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Usain Bolt Triples Down; Trump Pitches African-Americans; Lochte Apologizes. Aired 5-6a ET

Aired August 20, 2016 - 05:00   ET

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


[05:00:11] GEORGE HOWELL, CNN ANCHOR: The triple-triple for the lightning bolt. Jamaica's star sprinter earns his ninth gold medal and the hearts of fans across the world.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DONALD TRUMP (R), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: What the hell do you have to lose?

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HOWELL: Blunt appeal. Donald Trump trying to gain voters from a group he has been struggling to attract.

And the new warning over the Zika virus. The U.S. government telling pregnant women to avoid parts of Florida's Miami Beach.

From CNN World Headquarters in Atlanta, welcome to our viewers here in the United States and around the world, I'm George Howell, CNN NEWSROOM starts right now.

It is 5:01 on the U.S. East Coast. Let's talk about Usain Bolt winning his triple-triple. He and team Jamaica won the men's 4x100 relay at the Rio Olympics on Friday, and that makes nine Olympic golds for Bolt, nine of them, three gold in three events in three straight Olympics.

And in addition to the relay, the lightning bolt won this year's 100- and 200-meter races, he turns 30 on Sunday and says Rio will be his final Olympics. Let's again handoff to CNN Christina Macfarlane live in Rio de Janeiro this hour.

Christina, good to see you again. So let's talk about Usain Bolt. History has been made.

CHRISTINA MACFARLANE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes, the trilogy is complete, George. And also he has become now the second most successful Olympian of all time with those nine gold medals. Second only, of course, to Michael Phelps with 23 gold medals. And it has been 12 years of domination for this man which ended tonight.

And as usual, Usain Bolt was the difference coming into the home straight, the Jamaican actual level pegging with the United States and Japan, then Usain Bolt took hold of the baton and it all changed from there.

He took about four strides to get into it. And then he powered down the field in that final 100 meters, as we've seen him so often. The Jamaicans finishing in a time of 37.27 seconds, just short of the world record but Usain Bolt enjoying the limelight.

He took an hour-and-a-half to two hours afterwards to go around and do his victory parade. His final turn in front of the crowd, and afterwards he said -- or he shared with everyone that he felt a sense of relief and sadness that it was all over, but that it was mission accomplished. And it was quite something to witness this evening -- George.

HOWELL: Indeed, mission accomplished for Bolt. But also, tell us, if you could, Christina, about the drama for silver and bronze in the men's relay.

MACFARLANE: Yes, there was a bit of a scrap going on behind the Jamaicans. A bit of a shock silver medal position, we saw Japan come through and take it with a new Asian record, which no one was expecting.

But there was disaster for the men's U.S. team. Now they were in bronze medal position, that is where they finished. And they were about to go around and do their victory lap on the track when the Canadians, who finished in fourth came up, and told them that they had been disqualified.

What had happened is that there was a technicality in the changeover between Mike Rodgers and Justin Gatlin. So they were DQed. They got bumped down to fourth position, the Canadians then took the bronze medal. And, unbelievably, George, this is the ninth time in U.S. history that this has happened at the Olympics or at the world championship.

But I tell you the women made up for it earlier in the night, the women's U.S. team, the 4x100, they retained their titles successfully, bringing the U.S.'s tally on track and field up to five golds, and beating Jamaica as well, which of course had their Elaine Thompson who won the 100 and 200 meters running in that final leg.

So some victories for the United States, but the men, a sorry end to what has been a bit of a bad run for the likes of Justin Gatlin at these Olympics.

HOWELL: Unfortunate, indeed, the sun just starting to rise there on another day at the Olympics, Christina Macfarlane, live for us in Rio. Christina, we will -- the sun is rising there, right? Or is it cloudy?

MACFARLANE: It's rising.

HOWELL: Good stuff. Good stuff. We'll stay in touch with you and get more updates in the days to come. Thank you.

MACFARLANE: Thank you, George. HOWELL: Even before his big win on Friday, Usain Bolt was and is an

Olympic legend. The Jamaican sprinter has dominated his sport for nearly a decade, our Don Riddell has more on Bolt's growing legacy.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

DON RIDDELL, CNN CORRESPONDENCE (voice-over): On the greatest stage in the world of sport, Usain Bolt has been the biggest star. The Olympic Games has never seen anything like it. Total domination in the marquee sprint events for three consecutive games. Some more modest athletes might play it down but not the man himself.

USAIN BOLT, NINE-TIME OLYPIC GOLD MEDALIST: Awesome, that's my word. That's my one word I always use. Usain was awesome.

RIDDELL: He's been rewriting the record books since sweeping the 100, 200, and sprint relay events in Beijing. Bolt repeated in London and again here in Rio, signing off his Olympic career with an unprecedented triple-triple. It's unlikely that we'll ever see his like again.

SANYA RICHARDS ROSS, OLYMPIC MEDALIST: Usain Bolt is the greatest track and field athlete of all time.

SEBASTIAN COE, OLYMPIC MEDALIST: I can't think of another athlete since Muhammad Ali that has so captured the public imagination.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: (SPEAKING IN FOREIGN LANGUAGE)

RIDDELL: It would also be hard to imagine anyone cementing a legacy in a shorter of amount time. For the nine gold medals Bolt won at his last three Olympics, he was on track for a total of less than two minutes. Transcending his sport to become a global icon and a national hero in his beloved Jamaica.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Truly humbling to be here and be present for this moment. It's a true honor to see him run.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: He has really lifted the sport and has brought all these people here, all the world has seen that you can do it the right way.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Words can't express it, especially since we know that this was his last Olympics. It was great to be here and see his remain.

RIDDELL: In a troubled era for athletics, Usain Bolt has become its shining light. A smiling assassin, ruthlessly crushing his rivals, laughing all the way to the finish line, and the bank too.

CHRISTIAN TAYLOR, TWO-TIME GOLD MEDALIST/TRIPLE JUMP: Absolute game- changer. You know, we just talked about the attendance, you know, coming to the track. He has brought faces. He has bought fans. He is truly, I mean, a legend in the making. But, you know, I'm so grateful for that and what he's doing for the sport but just, you know, athletics as a whole. RIDDELL (on camera): Tonight, we have seen Usain Bolt write another page of history in his remarkable Olympic career. But now it's over. He says he will retire after the world championships next year. He will celebrate his 30th birthday this Sunday knowing that he is the greatest. It is a title that will likely never be surpassed. And make no mistake, he will be profoundly missed.

Don Riddell, CNN, Rio.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

HOWELL: The U.S. is continuing its pace in the standings with 105 Olympic medals. Great Britain and China are in a tight race for second place. There are just two golds and five medals overall separating them. Germany with 35 medals is holding on to four with a single gold between them and Russia.

Sources tell CNN, a contributor, that American swimmer Ryan Lochte will eventually be suspended for his role in an altercation that happened in Rio, but both USA Swimming and the U.S. Olympic Committee say that they are reviewing that incident at this time. Lochte says it ended with him and three teammates being robbed at gunpoint, but Brazilian police say no such robbery happened.

Our Nick Paton Walsh reports.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

NICK PATON WALSH, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Gold medalist Ryan Lochte took to Instagram today saying he apologizes his "for my behavior last weekend for not being more careful and candid in how I described the events of that early morning and for my role in taking the focus away from the many athletes for fulfilling their Olympic dreams."

Lochte and three of his teammates stopped at a gas station in Rio early Sunday. Surveillance video appeared to support police accounts but at least one of them vandalized the station, urinating outside and damaging property.

The men then get into their taxi and are confronted by security officers off-camera, money reportedly changed hands. Lochte had publicly described the encounter as an armed robbery.

RYAN LOCHTE, US OLYMPIC SWIMMER: They pulled us over, they pulled out their guns, they told the other swimmers to get down on the ground, and then a guy pulled out his gun, he cocked it, put it to my forehead, and said, get down.

PATON WALSH: The police say the American swimmers reached an agreement with the armed guards to pay for damages. While the gold medalist has now apologized, he stopped short of entirely changing his story. "It's traumatic to be out late with your friends in a foreign country with a language barrier," he posted "and have a stranger point of gun at you and demand money to let you leave."

MARIO ANDRADA, RIO 2016 SPOKESMAN: We obviously accept his apology.

PATON WALSH: The International Olympic Committee chiming in as well.

ANDRADA: It's clear that the Brazilian population was kind of felt humiliated.

PATON WALSH: Lochte has been back in the U.S. for days while his teammates bore the brunt. In Brazil, Rio's mayor saying he feels "pity and contempt for all of them."

James Feigen was not allowed to leave Brazil until he paid nearly $11,000 to a national sports charity. Civil police say Feigen and his lawyer agreed to the donation during a court appearance. Jack Conger and Gunnar Bentz returned to the U.S. just this morning, the two being pulled off their original flight by Brazilian authorities Wednesday.

They were given their passports back only after giving statements to police. All this as the U.S. Olympic Committee tries to clean up the mess left behind. In a statement it said "the behavior of these athletes is not acceptable nor does it represent the values of Team USA."

But the USOC also stopped sort of saying its athletes lied. Their security guards "displayed their weapons, ordered the athletes from their vehicle and demanded a monetary payment," the statement reads.

The question now is what comes next? Major sponsors, including Speedo and Ralph Lauren, say they are following the developments closely.

Nick Paton Walsh, CNN, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

HOWELL: Nick, thank you.

Donald Trump is trying to turn his campaign around after disappointing poll numbers. We'll examine whether this reboot might be the dawn of the new Donald. Plus, fighting the Zika virus. That virus in Florida gets more complicated and federal health officials issue another warning. We'll explain.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HOWELL: America's choice, 2016, Donald Trump facing yet another staff change at the top of his campaign, less than three months to go before the election date. The U.S. Republican presidential candidate has accepted the resignation of his campaign chairman, Paul Manafort has effectively been sidelined, resigning after Trump promoted two other members to senior campaign positions.

Sunlen Serfaty has details.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

SUNLEN SERFATY, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): A major casualty of the Trump campaign's latest resets. Campaign Chairman Paul Manafort is out.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I think my father didn't want to be distracted by whatever things that Paul was dealing with.

SERFATY: Sources tell CNN says Manafort was facing increasing scrutiny over his lobbying ties to Ukraine and Russia, told Trump he was becoming a distraction and wanted it to end.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I think it's fair to say the last three or four weeks of this campaign have not gone well. The poll numbers have indicated that. The campaign has missed opportunities to go after Hillary when they shouldn't have. And what I want to see by winning is the campaign back on message.

SERFATY: Faced with slipping poll numbers, the campaign is ushering in an empowering new blood on the campaign this week, dispatching Trump and his running mate to the flood zone in Louisiana.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We knew you'd be here, Mr. Trump.

TRUMP: What has happened here is incredible. Nobody understands how bad it is. It's really incredible. So I'm just here to help.

SERFATY: To show a clash of presidential leadership on the ground and set up a clear contrast with President Obama, who has not yet visited the devastated site.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The president said he doesn't want to come and (INAUDIBLE).

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I heard he was trying to stay under par.

TRUMP: He will never be under par.

(LAUGHTER)

SERFATY: The White House announced President Obama will visit Baton Rouge next week. And in another uncharacteristic move, Trump in prepared remarks broke with his typically aggressive style on the stump Thursday night.

TRUMP: Sometimes in the heat of debate and speaking on a multitude of issues, you don't choose the right words or you say the wrong thing. I have done that.

SERFATY: Stopping short of a specific apology but expressing blanket remorse for some of his controversial comments.

TRUMP: And I do regret it. Particularly where it may have caused personal pain.

SERFATY: With just 81 days until the election, it's not the Trump we are used to hearing.

TRUMP: Look, some -- it was a retweet, it wasn't me.

No, I don't regret it at all.

I don't regret anything.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: So do you regret saying that?

TRUMP: You know, I like not to regret anything.

SERFATY: Clinton spokesman Nick Merrill issuing a warning over Twitter to Democrats, that trump's new strategy could work saying, quote, "it's not inconceivable he gets away with this. We all need to do our part to make sure he doesn't, unreal."

Team Trump is also finally debuting its first TV ad of the general election campaign, getting back to the core of Donald Trump's original campaign message.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: In Hillary Clinton's America the system stays rigged against American, Syrian refugees flood in, illegal immigrants convicted of committing crimes get to stay.

SERFATY (on camera): And the Trump campaign spent over $4 million for that ad which will run in four battleground states, Ohio, Pennsylvania, North Carolina, and Florida. Virginia was anticipated to be the fifth battleground state in this buy, but it is now not a part of the plan.

The Clinton campaign has quickly seized on the ad, especially as it relates to this perceived new strategy of Donald Trump's. A Clinton spokesman quipping, quote, "in case you thought for a split second Trump was genuine about feeling regret, he is back to demonizing immigrants again in this new ad."

Sunlen Serfaty, CNN, Washington.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

HOWELL: Sunlen, thank you so much.

So now let's get more on this shift in the race from CNN politics reporter Eugene Scott, joining us now live via Skype from the New York bureau.

Eugene, good to have with you us again this hour. The question has always been, when will Donald Trump pivot? And we have seen several campaign changes, we've seen Corey Lewandowski out. Now Paul Manafort out, with Steve Bannon and Kellyanne Conway taking the helm.

So it is fair to say this is the Trump triple-down. Are we seeing Trump pivot now? And will it stick?

EUGENE SCOTT, CNN POLITICS REPORTER: Well, it certainly looked like it Friday morning. If you recall, he was headed to Louisiana as of that time. We eventually saw photos of him passing out supplies, I believe food, and perhaps even clothing to victims of the Louisiana floods. And we spent that morning on "EARLY START" commenting on his comments about regretting the words that he had said that he admits have caused some people pain. But by Friday night, he was touting some very questionable stats, speaking to black voters, hoping to win their support, but not really addressing the issues that they have said concern them most.

HOWELL: Let's talk just a bit more about that. Donald Trump right now not doing so well with the support of African-Americans, listen here to how he made the pitch to an audience where very few, if any, African-Americans in the room. And we can talk more about whether this will work. Let's listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

TRUMP: If Hillary Clinton's goal was to inflict pain on the African- American community, she could not have done a better job. It's a disgrace. Tonight, I am asking for the vote of every single African- American citizen in this country who wants to see better future.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HOWELL: So maybe there weren't many in the room but certainly a clarion call, reaching out to African-Americans to ask them, hey, what do you have to lose? Let's talk about the way things stand right now as well.

If we could get that graphic showing the snapshot from The Wall Street Journal/NBC News poll showing Hillary Clinton has 91 percent of African-American voters. Donald trump has 1 percent.

Eugene, the question, a very important voting block. And if Donald Trump is able sway voters to bring that number up, because up is the only way to go now, will that help him?

SCOTT: Well, with that being the only way to go, there is always room for improvement. But this is Donald Trump's second speech this week that he said was targeted towards black voters. Yet it was held in a predominantly white suburb.

And so if you want to reach black voters, you kind of have to be where black voters are. That speech was just packed with stats that are questionable and have been pushed back on regarding poverty rates and unemployment rates within the black community.

I think there are many black voters who are disappointed and frustrated with the Democratic Party and would be willing to look at other options besides it, I don't know that Donald Trump is speaking, though, to the issues that concern them most.

HOWELL: Eugene, also I want to talk about this news in the Clinton campaign as well facing some troubles herself. The federal judge that denied the request from a conservative watchdog group to depose Clinton. That is a win for her. But that judge also saying that Clinton will have to answer questions in written form in 30 days under oath for that watchdog group. How will that play into Hillary Clinton's lead at this point? Could

it affect her?

SCOTT: Well, it really depends on what comes out from that writing -- the answers to the questions that the judge is asking Clinton to respond to. You know, this email saga seems like to be the scandal that is not going to go away for the Clinton campaign.

And I imagine that that is a big frustration for them, especially as they seek to hold onto this lead and attract independent voters who are perhaps giving Donald Trump a second look.

HOWELL: Eugene Scott, live for us in the New York bureau, Eugene, thank you so much for the insight. We will stay in touch with you.

SCOTT: Thank you.

HOWELL: A frightening warning for pregnant women from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control. The warning is to stay away from a section of Miami Beach, Florida, that's because the Zika virus has spread there.

The CDC issuing the travel warning on Friday. The virus has already been identified in an area north of downtown Miami. And the CDC director says the threat zone may be even wider, listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DR. TOM FRIEDEN, CDC DIRECTOR: Pregnant women and sexual partners of pregnant women may want to postpone or delay travel to other parts of Miami-Dade. The issue there is that it's an area where they're looking hard for Zika. They are finding some of it. There have been other isolated instances of local spread of Zika.

And when Zika starts to spread, it may be two or three weeks before there is any way to be sure it's spreading. And we are just providing that information openly, transparently, so people can make an informed decision.

Anytime we travel anywhere we look at the risks, we look at the benefits, and we make a decision that is right for us. We are saying that certainly for these two one-mile areas, we really urge you not to go in. For women living if those one-mile areas, do everything possible to avoid mosquito bites.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HOWELL: Dr. Tom Frieden there, the director of the CDC.

There are now 36 cases of locally transmitted Zika infection in the state of Florida.

In the U.S. state of Louisiana, it is struggling to recover from widespread flooding. And so far, flood waters, they've damaged more than 40,000 homes, have killed at least 13 people. U.S. emergency officials say more than 70,000 people have registered for individual assistance since the federal disaster was declared there. Let's bring in our meteorologist Derek Van Dam to talk about that situation there.

Derek, every time I see these images of people walking through the water, it's one of those situations where they're going back to their homes, there's probably not a lot left there.

DEREK VAN DAM, CNN METEOROLOGIST: And considering that only 11 years ago, almost to the day, Hurricane Katrina also ravaged this very area, so this part of Louisiana and the southern United States has been hit exceptionally hard within the past decade or so.

And, unfortunately, they have this flooding cleanup to contend with for the next days, weeks, if not months to come.

Look at this photo, eerily reminiscent of almost 11 years ago, people taking refuge in shelters. By the way, George, this particular flooding event now has the potential to be placed in the top five costliest floods in U.S. history.

Some insurance and risk management firms are saying that the economic impact of the flooding in and around the Baton Rouge area could top $1.5 billion. Unbelievable.

Now here's how at much rain actually fell across this area, 7.6 inches of average state rainfall for the period of August 8th to the 14th. Now Louisiana has a square mileage of around 52,000. And if you do the math, that equates to about 17.38 million gallons per square mile.

I mean, this is a significant amount of rain, 6.9 trillion gallons of water fell on that particular location. A significant amount of precipitation that led to this scene that you saw just a moment ago. We still have flood warnings extending across southern Louisiana.

Remember, this particular part of the United States is extremely low in terms of sea level. So in comparison to a mountainous region that receives flash flooding, this water, the flood water that they're currently contending with is very slow to retreat and will continue to impact this region.

Just to the west, neighboring state of Texas, we have flash flood watches from Dallas through Austin and San Antonio. This is an unassociated system but they still have also seen a significant amount of rainfall through the summer months and spring as well.

Now I bring up this comparison on the other side of the world because we are starting to focus in on the closing ceremonies for the Rio Olympics, the 31st Olympiad. And the comparison I gave you there in Louisiana just a second ago actually equates to about 26 trillion liters of water, that's equivalent to how much rain fell in Louisiana just last week. And that would fill Americana Stadium over 22,000 times, by the way.

But we have more rain in store for Rio, believe it or not. And we've got a few more competitions to go under way. Saturday is women's golf and men's marathon taking place on Sunday.

Unfortunately that and the closing ceremonies could be impacted by some rough weather. So athletes and spectators need to be aware that Saturday and Sunday the weather will start to change in Rio.

HOWELL: All right. Derek, thank you.

VAN DAM: You're welcome, George.

HOWELL: If Hillary Clinton becomes president, the Clintons say they would make changes to their foundation to avoid more allegations of conflict of interest. But some Republicans say those changes are just not enough.

And Kurds in northern Syria have come under fire from another enemy. Why it could be bad news for the U.S. fight against ISIS. We are live from Atlanta, broadcasting in the U.S. and around the world this hour, you are watching CNN NEWSROOM.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HOWELL: A warm welcome back to our viewers here in the United States and around the world. You are watching CNN NEWSROOM. It's always good to have you with us. I'm George Howell, with the headlines we're following for you this hour.

And it's Usain Bolt, he struck again, the star Jamaican sprinter has won the triple-triple. Three golds in three events in three straight Olympic Games. Bolt and his Jamaican teammates won the men's 4x100- meter relay early Friday night. The lightning bolt already took gold in this year's 100- and 200-meter races.

Australia's Olympic Committee now apologizing after several of its athletes used incorrect accreditation to get into the basketball arena, where the Australian team was playing Serbia on Friday. Those athletes were held questioning at a Rio police station, and were released after paying a fine.

U.S. swimmer Ryan Lochte, he is apologizing for his actions on the night that he claimed three of his teammates were robbed at gunpoint in Rio. But he is stopping short of changing his story. He says the robbery did happen. Brazilian police say that it didn't happen.

A stark warning for pregnant women from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control. It's to stay away from a section of Miami Beach, Florida, because the Zika virus has spread there. The CDC issued the travel advisory on Friday, that virus has already been identified in an area north of downtown Miami.

Activists report more clashes Saturday between Kurdish forces and government loyalists in northern Syria. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights also says coalition warplanes patrol the skies over Hasakah, and reinforcements have arrived at a U.S. airbase.

Syrian airstrikes targeted Kurdish fighters in Hasakah on Thursday. Our Barbara Starr reports now on why the U.S. is so concerned.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

BARBARA STARR, CNN PENTAGON CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): This video is said to show Kurdish fighters in a running gun battle with Syrian regime forces in the northern Syrian city of Hasakah. Syrian fighter jets also bombing the area, alarming the Pentagon which secretly then ordered the hasty withdrawal of nearby American Special Operations Forces.

SETH JONES, RAND CORP.: We've got aircraft flying in those areas. We've got forces on the ground, including the U.S. Special Operations Forces, certainly may well be U.S. intelligence folks on the ground. So this increases the possibility of direct conflict.

STARR: The building, smoldering from the air strikes. Hasakah is normally relatively calm and largely under Kurdish control.

U.S. forces are training Kurds and Arabs to fight ISIS. Until now, the Syrian regime had steered clear of where the Americans operate. The Pentagon is furious with Damascus and Moscow.

When the Syrian attack came, the U.S. military scrambled, trying to contact the Syrian aircraft, there was no answer. Warning the Russians and the Syrians, the U.S. will take whatever action is necessary to defend U.S. forces and sending more U.S. aircraft into the area to patrol the skies.

There is now the real possibility of the U.S. and Syria squaring off in the air. A senior U.S. military official telling CNN, "If the Syrians try this again, they are at great risk of losing an aircraft."

Dozens of additional U.S. Special Operations Forces are still in other areas of northern Syria. To protect them, the tough U.S. line will continue.

JONES: If the U.S. ends up leaving because things get hot, what it's meant is they were essentially coerced to pull back by a combination one would strongly suspect of Syrian, Iranian, and Russian efforts.

STARR: But the Russians are stepping up their action. These cruise missiles launched at what Moscow said were al Qaeda targets. And 5- year-old Omran Daqneesh, wounded by air strikes in Aleppo, now recovering. Another tiny victim of yet another bombing.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

HOWELL: Barbara Starr, thank you.

An update now on Omran, this activist tells CNN that the family has been smuggled out of Aleppo. You remember this image. It is an iconic image. This little boy sitting on this orange chair after seeing and surviving what he is seeing there.

Three other children, three other Syrian children and three adults have met a tragic end trying to escape the horrors of that war, they drowned in the Mediterranean when they tried to cross Europe in a small boat. The bodies of two girls, 8 months old and 5-years-old have been recovered from sea. The body of a 5-year-old boy has not been found. One of the most encouraging victories in the fight against ISIS came

when the Syrian city of Manbij was liberated. It cut off the terror group's supply lines to Turkey. CNN's Robyn Curnow has a look now at how life has changed for residents of Manbij since ISIS was driven out.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ROBYN CURNOW, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Cars and motor bikes buzz through the streets, merchants are opened for business again, and a mother pushes a stroller with her children by her side as the people in the Syrian city of Manbij begin to resume their daily lives.

Months of bombardment by U.S. warplanes, along with U.S.-backed rebels on the ground finally liberated the city from the grip of ISIS last week. Ousted ISIS fighters have now fled the city. These photos show long lines of militants using civilians as human shields, according to Syrian Democratic Forces.

Jubilant residents returned, men cut off their beards, women burned their niqabs and openly smoked cigarettes, all things they weren't allowed to do during the terror group's two-year oppressive rule.

And everyone has a story to share about life under ISIS. This man says he and others were starved and targeted by snipers. Another says militants burned down his store. And this man says ISIS set fire to a building containing all of the city's official documents.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE (through translator): It's all ashes now, there is nothing left. Proof of property. Everything is burned.

CURNOW: Now residents say they will start to rebuild what's left of their city. And while the loss of Manbij is a big strategic blow to ISIS, coalition official say the fight against the terror group is far from over.

Robyn Curnow, CNN.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

HOWELL: Robyn, thank you.

Venezuela's president has a warning for his rivals. "If you think Turkey's president cracked down hard on opponents after the failed coup attempt, it will be much worse if the opposition tries to get rid of me."

In a televised speech on Thursday, Nicolas Maduro made it very clear to citizens there, he's not playing.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

NICOLAS MADURO, PRESIDENT, VENEZUELA (through translator): Did you see what happened in Turkey? Erdogan is going to look like a baby in comparison to what this revolution will do if the opposition crosses the border of a coup again. And I'm not kidding. I am prepared to do so. And I don't care what the OAS or the American imperialists say. I don't care what the imperialists say. I dare you. The working class family and the people are united.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HOWELL: A speech that roused people to stand. The opposition is planning a big march next month to demand a recall referendum that would essentially rid the country of Nicolas Maduro if that referendum takes effect.

Reports say Turkey's parliament has approved a reconciliation agreement with Israel ending a six-year rift between the two nations. The relationship soured after Israeli marines stormed a Turkish ship filled with humanitarian aid back in 2010, enforcing a naval blockade of the Hamas-run Gaza Strip. Nine people were killed during that incident.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE (through translator): I don't think there will be a problem during this Israel deal implementation. Israel is dependent on Turkey's security. Israel can't afford to be against Turkey while being in a region surrounded by Arab and Islamic countries.

Secondly, there are natural gas resources in the Mediterranean they are pursuing and we want to be a part of it. The shortest and safest route to transport natural gas to Europe is through Turkey.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HOWELL: As a part of the deal, Israel would reportedly pay Turkey $20 million for the victim's families and people injured in that raid. And in return, Turkey will drop its outstanding legal claims.

Republicans are questioning some proposed changes at the Clinton Foundation if Hillary Clinton becomes president. A look at that controversy straight ahead.

Also, Donald Trump slamming President Barack Obama for his handling of the Louisiana floods. A look at the pitfalls of presidents responding to disaster. Stay with us.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HOWELL: Welcome back to CNN NEWSROOM. America's choice 2016, Bill and Hillary Clinton say that they are taking steps to keep their charitable foundation above suspicion if she becomes president. But the couple's Republican rivals are questioning those changes.

CNN's Joe Johns reports.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JOE JOHNS, CNN SENIOR WASHINGTON CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Former President Bill Clinton trying to avoid any actual, or the appearance of, conflicts of interest, announcing he will resign from the board of the Clinton Foundation if his wife, the former secretary of state, wins in November.

The foundation taking an additional step, saying that they'll also no longer accept corporate or foreign donations.

TRUMP: The book "Clinton Cash" by Peter Schweizer documents how Bill and Hillary used the State Department to enrich their family and America's -- at America's expense. She gets rich making you poor.

JOHNS: The foundation has come under scrutiny for its close contacts with the State Department while Hillary Clinton was Secretary.

TRUMP: Has Hillary Clinton apologized for turning the State Department into a pay for play operation where favors are sold to the highest bidder?

JOHNS: The Clinton campaign flatly denies and pay to play allegations. In fact, the candidate has defended the foundation's work.

HILLARY CLINTON (D), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: We have so much that we're proud of, and I will put that up against any of the innuendo and accusation coming from Donald Trump, because the work that has been done has garnered accolades and appreciation from every corner of the world because it has been so farsighted, visionary, and effective.

JOHNS: But Republicans jumped on the new announcements, the RNC releasing a statement saying, "if everything was above board while Hillary Clinton ran the State Department, as the Clintons have said, then why change a thing?"

Also of note, Mr. Clinton, who had already stopped giving paid speeches, said Thursday night he'd keep it that way if she's elected.

The Clintons have amassed a whopping $155 million combined from paid speeches since leaving the White House in 2001. All this as new details are emerging on Mrs. Clinton's controversial email server. The New York Times reporting that she told the FBI it was Colin Powell, her predecessor at the State Department, who advised her to use personal email.

The Times cites an excerpt from Joe Conason's new book about Bill Clinton, saying that at a 2009 dinner party hosted by former Secretary of State Madeleine Albright, Powell recommended Clinton use her own email, as he had done, except for classified communications, which he had sent and received via a State Department computer.

Powell's office responding in a statement that he had no recollection of such a conversation, but did write Clinton a memo regarding his use of a personal AOL account, saying at the time there was no equivalent system within the Department. He used a secure State computer on his desk to manage classified information.

(on camera): Of course, there are a couple big differences between Colin Powell and Hillary Clinton's email. Powell entered the office in 2001, when email wasn't as popular as it was in 2009. And Powell never had his own private server. Joe Johns, CNN, Washington.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

HOWELL: Joe, thank you.

Donald Trump used a visit to flood-ravaged Louisiana to slam President Obama. He told crowds Friday that Mr. Obama needs to stop golfing at Martha's Vineyard and to help support the flood victims there. The White House says the president will visit Louisiana on Tuesday as his vacation concludes.

Mr. Obama is not the first U.S. president to be criticized over the handling of a natural disaster, as our Jean Casarez reports.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JEAN CASAREZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): August 29th, 2005, Hurricane Katrina makes landfall on the Gulf Coast with 127-mile-per- hour winds. Eighty percent of New Orleans flooded after the levees failed. More than 1,800 people died in the Gulf region. And more than 1 million people were displaced by the storm.

As the reality began to unfold, then-President George W. Bush, on vacation in Texas, would stay at his ranch in Crawford for two more days, deciding to go back to Washington, bush did a flyover on August 31st allowing the press a photo op of the president looking out over the ruin.

At the time Bush said he didn't want to disrupt efforts on the ground. But in 2010 admitted to NBC's Matt Lauer, that photo was a mistake.

GEORGE W. BUSH, 43RD PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: A huge mistake.

MATT LAUER, NBC NEWS: And it made you look so out of touch.

G.W. BUSH: Detached and uncaring. No question about it.

CASAREZ: Total damage for Katrina was estimated at $108 billion, damage to Bush's legacy was profound.

Thirteen years earlier, a natural disaster struck during his father's presidency, it was Hurricane Andrew. A Category 5 storm with sustained winds of 165 miles per hour, whose path included southern Florida and south central Louisiana. More than $25 billion in damages with controversy raging throughout the country that H.W. Bush didn't respond fast enough to the victims of this tragedy.

Bush fought back saying he wasn't going to make politics out of this natural disaster.

GEORGE H.W. BUSH, 41ST PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: This isn't a business of second guessing. It's a business of trying to help people. That's what we're about here. Not going around trying to find blame or make some politics out of a national disaster. CASAREZ: Unfairly or not, whether disasters can be used to attack

politicians at any level. New Jersey Governor Chris Christie was commander-in-chief of his state when Superstorm Sandy hit the Northeast in 2012. A leader for the efforts, Christie drew lasting criticism from Republicans after hugging President Obama, who was visiting the state to survey hurricane damage.

GOV. CHRIS CHRISTIE (R), NEW JERSEY: What I did was put my people first every day. It was a disappointment probably for him that I didn't hug him. But when he got off Air Force One, I did shake his hand, which I think is what civilized human beings do with other civilized human beings.

CASAREZ (on camera): The White House has announced President Obama will visit flood-stricken Baton Rouge on Tuesday, history has yesterday yet to determine how his legacy will be affected by this year's flooding in Louisiana.

Jean Casarez, CNN, New York.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

HOWELL: Jean, thank you.

A story ahead about a man who might have known better, gets more than a sugar rush after getting dinner brownies, a lesson about knowing exactly where your food came from as we return.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HOWELL: Welcome back. There is a saying that a life of crime will age you fast. Well, a suspected drug dealer tried to avoid arrest by getting really old really fast. In the state of Massachusetts, police there were looking for 31-year-old Sean (ph) Miller. That's him on the left. And that is also him on the right. Wow.

Police say Miller disguised himself as an old man, trying to trick them. It didn't work, though, once they figured it out, they pulled off his disguise and arrested him. Wow.

OK, so it was supposed to be a quiet evening at home but after a man in Omaha, Nebraska, enjoyed a couple of what were supposed to be delicious brownies, let's say that he got a little more than a sugar high.

Jeremy Maskel of our affiliate KETV explains.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JEREMY MASKEL, KETV REPORTER (voice-over): Home from the grocery store, this Omaha man was unpacking Tuesday's dinner when an added course made for quite the detour.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I brought some groceries in from the car and I cooked some -- I heated some leftover pizza. And I thought, oh, cool, I've got brownies to go for dessert with my pizza. MASKEL: You see the police report helps explains it. It's a

relative's car, the man's kids drove it earlier that day before dad unpacked the food. Well, not long after dinner, feeling pretty rough on the front porch, the man knew something was up.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: And I thought, think I want kind of a cigarette. And I go out and I was having cigarette and I was like, wow, I am really high.

MASKEL: But how?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We put two and two together, and I thought, great, magical brownies, you know? I said, call the kids and tell them I had two brownies and ask them how high I'm going to get.

MASKEL: The 19- and 20-year-old children were radio silent. So the couple called 911.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: By that time it really started hitting me. And I thought I've got to get upstairs because I make a (expletive deleted) out of myself. And like I couldn't stop fidgeting.

MASKEL: Crawling up the stairs, he passed Kipper (ph), the temperamental cat.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: And I said, watch out, she can be a (expletive deleted). So I crawled around the cat.

(LAUGHTER)

MASKEL: After sleeping it off and then some the man says he's OK. Glad it wasn't something really serious. And now back down he stands by his name for the cat.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: She can be a (expletive deleted), yes.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

HOWELL: I don't mean to laugh at him, that's just -- that's funny. The man says that he is back to normal now and just speculating here, he will probably think twice about eating brownies again.

That wraps this hour of CNN NEWSROOM. I'm George Howell at the CNN Center in Atlanta. For our viewers in the United States, "NEW DAY" is next. And for other viewers around the world, "AMANPOUR" starts in a moment.