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750 Dead, 3,000 Missing After Catastrophic Flood. Aired 1-2a ET

Aired August 30, 2026 - 01:00   ET

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

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[01:00:26]

BRIAN ABEL, CNN ANCHOR: Hello and welcome to our viewers. Joining us from all around the world, I'm Brian Abel.

Just ahead on CNN Newsroom, critical search operations are underway in Nepal in the hope of finding survivors. Nearly 3,000 people are still missing. Six months into the Iran war, Washington and Tehran are locked in a stalemate with no clear roadmap to a resolution. And traffic in the Strait of Hormuz still limited.

Donald Trump says he struck a deal giving the U.S. access to vast amounts of oil reserves in Venezuela. Now we are hearing from the country's acting presidents about the terms.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Live from Atlanta, this is CNN Newsroom with Brian Abel.

ABEL: Rescue teams are racing to find survivors following catastrophic flash floods along Nepal's border with China. Right now, an urgent search is underway for workers who may be trapped in hydropower tunnels. Crews from India, China and South Korea are now joining the response, bringing critical expertise and resources to strengthen relief efforts. Nepal's army says it's deployed more than 8,000 service members to help.

About 3,000 people are still missing, but a sweeping rescue effort has saved the lives of nearly 3,000 more. Dramatic new video shows one of those rescues, a young girl trapped under a collapsed building.

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UNIDENTIFIED SPEAKERS: (Foreign Language)

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ABEL: Crews took her to a camp that evening. She is now receiving treatment, and authorities say she told rescuers her name is Manisha (ph) and she's just six years old. The death toll continues to climb and authorities are struggling to cope with the mounting number of bodies. Seven hundred and 34 people are now confirmed dead in Nepal and at least 16 others in China. Meanwhile, officials are warning that water levels have surged in a river near the flood zone, raising fears of further flooding. They sent a text to residents asking them to be alert, but did not ask them to evacuate.

Joining me now is CNN's Kristie Lu Stout for us in Hong Kong.

And Kristie, as rescue efforts enter their fifth day, what's the latest on the search for the missing?

KRISTIE LU STOUT, CNN ANCHOR: Yes, Brian the scale of the loss and devastation is coming into harsh focus as search operations resume in the disaster zone and authorities there are struggling. They're struggling to reach these remote areas, and that includes the tunnels under hydroelectric plants where scores of workers are missing. They're also dealing with very difficult conditions like rain and fog and also struggling with the sheer scale of it all. Around 750 people are dead, 3,000 people are missing, and that includes around 900 hydropower workers.

I want to show you this video. It's on your screen right now, provided by the army of Nepal, showing the urgent rescue work underway in regards to these tunnels. What is happening right now is rescuers, they are pumping air into these tunnels in an effort to drill a manhole, to send rescue teams down to be able to get there and to find the missing and to look for any, any survivors. This is an urgent effort that's happening at this very moment.

Late on Saturday night, a statement was issued by authorities. Let's bring it up for you. This is a statement that was brought up from Nepal's Minister of Energy, Water Resources, Irrigation, saying this, quote, "There has been some success in the ongoing rescue efforts at the Trishuli-3, a hydropower project tunnel, which was buried under mud and sludge following the flood," unquote. So encouraging news there is progress, but authorities also say they have yet to establish any communication with any of the trapped workers down there.

[01:05:03]

Now, meanwhile, families of the missing are stuck in this agonizing limbo as they wait for any news about their loved ones and survivors. They are waiting for urgently needed supplies to come in. Remember the roads as a result this disaster have become impassable. Some survivors have also managed to go back to their villages, to go back to their homes to retrieve their belongings if there are any belongings left to retrieve. I want you to listen to this account from a 43-year-old villager who says and shares she has nothing left.

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SARASWATI GHALE, 43-YEAR-OLD-VILLAGER (through translator): What am I feeling? Looking at everything, it's like there is no world. What is left? It's like I am dead. What to do now? I don't have anything. What is there that is worth living? Now, what will happen? Who knows? I am saved.

But how things will pan out? Who knows? That's it.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

STOUT: For survivors like her, they face the daunting task of trying to rebuild their lives. And for the nation of Nepal, already one of the poorest countries in the world, there's the daunting task of rebuilding vast parts of the country. The finance minister of Nepal in an interview with Reuters says that the country needs 4 to 5 billion dollars in aid to rebuild. Says it desperately needs that aid to rebuild transport lines like bridges, to rebuild communication lines, as well as technical expertise.

It needs tunnel experts in order to locate the survivors, if there are any there to locate the missing that are under this hydroelectric plant, as well as technical expertise to identify bodies and to conduct DNA tests as well as cold storage for the remains of the victims. The United States has pledged $3.6 million in aid, but that is just a fraction of what Nepal desperately needs right now. Brian.

ABEL: All right, CNN's Kristie Lu Stout for us in Hong Kong. Kristie, thank you.

And Hanako Montgomery made it into a devastated village as the search continues for survivors. As you'll see in her report, Hanako witnessed scenes of heartbreaking destruction.

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HANAKO MONTGOMERY, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Here in Nepal's Devighat, destruction stretches for miles. Daily life has grounded to a halt here, replaced instead by a steady stream of police and dogs sniffing for any bodies.

MONTGOMERY: And actually, just moments ago, they did find one. We of course can't show it to you, but they told us that because it was so badly decomposed, they couldn't even identify who it was.

MONTGOMERY (voice-over): Downstream, workers are digging a mass grave for the hundreds of bodies that have washed ashore delivered by the truckload. Some are so heavily waterlogged, workers struggle under their weight. And among these bodies is this five-year-old girl. Serina's (ph) family said she was on her way to school when the flood swept her bus away.

We spoke to her father Rajkumar (ph) by phone. He barely survived and is now stranded with help out of reach.

MONTGOMERY: When did you learn, sir, that your daughter was missing?

RAJKUMAR, DAUGHTER DIED IN FLASH FLOOD (voice-over): I was working and I called immediately after I escaped. I was still hoping that my daughter was alive. One of the girls who tried saving her told me she wasn't able to hold her and the flood swept her away.

MONTGOMERY: I can't imagine the pain you must be feeling right now. How are you dealing with this immense tragedy?

RAJKUMAR (voice-over): My dream was always to educate my daughter. So she could be successful in life. That's why I worked so hard. But my dream for her hasn't come true.

MONTGOMERY: But Rajkumar says he can't identify her body with no money or means to confirm that his only child is now gone. Numbers can't describe the human cost of this tragedy. A pain shared by too many here.

Sadip Nepal lost his business in the flood and his home. The one he's lived in for years.

MONTGOMERY: How long do you think it's going to take for you to rebuild all of this?

SADIP NEPAL, SURVIVED FLOOD: I think it is not possible to stay here. I think we have to leave this place.

MONTGOMERY (voice-over): Sadip barely made it out alive when he saw the flood rushing toward his town he said like a tsunami. He ran up a nearby mountain where he filmed these videos. He said all he had was a T-shirt and sandals. But luckily his whole family made it out in time. He shows us inside his home where furniture and a bathroom once stood are now tree branches, ropes and animal carcasses that the river brought in.

Now, more than three days after the flood swept through the valley, the chances of finding trapped survivors alive are getting slimmer. Many of these operations are now becoming search and recovery. A mounting toll of heartbreak for thousands of families.

Hanako Montgomery, CNN Nepal.

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[01:10:08]

ABEL: And for more on the emergency response, let's go to Narayan Gyawali in Kathmandu. He's the Nepal program director for Corus International.

And sir, thank you very much for taking your precious time to be with us. It's heartbreaking as this 72 hour window passes for the potential for more survivors, but also heartbreaking for those who have survived with such devastation around them and with the difficult terrain. Can you just first give us a picture of what emergency organizations like yours are having to do just to get aid to those impacted?

NARAYAN GYAWALI, NEPAL PROGRAM DIRECTOR, CORUS INTERNATIONAL: Yes, thank you, Brian. As being the humanitarian organization, we immediately reached to the affected program areas. My team, Corus International team, we moved to the Trishuli and to the Bidur municipalities of Nuwakot immediately.

And we had interactions with the community people. It's very sad, they are not able to speak yet. And we also had a meeting with the local municipalities, government officials and we asked to them that how we can support to them with this difficult time. And it is very, you know, the complex disasters this time. No water, no food, no settlements.

There are a lot of the needs and several communities and the settlements have been damaged. Even some of the, you know, the districts as Rasuwa, we have not been able to reach that place and we don't know exactly the -- how much the damage is there. Still the government, army, police, they have done great job and they are reaching out to there. But for the other agencies like us, it's hard to reach because of the road access.

And based on the discussion with the local government and communities, Corus International team has collected the rapid need assessment and we have prepositioned some of the relief items for the communities like we are prepositioned items like shelter, tarpaulin and tent and water jar. And we are also planning to support the community kitchen. We are having meeting with -- and a discussion with local partner so that we can help to the affected communities there. It's a very complex and very huge disaster and there is a huge demand and we are really worried how we can support to them.

ABEL: And they are just talking about the scale of all of this. Yes, so many aid groups are focusing efforts on Nepal. But so often in disasters like this, even with that kind of attention, there are certain kinds of needs that don't always come in abundance. What are the resources right now that need reinforcements in your early assessments?

GYAWALI: Yes, as I said earlier, Brian, that there are the organization that we have been -- they're -- they are supporting there, but resources always limited. Our organization Corus has also allocated some of the resources there. And we have started to supporting the communities. As I said earlier that we are supporting the tarpaulin, tent, water jar, and also we are planning for community kitchen. That is we are planning for now.

And the demand is huge. And as you know that this disaster has happened in the -- across the eight districts and more than the 15 municipalities. Government has also declared the emergency situation for these 15 municipalities. So demand is very high, but resources are limited.

So government is doing their best. But the organization like us, humanitarian organization, need to support these affected people. So it's very needful and we are doing our best, but also hoping the additional resources from the outside as well.

[01:15:05]

ABEL: Our thoughts are certainly with you and your team. Narayan Gyawali in Kathmandu, thank you very much. GYAWALI: Thank you, Brian. Thank you.

ABEL: CNN's Tom Foreman walks us through this disaster and shows us the risk that people in the area still face.

TOM FOREMAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: This is a whole new concern for the folks out there who are trying to rescue and recover people who were lost. India, Nepal, China, up here. This is where it happened right in here, Mount Everest down this way, by the way, just in case you're wondering.

And if we look at what happened here, the belief from researchers is that this glacier over here collapsed and created a landslide that just sent sort of a liquid shock wave running all down through here. And if in fact, we go in here and take a look at the -- before and after, this was before, when I move it over, you can see just how tremendous this was, how huge the impact was of this collapse. But you can also see something else that is very important to note right now. Right here and right here, those are lakes that have formed from more water running down and they've been captured by debris there. The worry is that that debris could give way if the lakes get big enough and heavy enough, the pressure could burst through and send more water going down.

Another shockwave of water right through all the people who are doing the rescue and recovery work all down in here. That is the big worry. These lakes are a real deal. If you take a look at some video of it, you can see how this is all built up in here with scree and different things and they're forming back in areas like this. The government wants to put in more cameras, more monitors to try to keep track of this.

But in the meantime, what they're saying to the crews out there is even as you do this delicate and really sad work, you have to be ready at any moment to run and get to higher ground if they see another flash flood coming down the way.

ABEL: All right, Tom Foreman, thank you. There is much more to come here on CNN Newsroom, including an attack near Kyiv that killed tens of people. But much of the damage appears not to be from Russian drones or missiles. Plus, the latest on the U.S. and Israel's war with Iran. Our report on what has been achieved during six months of conflict and what hasn't after the break.

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HALYNA HORODETSKA, RESIDENT OF MYLA, UKRAINE (through translator): A wall of fire was coming toward us. My son dropped to his knees and shouted, mom, get down. So I dropped to the ground and started crawling home on my knees. It was impossible to walk because the wall of fire would have engulfed us, so we crawled on our knees.

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ABEL: A woman in Ukraine there talking about a Russian strike near Kyiv that left at least 37 people dead. Dozens of others were wounded after drones hit an ammunition warehouse on Saturday. It likely triggered the ordinance inside the building, causing explosions that lasted for hours. Dozens of nearby homes were damaged. Now an investigation is underway.

President Volodymyr Zelenskyy wants to know who is responsible for storing the ammunition there.

For more on all of this, Barbie Latza Nadeau joins us from Rome. And Barbie, what's the latest?

BARBIE LATZA NADEAU, CNN REPORTER: Yes, you know, I mean, this really is a devastating, deadly day on Saturday. It comes amidst just a barrage of attacks, just time and time again, wave and wave again. Two full days of attacks by Russia on Kyiv and the surrounding area.

Now, what's most interesting about this one, of course, is the fact that the target was this ammunitions warehouse which set off those deadly explosions. And Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy saying that he will punish those who are responsible. Not talking about the Russians there. He's talking about who decided to store those ammunitions and those bombs inside a residential area. Let's listen to what he had to say about that.

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PRES. VOLODYMYR ZELENSKYY, UKRAINE (through translator): It is a horrific situation and there has been an appalling negligence by those who stored explosive materials right next to where people were living. My condolences go out to all the families and loved ones. The rubble is still being cleared. The death toll unfortunately, may rise. Dozens of people have been injured, including locals and rescue workers.

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NADEAU: And, you know, when you listen to that, it really is sort of a change in tactic in terms of what Zelenskyy is saying there when he's looking at investigating his own -- basically his own military there for their decision making in terms of where they're storing those munitions. But this come amidst a really deadly attack on the capital city, you know, sending these air -- the -- these air raid sirens for days and days on end here, sending people down into those shelters, disrupting daily life. You know, all of this comes, of course, as schools are starting again and the summer season's over and people are battening down for what looks to be another long, hard winter ahead, Brian.

ABEL: Barbie Latza Nadeau reporting for us from Rome. Barbie, thank you.

In the six months since the U.S. and Israel launched the war with Iran, the financial and economic impacts of the conflict have reverberated across the world. Since the war began, the U.S. has burned through weapons stockpiles and the price of gas has soared. But none of the original goals laid out by President Donald Trump or Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu have been achieved. CNN Jerusalem Bureau Chief Oren Liebermann has more.

OREN LIEBERMANN, JERUSALEM BUREAU CHIEF: It was six months ago that the U.S. and Israel launched the opening strikes of the war against Iran. And now, as we sit here half a year later, that war very much ongoing and unresolved. President Donald Trump and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu laid out what seemed to be clear goals for the war, destroy Iran's nuclear program, end its ballistic missile program and end its support for regional proxies.

[01:25:10]

Now, however, with none of that accomplished, the Trump administration has shifted to a different goal and a different strategy. Iran used the war and learned throughout the war that they really didn't need a military able to compete with the U.S. or Israel to hold hostage the Strait of Hormuz and closed down one of the world's most critical waterways, through which 20 percent of the world's oil flows. That became Iran's most powerful weapon. And that is what the U.S. is trying to open right now so that there aren't a global ripple effect of impacts from the closed or limited Strait of Hormuz, and of course, so that there aren't incredibly high gas prices in the U.S. ahead of the midterms. That is the only goal it seems that the U.S. is focusing on right now, trying to make sure the Strait of Hormuz is open and free for traffic.

It is limited here. The Trump administration is trying to boast that it's open for traffic. And yet the traffic through the strait that it's talking about has had to travel through the strait with its transponder off and with some level of U.S. Navy escort or monitoring to make that happen. And that's because even after the U.S. and Israel destroyed much of Iran's navy and air force and military, they're still able to leverage that power on the Strait of Hormuz with drones with short range rockets. And frankly, shipping companies and insurers aren't willing to take that risk.

And so we're in a state now where Iran has shown that it has ability to exert pressure on the Strait of Hormuz without a final resolution here. Meanwhile, the Trump administration has said in recent days that there are no negotiations with Iran, that even as Qatar is trying to negotiate with Iran and Oman to try to find some sort of resolution on the strait itself. And that remains the challenge here, finding a solution that both satisfies the U.S. and Iran. Despite President Donald Trump repeatedly claiming that Iran is begging for a deal, Iran has repeatedly shown that even with the economic pressure they're facing, the inflation and all of the other problems, they're not begging for a deal and they're willing to make very high demands to open up the strait for the world's oil to flow through it.

Oren Liebermann, CNN, in Jerusalem.

ABEL: An Israeli airstrike reportedly has killed three people in the occupied West Bank. The IDF says it was targeting a Hamas militant who was joined by two accomplices in the northern city of Jenin on Friday. Israel claims the militant had international ties with Hamas members and was linked to attacks on Israeli citizens and security forces. Hamas condemned the attack but did not claim the alleged operative who was targeted.

Palestine Red Crescent medics say they were briefly detained when Israeli ground troops later raided the strike zone and were prevented from transporting victims to the hospital. The IDF has not yet responded to the ambulance services statements.

There's much more to come here on CNN Newsroom, including the wife of a hiker missing in Nepal speaking to CNN. Why she says it's crucial that her husband and the men he was with are found quickly.

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[01:31:39]

ABEL: Back to our top story now, 750 people now confirmed killed by the devastating flooding along the China Nepal border. Rescue workers are searching for any remaining survivors. Nearly 900 workers at several hydropower projects in Nepal are unaccounted for.

Crews are working to pump air into one tunnel and are digging up mud and sludge to try to reach anybody who may be trapped inside. More than 3,000 people are still missing, the vast majority of them in Nepal. Hundreds of those unaccounted for are foreigners, dozens from the U.S. The U.S. State Department now says it will provide $3.6 million in humanitarian aid, an increase from the 500,000 promised earlier.

Relatives of missing Nepalese are gathering at an army camp as they wait for news of their loved ones. Nepal's foreign minister told the Reuters news agency that the country needs foreign specialist help for tunnel rescues, DNA testing and restoring transportation and communication after the disaster. A group of hikers from Virginia are among the thousands missing. The wife of one of the 10 missing men is pleading for help finding them.

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SNEHA SUDHIR, MISSING HIKERS WIFE: The minute I got the news, of course, the first thought was, of course it's not us. So I would start hearing from him in some time. Of course the connectivity is lost but the minute I would start sending him a message or start calling him so probably next hour or so I should start hearing them. So it's going to be coming soon. Just not us or these guys are not in the place where all this thing is happening.

So that was my initial thought. And -- but then, yes, it looks like I don't know where they are. It's a family that's out there. It's 10 boys who are stuck there. Everyone is a great human being, a great dad, a great husband.

And I'm talking on behalf of the entire family of 10 that I'm representing here. We want to seek help from public, government, military. I don't know who's going to help me but if you guys can start looking for them because there are some of them who needs their medical attention on a day to day basis.

I also have one of my elderly brother who had joined there and he is -- he is 70 plus. Super fit. Many of them run their marathons but of course see they're not ready for something like this. And as I said yes, they need their medications on a timely basis. They of course need to take their food.

I don't know what not but 80 hours is way too long for them to be somewhere where they are not taken care of.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ABEL: The already challenging search and rescue conditions in Nepal will likely be complicated more by rainfall. The region is in the middle of its monsoon season with thunderstorms possible across the flood zone over the next couple of days. CNN meteorologist Allison Chinchar has the latest forecast.

ALLISON CHINCHAR, CNN METEOROLOGIST: The last thing this area needs is the potential for additional flooding. Unfortunately there are rain showers expected in the forecast over the next several days. You can see through Sunday afternoon and Sunday evening we get another round of showers that makes its way through same thing for Monday and even into Tuesday. Both of those days are likely going to have breaks in the morning before we start to see activity pick back up in the afternoon and evening hours which is really kind of the main timeline for this general area because we are right in the middle of monsoon season. August is the second wettest month of the year and for many of these areas, they'll likely pick up 50 to 100 millimeters a day over the next few days.

[01:35:19]

That's roughly two to four inches. So again, you're talking about a lot of rain and a lot of that starts to build back up, bringing more rain to a lot of those river valleys that you've seen in many of the images and videos. The big concern too is also where a lot of the mud flows have occurred. That area, when it hardens, turns to an almost concrete like material. But once you add water back into the mix from rain showers, it liquefies, making it very unstable and very dangerous for a lot of the rescue and the recovery crews to come in.

Not to mention it just continues to cause more messes and potentially increase the likelihood of additional flooding.

ABEL: Allison, thank you. And for more information on how you can help the victims of this disaster, visit cnn.com/impact.

We are hearing from the new King of Norway for the first time since the death of his father. King Harald died Friday after more than three decades on the throne. Norwegians have gathered outside of the royal palace where King Harald is lying in state. He died on Friday and at age 89.

The somber outpouring has showed how respected the former king was. He was Europe's oldest monarch who came to the throne after the death of his father who was a well-loved extrovert. Harald became a reformer during his time on the throne. And his death came the day before what would have been his 58th wedding anniversary. He's survived by his wife Sonja.

New King, Haakon VII, spoke about his loss on Saturday. He paid homage to his father who he said was a good dad and became emotional as he congratulated his mother on what should have been a celebration of that anniversary. He also said he looks forward to his new role as king.

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KING HAAKON, NORWAY (through translator): Today we are a family in mourning and a people in mourning. We thank King Harald for all he was and all he did for Norway. For everyone in our country, with God's help and the support of the people, I look forward to the great task that lies ahead and I pray that we all unite around the age old wish. May God protect our country.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ABEL: King Haakon met with his government ministers after his father's death. He stressed he will do things his own way just as his father did. The new king is set to take the official oath in parliament on Tuesday. Details about the King Harald's funeral haven't been announced yet.

Let's go to Iceland now, where the voting is too close to call in a referendum that could reshape the island nation's future. It asks whether voters want to restart talks to join the European Union. The Icelandic national broadcaster is tracking early results that show the no side has taken a slim lead, but election officials say it will take more time to get a reliable result as ballots come in from towns and rural polling stations. Those in favor say E.U. membership could offer more security, especially against Donald Trump's threats. Opponents argue it would threaten Iceland's sovereignty and fishing waters.

We have more to come here on CNN Newsroom, including an update on a father and son detained by ICE in Texas. What their family has to share about their situation.

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ABEL: Washington and Caracas are hailing a landmark new deal on oil. It gives the U.S. control of tens of billions of barrels of Venezuelan reserves. Donald Trump says the agreement will more than double America's oil reserves as well as increasing supply and lowering gas prices. That's been a critical issue for the U.S. president as the Iran war drags on. Venezuela's acting president says the deal will help revitalize the country's economy.

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DELCY RODRIGUEZ, VENEZUELAN INTERIM PRESIDENT (through translator): As a whole, this agreement is going to give a great boost to Venezuela and that is why we said it is a historic agreement. It will be the boost for the great development of Venezuela in the coming decades to come. So that when a Venezuelan thinks of a future, they will think that they are thinking of hope, of what is to come, of progress, of human development, and of all the happiness that is what we want for all.

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ABEL: Now, despite the deal, ordinary Americans may be waiting a while before they see a boost economically. Julia Benbrook is at the White House with more on the agreement.

JULIA BENBROOK, CNN CORRESPONDENT: President Donald Trump says the United States has secured a large stake in the Venezuelan oil industry. He says that this move more than doubles American oil reserves and that it will lower gas prices. Of course a big emphasis there with the midterms quickly approaching.

It is important to note though, that it would likely take some time for Americans to feel the impact of this. He made this announcement in the form of a social media post. I want to pull that up for you now. He said in part, "At my direction, Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Secretary of War Pete Hegseth, working closely with highly respected interim President of Venezuela Delcy Rodriguez and through a partnership with private business, have secured majority U.S. control of more than 65 billion barrels of proven oil reserves in Venezuela at no cost to the American taxpayer."

There are still a lot of questions about this and we have reached out to the White House for more details, but here's what we do know. A U.S. official tells us that the deal negotiated gives the United States majority control of 65 billion barrels of proven oil reserves in Venezuela. The United States takes 55 percent in joint venture with private Venezuelan company and Trump says that the 100-year oil field lease more than doubles U.S. controlled oil reserves. Shortly after the deal was announced, Secretary of State Marco Rubio said that this was a win both for the American people and the Venezuelan people. For the Venezuelan people, he said that this would create nearly $100 billion worth of private investment and that it would support thousands of high paying jobs.

Now a little bit of background here. At the beginning of the year, there was a large scale military operation that led to the capture of Venezuela's Nicolas Maduro, who is now in New York and faces criminal charges. Shortly after that military operation, Trump said that American businesses would help rebuild Venezuela's oil industry.

In January, Venezuelan lawmakers did approve a law change backed by Rodriguez that makes it easier for foreign companies --

[01:45:00]

Julia Benbrook, CNN, the White House.

ABEL: Canada is pushing back against President Trump's attempt to rename one of the Great Lakes along the New York Ontario border. On Saturday, Ontario Premier Doug Ford did this. He unveiled a large waterfront sign that reads Lake Ontario now and always. It, of course, comes in response to President Trump's executive order to change the body of water to Lake America on Thursday after trade talks between the two nations collapsed.

The name Ontario is derived from indigenous roots, which predate the establishment of both Canada and the U.S. Ford says it will remain unchanged no matter what President Trump wants to call it.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DOUG FORD, ONTARIO PREMIER: So that's our message to President Trump. We're resilient and we're strong Canadians, and we're always going to protect our sovereignty. Always. And we'll never, ever back down from a bully, ever.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ABEL: Last hour, I spoke with Diamond Isinger. She's a policy strategist and former special adviser on Canada-U.S. relations to Prime Minister Justin Trudeau. Here's her take on the escalating feud.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DIAMOND ISINGER, FMR. SPECIAL ADVISOR ON CANADA-U.S. RELATIONS TO JUSTIN TRUDEAU: This week's proclamation by the president, I think, was just the latest in a line-up of comments from him and his administration that have caused further challenge in our Canada-U.S. relationship. We're just over a week past now, the essentially collapse of tomorrow talks between Canada and the United States to try to get to a trade agreement around potentially reducing or eliminating tariffs being applied to Canada. And this latest offense towards Canada is only galvanizing Canadians to be even more frustrated and even less inclined to want to negotiate with the Trump administration, despite the significant challenge that Canadians are facing during this trade war.

ABEL: So it's that opposite effect. Some of our audience might actually know that the two countries signed an agreement over this lake and the other Great Lakes back in the '70s, working together on the Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement that since become kind of a neglected funding stream. But it's just one of a plethora of examples of the two countries cooperation as close allies. Do you see a future where that cooperation, that kind, becomes cohesive once again, or is this strong enough of a situation to cause permanent damage?

ISINGER: The Canada-US relationship is far more significant than just trade, though trade is obviously a dominant theme. We have lots of economic opportunity between our two countries, many jobs in both countries that rely on this continued trade. But as you allude to, we also have opportunities for environmental cooperation. We share a massive shared border between our two countries. Those have long been opportunities for Canada and the U.S. to work quite closely together.

But all of that is challenged and jeopardized by this trade situation. And it's not clear when we can get to a better place other than perhaps at the conclusion of President Trump's tenure as president of the United States.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ABEL: British far right provocateur Milo Yiannopoulos has been deported by the United States. The Department of Homeland Security says Yiannopoulos was sent back to the U.K. on Friday, a day after he was arrested by ICE at a Louisiana airport. DHS says he entered the U.S. legally back in 2019, but he overstayed his visa and then failed to appear at an immigration hearing.

Yiannopoulos, he rose to prominence as an editor for far right news organization Breitbart and was an outspoken supporter of Donald Trump during his 2016 presidential campaign.

The family of a deported father and his five-year-old son are speaking out after Mexican authorities said the pair are back in Mexico. U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement detained Victor Martinez Nieto and son Liam in Texas. Video of the detainment was posted to social media. Martinez Nieto's family says he had little choice but to be sent back to Guanajuato with his son. CNN's Valeria Leon reports.

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VALERIA LEON, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Nineteen-year-old Fatima Martinez was working in the fields in this remote town in central Mexico when she learned her older brother Victor Martinez had been detained by ICE in Texas.

FATIMA MARTINEZ, VICTOR'S SISTER (through translator): It makes you sad, you start crying. It's painful to see your brother suffer.

LEON (voice-over): The moment of Victor's arrest was caught on video showing him in chains with his five-year-old Liam crying by his side. Facing the possibility of being separated from Liam, Victor agreed to be deported to Mexico.

LEON: Victor Martinez and his son Liam were sent back to his parents home here in this small town in the Mexican state of Guanajuato, surrounded by mountains. Most of the people here harvest corn and this is the exact place where Victor decided to leave to the U.S. Now his family welcomes him back.

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MARTINEZ (through translator): It's good to see him again, but at the same time it's sad because they only go their to pursue their dreams, but they don't let them.

LEON (voice-over): Fatima is the eldest of 12 siblings. Four of them are still in the U.S. Victor had crossed the border earlier this year, a journey his family says came at a very high price. Fatima told CNN he still owes $15,000 to the smuggler who helped him cross into the U.S.

MARTINEZ (through translator): Here, we basically survive by working in the fields. We're a little forgotten.

LEON (voice-over): Getting to Puerto de Tablas, where the family lives, is not easy. After driving through curves, rocks and dirt, we arrived at the community. There we met Victor's aunt, Guadalupe. She knows what it means to have a family leave. Two decades ago, her eldest son left for the U.S. when he was just 15.

She says he never came back. For Victor, she hopes things will be different.

GUADALUPE MARTINEZ, VICTOR'S AUNT: Poort thing, I hope he finds a job here, something that helps him move forward. Because there's nowhere to work here.

LEON (voice-over): Now Victor is back in the place he once left, searching for opportunities elsewhere.

Valeria Leon, CNN, Guanajuato, Mexico.

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ABEL: There's much more to come here on CNN Newsroom. First there was the Hubble and then the James Webb. Why NASA is about to take a great week forward in studying the universe with today's launch of the Roman Space Telescope.

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ABEL: NASA is about to get a new $4 billion window in the universe. The Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope is set to launch with the Kennedy Space Center less than six hours from now. It is the latest and greatest of the observatories that star started with the Hubble and James Webb space telescopes.

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DR. MARK CLAMPIN, NASA DEPUTY ASSOCIATE ADMINISTRATOR: I always explain Hubble and Webb as well you would think of as a point and shoot. So it's kind of like taking a picture with your iPhone. Roman instead is a survey telescope and it's actually NASA's first big flagship that's designed to conduct a survey. And so you can think of looking through your binoculars instead of looking through a straw, it allows you to cover a much larger piece of the sky.

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ABEL: Homeowners in the American west are dealing with some wild guests. Authorities say more people are reporting encounters with black bears. States like Colorado have reported the encounters with the bears have more than doubled in the last 50 years. Just this year alone, there have been more than 7,000 sightings and five bear attacks in the state. Experts believe drought driven food shortages are sending bears into human communities in record numbers.

Be on the lookout.

Thank you for joining us. I'm Brian Abel. CNN Newsroom continues with my friend and colleague Ben Hunte after a quick break.

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