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CNN NEWSROOM

Rubber Ducky Becomes Protest Symbol in Russia; Filmmaker Oliver Stone Presents "The Putin Interview"; Trump Friend: President Considering Firing Mueller; A.G. Sessions to Testify in Public Hearing; Basketball Star Dennis Rodman Returns to North Korea; Qatari Food Supply Hit by Crisis in Gulf; May to Meet with Macron Ahead of Brexit Talks; E.U. Citizens Living in U.K. in Limbo Ahead of Brexit Talks; White House Won't Say if Comey Tapes Exist; Uber Board Weight Leave of Absence for CEO Kalanick; Gates Foundation Pledges $450 Million to Eradicate Polio; Travelers Flock to Open-Air "Zero Star Hotel". Aired 2-3a ET

Aired June 13, 2017 - 02:00   ET

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


(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[02:00:08] JOHN VAUSE, CNN ANCHOR: This is CNN NEWSROOM, live from Los Angeles.

(HEADLINES)

VAUSE: Hello, and welcome to our viewers all around the world. Great to have you with us. I'm John Vause.

AMARA WALKER, CNN ANCHOR: I'm Amara Walker. This is NEWSROOM L.A.

VAUSE: We begin in Russia and a remarkable day of mass protests and mass arrests. Across the country, nearly 1400 people were detained by police, according to a monitoring group.

WALKER: And at the center of it all, one man, opposition leader, Alexey Navalny, seen here on the left. His rallying cry against corruption was the driving force of Monday's rallies but the price he now pays is 30 days in jail.

Diana Magnay has more.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

(SHOUTING)

DIANA MAGNAY, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): They were warned it would end up this way. Protests against Putin and on a patriotic Russian national holiday, it's not going to end well.

(CHANTTING)

MAGNAY: In many places, the rallies called by Alexey Navalny's anticorruption campaign were banned, but the young and digitally savvy who follow him on YouTube came anyway.

(CHANTING)

MAGNAY: Thousands across the country, though, it was St. Petersburg and Moscow where most of the arrests were made.

(CHANTING)

MAGNAY (on camera): That chant means you will not jail everybody. They've been funneling some people who they've arrested out from the crowds. But as you see, there are so many more who are determined to keep protesting.

(SHOUTING)

MAGNAY (voice-over): Navalny wasn't there. He was detained at his home before the Moscow protests began. But the crowds knew his message. Emblem of these demonstrations, the rubber duck, almost surreal in this setting, but a dig at alleged corruption surrounding Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev, claims he calls nonsense.

(SHOUTING)

UNIDENTIFIED PROTESTER (through translation): At the prime minister's house there is a pond that has a duck house in the middle of it, so this has become a symbol of how easily bribed he is and his corruption.

MAGNAY: In Moscow, thousands took over one of the city's busiest streets. They unfurled Russian flags and chanted "Putin out" and "Putin's a thief."

(SHOUTING)

MAGNAY: Here, too, riot police rushed in to snatch demonstrators, beating several, some of them little more than teenagers.

(SHOUTING)

MAGNAY: Back in St. Petersburg, as the police buses filled up with protesters, one more surreal moment. In amongst the crowd, a man on bended knees and a little jewelry box, a diamond in the rough of Russian politics, you might say. His choice of time and place seem to have worked.

Diana Magnay, CNN, St. Petersburg.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

WALKER: Jill Dougherty is in Moscow with more on the protests and aftermath.

Hi, there, Jill.

Even though Navalny is now facing 30 days of detention, these protests are not going to go away so easily, are they?

JILL DOUGHERTY, CNN CONTRIBUTOR: No, they aren't. I think it's very interesting that I was reading one report in the Russian media that 70 percent of the people who were at those demonstrations, roughly, at least in Moscow and St. Petersburg, were young people. And I can tell you, when on the streets of Moscow where we were, we could see a lot of people who were teenagers, maybe 20, but a lot of young people.

On the arrests, here in Moscow, there were approximately, according to official statistics, about 5000 people who showed up, supporters said more. You had 1400 arrests in Moscow and St. Petersburg, the main cities. Now in Moscow, first location, which was sanctioned by the city, was not used. They moved it to another location, which was essentially a street fair on a main street in Moscow. So the supporters of Navalny came in through security, then began to unfurl flags. And there were many that said, "Down with Putin," "Russia without Putin," and a Russian word, which is (SPEAKING FOREIGN LANGUAGE), which means "I'm sick of this." About 187 cities across the country.

And as you mentioned, the significance of this, is it began with corruption, that's the theme Navalny is striking. But don't forget, he also wants to be a presidential candidate, has announced that he is going to be, whether he is allowed to or not, a candidate for president in 2018. There's a lot of political significance to this. And he was able to bring out a lot of Russian people, especially young ones, on the streets of Moscow, Amara.

[02:05:23] WALKER: How concerned do you think the Kremlin, Jill, is about this recent outpouring of anger against the government and the following that Navalny has?

DOUGHERTY: They are concerned. They wouldn't have cracked down on these demonstrations if they were not. I think what they realize is that theme of corruption that Navalny has been pushing, pushing, is broader in the concept of a lot of Russian people. It's like some of the young people say, corruption is stealing our future, we don't have as much chance. And for older people, there is certain setup quality about that they feel about their lives. This is not everybody. Remember, 80 percent of Russians, according to official polls, support the Putin. But there is this growing sense of where are we going, will there be economic reform, do we have a future. And that's a palpable feeling among people. The Kremlin is trying to figure out how to deal with this.

WALKER: In the meantime, American filmmaker, Oliver Stone, he just released his four-hour documentary on Vladimir Putin, called "The Putin Interview." I know there's been a lot of criticism out there. "The Daily Beast" calling it "a wildly irresponsible love letter." Tell us more about the film and the reaction to it.

DOUGHERTY: Oliver Stone does always at take controversial subjects, and what would be more controversial than Vladimir Putin and who he is. He said I asked the questions, I didn't wimp out, but you have to judge for yourself. We took a picture -- we took a look at some of this movie and here's what we saw.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

OLIVER STONE, FILMMAKER: Ready? Action.

DOUGHERTY (voice-over): Who is Mr. Putin? It's been asked and answered many times. But Filmmaker Oliver Stone adds a new chapter.

STONE: They say you want to be czar.

Did you make a mistake in Crimea?

You didn't answer my question.

He was finally admitting it. He was like a fox that just got out of the hen house.

DOUGHERTY: Two years of shooting, more than a dozen interviews on everything from war and peace to, of course, the new U.S. president.

STONE: Why did Russia hack the election?

The NSA is really tracking every cell phone in the world.

DOUGHERTY: The Kremlin says they trusted Oliver Stone, Oscar award- winning director with an anti-establishment.

STONE: Did you think the National Security Agency had gone too far in its eavesdropping?

VLADIMIR PUTIN, RUSSIAN PRESIDENT: (SPEAKING FOREIGN LANGUAGE)

DOUGHERTY: Stone had one precondition, editorial independence. Putin's press secretary, Dimitri Peskov, tells CNN, "The only thing we asked him was not to pervert the words of the president, to be objective."

STONE: Three times president, five assassination attempts, I'm told, not as much as Castro, who I've interviewed.

DOUGHERTY: Stone says the film is not journalism, it's a conversation.

(LAUGHTER)

PUTIN: (SPEAKING FOREIGN LANGUAGE)

DOUGHERTY: It wouldn't be a movie about Vladimir Putin without some machismo and tough talk.

PUTIN: (SPEAKING FOREIGN LANGUAGE)

DOUGHERTY: But someone who helped mold that image says, now, in a way, Putin is typecast.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE (through translation): He grew into this image and began to play along with it, like what happens to old actors. They start playing a role but they themselves are a role.

DOUGHERTY (on camera): I've interview Vladimir Putin here at the Kremlin, watched him all these years. But the mystery of who he really is continues. And in this film, we get a flash of a more philosophical side.

STONE: What is your fate, sir? Do you know?

PUTIN: (SPEAKING FOREIGN LANGUAGE)

DOUGHERTY: The meaning of life, according to Vladimir Putin. Who knew?

(END VIDEOTAPE)

DOUGHERTY: So that's one answer to who Putin is. But you can bet the definitive answer is still out there somewhere, Amara.

WALKER: Jill Dougherty with that in Moscow. Thank you very much, Jill.

VAUSE: Special Counsel Robert Mueller has been investigating Russian meddling in the U.S. election for a little more than three weeks, but a friend of President Donald Trump says Mueller's time may be coming to an end.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

[02:10:03] CHRISTOPHER RUDDY, CEO, NEWSMAX MEDIA & FRIEND OF PRESIDENT TRUMP: He is considering perhaps terminating the special counsel. I think he's weighing that option. I think it's pretty clear by what one of his lawyers said on television recently. I personally think it would be a very significant mistake.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WALKER: To that, the White House says Christopher Ruddy speaks for himself. And a source close to the president says Mr. Trump is being counseled to steer clear of such a dramatic move.

VAUSE: Meanwhile, at least four members of Robert Mueller's team have a history of donating to Democrats. An experienced legal team has worked on cases like Watergate and the Enron fraud scandal. Election records show tens of thousands of dollars in donations to Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama over the past decade.

WALKER: We can learn more about Attorney General Jeff Sessions' contacts with Russian officials during his time with the Trump campaign.

VAUSE: He's testify Tuesday in an open hearing before the Senate Intelligence Committee.

We get details from CNN's Brianna Keilar.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: -- passed more legislation - BRIANNA KEILAR, CNN SENIOR WASHINGTON CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): The president, seen today with the attorney general. Trump has been conceding that Jeff Sessions recused himself from the Russia investigation three months ago.

JEFF SESSIONS, U.S. ATTORNEY GENERAL: It's an honor to serve you --

KEILAR: Today's cabinet meeting is on the eve of what was expected to be a closed-door congressional grilling of Sessions but it will now take place in full view of the cameras. Senators have pressing questions about the presidents meeting with him and the former FBI director.

SEN. DIANNE FEINSTEIN, (D), CALIFORNIA: The president asked that the room be cleared. The attorney general apparently hung back. I thought the attorney general should've said something, this man works for me, I think I should be here, too, Mr. President, but the FBI director ended up alone, and that's kind of where this began.

KEILAR: Senators will also ask Sessions about this testimony during his confirmation in January.

SESSIONS: I did not have communications with the Russians and I'm unable to comment.

KEILAR: It was later revealed that Sessions had two meetings, one of them a private audience in his congressional office with Russian Ambassador Sergey Kislyak, and perhaps a third encounter at a Washington hotel. The Justice Department has denied the hotel meeting.

But Sessions and the White House vague on whether will exert executive privilege.

SEAN SPICER, WHITE HOUSE PRESS SECRETARY: It depends on the scope of the questions. I know to get into a hypothetical at this point would be premature.

KEILAR: Meanwhile --

DONALD TRUMP JR, SON OF DONALD TRUMP: We were vindicated.

KEILAR: -- the president's son seeming to back Comey's account of Trump's controversial conversation with the former FBI chief, where Comey alleged Trump directed him to stop investigating now-ousted national security adviser, Michael Flynn, saying, "I hope you can see your way clear to letting this go, to letting Flynn go. He is a good guy, I hope you can let this go."

DONALD TRUMP JR: When he tells you to do something?

UNIDENTIFIED ANCHOR: Yes.

DONALD TRUMP JR: Guess what? There is no ambiguity in it. There's no, hey, I'm hoping. You and I am friends, hey, I hope this happens, but you've got to do your job. That's what he told Comey. And for this guy, as a politician, to then go back and write a memo, oh, I felt -- he felt so threatened, but he didn't do anything.

KEILAR: The problem with this explanation, President Trump says that's not what he told Comey.

UNIDENTIFIED REPORTER: He did say under oath that you told him to let the Flynn -- you were saying you hope the Flynn investigation, you can like --

TRUMP: I didn't say that.

UNIDENTIFIED REPORTER: So he lied about that?

TRUMP: Well, I didn't say that. I mean, I will tell you I didn't say that.

KEILAR (on camera): Senator Lindsey Graham also had some more advice for the president, focus on the American people, not Jim Comey.

This has become such a distraction for the GOP and they want to focus instead on health care and tax reform.

Brianna Keilar, CNN, Washington.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

VAUSE: Joining us now, CNN political commentator and Democratic Republican strategist, Dave Jacobson; and Republican strategist, Ashley Hayek.

Good to see you both.

Let's go back and start with word that the president may be considering firing the special counsel investigating Russia. Stock up on the Dramamine because things are about to get rough out there, if that's the case. We don't know if it's true actually.

But we do know that many conservatives have tried to at least start to discredit Mueller in recent days. Former House Speaker Newt Gingrich, for example. When Mueller was appointed, he was initially supportive. He tweeted this: "Robert Mueller is a superb choice to be special counsel. His reputation is impeccable for honesty and integrity. Media should now calm down."

By Monday morning, "Republican are delusional if they think the special counsel is going to fair. Look who he is hiring. He reports, time to rethink."

Ashley, if this an attempt to undercut Mueller, discredit whatever the findings of the investigation are even before they're out?

ASHLEY HAYEK, REPUBLICAN STRATEGIST: I think the GOP is so used to the negative attacks that are happening in the media that they're basically preparing for what's going to come. Russia is just a dog and a bone. Media is not letting go of this topic and I think they are bracing for what's going to come with the investigation.

[02:15:06] VAUSE: But how to go from "an impeccable choice" to "you're delusional if you think he'll be fair?"

HAYEK: All the information that came out with Comey in the testimony called so much more into question right. Now with the leak, not knowing who to trust, you realize it's part of the FBI, Department of Justice, I think that's where everybody is starting to feel like, OK, wait a minute, if they're such good friend and he's a prosecutor, his job is to prosecute and go after whoever that target is, in this case, is it President Trump, I think that's where there are starting to draw concern.

WALKER: Dave, what do you make about this, because, again, Robert Mueller was praised on both side of the aisle. Now this. You're hearing criticism from people who were praising the appointment.

DAVE JACOBSON, DEMOCARTIC STRATEGIST: What's fascinating also is the statement from the former speaker, Newt Gingrich, comes on the heels of news and axioms this morning that Michael Dreeden, who is from the solicitor's office, the solicitor general's office, who has argued over 100 cases before the U.S. Supreme Court, who specializes in criminal law, I think raised real concerns in Trump world and I think that's why you've got some of the talking heads, the mouthpieces, whether it's Newt Gingrich or the CEO of Newsmax. Newsmax coming out, raising the possibility of doing away with the Mueller investigation.

VAUSE: Ashley, do you believe the president can fire the special counsel? Ask President Nixon how that worked out for him. This does have overtures of a massacre. Only Donald Trump can make the decision on what the cost/benefit analysis is. Is the political blowback from stopping Mueller, because there would be plenty, will that be better than the outcome of the investigation? And I think his actions in the next couple of days might give us an indication, right?

HAYEK: Agreed. I think tomorrow when Sessions testifies, he's going to put this to bed.

WALKER: What do you think would be the political fallout would be if President Trump were to terminate Robert Mueller?

JACOBSON: I think it's a game changer. I think it's a game changer. Right now, you have the Trump administration spiraling out of control in a flat-out nosedive. You have Republicans nervous. The haven't accomplished anything meaningful in terms of legislative victories in both the House and the Senate. Now you have an ongoing, ever- evolving, ever-salacious Russian program that continues to create headlines and is hurting Republicans down-ticket. As we head to 2018, Republicans are getting nervous. And so I think you see some pullback from Republicans, from the rank-and-file in the House and Senate.

WALKER: CNN political commentator and Democratic strategist, Dave Jacobson; and Republican strategist, Ashley Hayek, thank you both for joining us.

JACOBSON: Thank you.

VAUSE: Be sure to watch CNN for special coverage of Attorney General Jeff Session's testimony. That's Tuesday, 2:00 p.m. in New York, 7:00 p.m. in London.

WALKER: And coming up, former basketball star, Dennis Rodman, is on his way to Pyongyang at a time when tensions between the U.S. and North Korea threaten to boil over. We'll have the very latest from Pyongyang with Matt Rivers, next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[02:20:17] WALKER: North Korean leader, Kim Jong-Un, is getting a visit from one of his biggest fans. CNN spotted former basketball star, Dennis Rodman, at Beijing International Airport on his way to Pyongyang.

VAUSE: Rodman has met with the North Korean leader at least four time, but this trip comes during heightened tensions between the U.S. and North Korea.

Matt Rivers spoke to Rodman at the airport, and he asked what the U.S. president think of the trip.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MATT RIVERS, CNN ASIA-PACIFIC EDITOR: You're a private citizen. Have you spoken to President Trump at all?

DENNIS RODMAN, FORMER BASKETBALL START: Well, I'm pretty sure he's happy with the fact I'm over here trying to accomplish something that we both need.

RIVERS: And what is that?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Dialogue.

RODMAN: Hopefully, to open the door. Open the door, that's it.

(CROSSTALK)

RIVERS: Are you going to talk at all about the detained Americans?

RODMAN: That's not my purpose right now.

RIVERS: That's not your purpose?

RODMAN: That's not my purpose right now. My purpose is actually to -- (INAUDIBLE) -- to North Korea, so that's the main thing.

I hope to open doors while I'm there.

RIVERS: Do you think you'll make progress?

RODMAN: I'm pretty sure I can do something that's very positive.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WALKER: Interesting.

Our Matt Rivers joining us now from Beijing on more about his talk with Dennis Rodman.

Many people wondering why is Dennis Rodman returning to Pyongyang. He says, I'm going there to hopefully open doors. Sounded like he was talking about a diplomatic trip.

RIVERS: You never know exactly what the trip is going to entail. Rodman was very vague, just saying he wants to open the door, as you heard. He manager, agent, named Chris Bollo (ph), we saw walking with him, said they wanted to promote dialogue, peace and understanding. So what that means, we're not sure. What Rodman is trying to accomplish, we're not sure. Whether he could accomplish anything on a diplomatic level, we're not sure of that either. He's a fascinating figure and continues to travel back and forth to North Korea.

A couple of things he didn't answer that we didn't show, because he chose not to answer, I asked if he was bringing any sort of message from the Trump administration to North Korea, and he wouldn't answer. I also asked if he was planning to meet directly with Kim Jong-Un himself, and he wouldn't answer.

We know he has met with the leader several times. He led a group of people singing "Happy Birthday" to Kim Jong-Un back in 2014. The two men do know each other.

But the State Department, we should add, in the U.S., has said very clearly that Rodman is just traveling as a private citizen and that he is not on any sort of official trip, is in no official capacity. And Rodman himself said that his trip is actually being sponsored by a company that provides financial services to the marijuana industry -- Amara?

WALKER: He might be traveling at the private citizen, as they say, it's interesting that he has very good relations with both Kim Jong-Un and President Trump, right?

RIVERS: He might be the only person in the world or one of the very few that can say that he has a personal relationship with both men. In fact, Rodman appeared twice on the "Celebrity Apprentice," President Trump's long-standing former reality show on NBC. And he's also been to North Korea several times. In that sense, it's one degree of separation, if you will, between Kim Jong-Un and Donald Trump, with Dennis Rodman standing squarely in the middle.

But the whole thing is kind of bizarre. Perhaps Dennis Rodman at the center of diplomatic relations between the U.S. and North Korea at a time when the situation is really quite serious, given North Korea's provocations and the Trump administration trying to work with countries like China to come up with some solution to this ongoing crisis.

WALKER: Timing obviously very interesting, and hopefully, will learn soon what the intentions were, what he was hoping to accomplish on this trip.

Matt Rivers, thanks so much, live for us in Beijing. VAUSE: As the diplomatic crisis in the gulf enters its second week, Qatar's allies, Iran and Turkey, have been delivering aide, easing the anxiety Qataris have about food supplies.

WALKER: But there are bigger concerns about the blockade and it can impact Qatar's future.

Jomana Karadsheh has more.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

[02:24:40] JOMANA KARADSHEH, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice- over): Throughout the Qatari capitol, this is what stores looked like, well-stocked with no apparent shortages. When the diplomatic crisis erupted last week when Qatar's neighbors imposed a blockade, people were worried. The tiny emirate imports most of its food supplied with significant amounts coming through it's only land border, the one with Saudi Arabia, now closed.

(on camera): There were initial scenes of panic buying and empty shelves but the government was quick to reassure people that it was prepared for a scenario like this one.

(voice-over): Products already in storage from the UAE and Saudi Arabia still available. And fresh products from Turkey have now replaced the previously imported ones from Saudi. 60-ton shipments from Turkey are scheduled to arrive every two days. With Iran, too, stepping in to fill the void, sending several plane-loads of fresh good this past week.

UNIDENTIFIED QATARI RESIDENT: I didn't feel the change. Maybe the first day, we had fear, but no fear anymore. Everything is available, vegetables, everything.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: (SPEAKING FOREIGN LANGUAGE)

KARADSHEH: Shoppers like this woman tell us they have hardly noted the change.

Since the start of the crisis, Qatar has opened several new trade lines. But experts warn the longer the crisis goes on, the risk for significant economic impact will grow.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I do not think there is a humanitarian issue here. I think there is a potential economic impact and that will be about more complex supply lines, the potential disruption for goods coming into Qatar through these more convoluted routes, and the potential inflationary impact of finding new routes and new channels to bring goods in.

KARADSHEH: It's not just about food, but a construction boom and preparing for a FIFA World Cup in 2022, possible shortages in construction materials imported through Saudi is a concern.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I think the wider impact isn't on -- directly on the economies of the countries imposing the blockade. I think it's more on the risk is more about the perception of the region. One of the great aspects of the GCC region has been the sense of stability in this region where there is so much instability going on outside the region.

KARADSHEH: Despite the unprecedented event, Qatar is making sure it's business as usual.

Jomana Karadsheh, CNN, Doha.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

VAUSE: We'll take a short break. When we come back, "State of America" with Kate Bolduan in up next for viewers in Asia.

WALKER: For our other viewers, the British Prime Minister is keeping her job for now, and that is what she promised her own party and why her fate could depend on a small party from Northern Ireland.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[02:30:14] WALKER: You're watching CNN NEWSROOM, live from Los Angeles. I'm Amara Walker.

JOHN VAUSE, CNN ANCHOR: Thanks for staying with us, everybody. I'm John Vause, with the headlines this hour.

(HEADLINES)

WALKER: British Prime Minister Theresa May is holding the job at least for now. She apologized to members of her party for her snap election that backfired. May told them, I got us into this mess and I'm going to get out us out of it.

VAUSE: The political fate of the prime minister and her Conservatives could all depend on Democratic Unionists, a small party led by this woman, Arlene Foster. She's expected to meet with Theresa May to try to form a coalition government.

And later, the British prime minister heads to Paris for a long- planned meeting with French President Emmanuel Macron. He's riding high politically after a big victory in the first round of parliamentary elections over the weekend.

Oren Liebermann is at 10 Downing Street and joins us now.

Oren, a tale of two leaders will play out in the next couple of hours. The British prime minister clinging to power and the newly elected French president enjoying overwhelming support, and Macron is unlike to go easy on Britain when it comes to any Brexit negotiations.

OREN LIEBERMANN, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Nor does he have to. I image Theresa May had a different view of this when she planned it before the election. She was hoping for a big majority leading into this, a stronger position when it comes to negotiations with the E.U. on Brexit, and she finds herself in the exact opposite position, weaker, facing an embolden French President Emmanuel Macron, and that's where these two find themselves. Macron is very pro E.U. and he has no reason to go easy on Theresa May as she tries to begin the Brexit negotiations set to start early next week.

May have to change her approach to Brexit from a so-called hard Brexit to a softer position. If so, she's giving no indication of how she would do that. She wanted immigration, first approach. Other's have called for jobs first, a business-first approach. To change how she approaches Brexit, she's giving no indication of how she'll change that approach, but she'll have to. In a meeting that is ostensibly about counterterrorism efforts between the U.K. and France, Brexit will surely come up -- John?

VAUSE: Theresa May campaigned on a hard Brexit from the E.U. and this poor election outcome now sees the soft Brexit supporters coming up in her party, pushing for a change in plan, they want some concessions. How does she make those concessions to that part of her party, government, and still the others happy and stay in power?

LIEBERMANN: That's the challenge she faces. She has less power to negotiate with any different interests even within her own party. And as you mentioned, the DUP, led by Arlene Foster, puts a different set of concessions and a different set of demands on her. She has to navigate that very carefully or find yourself out of Downing Street fairly quickly. Changing from a hard Brexit approach to a soft Brexit approach, and that is one thing that would possibly be demanded by Arlene Fosters DUP party from Northern Ireland.

Again, the ere are different demands or she has to play them perfectly to stay in power.

VAUSE: With regards to the DUP and forming the coalition with the Tories, is that deal in the bag, or could this still fall through?

LIEBERMANN: It could still fall through. It's not in the back yet. Official talks are set to begin when Arlene Foster arrives here to Downing Street. Just that Arlene Foster is meeting with May is an indication that both of these groups, both of these parties want to get this deal done and form a working majority coalition to keep Theresa May in power. They see eye to eye on Brexit, and that's important, especially for May moving forward in Brexit negotiations starting. But perhaps what's really keeping them together is a disdain for the opposition, the Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn.

VAUSE: Oren, good to see you there at Number 10. Oren Liebermann, live at 7:34 in the morning in London, thank you.

Behind all of the negotiations for Brexit there are real people who will be affected by whatever the outcomes are. Right now, many have uncertainty and worry.

[02:35:11] WALKER: About three million E.U. citizens are living in the U.K. right now and some find themselves in legal limbo because of Brexit.

Here's our Isa Soares.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

NINA HOFFMAN, GERMAN NATIONAL LIVING IN U.K.: (SPEAKING FOREIGN LANGUAGE)

ISA SOARES, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Nina Hoffman feels like she's being bullied into leaving the U.K.

HOFFMAN: (SPEAKING FOREIGN LANGUAGE)

SOARES: As a German national, she came here in search of work as a foreign language tutor 11 years ago.

HOFFMAN: (SPEAKING FOREIGN LANGUAGE)

SOARES: In the process, found love, got married to an Englishman and had two children, Benjamin and Cynthia.

HOFFMAN: (SPEAKING FOREIGN LANGUAGE)

SOARES: Her home is a testament to that love. Every portrait framing the life she's built, a life now left in limbo following the U.K.'s decision to leave the European Union. Further complicated feeling bullied.

HOFFMAN: Politically, I do very much feel like an outsider because you just have to follow the general discourse surrounding immigration and E.U. immigration and the fact that I don't know if I would be able to stay here.

SOARES: She was hoping to apply for permanent residency here but was told by a lawyer she wouldn't qualify.

HOFFMAN: I found an immigration lawyer who was giving advice for an hour, so she took my timeline, when I was working, when I was on maternity leave, and a gap where I was neither working or on maternity leave, when I was at home looking after my children. Asked me if I held private health insurance, and I said no, I didn't know that was necessary.

SOARES: But it is. Not that Nina or anyone else has ever heard of it.

HOFFMAN: My doctor or the dentist, nobody ever said anything to me.

SOARES: But the Home Office does require it, if you're a student or self-sufficient.

(on camera): We're reached out to the Home Office regarding this little-known rule, also known as Comprehensive Sickness Insurance. In a statement to CNN, the Home Office say this is a requirement set out in the Free Movement Directive and applies to all member states. This is not just in U.K. law, but it seems European Union has a different take, telling CNN that this actually breaches E.U. law, and going as far as saying access to the U.K.'s National Health Service should count as sufficient. This makes you see why so many Europeans feel like they're bargaining chips in these Brexit negotiations. (voice-over): Adrian Barry, an immigration asylum barrister tells me this insurance hurdle is causing plenty of uncertainty.

ADRIAN BARRY, IMMIGRATION ASYLUM BARRISTER: About 73 percent of the people I've seen since the referendum have been about the Comprehensive Health Insurance question at the heart of their case and on the need for a permit. They haven't had it. They are immensely frustrated.

SOARES: Nina certainly feels like she's overstayed her welcome.

(on camera): Do you feel like you're being bullied out of the country?

HOFFMAN: In a way yes. If I make a decision based on this uncertainty, it could be a problem for my children. That feels like being pushed out.

SOARES: A sentiment shared by many people who feel they're lives are coming crashing down.

(LAUGHTER)

Isa Soares, CNN, North England.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

VAUSE: A lot of uncertainty for a lot of people.

WALKER: As we can see with that family as well.

VAUSE: U.S. President Donald Trump has hinted his has tapes of his conversations with former FBI Director James Comey but Mr. Trump refuses to confirm that. But the Secret Service says there is no recording system in the White House.

WALKER: Spokesman Sean Spicer refused to answer questions about any tapes on Monday during the briefing.

And as CNN's Brian Todd reports, some say Mr. Trump has a history of recording conversations.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

BRIAN TODD, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): They are either an idle threat or important evidence.

UNIDENTIFIED REPORTER: Do tapes exist of your conversations with him?

DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Well, I'll tell you about that maybe some time in the very near future.

TODD: Alleged recordings or tapes as the president described them on Twitter of meetings between Donald Trump and first FBI Director James Comey that the White House has yet to release or confirm they're real. But some people who have worked with or interviewed Trump in the past say they believe the presidents Twitter tease may be nothing more than a tantalizing threat.

MARC FISHER, SENIOR EDITOR, WASHINGTON POST: He certainly has made comments along the way to reporters about taping us while having conversations with him, especially on the phone.

TODD: Marc Fisher is an editor at the "Washington Post." He says despite those claims, he's never seen evidence those recordings exist.

But when he interviewed Trump for a biography, he says it became clear that Trump had other people listening in on conversations in his office at Trump Tower.

FISHER: In the middle of a discussion, he asked if we wanted anything to drink, and we said sure, and he, in a very soft voice, said two waters and a Coke, and there's nobody else in the room, and less than a minute later, a secretary walks in with two waters and a Coke. And it turns out for discussions later on that secretary was, indeed, listening in on the conversation in the office.

[02:40:03] TODD: Casino developer, William Weidner, told the "Wall Street Journal" that during a lawsuit, Trump's team once produced a recording of a phone conversation Weidener had with Trump, which Weidener never knew was being recorded.

"The Journal" cites three former high-level employees of Trump's as saying Trump sometimes taped conversations from his Trump Tower office where he had one or more recording devices that he used to record calls.

When biographer, Timothy O'Brien, was sued by Trump, he says Trump threatened that he had taped O'Brien, but then Trump reversed himself under oath.

TIMOTHY O'BRIEN, AUTHOR: During our deposition with Trump, which was over two days in the December of 2007, we asked him, do you, indeed, tape people, and he said, no. And we said, so you don't have a tape recording system set up in Trump Tower, and he said, no, I do not have that set up.

TODD: In talking to reporters, Trump has raised questions about his honesty.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Well, I'm sort of handing P.R. -- (INAUDIBLE).

TODD: Trump biographers say in the 1980s and early 1990s, Trump would speak to reporters on the phone masquerading as his own P.R. agent. A fictitious front man he'd call John Miller or John Barron.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: He's somebody that has a lot of options. And frankly, he gets called by everybody. He gets called by everybody in the book in terms of women.

TODD: Trump denied doing that, but his answers to reporters this time about whether tapes of White House conversations exist has sounded less like a denial and more like a cliffhanger.

UNIDENTIFIED RPEPORTER: When will you tell us about the -

TRUMP: In a fairly short period of time.

(CROSSTALK)

UNIDENTIFIED REPORTER: Are there tapes, sir?

TRUMP: Oh, you're going to be very disappointed when you hear the answer, don't worry.

TODD (on camera): We also reached out President Trump's personal attorney, Michael Cohen, and the attorney for the Trump Organization, Alan Garten, and both of them told us they are not aware of any instance where Trump secretly recorded any conversations with anyone while he was in the private sector. And they say they never any recording devices in his offices.

Brian Todd, CNN, Washington.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

VAUSE: Covfefe is back. A U.S. representative from Illinois has introduced the Covfefe Act to Congress. It's more than just a jab at Trump's famous apparently nonsensical tweet, but he knows what it meant.

WALKER: The acronym stands for Communications Over Various Fees Electronically for Engagement. The goal is to have social media added to the Presidential Records Act ensuring those communication are preserved by the National Archives.

VAUSE: Deleting tweets would be in violation of the Presidential Records act, subject to disciplinary action.

Mike Quigley loves acronyms. He recently introduced the Make Access Records Available to Lead American Government Openness Act, the MAR-A- LAGO Act.

WALKER: Up next, Uber in the middle of a management crisis. After a long investigation into its corporate culture, the company is about to announce some very big changes.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[02:45:10] VAUSE: General Electric CEO Jeff Immelt is stepping down. He's led the company since 2001, succeeding CEO Jack Welch. GE stock has struggled in recent years, falling more than 8 percent just this year alone.

WALKER: John Flannery will take over from him now beginning August 1. He had been the president and CEO of GE Health Care. 55-year-old Flannery has worked for the company since 1987 on corporate restructuring and GE units in South America and Asia. VAUSE: Now to some trouble for Uber. The company is making some major changes after an investigation into allegations of sexual harassment and other issues or corporate culture. A leadership is one big possibility with CEO Travis Kalanick perhaps taking a leave of absence.

Details from Samuel Burke.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

SAMUEL BURKE, CNN BUSINESS & TECHNOLOGY CORRESPONDENT: It happens every day in 6009 cities across the globe. Even as Uber drives towards worldwide domination, the tech giant could be in for its roughest ride yet.

Kalanick's right-hand man and Uber's SVP in business has just left the company. Even Kalanick may take a leave of absence in the wake of his mother's death and a major internal investigation of the company, according to media reporter, that Uber declined to comment on.

The ride-sharing giant has faced a string of P.R. nightmares. Tech blog Rico reported recently that CEO Travis Kalanick sent a memo to employees in 2013 telling his staff how they should behave on a company trip, including best practices for sex with coworkers.

Uber declined to comment on the reported memo but critics see it as an example of a so-called bro culture. It comes just days after the company terminated 20 workers following a sexual-harassment probe. Uber vowing to improve management training.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: No firm can afford to alienate half of their potential workforce and certainly not half of their potential ridership.

BURKE: Uber is the world's most valuable startup, worth almost $70 billion. But if it wants to go from private unicorn to Wall Street darling, well, there is work to be done.

Even Travis Kalanick saying it was time to grow up when he apologized for this video obtained by Bloomberg back in March that shows him arguing with a driver about falling fares.

TRAVIS KALANICK, CEO, UBER: Some people don't like to take responsibility (EXPLETIVE DELETED) --

(CROSSTALK)

BURKE: Months later, investors may be running out of patience.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The recent run by Kalanick, although he built a very impressive company, is the kind of run that gets you dismissed from a public company and might even get you dismissed from the sort of night manager position at a drive-thru restaurant.

BURKE: Not helping matters, Uber is hemorrhaging cash. It lost nearly $3 billion last year. UNIDENTIFIED MALE: And when you start losing a lot of money, when you start getting bruised, all that was once forgiven comes back to haunt you. And part of what happened here is the Teflon company became kind of like an old iron skillet that hadn't been seasoned. So were nothing stuck, now everything does.

BURKE: Kalanick's issues could put pressure on Uber to bring in a more experienced Silicon Valley veteran to run day-to-day operations ahead of what is seen as an inevitable IPO.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I think you put together two quarters of near or approaching break even, when might see them dash for the IPO because this company has a problem, partly its own success. It's now so valuable that it would have to attract such a large amount of money, such a large buyer, it's only real exit plan is probably an IPO.

BURKE: Samuel Burke, CNN, London.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

WALKER: Microsoft Founder Bill Gates says it's times to end polio once and for all. He's pledging up to $450 million to do it. He announced a contribution from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation at the Rotary International convention in Atlanta Monday.

And that is where Ashleigh Banfield sat down to talk with him.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

BILL GATES, FOUNDER, MICROSOFT: It's very exciting to think that the hundreds of thousands of kids that were paralyzed and killed when this started back in 1988, that we will completely get rid of that. It's only happened once in history with smallpox. That was way back in 1980 that that got finished. And polio's tough. It transmits pretty easily, particularly in these war zones where we can get the vaccine out. So it's not been easy but it's heroic. It's energize the whole commitment to equity and health. We've learned along the way, built up the partnership, so it's thrilling to be part of it.

ASHLEIGH BANFIELD, CNN ANCHOR: Does it concern you with U.S. cuts in foreign aid that we're going in the wrong direction, given that government is such a critical part of these partnerships?

[02:49:51] GATES: Yes. The U.S. foreign aid budget is a key piece of this. They're the second biggest giver on polio after our foundation. They are, by far, the biggest giver to malaria and HIV, keeping over 10 million people alive. So there have been proposed cuts. I'm hopeful the Congress won't approve those cuts because a lot of them get out and see the work, see how important this is.

BANFIELD: You met with the president twice. In particular, what were you able to impart on him?

GATES: The goal of helping where we avoid these pandemics, like Ebola or Zika, getting completely out of control. I'm not sure you've been exposed to that. He wanted to know about it. And so I'm hopeful that we can get past what they propose on the budget and find some ways that this administration can further new innovations in help.

BANFIELD: In the last two weeks, it's not lost on you the United States, with its change in commitment to the Paris Climate Accord, how did that sit with you?

GATES: I was disappointed the U.S. pulled out of the pact. The U.S. is still the biggest funder of energy research and development, so I hope the budget is maintaining that because some of the innovations there will make it possible, not just to the U.S. but for the world to move away from dirty forms of energy generation.

BANFIELD: From your days in your garage building Microsoft to your days traveling around the world with foundations, clearly you have to broaden your horizons to a point where leadership would not be an unusual next step. Is that something you're looking at?

GATES: I've had to learn about help and delivering to poor countries and working with governments without many resources so that's some leadership there. But my second career is my final career. I will do everything I can to help elected officials, but myself, in partnership my wife, running the foundation as what I'll do the rest of my life.

BANFIELD: So no announcement in your office that you might run for president one day?

GATES: No, quite the opposite.

BANFIELD: Not a chance?

GATES: No, I just couldn't see that as a possibility. We need good people to do so. I'll support them.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

VAUSE: Ashleigh Banfield there speaking to Bill Gates.

That man continues to do some amazing stuff.

WALKER: Absolutely.

VAUSE: Up next, a hotel with an amazing view.

WALKER: No walls, no ceilings, all for $300 a night. And reservations are going fast. We'll explain.

VAUSE: Someone stole my room.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WALKER: A huge tornado touched down in the U.S. state of Wyoming Monday.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

(SHOUTING)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: No, no. We're staying here. Hang on.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Debris. Big, big debris. Big debris.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Oh, no.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Oh, no.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Oh, no.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: No, we're good, we're good, we're good.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We're good.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Let's go check on those people.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yeah. Oh, no. Oh, no, no, no. Oh, no.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WALKER: Oh, no, no, no is right. Too close for comfort, at least for me. The twister picked up and tossed large amounts of debris in Cheyenne, Wyoming, where this video was shot.

[02:54:56] VAUSE: The storm spawned tornados and hail across the eastern part of the state. The driver and his passengers managed to get out of the tornado's path just in time.

A hotel in Switzerland is taking minimalism to new heights. A room in the mountains with no ceiling, no walls, no TV. If it wasn't for the personal butler, it would be the definition of hell.

WALKER: Travelers from around the world are flocking to Switzerland for a truly unusual hotel experience.

Our Lynda Kinkade has more.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

LYNDA KINKADE, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Talk about a room with a view, welcome to the Zero Star Hotel, nestled in the foothills of the Swiss Alps where you get bed and breakfast and little else.

The open-air accommodations are actually a conceptual art project conceived by twin German brothers about a year ago.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE (through translation): A room with no walls and no room is total liberation because you have no property to pay for, and this is where artistic inspiration begins.

KINKADE: While there is no roof at this inn, there is a butler. He's actually a local farmer in rubber boots who serves guests a drink, tells jokes, and provides the local weather report.

There is an outhouse bathroom a short walk away and an Alpine for shelter in case of rain or snow.

And if you are interested, you better book fast.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE (through translation): We've had requests from all around the world. The bed is already 80 percent booked out. People are coming from Iraq, America, Australia, Africa and England.

KINKADE: The hotel's co-creators say they've had more than 1300 requests for reservations. But the suite is only available for 60 nights through summer. And an overnight stay will cost you about $300.

Lynda Kinkade, CNN.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

WALKER: No really a hotel.

VAUSE: They won't have to worry about me making a reservation.

(LAUGHTER)

WALKER: Same here.

(CROSSTALK)

VAUSE: Camping.

WALKER: It's not even a hotel. It's just a spot.

VAUSE: Camping on a bed.

WALKER: Novel.

VAUSE: Cheap rates.

WALKER: Golden State and Cleveland battled for the NBA title for three years now and the Warrior are once again the champions. They beat Lebron James' Cavaliers 129 to 120 in game five of the final Monday night.

VAUSE: Golden State's second title in three years, fifth in history. Kevin Durant was named the final's most valuable player. Congratulations.

WALKER: You are watching CNN NEWSROOM, live in Los Angeles. I'm Amara Walker.

VAUSE: I'm John Vause.

Stay with us. The news continues next with Rosemary Church.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)