that take?

STADLEMAN: We had our team up today along with the congressional delegation doing some damage assessments, and so what they'll have to do is go in and figure out how much damage was done, how many homes have been severely damaged or destroyed, roads, bridges that are washed out, and so they'll do the damage estimates, that process started today and will continue over the next couple of days, and the governor certainly will be working with his Homeland Security team to get that application (INAUDIBLE).

MALVEAUX: All right. Chris, thank you so much. That is just a little sliver of good news there in such a tragic story, the fact that, at last folks in those three counties hardest hit are going to get some immediate aid from FEMA, and that is going to be critical.

It is the exact opposite problem that we are seeing out west. This is several wildfires blazing out of control. This is across parts of Arizona, New Mexico, and southern California. You see the pictures there. This is Kern county, California. This is where emergency crews trying to contain a fast moving fire that's already scorched more than 30,000 acres, 100 buildings.

On the phone with us now, joining us Captain Tyler Townsend of the Fern County Fire Department. Captain, thank you so much for being with us. I know that you guys are really busy with what's going on over there.

Give us a sense of how much the fire now has been contained and what kind of progress are you making?

CAPT. TYLER TOWNSEND: Well, at this point, unfortunately, we're still at zero percent containment and the fire has gone to over 35,000 acres. It started on Thursday just before 4:00 p.m. and it grew from a small fire to destroying several communities in a matter of hours. This fire is fuel driven, wind driven, and heat driven. All those factors aligning into a very, very vicious wildfire.

MALVEAUX: You say zero, zero percent contained. What do you need? What does the department and what does your county need to get a hold of this and to make some progress?

TOWNSEND: Well, we've been working on the fire day in and day out since it started. We have retardant lines, we have crews on the ground working to contain the fire, but we don't consider fire retardant lines containment. So we have bulldozers working, we have hand crews. We have all the resources in place to put this fire out, but it's just the weather, the fuel. It's a vicious wildfire. We're going to be committed to this for some time. [16:10:09]

MALVEAUX: And captain, we are looking at this extraordinary pictures of the flames and the fire, the extent of this. How close is this fire to homes? What kind of evacuation process is in place now for those who are in the area? What is the threat?

TOWNSEND: The fire already destroyed 150 homes and it has killed at least two people. We're in the process of doing a damage assessment. We'll have more accurate numbers, hopefully, in the next day or two, but at this time, we have 2,500 residents that we have asked to evacuate because there's no telling what these wind, they shift throughout the day, and even though the fire burned through some of these communities, and many of the homes are still standing up.

Firefighters did a miraculous job with what they were faced, but we're not out of the woods yet. We're not safe yet. Fires burned through, but a lot of those communities are still in danger and people are asking if they could go back into their homes, but it's just not safe to do so at this time.

MALVEUAX: Fire Captain Tyler Townsend, thank you so much. I know you have a lot to do. We appreciate your time just giving us the update on what's taking place in your community. We certainly wish safety of those people there.

Ahead in the newsroom, fall out from the U.K. vote. What their decision to leave the EU could mean for global security. Plus, the historic vote in the U.K. sending shock waves throughout the global markets. Is this just the tip of the iceberg?

And later, is it time for Bernie Sanders to call it quits? We're going to discuss that, all of that live in the CNN "Newsroom."

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

MALVEAUX: The world's most complicated divorce, if you will, more complicated by the hour. Britain's vote to ditch the European Union triggering harsh words, bitter feelings on both sides now, the pace of this unprecedented breakup might become a major problem.

[16:15:04]

After a crucial meeting today in Berlin, the EU's president says he wants the split to happen immediately, yet Britain has signalled it will wait until October before even starting the negotiations.

Many people in the U.K., they are now voicing doubt over the referendum outcome, feelings of regrets, if you will. An online petition with more than two million signatures now calling for a second referendum on EU membership.

I want to bring in our senior international correspondent Nima Libagir in London. Nima, first of all, give us a sense of the mood now. I mean, what are people telling you? NIMA LIBAGIR, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: There is

definitely a sense of, I think to call it panic is not an understatement, even amongst those who voted leave, the response of the market regardless of the fact that experts, the IMF, the chancellor of the exchange here, everybody was warning that there would be an impact.

It's very different from hearing a warning to actually seeing it play out in front of you, to wake up and discover that your currency has crashed, that there are tens of 15 points that has been wiped off from the - the overall price of your house and that the financial markets are being unforgiving.

A lot of people are saying, well, we didn't have that explained well enough to us. We didn't really understand the ramifications, even senior politicians involved with the leave campaign have now come out, the former defense minister saying, this is a time for reflection. There is no need to hurry. Well, you know what, the European leaders said actually they want this to be wrapped up in a hurry - they're saying essentially, you wanted a divorce, you're going to get it. We don't want this instability to continue to reverberate through our markets and through our single currency through the euro.

So the reality is, though, that given the way the European Union was structured, the exit process is long, it's complicated, and it's labored. So even if Britain was not pushing this back to a new minister stepping in in October, this is potentially at least a year or two in the playing out, Suzanne.

MALVEAUX: It sounds like the anxiety of many people there is going to continue for quite some time. Nima, thank you so much. I want to talk about this, the votes set off the financial earthquake, rocked global markets, the Dow plunged more than 600 points yesterday. British pound got pummelled falling levels not seen since 1985. Investors, 401Ks, around the world, got slammed.

I want to bring in our global affairs economic analyst Ali Velshi in New York. Ali, my good friend here, it's good to see you again.

ALI VELSHI, CNN GLOBAL AFFAIRS ECONOMIC ANALYST: You too.

MALVEAUX: Tell us about this leave, resulting -

VELSHI: Yes, I want to pick up -

MALVEAUX: The global markets, did it take people by surprise here, were traders completely unprepared?

VELSHI: Yes, I want to pick up on something Nima was saying, that people said they were not told the whole story. The whole story is kind of boring, right. The truth is, when you're talking about the EU, it started out, you know, 50 years ago as a coal trading experiment between six countries and it grew into the big thing that it is. But it's a bunch of trade agreements. Like nobody even reads trade agreements. The fact is the leave campaign rather than focusing on this amalgamation of trade and immigration agreements made it about something else, and people voted about something else, whether it was a protest vote, or a vote against the elites or a referendum on the government, whatever it was, they were mad, they are mad in the United States too. They were mad and they used this as the opportunity to make that point.

Now everybody's wondering, wow, what happens to all these trade deals, the fact that I work in a factory in the midlands and I make stuff that gets exported to Europe without any tariffs or duties. Well, when these go away, those tariffs and duties will increase and rather than the French buying a midlands U.K. made thing, they'll buy a German made thing.

There are real repercussions to this which is why the financial world, maybe in its ivory tower did not expect this to happen. They thought people will read the fine print. They'll try and understand this. They didn't.

MALVEAUX: So Ali, how does it play out, though, I mean, in the months and the years to come here? Because you have a two-year period, it's a long time for people to feel anxious about what is happening in terms of their homes and the value of their 401ks and things of that nature. So what's the immediate next step here -

VELSHI: Well, homes -

MALVEAUX: How do they manage this?

VELSHI: Just to give you a macro example, homes are a big deal. Because people buy homes. London is the most cosmopolitan place in the world, they go there because your investment in London gives you access to the rest of Europe. That's now not going to be the case, or we are not sure that it is going to be the case. So what happens here is that all of the deals that the EU has made, the U.K. is going to get out of and then renegotiate.

So there are three big trading blocks in the world. There are more than three, but let's just use this example. There's America, which is about the same size as China in terms of an economy, which is about the same size as the EY in terms of an economy. So there are three major, major economies, there's lots of other players, the U.K. operated as a very big player in this very big trading block.

[16:20:02]

Now it's going to be on its own, now it becomes the sixth largest, you know, economy in the world. It's just not going to have the might to have these discussions in the trade agreements with the United States that it used to, so this is going to play out over the course of some years, most immediately, most Americans are going to feel it in financial and banking stocks because that's where the greatest degree of integration is between America and the U.K., and I think for the very, very short term, you're going to see another bad day on Monday.

But I don't know this ultimately affects Americans all that much. This is really bad for people in the U.K..

MALVEAUX: Yes. Well, Ali, it's going to be interesting to see how it all kind of shakes out and plays out because there's so much uncertainty about really what is going to happen. Ali, good to see you as always.

VELSHI: You too, Suzanne.

MALVEAUX: Leaving it there. Thank you so much for your analysis.

VELSHI: My pleasure.

MALVEAUX: The Brexit vote also will have security implications. Next, how it will affect the fight against terrorism in Europe.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

MALVEAUX: The vote to leave the European Union has created instability and uncertainly throughout Europe plus fears that terrorists could use that to their advantage. Our CNN Pentagon correspondent, Barbara Starr, explains.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

[16:25:00]

BARBARA STARR, CNN PENTAGON CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Popular online jihadi forms applauding the U.K. vote to leave the European Union, hoping to see more chaos in Europe, but from the war on ISIS to European terror threats and Russian aggression, the security implications are uncertain.

The Pentagon clearly had not wanted it to happen. Days before the vote, defense secretary Ash Carter stood at NATO headquarters and called for the U.K. to stay put.

ASH CARTER, U.S. DEFENSE SECRETARY: We know the strategic value, the unity and cohesion brings to our alliance.

STARR: But after the vote, the Pentagon struck a conciliatory note.

UNIDENTIFED MALE: We feel confident that this special relationship including the special defense relationship will certainly continue.

STARR: The optimism is not shared by all.

COL. CEDRIC LEIGHTON (RET.), CNN MILITARY ANALYST: What we're seeing here is the potential for a major reorganization within NATO and a potential weakening of the security environment in Europe.

STARR: Despite exiting the European Union, the U.K. remains a member of NATO, although the financial contribution to the military alliance could be at risk if its economy falters.

JEANS STOLTENBERG, NATO SECURITY GENERAL: Today, a we face more instability and more uncertainty, NATO more important than ever. STARR: The European Union and NATO members are already scheduled to

meet to discuss closer cooperation and issues like cyber and terrorism. On ISIS and fighting terrorist threats, Britain and the U.S. still will share the most highly classified intelligence.

MIKE ROGERS, FMR. HOUSE INTELLIGENCE COMMITTEE CHAIRMAN: That agreement is not impacted by this in any way, shape, or form.

STARR: But the CIA director points out with 28 countries now in the EU, there are already significant problems.

UNIDENTIFED MALE: Within each of the countries, they have sometimes several intelligence and security services. They do not have the interconnectivity either from a mission and legal perspective or from an IT perspective.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

MALVEAUX: So there's a lot of uncertainty on both sides of the Atlantic. I want to talk this over with military analyst, Col. Cedric Leighton, former member of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. Thank you so much, Colonel, for being with us here.

First of all, we saw that piece, some people might be alarmed by what they are hearing. What is the number one security concern now that we have this situation where the United Kingdom will be leaving the European Union?

LEIGHTON: I think, Suzanne, the real concern is what happens with NATO as a whole. NATO has two major mission areas that it has to focus on. One of them is Russia, and the other is terrorism, and within that piece, you have to include ISIS, and so there are so many different aspects to this but NATO is being beset on at least two fronts, on the Russian front and also when it comes to the terrorist front with different challenges that they really did not have when they were first established back in the late 1940s.

MALVEAUX: Colonel, I want to ask you this because I covered the White House yesterday and the president's response, and it was very interesting to note what he said in his statement. He talked about the importance of United Kingdom still being a member of NATO and that that was something that in terms of security was a good thing. Is that really essential that the U.K. remain in NATO, that at least it has that kind of power and that might with that multinational organization to make sure that by leaving the EU, it's not completely weakened and established in its role.

LEIGHTON: Right. That's exactly the problem. It could very well be weakened or diminished within its NATO role, but as far as NATO itself is concerned, it's absolutely essential that Great Britain remain part of NATO. They have a small military compared to the United States, but that military is one of the most capable militaries in the world.

In some cases, you could say that in very specific areas they are even the number one military certain special operations capabilities, for example, and even on the cyber front there, they are becoming very, very capable. But they are an exceptional military, and to lose them as part of NATO would be a real detriment, not only to the North Atlantic Alliance, but it would also be a huge detriment to the security of the United States.

MALVEAUX: And Colonel, talk about the Eastern European countries, their role in all of this. It was many, many years ago, that President Bush would travel throughout the country, throughout the world essentially to the EU conventions and make the case for the eastern European countries to be a part the European Union, to provide that buffer, if you will, security from the threat of Russia.

I imagine, too, that there's an economic component to that as well, but what is Russia's position now that one of our greatest allies is going to be out of the European Union?

LEIGHTON: Well, I think Russia thinks that they are going to be able to exercise a great more deal of influence over the European Union with Britain's exit. If Britain leaves as predicted and as the Brexit vote indicated, then Russia believes it has more economic leverage.

[16:30:05] It also will have more political leverage because countries like Germany are basically right on that frontier between Eastern Europe and Western Europe.

Now, when it comes to the Eastern European nations, some of them are our staunchest allies when it comes to operations like Afghanistan, operations that, you know, go way beyond the borders -- traditional borders of NATO.

For example, Poland has sacrificed a great deal in terms of both blood and treasure when it comes to defending the western alliance in places like Afghanistan.

So, Poland, the Baltic states, Czech Republic, those countries are a critical component to NATO. And that expansion that occurred in the '90s and the early 2000s is something that we cannot afford to have rolled back from a strategic standpoint to what President Bush did back in the day was absolutely essential to keep Russia in a certain plane and a certain playing field, and what Russia's trying to do is trying to undo exactly what happened during that period.

Yes. It seems quite apparent that the former President George W. Bush worked very, very hard to get alliances, to get those countries in the European Union. And now seeing this threat of potentially it all falling apart is quite concerning.

Colonel, thank you so much. We really appreciate your analysis.

LEIGHTON: You bet, Suzanne. Anytime.

MALVEAUX: Thank you.

Coming up live in the CNN NEWSROOM, we are heading straight to Scotland. That is where Donald Trump just led reporters on something of a ride along at his golf resort.

What the presumptive Republican nominee said when CNN cameras finally caught up with him, up next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

MALVEAUX: Donald Trump has left the campaign trail for a greener pastures, if you will, all the way to Scotland. The presumptive Republican nominee is there for the grand opening of his newest golf resort. And while he spoke briefly about the Brexit results, he mainly stayed on course, quiet literally.

[16:35:13] MALVEAUX: Trump rode around the campaign event held at his resort today. Reporters trying to keep up. Actually went from hole to hole, showing off the grounds.

Our senior White House correspondent Jim Acosta was part of the chase there.

That was bizarre, Jim. I've never seen anything quite like that where you got the press literally, like, from hole to hole following him asking questions and getting answers along the way?

JIM ACOSTA, CNN SENIOR WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: That's right, Suzanne. He stayed on course most of the time. He got into the rough a few times when it came to answering questions from reporters out here in Scotland.

Donald Trump, we should point out, Suzanne, he is on his way back to the U.S. after touring his golf properties here in Scotland just as Britain's Brexit from the European Union sends shockwaves around the world.

Trump have questions from reporters during, as you put it, a rolling press conference across this golf course in the city of Aberdeen, Scotland. He sounded confident that the financial panic unleashed by the Brexit would subside in time.

He also defended his trip in response to G.O.P. critics, who say he should be back in the U.S. tending to his campaign. He told CNN earlier today, he spent part of this visit working on his vice presidential selection process. Here's what he had to say.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: How is the process going on?

DONALD TRUMP (R), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: Good. A lot of people that want it. I will tell you one thing, I'm getting calls from a lot of people.

The only people that say they don't want it are the people that we never asked. You know, I've read every once in a while, I see somebody say, they don't want it, they were not in. We have a lot of people that want that slot.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ACOSTA: Now, before he left, Trump also made time for dinner with Rupert Murdoch, personally driving the mediate mogul around in his golf cart here in Aberdeen. And the presumptive G.O.P. nominee also suggested that he is softening his position on temporarily banning Muslims coming into the U.S. saying earlier today, he would welcome a Muslim from Scotland. Another -- what he described as non-threatening countries.

And, Trump, we should point out, Suzanne, he will be back on the campaign trail in the U.S. next week. And one other side that we've been talking about, this rolling press conference all day long today, Suzanne, we should note that there were three news organizations that were banned from coverage here today, presumably because the Trump campaign does not like some of the stories they've done in the past.

Those reporters were simply not allowed on this property here earlier today, Suzanne.

MALVEAUX: Yes. That has been happening throughout the campaign.

Jim, thank you so much, and I appreciate it. Safe travels home. We'll be talking more about this in the days to come, clearly.

Coming up, he said, you'll probably vote for Hillary Clinton and admits he's not likely to be the nominee. So is it time for Bernie Sanders to get out of the race? We're going to talk about that. Stay with us, up next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[16:41:40] MALVEAUX: Bernie Sanders doing a strange negotiation dance with his Democratic rival, Hillary Clinton. He's sending mild signals of eventual support, and yet he says he's not dropping out of the presidential race any time soon, he's not endorsing Clinton, and he keeps on campaigning.

Sanders tells CNN's Chris Cuomo, he got a wish list of what he wants from Clinton. So take a listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

CHRIS CUOMO, CNN ANCHOR: When the day comes in November, and Sanders has to cast his vote, to whom does it go?

SEN. BERNIE SANDERS (I-VT), DEMOCRATIC PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: In all likelihood, we will go to Hillary Clinton.

We are working right now as we speak with the Clinton campaign, trying to see what kind of agreements we can work out. I need to hear Secretary Clinton making it clear, for example, just -- I think what we have shown in this campaign is there is enormous support for making public colleges and university's tuition free.

I would like to see her say, you know, there's something wrong where we are the only major country on earth not to guarantee health care to all people as a right, that we should raise the minimum wage to $15 an hour, that we need new trade policies, those are some of the issues that I would like to hear her talk about. (END VIDEO CLIP)

MALVEAUX: All right. So let's talk about what's going on here with our panel. Bernie Sanders' supporter, Nomiki Konst, a Democratic strategist, and Hillary Clinton supporter, Maria Cordona, whose firm has worked for a pro-Clinton Super PAC. Also, a 2016 Democratic super delegate. I've got to get all that in there.

So, Nomi, let's with you, because, really, I mean, we're going through the process here with Sanders. We've been watching the steps, the gradual steps here. Does, at some point, he risk losing some of the political leverage that he had that was so powerful by hanging on just a little too long?

NOMIKI KONST, DEMOCRATIC STRATEGIST: Listen, it's not about Bernie Sanders. It's about half of the party. 46 percent of the delegates, half of the country. 85 percent of the party under the age of 45 is all on board with a more progressive mission.

The Democratic Party has lost its way. It has gone to a more centrist corporate side. It has abandoned its union, the workers of America. And we saw that this week with the platform committee.

I'm on the platform committee for New York State. We're going to Orlando next week. Guess what, we lost our fight this week against TPP, fighting for the $15 minimum wage, for universal health care, for affordable college.

These are core principles of the Democratic Party. Most Democrats, over 75 percent of Democrats agree with these issues. And Hillary Clinton really needs to listen.

It's not about Bernie Sanders and cutting deals. This is about keeping the Democratic Party Alive. And right now, the Democratic Party is losing membership. It lost --

MALVEAUX: But --

KONST: It lost a thousand seats since 2008, and it has raised more money than ever. They will not survive as a party if they don't listen to half of the party, because these people are going to jump off the boat, and it's not about Bernie Sanders anymore. It's about the party.

MALVEAUX: OK. So if it's not about Bernie Sanders, I mean, people have been paying less attention to Bernie Sanders because things have happened and developed --

(CROSSTALK)

KONST: The media has. The media has.

MALVEAUX: But the media -- clearly the media plays a very important role in this. And so what I'm saying is that Bernie Sanders, of course -- I mean, he was covered, he had like thousands and thousands of people at his rallies, and we're not necessarily seeing those pictures, we're not getting that out there, so he is losing some attention here. And does that hurt him ultimately in terms of leverage if he isn't -- if no one's paying attention or paying very little attention to his message?

[16:45:12] KONST: Well, here's an example. I went to a rally this week in New York City. Sold out rally. Packed theater. People are showing up.

Another example, the New York Democratic Party had a meeting this week on Tuesday, where the New York Democratic Party leadership shut off the microphones and didn't allow the Bernie Sanders' delegates to vote. That is half of the party. They went 42 percent of the state in a closed primary.

And what happened? That video went viral. Over a million people watched that video in one day. People are listening. It's just people are not reporting it.

So the people are there. And this is half of the party. So it's not something that the party can turn a blind eye to. These people are angry. They want to hear -- they want to be heard. They want policies to change. And the Democratic Party is digging their own grave if they are not listening.

MALVEAUX: OK. Let's let Maria jump in here. Because Maria wrote an op-ed for the "Washington Post" this week called "Here's What We Want," featuring a list of about a dozen demands about what he wanted saying, "We want to overturn the disastrous Citizens United Supreme Court decision and move toward public funding of elections. We want a criminal justice system that addresses the causes of incarceration, not one that simply imprisons more people."

So, Maria, aren't those already issues that both he and Clinton basically agree on?

MARIA CARDONA, CNN POLITICAL COMMENTATOR: Yes. Agree on, yes.

MALVEAUX: So where are we in this negotiation?

Take us -- pull the curtain behind and take us behind the scenes here.

CARDONA: I think that we are going in the right direction. I mean, clearly this is a process that's like making sausage, right? I mean, every single piece of it, every single step of it is not necessarily going to be pretty. That is what a negotiation is about.

But there's no question that the Clinton campaign as well as the Democratic Party is listening.

I mean, let's look at what happened with the makeup of the platform drafting committee, where you had the Democratic Party chair essentially give Senator Sanders the opportunity to name five members when she didn't have to do that. But I think that that, I think goes --

(CROSSTALK) KONST: She won half the delegates, Maria.

CARDONA: Can you let me finish, Nomi. I didn't interrupt you.

(CROSSTALK)

KONST: You're lying. That's a lie.

(CROSSTALK)

CARDONA: That's not a lie. It's not a lie. She absolutely did that. She asked --

(CROSSTALK)

MALVEAUX: Let's let Maria speak. Finish her sentence.

Maria, please go ahead.

CARDONA: Let me speak. Thank you.

Maybe this is why they turned off the microphone.

And so I think moving forward, that is exactly what is going to continue to happen. This is going to be a negotiation. People are going to be putting on the table what it is that they want, but at the end of the day, the Clinton campaign, the Sanders' campaign, Bernie Sanders and Hillary Clinton are not all that far apart on all of these progressive issues that the Democratic Party stands for.

And that's what we are going to go see going into the convention because, also, when all is said and done, I take Bernie Sanders at his word when he said he was going to vote for Hillary Clinton, and that the last thing that he wanted was to do anything to give a possibility of Donald Trump going into the White House as president of the United States.

MALVEAUX: All right. We've got to leave it there. I know this discussion will continue in the days ahead.

Nomi Konst and Maria Cardona, we appreciate your passion as well as your perspectives. Thank you so much, ladies.

(CROSSTALK)

CARDONA: Thank you so much.

MALVEAUX: Thousands of Brits who voted to dump the European Union took to Google with one big question just hours after casting their ballot.

Coming up, a surprising Internet search that swept across the U.K. You're live in the CNN NEWSROOM.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK) [16:52:15] MALVEAUX: Hours after voters in the UK decided to dump the European Union, many of them took to Google with big questions about what happened.

According to the Google trends, "What is the EU?" was the second most popular question in Britain after the results were officially announced.

London correspondent Max Foster explains the history and the origins of the European Union.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

MAX FOSTER, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): What is the E.U.?

The European Union is a group of countries that work together to create a single market, to allow goods, capital, services and people to move between the member states, as long as they follow the rules and they pay the entry fee.

But we're getting ahead of ourselves. To start this story, we need to go right back to the end of World War II.

After six years of fighting, Europe was disseminated. Economies were collapsing and mistrust was rife as old enemies face the prospect of recreating trade ties. France and previous occupiers Germany faced the difficult task of creating a unity for profit. So, they started talking, mainly about steel and coal.

In 1951, a total of six countries, France, Belgium, West Germany, Italy, Luxembourg and the Netherlands reached their first accord by uniting the steel and coal industries, creating the European Coal and Steel Community, or the ECSC.

They later introduce the European Economic Community, EEC, in 1958. These two organizations are seen as the origin of the modern European Union, that wouldn't adopt its new name (OFF-MIKE).

(END VIDEOTAPE)

MALVEAUX: West Virginia that is underwater.

And, California, high temperatures, dry winds are making it hard for firefighters to get a handle on a monster blaze. We're going to take you there. You are live with CNN NEWSROOM.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

DR. SANJAY GUPTA, CNN CHIEF MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Kellie Lim had to overcome a lot to become a doctor. In fact, she's lucky to be alive.

KELLIE LIM, TRIPLE AMPUTEE: At 8 years of age, I lost both of my legs, my right arm, and a few fingers of my left hand.

GUPTA: Kellie had bacterial meningitis, and then she went into septic shock. In fact, doctors only gave her a 15 percent chance of surviving at all. The little girl lost circulation to her arms and her legs forcing surgeons to amputate.

LIM: I was in the hospital for approximately four months. There is a strong family history of grit, so I think that's kind of engrained in me already.

GUPTA: Kellie's Chinese immigrant mother went blind in her late teens.

LIM: She became an inspiration. She took care of me. Helped me to put on my legs, put on my clothes.

GUPTA: Kellie graduated high school as valedictorian and finished UCLA medical school with honors.

LIM: I didn't have any other option other than to use my brain.

GUPTA: Now she's an allergist/immunologist at UCLA Medical Center.

LIM: It is very physically tiring to have prosthetic legs.

GUPTA: But determination trumps exhaustion.

LIM: I do have that drive to be better than everyone else because I have to. In my life, it's always one step at a time.

GUPTA: Dr. Sanjay Gupta, CNN, reporting.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

MALVEAUX: You're live in the CNN NEWSROOM. I'm Suzanne Malveaux in Atlanta.

Breaking news now. Scenes of mass destruction rising death toll after the worst flash flooding to hit the United States in year.